The Gate Traveler-Chapter 3: When ’Overpowered’ Doesn’t Quite Cover It

It was time to delve into my Profile, or Personal Information, as the system called it. I took a fortifying breath and tapped each line with my mind.

First, there was my name. There was this odd sense of potential, of possibility. Like I could change it with a thought. Why would I want to change my name? It made little sense.

I shook my head, bewildered. Moving on.

My age had an edit option, too. I had no idea why I would want to use it, so I left it until I could figure out the reason for this option.

Then, I reached “Class,” clicked, and a new block of text scrolled in front of my eyes:

Gate Traveler

Unique Class

A Gate Traveler can move between worlds through Gates that connect to different planets, planes of existence, and parallel universes.

This class grants a variety of unique abilities designed to aid the Traveler and accelerate the acquisition of new Skills and Spells. A Traveler needs a wide range of knowledge to travel successfully.

The first three Class abilities are free, but additional abilities cost Ability Points.

Each level grants +1 to all traits, +5 free points, +1 ability point.

I read the description twice, absorbing the words. The line ‘planets, planes of existence, and parallel universes’ flooded my mind with images—a swirling cosmos, stars, and planets in endless motion, each one a door left ajar, inviting me to step through. A shiver ran down my body, a mix of thrill and apprehension. This wasn’t just travel; it was the universe up for grabs. Every world out there suddenly felt like an actual possibility, not just ideas from sci-fi movies.

And the line about accelerating the acquisition of new Skills and Spells practically glowed in my mind. Just how much of a boost would it give me?

My body practically buzzed with excitement, but right there, in the middle of it, came a gut-punch of sadness. Sophie should have been here for this. I could almost hear her voice. That familiar, soft voice full of teasing warmth mixed with a sharp spark of curiosity. Her words would spill out faster than she could think of them, brimming with that unstoppable energy, and her hand would grab my arm, grounding me. I could almost smell the faintest trace of her favorite perfume—a soft, sweet scent she always wore—mixing with the brush of her hair as she leaned in close, her eyes wide, saying, “What do you think the worlds are like? Maybe there’s a world where the stars light up in different colors, or where trees can talk.” She’d have dozens of theories and get lost in imagining every one, dragging me along for the ride.

A hollow ache, heavy as a stone, lodged under my ribs, pressing on my heart and lungs, making it hard to breathe.

God, I miss you, baby.

For a moment, it felt like she was right there, leaning on my shoulder, laughing at the absurdity with me, her hand squeezing mine like she always did whenever I was about to do something I was unsure about. That steady, grounding presence she had. The ache hit me again, hollow and heavy, a stone lodged in my chest.

I stayed there a while, rubbing my chest, letting the memories ebb. When the ache dulled, I drew a shaky breath, wiped my face, and returned to the screen. I wanted to linger, but I had to keep going. This curve ball that life threw me shocked me out of my pain, and I had no intention of letting myself submerge again under the onslaught.

Gates. Nothing new popped up, which was disappointing.

Finally, I tapped “Class Abilities,” and text exploded across my vision, blocks of information stacking up faster than I could blink. Just reading it all made my head spin. It was like staring down a mountain of choices, each packed with who-knows-what. Overwhelming didn’t begin to cover it.

GATE TRAVELER ABILITIES

Conversion between stat points and ability points

Unique Class Ability

Exchange 5 stat points for 1 Ability Point.

No cost in mana or Ability Points.

I squinted at the text. “Five stat points for one ability point?” I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck. “Are those points that valuable?”

Keep looking and then decide.

Travelers’ Archive

Unique Class Ability

By Travelers for Travelers.

Gain access to the Travelers’ Archive, where Travelers share knowledge. In each new world, access notes from other Travelers to help you navigate that world.

Before you leave, add your own experiences to assist future Travelers.

Explore the General Information section for tips on becoming a successful Traveler.

No cost in mana or Ability Points.

That was unexpected. The idea of a Traveler network, a kind of interdimensional guidebook, was both welcome and surreal.

“A cosmic travel blog?” I asked the screen.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. It might actually save me a lot of headaches—and embarrassing mistakes. I almost heard Sophie’s voice teasing me, “What’s next, a Yelp for alien planets?” My smirk faded into a sad smile. I sat back, letting the memory settle before I scrolled to the next ability.

Identify

Common Ability

Look at a creature, object, or being to reveal basic information about them. Use it often to level up and reveal more detailed information.

No cost in mana or Ability Points.

I rubbed my chin, imagining the possibilities of getting real-time info with just a glance. An instant ID app, I chuckled, thinking of my annoying habit of forgetting names. Practical … if it worked as promised. I made a mental note to test it the next time I headed out. A twinge of excitement nudged me to check what came next.

Storage

Unique Class Ability

Unlock a storage space with an initial size of 64 cubic meters (4x4x4m). Items in this space stay suspended.

