Fantasy World - Chapter 9 (Older Edition)

Sitting inside the dining room eating his breakfast, Han thought about how time had flown by since his first day in Academic City. A little over a month had passed by since he had ventured into that nest, beneath the ruins.

Walking around the city still resembled something out of a dream. It still felt like he was living inside of an isekai anime, where the main character is sent off to a fantasy world and becomes the hero to defeat the Demon Lord.

The agreeable part was he didn't need to go through tedious grinding and face off against a powerful force. There were elements commonly seen in this genre, like monsters and beastmen. Even adventurers in this world had to contend with grinding, increasing their skills and rank.

A classmate had explained how adventuring was a profession reliant on an individuals rank in the guild. Having a higher rank meant profitable missions, allowing for an adventurer to take on fewer missions. This had a real-world impact of decreasing the risk adventurers are exposed to during such journeys.

Such ideas of building a business and brand helped Han think of the fantasy world to be similar to Earth. Going through the hustle and doing freelancing work wasn't a foreign concept to him.

At times he did miss Earth, thoughts of visiting it coming up due to how easy it was, Han would decide against it at the last minute. Traveling to this world was about leaving things behind, not dwelling on them.

Compared to an anime or light novel, Han knew that he wasn't stuck in the current world. If there came a time when he became bored, he could always change to a different world or reality.

Taking a bite of honeydew, from his fruit bowl, Han looked over documents. Each of the documents was assignments that were handed out, requiring him to finish.

Classes were proceeding in a manner similar to what would be found on Earth. Material learned in the rooms helped develop stronger connections with classmates, while learning about the world.

"Remind me that I need to invite some of my classmates for the group assignment I have in Alchemy," Han informed Anacolis, who was occupied with swallowing a rodent.

Anacolis opened up her throat and swallowed the squirming creature. Dabbing a cloth napkin to her lips, she blushed at showing such a sight to her Creator.

"Of course, Master. Will any preparations be needed to be made?" Anacolis asked.

Laying his assignment near Anacolis, Han said, "It seems to be a simple medicinal creation assignment. We will need a laboratory set up in the basement, along with supplies to distill the various liquids to be made into the different potions."

"Of course," Anacolis said.

"They will likely need to have something to snack on," Han thought out loud.

"I will make sure to offer a variety of dishes that will exceed their expectations," Brittany anticipated Han's thoughts and answered.

Hearing everything would be ready, his thoughts moved away from the Academy and more towards the general feel of the city. This was mainly related to the nobles.

Though he became closer to many of the students, most of the nobles were still standoffish. They still tended to stick to their kind, instead of mingling with commoners.

Regardless of his skills and background, the nobles saw him as an outsider, grouping him with the average students.

Han noticed that there was some friction between the noble and commoner class. Remembering the first day when they went out to the forest, Han understood that there was a divide between the two.

The difference was how the friction was restricted to the nobles only poking fun at the commoners. They merely pointed out the difference in privilege, not escalating it beyond just words.

Though there were such instances, the Academy still had a sense of inclusivity. But now, a shift had begun to grow inside the student body.

Talking with Selestra would have helped him understand what was happening, considering she was a noble, but she was often away developing her skills as an adventurer.

A few times, he had the opportunity to meet with her and talk about how she was doing. Though her rank didn't increase, her skills appeared to be more polished.

The way she walked demonstrated an improvement in her movement, making her look like a skilled fighter. There was no longer an air of arrogance she had back when they were in that monster nest.

Due to the climate in the city, Helania had returned from The Stronghold. There were now Helania, Queen, and Brittany, in addition to both of the Jungle Sisters, Anacolis and Aracia.

Initially, their presence was somewhat surprising in the Academy, even with the other beast people, but after several weeks passed people became more accustomed towards them.

With their beauty, the sisters attracted a lot of attention, especially from nobles.

Han was asked, numerous times, whether he would be willing to sell his beast women slaves. Such inquiries were surprising, but after talking with some of the more reasonable nobles, he learned that most beast-men working as a servant were slaves.

Beast men societies were built on the survival of the fittest paradigm, so families unable to survive would sell themselves into slavery.

There were also underground markets that sold illegal slaves, who were captured in raids. This led to many thinking that Han owned the Jungle Sisters.

Concerning some of the more persistent nobles, Han had to deal with them more directly.

Taking a bite from a grape, he grinned, "That noble looked to almost wet himself, as I applied gravitational pressure." Looking at Anacolis and Aracia, who were discussing some matter, Han said to himself, "It was a good idea to let that cretin experience such things."

Once word spread around, Han didn't need to concern himself with arrogant nobles. It did bother him that many of the beast-men that worked inside of the city were slaves, but considering that it wasn't his business to cast judgment, he left it alone.

"Master, how is your breakfast?" Brittany asked him, in a cheerful voice.

Jerked from his thoughts, he looked at her with a slight glaze to his eyes as he tried to understand what she was asking. "Guess I am still not used to being interrupted in my thoughts," Han contemplated.

"The food is fine, Brittany. I was just thinking about how quickly time seems to have flown by." He commented, putting some scrambled eggs into his mouth.

The fluffy and eggy flavor exploded in his mouth. There was a drizzle of salsa over them, which added a nice acidity to it.

"I couldn't agree more, Master. It feels like just yesterday when you created us and took us out into the world." Helania responded in agreement.

