Chương 59: Chapter 51: Back to School

I lay in my tent, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Lis's offer was tempting, but the thought of going back to Earth made my stomach churn. In the back of my mind, I knew I was acting like a little kid who stuck out his bottom lip, crossed his arms, and kept on refusing to do something logical. But I had accumulated a lot of trauma from the age of five until I met Sophie, and even more after her death. In a way, Earth represented all that pain.

I had done a lot of healing, mentally and emotionally, and was terrified that returning might undo all my progress. Finally, I fell asleep, and my dreams turned into a jumbled mess of my past. I saw the officer who came to my kindergarten to pick me up after my mom was killed, along with the shock and sorrow of her death. I saw my tormentor from the first foster home I lived in. He was twelve and pushed me down the stairs twice. The first time, I ended up with a concussion and a broken arm.

The second time, I broke the same arm again, both legs, and cracked two ribs. I was removed from there afterward, which was the only bright side. Then came the father in the third home who smacked us around for made-up infractions and called us "trash that nobody wants." The social worker who labeled me a "criminal in the making." The house manager in the home I was sent to after I turned thirteen, who searched our stuff and pilfered anything valuable, claiming it was a forbidden item.

Morning arrived, and I woke up surprisingly calm. In the past, when I had dreams like these, they were nightmares, and I'd wake up covered in sweat and crying. Now, I woke up like any other day. It was so surprising that I lay in bed waiting for the tears to come, but they didn't. I wasn't sad or afraid, and while lying there, I realized something important. It was glaringly obvious, but I'd never seen it before. Now it hit me like a ton of bricks on the head.

Those things were in the past, not my present or future. They could be if I let them, and only if I let them. It was my choice, my power over myself. I lay there for a while, processing and coming to terms with this realization, and admitting that in a way I'd been holding on to the past as an excuse. I took a deep breath and told myself, "The past is dead and gone. You live in the present and can create your future. The rest is just noise."

This truth settled deep within me, followed by the familiar clenching and unclenching of my being, and the energy wave that always came with it. I checked my mana. Finally, I knew how it worked! Mana: 7, 200/7, 600 Woo hoo! Lis's words about mana reflecting our essence made sense. I grew, so my mana grew. I shook my head with a smile. Maybe I had planned to continue traveling to other worlds, but it was a good idea to return to Earth, this time on my own terms.

Both to complete my healing process and to earn more points and Classes. Lis was right. It was a golden opportunity, and I'd be stupid to squander it. I headed to Lis's house and knocked on the door, hoping it wasn't too early. He answered fully dressed and looking wide awake.

"Come in. Where is Stretch?" he asked, glancing around. I waved in the general direction of the mountains.

"Exploring."

"Would you like some breakfast? I was just about to start," he offered.

"Actually, I'm dying to try out your kitchen. Can you show me how it works, and I'll cook us breakfast?" He grinned widely.

"Sure, I would be happy to." He led me to the kitchen, pointing out the round metal plates and a raised dark red crystal.

"Channel your mana into this crystal. When it is dark red, it is full. As it gets used up, the color fades. When it turns light pink, it is empty." He pointed at a knob that looked like a watch cogwheel.

"This controls the temperature. The higher the temperature, the more mana it uses."

"Thanks," I said with a smile, and pushed him out of the kitchen.

"Go relax. I'll call you when it's ready." I rubbed my hands in anticipation, bouncing on my toes. I loved cooking, and a magical kitchen raised my hobby to a whole new level. I also wanted to examine the cooking system from the inside to figure out how it was built, but I told myself to be patient. It was fun to cook in a proper kitchen instead of over a campfire, and the magical aspect made it an experience.

Although the actions themselves were the same, the circumstances made me hum and whistle with joy throughout the entire process. I made pancakes, bacon, sunny-side-up eggs, and hash browns, and had a blast. While cooking, I had a thought: I'd seen gas stovetops with two or three burners that didn't use electricity. Why hadn't I thought of buying one? If my mechanical camera worked, there was no reason a stovetop wouldn't. I facepalmed, sighed, and shook my head. The past is dead; look to the future.

With this optimistic thought in mind, I kept cooking and humming. When everything was ready, I stepped onto the porch and shouted, "Stretch! Breakfast!" He sprinted toward me from a distance. Of course, he'd never miss breakfast or any other meal. That dog was a bottomless pit. I arranged everything on the dining table, placed a big plate for Stretch with bacon, eggs, and mukar burgers, and called Lis for breakfast.

We enjoyed our meal, and I received many compliments from Lis, accompanied by waves of agreement from Stretch. When we finished eating, I said to Lis, "I thought about your offer, and I accept it with gratitude." Lis's face brightened into a wide grin.

"I am delighted to hear that. I was hoping that would be your answer." He leaned in closer, and his expression turned more serious.

"Last night, after you went to your tent, I looked in my library and pulled out seven books that I think you should study before doing the ritual. Three cover the basics of mana. Two are about rituals, one at a basic level and the other at a more advanced level. One teaches the runic language you need for the ritual. The last discusses familiars in depth and includes the binding ritual and the re-summoning ritual." He wore an apologetic expression.

