Three days passed.
There was no attack.
The construction of the fortress progressed sequentially.
The most important aspect in constructing this maze was ensuring that lower-level monsters could not easily pass through it, while also securing the lethal force necessary to continuously eliminate them.
As I explained to Hong Ryeong, this was the best defensive strategy for me, given my lack of magical offensive capabilities.
I first carefully examined the terrain.
A mountain, by nature, tends to have the structure of a maze.
The more saturated it is with magical energy, the more so.
This mountain, in particular, had a strong natural maze-like quality.
The contours of the slopes seemed to form the very foundation of the maze.
Using these natural lines, I set up the main routes of the maze.
Then, I created several crossroads that would confuse the monsters and naturally lead them into traps.
This roughly established the base structure of the maze.
The design took some time, but once that was done, the construction of the maze moved quickly.
All I had to do was deploy the puppets.
They moved like my hands and feet, digging the earth and stacking stones.
The key feature of the maze was the traps that would immediately deal with any careless monsters.
I created various traps within the maze.
The most critical one was a trap large enough to handle even large numbers of monsters.
For this, I had a solution— a giant turtle.
For the past three days, I had been diligently repairing it.
Inside, I modified it to fit the trap’s needs.
Its shell was now covered in sharp spikes and gleaming blades.
With its immense bulk, the turtle could crush even low-tier monsters, killing them on the spot.
The most crucial area was the crossroads.
This place was designed as a natural gathering spot for the monsters.
Around this central point, the giant turtle trap was situated, with crossroads spreading out in all directions.
The monsters would lose their way, gradually accumulating at the crossroads and eventually heading toward the turtle.
It would be very difficult for them to reverse this flow.
These numerous crossroads would act like a filtering system, controlling the number of monsters reaching the turtle.
And the most important thing was that the maze had to be maintained continuously.
The biggest threat came from monsters strong enough to break through it.
I needed a way to deal with them naturally.
To do this, I created a separate path for them.
Powerful monsters didn’t need to participate in the maze’s flow and could simply bypass the turtle by ascending along a specific line.
By doing this, the weaker monsters would be trapped at the crossroads, while the stronger ones could pass freely between regions and escape the maze.
Those monsters would eventually make their way toward Hong Ryeong’s area.
When constructing the maze, I didn’t build it to withstand more than two weeks of attacks.
I didn’t have the resources, time, or energy for that.
I didn’t know how many or what kinds of monsters might come.
In this situation, the most important thing was how easily I could maintain the maze.
The maze would adapt and change based on the circumstances, and even if it were destroyed, it would be continuously repaired.
To ensure this, I constructed the maze itself like a giant puppet.
What I had made was just the most basic structure.
Over the next two weeks, I would need to perform maintenance repeatedly.
I had also prepared thoroughly for any monsters that would approach from underground.
Crossroads connected deep underground along the magical currents, and those monsters would be dragged out of the ground, only to be slaughtered by traps.
I wasn’t worried about flying monsters at all.
They would never be able to defy the mountain’s magical pressure.
Moreover, Hong Ryeong had set up a wind barrier.
‘How could they possibly overcome that?’
It took me three full days to complete the maze.
***
Today was the fourth day.
There was no longer a need for me to stay.
The puppets would handle everything.
With that, I headed toward the mountain’s peak.
I remembered what Hong Ryeong had said about the shared defense area.
At the peak, there was an hourglass.
The sand had fallen quite a bit.
It seemed like a considerate task.
They had given me this much time to build the fortress.
Unlike before, the hourglass was now covered by a strong wind barrier.
It was clearly Hong Ryeong’s work.
It was a powerful spell that I couldn’t possibly break through.
Surrounding it was a puddle of blood, the remnants of Aileen’s magic.
The defense structure created by their combined magic was filled with dangerous magical energy, making it inaccessible.
I didn’t need to do anything here.
I gave a bitter smile.
So, to leave a sign that I had been there, I stationed a few puppets as guards.
Then, I tidied up the area.
I brought over large rocks and made a table and chairs, refining them with magic.
I also cut down some trees to build a simple pavilion.
Once the table and chairs were placed in the pavilion, the area started to look presentable.
This would serve as a sign that I had come.
I looked around.
The Sigyeo and the Shaking rope were still absent.
“Should I check what they’re doing?” I thought, turning my attention to the puppets scattered across the various areas.
I had placed several puppets around the mountain and outside as well.
The mountain stood in the middle of an endless forest.
The forest stretched all the way to the horizon.
To the east, Sigyeo had made use of a rocky area by building high walls.
These walls were layered to prevent any monster from scaling them.
The walls grew thicker and taller as you moved inward.
Above them, there were powerful magic wards to deal with flying monsters.
At the center of it all, there was a gap.
Sigyeo stood there.
The walls blocked all other routes, creating an easy path that would funnel monsters directly in.
The key here was the brute force necessary to crush them.
Sigyeo stood confidently in the middle.
It was quite a display of self-assurance.
Whether this strategy would work, we would only know in two weeks.
***
I shifted my focus to the next puppet.
Through its eyes, I saw the violet forest.
This was the western area, guarded by the Shaking rope.
No one could enter there carelessly.
It was a cursed forest, filled with poison and curses.
Even the puppets dissolved upon entering.
Any monsters that ventured too close would die.
The poison in that forest had even affected my maze, making maintenance more difficult.