Finishing up his breakfast, Han stood up and headed out the door. Behind him, Anacolis followed him.

Each of his creations took turns going with him, whenever he headed out.

To accommodate the Jungle Sisters, he had to make some alterations to the house he was staying in. To not make people wonder about his abilities, he had hired contractors to increase parts of the house.

Instead of using the rooms inside of the living space, Han created a small dimension for each of them based on individual preferences.

Anacolis's room was a mini jungle, while Aracia's was a dark cave.

The rooms did an excellent job at mimicking their floor in the stronghold.

As Anacolis slithered out of the house, he placed his hand on her hair and enjoyed the beautiful jade-colored hair. Sometimes in the sun, Anacolis's hair appeared to sparkle.

Anacolis blushed as Han played with her hair. "Master, your fingers feel nice." Being happy about them having more time together.

"You are stunning," Han said to her, admiring how he was able to create such an amazing beast woman. He never understood how humans in this world treated beast people as horribly as they did, considering how wonderful they were.

Pausing for a moment, her tail slowly wrapped around him, pulling Han towards Anacolis who hugged him. Han could feel her smooth skin on his face, as she buried it between her mounds.

"You are thoughtful and kind to all of us, Master. As I spent time inside of this city, I understand how lucky we are to have you."

"Many other beast people are treated with contempt by humans, and though calling you a human is like comparing the distance between the Heavens and the Earth, it still brings us feelings of love the way you treat us." Her voice bubbling with emotions, as she held Han in her arms.

Feeling her tail wrapped around him made understand her sentiments. Though she was his creations, it wouldn't be surprising that she would compare herself with other beast people.

As time passed, Han noticed that his creations were becoming slightly independent of him, though they still were fiercely loyal to him.

Looking up into her face, Han placed a hand on her cheek and said, "You are precious to me, so of course I would treasure you. I do not think of you as just my creations but also a part of me."

"If you were not by my side, I do not know how I would handle it. Just because I formed you, I do not see any of you as being expendable." Han stroked her shimmering and smooth scales on her tail, feeling it quiver in delight.

Anacolis's jade eyes began to moisten, as tears slowly flowed down her flawless face. Lowering her head, she pressed her lips against his. It felt like time was halted, as they communicated their passions to one another.

-----

Walking into the classroom, with Anacolis behind him, Han took his usual seat at the rear of the classroom. As usual, he was one of the last people to show up. The only difference was the number of commoners sitting near him.

"Coming in late as usual?" Selene commented, sitting in front of him next to her sister.

"You know me pretty well." Han laughed. After the school trip, Selene had gained confidence in herself, no longer allowing what the nobles said to affect her.

Lithia waved at Han discreetly. Looking at her sister and back at Han, raising her shoulders helplessly before turning to face the front of the class.

The door at the front opened and Ha-Yoon entered, signaling the start of the class.

Sticking out her tongue at Han, Selene turned around and readied herself for the class to start.

Reaching her podium, Ha-Yoon addressed the class, "With the increase in monster activity, we once again talk about the importance of adventurers."

There was silence as the class listened to her words, even the nobles appeared to be serious about the matter. Their attitude likely connected to the lands they would be controlling once they inherited titles or found their own.

"What could be the possible reasons for the increase in monster activities?" Ha-Yoon asked.

A boy raised a hand, waiting to be called. After Ha-Yoon nodded her head, he stood up and said, "Teacher, usually an increase in monster activity is connected to the Overflow." Giving his answer, the boy sat down.

"That is correct! Typically the Overflow is the cause of the increase in monster attacks, such as what we witnessed on our initial class excursion." Ha-Yoon said.

Hearing about the first trip they took as a class brought about a slight change in the room. Even after the time had passed, many of the students were unable to shake off their trauma.

Listening as Ha-Yoon continued to discuss the history and testimonials connected with the natural event, Han tapped a finger on Anacolis's waist.

He enjoyed feeling her stomach on his back as his head rested between her bountiful mounds.

With Anacolis being a Lamia, she was unable to use the seating provided in the classroom. Luckily, her species were able to relax in a semi-standing position.

As usual, she coiled her tail and adjusted herself for Han. Since she couldn't sit like everyone else, she had picked up the habit of using her tail to form a seat for Han to sit on. Using her tail to raise his body, Anacolis was able to snuggle up against his back and hug him closer to her.

If he had to choose, Anacolis would be his favorite throne the way she lovingly cared for him as he listened to the lecture.

Everyone, including Selene and Lithia, thought this level of PDA (Public Display of Affection) was over the top, but after seeing this multiple times, the class became used to it.

The only people that shot him daggers was the Prince and his faction of nobles.

After Han had humiliated him, with Han's demonstration of his powers, the Prince could always be seen glaring at Han. Based on what others heard, the Prince's faction talked about how they could teach Han a lesson for what he had done to Eric.

"Master, they are glaring at you, again," Anacolis whispered into his ears. She, along with his other creations, thought it amusing how the Prince thought he could do anything to Han.

Gently stroking her arms, which were around him, he said, "I find it funny how they waste so much time and effort plotting against me, instead of just living their simple lives." He grinned at how the nobles started to grind their teeth when they noticed Han looking at them.

"Excuse me, Yi. Are we interrupting anything?" Ha-Yoon asked, her hand on her hip as she tapped her foot.

