Chapter 48 – More Answers Than I Bargained For I (Patreon)

On our third day by the Gate, I felt something happening; I felt the Gate activate. I waited for whoever would come through… and waited… and waited. It was odd. It was instantaneous when I passed through the Gate, but now I Knew somebody was using the Gate, and it was taking time.

After about ten minutes, I felt the Traveler. I knew they were there, I felt their presence, and I also knew they were much stronger than me, but I couldn’t see them. I started to get worried, but there were no alarms from any of my attributes, whether Luck, Perception, or anything else. So, I just waited.

After about a minute, they dropped the Invisibility, and I saw it was a man. His face was smooth and looked young, but I knew he was much older than me; something in his eyes looked old. His build was similar to mine: about 1.75 meters tall and lean, with tan skin and a face that, had I met him on Earth, I would have thought interesting and unique, but now it was obvious he was not originally from Earth.

We just looked at each other.

After a few seconds, he asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I think I’m waiting for you.”

“Explain.”

“I’m a new Traveler, and there are many things I don’t understand, especially my mana. I have the Luck attribute, and after I raised it over 20, I could activate it to sense a direction I need for something. I want to understand how my mana works, so I asked it, and it led me here.”

He relaxed and said, “If you’re new, let me teach you some Travelers’ etiquette. When two Travelers meet, we say our name and where we are from; we don’t identify each other. So, my name is Lissarom Munyon, but I go by Lis, and I’m from Twisari, a medium-mana world so many Gates away from here, that I don’t think I have enough life left in me to return.”

“My name is John Rue, and I’m from the planet Earth, a low-mana, low-tech world you just came from.”

“Your John Rue? Let me shake your hand, and I will answer your questions without expecting an exchange.”

We shook hands, and I asked, “Why?”

“Your description of your world helped me immensely. Usually, I dislike tech worlds; they are too confusing. But with all the information you wrote, I was able to navigate it easily and even began to understand the logic of tech worlds for my future Travels.”

“I’m glad it helped you. I tried to be as thorough as I could.”

He laughed and said, “A little too thorough, but more is better than less.”

“I have a camp set below. Would you join me?”

“Gladly. Thank you.”

We climbed down the mountain to my Glamping tent, and he whistled appreciatively, “That is a nice tent.”

“Thanks. It’s like a mansion equivalent of tents.”

He laughed, sat down on one of the camp chairs, and asked, “You have a mansion of a tent, but why do you use folding furniture instead of sofas or armchairs?”

I wanted to facepalm and answered him sheepishly, “Because I didn’t think of it …”

He laughed again, got up, and summoned two armchairs. “Better, no?”

I nodded my head in embarrassment.

“Don’t be embarrassed. You’re new; you’ll learn.”

“What do you stay in when you travel?”

“When I’m with people I don’t know or don’t trust, I use appropriate equipment for that specific world. Alone or with a trusted group, I use my portable cabin.”

“Can I see it?”

He nodded, walked away a bit, and summoned a house. It was no cabin; it was a HOUSE in the immense sense of the word. It was standing on legs or stilts, or whatever they are called, had a big wrap-around porch with deck furniture and two hammocks, was two stories tall, and had big windows. I just stared at it in awe.

I looked at the stilts and asked, “How come those legs adjusted to the uneven ground?”

“Enchanted. Do you want to see inside?”

“Yes!! Please!!”

He laughed again and led me inside. When we went inside, Stretch stopped by the door and barked with a feeling of a question. “Can my dog come inside, too?”

“It’s a dog? Not a wolf?”

“Yes, I was surprised too when I found out.”

His eyes lost focus for a second, and he said, “Huh! I was sure he was a wolf. But why did you call him Stretch?”

“When we met, he was emaciated and a regular animal, so he looked stretched. Since then, he gained weight, and when he awakened, he filled out, so now he looks normal.”

“You knew how to awaken and bond with a regular animal? Impressive.”

Embarrassed, I scratched my head and said, “It kind of happened by accident?”

He looked at me in bewilderment, “By accident?”

“Yeah …”

“Explain.”

“I didn’t know, but I was feeding him a mana-rich meat until he awakened, and then he bit me, licked my blood, and we bonded.”

“But how did you know to flood him with mana beforehand to prime him for awakening?”

“Flood with mana?”

“Yes. You can feed regular animals mana-rich meat; they will grow stronger but never awaken and never bond with you. To prime them for the awakening and the bond, you must flood them with mana with pure intentions. Animals are smart and go by instinct; even if you flood them with mana, if your intentions are not pure, they will awaken but not bond with you.”

