Just a Guy and a Gate to the Multiverse - Chapter 37 (Patreon)

Chapter 37 - Agrabah

Raising my hand from the Wormhole Generator after comprehending its internal structure, inner workings, and the principles it operated on, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

It wasn’t because my new Skill had failed. I simply didn’t get another upgrade. Studying a single machine that affected Space apparently wasn’t enough to grant another upgrade to my Multiversal Gate Skill.

It wasn’t really surprising. After all, the machine operated on the same principles as the Teleportation Sub-Skill already integrated into it. It was essentially just a machine replicating the same effect, and beyond that, there wasn’t much new knowledge related to Space for me to gain.

“You seem disappointed, Boss. Didn’t the Skill turn out to your liking?” Genie asked from beside me.

“Oh, no. It’s exactly what I had in mind.” I shook my head and let out a bright laugh. There was no need to get greedy here.

I had already gained a lot.

Especially that new Skill.

[ Akashic Insight Lvl.Max: You gained the Ability to analyze, comprehend, and understand all the Secrets of the Multiverse, be it Magic, Technology, Forbidden Knowledge, or natural and supernatural Phenomena.

Through continuous understanding, you gain true comprehension. With enough time, you can comprehend anything. Closer Proximity, and especially physical contact, accelerates the Process.

Comprehension speed also depends on the existing Knowledge Base. A target for which the User already possesses related Knowledge can be comprehended much faster. ]

“Thanks for the praise, Boss!” Genie said while taking the form of an Office Worker wearing glasses far too large for his face. He then checked a list he had pulled from who knew where. Even my Akashic Insight had no idea where to begin understanding that.

“Now, let’s see. One. Check! Two? Check! Three? Check! That makes three wishes, fulfilling my contractual obligations and concluding our partnership, Mr. Matt!”

I gave Genie a nod. “That may be true, but you still have an open contract with an associate of mine,” I replied, playing along with him.

“That is correct too.” Genie nodded before pulling out another sheet of Paper with the big, bold word CONTRACT written across the top. Turning toward the Synth who had been obediently following us around, he asked, “So, what is your final wish, Boss?”

Instead of giving the expectant-looking Genie a reply, the Synth turned toward me.

“How about you get comfortable for a while?” I asked, casually summoning his lamp into my hand from my pocket space and immediately catching Genie’s attention. “You said your lamp is cramped and a shitty place to live. Instead of being trapped in there again for who knows how many thousands of years, why not enjoy your time out here with us? We’re planning to stay around for a year. A full year of enjoying the fresh air without being stuck in a cramped living space. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Back in his normal form, Genie looked at me with a huge grin. “It does sound nice! You know what? I’m in! It’s been a while since I’ve had a holiday. Unfortunately, those aren’t part of the Job.”

With a swish, sunglasses and flower-patterned bathing shorts appeared on him.

“What’s the plan? Some Beach days?”

Another swish later, he was fully equipped in winter gear, with a pair of skis resting over his shoulders.

“Or maybe some skiing in the Swiss Alps? With some nice hot fondue or raclette for Dinner?”

“Is Switzerland even a thing in this World?” I wondered aloud.

Genie shrugged. “Who knows? But it’s a thing for you, so I know about it.”

“Unfortunately, nothing like that. I want to check out the local City. I’ve always wanted to see what a place in the Disney Universe looks like in reality. After that, I don’t have any concrete plans beyond playing around with my new Abilities, Training, and properly studying the Tech and Magic I’ve collected so far. That’s what I needed your wishes for,” I admitted honestly.

“Boo, that sounds a lot like work.”

“Well, it is.”

“Boring! Isn’t there anything fun you want to do?”

“You know, you can play around with the Virtual Reality Simulator… I mean, Reality Simulator you made as much as you want.”

And add some Simulations for me for free without making me invest my own time into programming them.

