Sunlight streamed through the small window of the workshop.
The light flowed consistently and gathered in one place.
It was a spot occasionally used to harness the power of the sun when crafting dolls.
Now, it was merely used for my rest.
Bathing in the warm sunlight, I lifted my teacup and carefully savored the aroma of the tea.
Today, I used rather expensive tea leaves—leaves from a 500-year-old doll grass, dried and roasted.
The scent was indeed profound.
Even a brief inhalation felt as though magic was infusing my entire body.
There was a reason a few dried leaves cost fifty points.
I brought the teacup to my lips cautiously.
The warm tea entered my mouth, brimming with potent vitality.
The flower within the tea touched my tongue and unfurled, spreading its essence.
It not only touched my tongue but also coated my entire mouth, unlocking its flavors intriguingly.
At first, it came in bitter, then gradually turned refreshing, and eventually sweetened.
By the end, all these flavors mingled to create a texture I had never experienced before.
My mind cleared in an instant.
Smiling, I swallowed the tea.
Even the aftertaste was impeccable.
It was truly a perfect tea, though I had been skeptical about purchasing it.
After much hesitation, I had resolved to buy only enough for ten uses.
Tasting it now, I found the price entirely justified.
I couldn’t count how many times I had refined the “Perfect Tea” magic to bring out this flavor.
“Leave a message for the delivery person,” I said.
“Let them know the tea leaves were very satisfying and that I’d call on them again if I needed more.”
The mirror bug, flitting around nearby, listened and began writing on its reflective surface.
Soon, it shook its body as if to say it was done.
“Then, show me today’s tasks,” I requested.
The mirror bug flew over and displayed a list to me.
[Inquiry Board]
Hong Ryeong: I’m curious about the magic composition of the tea used this time.
I checked the information board, but the formula hasn’t been uploaded yet.
Please add it.
Cassian: How about adding a drawing next to the name?
Jun: Requesting a meeting.
[Notable Events]
***
A doll exploring Room 4 on the 5th floor went missing.
Two additional dolls were sent to investigate, but no abnormalities were found.
Suspected temporary spatial distortion.
It was just past noon, so there weren’t many updates yet.
‘Still, another disappearance on the 5th floor?’
I checked the Shadow Tree.
The star of the missing doll had faded and vanished somewhere.
Spatial distortions like these seemed to be happening more often lately.
Such distortions swallowed shadow dolls in the area and disappeared without a trace.
Despite several investigations, no anomalies had been found.
I could only hope it wasn’t a prelude to something major.
Aside from that, no other abnormalities had occurred.
From the 1st to the 5th floor, my shadow dolls now monitored all areas.
This was made possible by the sturdy growth of the Shadow Tree and its rapid expansion.
My role was straightforward—I only needed to address anomalies when they arose.
While resolving them took time, I found the process increasingly enjoyable.
Anomalies signaled a flaw in the magic circle’s components.
Rather than merely restoring them, I spent time pondering why they occurred, stealing glimpses of the underlying magic.
With time to spare, I could afford to shift my perspective.
“Bring up the trade board,” I said.
The mirror bug switched the display.
I checked a request I had posted yesterday—someone had already accepted it.
It was for delivering materials to craft a doll.
The responder had written that they would bring it tomorrow.
‘What kind of doll should I create today?’
Recently, I’d become intrigued by making dolls specializing in a single function rather than embedding multiple capabilities.
Yesterday’s creation was a doll layered with environmental purification magic, designed to cleanse an entire floor.
It failed spectacularly.
Due to a design flaw, it purified itself, erasing its internal circuits.
‘Should I revise that one?’
In the center of the workshop, Doll Zero was moving sluggishly, crafting something.
It, too, had developed a hobby of doll-making.
Previously, it only maintained my creations, but now it made its own dolls.
Although its work lacked the sophistication of mine, its creations had unique characteristics.
It had come a long way from its early shadowy beginnings.
“Zero, do you need anything?” I asked while browsing the trade board.
The doll paused its work and looked at me.
After some thought, it shook its head.
On second thought, letting it order supplies independently seemed more efficient than asking daily.
I pulled a mirror bug from my pocket.
“Here, you can use this if you need anything later,” I said, releasing the bug toward it.
The doll could write messages, so it would handle orders on its own.
I would only need to recharge the points in the mirror bug when depleted.
After scanning the board, I didn’t find anything appealing and moved on to the next one.
I had designed only three boards: the Information Board, Trade Board, and Free Board.
Including the existing Inquiry Board, there were four in total.
The Trade Board was my favorite.
