[Tooth Necklace: Then, I’ll go ahead and start the lecture first. If you’re interested, feel free to drop by and watch! I’ll have the video playing on the bulletin board!]
‘I can’t even remember the last time I met someone.’
[ A drawing of a toothbrush scrubbing teeth ]
[ A drawing of teeth tied with a ribbon ]
“I even tidied up to look neat. How do I look? Cool, right?”
[Star Eyes: Successful. Wishing you luck. First steps.]
[Ring of the Sky: I also… want. To do. Learning words, it’s hard.]
[Blood Axe: Slaughter, slaughter!]
â”” [Tooth Necklace: Ah, Blood Axe, you understand something. Looking good on the outside makes it easier to devour later.]
[Blood Axe: Slaughter?]
[Tooth Necklace: Ah, but I’m planning to move a little differently. You don’t have to worry—we won’t have overlapping targets.]
[Blood Axe: Slaughter! Slaughter!]
[Tooth Necklace: Alright then, I’ll go and enjoy myself first.]
***
The tower’s doors were firmly shut.
Ever since the last lecture ended, the tower had been blocking others from entering.
Those without permission wouldn’t even think of approaching.
But today, the tower was preparing to open its doors once again.
My heart trembled slightly.
Opening a new lecture always made me nervous.
I remembered how last time, I had all my lines prepared in advance.
Even so, compared to back then, I had changed quite a bit.
Now, I could feel a bit of excitement mixed in with my nerves.
I glanced at Mira.
She was lightly holding onto my arm.
She sensed my gaze and met my eyes, offering a small smile.
That was another difference.
Unlike before, when I was alone, I now had someone I could call a companion.
Zero was busy commanding the dolls.
With him handling everything, there wasn’t much for me to do.
This was why people formed groups—to share the burden.
It was something I had built over the past five years.
And now, by opening these doors, a new five years would begin.
“Alright, let’s go welcome our guests.”
I jerked my chin toward Zero.
At his command, the shadow dolls moved to open the doors.
***
The outside world slowly came into view.
Beyond the entrance, countless people were wandering through the garden I had cultivated.
I observed them carefully.
They must have sensed the doors opening, as they began walking toward the tower.
Their magic seeped into the surroundings, coloring the air around them.
I stepped forward beyond the threshold and clapped my hands to draw their attention.
Instantly, hundreds of gazes locked onto us.
Smiling, I bowed my head slightly.
“Welcome, everyone. You have arrived at Professor Irien’s tower. My name is Evron, and I have been entrusted with the position of storekeeper by the professor. Feel free to call me by my name.”
No sooner had I spoken than waves of magic surged toward me.
Like an intricate net, it enveloped my body.
There was no clear hostility within it—it was merely a form of probing.
To them, I was nothing more than a newly budding mage who had just reached the stage of a young tree.
It was only natural that they would want to test me.
Mira responded with a soft mist.
The mist absorbed their magic, making it lose its way before quietly dispersing.
I nodded slightly toward Mira in gratitude.
There were no further attempts to probe me.
I glanced around.
Two hundred pairs of eyes were fixed on us.
It was the same number as the last lecture, but the atmosphere was entirely different.
The magic emanating from them was thicker and more powerful.
It was expected.
This time, the attendees were from the second and third floors.
I had debated for a long time about which students to target for my lectures.
If I wanted to take the easy route, I could have just stuck to teaching those from the first and second floors, or even just the first floor.
But that wouldn’t have been efficient.
Those on the first floor were too weak—just as I had once been.
They weren’t of much use to either me or the treasures.
At the same time, I couldn’t reach for the fourth floor.
The mages there were on the verge of graduation.
I had already experienced it in the canyon city—the difference between them and the lower floors was vast.
If I brought them into my lecture, they would be difficult to manage.
So, I settled on the students before me.
Some of their faces were familiar—they had attended the last lecture.
These students were slightly inexperienced but had enough skill to build upon.
I had chosen them intentionally.
We no longer needed those who would simply be left behind.
I stepped aside, gesturing toward the open doors.
Their eyes followed my hand toward the entrance of the tower.
“Now, come in. I’ll guide you through the tower. Each of you will be assigned a doll. These dolls will assist you, so be sure to treat them with care.”
At my words, the shadow dolls stepped forward, approaching the students.
Two hundred dolls in total, each moving toward a specific student.
They would serve as their attendants from now on.
As the students followed the dolls, they slowly stepped into the tower.
Several of them flinched upon seeing the first-floor scenery.
I couldn’t help but smirk.
It was understandable—even I was sometimes startled.
The surroundings were filled with deeply metaphysical sculptures.
Zero’s work.
