Chương 58: Chapter 50: More Answers Than I Bargained For III

During lunch, I remembered something else I wanted to ask, but waited for Lis to finish chewing before speaking.

"What are mana crystals used for?" Lis set his fork down and raised an eyebrow.

"You found mana crystals on a low mana world? Are you certain your Luck is only twenty?"

"It's actually thirty-one. And I didn't'find' them." I made air quotes with my fingers.

"I harvested them." His fork froze halfway back to his plate.

"How?"

"That's the squished monsters I told you about, called jurbers." I scrunched my nose and made a disgusted sound.

"Level one, annoying, bitey monsters." I shivered, remembering the bites on my legs.

"Anyway." I waved dismissively.

"When I diagnosed them, I felt they weren't actual creatures, more like lumps of polluted mana starting to dissipate. So I wrapped them in my mana and squeezed until I had a crystal of polluted mana. On the next one, before it hardened, I cast Clean and Purify, and ended up with a medium-quality Earth Mana Crystal. Want to see one?" Lis leaned back, arms folded across his chest.

"No wonder you got the Wizard Class. I never would have even thought of it, and even after your description, I have no idea how to do it." I pulled a crystal from Storage and set it on the table. Lis picked it up, squinted at it, and his eyes lost focus.

"Not bad. You should aim for higher quality and learn to harvest without a mana aspect." He turned it in his fingers before finally handing it back.

"To answer your question, mana crystals power small Magitech devices, imbue weapons or objects with magical abilities, and are used in rituals. They are also a type of currency between magical Classes, especially Wizards, Enchanters, magical smiths or Shapers, Magicaneers, Artificers, Witches, and Alchemists. The most valuable are those that lack an aspect or an element. Among the elemental types, fire and ice are the most sought after."

"Figures," I said, rolling the crystal once before putting it back into Storage.

"How much is such a crystal worth?" He tilted his head as if weighing the numbers.

"It depends. If you are selling to a supplier of magical crystals, it may be worth five to seven gold. However, if you find someone needing an earth mana crystal for a specific purpose, it can be much more valuable, and its value may not always be monetary. It depends on who you are selling to and what they have to offer. I can tell you that my cabin features fire mana crystals for cooking, baking, and heating water, as well as ice mana crystals in the cooler cupboard.

Additionally, my temperature regulation system utilizes both types of mana crystals. As I said, fire and ice are the most sought after." I grinned.

"Thanks. It's so cool that you know so many things." Lis gave a quick smile before lifting his cup.

"One more thing: if you are going to clear dungeons with a group, let them know you can harvest crystals. Healers are highly valued, yet because they require protection, they often receive a smaller share of rewards. You can negotiate much better terms." I rubbed the back of my neck.

"I'm not sure I want to clear dungeons. I enjoy traveling and seeing things, but I don't think I'd enjoy fighting. I'm a Healer, after all." He studied my face for a long moment.

"Might I offer another point of view?"

"Go ahead." I waved a hand for him to continue.

"You should reserve one Class slot for a fighter Class, and I strongly recommend clearing dungeons until you obtain one. It must be a Class, not a Profession, since Professions increase only when one is paid or otherwise compensated." I opened my mouth to object, but he raised a hand to stop me.

"Remember, not all worlds are low-mana worlds. You will need the skills of a fighting Class if you want to visit high-mana or very high-mana worlds. You will not survive without such a Class at a high level. They will crush you like an earthworm." I squinted at him.

"Do you have a fighting Class?"

"Yes, I have the Class Psionic Swordsman. I use psionic blasts, mental attacks, mind control, illusions, and, of course, a sword. My mana attribute is Mind, so it was a natural progression." I shifted uneasily in my seat.

"Does the number of questions I have bother you? Am I asking too many questions?" He waved a hand, brushing the concern aside.

"Not at all. It is not one-sided. I, too, learned a few interesting things from you. Do not feel uncomfortable; ask what you want to know."

"Thanks. So, another question: our abilities list says we get more abilities after level ten. Do you know which?" Lis dabbed his mouth with a napkin before answering.

"Yes. After level ten, we receive a new ability every ten levels. I cannot tell you which you will receive; I do not know. The standard Class abilities we get at the start or can buy with points are the same, but from level ten and up, we usually receive a choice between two to three options, depending on our journey thus far, our needs, or our desires." I rested my elbows on the table.

"Can you give me an example?" He shifted in his seat, back straightening.

