Dual Class

Book 1

Arthur Inverse

MoonQuill™

Copyright © 2023 Arthur Inverse

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarities to real persons, living or dead, are coincidental and not intended by the author.

Any method, action, thought or concept portrayed in the book is to only be used in a fictitious manner and does not represent the author’s inclinations or experience whatsoever, nor are they recommendations of any form.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Any use of this publication to teach, modify, improve, or train generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author and publisher reserve all rights to license any use of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.

ISBN (e-book): 979-8-88993-035-8

Written by Arthur Inverse
Edited by A. Kiesche

Published 2025 by MoonQuill
www.moonquill.com

Chapter 1

Welcome

A light-blue screen gingerly floated in front of Drake, his brows scrunched in confusion as he looked back at it. A single bold word blinked at him in the middle of the game-like screen.

Welcome

“This isn’t what I was watching… Where did this screen come from?” Drake questioned. His gaze was again brought to the subtly bobbing screen. Paying closer attention, he saw a small, blinking arrow at the bottom, prompting him to continue.

“Oh, man… I kinda don’t like that. I’ve seen one too many movies that start out like this,” Drake muttered.

Trying to stand from his sitting position, he noticed that he was in a comfortable, office-like chair. His brows rose once again, suddenly taken aback.

“I should have been in bed, watching my… ahem… late-night show.”

And why is it so chilly in here? he thought, looking down at his exposed feet upon the cold tile floor.

Oh… That isn’t a good sign.

Ignoring the screen only made it blink more aggressively in Drake’s peripheral, but quite frankly, it wasn’t the weirdest thing here—and that said a lot. Drake patted himself down. He would have thought it impossible, but it looked like he had somehow been moved out of his apartment and into this white, nondescript room.

His gaze moved down his body, passing over his plain t-shirt, to stop with some embarrassment at his pants—or his lack thereof.

“Shit, I’m pantless too? Hey! Whoever you are! You didn’t even have the decency to clothe me when you kidnapped me?!” he shouted at nothing in particular, hoping someone would hear him and provide some answers.

The room didn’t seem to have any doors to speak of, and no windows, which was another confusing thing to add to the list of rather confusing things. There was light, but no visible sources.

“Did one of my brothers put you up to this? I know my birthday is coming up soon, but this goes way beyond the normal prank! Hello?!”

Drake continued to shout for a few minutes, eventually devolving into loud insults and indecencies thrown at the sarcastic-looking wall. He finally resorted to screaming at the top of his lungs until he ran out of energy and slid down against a wall to sit.

After a few minutes of staring into space a bell sounded in Drake’s head, followed by a mechanical female voice.

Welcome, new persons, to the integration of your world into Fused World #75,100,000,000,000,000. You will have one hour to go through the introduction before the initial tutorial commences. May you gain insight, power, and renown. And most importantly, survive.

The cold announcement only added to the ominous and confusing knot forming in Drake’s stomach.

The bell and voice faded, and Drake’s vision panned down from the ceiling, focusing on the screen again. A timer had been added to the upper-right section.

Time remaining until initiation: 59 minutes 45 seconds.

“Ahh… I’ve definitely seen this movie before, and I really don’t want to see what happens when the timer runs out.” He chuckled wearily as he reluctantly pressed the continue button.

Chapter 2

A Very Shocking Introduction

“Welcome,” a new and far more sardonic female voice said, startling Drake and causing him to sprawl on the ground.

With the lack of doors, it shouldn’t have been possible for someone to enter unnoticed. But the shock of a new voice brought Drake to his feet, assessing the person across from him.

On the other side of a newly placed, white table—he wondered where it had come from—was a picturesque woman with shoulder-length, black hair and sharp, brown eyes staring back at him. Even sitting down, Drake could clearly see her defined body features under the business clothing. If anything, the tightly stretched clothes only made her curves more eye-catching.

She reminded Drake of the K-POP stars who filmed promos for one of his favorite games. He let out a whispered, “Wow, you are smoking…” An upward crease formed on the side of his mouth.

The woman smiled in turn, casually getting to her feet. She was slightly shorter than Drake, maybe around five foot five inches. She casually sauntered over to his side of the table.

“Oh. Now I’ve definitely seen this movie before,” Drake muttered, looking down at the extravagant woman in front of him.

Unbeknownst to him, the woman had pulled out a small taser, but all Drake could see was her brilliant smile.

Before he could understand what happened, he went stiff as a board, an intense current surging through his body. He fell back to the ground with an unceremonious thud.

“Wwww-hhh-what tttthh-the ffu-fuuck ladyyyyy!” he choked out while spasming.

The woman never stopped smiling as she knelt down next to Drake, the taser still popping and crackling in her hand.

“I may be a system construct and only here for now to perform your introduction, but I’ll be damned if you’ll subject me to your low-tier game without pants, pervert,” she spat, giving Drake another quick shock to the thigh.

Drake yelped, pain shooting up the length of his leg like being struck by lightning.

“Oh, don’t be such a baby. This thing only does 1 damage per hit, the stun is only inconvenient because you don’t have any resistances yet. Now here’s an extra freebie. Put them on so I don’t have to look upon your disappointing lower half.” She giggled condescendingly, dropping blue jeans on Drake’s still spasming, drooling face.

By the time Drake was able to gain control over his body, he was even more confused than before. According to the welcome screen, it had been a little over ten minutes. What little time he had here wasted, all over a small compliment.

Sure, I forgot that I was half-naked, Drake thought, but it’s not my fault I was brought here with no pants! I just went on autopilot since she’s right in my strike zone!

He sighed inwardly as he slipped into the jeans. He tried his best to ignore the blinking green bar in the top left of his vision, not wanting to acknowledge it. Thinking about it would be admitting to going even more crazy.

Transported half-naked to a small nondescript room. A gorgeous hottie just spawns into it after I hear voices in my head. How was I supposed to know that this wasn’t a wild lucid dream or coma?! he yelled internally.

“Will you sit down already? You don’t have all day, and I’d like to get started. We have a lot to go through,” the woman said from her seat at the table; she had gone back to it at some point.

“Oh, I’m wasting time now?!” Drake shouted. “Aren’t you the one who just knocked me out for a harmless compliment?”

The woman raised a brow at his outburst, her hand rising from below the table. The taser sparked to life menacingly, lighting up the side of her face with every electrifying crackle. “You were half-naked, if you don’t remember. Want to go night night again, brat?” she stated flatly, making it even more terrifying.

“That’s fair. No, I’m good, ma’am. Let’s get started, shall we?” He tried to be polite, silently sliding into his seat at the table.

“Good boy. Now, hurry up and fill out the information on the screen,” she prompted with the wave of the taser.

“Bitch…” Drake muttered.

“What was that? I didn’t quite hear.” The taser snapped to life again.

“N-Nothing! I just don’t really understand the first line! Haha…” he said nervously, looking down at the screen in front of him.

Please enter your name or alias.

“Why would I need an alias? I’m assuming since I’m here, you already know my name. This seems like a sign-up for some type of job or game. Did I reincarnate, maybe?” Drake asked rapid-fire. With the taser out of sight, his enthusiasm began welling up.

“Ugh… So many questions, and we haven’t even passed the first prompt. Can’t you use that thing between your fleshy ears?” the woman groaned with a flourish of her arms.

When she popped in, I could have sworn she was an angel, but what’s with all this sadistic crap? She’s a ten, but her personality is like a one! I guess that’s why they say don’t judge a book by its cover, Drake thought, staring at the woman as he awaited a proper answer.

The woman’s eyes narrowed in annoyance, before she reluctantly answered, “You’re lucky I’m mandated to answer even the most mundane of questions, provided they’re within a certain scope. No, you haven’t reincarnated. Are you stupid? The reason for the alias option is because in the coming tutorial, you’ll be placed on specific ladders, competing for the rewards at the end.”

Drake’s ears perked up at the mention of the competition ladders. During his twenty-six years of life, he had always been an avid gamer, even to the detriment of his social life. Missing a few dates and outings was a worthy trade-off for a few more hours before a screen—not that he’d tell anyone how much he gamed.

“So, it is like a gamer tag for a game sign-up?” he mused.

“You can think of it like that,” she said, twirling the taser between her fingers. “But this is no game. The system is made to promote the growth of mana vessels by any means.”

“Mana vessels?”

“Yeah. The simplest explanation I’m allowed to give you is that they, or more specifically, you and the rest of your race, are containers for ambient mana, meant to contain infinite sums of it throughout the multiverse. You know about the Big Bang, right?” she asked pointedly.

“Yeah, I went through school.”

She giggled. “Could have fooled me.”

Drake scoffed, a scowl quickly forming on his face.

“Well,” she continued, “that didn’t happen for no reason. The build-up of mana from the Originators, or the first vessels, couldn’t be held, and went pop!” She gestured, popping her lips. “And now all that mana is continuing out into the multiverse all willy-nilly. Doing whatever it likes, creating planets, destroying planets, creating and collapsing whole sectors of the universe… To contain the unstable mana, the surviving originators developed the system to gather and process it.”

“Well, doesn’t that just make two bombshells in the room, lady? I feel like you should apologize to all the people who worked so hard to come up with the Big Bang Theory.”

“Nope. It isn’t my fault they were uninformed, incompetent monkeys,” she said flatly.

Drake didn’t miss his chance to voice some of the questions he had. “You said my race as if there were others. Are you insinuating that there will be other ‘races’ in this tutorial?”

“Yes.”

“And they are?” Drake asked, exasperated.

“Can’t say, won’t say. But I will say that your starting zone only has humans in it,” she quipped. “At least as far as participants go.”

“Fair…” Drake said, a little suspicious of the last comment. He pushed the thought away, forcing himself to look back at the screen hovering in front of him.

Well, I guess I’ll just use my gamer tag for now.

When he pressed the input box, a cursor began flashing there as a keyboard manifested into existence, and he typed his handle from some of his more recent RPG games.

Please enter your name or alias.

xXxDemonHunterDrakexXx…

Drake’s hands practically teleported to cover his flushing face. He just realized he had typed the name he used for single-player RPG games, and it would now be seen by others.

I’m twenty-six, dude! he screamed internally. This is going to be seen by who knows how many people. How embarrassing would it be to introduce yourself like this?! “Oh, hey! I’m xXxDemonHunterDrakexXx!” He slightly squirmed in his seat.

“Hurry up, you have only forty minutes remaining, so there’s no time to dance about. And if you’re worried about the alias, don’t be. It’ll only last for the tutorial ladders, and won’t matter afterward,” the woman said. She picked at the underside of her nails with the taser, occasionally blowing the dirt off, clearly growing bored of watching Drake agonize over the first prompt.

“Thanks…” he muttered.

Remembering an old MMO from when he was younger, Drake thought of the name he used throughout most of the ten-odd years that he played.

Please enter your name or alias.

[Shot]

Chapter 3

You Are Now Level 1

Nostalgia caused Drake to smile as he read the name. He had coined it after playing one of the more popular third-person shooter games, one he would rank as his number one. There had been a player dominating the North American region with that name, and he may or may not have looked up to them for their skill, going so far as to steal their IGN. He had used it for himself ever since.

Man, I really hope that guy never finds out I stole his IGN. Don’t want him getting pissed at me, haha… he nervously thought.

“Done?” the woman asked from across the table, bringing Drake out of his internal dialogue.

“Yeah, all set,” he answered, pressing the enter button. A bell sounded inside his head again, followed by a familiar voice, but this time, he wasn’t startled.

“Congratulations! You are now level 1. Please select a starter class.”

Well, guess I’m all in now. We’re officially crazy, boys, he thought, chuckling nervously to himself.

A new line of text appeared on the screen. This time a drop-down selection with explanations popped up.

He read the first option, musing that it really was like a game, the flavor text almost making him lick his lips and push up his nonexistent glasses.

Let’s see what we’re working with, he thought, bringing up the first option.

Warrior

A great foothold class, perfect for those who like to bathe in the blood of their enemies, losing themselves in the constant melee, and wishing to see their foes’ lives drain from their eyes.

Strongly characterized by their large health pools, strength, and use of melee weapons.

Initial +10 VIT, STR, and END.

Wow, that’s some unusually specific flavor text… And there are actual stats, huh? So it’s a classic RPG character builder.

“What kind of stats are there? And how do they affect me? Are they like classic game stats, or are there unique differences?” Drake asked, trying to glean some more information.

“Ugh, another question already? You’re going to run out of time before you even pick a class at this rate.” Though her head drooped in faux exhaustion, the woman answered regardless. “They’re what you would think of as typical statistics for games. Vitality affects your base health and health regeneration. Strength makes you physically stronger. Dexterity gives you more speed, faster reflexes, greater finesse, and the like. Intelligence increases base mana and makes your spells hit harder, and wisdom is mana regeneration. Endurance modifies your stamina and stamina regeneration. Now, based on certain classes and skills, it might create and effect a sub-stat or be a multiplier of another stat. There are more skills in the multiverse than there are specks of debris in space,” the woman explained.

Drake touched his chin thoughtfully. It seemed basic, but better safe than sorry. He knew of some game systems that liked to have sub-stats affected right off the bat.

“Are there any hidden stats that come from the main six? Like defensive penetration with more dexterity, for example?”

“Wow, a creep and a nerd. You’re the whole package, aren’t cha? You must’ve had a wonderful childhood… Pretty cringe, if you ask me.”

“You’re cringe! The hell is your problem? Who hurt you?” Drake said, his face souring.

The woman rolled her eyes and continued. “And no, there are technically no sub-stats directly correlated with any of the main stats right now. Like I said, they can be used as multipliers for a skill’s damage or a passive sub-stat, but you have to get the passive skill to have the sub-stat, as well as grow the stat. So you won’t have, say, magic penetration without a passive skill that uses it,” she sneered.

Drake hastily went back to the screen with the class explanations.

Ranger

A class for those who wish to strike from the shadows or from afar. Often uses hit-and-run tactics to debilitate their foes and whittle them down while watching them suffer. There’s nothing like watching an enemy bleed out and rot from poison.

Characterized by their high dexterity and nimbleness. Often seen with ranged weapons.

Initial +10 DEX, STR, and END.

Whoa, these explanations are getting a bit out there, Drake thought, selecting the next class.

Cleric

A boon to any party, this is a class that wishes to help the wounded and the weak. For those who wish to seek power through prayer but don’t mind crushing a skull with a large mace every once in a while.

Characterized by their ability to heal and support others. Often seen with a cudgel and cross.

Initial +10 INT, WIS, and END.

“I think there’s something wrong with these class descriptions,” Drake finally said.

“No,” the woman said, shaking her head. “It says what it says.”

“Seems pretty biased towards bloodlust, doesn’t it? It isn’t just sending us into wholesale slaughter, is it?”

The woman was eerily silent, letting the question linger in the air like a joke that fell flat. In lieu of answering, she simply flashed a customer service smile at Drake.

Okay! That isn’t ominous in the slightest, Drake thought, focusing on the last option on the screen.

Mage

A class fantasized for its world-leveling power which grants the ability to destroy swathes of enemies with a single spell. There’s nothing like a fiery explosion that lights up the world!

Characterized by their devastating magical attacks and high intellect. Often seen with a staff and wizard hat.

Initial +10 INT, WIS, and DEX.

Drake’s eyes widened. He had assumed there was magic as the woman had mentioned, but he hadn’t wanted to get ahead of himself.

Now that he read about it, though—a bonafide Mage class—every game and anime with magic he had watched now flashed across his mind in a tornado of weeby excitement.

He couldn’t imagine selecting any other class. All caution was thrown to the wind.

This was going to be his class.

Nostalgia took him through his teen years, remembering the friends he had played with in past MMOs. Endless hours of grinding for gear, levels, money, and items, doing their best to organize people so they could challenge content first, all warmed his heart.

He remembered when his guild leader created a custom class for a contest held by one game, as a reward for reaching a designated level within a certain time limit. The basis of that class had been a Mage. An incredibly versatile cross-class that only scaled into the late game, eventually garnering complaints about being broken.

Again, a smirk crossed Drake’s face. He was hoping there might be a possibility here as well.

“I’m going with Mage,” he declared, as he selected the class and pressed continue.

Congratulations! You have selected Mage as your starting class.

You are now a level 1 Mage!

You have unlocked Mana Bolt!

Bonus stats applied: +10 INT, WIS, and DEX

You’ve completed the introduction! Accept rewards?

A sudden torrent of notifications flooded Drake’s head as he completed the class selection, berating his inner ears with bells. Instinctively, he covered his ears to try to block out the noise, to no avail.

“Ah, I should have told you about the flood of notifications you would be getting. Haha, my bad,” the woman said. Tilting her head back condescendingly, she sneered again at his pain.

“Why… is it so loud?” Drake asked, gripping his ears as remnants of the ringing still haunted him.

“You get used to it, I’m sure. You can also mentally suppress the notifications and view them later. Would suck if that happened during a fight so… might want to do that.” She snickered.

“And how do I do that?” Drake questioned, raising his head and shaking it slightly in an attempt to clear the high-pitched ringing.

“You know those mute buttons on videos? Just think of it like that. It’ll probably work.”

Drake did as the woman suggested and imagined clicking the button. “How do I know if it worked?”

“The rewards for the class change should still be there, since they haven’t come out on the table. Go ahead and accept them mentally,” the woman answered, not missing a beat.

He brought up the notifications and saw one asking about the rewards. Mentally assenting to the notification, a wooden staff appeared on the table in front of him. Next to it was a black, twenty-sided die.

Drake picked up the die between his fingers and rolled it around. “I’ve seen these. Isn’t this for tabletops?” he wondered out loud.

“Among other things, it’s for your class upgrade at level 10, and then second advancement at level 40. You should have gotten a class quest for it. And before you ask, I can’t give you the class advancements, and no, it’s not because I don’t like you,” she said, smirking.

“Jeez, lady, aren’t you just all rainbows and sunshine? And this is all they start you out with? No pointy hat, no robes? And what ques—”

New Class Quest: Reach Mage level 10

Reward: Class upgrade, main class skill stone, class-specific skill stone

Oh. There it is, he thought, laughing wryly.

“For now, yes,” she said flatly, ending the conversation. She visibly braced herself for his next questions.

Drake put the die back on the table and picked up the wooden staff. It was made of smooth, dark wood, and about the length of his arm. It could be used as a club, he supposed, but not a walking stick like Gandalf’s.

“So, what’s with this staff? Can I fire magic out of it?” Drake questioned, turning it back and forth in his hand, enjoying the feeling of the smooth, lacquered surface.

“Ew, stop rubbing your wood in front of me, pervert!” the woman admonished. “And I can’t say, just use the system identification passive. Just look at the item like you want to know what it is. Really, really hard.”

Again, Drake did as suggested, and a new window popped, surprising him. This system really was very like a video game.

Novice Wooden Staff [Common]

A starter wooden staff made of what it looks like, wood.

1 – 12 Physical Damage

40 – 44 Magic Damage

Attack Speed: Normal

Cast Speed: Normal

Reading the flavor text, Drake chuckled. He was starting to enjoy the system’s quips.

He looked up from the staff in his hand to the woman, noticing that the screen was now counting down from ten.

“Looks like I’m out of here soon, so long as this isn’t all just a coma or a fever dream, I guess. You were slightly less than helpful, miss, but very degrading. Which I might say isn’t my kink, but no shaming here; you like what you like, safe spaces and all that,” he said, standing up with staff in hand, leaning over with an outstretched hand.

The woman stood up in a huff, a very familiar crackling sound at her side. “Huh? Are you trying to kink shame me for a kink I don’t even have? I’m a construct made to handle this introduction, molded to put you at ease for the transition to the tutorial, and you have the audacity to try and—” Midway through her sentence, she saw that Drake was wearing a shit-eating grin as he extended his arm for a handshake.

“Ugh, whatever,” she groaned, reaching out to meet his hand.

“Well, thanks for the banter, and I hope the tutorial isn’t like those ones in manga and movies,” Drake said.

The woman smiled as she continued to shake Drake’s hand. The counter fell to the final seconds.

5…

4…

3…

She placed her other hand on top of his, her smile bigger than ever before, her eyes shrinking to points as her expression became sadistic. A primal aura exuded from her as she gazed deep into Drake’s eyes.

“Oh, it’ll be much worse,” she said as her voice crackled and glitched in a cacophony of broken octaves.

Chapter 4

Recruiter

The room flashed in an array of bright colors. The feeling of the woman’s hand slowly disintegrating out of Drake’s was unnerving.

Drake sweated, chuckling nervously at her words. They echoed in the back of his mind like a shout in an empty hallway. He clenching and unclenching the now-empty hand.

Looking around, the room was nowhere in sight. The space he was in was lit by a multitude of colors, fully encompassing him and the floor. It faded away in a similar display of beautiful, cascading light.

But somehow he was still able to stand upright.

Drake assumed he was being transferred to the tutorial zone that the construct woman had mentioned. Both anxiety and anticipation wracked his being, his hands slipping ever so slightly, wrapping too tightly around the wooden he had been given.

Looking down at his sweaty hands wrapped around the item, he had a sudden thought.

If she didn’t tase me, and I wasn’t so caught up in this possibly being a dream, I could have asked more important questions…

The light began to dissipate, eventually clearing to reveal a vast, dense forest. The earthy smell of wilderness and trees hit his nostrils, sounds of rustling bushes, branches, and the cacophony of distant animals filling his other senses.

But next came vibrations in his ear he could have done without. Sounds of weeping, shouts, and screams assaulted him.

Drake spun around, surveying his surroundings. The motes of flickering lights left him disoriented. Soon the lights returned and faded, revealing more and more people. They were the source of the crying.

“What’s going on? I’m supposed to be at my boyfriend’s condo!” one woman said, her face a mess of smeared makeup. He spotted a cudgel in her clutches as she desperately looked around, terror and confusion cemented on her face.

“Tyler! Where are you? Tyler! This isn’t funny, buddy. Come out! Daddy isn’t playing around anymore!” a man yelled, seemingly looking for his lost son. He held a long iron sword in one hand, a shield in the other.

Drake looked around at the panic on people’s faces. Some were walking around, shouting names in search of others. Some fell to the ground in despair, much like the Cleric woman. But many instead held smiles and eagerly looked at the new weapons. There were swords, bows and quivers, daggers sheathed upon hips, the cudgels of healers, and even some people holding the same style of staff as Drake.

He panned over the large congregation that had appeared. The lights were flickering out, finally finishing the transportation. Towering over the crowd was a man who immediately drew the eye, his rough orange hair and husky build encouraging Drake to stay far, far away.

Through the noise, Drake noticed that some of the people weren’t speaking English. A few words within the hubbub were in Spanish, German, and even Korean.

I guess it’s true. The whole world got pulled into this. I’m just glad that there isn’t someone speaking Tagalog. I’m already having flashbacks of my mother yelling and chasing me around with the chancla. Oh, and that I’m not going crazy. Dodged a bullet there for a few more years, Drake thought, sarcastically.

While he tried his best to cope with the sudden realization that he wasn’t dreaming, a hand clasped onto his shoulder.

“Hey, man, do you know what’s going on here? Some really hot babe forced me to fill out some stuff and told me I was going to be sent to some tutorial. Are we in some kind of shared hallucination or something? Where the fuck is this?” the man asked rapid-fire.

Drake was forced to turn to face the man, surprised at his strength. Drake wasn’t exactly a gym junkie, but even with all his sedentary hobbies and his day job, he still went to the gym at least three times a week and ate healthily—okay, somewhat healthy. He may not have been Arnold Schwarzenegger, but Drake was no slouch.

But this man grasping onto his shoulder was of a thinner build and slightly shorter than him. And yet the strength he displayed was clearly disproportionate to his appearance.

Drake noticed the sword in the man’s free hand. Panic pitted and knotted his stomach.

“I only know as much as you do. Let go of me, will you?” Drake demanded. “You have the grip strength of a silverback and it’s starting to hurt.”

The man released Drake’s shoulder apologetically. “Sorry, sir! Sheesh, I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on and where that chick went…”

“I’m not a sir, kid. I’m twenty-six. And didn’t you ask the construct any questions at all? We had a whole hour,” Drake asked, raising an eyebrow.

The man clicked his tongue and muttered under his breath. “Fucking boomer… No, I wasn’t really listening. I mean, I kept trying to get in the chick’s pants after she forced me to pick some game class. I just chose the first one that came up so I could keep talkin’ to her.”

Drake put his hand over his face. He looked no older than eighteen and he was clearly more clueless than Drake was, not even listening to the construct. What was this guy thinking, only focusing on chasing tail when he was obviously in a unique situation?

His mind wandered. How did all these other people fare then, during the introduction? I hope not everyone was like this kid, or we might be in big trouble.

Looking over the crowd again, there must have been at least a couple thousand people present, most of them looking just as confused as the person next to them. However, he could see some milling around and talking to others. And some groups were starting to form despite the confusion.

Drake nervously scratched the back of his head with the staff as he began to walk around, his only guide being the quest in the corner of his vision.

This is telling me what to do in the short term, I guess, but I still don’t know what’s going on, Drake pondered, again regretting the time getting tased had wasted.

Doing his best to survey this starting area, Drake continued to walk around, hearing suspicious rustling in the bushes now and then.

As more and more groups began to gather, only a small few walked off into the dense, unknown forest surrounding them.

He needed to get a better grasp of his stats and own situation before he even tried to leave. The sounds of the forest were getting concerning: distant yells, grunts, and animal cries.

Stats first. I was so excited I never figured out how my magic skill worked, he thought.

Drake got the feeling that he should be quicker in his steps. While he walked, he mentally went through all the game commands he knew.

Character sheet. Stats. Status? Ah, there we go! A familiar blue window popped up in front of him

Drake Wallen

Race: Human

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Class: Mage level 1

VIT: 17

STR: 10

DEX: 26

INT: 24

WIS: 25

END: 9

Skills: Mana Bolt

Drake looked over his stats for a moment. His Mage stats were his highest, he assumed from the class bonus, meaning he was starting around 13 on average for his stats.

How do I quantify these stats? Was that guy from earlier a Warrior? That must be why he was so strong, even though he didn’t look it. And why does my skill not have a rank? Drake wondered, but without warning, another hand grabbed his shoulder.

Drake faced the person who had stopped him. Inwardly, he was grumbling—he was getting tired of being touched.

“Hey there! I’m Chris. I’m forming a group so we can figure out what’s going on and finish these quests together. I’d be happy if you’d join us,” the man said, pointing a thumb over his own shoulder at the small group gathered behind him. He was taller than Drake, so Chris was at least six feet, with blond hair, blue eyes, and an athletic build.

Drake cocked an eyebrow and looked at the crowd. There were a little over twenty people following Chris around like little chicks, all wielding different weapons. Most of them held swords, though.

Had they all just picked the first class they could, or had they watched too much Sword Art Online?

Their apparent leader kept talking, drawing Drake’s attention back to him. “So… wanna join?”

“I’ll pass. I’m more of a solo player,” Drake lied, turning to walk away.

Figuring out his stats and skills here instead of during the introduction was already wasting too much time. What the construct said at the end still tugged at the back of his mind. He needed to hurry up and get to grinding.

Before Drake could walk away the man grabbed his arm again. “You shouldn’t go alone. It’s safer if we stay together. We don’t know what’s out there. We should work together to finish the quests,” Chris insisted.

Drake waved off Chris’s hand, rubbing his wrist from the strength of the man’s grip. “Where the hell are your manners? I don’t have to do anything. Who raised you? Going around demanding people join you. Good luck, but no thanks. I’ll be just fine alone,” Drake retorted, prompting Chris to frown in response.

Chris was right, Drake admitted.

If this was just a game, staying together was a sound plan and probably the smarter choice. They would have more people and more classes, and they even had Clerics, whose healing spells would be extremely valuable.

But, not only did Drake not like this guy, he was also a complete stranger. The way he had spoken was too entitled. He knew these types of guys, people who were a little charismatic and recruited followers to benefit themselves.

Sometimes in games, Drake would encounter a certain type of player. These people never cared what happened to their party members. They only kept them around because it was convenient. They would kill-steal and worse. These types of people were better left forgotten in Drake’s opinion.

And there was also that. After certain events, Drake refused to easily trust these types of people.

Then there was the fact that all these people were strangers.

What if they decided to gang up on him? He had seen it happen too many times in games, tv shows, and movies to fall for it.

As Drake started to leave again, Chris muttered something under his breath, but a loud scream silenced the chaotic chatter. On the edge of the clearing, a lone man was being assaulted by some furry animals.

“Help! Someone help me! What the hell is this thing?!” the man shouted.

The animal on top of him ferociously bit at the man’s arm, scratching and clawing to reach him. It looked like a little… man? No… Monkey?

The man kept yelling as everyone looked on, not sure what to do. Drake may have thought it was a small primate, but in truth, it was still around half the size of the man.

The creature dug its fangs deeper into the now-mutilated flesh copious amounts of blood spurted from the wounds.

Finally, out of nowhere, the tall giant of a man walked over and grabbed the monster by the scruff of its neck. The beast flailed around helplessly in his grip.

The giant held the monkey at eye level as if inspecting it. And after a moment, he threw it up into the air and swung the sword in his hand through it in one strike, bisecting the creature. The body parts fell to the ground at his feet, a pool of blood forming around the corpse. The giant didn’t seem perturbed in the slightest but frowned at his sword. Even from a distance, Drake could see why. The sword had snapped at the base.

Was that giant’s strength so massive that the basic sword couldn’t handle it?

Drake lightly chuckled to himself. Watching the man throw the sword away and walk over to a small tree had him entranced. The giant gripped the trunk and pulled it straight out of the ground, roots and all. Shaking off the dirt and cleaning the branches he made a makeshift club, then walked off into the forest.

Yeah, that guy isn’t human. Definitely staying as far away from him as I can. Is he a superhero or something? Maybe his name is Hercules. Haha… Drake thought to himself, still laughing wryly.

Drake headed over to the monkey’s corpse, walking past the bloodied man upon seeing that he was still kicking just fine. Plenty of others were already flocking to check on him anyway.

Looking at the corpse up close, it was definitely some kind of primate, but it was one he had never seen on Earth before. It had gray fur with patches of black here and there, but its face was more that of a bat than a primate. Its nose was crushed and turned up, and its eyes a beady and black. Most notable were the two large fangs coming from its mouth.

Before Drake could inspect the creature more, a new notification came into his peripheral.

New Subjugation Quest: Kill 20 Vampiric Apes

Reward: Experience and 2 random subtree stones

Drake smiled at the classic message, like that of a game quest.

Huh… It was a Vampiric Ape then. Simple naming sense, he thought.

Drake noticed people starting to look over and gather around him now, their eyes lighting up as they got closer to the corpse.

Oh, seeing the corpse was the trigger for the quest? Then I need to get going before all these things get hunted down. I don’t want to fall behind!

He ran off into the forest, away from the groups, guided by his eagerness. Danger was an afterthought when the siren song of being the first to complete the quest lured him.

Suddenly, a voice behind him yelled, “Hey, everyone, look at this weird ape! Looks like it triggers a quest.”

Why would someone just announce that? They could have had a head start. Shaking these thoughts from his mind, Drake ran until he was well away from the crowd.

◆◆◆

Huffing as he came to a stop, Drake leaned against a nearby tree, surprised he hadn’t run into anyone else on the way. Not even any of the Vampiric Apes. Usually, starter areas were dense with stuff to kill. Had that one ape just wandered off?

A few moments after gathering his breath, Drake heard the rustling of leaves above his head. Looking up, he saw the figure of a Vampiric Ape drooling from its gaping mouth, a finger between its teeth, as if sizing up a tasty meal.

“Clever girl…” Drake mumbled through his heavy breaths.

Drake wasn’t sure if the ape had waited for him, or if he had run into the tree that it just happened to be in, but it didn’t matter. The beast was here now.

The ape launched itself off the branch, outstretched like some sort of feline seizing its prey. The moment after their eyes met, it fell onto Drake from above.

It landed, pushing Drake to the ground, but not before Drake swung his staff upwards, barely meeting the creature’s open maw.

The beast struggled to bite through the staff, slowly chipping away at the lacquered wood, just inches from Drake’s face. The stench of the animal’s breath was filling his nose, forcing him to scrunch his face up in disgust.

Unsurprisingly, the ape was slowly winning as they struggled. Both were grunting in a tug-of-war over the staff, rolling back and forth.

“Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!” he yelled through gritted teeth, swinging his leg into the back of the ape in a desperate attempt to push it off him. The kick connected and forced the brute off him, throwing it into the tree it had leaped from. The beast hit the tree with a loud, reverberating thud.

He jumped to his feet as quickly as he could, gasping for breath and gripping the staff in both hands, ready to continue the fight—but it didn’t get up.

Somehow, the ape had hit its head when it slammed into the nearby tree, knocking it unconscious, or at least stunning it momentarily. Drake didn’t let the opportunity slip, and ran to the unconscious animal, anxiously trying to get there before it recovered.

“Always beat a mob when it’s down or stunned!” he shouted with a sneer, raising his staff over his head. Bringing it down with full force on the beast, there was a loud thwack, leaving the ape’s skull dented. It suddenly started flailing from the impact, raising its hands in defense.

Drake knew if the monkey got back up, he wouldn’t be able to beat it as he was. Spells were still beyond him, and the beast was physically stronger. So, he did the only thing he could and beat the shit out of it.

Thwack!

Thwack!

Thwack!

Drake hammered down on the ape with wanton abandon, lost in his desperate attempt to kill it before he ran out of energy. After several more swings, he finally ceased, but only because he couldn’t raise his arms anymore.

As he fell on his back, gasping for air, he prayed that the Vampiric Ape was dead. Reeling back, his mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water. The adrenaline pumped through his veins, his hands shaking. They also shook from the realization he had killed another living thing for the first time as the adrenaline wore off.

This truly wasn’t a game—the brutal struggle had cemented that. It was also far too vivid and detailed to be a dream.

The smell of blood now lingered in the air. Gathering himself, Drake checked his weapon for damage. There were teeth marks etched into its center, and the beast’s blood had painted the wood a deep shade of mahogany.

Drake wasn’t sure what to make of it, nor the warm, sticky liquid stuck to his hands and clothes. He tried to wipe it off on the grass, doing little more than smearing it around.

Finally, he got up and walked over to the beast, a mote of light flickered into existence by the ape. The light eventually faded after a second of vivid color, leaving a small crystalline stone.

Drake wiped his hand on the cleaner part of his shirt again, then picked up the glass-like pebble to inspect it.

Subtree Stone: Internal Mastery [Common]

Unlocks Internal Mastery subtree branch.

Requires at least 1 empty subtree and an unlocked main class tree.

Drake lightly read over the description, but soon succumbed to the smell of blood and viscera around him. Leaning against a tree away from the scene, he let loose in miserable fashion the contents of his stomach.

“Uhhhh, why is it always carrots? I didn’t even eat carrots…”

Chapter 5

Two Versus One

Drake wiped a glob of spit from his mouth, exhaustion clear in his eyes as he recovered from the nausea, eventually standing upright. He rolled the crystalline stone between his fingers, feeling the smoothness.

Why did this appear after I killed the ape? Is it loot? Why did it happen only this time, and not the other? Does that mean it’s a random drop? And what are these trees the description mentioned? One was a reward for the kill quest as well. Questions bounced inside Drake’s head. He was filled with exasperation, and the stone only reminded him that he just didn’t know enough and needed to check his notifications.

Drake glanced to his peripheral to see new notifications blinking. Mentally, he opened them up one at a time.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 1.

Experience earned. 10 TP have been awarded.

Subjugation Quest: 1 of 20 Vampiric Apes

Congratulations! You have reached Mage level 2.

14 FP have been awarded.

TP? FP? he thought looking over the notifications. TP… Okay, that’s obviously tutorial points. FP… Free Pepe? No, the system isn’t that funny. Ah, free points. Got it.

Drake cleared the notifications, feeling a little more melancholy than he should have about the increase in level. His mouth still tasted of bile from earlier, and he was starting to feel hungry.

It was still bright out, but nothing could serve as a clock. He hadn’t had his phone or watch on him when he was swept away, so the only thing he would have to guess from the sun’s position.

Looking up, it was bright and high in the sky, shooting down warm rays through the trees. If Drake had to guess, he would say it was probably a after noon, with the sun being directly above him.

Some time ago, an online friend of his had pestered him to watch an anime about camping. Drake smiled fondly, thankful he’d gleaned some information from it that now came in handy, knowing just from the show that the sun rose in the east and set in the west. So he was pretty confident in his time assessment.

But that was neither here nor there. Drake held the crystalline stone up in the air, wondering where he should put it. It was bigger than the die he had been given in the introduction, presently kept in his pocket, but after the struggle with the ape he was worried that he may lose both items sooner than later.

There’s probably an inventory system, right? I mean, they didn’t hand me a bag for it, so. Bag? Inventory? he thought, as a new window popped up in front of him.

This one displayed a blank, humanoid silhouette on the left, a staff in one of the boxes covering a hand, the other darkened out. Other slots covering the silhouette’s parts: one each for the head, shoulders, chest, legs, wrists, feet, and even extra slots probably for accessories. Two each for his ears and fingers, and finally one for a necklace.

Drake placed his hand to his mouth to think, but then quickly ripped it away. Somehow, he had forgotten the blood on it. He shook his head wearily and looked over the rest of the window.

To the right of the silhouette was a ten-by-five space with five boxes, underneath which were four separate boxes, but he wasn’t sure what they were for.

Okay, inventory found, but how do I use it? I’m guessing it just works like this? Drake thought, imagining putting the stone and die into the slots.

Amazement covered Drake’s face as both the die and the crystalline stone vanished from his pocket and hand, suddenly occupying their own respective slots in the window. He was also pleasantly surprised that he could identify the items from his inventory. He wouldn’t have to remove items to do so.

Drake heard rustling in the trees as he closed his inventory. His hands gripped his staff once again. There was movement in the treetops, but no apes yet. Again, he was surprised, this time by the strength with which he gripped the staff.

Not long ago, he had killed that Vampiric Ape, but Drake felt fine and ready to go, physically. Was this a side effect of leveling up? He would have to worry about it later. Right now, he didn’t have time to check his increased stats, or even distribute his waiting free points.

Drake pushed his back against another nearby tree, cursing that he hadn’t moved further away from the fight. Going through his notifications had made it slip his mind, but now he was reminded that this wasn’t a game. The scent of blood must have attracted the beasts.

His eyes darted around the branches of the trees looking for any more apes. From multiple directions, the rustling drew nearer.

Damn it. So it is more than one this time.

If only he worked out how to use his magic before rushing off into the forest. He was a damned Mage but he was using his staff as a club!

He wracked his mind about Mana Bolt as the rustling drew closer and closer, but just drew blanks.

In the next moment, Drake heard a rustle of leaves above him. From a tree branch above, an ape pounced on him. Drake hurled himself out of the way, falling into a roll.

Drake got to his feet quickly. Then the second Vampiric Ape dropped from above onto his back. Drake yelped, only for the ape to seemingly snicker as if it had caught a small animal in its grasp. The next second, the ape sunk its two large fangs into Drake’s shoulder.

“Fuck! You little bastard! Get off of me!” Drake howled in pain, swinging the staff in his hands at the ape. But the angle of his swings was awkward, and he only managed to flail about wildly.

The ape responded by sinking its teeth again into his shoulder, more blood spurting all around in a steady stream. A pained shriek ripped from Drake’s mouth.

Drake was in serious danger now. He looked up to the top left of his vision, as the health bar dropped to a little above 50%, changing from green to yellow.

Fuck! Am I going to die here because I can’t use this stupid fucking spell?! Maybe I should have just gone with that Chris guy! Drake shouted internally, his mind racing with regrets, but the ape on his back wasn’t even the worst of it. The ape from earlier wasn’t sitting idly. It started charging toward Drake. The personification of a hungry man rushing to his dinner, its mouth nearly opened vertically. Its two large fangs were ready to invite themselves into Drake’s throat.

“No! No! No! I refuse to die here, damn it!” he shouted desperately, propping his staff up in the charging animal’s path.

It rammed right into the makeshift spear, as the staff’s haft protruded from its gaping maw.

“Serves you right, you stupid little bastard!” shouted Drake at his small victory over one of the apes. But it hadn’t killed the ape, as it began chomping down and grabbing at the staff, trying to rip it from Drake’s grasp.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Again, the ape on his back bit down into his shoulder, reminding him that it was still there. Bellowing in pain, his health dropped into the red. It looked like it was just above 10%.

“Come on! Please just work, anything. I’m begging! It shouldn’t be that complicated! It’s just a basic spell! Why didn’t that bitch tell me how it worked?!” Drake yelled. “Anything, please! Mana Bolt! Mana Bolt! Come my power, Mana Bolt!” Drake chanted like a chūnibyō, just hoping to strike gold.

“Manifest my power, Mana Bolt!” he finally rattled off. This time he could feel something release from his whole body, as if energy had just been sucked from him. The staff, still jammed in the ape’s mouth glowed with a light blue radiance. Something that Drake could only call a magic circle rotated around the end of the staff, encompassing the head of the Ape.

The next second, a loud bang emanated from the end of the staff, blowing a huge hole through the back of the Vampiric Ape’s head. It hung limp at the end of the staff, its mouth still around the tip.

Drake’s mouth opened wide in surprise. Somehow, he found the right combination of words in time. And he wasn’t the only one. The ape’s grip on his shoulder loosened. Apparently, its mouth had fallen agape at the fate of its comrade.

Drake’s health was still dangerously low, and he wouldn’t let the second ape go without punishment. He grabbed over his back, throwing the monster to the ground with a grunt.

Pointing the end of his staff at the face of the surprised ape, it looked to its side at its limp companion with fright. Then it looked back at Drake, waving its hands as if to beg for its life.

“Ooo ooo ee ahh ooo, Monkey Man! Manifest my power, MANA BOLT!” Drake shouted as he smiled, only to grimace from the pain in his shoulder. The light and magic circle formed again around the staff’s tip, temporarily illuminating the Vampiric Ape’s confused, bat-like face. Then a second later, he shot the Mana Bolt right between the eyes of the ape, killing it instantly.

Drake fell on his ass and chuckled, blowing the end of his staff like a smoking gun.

But with health this low, he wasn’t out of the woods yet. And he was still bleeding from his shoulder as he touched his hand to the bite.

This was a pretty shitty situation, he thought.

He needed to get away from here before more monsters showed up. Using the short staff as a crutch, he managed to get up to his feet.

After which he was forced to slump over like an old man, as his staff was barely half his size. But there was nothing he could do about it.

He looked down at the two apes in front of him, waiting momentarily. Two motes of light blinked into existence and winked out just as fast, leaving two small, crystalline stones.

Drake smiled as he scooped up the stones and placed them into his inventory.

It’s always nice to get loot after a fight.

Chapter 6

Is it Haha Funny or Hehe Funny?

Drake weakly limped away from the scene of the fight, two items richer and able to use his spell now. He looked up again at his health, still in the red and dropping as he bled out and found what looked like a mana and stamina bar below it. Once the bleeding stopped, his health ceased falling as well.

It was very close. Drake sighed in relief as it stopped at a mere 2%. Luckily he hadn’t blacked out from pain or blood loss. His mana bar looked like it was around 30%, and his stamina looked just as bad.

He should use this reprieve to sort out his stats before the next ambush. His priorities right now were recovering and getting stronger.

He quickly went to his stats through his notifications as he continued to limp forward, not able to rest for fear of more apes sniffing out the bloody mess that were his clothes and shoulder.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 2.

Experience earned. 15 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 1.

Experience earned. 10 TP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage level 3.

14 FP have been awarded.

Subjugation Quest: 3 of 20 Vampiric Apes

Drake looked excitedly at the notifications. He had leveled up again. Looking at the necessary XP for level 1 and level 2, the amount needed seemed to double every level. He was also happy to find that his Mana Bolt was strong enough to one shot a monster of his level. Looking back at his mana bar, he probably had one more Mana Bolt left in his reserves.

That leveling up did not refill his health and other resources like in games was disappointing, further showing that this place may have game-like elements but wasn’t a game.

Finished with his notifications, he commanded his status to finally open. No shelter had been spotted yet, so he had no choice but to limp onwards.

Drake Wallen

Race: Human

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Class: Mage level 3

VIT: 24

STR: 12

DEX: 28

INT: 42

WIS: 35

END: 11

Free Points: 28

Skills: Mana Bolt

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, Living on the Edge

A new line of text showed his free points. It must have shown up now that he had leveled. And he now had three new titles? They hadn’t been in the notifications—why was that? For now, Drake pushed his question to the back of his mind, as he had more pressing troubles.

He was dangerously close to kicking the good ol’ bucket. And though it hurt him as a Mage to do so, he had to put his free points into vitality. It was the clear choice, as he wanted to, ya know, live and all.

It would be wise to only use as many free points as was necessary to get Drake out of danger to start. Presently he could endure two bites from a low-level ape. He should use enough to endure that much.

He placed 1 point into his vitality, observing his health for changes as he did. When the needle didn’t move, he reluctantly put another point. The needle didn’t seem to move at first, but after a second, he saw it tick upward.

“Oh, hell no, are you serious?!” He winced.

He could only laugh sadly at how the stat worked. He looked at his health again, doing his best not to trip over anything while also listening for more apes.

Again, the bar ticked upward ever so slightly. That confirmed that there was some sort of passive regeneration, but he wasn’t sure if he received the regeneration in combat as well. It was something he would have to test later. He gazed at the bar longingly as he concluded that when he put points into vitality, he would not receive the difference immediately, but only the increased regeneration, which seemed to be 1% every minute at his current stat of 26 vitality.

Reluctantly, he had no choice but to dump all 26 points into vitality for the regeneration, shooting it up to 52 points, making it his highest overall stat.

All the Mages in the world are crying right now. A Mage with more vitality than intelligence, he chuckled inwardly, admonishing his decision.

His health ticked up more steadily now, looking as if it had increased to 3%. This made Drake spit on the ground in sorrow. He knew it was most likely because of his increased total health pool, but to see only a measly 3% every minute after dumping nearly 30 points was painful to say the least.

It would take him over thirty minutes to recover his health fully. His mana seemed to recover similarly and would need around twenty minutes to become full. He couldn’t gauge his stamina, he had to keep walking.

After ten minutes of aimless roaming, Drake could finally hobble without his makeshift crutch. Looking over his stats quickly again, Drake noticed that some of them had gone up without any free points. Perhaps the Mage class provided them a bonus with each level?

This is good. That means I can get my health to a decent level so I don’t die right away and can still hit a little harder each level, he thought. Mentally scrolling through his status again, he stopped at the titles portion, where three new titles sat.

Before he tried to look at them closer, he checked to make sure there weren’t any more apes in his immediate vicinity. When he heard no abrupt rustling of branches or bushes, he was satisfied and sat down to look at the titles and recover some of his stamina. Certainly he would need more sooner rather than later.

Hopefully he could identify his new titles the same way he checked his inventory. Focusing on the first title, he was elated to view flavor text.

First Blood

Kill your first monster alone. +1 to all stats.

Ohhhh! Titles give stat points! It’s only one, but if I get more, these could add up! Is there a cap to how many you can have? Drake pondered, going to the next title.

Two Versus One

Fight and defeat two enemies alone. +1 to all stats.

Nice! Anotha one! Drake excitedly screamed inward. Now he looked at the last and final title he had gotten.

Living on the Edge

Drop below 5% health and survive. +5 to VIT.

Drake’s face scrunched up at the last title. Should be happy about the stats, or sad that he had allowed his health to drop so low? He tried to forget about the near-death experience, as he wondered why this title gave more stats. Was it because it only applied to vitality, or because it was harder and more dangerous to get?

He paused for a moment while thinking about the titles. He knew now that he could find details with the system’s identify skill, so he was curious. He went down the lines of his status one by one, getting mostly what he expected.

When he looked at his name and alias, it gave nothing. Surprisingly his racial bonuses were apparently locked, but it offered no other information.

Going from there, his class had just given him the same flavor text as the introduction. The various stats afforded the same, giving the construct’s exact explanation.

Finally, he reached his skill, the only line he hadn’t identified yet.

Mana Bolt

Mana Bolt can be cast by reciting, “Manifest my power, Mana Bolt.”

Cost: Small amount of mana.

Cast Time: Very short

Damage: 1 to 1 ratio based on INT

Drake silently stared at the text hovering in the window in front of him, the spell’s incantation staring him right back in the face. Unblinking and unmoving.

And with a sudden scream, he roared into the air, “IS THIS A JOKE?!”

Chapter 7

Chris Springs, Bjorn Johnson

Chris walked behind the group he had expertly gathered, perusing his stats as they all ventured deeper into the forest.

