The man seemed happier than before, but he was still clearly down about the circumstances. Sam could understand a little bit of the rage, but most of it was alien to him. Those who lived in the wider Multiverse were not like Sam and the other inhabitants of the newly initiated universe. In a way, they worshiped power.

A being like Sam with high potential was the ultimate prize for any teacher to claim dominion over, and nobody in their right mind would wish to let go of him until they had managed to make their mark. Even at only F Rank, Sam was undoubtedly destined for great things. Any fool could see that, and Gordanus was no fool.

Sam sat down too, holding his hammer out in front of him. His body ached from the battle, but he ignored it for the most part. Gordanus did not speak any further, and for the next few hours, they simply sat there, thinking about their place in reality. Sam did not even attempt to cultivate, such was his inner turmoil. Eventually, Gordanus seemed to come to some sort of inner resolution, and got up.

“It is approaching the time. I would not be a good teacher if I did not have a gift for you to show my appreciation for your company. Come with me.”

The man gracefully navigated the shattered rocks that littered the devastated cave floor, and walked towards the far end, near the entrance. The cave mouth had not seen much use, interestingly enough, given that Gordanus was fond of using his teleportation abilities whenever he had the opportunity.

“What is it, master?” Sam called out after the man. There was no reply. He sighed, and followed, heading after Gordanus. The other man paused over a small rent in the ground, and reached down, sending a pulse of mana into the earth. A pillar of rock surged upwards, with a small satchel on it. Gordanus smiled, and handed it to Sam.

“I noticed that you did not have one of these. However, a storage device will be necessary in your journeys.”

Sam held the item in shock, having heard of such things before on Earth. He had known that they were prohibitively expensive, but that was likely nothing for an E Ranker like Gordanus. Still, it was a nice gift.

“Thank you,” Sam said, as he idly gazed at the bag. It was made out of what looked like leather, but with a bluish tinge, and it glistened faintly. He scanned it a moment later.

Minor Storage Satchel

F Rank Enchanted Item

This satchel is enchanted with a vastly increased interior storage area, capable of holding items far beyond its external size. It is a masterwork of enchanting work, created by a talented leatherworker, working in concert with an E Rank enchanter.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

The description was simple, but it did not undercut the usefulness of the item. No longer would Sam have to trudge around in his armor at all times of the day. In addition, he would be able to store useful items in it for later. This would be invaluable. Gordanus beamed at him as he saw the effect that the satchel was having on Sam, and spoke.

“It cost a pretty penny, as I had to have it delivered by Interweb, but it was still worth it. I wasn’t sure whether you would be worth the effort, but I am happy to say that you are a man that far exceeds my expectations,” he declared. “If you ever make it into the wider Multiverse, I will always be happy to count you as my friend. Perhaps you can even defeat the Butcher. In any case, good luck.”

Sam nodded in response, and clipped the bag onto his armor. Looking all around him, he took in the legacy of his battle with Gordanus. The cave was shattered, with lines running up and down the floor, walls and ceiling. Its previously rough hewn atmosphere had turned into one of devastation. It was a chilling testament to Sam’s power, and how far he had to go.

When the hour finally came for Sam to leave, it came so unexpectedly. One moment he was there, and the next, he was floating through space. The tunnel led back to where he had left from, and Sam only had a single moment of introspection before he was there. He blinked as sunlight entered his eyes, far more powerful than the dim light on the training world, and then opened them fully.

He was standing in front of a massive building, one that was covered in ornate frescoes and murals of various heroic deeds. As he studied them, he realized that quite a few of them were his own. A massive arched doorway led into the building, and hundreds of people streamed in and out. Could this be the city hall?

Sam looked around further, realizing that the city had changed a lot over the last month. Massive towers touched the clouds, and the city was far larger than it had been before. The force field was further away, as if its radius had increased, and the city clearly had gone through some aesthetic redesigns.

Even stranger, aliens of various types walked the streets, ones that Sam did not recognize. A few moments later, he was spotted, and a small detachment of guards peeled away from the crowd, heading his way. There were at least four different races represented in the group, from humans to members of the Manthrox Sect, to even more unfamiliar beings. All of them were F Rank. Sam smiled, and strode towards them, realizing that they likely saw him as an intruder.

“Halt!” One of the guards barked, leveling his spear at Sam. “How did you get into this city?”

It was one of the aliens, which explained why he did not recognize Sam. The humans seemed to suddenly notice however, and they paled. Sam had to fight the urge to laugh.

“Jonar, that’s not who you think it is,” one of the other guards whispered, trying to stop Sam from hearing. However, his stats were too high for that to work. The alien, named Jonar evidently, turned around, glaring at his companion.

“Who the hell is it then? Sam Atlas himself?” Jonar asked, not realizing just how ironic this whole thing was.

“Yes,” Sam said, taking off his helmet.