They lined the hallways, even stretching across the ceilings, dozens and hundreds of body parts squirming and shifting as if to welcome the students.
The sight was grotesque.
When I had asked Zero to decorate the first floor, this was the result.
I could see him nodding in satisfaction—he seemed pleased with the reactions.
‘What could I say? It certainly didn’t align with most people’s aesthetics.’
But Mira loved it.
The professor was quite pleased as well.
He said it was unique and charming.
The treasures shared the sentiment.
At this point, even I had started to find it endearing.
Given five years, these students would probably get used to it too.
We passed through the writhing sculptures and moved deeper inside.
More statues proudly displayed themselves throughout the interior.
Zero preferred working with stone, unlike me, who pieced together wood.
He carved entire blocks of stone into complete forms.
His craftsmanship was as remarkable as ever—so much so that it made people recoil.
I gave a subtle signal.
The shadow dolls, sensing it, turned to the students and flashed them bright smiles.
Their beautiful, elegant appearances helped to ease the tense atmosphere.
Slowly, the students inched closer to the dolls beside them.
This was one of the reasons I had tasked Zero with decorating the first floor.
I wanted the students to become more familiar with the dolls.
Each doll was crafted to meet a certain standard of beauty—features that humans would instinctively find appealing.
Because things that looked good naturally inspired trust.
Within this eerie setting, the dolls stood out even more.
Over time, this process would make them seem like natural companions.
A subtle illusion, carefully woven.
Thanks to the dolls’ efforts, the atmosphere gradually lightened.
The students began looking around, moving forward at a more relaxed pace.
Before long, we reached the central hall.
I stopped and addressed them.
“This is the first floor, a free space for everyone. After the lecture, you may use it as you wish. Feel free to look around.”
They exchanged hesitant looks.
None of them seemed eager to move.
I scanned the area.
It wasn’t exactly the most comfortable environment to relax in.
“Then, let’s proceed to the second floor. Be careful when climbing the stairs—step wrongly, and you might end up beyond this space entirely.”
After giving that warning, I led them up the stairs.
The second floor was much more normal.
Seeing that, the students let out a breath and relaxed slightly, their magic flowing more freely.
“The second floor is also a free space. Feel free to use it as you need. Now, this way.”
We passed through the second-floor central hall and headed straight for the lecture room.
The third floor was also set to open this time.
It wasn’t accessible yet since it was still undergoing renovations, but once it was ready, it would provide enough space to prevent large-scale organized battles.
Individual prowess would become more important instead.
I waited for the murmuring of the students to settle.
It didn’t take long for them to find their seats.
I clapped my hands, drawing their attention.
The lecture hall quickly grew silent.
“Welcome, everyone. As I mentioned earlier, my name is Evron. Professor Irien has entrusted me with this lecture, which is why I am standing before you. But don’t worry—I won’t be the one actually conducting the lesson.”
With that, I released a small amount of magic.
The mirrors scattered throughout the lecture hall began to emit a faint glow.
Within the light, a figure started to take shape.
“As you saw in the syllabus, you will soon receive power from the treasures. These treasures possess immense abilities—enough to completely devour mages like us. They will be the ones leading this lecture.”
The wavering figure soon solidified into a clear form—a bizarre necklace made entirely of teeth.
As soon as it saw us, the necklace clattered its teeth together noisily.
The sharp clacking sounds echoed throughout the room.
This was a three-dimensional illusion, projected through the strategically placed mirrors.
The details were vividly rendered.
“With that, I’ll take my leave. Today’s treasure, Tooth Necklace, will take over from here. Please focus on the mirrors in front of you—it will be communicating with you through text. Now, let’s welcome our instructor with a round of applause.”
[-Hahaha! Pleased to meet you all! You can call me Tooth Necklace! I do have another name, but since Professor Irien calls me this, what can I do? Just gotta go along with it!]
The necklace clattered its teeth together again.
Text appeared on the mirror screens as it spoke.
The students, though hesitant, began to clap.
In response, the necklace continued its clicking rhythmically.
[-Thank you! Overwhelming gratitude! Ah, how long has it been since I last heard applause? Almost nine hundred years, I’d say! That’s how long I’ve been locked away in storage! Ah, I suppose most of you don’t know much about me. Well then, I first awakened around three thousand years ago… Oh, what a terrifying time that was…]
Every time Tooth Necklace clacked its teeth, the mirrors filled with more and more text.
The students’ gazes were locked onto the words.
It just kept going, endlessly talking—something it was infamous for.
It launched into an extensive retelling of its history.
Some students paled at the account, while others watched with eager fascination.
I observed quietly.
[…And so, I devoured an entire city at my leisure—only to be caught by Professor Irien. The next thing I knew, I was locked in storage. But hey, does the past really matter? What’s important is that I’m here now, talking to all of you!]
