Chapter 92: The Puppets’ Illusion

[Evron: I’ll be leaving the tower for a while to attend a lecture. The bulletin board will remain active, so feel free to talk as much as you like.]

[I’ll be away like this once every three months, so if you need anything, please let me know before I leave.]

[Blood Axe: Massacre? Massacre. Massacre? Massacre!]

[Tooth Necklace: Aha, so that means the tower will be empty. This sounds interesting. Once every three months, huh? I’ll keep that in mind. That’s the day of freedom!]

[Ring of the Sky: That’s unfortunate. I wanted to talk more. But I’m looking forward to the next lecture.]

└ [Tasty Tongue: sk needed. Tasty dlTsms beast! This wn request is rm thing.]

[Tooth Necklace: Should I buy one for you? I’ve been collecting this thing called “points” lately. With these, I can get anything I want. Jealous? You must be. You will be! Kekeke!]

[Blood Axe: Mass… massacre…?]

└ [Tooth Necklace: Oh no, that won’t do. We made a promise, didn’t we? You need to communicate with humans for the lecture to continue. Hurry up and practice speaking more!]

└ [Blood Axe: Mass… sacre… Massacre! Me, you, massacre!]

***

Rules have a way of naturally guiding people.

That was the intent behind my announcement.

Every time students entered the tower, they began to closely observe the statues on the first floor.

And beside them, the Mirror Bug announced the scores for the day.

Hao was thrown back down to the second floor again.

Since he had lost most of the power he had gained by devouring life, it was only natural.

This was the consequence of his greed.

News of his case quickly spread across the tower via the bulletin board.

Tooth Necklace, upon hearing the news, clacked his teeth together in delight and rolled around on the floor, laughing.

Those who heard the story became more cautious about using the power of the treasures.

Previously, people had recklessly consumed life with their teeth, just as Hao had.

Now, they learned to pace themselves.

Watching the situation settle down, I smiled in satisfaction.

Thanks to Hao, the tower had become a happier place.

People would now handle power more carefully, and if any problems arose, they would come to me.

Of course, Hao suffered a bit of a loss.

But in the end, it was beneficial for him too.

If he had continued absorbing power without restraint, he would have gone mad—just as Tooth Necklace had warned.

Surviving was a victory in itself.

Lectures were scheduled to take place once a month.

The faster the students absorbed the treasures’ power, the stronger they could become.

This was all detailed in the lecture plan.

Once all the treasures had dispersed their power, the lectures would cease.

From then on, the students would refine their skills through repeated training and duels, guided by the advice of the treasures.

Thus, the treasures continued preparing for the lectures, while the students trained in the tower, honing their strength.

They often asked me which treasure would be leading the next session.

But I never answered them.

There was no point in knowing.

There was no need for me to say anything.

So, instead, they turned to others for answers—just as Hao was doing now.

***

“Yes, yes.”

Hao nodded vigorously.

Before him, the Mirror Bug displayed a flood of text.

[That’s right. So there’s no need to worry too much about the next lecture. You just have to stay put, and the power will be granted to you. Ah, come to think of it, that one seems to prefer women over men. So how about dressing up as a woman this time? You’ll stand out more that way. Kekeke!]

It was a message from Tooth Necklace.

Hao had traded points to receive his advice.

He blinked blankly before nodding in serious contemplation.

‘Does he actually believe that?’ I smirked.

Hao, looking deeply thoughtful, diligently wrote down Tooth Necklace’s words.

The next lecture was bound to be an interesting sight.

I didn’t go out of my way to interact much with the students.

There were plenty of treasures to do that for me.

More treasures would continue conversing with them, just like now.

There was no need for me to interfere.

All I had to do was ensure that everything remained in order—just as I had established the rules.

The tower’s structure was perfect.

It functioned smoothly even without me.

***

A week passed.

Nothing happened in the tower.

I checked the Mirror Bug.

The bulletin board was silent.

The usual chatter from the treasures had ceased.

It was to be expected.

We were far from the tower.

Three days had passed since we left.

The turtle took another step forward, and the earth trembled.

Trees collapsed under the impact.

The turtle moved forward without hesitation.

A faint mist surrounded it, concealing its massive body.

Beasts, drawn by the vibrations, approached but lost their way in the fog, unable to locate the creature.

Atop the turtle’s head sat Zero, quietly surveying the surroundings, looking quite pleased.

It had been a long time since he had left the tower.

The last time was years ago when we traveled to Professor Heisen’s tower.

That trip had been nothing but pain for him—his body had been torn apart over and over again.

For him, venturing outside had always meant suffering.

But today was different.

I absentmindedly fiddled with a card in my hand.

