Chương 52: Chapter 44: Learning About Mana

We reached Talis, and I bade the crew and the captain goodbye. Stretch received so much love at departure that it looked as if a beloved family member were leaving. Talis resembled other cities I had seen on this river, both those I had visited and those we sailed past. Built on both sides of the river, the city had a mix of low-quality and high-quality buildings on the same streets. The only difference was the lack of mountains and slight variations in the architecture, none significant enough to matter.

We rented a room at an inn, and I spent two days exploring. On my second day, I passed by a small square stone building with tiny windows and four guards in front. The heavy security piqued my curiosity, and I approached to investigate. A small sign beside the door read, "Coin Exchange." That gave me an idea. Approaching one guard, I asked, "Good day. If I want to exchange coins, do I walk in, or do you need to announce me?" The man shifted his spear and squinted at me.

"You a noble or Merchant?" he asked, eyeing me skeptically.

"Merchant."

"Prove it." Huh? How does one prove a Class or Profession if the person doesn't use Identify?

"How?" He looked at me as though I were an idiot and leaned forward on his spear.

"How do you show your goods?" I winced in embarrassment and removed a box of merchandise from my Storage. He still looked at me like I was an idiot, but finally grunted, opened the door, and said, "You can go in." Inside, an obese man sat behind a massive desk, flanked by two guards. The fat man nodded at me in a sort of half-bow, his jowls wobbling.

"Good day, esteemed Healer. How can I help you today? I'm not aware of an issue that needs a Healer."

"I'm also a Merchant and would like to exchange coins." His eyebrows shot up. Way up.

"You're a Healer and a Merchant?"

"Yes. I also have a question," I said, leaning closer and activating my Sense Honesty skill.

"Yes?"

"I made some sales in Rusha and was attacked by criminals. How can I be sure I won't be attacked again if you or the guards know how much money I have?"

"You came from Rusha? That's far." He leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking under his weight, and waved his hand dismissively.

"As for me or the guards, don't worry. The first time a customer gets attacked after visiting me, I'll lose my business and my writ from the crown." Sensing nothing amiss, I relaxed. I stored all my gold and jewelry in an antique wooden chest that reminded me of a pirate's chest, which I liked, but I stored the silver and local copper in a large plastic wash basin. When I took it out, the fat man stared at it in complete bewilderment.

Unsure of whether his reaction was about the amount or the container, I chose not to ask. I was getting used to the look, but still didn't like it. He shook his head like Stretch shaking off water.

"I charge one copper for every five gold coins exchanged." I nodded and started counting. After I finished counting everything, I had an idea. I didn't want to summon my barrel with the copper from Earth after the look he gave me, and didn't want to summon it in pouches; they were too uniform to show them in bulk. So, I concentrated and summoned only the copper coins. It proved complicated, and my success was fifty-fifty. A mound of copper coins filled my basin, but unfortunately, some were still in pouches.

Well, at least no barrel. He took a coin and examined it.

"I never came across coins like these. They are too big and too uniform. Where did you get them?"

"I'm from the islands in the south." He peered up at me.

"I heard about those islands and once had coins from there, but they didn't look like this." That caught me off guard. With the speed of travel here and the distance, I didn't expect anybody to know about the islands. Thinking fast, I said, "My whole family are Merchants. Our trading house got many of these coins from a trading ship from another continent. All their coins were like this, and they paid almost exclusively with them. So now, we have many of those coins on the island."

Again, his eyebrows tried to escape up his forehead.

"A ship came from Sovily? How did they manage to pass the whirlpools?" This man was too well-informed, so I quickly closed the conversation.

"I have no idea. I was too young and didn't even meet them. That's all I know, and the information is secondhand from family members." He looked disappointed. I went back to counting. After I finished counting and he double-checked everything, he owed me 761 gold, and I still had a few more silvers and coppers I held back for change. He was eyeing the pouches with great interest, fingers drumming lightly on the desk.

"Would you be interested in those pouches instead of me paying you in coins for the exchange?" I asked, nudging one pouch forward. His eyes narrowed.

"How many pouches?"

"How much do I owe you?"

"Fifteen silver and two coppers." He wet his lips, his gaze flicking to the stack again.

"Their price is one silver each. I'll give you seventeen for the exchange." I tapped the pouch for emphasis. He shifted in his chair. It groaned in protest, and I hoped he wouldn't land on his butt in the middle of the deal.

"How many do you have?"

