I sit down and open my suitcase. Within it lies my prized possession, my notebook within which I have compiled the notes of Elizabeth Markus. I’ve memorized the route she spoke of; yet, I still reread the words once more.

“With the abolishment of teleportation research and my life’s work dismissed as too dangerous, I have decided to continue my work in the mountains. For any future readers, you can be considered my spiritual successors. Feel free to come find me and my new base of operations in the mountains. Walk three hours along the main path. Once there, you will find a marker I set up. If you are worthy, you will be able to use this marker to connect to another marker I have set up in my base. Use it to teleport here.”

I sit down and concentrate on my surroundings. I feel the ambient mana in the air. I slightly frown as everything seems perfectly normal. Several hours pass by with no change. Outside of meals, I only pause once to set up a detection array to warn me in advance if anything or anyone approaches. Soon, evening arrives, and I am forced to pitch my tent. All of my possessions are high quality, yet I am afraid they will never compare to the comfort of my own room. I close my eyes hoping for better fortune tomorrow.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Three days pass. I am quite fortunate that I have not been attacked. Despite being on the path, the area is quite dangerous. It would not be uncommon for a ferocious monster to pass through the area. On the other hand, am quite unfortunate that nothing I try works. I sense the ambient mana in the air, in the ground, in the mountains. I home in on a specific piece of dirt. I divide my attention taking in everything I can. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

My food stores are running low. Rather than get myself killed hunting for food out here, I will teleport home to resupply. I pack up my tent and hide a teleportation marker in a tall shrub nearby so I can return here later. Then, I focus my mind on my marker near Corlon. I figure in Corlon, people will be less likely to recognize me.

Unfortunately, I can’t sense my marker there at all. I have never tried to teleport over such a vast distance. Perhaps the distance is just too great. Having anticipated this outcome, I begin sensing my marker near Carlen. Gathering all of my internal mana and reaching my mind outward, I am just barely able to sense the call of the marker I set up. Deciding it would be too dangerous to attempt such a long range teleportation spell, I stop and let the mana disperse back into equilibrium within my body.

I can’t help but think Markus really was a genius. She was able to teleport from Corlon to Carlen, yet I can’t make it even a fraction of the distance. Despite having left the safety of the northern walls, I am only a few days journey from Carlen after all.