“Beaches, the Alps, Tropical Islands, Jungles, or whatever else you want should all be possible with it. Unfortunately, even if I technically have a year of free time now since your lamp was my only real goal here, that doesn’t mean I can just slack off. Sure, I don’t have any real time pressure besides one thing, but I’ve set myself a clear target for what I want to accomplish, and I plan to reach it as soon as possible.”

“Fine, fine… you’re right. Even this little bit of freedom is already amazing. I’ll give you that,” Genie admitted while thoughtfully eyeing the machine he had created. “You do realize that I kinda know what you know, right?”

“Even my thoughts and plans?”

“No, not like that. More like your general Knowledge. I need to pull my references from somewhere, after all. It’s like passive Omniscience. I’m not aware of everything happening around me, nor do I know what people are thinking about or planning, but I know every piece of Knowledge available to me and can reference it whenever I want. Knowledge that somehow became quite a bit larger after meeting you,” Genie explained as he suddenly appeared in Robes that looked suspiciously similar to Jedi Robes.

Well, I got what he meant. It was like a database for his shapeshifting antics and whatever information he needed to fulfill a wish.

“So, what are you trying to tell me?”

“Far too small, you are thinking, my young Padawan!” he declared while floating in his robes like a wizened Jedi Master. “The Alps? Some Beach? A Jungle? Really? Is that all you could come up with? You gave me so much more I could experience with your wonder Machine!”

He was pretty much right. It might not compare to my ability to travel the Multiverse, but with the Reality Simulator, he could experience far more than a few Holiday Resorts.

And the best part was that he would save me the trouble of creating those simulations myself.

“Go wild! I have no problem with it.”

———

Freshly rested after a good night’s sleep in my acclimated home, I sat in the air a few hundred meters away from Agrabah on my new friend, the flying carpet. Genie was inside my Pocket Space together with my home, playing around with the Reality Simulator.

Meanwhile, I had deactivated the Synth. I didn’t erase its current personality, but I did put it to sleep. In all honesty, I was too worried about it gaining some form of free will and making a strange wish of its own while I wasn’t around.

Who knew how that would end? There were far too many stories about Robot Rebellions for me to simply ignore the possibility, even if a Synth was technically a biological Robot.

In front of me stretched the walled City of Agrabah, a picturesque ocean of square-shaped sandstone buildings arranged in a massive Labyrinth of narrow Alleys. Only the main road leading toward the Sultan’s Palace stood out from the chaotic mess, along with the Palace itself.

The Buildings gradually became richer and more impressive the closer they were to the Palace, while the poorest districts were located closest to the outer Walls.

Built from cleaner white Sandstone, the Sultan’s Palace towered high above the rest of the City. The difference was immense. How had they even managed to build something like this? It was an imposing sight for anyone seeing it for the first time.

The Palace was surrounded by another set of towering walls. Golden-domed roofs crowned the different buildings within the palace grounds, which consisted of an assortment of towers of various sizes, with the largest and tallest standing directly in the center.

Above the Main Gate of the Palace, which connected directly to the Central Street running through Agrabah, was a large balcony clearly meant for the Royal Family to address the People of the City.

It truly was a palace straight out of a Fantasy. Then again, this entire place felt like one.

“You can let me down here, my friend,” I told the flying carpet while we were still a good distance away from the City. There was no need to attract unwanted attention before I had even entered.

After the carpet landed, I jumped off and gave it a friendly pat.

“Feel free to fly around the desert. I know you were trapped in that Cave too, so go enjoy some fresh air. Find me whenever you feel like coming back, but please do it discreetly.”

Since the Magic Carpet was conscious, I wanted to treat it as a friend. It wasn’t merely a tool, but an actual living being.

Once it disappeared from sight, I began walking toward the City Gate. Although I had made sure my Clothes fit the general setting, it quickly became obvious that I would still stand out from the moment anyone saw me.

It already started at the Gate, where the Guards openly stared at me. Fortunately, they still allowed me to pass without any trouble.

