Chương 3: Chapter 2: Mapping the New Reality

I opened my eyes, yawned, and stretched, enjoying the feeling. A pleasant warmth spread through every cell of my body. A full night's sleep had finally made me feel human again—and damn, I'd missed it. What a strange dream. It felt so real. All those sleepless nights had taken a heavy toll on me. I froze in surprise, realizing I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt this good. Guilt flooded me, choking my throat and reminding me why I hadn't felt this good in ages.

My hand moved automatically to rub the sore spot on my chest. I sat up to get out of bed and froze. Something was different. A sense of being whole for the first time, like a missing piece had clicked into place, bridging some long-broken gap I always carried. It felt like I'd swallowed sunlight, each cell alive with warmth. It wasn't a hum or a buzz, but a quiet current of life under my skin. I ran my fingers along my arm, almost expecting the feeling to vanish at my touch. But it didn't.

Energy thrummed under my skin, grounding me in reality and reassuring me I wasn't losing my mind. It wasn't a bizarre fever dream. It happened. Part of me resisted, ready to dismiss it as another mental trick, brought on by grief and insomnia. But the sensation was undeniable, buzzing beneath my skin, daring me to ignore it. I laughed in disbelief. My fingers tingled, and the energy pulsed beneath my skin.

Frowning, I sat up and stared at the empty air in front of me, half-expecting something to appear like it had yesterday. Nothing. I squinted, concentrating harder, trying to summon that strange red dot that appeared in the corner of my vision. Still nothing. I closed my eyes and willed it into existence. There was only black with a faint light outline when I turned my face toward the window. I ran a hand through my hair and grumbled to myself, embarrassed. Maybe it was all in my head after all.

A trick from a mind worn out by sleepless nights and grief. But after the last 24 hours, it was worth another try. I closed my eyes again, repeated the same mental "click" as before, and focused on the exact spot where the dot had been. Nothing. Determined, I mumbled, "Red dot," then, a little louder, "Gate Traveler." My field of vision stayed empty, as if nothing had changed in the last day. I rubbed my face in frustration. Clearly, I was missing something.

If the screen wouldn't reveal itself willingly, I'd have to find another way to reach it. I grabbed my phone, hoping to find answers online, and crossed my fingers as I pressed the power button. The screen flickered to life. Yesterday, it had been dead as a doornail, but now—somehow—it worked, though the battery was on its last fumes. I typed 'Gate Traveler' into Google, fingers tapping impatiently as the results loaded. A list of links appeared to a story called The Traveler's Gate Trilogy.

I followed the link and read the blurb. It had nothing to do with my experience. I sifted through the first page, the second, the third, and the fourth. Still, The Traveler's Gate Trilogy. Not exactly the earth-shattering revelation I was hoping for. Oh well, keep looking. Page after page—from garage doors to an electronic music piece on Spotify—each link grew more absurd and irrelevant than the last. I clicked, scrolled, and sighed as 'Gate Traveler' yielded nothing but dead ends.

I clenched my teeth in frustration.

"Come on," I said, gripping the phone.

"You're Google. You're supposed to know everything! I mean, you're the almighty algorithm, right? Gate Traveler, other worlds… Come on, throw me a bone here." The screen stared back blankly, full of the same useless pages of noise and nonsense when I needed actual answers. I rubbed a hand over my face, even more frustrated. So many pages, and not one of them had what I needed. Just a tangled mess of automated gates, vacation sales, and novelty shirts.

"Useless algorithm," I informed it. I typed "Gate to Another World" into the search bar, hit enter, and watched as the results populated the screen. Pages and pages of links to Goodreads and other sites with novels on the topic. I wasted half a day reading blurbs, hoping one of them would have some connection. But every book was pure fiction, lacking any hints or factual information. Just more and more stories that didn't have any similarities to my experience.

I kept digging and skimmed through dozens of pages until references to old legends populated the screen. I clicked on every link and read stories about ancient portals, elven worlds, Asgard, and mythical realms, searching for anything relevant. All these stories were far removed from my experience and offered no answers. Endless dead ends. What now? My mind spun with thoughts, and my stomach growled, reminding me I needed fuel to figure this out.

