I was still pissed at my in-laws. Not the all-consuming, white-hot rage like before, but a steady, simring resentnt that refused to die down. The need to make them pay still burned inside , sothing I couldn’t shake even if I wanted to. I didn’t. I’d made a promise, a vow, and I had no intention of breaking it. Maybe it made the bad guy, but I didn’t care. The thought of them walking away scot-free—especially after everything they put Sophie through—made grind my teeth.
I combed the Spell list for sothing to help take revenge. After so ti, I finally ca across the Mind Discipline section, which had a selection of rather dark abilities. Among them were srizing, Spellbinding, Enthralling, Entrancing, Hypnotizing, and Bewitching. Taking my ti, I carefully read through each description, weighing my options. Ultimately, I settled on Spellbinding—it aligned perfectly with my intentions.
SPELLBINDING
A sinister enchantnt that compels obedience through magic. Favored by bards, enchanters, and illusionists, it ensures unwavering loyalty through coercion. The spell lasts three days initially but extends with the caster’s level. As skill increases, it allows for more potent and complex commands, even overriding natural resistance.
Cost: 1 Ability Point
I also found the Invisibility spell ntioned in the Archives. Many Travelers recomnd always crossing the Gates while invisible.
INVISIBILITY
A coveted illusion spell used by rogues, mages, and spies for covert operations and strategic advantage. It renders the caster imperceptible to normal senses, allowing them to move unseen through different environnts. The spell starts with a 5-minute duration, extending with higher levels.
Cost: 1 Ability Point
With the two spells, I headed to “visit” my in-laws. They made Sophie miserable over money and jewelry; I'll make them feel the sa. They spent their whole lives hoarding wealth, clutching it like a lifeline. Let’s see how they enjoyed watching it slip through their fingers.
To avoid detection, I cast Invisibility multiple tis, starting five blocks away from their house. Once I arrived, I waited patiently for my father-in-law.
As soon as he parked, I cast Spellbinding: "Don't notice my voice, but do as I say."
Malcolm jerked and then froze. His eyes lost focus, pupils wide, and his face beca empty and expressionless.
"Go inside and leave the door open for two minutes."
He bolted, nearly tripping over himself as he sprinted to the house, threw the door open, and disappeared inside.
I slipped in behind him, re-casting Invisibility. The house was wired with security caras—inside and out.
Rachel was in the living room. I stepped closer and cast Spellbinding: "Don't notice my voice, but do as I say."
She stiffened, and her breath hitched. A shudder rolled through her and her fingers curled inward like she was trying to hold onto sothing. Her lips pressed tight, jaw clenched. For a second, she twitched—just enough to make wonder if she’d break free. Then, all at once, the fight drained out of her. Her shoulders sagged, her expression went slack, and the spell took hold.
"Go, collect all your and Malcolm's jewelry, put it all in a bag, and set it on the dining table."
The spell bucked under the weight of the command. I felt it—like gripping a slick, thrashing eel, twisting and writhing in my grasp, desperate to escape. Rachel jerked, her fingers flexing, breath hitching like she might break free. But the spell held. Her resistance wavered, then cracked, and she turned, moving in slow, jerky steps.
She returned minutes later, the bag hitting the table with a thud.
I cast again. "Go to sleep. Forget everything that happened. Tomorrow, you'll rember feeling tired and going to bed early."
This ti, no fight. She blinked, nodded absently, and shuffled off.
One last layer. "Don't look for the jewelry for the next three days."
Her expression stayed blank as she walked away. Good enough.
Now for Malcolm.
Spellbinding."Go to your safe, open it, and add all the valuables to the bag."
Sa reaction as before—zero hesitation. He just snatched up the bag, sprinted to his office, and returned minutes later, shoving it into my hands.
"Access your bank account and donate all your liquid funds to the Cancer Research Foundation. Attach a letter saying it's in mory of your beloved daughter."
He spun on his heel and bolted back to his office. I followed at a slower pace—no rush. By the ti I reached the doorway, he was already clicking through the bank transfer, moving with robotic efficiency.
Satisfied, I cast again. "Rember feeling bad about your treatnt of Sophie and deciding to donate in her mory."
The suggestion took root imdiately. His shoulders dipped, his gaze flicked to the floor, and his fingers curled, then flexed open. His mouth pressed into a thin line, breath slow and uneven.
Next. "You will feel good about donating."
His shoulders loosened as he let out a slow breath, a faint, almost contented smile appeared on his lips. Good.
"Go put the bag with the valuables behind the enormous statue in the front yard."
The mont he returned, I cast again.
"Go to sleep. Forget everything that happened except the donation."
One last command. I hesitated—too much for level one. I split it in two.
