Chapter 71: The Parting Echo

The tower was bustling with life amidst the tremendous commotion.

Walking slowly through the gaps of people moving here and there, I observed my surroundings.

Members of various groups, who were usually busy growling at each other, were now chatting and laughing together.

It was quite an awkward sight.

However, it made sense, as there was no longer any need for them to fight.

The final lecture had ended a month ago.

Just because the lecture ended didn’t mean they had to leave the tower immediately.

A grace period of about a month was given, just like now.

During that time, they leisurely enjoyed their rest.

Of course, I couldn’t afford such luxury.

I fiddled with the paper tucked under my arm.

Anyway, the grace period had come to an end.

Since today was the last day, they now had to vacate the tower.

Thus, the bustle of everyone packing up their belongings filled the space.

Without stopping, I walked straight toward a door.

As I passed through it, the sight of the room inside came into view.

The interior seemed even more chaotic than the outside.

It was understandable.

Over five years, countless items had piled up here.

During those years, each room had been whimsically remodeled to reflect the preferences of those who lived in them.

I recalled the room of Hwaryoung I had visited earlier.

The furniture there was luxurious, harmonizing with the tower’s magic to create a clean and elegant atmosphere.

I had even received some of those items from her in exchange for handing over this piece of paper.

She called it a token of gratitude.

I didn’t refuse. They were worth at least several hundred points.

In fact, I accepted them with gratitude. After all, they had satisfied her a little.

I glanced at the doll beside me.

She was smiling as she admired the mirror gifted by Hwaryoung.

‘With all those gifts, maybe she’ll finally quiet down.’ I held onto that hope.

***

Compared to Hwaryoung’s room, this place was much more disorderly.

The area was filled with people.

Dozens were bustling about.

If Hwaryoung’s room resembled a high-end inn, this place felt more like a military barracks.

As I ventured deeper, I began to spot someone gesturing and issuing commands.

The people around them moved systematically in response to the signals.

I slowly approached him.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead, noticed me, and waved.

In his hand was a small box.

I raised my hand slightly in response.

Then, he began walking toward me with light steps.

It was Jun.

The box in his hand was a spatial storage box, and he seemed much more adept at handling it now.

Five years had passed, after all.

Whenever I saw it, I felt a pang of regret.

When the professor first announced they were giving it away, I hadn’t grasped its true value.

Later, when I visited an auction house, nothing there even came close to it, despite some items being sold for millions of points.

If even those sold for such a price, then what must this box be worth?

The students’ obsession with treasures made sense. Obtaining just one could truly change their lives.

Jun was living proof of that.

I spoke to him as he approached.

“Sorry to bother you when you’re busy. I couldn’t inform you in advance because this was urgent.”

“It’s no problem at all. So, what brings you here?”

“I came to deliver this.”

I handed him a piece of paper that had been tucked under my arm.

He took it and began to examine it.

The paper had a brief message and carried traces of the professor’s magic.

“Oh, this…”

A slow smile spread across his face.

Looking up from the paper, he gave me a wide grin. It was a smile brimming with happiness.

“So, it’s a certificate of completion. This is my first time receiving one. I’d half-given up since I hadn’t heard any news.”

“The professor was meticulous in handling this. But if not you, then who else could deserve it?”

“True enough, haha!”

He burst into hearty laughter, a stark contrast to when I first met him.

As I’d just mentioned, if Jun hadn’t received it, no one else would have deserved it more.

Thus, I had no hesitation in handing him the certificate.

Of course, others’ strength had grown as well.

For instance, members of the great families had reached the third floor—a feat achieved for the first time in ten years.

In terms of raw power, Jun couldn’t surpass such people.

That’s why they, too, had been awarded certificates.

They had flawlessly proven their strength.

However, in terms of accomplishments before and after attending the lecture, no one outshone Jun.

He had acquired a treasure, reached the second floor, and now joined the mighty organization, The Throne Society.

“What are your plans from here?”

“Well, since I’ve joined The Throne Society, I’ll be relocating to their city. That’ll become my base. I also plan to take the next lecture near there.”

He stroked his chin thoughtfully and glanced around.

I followed his gaze.

His subordinates, who had been following his orders, were now glancing our way.

He gestured at them with a smile.

“They’re coming with me. It’d be a shame to disband the group we’ve built over five years. I’ll try to establish a small organization and secure a spot.”

“I’m sure you’ll do well there.”

Smiling, I looked at them, too.

Jun’s people began packing their belongings again.

The items were sucked into the spatial storage box in Jun’s hands.

So, he’s forming an organization.

I could understand why they were following him.

Most of these magicians were wanderers.

For them, Jun’s proposal would have been incredibly appealing.

They couldn’t join The Throne Society directly.

However, if Jun established an organization, they might be treated as a subsidiary of The Throne Society.

That alone made a huge difference.

I understood that power all too well—I had experienced it firsthand.

If I were to apply for a lecture, I’d need to spend a lot of points.

Not just the application fee but enough to essentially buy a spot.

I sighed.

Points were always in short supply.

They would continue to be insufficient in the future.

Most of the points I earned so far came from the students of the tower.

And today, they would all leave.

I watched as the students departed from the tower.

