While steering the horses, I thought about lord Damarion. Initially, I thought he was after me because he discovered that the ritual wouldn’t work for him. But it turned out that he wanted Rue to be his familiar. And that was my mistake. When writing the information, I concentrated on the ritual and all its stages and forgot to mention that if the master dies, the familiar dies as well. Now, I needed to devise a way to tell him about it. Otherwise, I suspected he wouldn’t stop.

I always had the option to return to Earth, wait for Mahya and Al to finish their business, and then find another Gate. The world information sounded more interesting and exciting than the places I had visited so far, but I still hoped the other places mentioned wouldn’t disappoint. After thinking about it for hours, I still had no solution.

On the other hand, the wagon gave me an idea. I opened the Archive and sent Mahya a message.

Tr. JR

“Clueless, Versailles, Alchemist”

Buy an RV you can convert. Let me know when you buy and convert it. I have a great idea, but it needs testing with our toy.

I scrolled down the message about the coins and laughed. Travelers were a bored bunch sometimes.

T. JR

“Clueless, Versailles, Alchemist”

Forget buying all kinds of things to sell. Buy more coins from eBay. Many, many more coins from eBay. I’ve already used two hundred kilograms.

Tr. MN

“Versailles, Alchemist, Clueless”

Will do.

Tr. NO

If he spends them, he should buy them. Don’t be a sucker.

Tr. PL

What is eBay, and where is it? I want coins, too.

Tr. NN

Useless coins from tech worlds are the best. I stopped buying merchandise, only coins. Now I’m stuck with a huge empty Storage. Don’t repeat my mistake—you can’t convert the Storage points back to Ability Points. I tried.

Tr. TP

What are you talking about?

Tr. NN

Read the message, you idiot, and you will understand.

Tr. TP

I wasn’t asking you; you digested pulikn carcass. I asked JR.

Tr. NN

So, put the initials in the message. And you are a rotten hutan carcass left in the sun.

It went on like that for almost two pages. At least they got a laugh out of me.

After a few hours of riding, we exited the forested area and arrived at the vast plain that continues all the way to the sea in the west and halfway to Azureas. From the information I gathered from various conversations, this plain was one of two “bread baskets” that fed all of Crystalholm. It had one major city in the center of the plain, and the rest were small agricultural towns.

After considering it for a while, I decided to go straight to Azureas and not detour to the city in the west.

For the next three weeks, we leisurely traveled from town to town, headed in an almost straight line to Azureas. There was a Gate on the way I wanted to add to my count, so we drifted a bit to the west in its direction.

The towns in this area were similar, but not the same. All the towns covered a wide area, with houses in the center of the land owned by the inhabitants. As far as the eye could see, it was mostly farmland with a home here and there. The only differences were the towns’ centers. They all had service establishments, like an inn, general store, smithy, and various shops. The difference was in the architecture and style.

In Bridgetown, the residents constructed buildings with weathered wood, reflecting the bordering forests. They covered the roofs with thatch, giving the town a traditional, almost pastoral feel. Farms stretched further out, and the chief crops here were various grains that grew well in the fertile soil. The town square was simple, but the delicious smell of baked goods wafting from the bakery made it feel cozy and welcoming.

The town of Greenshade had a more refined atmosphere because of the homes and shops constructed from stone quarried from the nearby hills. The fields surrounding the town teemed with vegetables, and their abundance created a vibrant green color in the fields. Greenshade was proud of its amazing produce markets, where farmers sold everything from fresh raak to juicy flimo. Of course, I bought a huge stock of both and many more interesting vegetables. The streets were narrow, but with the tall trees giving shade, it felt peaceful.

Silverhill had a bigger town center with huge stockyards. A patchwork of various crops adorned the farmlands here, but the chief trade thrived in livestock—an abundance of cattle and sheep. Well, sort of cattle and sheep—one was big, and the other was woolly, so that was how I categorized them. The town builders constructed Silverhill from sturdy brick, with a few windmills turning lazily in the distance. The blacksmith’s shop served as the heart of the town, and everyone could hear the clang of iron at all hours. I finally sold the last of the horses in Silverhill and left only the two pulling the wagon.

Rue went back and forth about his decision regarding the horses and wagon. When he sat next to me, he complained about the horses’ speed and even tried to growl at them a few times so they’d go faster. He stopped doing it because every time he’d growl at them, they’d shit themselves from fear. And since they were running in fright at the time, some of the shit flew at us.

When he went “home” into the wagon to nap on his beanbag or watch television, he couldn’t shut up about how great the wagon was. I was worried my dog would suffer from a split personality at some point—he was that preoccupied with this specific question.

