After a mile of driving in complete silence other than the humming of the v8 engine, Valcy finally broke the silence. "Ahem gray, where are we going?" she asked me while looking at the car’s interior with amazement and curiosity. She still looks afraid to touch anything, as if the buttons and display will come alive and bite her. I guess I will have the same reaction if I see some alien tech for the first time. "I am not sure, but I think we are heading towards Hera Doons," I replied with uncertainty in my tone. As they confiscated our maps, I could only guess what I remembered from my memories of the map.
If we're going south of Stainhera, I remember that there exists a desert city named "Doon City," which belongs to the territories of the Doon Kingdom.
After escaping Stainhera, I immediately considered returning to Aster kingdom and my parents' estate. However, I am afraid that news of my summoning ability will undoubtedly spread eventually, and problems will inevitably approach me. My current best course of action is to enhance my strength and seek trustworthy allies. This way, I can secure a life of respect and dignity in this ruthless world, where power reigns supreme, until my next demise.
Where can one discover the chance to transmigrate to a magical realm? I could sense my former passion for action and adventure rekindling. On Earth, my existence had become monotonous – spending a significant portion of my life pursuing academic qualifications. My avenues for sustaining myself and covering my expenses were limited, as my parents had ceased their support after college. Options like working for corporations were unexciting and perpetual. Even the idea of traveling was beyond my financial reach, reinforcing the concept of a mundane life.
With this newfound supernatural power and a whole new world, it marks the commencement of countless possibilities for me. Despite this world being more unpredictable than Earth or merely a construct crafted by higher beings for their entertainment, I vow to embrace life to its fullest and depart without any regrets. I've made a promise to myself. And I extend my gratitude to whoever placed me in this situation.
Because of the uneven terrain, my speed was limited to 40 mph. At this pace, we might need a day to reach our destination, though it remains much preferable to horse travel.
After driving through the forest carriage road towards desert for an hour, I noticed that the trees and grassland were becoming less abundant, and the temperature was also increasing. Consequently, I switched on the car AC and activated the GPS. However, the GPS was displaying nothing, as though we had entered an uncharted territory.
I pondered to myself that this world lacks earth satellites, rendering the GPS system useless. To my surprise, the compass remained functional, bolstering my confidence in our desert navigation. Despite the presence of flying beasts and magic-powered flying ships, it's likely that most inhabitants still cling to the belief of a flat planet. Their maps consistently adhere to this notion, likely due to never venturing beyond the planet's atmosphere.
After running the AC for a while, Valcy asked me with a bewildered tone, 'Why am I feeling cold in this weather? Is it the strange magic of your summoned beast?”
"I assure you, it's just an air cooler," I said, reassuringly. "There's no need to worry, and remember, the car isn't alive. Think of it more like a mechanical golem puppet, requiring a driver for control." Despite the challenge of explaining complex science and technology, I remained committed to helping her grasp the concepts. To foster trust among comrades, honesty was essential, and I felt indebted to her for saving my life in the Astan ruins. While it might appear like advanced magic from her perspective, I was determined to make her understand.
Just out of curiosity, I turned on the radio, and suddenly the song Heat Waves by Glass Animal started playing on the speakers.
"Sometimes all I think about is you.
Late nights in the middle of June.
Heat waves have been faking me out.
I can't make you happier now."
Yeah, we are feeling the heat waves too.
Startled by the song, Valcy gave me a curious look and asked, "What kind of noise is that, and do you understand that language?"
I replied with a jovial tone, 'Ha-ha, sorry, that might be the language where this car is from.'
After the song "heat waves" finished playing, I switched off the radio, connected my phone to the car via Bluetooth, and then searched for a specific song on the internet.
I believe you will enjoy this one," I told her. To divert her focus from further questioning, I played Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Requiem in D minor, k. 626: Sequence: Lacrimosa dies illa."
