It was already getting dark, and we still hadn’t reached the Gate, so we stored the jet skis and flew through the trees until I found a good place to set up the house. After dinner, I went to my darkroom to develop the film with the pictures from the falls. Developing images in my darkroom was such a fun experience—everything was exactly where I needed it. I knew it was because I was the Dungeon Master, and the core responded to what I wanted and found fitting, but I still couldn’t help enjoying the convenience and accessibility of everything.

When I looked at the pictures in the morning, I was in for a surprise. The photos of the falls were beautiful, but the water looked like just water. The amazing colors of the water didn’t come through in the pictures. When you looked at the falls in person, the water was all the colors of the rainbow. These weren’t reflections of light refracted on the drops; the water itself was colorful. But in the pictures, it was just water—no colors.

I sat for a long time, lost in thought, trying to understand why. In the end, I concluded that mana probably created the colors, and the film couldn’t capture mana. But it was still weird. Sometimes, I saw mana for a brief second or two. On rare occasions, I would see a light blue or golden glow when I cast Healing Touch or Fortify Life Force. I sometimes also saw the runes glowing, but again, only occasionally and only for a second or two.

When I asked Mahya about it, she said she couldn’t see mana and wasn’t even trying because her parents told her it was impossible. So, if that’s impossible, how did I see the colors in the falls? The name of the falls, Prismatic Falls, also indicated that others could see the colors. It made no sense and was very confusing.

I remembered a book I started reading in Switzerland, which I’d since pretty much neglected, and went to look for it. At first, I started looking through the shelves in the mezzanine, searching for the book, but then I had an idea. I always knew exactly what I had in Storage and where it was. While the house wasn’t in my Storage, I was the Dungeon Master of a house built around a core.

I’m supposed to feel where everything is, right?

I concentrated and felt the book’s location. As I thought, I could sense where things were in my house, but unlike with my Storage, I had to concentrate on something specific to locate it—it wasn’t as immediate or direct.

I went to the shelf and pulled out the book The Higher Echelon of Aspects—The Mark of a True Wizard. I skimmed through the chapters, and as I remembered, I had to sit with my eyes closed, feel all the surrounding mana, and differentiate between the various aspects. Next, I was supposed to open my eyes and, using my senses, locate different pockets of mana, imagining them as having a visual representation. Finally, I had to develop the ability to see the mana by focusing my intention and building on the first two steps.

After doing a few exercises from the book, I saw the blue or gold glow, but it only happened occasionally because I didn’t persevere. It still didn’t explain how I and everyone else saw the colors in the falls.

When I started my journey, there were many things I didn’t understand. I would put them in a metaphorical pile in my mind to solve the mystery later. When I met Lis, he answered many questions, and over the years we lived and traveled together, he continued to answer more, gradually emptying that pile in my mind.

I considered whether to write to him and ask or start a new pile of things I didn’t understand, but decided not to pester him with questions. I didn’t want to be like all the other travelers who bombarded him with questions and then cursed him for not answering them.

One day, I’ll figure it out on my own.

After closing the house, we returned to the river and continued sailing toward the Gate. We reached it in three hours and left the river. I touched the gate.

Travelers Gate #468217241

Destination: Earth/Gaia/Terra

Status: Unintegrated

Mana level: 8

Technology level: Low

Threat level: Humans—moderate. Other species—very high.

I was about to go through the Gate to send Mahya an SMS, but at the last second, I stopped myself. The northernmost gate in the US base was in Montana, too close to Canada.

Maybe this gate leads there?

I touched the Gate again, listening to my Perception and Luck, and felt no warning. I still wasn’t sure. Rabban crossed a Gate to the base. I was sure he wouldn’t have crossed if he had felt a warning.

Hmm, what to do?

While I was busy with my thoughts, Rue found a patch of grass in the sun and lay down to nap.

I activated my Luck, but felt no direction.

Is my Luck broken?

I thought about it, and then I said, “I want to give the affinity stones to Mahya and Al,” and again, activated my Luck. This time, I felt a pull toward the Gate. Okay, that was proof enough that this was the Gate to Alaska and not dangerous. I was sure my Luck wouldn’t push me to be taken prisoner.

“Rue, come on, buddy. We’re crossing this Gate.” I patted my leg to get his attention.

Rue stood, stretched, and cocked his head, his ears perking up. “Rue and John go to new world?” he asked, his tail tentatively wagging.

“No, it’s a gate to Earth. I want to check on Mahya and Al.”

“Friends!” Rue’s tail wagged more enthusiastically at the mention of them.

