The First Lecture: The Devouring Box
I took a deep breath and stared at the main gate. The firmly shut doors were adorned with the beautiful magic circle I'd painstakingly repaired over several days. Beyond this gate were two hundred mages. Their mana was palpable even from here. Steel ing myself, I opened the door.
The moment I did, countless gazes—and tendrils of mana—poured toward me. I flashed a bright smile and bowed deeply to them.
"Welcome. We at Irian's Tower are honored to have you."
Being probed by two hundred mages at once felt like getting swarmed by invisible hands. The second they spotted me, they unleashed all sorts of spells to scan me. Fortunately, the tower's mana deflected every single one. Good thing I knew this would happen and didn't step a foot outside. If I had, they'd have pinned me down and stripped me bare.
"It's been a while, Ebron."
A familiar voice rang out. I looked up to see someone approaching—Hongryeong. He still wore that pristine smile. I returned it with one of my own.
"Yes, not since the entrance ceremony. How have you been?"
The others' attention shifted to Hongryeong. But their mana probes went quiet. Unlike my frail-looking self, he radiated overwhelming power at a glance.
"I've been well. So those words of yours were true. The professor really did take you under her wing."
I scratched my head with an embarrassed chuckle, all while quietly assessing the room. Was he flaunting our connection? Not a bad move. The stares aimed at me softened a bit.
"So, what now?"
"I'll guide you. Just follow the dolls."
I channeled a bit of mana, summoning the dolls waiting inside the tower. They emerged, lined up the crowd, and slowly ushered everyone in. The mages flowed after them into the first-floor central hall, where I gathered them and bowed with a smile.
"As you've seen in the detailed syllabus, over the next five years, you'll have the privilege of attending lectures here."
They glanced around slowly. The makeshift furniture I'd thrown together had soaked up the tower's mana for a month now, giving off a decently impressive vibe. Small mercies.
"This is the first floor, the common area. Feel free to come anytime during the five years to relax here. If you're passing by, drop in for a break. If you're curious, go ahead and probe it with your mana now."
At my words, the students unleashed their mana to inspect the surroundings. I'd left all the rooms open for clear viewing, so they could check everything out. Not that I should be saying this as the guy living here, but just resting on the first floor was a huge perk. Towers like this were nexus points where all the mountain's mana converged. Cultivating here doubled the results compared to anywhere else.
"Plenty of dolls roam the tower, so if you need anything or have questions, just talk to one nearby. They'll handle it."
I waited until they'd all withdrawn their mana. Once everyone was staring intently at me, I smiled and resumed the tour.
"The classrooms are on the second floor. Be careful not to wander into other rooms. The doors won't open, but if you force it by mistake, you might fall into a spatial rift."
The professor had fixed everything, so it was unlikely, but I tossed it out as a joke. Their faces stiffened. Guess it wasn't funny.
We climbed the stairs to the second-floor central hall and stopped before the lecture room.
"This is the theory classroom. Floors two and up are locked outside class hours, so mind your access."
I opened the door and pointed to the shimmering barrier inside. One doll slipped through. After the students peered in briefly, they followed. Once the last one was in, I stepped inside too.
The room was an amphitheater: tiered seats curving in a semicircle around a central podium, with more along the walls. The students took seats scattered about. I stood at the podium, watching them.
Hongryeong claimed the back row center, surrounded by a cluster chatting away. A wry smile tugged at my lips. Hmm, even after all that filtering, it wasn't enough? About five seemed core to the group—nobles, judging by their refined poise. Roughly thirty orbited them. More than I'd expected.
Looking closer, there was a clear divide. The outer thirty felt awkward around the core five. Hired help for the others, maybe? Probably. My bad—I hadn't anticipated scoring drawing in so many. They'd have known who passed the lectures in advance, so building alliances early made sense. More numbers meant an edge in a treasure hunt. They looked geared for it. Too bad the professor's traps won't care.
I scanned the rest. Loners dotted the seats, making groups stand out. Another bunch: sword nuts. True to form, they clumped together, buzzing despite just meeting. Amid them, a familiar face—long black hair, vaguely vacant eyes. A woman.
