Chương 491: B7—Chapter 67: Even Slackers Get Motivated, Sometimes

Mahya did not like the new skill we received from the dungeon. The first clue was the string of words that followed, delivered in several languages, all of them heated. Some were familiar. There was pissbucket in Quassiorian, g yongyszal in Tatobian, which loosely translated to a person who farts from their mouth, and meihara lianzu a qorren in Lishuanian, meaning something like an incompetent fighter so clumsy they keep hitting themselves in the head until they become brain-damaged.

Then there was aeolai in Liliatian, which meant a person so ugly they couldn't get laid even if they paid for it. A few English curses were mixed in for emphasis. Taken together, it was an impressive performance and a reminder that I apparently knew quite a lot of languages. The second clue came when she tried to tear up the scroll, and Al stopped her.

"Why'd you stop me?" she snapped.

"Nobody is going to buy this shit."

"I disagree," he said in a calm tone.

"Yes, the skill seems useless to us, given our size. But consider the size of gnomes, and of the various bugs we encountered on our travels." She froze halfway through a kick aimed at the wall, then slowly relaxed, her expression turning thoughtful.

"You have a point there." With the issue settled, I clicked on the red light that surprised me earlier. The spell Clean has reached its maximum level [25]. You can choose a new spell to level: Healing Sphere Healing Dart Stabilize It was about time. At first, it seemed obvious that Clean would be the first spell to hit level 25. It was the one I used every day, often more than once, for years on end. Instead, it dragged its feet, taking so long that it irritated me on more than one occasion.

When the list of spells on offer appeared, there was hardly any question. Even without reading the descriptions, only one choice made sense. In the past, Healing Sphere or Healing Dart might have been tempting. Back then, ranged healing felt like an upgrade. Now, with the Ranged ability I gained at level 20, those spells felt redundant. Not useless exactly, just unnecessary.

My toolkit had grown past the point where ranged or group healing options really mattered, and what remained was the one spell that filled a gap nothing else quite covered. STABILIZE A critical support spell designed to prevent a target's condition from worsening during severe injury or trauma. Stabilize reinforces vital bodily functions, suppresses shock responses, and halts cascading failures caused by blood loss, organ stress, or overwhelming damage.

While it does not heal wounds or repair tissue, it creates a stable state that allows other healing spells to be applied safely and effectively. Stabilize is most often used in emergencies, buying precious time when a patient is at risk of rapid deterioration. The spell's duration improves slightly with each level. By the time I finished with the new spell, the rest of the gang was standing there, watching me.

"What?" I asked. Mahya waved a hand around the dungeon.

"Going to absorb this?" I nodded, took out my core, and it had a lovely meal. The dungeon spat us out, and it was snowing again. I pumped my fist.

"Yes!" They all stared at me as if I had finally lost my mind.

"Don't look at me like that," I said.

"I have a surprise for you. We just need to let the snow pile up a bit more." They immediately tried to pry it out of me. Mahya pushed, Rue stared expectantly, and even Al joined in, but I held firm and resisted the pressure. Once I opened the house, Mahya marched straight over and dropped a box in front of me with a dull thud, then handed me the big core I had merged earlier. I looked at her, uncomprehending.

"Can you add those to the main core?" she asked, nudging the box closer with two fingers. The box was full of cores.

"I thought you wanted to save them?" I asked, glancing from the box up to her.

"I did," she said, folding her arms.

"But while you were busy with the Guidance, I told my core to absorb the dungeon, and it couldn't." She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"It's not big enough. We can get more cores later, but for now I want my core to grow like yours, by absorbing dungeons." I gave a small shrug.

"Sure. No problem." The snow continued for three days straight. During that time, I merged cores and, while regenerating, browsed through books on parchment I hadn't learned yet because they contained only a few runes. Sadly, I still didn't find any propulsion runes, nor did I get a bright idea on how to create a magic script puzzle to achieve the same effect. Finally, on the evening of the third day, the snow stopped.

The following day, bright and early after breakfast, I led the gang to the first hill I'd picked as a beginner's slope and presented the new toboggans with an overly dramatic flourish. Al picked his up, turned it over once, then looked at me with a curious frown.

"What does it do?" Mahya tilted her head, then her face lit up.

"Oh. I saw those in a movie." She glanced between the hill and the sled.

"You slide on snow with them, right?" I nodded and gave them the short version of the runes: left, right, friction, and how not to panic and overcorrect. Rue had already claimed one and was pawing at it impatiently, tail wagging so hard his whole body wiggled.

