Chapter 521: Message

Chapter 521: Message

“Hmm, like this, like this… is it done?” Zheng Yichen murmured, lightly flicking his fingers as he watched the basin of water before him. The water’s surface rippled slightly, and upon closer inspection, a shallow depression could be seen forming on it.

The Water Manifestation Method was the simplest test for Spatial Expansion. It judged success by observing changes in the water’s surface. The most obvious sign of success was a visible drop in the water level. A drop meant the space holding the water had stretched—the space had expanded—so the water level naturally lowered.

But the depression Zheng Yichen was creating now clearly marked another common failure. He was just using Mana to push the water down! Zheng Yichen pursed his lips and withdrew his extended Mana. The Mental Energy, however, could only be wasted. Based on his current learning pace, even with a professional Witch teaching him, the earliest he could see results would be one or two months at minimum… and that was already fast. Plus, the result would only be the most basic foundation, not even counting as a proper entry-level achievement.

Well, if only learning Spatial Manipulation was as easy as picking up Magic.

He sighed, moved the basin aside, and walked to the window. He took a glance outside and pulled out a Compass. Its needle was still spinning crazily fast. Zheng Yichen frowned; this thing was seriously unreliable. Even on the edge of town, it spun wildly. Yet, step outside the Town, and it became perfectly stable almost instantly. He had no clue where the problem lay.

He reached a hand out the window and slowly opened his palm. A wave of his Mana rippled outward. In the next room, Oro let out a soft sound of surprise. He twirled his pipe thoughtfully. “Fishing?”

“Fishing?” the man sitting opposite Oro asked, puzzled.

“Let’s wait. Results should come soon enough,” Oro shook his head, offering no further explanation. Zheng Yichen’s simple action had already sparked too many thoughts in his mind. “Tell our men to get ready… oh no, scratch that. Better not prepare. After all, we’re here to investigate, and we don’t have many fighters. You still need to protect me.”

“Couldn’t you be more heroic?” Oro’s seemingly cowardly words made the man look at him with deep exasperation. Oro merely chuckled. “Only those who live have a future. I haven’t lived long enough.”

“If you want to live well, why not consider becoming stronger? For someone like you, with your mind, getting stronger shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“Could I say being too strong would affect my thinking?”

The man’s expression darkened. “No, you cannot.”

“Then I won’t say it.”

“I…” But you just did!

The man’s eyelid twitched violently. Fine! It was clear Oro wouldn’t continue the conversation; he’d begun blocking responses, obviously not wanting to chat anymore. The man glanced out the window. The Mana Zheng Yichen had spread out, he’d sensed it too. In fact, anyone with Mana in the entire little town probably sensed it. It was like announcing loudly — I’m right here!

The dispersed Mana felt calm and even, carrying no sense of conflict, yet it was distinctly perceivable. This clearly showed Zheng Yichen’s skill level in controlling his Mana.

After spreading his Mana, Zheng Yichen closed the window, returned to his bed, and lay down. His attention shifted back to his true dragon self. Over there, lying on the ground, he yawned, rubbed his dragon eyes, and headed into a Workshop. Inside, he looked at the many ‘Human Forms’ stored there. These were not the kinds made from Flesh Seed inside the Containment Zone.

These were the Alchemical Puppets specially made for the maids. Because he had to consider precision and usability, Zheng Yichen’s production speed was very slow. If they were ordinary Alchemical Puppets, he could easily churn out hundreds a day if he focused. But these were for the Ghost Maids. He had to consider far more. He also had to adjust the simulation level to the highest possible.

After all, they’d been without bodies for a long time. Their new experience shouldn’t be too bad, right?

This was also why Dan Marina said Zheng Yichen wasn’t cut out to be a ruler… He thought too much and worried too much.

Whatever. As long as he was happy doing it. He rolled his neck and grabbed three molds. If he focused tightly, he could get three done in one night.

“Master, you should be resting at this hour.” In the Laboratory, Zheng Yichen looked up at a Ghost Maid performing maintenance. Her voice was sweet, but upon careful listening, it carried a slightly stiff feeling, like a synthesized sound. After all, the Alchemical Puppet’s voice was preset, making that stiffness unavoidable.

Zheng Yichen had prepared many different voice packs for these Ghost Maids to choose from. He could have made an adjustment dial for them to fine-tune it themselves. However, if he let them do it, it was like watching the “hand-impaired” trying character customization—always just a little… little… bit off!

This step was necessary. Without it, even with the Alchemical Puppet bodies, any forced vocalization from them would become a Banshee’s Wail…

“Ah~ Can’t sleep,” Zheng Yichen waved a claw dismissively. “There are still so many of you eagerly waiting.”

“But the Mistress instructed us to ensure you rest when she is not here.”

“Huh? She said that?”

“You also said it.”

“… Cough, I’ll make an exception. It’s for you all, right?”

“We are your servants,” the Ghost Maid emphasized her status.