I am aware that the upper echelons of this world's society also take pleasure in music as a form of amusement. However, their musical caliber can only be likened to Earth's "baroque musical era," albeit with slight variations due to the presence of magic. For instance, certain instruments are fueled by mana, and a harp-like device can autonomously produce melodies with the aid of a record gem.
The music came to an end after a while.
"I've never experienced such an intense feeling from music before," she exclaimed in amazement.
"His name is Mozart; unfortunately, he passed away a long time ago," I informed her.
"You're aware that playing this music in the elven capital, Elfcaina, would surely attract the attention of influential families, who would be willing to pay a substantial sum of gold coins to have you perform for them daily," she informed me.
"I'll consider that once I grow stronger," I told her dismissively. That's a fantastic idea for earning gold coins. I could potentially summon speakers and sell them to nobles for a substantial amount of gold coins. However, this might also draw unwanted attention from people who are curious about the origin of these unique items.
We had covered 60 miles since we began, and the continuous three-hour drive was significantly exhausting me due to my injuries. Beyond that, the fact that our fuel gauge still displayed a full tank was causing concern. I entertained the idea that it might be malfunctioning, but after I examined my phone, I was astonished to find the battery percentage still indicating 100%. I started to believe that some sort of mana or magical phenomenon might be in play here, potentially substituting for fuel and electricity. If this were indeed the case, my summoning abilities from Earth would truly be akin to a broken, cheat-like item. To verify, I resolved to summon additional objects.
"Gray," Valcy said with a concerned gaze, "I think we should take a break for a bit. You look exhausted, and I'm feeling thirsty as well. Let's see if we can find an oasis nearby."
"Yeah," I replied, "let's rest for a while. I might be able to summon some food and water."
She gave me a puzzled look. "Your summoning abilities are quite distinct from those of other summoners. As far as I know, human summoners usually call forth entities from hell and the holy dimension. Beings from those realms don't require sustenance like food and water to survive; they rely on mana and spiritual chi instead.”
I replied to her in a serious tone, 'Would you believe me if I told you I accessed a completely different dimension from those two?'
She matched my seriousness and responded, 'If that's true, then you must quickly become stronger. The news of your extraordinary summoning ability will inevitably spread, attracting the attention of powerful individuals. Unless you intend to spend your life in seclusion, you'll require the strength to protect yourself from the inevitable.'
She ceased further questioning afterward. I understood her intention, and she proved correct; presently, I am but a low-level summoner. Any adept high-level assassin could swiftly end me, and I would remain oblivious to the how. Caution is imperative, necessitating a discreet profile in the days ahead. Following some time driving, we ultimately came upon an oasis within the desert. It appears to possess water as well. "That seems like an opportune spot for refreshing ourselves," I remarked to Valcy.
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We finally arrived at the location after a brief drive. The oasis appeared rather small, stretching only 40 or 50 yards. Bringing the car to a halt beside the diminutive pond, I was on the verge of exiting when Valcy's cautious voice intervened, "You wait inside; I'll go check things out first."
Upon my opening the car door in response to her request, Valcy emerged with care and proceeded cautiously towards the pond. My futile male pride taunted me for allowing a splendid woman to brave the potential danger on my behalf. Yet, it failed to acknowledge the reality that in this realm, women could outshine men in strength, particularly those of elven lineage. Their innate prowess in acrobatics often rendered them far mightier and swifter, as was the case with Valcy, who likely surpassed me by a factor of ten.
After a two-minute reconnaissance, Valcy returned, prompting me to open the door for her. "It's safe for now, but if we intend to spend the night, we'll require fire," she informed me.
Stepping out of the vehicle, the searing heat of the outside world quickly struck me. Leaving my overcoat inside the car, I advanced towards the oasis water. The liquid appeared pristine, yet its suitability for consumption remained uncertain. Within the pond, various diminutive life forms—fish and frogs—caught my eye.
"I'm definitely not drinking this," I whispered to myself.
