I thought back to when I first opened the lecture.
In my rush to prepare, there had been a few clumsy moments.
And yet, before I knew it, ten months had passed.
In that time—short if short, long if long—the Tower had changed significantly.
Each floor had been refined with greater precision, and many new features had been added to the students’ bulletin board.
Well, the biggest change was probably the Tower’s atmosphere.
As I had intended, no major factions had formed.
There were large organizations, sure, but there were no more gang wars like before.
Instead, students became more invested in their individual rankings.
Since rankings were now displayed on the bulletin board, it was only natural.
After all, those rankings were the clearest indicators of who would pass the lecture.
Over the past ten months, ten Treasures had conducted lectures.
Each of them chose subordinates they favored, and in the process, a great deal of power was distributed among the students.
As a result, the Tower’s rankings fluctuated constantly.
Of those who had occupied the top hundred spots—the third floor—when the Tower first opened, fewer than half had managed to keep their place.
The ones who replaced them were those who had gained the power of the Treasures.
Those who received that power grew rapidly, dangerously so.
Consequently, their rankings also skyrocketed.
Some students, once buried in the lower ranks, soared to higher floors after being chosen by a Treasure, using that power as their stroke of fortune.
Meanwhile, those already above solidified their positions even further.
There was one thing that became undeniable amidst these battles—being chosen by a Treasure meant one could rise.
Everyone used that as a stepping stone for growth.
That was why those who had yet to be chosen desperately wished for a Treasure’s power.
But every Treasure had different tastes.
With no clear pattern to follow, all they could do was hope to be selected.
And that was exactly what I wanted.
I wanted students to rely on the Treasures, and through that, I hoped as many students as possible would gain their power.
After all, the more they gained, the more the Tower would accumulate.
In the process, there were also those who received power from multiple Treasures at once.
Those chosen this way had distinct characteristics—whether it was strength, appearance, talent, or even something as simple as amusement.
As I descended the stairs, I briefly checked the mirror beetle.
A post on the students’ free bulletin board was glowing.
It was the most-viewed post.
When I clicked on it, a video surfaced on the mirror beetle.
In the video, Cassian and Luciella stood face-to-face.
A duel between Rank 1 and Rank 2—of course, it had drawn a lot of attention.
Luciella, the one who had been chosen by multiple Treasures.
As expected from a member of a great noble family, she had instantly captured the interest of Treasures who sought powerful warriors.
Her strength in the video was overwhelming.
The fire magic she wielded was astonishing.
The flames, infused with the power of the Treasures, roared and burned everything around her.
‘At this level, she might reach the fourth floor by the end of the lecture.’
That was the thought that crossed my mind.
Of course, in the end, she was cut down by Cassian’s sword.
In the video, Cassian plunged her blade into Luciella’s chest with a bright smile.
Beside her, a teddy bear waved its arms enthusiastically.
A handkerchief rested in its paw, with the words “Bloodstained Sword Flower” clearly embroidered on it.
Cassian effortlessly held her own against those with the power of the Treasures.
No, she was growing even faster than they were.
And it made sense.
For the past several months, she had been running through the storehouses, still carrying the remnants of a Mummy’s presence within her.
She had directly confronted and challenged the Treasures herself.
It had now been seven years since she enrolled.
In that time, she had climbed to the third floor.
Her rapid progress was both enviable and satisfying.
The faster she grew, the sooner she would reach the seventh floor.
Of course, that was still a distant future.
The video ended with Cassian hugging the teddy bear.
The sight was pleasant to watch.
It was the most ideal dynamic between a Master and a Doll—the relationship I hoped all students would form.
A bond where they cherished and respected each other, allowing the Doll’s self to grow in the process.
And the ones I was heading toward had formed such a relationship, albeit in a slightly different way.
I rubbed my temples at the faint headache that surfaced.
***
Descending the stairs once more, I made my way to the second floor.
I had to go to the infirmary.
Hao would be there.
As I stepped inside, a refreshing scent greeted my nose.
At the center of that fragrance lay Hao.
He was collapsed on the bed, unconscious and limp.
By his bedside, Hari sat quietly, gazing down at his face.
To announce my arrival, I released a faint pulse of mana.
Noticing me, she let out a small smile.
Through the delicate link between us, I could feel her subtle welcome.
Approaching her, I looked down at Hao.
His face was drenched in cold sweat.
He had clearly pushed his body too far.
I watched as Hari gently wiped his face.
“What happened this time?”
At my question, Hari pointed at the mirror beetle resting beside Hao.
