I looked around in the direction that Tensel pointed in my mind. However, all I saw was the foot of the rocky mountains.

“Up more, master! Up!”

I gazed up but still didn’t see anything.

“There! Master! Right there!” I focused on the point Tensel seemed to stab at.

“Huh?!” I exclaimed in shock. “That!? Really?!”

I saw it.

My new home.

And also the home of the previous seven masters.

Glancing at the tip of a miniature mountain, though I thought it looked more like a large hill, sat a small cottage.

“Comfy, isn’t it?”

I went silent, speechless from the unexpected building that was the house of the seven previous masters.

Although it was not bad at all, I was expecting something more. Maybe because Tensel said we were heading to a library, I imagined a much larger building. Or maybe the inside was enchanted with space magic that made it larger?

Still, it was perfect for me. I didn’t want anything huge like a castle or mansion anyway. And most definitely not any tower or spire-like structures. I already saw too much of that. Small and comfy was all I needed.

Moving towards the bottom of the miniature mountain, I realized it wasn’t so miniature after all. A zigzagging set of stairs crisscrossed up the side of the mountain to the top.

“Don’t tell me I need go up and down this mountain everyday?” I asked Tensel.

“Yes, the first master deeply believed that a strong body makes a strong individual.”

I facepalmed my forehead. “Of course, she would. She lifts and crushes boulders with her bare hands.”

I let out a hot breath full of stress. With no other choice, I climbed the stairs up the mountainside.

The climb was worse than I thought it should be, even for a non-combat professional like me. It took time, and I was panting when I reached the top.

However, I think I understood the first master’s intention of building her home at this spot and why none of the other masters bothered to move the house.

The views were breathtaking.

Literally.

I choked and coughed up a storm as I forgot to breathe.

Taking up the last step to the top already left me panting. Enthralled by the scenery before me, I forgot to breathe and choked as my body desperately sucked in the air. I was surprised I would be so out of breath from the climb.

“In the words of the first Master Serena, Master Seth, you need more training! Come on! Let’s go to the library! I witnessed all her amazing training techniques! I’ll have you whipped up into shape in no time!” Tensel declared with unneeded vigor.

“Ugh,” I moaned and then complained. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to take on becoming a combat-based professional! I don’t like physical training!”

“Don’t be lazy, master! Go! One, two! One, two!”

Tensel’s annoying nagging didn’t stop, so I appeased him just to shut him up. I walked towards the cottage but could not help and take another look back.

I marveled at the world the last seven masters created. The mix of man and nature in harmony gave me a new insight. Tensel seemed to understand I went through a type of epiphany and didn’t bother me.

I used to think nature was more beautiful and better off if left untouched. I believed humans interfered and destroyed the greatness of undisturbed nature. The landscape I knew was littered with the skeletons of broken towers and spires. Cracked roads fought with Nature for space to survive. Even when obsolete, human creations did not naturally decompose and return to the earth. Nature fought to reclaim the dead land. And the results left the land full of terrible scars.

Even the decent Neithern Kingdom could not build the harmony I saw here. I understood it would be difficult with the sheer amount of inhabitants, which led the kingdom to prioritize quantity over quality. But in the process, such thinking leaves behind the destruction of natural habitats and ecosystems.

“Ha! Ha!” I couldn’t help but shake my head at my last thoughts.

“What’s so funny, master?”

“The irony of my thoughts,” I replied.

Tensel quietly waited for an explanation.

I looked around and the dimensional world, a perfect example of living in harmony with nature. However, the example I used was an outlier.

“Did this place even have wild animals? To what extent of land cultivation is acceptable as ‘living in harmony’?” I pondered to myself, but such thoughts mattered not. Not in this day and age.

“You remember my world? The world outside of this one? You remember how it all laid in ruins?” I asked Tensel.

“Yes. I did not get a chance to ask you, master. All that was left were the broken buildings. What happened? Why was there such destruction?”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

I recalled what I knew.