"Sit," I told him. He sat. For about half a second. We flew up and stood at the very top of the gentle hill. Snow crunched under our boots, the sky was clear for once, and the air had that sharp, cold bite that made everything feel louder and brighter. In short, a perfect day to play in the snow. We lined up side by side and sat down on the sleds.

"Ready?" Mahya asked. Rue barked and shoved off before anyone answered. He shot down the hill like he'd been waiting his entire life for this exact moment. Snow sprayed behind him, his ears flattened back, and he leaned into the sled instinctively, shifting his weight like he'd done this a thousand times already. Mahya laughed so hard she almost tipped sideways and kicked off after him. Al followed smoothly, posture relaxed. I pushed off last and watched them go, smiling.

At the bottom, Rue skidded to a stop in a flurry of snow, spun in a tight circle, stored the sled, and flew back uphill, clearly under the impression that we were doing this again immediately. We did. A lot. Once everyone got comfortable sitting, Al started experimenting. Halfway down one run, he shifted his feet beneath him and stood up, knees bent like on a surfboard, balance settling in instantly. Mahya saw him do it and immediately narrowed her eyes.

"Oh no, you don't," she shouted. On the next run, she stood up too, wobbling for half a second before finding her balance. They started zigzagging down the hill, steering the sleds by shifting their weight instead of using the runes, carving wide S-shaped tracks through the snow. Rue chased after them, darting back and forth, demonstrating his belief that faster was always better. He leaned into every turn, claws biting into the snow just enough to keep control, sending powder spraying in every direction.

Very quickly, it escalated to figure eights. Wide at first, then tighter, with a lot of laughter, shouting, calling out near misses, and mock insults when someone cut too close.

"Cheater," Mahya called as Al slid past her.

"I am merely efficient," Al replied, smoothly tightening his turn and gliding away with infuriating ease. Sometimes I hated the athletic bastard. And no, that wasn't jealousy talking. Okay, maybe a little. Rue slid past both of them, then doubled back and skidded to a stop, panting happily. I shook my head and pushed off more slowly, taking my time, letting the sled glide in a relaxed curve down the hill. Watching them was fun.

They really did look like kids who'd been handed something new and were determined to squeeze every bit of joy out of it. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Once the hill stopped being enough, we moved on to the next slope. Then another. Each one steeper than the last. By mid-afternoon, we were launching from higher and higher points, sliding longer runs, then flying back up again, breathless and grinning.

Toward evening, Al looked up at the tallest mountain slope between the trees. Mahya grinned.

"Race?" Al glanced at the slope, then smiled faintly.

"Very well." The run was narrow, winding between trees and some sticking boulders. We spaced out at the top, counted down, and went. Branches blurred past me at a dizzying speed, laughter reached through the trees, and every turn came sharper and faster than the last. Rue vanished ahead of us almost immediately, a streak of motion weaving through the gaps without slowing down.

Mahya and Al shouted challenges back and forth, pushing their lines tighter, daring each other to cut closer to trees and take sharper angles. I followed at a steadier pace, grinning. By the time we reached the bottom, the light was fading, and the cold was creeping in. We stood there for a while, laughing and breathing hard, Rue bouncing in place like he had springs instead of legs. I looked at them, then up at the slope we'd just conquered, and smiled with pride.

Absolutely worth it, even without magical propulsion. I also got a face bath from Rue, a hug from Mahya, and a back slap from Al. Yeah, my creations were a hit. The next day, they went out to play with the sleds again, but I returned to the library. Yes, I was a slacker. I even admitted to myself that I was a slacker. But when I had an unsolved issue, it drove me crazy, and I had to crack it.

For a moment, I considered making up more and more complex puzzles with various uses just to push myself harder, but I immediately made a face and threw that idea as far away as possible. Yes, work and progress were all fine and dandy, but the best part about being a Traveler was the traveling. I had no intention of drowning in work instead of enjoying the worlds. Of course, after I solved the propulsion issue.

For two days, I went through every book that might even remotely connect to my project, but with little success. By the end of it, I was ready to give up… and facepalmed. Hard. Ouch. I hadn't done that in a long time. Returning to the library, I activated the level 20 ability of my Creativity trait, expecting it to pull me toward a book. Instead, my Personal Information popped up in front of my face.

