Chương 75: B2—Chapter 8: Friends Are Awesome

We flew from Paris to Moscow. I could take Rue on the plane as a service dog, but I still had to buy him a seat because of his size. He actually used it, demanded that I lift the armrest, and then flopped on top of me. With all his fur pressed against me, I spent the entire four-hour flight squished and sweating bullets. September in Europe was cool enough, but Rue's personal furnace made me feel as if I had stuffed myself into a wool coat in a heated room. We spent a week touring Moscow.

A couple of rainy days kept us in the hotel, but most of the time the weather was nice enough for sightseeing. We visited the Kremlin and Red Square, where Rue immediately made friends with a class of six- or seven-year-olds. Their teacher looked like she was a second away from murdering us. Instead of listening to her, every kid was busy petting Rue, who loved every moment. We left quickly before she buried us under the cobblestones. From Moscow, we flew to Tomsk in Siberia.

Tomsk was the northernmost Gate on our list, so we wanted to check it first. We took a quick tour of the city, wandered through the Tomsk Regional Art Museum, and then rented a car for the drive to the Gate. Traveler's Gate #466214228 Destination: Payan Status: Integrated Mana level: 24 Threat level: Moderate-low Rue stayed on the Earth side to guard the Gate. The rest of us cast Invisibility and stepped through.

On the other side stretched a patch of scrubby grassland under a pale sky, with low hills rising in the distance and no signs of people nearby. From Tomsk we flew to Irkutsk, still in Siberia. We toured the city for a few days, then rented a car and drove out toward the Gate. It also led to Payan. Once again, two nearby Gates led to the same place, and the numbers were consecutive. This time, the other side led to a rocky slope scattered with dark boulders and sparse bushes clinging to the ground.

Invisibility, in and out. My red light started blinking. Level up +1 to all Traits, +5 Free Points, +1 Ability Point Class: Gate Traveler Level 4 Free Points: 5 Ability Points: 103 Gates to the next level: 12 My lowest traits were Strength and Agility. After some consideration, I added the points to Strength. Yes, lately I'd had fewer shocks, but the mental aspect was still tempting. There was no way I didn't have a few shocks waiting around some corner, ready to surprise me. I nudged Lis.

"In the UK, all the gates lead to Tír na nÓg; the two Gates in Germany lead to Shimoor; in the Americas, the Gates in the north lead to Lumis, and the south to the same two tech worlds; and now in Russia, two Gates lead to the same place. Doesn't that seem strange to you?" Lis tilted his head, considering.

"I never saw the phenomenon before. Maybe it's because of the imminent integration?"

"Yeah, could be. It's still strange." Lis gave a thoughtful nod.

"Yes, it is. I'm learning new things here." From Irkutsk, we flew to Saint Petersburg; my internet research told me it was a beautiful city, and I wanted to see it. We spent a week touring the city, and it was everything I had hoped for. Lis had to drag me from one spot to another as I kept stopping to take pictures. At some point, he had had enough and told Rue, "He's your human; you drag him."

Rue turned his head away from him, lifted his nose as high as possible, lifted his tail straight up like a cat (I think he cheated with Telekinesis), and padded regally away. Lis looked perplexed and shouted after him, "Traitor." The girls and I couldn't stop laughing. From there, we took a train to Kirishi, took a taxi to the outskirts of town, and walked to the Gate on foot. Again, the Gate led to Payan.

This time, snow blanketed the other side, while a frozen lake extended into the distance beneath a pale gray sky. We returned to Saint Petersburg, flew to Tampere in Finland, and took the train to Rovaniemi in Lapland. In Rovaniemi, we toured the city and went to the Gate. Travelers Gate #254781364 Destination: Tuonela Status: Integrated Mana level: 61 Threat level: High Lis and Mahya looked at each other, moved away a little, and started talking in whispers. After a few minutes, they returned.