Then, she traced the shape of a tree in front of her chest.
A faint will passed through our link.
[Rampage.]
That was what she conveyed.
It seemed the tree had lost control once again.
“Then I’ll begin the cleansing immediately.”
I activated the infirmary’s magic, increasing its intensity.
Mana gathered around Hao, layering upon itself until it became visible to the naked eye.
Then, all at once, it poured down on him.
Hao let out a faint groan.
But beyond that, he showed no strong reaction.
He had gone through cleansing so many times that he was likely accustomed to the pain by now.
I clicked my tongue at the sight.
Hao opened his eyes not long after.
Holding his head, he slowly sat up.
The moment he awoke, Hari vanished like a mirage.
Hao checked his body, his mana flickering lightly before he nodded with a clear smile.
Bowing his head slightly, he spoke.
“Thank you again. This cleansing process never fails to amaze me. Evron, you truly are remarkable!”
His eyes sparkled with genuine admiration.
On his large, muscular frame, that innocent expression was almost comical.
I let out a small sigh before responding.
“As I always say, cleansing alone won’t completely heal you. Please be cautious until your body stabilizes. And for now, refrain from communicating with the Treasures as well.”
Hao scratched the back of his head with an awkward grin.
“Ahaha… That might be difficult. There are still things I need to receive from them.”
He glanced at me, gauging my reaction.
‘So, he still had things to collect, huh?’
It couldn’t be helped.
After all, it was the Treasures that had caused him to collapse in the first place.
Of course, he himself was at least half responsible as well.
I narrowed my eyes slightly as I looked at him.
“Then let’s check your body first. We can talk after that.”
“Yes! Understood!”
Hao responded loudly, puffing out his chest.
I placed a hand on it, feeling the heavy pulse of his heart beneath my palm.
Mana flowed from me into his body.
His body readily accepted it, the energy coursing through him rapidly.
It was a mess.
Despite the cleansing, there were still many disruptions within him.
But at least surgery wouldn’t be necessary.
The internal distortions weren’t severe—just a bit of contamination.
He’d recover just fine if he stayed in the infirmary for a while.
***
As I continued the examination, the air behind Hao wavered.
The distortion grew darker and soon coalesced into a shape.
Hari.
She frowned slightly as she stared at him.
Hao, oblivious to her presence, continued speaking.
I glanced at the faintly glowing ring above Hari’s head.
It seemed to be concealing her presence.
She puffed out her cheeks slightly as she looked at me, then pointed at Hao’s mirror bug.
She shrugged lightly.
It seemed she didn’t like how Hao was continually being contaminated by the treasure.
It was understandable.
After all, she was the one constantly bringing Hao to the infirmary.
Contamination was essentially the same as being drawn toward the treasure.
‘If it reached its limit, he would become partially assimilated with it.’
Hari would never allow that.
The Hao she wanted was someone who embraced happiness toward the “Sky Ring.”
Any interest in other treasures was something she could never accept.
That was why, before he reached his limit, she would devour parts of Hao’s mind to sever his attachment to other treasures.
Then, she would proceed with purification, just like now.
For Hao, there was no standard more useful than Hari.
In fact, he sometimes wandered the first floor just to find her.
Of course, that only meant more work for me.
The reason I put up with this hassle and continued to observe him was simple—he was useful to me.
Just as Hari served as a standard for Hao, he was a standard for me.
I had expected him to cause trouble from the moment I first accepted him into my lectures.
The sweet scent lingering at the tip of my nose, the fragrance that could entice even me—this was bound to attract the interest of treasures.
Hao lured treasures, and through him, the treasures caused incidents in the Tower.
And in the midst of all that, I observed how long this single mage could withstand their power.
That was his role—a standard for my experiments.
Of course, I hadn’t expected him to move so boldly.
At this point, every time an incident occurred, I was on the verge of developing a headache.
I never imagined we’d have to establish four new rules in less than a year.
Still, I couldn’t stop him.
No—I had no intention of stopping him.
When a test subject was working so hard on its own, ‘how could I bring myself to interfere?’
He was proving to be an excellent specimen for my research.
***
Hao, oblivious to Hari’s sharp gaze, summoned the mirror bug.
Receiving his mana, the sleeping insect fluttered into the air.
“Hmm, well then. I’ll go ahead and greet the treasures.”
Hao glanced at me for permission as he spoke.
I smirked wryly.
He was about to start that “communication” thing again.
With a nod from me, Hao carefully manipulated the mirror bug.
Soon, the bug’s screen lit up brightly.
