The part of our jouro Azureas took us through a wooded area dotted with lumberjack towns. In trast to the pins’ folk, who were open and friendly, the people here were less friendly and weling to outsiders. I couldn’t figure it out. Every one of them was at least a head taller than me, with shoulders as wide as a fridge. What exactly did they have to fear from me? But that’s how it was.

  The first town came into view, surrounded by a tall log wall. As we got closer, a couple of guards stepped forward, looking like they could bench press a horse. One of them tightened his grip on his spear, giving me a look that said, What are you up to?

  “What’s your business in Treefell?” the taller one barked.

  I held up my hands, trying to look as harmless as possible. “Just a mert. And a healer.”

  The sed guard, a big guy with a scruffy red beard, squi me. “Mert, huh? That checks out,” he muttered, his eyes losing focus. “But healer? Yeah, sure.”

  “Plenty of so-called healers roll through here,” the first one said, crossing his arms. “Prove it.”

  Before I could ask how, red-beard shoved his arm at me. “Fix this,” he grunted, dario fail.

  His arm was swollen, and a nasty bruise spread from his wrist to his elbow. I diagnosed him and discovered that he had a broken arm. I cast Heal Bone, and the bone fused. red-beard flexed his arm, testing it out.

  “Hmph. Good enough,” he grunted.

  They stepped aside, but I could still feel their eyes on me, full of suspi.

  “Wele to Treefell,” the taller otered, though he didn’t sound thrilled about it.

  “What about payment for the treatment?” I asked.

  The tall one gred at me and said, “You go in and fet about the payment, or tinue on your way.”

  I shrugged and rolled into town. Using the trees they chopped, they built sturdy, low-to-the-ground log lodges. The pce had a rugged vibe, with big piles of logs everywhere. Looking around, I located the general store to offer my goods. The owner was even ruder than the guards were. Shaking my head, I decided to hell with them and just left.

  Three days ter, we arrived in Riverwood. This town didn’t have a wall around it, but many muards eyed me suspiciously. They didn’t interrogate me, but kept a close wate. o the river, there was a marshy nd where the town was located, and stilts supported all the buildings. The whole town seemed to float betweerees and the water, with bridges eg to the only dry, solid road. The river was bustling here; logs flowed downstream, and rafts stantly moved in and out. The vibe was more rexed, but the residents and guards were not.

  I remembered the warning I’d read in the World Information about the flying serpents in our world. I knew if I bought ready-made potions, Al would never five me, which meant I had to collegredients. From my experien the previous s, I khere should be plenty of snakes here. But there was the logistical question of what to do with the horses. I had no iion of leaving the core unguarded.

  We left the town after less than an hour—I didn’t like the guards’ looks. We moved a few hundred meters away, and I made sure no one saw us, closed the wagon, and saddled one horse.

  I said to Rue, “Wait for me here. I’ll be back soon.”

  ging my gmour and css into a Bard, I rode the horses bato town. This time, the security guards were less hostile.

  Don’t like merts?

  Like almost everywhere, there was a the towrance for horses and carts. I paid to house the horses for a few days auro Rue.

  This marsh was different from Al’s s. No trees were growing out of the water in this marsh. There was more water he river, where the houses were, but the rest was just thick mud. The trees here were also different; they were tall with wide trunks, not gnarled or twisted.

  We couldn’t use the jet skis here, so we turned invisible and flew.

  “Find us some snakes,” I told Rue.

  “Yummy snakes!” Rue excimed happily.

  “Yes. But poisonous yummy snakes. We hem for potions.”

  “Poison yummy snakes!” The poison didn’t seem to dampen his enthusiasm.

  Rue led me from one so another. I was right—quite a few were not too far from town. They were much smaller than the ones iher s—maybe two or three meters long, not twenty—but they were very colorful in greens, reds, and yellows. I recalled reading somewhere that poisonous snakes are usually colorful, so I hoped I was colleg the “right” snakes. I didn’t use lightning, not knowing what it would do to the poison sack, but being invisible, it iece of cake to shoot them with a crossbow and store them. In five hours, I collected twelve snakes and facepalmed. I remembered the poison I had given Al that I collected in Tuone.

  I returo town, collected my horses, and we tinued on our way. The following three towhe same. They looked different, but the guards were suspicious. The town’s folk eyed me wearily. The general store owner was rude, and nobody wanted a healer—their loss.

  Finally, after two weeks of annoying lumberjacks, we exited the forested area and arrived at the north most city in Crystalholm, Famaris. Or in transtion, Crystaledge—not very iive. Two kilometers from the city, I found a trail leading into the trees, closed the wagon into a backpack figuration, and rode into the city on a horse.

  Crystaledge shared some architectural features with Crystalspire, but was muodest. The spires were still there, rising into the sky, but they didn’t have the same imposing grandeur. Where Crystalspire had intricate carvings and futuristic flourishes, Crystaledge’s designs were more straightforward and practical, almost like it wasn’t trying as hard to impress. The towers were less clustered, giving the city a more spacious, airy feel. There were still gleaming roofs and reflective surfaces, but they didn’t catch the sunlight quite as dramatically. The design of Crystaledge made it seem like it was built for living, not just for show, which added a little mrounded feeling to everything about it.