Chris Springs

Race: Human

Tutorial Alias: N/A

Class: Warrior level 5

VIT: 62

STR: 94

DEX: 32

INT: 26

WIS: 30

END: 30

Free Points: 0

Skills: Heavy Strike

Titles: First Blood, Levelheaded, Leader of Sheep, Schemer, Murderer

Chris smiled to himself at what he saw.

His group consisted of around twenty-five people. Well, it was closer to twenty now, after some mishaps. There may have been a few accidents during fights, when people got too mouthy.

Their last fight, which had raised Chris to level 5, had been void of casualties. Chris had been growing at a steady pace in this new world, all while safely protected.

He would pretend to fight at the front with the other Warriors, secretly dodging the Vampiric Apes while the rest of the group did all the real fighting. But the final blow would be all his. It filled up his experience quite nicely.

His stats had exploded with his fresh levels and newly obtained titles. He had more than enough strength to make sure anyone who noticed he wasn’t fighting, or maybe got a little too strong, had a small little accident. And this was just the beginning.

“Chris! How are you feeling? Are you alright after that last fight?” asked a girl around the age of twenty. Leaving the front of the group, she approached him. She was short, petite, gullible, blond. A classic college party girl he had seen again and again. And when he promised to protect her while first forming their group, she had taken a liking to him right away.

She had even gone so far as to start recruiting people herself. And best of all, she was a Cleric.

“I’m alright. It wasn’t as tough as the other ones. We must be pretty strong, haha. How is everyone else doing, Megan?” he asked, immediately moving the conversation’s focus off of himself.

“Well, some people had some scrapes and cuts from those nasty Vampiric Apes, but thanks to me, Julia, Jacqueline, and Mr. Park, it wasn’t any problem!” she chirped, hopping slightly on her toes.

Chris looked over to the girl now walking beside him. The way she was able to integrate so well into this new environment surprised him, after how distraught she was when he first found her. But he had to give her credit, if it wasn’t for the morale boosts and healing she provided, they definitely wouldn’t have made such progress. She was almost like a bubbly poster girl for their group.

She knew everyone by name now, and made sure to check up on each person after every fight. And, sure, she felt bad for a bit whenever anyone had an ‘accident’ or just got unlucky, but she’d quickly regain her spirits.

“That’s good, you four are doing a fantastic job. I know we wouldn’t be here without you Clerics healing everyone. We just need to push a little bit more to level 10, and we’ll finish with the Vampiric Ape quest,” he answered back

Megan beamed a smile. “Yeah! You’re right! Only a little more to go. We need to get stronger if we don’t want to lose anyone else, after all,” she finished, slightly saddened, but immediately perked back up. “I’m going to go talk to everyone again, tell them it’s just a little more and see if they need anything.” She waved while running back to the front of the group.

Chris waved back briefly, returning his stats. The last thought he had as she left was “Gullible, dumb bitch.”

◆◆◆

The incredibly large man sat on the trunk of the felled tree. Corpses of crushed apes spilled out of the dense forest’s cave not far away.

“Is that the last of them?” Bjorn said softly, finally releasing the ragged ape. The battered corpse of the ape slipped from his grip and onto the forest floor at his feet.

Bjorn let out a long sigh. He thought he was done with the nonsense of fighting constantly. His large frame always brought him trouble growing up.

He looked down at his bloodied hands, opening and closing the massive things, a slight, self-deprecating smile crossing his face. His given name had always been spot-on.

Bjorn, or Bear, was the best possible term to describe him, he thought. He was a hulking beast of a man with the strength of one to boot, and this ‘tutorial’ had only made him stronger.

But he hadn’t liked fighting, it was just that fighting simply found him wherever he went. His actual career would surprise most people. Like many similar businesses, he was the CEO of an IT Firm that had started up in Silicon Valley like many others. Until his ill luck encouraged him to cash out the firm and move up north to Canada, finding a cozy, secluded ranch in a low-populated area.

But even there, fights found him. The locals were tight-knit and weren’t fond of outsiders, so in the early days they regularly tried to force him out. He changed their minds quickly. First, the hooligans that vandalized his home got a quick talking to, and when his lurching figure escorted the boys home their mothers even decided to nervously thank him for disciplining their sons. When he began bringing food, snacks and most importantly, hard liquor to the community events, the rest of the townsfolk quickly warmed up to him.

Hard booze was always the currency of the realm for distinguished gentlemen, and he was already missing his personal cabinet filled with his favorites.

Something suddenly brushed against Bjorn’s leg as he was lost in memories. He looked down to find the small rabbit that had been following him around every now and again. When it first came up to him, he was surprised to find actual wildlife present in this wild murder forest. He simply assumed the crazed apes had devoured anything normal.

“Found me again, huh little one?” he said, slowly bringing down his finger to pet the top of the rabbit’s head gently. Its ears bent backward, and a soft squeak leaked from its mouth.

Just as quickly, though, did the rabbit’s ears perk back up and it sat back on its haunches. Then it was off, scrambling for the bush of the forest.

Bjorn looked in the opposite direction, slowly standing up himself, prepared for another fight. The figure of another ape emerged from behind a tree, spotting Bjorn and the encirclement of Vampiric Ape corpses around him.

It made the ape yell and hoot loudly, charging straight for him.

Bjorn didn’t move, simply waited for the beast to reach him. But why hadn’t it run away at the sight of all those corpses? The apes in the cave had been the same. It was almost like they were programmed to attack with reckless abandon, without actual animalistic instincts.

Just when the monster got close enough to lunge at him, he wound up his right leg. Then Bjorn punted it as hard as he could back into the forest.

Sitting back down, hoping for some peace and quiet for a little bit, he cleared his notifications and checked his status.

Bjorn Johnson

Race: Human…?

Tutorial Alias Bear

Class: Warrior level 9

VIT: 107

STR: 174

DEX: 51

INT: 37

WIS: 35

END: 57

Free Points: 14

Skills: Heavy Strike

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, One-Man Army, Battle of Attrition, Monkey Slayer, Hater of Apes, Front Runner, Big Man on Campus

Bjorn scoffed, looking at his status screen. The system really knew how to poke fun. What did it mean, putting a question mark by his race? Of course he was a human. And his titles had exploded after the ape cave. He couldn’t help but laugh.

The rustling of the branches brought him back to the present as he stood.

“That didn’t last long. Why can’t they just let me rest a bit?” Bjorn sighed.

Chapter 8

The Next Big Ape

“And this! Is why! I’m not! A vegan!” Drake huffed, bashing in the head of the final ape of the group.

Drake leaned backward, his hands at his sides, and gasped for air in relief. He had thought he was going to nearly die again. His health bar was a little over 50%, which wasn’t awful after having to fight five apes at once, but his mana had run out mid-fight forcing to kill the last two with just sheer power of and with his low-damage staff.

It was the morning of the second day of the tutorial, and Drake had sheltered in an empty cave. The mountain of dead ape corpses outside made him a bit worried, but it was this or sleeping outside.

So he chose to move the corpses elsewhere and pray that nothing found the cave in the night. Since Drake woke up, luckily nothing had. Yesterday he had killed a few more Vampiric Apes before sheltering in the cave, and now he’d subjugated five more before breakfast.

“Asshole monsters didn’t even give me time to do my morning business. I thought I was going to piss myself running around on a full tank,” he grumbled. “I haven’t eaten or had anything to drink since they dropped us off here in the tutorial, like a bad parent dropping a kid off at the playground and saying they’ll be back at three.”

Drake continued to gripe, opening his inventory and checking his notifications.

Longingly, he eyed two items in his inventory he wished he could make use of.

Deer Carcass

The dead body of a deer.

Yesterday, he had also found these on the way to the cave, but he had no way of cooking them. Lighting a fire with Mana Bolt had produced no heat, only shooting out a dense lump of energy.

He had learned a couple of things over the last day, like items of the same type being stackable. Looting more stones had taught him this. He even found other types called skill stones. He had picked up only two of those.

Skill Stone: Warrior [Common]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Warrior tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot and 1 unlocked Warrior-based main tree or subtree branch.

Skill Stone: Body [Common]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the body tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot.

These skill stones seemed to be the only way to gain more skills, from what Drake could gather, but he had no way to use them yet. It was like the system was constantly dangling a teasing carrot in front of him. And it wasn’t the only thing he wasn’t able to use.

After killing his fifth ape, a new line had appeared in his inventory beneath the slots.

Tutorial Points: 125

He had finally gained a line for his currency here but had no idea how or where to spend it. Drake sighed as he went through his notifications and brought up his status.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 7.

Experience earned. 45 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 7.

Experience earned. 45 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 5.

Experience earned. 35 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 5.

Experience earned. 35 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 6.

Experience earned. 40 TP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage level 5.

14 FP have been awarded.

Subjugation Quest: 11 of 20 Vampiric Apes

Drake Wallen

Race: Human

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Class: Mage level 5

VIT: 67

STR: 13

DEX: 29

INT: 59

WIS: 44

END: 12

Free Points: 14

Skills: Mana Bolt

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge

At level 5, Drake had yet to gain any new skills. It was beyond troubling. The stones had to be the answer.

Am I doomed to forever put points into vitality just to survive? he thought, dumping more free points into it.

The only thing keeping his current damage up were the stat bonuses for the Mage class. Each level he received a total of 12 points, with 8 going into intelligence and 4 into wisdom.

Drake languidly walked off again as he finished dumping his free points, dragging his increasingly beaten-up staff against the grass, wiping off the blood and other viscera. It was becoming bitterly laughable that his vitality was still his highest stat as a Mage.

He had no other choice, though. Every fight had been against multiple monsters now, and they were becoming increasingly stronger. Thankfully, his Mana Bolt was able to still one-shot everything level 6 or weaker thus far, provided it was a headshot. But how long would that last?

If monsters received stats just like he did, eventually they’d just tank his damage and one-sidedly beat his ass. Or he would find a monster spec’d in health. He digressed, but the other problem was his Mana Bolt and his class.

Because he was a Mage, he would normally be standing behind the front line in games, freely casting spells with a plethora of support classes surrounding him. But here in reality, his forging ahead of the others had left him alone and vulnerable.

Meaning, he was now forced to fight against multiple enemies while standing still and casting his spell. He was left vulnerable to getting ganked by any monster looking for a quick bite of his cake. Which in truth happened yesterday, when he had gotten flanked fighting.

He rubbed his rear where the stupid ape had taken a bite out of him.

Honestly, he wasn’t having the best time grinding. Every fight so far left him injured, from either tanking an ape’s bite as he blasted it with his Mana Bolt, or just being simply overwhelmed and not able to blast the apes down before they reached him.

This left him injured and forced to wait for his health to regenerate naturally. He must have an endless number of puncture scars, slash marks, and other scars all over his body by now. This was why he had opted to put every level of free points into vitality to increase that regeneration. Thankfully, his mana regeneration kept up for the moment, but looking at his stats, he wasn’t sure how much longer that would last.

Drake bitterly laughed to himself, wishing this was slightly more like the game he and his friends had played together. There were magical potions aplenty in that game, making it far more efficient and easier to level solo, as you didn’t need the support classes until late game. But right now, there was no sign of any potions. No weapons or armor either, for that matter.

Drake continued to walk while grumbling curses every now and then, checking his new titles, and glancing at his health and surroundings mechanically.

One Versus Many

Fight and defeat 5 enemies at once alone. +1 to all stats.

Monkey Slayer

Defeat 10 primates. +5% damage to all primates.

Oh, a scaling damage boost to a species. That’s going to be nice for a while. Wait, primates? Does that include humans too, or would it specifically say ‘humans’? Drake thought as he looked up. His health had filled up, his mana around 70% now.

“It’s already lagging behind…”

Now some distance away from his last fight, Drake sat down to rest. He was considering what he could do to break the cycle of having to dump points into a stat he wasn’t really utilizing, except to not die.

Should he go find people? But he hadn’t seen another soul nearby since he left, the only sign of other people being the monster corpses left in front of the cave yesterday. Or would he have to just stick it out until he completed the ape quest and reached his class upgrade at level 10?

Drake quickly stopped his musings when he heard a rumble behind him. The sound was steadily getting closer, each thundering rumble increasing in volume and physically shaking his surroundings. Whatever was coming, it must have been rather large.

“Am I in Jurassic Park now?! What is with this place?” Drake stammered, as the hulking figure casually emerged from behind a tree several feet away.

Drake swore internally as he saw the jumbo-sized ape. It stood at least 8 feet high, having the same smushed bat-like face as the smaller ones, but this one had a distinct difference besides taking too many steroids.

It was wearing armor and holding a weapon.

The jumbo ape was holding a large wooden club in its hand, a metallic helmet far too small for it resting on its head. A 17th-century-looking piece of armor was squeezed around its chest.

“What B-rated high school movie club wardrobe did you walk out of?” Drake scoffed.

Apparently the large ape had heard him. It raised its arms in the air and howled, charging Drake on all fours.

“Shit! Manifest my power! Mana Bolt!” he quickly chanted. The bolt went flying out from the tip of his staff.

In moments, the bolt struck home and blasted the ape right in the head, forcing it to stop in its tracks. The ape’s helmet rolled on the ground and its head snapped back from the impact. The monster patted its head as if looking for the armor. It quickly found the helmet on the ground next to it, a small, smoldering dent in it.

The ape locked eyes with Drake as it placed the helmet back atop its head, making sure it was safely fitted there. Its eyes thinned as it growled, looking at Drake like he had done the most insulting thing in the world. It swiftly howled again as it continued its charge right for Drake.

“Well, death flag collected, that’s karma if I’ve ever seen it…” said Drake, surprised.

But his joking manner only lasted seconds as the ape closed in on him with increased speed. Drake screamed another Mana Bolt before he rolled out of the way. But it didn’t turn out as he hoped.

The ape was attentive enough to see Drake jump to the side as the second bolt hit it in the chest. Its left arm stretched out, sweeping Drake up into the air. The large arm smacked into Drake’s midsection, pushing him into the air and a few meters away until he finally landed into the side of a tree, coughing up blood.

Drake groaned as he struggled to get up, feeling like every bone in his body was broken. No, something was definitely broken—the thing hit like a truck. He grimaced as he touched his left shoulder. But he didn’t have time to moan. The ape was following up already, running again at speed right at Drake.

Shouting out two more Mana Bolts before ducking behind the tree next to him, Drake struggled to keep his staff in his good arm aimed at the monster.

The monster charged through the bolts as if they weren’t there, one hitting it in the shoulder and splattering blood, the other hitting it in its armored chest again. The ape wasn’t able to stop its charge this time, running right through the tree.

The massive monster had run right through Drake’s cover, splitting the tree in half. Drake looked back in disbelief, his eyes going wide.

This thing is way above my pay grade, he thought incredulously.

The ape had turned right around after running through the tree, howling with its mouth wide as it bared its large fangs and teeth. Preparing to charge once more, it dropped to all fours, galloping towards him at breakneck speed.

Drake was only able to fire off one Mana Bolt this time as the monster closed in. The bolt hit the ape in its shoulder a second time. Drake pushed off the stump of the tree he was against with as much force as his legs would allow, getting out of the path of the massive bulldozer of an ape.

The monster swung its club this time in an underhand blow, completely scooping the stump out of the ground, and hurling it into the forest. Drake gawked at the strength it displayed.

Before the ape was able to turn around, Drake shot off three more Mana Bolts as quickly as his words would allow. The beast turned towards him and right into the stream of the three bolts, all of them hitting it square in the chest.

The force of the bolts opened up a small hole in the monster’s armor, a trickle of blood leaking out. But it wasn’t going to take the damage lying down.

Drake had nowhere else to run and the ape was only a few feet from him. There was no way he could outrun it. He looked at his health. It was barely hovering above 50%, and his mana was faring much worse, barely filling up to the 20% mark.

He looked at the hole in the ground where the tree had been, as he gulped. Drake had no desire to get hit, but he steeled himself for what might happen. He only had enough mana for three or four more bolts, and that was only if he could chant them out in time.

The ape touched the wound in its chest and grew furious, walking only a few steps and raising its club in the air ready to strike down on Drake.

But Drake wouldn’t just sit there and be squashed. He managed to fire off a bolt as the monster walked forward, hitting it dead in the center of its chest where the others had landed.

The ape bellowed in pain this time as it brought down its club on Drake, but he was already jumping away, just barely dodging the club as it passed him. He rolled and got to one knee on the ground, aiming his staff at the center of the monster’s chest as it turned to strike him again.

Drake finished the chant for the bolt and it fired point blank into the monster’s chest, straight into its already grisly wound, a torrent of blood flying out from it. But the ape was not yet finished. Somehow, it still had strength left as it hefted its club upwards, hitting Drake off the ground and into the air.

He wouldn’t be outdone. Drake had managed to survive the blow, the ape evidently on its last legs. Drake gritted his teeth, willing himself to stay conscious and aim at the beast, using the dredges of his mana for one last Mana Bolt.

“Manifest my Power, Mana Bolt!” he bellowed while flying towards the ground. The last thing in his vision was the cold hard dirt, then darkness.

Chapter 9

A Mile Behind

Drake’s eyes fluttered open, his whole body in pain. Bloody crust on his eyes blurred his vision, and the brightness of what he hazily thought was the sun or a campfire.

Definitely a fire, he thought as he heard the crackling of embers.

He rubbed his eyes to clear the filth on them, trying to figure out what was going on. Once the dirt and dried blood was gone, he blinked wildly and tried to focus his vision. Suddenly remembering he was fighting some steroid-using monkey, he shot up halfway from his prone position, his head darting back and forth.

“Ape’s dead, little guy. No need to worry,” a rumbly voice like a low thunder said.

“Who are you calling little gu—” Drake began as he turned, but quickly shut up seeing its source. Had the monkey had a friend? “Never mind, you can call me whatever you want. Alright, big guy?”

The man scoffed. “Name’s Bear, you can wash up at the river over there,” Bear told him, pointing a little past Drake. “The stuff from the Warrior Vampiric Apes is right here.” Bear rapped his finger against the armor at his feet, where a crystalline stone reflected the light. “But I’ll be taking this as compensation for making sure you didn’t die when I found you passed out back there,” he finally said, picking up the wooden club the ape had been using. It still had some blood on it, most likely from Drake, making him shudder slightly.

“That’s fair. My life is worth a big stick then I guess,” Drake said, fumbling over himself as he slowly stood up.

“Would you rather I take everything? Not that I need it,” Bear quipped.

“No, we’re square. Haha… My bad, I joke when I shouldn’t sometimes. I—What I meant to say was—is, thank you,” Drake said sheepishly, turning to go in the direction of the river.

“No worries, man, ain’t that deep,” Bear chuckled lightly, taking Drake off guard with his response.

“Ain’t that deep? Where are you from, dude, SoCal?” Drake asked, turning back to the fire, finally getting a good look at the man. The man, Bear, was obviously using an alias. Drake didn’t have any way of confirming his name anyway, the system’s identify skill didn’t work on living beings; he had confirmed it on the apes multiple times.

“Yeah, why?” answered Bear from his seat next to the fire. His large figure was clearer to Drake, now that his eyes were slightly cleaner. It was still bright out, a little past noon. It looked like Bear’s red hair was shining in the light, brighter from the fire. He had a strong-looking face, fiercer than what he saw the day before, and a rough, full beard covering it. His frame was quite broad, and although he wore a loose buttoned shirt the way it fell across him made it clear he was massive, if one couldn’t tell from the way he handled himself earlier.

“No, I know a few people from California. You just come off as, you know, a huge Paul Bunyan or Braveheart kinda guy,” Drake said, laughing lightly.

“I get that a lot. I’m actually Icelandic, moved to the States when I was just a kid. The ironic thing is, I ended up in Canada up in the woods, so I guess the Paul Bunyan fits now,” scoffed Bear, waving Drake off to go to the river.

Drake moved a small way off and found it, looking around now and then to scan for danger. When he felt safe enough, he knelt to the edge of the running water, splashing his face and cleaning off the rest of the caked-on blood, dirt, and grime.

Soon Drake’s hands began to shake, the events of the previous day catching up to him as his body shook as well. He curled up, his arms wrapping his body as he yelled and screamed silently into his arms. The fact he had almost been crushed and nearly died twice in the last twenty-four hours was just too much for him. He had never faced anything like this in his life, never been in the army or had many confrontations; it was a completely foreign experience. Sure, he had been in the occasional street fight or scuffle at school, but a life-and-death battle was incomparable.

The water on his face was indistinguishable from his tears as he sat there for a moment, shaken.

“I thought I was past this…” he thought.

The fear, depression, and anxiety from when he was fired from his job, kicked out without remorse or reason at the whim of someone who only saw him as a number on a sheet. A liability. The deep emotions he thought he had quelled years ago with the help of his friends began to surface, if only momentarily.

Staring down at the muddled water, his frustration at the self-pity he felt was boiling over in lamenting rage.

“Fuck!” Drake shouted finally, throwing both his hands into the water in frustration at his weakness. After a few moments, he cupped them to drink, hoping to drown in the coolness quenching his thirst, coating his dry throat.

“This definitely wasn’t what I pictured when I thought of the great Mage I wanted to be. Finally get magic and I can only cast one spell, then monkey man nearly trampled all over me. Something has to change… I have to change. Maybe I should ask him to help me… No! I have to do it myself! If I use someone else as a crutch, it will be the same as before!” Drake growled through clenched teeth, his fists balled just beneath the surface of the water until he relaxed, giving a solemn sigh and slowly standing up.

Drake grimaced again from the muscle pain, looking at his health. It was full, but that didn’t match how he felt. The system’s health meter didn’t account for a larger injury’s lasting effects when it measured health, he guessed. Drake was still in one piece, but his body still ached where he had been struck by the tree and the ape’s club.

He made his way back to the fire, taking a seat in front of it to dry himself and his now-cleaner clothes. Bear seemed to be looking over something through the system, as he only looked up briefly to nod at him when he approached.

Drake did the same, curious about his own status.

You have subjugated Warrior Vampiric Ape level 7.

Experience earned. 300 TP have been rewarded.

Holy shit, no wonder it almost two-shotted me, he thought.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage level 6.

14 FP have been awarded.

Drake frowned slightly at only gaining one level from the ape. It had nearly killed him, after all. He was also surprised to see that the kill didn’t count towards the kill quest, adding a new one instead.

New Subjugation Quest: Kill 10 Warrior Vampiric Apes

Reward: Experience, 1 random skill stone

Drake brought his hand to his chin, looking at the notification. It looked like subjugation quests were triggered by encountering new species and monster types. He moved to his status, and noticed a new title.

Close Call

Be on the edge of death twice, dropping below 5% health twice, and survive. +10 to VIT.

Drake Wallen

Race: Human

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Class: Mage level 6

VIT: 77

STR: 13

DEX: 29

INT: 67

WIS: 48

END: 12

Free Points: 28

Skills: Mana Bolt

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge, Close Call

Before Drake could decide what to do with his free points, his stomach roared in hunger at him, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten in two days. He looked at the fire and got an idea.

“Hey Bear, are you hungry?” Drake suddenly asked the man across from him.

Raising a brow and looking up from presumably his own status, Bear answered, “Yeah, always.”

Drake pulled the deer carcass from his inventory. “Do you have any idea how to prepare this?” Drake asked, as he had no idea himself. He hadn’t exactly been the outdoorsy type before the tutorial.

“Yeah, I’ve done it a few times, no worries,” Bear answered, picking the deer up by its hind legs one-handed.

“Would you be willing to prepare two then? I’ll give you one of them as thanks for helping me out earlier,” Drake said, bringing out the second deer.

“Yeah, no problem.” Bear grinned as he took the other deer in his other hand, and walked out of sight with them.

What a monster. Those things are easily 200 pounds each, and he’s handling them like toys, Drake thought.

While Bear was preparing the deer, Drake moved over to the pile of armor from the ape. First, he picked up the small stone next to them, inspecting it before plopping it into his inventory.

Skill Stone: Debuff [Uncommon]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the debuff tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot.

Drake was pleasantly surprised at the stone’s description. A debuff skill would be great. Well, if he could use it.

Soon he heard footsteps coming from the woods and turned to see Bear carrying a skinned and skewered deer in each hand. “That was really fast,” Drake said.

“It doesn’t take long if you know what you’re doing, and with the strength I have, it goes really quickly,” Bear answered, shrugging his shoulders.

Drake just nodded, impatient to get a meal. Bear was setting up a spit roast for the fire. Sitting back down on the fallen tree, he rotated it now and then silently.

Drake wasn’t much for conversation at the moment either, staring at the deer, drooling in anticipation for his first meal in so long. The smell of cooked meat filled the area. They mostly sat in silence waiting for the food to cook for the next hour, with barely any chatter between them.

Between fiddling with his status, Bear occasionally gave the spit a turn.

Drake wasn’t sure how much longer it would take, turning to his screens as well, going over the armor he had put off checking until now.

Crude Iron Helmet

A crassly made helmet that offers a small amount of protection. +2% defense proficiency.

Crude Iron Cuirass

A crassly made armor that offers a small amount of protection. +5% defense proficiency.

Drake looked curiously at the armor, noting the previously unmentioned stats on them. He scrutinized the names of the pieces, trying to glean some more information if possible.

Crude Iron Helmet

A non-graded piece of equipment.

What is a non-graded item? Drake thought. Was it because it was too low of a level, like how some games had white or normal armor?

“Hey, what’s a non—” Drake asked, glancing up from his screen, when another rumble from the forest vibrated through the ground. Drake subconsciously started to shiver as he remembered the last time he felt this.

And Drake was right, as a familiar daunting figure made its way out of the treeline. The ape’s nose was up in the air sniffing, apparently following the scent of the cooking deer.

Drake got up in a scramble, fumbling for his staff. But it was gone. Had Bear taken it? But he looked like a Warrior, why would he need it?

“Don’t worry, I’ll grab this one,” Bear said calmly from his sitting position. The next instant he blurred in front of the ape. The man was almost a match in height for the massive monster, but more than a match for it in strength.

Bear held the ape by the throat, raising it in the air with one hand. Its legs dangled off the ground as it scratched at his arm to no avail. Bear raised the beast even higher and threw it to the ground, shaking the surroundings and leaving it on dented earth. He then brought out the club he had taken, and drew it to the sky before slamming it down on the beast once, then twice. Leaving it unmoving, he picked up whatever was left of the Warrior Ape and placed it into his inventory as he walked back.

Drake’s mouth was left on the floor, the display of power had dwarfed what he saw the ape do just earlier. “Bro, what kind of food did you grow up on to do something like that? You just embarrassed that ape’s whole family for like six generations. What the hell level are you?” laughed Drake sheepishly.

“Level 14,” Bear answered, smiling.

“You’re what?! You already got your second class? What is it? Do you want to par—”

Endless questions flooded from Drake until he nearly asked to party up. He stopped just before the words left his mouth, embarrassed.

Drake had already asked a lot of Bear. The man had even made sure he was safe when he blacked out earlier, when he was under no obligation to do so. His mind turned, recalling memories of his days of climbing levels in his games. Climbing the ranked ladder alone. His pride as a competitor, let alone as a man, wouldn’t allow him to keep asking for help when he had nothing to offer himself. What was he going to give him that Bear couldn’t get already?

Drake was a step behind. His mind twisted and squirmed as his competitive instinct bubbled up. Something deep inside his subconscious began to stir. He wasn’t where he wanted to be, where he needed to be. He had been playing it too safe, it was clear, despite nearly dying so many times already. He wasn’t sure what Bear’s stats were, but he could tell that they significantly outdid his own. Sure, he was likely a melee class, but he was out here alone just like Drake. A pit of shame crept up into his stomach, the names of his teammates from long ago burning in the back of his mind.

What would they think if they saw how scared I am, how far behind I’ve fallen… he thought, biting down on his bottom lip. They would probably call me a damned pussy for not being at the top already and gapping everyone in levels and gear…

Bear had reached double Drake’s level and somehow more. And here he was, scared, instead of out there getting stronger, making his goals into a reality. The people he looked up to would never approve. Goku would never back down from a challenge. And he wasn’t about to, either. You better believe it.

Bear seemed to have ignored Drake’s outburst and reached to tear some straps of meat off the deer, offering some to Drake. “Food’s done, stop standing there like you’re contemplating the world and eat first,” Bear teased.

Drake swiped the meat from Bear’s hand, scowling and biting into the piping-hot strap with vigor. He wasted no time devouring it and felt rejuvenated. “I’m going to take some of the cooked deer and leave,” Drake said, ripping off some more pieces of the meat, thankful he could place the pieces into his inventory. Now he was ready to set off.

“You’re going to need this, then,” Bear said, throwing a wooden staff at Drake.

Drake grabbed the staff out of the air. It looked very similar to his own but it wasn’t the staff he had been using. It had no bite marks or rough chips from the fights. Was this from a different monster or person?

Novice Wooden Staff [Common]

A starter wooden staff made of what it looks like… wood.

1 – 12 Physical Damage

40 – 44 Magic Damage

Attack Speed: Normal

Cast Speed: Normal

Drake smiled slightly at the familiar description.

“Seems there are higher level monsters roaming around every day. Like this place is steadily increasing in difficulty. I found this off one that could use magic, and it isn’t any use to me so you take it, since yours broke,” Bear said, ripping off another strap from the deer.

“Why didn’t you give it to me before?”

“What? I might be nice, but I’m not going to give someone a weapon when I don’t know them. But you’re leaving now, and I can make out that you’re not a lunatic, so take it,” Bear said, pointing his deer strap at Drake.

“Thank you again. I’m not sure how I can repay someone twice my level right now, but next time we meet I will,” Drake vowed. He received a wave of deer meat in farewell from Bear. Drake walked past the fallen Warrior Ape with a look of determination in his eyes. He may be a step behind now, but he wouldn’t be outdone forever.

That’s right. Next time we meet, I’ll be stronger. I’ll be strong enough to help you instead… And I’ll prove it.

Chapter 10

Determination

With a new fiery determination in his eyes, Drake walked further into the forest, actively looking for monsters. Dumping the free points he had into his intelligence, he raised it to 95, his now-highest stat surpassing vitality at 77. Growing strong enough to brute force anything he came across was his new goal. Or at least, that was his plan.

Goals were goals because you had to work towards them. And Drake knew that from experience even prior to the tutorial. He had to put in the work to see the results. Seeing Bear destroy the Warrior Vampiric Ape had ignited a desire to work harder and more desperately than before.

After meeting the Warrior Vampiric Ape, Drake had suspected he was falling behind, but Bear had confirmed it. The man had annihilated that ape in seconds, while Drake struggled just to survive, and soon there’d be even stronger monsters appearing.

The tutorial had only been ongoing for a day and a half, but the monsters were already growing in strength and overtaking him, proving his leveling speed wasn’t fast enough. Or perhaps participants were being pushed to form groups to overcome these obstacles. He had no idea which at the moment.

Drake continued to search the forest for monsters while scanning cautiously, wishing he had the same prowess here as he’d had in his old games.

If it was anything like those games, I would already be well past the first job change by now… he thought, sulking. His friends from those days were probably already well past him as well. He was always able to keep up with them before, but he couldn’t imagine they would be in the same poor situation he was.

Drake shook his head. There wasn’t any time to think about others right now. He had to improve, fast. He looked again at the quests.

Subjugation Quest: 11 of 20 Vampiric Apes

Subjugation Quest: 1 of 10 Warrior Vampiric Apes

His first milestone would be to finish these quests and get as close to level 10 as he could. Estimating the amount of experience he needed per level, it seemed each level roughly took twice the previous one to complete. He should have been a sliver away from level 7, and with just the monsters required to finish the quest, it would get him over the level 10 hump and more, not counting the experience rewards.

Drake’s hands coiled around his staff, gripping tighter. He could do this, he thought.

Mama ain’t raise no bitch! he shouted internally, trying to hype himself up.

From a clearing just ahead, he heard grunting and tearing. Drake took a peek from behind a tree to see what he was working with.

And in the center of the clearing there was an encirclement of four Vampiric Apes. All were tearing into something. Drake looked around, trying to spot if the bigger variety of the apes was anywhere nearby. Lucky for him, they weren’t.

Good, they’re distracted and just in my range. If I can chant fast enough, I can bring them all down before they reach me, he planned it out in his head.

Slipping out from behind the tree, Drake cast his Mana Bolts in rapid succession, speaking as fast as an auctioneer in a heated bid. The spell fired four times, one for each ape.

The bolts found their marks on only two of the apes. One bolt glanced off the arm, the last missing the one entirely. The distracted Vampiric Apes were surprised by the sudden attack. Aghast, they looked briefly at their fallen brethren but quickly recovered. The unharmed ape charged for Drake. The other slowly followed behind, gripping at its arm but roaring just as furiously.

Drake cursed and swiftly dropped to one knee to steady his aim, not wanting to miss the quickly closing apes again. He was able to fire off two more bolts before they reached him. His first shot was precise enough to hit the bee-lining first ape right in the head, killing it instantly. But again, the second bolt missed the injured one running behind it.

It jumped over the corpse of the fallen ape, running at Drake in a mad dash. Drake didn’t have time to cast another spell, so he pulled back his staff in a swinging motion. And when the ape jumped at him, he ripped the staff through the air, clubbing the ape to the side.

The ape was momentarily stunned by the blow, shaking its head on its side. It looked up. Drake now towered over it, his staff glowing from the light of his spell. Drake unceremoniously fired the Mana Bolt through the Vampiric Ape’s head, its body slumping to the ground in a pool of its own blood.

Drake exhaled loudly, looking over the carnage he had just produced. He waited a moment to see if any loot had spawned and was disappointed to see that only two of the four left stones. He walked over to grab them but stopped as he got close to the corpses.

Drake was now close enough to see what the apes had been tearing at. The mangled body of a person lay on the ground in a pool of blood and viscera, their face still frozen in an expression of terror and pain.

He could watch face only long enough to witness the sunken, horrid features before he blinked, the face suddenly replaced with his own for a split second.

Drake looked at the body with sympathy, but his mind slowly moved to other thoughts. That could have easily been him. So far, he’d survived only by the skin of his teeth by sheer dumb luck. Drake held back his nausea as best he could. This was the first dead human he had ever seen. He hadn’t known this person, but he dug with the end of his staff into the ground. This person at least deserved this modicum of decency, not to be left to rot in the open.

Drake was still slowly digging the hole when he heard a rumble come from outside the outcropping. He was already well-acquainted with the approaching tremors and hopped out of the makeshift hole, making a break for the opposite treeline.

As he dived behind a tree, a Warrior Vampiric Ape walked out from the brush with two Vampiric Apes in tow. The warrior casually approached the body, giving it a sniff, then picking it up.

Drake shuddered in anger, his knuckles whitening as he gripped his staff.

The Warrior gave a wide, toothy grin at the body, the two Vampiric Apes jumping up and down in elation. The warrior then tossed it in front of the other apes and they began to tear into the body like the apes from before.

Something snapped inside Drake as he watched. He didn’t know the person, but he somehow identified with the corpse, seeing his face on the body flash to his own a second time. That this might be his fate seemed inevitable, should he not work harder and grow stronger like he had decided before. If he didn’t quickly achieve his goals.

Drake’s mouth clenched as his teeth grounded against each other, seeing what was happening as an injustice. Why should these filthy animals get away with desecrating that body? No. With doing that to him. He wouldn’t allow it, he wouldn’t allow these things, these monsters, to do it.

In his mind, he recalled being escorted out of his place of work, his so-called friends berating him for things he hadn’t done, and those same people crawling back to him later only to ask for money and status.

Drake began to breathe heavily, seething with fury. Then he felt cold, the anger abruptly leaving him. The ferocity inside of him burned hot for a moment, only to freeze over with cold reality. This world wasn’t actually that different from his old one. The strong and powerful got to make the rules, and the privileged got to get away with whatever they wished. The law of the jungle. It had always been present, just under a different veil.

And that was true here, as well. The person the Vampiric Apes were eating was just weak. Drake was just weak. And he had to get stronger, become the dominator. What he said before now it was made finite in his soul, no pithy saying but instead a true fact of reality as certain as gravity.

This had to happen, he had to prove it.

He was going to prove it.

Drake stepped out from behind the tree and rapidly chanted four bolts just like before, aiming for the Warrior Ape. The bolts all hit this time, striking the beast in its armored back.

The ape wailed in pain, pawing at its back. The other two Vampiric Apes jumped into action, charging right at Drake.

Drake dropped to one knee again and fired two precise Mana Bolts at the charging apes. Then he, too, charged forward, his lungs and legs screamed in contention at the strain.

The two Vampiric Apes slumped to the ground as the bolts passed right through their chests, his nearly 100 intelligence stat showing its strength. No longer did he have to bash heads anymore, now he could instantly kill the weaker monsters.

Drake ran past the fallen corpses on his way to the roaring warrior. It had recovered from the shock of the previous Mana Bolts’ impacts, staring at Drake now with irate animalistic fury. Its club rose high into the air, ready to be brought down on the charging Drake.

He didn’t back down. Instead, he lunged at the ape with all his speed, ignoring the gruesome club arcing to crush his head.

But Drake wasn’t aiming for the monster. He lunged for the opening below the massive ape, slipping right between its legs. Turning mid-jump to face the back of the warrior, Drake chanted his spell, shooting another bolt straight into the monster’s back.

Drake quickly got to his feet but wasn’t fast enough to duck back in time to dodge the ape’s large club sweeping up vertically as it turned around, swatting him across the open clearing. He flew, bouncing several times from the force of the blow.

The ape shouted and raised its arms in triumph, hooting at its victory.

“Dumbass monkey,” Drake coughed. He got up wearily, blood dripping from his head and mouth. One of his arms dangled limply. “You gave me just enough distance to cast, enough to kill you. Congratulations, you played yourself.” He smiled through the pain, one eye closed in a grimace.

The ape abruptly stopped. Immediately it charged at him, its eyes then widening in fear as it saw his staff glow with power. It knew the end was coming, and it couldn’t do anything to stop it.

“Manifest my power, Mana Bolt! Manifest my power, Mana Bolt! Manifest my power, Mana Bolt! Manifest my power, MANA BOLT!” Drake screamed at the stampeding monster.

The monster didn’t stop charging. It had no other choice but to get to Drake as fast as possible if it wanted to survive. It ran forward, each step met with a Mana Bolt.

One struck it in its open shoulder. Another took a chunk out of its neck. But it was still determined to reach Drake. Another step, another bolt tearing into its large frame.

By the time the warrior had reached Drake, it slowed to a limp and slumped to the ground in front of him, riddled with holes from the barrage of bolts.

Drake placed his foot on the head of the Warrior, throwing his working arm into the air. Striking a victory pose, he let out a guttural roar of triumph.

His eyes scanned the clearing looking for anything else that might have heard the battle but stopped as they fell on the mangled corpse of the fallen nameless warrior. He put his hand down, his mood melancholy. He didn’t have a line to say this time, no jokes, nothing.

Drake limped over to the hole, not even bothering to check his notifications. He wordlessly dug. He had won the fight.

But the journey to his goal was far from over.

Chapter 11

Finishing the Quest

Drake sat down crisscross applesauce as he raised the crystalline stone into the air, inspecting it.

Skill Stone: Debuff [Uncommon]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Debuff tree

Requires 1 open skill slot

The fight had given him a couple more skill stones and one subtree stone, but this was probably the most valuable out of the bunch. But it hadn’t come from the apes. At least, he didn’t believe it did. Bear had given him one earlier. This one he had found beside the nameless Warrior’s grave. The dots easily connected in Drake’s mind, but he didn’t want to think about the conclusion.

When he finally finished and buried the corpse, he marked it with the sword lying beside the stone. He presumed that people could drop stones as well. It was a chilling thought.

Drake had managed to reach level 7 after the fight, and he was now only three Vampiric Apes away from completing the quest. He hadn’t received a new title, so aside from the boosts to intelligence and wisdom, bolstered for once by his free points, little had changed. His health bar hovered at 30%.

The sun was now setting, but Drake was in no condition to move yet. Though his arm was broken, he could feel it slowly mending thanks to his high vitality stat. The sensation of the bone healing underneath his swollen arm was itchy and unsettling, but he was honestly just happy he wouldn’t have to fight one handed, at least until he found someone who could properly heal it. The monster’s swing had also broken a few of his ribs, but they had healed fairly quickly.

The stat’s boost to his healing was amazing, and though it brought him to peak condition, a phantom pain still haunted his larger wounds. He had noticed it before when Bear had saved him, so he guessed that he had most likely broken several bones before these.

Knowing that he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, Drake occupied himself by staring at the brush line in the waning hours of the twilight. In all actuality, he was hoping something would emerge from the darkness so he could at least finish his first quest. He could feel that he was close to level 8, and he would like to see how the quest rewards system worked.

And as if the system had heard him, out of the treeline walked a singular Vampiric Ape.

Drake smiled. “Hey there, beautiful,” he whistled at the monster to get its attention, chanting out a Mana Bolt quickly from where he sat, not bothering to rise. Piercing the monster right through the chest was easy.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 7.

Experience earned. 45 TP have been awarded.

Subjugation Quest: 18 of 20 Vampiric Apes

Drake breathed a sigh of relief.

“Two to go! Hopefully, they all just come one by one like that…”

But a rustling of the bushes on the tree line dashed his hopes away as two more Vampiric Apes walked out from the foliage.

“Maaaaan… I really hope making flags for myself doesn’t become a habit,” Drake scoffed, a cold sweat forming on his face. He glanced at his status, then back at the pair of apes.

The apes soon noticed Drake, one nudging the other then pointing with its finger, a hungry smile creasing its thin lips as its long fangs gleamed in the twilight of the day.

Drake was in trouble. He had no stamina and was stuck in a sitting position.

The apes gave no quarter and dashed forward, quickly closing the distance to their fresh meal waiting on a silver platter.

“Oh fuck! No way in hell am I dying after all that!” Drake snapped, propping up his usable arm as best he could with the weight of his staff, taking aim and waiting for the faster of the two to get into range.

He quickly chanted his spell but held the activation word until the monster was almost upon him. “Manifest my power”—The first ape was only a few steps ahead of the other, barely a foot away from Drake—“Mana Bolt!” The ape collided into him a second later.

The bolt shot out, piercing right through the ape’s chest as they both tumbled across the ground, then finally came to an abrupt stop. The dead, bleeding ape pinned down Drake, his staff stuck in the small hole his spell had created, sticking right through its body.

Drake shook his head to rid himself of the disorientation just in time for the second ape to rush to him, clawing and scraping to pull its dead comrade off of its meal.

“Don’t you have any respect for the dead!” Drake screamed, fighting to aim his staff at the beast. But the ape’s weight locked it into place underneath the dead monster.

Drake grit his teeth and tried his best to maneuver the staff, even if only a bit.

Suddenly, the staff gave way underneath the monster as the remaining ape raised the body slightly. Drake’s staff smacked it on the side of the head.

The ape gave an irate growl as it grabbed the staff in its hands, pulling it down enough to aim at its own chest for a moment.

Drake grinned noticing the movement and took advantage as he chanted as fast as he could.

“Manifest my power. Mana Bolt!” he shouted.

The staff glowed for only a second before the blast of mana shot forward, piercing the monster’s chest just like it had the previous ape. It went slipping down lifelessly on the staff like a shish kabob on top of Drake.

Drake let out an ‘oof’ as the monster fell on top of him.

“F-Fucking filthy a-animals! Ugh…” Drake struggled to roll the dead monsters off of him. Thankfully his vitality was paying dividends as he finally recovered enough to do the task, but not without a significant amount of pain.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 6.

Experience earned. 35 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 7.

Experience earned. 45 TP have been awarded.

Quest Complete: 20 of 20 Vampiric Apes

You have been awarded experience.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage level 8.

14 FP have been awarded.

Drake’s eyes widened as he sat upright, bugging out at the experience he was just handed.

He quickly put the points into intelligence again, ignoring the blinking message for the moment. His intelligence rose to a whopping 139, now comfortably outpacing his vitality.

Finishing up his stats, Drake brought up the flashing prompt window in anticipation.

Vampiric Ape subjugation quest complete.

Accept reward?

Yes < No

Drake mentally selected yes, and another prompt appeared.

Reward accepted.

Please roll twice for item rarity.

Roll for rarity? Roll what? Drake thought, then suddenly he remembered the black die he was given at the start of the introduction. He willed it into his hand from his inventory and rolled it out in front of him without preamble. He wasn’t willing to wait any longer for his sweet, sweet loot.

The die jumped and bobbled until it stopped, a 3 facing upwards.

“Fuck!” Drake cursed, picking up the die for his second roll.

Dropping the die again in front of him he began to sweat as it rolled. His head crept downward as he prayed for a high roll. Finally, the die stopped, a 7 glaring back at Drake.

“NOOOOOOOO!” Drake wailed as if something had struck him in the chest, dropping onto his back. Two stones materialized above his head, dropping right onto his face.

Drake rubbed his nose incredulously, picking the crystalline stones off the ground next to him.

Subtree Stone: Soul Mastery [Uncommon]

Unlocks Soul Mastery subtree branch.

Requires 1 or more empty subtrees. Unlocked a Mage class tree.

Subtree Stone: Weapon Mastery [Common]

Unlocks Weapon Mastery subtree branch.

Requires1 or more empty subtrees, unlocked main class tree.

He lay still for a moment while going over the descriptions. He was really starting to get impatient. When would he be able to use these stones and gain some other skills? Mana Bolt had done right by him, but he was ready for some new toys.

Drake glanced at the top left of his vision at his health. It was now hovering above 60%, which Drake thought was good enough for him to get going. It would be dark soon, and he needed to find a place to hole up.

He put the stones and die into his inventory with the rest of his spoils. Cautiously, he tried rolling his previously broken arm. Unfortunately, a sharp pain shot up it as he did. It wasn’t broken anymore, but it was still very tender, the swelling and blue coloration slowly going down.

Drake grunted a bit, not entirely surprised by the pain. After all, he had nearly died—again—and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last time. He just had to get used to the pain, he thought. As they say, no pain no gain.

Looking to the grave marked with the sword, he placed his hand on the hilt.

“Thank you for the lesson, person I don’t know. I’ll be sure to live for the both of us,” Drake said solemnly.

Walking towards the treeline of the clearing, he looked over his shoulder one more time,

Goodbye, my weak, old self. I hope to never see your stupid face again, Drake thought, returning to the sea of trees.

Drake aimlessly walked through the forest for around an hour before a resounding thought shook him bone deep.

I’m so lost, he cried internally.

Chapter 12

Testing Some Things

Drake woke with a start, his face slathered in drool and his neck aching from a poor sleeping position. He looked bleary-eyed at the sky, sporadic rays of light just barely penetrating the treetops.

He blinked a few times to focus his eyes on the ruckus below him. That was because he had in fact decided to sleep up in a tree, clinging like a sloth to a branch all night.

Below him were two Vampiric Apes screeching at him, one climbing up as the other shouted from below, as if cheering the other on.

“This is no way to wake a lady…” grumbled Drake, swinging himself to sit upright on the branch against the tree. He languidly pointed his staff at the climbing ape and chanted a Mana Bolt with a yawn, blowing the ape’s head clean off.

Drake recoiled in disgust as the body splattered to the ground on top of the other Vampiric Ape, pinning it to the ground for a short moment.

“Stats over 100 are no joke… I haven’t hit something in the head for a while, but I didn’t think it had that strong of an impact. It’s like I turned into magic Gallagher. My Mana Bolts are just monstrous,” Drake said as he winced, squeamish from the bloody pulp now all over the ground.

Drake slid off the tree and deftly landed beside the remaining ape. It struggled even more to move its headless companion off itself as Drake suddenly appeared next to it.

“Next time, be more courteous when you wake a sleeping maiden.” Drake smiled at the monster jokingly, pointing his staff at the beast and firing another Mana Bolt.

Drake quickly ran from the scene, wanting to get away from the blood and gore that he had created, but also to get an early start on the day. His new goals were in sight as he looked at the two remaining quests.

Subjugation Quest: 2 of 10 Warrior Vampiric Apes

Class Quest: Reach base class level 10 for advancement

Drake was aiming to complete these two quests today, and he needed to test some things that he had been curious about.

When Drake cast his magic spell, he felt the mana leave him and focus within the staff. The way he perceived it was that the staff served as a conduit or amplifier. The idea was supported by his dedicated research into tv shows, anime, and manga, where the concept was common.

What he wanted to test was if he actually needed the staff to cast his Mana Bolt. But first he would need to find some monsters.

He traversed the forest for a few minutes searching until he happened upon a Warrior Vampiric Ape, two Vampiric Apes accompanying it.

Do they not travel alone anymore? He would need to look into that later.

