It’s been two days since Callum arrived in Lynn. Throughout that time, he’d learned a lot about this world’s norms and the general sociological landscape of Faunnir.

  From what he’d gathered, the society in this region wasn’t that different from the old society of Earth. If he had to compare it, the people here act like those in medieval Europe. Even the town’s architecture feels like an old European settlement with hints of Nordic artistry. Yet, even with those, the environment still felt kind of alien.

  Although, with the varying races, it seems like this world’s view on equality is much better than those in medieval society.

  Callum knew that he wasn’t speaking the same language anymore. Whether it was magic fuckery or just an effect of his resurrection, the words he spoke felt harder to his tongue, which only added to his feeling of alienation. However, knowing this didn’t deter Callum. Instead, it motivated him to learn about this world’s cultures even more.

  He’d already set out a goal for himself after discovering he’d been thrown into a different world: to explore the new wonders this planet could offer.

  This was why, during Nicholas' tour of Lynn, Callum had tried getting employed at some construction work near the center of town, and today was his first day on the job.

  “Ye must be our new hire,” a man in simple clothes, head just reaching his waist, said to Callum.

  “Yep. That’s me,” he replied.

  The man eyed him, hand stroking his bushy beard as he assessed his recruit. He asked him some questions about his background, to which Callum referenced his experience working as a laborer. Though the guy was suspicious about his capabilities, courtesy of his blindfold hiding his eyes and white complexion, they accepted Callum to work here.

  The foreman manning the site proceeded to instruct Callum, telling him the details of his job, his payment, and his hourly schedule. Though the pay was minimal, only amounting to a couple of copper, it was worth it. With his unlimited endurance and above-average strength, working from morning to noon would be a walk in the park.

  Once the foreman named Hans finished explaining the dangers of working as a construction worker, he gave him his job for the day. With a nod, Callum set about to do his first task—moving a pile of chiseled stone the size of his torso towards the unfinished wall of the building.

  “Look over there. It’s our new recruit,”

  “Did Hans give him job?”

  “Looks like it. You already know how the boss likes to run our new hires to the ground on their first day,”

  “You don’t have to remind me. Just thinking about me first days settlin’ in is enough to send shivers down me spine,”

  “Yeah, I feel sorry for the new recruit. But, what’s done is done. Can’t go complainin’ to the boss now that he’s—,”

  With a huff, Callum lifted three stones at once. The laborers who were watching him couldn’t help but gawk at their new recruit’s show of strength. Even the ones talking about him were left speechless as he moved the stones weighing approximately four hundred pounds each so effortlessly.

  “Look over there,”

  A worker pointed at Hans looking at Callum with wide eyes, mouth agape while he watched him move the stones weighing half a ton near the place he'd assigned. Some laborers couldn’t help but laugh at this, bodies shaking as they tried to stifle their guffaws in futile attempts. Of course, the foreman wasn’t having any of it, veins popping on his shaved head, his face turning red with anger and embarrassment.

  “Get in the Nine Hells back to work! Or I’m gonna have every man here lift those stones till y’all are beggin’ me for a break!”

  With that, the men went back to their respective tasks, smiles on their faces as they set about their jobs. However, their eyes were filled with determination, walking with purpose as they moved with efficiency. They can’t let a new recruit show them up on his first day now, can they? Lest they’d want to fall behind his efforts.

  So with inspiration, the morning went on with the sounds of picks and stone, grunts of men, and shouts from the foreman filling the site as Callum carried more stone.

  ***

  “This should be it,”

  The sound of a bell chimed when Callum entered, the room filled with books and a variety of assorted items. An old man with a wizard’s hat sat behind the counter, reading a book adorned with stars plated in gold. If he hadn’t known the store’s name, Callum would have thought the wizard was Gandalf.

  “Is this Winecker’s Magical Shop?” he asked, hand holding a small metallic box designed with flowing lines and flowers.