Things didn’t change once I entered the City. Wherever I went, People stopped to stare at me, from small children to grown adults.

Had I forgotten to wash my face or something?

It took me an uncomfortably long moment to realize what was actually going on.

I was white.

Almost everyone around me appeared to be of Arab descent, and unlike the exaggerated ideas some people liked to push in the 2020s, diverse populations didn’t simply appear everywhere without a historical reason. Most of these People had probably never seen someone who looked like me in their entire lives.

Well, I should at least make sure not to leave a bad impression and respect their customs. I was a guest here, after all.

Now then, where could I exchange some Treasures for the local Currency?

I obviously wasn’t going to part with anything unique, but there was plenty of stuff among Galbatorix’s Treasures that I owned in large quantities. I wanted to go shopping, try some local food, pick up a few mementos, and see whatever else caught my eye.

Besides, People always loved Gold!

———

— Princess Jasmine POV —

She simply could not remain in this place any longer, not when every day seemed to close the palace walls more tightly around her.

Why did everything have to be this way?

Why was she expected to marry some arrogant prince merely because her eighteenth birthday had arrived?

Why could she not choose the person she loved for herself, instead of having such a choice forced upon her?

It was a ridiculous law, and Jasmine hated every word of it.

No, there was simply no chance she would quietly accept such a fate.

When the early morning darkness still covered the palace, she pulled a cloak around herself and slipped into the garden, making her way toward the outer walls.

She moved carefully, keeping herself out of sight of her father’s guards and the servants already beginning their work throughout the palace.

It pained her deeply that leaving had become necessary.

She loved her father dearly, for he was a gentle and loving man, and she knew she would miss him terribly.

But Jasmine could not accept spending the rest of her life suffering beneath the demands of that cursed law.

With everyone forcing her farther into a corner, she could see no other path left before her.

If gaining her freedom meant slipping beyond the palace walls and placing her fate in the world outside, then that was exactly what she would do.

That did not mean she felt no fear, for she had spent her entire life within these walls, but nervousness would not make her turn back now.

This was her freedom at stake, and it was her own happiness as well.

Beyond these walls waited an entire new world she had never been permitted to discover for herself.

She had dreamed about seeing that world for more years than she cared to count.

After living within the palace all her life, Jasmine knew its halls, gardens, and walls better than most, including the places where one might slip away unseen.

More than once, she had imagined herself doing exactly what she was preparing to do now.

Just as Jasmine readied herself for the climb, something suddenly caught hold of her cloak and tugged her firmly back toward the ground.

“Oh, Rajah, I’m sorry,” she murmured when she turned and recognized her faithful friend, the great tiger who had grown up beside her and protected her for years.

The sorrowful look in his eyes tugged painfully at her heart, but Jasmine forced herself to remain determined as she told him, “I cannot stay here while everyone else decides what my life must become.”

When Rajah finally released her cloak, somehow his wounded expression became even more difficult for her to bear.

“I shall miss you more than you know,” she whispered, and she truly meant it, for Rajah had always been her dearest friend.

She stroked him one last time before climbing the tree and pulling herself onto the top of the palace wall.

“Goodbye, my dear friend,” Jasmine said softly before leaving him behind.

The ache in her heart soon gave way to wonder, because for the first time in her entire life, Jasmine could go wherever she wished.

As she wandered through the narrow streets of Agrabah, she eagerly took in every unfamiliar sight, from the strangely shaped buildings to the bustling crowds filling the alleys and the people simply going about their daily lives.

Everything around her seemed wonderfully new.

A bright, delighted smile hardly left her lips.

Before long, Jasmine found herself entering one of the busiest and most colorful places in the entire city, the great bazaar.

“Pretty lady, buy a pot! You’ll find no finer pot in brass or silver!” one eager merchant called from his stall as she passed.

At the neighboring stand, another merchant held out trays of dried fruit and loudly announced, “Sugar dates! Sweet sugar dates and figs! Dates and pistachios!”