The word On was inscribed on it, radiating a pure magical aura.

It had been given to me by Hwaryoung after she applied for the lecture.

Fortunately, Professor On’s lecture was being held this year.

It was a small, exclusive class with only twelve students.

Attendance was by invitation only.

Without this card, I wouldn’t have even known it existed.

I felt a surge of gratitude toward Mauro.

Along with that gratitude came a hint of curiosity.

‘Why had he given me such a valuable opportunity?’

I had no answer.

But for now, I decided to hold onto my gratitude.

Regardless of the reason, this was an opportunity.

Zero had a small hole in his chest—where the fake tree had been attached.

I had left it in the tower.

After all, the tower’s system still needed to be maintained.

I had considered leaving Zero behind as well, but the way he eagerly looked at me made it impossible to refuse.

He had always been interested in puppetry.

Since we left the tower, he had been full of excitement, unable to contain himself.

To be honest, I felt the same way.

My chest was filled with anticipation.

***

After a long journey, we neared our destination.

I pulled out a map to check our position.

The surrounding terrain matched the map’s layout almost exactly.

“Oh my, is that the tower? How fascinating.”

Mira spoke beside me.

I followed her gaze but couldn’t yet see the structure clearly.

However, I could sense a massive flow of magic converging in that direction.

The turtle took another step forward.

And then, I understood why Mira had spoken in such awe.

The tower was unlike anything I had ever seen.

It was a massive sphere.

‘Could something like that even be called a tower?’

Suspended in mid-air above the mountain’s peak, the sphere slowly rotated at a constant speed.

I stared at it in a daze.

The magical runes on its surface continuously shifted, creating strange patterns.

It looked like a boulder.

Like a moon.

Like a giant eye.

Streams of magic were drawn in by its rotation, flowing along its surface before being absorbed into its core.

The magical currents I had sensed earlier were all emanating from this structure.

From the steep mountainside, I gazed up at the sphere.

The turtle shrank down and clung to my chest.

I stroked its back, feeling its exhaustion, and then resumed my ascent.

Zero melted into my shadow.

As I climbed, the tower’s presence became even more overwhelming.

If Professor Irian’s tower were compressed into a sphere, it might feel like this. Its sheer scale and magical density were staggering.

It didn’t take long to reach the peak.

The summit was vast and flat, as if deliberately shaped that way.

The sphere hovered motionless at its center.

Below it, figures loitered, gazing up at the tower.

They must have been the lecture attendees.

Today was the day the tower opened.

But something felt off.

Hwaryoung had said there were only twelve students, including me.

Yet, there were far more people here.

As I approached, their forms became clearer.

And I realized my mistake.

There weren’t many people here.

Most of them were puppets.

I glanced at their puppets.

Some carried swords on their backs, while others were clad in armor.

There were those who worked with the corpses of monsters, and others, like me, who crafted puppets in the shape of humans.

The designs of the puppets were as diverse as their creators.

‘So, how exactly were we supposed to enter that sphere?’ I looked up at it, lost in thought.

The Mirror Bug fluttered up lightly and displayed the time.

There was still an hour left until the opening.

That meant we had to wait.

No one else was coming—I was the last to arrive.

As I passed the time chatting with Mira, I noticed someone in armor pulling out a new set of armor.

He changed into it, then glanced around.

After a brief clearing of his throat, he gave a small nod.

His armor was remarkable.

The circuits woven into it formed an intricate magic system, radiating a dense magical energy strong enough to withstand any attack.

Each thread of the circuit had been woven together like strands of silk, forming that massive structure.

Even just the exposed portions of the circuits hinted at the immense effort poured into its creation—it was enough to make me marvel.

‘How much time did he spend making that?’

And it wasn’t just an intricate weaving of circuits.

The technology embedded within it was far too complex for me to fully comprehend.

His craftsmanship was truly impressive.

The armored man stretched, as if to show off, then smirked playfully while looking around.

It seemed he was growing bored of waiting.

Sensing his restlessness, the others hesitated for a moment before taking out their own puppets.

They coughed lightly, as if preparing themselves.

Their gazes sharpened as they examined each other’s creations, searching for any flaws.

But there were none.

Each puppet was outstanding in its own way.

Eventually, they exchanged slight nods of acknowledgment.

I had no need to take out a puppet.

After all, the finest one I had ever crafted was standing right beside me.

I straightened my shoulders.

Their puppets were impressive, but none of them could surpass Mira.

Of course, in terms of pure skill, some of them might have been superior to me.

Even in magic alone, many of their works outclassed mine.

But the sheer amount of points I had invested was different.

I glanced at Mira.

She was busy observing the other puppets.

