During lunch, I remembered something else I wanted to ask. I waited for Lis to stop eating and asked, “What are mana crystals used for?”

“You found mana crystals on a low mana world? Are you sure your luck is only 20?”

“It’s 31, but I didn’t find them; I harvested them.”

“How?”

“I killed jurbers; those are level 1 annoying bitey monsters. When I diagnosed them, I felt they were not actual creatures but mostly comprised of polluted mana that started to dissipate. So, I encased them in my mana and squeezed them to prevent the dissipation until I had a crystal of polluted mana. Before it completely solidified, I cast Clean and Purify on it, resulting in a medium-quality earth mana crystal. Want to see one?”

He nodded and said, “No wonder you got the wizard class. I never would have even thought of it, and even after your description, I have no idea how to do it.”

I took out a crystal and showed it to him. His eyes lost focus momentarily, and he said, “Not bad, but you should work on raising the quality and learning to harvest crystals without a mana element. To answer your question, mana crystals power small Magitech devices, imbue weapons or objects with magical abilities, and are used in rituals. They are also a type of currency between magical classes, especially wizards, enchanters, magi-smiths, magi-architects, artificers, witches, and alchemists. The most valuable are the ones that do not have an aspect or an element. From the elemental ones, fire and ice are the most sought-after.”

“How much is such a crystal worth?”

“It depends. If you are selling to a supplier of magical crystals, maybe five to seven gold, but if you find somebody needing an earth mana crystal for something, it can be much more valuable and not always in money. It depends on who you are selling to and what they have to offer. I can tell you that my cabin has fire mana crystals for cooking, baking, and heating water, ice mana crystals in the cooler cupboard, and my temperature regulation system has both. As I said, fire and ice are the most sought-after.”

“Thanks. It’s so cool that you know so many things.”

He smiled and continued, “One more thing: if you are going to clear dungeons with a group, let them know you can harvest crystals. Usually, healers are very popular, but because they need protection and have a specific role, they get fewer benefits or are paid less. You can negotiate much better terms.”

“I’m not sure I want to clear dungeons. I like to travel and see things; I don’t feel like fighting.”

“You should save one class slot for a fighter class, and I strongly recommend clearing dungeons until you get a fighter class. Remember, not all worlds are low-mana worlds. You will need the skills of a fighting class if you want to visit high-mana or very high-mana worlds. You will not survive without such a class at a high level. They will crush you like an earthworm.”

“Do you have a fighting class?”

“Yes, I have the class Psionic Swordsman. I use psionic blasts, mental attacks, mind control, illusions, and, of course, a sword. My mana attribute is mind, so it was a natural progression.”

I felt uncomfortable with all the questions I was bombarding him, so I asked, “Does the number of questions I have bother you? Am I asking too many questions?”

He shook his head and said, “Not at all. It is also not one-sided; I learned a few interesting things from you. Do not feel uncomfortable; ask what you want to know.”

“Thanks. So, another question: our abilities list says that we get more abilities after level ten. Do you know which?”

“Yes. After level ten, we get a new ability every ten levels, but I cannot tell you what you will get. Not because I do not want to, but because I do not know. The standard class abilities we get at the start or can buy with points are the same, but from level ten and up, we usually receive a choice between two to three options, depending on our journey thus far, needs, or desires.”

“Can you give me an example?”

“Yes, I can give you a few. Travelers are usually secretive about their abilities, so I know only my father, my own, and another friend.

“My father has the Protector class and loves dungeons.” He leaned back comfortably in his chair, his posture exuding an air of authority. “He fights with a sword and shield, two swords, or two shields. But since he is a front-fighter, he got hurt and needed healing many times. He got the Regeneration ability at level ten, but I do not know what options he had on top of that. I do not know what he got after; I left when he was level 18,” he concluded, his fingers steepled.

