The revelation that Ashoka, the monk, could communicate and observe through the medallion didn't leave Joel at all happy. He had to hear Nana confirm that the monk actually remained most of the time in a kind of meditative trance, which at least guaranteed him some degree of privacy. With this minimal assurance, and the fact that Ashoka immediately decided to return to his meditation, Joel placed the medallion back around his neck.

  Joel reluctantly accepted that carrying the monk would be the price for using such a useful artifact. Ashoka assured him that he had no intention of spying on his life and would always be available to help him whenever he needed it, especially in spiritual matters. All he had to do was call him and he would wake up from his meditation.

  Only then did Joel proceed to resume what he had planned with Nana. He knelt in front of the bag and began to take out the items he had reserved for her.

  The first was a small, clear glass bottle. Inside lay the blood of a dimension walker: Leo, the leader of the Cult of Midnight. Obtaining it had cost him a rather large favor that he would have to repay the mage in the future, and the simple fact that it was in an obvious state of decomposition fueled the latent anger he felt toward Ashoka.

  Nana didn't hesitate to absorb the entire bottle. The wood at her feet split open as if concealing a bottomless pit, and the object was swallowed with a thud. The result, however, was as expected: the blood had lost almost all of its power.

  Joel clicked his tongue in annoyance, but Nana spoke before he could vent his frustration.

  "We wouldn't have achieved much with this, even in good condition, except give me a little more strength. Analyzing the little magic that remained, I can confirm that a single quantity of blood is not enough to achieve what you want. What I need are complete bodies, or at least a significant portion of them. Only then could I assimilate their abilities.”

  Joel remained silent, processing her words, which immediately deciphered his intention for her to gain more useful abilities, specifically the abilities of a dimension walker. Confirming the need for complete bodies, and not mere fragments, revealed how difficult it was to follow a path like this.

  The second object Joel gave to Nana was the feather Ashoka had left him. It belonged to the Winged Titan, a type of beast of great power and feared by many, both within and outside Myrrial. At first glance, it looked like any other kind of feather, except for the blood that remained inside its hollow tip.

  "This will be interesting," Nana whispered with a hint of excitement.

  The wood of the room opened again, and the feather was slowly absorbed, as if the house itself needed to digest it carefully. The result was not long in coming. The walls creaked suddenly, and the floor vibrated so intensely that Joel lost his balance for a moment. The sensation was like an earthquake, as if the entire house were trying to shake off the weight of something invisible. Joel, his heart racing, instinctively reached for the medallion.

  "Nana!" he managed to exclaim, prepared for the worst.

  But the trembling stopped as quickly as it had begun. A thick silence spread throughout the house, finally broken by Nana's calm voice. "Calm down. It's nothing bad... although I admit I was also surprised by what happened. The feather was saturated with energy. An essence so pure that it was hard to absorb it all."

  Joel took a deep breath, trying to hide the trembling in his hands. “You made me think the house was going to collapse.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry,” Nana replied, though palpable pride permeated her tone. “But the profit justifies it.”

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  A strange warmth ran through the wood of the walls, as if the home itself were more alive than before. “According to my calculations,” Nana continued, “I should now be on the same level as a level-seven mage… or at least very, very close. The only way to verify this is to stand face to face with a mage of that magnitude.”

  Joel narrowed his eyes, silently assessing. The simple fact that the house had ascended to such power, with only the aid of a feather, meant that the winged titan truly possessed astonishing magical power. Common people say that such birds, and other similar beasts, are on the level of level-nine mages, and this event truly confirmed the veracity of those claims.

  While Nana hadn't gained any new abilities from the bird's feather, the fact that her strength had increased so significantly almost completely dissipated Joel's anger toward Ashoka. The frustration of having lost the Dimensional Walker's blood faded; after all, it wasn't unreasonable to think that he might seek out more powerful creatures in the future, and that the monk, with his knowledge, could guide him on how to obtain items similar to that feather.

  With his spirits lifted, Joel took out the third object: the staff he had obtained after defeating the general at Musall Manor. It was a peculiar artifact, made of blackened wood and carved with runes that seemed to pulsate, capable of amplifying its wielder's magic with brutal effectiveness and unleashing devastating, albeit focused, attacks. One of its unique features was the ability to lengthen or contract at the user's will, something that had made that general a fearsome opponent until his last breath.

  "Let's see what you can do with this," Joel said, handing it to the statue.

  Nana absorbed the staff without resistance, and for a moment everything remained calm. Joel almost thought it would be useless, but the answer came in clear words:

  “It didn't give me more power… although it did give me something different. Now the house is more flexible. I can change not only the shape of the walls and the floor, but also the furniture… even my statue-like body.”

  Joel raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “At what cost?”

  “A very High one. The energy it requires is enormous, much greater than any of my other abilities. It's not something I can use lightly, and it seems to be only temporary.”

  Joel nodded silently, considering the implications. The staff hadn't directly increased Nana's power level, but it had given the house a new ability, not very useful at first glance. Still, it was now clear that not only the blood or bodies of mages could strengthen the house, but also artifacts and magical creatures. Each piece obtained was a unique opportunity, and the range of possibilities had expanded.

  Joel tried his luck with other seemingly magical artifacts he had obtained both at Musall Mansion and on his long journey. However, none seemed to spark Nana's interest. She herself coldly warned him: absorbing them would provide no benefit; it would be a waste of energy and materials. That even included the shield Joel carried with him, a piece he thought was special and magical, but which turned out to be made of a rather strong material. At least it has a clear use in combat.

  Putting that frustration aside, Joel changed the subject and discussed with Nana the new plans he had in mind, this time focused on the education and training of the children now living under his care. Although the house had nothing directly to do with teaching, Joel needed to ensure adequate infrastructure to accommodate the ten new tenants, as well as any potential additions that might arrive in the future.

  Nana listened silently before responding. "Regarding my living core, I have certain limits… but it's still possible to accommodate rooms for several hundred people within the hidden shelter," he explained calmly. "This is thanks to my recent leveling increases and the constant experiments I've conducted with spatial magic."

  Joel seemed satisfied, but Nana added a warning: "However, you must be the one to create the rooms on the outside. Then I can absorb them and integrate them into my internal domains. Creating something from scratch is still impossible for me, as my abilities focus on controlling and modifying everything you have created. It seems to be some kind of rule or law that I cannot yet contradict."

  Joel nodded, a little confused by such a rule, and understanding that this was just one more challenge among the many he had to face. Although by now, building has become almost natural to him.

  Finally, he asked the statue what it thought about his body's new ability to regenerate, and whether it might benefit her by absorbing his blood or some part of him, such as his hair or skin.

  Nana, after a long silence, assured him that from her perspective, and using all her senses, she didn't detect anything out of the ordinary. She speculated that perhaps Joel's ability was linked to a different aspect of common magic, something beyond her understanding. She also confessed that her own instincts warned her not to dare consume anything that now came from Joel's body: it was like a veiled sign, a warning that something unpredictable could happen.

  That answer didn't entirely reassure Joel, clearly having to do with the fact that his body had undergone some sort of significant metaphysical change. He felt the need to consult with Ashoka, but the monk had just entered meditation, and decided not to disturb him at that moment.

  With his immediate matters dealt with by Nana, Joel decided to get to work immediately. The challenge before him was great: he had to set up the necessary infrastructure, plan a curriculum for the children, and obtain a large amount of materials, which included, of course, using his ability to summon from his dreams a wealth of advanced technology and study materials.

  And yet, far from feeling overwhelmed, Joel was motivated. So much so that a smile spread across his face as he imagined the future that awaited him... and what he might be able to achieve with the help of his future followers.