Chapter 292: A Dimension of Her Own

Iron had finally eaten a proper meal, and the food helped ease the lingering weakness and agonizing dizziness, allowing him to regain at least some of his strength.

Meanwhile, night had settled in outside. The bonfires had burned down to glowing embers, and the few residents who had stayed out late had finally returned to their homes.

When Iron stepped into the spacious hall of the Main Building, Eliza was waiting for him. Seeing that he looked better and was no longer on the verge of collapsing, her expression softened slightly. After saying their goodbyes, Iron watched as she headed for the exit and made her way home.

Left alone in the now-empty hall, Iron sighed and slowly made his way toward the stairs leading to the second floor.

Iron slowly climbed the stairs. As he went, he quietly called out:

"Elyria."

The moment he took the final step and reached the upper floor, the space directly in front of him warped. In the same instant, Elyria materialized in midair, appearing just inches from his face.

Iron recoiled slightly, then calmly said:

"It’s time to get started."

Elyria blinked, tilting her head in surprise before asking:

"Get started on what?"

"Well, making your pocket dimension. What else?" Iron replied tiredly, with the faintest hint of a smile.

Elyria paused for a moment, processing what she’d just heard. But the moment his words fully sank in, her face lit up with a brilliant smile, and she practically glowed with excitement.

"Really?" she breathed, almost reverently, floating a little closer and holding her head in disbelief. "Really? You’re not joking right now? This is actually happening, right?!"

Iron nodded.

Elyria spun around in excitement, unable to contain herself.

"I can’t believe it! I can’t believe it! Pinch me! I seriously can’t believe this!"

Iron nodded and made his way down the corridor toward his room. Stopping in front of the door, he pointed at it and said simply:

"Replace this section with Iron Oak."

Elyria immediately floated closer. Without wasting a second, she placed her palm against the smooth surface of the door. Bright, sparkling arcs of pure mana flashed between her hand and the wood.

The very next moment, the space around them trembled. The entire door, along with the adjacent doorframe and even part of the surrounding wall, was completely transformed into Iron Oak.

Elyria smiled with satisfaction as she withdrew her hand and proudly announced:

"There! All done!"

Iron nodded approvingly, approached the doorway, and fitted the Iron Oak block directly into the doorframe. The tiny matrix instantly merged seamlessly with the surrounding material, becoming completely invisible to anyone who might happen to look.

At that very moment, Lumon's familiar voice sounded in Iron's mind:

"Synchronization complete. Using the host's mana as an energy bridge. Linking the raw ether buffer to the quantum address of the runes... Spatial anomaly stabilized. Pocket dimension formed beyond the doorway. Awaiting your command."

Iron let out a heavy sigh as he felt a faint wave of energy drain through his nervous system, then nodded.

"Elyria, go ahead," he said quietly.

The moment he spoke, the microscopic block embedded in the doorframe flashed briefly, instantly scanning Elyria's essence.

"Um... so what do I do?" Elyria asked, looking confused.

"Just open the door and go inside," Iron replied, nodding toward the handle.

Holding her breath and barely containing her excitement, Elyria grasped the door handle and pulled the door open.

Instead of the familiar, illuminated corridor, an absolute, silent void stretched beyond the threshold. But the moment she floated across it and allowed herself to imagine, even for a second, the little sanctuary she'd been longing for, with soft grass, a clear sky, clouds, and a secluded space of her own, Lumon immediately intercepted the resulting thought-form impulse.

The space around her instantly began to sparkle. The emptiness rapidly transformed, filling with lush green meadows, delicate flowers, and the soft rustle of the wind. Solid ground spread beneath her feet, while a small hill with a tree rose ahead. Far in the distance, a gigantic oak tree emerged, reaching all the way into the sky.

Elyria stood frozen in the middle of this newly formed world, clutching her hands to her chest as she gazed around in wonder, unable to believe her own eyes.

Elyria listened closely. The faint rustling of grass, the distant chirping of birds, and the gentle breath of the cool breeze filled the air. A happy smile spread across her face, and she closed her eyes for a moment, savoring her newfound freedom.

Meanwhile, outside the door, Iron carefully closed it. After waiting a few seconds, he opened it again and stepped inside, only to find himself in an ordinary second-floor room.

Elyria's voice immediately rang through his mind, brimming with joy.

"Thank you, Iron! Thank you! I'm so happy! I've wanted a space of my own for so long!"

Iron wearily closed his eyes and replied to her mentally.

Just don't forget that your task is simply to return to your true form. You can get started now.

Elyria nodded enthusiastically and gave a quick "Got it!" before flying over to the sprawling tree on the hill and immediately settling into deep meditation.

Iron turned around, left the room, and headed for the stairs. As he descended to the first floor, he let out a quiet sigh.

"One less problem to deal with."

Back in his office, he settled into his chair behind the desk and glanced at the work before him.

