The next day dawned bright and clear over Collport. Sunlight streamed through the windows of Quinn's shop as the entire group prepared to visit their new home. Nova had risen early, teleporting to Larena's office to bring her back to Quinn's house. Now, they all stood on the cobblestone street, ready to see the New Garden.

Walking would take too long, of course. The academy sat near the border of the upper district, a considerable distance from the modest fishmonger's shop. Nova stepped forward into an open space on the street, gathering essence at his fingertips.

"Everyone stay back for a moment," he warned, concentrating on the spell.

His essence poured outward, taking physical form as it coalesced into a solid shape. First, the frame appeared, then the wheels, followed by the walls and roof. In less than a minute, a complete carriage stood before them, gleaming black like polished obsidian.

[You have learned the skill: Traveling Carriage (Master - 44%) {Tier 7}]

[A perfectly black carriage appears in front of you, capable of holding up to eight people and traversing nearly any terrain without discomfort. It moves on its own, and can be controlled by a small rudder and a lever on the inside.]

It was one of the traveling spells Nova had attempted to use when trying to reach the outlands, though this was clearly a more advanced version. They could have flown, carrying Quinn and Millie in their arms, but that would have attracted far more attention than necessary.

"Ooaahh, is that a punk-pin carriage? Like the witch made for the poor cinder-lady?" Millie asked with stars in her eyes, looking between Nova and the magical vehicle.

"No, that's not what a pumpkin looks like. But they're both made of magic," Nova replied, watching her reaction with amusement.

The carriage resembled any other fine coach one might see in the upper district, except for the missing horses and the perfectly black material that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Anyone would notice it wasn't a normal carriage by looking at it.

"Can you teach me how?" Millie asked eagerly, stepping forward to touch one of the wheels. Her fingers traced the spokes with wonder.

"That's probably the most complicated spell I've used so far," Nova explained. "You need to be able to imagine something perfectly in your mind, then you have to learn how to use solid essence. Not to mention the individual parts and the soft seats and suspension. The simplest part is actually the way it moves forward."

Millie's face fell slightly, but she seemed to find her determination soon after. "But one day?"

"Sure, you'll learn it one day," Nova replied, patting her head gently. Her blonde hair felt soft, gleaming in the sunlight. She was taking regular baths—maybe too regular. "Now let's leave before more people gather to look at us."

Already, several passersby had stopped to stare at the horseless carriage. A small crowd was beginning to form at the edges of the street.

"I'm not sure this is much less inconspicuous than flying," Annelie said, holding back a laugh.

Quinn and Larena stood slightly apart, both looking at the carriage with wide eyes. Neither said much, perhaps too stunned by the display of magic. Or maybe Millie's enthusiastic curiosity simply made up for their own unasked questions.

"Maybe not," Nova conceded. "But we're transporting the headmaster of the New Garden, so this much should be fine. Let's get on."

Nova approached the carriage first, opening the ornate door with a fluid motion. He climbed up with light jumps, then turned and extended his hand to help Millie. Her small fingers gripped his tightly as she scrambled up the step.

The interior was spacious and luxurious, with plush velvet seats arranged to face each other. Small magical lights embedded in the ceiling cast a warm glow throughout the cabin. The seats were so soft that Millie immediately sank into hers with a delighted giggle.

One by one, the others entered—Annelie with a graceful step, Larena with cautious interest, and Quinn with barely concealed amazement. When the last person crossed the threshold, the doors swung shut with a soft click.

The carriage began to move forward smoothly, gliding over the cobblestones without the bumps and jolts of a horse-drawn vehicle. Through the windows, Nova watched the buildings of the lower district slip past.

"This is amazing," Quinn murmured, breaking his silence as he stared out the window.

"I'm glad you like it," Nova replied, focusing on steering the vehicle through the busy streets. "We might use it often in the future."

As they progressed toward the upper district, the buildings grew taller and more ornate. Gardens appeared more frequently, and the roads widened to accommodate fancier carriages.

Millie pressed her face against the window, leaving small clouds of breath on the glass as she pointed at everything that caught her eye. "Look at that fountain! And those flowers! And that man has a funny hat!"

Larena smiled at the girl's enthusiasm, though tension remained in her shoulders. She kept smoothing her uniform, clearly nervous about her new role.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Almost there," Nova announced as they turned onto a wide avenue lined with mature oak trees. Up ahead, stone walls rose into view—the boundary of their new domain.

They followed a curved gravel path that led to the front gate, where the carriage came to a gentle stop.

"That's the New Garden?" Millie asked, looking at the entrance in excitement. She was already reaching for the door handle.

"It is indeed," Nova confirmed. "But before you all enter, I need to put a small formation on your arms. The barrier will stop you otherwise."

Millie reached her hand out immediately, making Nova chuckle. He carefully controlled his essence, creating a small, self-sustaining formation on the back of her hand. The pattern glowed briefly before settling into her skin like an invisible tattoo. It would use a tiny bit of her essence to stay active.

