Chapter 98: Rrrrriiipp

[The person you are trying to reach isn’t answering.]

Kyle stared at his phone.

"Huh?"

He had expected Lira to answer eventually, but the automated message had interrupted his thoughts.

It was still early in the morning, barely past dawn. Lira usually kept her phone on Do Not Disturb while sleeping, so receiving no response wasn’t particularly surprising in itself. What bothered him was that he had expected her to wake up soon or at least notice his repeated calls.

"Pick up, bae."

He tried calling her again.

The phone rang for a while before the call went unanswered once more. 𝖋𝙧ⅇ

Kyle frowned.

He wanted to tell her about his upcoming trip personally, preferably over a call. He didn’t know whether he would be able to contact her from another dimension, and the thought of spending an entire month without hearing her voice made him feel strangely reluctant to leave.

It wasn’t as though he were going away forever. The ticket would only keep him in the other world for thirty days of Earth time, and he could return whenever he wanted.

Still, this was his first interdimensional journey. He had no idea what to expect, and he wanted to hear Lira’s voice before setting off.

Besides, telling her over a call seemed more considerate than casually dropping a text message and disappearing for weeks.

He dialed her for the third time.

Ring... Ring... Ring...

No answer.

Kyle lowered his phone and sighed.

"Fine. I tried."

He stared at the screen for a moment, contemplating whether he should wait a little longer. However, the longer he thought about it, the more he realized that a phone call might actually create more problems than it solved.

If Lira answered, she would probably ask where he was going, why he was leaving, what he intended to do there, and why he couldn’t take her along.

He could already imagine himself stumbling through a dozen increasingly implausible excuses.

"I guess it’s better to tell her over text. That way, I won’t have to deal with too many questions if she starts getting suspicious."

With that decision made, Kyle opened their conversation and began typing.

He explained that he had to leave temporarily for personal reasons, that he wouldn’t be able to meet her for a while, and that he had decided to quit his job. He assured her that he hoped to return within a month and would contact her as soon as he was back.

He reread the message twice before sending it.

It wasn’t a perfect explanation, but it was the best he could manage without revealing the existence of the System and his upcoming dimensional adventure.

Sent.

Kyle watched the message appear in their conversation before locking his phone.

"Hopefully, she understands."

He felt a little guilty about leaving without speaking to her properly, but he couldn’t postpone his journey indefinitely. He had already delayed it once, and he was finally prepared to take the next step.

There was also another matter he needed to settle.

His job.

"Well, I tried my best to continue working there, but that shit just isn’t for me."

Kyle shook his head.

He had quit after collecting his salary, and although he didn’t regret the decision, he couldn’t deny that it was a significant change. The job had initially seemed worthwhile, especially since it had given him the opportunity to meet Lira. But maintaining a regular work schedule was becoming increasingly inconvenient.

The owner hadn’t been particularly troublesome. Whenever Kyle took time off, the owner simply deducted the corresponding amount from his paycheck. There hadn’t been any major arguments or dramatic confrontations.

The problem was that the arrangement no longer suited his life.

Between creating videos, managing his System-related activities, and preparing for his first interdimensional journey, he couldn’t keep taking time off without disrupting everything else. His future plans would only make the situation more complicated.

He couldn’t spend his life trying to squeeze an increasingly extraordinary existence into the schedule of an ordinary employee.

"Maybe I was only meant to meet Lira there in the first place."

That thought made him smile.

If he hadn’t taken the job, he might never have met her. And if meeting her had been the most important thing he gained from working there, perhaps he had already received everything he needed from the experience.

Besides, quitting didn’t mean he would never see her again. He could still arrange to meet her whenever he returned to Earth.

In fact, he had a much more ambitious plan in mind.

"I’m going to retire her as soon as I’m back."

The words escaped his mouth with a confidence that made him grin.

It wasn’t an entirely unrealistic goal, either.

His videos were already generating a decent amount of System Points, and his income was gradually becoming more consistent. He had also finished repaying his previous System loan, leaving him with fewer financial obligations than before.

