The system screen flickered again within the endless darkness, its white glow pulsing faintly like a mechanical heartbeat. For a brief moment, no words appeared, and Alex simply stared at it, his patience thinning as silence stretched longer than expected.
Then slowly—
New words formed.
[Host can return to his home.]
[However, the System must first upgrade to match Host capabilities.]
Alex froze.
His thoughts halted completely, locking onto a single word that echoed through his mind like a lifeline.
Home.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
His eyes remained fixed on the message, rereading it again and again as if afraid it might disappear. Then finally, the meaning settled deep within him, and something inside his chest loosened.
Relief.
A slow breath escaped his lips.
His shoulders relaxed, the tension fading slightly as calm replaced the lingering panic. None of the other things mattered anymore—not the system, not the strange world, not even the monster that had nearly killed him.
He could go back.
That was enough.
Without hesitation, Alex spoke.
"Then do whatever you need to do," he said quickly, his voice firm but filled with urgency. "Upgrade it, change it, I don't care… just send me back home."
The memory of the creature still lingered in his mind.
The way it chased him.
The way it smiled.
Every second here made him restless.
The screen responded instantly.
[Permission from Host received.]
Another message followed immediately.
[Accessing the negligible amount of Soul Power leaking from Host's sealed soul.]
[By Host's permission, Soul Power access has been granted.]
The moment those words appeared—
Something changed.
Tiny particles began drifting away from Alex's body, far too small to notice individually. They shimmered faintly in gold and crimson, like microscopic embers peeling away from his existence.
At the same time—
He felt it.
A strange sensation spread through him, subtle yet deeply unsettling. It wasn't just physical; it felt as though something buried within his very being was being gently pulled outward.
Alex frowned.
"What the hell is that…?"
The particles didn't remain for long.
The moment they appeared, they vanished instantly, swallowed by something unseen. An invisible force surrounded him, drawing everything into the floating screen with relentless efficiency.
The system was absorbing it.
Another message appeared.
[Upgrade in progress…]
[1%… 2%…]
Unlike before—
This process was slow.
Painfully slow.
[3%… 4%… 5%… 6%…]
Time passed gradually, each second stretching longer than it should. The numbers climbed at an agonizing pace, making the waiting feel heavier with every passing moment.
[18%… 26%… 33%…]
Alex crossed his arms, forcing himself to stay calm.
At first, he assumed it would finish quickly. But as minutes passed and the progress barely moved, irritation began creeping into his expression.
[47%… 55%… 63%…]
The higher it climbed, the slower it became.
Alex exhaled sharply, his patience wearing thin.
"Why is this taking so long…?"
The empty darkness around him only made it worse.
There was nothing to distract him, nothing to focus on except the slow, dragging numbers inching forward. The silence pressed against his mind, amplifying every second of waiting.
[71%… 78%… 84%…]
Alex rubbed his face tiredly, frustration settling deeper.
He hated this feeling.
Being forced to wait.
Being unable to do anything.
Eventually—
The final stretch began.
[87%… 88%… 89%…]
Alex straightened slightly, his attention sharpening.
"Finally…"
The numbers crept forward.
[94%… 95%… 96%… 97%… 98%… 99%]
Then—
It stopped.
The screen froze at 99%.
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
Nothing changed.
Alex's expression darkened, his jaw tightening.
"What the hell is wrong with this thing?!" he snapped, anger finally breaking through. "Why won't it finish?!"
Time dragged on mercilessly.
Nearly half an hour passed in that same frozen state, the number refusing to move no matter how long he waited. The silence became unbearable, suffocating him with frustration.
Then suddenly—
The screen flashed.
[Upgrade Processing… 100%]
Alex's eyes widened slightly.
[Upgrade Complete.]
New messages appeared instantly.
[System Tier Upgraded.]
[Tier 3 → Tier 10]
[Further upgrades possible once Host unseals Soul.]
[Total System Access Granted to Host.]
The moment it completed—
Something inside Alex shifted.
A wave of exhaustion washed over him, heavy and sudden. His head felt strange, both lighter and emptier, as if something important had been taken from him without permission.
He rubbed his temple slowly.
"That must be the soul power…"
But he didn't dwell on it.
Right now—
Only one thing mattered.
He looked up at the screen.
"Now send me back home."
The system responded immediately.