"There you go. Now you can run inside. But don't go far," he cautioned.

"Yay!" Without hesitation, Millie flung open the door and bounded through the barrier, meeting no resistance.

Nova quickly applied the same formation to everyone else's arms, feeling the slight transfer of essence with each touch. Soon, all of them had their magical passes and were allowed inside. The moment the last person stepped off the carriage, it shimmered once and disappeared into nothing, leaving no trace it had ever existed.

"This really is amazing," Annelie said quietly, standing next to Nova while the others explored. The morning sun warmed their backs as they surveyed their new domain.

"It is," Nova agreed, watching Millie dash across the central plaza with Quinn in pursuit. Larena stood a short distance away, turning slowly to take in every building. "I think we have to lay low for a while."

"Oh? Finally decided?" Annelie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Nothing good will come from antagonizing the king, at least not for a good while. It pains me, but... As we are now, we don't have what we need to fight him. And it's too much to risk."

"...Didn't you say the quickest way to power is killing those beneath him to get stronger?"

"I did, and it might still be. But a new option might have just opened up. One with significantly less risk."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Monster dungeons."

"Monster dungeons?" she repeated, tilting her head.

"Monster dungeons," Nova confirmed with a nod.

"Monster dungeons... Of course." Annelie's voice dripped with sarcasm. She crossed her arms, leaning her weight onto one leg.

"They're dungeons with monsters."

"I understood that part," Annelie said dryly.

"And monsters yield souls and materials."

"Still following."

"Which will make us stronger." Nova flexed his arms, to make sure she understood. Or rather, to make sure she knew he was messing with her.

She let out an exasperated sigh, closing her eyes. "Then why isn't everyone who wishes to grow in power down in those dungeons?"

"They're apparently quite dangerous," Nova replied. He bent down to pick up a small stone, turning it over in his fingers thoughtfully.

"There are stronger people than you in the world," Annelie pointed out. She swept her arm in a wide arc, indicating the world beyond the academy walls. "Those dungeons sound like a resource that would be cleared out by any mildly intelligent king as often as they can be."

"No, apparently you can only go deeper than your last dive," Nova explained, tossing the stone from hand to hand. "Which means the danger goes up every time, and it's impossible to farm it forever."

Annelie narrowed her eyes. "...This feels too convenient in this world. And why is this the first we hear of it?"

"Well, let's keep an open mind." He stopped the stone in mid-air, turning it slowly in front of his eyes. "I only just learned about them myself, so we need to ask around a bit more."

"I'll ask at the adventure guild later." Annelie watched the stone with interest.

"Good." Nova pushed more and more essence into the stone. It started glowing red hot, then white, and finally it melted, radiating heat on his skin. Suddenly, it shifted into a large circle at his command. Then it cooled as quickly as it had heated, leaving a ring of black stone.

Annelie furrowed her eyebrows as she studied the circle in his hand. "What are you doing?"

"Just testing the differences between magic and using pure essence. With enough control, you can do pretty much anything a spell does."

"And?"

"Spells are much easier because the runes take care of many manual tasks automatically. But they require knowledge and understanding."

"And spells might turn into skills, as opposed to doing it manually?"

"Oh yeah, that's a good point… There's still much to learn." Nova turned to Larena, who was still admiring the view. "Does it look good enough, headmaster?"

"Well... It's huge," she replied, still looking somewhat overwhelmed. Her hand gestured toward the sprawling buildings. "How will we keep all the children safe?"

"Great question." Nova stepped closer, walking on the stone tiles leading to the central plaza. "I was thinking of creating another formation for that, but it will be challenging. And if the children figure out they can't be harmed, there's a good chance they'll test the limits. So if you have other suggestions, I'm open."

"...If you can make some form of formation around the stairs at least, I think they will be fine." Larena pointed toward the two dormitories. "The other buildings should remain locked to the children for now."

"Good point." Nova nodded in agreement. "I'll add some barriers to the entrances to other buildings as well. In fact, I might just keep evolving this formation over time. The only part that takes a lot of essence is the protection. And I can use the hand formations to drain a tiny bit of essence from everyone inside, ensuring it never runs out."

"You can just change it at any point?" Annelie asked, looking surprised.

"Yeah, as long as I know how it works and I have access to the formation, sure."

"Huh… It's almost like a tiny version of the system."

"...That's exactly what it is."

The sudden realization hit him out of nowhere. The system was an all-encompassing formation, incomparably intricate and complex. It had to be.

'Only a god would be able to cast something like that. And the essence from everyone praying to him keeps it active. But I doubt anything is stopping him from doing what I'm doing here if he wanted… Which means the church is less important to the system than I thought.

The reason they're able to change souls to be pure probably means that souls were never impure to begin with. They simply flip a switch in their world formation called the system, and they get infinite money from the chumps who don't know any better. It's the same with soul collecting and the assessment pearls.

But where is the formation? And how do I destroy it?'

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