Chapter 1. Part 10.

Back for More.

Saturday morning one week after Mark's trip to meet the King. One week on Earth, half a year in the other world. “Ding Dong” the doorbell wakes up him and he staggers down to check who is there, still half asleep. Surprise it is Gwen. “I want to go and see more.” she says as soon as he opens the door.

“Ok but let me get some breakfast first.” he mutters as they head towards the kitchen. “The forest isnt safe, so we cant just go walking around. How about I show you the local village? It is about an hour from the cabin. If you are up for that.”

She nods enthusiastically. “I put my hiking sneakers on and everything.” She shakes the small backpack she brought with her. “Im all set for an adventure.”

“Its great that you prepared, but we should grab you some things from the cabin. Best get you some real protection, just in case.” he says as he pours milk into his bowl of cereal.

“So your serious about the monsters in the woods?” she questions.

“Yes, very much so. No joke. It is fantastic over there, but dangerous too. This is important, if any trouble happens, you have to do as I say, dont argue about it.” In hindsight that would have been more convincing if he hadn't said it with a mouth full of cereal.

They walk through the magic door to the other world.

Once there Mark starts looking for some appropriate clothing and equipment. “Modern clothing may freak out the villages, so I want to find you something more fitting. I guess we can made do with this simple travellers cloak. It has some protection magic woven into it, so it like armor.” He explains as he digs through some draws and a chest. “We can buy you some local clothing at the village, if you like.”

“Wow a Saturday shopping trip in another world.” She laughs happily “You really know how to plan a great first date.”

Mark freezes in place for a long moment. “Date? Id this a date?” He asks himself

As they walk through the woods, they are attacked by a few monsters. Mark deals with them without much trouble. A few spells is all it takes. Gwen is both excited and frightened by the encounter, but most of all she is amazed, “You really can use magic!”

“Wow this is so wow. It dosnt quite seem real, even now.” She says as she pokes a dead monster with a stick. To his surprise, this girl is not disgusted or freaked out. She really seems to be enjoying it all.

Visiting Ravensend – The village next to Foreboding Forest

The village is a small place, so there arnt many shops to look at. Only one clothing store.

The people are friendly. Most of them know Mark by now. They greet him with clear respect.

What surprised Gwen here, is the fact that she can understand the language. “It is just a feature of how the door works. You can also understand the writing too.” He explains.

The village is surrounded by a simple wooden wall, with a single tower at each gate. Not the best of defences but it was enough to keep the people safe, most of the time. As for the many farm houses outside the wall, they took their chances with the wild life.

The clothing was not high quality, but Gwen had fun shopping. She picked out several items and Mark paid for them. After that they had lunch at the Inn. Of course many people were curious about who the new girls was. “A friend from my homeland.” he said.

“By the way, sir. A letter arrived for you a few weeks ago. It looks important.” the Innkeeper said.

He then passed Mark a thick envelope that had the royal seal on it. “Lord Mark von Crane” it read.

He opened it, while Gwen did the natural but impolite thing or reading over his shoulder.

Basically the letter was the official royal recognition of him as Crane's heir. Meaning he was lord of the Monster Woods and surrounding lands, including this village.

She laughs and said, “You have some more unbelievable stories to tell me, dont you?”

The Rescue Mission.

As Mark and Gwen were finishing lunch, a frantic farmer rushes in. “They're gone! Goblins took my kids! We need help!”

Taking charge, the Innkeeper who was also the adventuring guild master, got the poor fellow to calm down and explain exactly what happened. “As I worked in the field, the kids were playing over near the big tree, as they often did. Then I heard a scream, so I hurried over to see what happened. They were gone. A bit of blood was on the ground, and goblin tracks went off towards the west woods.”

Gwen whispers, “That's terrible, we should help.”

Mark nods, “Goblins like to eat children, so Iv heard.” then her words sink in “Hang on, you are not going chasing after goblins, its much to dangerous.”

She rolls her eyes, “Because Im a girl?”

He answers “Because you have no fighting skills and they are vicious little killers.”

Gwen snaps back, “Iv been taking self defence classes since summer, and Iv got a taser.”

Mark shuts his mouth, recalling how they had first met. He had never asked her about that event, how she felt about it or how she delt with it. “Ok if you really want to help, fine. But stay close to me and dont take any chances.”

Was he being reckless and irresponsible? Most adults would say, yes. Just bringing her to the village through the monster filled woods had been dangerous and foolish. But Mark was a teenage boy, so of course he was overconfident.

A rescue party is organized. Mark is asked to join, as a monster hunter and magic user, he is considered very valuable. As local lord it would also be his duty. But he has not told anyone about that title yet.

Rally Hyll – the top ranger, who just happened to be at the Inn, is put in charge, because of his years of experience. Two other local adventurers volunteer, as do six other men.

In total 12 people rush off to rescue the kids.

They get to the big old tree near the farm, Rally confirms what the farmer said is true. Goblins, 4-5 of them, got the kids and hurried off towards the west woods. The rescue group, although only lightly armed, presses on in pursuit.

At the edge of the woods Rally stops the group to explain, “We are going to have to go slow from here. Goblins usually move fast for a while, then set up an ambush and wait, once the terrain is favourable.”

As it turns out, that is exactly what happens.

Three Goblins with bows open fire on the group, from a thicket on top a steep rise of ground.

Mark casts a shield spell, so no one is hurt.

The Goblins fire a second volley, then notice that a spell is at work, so they run.

Everyone wants to chase them down, but the ranger says “NO! We have to check for tracks carefully, to be sure we follow the ones who have the kids.” This takes time. Time that makes the farmer more and more agitated. Gwen does her best to calm him.

No one else has a problem with Gwen being there. They assume she is an adventurer.

Eventually Rally picks up the trail and they follow it, as quietly as possible. Everyone on the alert for another ambush. Mark using his detect spell every so often, which happens to show him exactly where the next ambush is set up.

 

Note – the detect spell works rather like a radar ping. It can be tuned to detect various things.

However it is not perfectly accurate and it does not see through walls.

This time the fight is more intense, because the ranger wants to kill the goblins before they can raise an alarm. He and one of the no-name adventurers flank the goblins, then Mark and the other adventure, with a magic shield against missiles, charge. The plan works well, but one man is injured. Fortunately Mark knows a healing spell.

Goblin Slaying.

Thus the rescue party approaches the cave used by the goblins as their nest.

Rally makes the attack plan. “It will be a tight fit, so stabbing weapons are best. A small team to go in and fight, the rest to wait outside. Any equipment you dont absolutely need will be left with the group outside.” Mark is not happy about Gwen being separated from him, but he sees the wisdom in the plan. She should be safe out there with the 7 others.

We wont see what happens inside the cave. Instead we will focus on Gwen and the outside group.

They wait and wait. Its about 15 minutes but it feels a lot longer. Then the goblins attack. They come rushing out of the cave, wanting to escape the assault squad. They charge right into the 7 guys and Gwen. She is shocked but does not panic or run. She zaps one goblin with her taser. (it fires the wires about 15ft, then after the jolt, they detach, so it can be used as a touch weapon)

The fight is brutal, but the goblins mostly ignore her. She has no armor or visible weapon, so they dont see her as a danger. This gives her the chance to zap several goblins in the back. The jolt does not kill them but does incapacitate them for a while. Letting other villagers finish the little creatures.

But then one goblin sees what she can do, and does take her seriously as a threat. He smacks her hand with his short spear then stabs her. Luckily the magic cloak she has on protects her form the worst of it. But the goblin is far from finished. Intent on a few more stabs to make sure she is dead. Gwen uses the self defence she learned to knock the lil monster off its feet, then she bashes its head with a rock.

 

 

Shortly after all that, Mark and his group come out of the cave with the rescued kids. They find Gwen doing first aid on one of the farmers. “Healing magic over here,” she calls.