The words continued to flood the mirrors.
The students remained silent, fully focused.
In truth, many other treasures had expressed interest in leading the first lecture.
However, after much discussion, we decided to let Tooth Necklace go first.
It was the only treasure capable of speaking so fluently.
The others were still learning how to form words through magic, struggling to communicate naturally.
But this one—this one had no trouble at all.
[-Some of you will receive my power today. But if you don’t, don’t be too disappointed! You’ll still be able to communicate with us through the Mirror Worms! Just earn fifty points per month, and you’ll get a chance to interact with the treasures! Don’t miss out on this opportunity! No, really, don’t! Ahaha, Storekeeper Evron, that was a good enough advertisement, right?]
I gave a small nod.
It would have been better if it hadn’t said that last part.
Noticing my reaction, Tooth Necklace quickly erased the final sentence—but of course, the students had already read it, making the gesture pointless.
[-Anyway, the power we grant is yours to use—for a five-year contract! So aim to pass the test! Only twenty of you will be able to leave with this power. The rest? It’ll be reclaimed. Keh-heh-heh.]
With that, the necklace clattered its teeth cheerfully.
The sound formed a rhythmic pattern.
It seemed to be thoroughly enjoying itself.
[-So, what exactly am I giving you? This! Ta-da! A tooth fragment!]
It mimicked a spitting motion, and with it, a small tooth fragment broke off.
Using magic, it lifted the fragment into the air.
[-My power is simple. All you need is the ability to bite and devour. With this, you’ll be able to consume your enemies—everything about them! Their souls, their magic, their strength. A portion of whatever you devour will become yours. Just by sinking your teeth into something alive, you’ll be able to grow stronger.]
A small monster, shaped like a rabbit, approached the necklace.
It was a test subject prepared in advance.
Tooth Necklace embedded the tooth fragment into the creature.
In an instant, the rabbit shriveled up and disintegrated into dust.
At the same time, the tooth fragment gleamed with a stronger luster.
The students’ eyes lit up.
A powerful desire began to stir within them.
[-You can replace your own teeth with this, or refine it into another form if you’d like. But be careful! If you consume too much, you might go insane! That’s what happened to me when I devoured that city—I got so drunk on power that I completely lost myself! But oh, what a delicious experience it was.]
The necklace clattered its teeth again.
A faint hunger rippled through it, and its magic was so palpable that even the students could feel it.
[-My selection process will be simple—since this is the first lecture, after all. I only have one request: fight. Fight each other, over and over again. Kill each other. And when it’s over, I’ll choose the ones I like best.]
Tooth Necklace snapped its teeth excitedly.
The students began glancing around warily.
A tense atmosphere started to form.
[-Now then, everyone, move!]
With that final command, the mirrors darkened.
The illusion of Tooth Necklace vanished, leaving behind complete silence in the lecture hall.
I stepped forward once more.
“Today’s lecture will take place across the entire second floor. It will begin in thirty minutes, so take this time to prepare. Movement to other floors will be restricted, so be mindful of that. Oh, and don’t worry about dying—if you reach a critical state, you’ll be teleported to the infirmary.”
To facilitate the battle, I had configured the entire second floor into a designated dueling zone.
I had adjusted the tower’s magic to accomplish this.
Over time, I had grown familiar with manipulating the tower.
Of course, I wasn’t at the level where I could reshape the terrain as Professor Irien could.
That would require far more power than I currently had.
The students hesitated.
It was understandable—being told to fight on the very first day of class was rather abrupt.
But then, one person stood up without hesitation and left the room.
A woman with vacant, unfocused eyes—Cassian.
A bear-shaped doll waddled after her.
I let out a faint, bitter chuckle as I watched her go.
Strictly speaking, she didn’t need to attend this lecture.
Simply by entering the tower, she had already secured her place.
But when she heard what the lesson was about, her eyes sparkled. “Sounds fun,” she had said.
Mira had also encouraged her.
Cassian wasn’t here to receive the power of the treasures.
She was here for the opposite reason.
She wanted to fight those who had accepted the treasures.
She sought growth through battle.
She had found the other lectures uninteresting.
Her decisive exit triggered movement from the others.
One by one, the students began leaving the room as well.
Soon, the lecture hall was empty.
Mira stepped onto the podium beside me.
I glanced at her.
She smiled softly.
“What do you think? Will the lecture go smoothly from here?”
I shook my head slightly.
The treasures were eccentric. Impulsive.
Over the next five years, incidents were bound to occur.
“Then let’s get moving as well.”
With that, Mira naturally linked her arm through mine.
Professor Irien would be watching this lecture.
For now, we just needed to make sure the first session ended successfully.