TravelingDreamer

B5—Chapter 48: An Unexpected Negotiation

On the way to our building, I checked my Storage and came to a halt. After unloading over a dozen tons of food for the settlement, I’d freed up some space—but the humongous calamari filled it right back up.

The tree-swinging octopuses we encountered during the mana occurrence had already taught me I couldn’t loot them. Unfortunately, my looting spells only covered herbivores, snakes, crops, predators, and bugs. Squids were none of the above. During the occurrence, I ...

B5—Chapter 47: A Club to the Head and a Step Forward

Lady Almatai had taken a big step in releasing her emotions, but I figured I could give her another push in that direction. The first time I broke down flashed through my mind—back on Earth, before I even started my journey. I remembered the way mana surged from my diaphragm, amplifying the catharsis, forcing it to the surface like steam bursting from a fissure. This was the perfect opportunity to guide her toward the same release.

But this time, I approached it differently.

The...

B5—Chapter 46: The Weight of the Past

The next day, after treating new patients and regrowing three fingers, I continued working with Rima. She was getting the hang of controlling her mana flow, which was great, but she still couldn’t open up to me, which wasn’t. I caught glimpses of her—her pain over losing her husband, her excitement about becoming a healer—but nothing more. Because of that, I could only take partial control of her mana, not enough to direct it into the pattern of the spell. Even with the slower flow, s...

B5—Chapter 45: The Art of War (Against River Squid)

By the time I reached my so-called clinic, a small crowd had gathered outside—seven people, standing in loose clusters, shifting their weight or chatting idly. A quick glance found no blood, no frantic shouting, and no one being carried in. Nothing urgent. Good. I spotted the slips of paper in their hands, each marked with a number. Even better. Rima had already done triage and sorted them out.

The midday sun pressed down, heat baking into the packed dirt of the street. I exhaled, rol...

B5—Chapter 44: Chemical Warfare & Tough Decisions

When Al came down for breakfast, I almost choked. The moment he stepped into the living room, a wave of suffocating foul smell engulfed me. Thick and pungent, it reeked of patchouli, camphor, cloves, eucalyptus, and a cocktail of other unholy fumes I couldn’t even name. The stench punched the air like a physical force, coating the back of my throat. My eyes burned and watered instantly, and I hacked out a cough, trying to breathe through my sleeve.

Poor Rue jerked back like he’d jus...

B5—Chapter 43: Battle Plan

After dinner, we settled around the table, an open notebook between us, ready to figure out the best way to help. Mahya leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, her expression sharp with determination. She raised a hand and started ticking off the conditions on her fingers.

“Nothing that will take years to accomplish,” she started, voice firm. “I’m not giving them any cores, and I’m definitely not teaching kids like Al.” She shot him a look. “I don’t have the pat...

B5—Chapter 42: Decision Made

It took two days, but finally, in the early evening of the second, Rima burst into my treatment room, practically vibrating with energy and bouncing on her feet. “I learned! I know how to channel mana!” Her face stretched into a grin so wide it looked like it might split her face in two.

I split my mind one more time, keeping the healing going as I glanced at her. “Good job. Go rest, and tomorrow, we’ll start working on spells.”

Mahya joined us in my treatment room and l...

B5—Chapter 41: Why Did I Think Teaching Mana Would Be Easy?

For the last two days, I didn't close up the house—Al was holed up in his lab, working on potions. I stood outside, waiting for Mahya and Rue to join. Only Rue trotted up to me.

I glanced at him. “Where’s Mahya, buddy?”

Rue's ears twitched. "Mahya stay home."

I gave him a quick scratch behind the ears. “Alright then. Let’s go.”

Rima waited for me outside, practically vibrating with excitement. Her eyes sparkled, a wide grin stretched across her f...

B5—Chapter 40: My First Apprentice

Al waited for me by the gate, the two ducklings that followed him everywhere lingering beside him. The boy and girl—both around fourteen or fifteen, with olive skin and black hair—stood close together, their expressions always a mix of curiosity and determination. The moment they saw me, they waved and waddled off.

"Why don't you want to teach them alchemy?" I asked, stopping next to him.

His expression darkened. "I do not want anybody taking advantage of them."

