Ethan’s eyes shot open. His mind reeled as he attempted to recall every detail of the dream he had just been in. He sat in his bedroll, listening to the sounds of Barry snoring next to him. He didn’t have time to recall when the man had come back. All he had time for was recalling every single detail of that dream.

  This had happened sometimes back on Earth when he had just entered the college program and was going hard, learning everything he could about software development. He would remember a problem he had faced during the day while in his dreams, and then the solution would come to him. Sometimes when he woke, that solution was nonsense, but other times it was exactly what he needed. This time, he had dreamed of the joining of two things: the symbols and shapes from the spell array, specifically the barrier array he had been taught by Professor Marsh, and the mysterious system magic he still didn’t quite understand.

  “Of course they’re connected, you idiot,” Ethan muttered, rubbing his face as he rose to a seated position. He looked to the room’s corner, finding one pair of robes left before he would have to do some laundry. With no thought of going back to sleep, he snuck out the front and allowed the cool night air to flow over his skin.

  Dawn was close enough that Ethan decided not to go back to sleep. At first, he worried about bringing everything he would need for some early morning study until he remembered that the one thing he needed was in his soul. A smile spread across his face as his bare feet slapped against the cobblestones. There were other people awake at this hour, to his surprise. Some owners of shops were getting their stores ready for the morning. The air was thick with the scent of baking bread and something that smelled suspiciously like coffee. He ignored all these things and proceeded to his favorite park by the harbor. His smile widened when he looked out into the darkness. He knew that somewhere in the gloom there was the sea.

  The unfortunate part about gaining more knowledge about his system was that Ethan had at least a vague idea of how it was supposed to work. He could practice with his mind attribute as much as he wanted, and it seemed to increase slightly in power each time he retraced the ring with his pen. However, the other attributes did not so much as budge. When he put things together, it made him groan. If he wanted to increase his other attributes, he would need to do stuff related to them. If he wanted more strength, he would need to lift weights or do some push-ups. The same went for Dexterity and Agility. If he took his time tracing the ring for Dexterity, he felt it going up, but not as impressively as his Mind.

  Can’t be mad at myself for the system I designed. Ethan’s thoughts settled. He was trying to rush this too much. Today’s trip out with the Anomalous Materials Group would be interesting, even if it was supposed to be his day off.

  Eventually, his need for food overtook his curiosity about his systems, and Ethan was forced to head out. He stopped by the shack to get his shoes but found Barry just waking up. Barry rose, putting on only his shoes and grumbling something about history class being the worst thing he had ever experienced. After that, the duo headed for breakfast.

  “Can you believe it? Day one in that class and I’ve already got a study session with Amelia today.” Berry stretched and yawned in the line for food. “We were going over some merger of planets long ago and how that exposed everybody in the sector to the wider universe. Man, it was so boring.”

  “But that does sound like some pretty useful information. I guess, actually, I should make sure to pay attention in the class. I might need it for the class I’m in.” Ethan wasn’t sure how much he should share about the Anomalous Materials class, but Barry had been a steadfast friend from the start. So, whatever information he could share without risking himself, he would.

  “The only silver lining is that I have Amelia to drag me through. She’s an expert. She claims she already knows the material in the class, so she’s happy to teach me. You know, the worst part about the class is that we have to memorize all these dates, and the dates are all different. Oh, but I think they mentioned your planet.” Ethan perked up, his shoulders straightening when he mentioned Earth. “Apparently, it had a lot to do with the formation of this sector, although they’re claiming it was quite a few years ago.”

  Ethan wasn’t sure he had time to worry about that right now. He was at a point where he couldn’t tell if it was the dam in his mind or if he had actually moved on from his life on earth. He thought back to it, imagining the ruined landscape, and shook his head. No, it was the dam doing the work, not his own psychological state.

  “That’s actually extremely interesting. Did they give you any details?”

  “No, not really. We were doing a recap of the local sector since I missed the class last week. I missed out on the early formation, so that’s apparently where a lot of the details about your planet are.”

  As eager as Ethan was to learn more about his planet from an outsider’s perspective, the line was moving forward. Barry was rubbing his hands together. There was a particularly large plate of bacon and eggs waiting for him, along with some sort of spicy sausage that had caught his eye.

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  “No idea why anybody would pay for their food.” Barry piled this plate high in front of Ethan.”

  It was hard not to smile. He had finally put together why somebody would want to buy their own food. He wasn’t sure the bacon-loving man before him wanted to know the truth. When they finally found their table and sat down, Ethan was ready to share what he had learned.