The monsters were a few meters away from where Drake hid behind a tree. This section of the forest was especially dense, making it hard to line up the slow-roaming pack in his sights. He would have to play this fight differently.

Drake looked around for a spot with a good line of sight and cover. He moved as quietly as he could, finally finding a good spot on the pack of monsters’ trajectory. Then he waited.

There were too many enemies at the moment, so Drake lined up his staff this time, doing his best to place it where he predicted the Warrior would appear. Drake didn’t want to play with death any more than necessary when a Warrior was involved.

Soon, just like he hoped, the Warrior Ape rounded the tree and entered his line of sight. Drake fired off two Mana Bolts, trained right at the ape’s head. Quickly he repositioned behind another tree, not waiting to see if the bolts landed.

Once he settled in his new position, Drake looked back at the pack of monsters. They were now at the spot Drake had just been, looking around confused. The Warrior Ape looked the most frantic, blood dripping from its closed eye on its now-unarmored head.

Drake smiled, satisfied. Both his bolts had hit their mark, and he was finally getting used to fighting, using the sea of trees to his advantage. Again, Drake trained his staff to aim at the large and confused Warrior Ape, firing off another two Mana Bolts at its head. And again, Drake repositioned.

When he ducked behind another tree and checked his previous position, he was pleasantly surprised to see only the Vampiric Apes, looking even more confused and frantic. In his notifications Drake quickly found the kill confirmation for the Warrior.

He inwardly fist pumped. With only four Mana Bolts, he could now fell the monster that had plagued him so.

Now that he had whittled the pack down, it was time for him to do some testing. First, Drake fired off a Mana Bolt and repositioned again, confirming from his notifications that he killed one Vampiric Ape. And with that, Drake slipped his staff into his inventory and aimed his open palm at the remaining ape.

Drake mumbled the spell this time and saw a familiar magic circle rotate in front of his hand, but it quickly fizzled out before launching the bolt. Drake clicked his tongue, wondering what went wrong.

He kept his eyes on the ape. It was still searching for him as he replayed casting the spell in his head.

The spell had been properly activated when he said the words, so why hadn’t it worked? He tried again, aiming at the ape and chanting the spell. This time, he made sure to watch his mana bar and pay attention to how it felt when the spell activated.

The circle appeared and then fizzled out of existence again, but Drake had gleaned some insight this time. His mana hadn’t been consumed. There had been no siphon drawing the mana from his body into the circle like the staff had. So he was correct in his assessment that the staff was acting as a focal point for the spell and helped as a conduit for his mana.

Drake guessed this meant that if he wanted to cast without the staff, he would have to direct the mana himself. He moved to get a better angle on the ape. As he ran his experiments it had grown bored, wandering off in search of him.

Once he got back into a good position, he again walked through the steps, focusing more on the feeling of the mana in his body. Since his mana pool had grown exponentially when he leveled, it was surprisingly easy to identify this new mass of energy within.

The mana felt almost like a louder flow of blood inside him, similar to the feeling you’d get after a good workout, and you could hear a heartbeat in your ears.

He chanted the spell, the flow inside him becoming erratic. A magic circle formed in front of his hand, but the pool of mana had nowhere to go. It felt congested, chaotic.

As the circle rotated, Drake tried to guide the mana into it with his palm for the focal point. The mana inside him corrected course, rushing toward his hand and into the circle. His usual Mana Bolt was forming, but it wasn’t instant like with the staff, taking seconds longer than normal. Though it still fired, the bolt flew over the ape’s shoulder, alerting it of where Drake was.

“Shit! That’s not good,” Drake mumbled wryly.

But he didn’t give up and attempted to aim again with his hand. Going through the same process, he repeated the process, firing another bolt at the charging ape. This time, it hit the beast square in the chest, but it didn’t fall. Instead, the force of the impact only stopped it momentarily. It seemed that without the staff, the spell wasn’t an instant kill to the chest anymore.

Drake quickly cast Mana Bolt, becoming more accustomed to the feeling and process with each cast. The bolt hit the Vampiric Ape in the chest once again, this time piercing through and creating a hole as it skidded to a stop, suddenly falling limp during its charge.

Drake pumped his fist into the air. He had done it, his first theory he wanted to test worked out. “Nothing can stop me! I have the power of God and anime on my side!” he shouted, pointing down at the ape’s corpse, laughing the entire time.

Basking in the glory for a moment, he thanked many of the magical fantasy figures from the shows he watched for their guidance. Afterwards, he searched the forest for the other corpses, until he found one. He picked up a warrior skill stone from the Warrior Vampiric Ape, as well as its armor and weapon. Unfortunately, the others gave no loot.

Now it was time for phase two of Drake’s testing—casting while moving.

In most fantasy scenarios he knew the magic circle would only form beneath a stationary caster, but did that still apply here? Drake had thought about it before but never had the leeway to test it out. It was something he needed to master, and his reasoning was simple—an idle target was a dead target.

The monsters were getting unironically more monstrous and being forced to stand still. Even though he could one-shot most of them, standing still would make him a sitting duck in group fights. And now that he knew he could free up his hands while casting, he wondered what else was possible.

With his new find, his mana control had gone up and he could feel the constant ebb and flow of the energy inside him more clearly. Now his next step was to attempt to move while doing so, and eventually casting while mobile.

Not wanting to waste time, Drake got to work, beginning with just his hands, as it was easier to feel the mana. First was a brisk walk, circling a nearby tree, trying to keep his mind on the flow of mana inside him. Doing so at this speed wasn’t difficult, so he upped his pace to a light jog.

Now it was harder to discern the energy. His brain was becoming jumbled slightly, almost like a screen or haze had lightly covered his mind, but he could still feel the distinct mana pool inside him enough that he could direct it.

The final step up. He sprinted around the tree, zigzagging and making abrupt directional changes, almost as if he was running suicides again in school. But as he tried to feel the mana, nausea overwhelmed him, and the haze from earlier solidified, making him stop and kneel as he retched.

Drake coughed, spitting up bile, wishing he had something to rinse out his foul-tasting mouth. “Ugh, that’s just vile,” he groaned, standing shakily.

Well, I guess that’s a nonstarter for now. But I felt like I was nearly there. Maybe my stats just aren’t there yet? I have some pretty high intelligence, but my wisdom is slacking. I’ll have to start distributing some stats into it since my mana regen is slowing down, Drake thought.

He may have failed, but he felt like he learned a very important lesson, and he would have to try again when he leveled up. Practice makes perfect, after all.

Drake brought out his staff and a strap of venison, making a dash back into the forest while he ate and searched with renewed vigor. He was determined to level up and gain more stats so that he could try again. He was coming into his own little by little. Breaking free from being the follower, the doormat, now he could firmly see his path forward.

He used to be the one who always followed the guides for games and took skills and builds just at face value. This also extended to his real life as well, and it had gotten him into trouble more than once. But now he was cooking with gas, he thought.

Not long after venturing into the forest, Drake found another small group of monsters, a pair of Warrior Vampiric Apes and a handful of Vampiric Apes. But they weren’t the only things he found. A group of five people fought the group of monsters in a front-to-back formation.

The three men in the front were actually wearing armor and sporting different weapons, one even had a shield. Where had they gotten the shield and weapons from?

Drake looked at the two in the back, a woman and a man. The man was holding a shield and a cudgel and standing in front of the woman, ready to intercept anything that got past the three front liners, all while throwing out glowing light which Drake assumed was a healing spell. The woman was actually donning a wizard hat and chanting a spell that Drake didn’t know. It certainly wasn’t the Mana Bolt spell, as the chant was far too long.

He was too far away to hear what she was chanting, but soon a crimson-red magic circle extended, rotating from under her feet as a massive fireball formed above her.

Drake’s eyes bulged at the impressive lump of mana. The woman motioned and lobbed it into the group of monsters. An ocean of fire exploded across the battlefield. The smaller apes were turned to ash instantly by the impact, while the Warrior Apes had to suffer the sustained flames.

The men in front jumped in to finish off the apes with more skills he had never seen. Did all of these people have upgraded classes? Was there that much of a power jump at level 10?

More importantly, was he further behind than he had assumed? How many people had already reached level 10 and changed classes?

Drake considered asking them to party up but quickly felt guilty that it even crossed his mind. He couldn’t be so shameless as to ask for their help, especially not after refusing to ask Bear the same thing. That would make him a damned hypocrite. This wasn’t even to mention, they were strangers. Who was to say that they wouldn’t turn on him immediately after learning he was a lower level and still had a base class?

He gritted his teeth, turning in another direction in search of monsters. He refused to keep letting himself fall behind. He was determined to work harder. After a short while, he ran into another group of monsters. Warrior Vampiric Apes and Vampiric Apes, a pair each.

It was close enough to the group he had fought this morning, so he was confident he could win. As this was the third group he had seen, this also confirmed that monsters were grouping up.

Drake began the fight by aiming for one of the Warrior Apes like before, repositioning after he shot his Mana Bolts without staying to see if they hit. When he reached his new cover, he repeated the same.

He looked at his notifications and confirmed the kill for one of the Warriors. But in that split second, he heard something cut through the air, a loud crunch coming from the tree he hid behind.

The other warrior had found him, and it was not happy. It snapped his cover in two with its club and made a dash for Drake, its smaller groupies following close behind.

Drake dashed as well to a nearby pine, jumping and rolling behind it. Then he fired off two Mana Bolts, darting behind another tree and repeating.

His aim was off, his stamina slowly draining as his hands grew shakier. The large ape was unstoppable, smashing trees in droves as it chased Drake, making it hard to hit the beast. Drake’s plan of using the trees for cover backfired, now he was in a dance of dodging both the apes and the falling trees.

But he wasn’t giving up. Although his stamina ticked down at a rapid pace, his mana was still at a healthy level. He continued to fire pairs of bolts at the charging ape, catching it in its extremities and then dodging behind trees, his life teetering on the edge of a knife. One wrong move, one screw up would mean certain death for him. The constant hit-and-run continued until he could finally take it down.

Drake wheezed, his stamina hitting rock bottom. He dropped to his knees, sweat dripping from his every pore. But the fight wasn’t over, and the pair of Vampiric Apes were quickly upon him.

He tried his best to aim his staff with both hands at the charging pair but only managed to get one Mana Bolt off. It hit the oncoming ape in the side, not enough to kill it.

The beast slammed into Drake, knocking his staff from his hands, and latching its teeth into his abdomen. They quickly rolled, entangled in a melee, the remaining ape swiftly closing in on them.

Drake panicked, throwing fists into the beast gnawing on his side, grunting in pain with each blow as the ape continued to take bite-sized pieces out of him. But it was useless, he had no strength left to speak of, his stamina expended completely. His blows were doing little but tickling the ape. Drake began to chant, channeling his mana into a spell with his hand. But before it could fire the second ape crashed into them, knocking them both again into a tumble.

But this time, Drake had managed to maneuver himself on top of one of the apes and somehow brought one arm down to distract it with what little strength he had left. Using the moment it gave him, he cast Mana Bolt with his other hand.

“Manifest my power! Mana Bolt!” he yelled in between huffs and grunts. The bolt finally fired right into the side of the ape’s skull, splattering its contents all over Drake. But he didn’t have time to worry about the disgusting mess as he looked around wildly for the last ape.

But no matter where he looked, he couldn’t find it anywhere until finally he tried looking up. And there the beast was. It had climbed to a branch and pounced at Drake; its hands clasped together like a thunderous falling hammer.

Drake chanted as fast as he could, compelling his arms to aim at the falling monster through sheer force of will. Two excruciating seconds later, the Mana Bolt fired and they collided.

Both laid flat on the ground an entangled mess. After a moment, the ape’s body stirred. And Drake pushed it off himself.

“It gets easier, right? Baby steps… Yeah… baby steps,” Drake huffed, gasping in between words. His body lay on the ground, refusing to move. Blood and viscera coated him. Drake was beaten, bleeding, and exhausted. Smiling. He was alive.

Drake was spent, but he was making progress. He looked at his notifications willing them to appear as his arms were taking a nap right now.

You have subjugated Warrior Vampiric Ape level 9.

Experience earned. 500 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Warrior Vampiric Ape level 9.

Experience earned. 500 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 9.

Experience earned. 50 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape level 9.

Experience earned. 50 TP have been awarded.

Subjugation Quest: 5 out of 10 Warrior Vampiric Apes

Congratulations! You have reached Mage level 9.

14 FP have been awarded.

Drake Wallen

Race: Human

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Class: Mage level 9

VIT: 87

STR: 23

DEX: 39

INT: 157

WIS: 70

END: 22

Free Points: 14

Skills: Mana Bolt

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge, Close Call, Dead Man Walking

Oh, it feels good to level up! Drake laughed internally, but he had to object to the system calling him a dead man. He wasn’t dead yet. But he couldn’t complain about the stat bonuses it gave, as almost dying was quickly becoming a habit. He looked at his health at barely 5%, slowly ticking up.

Dead Man Walking

Become a walking corpse, dropping below 5% health and surviving thrice.

+10 to all stats.

Drake lay there for a while, his eyes closed as he impatiently waited for his status to recover, only opening them to look around when he heard a breeze, rustle of branches, or bushes.

After a few minutes, Drake was able to move his aching body, his stamina very slowly filling up as he walked around, picking up the loot from the apes one by one. While doing so, Drake also went over the notifications, again noticing a trend.

The apes’ minimal level was going up.

He wasn’t sure why this was happening, but even Bear had suspected as much, and now Drake was also inclined to think so.

Drake was finally well enough to move from the area when his stamina ticked over 50%. He wasn’t done for the day, and there was still plenty of light left.

Time to see if this makes a difference now, he thought as he placed his free points into wisdom, bringing it up to 84.

He moved a couple of minutes’ running distance from his last battle and began to, for lack of a better word, train his… mana perception? Or maybe mana control was a more apt term? He would have to figure it out later for the autobiography he was thinking of writing eventually.

Drake ran again as quickly as he could, making quick maneuvers as if he was dodging attacks from shadow enemies. He then tried to feel his mana flow inside his body, bracing himself mentally for the wave of nausea that may hit him. But he was fine.

Drake stopped and held a blank look of surprise, quickly becoming one of indignation.

“That stupid bitch lied!” he yelled.

Drake was sure the construct had told him that there were no sub-stats affected by the six main stats when he was selecting a class. No, that wasn’t right, he thought as he calmed down. It had said there were no effects ‘right now.’ She hadn’t exactly lied but told a half-truth. Fine, he wouldn’t strangle the snarky construct—only half-strangle.

He sighed. What other things were his stats doing that he didn’t know about? He wished he had someone to ask these things to, as inspecting his stats gave no additional information.

But that would be for later. Now that he knew that wisdom increased his understanding of mana and possibly other things, he had to see how much more he could innately understand about his mana.

Drake started the same process as before, now casting his Mana Bolt. Beginning with a light walk, he chanted the spell.

“Manifest my pow—Ow! I bit my tongue…” he whimpered.

He had been able to start reciting his spell, but concentrating on so many things had put the actual words far from his mind.

Making sure he wouldn’t trip, the flow of his mana, making sure the mana was being channeled into his hand for the magic circle. It was a lot at once. But he had been able to do it for the most part.

Drake didn’t feel a blockage like he had when he tried to sense his mana while moving at his current top speed before. Which meant that with enough practice and levels, he could do this. He smiled; that was all he needed to know for now.

Chapter 12.5

The Weirdo in the Forest

“Hey, did you hear that?” Chelsea asked.

“No? What did you hear? Was it another ape?” asked Megan.

“No, it came from over there. It sounded like a person,” Chelsea answered, pointing in the direction she heard the voice.

They both moved quietly through the forest as quickly as they could toward the voice. Megan trusted Chelsea’s perception, as she had upgraded into a Ranger class with a skill that made it scale to her already-high dexterity.

After a few meters, Megan was able to hear the faint voice that Chelsea mentioned.

“Mani… my… po—Damn it! Manifest m… pow… Manifest my power. Mana B—Ughhh!” the voice said, at first faint but growing clearer as they got closer.

They both poked out behind a tree to look at the voice’s source. It was a man. He looked awful. He was covered head to toe in blood, most of his clothes had holes and tears in them, and he had no weapon, running in a straight line while trying to cast the basic Mage skill Mana Bolt.

Is he hurt? wondered Megan.

“We should see if he’s alright…” whispered Megan, about to step out from behind the sycamore tree. But Chelsea’s hand stopped her.

Megan turned to look at her, a look of entreatment having come over her face, almost begging Chelsea to let her just quickly check on the obviously deranged man.

But Chelsea held a stern look, shaking her head. “That weirdo is dangerous… Let’s get back to the group,” she whispered back, and she began to drag Megan backwards as they walked.

Megan looked over her shoulder at the man, feeling a pang of guilt that she wasn’t able to help him. This new world was dangerous, and strangers were dangerous, she knew that. But she at least wanted to show some kindness where she could.

They both arrived back at their group a few minutes later. A glowering Chris with crossed arms was waiting to greet them. “Where did you two go off to?” he asked, irritation obviously bubbling beneath his scowl.

“Foraging and looking for wild game. The animals that aren’t monsters are getting scarce,” answered Chelsea.

“And why. Did you not bring more people? You know what’s out there, and what people will do if they find Megan. It’s dangerous!” Chris said, voice slowly raising to a shout as the rest of the group noticed the commotion.

“Sorry! It was my fault. I wanted to gather some food for everyone and asked Chelsea since she’s quick and resourceful,” Megan piped up, coming to her friend’s defense.

Chris sighed but turned his scowl back at Chelsea. “You should know better by now. Mr. Park has already been kidnapped, we don’t need another mess like that,” he chided. “Did you find anything at least?”

“No, but we—” Chelsea started but was interrupted by Megan.

“Nope! Sorry, we didn’t find anything,” Megan said, giving Chelsea another entreating look.

“Alright then… We’re packing up and going deeper into the forest, we need to get class upgrades for everyone else,” Chris finally finished, turning towards the rest of the group and repeating his statement.

Chelsea looked back at Megan as Chris left. “Why did you do that? We should have just told him about that bloody weirdo.”

“You know how Chris can be, Chels, he would go and find him to remove the danger, and he would bring everyone,” Megan said, thinking back on the fights that had broken out when their group had met others.

When people had begun receiving their upgraded classes and specializing, Chris had gotten possessive toward the group, especially Megan. There was also what had happened the last time they met another group in the woods. Chris had gone to negotiate with them and returned in a mess of cuts, saying that they had tried to force him to give up the group’s healers. After that, he adopted a policy of ensuring no danger got close to the group, especially people that might be dangerous.

Megan was now an upgraded Cleric class called an Acolyte of Light, and her skills allowed her to buff groups of allies, heal, and cleanse debuffs. This made her a target for groups needing a healer. It was the reason Mr. Park, another of their group’s healers, had been snatched up and taken. He had been at the river with his cudgel out. The weapon had marked him as a healer, becoming his downfall. Now everyone kept their classes hidden as much as possible, keeping their weapons in their inventories until they needed them, along with any identifying armor—as long as it wasn’t life-threatening not to wear—that may give them away.

But despite that, Megan still looked into Chelsea’s eyes with an expression of pleading; she still desired to do something kind and keep the secret of that man alone in the forest, not wanting to cause a manhunt.

And after a few moments of their staring contest, Chelsea sighed and gave up, bringing Megan into a light hug. “Fine… but it’s on you then, Miss Teacher’s pet. I don’t want to get chewed out again,” Chelsea said softly. And they both smiled at each other, joining the rest of the group.

“What was that all about?” someone asked the approaching pair.

“Oh, Tom. It was nothing that serious, Chris was just worried like always. We went out to find everyone some more food but came up empty…” Megan said, her eyes slightly downcast.

“It’s not that big a deal, Megan! We have plenty of food left, so keep your head up! Both of you. You’ve both contributed more than anyone could ask for,” Tom said, waving his hands, trying to comfort the pair.

“Thanks, Tom. But getting chewed out like that by our fearless leader is starting to get old,” Chelsea rebutted.

“That’s not fair, Chels. You know he’s only doing it because he’s worried,” Megan chided.

“Yeah, about you.” Chelsea smirked. “It’s fine, I was just poking fun,” she said, wrapping her arm around Megan’s.

Tom looked at both of them a little nervously, like he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure if he should. But with her new skills as a Ranger, Chelsea was observant enough to notice his body language.

“What’s the matter, Tom? Something happen?” Chelsea asked.

“Well… I don’t want to say,” his voice dropped to a whisper, “but some of the people have been talking, you know. About Chris and how things are going.”

“Ah. That… Just keep your head down and don’t talk to anyone about it again. Now shoo!” Chelsea said, motioning her hands to push him away.

Tom just nodded and walked back to the group, a look of resignation across his face.

“What did he mean, Chels?” Megan said, looking at her friend.

“Nothing you have to worry your sweet, pretty head over, Megs,” Chelsea assured her, bringing them both towards their remaining gear further in the makeshift camp.

Chelsea kept what Tom had mentioned from Megan. She knew how much she adored the man, regardless of his… flaws. Everyone had begun to notice how anyone who was getting too near his level would suddenly disappear, or get gravely injured in a fight for one reason or another.

But many of them had looked past and ignored it because, with all honesty, he had kept them together. And maybe they were not thriving, but they were at least surviving. And most of all, Chelsea had grown to admire Megan.

She truly worked harder than anyone else. She had always been on top of healing everyone and buffing the frontliners and rear guard, even going out of her way to find food and stopping pointless fights when people were scared. And Chelsea wouldn’t let that insidious bastard sink his teeth into Megan, no matter how much Megan liked the creep.

Chapter 13

I Invoke the Name of Kennyphoon

It was the fourth day of the tutorial and Drake looked like he had gone completely mad. In his journey to master casting while moving, Drake had begun to talk more than he ever had in his entire life. While he walked, while he ate, while he scanned the surroundings for monsters, while he fought monsters, while he was looting, even while he did his… business, he talked. To anyone else, he must have looked like a deranged lunatic, constantly mumbling. But it was something he needed to do, so he couldn’t be bothered to care.

Drake constantly kept his mouth moving to train his speech enough that he could easily speak while he fought and ran around. That he could always be ready to cast his spell at a moment’s notice, no matter the situation. He had actually taken the practice so far that his voice went hoarse and his throat became so dry it cracked and damaged him. It forced him to stop for a short time as he ran around trying to find the river, cursing that he still hadn’t found anything to put the water into.

It was difficult for him since he hadn’t really been an extrovert most of his life. The most he spoke was during online games, when he would curse at his teammates through voice chat or hang out with some friends in online apps. And those experiences couldn’t compare to his constant exhaustion, his mind hazy with overexertion, overdosing on the consistent stream of adrenaline from fighting fantastically hairy monsters.

He had forced himself to talk as fast as he could. At first, he had constantly bitten his tongue and cheeks while jogging, then he had trouble enunciating the words. Having to learn to breathe in-between words correctly was harder than anything he had done before, surprisingly. It was almost like he was learning to sing or recite a long speech, all without becoming winded or incoherent. And that was just while running.

When he tried it while fighting, he wanted to cry tears of blood. The amount he had to split his attention already while fighting was hellish. Add in controlling his mana and casting his spell, and he fell apart every time, having to resort to stationary casting.

But he could guess what would help him as he looked at his wisdom stat.

WIS: 70

He needed to gain his last level, to hit the 100-stat threshold. Presumably getting his upgraded class would help too. When his other stats passed 100, Drake noticed something had changed. With his intelligence he began to hit slightly harder, and with his vitality, he had seen a bigger percentage increase with his regeneration. He was hoping that doing the same to his wisdom would improve his concentration and perception of mana, not to mention finally allowing him to confidently move while casting in battle.

Drake glanced at his almost completed quest.

Subjugation Quest: 8 of 10 Warrior Vampiric Apes

Just two more to go. And I know that I’m on the cusp of reaching level 10, Drake thought.

Finally he felt like he was catching up. He hoped that with his class upgrade, he would be able to finally hit his stride.

Now he just had to find the last two Warriors.

Drake had again slept in a tree during the night, but thankfully didn’t have another rude awakening, allowing him to do his business in peace and clean up a little in the river.

Stretching his cramped neck, he set out, ready to go find the last two monsters for his quest. He started traveling back into the forest, still practicing speaking as he ran.

“My name is Drake, I like to eat cake, but I wish I had steak, my lord does my body ache,” he rhymed, doing his best to keep his breath even while he ran at a steady pace.

“Two more to go, then I’m gonna show, even that hoe? That one didn’t make sense, the construct wasn’t even a real person, she can’t be promiscuous… or can she? Ayo?!” he rambled, then shouted as he finally spotted a pair of Warrior Vampiric Apes walking in tandem ahead.

The apes of course heard him rambling and turned at the noise, a look of animalistic ferocity in their eyes. They charged at Drake just like all monsters here, but not before Drake rapidly fired off five Mana Bolts at the first charging beast, showing the results of his full day of practice.

The barrage of Mana Bolts pelted the ape, two finding their way to its head, stopping it dead in its tracks and forcing the second one to jump over the corpse.

Drake sent another three Mana Bolts right at the flying Warrior Ape. It jumped, becoming an easy target, which Drake swiftly took down in quick succession. “And that’s a wrap, everyone! Thank you, thank you. Wow, these life-and-death struggles really do cut your learning curve,” Drake cheered as he bowed to an imaginary audience for a standing ovation.

As Drake jokingly held an Oscar and thanked countless people who may or may not have just been anime characters, he opened his notifications, already expecting what would be there.

You have subjugated Warrior Vampiric Ape level 8.

Experience earned. 400 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Warrior Vampiric Ape level 9.

Experience earned. 500 TP have been awarded.

Quest complete: 10 out of 10 Warrior Vampiric Apes

You have been awarded experience.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage level 10.

14 FP have been awarded.

Quest complete!

Congratulations! You have reached Mage level 11.

14 FP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage level 12.

14 FP have been awarded.

Quest complete!

Would you like to accept rewards?

Drake pumped his arms up and down, happy he had finally reached his milestone. And thanks to the absurdly generous quest reward he jumped right to level 12. The jubilation of seeing his hard work pay off rose like a flood inside him.

The quest reward prompts hovered in front of him, and it was hard to decide which one to choose first. Drake kept going back and forth between the two, really trying to work out which of them he really wanted to see the most. He was like a kid on Chrysler’s Day trying to figure out which present to open first, as if it was the most momentous event in their lives.

Finally, Drake decided he would accept the Warrior Ape quest reward first.

With that, Drake walked away from the fight, mumbling to himself, as his training had quickly transformed constant talking into a habit. He picked the direction of the river, as he had met his goals for today and wanted to clean himself off before night fell.

He stopped briefly once he was far enough away from the previous fight and sat down with a thump, accepting the prompt for the quest.

Warrior Vampiric Ape subjugation quest complete.

Would you like to accept rewards?

Yes < No

Drake accepted the prompt, excited to see what would be in his gift from the big, fat system Santa.

Reward accepted. Please roll for item rarity.

He was prompted again to roll once he accepted, just like it had done with the Vampiric Ape quest.

This again, huh. I guess because it’s a random stone, so it’s sticking with making it a type of gacha. Is this going to be a thing forever? I’ll just have to use my ultimate secret ability technique then! Drake shouted internally.

Drake pulled out the black die from his inventory and warmed it in his hands. But before he threw it out, he changed his seating position. Sweeping his legs under himself so he was in a bowing pose, he dramatically heaved forward into an over-done bow, slamming his head into the ground hard enough to break the skin on his forehead.

“Oh, Gacha Gods! Please bestow on this one the luck of the legendary Kennyphoonmiester! May this poor, unworthy soul be given but a shred of their RNG prowess and high roll!” he shouted into the ground, his head still on the forest floor.

Drake had no way to accurately tell time here, and since this was reality, he had no patch day to wait for lucky rolls. So, he invoked his secret technique, his trump card, his RNG trap card. He asked for help from the singular luckiest son of a bitch he had ever met in the entirety of his online gaming career, Kennyphoonmiester.

The man had hit top rolls in almost every game with some sort of RNG mechanic he had ever touched. Loot boxes, wheels of fortune, Russian roulette, you name it. Once, he had even joined a mobile game Drake was playing just to use the new player free rolls, only to hit triple SSR-rated meta characters and then quit right after just to spite Drake and prove he was an RNG God.

If anything was going to work, this would, and Drake knew he would hit a nat 20 it as he threw the die across.

The die rolled and tumbled, finally coming to a stop—17.

“IT’S A LIE! IT’S ALL A LIE!” Drake cried, slamming his fists into the ground. A moment later, a small stone hit the back of his head, falling to the ground in front of him. Still wailing in pain from his missed high roll, Drake reached out his hand to retrieve the stone, identifying it.

Skill Stone: Transcendence [Rare]

Unlocks a random skill from the Transcendence tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot and 1 Mage main tree or subtree branch unlocked.

Drake sat up, straight as a pole, his tears suddenly dry. “Well, it isn’t a max roll, but it’s our first rare skill!” he said. “It’s alright, we were just saving the big one for the grand finale!” he shouted, looking at the final reward prompt.

You have reached Mage level 10. You may now upgrade your class.

Quest complete!

Would you like to accept rewards?

Yes < No

Drake again mentally accepted. Another familiar prompt replaced the acceptance screen, but there was something different in the rollout of text.

Please roll twice for item rarity.

Primary roll for main class tree skill stone.

Secondary roll for class specific skill stone.

Please roll thrice for class advancement selection.

Once you have rolled, you will be presented with a list of classes based on each individual roll.

Wow, so I have to roll a total of five times? That means I have some pretty good odds of getting a decent class and items, then.

Drake picked up the die to roll for the items. Dropping it to the ground from in his sitting position, it bounced and tumbled until it finally came to a stop, a 20 staring back at him.

“Hell yeah!” he shouted, immediately jumping up and throwing his fist into the air.

A stone winked into existence in front of him, dropping next to the die. This stone was different from the others. It wasn’t clear but held an almost tan, porcelain color, much like the color of bones. He bent down and picked it up.

Main Class Tree Stone: Necromancer of the End [Legendary]

Unlocks the Necromancer of the End main class tree.

Requires 1 open main class tree slot and Mage base class level of 10 or more

Legendary side effect: May cause personality and race changes.

“Holy mother of RNG. We struck gold! I think… Race changes? Does that mean it turns you into a lich or something?” Drake mused excitedly, his voice dropping to a hushed tone as he finished reading the description.

“I’m happy I finally got a legendary stone, but can I even use it? And I’m not exactly sure I want to change into something associated with Necromancy, pretty sure those would all be like undead things,” Drake wondered, turning the stone over in his hand.

After a few seconds of thinking it over, he decided to wait on the stone until after he was done rolling, no use in rushing it when he had more rolls still.

Drake picked up the die again and tossed it to the ground with trepidation, still slightly shaking from the adrenaline from receiving a legendary. The die bounced and finally turned slowly, from 2 to 4, then 14, and finally came to a stop on 20.

He coughed up blood but quickly recovered when the stone materialized next to the die. His hand shakily moved to pick up both the stone and die.

Skill Stone: Necromancy [Legendary]

Unlocks 1 random Skill from the Necromancy tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot, unlocked Mage main tree or subtree branch.

Drake was speechless. He had rolled two nat 20s in a row, netting him two legendary stones, making his choice obvious as to what to do with them.

He began trying to, through trial and error, use the stone. Eventually he was able to trigger it by focusing on the stone and mentally willing it to be consumed, but a piercing headache struck when he did. A new notification popped up.

Unable to consume main class tree stone. You are already on a main class quest within the tutorial.

“Well, isn’t that just a bitch.” Drake squinted, disappointed. He had finally gotten something really good from this god-forsaken system, and he wasn’t even allowed to use it. What a scam, an injustice to the highest degree, he fumed.

After a few minutes of cursing into the air as there was nowhere to direct his complaints to, he eventually calmed down and tried to look on the bright side. He still had three chances to score a good class upgrade.

Pocketing the stones, he dropped the die with dead eyes, void of emotion.

The die clattered on the ground, rolling around. A 13, then turned to 19. Drake’s eyes filled back with life. But then it shifted with a twang, bouncing off the ground, 15. Drake’s eyes were now nervously shaking, sweat beginning to bead on his face. And it finally ceased moving, a 1 facing the sky.

Drake’s eyes turned to hazy glass spheres once again, as he mechanically lifted the die and dropped it again. He had to look on the bright side—he still had two chances to score a good class upgrade, he thought.

The die again sang with the sound of it hitting the ground, dancing along the bare dirt, teasing Drake. 18, then turning to 15, and back to 18, finally rolling to a stop. Another 1 stared back at Drake.

Drake moved like a broken doll for the die, a creaking almost audible when he shifted his body to pick the cursed thing up. Dropping it to the ground one final time, Drake looked ahead not having the heart to look down at the result.

He spotted a new notification in his vision and opened it up.

You have rolled 1, 1, and 1.

Generating class list.

Chapter 14

Dual Class

Drake laughed, but it wasn’t joyful. It wasn’t happy, and it wasn’t excited. It was a broken laugh that sounded almost like a sob. If anyone had seen him at that moment, they would have seen him crying tears of red liquid.

He felt betrayed. Being this unlucky was almost an impossibility. What were the chances? Like 1 in 8,000?

“It’s fine… Look on the bright side, a the classes can’t be too bad, right?” he mumbled as he chewed on his bottom lip, fighting back more tears.

Class list generated.

Please select one of the following classes.

Warrior <

Ranger

Cleric

Drake let out a wail.

He collapsed, dropping to the floor like a puppet with his strings cut. It really was that bad. It wasn’t funny anymore; no joke or way of coping would fix things this time. He couldn’t understand why his luck was so abysmal that his randomly generated upgrades weren’t even true upgrades.

Would he really have to pick one of these? What would that mean for him? Would he be stuck without a real class until his next advancement? Stuck with just one skill until 40? Drake placed his head in both his hands as he thought of the cold reality that might be.

Drake felt like he was coming loose, something in him falling apart. His resolve and hard work, fighting on the edge of a knife for days, was coming up empty.

He stood up and began walking forward, his mind a haze of questions and curses. He wasn’t sure of what he would do anymore, what he could do, so he just walked mechanically through the forest. He met some packs of Vampiric Apes here and there, for some reason they were more abundant. But Drake killed them just as mechanically as he walked. He cast his spells in a low monotone as he wreaked havoc on the monsters that charged at him, not caring if he was hit every now and then. He killed them all, not because he had a goal, but just because they decided to show up. He continued moving forward, ignoring the flashing notifications in his vision and his slowly draining health pool.

Eventually, he broke out of the forest onto an outcropping. A familiar sword stuck into a mound of dirt momentarily broke him out of his daze. Long enough for him to select the Warrior class and mentally confirm it.

You have selected class Warrior.

If you confirm this class, you will lose all current experience and be reset to level 1.

Are you sure you would like to choose Warrior?

Yes < No

Drake fell to the ground with his hands on his knees and wept. The system had won. It had broken his will to continue. He had worked tirelessly for days, each day harder than the last, alone. All just to see it be taken away, just like that.

Flashes of the last job he had worked flickered in his mind. He had been happy and content. He had gotten out of college and found a meaningful place of work at a tech firm as their graphic artist, making things they needed for advertisements. It wasn’t bad, the pay was good, and the people were cordial with him.

Then around Halloween, he had been asked to go to a party by a work colleague; it was a semi-large gathering with around fifty people. Some were from the firm and some friends, friends of friends. The usual.

He had met someone there while drinking. They had hit it off as they had similar interests. They both sat on the couch and talked each other’s ears off about their favorite shows and what they were looking forward to being released.

It got to a point that Drake had really come to like this girl, and he moved in to be more intimate, and they proceeded on the couch for a little. It had gotten late by that point, and Drake offered to take her home. When they had gotten back to her place, she had told him he wouldn’t be getting lucky tonight with a laugh and told him to just text her later to make sure he had gotten home safe.

He drove home in a good mood. At first he hadn’t even really considered going to that party but having met someone so cool there, now he was glad he did.

The next morning, he had gone to work the same as always and expected it to be another day, but it wasn’t. He was called down to HR. They told him that he had sexually harassed someone but wouldn’t say who, and that he would be terminated immediately as they did not tolerate such an offense.

Drake tried to reason with them and asked who exactly was accusing him, shocked that someone could even consider he would do such a thing and that such a one-sided decision could even be possible. He was losing his job, his livelihood. It wasn’t something that could be decided just like that, no questions asked.

But they didn’t listen. The decision had already been made. A man came into the room with his things, and he was told he would be escorted off the premises. He could only comply, nodding to their every word listlessly, as he was too shocked to do much else. His two full years of working hard for that company had been thrown into the trash, with no concern for his effort or wellbeing.

What the system was doing felt just that. Putting his effort into the trash. No remorse, no concern, nothing.

Drake felt cold, as if all the energy in his body suddenly left him. He languidly got to his feet and walked over to the grave, falling in a heap once there.

“Hey… It’s me again. Looks like this is where the line ends for me, haha… I said I wasn’t going to see your stupid face again, but here I am,” Drake said through his sniffling. “I thought I moved past copping out and giving up. But I just don’t know if I can do it all again. What if it just gets taken again, ripped out from under me, ya know?”

You can always just get back up and do it again. You’ve done it before, a familiar voice whispered in the back of his head.

“What the fuck do you know?!” Drake shouted. “Do it again?! That’s easy to say, but how many times am I going to work so hard just to never see the fruits of my labor?! If all it takes is one person saying I did something, or some god-forsaken overlord of a system giving me a shit hand, what’s the point!” he screamed, venting his anger out in front of him with a flourish of his arm.

Drake sunk back down, his head dipping into his crossed arms on his knees, feeling empty. He didn’t know how long he sat there. Eventually, that same voice from the start of the introduction spoke in his head.

Attention: Sufficient participants within the tutorial have reached level 10. The tutorial will now begin in earnest. Monsters will be raised to the minimum of [F-Rank] over the next 24 hours. Ladders will be generated based on participant level and TP.

Participants will be rewarded at the end of the tutorial (120 days), based on their rank.

Rewards will be given for removing other participants from the tutorial, and their TP and inventory contents will be given to the victor. Additional rewards will be given for the top 10 positions.

May you gain insight, power, and renown. And most importantly, survive.

The voice finished, and Drake couldn’t stop himself from taking a peek at the new notification for the ladder. Still sitting down in front of the mound of dirt and sword, he listlessly browsed the top spots. The board showed the top 100 with the top ten in bold. His own rank was at the very bottom of the screen, making it easy to find. He knew this was throwing salt on the wound, but he wanted to at least know where he stood, even if he had given up.

Top Level Leaderboard

Rank 1, Level 18: Bear

Rank 2, Level 15: Shigure Kenzo

Rank 3, Level 15: Your Savior

Rank 4, Level 15: Joker

Rank 5, Level 15: Chris Springs

Rank 6, Level 14: Super Megan

Rank 7, Level 14: Kristen Halwell

Rank 8, Level 14: Kohoo

Rank 9, Level 14: VitaminD

Rank 10, Level 14: Jason A.

…

Rank 20, Level 12: Shot

A pang of anger rose in him as Drake looked at the ladder. He wasn’t surprised to see Bear in first; the man was just a moving tank, after all. But it was surprising that he had caught up and made rank 20 completely alone, while some of these people were obviously in groups. That such progress would be reset dropping him down to last place only enraged him further.

At the bottom of the window was a participant counter showing how many people had been in the tutorial.

Participant Count: 4,542 of 5,000

Drake felt disgusted as he watched the counter visibly decrease tens, then hundreds of numbers at a time. Monsters were not doing this. It was people killing people. The system had turned this fight for survival into a literal bloodbath battle royale. He couldn’t stomach the feeling on top of everything else to check the tutorial point ladder again and promptly closed the window.

He returned to hopelessly sulking, the window asking to confirm his decision still hovering in front of him. Eventually, he was forced to cover his eyes as the glare from the rays of the twilight sun hit him. The reflection of the blade had caught him in the face.

As if jerking on strings, his body moved automatically. Standing up to get out of the way of the bright glare, looking down at the mound and the blade, placing his hand on the hilt of it.

Slowly, images of his fight here meandered through his head. His upset at the injustice done to this unknown person. How he had fought so hard to establish his goal in his heart. This time when he saw the images flash in his mind, he wasn’t upset, or angry, or sad like he had been before.

His struggles, the good and the bad, here and in the past, were a part of who he was and the experiences that shaped him. What had been done to him could not be changed, he could only control how he reacted. He mentally and physically hit himself. He had lost his way.

You can always try again, you’re still breathing, the voice in the back of his head said.

Drake wasn’t alright. Nothing would make what happened to him in his past acceptable. But just like that person said, he was going to carry on in spite of it. He might not be able to change the past, but he would be damned if he took it laying down for his future. He gripped the hilt of the sword tightly and pulled it from the ground. This new world wanted to keep him down and he admitted it was beating his ass, but if nothing else he was a sturdy son of a bitch. The road to the end wasn’t a straight line. It had its ups and downs, and there was only up from here, he thought.

He suddenly heard another voice in the back of his head. One from a friend that had been a father figure to him, even more than his own had.

Bad shit happened to you. It sucks and it isn’t fair. Now get over it and move on. Let it be a lesson learned and nothing else. Stay focused and stay on that grind, the voice said.

Drake smiled with renewed determination, affirming that he had been here before, but he was ready to get up and move on. This time, he even mostly managed it on his own. Progress. A moment later he mentally hit confirm and started again.

“Fine, Grumps, I’ll get off my ass and keep it moving. Fucking asshole…” Drake scoffed. Still, he was smiling.

You have reached level 1.

You have selected Warrior.

You already possess a starter class. The classes will be merged.

You’ve merged the classes to [Unique] Mage x Warrior level 1.

New skill learned: Heavy Blow

Heavy Blow

Heavy Blow can be cast by chanting, “Power through force, Heavy Blow!”

Cost: Small amount of stamina

Cast Time: Instant

Damage: 1 to 1 ratio based on STR

You have gained the title Dual Class.

Dual Class

You’ve gone back to the start, but all is not lost. The trail is long and hard but rewarding. +20 to all stats. Extensive increased requirement to experience for level gain.

New Class Quest: Reach Mage level 10

Reward: Class upgrade, main-class skill stone, class-specific skill stone.

New Class Quest: Reach Warrior level 10

Reward: Class upgrade, main-class skill stone, class-specific skill stone.

“Oh, this is just like that game. What the fu—” Drake started to scream but never got the chance, as he was tackled by a Vampiric Ape mid-sentence.

Chapter 15

A Promise

“Shit!” Drake howled as the ape hit him like a runaway train. Tumbling to the ground, Drake managed to get up quickly, scanning the surroundings for the ape. When he saw the ape, it looked different.

The Vampiric Ape was slightly bigger than normal and was clearly wilder, its mouth foaming as it glared at Drake.

Drake took no time to point his staff in his left hand and aim at the beast, quickly chanting his Mana Bolt spell. But the ape surprisingly dodged the bolt with deft accuracy, charging again at Drake.

He shuddered at the increased speed the beast was showing, but chanted bolts at the charging beast nonetheless.

The ape continued to dodge the bolts as it closed in on him, forcing Drake to go into a melee.

“Joke’s on you! I’m also a Warrior now!” Drake shouted as the ape collided with him once again. Drake shoved his sword and staff in front of him with trembling hands, bracing for the impact. Surprisingly he didn’t budge and was actually holding the ape back.

What’s going on? I should only be level 1? He shouldn’t have the strength to stop a Vampiric Ape with level 1 stats.

The ape wasn’t about to wait for him to figure it out, as it pulled and clawed at the weapons barring it to get to Drake.

Drake refocused and pushed back with all the force he could muster. And with astonishment, Drake did, even slashing the ape across the chest with his sword.

The ape howled in pain, grabbing at its now-bleeding chest, allowing Drake the moment he needed to chant a point-blank Mana Bolt right into the ape’s chest, blowing a hole through it.

“What in the world is going on? That ape was obviously stronger than normal ones, but I still killed it in essentially one bolt. And what was up with my bloody strength there?” Drake asked aloud.

Drake looked at the kill notification for the Vampiric Ape.

You have subjugated Vampiric Ape [F-Rank] level 11.

Experience earned. 550 TP have been awarded.

“F-Rank? Did the monsters get an upgrade already? And it’s level 11! What tomfoolery is going on here, Mr. Nook?” Drake said, bringing up the next notifications.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage x Warrior level 2.

28 FP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage x Warrior level 3.

28 FP have been awarded.

I got 28 free points per level?! What in the world is going on? This doesn’t add up, Drake thought, quickly opening his stats.

Drake Wallen

Race: Human

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Class: [Unique] Mage x Warrior level 3

VIT: 160

STR: 104

DEX: 94

INT: 226

WIS: 122

END: 87

Free Points: 98

Skills: Mana Bolt, Heavy Strike

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge, Close Call, Dead Man Walking, Dual Class, Punching Up, Improbability

Again, Drake dropped to his knees. He roared in a guttural voice to the heavens and laughed loudly, so much so that he became hoarse. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Does the system hate love me or hate me? What kind of toxic relationship am I getting into? Drake thought as he viewed his stats. The stats from his 12 levels as a Mage had remained, as had his free points.

Drake could barely process what he was looking at, tightening his hands around his weapons until there was a crack, and then a sudden snap of wood.

“Oh fuck! No, no, no…” he hurriedly said, looking down at the remains of his wooden staff.

“No, no! Don’t worry, little buddy, I’ll fix you right up, good as new!” he rambled, trying to put the pieces back together like a puzzle. Finally he was getting it to a semblance of its former majesty, then cautiously he raised it into the air and inspected it.

Broken Novice Wooden Staff

A staff made from wood, now broken into itty-bitty pieces.

Damage: 0, because it’s broken.

Attack Speed: 0, you could try throwing it at stuff though.

Casting Speed: 0, just use your hands, dummy!

“You know. I don’t like being called out in this manner. I just went through a horrendously traumatic experience,” Drake joked, his mood slightly lightening.

Drake thought it truly was the end for him, or at least the beginning of a long climb back to normal, but it turned out to not be as bad as he thought.

Checking some of the stats he found that he was gaining twice as many free points, which must be due to having technically two classes. He must have also been gaining the Warrior base stat bonus with each level as well, which would explain how his strength had jumped to a whopping 104.

His other stats were no slouches either. He had broken past 200 intelligence, and his previously abysmal endurance and dexterity were now almost breaking through the 100-stat threshold. He could only attribute it to his three new titles.

Dual Class

You’ve gone back to the start, but it is not all lost. The trail is long and hard but rewarding. +20 to all stats. Extensive increased requirement to experience for level gain.

Punching Up

You have subjugated a being a full rank above your own. This is no small feat and normally impossible. +30 to all stats.

Improbability

You have subjugated a foe 10 levels above your own. Although the odds were stacked against you, you prevailed. +5 to all stats.

Drake gaped at the bonuses. These titles alone accounted for 55 points to all his stats. But the Dual Class title had a horrifying implication with its demerit. If he was required to gain more experience than normal, he would have to face double the number of mobs and danger at minimum to get the same return as anyone else. But with double the stat bonuses, he supposed it was fair.

The amount of work he would have to do though would go up exponentially. Would there even be enough monsters here for him to kill to level up by the end?

If this system keeps the trend it’s shown so far, the stat gains will go up just as exponentially if there isn’t a level cap. I could gain endless titles and could increase my stats thanks to basically being ten levels higher than what my status window shows, Drake thought.

Drake now felt much more optimistic. He was still bitter that he was forced to level again, but he had inadvertently gained a huge boon in terms of future value. It might be slow going, but he would be getting the stats of two levels for every one he obtained, and because of his stats carrying over, he was able to kill a monster ten levels above him. It was a welcomed compensation.

Finally done going over his new stats and grieving for his lost comrade for whom he would seek vengeance for in the coming battles—Those damn dirty apes! How dare they do that to Frank!—he walked over to the stone dropped by the Vampiric Ape.

Skill Stone: Strength [Uncommon]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Strength tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot, unlocked Warrior class tree or subtree branch.

This was something new, Drake thought curiously. He hadn’t seen a skill stone like this from any of the previous apes. Was it because it had evolved to F-Rank? He would have to pay attention to his future drops.

He looked at the fading sun over the horizon, then back at the newly acquired blade in his hand. Normally he’d be tired around now, but he wasn’t. Was it his endurance? It had made an incredible jump along with his dexterity. And he still had free points to spend, now that he thought of it. But those would have to wait until he got used to his new physical stats. He wanted to make sure he was distributing the large sum in a practical way to match his new goals. And if he was being honest, after what he had just done to that ape—even before he gained his titles for killing it—he wasn’t feel in a rush to use them just yet.