“When we met, he attacked me, and I hurt him badly. I felt sorry and healed him, as well as his old injury. Maybe that's what “primed” him?”

“Did you have your Luck trait before you met?”

“Yes…?”

“That’s an outstanding trait; I have it too. It led me to a lot of good encounters and connections. I think it led you to your companion and helped you take the necessary steps. But if you already bonded, I recommend you also make him your familiar; it will benefit you both.” He said, turned to Stretch, and added, “Come inside, Stretch; you should be part of this discussion as well.”

We entered the living room, and it was big. There were three groupings of sofas and armchairs: one in front of an unlit fireplace, one on the right side of the room around low tables beside a long bar with bottles, and one in front of the back wall, which had a floor-to-ceiling window. I could see that the porch went around the whole house, and the back deck had more furniture and metal contraptions that I suspected were a fire pit and a barbeque.

“Before we talk, can I have the house tour?”

“Sure, follow me.”

He led me around the house, and it was wow! Just wow! After the living room, there was a dining room with a big table and chairs, and a kitchen. The kitchen had working spaces, round metal plates that I suspected were for cooking, an oversized pantry, and a big 2-door cupboard that, when he opened it, I discovered was a fridge—one side with food, and the other with drinks.

I asked, “Are the round metal things for cooking?”

He nodded.

“How? And how is the refrigerator cold?”

“The whole cabin is enchanted. I have cold and hot water, temperature control, fire protection, shielding from attacks, cooking and backing amenities, and much more.”

“Where can I get one of those?”

“In a high-mana world. You’re not ready; you’ll be dead in less than five minutes.”

“Bummer!”

He laughed again, waved me over to sit in the living room, and said, “The second story has three bedrooms with bathing rooms, two toilets, and my library.” He pointed at a door on the right and said, “If you need a toilet, there is another one there.”

“Your home is super amazing, and I’m super jealous right now.”

“You can get one, too. It may not have the enchantments, and the size will depend on your Intelligence trait level, but you can get one.”

“Why Intelligence? And what does it have to do with the number? I don’t understand.”

“When we use our Storage, it requires a certain amount of concentration and mental strain. You don’t feel it with the small things, but when the size and weight increase, so does the concentration needed. You’ll need Intelligence over 50 for a cabin this size, or you won’t be able to do it.”

I checked my intelligence, and it was 49, so I asked, “I’m at 49 already, so will I be able to summon a smaller house?”

“You have it at 49 already? How?”

“Well, between my Gate Traveler class, my Profession, and my two Sub-Classes, it kind of climbed …?”

“You managed to get a Profession and two Sub-Classes in a low-mana world? How?”

“I only got the Wizard Class here. I Got the Healer and the Merchant on my home planet.”

He looked utterly bewildered and confused and asked, “You got a Class and a Profession in a tech-world? How?”

“I healed an injured person with magic and got the Healer Class. Then I sold and bought many things and got the Merchant Profession.”

He looked deep in thought. I took a breath to ask about his reactions, but he lifted a finger in the universal sign of “wait a minute,” so I just sat quietly and waited.

After a few minutes, he said, “Tell me, did you earn Skills or Spells in your home world? I don’t mean with ability points but by actions?”

“Yes, and it was easy. I developed healing spells and attended workshops to farm skill points.”

“Workshops? Farm?”

It was my turn to laugh. “A workshop is a short one-day or two-day class to learn a specific skill. The word ‘farm’ comes from fiction, and it borrows the concept of growing food and harvesting it, and applies it to doing things, and then ‘harvesting’ the benefits.”

“‘Farm,’ I like this word, but I have alarming news for you. I think your world is heading towards integration. It’s not that easy to acquire skills or classes in regular circumstances. It’s tough unless you have a specific and distinct talent in something.”

“Yeah, I know. I read an article in the Archive that made me realize it.”

“Which article?”

“Dangers and opportunities in integration, or something like that.”

“Yes, I know it, and the lady who wrote it.” He thought momentarily and added, “Are you going back to help them through it?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“I didn’t have a good life there. Discovering my GT Class was a way for me to leave that place behind.”

He hummed, nodded, and looked deep in thought.

After a few minutes, I asked, “Can I ask you a question that bugs me?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“I can’t figure out which of my attributes affects my mana. In the books, it’s Intelligence, but when I raise my Intelligence, my mana doesn’t rise. It just rises arbitrarily, and I can’t figure it out.”