  “Oh! My delivery has arrived!” exclaimed the white-bearded man as they quickly stood up and went around the counter to get to Callum.

  After his work as a construction worker, Callum immediately set about his second job for the day. He’d already applied for the position yesterday, and the postal office had a wanted sign for a delivery man. Though some deals needed to be made, Callum was able to push for an afternoon schedule, which would work best with his morning job.

  The postal office of this town not only delivers letters. They were also responsible for managing trade with industries and delivering goods between establishments. In simple terms, his job is akin to being an errand boy to every established shop in this part of town. Additionally, with his undead advantages, he wouldn’t need to take breaks between deliveries.

  Callum handed the metal box to the wizard, along with an envelope from his newly acquired satchel, which was given to him along with the job; a special perk of being a postal boy. However, his attention was not on the exchange but on the myriad of what he could only say were treasures around him.

  From grimoires to staves, crystals, and pouches, the store was filled to the brim with items he had no clue the names of. He could even see some antiques lying around the back of the shop, its contraptions so unique that Callum couldn’t help but imagine its uses.

  “It seems like the item I’ve asked for has arrived safely,” said the wizard when they checked the contents of the box. It produced a twinkling chime that rang in their ears when they opened it, and when it closed, it made a ‘whomp’ sound, which brought back Callum’s attention.

  “Here’s the fee for my delivery,” they said, handing Callum a couple of copper coins.

  “Thank you,”

  With a nod, the wizard placed the small box inside their cuff before moving behind the counter once again. He noted how the box didn’t fall off from the wizard’s cloak, having completely vanished inside the man’s unique style of clothing.

  “Off with you now. Unless you are looking to buy my wares?” The wizard asked, a bushy white brow rising.

  “Ah, no. Even if I’d want to, I’m not able to afford one,” he replied with a smile.

  “Oho? How about I measure your mana instead?”

  On the counter, a crystal ball glowed faintly, catching Callum’s eye.

  “Uh…How much would it cost?” he asked.

  His eyes were filled with interest. However, that might change depending on the price.

  “A single coin from my fee would suffice,”

  Callum had been stingy all his life during his time on Earth. He was practically immune to any kind of advertising any salesperson tried on him. Yet, his curiosity about magic got the better of him, and he couldn’t help but give in to his temptations.

  He grabbed one large copper coin from the five others in his hand, putting it on the wooden counter. The wizard smiled, taking the crystal ball and putting it in front of them.

  “Now, just lay your hand on top of the crystal. Don’t take it off even if you feel a tingle down your spine,”

  “Okay?”

  Callum complied, setting his right palm on the surface of the translucent ball. Seeing this, the old man began to mutter under their breath, activating the tool with whispered words of power while their hands hovered just above Callum’s.

  The wizened wizard hadn’t been lying when they said he would feel a tingle, because once the ball began to light up, Callum could feel a rush of energy run down his spine.

  It started at the point of his tailbone, an electric charge of potential running through invisible lines inside his body until it reached the palms of his hands. Then, it fed the crystal ball in front of him, mana powering the light emitted to measure his reservoir.

  To show this, the ball shone with brilliant colors of the rainbow, bathing the shop in white light as each hue mixed in a swirling mass of chromatic flames.

  “Oho! It seems you have a future as a learned mage!” The wizard exclaimed.

  They had seen his attunement to mana and gave him the good news with a wide smile. Yet, the ball kept shining, not showing any signs of stopping.

  Callum was completely mesmerized by the colors swirling in the crystal that he had completely ignored the wizard’s assessment. He felt like he was a kid again, seeing a magic trick for the first time in his life. And that’s not all. Callum knew that he could give this crystal ball more power if he wanted to, and with that knowledge, Callum turned the faucet to its maximum.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Magic flowed out of him like a torrent. He felt it fill his body to the brim and rush towards the only outlet in his palm. The crystal ball shone brighter, the wizard’s shouts of panic falling in deaf ears as Callum watched intently at the ball in front of him.

