Chapter 66: The Keeper’s Trial

[Cassian: Come and see this cute teddy bear. Day 325.]

[The teddy bear is lying on its back.]

[The teddy bear is lying on a bed.]

[The teddy bear is wearing a small hat.]

[The teddy bear is sitting with its legs stretched out.]

“Since the old man is not around, I can’t upload a video. Such a shame.”

[Hao: It’s not a teddy bear. All I see is a pale human face.]

[Cassian: Are you insulting my teddy bear right now?]

[Hao: No, seriously, there was a person, ah. It’s gone. Was it a ghost?]

[Cassian: Come to the central hall on the first floor. If you don’t come, I’ll find you.]

[Hao: It’s a misunderstanding, really!]

***

‘A warehouse keeper, huh.’

I fiddled with the key in my hand.

There was a strange sensation emanating from it.

It was directly connected to my tree, creating a unique link.

Because of that connection, holding this key felt like touching a part of my own body.

Ever since receiving it, I had developed a habit of stroking the key whenever I fell into deep thought.

The treasure warehouse I had to guard spanned from the sixth to the ninth floors.

I’d heard that the treasures became more powerful the higher the floor.

I’d only visited above the sixth floor once, and the memory was still vivid.

It was during my first cleaning assignment after arriving at the tower.

I managed to make it to the fifth floor without much trouble.

But when I reached the sixth floor, I encountered shifting walls.

Initially, I thought it was just an ordinary floor.

But soon, the walls writhed, seemingly trying to swallow me whole.

I escaped by running without looking back.

And at the end of it, on the seventh floor, I came face-to-eye with a gigantic eyeball.

I gave a wry smile.

The professor had said that the eyeball being there was an accident—an escaped entity from the treasure warehouse.

Such accidents rarely happened just once.

That meant, as long as I was the warehouse keeper, I’d eventually have to confront more escaped entities.

‘Could I deal with such beings now?’ Not at all.

Even with more training, I doubted I’d ever feel confident.

If anything, the stronger I became, the more I realized how overwhelming the power of that eyeball was.

That eerie sensation crept up my spine again, so I pushed the thoughts aside.

Dwelling on it wouldn’t help; it would only give me a headache.

‘It’s time to move.’

Even if I didn’t want to go, I had to.

That was the contract.

A strange pressure coursed through my tree, starting from the shackle coiled around my wrist.

It was a sensation I hadn’t felt in a while, as the professor hadn’t assigned me any tasks recently.

I brushed my left wrist lightly.

As I channeled magic into it, two contracts surfaced.

The upper one belonged to the professor, and the lower one to Myra and Miryeong.

I examined the latter contract.

Upon making this pact, I’d received the professor’s approval and became the warehouse keeper.

Sixty points—that was the score I received from the professor back then.

Over time, I’d often wondered how I could’ve scored higher.

But I hadn’t found a clear answer—only a few vague guesses.

The events at the auction house felt like a distant memory now.

The worry over the warehouse overshadowed everything else.

A month had passed, so I supposed it was ancient history.

***

I stood up and carefully touched the spatial pouch hanging from my belt.

I had packed almost everything I owned inside, unsure of what might happen in the treasure warehouse.

The key in my hand dissolved back into my body.

With it, a surge of vitality coursed through me—a power stored within the key.

The key held numerous spells and abilities I couldn’t comprehend.

This vitality boost was just one of its minor functions.

Perhaps the key itself was a treasure.

Of course, it wouldn’t help much with the current task.

I sighed.

By the next lecture, I had to retrieve a treasure.

That was the professor’s command.

Yesterday, after lunch, the professor had spoken.

“How’s the key?”

“It’s excellent. Thank you for entrusting me with such a valuable item.”

I bowed my head.

It was only right, considering the immense power it held.

I had learned a lot while taming it.

The professor seemed pleased with my flattery.

She casually spooned a bite of the rainbow-colored pudding that had been served as dessert.

After savoring it, she said:

“Then it’s settled. Retrieve the next treasure.”

“What?”

“It’s almost time for the lecture. Go to the warehouse and bring back a treasure we need.”

I blinked at her, then looked down at the key that had appeared in my hand.

It shimmered, as if aware it was being discussed.

‘Is this what being a warehouse keeper means?’

I hadn’t gone to the floors where the treasure warehouse was located since receiving the key.

I’d only sent dolls a few times—there was no need for me to go personally.

Back then, the professor said the eyeball had escaped the warehouse after about a century of her absence.

She had reinforced the security with stronger spells to prevent further escapes.

‘That meant I wouldn’t have to handle such issues for at least another hundred years.’ Or so I thought.

But now, I was being sent to retrieve a treasure myself.

“Just me?”

The professor nodded.

“If I encounter another entity, I won’t be able to do anything but run…”

“That’s exactly why I’m making you do this. How long are you going to keep running? You won’t die, so do your best.”

She sipped her tea, signaling the conversation was over.

I tried to say more, but her overwhelming magic forced me to stay silent.

Before I knew it, I was thrown out of her office and tumbled down the stairs.