“The endless towers and structures were made by humans long ago. They took the land, transforming it to fit their desires by creating a forest of stone and metal to live in. I thought they were insane to destroy something as magnificent as this place to create such a city. What prevous humans created for them to inhabit, however, excluded all other living creatures. Yet, even at their worst, humans did not completely wreck the world.”

I paused. Images of scaly reptilians and insectoids flashed through my head. My body trembled in anger and, at the same time, shivered in fear.

“The aliens. They destroyed everything. Even if humans wrecked nature, it paled in comparison to what those horrible creatures did.”

I paused and recalled more of what I knew. I didn’t know much. No one knew anymore. I only knew how the alien races ruled over the planet currently.

“Records have long been lost and warped by those now in power. However, what is certain is that the alien races toppled humankind’s supremacy over the planet. And through the process, they destroyed much of the landscape and those that live in it. I don’t know exactly when, why, or how, but the coming of the outsiders marked the end of the golden era for humans and the world.”

I felt Tensel’s deep pondering like he was searching for a memory.

“Hmmm… strange. Your story sounds familiar, but I can’t seem to remember where exactly. Did your planet always have items that appear after killing monsters?”

The sudden odd question that came out of nowhere threw me off guard, but I answered the question.

“I’m not entirely sure. Drops have always existed since I could remember. Even the old folks talk about it. Some did say monsters and drops never existed before. So maybe at one point in time, they didn’t?”

“Before the appearance of the aliens…” Tensel said.

“Hey. Do you know something, Tensel? You did say you slept for eons. So maybe you’re old enough to know!”

“I am still young at heart, master!” Tensel pouted in my head before continuing. “However, I’m not entirely sure. I merely said a conjecture based on what you told me. But, I do feel a sense of familiarity about the subject, just that I can’t recall.”

“I did think that the loot, which appeared after killing mosters, was always weird. It felt rather unnatural. In addition, all the loot discovered would never be something that could be found in this world.”

“That is odd, master. I’ll take note of that, but currently, I am of no help as I can’t remember much.” Suddenly, Tensel shouted, “Wait!”

Tensel’s shouting surprised me.

“What!? Did you remember something?”

“No, master. But the library! Maybe the previous masters might know something! We can search for answers while we look for the techniques to open your other energy centers!”

“Oh! Not a shabby idea.” I chortled, turning back to the cottage.

Plain and simple, the cottage had a straw-thatched roof and walls either made from brick or carved out from pieces of stone.

Curious, I went and touched the wall beside the door.

“Yup. Stone. Seems like Master Serena had an affinity for it.”

“You have no idea, Master Seth,” Tensel replied with a tired voice. Seemed like rocks and Master Serena gave Tensel headaches back in the day.

I turned to the door and grabbed the doorknob, mentally preparing myself. Butterflies flew in my stomach as I wondered what the inside of the home of the seven previous masters would look like. With great expectations, I pushed open the door and entered inside.

“Cozy, right, master?”

The inside was much like the outside. Simple, small, and yes, cozy overall. However, I was utterly shocked. The room remained oddly dust-free after being untouched for eons. But most important and the most noticeable aspect was the huge mess inside the entire place.

With an open layout, I saw the entire building with one fell swoop of a glance. At least the perimeter, anyway. Many pieces of furniture cluttered the room, and the haphazardly placed trinkets and miscellaneous items only added to the jungle-like atmosphere. It was like I walked into a fallen nobleman’s room or the lab of some research-crazed mage.

“This will definitely need reorganizing,” I muttered out loud.

Although Tensel spoke politely, I could hear the frustrations of a neat freak straining in his voice.

“Yes, this was the best result even after I begged Seventh Master Logan to clean up the area. He had a terrible habit of hoarding but lacked the upkeep department.”

Tensel’s lamenting over the chaotic dump was understandable.

“This place is a mess. I can’t live here like this, let alone find those techniques to open my other energy sources.” I complained. “I’m going to clean this place up first.”

“No, master. We don’t have time to clean. You’re limited in the length of time you can stay in this world. I’ll guide you to the library so you can learn those techniques. That takes priority over cleaning.”