Drake wanted to go test out his new stats and new Warrior skill immediately, but looking again at the waning sun, he would have to stop for now and find a place to rest and hole up for the night. He really hoped he would gain some source of lighting soon. Resting at night instead of hunting felt like a waste of time, especially since he wasn’t tired.

He turned to the mound of dirt, now marked by ‘Frank the Broken Staff,’ and said, “Looks like I’m going again. Don’t miss me too much. I’ll be back soon enough this time, though. I’m going to come back when the tutorial’s over. Next time, when I’ve turned into someone stronger and unrecognizable. When I can say goodbye to my weak and indecisive self for good.” He smiled and began to turn towards the treeline. “No takesies backsies this time.”

Chapter 16

New Stats

Night fell before Drake could encounter any monsters, forcing him to shelter in a tree. He was stronger, but he didn’t believe he was ready to go wandering around in the dark just yet. All night he stayed wide awake, perched in the tree with nothing to do but watch the sky. He hadn’t noticed it before, as he had always passed right out when his head hit the pillow—or branch in this case—being exhausted day in and out. He still felt the mental fatigue and a sliver of the physical, but he was certainly leagues above his limits from before.

But when Drake gazed at the sky, he noticed a lack of… well, everything. There were no stars, no moon. Everything was pitch black. He could hear things flying above him every now and then, but without anything to reflect light, he couldn’t see shit. Well, that wasn’t true; he could see subtle flickers of red and orange which he assumed were eyes, as they came in pairs. But Drake wasn’t exactly good with scary stuff, so those he chose to ignore.

After a few hours of staring into nothingness, wondering if he was actually still on Earth or if the lack of celestial bodies meant this was somewhere else, he got bored and went over his stats a bit more. “Well, at least people won’t be asking what sign I am here,” he chuckled.

He looked at his two sub-100 stats, dexterity and endurance, and decided to at the very least round them out. 19 points each got them past their thresholds, bringing his free points down to 79. Now Drake was certain he wouldn’t need any sleep tonight, a sure side effect of hitting the endurance threshold. As for dexterity, he felt no immediate difference, making him uncertain of what it affected. Maybe it increased his reaction time or processing speed. Since he was unable to test it at the moment, he moved on.

His strength had also gone past the threshold, but he hadn’t noticed a change until fighting the apes. That he could now stop a charging silverback gorilla was fairly hard to miss, but at first, the change had eluded him. What also struck him as odd was that his physical stature hadn’t changed much, as he poked his slightly protruding belly.

“I’m not fat, I’m just big boned…” he muttered to no one in particular. But outside of a lack of food making him slightly slimmer, he was surprised at how little the stats affected him cosmetically.

A few more hours into the night, Drake had gotten very bored and started theorycrafting what his focus should be now that he had two classes. His anime fanaticism flared for the rest of the night. He imagined a grand wizard, decimating swathes of enemies with a single spell. A warrior that crushed anything and everything under their grip. And funny enough, he thought of a particular double-ponytailed school girl wielding an overly large talking scythe, with a finishing move he wanted to try in particular. In his imagination, the possibilities were endless.

He honestly couldn’t decide, and that made his decision for him. He was now a cross-class, just like in the good old days of that game—which had some eerie similarities to this system. And that class had been an all-rounder, or a jack-of-all-trades type, that focused on the fundamentals and used stat bonuses, items, and the like to increase those basics to an absurd level. He wanted to feel that again, and he had an inkling that he would be able to. So his next goal was to make his class and stats into the perfect all-rounder.

A final sweep of his status showed that he had gotten a new title.

Rounded

You are well rounded. Reach 100 in all stats. +1 to all stats.

“Am I a joke to you?” Drake asked incredulously, looking up into the void. But he dismissed the system’s jab, just happy for more stats and a new milestone.

He just needed skills to work from now. And for that, he needed to hit level 10 again and reach his class upgrades as quickly as possible.

Around six hours into the night, daylight was soon coming. Drake wracked his brain, trying to think of things he needed and wanted to do during the coming days. After a few more minutes of ironing out his checklist, he suddenly remembered the other leaderboard for tutorial points. Willing the leaderboard open, he changed the window from the leveling board to the one for TP, not missing that while some of the names in the leveling board had changed and some had even just disappeared, Bear was still head and shoulders ahead of the pack.

Going through the ladder, he had noticed that most of the standings were similar to the level ladder, which made sense as everyone else most likely had the same experience threshold. They would all need to kill a similar number of monsters for experience, resulting in a similar TP reward. Drake looked at the bottom of the window and saw his rank and TP.

Rank 27: Shot [10,700TP]

To see he had dropped a few places in the standing left him downtrodden, but he was also curious at the discrepancies he saw in some places.

Rank 1: Bear [23,803TP]

Rank 2: Chris Springs [18,503TP]

They weren’t the only ones a few spots above their level rankings. Perhaps some quests were starting to give TP as a reward—or these people were actively killing other participants and taking their TP.

I wonder why some of the standings end in a three? You can’t get half points, right? he thought in passing.

Drake had been an avid PvPer in many games. Even the one he had modeled his Dual Class after had been centered around it, revolving around three races fighting for supremacy of limited resources. But this? This was something else entirely, he couldn’t understand why people would murder others for a spot on a leaderboard and rewards. He wasn’t necessarily opposed to self-defense and protecting you and yours, but this was on an entirely different scale. But he conceded that perhaps he remained stuck in the old ways of his previous world’s sensibilities. Maybe this was just the norm in this new cutthroat reality, fighting over resources even if it meant crushing other humans underfoot.

The subject gave him mixed feelings, and he just couldn’t come up with a black and white answer.

The break of dawn interrupted his internal turmoil. Drake sat, shielding his eyes with his hand as he squinted. He would plate his philosophizing for now.

There was a long list of things to get through today.

Drake dropped down from the tree with more ease than usual, landing softly on his feet, almost making no sound.

“Well, isn’t that kinda elf-like? Can I walk on snow now too?” he said aloud, a small crease spreading across his face.

First, I should get a handle on how these new inflated stats feel, he thought.

Drake looked around for a tree a few meters from him. “Yeah, that should be about right.” He had singled out a tree that would have taken him around thirty seconds normally to sprint to.

He got into a starting sprinter’s stance and took off for the tree. The world around him blurred as he took long, swift strides, reaching his destination in less than ten seconds. He just stared blankly at his starting location, amazed with himself. He had reduced his travel time by more than 70%. And he was still breathing evenly.

“I’m a god damned superhero! Haha!” he chortled. “I wonder if that means I can leap over tall buildings in a single bound and smash rocks with my bare fists,” he joked, grinning ear to ear.

But then he thought about it more seriously. He sized up the tree now beside him. It was around five meters tall, give or take. Drake crouched down as if to turn himself into a compressed spring and pushed off the ground with all his strength, launching himself into the air.

Reaching his apex, he waved his arms wildly, seeing over the top of the tree next to him. The next moment, he began his rapid return to the ground, screaming and flailing all the way. He somehow managed to keep himself upright enough that he landed on his feet.

Drake huffed as he released his held breath and soon checked his body to see if anything was broken. But surprisingly, he was fine, his body fully pain-free.

He then looked towards the trunk of the tree and placed his fist against it, squaring up to it. “Please don’t break my hand,” he mumbled, bringing his fist back and letting loose a right hook with all his might. There was a loud crash and the splintering of wood as a cloud of dust kicked up below the tree. The dirt settled, revealing his fist sunken into the trunk halfway up his forearm.

Drake was a little disappointed that he hadn’t felled the thing in one blow like a scene from an anime but was more than satisfied with the results.

“I’ll have to come up with a super cool hero name now. Maybe turn an old insulting nickname into my moniker to take power away from it and show I’m above the bully that stuck me with it. Maybe.” Drake smiled.

Through some more tests, Drake got the gist of his capabilities. But there was a problem.

“I’ve never used a sword before yesterday. In my backyard maybe, but we don’t talk about those days.” He coughed. “I know that you slash them and stick them with the pointy end, but that’s where my expertise ends.”

He tried some practice swings but stopped soon after, thinking he looked silly. “I guess I’ll just have to learn through repetition and guessing. Nothing new there. This whole place has just been one big learning experience anyway.”

Deciding to put more time into learning how to properly swing a sword later, he moved on to the next thing he wanted to know. Could he cast while holding the sword? He certainly couldn't use poor Frank anymore.

Novice Iron Sword [Common]

A starter iron sword made from what looks like… iron.

35 – 37 Physical Damage

5 – 13 Magic Damage

Attack Speed: Normal

Cast Speed: Slightly Slow

“Oh, system, you’re so funny,” he said flatly.

Magic damage and cast speed were listed in the description, so it must be viable as a casting tool. He pointed the tip of the sword towards the same unfortunate tree, reciting his spell.

“Manifest my power, Mana Bolt!” A blue magic circle formed at the end of the blade, but the mana flowing into the weapon felt hobbled and rough, like he was squeezing it through a too-tight straw. It took a total of five seconds to fully manifest the bolt, several seconds longer than it took with his bare hands. After shooting out of the blade tip normally, the bolt hit the tree and punched a fist-sized hole all the way through both it and the tree behind it.

Nice damage, but that cast time… That’s a problem, Drake confessed to himself. It was good that he now knew, as long as a weapon had the magic damage and cast stat, he could channel magic through it, but obviously some weapons were better suited to the task than others. And this one just wouldn’t do.

He ended up deciding to stick with casting through his free hand. The quicker cast time was ultimately more valuable than the sword’s small damage increase.

“Now for the last and final test.”

Drake went off in a mad dash, circling the tree. Placing his hand in front of him trained on the tree, he felt the mana inside him, then began to cast.

“Manifest my power, Mana Bolt!”

After the two-second delay, a Mana Bolt flew from his hand but missed the tree, flying past it and punching a fist-sized hole through another tree, burning a second hole halfway through the trunk of the one behind it.

Drake shouted with glee and stopped as he curled his hands into fists. He was finally able to finish casting while running, and now he could RUN. Then he looked back at the tree he had failed to hit.

We’ll just ignore that I still can’t aim… he thought, sheepishly.

“Alright! Time to go find some monsties to hunt! No more slacking off!” he yelled, pointing his sword in a random direction as he ran off at full speed. Then he quickly tripped over an extended tree root, falling flat on his face.

“Okay, maybe not at full speed just yet…” he said, raising his beet-red face from the dirt and spitting some out of his mouth.

Chapter 17

That’s a Lot of Monsters

Drake got up and patted off the dirt from his face, not bothering with his ripped and tattered clothes.

“I’m going to have to find some new digs soon, or I might have to go running around naked,” he mumbled sarcastically, pulling at the tattered edges.

When he looked up, he saw a flash of gray pass through the trees. Drake immediately followed it, hoping it was a monster.

With his new stats he quickly caught up and was met with an angry, dog-faced monster, standing up to about as high as his chest and garbed in old-fashioned leather equipment, clutching a pickaxe in its hands. It snarled at Drake, baring its dog-like teeth.

But instead of fighting, the monster then turned again and ran, sounding like a hyena on some nature documentary.

With his new speed, Drake dashed forward to catch up with the beast, not wanting to let it get away. Once in range, he chanted his Mana Bolt and caught it in the leg.

The monster tumbled in a heap, dropping its pickaxe in the process. Drake picked up the pickaxe and placed it into his inventory. He then moved over to the fallen and limping beast.

“Don’t move. I don’t want to get too much blood on my new wardrobe,” he said, driving his sword into the head of the dog-beast.

Drake looted the monster’s armor right off its corpse and dropped it into his inventory, not wanting to get it any dirtier. He brought the cuirass out again, holding it with both hands to look at it.

Leather Cuirass [F-Grade Common]

A passable leather cuirass that offers a small amount of protection. +6% defense proficiency.

“Ohhh! F-grade equipment, and it’s leather, so I think I can use this without too much trouble. I am a Warrior now, right? And that should also mean…” Drake said, opening his notification.

You have subjugated Miner Gnoll [F-Rank level 10].

Experience earned. 150TP have been awarded.

New Subjugation Quest: Subjugate 30 Miner Gnolls [F-Rank]

Reward: Experience, 1 random [F-Grade] piece of equipment

Subjugation Quest: 1 out of 30 Miner Gnolls [F-Rank]

So there are gnolls, huh? Finally getting a little more fantasy-like with the monsters, Drake thought, looking at the gray-furred monster. He wondered what other kinds of creatures were going to show up, now that the system was sending out F-Rank monsters.

Drake pulled on the leather cuirass, and then the pants he had looted from the gnoll. They fit snugly over his ragged clothes, and still provided a comfortable range of motion. But if he had to complain about one thing, it was—“God, these pants are kinda tight around the family jewels. Got to stretch these bad boys out a bit.” He began doing just that with stretches and squats.

He was quickly interrupted by a howl similar to the gnoll from earlier. He hopped into a nearby tree for a better vantage point and to possibly get a drop on whatever was coming.

What eventually came into Drake’s line of sight was something he wasn’t expecting. A group of gnolls moved through the forest in his direction. Some were holding familiar pickaxes and others were holding swords and shields. A pair were even holding crossbows. But what caught Drake’s attention was the hooded one in a cloak, sitting safely behind the others.

That was a Mage, he was sure of it. No monster or man wore stuff like that without being one, he thought. Drake counted eleven gnolls in this group as they drew nearer. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to take on a group that large, but he didn’t get to make that decision, as an arrow embedded itself into his tree, forcing him to turn. A second arrow flew, hitting him in his right shoulder.

Drake fell from the tree, gripping the arrow now lodged in his shoulder. A moment later he landed on his back with a grunt, but quickly got to his feet to take cover. New arrows were already sinking into the ground where he had just been.

Ah! What the hell was that? How did they see me! Do they have some kind of long sight or detection skill?! Drake thought, grimacing from the pain of the arrow. But he didn’t get very long to think as he heard footsteps quickly surround him.

Drake tried to peek out from behind his tree to see the gnolls’ positions, only getting a momentary glimpse of the two crossbowmen. They sniffed at the trail of blood from the hit he’d taken. Looking in his direction they quickly fired.

He gasped in surprise and rolled out of the way to the side, right into a waiting miner Gnoll. The miner brought its pickaxe down, aiming right for Drake’s head. But he was much faster than he used to be and caught the shaft of the falling pick while driving the sword in his other hand deep into its abdomen, covering himself in its blood.

“Man, I just got these,” he whined.

Something whizzed through the air. He spun the skewered corpse towards the sound. Two more arrows burrowed themselves into the corpse.

Drake looked past the body to see seven more gnolls bearing down on him, pickaxes and swords raised at the ready.

He pushed forward with the pincushioned corpse into the mass of gnolls, quickly colliding with another Miner and pushing it to a tree. He pinned it through the corpse, stabbing it through its stomach.

Drake quickly pulled the sword from the bodies and tried to dodge behind another tree when a Mana Bolt soared inches from his nose, cutting off his escape.

He glanced in the direction of the bolt, and there was the hooded gnoll that he had seen earlier. It raised its hands at him and a bolt went flying from its hands again, directly at him.

Drake’s eyes widened at what he just saw. It can cast without chanting or delay?! he yelled inwardly, dropping to the ground to dodge the bolt.

He lunged again for the cover of a tree, barely evading a sword coming down on him from above.

Six more close fighters and three ranged. I have to take out the squishies in the back, then I can kite the—Fuck! Ah, that stings! Drake screamed inwardly and grimaced, touching the arrow still stuck in his shoulder gingerly. His mind worked overtime to think of a way of getting out of this situation alive.

He continued to move from tree to tree for cover, throwing bolts back at the Miners and the gnolls holding the shields. But his slow casting time was giving them the advantage.

Every time his hands lit up with the colors of magic, the gnolls had time to dodge and duck behind the trees. But not all of them were fast enough—Drake sniped another Miner that had been too slow.

His pursuers were down to eight. The three remaining that still bore shields covered the last two Miners as they charged forward towards Drake, slowly catching up.

He fired two more bolts behind him, but the shields easily turned them away. Drake clicked his tongue at that. Those shields were a problem. If only he had a fire spell, so he could just burn right through the things.

The gnolls were catching up to him now that they knew his Mana Bolts couldn’t penetrate their shields, forcing Drake to choose whether he was going to fight the five on one, or the two crossbowmen and the mage that had been besieging him with arrows and Mana Bolts. Running didn’t even cross his mind as an option.

He still wasn’t confident that he could win in a melee, he had just become a melee cross-class after all. But he wasn’t about to back down here, so he resolved himself and gritted his teeth as dashed madly at the crossbowmen, his stance low to the ground.

As he ran at a new breakneck speed, he chanted his spell. Halfway to the group of three, he released it. More arrows flew, one landing in front of him, one clipping his cheek. He then zagged to his right, a Mana Bolt passing right over his shoulder.

Drake moved as quickly as his new stats would allow, his Mana Bolt finally reaching one of the crossbowmen just as it was reloading its weapon. The remaining one barely managed to reload before Drake made it to them. Another Mana Bolt entered his vision, forcing him to jump the remaining distance.

He leapt, flying toward the Crossbowman-Mage pair, his sword raised over his head. “Power through force! Heavy Blow!” he shouted through a grimace. Another crossbow bolt flew, clipping his leather cuirass in the side. Drake collided with the crossbowman, and plunged his sword blade into its skull with his skill-infused swing.

The mage wasn’t perturbed in the slightest, and its hand glowed with power as a Mana Bolt flew out and caught Drake in the shoulder, pushing him back and off the body but ripping the arrow free. It fell in slow motion. Drake grabbed the arrow out of the air with swiftness and agility he didn’t know he had, throwing it back at the mage in recompense.

Drake slammed back to the ground, his thrown arrow finding the mage’s throat as it sunk to the ground in its death throes, lifeblood spilling onto the hungry earth.

He painfully gripped his shoulder for a moment, a sizable portion missing from it. He rose, seeing the remaining two miners and sword-n-boardsmen rushing his way.

He pelted them with his bolts to no avail. Unfortunately, he only hit were the raised shields, dealing no damage.

The group of five was getting uncomfortably close now. Drake pointed downward in front of the group as he chanted three bolts in succession, kicking up dirt in front of him.

Drake jumped backwards and fumbled with the dead bowman’s crossbow, plucking the arrow from the dead mage’s throat and loading it. As the dust quickly dissipated, Drake kneeled and took aim at the small cloud. The next moment, a sword-n-boarder pushed emerged, confused only long enough to take an arrow to the face.

It fell backwards as the rest of the gnolls came stumbling out of the dissipating cloud of dust. Drake pouncing, landing atop a Sword-n-Boarder and knocking them both to the ground.

The gnoll managed to hold on to its weapons and struggled to strike Drake as he knelt atop it. Drake pulled at the monster’s shield, peeling it away from its chest enough for him to slit the gnoll’s neck, killing it in a spat of bloody gurgling.

The two gnolls next to Drake didn’t miss a beat and brought their weapons down on him in an attempt to skewer him. But Drake rolled backwards just in time to dodge the pickaxe and sword—they only jabbed into their comrade’s corpse.

The remaining three gnolls roared in anger. But Drake did the same as he charged the last gnoll holding a shield. “Power through force! Heavy Blow!” he screamed, charging at the beast, his sword coming down on the monster’s raised shield but only sinking into the side of it, stuck.

Drake yanked and pulled at his stuck weapon, struggling against the gnoll. The two Miner Gnolls were hesitant to interfere, apparently afraid they may hit the other gnoll in the scuffle.

Eventually Drake managed to pull his sword away from the gnoll, the shield ripping away with it. The extra weight threw him off-balance, and he lost his grip on his weapon. It went flying over his shoulder.

Desperately, Drake rammed his body into the monster and wrestled it to the ground, placing it in a chokehold on top of himself. He gazed wild-eyed at the other two gnolls to see if they would intervene, but they remained indecisive. Drake chanted his Mana Bolt, pressing his hand against the gnoll’s head, never looking away from the eyes of the Miner Gnolls. The Warrior Gnoll flailed and bucked when it saw the magic circle appear next to its face, but was unable to break away from Drake’s iron grip.

After two seconds the bolt manifested, taking the gnoll’s head clean off.

Drake hurriedly threw the body at the Miners, casting another bolt as he got to his feet and picking up the gnoll’s dropped sword.

The gnolls panicked as one caught the body, falling to the ground with it on top. The other caught the Mana Bolt to the chest and coughed blood as it fell to the side. Drake quickly scrambled forward, crawling atop the last gnoll. His foot pushed down on the corpse it had caught, preventing it from moving. He decisively brought his sword down to kill the struggling monster.

Drake fell to his knees, rolling onto his back in exhaustion, looking at his status bars. His health was just over 50%, while his mana was comfortably at 70%. His stamina was drained, sitting at 10%.

“I can’t believe I made it through that,” he panted. “I swear if another monster finds me right now, they can just have me. Please, just take me now,” he guffawed.

Drake managed to sit upright and look around. There was far too much blood on and around him. He only waited long enough to scoop up the equipment and stones that spawned in motes of light, then made a dash in the direction of the river.

He wasn’t able to move at top speed, but he made excellent headway as he looked through the plethora of notifications with a grin.

You have subjugated Miner Gnoll [F-Rank] level 11.

Experience earned. 150 TP have been awarded.

You’ve subjugated Miner Gnoll [F-Rank] level 11.

Experience earned. 150 TP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage x Warrior level 4.

28 FP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Miner Gnoll [F-Rank] level 10.

Experience earned. 150 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Ranger Gnoll [F-Rank] level 13.

Experience earned. 350 TP have been awarded.

New Subjugation Quest: Subjugate 20 Ranger Gnolls [F-Rank]

Reward: Experience, 1 Random [F-Grade] piece of equipment.

You have subjugated Ranger Gnoll [F-Rank] level 13.

Experience earned. 350 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Mage Gnoll [F-Rank] level 15.

Experience earned. 750 TP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage x Warrior level 5.

28 FP have been awarded.

New Subjugation Quest: Subjugate 20 Mage Gnolls [F-Rank]

Reward: Experience, 1 Random [F-Grade] piece of equipment.

You have subjugated Warrior Gnoll [F-Rank] level 13.

Experience earned. 650 TP have been awarded.

New Subjugation Quest: Subjugate 20 Warrior Gnolls [F-Rank]

Reward: Experience, 1 Random [F-Grade] piece of equipment.

You have subjugated Warrior Gnoll [F-Rank] level 13.

Experience earned. 650 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Warrior Gnoll [F-Rank] level 13.

Experience earned. 650 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Miner Gnoll [F-Rank] level 10.

Experience earned. 150 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Miner Gnoll [F-Rank] level 10.

Experience earned. 150 TP have been awarded.

Subjugation Quest: 6 out of 30 Miner Gnolls [F-Rank]

Subjugation Quest: 2 out of 20 Ranger Gnolls [F-Rank]

Subjugation Quest: 1 out of 20 Mage Gnolls [F-Rank]

Subjugation Quest: 3 out of 20 Warrior Gnolls [F-Rank]

Chapter 18

The Outpost

The notifications crowded Drake’s vision, and he had to sweep them away. It was an amazing haul, and he hadn’t even looked at his stat gains or the items yet.

The gnolls had been a treasure trove of experience and equipment for him. As he approached the river Drake looked around for monsters. Finding none, he looked over at his now-itching shoulder. Surprisingly, it was slowly but visibly healing, the small bits of fiber blown off now being replaced. It was welcomed that he was healing, but seeing the process was objectively grotesque.

Finally arriving at the river bed, Drake watched the pristine flowing water. Drake sighed in relief, touching his shoulder again to see the progress. Seeing that it had stopped bleeding and a scar was forming, he jumped into the river and began scrubbing himself down.

He drank some water to refresh himself and then moved to the shoreline to dry off in the sun.

Drake sat on a nearby rock and pulled up his status, ready to distribute his free stats now that he’d gotten an idea of what he was lacking.

Drake Wallen

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Race: Human

Class: [Unique] Mage x Warrior level 5

VIT: 168

STR: 121

DEX: 101

INT: 243

WIS: 131

END: 101

Free Points: 127

Skills: Mana Bolt, Heavy Strike

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge, Close Call, Dead Man Walking, Dual Class, Punching Up, Improbability, Dog Hater, Rounded

Drake scoffed at his pooled free points—they were higher than some of his stats.

He looked at the new title with displeasure. “I’m not a dog hater! Those things were just dog-like!” Drake shouted into the air.

Dog Hater

Slay 10 harmless dog-like Gnolls. +5% Damage to Gnolls.

Drake sighed, completely worn out. He didn’t want to waste any more time complaining.

Looking back over his stats, he knew which he wanted to improve. His magic wasn’t strong enough to pierce the gnolls’ shields without a staff to amplify his damage, and he was only barely nimble enough to make it through those close combat fights. So he decided to increase his intelligence and dexterity by a large margin. Then he evened out his strength and wisdom to keep his melee damage and mana regeneration.

Drake Wallen

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Race: Human

Class: [Unique] Mage x Warrior Level 5

VIT: 168

STR: 151

DEX: 151

INT: 270

WIS: 151

END: 101

Free Points: 0

Skills: Mana Bolt, Heavy Strike

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge, Close Call, Dead Man Walking, Dual Class, Punching Up, Improbability, Dog Hater, Rounded

“Nice, this is looking pretty good. Now I better look over the stones and equipment to see if there’s anything I can use,” he thought aloud. “That was the largest pack yet, and I don’t think that was just a coincidence. I want to go back and try to figure out what was going on there…”

Drake opened his inventory and checked the various items and stones he had managed to pick up this time.

Skill Stone: Ranger [Uncommon]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Ranger tree.

Requires 1 or more open skill slots, and have an unlocked Ranger main tree or subtree branch.

Drake had gotten only two of these, so he suspected they came from the crossbowmen. The word Ranger somewhat screamed Ranger-type class and would explain how they could track him from such a distance.

He’d also gotten a few more strength skill stones, which made sense. But his crown jewel from the fight was certainly the last stone he had picked up.

Skill Stone: Mage [Uncommon]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Mage tree.

Requires 1 or more open skill slots and have an unlocked Mage main tree or subtree branch.

The rest of the loot wasn’t too notable; he had picked up a few more pairs of leather pants, cuirasses, and a cloak. He had checked out some of the shields but quickly put them back into his inventory. With a sword and shield occupying each hand, it left no hands free for casting, but the description of one item was quite interesting.

Sturdy Pickaxe [Common]

A sturdy-looking pickaxe that can be used for mining.

1 – 12 Physical Damage

1 – 4 Magic Damage

Attack Speed: Slow

Cast Speed: Slow

Drake pondered for a moment on the description’s implications. If there was a mine somewhere, it would make sense that he had killed a ‘Miner’ Gnoll, and there were plenty of anime and fantasy novels where mana and gems were connected.

Drake’s eyes turned to dollar signs at the possibility of an undiscovered mine.

While he waited for his clothes to dry, he practiced casting his Mana Bolts, firing them into the river. He had seen the Mage Gnoll shorten the cast time and wanted to do the same, but every time he tried to omit a word from the cast, it wouldn’t activate. He could feel the uninterrupted mana flow to his hand, but he wasn’t sure why the spell failed.

Finally stopping after several attempts of failure, Drake sat, pulling out the mage skill stone and rolling it around in his hand. Maybe the skills it gave would be the answer. If so, he may be stuck just having to wait.

When his clothes were adequately dried, he returned the stone to his inventory, running back in the direction he had come from.

When he arrived at the scene of his last fight, he slowed to a crawl as he saw a lone Miner Gnoll.

Drake waited a moment to see if it was a part of a group, but the gnoll remained alone. It roamed from body to body apparently looking for dropped gear or stones, as when it didn’t find anything it turned away and left.

Perfect. Now take me to your leader, small dog-type thing, Drake thought.

He began to follow the Miner Gnoll from a moderate distance, moving at a brisk pace through the forest. The gnoll moved with purpose to what Drake hoped would be a treasure trove of both loot and experience.

After what felt like forever, the blueish-gray peaks of a mountain rose from between the tree leaves. Drake smiled as he kept pace with the monster, making sure to stay far enough away that it hopefully wouldn’t notice him. Eventually the treeline broke and Drake halted.

The gnoll ran past the treeline and made a break for what looked like an old wooden outpost. Drake was amazed at the sight as he followed the gnoll’s trajectory. A small fortress built of wood was covering the side of the mountain base. Small guard towers stood filled with rangers and mages.

The Miner Gnoll ran to a large gate guarded by a pair of Warrior Gnolls. Drake watched as they seemed to converse, the Miner Gnoll pointing back into the forest.

Did it notice me and lead me here on purpose? Drake wondered. Better safe than sorry. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.

Drake began taking out the extra pairs of leather and iron armor and weapons he had laying around. Quickly he set them out around him. He then rubbed dirt all over his person and finally took out the last item.

Battered Cloak [Common]

Just a normal cloak that may help obscure your features.

Drake rubbed dirt over the cloak, then put it on as well, hoping to mask his smell, and quickly got into a tree to scope out the gate.

The Miner Gnoll and the Warriors were no longer there, and the gate was closed. But soon the gate reopened, revealing a large group of twenty gnolls streaming out. They began lining up in wait for something.

Drake’s body shivered as a gnoll with black spots marking its gray body walked out of the gate. It was twice the size of the other gnolls, wearing metal armor of obviously better quality than the crude iron the apes had worn. It had a colonial, conquistador-esque hat on its head and spiked metal gauntlets covering both its hands.

A palpable aura of power exuded from the monster, even from here. He looked on as the Commander Gnoll began barking and pointing at the others, then suddenly looked into the forest, meeting Drake’s gaze.

Drake shuddered again. He wasn’t sure if the monster was actually looking at him but still held the monster’s gaze. After a few seconds, the gnoll’s mouth creased back and showed its large white canines. It had seen him. It pointed again to the treeline this time, and the gnolls formed a straight line with the shield users in front, with the Rangers and Mages behind them. The Commander Gnoll brought up the rear.

Drake smiled in nervous anticipation. “Come and get me then, mutt.”

Chapter 19

The First Commander

Drake moved back to where he had set his trap and waited patiently for his quarry’s arrival. He settled in a tree above two pairs of dummies set up in the bushes. They even had some of the extra swords and shields he wasn’t using.

Soon Drake heard the rustle of branches and leaves, followed by rumbles and thumps, along with the slight shaking of trees.

So far so good, they haven’t seemed to have noticed me this time. Good thing I cleaned the blood off and rubbed myself in dirt for good measure. Now I hope it stays that way, he thought as the gnolls marched below him.

Drake watched from above as they poked and prodded some of the dummies he had set up. Some of the dummies received a Mana Bolt and arrows, but Drake continued to wait. The one he wanted to ambush was the larger Commander Gnoll. Without the element of surprise, he wasn’t sure he could take down the beast. It was the mystery factor in this fight and needed to be dealt with as quickly as possible if he could.

In moments, the Commander Gnoll passed underneath his tree as well, almost coming close enough to clip the bottom of Drake’s branch. Drake started nervously sweating.

Suddenly, the Commander Gnoll barked, and the group stopped moving. It sniffed the air, trying to find the source of whatever it had just gotten a whiff of.

Drake practically shat himself, but hurriedly calmed himself. But when the gnoll began to sniff the air again, he knew the jig was up. Aiming his free hand, he whispered the chant for Mana Bolt.

When the magic activated, he pushed off the branch, swinging his sword diagonally, aiming to take the monster’s head off with his Heavy Blow Skill. Drake’s Mana Bolt fired off, flying swiftly at the back of the monster’s head.

But the Commander Gnoll moved, turning its head with speed unbecoming of its hulking figure. It quickly dodged the bolt with a tilt and opened its huge maw, welcoming Drake’s sword right into its pearly whites.

Drake’s sword sparked against the gnoll’s clenched jaw, snapping in half a second later to Drake’s wide-eyed surprise.

Drake hit the ground, cursing. “You’ve got to be messing with me! What the hell are you made of?!” Drake looked up at the Commander Gnoll as it snickered at him, but it didn’t move to attack. “Are you looking down on me, furball?!” he growled through gritted teeth.

The rows of gnolls finally turned and began to fire a plethora of arrows and Mana Bolts. Drake cursed as he dodged and made a dash for the two dummies underneath the tree, firing Mana Bolts into the deluge of monsters on the way.

Within seconds, he snatched both swords from the dummies and threw one at a Mage in his path, trying to close in around him with the others. The sword caught this particular Mage Gnoll mid-cast. Drake was surprised to see a staff in this one’s hands; the other Mage hadn’t needed one. But that wasn’t important. He scooped up the staff in his now-free hand and dashed out of the encirclement.

Drake dodged and weaved in between the trees, trying to position himself as close to the dummies as he could, hoping they would confuse the gnolls.

He steadily took the monsters down one by one. With the new staff he just got, his magic spells were again on another level. Not only could they smash the gnoll shields, but his cooldown and cast time were way down. Combined with Drake’s ability to move while casting, he had become an unstoppable barrage of magic and might.

Drake was now a small whirlwind of death as he shouted spells, diving in and out of cover to slash at the backs of Mages and Rangers alike as he maneuvered the battlefield. The group of gnolls soon dropped to single digits as they retreated to form a semi-circle around the Commander Gnoll.

The commander finally decided to join the fight and pushed past the small phalanx that had formed around it. It pulled its head and arms back, then leaned forward to release a guttural roar at Drake. Drake was suddenly stunned and unable to move. The next moment, the monster had seemingly teleported in front of him and launched an uppercut right into Drake’s abdomen, sending him flying backwards and through a tree.

Drake grunted and coughed up blood from being hurled through what felt specifically like a red oak. He skidded across the ground for a breath until he finally came to a stop, shaking, struggling to get up. He looked in the direction he had flown from, to see the Commander Gnoll lumber at speed towards him.

It’s not going to teleport again? Was it a skill? And what about that howl? Were they skills? How long are they down for? he tried to process, coughing as he rose.

He began quickly chanting his Mana Bolt at the incoming monster, trying to maintain his distance. But the monster was just shrugging off the Mana Bolts, its armor doing a frustratingly good job of protecting it.

Drake didn’t want to get in close, but it looked like he may not have a choice. There just weren’t any good angles from this distance.

Before he was able to get in close to the gnoll, it teleported again right in front of him. But there was no shout this time to stun Drake, and he turned to dodge the subsequent straight hook from the monster.

Drake then brought his sword down on the monster’s exposed elbow with his Heavy Blow, but the gnoll’s other gauntlet blocked it before it could connect. The two were then locked in a back-and-forth scuffle of dodging and striking at each other.

He had more dexterity than the monster which allowed him to keep up with it. But he was still just a person who hadn’t had much experience in fighting. His amateurish evasions of the blows were only enough to keep him from being hit directly. Soon the little cuts from those spiked gauntlets were adding up.

But Drake wasn’t just becoming a punching bag, he was slowly outlasting the monster. At every chance, he shot close-range Mana Bolts into his foe, slashing at its uncovered joints when possible. Small dents and holes were starting to accrue on the beast’s armor as the battle wore on.

The tide of the battle abruptly changed as the gnoll jumped backwards, rearing its head back again. When Drake saw the motion, he knew what was coming, but he was too close and couldn’t get out of range of the shout. Stunned, Drake looked on helplessly as the monster again teleported to him and clotheslined him into the ground.

Drake grimaced as he was slammed to the forest floor, almost losing his grip on his weapons. Through it all, one thought was clear in his mind: if he lost his weapons now, it was game over.

He quickly slashed at the legs of the gnoll from the ground, slicing one of its exposed calves. The gnoll dropped down to one knee as it wailed in pain. The first real, large amount of damage Drake was able to deal to it.

Drake hopped to his feet and kicked in the gnoll’s other leg with all the strength he could muster, forcing it to a weird angle with a snap. Now was Drake’s opportunity to open an unrelenting can of whoop-ass on the monster. He brought down his sword on it, screaming his Heavy Blow skill with every swing.

He had made some progress on the beast, knocking off its helmet and nicking its head, battering it with small cuts here and there. But with the need to focus on blocking its spiked gauntlets, he couldn’t cause any substantial damage.

After a few seconds of keeping the gnoll on the defensive, it finally swatted away Drake’s sword and in the same motion dashed forward, grabbing Drake by the throat and forcing him to drop his weapons. The monster then teleported with him, slamming and pinning him into a tree. Drake’s legs dangled off the ground awkwardly as the gnoll limply leaned to the side, one of its legs broken.

The creature smiled triumphantly, its left eye closed and bleeding from his earlier assault. The gnoll brought its face closer to Drake as he scratched and clawed at the monstrous arm holding him, grunting and gasping for air. The monster’s maw slowly opened to bite down on Drake’s head. It was taking an agonizingly long time to savor the victory over its captured prey.

Drake continued to struggle as teeth drew ever closer to him, flashes of his promise to get stronger and change vivid in his mind. He wouldn’t give up till the end this time, until he took his last breath. Fire was still lit within his eyes. His still-flailing hands touched something to his right, and he immediately grabbed it, swinging it down at the beast’s unprotected head.

A pained howl pierced the surroundings as the Commander Gnoll lurched backward, a pickaxe in its left eye. Drake dropped to the ground, coughing for air. Then quickly taking in a deep breath, he jumped onto the Commander Gnoll’s lurching chest, his hands finding the pickaxe and ripping it from its skull.

Drake glared into the monster’s remaining eye and smiled, bringing down the pickaxe with a Heavy Blow as if he was prospecting for oil—he struck gold as a fountain erupted from the monster’s skull. It fell all the way backwards in a heap with a loud, thunderous crash.

From his roost on top of the felled gnoll’s chest, Drake stared at the remaining monsters, covered in blood, more splattering him from the temporary fountain he had created out of the gnoll’s skull.

The gnolls whimpered at the sight of their fallen leader and turned to run back in the direction of the outpost.

Drake was almost completely spent and threw the pickaxe at the back of the monsters, catching one of the Rangers in the thigh. He surged forward with the last remaining dredges of his stamina and strength, catching the wounded Ranger Gnoll by the back of the head and slamming it down into the ground with a crunch.

The remaining gnolls didn’t even stop to look back and continued to run. Drake kept chase but was unable to sprint anymore, forcing him to hobble to the end of the treeline, shooting Mana Bolts from his hand into the backs of the fleeing monsters. Stopping at the treeline, he fired at the escaping monsters until arrows began to pelt the tree he was leaning on.

Drake spat a mouthful of blood in the direction of the outpost. “Bring more next time! I’ll be here all day!” he guffawed, smiling with a red-tinted grin.

◆◆◆

The motes of lights around her finally dissipated, allowing her to blink her vision clear. After a few seconds, the sight of a lush forest spread out in front of her.

All was quiet at first as she glanced between the surrounding greenery and people. Shouts and wails of confusion in several languages she couldn't understand or recognize quickly erupted.

Someone suddenly grabbed her arm.

“Claire! Are you okay?!” the voice asked. Her head snapped towards it.

“Jared!” she shouted, nearly whimpering. “W-Where are we?! The room, the man, he… He said so many confusing things!”

Jared had a difficult expression on his face. Clearly her brother wanted to say something but remained silent.

“I know, I know. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. First, we need to find a safe place,” he said firmly, his eyes darting around the area.

A moment later another scream rang out, different from the others. Not a shout of confusion or despair, but a real, guttural scream of pain and desperation.

Both of their heads turned to it, their faces paling at what they saw.

A man—No, an animal, an ape was digging into a still-living body. The screams had cut off, replaced with wet gurgling as the victim reached out, their eyes begging for help. But it was too late.

Claire gasped, covering her mouth as she shook in fear. Jared gritted his teeth as his hand quickly went to the sword at his waist. He stood in front of Claire.

“Stay behind me and back up slowly,” he whispered. “Claire, get up. We need to go.”

But having seen the grotesque display, Claire’s legs wouldn’t listen. She began crying and whimpering, tightly gripping the back of her brother’s shirt.

Jared tried his best to calm her while closely watching the strange wild animal. He prayed it would do no more, but luck was not on their side today.

The ape snapped its head to the pair, its beastly, bloodied grin exposing its long fangs and smushed face. With a howl ripped from some ghastly horror movie, the ape rushed forward on all fours.

Jared cursed, holding his sword in a shaky grip as he yelled, “Bring it on, damn it!”

“Jared!” Claire shouted, willing her jello-like legs to move, but she couldn’t muster any strength.

In a cacophony of grunts and screams the animal collided with her brother, the tangled mess tumbling past her.

Claire looked on in horror, uncertain which of the two was making those dreadful, pained noises. Then gripping her new staff with white knuckles, she rushed to them.

Reaching the unmoving animal and her brother, she raised the staff above her head, ready to swing it down with all her strength.

“W-Wait!” Jared gasped, pushing the monster off himself. “I’m okay. I got lucky and it just ran into the sword.”

Jared looked at his shaking hands, strange elation bubbling through him. For a few moments his eyes went distant, then returned as a huge smile crept across his face.

“J-Jared?” Claire asked, voice trembling with confusion and concern.

“The lady. She didn’t lie. This is like a game. Claire, I got a level up from killing that thing!” he shouted.

The people that had previously fled now peeked out from behind trees and bushes as they noticed the danger had been taken care of. Some began talking amongst one another as they pointed at the felled creature.

“What do you mean, you got a level up?” someone asked.

Jared pointed to the monster. “Just inspect the thing. It’s called a Vampiric Ape, and it gives a quest!” he said, forgetting that he was covered in the thing’s blood.

When the excitement had died down, the gathered crowd began forming into groups. Jared and Claire formed their own small party.

Jared killing the monster had boded well for them, as some very enthusiastic people asked to join them now that things were less hectic.

Claire could only go with the flow for now. She was still frightened and confused for the most part. Her brother was the gamer, not her. Every Sunday, she went to church, and she spent her time studying in college like her parents had wanted. She had never gotten in trouble.

Before setting out, she and her brother discussed this strange situation. Both wondered where their parents were and what they were doing here. They shared what had happened in their respective introductions, eventually asking the others in their newly formed group.

But it seemed that no one had a clear idea of what was happening, and their experiences varied wildly from one person to the next. Some recalled detailed explanations of certain aspects, while others had been stonewalled by their helper.

Unable to glean anything, they had no choice but to follow their assigned quests: the class advancement quest and the Vampiric Ape Subjugation Quest.

Claire gripped her staff as she walked in the back part of the group, unsure of their future. At the sight of her older brother’s confident stride, she relaxed.

Maybe it won’t be so scary. As long as I have Jared here… she thought warily.

Chapter 20

They’re Learning…

Compared to his usual recovery rate, Drake was healing quite swiftly after the fight, but he was still forced to wait. He found all the dropped loot but kept the dummy mannequins as they were, only fixing them up a bit, especially the one that held the pickaxe that had saved his life just now, giving it a pat on its leather armor.

“Thanks for the assist, buddy, there shall be drinks and women at the celebration tonight in your honor!”

Drake moved to loot the Commander Gnoll last, as he went through his notifications.

He had killed a total of fourteen gnolls, excluding the commander, for a whopping amount of experience and 5,000TP. He had been able to snag two Mage Gnolls, three Ranger Gnolls, and nine Warrior Gnolls in the exchange; only six of the group of twenty had managed to retreat.

Drake had managed to level up once during the fight but hadn’t noticed; he would have to pay more attention to his notifications during fights. The free point boosts could be monumental in the coming fights, he thought.

He was now Level 6 and was beginning to feel his dual class’ impact of the double experience demerit. As a single class he would have already been close to, if not at, level 10 just from the past couple fights. He wasn’t exactly mad, but certainly had mixed feelings at times.

Drake went over the highlights.

You have subjugated Squad Commander Gnoll [F-Rank] level 16.

Experience earned. 5,000 TP have been awarded.

New Subjugation Quest: Subjugate 5 Squad Commander Gnolls F-Rank

Reward: One random one-time use F-Grade item.

Skill Stone: Leader [Uncommon]

Unlocks a random skill from the leader tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot and unlocked Warrior main class tree.

He had also bagged two more Mage skill stones—luckily each mage had dropped one. Last, he had gotten one more ranger skill stone and a handful of strength and warrior skill stones. He was very interested in what this one-time use item was.

But that wasn’t the only acquisition which interested him.

Skill Stone: Insight [Uncommon]

Unlocks a random skill from the Insight tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot and unlocked main class tree.

Insight wasn’t much to go on, but Drake suspected it might buff his identification skill. But without using it, he couldn’t know for sure.

When Drake was done going over most of the loot and had recovered most of his status, he returned to the treeline to see if there were any more gnolls coming for him. But the gate remained closed for now, no guards on the outside. More rangers or mages seemed to be perched in the guard towers.

Looks like they’re on high alert. That should give me some breathing room for at least a little, he thought. And I want to go over the coup de grace of the fight.

Drake looked at the small bag in his hands.

Small Dimensional Pouch [F-Grade, Uncommon]

A 20-slot storage bag

Requires 1 open inventory slot to be equipped.

Stores nonliving items in current state indefinitely.

Drops on death.

Obeying the description, he placed it into his inventory then willed it into one of the boxes at the bottom of the screen. It locked in place with a mental click, and suddenly two more rows of ten appeared, along with two rows filled with items from the bag.

As Drake scanned the contents of the new dimensional pouch, tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. Once he finished, his eyes had gone to full blown waterfalls.

“There’s water canteens! There’s a tent! There’s even a fucking bed!” he roared into the air.

These were items Drake had been desperately wanting the entire time he was here. And now, he had them. There were water canteens, food rations, uncooked meat, spices, and a large wooden tub big enough to fit the large frame of the Commander Gnoll. There were even roasted nuts, and everyone loves nuts. There was also camping equipment, torches, flint and steel. It was a dream come true for Drake.

Soon there will be no more nights sleeping in trees, he cried internally.

After a few more minutes of crying from elation, he checked out his new equipment.

Steel Cuirass [F-Grade, Common]

A finely made weapon that offers a small amount of protection. +10% defense proficiency.

102 – 110 Physical Damage Reduction

90 – 105 Magic Damage Reduction

1% chance to avoid a critical hit

Steel Helm [F-Grade, Uncommon]

A finely made helm that offers a small amount of protection. +6% defense proficiency.

52 – 60 Physical Damage Reduction

36 – 41 Magic Damage Reduction

1% chance to avoid a critical hit

Steel Brawler’s Gauntlets [F-Grade, Uncommon]

Finely made gauntlets that are perfect for bashing in your enemies’ faces, and just as perfect for protecting your own.

94 – 110 Physical Damage

88 – 96 Magic Damage

Attack Speed: Fast

Casting Speed: Normal

“Ohh, more shiny stuff! Some of these additional stats are really nice. And look at these gauntlets!” Drake said, perking up like a schoolgirl at a Bieber concert, as he crammed them onto his fists.

The gauntlets themselves were slightly bigger than his hands. Clearly they were made for the Commander Gnoll. Drake frowned a bit as he wriggled his fingers in the gauntlets, feeling little gaps as he clasped and unclasped his hands.

“Well, if I just don’t open my hands for now, it should be fine. But it’s going to be a problem if I don’t get something more fitted. Now for some quick tests!” he cheered, raising a metal fist into the air.

Drake had already made up his mind that he’d be switching to the gauntlets. The squad commander had been able to push Drake to his limits with his ferocity in their exchanges, and the coverings on the gauntlets made it hard for Drake to deal any sort of damage. The steel gauntlets fully covered his hands with small spikes on the knuckles. They also had a sheet covering all the way to a little past his elbow, but that was only because the gnoll was larger than him so it made sense his arms had more reach.

Drake pulled off his left gauntlet and picked up his sword, aiming it at a nearby tree.

“Manifest my power, Mana Bolt!” he chanted, the mana feeling hobbled going through the blade. A few seconds later it fired, smashing right through the first tree and stopping in the following one.

Next, he exchanged his sword for his staff, doing the same thing. He aimed for a fresh tree and fired a Mana Bolt. This time, the bolt flew instantly from the staff smashing with ease through two trees, almost making it through a third. Drake nodded, noting the visible damage increase.

Now it was for the final test. He raised his gauntlet, palm up, and aimed for a fresh tree. As he chanted the spell he felt a much larger pull from his body. There was a two-second delay in the magic circle’s formation just like when he used his bare hands, but then a larger-than-normal bolt flew from the gauntlet into the tree. With a thunderous boom the tree’s trunk exploded in a symphony of splinters, the bolt continuing its rampage through several more trees until it cratered one last tree trunk.

He blinked a few times at the sheer display of raw might. It felt like it required slightly more mana to activate, which a check of his mana bar confirmed. Compared to the other implements, it was easier than the sword, but harder and rougher than the staff. Rather, using the gauntlets felt somewhere between the two

When he finished his assessment, Drake rubbed his palms together in a menacing gesture. “Oh ho… Yeah, I like that. I like that a lot.” He laughed wickedly.

