Cornflower Witch

Chapter 385 Black Kite Doll
After Hiltiya finished her studies at the 'Hall of Suspended Threads', a sliver of white appeared on the horizon.

As she stepped out of the inheritance room, Hilti was still thinking about what Fukalian had told her not long ago, as well as the business card she had received. Seeing the string of titles on it, Hilti realized that the two professors she had met today must be prominent figures in Rolik Academy.

Thanking the two teachers for their selfless instruction, Hilti carefully put away the two business cards and badges before leaving.

There weren't many people left in the hall. After a night of activities, even the superhumans were getting sleepy, and many had gone back to rest and sleep. But the two enthusiastic senior students were still sitting in the hall waiting. Of course, they weren't just waiting idly; they were chatting and exchanging information.

"Hedra is out." One of them saw it, told his companion, and then the two stood up.

"I'm sorry to have kept you two waiting." Hiltiya was slowly guessing that the two were probably the professor's students who had come specifically to find her.

"Nothing much, how's Hedra's learning going?"

"This one is more difficult. It's said that there's a lot more content to fill in before it can be built into a perfect system," Hiltiya recounted based on Fukaren's account.

The girl standing next to her nodded repeatedly, deeply understanding the sentiment.

Because 'synesthesia' is used to assist in the manipulation of puppets and dolls, it is difficult to demonstrate it alone. At this moment, the two did not ask for anything, but instead cared about Hilti's current situation.

"How many years has Hedra been studying? How old is he now?"

“I just arrived in the Asura district last year, and I’m about 17 years old now,” she recalled the character setting of Hedra.

"You only arrived last year? Wait, you said you were 17 and only came last year, which means you only studied in the Asura District for half a year?" The two of them stared at each other with their mouths agape.

"Uh, that's right." Hilti thought about it carefully, and there shouldn't be any flaws or problems in this sentence.

"How long did you study before you came to the Asura District?" the two couldn't help but ask again.

“I’ve studied some things related to the secret history of the supernatural before, but I didn’t get involved in the mage profession until six months before I came to the Mage Alliance. A reclusive mage taught me the basics. He came from the bionic school, so the first spell I learned was from that school,” Hiltiya answered honestly.

After listening, the two looked left and right, seemingly trying to find out what was different about this girl. Could she be a true genius? They were already elites among their peers, but they didn't expect there to be an even more outstanding junior.

In the end, the two gave up thinking and could only sigh, "The world is so big, there are all sorts of wonders."

"In that case, your learning speed must be very fast. If that's the case, you can start preparing for the entrance exam for higher education institutions this year."

"It will be in about six months. At that time, all colleges will release their assessment standards and projects for the year. Just pay attention to our college and come directly to participate in the assessment."

"I will keep an eye on it." Hilti nodded. Although she might not come, she would definitely check the admission notices and assessment content of various academies.

The three chatted briefly for a while afterward, and as the sun rose, it was time for Hilti, as a visitor, to leave the school.

"We won't try to keep you any longer. Come again next time, Hedra." The two waved, watching the girl board the carriage again. "Goodbye." Hiltiya, sitting inside the carriage, also waved goodbye to them.

Afterwards, the mechanical puppet's carriage slowly rose and then disappeared into the sky.

On the road.

Hiltiya looked at the gift box on the table inside the carriage with a hint of curiosity.

The box wasn't small, probably half her height. It was a dark blue cardboard box wrapped with a silver ribbon tied into a bow, and a note was tucked inside that read, 'A gift for Miss Hedra~'

After removing the paper, Hiltiya untied the ribbon, opened the box, and a beautiful humanoid doll appeared. It had silver-white hair, an exquisite black dress, and movable arms and legs. It was sleeping in the box, with a small booklet under it.

[Black Kite Doll] (Tier 3, Rare): A masterpiece from the Iris Workshop, a high-quality piece from the same batch. It can be manipulated in multiple ways; see description for details. It can be used in combat, for daily life, and as a companion for play. [ID: 0036]
With a curious gaze, Hilti carefully picked up the doll and examined it closely. She had to admit that the doll was exquisitely made. Its silver hair was smooth, and its face and arms were made of soft materials. The small clothes were also made of very good materials, not even ordinary fabric.

After thoroughly inspecting the doll, Hilti picked up the instruction manual from the gift box and discovered a small dagger hidden beneath it, which the doll could use.

This sword is also made of a special metal, which seems to be 'blue iron', the same metal as 'gold'.

After opening the instruction manual, Hiltiya read it carefully, gradually understanding how to operate the doll and the precautions.

First, it can be manipulated using magic threads, just like commanding scarecrows, relying entirely on the skill and mental strength of the manipulator. Second, it can also be driven by placing memory gems, like other mechanical dolls, to complete many simple tasks. However, if used in combat, it is best to use the threads for manipulation, as this can directly provide power.

After reading the instructions and various precautions, Hilti picked up the doll and carefully brought it close to her forehead, feeling the special gem inside. Slowly, her mind established a connection with the gem inside. Then she placed the doll on the table, and as she connected the doll's back with silk threads, the doll slowly sat up and began to move around.

Because the puppeteer is Hilti, she unconsciously uses her own habits to direct the puppet, resulting in the puppet in front of her resembling a smaller version of Hilti, with very similar movements and temperament.

Then she tried to get the doll to hold the silver-blue cross sword. As the gem on the hilt lit up and a faint glow covered the blade, the small doll gained a bit of imposing presence.

"Let me see what you can do," Hiltiah flipped to the back of the instruction manual again.

[Black Kite Doll] (Tier 3, Rare)

Abilities: Levitation Lv3, Frostblade Lv3, Frost Crystal Body Lv2, Iris Phantom Lv2
'Floating Flight' and 'Cold Blade' are easy to understand; one is flight, and the other enhances the blade's lethality. 'Cold Crystal Body' utilizes the property of doll materials to solidify and harden at low temperatures, enhancing defense. The last one, 'Iris Illusion', is a specialty of 'Iris Workshop.' Most of the dolls produced by this workshop possess this ability, which can create simple illusions to display and confuse opponents.

Overall, this puppet's actual combat power is roughly equivalent to that of a 'second-tier' ordinary creature. After all, it is not a real third-tier creature and requires continuous input of external force. Its physical strength is also limited, making it inferior to those wild monsters or orcs of the 'second-tier beast fang' level.

Despite the aforementioned shortcomings, these dolls remain popular due to their beautiful appearance and exquisite design, and are now considered a luxury gift among the upper echelons of the Mage Alliance for their children.

Its combat power is only meant for self-defense; probably no one really wants to use such a puppet in battle.
(End of this chapter)