Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 51: Interspatial Storage Array

CH51 Interspatial Storage Array

***

Alex let the realisation sink in for a moment.

Afterwards, he did what he always did—try to figure out how to exploit the system he had uncovered.

’That said, if I look at this from another angle... it also means the rune logic of this world does make it possible to create independent spaces—as long as I can provide the necessary energy,’ he mused.

He looked around, thoughtful.

’It’s likely that my reprogrammed formation would have resulted in the creation of a self-sufficient plane, or at least a semi-plane. That would’ve required an astronomical amount of energy—far beyond what I have access to.’

He tapped his chin.

’But... if I alter the parameters—if I change the target outcome from a self-sufficient plane to a fully dependent pocket dimension... one where I have to bring in everything from the outside, and one that only spans a small space—then the energy cost is significantly reduced.

’In other words, by lowering the foundational conditions of the space, I can also drastically lower the energy requirements for creating that space.’

Alex nodded to himself. He was confident he was on the right track.

’Judging from the fact that both I and the tree are surviving in here, this space can support life. That means ”supporting life” is a condition I can encode in the formation. Similarly, whether someone can enter or leave the space should also be a parameter I can encode.’

His eyes lit up with understanding.

’If I remove just these two conditions—life support and traversal—I should be able to reduce the energy requirement even further. And the result? A perfect Interspatial storage space!’

Alex wasn’t harbouring any grand ambitions of creating a new plane of existence or anything of the sort. That was a domain he believed no one—no mortal—had the right to trespass.

His ability to create this pocket dimension hadn’t come from some profound awakening or personal breakthrough. It came from understanding and leveraging the very laws of the world. If the world hadn’t permitted it—hadn’t made its logic accessible—he wouldn’t have achieved anything at all.

That sobering realisation kept him grounded. It stopped him from developing any deluded god complex. He remained what he truly was: an engineer. One who observed, learned from, and made use of nature to create tools and products that served both himself and others.

”Argh!” Alex scratched his head in frustration. ”Balancing the conditions for the space so that the energy cost is low enough to be practical... that’s going to be a nightmare to calculate. I’ll have to run dozens of experiments just to see how different conditions correlate with energy draw. It’s tedious work, and I don’t have time for it right now!”

He sighed.

”Ah, but I want an Interspatial storage so ba—”

His thoughts stopped mid-rant.

He blinked.

Then slowly looked around.

”Oh...” he smacked his forehead.

Why was he so desperate to create a storage space in a hurry when he already had an entire pocket dimension at his disposal?

”I guess I can take my time with the Interspatial storage project. Down the priority list it goes. I’ll revisit it when my schedule’s a bit freer.”

With that, Alex shelved the storage project and refocused on the pocket dimension itself.

’Now the question is: what should I do with this space? It would be a massive waste to use it solely for storage, especially if I can freely enter and exit. Maybe I should set up a Rune Lab here? That way, I’d always have a secure place to work—no matter where I am.’

’Hmm, that’s not a bad idea,’ Alex mused. ’I can have modular lab furnishings created so I can shift the equipment aside if I need more space. That way, this place can function as more than just a storage room.’

He nodded to himself, already planning the layout.

’I could even add a rest area in here. A proper space where I can unwind after long research sessions. The only issue... is the fake sky. Sure, clear skies are pleasant, but after a while, they’ll become boring and stale.’

Alex shrugged with a resigned smile. ”Beggars can’t be choosers. I’m already lucky to have a place like this. I’ll just have to make do, as usual.”

He cast one final glance at the bonsai tree, which had claimed a corner of the pocket dimension for itself, before stepping out through the spatial gate.

A moment later, Alex was back in the Dragon Lair.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him.

Without hesitation, he sat down and began to meditate. The vertigo was an obvious warning—mana deficiency.

Fortunately, his recovery was swift. It was then he noticed that the OmniRune Core had automatically shifted from the Spatial Formation to the Mana Gathering Formation, significantly boosting his energy regeneration.

The cave itself helped too.

Although the mana stone mine and the dragon’s body were long gone, the natural mana-gathering array had already fused with the environment. The mana was thickening rapidly, transforming the cave into a natural mana cultivation chamber.

With the danger past and his condition stabilised, Alex finally turned his attention inward—to his Mana Heart.

’Huh? My rank dropped again?’ He blinked, surprised.

Previously, his rank had fallen from peak Beginner to late Beginner after acquiring the Extreme Mana Capacity talent, due to the sudden increase in his Mana Heart’s storage capacity.

Now, he noticed it had dropped again—this time to mid Beginner Rank—without him even realising it.

’It’s probably due to the dragon flame,’ he concluded quickly, narrowing his mental focus.

During the Singularity ordeal, the Dragon Flame had relentlessly refined the mana within his Mana Heart. That refining likely reduced the total volume of mana, which in turn reduced the pressure exerted by it—explaining the drop in rank.

But the trade-off was worth it.

In return, he now possessed extremely pure mana. Combined with his Elemental Affinity Enhancement talent, this would drastically improve the efficiency and potency of his spells.

’I guess I can’t complain, given the benefits,’ he sighed.

He’d already reached the peak once; climbing back up wouldn’t take long. He simply needed dedicated time for focused cultivation.

Turning his attention elsewhere, Alex looked to the two MVPs who had protected his body during the Singularity crisis—his dual bloodlines.

Both bloodline phantoms had returned to the bloodline space, retreating to recover the energy they’d expended while shielding his body and mana vessels.

Alex concentrated and willed himself into the bloodline space.

To his surprise, he entered with ease.

This level of control was something only Warlocks typically possessed. Even compared to prodigies among their ranks, his affinity was exceptional. In another life—one without Rune-Tech—he might have ended up as a Warlock himself.

”What? Is that...?”

Alex’s eyes widened as he arrived in his bloodline space and took in the changes.

The two bloodline altars still stood as before, their liquid essence flowing into the central pool. However, that pool had been severely drained.

He immediately understood—this pool was a visual representation of the bloodline energy used by the phantoms during the crisis. Its depletion made perfect sense.

But that wasn’t what shocked him.

What stunned Alex were the faint, glowing words beginning to form upon the surfaces of the two altars.

A rush of understanding hit him.

The subtle shift he’d sensed in his bloodline—after it had been washed and refined by the Stalactite Milk—was now revealing itself.

The words forming on the altars could only mean one thing.

His True Name.

***