NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51
Sunlight streamed through the small window in the workshop, pooling in a certain spot. This was a place I occasionally used when crafting dolls, to harness the power of the sun.
Though currently, it was merely for my relaxation. I lifted my teacup, basking in the warm rays.
I carefully savored the scent of the tea. Today, I had splurged on some rather expensive tea leaves—dried and roasted leaves from a five-hundred-year-old doll plant.
Indeed, the aroma was incredibly rich. Just a brief whiff felt like magic was seeping into my entire being.
There’s a reason those few dried leaves cost fifty points.
Gently, I brought the cup to my lips. The warm tea flowed into my mouth, brimming with vibrant life.
The floral notes danced on my tongue, saturating not just my taste buds, but my entire mouth, unearthing a delightful flavor.
Initially bitter, it gradually turned refreshing, eventually sweetening. By the end, all those sensations melded into a texture I had never experienced before. In an instant, my mind cleared.
I smiled as I swallowed. Even that moment felt incredibly smooth. While I may have envisioned it, this tea was truly perfect.
I had debated long and hard about whether to buy it. In the end, I squinted and grabbed just enough for ten cups, but tasting it now, I found it worth every point. I had no idea how much I had refined the ‘perfect tea’ spell to bring out this flavor.
“Leave a note for the delivery person, saying how satisfied I was with the tea leaves. Tell them I’ll call again when I need more.”
The Mirror Bug flitting nearby, began to write on its surface after catching those words. Soon enough, it wiggled as if to say it was done.
“Now, show me what I need to do today.”
The Mirror Bug approached, revealing a list to me.
[Inquiry Board]
– Hongryeong: I’m curious about how the magic of the tea my doll received is constructed. Please add that information.
– Kashian: How about adding pictures next to the names?
– Jun: I’d like to request a meeting.
[Special Notes]
– A doll exploring Room 4 on the 5th floor has gone missing. Two additional dolls have been confirmed, but no irregularities were found. Suspected temporary spatial rift.
Hmm. It was just around lunchtime, so not too many requests had come in yet.
Another disappearance on the 5th floor, huh? I checked on the Shadow Tree. The star of the missing doll lost its light and disappeared somewhere.
Lately, it felt like those spatial rifts were happening more often. They were rifts that swallowed the Shadow Dolls and vanished without a trace.
However, after several visits, I found no irregularities. I hoped this wasn’t some ominous sign of bigger troubles ahead.
Aside from that, no other anomalies had occurred. From the 1st to the 5th floors, my Shadow Dolls had checked every area.
The trees had grown strong, and the Shadow Trees had expanded explosively, making this possible.
I could just show up to deal with any irregularities, completely free of worries. Of course, it took time to resolve those issues.
Surprisingly, I found it quite enjoyable to deal with such anomalies these days.
The occurrence of anomalies indicated that some components of the magical circles were showing cracks. Instead of just restoring things to normal, pondering why they happened allowed me to sneak a peek and learn a little about what was inside.
Having more time on my hands allowed me to change my mindset like this.
“Go into the trading board.”
The Mirror Bug switched the screen. I checked yesterday’s request. Hmm, it seems someone has already picked it up.
It was a delivery request for materials to make dolls. The one who accepted the request left a note saying they’d deliver it tomorrow.
So, what kind of doll shall I create today?
I’ve recently found joy in making new dolls. Not just ones with multiple functions, but those specialized in a single function.
The doll I created yesterday was one that layered environmental purification magic. I aimed for something that could purify an entire floor.
And I failed.
Due to a design flaw, it ended up purifying itself and erased its internal circuits. Maybe I should modify that.
In the center of the workshop, I spotted Unit 0 wiggling around. It was also making a doll.
This hobby had developed for it too. Previously, it could only maintain the dolls I created, but lately, it had started crafting its own.
Though still a bit clumsy, its dolls had a different charm compared to mine.
It was a sign of progress. Considering how it once used to lumber about, it’s a tremendous advancement.
“Unit 0, do you need anything?”
I asked as I browsed the trading board. It stopped making its doll and looked at me. After some contemplation, it shook its head.
Thinking about it, it would be better for it to just order what it needed, rather than me asking every day. I pulled a Mirror Bug from my pocket.
“Then, if you need anything later, just make sure to buy it yourself. I’ll give you this.”
The Mirror Bug flew towards it. Since it could also write, it would handle it on its own.
Once the points inside the Mirror Bug ran out, I just needed to recharge it.
I skimmed through the boards but found nothing interesting. I moved on to the next board.
I had created just three boards.
Information Board, Trading Board, Freedom Board.
They were all based on the structure of the stalactite city. Plus, including the existing Inquiry Board, there were a total of four.
The most frequented was the Trading Board. This board significantly reduced my inconvenience.
Previously, I visited Professor Heisen’s tower or the city, but now I could just order deliveries like this.
