Spatial inventory

After crossing the lava lake, Vallynor looked out at the sandy field. The sun shone a hundred times brighter than before. And not only that, there were traps everywhere. Pulling a stick from his ring, Vallynor began poking the sand like a blind man to check for traps.

After several tens of minutes, Vallynor was able to continue his journey. Next was a swamp. The ground was sticky everywhere, causing his feet to sink up to his knees or even deeper. Rare trees could hinder his progress. The branches of these trees could fall right onto a person passing by.

For the first time, a few branches fell near Vallynor because of this. Two of them fell right on his head. It was fortunate that he quickly realized the danger and did not approach the trees. But this presented a new problem: the farther he retreated from the trees, the softer the ground became, and the deeper he sank.

Alexander had been watching Vallynor the whole time and looked up, noticing a rapidly approaching red dot. Thanks to his keen eyesight, Alexander recognized Neffan in that dot.

Soon, Vallynor also noticed something approaching. When he was almost across the swamp, he saw Neffan fly past him.

Neffan landed next to Alexander and began apologizing. Alexander raised his hand, signaling to stop, and then took a step and disappeared, only to reappear with Vallynor. Vallynor was surprised, realizing that he had been transported, and wondered how Alexander had moved so quickly.

"This is instant transportation. I didn't use it when we were running. This technique requires a lot of energy... Neffan came to teach you how to create a spatial inventory or a macro-world so that you can use your own subspace in the future. After this, you will have to go to Horkim," explained Alexander.

"Then let's begin," Neffan said, approaching and pulling a table and three chairs from his inventory. He sat on one of the chairs and invited Vallynor to sit. Then he started laying out several items on the table.

"I'll leave you to it," said Alexander, looking at the golden table and three chairs before turning and heading towards the castle.

Vallynor looked at the luxurious chairs and table, sat down on one of the chairs, and watched Neffan closely.

Neffan looked at Vallynor and noticed that he was covered in mud. He sat on his luxurious chair and, in just a few seconds, cast a cleansing spell, cleaning Vallynor and the chair.

"Thank you," Vallynor thanked him for the pleasant service.

"You're welcome. Let's get started. Before we attempt to create your own inventory, you need to understand how it works. More precisely, why dragons can have their own mini-dimensions. My mother used to tell me that she was a child of nature. Her earliest memories were connected to nature and the forest. She grew up there when nature was still in its infancy and had not extended to different worlds and universes. She had a consciousness, the consciousness of the mother who protected her children. The Queen of the Forest was the first living being born of nature, a creature of flesh and blood. After all, trees and plants are also children of nature and possess consciousness. The world they lived in was vast but simultaneously void of time. Nature, born of the goddess of life, arranged her native planet, created it, and nature itself wanted her children to live happily, so she protected them. Time passed, and the plants multiplied. They slowly but surely spread across the planet. During that time, the goddess of life was busy creating the first sentient beings in her likeness and other tasks. Nature pondered how to help her children since they were multiplying so quickly. The elders began to destroy the new offspring, depriving them of water, nutrients, and sunlight. That's when nature decided to move some of her offspring to other planets and dimensions. The plan succeeded, but there was one drawback."

"The drawback was that she couldn't communicate with them, but that wasn't a problem. So they lived separately, not communicating for centuries. They lived for a very long time, even witnessing the battles between the God of Death and the Goddess of Life. After that battle, both gods fell in love and gave birth to new races, including the undead. The world was already overcrowded as it was. Because of this, nature opened gates to other worlds, horrified by what she saw. Nature had no physical body but was something astral, resembling intelligent wind, having no body or form..."

Nefan paused and pondered, then pulled out a sphere that looked like a fortune-telling ball. Running his finger over the sphere, he created an image of something incomprehensible, lacking a stable form. Vallynor immediately understood that it was Nature. But he couldn't grasp whether Nature possessed consciousness. Well, why not?

"This is Nature. It was like a thought, a living idea..."

"Was?" Vallynor asked, already in doubt.

"Yes, it was. Soon, you'll find out what happened to it. It opened gates to other worlds, where it sent its children so that a large part of the race could move en masse. It was horrified by what its children had become. Insane, dangerous, poisonous, accursed place. There were such dreadful races that had not two sexes but hundreds. In my opinion, they were the original homosexuals and the like. Then Nature compelled the Forest Queen to watch over everyone and correct such terrible things. If you're wondering why Nature adheres to the idea that there should be two sexes, it's because, while observing the gods, it had already formed its own vision. Moreover, the Goddess of Life herself, when creating such beings, foresaw the existence of two sexes. She also began to realize that if there were more than two sexes, they would start fighting among themselves and almost always completely annihilate each other, surviving only with two sexes. So, Mother was sent to watch over all of Nature's children. But to ensure that the Forest Queen herself didn't become corrupted this time, Nature created a connection with her soul, thus creating threads that bound them regardless of distance."

