The caravan moved again, and I trailed behind them on foot, breathing in mana tee. It was slower than sitting or lying down, but faster than regur regeion. The caravan moved so slowly that I had no problem keeping pace. The kids adopted Stretch, so he rode in one cart with a big group of kids petting him. He was having so much fun that I worried he might decide to stay with the caravan. I also checked my blinking light. It started blinking after I operated on the dy, but I didn't want to be rude and check while talking with the caravan leader.

  Level up +3 intelligence, +3 wisdom, +2 vitality, +3 free pointsCss: Healer Level 6Stat points: 3

  I added the points to Luck; it was still the lowest. I also decided to switch the series I was reading; it was good aertaining but had no css levels or statistics. Perhaps it wasn't the best pn to keep adding my free points to the lowest attribute. I had to "look it up." In addition, I checked out my whole profile to see how much I've improved.

  Name: Je: 38Css: Healer Level 6Spells:Heal Muscle - 12Diagnose - 6Stop Bleeding - 2Heal Bone - 3trol Blood - 3Healing Touch - 9ralize Poison - 1Purify - 5 - 7Ahesia - 3Regrow Flesh - 1Fortify Life Force

  Hidden Css: Gate Traveler Level 3Gates to level: 2/8Css Abilities:versionTravelers' ArchiveIdentifySte - x4Local Adaptation—Spoken nguageMapOne of the Crowd

  Profession: Mert Level 5Skills:Bargain - 1Sense Hoy - 1Appraisal - 2A Nose for Business - 2

  General Spells:Mana DartMana Shield - 1Spellbinding - 3Invisibility - 2

  General Skills:Pencil Sketg - 1Making Beer - 1Staff Fighting - 10Krav Maga - 10Archery - 10Minor Spell Adaptation - 1Mana Sense - 1Maation - 3Develop ive - 1Print Photograph - 1Guitar Pying - 7

  Health: 3000/3000Mana: 370/42th: 26Agility: 26stitution: 25Vitality: 35Intelligence: 34Wisdom: 41Perception: 28Luck: 19Stat points: 0Ability points: 49

  Huh, when did I get the Fortify Life Force spell? What does it eveo Fortify Life Force?

  I checked, and the description was iing:

  Fortify Life Forhahe energy or force that animates all living anisms.Fortify Life Force helps the body plete the healing process and deal with the draining effects of intense healing. It also be used to granisms.

  I reminded myself to cast it after every healing. It sounded subtle, but essential. After diagnosing myself, I cast Fortify Life Force, and diagnosed again. There was a difference: my mitosis (cell division) was better, and I also felt a differehere was more pep in my step, and I felt more eic.

  Nice!

  After approximately three hours, the caravan came to a stop at a clearing alongside the road. It was big, with many tree stumps at chair height. On one side, there were rough tables built from logs, and throughout the entire clearing, there were many old fires. So, it was a regur rest stop. Three guards took one of the smaller carts only with barrels a across the road to a narrow trail. Fuards took shovels a in different dires. The caravan leader shouted orders about where to pce the carts on the road. I heard him shout, "Move it forward, you stupid jurber food; you're blog the passage," and ughed; I knew what a "Jurber" was.

  Settling on a tree stump, I tiee, enjoying all the surrounding hubbub. Being with good people again was retch came over and y down at my feet.

  "Got tired of the kids?"

  He yawned.

  "Yeah, they be exhausting but also fun."

  He wagged his tail tiredly. Smart wolf dog.

  After a short while, the caravan leader approached me and poio the right, "The males' trine is there." Poiraight, "The females' there; don't go near it if you don't want them shouting at you." Pointed left. "The garbage hole is there; the caravan mage will burn it in the m."

  I thanked him, and he left.

  Shit, I still don't know his name.

  I wasn't sure about using the garbage hole. I had a lot of takeaway boxes in my Ste in a garbage barrel. It was a good idea, but I didn't think they'd appreciate burnt pstic. I resolved to burn all my garbage when I returo the wilderness. I thought my small amount of garbage wouldn't be a pollution problem.

  After the otion died down, I went looking for my patients.

  First, I found the dy sitting by a fire. She looked up at me with a tired but grateful smile. I could see the exhaustion in her eyes, and her shoulders slumped, even though her leg had healed.

