WorldCrafter - Building My Underground Kingdom

"Dammit! Where am I!? It's so dark, but I recognize this smell. I am underground," Ben said with a grunt.

He then tried to remember what had happened last time. He had just returned from a bar after talking with his best friend, Bob. He had then had some fun with an escort, but afterward, the memory was quite fuzzy. 'Did I get kidnapped? I should have listened to Bob and started giving them larger tips.' 

With that thought, Ben called out, "Hello??? Anyone here?? I swear I will give you more money, just let me out." His voice echoed, but no one answered.

Ben tried to walk in one direction, pointing his hand forward. Now, he started feeling fear. The place wasn't just completely dark; it was also devoid of any noise.

'A cold and rough texture... is this a cave?' Ben tapped the wall a few times to confirm his speculation, but soon he found something strange.

The place he was in seemed to be natural rock, but it was completely flat. 'Is this whole place a complete cube?' Ben wondered as he walked around the area.

'Eh?' He raised his eyebrow as he felt the texture change. This time, the wall felt like it had some kind of hole in it. As he moved his palm around, he discovered the hole was shaped exactly like his hand. 

A green light then shone brightly, allowing Ben to see the whole room. As he expected, it was a complete square. The room itself wasn't that big, around 5x5 meters (16.4x16.4 feet).

[Congratulations, you have been chosen as a Crafter.]

[You get 1 Blockify Pickaxe.]

[You get 1 crude dimensional pocket.]

'What is this? Is this like the system I often read about in those novels?' Reading novels and playing games were among Ben's favorite hobbies, so he didn't find this kind of system strange. 'Let me see.'

***

Crude Dimensional Pocket 

Type: Storage Item 

Rarity: Common (Upgradeable) 

Capacity: Can store up to 10 items 

Durability: Infinite 

Ability: 

Dimensional Access 

Provides a small, rudimentary pocket dimension accessible only by the user. 

Allows the user to retrieve stored items instantly in any environment, even while under physical or magical restraints.

Limitations: Cannot store living beings, magical artifacts, or liquids without risking damage to the item.

Due to its crude construction, there is a 5% chance items stored may temporarily "misplace" themselves, reappearing randomly within 24 hours.

Tooltip: "A crude pocket dimension—convenient, but a bit unpredictable."

***

Blockify Pickaxe 

Type: Tool/Weapon 

Rarity: Divine (Growth) 

Durability: Infinite 

Damage: 10 (Melee)

Ability: 

Send You Flying 

Knockback: 4 (Weak) 

Critical Strike Chance: 4%

Blockify 

Power: 1 

Limitations: Cannot be used on living beings, equipment, or liquids.

Tooltip: "A strange power lies within, turning nearly anything into blocks—but not without a cost."

***

'A dimensional pocket and a pickaxe? Interesting.' Ben then checked his inventory. In there, it showed a few slots, one of which was filled with an icon of a bag.

'If this is like the games I used to play, that means I can equip multiple inventory items. Based on what I can see, I have three slots for now. Let's see what is inside this dimensional pocket.'

There were ten slots, each of them empty. Ben then tried to call out the pickaxe. The next moment, a crude pickaxe appeared in his grasp. It had a rusty iron head, while its body was made of wood. By now, all his fear had disappeared, replaced only by curiosity and excitement The pickaxe felt like an extension of his hand, and the weight was barely noticeable. As someone experienced in construction work, he also gets projects to build mines. It wasn't the first time he had held a pickaxe, and he knew this one wasn't normal.

Usually, they were far heavier than this one. With a grin, Ben then swung the pickaxe. BAM! The wall cracked. He then did another swing. Bam! BAM!

[Ding! You get 1 Stone Block!]

The wall where he had hit turned hollow. What surprised him was that the cavity was exactly in cube form, like it had been cut using a machine with insane precision. 'The size is exactly 1x1 meter.'

At this point, Ben understood how it worked. The Blockify ability allowed him to turn anything into a block, just like in one of his favorite games. Each object had its own health, and based on the pickaxe's damage, the rock should have around 21-30 HP.

There was also another stat he needed to mind: Power 1. This meant there would be materials that he couldn't damage, no matter what he did. The next question was how he would upgrade it. Usually, this could be done using a specific crafting station, but right now, Ben couldn't do any crafting. 'There should be a trigger for me to unlock a recipe.'

Curious, Ben continued smashing the wall. He did it methodically, making the cubical room bigger.

[Ding! You get 1 Stone Block!] 

[Ding! You get 1 Stone Block!] 

[…]

'I've gathered more than one hundred, but why hasn't the crafting shown up?' Ben wiped the sweat covering his head. 

By now, the room had returned to pitch darkness. 123 Stone Blocks and 1 Bronze Ore—that's what he had gotten after toiling for who knows how many hours. His throat was parched, but there was no water to relieve his thirst. "Inventory."

***

Stone Block x 123: 

Type: Block 

Use: Crafting material, building 

Understanding: 1.23% 

Max Stack: 9999 

Rarity: Common 

Naturally occurring underground, in caverns, or in the dirt layer. 

***

Bronze Ore x 1 

Type: Ore/Material 

Use: Crafting material 

Understanding: 0.1% 

Rarity: Common 

Max Stack: 999 

"An abundant metal with many uses."

"Understanding? Right now, I have 123 stone blocks. Does this mean every 100 blocks raise 1%?" Ben then laid himself on the ground. He took a deep breath, then started cursing. 

"FUCK!!! Who sent me here!? Did you just want to kill me!? No water, and I need to farm 1000 stones minimum to raise my understanding? And what the fuck does that even give me!? I should be at home, eating something warm, maybe a nice stew… but nope! I'm here slaving away in a hole without any pay, living the dream!!! Whoever sent me here, may you #$%@##$%!!!"

1001 curse words came out of Ben's mouth, but unfortunately, none were effective, as the one who had sent him here came from a higher dimension. One where their words and imagination created a new reality. After a full course of cursing, Ben took a deep breath, then stood up once again. "Hah, now that is relieving. At least here, I can curse out loud as much as I want."

It wasn't the first time Ben had compared himself to a slave. Even back in the real world, he often compared himself with one. How could he not?

Overworked, his pay barely covered the bills, with a mountain of debt he needed to pay, all thanks to stupid policies and the elites. The only relief he could get was escaping into novels on his phone or playing some video games. He barely had friends, and his romantic relief came only from hiring escorts. That was the pitiful life Ben had before being sent here. 

"Well, at least now I can do whatever I want!!! Let's do this!"