B3—Chapter 25: Hockey, Cheating, and Winter Wonderland (Patreon)

After three days, I flew to the gorge again to check on our barbarians. They were still there, and they seemed less frozen. They had set up camp fifty meters from the dungeon, where the gorge was narrower, and lit a fire across the passage. I couldn’t understand what they were still doing there. Were they planning to wait until the dungeon regenerated?

My curiosity kept me hovering over them, waiting for an answer. It took more than half a day, but I finally got one.

“I want to go home,” one flunky whined.

Their leader, or at least who I thought was their leader, responded firmly, “No, we’re staying. There’s no way they’ve left the gorge. They’re probably still inside, just invisible. The cold will flush them out.”

The other two argued with him. “We’ve scanned the gorge several times and have seen no signs of fire. There’s no way they’re still here.”

He continued to insist, his voice growing more adamant. “I don’t care. I’m telling you, they’re still here.”

The argument dragged on for more than an hour. Finally, in anger, he shouted, “Do what you want, but I’m staying.”

The group fell silent, each contemplating their next move while the fire crackled and the icy wind whistled through the gorge. I hovered over them for over an hour to see what they would do. But for now, they did nothing, so I went home. I was delighted with my spying mission because it reassured me they didn't know about the valley and would not surprise us.

Two days later, I flew to the gorge again to check on their progress. This time, the leader was alone, looking even angrier than before. A thought crossed my mind, and I facepalmed again. It had been quite a long time since I last did it, but recently, I was back to facepalming. I didn’t know what that said about me.

I used Identify on him.

Keroly Danranj

Arcane Juggernaut level 28

Twenty-eight sounded high, and it was worrying. After hovering over him for another half hour with nothing interesting happening, I returned home.

I reported my findings to Mahya and Al. “I learned that the leader is an Arcane Juggernaut at level 28.”

Mahya waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about his level, John. He has only one class, so his trait numbers come from just that one. Maybe Al and you have lower levels in individual classes, but you’re at his or higher level with multiple classes combined.”

That was very reassuring, and I put him out of my mind for now.

After four days, I checked on him again and found he had left. I flew from one end of the gorge to the other to make sure he hadn’t just moved or was hiding, but couldn’t find him. He was gone. Apparently, the cold had driven him home. The valley experienced almost daily snowfall, and a thick blanket of snow twenty centimeters or more covered most of it. The snow didn’t stay as long in the gorge, melting soon after it fell. But because of the structure of the gorge, there was an icy wind blowing through it all the time, making it even colder than outside.

The two slackers I call my friends convinced me to continue collecting crystals from the gorge alone when it wasn’t snowing.

“Come on, John,” Al said, stretching his legs towards the fireplace. “All you need to do is fly, kill the monsters from above, and gather the crystals. With your lightning, you can do it easily.”

Mahya nodded in agreement. “Yeah, the cold forces us to wear thick clothes that restrict our movement. It makes it difficult for us to fight.”

I narrowed my eyes at them. “You just want to stay cozy at home in front of the fireplace, don’t you?”

Al grinned sheepishly. “Can you really fault us? It is really simple for you to defeat monsters from above while remaining unseen. Moreover, you are much more effective in doing it.”

I sighed, knowing they had a point. “Fine. I’ll do it. But you two owe me.”

Mahya laughed. “Deal! We’ll make you the best hot chocolate every time you come back.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help but smile. “Alright, alright. Just don’t get too comfortable while I’m out there doing all the work.”

Every few days, I did a “flight through” the gorge, collecting crystals. Rue continued to play with the wind in the air, and as long as he didn’t have to land, he had no problem with the snow. When his mana was about to run out, he would come home and sit in front of the fireplace on his beanbag, content as could be.

Mahya started studying mechanical engineering from Earth, Al continued to tinker in his greenhouse, and I went back to school. While going through the books, I came across two that I could read the titles of, with no need to learn the language first. It surprised me for a moment, but then I remembered that while training my channels in Faerie, I had learned book languages as a way to spend mana, though I did nothing with them. I went through Lis’s entire library, collected all the books in languages I knew, and sifted through them to find my next subject.

They all sounded interesting, and I chose one book about elements and another by a seasoned Traveler discussing long-lived races. I remembered Lis had mentioned my father was from one of these races, so I decided to learn more about them.

As I dove into the book, I discovered a wealth of fascinating details about various long-lived races from different worlds. These groups, despite their differences, shared some common traits because of their extended lifespans. One of the most intriguing aspects was their unique take on age and maturity.

For these long-lived races, youth was a prolonged phase of life. They considered their young to be children until they were 100 years old. Imagine being a kid for an entire century! This extended childhood gave them plenty of time to learn, explore, and develop their skills without the rush to grow up. Their elders and community nurtured them, ensuring a deep-rooted understanding of their heritage and traditions.