  “This is in response to your earlier question,” Ethan said, finally settling down at the table and taking a tentative bite of his breakfast sandwich. He washed it down with a sip of fruit juice before continuing. “I got some food while I was in Silver City, and it did something to me. It felt like it was infusing me with power or something.”

  Barry’s mouth hung open, and Ethan was just happy there was no food to fall out. “You’re kidding me, right? Why hasn’t anybody told me about this yet?”

  “Probably because you didn’t ask. Unfortunately, we’re already behind, and everyone seems too busy to offer up information. We’ve got to go out and find it on our own. That’s why these conversations are important.”

  “Well, how much did it cost?”

  “95 coins, whatever that means.”

  “Well, come on, finish your food. We have to go see how much the regular stuff costs.”

  Before agreeing to anything, Ethan checked the time. He had a few hours before he was required to be at the Eastern Gate, and he didn’t expect the walk there to take very long. He finished his food and joined Barry on the streets outside the dining hall. All the vendors were out selling their wares in full swing by now, making it easy to pick one that sold something that looked like souvenirs. There were small figurines hewn from bone, jewelry, and even little pins. They were knick-knacks, which back on Earth might sell for a dollar. Likewise, the listed price here was less than a single coin. A quarter of one, if the scribe was reading the marks correctly.

  “That’s not good. I’m pretty sure I ate an extremely expensive meal in the central city.” Ethan rubbed his chin as he assumed that these things were worth about a dollar. The meal he consumed cost about 400 Earth dollars.

  “Did you steal it or something?”

  “No, I didn’t steal it.” Ethan held his hands up defensively. “The class I’m in apparently pays me. I wasn’t aware of it, but they pay me very well.”

  “And you blew it all on some food? Imagine, you could have bought yourself a bed.” Barry laughed, slapping Ethan hard on the back. “Oh well, I’m sure you’ll get more money. Amelia’s turned me on to a few schemes, so we’ll see if those work out. Hey, aren’t you going to be late?”

  Ethan checked the nearest clock and nodded. He had more than enough time to get there, but his true worry was how long he would be out in the field. The Anomalous Materials Group claimed they were going to the farmlands to the east, from what he could remember. That was about a day’s walk. Maybe he should bring more supplies. He shook the thought away.

  “Okay, I’ll see if I can’t scrounge up some more money and get myself a bed. You’re studying with Amelia today, right? Maybe you guys can do one of her money-making schemes.”

  After saying his farewells, Ethan worked his way through the city. The gate he had been told to meet them at was the very same one he had arrived through from the Silver City. He was slightly surprised as he approached the wooden pavilion. Each member of the group was waiting for him. They were wearing variations of the clothes they had worn yesterday. Finn had a bored look on his face as both Alex and Luna spoke rapidly. When they finally spotted him, they perked up, waving tentatively.

  “Big man’s first adventure! I hope you’re prepared for some hard work,” Alex said, placing his little hands on his hips, beaming up at Ethan.

  “He’s just kidding. This is going to be very routine,” Luna said, placing a comforting hand on Ethan’s shoulder.

  “You’re with her.” Finn pointed at Luna. “Just stay on the outskirts and you’ll be fine.”

  “So, don’t we need to walk there first?” Ethan asked.

  “Walking? Who do you think we are?” Alex asked. “We’re taking the portal to the nearest adventuring outpost. Students are always heading out east to find the dungeons. What, did you expect them to walk the entire way?”

  Ethan felt heat rising in his cheeks. That’s exactly how he thought this worked. “No, I was just...”

  “Give the man a break. Everybody line up! I’ll get us through.” Alex stomped off without another word, heading to the pavilion to get their access.

  “You really helped me out yesterday,” Ethan said, looking at Luna. She was quickly becoming his mentor, and he wasn’t sure if she knew that. “I think that food really helped with my system.”

  “Unfortunately, few can afford to eat only foods empowered with mana. Did you go for something light, like spirit fruit?” Luna asked. She had a lingering smile on her face, like a teacher proud of her student.

  “I think it was a chimera haunch.”

  Luna’s face was almost always impassive. She blinked a few times, the stars in her eyes shifting to a new pattern. “Interesting. You’re still alive.”

  “Wait, am I not supposed to be alive?”

  “I would’ve recommended some dried spirit fruit to start.” Luna nodded with approval, looking him up and down for appraisal. “Perhaps you’ve got what it takes to fit in with the Anomalous Materials Group.”

  Luna sauntered off without further explanation. The portal sprang to life in the center of the massive gate, and Alex whistled to gain everyone’s attention. They were soon all filing toward the entrance and passing through one by one. Ethan was the last to go, looking back at Gale House one last time before he headed into what very well might develop into certain danger.