“Why would your mana be connected to your traits? Your traits are just that, traits. You perform the actions your Class or Profession requires to help others or the world, and the guidance rewards you with advancement. The advancement might be done by mana, but it’s external mana from the cosmos, not yours. Your mana is just that, your mana, it’s a representation of you as a person and a potential. They are two separate things.”

“So, how come it rises?”

“You raise your mana based on its attribute.”

“You lost me.”

“Look inside yourself with your awareness; You should find an orb of power. If it’s in your head, your mana attribute is Mind. If it's below your heart, your mana attribute is Spirit. If it’s in your abdomen, your mana attribute is Body.”

"And if I have all three types?"

“You have three?”

I nodded.

“What is the origin world of your father?”

“Earth …?”

He looked embarrassed, rubbed his chin, and said, “You better talk with him about it. I don’t want to get in the middle of a familiar misunderstanding.”

“I never knew my father; there is no misunderstanding to get in the middle of.”

He hummed, nodded, and looked like he had reached a decision.

“I’m sorry if it shocks you, but your father is a Traveler. Only children of Gate Travelers can traverse the Gates. It doesn’t occur in the general populace, no matter what world. Also, a tri-mana system is a characteristic of very-high mana worlds exclusively and the upper echelon of that category. Very high mana worlds are from 75 mana level and up. But tri-mana doesn’t appear before mana level 85 and higher.

“I have a question for you: in what ways are you different from the people in your world? It might help to narrow down his origin, if not by world, at least by cluster.”

“The people of my world look different if they are from other continents, but I get your meaning.

“I was different as a child. I was always the smallest physically but much stronger, faster, and a much better student. When I was little, my eyes were too big for my face, but it became less evident as I grew up; their color is also unusual. I have almost no body hair, and the little I have is so fine and light that it’s virtually invisible. Also, everybody around me reached their maximum height at the age of 17 or 18, but I reached my max at the age of 30.

“What you said makes me admit to myself something I suspected at the back of my mind from the moment I discovered the Gate, but I didn’t want to confront or acknowledge this fact. Now I feel stupid for putting my head in the sand.”

He patted my shoulder and said, “Don’t feel bad about it. I imagine it was quite a shock discovering the Gate and your ability. You didn’t grow up as a son of a Traveler.”

“How did you know it was my father and not my mother?”

“Male Travelers have only male children with the ability, and female Travelers have only female children with the ability. Nobody knows why.” He added, “With the points you mentioned, I can’t guess where your father from, but I suspect he is from one of the long-lived races based on your description of aging slower.”

I digested this information and asked, “Can we return to the mana issue? I still don’t understand how it rose in the past and how to raise it intentionally.”

“Look inside and tell me. Which of your power orbs is the biggest?”

“The one below my heart.”

“Did you progress emotionally or spiritually since the Gate awakened your mana system?”

“Yes. I was grieving my wife’s death. Also, after her death, all the negative experiences from my past became more substantial in my mind and were pressing down on me. When I started to heal from my grief, I was able to let go of the past and look at the present and future with optimism instead of fear.”

I thought momentarily and said, “Now that I think about it, I had another rise in mana after experiencing closure regarding my life on earth and another time after I let go of my sense of obligation or duty to heal every person I meet, I felt like I had regained my power of choice.”

I searched my memories to remember when my mana jumped and remembered something else; now, it made more sense. I said, “I also experienced a jump in mana after I got the spell Cleanse, channeled my full mana into myself, and did a deep cleanse …”

He winced when I mentioned the cleanse. When he saw I stopped talking, he asked, “How much mana did you channel for the cleanse?”

“Five or six thousand, I’m not sure.”

He winced harder and looked green. I said, “I see you can imagine how it went.”

He just nodded.

“How did you know that the Gate awakened my mana?”

“It can’t awaken below mana level eight. Your world is a tech-world, and didn’t start the integration yet.”

“I see. Anyway, after the cleanse, my mana jumped again, and my Body orb is the next one in size. Is there a connection?”

“Definitely. You progressed your body, so your mana went up. As I said, your mana is a representation of you.”

I thought for a minute and asked, “So how do I progress it now? I can overcome grief only once, and I have no intention of doing another cleanse.”

“Regarding the cleanse, you should do it at least another two or three times, but don’t worry—the worst is behind you. Usually, it’s done in stages: a thousand mana to start, then two thousand, and you keep raising the numbers until you reach six or seven thousand. This way, it’s much more pleasant and bearable.

