Dual Realm Exchange System

Damian’s eyes snapped back into focus as the starry void vanished.

The floating plane, Valor, his rather unfortunate family audience, the exploding planets and the gigantic kaleidoscopic monstrosity wearing Damian’s face all disappeared as though they had never existed.

Instead, the familiar underground chamber of the Adventurer’s Guild returned around him.

Roland Hammond stood beside the World Stone with a confused frown, one massive claw pressed against its dead surface while Selene Vael inspected the surrounding inscriptions with narrowed crimson eyes.

Neither appeared to have noticed Damian’s return yet.

Which meant...

Damian blinked once, then twice.

’What the fuck just happened?’

His mind immediately replayed everything.

He had somehow projected a god-sized energy avatar into the middle of outer space, accidentally challenged the literal founder of Valoria’s modern power system, watched the avatar beat the man half to death in front of his wives and children, stolen or copied something mysterious from him, healed the bastard afterward, apparently gave him a breakthrough as an apology for the cosmic assault...

And then came back here?

Damian slowly looked down at his hands.

He was normal size with normal skin, no kaleidoscopic energy, nor the ability to casually punch someone through an asteroid belt.

”...”

Good!

...probably?

He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about losing access to the giant full-body Susanoo that apparently possessed infinite regeneration and enough raw power to treat planetary destruction like environmental damage.

Actually, no.

He knew exactly how he felt.

’I want that shit back!’

Before Damian could begin investigating what he’d just experienced, a familiar translucent window appeared before him.

[Valorian Overworld System Notice.]

[Legendary Power Restriction Accord Application: Rejected.]

Damian stared in surprise, his eyebrows rising.

Rejected?

Then the second line appeared.

[Reason: Insufficient Administrative Permissions.]

”...Huh?”

That wording made absolutely no sense.

Whose permissions were insufficient?

His?

The World Stone’s?

Roland’s?

Had Damian somehow failed to qualify for being restricted after being dragged across the universe to fight the administrator?

Another screen immediately appeared over the first, but this one was different.

Damian recognized the interface before he finished reading it.

[Dual-Realm Exchange System Notification.]

[Special Power has completed an external authority interaction.]

[The Eternal Proof Avatar successfully defeated the controlling authority encountered during the attempted Valorian Overworld System restriction procedure.]

Damian’s expression slowly changed.

”...Oh boy.”

There was more.

[Divine Challenge concluded.]

[Challenger: Eternal Proof Avatar.]

[Opponent: Valor.]

[Result: Victory.]

[Terms of Exchange fulfilled.]

[Through the principles of Eternal Progress, Cross-Realm Equivalence and Proof of Effort, the Eternal Proof Avatar has obtained an equivalent copy of a portion of Valor’s administrative authority over Valoria.]

Damian became very still.

He had gained... Administrative Authority?

Right, that strange luminous strand!

That was what the avatar had pulled from Valor!

Except the wording matched what Damian observed.

It had not stolen the authority in the normal sense, so Valor had not weakened at all.

The avatar had copied a portion of it!

Another screen opened.

[Valorian Administrative Privileges Acquired.]

[Permission Level: Limited Administrator.]

[Administrative Privileges cannot be actively invoked to alter the Valorian Overworld System, modify its laws, change existing world rules, grant progression benefits, alter rewards, manipulate another user’s System functions or directly influence Valoria through administrative authority.]

Damian’s excitement immediately deflated.

”Of course.”

For half a second, he’d imagined opening some hidden developer console and typing;

[Damian Baines: Level 999.]

Wouldn’t that have been convenient?

Unfortunately, the Dual-Realm Exchange System had apparently decided reality did not come with cheat commands quite that shameless.

Then Damian read the next section, and his disappointment vanished!

[Passive Administrative Immunity established.]

[Host is recognized by the Valorian Overworld System as an authorized administrative entity.]

[The Valorian Overworld System may not impose involuntary punitive, restrictive, confiscatory, surveillance or suppressive effects upon Host.]

[This includes, but is not limited to:

— Forced seizure or suppression of Attributes, Levels, Classes, Feats, Skills, Specializations or other System-granted progression.

— Mandatory restrictive oaths.

— Punitive progression reduction.

— Involuntary behavioral restrictions.

— Hostile System monitoring beyond functions voluntarily accessed by Host.

— Administrative interference with Host’s independently acquired powers.]

[All ordinary beneficial and neutral Valorian Overworld System functions remain available.]

Damian stared at the screen, then slowly smiled.

Oh, this was beautiful!

He couldn’t rewrite the rules to grant himself infinite Attribute Points, delete someone else’s Class because they annoyed him, nor make every monster in Valoria award one billion Experience Points.

But the System could no longer put a leash around his neck either.

It would still recognize him, grant Experience, process Levels, and also provide the ordinary functions Damian had been enjoying since arriving.

It simply could not use its administrative authority against him.

Damian’s smile widened.

”So basically...”

Diplomatic immunity!

