Mario stood quietly before the farmhouse.
The morning breeze carried the scent of fresh grass and ripe fruit.
Somewhere beyond the invisible barrier, an enormous beast let out a distant roar before the forest fell silent once again.
He looked at the humble wooden house.
“…Let’s see what makes you so special.”
He climbed the small porch.
The wooden floor creaked beneath his feet.
Unlike the mysterious door in Yuuya’s basement, this entrance felt completely ordinary.
He grasped the handle.
Twist.
Click.
Unlocked.
Mario stepped inside.
Warm sunlight poured through the windows.
The interior was exactly what he had expected.
Simple.
One bedroom.
A combined dining and living room occupied most of the space, while a compact kitchen sat neatly against one wall.
Beyond a short hallway was a modest bathroom complete with a shower.
Nothing luxurious.
Nothing extravagant.
Just…
Comfortable.
“This feels like someone actually lived here.”
The thought made him smile.
There were no marble floors.
No chandeliers.
No golden statues.
Only the home of someone who valued peace over prestige.
He slowly walked across the wooden floor.
Everything was spotless.
Not a trace of dust.
Despite standing abandoned for who knew how many years, it looked as though its owner had merely stepped outside for a morning stroll.
Then…
The house reacted.
A faint ripple spread beneath Mario’s feet.
The wooden floor emitted a soft pulse.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The air itself seemed to acknowledge his presence.
Mario stopped walking.
“…Here it comes.”
A calm voice echoed directly inside his mind.
Neither male nor female.
Ancient.
Emotionless.
Unregistered visitor detected.
A brief pause followed.
Beginning estate evaluation.
Mario remained still.
There was nothing to do except wait.
Several long seconds passed.
Then—
Previous Master: Deceased.
No successor recorded.
Another pause.
Candidate accepted.
The room glowed faintly.
Warm light flowed through the walls, ceiling, and floor before converging around Mario.
He instinctively closed his eyes.
The sensation wasn’t painful.
It felt…
Like countless pieces of knowledge gently finding their proper place.
The light faded.
The voice returned.
Estate Authority transferred.
Current Master: Mario Mortiz.
Several translucent panels appeared before him.
Unlike the game windows he remembered from novels, these resembled beautifully crafted magical records rather than a digital interface.
Estate Authority
Owner: Mario Mortiz
Status: Active
Residence: Sage’s Farmstead
Another panel appeared.
World Gate Authority
Registered Owner: Mario Mortiz
Functions Available:
Asset Exchange Gate Transfer Entry Authorization
Mario read each entry carefully.
“…Asset Exchange.”
“…Gate Transfer.”
“…Entry Authorization.”
The names alone already revealed their purpose.
He focused on the first.
Immediately, new information unfolded.
Asset Exchange
Objects approved by the Estate may be exchanged for the dominant legal currency of the owner’s native world.
Mario let out a relieved breath.
“So it really adapts.”
“No foreign currency.”
“No exchange counters.”
“No explaining why I suddenly own stacks of yen.” New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
A grin spread across his face.
“Excellent.”
Next…
Gate Transfer.
Gate Transfer
The World Gate may be summoned to any location chosen by its owner.
Mario blinked.
“…Anywhere?”
His heart skipped a beat.
He didn’t need to dismantle the doorway.
He didn’t even need to carry it.
The Estate itself recognized the gate as part of its domain.
Wherever he wished…
The entrance could simply appear.
His apartment.
A warehouse.
A secluded mountain.
Anywhere.
“…That’s even better.”
Then…
The final function.
Entry Authorization
Only individuals recognized by the owner may pass through the World Gate.
Unauthorized entry is prohibited.
Mario slowly smiled.
“No accidental visitors.”
“No one can follow me.”
The farmhouse…
Had just become the safest place he had ever owned.
Another panel materialized.
Estate Blessings Granted
Universal Linguistics Dimensional Vault Enhanced Vitality
Universal Linguistics.
Mario looked toward a thick book resting on a nearby shelf.
