The Gate Traveler

After dropping anchor near the Wu Gorge, I let the boat drift somewhat in place for a short time and just looked around. With a few gentle tugs here and there, the boat remained stable. With their pointy peaks, the tall Wu Gorge rocks looked like they were reaching for the clouds. The water around the boat was a deep jade-green and looked calm, but I could feel the power beneath the surface. The mist on the rocks gave the area an almost ethereal feel, like the gorge hid old secrets no one could reach.

I couldn’t help but notice everything as I stood there. The cliffs weren’t just these huge, intimidating walls of rock; they also had patches of greenery that brought some life to the otherwise harsh environment. I saw something new every time I turned my head. There was a small waterfall in a crack, a narrow path where the rocks almost kissed, and the river reflected the tall stones above. It made me stop, take my time, and enjoy every moment.

The air smelled like clean earth and stones, as if it had just rained. The plants growing on the cliffs gave off a slight, woodsy scent, and I occasionally smelled something a little stronger. Maybe the moss growing on the rocks or the plants hiding in the cracks.

After standing there for a while and taking it all in, I scratched my head, trying to find a solution for storing the boat without dumping us all in the water. Then I facepalmed.

I’m an idiot!

I looked around to verify that Mahya and Alfonsen didn’t see me do it and turned to Rue. “Buddy, would you mind watching the boat? We’ll be back in a few hours.” I knew I could rely on him.

After getting his agreement, I called Mahya and Alfonsen, took out my E-foil, dropped it in the water, and jumped over the railing. They joined me, and we surfed to the shore. After an hour of walking, we arrived at the gate.

“That’s odd,” said Mahya, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Usually, with this mana level, the threat level is moderate or even moderate-low.”

“Perhaps the answer can be found in the world information,” Alfonsen suggested, glancing between us.

I turned to Mahya and asked, “Why did we never do that?”

“Do what?”

“Read the world information.”

She shrugged. “I see no point in reading information about a world I don’t intend to travel.”

“Okay, but we added Nahun to our list of options, so why didn’t we check it out?”

“If the mana level is not dangerous, I prefer not to read. It feels like a spoiler, and I prefer to be surprised,” she replied, shrugging again. “I thought you did, too.”

I sheepishly rubbed my neck and shook my head.

She started laughing and asked, “Did you forget?”

I was really embarrassed and just nodded in response.

She and Alfonsen started laughing harder. At least Rue wasn’t with us. Otherwise, he’d be yelling in my head again, “John! Silly!”

We checked the World’s Information:

“Not very informative,” Mahya said in a judgmental tone.

“Lazy Traveler,” Alfonsen added with a disgusted scrunch of his nose.

I just shrugged and checked the next.

“That was depressing,” I muttered to no one in particular.

“I’ve seen similar situations,” Mahya said sadly, shaking her head. “Not exactly the same, but wars and monsters. It’s more common than you think.”

“On that depressing note, let’s get back to the boat,” I said.

“Did you intend to rhyme?” Mahya asked with a teasing smile.

“No!” I replied, more defensively than I intended.

“You sounded like Rue just now,” Alfonsen informed me unhelpfully.

I just shook my head and kept walking, ignoring the two traitors as they laughed at me. At least I improved their mood.

“What about the Gate count?” Mahya called after me.

“Right,” I facepalmed and walked back.

We popped in and out of the Gate and returned to the boat. When I checked on my phone, I discovered that instead of sailing to Chongqing and taking a train or a plane to Jiangsu, we could turn around, return to Yichang, and sail eastward, passing through Hubei and Anhui and finally reaching Jiangsu Province.

I showed them the offered route, and they readily agreed. We sailed for two days, relying solely on the sails while Mahya tinkered with the engines.

“Please don’t break anything,” I said, watching her work, concerned. “We still need to use it on Earth. When we leave, you can do whatever you want to it.”

She looked up from her work and glared at me. “Are you an engineer now?”

“No...” I admitted sheepishly.

“Then go away,” she said, waving me off and almost hitting me with the wrench.

We were sailing past such breathtaking scenery that I felt the need to stop and absorb it. The stop at the Wu Gorge wasn’t enough. That afternoon, I dropped anchor and took out my fishing pole, just wanting to stop moving for a while and be in the moment.

Alfonsen approached me and looked curiously at the fishing pole. “What are you doing?”

“Fishing,” I said, while casting my line into the water.

“With a stick?” he asked, eyeing the pole with a clear skepticism written all over his face.

“No, it’s a fishing pole,” I said, and patted the spot beside me. “Sit down, I’ll show you.”

I took out another fishing pole and showed Alfonsen how to bait and cast it, guiding him through each step. After that, we just sat quietly, letting the silence and gentle water lapping fill the space between us as we fished.

After over an hour, Alfonsen broke the silence, his voice soft but sincere. “I am grateful for the opportunity to join you. I traveled for three years before our encounter, and I must say, I never derived such pleasure from my traveling. You demonstrate that the focus is not solely on rapid progress and Trait numbers but also on pausing to appreciate the journey. I want to express my gratitude and will also extend my gratitude to Mahya.”

I smiled at him. “You are very welcome.”

I was right. There was hope for him.

I grilled the fish we caught for dinner, took out my guitar, and looked for a new song to learn. I came across the song “War of Man by Neil Young,” and it reminded me of the Gate.

“The little creatures run in from the cold
Back to the nest, just like the days of old ...”

Mahya and Alfonsen also wanted to learn the lyrics, and after they learned them, they sang with me. To my surprise, they both had beautiful singing voices. After we sang, Mahya said, “I understand now what you mean when you say music helps you process emotions. It’s therapeutic.”

I nodded and played another song. That’s how we spent the evening, with me playing the guitar and teaching them songs and Rue as our backup singer. Of course, Rue wanted a beer—music always made him want alcohol.