Though not the stupid hollywood movie version where diplomatic immunity meant they could murder people in Times Square and laugh at the police.

No, this was akin to actual diplomatic immunity in the sense that one administrative structure lacked ordinary jurisdiction over him.

Naturally, there was an enormous caveat.

The next notification explained it.

[Administrative Immunity does not override Valoria’s intrinsic right of preservation.]

[Actions threatening the continued existence, integrity or fundamental stability of Valoria may provoke direct response from the world itself.]

Fair enough!

If Damian somehow became powerful enough to decide, ’You know what? Fuck this planet!’ and began trying to crack Valoria in half, the world was not expected to sit quietly because his account possessed administrator privileges.

But outside something that extreme, the Valorian Overworld System would mind its own fucking business!

Damian nearly laughed.

All that existential dread!

All that philosophizing about chains!

He had spent the last hour mentally rebuilding his entire long-term plan because he refused to become dependent upon a System capable of repossessing his power...

Only for to apparently hear his complaint and respond:

’Don’t worry bro, I know the owner!’

Ridiculous!

Absolutely ridiculous!

But Damian loved it!

Another notification appeared.

[Divine Challenge Exchange Completed.]

[An equivalent benefit was transferred to Valor according to the terms of fair exchange.]

[Exchange value has been balanced.]

That was it.

He didn’t get any further explanation nor description of what Valor received.

Damian stared suspiciously at the message, then remembered the end of the battle.

There was that kaleidoscopic beam, Valor’s ruined body repairing itself, his aura surging beyond its previous level, and most importantly...

That final look.

Valor had stared upward after everything with confusion, yes.

But there had been something else in those eyes.

Gratitude.

Damian rubbed his chin.

Putting two and two together wasn’t exactly difficult.

From what Damian had learned about Valor and what he’d just witnessed, the man seemed to have already completed his story.

Literally!

He had his family, his wives, his children, and his parents, presumably.

He lived on a moving plane carrying his civilization through the cosmos with enough personal power to casually split planets apart.

The man had gone beyond Legend and reached true divinity, established the Valorian Overworld System and apparently spent who-knew-how-long existing at the pinnacle.

That sounded suspiciously like the stuff after final Chapter of a protagonist’s story.

Clearly, Valor had entered his ’happily ever after’ epilogue at the end of the book.

Unfortunately...

Happily ever after was terrible for progression!

The cosmic luck that once caused secret inheritances to fall from cliffs, ancient grandfathers to wake inside rings, and conveniently timed enemies to deliver exactly the resource you needed had probably dried up centuries ago.

Valor was no longer the protagonist struggling toward the heavens.

He was the old floor boss future protagonists whispered about!

A terrifying powerhouse roaming the void with his family, strong beyond mortal imagination...

And apparently unable to find the next door.

Damian’s mouth twitched.

The Divine Spirits of Valoria seemed to have similar problems.

Yes, they had reached absurd heights, but then what?

There were more restrictions. fewer opportunities, no obvious path forward, nor any conveniently generated adventure waiting around the corner.

Valor had likely spent years, perhaps centuries, searching for whatever came after his current level.

Then one random night...

A giant kaleidoscopic Damian Baines appeared outside his home, beat his ass in front of his entire family, copied part of his precious authority, then shot him with mysterious energy that not only healed all the damage...

But also made him stronger!

And after that?

Valor had looked actually looked grateful.

Damian’s shoulders began shaking.

”Pfft...!”

Selene looked over.

Damian quickly covered his mouth.

He couldn’t help it!

What kind of sequel setup was that?!

Valor’s original story might as well have been called, ’I Entered A Chaotic Fantasy World With My Game System!’

Then years later, the epilogue ends.

Everyone is happy, and credits roll.

Suddenly some unknown cosmic bastard breaks into the retirement home, beats the protagonist unconscious, gives him a breakthrough and disappears without elaborating.

Then the sequel begins!

’The Divine God Of Games: Ascending To The Ninth Heaven!’

”PFFT—!”

Damian turned the laugh into a cough.

Roland stared at him suspiciously.

”Are you alright?”

”Never better.” Damian answered immediately.

That was technically true!

Damian looked at the final notification again.

Whatever the Dual-Realm Exchange System had given Valor, it had considered the benefit equivalent to a copy of his administrative authority.

And considering Valor’s reaction, Damian suspected the man had received the better end of the deal from his own perspective.

Good!

At least Damian didn’t need to feel guilty about accidentally jumping somebody outside his house and beating him senseless in front of his children.

The cosmic transaction had apparently been mutually profitable.

Very civilized!

Damian finally removed his hands from the World Stone.

Roland immediately turned toward him.

”What happened? The World Stone ceased responding the moment your acceptance began.” The Lionman demanded.

Selene stepped closer. ”Your consciousness also disappeared, Damian. For several moments, I couldn’t properly sense you through ordinary magical perception.”

Damian considered how much to say.

The answer was obvious.

Almost nothing!

