Chương 82: B2—Chapter 14: We Got to Move It Move It

After Lis let me off the hook regarding training, we took a train from Bucharest to Brasov, toured Brasov, rented a car, and drove to the Gate. Lis touched the Gate and grimaced.

"Blech! I hate these things."

"You should read the local literature about them, especially the romantic stuff; it's hilarious," Mahya suggested with a wide grin. When I touched the Gate, my eyes widened.

"They're real?!" Traveler's Gate #468217257 Destination: Královstvíto Krven Status: Integrated Mana level: 52 Threat level: Nosferatu–non. Other beings–lethal.

"What are those?" Lyura asked.

"Human predators—blood drinkers," Lis said.

"Never go to a world like that; they will either eat you or make you a blood slave." Mahya waved him off.

"With her element, she should be fine. They're highly flammable."" BAD!" Rue shouted in my mind.

"Yeah, buddy, they sound nasty," I murmured, reaching down to give his ear a comforting scratch. Rue had been growing fast; his head now nearly reached my chest.

"You should buy him Telepathy so he can talk to all of us," Lis suggested. Lyura looked towards the Gate, her expression serious.

"So, do we go in or give up on this one?"

"With Invisibility, there shouldn't be a problem," Lis said.

"Just to be safe, I will cross first and return last." I bought Rue Telepathy, and it cost me 5 points. FIVE POINTS! A familiar was an expensive business. As soon as I got him the ability, all three of them winced and started scratching his ears and neck. Of course the first thing he said/shouted to them was to ask for scratches. The other side of the Gate was downright spooky. A big red ball hung in the sky, but I couldn't tell if it was a sun or a moon, almost completely covered by thick clouds.

The Gate itself was in the middle of a forest, where all the trees looked gnarled and crooked, with no leaves. It was cold, and the air felt heavy when I breathed. With a shudder, I crossed right back. We returned to Brasov and took a train to Cluj-Napoca. We spent three days there and loved the architecture, then rented a car and drove to the Gate, which also led to Království Krven. By this point, I was expecting it.

The other side was dark and spooky again, with mountains in the distance and roars as the soundtrack. Yeah, nasty place. From Romania, we flew to Lisbon, Portugal, and spent three days touring the city's highlights and thoroughly enjoying the food. I stocked up on delicious supplies, and as I packed a bag with the local delicacies, I shot the others a warning look.

"This is mine. If you want any, buy your own." Three pairs of eyes fixed on me, pouting in unison, while Rue, lounging under the table, telegraphed a wave of smug satisfaction. We rented a car and drove to the next gate. Traveler's Gate #369017227 Destination: Stinojopheleshawizhnzarnoshwitly Status: Integrated Mana level: 46 Threat level: Low What the hell?!

"I love those!" Lis exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he practically bounced on his toes.

"What is it?" I asked, confused by his sudden enthusiasm.

"Genomey world."

"How do you know?"

"The name," he explained, pointing at the Gate.

"It's always very long and ridiculous, and you need to learn to pronounce it correctly before first contact, or they will get really offended."

"I read something about them in the Archive. Aren't they really short?"

"Yes," Lis nodded, holding his hand at waist height.

"The tallest only comes up to about here. But they're amazing engineers and inventors, very smart, and they've got advanced magic knowledge. They're also a lot of fun," he added, his smile widening.

"How do I pass as a local? Aren't I too tall?"

"They will just assume it's a genetic mutation and feel sorry for you," he said with a chuckle.

"It will actually work in your favor—they will buy you plenty of drinks out of pity. This might be my next world if we don't find anything better; I love Genomey." That thought hit me like a punch to the gut. At some point, each of us would move on to another world, and the realization settled into a deep, lingering sadness. We were at different levels of ability and knowledge, and from a purely logical standpoint, it made little sense to keep traveling together.

Logic, however, did nothing to make it easier to accept. We crossed the Gate somewhere along the way, but I didn't notice anything about the other side, too caught up in my own head. I knew I would miss Lis terribly, despite his torturous training. After over four years of traveling together, he was no longer just a friend. He was family. I would miss Mahya too. Her impish spirit, the way she could turn almost anything into something to laugh about. But not in the same way I would miss Lis.