To my surprise, my elf companion scooped up a handful of water, tasted it, and then cautioned me, "Don't drink it; it's fermented water, but it's safe for washing."
After cleaning off the blood stains from my body, we returned inside the car.
Now, time to summon something to eat.
But before that, I need to investigate something.
In my mind, I called out, "Show my status."
Status Level= 2 exp require for level 3= 100/1000 Name= Gray La Aster Age= 15 Gender= male class= summoner Spiritual chi= 4 Scp Strength= 35 Lbf Dex= 15 mph Mana= 1100 mp Dimensional Access=Earth 1218 Skills summon count =2/6 per/day Inventory capacity = 0/5
I was taken aback to observe that my level had increased. I have an intuition that my leveling up correlates with my utilization of summons. If this holds true, I could have potentially discovered an effective method for leveling up. Despite the fact that all my stats have experienced a minor increase, I still don't sense a significant contrast from before. The only noticeable change is that my bodily discomfort has lessened, making it more manageable now.
I am glad to see my summoning capacity had increased from 3 per day to 6 per day,
Since I am no longer facing any immediate danger, I am considering ordering food to my apartment and using my summons skill to teleport it here. I feel a genuine curiosity about my summoning ability. For example, when I summon an item, does it truly transport that item from Earth to this world, or is it merely a duplicate of that item?
If it only teleports a copy instead of the original, there's no issue. However, if it teleports the original, the owners will face significant problems. Insurance companies don't typically cover losses from paranormal events, and any company offering such coverage could see substantial profits this year. Nevertheless, the ethical dilemma of taking everything, as seen in GTA VI, remains.
"I'll have a clearer understanding once I return to my room," I ponder.
Since I have funds available in my account, I simply opted to indulge in fast food through Uber Eats. My order consist of two sizeable, crispy chicken buckets from KFC, a large pizza from Domino's, and, naturally, a selection of carbonated beverages.
My apartment served as the designated delivery location.
With a 20-minute estimated delivery time, Valcy and I settled into the car, where we commenced listening to further compositions by Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven in the realm of classical music.
Particularly captivated by the moonlight sonata, Valcy exhibited a special fondness for it. Evidently, masterpieces are revered across all domains.
I waited for 20 minutes, and finally, the app displayed a picture indicating that my food had been delivered to my door.
"It's time for the truth," I whispered.
This time, while using the summon skill, I pictured my apartment without any specific object in mind, right after closing my eyes.
My consciousness broke free from the constraints of my physical body, just like the first time. I materialized inside my room, my form still ethereal as usual.
Warning
Time remaining until depletion of spiritual chi - 3 minutes and 58 seconds.
Hastily, I surveyed my room; it appeared largely unchanged from my visit last night. I scanned my table, the spot where I had previously found my phone.
My heart sank as I gazed at the table, realizing that my phone was conspicuously absent. The room seemed undisturbed, leading me to disregard the possibility of theft. My earlier hypothesis about teleportation proved accurate. I reminded myself to exercise caution when attempting to transport items from this realm in the future.
I recall my food had already been delivered to my doorstep, prompting me to swiftly approach the door. As I attempted to pass through, I inadvertently touched the door handle and noticed a notification.
Would you like to summon a door? Mana cost: 5.
Description: A door is employed for securing rooms.
Summon type: Household equipment. yes no
Naturally, I clicked on "No."
It appears that anything I lay my hands on can be summoned back to another world. I wonder if this rule applies to living beings as well.
After dismissing the message, I allowed my ethereal form to glide through the door, emerging from within. There, before me, lay my neatly arranged food items contained within a plastic bag.
My curiosity piqued, I contemplated whether the bag's contents, though numerous, would be treated as a singular entity. Succumbing to my intrigue, I reached out and touched the bag.
