Chương 50: From the Archive No. 2: The Difference Between Planets, Planes of Existence, and Parallel Universes

Tr. MO: The Difference Between Planets, Realms, and Parallel Universes Greetings, fellow Travelers. I am a seasoned Traveler, one who has journeyed through many worlds. Recently, I met a young Traveler who asked me a question that made me smile:"The description of our Class says, 'A Traveler can move between worlds through Gates that connect to different Planets, Realms, and Parallel Universes.' What does that even mean? What is the difference between planets, realms, and parallel universes?"

After I explained the difference to her, I recorded my answer in the Archive so that new Travelers might find it there as well. Planets I imagine most of you are reading this on solid ground or on water that touches solid ground. That surface, whether unbroken or part of a floating island, rests upon a planet. The word refers to a solid shape adrift in the great sea of stars, usually with a sun, and sometimes as part of a group of such shapes scattered through the vastness of the cosmos.

It may also describe a celestial body that bears life. Not all planets hold sentient beings, but since Travelers visit only inhabited worlds, this explanation will suffice for our purposes. Put plainly, a planet is a world, visited or not. I trust this explanation is clear enough, and I will not exhaust you with unnecessary details. Realms Now, let us move on to the subject of realms. The best way to think of a realm is as a separate layer, distinct in its own right.

If you picture bread and cheese, together they make a meal, yet each remains different and unique. So it is with realms. They form another layer of interconnected planets, defined by the beings that inhabit them. The world you are currently in belongs to a realm. Since I have never met a Traveler who was not human, I will begin with the Human Realm. If humans inhabit the world you are in, then you are in the Human Realm. Humans live on all the worlds that belong to that specific realm.

These humans can differ significantly from one another. They may have different skin colors, hair, and facial structures. Some may have uncommon features such as horns, tails, wings, or long ears. On certain planets, you may meet humans with bioluminescent skin that glows in the dark, a trait developed to adapt to dimly lit environments. Others might have intricate markings on their skin, like tattoos, that are natural and relate to their magical talents.

Some possess sharper senses, such as exceptional night vision in worlds with dim natural light or in subterranean habitats, allowing them to thrive in their unique surroundings. In some worlds, humans live in harmony with the local flora and fauna, developing traits such as vine-like hair, bark-like skin, or even skin that can absorb sunlight for extra energy. Despite these vast differences in appearance and ability, all fall under the same branch of humanity in the Human Realm.

This diversity shows how adaptable and resilient humans are, no matter where they live. Meeting them across worlds is always a lesson in how endlessly inventive life can be. If you have visited one or more worlds inhabited by the Orcanis, they serve as a good example. They are about thirty to forty percent larger than the average human, with thick green or gray skin depending on the world, and they have tusks. The Genomey are another example. The tallest of them reaches only my waist, and they have enormous eyes.

Despite these apparent differences, both races are still human and belong to the Human Realm. Each planet in this realm can differ significantly from the others. Worlds that have not integrated and do not yet hold mana can range from those where people still live in caves to advanced industrial societies. Some rely on hunting and gathering, others on farming, and others on machines. There are also technological societies at every stage, from simple tools for land travel to advanced systems for exploring the stars.

Among the worlds that run on mana, diversity is even greater. These worlds vary both in their mana level and in their stage of development. Some have low mana, where cave dwellers still struggle to survive, and other worlds with the same mana level might have complex societies that have made significant advancements in philosophy, politics, magical knowledge (as much as low mana allows), and other subjects. Others have medium or high mana with dungeons or mana portals about.

They too can span from cave dwellers to advanced Magitech societies that conquered the skies and look to the start. Then, in other worlds, mana saturates everything, and one can find wonders beyond imagination. In some forests, trees seem to whisper secrets, and flowers glow faintly in the dusk. Enchanted castles rest on floating islands, and rivers of liquid light wind through lush valleys. Imagine cities made of crystal that hum softly in the wind, or marketplaces where magical trinkets are as common as bread.

