“I think we should head to the Gate,” Mahya said after breakfast, pushing her empty plate away.
“Why?” I asked, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms.
“I checked the Map,” she said. “This world has only six Gates, and only two are on this continent. The other one is weeks away.”
“Are we in a hurry to leave?”
“They are insane,” Al cut in, his voice flat as he adjusted the cuff of his shirt, then flicked a crumb off the table.
“Yeah, sort of,” I admitted with a shrug, picking at the corner of a roll absentmindedly. “Still, the city lord was cool, and I’m sure there are more sane ones.”
Al’s hand paused mid-air as he looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “So you want to stay on the chance of meeting more logical people?”
“No, that’s not it,” I said, shaking my head and sitting up straighter. “I’m curious about the Essence Weaving technology they have here. They don’t use runes or spells but still create magical effects. I want to discover how.”
Mahya leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “The knowledge is probably as highly guarded as Magitech,” she said, her tone skeptical.
“So?” I shot her a cocky grin. “I’ll find a way to get it.”
Her eyes narrowed as she studied me, tilting her head slightly. “I’m not so sure. Lis is much stronger than the three of us rolled into one, and he needed your help to learn engineering and get the class.”
I rubbed my jaw, considering her words. “But he can’t fly, or store stuff in his mana sense range. I have tools he doesn’t.”
Al, who’d been quietly tapping a finger on the table, suddenly stopped. “You want to steal the knowledge?” he asked, his tone sharp.
“Not precisely,” I said, holding a hand to ward off the accusation. “More like borrow, copy, and return.”
Both of them stared at me, their brows furrowed and lips pressed into thin lines. I shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny. “What?” I asked, spreading my hands.
“Don’t you have enough stuff to work on?” Mahya asked, her eyes narrowing further.
“Yeah,” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “But it could help me in a project I’ve been thinking about and didn’t have a solution for. Anyway, I won’t work on it immediately; I’ll just store the knowledge until I’m ready for it.”
“Do you even know where to look for the knowledge?” Al asked me, his voice edged with skepticism as he leaned forward.
“Yes,” I said, sitting up straighter and giving him a confident nod. “When I sold the food, they had cooling boxes made of wood.” I waved to the north. “They got them two cities over from a big Essence Weaving sect.”
Al raised an eyebrow, his expression carefully neutral, but the faint, rhythmic tapping of his fingers on the table betrayed his doubt. “And you plan to stroll into this sect and ask for their secrets?” he asked, his tone dripping with dry skepticism.
“More like sneak in invisible,” I said with a casual shrug, leaning back in my chair and folding my arms.
He harrumphed, the sound sharp and disapproving, while Mahya burst into laughter, covering her mouth with one hand. “I thought you only steal from bad guys?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she tilted her head toward me.
“I’m not planning to steal it,” I said, raising a finger in mock defense. “Only borrow for a short time.” My grin probably didn’t help my case.
Mahya’s eyes lost focus as she drummed her fingers on the table, the soft tapping filling the brief silence. Tilting her head first to one side, then the other, she seemed to be calculating something. “Judging by the time it took us to get to the city, if we walk, it’ll take three to four days to the next one, and more than a week to the one you’re aiming for.” Her brow furrowed as her drumming slowed. “If the road is less crowded, we could use the bikes and reach the city in a day or two. The other one maybe in four. Use the balloon?”
Al straightened, his gaze flicking between us. “Are we in a rush?”
“I thought you wanted to leave too,” she said.
“I suggested looking for a more logical world,” he replied, his voice carrying the clipped precision of someone clarifying a misstep, “with fewer shouting fools. But if we are staying for a while, I do not see the reason to hurry.”
“Al’s right. What’s the rush? The people may be a bit out there, but the place is beautiful, with high mana levels and cool beasts. So let’s enjoy it for a while.”
Mahya shot me a sharp look, her lips twitching as if holding back a smirk. “You just want to steal the knowledge,” she accused, pointing a finger at me like a teacher catching a student in the act.
“That too,” I said in a matter-of-fact tone, shrugging without a hint of apology. “Knowledge should be shared, not hoarded. As they say, ‘Sharing is caring.’”
