I don't know how long it had been, but my consciousness gradually returned, telling me it was time to wake up. I rubbed my forehead and forced my eyes open, even though they wanted to stay shut.
But all I saw was darkness—pitch black, not even my hand visible in front of me.
Still half-asleep, it took me a few seconds to remember that I had sealed myself in with rock walls. Even the sunlight had been completely blocked out.
I dispelled the rock walls surrounding the bed, but left the ones at the door and balcony in place. Then I fumbled around in the dark, searching for the light switch.
Once the lights came on, I picked up the pocket watch beside my pillow. One glance—and I was shocked.
It wasn't even six yet.
Why was I up this early?
I scratched my head, ready to lie back down, but the moment I did, a thought crossed my mind—could I really go back to sleep?
I was in an unsafe place. I needed time to mentally prepare.
So I got up, washed my face, changed clothes, and put on my equipment. After that, I sat on the sofa, staring into space. I wasn't hungry yet, and my mental preparation was done almost instantly.
This was boring.
I might as well think about the problems from before—the hot and stuffy issue with the transparent coat, and what kind of sound my phone should make when receiving a call.
First, the coat. I could solve the heat problem with a wind magic core, but I didn't have one on me. So I thought about where to install it. In the end, I decided to place it on the inside of the coat, so I could channel magic into it while wearing it.
Next, the phone case. Making one was simple, but the color needed to make the text more visible. My phone was black, so the case should be the opposite—white.
Colors were divided into light and dark tones. But for light-colored font, a white case might make things harder to see. In that case, a black case would work better.
So I decided to make two versions.
The problem was—I didn't have any dye. I did have paint, but that wouldn't work. The smell was too strong.
I'd have to go to a dungeon to get proper dye.
And since I planned to make the case out of rubber, that was another reason to visit a dungeon. Still, I'd rather go to a dungeon in the next country. I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
Next was the phone's ringtone.
I took out the instruction manual for the communication magic core and modified the fourth function—from emitting a faint white light to producing a customizable sound.
(First, the person who injects magic power into the magic core first will become the owner. Anyone who injects magic power afterward will be registered as a contact, and their identities will appear vertically on the glass screen.)
(Second, the glass screen will support touch and swipe controls, but only with human fingers.)
(Third, tapping a contact will call the contact's magic-core phone. On the contact's glass screen, the owner's identity will appear along with the buttons "Accept" and "Reject." Pressing "Accept" will connect the call and enter call mode. Pressing "Reject" will cut off the owner's call.)
(Fourth, while dialing, the owner's phone will display a "Cancel" button. Pressing it will cancel the call. Meanwhile, sound audible within 1 meter for 30 seconds, after which it automatically declines. The sound can be customized by recording up to 30 seconds within a 1-meter range.)
(Fifth, the magic core can pick up sounds within thirty centimeters and emit sound up to thirty centimeters away. The owner's voice will be transmitted to the contact, and the contact's voice will be transmitted to the owner.)
(Sixth, during a call, both phones will display the buttons "End" and "Speaker." Pressing "End" will terminate the call. Pressing "Speaker" will expand the sound range to one meter for both pick up and output. Pressing it again will revert the range.)
(Seventh, the phone can be activated by injecting magic power, but only by the owner.)
(Eighth, the method to create a magic core with the above functions is to silently say one's full name in the mind while injecting mana into the magic core.)
After making the changes, I looked it over. It should work.
I placed the phone on the manual and activated creation magic.
A flash of black light later, I picked up the phone. On the contact screen, a new "Record" button had appeared.
I guess that counted as success.
Then I took out a second communication magic core I had used for testing. I infused it with magic while reciting my name. It flashed briefly.
I could interpret this as a system update.
At first, I thought I'd have to discard the old one whenever I made a new version, which had bothered me. But now, I had no regrets.
Creation magic was amazing!
One out of three problems solved. I felt a bit lighter—and suddenly, hungry.
It was already 7:30.
Time for breakfast.
Of course, breakfast is another bento.
After eating, I dispelled the rock walls at the door and balcony, then sat back on the sofa, staring blankly at the painting on the wall.
The sunlight filtering in was faint—the balcony clearly didn't face east.
Then came another knock at the door.
This time, it was the messenger's voice.
"Mr. Karen, are you awake? There is one hour until the morning assembly. Would you like breakfast?"
Perfect timing. I was getting tired of waiting.
I stood up, opened the door, and answered.
"No need."
"You're not hungry?"
"I'm fine."
"But you didn't eat dinner last night. Are you sure you're alright?"
There he went again, trying to get me to eat their food.
I really hated people who kept pushing like that. There was a limit—people needed to know when to stop.
I replied coldly.
"I'm fine. Take me to His Majesty."
The messenger fell silent for a few seconds. He must have realized there was no convincing me. Pushing further would only make things worse.
"...Understood."