Adolescence, too, stretched out until the age of 200. During these years, their mentors encouraged them to follow their passions, sharpen their talents, and explore their world. The Traveler shared stories of young individuals embarking on decades-long journeys to discover neighboring lands and cultures, gaining wisdom and experience that would later benefit their communities. This extended adolescence instilled patience and a long-term perspective, highly valued traits among these races.

The book also explored the social structures and relationships within these communities. Family bonds were incredibly strong, with multiple generations often living together and supporting one another. Elders played a crucial role in guiding the younger members, sharing their vast knowledge, and ensuring that cultural practices continued. Respect for age and experience formed the foundation of their societies, and they frequently made decisions collectively, seeking input from the most seasoned members.

Even though I was only half of an unknown long-lived race, with my mother being human, I couldn’t help but wonder what that meant for me. Did it mean I was a child until 50 and a teenager until 100? Just thinking about it made me shudder. Although I didn’t experience the same hormonal chaos as the other teenagers around me in high school and college, the idea of being a chaotic, horny teenager until 100 was too scary to contemplate. I didn’t feel that young either. While I knew much of my mental maturity came from my circumstances and history, I had lived most of my life as a grown man. I studied, I worked, I was married. On the other hand, I didn’t feel like a fifty-year-old man should. I felt more like a twenty-year-old guy, and even that was doubtful.

This whole subject confused me terribly. Thinking again about being a teenager at 100, I shuddered in horror and put the book aside. Bottom line, it didn’t really matter what the relative age of my body was. I felt the way I did, and I had learned to enjoy life. To me, that was the only thing that mattered.

I moved to the other book—maybe it would suit me better.          

The next book was much more interesting. It had separate chapters on each major element—earth, fire, water, and wind—with specific exercises on how to develop the physical and mental characteristics each element represents.

For earth, the focus was on stability, patience, endurance, and resilience. There were physical exercises like weightlifting, rock climbing, and grounding techniques, where you stand barefoot on the earth to absorb its energy. Mentally, it encouraged mindfulness meditation and activities that promote steadfastness, like long-term projects or puzzles that require significant time and effort. One exercise suggested visualizing yourself as a tree with deep roots, feeling the stability and strength of the earth flowing through you.

Fire was all about passion, intensity, energy, and transformation. To develop these traits physically, the book recommended high-intensity training, martial arts, and other activities that get the blood pumping and ignite your inner fire. Mentally, it encouraged embracing challenges, setting bold goals, and engaging in creative and innovative activities. A specific exercise involved visualizing a flame within you, growing and spreading warmth and energy throughout your body, symbolizing the transformative power of fire.

Water focused on adaptability, flexibility, persistence, and calmness. Physically, it suggested swimming, slow and flowing martial arts, and activities that promote fluidity and a connection with water. Mentally, it advised practicing meditation, going with the flow in daily life, and engaging in activities that require adaptability and patience. One key exercise was to sit by a body of water, observing its movements, and mimicking its flow in thought and action, cultivating a sense of inner peace and persistence.

Wind emphasized freedom, unpredictability, adaptability, and quick-wittedness. Physically, it recommended activities like running, parkour, and other sports that require agility and quick reflexes. Mentally, it suggested embracing spontaneity, practicing improvisation, and engaging in activities that stimulate quick thinking and adaptability. One exercise involved feeling the wind against your skin and imagining becoming one with it, embracing its free-spirited and ever-changing nature.

The book also covered secondary elements derived from the primary ones, just like I had already discovered that lightning was a derivative of the wind. It explained that only after mastering the major element could you develop the secondary element.

The book laid out the path to true elemental mastery by mastering the primary elements and their associated qualities, and then building upon them to explore secondary elements. This book provided a comprehensive guide to deepen the connection with the elements and harness their full potential. It was a real eye-opener and gave me a lot to think about and work on.

It also thrilled me to discover that, despite the usual flowery and complicated language like all the other magic books I’ve read, I had no trouble reading and progressing through the book with the ease of a fiction book. After thinking about it, I concluded that this was the effect of my intelligence attribute. It turns out it had an effect beyond increasing my Storage without a headache.

In the past, I had already noticed that after raising this stat; I learned magic script symbols much more easily and in greater numbers. But I didn’t think about what that meant beyond that. Now that I stopped to think about it, it was so obvious I had to facepalm. When I wrote all my memories of my journey from the moment I discovered the Gate, I recalled exact details of events that happened eight years ago, as if they had occurred the day before. That wouldn’t make sense for an ordinary person. Of course, my intelligence influenced and made it possible.

