Groceries.

After a spar with Mei, Marcus realized that while using the Eternal Snake fist, he can already somewhat fight her. But this wasn't enough for him. He needs to get stronger. But before that…

"Can you do small groceries?" Alexa's mother asked. Ever since he started to live here, both him and Mei ate a lot, and because of this, there were many cases of food running out. And since he has a storage ring, he became the one that would go shopping. At first, Rick would accompany him, but now he was going by himself. It was now a month since he started to live with Rick and his family, and today was the day that he got lost while buying stuff.

He thought that it was a shortcut, but he was very wrong. It wasn't long when he had to use his phone and find a map. But then something got his attention. A shop. In a dark alley, a sign with a 'Black Whale' was slowly swinging.

His heart skipped a beat, it was impossible, this shop shouldn't exist in this place. Maybe it's just a coincidence? Should he check it? He tried to see inside it, but he couldn't.

"I will never know until I see it for myself."

So, he entered, the sound of the doors creaking reverbed through the empty shop. The dust rose as he stepped inside. It was almost identical, just that the items on the shelf were different. The layout of the shelves, the size of the room, the look of it, all of it was identical to the shop form his world.

"Hello." Nothing, only silence. He waited a few seconds, but no one showed up. He looked at the item on the shelf and moved his hand towards it.

"What a surprise, the little thief is back."

It was her, this ethereal voice is not something that can be forgotten. Marcus didn't have to turn around to see her, the owner of the shop. She looked identical to when he saw her the last time. Her scarlet pupils pierced through his very essence, and the cunning smile still present on her face.

"Hello again, owner." Marcus tried to respond calmly, but he couldn't. His voice was shaky. He didn't believe it, it was really her. But how?

"How doesn't matter, better tell me how you got here?" she asked before he could. So Marcus explained to her about the gate, the deal and everything that happened. He couldn't stop talking, as if something was controlling him.

"I have to say you were fortunate, you could've ended up in a dimension where not even space and time exist. Well I know what you want to ask for, and the answer is no, I can't take you back to your dimension."

"Why?" Marcus felt downhearted, he thought that this was their chance to go back.

"It's all about the price, you can't afford it, in this universe, there are rules that not even I can break. And don't ask me what rules. If you want to know you need to find out for yourself. When we met for the first time, I gave you that dagger to pleas Ethan. But that was a onetime deal if you want something you will have to pay the price."

"… I understand." This is the reality, there is always a price. No matter what it is. "For starters can you tell me what is happening in my home dimension?"

"Your storage ring."

That expensive?! He may not have much, but this is just some news!

"This is info from another dimension after all. If you want to know something form this dimension, I can give it to you for free. But just because I know you." Her sly smile only got wider while she said it.

"… deal." He took all of his things from the storage ring and passed it to her, he soon felt the connection with the ring being broken. There wasn't any regret in his heart, a storage ring is something that he can get when he goes back.

"I don't know if you want to go back now. There is an invasion in progress right now. Remember the gate that sent you here? It wasn't the only one that opened that day, all over the world gates like that opened and the army of the Demon King crossed over to take revenge on humans."

"Invasion?!" He couldn't believe it; it was something that sounds impossible!

"Yes, an invasion, but you should be proud of yourself, thanks to your effort, humans still have a small chance. And stop thinking about it, you are here, and it will be quite some time before you can go back. Here is a piece of advice, don't bother yourself too much with it, practice, get stronger, and when it is time, think about it and fight. Until then those thoughts will only be a hindrance to your practice."

"Thank you…" it was a lot, and what the owner said was right, worrying over what is happening in his world will only slow him down.

"Good, you know how to control yourself, you may be a fake genius, but you have some quality." The owner patted him on his head while talking teasingly.

"Owner, you don't have to say that. I still wanted to ask if you have anything that can help in my situation."

"Well, you are now doing Gravity training, and with the Everlasting Soma, it works astonishingly well, how about this?" with a wave of her hand a bracelet appeared out of nowhere and floated above her hand. "Technology here is very restricted, and soon you will have a hard time to train, the limit of 5G is very low. This bracelet is something that will simulate the effects of higher gravity on your body, without affecting your environment. That's the best I can do for you with the current funds you have."

It is good, his energy will increase no matter what, but the limit on the gravity chamber was something that he started to worry about lately. But this will solve it, and if he is guessing right with the Gravity Chamber making the gravity and the bracelet putting pressure on him, he will be able to train for much longer. But here is the question, what is the price?