"Teacher, I was just speaking out loud, as I tried to digest the wisdom you are providing us," Han answered, trying to look attentive. Selene snorted, listening to the bull that Han was spouting.

"Uh-huh. I am sure that you are just riveted." She sighed in frustration.

Ha-Yoon went back to talking about how the Holy Power of the Creators (HPC) was a religious organization, which was founded after the year-long Overflow occurred and the gods had to step in to save the world.

"The HPC grew in influence on the idea that the gods are actively watching over us, and will save us if it becomes necessary." She said.

"For this reason, we, and all nations should follow the teachings laid out by Grean, the ruler of the gods. For those that belong to a noble house, it is their responsibility to care for the common people."

"On the other side, the common people need to follow those who are nobles." She glanced at the snickering nobles.

"Grean stated that the nobility stems from Divine Providence and to stand in the way of the nobility meant that you were standing in the way of the gods," Ha-Yoon stated.

Many of the commoners were quiet as they listened to the teacher's words.

Selene sniffed. "If they took their jobs seriously, we wouldn't be in a position where hundreds starve and worry about monsters sneaking into their homes."

Lithia urgently pulled on her sister's sleeve, as she looked at the nobles, worried that Selene's comments could be heard.

Though Selene looked unworried and ignored her sister's concern, Han could see the color drain from her face. "I am guessing she realized that she stepped over the line with her words." Han thought to himself, looking at the nobles who didn't look to hear Selene's words.

Sounds of clapping could be heard, from nobles surrounding the Prince. Eric stood up to turn to look at the other students and stated, "Just as our respected teacher has said, you commoners only exist to serve us. If it were not for our armies and resources, you rats would all be eaten during the Overflow."

Eric sneered at the low-born students, who stared back at him in silence.

"I do not know how this Kingdom handles you parasites, but inside of the Empire, commoners understand their place and are willing to offer up their lives for us, nobles." Eric proclaimed.

Nobles could be heard cheering at what Eric had stated, stamping their feet and whooping.

This only helped to make the commoner's shrink into themselves. Each one fully aware of their fate after leaving the Academy and returning to a place under the nobility.

Han watched as Ha-Yoon quietly stood in front of the class, not stopping Eric from interrupting the class. He wondered if his status as a Prince forbade her from interfering, considering that she was ultimately only an adventurer, regardless of her ranking.

"He's such a pig." Selene quietly murmured, listening to the nobles acting like fools.

Elivionia, the Elven Princess, could be seen frowning as she looked at Eric.

The princess was a curious individual with how she rejected the attitudes of the human nobles. Looking at her, Han found the way she actively befriended commoners to be interested.

As if sensing, Han's gaze on her, Elivionia turned to look directly at Han. Her eyes were like tranquil pools, removed of the elitism prevalent in those who hold power.

Though the class had spent time together, after so many weeks, Han didn't have an opportunity to get to know her.

Aside from their physical appearance as an Elf, Han didn't know much of their societal structure and only assumed that it mimicked humans. A contrast to the nomadic habits of the beast people.

After Eric's outburst, the class was finished for the day.

As everyone began to disburse, Selene turned around and faced Han, asking, "You interested in meeting up with everyone and getting something to eat?" Her eyes looking eager to what was to come.

Many of the people that surrounded him nodded their head in encouragement.

Often after class, a group of them would head off to someplace to hang out and relax for the day. It was a great way to get to know everyone and increase their bonds.

It reminded Han of how he used to hang out with classmates after a lecture was finished, during his undergraduate program.

Like on Earth, this group would head to a restaurant and/or bar to vent about their courses and talk about the latest gossip.

With how many different social classes and species lived within the walls, there always existed some drama.

----

The Blushing Lass was a quaint two-story cafe that many young girls enjoyed visiting in the outer part of the city.

The cafe specialized in desserts, hosting a wide selection of cakes. Each of the cakes was decorated to look like a certain story or theme, making customers eager to see what new items they could see inside.

When Han first entered this cafe, he was awed by how the establishment was set up. It was very elegant, giving off what someone imagined a Princess would experience.

Waiters and waitresses were dressed in fancy uniforms, making themselves appear like butlers and maids, respectively.

"Welcome, My Lords and Ladies. We have just created new cakes that I am sure each of you will greatly enjoy. Please, follow me." A man looking like a butler greeted them. His movements were graceful as he walked them to the back of the cafe, where they usually sat.

Each of the maids and butlers did a wonderful job, remembering customers, even to the degree of remembering their names.

Han nodded in approval at their level of professionalism, impressed by the owner's business skills at creating such a place. This was one of the reasons why there were almost no open seats and those interested in dining had to reserve seats.

The owner did a great job at capitalizing on the popularity of the product and service, presenting girls with the opportunity to purchase monthly membership cards allowing them to receive a discount on the purchase of cakes. Pricing on the cakes ranged from a few silvers up to twenty silvers.

Higher-end cake slices had fancy candy decorations, the kind you would see in televised cooking competitions.

Regardless of the price, all the cakes were soft and delicate, covered with sweet icing. It more than made up for the premium price.

It was ironic how the cafe reflected the idea of the Academy more than the Academy itself. Regardless of an individual's socioeconomic status, everyone received an equal quality of service. Even the guests in the store treated one another with respect, so the atmosphere was always pleasant.

