The familiar white void returned.
Mario stood alone as countless streams of light stretched endlessly around him, flowing like rivers across an empty universe.
Unlike the first time he had used World Travel, there was no excitement in his heart.
Only purpose.
He had already decided this trip several days ago.
Three wishes.
That was all he wanted.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
The Random Omnipotent Being had made one thing perfectly clear from the very beginning.
One visit.
One fictional world.
One opportunity.
Mario had no intention of wasting his second World Travel on nostalgia.
He wasn’t going to Agrabah because he loved Disney’s Aladdin.
He was going because no amount of money, magic, or effort on Earth could ever replicate what the Genie could do.
Some opportunities existed only once.
This was one of them.
A soft blue panel materialized before him.
Destination Selected
World: Aladdin (Animated Universe)
Mario took one slow breath.
“World Travel.”
The white void shattered like glass.
Heat.
Dry air rushed against his face.
The scent of sand, spices, and smoke instantly replaced the cold emptiness of dimensional travel.
Mario opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was an endless sea of sandstone buildings rising beneath the afternoon sun.
Rounded domes reflected the golden light, while colorful cloth canopies stretched between narrow streets below.
Merchants shouted from crowded market stalls, children laughed as they chased one another through the alleys, and somewhere in the distance, the melodic call to prayer echoed across the city.
Agrabah.
Even after seeing monsters, magic, and another world through the World Gate…
Standing inside a place that had only existed in a childhood movie felt surreal.
For exactly one second.
Then Mario’s analytical mind took over.
He quietly scanned his surroundings.
Outside the city walls.
Good.
He had arrived several hundred meters from Agrabah’s main gate, just as he had hoped.
Fewer people.
Fewer questions.
Less attention.
He adjusted the hood of his cloak before walking toward the bustling city.
The streets were every bit as lively as he remembered.
Merchants enthusiastically advertised silk, carpets, spices, jewelry, pottery, and fruit he couldn’t even name.
The smell of freshly baked flatbread drifted through the air.
Camels lazily crossed the streets while donkeys pulled overloaded carts between shouting traders.
It was chaotic.
But organized chaos.
Mario walked calmly through the marketplace, blending into the steady flow of travelers.
His clothing wasn’t identical to the locals’, but it was plain enough not to attract unwanted attention.
His destination wasn’t the palace.
Nor the marketplace.
He needed information.
Not directions.
Timing.
Stopping beside a fruit vendor, Mario picked up a bright orange fruit roughly the size of an apple.
“One silver.”
Mario handed over a coin before casually asking, “Busy day?”
“When is it ever not?”
Mario smiled politely.
“I suppose that’s true.”
He took a bite from the fruit.
Sweet.
Juicy.
Not bad.
He continued as if making idle conversation.
“I heard there’s a clever young thief around here.”
The merchant rolled his eyes.
“You mean another one?”
Mario laughed softly.
“Fair point.”
“The city’s full of them.”
The merchant shrugged before returning to arranging his display.
“If you’re talking about that skinny orphan…”
He waved dismissively.
“Nothing special.
Just another street kid trying to survive.”
Mario’s expression remained calm.
“Does he have a name?”
“…Aladdin, I think.”
“Causes trouble?”
The merchant snorted.
“He causes hunger.
Mostly his own.”
Mario chuckled.
“I’ll keep an eye on my purse.”
“Do that.”
The conversation ended naturally.
Mario walked away without another question.
That was enough.
Aladdin existed.
But he wasn’t famous.
No one called him the Street Rat yet.
No stories.
No bounty.
No encounters with Princess Jasmine.
Which meant…
The events of the movie hadn’t started.
Exactly as planned.
He spent the next several hours quietly exploring the city.
Not sightseeing.
Mapping.
His high Intelligence allowed him to mentally construct Agrabah’s layout as he walked.
Main market.
Residential district.
Palace entrance.
Guard patrol routes.
Northern cliffs.
Possible exits.
Everything was committed to memory.
The less time he wasted later…
The better.
As the afternoon slowly gave way to evening, Mario finally left the city through its northern gate.
The lively voices of the marketplace gradually faded behind him.
Ahead…
Only sand.
The desert stretched endlessly beneath an orange sky.
The wind carried grains of sand across weathered rock formations sculpted by centuries of erosion.
Mario climbed one rocky ridge after another, following nothing more than his memory of the movie.
He wasn’t completely certain.
Animated films rarely showed accurate geography. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Still…
The landmarks gradually began matching what he remembered.
A massive rock formation.
A dried riverbed.
Three unusually tall stone pillars standing together like ancient sentinels.
Mario stopped.
“This should be close.”
He climbed onto another ridge and looked toward the horizon.
Nothing.
Just endless desert.
“…Either I’m early.”
“Or I’m wrong.”
Neither possibility bothered him.
World Travel froze time on Earth.
He could wait days.
Months.
Years if necessary.
There was no reason to rush.
Finding a large boulder overlooking the surrounding desert, Mario sat down.
The evening air had begun cooling rapidly, replacing the scorching heat with a surprisingly comfortable breeze.
He took out a bottle of water from his Storage Ring and drank quietly.
Silence settled around him.
No monsters.
No danger.
Only the endless desert beneath a sky slowly filling with stars.
Hours passed.
Mario never once complained.
Patience had always been one of his greatest strengths.
Especially when the reward justified the wait.
Then…
A faint tremor rippled beneath the sand.
Mario immediately stood.
Another followed.
Stronger this time.
The desert wind suddenly shifted direction.
Sand began swirling unnaturally toward a single point several hundred meters away.
Low.
Deep.
Almost like the growl of some ancient beast awakening from its slumber.
The ground rumbled.
Stone cracked.
An enormous formation slowly rose from beneath the sea of sand.
At first…
Only glowing eyes became visible.
Then massive fangs.
Finally…
The entire head emerged.
A gigantic tiger carved from black stone towered over the desert, its golden eyes burning like twin suns in the gathering darkness.
The Cave of Wonders.
Mario’s gaze remained fixed on the colossal guardian.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“…Right on schedule.”
The tiger’s blazing eyes slowly swept across the empty desert.
Searching.
Waiting.
For the one destined to enter.
Mario adjusted the strap of his backpack before taking his first step toward the ancient guardian.
One wish closer.
End of Chapter 21