The Gate Traveler

Driving the ATV on the road was much nicer than in the valley. In the valley, I had to navigate around mushrooms, ponds, and rocks, and the ground was uneven. Whereas here, it was a smooth ride. Rue, still pumped from the fight, wouldn’t stop exclaiming.

“Rue dangerous! Rue make all crabs run away! Crabs big, but Rue bigger and stronger! Rue’s teeth like super sharp knives!”

His mental volume went up a notch.

“Rue feel good! Rue bit crab and shook splat! Rue is best making crabs go away! Rue show who’s boss!”

And went up another notch.

“You see Rue jump? Rue jump higher than crabs! Rue like flying hero! All the crabs scared of Rue!”

And some more volume. By this point, I was getting a slight headache.

“Rue had most fun ever! Rue was bestest fighter! All the crabs run from Rue’s super awesome skills! Rue thinks cool crabs go squish! Rue made everyone safe! Rue super proud how amazing Rue! Rue loves fights and being bestest!”

I rubbed my temple and asked him, “Buddy, lower the volume. You’re killing my head.”

“Rue sorry.”

“It’s okay. Just don’t shout.”

“John see crab pieces? Rue make crab pieces! Rue hero in fight!”

And the volume went up again.

“Rue had most fun ever! Rue’s paws are muddy, but Rue no care! Because Rue was amazing!”

Suddenly, his tail stopped wagging a hundred times a second, and he hung his head.

“What happened, buddy? Why are you suddenly sad?”

“Rue no get level from crabs. Rue like levels.”

I scratched his ear with my free hand. “Yeah, I know, buddy. I like levels, too. But after level ten, it takes longer to get them.”

Fortunately, his bad mood only lasted another five seconds. Then he stuck his head out of the open part of the windshield, and his tail wagged again. It was so simple being a dog.

A few minutes out of town, Mahya stopped and waved us to stop as well.

“What is the reason for our halt?” Al asked.

“We have two options,” Mahya said. “We can drive into town and listen to people until we learn the language, or we can go on foot invisible, listen and learn the language, and then become visible in a secluded corner.”

I haven’t thought of that.

“I prefer to acquire the language prior to interacting with others. Otherwise, it is undignified,” Al said.

“I don’t care either way,” I said.

We heard hooves approaching, so Mahya said in an urgent tone, “Store the bikes.”

A cart pulled by a strange animal came into view. It looked like a horse, and a pig had gotten frisky together.

Okaaaay, fantasy creatures.

The cart passed us, and a kid sitting in the back waved; we waved back.

“I thought there was no problem with the bikes?” I asked.

“Riding them, no. Storing and taking them out is another story.” Mahya said.

“I thought Inventory is a skill in more than one world?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“So what’s the problem? We’re traveling merchants from the mainland. As proof, we even have the boat.”

“We can’t take out or store the boat. No inventory skill can store that boat even at level twenty-five. The same problem applies to bikes and the ATV.”

“Perhaps it would be advantageous to access the town by approaching it from the sea via a boat,” Al suggested.

“We won’t be able to do it while invisible,” Mahya warned.

“I will handle the indignity,” he said with a sigh.

“Won’t it chain us to the boat? If we can’t store it, we’ll have to travel on the boat all the time.” I said.

“How will you explain us being here otherwise?” Mahya asked.

“Will they inquire about our journey to this location?” Al asked. “I never inquired about the methods by which individuals arrived at a particular location. Additionally, we can always claim that we were transported by a boat from the mainland. When we are prepared to depart, we will locate a remote shore to take out the boat. We can even return to the crab’s beach if necessary. And this time, they will not take us by surprise.”

“Sounds good,” I said, and Mahya nodded.

We all turned invisible and continued on foot. After half an hour of walking, we arrived in town, and I liked it. It had a Caribbean feel, with cobbled streets, colorful flowers, greenery everywhere, and palm trees—actual palm trees, like on Earth. With the mountains as the backdrop, I saw the sea. It was breathtaking and serene.

The town wasn’t big or didn’t look big from where we came from. On the outskirts, there was a big fenced area with a lot of the pig-horses we saw with the cart and a separate area to park the carts. I saw people unloading the carts into smaller handcarts and pushing them into the town, and some guards with spears guarded the cart area.

