Alice's Gap Space was far more expansive than one might imagine—so much so that her entire little shop could fit inside it. That alone proved just how powerful this suddenly awakened ability of hers truly was.
More importantly, Alice had a feeling that through this Gap, she might be able to research and develop all sorts of new powers.
Of course, that feeling was still pretty vague—maybe even just an illusion. It was nothing like her doll-making or the magic of the Seven Colors; this was something else entirely.
Still, once she fully mastered the magic of the Seven Colors and the manipulation arts of her dolls, she could definitely try developing abilities related to the Gap.
It had to be incredibly powerful. After all, according to her [Knowledge Repository], that golden-haired woman was one of the strongest beings in that peaceful place called [Gensokyo].
So, even if it was bound to be troublesome, Alice wasn't one to shy away from complexity. If she could develop it, she definitely would.
Just like today—if she hadn't awakened this Gap ability out of nowhere, there was no way she could've escaped from that werewolf.
"The outside world is really scary, after all. Shanghai, Hourai, I really owe you two this time."
Gazing at her dolls, Alice smiled with a tenderness so radiant it could put the heavens to shame. It was a strange sight—such a beautiful smile, blooming in a dark place like the Gap, even with her cozy little shop around.
It almost felt like a waste for a smile like that to appear here.
"The Gap ability is really convenient, no wonder that red-white shrine maiden said that Yukari Yakumo always uses it to peep on people…"
Alice didn't know why she possessed the power of the Gap. But ever since it appeared, she felt that she might be capable of acquiring every single ability recorded in that [Knowledge Repository] in her mind.
If she were to dig deeper into her own body, she'd probably uncover countless secrets.
Like what exactly she was, since she wasn't human. Who she truly was. Why there was another version of herself in the [Knowledge Repository]—what connection did that other Alice have to her?
And why did she have this feeling that, with enough dedication, she could learn every ability possessed by every person mentioned in that repository?
What was she? What was the meaning of her existence?
What was the deal with that place called Gensokyo? And what was her own story?
Alice was certain that if she really dug into it, she would uncover everything.
And so, she decided not to.
Sometimes ignorance was bliss. If she found out what secrets her body held, she had a feeling it would lead to something dangerous.
As much as Alice didn't mind trouble, she was terrified of danger.
Holding Hourai in her arms, with Shanghai floating gently beside her, Alice made her way up to the workshop on the second floor of her shop.
Shanghai's clothes were slightly singed from the backlash of [Master Spark], but compared to Hourai's condition, it was barely even dirt.
Alice hadn't received a Falna.
In Orario, that made her just an ordinary person—not even an adventurer.
Without the help of a god's favor, her physical abilities were only slightly better than a normal human's—but only slightly.
Even among Level 1 adventurers, Alice's physique wasn't anything to write home about.
Defeating a Level 6 like Bete was absolutely impossible for her right now, even though her magical power was immense—so immense that probably no mage in Orario could compare.
Alice possessed the magic of the Seven Colors, Doll Magic, and every ability inside her [Knowledge Repository]. There was no doubt she would become incredibly powerful in the future.
But for now, with a body weaker than most Level 1 adventurers, escaping from Bete had required her to push herself to the absolute limit.
And the consequence of going all out… was that Hourai, having channeled a massive amount of Alice's magic to fire something like [Master Spark], had overloaded her magical circuits.
Even though Alice had used the best materials she could find to make both Shanghai and Hourai…the "best materials" she could get her hands on were just cheap goods from the first ten floors of the Dungeon.
Valuable resources weren't easy for someone like her to obtain. Precious materials looted by adventurers were either bought up by large Familias or used to craft equipment.
So, while Alice put great care into selecting materials for Shanghai and Hourai, they were still just expensive—but ordinary—materials.
Better than the cheapest stuff, but far from the best—not even mid-tier, really.
For Hourai to have endured such a terrifying amount of magical energy without exploding outright…was only thanks to Alice's incredible craftsmanship.
Now, Hourai lay motionless in Alice's arms.
Alice entered her workshop, sat down at her workbench, and picked up a fine needle. Using her own magic as thread, she began repairing Hourai.
Shanghai and Hourai were nothing like the dolls she sold in her shop. Their internal structures were incredibly complex—not just cloth and stuffing.
They were made from various materials, meticulously woven together with magical energy, which made repairs difficult.
And on top of that, Hourai's magic circuits were partially burnt out from overloading. Alice would have to re-lay them entirely.
By the time Alice finished repairing Hourai… a full day had passed in Orario outside the Gap.
And during that time, one question had captured the curiosity of the city's adventurers: just who was the Loki Familia searching for?
Inside the Twilight Manor…
In the study, Loki was gathered with several of her top executives. Bete wasn't among them—since he was the werewolf who'd driven Alice away, and thanks to his keen sense of smell, Loki had sent him out to find her.
"Don't come back until you find her," she'd said.
And now, Loki herself looked like an anime rough sketch—uncolored, with rough, wild lines. She was slumped over the desk in the study, utterly defeated.
Usually, it was Finn who sat there. As the captain, he handled everything in the Familia, big and small.
But today, Loki had been planted in that chair all day long.
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