Chapter 47: The Gathering Circle

He tapped the table quietly, lost in thought.

Since he had roughly drawn the map, there was no longer any need to go outside.

After all, he couldn’t possibly search that vast area all by himself.

The monsters kept charging toward the mysterious circle that surrounded them.

Yet, nothing could cross the strange floating barrier.

Without a sound, they simply split apart and fell.

Inside the circle, it was utterly silent.

Only the sound of his fingers tapping the table echoed.

Cassian took a sip of tea, savoring its aroma with her eyes closed.

Watching her, his eyebrows twitched slightly.

Something about it felt off. Without revealing his thoughts, he spoke up.

“Has anyone come here during my absence?”

She set the teacup down and crossed her arms.

After a moment of consideration, she snapped her fingers.

“About thirty people showed up in the two hours you were gone. They said they followed a trail of some sort.”

A sigh of relief escaped him.

He had thought the effort was a failure since only a few had come before, but it seemed the long hours of work were finally paying off.

The mist devoured everything within it.

Whatever remained after being consumed chased other things, aiding the mist’s feeding.

If he lost focus for even a moment while dealing with those remnants, the mist would steal chunks of his memory.

In fact, about three years of his memories had already disappeared.

From that point on, he never dropped his defensive magic, always staying vigilant.

Still, dealing with the remnants had provided insight.

They showed little interest in things that didn’t move, especially if those things weren’t alive.

Over the past ten trips, he had left markers along the path the turtle had traveled.

Using part of its shell and various materials, he crafted a kind of trail.

He took great care to ensure the trail wouldn’t be damaged under the monsters’ feet.

Though he couldn’t be sure it would work, the likelihood seemed high enough to justify the effort.

If people had followed the trail, it meant success.

Things were starting to look easier.

“Where did they go?”

“They just left after seeing me,” she replied.

“Did they now.”

He clicked his tongue in disappointment.

She stared at him intently, and a light thought crossed his mind.

“Cassian, do you plan to claim the treasure?” he asked.

She tilted her head with her usual vacant expression, as if nothing occurred to her.

“If it’s there, I’ll take it. If not, no big deal. That’s about it. What about you?”

“I’m the same.”

The rhythm of his tapping fingers quickened slightly.

If their intentions aligned, it would simplify matters.

Setting aside his brief reflection, he continued.

“Then how about opening this place to others?”

“You want to gather people here?” she asked, crossing her arms.

Her dark eyes, devoid of much interest, glimmered faintly.

Taking another sip of tea, he nodded.

“Yes. From what I’ve seen so far, obtaining the treasure alone is impossible. We’ll need people to have any chance of securing it.”

She nodded quietly.

Frowning slightly, he glanced at the stuffed bear hugging the turtle’s leg.

It looked utterly clueless, its expression as vacant as its will.

Looking at it, he spoke again.

“People mistrust one another because they don’t feel even the minimum safety is guaranteed. Losing their memories and feeling their minds dissolve pushes them to the brink. At the moment, the university’s survival rights aren’t being upheld properly, which means external logic governs this space instead.”

The air was heavy and unpleasant, full of an all-too-familiar stench.

It was the scent of betrayal, deception, and violence—something he had smelled frequently just three years ago.

In such a situation, it was impossible to gain any leverage.

Most students had reverted to savagery, growling and relying solely on their strength.

This environment rendered his strengths ineffective, so he had to bring them back into the university’s civilization.

“Professor, you’re quite skilled at plotting these shady schemes,” he said with a sly smile.

Her lips twitched slightly, but she didn’t respond.

Instead, she emptied her teacup.

He studied her briefly before speaking again.

“Anyway, I thought it might not be a bad idea to offer this place as a base camp for others. What do you think, Cassian?”

“Would they stay here? As I said, everyone who came earlier just left.”

“I believe we can convince them if we give them a solid reason. We need to make them believe this place is safe.”

Taking a moment to wet his lips with tea, he continued.

“I still have some trust among the people. I’ll tell them I created this place. We’ll let them enter for a fee.”

He made a circle with his thumb and index finger, showing it to her.

“How about charging two hundred points? If we demand such a high price, they’ll feel even more reassured. They’ll perceive this place as an extension of the university.”

Her eyes began to gleam with faint interest.

“Points, huh,” she murmured.

“Yes, Cassian, you can take all the entry points for yourself. After all, you’re the one maintaining this place.”

He spoke as he scanned the surrounding barrier.

The circle was about a hundred meters in diameter—a tremendous size.