“We should get close to learn the language,” Mahya sent.

I found a place against a tree where I was out of the way, but could hear the guards talking. I spent the mana for the skill for myself and Rue and listened. The more I listened, the more I understood, and again, I decided I loved the language skills—they were exceptional.

After ten minutes, I felt I knew enough of the language to get by and was ready to move, but Al wanted more time. After another twenty minutes, he was finally ready. We walked around the bend in the road, verified we were alone, and became visible.

“We need practice language,” Mahya said in Lumisian? Lumirian? Whatever it was called.

After another half hour of talking and having fun at each other’s expense, we finally nailed it and sounded maybe not native speakers, but good enough—or at least that’s how it sounded to me.

We returned to town and walked in. No one stopped or questioned us, but everybody looked at us. It made sense; it was a small place, and probably everyone knew each other. I saw people’s eyes lose focus and assumed they were identifying us. Judging by their smiles afterward, they liked what they saw.

I asked them telepathically—in Lumisian for practice—“What are your profiles showing?”

“Alchemist.” Al sent.

“Wood Artisan.” Mahya sent.

“Good Boy.” Rue sent.

The three of us laughed; Rue had a way with words. Mahya asked a passer-by about an inn, and we headed there. Quickly, I understood why they transferred the goods from the big cart to the handcarts. The streets were narrow, with walls surrounding all the houses. From what I could see above the walls, the houses were mostly two stories high, built of stone, and had slanted roofs with shingles that appeared to be made of wood. The walls had doors in them to enter the yards. Very picturesque.

When we arrived at the inn, we decided to ask for a suite together, and Mahya took the lead in talking to the innkeeper. It made sense. On Earth, it was my turf, so I took the lead. Here, it was their domain, and it was a better idea for Mahya to handle things and not Al, with his princely attitude that came out around unfamiliar people. She waved for us to follow her. We went to the third floor, and she opened the door to the suite.

Stepping into the suite felt like entering an island paradise. The living room was spacious and cozy, filled with rattan furniture, vibrant tropical sketches, and a few palm plants here and there. The open floor plan led seamlessly into a dining area with a round table and wicker stools. Three bedrooms branched off from the main space, each with light, airy decor, ocean-colored bedding, and French doors that opened to a shared balcony. The place had a laid-back vibe and was much nicer than expected.

My room had a door that led to the bathroom. There was no plumbing, but it was still pretty nice. It had a rustic vibe with a big wooden tub, and a brass pitcher and a bowl on an oak washstand. Soft, handwoven towels sat neatly stacked on a shelf. The toilet was simple but practical, with a wooden seat over a chamber pot tucked away in a private alcove, good ventilation, and a basket of herbs to keep things fresh. All in all, I approved of it.

“I have some great news,” Mahya said.

“What?” Me and Al asked simultaneously.

“The coins we bought in bulk on Earth are more valuable here than I thought. This suite costs one silver and fifty coppers daily, not including meals. I paid with those coins, and it cost thirty coins a day, including meals. They were even different coins. I just took out a fistful.”

“That’s amazing!” I exclaimed.

“Why is this news positive?” Al asked.

“Those coins cost us an average of $30 per kilogram, including shipping, and we have about one and a half tons of them—and I mean an actual one and a half tons,” I said.

“Nice,” Al said.

“I love being rich,” Mahya said in a dreamy voice with a huge smile.

When we went to dinner, the innkeeper approached us and asked, “Are you planning to offer your services and goods in town, or are you just passing through?”

“We intend to offer them, but only in a day or two. We want to rest from our trip first,” Mahya answered.

“Of course, I understand. The reason I’m asking is that tomorrow is market day. That’s why all the carts are at the town’s entrance. Tomorrow is a great opportunity to offer your services and goods.”

“Does the market take place in all the towns at the same time?” I asked.

“Of course not. The merchants need time to get from town to town. The market is held between two or three days between places.”

“Thanks for the information,” Mahya told him.

During dinner, we discussed our plans.

“I think we should take a break and explore the place a bit before we start working,” I said.

Mahya nodded. “I agree. Rushing to the market tomorrow might be too much.”