“I am a researcher and a scholar,” he continued, leaning forward slightly with enthusiasm. “Those two things are very dear to me, and I even got both as a profession and a sub-class at some point, representing my path in life. So, at level ten, I had a choice between the Spell Absorb Knowledge, the ability Perfect Memory, or the trait Clarity. I chose Clarity. At level twenty, I again was offered the Spell Absorb Knowledge and the ability Perfect Memory, and I also was offered the ability Mind Index. I chose the Mind Index,” he explained, his eyes lighting up.

“The friend I told you about met a woman he fell in love with and stayed with her,” he said, smiling warmly at the memory. “He occasionally still ventured through the Gates for profit. At level ten, he got an option to take one person with him through the Gates, and he chose it; I do not know what the other option or options were. She did not become a Gate Traveler; she could only traverse the Gates with him while holding his hand. At level twenty, one of his options was to give his companion one of the Travelers’ abilities. He chose to give her access to the Spells and Skills list,” he recounted, his hands moving animatedly as he spoke.

“So, I do not know what you will get, but I can tell you that I heard about the trait Clarity when I was level four or five and wanted it ever since,” he concluded, resting back in his chair with a satisfied smile. “At level nine, I had a countdown in my head of how many Gates I had left, not until level ten, but until I would have a chance to get Clarity. And I did get it. My friend wanted to take his wife with him, and he got the option. So, I would say that the options offered would be based on your experiences or desires,” he finished, giving a reassuring nod.

“How many Gates do you need to reach level ten?”

“I am unsure about the total number from activation to level ten. It was a long time ago, and I do not remember all the numbers for each level, but from nine to ten, I needed forty-seven. That I remember.”

“That’s a lot!” I exclaimed, my eyes widening in surprise.

“Yes, and it gets worse. I am level 23. For my next level, I need 278 Gates.” Lis shook his head, a slight grimace on his face.

I whistled, impressed by the sheer number. That was a lot of Gates.

I suddenly remembered something I read and asked, “Did you visit the Dragon realm?”

“No, but I am actively searching for it,” Lis replied, his eyes gleaming with determination.

“How can you search for it? Or, more precisely, how can you know that a very-high mana gate you touch is to the dragon realm and not somewhere else?”

“All their worlds have a long and complicated name that ends with -ixious, so it will be something absurd like Berknomstimixious.” Lis gestured with his hands, emphasizing the complexity.

I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief. “Seriously?”

He nodded and said, “Yes, you can find it in the Archive.”

“I read in the Archive about other human races with tails, wings, horns, and the like. Did you see such races?” I asked, leaning in again, eager for details.

“Yes, quite a few. And no, I will not tell you about them. Remember, knowing all in advance ruins the sense of discovery and exploration,” Lis said, raising a finger in a mock-scolding manner.

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“Yeah … okay … I had to try.” I shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

He laughed and shook his head in amusement.

We sat there for a few minutes. I was trying to remember what else I wanted to know, and he was quietly chuckling to himself.

After a few minutes, he looked at me and asked, “You ran out of questions?”

“Yep, pretty much.”

“So now let me tell you two things you should know. The first is simple: look in the spell list and buy either Silence Bubble or Privacy Sphere. They are both good and cost the same, but I prefer Privacy Sphere because it does not create a total noticeable silence around you; it just makes it impossible to eavesdrop.”

“Why?”

“Imagine if we met in a tavern or some other public place. How could we have this conversation? Most Travelers have one of those spells, and I believe you can manage without it, but it is better to have one just in case.”

“Yeah, makes sense.” I opened the spells list, read both descriptions and agreed that Privacy Sphere sounded better.

Silence Bubble

Create a bubble of complete silence around you. Size and mana cost depends on the number of people you want to include in the bubble. You will not hear the outside noise, and the people outside the bubble will hear nothing from inside the bubble.

Privacy Sphere

Create a sphere of privacy around you. Size and mana cost depends on the number of people you want to include in the sphere. You will hear some of the surrounding noise, but people outside the sphere cannot hear what is being said inside.

