The Gate Traveler

After I cracked the issue with my lightning, we continued on our way. For three days, we sailed on the river on our jet skis, stopped for lunch, and slept at night. We rode on the river the rest of the time, and Rue was in heaven. My dog was a speed demon.

During our entire cruise, the river kept expanding as more tributaries connected to it. On the fourth day, the river was already at least half a kilometer wide, maybe even more. At first, the current was calm, but towards noon, I felt the current getting stronger. I opened the Map to check, and as I suspected, we were very close to the falls.

I reminisced about my jump from the waterfall in Shimoor, and decided I had no desire to go through it again.

“Rue, buddy, let’s go ashore.”

Since we passed by the last town yesterday evening, I saw no boats on the river. But I looked around the make sure. Seeing that we were alone, we stored the jet skis and took to the air—invisible, of course. When we reached a height of at least two hundred meters, I saw huge crags coming out of the water and splitting the river into many smaller rivers. On the Map, the small rivers continue to the waterfalls, then, after the waterfalls, connect to one big river again. I checked where the nearest road was, and it didn’t seem too far.

We flew towards the road and waited until a fancy carriage with several mounted guards passed, getting far enough that they wouldn’t see us. I rose again into the air to ensure nobody else was coming, and we became visible.

Considering the luxurious carriage and the suspicion that those were nobles, I decided not to take out the ATV. I didn’t feel like answering questions, so I told Rue we’d continue on foot. But these nobles gave me an idea. My class still showed a Healer, so I changed it to a Merchant—nobles have a lot of money.

Another carriage passed us. The mounted guards around it got tense and held their weapons at the ready. Their eyes lost focus, and they relaxed, at least partially. A few of them still glanced apprehensively at Rue, but overall, they seemed calmer. They passed, and we continued walking.

Walking was pleasant, but I needed to run. Picking up speed, my legs moved in an easy rhythm, each stride so light it barely felt like touching the ground. Wind whipped past, tugging at my clothes and sending bursts of cool air over my face. I wasn’t pushing, but judging by the blur of trees slipping past, I was still moving at a ridiculous speed. Thirty kilometers an hour, maybe more. A laugh slipped out of me—a thrill ran through me every time I felt this, like the wind itself was helping me along.

The feeling hadn’t faded, even after leveling up so many times. I’d catch myself marveling at how my body responded, how strength and speed blended so naturally now, yet still surprised me. I wanted it to stay that way—the awe, the little kick of wonder. The moment it became routine, just another statistic to be calculated and improved… well, that would be a shame. The day I’d stop feeling the wonder would be the day I’d leave a piece of the journey behind—a piece that made every new step, every skill gained, feel like a small triumph. Without that spark, what would be left? Just numbers on a stat sheet, distances calculated and covered without a second thought, like clocking in and out at some mundane job. The thrill would drain out, replaced by routine, dull and mechanical. I imagined myself moving through the worlds without that edge of excitement, and it felt empty, almost lifeless.

There’d be no thrill in testing limits, no curiosity about what I could do next—just an endless stretch of expected outcomes and predetermined results. A part of me shuddered at the thought. If the journey became little more than hitting marks, measuring progress without a flicker of surprise or pride, I knew I’d drown in boredom that would dull every view, every encounter. I’d be just another wanderer, going through the motions, barely awake to the world around me. The thought made me sad, until the sound of rushing water cut through it, sharp and alive. I rounded the last bend, and there they were—the Prismatic Falls, stunning and unexpected, crashing down with a roar that shook me out of my thoughts.

The layout resembled terraces. From where we stood, I could see more falls further up, with rivers flowing until the next fall and then continuing down to more falls. Old, worn-out bridges crossed at various heights through the falls. Some falls had only one tall bridge, while others had a tall bridge and a smaller one below it. Most of the bridges had moss growing on the stone columns.

Everything appeared so beautiful at first glance that I was utterly astonished. The falls weren’t the typical stream of water. The water was a stunning display of all the colors of the rainbow and them some. They created an impression that the falls were living and constantly changing.

We walked to the first bridge, and I could see the waterfall below when I stood atop it. The water cascaded into a wonderful clear pool. As the mist rose, I could feel its coolness against my skin and smell the scent of wet grass and young plants. All around the falls were trees with dense leaves. I suspected the leaves’ thickness was because of the high mana levels here. The trees created a barrier from the outside world, making me feel like I was in a hidden heaven, away from the world’s crossroads.

I strolled across the first bridge, enjoying the view. When we reached the other side, I could see more of the falls. Each one was more stunning than the last. Another bridge curved gracefully across a second, more enormous waterfall. When I was up there, I could see water dropping from even higher above, creating a spray that shone in the sunlight. The water’s colors, sounds, and sheer strength were nearly too much to bear. Each waterfall wasn’t wide, and didn’t drop a lot of water. But there were so many of them that together they roared.