Mark is shocked at the aftermath of the battle, but he moves quickly to help.

“Are you ok?” he asks her.

She says “yea Im fine” but she is bruised all over and her hand is wrapped in a bloody rag. She is not looking ok at all. So he does a quick healing on her before moving on to the injured man.

Unfortunately one guy is beyond saving.

Mark thinks “I was dumb and reckless for bringing her on this quest. She could have gotten killed. What the hell would I do if she got killed?” He considered erasing her memory once they get home. “Maybe its best if she never knew about this other world at all. For sure it would be safer.”

But what he says is “Maybe it was a mistake to bring you.”

She gets very pissed off at that remark. “No way. None of that.” She looks him square in the eye and says loud enough for all to hear, “I chose to come along. And its a good thing I did. I helped win this fight.” She gestures at the dead Goblins, he hand wrapped in a bloody makeshift bandage.

Several of the farmers nod and void their agreement. “She sure fought like a devil.”

Rally wanting to avoid an argument, says “Lets get everyone back to the village.”

Mark and Gwen walk in silence, as everyone else talks excitedly about what just happened. Although one man is dead, the mission is seen as a great success. The kids are safe and a nest of goblins is destroyed.

At the village gate ranger Rally takes Mark aside for a moment, “Dont be so glum. We did good. That man died a hero. On his feet, saving kids from being eaten.”

Mark forces a smile. “A lot better outcome than if we did nothing.” he says to himself.

 

Chapter 1. Part 9.

The Capital Merchant.

With its large selection of highly skilled craftsmen, Mark was less sure about any products doing well. But he had nothing to lose in trying. So he followed the formula he had used in Midval, selecting a general goods store that did business with adventurers. Offering them some monster parts, then showing off a selection of goods from his home land.

JC Farthing expert in adventure equipment. Was the owner of the shop. A fat man, who claimed to have been a travelling merchant in his youth. He went on many trips with adventurers, thus his keen insight into what they needed most. Farthing liked to brag and tell stories, which always made him look good. He was a friendly fellow, but there was something fake in his smile. Indeed, his loud persona hid a very cunning intellect. If he ever did anything underhanded, he did it with great skill. There was never a crack in his friendly facade.

Although the merchant mostly dealt in practical goods for working adventurers, he was not going to ignore the luxury items, this young fellow presented. Pepper and some other spices were always in demand. Mark also discovered that this world did have an equivalent to matches. However they were only sold in tiny bundles of ten, at a very high cost.

Back to Reality.

After several days in the capital, Mark tells the Princess that he must depart, as he has duties to attend to. She is curious, but does not press for answers. Instead she assures him that he will always be welcome at the castle.

He makes a stop in the town of Midval, to talk some more with the merchant about his plan to sell exotic goods. He offers a similar deal that he made with the merchant back in the village. He will deliver various goods next time he is in town. The merchant will sell then and hold 50% of the profits until he comes around again.

Back in his house on Earth, Mark checks his phone to find he has several messages and missed calls.

In the past he never got calls or texts, but since he started at the Academy he had made a few friends.
Seeing that people were trying to get hold of him was almost as exciting as having an audience with the king. So he quickly checked the texts before listening to the voice messages. They were all similar, “Wow the Halloween party was a blast, cool outfit, wild magic trick.” that sort of thing.

Mark looked at the time. It was late Sunday afternoon. The Halloween party had been Friday night. It seemed like ages ago. Because for him 28 days had passed in the other world. But for the rest of this world it was basically yesterday. He looked at his phone for a few moments more. Then got down to replying to all the messages. He told everyone that he had been obsessing over a game on the week end and left his phone in the kitchen.

Note – need a bit with MC & GHS going out to cafe.

Is the idea evil?

Mark is in the cabin talking to Bob.

“There is a friend I want to share all this with. I want to show her this world, but Im worried she will freak out.”

Bob answers “If that happens you could just erase her memory.”

Mark looks shocked “Is that an option?”

Bob explains “Erasing a bit of time, like a few hours or a day, is easy enough. The tricky part is making it so the target never realizes what has happened. For example, cutting out an entire day is best because the person goes to sleep and wakes up. No memory between. If you aim to erase or alter a shorter section of memory, it is more difficult and you must be more careful.”

Mark ponders the implication of this sort of spell. It could be the answer if things go off the rails. But it also feels very unethical. Especially if doing it to a friend. So he puts that idea to the back of his mind and then considers how he might tell her of the other world. “I cant just expect her to believe me. Iv got to show her.” is the conclusion he comes to.

Taking a big step.

On Friday at lunch, Mark tells Gwen, “I found something very cool in grandpa's room, Id like to show it to you. Are you free for a bit this evening?” She says “Sure no problem.”

Next we see them standing in the cabin. She has a look of amazement on her face.

“It really is a door to another world” he says. “Just look outside.” he opens the cabin's front door.

She just keeps repeating “wow – no way.”

“I thought about how to tell you, what Iv been up to, but there was just no way it did not sound nuts. So here we are, the proof is right there for the testing.” He tried his best to sound confident. “Step outside. The forest is dangerous but the yard is perfectly safe.”

They go outside and walk around the yard. She asks all the classic questions. “What is going on here? How is this possible? Am I going nuts? How many times have you been here?” Etc.

And lastly she asks, “Why show me this place?”

Mark ignores all the other questions, then answers the last one. “This is the most amazing thing I have, and you are the only person who didnt think I was a wast of space, so... I wanted to share the joy with you. Simple as that.”

Some time later, back inside the cabin, they sit with hot drinks at the small kitchen table.

She asks more questions, “Are dragons real? What about magic? Elves? Goblins? Kings? Castles?”

He tries to briefly answer all the many questions she shoots at him.

Disbelief has turned into excitement.

 

 Chapter 1. Part 8.

Visit the Royals.

Following the advice of Bob, Mark gets a room at an Inn near the adventurer's guild hall. He then goes to the castle gate. Not expecting or even trying to get in at this time, he simply delivers a letter. “It is for Princess Finalla, from her friend in the monster infested forest.” He tells them.

As Bob warned, “Anything dealing with the Royals is likely to be wrapped in 3 layers of bureaucracy and 6 layers of court etiquette. Best you take the slow approach, and enjoy yourself while going through the motions. Dont stand around at the gate.”

The letter was a hallmark card, with a forest landscape printed on it. he hopped the printed image would impress them, as any painting that small with so much detail would have been next to impossible. The message he kept simple. “I have arrived, as you invited me. I look forward to seeing you again.” No doubt a mysterious letter would be carefully examined before it was passed onto the Princess.

The guards were formal, all very normal. They took the letter and asked where a reply might be sent. Mark gave them the name of the Inn he was at, thanked them, then walked off to tour the town.

He passed several hours seeing the sights, before returning to the Inn.

When he arrived, there was a fancy carriage and two knights waiting outside. Inside was a cat girl and a human both dressed in formal clothes with a royal crest on them, waiting at the bar. They had been sent to escort him to the palace. The Innkeeper points his way “I believe that is the young man in question.”

Mark tries to stay cool, but he is really geeking out over the cat girl. She is just so cute.

They ride to the castle. The carriage is not very comfortable. The cat girl and her companion make small talk with Mark, keeping things polite and rather pointless. He feels increasingly uncomfortable, as he tries not to blurt out a dozen dumb questions.

When Mark gets out of the carriage, the Princess's Guard Captain, is there to greet him. They exchange pleasantries on their way into the palace. Then Captain Gallant asks, “I hope you will do me the honor of a friendly sparring match, after your meeting with his highness.”

Mark replies “Im not sure if I will be much of a challenge, but ok.”

