Ryan finished packing the last of his supplies when another thought suddenly crossed his mind.
He paused beside the kitchen counter.
"By the way…"
He glanced toward the floating interface that only he could see.
"What does my skill actually do?"
Iris answered immediately.
[If you want more details about your abilities, simply focus on the skill in your status screen.]
Ryan nodded.
"Status."
The familiar red interface appeared before him.
[Host: Ryan Hale]
Age: 25Race: Human
Rank: Lower-EarthLevel: 2
Strength: 22Agility: 12Vitality: 12Intelligence: 20
Skills:Absorption (Mid-Earth)
Ryan narrowed his eyes and focused on the skill.
The moment he did, a new screen appeared.
[Absorption — Mid-Earth Rank]
Passive Skill
Allows the host to absorb a percentage of stat points from enemies slain.
Also increases the host's natural absorption of ambient mana.
Skill Effects:
• Stat absorption from defeated enemies — 5%• Increased natural mana absorption — 10%
Note: This skill does not increase maximum mana capacity.
Ryan leaned back slightly.
"This… could be very useful."
Iris sounded pleased.
[It allows you to grow stronger with every enemy you defeat.]
Ryan nodded while stuffing the last of his supplies into a backpack.
"So the more enemies I kill… the stronger my body becomes."
[Correct.]
[However, it will not increase your level.]
Ryan raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?"
[Because it strengthens your physical attributes, not your mana capacity.]
Ryan hummed thoughtfully.
Still…
In a world about to be overrun with monsters…
That skill was extremely valuable.
Ryan zipped the backpack closed.
"By the way…"
He glanced toward the ceiling.
"In my previous life there were people who could wield mana like magic."
"Fire. Lightning. Ice."
"I never figured out how they did it."
Iris answered calmly.
[Those abilities were likely skills granted during their Awakening.]
[They are tied to elemental affinities.]
Ryan leaned against the counter.
"So if I didn't awaken with one of those skills…"
"I can't use magic?"
[You can.]
Ryan blinked.
"You can?"
[Every living being has at least one elemental affinity.]
[You simply need to discover yours.]
Ryan crossed his arms.
"And how exactly do I do that?"
[It is actually quite simple.]
She paused briefly.
[But that lesson can wait.]
Ryan frowned slightly.
"Why?"
Iris answered bluntly.
[Because you are about to be late for work.]
Ryan turned toward the clock.
11:30 AM.
His eyes widened.
"Shit!"
Ryan immediately began scrambling around the apartment.
He had far too many supplies to carry normally.
Two backpacks were already completely full.
"I can't possibly fit everything in my car…"
Iris spoke again.
Casually.
[You know… with your current mana capacity, I can create a pocket dimension for you.]
Ryan froze.
Then slowly turned his head.
"...You can what?"
[A pocket dimension.]
[A storage space connected directly to your soul.]
Ryan's eyes lit up.
"Seriously?"
"How big?"
[The size corresponds to the range of my space-time abilities.]
Ryan frowned slightly.
"And that is?"
[Currently two hundred miles.]
Ryan blinked.
"Two hundred miles?"
Iris sounded smug.
[Your mana capacity increased.]
Ryan quickly did the math.
"So basically…"
He pointed at the interface.
"For every point of mana I have…"
"You gain one mile of range?"
[Correct.]
Ryan couldn't stop the grin spreading across his face.
"That's ridiculous."
Iris sounded proud.
[Naturally.]
Ryan glanced around the apartment.
"So I can store anything inside?"
[Anything without a soul.]
Ryan tilted his head.
"Without a soul?"
[Living beings cannot enter the pocket dimension.]
She paused.
[At least… not yet.]
Ryan's eyes sharpened.
"Meaning?"
[Once you reach the High-Sky rank, that restriction disappears.]
Ryan let out a whistle.
"So eventually I could create a world inside my pocket dimension?"
[In theory… yes.]
Ryan laughed.
"That is insanely useful."
[Obviously.]
Ryan rubbed his hands together.
"So how do I access it?"
Iris explained.
[The pocket dimension is connected to your soul.]
[If you concentrate, you should feel a link.]
Ryan closed his eyes.
For a few seconds nothing happened.
Then—
He felt it.
A thin thread of connection.
Like a string stretching from his soul into empty space.
Ryan followed it.
Instantly his awareness shifted.
A vast empty space appeared in his mind.
Endless darkness.
No sky.
No ground.
Nothing.
"I found it," Ryan said quietly.
"It's… pretty bleak."
[You don't currently have enough mana to sustain an environment.]
Ryan nodded slowly.
"Will my Clearleaf plants survive in there?"
[Yes.]
[Time is locked inside the pocket dimension.]
Ryan blinked.
"A time lock?"
[Objects inside neither decay nor grow.]
Ryan's eyebrows rose.
"So what's the time difference?"
[You can adjust that in the future.]
[Currently… one day outside equals one year inside.]
Ryan burst out laughing.
"That is insanely broken."
One by one he began storing everything.
Backpacks.
Food supplies.
Radios.
His portable stove.
Even his bed disappeared into the pocket dimension.
Within minutes the apartment was completely empty.
Ryan looked around the bare room.
"This is going to make survival a lot easier."
He grabbed his car keys.
Then took one final look at the apartment.
The place where his old life had ended.
Without hesitation he walked out the door.
***
Far away.
In another dimension.
A massive mansion stood in endless darkness.
Inside a luxurious bedroom, Iris lay across an enormous four-poster bed.
A glowing blue screen hovered in front of her golden eyes.
Ryan driving toward the city was displayed on it.
She sighed softly.
"It's been almost two thousand years…"
Her voice barely echoed in the empty room.
"I know I promised I wouldn't interfere."
Her fingers brushed the glowing screen.
"But how long was I supposed to wait?"
The screen vanished.
Yet her connection to Ryan remained.
In the next instant she appeared beside a massive window overlooking the void.
In the distance, a glowing blue barrier stretched across the darkness.
Two hundred miles wide.
Her domain.
"It shouldn't be much longer now…"
Her voice softened.
"He'll grow strong enough soon."
Her whisper faded into silence.
***
Ryan's car rolled into the parking lot twenty minutes later.
He stepped out.
The office building towered above him.
The same place where his previous life had begun to collapse.
But this time…
Everything was different.
Ryan straightened his jacket.
His posture was calm.
Confident.
A faint smile rested on his lips.
There was no hesitation in his steps as he walked toward the entrance.
And so it begins.