As the overwhelming wave of information settled in his mind, Vaelis began to process what he had learned about the sanctum. Questions swirled in his head: How much do books cost? What kind of missions will I receive? Are clones expensive? What can I even do with all this land? But there was no one to answer him.
With no better option, he followed the instructions he'd received and walked toward Shelf 0, Row 6, Column 3. The book looked completely ordinary—no special markings, no glow, nothing to hint at its significance. Still, he reached out and pressed it.
The room trembled faintly.
From the center of the chamber, a circular table rose from the ground. It didn't look like it had just emerged—it looked as though it had been part of the room forever, seamlessly integrated. Even the floor beneath it bore no sign of a hidden mechanism. Everything about this place defied logic.
He stepped closer.
As he approached the table, a holographic interface sparked to life above it. Glowing blue text hovered in the air:
"Starting Points: 1000"
Beneath the text were two options: [Claim] and [Discard].
"Of course, I'll claim," Vaelis muttered, pressing the air where the [Claim] button hovered.
The hologram shifted, revealing new options: [Show Available Items] and [Browse].
He chose [Show Available Items].
A list appeared:
Shelf 0 Books – Average cost: 10 points
Shelf 1 Books – Average cost: 100 points
Shelf 2 Books – Average cost: 1000 points
Each shelf offered different categories of knowledge:
Shelf 0: Basic survival techniques, local geography, introduction to common herbs, fire-making, water purification, and primitive construction methods.
Shelf 1: Intermediate knowledge like regional history, basic strategy, beginner language guides, simple medical treatments, and agricultural practices.
Shelf 2: Advanced information—low-level combat techniques, foundational theories of cultivation, secret historical records, and tactical leadership training.
Alongside the books, another item appeared on the list—a single clone.
It was standing still in a recessed section beside the hologram, resembling a mannequin. Its body was crude and unfinished—no skin, no face, just a basic human-like frame made of pale, fleshy material. It was hard to tell if it was male or female.
Beside it, another option glowed: [Customize].
Vaelis stared at the faceless figure, thoughts racing.
"So this is my first reward... 1000 points and one clone," he murmured. His hand hovered over the [Customize] button.
"So, my gifts are 1000 points and one clone... not bad," Vaelis muttered to himself, eyes locked on the hologram display.
His gaze shifted to the glowing [Customize] button beside the clone. He tapped it, curious to see what it offered.
A new interface unfolded before him, presenting a variety of customization options: gender, skin tone, muscle structure, height, eye shape, hair type, and even voice tone.
Vaelis paused, deep in thought. What kind of clone would actually suit me?
After a moment, he decided.
"You'll be male," he said aloud. "I'll call you..." — he hesitated — "I'll call you Aran." The name was locked in.
He adjusted the settings with care:
Gender: Male
Skin Tone: Light olive
Muscle Structure: Lean, toned—not bulky
Height: Around 180 cm
Hair: Black, short, slightly messy
Eyes: Sharp, narrow, dark brown
Voice: Calm, deep, precise
The result was a plain, practical appearance. Nothing flashy. Just reliable.
Then the final cost popped up: 897 points.
"Oof..." Vaelis winced. That left him with only 103 points.
Not wanting to waste the rest, he decided to look for a book.
He scrolled through the available titles, but nothing seemed immediately useful. Most were vague or too technical. He switched tabs and hit the [Browse] button.
What he saw stunned him.
Clone traits that cost millions of points. Books with prices ranging from 100,000 points to more. He blinked.
"What is this? Is that book going to make me immortal or something?"
None of these high-value items were currently available, so their descriptions were locked, even the covers blurred out.
Then, he spotted something modest: 'Local Language Fragment' — 73 points.
The description read: "Contains basic vocabulary and structure of a regional dialect. Useful for beginner-level communication."
"Now that... that's probably the most useful thing right now," he muttered.
He bought it instantly.
The moment he did, the information surged into his head. In a flash, he understood the basics of the local language.
This is useful. Communication comes first, he thought.
After absorbing the knowledge, he looked around.
How do I even leave this place?
He returned to the table and inspected the hologram again. There it was—an [Exit] button.
Vaelis pressed it.
In the blink of an eye, he was back inside the tent, exactly as he had left it. The warm scent of cooked stew greeted him.
The pot was now done.
He smiled—but then his stomach growled. He realized just how hungry he was. Though it had only been minutes in the outside world, he'd spent hours inside the sanctum.