Would you like to summon a bag of food? Mana required: 10
Description: The bag comprises two generously filled buckets of crispy chicken adorned with KFC's sauces, a large and extravagant pizza from Domino's, along with a liter each of Sprite and Coca-Cola.
Summon type: Consumable.
yes no
Remarkably, all the items within the bag were indeed considered as one. Hence, without further hesitation, I pressed the 'yes' option, sparing my spiritual energy."
I regained my senses and noticed I held the same bag in front of me. Valcy cast a curious glance my way and inquired, "What's that? It smells nice."
"Indeed, it's our meal," I responded.
Amazement painted her face as she peered inside the bags brimming with food.
Passing her the crispy chicken, her curiosity persisted, leading her to give it a tentative lick.
The writing on the bucket intrigued her as well.
"You can dig in; it's safe to eat," I assured her.
Upon taking her initial bite, her eyes lit up.
"What kind of meat is this? The flavor is exquisite," she queried while savoring a mouthful of crispy chicken.
"It's chicken meat, akin to bird meat," I informed her.
There is only one animal in this world that resembles a chicken, and it's known as the "murkey." The murkey is a flightless bird, roughly the size of a turkey, and possesses a beak reminiscent of an eagle. People here rely on the murkey as a consistent source of meat, and they are often found on farms where farmers raise them for domestication.
I offered her Coke, but she opted for Sprite instead, presumably finding the color too ominous.
"Wow, why does this water taste sweet? Burp. Ahem, excuse me," she exclaimed, her cheeks turning rosy. Her burp seemed to embarrass her.
Her antics entertained me.
"It's called a carbonated beverage. The gas is harmless; watch this. Let me demonstrate how to burp," I informed her. Downing a substantial gulp of the Coke, I emitted a robust burp.
She burst into laughter, and soon we both joined in, sharing hearty laughs.
We relished our time as we dined.
"After devouring food voraciously, I felt so satisfied that I am now on the brink of falling asleep.
"Wow, never before have I tasted such exquisite food. Why do your summoned items differ so greatly from those found in hell and the holy dimension? Please, enlighten me. Could there possibly be individuals within the realm capable of producing such divine cuisine?" Her eyes sparkled as though she had stumbled upon a priceless treasure.
Truly, that was the epitome of an endearing yet eerie expression; it nearly caused goosebumps to prickle on my skin. I was well-acquainted with that look. It was the gaze of a true food enthusiast upon discovering a new restaurant is set to open in the city, promising delectable dishes. I could only hope she wouldn't make daily requests for American cuisine, lest I find myself accompanied by a pleasantly plump elf.
I find her straightforward countenance far more appealing.
"Yes, there are indeed such people capable of producing divine cuisine in that realm, but I'm scared to summon any life forms right now, worried that they might fail to adapt to this alien environment and die. Then I would become a murderer," I shared with her in a dejected tone.
"It's okay; you should probably begin by summoning rodents or other animals and observe how well they adapt to this environment," she replied, her tone filled with encouragement.
That's actually a good idea. Perhaps I should commence with mice or rabbits, as these animals are commonly employed in cosmetics and drug tests. While I acknowledge the ethical concerns surrounding animal cruelty, it's worth noting that their role as test subjects has potentially saved millions of human lives.
so this time which animal from earth will be the first animal to set foot on Tera, I mused to myself.
Once we had satisfied ourselves, I continued driving for a couple more hours until the sun neared the horizon. With darkness descending, I decided to halt the car. Driving at night with illuminated lights could attract undesired attention. For this evening, our sleeping arrangements involved staying within the car. I closed all the windows and activated the air conditioning to ensure a fresh oxygen supply. Thankfully, the car's power source derived from Mana, eliminating any power supply concerns.
Speaking for myself, exhaustion had taken its toll. Valcy might have an inclination to admire the blue moon, akin to Moon Sick Elk. Therefore, I instructed her on operating the windows or doors. Having done so, I reclined the seats and slept soundly like a baby."