I awoke to the feeling of someone gently slapping my cheek. I gingerly opened my eyes and saw that it was Rijana. "What time is it?" I asked. After we had lunch and Dovarata left our party, I spent a solid 6 hours copying the scrolls into my spellbook. Depending on how long I had slept, I may still have time to visit the Magic Shop at the Magic Guild before the 10 pm curfew.

"It's a half-hour past 8," my magic instructor replied. "You still have time to eat something before the kitchen is closed for the evening."

"You should definitely eat and regain your strength, Brother Mulligan," Van said.

Upon hearing that, my stomach started rumbling.

The paladin grinned.

Eek! I immediately jumped out of bed, stored my spellbook and writing supplies, and followed Rijana out of the room. Before I left, I looked around my room but didn't see Bila and Waverly. "Where are Bila and Sister Waverly?" I asked as we walked down the stairs.

"They're eating in the VIP room. We were concerned when you fell unconscious. The sister examined your condition and said you were only mentally exhausted. She reassured us that a decent nap will help you recover. Since Van returned from the Westminster Abbey, the four of us decided to split into two groups and take turns watching you while the other group ate dinner," Rijana explained.

"The girls were gracious enough to let Rijana and I eat dinner first," Van added.

"Ah, I see," I nodded in understanding. I was happy to learn that Bila and Van were taking their duties as my bodyguards seriously.

Given the late hour in the evening, the common room was only a third occupied by patrons. Nonetheless, Rijana took me into the VIP room, where the cat girl and the nun were, indeed, eating dinner--chicken pot pie plus a tankard of ale.

When we joined the two at the table, an elven waitress entered the room. "What would you like to order?" she asked.

"I'll have what they're having," I replied. I looked at the food the two were eating and I was impressed by the amount of chicken meat, cheese, diced carrots, and potatoes stuffed into a pie which was the width of two fists. Frankly, I would be very surprised if Sister Waverly managed to eat her pie. Bila, on the other hand, would have no trouble finishing hers because the cat girl had an enormous appetite.

"I just want some hot tea," Rijana ordered.

"The same," Van added with a nod.

The waitress nodded back politely and left the room.

Bila looked at me with a gleam in her pale yellow-green eyes and said, "I'm glad you woke up in time, Lord Mulligan. It would be a shame if you ended up skipping dinner. This pie is delicious!" She licked her lips and her paws for emphasis.

The sister looked at me with guilt in her eyes and then looked away in embarrassment. She wanted to wake me up before I miss dinner but Bila forcefully pulled the sister out of the room to prevent Waverly from doing so.

"It's fine," I said with a broad smile. "I exhausted myself copying four spell scrolls into my spellbook," I admitted openly.

"What spells did you add?" Waverly asked with curiosity. She was looking at me again.

"Fly, Firestorm, Dimension Door, and Anti-Magic Shell," I answered nonchalantly.

Rijana's jaw dropped. Her eyes narrowed. "Whoa! What level are you now?"

"15."

Van whistled. He remembered that I was a dual-class Swordmage and needed to earn double the normal amount of experience in order to advance my profession. He was shocked at how much experience I gained in such a short amount of time. He looked at me seriously. "You should consider visiting Kalistra to learn some advanced sword skills from her," he suggested. The paladin felt that I, as a warrior, was still lacking a killer move in swordsmanship. Thus, he believed that it would be beneficial if I learned another sword skill from my master.

"I was planning to visit my master in her new village of Kalistro," I admitted.

Rijana was still staring at me. "I'm not sure I'm qualified to teach you magic anymore," she said in a somber tone of voice.

"How come?" I asked.

"I'm only Level 16," she answered. The enchanter was torn between her jealousy at my unbelievable rate of advancement and pride in guiding my professional journey as a mage.

I reached out with my left hand and squeezed her hand. "I'll always think of you as my magic instructor."

"Thank you." She smiled at me.

The elven waitress returned my chicken pot pie and ale. She also gave Van and Rijana their hot teas.

Unfortunately, the pie was burning hot and I had to wait for it to cool down. "What happened to Bjoukia and Bjoukin?" I asked while looking at Rijana.

"They haven't returned. They're probably camping out in the woods tonight," she replied.

