With a resounding thud, a massive pillar came crashing down toward the dense forest.
The trees, fortified with magic, were strong—but they were no match for the force of that pillar.
The trees were crushed beneath it, ground into the earth.
A heavy tremor shook the land, sending a peculiar sensation coursing through my body, as if I were the one personally stomping down on them.
I closed my eyes and savored the feeling.
Just then, someone leaned against me.
A faint scent of roses lingered at the tip of my nose.
When I opened my eyes slightly, I saw Mira resting against my arm, looking up at me.
“You’re doing it again. Really, what’s so enjoyable about this?”
She puffed out her cheeks slightly, grumbling.
In response, I gently ran my hand over the ground.
A hard, rough texture filled my palm—it was the shell of a turtle.
The pillar that had crushed the trees had been its foot.
“I get to sense things I never noticed before.
I think I understand, at least a little, why you’re trying to move Cassian’s body, Mira.”
The turtle strode forward with its heavy steps, unwavering.
It had been two days since we left the tower.
We were heading toward the professor’s tower, as his lecture was just around the corner.
Mira and I sat atop the turtle’s back, taking in the surrounding landscape.
Truthfully, this was my first time traveling like this, out in the open.
My top priority had always been my safety.
Whenever I left the tower, I would hide away inside the turtle’s temporary workshop—a sanctuary of my own creation.
But this time, I chose to come outside.
I wanted to connect with this creature directly.
Leaning back, I felt the firm shell supporting me.
It shifted slightly, as if adjusting to make me more comfortable.
The thoughtful gesture was endearing, and I gave its shell a few gentle pats.
The turtle responded by shaking slightly, seeming pleased.
I looked up at the thing propping me up.
There, a small tree stood.
It was about two meters tall—more of a sapling than a full-grown tree.
It wriggled slightly, as if alive, supporting my weight.
It looked vibrant.
At first, it had been no bigger than my palm.
Now, it had grown this much.
Closing my eyes again, I focused on my chest.
The tree inside me intertwined with the turtle’s tree, forming a vast connection.
Through it, I could feel the turtle’s presence.
And the turtle, surely, could feel mine.
This wasn’t just a connection—it was a bond.
A conversation.
The turtle was me, and yet, it wasn’t.
The sensation was always novel—always exhilarating.
It was entirely different from controlling a puppet.
This bond had been made possible thanks to Professor Irien.
It had been a week since I recreated the turtle as a new god for the puppets.
During that time, the professor had studied it, refining its functions and addressing any shortcomings.
As a result, it had stabilized quickly—to the point where I could now connect with it like this.
The sapling on its back was proof of that.
A feeling of gratitude toward the professor welled up within me.
‘But was gratitude the right word?’ I wasn’t so sure.
I recalled the moment she handed the turtle over to me.
She had looked a little regretful.
If the turtle hadn’t bonded with me completely, it would have likely ended up as nothing more than another ornamental pet in the tower, like Hari.
No—without a doubt, that would have been its fate.
The gratitude I had felt shrank just as quickly as it had formed.
Though, a sliver of it remained.
After all, she had helped create this being.
Dalbuk… No, Turtle.
I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
The name Dalbuk suited it so well.
Sensing my thoughts, the turtle grumbled.
It seemed to prefer its current name.
‘Turtle or Dalbuk—it’s the same thing, isn’t it?’
The thought crossed my mind, but I chose not to dwell on it.
The turtle might sulk.
Just as I could read its thoughts, it could read mine.
Outwardly, the turtle hadn’t changed much.
It had grown a little larger, and a tree had sprouted on its back—but that was it.
What had changed was its essence.
This was no longer just a turtle.
Its consciousness had expanded greatly, to the point where it had become a vast moon, filling my Shadow Tree.
It was, in essence, the culmination of the love my puppets held.
A god within me, one that showered my creations with endless affection.
‘Hmm… Saying it like that makes it sound like I’m dumping the responsibility of love onto the turtle.’
‘But what choice did I have?’
As a mage, I couldn’t give my puppets pure, unfiltered love.
So, I created something that could do it in my place—something that could pour out boundless love.
And I had succeeded.
With this being, every puppet could be embraced with warmth and care.
Even if they lost their physical form, they could merge into the moon it carried and continue their existence anew.
I tapped the turtle’s shell.
It shook slightly in response, acknowledging me.
Of course, nothing was perfect.
There had been an unintended consequence.
The turtle and I were now, in essence, one and the same.
That was why the professor had returned it to me so easily.
It had absorbed my realm and used it to create its own moon.
A part of my tree—of my Shadow Tree—had become part of it as well.
Thus, the turtle was me.
Our power structures were completely intertwined.
That was why we could communicate so intimately.
Through this process of becoming a god, the turtle had become the core of my realm.
Unlike the other puppets, it was now a part of me.
If it disappeared, my tree would crumble.
And so, it could never leave me.
And I could never let it go.
If we were ever to be separated, the shock would be unbearable for us both.
Closing my eyes, I continued to connect with it.
This was a minor inconvenience.
Crisis always walked hand in hand with opportunity.
In a way, I had uncovered a new talent—a new possibility.
The turtle would continue to grow, rooted in the tree on its back.
And through that, I would grow as well.
***
“I never thought you’d take it this far…”
Mira murmured, touching her cheek lightly.
I gazed at her in silence.
Without Mira, I would never have recognized this thing called love.
I wouldn’t have been able to reshape the turtle like this.
Mages complete themselves.
That was why I could never fully love my puppets—because logic was always at my core.
But the turtle…
The turtle was also me.
‘If a mage cannot love themselves, who can they love?’
That was why this turtle was my most beloved puppet.
And why it always would be.
It was the perfect answer to Professor On’s assignment.
And at the root of that answer was her help.
‘A trick? A joke?’
Regardless of her intentions, I felt a deep sense of gratitude toward her.
Without thinking, I gently stroked her back.
Then I froze.
Mira smiled slyly and met my gaze.
“My, how bold of you.”
Ah.
What had I done?
I cleared my throat awkwardly.
I had touched her as naturally as I would the turtle.
Clearly, I had let my guard down.
“My apologies. I meant to express my gratitude but acted without thinking.”
I averted my gaze.
“Hehe, is that so? In that case, I wouldn’t mind a little more~”
Mira giggled mischievously, poking my side before resting her head against my chest.
I subtly shifted away, slipping my hand free before she could tease me further.
“I must focus on recovering my realm. I’ll be meditating until we arrive at the tower.”
Closing my eyes, I tuned out the sound of her playful tongue click and sank into my magic.