After what felt like ay of driving, the visibility finally improved. I sighed in relief and asked Mahya to take over the wheel. Pulling over on the side of the road, we switched pces, and I could finally focus on the blinking dot.

  You have learhe skill [Firearms]

  I gave the message a thumbs-up and moved to the .

  Level up+3 Perception, +3 Vitality, +2 Creativity, +3 free points Bard Level 4Stat points: 3

  I gave the points to Luck. It has worked hard tely and deserved the love.

  .

  Level up+3 to all statsWizard Battle Master Level 5

  Nice, but I had a slight twinge ret for taking a paid css. I would have gotten a new spell or skill if it was a free css. Oh, well, there was no point in g over spilled milk, as the saying goes, or a spilled css in this case.

  That was the end of the messages. Closing my eyes, I trated and rebuilt the third spiral. I was so gd I unraveled it after practig with the circles in the desert. If I hadn’t, I retty sure my els would have had micro tears all over, and I wouldn’t have been able to heal everybody, including myself.

  Third Spiral pletedQuality: 96%

  Nice!

  The quality went up by one pert. I unraveled the other two spirals and rebuilt them. Both still stopped at 96%, but every bit helps. I looked at my mana regeion, one unit every minute and a half. That made me frown. Before, my regeion with three spirals was fifteen units per minute. I closed my eyes again and spread my mana seo feel the mana in the air. The air felt empty—like it was anemic.

  Wow!

  I khe circles drew mana from all around, but we were almost to Vegas. It was hard to believe that I mao draw mana from eighty miles. I was really curious about how long it would take for the mana level to return to normal. While I couldn’t do much with the information, I still found it intriguing.

  When I checked my els, I found another surprise. My main els hadn’t expanded, but my sedary els had. Earlier, they were as narrow as a hair’s breadth, but now they were three hairs’ breadth wide. Additionally, I could see new els that hadn’t been there before, each about a hair’s breadth wide.

  I didn’t believe the mana storm I created caused the expansion; it made little sense. Refleg on it, I cluded that it likely occurred after the intense mana wave that passed through me during my itions about mana and Unity. That theory was the only ohat made sense. Also, I realized the so-called new els weren’t hey had bee visible after expanding. While I cked proof of this hypothesis, it just “felt” right. It wasn’t the Knowing I sometimes got from my css, but I was still positive that I was right.

  Well, that’s one way to expand my sedaries without screaming in pain. I just need some more insights into mana.

  I looked behio see how the others were doing. Sonak and Rabban were sleeping, and Al was typing something on his phone and smiling occasionally.

  I called the Palms o Resort to see if the five-bedroom suite was avaible and booked it. “Let’s pick up Rue and go to the Palms,” I told Mahya.

  After we got to the Palms, I woke Sonak and Rabban. They both looked exhausted, probably from the intense healing they had been through.

  Sonak looked at me like I was a rabid dog, ready to attack. His eyes were wide with terror, his pupils dited. He recoiled slightly, shoulders hunched, and his hands trembled as he clutched the jeep handle. His breathing was shallow and rapid, and a nervous sweat glistened on his forehead. Every muscle in his body seemed tense, as if he was ready to bolt at the slightest provocatioed as if, at any moment, I might snap and kill him.

  “If it stops him from doing crap, I’m all for it,” I thought to myself with an inner smile.

  Rabban swayed as he walked, his steps unsteady and his legs trembling slightly. The healing I did on his leg was intense, but I didn’t think it justified him being so weak. He was a big guy, a head and a half taller than me and as wide as a closet. It made no sense.

  As we reached the suite, Rabban’s face ale, beads of sweat f on his brow. His eyes were half-closed, and he was struggling to breathe. He looked like he was on the verge of colpsing, his massive frame struggling to carry its weight.

  He bowed deeply, his movements slow and deliberate, almost as if he feared falling over. “I Rabban Vin Fish, e world Klyvor, level 48 half mana world,” he said, strained but sincere. “I no have words to thanks for rescue from bad pce. Please, tell Archive names, and ever need something, anything, I e, even must go many Gates find you.”

  Exhaustion and earness filled his eyes while his body still shook slightly from the effort.

  After introdug ourselves, I led Rabban to his room and told him to lie on the bed. I cast a diagnosis spell and found that his body was saturated with some sedative or tranquilizer. I cast ralize Poison several times, which cleared it from his bloodstream but not his cells.

  After I cast ralize Poison several more times with no ge, I said to Rabban, “Your body is soaked in some kind of sedative. I’ve ed it out of your bloodstream, but not from your cells. I have a se spell that help, but it’s not a pleasant experience.”

  “Please do se. I ears this spell, know effect,” Rabban said, his voice steady.