Personal Information Name: John Rue Age: 20 Familiar: Rue Level 19 Display Class: Healer Level 20 Healer Spells: Heal Muscle - 24 Diagnose - 24 Stop Bleeding - 12 Heal Bone - 22 Control Blood - 20 Healing Touch - 25 / Ranged 10 Neutralize Poison - 14 / Ranged 5 Purify - 23 Clean - 25 Anesthesia - 22 Regrow Flesh - 18 Fortify Life Force - 20 Cleanse - 3 Neutralize Curse - 9 Regrow Bone - 12 Regrow Enamel - 2 Ranged Heal - 3 Emotional Healing - 1 Explosive Diarrhea - 2 / Ranged 1 Stabilize Hidden Class: Gate Traveler Level 6 Gates to next level: 21/23 Class Abilities: Conversion Travelers' Archive Identify - 6 Storage - x18 (373, 248 m3) Local Adaptation: -Spoken language -Written language -Runes/Magic Script Map One of the Crowd Profession: Merchant Level 10 Merchant Skills: Bargain - 23 Sense Honesty - 18 Appraisal - 15 A Nose for Business - 23 Inventory - 1 Sub-Class 2: Wizard Battle Master Level 15 Wizard Abilities: Mind Split x6 Mana Sense [Master] Mana Saturation [Apprentice] Mana Control [Medior] Mana Regeneration x 5 Mana Oneness [Junior] Lightning [Master] Mist Nature Ice [Junior] Spell Weaver [Novice] Spell Creation [Medior] Mana Siphon [Novice] Second Tier Elemental Command [Novice] Wizard Spells: Harvest Mana Crystal Telekinesis - 18 Aggressive Clean Harvest Herbivore [Upgraded] Harvest Snake [Upgraded] Protective Shield Harvest Crops Harvest Predator [Upgraded] Harvest Bugs [Upgraded] Battle Master Skills: Unarmed Combat [Junior] Ranged Weapons [Medior] Mana Combat [Apprentice] Blunt weapons [Medior] Bladed weapons [Senior] Polearm Mastery [Junior] Hafted Weapons [Junior] Firearms [Apprentice] Battle Sage Sub-Class 3: Bard Level 12 Bard Spells and Skills: Arcane Lullaby - 12 Harmonic Illusion - 15 Rhythmic Resonance - 1 Musical Memory - 3 Guitar Playing - 21 Flute Playing Violin Playing - 9 Piano Saxophone Playing Harmonica Playing Lute Playing Cello Playing - 5 Poetry - 6 Fortify - 3 General Spells: Mana Dart - 15 Mana shield - 16 Spellbinding - 3 Invisibility - 23 Mend - 2 Adaptable Light Ball - 11 Restore - 24 Heat - 5 Absorb Mana - 12 Exude Mana - 13 Copy Magical Text - 20 Telepathy - 16 Privacy Sphere - 3 Copy Text - 9 Verdant Grasp - 2 Flourish - 6 Nature's Path - 1 Wind Blade - 13 Blazing Orb - 9 Bramble Shield Lift Block- 2 Stone Shard - 7 Thornbind Barrier - 1 Translate Text - 1 Print Thoughts - 1 Bind Timber - 2 Swift Joinery - 1 Rapid Framework - 1 Stacking Aid - 3 Mass Lift - 1 Auto Alignment - 2 Slow MAKE IT SO - 1 General Skills: Mining - 12 Develop Negative - 11 Print Photograph - 11 Photography - 17 Sailing - 10 Engraving - 13 LTA Flight Jump - 2 Stealth - 7 Riding - 1 Motorcycle Mechanic - 3 Car Mechanic - 1 Glassblowing - 1 Woodworking - 7 Leather Crafting - 1 Metalworking - 1 Bookbinding - 1 Mana: 15, 200/15, 200 Strength: 100 Agility: 100 Constitution: 100 Vitality: 140 Intelligence: 149 Wisdom: 149 Perception: 125 Luck: 86 Creativity: 66 Tenacity: 9 Free Points: 12 Ability points: 216 I went through it, didn't see anything unexpected, closed it, and reactivated the level 20 ability.

Again, my Personal Information popped up in front of my eyes. I went through every line with close attention to detail, but didn't get any inspiration. For the second time, I closed it and activated the ability. For the third time, my Personal Information popped up in front of my eyes. Growling out loud like Rue, and like Mahya sometimes, I almost closed it again, but stopped and went through every line once more, twice from top to bottom. Still nothing.

Then I got an idea and activated the ability with the Personal Information open. My eyes snapped to the line: Second Tier Elemental Command [Novice]"Bad idea," I told my trait.