“About progressing your mana, you simply advance its attributes. For the mind attribute, it can be said that the accumulation of knowledge in the cosmos is the world's mind. So, you learn, research, discover, and enhance your understanding of the world. You also advance magic that has the mind attribute; you can locate it in the spell list, as well as advanced study of magic, spell creation, magical inventions, and everything that is a mental challenge advances your mind attribute. From the elements, it’s wind magic.

“For the spiritual attribute, it can be said that people are the soul of the world. So, help them, get to know and appreciate them. In your case, heal. Also, art can be called the soul of a culture or a society, so learn to appreciate or create art; it’s your choice based on preference. The most important part of the spirit attribute is emotions. Most of us let ourselves experience certain emotions, but not others. You should learn to experience all of them. If you’re angry, be angry. If you’re afraid, don’t try to overcome it; of course, handle the situation that causes the fear, but feel the emotion to its fullest. Remember that your mana represents you, so if you suppress certain things in yourself, your mana won’t reach its fullest potential. The spirit attribute of magic is everything connected to creation. From the elements, it’s water and fire.

“For the body attribute, of course, advance your body. We get trait numbers at every level, but did you ever push yourself to your new limit?”

I shook my head no.

He continued, “Do it. Every time your traits rise, push yourself even more physically and discover your new limit at a new point in time. Train in physical activities, whether dancing, fighting, swimming, or anything else physical. From a magical standpoint, work with matter. The body of the world is the matter it's comprised of, so work with matter. From the elements, its earth magic, and its subdivisions like metal, stone, wood magic, and the like, and creations from them.

“You might notice that spell creation or magical inventions can also fit into the spirit category. The creation attribute of spirit can fit into the body category if it’s a physical creation, and learning those things fits into the mind attribute. We are composite beings of spirit, mind, and body, so our magic represents that even if our magic attribute is limited to one attribute.

“I, for example, have the mind magic attribute. So, I progress the most when I advance my mind. But if I don’t put those advances into the world, my mana doesn’t progress. You, of course, with your tri-mana system, will benefit much more. Now it’s my turn to be jealous.”

I laughed and said, “It was a very philosophical description.”

“Of course. Philosophy can be defined as the study of the nature, meaning, causes, or principles of reality. This is our reality, and we live in it. To progress in it, we need to learn about it and ourselves and apply the knowledge in the material universe.”

I nodded and said, “Thank you. It wasn’t what I expected, but it does make me think about some things.”

“One more thing to remember: if you do the things I told you about, don’t expect your mana to tick up slowly; it doesn’t work like that for some reason. Continue doing those things, and once in a while, you will have advancement moments when everything clicks together, and your mana will jump up. There is a particular feeling when the mana goes up – it feels spiritual but has a physical aspect. Do you know what I’m talking about?”

“Yes, I felt it a couple of times.”

“So, you’ll recognize it in the future. Good.”

I needed a few moments to process everything he told me; It wasn’t what I expected. So, I asked, “Would you like a beer or some other drink?”

He laughed and said, “I should have offered; after all, we are sitting in my home.”

“Yes, but I ambushed you by the Gate, so I don’t think standard conventions apply here.”

He laughed again and nodded. I decided that he was naturally a happy person; he laughed a lot, and it was a good laugh, not a mocking one.

“I would love a beer.”

I took out two beers, opened them and we sat drinking. Stretch decided he wanted a beer too, put his paws on my shoulders, looked into my eyes, and sent me a clear feeling of “give me.”

I laughed, got a bowl, and poured him his beer.

Lis didn’t say anything or even look surprised, so I got curious, “You don’t look surprised he likes beer. How come?”

“Bonded mana beasts have strange tastes sometimes. I know a giant feline who loves hard liquor and falls asleep snoring loudly two minutes after drinking it. So, a wolf, sorry dog, drinking beer is nothing.”

When we finished our beer, he asked, “You said you had questions, plural, but so far, you asked me only one. So, is there anything else you wanted to know?”

“You mentioned bonding Stretch as my familiar. Can you explain it?”

“Let's leave it for last. First, ask all your other questions.”

I laughed and said, “I have so many I don’t know where to start.” I thought momentarily and said, “When we just met, you said you dislike tech worlds, that they are confusing. I sense that you are much stronger than me, and you said your home is very far away, so I’m guessing you traveled a lot. How come tech worlds still confuse you?”