Al let out a long-suffering sigh, rubbing his temples as if my words caused him pain. Mahya snorted, crossing her arms and shaking her head, though I caught the faintest flicker of a smile.
We left the city through the gate opposite the one we had entered. The streets were alive with the hum of vendors calling out their wares and the sizzle of food cooking over open flames. On the way from the hotel to the gate, we passed seven street stands, each offering a variety of tempting treats. The air was thick with the mingling aromas of spiced meats, sweet pastries, and something fried that smelled intriguing.
My expert moocher trotted beside me, his tail wagging enthusiastically. At every stand, he gave me puppy dog eyes with twitching ears. “Just a taste! It smells good. Rue is hungry!”
“Fine, but just a taste,” I grumbled, handing over coins one after another as Rue expertly worked his way through the offerings. He inhaled fried dumplings at the first stand, practically sighed over skewered sausages at the second, and by the fourth, I was sure he was doing a victory lap in his head with each bite.
By the time we reached the gate, Rue looked far too pleased with himself. I shot him a side-eye glare. “You’re lucky you’re adorable,” I muttered.
He trotted ahead with a jaunty bounce. “Rue knows.”
The road leading away from the city was as crowded as the one leading to it, so we continued on foot. On both sides of the road, low hills rolled out, covered in patches of green grass and dry yellow weeds that swayed slightly in the breeze. The gravel underfoot crunched with every step, uneven and dotted with the old stones sticking out of the road. A mix of wildflowers and scraggly bushes grew on both sides, their earthy scent mingling with the faint smell of sun-warmed grass. The road curved ahead, disappearing behind a hill, while the soft leaves rustling in the breeze filled the air. The sunlight was warm on my skin, but the breeze kept it from getting too uncomfortable. Overhead, a few fluffy clouds drifted lazily across the blue sky, making it feel like the kind of day you’d want to stretch out on the grass and dream.
My shoulders relaxed. I inhaled deeply and unclenched. It wasn’t the feeling like when my mana went up, just a physical and mental relaxation after leaving the city. I enjoyed interacting with the locals, but still preferred open nature to city walls, no matter how beautiful the architecture was. Mahya and Al also visibly relaxed. We walked, chatting about what they did when I was busy selling. Rue trotted ahead, sniff checking every other bush.
A group of four men surrounded us. They wore tight-fitting leggings beneath flowing robes embroidered with swirling patterns that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Two of them held long spears, their tips glinting ominously, while the other two gripped swords, the blades angled slightly as if ready to strike at the first sign of resistance. Their expressions were a mix of arrogance and determination, their postures tense. Rue stood behind them, and they didn’t even notice him.
“Yes?” Al asked, his tone as cool and measured as ever. “Can we help you?”
“Don’t resist,” one of them said, stepping forward with his spear angled menacingly. His voice was dramatic, as if he practiced it in front of a mirror. “Give us the gold you received from House Tulip and die with honor!”
Mahya let out a loud snort.
“Are you mocking us?” another man barked, his sword twitching slightly in his grip as he glared at her.
“Yes,” she replied flatly, her lips twitching into a smirk.
“How dare you?” the swordsman shouted, his face flushing red.
“If you repeat your words, you’ll also mock yourself as an idiot,” she shot back without missing a beat, her voice dripping with mockery.
The first man furrowed his brow, looking confused.
Mahya sighed loudly, as though explaining to a particularly dense child. “First, you tell us not to resist, which is stupid,” she said, pointing casually at him. “Then you try to rob us, which is the height of dishonor, but you demand we let you kill us so we can die with honor. So, as I said, you should mock yourself as an idiot.”
The man’s face twisted into fury. Without another word, he let out a roar and charged at her, his spear aimed straight for her chest.
Mahya’s body moved like a blur. She stepped forward, slapping the spear aside with a sharp crack that echoed in the still air. Before he could recover, her fist shot out, connecting cleanly with his jaw. The impact made a sickening crunch, and the man’s head snapped back. He collapsed in a heap, his spear clattering to the dirt beside him.
“Well, that’s one down,” Mahya said, flexing her fingers and brushing her sleeve as if she’d just swatted a fly. “Anyone else feels like dying with honor?”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“You will regret it!” the first spokesman shouted as he charged at her.
