He slowly opened his eyes.
Sunlight poured onto his face through the window.
It was morning.
The room was filled with dolls.
He was lying in the middle of them.
His entire body was so exhausted that he couldn’t move properly.
He didn’t even have the energy to channel his magic.
He must have collapsed while working overnight.
‘How long has it been since I last lay down like this?’ he wondered.
He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d properly used a bed.
He glanced at the clock.
Barely 30 minutes had passed since he had collapsed.
He wanted to savor this sweet moment for just a little longer.
Even though there were things to do, this dream-like rest refused to release its hold on him.
‘Hmm, maybe I should just push everything to tomorrow. I’d really like to just sleep like this.’
The consequences could be dealt with by tomorrow’s self.
For now, just a bit more rest.
***
Just as he was about to close his eyes again, the sound of a door opening and a bell ringing broke the silence.
Someone had entered.
Internally, he screamed, ‘No! My precious short break is gone!’
“Excuse me, sir? I’m here to get a doll modified. Are you not around?”
A familiar voice called out.
With great effort, he raised a hand.
Even that small movement drained him.
His hand trembled as if it might give out any second.
The visitor noticed and approached.
It was a woman with a blank expression.
“Should I help you up?” she asked, leaning her face close to his.
The sharp metallic scent typical of a swordswoman filled his nose.
He nodded weakly.
Without hesitation, she used magic to forcefully lift him.
Before he knew it, he was upright, and his whole body screamed in pain.
But the pain helped him regain some clarity.
‘Forget putting things off until tomorrow.
I already have a mountain of tasks to deal with today.
Tomorrow’s list is already overflowing.’
Gripping his knees with both arms, he steadied himself, refusing to collapse again.
Slowly, some strength returned.
With shaking hands, he rubbed his face, trying to wipe away some of his exhaustion.
The woman simply watched him in silence.
“Thank you, Cassian,” he said.
***
The first time he learned who she was, he had been utterly shocked.
This was the crazy woman who had smashed every single one of his dolls a decade ago.
No wonder her face felt familiar.
Of course, now she was just another customer at his shop.
Dragging himself to the reception counter, he leaned against it, finally feeling stable enough to stand.
He gestured for her to place her item on the counter.
She placed a massive teddy bear on the surface.
It took up nearly the entire counter.
Devoid of magic, the bear appeared like an ordinary stuffed toy.
That reminded him—he hadn’t replenished the dolls’ magic today.
He’d completely forgotten while pulling an all-nighter.
‘Great, another task to add to the list,’ he thought, clutching his head with a sigh.
As he tried to gather his thoughts, Cassian poked at the doll and spoke.
“Anyway, sir, I’d like to get this doll modified.”
“Sure. How would you like it changed?”
“Could you remove the feature I asked for last time? It keeps trying to hug me randomly, and it’s getting a bit annoying.”
His eyebrow twitched.
She was the one who had insisted on adding that feature just a month ago.
‘And now you’re tired of it already? Do you have any idea how much trouble it was to squeeze that into an already full design?’
Despite his thoughts, he smiled politely and offered a compromise.
“Hmm, instead of removing it completely, how about reducing the activation frequency? Or I could make it so it only hugs you when you want it to.”
She considered the options but eventually shook her head.
“Just get rid of it. Instead, I’d like the doll’s eyes to show emotions. Oh, and can you change the scent it emits? I’m bored of it. Actually, can the scent change based on its mood too?”
She asked cheerfully.
Looking down at the doll, his eyes twitched.
‘You want me to add such complex features to a doll that’s already crammed with functions? Do you think I’m a miracle worker?’
“Would 100 points cover it?” she asked, cutting through his inner complaints.
“Of course. Please pick it up tomorrow,” he replied with a bright smile.
For 100 points, nothing was impossible.
He jotted down her requests without hesitation.
‘Limits? What limits?’ He’d keep working until it was done.
“Here you go,” she said, handing him a ring.
After giving him her payment, she left without another word.
As he stroked the ring, he suddenly realized what he had done.
‘What am I thinking? I already have so much work, and I’ve just taken on another order!’
Cassian was the only person who spent points so freely on dolls.
She had already spent over 4,000 points modifying her collection.
‘How could anyone have so many points to spare?’
He placed his trembling hand on the doll.
It was one of his finest creations, painstakingly designed and filled with numerous features to make it as natural and lifelike as possible.
‘It’s practically perfect. And now I have to add more to it.’
Infusing the doll with magic, he brought it back to life.
It consumed a massive amount of energy before sitting up.
Its intricate mechanisms began operating smoothly, powered by his magic.
The doll moved to the workshop area deep in the shop, pushing past other dolls to reach the workbench.
As it settled there, he collapsed into a chair nearby.
‘I’m screwed. No, I’ve definitely screwed myself.’
His body attested to that fact.
Even the sapling he used to extract magic from was wilting under the strain.
Two years into college, and this was just another ordinary morning.
His shadow rose slowly, patting him on the shoulder.