  "How are you feeling?" I asked, kneeling beside her.

  She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "My leg is fihanks to you. But I feel so weak like all my energy is drained."

  I nodded in uanding. "That's normal after sutense healing. Let me help with that." I pced my haly on her shoulder and cast Fortify Life Force. A soft, warm glow enveloped her that was visible only to my "sight," not to my eyes, and I could see her posture straightening, the color returning to her cheeks.

  She looked at me with wide, grateful eyes. "Thank you. Now I am feeling much better."

  "I'm gd to hear that. Just take it easy for a while, okay?"

  Nodding, she paused briefly before tinuing to speak. "Would you like to join me for di my fire tonight? It's the least I do to thank you."

  I sidered her offer, then nodded. "I'd like that. Thank you."

  Her smile widehe firelight refleg in her eyes. "Great! I'll see you then."

  Nodding reassuringly, I stood ao find the man.

  I found him tending to their horse, his movements careful and deliberate. He looked up as I approached, a tired but weling smile.

  "How are you feeling?" I asked, notig the lingering weariness in his eyes.

  "I'm doier, thanks to you," he replied, though his voice hinted fatigue.

  Moving closer, I gently pced a hand on his shoulder. "Let me check you over."

  He stood still as I diagnosed him. His body had mostly healed, but there were still some lingering issues from the tetanus iion. I cast Healing Touch twice, each time a warm glow enveloping him. Finally, I cast Fortify Life Force, and his posture straightened, a newfound energy apparent in his eyes.

  "Thank you," he said, his voice filled with gratitude. "I feel so much better now."

  "I'm gd to hear that. Just take it easy for a while, okay?"

  He hen his expressihtened. "Would you join me for dionight? I want to thank you properly."

  "Thank you for the offer, but I have already accepted another invitation."

  His face fell slightly, disappoi clear in his eyes, but he quickly masked it with a polite smile. "I uand. Maybe aime, then."

  "Definitely," I said, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Take care, a me know if you need anything else."

  He nodded again, his gratitude evident. "Thank you, really."

  With that, I left him, feeling fulfilled from helping them both. I called Stretch over, and we went to dinner with the dy. Once again, I fot to introduce myself, which was embarrassing. When we found her, I finally introduced myself.

  "My name is John; o meet you," I said, smiling.

  "Hello John, my name is Sami," she replied, returning the smile warmly.

  She was stirring something in a pot, and the aroma was entig. I hesitated momentarily before asking, " I use part of the fire to cook for my dog?"

  Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You cook for y? Why? It's a wild bushnd; they eat raw."

  I chuckled, shaking my head. "He ate raw meat at the beginning, but after I gave him a cooked steak, he refuses to eat raw. If I try to give him raw food, he pushes the bowl towards me and waits for me to cook it."

  We both ughed at the image of Stretudging his bowl. I grilled two chis for Stretch, but to my astonishment, he turned his nose up at them. Stretch usually loved chi. fused, I pulled out some ground bison, and his tail started wagging furiously as he did a little dan pce. I made patties and cooked them while deg to eat the chi myself.

  "Would you like one bird? They are delicious," I offered Sami as I flipped the chi.

  "When I invited you for dinner, I promised I would cook for you, not you cook for me," she said with a light-hearted scold.

  "Yes, I know, but I have a spoiled dog," I replied with a grin.

  "Of course he is spoiled; you are feeding him an expensive meat saturated with mana," she said, shaking her head in amusement.

  "Huh?" I blinked, not sure I heard her right.

  Curious, I sensed for mana in the bison beef and realized it was brimming with it. I felt foolish. Of course! I had to el for a long time to remove the meat—servation of energy and all that jazz. I summoned a piece of goat meat and checked it as well. It had mana, but less. It all made seo me now. Stretch had bee picky after we started with the goats, and it got worse after I harvested the first bison. That also expihe "progress to awakening" part in his description. I still didn't kly what it meant, but I was sure the beef was the culprit. I facepalmed, and Sami started ughing at me.

  "You didn't know?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

  I shook my head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "No, I didn't."

  "How? Mana-rich meat like this costs one gold for a 'sak.'"