Lis told Lyura and me, "Wait here. Don't go through the Gate. We will check to see if it's safe and come back." We waited for twenty minutes, and only Lis returned. He walked up to me with a serious expression.

"There are great trees on the other side of the Gate that are suitable for a project Mahya and I are working on. Would you be willing to help us cut some down? Of course, we will protect you."

"Sure." Lis smiled.

"Thank you, my friend." He turned to Lyura.

"Cast Invisibility, in and out of the Gate. Don't linger inside." Turning to Rue, Lis added, "Come with us; stay close to John." Rue nodded. Finally, Lis turned back to Lyura.

"After you leave the Gate, book a hotel room and text us which hotel. We might be delayed, and will check our phones when we cross back." The other side was a dense, ancient forest, the kind that had clearly been growing for a very long time. The air smelled of damp earth and moss, thick enough to feel almost tangible. As usual, the Gate anchors were two enormous stones. Massive trees rose straight up, their trunks wide and close together, disappearing into the darkness above.

The bark carried a muted glow and had a smooth, metallic sheen that caught what little light there was. The branches started far overhead, woven into a thick canopy that blocked most of the light. Only thin patches of light made it through, breaking across the forest floor and leaving deep shadows between the trees. Somewhere in the distance, deep roars rolled through the forest, vibrating in my chest before fading away. Mahya waited for us on the other side of the Gate, her eyes scanning the surroundings.

Lis stepped closer and gripped my upper arm.

"Cast Invisibility and stay close to the Gate. Mahya and I are going to do another round to make sure everything's clear, and I will come back for you. When you see me, just cancel your Invisibility." I frowned.

"How do I cancel a spell? I have no idea."

"You just intend to cancel it and pour some mana into that intention." With a nod, I cast Invisibility and stood there waiting. After a few minutes, I heard the distant sounds of fighting, and then silence. Lis reappeared, blood splattered across his clothes.

"Come. Stay close to me." My eyes widened at the sight of the blood.

"Are you hurt? Need healing?" He shook his head, already moving.

"It's not mine." We moved about two hundred yards, the trees gradually thinning out, allowing more light to filter through.

"What's your Intelligence number?" Lis asked, glancing around at the trees.

"Fifty-six," I said, wondering where this was going. He scanned the trees, then nodded to himself.

"Should work." After a beat, he turned back to me.

"How many times did you enlarge your Storage?"

"Three. On my status, it shows as times four."

"Enlarge it at least twice more, and if necessary, a third time. We will find you workshops to compensate," he said.

"Now use your mana sense to examine all the trees around you and pick ten with the most mana. You need to cut them down, but a regular axe won't do it. There's too much mana in the wood. You will need to coat the axe edge with mana or figure out how to cut it with magic. Can you handle that?" I straightened my shoulders.

"Not yet, but I'll figure it out." He nodded, satisfied.

"Don't feel pressured, but don't delay either. Mahya and I will be making rounds to keep any monsters or beasts from getting too close to you, but stay alert. Keep an eye on your surroundings and listen to your Perception and Luck. When you cut down a tree, store it immediately and move on to the next." Lis then turned to Rue, who had been watching silently.

"Make yourself invisible and patrol in a tight circle around John. If something approaches, don't engage; you're not ready for that. Howl, and I will come running." Rue nodded and disappeared. I enlarged my Storage twice more and had to do the stretching trick again so the trees would actually fit. Then, I pulled out the biggest axe I had and coated the edge with mana, but the moment I cut the connection, it fizzled out. The next two times, same result.

My frustration kept building as I tried again and again, and the distant sounds of fighting didn't help, only feeding my worry about Lis and Mahya. Switching approaches, I tried something else. I formed a thin line of mana, shaped to cut, and pressed it against the trunk. The tree was so saturated with mana that it felt like trying to slice solid steel with a butter knife. I forced the irritation down and went back to the axe. If the mana kept dissipating when I let go, then I shouldn't let go.