"So, my mother traveled from one world to another, checking what was happening to the plants and Nature's children. I don't know when or with whom, but my mother mated with someone. To this day, no one knows who the ancestors of dragons are on the paternal line. She gave birth to the first dragon child in all its splendor. If the mother was gentle and kind, this child, growing up, became powerful and greedy, which made her the wife and Dragon God. Yes, yes, the mother slept with her own son, and my father is the elder brother, as well as the God of all dragons. Strange connection, isn't it? But I digress from the main topic. Mother, watching over everything for centuries, began to lose control because Nature itself, including plants and such, spread too much. As a result, she slowly mutated and infected her healthy part. Nature lost contact with her children because she hadn't been in contact with them for centuries. She suffered from pain and, unwilling to leave her children, forcibly began to connect with them, ignoring distances and barriers. But it cost her dearly: she ceased to be a full-fledged being and plants, losing the ability to think. Now she is governed instinctively, destroying everything harmful, dangerous, and useless, and not allowing more than two sexes to exist. This connection that the mother had mutated and acquired such an unusual ability as creating a miniature universe where one could store their belongings. This ability was passed down to all her children, although in a weakened form."

"Now, I will teach you to create your own little world. Do you already know how to penetrate the boundaries between body and soul, so to speak, go inside yourself?"

Vallynor did not immediately respond, as he was still contemplating Nefan's words. But he quickly regained his composure when Nefan repeated his question, assuming that Vallynor hadn't understood.

"Yes, I can."

"Very well. The first thing you must do is immerse yourself in your soul."

"What?"

"Entering your soul may seem difficult, but it's not that complicated, really. When you go inside yourself, start creating a body for yourself. Give yourself a form and imagine that you, as part of something greater, have divided but remain incomplete. And strong threads bind you. If everything is done correctly, you will feel slight pain, then lightness and weakness. Then go into your soul. After that, I will give you instructions. But first..." Nefan raised a finger, from which beams of light shot out, heading straight for Vallynor.

"So we can talk even if you are in your soul," Vallynor heard Nefan's voice. But he didn't notice him opening his lips. This confused him. Nefan, on the other hand, smiled, observing Vallynor. Then Vallynor realized that all of this was very similar to what the old woman had told him.

"I'm talking to you through the soul threads I just created. They will last for a few hours, but that's more than enough. So you can start. And I will watch."

Vallynor wanted to ask a question but changed his mind, thinking he would ask later. He closed his eyes and entered himself, where he could see his soul and the platform he had created, as well as the Rune of the Time Butterfly on it.

Recalling Nefan's words, he began to imagine how he detached himself from his soul and acquired a body. At first, there was terrible pain, and he thought of retreating. But this pain was insignificant compared to what followed. However, after some reflection and fear, he prayed to be heard:

"Can my soul be destroyed or wounded by what I'm doing, as you said, Nefan?"

"Hmm, no, you're essentially doing nothing to your soul; you're just trying to watch from the outside. It's like taking a mirror; you look at it and see yourself. You deceive yourself into thinking that you are separating from your soul to enter it. It may seem foolish, but it's a fact. There's nothing impossible. In fact, there's no danger; nothing will happen except that you may get stuck in your soul, becoming a prison for yourself. But I'll help with that. So go on."

With caution, Vallynor continued to imagine himself detaching from his soul. And in the process, he had another question.

"Could the souls of children take over my soul, as they often change me?"

"What other children's souls?" Nefan asked in surprise. Then he answered the question, "There's a chance for something like that, but it won't happen as long as you're conscious. Besides, I'm here. I need to infuse my energy into you and fill it with fear, or rather, the force of pressure. And now continue; I was the one who helped brothers and sisters create their own world."

With trepidation, Vallynor continued to imagine himself detaching from his soul. And as he did, he thought about all the possibilities, which led to new questions. He wasn't worried about souls from the children's parts because Nefan's last words had strengthened his trust.

***

Alexander knocked on the door and waited for permission to enter. It didn't take long before he saw the door open, and behind it stood an elderly woman in maid attire. Making a bow, she took two steps toward the door to allow Alexander to enter.

"How is she?" he asked, looking at the other door. While the old woman closed the door and applied several spells to seal it, she also cast a regretful glance at the other door and said,

"Worse than we thought. She doesn't remember anything. If she used to react to the music box before, now she ignores it and even wishes to destroy it."

"Has she been fed and given a soul yet?"

She shook her head and replied, "No, she doesn't accept any food or souls. I've been trying to feed her for an hour already. I apologize for not meeting your expectations."

"You're not to blame. How could I blame you for anything? It's my fault that my daughter ended up in such a situation," shouts could be heard behind the door, and someone was pounding on it.

Approaching the door, he touched it with his right hand. Closing his eyes, he listened to the shouts and sounds as if someone were banging against the walls. Sighing, he opened his eyes and addressed the maid:

"How has she been feeling lately? I have very little free time left."

"Very poorly; everything keeps getting worse. These incomprehensible writings have appeared. I'm afraid. You know she's like a daughter to me. I raised her from a young age with her mother and took care of her when she lost all three of her parents. She means so much to me, like my own daughter," the maid said.

"I... I don't even know what to say," Alexander was shocked by the woman's words. He thought he still had time, but it turned out to be an illusion. His foolish dream, which seemed like the truth. Damn.

