Chapter 181: Ruins

“This feeling... is quite strange…”

Dorothy briefly imagined Beverly sculpting herself, only to botch it completely over time. Shaking her head slightly, she decided not to dwell on it too much and instead asked Beverly.

"So, because you messed up sculpting yourself, you abandoned your original stone body?"

"Yes. At first, I wanted to ask the old man for help, but he was so furious after seeing what I was doing that he refused. So, I had to study myself. After decades of research, I finally figured everything out. I discovered the location of my core and realized that as long as I preserved it, I could replace my ruined stone body with other materials."

Beverly continued her response while almost finishing the restoration of her skin.

"To differentiate myself from the old man, I started studying mechanics. Fortunately, I found some secrets about Lantern that allowed me to process metal easily. So, I created a mechanical body using metal and embedded my core inside it.”

"The reason I failed at sculpting myself before was that I had no experience. But this time, I had unlimited time to refine my skills and craft a satisfactory body. And now, here I am. You saw the bodies I made earlier, right? They’re pretty good, aren’t they? Combined with this bionic skin I spent over a decade developing, I’m even more beautiful than most human girls~"

After speaking, Beverly closed her toolbox—more like a makeup kit complete with a built-in screwdriver and hammer. Then she turned to Dorothy with a smile. Her newly repaired face was indeed stunning, as she had claimed—more attractive than most human girls. Her large golden eyes, in particular, gave her an almost "anime-like" appearance, yet the craftsmanship was so natural that it felt comfortable rather than uncanny.

“Wow... the level of self-modification here is insane. So this is one of Aldrich’s top-tier mystical puppets? She’s practically an exceptional craftsman herself. I bet that old man never expected his creation to reject his aesthetics entirely…”

Dorothy mused, wondering how Aldrich a staunch classical craftsman with a rigid aesthetic, ended up sculpting a creation that wanted to turn itself into an anime-style beautiful girl.

If creations were considered the "children" of their creators, then Aldrich had basically "raised" a son who turned into a daughter.

Then again, that analogy didn’t quite fit. After all, Beverly wasn’t a biological being but a mystical construct. She was essentially genderless, and her choice of appearance was entirely her own.

"All done~ Thanks for your help today. If not for you, I’d probably be stuck in that corner for hours, bored out of my mind."

As she tidied up the table, Beverly spoke to Dorothy, who then curiously asked.

"How did your head ended up there in the first place?"

"Oh, nothing major. I was conducting an experiment and accidentally blew myself up. My body got blasted apart—just a minor accident, really."

After packing up her tools, Beverly clapped her hands and sat down across from Dorothy with a serious expression.

"Alright, let’s talk about you now, Miss Mayschoss. The old man already told me the basics. You came to Tivian primarily to find the ruins of the Star Numerology Scriptorium, correct?"

"Yes. Aldrich said the contact here would tell me the exact location of the ruins. So, where is it?" Dorothy asked curiously. The key to her advancement lay within those ruins, which was the primary reason she had come to Tyvian.

"Oh, that? The ruins are both far and right before your eyes~ They’re located right beneath the school next to this town."

Beverly wiggled her fingers as she spoke, leaving Dorothy momentarily stunned.

"Beneath the school? You mean the ruins of the Star Numerology Scriptorium are under the King’s Campus of Royal Crown University?"

"Exactly. The university was originally built atop the ruins of the Scriptorium. That’s why the old man recommended you enroll here in the first place."

As she spoke, Beverly poured herself another small cup of what looked like tea—but was actually machine oil—and sipped it leisurely.

"The Star Numerology Scriptorium rose in the Second Epoch, flourished in the Third, and was completely wiped out at the beginning of the Fourth. Their ruins are scattered all over the world. Since they contain stored Revelation and many ancient secret techniques, these ruins have always been fiercely contested by major factions. Discovering a single one often leads to battles.”

"Take the one beneath the university, for example. Ever since it was discovered centuries ago, countless Beyonders have died fighting over it. Control over the ruins has changed hands three or four times, with various societies using it as their base."

Beverly explained while sipping her oil, leaving Dorothy momentarily speechless.

"If multiple societies have taken turns controlling it... is there anything even left inside?!"

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Of course not. After being occupied by several factions over the years, even the ground has been stripped layer by layer. Every mystical item and secret technique was looted long ago. All the Revelation were excavated as well.”

"Luckily, the old man explored the ruins early on and found a crucial inheritance, which allowed him to advance to a Puppeteer. If he had been any later, there’d be nothing left~"

Beverly’s words left Dorothy in a daze for a moment before she blurted out:

"Nothing is left... and he still sent me here?"

"I wouldn’t know. But if the old man recommended this place, he must have a reason. I know him well—he never does meaningless things. He wouldn’t prank a little girl like you for no reason. Since he told you to go there, you should find a way in and take a look."

Beverly seemed very confident in her understanding of Aldrich. After hearing her explanation, Dorothy fell into deep thought.

"Hmm... then where is the entrance to the ruins? How do I get inside? Did Aldrich ever tell you how he got in?"

"I have no idea. The ruins have been occupied by multiple societies over the centuries, and each one made modifications to turn it into their base. Now that it’s been converted into a university, it’s completely unrecognizable compared to when the old man explored it. Who knows how to get in now?”

"If you want to find the entrance, you’ll have to search within the university itself. I imagine that’s why the old man arranged for you to enroll there."

Beverly continued explaining, and Dorothy couldn’t help but mentally complain.

“Good grief... so I’m not actually here for college—I’m here for archaeology?”

"Then, can you help me get into this university? I’m only thirteen—I’m way too young to enroll."

"Haha, aside from your appearance, nothing about you seems thirteen," Beverly teased lightly before putting down her cup of oil and continuing.”

"Before the university was built, the last organization controlling the ruins was the old man’s.”

"For some reason—whether out of nostalgia or in hopes of squeezing more value from the site—he bought the land after the last society withdrew. He even set up a workshop there.”

"Later, the king wanted to build a university to train his officials and took a liking to this location. So, he bought the land from the old man—at twenty-five times its original price.”

"The king also offered him shares in the university, making him one of its stakeholders.”

"Today, Royal Crown University is the top academy in all of Pritt. The old man earns a hefty sum from his shares every year—it’s one of his prime investments. Since I manage his assets now, I can easily get you enrolled. I can even grant you a few privileges."

After hearing all that, Dorothy remained expressionless, silent in her seat.

At this moment, only one thought occupied her mind.

“That cunning old fox... he wasn’t being nostalgic or trying to squeeze more out of the ruins—he just wanted to make a business deal and extort the king.”

“He’s ridiculously wealthy, with investments all over, yet he still nitpicks over a few pounds with me.”

“Is he insane?”