The butler turned and presented them with their seat. Thanking the butler, they took their seat.

Looking around, the rectangular layout was similar to the other businesses. The difference with The Blushing Lass lay in the open ceiling layout, where the second floor was more like a ledge, freeing up the upward space. Instead of having windows, there was plenty of artwork with forests and grassy fields. It gave the illusion that you were out enjoying the natural world with friends.

"Welcome! Will all of you be taking your usual teas?" A cute looking girl in a maid outfit asked them once they settled themselves.

"That would be great, Samantha!" Lilly answered.

Lilly was a commoner girl that grew up in an isolated village, near the Elven Kingdom. She was originally bashful in class, but after Selene had started to invite her to hang out with them, she opened up.

Specializing in long-range magic, she would often be in the rear of the group as she launches out ice magic.

Aside from when he hung out with the group, after class, Han didn't know any of these people aside from a superficial level.

They were nice and fun to hang out with, but he didn't have the emotional bond he had with his creations or friends back on Earth. Even without a strong relationship with them, a part of him felt that it was necessary to make friends.

He didn't know how long he would be in this world, so making friends would improve the overall experience. Though he loved his creations, there was, definitely, something great about forging new bonds that gave a person warm fuzzy feelings.

Just like in the classroom, Han enjoyed the way he could sit or lay on Anacolis's tail. In this environment, he was somewhat laying on her as he rested his head on her stomach.

None of his other creations had such benefits to them, which was why he enjoyed his time with her.

Feeling her protectively hold him, Anacolis gave off a sexy older sister vibe. Like those h-mangas where the older sister would try and teach the brother about sex when they secretly lusted after them.

"Check it out; they have a new cake!" Selene squealed in excitement, before rushing to the display.

Han watched as Selene pulled along Lithia. At the display, Selene pulled one of the tags matching the number next to the cake. Like a professional, Selene took the tag and hung it on a display which had all the tables and seats. Hooking the tag to where she sat, Selene went back to the display so her sister could choose.

In watching Selene and Lithia, Han began to desire to eat something sweet. Walking up to the line of cakes, he saw a nice chocolate cake with strawberries on top. Grabbing two tags, he headed to the graphical representation of the restaurant and hung the tags on his and Anacolis's seats.

When he sat back down, there were already teas in front of his classmates. They enjoyed sipping on the warm and fragrant drink while chatting among themselves.

Anacolis had already prepared him a cup and one for herself.

Sitting on her tail, Han brought the cut to his nose and enjoyed the smell before sipping on it. Though bitter teas were nice, he always preferred to have sweet-tasting teas.

Even with ginseng tea, he would always squeeze out a lot of honey into it before drinking the herbal remedy.

"I got you a chocolate cake with strawberries on it," Han told Anacolis, after taking a sip of the tea.

"You know me so well, Master," She said, kissing him on his cheek.

There was a heavy sigh at the sight of Han and Anacolis acting lovey-dovey. "Are you sure you guys don't need a room?" Selene asked sarcastically, enjoying the opportunity to tease Han about how intimate he always acted with his companions.

Anacolis grabbed Han and pulled him closer to her and stuck out her forked tongue, hissing, "I am not ashamed of letting the world know how much I love my Master."

"You're such a brocon," Selene said to Anacolis while shaking her head.

Lithia giggled at the conversation between Selene and Anacolis.

Pressing a finger to her chin, Anacolis responded to Selene's obvious bait by saying, "I would be so happy to be Master's older sister. I could look after him even more, and we could sleep with one another in the same bed as we grew up." Her eyes started to zone out, as she grinned in bliss and breathed more rapidly while stroking Han's hair.

Selene rolled her eyes at Anacolis losing herself in a daydream, while Lithia blushed at Anacolis's words.

The rest of Han's classmates stared at her with wide eyes, as they tried to digest what was happening.

-----------

As Anacolis was feeding cake into Han's mouth, he listened to his classmates talk about the latest gossip in the city.

"Have you guys seen the HPC starting to become more active with recruiting?" Selene asked the group, after swallowing a bite of the latest cake.

One of the guys that tagged along was nodding his head in agreement. "Several of the priests cornered me and asked if I was regularly attending service. I was able to make up some excuse and get away from them before they could get me to commit to anything."

"I've started to hear more classmates talking about how they were planning on joining the church," The girl sitting next to the guy answered.

"Why is this peculiar?" Han asked them, feeling a little confused. On Earth, there was always some religious group marketing the benefits of becoming a believer, so this behavior didn't seem unusual.

"Well the HPC was always an organization that stayed pretty mild and behind the scenes, especially inside of the city," Selene answered.

"People never really talked about the HPC, and it was thought to be an extremist group with their belief about the Overflow. In the villages, years could go by without seeing one of their members stopping by." Those that experienced the same thing nodded their heads in agreement.

"The HPC mainly stuck close to the nobility, so commoners were never really actively recruited," Lithia added.

"I've been asked by several classmates, who weren't nobles, to join them at one of their services," Lilly said.

Taking in another bite of the delicious cake, Han pondered, "What happens in these meetings, and what benefit is there in joining?"

"I'm not sure, but I've heard that the people that participate tend to change," Lithia mentioned.

"There was this one girl that I talked with about various things, but after she came back from one of the services she changed. I know that we only knew one another for a couple of weeks, but I thought we were good friends." She muttered, looking depressed when she thought about losing a friend.