Both cost one ability point, so I bought the Privacy Sphere.

“Thanks, I bought Privacy Sphere. You said two things?” I asked, tilting my head in curiosity.

“Yes, I did. The other one is a warning. You felt me when I came through the Gate, correct?” Lis leaned forward slightly, his expression serious.

I nodded, furrowing my brows.

“All Travelers can sense each other. When you sense a Traveler, please do not get excited about it immediately and rush to meet them. Stop and listen to what your Luck and Perception are telling you. If you feel the slightest warning, get out of there, fast,” he cautioned, holding up a finger for emphasis.

“Why?!” I asked, my eyes widening in alarm.

“You traveled only one world, so I do not know if this happened to you, but sometimes we must kill to protect ourselves or others-” Lis began, his voice dropping to a grave tone.

“Yes, unfortunately. I killed three people already. I did it in self-defense, and in one case, I didn’t have a choice, but I still feel bad about it,” I admitted, looking down and clenching my fists.

“Nurture this feeling, even if it makes it hard for you. Some Travelers lose this appreciation for human life and become dangerous predators. Now, this dangerous predator senses another Traveler and knows they have a big Storage of interesting and valuable things. I think you can imagine the rest?” Lis explained, his eyes darkening.

“They kill other Travelers for their stuff?!” It shocked me. I sat back, stunned.

“Yes. Always listen to your traits for warning signs.” Lis’s voice was firm and insistent.

I shuddered and nodded; I would do that, feeling a chill run down my spine.

“Did you think of more questions?”

“No, I think the well is dry.”

“Then let me explain why you should make Stretch your familiar, and I have an offer for you.” He looked around and asked, “Where is Stretch?”

“He went outside; I think he got bored of our conversation. I’ll call him,” I said, standing up.

I looked outside; Stretch was napping on a patio sofa on the porch. I scratched his ear and said, “Come inside, buddy; Lis will tell us about the familiar bond.”

He got up, stretched, yawned, and followed me inside, his tail wagging lazily.

“Get comfortable; it will take a while,” Lis said, and continued, “The most important part of the familiar bond will enable you to take Stretch through the Gates-”

“I carried him through the Gate,” I interrupted, sitting back down with Stretch at my feet.

“You were able to carry him through?” Lis asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes,” I confirmed, nodding.

“Impressive. It means you have a strong bond and are very compatible. Still, the bond will allow him to walk through the Gates with you without the need to carry him,” Lis explained, his fingers steepling as he leaned forward. “Also, it will speed up his progression and give him a new progression track on top. I will explain.”

“Mana beasts progress by eating other mana beasts and absorbing their mana.” He turned to Stretch. “Or in your case, Stretch, by being fed mana-rich meat by your human. You lucked there, my friend.”

He turned back to me. “Anyway, they progress with the help of the mana but do not get benefits from actually killing mana beasts; they only get the mana. They also kill monsters because monsters are aggressive towards everybody and everything, so they protect themselves and their territories but do not benefit from the act. When they eat mana-rich meat, their bodies get saturated, and at some point, when their bodies reach maximum saturation, they begin to form a power orb. In mana beasts, it is called a beast core, whose location depends on their inclination. Clever mana beasts, like foxes, snakes, some birds, and the like, form it in their head, instinct predators near their heart, and strong mammals like bovines and others like them behind their stomachs,” Lis continued, his hands moving animatedly to illustrate his points.

“The familiar bond hastens this process,” Lis added, pausing to make sure I was following. “The ritual is performed with full mana; you will be empty afterward, and Stretch will get more mana from the cosmos. He will get fully saturated and form the core, or in your case, three cores. The familiar always matched their human regarding core location, so he will also have a tri-mana system. Like you, he will also gain the ability to level up. Instead of having a class or profession, he will gain advancement from killing monsters. He will receive the same traits as you. And at every level, he will gain one point to each trait. When his intelligence rises, his communication will be more precise, not just feelings, and at some point, you will speak telepathically,” Lis explained, his voice filled with a mix of enthusiasm and seriousness.