"Now it's time to deal with the Copier"

Meanwhile, the village had finally settled into the quiet of the night. Only the occasional rustle broke the silence of the streets. Noah sat on the roof of the Main Building, resting his chin on one hand as he glumly surveyed the surroundings, fuming inwardly.

Couldn't he have just left that dome in place permanently?...

After letting out a heavy sigh, he finally relaxed his shoulders and muttered under his breath:

"Well, at least Elyria's gone."

Meanwhile, in a three-story house far beyond the village, Nivea's pocket dimension occupied the top floor. Inside, it was a true kingdom of ice, where practically everything was made of ice and gleamed brilliantly. Nivea sat meditating in silence.

Just then, Kai entered the room without making a sound. Not seeing Nivea anywhere, he casually waved a hand, slicing open space and creating a rift. He was about to leap through it when a mass of ice suddenly shot upward from the rift, forming layers of spikes aimed straight at him.

Kai reacted just in time, quickly tilting his head to the side. The spike narrowly missed him and pierced straight through the wall.

More, smaller spikes began forming from the ice above and below, converging on Kai. A moment later, they shot through the space where he had been, but he had already dodged the attack, reappearing nearby in a spot untouched by the ice.

An enraged Nivea emerged from the rift. Her clothing, woven from the purest blue ice and shimmering crystals, radiated cold fury, while her light blue hair began to glow ever more brightly.

"Kai-y-y..." she hissed angrily.

Kai waved his hand, instantly melting the ice without producing a single wisp of steam or drop of water.

"Yes?"

Nivea angrily raised a hand and sent another wave of icy spears flying toward him.

"Could you please stop barging into my space?!"

In an instant, the walls and ceiling trembled. Powerful spatial magic carved out a perfect square, reducing the entire room to splinters and shards of ice.

Looking down from above, Kai took in the scene and extended his hand, wielding the same spatial magic as Nivea. The next moment, a barrage of layered spikes shot toward her. But just as they were about to hit, the ice flying at Nivea abruptly froze in midair, and sharp spikes shot past her, heading straight for Kai.

He stared at the sight in surprise, but at the last moment, he teleported away. Spikes burst out in every direction from the spot where he had been standing just a moment earlier.

Kai gazed sadly at the destruction and let out a sigh.

"Well, damn..."

At that very moment, thick layers of ice clamped around his wrists and ankles, pinning him in place with his arms and legs spread apart. Nivea materialized beside him almost instantly.

Kai gave her a faint smile.

"Sorry..."

Nivea's fist, wrapped in a dense layer of mana, slammed into him with incredible force. The air around them practically froze on impact. After taking a couple more devastating blows, Kai looked at her and thought:

I think I've learned enough for today.

At that very moment, both of them suddenly shuddered. A bone-chilling sense of dread washed over them, and they instinctively looked down in perfect unison.

Abel was standing below.

A moment later, Kai teleported straight to Abel, instantly freeing himself from the ice, and burst out indignantly:

"It's her fault!"

Nivea immediately teleported beside them and shot back angrily:

"No, it's his fault! He tore open my space and then wrecked the whole place!" She gestured at the destroyed room around them.

Kai quietly added:

"Well, that might be true..."

Abel gave them both a stern look and calmly said:

"I told you two to fight in my dimension."

Nivea immediately protested.

"But he's the one provoking me!"

Ignoring their excuses, Abel silently took a diamond-shaped device out of his pocket. A red component extended from its center, and the next moment, billions of hair-thin beams swept across the destroyed room. They first scanned it from top to bottom, mapping its positions and angles. Then, as the beams swept upward, the room began reassembling itself before their eyes, restoring the walls and ceiling to their original state.

Once the repairs were complete, Abel turned toward the exit and tossed a remark over his shoulder.

"Whatever. Arthur still hasn't woken up anyway... Just don't cause any more trouble."

With that, he left.

Kai let out a heavy sigh and muttered:

"You really had to destroy the whole place, didn't you..."

He turned toward Nivea, but she was already gone. The only thing left in the empty room was the fading echo of her voice.

"Shut up, you bastard."

Hearing that, Kai simply let out a tired sigh, lowered his head for a moment, then straightened up and headed for the exit.

"Alright..."

Morning came. The village gradually stirred to life as the first workers stepped out into the streets and conversations began, marking the start of a new day.

In his office, Iron slowly opened his eyes. After lying still for a couple of seconds, he lifted his head, stretched, and leaned back in his chair. Glancing at the Copier lying on the desk, he wearily closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

After a while, he got up and stepped into the hall, intending to continue on, when Elyria suddenly materialized right in front of him. She was practically glowing with happiness, raising a fist into the air as she exclaimed excitedly:

"Iron! Iron! I'm so happy you did this! Thank you!"

But the moment she fell silent and took a closer look at his face, she froze. After blinking a couple of times, she asked in confusion:

"Um... uh... why is one of your eyes green...?"

Iron listlessly walked past her, mumbling under his breath:

"Yeah, I'm happy..."