I Am A Wizard Who Can Travel Between Earth And The Other World-Chapter 26 - 28 Crossing the Portal

"Do you think you can claim this place for yourself?" he asked, his voice sharp.

Gin didn't respond. The truth was, he had no intention of claiming the portal.

The leader felt his frustration grow at the lack of reaction but kept his emotions in check. "That detector you stole... do you think you can use it freely? It's traceable.

You'll be hunted down and killed."

His words were a bluff, a calculated attempt to unsettle his opponent. Fear and anxiety often led to mistakes. Even if the lie didn't work immediately, it could plant seeds of doubt over time.

Gin casually pulled the crystal detector from his pocket. It was about the size of a fist, its surface flawlessly smooth and polished.

There was no space for any tracking device to be hidden.

If there was a tracking spell embedded in it, he was confident he could dismantle it. Besides, based on the mana flow surrounding the artifact, it seemed unlikely to contain such magic. Satisfied, he slipped the detector back into his pocket.

He turned to the leader, his gaze sharp. "You seem to know a lot."

The leader's face hardened.

"And if I do? Do you think I'll tell you anything?"

"Of course you will," Gin replied calmly.

Threads of mana unfurled from his core, weaving intricate patterns in the air. It was time to begin the interrogation.

Gin stood on a quiet street, his gaze sweeping the unfamiliar surroundings. This was his second time entering the Shadow Realm.

Unlike before, he had adapted to the surge of mana that enveloped him upon crossing the portal. He could now skillfully channel it around his body, though the amount infused was the same as before.

Prior to arriving, he had spent time analyzing the portal. The protective enchantments layered over it were far beyond his current capabilities—an impenetrable barrier of magical sophistication.

Still, he had noticed something curious. Unlike the portals in the Shadow Realm, Earth's portals continuously absorbed mana.

The flow was subtle, almost negligible, but it was there.

When he traced the mana, he found it being funneled directly into the Shadow Realm.

"Is one of their goals to drain Earth's mana into this world? But why?"

Mana wasn't unique to Earth—it permeated the entire universe.

Draining Earth's mana wouldn't deplete it, nor would introducing Earth's mana cause any noticeable changes to the Shadow Realm.

"Unless we're talking about billions of years, the impact would be meaningless."

Regardless, Gin knew he needed to secure a portal of his own. His hand absentmindedly toyed with the crystal detector in his pocket. This tool would be key to locating a new portal.

Taking a deep breath, he set off.

"Where am I this time?"

It could be the same city he had visited before, or it might be an entirely new one. If it was a different city, what would set it apart? What lay between cities in the Shadow Realm? Would traveling between them pose challenges?

The questions filled his mind, each one fueling his curiosity and excitement. His heart quickened as he anticipated the discoveries ahead.

A Broker on the Hunt

"Hah, life's a damn grind," Jay muttered as he wandered through the streets.

He wasn't in his usual territory—this time, he was searching the entire city with a determination to leave no stone unturned.

Jay wasn't the only one combing the streets. Other brokers were scattered like wildfire, racing through the city like boars with their tails ablaze.

The target of their frantic search was a man named Gin. He had been one of the decoys involved in the recent mission for the Fishmongers Guild. Unlike the other decoys, who had stayed together, Gin had vanished into thin air.

Gin adjusted the black mask covering his face. It was one of the few items he always carried alongside the Shadow Realm's currency.

In the Shadow Realm, the inhabitants' appearances were noticeably less refined than those on Earth. Gin's striking features stood out far too much in such a setting.

He often thought about how useful it would be to alter his appearance entirely, but his magical abilities hadn't yet reached that level.

There was hope that his ongoing research into biological tissue manipulation might eventually provide a solution, but he couldn't be sure.

As he stepped out of the narrow alley, a two-lane road stretched ahead of him, flanked by shabby buildings.

Most lacked proper signage, leaving their purpose ambiguous. Here and there, a few businesses were identifiable—restaurants, bars, clothing stores, and electronics shops—scattered among the worn-down structures.

He paused for a moment.

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Coming to the Shadow Realm was one thing, but deciding what to do next was another matter entirely.

"For now... I guess I'll just wander."

He reasoned that, eventually, he would run into an ability user.

That could be a good starting point. With no clear destination in mind, he began walking.

He resolved to keep moving, stopping to eat at the first restaurant that caught his eye when hunger struck.

Unlike the bustling streets he had encountered during his last visit, this area was eerily quiet. There were a few people here and there, but compared to before, it might as well have been empty.

Still, Gin needed to find an ability user, and the best way to do that was by using domain expansion.

Drawing upon the Shadow Realm's unstable mana, he activated the spell.

The initial process wasn't much different from doing it on Earth.

Creating simple patterns remained straightforward, but expanding those patterns into a full domain was another story entirely.

To create a domain here, he had to reshape the ambient mana, starting with his own before manipulating the surrounding energy to propagate the pattern.

"This is trickier than I expected... but it's good practice for controlling my mana."

Gin focused on refining the technique. The ambient mana in the Shadow Realm was unpredictable, almost volatile, but if he could master it here, his ability to manipulate mana anywhere would improve exponentially.

As the patterns spread outward, invisible threads of energy began to saturate the area, searching for anything—or anyone—that stood out.

The Fishmongers Guild had issued a directive: find Gin and bring him in. Though phrased as a request, it was clearly an order.

Brokers didn't work exclusively for the Fishmongers Guild, but the guild wielded enough power to make trouble for anyone who refused.

And for those willing to take the risk, successfully locating Gin would guarantee favor from the guild—a reward worth pursuing.

Jay knew there were better ways to make money. Capturing low-level decoys or fulfilling smaller contracts would be less effort and more profitable. Still, the potential payoff was tempting.

After what felt like an eternity of searching, Jay found himself far from his usual stomping grounds.

While other brokers methodically combed through nearby areas, he had decided to cast his net wider.

Suddenly, his eyes widened.

"Wait a second. Is that... him?"

Though he could only see the man's back, there was no mistaking the striking presence. In all his years, Jay had only encountered one person who stood out like that.

Without hesitation, he strode toward the figure, his mind racing.