"Why do ...

Update

Hey everyone,

For some unknown reason, my son decided to climb a tree during lunch break at school… and then jump down.

The result? I got an urgent call from the school and spent the last five hours in the ER.

Thankfully, nothing's broken—just a sprained ankle. We're now waiting for the discharge papers so we can head home.

I won’t be able to write a chapter today. After hours in the ER, I’m exhausted and a nervous wreck.

I’ll make it up to you during t...

B5—Chapter 39: Seeds of Trust

The next day, I mostly handled E.R. cases again, though a few “regular” sick patients showed up—primarily children, with only two adults among them. What caught my attention was that those two adults didn’t have a class. I never got sick as a kid, so I hadn’t noticed any changes in my health since discovering the Gate. But now that I thought about it, Al and Mahya never got sick either. When dungeons caught us off guard, we took our fair share of injuries, but illness? Never. I want...

B5—Chapter 38: Lending a Heal

Toman led us to meet with the settlement leader. Along the way, we drew plenty of attention—some glances were merely curious, others sharp with suspicion. A few held outright hostility, eyes narrowed, and lips curled.

At the gate of the outermost palisade, the guards stepped in to block our way, hands resting near their weapons. Their expressions made it clear they had no intention of letting us through. Toman didn’t argue. He leaned in, speaking to them quietly. A tense moment pass...

B5—Chapter 37: Signs of Something Better

We reached the next city marked on the Map, and its uniqueness became clearer as we drifted closer. This one was much smaller than the other cities we had passed before. Those other cities seemed to hold tens of thousands—perhaps even a hundred thousand people each. This city, however, looked like it might house around ten or twenty thousand tops.

The walls—or rather, the lack of the towering, fortified stone walls we had grown used to—were the next noticeable difference. Instead ...

B5—Chapter 36: Fields of Plenty, Hoarders Anonymous

Mahya stared at the core, her expression distant and contemplative. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and I could almost see the gears turning in her head. Suspecting her hesitation, I broke the silence. “We should leave this dungeon alone. When this world finally pulls its head out of its ass, this dungeon will be worth a lot.”

She let out a long sigh, her shoulders slumping as she nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

On the way down, Al turn...

B5—Chapter 35: Dungeon Illogic

The next Gate was a considerable distance away, with a few cities scattered along the route. Thankfully, my method with the wind continued to work. I had to nudge her every few hours, which was a bit of a hassle, but given her flighty nature, I couldn't exactly complain. Mahya, Al, and Rue cleared two more dungeons along the way using this method. For one dungeon, Mahya found a suitable landing spot. The second one was trickier—the forest was dense, with no gaps in the canopy. Eventually, w...

B5—Chapter 34: A Dead World

When we returned to Zindor, it was still cold, but the sky was a clear blue with occasional fluffy white clouds. Checking the Map, the forest stretched endlessly in every direction. We trudged through the sea of green for a few hours, but after being attacked twice by those annoying flying snakes and once by an animal that looked like a donkey—ears and all—only with massive claws and predatory teeth, we’d had enough. That thing was one nasty bugger, braying as it lunged at us. Weird shi...

B5—Chapter 33: Another Winter, Another Lake

On the way to the Gate, we revisited the hot springs, indulging in a few more days of quiet relaxation. Thankfully, there were no splashing and screaming teenagers to ruin the peace this time. After that, a quick hop brought us back to the Gate, bypassing Hobbiton entirely.

Before crossing, I hesitated, glancing at the others. “Do we want to write a World Info?”

Al raised an eyebrow, pausing mid-step. “Do you have something valuable to impart?”

“Maybe warn about th...

B5—Chapter 32: The Philosophy of Faith

In the morning, Rue said goodbye to his three adoring fans, tail wagging as they patted and hugged him. I thanked the family for the entertainment, and they returned the favor by thanking me for Rue’s babysitting services. With all the pleasantries exchanged, we moved on to the new place Al had found. He was right—it was a clear upgrade.

Our previous inn had been nice enough. The room was spacious, the bed comfortable, and, most importantly, the bathroom didn’t have the sour smell...

