While I was busy digging out magic items for Dovarata, my party members busied themselves with other tasks. Rijana used her talisman to return home and run errands. Hleara flew through the big hole in the ceiling and left the lair. Van and Quale engaged in a vigorous sword practice session. Kourant, Bjoukin, and Bjoukia were busy sharpening their weapons with whetstones. Bila took a cat nap. Onxyx meditated on the ground next to the flower; the portal had been closed and the priestess was recuperating from her blood loss.

When lunchtime arrived, I had managed to dig out only a third of the magic items in the western quadrant. Boy, what a haul it was! There were four types of swords, two bows, one shield, a set of plate mail armor, and two dozen of rings. As I said before, half the magic items in the cavern were buried in this sector. And I knew it will be a rather time-consuming task to recover all the items triggering my Magic Sense. That being said, I had to admit that playing the role of a magic bloodhound had its share of excitement.

When I joined the group for lunch, I was given a bowl and a cup. The bowl contained bird meat mixed with some vegetables in a thick sauce. The cup contained honey tea. I also received a biscuit. I devoured my lunch like a wolf and then resumed my search.

As I walked away, I saw sympathetic looks from my party members. As much as they wanted to help me in my search, the fact of the matter was that the remaining treasure in the cavern belonged to Dovarata. And none of them had received her permission to touch her treasure. They did not want the draco to reach a mistaken conclusion that they were trying to steal her treasure. Thus, the safest thing to do was to stay far, far away from the remaining piles of coins.

On the other hand, I was thankful that they reached the same conclusion that I did. Dovarata was very mercurial and I did not want them to accidentally incur her wrath. Otherwise, the draco could simply take her dragon form and attack the party. This was a nightmare scenario that I did not want to happen. Thus, if my companions were to offer a helping hand, I would have forcefully asked them to back away from Dovarata's treasure.

When I finally finished digging up all the magic items in the western quadrant, it was already dusk. Even worse, I had a pounding headache. I looked at my pop-up message and it read: "Magic sense SUCCESSFUL. +2,000 XP. -8 Health." Ah, no wonder; I had overused my ability and now, I was paying a price for it. I looked up at Dovarata, who was perched in the same spot from this morning. "I'm going to take a nap. After supper, I will resume the search in the eastern quadrant," I called out.

The draco stood up and flapped her wings. She elevated her body slightly from her perch and then dove toward me. She landed right in front of me. Tucking her wings behind her back, Dovarata took a kneeling position next to me. She grabbed my hand and pulled. "You may borrow my lap for a pillow," she said with a serious expression on her face.

I panicked and tried to shake free of her hand. However, her grip was tight and I was forced to lay down and rest my head on her lap. I half-expected Bila to run over on all four paws in protest. However, I was surprised when this did not occur. Instead, Bila was pointedly ignoring me. I closed my eyes and slept.

#

I awoke to the feeling of my cheeks being pinched. Now, who could be doing that? I slowly opened my eyes and discovered a pair of red eyes staring down at me. It was Dovarata!

"It's time for supper," she said with a grin.

"How long did I sleep?" I asked as I lifted my head from her lap.

"Maybe an hour?" she shrugged.

I stood up and offered my hand to Dovarata, who gladly accepted the assistance to return to her feet. Feeling conscious of Bila's stare at our joined hands, I immediately released the draco before the cat girl formed the wrong impression. Again. Alas, it may be too late. When I approached the camp, Bila pointedly turned her face away from me with a "hmph!"

Bjoukia giggled and received an elbow from her brother.

Hleara looked at me and smiled. "I'm glad to see that you are getting along very well with my sister, Lord Mulligan."

Uh-oh! I quickly waved my hand. "Not at all. Dovarata is very intimidating," I said honestly.

"Is that so?" the draco cooed next to me.

I sat down next to Hleara.

Dovarata immediately sat next to me.

Seeing that I was sandwiched between the two beautiful sisters, Bila glared at me and then turned away again. "Hmph!"

I accepted the bowl of bird stew and buried my face in the bowl. I was in deep trouble and the only way out was to return to work ASAP!