"Hmmm..." Han had some thoughts go through his head.

----------

Wishing his classmates a good night, Han walked back to his home with Anacolis. The talk about the HPC seemed to dig into his mind, and made him remember some things from Earth.

"Master, is there something odd about this HPC?" Anacolis asked.

"I am unsure if there is anything odd about this, but based on how everyone was talking this was something unusual." He thought out loud.

"Why would going to listen to about your gods be something odd?" She wondered. "I think being able to be near your gods would be something everyone would wish. I know that we all enjoy being able to be near you." Anacolis said with a blushing face.

Chuckling and placing his hand on her hip, Han said, "Not everyone thinks that way, but I am glad that all of you feel that way about me."

Reaching his house and going inside, he saw Helania and everyone resting inside of the library and dining area.

Helania was sitting on one of the leather chairs, a book opened in front of her. Looking at the title, Han saw that she was reading a book from Earth that talked about business theory.

Aracia saw on top of a pile of pillows, going through a book on famous assassinations on Earth, ranging from the death of political leaders to conspiracy theories.

Han noticed that Aracia enjoyed reading books related to conspiracy theories, though only the portions related to covering up the crimes and killing witnesses. She would talk to him about what she read, especially her fascinations with some shadow organization being able to make assassinations look natural.

In one of the corners, Brittany was drawing pictures of what she saw outside of the house. Her skills at drawing and painting had reached a level where they could be displayed for others to see and comment.

Hearing the rhythmic sound of a whetstone on metal, Han saw that Queen was sharpening several of her weapons. Some of them she had designed herself and created at The Stronghold.

With how everyone looked deep in concentration, Han smiled and was happy about how each of them found their own hobbies and interests. Creating them, there was never a desire to monopolize their time and instead enjoy watching them develop into their own.

This was especially the case with Brittany, where he created a new level in The Stronghold just to display artwork that his creations created.

After Brittany had created numerous works of art, many of his creations had shown an interest and followed her lead. This could be seen with Queen designing weapons and dedicating time to mastering weapon creation.

Thinking about things in the future, he even built a grand library and filled it with literature from all around Earth. There may be a time that he went to an alternate version of Earth, where there were only minor changes and thought it would be good for all of them to understand what Earth was like.

Helania spent the most time reading, devouring vast amounts of knowledge. Han could imagine Helania being a CEO for some large corporation, with her intelligence and drive.

Thinking of Helania wearing a professional outfit and giving out orders was an interesting idea, and reminded him of some adult videos and manga he had watched.

"Master, you arrived early tonight," Aracia commented, being the first to notice him and Anacolis.

Though her spider body appeared intimidating; she was one of the most attentive and empathetic people. Whenever Han came in through the door, she would ask how his day was and if there was anything that he needed. Her behavior towards him was also seen with their long discussions on various topics, though mainly related to what she learned.

"Yes. With the mood in the feeling, my classmates decided to head back to their rooms earlier than usual." Han removed his jacket, handing it to Brittany who had stopped what she was drawing to attend to his needs.

"There does seem to be a feeling of heightened tensions," Brittany agreed, placing the jacket neatly on her arm to be hung up.

Queen snorted, hearing about the city's status. "While walking around the city, I saw some nobles beating a commoner in the alleyway."

"There seems to be an increase in the level of violence, between the nobility and low-born. I do not understand why these humans feel the need to torment one another, considering the dangers that are out in the world." She sneered at what she thought about the humans in the city.

"There is no reason to feel contempt towards these people," Helania criticized Queen. "It is not their fault that they lack the higher qualities that we were bestowed. The nobles are just confusing false power and true power."

Sitting down on his leather chair in the library, Han listened to his creations debate about the merits of humans and the city.

There always seemed to be a consistent paradigm of those in power abusing those who didn't have power. Regardless of the initial intentions, people tended to fall into such habits of allowing the gifts they were given to be seen as a right.

Most titles given to the nobles were hereditary based, which means that all the person needed to do was be born in the right family. The son or daughter would grow in a resource-rich environment and move on to develop their own path.

He remembered talking with classmates about getting rid of the barriers that the average individual had to face, allowing a more equal and fair system to be placed. What would society be like if they didn't have to fight just to survive, and instead be able to develop their passions?

Han looked back at the numerous minimum wage jobs he had to work while thinking about living in a world that didn't need people to work in mindless tasks and instead have them work towards improving society.

"At least we do not need to live in these conditions if we did not care to. We could always go to our actual home, and enjoy life there." Queen muttered after she argued with Helania.

"Wait...," Han said after hearing what Queen had said. Queen's words made him think back to the night he met Hannah.

All of them looked at Han, wondering what was wrong. Before Helania could ask, Han whispered, "I am going to create a city."

----

He tapped his finger on the marble desk, impatient about having to wait for the others to appear. "What is taking so damn long!" He yelled in frustration at his assistant.

"They should be arriving at any moment, sir," the attendant responded, sounding like they were used to these outbursts.

The man looked at the ring of magic mirrors that were set up in a horseshoe formation. Instead of seeing his reflections, each one appeared to reflect the image of an endless void.

"I hate staring at those damn things," The man muttered. "Whenever, I wake up in the middle of the night... Keep thinking something is crawling out of those things. I should just shatter those damn mirrors!" He cursed, thinking of the night before where he heard the sounds of something crawling about.