In such places, magic fills the air itself, and even breathing feels like touching a miracle. The development of Magitech also differs from world to world. Some have only simple magical artifacts and weapons. Others have airships, engines, and entire cities powered by mana. A few worlds are so rich in mana that even the mountains hum faintly, and the night skies are alive with auroras of various magical affinities.

You can find all those wonders in the Human Realm, which makes the ability to traverse the Gates the greatest blessing of all. Now, let us move to other realms. I know only two from firsthand experience, though I have heard of others from fellow Travelers. There is the Demon Realm, and as the name suggests, demons inhabit it. They are not human. Some look vaguely human—two legs, two arms, a head—but even then, there is no mistaking what they are.

Some have hooves instead of feet, great curling horns, or wings of scales or shadow. Their eyes are deep black or filled with fire, and their presence carries a strange unease. Others bear no resemblance to us at all. Some have human upper bodies and serpent lower halves. Others take the form of twisted hybrids, such as octopus-like beings with bones visible beneath their skin or lizard-like creatures with far too many limbs. Some are so strange that no comparison from the Human Realm can describe them.

Each world within that realm is different, but they all connect. In some, the skies burn red and flash with endless lightning. The land is jagged and dry, with mountains that pierce the clouds and forests of gnarled, blackened trees. Rivers of lava glow in the distance, casting strange light over the horizon. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. In others, cities rise from obsidian and bone, twisting into impossible shapes.

The air hums with strange energy, and the ground itself seems to pulse faintly beneath your feet. In their markets, merchants trade trinkets and relics that defy all common sense. Some worlds exist entirely underground, filled with vast caverns lit by glowing fungi. The creatures there creep, their eyes gleaming in the dark, watching from every shadow. I visited several of these worlds but never stayed long. The feeling of being in a place where the rules of reality had shifted was hard to bear.

The sights, the sounds, even the air carried a kind of unease that always urged me to leave. Still, I should note that the Demon Realm mirrors the Human Realm in structure. Mana governs some of its worlds; technology governs others. In the magical ones, great demon lords hold vast power and shape their surroundings through will alone. In the technological worlds, machinery fills the skies, and the glow of industry replaces magic. Both paths—magic and machine—coexist in their realm just as they do in ours.

Their variety is remarkable, and for the Traveler with courage and curiosity, every world in that realm offers something new to learn—or to survive. Another realm I know personally is the Dragon Realm. It is both magnificent and perilous. Here, great creatures soar through skies that never seem to end. There are wyverns and basilisks whose wings block out the sun, and wyrms that tunnel through stone. Even the gentler beasts are enormous, grazing across plains as vast as seas.

The landscape matches the creatures in scale: forests with trunks as wide as towers, mountains whose peaks pierce the clouds, and rivers broad enough to be mistaken for oceans. To roam in such a world is dangerous. The ground shakes under every step of the great beasts, and the air carries their scent and heat. If you ever travel there, prepare well. You will need Stealth and Invisibility high enough to hide your scent, sound, sight, and mana signature. Only then might you pass unseen among them.

Yet despite the danger, I urge every Traveler to visit if given the chance. For there are dragons. They are ancient, wise, and radiant with power. Sharing knowledge is something they value above all things. They are aware of Travelers and appreciate us. Just approach the first dragon you meet, say, "I am a Traveler," and you are mithril. Dragons collect treasures of every kind: books, art, weapons, and curiosities from faraway worlds. They trade fairly and value even the smallest wonders.

To speak with one is to glimpse the mind of a being who has seen millennia pass like seasons. Unlike any other race, dragons can move between worlds within their own realm. Many believe they built the Gates themselves, though I doubt it. Were that true, they would surely cross into every realm, not only their own. During my time there, I befriended a dragoness. I taught her several languages and sold her the books I carried. In return, she guided me through the Gates of her realm and introduced me to her kin.

I later learned that other Travelers had similar experiences. Once a dragon befriends you, it will protect and guide you. No machine, no spell, and no flight compares to riding upon a dragon's back. Words cannot capture that feeling. The Dragon Realm differs from all others in one striking way: there are no unintegrated worlds. Every one of its worlds brims with mana. The warning on the Gate will read "Danger Level: Lethal," yet do not let that frighten you. The risk is substantial, but so are the rewards.