Then Jasmine passed a merchant displaying all manner of jewelry, and although the pieces could hardly rival those she kept in her possession within the palace, she still found the sparkling display lovely to behold.

“Would the lady care for a necklace? A beautiful necklace for a beautiful lady,” the merchant offered with a charming smile.

Jasmine could not help thinking that the man certainly knew how to flatter a customer.

There seemed to be no end to what the bazaar offered, with food, spices, brightly colored fabrics, carpets, clothing, silverware, jewelry, and countless other things surrounding her.

Everywhere she turned there was something unfamiliar to catch her attention, and she quickly realized she would have to watch where she walked before her curiosity carried her straight into someone.

As Jasmine continued through the market, she noticed a small boy stretching his little arms toward the perfect red apples piled high upon one of the stalls.

“Oh, you poor thing, you must be hungry,” Jasmine said gently as she lowered herself toward him and looked into his young, innocent eyes.

Without hesitation, she reached up, took one of the fresh apples, and placed it into his hands with a warm smile, saying, “Here, this is for you.”

Before Jasmine could continue farther into the bazaar, a rough voice growled from somewhere behind her, “You had better be able to pay for that.”

“Pay for the apple?” Jasmine repeated, turning toward him in genuine confusion.

What exactly was the man talking about?

What did he mean by paying for something?

Never in her entire life had Jasmine needed to concern herself with such a thing.

Before she could ask what he meant, the large and intimidating owner of the cart seized her wrist angrily and shouted, “No one steals from my cart!”

Jasmine did not understand what she had done wrong, but the fury in the man’s face was beginning to frighten her.

She had never been confronted by someone like this before, and she had no idea how one was supposed to deal with such an angry man.

Then something came back to her, something she had heard called money.

Was that perhaps what he meant when he demanded that she pay?

Surely an apology would settle the matter once he understood there had been a mistake.

“Oh, forgive me, sir, I did not realize,” Jasmine said quickly, trying to remain composed despite his grip on her wrist.

“I do not have any money with me.”

“You are a THIEF!” the merchant roared, his anger only growing worse.

Her apology had clearly done nothing to calm him, so Jasmine hurriedly pleaded, “Please, if you allow me to return to the palace, I can have the Sultan give you whatever is owed.”

She tried to reason with him even as she struggled to pull her hand away.

The merchant had no interest in listening, however, and before Jasmine fully understood what was happening, he had drawn his blade and forced her hand down beneath it.

“Do you know the punishment for stealing?” he demanded harshly.

“No, please, you must not do this!” Jasmine cried, fear finally breaking through her attempts to remain calm.

At that very moment, another voice cut clearly through the watching crowd and challenged him, “And since when does a street merchant have the right to carry out the law himself?”

Jasmine turned toward the newcomer, and for a moment she very nearly forgot the terrible situation she had found herself in.

The young man who had stepped forward to help her had remarkably fair skin that reminded her of pale clouds beneath the sun, while his eyes were a clear crystalline blue like the most beautiful sapphires in her possession and his hair shone like gold.

For one bewildered instant, Jasmine could almost have wondered whether he had descended from the heavens themselves.

“How is any of this your business, and who are you supposed to be?” the furious merchant demanded, clearly unwilling to be challenged by some stranger.

“Only a passerby who happened to notice,” the young man replied before tossing a gold coin toward the merchant.

The merchant swiftly caught it, finally releasing Jasmine’s hand as the young man continued, “That should more than cover the apple, so leave the lady alone and give me two more.”

“Fine, have them your way,” the merchant growled, although he finally lowered his weapon and returned it to its place.

He cast Jasmine one final glare before handing over two additional apples and muttering, “Just make certain she causes no more trouble.”

The young man caught the apples easily and turned toward Jasmine with a warm smile, his bright white teeth flashing as he offered one of the fruits to her.

“Would you care for one?” he asked, holding the apple toward her.

Jasmine could only stare at him, completely mesmerized.

[ End of the Chapter ]