Finally, I needed to check the northern area.
Instead of using a puppet, I decided to go there myself.
I gave a bitter smile.
There was no other choice.
When I had placed the puppets around the mountain, any that entered her domain lost contact.
When I finally reached the last puppet, it sent a signal.
She was holding the puppet, laughing.
“Don’t peek,” she said. “Find me yourself.” After hearing that, ‘how could I run away?’
I made my way north and soon saw a blood-red river.
As I approached, the smell of blood became overwhelming.
The once flowing stream had been stained with blood, gradually consuming everything around it.
At the foot of the mountain, the river collected into a massive lake.
The lake emitted a strong aura of malice and magical power.
It sent a chill down my spine.
Of everything the group had made, this lake was undoubtedly the most potent in terms of strength.
Aileen was floating above the lake.
As I drew closer, the water quickly enveloped my body.
The sharp malice within the water made me break into a cold sweat.
I hadn’t even realized it, but my body had been restrained.
I raised both hands in surrender.
Aileen slowly approached.
“Ah, what’s going on?”
“You left a message asking me to visit, so now that my fortress is completed, I’ve come to see you. This is a gift.”
An automaton, which had been following behind me, stepped forward.
She used magic to carefully examine the automaton before smiling with satisfaction.
As she reached out, blood-red water surged from the river, forming the shape of a table.
The automaton moved forward and placed a chair behind her.
She smiled and sat down, and the automaton immediately began preparing tea.
“Mmm, this is what I’ve wanted to drink.”
She savored the scent of the tea.
However, it was likely to be different from what she expected.
I had already analyzed her preferences.
Over the time it took to reach this mountain, I had offered her slightly different flavors, and for the past three days, as I worked on the fortress, I had carefully considered what flavor would suit her best.
The tea she was about to taste was the final result of my thoughts.
She took a sip.
A flower bloomed in the tea, and as it touched her tongue and melted, her eyes widened in surprise.
It was a success.
She continued sipping the tea, a satisfied expression on her face.
“Oh, the taste has changed.”
“Yes, I’ve tried to match it to your preferences, Aileen-nim.”
“Mmm, it’s delicious. It’s really good. This automaton, you’re giving it to me, right?”
Her eyes sparkled.
I quickly nodded.
It was originally prepared for her, after all.
I had filled it with functions that I thought she would prefer.
“Thank you. Then, I suppose I should return the favor.”
She hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“Should I list you as the primary contributor?”
“No, that’s fine. I have no intention of being listed as the primary contributor.”
I quickly waved my hand in protest.
‘I had already given my vote to someone else, so why would I want to receive such a title? It held no meaning for me, and I would likely receive nothing but unwanted attention.’
“I see. Since you’ve stuck with that young master.”
‘It seemed she knew about my alliance with Hongryeong. Of course, she would. Just as I observed others, they must have been keeping an eye on the mountain in their own ways.’
‘Through that process, they would have realized that I had formed an alliance with Hongryeong. I hadn’t interfered on purpose, so they likely picked up on it without any trouble.’
“Yes. As a result of collaborating with Hongryeong, I’ve been chosen as the primary contributor.”
“Heh, if you had come to me, I would have just helped you out.”
She gave a playful smile.
She was still someone hard to understand.
It was that atmosphere that had made me choose Hongryeong.
Being near her just felt… uncomfortable.
“If I had set up a territory near you, I would have definitely asked for help. But unfortunately, others chose that area first, so it was unavoidable.”
“Hmph, was it really not intentional?”
She said teasingly.
“Of course not.”
I quickly waved my hand again.
She probably already knew I had chosen Hongryeong over her.
That was likely why she made these pointed remarks.
I had brought the automaton as a way to apologize.
“Alright. Let’s leave it at that.”
She began sipping her tea again.
I sat across from her, looking around the surroundings.
Up close, the lake appeared quite deep.
The blood-red color was the problem, though.
Beneath the blood-red water, dark shadows were swirling.
One of them emerged closer to the surface, revealing itself as a massive serpent.
Its body was covered in veins, a grotesque sight.
“Isn’t it cute? This one lived in the water, but I made a few adjustments.”
“Yes, it’s very cute. Hahaha.”
I could feel cold sweat running down my back.
The serpent was radiating an enormous amount of magical power.
It was no ordinary creature.
But what struck me more was that the previously imposing strength was now replaced with nothing but pain and madness.
I could see its eyes, filled with endless despair.
Watching it, suffering in limbo, neither dead nor alive, I could finally confirm that my decision to ally with Hongryeong had been the right one.
“Oh, by the way, I’ll tell you something.”
Aileen suddenly spoke.
She pointed far into the forest, her fingers moving as though measuring the distance.
“It should be about two hours.”
“What are you talking about?”
Aileen smiled.
“The blood-freaks are going to arrive soon.”
“Blood-freaks? You mean monsters?”
“Yep. The scent of blood has been getting stronger since we arrived. We’ll be seeing them shortly.”
I quickly stood up.
If monsters had been gathering since three days ago, as she said, they would certainly be arriving soon.
“They’ll come from all directions, so try not to die. I’ll see you next time.”
“Thank you. I’ll get ready and head out now.”
She waved her hand nonchalantly, as though it were no big deal.
I bowed my head in gratitude and hurried off toward my territory.
I had to move quickly, as fast as I could.