“And I’m your Master, right? Can’t I be a bit willful?”

“… Yes,” the Ghost Maid nodded lightly and stood nearby to wait. The advice was the Mistress’s instruction. But since Zheng Yichen didn’t want to rest, they couldn’t force him more. They were servants, not some seductive maids from anime who could overthrow their master. They could have a sharp tongue, but actually acting against him? Unthinkable. Since Zheng Yichen truly didn’t want to rest, they could only stand by and watch.

So, one Ghost Maid in an Alchemical Puppet body and two maintaining their spectral forms stood quietly to the side, waiting. These newly made Alchemical Puppets would definitely be taken by them and given to their colleagues later.

“Cough cough, listen… could you guys head out? You staring at me feels kind of weird,” Zheng Yichen said awkwardly to the Ghost Maids standing nearby, eyes fixed unblinkingly on him. They tilted their heads in unison, confused.

“Use sense. These molds are precise replicas based on your bodies. Meaning every single one is… you know, bare…”

“But you said when creating an artwork, your mind holds no extra distracting thoughts. We do not mind.”

“True during the process. It’s a Creator’s ethics. But after it’s finished, it’s different!” Zheng Yichen spread his claws helplessly. One Ghost Maid nodded, seeming to understand what he meant. Zheng Yichen sighed in relief. Her next words, however, made his dragon face freeze stiff.

“Perhaps the Master wishes to send us away so he can… do strange things to the finished pieces.”

“I’m a DRAGON!!” Zheng Yichen retorted indignantly. Strange things?! It was appreciation! Right? Admiring his finished artworks!!

“The Mistress said we should treat the Master as a Human.”

“Okay… okay okay! You can stay! Geez…” Zheng Yichen scratched his head in annoyance. In his slight frustration, his claws bit harder, naturally producing a sharp scraping sound. Sparks flew out. He flicked a claw, noticing this layer of Scales had become tougher. Ha.

Pushing down distracting thoughts, Zheng Yichen focused and began his work. He unsealed one mold. All the molds were stored sealed, and his selection was random, so fairness wasn’t an issue. The three Ghost Maids exchanged a look and silently moved back, avoiding making any sound that might disturb him.

“Are you sure this will work?”

“Are you questioning my knowledge?” Annie glanced at Irene. This was their first time collaborating to study a new form of a Magic spell. Though they were both Witches with immensely long lives and deep pools of knowledge, ensuring good synergy even in a first-time partnership, their combined brilliance inevitably created unique challenges. Both were extraordinarily capable, leading to situations where their respective perfectly designed sections stubbornly refused to merge properly. This very individuality, a testament to their ability, was now becoming a substantial hindrance.

Every time they tested jointly, they would inevitably debate fiercely, then reluctantly compromise, each adjusting their own “perfect” parts. Because… single-sided perfection couldn’t achieve the needed outcome for Transformation Magic. It required combining both their talents. Complementary integration was key.

“The issue is that your part works, but my structural framework doesn’t mesh.”

“Hmph, understood,” Annie didn’t bother uttering pointless words like “I won’t cooperate if it doesn’t mesh.” That was meaningless! They’d argued this aspect before. This wasn’t simply about being willing to cooperate; even if Irene fully cooperated, unless she modified her own framework, no integration was possible. “Let me see the Magical Structure you designed.”

Annie handed Irene a stack of documents thick enough to be a book. Irene similarly took out a thick stack of her own detailed research notes and handed them to Annie. These contained every minute detail each was responsible for.

Despite spanning different specializations, the sheer depth of information allowed them to understand the other’s approach. They would then revise their own design and research sections accordingly. After revising, they’d swap the updated documents again, repeating the process to maximally synchronize their work.

As for actively learning the other’s field to proceed? Possible, yes. But that would eat up far too much time. Their current method was far more efficient, leveraging each other’s core strengths.

Learning each other’s expertise first felt backwards. Witches lived long lives, but that didn’t mean they wasted time casually.

“Ah~ Ha~ Still no good…” Within the Containment Zone, Dan Marina, lying on her single bed, suddenly grabbed the Magic Weapon Summoning Book covering her face and sat up quickly. She rubbed her temples, then rested her chin on one hand. “Guess I used that ability way too hard.”

Her true self remained deathly silent. The aftereffects of overusing her power lingered stubbornly. Nearly a month had passed, yet she hadn’t recovered even one-fifth. This meant her main body would remain asleep for at least half a year!

Normally, she wouldn’t have minded. Six months? Blink an eye, distract herself, or find something to do, and it would pass. But now, she found the wait surprisingly… long.

Forcing an awakening was possible, but the consequences were known only too well to Dan Marina. Awaking oneself without a critical reason was just courting trouble. Should a problem arise during that time, it could backfire catastrophically. So, even if she desperately wanted to find ways to hasten her original body’s recovery, she couldn’t risk disturbing its healing sleep prematurely. Not even for this.

