"It's a bit weird, but yeah, that's him."
The doll's expression seems kind of strange, but her tone is extremely serious: "He's a high-level magician, and he's lived for over 400 years."
"Over 400 years?!" Ren can't help but shout: "Don't tell me living in a tomb can make you live longer in this world?!"
Humans in this world have longer lifespans than people on Earth when they're healthy—nobles typically live between 100 and 150 years.
But even so, a high-level magician's natural lifespan is only twice their race's normal lifespan, which means 300 years.
This old magician who doesn't seem very serious has actually lived for over 400 years!
Doesn't that mean he's already exceeded his natural lifespan by 100 years?
"Well... you're not wrong about that."
The doll's face is full of helplessness: "If you were... oh wait, you're already dead."
"..." Ren doesn't want to talk anymore and goes into sulking mode: "Is it because of magic potions? Ones he made himself? That really is amazing!"
After the brief surprise, he remembers some information—magic potions, special blessings from gods, and rare treasures can all possibly extend lifespan, they're just pretty scarce.
"No, what I'm saying is, if you were still alive, you could also make a contract with dark elements and get more lifespan too, you'd just have to pay the tiny price of never being able to leave dark element magic anomaly zones."
"Are you jealous that I might be about to become a god?" Ren's lips twitch.
What does she mean "if he were still alive"?
That's so hurtful!
"How could that be?!" The doll gets all flustered and angry: "Lord Ren, as a magical creation, I could never have thoughts like that, absolutely not! Never! Never!"
By the end of it, Ren seems to hear a "crack" sound.
Then... her head falls off...
Right in front of Ren, a head with twin tails falls off the doll's body and rolls right over to Ren.
Her body is still holding the pose from just now, waving her hand, like she's saying she's not that kind of person!
"I get it, you're not, you're not! Just put your head back on." Ren wipes the cold sweat from his forehead and nods very seriously: "Let's just switch the screen and see if that Heddy can spread the rings around."
With Ren pushing her, the doll skillfully and gracefully puts her head back on, even fixing her hair...
That's creepy!
Really, really creepy!
How does this guy even have a trick like that?!
Even though he knows she's a doll, scenes like this could literally give someone a heart attack!
Luckily that topic is over, and this guy doesn't seem to want to cause trouble anymore, so she quickly adjusts the scene they want to see.
Everything's hard at the beginning.
As long as they can get it out there, they won't need to worry about expansion later.
When Heddy reaches this legendary city with its tall walls, grand mansions, and glorious royal palace, the sky is already turning light.
Smelling the odors floating in the air, Heddy can't help but frown slightly.
It really is as majestic and magnificent as the legends say.
But it's also full of staleness and filth.
Even though the weather is pretty cold, the stench spreads through every street.
It's like every single brick has been soaked in the smell.
Totally disgusting!
Heddy knows the way to the district where magicians gather—she sometimes brings the old magician's potions here to sell.
Looking at the low, messy, crowded houses around her, some of which can't even see sunlight under the city walls, she frowns even deeper.
Even though she lives in a "graveyard," she thinks the environment here is really terrible.
A few scattered vendors are calling out along the street, but the very few pedestrians can't bring them much business.
Every face is written with numbness.
Everyone looks like walking zombies.
The winter cold is almost killing these chronically malnourished people.
When they see the coffin... the coffin-like box floating behind Heddy, they rarely become somewhat "lively," almost instantly falling to the ground.
Even though their hearts are full of fear or disgust, even though they really want to avoid this and get away quickly, their instincts—some kind of almost inborn instinct—make them press their foreheads tightly to the ground, like even their gaze would disrespect those high and mighty spellcasters or noble lords.
This situation doesn't last very long. When she enters the next district, things around her get a bit better.
This is where the "citizens" live.
Craftsmen with some wealth or noble connections all live here.
The houses here are obviously bigger, and the people have more energy.
When they see spellcasters or noble carriages, they don't immediately fall down, but instead hide on both sides of the street, bowing their heads and bending over, making sure they're lower than the carriage windows and the spellcasters' heads.
As she keeps going deeper, when she enters the district where wealthy citizens gather, these "respectable people" no longer bow and scrape.
But when they see Heddy, they still bow respectfully.
The huge wooden box floating behind her is like an ID card.
Even without a carriage or coat of arms, it doesn't affect people's respect and fear toward her.
They're even more respectful and fearful than when they see other spellcasters.
Because... she looks really intimidating.
Heddy doesn't react much to this—she seems used to it all, just like how her neighbors at the bottom of the mountain instinctively fear her. But just as she's about to step into Starlight Street where magicians gather, she suddenly stops in place.
Not far away,
Green flames suddenly shoot out of the eye sockets of a magician wearing mage robes.
"Ah! What is that thing! Don't come over here!! Help me!!!"
A mage apprentice by the side of the street suddenly stumbles backward several steps, waving his arms frantically, screaming so hard it almost tears his throat.
The other apprentices around feel chills running up their spines.
But not a single one dares to make any move.
"Magicians are equals, but apprentices must remain humble!"
The magician, whose green flames have somehow disappeared, snorts coldly and doesn't pay any more attention, walking straight toward the deeper part of the street.
The other apprentices around look at the mage apprentice whose face is already twisted and who's collapsed on the ground, but they don't dare go help him.
"Do you want to become stronger?"
After who knows how long, a gentle voice suddenly appears near the mage apprentice who's collapsed on the ground. Then he feels the pain in his body quickly fading away, and in his daze, he opens his eyes.
It's someone hiding their face under a hood—you can't see their features, but behind her, there's actually a gorgeous... coffin floating!
Fear immediately fills his heart.
"I... I'm sorry, Master Magician! I..."
The mage apprentice quickly lowers his head.
"The one who attacked you wasn't me. I'm asking you, do you want to become stronger?"
Heddy's voice comes again, but it doesn't make the mage apprentice feel much better, and the other people around quickly walk away.
They're afraid Heddy will target them next.
"I..."
"Do you want to or not?" Heddy speaks again.
"Yes!"
Finally, the mage apprentice makes up his mind: "What do you want me to do? Horace is willing to give everything for you, as long as I can become stronger!"
But he doesn't get a response from Heddy.
He just hears a slight clicking sound.
Then a ring floats in front of him.
"This is a gift from the Goddess of Magic. Put it on, pray to it, and you'll get everything you want, as long as you're devout enough."
Heddy quickly explains the prayers for the Goddess of Magic and the God of Technology, makes sure this guy has memorized them, then leaves without looking back.
She just leaves the mage apprentice standing there in a daze.
He knows about the Goddess of Magic.
But what the hell is this God of Technology?
A god he's never heard of!
A few dozen seconds later, Horace quickly puts away the ring, hurries to a corner of the street, sits on the ground, and starts praying.
He doesn't dare waste any time.
He's afraid that magician lady will come back looking for him.
Even though he has no idea why he's doing this...
But pretty soon, his expression becomes completely blank.