“Exactly, buddy. By the way, you still don’t want the fire affinity stone?” I asked, scratching behind his ears.

“No. Rue fire friend. Rue not need stone,” he said, shaking his head to emphasize his point.

“Okay, I was just checking. You have first rights to that stone. You were in the dungeon with me,” I reminded him, ruffling the fur on his neck.

“Rue, give stone to friends,” he said, sounding sincere, and nudged his nose against my hand.

I scratched his ears again and smiled. “Well done, buddy. You’re a good friend.”

We became invisible, crossed the Gate, and immediately got drenched. The sky was overcast, and the rain was coming down hard. The temperature wasn’t too low, maybe 13°C to 15°C, but the rain was relentless, and there was a biting wind.

Rue grumbled, shaking himself to stay dry. “Rue not like wet,” he complained, his ears flattening against his head.

“I know, buddy. I’m sorry,” I said, glancing around to ensure we were alone. Seeing no one, I became visible and pulled out two umbrellas. I opened one and handed it to Rue. “Hold it over you with telekinesis.”

Rue looked at the umbrella and then back at me. “Rue big. Umbrella small,” he pointed out, his tail drooping slightly.

“I know, but at least protect your head. Your body will get a little wet—no big deal,” I said, trying to be encouraging.

“Rue not like wet,” he repeated, huffing in frustration.

“I know. Sorry,” I repeated, feeling guilty.

He released a resigned sigh but held the umbrella over his head with his telekinesis, his ears still pinned back in displeasure, sending me distinct, dissatisfied vibes.

I opened the second one, took out the phone Mahya had given me, and waited for it to turn on. When it finally powered up, I saw I had zero reception.

I pulled out the ATV, and Rue shook himself before jumping in. I climbed in after him and wiped us down as best I could. Checking the Map, I found the nearest path. We were near Eklutna Lake, and the Eagle River entrance—the closest to Anchorage—was quite far. I briefly considered driving in another direction, but the best chance of getting better reception seemed to be toward Anchorage, so I headed that way.

The paths were a muddy mess, and twice, I felt the wheels spin out momentarily before they found traction, and we could keep going. At least with the rain, Rue didn’t ask me to remove his part of the windshield. The downside of the ATV was that despite having a roof, it had no doors or side guards, so we were still getting soaked, with mud splattering up at us.

Every so often, I stopped to check for reception—still nothing.

Finally, as we neared the Eagle River entrance, I saw two bars of reception on the phone. I parked under a sprawling tree that at least partially protected us from the rain and checked to see if I had received a text from Mahya with a new number.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

There was indeed a new message sent 10 hours ago. I sent her a message:

Me: Hi Mahya.

Mahya: What are you doing on Earth?

Me: Arrived at the Gate that leads to Alaska.

Mahya: 👍

Mahya: I saw the message about the stalls but didn’t buy them yet.

Me: It’s OK. How are you? Did you get at least one class you wanted?

Mahya: It’s been less than two days! We just got to Yellowknife. Tomorrow we fly to Edmonton. Besides the new phone, we didn’t do anything.

I looked at the phone in shock. Two days?! The time skips messed with my head.

Me: I have two fire affinity stones. Interested? I thought it would help you with the class. Maybe more Al than you, but I thought I’d offer them.

Mahya: Where did you get fire affinity stones?

Me: Long story.

Mahya: Did you clear a dungeon?

Me: Yes.

Mahya: Did you get spells?

Me: No.

Mahya: Why didn’t you run it again to get spells?

Me: It was impossible. There were adventurers outside. If I had gone out, I wouldn’t have been able to go back in.

Mahya: Why?

Me: Like I said, long story.

Mahya: I’m interested in the stone, but it’s not urgent. We can wait until we meet again in Lumis. I think it will be important to Al. The problem is he’s not here right now. I hope he turned his phone on. If not, it may take a while to check with him.

Me: Check if his phone is on and get back to me.

Mahya: 👌

I waited a few minutes and got a message.

Mahya: He’s not answering and I don’t know when he’ll return 😡

Me: Where is he, anyway?

Mahya: He got excited about some minerals they have here and went looking to buy them.

I cast Clean on us and the ATV to remove the mud and waited for Mahya’s reply. At least under the tree, only a few drops fell on the roof of the ATV, keeping us mostly dry. Rue still sent me displeased vibes, so I grabbed a towel and wiped us off again. The only silver lining to the lousy weather was that the place was deserted. To get back on his good side, I handed him a lasagna pan. That perked him up.

