[NEW SYSTEM UPDATE UNLOCKED]
[Upgrade Successful: Guardian System Level 2]
[Unlocked: Interrealm Online Market Access]
I blinked. "Interrealm Online Market Access?"
A new interface had been added to the corner of the system. I tapped it mentally, and it unfolded like a digital storefront. My jaw dropped. It was an Earth-based market. Items from my world—tents, instant ramen, solar lights, insect repellents, cooking sets, batteries—everything I used during my camping trip... and more. There were even listings for appliances and bulk groceries. Each had a price tag in gold coins.
[Exchange Rate Established: 1 Large Gold Coin = £300 Earth currency]
I nearly choked. I had a small pouch of those coins sitting at the bottom of my backpack.
This... this changed everything. With this system, I could bring more supplies from Earth to Magixah. I could build infrastructure, feed entire villages, set up irrigation systems, open grocery shops and more. My land... I could make it flourish. But not yet. Not until I upheld my part of the agreement with the king.
The next few weeks were a whirlwind of activity. We coordinated supply shipments, trained the knights with the help of my Earth goods, and worked alongside the royal engineers to craft magically-reinforced storage for the goods.
One morning, while I was helping organize a delivery of magical noodles to the armory, Saintess Athena approached me, her expression unreadable.
"Dirk," she said softly, eyeing the backpack I carried. "Your satchel... it is a magical item, yes?"
I nodded slowly. "Yes."
"I inspected the runes along the seams. The script... It's ancient. Older than even the First Era. Where did you acquire it?"
My heart skipped. I had completely forgotten that the English lettering on the straps could be mistaken for ancient runes. Thinking fast, I offered a crooked smile. "In the far North, my people still use the olden script. It's... cultural."
Athena tilted her head. "From the North Pole?"
I nodded. "Exactly."
Her gaze lingered on me, but she said nothing more. Instead, she offered a new suggestion.
"We have countless scrolls in the Royal Library. Most are written in the same ancient language as your satchel. Perhaps... you could help us decipher them?"
I agreed, and soon found myself pouring over the scrolls. To my shock, many were written in English—spells, rituals, enchantments that no one in this world could read.
With a bit of editing and creative explanation, I began transcribing the texts, teaching the mages how to speak certain incantations properly. The results were immediate.
Powerful spells that had long been forgotten now erupted to life. Knights enchanted their weapons with searing flame. Mages summoned storms that tore through small villages. The High Priest was stunned, and soon, the king himself was informed.
In a private audience days later, Athena made a bold suggestion to the king.
"Your Majesty, with Dirk's help, our spellcasters are growing stronger each day. He may not be a hero... but he's brought miracles. I believe we should reward him not just with title, but with gold for his territory. Let him build, Your Majesty. He will create a stronghold that may one day save this kingdom."
The king nodded thoughtfully. "Let it be done."
I received a letter the next morning. Ten thousand pouches of gold. Land deeds. And a new quest notification glowing on my Guardian screen:
[New Quest: Develop Your Territory]
[Reward: Interrealm Market Expansion and Sub-System Unlocked: Construction Blueprints]
I stared at the screen and felt the weight of the future press against my chest.
This world had just handed me the keys to change everything.
*****
The wind whipped through my hair as I stood atop the observation balcony of the Mage's Tower, staring down at the wave of soldiers marching from the castle gates. The city below pulsed with magical energy—like the whole kingdom was holding its breath.
From up here, the view was like something out of a war documentary mixed with a fantasy RPG intro cutscene. Thousands of soldiers marched in perfect formation, their armor gleaming under enchantments. Knights mounted on mana-beasts that looked like armored horses crossed with dragons. Mages walked with staffs glowing from the enchantments I'd helped decode. Siege weapons creaked and rolled forward, powered by magical fuel I'd unknowingly helped recreate with a mix of oil and salt from Earth.
And almost all of them carried something... mine.
My deodorants, my water pouches, hotdogs, chocolate bars, energy tablets, even the reinforced salt packets. I saw one young recruit unwrapping a mamon cake like it was treasure. Another flicked open a box of matches, lighting it with fascination before snuffing it out like a sacred relic. They were braver, steadier... maybe even hopeful.
Ella, standing beside me, nudged my shoulder. "They're not scared. See that? You gave them confidence."
"Yeah," I murmured, swallowing the tight feeling in my throat. "But it still feels... weird. Like this isn't real."
Felix chuckled behind me. "They've got your gear, your food, and your soap. Trust me, you're more than real to them now."
Elvie stood on my other side, arms crossed, her sharp eyes following the mass of soldiers disappearing into the horizon. "So this is how we prepare for war now. With enchanted chocolate bars and fire-sticks."
"They work, don't they?" I said.
She didn't argue.
Athena stepped beside us, her silver-threaded robes flowing like water in the wind. Her presence always made everything around her feel more intense.
"They march to fortify the Dwarfin border," she said. "To hold the demon horde at bay. With your help, they carry supplies we once thought impossible."
I nodded slowly. I didn't have the words. Honestly, a few months ago I couldn't even have imagined this. I was just some guy with a backpack full of camping gear. Now that backpack had fed an army and revolutionized a war effort.
In my hand, I turned over a gold coin—the king's latest payment. Thanks to my upgraded Guardian System, each of these was now worth a thousand Earth pounds. I could use it to order anything from my old world. One small coin, and I could buy a generator. A box of solar panels. Even a goddamn drone, if I saved up.
The alert in my head blinked softly:
[Quest Update: Assist in the War Effort]
Progress: 12%
Next Reward: (Interrealm Online Market Access Upgrade)
I clenched the coin a little tighter.
"This might not be enough," I whispered to myself.
Athena heard anyway. She placed a hand on my shoulder, light and steady. "It will be. Because of you, we finally have a fighting chance. You're not just a wandering merchant anymore."
I looked at her. "Then what am I?"
Her smile was both kind and frighteningly serious. "You are the Magixah's Hidden Ace."
The words settled in my chest like a weight—and a responsibility. I looked out again at the disappearing army, their banners snapping in the wind. I had a land to develop. A war to help fight. A kingdom depending on what I could bring from another world.
For once, I didn't feel like an outsider pretending to be useful. I felt like I belonged.