'Fucking Telepathy?' Bob thought incredulously.

'Help Telepathy,' he thought firmly.

System Help, Telepathy. Telepathy is a Mental protocol used for high-speed communications between users by forming a link powered by mana. It can be used to review or record a sentient targets thoughts, however, they are given the opportunity to resist should that action be taken.

'Ok,' Bob thought, so not full-on mind rape then.

'Fuck it, I accept.'

"Hello! I'm so pleased to meet you, my name is Kelli, I understand your name is Bob?" a voice pierced his skull.

Bob winced, and tried to mentally project as if he was issuing a command to the system, 'Yes, my name is Bob.'

"Excellent, oh my, your language really is very different isn't it?" The voice said excitedly.

'Yes, it would certainly seem so - how exactly are you able to tell that?' Bob queried.

"Oh, as the originator of the spell I receive your response in your own language, then the magic phrases it to me in mine." the voice explained happily.

It was at this point that Bob noticed that the excited and happy tones of voice matched perfectly with the expressions of the small man who was staring at him.

'Alright,' he mentally projected, 'I can accept that. Is there any chance you can somehow send my words and your words back to me, so I can try to learn your language a bit faster?'

"Ah, well I could do that I suppose, although it seems terribly cumbersome. It would be much easier if we can convince Thidwell to provide the crystals necessary for me to simply copy the language to you," the voice, er, Kelli he supposed, advised.

'And I suppose Thidwell is the giant behind the desk?' Bob enquired.

"Oh my, yes I suppose he would seem to be a 'giant' as you say, but I can assure you he was only slightly taller than average before he advanced to tier six, and yes as the Curator of Holmstead, he is the one who can provide the necessary crystals."

'I have quite a few questions, but the most important one is this - how do I get home?' Bob asked.

"Where are you from - just think about your home and project it towards me," Kelli said.

Bob thought about home. Home to him was Monroe, the beat-up couch he had rescued from the curb and sewn a cover for, and the tiny spice garden he'd grown in his window sill, despite Monroe's best efforts to eat them. Monroe curled up on his chest, purring up a storm. Monroe playing tag with him from the bathroom to the kitchen. He pushed all of it towards Kelli.

"Oh, ok. Apparently, your home is a feline. I meant more the town you live in..." Kelli replied.

'Monroe kind of ~is~ home to me,' Bob thought, then thought about Cal-Tech, and of course Watts. He pushed those mental images towards Kelli.

"You aren't from this world," Kelli stated with absolute certainty.

"I'm not sure how you arrived here, and I have only the vaguest of suggestions as to how you might get home," Kelli sent, "But finding the answers you are looking for would be helped greatly by knowing our language."

'I have a few questions about that,' Bob projected, 'first, what are these crystals?'

"That is... well, ok. Hmm. Alright, I'm going to give a little mental lecture here, just hold the questions until I'm done."

'Go ahead,' he projected.

"Crystals are condensed mana, basically. Er... ok a step back. Mana is a type of energy that is present in everything. You have some, I have some, the chair you're sitting on even has a tiny bit. It is everywhere and in everything. Now, there are currents of mana that flow under the ground, which is a good analogy really as they have tides and eddies and pools. Anyway, mana currents cross each other and twist and turn and gather together to create significant concentrations of mana. Where mana concentrations like that are formed, the ground opens up and mana bubbles up. In the process of bubbling up, it either infuses or creates life, there are more than a few schools of thought on that, and good arguments for both, but that isn't important to our conversation. When the mana bubbles up and regardless of creation or infusion, the life that is found in the Dungeons it creates on its way to the surface is so heavily infused with mana that it condenses into crystals, sometimes called shards."

Bob sensed Kelli taking a mental breath as he continued.

"Now crystals are important for a lot of reasons, but a very important thing for you to know is that a crystal will only condense if the creature killed is a higher level than the person who killed it. There are more than a few tomes on this subject, most of which suggest that the mana field generated by the person killing the creature is intertwined with it during combat, which is supported by the fact that mana sight has shown us that using abilities or spells technically ignites the mana between you and your target, linking the two of you and attempting to cause whatever effect your spell intended. Fascinating topic, anyway, crystals are what allow you to increase your level."

Another deep mental breath.

"From level one to level five is a gift from mana. You can use any crystal to increase your level, and it requires fifty per level. Once you hit level five you are normally considered an adult in most cultures, and regardless of culture, mana demands more. From level six to level ten, you have to consume one hundred crystals to increase your level, and they have to be from creatures higher level than you. It is worth noting that the crystals must be from creatures that you killed, that your mana field intertwined with. Crystals can also be used to cast ritual magic or to imbue objects with magical properties, and those crystals can be from any source."

Kelli seemed in a rush to finish, and he continued.

"There are a variety of requirements for various enchantments and rituals, but the long and short of it is that in order to cast the ritual to move the knowledge of our language, which is called Thaylan by the way, I need to expend one hundred crystals, which I don't have as I am not particularly adept at combat, and I seldom delve into the dungeon."

Bob was struck by a sudden headache, and Kelli closed his eyes and let out a whimper as he stepped back and leaned against Thidwell's desk.

