NOVEL NEXT Chapter 55
The turtle cautiously walked along.
The surroundings were dense with trees. The cries of bugs, the intense magical aura of the monsters watching the area, and the encroaching darkness of night were all mixed together, creating a rather bizarre atmosphere.
The turtle only moved about the size of a small cart, not increasing its body size. This was so it could pass through this path. So, I couldn’t enter it myself and had to climb onto its back to take a look around.
I leaned back against the seat. The soft cushion gently embraced me. I patted the pocket of space cradled in my arms. My purpose for coming to the city was accomplished. I’d gathered enough information, I figured.
To my surprise, I was leaving the city much earlier than expected. I had planned to stay at least a day, but the moment I bought this, I had to flee immediately. I was eager to go back and experiment with it.
It had to be worth the price. I had spent all my points to buy it— not just what I had now, but my future points too.
I hadn’t intended to invest this much, though.
I chuckled bitterly, enchanted by Hwa-ryeong’s strange rhetoric. Perhaps she started tossing around those random words just to capture my soul before getting to the point.
In hindsight, she had cleverly manipulated me into buying it. I hadn’t noticed it at all back then.
The first item she mentioned was a picture of a gigantic snake.
“This is the ouroboros, a transmutation of a snake.”
As I looked at it, I was genuinely impressed. Even though it was just a picture, I could feel the magical energy coursing through it. It contained a strength greater than any monster I had ever seen.
And this is only a transmutation? Then how strong could its true body be? The possibilities boggled my mind.
“This monster was bred by the Beast Corporation over a hundred years. It was highly anticipated, but unfortunately died due to issues during its rearing process. We purchased it.”
She handed me the accompanying pamphlet. I took it and began reading it slowly. My eyes widened. The functions listed were incredibly attractive.
“As you can see, all the functions desired by Ebron are included within. It could store information infinitely, and its consciousness still lingers, allowing it to think for itself. Plus, the mages overseeing the storage have cast maintenance spells on it, so it should last at least ten thousand years.”
“We’ll take care of maintenance and repairs too,” she added, smiling.
“Shall we move on to the next item?”
She retrieved the snake picture and revealed another one in the air. This time, it was a cat with nine heads.
“This is a monster created by the Beast Corporation. They aimed to combine nine types of feline monsters into one. This was dubbed the ‘Nine-Branch Cat.’ Sadly, it was discovered that it couldn’t breed as expected, and thus it was discarded.”
I took the pamphlet and read it over. Although it didn’t match the ouroboros, it still had a plethora of impressive features, especially the fact that it could facilitate multi-information exchange through its nine heads.
She explained it further, and a few more items followed. Most were derived from the remains of monsters.
It made sense; if you wanted to collect information, the receptor was important. The powerful brains of these monsters were the best for performing the task as opposed to products made by mages.
But even while hearing the descriptions, I couldn’t help but smirk. They were great items, yet there was a big problem.
They were way too expensive.
The ouroboros was over five million points, and the Nine-Branch Cat cost three million. Others were similarly priced. Not a single item was below a million points.
I barely had points shy of that. A deep sigh escaped me. Hwa-ryeong smiled brightly at my plight. There was a hint of amusement in her eyes.
“These items are just for your reference; I wanted to provide you with various options, so please don’t worry too much.”
She pulled out another picture. I shook my head as I looked at the price.
Several items were showcased, decreasing in complexity and price. What mattered to me was one thing: a vast storage space that could hold information in place of the Shadow Tree.
Yeah, just like this. I swallowed as I looked at the picture.
It was the brain and spinal cord of a wraith tree.
It gleamed translucent. It felt oddly familiar, as if it could fade away into nothing at any moment while remaining in the material world.
“This is an item that’s been cut from a thousand-year-old wraith tree, preserving it in pristine condition.”
“What’s the price?”
I asked, swallowing hard. This was exactly what I needed. It harbored a vast storage capacity, enough to hold a millennium worth of memories.
“It’s much cheaper than the ones you’ve seen before. Because it has only one function, it’s twenty thousand points.”
Hwa-ryeong said with a smile. True, it was cheaper than the previous items. But I still lacked sufficient points.
In the end, I put down the pamphlet with a bitter smile. Watching me, she spoke leisurely.
“If you’re worried about the price, you don’t have to pay it all at once. You could split it into twenty months and pay just ten thousand points each month.”
That was an enticing proposal. I started to contemplate. Ten thousand points a month was an expense I could cover with the points from renting a Mirror Bug.
“I’ll buy it.”
So there I went, almost entranced, purchasing it. I handed over all my points to her and obtained this item.
Now, looking back, it was basic marketing. She surely intended to sell just this from the start.
She must have known the maximum limit of points I could squeeze out. Knowing everything about the Mirror Bug made it understandable.
The items she showed me were just stepping stones to get me to buy this one. A strategy to lower my point threshold and make this seem cheap.
Not being able to remain in the city was partly due to this, too. What else could I do without points? I had no choice but to leave the city.
I sighed. Points vanish like the wind. I steadied my restless heart and recalled Professor Heisen’s advice: “If you give up knowledge, you can’t move forward.”
Right. I shouldn’t be stingy over mere points. They’re just a tool. They’re merely a means to acquire what I need.
I actually felt lighter now that all my points had disappeared. It was just a matter of starting over from scratch.
Moreover, the points I would earn monthly exceeded the cost of renting a Mirror Bug. That alone was enough to continue my research.