During dinner, I remembered I got a Class, and there was a mention of Level One and points. Worth a try. Back at the hotel, I pulled out my phone, typed 'Class level one' into the search bar, and hit Enter. The screen filled with numerous links to learning institutions, each listing the classes they offered, and, strangely enough, gaming forums. I hesitated, staring at the wall of links to gamer discussions. Games? Really? I shrugged. Games it is. God, my life is weird.

The forums were a linguistic maze worse than the Labyrinth of the Minotaur.

'Tank,' 'DPS,' 'buffs,' and 'nerfs' were stacked like code words in every other sentence with no explanation. Each term sent me back to Google for a definition, and every answer only confused me more. I had to learn a new language that only pretended to be English. Ten minutes in, I sported a killer headache. There were lengthy discussions about 'party builds' and 'wipe outs', but none of them had any similarity to my experience. Another dead end.

A few pages in, I came across something new: books in a genre called LitRPG. I'd never even heard of it. Curious, I pulled up Wikipedia to see if there was anything that might align with my experience. And there it was: mentions of Class levels and stat points for character attributes. Ridiculous as it seemed, it was gratifying to find even a vague parallel. Maybe there's a grain of truth in fiction after all. I shook my head at the notion. A part of me was embarrassed to explore this idea.

Previously, my life centered on work and marriage, with a limited amount of time allocated for hobbies. And yet, here I was, with my eyes glued to the screen, and a mix of excitement and disbelief dancing in my stomach. Finally, I found something that matched my experience. I sat back, fingers still hovering over the screen, as some of it sank in a bit more. Part of me wanted to laugh; another part wanted to curl up, pull a blanket over my head like I had as a kid, and pretend none of this had happened.

Gate Traveler. Level 1. This was my reality now: a strange, new reality represented by a title and a number. I scrolled down the Wiki page and reached the Examples section. It listed eight book series. Rather than chase more random Google results, I paused. Maybe these books held something valuable after all. I read somewhere that Jules Verne predicted aspects of our present life and technology, or something similar. So, maybe fiction was the answer. I closed the app and stared at the ceiling, deep in thought.

Welcome to your new reality, John. Switching to Amazon, I found the listed book and read the blurbs. Sadly, it was a false lead. From tower climbing to dungeon crawling, whatever that was, and cultivation, another mystery entirely. Sure, they all sounded like fun reads, but I was here for answers, damn it! Hmm, I need a different approach. I typed a more general 'Classes and levels' into Google, and the screen filled with results, mostly forums and discussion groups.

Skimming past the endless gaming threads, I focused on the book forums instead. Maybe they would be a little easier to follow? When I clicked into a discussion, I found the posts filled with acronyms and jargon that also sounded like code. The gaming forums had a lot to learn from the book guys. They blew the gamers out of the water with an even stranger language. Every other word was a mystery, forcing me to stop and Google acronyms or terms to make sense of a single sentence.

After five minutes of this back-and-forth, my patience wore thin. I was searching for answers, not for a new language. With a sigh, I shook my head and left the forums, heading back to the search bar, still determined to find something that didn't require a translator. I was way too much of a "noob" for this. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Hey, look at me—I'm using the correct jargon! I scrolled down for a while, reading the descriptions.

Oh, that looks interesting. I found a book that mentioned Earth connecting to the rest of the universe, with classes and levels, and the MC was even named John. Felt almost like fate. I bought it and got reading. At the beginning of the book, the MC got a spirit helper. I wish I had a spirit helper, an AI, or something to help me navigate this strange situation. Even old-school Word's Clippy would be nice. Anything that can guide me through this madness would be greatly appreciated. I snorted.

Wouldn't that be something? A cheerful virtual assistant popping up in this bizarre setup. Suddenly, I KNEW it was impossible. A chill ran through me, shocking me into stillness. I didn't guess or assume. I KNEW. The certainty sat there, solid as a mountain, like it had always been a part of me. I hadn't figured it out through logic or reason. It was more like a memory surfacing, fully formed, but without the haze that sometimes accompanies memories.