"I don't want to do it with my magic. I want to enchant it so they all could use it with some mana." Nothing happened. I activated the ability again, and my eyes once more snapped to the line: Second Tier Elemental Command [Novice] Hmm. I stared at the line for a long moment, then leaned back in the chair and rubbed my face with both hands, dragging my fingers down until they caught on my jaw. So the solution was the elements. That was a good hint, but I had no idea how. After some thought, I tried water magic.

Using the same board I'd tested the previous enchantment on, I engraved water runes and a magic-script puzzle meant to move energy from one rune to the next. Result? Zero. No motion whatsoever. I played with water for a long time, trying various combinations, with the same result. Or, more precisely, a complete lack of one. My next attempt was ice. I didn't have a rune for snow, but I did have one for ice. Again, I created a puzzle to move energy from one rune to the next.

The moment I activated it, the snow beneath flash-froze. The board bonded to the ice so thoroughly that I had to chip it free with a sword. Fire or earth didn't make sense, which left only wind. The problem was that I didn't want the sled to fly, but to slide. Still, I gave it a try, but a few hours of staring at parchment didn't produce any bright ideas. Just in case, I activated the level twenty ability again. This time, my profile didn't pop up.

Instead, the ability guided me to a thick book from Earth: A Brief History of Fluid Mechanics. Looking at the size of the book, I snorted.

"Brief. Sure." Still, I skimmed. Pressure. Flow. Gradients. Diagrams of fluids moving not because they were pushed, but because they had somewhere to go. High pressure to low pressure. Always downhill, even when downhill was invisible. One line made me stop.

"Fluids do not require force to move, only imbalance." I closed the book slowly.

"… Huh." The beginning of an idea stirred at the back of my mind, but I was still missing some data. This time, the ability led me to a magical volume bound in pale blue leather, one I'd ignored for years because the title sounded useless: On the Nature of Breath and Absence. Like all wizard books, it was full of metaphors and an overabundance of purple prose. Still, I slogged through it, not exactly reading, more skimming, until I reached a paragraph that made me stop.

Where breath is pressed tight and gathered, presence is born, thick and undeniable, like a crowd leaning forward in a narrow hall. Where breath is thinned and allowed to flee, longing takes root, a hollow ache that pulls at the world like an unanswered call. Between the weight of what is held and the ache of what is missing, motion arises of its own accord. No hand must push it, no voice must command it. Mana moves because it cannot bear to remain as it is. I blinked and read it again.

My pulse picked up, just a little. I sat down hard, grabbed a fresh parchment, and started planning again. A wind rune with a compression puzzle at the back and a wind rune with an absence puzzle at the front. Nothing to actually push the sled. Just less air ahead than behind. A pressure differential. I stared at the sketch until my eyes hurt.

"That might actually work," I murmured. The magic script around the rear rune constrained the airflow and increased its pressure. The front script produced a different effect: a series of escape paths that thinned the air and lowered its pressure. I bound the two into a continuous system running the length of the sled's underside. I wasn't pulling air from the back and releasing it from the front. That would have been similar to the snow blower idea, only in reverse, and sent the sled shooting backward.

Instead, the rear script puzzle continuously compressed the surrounding air beneath the back of the sled, while the front one bled it away beneath the front. Air naturally flowed from the high-pressure region toward the low-pressure one. My idea was that as long as the enchantment maintained the imbalance, the moving air exchanged momentum with its surroundings, generating a steady forward thrust. I fed mana into it. The board slammed forward hard enough to crack itself against a tree.

I stared at the remains for half a second, then wooped in delight.

"Okay," I said, breathless.

"So it works." The next several attempts were… educational. One version lurched forward in violent jerks. Another oscillated like it couldn't decide which way it wanted to go. One spun in place because I'd forgotten that sideways pressure was still pressure and had to constrain it. By the sixth rebuild, the board slid forward smoothly for several seconds before stalling as the pressure equalized. Progress. It took a few more variations, but I finally had it. Or, at least, I hoped I had it.

When I engraved it onto the sled and tested it, it crawled forward at a walking pace. But when I added mana, it went.

"Holy shit!" I shouted. I pushed more mana in. The pressure differential increased. The sled accelerated in a straight line so fast, the wind slapped my face. I cut the mana. It coasted to a stop. I wooped again, loud enough to startle the birds out of the nearby trees, and pumped my fist. Tomorrow was going to be fun.