Chương 66: Book 2—Prologue: Taking a Chance

After two years on the colonization project, Mahya was bored out of her mind. She had joined the exploration initiative to see space, not to be stuck on an empty rock doing maintenance on a power plant. She tightened the same bolt until the threads gleamed, and most mornings watched the conversion rings spin because there was nothing else to do. Her boredom reached such intensity that she was willing to risk it all—even the perils of a very high mana world.

She whispered thanks to the Guiding Spirits for having the sense not to convert her Invisibility spell and Stealth skill when she converted the rest of her skills and spells to engineering, a decision she now seriously questioned. Mahya stocked up on provisions, told her supervisor she was going out for a walk, and headed to the Gate. Traveler's Gate #525463517667 Destination: Nami Status: Integrated If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Mana Level: 95 Threat Level: Lethal She steadied herself and stepped through. For five days, she ran as fast as she could with Invisibility and Stealth engaged. The landscape kept twisting and changing. The Map had an unbelievable number of Gates—hundreds, thousands, maybe millions—yet she couldn't reach any of them. The ground constantly vanished beneath her feet, and each time she reappeared somewhere else.

Once she landed on a ridge of black crystal that shredded her boots; another time, on a patch of red sand that tried to suck her in. Only her Jump skill saved her that time. Things attacked her without pause. Cliffs morphed into monsters that lunged at her, and plants turned into jagged maws that tried to devour her. Something with too many wings swept past her cheek, carving deep cuts. Vines coiled out of stone and morphed into hammers that tried to smash her. She cut, jumped, dodged, and ran.

Finally, she reached a Gate, and to her relief, the ground stayed solid this time. Traveler's Gate #237 Destination: Tír na nÓg Status: Integrated Mana Level: 89 Threat Level: Lethal She was bleeding, starving, shaking, and wheezing, but she was alive. She had no choice.