Explaining that he’d just fought Valor somewhere in space would create approximately six thousand questions Damian had neither the ability nor intention to answer.

Fortunately, the part they actually needed to know was considerably simpler.

”The restriction doesn’t work on me.” Damian said simply.

Roland frowned. ”What?”

”Basically, I’m exempt.” Damian added helpfully.

Selene blinked.

Damian smiled. ”You know how it is, Otherworlder privileges and all that.”

Roland stared at him. ”That... is not a thing.”

Damian shrugged helplessly. ”Apparently it is now.”

”Friend Damian.” Roland called with a dark expression.

”I’m serious!” Damian portested with dissatisfaction.

The Lionman’s expression suggested Damian’s definition of serious had become increasingly suspicious over the past week.

Selene looked toward the World Stone. ”Can you prove that?”

Before Damian answered, the ancient tablet suddenly lit again.

All three turned as white lines spread through the stone.

Then a shared notification appeared.

[Valorian Overworld System Confirmation.]

[Individual: Damian Baines.]

[Status: Authorized Administrative Exception.]

[Legendary Power Restriction Accord: Not Applicable.]

[No Legendary Power Restriction Oath required.]

Silence.

Roland stared at the message while Selene read it once, then twice, both of their expressions colorful.

Damian folded his arms with the expression of a man who had absolutely understood how any of this worked five minutes ago.

Selene slowly turned toward him. ”...Administrative exception?”

Damian shrugged. ”Otherworlder privileges and all that, it’s hard to explain to non-Otherworlders.”

Roland’s eye twitched. ”Valor was an Otherworlder!”

”Different Otherworlder?”

”Alexander Smith was an Otherworlder!”

”Skill issue.”

Selene covered her mouth with amusement while Roland glared helplessly at Damian.

Damian smiled innocently.

There was nothing else either Legend could really say.

The Valorian Overworld System itself had confirmed the exemption.

The actual world System had looked at Damian Baines and declared that the restrictions applied to every other person capable of wielding Legend-level force...

But not him.

Selene’s crimson eyes became increasingly fascinated.

”Little Damian... Every time I believe I’ve understood how abnormal you are, you somehow make the previous version seem ordinary.” She murmured.

Damian placed one hand over his chest. ”I work very hard.”

Roland snorted. ”No, you cheat very hard!”

Damian paused, then coughed. ”...That too.”

............

They moved to Roland’s office afterward.

Alfaro was transferred into secure Guild care for magical examination while Damian, Selene and Roland finally sat down somewhere that wasn’t inside a crater, underground ritual chamber or outer space.

Honestly, the chair felt wonderful.

Damian leaned back while Roland stood behind his oversized desk reviewing several emergency reports that had accumulated during their absence.

Selene occupied a chair nearby, one leg crossed elegantly over the other.

”The principal threat has been removed. Ravelhorn is dead whereas Alfaro has been recovered alive, with the Fey force directly attached to Ravelhorn appearing broken.” Roland said after several minutes.

Damian nodded.

Moonveil’s crisis wasn’t completely resolved, not yet.

Thousands of displaced Fey had entered the region, various monster populations had been disturbed, and the ancient crossings still needed proper inspection.

Not to mention that Blackroot Den remained filled with Dark Goblins who had spent far too much time treating the southern forest like their personal kingdom.

But the proverbial head of the snake was gone as Ravelhorn’s plans had ended inside a crater.

Roland placed the report down.

”The mobilization will continue. There are still hostile nests throughout our assigned sectors and several teams have reported concentrations of Dark Goblins retreating deeper south.”

Selene nodded. ”If we withdraw immediately, they’ll scatter and rebuild.”

”Exactly, so keep the teams sweeping.” Damian suggested as he rubbed his chin.

Roland looked toward him.

Damian continued.

”Maintain the sector system. Clear the hostile populations, secure the crossings, finish the search routes and deal with whatever scattered nonsense Ravelhorn left behind.”

Roland nodded slowly. ”That’s already the likely plan.”

”But leave the Dark Goblins to me.” Damian proposed with a strange smile.

The office became quiet, Selene’s eyebrows rising while Roland speechlessly stared across his desk.

”...All of them?”

”The organized groups, yes.”

Roland leaned back slightly.

”Young man, while you’ve demonstrated that you’re more than capable of fighting Dark Goblins, Blackroot Den still contains a considerable population. Even with Varkas absent, attacking them alone would be—”

”I didn’t say I was going to attack them alone.” Damian interrupted.

Selene watched him closely.

That expression...

She was beginning to recognize that expression.

It usually meant Damian had already done something questionable and everyone else was several minutes behind discovering it.

”What exactly are you planning?” Selene asked.

Damian’s smile slowly changed, and there was no warmth nor playful amusement in it.

Only the sinister satisfaction of someone who had just remembered an extremely useful tool sitting in storage.

”Oh, nothing complicated.” Damian replied lightly.

Roland narrowed his eyes.

Damian leaned back into his chair.

”I just have a little friend who wants to say hello to them.”