> PORTAL ADVENTURES LLC, (REG. DELAWARE), IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF THE NEWEST VERSION OF THEIR REVOLUTIONARY PRODUCT, IMPLANT ASSISTANCE: OTHERWORLD! IAO V2 BRINGS MANY WONDERFUL NEW AND EXCITING FEATURES TO THE TABLE, PREPARE TO HAVE YOUR EXPECTATIONS SHATTERED!

>

> Featuring a much more advanced processing chip, the newest addition to the market allows you to have constant monitoring of your physical statistics. Utilizing a database containing the recorded stat-lines of all previous Travelers, always know how you compare to others and track your progress as you grow in strength.

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> The other new functions are a rudimentary AI to assist with planning and problem resolution, as well as a macro function. You can program your implant to assist you with simple, repetitive tasks, all while you sit back and relax mentally.

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> The newest version of the IAO is a further advancement of the adventure! Get yours today!

>

>

> FEATURES

* Allows language implantation. Common comes with the implant, further languages are available for an additional cost.

* Complete set of maps of the Kingdom of Wyldra, and various surrounding areas. Map overlay always shows your position!

* Comparative tracking of physical statistics.

* Basic AI and Macro Functions.

* Security Functions.

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"Portal Adventures LLC. Brochure MMCXXII"

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Her stats were as she remembered, slightly above the average for a human male Traveler, which was an accomplishment in and of itself. Those numbers were the results of millions of dollars spent on training, and human growth hormones. If you have the money, you might as well use it her father had always said, and she had not found a better way to use her trust fund.

The implant measured her body against baselines that had been derived from the aggregate data of all previous Travelers, and the same with her skill levels, although that was a bit iffier. The more experience she had in the real world application of those skills, the more exact the measurement would be.

It was just a way to visualize data, and Marie reminded herself not to get too attached to those numbers as they might even go down if she found the average skill levels in this world to differ greatly from the preprogrammed data.

She had decided to come on this adventure several years ago, and to make the most of it she had received training from instructors of both traditional and modern martial arts. She had also learned how to properly use her shortsword and dagger; it’s a cold world out there!

Like many people who actually came across to the Otherworld, she was planning to spend at least a couple years here unless something went significantly wrong. Even for someone of her background the price to come across was not insignificant.

Marie finally felt the tiredness her body was struggling with get the upper hand, and her eyes closed as she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. She woke up to use the restroom sometime around midnight, and was a little put off to find out that was a shared room with a seat over a chamber-pot. She wrinkled her nose in distaste but finished her business, and returned to her room.

She was about to crawl in to bed when the urge to look out her window came over her, so she opened the shutters and looked out into the night sky.

It was one thing to know on an intellectual level that this world had no moon, it was another to look in to a dark, dark sky and see only stars without the comfort of that glowing orb. The night felt more alien than ever, completely separated from the world of daylight, and this made this place far more foreign than any lack of indoor plumbing ever could.

The trek had gone from “roughing it” to “interdimensional travel” pretty quick.

We’re not in Kansas anymore…

Marie closed the shutter and went back to bed, her head buzzing and starting to feel really out of place. This was going to be a process, a path to feeling comfortable here. And it probably started with getting a good night’s rest.

***

Marie woke up slowly, until she remembered that she was not on Earth anymore, and then she sat up in a start. A smile crept on to her lips as she considered that she had actually made it, despite all the pitfalls and stumbling blocks, persisting through all the people that tried to stop her.

Well, I’m here now. Better figure out first steps after I eat some breakfast.

She pulled on the custom made leather bralette she had brought, thanking her lucky stars that her A-cup breasts were finally an asset. All those girls in school had always teased her that she didn’t ‘develop’, but the lack of underwear technology in this world would have left them bouncing all over uncomfortably.

You had to purchase your initial set of clothes from the Portal Adventures LLC to avoid anything that might reveal your Traveler origins, and Marie had delved in to her trust fund to buy the best.

She pulled on some leather pants that had reinforcements sewn in strategic spots, a linen shirt that ended mid forearm, and a tabard that split at her hips on the sides and hung down to her mid-thigh on the front and back. Then she put on her belt over it with her dagger attached. Her pack and sword she left in her room for now, they were cumbersome and she didn’t want to haul them around if not needed.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Lastly she pulled her long black hair back and tied it in a quick ponytail, tucking bits on the side behind her pointed ears. She had opted to get the operation so that she could pretend to be something besides a boring old human, but it really did limit you.

Elves aged very slowly here, and so if you stayed long enough to start showing your years you would have to pretend to be an old elf. Knowing that she realistically couldn’t stay more than a few years anyways, Marie had opted for the more exciting option.

Her leather boots had soft enough soles that going downstairs didn’t make much sound, and Marie was congratulating herself on being stealthy until she ran in to the same tall man from yesterday as he was coming up. Their bodies collided, and he had to grab the wall to avoid going down the stairs backwards.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.” Marie apologized as she felt her face flame.