The formal audience with the king Ardenne von Flameglave takes place in the fancy throne room. There are lots of attendants and a bunch of nobles to witness the meeting. Mark is 1000% nervous. The chancellor announces to all, who has come before the throne and why. Introducing him as “the young monster hunter, who now dwells in his grand father's forest. A true blood descendant of the great adventurer Goodberry Crane. Who is here today to be honoured for his rescue of Princess Finalla.”

Captain Gallant is asked to step forward and recount the incident in detail. He tells a good story. True and exciting. It makes Mark sound very heroic, while taking any blame for the failure of the guards on himself. Mark is suddenly worried that Gallant may be in trouble for failing in his duties.

Next, Mark is called forward. The king offers his formal thanks and asks if the hero would like anything as a reward. Mark answers without thinking, “Im fine, just dont be mad at the captain, he did the best he could, its just those creatures are really tough.”

The king laughs at the simple honesty in Mark's words. Everyone applauds after the king is done laughing. The Princess smiles from her seat near he father. Also next to the king is the queen. Behind both of them are very impressive looking knights, the King's Shield and Queen's Blade, guard captains, very much like Sir Gallant.

The king next says “Well then, I shall simply affirm that you are the heir to master Crane. All his lands are yours and so is his title, if you want it.”

“Thank you.” says Mark, having no idea what this title was and not wanting to say too much.

After that the Chancellor called the gathering to a close.

But things were far from done for the day. He is then escorted in to the king's office, for an informal meeting. There only a handful of court officers are present, along with the king and princess. He takes this opportunity to present some gifts, to the royal family. Things he brought from Earth.

The king seems friendly enough, but Mark stays on his guard, making sure to be polite and formal.

The king asks a lot about grandpa, as he knew him many years ago. Although he had made a declaration about Mark being the hero's heir, he now wanted to see if it was really true.

Mark answers honestly, talking about growing up with grandpa, never realizing what an amazing man he was, until he was gone. The truth of character is easy for the king to detect. He is soon convinced that his daughter's assessment of this young man is spot on.

“Now before I let you some alone time with my daughter, I hear you have a sparing match with her guard captain.” the king says with a smile, “Id very much like to see that.”

A Friendly Duel.

The duel takes place in the castle's training area. A small group of nobles is gathered with the king to watch from the balcony. Curious warriors and other royal house staff watch from the ground floor.

“Dont expect too much. Im no great swordsman, yet.” Mark says

The master at arms introduces the combatants and states the rules. Magic is allowed, but it must be used on self or single target. No area effect spells allowed. It is a friendly fight, that must end if either combatant is seriously injured or says “Yield”.

Mark decides to fight without magic. His enchanted equipment being a sizable advantage already.

Captain Gallant is not a spell caster, but does have some good magical equipment also. More importantly he has many years of experience, including duels against all sorts of opponents.

The fight is exciting. Mark does well, but it soon becomes clear that Gallant is more skilled.

Soon Mark is pressed onto the defensive, taking several hits, that his armor easily absorbs. He pushes for an attack, but is disarmed. With his sword gone, he yields.

Everyone applauds. The princess seems happy. The king smiles but seems a bit disappointed.

“He did well for a boy, yet not so well for a hero.”

Gallaant is happy with the match, having gained a better understanding of Mark. “Combat is a kind of conversation.” He says “Thanks for talking with me.”

Just as the Captain is starting to go into teacher mode and give Mark a few pointers, along comes the Princess. “You boys can talk shop later. Now Id like to take a walk in the garden with my hero.”

So Gallant slips into the background as he resumes his roll as guardian.

Mark is nervous, maybe more so with her than he was at the start of the duel.

Finalla detects this, being skilled at reading people. “What has you feeling flustered?” she asks.

He answers quite honestly, “I haven't been on many dates, well any dates really.”

She asks “What is a date?”

Thus begins a conversation about social customs. Mark tries to keep it neutral, not going to much into the romantic stuff. While Finalla grasps quickly what he is saying, she counters with a polite explanation about her kingdom's traditions of dating, among the nobility.

The Princess is amused and she cant resist teasing him a bit. For her social interaction is as essential as sword play is for a warrior. Although she could cut him down quickly with words, she has no desire to do so. Instead, she uses he skill to put Mark at ease, so he will talk more openly with her.

Finalla asks him about his homeland. He tells her lots of stuff, while trying not to be obvious that he comes from another world. Of course that is exactly what she gathers from what he says. But she plays along, never pressing a point so much that he feels uncomfortable.

After the walk in the garden, Mark is escorted, by the cat-girl, to one of the fancy guest rooms to freshen up, before dinner. He considers trying to strike up a conversation with the cat-girl. But all he really wants to do is take a nap.

Meanwhile.

The Princess talks privately with the her father.

“What is your opinion of the boy now?” he asks. She gives a spot on analysis of Mark.

“Will he help us?” king asks next.

“If we treat him well, I expect he will.” she answers.

“Then he shall be your project.” king says “Help to train him and build his loyalty.”

Note – mostly we will avoid showing things that happen away from the main character's view.

Later that evening.

A knock at the door wakes Mark. “what? Where am I?” he mutters in confusion.
The door opens and the cat-girl maid walks in, carrying a set of formal clothes. “It is time to get you ready for dinner.” she says with a smile “Off with the old, on with the new.”

Mark looks confused. “Ummm, I cant strip while your here.” he says.

The cat-girl shrugs and sets the new clothing on a chair. She then departs.

Dinner is a very fancy event, held in the small dining hall. There are only 40 people at the table. Which is a large U shaped arrangement. Mark is given a place of honour, right beside the Princess. He smiles a lot and wishes he was some place else. Waves of fear wash over him each time someone tries to talk to him. Thus his answers seem slow and rather cryptic or standoffish. Although he does not know it, this only serves to strengthen the impression that he is indeed related to the hero Goodberry Crane.

A few days in the Capital.

The next morning, the Princess takes Mark out for a tour of the town. Captain Gallant and cat-girl come along, a few steps behind. Finalla talks a lot about the kingdom and its history. They see the sights, do some shopping and have lunch. A lot of people recognize the Princes. She is quite popular and visits the town regularly.

In their wanderings, they drop in at the adventurers guild. It is an impressive hall. A place of business rather than a tavern with a notice board. There are tables and chairs off to one side, but there is no food or drink being served. The main focus of the hall is a long counter with several staff members behind it. To the right is a stair way with a sign Guild Offices. To the left is a stair way with a sign Adventure Company Offices.

In the afternoon the chief wizard Merreddon wants a word with Mark. He wants to know if the boy is as powerful as the legendary hero was. The old wizard having known Master Crane, some 40 years ago. So they talk a bit and then go to the magic practice area. The chief wizard puts Mark through some tests, and is impressed.

All casters need to use words and gestures to shape magic into a spell. Only the most skilled can cast a few quick spells, not requiring elaborate gestures and several seconds of chanting. Everything Mark casts is a quick spell. Also he seems to have endless reserves of mana, being able to cast rapidly and repeatedly without getting tired.

In the background an old noble woman keeps an eye on them.

In the evening there is a another formal dinner, then a ball. Lots of nobles show up for the ball, everyone decked out in fancy clothes. Fortunately Finalla had helped Mark get some new clothes that morning. “The loaner set from last night simply would not do”, she insisted.

For Mark the social gathering is just as uncomfortable as the previous one. A lot of people talk about him, but very few talk to him. They mostly see him as a passing fad, a new pet adventurer the princess had adopted. But no one comes right out and says anything impolite to him.

“I can keep my head down and try to slip out as soon as possible.” he thinks “But that is how the old me would handle this, like a coward. I would try to avoid embarrassment at any cost. No more.” He takes a drink to stiffen his resolve, then loudly asks the Princess for the next dance.