"Aren't you concerned that something may have happened to them?" I asked with alarm.

Rijana shook her head. "They are elves, remember? They'll be fine."

"If you say so," I shrugged. I started eating my pie. When I took my first bite, an explosion of flavor engulfed my mouth. I chewed it slowly. The chef had added just the right amount of seasoning to enhance the flavor. This was easily the best chicken pot pie I had ever eaten in my life!

"It's good, right?" Bila said while watching me eat. She read my facial expressions and knew exactly how much I was enjoying the food.

I nodded at her. Then I turned toward Rijana. "Do you know what time the Magic Shop closes? I would like to check their selection of scrolls."

My instructor shook her head. "They close at 6 pm. You'll have to return tomorrow morning."

I groaned in disappointment at the news.

"What spells are you looking for?" Waverly asked.

"My top priority is Gate followed by Recall," I answered.

"Makes sense," Van nodded with approval.

Rijana shook her head. "Gate is a Ninth-Tier spell. You need to reach Level 17 to cast it. Recall is Sixth-Tier and if you can learn Anti-Magic Shell then you can definitely learn Recall," she said.

I frowned. "How much experience is required to reach Level 17?"

"136,000 points."

I checked my status screen and saw that I had 112,325 XP currently. I was off by 23,675 XP. If I double it for being dual-class, then I needed almost 48,000 points. Ouch. I was so close and yet so far.

My magic instructor watched as I made the mental calculations to reach Level 17. She grinned.

Bila noticed. "Why do you look happy?" she asked while pointing her paw at the enchanter.

"Unlike my illustrious pupil, I'm less than 1,000 points away from reaching Level 17," Rijana answered happily.

That announcement got my attention! "What can I do to help you earn more experience?" I asked.

She waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about me. Just keep doing what you've been doing--going on quests, learning magic from me, etcetera. I could also earn experience from making magic items but the sort I would need to make to earn that much XP will be costly. Unless you're willing to spend a platinum coin to order a magic item from me?" Rijana asked hopefully.

I gulped and shook my head. I used the platinum coin that I was carrying inside my left boot to buy the scroll of Anti-Magic Shell for 500 gold coins from the Magic Bazaar at the Magic Guild in Southampton. I could no longer afford that kind of extravagant purchase anymore.

The enchanter looked disappointed at my decline of her offer. She mistakenly thought that I had the coin to spare.

"Are there other travel magic I could learn?" I asked.

"Sure," she answered. "There is Teleport, a Seventh-Tier spell. And also, Greater Teleport, which is Eighth-Tier. The problem with Teleport is that the spell is very risky to cast. It requires you to have a mental description of your destination. Unfortunately, there is a chance that the spell will take you slightly away from your intended destination. And if your body happens to appear in a solid object, you could die instantly," she explained.

I winced. I had watched enough episodes of Star Trek to understand the risks of teleportation mishaps. "What about Greater Teleport? Doesn't that spell improve the accuracy of the spell?"

Rijana nodded. "Yes, it does. But there is still a risk of teleportation error. That's why mages prefer to use Gate if at all possible."

"How many people can I take with me using Teleport and Greater Teleport?"

"Teleport allows one person to travel per skill level in Air magic. Greater Teleport permits two people per skill level."

"And Recall only takes me to a shrine that I had visited before?" I asked for confirmation.

"Correct."

I groaned inwardly. My best option now was to learn Recall and Greater Teleport and then try to gain the experience points needed to reach Level 17. In the meantime, I had to help Rijana reach Level 17 ASAP. I admit that a part of me WAS interested in pushing my own personal advancement and reach Level 17 before my teacher does. But it wasn't like the Gamemaster or the Gods will toss 48,000 XP my way. At least not without me paying a steep price in some way. No, the safer course was to help Rijana reach Level 17 first and then hope she will be able to learn the Gate spell.

With that decision made, I smiled at her. "Is there anything you could do tonight to gain some experience?" I asked.

The enchanter tilted her head for a moment. "If you want to hire me to make a simple magic ring, that could give me some experience," she suggested.

"What can I get for 50 gold coins?" I asked her.

Rijana laughed. "Maybe a copper ring with +1 attribute increase?"