"Mana burn, I'm going to need a few minutes. I can tell you with absolute certainty that he is not from this world. Further, I don't think his world has mana in it." Kelli reported to the room in general as he stumbled to a chair and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and massaging his temples.

"Is this a one time deal or have his people somehow opened a portal to our world?" asked Thidwell in a worried tone.

"I didn't get that far, give me a minute and I'll go back in. In the meantime any chance you can spare one hundred crystals so I can transfer Thaylan to him? It would make all this a lot easier for everyone," Kelli asked

Bob just sat there and sighed to himself. He wasn't one hundred percent sure how he felt about being part of a magic ritual but knowing what was being said around him would be worth it.

Thidwell gave what could only be termed as a long-suffering sigh, and opened a desk drawer and started rummaging through it. He pulled out a small pouch, then with a glance at Elli and Harv, pulled out another one. He opened the second pouch and started counting out brilliant shards.

To Bob's eye, it looked like he counted out a couple hundred into two piles, then spoke to Elli and Harv. "You brought back the anomaly and the contract calls for a one hundred crystal reward. I know you're both level eight, so here are the level ten crystals. I'm not sure how long this business with Bob will take, but let's assume I'll take you into the dungeon tomorrow to earn your way to level ten."

Elli and Harv both smiled and scooped their crystal piles into their purses. Harv gave Bob a smile and a thumbs-up before making a drinking motion with his hand and pointing at Bob, then himself and Elli.

Bob interpreted that to mean Harv and Elli were going to treat him to a drink later, and smiled, giving them a thumbs up in return.

Thidwell then counted out a number of crystals in the other pouch and slid the pile towards Kelli, who nodded.

Kelli scooped up the crystals in his hand, then turned to face Bob.

System User Kelli Armel has attempted to contact you via Telepathy. To consent either Mentally project or Verbally articulate, "I accept" or to resist, Mentally project or Verbally articulate "No"

'I accept,' he mentally projected.

"Ok, so Thidwell agreed to give me the crystals for the ritual - this will take one hundred seconds, and once it's complete, assuming neither of our heads explode in the process, you will be able to speak Thaylan."

'Wait, explode?' Bob desperately projected, but it seemed like the link was gone.

System User Kelli Armell is attempting to impart his knowledge of the language "Thaylan" to you. To consent either Mentally project or Verbally articulate, "I accept" or to resist, Mentally project or Verbally articulate "No"

'I accept,' he mentally projected with no small amount of trepidation.

Kelli was staring at him, but it didn't really seem like he was seeing him.

Bob waited, nervously, counting down from one hundred. If there was a magical ritual happening, Bob was a little disappointed. Where was the chanting, the unnatural breeze, or the quiet murmurs of the Great Old Ones? Bob shook his head. Focus. How likely was the head explosion danger? Kelli seemed like he had a bit of a sense of humor so maybe that was just a jo- "ARGH" Bob gasped as he grasped his temples, and the world faded to black.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thidwell sighed, looking over his desk at the figure slumped on the floor.

"So, what is his world like?" Thidwell asked Kelli.

Kelli paused to consider his answer, then replied "For Bob? It seemed pretty terrible. He hasn't ever experienced mental projection or telepathy before, so I got a lot more than I think either of us intended."

Thidwell cocked his head to the side and waited for Kelli to continue.

"First off, there isn't any magic there. They have something called science instead. Carriages that run on some sort of smelly liquid, but are faster than any man or beast, and can run for hours, even days. Metal tubes attached to metal plates that burn another liquid to create a roaring fire behind the plates, which hurls the Metal tube, full of hundreds of people, above the earth at speeds so great it cracks the sky," he paused and shook his head.

"And the cities! He grew up in a city of, and I believe I have this right, several thousand, thousand people. I know the sages have a word for that number but I can't recall it." Kelli finished.

"But for Bob this was terrible?" Thidwell asked.

"Yes," Kelli replied soberly, his excitement over the tubes and carriages evaporating. "From what I saw, his mother was a whore. They have schools, as Harbordeep does, but he was mocked and bullied for his poverty, and his mother's profession" Kelli shook his head. "There is something... I don't know. His world was quite cruel to him. Rather than lashing out, he seems to have repressed the anger."

"This world can be quite cruel as well," Thidwell replied gruffly.

Kelli nodded and replied "I don't think Bob would have a problem adapting to our world, and perhaps even thriving. I don't think I've ever encountered a more logical and organized mind, although his emotional state is quite damaged."

"Perhaps -" Thidwell stopped as Bob groaned and pulled himself up onto the chair.

"Fuck," he groaned.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bob didn't drink. Ever. It was partially an abhorrence of alcohol, born of seeing his mother's drunken antics, and partially because he had decided to live by those five rules, and alcohol would have been against his goal of being healthy.

As a result, he didn't know what a hangover felt like. But he was pretty sure this was it.

"The pounding pain will stop in a minute, although you might have a slight headache for the rest of the day," said a cheerful voice from beside him.

"You should have warned me," he muttered to Kelli.

"If I had warned you, you might not have agreed to it, and isn't it a good thing you did? We are speaking Thaylan after all." Kelli replied.