My heart felt like it stopped beating. It skipped a beat.

His words, telling me I couldn’t live here, echoed in my mind until it shattered.

I felt like I was dropped down an endless chute and spiraled away from my dream world.

“What did you say!? I can’t live here because the length of time I can be here is limited? Why?!”

I woefully bellowed. “My dream! No!!!”

My entire being trembled. My mind went into complete disarray.

“There’s no helping it, master,” Tensel said with much guilt. “None of the other masters could stay here for extended periods. This dimensional world is not complete. Therefore you cannot replenish your energy here. Your time here is limited by the amount of energy you have when you enter.”

Suddenly thoughts reminded me of my unusual exhaustion after climbing the stairs to reach this place.

“No wonder I felt like the climb up here was such a struggle! I didn’t think I was that out of shape!”

I slapped my cheeks to focus on the more pressing matter.

“Tensel. I want to be able to live here forever! How do I do that? There has to be a way!”

“Yes, master. There is…”

Tensel's voice lowered an octave and turned serious.

“What master desires is plausible, but not easy. The reason why I need constant energy is because I am incomplete. All the energy I consumed from master only allowed for my basic survival. I would need more to grow and substantially more to stabilize this world completely. To fulfill your request, master would first have provide those basic energy requirements. Essentially, I need more energy. However, I will eventually need special resources to complete the transformation.”

My broken heart began to piece itself together with the hope of my dreams coming true.

“Alright then! More energy, right!? I can start there and figure out the other stuff later! Where’s the library?! I need to start on those techniques right away!”

“Haaaaa… Well, master is correct. The other requirements are currently out of your reach. But eventually, I’ll be needing much more. However, one step at a time.” Tensel seemed like he was consoling himself more than speaking to me.

“Ok! The library is right over there, master!” Tensel said with renewed energy.

I focused again on the room and was reminded of the hoarding mess.

I had nothing against hoarding. If anything, I loved collecting too, but I needed everything organized. The chaos bugged me to no end.

Looking towards where Tensel pointed in my mind, I should not be surprised anymore by now, but I couldn’t help but be.

My eyes followed the pointing Tensel showed in my mind. But there was no way what I saw was a library.

“Is there a secret passage or maybe an alternate space where the library is?” As asked Tensel just to be sure.

“Nope, that’s the library right there!”

I couldn’t understand the enthusiasm coming from Tensel. The library was a simple bookshelf.

A pretty empty bookshelf.

Just looking at it, the books certainly did not number over forty.

“How could this be a library, Tensel!? Have you seen a library before?” I asked, flabbergasted.

“He. He. He. Don’t be so quick to judge, master! It may look smaller than most libraries. But the knowledge and experience from the seven masters should surpass most information in standard libraries. And all of it is right before you!”

I wanted to immediately refute Tensel’s claim. A barely quarter-filled bookshelf could not be called a real library by any standards. But I didn’t have the heart to break it to Tensel. Maybe there was more to it than meets the eye?

I surely hoped so.

I put away my biases and tried to keep an open mind. This dimensional world was beyond my understanding anyway.

I walked past what seemed to be the back of an elaborate, yet old-fashioned, couch by the entrance. However, I couldn’t be sure as there were towers of papers and so much other stuff just sitting on it that the pile was ready to topple over. Even the floor had miscellaneous items scattered about. I was intrigued by the stuff but now was not the time.

I tiptoed around the items the last master left laying around and moved past a work table full of laboratory tools and curious colorful liquids.

The building was small, and I was almost to my goal.

Beyond the laboratory area was a cluttered walkway that boarded a bar/kitchen. The counters were packed tightly with all sizes of containers, full of curious dried goods and liquor. I wanted to take a better look, but Tensel urged me to keep moving.

Past the walkway stood the bookshelf. It acted like a divider of sorts in front of a queen-sized bed at the end of the room. I didn’t notice it before, but a large table desk was placed across from the bed and hidden behind the kitchen.

“Master, no time for dawdling! Look around later! Let’s find those books before you get forced out!”