The description stated the gauntlets had double the magic damage of the staff, but the results seemed so much greater. Though he had no way to confirm it, Drake suspected this was the difference in grades.

With the gauntlets now allowing Drake to cast unimpeded, he started trying them out. First he pointed a finger gun like a certain famous spirit detective, hoping for more accuracy, but couldn’t keep the magic circle to the end of his finger. He then tried to shoot the spell like he was holding a web-slinger. He only succeeded in launching the spell upwards, almost comically.

Finally Drake tried to cast it while making a fist, and to his surprise this one worked.

He smiled. “Oh, I more than like this, I think I’m in love. I shall call you ‘Destroyer of Worlds: Lapuras,’ and I will love you, hold you, and bathe you in the blood of our enemies. Yes, I will. Does that make you happy, Lapuras?” Drake said, mumbling as he rubbed the top of the gauntlets.

Drake was rudely interrupted by the howl of a gnoll coming from the direction of the outpost. He looked up from his gauntlets with an annoyed frown.

“What filthy mutt is interrupting my precious time with LapuLapu!”

Drake moved back to the treeline and hopped onto a nearby branch, his eyes focused on the distant outpost. What he saw was another set of twenty gnolls exiting the gate in groups of five. This time each group’s make-up was four fighters and one Mage each.

“They changed their make-up? Aren’t these monsters a little too intelligent? It’s like they want to try to overwhelm me with brute force this time around, instead of using the more balanced approach they had before,” he thought aloud.

Drake observed for another minute, waiting for a squad commander to walk through the gate, but none appeared. Drake was slightly disappointed that there wouldn’t be another big bag of XP for him, but he’d have to be sated by the new contingent of monsters sent to kill him.

“Looks like we’ll get a field trial of these bad boys sooner than expected. I think we should go thank them,” Drake mused, creating small showers of sparks as he smacked the gauntlets together.

Drake waited for the gnolls to get into formation. They merged into two groups with a standard set up, melee in front and mages in the back. Then they began their march toward the forest. Once they were close enough, Drake was able to take advantage of their lack of Rangers, and stood on his branch, taking aim at the front of the pack gnolls with his gauntlets.

“He who strikes first is the victor! Manifest my power, Mana Bolt!” he yelled, an improved Mana Bolt flying from his hand. It screeched through the air and in moments reached one of the groups.

The bolt connected with a warrior and ripped through the monster, shield and all, bisecting it at the waist. It continued through to the next monster and the next, finally kicking up dust as it cratered the ground below them.

Drake gaped at the still-impressive display of his new equipment.

The gnolls’ right flank was in a panic from the surprise attack and they ran out of the dust cloud like headless chickens. The other group halted momentarily, but with a bark from one of the Warriors started for the woods again. The other group was taking its time to regroup and move on the forest.

Seeing this, Drake dropped down from his perch and moved a little farther into the forest, where his dummies were. He had decided to not continue firing on the incoming gnolls. He couldn’t retrieve their loot if they died in the open. He also needed to get accustomed to his new weapon.

Drake stopped in between two dummies and crossed his arms while tilting his head back slightly, waiting for the gnolls to find him. Soon they came marching in formation from behind the trees and quickly spotted him.

“Ho, so you’re approaching—” Drake rolled behind one of his dummies as a trio of Mana Bolts interrupted him. “You’re supposed to wait until I finish the line! That’s how it always works!” he screamed back from behind the dummy.

But Drake quickly changed gears and snapped to action. Dashing from behind the dummy he surged forward, one of his gauntlets covering his head and body, the other pointed forward as he chanted a bolt.

He was bombarded with Mana Bolts, but most of them missed as he continued to sprint forward. The rest deflected off his raised gauntlet. From his other hand a Mana Bolt shrieked out with force, bisecting two Warrior Gnolls in the front and slamming into a third’s shield, sending it backwards.

Drake followed up the charge, making his way into melee range. The gnolls moved to circle around him, but Drake wasn’t going to stand still and rushed forward to the closest Warrior.

The Warrior raised its sword and attempted to bring it down on him, but Drake moved with speed and sidestepped the swing with room to spare. Drake then wound his arm back and unleashed a basic right hook at the gnoll’s chest. It raised its shield to block, but Drake screamed his Heavy Blow Skill with the strike, powering his fist enough to smash right through the shield, sending the beast tumbling backward.

Drake moved out of the encirclement and made a dash for cover within the trees and his dummies. The gnolls quickly chased after him, Mana Bolts trailing him as they slammed into the trees he was taking cover under.

He traced the direction the bolts came from and made a break for it, chanting a Mana Bolt as he ran. Right before the bolt released, a Mage came into sight, a look of surprise and horror on its face at the sudden appearance of Drake, a Mana Bolt manifesting from his hand.

The surprise only lasted long enough for it to attempt to cast a bolt itself in vain as Drake’s tore its head clean off. Drake didn’t relent as he continued running, finding another Mage. He quickly cast another bolt, bisecting it.

Between finding the other Mages Drake took cover, using their attacks’ trajectories to get a general sense of where they were. But after a few more kills, the gnolls had changed tactics. The last ten Warriors had formed a phalanx with the remaining Mages in the center. He peeked out from behind a tree a few meters away and checked his mana bar. It was surprisingly low, hovering at around 10%. He took a few moments to wait and see if his mana would tick up as he eyed the furry ball of gnolls. After a minute, it still hadn’t moved.

I’m stuck in combat even after waiting? That fucking sucks, but makes sense. I think I have enough for two more bolts, and the rest I’ll have to muddle through in a brawl, Drake concluded.

He chanted a Mana Bolt behind the tree, and just before it fired swung out from cover, aiming at a Warrior. The bolt cut through the air, blasting right through the Warrior and its shield, slamming into the Mage behind it.

After the bolt had fired Drake dashed forward, chanting another and eliminating another Warrior and a Mage.

The last Mage Gnoll barked and fired a bolt back at Drake.

He dodged to the right, stopping him long enough for the Warriors to close the openings in their circle he had just made.

Drake leapt into the air and over the phalanx at the remaining Mage. Coming down like a meteor, he stretched his fist out at the monster. “Power through force! Heavy Blow!” Drake screamed as he slammed his fist right into the Mage’s maw, bringing its head down to the ground with such force it left a small crater, decimating the Mage’s skull with an audible crunch.

The encirclement of warriors all tried to bring down their blades on top of Drake’s head, but he raised his gauntlets in a cross-guard, blocking the iron blades. Drake was pushed down by the force of the eight gnolls, and he struggled to maintain upright. But he was able to stay off his knees long enough—his metal gauntlets screeching in protest to the weight—to place his recent level-up’s free points into strength, giving him a surge of power.

Drake’s muscles bulged and he roared, pushing back against the lump of iron blades above his head, throwing the Warriors off-balance. Drake followed up by throwing a strike into the gnoll in front of him, sending it flying a meter backwards. He then rushed another gnoll, deflecting its overhead swing with his arm, slamming a Heavy Blow-endowed fist into its chest with the other. Drake’s hand went right through its leather armor and embedded itself in its chest cavity.

Drake grunted in pain as two blades slashed at his back in retaliation. He pulled his fist from the gnoll’s chest and swatted in a large arc as he jumped backwards. Drake fell to a knee, now breathing hard, the feeling of warm liquid slowly running down his back.

The gnolls didn’t give Drake a chance to recover as they charged him. He knew he wouldn’t be able to dodge them all in his condition and flew forward to meet them, singling out the gnoll in the middle. Grappling his arms around the monster, he pushed it past the others and down into the ground, his gauntlet quickly finding its head.

The gnolls spun around, rushing again for Drake. When they were close enough, they swung down with their weapons. Two of them were met with Drake’s right gauntlet, another found its way to embed itself into Drake’s side.

Drake mumbled a curse in pain as he threw an uppercut at the last gnoll, smashing his fist through the still-swinging sword and crushing its jaw as it flew backwards.

The two gnolls he had deflected pulled their weapons back to swing again, but before they could reach him, Drake held the sword in his side in place, pulling the struggling Warrior to use as a meat shield. The gnolls’ swords lodged into its defenseless back.

Drake then threw the corpse at the last two, toppling one and pinning it to the ground. The other fell as well, disoriented. Quickly, Drake brought his fist down on the disoriented gnoll’s chest without remorse, his fist impaling the creature.

Before the last gnoll could recover, Drake lifted the impaled monster with his fist and pinned the last to the ground with his foot under its deceased comrade.

“And now I’m going to beat a motherfucker with a motherfucker!” Drake cackled, bringing down the dead gnoll atop its last surviving comrade like a repeating hammer.

Chapter 21

In the Middle of the Night

After looting and moving the bodies of the gnolls to the treeline, Drake’s body had finally finished healing and the adrenaline from the battle had finally subsided.

He checked first to see if there were any more gnolls approaching and was relieved to see that there weren’t.

“Haa… Now that was a workout. I really need to get better, though. My speed and strength are there, but my technique is so awful it’s leaving me open,” Drake mused, raising his arm and touching the cut in his leather armor where the gnoll had slashed him, the flesh underneath now healed and scarred.

Drake looked up and saw the orange hue of the last hours of sunlight, and decided it was time to make some food and wash some of the blood off from the fight. He was both a mess and starving.

He began taking out the supplies he needed: canteens of water, a pot, firewood, spices, some veggies, flint and steel. And finally…

Deer Meat [F-Grade]

Meat of a magically enhanced deer. Gains beneficial properties when cooked.

“Time to cook some good old food like the glory days!” he cheered.

Drake moved the firewood into a small pile for the fire, shaving off some of the logs for tinder and for a spit to hold the pot. After a bit of difficulty lighting the fire, he poured some water into the pot and placed the venison inside.

While waiting for the water to boil and meat to cook, he took a swig of water to refresh himself, then poured the rest over his head.

He gasped. “Ahhh! I’m alive again!”

He walked back to the fire still wet, getting close so that he could dry off and watch the food. Taking a spoon from his inventory he began skimming the scum off the top of the pot. Once the meat browned, he put some cut veggies into the pot, along with some dashes of salt, pepper, and something he couldn’t identify but which smelled nice. He then stirred the pot and left it to simmer.

Running back to the tree line to check on the outpost, he was surprised to see more gnolls gathering. A lot more. But they weren’t exiting the outpost, they were entering. Two Commander Gnolls corralled the nearly endless stream of gnolls into the outpost, taking several moments to shepherd them all in.

After that, torches were lit on the top of the guard towers, he assumed to prepare for the night.

“Guess they’re holing up for the night. But those torches might help me out later.” Drake smiled, a plan forming in his head.

Drake moved back to his makeshift camp, feeling comfortable knowing that he would most likely be safe from the gnolls until tomorrow based on what he had witnessed.

The stew still needed some time to tender, so Drake pulled up his notifications.

Quest complete: Subjugate 20 of 20 Gnolls

Accept rewards?

Experience earned.

Congratulations! You have reached [Unique] Mage x Warrior level 7.

28 Free Points have been awarded.

Please roll for item rarity.

Drake accepted the rewards and pulled a black die from his inventory, casting it to the ground without preamble as he had learned better than to get his hopes up. It landed on 15. Not the worst and not the best, Drake thought.

The next moment, a pair of steel boots sprung into existence in front of him from a flash of colorful light, clattering on the ground. Drake picked them up and inspected them.

Steel-Toed Boots [F-Grade, Uncommon]

A finely made pair of steel boots that offers a small amount of protection. +6% defense proficiency.

35 – 42 Physical Damage Reduction

33 – 37 Magic Damage Reduction

1% chance to avoid a critical hit

Drake gave a bright smile as he read the description. He had been needing a new pair of boots, as he had actually not come to the tutorial with any. He had been dragged from his bed, and the bitc—construct hadn’t included any shoes in the ‘freebie’ she had given him.

He was also happy because this pair of steel boots he could actually use. They were lighter than the cuirass he had picked up, so it wouldn’t affect his movement, and it didn’t block his vision like the helmets would. Drake slipped the boots on and was happy to feel the cushion inside as he fixed the straps around his legs.

Drake then took a look at his other quests.

9 of 20 Ranger Gnolls [F-Rank] subjugated.

11 of 20 Mage Gnolls [F-Rank] subjugated.

12 of 30 Miner Gnolls [F-Rank] subjugated.

1 of 5 Squad Commander Gnolls [F-Rank] subjugated.

Still a bit to go, huh, Drake thought. But knowing exactly where to find them all was a relief. Drake had his eyes set on the outpost now. He wanted it as a base, and to collect his sweet experience that was just waiting patiently inside.

Moving on from his future plans for the outpost, he opened up the ladder. He had been avoiding it because of his level reset, but he had to stay informed on who was doing what. Information was king, after all.

Top Level Leaderboard

Rank 1, Level 21: Bear

Rank 2, Level 18: Shigure Kenzo

Rank 3, Level 18: Illuminated One

Rank 4, Level 17: Flagrant

Rank 5, Level 17: Chris Springs

Rank 6, Level 17: Kohoo

Rank 7, Level 16: Joker

Rank 8, Level 16: Check Him PC

Rank 9, Level 16: TheLegend27

Rank 10, Level 15: Super Megan

…

Rank 2,160, Level 7: Shot

Drake bit his cheek in slight frustration as he looked at his placement. But he was happy that Bear had kept his lead. Though, it looked like not everything was smooth sailing, as their leveling speed seemed to have slowed down. If he found anyone, he would have to ask why.

He then checked on the TP ladders.

Tutorial Points Leaderboard

Rank 1: Bear [TP: 273,800]

Rank 2: Chris Springs [TP: 188,550]

Rank 3: Joker [TP: 173,650]

Rank 4: Kohoo [TP: 170,250]

Rank 5: Shigure Kenzo [TP: 150,700]

Rank 6: Shot [TP: 97,600]

Rank 7: The Enlightened One [TP: 95,300]

Rank 8: Flagrant [TP: 90,500]

Rank 9: Super Megan [TP: 86,900]

Rank 10: Check Him PC [TP: 85,650]

That he had broken into the top ten was surprising—but perhaps it wasn’t really. His TP hadn’t reset, after all, and he was constantly in fights. Drake glanced over the remaining participant count, somewhat disheartened at the number. It had dropped all the way down to the mid-3,000s and looking at the levels compared to TP, he could tell why. A few participants were obviously hunting down others for the TP instead of monsters. Drake didn’t want to further upset his appetite, and closed the ladder window.

Finally done with checking things, he moved his attention to the bubbling pot, now exuding a heavenly smell, making his stomach do somersaults of hunger pain.

Drake scooped up a hefty portion of stew and blew on it for a moment. Once it had cooled, Drake chomped down on the food, nearly biting off the end of the spoon with it.

“Oh, ohma gawd. Itsh like shome wan ish making a baby in mah mouth!” he cried through tasty bites. “I swhear I’ll nevah underappreciate fhood agahen!” He breathed through his mouth to cool the food more as he chewed.

“I’m so glad I survived until now… I think I could die happy,” he cried, scooping up another spoonful.

Drake felt an increase in vigor throughout his body with every bite, and soon looked at the new notification he received.

You have been infused with mana from another being.

For the next 24 hours, you will receive an increase of 5% to your out-of-combat regeneration.

Drake took his time finishing off the pot of food, enjoying every bite to its fullest, the buff just being the cherry on top. By the time he had finished, the last specks of light had winked out of the sky, replaced by the black void of the night. Drake quickly finished up and put the makeshift camp back into his inventory. Now he brought out the torches.

Drake moved around the forest, placing torches next to his dummies as if they were holding them, doing his best to not stumble through the pitch black night.

He returned to the fire pit, lighting another torch and then kicking dirt on the pit. Drake then moved around, lighting up the torches he had placed earlier, placing his final one next to the pickaxe dummy he had decided to name Charles. Like a butler Charles, not a king Charles.

“Hold this for me will you, like a good chap,” Drake said to the dummy, then shook his head. “I have to find some people. I’m starting to lose it, I think.”

But Drake pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He had a plan that he didn’t want to lose any nighttime on.

Drake maneuvered his way through the night until he saw motes of orange and yellow light through the trees. He was at the treeline, and the outpost was lit up like a beacon in the night with torches. Drake looked towards the guard towers only to see one Ranger in each.

He pulled a crossbow and crossbow bolts from his inventory. Loading the bolts as quietly as he could, he then breathed deep, taking aim at the towers.

Drake released his first bolt and saw a Ranger fall from the tower with a yelp. The second tower’s Ranger looked confused, aiming its crossbow towards the forest but clearly uncertain where the shooter was. The lack of moon and stars left Drake near-invisible, and the only light source were the torches from the outpost. So he loaded and took aim again at the Ranger, a bolt slamming into it, pushing it from the tower.

The first stage of Drake’s plan was now in motion. He would stay at the edge of the treeline for cover and keep picking off the gnolls in the towers. Until either they stopped sending monsters to the towers and completely holed up in the outpost, or until they sent out another force to deal with him.

Drake let loose another arrow at a monster nestled in the tower, smiling as more began to climb up, making them easier to hit. For an hour Drake released arrow after arrow into the towers, racking up massive amounts of TP and experience and eventually completing a quest.

20 of 20 Ranger Gnolls [F-Rank] have been subjugated.

Quest complete.

Accept rewards?

Experience earned.

Please roll for [F-Grade] item rarity.

Drake accepted the reward, pulling the die from his inventory and rolling it in front of him. He couldn’t see the result until a mote of light illuminated Drake for a split second and he cursed, scrambling to pick up the new item and die before he dashed to a new location as the sound of crossbow bolts peppered where he had just been.

He looked at the outpost as more monsters continued to fill the tower, the gate still closed and unmanned. Seeing this, he took a moment to open his inventory to see what he had just gotten.

In one of the inventory slots he found a new chest piece which had the icon of what looked like robes. He quickly inspected them.

Martial Artist’s Battle Garb [F-Grade, Rare] Set Piece 2/3

The glorious battle robes of the Martial Artist. They are made with mana-enhanced threads from the Shadow Moth’s cocoon, giving them a comfortable silk texture while offering defense to rival Mana Steel. +20% defense proficiency.

207 – 215 Physical Damage Reduction.

186 – 192 Magic Damage Reduction.

5% chance to avoid a critical hit.

+10 STR, +15 DEX, and +5 END

Set Effect: Increases flat defense proficiency and DEX by 10%.

Requires a minimum of 2 pieces to activate set effect.

Drake’s mouth watered at the sight of the word rare, and then even more as he read over the effects. Even without the set bonuses, the flat stats alone were a welcome sight.

He pulled them from his inventory and tried to put them on but couldn’t get his way around some of the ties and a piece of metal in the dark. So he placed it back into his inventory and tried mentally moving it to the silhouette’s chest slot. A small click sounded in his head as he felt something cover him. He couldn’t get a look at himself right now, but he felt another layer of armor atop his clothes.

After a few more minutes of firing bolts into the guard towers, the gates swung open, and more than fifty gnolls hurriedly ran out and formed up. Another squad commander pretentiously walked out with a curled rope—no—a whip in its hands. This one lacked the a powerful aura, and Drake soon found out why when the squad commander barked and cracked the whip on another gnoll.

A tinge of disgust rose up in Drake’s throat. He had killed the gnolls in swathes by now, but that had been in self-defense. But what Drake saw here wasn’t hardened Warriors ready to lay down their lives; he saw battered and sullen gnolls holding pickaxes. Half of the force that had come out were Miner Gnolls, but they looked weak and malnourished.

Drake’s jaw clenched again as he saw that the squad commander wasn’t the only one abusing its fellows. A warrior kicked one of the miners to the ground, and barked a laugh as the other warriors and the squad commander joined in. It was several seconds before they relented, only stopping when the miner stopped resisting. The gnolls returned to their original formation, moving away to reveal a bloodied corpse.

They really just killed one of their own for the hell of it?! Drake fumed internally.

Another crack of the commander’s whip sounded the march into the forest, the miners in front, the warriors behind, as the commander brought up the rear, safely flanked by a handful of miners and warriors.

Drake was still disgusted and tried to get a drop on the massive force, aiming his palm out towards the squad commander, quickly chanting a Mana Bolt. His magic flared and lit up the area around him. The entirety of the force noticed and started charging towards him, the commander only cracking his whip and barking. Drake’s Mana Bolt ripped through the air and crashed into a Warrior in front of the commander. Just before the bolt hit its mark, it pulled a Miner from its makeshift guard to block the bolt. The miner exploded in two, its lower half falling to the ground, revealing the toothy grin of the commander from behind.

Drake grimaced, disgusted by the display, and felt nothing but remorse for the poor creature he had just killed. That was no way to die, essentially as a slave and a meat shield. He resolved to make sure the commander suffered in the coming fight. Even monsters deserved penance.

He turned and ran back into the dark forest, the force of gnolls hot on his heels.

It wasn’t long before Drake made it back to where he had set up his dummies, the entire area lit by torches. He hid, standing just outside of the light.

The thunderous procession of the massive force entered the light of the torches, filling the area with more light from their own torches. The commander stood at the center, making them perfect targets.

Drake let loose on the inundated number of gnolls, shooting Mana Bolts as quickly as he could while moving in the darkness after each shot. Still feeling a pang of guilt from the earlier kill, he did his best to avoid hitting any miners. But he that knew by the end, he would have to deal with them just the same.

Despite his efforts the warriors behind the miners pushed them into the way of the bolts, leading to more casualties among them. And once that began, the miners ran into the darkness willingly, trying to find Drake rather than wait to be used as a shield.

Drake steeled his mind as he reminded himself that they were monsters and that if he hesitated, they would kill him without question. So he had no choice but to strike first.

Numerous miners stormed the darkness with the warriors not far behind, holding torches to light their way. But that was their biggest mistake. The light only made it easier for Drake to snuff out both the lights and lives of stragglers.

Drake moved with swiftness as he struck at Warriors with his gauntlets, crushing the monsters’ skulls and bones under their weight, slamming countless monsters down to the ground and into the sides of trees with his punches and kicks, courtesy of his new steel-toed footwear.

Soon, the lights of the torches that moved from the area away from his dummies were winking out of existence one by one, until only a few remained. The survivors from Drake’s rampage ran back to the commander’s guard, only a handful of monsters left circled around it.

Drake walked from the darkness into the light, dragging a warrior by its head in his bloodied gauntlet.

The commander howled and barked at the man that had just revealed himself from the pitch of night, eyes shimmering red from the torches, a golden pauldron gleaming atop his black and gold-lined robe.

The monster leader began to shiver and kicked the guard of gnolls around him to move and defend him, but they were just as frozen in fear of the human, no, the beast in front of them.

As Drake moved in closer to the small group, he threw the body of the dead Warrior at their feet. The gnolls scrambled away, first one Warrior ran, then a Miner, and then in a mad dash everyone but the commander made a break for the darkness.

The commander barked and howled at the fleeing gnolls and finally raised his whip to crack it at a fleeing Miner. As it motioned for the strike, its arm above its head, a Mana Bolt ripped off its arm at the elbow. It fell backwards, gripping at its now-stub of a bleeding arm.

The monster looked up with defiance and pain, only for it to be replaced with whimpering for its life as it saw Drake walk closer.

Drake looked down at the pitiful excuse for a Commander. At least the other one died fighting and had a modicum of respect for its troops and the fight. But this one, this one brought out a feeling of disgust Drake had not felt in a long time.

He looked past the commander for a moment as if confirming something. Then he reached into his robe, a black die in his hand. Drake tossed it at the feet of the commander. It slowly rolled and bounced towards it, 5, then 17, then 9, finally coming to a stop at the clawed foot of the whimpering monster with a solid 20.

Two rings dropped from a mote of light into Drake’s open palm, and after a long, breathless moment a wide grin appeared on his face. His gauntlets vanished from his arms and he slipped the jet black rings onto the middle fingers of both his hands.

Drake squatted down to pick up a nearby sword left on the ground, throwing it to the commander’s feet.

“Pick it up,” came Drake’s hushed command.

The commander looked at Drake and then the sword, shaking its head back and forth, scrambling backwards as it still grasped at its now missing appendage.

“I said pick it up, you worthless, disgusting dog!” Drake said with a guttural roar.

Suddenly black tattoos grew from the rings, completely covering his hands and painting his arms up to his shoulders in illustrations of jet black fire. A faint blue glow started to form around his arms.

The commander recoiled, then shakily grabbed the sword with its still usable arm.

Drake smiled. “You’re going to help me with a little practice session. We won’t be getting any sleep tonight.”

He pounded his fists together as throngs of blue mana exploded like lightning from the impact. His eyes flashed an ethereal blue.

The commander howled, lunging at him with desperation clear in its eyes.

Chapter 22

Outpost B

A pitiful heap of fur lay crumpled on the ground, its back heaving with every labored breath it dragged into its battered and bloodied body.

Sparse rays of sunlight shone through the treetops, illuminating the area. A singular ray landing across Drake’s face revealing his scowl.

“Looks like your time’s up. It’s been… educational,” Drake said.

The now-bloodied commander looked up at Drake with one unswollen eye, burning with hate and fury. It opened its mouth to bark something, but Drake didn’t care to indulge the sickening monster and blew its head off with a Mana Bolt. He truly felt no remorse for someone who couldn’t even respect their own soldiers.

You have subjugated Squad Commander Gnoll level 17.

Experience earned. 7,000TP has been awarded.

2 of 5 Squad Commander Gnolls subjugated.

The level of the sad excuse for a monster astonished Drake. Despite outstripping the last commander, it was pitifully weaker.

After the previous night’s rampage, Drake had allowed the commander to live until morning, handing it swords to continue the fight. But the monster was not much better than Drake, and the practice was only minimally beneficial. He had used the beast to train his reflexes and awareness, doing his best to counter the monster’s swings. He had even managed to sunder the iron sword with a sword-break strike a few times, making him give the horrified beast another sword to continue.

Drake’s strength had become monstrous, but what helped the most was his new set bonus. The last roll of for the completion of the miner quest had given him a new amazing weapon.

Martial Artist’s Ring Tattoos [F-Grade, Rare] Set Piece ⅔]

400 – 422 Physical Damage

350 – 378 Magic Damage

1% Increase to critical strikes

+10 STR, +15 DEX, reduces consumption of mana for spells by 1%

Cast Time: Very Fast

By constantly infusing mana into the rings, you may produce Magic Ink Tattoos of the Martial Artist. Base 1% for activation of tattoos, with the increased infusion of mana increasing the durability and damage of the tattoos by 0.5% per every 1% of total mana infused.

Set Effect: Increases flat defense proficiency and DEX by 10%

Requires a minimum of 2 pieces to activate set effect.

Martial Artist’s Tattoos are a special tool used by initiates into the halls of the furious Asurans. They are forged by skilled craftsmen so that the Mana-Infused Ink may take shape for the fighter. By design, they are perfect for both ki, mana control and manipulation.

He smiled again at the amazing things he had gained over the night. The garb from the Rangers’ quest was also a welcomed boon, covering him in an elegant robe of black and gold. A black montsuki kimono replaced his leather cuirass underneath the robe, reaching down to just above his ankles and tied at the waist by a golden obi—or cloth belt—and covering up his leather pants and parts of his steel boots. Finally placed on his right shoulder was a gold-plated pauldron that fit perfectly and was attached by a bright steel chain that crossed his chest and back.

If Drake had to say, he looked pretty snazzy in his new outfit. And the magic tattoos added an angsty emo teen flare to the fit that Drake was surprisingly okay with.

Over the night he had already tested out his new weapons in several ways. He had found out that the description on the rings were accurate, and while he had the weapons activated, they constantly burned a small amount of mana. While the consumption of the Mana Bolt spell could be reduced, the rings’ consumption rate could not.

He had also played around with the increased infusion of the rings. When he had put around 50% of his remaining mana—about 20% of his overall pool—he instantly noticed the density of the blue light around his arms grow. And while fighting the monster, the tattoos were able to deflect its swings with no problem even with the minimal amount of consumed mana, but with the increase, the sparks of flashing blue mana no longer merely deflected blades. Instead they were stopped by a metaphorical rock and snapped in half.

While he had continued to practice with the commander, Drake had allowed it to hit him a few times to test the defense ability of his new garb. And Drake would be lying if he said he hadn’t flinched as he deliberately took a blow from the commander to his side. Fortunately the blow was completely painless, as though he’d been merely tapped on the shoulder. It looked like Drake wouldn’t have to worry about most of the small attacks for now, but he wasn’t sure about any commander that wasn’t—looking down at the headless commander—this thing.

Regardless, Drake had made strides in ways that felt surreal to him after all that had happened. But he wasn’t complaining, in fact he was so excited he didn’t even feel tired. Or was that a side effect of his increasing endurance?

He digressed. Drake began picking up the loot from the fight and going through his notifications. He had subjugated a total of fifty-six monsters yesterday, including the commander, racking up a well of experience and 30,000 TP. Including the two quests he had finished and the monsters he had picked off in the towers, it all brought him up to level 8.

Drake Wallen

Race: Human

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Class: [Unique] Mage x Warrior Level 8

VIT: 185

STR: 180 (+20)

DEX: 156 (+30 + 10%)

INT: 299

WIS: 168

END: 106 (+5)

Free Points: 56

Skills: Mana Bolt, Heavy Strike

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge, Close Call, Dead Man Walking, Dual Class, Punching Up, Improbability, Dog Hater, Rounded, One-Man Army, Dog Killer

One-Man Army

Fight against 50 enemies at one time, and survive, +5 to all stats.

Dog Killer

Defeat more than 50 Gnolls. +10% damage to Gnolls.

Drake’s stats had once again exploded, and he was confident he could kill something around level 20 or higher with his new upgraded gear.

He bent down finally to pick up the loot the squad commander had dropped and smiled with glee when he noticed another small bag next to a stone. He had picked up another Weapon Mastery subtree stone and a storage pouch.

Drake quickly equipped the extra pouch, now taking up two of his four bag slots, and became even more jubilant upon seeing it was filled with even more supplies for him to use—as well as some sinister-looking torture equipment, but Drake quickly threw those out and blasted them to pieces. It just wasn’t his hobby to use those types of things.

With the sun firmly in the sky, Drake was ready to start his plan of taking the outpost. After moving the bodies from around his trapped area, he moved back to the treeline to take stock of how the outpost was faring.

He was surprised to see a force of Miner Gnolls as large as yesterday’s, if not larger, holding shovels and building a ditch around the outpost. Warrior Gnoll moved around with spiked pieces of wood and laid them in the ditches, slowly forming a spiked wall.

“Are they doing that for me? Or someone else?” Drake wondered aloud, scanning the rest of the area.

After getting a good look at the outpost, he had been spotted several times, and Rangers had fired arrows at him with small companies of ten going out to fight him. But the groups of gnolls stood no chance in taking him down without larger numbers or a competent squad commander.

But in any event, Drake thanked them for the meal of experience.

Upon observing the outpost for a few hours, he saw that the progress on the gnolls’ ditch was steady and would take possibly a couple days to complete. What he also observed was that besides the companies of gnolls they sent after him, there were also packs now entering and leaving from the gate, running out into the other side of the forest and returning to the outpost around half an hour later.

Drake moved in the direction the groups left for and found a small dirt road going through the forest. When a new group passed him, he followed them to another outpost, albeit much smaller. This outpost looked like it could only be called a slightly larger camp, as the wooden walls around it only came up a few meters instead of the towering walls of the outpost by the mountain.

He made his way to a tree and climbed it to look inside what he would now call Outpost B and was surprised at what saw—a large expanse of tents, fires, and hundreds of gnolls. Drake stared in awe at the sheer number.

Looking again to the swinging gate, it let the new arrivals inside and a few groups left. It looked to be a staging area, but Drake ran the entirety of the encampment just to make sure.

After a few minutes of running and snuffing out some wandering gnolls in the forest, Drake had seen the entire camp, and a plan formulated in his mind.

Once Drake had scouted out the camp, he found out that there were two entrances to Outpost B, one east and one west. He paid attention to how many groups came and left for an hour, finding that it was usually groups of two both ways, but sometimes an unexpected group would enter, looking wounded and with fewer members.

Drake was glad to see only two groups, or forty gnolls in total, leave every few hours. Now that he knew where they were going and that squad commanders were not amongst those going to and fro, he had a unique opportunity to farm some experience and items.

He licked his lips. This was just the kind of power-leveling scenario he needed with massive amounts of experience required to level up. It would be a battle of attrition. And Drake wondered if he would be worn down and hunted, or if the gnolls would run out of soldiers first.

Chapter 23

Outpost B Part 2

Drake quickly went to work and followed the next group of forty gnolls toward the east, in the direction of the Mountain Outpost. He continued to follow them until around the halfway mark and sprang into action.

He cast devastating Mana Bolts from the trees with his new rings. They were a godsend, exercising the two-second delay from that came with any focus other than a staff, allowing him to increase his casting speed dramatically. And with the reduction of mana, it was a sealed deal.

Drake’s Mana Bolts collided with the large group of unsuspecting gnolls with unabated brutality, the damage output of his new weapons a marvel to behold, taking swathes of their ranks out with each bolt. The gnolls may have been above him in level, but his stats and new equipment more than compensated for it.

He continued to rain down Mana Bolts until he consumed 50% of his overall mana then exploded forward in a kick up of dust from the forest into the remaining ranks of the gnolls. He slammed into the nearest confused warrior with his empowered fists ripping through its shield and its armor with one swing.

Moving from gnoll to gnoll with newly gained accuracy and swiftness after his night with the helpful commander, now he was able to better keep a view of the overall battlefield. He was able to position himself where he could fight and dodge any attacks from his peripheral.

Drake moved like a wolf in a hen house—an absolute torrent of carnage and destruction—throwing, punching, stomping and kicking his foe.

After several minutes, the fight finally ended and Drake was once again covered in blood. He looked around at the mess he had created with a slightly forlorn look in his eyes, but quickly removed it from his mind. This was the reality in this new world. He would fight to get stronger, as the system wouldn’t let him stop if he wished to protect his loved ones and prove that he would get stronger.

“Well, outside the fact I just proved one of my titles correct and maybe turning into a true psychopath, I am definitely a whole-ass monster of a problem,” he chuckled wryly.

Drake picked up the spawning loot from the group and moved back to his position in the forest. After the last fight, he had finally finished one of his remaining two quests and wanted to quickly receive his reward.

20 of 20 Mage Gnolls [F-Rank] subjugated. Quest complete.

Accept rewards?

Experience earned.

Please roll for F-Grade item rarity.

Drake quickly brought out his black die and gently tossed it on the ground with trepidation. He knew it was unlikely, but he hoped he could get the last piece for his set. Ideally it would have similar stats, making him even stronger.

But reality hurt, as the die landed on 10. A pair of black pants dropped out of a bead of light.

Black Silk Pants [F-Grade, Uncommon]

Simple pants made from mana-infused silk that offer a small amount of protection. +5% defense proficiency.

26 – 30 Physical Damage Reduction

22 – 27 Magic Damage Reduction

1% critical hit damage reduction

Drake wasn’t too disappointed to receive the silk pants since he knew it was unlikely to always get rare and above equipment, but he was still a bit sour. He bit his cheek and replaced the leather pants he had been wearing with the black silk ones. With the constriction released, he felt far more liberated. In more ways than one.

Then pulling a canteen from his inventory, he began scrubbing himself down from the blood as he waited for the next group.

This was Drake’s life for the next five days. He would pounce on the traveling groups of gnolls, decimating their ranks with Mana Bolts, then finishing them with a melee. Then looting began, before returning to the forest to clean himself off and check his gains.

During these five days, the gnolls had tried to catch him in the act. They tried sending larger parties of gnolls to traverse the path or staggering the groups to exhaust him. But unfortunately for them, Drake was such a powerhouse that he didn’t even need to spend his saved free points—or his magic, if he was honest—to defeat them.

The highest gnoll’s level clocked in at 18 and the lowest at 12, and with that sort of range they stood no chance.

On the fifth day of Drake’s onslaught, he noticed a significant decrease in numbers and eventually decided to check out Outpost B.

When he arrived, he saw the usual at the gate, some gnolls above the wooden wall lit with torches. But when he moved to get a look at the inside from the tree, what awaited his eyes was a notable change. Less than a fourth of the encampment was still erect. Most of the inside was now left bare, only a few campfires strewn about.

“Wow, have I really killed that many?” Drake said, slightly in disbelief.

He had without a doubt killed hundreds upon hundreds of gnolls by this point and had grown jaded by the routine of it.

But this was what Drake was aiming for. He had wanted to thin out their enormous numbers so that he could take this Outpost B first and use it to do the same for the Mountain Outpost. And now that he had, he was just surprised that it had happened.

Drake hopped down and looked over his stats a bit, wondering if he needed to use his free points or not, but decided against it. After all, he had gotten a new title that helped a bit already.

Battle of Attrition

Fight against 100 or more enemies at once and survive. +10 to all stats.

It’s like a mini level up, Drake thought, smiling.

Before Drake stormed the keep, he made sure he had everything set. He drank some water, ate some more of the delish venison stew that he had become so fond of—that also happened to give some pretty good buffs—and did his business.

He was finally all set to clear out the rest of the camp and jumped the wall. Right into a group of gnolls, coming down on their campfire where they were cooking some kind of food.

“Sorry, chaps. Kitchen just closed, but I can offer some nice knuckle sandwiches.” He laughed, kissing the back of his knuckle.

The group barked and growled, alerting the rest of the camp as they drew their scattered weapons and charged in rage at Drake.

He took no time in dispatching the small group, grabbing one gnoll and slamming it into another. He kicked another through the chest and sent another flying through the air with an uppercut.

Soon the rest of the camp was on him, and he was back to the extended melee that he was so used to. Going from monster to monster, throwing punches and kicks that bisected multiple monsters. Chanting Mana Bolts as he went, he killed groups of the gnolls to a calamitous degree.

Until he heard a thunderous howl that sounded above the clash. And the gnolls stopped their assault on Drake, making an opening for a much larger Squad Commander Gnoll to come through.

The commander wore similar attire to the first Commander Gnoll Drake had faced, but had green-gemmed accessories decorating its ears and hands, one in each. It was also holding glistening scimitars in each of its hands.

The commander roared and surged forward, wasting no time in getting close.

Drake was surprised at the monster’s speed. Even compared with the first, this one was leagues faster.

He put more mana into his rings and braced for the monster’s swing with a cross guard. But when the monster reached him, it disappeared.

Another one with a movement skill?! Drake exclaimed internally.

The monster reappeared behind him with a hyena-like snicker as it tried to bring its scimitars down on Drake’s head. But he had already turned and raised a black-tattooed, mana-clad arm to meet the strike, sparks of blue mana igniting from the collision. The commander’s eyes widened for a moment in surprise but quickly retaliated with speed and ferocity, unleashing a flood of blows on Drake.

With the speed at which the Commander Gnoll attacked, Drake was barely able to keep up. He blocked and dodged as best he could. Thankfully his new armor kept him from taking too much damage, but he couldn’t understand how the monster was just as fast as he was, until he again spotted the shine of green attached to the gnoll’s dog-like ears.

Drake needed to turn the tide, and quickly. He began chanting while blocking the blows from the commander. When he finished, he threw his fist into the gnoll’s abdomen but hit nothing. Again, the gnoll disappeared from view and reappeared behind Drake as his Mana Bolt blew a hole through several other monsters previously standing behind the Commander Gnoll.

“Stand still!” Drake yelled, swinging his arm in an arc behind him only to be met by two scimitars.

Again the two were held in a lock momentarily, each pushing back on the other. The commander barked another snicker, but Drake began to win out in the contest of strength. The Commander Gnoll disappeared before Drake could overtake it.

But this time Drake was ready for it and immediately twisted into a roundhouse kick, roaring as he did. The next moment, the gnoll reappeared behind Drake and was greeted by a steel boot to the chest. The monster flew through the camp and slammed into the wooden wall tens of feet away.

Drake looked at the wall where a small cloud of dust had been kicked up from the gnoll’s impact and waited a moment for the dust to settle. But when it did, the gnoll was not there.

Drake turned and was met with the gleam of two scimitars once again, but was too slow to block the strikes, and the blades crossed the right side of his face.

He recoiled in pain, his hand gripping the right side of his head as blood leaked from between his fingers.

He could feel it on his hand through the tattoos and glared at the commander with an icy death stare, fury welling up.

But the Commander Gnoll was not left undamaged from the kick before, a noticeable trail of blood leaking from its mouth as it grinned and barked back at him. The gnoll brought one of its blades to its mouth as its large, dog-like tongue wrapped around it, licking off the blood.

“Ugh… bro. That’s so cliché…” Drake cringed, still holding his face. “Just for that,” he said, bringing his right hand in front of him, seeing the fresh red liquid on it from his wound, “I’m going to turn that ugly excuse for a face you have into one that even a mother wouldn’t love!”

Drake burst forward like a bullet shot from a gun, closing the distance between him and the monster in an instant, bringing his fist down with his skill like a bomb was being dropped. “Power through force! Heavy Blow!” he chanted as he slammed his fist down.

But the gnoll had disappeared again, leaving Drake’s blow just a crater in the ground.

Fortunately, Drake knew exactly where it was going to be and quickly brought down his other fist in an overhead backhanded slam, right where the squad commander’s head reappeared. The monster was brought head-first to the floor like a dead weight, its head denting the ground and smashing with a crunch.

Drake followed up with a kick to its exposed head, breaking its jaw and forcing it to fly back a meter as small bits of teeth flew out of its maw while it grunted in pain. The gnoll hit the ground and tumbled for a moment, but before it could stop, Drake was already on it, bringing down an empowered Heavy Blow fist right to its muzzle. He slammed the commander into the ground and through it, finally confirming the kill.

You have subjugated Squad Commander Gnoll [F-Rank] level 18.

Experience earned. 9,000TP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage x Warrior Level 9.

28 FP have been awarded.

3 of 5 Squad Commander Gnolls [F-Rank] subjugated.

Drake was elated to finally level up again after so long, but the fight wasn’t over. There were still well over fifty gnolls surrounding him. Although his health was at 70%, his mana was getting dangerously low at 10% from empowering his tattoos so much during the fight.

I guess infusing the gauntlets really took a toll on my mana. I’ll have to find a way to regulate it or compensate. But this leaves me with ten minutes of use with my gauntlets on the lowest cost. The gnolls were hesitant to attack him, but soon many of them lunged and charged forward at him, arrows and Mana Bolts not far behind.

“Ten minutes until the end. Looks like it’s the final countdown.” Drake chuckled to himself.

Drake dashed forward, slamming and throwing the charging Warriors every which way, grabbing them and using them as shields as he began to wreak unrelenting havoc on their back line. He played with them like a dog seeing snow for the first time in their melee. Hopping from one monster to the next, a small excited upward curve of his lips creased his face.

He jumped and hopped from gnoll to gnoll, every kick, punch, and throw resulting in a new notification from his devastation.

Soon the gnolls were approaching the single digits and attempted to flee through the gates, but Drake didn’t give chase, only allowing less than five of them to escape. He needed them to go back to the Mountain Outpost and hopefully bring back the rest of the monsters.

Chapter 24

The Remaining Two

Drake stretched as he heaved a long sigh of relief, touching the quickly healing wound on the side of his face.

“This is definitely going to leave a scar. I wonder if it will make me look cooler… Damn, maybe I should’ve gotten hit a little more to the left. I could have looked like a budget Final Fantasy character, just without the gunblade…” Drake rambled.

As Drake grumbled to himself, he began cleaning up the camp. Moving bodies, deconstructing broken tents, putting out things that had caught on fire from breaking and falling into fire pits.

He continued cleaning, looting and rearranging the camp, checking the gates every so often to see if an army of gnolls was marching on his newly obtained base.

The day progressed, and once Drake finished cleaning up, he sat upon the wooden wall with a canteen and a pot filled with food, his feet dangling off the side as he went through all the new, shiny things he picked up from this squad commander.

Drake started with his status. After the last fight, he needed to start distributing his free points.

Drake Wallen

Race: Human

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Class: [Unique] Mage x Warrior Level 9

VIT: 189

STR: 188 (20)

DEX: 156 (70 + 10%)

INT: 307

WIS: 172

END: 106 (5)

Free Points: 84

Skills: Mana Bolt, Heavy Strike

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge, Close Call, Dead Man Walking, Dual Class, Punching Up, Improbability, Rounded, Dog Hater, One-Man Army, Dog Killer, Battle of Attrition

Drake played with the spoon in his mouth as he mulled over where his points should go. He hadn’t been lacking in strength in the last fight, but didn’t want to stop allocating at least some to it. And then there was his dexterity. It had already passed the 200 mark technically, but he wanted the base stats to be more even. And his endurance stat was lagging behind. He simply didn’t have enough points to go around.

He leaned back staring into the sky, his spoon playfully bobbing up and down as he thought aloud. “I’ll bump my vit to 200 since it’s so close, same with int at 350, so that leaves me with 30. My wisdom is fine for now, so the rest can go into strength, dex and endurance,” Drake mumbled through the side of his mouth.

Eventually he put 15 points into dexterity to get it to 171, and then 15 into his strength to bump it to 203.

Not receiving another title had dampened Drake’s mood, but he quickly bounced back upon reviewing his new.

Peridot Earring [F-Grade, Uncommon]

A magically infused earring with the power to increase DEX by a small amount.

+10 to DEX

Limited to two per ear.

Drake scoffed a bit at the description. 10 to a stat was small? And aside from the two he’d gotten from the commander, he’d found two similar rings.

Peridot Ring [F-Grade, Uncommon]

A magically infused ring with the power to increase DEX by a small amount.

+10 to DEX

Limited to two per hand.

Drake had already slipped on the rings which, when filling all his slots, gave him an extra 40 dexterity that his status reflected beside the stat. It was a nice ‘small’ boost, if he said so himself.

He had also looted a massive amount of skill stones and subtree stones from the past couple battles, and they were quickly taking up a good section of his inventory. Thankfully he had gotten another pouch from the Squad Commander Gnoll.

There were also the two scimitars as well, but they weren’t very impressive and only uncommon grade with no stats. But the greatest haul of the day were the things he found while cleaning up the commander’s tent.

Tyrant’s Fire Oil [F-Grade, Uncommon]

An extremely flammable liquid from the abdomen of the Tyrant Ant. It can be used raw or as an ingredient for more elaborate explosives.

Drake kept the fist-sized flasks of the stuff inside his inventory, worried they might somehow catch fire. Earlier, Drake had only been seconds away from the stockpile igniting when a tent had abruptly caught fire. Luckily, he had been inside looting as it happened and saw the reddish liquid, honestly thinking it was alcohol. Imagining the pile catching fire when he’d been so close by made him shudder.

Shaking away his thoughts, he looked into the distance again, waiting for a sign of more gnolls. But for the rest of the day, none had come. Drake was honestly okay with it, as he had been going non-stop for the past five or so days without much rest.

Drake reinforced the gates with spare rubble from the camp, ensuring that it wouldn’t be easily opened from the outside, and made his way to the sole tent left within the camp.

Going through the draped entrance, Drake walked onto a red carpet leading to four glorious beds, all pushed together to make a magnificent super bed.

“I must be more tired than I thought, I could swear I heard a heavenly choir,” Drake said as he stared off into the distance past the group of beds, a single tear rolling down his newly scarred cheek.

That night Drake slept like a glorious king returning from the victory of war. And by that, he passed out right as his head hit the pillow, snoring and sprawled out still in his martial artist’s garb, a small pool of drool slowly forming below his head.

The next morning, Drake groaned awake as he was woken by the sound of a loud thumping. He rose from the beds, touching the back of his neck.

“Oh god, who splashed water on me when I was sleeping?!” he said, his hand jerking away from his damp neck.

Now, what is this sound that woke me up? It’s coming from the eastern gate, he thought. He sprinted towards the gate, arriving right as the thumping morphed into loud crashes. Small amounts of dust kicked up from the rubble blocking the entrance. Hopping up to the wall, Drake looked over to see fifty or more gnolls surrounding the gate.

As his head poked out, he noticed what the sound was. Two lines of gnolls held a makeshift battering ram made from a tree, slamming it into the gate with a steady rhythm. In the next second, he saw a hail of arrows and Mana Bolts fly into his direction, forcing him to drop back down behind the wall.

Drake stretched a bit to loosen up. “Well, looks like they’re back to it, just like I hoped. Back to the grind as well, then,” he said, jumping back up to the wall on the other side of the gate, putting mana into his rings and quickly casting a Mana Bolt aimed right at a group of Mages in hooded cloaks. The crack of his Mana Bolt hitting them sounded like the starting bell of the fight.