  After a short inquiry, I found a quality skyrest and took a room there. It even had a baly! Admittedly, the baly wasn’t as cozy and inviting as my o Crystalspire, but it was niough. The skyrest also had a stable, so I didn’t have to find a solution for the horses.

  After a very enjoyable visit to the bathhouse and a delicious dihat our butler served in the room, I checked the archive to see if Mahya had respoo the messages I sent through it, and I was taken aback. Well, actually, I was in shock.

  Tr. JR

  “Clueless, Versailles, Prince”

  I found our world to travel, and it’s AWESOME!!

  Listen to this—it’s from the world info:“Why is this world worth visiting?

  They have dohing to make the world safe, including not clearing the dungeons that popped up everywhere during the iion.

  There are a lot of dungeons here!

  In one ruined city, I cleared over forty dungeons and took the cores. I didn’t evehem all, just the weaker ones. I travel alone, and I saw no reason to endanger myself. A strroup could colle incredible number of cores here.”

  Tr. BU

  Would you mind givihe Gate ?

  Tr. NN

  Do you think you could pass the Gate ?

  Tr. WM

  Could you please share the Gate ?

  Tr. OM

  Just give us the Gate already.

  Tr. JH

  Stop messing around and share the Gate .

  Tr. VO

  The asshole isn’t answering. I hate this kind of Travelers.

  Tr. OR

  He’s a friend of the other bastard that isn’t answering. The oh the dragons.

  Tr. JH

  How do you know they’re friends?

  Tr. OR

  Check the Archive moniker. Now, they also have a code. I’m dying to crack it.

  Tr. PC

  Any luck?

  Tr. OR

  No. Tried everything. Without the book, there’s no way.

  Tr. CT

  Quit dragging your feet and give us the Gate .

  Tr. NC

  Hello dear JR,

  We are a stable group of three Travelers—two fighters and a mage. We have an offer for you:

  Don’t share the with those idiots. Tell us what world to get to and where to wait for you. Let’s meet ao that world together.

  We clear all those dungeons together, and we’re you three cores out of every five dungeons as a finder’s fee.

  Tr. YB

  Shut up NC. You are an idiot and a thief. He should share the with all of us if he shares the .

  Tr. NC

  Who are you telling to shut up? Your brain is the size of a pilik, and your dick is even smaller.

  Tr. YB

  I will not dignify that with a response.

  Tr. IR

  Shut up, all of you. You are ag like children. If you tinue like this, he’ll never share the .

  Tr. OV

  He learned from the dragon voidspawn. That one isn’t answering also.

  Tr. SS

  Don’t call the dragon guy voidspawn; have some respect. It’s Lissarom Munyon. He is a legend and deserves your respect.

  This one doesn’t. He is an infidel and thinks too highly of himself because Munyon is his friend.

  His name is John Rue, and he was in the world of Gaia or Dirt. I don’t know where he found that Gate. They were leaving Gaia, but I don’t know through which Gate.

  Tr. RM

  SS, how do you know this?

  Tr. SS

  I was with them in Dirt.

  Tr. YB

  Great, give us the to Dirt and we’ll find it.

  Tr. SS

  You won’t. It’s heading to iion, and there are a lot of Gates, and more are popping up every day.

  Tr. KL

  Carpalshit. I hate iing worlds. Was in one by act a as quickly as possible.

  Tr. JH

  I read about it in the Archive. Isn’t it extra great because of all the Ability Points and stuff?

  Tr. KL

  It’s not worth it. Trust me—volos, storms, earthquakes, and waves of mana that leave monsters behind. Don’t go there.

  Tr. JH

  Sounds nasty. I prefer low mana. All those peasant girls love rich guys.

  Tr. PN

  we get a Gate ? You ’t clear all those dungeons alone. Let us in on the party, and we’ll make that world safe.

  Tr. MO

  PN, don’t pretend to be an altruist—you just want to make a lot of money from the cores.

  Tr. PN

  Like you lot aren’t after the money from the cores or a ce to get an apprenticeship in a Magitech guild as payment for the core.

  Tr. JH

  What’s wrong with an apprenticeship? It’s a on-a-lifetime ce. Those skullgnats guard their secrets tighter than a priestess closes her legs.

  Tr. SS

  Don’t speak like that about priestesses.

  Tr. VB

  Shut up SS. Nobody asked you.

  Tr. XXR

  All of you are idiots. It’s not like dungeons are hard to find. Go to Mana 50 and above, and you swim in dungeons.

  Tr. TP

  XXR, you’re an idiot. Dungeons at those levels are crazy dangerous, and the final guardians are almost uable.

  Tr. XXR

  TP, do you think the dungeons in the message above will be easier? They’ll be at the same level her if they’re sitting there and accumuting strength.

  Tr. VM

  Just give us the damn Gate already.

  Tr. SS

  He won’t give you anything. He’s an asshole.

  Tr. SO

  SS, you sound like a jilted lover or a jealous prick.

  Tr. SS

  All of you are idiots. I’m out of this message .

  Tr. VG

  What will it cost to get the Gate ? I’m willing to pay. I’ve been trying to get the Magieer css for decades.

  The thread tinued for a few more pages, but I stopped reading. I pletely uood Lis. The only thought running through my head while reading was, “OOPS!”

  Well, at least they smacked down Sonak. One day, I’ll punch that asshole in the nose and therocute his balls.