Expanding it by 4 meters in each direction costs 1 Ability Point, allowing storage growth from 64 m³ > 512 m³ > 1728 m³ > 4096 m³. Expansions are limitless, but expanding can cause mental strain without increased traits.

No mana cost, but accessing Storage on worlds with mana levels of 10 or below takes more time and concentration.

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I breathed out a low whistle, imagining the possibilities of a portable storage space.

“No more luggage,” I murmured, my eyes widening.

Finally, freedom from the curse of waiting at the airport baggage claim. Leaning back, I cracked a grin—until I noticed the line about “mental strain.” My excitement faded a bit as I rubbed my temple, frowning. Let’s hope it’s not the kind of strain that leaves you with a migraine for days.

Traveling light was too tempting. I bought my first 64 m³ of space, bracing for the mental strain, but nothing happened. Shrugging, I checked the next ability.

Local Adaptation

Unique Class Ability

• Spoken Language: Gain a basic understanding of a language by listening to it and improve by speaking it.

Cost: 1 Ability Point, with a one-time mana cost of 500 per language.

• Written Language: Learn to read a language by viewing at least five words, and improve fluency by reading.

Cost: 1 Ability Point, with a one-time mana cost of 500 per language.

• Runes/Magic Script: Understand the meaning and use of runes and magic symbols. Mastery grows with additional symbols.

Cost: 5 Ability Points.

You can learn three types of rune or magic script languages; each extra language costs 1 Ability Point.

Mana cost: 50 units per rune or symbol.

I ran a hand through my hair, imagining the possibility of picking up languages on the fly. Instantly understanding a new language thrilled me, like unlocking a secret superpower.

“Rosetta Stone, eat your heart out,” I joked to the empty room.

I could see Sophie’s face, just for a moment, rolling her eyes and scrunching her nose in that playful, exaggerated way, her lips curling at the edges despite herself. She always did it when she thought I was being a smartass, and I could almost feel her presence at my side, her hand squeezing mine. The ache in my chest flared again. I held onto the memory for a moment longer, and let it go.

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Even if I never left Earth, this ability wasn’t a luxury but essential. Working in the ER, I’d lost count of how many times I’d struggled to communicate with patients who didn’t speak English. Those moments were a nightmare of clumsy charades and desperately hunting down someone to translate the basics. “Where does it hurt? Are you allergic to anything?” These were such simple, vital questions, but the language barrier has turned them into obstacles. The thought of never having to go through that again was terrific. I almost wished I hadn’t already spent my free Ability Point on the Storage.

Then again… I glanced back at the Storage description, a smile creeping onto my face. I’d never lost my luggage in transit, but I’d heard enough horror stories. No more luggage hassles. Maybe I’d made the right choice after all.

Travelers’ Map

Unique Class Ability

In each world, access a Map of that world, updated by other Travelers. The Map will continue updating as you explore.

You can study existing maps to pre-fill parts of your Map, but these additions won’t update on the general Travelers’ Map or be visible to other Travelers.

Cost: 1 Ability Point, with a one-time mana cost of 100 in each new world.

This one was lackluster, in my opinion. More precisely, if I stayed on Earth, it’d be pretty useless—Earth’s maps were detailed enough. But if I decided to travel, then it’d be invaluable. No wonder Ability Points were so valuable, needing five stat points to get one.

One of the Crowd

Unique Class Ability

Everything a Traveler needs to hide their status as a Traveler.

In many worlds, abilities or devices exist to view Personal Information. This ability lets you cloak or modify your details:

Change your name to blend in with local norms.

Display one of your sub-classes or professions as your primary class, or show a false class based on your Skills or Spells.

Hide parts of your information and replace them with question marks (Warning: This can draw unwanted attention).

On some technological or mana worlds, identification is required, like papers, badges, or ID chips. Use this ability to conjure suitable IDs.

Mana cost: 100 mana for standard ID creation; 500 mana for advanced IDs, such as central database-linked chips.

If the world doesn’t recognize your race, apply a glamor to appear local. The glamor drops once you pass through a Gate to a new world.

Mana cost: 300 mana per world.

To travel successfully, a Traveler may need extra documentation. This ability allows you to conjure whatever documents are required.

Mana cost: varies based on specific requirements.

Cost: 1 Ability Point.

This one was incredible—total anonymity, even here on Earth. I’d lost count of the times I’d wanted to blend in and melt into the background like some invisible bystander. High school alone had been a minefield of moments I’d rather forget, and the thought of finally having an escape hatch from that kind of scrutiny? I could almost feel the tension melting away from my shoulders. I imagined myself slipping through a crowd, unseen, a ghost able to vanish when the world closed in. Wish I’d had that back then.

Maybe I’d been too hasty with that first Ability Point on Storage. If I ever decided to travel, this would be a game-changer.