One by one, each of the mirrors showed a glowing red number.

"Took you, people, long enough," The man hissed at the mirrors.

"There is no need to be so snippy, Fourteen." The voice with the number one on it remarked.

"Well, some of us are busy people, who do not have the luxury to wait for everyone to appear at a PREARRANGED meeting." He emphasized the fact that there was a set time for them to meet.

"Someone did not have their meal for the day." A feminine voice giggled, sounding amused at his anger.

"Let us just move on to the topic at hand, shall we?" A gruff voice asked the group.

"Agreed. Fourteen, what is the status at your location? Have you been successful?" Number One asked.

Grumbling, he said, "We are seeing some success at recruiting students, though many of them are not promising when looking at their fighting abilities."

Giggling at the news, a sultry voice mused, "Sounds like things are not going as well as you make it sound like?" It seemed to delight at his struggles.

"Shut your mouth, you whore!" Fourteen yelled at the voice.

"Calm down, Fourteen. Nine, you need to stop antagonizing him," A man's voice said, sounding exasperated.

"I can not help it. He makes it so easy, especially with his failures." Nine attempted to sound innocent.

"Nine, do you have anything to report on your side?" One asked, ignoring the usual spat between Fourteen and Nine.

Sounding smug, Nine responded, "Yes. The elves are nearing completion of their weapon. When the weapon is complete, they will be able to better defend themselves against the Overflow."

"I knew that we should have wiped them out when we had the chance." A woman snarled.

"You know as well as all of us that it was not possible for us to do that." A different male voice answered.

They continued, "Based on our influences and resources available, we would have turned suspicions towards us if we forced the issue. The excuse we gave would only work to give us a chance to assassinate several of their key figures." Sounding cold and logical in his analysis.

"Five is right. Declaring war on the Elf Kingdom would not have been possible, and only bring in more questions." One agreed. "Nine, is there any way that you would be able to prevent this from occurring?" He asked her.

"The Queen seems to be highly suspicious, so access to the weapon has been restricted. I am working on getting an agent into the project, but I do not believe that he will be able to make it on time." Nine said, sounding annoyed.

"This is a problem. Nine, I want you to work with Eleven and try to figure something out. Fourteen, you will be receiving some assistance from one of our agents there, so make sure you complete the tasks that we assigned to you." One stated. "Remember what we are doing this for, the cycle can not be broken."

One by one, each of the mirrors returned to their original appearance, letting him know that they had ended their connection.

"Damn that man," Fourteen snarled, clenching his fists. Who was he to make some lowly agent babysit him?

-----

Han sat in his study, thinking about how he was going to proceed. Lacking experience in city development and planning, Han was feeling a little lost.

First, he would need to find where his city would be located.

Bringing up a map of this continent, he looked at where he was currently. His stronghold was located north of the Kingdom, near the Empire.

This wasn't a good place to have a city built, due to it leaving him vulnerable to multiple fronts. Even if they weren't able to break past his defenses, he didn't like the idea of dealing with mosquitos buzzing around.

South of the Kingdom, there was a vast desert taking up a lot of the continent. Looking at this area, it was an ideal location for what he had planned.

By having it inside of the desert, the ability for other kingdoms to interfere with the daily activities would be significantly limited. Invading a city inside a desert would be a logistical nightmare.

Gathering up his companions, he had Helania transport all of them to where he wished to establish his city.

In moments, they were standing on top of a dune and surrounded by sand, as far as the eye could see. The sun was blasting them with heat and would have made any average person be in danger of sun exposure.

"Being in a desert, this place is going to need water," Han said.

Opening up a screen, Han looked at the landscape as if he was using a satellite. "Let us see if there are any natural water sources." he murmured.

The map was speckled with various shades of blue, based on the naturally existing groundwater. From what the system was showing, there wasn't a large enough source of water, which would be an issue.

"That sucks. Just this amount is definitely insufficient for my needs," Han muttered.

Thinking about it for a moment, Han said, "Let us add some water into the ground."

Pointing to the area in front of him, Han began setting up the area to be the ideal placement of an aquifer.

From what he remembered in high school, an aquifer was created using water-bearing permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials.

Highlighting a part of the landscape, Han made a slicing motion on the map to get a cross-section of the land. Bringing up a menu, he selected some clay and created a barrier to hold the aquifer.

Chuckling, Han said, "It feels like one of those games where you create a city."

Selecting the necessary rocks, gravel, sand, and silt to house all the water, Han used his finger and filled up the area.

In front of him, the desert warped and altered itself to match the image on the screen. Massive amounts of sand were sucked into oblivion with some unseen force keeping the hole from filling in.

As if a hose was used, clay began lining the inside of the hole and smoothed to an unnatural degree. The appearance was similar to what would be seen if professionals smoothed out the clay.

Finally, rocks and other raw materials popped into existence, making a loud noise as it all settled on the clay.

Several holes appeared and water began spraying out, looking like waterfalls.

Han felt nice, feeling the mist from the water as it filled up his work. Looking at each of his creations, they had a sensual layer of mist sprayed on their skin. It gave thoughts of enjoying them inside of a tropical pool after he was finished.

Seeing all the water, Han had an idea. "If I modify the stones to have a cleansing effect on the water, then the city will never have to worry about any pollution."