Coating the entire axe in mana did the trick, and this time it held. I thinned it along the edge until it was hair-thin, then added the sharpness aspect. With a deep breath, I swung with everything I had. The axe hit, but all it left was a tiny, barely visible scratch. Teeth clenched, I kept going, each swing deepening the mark just a little. It was progress in theory, but it felt like the tree was winning. For the next attempt, I cast Exude Mana directly into the scratch and swung again.

This time, the axe bit into the wood, almost half an inch. It wasn't much, but it was genuine progress. I pushed further. Instead of casting the spell, I colored my mana with the Exude Mana aspect and forced it into the tree. It felt like pushing through thick gel, but I managed about an inch. Splitting my mind, I coated the axe again and swung. This time, it sank as deep as my mana had reached. I pumped my fist in the air. Success!

It took me over forty minutes to cut down the first tree, but it finally started falling in my direction. I jumped out of the way, but shouldn't have bothered. The other trees caught the canopy, causing it to stop mid-fall. Phew. After I tried and failed to store it, I examined the cut area and noticed that a few small pieces were still attached. Finally, after two more swings, the cut was complete. I tried storing it again and had to really flex my mental muscles.

It felt like lifting a car with my mind, and it spasmed for a second, but the tree vanished into my Storage. One down, nine to go. Lis checked on me regularly and was thrilled when I solved the edge problem. As I cut down the fourth tree, Mahya stumbled into my area with two long, nasty cuts running from her shoulder all the way to her hand. My heart skipped a beat, and I ran over right away to heal her. Something was clearly wrong. The wounds were oozing blood with a greenish tint.

I cast Diagnose, and sure enough, poison was already moving through her system. To stop it from spreading, I had to cast Neutralize Poison again and again. The toxin fought back every step of the way, but I wouldn't let it win. It felt like an eternity, but in the end, I stopped it. Once the poison was gone, I could finally give my full attention to the cuts themselves. She thanked me and rushed off, and I went back to cutting trees.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. After chopping down six trees, a sharp sense of danger hit me out of nowhere. The area looked empty, but just in case, I whispered, "Rue, come here." Almost immediately, Rue pressed against my leg. I looked around again, trying to pinpoint the source of the threat, but the forest remained eerily quiet. The feeling didn't fade, though.

Focusing on the surrounding mana, I probed deeper, but all I felt was the usual hum of the forest. Despite that, my Perception and Luck insisted that something was wrong.

"Howl," I told Rue.

"We need help." Rue's howl echoed through the trees, and I kept scanning every shadow. Then something pinged in my Perception. I locked onto it. Whatever it was, it was moving underground, coming straight for us. I summoned my operating table and hopped onto it, then urged Rue, "Jump up." Rue joined me just as Lis sprinted into view.

"Something's moving underground," I blurted out.

"Fucking burrowers," Lis barked and stomped his foot into the ground.

"Tell me when it's close, and get your axe ready with a mana edge." I tracked the thing as it closed in, feeling its movement through the ground. When it got close enough, I shouted, "Now!" Lis jumped back just as the ground erupted. A massive green snake, two feet wide, burst out of the earth, its four eyes glaring, two giant fangs dripping with venom, and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. The creature froze mid-strike, and Lis said through clenched teeth, "Chop its head off with the axe. Quickly.

I can't hold it for long. It's too strong." I jumped off the table and ran to the snake. My hands tightened around the axe as I swung with all my might. The first hit barely made a dent, but I didn't stop. I swung again and again, my muscles burning with the effort. On the fifth swing, the axe finally cleaved through, and the snake's head thudded to the ground. Lis, drenched in sweat and visibly shaking, let out a breath.

"Store it. We can harvest it later," he said, his voice strained.

"If the Guidance offers you a class, don't take it. I need to help Mahya." Then he rushed off. I didn't waste time. The snake went into Storage, and I went straight back to the tree I'd been working on. I swung faster, pushing the pace. My muscles burned, and I had to cast Heal Muscle every few minutes to keep myself upright. The last thing I wanted was to slow things down, especially with Lis and Mahya dealing with those snakes. Just thinking about it made me shudder.

