In the morning, a soft mist spread across Skull Island. The salty breeze from the sea slipped through Lily’s window, making the old wooden walls of the house creak gently. Lily had already prepared breakfast, packed her things, and checked her weapons. She wore her short brown leather jacket and strapped her twin daggers to her belt. She was ready. Today was the first day of the treasure hunt.

  I, on the other hand, was still seated at the table, my morning tea still warm as I stared at the system screen in front of me. When I first set foot on the island, I had leveled up to 20 and gained new abilities, but I hadn’t had a chance to check them until now. And this morning felt like the perfect moment.

  ?? [Craftsman System] – Active

  ?? [Stats]

  ? Level: 20

  ? Mana: 140/140

  ? HP: 160/160

  ?? [Attributes]

  ? Strength: 24 +10

  ? Intelligence: 23 +5

  ? Endurance: 27 +5

  ? Agility: 21 +5

  ? Luck: 1 +15

  ?? [Achievements]

  ? [Divine Comedy] – [Luck +10]

  ? [Persistent Rookie] – [All Stats +5]

  ? [Brick by Brick] – [Strength +5]

  ?? [Skill List]

  ?? [Examine] (Passive)

  You've mastered understanding materials and structures. You can now decipher even the most complex ones.

  ?? [Shatter] (Active)

  You can break down anything you've thoroughly understood into its components. Especially effective on magical constructs.

  ?? [Workers] [0/10] (Management System)

  You are no longer alone. Loyal assistants can carry out your orders.

  ??? [Powerful Blow] (Active)

  Apply devastating force. With a hammer or a fist. Perfectly timed, it can shatter defenses.

  ?? [New Ability: Workshop] (Active)

  "Now, wherever you are can be your workshop."

  When you use this ability, you’re transported to a unique dimension that belongs only to you.

  There, you can build and upgrade your personal workshop, summon your workers, and safely carry out your crafting processes.

  Time may flow differently in this space.

  ?? The Workshop ability can be upgraded.

  I slowly lifted my gaze from the screen, letting out a deep breath.

  “Wow…” I murmured to myself, clenching my fingers into fists and rotating my wrists. My muscles felt fuller, my movements smoother. It was like every cell in my body had awakened. I was stronger. More resilient. Even my agility—well, not bad. But still, Luck… unchanged. I smiled.

  “Well, if things won’t go my way, I’ll make them.”

  But the thing that stuck with me most… was my new ability. Workshop.

  I raised my hand, as if to touch something floating in the air. My eyes narrowed slightly, and I whispered:

  “Workshop.”

  At that moment, my palm grew warm. Thin, glowing lines swirled around my fingers, spiraling outward, curling in the air.

  Then… a portal formed. Right in front of me.

  It had a metallic frame, with small rotating gears along its edges, and a warm, humming light at its center.

  When I looked inside… it felt like me.

  As if a piece of my soul had taken shape.

  I took one step forward. Just one. But then stopped.

  Not yet.

  “Lily’s waiting,” I said softly.

  But in the corner of my mind, the sound still echoed. The turning of a gear… the call of a place that belonged only to me.

  “Inside… is mine,” I whispered. “Truly mine.”

  Just then, Lily’s voice came from inside.

  “If you’re ready, we can head out, Alex!”

  I wiped my brow. Took one more breath and stood up. Adjusted my leather bracers, checked my sword. Closed the system.

  My eyes still lingered on the soft glow coming from the portal—but my steps followed Lily’s voice.

  This time, I wasn’t alone.

  I had my own workshop.

  My own space, my own dimension…

  And this treasure—

  It might not just be wealth.

  It might be the answer to why the Tower sent me here.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  But first, we had to find it.

  …

  …

  …

  The salty wind rising from the coast hit my face. Lily had already geared up. She wore a light leather armor and tightly fastened her sword belt around her waist. Her red hair glowed like gold under the morning sun. She was holding the map—its edges frayed, its folds nearly torn.

  "The first mark is here," she said, pointing to the bottom edge of the map. "The southern tip of the island. Used to be an old pirate hideout... No one goes there anymore. They say it’s cursed."

  I checked the string of the bow slung over my shoulder, then drew my short but deadly Luminous Blade from its strap, only to slide it back in place. The Poisoned Dagger was hidden at my left wrist—ready, silent, patient.