He dropped down and broke into a sprint as soon as he hit the ground, aiming right for the gnolls holding the two-meter-long ram. He dispatched the quickly panicking gnolls around it in record time. Once the crashing ram had been silenced, he turned his attention to the rest of the gnolls.

Soon Drake was running through the ranks of the gnolls, smashing and throwing them almost in a farcical way, dashing from gnoll to gnoll, a small cloud of dust trailing him.

When Drake had all but finished off the group assailing his newly acquired base, he allowed some of them to flee again to the Mountain Outpost.

“Well, as long as nothing unexpected happens, I think we can actually cruise to level 10 and then sweet, sweet RNG revenge,” Drake said, looking at the backs of the fleeing gnolls.

He hopped back over the wall again and sat back down on the ledge, bringing out a canteen of water and the leftovers of food from yesterday, still piping hot.

“I love this pouch, never going to have to eat day-olds ever again. But wait, that means I’ll never have day-old Sinigang. Oh no, this might be a problem…”

Drake mused about the pros and cons of his spatial pouch concerning food for a few more minutes, then sighed.

“It’s so surreal. Being here, doing some of the things I can do. I’ve already adapted to this non-stop mindless killing. And don’t get me wrong, I have no qualms with killing things that are trying to kill and eat me. But it’s so jarring. I hope Mom and everyone are doing alright…” Drake began to ramble, thoughts swirling in his mind.

While he stared off into the distance, he wondered how his mother and his family were doing. They were a normal family—well, everyone besides their mother. She was a small Filipino lady that could lift twice her own weight somehow and was someone who you could never win an argument against. She would forget what she was doing while doing it, but as soon as you made her angry, she would remember your entire life’s dark history to use against you in full force.

It comforted him a bit to think of her and of his headstrong little brothers. He was surprised it did, as they were probably put into similar situations, but if they were with their mother, he had no reason to worry. In fact, he was frightened for the monsters. Nothing spelled disaster like an angry, old Filipino lady with a chancla.

He made a mental note to find them as fast as possible when this was over.

Drake thought and rambled on several things as he waited for more gnolls to show up, but unexpectedly, none had. It had been over several hours since the last group, and Drake was starting to worry if something was going on. Were they plotting something? Or had they given up? He wasn’t sure.

He decided to go with the wait-and-see approach. It wasn’t good to go in more blind than he already was. So he resigned himself to just taking solace in the break from fighting for now, the spoon in his mouth bobbing up and down as his feet lightly bounced off the wall. The day slowly descended into night.

“Ahhhh! How long are they going to make me wait?!” Drake yelled.

It had been two days since the gnolls had come to Outpost B, and his relaxation had become impatience, which turned to frustration and the fear he was falling behind again. Drake hopped off the wall and dashed down the dirt road to the Mountain Outpost, traveling the distance in record time thanks to his newly acquired items.

Once he saw the dirt road open up, he turned into the forest to scout out the outpost. The outside defenses had been completed, and a spiked ditch now surrounded the Mountain Outpost.

For an hour Drake stayed in the forest watching the gate for anything, but nothing was coming or going. He was certain there were still gnolls inside since Rangers remained stationed on the towers. Drake wasn’t sure what had changed but decided to go check on his dummies in the meantime, reminding himself that he should hold on to the gear.

Drake scoured the part of the forest he knew he had set up the dummies in but couldn’t find a single set of armor. Someone had taken them. “Those bastards even took my poor buddy Charles! This is unforgivable!” Drake shouted in faux outrage.

He had hoped the dummies would keep the gnolls a little on their toes since they knew he had set them up, possibly even keeping up the illusion that he was still in the forest, but they must have moved in when he started attacking the other outpost. Or, hopefully, more participants were nearby and had taken them to make good use of them.

Drake wasn’t going to bend over backwards for people he didn’t know at the moment, but he was fine giving away items he wasn’t using if it meant helping them survive this horrid tutorial.

After a few minutes more of searching and finding nothing, Drake was content with stopping and going back to the treeline. Once there he found nothing had changed about the outpost. And after another hour, nothing had changed.

“There haven’t been any groups coming and going. Are they really holed up in there? Or maybe… they’re running out of forces?” Drake whispered to himself.

He didn’t have any way of knowing which was true, but he did know that he needed to get inside of the outpost if he wanted to finish his quests quickly. Drake then brought out one of his looted crossbows and many arrows, preparing for another assault on the outpost.

He trained his aim on the Rangers on the guard towers, placing an arrow into both of them. What surprised Drake was that after he had felled the lookouts, they weren’t replaced. Instead he heard a roar so loud that it reverberated in his chest. An instinctual fear was rising up in his stomach, telling him to run.

A few moments later, the gate swung upward and a mass of gnolls began to flow out. By the time it had stopped, he estimated there were well over 200 in the enormous clump of furballs that had exited the gate.

Following them was not one, but two Squad Commander Gnolls, each very different from the three he had faced previously. The leftmost member of the pair was sporting a cowboyish-like hat and leather armor. On its waist were two oddly made pistols that reminded him of a wasteland aesthetic. Completing the gunman feel, it raised the tip of its hat with its thumb.

The second Commander Gnoll on the right was far more stoic-looking, wearing a chainmail-like cuirass that was more akin to linked scales than multiple ringlets. Its shoulders were adorned with armor not unlike the pauldron Drake had on, with chained pants of similar fashion. Dwarfing its form was the massive halberd it held at its side.

Great, are the monsters going to start asking me if I feel lucky, or that I leave a bad taste in their mouth? Drake scoffed, looking over the Commander Gnolls, which he decided to name Spear Guy and Cowboy.

Jokes aside, Drake was still wary. Not of the two Commander Gnolls, as with his current stats he was sure that he could still win the fight regardless of numbers. No, he still felt the fear in the pit of his stomach, but it was coming from inside the outpost, behind the large wooden walls.

Drake didn’t enjoy feeling like this after more than a week of grueling fights for his life. But even with the uneasy feeling, he couldn’t deny the meal in front of him. They were the last two commanders he needed for his quest, and with how much experience the squad commanders gave, Drake could only imagine the amount he would receive from the quest reward.

After some deliberation, he decided it was within his means to fight the mass of monsters outside the gate. He opened his inventory to put the crossbow and arrows away, then eyed the stack of tyrant’s fire oil.

Drake could defeat the horde without the use of the items, but with the unknown behind the wall, he wanted to use as little of his mana and stamina as possible. But there was a problem.

“The problem is I can’t take things out of my inventory when in combat. I can place things inside, but the only thing I’m able to bring out is the black die,” Drake said, slightly frustrated.

He assumed the reason he could only bring out the die was that it was most likely recognized as a system item, so the combat restriction didn’t apply to it. He had confirmed as much from his fight with the second Commander Gnoll when he was able to bring it out but nothing else.

This became a problem now that Drake wanted to use some of the consumables he had picked up.

He brought out the items he was planning on using: a few flasks, and a pair of flint and steel. Drake tried to find places to stash the flasks so that they wouldn’t get damaged or jiggle around too much, ending up with them placed inside his robe, expanding his midsection noticeably.

“I’ll have to get a utility belt or something, ‘cause this definitely isn’t the play…” he said wearily.

Drake decided on placing the flint and steel inside his pants’ pocket, the only pockets he had.

Once he finished, he looked back at the mass of gnolls outside, that had now formed into neat groups, the squad commanders barking orders every so often.

The gnolls had sent out a few miners to scout out the area, and Drake watched as they ran every which way, into the forest and down the dirt road.

Drake waited until the one sent his way had passed him, then quietly snapped the miner’s neck, placing it into a bush nearby.

He was still trying to go over his plan in his head and didn’t want to announce where he was exactly just yet. The thing inside the outpost still worried him, and he wanted to draw the gnolls away from it. And he also wanted to use the tyrant’s fire oil, but not knowing how potent it was, he needed them away from both the forest and outpost so that they wouldn’t catch fire.

I only have a few options available to me, then, he thought. There’s the dirt road, but it isn’t wide enough to fight that many gnolls in. Then there’s the opening in front of the outpost. It looks about a football field wide, so a little over 300 feet, give or take. It’s enough if I can fight them in the opening of the dirt road, that gives me enough space to stay clear of the forest and the outpost. And it gives me enough cushion to see if, or when, that thing decides to come out of the outpost.

Drake finished finalizing his plan, then sprang into action. Ignoring the rest of the scouts, he dashed out of the treeline, firing Mana Bolts into the legion of gnolls as he dashed across the wide-open area in the direction of the dirt road’s opening.

Each impact killed tens of gnolls, tearing deep into their ranks as he blasted through the front lines and the subsequent monsters behind them.

Once the bolts started hitting, retaliation struck. Arrows, Mana Bolts, and now bullets all trailed him as he kept pace, sprinting for the opening. The two squad commanders howled in anger, barking orders to the legion, marching them forward in a thunderous charge toward Drake.

Drake continued to fire Mana Bolts as he got to the mouth of the dirt road. He pulled out the first flask of tyrant’s fire oil and uncorked it. A pungent smell, the combination of gasoline and cementing tar, started filling his nose.

But he had no time to be distracted and began pouring the liquid on the ground beneath him as he ran back into the dirt road. Once he was a comfortable distance from the smelly oil, he took out the flint and steel, waiting for the gnolls to funnel in.

Drake was sorely disappointed when only a handful of the gnolls stepped onto the oil-soaked ground before they stopped and sniffed the air, noticing the smell. But it wasn’t all lost.

Drake gazed back at the halted gnoll legion only to smile as he saw they were being pushed forward, regardless of their reluctance by the ranks further back still charging forward. The gnolls in the front tripped and fell over one another as they tried in vain to hold back the flood of charging gnolls behind them.

He smiled and lit the oil trail. “Time to put the shrimp on the barby!” he shouted gleefully.

The moment the sparks from the flint touched the oil, it ignited in a roar of unimaginable heat and golden-orange flames as the trail burst in flames, snaking toward the gnolls.

The trail of fire met the legion in a fraction of a second. Wails of pains and barks of anger filled the surroundings as half of the legion burned away in a blaze of heat.

Many of the gnolls scattered as patches of flames burned on their bodies, some rolling on the ground to put them out to no avail.

Drake looked on in amazement of the oil. “When it said highly flammable it wasn’t kidding. The fire is almost as hot as that construct was in the introduction. No, no!” Drake shook his head. “We must stay focused, brothers, we must stay focused!” he shouted into the air, his fists raised.

He was quickly brought back from his distraction when he heard another piercing howl from the other side of the wall of flames.

Barely able to see through it, Drake could still make out the visage of two large silhouettes on the other side.

Both Drake and the commanders waited for the flames to die down. And after a few long minutes, the fire began to recede, revealing the squad commander pair on one side, the remnants of their army of gnolls behind them. On the other was Drake, black tattoos forming in a flash of ethereal blue on his arms, his black gold trimmed robes fluttering behind him.

“Is it hot in here, or is it just me?” Drake chortled.

Chapter 25

Quest Complete

As soon as the flames died enough for the Commander Gnolls to get through they both disappeared, leaving their force of gnolls behind. They appeared again on opposite sides of Drake.

Does everyone have a movement skill but me?!

After appearing, Cowboy fired off two bullets in rapid succession from its wasteland guns. Drake was barely able to respond in time, even with his increased dexterity. Pouring more mana into his tattoos and raising them to cover his head, the sounds of metal hitting the mana-infused weapons rang in his ears.

Without missing a beat the Spearman Gnoll moved in closer behind Drake, heaving its halberd back with both hands in a thrusting motion. It shined with a red glow, the Spearman barking as it did.

Drake was unable to turn in time to fully dodge the thrust and placed a black clad arm in between him and the spear point of the halberd. The two weapons clashed in a shower of sparking red and blue before Drake was flung to the side and pushed down the dirt road.

He tumbled against the ground for a moment then landed on his feet, gripping his hand. Looking down, a stream of blood trickled from a small hole.

The Spearman Gnoll’s skill had just gotten through his mana-infused tattoo. Having infused a good amount of mana into the magic tattoos, it didn’t bode well for Drake.

He had made a mistake in assuming the gnolls only had movement skills.

Upon getting up, he was assailed with more sounds of gunshots, forcing Drake to sprint to the side to dodge, running back and forth towards the Cowboy in wide lines, his speed kicking up dust with each turn.

Just as Drake was beginning to wonder if the gunman had an endless pit of bullets, it stopped firing to reload. In that moment, Drake seized the opportunity and sprinted forward at top speed, straight for the gunman.

Chanting his Mana Bolt as he charged the Cowboy, he fired it off with one hand and wound up his other, immediately chanting his Heavy Blow skill in succession.

Moments before the Mana Bolt was about to land, the Spearman Gnoll appeared in front of the gunman, taking the Mana Bolt to its shoulder as it raised its halberd above its head, glowing red again.

Drake only feet away when the Spearman brought down its halberd on him. But with Drake’s increased speed, he quickly pivoted on his left foot as it hit the ground and went a step further, pushing off it to dodge the swing, the red halberd finding nothing but the scorched ground below it.

He continued his pivot to the right and brought his swing into the side of the unguarded Spearman. “Power through force! Heavy Blow!” he roared, his fist connecting with the the Spearman’s side, sending it crashing through several trees.

The gunman had reloaded by this time and brought a glowing green gun to Drake’s face, firing point blank at his head.

Drake infused more mana into his tattoos to stave off the gunfire, turning with his hand pressed against his head. He both felt and saw the bullet scrape across his tattoos, the sparks of blue and green flashing in his vision for a split second, trailing a small splotch of blood.

He survived the close-range bullet barrage, but he was quickly running through his reserves and was down to 60% mana after just a few exchanges with the commander pair.

With no option of retreating, Drake surged forward, closing the distance with the Gunman. Chanting, he used his Heavy Blow skill with one arm and kept the other raised to keep him from taking a shot to one of his vitals.

Drake took hits to his slightly exposed shoulder and body, but thanks to his rare-quality gear, the bullets only left shallow scrapes. In a single breath, Drake was close enough to hit the gunman, his Heavy Blow chant complete. He threw his fist forward with all his might—

—Only to be stopped by the flat edge of a red-hued halberd. Drake cursed as he looked from the halberd over to the Spearman Gnoll, its face dirtied as blood ran from the corner of its grinning maw.

He looked back at the gunman, a smile creeping up its face half-hidden by the head of the halberd as it disappeared.

Drake quickly took hold of the shaft of the halberd and roared as he spun it around, spearman in tow.

As it crested his shoulder, reflected in the blade he saw the Cowboy holding its pistol up to his head, again glinting green. But Drake’s split-second decision saved his life, as he was barely able to raise his shoulder with his swing of the halberd, slamming the Spearman Gnoll into the Cowboy right as it barked. The gunshot went off, the bullet ricocheting off his pauldron and cutting his right eyebrow.

The gunman and spearman collided with force attesting to Drake’s strength as they flew back into the bulk of the remaining legion of gnolls, still scrambling to escape the fire.

The two forces collided as the squad commander pair was pushed deep within the gnolls’ ranks.

Drake didn’t wait for a repeat of before and sprinted forward as quickly as he could, chanting a Mana Bolt. He arrived at the spearman and gunman pair, fumbling over each other to get up, only to spot Drake as he moved in front of them so quickly it looked as if he used a skill himself. But they couldn’t get up quick enough as Drake leapt forward feet first, catching the spearman in the chest with his steel boots and sending them both flying a few meters until they collided with the ground. Drake ended standing atop the unconscious spearman.

Drake finished his Mana Bolt spell in the same moment and fired a watermelon-sized hole into its chest.

You have subjugated Squad Commander Gnoll [F-Rank] level 19.

Experience earned. 9,500TP have been awarded.

He couldn’t relax yet, as he looked back to where the gunman had been only to see it disappear again. Drake turned around with his guard up in anticipation for the gunman, but nothing came. He blinked and looked around for the remaining Commander Gnoll, but saw nothing. Until he heard a gunshot and turned. For a split second he glimpsed the green-glowing pistol peeking out from behind a tree. Then pain shot up his left arm.

Drake winced and tumbled backward from the force of the impact, but quickly got to his feet and rushed to the gunman’s hiding place. But when he arrived, the gnoll was nowhere to be found.

“Damn it! It’s using the trees for cover!” Drake hissed.

Another sound of a bullet firing, and Drake ducked behind the tree, a bullet hole appearing in the trunk of the tree right next to his head.

Drake looked wide eyed at the smoking hole, surprised it could penetrate the large trunk.

But it didn’t take long for Drake to compose himself and start running through the forest, doing his best to keep moving and use the trees to at least obscure himself. Upon touching his right eyebrow, he discovered the bleeding had stopped, but not before his eye was crusted shut with blood. The gunshot on his leg had been hastily bandaged with fabric from his pants to stem the bleeding, but blood was still seeping through, albeit far more slowly.

Gunshots forced Drake back behind the trees, a game of cat and mouse ensuing. Each bullet barely missed Drake or hit just accurately enough to cut through his armor.

He desperately needed to end this game soon. There was no telling when the other gnolls and the mystery monster would decide to show up. Then an idea popped into Drake’s head.

It was a gamble, but Drake was willing to give it a shot. He quickly took off his martial artist’s garb, losing its stats and breaking the set bonus. He placed them on a bush where they were partially obscured.

Then he dashed out from behind the bush as a gunshot rang out, kicking up a bead of dirt behind him. He stopped once he was a little bit away from his garb and waited, peeking his head out and doing his best to listen.

A moment later, a gunshot rang out, and Drake saw the flash of a barrel. Then it disappeared, and a gnoll materialized in front of Drake.

Drake smiled at the gunman as it looked at him in sheer terror. “Hide and seek is over, mutt! Power through force! Heavy Blow!” he howled, almost laughing as he brought his skill-infused fist right into the side of the gunman’s head, hooking it down into the floor of the forest.

You have subjugated Squad Commander Gnoll [F-Rank] level 19.

Experience earned. 9,500 TP have been awarded.

Quest complete! 5 of 5 Squad Commander Gnolls subjugated.

Accept rewards?

Drake huffed from exhaustion, bent over in a crouching position over the now-crushed monster even as he looked at the new notifications, but quickly put them on hold.

While he took a moment to breathe, he spotted some familiar green glints on the monster’s corpse. It had four of the same accessories as the one from Outpost B. Did that mean the other one may have them as well?

Drake quickly scooped up the accessories and the stone and void pouch that appeared next to the body. After he ran to grab his garb, noting a new small hole in its back, he ran back out of the forest.

He was greeted by the remnants of the gnoll legion about to bear down on him.

Drake looked over his status. He was at 60% health and 20% mana and stamina. He needed to clear out the remaining gnolls so he could recover unnoticed.

But before that, he wanted to check on something. Drake returned to the body of the Spearman Gnoll and just like he had hoped, there was some sparkling loot waiting for him in the form of red earrings and rings.

Ruby Ring [F-Grade, Uncommon]

A magically infused ring with the power to increase one’s STR by a small amount.

+10 to Strength

Ruby Earring [F-Grade, Uncommon]

A magically infused earring with the power to increase one’s STR by a small amount.

+10 to Strength

Drake smiled as he read the descriptions and placed them into his pocket instead of his inventory. He wasn’t out of his fight yet, and if he wanted to switch out his accessories, they would have to be outside of his inventory.

As he looked around, he saw many of the gnolls still racing towards him in a wild rage. But some strays were fleeing back to the outpost.

Drake watched the fleeing gnolls as a foreboding feeling starting to creep into the back of his mind, but he had other problems now.

He raced with all his speed to meet with the remaining gnolls charging towards him in an instant and went to work.

As he annihilated the leftover ranks of the gnolls, he reflected on the feeling from before. A loud howl reverberated over the field, the loudest and deepest one he had heard yet.

The gnolls around him suddenly held looks of abject fear as they began to scramble, fleeing in all directions.

Drake’s gaze remained fixed on the gate, glancing at his status gradually recovering but not nearly fast enough to reach full before the sight of a truly monstrous dog lurched out of the outpost’s gate.

Drake was left wide eyed and mouth agape as he only first saw the head of the beast, wearing a type of Miner’s cap. Next he saw the shoulders and arms as it had to crawl through the gate to fit.

“You’re a big fella, aren’t cha… Oh God!” Drake quickly became even more surprised as the full body of the monster emerged and stood up. It almost came up to the outpost’s walls, nearly reaching fifteen-feet-high.

Dirt stained its large blue overalls. In its hands was a pickaxe to end all pickaxes. On its side, attached to its belt, an unlit lantern. It looked down at the fleeing gnolls and picked them up effortlessly. It growled in disappointment as it hurled some into the forest, crossing the distance of a football field. Others it stomped and crushed, killing a majority of the remaining gnolls that had tried to flee into the outpost.

Then the beast glowered down at him, and Drake began to shake with a grin.

He didn’t smile at the fact that the beast had noticed him or that he had to fight this behemoth. Rather, he smiled at the new window that had popped up in front of him automatically.

Urgent Quest: Defeat the Foreman [F-Rank]

Reward: Large amount of experience, TP, and access to the Gnoll Mines

Chapter 26

The Foreman

“Hey, big guy, the Rock just called. He wants to know your workout routine to get that swole,” Drake said with a nervous chuckle.

The Foreman huffed as it took several hulking steps forward.

Only for a moment did Drake look on in awe at the gnoll’s massive size, before quickly looking at his status. He took out two more flasks of fire oil, stuffing them inside his garb as he slipped an unlit torch through his obi.

He looked at his status, still slowly ticking upwards. It had reached 80% for his health and a little above 50% for his mana and stamina. It was going to be a hard fight even if the big lug was a pushover, Drake thought.

He stared, standing his ground, as the Foreman continued to casually walk forward, its enormous pickaxe resting on its shoulder. The ground quaked under its weight with every step, bodies and dirt visibly shaking.

Drake wanted to wait until he absolutely had to engage the Foreman to give his status ample time to recover.

After a few seconds the Foreman had made its way over to Drake, looming over him with a grin. The monster cackled like a hyena as it threw its head back and pointed down with one furred hand, its belly undulating as it did.

Drake raised a brow, his face flushing slightly with indignance. “Oh? You think you’re tough for an oversized prairie dog plushie? I have news for you, Toucan Sam says don’t bother showing up to work on Monday. Said he needed someone meaner and scarier,” Drake sneered as he looked up, displaying a particular digit on his raised hand.

The Foreman quickly stopped laughing and looked down over its slightly protruding belly with a screwface, as if it had understood the insult. The beast raised its pickaxe, the wind kicking up when it pulled the massive tool back.

“Shit, guy can’t take a joke,” Drake said sardonically.

Drake took it as his cue and exploded forward toward the beast’s legs, quickly beating the large figure out in speed.

This must be what it felt like for that chick under that elephant while carrying the halfling in that one fight, he mused as he closed in on the monster’s right leg.

Drake wound up his right arm with his skill, ready to put all his force into the blow.

“Power through force! Heavy Blow!” he roared, putting more mana into the tattoos for extra oomph.

The blow landed and reverberated through Drake’s body but did minimal damage to the Foreman. Barely a bruise had appeared on its less-hairy hindquarters.

“Damn, that’s hard! It looks like I just gave the dude a hickey on the leg,” Drake grunted with a wave of his right hand.

The Foreman barked out a reverberating howl, kicking its leg forward to get Drake out from under it.

Thankfully Drake was leagues faster than the monster and moved out of the way of the direct blow, but the great gusts of air pressure in the blow’s wake pushed him back.

Drake fought the force of the blast of wind, feeling much like a palm tree in a hurricane, but managed to not be flung off his feet.

“Okay, plan B. Kill it with fire,” he scoffed, pulling out one of the fire oil flasks.

The Foreman had turned to Drake by this point, anger in its eyes, swinging its pickaxe again—this time in a side-sweep much faster than the downward swing from before.

Drake ran for the swing instead of the feet of the monster this time, timing it just right to jump onto the shaft of the pickaxe.

When the swing was just a few feet from colliding with him, he leapt into the air, planting his free hand into the side of the pickaxe’s wooden shaft as he was carried to the apex of the swing.

Drake stopped with a jerk as the pickaxe halted right above the Foreman’s left shoulder. He took a moment to stabilize himself on the pickaxe after the ride to the top, then made a mad dash for the monster’s head, jumping off the shaft and onto its shoulder.

For several moments Drake was suspended in mid-air. He used the time to chant two Mana Bolts. The monster looked left to right, apparently searching for Drake.

One of the two Mana Bolts hit the side of the monster’s face, cratering its cheek. The other struck inside its left ear, a fountain of blood erupting.

I really used the force to thread the needle right there, Drake thought inwardly as he smiled.

But Drake wasn’t finished, and the Foreman certainly wasn’t either. The Foreman’s left hand rose to swat Drake from its shoulder. But Drake was already close enough to its face that he jumped from its shoulder, a tyrant’s fire oil flask in hand.

He threw the flask with all his might into the side of the Foreman’s massive head, splashing its left eye and face with the flask as it continued to wail in pain from its ruptured ear.

Drake dropped down off the shoulder from his leap, the gnoll’s hand passing over him. But the wind from the passing hand pulled him up and propelled him into a chaotic, spinning freefall.

He pulled out the second tyrant’s fire oil from under his garb and spread his arms and legs out in an attempt to stabilize himself mid-air. He managed to get his bearings well enough that the blur of shapes focused sharply, giving him enough time to uncork the flask and throw trails of oil all over the monster on his way down.

A breath later, Drake hit the ground with a crash. The ground indented beneath him.

He looked up at the still-flailing gnoll as it gripped its head with both hands, shrieking and howling almost like it had become a banshee. The sound’s rising pitch split Drake’s temples in a migraine.

Drake had to cover his ears as he sprinted away from the beast in search of any remaining flames from the previous battle.

Not far away, he stumbled upon a still-burning corpse and pulled the torch from his obi, lighting it and turning back to the flailing beast. Drake was only able to run so fast with the flickering torch, afraid it would snuff itself out in the wind if he went full speed.

By the time Drake had made it halfway there, the Foreman had recovered, unbridled fury in its eyes now as it looked down at the small human giving it such a hard time.

It reared back its enormous right leg, ready to punt Drake like a ball for a field goal kick. But he didn’t have the luxury of dodging, unwilling to risk extinguishing his torch. Instead, he continued to run forward, chanting Mana Bolts at the monster’s head, aiming for its exposed right eye.

The Foreman’s leg gained momentum as it swung forward, but Drake was unrelenting with his spells as they crashed into the Foreman’s face like a torrential downpour, bombarding it to no end.

Right as the Foreman’s leg passed its other foot, one of Drake’s Mana Bolts struck gold. The monster shuddered backwards in pain, falling on its ass, its kick now missing by a large margin.

Drake fist pumped inwardly as he continued toward the now-reeling giant. Dust clouds rose as it rolled back and forth, its hands covering its right eye.

Drake maneuvered himself onto the gnoll’s chest. He grinned as mischievously as the boy from Home Alone as he lightly tossed the torch in the air.

Then he hurriedly jumped off the beast as it ignited in a blaze of golden-orange flames. Another scream was added to the cacophony of wails.

Drake looked on, satisfied with his inevitable victory.

Suddenly the fire began to recede and formed a vortex centered into the Foreman’s lantern situated on the side of its belt. The Foreman staggered back to its feet as it grabbed the lantern with its left hand.

Drake gawked at the fine control the beast displayed over the fire, pulling every lick of flame into the lantern. The monster returned to its feet alive, but not without damage.

The gnoll’s fur was singed all over its body, the left side of its face a hideous, charred mess from the whole flask that had been poured there. Its left eye was beet-red, and its lid was charred off. Its right eye was swollen shut, blood dripping from it.

The Foreman looked down with a single, blazing red eye at Drake, inflamed with rage.

“Damn… So it has a second stage, huh?” Drake mumbled hesitantly.

The gnoll raised the lantern in front of itself and pointed it in Drake’s direction. A low rumble escaped its maw, as the fire within the lantern blazed to life. The licks and whips of fire surged out like tentacles looking for prey to seize.

Drake burst into action as well, sprinting to dodge the lashes of the fire as they rained down in an ardent barrage of red and orange. But that wasn’t the only thing Drake had to worry about. Beyond the flames the Foreman lifted its pickaxe with its other arm, ready to strike with another horizontal swing.

Drake dashed toward the mouth of the dirt road, firing Mana Bolts behind him to strike the monster in the head again. But his accuracy was nothing if not a travesty. The Mana Bolts merely weakly peppered the Foreman.

Drake glanced over his shoulder to see the swing coming from his side. He wouldn’t be able to dodge this one completely. He decided to make a last-ditch effort and stopped. He fully turned and fired two Mana Bolts for the monster’s eye. The bolts fired consecutively after each respective chant just as the pickaxe was about to collide with Drake.

He pushed backwards with all his strength to dodge a direct blow, dumping the remainder of his mana into the tattoos to hopefully stave off the damage.

The pickaxe was just close enough to clip the edge of his arms as he held them in front of himself. The pickaxe and mana-infused tattoos screeched as they ground across one another, a cascade of blue mana sparking from the onslaught.

After a few grueling moments, Drake heard something akin to the shattering of glass as his tattoos winked out of existence. His mana had emptied out. The pickaxe passed him just then, and he was flung into a pile of gnoll corpses with an deafening crash—but not before he saw his last two Mana Bolts crashing into the Foreman’s lantern raised in defense, shattering it.

Drake grunted in pain and struggled to get up, a small cloud of dust around him. He looked around at the pile of gnolls that he had auspiciously landed in. But Drake was out of options. His mana had bottomed out, and without it, his only weapon was out of commission.

He scrambled to look for any leftover weapons near the bodies of the gnolls, but unfortunately there were only cracked and battered swords, shields, and crossbows. Then through the dust, he spotted a pristine gleam of steel.

He bolted to the object, seeing what it was, looking up through the dissipating cloud of dust once he had it in his hands.

The Foreman was there, looking at its now-broken lantern with renewed anger in its bloodshot eye. Noticing Drake, it motioned to bring down its pickaxe on him once more.

Drake furiously searched his pockets for the earrings and rings he had looted earlier. Placing his martial artist’s tattoo rings and his peridot jewelry into his inventory, he switched them out for their ruby counterparts, spiking his strength past 300.

In his hands, Drake tightly gripped the Spearman Gnoll’s halberd.

The Foreman’s swing was now in motion, coming down on Drake like a world-ending meteor from the heavens.

But he only surged forward at his highest possible speed, getting a running start as he heaved back the halberd, ready to throw it like a javelin.

“Resign yourself and receive my blow! Power through force! Heavy Blow!” he roared as he threw the halberd with all his might, and a ruby-red streak of incandescent light screamed across the field. It shrieked past the oncoming pickaxe, right into the Foreman’s widening eye and out the other end of its skull.

But the motion of the swing from the Foreman was already past the summit and bore down on Drake. It slammed into the ground behind him with an earth-shattering roar as the air pressure from the aftermath ripped him completely from the ground and into the air.

Drake was chaotically hurled through the air and into the forest, crashing through branches and trees, finally landing in the treetop of one that had been sturdy enough not to break.

Somehow Drake had survived, a bleeding grin painted across his face as he looked at the notification that he had just opened.

You have subjugated the Foreman [F-Rank] level 21.

Experience earned. 10,000 TP have been awarded.

Urgent quest complete! You have defeated the Foreman.

Accept rewards?

Yes < No

You have been awarded experience and 25,000 TP.

You now have access to the Gnoll Mines.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage x Warrior level 10.

28 FP have been awarded.

“Fuck yeah! Take that, you stupid little prick!” Drake coughed, spitting up blood. Soon his coughs became hysterical laughter as he limply lay in a tangle of branches and leaves.

Chapter 27

And to the Victor Go the Spoils

Exhausted, Drake waited in the tree for several minutes for his battered and broken body to mend. Thankfully he hadn’t lost any limbs in his crash landing, making it only a matter of time until he was mobile again.

After what seemed like an eternity of going between his status and his awaiting quests, Drake was finally healthy enough to untangle himself and drop down from the tree. He wanted to go over his notifications and level up, but there were too many things to do beforehand.

Drake took his time going over the battlefield he had been thrown from, making sure to grab any remnants of loot he could find. Unsurprisingly, he couldn’t fit the Foreman’s enormous pickaxe into his dimensional pouch. Both it and the Foreman were so large he had no way to move them.

But not everything on the Foreman was unlootable. It looked like the loot spawned after it had crashed to the ground, so he didn’t have to search all over to find it.

Drake picked up the skill stone, somewhat surprised.

Skill Stone: Fire [Rare]

Unlocks a random skill from the Fire tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot and unlocked main class tree.

It was the first skill stone he had picked with some sort of element in the description. And it was for all classes, not just Mage?

I really need to gather some more info on skills, Drake thought.

He moved on to the next thing laying on the ground next to the Foreman. A backpack.

Medium Dimensional Sack [F-Grade]

50-slot dimensional space bag.

Requires 1 open inventory slot to be equipped.

Stores nonliving items in current state indefinitely.

Drops on death.

“So, the boss always has the good stuff in this reality too, huh.” Drake smirked.

He quickly placed it into his inventory and equipped it to his bag slots, and what appeared in his inventory was incredible.

Almost countless jewels and precious stones were lined up in the sack. Rows of icons in blues, reds, greens, a nearly full palette of color now covered his screen.

Drake inspected one of the slots.

Sapphire Gemstone [F-Grade, Uncommon]

A magically infused gemstone that can be used in crafting to create accessories that increase Intelligence by a small amount.

Drake’s eyes began to sparkle. This was just what he needed for his all-round build. The description basically told him everything. This was confirmation that crafting was available and that it could buff his stats. If he could find a way to learn how to make jewelry, he could create some much-needed boosts, giving him explosive jumps in strength.

His options in fights would open up, allowing him to cover some of his blind spots.

Drake was about to scream in happiness but remembered that there was still so much to go over. He checked if there were any more gnolls in the area, but it looked like the Foreman had either killed or scared off the remaining ones.

He began to make his way to the outpost, slipping on his martial artist ring tattoos and exchanging his strength accessories for his dexterity ones.

When he finally reached the gate, Drake was amazed at what he saw. It was really more of a fortress than an outpost and completely dwarfed Outpost B. The outpost covered a large portion of the mountainside, even stretching a fair distance from the side of it. If Drake had to guess, it could have held thousands of individuals here at any given time.

There were still fires lit throughout the outpost as well as tents still erect. Drake looked around but saw no movement outside of the wind rustling things here and there.

He cautiously entered and looked back at the wall, seeing the wooden staircase spiral up to the guard towers where oh-so-many gnolls had met their ends. Drake then eyed the pulley that held the gate up and made his way to it. Turning the mechanism so that the gate swung shut, he turned back to the outpost, satisfied and excited to see what goodies were left for him.

Drake swept through the whole camp, going from tent to tent, deconstructing one after another. Now he scoured the encampment both for loot and any hiding monsters.

What he found in each tent varied, but it was obvious which ones were for the regular gnolls and which were for the squad commanders or supply tents.

In various tents he would find beds and single tables or chests with things in or on top of them. In others he would find nothing but racks of weapons and chests of metal armor. And in the squad commanders’ tents, he found them.

Drake gazed at the mythical structure before him as he entered the first commander’s tent. A king-sized luxury bed with all the amenities. Pillows, silk sheets, coverings, the works. He wasn’t sure where the commanders had gotten them, but he didn’t care. He stared at the bed with longing eyes as he reluctantly searched the rest of the tent.

He couldn’t very well jump into the bed as the mess he was now, he thought. Going through the chests strewn throughout the place, he found more accessories, armors, weapons, even some skill stones, but nothing that he didn’t already have.

As Drake left the commander’s tent, he remembered its position and left it standing.

He then finished going through the rest of the outpost, surprisingly finding no gnolls hiding within.

Eventually after hours of deconstructing tents and smothering campfires, Drake found the large entrance to the mines.

Drake stood in front of an entrance large enough to allow the Foreman into, covered by a large, double-sided gate, a smaller human-sized door to its right. The entire thing was built into the side of the mountain. Swinging the door open, he stared into the dark tunnel.

“Hello!” he shouted into the tunnel, his voice echoing and carrying down the dark shaft.

“Oh, that’s fun. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve been to a cave that can do this.” He laughed, his laugh carrying into the tunnel as well. “Where is she?! Swear to me!” he shouted again, beginning to curl over in laughter.

“Ah… that’s good. I needed that. All I need now is a black cape, bad mask, enormous wealth, and a butler that knows how to do everything under the sun,” Drake said, looking down at his black and gold trim robe.

“Okay, maybe not the cape. Robe is close enough, I’d say.”

Drake pulled out a torch from his inventory and lit it with some flint. Then he ventured through the entrance into the mines.

He traveled through the mines, his every footstep echoing into the endless tunnels he passed. The mines were an experience Drake had never thought he would have. The sparkling of colorful veins marking the walls, the rails used to push and pull carts littering the ground. Not knowing the source of the sounds disoriented him as they bounced off the endless tunnel walls.

To avoid getting lost, Drake traveled in a straight line, passing nearly countless tunnels that branched off from the main mineshaft. He heard the occasional drip of what he was sure was water and the sounds of footsteps—or his own footsteps, he honestly wasn’t sure.

Finally Drake hit the end where he found a shack, the sole window lit by a glaringly bright light. Drake knew who this shack belonged to from the size alone. It was the Foreman’s.

Drake entered the shack, pushing open the incredibly large door with all his strength and both hands.

When he entered, he only saw a large chest and a practical-looking bed that was large enough to fit the Foreman.

Drake immediately swarmed to the chest, having to jump up to get in position to open the latch. The chest was at least several feet taller than he was, and many feet wider. As he swung the top off the chest, his eyes sparkled at the sight of the pool of jewels inside.

“Holy shit! There’s enough F-Grade jewels here for a lifetime! I’m rich, bitch!” he shouted, throwing his head back and his hands upwards before diving into the ocean of shining gemstones.

After bathing in the gemstones for a few more moments, Drake swept all of them into his inventory and hopped out of the chest and onto the massive bed.

“Alright! This is as good a place as any. I’ve already swept the camp, and looked at the mines a bit. Time to finally get my class upgrade!” He smirked as he pulled out a familiar twenty-sided black die.

“Oops, I mean class upgrades, don’t I…”

Drake Wallen

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Race: Human

Class: [Unique] Mage x Warrior level 10

VIT: 204

STR: 211 (20)

DEX: 171 (30 + 10%) +(40)

INT: 358

WIS: 176

END: 106 (5)

Free Points: 28

Skills: Mana Bolt, Heavy Strike

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge, Close Call, Dead Man Walking, Dual Class, Punching Up, Improbability, Rounded, Dog Hater, One-Man Army, Dog Killer, Battle of Attrition

Chapter 28

Elemental Miller

Drake sat atop the Foreman’s bed—may he forever not rest in peace—his finger tapping his lips as he thought.

“Last time I did this, I saved the best for last. I don’t think I’ll be doing that again… Okay! Classes first, then the item quest reward!” he shouted triumphantly, raising a fist into the air.

Drake brought up his first class notifications with both excitement and trepidation.

Congratulations! You have reached Mage x Warrior level 10.

28 FP have been awarded.

You have reached Mage level 10.

Quest complete.

Would you like to accept rewards?

Yes < No

Rewards accepted.

Please roll for rarity of reward items.

Primary roll for main class tree skill stone.

Secondary roll for class-specific skill stone.

Please roll thrice for class advancement selection.

Once you have rolled, you will be presented with a list of classes based on each individual roll.

Drake stared at the prompts for a moment, a wave of anxiety coming over him for a few seconds.

“Just don’t roll a 1 for both classes, and we’re fine…” he finally eked out, nervously.

Drake played with the black die in his hands for a few more moments, praying the RNG Gods wouldn’t screw him over again. Then he tossed the black die across the bed. The die skidded across the bedsheet, barely turning before it came to an abrupt stop from its disco slide. An 8 was facing upwards.

He gazed at the result, just breathing. “Okay. Maybe I should do this on a harder surface… I could probably try to game the system with my DEX where it is, and force a 20 if I throw right, but… I don’t want to think about what might happen if the system doesn’t like it,” Drake mumbled as he scooped up the die and dropped to the wooden floor of the shack.

A moment later, a mote of light dropped a stone in front of him, bouncing on the floor. Drake bent down to pick up the stone and inspect it quickly.

Main Class Tree Stone: Force Magician [Uncommon]

Unlocks the Force Magician main class tree.

Requires 1 open main class tree slot and a Mage class of level 10 or more

“Oh, that’s a cool sounding class, and it’s only uncommon? If it’s like last time, that means the next stone will be specifically for this class, right?” Drake said. “Well, no use in mulling over this part too much. Hup!”

Drake cast the die once again, not bothering to let his mind dwell upon the details just yet. The die bounced off the hardwood floor several times, delivering a 5, a 17, then finally tumbling a few centimeters away from him and stopping on 14.

A brief pause later, another mote of light flashed, and a stone thudded on the floor. Drake quickly bent over to get a look at it.

Skill Stone: Depth [Rare]

Unlocks a random skill from the Depth tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot, and unlocked Mage main class tree or subtree

Drake looked at the description again, a light dawning on him. He quickly brought out the other skill stone from his first class quest.

Skill Stone: Necromancy [Legendary]

Unlocks a random skill from the Necromancy tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot, and unlocked Mage main class tree or subtree

Reading the requirements he realized something. “It just says Mage main class. So that’s the specific class I’m rolling for? Does that mean I could use these, technically, without having to use the main class stones I rolled?” Drake said aloud.

It was an interesting prospect for his remaining class quest reward, but ultimately it would be left up to fate whether he rolled something useful or not.

Drake picked up the die again, nervously gripping it in his hands as the moment of truth was now upon him.

He breathed deep and steeled himself. If the worst outcome came to pass, he would have to just get back up and do it again, as many times as it took until he succeeded.

Bracing himself, he let the first roll for his class selection fall from his hands. The die fell to the floor in slow motion, taking long, muted moments to finally hit the floor. Bouncing, it showed a 17, then a 4, 13. Finally it rolled to a stop. 18.

Drake breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the number. He was saved from having to go back to level 1 through sheer dumb luck and felt a weight lift off his shoulders as he grabbed the die once more.

He quickly rolled the two remaining rolls, a 13 and a 15. Nothing great, and nothing awful.

You have rolled 18, 13, and 15.

Generating class list.

Drake waited for the list to show up before him on the screen with nervous tension, taut enough he felt himself slowly tearing apart.

But he didn’t have to wait long before the screen flashed again.

[Epic] Apprentice of the Sun Mage

[Uncommon] Heretic Mage

[Rare] Elementalist

Drake yelled with glee. “Hell yeah, an epic class! And this naming sense! Ahhhhh, so cool!”

He didn’t even wait one second to begin looking through his options.

[Epic] Apprentice of the Sun Mage

A class dedicated to the study of the mighty Sun Mage. Apprentices specialize in the use of fire magic and all of its facets in an attempt to hold the power of the very sun in their hands. Any Mage would be honored to be indoctrinated into the ways of fire magic by the Sun Mage, the pinnacle of anything within the Fire School of Magic. Be warned. Anyone who chooses this path will be unable to wield any other forms of elemental magic.

Initial +20 to Intelligence and Wisdom.

Increased Free Points gain of 25 from 14.

Well, that is kinda awesome sounding, but I’m not sure about not using other forms of magic… But 25 free points from just one class? And a plus 20 to two stats just from the upgrade? Drake contemplated. Still, he should go over the other two classes before he made a rash decision.

[Uncommon] Heretic Mage

A class dedicated to the research and use of unconventional magic. The Heretical Mage specializes in the use of various ingredients to cast a variety of sacrificial type magic. Any young Mage who chooses the path of the Heretic is looked down upon by the other schools of magic, as they work with materials and ingredients disapproved of. Be warned. Those who choose this path will be unable to wield any form of conventional elemental magic.

Initial +10 to Intelligence and Vitality.

Increased Free Points gain of 16 from 14.

Yikes. Not sure I would want this class at all. Not being able to use anything but sacrificial-type magic sounds like pigeon-holing myself, and again, that’s the opposite of what I’m trying to go for right now. Even if specialization is usually more powerful, I would have to go with the Sun God class over this one. I just don’t know enough about Heretic Magic to confidently go with it, Drake thought, nodding to himself for his great insight and rational decision-making. And in no way rationalizing an excuse to pick the epic class over this one.

Drake looked at the final class from the selection.

[Rare] Elementalist

A class that wields the ability to use all four of the major elements. Many Mages look down upon the Elementalist, as they specialize in various of magic and are only able to wield the most basic of spells. They are also unusually weak, as they are unable to learn enough specialized skills to supplement their power.

Initial +15 INT and WIS

Increased Free Point gain of 20 from 14

This class piqued Drake’s interest and sounded very much like what he wanted, as an all-rounder. Being able to use all the elements would increase his versatility, which had essentially been his biggest specialty so far.

“The stat bonuses aren’t bad for Elementalist, but the Sun Mage obviously sounds like it wins out in power and overall stat gains,” he considered aloud. “Heretic Mage is definitely out, so I have to decide between these two. The Elementalist’s description just seems like it’s ragging on it the whole time and trying to steer me towards the Sun Mage. But I really don’t like the fact that I would be following in someone else’s footsteps… Ahh! But the power to summon a massive fire-like spirit bomb! It’s calling to me!” Drake grabbed his head in his hands as if his head was splitting.

“But! A versatile Mage that can use four elements?! And adapt to a multitude of situations?! It has to be that, right?! It has to be! There’re just too many possibilities to ignore with this class. I’ll only regret not getting an epic class just a little…” Drake moved to select the Elementalist class, his eyes tearing up each time he glanced at the epic class.

“Only a little!” he screamed as he finally selected the Elementalist and a new prompt was placed in front of him.

You have selected Elementalist.

Confirm?

Yes! Stop making me second guess myself, damn it! Drake shouted internally.

Congratulations! Your Mage class has upgraded to Elementalist.

Detection of a secondary class.

Your class upgrade has been postponed until you have confirmed your selection.

Drake twitched with a bit of surprise, as he had totally forgotten that he had another class to select. He had been so caught up with this choice it had completely slipped his mind.

He flipped through his notifications and found the second class quest.

You have reached Warrior level 10. Quest complete.

Would you like to accept rewards?

Rewards accepted.

Please roll for rarity of reward items.

Primary roll for main class tree skill stone.

Secondary roll for class-specific skill stone.

Please roll thrice for class advancement selection.

Once you have rolled you will be presented with a list of classes based on each individual roll.

Awwww shiet! Here we go again, thought Drake, picking up the die from the floor.

All of Drake’s hesitation and anxiety had already been eaten up by his first go-around, and he threw the die rapid-fire to get to his classes.

Tossing it to the ground for the main class tree stone, the die skipped and tumbled off the floor eventually situating itself. A 15 was showing.

The stone shone into existence from the bead of light and thudded on the floor a moment later, Drake bending down to pick it up and inspect it.

Main Class Tree Stone: Shield Miller [Rare]

Unlocks the Shield Miller main class tree.

Requires 1 open main class tree slot. Warrior class level of 10 or more.

“Oh, a tank class? Well, that’s a no-go. Too much trauma from games. Always getting blamed for bad pulls and everything going wrong, even when it wasn’t my fault. Yeah, hard pass,” Drake chuckled wearily at the class name.

He quickly pocketed the stone and rolled again. The die slipped from his hand, bounced against the floor, and rolled to a stop, this time stopping at 17.

Drake fist pumped his as he leaned over to grab the stone and die that had rolled on the floor. His luck was on a roll today.

Skill Stone: Guardian [Epic]

Unlocks a random skill from the Guardian tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot and unlocked Warrior main class tree or subtree

Drake’s eyes bulged slightly when he saw that it was an epic skill stone. His luck really was doing well today.

He would have to really consider using this one just because it was epic, even though it sounded like it belonged to a tank-type class. How could anyone pass on an epic rarity skill?

Drake again placed the stone into his inventory for later, looking at the die in his hand for a moment. It was again the moment of truth. Just what type of class would he get?

He didn’t want to psyche himself up, and quickly dropped the die to the ground for his class generation. But on this roll his luck had run out, as it slowly bounced and tumbled, revealing a 2 as it finally ceased to sway back and forth.

“Can’t always strike gold, right… Haha…” he consoled himself, a nervous lump starting to form in the pit of his stomach.

Drake quickly picked the die up and toss it again to the floor, not wanting to let the moment linger for too long.

As the die skidded across the floorboards, he felt himself begin to sweat with apprehension. It bounced further than he wanted it to, as he had put a bit too much power into the cast. Drake swiftly ran to look at the result with a breath of relief. A 17.

