“Bossman, that was too cruel.” Sergio looked at him with disapproval. Nikolai, however, didn’t say anything and destroyed the lock using his mana.

“As soon as I open the door, the guards below will notice.”

“Ah, should we make a run for it? I saw these people ride the birds faster than the wind!”

“Yeah, trying to outrun them is unwise. We also need to take the ship with us, but it can’t fly.” Nikolai nodded. “That’s why you’ll need to wait until I try something out.”

“Ah? Okay, okay.” Sergio nodded and turned to Ruxi. “What should I do to her?”

“Hm?” Nikolai tilted his head. “I’m not taking her with me.”

“Bossman, why are you so cruel?” Sergio glared at him, even raising his voice, for the first time since they met. Nikolai was confused as he looked at the alchemist, started to get irritated.

“Are you an idiot? You met her for like what, a few days? She will only slow us down.”

“I asked her about what you said before, the time where she helped you, and she told me that you promised to repay her. What happened to that?” Sergio looked at him with cold eyes.

“A promise is nothing in front of survival, don’t be a fool.” Nikolai spat and turned away, sitting on top of the cage in a lotus position.

“Survival without principles is meaningless!” Sergio reached out and shouted. “Bossman, if you are as I think you are, you’re not going to leave her to die.”

“Please shut up and let me focus for now,” Nikolai said with exasperation. “Don’t talk anymore. They’ll hear everything you say.”

As he said that, Nikolai retracted his mana and focused on the third power his element had: the Pocket Dimension. It seems Sergio wanted to say more but managed to restrain himself in time.

The moment you get an element, all of its powers should be natural to you. However, Nikolai has awakened only a few hours before, so it was a stretch to learn how to construct a dimension.

As he closed his eyes and focused on his Dantian, Nikolai found an endless stretch of void inside. His sea of consciousness changed after he awakened, and his mana resided deep within it.

Nikolai dived deep into his sea of consciousness, looking for the source of his element. His mana took the element from the source, which he should utilize to create the pocket dimension.

He arrived deep within his sea and found the power source, which never existed before he awakened. It was a black cube, the size of a head, rotating silently and releasing the darkness that changed his mana.

‘A cube?’ Nikolai looked at it with curiosity. ‘Can this be a dice that symbolizes my ability to control probability?’

He got the ability to manipulate probability after he became half-awakened when he transmigrated from the future. This correlation led him to believe that the power to control fate and the system were part of his bloodline awakening.

Nikolai decided to leave the deduction part for later and grabbed hold of the cube in front of him. His darkness became easier to control as soon as he did.

‘Gather.’

Nikolai commanded, and the darkness began to condense in the void, creating a space in the shape of a cube. The dark cloud turned into boundaries that determined the form of his pocket dimension, consuming his mana rapidly in the process.

‘Oh damn, this is too much.’ Nikolai panicked and decreased the space of his dimension. He kept shrinking it until it was stable to keep existing without his support.

[Congratulations! You have created a pocket dimension.]

[New System Entry: Pocket Dimension (tiny).]

[Pocket Dimension (tiny): a small pocket dimension created using Dark Mana. You can allow things to leave the dimension automatically or manually.]

[Dimension Stats.]

[Dimension Items.]

Nikolai felt a twinge of pain as he read the word ‘tiny’ as if the system was belittling him. He grumbled as he left his Dantian and looked at the dimension stats.

He looked at the Riders still patrolling and felt lucky that Sergio managed to shut his mouth. He clicked on the Dimension Stats, and a list appeared.

[Size: 343 cubic meters.]

[Life: 12 hours.]

[Elements: Dark.]

[Authorized: None.]

Nikolai understood the gist of it except for the last part. After reading through the system’s description, he realized the authorized meant the number of people who can leave his dimension or enter it when they’re near him. He clicked on the list and found it to be empty.

‘I need to make this place habitable first.’ Nikolai realized and controlled the dimension to allow air to flow in and out automatically. He didn’t want to send Sergio to his death when he places him inside.

Nikolai jumped and grabbed the bars of the cage before kicking the door open. The guards were startled by the sudden sound, and the alarm rang in the Clan grounds.

“The cage has opened! Someone is there, hurry! Call in reinforcement! Ride your vultures!”

“Let’s go, Sergio. Don’t resist what I’m about to do.”

“Boss, are you going to leave her here?” Sergio was still crouching beside her while looking at Nikolai judgmentally.

“I’ll take her along for now.” Nikolai sighed at the naivety of his friend, but this was the reason that Nikolai trusted him to begin with. This headstrong personality of his was the reason that Nikolai knew he wouldn’t betray him.

“Thank you, boss. I knew that you were a good person.” Sergio carried Ruxi and walked toward Nikolai with a bright smile.

“You’re too dumb, don’t trust my words so easily. What if I decided to kill her now?” Nikolai was annoyed.

“If that happens, I’ll learn how to trust the right ones. Before that happens, I don’t plan on doubting everyone as you do, boss.” Sergio handed Nikolai the archer as the latter looked at him with a complex gaze.

‘Well, that’s how I thought of people before they kept breaking my trust.’

Nikolai controlled his pocket dimension and got Ruxi inside. He turned to Sergio, who was staring at him with wide eyes. Nikolai grabbed his wrist and warned.

“Don’t resist. You will be in a dark space for a while with the mute, but don’t panic.” Nikolai instructed. “That place is safe.”

Then, Sergio went into his pocket dimension as well. When Nikolai closed his eyes, he saw the two people inside of his dimension.

‘This looks like my own little world.’