Space(1)

After an hour passed, Elena awoke disoriented, her mind filled with information from the mysterious white dot. 

As the throbbing in her head subsided, she paused to gather her thoughts.

The land inside here stretched like an untouched canvas. 

"It's barren," she thought, but alive with the heat of the sun and the gentle caress of the wind.

"According to the white dot, an immortal used a spell to replicate the sun and wind on the outside," she murmur while remembering the data transfer by the white dot.

Despite its emptiness, she felt happy with the potential of the space, as if nature was waiting for her to create her own small world.

Each of the four separate sections that made up this space provided a different viewpoint on the terrain.

A lake beckoned to her to the east, its surface gleaming in the sunlight like glass. 

The water seemed to pulse with life, promising refreshment and renewal.

Elena felt drawn to it, imagining the cool splash against her skin and the soft sounds of ripples dancing across the surface.

Water will be her asset during this upcoming natural disaster.

On the west side lay fertile land suitable for farming and animal husbandry.

Rolling hills and rich soil stretched like a green carpet, ready for her to yield crops and sustain livestock. 

Elena imagined vibrant fields of grain swaying in the breeze and the animals running in the field.

The thought of cultivating the land sparked a sense of hope within her.

On the north side, the black soil was suitable for cultivating medicinal plants and herbs.

Elena could already see herself stumbling across fields of greenery, collecting ingredients for remedies and potions. 

Medicine is highly needed during disasters, so this could be a good source of herbs.

At last, she noticed a storage inventory on the south side.

Anything she put in here would turn stagnant, frozen in time, and never go bad. 

This meant she could store food, meat, and medicine without fear of loss.

In the center lies a Golden Tablet, a panel that controls everything in the space, and it is only accessible to her.

With the help of a Golden Tablet, she can create unique marks that allow those she trusts to enter and exit her space freely.

This mark contains a binding magic that allows her to sense personal motives, it acts as a deterrent against treachery. 

If they ever consider betrayal or harbor ill intentions, the golden tablet will notify her and create a restriction, making that person feel pain in both the body and soul.

In addition, she can decide who can access specific areas of her space, ensuring that the right people enter the right place while safeguarding her treasures. 

This golden tablet also lets her add her own rules to keep order and protect her sanctuary from outside influences, allowing it to thrive while remaining safe.

Elena was really thankful to the immortals for having this space.

This sanctuary is a haven designed to shield her and Ethan against impending disasters, but the Golden Table relies heavily on spiritual power to operate normally.

It needs a massive boost of spiritual energy.

In her past, this spiritual energy comes from three primary sources: relics, especially antiques, radiant jades that harness natural energy, and the crystal cores of half-breeds, mutated beasts, and plants from upcoming disasters.

Elena sighed heavily as she stepped out of her space, with the impending disaster looming, she needed to gather a hefty sum for relics and jades, plus essential supplies for the apocalypse like food, machinery, clothing, and medicine. 

Back in her bedroom, she applied some makeup to give herself a slightly haggard appearance, which served as a visual cue to her supposed misery and vulnerability. 

Elena devised a strategy to elicit sympathy from her uncle by playing the role of the struggling niece.

She chuckled at her reflection, wondering how her uncle would react to her tricks.

Once satisfied, she slipped out of the house then drove to the mansion.

*****

In the affluent neighborhood of City A, inside the room, Willian Smith paced back and forth.

The irritation on his face was so visible as he waited for his niece to arrive. 

On his side, his wife, Lorna, lounged on the sofa, her demeanor indicating boredom, while their daughter, Vivian, watched her father's restless movements with increasing frustration. 

This family, driven by ambition but devoid of genuine talent, had mastered the art of scheming, presenting a polished facade to the world and even fooling Elena's grandfather in the past.

Despite the generous inheritance they received from Grandpa Smith, they still wanted to scheme on Elena's fortune; their greed was truly insatiable. 

They wanted it all—Elena's inheritance included—so their attempts to manipulate and control her only intensified.

William glanced at his daughter, irritation boiling over.

"Did you text her about the will reading?" he demanded, his voice tense.

"Yes, and she replied she'll be here," Vivian replied, her patience wearing thin.

William let out a fierce growl, "Then why is she taking so long? It's been an hour, and everyone is waiting!"

Mrs. Smith tried to remain calm, offering a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Inside, she simmered with frustration, secretly wishing to confront Elena for making them wait.

"Listen, both of you," William said, his tone serious as he looked at his wife and daughter.

"The plan is simple, we just need to ensure Elena feels dependent on us so we can manipulate her into signing over those shares."

He fixed his gaze on Vivian, his favored daughter. "You're crucial to this. Remember, she thinks of you as her younger sister. Can you come up with a story to turn her against Ethan? We need to make sure they fall out."

Vivian rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Yeah, yeah, I know! You've told us a hundred times," she snapped, frustration creeping into her voice.