"Tomorrow, you'll rember feeling tired and going to bed early."
Then, "Don't look for your jewelry, don't access your bank account, and don’t open your safe for the next three days."
He nodded, turned, and took off up the stairs.
I paused at the door, giving the house one last look. If the spell wore off early, would they think they got robbed? Probably. But Spellbinding held, I felt it. Still… best to be out of the city before they started putting things together. I retrieved the bag, dropped it into my Storage, and slipped away.
By the ti I reached my hotel, the tension had drained out of . It was done.
Back in my room, I dumped the bag onto the bed and just stared. Jewelry spilled out in a glittering ss, clinking and shifting as pieces tumbled over each other. There were over 150 pieces, maybe even 200. Rings, earrings, pendants—loose pieces mixed with boxed sets that looked expensive as hell. The hotel light caught on gold and platinum, throwing scattered reflections across the sheets.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
I ran my fingers through the pile, the cool tal clicking against itself. Cufflinks, tie clips, brooches—so plain, so dripping with gems. One of the diamond tennis bracelets threw tiny rainbows onto the wall. How many tis had she worn this while looking down on Sophie?
And that wasn’t even all of it. Wedged between the jewelry was a fat stack of cash—$25,000—along with a small bag of loose gems, rough edges catching against my palm. Silver and gold coins in plastic sleeves and five bearer bonds marked at $10,000 each.
Looking at all this loot, I rembered searching for a looting spell and couldn’t help but laugh. Turns out there is a looting function—it just works a little differently.
They were certainly going to feel that. I was glad—they deserved it.
I’d burned through three ability points in two days and had no idea if I could “farm” more where I was headed. Better to stock up now.
Before leaving, I visited Sophie one last ti. Standing before her grave, I traced the letters of her na, the cool stone smooth beneath my fingertips. An icy wind tugged at my jacket and hair as rain started to fall, matching my mood. My tears mixed with the raindrops, and I tilted my face to the sky, letting the downpour wash them away.
When I finally got myself under control, I looked down at the headstone. "I'm keeping my promise," I whispered. "I didn’t give up—I’m still here. I donated everything you wanted to and let it all go. The only thing I’m still struggling with is living in the present. I know that part mattered the most to you, and I swear I’ll do my best. I’m not giving up."
I sank to the ground, resting my back against the headstone, legs stretched out in front of . The grass was wet, the rain soaking through my jeans, but I barely noticed. The sun traced its slow path across the sky as I sat in silence, keeping her company. I had nothing left to say, only the quiet companionship we once shared—except now, I was the only one left to breathe.
As dusk settled, I leaned in and pressed my lips against the cold stone. “If I don’t co back…” I trailed off, swallowing hard. My fingers traced the grooves of her na. “It’s not because I stopped loving you—I never will.”
The wind stirred my hair and carried a faint scent of jasmine—was it real or my imagination?
I pressed my forehead against the stone with a sigh. “You’ll be with , Soph. Every step, every sight, every story—I’ll carry you with .”
The wind picked up, cool against my face, like a cold caress. I closed my eyes, letting the sensation wash over . A faint smile tugged at my lips. "I love you too, babe.”
With one last look, I stood and walked away, carrying her mory into the cosmos.
I flew to New York, assuming there would be more workshops, pawn shops, and delis. Also, I wanted to fill up my storage with hot takeaway food, especially Italian and Chinese.
My red light had been blinking since my house and cars sold, and I used the money to fill my Storage. My ntal and emotional state was so wrecked at the ti that I didn’t have the energy—or the desire—to deal with it. Truth be told, I suspected it was good news, and I wasn’t ready for that. It felt like a betrayal, in a way.
But now, after my final goodbye, I was ready.
You have bought and sold goods for enormous sums of money over the past few months.
New Profession Unlocked: [rchant]
Would you like to take rchant as your Profession?
Note: Choosing this Profession will allow you to use the banked advancent.
Y/N
That was unexpected—definitely not sothing I’d ever considered doing. I stared at the ssage for a long ti, lost in thought.
On one hand, rchant didn’t sound all that exciting. But on the other… I had no plans to stay in one place. I planned to travel—not just through boooriiing Shimoor, but across worlds. And traveling took money.
Back when Sophie and I started earning well, I’d gotten used to the finer things in life—an expensive car, a nice house, great food, excellent wine. I wasn’t ready to give that up. If this profession helped make enough money to fund my travels and maintain a comfortable lifestyle, then maybe it wasn’t such a terrible choice after all.
I clicked Yes.
The red light was still blinking.
New Trait unlocked
Luck
On my profile page, I clicked on Luck, and—no surprise—the description caught off guard. Clearly, this system hadn’t read the sa books I had. It played by its own rules.