  Cracks started forming around the tool, his mana escaping into the air. The wizard, having completely given up getting Callum’s attention, began waving their hands.

  Each stroke of their wrist conjured strands of mana that formed into a circle around the breaking apparatus. Runes adorned it, keeping the errant energies that flew out of the crystal from touching Callum’s palm. Yet, it did nothing to halt the connection made between him and the measuring tool.

  “Uh, what’s happening?” Callum, finally out of his trance, asked the panicking wizard in front of him.

  “I see that you’ve broken out of your reverie. But worry not, I’ve shielded us from what might happen next,”

  “And that would be?”

  When the words left his mouth, the crystal he had been holding onto exploded in a colorful barrage of light. It rocked the table it was set on, the sound of a loud bang echoing inside the shop as the sphere composed of runes stopped the explosion from harming his palm. Then, with a pop, the light disappeared, taking the apparatus with it.

  The shop was drowned in silence after the whole incident. Thankfully, no one was harmed, but Callum’s jaw was on the floor after seeing the explosion, his heart beating so fast it could leap out of his chest.

  He hadn’t expected the crystal to break. He had only followed what felt right to him, and the next thing he knew, he’d created a bomb.

  Even the wizard beside him stared in horror, their beard frazzled from their frantic efforts to stop the magical sphere from breaking.

  They stood there completely stupefied, letting the silence settle between them.

  Then, the wizard began laughing out loud.

  “I’m sorry for breaking your crystal. I promise I’ll pay for it–”

  “Oho! There’s no need for that! It’s not even that important! I have lots to spare, and the show you’ve given me is enough to pay for the expenses. Now, if you’ll excuse me!”

  The wizard began pushing Callum toward the door, their hands gripping tightly on his shoulders as they moved through the shop. Callum kept apologizing, even trying to give back the fee from the delivery, yet the wizard only countered with a smile without taking the money.

  “I really am sorry for what I did. If there’s anything I can do to alleviate the expenses, then I’d be happy to help,” he said once he was out of the store.

  “Ohoho! Your kindness knows no bounds, my good sir. However, I have my studies to busy myself with. Toodaloo!” The wizard said before closing the door to his shop.

  He saw them flip the open sign to a close, a white shutter pulled down to cover the store’s insides.

  With a sigh, Callum walked back towards the postal office, having finished his final delivery for the day.

  He still felt bummed out from breaking that piece of equipment, and the reaction from the shop owner tells him that he might be banned from entering the store indefinitely. However, it quickly went away, replaced by an emotion of joy and excitement with the possibility of wielding magic.

  He guessed that the reason the crystal broke was because of the vast amount of mana accumulated from his decade-long training inside his corpse. He’d thought he’d lost it after the revival, but it looks like it’s still there. He just had to find a way to tap into it to conjure some magic.

  Maybe a library would ought to do, though he’d need to learn how to read first. And the fact that the town doesn’t have much in the way of books made it harder to acquire knowledge.

  He heard that libraries are only found in cities, or towns near the capital, which would mean he'd have to leave Lynn and take the train a few towns over to reach Orth.

  Nicholas had mentioned it during their travels.

  However, just seeing that spherical shield of runes reminiscent of the magic in that one Marvel film made him thrilled with the opportunity to use it someday. It only invigorated his motivation to learn it. Just thinking about the ability to wield magic made him giggle like a boy handed a tub of ice cream.

  “Speaking of ice cream, I wonder if there are some in this world,”

  The thought made his stomach rumble, the familiar pangs of hunger resurfacing even after eating a hefty meal paid for with Nick’s money.

  However, that would be decided once he’d satisfied his stomach with a good dinner.

  ***

  “Oh! Callum!” Hans shouted once he saw his latest recruit walking towards their table.