Its pages contained elegant writing unlike anything he had ever seen.
Only moments ago…
The symbols were meaningless.
Now…
He read them effortlessly.
“…Remarkable.”
Not translated.
Understood.
As though he had spoken the language since birth.
He quickly looked outside toward the endless forest.
“If this works on every world’s language…”
“…I’ll never have to worry about communication again.”
Next came the Dimensional Vault.
Mario instinctively understood how to activate it.
A vast empty space unfolded before his thoughts.
Silent.
Limitless.
He picked up a wooden chair.
“Store.”
The chair disappeared.
No flash.
No sound.
He checked the Vault.
The chair rested exactly where he expected.
“Retrieve.”
It instantly returned.
Mario nodded in satisfaction.
“Simple.”
“I like simple.”
His attention shifted toward another door inside the farmhouse.
Unlike the bedroom…
This room was locked.
The moment he approached…
The lock clicked open by itself.
Apparently, becoming the Estate’s master granted access automatically.
Mario slowly pushed the door inward.
He stopped.
Weapon racks lined every wall.
Not dozens.
Only a handful.
Each weapon occupied its own place as though it were irreplaceable.
A straight sword.
A spear.
A great scythe.
A beautifully crafted bow.
A heavy gauntlet resting on a wooden stand.
None of them glowed.
None of them radiated dramatic beams of light.
They simply…
Existed.
Quietly.
Confidently.
As if they had no need to prove their worth.
Mario activated his new appraisal ability.
A magical record appeared.
First Relic
Condition: Perfect
Remarks:
A blade forged for a master who values precision over spectacle.
He moved to the spear.
Second Relic
Classification: Estate Armament
Condition: Perfect
Remarks:
Returns unfailingly to its owner once released.
The scythe.
Third Relic
Classification: Estate Armament
Condition: Perfect
Remarks:
Its wounds resist ordinary healing.
The bow.
Fourth Relic
Classification: Estate Armament
Condition: Perfect
Remarks:
Adapts itself to the intent of its wielder.
Finally…
The gauntlet.
Fifth Relic
Classification: Estate Armament
Condition: Perfect
Remarks:
Strengthens both offense and defense far beyond ordinary limits.
Mario slowly exhaled.
“…I’m definitely not testing these inside the house.”
One by one…
He placed every relic inside the Dimensional Vault.
Safe.
Organized.
Ready whenever he needed them.
Before leaving, he stepped into the garden once more.
The magical vegetables swayed gently beneath the sunlight.
He picked one glowing tomato.
The instant it left the vine…
Another began growing.
Within moments…
It ripened completely.
Mario laughed.
“So they’re truly renewable.”
He harvested several different fruits and vegetables.
Every one regenerated.
An endless supply.
Food.
Medicine.
Potential wealth.
This place wasn’t merely a refuge.
It was a self-sustaining fortress.
Only one task remained.
Mario closed his eyes.
“Gate Transfer.”
The space beside him shimmered.
Without noise…
The ancient wooden door appeared a few steps away.
Still connected to Yuuya’s basement.
Still fully operational.
“It works.”
He walked through.
The familiar basement greeted him.
Now empty except for forgotten furniture and shelves.
Anyone discovering this place in the future would find nothing extraordinary.
The miracle had already found its new owner.
Mario summoned the World Gate once again.
This time…
He imagined his apartment.
The doorway dissolved into countless particles of light before reforming beside the living room wall back on Earth.
He stepped through.
His apartment welcomed him exactly as he had left it.
Plain.
Small.
Unremarkable.
Except now…
A wooden door stood quietly against one wall.
Beyond it…
A farmhouse hidden within one of the deadliest forests imaginable.
Mario looked around his apartment.
Then at the World Gate.
A slow smile spread across his face.
“This…”
He rested one hand on the wooden frame.
“…was worth the trip.”
Outside, Manila continued its ordinary routine.
Inside the apartment…
A second world waited only one step away.
And Mario had used only his very first visit.
End of Chapter 11