NOVEL WEB Chapter 8
Bang—bang—
The turtle stomped forward, crushing the surrounding buildings with its overwhelming mass. Those drugged fools were startled and fled in a confused stampede, like sheep.
With all the buildings reduced to rubble, the area looked splendidly tidy. Ah, what a refreshing sight for a morning!
The doll extended a drink toward me. I accepted it, took a sip, and savored the aroma.
Maybe I should let it roll around this time. Feeling that desire, I flipped the turtle over. One roll, two rolls, and the buildings crumbled like cookies.
It felt like all the accumulated stress was melting away. I was so happy. This is what life is all about.
And just like that, the turtle rolled around and tidied up about a kilometer’s radius. My shop stood alone amid the emptiness. Gazing down from the roof, I felt completely refreshed.
This had been my plan since I set up shop here: to wipe everything out.
But with a lack of magical power and strength, I hadn’t acted on it until my lovely turtle understood my heart and did all the smashing for me. This father was deeply moved!
Of course, I was the one controlling it.
The turtle let out a roar. It had been almost two months since I created that turtle. The sense of unity during its creation was fleeting. Over time, that connection with the turtle had faded, and now it was just a faint remnant. But that was enough to move the turtle.
Especially because the seedling in my heart loved the turtle immensely. Whenever I controlled the turtle, the seedling resonated with that connection, acting as a sort of controller itself. Thanks to that, I could maneuver the turtle with the same feel as when I operated drones in my past life.
Throughout this process, I could sense the seedling forming new magic. I didn’t know when it would bloom, but when I gained enough magical power and insight, it would surely blossom into a unique magic.
I maneuvered the turtle gleefully. My existing dolls had their own Magical Hearts, so I didn’t need to control them. This was the result of pursuing utmost convenience.
Since I had been making dolls in such a manner, I thought controlling them directly was highly inefficient. But trying it out was a bit different. It felt quite satisfying. Furthermore, as I controlled it, the memories of my past life that had long since faded started to clear up. Perhaps it was because I was doing something similar.
Once the turtle’s work was done, I called it back and placed it in a spatial pocket. The pocket, which felt immensely spacious, was cramped for the turtle. The space pocket, filled to its limit, felt excessively heavy.
Sipping tea while looking at the wide-open scenery. Ah, this is the great relaxation I pursue.
“Hey!”
Suddenly, a voice called from above.
At the same time, something fell next to me. The metallic scent hit me suddenly. I grimaced and pinched my nose. It was a Swordsman.
“I dropped by about a month ago, but you were out. But I heard you were up to something fun, so I popped in again!”
A muscular middle-aged man strapped with five swords at his waist—clearly the leader of the gang of Swordsmen hanging out in the slum.
“What brings you here, Swordsman?”
“Eh, don’t call me a Swordsman. Just call me Evan. Hahaha!”
He tried to pat me on the back. The doll pouring tea next to me extended a hand to block it. As a result, the doll’s hand was smashed to pieces. His hand, seemingly without any resistance, smacked my back hard. My body staggered. Damn muscular pig.
He unleashed swarms of bugs. They zipped through the air towards his chest. But before they could explode, they were caught in his grip and crunched. He laughed heartily and tossed the bugs away.
As the bugs tried to fly out again, he halted them and pulled them back into his arms.
Shit, there was no way I could win this.
This is why fighting isn’t my specialty. What good is it if I learn some amazing attack magic? With guys like him swinging swords around, everything disappears. Damn Swordsmen, I really hate swords.
“So what brings you here?”
“Well, the doll you sold me last time broke again.”
Evan set down a massive doll he was carrying on his back. It was a four-legged cargo doll made solely for transportation. When did he even buy that? About a year ago, maybe? He had taken along a few processed magic stones to use as batteries, so it shouldn’t have broken yet.
It broke? I glanced at it. There were several straight cut marks. That bastard must’ve been slashing it.
“You bastard, how many times have you slashed this?”
“What are you talking about? It just collapsed by itself!”
I lifted the doll into the air with magic and showed the cut marks right in front of his face.
“Can’t you see this? No matter how you look at it, that’s your sword mark.”
“Is that there? I can’t really see it…”
“Huh?”
“Hmm, I might’ve accidentally made a few cuts while engrossed in fighting a Monster.”
I grimaced. No way that should be the case. I had set it to run far away whenever a fight was happening. After pressing him, he eventually spilled the beans.
“Well, you see, it was super comfy sitting on that guy’s back. I might have gotten a little too used to it during fights. Hohoho!”
Ugh, this beast. I barely held back my temper. It wasn’t like he would comprehend anything I said anyway. I stimulated my magic to activate a few dolls inside the shop. The dolls climbed up to the roof and collected the cargo doll. They’d take it back to the workshop on their own.
“Ten magic stones.”
“Oh come on, isn’t that a bit too expensive?”
“Fifteen magic stones.”
“How am I supposed to deal with such a sudden price hike?”
“Twenty…”
“Alright, fifteen magic stones! I think that’ll do just fine. Here you go!”
He tossed me a pouch. I opened it and took a quick look inside. Hmm, the scent of condensed magic was definitely there. It wasn’t fake.
“Just come by tomorrow.”
Actually, repairing this wasn’t such a big deal. Since the Magical Heart wasn’t injured, I could just make a new body. But I hiked the price because I was annoyed with that Swordsman.
“Alright, but you know, I heard some interesting news.”
Evan grinned wickedly. I felt something ominous brewing.
“I heard you met our daughter during your last exam?”
Pfft, I spit out my tea. He giggled.