"Yes, I can give you a few. Travelers are usually secretive about their abilities, so I know only my father's, my own, and another friend's. My father has the Protector Class and loves dungeons." Lis's face softened with a fond smile.

"He fights with a sword and shield, two swords, or even two shields. But since he is a front-fighter, he got hurt and needed healing many times. At level ten, he got the Regeneration ability, but I do not know what his other options were. I also do not know what he chose afterward; I left when he was level eighteen." He touched his chest with a finger.

"I am a researcher and a scholar. Those two things are very dear to me, and I even got both as a Profession and a Subclass at some point, representing my path in life." His eyes lit up as he spoke, his voice picking up speed.

"So, at level ten, I had a choice between the spell Absorb Knowledge, the ability Perfect Memory, or the trait Clarity. I chose Clarity. At level twenty, I was again offered the spell Absorb Knowledge and the ability Perfect Memory, and in addition, I was also offered the ability Mind Index. I chose Mind Index.

"The friend I mentioned fell in love and remained with her." Lis smiled at the memory.

"He occasionally still ventured through the Gates for profit. At level ten, he had the option to take one person with him through the Gates, and he chose it. I am not aware of the other options he was offered. She did not become a Gate Traveler; she could only traverse the Gates with him while holding his hand. At level twenty, one of his options was to give his companion one of the Travelers' abilities. He chose to give her access to the Spells and Skills list." He spread both hands.

"So, I do not know what you will get, but I can tell you that I heard about the Clarity trait when I was level four or five and have wanted it ever since." He leaned back, the corners of his mouth curving in a small, satisfied smile.

"At level nine, I had a countdown in my head of how many Gates I had left, not until level ten, but until I would have a chance to get Clarity. And I did get it. My friend wanted to take his wife with him, and he got the option. So, I would say that the options offered would be based on your experiences or desires." He finished with a reassuring nod. I leaned in again, curious.

"How many Gates do you need to reach level ten?" Lis drummed his fingers on the tabletop, thinking.

"I am unsure about the total number from activation to level ten. It was a long time ago, and I do not remember all the numbers for each level, but from nine to ten, I needed forty-seven. That I remember."

"That's a lot!"

"Yes, and it gets worse. I am level 23. For my next level, I need 278 Gates." He shook his head, lips twisting into a grimace. I let out a low whistle.

"That's a lot of Gates." A thought popped into my head.

"Did you visit the Dragon realm?" Lis's eyes sharpened.

"No, but I am actively searching for it." I tilted my head.

"How can you search for it? Or, more precisely, how can you know that a very high-mana Gate you touch is to the dragon realm and not somewhere else?"

"All their worlds have a long and complicated name that ends with -ixious, so it will be something absurd like Berknomstimixious." He held both hands apart, emphasizing the ridiculous length. I burst out laughing, shaking my head.

"Seriously?" He gave a firm nod.

"Yes, you can find it in the Archive." I leaned across the table, hungry for details.

"I read in the Archive about other human races with tails, wings, horns, and the like. Did you see such races?" Lis wagged a finger in mock-scolding.

"Yes, quite a few. And no, I will not tell you about them. Remember, knowing all in advance ruins the sense of discovery and exploration."

"Yeah … okay … I had to try." I gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. He laughed, shoulders shaking, and gave his head a slight shake of amusement. We sat in silence for a while, me rifling through half-formed questions in my head while he leaned back in his chair, the faintest chuckle slipping out every so often. After a few minutes, Lis tilted his head at me.

"You ran out of questions?" I blew out a breath and slouched a little.

"Yep, pretty much." He laughed.

"So let us clear the dishes from our meal." I cast Clean, stored all my stuff, and looked at him. He laughed and did the same. Yeah, handling dishes was so much easier. While I was doing it, my brain was working at full throttle, trying to come up with more questions. This was a golden opportunity I didn't want to miss. Nothing new came to mind, but I got an idea. Lis looked at me intently.

"You remembered something else?" I shook my head.

"Not exactly, but it's a question. What do you think I should know?" He pointed at me with raised eyebrows.

"Smart, but not so easy to answer. There are a lot of things a Traveler can and should learn along the way, but that is the beauty of the journey—the discovery and learning."

"Yeah, I can see that," I said.

"But is there something I need to know from the get-go?" He leaned back and thought for a while, then nodded to himself.

