Chapter 85: Saying Goodbye (Patreon)

We used the E-foils to get to Yangshuo, and it was FUN!

We sped down the river at a high speed, frightening some fishermen. Rue nearly collided with a boat, which I believed was intentional to express his feelings towards them. Meanwhile, Alfonsen showed impressive athleticism by performing figure eights and double jumping. When I tried it, I fell into the water instead of staying on the E-foil, feeling unfair since I believed my Agility was higher than his. I guess stats are not everything, and physical abilities also have a role to play.

We passed by a river cruiser, similar to the one we sailed down, and most of the people pulled out their phones to film us. Rue enjoyed the attention and did two laps around the ship. This dog wanted to become a media star.

In Yangshuo, we made a list of all the fun places and went exploring. We spent a whole day at the Yulong River, swimming and playing in the water, and I laughed so hard that my sides and cheeks hurt.

We visited the Ten-Mile Gallery and saw the Moon Hill. Personally, I was surprised that it wasn't a Gate, as it had the perfect shape for one. However, Lis told me that with the rise of the mana and the Gate numbers, it might transform into a Gate.

The following day, I met Alfonsen at breakfast and asked, "Are you managing independently?"

"Yes, Mahya showed me how to use a computer, and I am attending workshops to collect points."

"Excellent idea."

"Can you assist me with something?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"I need to convert some of my capital to the local currency. I want to buy goods like you and Mahya to help me fund my travels."

"Sure, let's do it after breakfast."

When we returned to our rooms, he gave me a hundred gold coins; I gave him ten thousand euros and left him to his own devices.

We climbed Xianggong Mountain instead of using the trails or road, and I took a million pictures, mainly of the view but also of Lis, Mahya, and Rue, together and separately.

We visited West Street, fell in love with all the restaurants and bars, and returned there almost daily for lunch and dinner. One evening, we got so drunk that we had to half-carry each other back to the hotel. I suggested using Neutralize Poison to sober us up, and they decided I wasn't drunk enough if I remembered my spell list and dragged me back to drink some more. Secretly, I cast Neutralize Poison on myself a couple of times; I remembered the hangover from last time—no, thank you.

I suggested visiting the ancient town of Xing Ping, but they didn't want to see "old things"—heathens.

After visiting a tea plantation and Xianggong Hill, we bought more tea. I suspected that with all the tea we had bought, it would take us a lifetime to finish it. However, Mahya said, "We won't always be traveling in a small group, and besides, Vitality extends our lifespan."

Well, when you put it this way …

We took a bike tour of the Yangshuo countryside. Rue immediately jumped into the bike trailer, and for the first time, I realized how much he had grown. I saw he became bigger after the ritual and grew with all the mana beasts' meat I was feeding him, but only now I had a way to compare. In Shimoor, he occupied half of the trailer, but now he barely fit in and couldn't move.

We visited the Longji Rice Terraces, and it was an impressive sight. Even Lis and Mahya found it remarkable.

After three weeks, Lis said, "Come to my room, you two."

"Why?" I asked.

"While regenerating between learning spells and while you were copying books, I looked in the Archive to see what items I should take to the Dragon Realm. We need to arrange that, and I want to give the two of you some things."

We went to his room, and Lis started retrieving box after box from his storage.

"What's all this?" I asked.

"Some things I prepared or set aside for the two of you."

He opened one box, and inside were small glass vials packed in bubble wrap. Half were light green, and the other half were darker green-brown. He pointed to the light green ones and said, "Those are mana potions; each restores five hundred mana." He pointed to the darker ones and said, "Those are health potions, but be careful with them; they speed up the healing process by using the body's reserves. I didn't have enough plants, so I could only make a limited supply, but with your healing and faster regeneration with the spirals, you should be okay."

"Thank you." Mahya and I said together.

 Nodding, he pointed at two boxes and said, "Each of you has a box containing an equal number of potions."

We stored the boxes, and he continued, "This box has anti-venom and anti-poison potions. Split the box between you two and give me your snake eggs."

Mahya kept the box, and we gave him all the eggs. When he saw I kept the eggs in a cooler, he laughed.

"Hay, don't laugh," I said. "Mahya keeps them in a bucket!"

After that, he gave Mahya two swords, a box full of papers, and a big stack of blueprints. He said, "I copied everything I worked on that you don't have copies of. Here are all my notes about everything we worked on together and things I worked on alone. I hope it will help you."

Mahya hugged him gratefully.

He gave me the book about familiars I studied in Shimoor and said, "I know you copied it, but I want you to have the original."

"Thank you."

"I read dragons like knowledge more than anything, so I need you to do me a favor," he said, glancing at me. "Please give me all the books you have from Earth and buy yourself a new set when you leave China. I have my set, but I haven't studied it yet, and I don't want to give it up."

"Everything? Including fiction and cooking books."

"If you're willing, then yes."

After I finished giving him all the books, he gave me a medium wooden chest filled with gold coins.

"You don't have to pay me!" I exclaimed indignantly.

"Of course I do. You already paid for my first set. This time, I will pay, and no arguments."

I sighed and took the money. He also wanted to see all the jewelry I had, to give as gifts or bribes to dragons, and he purchased more than half of it at exorbitant prices. No matter how much I argued with him, it didn't help. He was adamant and insisted that after over three hundred and fifty years of traveling and trading, he had more money than everyone on Earth.

He also bought some of the nicer glassware I had, as well as a lot of fabrics from Mahya.

"Why didn't you just come with us when we went shopping?" I asked.

"This way is faster and more convenient."

I suspected it was just an excuse to give us a lot of money, but I remained silent; there was no point in arguing with him when he was like this. I knew this from experience.

Last, he took out a strange contraption resembling a cross between a speaker and a jigsaw puzzle of nuts, bolts, and small antennas.

"This is for you," he said.

"What is it?"

"A device that allows you to listen to music in a mana world from the hard disc Mahya made for you."

I couldn't help myself and hugged him, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Lis laughed and patted my back affectionately.

We had our last dinner together, and the next day, the three of us and Rue went to the Gate.

Lis touched the Gate to access the world's information and spent a considerable amount of time reading it. When he finished, he turned to us and said, "Don't look so sad. We are travelers, and we go wherever the road takes us. We had an amazing time together and formed a strong friendship; you should celebrate that."

He handed each of us two pages with names on them and explained, "These are all the Gate chains I recall crossing or hearing about. You should also ask Alfonsen to give you the list his family made him memorize. We will keep in touch through the Archive, and I am sure we will meet again on the road."

"Let us know the minute you meet a dragon and are safe."

"I will, I promise."

He hugged Mahya, and they spoke quietly between them.

He hugged me and said, "Goodbye, my friend. May your road be full of wonders and joy."

I remembered something I read in the Archive and said, "May your road be happy and your adventures gentle."

Mahya came over, we did a last group hug, he scratched Rue's ears, and crossed over to the Dragon Realm.

I hate goodbyes!