“Another significant benefit is that you can buy him skills and spells from the list with ability points. They will cost more, but it is worth it. There is a standard familiar kit among Travelers with familiars that they work very hard to purchase. Invisibility so you can cross the Gates together while invisible. Stealth so you can send him scouting. Storage so he can have his food and water and bring you things he finds. Telekinesis so he can have more freedom to act. One of the Crowd so you can hide his appearance as needed and conjure identification if the need arises, and Mana Shield for protection. Initially, you will have to pay the mana cost of the One of the Crowd abilities until his mana rises, but he should have enough mana for the rest of the abilities.”

“And there is another major benefit. You might say that when you create a familiar bond, he becomes part of you, your soul. This manifests in three ways. One, you will always be able to feel each other, no matter how far apart, but not on the other side of a Gate. Two, if he gets killed, his spirit remains tethered to you, and you can perform a ritual to re-create his body. It is a complicated and costly ritual in materials and mana, but I am sure you will agree it is worth it,” Lis waited for my reaction.

I nodded, and he continued, “Three, his lifespan will match yours. There is a small downside to a familiar in this third point. If you get killed, he dies as well.”

He turned to Stretch again, “I think you will agree, Stretch, that the benefits outweigh the downside.”

Stretch nodded and wagged his tail.

“And now I have an offer for you, John. I will give you access to all the books you need to perform the ritual. I cannot help; you must do everything yourself or the ritual will fail, but I will give you all the knowledge you need to perform it. It is no small thing—magical knowledge is guarded jealously in every world I traveled. I will also give you access to my complete library—I have an extensive collection of magical knowledge—to study or copy; it is your choice. I will train you in sword fighting and even work with you to figure out how to teach spells so I can teach you all the spells I know.

“In exchange, I want you to return to your world with me, help me find work-stores-”

“Workshops.”

“Sorry, workshops, and help me collect ability points. Also, for over two hundred years, I have been saving a sub-class slot for the class Magicaneer. I know I have enough magical knowledge, but the Magical Engineers are even more secretive than regular magic guilds. Since I dislike tech words, I had a problem getting the knowledge, so I lack in that aspect. Please help me find engineering knowledge, and with your wizard class, help me apply it to magical engineering. Also, teach me some interesting healing spells. I have only the generic Minor Heal and would love something better.”

After thinking for a while, I said, “Your offer sounds amazing, but I’m not sure I want to return. I had a terrible life there, and you might say that I ran away the first chance I got. Also, with the time skip, they might think I’m dead, and if I resurrect suddenly, it will be suspicious. My country of origin knows about the Gates, and I don’t want to be arrested.”

He hummed and said, “About your identity, simply glamour yourself to look different and conjure identifications with a different name. I have a suggestion: Do not return as if you are returning to your home world. You have traveled to one world already and seen a different way of life. Use this perspective to go to your home world as a Traveler. I am sure your world has interesting things to offer that you have never explored, all the worlds do. Be a Traveler, not a resident. Also, there are a lot of Gates in your world; use them to raise your level. I also recommend getting more ability points; you will need them for you and Stretch. I will do the same. It is an amazing opportunity that you cannot let yourself squander.”

“Can I answer you tomorrow? It’s getting late, and I want to sleep on it,” I asked, glancing at the darkening sky.

“No rush,” he replied with a reassuring smile, leaning back in his chair. “You can even answer me in a week. Would you like to sleep in my home or your tent?”

“I think my tent,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “I need space to think. If I’ll stay in your home, I’ll feel obligated.”

“I understand,” he nodded, standing up and stretching. “So, let us meet for breakfast and continue our conversation. It does not have to be about my offer. I am sure you will wake up with more questions.”

I laughed and nodded; he was probably right.