Thankfully, my companions noticed my discomfort and left me alone. The last thing they wanted to do was to add oil to the fire. They had no clue how serious Dovarata was in her desire to keep me as her pet or servant. They could only hope that it was a temporary infatuation and that I would be cast aside easily like a cheap toy.

I washed down my dinner with a cup of honey tea and immediately walked over to the eastern quadrant. While eating, I decided to finish my search tonight and I was prepared to pull an all-nighter to achieve this result. But at the same time, I had to dig carefully or else I will be buried under a pile of coins and suffocate to death.

Since it was late, I couldn't expect my companions to stay up and watch over me. It was possible that Dovarata will do just that in order to guard her treasure. However, I didn't want to be rescued by her in case of an accident and then owe another favor to her. Thus, I couldn't dig as fast as I wanted to.

By the time I pulled out the last piece of magic item from the piles of coins, I was physically exhausted. However, I received these in-game notifications: "Minor faction quest completed. +1,000 XP, +500 Reputation, +1,000 XP." "Magic sense SUCCESSFUL. Level 10, +5,000 XP. Title ACQUIRED: Spirit Magi." I couldn't help but gasp aloud at what I saw. My exhaustion was immediately replaced with elation at this unexpected accomplishment!

Someone approached me. But it was not who I expected--Onxyx. The elven priestess bowed deeply to me. "Lord Mulligan, Gaea has summoned you. Please enter the portal," she said with a firm tone of voice. Despite the politeness, it was a command.

I nodded. I jogged over to the black orb and watched as it grew into the size of a window. I stuck my head inside and climbed through the portal. I found myself on the ground inside a misty cavern. Giggles could be heard all around me. I waited patiently for a guide to appear. I was surprised, however, when my guide turned out to be Gaea herself! I immediately bowed deeply to her.

The faery god, dressed in an elegant, rainbow-colored dress and a crown on her head, fluttered in front of me. "It's been a while, my child."

"Yes, Goddess."

"Please follow me." Gaea emitted a shimmering light which cut through the dense fog and flew slowly enough for me to follow her.

Eventually, I left the cavern and found myself in a lush forest teeming with life. Songbirds sang above my head. Insects contributed to the music of nature. Animals wandered about at a leisurely pace.

The Goddess led me to a set of small trees which grew in a circle around a large, flat piece of rock. She flew and hovered over the rock. "Please sit here," she commanded.

I squeezed through the small opening between the trees and sat on the rock. When my bare hand grazed the rock, I felt a pulse! I was so shocked by the sensation that I jerked my hand off it.

The faeries who had followed Gaea giggled at my reaction.

"Gaea, why was I summoned?" I asked. As much as I enjoyed basking in the glory of Gaea and her servants, I was mindful of the fact that it was past midnight back on the alternate Earth. And I desperately needed my rest if I was to resume my mission to search for the next set of Ph'laen Ruins in London tomorrow.

The beautiful Goddess offered me a bright smile. "I wish to keep my promise and teach you magic."

"Thank you, Gaea." I bowed deeply. I cast aside my planned schedule. Who wouldn't want to learn magic from a Goddess? "What kind of magic will you teach?" I asked. Will I learn nature magic? While I didn't plan on playing the role of a druid, I was willing to broaden my horizon and learn another type of magic.

"I will help you tap into leylines," she replied. "You just received the title of 'Spirit Magi.' This is an ancient profession. In the modern era, you are the second person to receive this title."

"Two questions. Who was the first?"

"Merlin Hubert Jackson."

My eyes widened in surprise. "You mean the player character who became King of this country?"

The Goddess nodded.

"What can you tell me about him? Is he still alive? Did he go back home?" My questions flew in rapid succession.

The faery shook her head with a sad look on her face. "I cannot say more on this subject matter. What I want to do now is to help you unlock your access to leylines. For spellcasters, leylines are important, complementary sources of mana. Once you create a link with a particular leyline, you can tap into the specific element available in the leyline to power your spell in place of your mana pool," she explained.

