NOVEL NEXT Chapter 49
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-12: Distortion occurred in Room 3 on the 1st floor. (5 days ago)
└ 0: Resolved. (5 days ago)
-136: Something’s weird with the infirmary. (3 days ago)
└ 0: Resolved. (3 days ago)
-134: When will my bear doll arrive? (2 days ago)
└ 0: Resolved. (2 days ago)
└ 134: Thank you! (2 days ago)
-0: I will be closing the board for the next three days. (2 days ago)
└ 1: May I ask why? (2 days ago)
└ 0: I’m planning to attend lectures. (2 days ago)
└ 1: Ah, I see. Good luck! (2 days ago)
“Now, clean this up.”
I said to the mirror bug. The screen it had been showing turned off, revealing my face. The fatigue under my eyes was glaringly obvious.
I wondered when these dark circles would vanish. Ever since coming to the university, they’ve only gotten worse.
The mirror bug folded its mirror and nestled back into my pocket. I thought maybe it could communicate here, but that was wishful thinking.
This board was a result of continually modifying the mirror bug’s functions. It wasn’t just about passing messages but having a single space for everyone to see.
Creating the board was a good move. Writing is way more efficient and convenient than speaking. When others left inquiries, I could just check and handle them at my leisure.
Thanks to not needing to rush whenever someone called, I found myself with more free time. That also meant I could focus more on upgrading the mirror bug. It was quite enjoyable.
However, there were some downsides. For one, the short communication range. Right now, the stars hanging on my shadow tree were few and far between. They were the dolls I currently held.
The farther away I got, the fainter the connection with other dolls became. I barely encompassed the area around the mountain where the tower was located.
I chuckled bitterly. I guess my skills were still lacking. I needed to hone my magic even more. As the tree grew, its range would surely expand.
But looking at it now, that seemed difficult. The tree in my chest still felt bare. I had stripped it quite a bit through experimentation. Thanks to that, the shadow tree beneath had flourished even more.
Suddenly, a dark shadow swooped down.
It looked like a tiger, about five meters long. Its eyes were filled with intense pain and madness, radiating powerful magical energy. It seemed to be the ruler of this area.
But it was too small.
The turtle nudged the attacking tiger with its foot. The tiger crashed to the ground.
The turtle waddled over and gulped it down whole. After a few moments of munching, it let out a contented cry. It seemed quite tasty.
I took a quick look at the carcass that had drifted into the workshop. It was smeared in shadows like some sort of stain. It must have been contaminated by the shadow river flowing from Professor Heisen’s tower.
The turtle would probably enjoy it. For a turtle that considered shadows its main dish, it would be quite a delicacy. I handed the carcass back to the turtle, which started chewing on it.
There hadn’t been one of these last time I was here. It was probably a new resident settling down after wandering around. In the distance, a white mountain appeared, looking rather strange with its black branches spreading in all directions.
I began to walk toward it slowly.
As I got closer, its outline became clearer. A tall black tower sat atop the mountain.
I had missed the last lecture because I was busy raising my skill level through research. It didn’t really matter since I would have ended up at the bottom anyway.
But maybe this time would be different. I felt a glimmer of hope. My skill had risen, and I had become a bit stronger. My shadow had as well. Steeling myself, I made my way toward the tower.
But nothing had changed.
“Oh, you’ve gotten a bit sturdier. Congratulations on your growth!”
Boun chuckled heartily as he departed. I wasn’t able to express my thanks since Unit 0 had been squished in his hands. My mind quickly started to fade.
Clutching my throbbing head, I opened my eyes. Maira was staring at me intently. It seemed I had returned to the classroom. I gave her a slight nod.
The pain soon vanished. I used to collapse in my seat for quite some time, but now I felt fine. It was more painful to tear apart my tree than anything else.
So I must have grown, at least a little. Not in strength, but in resilience.
“Today, you’re here for the first time again….”
“Yes. I guess I still haven’t quite surpassed everyone else.”
I gave a bitter smile. Maira covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
“But… you’ve grown something interesting….”
Her magic gently brushed by me. The shadow tree responded, wriggling. The extension of it reached out, touching her magic. As if happily greeting an old friend.
With that, I began to feel a deep presence. I flinched at the sensation coursing through my body. Something bizarre and incomprehensible flowed within Maira’s magic.
Before I knew it, Unit 0 had fully recovered and peeked out from the shadow. She poked it with her finger. The turtle had also somehow made its way over to her.
And it flipped over, showing off. She gently patted the turtle. Both my shadow tree and dolls regarded her with familiarity. Maybe it was because she was adept at handling shadows. I couldn’t say for sure.
“I didn’t expect it to progress like this… I thought it would take a while to succeed….”
“Thanks to you, Maira. I’ve prepared this as a small token of appreciation.”
I took out a shadow doll I had prepared from my spatial pocket. It slowly stood up and bowed toward her.
Unit 1, the very first doll I had ever made.
If it weren’t for the various pieces of advice she had given me, I probably would still be floundering around. Presenting my first work was a way to show my gratitude for her assistance.
Maira smiled brightly at Unit 1. When she touched it, the shadow contained within flowed out, unraveling like mist to reveal a beam of light.
“What a pretty color… thank you….”
As she withdrew her hand, it returned to its original form. Unit 1 approached her, pouring her some tea.
As she enjoyed her tea for a moment, she subtly turned her gaze. Her eyes fell on her own shadow. Something was flickering within it. After watching it for a moment, she looked back at me.