More importantly, he didn’t need to spend much of the money he earned from his videos on his everyday necessities. The System handled many of his requirements through its own currency, allowing a greater portion of his actual earnings to accumulate.

If his income continued growing at its current pace, he might be able to save enough to give Lira the freedom to leave her job, too.

Of course, he would need to discuss the idea with her rather than simply make the decision on her behalf. Still, the prospect of being able to support her financially was something he genuinely looked forward to.

"Retire her... and take her to other dimensions."

A sweet smile spread across Kyle’s face.

His imagination immediately took over.

He pictured a beautiful meadow stretching beneath an unfamiliar sky, with colorful flowers swaying gently in the breeze. Strange but adorable magical creatures wandered through the grass, occasionally approaching them out of curiosity.

He and Lira would be lying together in the middle of the field, with his head resting comfortably on her lap.

There would be no work schedules, no financial worries, and no need to rush anywhere. He could simply relax while looking up at her face, listening to her speak, and enjoying the peaceful scenery around them.

Perhaps they could visit a world filled with floating islands, explore forests illuminated by magical fireflies, or spend a few days beside a lake whose waters glowed beneath the moonlight.

He didn’t need every adventure to involve danger, battles, or opportunities to earn money. Sometimes, he wanted to experience something beautiful with the person he loved.

The thought was so pleasant that his cheeks began to warm.

"Ah, fuck! What the hell am I doing?"

Kyle abruptly shook his head, trying to dispel the embarrassing images forming in his imagination.

"I’m already planning romantic vacations when I haven’t even survived my first trip!"

He laughed at himself before picking up his phone again.

There was one more person he needed to inform.

Stacy.

He opened their conversation and sent her a brief message explaining that he would be unavailable for a while but expected to return soon. He added, with his usual lack of subtlety, that she shouldn’t miss him too much because he would be back before long.

Kyle put his phone away, satisfied that he had at least informed the people who mattered.

"All right. Everything’s settled."

He took a deep breath.

"Now it’s time."

Kyle opened his inventory and selected the item he had been waiting to use for so long.

A black ticket appeared in his hand.

Its surface was smooth and strangely cool to the touch. Simple lettering across its face identified it as a Temporary Dimensional Travel Ticket.

Kyle held it between his fingers and brought up its description one final time.

[

Temporary Dimensional Travel Ticket

Type: Consumable

Destination: Random World

Duration: 30 Days

Description: Allows the Host to travel temporarily to a random compatible dimensional world for thirty days of original-world time.

Upon arrival, the Host will receive basic dimensional adaptability, allowing him to survive fundamental environmental differences between worlds.

Restrictions:

The Host may return to the original world at any time but must return to the exact location where he first arrived.

Upon returning, the ticket will automatically expire.

The ticket provides no protection against injuries, illnesses, poisons, hostile entities, or death.

Death in the destination world is permanent.

Please prepare adequately before activation.

]

Kyle read the description slowly, paying particular attention to the restrictions.

The ability to return whenever he wanted was reassuring. At least he wouldn’t be forced to remain in an unfamiliar world for the entire duration if things went terribly wrong.

However, the final warning was impossible to ignore.

’Death was permanent.’

There would be no convenient resurrection, automatic escape from a fatal encounter, and guarantee that the System would save him if he made a mistake.

His supplies could help him survive, but they couldn’t eliminate the danger entirely.

"I hope I don’t die. Everything else, I can deal with."

Kyle swallowed.

For all his excitement, he couldn’t help feeling nervous now that the moment had actually arrived.

What if he spawned directly into a battlefield? What if a powerful monster happened to be nearby? What if his random destination turned out to be a world ruled by some terrifying demon king who could kill him with a casual wave of his hand?

He had no way of knowing.

The uncertainty made his stomach tighten.

"Please let my spawn point be somewhere peaceful."

He looked down at the black ticket, took one final breath, and steeled himself.

He had spent too long preparing to back out now.

"Here goes nothing!"

Rrrrrriiiiiippppp!

Kyle tore the Temporary Dimensional Travel Ticket in half.