Pila led the way to the alchemy tower, chattering away tirelessly. He seemed worried that I might change my mind at any moment.

“The most important thing for alchemists is creativity. Skills and knowledge have already developed as far as they can. Now, we must use them to create something entirely novel that no one else has thought of—while other alchemists are tearing their hair out over these very problems!”

He puffed out his chest and lifted his chin high.

“My mind is overflowing with an endless spring of creativity! The only thing lacking is the funds to bring it to life.”

He seemed like a person with extremely high self-esteem. How many people could proudly boast of their excellence to others without any sense of shame? Having listened to various versions of his lament about being smart and skilled but lacking financial backing, we arrived at a tall building.

The Alchemy Tower was a bit different from what I had imagined. I had expected something like a majestic Tower of Babel soaring into the sky, but it was no taller than the 63 Building, just the height of a common high-rise apartment.

However, rather than being a balanced, straight tower, it had bulging protrusions like lumps here and there, and in places that seemed on the verge of collapse, massive, thick tree trunks wrapped around them like support beams.

“This is the Alchemy Tower of the 18th Terrarium. Security is tight, so not just anyone can enter.”

He was right. I was stopped at the entrance. At a semicircular desk reminiscent of a bank counter, many people were handling business with solemn expressions.

As I entered, the person closest looked up abruptly, his face twisting. At the same time, large men came to block my path. But when our biggest, Mesquite, stepped forward, I saw them hesitate and retreat.

Someone who had come out from the desk fussed loudly.

“Surely you don’t intend to start a fight in the Alchemy Tower? No combat is tolerated here!”

“Calm down! This elder is my sponsor! He was so impressed by my outstanding research that he willingly decided to support me! I must show him my research findings right this moment!”

I had just thought of making a simple investment to get a wasp, so when did I suddenly become a sponsor?

At Pila’s words, the desk employee looked me over carefully. It seemed like he was trying to gauge my abilities. I felt like I might be underestimated. It was the same kind of look I had felt during the auction for the administrative rights to the 28th Terrarium.

Although I had moved beyond a beginner’s look, I was still wearing a black robe that I didn’t mind getting dirty and was easy to move in. It probably didn’t make me look impressive enough—I mean, like someone with so much money that they could volunteer as a sponsor.

Here, my high rank as the administrative manager of the 28th Terrarium wasn’t immediately visible, and even flashy, strong dryads couldn’t serve as an absolute measure of wealth.

“To become a personal research sponsor for the 18th Terrarium Alchemy Tower, you must first make a donation to the Alchemy Tower itself. This is because the researcher belongs to the tower, which has long supported their research. The qualification to sponsor an individual researcher can only be obtained afterward.”

Troublesome. I know that if I stop sponsoring directly and only donate to the tower, that money will never go to Pila. Of course, a nominal small amount might reach her, but most of it will go to more skilled and higher-ranking researchers.

Then Pila whispered softly.

“Sir, please don’t take it too badly. It’s also a precaution to prevent someone from luring away the tower’s researchers with money.”

“Hmm… Very well. I’ll make the donation.”

The 18th Terrarium really is all about money everywhere. It’s no surprise they’re trying their hardest to squeeze it out of the administrative manager. If you become an administrative manager of an ordinary terrarium, I suppose you’d have to go this far just to cover the maintenance costs of the World Tree’s branches.

“Thank you. The diamonds you donate will be used wisely for the prosperity of both the Alchemy Tower and the terrarium.”

Those words gave me the feeling that the minimum donation amount would be quite high.

The employee went back to the desk professionally and brought a brochure. He flipped through the pages quickly and showed me the section related to donations.

[Guide to the Membership System of the 18th Terrarium Alchemy Tower of the World Tree]

Seed 1 – Monthly sponsorship of 10 diamonds

If maintained for 3 months or more, you can receive the following benefits.

(Access to the Alchemy Tower lounge; rank up after 12 months of maintenance)

The Alchemy Tower lounge seemed to refer to the spacious area visible right past the entrance. In other words, you’d have to sponsor 10 diamonds for 3 months just to gain entry to this tower. I had no intention of staying here for 3 months.

Seed 2 – Monthly sponsorship of 30 diamonds

If maintained for 3 months or more, you can receive the following accumulated benefits.

(Weekly delivery of the Alchemy Tower’s new product catalog; rank up after 12 months of maintenance)

…….

What I wanted wasn’t these trivial amounts and minor perks.

The membership tiers introduced in the brochure were very detailed and gradual. You had to flip through two or three pages at a time before seeing any worthwhile information.

“Oh, sir! Shouldn’t you look a bit more closely? The Alchemy Tower membership here is quite well-structured…”

Only when I passed Seed and reached the Sprout, Leaf, and Tree stages did I finally see things that caught my eye.