“The professor is… calling for you….”
“Huh?”
“It must be something good… so you don’t have to be nervous….”
She returned my shadows and dolls that she had been toying with. Before I could say anything, the shadows enveloped me.
I blinked.
Suddenly, the location had changed.
I first saw a neatly organized desk. Papers were arranged in tidy rows on top of it. There were several large bookshelves against the walls, all tightly packed with books.
I recognized this place. It was Professor Heisen’s office. He sat at his desk, slowly working through the paperwork in front of him.
He glanced at me and pointed to the chair in front of the desk. I cautiously took a seat. I had no idea what was happening this time.
He continued writing without paying me any mind. It felt strangely familiar. I felt like I had been here before. I quietly sat, waiting for him to speak.
After some time had passed, he looked at me. I tensed up.
“Well done.”
I blinked. What was he talking about? I couldn’t understand what I had done right.
He nodded to his pen. The magic that flowed from it drew in the turtle that was nestled against my chest. The turtle landed neatly in his hand.
It looked at him and let out a cry. Then it rubbed its head against his finger. It was more affectionate than it had been with Maira.
Professor Heisen examined it slowly before speaking.
“In the last thousand years, five people have completed my lectures. Now, you make six.”
I merely blinked. He continued speaking without paying attention to my reaction.
“Let’s see some more.”
I could somewhat guess what he meant. He was referring to the dolls intertwined with shadows, like the turtle. I quickly pulled out the dolls I had packed in my spatial pocket.
A few shadow dolls and some mirror bugs floated in the air. Professor Heisen began to probe into their insides using his magic.
He slowly examined the structure, a light smile appearing on his lips.
“Yes, you have quite a talent. That’s an interesting setup.”
Finally, I understood what he was saying. He was praising me. My shadow dolls.
“Thank you.”
I bowed deeply toward him. To be told I had talent was the first time I had heard that since coming to the university. In fact, I had barely heard it even before coming here. My heart began to tremble slightly.
“If it weren’t for your unique magic, this wouldn’t have succeeded. You recognize that, right?”
“Yes. I understand.”
I nodded. He was right. I had already performed several experiments.
I had tried using the wood branches I had collected from others to create shadows, but they couldn’t withstand the overload and burst apart. Only the wood that flowed with the ‘fake soul’ was capable of it.
“The mages who completed my lectures in the past all changed shadows with their unique magic. Unlike those fools who only know how to sponge off others.”
He looked into my eyes. There was a hint of regret in his gaze.
“It’s a shame I can’t use you here. What you’ve created seems perfect for handling menial tasks.”
I broke out in a cold sweat. He looked at me thoughtfully, tapping his pen. The dolls floating in the air lowered and settled on his desk.
He used his magic to extract the shadows contained within them. Similar to before, the shadows dispersed, revealing the stars within.
He looked at me. The magic flowing from him linked to my shadow tree. With the help of his powerful magic, the shadow tree temporarily took on a shape.
He inspected it slowly and clicked his tongue.
“There are still quite a few immature aspects. The ego is rough, and the connections are inefficient.”
He began to jot something down with his pen. I wondered how much time had passed when he tossed a densely filled sheet of paper at me. As his magic faded, everything returned to normal.
I carefully caught it. I swallowed hard. My heart was pounding in my chest. Several pieces of advice were contained within. I bowed deeply, nearly touching the ground.
“Thank you.”
“I respect those capable of creating such individuality. You don’t need to thank me for showing me new possibilities. In fact, this alone feels a bit lacking. I’ve offered other individuals the chance to stay in my tower. Although now, they’ve all run off.”
He waved his hand casually. After pondering for a moment, he wrote something down again. Then he tossed a short note my way. It floated down onto my palm, carried by magic.
“Instead, let me write you a recommendation. It should help you during your promotion assessments.”
My eyes widened. I tentatively brushed my fingertips over it. Such kindness. I bowed even deeper. A warm sensation flooded my heart, something I had never felt since arriving at the university.
So this is what it feels like to be recognized. My body trembled slightly.
“I didn’t expect you to produce such results. Maybe after this lecture finishes, I should capture another like you.”
He said. He levitated everything on his desk toward me using his magic. I carefully stowed them back into my spatial pocket.
He turned his gaze away from me. Then he resumed handling the paperwork on his desk.
“Now that you’ve created your shadow, there’s no need for you to attend lectures anymore. You can leave now.”
And the shadows enveloped me once more.
In an instant, I was back in the lecture hall.
Maira watched me. She broke into a small smile upon seeing the papers in my hands.
“It seems… things went well….”
“Yes. It’s a bit surprising, though.”
I looked at the papers in my hands. A smile naturally rose to my face. I couldn’t hide my buoyant feelings.
“So… you won’t be staying here…?”
She said with a disappointed expression. I simply nodded. She already knew I was staying at Professor Ilian’s tower. Instead, I brought up a story she might like.
“But, I heard Professor Heisen is bringing someone in after this lecture is over.”
“Is… that really true…?”
Her face lit up. It seemed her dark circles faded a bit. After a moment of contemplation, she continued.
“Do we really only need to bring in one…? It might be nice to bring around ten….”
She said, laughing. There was a deep emotion intertwined within it, something I had caught a glimpse of before.
“I think I need to go out too….”
Behind her, a grotesquely twisted shadow flickered.
I offered a moment of mourning for those I didn’t know.