He gave a silent prayer of gratitude to his god, Kennyphoon.

Drake for the second to last time cast his die to the floor, making sure not to throw it with too much strength this time. The die bounced in place—2, then 16. Finally, it hit a crack in the floor and veered off underneath the bed out of view.

Drake cursed as he practically leapt to the die concerned about the roll, only to see it had again landed on 17.

You have rolled 2, 17, and 17.

Generating class list.

Drake steadied himself from falling down as he read the notification. At last he had reached this point. His hard work had actually paid off. And he had met one of his goals. Now he just had to pick a second class, and he he’d be on his way to getting through this hellish tutorial.

He looked at the generated class list.

[Common] Farmer

[Rare] Bloodbane Berserker

[Rare] Shield Miller

Oh, there’s a familiar face. And two rares to boot! But maybe the Farmer class has some sort of hidden power, Drake thought, jovially.

[Common] Farmer

The Farmer is an essential non-combat class gains experience from tending to fields and arable land. They are typically looked down upon, but are a vital backbone of the infrastructure for any great nation. Be warned: Those who choose this path will lose all combat skills and gain a predetermined skill set made for agriculture.

Initial +5 to STR, VIT, and STA.

Decreased Free Points gain of 10 from 14.

“Wow, that’s actually fairly down to Earth. I was honestly expecting it to be a hidden cheat class, like a ‘Through farming I have become the strongest!’ type thing,” Drake needled.

He coughed as if to excuse himself to all the farmers in the world that had worked hard only to be put into these tutorials. He then looked at the next more relevant class that he would decide from.

[Rare] Bloodbane Berserker

A class that specializes in melee weaponry to cut bloody paths through their enemies with cutthroat precision. The Bloodbane Berserker is a single-minded fighting specialist that makes use of blood skills to increase their fighting potential to a frightening degree. This is an archetypal fighter class that is seen through the multiverse as a hallmark of frontline fighters. As the core of any elite fighting force, they are both feared and respected.

Initial +15 to STR and DEX

Increased Free Points gain of 20 from 14.

Now that sounds like actual fire! I can see myself as this class already, with how I fight… Drake mused, thinking all the fights where he had basically bludgeoned monsters with his bare hands.

But, there was still the last class.

[Rare] Shield Miller

A tank class that specializes in creating space and protecting allies. This class uses its body and massive defensive buffs to push a path forward for itself and allies through the battlefield. The Shield Miller is a misnomer, in that it does not technically use a shield. The Shield Miller is a metaphorical wall that stops all aggression in its tracks. They use their bodies to not only defend but plow through their enemies.

Initial +15 to VIT and STR

Increased Free Points gain of 20 from 14

“Oh. Oh, I like that. I have totally misjudged you, Shield Miller! I’ll admit that I really want to take the Berserker class, but the fact that I have an epic skill stone for this class is really making me biased,” Drake said, conceding. “Ahhh… But the name, Shield Miller, just doesn’t really hit for me. Then again, it does look like it gains defensive buffs and a boatload of vitality from the description, and that’s something I really need, considering my fighting style… It just has to be this then. I have the skill stone already, and it will cover my faults for having typically low defense as a Mage.”

Drake slapped his cheeks to reaffirm himself of his decision and selected Shield Miller.

You have selected Shield Miller.

Confirm?

For God’s sake, yes! Didn’t you just hear my entire monologue just now?! he screamed internally.

Congratulations! Your Warrior class has upgraded to Shield Miller.

Detection of a primary class.

Your classes have combined.

Combination class Elemental Miller.

Chapter 29

Assistant

Drake shook with euphoria as his new class name hovered before him. Elemental Miller, it sounded like something from a book.

But he was soon bombarded with notifications in his peripheral. It was all he could do to dismiss them.

Congratulations! You have upgraded to a new class Elemental Miller [F-Rank, Unique]

All basic spells and skills have been removed.

You now have access to Primary class tree: Elementalist, and secondary class tree: Shield Miller.

You have unlocked subtree slots. 4 empty subtree class slots available.

You have gained access to the Elementalist [F-Rank] main class skill tree.

You have unlocked 5 empty skill stone slots for Elementalist [F-Rank].

You have learned how to wield the four major elements from your Elementalist Class.

You have gained passive stats and effects from your class Elementalist F-Rank.

You have gained access to the Shield Miller [F-Rank] main class skill tree.

You have unlocked 5 empty skill stone slots for Shield Miller [F-Rank].

You have learned basic fighting forms and Weapon Mastery from your class Shield Miller.

You have gained passive stats and effects from your class Shield Miller [F-Rank].

You have gained insight into Elementalist [F-Rank]. Proficiency 1 has increased to Proficiency 2. You now have a better understanding of how to wield mana and the four elements.

Drake’s head felt like it was splitting as the notifications flooded in. Knowledge he felt he shouldn’t have had was suddenly there, filling in the gaps of his scattered experience.

He knelt to the floor with his head in his hands as the torrent of information flooded into his mind, threatening to turn his head to mush. Only after several minutes did the painful experience finally subside.

Drake laid face up on the shack’s wooden floor, a small bead of blood running down from his nose.

“I know Kung Fu.” He chortled, ignoring his lingering headache. “And how to blast things with fire. Nice,” he continued to laugh. “What in the hell was that? That didn’t happen when I got my basic class.”

Drake slowly sat up, trying not to agitate his pounding head. He wanted to start looking over his new status and such, but he felt he should wait until his head no longer felt like it would explode from new information overload.

He backtracked a bit in his notifications to the last thing he needed to roll for.

Quest complete! 5 of 5 Squad Commander Gnolls [F-Rank] subjugated.

Accept rewards?

Yes < No

You have been awarded experience.

Please roll for item rarity.

Drake was fully satisfied from today’s haul and events. So he didn’t bother getting up and tossed the die from his sitting position. It rolled on the floor until it was out of his vision. After a few moments, the die came to a stop, and a mote of colorful light dropped an item into his lap.

It was an egg. A very big egg.

The egg was around a foot tall and slightly less wide. It was a clean porcelain color and felt smooth and polished to the touch. Drake turned the object around in his hands and found a large ‘TA’ stamped on the other side in red.

Finally done looking at the egg, he inspected it.

Territory Assistant Construct Capsule [F-Grade]

A construct AI made by the system for the purpose of helping rulers of newly established territories in budding universes of the multiverse.

Disclaimer: The system is not responsible for the race, shape, age, gender, and certainly not the personality your construct will take.

Uses: 1

Requires a drop of blood to bind to the owner and monster cores for continued growth and increased capabilities.

“Well, that seems a little foreboding… I do like the idea of a builder sim aspect though, not that I’m much of a leader. Ah, there was that one time in the game where Grumps made me guild and raid leader. But that was only because he thought it was a hassle and didn’t want to do it…” Drake reminisced. “I haven’t exactly been a fan of the system constructs so far, but everyone deserves a second chance, right?”

Drake hesitantly looked at the egg for a moment, wondering if just using it was the best decision, but it was an F-Grade item, and an assistant did sound like something that could help him right now.

He resolved himself and did what he had always seen when someone wanted to summon something. He bit his thumb and smeared it on the egg.

“Oh, man, that’s way harder to do than the ninjas make it look…”

The blood on the egg only sat there for a moment, then seemed to be absorbed into the shell. The shell of the egg rippled, the color turning in a wave from porcelain to a dark shade of red. Trembling slightly, Drake set it on the floor in front of him and got to his feet, backing up slowly.

A few more moments later, the egg stopped shaking and began to glow a radiant gold from its center as the shell cracked and fragmented, sending out beams of light.

All at once, a large crack split the top of the egg from one end to the other and the glow disappeared.

Drake, unsure of what was going on, moved to the egg. Looking down at it, he waited to see what had happened.

“Is it… defective?” he muttered with suspicion.

Suddenly the egg’s top burst open with a pop as something flew out into the air in front of Drake. Out of reflex, Drake snatched the object.

Drake grew even more curious as he noticed the feeling of the thing in his hands. It was… wiggling? And was… fluffy?

He brought the thing to his face and was astonished as he got a better look at the thing. No. Little person?

Struggling in Drake’s hand was a small human girl with reddish, pointed, furry tufts for ears atop her light pink hair.

“P-Pl-Please—Let go! I—give—give up!” the girl squeaked out in a voice that sounded exactly how she looked. Her hands were tapping on Drake’s, wrapped around her neck.

“Oh! Shit, my bad,” Drake exclaimed, releasing the small girl from his hand as she fell on her rump on the wooden floor.

She squeaked out another short ‘ow’ when she landed but quickly recovered as she got to her feet in a humph, pointing up at Drake.

“What the hell is wrong with you?! Who grabs a small, cute girl out of the air and chokes them nearly half to death?! You goddamn gorilla!” she shouted, her furry ears and tail pointing straight up in anger. “Not only did this dolt almost kill me as soon as I was created, but he ruined what was going to be my clearly awesome entrance! I was going to be all, ha! Then wham, ‘I have arrived!’” she continued in a huff, crossing her arms and pouting.

Drake was flabbergasted as he watched the small girl—that he could now see was wearing something similar to an anime’s shrine maiden clothing—act out a little skit right in front of him. He had never seen what it would look like if a live anime gag had been done right in front of him, but this felt like what it would be.

He bent down to his haunches. “I’ve been fighting for my life for over a week now, if something randomly pops out of an egg, the least I’m going to do is capture it to make sure it isn’t dangerous. Hell, you’re lucky I didn’t punch you into next week,” he said flatly, his eyes void of emotion, remembering the hellish week.

The girl looked up at him and opened her mouth to say something, then decided against it, her ears and fluffy tail drooping.

Drake began to feel bad and followed up with, “So, what or who exactly are you? The system text said you were an Assistant of some kind.”

The girl’s ears perked up at the question. “That’s right! Ahem…” She coughed and paused for dramatic effect, Drake guessed.

The girl lightly hopped off the ground and landed with an excessive flail of her arms like she had done a superhero landing. Lifting her head, she looked into Drake’s eyes and her own squinted.

“Do not worry! I have arrived! Ha, ha, ha! I will make sure to guide you through the perils of the universe! I am—Natto!” she roared, rising to her feet, her hands on her hips, whispering something that sounded like ‘Perfect’ under her breath.

Drake did all he could to not laugh at the little girl, Natto, and her routine obviously stolen from one of Drake’s favorite anime.

“Okay, where did that come from? Um… Natto? And that doesn’t exactly answer my question,” Drake asked, doing his best to hold back his smile.

Natto suddenly shook and dropped down to her own haunches, her head in her hands. Whispering incomprehensible words towards the ground, she forced Drake to bend down even more to make out what she was saying.

“Ahhh, why did I do those things? It is like I have this urge to spew out the first thing that comes to my mind and act like some cutesy anime girl. But my body rejects it so fervently it is shaking! What is all this useless information in my head about cartoons and video games?! With certainty, has the system saddled me with some moron?!”

Drake leaned back, a little offended. “Hey, they aren’t cartoons! They’re Japanese animations… There’s a difference.”

Natto lifted her head, her lip quivering upwards in annoyance. “That has nothing to do with it! What exactly did you put in my head, you moronic, hairless primate?! Please! Do something to make all the songs in my head stop! I can’t even understand them!” she screamed. “Maybe you should have just killed me…” she said, as her whole body drooped again in resignation.

“Aww, come on. Don’t say that,” Drake said consolingly, bringing his hand down to pat her on the head.

But Natto quickly swiped the hand away, a small dagger appearing in her hands now. “Do not touch me, filth!” she sneered, pointing the sharp end of the weapon at Drake with both hands.

Drake looked at his hand, but there was no cut, so he just ignored the dagger. “A little squirrely there, aren’t you?” he asked pointedly.

“That is because I am modeled after a red squirrel, you moron!” she answered, slipping the dagger into one of her sleeves.

“Hey. I get that you’re not happy, but cut the shit with the random insults. That tsundere routine is only cute in anime,” Drake said, his hand raising above Natto’s head.

She whimpered and recoiled a bit, seeing the seriousness in Drake’s eyes. “Un—Understood…”

“Good. Banter is all fair and fun, just don’t get carried away just yet. We literally just met a couple minutes ago, and you’ve already had a mood swing, tried to stab me, and insulted my hobbies. Not a great first impression,” Drake scoffed.

“You tried to strangle me to death before you even knew my name.”

“Okay, you got me there. Water under the bridge,” Drake said, reaching out a hand for a handshake.

“I do not think almost killing me and calling you a few names is comparable… But it is not like I can die and leave, we certainly are stuck until you meet a gruesome end,” she said reluctantly, raising a small hand to meet him.

“It’s all good! Now, what exactly do you have stuck in your head, and why is it anime? And why are you so mad about it?” Drake quickly asked, glossing over the fact she was completely right about him almost killing her.

Natto stood up and looked at Drake with dead eyes. “Can you imagine having something so ingrained in you that you have no choice but to comply? It feels like an itch I have to scratch, or it will consume me…”

“Oh, so it’s like a song that’s constantly playing in the background of your head, and when you finally hear the song, you have to sing along, and then it’s even more stuck in your head,” Drake said, nodding his head.

“No, it is… Actually, yes, that is an apt analogy,” Natto agreed.

“So, if I was to, I don’t know… start referencing things from my favorite shows and stuff, you would know exactly what I meant? And why, again, would you know all these references?”

Natto narrowed her eyes. “Yes, I would understand them… And have you not read the fine print on my container?”

“You mean the blood?”

“Yes, the blood, you hairless—” she coughed. “Yes, the blood, did you think it was just to bind myself to you?”

Drake just stared at her, brows raised. Silence was his affirmation.

Natto sighed briefly and continued. “While the blood was mainly used to form a blood binding between myself and you, it was also to construct a basis for myself. Giving me some… personality, even if some, if not most, of it is unwanted.” She pouted, but nevertheless continued, “While also giving me some insight into you as a being. Truly innumerable races exist in the multiverse, each with certain predetermined traits, so it is my job as a territory assistant to subsume some of those traits to better mesh with my new owner and help guide them to flourish, while staying in line with their cultural norms: how they think, feel, and idealize. Is this to your understanding so far?”

She finished while walking towards the egg’s remains and putting it away into what Drake assumed was a personal inventory.

“Yeah, I’m following. So, I’m guessing you have some of my memories, then. Does that mean you know most of what is going on?”

“Certainly!” she said haughtily. “I, unfortunately, do not have a perfect recollection of your entire time here, but I do understand bits and pieces. And I can also do this!” she said, jumping onto Drake’s shoulder.

Drake looked on at the small girl as crossed from his shoulder over to his head. “Remain still, this will be the first time I will be penetrating anyone, after all,” she said with a grin.

“What do you mea—” Drake tried to say, but was silenced by the feeling he had been injected with something as Natto had somehow disappeared inside his head. It was almost the same feeling as first getting water in one’s ear after jumping into a pool or bath.

“Ah, ah. Can you hear me?” said Natto, a faint voice inside his head.

“Oh, I don’t like that. What did you do?! This isn’t an Invasion of the Body Snatchers type deal, is it?!” Drake asked, slight panic in his voice.

“No, you dolt. I am able to merge myself with your body so that I can better understand your situation, mentally and physically, as well as go through your memories in more detail. I also have the added perk of getting back at you through some means I know you hate, since I understand you so well…” she answered.

Drake moved to pick up the die he had thrown, a 20 visible as he bent down to pick it up, when her words suddenly registered.

“What did I say about toning down the insults? And what means… Wait, no, you can’t mean?!” Drake asked, his voice trembling as he hesitantly began combing his head for what he knew to be there, but couldn’t bear to confirm.

Soon his hands were met with a soft sensation of tufts of fur that pointed upwards, which gave feedback as he rubbed them softly, like a phantom, almost empathic sensation.

“Oh, you son of a bitch!” Drake yelled, his voice echoing out of the shack and into the mines.

Chapter 30

Fireballs and Roasted Nuts

“You get out here right now, you little devil! I’m going to put the fear of Drake in you!” Drake roared, pointing his finger down as if calling out an animal that had made a mess.

“Unfortunately, I am unable to acquiesce to your request, my dear gorilla. You could always try to punish me by hitting yourself. I do not recommend it, though. Looking through the past couple days it seems your head has taken a few too many blows already. So many that I am beginning to worry for you,” she teased, a sharp giggle filling Drake’s ears.

Drake scowled. “Don’t you dare use that reference against me! We aren’t on a ship, I’m not in a corset, and this isn’t a negotiation! Get out of my head, damn it!” he demanded.

“As I said, I cannot. Although it is fun teasing you, I do have to peruse your memory and take stock of our situation. You have just made a class change, no? And you are a… Oh… That is interesting! You decided to go with the dual class combination, quite rare for a newly indoctrinated planet. Even more so one still in the tutorial, where such things are determined by random chance,” said Natto. Drake could practically hear her smiling.

“What do you mean, rare? People actually choose this obnoxious bad luck of their own accord?”

“Hush, I will explain it later. It will take me a few minutes to make a proper skill plan and go over your memories, so just go over your stats or something for a minute like a good mana vessel.”

“Wha—Whatever. You’re lucky I can’t just pull you out of my head like Dumbledore pulling memories from his mind! Damn parasite!” Drake grumbled.

There was just a mental nod from Natto, as she went silent to do whatever she was doing inside Drake’s head.

He shrugged, but this allowed him to go over his newly acquired stats and skill trees. He had been waiting for his headache to go away, and after his back and forth with the little snippy construct his head felt much better.

He pulled up his newly adjusted status screen, seeing some new categories and texts.

Drake Wallen

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Race: Human

Class: [Unique] Elemental Miller Level 10

VIT: 219

STR: 226 (20)

DEX: 171 (30 + 10%) +(40)

INT: 373

WIS: 191

END: 106 (5)

Free Points: 28

Skill Branches

Primary class tree: Elementalist [F-Rank] 0/5

Secondary class tree: Shield Miller [F-Rank] 0/5

Primary Subtree

Empty

Secondary Subtree

Empty

Tertiary Subtree

Empty

Quaternary Subtree

Empty

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge, Close Call, Dead Man Walking, Dual Class, Punching Up, Improbability, Rounded, Dog Hater, One-Man Army, Dog Killer, Battle of Attrition

Drake looked in wonder at the new parts of the window. He had gained some more percentage bonuses but had not gained a new title. It had to have been from his new classes. He was also surprised by the other windows that seem to have not yet been populated.

He pulled out some skill stones, rolling them over in his hands while thinking of what to do. Eventually he decided on just waiting until Natto was done with whatever she was doing, as she had felt like a well of information despite just being born, or… hatched?

He shook his head. There was still so much he didn’t know, and he now seemed to have someone with answers. But as they were doing who-knows-what inside his head, he had no choice but to wait.

Drake filled the time by going over his new classes, which gave much more detail when he inspected them individually.

Elementalist Proficiency 2 [F-Rank] 0/5

A wielder of the four major elements.

Passive: +5% to INT and out of combat mana gain. (+5% Wisdom)

Active: School of Fire P2 (0%), School of Water P2 (0%), School of Wind P2 (0%), School of Earth P2 (0%)

He was happy to see that he was right and his new percentage effects were from his new rare class. But there were just so many things to look at. He wasn’t sure what the 0 out of 5 was. Just another question to add to the list to ask Natto when she was finished, Drake thought.

Then a mental nudge came from inside his head.

Out of instinct, Drake looked around, wondering if someone or had something bumped him, even though he knew it was Natto. Could she hear him? If that was true, he would have to find a way to separate his thoughts from her. Just another task on his long, long grocery list.

He began looking more in-depth at his skills from the main tree.

School of Fire Proficiency 2 (0%)

The active ability set to control the magic school of fire. Your proficiency over fire is still early at this juncture, giving you only the basics of spells.

Fireball: “The fire of my heart, take form and sear my enemies. Fireball.”

Basic single target spell. Deals fire damage in a 4 to 1 of INT.

Small mana cost.

Fire Cloud: “The fire of my heart, disperse and set flame to the world. Fire Cloud.”

Basic area of effect spell. Deals fire damage in a 2 to 1 of INT.

Moderate mana cost.

“Now that’s a lot to take in. And do the spells have to be so long? Memorizing these is going to feel like I’m back in school… But I guess that’s just how it has to be. It’s called hard work for a reason.” Drake sighed.

Wanting to test out his new spells, he quickly recovered.

Drake closed his eyes, raised his arm, and concentrated to remember the words.

“The fire of my heart, take form and sear my enemies. Fireball!”

Drake’s eyes opened as he felt the familiar pull of mana from his body as it flowed into the red-lit magic circle in front of him.

From a spark in his hand, a fireball the size of his head bloomed to life. Surprisingly, the ball did not move and only hovered above Drake’s hand. Even more surprising was that he could feel the heat from the ball of flames, but it did not hurt or burn. Even so, he could tell it was very hot. Magic was a wonderful and wondrous thing, he thought, earning him another mental nudge.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Drake said, gazing at the hovering ball of fire. Suddenly he remembered he was inside a wooden shack.

He quickly kicked open the shack’s door and exited, looking around to find a place to throw the bubbly sphere of intense flames. Unable to decide, Drake just threw the Fireball into the end of the tunnel, pitching it like a baseball.

It left his hand, sparks trailing behind it as it soared through the air. A second later it collided with the wall in a torrent of sparks and a small explosion of ensuing fire.

“Wow… Now THAT is what I imagine when I think magic!” A slight breeze from the explosion blew his hair back. Feeling the slight heat on his face, he smiled ear to ear at the aftermath of light and fire.

“What in the world are you doing out there?!” a voice suddenly asked from inside Drake’s head.

“Oh? You don’t know when you’re inside my noggin?”

“It goes without saying I know what is going on. I’m asking, what are YOU doing. I said look at your stats, not go blow up half the mines!”

“Relax. I’m just fulfilling one of the things every adolescent boy dreams about.” Drake grinned.

“Ugh. Can you be any more of a typical little boy trapped in an adult’s body?”

“Hey! I resent that. I totally agree with it, but I would like to state my displeasure in you pointing it out. Also, I like it when things go boom, it brings me copious amounts of dopamine,” Drake said, giving another toothy grin.

Drake could feel Natto shake her head in some weird way.

“Are you finally done in there? I have a metric fuck-ton of questions to ask.”

“I am, for the most part, done. But I would also like to go over some things.”

“Sure, just come on out.”

“I would like to also go over some things, civilly.”

“Fine… just get out here.”

There was some hesitation before Natto answered, “Really?”

“Yes, just hurry up.”

“You promise not to hit me?”

“Oh my lord. Yes, what are you, five? What do you want me to do, pinky promise?”

“I was born literally minutes ago. And certainly. A pinky promise will suffice.”

Drake placed a hand over his face, trying to wipe away the exhaustion from it. “I pinky promise not to hit you. Satisfied?”

A moment later, Drake felt a pull from his head, much like the pull of mana leaving his body as a small girl materialized on his shoulder.

The next moment, Drake brought his hand up to flick her square in the forehead, leaving a small, red mark. Natto quickly covered it with both her hands, tears forming in her eyes.

“You promised!” she shouted.

“I promised not to hit you. I never said I wouldn’t flick your forehead gently.”

Natto removed her hands, eyes still teary. A small bump was forming in the center of her forehead, almost protruding enough to be called a horn.

“You call this gentle?!” she said, pointing at the lump.

Drake just chuckled at the still-forming red lump on her head, walking back into the shack with the pouting, huffy Natto on his shoulder.

Once inside, Drake hopped onto the Foreman’s bed so that he could sit down on something mildly comfortable.

Natto had calmed down and dropped from his shoulder to the bed, rubbing her forehead at the now receding bump. “I can still feel it…” she pouted.

“You’ll be fine.”

“You’re a brute! A gorilla! A filthy weeb!”

“You’re technically part-me, remember? Absorbing my blood and all. So that makes you part-me, which makes you part-weeb.”

She froze, eyes becoming devoid of emotion as she fell on her hands.

“You’re right… I am.”

Drake laughed again. It was becoming more and more fun to tease the small construct.

“Well, what did you want to say before I start bombarding you with questions?” Drake finally asked, almost laughing himself to tears.

Natto slightly recovered and held out a hand. “Monster cores. Gimmie,” she said flatly.

“Don’t have those,” Drake said, shaking his head.

“What do you mean, you do not have any?! I watched your memories, you have killed hundreds of F-Rank monsters. Brutally, I might add. There is certainly no way you have not acquired any!”

“I’ve never had anything but skill stones drop from monsters.”

Natto’s face paled and it was now her turn to wipe at her face, trying to remove the exasperation. “Of course they do not drop. You have to cut it out of the monsters. They are called a core for a reason. They are inside their bodies, duhhh.”

Drake brought his hand up, his finger primed to deliver another flick, but Natto quickly recoiled, protecting her forehead with both hands.

“No one told me that, so I don’t have any. There’s plenty of bodies outside. We can get them later. What do you need them for?”

A small rumble came from Natto. Her face flushed a bit. “I am hungry… and! I need them to grow! I am still not F-Grade, so I can only offer very limited assistance and information. Basic skill suggestions, race information, bits about the tutorial.”

“Well, it will be a bit till we get outside, so, you have enough information available to get me started on my skills right now?”

Natto nodded but looked down to rub her belly. It was rumbling slightly louder this time.

“Good, then you’ll just have to wait. In the meantime…” Drake looked through his inventory. “Here.”

Drake pulled out a bag of roasted nuts, still slightly steaming hot from his inventory. She was, after all, modeled after a red squirrel.

Natto’s eyes sparkled. Her hands immediately formed in a begging motion for the steaming food.

Drake took a single nut from the bag and placed it into her hand. And because of her size, it was nearly half the width of her head.

Despite being a squirrel, she wolfed down the food, devouring it in a flash, her hand shooting back up as if to ask for more.

Drake smiled as he held up another one, but didn’t give it to her right away. “What do we say when we want something?” he said with a malicious sneer.

Her eyes thinned to small slits as she turned her head away. “I will not demean myself to the level of begging for a mere morsel of such insignificant value,” she said, but her still shimmying hands and fingers told another story as they moved closer to Drake.

Drake couldn’t hold back a deep belly laugh as he dropped the piece into her hands and placed the bag next to her.

“Ah, man, that’s good sauce,” Drake managed to say through gasps of air as he laughed.

Chapter 31

Becoming F-Rank

After several minutes of rolling around on the bed and laughing, Drake finally calmed down, eventually sitting up and wiping away the tears with a finger.

“So, you need the monster cores to level up is what you’re saying?” Drake stated.

“Yesh! I can alsho level up witsh killing monshtersh,” she said through a food-filled mouth. Slowly gulping down what remained, she continued, “But it is not nearly as efficient that way. It is similar to how you can use skill stones to level up your proficiency with skills.”

Drake straightened up at that. “Wait, can I do that? I don’t even have any skills outside my main classes yet, though.”

“I know. I was simply mentioning it. But I will also state that I would not recommend it.” She grabbed another roasted nut from the bag.

“Why? It sounds like a great way to speed up the process.”

“For one,” she started, chewing a bit into the roasted nut, “faster is not always better. You will not gain the same amount of practical experience doing it that way. It would be very similar to reading a book on something and suddenly having all the necessary knowledge, but none of the practical experience to actually perform said tasks,” she explained, then ripped into the rest of the roasted nut with vigor.

“That… That’s unfortunate. It’s like being almost pseudo-knowledgeable on a subject, and then preaching what you know from the rooftops without having any real experience, huh…” Drake said, slightly deflated that his shortcut had such a cost. “I definitely wouldn’t want to be maxed out on proficiency only to fall flat on my face from lack of practical use…"

“Certainly! On the other side of that coin is. It is quite expensive,” Natto said, pointing a new roasted nut at Drake with a tilt of her head.

“Expensive?”

“With certainty!” she piped up. “I suppose it makes sense you do not understand, because the tutorial has no currency outside TP and monster cores at the moment. But even at the rate you kill monsters, and I do mean you kill a lot. You would run out of skill stones to absorb before you reached the end of F-Rank proficiency in any skill, so what would you have to do to get more? One would have to kill even more, or?”

“Buy them?”

“Correct!” she cheered with overdone applause, eliciting a frown from Drake. “Even if you had enough money to buy them, or time to hunt them, you would make more significant and meaningful progress just training your skills in the long run. And you would never get past the wall of C-Rank that way, it would just be too expensive for anyone on a new planet in the multiverse. Only rich kids from higher-tier worlds with silver spoons could do something like that, but they understand the pitfall of doing it, so none do, for the most part. Albeit this excludes non-combat classes. Most of the non-combatants utilize monster cores instead, just because it is safer and they are fine with staying E-Rank.”

“That is a knowledge bomb to unpack, little lady…” Drake whistled.

Between nibbles of food, Natto glared.

Drake ignored her. “So about my skills—”

But Natto raised a small hand to stop him. “Before any of that. Strip.”

Drake recoiled, covering his body with his hands. “What?! No! Why would I do that?”

“If I told you, you would not do it. Just strip,” she repeated, an insidious grin forming on her crumb-filled face.

“That’s even more reason to say no! Who leads with something like that?”

“They do it in all the anime. Right before the main character powers up! Do you not want to power up?”

“Well, yeah… But what does that have to do with me getting naked?”

“Those are some nice clothes. I would not dare wish to soil them. Also, bring out the Soul and Internal Mastery subtree stones,” she said, moving closer to Drake, holding her hands out for his clothes.

Drake stared at the small construct for a moment, trying to discern if she was messing with him. But after a short stand-off he pulled the two crystalline stones from his inventory, placed them on the bed next to him, and stood up beginning to remove his clothes.

“I’m leaving my trousers on, though…”

“If that’s what you’re into,” Natto said, with a roll of her eyes.

“I’m not—I’m not enjoying this!” he roared, his skin flushing pink.

“Yes, yes. Just give me the clothes already. Innocent maiden…”

Drake scowled before placing his folded clothes in her hands. Natto back to where she had left her bag of nuts, placed the bag onto the pile of folded clothes, and raised it all above her head. She then ran a slight distance away, the clothes bobbing up and down almost comically as she trotted along.

Eventually, she stopped near the end of the bed and plopped down, continuing to eat her food. “Okay! You can start absorbing the subtree stones now!” she shouted over.

Drake’s face scrunched as he raised a brow in confusion, then he grabbed the stones at his feet. “I don’t like where I think this is going…”

For a moment, Drake wondered which to use first, but quickly decided to go from left to right.

You wish to consume Subtree Stone: Internal Mastery [Common].

Confirm?

Yes < No

Drake hesitated for a beat, then with trepidation he mentally accepted. A dim light radiated from his clenched hand as it heated up. He could then feel the stone melt and enter his body like a cold saline IV, shooting up his arm and spreading throughout his veins. He shivered slightly as cold and euphoria washed across his form.

You have consumed Subtree Stone: Internal Mastery [Common].

You have unlocked the primary subtree Internal Mastery [F-Rank].

Passive effects applied.

You have unlocked 5 new skill stone slots in Internal Mastery.

You have unlocked your primary subtree.

Internal Mastery [F-Rank] P1 (0%)

Understanding and control of your inner energy allows you to go beyond human limitations.

+5% to STR, DEX, and END

“Oh my God. That felt so weird! But also amazing!” he said with a guffaw.

“Do the next one, naked monkey man!” Natto hollered.

Drake ignored her jab and moved on to using the next stone.

You wish to consume Subtree Stone: Soul Mastery [Uncommon].

Confirm?

Yes < No

Drake immediately accepted this time, almost craving the euphoric feeling again.

You have consumed Subtree Stone: Soul Mastery [Uncommon].

You have unlocked the secondary subtree Soul Mastery [F-Rank].

Passive effects applied.

You have unlocked 5 new Skill Stone slots in Soul Mastery.

You have unlocked your secondary subtree.

Soul Mastery [F-Rank] P1 (0%)

Understanding and control of your inner mana allows you to go beyond human limitations.

+5% to INT and WIS

You have advanced to F-Rank.

You have gained the title First of Your Kind.

Again came the cold rush of power as Drake subsumed the skill, much stronger this time. The cold shivers turned to warmth almost bringing him to his knees as pressure built in his stomach. The energy bounded and recoiled, searching for some sort of escape. Drake writhed—no longer did he enjoy the energy within, now he needed it out. He opened his mouth and unleashed a mighty roar, falling to his knees—then there was a pop.

An explosion of black tar and iridescent oil flooded out of him, splattering most of the bed around him.

“Ohhh! Tamaya!” Natto shouted with glee. “That was a big one, huh? I wonder if he is okay. I believe he is alive, since I still exist, but…” Hesitantly, she looked over at the now-naked man laying in a pile of black, smelly filth. “Ehh… I am certain he will be fiiiiine.” She turned away, biting into another warm roasted nut, her tail and ears wagging with pleasure.

◆◆◆

Drake arose from the pile of smelly gunk, very unhappy, sticky, and smelly. If looks could kill, the small, pink-haired construction would have died many times over.

“Ugh… Is this what it feels like to be on the casting couch?” Drake said with disdain.

Drake quickly summoned as many canteens as he could and set to work. For thirty minutes he rubbed and scraped, nearly scrubbing off skin. Even then he felt unclean.

Drake’s bath only ended due to his limited water supply—and because of the glances Natto kept stealing, unnerving him.

“What? Why do you keep looking over here?” Drake finally asked.

“Oh… you know.”

Drake looked down and understood what she was saying. Not only was he now naked, his boxer shorts nowhere to be seen, but he had also lost all of his flab. The baby fat of his face was gone. His stomach was flatter, the slight chub replaced with a rock-hard eight-pack, while wiry muscled covered his arms and legs. His soft cake had become a firm pound cake. And something was off about his perspective, too.

“Oh, God damn it. Did I get shorter?!” he yelled, snatching his clothes from Natto and putting them on.

“It is quite possible. When you go through your first rank-up, you expel quite a lot of material your body doesn’t need. The small stuff at first—fat, broken bones, blemishes, birthmarks, and some height, apparently, if you deem it unnecessary.”

“Why would it consider my height ‘unnecessary’? I was just barely inside the 6-foot-long club. Now I’m definitely getting my membership card revoked.”

“Rank-ups change your body to the most combat-efficient version of yourself based on your class, or in your case, classes, and skills. So you subconsciously decided to make yourself more slim, nimble, and, well, shorter,” Natto giggled, covering her mouth with a new roasted nut.

“I hope you get fat eating those. In fact, you are getting fat. Miss Chipmunk Cheeks.”

Natto immediately froze, dropping her roasted nut. She patted down her midsection with some embarrassment. “I am not! I’m a construct, in the first place. I can’t get fat! I’m a red squirrel, you take that back!”

“If you can dish it, you have to be able to take it, tiny,” Drake said with a smile, finally fully clothed and away from the mess that was ground zero.

Drake picked Natto up and placed her on his shoulder as he rolled up the bed’s linens, moving them off the mattress.

He sat back down and placed Natto in front of him, roasted nut bag and all.

“Okay. Now that that is over, you have some questions to answer. The first construct I met in the introduction was less than helpful, so I’m pretty much in the dark about everything.”

“As I have said, I only have limited access at the moment, thanks to still being below F-Grade, or No Grade, currently. So, most of my assistance will be in regards to skills, for the moment. But I am generous!” she announced, sticking up her nose slightly. “So I will allow you to ask away!”

Ignoring her haughty attitude, Drake began, “Then where are we, for starters.”

“The tutorial zone,” she answered back flatly, earning her a flick to the forehead.

She rubbed the impact of the flick incredulously, staring back at Drake. “But it’s true! The tutorial zone is a space created by the supervising race sponsor, and isn’t anywhere in particular.”

“Lead with that next time, you little nut-o-holic. Then what is a supervising race, and why would they sponsor a tutorial?”

Natto humphed but answered nonetheless. “Supervising races are superior or veteran races that provide for newly formed universes’ tutorials. And the reason they do so is to contact the forerunners and prodigies of the new worlds before they are technically supposed to be able to.”

“What do you mean by ‘technically’?”

“You would find this out later. But it is something you could have learned if you just asked the right questions in the introduction. Every new universe is set to contain two livable planets, intended to either be synergistic or antagonistic toward one another. And once I obtain F-Grade I can share more on that, but, once the 120-day tutorial period comes to a close and the new universe is established, the system puts a protective veil on the universe, barring anyone from finding the baby universe for ten years, or until they become a C-Rank Universe. Whichever comes first.”

“Wow, that’s a long time. Does reaching C-Rank really take that long? And every tutorial is 120 days, then?”

“Give or take, every tutorial of a new universe is about that length. That is why you are incentivized to gain levels quickly through quests and item rewards. But everyone is released from the tutorial spaces at the same time, to make it fair. If you complete yours faster, you are just given better rewards, titles, etcetera. And no, reaching C-Rank usually takes longer, just look at your own growth. It becomes harder as levels increase, so too does it become exponentially harder to grow. Your new planet will be the same way, but the planet is going to rank up through global quests and milestones. Defeating world beasts and super hard things like that,” she said, finally feeling comfortable enough to grab another roasted nut out of the bag next to her.

“Interesting…” Drake said in a hushed tone, bringing his hand to his mouth to think. Then he brought out another bag of piping-hot roasted nuts. “Now, tell me about skills.”

Natto’s eyes locked onto the bag of food, staring so intensely they could have become little stars as she nodded her head up and down furiously.

“Anything for the sacred food of my people,” she said, entranced.

“Okay, that’s not weird.” Drake chuckled lightly, a little weirded out by the response. “What’s the best way to use all of these?” he finished, dropping all of his skill stones onto the bed, nearly burying her under a mound of crystalline stones.

Chapter 32

Natto’s Basic Skill Class 101

Natto emerged from the small lake of stones with a gasp, hoisting her bag of food above her head. “Puwah! What is the big idea!” she complained as she dug herself out, careful not to spill her bag of food.

“Skills. Now. Or no more roasted nuts.”

Natto gulped audibly as she nodded.

“Okay, okay. From what I saw, you are trying to go for an all-round magic fighting build?”

“Yeah, that’s about right. I want to model it after one of my favorite games, with powerful magic and physical attacks supported by passive buffs and items. Think I can do that?”

Natto looked at the pile of stones and stashed her bag of food up one of her sleeves. It vanished like food into a certain pink puffball’s mouth. “Let’s see what we have to work with. From your memories, you have a few rare stones. Will you grab them? Also, you haven’t added any subtrees to your second class, so pull out any subtree stones you have, as well,” she said, walking up to the pile.

Drake shrugged and returned the entire pile to his inventory, then withdrew the stones she asked. The rest went in a pile again on the bed, right on top of the small construct.

“Ah!” she screamed as the tidal wave of stones fell on her. After a moment, she poked her head out again, gasping for air and staring daggers at Drake. “You are doing that on purpose, are you not?!”

“Of course not…” he said with a grin, holding the stones she asked for in-front of her. “I would never be so petty!”

Natto gritted her teeth but kept her mouth silent, instead grabbing the stones and inspecting them. After looking through them, she was amazed. “You have a legendary skill stone here. How did you manage to get that?”

“I got lucky. I also have a legendary main class tree stone, although I couldn’t use it.”

“Is it also a Necromancy stone?” she asked warily.

“Yeah, why? Is that bad?” he said, looking down at her, slightly confused.

“Very bad. Every legendary skill stone in the multiverse is regulated by their respective primordial or high races. Some are even part of the races that were originators of the multiverse, although those found could be counted on one hand. And the necromancy path is only used by one race, the high liches. The primordial undead make sure to snatch up these stones, because they are in a way a part of their race, as the stone will change you into a High Lich. Every legendary stone, including some epic and rare stones, can and will change your race, personality, or bodily features. There are even some items that hold curses or remnants of past users that will do the same,” Natto said with worry. “If you are lucky, they will not be the sponsors of this tutorial, and from what I have seen from your fights, there have been no undead… So I think it is likely they are not. But if you are super unlucky, and they are…”

“I’m boned. So, what do I do?”

“I would say throw them away and let them be someone else’s problem, but a rampaging Necromancer in any baby universe is a recipe for bad sauce. So I would keep it in your inventory and never show it to anyone. There should not be any skills that can steal from your pouches or see inside your inventory just yet at F-Rank, but there are powerful identifying and mana-sensing skills obtainable that could detect magic coming from the stone.”

“Magic from the stone? It just looks like a shiny stone to me,” he said, grabbing the stone from her hand.

“That is because you don’t have a proper identifying-and aura control skill just yet. Once you obtain those, it will be like hitting a magic threshold for you. Control, perception, and precision go up exponentially.”

“Oh, I like that. Does that mean I get to shape my spells into other spells?” Drake asked, starting to get excited.

“Yes and no. It will depend on what skill you receive. Skills are quite random, I am afraid. And we are mostly dealing with low quality stones in tutorials, so you have a wider pool of said skills to pull from.” Her hands weeded through the stones, placing some to the side.

“Then where does rarity come into play?”

“Rarity of skill stones only does a few things. Increase of effects from a skill. For example, if you get a skill to hit something for, say… 1 to 1 damage from a common rarity skill stone, a legendary would increase the multiplier and have additional or more substantial effects, say, 1 to 10 instead, while also having an additional multiplier, effects, bonuses, or a status ailment.”

“Oh, that’s kinda cool, it’s like everything in this system is gacha. Although I was kinda screwed over by it…”

“Again, yes and no. But you will start seeing it when you gain your skills. And sadly, that is one of the unfortunate side effects of being a forerunner for new worlds. Outside of the free rolls, you only really get to use common and uncommon stones, meaning the ones following after you will reap all the benefits of your hard work when they either buy or receive higher rarity stones from you in one way or another.”

“Wait, what do you mean I will be forced to only use the common and uncommon stones? Is the system different outside of the tutorial for skills?”

Natto paused, then tapped her finger to her chin thoughtfully. “I cannot divulge too much, but yes, the system for obtaining and consuming skills outside of the tutorial will differ from here. As far as the stones available for you to consume, for the most part it will be these common and uncommon ones. The system forces the early indoctrinators of new universes to go through extreme hardship to forge proper mana vessels, which unfortunately means you, and everyone else here, will have to scrape the bottom of the barrel for skills, items, and resources outside of quest rewards.

“I think we have everything we can use for now, and sadly it is not a lot. Thankfully, you have some unusual rare stones that will knock out some of your vital skills. But first, here,” she said, holding up a skill stone.

Subtree Stone: Weapon Mastery [Common]

Unlocks Weapon Mastery subtree branch.

Requires 1 or more empty subtrees, and unlocked the main class tree.

“For my Shield Miller class?”

“Indeed, this subtree is common, but it will synergize very nicely with what you would like to do. I guarantee it!” Natto said proudly, thumping her hand against her chest.

Drake looked suspiciously for a moment at the stone, then the construct.

“I’m not going to blow up again, am I?”

“No, no, no… At least, I would not think so, since we are going to have you hold off on the last quaternary subtree for now, regardless,” she said, a weary grin tugging at the side of her mouth.

“Good, because I’m out of water, and I don’t like feeling like I’m on that kids’ TV show that covers them in green goo all the time,” Drake laughed wryly. “Also, why would we hold off? Wouldn’t that keep me intentionally incomplete and weaker?”

“Why did you mention that show… Now bad game gags keep flashing through my head,” she said, putting her hand on her temples. “And yes, you will stay slightly weaker, but it will not affect you adversely. We can also get away with it, since you have a total of thirty skill slots. Leaving five and one subtree empty would not do you too much harm.”

“And the reason?” Drake asked, gripping the stone in his hand, preparing himself to absorb the stone.

“All I can say right now is that every tutorial has a store at the end, which you are accumulating your TP for. And you want the stuff in that store, if my hunch is right. While we may not have the best skill stones to work with currently, what is in that store will make up for it a hundredfold,” she said, her arms crossing as she waited for him to subsume the stone.

“Ah… that makes a lot of sense. It might be worth killing people for TP then, if that’s the case,” Drake said, straight faced.

Natto suddenly loosened her arms and looked at Drake, slack jawed. “I did not take you for an evil mass murderer. Well… At least, a human mass murderer. You do not even have the title!” she nervously said.

“I’ve been just biding my time…” Drake said, gazing at her with a steely look. Then it cracked, his expression relaxing. “I’m just kidding. I’ll admit I’ve become pretty coarse over the past week or so, but I’m still me, and I don’t want to go around indiscriminately killing people. I’ll just kill more monsters.”

Drake ignored Natto’s suspicious glare and began absorbing the stone.

You wish to consume Subtree Stone: Weapon Mastery [Common].

Confirm?

Yes < No

Here goes nothing. Please don’t make me blow up again.

First came the heat, then the cold as the small stone was absorbed into his body. Power began welling up inside him once again as Drake continued to pray he would not to pop like a balloon of black gunk for the second time.

But a few breaths later, the power inside Drake settled, and he was fine. His tense body relaxed as he let out a long-held breath.

You have unlocked the tertiary subtree Weapon Mastery [F-Rank].

Passive effects applied.

You have unlocked 5 new skill stone slots in Weapon Mastery.

You have unlocked your tertiary subtree.

Weapon Mastery: Proficiency 1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Increased competence with weaponry.

Passive: Increased overall weapon damage of 1%. Increases with proficiency.

“Certainly, that is wonderful! You did not blow up this time!” voiced Natto from the other side of the bed. At some point, she had scurried over out of range, just in case he had blown up.

Drake just laughed softly as he gave her a sidelong glance.

Natto returned with hurried steps a few seconds later, another stone in her raised hand. “Alright! Now for the skill stones. Because this is your first time consuming one, I will tell you how it works,” she said, her nose raised high into the sky like she was doing Drake his biggest favor yet. “You can mentally select which main class tree or subtree you want to learn the skill in through your status window. Just think of the tree, and then consume the stone. Simple enough, even someone like you can do it!” she finished, her voice jumping slightly as she ducked down, prepared for an incoming finger flick.

Drake thinned his eyes at the construct, but then looked at his status, excited to learn a new skill. Going through his status screen, Drake noticed the new title that he had gained when he reached F-Rank earlier. He had been too busy then, but was curious now. Especially as it was the first title announced by a notification.

First of Your Kind

You have strayed from the beaten path.

Be the first person to obtain a F-Rank Dual Class in your respective tutorial. +10% to all stats.

Drake’s body trembled with excitement as he read the stat bonus. It was the largest yet, and affected every single stat he had. And he was the first to get it. Never before had he come first in something so significant. Sure he had won some things here and there, but this. This was something that people were fighting life and death in!

Drake allowed himself to feel a smidgin of pride as he read the description again, a smile slowly creasing his face.

“Gross. What are you smiling at, like that?” Natto jabbed, recoiling slightly in faux disgust.

Drake looked down at the small construct and snatched the stone from her hand. “Just give me that. You know the first thing I’m washing out when I find soap is going to be your mouth. Who raised you? Where did you get this attitude from?!”

“You, dolt,” she sneered, bringing out her bag of food and pulling a roasted nut from it.

Drake just looked slack jawed at the small girl for a moment, unable to come up with a witty reply. Instead, he looked at the skill stone he now had in his hand.

Skill Stone: Guardian [Epic]

Unlocks a random skill from the Guardian tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot, have an unlocked Warrior main class or subtree branch.

“And what am I hoping to get with this? It’s my only epic skill stone, so I feel like it should be pretty powerful, right?”

“I am hoping that it will give you one of the core abilities you need. Skills are random, like I have mentioned. But as you learn more skills, they will begin to fill your needs in certain ways. That is why we are only going to do the skills in a certain order, as to do our best filling in the gaps,” Natto said, plopping down at Drake’s feet, continuing to eat her food.

“Okay, but what skill? I could use a lot of things right now. Movement, passive abilities, better regeneration, defensive skills.”

“A movement skill or an analyst skill should be your priority at the moment. Passive skills will come later, once you have filled out a few active skills,” she answered, continuing after taking another bite of the roasted nut. “But what do you mean defensive skills, have you not looked at your Shield Miller description yet?”

“I—” Drake started hesitantly, but quickly closed his mouth and looked at his other class.

Shield Miller Proficiency 1 [F-Rank] 0/2

A battle-tested frontliner.

Passive: +5% to VIT, END, and out-of-combat stamina regeneration.

Active: Bulwark P1 (0%), Unbreakable P1 (0%)

Bulwark Proficiency 1 [F-Rank] (0%)

An active ability to summon a temporary shield around yourself scaled off your Vitality. The Shield Miller is the shield that takes on and advances through any adversity.

Bulwark: “I am the shield. I am the rampart. Bulwark.”

Temporary Shield skill. Creates a barrier of health based on a 0.25 to 1 per VIT. Shield lasts 10 minutes, or until broken. Cooldown does not start until the shield has expired.

Moderate stamina cost.

10 minute cooldown.