"A lot." He thought for a moment, gaze unfocused, then gave a small nod.

"I want forty, and I will pay two gold. Will this be acceptable?" I agreed, and we completed the deal. Having gold instead of copper was much nicer, and now I had an empty barrel for the longswords. Back at the inn, I checked the Map, zooming out to see the entire continent. I had only done this once before, and it seemed like I hadn't moved, but now the distance was clear.

It was difficult enough to calculate the distance I had traveled on foot, bicycle, and ship, and comparing it to Earth's distances was even worse. In the end, I guesstimated this continent was the size of Europe, Africa, and Asia combined. Or something like that. In this view, the distance to the next Gate was less than an inch, but when I zoomed in again, it was still far away. Considering my pace on foot, it could take two more months to reach there directly.

Pedaling—if I could find roads leading there—might take a month. The idea of walking for another two months wasn't appealing. I loved Shimoor and its beauty, and to my surprise, discovered I was outdoorsy, but I had my fill of nature for now. Pedaling for a month also didn't sound appealing—it sounded like too much work. I found a tributary on the Map in the direction I needed. It headed east and then curved to the northeast, with a point within two or three days' walk from the Gate.

I activated my Luck again, and it pointed right toward the Gate. I knew it! The answers were in another world. I copied the Map section from Talis to the Gate onto a big page. After going downstairs and calling Stretch, we headed to the docks. On the way, I asked him, "You enjoyed the trip we took on the ship, right?" He gave me an agreeing nod and a tentative wag of his tail.

"You saw that boats are not that bad, right?" He looked at me, and his suspicion came through loud and clear.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to take you on the small boat you don't like." He relaxed, so I continued, "But we might need to take a smaller boat than the one we traveled here. It will be much bigger than the boat you don't like, but smaller than the one we traveled on." A hint of uncertainty came from him, along with a tentative agreement. My translation was: "I'm reserving judgment." I found the port office quickly this time. After twenty minutes in line, I approached the clerk and showed him my map sketch.

"Good day, sir. I need to get to this point on the map. Are ships going there, or can I hire a boat to take me?" He examined my map and frowned.

"Why, there is nothing there, just wilderness."

"Yes, I know. I'm meeting family members for a hunting trip. This is the map they gave me of the location." He hummed under his breath.

"No ships or boats sail into the wilderness." He looked up at me.

"You sure about this?" I nodded. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He shrugged and waved toward the river.

"Check on the other side of the river at the fishers' dock; maybe somebody will agree to take you there for a fee." We crossed the river over the closest bridge and approached the first person I saw.

"Excuse me, sir, can you point me to the fishers' dock?" He squinted against the sun and pointed.

"Head straight, you'll find it by the smell." He was right about the smell; it hit me like a slap when we got close. Fish guts, salt, and tar mixed into one sour cloud. Dozens of fishing boats bobbed in the water, all looking almost identical. Flat-bottomed and square-shaped except for the curved bow, each had a single mast with a sail and a squat little deckhouse. I bent down toward Stretch and asked quietly, "You think you can handle a boat that size?" His tail gave a half-swish, and I sensed a hesitant approval.

I scratched his ear.

"Thanks, buddy. I owe you one." He leaned into the touch before snorting at the fishy stench. No matter how much I looked around, I couldn't spot anyone who seemed to be in charge. Fishermen worked on some boats, patching nets or scraping decks, but there was no sign of an administration building. Finally, I approached a boat with two men on it and waved to them. One put down his rope, came closer, and asked, "What do you want?" His voice was flat, but his eyes measured me up and down.

"I'm looking to hire a boat to take me somewhere. Do you know who is open to such a deal?" He jumped down onto the dock, wiped his palms on his trousers, and asked, "Where?" I unfolded the map and pointed to where I wanted to go.

"Here."

"There's nothing there."

"I know. I'm meeting family for a hunting trip." He nodded.

"Yes, many mukar, sipors, and deer." He said deer in English, not a translation. That caught me off guard. He rubbed his cheek, then gave a small shrug.

"I can take you. It will take two to three weeks and cost you three silver a day. You will pay me for two weeks when we head out, and if it takes longer, pay each day." Sensing nothing fishy from him—other than the dock smell already choking me—I asked, "When can we leave?"

