Stellar Colony 7, Sector C
Aric kicked the stone pillar in frustration, and to his astonishment, a flash of red light flickered at its base.
He knelt down for a closer look and was thrilled to discover a small recess at the bottom of the pillar, housing an egg-sized crystal, shimmering with a deep ruby hue.
Aric had grown up in a modest environment and had little knowledge of precious stones, but he knew that this crystal was like nothing he had ever seen. It was flawless, reflecting a soft, radiant light even in the harsh environment of the dimension. The crystal seemed both magnificent and strangely warm to the touch.
An idea flashed through Aric's mind—perhaps this settlement had been abandoned because of this very crystal.
If he could bring such a large, rare crystal back to his world, it could fetch an astronomical price. However, the challenge was how to explain its origins.
Aric's family didn't have any history of wealth or valuable heirlooms, so he had no plausible story to back up the possession of such a rare gem.
But this crystal wasn't just an ordinary gem; the strange mark on his wrist wouldn't have heated up otherwise.
Since he didn't need to profit from the crystal immediately, Aric decided to investigate its properties. Without hesitation, he reached out with his left hand and touched the crystal.
He wasn't reckless enough to grasp it entirely, so he cautiously placed his little finger on the surface.
The moment his finger made contact, his body jolted violently as a surge of strange energy coursed through his left hand and into his body. The energy was incredibly powerful and overwhelming.
He couldn't see it, but he could feel it—a fierce, almost primal force that caused intense pain.
"Ah!" Aric groaned quietly, his left hand feeling as though it was about to burst. If he hadn't been concerned about attracting attention, his scream would have been loud enough to shatter the stillness.
As the pain surged, he felt a sudden coolness from his wrist, and the mark on his skin became more defined.
The mark seemed to have the ability to cool down the intense energy, but the tip of his little finger continued to tremble under the relentless force. Aric gritted his teeth and trembled, feeling as though his left hand was no longer his own.
Gradually, the vibrant red color of the crystal began to fade.
In about ten minutes, the crystal's brilliant hue dimmed, while the mark on Aric's wrist grew even clearer.
After half an hour, the last traces of red vanished from the crystal, turning it from pink to gray. Then, it crumbled into a pile of white powder that fell silently from the pillar.
The mark on Aric's left wrist, however, became more pronounced, with a slight purple tint, resembling a tattoo.
Unfortunately, it wasn't an attractive one.
Aric stared at his wrist in disbelief for a long moment. He then touched the mark with his right hand, confirming that the heat had completely dissipated.
"Is this some kind of energy crystal?"
He couldn't fully understand what this crystal was, but according to the sci-fi stories he had read, this might be a type of energy crystal—a source of power that could potentially fuel advanced technology.
He might not have stumbled upon an ancient civilization but rather a world rooted in advanced science fiction.
At this point, Aric desperately wished for some guidance from a system or AI. While such systems often brought complications to the protagonist, they at least provided clarity and direction.
Additionally, he noticed that his body felt dirty again.
No matter what, the deepening color of the mark on his wrist meant he didn't need to worry about running out of energy for entering and leaving the dimension anytime soon.
He decided to bury the remnants of the crystal. Aric dug a small hole with his hands, swept the powdered remains into it, and carefully covered it with sand.
After ensuring that the burial was thorough, he was satisfied and mentally commanded, "Return."
However, within a second, he reappeared in the dimension. He bent down, picked up the utility case on the ground, and slung it over his elbow. "Damn, I need to stop forgetting things."
Back in the real world, the first thing Aric did was change out of his dirty clothes and into something more comfortable.
He then picked up Officer Kane's comm device and reviewed the video he had recorded. There were no significant changes to his appearance during the recording, but the utility case on his right elbow had mysteriously vanished for a second.
It reappeared a moment later, slightly shifted in position.
If he hadn't watched the footage multiple times, he might have believed the case had simply slid a bit.
Satisfied that there were no obvious clues, he deleted the video before stepping out of the washroom. "Thanks!" He handed the comm device back to Kane.
Kane was about to tease him for being so quick, but before she could say anything, Aric dashed into the staff locker room with his utility case.
Aric felt the need to take a shower because even he could smell the stench on his body.