"Yes. Three things come to mind. The first is simple: look in the Spell List and buy either Silence Bubble or Privacy Sphere. They are both good and cost the same, but I prefer Privacy Sphere because it does not create a total, noticeable silence around you. It only makes it impossible to eavesdrop."

"Why?" Lis spread his hands as if it were obvious.

"Imagine if we met in a tavern or some other public place. How could we have this conversation? Most Travelers have one of those spells, and I believe you can manage without it, but it is better to have one just in case." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Yeah, makes sense." I opened my Spell List, skimmed through the descriptions, and nodded to myself when I reached Privacy Sphere. It definitely sounded better. SILENCE BUBBLE Create a bubble of complete silence around you. Size and mana cost depend on the number of people you want to include in the bubble. You will not hear the outside noise, and the people outside the bubble will hear nothing from inside the bubble. Cost: 1 Ability Point PRIVACY SPHERE Create a sphere of privacy around you.

Size and mana cost depend on the number of people you want to include in the sphere. You will hear some of the surrounding noise, but people outside the sphere cannot listen to what is being said inside. Cost: 1 Ability Point"Thanks, I bought Privacy Sphere. You said three things?" I tilted my head, curious.

"Yes, I did. The next one is a warning. You felt me when I came through the Gate, correct?" Lis leaned forward, his expression becoming serious. I nodded, my brows furrowing.

"All Travelers can sense each other. If you sense another Traveler, do not rush to meet them. Stop and listen to what your Luck and Perception tell you. If you feel the slightest warning, get out of there fast." He lifted a finger for emphasis. I jerked upright in my seat.

"Why?!"

"You traveled only one world, so I do not know if this happened to you, but sometimes we must kill to protect ourselves or others." His voice dropped to a grave tone. I sighed and rubbed my face.

"Yeah… unfortunately. I've killed three people already. It was in self-defense, and in one case, I didn't have a choice, but I still feel bad about it." Lis's voice softened, and he put a hand on my shoulder.

"Nurture this feeling, even if it makes it hard for you. It will help you retain your humanity." His hand dropped, and he shook his head slowly, looking sad.

"Some Travelers lose this appreciation for human life and become dangerous predators. Now, this dangerous predator senses another Traveler and knows they have a big Storage of interesting and valuable things. I think you can imagine the rest?" His eyes darkened as he spoke. I sat back, stunned.

"They kill other Travelers for their stuff?!"

"Yes. Always listen to your traits for warning signs." His tone was firm. A chill ran down my spine. I shuddered and gave a sharp nod. Lis watched me in silence, letting me process. When my shoulders finally eased, he lifted three fingers.

"The third thing is advice, or maybe a recommendation. Do not buy spells from the list every time the need arises; try to create them yourself. Do not—""Didn't you just tell me to buy a spell?" I cut him off. He nodded, patient.

"Please let me finish." I smiled sheepishly and waved a hand.

"Sorry, go ahead."

"As I started to say, do not try to create complex spells. You will need to learn a lot more to do it. But you definitely should try to create simple spells."

"How can I know which is which?"

"You have the Clean spell. Did you ever try to cast it on yourself or something else wet with water?"

"Yeah, didn't work." I grimaced, remembering the barrel incident. He nodded.

"Did you ever get covered with blood and cast it?" I made a disgusted sound.

"Yeah, a goat exploded on me." He was dragging me down a nasty memory lane. He blinked at me.

"A goat. Exploded? Why?" I waved him off.

"Never mind, I'll tell you later. Please continue." He still looked confused for a second, then gave a slight nod.

"Alright. Blood is a liquid, but when you cast the spell, it did not remove all the red substance, but left the liquid. It left you dry and clean, correct?"

"Yeah." He pointed at me.

"Your shirt is blue. I assume it is not the natural color of the fabric, correct?" I nodded again, seeing where he was going.

"The spell removes the dirt but leaves the fabric dye. I can provide you with more examples, but I see that you understand. The spell has an intelligence behind it that allows it to distinguish between dirt and other substances. That is a complex spell. The same can be said about the spell I told you to buy. You can control the size of the bubble or include as many people as you wish, and the surrounding people will not hear total silence from you.

They will hear the natural sounds of conversation but will be unable to distinguish the words and eavesdrop. It has one more interesting effect that clarifies the point. After casting it, if a person enters the zone of the bubble without being included in the cast, they will still hear you speaking, but will be unable to distinguish the words. That is also a complex spell." I nodded again, feeling like one of those dashboard bobbleheads.