"Tomorrow, early morning." After we shook hands, Stretch and I returned to the inn. From my previous cruise, I discovered that the weeks here were six days long, not seven. The journey would last approximately twelve to eighteen days. Not bad. I checked the food supply, and we had enough, but I wanted to cook more, just in case. It was already late afternoon. Not enough time to leave the city, cook, and get back before the boat. After some deliberation, I approached the innkeeper.

"Can I pay you to use your kitchen to cook?" He laughed.

"When you get married, you will discover it is not your kitchen anymore." The words hit me hard. I had been happily married, and then lost it. Pain closed around my throat, and tears pooled in my eyes. He noticed and stiffened.

"You alright, lad?" I nodded, turned away to hide my face, and headed to my room, tears slipping free. It had been nearly two and a half years since Sophie had died. I had overcome the worst of my grief and was doing much better, but not completely healed yet. I lay in bed, eyes leaking for a while, until it passed, and I fell asleep. On our way to the dock the following day, I stopped at every food vendor I saw, handing over coins for skewers of meat, dried fruit, and flatbread.

The early selection wasn't impressive, but since it was "just in case" food, it didn't matter. Stretch sniffed at every stall, earning a few laughs from vendors before I called him to follow. It took me a few minutes to locate the boat, as it had docked in a different spot, but I recognized the sailor I had spoken to the day before. When he saw me, he raised an arm and shouted over the water, "Come aboard." I led Stretch up the wooden planks, and the sailor's eyes zeroed in on him.

"You didn't say anything about a dog coming with you."

"Since he was with me yesterday and you didn't say anything, I assumed you had no problem with a dog. He traveled with me on a ship from Rusha to Talis without any problems. He does his business in a bowl, and I throw it overboard. I'm also a Healer with the Clean spell, so I can clean everything if he has an accident. But from experience, there is no need. We traveled for almost four weeks, and he had no accidents." The man scratched his beard and grunted.

"It will cost you four more copper a day with the dog." I counted out five gold and five silver, and placed the coins in his calloused hand. He inspected each one, lifting it to his mouth and biting down. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to laugh. I had seen it in movies, but didn't believe people actually did it. He caught the flicker of amusement on my face and narrowed his eyes.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm happy we reached an agreement, and I can start the journey. My family is waiting for me there, and I don't want to delay." With a wave, he signaled for me to follow him. He led me around the boat's deckhouse, where I spotted two young men handling ropes. Pointing at them, he said, "My sons, Jul and Rin, I'm called Romas, but everybody calls me Ro."

"Nice to meet you, Captain Ro; my name is John, and this is Stretch."

"No captain; this is no ship, just Ro." He led me into the deckhouse. The door opened to a tiny entryway with three doors. He pointed at the right-side door.

"You and your dog can stay in that room, and my boys and I will stay in the other. My wife cleaned it the best she could, but we are working men, so don't expect a ship's luxury." He opened the door opposite the entrance, and inside was a pantry. There were shelves filled with food and a large water barrel.

"We don't have a galley here," said Ro.

"We eat hardtack, jerky, cheese, and vegetables. Don't drink from the river. Fill this barrel and drink only from it. It's a mage barrel spelled to purify the water." My first magical item! I grinned and had to stop myself from rubbing my hands in excitement.

"Can I examine it? I'm interested in magical items." He squinted at me, suspicion written all over his face.

"You said you are a Healer and hunter; why are you so interested in magical items?"

"I'm no hunter—my family members are the hunters. I'm joining them as a Healer, just in case. But I'm fascinated by magical items. Don't worry, I won't do anything to the barrel; I only want to examine it, to figure out how the mages do it. It's a hobby." He chewed his lip and gave a reluctant nod.

"You can look." I cast my Light Ball, the glow reflecting off the damp wood, and leaned close, running my fingers over the barrel's surface. Circling it, crouching to check from below, I examined it from every angle. Nothing.

"Do you know where the magic is? I don't see anything." He shook his head, folding his arms across his chest.

"I don't know anything about magic. I know it cost me ten gold, and my boys and I never got sick from drinking the river water."

"Can I empty it to examine the inside?"

"It will cost you a silver, and you'll have to fill it up after you examine it." He jabbed a thumb toward the river.

"But not now; we need to set sail. I'll tell you when." I nodded in agreement. He joined his boys, and we went to our room. It was tiny. Two narrow bunk beds were attached to the wall, one on top of the other. A bucket in the corner, judging by the smell, was the chamber pot, with about sixteen inches of space between the bunk beds and the opposite wall. The size gave me mild claustrophobia. I cast Clean and Purify on the chamber pot and, just in case, on everything else.