B5—Chapter 31: An Educational Experience

I visited the other warehouses, stocked up on dairy products, and even found a place to sell some of the food from my Storage. Before leaving Earth, I had stocked up on a large amount of food. During our travels, I discovered mana-rich replacements for much of it, so I was always on the lookout for places to sell the “anemic” food. While I had sold some in the cultivators’ world, I still had a substantial supply to unload.

Mahya was back at the inn, and the moment she saw me, she ...

B5—Chapter 30: Flavors Across the Multiverse

I came down the stairs with Rue padding beside me, his nails clicking softly against the wooden steps. The moment we reached the bottom, three kids leaped up from their seats, shouting in unison, “Rue!” Their voices rang out with an excitement only kids could muster at this hour.

Of course, Rue shot past me like a bullet, tail wagging furiously, deserting me without so much as a backward glance. He headed straight for his adoring fan club. This time, the kids were sitting with two m...

B5—Chapter 29: Like Bees to Honey

Breakfast consisted of odd patties made from cooked grain, fried with bits of sausage. Not exactly inedible, but far from great. I picked at it half-heartedly, more interested in watching Rue charm his way into a family of five. The three kids, sneaky little masterminds, fed him half their breakfast under the table—and somehow pulled it off without their parents catching on. Go kids!

Al was a no-show—bloodhound indeed.

Mahya poked at her plate with a fork, her face sc...

Oléravai Isanouéa

B5—Chapter 28: They Need Signs

The next planned stop was a city marked on the Map. It was further away, so we used the balloon—none of us wanted to spend a few days riding. There were a lot of towns spread along the road, but that was the closest city, at least judging by the markers.

When we rose in the balloon, I wanted to ask the wind for a boost and facepalmed. I didn’t make nice with it. I shrugged and thought, worth a try. To my astonishment, it worked! I didn’t need to negotiate, cajole, convinc...

B5—Chapter 27: The Best Thing About Low-Mana

Mahya went out to do something or other, and the three of us stayed at the inn. Rue snoozed near the fire, and I enjoyed a cup of local tea.

Al stood by the window, his fingers tapping lightly against the glass. The tension in his jaw softened as he glanced my way, his voice barely above a whisper. "I owe you an apology."

That got my attention. “Oh?”

He shifted his weight. “About the girl.”

I raised a brow, keeping my face neutral. “Go on.”

He looked ...

Hobbiton

The Inn

B5—Chapter 26: Oh, Um, Oops?

We sat on the crumbling stone steps of the old coliseum, looking over the lake.

“Should we travel this world or move to the next Gate?” Al asked, eyeing the distant trees.

I tilted my head back and looked at the sky. “We wanted a nice calm world as a vacation.”

Mahya stretched her legs out, crossing her ankles. She gathered her braids into a bun and let out a sigh. “Yeah, but this one is low mana,” she said, wrinkling her nose as if the very thought was disgustin...

B5—Chapter 25: A New Awareness

The trip to the next Gate was more adventurous than the previous ones. We got attacked three times during our nightly stops—once by a pack of roaming dogs unique to this world and twice by flying snakes. I took it as a chance to practice my reduced-mana lightning, but it didn’t go perfectly. My situational awareness took a nosedive if I focused too much on tightening the lightning arcs. Not completely gone, but noticeably dulled.

The result? Two painful snake bites.

After that...

B5—Chapter 24: Between Battles, Lightning and Leisure

It took Rue a few hours, but he eventually mastered the art of water walking. After darting back and forth across the lake a few times, he strolled over to me and declared, “Water magic boring,” before wandering off toward the charred side of the lake.

Al pulled out his E-foil and said, “I am heading to my lab. Thank you for the boat and the company.”

With enough fish to last us a week—not to mention the absurd amount we collected during the occurrence—I ...

For Angela

B5—Chapter 23: Elements, Cores, and a Soggy Dog

The dungeoneers returned to the city, while I stayed behind, working with the elements. My first step was to check my power orbs. The body orb had grown to match the size of the others, but the energy inside remained wispy, lacking the dense, vapor-like quality they had. It was clear the 1,300 mana increase came from the body orb, but I had no idea how to make the mana denser.

All the small channels in my body were now connected. The mist channels, which had been "flapping in the wind,"...