***

Two months remained until the next application period.

The start of a new lecture would follow even later.

‘So, how should I earn points until then?’

Of course, there were other sources of income, like the fees from selling mirror beetles.

‘If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve sold more of them, even if it meant delaying my growth.’

I regretted it slightly.

That’s how scarce points were.

Most of them had been consumed because of her.

I turned to look at the doll sitting beside me, still inspecting the mirror.

Our eyes met through the reflection in the mirror.

She frowned slightly and glared at me.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh, by the way, I’m not satisfied with the revised arm structure this time. I saw something I liked on the list from Arcana General Trading Company. Could you replace it with that?”

She waved her hand dismissively as she spoke.

I let out a bitter smile.

‘When did she even manage to check that? I specifically hid it deep in the workshop.’

I could already feel another large chunk of points slipping away.

“Understood, Milla.”

I grumbled slightly, with a hint of resentment.

I knew she hated being called that.

She glared at me with sharp eyes.

“I told you not to call me that. My name is Mira. How many times do I have to remind you?”

“It doesn’t stick. Mira doesn’t seem all that different from Milla, though…”

“It’s completely different.”

She retorted sharply, irritation clear in her voice.

Reluctantly, I nodded.

A considerable amount of points had been spent modifying Mira’s body.

Her requests were always reasonable, though, and I couldn’t refuse them.

Even I agreed that the upgrades were worthwhile.

Moreover, she always chose items within the range of my available points.

I couldn’t even use the excuse that I didn’t have enough.

So, my points melted away like snow under the sun.

Of course, her enhancements allowed her to wield far more power.

This process also reshaped my perspective.

The idea of a perfectly combat-oriented doll that could steal and incorporate others’ talents sounded like a dream at first.

But then came the cost problem.

Replicating their powers and magic required a tremendous number of points—just like it did for Mira.

It was a shame.

That’s why I changed my approach.

Instead of focusing on fully integrating power, I decided to utilize only a portion of it.

‘After all, one perfect doll is enough.’

I glanced at Mira again.

Our eyes met once more.

I gave her an awkward smile.

“Why do you keep staring at me like that?”

“It’s nothing. I just thought that your body is truly perfect.”

Mira scoffed.

“It’s still far from perfect. Keep working on it.”

“Ha, got it.”

I chuckled bitterly.

She wasn’t wrong; there was still room for improvement.

Each improvement consumed points like an endless abyss.

So, I started considering a new approach: creating simpler, mass-producible models instead of striving for perfection.

That suited my growth better.

Given the time it took for a doll to adapt to its body, the information it was imbued with, and the development of its consciousness, simpler models seemed more practical.

The number of people leaving the tower steadily increased.

Mira and I sat on a bench, leisurely watching the flow of departing students.

Some of them gave us small nods of acknowledgment—Jun and Hwaryoung, for instance.

I nodded back politely in return.

The students gradually emptied the tower.

Eventually, silence enveloped the surroundings.

Even after waiting for a while, no one else emerged.

Locking the tower’s doors, we headed back inside.

Up in the workshop, I looked out the window.

I could see the silhouettes of the students descending the mountain.

Each of them would head off in their own direction.

Some would return to the city, while others would continue wandering across the continent.

“It’s going to be so quiet now,” Mira remarked.

She was right.

From tomorrow onward, no one would come.

The end of the lecture finally felt real.

Even the mirror beetles, which had been buzzing loudly every day, were now silent.

Since there was no one left to use them, it was only natural.

Sensing my intention, the mirror beetle in my pocket flew out.

All other mirror beetles had been retrieved as per the contract.

We couldn’t allow anyone who was no longer part of the tower to keep one.

However, I’d handed out a few to the attendant dolls.

Those were part of transactions made before the contracts were signed, so they didn’t violate the agreement.

Besides, once they were far from me, they’d just become ordinary dolls.

It wasn’t a big deal.

And considering the points they paid, it felt appropriate to leave them with something.

The mirror beetle projected its screen.

It displayed the records up until yesterday.

The bulletin board, which used to overflow with hundreds of posts daily, was now eerily quiet.

Through this device, I had accumulated a great deal of information.

I would likely need it again for the next lecture to advance my own level.

“Shall we start organizing the tower ourselves?”

As I spoke, I reached out to put the mirror beetle away.

Just then, it began to vibrate.

Someone had posted something on the bulletin board.

‘But all the mirror beetles were retrieved…’

I checked the device again.

[Cassian: Come see my adorable bear doll. Day 761.]

[An unrecognizable drawing]

[A blurry image of Cassian’s face]

[Message: Hey, old man. I’ve got something to tell you.]

I blinked at the message and slowly began typing a reply.

[Evron: What is this post? How did you leave it?]

[Cassian: My bear doll wrote it for me.]

[Evron: Where are you now?]

[Cassian: Outside the tower.]

I glanced out the window.

Cassian was waving at the tower, her bear doll mimicking the gesture beside her.

‘I didn’t anticipate this.’

“I think I know what she wants to talk about. Shall we go?”

Mira spoke with a smile full of curiosity as she gently pulled me by the arm.

‘What could she possibly have to say?’

I had no idea.