Honestly…
I thought it would be a lot harder.
Apparently, security isn't that tight.
I mean… who in their right mind would go around punching down trees in one of the most famous parks in the world?
…
A lunatic.
Yeah.
That checks out.
Still, I should probably be thankful for one thing—
I can just dig tunnels from one place to another.
Completely unnoticeable.
That's how I got in.
And out.
Like a ninja.
…
Unfortunately, I forgot about one small detail.
There are a lot of sewage pipes under the city.
…
Yeah.
Let's just pretend that part never happened.
After that, the trip back was pretty smooth.
All the way to my amazing, flawless, revolutionary…
Base.
Hidden behind trash.
…
It took longer than I expected.
I had to walk through quiet streets.
But, like they say…
This city never sleeps.
Lit-up buildings.
Calm houses.
Everything existing side by side.
Until, eventually…
I made it back to the outskirts.
The first thing I did when I got inside was set up a crafting table.
And voilà—
It was like a whole new world opened up.
A bunch of new recipes appeared.
Obviously, the most basic ones—
An axe.
And a pickaxe.
The most important tools right now.
When I finished crafting…
They appeared in my hands.
A wooden handle.
A sharpened stone head.
They felt… good.
Solid.
Maybe a bit inferior to something you'd buy in an actual store.
But still—
More than usable.
Does that make sense?
No.
But that's how it works.
With that done, I placed the crafting table and the furnace side by side.
No matter the world…
Those two always end up together.
— Tradition is tradition.
Then, I made charcoal.
And after that—
Torches.
Twelve in total.
With twenty-five blocks of wood still left over.
Not bad.
…
After that, I got back to work.
Digging.
Always digging.
I still don't fully understand how this system works…
But I'm hoping to find iron.
And more importantly…
Gold.
- - -
POV: Unknown
- - -
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The world.
Reality.
Time.
The very pillars of creation trembled.
No sound.
No warning.
No visible sign.
As if nothing had happened.
As if it were all just an illusion.
But someone who had lived far longer than they should have…
Knew.
It wasn't false.
It was real.
Something had arrived.
Something had changed.
Something… had happened.
And then—
Silence.
Everything returned to normal.
Calm.
Still.
As if the world itself was holding its breath.
…
I cannot allow whatever this is…
To affect my successor.
"Wong."
"Yes, Ancient One!"
I turned toward the doorway.
Wong was already there.
As punctual as ever.
"I have a mission for you."
…
The air grew heavy.
And for a brief moment—
Something beyond comprehension was watching.