“After my second tech world, I decided that I really don’t like them. Initially, I was still interested in earning money, so I would locate the closest city, buy cheap manufactured goods, and leave. When I stopped caring about money, every time I touched a gate to a tech world, I looked for a different gate. A lot of Travelers who originate from mana worlds dislike them. I guess we have a problem adapting to the lack of mana and the completely different progression track.”

“So, how come you came to Earth?”

“I didn’t have a choice. I was escaping a hazardous, very-high mana world.”

“I see,” I said and thought what else I wanted to know. Then I remembered something he had said and asked, “You also said you would answer my questions without expecting an exchange. What exchange and why? Is it a must between Travelers?”

“You are just starting as a Traveler, so maybe you haven’t discovered it yet, but travelers are rich; we are like pack animals with our Storage. Most Travelers enlarged it at least three or four times and stopped caring about money. What we do always appreciate is information. It can be about worlds, magical knowledge, interesting dungeons, fascinating inventions, dangers to avoid, and things like that. Even you were waiting for me to gain knowledge. So, it's traditional for Travelers to exchange information. I said without exchange because your information helped me already, so I felt I should repay you.”

I nodded and thought of another question. “In our traits’ description, there is a mental aspect to the physical traits. Especially, Strength says that you can deal better with shocks and the like, and the Agility description says mental agility. I was shocked at every turn, overwhelmed, and laughed hysterically. I also still forget to use Identify and forget basic things. For example, I carried a ladder up a mountain instead of storing it, and my dog, MY DOG!! Clued me in that instead of breaking down and reassembling the big tent, I can store it assembled and summon it. I don’t feel like those traits are working. Are my traits broken, or I’m missing something?”

“Your dog told you to store the tent?”

“Yes, it was very embarrassing.”

“Smart dog.”

“Very.”

“Let me ask you a question: When you got shocked, overwhelmed, hysterical, and the like, did it make you quit and forget about the whole thing? Or it took you a few hours, a day, a week, doesn’t matter, to overcome it and continue?”

“I was able to continue pretty quickly.”

“Now think of the people you know personally and how they would have reacted in such a situation.”

I ran through the list of people I know in my head, and said, “Yeah, I see what you mean. Most of them would have believed that they had lost their mind and called a psych for a prescription. The rest would have ignored everything and pretended it never happened.”

“And there is your advanced Strength. Our traits are not a magic shield against the world. We still get scared, surprised, sad, and everything else. Our raised traits allow us to deal with it better. And to discover you’re a Traveler whiteout guidance is definitely a shock.”

“What about the mental agility?”

“When you were a baby, did you run right from the start, or first you crawl, then walk with support, then without support, and finally run?”

“It’s not the same.”

“Of course it is. You came from a tech world; you had a completely new concept introduced into your life, and you can’t expect yourself to master it instantly. This expectation is the illogical thing, not your slow adaptation. You got the Wizard class, which, in my opinion, is the best of the purely magical classes, and on a low mana world, no less, which tells me you explored the possibilities mana offers. So how exactly is it not mental agility?”

“I never looked at it like that.”

“Yes, we are usually our biggest critics. We need an outside perspective to make us see reason.”

I opened the trait descriptions and looked at them again.

____________________________________

Strength

Physical: This quality determines the intensity of force or power—how hard you can hit, how much you can lift, how much opposite force you can exert against another object.

Mental: This quality determines how effectively you can deal with challenges, pressures, and stress in life without breaking down or giving up.

Agility

Physical: This quality determines quickness and ease of motion, as well as how well you can control your body–speed, flexibility, and balance. Your physical reaction time.

Mental: This quality determines your ability to think and draw conclusions quickly; your ability to change your mind based on new information; intellectual acuity—your mental reaction time.

Constitution

Physical: This quality determines your body’s ability to withstand fatigue and physical hardship, as well as your resistance to diseases, trauma, and harsh conditions.

Mental: This quality determines your confidence and mental resilience. Your ability to stay true to yourself and your ideals.

Vitality

Physical: This quality determines your energy, vigor, liveliness, and activity level. It also determines your longevity–how much life you have in you—and your physical appearance–how young and vibrant you look.

Mental: This quality determines your feeling of aliveness, participation in life, and enjoyment of life, as well as your sense of wonder and excitement about life.

Intelligence

Physical: This quality determines your body’s ability to detect and actively manage the balance of critical chemicals and hormones for optimal health. Your body’s ability to know how to engage muscles, effortlessly maintain good posture, and learn new movement skills; The speed at which something becomes muscle memory.

