Player Chapter 13. Pocket Dimension
He walked toward the window, peeking through the curtains slightly. Courtyard below. Two guards. Lantern patrol. No suspicious movement.
"The narration is wrong," he murmured. "The game logic doesn't add up."
[Clarify.]
"Four heroes," he continued quietly. "No Blessing. No healer. Rushed to the tower because of a kidnapping. That's sloppy writing."
[Perhaps it is not writing.]
He frowned slightly.
"Wait a second…"
His eyes narrowed.
"Astrea promised me a kill condition to manipulate game narration," he said slowly. "Why haven't I received anything?"
Silence.
Then.
[Access to Narrative Manipulation requires higher Transmigrator Rank.]
He stared into nothing for a moment.
"You're kidding."
[I do not joke, sir.]
He rubbed his temple lightly. "So I need to grind before I can rewrite plot armor mechanics?"
[Correct.]
He exhaled through his nose. "Fine."
His gaze returned to the mattress.
Sleeping here?
Absolutely not.
He straightened. "Pocket Dimension."
The air around him shimmered.
Reality folded inward with a soft, soundless ripple.
The temple room faded like mist.
And he stepped through.
[Entering Pocket Dimension.]
[Access Restricted.]
[No external observation permitted.]
The shift felt clean. Crisp. Like stepping into climate-controlled reality.
He inhaled.
And almost laughed.
Now this was a room.
Not grand. Not luxurious. But modern. Clean lines. Warm lighting. The faint hum of something electrical that didn't exist in this medieval world.
One-bedroom apartment size. Small kitchen to the left. Compact living area with sofa and low coffee table. A kitchenette counter with complimentary tea sachets like a hotel trying to pretend it was five-star.
Bedroom tucked in the corner. Bathroom door slightly ajar.
It smelled neutral. Like new furniture and faint detergent.
"Yes," he muttered reverently. "This is civilization."
He walked forward slowly, boots tapping against modern flooring.
"You're telling me I have access to this the whole time?"
[It was listed under Legendary Skill.]
"You could've emphasized that."
[I assumed you read.]
He rolled his eyes. "You're definitely reminding me of my butler."
[I aim for professional excellence.]
He chuckled softly and dropped his gauntlets onto the coffee table. The sound felt comforting here. Not echoing.
He removed his boots again, this time genuinely relaxed.
He walked to the kitchen counter and stared at his inventory list mentally.
-5X Bread
-2X Raw Meat
-3X Low Healing Potion
-2X Low Mana Potion
-155 Coins
"One hundred fifty-five coins," he muttered. "That's poverty."
He leaned against the counter.
He had wanted to buy something at the market earlier. Warm stew. Maybe roasted chicken. But every coin right now was strategic capital. Equipment upgrades. Information bribes.
Food?
Temporary solution.
"Fine," he sighed. "Survival mode."
He pulled out bread first. Basic loaf. He sliced it. Toasted it lightly.
The smell changed instantly. Warm. Crisp.
Better.
Then meat.
He sliced it thinly. Grilled it carefully. Light char. Minimal seasoning, just salt and pepper, the only thing he found on the kitchen counter. Not even barbeque sauce.
It wasn't Michelin-star.
But it wasn't dungeon rations either.
He assembled the sandwich slowly. Meat layered between toasted slices.
He took a bite.
Chewed.
Closed his eyes.
"Oh yeah," he exhaled quietly. "That hits the spot."
The warmth spread through his chest. Not just physical hunger easing. Mental tension loosening.
For a second, he allowed himself to just exist.
He swallowed.
"I wonder if I can upgrade this place."
[Upgradeable Room Expansions Available Upon Rank Advancement and Mission Accomplishment.]
The display flickered before him.
[Upgradeable Room Expansions]
[Hall]
[Armory]
[Vault Room]
[Library]
[Strategy Room]
[Training Arena]
[Magic Laboratory]
[Shop]
[Storage Vaults]
[Training Room]
[Crafting Room]
[You can also add more bedrooms]
His grin spread slowly. "That's what I'm talking about."