I zapped him with lightning. Two down. My mistake—four down. Mahya and Al zapped the other two.
I checked them one by one. Three were dead—one with a broken neck, the other two electrocuted. One was still alive, barely breathing. I channeled the smallest amount of mana I could and cast Healing Touch. His eyes fluttered open, and he jerked violently as soon as he saw me.
“What are you doing?” Al asked from a few steps behind me.
“Gathering information,” I replied without looking up.
Mahya stepped forward, her movements sharp and purposeful. Without hesitation, she drove her sword through the thug’s hand, pinning it to the road. He let out a blood-curdling scream, thrashing against the blade.
“Why did you attack us?” she asked, her tone icy.
He screamed again, louder this time, his face contorted in pain. Mahya waited, unmoved, her grip steady on the hilt of her sword.
Meanwhile, I turned my attention to the bodies of the other three and stored them. When I glanced back, the screamer’s wide eyes were locked on me, his expression twisted in sheer horror.
“What did you do to my brothers?” he choked out, his voice trembling with fear.
“Answer me first, and maybe he’ll answer you,” Mahya told him, her voice calm but cutting. She pressed the hilt of her sword slightly, drawing a wince from him. “Why did you attack us?”
He glanced between the three of us, his eyes darting nervously before his shoulders slumped in resignation. “With the furniture you sold to House Tulip, they were able to suppress my mistress and take away her customers. She wants the gold they paid you so she can suppress and ruin them in return.”
“Wow!” I said, raising my eyebrows. “I read somewhere that business is war, but this shit is on another level.”
“You’re the one that wants to continue traveling here,” Mahya said, giving me a pointed look.
I shrugged. “Not my fault they take things so seriously.”
“What language are you speaking?” the thug asked.
“None of your concern,” Al told him curtly, his tone cold and dismissive. He looked between me and Mahya. “What should we do with him?”
“I have an idea. It worked great in the past. Help me undress him completely, including his underwear,” I said, already crouching beside the thug.
Both Mahya and Al froze, their gazes fixed on me like I’d lost my mind.
“Are you joking?” Al asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
“No,” Rue interjected, full of excitement. “In Lumis, John take clothes of bad people. John and Rue leave them naked in forest!”
Mahya’s eyebrows shot up so high they practically touched her hairline. A slow grin spread across her face, her eyes gleaming with mischievous approval. “I like this idea,” she said, already rolling up her sleeves.
The thug screamed when Mahya yanked her sword free, the blade slick with his blood. He screamed even louder as we wrestled him out of his robes, kicking and flailing uselessly as we stripped him down to his underwear—and then out of that too. His final, panicked scream came when Rue loomed over him, baring his teeth in a low, menacing growl that sent reverberations through the air.
Maybe he screamed some more, but I didn’t hear it. The moment we let go, he bolted, scrambling down the road like his ass was on fire, his bare feet kicking up gravel as he vanished into the distance.
We walked on, talking about what just happened. The same thing happened here, like on our way to the city. When we were surrounded, none of the people on the road stepped up to help us. They just watched. When it ended, a bubble of emptiness formed around us.
Less than half an hour later, Rue’s said, “Bad man.”
We turned to look behind us, and sure enough, a man was sprinting toward us with his sword drawn, his robe flapping wildly. He bellowed, “Ocean's Wrath: Thousand Tidal Blade Tsunami!”
Four gleaming blades of water surged from his sword, slicing through the air with a sharp hiss. My Protective Shield flared to life, protecting me and Rue just as the blades struck with a wet thud and fizzled out. Beside us, Al’s shield appeared in his hand, covering him and Mahya. The attack hit but didn’t leave a scratch.
Seriously? How come assholes like this get to control water, and I can’t? It’s unfair!
Rue leaped forward with a ferocious growl, his massive form a blur. The man barely had time to react before Rue slammed into him, knocking the sword from his hand and sending him crashing to the ground with a bone-jarring thud. Dust flew up around them as Rue stood over him, teeth bared and a growling.
The tsunami pissed himself.
Mahya drove her sword through his hand, pinning it firmly to the ground as he let out a piercing scream. We repeated the same song and dance as before, extracting the reason behind his attack. This time, the issue was jealousy—manager Sho had been promoted after helping me, and our pinned idiot here believed that promotion should have been his.