The other companions laughed with her. There were a certain oddity and desperation in having a magic ring with such a low attribute increase. After all, the number of rings that could be worn simultaneously was rather limited. Thus, most adventurers would not settle for merely a +1 attribute ring.

I raised my hand in defiance to their reactions. "Hey, that could make a real difference with life and death consequences," I pointed out.

Rijana stopped laughing and looked at me for a moment with a serious facial expression. I was easily the biggest troublemaker she had ever met. I was both blessed and cursed by the Gods in her eyes. "For you, sure. So are you interested?" she asked.

I considered her offer. Despite being Level 15 now, the only magic item I possessed was the Truth Stone of Order and Chaos. And frankly, either Bishop Canterbury or Saint John the Kind could strip the holy relic from me at any time for any reason. My sword from the dojo was silver coated but it was not magical. Honestly, I was poorly equipped for a person with my level and stature in this gaming world. While I would prefer to save my coins to buy more scrolls, I should be able to spare 50 gold coins for a magic ring. Thus, I nodded at Rijana.

A gleam reached the enchanter's eyes. "What attribute would you like to have?" she asked.

I pondered her question. My lowest attributes were Wisdom and Charisma at 18 each. Since I wasn't planning to take the crown any time soon, I figured I wouldn't need to raise my Charisma again. Thus, the decision was obvious: "Wisdom."

"Very well," Rijana nodded again. "Can I receive my payment now? I'm going directly to my workshop to make your ring," she explained.

I untied the sack I received from Saint John and counted out 50 gold pieces. I placed them on the table and the enchanter accepted my payment.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning," she said with a smile. Rijana invoked a word of power and teleported out of the room.

I finished my dinner and returned to my room.

Van, Bila, and Waverly followed me up the stairs. But this time, Bila and Waverly did not enter my room. "We'll be next door," Bila said and unlocked the door to my right.

"Have a great evening, ladies," I nodded politely as I unlocked my own door. However, I did not enter the room immediately. Instead, I cast Light to illuminate the room and stepped aside.

Van stood in front of me, stuck his head through the doorway, and looked around. "It looks clear," he reported.

As my bodyguard looked inside the room, I, too, checked the room to ensure there were no assassins waiting. I activated Spirit Sense and Magic Sense to look for an invisible person awaiting me inside. Fortunately, the room was empty. I walked in and went straight to my bed on the left side of the guest room.

Honestly, I was not happy that I was forced to take so many precautions because assassins were after my life. I was certainly not accustomed to it. But I accepted it as a price I had to pay in order to return home one day.

While I was sitting on my bed, the church bell tolled nine times.

I looked across the room and I saw that Van had removed his armor and placed the pieces on his bed. He was cleaning his armor meticulously with a wet towel. He had taken the lantern and placed it on his side of the nightstand.

Seeing Van with his task, I decided to spend the next hour casting utility spells. "I'm going to practice my spells," I announced.

The paladin did not look up from his work. "That's fine," he replied.

I directed the Light sphere to float above my head. I cast Darkness on it to extinguish the light. I cast Light to replace the sphere. And then started rotating the two spells. There were two reasons why I decided to practice these spells. First, they were relatively cheap at 2 mana each. Second, my skill in the Light and Dark spheres were only at Level 2 and 3, respectively. The other spheres were at Level 4 or higher. Thus, it made sense for me to focus on increasing my skill in the Light and Dark spheres.

Van was surprised at what I was doing but he declined to comment. Instead, he leaned closer to the lantern, which was not affected by my spell of Darkness since I was targeting the Light sphere.

With my increased mana pool of 102, I decided to cast each spell two dozen times. I did NOT want to drop my mana to zero and knock myself unconscious. I received a separate notification for each spell I cast but I ignored it. When my mana pool finally dropped to 6 points, I stopped casting.

I spent the rest of the night clearing out my in-game messages. I received 25 XP for each successful spell with two exceptions. On my twentieth casting of each spell, I received the following messages: "Light SUCCESSFUL. Level 3, +75 XP." "Darkness SUCCESSFUL. Level 4, +100 XP." In total, I received 1,325 XP for spamming Light and Darkness.

The church bell tolled ten times and I decided to retire for the night.