I took a breath and let the strange knowledge settle in, trying to make sense of it. Where did this certainty come from? The only explanation that made sense was the Gate Traveler Class. Somehow, it downloaded knowledge into my brain. The overfull balloon feeling? It was extremely alarming, to put it mildly. Can it control my mind? The realization that now I knew stuff but didn't understand anything was bizarre and quite disturbing. Truth be told, it was downright scary.

Rubbing my face, I thought, That's how split personality disorder starts. After considering it for a while, I set it aside. I couldn't change it or do anything about it, so why bother driving myself crazy? I had a book to read in search of answers. The next thing I discovered was the "Status Screen."

"Status Screen," I said. Nothing. I frowned, trying again, a little louder.

"Status Screen." Still nothing. That was annoying.

"Come on, there has to be a way to access it. There was a mention of free points and traits, so it has to exist, right?" Still no answer. Determined, I went back to my phone and scanned Google results and forums. Eventually, I found a few other names that might work.

"Profile," I tried, tapping my fingers impatiently. Nothing.

"Character Sheet." I released a slow, frustrated breath as I stared at the empty air. Still nothing.

"Alright, next up…

'My Status.'" Silence.

"My Stats?" I said, feeling ridiculous.

"My Profile … My Character Sheet." Each attempt fell flat. I even tried every option with "John's…" at the start, becoming more irritated by the second. I threw my hands up.

"How the hell am I supposed to figure out my personal information?" Text scrolled into view, appearing out of nowhere. I froze, staring at the screen in disbelief as it blinked into existence before my eyes.

PERSONAL INFORMATION Name: John Rue Age: 37 Class: Gate Traveler Level 1 Gates to the next level: 0/3 Class Abilities: Conversion Travelers' Archive Identify Health: 1, 550/1, 550 Mana: 3, 000/3, 000 Strength: 17 Agility: 15 Constitution: 10 Vitality: 21 Intelligence: 15 Wisdom: 10 Perception: 8 Free Points: 5 Ability Points: 1 And there it was—my Profile. Hanging in the air, white on gray, every line of text clear, as if somebody had typed it into reality. I blinked, half-expecting it to vanish, but it didn't.

I read each line slowly, allowing it all to sink in. My name, my age, and the Class "Gate Traveler." Abilities like "Conversion" and "Travelers' Archive," and these weird numbers next to "Mana" and "Strength." Each line was like a piece of some bizarre puzzle I'd stumbled into, making everything feel more real by the second, but also wilder and stranger. A hysterical laugh bubbled up, equal parts dread and amazement. Sure, I'd expected to find something, but this… this wasn't some made-up fantasy.

This was me, laid out in numbers, like I was a character in some game I read about in the forums. My stomach flipped, excitement and pure terror mingling with disbelief and a powerful urge to run away. This was real. A big part of me wanted to look away, shut it all out, and pretend it never happened. Something deeper kept me glued to the text box. I exhaled, both lighter and heavier, realizing this was my life now, mapped out in numbers, abilities, and a new reality I couldn't ignore.

The energy thrumming inside me suddenly made sense. A missing piece of information clicked into place. Mana. I had mana. The thought took a minute to sink in, and even then, I had to process it, one piece at a time. All my life, I'd tackled things logically, analyzing everything. I'd never even bothered with fantasy stories. No Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. None of it. But here I was, sitting in a hotel room, looking at a screen that told me I had mana.

I let the word echo in my head, rolling it around like a foreign flavor. Mana. For a second, I almost laughed. A grown man staring at a screen with "Mana" spelled out as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. But it was real, every word on that screen clear as day, staring back at me and challenging me to ignore it. Me! I thought, astonished and full of awe. Mana! I shook my head. Sometimes, life is so strange. For now, I scrolled past the Abilities section.

They would take a while to figure out, so I started with something that seemed easier at first glance and zeroed in on my stats. Some of it made sense, but other parts… I scratched my head, trying to make heads or tails of it. Strength and Agility, I understood. Those I got. Although I was the smallest physically by far as a kid, I'd always been the strongest and fastest, enough that the other kids kept their distance and gave me fearful looks. Intelligence? That one also made sense. I'd breezed through school.