I looked around. The strange path was starting to feel a bit familiar. The tower was almost nearby.
It had only been six hours since departing the city. I couldn’t believe I had arrived so early.
“So, how was the route? Were you satisfied?”
Someone slowly descended from the air. I met their gaze. It was a guy with a striking light scar beneath his eyes, sitting on the turtle’s back and slightly bowing.
“It was quite comfortable, Nadia.”
I also bowed my head as I replied. There were a couple of others hovering around the turtle. They were friends I had been pulled along with just after leaving the city.
They were part of a group called the “Safe Hiking Club.” Apparently, some members of the tower pooled their points together to request quick delivery for me.
“I never thought this was possible. To not encounter even a single monster on the way?”
“Haha! You must have felt it as you came, but it’s because we’re passing through between territories of monsters. While they focus on each other, we can move quickly like this.”
And indeed, I felt the intense gazes of the monsters following me, yet nothing ever attacked. It was quite amazing.
“Is it okay to reveal that?”
Upon hearing that, he flashed a confident grin. He scanned the surrounding area and spoke.
“Even though this appears simple, countless trials and secrets are hidden within the path we’ve built. Just knowing the principles doesn’t make it easy to replicate.”
“I see.”
I nodded, filled with a bit of admiration. It was impressive. Just because you know the principles doesn’t mean you can execute the techniques. That idea resonated quietly in my heart.
“Now that we’ve arrived, could you each leave a comment on our post? If Ebron vouches for us, it will boost our credibility.”
He took out a Mirror Bug from his pocket and said.
“Of course. I’d be happy to help. What should I write?”
“Just something brief.”
I summoned my magic. The Mirror Bug, charged with energy, soared from the pouch. It entered freely into the bulletin board, where I spotted a post by Nadia.
— Nadia: We safely escorted Ebron to the tower! It only took six hours from the Stalactite City here.
This optimal route is posted on the information board, so everyone, please check it out. With our ‘Safe Hiking Club’ newly paved path, you can travel comfortably without encountering any monsters!
┗ Ebron: Thanks to you all, I made it here comfortably.
Other people also penned a few messages with their Mirror Bugs. I left a couple of replies and suddenly, the tower came into view.
Simultaneously, my consciousness began to connect with other things. The many dolls and Mirror Bugs surrounding the tower welcomed me, the stars embedded in the Shadow Tree glimmering.
The Mirror Bug, which had been floating in the air, began vibrating vigorously. It was clear something was being posted; and it was plenty.
I casually checked to see what was happening.
— Yuna: The long sorrowful time has ended… At night, chatting on this bulletin board was a joy for me, but I’ve felt so lonely these past two days without being able to do anything.
Now that the bulletin board is open again, I can enjoy warm evenings once more.
┗ Nadia: Oh my, if you had come with us to the city, you could have kept checking the posts!
┗ Yuna: Wow, that’s a method!
┗ Nadia: How about preparing a route just in case this happens again? We posted an optimal route on the information board. It’s just 100 points for a guide.
┗ Yuna: Uh, um. I’ll check it out.
┗ Luka: You’re falling for it.
— Kashian: Come check out our lovely Bear Doll that you haven’t seen for a while! Day 63-65.
[Bear Doll with arms wide open]
[Bear Doll sitting with hands clasped]
[Bear Doll waving with one hand]
[Bear Doll tilting head slightly]
[Bear Doll patting its belly]
…
…
…
[Bear Doll with arms on hips]
Super cute, right?
┗ Hao: I can’t believe how much this is being spammed with pictures.
┗ Kashian: Does that mean you’re saying our Bear Doll isn’t cute?
┗ Hao: No, that’s not it.
┗ Kashian: See you at the tower tomorrow. I’ll be waiting in the central hall on the first floor.
┗ Hao: I mean it’s cute! I’m saying the Bear Doll is cute!
┗ Omon: This guy really is a fool. Why not just not leave comments from the start?
┗ Hao: I didn’t expect it to turn out like this. Kashian, are you there? Kashian?
┗ Hao: Ah, damn it.
— Eli: We escorted Ebron through the route we’ve developed.
[Picture of the turtle walking]
Please check the information board, everyone!
┗ Ebron: Thanks to you all, I’ve arrived comfortably.
┗ Isamael: Oh, you really came! No wonder the Mirror Bug was vibrating.
┗ Darien: Finally… I can use the bulletin board….
The bulletin board came to life, and many began posting messages. I chuckled. While it was for my benefit, it didn’t seem wrong having created this bulletin board. As I watched, I had arrived at the tower.
“Well then, we will take our leave.”
Nadia said, bowing her head in front of the closed door. It was late at night, and the opening hours of the tower had already passed.
“Thank you! See you tomorrow.”
“We should be the ones thanking you. See you tomorrow.”
After they departed, I stepped inside the tower.
The Mirror Bug vibrated so much that it perched momentarily on my shoulder. I gave it a quick pat and headed for the stairs.
My heart began to race. An undeniable excitement was spreading throughout me with each heartbeat.
This was worth twenty thousand points.
It was the most expensive item I had ever used. No, I had never even touched anything over a thousand points before.
I couldn’t imagine what kind of power it possessed. I had seen it in the pamphlet, but feeling it in my hands would surely be different. What sensation would come from handling something that cost twenty thousand points?
The anticipation made me smile involuntarily.