HP: A Sociopath Gamer In Magic World [ Chapter 49: Doll Creation! ] (Patreon)

"Great. How much for the set?" I said taking off my top hat.

"15 Gallons for the set. For 25, I'll throw in a starter kit and enough material to craft your first 2 puppets."

Handing over the 25 gold coins I began to look around the shop, with the old man explaining what the different tools were used for. By the end, I had spent close to 50 Gallons on both the books and materials. I also got several dragon figurines to study.

"Well it was nice meeting you old man," I said, giving the jester marionette one last look, "I'll be sure to drop by for more material."

"I'll hold you to that," the old man said, waving his hand.

[Old-Man Marionette- Rank: Special

Description: A wooden doll brought to life by the Puppeteer Tom Little. Made out of Willow wood, this crafty puppet acts as the owner of the store.]

Back at the Leaky Cauldron I rented out a room so that I could absorb the skill books. With it being so densely packed with other wizards it also gave me a chance to practice a bit of magic as well. The ministry would ignore it since they would just assume it came from an adult wizard using magic nearby.

You've obtained the skill [Doll Creation]

[Doll Creation] (Active) LV 1 EXP: 0.00%

[Description: You specialize in the magical crafting of the race known as golems. You can breathe life into different materials to give them a form of quasi life. With enough practice you can program different orders into your dolls.

Effect: The doll's abilities will be based on the caster's stats and the material used. Using a soul stone will allow you to extend the time limit of the dolls.

Limit: 1

Cost: 1000 MP]

Finally! At long last I had a use for those Soul Stones I got from the zombie dungeon. I must have over 3,000 sitting in my inventory by now.

Christmas Eve:-

While everyone was asleep, I stood alert in my room, watching the clock tic closer to midnight.

[Special Holiday Quest: Christmas Royal

Have you been a good boy this year? Probably not, but that's no reason to frown. Rare and special prizes await you in this limited time battle royal.

Objective: Beat the 12 Days of Christmas Challenge.

Failure: None

Prizes vary.

Countdown: 3:15]

In the meantime, I went over my equipment.

First was my main weapon, the Elemental Rapier I had received as a prize for clearing the Mirror Dungeon. It was an elegant sword made entirely out of white silver with the protective handle shaped to look like a rose in full bloom.

The blade was 38 inches long with a width close to an inch. Near the handle were runic engravings that had the meaning for: Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Lightning, and Ice.

Next, I took out a handyman's belt and attached 5 pouches with easy access openings. The bags were filled with useful items that could be used in a pinch in case I was unable to use my Inventory.

The last of my equipment was a small metal lunchbox that was rattling. I attached it to my hip with the lid facing outward.

For today's event I had chosen to wear a white sweater and some loose pants for mobility, along with some army boots I had bought from a thrift shop. I had also fixed some of the armor from the Room of Requirements so in addition I had a leather vest over the sweater, a pair of iron shin guards and a single steel gauntlet on my left hand.

The right was left unprotected since it was the hand with the rapier, and therefore needed more dexterity, a thing that a gauntlet would only get in the way of.

As the countdown reaches zero, I felt myself growing tired all of sudden, and before I knew it, I was falling backwards on my bed.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying face down on a snow-covered ground. The roar of a crowd could be heard coming from all around me.

Turning myself over, I stared up at a grey snowy sky, which explained why my breath was now visable.

Getting to my feet I noticed that I was at the bottom of some type of arena that resembled that one colosseum found in Rome, only made out of ice.

The stand was filled with hundreds of spectators all cheering wildly. The audience however was far from normal as it was made out of a collection of snowmen, reindeers, yetis, and small people with green hats and pointed ears that could only be called elves.

What really caught my attention however was the man sitting in the place where the Emperor was usually expected to sit. He was wearing a lavish red cloak over a set of expensive looking clothes that wouldn't be out of place for a king, a crown of holly gently sitting on top of his snow-white hair. He was surprisingly clean shaven and fit, looking like a man in his mid-40s.

It was obvious who this was.

I didn't get a chance to wonder more as a new message appeared in front of me.

[You have chosen to undergo the trial known as the: 12 Days of Christmas. You have until sunrise to complete all 12 challenges. If you are unable to complete all 12 tasks or you deplete the last of your health, then it will be considered as a failed quest and you will be returned to your room immediately. Rest assured that you will not die if you lose all of your HP. Good Luck!]

That was all the warning I got as I received a new message telling me of danger before I jumped away from the growing shadow under me.