And now, this ease of learning only made it clearer. I was thrilled. It turned out that stats weren’t just for show but had a concrete effect in the real world.

After two more weeks of steadily dropping temperatures, Al finally felt satisfied with the thickness of the ice on the lake. He asked me to ask my “friend” to blow all the snow off the lake to expose the ice. She cooperated easily, and within a few minutes, we had an ice arena.

We put on ice skates, and Mahya and Al started skating on the lake. Al looked like a professional figure skater, and Mahya caught on within minutes, even adding jumps. Unlike normal skaters, her jumps were a good few meters high.

At first, I was hesitant to get on the ice. Twice before, I had gone ice skating, and on both occasions, my wife had held my hands so I could move forward, teasing me for being so bad. I didn’t want Mahya and Al to laugh at me either, but it turns out I worried for nothing. Within a minute or two, I found my balance and started moving forward on the ice. After another minute, I could skate fast, take turns, and even skate backward.

I started skating fast and laughing out loud. It was such a liberating and amazing feeling. I threw my hands to the sides and spun around on the ice, laughing and enjoying every moment. It was amazing.

Rue, ever curious and full of energy, watched us with wide, eager eyes as we glided across the ice. His tail wagged furiously, and he barked excitedly, clearly wanting to join in on the fun.

“Do you want to try skating, Rue?” I called out, amused by his enthusiasm.

“Rue try skate!” he communicated, trotting onto the ice.

His paws slipped and slid in all directions. He tried to mimic our movements, but his legs kept escaping to the sides, making him look like a marionette on strings. His determination was obvious, though, as he continued to attempt skating despite the lack of success.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of him struggling so adorably. “Hold on, buddy. Let’s get you some proper gear,” I said, hugging him around his body and pushing him off the ice.

Al gave me a pair of small skates, and I carefully strapped them onto Rue’s paws. He wobbled as he stood up, looking down at his newly adorned feet with a mix of confusion and excitement.

“Rue ready,” he said, his voice filled with determination.

“Alright, buddy. Let’s give this another go,” I encouraged him, gently pushing him back on the ice.

Rue took a tentative step, his legs wobbling again, but he quickly found his footing. However, with four legs to coordinate, he still had trouble. His back legs slipped out from under him, causing him to splay out comically on the ice.

“Legs bad. Rue fall.”

“Easy there, buddy. You can do it!” I cheered, skating slowly alongside him.

With a bit of guidance and a lot of perseverance, Rue got the hang of it. He started to skate, his movements more coordinated and controlled. His tongue lolled out in a happy grin, and his eyes sparkled with joy.

“Rue skate! Rue good!”

After a few more wobbles and slips, Rue finally skated smoothly across the ice. He let out a telepathic cheer, his tail wagging like a blur.

“That’s it, Rue! You did it!” I laughed, joining him in a celebratory spin on the ice.

“Rue skate master!”

Together, we skated around the frozen lake, enjoying the liberating feeling of gliding on the ice.

After two days, Al decided it was time for us to learn to play hockey. He showed up with a bag of sticks and a puck, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

“We are going to have some fun today,” Al announced, tossing me a stick. “Teams: Mahya and I against John and Rue.”

Rue’s tail wagged excitedly. “Rue ready! Rue play hockey!”

I could not help but smile at his enthusiasm. We took our positions on the ice, and the game began. Al quickly took control of the puck, gliding gracefully across the ice, his movements fluid and precise. Mahya, true to her nature, added her own flair of jumping meters in the air and running on vertical surfaces, using the trees to navigate at impossible angles.

“Hey! That’s not fair!” I shouted, watching in disbelief as Mahya zoomed past me, easily avoiding my attempts to block her.

“All’s fair in hockey!” Mahya teased, her laughter echoing through the air as she executed a perfect jump, landing gracefully and continuing her advance.

Rue, undeterred by Mahya’s acrobatics, took a different approach. “Rue use stick!” he sent, activating his telekinesis. The stick floated in front of him, moving with surprising agility as he guided it with his mind. He intercepted the puck from Al and sent it flying towards me.

I caught the puck with my stick and tried to move it forward, but Al snatched it out of the air with telekinesis. “Nice try, John, but you will need more than that to get past me.”

Because Mahya and Al were determined to use every strategy they had, I evened out the competition. “Alright, Rue, it is time to fly.”

With Rue in the air, I activated my ability to fly. Together, we zoomed across the ice, making it nearly impossible for Al and Mahya to keep up. Rue used his telekinesis to control the stick and the puck, while I provided aerial support, blocking any attempts by Al to regain control.

