Ethan was very interested in listening to the demon. Just a few hours ago, if someone had talked to him about demons or magic, he would have dismissed it as fiction; now, however, it was his reality.
"To begin with, I need to understand your existence. How is it that you exist in this world and most people are unaware?" Ethan asked.
"Huh? How would I know that?" the demon responded.
This unsettled Ethan a bit, as he had expected to rely on Phis to unravel the hidden truth. But before he could say anything, Phis continued speaking.
"Look, if there's something you want to know, just go to the Mysticweb. I'm sure you'll find everything there," said the demon, with little interest.
Ethan hesitated a bit but quickly took his laptop and searched for the site. To his surprise, a website with that name did appear. The site wasn't much different from any other, even having its own FAQ section.
Although he had to create an account to access its different sections, the process was extremely simple. Over the next few hours, Ethan dedicated himself to exploring the entire site. This was more like an online store than anything else. What surprised him most was that the currency for trade was gold. Even so, this didn't pose a problem since he had the option to buy that gold.
Money was not an issue for him, so he exchanged millions of dollars for a few thousand gold coins. This made him feel a bit swindled, but his life depended on the information he could obtain. Ethan couldn't know if the demon would truly keep his word or if Yassir would discover the truth in the future and come
back to kill him. Therefore, he was in a bit of a rush and didn't hesitate to use his capital.
As he searched to buy information, he discovered the value of gold. On the Mysticweb, he saw irrelevant information like "Details of Johann Zaen's Private Life" for 10 gold coins, as well as information for over ten thousand gold coins, such as "Location of Ingredients for Invisibility Potion."
This greatly surprised him. Just thinking that ten thousand gold coins were equivalent to nearly nine million dollars made him question his sense of money.
After some time, Ethan managed to buy several books with the information he sought for a little over 5000 gold coins. He expected the books to appear by magic, but they simply sent PDFs to his account. Although he was a bit disappointed by this, it was only a fleeting disappointment. He quickly occupied his mind by reading each of the books.
The day ended and a new one began, but this change was unnoticed by Ethan. He continued reading for hours and hours. Each text left him breathless; it was hard to believe they weren't fictional stories.
By the time he finished, he could better understand the gravity of his situation.
Among the texts Ethan read, he found details about a surprising phenomenon: for some time, other worlds had been summoning people from ours to be "heroes" in theirs. Initially, governments didn't understand and couldn't defend against these incursions. However, with technological advancements, they used those summonings against them, managing to open wormholes that led to those new worlds. Now, every world power had control over different universes and their resources for themselves.
Ethan discovered that the Mysticweb was just the tip of the iceberg, a site open even to the simplest people, mercenaries, or small entities. But for the great powers, there were secret networks and hidden alliances between governments and entities from other worlds, working together for mutual interests. The economy, politics, and power were deeply influenced by these interdimensional exchanges.
Suddenly, the demon's voice resonated in his mind again.
"So, now my deal doesn't seem so bad, does it? You'll be able to learn my magic and protect yourself."
Ethan nodded, even though he knew the demon couldn't see him. He had to learn to handle this new reality, and quickly. He knew his life would never be the same, but he also knew he couldn't turn back.
Determined not to be just a pawn in this interdimensional game, Ethan began to plan his next steps. He needed allies, knowledge, and above all, power to protect himself and face the inevitable challenges.
"So, when do we start your magic training?" the demon asked.
"Wait, I've decided not to learn your magic. I'll buy a book on the Mysticweb."
"WHY?! THAT WASN'T OUR DEAL!" Phis shouted, anxious.
"You're mistaken, the deal was that you would teach me magic. You never clarified that it had to be yours. And from what I see, I wasn't wrong in trying to learn a different one. Now, be quiet while I browse the catalog."
Ethan had decided to learn a different magic just as a precaution, assuming there was some kind of trap in that "convenient" deal. Seeing the demon's reaction, he understood that his suspicions were correct. Nonetheless, he didn't blame or curse the demon; he simply understood that both would try to take advantage of each other.
Now, he just had to decide which magic was the right one. A mistake here could make him too weak or useless, and that would mean his likely death.