Daughter? Did that guy have a daughter? No, he must be talking about his subordinates. Like my father back on the island, he treats all those under him like his children.
“Our daughter just got accepted into the university this time. It’s been almost 30 years since someone from our sword clan entered one. We all gathered to congratulate her. Hm, but your name came up there.”
The feeling of foreboding intensified. If I listened any longer, I might explode with anger. As I tried to block my ears using magic, it was too late. His words had already sunk into my ears.
“They said her acceptance was thanks to you! Apparently, with all the dolls you blew up, she gained insight during the process. After that, the exams became a walk in the park!”
What the hell, was it that Swordsman?!
In a fit of rage, I hurled my teacup. He easily dodged it.
The world is so unfair like this. Some people can lose everything and still not pass, while others pass just because they swung a sword a few times. Damn it, I became a sacrifice for acceptance.
“As soon as I heard about the dolls, I just knew it was you. The day before she left for university, she came to thank you, but she was disappointed you weren’t around. Ha ha, to get a twenty-year younger friend on the hook already, what a powerhouse!”
This guy’s mouth was the problem. I glared at him while he continued to babble nonsense. But there was no way to shut him up. No matter what I did, he’d just brush it off. He definitely came here to mock me.
I used magic to block my ears. But what kind of trickery was he using, his voice continued to penetrate my barriers. Damn.
“By the way. I thought a little, and you’ve failed about ten times now. I was going to say some words of consolation to celebrate entering double digits. Of course, our daughter was the first this time, but hmm? The moment I saw her, I realized, ah, such talent doesn’t belong here.”
I began to feel dizzy. Is that bastard taking revenge for the magic stones I gave him?
“Of course, I’m not saying you’re someone who doesn’t belong here. Just talking about my daughter. Hahaha!”
His booming laughter resonated in my ears.
“Just get lost!”
I shouted and tried to jump off the roof. But he closed in on me in an instant and grabbed my body. It was faster than my dolls could react. I twisted my body in shock, but I couldn’t escape his grip.
“You’ve got to listen to what I have to say, my friend. I mean, I entered college on my third try too, but fact is, many wizards around here are rolling on the ground trying to get into college. Among them, you stand out a fair bit. But it’s a little unfortunate, you know. The magic feels all damp and lacking.”
As I dangled from his hand, I had no choice but to keep listening to his endless chatter. I couldn’t even faint to break free. The magic he emitted kept awakening my mind.
And so, I was forced to listen to his droning for over 30 minutes.
I was on the verge of bleeding from my ears, and my eyes were bloodshot. Damn it, damn it, damn it.
This bastard Swordsman. I really really hate Swordsmen. All Swordsmen should die.
After blabbering on for quite a while, he finally seemed satisfied and stopped talking.
I collapsed right there. I didn’t even have the energy to protest. This is why mages need strength. If you have power, you can treat those beneath you however you want. Who’d care if you pick on the ants at your feet? Damn it, even if it means suffering, I will definitely get stronger than you.
I glared at him as he wore a satisfied grin. Noticing my gaze, he laughed even more widely.
After a while, he surveyed the surroundings and suddenly lowered his voice.
“That was just a joke. More importantly, I have some news to share with you.”
A joke, huh? After nearly killing me, he calls that a joke? But then his next words made me hold my breath.
“The Explorer has returned.”
That terrifying person has returned? My body trembled instinctively.
This slum had originally been divided between two organizations: that Swordsman in front of me and the drug dealer bastards who turned people into drugs to eat.
The people lying helplessly on the ground were originally slaves of the drug dealers. They had maintained that oppressive situation for nearly fifty years.
But three years ago, the drug dealers suddenly vanished. Not a single news came through. They just evaporated overnight. Everyone was terrified, frantically trying to figure out what had happened.
I was among the first to find out what happened. The one responsible came straight to my shop and told me personally.
He said he had killed them all after they rushed him. I could never forget the grumbling face he wore, complaining how the dolls broke during all the chaos.
He was someone who often came by my shop to buy dolls. I knew he was a strong mage, but I never knew he was that strong.
Later, news gathered here and there indicated that the treasures possessed by the Explorer were coveted by the drug dealers. They launched a raid and vanished. That was all there was to it.
This was a common occurrence in the world of magic. An organization, a village, or even a castle could disappear overnight. But when it happens near me, that’s a different story. Afterward, everyone in the slums kept a keen eye on the Explorer’s movements.
Fortunately, she left without a hitch, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
And now, she is coming back.
“Hmm, it seems she likes your dolls. Just in case you mess up again, I came to let you know. She’ll be arriving soon.”
I realized then why he was telling me this.
They were too terrified to receive her, so he wanted me to handle her instead. I was left speechless. Evan was right—it was true. Whenever she came to the slums every couple of years, she’d buy tons of dolls from me.
Wait a minute?
Thinking about it, why should I feel burdened? I shouldn’t. She’s just a gracious person. She always buys a bunch of dolls and happened to get rid of those drug dealer bastards collecting rent sometimes.
“If she comes looking for you, tell her to send me a message. I’ll treat her well.”
I said it generously. All tension slipped away. Instead, I felt a beaming smile creeping up.
Evan looked at me like I was strange, but I didn’t care. I needed to go down and tidy up the shop. I had to leave a fantastic impression on this precious guest! With that, I leaped into the shop. Behind me, Evan was babbling something, but I ignored it.
Hmm, I wonder what she’ll buy this time. I need to clean all the dolls before she arrives. Clean looks better, right? I need to make a killing this time. This is a golden opportunity!