Mental: This quality determines your ability to learn and understand new knowledge and retain and apply it in practice, to deal with new or trying situations, to perceive or infer information, and to solve complex problems. It determines your mind’s ability to understand principles, truths, facts, or meanings. High intelligence helps you learn spells faster.

Wisdom

Physical: This quality governs your body’s ability to interpret the input from your senses—how fast you let go of a hot stove or a sharp needle—and your body’s ability to recognize its needs: whether it needs to move, vitamins, sun, rest, or anything else it needs to thrive, and its ability to communicate its need in a way that can be interpreted.

Mental: This quality determines your ability to apply relevant knowledge insightfully, especially to situations different from those in which the knowledge was gained; your ability to make decisions based on the combination of knowledge, experience, and intuitive understanding; your ability to learn from experience, yours and others. High wisdom helps you adapt spells, combine spells in new, innovative ways, and invent new spells.

Perception

Physical: This quality determines your body’s awareness of the elements in the environment–heat, cold, humidity, or dryness; it determines the function of your sensory organs–how sharp your eyes, nose, or ears are, and the integrity and health of the sensory organs.

Mental: This quality determines the range and acuity of your senses, not only sensory organs but the other senses as well, such as a sense of danger or the intuitive knowledge of an opportunity. It also enables you to perceive more than meets the eye in personal interactions–to understand intentions and feelings and the ability to perceive and understand different viewpoints.

 Luck

This quality does not have physical or mental aspects.
Luck affects chance, fate, and destiny.
Luck is the invisible guidance leading toward fortune, prosperity, success, and fortuitous events or circumstances.
Luck is also the internal warning of danger, of knowing not to go somewhere or not to do something.
Luck is the guiding hand that leads you to a better existence.

_______________________________________

Yes, he was right.

I told him, “You are right. Thank you for making me see it.”

He nodded, smiled, and said, “My pleasure.”

“Now that I looked at my traits, I have another question.”

“Yes?

“You said you have the Luck trait, too, right?” he nodded, so I continued, “After I raised it above 20, I got the active ability to locate something I need. Is there another active like this later on?”

“Yes, when you raise it to 50. But it’s not an active ability exactly. Please reread your luck description.”

I did and nodded.

“By the description, it either nudges you in the direction of good or warns you of bad. It’s a subtle thing, right?”

I nodded.

“After level 50, it actively gets you out of trouble. Don’t get me wrong, you still can get in trouble, but it will probably save your life.”

“But it says here, ‘luck is also the internal warning of danger, of knowing not to go somewhere or not to do something.’ So, how do you get in trouble in the first place?”

“I’ll tell you about my recent experience, and you’ll understand. I went to a very-high mana world. When I touched the Gate, it said, ‘Threat level: Lethal’. All the Gates to very-high mana worlds have the same threat level. And always, when I touch such a Gate, my luck and perception give a twinge of warning. But I traveled a few very-high mana worlds and was alright, so I ignored the warning.

“In this case, it was a mistake. I was hunted for days and almost died a few times. And every time I almost died, something happened to save me. I was attacked by a creature that caused me nightmares while I was awake and was sucking out my life force with the aid of my fear; I fell, hit my head on a rock, and it jarred me enough to regain my senses and run away.

“Two days later, I encountered tiny humanoid creatures with wings that blinked like a light. They made me feel safe, and I knew I should follow them. I followed them for a while, but a branch hit me in the face. The minute I didn’t look at them, they lost their hold over me, and I saw that I was very close to a swamp with a giant creature swimming inside.

“A day later, I encountered creatures that were a cross between a person and a goat, and they played a musical instrument that confused my senses and made me sleepy. Suddenly, a big creature flew overhead and screeched. They ran away, and the creature didn’t see me under the trees. It continued like this for eight days until I got out of there. Every time I was about to die, something happened that saved me.”

“That’s amazing. What’s the place's name so I’ll know not to go there?”

“Tír na nÓg.”

“Really?! The fae are real?!”

“You know about them?”

“There are legends about them in my world.”

“Not surprising. With such high mana, they probably can portal.”

“Please tell me if I’m overstepping, but could you read me the description of the next level of luck?”

“I usually don’t mind, but this time I’ll refuse.”

“Why?”

“Because knowing everything in advance ruins the sense of exploration and discovery.”

I thought about it and said, “Yes, you're right. Thanks.”