Thus, all matters concerning the Containment Zone? Church could stew over them! She’d happily spectate from the sidelines. Had her current form here (‘Lena’) not become somewhat known, she would’ve already looked for ways to slip out and explore elsewhere. Staying cooped up here was truly boring… Oh, except one somewhat interesting thing she’d discovered over the past two days.

The Chief Supervisor. After two days of battle of wits, she’d unearthed some pretty amusing things. Hehe…

The next day!

The Chief Supervisor looked at the annoyingly energetic young woman (‘Lena’) sitting before her, feeling a headache bloom in her temples. She even felt the urge to pick up the teacup beside her and smash it against that infuriating head. So annoying! GAH!

Initially, she hadn’t taken Dan Marina seriously. She’d even thought, if she could drive away Zheng Yichen—that meddlesome external help—that dragon’s inevitable reaction might be satisfying. Instead? This woman proved so annoyingly tenacious that she deeply regretted that earlier thought, bitterly wished she hadn’t bothered picking that pointless fight, no… she shouldn’t have intervened so quickly at all! She should’ve let the Quarantine Camp commander handle Zheng Yichen’s nonsense. Why had she ever gotten involved?!

Now? She was saddled with a troublesome woman she couldn’t shake off. This ‘Lena’ was incredibly formidable—not in combat. Lena’s combat data was mundane: poor close combat ability, ordinary Mana, not even a Ranked Practitioner. Entirely normal. The higher frequency of Ranked Practitioners Zheng Yichen encountered was simply because his own power level warranted it; he wouldn’t be meeting weaklings in his circles. You wouldn’t find a max-level player hanging around the starter village. His environment naturally attracted strong players; the weak ones wouldn’t get through anyway.

The Church’s assessment concluded that if ‘Lena’ were caught alone by any Ranked Practitioner, she would be easily overpowered and subdued in countless humiliating ways. However! This woman’s mouth was remarkably lethal!

On the first day, the Chief Supervisor could hold her own against Lena’s verbal jousting. Soon after, however, she started faltering. Several planned counterarguments found themselves deployed ahead of schedule without her even realizing it! Worse, she couldn’t find a reason not to implement Lena’s suggestions. Later reflection showed Lena’s ideas were sound—offering numerous benefits… Damn it, that was the biggest problem!

Now, the Chief Supervisor just wanted to cover her ears and stomp her feet, shouting “I can’t hear you!” Her dignity forbade this childish display, of course. She indulged the thought for catharsis. Actually doing it? Unthinkable! She was no teenager anymore. Such immature behavior… absolutely humiliating!

So, how to shut this woman up??! Outtalking seemed impossible. Fighting… well, she could crush Lena with a finger. But no valid reason existed! Unless… make Lena disappear. Completely. Vanish without a trace. Erase her. Problem solved. The world would be rid of a troublesome woman capable of reducing her to this state with mere words.

The consequences, though? Dan Marina currently had a Contract with Zheng Yichen. If anything happened to her, That Dragon would definitely know. And he would seize the opportunity to make trouble. The Church would immediately disavow her without question. Had Lena grievously insulted her or provoked her unbearably, acting out of justified rage might warrant minor punishment, if any… But killing without justification? That carried severe negative repercussions.

Therefore…! Couldn’t this massive Church possibly produce someone capable of matching this woman verbally?

She’d already posted a new thread within the Church’s consolidated board on the Magic Weapon Forum, desperately seeking verbal reinforcements. A few volunteers initially stepped forward… now, all gone silent. Before quitting, they offered final pieces of advice: ‘Save yourself!’ Check out this reply from Oro!

He insisted that taking a step back offered a broader view. He claimed directing intellectual effort into such pointless disputes was merely wasting time!

“Pah!” The Chief Supervisor scoffed angrily, yet continued reading Oro’s lengthy reply. Her irritated expression gradually smoothed into thoughtful interest. Oro’s initial remarks sounded vaguely mocking, but as she read further… his arguments made undeniable sense. Engaging Lena daily had morphed into exhausting torment.

Each morning’s promising mood evaporated upon encountering Lena. Subsequent hours became consumed solely by strategies to win even a small victory. Just as Oro noted, she’d unconsciously gotten trapped in Lena’s tempo. Worse, Lena dragged her into this rhythm not for gain, but purely for amusement—to kill time!

‘Using intellect in meaningless arguments is wasting time’—this viewpoint only held true for the losing party. For the one dominating the situation, deriving pleasure and entertainment? Then it held plenty of meaning!

He was mockingly calling her an idiot! This guy truly matched the widespread Church reputation: Extremely Distasteful Individual™!

Despite this, Oro’s words pulled the Chief Supervisor from her spiraling obsession. Realizing she was being used for recreational target practice meant refusing to dance along any longer… Then! Break the tempo entirely! If Lena sought fun? Thwarted expectations must be frustrating, right? That was the plan!