“I didn’t hear you, I suppose we both had our minds on other things. It’s fine, no harm no foul. I’m Byn by the way.” He chuckled slightly, the same air of haughty pride written all over his handsome face.

“I’m Marie, nice to get your name. I was just on my way to get some breakfast. Care to join me? I can buy yours.” Trying to make lemonade out of lemons, she invited him to join her.

“No, I already ate, but I can recommend the boar sausage. It’s quite good.” He turned his lithe body sideways and walked around her up the stairs. “Stay safe, and have fun!”

What a dick! The stick up his ass must be log-sized! Fine, I didn’t really want to eat with you anyways. I was just going to pump you for information, in any case.

Marie continued down the stairs, arriving at the spacious ground floor and making her way over to the bar. There was an older man there, he looked to be somewhere in his mid-fifties, and he was wearing a clean white apron and had a giant walrus moustache. He nodded at her as she came up, and a smile split his fat face.

“How are ya, Marie? Is the room to your liking?” He arched an old, grey eyebrow at her.

“It was fine, Garret, even if the bathroom left a little to be desired. I’m here for some breakfast.” Her lips quirked in to a smile for a moment before returning to her normal resting bitch face.

“Well, for the bathroom I would say get used to it but you aren’t likely to find anything as good as ours outside of this area so just get ready for worse. As for breakfast, grab a seat at a table and I will bring you a plate.” He threw a dishrag over his shoulder and walked into the kitchen door on the far wall.

Marie grabbed a seat at an unoccupied table and had barely sat down before Garret returned with a plate heaped up with eggs, sausage, and hash browns. She looked up at him thankfully and prepared to tuck in. “Put it on my tab, please.”

Garret nodded with understanding and returned to his post at the bar, polishing glasses and keeping a watchful eye on the room as the breakfast crowd began to filter in.

I am glad that I can put things against my pre-approved line of credit here, like the food and my room. That way I don’t have to use up my local currency, and they just send the bill back to Earth where my accounts pay it off. I can buy coin here too, if I really need. They have employees who not only run this Inn, but also adventure to gather coins and resources to sell to Travelers for dollars. Portal Adventures LLC has all the angles nailed down, which you can see reflected in their stock price.

The food was excellent, and the sausage really was the star of the plate. It had a wild, gamy taste but it mixed really well with the spices that had been mixed in to it. The way the skin broke with a ‘ka-cha ka-cha’ as her teeth crunched through was exciting, and then the spray of fat and spices carrying the amazing flavor. Marie reminded herself to get a string of those before leaving Arles.

As she was eating, two armored men sat down on the bench on the opposite side of the table. One was quite tall, with a shaved head and a long Fu Manchu moustache, and the other was slightly shorter with a flaxen topknot and a shaved face. Both of them grinned at her as she looked up from her breakfast, and she reluctantly set her fork down to find out what they wanted.

“Garret was mentioning that you are new in these parts, and that you might want to hire some professionals to go out training with?” The shaven headed man arched a dark eyebrow at her.

Marie nodded her head, she had told Garret about her plan when she checked in last night but she hadn’t expected results this quick.

“That’s right. I’ve had a lot of instruction, and practice, but they aren’t the same thing as fighting when your life is on the line. I need a taste of that to see where I really stand, and it’s smart to bring a few professionals along with me, right?”

The two men looked at each other and chuckled after a moment.

“That is very smart. Like, way smarter than most people who show up here and just run out in to the woods to try and find a few goblins to pound on.” The top-knot warrior seemed please that she wasn’t a total noob.

“So, now you know why I need to hire some guys. Why should I hire you? What do you bring to the table?” Marie picked up one of her remaining sausages and ripped a big chunk off with her teeth while she looked calmly at the two mercenaries.

Garret is one of the only people around who really knows who is a Traveler or not, although I suspect most people here are. He definitely would not recommend me to locals when I have just got here. If they seem experienced I will give them a chance.

The two guys looked at each other again, smiled and then chuckled.

“Yeah, you are not what I expected when Garret told me a young lady wanted to hire a few swords. Get right to the point, don’t ya? Why should you hire us? Well, I am called Kyl and my balding friend here is Gin, and we have been professional adventurers for over four years. We are actually employed by the same people who own this Inn, but they allow us to take on outside work for those who come here. We have a proven track record, you can ask Garret, and if nothing else if you go out in the bush with us we guarantee you will come back out.”

Kyl’s blue eyes stared unwaveringly at Marie, in a solid and professional way that didn’t seem creepy or predatory.

Marie knew that the people who owned the Inn were Portal Adventures LLC, and so these guys must be some of their employees who hunted down resources and coin to sell to the Travelers who came over. Most of those employees were essentially indentured servants who had to pay off the cost of their trip over by turning in resources to the company. Those who really excelled at the profession could go home with sizable nest eggs once their tour of duty was over, but Marie had heard some of them even went native and stayed here permanently. These were the perfect type of guides to take with her on her first trek.