The idea of not having him around left me feeling empty and unmoored. He had become my anchor, and imagining a future without him in it felt like stepping into the unknown without a map. On the train ride from Lisbon to Madrid, I grew melancholy and lost myself in thought. Lis noticed my mood shift, his brow furrowing with concern. He slipped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into a side hug.

"Is everything all right?" he asked quietly. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. I hesitated, then sighed.

"Yeah, I just realized that we'll part ways at some point, and I'll miss your company and friendship." Lis gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"We can keep in touch."

"How?"

"In the Archive, did you see posts that start with strange word combinations and don't make much sense?"

"Yeah. I wondered about those."

"Those are messages between Traveler friends," Lis said, his voice softening as he leaned in closer.

"We should pick a word combination of our own, something unique to us. That way, we can send each other messages no matter where we are. And listen, if you ever need me—really need me—just send an SOS with the Gate chain attached. I don't care if I'm ten worlds away or on the other side of the universe. I will find a way to get to you," he said, his tone turning serious, the playful light in his eyes replaced with unwavering determination. He looked me in the eye, making sure I got how serious he was.

At that moment, I realized I wouldn't be alone, no matter what. Lis would be there, even if it meant crossing countless worlds to reach me.

"And you better do the same for me," he added with a crooked smile, the seriousness of the moment melting back into his usual good-natured warmth.

"No excuses." I nodded.

"I will," I promised, my voice steadier now. Having this kind of connection made the future seem less intimidating. It wasn't just about the code words or the Gates. It was about knowing that someone had your back, no matter where you were. That thought made me feel a lot better. As the train rocked gently on its tracks, the rhythmic clatter filling the small compartment, Lis leaned back in his seat with a grin.

"Alright, let's come up with our Archive names," he said, his eyes sparkling with mischief. I thought for a moment, then offered, "How about 'Healer' or 'Doctor' for me?" Mahya chuckled.

"Or… how about 'Clueless'?" she suggested with a playful smirk. I blinked, taken aback.

"What? No way!" I protested immediately, sitting up straighter.

"I know stuff! I'm not clueless!" My voice took on a slight edge of panic as I noticed the others nodding enthusiastically. Mahya covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"It's kind of perfect, though," she teased.

"You've got that 'deer in headlights' look half the time." Even Rue had a shouted opinion.

"CLUELESS! FUNNY!"

"Come on, guys, I've been learning a lot!" I protested again, glancing around at their grinning faces.

"I can't be 'Clueless'—it's not fair!" Lis laughed and patted my back.

"It does fit to some extent." I groaned, trying one last time to salvage my dignity.

"What about 'Strategist'? Or 'Guide'? Something that sounds competent?" Lyura, who had been quietly watching the exchange, finally spoke up.

"Sorry, John, but 'Clueless' has a certain… charm to it." I slumped back in my seat, defeated.

"Fine," I muttered.

"But I'm not happy about it." Lis hugged and squeezed my shoulder, still chuckling.

"You will grow into it." Rue nudged my leg, his tail wagging.

"PATS? SCRATCHES?" Mahya shook her head.

"Sorry, Rue, but you're 'Hungry.' You're always thinking with your stomach."

"Lis should be Sensei," I suggested. Lis shook his head, still chuckling.

"No, too dignified. I think 'Inventor' sounds less pompous."

"How exactly is it less pompous?" I shot back.

"If anything, it's even more pompous." He and Mahya burst into laughter.

"Inventor is perfect," Mahya declared, nodding in agreement.

"And I should be Versailles. After all, that's the palace I'm going to recreate one day, down to the last chandelier. The name will remind me to keep the dream alive. And I think Lyura should be Television." Lyura looked up, surprised.

"Television? Why?"

"Because your nose is always stuck in it," Mahya teased. Lyura pouted.

"Why do you get your dream, and I get television?"

"You do love it," I pointed out, trying to be helpful.

"Fine," she griped, crossing her arms.

"At least I'm not Clueless."

"You see," I said, turning to the others and pointing at Lyura.