It significantly reduced my workload.
Previously, I had to visit Professor Heisen’s tower or the city, but now I could simply order deliveries.
I checked the ring stored in the mirror bug.
The screen displayed my remaining points:
3,172 points.
Considering how I was once in debt, this was a remarkable improvement.
And it would only grow further, thanks to this bulletin board.
I checked how many people had joined the board.
Forty-two members had signed up over the past month.
It was surprising to see so many, given the price barrier.
I charged 50 points per month to rent a mirror bug.
Despite that, there were already forty-two users, generating 2,000 points each month.
Occasionally, others asked if I could make the board freely accessible, but I firmly declined.
I had learned my lesson after giving out free dolls in the past—it was a costly mistake I wouldn’t repeat.
However, I kept the inquiry board open for convenience.
If someone noticed any abnormalities in their shadow dolls, those dolls could leave messages on the inquiry board.
Next, I browsed the free board.
It didn’t have much activity, which made sense—wizards wouldn’t post anything unless there was some benefit involved.
Except for Cassian, of course.
She had filled the board with images of her bear doll.
“Come and see my adorable bear doll!”
[Picture of a growling bear]
[Picture of a bear rolling on the ground]
[Picture of a bear pouring tea with both hands]
I smirked.
So this was why she had persistently requested the ability to add images.
Come to think of it, she left another inquiry recently.
I checked her request again.
Adding a feature to attach images next to names.
It seemed simple enough to implement, so I quickly handled it and moved to the next inquiry.
It was from Hong Ryeong, regarding the new tea magic.
I didn’t remember creating such magic.
Likely, one of the dolls following Hong Ryeong had developed it specifically for him.
I focused on the doll’s will and received the information it relayed through the Shadow Tree.
I posted the information on the board for a fee of 10 points.
It wasn’t just for Hong Ryeong; others might also purchase it out of curiosity.
I left a response confirming the inquiry had been resolved.
Still, it was surprising.
To attract users to the board, I had listed my magic at low prices.
Among them, the “Perfect Tea” series was the most popular.
Since the magic was already embedded in the dolls they carried, I had assumed it wouldn’t sell well.
Apparently, I was wrong.
I speculated they bought it to enjoy the tea outside the tower.
Considering how satisfied I was drinking it myself, I could understand why.
Others had also begun posting magic and information on the board, likely drawn by the prospect of earning points.
The board was more active than the free board, which made me smile.
This was precisely what I wanted.
If more people joined, their knowledge and resources would accumulate here too.
I eagerly anticipated that day.
The next inquiry…
“Could you create a custom board for me?” Jun asked.
I blinked in surprise.
When he requested a meeting, I hadn’t expected this.
He continued, “I’d like a private board that only specific individuals can access. I’ll pay generously for it.”
“It’s possible,” I replied, though I couldn’t fully grasp his intentions.
Since he was offering points, I had no reason to refuse.
Setting up an additional board wasn’t too demanding, and restricting access to specific people was manageable.
“How much are you willing to pay per month?” I asked.
He responded without hesitation.
“How about 1,000 points?”
My eyes widened in shock.
I had anticipated a price of 200 points at most.
“That much?” I asked.
“Yes, I believe it’s worth the cost,” he said with a sly smile.
There was a mysterious undertone to his expression.
I pondered his intentions briefly but decided not to dwell on it.
It wasn’t my concern.
“If you’re offering that much, I’ll gladly set it up for you,” I said.
“Thank you. When can it be ready?” he asked.
“It’s not a complex task. I can have it ready by today.”
“That’s great to hear. Here’s the list of people I’d like to grant access.”
He handed me a sheet of paper.
It contained over a hundred names, most of whom were part of his organization.
Curious, I glanced at him.
Most of the people listed didn’t own mirror bugs.
‘How would they use the board?’
“Oh, I forgot to mention,” he said, realizing my confusion.
“We’ll be renting mirror bugs for all of them.”
I was stunned.
‘They were all joining?’
‘Including the board fee?’
It was as if they were draining their points entirely.
Speechless at the sheer magnitude of this deal, I nodded after regaining my composure.
I already had a decent stock of spare mirror bugs.
It wouldn’t take much to prepare more.
Jun smiled and added, “Please keep this transaction confidential.”
“Of course,” I assured him, nodding easily.
After exchanging farewells, I rose from my seat.
If I wanted to finish everything today, I’d need to work quickly.
***
A week passed.
Jun raided the second-floor rooms and seized two of them.
These areas were previously owned by a noble family collective.
The tower was thrown into chaos as a result.