“Any more questions?”

“Yes. Regarding the classes and ability points. I understand that the ease of obtaining them comes from imminent integration. But I have two questions about that:

“1.  How do you usually get a skill or spell?
2. Why it’s so easy during integration?”

“The usual way to learn spells is from mage scrolls, which you can buy but are very expensive. The most common spells start from 10 gold and can go up to 50 or more for the more complex spells. I know that mage families, healers’ guilds, and the like, even in a low mana world like this one, have a way of teaching spells, but sadly, I don’t know the method. I know that it takes time, and the apprenticeship lasts for years.

“Skills you can learn in two ways; one of them is to use a skill that you don’t have yet as a Skill in a dangerous situation, and you can get it. I’ll give you an example from my experience. I was traveling on a medium mana world with the mana in the high echelon of that category and came to an area full of dangerous mana beats. I could go around for over a week or cross it in two days. I decided to cross but quickly realized that the area was much more dangerous than I thought. For two days, I sneaked quietly from tree to bush to bolder. There were times I had to crawl on my belly and the whole time to cover myself in mud to hide my scent. When I came out of the dangerous area, I was exhausted physically and mentally, but I got the Stealth skill. I know for a fact that if I weren’t in mortal danger the whole time, I wouldn’t have gotten it.

“The other way to learn a skill is from a professional in the field to a level where you can do it yourself without supervision. I know quite a few Travelers who either have a very low magical capacity or are disinclined to use magic who apprenticed to a blacksmith to learn how to fix and upkeep their weapons—not to make them, only to fix them—and it usually took them about six months to get the skill.

“Regarding your second question, I don’t have a conclusive answer, just a theory. It’s not my theory, but the lady who wrote the article about dangers and opportunities. She didn’t include it in the article since she didn’t know it was a fact. She believes that because the integration process introduces a completely unknown factor, the mana, the guidance gives this advanced ability to the locals to help them survive and learn to harness the new factor.

“Think about it: if you need to buy scrolls or apprentice to a mage to learn magic, how can you do it in a world undergoing integration? The same is true with skills that have magical aspects to them. Those people are not Travelers; they cannot get this knowledge, so the guidance helps by making Skills and Spells acquisition easier.”

“Yeah, makes sense.”

“I thought so, too. Any more questions?”

“Yes, still about skills. In the Tips & Tricks section, there was a tip to learn skills you don’t need and give them up to convert to ability points. It looks like a ‘cheat.’ How can such an advanced system have a cheat? It doesn’t make sense.”

“I like your use of the word cheat as a noun instead of a verb; very colorful.”

“It’s not my idea; I got it from a book.”

He laughed and said, “Either way, it’s entertaining. Regarding your question, it’s not a ‘cheat’ as you call it, but an easier version of an existing function for Travelers. You can find it in the Archive, and most Travelers are children of Travelers, so they know this. If you need a Skill or Spell and don’t have ability points, you can try to purchase the Skill you need; the guidance will inform you that you don’t have ability points and will ask you which spell or skill you are willing to sacrifice to convert to the new skill.”

“Oh, so it’s not a cheat but a shortcut?”

“Exactly. But know that you can only convert from the general spells or skills. You can't touch class or profession skills, spells, or abilities.”

“Why not?”

“I have no idea, but it’s a fact. Also, be careful with giving up abilities; once you give it up, you can’t re-purchase it or get it any other way.”

I thought about this for a while. That was much more logical.

“I have another question…”

He nodded and motioned for me to continue.

“Aren’t we kind of overpowered? I feel like Superman compared to the populace.”

He laughed again and said, “Superman? From a book?”

“A movie. You know what movies are?”

“Yes, I like movies. That’s one of the things I like about tech worlds. And the answer is yes and no, depending on the world.”

“Can you expand on that?”

He nodded and continued, “In your home world, you said you were stronger, faster, and a better student; you were already more powerful than others. It is the same in a low-mana world. Most people here have professions, but those are not Professions from the guidance they can advance. Even healers like you are primarily people who learned basic knowledge about the body and a few healing spells. They usually have only the mage magic class at a low knowledge level. Only the exceptional standouts among them have a Class or Profession from the guidance. There are hardly any monsters that spawn; if they do, they are very low-level. In the same classification, in worlds with mana 25 and up, Professions and Classes become more common, and the monsters are stronger and more numerous, but still in the low range of levels, maybe 3-5. So, with those levels of the populace or the monsters, of course, you feel like a super-man.