After cutting down another two trees, Lis came running and extended his hand. His palm was a mess, shredded and bloody.

"Poison." I cast Neutralize Poison repeatedly until he was clean, then healed the wound. Without another word, Lis rushed off again. With just two trees left, I pushed myself harder, determined to finish quickly. My arms felt like lead, but I refused to slow down. Finally, after what felt like hours, the tenth tree crashed to the ground. I'd been chopping for at least five hours straight, and the sounds of fighting had never stopped. I shouted into the forest, "Lis, Mahya, I'm done!"

Mahya emerged from the shadows like a ghost.

"I heard you killed a burrower. What did you use?" she asked.

"An axe," I said, still catching my breath.

"Take out a sword, create a mana edge, and get ready," she instructed, her tone serious. A minute later, Lis came back, a strange lizard hot on his heels. He looked focused, his expression tight with strain.

"Kill the monster with the sword," Mahya said. I channeled mana on the blade, and after two swings, the creature collapsed, lifeless. Lis nodded approvingly.

"Don't harvest it for a crystal; we're after a different benefit. Prepare all the types of swords you trained with. I will lead monsters to you, and you kill them. Always use mana with the weapon." I nodded, understanding the plan, and he disappeared again. As I prepared the swords, Mahya kept circling the area.

"Extend your mana sense as far as you can, above and below ground." I did as she said, and my mana sense reached about twelve feet in every direction. Wincing, I realized how useful that was. I really should've been doing it all along. Monitoring things with mana made perfect sense. Lis soon returned, leading monster after monster. I killed them systematically, first with swords, then moving on to polearms, war axes, and even daggers.

Each time, I coated the weapon with mana, slicing through the beasts with a growing sense of confidence. After a while, Lis glanced toward the treeline and then at Mahya.

"Patrol a little wider. We need a few minutes." She gave a curt nod and moved off, eyes scanning as she went. Lis turned back to me.

"I know you trained with a staff, bow, war hammers, and screaming sticks."

"Eskrima sticks," I corrected him. He smiled faintly.

"Sorry. Eskrima sticks." He tilted his head, thinking.

"Any other blunt or ranged weapons?"

"Bamboo kendo sword and crossbow."

"Gun?" I shook my head.

"Why not?"

"I don't like them." Lis raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't you like them? They seem pretty useful."

"As a doctor, I treated too many gunshot wounds." He watched me for a second, then a hint of teasing crept into his voice.

"So you should know how effective they are if you treated the wounds, no?"

"When you put it that way…" I trailed off, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Never mind," he said, waving it off.

"Now I need you to figure out how to apply mana to the other weapons you know and kill monsters."

"Why?"

"Because a magical fighting class is better than a mundane one," he said matter-of-factly. I experimented with my staff and, after a few minutes, remembered the electric arc I'd created in Paris. It took some trial and error to get the aspect just right, figuring out how to trigger it instantly without keeping it active. Lightning isn't exactly something you want to hold onto. Eventually, I coated the staff in mana that would initiate the aspect the moment it made contact.

"Lis, I'm ready," I called out. He led a few more monsters my way, and I took them down, bashing and electrocuting them at the same time. After the last one fell, I asked, "Those monsters didn't look too scary, but I heard you fighting; it sounded intense, and you both got hurt. How come?" Lis wiped some sweat from his brow and shrugged.

"Those are the small fry we didn't bother with. We cleared out the actual threats. At least, I think we did." Next, Lis wanted me to figure out how to coat my arrows with mana and shoot them, but no matter what I tried, the mana connection broke and dissipated the moment they left the bow. Finally, he said, "I will lead monsters to you, and you shoot them but don't kill them—just paralyze them—and then finish them with magic. I think it will work."