“Excuse me, but that section is usually reviewed when groups make sponsorships…”

The desk employee spoke in a tone tinged with concern.

Tree 1 – One-time sponsorship of 2000 diamonds

Thank you greatly for your significant contribution to the development of the Alchemy Tower.

Impressed by your pursuit of knowledge, all of the Alchemy Tower’s friendliness toward you increases.

(Eligible for VIP participation in the Alchemy Tower-hosted conferences, limited to a maximum of 2 designated sponsors, and granted access to all Alchemy Tower areas except restricted zones)

There were more Tree tiers later on, but this level felt about right. The phrase ‘All Alchemy Tower factions’ friendliness increases’ only appeared starting from the Tree tier.

This felt somewhat similar to a system in some game where donating to a church raises a character’s divine stats, or donating to heretics creates hostility with the church.

Boosting the Alchemy Tower’s friendliness seemed beneficial since I’d likely need to visit the 16th Terrarium’s Alchemy Tower on Wolfsbane’s business anyway, so it would kill two birds with one stone.

Pila looked surprised when she saw the membership tier I pointed at.

“How do I make the payment?”

The desk staff couldn’t answer my question right away. While they hesitated, the Elder got angry.

“2000 diamonds? Where else are you planning to waste all those diamonds?”

“Elder, how can you call it a waste? I’m willingly contributing to the Alchemy Tower’s development, helping to remove some of the obstacles that hinder the researchers in their pursuit of great knowledge. Only those who truly know understand how lonely and difficult that path is. If the people who should be hungry for knowledge end up hungry from starvation or life’s hardships, how can they produce good results? I have to do my best to help as much as I can.”

“Why are you talking like that?”

The Elder still looked suspicious, wondering if I was still under the influence of Cannabis’s power.

I was just roughly mimicking what the aging department head said in a drunken voice during a department dinner with the professors, explaining the scholarship system to the freshmen.

This was a large sum of money for an individual with no apparent connection to such matters to casually put forward, so I needed to set the tone a bit.

The effect was remarkable.

Everyone looked at me with moved expressions, as if thinking, ‘You’re someone who really knows what’s up?’ Pila was also repeatedly calling out “Oh sir!” with tears welling up in her eyes.

The large men who had tried to stop me now began to serve me reverently like bodyguards. Following the desk staff, I filled out the donation form and woke up my phone to put diamonds into the box I had seen in the orchard. Meanwhile, a staff member who quickly scanned the donation form handed me a small badge.

It was a tree-shaped gold badge. The number ‘1’, symbolizing ‘Tree Tier 1’, was embossed in the center of the tree. I brushed that part with my finger and looked at the phone screen; <Infinite Diamond> was already activated, and the dwarves were also staring at the badge in my hand.

[Master! Do you need diamonds?]

[Master! That’s not real gold! Buy shiny, expensive gold!]

[Master! Buy that and also buy real gold!]

The dwarves of <Infinite Dia> have already maxed out all enhancement elements in the game. Among them, the dwarves’ pickaxes were included, and among the good pickaxe types in the later stages, there was a golden pickaxe.

It’s questionable how gold, being softer than iron, could be a better pickaxe, but since it’s a game element, there’s no need to worry. It’s probably like magical gold. Anyway, thanks to that, our dwarves have come to know very well that gold is good.

Even if this was fake gold worth 2,000 diamonds, it meant nothing to the dwarves. When I asked them to prepare exactly 2,000 diamonds’ worth, they pointed at the badge and whispered among themselves.

Then they made a fuss, saying since number 1 costs 2,000 diamonds, buying something with a higher number would require more diamonds, so I should pick the biggest number. It was a miraculous calculation method.

“I’ll need it for something else later. Right now, I only need exactly 2,000 diamonds’ worth.”

This time, they kicked up a racket, claiming it wasn’t 2,000 diamonds because it was too small, and telling me to buy a bigger one. Oh, I have my reasons. If the diamond amount gets any bigger, Elder eyes will start shedding tears.

After finishing the donation, I headed to Pila’s lab. Pila looked at my badge and explained that if I wore it in a visible spot, alchemists who recognized it would sell their research products at a lower price. He particularly said that alchemists from the 18th Terrarium Alchemy Tower would treat me more favorably.

Since I didn’t plan on buying anything cheap, I just put it in my pocket. Wearing a yellow gold badge on a pitch-black robe seemed kind of tacky in terms of look…

Passing through a messy, cluttered hallway, among the doors packed close together like a one-room apartment, I found a lab with Pila’s name on it.

“Sir, this will be a choice you won’t regret!”

As Pila strained to open the shabby door, a space more chaotic than my room during a school break hermitting period was revealed.