Have I crossed paths with sword nuts before? I racked my brain, but nothing. She tilted her head at me too, puzzled. That baffled look suggested we had met, but who the hell was she? I averted my eyes from her heavy stare.
The last group: about ten mages, each oozing unique vibes and strong mana, but no cohesion. They chatted casually, like old acquaintances.
Three main factions, then scattered individuals. I hadn't foreseen hired retainers like the nobles', but my efforts to divide them had worked somewhat. Still within expectations.
I glanced at the doll beside me. It pulled out a pocket watch: exactly 3 p.m. Class time. I clapped, drawing all two hundred mages' attention. The room fell silent.
"Pleased to meet you all. We'll be together for five years, so get a good look at your neighbors. They might end up allies... or enemies."
I grinned. Icebreaker joke. Failed again—the air grew heavier. I waved it off hastily.
"Kidding, kidding. Let's get to the lesson. Some of you have probably looked into it, but Professor Irian has never held a single lecture. Not in over a thousand years."
Most faces showed shock. Fewer had researched than I'd thought—only a handful in the big group seemed clued in.
"Instead, she's roamed the continent hunting treasures. Those hoards now slumber in this tower. This class, the treasure hunt, will introduce them to you—and give you a shot at claiming them."
Their eyes lit up. I fanned the flames.
"From what I've seen, most can't even be quantified by points."
Yeah, eyes like that. Just remembering made my head throb. No one here would stay sane seeing it. A sinister smile slipped out; I corrected it fast.
"Every three months, one treasure revealed. Only one of you two hundred gets a shot at it. Cooperate, sabotage—whatever, as long as you follow the rules."
I snapped my fingers. A doll produced a thick stack of papers, which others distributed.
Treasure Dossier: First Lecture
"The handout summarizes today's treasure. First day, so something straightforward. Wondering what it is? Behold..."
I infused mana into the wall behind me. A magic circle activated, projecting an illusion: a tiny box, its interior a yawning void.
I held the illusion up for all to see.
"The Space-Devouring Box. It eats space—literally. But don't mistake it for a simple enchanted storage item."
I floated text in the air—matching their handouts.
"Anyone remember the mass disappearance in Orin, the empire's greatest trade city six hundred years ago? Tens of thousands of weeds and hundreds of mages vanished in a bizarre incident."
I projected a reconstruction: an entire district of the city gone, swallowed whole. No one knew what happened; it became legend. I'd only heard tales from afar.
"The professor happened by and investigated, uncovering the truth—and this treasure. Effects as listed. Take a look."
Paper rustling filled the room. I read along slowly.
"As you see, it devours sealed spaces, no matter the size. Orin's tragedy happened when some mage wrapped the district in a spell—this box woke and ate it all. Tame it, and you can reclaim and use the devoured space freely."
I showed the sixth-floor scene it'd devoured before: space warping, walls consuming everything. The illusion captured my memory's raw terror perfectly.
"Store a workshop, a base... or swallow enemies like this. Perfect defense and offense."
Flames of desire ignited in their eyes, mana overflowing to heat the room. I smirked bitterly. Yeah, this thing ate the entire sixth floor. Professor ripped out the wall and resealed it. Patching that nearly killed me. Only learned how dangerous it was from her.
"One chance each. Non-transferable, non-stealable. Every three months, one day—you all compete for it."
I smiled, sweeping my gaze over them.
"Shall we?"
They shot to their feet. Dolls herded them swiftly. Mana flared as they prepped for the coming brawl. I swallowed a laugh. Most won't even see the treasure before dropping out. I'll just watch and snag the point scraps.
Perfect scoring opportunity. I left the room and hit the sixth-floor button on the stairs. The magic rumbled, tracing new circuits.
"These stairs overlap spaces—input the exact floor. Hit two or tap wrong, and you might get stuck between. Careful."
Trial-and-error with dolls had taught me that; several vanished into the voids.
"The hunt starts the instant you reach the sixth. It'll open for twenty-four hours. No injuries—stay safe and good luck."
At my words, the mages surged mana and ascended. Two hundred vanishing took seconds. I stood there, stroking my chin.
More tense than I'd admit, but once it started, words flowed easy. Good thing I'd scripted it just in case.
Well, time for me to head up too. I patted my stuffed spatial pouch and stepped onto the stairs.