As its name suggests, Bluewater was by a river that ran through the plain. The specialization of the farmlands here was in rice paddies and various water-intensive crops. What surprised me the most in this town was that the rice was identical to basmati rice on Earth: shape and taste. The town had wooden walkways and bridges over the paddies, and all the buildings were painted blue, reflecting the sky and water. With vibrant flower boxes in the windows, the place took on a postcard-like look, complete with a splash of color. The docks were a hub of activity, as small boats constantly arrived and departed, transporting goods and supplies.

Finally, there was Redrock, set near the reddish cliffs almost at the end of the plain. The farms here grew sturdy crops primarily used to feed the livestock, and the wind from the cliffs never stopped. The town’s architecture mirrored the cliffs, with red stone buildings that were squat and solid. Even the shops appeared rough, as if someone had built them to withstand everything. It felt more isolated, with fewer travelers passing through, but the community here was tight-knit, friendly, and welcoming.

During all this travel, I would stop in a town, present myself as a traveling merchant and healer, sell some things, heal some people, stay two to three days in a town, and continue. In the endless hours monitoring the horses, I slowly inscribed the Durability rune on all the tableware I bought from the bankrupt company in the UK and sold it in the towns—mainly to the inns. However, some residents purchased some, too. I also sold all the fabric I had from Vegas and China, most of the linen and towels, and all the cigarettes and tobacco products from Vegas. My total earnings from this trading were over 300 gold and some silver, but sadly, there were no levels in Merchant or Healer.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

During all this time, I didn’t meet another detachment from lord Damarion. I didn’t think he gave up—the vibes I got from him made me believe he wouldn’t give up so easily. Either the wagon and horses threw him off or because Rue didn’t venture out of the wagon in some towns. I didn’t know why, but was happy to travel leisurely in peace and enjoy the journey.

We finally arrived at the Gate area. I unhooked the horses, gave them water, and tied them near the gate so they could graze. After the core shrank into its backpack disguise, Rue and I approached the Gate.

Travelers Gate #768222231

Destination: Zindor

Status: Integrated

Mana level: 38

Threat level: High

The threat level was too high compared to the mana level—I already understand the correlation between mana and threat level.

Maybe the World’s Info has the answer?

Summer, 21 PMS—Traveler Kun Solut

Before you read my report, go to the previous report to get an idea of what was here before. Otherwise, some parts of my report will not make sense to you…

I opened the earlier information and read.

06.06.9658—Traveler Joni Pan

Hello, fellow Traveler,

My travels in this world have been limited. I discovered more fascinating realms from a technological and social perspective, so there was no point in enduring a mana-deprived world with little appeal.

Nonetheless, this world might pique the interest of a cosmic historian or a fan of technological advancements.

According to The Gate, this world’s technology level is rated as low-medium, though it leans more towards low than medium. The discovery of gravitational waves at the poles has led to advancements in using them for atmospheric flight. Despite this, they have not yet figured out how to utilize them for space travel and continue to depend on fossil fuels for propulsion. The fact that they are already engaged in early-stage asteroid mining is a clear indication of their potential. Following their exploration of innovative metals, they will embark on a more advanced space age brimming with promise.

The unique development of this world makes it an interesting subject for a cosmic historian. During the shift from agriculture to industry, industrial and financial tycoons frequently usurped power from the aristocracy in other aristocratic societies. The transition is underway in this world, but it’s occurring at a slower pace, which is a distinctive element of their societal advancement. The aristocracy has managed to hold on to power with a tight grip, even as they transitioned into the industrial age over two centuries ago.

In aristocracy-controlled areas, they have complete control over finance, industry, and agriculture, with everyone else being serfs. Industrial tycoons are establishing new territories known as the free cities, which are rapidly expanding across the globe. These areas were once considered frontier due to the scarcity of arable land. The rapid growth of industrial cities in that region resembles mushrooms sprouting after rain, gradually eroding aristocratic dominance. This world serves as a tangible illustration of this process, which I believe will pique the interest of many.

I have traveled here for less than a month. The scarcity of mana poses a significant hardship for me, and I don’t see any purpose in enduring a world that doesn’t pique my personal interest. I invested in a considerable stock of mass-produced products and some fascinating metals, but nothing else was worth mentioning.

Interest:

* Observing the historical development of a society.

* Metals from asteroids.

* Enormous selection of mass-produced goods.

Negatives:

* One must exercise caution in cities controlled by the aristocracy. Their actions involve capturing people and imposing serfdom upon them, with no hesitation.

* In the absence of money, starvation is a genuine threat for people in the free cities. The tycoons’ lack of interest in maintaining order has led to high crime levels, as their primary focus is on profits.

Money:

* In many places, including cities under aristocratic rule, the traditional method of currency exchange through iron, copper, silver, and gold coins is still in practice.