[Dimensional Travel upgraded.]
[Previous Ability: Tier 3 Dimensional Travel]
[Current Ability: Tier 10 Omni Travel]
[Searching for coordinates of Planet "Earth"…]
A brief pause followed.
[Search Complete.]
[Transferring Host to Earth.]
The moment the message appeared—
Alex's body began dissolving.
His arms, his legs, his entire form broke apart into glowing particles, scattering into the surrounding space. Within seconds, his presence vanished completely from the pocket dimension.
Earth — United States Countryside.
Or rather—
What remained of it.
The once quiet land had turned into a nightmare. Buildings lay in ruins, reduced to broken debris. Cars were overturned, crushed beyond recognition, while faint smoke drifted upward from burning homes.
Alex's house—
Was gone.
Nothing remained but shattered fragments.
But the destruction wasn't limited to this small town.
If one could look at Earth from above, they would witness a world in chaos. Cities burned, skyscrapers collapsed, and entire regions fell into ruin under something far beyond human control.
And the cause—
Walked among them.
A massive creature, nearly ninety feet tall, moved through the destroyed neighborhood. Each step crushed debris beneath its weight, its glowing red eyes scanning the surroundings with cold, predatory intent.
It lowered its head.
Sniffing.
A familiar scent lingered.
Its prey.
But it wasn't alone.
Across the planet, countless creatures like it had appeared. Humanity wasn't fighting a war—it was being hunted, reduced to nothing more than scattered prey in its own world.
Then suddenly—
The creature froze.
It sensed something.
Behind it.
About fifty meters away—
Space distorted.
And Alex appeared.
He stood silently, his eyes moving across the destruction. The broken streets. The ruined homes. The empty space where his house once stood. Everything he knew had been reduced to nothing.
Then his gaze shifted—
To the creature.
Understanding came instantly.
But his thoughts weren't focused on the monster.
Inside that house—
There had been something precious.
A photograph.
A simple picture of him and his mother, taken when he was still a child. Through every lonely night, every moment of weakness, that single image had been his only anchor.
Proof that someone once loved him.
And now—
It was gone.
Alex stood there quietly.
Then he looked at the creature.
There was no fear in his eyes.
Only emptiness.
The creature noticed him.
Its red eyes narrowed, irritation flashing within them at the lack of fear. Then suddenly—it moved, charging forward with terrifying speed, its massive body shaking the ground beneath it.
Alex didn't move.
For a brief moment—
He realized something.
He couldn't dodge.
The distance vanished instantly.
The creature's head slammed into him like a speeding truck.
The impact exploded violently.
Alex's body was thrown through the air before crashing hard into a pile of debris, bones snapping under the force of the collision.
CRACK.
"KHUGHH—AAAGHHHH!!"
Blood erupted from his mouth as pain tore through his body, overwhelming his senses. His vision blurred as he struggled to breathe, every movement sending waves of agony through his chest.
Through the haze—
He saw it.
The creature approaching again.
Smiling.
Then—
A memory surfaced.
Through the pain, he saw his mother—but not clearly. The image was incomplete, fragmented, as if buried deep within something he couldn't fully access.
Yet her voice was unmistakable.
"Do not falter, my love."
"You are special."
"Become someone strong… someone who protects what he loves."
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Then—
The image faded.
But something shifted.
Deep within his soul, something trembled—like chains loosening, if only slightly. The sensation was brief, subtle, yet undeniable before it disappeared completely.
At that moment—
The system screen appeared.
[Host Severely Injured]
[Right Arm Broken]
[Rib Cage Damaged]
[Immediate Treatment Recommended]
[Suggestion: Open System Gift Package]
[Alternative: Activate Omni Travel]
Alex looked at the screen.
Then at the creature.
His mother's voice echoed faintly within him.
Slowly, he spoke.
"S… send me…"
Blood spilled from his lips.
"…back to the pocket dimension."
Then he lifted his head, locking his gaze onto the monster.
His voice turned cold.
Filled with quiet, burning hatred.
"I'll come back…"
"…and when I do…"
"…I'm going to kill that thing."
"Even if it costs me my life."
The system flickered.
[Omni Travel Activated]
[Destination: Pocket Dimension]
[Emergency Recovery Mode Initiated]
And once again—
Alex's body began to dissolve into light.