"Open the door and give me the package with today's items," Alexander wanted to see everything for himself. He didn't want to give up and hoped that she had misunderstood.

"Yes, of course," the maid quickly replied, taking a tray with numerous dishes, thanks to a size reduction spell. The food on the tray shrank tenfold or more as needed, but its weight remained the same. To avoid weight-related issues, anti-gravity was applied to the tray. This way, the tray floated easily, and it could be carried to the desired place.

Alexander watched as warm dishes were arranged on the tray, with a processed pure soul at the very end. This product was obtained by purifying several souls simultaneously, extracting all the dirt and impurities from them, which were then transferred to other souls. The most valuable qualities from these souls were extracted and collected in one pure soul. As a result, a purified soul devoid of consciousness was obtained. Hundreds of cursed souls filled with this disgusting energy could turn into mindless animals, eager to devour other souls.

The purified soul was placed in a small box that kept it in good condition. Otherwise, the soul could degrade if left without a body of flesh and blood for an extended period. It could turn into a ghost or a possessed creature.

The maid handed Alexander a tray. Then she took the keys from her dress pocket and, approaching the door, began to chant a spell. The door began to glow, and the cries subsided. The maid turned the key in the door's lock and completed the incantation.

The door shattered into pieces and quickly started moving like gears, disappearing. Cries could be heard from the open door. This cry was filled with sadness and fear. It didn't sound like the source had just started crying; rather, it seemed like they had been crying for a week or even longer.

Alexander entered the room and saw the walls and floor covered in dirt and blood. In some corners, he noticed horrifying writings that even Caesar couldn't decipher. This language was unknown to anyone, but when they reached a point where nobody could understand, everyone began writing these strange symbols. No one knew what they meant. They emanated from the fallen ones. That's why they were called the Fallen Script. These symbols had the power to infect anyone who wasn't careful enough. Even Caesar was somewhat wary of contact with them and performed several rituals to ensure he wouldn't be infected.

On the floor, Alexander saw pieces of flesh that hadn't yet dried. In the corner, a girl had hidden herself, curled up into a ball. She was the source of the crying.

Approaching closer, Alexander stopped and met the girl's empty eye sockets where eyes had once been. Now, blood was dripping from them. There was no flesh on her cheek, and her teeth were visible. The girl lowered her hands to the floor and began licking the blood and eating the flesh.

Alexander could see that her hands and legs were full of wounds. Pieces of flesh and scratches were everywhere. Slowly approaching, she stopped and raised her head. Her eye sockets were empty, devoid of eyes. This made Alexander feel like he was being watched. The girl's head slowly began to turn, continuously observing Alexander.

Then she opened her mouth and began to scream. Her right hand started to mutate: sores appeared on it, bursting, and liquid began to ooze out. Among the sores, black fur grew.

The mutated front paw began to attack Alexander frantically. Alexander dodged each blow and, approaching her, struck her on the neck. After this blow, the girl fell.

Alexander began to examine the girl, whose hand had turned grotesque. It slowly began to return to a normal hand. Placing the food tray on the floor, he knelt down and turned the girl towards him.

Turning to her, he placed her face up on the floor. Then he took the soul that had been processed. Holding the soul in his hand, he brought his hand with the soul to her mouth. Suddenly, someone grabbed his hand. The girl turned her head toward him with a wild smile and began to speak rapidly and senselessly.

Alexander forcefully tried to push the soul into her mouth while the girl uttered incomprehensible words and then laughed hysterically. Finally, the soul entered her mouth. The soul quickly burst, and all that energy flowed into her soul.

"What... what is this? She has already entered the final phase. What are we going to do?" the maid asked, entering the room because of the noise. She saw everything and was frightened. She looked at the disfigured girl who had once been beautiful.

"Leave the room," Alexander ordered with a threatening tone.

The maid, scared, instead of leaving, approached closer and pulled a box with a soul out of her ring.

"Give her this."

"This is... your processed soul. Why...?"

"I helped you and your wives raise your children. And she means a lot to me. I can't leave her like this. I hardly have anyone left. So just give her this soul."

"Dorlisa... thank you."

"Give her the soul already. She's sinking again. If she's completely covered in black, there will be no chance to save her."

Alexander quickly inserted the second soul into her mouth while the girl tried to break free and laughed hysterically. One minute was filled with pain, fear, and torment. Then she began to calm down.

***

Entering his own soul, Vallynor began to look around. But he couldn't see anything since he had no eyes, ears, and so on.

"Now you need to use your senses to find the thread I mentioned. To do that, you must picture nature, those moments from your past connected to nature. You can remember them with warmth. No, you must do it this way. Then you'll feel warmth in one part of your unreal body, and you must go there. That's where you'll find the thread."

While Vallynor pondered what to do next, he heard Nevan's voice. Strangely, he had no ears, but it wasn't like he heard someone else's words; it was more like he was hearing someone else's thoughts. It was similar to how you might think, "That girl is sexy," and instantly have the response in your head, "Yes, she's sexy, but that one over there is even better."