Luck
This Trait has no physical or ntal aspects.
Luck influences chance, fate, and destiny.
It acts as an unseen force, guiding you toward fortunate discoveries, valuable opportunities, and fortuitous encounters that lead to a better future.
It also serves as an internal warning, steering you away from danger and poor choices.
Luck is the quiet hand that nudges you toward the right path, leading to prosperity, success, and unexpected rewards.
My red light was still blinking.
Level up
3 wisdom, 3 perception, 2 luck, 3 free points
rchant Level 2
Free points: 3
Level up
3 wisdom, 3 perception, 2 luck, 3 free points
rchant Level 3
Free points: 6
Level up
3 wisdom, 3 perception, 2 luck, 3 free points
rchant Level 4
Free points: 9
Level up
3 wisdom, 3 perception, 2 luck, 3 free points
rchant Level 5
Free points: 12
Hitting level 5 in one go was insane! I stared at the ssage window, half tempted to ask if it was sure.
Then I actually thought about it.
In the last eight months, I’d spent over half a million dollars on purchases and sold nearly a million’s worth. Add in the trust fund and jewelry I inherited, and my little “looting” adventure, and—yeah. Suddenly, those levels didn’t seem so unbelievable.
Except for my new Luck stat, my lowest were Agility and Constitution, so I added six points to each. I still wasn’t sure what the best stat distribution would be, but for now, I didn’t feel like overthinking it. Raising the lowest ones seed like the safest choice.
I swayed on my feet, dizzy, and then ca discomfort—It wasn’t pain, but only just—in my head, eyes, ears, and nose. My skin crawled like a swarm of ants was running beneath it.
It didn’t last long, maybe a ten seconds, before vanishing like it had never happened.
Another jump in Perception. Just like before, the world sharpened—sights crisper, scents stronger, sounds clearer. But this ti, there was sothing new.
My skin.
The sensation of my clothes pressed against like never before, every seam noticeable, every fiber distinct. The tag on my shirt scratched like sandpaper. With a huff, I ripped it out.
I thought back to the headache—probably the jump in Wisdom. I didn’t feel smarter or wiser, but maybe I hadn’t noticed the change yet. Given ti, I’d probably figure it out.
With my profile still open, I checked the rchant description.
rchant
One of the oldest professions in existence. It is common and generally respected.
rchants buy and sell goods for profit.
This profession offers 3 starting skills upon selection and an additional skill every 5 levels.
When a rchant levels a skill to 25, they can choose another skill from the list to level.
Each level grants: 3 Wisdom, 3 Perception, 2 Luck, 3 Free Points
I opened my profile and noticed a few new lines had appeared.
Profession: rchant Level 5
rchant Skills:
• Bargain
• Sense Honesty
• Appraisal
• A Nose for Business
The last one was unclear, so I poked it.
A Nose for Business
With a sharp eye for opportunities, you excel at assessing offers, identifying their true value, and uncovering hidden factors. Your ability to present deals and rchandise in the best possible light makes you a skilled negotiator. Additionally, you have an intuitive sense of what custors want, allowing you to et their needs with ease.
I looked at my full profile, and it looked good.
Na: John Rue
Age: 37
Class: Gate Traveler Level 3
Gates to the next level: 2/8
Class Abilities:
• Conversion
• Travelers’ Archive
• Identify
• Storage X3 (1,728m³)
• Local Adaptation
◦ Spoken Language
• One of the Crowd
• Traveler’s Map
Class: Healer Level 3
Healer Spells:
• Heal Muscles (12)
• Diagnose (1)
• Stop Bleeding (1)
• Heal Bone (1)
• Control Blood (1)
• Healing Touch (1)
• Clean
• Neutralize Poison
• Purify
Profession: rchant Level 5
rchant Skills:
• Bargain
• Sense Honesty
• Appraisal
• A Nose for Business
General Spells:
• Mana Dart
• Mana Shield
• Spellbinding (2)
• Invisibility (1)
General Skills:
• Staff Fighting (10)
• Krav Maga (10)
• Archery (10)
• Minor Spell Adaptation (1)
• Mana Sense (1)
• Mana ditation (1)
• Photography (1)
• Develop Negative (1)
• Print Photograph (1)
• Guitar Playing
Health: 2,500/2,500
Mana: 3,000/3,000
Strength: 24
Agility: 24
Constitution: 23
Vitality: 27
Intelligence: 23
Wisdom: 30
Perception: 28
Luck: 8
Trait points: 0
Ability points: 8
New York. Europe. A few loose ends, and I’m out of here.
Earth felt like a prison, and I was done doing ti.
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