After understanding how tangled and fragile Dirmistan's political situation was, the first thought that crossed Joel's mind was as simple as it was tempting: retreat. To get away from it all and find a quieter, more isolated place… perhaps a lost island in the middle of the ocean, far from empires, councils, mercenaries, and power struggles.

  The idea wasn't without logic. He had fled before, many times, and had always survived because of it. However, this time he forced himself to stop. To think calmly and analyze the situation objectively.

  When he dissected the facts, the immediate danger didn't seem as pressing as his initial instinct had screamed at him. Dirmistan was unstable, yes, but it wasn't on the verge of collapse. Hostilities remained contained, fragmented, and still far from becoming an open war that could wipe everything out overnight.

  Besides… a part of him was beginning to tire of running away.

  He had spent too much time hiding, retreating, avoiding conflict instead of confronting it or, at least, learning to live with it. And, to his own surprise, he was starting to like this place. The people, the language that was both strange and familiar, the mix of races, the social structure so different from the four worlds… all of it awakened a genuine curiosity within him.

  Perhaps, just perhaps, there was a third option between fleeing and barricading himself in his refuge. Maybe he could learn to navigate the system. Understand it and manipulate it if necessary.

  With that thought, Joel put his musings aside and decided to get on with his business. If he was going to stay, he needed to get to know the true economic heart of Kelion better.

  He ventured into the city's most prosperous commercial district, the one where the largest, most elegant, and most eye-catching shops were concentrated. Well-crafted stone facades, spacious display windows, colorful banners, and a noticeably wealthier clientele set it apart from ordinary markets.

  Inside, he found everything: clothing made from fine fabrics, furniture crafted from exotic woods, perfectly balanced weapons, armor polished to a shine in the sun. Everything was of remarkable quality… but even so, nothing seemed to possess any true supernatural power.

  There were no active runes, no artifacts vibrating with energy. There was nothing comparable to the magical objects he knew from the four worlds.

  Disappointment was beginning to set in when he decided to ask directly.

  The man tending one of the shops, an older gentleman with a sharp gaze, observed him for a few seconds before answering. Then he smiled somewhat condescendingly, like someone recognizing a novice merchant. He explained that all of this was just the surface. Each of these shops had a special section, usually located in the basements or in restricted areas, where objects of a mystical nature were traded. However, not just anyone could access them. There were requirements, and the most important of all was possessing energy crystals to pay.

  That stopped Joel in his tracks. Energy crystals? He had never heard that term in his conversations with ordinary people. And now he understood why. It wasn't knowledge meant for the average citizen.

  Noticing the obvious confusion on his face, the merchant decided to elaborate a little more, probably convinced that Joel was just another traveler of humble origins who had had some luck in business.

  He explained that these crystals were a special resource, extracted from regions where the world's energy naturally accumulated. Areas traversed by magical arteries known as Leylines. In these places, energy slowly condensed into a crystalline form.

  The crystals served two main functions: accelerating the training of mystic warriors and acting as an energy source for the creation and operation of magical artifacts. They were, in theory, a renewable resource… but in practice, they were very rare, especially when it came to crystals with high energy density.

  Their value was incalculable for those who followed the path of power. So much so, that over the ages they had become the official currency for everything related to the mystical and the supernatural. However, this came with the inherent problem of their immediate availability, especially in times of conflict, when their circulation always dwindled to a minimum.

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  To prevent their volatility from destroying traditional economies, the crystal trade was kept completely separate from the common market. Within cities, they could only be used in special sections, far from the average citizen and under strict restrictions.

  Then the inevitable question arose: How were they obtained?

  The merchant listed the options matter-of-factly. Some acquired them through private exchanges. Others ventured to mine them on their own, risking their lives deep underground. But the most common way was as payment for services.

  Mystic warriors in the service of governors, armies, noble houses, or powerful entities often received part of their remuneration in energy crystals, in addition to regular money. He also mentioned, more quietly, rumors about certain specialists capable of creating them artificially… though only in low-density versions and with questionable efficiency.

  There was only one legal way to exchange gold for energy crystals, though it was far from simple or accessible. The only authorized channel was the governor's offices, where prices were rigidly fixed and quantities strictly regulated. Any established merchant caught exchanging crystals for common currency faced severe penalties: exorbitant fines, immediate revocation of their license, or even permanent expulsion from the city.