  “Cursed places often hide the best secrets,” I said with a grin. “Let’s go.”

  Lily nodded, and together we began our trek into the island's interior. The path was first surrounded by forest; tall, palm-like trees entwined with curling vines. Amid the birdsong, there were occasional metallic echoes in the distance—or maybe it was just my imagination.

  The silence didn’t last long. Lily started talking.

  “I couldn’t sleep last night. I kept thinking,” she said, eyes fixed on the path. “When I first saw you... I knew you were different.”

  “I’m just looking for my way,” I said, eyes on the gravelly road ahead. “I came from far away. I don’t know why I’m here, but... I have a purpose. And this treasure might be a sign pointing toward it.”

  Lily fell silent but nodded slowly. We walked a little further. Then, from behind a pile of stones beside the road, someone appeared. Nearly invisible in his brown cloak.

  “New faces…” he muttered in a low voice. “Headed to the hideout, are you?”

  Reflexively, my hand moved toward my bow, though I didn’t draw an arrow. Lily stepped forward.

  “Are you a knowledge dealer too?” she asked.

  The man bowed his head. “Perhaps. But don’t pass without hearing my warning. Many have disappeared in the southern forests recently. Some... never came back.”

  “You mean zombie-like creatures?” Lily asked.

  The man smiled. “They’re just the beginning. What you really need to fear... are the traps.”

  He pulled a small scroll from his pocket and unrolled it. Inside was a rough sketch of the hideout’s entrance.

  “If you take this, you can avoid the stair-traps at the entrance.”

  Lily handed him a few Tower Coins and took the scroll. The man stepped back and vanished into the forest.

  “What do you think? Can we trust him?” I asked.

  “At the very least, the info looks useful,” Lily said with a shrug.

  The path ahead began to steepen. The trees thinned out, and in the distance, the rocky shoreline—where the hideout was said to be—came into view. As we walked, Lily spoke softly.

  “My father once chased this treasure too.”

  That caught my attention.

  “What happened to him?” I asked.

  “He disappeared years ago. He was obsessed with this treasure... then one day, he never came back. My mother always thought he died, but I... I never believed it.”

  I said nothing. Watching the sadness on her face made me aware of the emptiness within myself. I couldn’t remember when I entered the Tower. But I knew why I was climbing. I needed to find an answer.

  “What about you?” she suddenly asked. “What are you really looking for here?”

  “Hope,” I said slowly. “All I know is, I have to reach that treasure.”

  Lily smiled. “Then it’s not just a treasure for either of us, is it?”

  I was about to reply when a scream echoed from the coast. We dropped low to the ground. Through the trees, we saw three people struggling with a creature near the shoreline.

  A pirate corpse—rotted and covered in black shells—was moving. Its rusted cutlass swung slowly, slashing one of them.

  I drew my arrow, held my breath, aimed... and released.

  The Stealth Arrow whistled through the air and struck the creature in its hollow eye socket. It stumbled, lost balance, and collapsed. The other two men ran.

  Lily was at my side. “Nice shot.”

  “Silent death is the best kind,” I said with a smirk, drawing the Luminous Blade. “But before we go in, we should probably camp for the night.”

  The hideout loomed among the rocks. Its stone-carved entrance was overgrown with moss, decayed wooden planks swaying in the wind.

  Lily reopened the map. “This is it.”

  The sun was beginning to set. As the sky turned red, I stared at the entrance with burning eyes.

  “Tomorrow morning, we go in,” I said. “And I hope this cursed place gives us more than fear—maybe even answers.”

  That night, we made camp. Lily lit a small fire, while I checked my weapons. I refreshed the poison layer on the Poisoned Dagger, tested the edge of the Luminous Blade on flint, and re-oiled the bowstring.

  Before sleep took her, Lily whispered softly, “Thank you, Alex. Being here... like this... it feels good.”

  She looked at me. “Tomorrow... no matter what happens, we’re in this together, right?”

  I nodded. “We’re together.”

  But I had a feeling deep inside.

  This journey... was going to change something in both of our hearts.

  And once we stepped through the gate of the Abandoned Hideout tomorrow, there would be no turning back.