He had been watching people dance, but really had no idea how to do it. They just seemed to shuffle around in slow circles. So as the music starts, he casts several quick spells, illusions, to bring a light mist of colours and sweet smells, swirling around them as they dance.

The old woman who has been watching, remembers the fine times she danced like that with the legendary hero Crane, who even used levitation so they were literally dancing on air.

After the dance, Mark escorts the Princess to the balcony, for some quiet conversation.

Romance seems to be blooming. Or is it just her manipulation?

Meanwhile.

The chief wizard and king talk off in a corner. “Bending the laws of nature to what you imagine, is the core of magic. That boy does it so easily, it is almost frightening.” the old wizards reports. “It is critical that we keep him as a friend to the kingdom, at all costs.”

Chapter 1. Part 7.

The Bent Blades Company.

The next day, on the road, Mark meets a group of adventurers, the Bent Blades. They call themselves a company but there are now only 10 of them. They are a rough bunch that have obviously seen a lot of action. Mostly humans, there are also a few Dwarves and dog-people. No elves.

They treat Mark with respect, because he has top quality equipment and weapons, they assume he is from some noble family. A young lord looking for adventure. Nothing wrong with that.

However he is a bit nervous around them. The loud and aggressive way they talk, even when being friendly, reminds him a lot of the bullies at his old school.

Near evening, just before they stop to set up camp, they hear the sounds of a fight up ahead.

Kaldin – boss of the BB, quickly orders his men to advance in 2 groups. They move out, like they have done this a thousand times. Kaldin stays next to Mark and says “We will bring up the rear, because that is what leaders do.”

What they find is a wagon under attack by bandits.

The two wagon guards are now down, while the merchant has started begging. The merchant's wife however is still waving around a short sword, lots of fight left in her, but no chance of winning against six bandits.

“We have to help them.” Mark says as soon as he sees what is going on.

“Hang on. Let everyone get in position” Kaldin cautions him to wait.

Just after he says this, there is a quiet scuffling in the bushes off behind the wagon. The bandit who was hiding there, is killed by one of the BB. A few moments later a whistle gives the signal that all is ready. “Now you can rush to the rescue.” Kaldin says with a laugh.

Mark does exactly that. Rushing into the open and demanding the bandits drop their arms.
They seem confused by his sudden appearance, but in no mood to give up and surrender.

That was never really the Kaldin's plan anyhow.

From their positions surrounding the area, the BB archers start picking off bandits.

A few moments later the BB skirmishers, mostly Dwarves and dog-men, charge in to attack.

The fighting is brief and bloody. The BB men are efficient ruthless killers.

Mark of course has never killed anyone. Nor does he have to this time.

After drawing his sword and demanding the bandits surrender, he just stood there glaring at the bandit leader as everything happened around him, until some one stabbed the man. At which point Mark takes a step back and takes a proper look around, at the battle.

There is a gurgling and a thud, then all is quiet, for a few long seconds, before Kaldin exclaims “Well done everyone.” Then he pats Mark on the shoulder. “You too kid.”

The merchant thanks everyone a lot, babbling a mile a minute. Kaldin immediately talks business, asking for only a small reward now, and offering protection for the rest of the merchant's trip at a sizable rate. The rest of the BB drag the bandit corpses off to one side and loot the bodies.

They joke with Mark about the fight as they set up camp. He tries to act normal and hide how shaken he is by the whole thing. Appalled at how causally these men did the killing and then laugh about it. He is horrified when one of the Dwarves walks over with a bloody sack and says “Bandit chief's head. There may be a price on it.”

Mark is nearly sick. “What kind of people are there?” he asks himself.

That night he quietly casts a circle of warning around his tent, and sleeps with one eye open.

Time to Shine.

Next day, more travel. They expect to reach town before sunset. Not the capital yet, but rather the provincial trade town of Midval, A much larger place than the village Mark is familiar with. The BB company is a rough bunch and they like telling nasty jokes and stories, but they treat him well enough. Nevertheless he is nervous around them.

At noon, as the group eats lunch, Mark talks to the merchant, asking him a lot of questions about how he does business. Lunch is interrupted by attacking monster birds.

Mark has dealt with their kind before so he knows what to do. He takes charge of the defence.

He kills several himself and helps a few of the BB warriors. Displaying some magic in the fight.

Although he was not much help yesterday, he proves himself today.

“Im a monster hunter, not a man hunter.” he says after the fight.

“What will you do with the birds?” the merchant asks.

“You can have them, for a few gold pieces.” Mark answers.

Kaldin laughs about that “Got a good head on your shoulders kid.”

Note – coin value: 1 copper is 1$, 1 silver is 20$, 1 gold is 100$,

Mark overhears the following conversation between Kaldin and Sinthia.

The Best Blades have a mage, she is the only woman in the company. She acts as second in command. She is tough as nails and quick with a dagger. She was impressed with Marks spell casting in the fight. She gives Kaldin an evaluation of the kid. “He can do quick casting, that's a skill most mages only master after 30 years of practice. I knew his mana was high, but even after the battle it didnt seem to drop. Id guess he could cast spells like those all day long and not be exhausted. The kid is powerful.”
Kaldin just smiles and nods, “Best we keep him as a friend.” he concludes.

 

Note - It should not be clear if the BB are good or bad. There must be some lines to make us think they are not much better than bandits. But nothing in their actions will be evil. Mark's nervousness about them will not be resolved at this time.

They reach the town, just as the gates are closing for the night.

Kaldin invites Mark to drink with the company, after business with the merchant is settled. He politely refuses, saying “I want a real bed, Im tired of sleeping on the ground.” Which is exactly the sort of thing a noble would say, thus confirming everyone's guess about who he is.

“Good night and good luck young lord.” The BB say as they part ways with Mark. Who overhears Kaldin says to his lieutenant, “The kid is soft, but I think he will be a strong adventurer one day.” 

 

Touring the Town of Midval.

The village Mark had visited many times was a simple place, a few streets around a market, protected by a wooden wall. It had one of most kinds of shop. None of the fancy shops. No big public buildings or statues, no castle. Come to think of it, Mark had no idea who was the lord over that village.

This town was more classic medieval fantasy in style. High stone walls surrounded it and a castle stood at its heart. A large market square occupied the area right outside the castle gate, with shops lining the nearby streets. Mark had hired the Innkeeper's kid to act as his guide for the morning. So he got the 3 copper tour.

Unlike small villages, which often combined the adventurers guild hall with an Inn, this city had a dedicated building for the guild. Naturally Mark went to have a look. It was basically a tavern with a big notice board covering one wall. Very similar to the Inn at Ravensend. The difference was a small counter near the stair case, which clearly had nothing to do with bar service. The woman who sat there had the look of a long time civil servant. The look that says please dont bother me.

After lunch he visits a merchant to sell some of the items he brought with him from home. They are considered rare and valuable. Although he is no good at business, Mark is happy with the price he got.

More importantly he got a lot of info about how business works in this world.

The city is a local trade centre, not an international one, so exotic items are quite rare.

The Midval Merchant was Mervy Gambol. A short middle aged man with an impressive moustache. He was gruff and even insulting at times, but always honest. He does not hesitate to show favouritism to family and friends. However he will not overlook incompetence for long, even among family.

Mark notices several other races in town. They all seem to be treated the same. There is no slavery or open discrimination. However all the town guards do seem to be human, as do most shop owners.

He ask a few questions about all this to the girl at the cafe. She explains, “There is a clear hierarchy of races, even if discrimination is kept civil. Beast folk rarely hold any important jobs or high offices. Monsters like goblins & orcs are of course killed on sight.”

He spends two days in Midval, then moves on.

Fast forward to the Capital.

Mark walks a lot, camps at night, walks some more, stays at some other Inn, etc. No other interesting events. He wishes he had some one to share this experience with.