But the rest? A Complete puzzle. My Constitution was a ten, but it didn't match my physique. I was of average height, lean except for a slight belly pooch, and not exceptionally robust. Even when I worked out at a gym during my college days, my muscles refused to grow. And Vitality? That threw me off completely. Vital? Me? I'd never felt bursting with energy. If anything, I just wanted to be left alone with a book. Wisdom didn't add up either.

I excelled in the classroom and memorizing information, but was lost in the real world. Reading people was a nightmare. Social cues flew over my head half the time, and adapting to change wasn't my strong suit. So, how the hell did that translate to "Wisdom?" And Perception? Well, that one confused me the most. I could see and hear just fine and didn't need reading glasses like many of my peers. So, why was it my lowest stat? Did this system measure depth perception? Eagle-eyed vision? Sonar hearing? What?

I set aside my confusion and kept reading the book, hoping it would clarify everything. However, as the story progressed, it became increasingly difficult to read. The protagonist had to fight increasingly powerful monsters, and this prospect filled me with dread. Fighting monsters? That was the last thing I wanted! I frowned, fingers drumming nervously on the screen.

This "Gate Traveler" thing—if I ever decide to do something with it—sounded like exploring a different world, meeting people, and visiting new places, not slogging through dangerous battles with terrifying creatures. Even reading about it made me shudder. The idea of fighting monsters had me second-guessing even the slightest consideration of this whole… journey. I was involved in a few scuffles during my childhood and teenage years, but fighting monsters was a different ballgame altogether.

Can I handle something like this? I dropped the book and went in search of a different one. I needed something less scary and more encouraging. Another lengthy and frustrating search on Google and the forums yielded a new series. This one appealed to me more: two MCs teleported to a world with ten different planets, where they unlocked stats, levels, and skills by doing things, not just fighting monsters. That felt right. Somehow, again, I KNEW this was how things would work for me, too. It was a strange certainty.

Another one of those flashes of knowledge I hadn't precisely learned but just… knew. If that wasn't tied to the Gate Traveler Class, I didn't know what was. One chapter described looking inside yourself to examine the mana system. Ridiculous? Maybe. But it was worth a shot. I focused on different parts of my body, half-expecting to see something. Nothing. I was getting used to this repeating theme of nothing happening as it should, or as described.

Not giving up, I closed my eyes again, this time zeroing in on the places that burned when I crossed the Gate. Initially, there was nothing, but I didn't give up. It took a while. But then, there it was, hazy but unmistakable, a mental image forming like an afterimage behind my eyelids. It wasn't seeing in the usual sense of the word, more like mental sight mixed with physical sensations. But I did see color, shapes, and motion. My mana system looked different from the book's description.

Instead of the lines and gates it described, I had three golden orbs, each swirling with energy streaks. One in my head, another behind my diaphragm, and the last at my navel, glowing like miniature suns suspended in the dark. Lines branched out from the orb in my head to my eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. From the diaphragm orb, they traveled down my arms to each finger. From the navel orb, the lines extended down my legs to each toe.

A wide line down my spine connected the three orbs, forming an intricate internal network. Streaks of energy swirled within the orbs, and with each complete rotation, they sent energy outward through the lines, infusing my body with warmth and a faint hum, then pulling it back into the orbs. It had a rhythm similar to the circulatory system, but with distinct differences in how the energy moved and gathered. My fingers itched to reach out and touch the energy, to feel its motion, but I knew it was impossible.

How could you touch something so internal? Mesmerized, I stared and followed the energy for a long time. Something inside me softened; a distant ache quieted. The sight of those orbs calmed something raw and smoothed the edges. Grief eased its grip, leaving me oddly at peace. This new, humming presence filled the emptiness I'd carried. It was surreal. Peace settled over me as never before. As the shock faded, I felt lighter, as though the energy had smoothed the edges of my existence.

At that point, I stopped reading. The book was fun as an escape into the fantasy world, but I had found what I needed. Anything more would be fiction while I was dealing with reality.