It looked exactly like him.
Over the past two years, the more I struggled, the more it thrived.
I closed my eyes briefly, comforted by its progress.
‘How did it come to this? It definitely wasn’t like this at the beginning.’
Tracing back the steps, I realized where it all started.
It began after the first lecture.
***
When the tower opened its sections, many flocked to it—nearly 200 people.
Most signed up for lectures not only to learn but also to gain access to the tower.
Typically, students avoided taking more than one lecture.
Once attached to a lecture, their routine revolved around training in the tower associated with it.
After all, the magic imbued in a professor’s tower was more refined and powerful than anything else.
Training in such a place was incredibly efficient.
Every morning, students crowded the tower, swarming its vast first floor.
But this led to problems.
Since access times were fixed, students showed up daily at the same time, often encountering each other.
Soon, conflicts arose—arguments, duels, even assaults.
Tensions built from treasure hunts erupted into open hostility.
Groups began claiming rooms as their territory, opposing outsiders.
Oddly enough, the professor seemed delighted by this chaos.
She even opened up the second floor to them, where the magic was denser and stronger.
Naturally, the strongest individuals flocked there, turning the tower into a battlefield as they fought over territory.
The professor found it all amusing.
Meanwhile, I was the one suffering in the midst of it—mediating disputes, repairing damaged furniture, and dealing with the aftermath.
Even with reception dolls in place, they couldn’t handle the sheer volume of issues.
On top of that, complaints and suggestions poured in non-stop.
Handling all these students was exhausting enough, but I still had other responsibilities.
***
I had to inspect the tower daily.
Its magic, though powerful, caused significant distortions.
These temperamental spells needed constant monitoring to prevent malfunctions.
Initially, I failed to notice this.
As distortions built up, the space eventually tore open.
I’ll never forget the eerie sensation of a strange eye staring at me from within.
The foreign entity tried to infiltrate the tower, only to be obliterated by the professor.
But her wrath turned toward me for neglecting proper management.
From then on, I checked the tower’s magic every single day.
While the sixth floor and above were the professor’s domain, floors one through five were entirely my responsibility.
Even just inspecting the spells was draining.
Many of them were beyond my understanding, leaving me no choice but to personally test their effects to ensure stability.
On top of maintaining the tower, I had to prepare for my lectures.
They occurred every three months, but the first lecture had wiped out all my dolls.
Even the materials I’d spent a month gathering had run out.
I knew I’d have to prepare far more thoroughly for the next one.
The professor was bound to make things even harder for me.
***
Professor Heisen’s lectures were comparatively easier since they only required me to cultivate my shadow.
The shadow mimicked my actions and grew by absorbing my magic.
It would naturally grow large enough over time.
Still, I needed to visit his tower.
It was the perfect place to develop the shadow further.
Simply wandering through the shadow realm accelerated its growth.
But traveling there was a chore, and the return trip even more so.
Each visit added to my ever-growing pile of tasks.
Time slipped away as I juggled all these responsibilities.
Whenever I tried to rest, something new came up.
Resolving one issue only led to another.
By the time everything was dealt with, I would collapse into an exhausted sleep, leaving no time for training.
At this rate, even a hundred years would pass without progress—just endless suffering.
***
Four months into my time at the academy, after the second lecture, I reached a realization: I needed to reduce my workload.
Though no one had obtained Professor Irien’s treasure, many students had grown stronger through competition and training in the tower’s magic.
But such growth was a distant dream for me.
I was drowning in endless tasks and responsibilities.
‘If I don’t solve this, there’s no future for me,’ I thought.
Determined, I began mass-producing dolls.
After all, doll-making was my greatest skill.
I poured almost all my points into crafting them.
Venturing into the city, I bought materials and placed special orders for rarer supplies.
Soon, various woods and minerals began arriving at the tower.
Using every ounce of my magic and effort, I refined the dolls, even drawing upon the tower’s magic to enhance them.
Their performance exceeded my expectations.
Once complete, I distributed one doll to each student.
These weren’t just minor copies like the reception dolls.
They were advanced attendants, comparable to the professor’s personal stewards in judgment and capabilities.
The dolls devoted themselves entirely to their assigned masters.
They learned their habits, provided better convenience, and even mediated conflicts independently.
Soon, the number of students seeking me dropped drastically.
It was a success.
For the first time since the lectures began, I felt a sense of relief.
Of course, I still needed to recharge the dolls’ magic regularly, as only my magic could power them.
But compared to before, it was a simple task—just charging the dolls and stationing them at the entrance before opening the tower each day.
Finally, I had time to rest.
Leaning back in my chair, I closed my eyes.
‘Why didn’t I think of this sooner?’
My reluctance to spend points had trapped me in misery.
Points were useless if hoarded.
Spending them to ease my burdens made them truly mine.
Though I’d spent almost all my points creating the dolls, the happiness of this moment made it entirely worth it.
‘With the students finally quiet, I could focus on my own training.’ Or so I thought.
Until she showed up.