Even the turtle couldn’t cover half of it.

It was hard to believe she could maintain something so vast.

Of course, her talent justified how she reached the second floor within a year.

Rumor had it she was already preparing to advance to the third floor.

Meanwhile, he was still stuck on the first floor—a dream he couldn’t even begin to fathom.

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’ll sell dolls to them as always. That’s all I can do,” he replied.

She nodded leisurely, and he smiled as he rose from his seat.

“Then, I’ll work on decorating the area. It should be presentable for those who visit.”

“Alright.”

She emptied her cup and turned back to the stuffed bear.

The bear, which had been fiddling with the turtle’s leg, curled up when it felt her presence.

It adjusted to a posture where Cassian could comfortably carry it on her back.

He watched briefly before leaving the spot.

There was much to do.

The interior needed to be neatly divided, using the circle as a starting point.

If they were to use this place as a small base and operate it through points, it would inevitably bring together the factions already formed in the tower.

If the zones were divided haphazardly, conflicts would surely arise.

Though it wouldn’t satisfy everyone, the divisions needed to be fair enough to avoid major complaints.

He thought, ‘Perhaps three zones would work best.’

By now, there were no longer any individual magicians in the tower.

Everyone belonged to factions and opposed one another.

Many groups had risen and fallen, but after ten lectures, only three remained standing.

First, there were the nobles.

They needed the largest zone.

Without question, figures like Hwaryoung and the other five would inevitably arrive here.

Next were the swordsmen.

This space was maintained by Cassian’s magic—or whatever one might call that ability.

Being of the same faction, they deserved a sizable area as well.

Their strength rivaled that of the nobles, dominating much of the second floor.

The zone assigned to them had to reflect that power.

Lastly, the magicians from the first floor, Jun’s group. Remarkably, Jun had absorbed other independent magicians and even expanded into parts of the second floor.

He thought, ‘Someone with such skill shouldn’t be given too small a zone. I should expand their area a bit.’

Having divided the territories for each faction, he began sketching a blueprint.

Though this would only be a temporary space for half a day, it needed to be clean and well-organized. The visitors deserved a satisfactory environment.

‘What design would work best?’ he mused.

‘A wall visible from afar would be ideal. One impervious to both magic and monsters.’

The turtle came to mind.

It had wandered near the circle, observing the monsters.

When it accidentally touched the barrier, part of its front leg was severed, prompting it to retreat in a panic.

Sensing its will, he beckoned it closer.

It approached in response to his signal.

Rising into the air with his magic, he gently stroked its shell.

‘There’s no better material than this.’

The turtle seemed to sense his thoughts and shivered mournfully.

He felt a pang of familiarity.

‘Have I used this shell for materials too often?’

Still, there was no alternative.

The shell was simply that good.

Infusing his magic into the shell, he watched as it began to morph.

Like liquid, it flowed toward the circle, forming a wall within the boundary.

He estimated, ‘A height of five meters should suffice. That would make it a decent barrier for this clearing. Any taller, and it might become too thin.’

The wall was roughly completed.

Next, he worked on creating entrances and stairs.

Clenching his hand tightly, he activated no external magic.

In the past, such large-scale construction would have required considerable time and energy.

Now, a light wave of intent was enough.

The turtle, nearly stripped of its shell, exposed its plump body and wailed mournfully.

He reduced its size and cradled it against his chest, soothing it with a few pats.

Next, he turned his attention to decorating the interior.

He spared no resources, using materials initially intended for doll-making.

After all, such simple things held little meaning in this place.

He set up makeshift lodging for brief stays, rest areas for strolling, watchtowers to view the surroundings, and paths that matched the aesthetic of the structures.

In this desolate wasteland, the base gradually took shape.

At its center lay a large clearing—perfect for gatherings or discussions.

Soon, people began arriving, following the trails he had laid.

He collected points from them as they entered.

Some left in suspicion, but he didn’t stop them.

‘They’ll return eventually,’ he thought.

He prepared several reception dolls to welcome visitors.

Offering refreshments and showcasing meals, he saw their tense faces soften.

Of course, he charged points for everything.

One by one, the numbers grew.

Some chose not to enter, instead creating their own areas nearby.

He didn’t mind.

Even if they stayed outside, the wild nature of their behavior had been subdued.

It was an opportunity to extract points from them.

With relaxed smiles, they spent more freely than usual.

He welcomed them with gleaming eyes.

***

Ten hours passed, but no treasure was found.