As I lay there dazed, a piece of paper floated down to me.

“It’s an essential item. Check it carefully and bring it back without mistakes.”

And so, my new mission began.

Standing at the spot where I had fallen yesterday, I looked up the staircase.

At least I only had to go to the sixth floor.

Compared to the seventh floor, the treasures on the sixth were easier to deal with.

Not that I could handle them, of course.

The space above the stairs shimmered faintly, awaiting a destination.

I set it to the sixth floor and waited for it to stabilize.

Soon, the staircase connected to the sixth floor.

Step by step, I climbed upward, tension mounting with each step.

At the top, a familiar scene greeted me.

It resembled the lower floors—long hallways and a spacious hall at the end, just as I had seen through the dolls.

As I walked down the corridor, I observed my surroundings.

The sixth floor was sometimes used as a lecture venue, changing its appearance each time.

In the hall, a mesmerizing sight awaited.

Seeing it in person was vastly different from observing it through a doll.

For the first time, it truly felt like a treasure warehouse.

Doors filled every corner—on the floor, walls, and even floating in midair.

Each door radiated immense magic, layered with intricate spell circles designed to seal what lay within.

I approached the nearest door and admired the complex circuits etched into its surface.

Though I couldn’t understand their patterns, I could sense that I could interact with them.

The key reappeared in my hand, glowing faintly.

If I inserted it into this door, it would unlock.

But there was no need to open this door.

The professor’s instructions didn’t specify anything within.

Standing close to the door, I could sense fragments of what it contained.

***

Room 13: A random collection of sturdy items.

• A stone retrieved from the ocean floor, connected to another continent.
• The skull of a mountain goat; indestructible.
• A meteorite armor, with a strange entity inside.
• A peculiar orb taken from a mountain tribe; very durable.

The list went on with descriptions I could barely comprehend.

It seemed the professor had organized the treasures roughly by their attributes.

I moved to the next door and saw a similar list, containing seven items.

Looking around, I estimated there were at least dozens of doors, holding over a hundred treasures in total.

I chuckled wryly.

It made sense now why most treasures shown during lectures had no specific names.

There were simply too many to name individually.

‘But which door was the right one?’ I pulled out the paper the professor had given me.

[6th Floor, Eyeball from the Stars.]

That was all it said.

Somewhere among these doors lay the object.

I pictured the professor’s mischievous grin as I read the paper.

An eyeball, huh.

The one I encountered on the seventh floor came to mind.

The professor must have known I was still afraid of it.

She had undoubtedly chosen this treasure to torment me.

Although it was undoubtedly weaker, otherwise, it wouldn’t be on the sixth floor.

After carefully checking the doors, I found the one containing the specified item.

Comparing the paper with the list on the door, I confirmed it was the right one.

I swallowed nervously.

The description on this door was far more intense than the others.

***

Room 2 – A random collection of things that eat people

• Chunks of fingers, only eats wizard fingers
• Eyeball from the stars, plucked out because it was unpleasant
• Heart that consumes minds, slightly alive
• Unknown tongue, tastes better when cooked

So, it was a door containing about ten items that consume people.

Ominous, to say the least.

But the professor had said I wouldn’t die.

I had no choice but to trust her words.

Taking a deep breath, I brought the key to the door.

The magic from the key began to unravel the seals on the door.

The process felt completely natural.

The powerful magic circles, incomprehensible to me, faded quickly, and the door opened smoothly to reveal its interior.

The warehouse I imagined wasn’t there—no neatly arranged treasures in a spacious room.

Instead, only a rift leading to another space stood before me.

Apparently, the treasure was inside that rift.

I stared at it for a moment, unable to guess what lay beyond.

But hesitating here wouldn’t change anything.

I could feel the magic of the door gradually returning.

I had to enter before it closed again.

Clenching my eyes shut, I threw myself into the rift.

I felt my body being pulled somewhere, and behind me, the sound of the door closing echoed.

***

Three days passed.

The warehouse was vast.

And I was still wandering through it.

I had come across several treasures.

Unfortunately, none were what I was looking for.

Something beside me tapped my shoulder.

“This isn’t the right place, is it? Which way next?”

“If you have a preferred direction, I’ll follow.”

“Then, shall we try this way?”

‘Should I call her “she”? No, “it” would be more accurate.’

It slowly walked ahead, and I carefully followed its steps.

I stared at it intently.

It was a doll in the form of a woman.

A very familiar creation.

Of course, it would be familiar—I had poured an entire month into crafting it.

I had used all the materials I acquired from the auction house and those I already had to create this masterpiece.

Though it wasn’t entirely complete yet, as I hadn’t imbued it with a shadow.

Noticing my gaze, it turned to me and smiled faintly.

I returned the smile as I continued walking, though cold sweat trickled down my back.

It had happened just yesterday.

Suddenly, my connection to it had been severed.

And then, it began moving on its own—with something new attached to its chest that wasn’t there before.

A bitter smile crept onto my lips.

‘This… wasn’t something I had anticipated.’