Feeling mana being pulled from his body, Han pointed a finger at the rocks and fired off a blast of mana. When it hit the aquifer, there was a cascading effect flowing throughout it.

Even if they were to pour gallons and gallons of toxic chemicals, the water would still stay pure.

Once the process was completed, Han covered it up and pushed it deeper into the ground.

"Considering how large this thing is going to be, I am going to have to make sure the city is resting on something solid. I do not need this city sinking into the sand, like some mythical city." Han looked seriously at the area.

Taking into account how they were in a desert and not wanting to impede the natural flow of sand, Han imagined a series of honeycomb looking structures radiating beneath where the city was going to be located.

Each of the holes in the crystal looking structure were massive to allow animals and sand to easily flow. It also wrapped around the aquifer below it, to secure it from sinking.

Han could feel the structure digging through the ground, going miles into the sand until it finally hit a granite-like layer.

On top of the ground, he placed a giant slab of concrete on top. With some forward-thinking, the concrete would have bacillus bacteria and calcium lactate inside of it, so if any cracks appeared and water leaked in the bacteria would excrete limestone. The limestone would fill the gaps and the concrete would self-heal.

"It looks magnificent," Brittany said to him after the concrete was placed on top.

"The size could rival any of the cities where Master originated from," Helania said.

Grasping his hands behind his back, Han looked at the concrete slab. "There is nothing in this world that can rival what I have just created." He smiled at his accomplishment.

"Having such a large foundation will allow the city to grow, without needing any modifications," Helania commented.

Nodding her head, Anacolis said, "Agreed. Such size will be able to support healthy population growth."

"In this world, people have to worry about the Overflow. If we are going to build a city to support a large population, it would not do to leave them unprotected." Han said.

Raising both hands, Han compelled the mana to begin flowing out of him. On the edges of the concrete slab, a wall thicker than five hundred feet (152 meters) grew high into the air.

"It does not matter how thick the wall is if a monster can just crash through it," Han said. "Being in the desert makes me imagine a large sand warm plowing through everything." He chuckled.

Anacolis's eyebrows rose, hearing Han's words. "Master, would you like us to check if such creatures live inside of this desert?"

Concentrating on what he was doing, Han absentmindedly answered, "Do not concern yourself with such things. With how strong I am going to make this wall, even a thousand of them would not be able to make a dent."

"It is only expected of our Master," Queen said. Though her face made it look like she was disappointed.

As the walls were finished and properly reinforced, Han thought of ancient cities like Troy, famous for its impregnable wall. Even the wall surrounding the City of London came to mind, even though it was mostly gone due to the passage of time.

Thinking of the City of London and how it was a major economic and financial powerhouse made Han grin. "This city will be like a beacon of power to all in this world, forever making people look in its direction."

"Now... I should also include protections not see on Earth to this wall," Han said.

Slowly crawling over the wall, a shimmering substance began to cover the entirety of his work. Once it completely covered the wall, the substance flashed and merged with the structure.

"Now it is immune to magical and physical attacks," Han clapped his hands together.

"Try destroying those walls!" He yelled out happily, imagining armies crashing against the walls like the sea against a rocky shore.

"It is magnificent, Master!" Brittany spoke up, congratulating him.

"Yes, no human army will ever be able to tear them down. It is truly a great symbol for our Creator." Helania clapped.

His other creations also congratulated him on his work.

Now he would need to create entrances into the city. Instead of the usual method, where people can go straight through the walls, Han thought it would be better to be creative about this.

Imagining the edge of an arrowhead, Han made it so that the entrance was forty-five degrees tilted compared to outside the wall. The hallway would continue until it was halfway into the wall before making a reflection of itself to the other side.

If looked from the top, the entrance looked like a circumflex accent.

In his mind, Han imagined what would happen. "Normally, armies would use their mass to forcefully open a door. But my opening gets rid of that advantage. Any force applied to the entrance will hit it at an angle."

If an army broke through the gate, those inside of the wall could push out a solid slab of concrete at the top of the circumflex. He didn't think this would likely happen, but maybe it would be fun allowing an army to get that far.

"Master, with how the entrance is set up, will it not be difficult for wagons to enter the city?" Brittany asked.

In front of him, Han made a large screen appear as if it were a presentation. On the screen was a top view of the entrance.

Pointing at the display, Han said, "If left alone, then there would be an issue of not allowing wagons to turn." He then magnified the middle which had a cylinder. "Wagons will enter this cylinder and it will turn to orient the wagons to the new direction."

Queen gasped and said, "This cylinder also prevents armies from entering the city if it were positioned correctly."

"Exactly!" Han pointed to Queen. "The doors to the city was only to help control the flow."

Highlighting two narrow passage right before the cylinder, Han said, "This will be used by those that do not have a vehicle. Each passage will be one-directional and only allow a couple of people to walk side by side. With how narrow the passage is, all the city needs to do is use metal gates."

Looking at the city, the walls formed a giant pentagon with each face having an entrance for people to enter.

"Since this will be our home, let me bring The Stronghold here," Han said. Holding out a hand and making a pulling motion, The Stronghold popped into existence at the center of the city.

"Master, you need to work on your transporting skills," Minatoria commented sounding groggy.

Han raised an eyebrow from her comment. "Was anything damaged?" He asked.

"There was just a slight vibration," she answered.