The capital is a big beautiful city, with lots of fancy buildings and walls. While a few places show their own style, most of it has a commonality, as if urban planning rules were set down in detail and followed. All the roofs were green. Most of them glazed tiles, more important buildings having copper tiles that weathered to be that unique metallic green.

In a lot of ways it seems more like 1700s Europe than medieval times. Mark cant help making comparisons to films like The Three Musketeers, because of how people dress and act here.

However there are no muskets in sight.

 Chapter 1. Part 6.

Fast forward. Exams are done.

Gwen asks if Mark has any plans for Halloween. He plans to spend some more time in the other world, but cant exactly say that. So he just shrugs and says “Watching some horror movies.”

“Well then, you should come over to my place, we are throwing a costume party. Dont worry if you dont have one. Mom has a ton of stuff she lets guests use.” Gwen says with enthusiasm.

Mark is thrilled to be invited, but still hesitant about going to a party. “I will try to be there.” he says after what seems like an eternity thinking about it.

Gwen smiled.

The Halloween Party.

Mark didn't have to think about it very long. It was obvious what he would wear to the party. A full set of clothing from the other world. Fancy stuff with a decorative breast plate. Tall boots and long gloves made of soft leather. A light weight sword and dagger, and a mid length cape. A proper noble outfit.

Part of him wanted to show off. Another part considered how he might make a quick escape.

He knew that Gwen's family were wealthy, but wow. The size of their house really impressed him. It was out in the suburbs, at the end of the metro line. A very rich neighbourhood. By the time he got there a dozen cars were in the driveway. Yea it had a driveway that could fit that many.

Gwen greeted him at the door. As she greeted all the guests. But he suspected no other guests got the surprised look she gave him. “Wow. Im impressed Lord Claymoor.” she said after he gave a small bow.

“Grandpa had a lot of this sort of thing hanging around.” He said casually.
She tapped on the breast plate, “Is this real?”

“Yup, it is all 100% fancy and functional.” He answered with pride.

The party was not as frightening as Mark expected. He worried that he would not know anyone or that he would have nothing to talk about or that it was all some big trap to make fun of him. But he soon recognized most of the guests, kids from the Academy.

Going with Halloween idea of being in disguise, he kept up the persona of Lord Claymoor, for as most of the evening. He talked to people in a formal overly polite way, as a noble would. He told stories about fighting monsters. Pure fiction everyone assumed, of course. But he was actually being honest.

A few people gave him “yea right” looks when he talked about casting fire balls. One girl even dared him, “Show us some magic.” Maybe it was because being the centre of attention had gotten to his head. Maybe it was because he was a teenager caught up in the moment. Whatever the reason, he did not think twice about it. He waved his hands around and muttered some fake magic words, then sparked a small flame from his finger tip. The onlookers “ouhhed and awwed”. Before he blew out the flame.

It was at that moment Mark knew he may have gone too far. Of course everyone wanted to know how he did it. Thinking it was some sort of magic trick. It took all his effort to keep cool and repeat “A magician never reviles his secrets.”

The Weekend Trip.

The next day was time for a long trip in the other world. Mark planned to be gone from Saturday morning to Sunday night. About 32 hours, which would mean 32 days over there. Lots of time to go see the Princess at the capital, and maybe have an adventurer along the way. So far the other world had been great, but he had not really done very much aside from training and practice in the forest.

So he packed some stuff in a bag of holding, things he would need for camping. He also had accumulated a lot of small items that were easy to buy here but should be seen as rare and valuable in the other world. In addition to the trade goods he had a few set aside as gifts for the royal family. It was something he learned in one of the games. Cant visit nobility without a few gifts.

Note – a bag of holding can only fit things that actually fit in the opening of the bag.

Mark makes a short stop at the cabin to talk with Bob.

He asks some questions about the kingdom and about the royal family. Bob tells him what he knows, but cautions that his info is out of date. Because he has not been out of the cabin in 50 years.

Next stop is the local village.

Mark has a membership with the adventurer's guild, but he also wants to get one with the merchant's guild. He thinks having various cards may be handy. The guild master is happy enough to give out a card, for the price of a gold coin and a small bag of pepper. Mark also gives him a few items for sale, with the agreement he gets half the profit.

“It is a 5 day journey to the capital. With the first 3 days being mostly wilderness. After that you reach Midvill, a decent sized town. From there the last 2 days of travel are mostly through farmlands.” The Innkeeper explains.

The first night on the road.

Mark is actually more worried about camping than monsters, as he has never been camping before.He has a bag of holding full of lots of camping equipment, from a Bass Pro Shop. Including a wilderness survival guide book.

Concerned with setting up the tent, getting a fire going and preparing a meal, Mark forgets about making a magical circle of warning. Even though it was one of the first things Bob had told him to do when making a camp. “After checking for insect mounds and hives, you dont want you camp next to them, make a circle and focus it with four stones. You will want to set the warning for creatures of a certain size, say anything rat sized or larger. If you set it to detect all, the alert will go off every time a bug flies across the circle.” Bob had explained at length, before getting down to the actual magical mechanics of setting the warning spell.

So after he makes his camp for the night, he is attacked by monsters. These creatures often pray on travellers, attacking just after dark or just before dawn. As he is alone, they see Mark as an easy meal. They surprise him, but he makes short work of them. Using mostly spells with lots of flash and boom. The creatures that survive the first few moments, flee.

 Chapter 1. Part 5.

Encounter with Princess

Mark is out for a hunt in the monster filled forest near the cabin, when he hears some shouting and a girl scream. He rushes towards the sound. A group of people are under attack, by several large creatures. The knights are not doing well. Four are already down. But so are two monsters.

Mark charges in with a magic attack and a spear thrust. He uses a combination of melee and magic attacks that have the knights shocked and amazed. In short order he takes down the remaining monsters. Narrowly saving the girl from being eaten.

He then uses healing magic to help the remaining knights.

Pellen Gallant, Princess's Guard Captain, thanks him.

Princess Finalla von Flameglave, also thanks him.

Captain Gallant explain that the Princess was on a mission to find the legendary hero (grandpa), because the kingdom needs his help again.

Mark answers that “He was my grandpa and, he died not long ago.”

The Captain keeps a neutral expression. Not sure if he trusts this strange kid.

At the moment the girl hardly looks like a princess, as she is dressed in travelling clothes and light armor. Which makes more sense than wearing a fancy dress to go into a dangerous forest.

Princess Finalla takes a more diplomatic approach, “Im sorry for your lose. I never met the great hero, but my father spoke often of him. The news of his death is sad for us all. Although many people thought him dead years ago.” she glances at the guard captain. “Some thought my mission a fools errand. But Iv found you. Maybe you can help?”

Mark quickly stops feeling so proud of his accomplishment. “Im not sure what I can do. Im not really very experienced.”

Captain Gallant nods but then points out, “Those spells you just used were top class.” In fact the boy's fighting style was just like that described of the hero Crane. There have only ever been a few who could combine magic and melee attacks so quickly.

The Princess then says “We should talk more, in a safer place.”

So Mark takes them all back to the cabin.

Mark the Princess and the Captain go inside to talk, while the other knights wait in the yard.

Princess Finalla does most of the talking, she is very polite but digs for info during the conversation. She is very skilled at reading people and getting them to tell what she wants to know.

Mark having low social skills never even notices how she guides the conversation.

He confirms this is his grandpa's cabin and that he has lived there a few months.

He does stick to the vague story of being from a distant land, not saying anything about another world.

“What did you wanted to ask grandpa to help with? Is it the return of the demon lord?” Mark asks.

They look puzzled “Demon lord? We dont have one of those.” The Captain responds.

Then the Princess explains that the problem is with the Empire. “Its new ruler has expressed a desire to expand. And we are a relatively minor kingdom. There is serious concern that we maybe a target of aggression.”