He spent half an hour under the shower, and when he emerged, Dax Mitchell was opening the windows. "What's that smell? Did someone step in something?" Dax complained.
Aric's clothes were equally pungent. The summer outfit he had just put on was tolerable, but his dirty autumn clothes and thick jacket could practically knock someone out.
He decided to take his clothes to the laundry service instead of washing them himself.
The attendant at the laundry service looked at the clothes with obvious distaste but said nothing because of the payment.
Aric then went to buy a new set of summer clothes, which cost him over five hundred credits. He wasn't too concerned about the expense, considering the potential he now had.
After purchasing the new clothes, he didn't rush back to the diagnostics station. Instead, he used his ID card to book a room at a hotel. He needed to conduct a series of tests, and it would be inconvenient to stay at the station.
If he could strike it rich soon, he was even considering quitting his job.
After booking the room, Aric went out to gather supplies, mainly thick clothing and food. He also bought a portable heater and, surprisingly, a heavy-duty crowbar from a construction supplier.
The hotel staff were quite puzzled when they saw Aric carrying all sorts of unusual items into his room. The floor supervisor even reported it to his manager after noticing the crowbar.
The crowbar, which was thicker than a thumb and had a sharpened end, could easily be seen as a weapon.
The manager thought for a moment before saying, "Keep an eye on him, and let me know if anything seems off."
An hour later, Aric left his room, looking frustrated and exhausted, with his hair still wet.
The manager approached him. "Sir, did you just bring a lot of stuff into your room?"
Aric waved him off, clearly drained. "They're useless. You can dispose of everything except the utility case."
He wasn't in the mood to explain. To others, it might have seemed like he had only been in his room for an hour, but in reality, he had spent four days and three nights in the strange dimension.
He had explored every corner of the settlement but found nothing that could reactivate the mark on his wrist.
It wasn't a surprising outcome, but it was still frustrating. He had found the first energy crystal so easily.
At this point, the mark on his wrist had faded slightly. If the crystal had charged him with 100 units of energy, he had already used up about a dozen.
During those four days and three nights, Aric had managed to quantify the energy usage.
Even though Aric wasn't particularly skilled with data, his background in business administration, one of his two degrees, made him appreciate the importance of metrics.
Even the ancient ruler Qin Shi Huang had recognized the importance of standardizing measurements, laying the foundation for a unified empire. As a modern individual, Aric knew he couldn't overlook such details.
However, even with more than 80 energy units remaining, he couldn't afford to squander them.
What was more concerning was that he realized he needed better equipment if he wanted to find more energy crystals.
He would have to spend more time in the real world and earn more credits. With only ten thousand credits to his name, he was barely getting by.
He had once thought he could quit his job and live comfortably, but reality was proving to be more challenging than he anticipated.
Determined to make more credits, Aric returned to the diagnostics station by shared shuttle, despite the late hour.
He ran into Dax Mitchell at the entrance, who was also heading to work. Dax looked him up and down before asking, "Why does it seem like you've gotten taller?"
Aric was well aware of that—his pants no longer covered his ankles, even though he had just bought them an hour ago in his world.
Fortunately, his feet hadn't grown, or he would have needed new shoes too.
There was a biometric scanner at the diagnostics station for measuring height and weight. Aric removed his shoes and stood on it, shocked when he saw the numbers.
He had finally surpassed the threshold of "third-class disability"!
What surprised him even more was his weight. He was now only 140 pounds.
As he passed by the front desk, Kane remarked, "Hey, how did you lose so much weight so quickly?"
Aric wanted to joke with her but restrained himself. He was aiming for success and needed to maintain his composure.
"Really? I just changed into a new outfit," he said with feigned surprise. "No wonder this brand is so expensive—it's worth the price."
"Seriously?" Kane eyed him skeptically but didn't press the issue, though she found his explanation hard to believe.
Aric wasn't particularly busy that afternoon, but he did sign up a new member, which was unexpected.
The new member was a woman in her early thirties. She had a plain face and was noticeably overweight. Her waist wasn't too wide, but her legs were as thick as tree trunks. She appeared to be about 1.65 meters tall, but her weight was certainly over 165 pounds.