The morning light spilled across the streets of Aeris City like melted gold. The air carried the faint scent of baked bread and dust the aroma of an ordinary day, hiding extraordinary change.
Ethan stood quietly in front of the old shop, his home for the past few weeks. The faded sign above the door swung lazily in the wind, its paint peeling, its wood cracked. Yet to him, it wasn't just a shop anymore. It was the beginning of something far greater.
"This place…" he murmured, eyes softening. "Let's make you mine."
Beside him stood Madam Lira, the landlord a sharp-featured woman in her forties with auburn hair pinned up like a crown and eyes that missed nothing. Her expression was a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.
"You've actually got the full amount?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Five hundred gold is no small sum, boy."
Ethan smiled faintly and held out a small pouch that jingled with quiet confidence. "Count it yourself."
Lira did, deft fingers flicking through the coins with practiced precision. Her eyes widened for a brief second before she masked it with a smirk. "Well, I'll be damned. Most tenants promise, few deliver. I'll admit, you surprised me."
"Glad I could exceed expectations," Ethan said dryly.
She handed him a thin silver card engraved with faint runes the Property Seal. It shimmered with a pulse of magic as it recognized his touch.
"Congratulations," she said, turning to leave. "You own this place now, Mr. Raphael. Try not to blow it up. I like my city intact."
"No promises," Ethan muttered as she disappeared around the corner.
The moment her footsteps faded, the system's voice hummed softly in his mind clear, mechanical, yet faintly proud.
[System Notification]
Property Purchased — "Unnamed Workshop."
Synchronizing with Host's Soul Signature…
Synchronization complete.
System Upgrade Unlocked: Shop of Creations.
The world shifted.
A soft tremor ran through the ground, followed by a faint ripple in the air. Golden lines etched themselves across the shop floor like veins of light, spreading outward until they reached every wall and surface.
The dusty shelves began to gleam. The cracked wood smoothed over. Even the faint smell of mildew vanished, replaced by a crisp, clean scent of ozone and raw mana.
Ethan took a slow step inside. "Oh… that's new."
At the center of the room, a soft golden orb floated above the counter, pulsing faintly with the rhythm of his heartbeat.
[Sub-space Integration complete.]
New Features Unlocked:
Auto-Repair (Passive)
Material Refinement (Active)
Energy Integration (Passive)
Dimensional Storage Core (Prototype) — Installed.
Ethan blinked. "Wait, I get all that just for buying a shop?"
[Affirmative. Domain Ownership recognized. Creation System integration successful.]
His heart pounded. He wasn't just a tenant anymore — he had a domain.
His own territory recognized by the world.
"System," he said softly, "show me everything."
A golden interface appeared, filled with symbols, diagrams, and glowing runes. For the first time, Ethan could feel the heartbeat of the place — his place — echoing through his veins.
[Roulette of Wonders — Activated.]
First Spin Available: Free
Ethan sighed. "You again. Last time I used you, I almost passed out from anxiety."
[Correction: Statistical excitement enhances user engagement.]
"So… gambling with fancy words."
[Affirmative, but efficient gambling.]
He rolled his eyes but smiled faintly. "Alright, fine. Let's see what luck thinks of me today."
The air shimmered. A massive, ethereal wheel appeared before him, each section gleaming with symbols — from mundane trinkets to glowing artifacts, even massive runic beasts.
The wheel began to spin.
Whirr…
Light flared, faster and faster, until the sound became a high-pitched hum.
Click!
A brilliant flash.
[Result: Rare Blueprint — Dimensional Storage Core (Prototype).]
A glowing scroll appeared, unfolding itself mid-air. Blue and gold lines danced across its surface, forming intricate runes that pulsed with life.
Ethan's eyes widened. "A dimensional storage? You're kidding."
[Affirmative. Function: Expands internal space infinitely. Capable of storing all non-living matter. Auto-sorting enabled.]
He laughed, genuine excitement bubbling up. "Auto-sorting?! You're telling me no more cleaning piles of junk?!"
[Affirmative.]
"Oh, you beautiful cosmic slot machine."
[Compliment registered.]
The blueprint dissolved into motes of light, seeping into the orb at the center of the room. Instantly, a soft hum filled the air deep and resonant, like the heartbeat of a slumbering god.
Then, a faint distortion appeared at the back of the shop — a glowing white doorway. Ethan stepped closer and gasped.
Rows of shelves floated in an endless white expanse, stretching far beyond sight. They were pristine, perfectly arranged, waiting to be filled.
"This is…" He took a breath. "This is insane."
[Dimensional Storage Core installation complete.]
[Warning: Energy cost 5 Creation Points per hour.]
"Right. Of course, there's rent," he muttered. "Even the universe wants payment."
He stepped back into the main shop, the glow from the doorway fading behind him. The room was alive now the walls gently pulsed with golden veins of mana, and his every breath seemed to sync with the rhythm of the shop itself.
"Alright, let's see what this baby can do," he said, rubbing his hands together.
He pulled out a small, cracked beast core from his pouch a leftover from his early days in Aeris City. It was dull now, almost lifeless.
"System, refine this," he commanded.
[Command accepted.]
[Activating Material Refinement.]
The air shimmered as the core floated up. Golden runes wrapped around it, spinning faster and faster until the faint, grey energy within the core began to glow. The impurities burned away, dissolving into light, leaving behind a smaller but far more concentrated gem of energy.
[Refinement Complete: F-rank Beast Core → D-rank Essence Core.]
Ethan caught it as it floated down, eyes wide. The crystal pulsed softly, vibrant and alive.
"Holy—this thing's worth at least twenty silver!"
[Accurate. Market value: 23.4 silver.]
He grinned. "And it only took a few seconds. This… this changes everything."
The system hummed softly.
[Additional note: Material Refinement efficiency will improve with domain upgrades.]
Ethan set the refined core on the counter, thinking. "So if I refine, craft, and sell… I could build a network. A business. Maybe even"
His mind paused, an idea forming.
"System, can this shop eventually connect to other worlds?"
There was a moment of silence, then:
[Theoretically… yes. Upon reaching Domain Level 5, spatial commerce becomes possible.]
Ethan's breath caught. "Interdimensional trade?"
[Affirmative. But at present, host is far too weak.]
He grinned anyway, eyes gleaming with determination. "Then I'll get strong enough."
The system pulsed faintly, almost approvingly.
He turned, glancing around the shimmering workshop — the heartbeat of his new domain echoing in his chest.
For the first time, Ethan felt grounded.
For the first time, the world felt manageable.
He walked to the counter, placed a hand over the golden orb, and whispered, "Welcome home, partner."
The orb pulsed once, in response.
[Domain fully synchronized.]
[Title unlocked: Lord of the Workshop.]
[Shop of Creations — Level 1. Status: Active.]
The golden veins running across the floor glowed brighter for a heartbeat, then dimmed. The entire space exhaled softly, like a living creature settling into peace.
Ethan took a long breath and smiled.
He finally had something that was his not borrowed, not temporary, not bound by luck.
His own world. His own forge.
The first foundation of the destiny he'd build.