I checked the ring stored in the Mirror Bug. The points displayed on the screen.
3,172 points.
Considering I used to be in debt, this felt like a massive improvement. And it would continue to grow, thanks to this board.
I checked how many people were currently registered on the board. 42 people; that was the total over the past month.
It was surprisingly high for a gathering. After all, there was a price barrier in place.
I was charging 50 points monthly for borrowing the Mirror Bugs. Yet, still, forty-two members had joined. That meant a cool 2,000 points rolling in each month.
Occasionally, I received inquiries asking if I could open it up for others, but I firmly declined.
Last time I gave out dolls for free, it ended in disaster. I couldn’t let that happen again.
Of course, I left the Inquiry Board open for my convenience. By informing them of any anomalies with their Shadow Dolls, those dolls could leave messages on the Inquiry board.
Next, I moved to the Freedom Board. It had nothing noteworthy written there.
Which made sense. Since mages had no incentive to write anything.
Unless, of course, it was someone like Kashian, who had been posting tons of pictures of her Bear Doll.
– Come see my cute Bear Doll.
[Picture of the Bear Growling]
[Picture of the Bear Rolling Around]
[Picture of the Bear Serving Tea with Its Hands]
I couldn’t help but chuckle. Was that why she kept requesting the feature to add pictures?
Speaking of which, she had left another inquiry. I checked the details of her request again.
The function to include pictures next to names, huh? I guess I could add that. It didn’t seem like a huge task.
After quickly handling that, I moved on to the next request. It was from Hongryeong. A new tea spell.
I didn’t recall creating anything like that. That was likely a new discovery by a doll tailored to serve him.
I focused on the will of that doll. It shared the information I sought through the Shadow Tree.
I immediately posted that on the Information Board. I set the cost at around 10 points. At that price, even those other than Hongryeong might purchase it out of curiosity.
I left a reply to acknowledge that their inquiry was resolved.
Still, it was quite unexpected. Despite placing my magic spells at low prices to attract people to the boards, the most popular one was this ‘Perfect Tea’ spell.
I thought it wouldn’t sell much since it was a spell included by default in the dolls they carried, but the opposite turned out to be true.
I speculated that they might be buying it to enjoy outside the tower. After all, I was savoring it myself and could confidently say it was delightful.
Others also gradually started posting their magic or information on this Information Board for sale.
Perhaps because of the chance to earn points, this board was much more active than the Freedom Board. I smiled seeing that. This was exactly what I wanted.
If more people gathered, their information would pile up here. I eagerly anticipated that moment.
Now, what’s the next request…
“Could you create a board for me?”
Jun spoke up.
I blinked in surprise. I came here expecting to discuss a meeting, and now he was asking me for a board? He continued.
“I think it would be nice to have a secret board where only specified individuals can access.”
“That’s certainly possible.”
It was a puzzling request, but I agreed anyway.
Since he was willing to pay for points, there was no reason for me to refuse. Creating one more board wasn’t that burdensome for me. Just as he said, it could be limited to certain people.
“So, what kind of points are you thinking?”
I asked him. Without hesitation, he responded.
“How about a thousand points a month?”
I was taken aback, my eyes widening. I didn’t expect him to request such a hefty sum. I had only thought of a couple hundred points at most.
“That much?”
“Yes, I believe it’s worth it.”
He smiled, and it was a mysterious grin filled with an enigmatic charm. I pondered for a moment what he was thinking but chose not to delve any further. Ultimately, it was none of my business.
“If you’re offering points, then naturally, I will accommodate you.”
“Thank you. So when can I expect the board to be ready?”
“Well, since it’s not a significant undertaking, I should be able to have it ready by today.”
“Really? That’s good to hear. Here’s the list.”
He passed me a paper filled with names, most of whom belonged to his organization. Just over a hundred names.
Most of them didn’t have Mirror Bugs. I couldn’t help but wonder how they planned to utilize this. I looked at him with questioning eyes.
“Oh, I almost forgot to mention that. They’ll all be renting Mirror Bugs as well.”
He thought for a moment and opened his mouth again.
“Could you prepare those by today as well?”
I was stunned. So they were all joining? Plus, the board fee? It wasn’t something I should concern myself with, but it was practically pouring my points down the drain.
This unbelievable news truly shocked me. I took a moment to catch my breath and nodded.
I had plenty of Mirror Bugs prepared in advance. It was just a matter of making a few more. With that, Jun smiled.
“Could you keep this transaction a secret from the others?”
“Of course, that’s only natural.”
I nodded readily. After exchanging goodbyes with him, I rose from my seat. If I wanted to finish it today, I had to work quickly.
And then a week passed.
Jun raided the 2nd-floor rooms and seized two of them.
These were areas owned by noble families.
As a result, the tower was completely turned upside down.