As I nodded in acknowledgment, she looked at me with a mischievous smile.
Lightly gripping the fabric that covered her body, she smiled with her eyes.
“Are you planning to just leave me like this? Of course, I don’t mind if you keep watching.”
“Ah, my apologies.”
I had been so focused on the results that I hadn’t considered her comfort.
With an awkward smile, I took out a spatial pouch and handed her the clothes I had prepared in advance.
Turning around, I walked over to a desk set up in the corner.
Behind me, I could hear the soft rustling of fabric.
Feeling strangely self-conscious, I cleared my throat and took out a few scrolls.
I spread them out on the desk.
Complex magic circles and circuits were drawn on them—it was the plan for the upcoming procedure.
Picking up a magic pen, I began recording the progress of the experiment.
‘How should I quantify the strength of the doll now?’ Even excluding the spine, I had poured over a hundred thousand points into its body.
‘If I included what I had just used, the total would easily exceed two hundred thousand.’
Seeing my completely depleted points, I let out a bitter chuckle.
But at least I had secured that much power.
Now, even mages of the ninth floor and above wouldn’t be able to ignore her.
The power she displayed was that overwhelming.
Of course, it was nothing more than a bluff.
At best, she could safely unleash the strength of a mage around the fifth or sixth floor.
Roughly the threshold of a fully developed tree.
Any more than that, and her body wouldn’t be able to endure it.
I stared down at my hands.
But still, this was an achievement in itself.
The fifth floor represented the level of a completed tree.
I was only at the second floor.
Even the third floor felt out of reach for me, so the fifth floor was impossibly distant.
Having someone of that caliber willing to move for me was already more than I deserved.
As I calmly recorded the results of the experiment, someone gently wrapped their arms around my waist from behind.
A soft sensation pressed against my back.
It was a little smaller than before, likely due to the removal of the crystal within.
“I’m here. So, how did your planned experiment go?”
She leaned forward slightly, peering past my side.
I glanced at the doll in Number 0’s hands.
Mira followed my gaze.
“Ah, so you’re stabilizing it now. Do you think it’ll succeed? I’m really looking forward to it.”
“I wouldn’t get my hopes up too much.”
I said as I quietly observed the doll.
I could see Number 0 carefully manipulating magic beside it.
By now, it should have woken up.
But there was no movement at all.
Number 0 looked at me and lightly shook his head.
It was a failure.
“Hmm, another failure. What a shame.”
“Still, I think something quite decent came out of it.”
I stroked my chin.
This doll was an experimental creation to fulfill Tiena’s request.
The crystal embedded within was part of Mira’s power.
The goal had been to create a new ‘soul’ through it, but ultimately, it failed.
As Mira said, success was unlikely on the first try.
A child born from a doll and a human—it was practically impossible.
Through my experiments, I had realized something.
Just as magic and life had patterns, so too did the soul form its own unique flow.
I had studied monsters to understand the nature of souls.
Parents and children had similar, yet distinct, soul patterns.
Those patterns left traces, linking them together—just like me and my dolls.
That explained why even Professor On couldn’t solve this problem.
He understood soul-binding better than anyone, even surpassing my unique magic in some ways.
But the souls he created, and the dolls that resembled Tiena, lacked the pattern that connected them to her.
They were merely extensions of herself—nothing more than replicas.
They couldn’t be called her true children.
Creating that connection.
That was the challenge we had to overcome.
I patted Number 0’s shoulder.
He sighed and handed me the doll.
Calmly, I focused my mind on it.
Thick, mist-laden magic swirled within.
But while the body existed, the soul was nowhere to be found.
Well, it was a failure, but it was still a good vessel.
I willed my magic into it.
From the shadowy tree within me, the moon trembled faintly.
A fragment that had been resting there followed the connection, flowing into the doll.
The tree lightly imbued the body with magic—a fabricated soul spell.
The enchantment gradually enveloped the doll, and slowly, it opened its eyes.
Mira gently tapped its head and watched with fascination as its eyes gleamed.
The doll turned toward Mira and bowed its head slightly.
“This is really interesting. How should I put it? It feels like there’s another me, but just a little hazy.”
She placed it in her palm.
The doll wobbled slightly before leaning against her finger.
Then, it closed its eyes and fell asleep.
I ran my magic over its body.
There were many inconsistencies.
The small crystal inside had placed too much strain on it.
I reached toward Mira.
“Would you hand it to me? It’s not complete yet. I think it needs to be preserved a little longer.”
“Is that so? Here you go.”
Mira carefully handed it over, and I took it gently.
With a quick glance, I signaled to Number 0.
He swiftly brought over a large glass container.
I placed the doll inside and sealed the lid tightly.
As I infused magic into the container, the enchantments engraved on it activated.
The magic transformed into a liquid, filling the space inside.
Soon, the doll was floating weightlessly in the liquid magic.
I carefully set the container on a shelf where the other dolls were stored.
If left alone, the body would slowly absorb the magic and develop over time.
It would likely take several years.
I had deliberately used materials that would allow for that gradual growth.
Through this process, it would naturally assimilate the power of the crystal and move more fluidly.
Of course, even at full growth, it would still only be the size of a small doll.
This was a minor achievement I had made while studying descent rituals—a way to create faint extensions of oneself.
I had wondered if this method could produce new souls.
But as expected, it failed.
In the end, I had no choice but to claim it as my own doll.
Stroking my chin, I gazed at the sleeping figure inside.
Even so, this was still a possibility—however small, it was a path to opening a new future.
Ideas on how to utilize this began forming in my mind.
***
“So, what will you do next? I wouldn’t mind making another one.”
Mira asked, lightly resting a hand on her chest where the crystal had been.
She smiled playfully.
I responded with a bitter smile and shook my head.
“No, I can’t take more from you. This is more than enough, and I’m grateful.”
She had already given up part of her power.
Since I now knew there was no real chance of success, there was no need to try again.
It would only lead to another failure.
For now, I had to stop and focus on solving Professor On’s assignment.
I turned to Number 0.
The current task was to create a ‘different kind of doll.’
Even though classes had become more accessible, this assignment was still incredibly difficult.
I had already failed one of the two given tasks.
In that sense, Number 0 was remarkable.
During the lessons, it was as if he had broken through a shell—transcending his previous limits.
Even the task I had failed, he had succeeded in completing.
I glanced at the dolls he had created.
The stone sculptures had taken on even more bizarre shapes, writhing as if they were alive.
They no longer resembled humans at all.
Their eerie, tendril-like forms undulated like waves, mesmerizing those who watched.
He had filled the first floor with such dolls.
Even the Treasures had cheered in admiration.
I couldn’t help but nod at their beauty.
***
Just then, my mirror beetle vibrated.
It floated into the air and approached me.
I slowly read the message inside and let out a deep sigh as I stood up.
Mira tilted her head in curiosity.
“Did something happen?”
“Hao caused another incident.”
Mira beamed, propping her chin up on her arms.
Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
“It seems the Treasures are quite fond of that child. Always stirring up trouble, every single day.”
“Should I come along?”
She asked, smiling brightly.
I shook my head lightly.
“Just rest. You still need time to adjust to that body.”
“If you insist, I won’t argue.”
Mira lifted her teacup.
Leaving her to savor the aroma, I stepped out of the room.
Second floor.
The infirmary.
Hao was waiting for me there.