Note – the empire is ruled by elves, who consider other races as lesser beings, because in all measurable ways they are. The new emperor is worried that neighbouring nations are unstable, corrupt greedy and dangerous. A generally true assessment, especially from his point of view. The Empire will be painted as the bad guys, but they are acting from a reasonable perspective.

A flash back to one of Bob's history lessons. About the Empire.

The Elvish Empire dates back many 1000s of years, to a time when it spanned the entire continent. Elves having a life span of 500+years, about twice s long as Dwarves, who live about twice as long as humans. In the early times there were no Dwarves or Humans in this land. There were many variants of beast folk. All of whom were seen by the Elves as mere barbarians, just like the intelligent monsters. They were allowed to exist, so long as they did not cause trouble for Elvish civilization.

In this world Elves are equal or superior to all other races. The idea that Elves are weaker than Humans or Dwarves in strength or constitution, is a myth begun during the age of invasion. In fact Elves tend to be stronger, faster, more agile, healthier, with sharper scenes, and better magic. Basically they have a lot of advantages with no real disadvantages.

Although it is called an Empire, it is not tightly unified or centrally controlled. Elves are by nature freedom loving and reluctant to impose their will on others. Unless the others are a danger. Thus all Elvish communities do things their own way, with little regard for a higher authority. Respect is shown to elders who demonstrate skill and wisdom, not to bloodlines and titles. The Empire is actually a meritocracy - democracy.

The age of Invasion.

This began with the arrival of Humans and Dwarves. They did not come is a single massive attack, but rather swept in waves. At first they were ignored, as they set up tiny villages on the coast. For a few hundred years the newcomers struggled to survive. The Elves treated them just like the beast folk.

However they were of a very different nature. Not content to stay in small primitive tribes, they grew organized and spread. Land, they saw as empty, they claimed as their own.

Note - there is a comparison to be made between the Empire and Native America. The major difference being that the Elves do not fight each other continuously. They are also technologically advanced because of the way they use magic.

The age of Acceptance.

This began with the great declaration and show of strength. The Empire sent diplomats to all the newcomer settlements explaining the terms of their continued existence. Then as a show of force it expelled all Humans & Dwarves who had crossed into the inner territory of the Empire.

There was a short war of about 100 years, in which the Alliance tried to carve out territory. They failed many times, but always avoided total destruction because of the Elvish high regard for life. Although some Elves did suggest genocide, they never gained a majority opinion. With the wars end, the peaceful age of acceptance truly began.

However Human nature was unchanged, their desire to expand remained and always pushed their actions. Thus the Elves found they must always be vigilant and occasionally prune the bush of Human civilization.

Encounter with Princes continued.

While Finalla goes to freshen up, Mark talks to Gallant.

The Captain explains a bit about the princess and the kingdom, about how she is often getting into trouble. “We have been ambushed by bandits more times than I can count.” He laughs. “A lot of her missions are unofficial, so we travel in a small group and in disguise.”

When the Princess returns from the bathroom she proclaims “This must be the home of the old hero, the toilet is just like the one he made for the palace.”

“It is getting late. We should stay here for the night.” she decides.

Of course she gets the bedroom, Mark and Gallant sleep in the main room, the knights make camp in the yard. Mark puts Bob the skull into a cupboard before he cooks up some food.

The next morning as the group gets ready to depart, Princess Finalla says “We wont force you to do anything. But I do insist that you come to the capital, so I can properly thank you for saving my life.”

Mark promises that he will come for a visit, when he has time.

Exam Interruption

In late October, on the morning of the midterm exams a biker gang shows up at the school. They hoot and holler as they round up a bunch of kids to hold hostage. “You better come out or its your fault what happens to your friends.” they call to Mark.

He comes out, jumping from the classroom window, on the second floor. He recalls some of what the guard captain had said about dealing with bandits and thugs. “They never keep their word. Talking to them is basically a waist of time.”

“Im here, let them go!” he says, after casting a spell to boost his abilities.

The biker boss starts the usual “blah blah” Mark rushes in to attack.

Everyone is surprised. The boss is on the defensive. Several other bikers join in.

It is a hard fight but Mark wins.

Note – Never interrupt the flow of a fight to explain stuff.

The police arrive just after the action is over. Of course a teacher called them.

As the bikers are being marched off to the police wagon, the boss notices a kid, who was off side watching the entire thing. “This is all your fault you lil shit.” he yells and attacks the boy.

The police quickly get things back under control.

Mark turns to talk with the kid. “Hay lil brother, is this all your fault?”

The kid nods. “I still hate you, but I guess you ain't weak anymore.” he says , then walks away.

Mark has a tender moment with Gwen, who was among the students the bikers had rounded up. She is proud of him for what he did, although a bit shocked that he was able to do it. “It was like something out of a martial arts movie. And who was that boy?” she asks.

“That was my lil brother. He lives with my uncle. He never liked me.” Mark answers, sadly.

“You got a strange family.” she says as they walk back into the school.

 Chapter 1. Part 4.

 

A Doorway to Another World.

Based on several anime tv shows of the isekai type.

By MJM 2025

The Ambush.

A few days after he started at the Academy, (mid September) Mark is ambushed on his way home, by a group of guys from his old school. They aim to bully him and beat him up as they often did. Calling him a coward for changing schools.

Mark is again faced with the problem, that his other world training has not prepared him for fighting people. Maybe if he had a sword he could kill them all, but that is too extreme. This was just a brawl with kids his own age. Unfortunately there were four of them and they did not just stand around while one guy did all the fighting.

Mark thought about running, it might have been the smart move. But he was trying to be a new man. So he stood and fought, trusting in magic to protect him, even if things did not go well. He tried his best, but 4 vs 1 is never an easy situation. Not surprisingly he gets overwhelmed and beaten down. Luckily for him, the ring of protection saves him from any real injury. He just feels the humiliation of them gaining another victory over him, as they kick him while he is down, before running off laughing.

Later in the cabin.

“So thats what happened Bob. What should I do?” he asks his mentor.

“Its good you stood up to them. Cant let thugs push you around. Its also good you did not kill any of them or start tossing fireballs around.” Bob paces around the room. “Sounds like you need a warrior, not an old wizard like me, as your next teacher.”

“So where should I find one?” Mark asks.

Bob considers the matter, “The local village is much to small. So maybe the answer is not in this world at all, but rather in your own. You may do well learning that strange martial arts stuff. It seemed to be superior to most of the fighting styles Iv ever seen around here.”
“Hang on, how do you know about martial arts?” Mark asked in surprise.

“Master Cane knew kung fu. He showed it to me a few times. I even helped him incorporate some spells casting into it. He wanted to fight and use magic at the same time, in a way people could not notice.” Bob explained with some pride.

 

The next day Mark joins the school's martial arts club.
It is the kind of school where everyone is expected to join some sort of club. So nobody thinks it odd. The club leader is quite happy to accept him, and assures Mark that it does not matter if he never had any martial arts training before.

Note – In many shows the main character is rather passive. Stuff happens and they deal with it.

Here we should have a MC who is more active in trying to peruse his ambition. People will not be forcing him into doing stuff, he will be choosing what he tries to do. Life of course will toss in some obstacles.

Getting on with life.

Time for another fast forward montage.

About a month will pass during this time. (from mid September to mid October)

We see Mark going to school, making some friends, hanging out with Gwen at lunch, enjoying life.

We also see him going to martial arts class, becoming a better fighter.

In the other world, we see Mark taking down a few more monsters and going to the village.
We need to cover the first trip to village in detail.

