Ding~
[Skill Forger – Creation Mode]
"First, I need a place to stash my loot," Aeryon muttered. "I can't just walk around with a stolen sword in my pocket. That's pathetic."
His mind raced. Inventory space. A basic skill in any RPG, but in this world?
[Analyzing Proposed Skill: Simple Pocket Storage]
Proposed Description: Creates a small personal pocket dimension for item storage.
Expected Rank: F
Mana Cost: 10
Cooldown: 1 hour
He pressed "Create."
Flicker-flicker
[Creation in progress...]
[...Rejected.]
"Damn it!" Aeryon growled, ignoring the pain flaring through him. "Rejected? You filthy system! Are you trying to make theft impossible?"
He took a deep breath and reconsidered. "Maybe it's too broad. The system doesn't like general things. I need more restrictions."
---
Ding~
[Analyzing Proposed Skill: Restricted Carry Pocket]
Proposed Description: Opens five individual storage slots, each capable of holding 10 kg of the same material. Items can only be accessed by touching one of the user's extremities. Stored items remain preserved as they were when placed inside.
Expected Rank: F
Mana Cost: 15
Cooldown: 30 minutes (for activation/reloading)
"Half-hour cooldown? Five slots? 10 kg per slot of the same material?" Aeryon laughed bitterly. "What garbage! This is the worst inventory skill in all of isekai! Screw you, you damn system! If you reject this too, I'll kill you, you piece of sh—"
But he pressed "Create." He had no other choice.
Flicker-flicker
[Creation in progress...]
[...Success!]
Ding~
[Skill Created: Restricted Carry Pocket]
Type: Utility (Storage)
Rank: F
Description: Opens five separate storage slots. Each slot holds 10 kg of the same material. Items must be touched by the user's extremity to be transferred.
Mana Cost: 15
Cooldown: 30 minutes (activation/reloading)
Note: Cannot store living beings.
"A half-hour cooldown, you mutt?! That means I can't store anything for 30 minutes after the first use!" Aeryon grumbled. "This is awful! But... at least I can hide that sword."
---
[HP: 28 / 100 (-1 due to internal bleeding)]
Aeryon arrived at the palace. Just as he remembered—opulent, but crawling with silent, machine-like servants. His job was disgusting: cleaning stables, carrying heavy trays, polishing decorative armor.
"Damn it!" Aeryon muttered as he scraped horse dung. "This life reeks! And this weak body can barely handle it." Every movement was a reminder of his pain. He stole glances at the decorative armor in the halls. Short swords hung on the walls—some old, but sharp. "A long ornamental spear... probably worth 250 copper or two and a half silver. Impossible to buy."
Aeryon smirked viciously. "This is compensation for the beating the original Aeryon took! Yes, compensation—not theft. Taxes are theft, you bastards!" Money wasn't his only reason for returning. Weapons were essential to his plan.
---
The hours dragged on painfully. Aeryon carried heavy trays, mopped floors, and endured the smug looks from other servants who thought he was dead.
"Prince Malakai?" he overheard someone whisper. "Heard he went to meet his new fiancée today."
"Fiancée?" Aeryon almost vomited. "That pig is getting engaged? To another pig? Or some poor girl forced into it? Doesn't matter! Her life will be hell! Serves her right for marrying that bastard."
By evening, Aeryon's body screamed in agony. But he endured. His last workday—then he'd take his pay and flee, beginning his next phase.
He received his wages: 50 copper coins.
"Only 50 coppers?!" Aeryon muttered under his breath. "This pathetic amount can barely buy two meals for me and the kids for a single day! For a whole month. No wonder this body is so frail—it's starving to death!"
---
[HP: 25 / 100 (-1 due to internal bleeding)]
"I need to leave before I bleed out!"
On his way out, Aeryon passed the river cutting through the village. He caught his reflection in the water—a gaunt young man, pale and bruised, with messy hair and bloodstained rags for clothes. "What a sight," he muttered, staring deeply. "This is me now."
But he didn't stop. He knew exactly where to go.
A dark hallway with old decorative armor. He reached out and yanked a short, ornamental sword off the wall. It was heavy, but he felt a hidden strength in it. "Finally, some justice in this rotten world."
Ding~
[Item Acquired: Ornamental Short Sword (Rank: Common)]
Aeryon quickly touched his waist, activating "Restricted Carry Pocket."
[Activating: Restricted Carry Pocket]
He placed the sword in his hand, then touched his waist.
Fwoosh~
The sword disappeared.
[Item Stored: Ornamental Short Sword (10 kg / 10 kg) in Slot 1.]
[Cooldown: 30 minutes.]
"Success! At least one thing worked today." Aeryon smirked darkly. "Now I can leave. Good riddance, you damn palace!"
He slipped away quickly, avoiding the guards arguing about servant girls and the prince's fiancée. When he reached the moonlit village path, he felt a flicker of relief.
"Restricted Carry Pocket..." he muttered, summoning the storage window. He reached for his waist to retrieve the sword, just to test it.
Fwoosh~
The sword reappeared in his hand.
"What?" Aeryon's eyes bulged. "It hasn't been 30 minutes yet! How did I take it out?" He checked the window.
[Cooldown: 28 minutes and 45 seconds remaining.]
"But I took it out!"
He thought for a moment. "Maybe the cooldown is only for storing new items, not retrieving them?" His eyes gleamed. "If so, this is a massive exploit! This stupid system has loopholes!"
He kept walking home, stopping at a vegetable stall to buy potatoes for Lyra and Kalin. He grabbed the potatoes.
"Let's test this."
Holding the potatoes, he touched his waist again.
Fwoosh~
The potatoes vanished.
[Item Stored: Potatoes (3 kg / 10 kg) in Slot 2.]
[Cooldown: 29 minutes and 58 seconds remaining.]
"WHAT?!" Aeryon hissed under his breath. "It worked?! Why didn't it trigger another cooldown?"
He stared at the screen, then at his hand. "Son of a—! That's the flaw!"
Aeryon laughed—a mad, triumphant laugh. "Hahahahaha! I beat you, you filthy system! I didn't specify a usage limit per slot!"
He realized: when crafting the skill, he focused on minimizing restrictions to get it approved. The system didn't enforce "one use per slot per cooldown."
"Since I didn't fill all slots, and the system didn't set individual cooldowns per slot, I can use the skill to store anything in any empty slot without triggering the global cooldown!"
But his victory was short-lived.
A new window flashed before him.
[Alert: We are addressing the issues you encountered, Transmigrator. Apologies for the inconvenience.]
[Alert: A flaw has been detected in the skill "Restricted Carry Pocket" (F). Future skill creation conditions will be updated to prevent recurrence.]
"You quick-witted, damn system!" Aeryon snarled. "But too late! I already have a near-unlimited storage skill as long as I have empty slots! Hehehe!"
He retreated home, grinning like a madman. But he knew—the battle with the system had only just begun.