"Wow!" In other words, the leylines will act as unlimited sources of mana for my spells! With access to leylines, I would no longer need to increase my Intelligence attribute in order to increase my mana pool. This ability was almost a game-breaking cheat! That being said, I had a second question before and I raised my hand. "How is the title of 'Spirit Magi' related to leylines? I thought only a Linemaster could access them?"

Gaea nodded in approval at my astute observation. "There is no such profession as a 'Linemaster' in this world. As to the first question, you will understand in a moment. Now, I'm going to help you create a link to the leyline in this forest. It will supply you with the earth element. Close your eyes and meditate."

I did as instructed.

"Feel the power of the earth all around you. Reach out using your soul and grab it."

I was confused by this. How was I suppose to grab it with my soul?

The Goddess sat on my right shoulder and touched my cheek.

I felt her spiritual presence beside me. She led me through the fog and darkness. Suddenly, I felt a pulse. As I drew closer the pulse became a heartbeat. When I "stood" in front of it, I saw a living heart. Instinctively, I understood that this was the heart of the forest.

Now reach out using your soul and grab it.

I envisioned creating a hand and holding the beating heart. When I made metaphysical contact with it, I felt warmth and comfort. It was as if I had turned into an unborn fetus and returned to my mother's womb. My heart, body, and soul became one with the heart of the forest. Finally, I opened my eyes. I felt the pulse of the forest beating inside me. I was still connected. "Leyline ACQUIRED: Divine Forest of Gaea (Earth). +500 XP."

"Very good, my child. Now, please check your status screen," Gaea instructed.

When I opened my player status screen, I saw the following:

A picture of my player avatar was in the left column and right above that read: “Title: Pursuer of the Crown, Title: Spirit Magi, Title: Dragonslayer, Title: Finalist in the Melee Tournament, Title: Undead Hunter, Title: Were-Hunter, Title: Avenger of the Town Judge Wachtel; Title: Liege of the Butterfly School of Swordsmanship, Title: Protector of Southampton, Status: Member of the Mage Guild, Status: Adept of the Butterfly School of Swordsmanship, Status: Adept of the Church of Britannia, Status: Town Judge of Tregome, Status: Honorary member of the Tregome Bordermen, Status: True Friend of Burnhamm Village.”

The middle column read: "Name: Lawrence Eugene Mulligan, Race: Human, Alignment: Lawful Good, Permanent Conditions: Marked by Bane, Marked by Musa, Marked by Luck, Marked by Gaea, Marked by Jasla, Marked by Leonus; Profession: Mage/Swordsman, Level: 9, Experience: 74,750/45,000, Reputation: 39,102, Attack: 42, Damage: 6-8 (Unarmed), 8-12 (Dagger), 8-18 (Long Sword), Critical Attack: 9%, Critical Damage: 250%."

On the right side of the screen, my player attributes were listed: "Health: 90, Stamina: 54, Magic: 50, Strength: 20, Intelligence: 35, Wisdom: 12, Dexterity: 19, Constitution: 26, Charisma: 12. Abilities: Navigation-Sense (Level 6), Magic Sense (Level 10/MAX), Immunity to Electricity (Level 2), Immunity to Fear (Level X), Negotiation (Level 5), Spirit Sense (Level 10/MAX), Reroll (Level X)."

At the bottom were SIX tabs rather than the previous five. The first was marked "Skills." When I mentally clicked on the tab, I saw: "Professional Skills: Mage—Read Magic (Level 8); Swordsman—Dual-Weld (Level X), Charge (Level 6), Disarm (Level 4), First Strike (Level 3), Slide Step (Level 4), Duel Winner (Level 2)." The second tab was "Magic Spells: General (Level 6)—Detect Trap, Light, Dispel Magic, Enchant Magic Item, Permanency; Fire (Level 8)—Fire Bolt, Fireball, Protection from Fire; Water (Level 3)—Acid Arrow, Iceball; Earth (Level 3)—Armor, Web, Earth Spike; Air (Level 5)—Magic Missile, Invisibility, Lightning Bolt; Light (Level 2)—Protection from Undead; Dark (Level 3)—Dark Vision, Darkness." The third tab was: "Divine Spells: Order—Unveil (Level X), Chaos—Veil (Level X), Charm Opposite Sex (Level X); Life—Minor Heal (Level X)." The fourth tab was "Artifacts," and it revealed: "Truth-Stone of Order and Chaos—Truth-Telling (Level X)." The fifth tab was "Followers," and it listed: "Bila, Journeyman Swordsman." The final tab was "Leylines," and it listed: "Divine Forest of Gaea (Earth)."