Like a mirror, it reflected Hao’s face within its glow.
He straightened his clothes as he examined the screen.
Then, with a nod, the mirror bug began linking its transmission to my shadow tree.
A faint vibration ran through my own mirror bug.
That was the signal—Hao had begun his communication.
Facing the screen, Hao bowed lightly.
“Greetings! I’m here to say hello as soon as I wake up!”
[I-Tooth Necklace: Aha, was this one too overwhelming for you? I never thought your body would actually catch fire! I loved it. Let’s go even wilder next time! Kehehe!]
[Star Eye: Experiment, successful. Very satisfying.]
[Tasty Tongue: That was fun. Very, very fun!]
[Blood Axe: Kill! Me, kill! You must kill!]
The screen quickly filled with messages.
They were the words of the treasures, flickering across the display.
There were so many of them.
Even treasures that hadn’t granted him power had gathered.
Even those whose lectures he had yet to take.
Hao read through the messages one by one before nodding.
“Aha, thank you for your support. As I mentioned before, this time I opened a new path—using only the power of Tasty Tongue! …Ahem, so, if you were satisfied, I’d appreciate it if you could provide the promised points.”
Scratching his cheek, Hao spoke with a sheepish smile.
[Tasty Tongue: Good! Very good!]
[Blood Axe: Kill! I want to kill too!]
***
Messages poured in, and points were transferred to Hao.
“Thank you! I’ll use them well!”
With a bright smile, he bowed deeply toward the screen.
Watching absentmindedly, I shook my head.
That was one of the new functions added to the forum.
The ability to send live video feeds.
[I-Tooth Necklace: Then how about devouring fifty monsters at once this time? My teeth can handle it!]
[Sky Ring: …That’s too barbaric. Instead, why not indulge in happiness? After that… Ah, that part is a secret…]
And so, Hao continued his communication with the treasures.
It was all happening on the Tribute Forum.
That forum had undergone significant changes.
Now, various treasures—including those whose lectures had not yet begun—could interact with the students.
Of course, it required a greater amount of tribute.
Typically, other students used the Tribute Forum for its intended purpose.
Those who had received power sought advice from the treasures on how to wield it effectively.
Those who had yet to receive power offered points to treasures they wished to study under.
That was the system I had designed—the Tribute Forum existed to extract points and items from students.
I had never expected something like this.
Hao was extracting points from the treasures instead.
It was an ingenious idea.
The treasures were entertained by the spectacle.
Hao earned points.
And I was content as well—I was skimming a small fee from every transaction.
Only one person was displeased.
I glanced at the space behind Hao.
Hari, unseen by the mirror bug, was glaring at him.
She was not a treasure.
That meant she could not join the Tribute Forum.
If it continued to operate this way, Hao would always be drawn to the treasures.
That was why she was so annoyed.
I had prepared something for her.
I retrieved a mirror bug from my belongings and sent it toward her.
It had a translucent body.
Drifting on mana, it flew toward Hari and merged into her.
Hari blinked in confusion and looked down at herself.
I sent her a message through the mirror bug.
[Evron: Now, can you see?]
Her eyes widened, and she nodded.
A small screen floated before her, displaying the words I had sent.
Success.
Based on the teddy bear experiment, I had developed a special mirror bug just for her.
Of course, she still couldn’t participate in the students’ forum.
But now, she could eavesdrop on Hao’s.
Hari was already partially connected to Hao.
Through that link, she began observing his mirror bug.
With this, she would be able to track his every move more easily.
And she would try to control his actions.
That should reduce the number of incidents he caused.
Confirming that, I silently left the infirmary.
Hari was also my puppet.
I had to return the love she offered me.
This was my way of repaying her.
If she wanted Hao, I would bring him to her.
Tying him to the Tower entirely wouldn’t be a bad idea.
I thought of his strange tree and smiled faintly.
Hari would be happy.
I would continue my research.
The treasures would be entertained.
Everyone would be satisfied.
With that, I climbed the stairs again.
The matter in the infirmary was settled.
I checked the time through the mirror bug.
***
The morning had nearly passed.
It was time to move again.
On the way up the stairs, I briefly pondered the assignment given by Professor On.
Last time, I had failed.
It had been a painful failure.
That couldn’t happen again.
I had to analyze the task thoroughly.
The assignment was to create a doll different from my usual ones.
Professor On hadn’t provided a clear explanation.
So, what exactly did a “different doll” mean?
I had a month to figure it out.
That was the deadline.
Only then could I hold my head high at the Dollmaker’s Gathering.