We went through the process again, and I kept killing monster after monster. I must confess, this wasn't quite my idea of a good time. Despite understanding why I needed the class, I simply wasn't into such calculated brutality. I didn't mind training, hunting for food, or defending myself from an attack, but this systematic carnage felt wrong. Eventually, we cycled through all the weapons I was familiar with, and I felt pretty confident we'd completed the task.

The red light had been blinking repeatedly for the last three hours, but I was wrong. Lis turned to me and said, "Now, unarmed combat." I blinked at him in disbelief.

"Seriously? You want me to punch a monster to death?" He nodded, completely serious.

"Yes, and add magic to the mix." I sighed in defeat.

"Fine." I braced myself and took on another three defenseless monsters, this time coating my hands and feet with mana. It took a few solid punches and kicks, but I finally took them down. My hands and feet were buzzing with leftover energy, but at least it was over. Lis and Mahya did one last round to check for any remaining monsters, leaving Rue and me to wait. I slumped to the ground, exhausted, and Rue curled up beside me. After twenty minutes, Mahya returned, looking worse for wear but still focused.

Lis followed five minutes later, looking equally tired.

"My side looks clear; how's yours?" Lis asked, his voice hoarse.

"I didn't see anything," Mahya said. They joined me on the ground, leaned their heads back against the tree, and closed their eyes. They didn't look asleep, just resting with purpose. I poked at the red light. You have demonstrated advanced ability with many weapons. New Class unlocked: [Battle Master]. Would you like the Battle Master class to be your subclass? Cost: 5 Ability Points Y/N Of course, I clicked yes. I planned to open my profile and read the class description, but the red light was still blinking.

Synergy Detected You have successfully combined free mana manipulation from the Wizard class with martial combat techniques eligible for the Battle Master class. This integration exceeds the expected performance of either class when used independently. New option unlocked: [Class Combination] Wizard + Battle Master Would you like to combine your Wizard class and your Battle Master class? Note: The combined class advances as a single entity. All aspects must progress together to gain levels.

Y/N Completely stumped and unsure of what to do, I turned to Lis for help. I pushed mana into the screen, and it popped into existence.

"Lis, take a look at the message I got," I said, gesturing toward the screen.

"Should I go for it?" Lis leaned in, scanning the message quickly.

"Definitely." I frowned, uncertain.

"But what about the part where I have to advance all the components? It sounds like I'd need to do wizard stuff and fight to level up. Wouldn't it be better to level them separately?" Lis straightened up, giving me a questioning look.

"Are you in a hurry to level up?" I shrugged.

"No, not really. But I don't see what the benefit is."

"An empty Subclass slot."

"Oh, I didn't think of that." I chose yes. This time, the red light didn't blink again. My profile had a new line: Wizard Battle Master. When I poked it, a big block of text appeared. WIZARD This is a rare, sought-after lineage Class. Wizards are scholars of magic and mana, dedicating their lives to understanding the nature and behavior of this force. They study its flow, its manifestations, and its countless iterations in all known traditions. Wizards are the ones who advance magical knowledge in all its forms.

They develop spells, combine them, and expand upon them, pushing past old boundaries. Their work creates new ways to shape magic and develops new methods for utilizing mana, treating it as both a science and an art. This Class does not come with spells, skills, or abilities—the Wizard develops their own, crafting knowledge into power. +3 Intelligence, +3 Wisdom, +3 Perception, +1 to all other Traits. This Class does not receive Free Points. BATTLE MASTER This is an advanced fighting class.

Battle Masters can wield any weapon and are adept in various fighting disciplines, with or without magic. A Battle Master can learn any fighting discipline more efficiently and, after level ten, can teach others with significant benefits to the students. +3 Strength, +3 Agility, +3 Constitution, +2 Vitality, +3 Free Points Combined Class WIZARD BATTLE MASTER This class blends both aspects of its constituent parts. To advance in levels, you must progress in magic and combat. +3 to all Traits.