The village of Ravensend is a small place with basic wooden wall. There is no castle. There is only one Inn, but it is large. It also serves as adventurers guild hall. There area a few shops at centre of village. There are a few farms outside village walls.
The main reason Ravensend exists is to provide adventurers, who are foolish enough to go into the Frightful Forest, with supplies and support. Not surprisingly quite a few of the inhabitants are retired adventurers.

Mark first visits the local merchant. A general store that sells all sorts of supplies. He claims to be from a distant land, here to test his might in the monster filled forest. A perfectly reasonable story as far as the merchant is concerned. He sees a lot of adventurers, but not many with the high quality equipment that Mark is wearing. The sort of stuff only an experienced hero would have, or the son of some rich lord.

When Mark pulls a few monster pieces from his bag of holding, the merchant's eyes get wide. “Took them down yourself, did ya, well good job lad.” he cant help saying.

He does not really need the money, having a lot at the cabin. But he wants to get a feel for how things work and establish his cover story. So he sells the bits, without haggling over the price very much.

The merchant directs him to the local adventurers guild, which is run out of the only Inn in town, by a retired adventurer. There Mark joins the guild. He asks a bunch of questions about how the guild works. Are their ranks, is there any minimum amount of quests one must do. Etc..

The guild master / Innkeeper is very relaxed about the entire thing as he explained. “Some of the big city guilds have tons of rules and ranks, but out here we keep things simple. You help out the locals if there are any monster attacks. You provide a written account of any quests you take. If there is a dispute between adventurers you bring it to me, you dont settle it with a duel.”

While there Mark asks about the hero Goodberry Crane, (grandpa)

Everyone knew the stories about the old hero, but nobody has seen him for many years. About 30.

Word is that Crane had a cabin in the forest. Many have gone looking for it, none have ever found it.

Which was not surprising considering the sort of protection spell that was on the cabin. Not only did it keep out unwanted visitors, it also misdirected them so they would not find the cabin. 

 

 

Note – This is where we get the first example of the time difference.
When mark returns to the village two days later, two months have gone by.

Each Earth day being equal to 24 days in the other world, what they count as a month.

 Chapter 1. Part 3. 

 

A Doorway to Another World.

Based on several anime tv shows of the isekai type.

By MJM 2025

Back to Reality

Although he has been back to his home several times, Mark has spent most of his summer in the other world, training and hunting. Now he tells Bob that he will be spending a lot more time back home, because of school. Bob, as always, seems to have no worries. “Do whatever you need to do. I will be here.” But Mark does have worries, he dreads going back to school, because it was always so much torment. “Iv changed, but how much have I really changed?” he asks his mentor.

“You are who you make yourself be. That is true in any world.” Bob assures him.

New School Year.

Mark begins his first year of high school. Many of the kids from his junior high are there, but no one seems to recognize him. In the past they would avoid him, the way you ignore a creep who is beneath contempt. But that wasn't it today. People glanced at him, the way you look at a stranger who is ever so slightly intimidating. But that was just silly. He knew he was not intimidating at all.

Although he had strengthened his body and sharpened his fighting skills, he had not worked on his people skills at all. He was nervous and it had taken every ounce of willpower just to show up that morning.

When attendance is held and everyone answers to their names, then several old classmates clue in. There are even a couple of quiet gasps and muttered “no-ways”. So it no surprise that a few kids come over to confront him after class is over.

“You sure have changed, but I bet you are still a worthless shithead.” one of them says.

“I guess you haven't changed.” Mark mutters in a low voice.

After a bit of verbal bullying the guy challenges him to a fight after school, “if your not chicken.”

“Your really just a monster in a skin suit.” Mark mumbels then says “Fine I'll be there.”

Backing down was not an option. If he chickened out now, he knew his entire high school time would be just as miserable as junior high had been.
But what did he know about fighting people? He spent all his time learning to kill monsters. He couldn't apply much of that to this situation, could he?

What he could do was use a magic item.

Mark had nothing in mind when he first asked Bob “Does magic work in my world?” So he just filed away the answer “Yes, but it seems to only be half as powerful.” for later use.

Now he always wore a ring of protection. In the other world it was strong enough to prevent injury from all but the hardest sword swing. So here even if it was only half as powerful, it should do fine to prevent the damage from a kid his own age.

After School Rumble.

Mark faces off against the bully, who taunts and insults him, Summoning his courage, he clenches his fists and says “Lets do this.” Unknown to him, the girl he helped by the metro, about two months ago, is there watching.

The fight is not very fancy. A lot of punches fly but not many land. Mark gets hit a lot and didn't do much in return. But he stood his ground. Then an attempt at wrestling, but the bully fails to get Mark to the ground. Then a few more punches, ending in a good solid spin kick to the stomach. Which surprises everyone, because it does not knock Mark down.

The bully declared he had proven his point and warns Mark to “know your place”. He walked away as if he had won. Most people followed the bully. A few walked away in other directions. Mark wanted to say something, but could not bring out any words. So he stood there breathing heavy for a few minutes, fists still clenched, heart beating fast.

This is when Gwen Hellen Singer, the girl he saved by the metro station, walks over.

She is dressed in a different school uniform, very prim and proper. Long hair tied up with a pin in it. The kind of beautiful girl he would never even look at for fear of being ridiculed. She moved with confidence and grace. Clearly the queen bee of her hive.

Gwen walks over after the fight and asked “Are you Mark Claymoor?”

He says “Yes, what can I do for you?” not having recognized who she was. Trying his best to be polite and not babble nervously.
She introduces herself, and explains that she was the girl being harassed by the metro, who he helped. Now she wants to thank him, by offering him entry into her fancy school. “It is people with the kind of courage you showed that we want at the academy.”

He is hesitant about the entire thing, “Well I don't think Id be a good fit, my marks aren't that great...”

She is insistent, “Just give me a chance to show you around and convince you its a good opportunity.”

He reluctantly agrees.

“Great Iv got a letter for your principal that will excuse you from class tomorrow so you can visit the academy. Come with me and we can drop it off right now.” She takes him by the arm and drags him back into the school.

“What? I mean how did you manage that?” he asks.

“My dad is on the school board. When I told him about this idea, he said, I better get the paperwork done up before kidnapping you.” she laughs about it.

As they walk, she says, “You sure have changed a lot this summer.”

“Yea, thanks. Iv been trying to improve myself, so I can really help, if something like that ever happens again.” it was not till he says it out loud to her that Mark realized this was his motivation all along. He wants to be strong enough so that he can, not only stand up to bullies and bad guys, but to stop them from doing harm.

Avanti Academy

Mark arrives at the Academy, it is fancy, he feels out of place.

Gwen meets him at the front gate and gives him the short tour before class starts.

The place is exactly what you expect for a rich kids high school.

The teacher is polite. The students are friendly. A few of them come over to say hello.

He feels uncomfortable at all the questions, but also kind of happy. Some of the guys who talk with him are real science nerds, not intimidating at all.

A few others are dismissive of him as “a low class, pet project of the princess.”

But nobody gets in his face about anything.

Mark has quite an enjoyable day. The subjects are advanced but not ridiculously hard.

The food in the cafeteria is good, but the prices are high. Fortunately the trust fund allowance grandpa left him means he is not short of cash.

After school, Gwen asks “So are you interested in transferring here?”

He quickly agrees.

She drags him up to the staff room to sign some papers.

On his way home Mark thinks how it would be nice to tell someone about the other world.

But they would think he was crazy, no doubt. And if they believed him, what then? Grandpa had written “Be very careful about telling anyone of the door. In fact, its best not to tell anyone. But if you really feel it is necessary, if you really feel you can trust the person, take one more night to sleep on the idea. The worst thing is not that they think you are crazy. The worst thing is if they believe you and get the government involved.”

So when he gets home, Mark goes to the cabin to talk with Bob.