"It seems like my transportation skills need to be work on," Han said to his creations. "Minatoria informed me that there was a vibration during the process."

Hearing Han, Helania had a strange look on her face. "Minatoria, stop sleeping and get to work!" She yelled at Minatoria.

"That woman is always trying to get out of work," Queen sighed in frustration.

Finding out about Minatoria's habits, Han tried to defend her, "I am sure that Minatoria was up late and that is why she was still asleep."

"Master, you need to properly discipline her. This is not the first time she has been shirking off her duties, leaving her underlings to pick up the slack." Queen said.

Once again, Han thought it intriguing how each one of them developed their habits. He wasn't aware of Minatoria's behavior but found it to be amusing and adorable. It was like having a lazy younger sibling.

Now it was time to fill the city with stuff, cause at this point it was just the foundation, walls, and stronghold.

Picturing the city as five triangles, Han began labeling each of the triangles with a name on a map of the city. "Each of these sectors will have their unique purpose," Han talked to himself.

"If you are going to have a city, then it needs to have food for the population," Han said as he wrote in "Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources" into the triangle.

"Will there be enough farmland to support such a population?" He thought to himself. Snapping his fingers, Han willed several gates to appear.

Seeing the gates, Han said, "Since I want this city to be self-sufficient, these gates will provide everything needed in terms of food and agriculture."

Before they were able to ask him what he meant, Han felt a large amount of mana rush out of him. It was beyond anything he had experienced in the past, feeling sweat beginning to form due to the exertion.

One of the gates lit up and in the center, a liquid metal type substance was seen.

"And there!" Han grunted.

The mercury looking surface in the gate flashed, replacing it with the image of an endless field with various domesticated land animals.

Brittany went to his side, mopping up the sweat on his brow. "Master, what happened?"

"Instead of having precious space taken up with animals, I created an entire world just for land animals. Inside the world is various plants and creatures to be consumed by the animals." Han explained.

His creations were silent, hearing what he had accomplished.

Helania tried to say something but stopped. After seeming to overcome her thoughts, she said, "Master... I knew your powers were great..."

"To imagine you just created an entire world," Queen finished. She looked equally stunned by the idea.

Both Jungle Sisters were silent, looking in awe at Han.

Cracking his knuckles, Han said, "Now time for the other worlds."

-------

An hour passed by, as Han created a world for aquatic animals. It was a world split into fresh and saltwater, a strip of land dividing up the two bodies of water. It took him a little time to create the ideal condition for each half.

Another world was created for agricultural purposes, with a variety of soils and climates to help different fruits and vegetables to grow.

Each of the worlds had their seasons and celestial bodies, allowing for days and nights. The only difference was with the agricultural world that was optimized for plant life to grow.

Outside of the gates, Han created several different buildings that would handle the processing of different raw materials. Each world had valuable resources available that could be exported, such as the skin of some fish that would be useful for burn victims.

In his mind, he imagined the worlds he created providing for numerous other worlds. Each world would have his company, which would dominate the local markets.

Han also created worlds that were purely dedicated to certain resources and the processing of those resources. Things like trees, coal, mana stones, and much more.

The nice thing about doing this way is that most of the industrial byproducts wouldn't leak into the current world. If needed he could always destroy those dimensions.

Moving on to another section, he made this one be dedicated to education. Considering his background, Han understood the importance of an educated society.

He created buildings that would be for K-12 and a university campus. At first, these buildings would be empty, but knowing that there would be people coming into the city, Han factored in the growth of students.

For this area, he would create teachers to help the kids and adults through the full education program. Compared to teachers on Earth, his creations would have stronger analytical skills and greater comprehension of the material.

The next section would be dedicated to businesses, so there would be restaurants, stores, and places for innovation. Since he didn't know what type of things would appear in these areas, Han decided to leave this area open.

"To encourage the development of businesses, there will need to be a framework to walk new entrepreneurs through the process," Han said.

Just like with the educational district, Han would create people who knew about creating a successful business, such as connecting with consumers and marketing their wares.

Thinking of what he was creating, Han wondered, "A society that freely encourages the development of businesses, where owners can experiment with their ideas, could lead to major impacts. I am curious as to what this city will look like and how the global market will react."

To have a place for people to stay in, Han had the next section be dedicated to housing. Instead of having houses that would take up a lot of space, and be useful for only a few people, Han placed several buildings that looked like apartments.

For those visiting the city, some hotels were created. The hotels were made to look very elegant and fancy, like some of the higher end hotels on Earth.

For the last section, it was used for outdoors social living. This area was designed to allow the residents of the city to enjoy nature. Recreational areas, like parks, were created in addition to mountains and rivers. People would be able to do mountain climbing, fishing, rafting, and a variety of other outdoor activities.

To help not make the city look so monochromatic, he placed trees and grassy areas throughout the city.

Transporting all of them to the center of the city, Han noticed the walls. "Well... Those look distracting," He remarked. It reminded him of a certain cartoon. "Instead of feeling isolated from the world, how about we change things."

The walls soon vanished and showed the surrounding desert. "Now people will not feel as restricted, though the illusion will vanish as a person gets closer to the wall."

Enjoying how the city looked, he needed to figure out how to attract people to come to his city. No matter how great it was, if there were no residents, then it was pointless.

Hearing inside The Stronghold and entering his throne room, he spent several hours sitting on top of his throne, thinking about how to solve this problem.