* In the free cities, they have transitioned to a credit system, but finding a trustworthy coin exchange is crucial. The exchange rate can range from one credit for an iron coin to ten credits for a gold coin.

I am at a loss for any additional information to provide.

Goodbye, dear Traveler.

Hoping your journey is delightful and filled with awe-inspiring sights.

That was depressing, in a way. Now that I had the background, I returned to the last information.

Summer, 21 PMS—Traveler Kun Solut

Before you read my report, go to the previous report to get an idea of what was here before. Otherwise, some parts of my report will not make sense to you.

This world was integrated 21 years ago. I believe the letters PMS next to the date indicate Post Mana Surge or Saturation.

The aristocracy took advantage of the integration to regain the power they were slowly losing, and the tycoons did the same to seize more power. In both cases, they prevented the population from fighting, and only their guards fought and protected the people. This caused the entire population to become dependent on them and indebted to them. In some places, the guards used their advanced levels to eliminate the nobility or tycoons and seize power for themselves, but not everywhere.

To maintain their firm hold on power, both groups do nothing to make the world safer. No one kills monsters or mana beasts in the wild. As a result, traveling in this world is very dangerous. There are tons of monsters and mana beasts everywhere. At least the beasts kill the monsters in their areas, so you only have to deal with one threat, not both.

In the past, countries divided this world. Today, city-states behind high walls divide this world, each ruled by a noble, tycoon, or warlord. It is very difficult to gain entry to one of these cities, and even more difficult to leave. They try to capture whoever they can and enslave them to serve them. The only ones who can move relatively freely are traders, but there aren’t many of them. The traders usually travel in caravans with a huge number of guards who prevent them from being taken prisoner. But with the dangers on the way, many of them do not reach their destination. They perish along the way.

Why is this world worth visiting?

They have done nothing to make the world safe, including not clearing the dungeons that popped up everywhere during the integration.

There are a lot of dungeons here!

In one ruined city, I cleared over forty dungeons and took the cores. I didn’t even clean them all, just the weaker ones. I travel alone, and I saw no reason to endanger myself. A stronger group could collect an incredible number of cores here.

I have little to say about the cities themselves. I managed to get in and out of one city and never tried to do it again. Also, I didn’t buy or sell anything here.

Warning:

Be especially careful of the flying snakes. They are very fast, attack from ambush, and their bite causes paralysis that takes effect within three blinks. The spell Minor Heal, does not help against the paralysis. Luckily, I had a large supply of anti-venom potions and have Telekinesis. Otherwise, I’d be snake food.

I am currently standing in front of the Gate to Charyne, a world with 48 mana and a low-medium level of Magitech. (Marker added to the Gate.) I will make much money from my cores and continue to travel in less dangerous worlds. Maybe I’ll be back here for another round of core collecting. Who knows? It depends on how much I profit from the cores I collect.

May peace be upon you, my fellow Traveler, and may your road be filled with excitement.

Hmm, that’s interesting.

I stood there, scratched my head for a few minutes, and made up my mind. I opened the Archive and wrote a message to the gang.

Tr. JR

“Clueless, Versailles, Alchemist”

I found our next world to travel, and it’s AWESOME!!

Listen to this—it’s from the world info:

“Why is this world worth visiting?

They have done nothing to make the world safe, including not clearing the dungeons that popped up everywhere during the integration.

There are a lot of dungeons here!

In one ruined city, I cleared over forty dungeons and took the cores. I didn’t even clean them all, just the weaker ones. I travel alone, and I saw no reason to endanger myself. A stronger group could collect an incredible number of cores here.”

After closing the Archive, I cast invisibility and tried to cross the Gate to add it to my count. Tried being the operating word. No matter what I did, I couldn’t cross the Gate.

I told Rue. “Rue, buddy. See if you can cross the Gate. Don’t linger; just check if you can.”

“Yes boss!”

A second later, I couldn’t feel him anymore. I waited with bated breath, and he returned in less than a minute.

“Rue back,” he informed me. “No problem.”

I tried again with the same results. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t cross. After standing there dumbfounded for over five minutes, I facepalmed. Of course!

I took off the backpack with the core and told Rue, “Guard the core.”

This time, I crossed with no issues. As always, the other side of the Gate was between two enormous boulders. What was new was the location: it was in the middle of an enormous junkyard or dump. Everywhere I turned, I saw massive mounds of garbage. It mainly was rusted metal that looked like it could crumble to dust if I touched it, wood that looked even worse, and a lot of rubber. Some of the rubber was tires that were quite similar to the tires on Earth. They were wider and smaller, but the design was similar. I rubbed my hands in anticipation.

My core can feast here for days!

I considered staying there for a few days to feed my core with all those riches, but then imagined Mahya’s face if I did it without her and shook my head, sighing. I returned to Lumis, and we continued our journey to Azureas.