  Joel quickly put two and two together. This rigidity could only be the result of numerous past economic collapses, disasters caused by the unchecked speculation of a resource too powerful to be freely integrated into the everyday economy. Crystals weren't just a commodity; they were an unstable pillar capable of bringing down entire nations if handled unchecked. This realization made it clear to him that, in this world, magic was feared not only for its destructive power but also for its ability to corrupt entire systems.

  With the rules of the game now clear, he had no choice but to head to the governor's office. Precisely the place he had mentally marked from day one as a dangerous spot.

  The main building stood like a veritable fortress, both in design and presence. Thick stone walls, watchtowers, and a defensive layout spoke of centuries of institutional paranoia. As he approached, Joel could identify at least a dozen powerful individuals serving as guards, all of them far exceeding the stature of ordinary soldiers. Worse still, his instinct—which was rarely wrong—warned him that something within the building emanated considerable power, enough to pose a real threat even to him.

  Fortunately, after consulting with one of the guards, he discovered that the commercial administration wasn't located within the fortress itself, but in an adjacent building. The place lacked the oppressive aura of the main building, though it was still heavily guarded, as if it were a more discreet extension of the same power.

  There, he was greeted with a cold, mechanical welcome, accompanied by appraising glances and an almost dehumanized efficiency. There was no overt hostility, but neither was there any courtesy. Joel was quickly led to a window where he was presented with a price list that, to his surprise, bordered on the absurd.

  Energy crystals were classified into nine different levels, according to their energy concentration and their usefulness to mystic warriors. However, the government only offered level one and two crystals for sale. Nothing more.

  The level one crystal cost twenty-four gold coins. The level two crystal jumped to one hundred and three coins. And as if that weren't enough, the restrictions were even stricter: a maximum of ten level one crystals per person per month, and only one level two crystal.

  Joel listened to everything in silence, maintaining his neutral expression. But inside, the feeling was clear and bitter. For a moment, he had believed he carried a fortune hanging from his waist, a reserve capable of opening many doors. At that moment, as he unconsciously felt the bag of coins, he had the impression that it weighed much less than before.

  Despite the exorbitant price, Joel decided not to leave empty-handed. After a few seconds of hesitation, he bought two level one crystals, resigned to the bite this meant for his newly acquired fortune. The transaction was much slower and more cumbersome than he had anticipated. They examined his identification parchment with excessive care, noting his name, origin, occupation, and purpose of the purchase, and demanded he answer a series of additional questions. Fortunately, Joel was more than used to improvising on the spot, and he answered fluently, without a single crack in his story.

  When the operation finally concluded, what he received in return were two small, greenish fragments, about the size of a fingernail, with an almost unnatural clarity. At first glance, they looked like simple pieces of cut glass, but as he held them between his fingers, Joel felt something profoundly strange. It wasn't exactly heat, nor was it cold, but an unsettling contradiction, as if both concepts coexisted simultaneously within the crystal. An almost imperceptible vibration ran through his palm, too weak to be dangerous, but intense enough to make him aware that he was holding something that didn't obey the usual rules.

  With the crystals safely stored away, he left the governor's building and went straight to one of the most reputable arms shops in the city. Upon entering, he requested access to the mystical section, mimicking the confident tone of a merchant accustomed to such dealings. The owner regarded him with a mixture of surprise and caution before explaining, with practiced politeness, that access to that section required a prior deposit.

  Joel had already slipped his fingers into the pocket where he kept the crystals when the merchant added, almost indifferently, that the minimum deposit required was ten crystals.

  Joel's smile froze on his face. He remained motionless for an eternal second, not daring to open his hand. With an awkward cough, he muttered something about having changed his mind and hurried away from the shop, careful not to draw any more attention than necessary.

  The embarrassment was brief, but enough. Added to that was the accumulated fatigue after three full days of travel, conversations, and constant calculations. As he walked through the streets of Kelion, Joel reached an inescapable conclusion: acquiring resources in this world without standing out was going to be much harder than he had anticipated.

  With that certainty in mind, he decided it was time to return to the shelter. There were too many things to analyze, too many decisions to make. Perhaps it would be necessary to explore other cities, other territories… or even the underbelly of society that he had thus far avoided.

  After all, every world had its black markets, hidden networks, and deals that bypassed offices and official channels.

  And Gaea, without a doubt, would be no exception.