Stretch didn't look or feel too impressed, either. I scratched his ear.

"We will spend most of our time outside, don't worry." He sent me a sense of cold.

"It didn't snow for a week, and I saw some flowers near the river. Spring is here, so no more snow." I got uncertainty from him.

"If it snows or rains, we'll find a solution." We watched them navigate the boat out of the docking area. They had oars with metal rings securing them to the railing and used them to steer out. I went to the back of the boat, looking for a spot out of the way. There was a strong smell of fish everywhere, and not fresh fish. I diligently cleaned the entire back section of the boat, repeatedly casting Clean and Purify until it was spotless; the wood turned out three shades lighter, and no trace of stink remained.

Better. After arranging Stretch's blankets, I treated him to a tasty breakfast of barbecued chicken, organized my camp table with a chair, and enjoyed breakfast with coffee. The issue of coffee on the trip worried me. They allowed me to use the galley to make more on the ship, but here they didn't have anything like it. We drifted peacefully down the river, letting me relax and enjoy the quiet. To my surprise, the boat moved faster than the ship I had arrived on.

The coffee issue bugged me, so I looked through the spell list and found the spell Heat in the Fire Discipline section. Again, it was a channeled spell, but this one cost one Ability Point, not two—at least that. HEAT This channeled spell allows the caster to generate and maintain heat by directing mana into a steady flow. At first, control is crude, limited to rough shifts between low warmth and high heat.

With practice and progression, the caster learns to adjust the flow of mana with greater precision, gaining finer command over the exact temperature produced. It is a practical spell often used for cooking, boiling water, or other daily tasks that require reliable heat, but it cannot provide the controlled temperatures required in alchemical work. Cost: 1 Ability Point. After buying it, I took out a pot, filled it with water, and channeled the spell. In less than a minute, the water was boiling.

The moment I stopped channeling the spell, my hand got burned from the pot. Ow! After healing myself, I wondered about it. When I channeled the spell, the heat didn't bother me. The moment it stopped, I got burned. I pointed my hand to the sky, channeled the spell with the smallest amount of mana possible, and sensed with my mana what was happening with my hand. A barrier on my palm was part of the spell, on top of the heating aspect.

While channeling it, I tried to analyze everything about the barrier: its thickness, its position on my palm, the mana density within it, and its overall "feel." I tried to learn and replicate the same pattern on my hand. Recalling my Mana Shield, I cast it on myself. Again, I tried to analyze it with my senses. I cast it again and again, learning it. Once again, I channeled the Heat spell, split my mind, cast the shield, and compared the two. They were similar yet distinct.

The Mana Shield was thin but had a "thickness" and "protection" feel. Or perhaps a better word was flavor. The barrier was the same thickness but had a "layered" flavor. I cast them repeatedly, zeroing in on the different flavors until I could easily distinguish them. I started playing with my mana and tried to recreate the barrier. It kept dissipating into the surrounding mana. Based on my experiments with the jurbers, I enveloped my hand in mana and slowly closed it until I created a bubble around my hand.

I had to actively maintain its bubble shape. Otherwise, it dissipated. I practiced exerting less and less control over it without letting it dissipate. It was a long process, but gradually I improved. When I could "keep it together" with almost no effort, I switched again to a barrier shape. It was harder to prevent the dissipation. Something about the bubble shape made it easier to keep it whole. Maybe because the bubble had no boundaries? With this thought, I tried to "close" the barrier boundaries.

It was still flat, not a sphere, and the mana kept dissipating, but slowly, I could "lock" it more and more to prevent, or at least slow, the dissipation. When I reached a point where I could keep one millimeter of mana for almost three minutes before it dissipated, the red light started blinking. You have learned Mana Manipulation YES!! The sun was setting, and I felt lightheaded. It shocked me that I spent over ten hours playing with my mana. Mana: 120/7, 200 Wow! It was full when I started.

How the hell did I spend so much? The mana expenditure had at least one positive outcome. Now, I had Mana Manipulation [Novice] under the Wizard Class. Stretch dozed on his blankets, his head resting on my foot, while my stomach reminded me how hungry I was. When I pulled out some food, he perked up right away, showing great interest. I shared with him, then ate my share before setting up the new mattress I bought and unrolling my sleeping bag.

The moment I lay down, exhaustion caught up with me, and I was out in less than a minute.