“Yes master Cane did bring several people over from his world to this one. They formed an adventuring party. A few were killed in various battles. One went home to your world. One retired, to a small island in the west. And one became a bitter enemy. “ Bob explained.

Then Bob gave some advice, similar to what grandpa had written, “Dont be in a hurry to tell anyone about the door. Not people in your world or people in this one. Be sure you can trust a person before even hinting at it.”

 Chapter 1. Part 2. 

 

A Doorway to Another World.

Based on several anime tv shows of the isekai type.

By MJM 2025

 

 

You should knew a few things about Grandpa – Gavin Claymoor.
In light of the recent weirdness, Mark considered what he actually knew about the old man.

He was a wealthy independent merchant of unusual objects. A treasure hunter, a world traveller, an eccentric, and writer of fiction. He often told stories that seemed to be wild exaggerations, yet they usually had some sort of point or life lesson. Maybe he should have been a teacher. Maybe he had been, in his younger days.

Gavin had two sons, Mark's father, who seemed to get along well with the old man and his uncle, who did not. Mark never knew what had started the rift, but it seemed to go back a long way. Did they know about this door and the other world?

What to do with it?

Mark returns to the cabin in another world. He takes a slow look around the place. Opening cupboards and looking in cabinets. Glancing at the books on the shelf. Everything looks surprisingly normal, exactly what you might want for a summer home in the forest. Except for the human skull with the runes carved in it, on the kitchen table.

“Hello there.” He says, smiling at the absurdity of talking to a skull.

“Good day. Its about time you returned.” says the skull.

Mark looks on in disbelief as the spirit of the skull manifests.

Bob – the skull is that of Bobellin Vanderhoff, a long dead wizard. (like in Dresden Files books)

“Ah my apologizes for mistaking your identity.” Bob says quite pleasantly. “But you are the heir of the great adventurer Goodberry Crane, are you not?”

Mark recognizing that was the name his grandpa used, nods. “Yea he was my grand father.”

Bob paces around to get a better look at the boy. “You have a lot of potential. But from the confused look on your face, and the poor shape you are in, I guess Iv got a lot of work to do.”

Bob introduces himself and explains how master Crane had found him, after he had sat abandoned in a tower for a hundred years. It was one of grandpa's early adventures, so Bob helped him become a powerful and heroic wizard. “A talent runs in your family for magic, stronger than any Iv ever seen.” he concluded.

Mark listened to the story in stunned silence. The journal had mentioned Bob, but he thought it was a live person grandpa knew, not a hologram from a skull.

“Look, Im not really sure what is going on. But Im very sure I have no idea what I should do about any of it. It all seems like a dream.” he confessed.

“You dont have to do anything. The question is, what do you want to do?” Bob said. “If I was you, Id go home and think about it for a day or two. Then you can come back and we can talk more.”

MC nods, accepting the wisdom of that idea.

After all, he has all summer to deal with this fantastic situation. No need to rush.

About Time.

Returning home, Mark notices that only a short while had passed although it felt like he had spent several hours in the other world. He recalled that grandpa wrote “1 day there = 1 hour here.” Just another impossible thing that proved to be true.

In fact there was a chart drawn in the note book.

Earth 1 hour     Other world 1 day

1 day                 24 days         1 month

1 week             168 days         7 months         half a year

2 weeks             336 days       14 months       one year

1 month             672 days        24 months      two years

“It is not a game.” grandpa had written, “But looking at it like a game can make it easy to figure out many things. Life is always like that.” MC considered that bit of advice as he went to bed.

Note – the notebook grandpa had left, was an autobiography, summarizing important moments and ideas. There was also an extensive set of journals in the cabin, locked in a box, that went into detail about all of his adventures. MC has not found them yet.

Next Day.

Mark awoke with an emotion that he had not felt in a long time, excitement.

Life had become absurdly interesting and he was hungry for more of it. A small part of him expected that yesterday had all been a dream. He would go to the door and it would simply not be there. But most of him looked forward to visiting the other world again. Today he would embrace a new life.

Getting dressed quickly, he went to grandpa's room, to the closet, through it to the room with the magic door, through it to the cabin in another world. It was all there, just as it had been. It was all real, or he was totally delusional. Either way, he was determined to enjoy things.

He spends all day talking to Bob.

He asks lots of questions, often using video game references. Which confuse Bob. So he has to explain what games are. Eventually the mage says he understands the idea and he can answer the question.

“No you cant open a view screen to look at your stats and skills or hit points and spells. Life does not work that way. There is no easy way to measure who you are or what you can do.” Bob explained.

Mark was both curious and apprehensive to know how pathetic he was in game terms.

“What do you want to do?” Bob finally asked.

“I want to become an adventurer, I want to explore this world and become a hero.” A childish desire but an honest one.

“OK fine.” said Bob “I shall help you. But it will take a lot of training and practice before you are ready to face the world. Master Crane left you a lot of fine equipment, but it takes more than a magic sword to make you a man.”

The Training Montage.

Exercise to get in better shape. Education about the world. Lunch brake.

Weapons practice. Magic instruction. Then story time about Grandpa's adventures.

Each day goes like that for several weeks. Mark studies hard, fully committed to his desire.

Progress is slow but steady. There is no instant magic to make him a better person.

He fights some illusions of various monsters, in the yard. They dont pack a punch but they do give some idea what to expect, in how the monsters look and act.

He does progress quickly in magic use. As Bob explains, “A huge advantage you share with Master Crane is the ability to quick cast. Most mages need several moments to shape mana into a spell, with gestures, thought and incantations. You can do it with a single word or small gesture.”

He practices magic exerciser, basic spells.

In the span of one month, he accumulates about 20 months worth of training.

This point needs to be stressed, that his improvements are slow and steady. To a person on Earth it would seem that Mark changed a lot in just one month. He went from a weak slouching slob to a rather buff athletic build. The truth is he put in hundreds of days of training in the other world.

The Big Test.

Eventually Bob suggests Mark is ready for a walk in the woods. The monster filled forest.

He selects his favourite armor, weapons and equipment, having trained with a lot of different stuff. Bob assures him, “It is very unlikely anything out there can kill you with all the enchantments that your equipment has. But dont take that as permission to act recklessly.”

He is of course overconfident.

Note – In many isekai shows the main character is over powered from the start. This is not one of those. The MC here is naturally talented with magic, but not unstoppable. Experienced wizards and some natural spell using monsters will have the upper hand over him. This is even more true with experienced fighters, as he is starting with low stats.

Mark walks in woods, spear in hand, he is alert and serious. He uses sense mana to try and detect monsters. At first he only senses a few small creatures, but it is hard to tell what each thing is. All living things have a small amount of mana in them. Monsters and mages have significantly higher amounts. He picks a target and sneaks up on it. Of course he has never hunted before, so it detects him and easily runs away.

He walks in woods some more. This time a larger creature seems to be sneaking up on him. Following Bob's advice, he uses a magical flash, to disorient it, then makes his attack on the beast with his spear.
He goes in excited and confident, but it ends up being a tough fight. He gets hit several times and if not for his armor would have been seriously injured. But eventually he brings down the creature.

Unlike in some games, dead things do not simply drop loot and vanish. He is left with a very real corps of the monster he just killed. So he has to drag it back home. “You could just leave it there, but that is wasteful.” Bob had said. “Monster bits are often valuable and occasionally good to eat.”

Note - The first time out in the forest will be shown in detail, then we shall have a montage.
This will be a good chance to show off a few of the spells he has learned.

Although we are not a cooking show, we shall see Bob teach MC a bit about cooking and about what other monster parts can be used for. A hint at alchemy. But the cabin does not have a work shop for it.

At the end of this practice cycle we shall see MC has gained some muscle and changed his appearance a bit. No longer is he fat and weak looking with a hunched posture. By the time the summer training is done he is actually an accomplished hunter and monster slayer.