This class does not receive free points. It annoyed me that I lost the free stat points at every level, but otherwise it sounded great. When I checked, the Wizard section in the profile looked different.

PERSONAL INFORMATION Name: John Ripper Age: 20 Familiar: Rue Level 0 Display Class: Healer Level 11 Healer Spells: Heal Muscles (17) Diagnose (13) Stop Bleeding (5) Heal Bone (9) Control Blood (13) Healing Touch (25) Clean (12) Neutralize Poison (3) Purify (11) Anesthesia (7) Regrow Flesh (4) Fortify Life Force (7) Cleanse (1) Neutralize Curse Class: Gate Traveler Level 4 Gates to the next level: 2/12 Class Abilities: Conversion Traveler's Archive Identify Storage x 6 (1, 728 m 3) Local Adaptation: -Spoken Language -Written Language One of the Crowd Traveler's Map Subclass 2 Wizard Battle Master Level 3 Wizard Abilities: Mind Split x3 Mana Sensing [Medior] Mana Saturation [Junior] Mana Manipulation [Adept] Mana Regeneration x 2 Wizard Spells: Harvest Mana Crystal [In Progress] Harvest Game [In Progress] Battle Master Skills: Unarmed Combat [Apprentice] Ranged Weapons [Apprentice] Blunt Weapons [Apprentice] Mana Combat [Apprentice] Bladed Weapons [Novice] Polearm Mastery [Novice] Hafted Weapons [Novice] Profession: Merchant Level 6 Merchant Skills: Bargain (6) Sense Honesty (5) Appraisal (9) A Nose for Business (10) General Spells: Mana Dart (1) Mana Shield (3) Spellbinding (2) Invisibility (4) Mend (2) Adaptable Light Ball (6) Restore (12) Heat (2) Absorb Mana (2) Exude Mana (4) Privacy Sphere (2) Copy Magical Text (2) Telepathy (1) Telekinesis General Skills: Pasta Making Beer Brewing Pencil Sketching Minor Spell Adaptation (1) Mana Meditation (8) Photography (4) Develop Negative (2) Print Photograph (2) Guitar Playing (7) Skinning (1) Butchering (1) Mining (6) Flute Playing Violin Playing Piano Saxophone Playing Harmonica Playing Lute Playing Health: 5, 000/5, 000 Mana: 8, 800/8, 800 Strength: 43 Agility: 38 Constitution: 46 Vitality: 54 Intelligence: 56 Wisdom: 66 Perception: 41 Luck: 33 Free Points: 0 Ability Points: 103 My Mana Manipulation progressed, and the various fighting disciplines disappeared from General Skills, which made sense, but the level of the new class confused me, so I turned to Lis and poked his shoulder.

He opened his eyes and looked at me.

"When I got all my other classes, I always got those 'level up' messages," I said.

"But this new class is already at level three, and I didn't get any notifications this time. What's going on?" Lis tilted his head, thinking for a second.

"What level was your wizard class?"

"Three." He nodded to himself.

"You told me you killed in Shimoor, hunted and took down monsters, and you've killed quite a few today. All that experience and advancement you banked from those actions carried over to the new class, and it was enough that you didn't lose levels from Wizard. It might even be enough that you won't need to fight for a while." I blinked, trying to wrap my head around that.

"But this class is supposed to give more stats, right? I didn't get any messages about those either." Lis raised an eyebrow.

"Check your traits; you might have gotten them without realizing it." A glance at my traits confirmed it. Sure enough, there was +9 Strength, +9 Agility, +9 Constitution, and +6 Vitality. They matched the stats of the Battle Master class. But the thing that irked me was that I didn't get any of the free points. The system cheated me! I waited for a rebuke, but it didn't come. After a moment, I let it go. This was still an amazing class, and I was more than grateful to Lis and Mahya for helping me get it.

Thinking about it made me grin. Friends are really awesome!