Chapter 88 - Leisurely Scrolling the Gallery While the Gaming Addict Pups Nap
The gaming addict doggos had headed out for their walk, rolling around with gororong-gororong snores. As always, the bunker was peaceful today. I suppressed the urge to pet the companion spirit on my lap like crazy and kept scrolling through the Gallery.
I'm a mage from the Magic Tower.
The tower master's mood has been all over the place lately, so I figured if I made progress on the stalled research, it'd cheer her up. I slaved away at it.
The attached image is the research I'm working on. (Device connecting a magic stone to a wheel)
Magic stones have only been used as weapons until now. This is the first step toward everyday use. Think of it like that?
If completed, it'll revolutionize logistics and transportation.
But wtf, shouldn't the wheel spin if you connect it like this? Isn't that common sense?
Why is the magic stone spinning like crazy instead? (GIF of magic stone attached to wheel spinning wildly)
If it didn't spin, I'd think I was wrong and remake it. But it should spin, and instead the wrong thing spins? I'm so baffled I posted to share.
A mage's tearful post about mana engine research gone wrong, like buggy code. Seeing the messed-up result cracked me up too. That magic stone was spinning real good. Sora must've seen the GIF too—she stopped her gororong vibrations and started making kuk kuk sounds.
I calmed myself down as much as possible. Laughing too hard would be rude to that mage.
"Kup..."
Even after calming, that spinning magic stone GIF kept popping into my head. If I burst again, I wouldn't get any work done, so I quickly clicked another post.
JGNN (Just Gonna Narrate)
I'm a landowner in a village with nothing but land—no people, so tenant farming's been my headache.
But yesterday, refugees arrived: one grandpa and five grandkids. (GIF of five young hotties talking to grandpa)
They lived near the northern border. Monsters came down before the subjugation and wiped out their village—they're the only survivors.
Too scared to stay north, they came south.
Felt so bad I gave them cheap tenancy.
Village in the southwest outskirts, so if you need land, come tenant farm!
TBH it was an ad post lol
A landowner's post about refugees coming to his village and giving some help. Even though it was an ad, it seemed like genuine goodwill. Heartwarming, so I smashed that recommend button hard. "Dog recommend" had become slang for savage recommends. A bit iffy, but no one'd believe me if I said otherwise now. I'd just get used to it.
"There sure are a lot of refugees..."
Refugee influx posts popped up when things were slow. You could often see people losing their homes and flowing to other areas. Fortunately, no stories of discrimination. Everyone was struggling equally? Those with spare capacity helped as much as they could.
> [Recent influx has decreased significantly. Territory stabilizing post-subjugation, and for fertilizer use, settling down is advantageous. That's my guess.]
I nodded. Gotta sow right after fertilizing—wandering without land? You'd just suck your thumb watching. If others tilled laughing while you lagged behind, it'd suck. I silently wished those refugees stable lives, then kept scrolling.
Then a post title caught my eye. One of those occasional help requests.
JGNN
Former imperial dispatched priest. (Meme of priest kneeling facing forward)
Despite my shame, I beg the benevolent Moderator who's already granted so much grace.
Please, may I have the medicine provided to His Retired Imperial Majesty?
It's the key to solving parasite issues healing magic can't fix.
If we get it—or can produce it—we can save countless lives.
I won't demand the fruit of your labors for free. I'll do anything. Offer my life if asked.
So please! Let me research that medicine!
I beg you, Moderator..! (Meme of priest prostrating flat)
A priest crying out for my help. Seemed he'd seen hope in the medicine I gave Valerian. From the post, it looked serious. But why no prior Gallery posts? With a question mark over my head, I messaged the author.
They hadn't posted cuz they didn't know. Me knowing would've been weirder.
"Medicine, huh... About time to test it."
> [Planning to test the previous weed-killer too?]
I was mulling that. No weed troubles now—worth the risk? Just burn plant magic beasts. If testing, post-subjugation. No need to burden the all-out Empire more. Decided on dewormer only, continued chatting with the priest. Lots to discuss before selling.