I grinned to myself. “Guess I’ll have the perfect disguise next time I wander into a bar full of little green men,” I joked, imagining the absurd scene. My laughter echoed in the empty room, filling the quiet space, and for a brief moment, it almost felt like Sophie was right there beside me, laughing along. The warmth of that thought settled over me, turning a slight grin into a full smile.

Sub-Classes/Professions

Unique Class Ability

Allows you to acquire up to three additional classes and professions to support your travels. While these are less powerful than primary classes, they still offer valuable abilities.

1st sub-class/profession: 1 Ability Point

2nd sub-class/profession: 3 Ability Points

3rd sub-class/profession: 5 Ability Points

No mana cost to gain a sub-class or profession.

My grin spread wider. Picking up random skills sounded like a dream. “Why stop at Gate Traveler when I can also be a blacksmith or a pilot?” I muttered, excitement bubbling up. I could be the ultimate jack-of-all-trades. Leaning back in my chair, I shook my head, imagining all the ridiculous combinations. “Gate Traveler by day, mage-baker by night.”

General Spells and Skills

Unique Class Ability

Travelers can learn any Spell or Skill from the connected worlds, allowing for versatility and adaptability.

Each new Spell or Skill costs between 1-3 Ability Points and starts at level 1.

Mana cost for use varies by Spell or Skill.

SEE FULL LIST

Level 10 in the Gate Traveler Class unlocks additional options

Opening the list of Spells and Skills was like entering an endless library where every scroll and book was dedicated to some kind of ability or knowledge. At first, I was excited—how hard could it be to find something useful? But as I scrolled, that excitement turned to something closer to awe… and a touch of panic.

There were martial skills from every discipline I could think of, from Earth’s traditional martial arts to combat techniques that sounded like they belonged in some ancient myth or futuristic sci-fi epic. Fencing, swordsmanship, archery, staff fighting, hand-to-hand forms that had names I couldn’t even pronounce, and a range of weapon skills spanning from medieval axes and crossbows to hydrogen emitters and gravitic pulsers—some sci-fi tech straight out of a blockbuster.

And that wasn’t even the half of it. There were skills for every type of vehicle imaginable: driving, sailing, and piloting covered everything from a basic car to sailboats, motorbikes, helicopters, planes, and even spaceships. Spaceships! I could almost picture myself cruising the stars at the helm of some advanced vessel.

Then I reached the magic section, and that’s when the list really got wild. Every school of magic you could think of, and many I’d never even heard of, were there—Elemental Spells, Healing, Necromancy, Illusion, Shadow Manipulation, and even more obscure branches like Dream Weaving or Echo Manipulation. Each category came with subcategories, and those had even more layers. It was like every fantasy trope had been stuffed into this endless database.

But it didn’t stop at combat or magic. I found professional skills for every imaginable trade, from blacksmithing and carpentry to rare crafts like glassblowing, crochet, and gem crafting. There were skills for things I never would have thought were worth training for, like sail sewing, knot-tying, bookkeeping, and utensil repair. Some labels sounded like things from fairy tales—rituals, magic circles, spellbinding, formations. Even cursing had its own category, with subsections from minor hexes to full-blown banishments.

And then, of course, there were the general skills—an encyclopedia of everything a regular person might pick up over a lifetime. Cooking, basic repairs, and sewing were the basic ones. Still, there was also swimming, rock climbing, fishing, and playing any instrument under the sun, moon, and stars, from piano to lyre to some instruments I’d never heard of, like a Thermablaster or Susirr. Industrial machines had their own skills, covering everything from factory-level production to delicate work with micro-machines. The list even included things like diplomacy, negotiation, and spycraft, all just waiting to be learned and leveled up.

I scrolled and scrolled, and the list just kept going. It was like it had a life of its own, constantly adding new skills and spells to tempt me with possibilities I couldn’t even wrap my head around. The sheer scale of it all hit me like a tsunami, engulfing me in an ocean of endless options. This class wasn’t just overpowered—it was ridiculously overpowered! I could be anything!

A laugh escaped me before I could contain it, then another, louder. I sounded like one of those users from the book forums raving about ‘OP MC’ that I didn’t understand last week.

I could be an OP MC!

The thought flashed through my mind, and I snorted. I imagined myself in some over-the-top action pose, shooting lasers from my eyes or fighting like Bruce Lee while shouting, “Hiya!” That mental image did me in. I doubled over and laughed so hard my stomach cramped.

Dr. John, the OP hero.

I laughed until tears streamed down my face, each gasp bringing another absurd image: a spaceship navigator in a sci-fi space suit, a dandy fencer in a hat with a feather, a ship captain with an eye patch, and a parrot. The ridiculousness of the situation was hysterical and sent me into more and more peels of laughter—laughter that came from somewhere deep, a mix of awe, disbelief, and sheer overwhelm.

Me! An OP MC!

Another wave of hysterics …