Al chimed in, “But we do not want to miss the opportunity. The market has the potential to be highly beneficial for us.”

“We can catch the market in the next town,” Mahya suggested. “It’ll give us time to rest and be fully prepared.”

Al thought for a moment, then nodded. “That appears to be a well-conceived strategy.”

The following day, we did exactly that. We toured the town, which was more extensive than it appeared at first glance, tasted the food from the stalls, enjoyed the sea, and relaxed. We did a quick market tour, which wasn’t very interesting, but the town was beautiful and tranquil. I took pictures when no one was around and felt myself relax and unclench mentally. I enjoyed traveling with the group on Earth, but being in another world was different, even if it didn’t have plumbing.

After three days, we moved on. It took us less than an hour to reach the next town. Mahya asked the first person about the market, and he told her it was yesterday. This town looked like the other one, so we moved on and reached the next town in two hours. After asking around, we discovered that the market would be the following day.

In the morning, Al asked me, “Would you be willing to loan me one of the merchant booths you purchased to sell my potions?”

“Sure,” I said, moving some of the furniture to make room for the stall. “Here you go.”

“Can I have one too?” Mahya asked.

I gave her one and asked, “What are you selling?”

“I’ll see if there is an interest in mage staves. If not, I’ll sell stuff from Earth.”

“You can make staves? Why didn’t you make me one?”

“Do you know what to do with a wizard staff?”

I scratched my head and had to admit that I didn’t. I shook my head sheepishly.

“The day you do and have a use for a staff, I’ll make you the best in existence,” she promised me.

“Thanks,” I said. “We should coordinate our sales so we don’t sell the same stuff.”

“My intention is to offer potions exclusively. I desire to advance my level,” Al said.

Mahya’s eyes unfocused, and after a few minutes she said, “Fabric and tableware.”

“Okay, so I’ll sell some of the weird stuff from Vegas.”

We went to the market, found a spot for our stands, and set up. Rue went off to make friends with kids, sparking an idea. Initially, I had planned to sell to adults, but selling to kids seemed more enjoyable. I called Rue over and told him, “Bring the kids here. I’ll sell things they’ll like.”

“Yes, boss.”

Despite their higher Appraisal value, I priced smaller items at one copper coin and bigger ones at five. These items were just junk in my Storage, but kids would love them.

Rue did an amazing job. In less than five minutes, he brought two kids with their parents, who bought a few things and spread the word. Soon, a line of kids was at my booth, especially after the parents heard about my prices.

It made me laugh, but the difference between boys and girls was also apparent in another world. The boys bought whoopee cushions, fake dog poop, chattering teeth, and spring-loaded snakes in a can. The most popular product with the girls was Barbie dolls with accessories. Still, they also bought inflatable bananas and palm trees, plastic flamingos, unicorn pool floats, and rubber duckies—especially after discovering the duckies squeak. All the kids and even some adults loved the glow-in-the-dark bubble wands.

That was our next season. We kicked back on the island, swam, ate good food I didn’t have to cook, slept late, and occasionally sold at the market. I occasionally healed people if the need arose, but didn’t advertise or look for sick people specifically. We learned that the crab dunes, as they were called here, were quite common, and the locals occasionally sent adventurers to clear the crabs and sell them to the inns and restaurants. I tasted a few dishes from the crabs, and they were delicious. I had a lot of plans for the crabs I had in Storage.

Al reached level ten and was ecstatic. Mahya made a lot of money and was ecstatic. Rue made a lot of children friends and was ecstatic. I sold a lot of junk from Vegas and earned a level in my merchant profession, so I was doubly ecstatic. I gave Agility the 3 free stats—it was the lowest of the main stats.

The only annoying part was the temperature. We learned we had arrived in spring—or Bloom in the local language. The summer—Sun—on the island was brutal. It was 35-38 degrees Celsius in the shade, with high humidity. Thank you, Spirits, for the refreshing sea. We considered clearing a dune or two to get more crabs and talked about it more than once, but ultimately, we felt too lazy actually to do it in the oppressive heat.

At the beginning of Moon (Autumn), we couldn’t bear the boredom and sailed to the main continent.

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