I spent over seventy years there. I met dragons who became friends and learned more about magic than in all my previous centuries of travel. If there were more people and fewer predators, I would have settled there. Their society is remarkable. Some cities are built to the dragons' size, and others to human form, where dragons live as shapeshifters for the pleasure of opposable thumbs. Their craft is astonishing, their runic art unequaled, their Magitech devices beyond comparison.

I believe they created Magitech itself, though none could confirm it. I have heard of other realms, though I have not visited them myself. Among them are the Beastkin Realms. Note that I used the plural form of Realms, whereas some view it as one realm. Their people blend human and animal traits. Some resemble canines, some felines, some equines, and others serpents. Other blends might exist, but I have only heard or read about the four above.

Like the others, their worlds either thrive on mana or rely on technology. Each follows its own path of progress. I also heard of a Marine Realm. A Traveler once told me of finding a Gate labeled so. When he passed through, he found himself deep beneath the ocean, surrounded by immense pressure. There was no land in sight, and he quickly returned through the Gate. That is all that I know. There is another rumor, though I cannot confirm it. A Traveler claimed to have heard of a world inhabited solely by machines.

I find this doubtful, for someone must have built those machines. And if integration ever reached such a world, what would become of its people? Would they cease to exist? For that reason, I suspect this is a traveler's tall tale—interesting, but unlikely. Still, if any of you find such a place, I encourage you to record your impressions. Truth often hides in the strangest rumors. Parallel Universes Now, let us move on to the third category: parallel universes. This is an interesting phenomenon, though not common.

In over five centuries of travel, I have encountered only a single instance and visited a chain of three connected worlds. My starting point was a medium-low technology world with an unpleasant society. The wealthy ruling class held all the power, and everything, including the people outside the elite, belonged to the corporations. Life for ordinary folk was harsh and unkind. A person had to work a fixed number of hours to earn even basic needs such as food.

Clothing required more hours, and education demanded more still. The endless cycle left no time for rest or joy. Debt ruled those lives like a shadow. Families toiled for generations and could never rise above what they owed. Parents worked themselves to the bone to feed and teach their children, yet nothing they earned was enough. That burden became the only inheritance they could pass on. The cities wore a constant pall of gloom.

Smoke from the factories choked the air, and tired faces crowded the streets, having forgotten how to hope. Buildings sagged, and the noise never ceased. People no longer trusted one another; survival left little room for kindness. It was plain that the entire order existed to keep the rich in power and the poor beneath them. There was no place for imagination or change. The corporations controlled everything, from the news that shaped thought to the schools that shaped obedience.

Unable to bear the suffocation any longer, I searched for a Gate. Imagine my surprise when I touched it and saw the name of the world remain the same. Like the first, it had no mana, and its technology level was unlisted. When I stepped through, the geography was identical. The language was so close that I could understand most of it without spending mana, though it took time to grasp the local turns of phrase. Their calendar, time measurements, and even many customs matched.

Yet the society was far earlier in its development, standing at the threshold between agriculture and industry. They had only begun producing goods in quantity. It was pleasant enough, but I did not linger. I had seen such places before. This time, though, curiosity got the better of me, and I began looking for another Gate. The next one I found led to a world with the same name, but this time, its mana level was 21. Again, the land was the same, and the language nearly identical.

The people lived quietly, close to nature, kind and content. It was the sort of world that makes you breathe easier just by standing in it. Peaceful, yes, but with little to hold a Traveler for long. I left through the first Gate I could find, and it carried me to a world of medium mana. I have since spoken with other Travelers who discovered similar chains of worlds.

Their accounts match mine: the same names, the same geography, the same general patterns, yet at different stages of growth, either technological or magical. The only difference in the tales was the number of parallel worlds in each chain. I encountered three in total; four Travelers I spoke with found only two, and one followed a chain of five worlds. He checked every Gate on the fifth and final world, but there were no more. That concludes what I can tell of parallel universes.

I hope these notes help new Travelers understand the paths that lie before them. Should you ever find such a chain, record your experiences for the rest of us. Every discovery adds a small piece to the great puzzle of the cosmos.