"Unfortunately, each of the seven books is in a different language, so you will need to learn seven languages. In addition, you will need a lot of mana for the ritual, so I recommend that we stay here as long as necessary because regeneration on Earth is atrocious."

"Thank you very much," I said.

"I didn't expect so many books."

"Yes. You can perform the ritual with a basic understanding of ritualism and learn only the necessary runes." He lifted a finger in warning.

"But then there will be a chance that it will fail, and if the ritual fails, it cannot be repeated. So I believe it is worth investing the time to study the subject in depth and then perform the ritual properly with guaranteed success." He looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"Do you agree with me?" I nodded.

"Yeah, you're right." He got a mischievous smile.

"Before I bring the books, have you thought of any more questions?" I grinned.

"Not really. I was busy thinking about my decision and didn't make time for questions. And if we travel together, I'll have all the time in the world to ask them." He gave a soft laugh and wagged a warning finger at me.

"So that is the reason you decided to travel with me, huh?" I chuckled.

"That was one reason." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. He gestured at the stairs.

"Would you like to come with me to my library?" I jumped up from my seat.

"Absolutely!" He laughed and motioned for me to follow. The second floor opened onto a long hallway with two doors on each side, one at the far end facing us and one to the right of the stairs. Lis walked slowly, gesturing toward the right side of the hallway.

"Those two doors are guest rooms, and each has a washroom." He turned and pointed to the left.

"The door near the stairs is my bedroom, and the next one is storage. The door at the end of the hallway and the door by the stairs are toilets." He looked back at me with a smile.

"You are welcome to stay at my home. I saw you like to cook, so you can enjoy my kitchen." He waved at the two doors on the right.

"You may stay in one of the guest rooms, and you will have access to the library if you need more references." He paused, his gaze going distant as he tilted his head from side to side.

"I estimate that it will take you at least a month to study the books and complete the ritual if you are a fast student, and chances are it will take longer." He gave a small nod toward the windows at the far end.

"I am thinking of traveling, meeting the locals, enjoying nature, and returning in forty days. What do you think?"

"All I can say is thank you. I feel a bit indebted." He laughed and patted me on the back.

"You do not always have to thank me. I enjoy guiding new Travelers, and you will help me fulfill a long-held dream. You have no reason to feel indebted; we will help each other." He climbed the stairs to the top floor. This floor had no doors; the stairs led directly into the library, which covered the entire top level. Floor-to-ceiling shelves were packed with books and scrolls, and a ladder leaned against the shelves. In the middle stood a long table with ten chairs.

Throughout the room, couches and armchairs were scattered, most facing the windows. One grouping of four armchairs surrounded a low round table with a pile of books on it. His library held hundreds of books. Before I left, I'd bought a lot of fiction along with every professional reference book I could find, so I thought I had more books than he did—at least more than he kept in this library. But the fact that all his books were about magic put it in a different perspective.

They really drove home the truth that I knew nothing about magic or mana and was only beginning to learn. Lis pointed to a pile of books on the table.

"These are the books I prepared for you. Notice that one book is alone, and the rest are arranged in a stack. The lone book is the one on the runic language. You will find that you cannot learn runes one after the other. You can learn two or three at most, and then you will need a break. So, I recommend that you start with the runes, learn as much as you can, and then begin reading the rest of the books in the order I arranged them." He pointed to another stack of books on the windowsill beside the reading area.

"If you do not understand something, I have organized some reference books there. Unfortunately, they are also in different languages, so you will have to learn them if you need more information. Do not rush to the reference books if something is not clear. Read ahead, and perhaps you will figure it out. If not, go to the reference books."

"Thank you." Yeah, he told me to stop saying that, but no other word fit.

"You are welcome. Come, I will show you your room and how to use the washroom." He led me back down the stairs and opened the door opposite his bedroom. The room was spacious, with a double bed, a chest of drawers, and a small table with two chairs by the window. On the left wall was another door, which Lis opened. Inside was a large metal bathtub, similar to copper but with a darker red color, a faucet like those on Earth, and two crystals on either side.

There was also a sink with another faucet, and next to it were two crystals. One was red; the other was light blue. I guessed that red was fire and light blue was ice. Lis pointed to the crystals.

"Same as in the kitchen, if the color is deep red, the crystal is full; if it is very light pink, it is empty and must be filled with mana. The blue crystal condenses water from the air and directs it into the faucet. Vibrant blue means it is full. Very pale blue, almost white, means it is empty. The maximum amount of mana each crystal can take is one thousand units. Before bathing, ensure that the crystals have sufficient mana, then turn on the faucet and adjust the water temperature.

I have seen very similar faucets on Earth, so I am sure you will figure out how to use them." He led me to the bathroom by the stairs and opened the door. The toilet looked strange. It was made of dark brown glass and shaped like an armchair, complete with handrests and a backrest, with a hole in the middle. Each handrest held a crystal: on the right, a clear one; on the left, a black one. Lis pointed to the glass throne.