"Okay, I got the point. But all the spells sound complicated."

"Most of them are, you are correct. After all, magic has advanced over the millennia. But there are some simple spells, either remnants of old, before magical knowledge advanced, or the creations of young Wizards. Look in your Spell List. It has the spell Mana Dart."

"I bought it."

"Oh, good. That will make the explanation easier. This spell is a thin spike of mana about this long." He held his hands apart, showing a length of about two inches.

"The only complexity about it is the fact that it flies at a target, correct?"

"Yeah, I got it. You don't need to continue. One is smart and makes decisions, and the other one is very basic and does one simple thing." He pointed at me.

"Exactly. So try to create simple spells, even if you will never use them, or, of course, if the need arises. Expand your magical knowledge and control to progress to creating complex spells."

"Okay, thanks," I said, sinking into thought. This wizarding business was even more complicated than I'd originally thought, but also exciting—at least once I figured something out. Right now, it was just confusing. I rubbed my temples, then let out a low chuckle. My mind buzzed with possibilities, but right now all of them were out of reach. Lis studied me for a while.

"Did you think of more questions?" I thought about it for a bit, but couldn't come up with anything. My mind was still too busy turning over all the information he'd given me.

"No, I think the well is dry."

"Then let me explain why you should make Stretch your familiar, and I have an offer for you." He glanced around the room before fixing his eyes back on me.

"Where is Stretch?"

"He went outside. I think he got bored with our conversation. I'll call him." I pushed my chair back and stood. Outside, Stretch lay sprawled across a patio sofa, nose tucked against his paws. I scratched behind his ear.

"Come inside, buddy; Lis wants to tell us about the familiar bond." Stretch yawned wide, stretched his front legs, then hopped down with a lazy wag of his tail, padding in behind me. Lis waited near the seating area in front of the fireplace.

"Get comfortable; it will take a while." I sat down, and Stretch lay on the floor, putting his head on my feet. When we were settled, Lis continued.

"The most important part of the familiar bond will enable you to take Stretch through the Gates—""I carried him through the Gate," I cut in. Lis's eyebrows shot up.

"You were able to carry him through?"

"Yes."

"Impressive. It means you have a strong bond and are very compatible. Still, the bond will allow him to walk through the Gates with you without the need to carry him." Lis leaned forward, studying Stretch for a moment before turning back to me.

"It will also accelerate his progression and grant him a new progression track on top." He looked down at Stretch again, waving at him.

"Mana beasts progress by eating other mana beasts and absorbing their mana. Or, in your case, Stretch, by being fed mana-rich meat by your human. You had great luck there, my friend." Stretch wagged his tail, and another wave of smugness washed over me through the bond. He turned back to me.

"Anyway, they progress with the help of the mana, but do not get benefits from killing mana beasts; they only get the mana. They also kill monsters because monsters are aggressive towards everybody and everything, so they protect themselves and their territories, but do not benefit from the act. When they eat mana-rich meat, their bodies get saturated, and at some point, when their bodies reach maximum saturation, they begin to form a power orb.

In mana beasts, it is called a beast core, whose location depends on their inclination." He tapped the side of his head.

"Clever mana beasts, like foxes, snakes, some birds, and the like, form it here." His hand shifted to press lightly against his diaphragm.

"Instinct predators form it under their heart." Finally, he rested his palm on his stomach.

"And strong mammals, like bovines and others like them, form it there." Lis stopped for a beat and studied my face.

"The familiar bond hastens this process. The ritual is performed with full mana; you will be empty afterward, and Stretch will gain more mana from the cosmos. He will become fully saturated and form the core—or, in your case, three cores. The familiar always matches their human counterpart in terms of core location, so he will also have a tri-mana system. Like you, he will gain the ability to level up. Instead of having a Class or Profession, he will gain advancement from killing monsters.

He will receive the same traits as you. And at every level, he will gain one point in each trait. When his intelligence rises, his communication will be more precise, not just feelings, and at some point, you will speak telepathically." While Lis spoke, Stretch's tail wagged, picking up speed with every word. By the time Lis mentioned telepathy, it was a blur. Lis laughed and patted Stretch's head.

"Another significant benefit is that you can buy him skills and spells from the list with Ability Points. They will cost more, but it is worth it. There is a standard familiar kit among Travelers with familiars that they work very hard to purchase: Invisibility, allowing you to cross the Gates together while invisible. Stealth, so you can send him out to scout. Storage, so he can have his food and water, and bring you things he finds. Telekinesis, so he can have more freedom to act.