  His new co-workers at the construction site had invited him for dinner at the Dragon’s Den. It looked like any fantasy tavern he’d seen on the internet, yet the experience of being here for himself was different.

  It felt alive and charged with energy.

  Barmaids weaved through the tables of people, handing large tankards of what he’d assumed was ale. A hefty plate of food sat on their other hand, balanced by their finesse built from multiple years of experience. The smells only added to the imagery, the scent of roasted meat and lingering alcohol in the air made him salivate as he moved towards a table occupied by his fellow laborers. There was even a huge horn-like tooth displayed just above the entrance of the place, something that Callum guessed was part of the dragon theme the tavern was going for.

  “The man of the hour!”

  “Work would have been harder if we didn’t have your help,”

  “Without ye, we would have been there ‘til late afternoon!”

  Three gruff men greeted him with wide grins on their faces once he’d got comfortable with his chair. He remembered their names as Jeff, Ken, and Drog.

  Jeff was the first human to introduce himself to him during one of his breaks at work, along with Ken. On the other hand, Drog tagged along when he heard Ken inviting Callum to this Tavern.

  The fact that the two dwarves were actually drunkards gave Callum some sense of familiarity, Drog and Hans were already acquainting themselves with the large tankards of ale beside them.

  “I’m half Goliath. It shouldn’t be that surprising,” he said to the others.

  “Oh! So that’s why ye were so strong!” Drog replied with a clap on his shoulder.

  “Never seen a Goliath minglin’ with the other races before. Heard they’re pretty strict with who they’re tryin’ to bed if you know what I mean,” Jeff added.

  “Then I guess my father was one hell of a talker if he could win my mother’s heart,”

  The others laughed, and something about the scene of a group of people having a normal conversation with him healed Callum’s socially deprived heart. Though he talked a lot with the siblings, it didn’t beat talking with some potentially new friends over some ale and food.

  They asked him more questions about his past, which Callum was happy to provide. Though he didn’t say he was a man from Earth, Callum still talked about his experiences while moving throughout the States.

  He told them about the jobs he’d had and the friends he’d made along the way. Some of the jobs confused the men, but that’s to be expected in a world set in a medieval society. The mention of working as a technician or electrician told Callum all he needed to know about the technological advancement of this world.

  During the conversation, Callum and the others have ordered the tavern’s daily special. However, he only knew it was special after the pointy-eared barmaid advertised it. It consisted of a hefty amount of rice-like grain colored red-orange fried with eggs and vegetables and topped with a roasted piece of beef dripping with a gravy-like sauce.

  “But I must say, I haven’t seen a dwarf before,” Callum said while he dug into his meal. The first bite elicited a moan out of him, and seeing this, the others dug in too.

  “You don’t have any dwarves from where ye were?” Dorg asked with a mouthful of red rice.

  “Nah. At least not where I used to live.”

  Callum thought as he stuffed his mouth again with the juicy meat adorned with what Callum could only compare to some sweet gravy that blended well with the saltiness of the meat.

  “Then, ya must be really far up North,” Hans replied.

  Callum could only nod at that.

  For the next few minutes, he prodded the men with questions regarding the region and the general landscape of the world. He learned of Chronoa, the continent beyond the mountains to the west, and Artiko and Teleurrin above Chronoa. He also gathered that most of the countries that had been mentioned were built with a king and queen on the top ruling over the masses. However, Fauunir was different.

  Instead of the king and queen having full control over the kingdom’s direction, a council consisting of the current regional lords of the land does all the decision-making. He asked how many lords that would be, and he got sixteen as the answer. Which meant sixteen different regions for him to explore.

  The dwarves told him that the idea of a council being integrated into the kingdom came after the united the Beastlands towards the southwestern portion of the continent. Hearing that name again, Callum asked about this ‘’ which the men around the table were happy to tell.

  From what he’s hearing, this came during the Age of Heroes, a chaotic time when monsters beyond the void terrorized the world. Not only that, but it seemed like a worldwide war happened during it, making it the darkest age of the whole planet. They called it The Great Planar War.