I checked the date—it was September 9th. While waiting for Mahya’s response, I took out the book on seeing mana and continued reading. Although I hadn’t completed all the exercises yet, I at least made progress on the text. After about an hour and a half, Mahya finally sent me a message.

Mahya: Al really wants the stone. Do you want to come to us, or should we come to you?

Me: Come to me. I only have an ATV and don’t feel like driving to Canada.

Mahya: Wait a few minutes.

Mahya: I checked online. According to the internet, getting from Yellowknife to Anchorage takes 6-7 days with a balloon. I think we can make it with my gadget in 4-5 days. Are you willing to wait that long?

Me: 👍

Mahya: Excellent! We’ll take off in an hour or two. BTW Al says 👋

I conjured Identifications and papers for Rue.

I knew it was illegal to drive an ATV on a highway, but I didn’t have any Earth currency. When I looked at Rue, it was clear he wouldn’t fit in a regular taxi. I checked the app, found the UberXL option, and ordered an SUV. While we waited for the car, I did some homework on my phone. It took almost an hour for the vehicle to reach us, but luckily, I could follow its progress on the app, so we didn’t have to wait in the rain.

Ten minutes before the car arrived, I drove to the park entrance and stored the ATV. Rue was very unhappy that he couldn’t stand with an umbrella over his head, but he resigned himself to the fact that he shouldn’t be seen using telekinesis. As luck would have it, the rain stopped for a while, so he sent me less dissatisfied vibes.

The car pulled up, and the driver stepped out—a classic Alaskan, nearly two meters tall with a thick beard and wearing a black and red plaid shirt. Classic.

“What did you lose in this weather?” he asked with a grin.

“It was a mistake I won't be repeating,” I said, shaking my head.

He laughed and waved us into the car.

I told Rue telepathically, “Shake yourself.”

After he shook himself off, I wiped him down, did the same for myself, and got into the car.

“I need you to take me to Eagle River Pawn & Jewelry, then to Fred Meyer, and finally to the Captain Cook Hotel.”

“No problem, boss,” the driver said with a nod.

I sold some gold coins at the pawnshop, got ten reloadable credit cards with the maximum amount, and finally arrived at the hotel. I gave the driver a nice tip—he deserved it in this weather.

At the hotel, I dried Rue with a hair dryer, took a hot shower, and ordered an enormous meal from room service. When the bellboy brought the food trolley, he looked at me in shock, seeing that I was alone in the suite. But then he noticed Rue, and I saw the light of understanding dawn in his eyes.

I laughed and said, “Yes, he’s big and eats according to size.”

He chuckled, thanked me for the tip, and left.

I had to occupy myself for the next few days until Mahya and Al arrived. To take the merchant stalls task off her hands, I searched Craigslist Anchorage and found several people selling booths. I also discovered a local business equipment supplier who had a few second-hand stalls for sale. I rented an empty store for a day, coordinated with everyone to bring me the stalls, and sent Mahya a message letting her know she didn’t have to worry about it. In total, I ended up buying 17 more stalls. We spent the rest of the time in the suite. Rue watched TV while I finished reading the book on learning to see mana. Or more precisely, on aspects with exercises to see mana.

Finally, after five days, I received a message from Mahya.

Mahya: Where are you?

Me: The Captain Cook Hotel, in the Presidential Suite.

Mahya: Of course you’re in the Presidential Suite.

Me: Hey! I was in a dungeon for almost a month. I deserve some pampering.

Mahya: 🤣 🤣 🤣

When they arrived at the hotel, I hugged them both, and apparently, my hug was too emotional. They both looked at me, surprised.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. For you, it’s been a week; for me, it’s been almost two months.”

Al patted me on the back with a smile.

“What happened to your hair?” Mahya asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

I ran a hand over my head, feeling the short fuzz that had finally grown back. “I wanted a haircut, and the dungeon obliged,” I answered with a shrug.

They both burst out laughing.

“Long story,” I said, chuckling. “I’ll tell you about it.”

I turned to Al with a mock glare. “I should kill you, you know.”

He looked taken aback. “Why?”

“The endurance potion you gave me—you didn’t tell me it does other things besides endurance.”

He blushed, avoided my gaze, and shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

“What does it do?” Mahya asked, curiosity all over her face.

I explained what happened with the potion, and Mahya had tears in her eyes from laughing. Al laughed, too, but he had an embarrassed flush on his face.

“Here are the stones,” I said, handing them over.

“How did you get them?” Al asked, his eyes widening.