  "How much is a sak?" I asked, curious.

  She showed me with her hands—it was more than a pound but less than a kilogram, maybe 800 grams. Feeling cautious, I expined, "I made a barter deal for it but didn't like the taste, so I'm giving it to the dog."

  She ughed again, clearly amused.

  "You want some?"

  "No. It's too expensive," she said, shaking her head.

  "I'm feeding it to the dog and will be happy to give you some," I insisted.

  After a brief hesitation, she agreed. I summoned a big iron pot suited for cooking on an open fire and filled it with minced meat. I also summoned a big metal bowl with a lovely swirling motif, filled it with ks, and ha to her.

  "You keep the pot and bowl as a thank-you for the information you gave me," I said, smiling.

  She categorically refused, shaking her head with a firm frown. "I 't accept these, John. They're too valuable."

  I hesitated, scratg the bay neck. I couldly tell her that both items had e about 15 at a flea market. The information she gave me was invaluable, though, and I wasn't about to give up easily.

  "Sami, please," I urged, leaning forward slightly. "You've helped me a lot. These items might be valuable to you, but to me, it's just a small token of my gratitude."

  She looked at me, narrowing her eyes in sideration, but she set her mouth in a stubborn line. "I don't know..."

  She was wavering, so I pressed on, trying to appear ear and sincere. "Look, you gave me crucial information about the mana in the meat. That's worth far more than these items. Please, just accept them."

  Finally, she sighed and nodded, relenting. "Alright, John. But only because you insist."

  I smiled, relieved. "Thank you."

  She nodded. "You should talk to the mage. She would be thrilled to get some of this meat."

  "I will. Thank you."

  I sat with Sami by the fire for another hour, chatting about various things. She was a delightful versationalist, and I enjoyed her paually, I bid her goodnight a off to find the mage.

  After asking around, I located her by one fire, deep in versation with the caravan leader. I approached them and politely asked her to step aside with me.

  "Excuse me, could I have a word?" I asked, my tone respectful.

  The mage looked curious but agreed, stepping away from the group. I summoned a small bowl, filled it with beef ks, and ha to her.

  Her eyes widened in shock. "Where did you get this?"

  "I bartered for it with a butcher. Do you want to buy it?" I replied, trying to sound casual.

  "How much do you have?" she asked in a forceful tone, her gaze fixed on the meat.

  "A lot," I said, trying to keep my expressioral.

  "But you're a healer; you also he mana. Why sell it to me?"

  "I have a lot and don't like the taste," I expined, deg it was best not to mention that it was Stretch's food. Her rea was intense enough; I didn't wao faint from shock.

  "Show me," she demanded, her eyes gleaming with i.

  I summoned a cooler full of minced meat and another full of ks. Her eyes widened further in amazement.

  "Where did you get those boxes?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

  "I brought them from my homend across the sea. I bartered with the butcher for one of those boxes for the meat," I lied smoothly. That was one of the first skills I gained in foster care—the art of bullshit—or 'the art of survival' might be more accurate. Now, it was serving me well to hide my status as a Traveler.

  "Only one?" she asked skeptically.

  "Yes. If you put iside or a mage casts an ice spell and you keep it closed, the box will keep the food cold for days," I expined.

  She looked suitably impressed. After iing the meat, she offered me 450 gold for all of it. I immediately agreed, trying to hide my excitement. She also offered me 500 gold for the cooler, but I refused. I he cooler more than the money. In my mind, I was dang—not because of the money I made, but because, in a roundabout way, I looted 450 gold.

  That's how real looting should work!

  I bid her goodnight and then turo the caravan leader. "Goodnight," I said, smiling. "I'll be tinuing on my own from here."

  He looked disappointed, but nodded in uanding. "Alright, John. Safe travels to you. We do move very slowly, after all."

  I called Stretch from his nap auro Sami to say goodbye. "Thanks for everything, Sami. I'm going to set up camp elsewhere," I said, not wanting to shock them with my advanced equipment. I knew I o buy local gear for situations like this.

  "Take care, John. Safe travels," Sami said, giving me a warm smile.

  We left towards the wilderness, across the road. Tomorrow, I o check the Archive to uand this awakening business.