In New York, I found an unbelievable number of pawnshops and over thirty flea markets. Just in case, I expanded my storage once more—4096m3. After some deliberation, I decided to give up the pasta-making skill. I had the knowledge, and I didn't see myself wanting to level up that ability. Becoming a chef just wasn't in my plans. In addition, I stumbled upon thrift stores and enrolled in 40 workshops and classes. There were many more workshops, but I decided that 50 skill points was a nice round number.
* Digital Marketing Strategies
* Financial Planning for Beginners
* Graphic Design Essentials
* Urban Gardening and Sustainability
* Mobile App Development
* Film Production and Editing
* Music Production and Sound Engineering
* DIY Home Improvement Projects
* Personal Branding and Social Media
* 3D Printing and Modeling
* Virtual Reality Development
* Event Planning and Management
* Intro to Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
* Coding Bootcamp: JavaScript
* Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity
* Stand-Up Comedy Workshop
* Screenwriting and Storytelling
* Mindfulness and Stress Reduction
* DIY Electronics and Robotics
* Interior Design Basics
* Children's Book Writing and Illustration
* Virtual Team Building
* Personal Finance and Investment
* Podcasting and Audio Production
* Digital Illustration
* Personal Development and Goal Setting
* Gardening for Urban Spaces
* Eco-Friendly Fashion Design
* Resume Writing and Interview Skills
* Art Therapy for Stress Relief
* Vintage Furniture Restoration
* Scriptwriting for TV and Film
* Self-Publishing Your Book
* Marketing with Social Media Analytics
* Renewable Energy and Solar Panels
* Building a Startup Business
* Astrology and Birth Charts
* Creative Problem-Solving
* Public Relations and Media Outreach
* Body Language and Nonverbal Communication
Discovering that Bearer Bonds have no registration or ownership record, I sold them.
It was my third day in New York when I received an unexpected call from a detective. My phone rang, and I answered it, not thinking much of it.
"Hello?" I said.
"Is this John Rue?" the voice on the other end asked, sounding serious.
"Yes, this is John. Who's calling?" I replied, getting curious.
"This is Detective Marcus from the Chicago PD. I need to ask you a few questions. Where were you last night?" he said directly.
"Last night? I was here in New York," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "What's this about?"
"I can't disclose that right now. Can you provide more details about your whereabouts?" he asked.
"I've been in New York for the past three days. I flew in on Monday. I have my plane ticket and hotel registration if you need proof."
"Yes, please. Can you share that information with me?" the detective said, sounding slightly more relaxed but still all business.
"Sure," I said, scrambling for the details. "I flew in on American Airlines, flight AA123, and I've been staying at the Midtown Hotel. I checked in right after I landed. Do you need any more details?"
"That should be enough for now. Thank you, Mr. Rue."
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"Okay, but can you at least tell me why you're asking?" I pressed, hoping for some clue.
"I'm afraid I can't discuss it at this time. We'll be in touch if we need more information. Have a good day," he said, and with that, the call ended.
Of course, my in-laws accused me. That they were right this time was beside the point.
For the next two months, I learned and converted new skills and visited pawn shops, thrift stores, and flea markets. The Merchant's skills were exceptional. I knew what was a good deal and what wasn't; even some things I knew were good, but not for me and what I wanted.
Besides stocking up on hot food, I bought three more fighting staffs, five different bows, and many varied arrows, and put them in big plastic buckets in my Storage. And, of course, some more coffee; you can never have enough coffee.
After visiting some thrift stores and buying clothes for every gender and size to sell, I got an idea and bought boxes of threads in every color, needles, buttons, zippers, yarn, and knitting and crocheting needles. I also stocked up on sunglasses and hats and many notebooks, paper, and writing utensils. And, of course, I bought all the good deals in the pawnshops. At a medical supplier, I stocked up on gloves, scalpels, manual resuscitation bags, and everything else I could think of; magic is good, but those are the tools of my trade. And a lot of bug-repellent.
With only $15,000 left, it was time for me to fly to Europe. My plan was to cross to Shimoor in Frankfurt, and I gave up on the idea of Gate hoping to raise my Gate Traveler level; it would rise with my travels. I was eager to be on my way.
After formatting my laptop and canceling my phone plan, I sold both in a pawnshop. In addition, I withdrew all my funds, converted them to euros, and purchased a ticket to Germany.
In Frankfurt, I found a big empty warehouse I could rent for a day. I emptied my storage and just stared. I knew I had bought a lot of stuff, but seeing it all in front of me made me realize how much I bought.
Wow!
Immediately, I put the food back and started logically organizing the rest. Thank God I bought extra shelves, chests, and baskets at the flea markets. I had to rent the warehouse for another four days, but finally, it was done. Everything was arranged, and I knew what I had and where it was. The amount of jewelry caught me off guard. Knowing I bought a lot and seeing it were two different things. There was a lot of gold and platinum jewelry with or without gems and an extensive collection of silver jewelry with or without semi-precious gems.
Thinking back, between the life insurance, trust fund, house sale, savings, the cars, and my in-laws' "gift," I spent close to a million dollars in the last year.
My last money was used to buy German lager in wooden barrels, some more interesting foods, cooked and raw, a lot of German sausages, and more copper coins from all the gaming stores.
On my last day on Earth, I wrote a detailed description of Earth in the Archive. I talked about geography, the political landscape, and that the US portals are on army bases. The danger that this poses other dangers—like extremist or communist countries, travel modes, money and all its complexity, television, how to use the internet, to sell jewelry in pawn shops and not official precious coin exchanges, and put markers on the Map of the stores I visited, the displayed information of all the Gates I visited, to visit flea markets for good deals, a recommendation to buy a world atlas in a bookstore and local maps in gas stations to update the Travelers' Map, and a recommendation to buy an abridged encyclopedia as a good source of general information about a lot of things.
The following day, I changed into comfortable hiking clothes, checked out of the hotel, checked the price of the taxi fare close to the gate, set it aside, and used my last 132 euros in a bakery and sandwich shop. I've taken care of everything.
A taxi took me to the gas station close to the gate, and I walked the remaining distance.
For a few minutes, I stood in front of the Gate. Despite being as prepared as I could be, I was still leaving Earth for an uncertain duration, perhaps indefinitely. There was this persistent feeling in my mind that I had forgotten something, but I couldn't identify what it was. I had bought a wide range of things for every scenario, so if I had forgotten something, it was probably unimportant.
After taking a deep breath, I crossed the Gate.