  “Okay,” I replied, nodding. “I only did it onyself with six thousand mana, and it was terrible.” I paused, remembering the agony and shuddering. “A friend expio me that usually, you do it with a thousand or two thousand mana, then after a while with three thousand mana. Again, after a break of some time, with four thousand mac. tio increase until no more effect, indig the body is .”

  Rabban shifted on the bed, his eyes never leaving mine. “From what I uand, Sonak wants to leave as soon as possible, so I’m not sure you do it in stages. Right now, my mana is just over seven thousand five hundred, so I el seven thousand mana into you. But remember that it would be very unpleasant,” I warned him.

  Rabban’s expression remained resolute, though a flicker of fear crossed his eyes. “I know spell s. Please do full seven thousand.”

  I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to infli him. “Alright,” I said, pg my hands on his chest and beginning to el the mana.

  Let’s just say that Rabban had a terrible time over the welve hours and leave it at that. He also emptied all my Ste of cooked food, and the room service people prayed we would leave the hotel ASAP. But after he finished emptying and replenishing himself, I re-diagnosed him and firmed that he was clear of all the sedatives.

  Sonak was still terrified of me and didn’t talk to me. He mostly hid in his room or kept Rabban pany while he was off the toilet.

  After Rabban was fine, Mahya announced we o go to celebrate the successful rescue. So, after a short online seard deliberation, we all headed to Omnia Nightclub in Caesars Pace. When we arrived at Caesars, Mahya and I exged a smirk, remembering our ‘milking’ operation.

  In the club, we danced and had fun. I sat at the bar, sipping a beer, when a pretty red-haired proached me.

  “Hey there,” she said with a pyful smile. “Would you buy me a drink?”

  “Sure thing,” I replied, motioning to the bartender. “What I get for you?”

  “A mojito, please,” she requested, her eyes twinkling.

  As the bartender prepared her drink, she leaned closer, intrigued. “So, what’s your story?” she asked. “Why are you in Vegas?”

  “Just here with friends fetaway,” I answered. “And what about you?”

  “I’m a bridesmaid for a friend’s wedding,” she revealed, with a hint of mischief. “Decided to have a bit of fun before the big day. What about you, stranger?”

  I chuckled, enjoying her boldness. “Just looking to unwind and make the most of the night,” I said, meeting her gaze. “Looks like I’ve found good pany for that.”

  She grinned, leaning in closer. “I’d say you have,” she replied, her tone pyful.

  The versation flowed as we shared drinks and stories, her flirting being more evident as the night went on. We danced, ughed, and enjoyed each other’s pany until the club quieted down.

  As the night drew to a close, she agreed to join me back at the suite. I had to shoo Rue to the living room, and he was not pleased, shooting daggers at me.

  “Listen, buddy,” I said telepathically. “I have an important job for you.” He perked up at that, and his tail wagged slightly. “I need you to guard my door so the others won’t disturb me. you do that?”

  He sat outside my door, lookiermined, and with an exaggerated nod, announced. “Rue bestest guard! Rue on job!”

  Let’s say the rest of the night with her was unfettable. A gentlema kiss and tell. It had been too long, and I was ready physically, mentally, aionally. My wife passed away nine years ago, and I could say with certainty that I was doh the m and ready to move on with my life.

  After Sarah left, I sat in the living room sipping coffee in the m. Just then, an Afri-Ameri guy emerged from Mahya’s room, greeted me with a casual “Good m,” and swiftly left the suite.

  “Hmm, looks like I wasn’t the only one having a good time yesterday,” I mused to Rue.

  His answer was to thump me with his tail.

  Mahya joined me for coffee, a together in fortable silence. About ten mier, the most giant man I’d ever seen emerged from Al’s room. With muscles on his muscles, standing over two meters tall, he looked like he could bench-press a school bus—kids and all. He us, grunted something unintelligible, and made his exit. He even dwarfed Keoni, which was no small feat.

  “I think he picks them by size,” Mahya remarked dryly.

  “Yeah, looks like it,” I agreed.

  Al joined us for coffee and inquired, “What is the topic of versation?”

  “Retive size of things,” I answered casually, causing Mahya to burst out ughing.

  Al g us with a raised eyebrow but said nothing further.

  Aen minutes passed, and three girls emerged giggling from Sonak’s room. They waved at us cheerfully before disappearing out the door.

  “It seems that our versation has now turo numerical values,” Al joked, prompting ughter from Mahya and me.

  Soon after, Sonak and Rabban emerged from Sonak’s room and joined us. Sonak seemed less terrified now, more hesitant than anything else.

  “It’s been quite the m parade,” I observed. “’t quite call it a walk of shame. More like a parade of shame.”

  The four of them stared at me, their faces wearing identical expressions of fusion.

  “Never mind,” I waved my hand dismissively. “Just an expression from Earth.”

  They all shrugged in unison, which was impressive. We sat there drinking coffee in panionable sile was an enjoyable m.