A strategy room. Training arena. Vault.
He could build his own raid HQ. His own neutral ground.
His thoughts drifted back to Elena.
Her expression when he exposed the ward.
Shock. Yes. But also relief.
She had been carrying doubt alone.
He took another bite thoughtfully.
She's not naive.
She's conditioned.
There's a difference.
She believed in protection. In peace.
He wondered if she was also a transmigrator, but she had accepted a flawed structure because that was her role. It was so NPC like.
He leaned back against the counter.
And she trusts too easily.
Or maybe she's just desperate.
He frowned slightly.
No. Not desperate. Determined.
That distinction mattered.
He wiped his hands and walked toward the sofa, sitting down heavily.
The cushion dipped comfortably.
"This game is broken," he muttered.
[Clarify.]
Riven leaned back deeper into the sofa, one arm draped lazily over the backrest, staring at the ceiling like it personally owed him an explanation. The modern LED light above hummed faintly, soft and civilized, completely out of place in a medieval war narrative. He liked that. It felt like a middle finger to the setting.
"Anyway," he said casually, "are you done with the mapping?"
A faint interface shimmered in the corner of his vision.
[Mapping complete: Light Temple interior 63% accessible zones.]
[Dawn Haven 41% open-access mapping.]
[Restricted areas inaccessible without infiltration.]
"Only forty-one percent?" he clicked his tongue. "You're slacking."
[I am limited to open-access areas without triggering suspicion, sir.]
He smirked faintly. "Fair."
He walked toward the small kitchen sink, rinsing the plate with efficient movements. He wasn't messy. Never had been. Discipline translated across worlds just fine.
"What's nearby for leveling?" he asked. "Something not suicidal."
A list appeared cleanly before him.
[Nearby Monster Zones (Dawn Haven Perimeter)]
[Sunfield Plains Level 8-12]
Wild Boars (Lv 9)
Thorn Wolves (Lv 10)
Marsh Spiders (Lv 11)
[Whispering Birch Forest Level 12-15]
Nightfang Lynx (Lv 13)
Hollow Treants (Lv 14)
Corrupted Sprites (Lv 15)
[Abandoned Watchtower Ruins Level 15-18]
Fallen Temple Knights (Lv 16)
Wraith Scouts (Lv 17)
Bone Archers (Lv 18)
He studied the list thoughtfully.
"Sunfield Plains is safe grind. Whispering Birch is mid-tier. Ruins are stretch."
[Correct.]
He rubbed his chin.
Level 10 currently. Stats high for level, but HP pool still dangerous if burst. He couldn't rely on Elara's healing every time. And definitely not Elena's.
He frowned slightly at that thought.
Not relying on her wasn't just tactical. It was necessary.
He didn't want to become someone she had to protect. That would shift power dynamics. He disliked power imbalance when it wasn't intentional.
"Sunfield first. We'll see if I can get newbie quests with decent reward," he decided. "Then Birch, if it's clean."
[Optimal path for efficient leveling.]
He nodded once. "Great. Then I'll take a rest after this. Hunt at dawn."
The word dawn lingered faintly in his mind. Dawn Haven. Symbolic.
He turned toward the bathroom.
The shower in the Pocket Dimension wasn't medieval nonsense. It worked like an actual shower. Water pressure decent. Temperature adjustable.
He finished quickly, drying off and changing into a simple set of dark loungewear. Comfortable. Practical.
Yeah, he just summoned them. Seems like he could get all the equipment he needed as long as it was basic tier.
He stepped into the bedroom section and paused at the edge of the bed.
Soft mattress. Proper support. Civilization approved.
He lay down slowly, one arm resting behind his head.
The ceiling here was plain. White.
"System."
[Yes, sir.]
"If I get assassinated in my sleep, I'm uninstalling you."
[I do not support assassination outcomes.]
"Good."
Then he fell asleep.