‘They have no idea how many points went into her.’

Sufficient points allowed one to surpass limits.

***

As we continued admiring each other’s puppets, the sphere finally responded.

The opening time had arrived.

The base of the sphere split open, releasing a powerful surge of magic.

That energy soon solidified into a transparent, elongated staircase.

The staircase extended downward, stopping just before us.

It was an invitation.

The puppet masters tidied up their creations and began ascending the stairs.

I followed behind them.

At the top, past the open base, a doorway appeared.

Without hesitation, the others stepped through it.

I followed suit.

The moment I crossed the threshold, a strange sensation washed over me—as if the space itself was shifting.

My surroundings wavered slightly.

And then, we were inside the tower.

The tower’s interior was filled with noise.

Shouts. Movement.

A constant hum of activity buzzed through the air, washing over me.

Feeling momentarily dazed, I looked around.

Then, I blinked in surprise.

We were standing in the middle of a massive corridor.

And it was crowded.

People filled the space, moving about busily.

I turned around.

The door we had passed through remained in place.

This was definitely the tower.

‘But then, who were all these people?’

The ones who had entered before me looked just as bewildered.

At that moment, Mira gently tugged on my arm.

I looked down at her.

She met my gaze and smiled, as if she had discovered something amusing.

“This place is interesting. Not a single one of them is alive.”

At her words, I turned to examine the crowd again.

People bustled about with lively expressions.

Some shouted at those in front of them.

Others laughed, calling out to figures beyond the walls.

Some lay sprawled on the ground, drunk.

Their movements were completely natural.

I subtly brushed shoulders with a passerby.

He frowned at me, clicked his tongue, and muttered, “Tsk. Watch where you’re going, will you? I’m busy enough as it is.”

Then he walked off.

I watched his retreating figure.

Using magic, I examined his body.

It was composed of flesh, with blood flowing through his veins.

The circulation was seamless.

“…Is that what you meant?”

Mira lightly touched the arm of another passerby.

A faint mist escaped from his body, briefly swirling around before returning to her.

“As I thought, there’s no scent. Hmmm, they’re all puppets.”

I blinked.

‘All of them?’

Even after verifying it myself, I found it difficult to believe.

The others must have overheard Mira, as they, too, began examining the people in their own ways.

Just then, a transparent carriage came to a stop before us.

I hadn’t even noticed its approach until it had already halted in place.

The surrounding puppets didn’t react to its presence, walking past it as if it wasn’t there.

The carriage door quietly swung open, and a voice called out.

“Please, step inside. The professor is expecting you.”

A wave of magic gently pulled at us, guiding us toward the carriage.

The moment we stepped inside, the surroundings blurred.

The carriage moved forward, passing effortlessly through people and even walls.

It carried us somewhere unknown.

***

When we finally arrived, we found ourselves in a beautifully decorated room.

The carriage deposited us there before vanishing without a trace—so completely that I couldn’t even sense where it had gone.

A massive table stood at the center of the room.

Seated at it were two figures, engaged in a meal.

One was an emaciated man.

The other, a stunningly beautiful woman.

The woman noticed us and inclined her head slightly.

“Honey, our guests have arrived,” she said.

But the man paid us no attention, merely parting his lips slightly.

The woman smiled, looking slightly troubled, and placed a piece of meat into his mouth.

He chewed, swallowed, and then turned to her with a small smile before rising from his seat.

As he moved, a powerful surge of magic leaked from his body—so intense that it made me instinctively stiffen.

He approached us.

Up close, his appearance was even more unsettling.

He looked like a skeleton wrapped in skin.

This must be Professor On.

He casually waved his hand, and the room began to shift.

The elegant surroundings twisted, morphing into the layout of a classroom.

Throughout the transformation, the woman stood up and moved to his side.

He wrapped an arm around her as he gazed at us.

“Hmm, so you must be this year’s newcomers,” he mused. “Take your seats.”

At his command, we each found a place and sat down.

His eyes slowly swept over us.

But he wasn’t looking at the people.

He was examining the puppets we had brought.

His gaze briefly lingered on Mira.

“For the next five years, I will be teaching you every three months. My name is On,” he said. “This time, we have quite a variety of puppet masters. I like your creations very much.”

As he spoke, he lightly caressed the woman’s hand.

She clasped his fingers in return, smiling.

They looked utterly devoted to one another.

Mira watched the interaction for a moment before sidling up to me.

She leaned in, grinning, and whispered, “That woman—she’s a puppet too.”

Just then, Professor On placed a gentle kiss on the woman’s lips.

I stared blankly, then closed my eyes.

‘Well… everyone has their own preferences.’