One of the Crowd, so you can hide his appearance as needed and conjure identification if the need arises. And Mana Shield for protection. Initially, you will have to pay the mana cost of One of the Crowd abilities until his mana rises, but he should have enough for the rest." He stroked Stretch's fur again and tapped him lightly on the head.

"And there is another major benefit. You might say that when you create a familiar bond, he becomes part of you. Of your soul. This manifests in three ways. One, you will always be able to feel each other, no matter how far apart, though not on the other side of a Gate. Two, if he gets killed, his spirit remains tethered to you, and you can perform a ritual to re-create his body. It is a complicated and costly ritual in both materials and mana, but I am sure you will agree it is worth it."

Lis paused, watching me closely. I nodded slowly, still working it over in my head.

"Three," he went on, lifting a hand for the last point, "his lifespan will match yours. There is a small downside to this third point. If you get killed, he dies as well." He turned to Stretch with a half-smile.

"I think you will agree, Stretch, that the benefits outweigh the downside." Stretch gave a solemn nod. Lis turned his gaze back to me, his expression steady.

"And now I have an offer for you, John. I will provide you with access to all the necessary books for performing the ritual. I cannot help; you must do everything yourself, or the ritual will fail. However, I will provide you with all the knowledge you need to perform it. It is no small thing. Magical knowledge is guarded jealously in every world I have traveled. I will also provide you with access to my entire library.

I possess an extensive collection of magical knowledge, and you are welcome to study or copy it as you choose. I will train you in sword fighting and even work with you to figure out how to teach spells so I can pass on everything I know. In exchange, I want you to return to your world with me, help me find work-stores—""Workshops." I leaned forward, correcting him. He chuckled, shoulders lifting in a sheepish shrug.

"Sorry—workshops. And help me collect Ability Points. Also, for more than two hundred years, I have been saving a Subclass slot for the Class Magicaneer. I have sufficient magical knowledge, but the Magical Engineers are even more secretive than regular guilds. Because I dislike tech worlds, I had difficulty acquiring that knowledge, so I lack in that area. Please help me locate engineering knowledge, and with your Wizard Class, help me apply it to magical engineering.

Also, teach me some more advanced healing spells. I possess only the generic Minor Heal and would greatly appreciate something better." I sat back, fingers drumming on my thigh while I thought it over.

"Your offer sounds amazing, but I'm not sure I want to return."

"Why not?"

"I had a terrible life there, and you might say I ran away the first chance I got. Also, with the time skip, they might think I'm dead, and if I show up suddenly, it'll look suspicious. My country of origin knows about the Gates, and I don't want to be arrested." Lis sat up straighter, concern on his face.

"I read this in the World Information you provided. Do you know how they know about the Gates?" I shook my head.

"No idea. I traveled across my country to raise my Gate Traveler level, and all the Gates were on army bases. I don't think that's a coincidence." He crossed one leg over the other and leaned back, lost in thought. After a minute, he looked at me again.

"This is not good, but it is not insurmountable. Your world is large, and there are many countries we may go to." He hummed thoughtfully, stroking his chin.

"Regarding your identity, simply glamour yourself to appear different and conjure identifications with another name." He leaned forward and met my eyes, his expression serious.

"I have a suggestion. Do not return as though you are going back to your home world. You have already traveled to another world and seen a different way of life. Use this perspective to approach your home world as a Traveler. I am certain it has many interesting things to offer that you have never explored. All the worlds do. Be a Traveler, with a Traveler's point of view, not a resident. Additionally, there are many Gates in your world; utilize them to raise your level.

I also recommend accumulating more Ability Points, since you will need them for yourself and for Stretch. I shall do the same. It is an extraordinary and extremely rare opportunity that you must not squander." I rubbed my face with both hands, then glanced toward the window where the sky had deepened into dusk.

"Can I answer tomorrow? It's getting late, and I want to sleep on it."

"No rush." He leaned back in his chair with a reassuring smile.

"You can even answer me in a week. Would you like to sleep in my home or in your tent?"

"I think my tent." I rubbed the back of my neck.

"I need space to think. If I stay in your home, I'll feel obligated."

"I understand." He stood and stretched, his joints popping faintly.

"So, let us meet for breakfast and continue our conversation. It does not have to be about my offer. I am certain you will wake with more questions." I laughed and nodded.

"You're probably right."