I stood there for what felt like hours, taking it all in. The noise was deafening—a vast, booming roar that filled the air and made my chest shake. It sounded like a thousand drums beating at the same time. As we got closer, it drowned out everything else, becoming a constant, powerful presence that makes you pay attention and tells you how powerful nature is. The sound, a steady symphony of moving water, was both hypnotic and overwhelming.

I closed my eyes and let myself drift into the sensation, feeling the mana hanging thick in the air. It brushed against my skin in a way that felt… almost alive, like the warm breath of an old forest. Familiar, but different. A sensation that teased at the edges of my mind, just out of reach. There was a richness to it, deeper than Life Mana, with a hint of that warm, earthy pulse I’d felt with Nature Mana. But it wasn’t quite either.

I took a deeper breath, absorbing the mana into my body, tasting its flavor and trying to pin down what I was sensing. It clung to me, sinking in with a warmth that felt oddly soothing, like slipping into a hot spring after a rough day. That was new. Life Mana had a spark to it—this mana had a softness, an ease that felt like it was mending something inside, though I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. A memory tugged at me. I felt this mana before, or something similar.

Then it clicked. Restorative Mana. That was it. The same quiet, subtle energy that strengthened life force and restored things. Those spells had other concepts in them, so the restorative mana was gentle, with only a hint. But here it was stronger, more pronounced, like a promise of healing in every breath. I let it wash over me, surprised at how much it lingered, sinking into every part of me, deeper and more deliberate than anything else I’d felt. It was Restorative, all right—but something told me it was more than that, maybe a unique blend from these falls.

I stood a little longer and listened to the thundering water, until Rue said, “Rue hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” I said. Laughing.

“Now Rue is hungrier hungry.”

I scratched his ears and laughed again.

There were few people at the falls. At the big falls with the old bridges, we were almost alone. As we walked down the rivers, we reached smaller waterfalls with pools. I saw more and more nobles, judging by the guards with weapons and the servants scurrying and scraping. We reached an area with many more people, but much quieter. Here, the falls were lower, and they fell into peaceful pools around which people sat. There were no bridges here, but the view was more picturesque.

Beautiful pink flowers were all around the base of the falls and the pools. The colors were so vibrant; they stood out from the forest’s greens. I just breathed in and absorbed everything. The air was cool and refreshing. But there was more to it than just physical comfort. There was a sense of harmony and equilibrium in this place. Of restoration.

As I looked around, I found a path that led to a peaceful spot by the falls. It was a relatively shallow pool without a waterfall above it, just a stream connecting to it. As a result, the water was calmer here, creating a serene pool that looked almost too good to pass up. It was deserted, which was a big plus in my book. I gave Rue food and sat on a rock gazing at the water for a while.

When Rue finished eating, I sank into the water. Closing my eyes, I floated on the water and relaxed. Rue jumped in, swam a bit, lay down in the water close to the shore, and closed his eyes. We stayed there for a while, enjoying the water and relaxing. The water was chilly, but because of its mana properties, the cold didn’t affect me. My cold tolerance went up with my stats, but I could feel the difference from how I perceived the cold of the lakes in the mushroom valley, and the cold here.

When it got dark, we became invisible and flew half an hour away from the falls. I opened the house, and we went to sleep.

We returned to the falls the next day, and I went towards “my” pool. When I got there, I saw children playing in the water and three old men with white hair and beards sitting on the bench by the pool, knitting. I did a double-take. I didn’t imagine it. They were knitting. Rue, of course, ran immediately to the children, his tail a blur.

After thinking about it, I decided it was actually nice that they knitted. It created a laid-back, relaxed vibe and gave me an idea.

I had lots of yarn in my Storage. The problem was that the paper bands around the skeins were full of Chinese text. In the past, I claimed that the text on products was the maker’s mark, but these bands were so full of text that they looked more like the maker’s life story. I thought about removing the bands and offering them yarn without them, but I didn’t have the patience to remove them from hundreds of yarn skeins.

Hmm, a conundrum.

My core had absorbed cars and various metals inside my Storage when we were at the junkyard, and that gave me an idea. I moved five oversized nylon bags filled with yarn near the core and instructed it to absorb and return the yarn, but with plain bands without text. It took a few minutes, but my core was a trooper. It absorbed all the yarn and returned it with blank bands.

I told it, “Good boy,” in my mind. Of course, not out loud; I’m not suicidal. Rue would never forgive me.

I approached them with a friendly smile. “Good day, gentlemen. I sell yarn for knitting. Would you be interested?”