Not to be outdone, Mahya launched herself off a tree, soaring over our heads before landing gracefully on the ice. She intercepted a pass from Rue, defying gravity with a stunning mid-air twist. But with both of us flying, we outmaneuvered her, reclaiming the puck.

Al, noticing our aerial advantage, decided to cheat more. His stick moved with a life of its own, guided by his telekinesis. He blocked our shots and made swift passes to Mahya, who used the trees to gain impossible angles, launching herself back onto the ice with breathtaking precision.

The game turned into a chaotic dance of abilities, with Al and Mahya using their unique skills to challenge us at every turn. Our flight proved to be a formidable weapon, allowing us to keep the puck in constant motion and evade our opponents. We passed the puck back and forth, flying and weaving through the air, making it almost impossible for Al and Mahya to predict our next move.

Despite their best efforts, Al and Mahya could not keep up with our combined cheating tactics. Rue and I scored goal after goal, the exhilaration of the game and the thrill of our abilities merging into an unforgettable experience.

“Alright, alright, you win!” Al finally conceded, laughing as he leaned on his stick, out of breath. “That was some serious cheating, but I have to admit, it was fun.”

Mahya landed gracefully beside him, shaking her head with a smile. “You’re impossible to keep up with when you’re flying.”

Rue landed beside me, his tail wagging furiously. “Rue wins! Rue and John win!”

I patted him on the back, grinning from ear to ear. “We sure did, buddy. We sure did.”

We continued to play “cheating hockey” every day or two, and Al and Mahya developed tactics to block us. After a couple of games, our ability in the game became quite balanced. While it was less fun to lose as much as we won, it definitely made the game more challenging and greatly improved my flying ability. I learned to change direction sharply and perform aerial acrobatics. I don’t think I would have reached such a level of control in any other situation.

I continued to check the situation in the gorge and collect crystals every few days. After about two months, I discovered the dungeon had finished regenerating. We did another dungeon run, which was no more interesting than the first, but we collected a lot of silver ore. During this run, I remembered something and asked Rue, “I remember in the catacombs of Paris you had a problem and just wanted to get out of there. But now, I see that it doesn’t bother you. What changed?”

“Rue is now smart!” he replied with a quick wag of his tail.

During the second dungeon run, when we were resting at home after three days of mining on the second floor, I had an idea. I went to the spell room, threw all the ores on the floor, and told the house to absorb all the slag and give me the silver. I received forty-one silver bars, each stamped with a large 925 in the middle.

I showed it to Mahya and asked, “Why do I have a stamp in the middle of the bar?”

She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and said, “Because you’re the Dungeon Master.”

The answer wasn’t very informative, but I understood what she meant. I also realized that she would never stop calling me clueless. Oh well, that was my lot in life.

At least she and Al thought it was a smart idea and did the same.

After we finished the run, we decided not to take the core yet, but to do one more run before the winter was over and then take it. To be safe, we exited the dungeon while invisible, but this time, there were no surprises outside.

Between the hockey games, collecting crystals in the gorge, ice skating for fun, and reading books by the fireplace, I occasionally continued to practice and progress, but without investing too much time. I really internalized what Lis had tried to convey to me: I had all the time in the world, and there was no need to rush.

I filled my stone balls with mana and began the exercise the dragon recommended to Lis. Initially, the first stone was quite tough and needed constant attention, but once I “figured it out,” it became easier. The secret was to find your flow and execute it in a semi-automatic manner as if it were muscle memory—only mana memory. The second stone was much easier. By the time we were ready for our last dungeon run, I was up to three stones that I could spin around my head all day without a problem and without them breaking things—though it did happen once or twice, but nothing important.

The snow turned to rain, and the temperatures rose more each day. Although the trees were still mostly bare, I noticed the beginnings of vegetation here and there. Spring was coming, and it was time for us to leave the valley. While it was difficult to determine an exact duration without a calendar or too much attention to the matter, I estimated we had been in the valley for about half an Earth year.

We returned to the gorge one last time and did one final dungeon run. Before taking the core, Al went outside to ensure there weren’t three crocodiles with a toothache waiting for us. Everything was clear, and we collapsed the dungeon. Overall, it was worthwhile and interesting. The only annoying part was that in the first run, we got substantial rewards, but in the other two runs, we twice received silver pendants that offered a minor boost to our magical resistance and slightly enhanced our mana regeneration.

Mahya and Rue used one pair of pendants because they needed the mana regeneration, and decided to sell the other pair. Al and I just added our pendants to the sale pile.

After another week in the valley with no visits from crocodiles with a toothache—I checked—we were ready to move. We decided to use a balloon to reach Al’s swamp. I prepared a big celebratory dinner with all kinds of winter foods to celebrate the end of winter and prepare us for the next adventure.