Once we got the story, we stripped him down, ignoring his protests, and sent him on his way—buck naked, of course. Rue gave him an intimidating growl for good measure, which sent him sprinting off like a startled deer.
Around noon, we reached the first village and went looking for a place to eat lunch. It was a small, quaint place with narrow, stone-paved streets lined by wooden buildings. The structures had intricately carved details, their roofs curving upward in the traditional cultivation-world style. Bright red lanterns swayed gently in the breeze, casting soft reflections on the polished wood. Small potted plants and flowers added bursts of color, while the faint smell of grilled meat and spices drifted through the air from nearby. The village was quiet. Few people wandered the streets, leaving them mostly deserted. The majority of the population and expansive fields lay beyond the last row of houses.
We followed our noses to a cozy little restaurant and enjoyed a great lunch. The owner had an equally great day—Rue’s appetite was in overdrive after his earlier heroics. Once we’d finished eating, we got back on the road.
By late afternoon, a man sitting by the roadside suddenly sprang to his feet and sprinted in the direction we were headed. The moment he moved, my Luck tingled with a medium-level warning—not outright “Danger,” but definitely more than just “Pay attention.”
“I got a warning from my Luck,” I said, alerting the group. “It’s not very dangerous, but we should be ready.”
Al and I exchanged quick nods, slipping on our armor and casting mana shields. Rue mirrored us, his shield shimmering faintly around him. Al drew his sword and shield. Mahya pulled out a rifle and handed another to Al.
“It’s better from a distance,” she said firmly, nodding at the weapon.
As we prepared, the mood around us shifted. People nearby started noticing something was off. A murmur spread, and most began heading back the way they came, their movements hurried. A few edged nervously off the road, casting wary glances in our direction, clearly sensing something was up.
The road curved around a hill, the rocky incline dotted with sparse trees and shrubs. As we rounded the bend, a group of young men stood blocking the road, their robes billowing in the breeze. I counted 17. All of them were armed, their swords or spears gleaming under the afternoon sun. All of them held their heads high with an arrogant tilt, noses in the air, and menacingly squinted eyes; clearly, they weren’t here for a chat.
“Finally,” one shouted, pointing a sword at us. “Prepare to face the might of House Boan! You will die!”
“Really?” I muttered under my breath. “Do they always announce themselves like this?”
“The name sounds familiar,” Al said.
Mahya didn’t say anything. She raised her rifle and fired, the sharp crack of the weapon echoing through the hills. The bullet hit one of the guys and sent him tumbling backward.
Al joined without hesitation, his rifle barking as another shot rang out. “I must admit,” he said, taking aim, “this is somewhat satisfying.”
One of them shouted, “Whispering Spear, Flowing Water,” and ran towards us, spear first. That jogged my memory. The idiot that wanted to consume Rue’s core.
I shot him with lightning, and the bolt branched off, slamming into a group of three. They screamed as electricity danced across their bodies, dropping to the ground in a heap.
Someone else leaped forward, his sword glowing blue. “Ocean’s Fury: Tidal Blade Barrage!” he shouted, slashing the air. Five crescent-shaped blades of water shot toward us.
“Cover!” I yelled, and our shields did their jobs. They absorbed the impact with a muffled thud as the water blades splashed harmlessly against them.
Another cultivator twirled his spear, fire flickering along its edge. “Blazing Phoenix Spiral Strike!” he bellowed, lunging forward as flames shot toward us.
Mahya fired again, her shot cutting through the flame spiral and hitting the cultivator square in the chest. She Jumped, the attack passing harmlessly under her. He stumbled backward, clutching the wound, before collapsing.
Rue darted off the road without a word, his massive form disappearing behind the bushes. Within seconds, he turned invisible. I caught a faint rustle in the distance as he circled behind the cultivators.
“Storm Dragon’s Tempest Claws!” another one screamed, slashing his hands through the air. A whirlwind burst forth, sending rocks and dirt flying toward us.
“Enough with the dramatic names!” I snapped, sending another bolt of lightning that forked in two directions, taking out the whirlwind guy and his buddy beside him. They crumpled to the ground, their robes singed and smoking.