I told them about Rivermine Vale and the dungeon. When I mentioned the rifle, Mahya jumped up, “I told you so!” She threw her fist in the air. “I’m a genius! I told you I’m a genius, didn’t I? I’ll say it again, I’m a genius!”

Al and I laughed at her enthusiasm, and Rue added, “Mahya very smart.”

“You see, Rue gets it,” she said, grinning.

“You still didn’t explain the hair,” Al said.

Continuing, I recounted the entire dungeon run—or a sanitized version of it. I didn’t mention the lightning; I’m not suicidal. Al’s eyes lit up when I mentioned the ash. We had to move all the furniture in the suite’s living room to make space so I could give him the metal container with the ash. The rest was more manageable to hand over.

When I showed them the pictures, Mahya studied the one with the lightning, her expression turning suspicious. She looked up at me with narrowed eyes, but didn’t ask.

I sighed quietly. I had no problem lying if I had to, but not to friends. Never to friends.

I told them about my rage and that I understood Sonak.

“That’s still no excuse,” Mahya said. “The fact is, you managed to control it, even with a new fire element. He didn’t even try.”

“Yeah, I’m not saying I think he was right. I just understand him better. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still an idiot.”

“A big one,” Al added.

We all nodded in agreement, and Rue’s nod was so emphatic that we couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

I told them about the Prismatic Falls and the sales to the nobles and showed them the pictures I had taken. They, in turn, told me about their flight to get to me. They hadn’t had time to do much more than that.

“Are you going back to Canada?” I asked.

They looked at each other briefly, then Mahya said, “I don’t think it’s necessary. Anchorage is as good a place as any. It’s a big enough city.”

“The Gate to Lumis comes out halfway between the Prismatic Falls and Crystalspire,” I said.

“I remember that Gate on the Map. Good to know—we’ll use it when we’re ready to return,” Mahya replied.

“Are you staying at the hotel?” I asked.

“No,” Al said. “We need more space. We’ll look for a place to rent.”

“Need help looking?”

“If you want to linger on Earth, yes. But if you want to return, we can work it out,” Mahya said.

“I’d rather go back to Lumis.”

“No problem. But tomorrow is better; it’s already dark.”

We spent the rest of the evening together, talking about all sorts of unimportant things. I let them taste all the experiments I’d made with ingredients from Lumis, and they were an enormous hit.

“I’m taking everything,” Mahya informed me.

“Rue’s yummy food!” Rue protested in a whiny tone.

“John can make you more. We don’t have those supplies here.”

He looked at her for a long time and bared his teeth, but didn’t growl.

Mahya pointed her finger at him. “Hey, remember who arranged for the ATV windshield not to block your wind and made you a jet ski.”

He sighed deeply, both physically and mentally, and nodded.

The next day, I said goodbye to Mahya and Al and called Gary, the driver who had brought me to Anchorage, to drive me back to the park. I kept the Earth currency and the prepaid cards I still had left—sometimes it takes me a while to learn, but I do learn.

When he arrived, he asked, “Trying round two?”

I laughed and said, “Yeah... I still want to see the park. It’s not raining today, so it’s an excellent opportunity.”

When we got to the park, more people were around, and we had to walk for almost an hour to find a secluded spot where I could take out the ATV. The trails were still muddy from four days of rain, but they were drying out and firming up, so the ride was easier.

At the Gate, I made sure we were alone, then turned invisible. The moment we crossed, we stepped right into snow up to my waist.

How?! I left at the end of spring or the start of summer!

I did the math, and yep... it worked out. The seasons there were about 160 days long. A week on Earth was something like 170 days there. Sighing deeply, we walked back to the path. I took out the ATV, and we got as close to the entrance as possible. I called Gary, made him laugh when I said the problem was that everything was still muddy, and headed back to the hotel.

Al and Mahya hadn’t even left the hotel yet, so I paid for the suite for another six days—I had no desire to head back in the snow or rain. With a few days to spare, I made the most of our time in Anchorage. We toured the city, checked out some local spots, and I helped Mahya and Al look for a place to rent.

After six days, I called Gary for the fourth time. When he arrived, he didn’t stop laughing for a full minute.

“You don’t give up,” he said, still chuckling.

“I came to Anchorage specifically for the park. I’m not giving up until I visit it.”

He shook his head. “Hop in. At least you don’t give up easily.”

We repeated the same routine with the ATV in the park. When we crossed the Gate this time, everything was green, with flowers blooming and birds chirping. I took a deep breath, smelling the fresh and green scent. It was good to be back.