“In medium mana worlds, you will feel different. In the low echelon, 30-40, everybody has classes, and the exceptional ones have professions and sometimes more than one class, and they trained for years in all their abilities. The monsters are stronger and more numerous, and there are many beasts and dungeons. With your power level, you will survive it, but you will need your dog's help and get hurt more than once. I still recommend going there because it will be good for your progression. You will get a fighter class if you’re involved in many fights and have a sub-class slot open. Don’t go to the upper echelon of this classification, 40-50, you won’t survive more than a few days.

“For now, forget about high mana or very-high mana worlds; you’ll be dead in minutes and won’t see it coming.

“The same is true with tech worlds; you can safely navigate low to medium tech levels, but the more advanced worlds will kill you. There is no mana there, so when you exhaust your mana, you’ll be empty, and most of them have various means of physical augmentation, such as genetic engineering, nanotechnology, cyborg implants, or various chemical enhancements. So even your physical traits won’t be enough.

”So, we are overpowered in some places, but totally underpowered in others. I’m much stronger than you, and I recently almost died more than once.”

“How would I know when I’m ready to move up a level?”

“When you came here, did you enjoy it?”

“Very much.”

“Are you still enjoying it?”

“Less, it’s getting boring.”

“You are ready to move up a level. I have a theory that it’s a nudge from the guidance because I, myself, and every Traveler I ever spoke to felt this boredom at a certain point when we were ready for the next level. I think it’s part of the innate knowledge of our class, like the subtle knowing that sometimes guides us.”

“Yeah … makes sense,“ I said and thought of another question, “You mentioned that mages are part of the purely magical classes as well as my wizard class. What are those, and what are the differences?”

“There are many classes that use magic; your healer class is one example, as are bards, architects, enchanters, dungeon architects, alchemists, and much more. But there are four purely magical classes: Mage, Sorcerer, Witch, and Wizard. They are very different from each other.

“Mages can use only internal mana and only spells. Advanced mages can advance and combine spells, but they can only work with spells.

“Sorcerers don’t have internal mana; they channel external mana and are also limited to spells. The amount they can channel depends on their level. They can also advance or combine spells, but they are always limited to spells.

“Witches have internal mana defined by their element and can also channel mana from their element and control their element. For example, a water witch will have a certain amount of magic in his body, not in orbs of power, but in the body itself, and can absorb magic from water and control water. Same with nature witches, earth witches, and the like. They can cast other spells with limited success but can control their element to a scary degree without spells. They mold it with their will.

“Wizards have internal mana, and with time and progress, they can also learn to control external mana. They work with spells but are not limited to spells. Most of the mage spells were created by wizards, and with time and practice, a wizard can learn to control an element like a witch or even more than one element. Wizards are considered the scholars of magic; they learn its intricacies and advance the general knowledge of the other magical classes.”

“Wow! That’s awesome!”

“Yes, it’s an excellent class, and usually, only people with a high talent and affinity for magic get it. Tell me, did you learn to partition your mind already?”

“Yes, a three-way split. That’s how I got the class.”

“Keep practicing this ability. I know an amazing wizard, not a Traveler, who can partition his mind into twelve sections. Maybe even more is possible, but I haven’t encountered it yet.”

I was pleased about my wizard class and agreed with Lis: it was the best magic class. I tried to remember what else I didn’t understand and wanted to ask, but I couldn’t think of anything. I was hungry, so I asked Lis, “Would you like lunch?”

“I was just thinking about it. I have some interesting food in my storage. Do you want to share and compare?”

“Yes! Great idea.”

I took out the campfire lasagna I made, some bison mukar burgers, a big plate of sushi, and pasta alfredo. Lis examined every dish and looked excited, at least judging by the smile and the way he rubbed his hands together. He took out a dish that looked like stuffed cabbage, but the leaves were very different, a dish of vegetables and meat in a pink sauce, and a pie that smelled like fish.

I took a big metal plate and put a sampling of everything for Stretch. He also looked very excited, judging by his tail.

We sat and enjoyed a fantastic meal. The pink sauce was from some fruit, giving the dish a delicate, sweet, and sour taste that was unusual but very tasty; the fish pie was delicious, and the stuffed leaves were odd; I couldn’t make up my mind if I liked them or not, like with pitaya, I could never make up my mind about that fruit.

Lis loved everything, especially the sushi, but not the wasabi that made him sneeze repeatedly.

Stretch loved everything. What else is new?