Suddenly, chaos erupted among the cultivators as Rue made his move. A scream pierced the air, followed by the sound of someone being slammed into the ground. Another cultivator cried out, flailing as he was dragged into the bushes, his sword clattering to the dirt. Rue’s invisibility clearly had them spooked.
“Phantom Lotus Blooming Strike!” shouted a woman in the back, her hands forming intricate gestures. A wave of glowing lotus petals shot forward, spinning like blades.
Mahya dodged to the side, firing another shot that took out the lotus-wielding woman before she could release a second attack. “They really don’t shut up, do they?” she said, reloading her rifle.
Al blocked a sword strike with his shield before shoving his attacker backward and shooting him point-blank. “Their creativity is impressive,” he said dryly, as if commenting on the weather.
Within minutes, the remaining cultivators were either dead, unconscious, or fleeing in sheer terror. The battlefield fell silent. Rue reappeared behind us, his fur pristine and spotless, not a speck of dirt or blood to suggest he’d just mauled half their group. I raised an eyebrow, suspecting he’d cast Clean on himself.
“Well,” I said. “That was theatrical.”
“And loud,” Mahya added, storing her rifle.
“I know why the name sounded familiar,” I said, glancing at the bodies strewn about. “It’s the idiot who wanted Rue’s core.”
Rue sniffed the air and darted into the bushes. Moments later, he returned, dragging a squirming, panicked man by his leg. The guy’s face was pale as a sheet, his hands scraping uselessly against the ground. Rue hauled him over, dropped him unceremoniously at our feet, and sat on him.
“What should we do with them?” Mahya asked, her gaze fixed on the squirming idiot pinned under Rue.
“I don’t know,” I admitted with a shrug. “On one hand, the main idiot attacked us a second time—and with friends—but killing the live ones feels too cold-blooded.”
“Yeah, but stripping them feels too mild,” she said, clearly annoyed.
I scratched my chin, thinking for a moment before an idea struck me. “Rue, buddy, go verify we’re alone, and nobody can see us.”
Rue’s ears perked up, and he bounded off into the bushes without making a sound. I shot the idiot with a mild lightning bolt.
A few minutes later, Rue reappeared, dragging another squirming idiot by his arm. He dropped the second guy unceremoniously at our feet and immediately turned around, vanishing into the underbrush again. I shot this one, too.
Mahya raised an eyebrow. “I think he’s enjoying himself.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah, I’m starting to think so too.”
Rue came back, his tail wagging a mile a minute. “Rue not find anybody.”
I checked all the bodies scattered around, stored the dead ones, and dragged the live ones over. “Help me undress them.”
“I thought stripping them was inadequate,” Al said.
I nodded. “On the road, yes. But if I drop them in the wilderness without clothes, it’s another story.”
Mahya’s smile made me shiver.
When all of them were ready, I said, “Guard the road so nobody comes.” I opened my house in its smallest configuration, dropped the cultivators inside, and instructed the core to transform into a backpack. “Continue to the next village, and I’ll find you.”
I turned invisible and flew to an area that looked green on the Map, far from everything. It took me about half an hour to reach it almost at top speed. It was a dense, dark forest with tall trees rising high into the canopy. Their thick trunks were covered in moss, and the ground was littered with fallen logs, also blanketed in green. Light filtered through gaps in the leaves, creating faint spots of brightness on the forest floor. Ferns and other low plants grew in clusters, filling the spaces between the trees. The air was damp, and the smell of moss and wet wood was strong. Small movements between the trees hinted at animals, but otherwise, it was quiet.
I opened the house, double-checked that the thugs were still unconscious, and dropped them off.
The whole process took about an hour, but when I caught up to the gang, they’d made barely two kilometers of progress. I turned visible behind a hill and rejoined them. “What’s the delay?”
“Two idiots running back to the city naked,” Mahya said with a shrug.
“Why did they attack you?” I asked, glancing at her and Al.
“I didn’t bother to ask,” she replied. “If we keep stopping like this, reaching our destination will take weeks. So, we bonked them, stripped them, and sent them on their way.”
“Yes,” Al chimed in. “It was very expedient and efficient.”
I just sighed.