Chapter 92: Behold, the Anywhere Door!
“Of course,” Abyss replied, without asking for details.
The inventor likely had another brilliant idea that required his assistance. It seemed that after joining him, Rebecca had become more emboldened in pursuing her unconventional ideas.
“It’s about the familiar,” Rebecca said, approaching him with a flattering smile, then looped her arm around his. “You see, Flora and Leona both have familiars you created for them. I want one too, please? But my request is a bit… unusual. Please don’t be angry when you hear it.”
“Why would I be angry with you?” Abyss asked, stroking her hair. “Just tell me what you need, and I’ll do my best to fulfill your request.”
He thought to himself, even Leona’s outlandish requests, with her endless list of additions and modifications, hadn’t fazed him. What could possibly be considered “troublesome”?
“Alright, here’s my request,” Rebecca said, retrieving a sheet of paper from her bag and a pencil. She began writing, explaining as she went. “I want a familiar that’s… large enough to swallow me whole, preferably without me having to bend down.”
“That’s easy,” Abyss said casually. “A larger familiar simply requires more mana, and I have plenty of that.”
“And the space inside should be large, like a potion factory. Multiple levels would be even better…”
“Hmm? I’ve never created a familiar with such requirements.”
“And it would be wonderful if time flowed slower inside, like, I spend a whole day inside, but only a few hours pass outside… I’m undead, after all. My lifespan is infinite. I don’t mind spending extra time inside,” Rebecca said, her expression increasingly ingratiating. “This… This isn’t too much to ask, is it?”
Flora and Leona, watching them, giggled, anticipating Abyss’s reaction.
“And I’d like to store my entire alchemy laboratory inside. I can summon the familiar whenever I need to work, enter it, then dismiss it when I’m done, with everything inside preserved. And… if possible, ample lighting and fresh air would be ideal,” Rebecca finished, adding a sketch of her ideal laboratory layout to the paper.
Abyss looked at her, surprised. “My god, I thought Leona’s requests were outlandish, but yours are even more extraordinary.”
“Is it impossible?” Rebecca asked, pouting, pressing herself against him. Abyss felt the cool softness of her body against his arm.
“Well… It’s a new challenge, but I’m willing to try. Your idea seems to be inspired by my magical catfish. I created that by accident, but I remember the process,” Abyss said, not backing down. “For you, I’m willing to face this challenge.”
“That’s so sweet!” Rebecca exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. “Can you repeat that last part?”
“I created that by accident, but I remember the process.”
“No, the next part!”
“That’s so sweet!”
“Grrr!” Rebecca, frustrated, bit his shoulder.
…
Creating a familiar required immense magical power, enough to temporarily solidify mana into a physical form with specific properties. It also required precise control over that mana, allowing for fine adjustments to the familiar’s appearance.
Some unqualified mages had attempted to create familiars, but their lack of power resulted in small, misshapen creatures, both hideous and useless. And a familiar was bound to its mage’s soul. There was no going back.
Abyss, having accepted Rebecca’s request, sat in his room, manipulating a ball of mana, trying to replicate the functions she required.
Leona watched him intently, not because she was particularly interested in Rebecca’s “mobile alchemy laboratory,” but because she enjoyed watching Abyss work his magic, shaping mana like clay.
Flora, ever attentive, served them tea and snacks, using her Divine Arts to soundproof the guesthouse and reinforce its structure, preventing any potential mishaps from Abyss’s experiments, such as explosions.
Rebecca sat beside him, providing further details about her vision as he asked questions.
Abyss’s understanding of spatial magic was limited. He didn’t know how the space within the catfish’s belly was created, and since time was frozen inside, no one knew what it looked like. He didn’t even know where the items he stored inside went. All he knew was that it was incredibly vast, capable of holding anything he threw inside.
But with Rebecca’s guidance, her expertise in spatial magic proving invaluable, he managed to create a large, stable space with circulating fresh air, after several failed attempts.
Flora, having once stopped time with her Divine Arts, taught him some of the underlying principles.
Abyss’s magic had always been influenced by Divine Arts. Combining the two came naturally to him. As dawn approached, he finally managed to create a space where time flowed differently than in the outside world. Leona volunteered to test it, entering the space, counting to one hundred at a rate of one number per second, then exiting. Abyss had only counted to fifteen.
As for lighting, that was easy. He created several permanent Everbright spells within the space, providing a constant source of illumination. Even after dismissing the familiar, the lights remained, confirming that the space could indeed store objects.
Finally, guided by Flora’s artistic sense, he designed the familiar’s appearance. Unlike the typical animal familiars, Rebecca’s familiar was a door. Opening it revealed her alchemy laboratory.
By the time he finished, the sun had risen, and the residents of Shodo Town were already awake, starting their busy day.
“It’s done! Rebecca, this is your familiar now. Give it a name,” Abyss said, patting the doorframe.
“I’ll call it the Anywhere Door,” Rebecca said, her voice filled with satisfaction, as she looked at her unique familiar. “A magical door that can be opened from anywhere, leading to my personal laboratory!”
“By the way… Abyss,” Leona said, stroking her chin as she observed the door. “If you can create something like this, do you still need to buy a large plot of land for your ‘grand graveyard’?”
Abyss froze, then, in a sudden burst of excitement, grabbed Leona’s shoulders and kissed her cheek, much to her surprise.
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