The professor looked up as the turtle stopped.
She nodded slightly, then made a small adjustment to the shell to create a staircase leading to the ground.
Slowly, she stood and walked down the stairs.
“It’s been a while since I passed through this door.”
The professor said while crossing her arms.
After finishing his work, the turtle tucked its head and legs into its shell and shook its whole body.
Then the shell began to shrink slowly.
The tremor only stopped once it had become small enough to fit in my palm.
I picked it up.
The weight was immense.
‘Did I miscalculate something?’
I poured a great deal of mana into it and rewired the turtle’s circuits.
Only then did it become a little lighter.
It still felt as if I were carrying a rock, but it was better than before.
One of the things I learned from studying that damn magic book was the spell to shrink objects.
I still remember the awe I felt when I first used it.
No one would have guessed that this tiny turtle, no bigger than the palm of my hand, originally had a body that spanned several dozen meters.
I cradled it in my arms.
Drawn by my mana, the turtle entered the spatial pouch.
At the same time, the magic unraveled, and it grew back to its original size.
The spacious pouch instantly became cramped.
A sigh escaped me.
Everything else was fine, but the mana consumption was excessive.
The more an object was compressed, the exponentially greater the mana usage became.
Nearly half of my mana had been consumed just getting here, and when I compressed the turtle, I was nearly drained.
It was the first time I had used this magic on the turtle, and I didn’t expect it to be so difficult to maintain.
“Well then, let’s go.”
The professor led the way, placing her hand on the door.
The door instantly swallowed her up.
I swallowed hard.
Now it was my turn.
Beyond that door lay the university.
I placed my acceptance letter on the door, and the paper melted away, disappearing as the door slowly began to open.
A mixture of emotions swirled inside me. Excitement, nervousness, and fear combined to create an indescribable feeling.
The door to the university I had dreamed of for decades was opening.
‘How many years had I waited for this moment? What would the world beyond this door be like?’
I felt a strong pull.
I squeezed my eyes shut, and in the blink of an eye, I was sucked through the door.
There was no sudden, dramatic change.
I cautiously opened my eyes.
I was standing in a different place.
A very large open field.
I was in front of a door placed at the edge of the field.
It was almost identical to the one I had just opened.
As I was about to look around, I felt an odd sensation spreading through my body.
No, it wasn’t my body that felt strange.
The surroundings were strange.
There was so much mana.
Mana filled the air like nothing I had ever experienced before.
It poured into my body endlessly.
The mana I had just run out of quickly filled back up, and even the sapling grew a little in the overwhelming current of mana.
It was as if I had entered a body of water made of mana.
For a moment, I floundered, unable to keep my balance.
Then, suddenly, a shock hit my head.
Someone had struck me hard on the head.
I collapsed.
When my vision stopped spinning, I saw the professor looking at me with an exasperated expression.
“Other people snap out of it quickly, but why are you like this?”
“I’m sorry…”
It was hard to even speak.
But suddenly, my body began to relax.
Mana from my head started to help my body recover.
The professor had struck me on the head and infused me with mana.
I looked at her with grateful eyes.
The professor snorted and struck my head again.
My head plunged into the ground.
At the same time, her mana flowed deeper into me, speeding up my recovery.
With the professor’s help, I quickly got back on my feet.
I didn’t express my thanks.
I was afraid my head would crack if I said anything, so I quietly cleared my throat and bowed my head.
Instead, I looked around.
There were others like me.
They, too, were twisting their bodies, trying to adjust to the powerful mana.
And beyond them, there were those who had already adapted.
They were gathered around a huge, high podium in the center of the field, talking to each other.
Looking further, I saw very tall mountains surrounding the field.
Dozens of peaks stood like walls around the open area.
When I had regained my composure, the professor started walking again.
I quickly followed her.
She wasn’t heading toward the podium like the others.
Instead, she was going toward a quiet corner.
It seemed she liked the solitude, and she motioned for me to follow.
I immediately understood what the professor wanted.
I took out the dolls for her from the spatial pouch.
As soon as they came out of the pouch, they twisted their bodies, unable to keep their balance.
The mana in this place was burdensome for them too.
I quickly adjusted their circuits so they could absorb more mana.
Only then did they begin to move properly.
***
I started arranging the place just for her, supervising the dolls.
First, a large tent was erected by the dolls.
The tent, which blocked the surrounding view, was decorated with a beautiful golden tree pattern, resembling her hair.
In the center of the tent, I placed a chair with a soft cushion.
The magic used to create the cushion ensured it always provided the utmost comfort, adjusting seamlessly to the user’s posture.
In front of it, I placed a small table.
This table, carefully crafted to fit her size, created a harmonious balance with her form.
On it, I neatly arranged tea and snacks, with the dolls standing nearby to serve her.
At the same time, the environment optimization magic hanging inside the tent changed the atmosphere.
This small space didn’t feel like just a resting area but like a completely independent world within this vast open field.
The professor sat down in the chair, a satisfied smile on her face.
The butler poured tea into her cup.
She sank into the chair, savoring the aroma.
It was perfect.
I admired my work and slowly adjusted the magic.
I was still a little inexperienced with the environment optimization spell, so I could feel some instability.
I focused on stabilizing it.
But then, suddenly, I felt a strange mana.
It felt like some impurity had tainted the perfect environment I had created.
It started from my shadow.
My shadow began to ripple and slowly grew larger.
And from it, a person emerged.
A middle-aged man, his face weary from exhaustion.
He tapped my shoulder before bowing to the professor.
“Professor Irien, it’s been a long time.”
The professor glanced at him before waving her hand, as if in greeting.
“Is it alright for you to be here? It looks like we’ll be waiting for the entrance ceremony for another two hours.”
“Sure. Ron, bring another chair.”
The professor said.
The butler quickly fetched a chair and handed it to the man.
He slumped into the chair.
“Oh, this feels good.”
He said, fiddling with the cushion.
The butler came over and placed a cup in front of him.
As the tea was poured, a flower bloomed in the cup.
It was even more beautiful than before.
A result of carefully re-tuning the tea magic.
“This one made it. His name’s Evron. I picked him up outside.”
She pointed at me.
I silently bowed in response to her gesture.
“Oh, is this the new student?”
“Yeah, I’ve taught him a little over the past year.”
The man looked at the professor with a surprised expression.
He seemed to have heard something unusual.
“Professor Irien taught you?”
“Yeah. What about it?”
“Then, this person must be your first disciple? Since you’ve never taught a class before.”
Professor Irien frowned.
Her mana shot out toward the man, but the shadows around him layered and softened the flow of mana.
I widened my eyes.
It was the first time I had seen her mana be blocked like that.
“There’s no need to be embarrassed. Hahaha.”
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, I’m just complaining about useless things.”
The professor muttered.
I didn’t interrupt their conversation.
Instead, I focused on improving the tent’s magic and replenishing the snacks on the table.
After a while, the professor stopped talking and then said, “Ron, go outside for a bit.”
I bowed deeply and quietly left the tent.
As soon as I stepped out, the shadow covered the tent, blocking any view from the outside.
It felt like something important was happening inside.
The outside was still quiet, and the sun shone down strongly.