  “Yep. The whole world was under siege by beings beyond the mortal realm. Fey, Elementals, Devils, and even Aberrations that aren't found in this world, invaded,” Ken explained while he held a tankard full of ale.

  “They’re real?” Callum asked.

  “As real as me beard,” Drog answered.

  Just hearing that there are worlds other than this one he could potentially go to filled him with excitement.

  “But, what’s this all got to do with that ?” he asked with a raised brow.

  “He’s the one who has the most notable achievements among the other heroes!” Jeff excitedly said, his tankard hitting the table with a mighty ‘’.

  It seems like this was a legend amongst the people. He was like every Greek mythological champion combined. He paved the way for the other heroes to win the war, helped in making a cure for vampirism and lycanthropy, and bargained with the God of Death to gain immortality. The stories sound ludicrous, but with magic at play, it doesn’t seem impossible.

  He was revered by the masses, and his stories flowed out of the men’s mouths without any indication of stopping. It wasn’t until Dorg was talking about how this hero managed to woo an ancient dragon that Callum had to stop the men by asking the hero's name.

  “Their name?... Huh, I can’t remember. Do you?” Jeff asked the drunk Dorg.

  “Not a clue. Always knew him as the since I was a babe,”

  “I guess it’s been forgotten after all these years,” Callum said in a somber tone.

  The thought of such a heroic figure living on through their accomplishments, yet his name being left behind in the annals of time made him think of his own time as a corpse.

  It was a haunting thought, being forgotten. But on the bright side, the hero’s feats are still talked about to this day.

  “Well, not really,” Hans interjected, breaking out Callum in his thoughts.

  “What do you mean by that?” Ken asked

  “From what I’ve heard, the king of Chronoa knows his name. Even has a whole statue dedicated to the guy,”

  “Oh yeah. Heard they were friends before the hero disappeared,” Jeff added.

  “Wait…friends? But that would make him-”

  “Hundreds of years old?”

  Callum nodded to Ken’s conclusion, which only earned him a laugh from the men around the table.

  “Ya really are a clueless little welp,” Hans said while wiping tears from his eyes.

  “Everyone knows how old the king living in the City of Time is. It’s literally in the kingdoms’ name!” Jeff laughed.

  “Hey! Give me some slack. I’m a sheltered kid from the North,” he said with irritation, which only earned him another round of laughter.

  “Yeah, sure buddy,” Ken smiled while patting Callum on the shoulder.

  The evening wore on and the drinks flowed. He already knew his own immunity from alcohol after trying a swig yesterday along with Nicholas. Though he couldn’t get drunk anymore, he still felt a kind of electric buzz in his head—an experience he would take rather than feeling nothing at all. So when Drog challenged him with a drinking battle, Callum could only grin.

  Let’s just say that the dwarf couldn’t even match the literal monster in front of him, and it took a literal whack on the head from one of the barmaids for Callum to stop his drinking festivities. He would have drained the tavern’s storage of ale, and he was sure he would’ve if he wasn’t stopped.

  The talks continued, veering off towards how Drog had once again failed to date an elven woman, which then changed to Ken venting out his frustrations about his wife. It was a lively evening, and Callum enjoyed it.

  After that, they went home.

  He walked through the now-closed market of the town lit only by the two moons, boots clicking the gravel road as he made his way through the residential part of the settlement. He could still see some people out and about, some swaying on their feet after a night from the pub.

  Though he smelled of alcohol and grease, Callum’s head was filled with plans for the future. He took his time getting to the inn, the bite of the evening wind forgotten as he daydreamed about exploring the other planes.

  “I guess that should be my goal for my new life,” he muttered.

  Then and there, under the shine of the two moons, Callum resolved to see the world with his own eyes. And to do that, he’ll need knowledge. A lot of it.