"The clear is Purify, and the black is Void. After you use the toilet, pour five units of mana into the black crystal, and it will clean the inside. After the black, pour ten units of mana into the clear crystal, and it will purify the entire room." It looked simple and ingenious. My curiosity was killing me to see how the system worked, but I was afraid I'd break something if I tried to open it. Lis said he wanted to be a Magicaneer.

I mentally crossed my fingers and hoped he'd show me how it worked once he got the Class. We returned downstairs, and Lis pointed at the kitchen.

"I am going to stock up on food and drinks. You can go up and start studying. I will tell you before I leave." He turned to Stretch.

"You may get on the furniture, but please be careful not to ruin the upholstery with your nails. If you shed fur, please let John know so he can clean up after you. Alright?" Stretch nodded. Lis patted Stretch's head and scratched his ear.

"Thank you, Stretch. You are a great dog, and you will be an even better familiar." I went back to the library, paid five Ability Points for the runic language, and started learning. Lis was right; the first rune was easy, the second harder. After the third rune, I felt pressure in my head, and after the fourth, I got a headache. I cast Healing Touch on myself, but it didn't help. I leaned my head back and waited for the pain to pass. After fifteen minutes, the headache eased, and within half an hour, it was gone.

Yeah, I should have listened to Lis; he said two or three runes, and I shouldn't push myself. I took the first book, paid five hundred mana to learn the written language, and opened it. When I looked at the text, it was just shapes on the page. I checked my mana: 6, 515/7, 600. According to my calculations, the numbers lined up: 500 for the written language and 50 for each rune. I'd started at a little over 7, 200, so why didn't I get the language? I re-examined the text, but it still didn't work.

The third time, it still didn't work. Hmm. I went downstairs and found Lis in the kitchen, taking food from the fridge.

"Lis, can you help me, please?" I asked.

"I've hit a snag." He turned back to look at me.

"Yes?"

"I paid 500 mana to learn the written language," I said, holding up the book with a frown.

"But I look at the text and it's just hieroglyphs. I can't understand anything."

"Did you pay only for the written language or also for the language itself?" I facepalmed.

"Ahhh! Yes, that's what was missing. I didn't think about it. You can't learn to read a language without learning the language. I understand. Sorry for interrupting." I tried to slip out of the kitchen to hide my embarrassment and reddening face, but Lis stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

"Stop feeling embarrassed. You have no reason to feel this way." He wore a serious expression.

"You told me you were a doctor in your world. When you started studying medicine, did you feel embarrassed that you did not know the content of the class before the class?"

"It's not the same." He gave my shoulder a light squeeze and looked into my eyes.

"It is. You are new, and you are learning. Even I, who grew up with a Traveler father and some of his Traveler friends who sometimes came to visit, encountered things I did not know or understand. Life is a learning process. Enjoy the journey, and stop feeling embarrassed if you do not know something. Relish it. The day you no longer have something new to learn will be a very dark and sad day, I assure you." I nodded; he had a way of making me reconsider things.

"Thank you. I feel you're my sensei."

"What is sensei?"

"It's a term that comes from the cultures of the Far East, and it refers to a wise teacher who guides a student." He smiled and nodded.

"Yes, right now I am your sensei. But one day you will be someone else's sensei. So remember this experience and learn from it."

"I will. Thanks for the explanation. I'm going back to study."

"Have fun." I paid the additional mana for the language, and the hieroglyphs began to make sense. Slowly, I learned the language. I didn't absorb the content yet, but focused on the language itself. After fifteen minutes, I was reading so easily that I started from the beginning, and this time to learn the content. After about an hour, Lis came up with Stretch.

"One more thing. Your name, John, is not so unusual and has many variations in many places: Jon, Johin, Joh, Johein, Jo, and others. So even if it sounds different, it will still sound like it can originate from the world you are visiting. The name Stretch is much more unusual, and I am sure that in many places people will have trouble pronouncing it."

"Yeah. Here, most people call him Sresh," I said.

"I thought so. Therefore, I suggest you change the name before the ritual. Once the ritual is complete, his name will be set in stone. I talked about it with Stretch, and I have an idea he likes. Your family name is Rue. It is a short and simple name that can sound like a dog's name almost anywhere. By giving him your family name, you will be making him part of your family, so Stretch likes that. What do you think?"

"You won't have a problem getting used to a new name?" I asked Stretch. He shook his head.

"You want to be called Rue?" He nodded, wagged his tail, and flooded me with approval. I understood he answered with nods and head shakes for Lis's benefit. Smart dog.

"Okay, buddy, you're Rue now," I said. He licked my face and wagged his tail even harder. Lis pulled on Stretch's Rue's bandana.

"Let us go back downstairs; John needs to study." They left, and I went back to my book. Lis left a few hours later. Rue and I escorted him out. He took out a glider, strapped it to his arms, chest, and legs, and took a few running steps. I felt a large burst of mana with an air or maybe wind flavor, and it lifted him into the sky. I watched in amazement. Wow, I want one too. I returned inside and continued studying.