"Even she thinks the moniker Clueless is ridiculous. Come on, guys, Healer would suit me so much better." They exchanged amused glances, smiling widely, before shaking their heads in unison. Lis hugged me again—like that was going to help—and Mahya blew me an air kiss, clearly enjoying my frustration. How did those two get what they wanted, and I got stuck with Clueless? It wasn't fair.

After lunch, the girls looked around to see if there were any witnesses and took out their laptops, while Lis and I took out our books. I was still giving him the stink eye occasionally, but he would just laugh and hug my shoulders. I sighed—friends were annoying sometimes—and got back to my book. A short time later, Mahya said, "You all need to see this." And turned her laptop screen towards us. There was a story that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) had started acting up.

Sometimes it would stop working for a few seconds, then come back; other times, it would run faster or slower. Recently, the scientists who work with the LHC have received strange readings.

"In the next Gate, we should check the mana reading on this side," Lis said. When we reached Madrid, we didn't even bother touring the city. We took a train to Toledo, rented a car, and went straight to the Gate. Unsurprisingly, it led to Stinojopheleshawizhnzarnoshwitly. At this point, if it had led somewhere else, that would have been more surprising. The other side led into the middle of a dense forest. Lis glanced around, then shook his head.

"If I don't find anything better, I'll use the other Gate, not this one," he said. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't recall what was on the other side of the previous Gate to Stinojopheleshawizhnzarnoshwitly. The thought nagged at me, like a name on the tip of my tongue, but the memory remained blank. We all reached out and touched the Gate, checking the mana levels on Earth.

Traveler's Gate #369017225 Destination: Earth/Gaia/Terra Status: Unintegrated Mana level: 6 Technology level: Low Threat level: Moderate The mana level had increased by another two points over the past four years.

"We need to start moving faster," Lis said in a serious tone.

"Another two points, and it will be too dangerous to go on a plane." I tried to stay optimistic.

"It took four years to go up by two points; we've got time." Lis shook his head, his expression serious.

"The higher the level gets, the faster it rises. We don't have as much time as it seems." Goddamnit! From Toledo, we took a train to Barcelona. Urgency or not, skipping this city wasn't happening. Lis tried to argue, but I dug in. I had wanted to see Gaudí's creations for years, and being this close, the subject wasn't up for debate. We stood inside the Sagrada Família, all of us quietly taking it in. Lis tilted his head back, his gaze tracing the towers as they climbed into the sky.

Light filtered through the colored glass and spilled across the stone, shifting with every step we took. He let out a slow breath, then glanced at me with a small smile.

"Very well," he said, almost to himself. His eyes drifted back to the ceiling.

"This… was worth the delay." We ended up staying five days, touring the city. I stocked up on food, and the girls bought a lot of clothes on Passeig de Gràcia. We rented a car and drove to Congost de Mont-rebel Nature Preserve. It was disappointing not to see more of Spain, but I accepted the need to move faster. The Gate was in the preserve, and, of course, it led to Stinojopheleshawizhnzarnoshwitly. God, the name was ridiculous.

Just knowing I'd need to learn to pronounce it might be enough to keep me from ever visiting a Genomey world. This time, the other side opened into a cave system, and Lis still thought the first Gate, the one I couldn't remember, was the better option. After the Gate, we drove to Lleida and got hotel rooms. Over dinner, Lis addressed the group in a serious tone.

"Because of the new time constraint, Mahya and I need to finish our project, which will take us four to six weeks." He turned to Lyura.

"Lyura, I found an active volcano in Italy called Mount Etna. It's the perfect place for you to progress your element and boost your mana level." He then turned to me, his expression firm.

"As part of upgrading your class, you need to develop some magic spells. Don't buy them from the Guidance; finish studying Mana Constructs for Spell Creation and build them yourself. They don't have to be complicated or even usable, but you must progress this aspect of the class. We will call you both when we're done, and we will meet in Naples, Italy. It's the closest major city to our next Gate." After some discussion, we decided Lyura should fly to Sicily as soon as possible to maximize her time at the volcano.

As for me, I'd spend a bit of time touring Spain to shake off my disappointment, with a promise to finish studying the book and creating those spells. When the time came, I'd either take a train or catch a flight to Naples.