All three of them looked at me, their eyes losing focus for a second. The one on the right blinked and said, “If you show us what you have, we might be interested.”

Nodding, I took out one of the oversized bags of yarn, placing it in front of them with a casual gesture. Their eyes widened as they took in the bag’s size. The man on the right reached out and touched the plastic bag, his brow furrowed. “What is this material? I have never seen anything like this before,” he asked, his tone laced with surprise.

“It’s something that’s made in my homeland, but I’m not sure how. I buy it ready-made.”

“Where are you from?” he asked.

Remembering what Mahya had mentioned, I quickly opened the Map in my mind and answered, “Lotam.”

“I’ve never heard of it. Where is it?” the middle one asked.

“It’s a medium continent northwest of Lumisor.”

“Is it far?” the left one asked, his voice tinged with concern.

“Yes, two months sailing.”

All three shook their heads in unison, and with a look of admiration, the man on the right remarked, “You are a brave young man to sail such a distance. I do not like sailing.”

Meanwhile, the other two took out yarn and examined it. Their cries of enthusiasm caught his attention, and he also joined in examining the yarn. I sold them three enormous plastic bags of yarn for thirty-one gold, and they thanked me repeatedly. I gave my Nose for Business skill a pat on the back. There was no doubt this ability led me to this deal.

The sound of cascading water roared around me as I strolled through the falls, examining groups of nobles with their servants and guards. I kept my distance, sizing them up, mentally matching products with people like I was solving a puzzle. Which of them would actually bite? My gaze caught on two men off to the side, relaxed, puffing away on pipes, their eyes half-lidded as they spoke in low voices. Something clicked—I had something like that I “liberated” from Vegas.

I scanned my storage and took out the boxes, their polished wood glinting in the misty light. I walked up to the men, doing my best to look casual, and held out a cigar box. “Care for a look at some unique tobacco?”

Their expressions twisted, both of them looking at me like at dirt that stuck to their shoes. That look—a mix of disgust and barely contained impatience. But they nodded, and with reluctant hands, took the cigars.

The moment they opened the lid, their faces changed. The disdain vanished, replaced by interest. Suddenly, I wasn’t some annoyance, but a man worth speaking to. They leaned in, inspecting the cigars like rare jewels, and within moments, one of them spoke up, asking for my entire supply.

My face stayed neutral, but inside, I was grinning. “Of course,” I said smoothly, naming a price fifty percent higher than the appraisal. They didn’t even blink, and forty-eight gold coins dropped into my hand for two cartons of cigar boxes. They thanked me as though I’d done them some great favor, warmth in their voices as they shook my hand.

Their changed tone and body language made me feel a tad evil for fleecing them, and I almost, almost offered a discount.

Don’t be an idiot.

That’s how I went around among the nobles and sold things according to what I felt was appropriate for each group. I sold a group of ladies some silver jewelry with turquoise from Santa Fe; to another group, I sold perfume; to another noble, I sold belts and medieval knight armor replica; and to a lady with a baby, fifty packages of diapers. The last lady was so happy that I suspected if her husband wasn't beside her, she would have proposed to me. At the end of all my sales, the visit to the falls netted me 132 gold coins. Nobles turned out to be good for something, after all. I'd have to update my sensei.

Looking at the Map, there were two options: continue along the river to Crystalspire or turn east on the road towards the Crystal Cave and the Echoing Caverns. I had no preferences, so I consulted Rue.

“Rue, buddy,” I said, scratching behind his ears, “what do you think? Left on the river to a big city or right on the road to two kinds of caves?”

“In city lots yummy food,” he said, his tail wagging eagerly as he perked up at the thought of food.

“Right. We’ll eventually get to the city,” I replied, patting his side, “but how about visiting the caves first?”

Rue’s ears flattened slightly as he shook his head. “Rue not like caves.”

I raised an eyebrow, glancing down at him. “I thought you said you were now smarter and not afraid of caves?”

“Rue not afraid of caves. Rue not like caves,” he insisted, huffing as he planted his paws firmly on the ground.

“So, give up the caves?”

“Yes!” The agreement echoed loudly in my mind, followed by a sudden lunge as Rue jumped up and gave me a big, sloppy face lick, his tail wagging furiously in delight.

“Okay, buddy. Not caves it is.”

I saw a Gate along the river on the way to Crystalspire and estimated it would take about a day to reach it, and another half day to reach Crystalspire. We walked until we passed the last small waterfall, hid behind some trees, and took out the jet skis.

“Let’s see what Crystalspire has to offer,” I said to Rue.

The jet ski hummed under me, and we shot off down the river, the wind slapping against my face as we picked up speed. The idea of a city waiting up ahead, full of stuff to see and deals to make, had me grinning like an idiot.

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