I checked my status screen to confirm that I had received the "Spirit Magi" title and I had access to the leyline connecting to "Divine Forest of Gaea." I noted that my Health, Magic, Stamina, and Attack scores increased slightly because I had advanced two character levels since my last status check yesterday.

I also checked my list of spells and I was quite pleased with how many spells I had in my repertoire. The only concern, though, was my skill level in the Light sphere, which was at Level 2. I needed to figure out a way to increase my skill so that I could learn offensive magic that would be effective against undead creatures.

Speaking of spells, I had a total of 19 spells in my spellbook. Since the total number of spells that I could learn was equal to my Intelligence attribute, I could learn another 16 spells. While that sounded like a lot, I wanted to save slots for higher tier spells like Recall and Gate. Plus offensive spells. Thus, I needed to be careful in deciding what spells to add to my spellbook.

Gaea continued the conversation. "To answer your question regarding the connection between a Spirit Magi and leylines, a leyline is actually a form of spirit. In order to perceive it, one must possess the ability to read spiritual auras. The magi is a mage with the power to use the leyline to create magic," the Goddess explained. "The term, 'Linemaster,' does not adequately describe what a Spirit Magi can do and thus, we don't use the term for that reason."

"I understand." If I didn't feel the pulsating heart of the forest just a moment ago, I would not have accepted her explanation so easily. But since I had formed a link with the leyline, I understood exactly what she meant.

"Excellent," Gaea praised with a nod. "And now, it's time for you to return to the dragon's cave. I will continue to watch over you, my child." She kissed me on the forehead to offer her blessing. The Goddess held up her hand and a shimmering portal formed in front of the grove.

I rose to my feet and bowed deeply to the divine faery. I squeezed past the trees and stepped through the portal. I was back in the dragon's cave.

When Onxyx saw me, she became concerned. "Are you alright, Lord Mulligan?" she asked.

"Of course! I'm fine. I'm actually better than fine!" I replied in a giddy tone of voice. I felt my face had turned into a goofy grin and I quickly smoothed it into my normally serious facial expression.

"If you say so," the priestess replied hesitantly. She closed the portal and then walked across the cavern to lay down on the ground next to her husband, Quale.

I looked around and saw that everyone had retired for the night. However, I noticed that the basalt golem, which we had destroyed yesterday, had been fixed; it was now guarding Dovarata's treasure hoard. The draco herself was sleeping on top of a pile of gold coins.

I tiptoed to a corner of the large cavern, sat cross-legged on the ground, and started my meditation. Since I was standing on a dormant volcano, I wanted to tap into the leyline of the fire element running through this location. I tried hard to recreate the condition that I was in while under Gaea's personal instruction. I made my mind blank and focused solely on my breathing. In, out. In, out.

At a certain point during my meditation, I lost the sense of my physical self. I reached out in the darkness and heard a sound. I pushed my spirit closer to the sound like a moth drawn to a light source. Soon, the sound turned into a thunderous roar. It was the movement of lava deep beneath the earth. The power and the heat were scorching my senses. I felt dice rolling inside my mind and then stopped. Suddenly, the heat cooled and the roaring current lowered in volume. Yet, I felt the leyline running through the center of my being.

Finally, I opened my eyes and looked at the pop-up messages: "Wisdom check SUCCESSFUL. +50 XP." "Leyline ACQUIRED: Hleandros' Lair (Fire). +500 XP." I was so elated with joy that I barely prevented myself from shouting, "YES!" And waking up everyone. I allowed my body to relax, leaned my head against the wall behind my back, and fell asleep.