Unbreakable Proficiency 1 [F-Rank] (0%)

Activates a passive buff to defensive effectiveness of items. Your body is unbreakable, a wall on which your enemies fall. “I am the wall on which my enemies billow. Unbreakable.”

Temporarily increase your defensive effectiveness of items based on a 0.2 to 1 of combined VIT and STA. Unbreakable effects last 5 minutes. Cooldown begins when effects dissipate.

Small stamina cost

Cooldown: 5 minutes

“Wow. I guess I won’t really need to worry about anything defensive, looking at these two alone. It said the class wasn’t a tank, but these are pretty tank-esque type skills.”

“They are very good for a versatile melee fighter, but once you go against a defense-oriented monster or person, you will quickly see you are going to be outmatched in defensive capabilities,” Natto said with a wave of her roasted nut.

“You’re saying these are only mid?” Drake asked, reading through the descriptions again.

“Mhm,” Natto said through stuffed cheeks. “Look at the ratios. Specialized classes have above a 1 to 1 in most instances. Only the craziest of people would think to fight alone after being transferred to a zone literally meant to try to kill you in an attempt to make some people stronger.”

Drake only smiled wearily as he scratched the back of his head. He had done exactly that. Not because he was crazy, but he had considered it more as a game at first and wanted to get ahead. The whole experience was beyond difficult, but he had shaped himself into a stronger person, both mentally and physically.

It was honestly why Drake had joked earlier about killing people. Although Drake had his misgivings about taking human life, he wasn’t ignorant of what was going on. People were killing people for their own benefit; it was as simple as that. Soon Drake would either be targeted himself, or he may be put into a position where he was forced to kill as well.

Drake just wanted to delay that as much as possible. He wasn’t some self-righteous, red-cape-wearing, gun-toting outlaw with funny hair and yellow-tinted glasses. But if he must kill, he wouldn’t want it to be his first choice.

He had already become jaded to the killing of monsters. They were only humanoid-shaped, but back before the system Drake had never killed anything outside the occasional bug. And now he could savagely kill groups of monsters without batting an eye. He wouldn’t go as far as saying he enjoyed it just yet, but he was quickly getting there. The adrenaline and euphoria of leveling up and conquering insurmountable odds was electrifying in a way.

Another crunch as Natto bit into a roasted nut brought Drake back to the present. Now she was just looking up at him with a facial expression that just screamed, “Are you going to get on with it?”

Drake coughed uncomfortably and tried to pretend he hadn’t seen her expression.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Guardian [Epic].

Confirm?

Yes < No

Drake breathed out, preparing himself for the coming influx of power, and mentally confirmed it.

Another steely pinch of cold pierced his hand, more potent than before. The feeling lingered for a small eternity, as if ice were slowly being fed into his body.

Then, a hot flare exploded, encompassing his whole body and filling him with a warm radiance that emanated from his hand, almost like a pulse of sunlight flowing through his veins.

After a moment, a faint green glow seeped from his hand. He unclenched them and saw the stone finally dissipate and sink into his skin. Then, the power hit him.

You have consumed Skill Stone Guardian [Epic].

You have unlocked Skill Guardian’s Reprieve [F-Rank].

The power unleashed from within the epic skill stone was nothing like he had felt before. The level ups, the increases in stats, nothing even came close to the hurricane swirling within him, refusing to be quelled.

Drake began to breathe more heavily, his gasps growing increasingly ragged with each inhalation. He looked over to the pile of skill stones and began grabbing them, fervently subsuming each one.

A distant voice screamed at him to stop, but he ignored it and the piling notifications as he went from one stone to the next.

You wish to consume skill Stone: Leader [Uncommon].

Confirm?

You have learned Aura of Command [F-Rank]

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Strength [Uncommon].

Confirm?

You have learned Martial Blow [F-Rank].

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Warrior [Common].

Confirm?

You have learned Warrior’s Stamina [F-Rank].

Drake burned through the stones. He was on a high like he had never felt before, an instantly made addict. Every hit felt better than the last. He reached for the next stone he saw—but was stopped as a knife pinned his hand to the bed.

Without thinking, Drake pulled his hand away, grabbing what had stabbed him in his other as he rose.

“I—I said… stop, you fucking psycho!” Natto grunted out through Drake’s grip.

Drake immediately dropped the small construct, shivering at what he had nearly done. He recoiled in shock as he realized he had almost just killed her while going after the stones like some sort of drug, like a mindless beast.

“I’m—I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened… Are you alright?!” Drake asked, kneeling down to check on the small construct.

“Ugh, do not touch me!” she shouted hoarsely as she waved at him. “Have you no self-control?! You nearly ruined your entire skill progression by getting high off the skill gain power trip, you mindless gorilla!” she yelled, still coughing.

Drake couldn’t say anything and looked down at the ground with fear of what he could have done.

Natto looked back at him and composed herself. “It is not all bad.” She sighed. “I knew it might happen, that is why I ordered those stones like that. I am just relieved that I stopped you before you pulled from somewhere else.”

That she hadn’t warned him beforehand left Drake slightly annoyed, but he couldn’t complain. Within an hour, he’d almost killed her twice.

“No, I need to apologize. I could have killed you, again,” he said, and did the only thing he could think of. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head deeply to the bed. “Please forgive me. All jokes aside, you have helped me more than anyone so far, and I was raised to not be indebted to anyone. I will do my best to never again go so far.”

Natto was taken aback by Drake’s apparent sincerity. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she crossed her arms. “It is fine… It is not like I would really die anyway. Constructs just disperse into mana and enter a dormant state inside their owner until they recover. Now, hurry up and remove my dagger so we can finish up your skills, we have a billion to go,” she finished, her tail twitching up and down.

Drake checked his hand. Reminded of the dagger’s existence, he suddenly realized it hurt, his eyes widening. His mouth opened but the only thing that came out was a single, “Ow.”

Chapter 33

Revel in the Dark

“Are you sure?” Natto said with a look of slight annoyance.

“Yeah! Just do it quick, like ripping off a band aid! I’m a big boy, I can handle it, I’ll be brave,” Drake said, pointedly not looking at his hand, still pinned by the dagger Natto had stuck there to prevent a drunken murder spree.

Drake was currently biting the sleeve of his robes as he braced himself for the pain of removing the weapon.

“You know. You could certainly do this yourself, am I not correct?” she said, looking at him skeptically.

Drake looked back at her, breaking his childish character. “Of course I could, but it’s more funny this way. And you put it there, it’s only fair that you remove it. So,” Drake said, as his lower lip quivered, “please be gentle. I bruise easily…” he finished, almost shuddering for added effect.

“You… Ugh, fine. On the count of three, you big baby. Three—” She pulled the dagger from his hand.

“Ow! What did I just say?!” Drake complained, rubbing the quickly healing wound on his hand. “Where did you even get that dagger from, and clothes, weren’t you hatched?” Natto looked at Drake with disbelief. “I am a physical construct. It was all generated when I was made inside the egg with your blood. Or would you rather have I been naked? Pervert,” she said, almost spitting the last word.

“Come on. I’m not interested in little kids. And you’re like, what, barely above a foot tall? Yeah, no thanks. I just meant that it didn’t really make sense that you had a weapon. I mean, the other construct was a physical construct also, right? But she just kinda appeared, she wasn’t hatched.” He raised his hand to measure her height from the ground.

She slapped it away from above her head. “That is just being rude. And the other construct was only physical inside the introduction room. I am a fully developed physical construct that can operate in reality, going anywhere. I can also fight if need be,” she said proudly, puffing up her chest. “But do not expect me to fight. I am a territory Assistant, not a Combat Assistant.”

“Huh? What’s the difference?”

“I am only powerful within my owner’s territory or sphere of influence, and require monster cores to operate within it. A Combat Construct would almost be indistinguishable from most people, without an advanced identification skill. They operate exactly how a mana vessel does—although slightly weaker—and require combat experience and skill stones to progress.”

“Damn, I wish I could have gotten one… I could use the help,” Drake mumbled under his breath.

“What was that?! Are you not satisfied with the help I have so magnanimously bestowed on your unworthy self?!” Natto yelled, fuming with incredulity.

“Oh no, I am most grateful, o’ Great Natto,” Drake said, bowing sarcastically.

“I feel no gratitude, but never mind that. Get back to sucking up those stones already, you have quite a lot still to go,” she said with an exasperated sigh.

Drake was teasing her, he was more than grateful for her help. If she hadn’t ordered those stones as she had, he most likely would have just randomly used them, hoping for the best. But having someone who knew about the skills made him more confident in his decision to absorb each one.

Well, outside going into an addictive rage, Drake thought.

Speaking of which, Drake decided to speak up. “Now that you mention it, I want to take a slight break. I could use some sun, and I don’t want to leave the front of the outpost unguarded for too long. It also would let me go over the new skills a bit,” he said, making up excuses so he didn’t have to go back to absorbing skills right away.

If he absorbed new stones immediately, he might enter a drunken stupor again.

“I suppose that is fine. It is not like waiting a few minutes will harm you. Understood, pick up your toys then and let us get going. I wish to also experience the sun, even a fake one, for the first time,” Natto answered haughtily, jumping onto Drake’s shoulder then sitting down with her bag of roasted nuts.

Drake shook his head with a grin. The construct had gotten very comfortable with him in such a short time, even after he had almost made her bite the dust twice already.

He gathered the stones into his inventory and hopped down from the bed. Kicking open the shack door to the mineshaft outside, he found the outside barely lit by the window.

“Revel in the dark…” whispered Natto from Drake’s shoulder.

Drake turned his head, chuckling. “What was that? Did you just…”

Natto stopped eating and covered her face in both hands. “Do not look at me. Just…” She stopped, releasing a short, muffled scream.

“Oh, if you keep this up, we are going to be best friends, even if you don’t want to,” Drake chortled.

References aside, it was still quite dark, so Drake took the excuse to try one of his spells again. “The fire of my heart, take form and sear my enemies. Fireball,” Drake chanted. A fist-sized ball of fire arose from the red magic circle forming above his palm. “Alright, off we go to see the wizard! No… I am the wizard. So, off to see the sun!”

“Please, stop…” a muffled cry escaped from his shoulder, as Natto still hid her head in her hands.

“Revel in the dark…” Drake said, imitating her voice.

Suddenly the bright glint of steel entered Drake’s peripheral. “I will end you!” Natto shouted, her face red with embarrassment, a dagger hovering just centimeters from Drake’s face.

“You can’t kill me, you would die with me,” he said with a smile, not bothering to turn.

“I can still hurt you!”

“You could. Or you can just learn to live in the cringe, become one with the cringe. We are cringe, but we are free,” Drake said in an almost sage-like tone.

“I hate it here…” Natto whimpered, slumping down onto Drake’s shoulder, sadly nibbling on a roasted nut to console herself.

“You’ll be fine. I’ll make some fresh venison stew when we get out, so stop crying. You’re getting my shoulder wet.”

Natto didn’t speak for some time. But that didn’t stop her from making dramatic sniffling sounds while nibbling at her food, making sure to rub her eyes whenever Drake looked over.

Moments later, Drake spotted some of the mineral veins and pickaxes scattered around the mineshaft.

“By the way, how do I learn to mine gemstones and make jewelry? It’s going to be pretty vital if I want to compensate for stats,” Drake asked, coming to a stop for a moment.

“Jewelry? Ah, that certainly does make sense, but are you certain you do not wish to go into alchemy for potion making? Perhaps even engraving and enchanting would be of benefit.”

“I would love some potions, but that would only solve my poor resource management. It wouldn’t help supplement the stats I need to make my build work. Enchanting and engraving, huh…” Drake thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t think I have the resources on hand to make it work, and finding new weapons is scarce enough as it is, let alone comfortable and compatible armor. I thought maybe making accessories would be the best way to compensate for that, since we do have this mine.”

Natto looked open-mouthed for a moment at Drake, slightly astonished.

“What?”

“Nothing. I am just somewhat bewildered that you would have such an in-depth thoughts for your future. Being a massive hairless gorilla and such,” she giggled, jumping to his other shoulder as Drake tried to swipe at her.

“I do believe that is the right decision,” she said, another small red bump forming on her forehead. “But I would ask you to consider potion making more thoroughly. While the basic potions will only restore certain resources at first, the more advanced potions and pills created from alchemy would do well to increase your stats temporarily, and some of the later pills give permanent stat-increases. This does not even consider the antidotes and poisons you could make use of, as you have no resistance base skills yet. That said, there are also drawbacks to the pills. Should they be of poor quality, you could deal with pill toxicity.”

Drake took a moment to dwell on the things Natto pointed out. Having a way to instantly restore his health, mana, or stamina alone were great boons. Stats through pills sounded amazing as well, not even mentioning poisons. He hadn’t considered that since he hadn’t yet encountered any poisonous enemies.

But what did Drake need right now? He needed strength and power. Explosive power. He needed to replicate his feat with the Foreman, catching it off guard with his abrupt stat changes. And from what Natto had said, it would take longer to achieve that with alchemy.

“No, I think mining gems and jewelry crafting is what I’ll need right now. And I could always sell the things I make, once I’ve outgrown them. I can’t do the same for consumables I’ll be using constantly. We don’t have a large resource of natural herbs and alchemy supplies, from what I saw so far, so I don’t think it’s feasible right now. Besides, at the rate I’m hoping to improve and level up, I think I would outgrow any potions I could make pretty quickly.”

Natto simply nodded, not refuting him. She knew that both were great paths for him. Though she would prefer he go down the path of alchemy, as the passive stats the profession gave would be better for him once he reached E-Rank and higher, it was ultimately his decision, and she was simply here to present him with options and knowledge.

After a small silence, Drake finally asked, “So, how do I go about getting it?”

“First,” she began, hopping down to the ground, “you will need to obtain the mining profession. You are level 10. This allows you access to one profession at the moment.”

“Oh? I can get more than a single profession?”

“You are allowed two professions. Normally, you would get a gathering profession to supplement your crafting profession. But I do understand that some people take two crafting professions. I would not recommend that path, though. Only those born with a silver spoon could afford something of that vein. Normally you will also need a manual or a Master to teach you a crafting profession, but you obviously lack that luxury, so it must be done through trial and error. The only way around this is to take what is commonly known as a non-combat class when you upgrade your class. They are given a predetermined selection of skills and gain stats, levels, and titles around and based on honing their selected craft.”

“Can’t I just find a manual somewhere?”

“You could, but outside of a quest reward it is highly unlikely to find one, let alone in a language you understand. You are in the tutorial, any literature here would be in a different dialect that you would not understand until you have acquired a ‘myriad races’ language assistance book, or the specific language book.”

“There are things like that? And does non-combat really mean non-combat? Or is it just a label, because they don’t gain experience through killing monsters?”

“Certainly. The introduction should have covered this. I am not sure how you offended the construct so profoundly that it would actively withhold information, but I suppose a congratulations is in order for a feat of such stupidity,” she giggled, clapping her hands. “And I am sure you meant to ask if non-combat classes are able to fight.

“Yes, technically they are able to fight, there is nothing barring them from engaging with monsters. However, their stats do not translate to combat efficiency like yours do. You have a high intelligence stat, allowing you more mana, stronger spells, and to a degree, higher spell critical chance and damage. For non-combat classes, a higher intelligence will translate to higher mana, but only to grant them more use of their profession’s skills to help with their work. For some, like enchanters, engravers, or runesmiths, it will improve their ability to inundate mana into their tools and products, increasing the quality of their creations.”

Drake nodded along to the explanation but was brought back again to the introduction construct and how royally she had screwed him over. “Ugh, that bitch of a construct. I say one wise ass thing and it’s like Black Hawk Down all of the sudden. You constructs could really use some lightening up.”

“Maybe you should watch your mouth then in the future. Have you ever thought of that?”

“Yeah, of course I have. But it’s kind of my coping mechanism, and I’d like to think I’m a funny guy,” Drake said with a wry grin.

“You are not funny. In my very brief time within this world, you have done nothing but bring pain and anxiety, and I am certain this will not change.”

“And you just don’t appreciate my comical genius. Little Miss Revel in the Dark,” Drake sneered.

Drake jogged toward the exit of the cave as the dagger-wielding Natto hounded him, screaming.

“Sleep with one eye open you gorilla! I will take your penance in blood! I said come back here, damn it!”

Chapter 34

That's New?

Drake emerged from the mineshaft’s door only for beams of sunlight to blind him. He shielded his eyes with one hand and cradled the resting Natto in the other.

Before chasing him out of the mine, she had tripped and fallen. She then wailed and cried, refusing to get up, and demanding to be carried out.

Still feeling somewhat guilty for almost crushing her in his hands repeatedly, Drake had reluctantly discarded his Fireball to free up his hands for his new assistant.

He looked down at the small construct with red tufts for ears and a twitching red squirrel tail, mumbling softly and incoherently.

Your constant mood changes are a little too dramatic there, kid. You’re lucky I feel bad, so I’ll let you get away with it for a little longer, Drake thought with a wry smile.

Drake entered the outpost’s now mostly open area, basking in the sunlight, almost blinding after spending a few hours in the near total darkness of the mines. He had been a classic basement dweller before, but now he realized there was nothing like knowing you were still alive, skin warmed by sunlight.

He stretched his unoccupied arm up and heaved a grunt in relief as he crossed to the only standing tent in the outpost. Drake entered and gently placed the still-mumbling Natto onto the bed.

The day’s many events had left Drake exhausted, but he felt a bit awkward sharing a bed with the small construct, or even the same tent. He was comfortable talking to the little girl, but they had only known each other for a few hours and taking the liberty of sharing a room may be a bit weird.

After Drake made sure she was settled, he moved outside of the tent and into the sun. He brought out one of the beds, placing it down in the open. Drake wanted to just bathe in the sun for an afternoon nap.

He first checked the gate by jumping up to the guard towers with ease, ensuring that the only things in sight were the dead bodies of the gnolls and the aftermath of his fight with the massive Foreman.

“I really need to go clean that up soon, it can’t be sanitary… I need the cores now, also… Ahh, whatever, that’s a tomorrow-Drake’s problem,” he said, leaping down and bee-lined for the bed, not bothering with any of his notifications or new skills for the moment.

It wasn’t what he wanted right now. No, what Drake needed was some good old mindless lazing about to clear his head.

He flopped onto the soft, linen bed and placed his arms behind his head. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the warmth of the sun’s rays as they kissed his skin.

Drake took a moment to truly clear his head and enjoy the outpost’s newfound peacefulness. It was almost as if everything had gone back to normal. There were no monsters, no fights, no levels. There was no tutorial. It was just the bed, the warmth of the sun, and the heavy feeling on his chest.

Heavy feeling? He opened one eye expecting to find Natto awake and standing on his chest, but surprisingly, he found nothing.

Opening his other eye as he looked at the pressure’s source on his chest quizzically, he saw two small indentations on his garb, accompanied by the weight of this someone… or something.

First, a knife glinted as the mirage slowly washed away, revealing a small green humanoid in makeshift leather with a red cap, its feet matching up perfectly with the two indents on Drake’s chest.

“Well. That’s new,” Drake said.

The next moment, both the small green person and Drake screamed in unison. Drake’s tattoos flared to life around his arms as the small green monster tried to stab the knife down into Drake’s chest.

Drake barely caught the blade between his hands before it entered his chest. The small green monster, while quick and stronger than it looked, couldn’t outpower Drake. He pulled the knife from the monster’s hand as he sat up, his other hand quickly grabbing it by the throat.

He leapt off the bed, checking a new notification as the monster struggled in his grip.

New Subjugation Quest: subjugate 20 Red Cap Goblin Assassins. [F-Rank]

Reward: Experience, 1 random [F-Grade] piece of equipment

“What the… Please, tell me there isn’t an army of you guys. And shouldn’t you be using a sickle?” Drake questioned the still struggling goblin.

“Manifest my power, Mana Bolt,” Drake chanted out of habit. Nothing happened. “Damn, that’s right, I don’t have that spell anymore, do I. Well, that’s awkward,” he chuckled softly.

Drake was about to cast one of his new fire spells, but remembered the sleeping Natto. Surely the school’s loud explosions would wake her. He looked through the other spells and found that the Wind School would be the most appropriate for the situation.

School of Wind Proficiency 2 (0%)

The active ability set to control the magic school of wind. Your proficiency over wind is still early at this juncture, granting you only its basics.

Wind Cutter: “Wind that shall not be shackled, have freedom. Wind Cutter.”

Basic single target spell. Deals wind damage in a 4 to 1 of INT.

Small mana cost

Tornado: “Torrential gust, the unforgiving winds, blow forth. Tornado.”

Basic area of effect spell. Deals wind damage in a 2 to 1 of INT.

Moderate mana cost.

“This should be interesting, I haven’t had a chance to use this one yet. Hate to do this to Yoda’s twelfth cousin twice removed and all that, but you did try to kill me. And I’m all about equality when it comes to monsters trying to kill me.” Drake smiled derisively. “Wind that shall not be shackled, have freedom. Wind Cutter!”

As Drake brought his hand in front of the goblin’s face as he chanted the spell, a light green magic circle formed before his palm. A small, slicing maelstrom shot forward, harmlessly passing through the goblin’s head. It continued on and wisped across the outpost at a speed Drake could barely track, only made visible by the dust and dirt it had kicked up along the way. Striking the mountain’s side, it dispersed.

Drake looked at the goblin. Nothing happened.

“Well… That was anticlimactic,” Drake said, raising one brow. “Looked cool but—Oh, God, what the fu—” Drake shouted as the goblin suddenly stopped moving and went completely limp, its body falling to pieces. Suddenly Drake was only holding a headless corpse.

“Oh man, that’s God damned gnarly,” Drake said, dropping the body. “That one was unexpected. I wonder what happened where it hit the mountain?” he mused, shaking the green blood from his hand.

You have subjugated Red Cap Goblin Assassin [F-Rank] Level 17.

Experience earned. 2,000 TP has been awarded.

When Drake examined the impact of his spell, a brief glance showed him nothing. He bent down and looked over the rough surface of the stone more carefully until he found a smooth slit going into the mountain. He surely would have missed it if he wasn’t looking for it.

“Wow, that is way more powerful than I thought it would be. Didn’t they say it was looked down on? Is it because of my stats?” Drake thought aloud, returning to his now green-spattered bed.

“Man… I swear I’m getting blood everywhere. I really hope I get some clothes with self-cleaning or something soon. Shit. That reminds me, I need to run and get water,” he said, searching for a water source he knew wasn’t there. The only source of water he knew of was the river where he met Bear.

Drake paused as he remembered his conversation with Natto, looking at the new skill stone near the dismembered corpse of the goblin.

“Ew… Do I really have to open this little dude up to get that core? Should I just make her do it herself?” Drake wondered, bending down to pick up the stone.

Skill Stone: Illusion [Uncommon]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Illusion tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot.

Oh… So it’s an all-use skill stone. Should use it? Drake thought, flipping the stone in the air before putting it into his inventory.

“Well, I’ll be sure to ask Natto when she wakes up. But now, first things first,” Drake grumbled as he reluctantly picked up the headless corpse and put mana into his tattoos.

“Sorry, buddy. I was never one for desecrating the fallen, but it’s a cruel world we live in,” Drake said unenthusiastically.

He frowned, digging into the goblin’s chest and feeling around, making weird expressions as he did. His hand moved around inside the goblin, feeling for anything that could be a core. He touched something hard near where the heart of the beast should have been, and ripped it out of the monster.

Blood splattered on Drake and he slightly cursed, unclenching his hand to see the item. The core was a small, plum-red, stone that shone like a dirty setting sun amidst the green blood.

Monster Core [F-Grade]

The condensed mana core of a monster. Can be used as a component for many professions.

This item may also be consumed to increase one’s level, but be warned, the continued use of this item will stunt one's growth in the process.

“That’s something she didn’t mention. I guess it makes sense, since I wouldn’t want to halt my progress for a short-term gain anyway,” Drake mused.

As Drake examined the core, he heard the flapping of the tent’s cover. A small construct clad in shrine maiden’s garb walked out, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve.

“Whaa… Ahh… What is going on out here… Oh my word. Why are you covered in green?! Did you have a run in with the lord of the swamp?” She trotted over in small, hurried steps.

Drake smiled, holding out the monster core covered in green goo.

“Oh, hey there. Have a good nap there, princess? Here, one monster core, al dente.”

“Disgusting. Wipe it off, you brute. I am not going to eat it while it still has blood on it!”

“What, do you want me to cook it, like a potato or something? Or do you want it more like a medium-rare steak? Because anything but medium-rare on a steak kinda makes you a psycho, just saying,” Drake said, waving the core in front of her.

“No, you dolt! Just wash it off! Use your water magic.”

“But I can’t control my new spells like that. It would just shoot out like my other spells and destroy it, wouldn’t it?”

A look of understanding crossed Natto’s face as she facepalmed. “I forgot you still lack utility skills.”

“Yup,” said Drake, enunciating the word with a pop of his lips.

“You. Give it here,” she said, holding her hand out. “Now, you. Go over there and dump out your skill stones,” she finished, pointing Drake away from the mess of the goblin.

“What am I, a dog?” Drake whispered under his breath, but reluctantly complied. “Now what?” he shouted over.

“Take it slow. Start with the Mage stones in your Elementalist tree first, until you gain some utility skills. Be sure to tell me each skill, so I can direct you when to switch.”

Drake shrugged as he picked up one of the many Mage skill stones he had collected over the past days.

Simple enough. Mages need Mage stones for Mage skills. Why didn’t I think of that… Drake thought sarcastically.

Nevertheless, he gripped the stone and began consuming it.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Mage [Uncommon].

Confirm?

Drake assented and began the process of subsuming the stone, trying not to enjoy the oh-so-enjoyable feeling encompassing his entire body.

After a few seconds, the feeling passed, and Drake heaved a breath of relief, having avoided going into a stupor again.

You have learned Mage Sight [F-Rank].

Drake’s vision suddenly bloomed in a vivid array of reds, blues, greens, and browns. The ground hummed with the color of brownish-green particles, the air held a faint chartreuse.

The new visuals bombarded his eyes, straining them as his head stung. He raised his hands in front of his face and they, too, were painted in a colorful spectrum.

“What skill!” Natto shouted.

“It’s a skill called Mage Sight. It’s really hard to see things right now, everything is so bright!”

“It must be an ocular skill, if you are lucky it will also double as a better inspection skill. I would venture that you look at the description!”

“Why is she even so far back, is she afraid I’ll blow up again? God damn, yelling is giving me another headache…” Drake grumbled.

Mage Sight [F-Rank] Proficiency 1 (0%)

Grants the passive ability to see the elemental affiliation of objects and beings. It also allows one to observe ambient mana. It will furthermore allow the user to inspect any object or being that has mana in greater detail. Increases with proficiency.

Active inspection cost: Very small amount of mana

Cooldown: None

“Oh, lucky me… Now my eyes can hurt even more. It’s like all those days when we binged playing in the dark with full brightness screens for server launch day. My head is killing me,” he complained, gripping at his splitting headache.

Soon he heard the tapping of footsteps again as Natto trotted over to him, her tail bouncing up and down as she did.

“Do not dally. Certainly, you need to use another stone. Unless you wish for your eyes to bleed, you need some form of magic or mana manipulation. This time, in your Soul Mastery tree; it will improve the odds of a magic manipulation skill.”

“Huh?” Drake questioned. His head was beginning to split, and he could barely hear or follow what she was saying. But he made out enough to follow her instructions.

Grabbing another stone, he quickly went through the prompts and absorbed it.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Mage [Uncommon].

Confirm?

Assenting to the prompt, the pleasure of subsuming the stone barely registered beneath the drumming in Drake’s head, forcing his eyes close as he winced.

You have learned Mana Manipulation [F-Rank].

You have gained insight into Mana Manipulation [F-Rank].

Proficiency 1 has increased to Proficiency 2.

You have achieved greater understanding of how to wield and manipulate mana.

Even after consuming the stone Drake’s head pounded every time he tried to open his eyes, but he forced himself to read the new notification. He had the skill, but what now? It wasn’t passive, or automatic?

He kept his eyes closed and knelt on the floor, trying to focus. The skill must have done something. He tried to fight through the blood pounding in his ears as his head threatened to split from overuse of the Mage Sight skill.

Drake felt for his flow of mana. It was a steady flowing waterfall inside of him. He could feel it being sucked over a cliff inside him and falling into a bottomless pit—his new ocular skill. At this rate, the river would dry up well before the pit was filled. He needed to slow or even dam up the flow.

Envisioning it in his mind bit by bit, he built a great dam. He remembered the Hoover Dam from shows he used to watch on the late night channels as he built the first section in his mind, then another, and another. Eventually Drake had crafted a massive wall to cease the flow of the water, allowing him to take a chance and open his eyes. The pounding in his ears slowly subsided.

Now he saw the normal ground and bits of grass in front of him. He sighed in relief. “That was intense. I don’t think I’ve even been hit hard enough to make my head feel like that, and I’ve taken a lot of blows to the head,” Drake said.

“Oh, yes. I have certainly seen it,” said the snacking construct behind him.

“Who asked you?!” Drake snapped, snatching the bag of roasted nuts.

“Nooo! My food!”

Chapter 35

Face on Every Page in Every Magazine

“You know, you could have said there were skills like that. Ones that could blow my entire head up!” Drake growled with irritation.

Natto shrugged, apparently uninterested once her bag of warm snacks was returned to her. “It is all random. I would not have been able to predict the skill you received from an uncommon stone any more than I can say when you will stop being cringy. Well, actually, you will never stop that, will you…”

Drake shook his head, but smiled. “This is true. I am just one jumbo-sized bottle of fun, you know the ones. Like before they got rid of all the extra-large sizes.”

“Yes, unfortunately because of you, I know… Well, are you settled? I assume the lack of screaming and head cradling means you have obtained a manipulation skill?”

“Yep,” Drake replied, opening up the skill.

Mana Manipulation Proficiency 2 (5%) [F-Rank]

Allows the user to actively control their flow of mana. This skill removes the limitations on the mana cost of spells, allowing the caster to determine the amount of mana infused into them, increasing or decreasing their strength. Control is based on proficiency.

That is pretty sweet. So with enough mana I can turn the Fireball spell into, kinda like, a bomb rather than a blast? Drake thought.

“Okay, what’s next?”

Natto looked at him nervously. “Are you sure you do not wish to rest for a moment?” she asked pensively.

“Nope!” Drake answered, holding the monster core up in his palm as he stood up. “Water of the ever-flowing current, cleanse my enemies. Water Shot.”

A deep-blue magic circle formed above the core and a small flowing stream of water washed over the core, cleaning both it and Drake’s hand.

Normally the spell would have fired a ball, but with Drake’s manipulation skill, he only fed enough into the spell to create a slew of small pellets that formed a harmless stream of water, flowing constantly from the circle in his hand.

School of Water Proficiency 2 (1%)

The active ability set to control the magic school of water. Your proficiency over water is still early at this juncture, giving you only its basics.

Water Shot: “Water of the ever-flowing current, cleanse my enemies. Water Shot.”

Basic single target spell. Deals water damage in a 4 to 1 of INT.

Small mana cost.

Torrential Rain: “The wave that washes over the world, wash away the filth. Torrential Rain.”

Basic area of effect spell. Deals water damage in a 2 to 1 of INT.

Moderate mana cost.

“Here,” Drake said, holding out the now-clean goblin core.

Natto plucked the core from Drake’s hand and pulled another skill stone from his pile, exchanging them. “I will not say thank you. Now, go on. Elementalist tree, use this one. We have a few more to go, and then we need to talk about the skills you received and,” she looked at the goblin’s corpse, “we will need to find more of those.”

“Why’s that?” Drake asked, honestly curious.

“Did you receive a skill stone from that kill?”

“Yeah. Got an Illusion stone. I think because it was an assassin-type monster.”

“Unfortunate. The stone we are looking for is a common skill stone called a gambler skill stone.”

“Don’t we have enough RNG in my life without stones with such an obvious name?” Drake said wearily, recalling some slight trauma.

“Dolt, you misunderstand. Let me explain further before you have a brain meltdown. The gambler skill stone is not for gambling, or more ‘RNG’, as you call it. It is a common stone in the multiverse, also called the ‘Jack of all Trades’ stone. It is called this because it does just what the nickname implies. It gives you skills required to fill and round out your skill set. It is the cheap alternative to higher rarity stones.” She paused, grinning up at Drake. “That is not to say you cannot get duds. It is a common stone, after all, so the pool of skills it can bestow on you is quite wide. But depending on when we use them, it should fill out your missing skills nicely. And it also grants insight into probable tutorial sponsors.”

Drake mulled over her words for a moment, looking too at the fallen goblin. “Okay, but could there be more of these little bastards hiding around here?” Drake asked first, looking around. “Also, who do you think is the sponsor?”

Natto gripped the monster core in both her hands as she gazed at it. “With my limitations I can only guess right now,” she took a moment to open her mouth and engulf the stone whole, her cheeks puffing outward like a real squirrel. She quickly chewed and swallowed the stone, a dim light encompassing her for a moment, “but with a few more F-Rank cores first, I will have more proper information. After that, the road to E-Rank will be very long with just F-Rank cores. As for the monsters? I do believe it is possible, if they are smart and lying in wait. But if they are dumb then they would have struck already. You have just gained a vision skill, so you tell me. Look around, do you see anything out of the ordinary?”

Drake nodded in understanding and surveyed the area, slightly opening the dam inside his mind to unleash the identifying skill in his eyes. He saw the incredible spectrum of lights, but shook his head. Natto was the only pocket of mana to stand out now.

Plentiful red and blue particles surrounded the little construct, outlining her in mana. Raising his own hand to his eyes, he saw a mixture of reds, blues, greens, and browns floating in patches. Drake assumed it must be his affiliations with mana. It seemed life-forms created larger and denser concentrations of mana.

He couldn’t be sure about inside the mines, but for now they were out of the woods. Later he should check through it just to be safe, even if he was sure the mines required the quest to enter. Sleeping with one eye open for Natto’s antics would be bad enough, but both eyes open would be even worse.

What, am I being trained by Biscuit Kreuger or something? he joked inwardly.

“Doesn’t look like it. Alrighty then, let’s finish this up and I’ll go get the cores outside, then check the mines.”

Drake gripped the new stone in his hand, surprised that she took so long to give him it, and began consuming it.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Depth [Rare].

Confirm?

You have learned Heretical Mind [F-Rank].

Drake went through the motions of consuming it. The power was now smaller, like a drop in a bucket compared to before.

Is it because I’ve already gone through so many skills? he wondered, noting the skill’s name.

“Hey, Natto. Am I getting fat?” Drake finally asked.

She looked at him with a blank stare for a moment then her face contorted in confusion. “What?”

Since his increase to F-Rank, he’d been wondering about this. With his body drastically changing to fit his ‘most optimal’ version of himself and the constant hail of skill stones, the power he felt they gave him was now waning each time.

He thought he had been growing a tolerance, getting less of a hit each time. But that wasn’t true. This felt different than a growing tolerance for anything. Instead the feeling was diluted into something vast inside himself. An expanse that kept growing. The euphoria he received from each skill stone was not the same; some would be more intense, others muted.

Then Drake remembered what the introduction construct had said. He was a mana vessel. Was his body growing in capacity for the intake of the skills?

“So what is happening to my body?” he asked again, more stern this time. “Am I being turned into a fat-ass monster or something? I kinda feel… bloated?”

Natto blinked, and then giggled. “What? Certainly not. You are becoming less human, that is correct. A monster? Absurd. So if that is what you are meaning when you asked if you were becoming fat. Yes, the subsumption of skills greatly increases you as a mana vessel, as well as increasing levels and stats. But no, you are not fat. Maybe a fat head, but your waist is…” She turned before finishing her answer.

Drake hesitantly touched the sides of his head while she had turned away.

My head isn’t fat, it’s just large because I’m so smart. Yeah, that’s right, I’m smart, j-just big brained… he consoled himself.

Drake shook himself from his thoughts, not wanting to be drawn into a tangent in his head with a new type of monster that had shown up. He had to get his skills in order before he didn’t have time to. With that thought, he inspected his new skill.

Heretical Mind [F-Rank] Proficiency 1 (0%)

A passive skill that releases the user from the standard mindset and rules of magic, allowing them to break the mechanics of magic.

Form magic to your will at the cost of mana.

The cost of mana is proportionate to the displacement of form.

Silently cast your spells at the cost of damage (reduction of 50%).

Use standard incantation of your spells at no cost of damage.

Produce a unique incantation for your spells increasing damage by 100% at the cost of a large amount of health, mana, and STA.

Drake began to quiver as he held in a scream of excitement. He felt as if he had watched his favorite esports team finally win the championship cup after following them for the entire season. The culmination of their efforts, finally rewarded.

Natto looked over, puzzled, as she saw Drake staring off into space, but his face easily spelled out what he was feeling.

“Oh my. What skill did you receive to make you look like that? And please cease, it is giving me the heebie-jeebies,” she said, her arms around herself, her face contorting again.

“It’s a skill called Heretical Mind,” Drake responded, not even looking up as he tested it out.

Drake tried to summon his Fireball through sheer will but wasn’t able to.

“That is the best skill you could have gotten! What luck you must have, to actually obtain a skill like that!” Natto cheered.

“Uh huh…” Drake responded absentmindedly. This time he tried to chant the spell inside his mind, focusing on his flow of mana inside his body. But he could still not even produce the magic circle to form the spell.

“I mean the possibilities for a Mage if they obtained this skill! And for you especially,” Natto continued, but Drake tuned her out

Maybe I have to go back to basics. Like how I did when I first learned how to use Mana Bolt while running, Drake mused.

“The fire of my heart, take form and sear my enemies. Fireball,” Drake chanted under his breath. Every one of his senses focused on the formation of the magic. Drake analyzed each excruciating moment in detail as he observed himself, both inside and out.

Every second stretched longer than the previous, small droplets forming on his face and body at his mental and physical exertion.

Drake could feel his mana flowing inside of his body as it moved to the magic circle forming in the palm of his hand, but he forced it to a near-halted drip as he tried to comprehend every step that was taking place.

After he chanted, his mana flared to life with purpose. The spell took mana from him to form the magic circle, using it as a funnel and focal point allowing for the rest of his mana to congregate.

Drake allowed his Mage Sight to take mana from him so he could better analyze what was happening. This let him distinguish the flow of the mana from his body to the spell circle. He could now see that the circle also converted the pure mana within him to fire mana for the spell. Drake could feel the change now, thanks to his Mana Manipulation skill.

The energy within him warmed in his hand as the small Fireball began to form, absorbing the raw pure mana to feed its transformation into the spell form on the other side of the magic circle.

He grinned like a schoolboy who had just heard there was a snow day. A grin that reached past his ears.

Drake quenched the fire in his hand and cut off its supply, as he could now more accurately control his mana.

Beginning again, he focused intensely on his hand, trying to remember the process. He felt his pure mana inside him stir as it formed a sky blue circle in his hands. It soon turned a light red, darkening into a deep burgundy.

He again began to almost shiver in elation as he saw the small embers of the spell begin to form in his hands. Soon they burst to life as they formed a long blade in his hand.

“It is incredible! The possibilities!” Natto continued, only now noticing Drake had cast a fire spell. “Oh, you are not even listening, are you…” she said flatly as she stared at him from the ground, a pout forming on her face, her ears and tail drooping.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! I did it! Holy shit! Now my imagination can actually take form!” Drake squealed like a boy getting his new gaming console at Christmas.

He swung the fiery blade with a flame-fueled swish back and forth, an idea forming in his head to test the new skills.

“Hey, Natto, ready?”

She looked hesitant but replied all the same. “Ready for what?”

Drake laughed, then a wave of seriousness came over him as the smile wiped from his face as if it had never been there.

Suddenly the blade in his hand raged as the fire grew in size.

Drake yelled as the flames rose and began to wisp around him. “You might not believe my words, but you’ll believe your eyes, won’t you?!”

Natto’s eyes widened as she realized what was happening. “I-Impossible,” she whispered.

Drake roared again. The wisps of fire around him increased in size and heat as he did, almost engulfing him in flames.

“Ban”—Drake howled, the flames around him flaring once more, turning into a tornado of fiery power with him at the center—“kai!”

“OHHH! If you want to see some action! Gotta be the center of a—ttrac—tion!” Natto screamed only for a moment before falling to her knees as she covered her mouth. “Damn it! It’s happening again!” she wailed, slamming her fists into the ground

On the last word of Drake the flames condensed into the sword, forming a large, fiery scythe twice his size. Drake held it in both hands as he looked at it with his eyes like stars.

But Drake wasn’t finished. He looked forward with determination. “We aren’t done yet!”

The fire of the makeshift scythe increased as ever more sweat began to paint Drake’s brow. “Resonance! Witch—”

Drake never got to finish his sentence as he fell backwards, spitting up blood as he hit the ground, the fire and scythe disappearing in an instant.

Natto ran over and looked down at him, making sure he was alright. “Drake?! What happened?” she stammered out, her hands hovering over him with hesitation.

“It—It was worth it…” Drake whispered out.

“What?” Natto asked, confused.

“I’m on empty, but it was worth it… I almost completed it!” he said as he coughed again, a trail of blood running down the side of his mouth.

Drake had attempted to use his Heretical Mind skill and Mana Manipulation to perform a combination of one of his favorite moves, but the strain of using the unique chanting of his skill had brought him down to literally 1 on all of his statuses.

But Drake didn’t care and laughed. He was content with himself as he closed his eyes.

“Ah! Do not die yet, you imbecile!” Natto screamed as she grabbed him, shaking him by the collar.

Chapter 36

Is this really a thing?

“What were you thinking! What if there are more assassins, you dolt?!” Natto scolded.

From where he lay, Drake just smiled back. “Still worth it. That was hands-down nearly the best moment of my life.”

Natto smacked Drake across the head, kneeling next to him. “Mixing up anime references and nearly killing yourself was a top moment for you? I fear for our future!” she screamed into her hands.

As his status passed the halfway mark, Drake sat back up. “What? No. Well, okay, yes, but no. What I mean is, for so long I wanted a game where nothing limited my imagination, you know? And with these two skills, I have just that. There are some pretty harsh requirements, sure, but there are some crazy possibilities too!”

Natto stood back up and looked Drake in the eye. “Certainly there are, but you will not be able to wield them if you are dead, you stupid gorilla!” She sighed. “But what do you have in mind, then? And do not forget, you still have stones to go through and cores to collect.”

Drake recoiled slightly at the thought of scouring all the monsters for their cores. Littering just the dirt road were over 200 gnolls.

“I, uh… will get to that soon. Promise. As far as my ideas, you just have to wait and see my amazingness!” Drake grinned, a small flicker of fire lighting up in his hand.

“I believe you mean cringy-ness. I cannot believe you made me sing!”

Drake slowly stood up, feeling much better with his status nearly full. He played with the fire, creating different 3-D shapes in his hand and swirling it around him. The magic circle faded as the mana left his hand, now shaped only by his whims and unbound by any spell’s structure—at the cost of a slowly-depleting mana bar.

“I. Didn’t make you do anything. You just felt compelled to burst out in awesome theme song. You knew it needed to be done.”

“When I am finally F-Grade, I swear I am going to stab you!” Natto screeched, stomping her foot.

“You already did that, remember?” Drake laughed, tapping a finger to his head, shaking his other hand lightly in the air.

Natto growled and pushed another skill stone toward him, then turned around, plopping down to silently eat her bag of roast nuts.

Before he subsumed another stone, Drake ran about with his flames, pushing the limits of the skills and his imagination.

His imagination was unleashed as he recalled every anime and manga he had ever read, every game he had ever played. All of the skills once limited by coding, now he was free to truly make his own. He was a kid in a candy store.

After a few more minutes on a high, his mana bottomed out and he came crashing back down to earth, his stamina also dangerously low. Panting, he collapsed on the ground with a smile on his face as he gazed at the sky now turning reddish-orange.

In a few more hours it would be night, but right now Drake only wanted to practice.

Remembering that the skill stone in his other hand, he brought it up to inspect which one Natto had given him next.

Skill Stone: Insight [Uncommon]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Insight tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot, have an unlocked main class tree.

Lacking the energy to raise his head, Drake screamed into the air, “Where is this one going?!”

“Internal Mastery! You need some regeneration skills, but we lack the stones, so the next best thing will be the passive buffs granted by the insight stones!”

Drake wasted no time, gripping the stone in his hand tightly.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Insight [Uncommon]

Confirm?

With a mental nod, the smooth stone slowly melted away, becoming another drop in the proverbial bucket.

You have learned Weak Point [F-Rank].

Weak Point [F-Rank] P1 (0%)

Allows you to gain insight into your opponent through your knowledge of internal mastery. Your insight shows you vulnerable locations marked on your opponent.

You may mark up to 1 opponent by saying, “Marked.” Increases with proficiency.

Passive increase in critical chance of 0.01% to DEX. Increases with proficiency.

Active increase of critical chance to marked targets by 10%. Increases with proficiency.

Costs a small amount of mana and STA.

Cooldown of 10 minutes, or after elimination of marked target.

“Now, that’s a skill…” Drake laughed, reading over the description.

He was pleased with his acquisition of such a strong passive skill. If they could grant him abilities like these, perhaps he’d dismissed these stones too quickly.

Still spread-eagle on the ground, Drake yelled to Natto, “Hey! What’s the next one?”

A moment later, a stone hit Drake square in the forehead. He picked up the stone, leaving a small red imprint. Drake rubbed the mark yelling again, “Where’s this one going, this time?!”

“The same as the former, Internal Mastery! You still have four more slots available in that tree!”

Drake grumbled but began subsuming the stone all the same.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Insight [Uncommon].

Confirm?

The feeling was slightly more intense this time, enough to notice clearly but not as overwhelming as the rare and epic stones. He reveled in the feeling, expecting great things from reading the next notification.

You have learned Of the Apex [F-Rank].

Of the Apex [F-Rank] P1 (0%)

An active ability to channel the apex predator’s gaze, instilling fear into your opponent and making them vulnerable while the skill is active.

Cost: Small constant amount of mana and STA.

Cooldown: None

Mark a single opponent with your gaze, creating vulnerabilities to all sources of your damage, with increased susceptibility to critical strikes. Effect depends on rank differential.

Passive: Increase in critical damage of 0.01% of DEX. Increases with proficiency.

Active: Increase to overall damage and critical damage by 10% to the target. Increases with proficiency.

Drake sat upright. The stone was only uncommon, but the power it brought was comparable to his more powerful skills. Had he gotten lucky, or was he starting to be influenced by his skills and environment? Was he truly becoming a bloodthirsty killer?

He couldn’t determine for himself. He felt the same—well, aside from essentially regular massive monster genocides—he felt his personality hadn’t changed much. Sure, he had grown a thicker skin from his near death experiences, but it wasn’t as if he wished to slaughter everything around him.

Drake shook his head and sighed, returning to the skill. He tried to feel for the skill in his mind and activate it. Like all skills, some sense of how to use it had been ingrained in him, but it was like only being given the first sentence of an instruction manual. He knew it used his eyes as a focus, but everything else was up to feeling and experience.

He looked at Natto, who was now lightly stepping over to him, and tried to activate the skill. Behind his eyes was an immediate difference. His focus on Natto intensified, as if magnifying her in all of her being. Instinctively his eyes were drawn to her vitals and vulnerable spots, blazing like stars against her body.

Natto quickly stopped, cold sweat trickling down her face, a look of worry painting her expression.

“Did I do something wrong? Is this about me throwing the stone at you?! I am sorry! I am sorry!” she wailed as she dropped to her knees, bowing in fright.

Drake didn’t know what was going on and instantly muffled the skill, standing up to rush over. “What? No, no. Maybe it was the skill. Are you alright? I didn’t think it would be that effective!” he babbled, trying to calm her.

“A-Asshole! How many times are you going to do something like that!” she cried, sniffling. “What skill is it that lets you put that much fear into a target? I felt that I was actually a small animal frozen under the gaze of a hungry beast!”

She was clearly frightened but still gripped at Drake’s sleeves and battered him with her hands. He was about to say something else when he heard the banging of drums and warlike cries outside the outpost.

They both looked at the gate, wondering what could be making such sounds. Drake turned to the still shaking Natto and pulled her up to his shoulder.

Natto and Drake hadn’t been together long, but being quite literally part of one another, they knew it was time to put a pin in Drake’s mistake and investigate. Natto climbed to Drake’s shoulder and melded into his head.

“I will make you make this up to me, you tactless brute, single-celled, one-minded trash bag, enemy of all constructs! Food will not placate me! I want cores, lots of cores, more cores than you could possibly fit in your stupid inventory, you hear me!” she shouted—quite loudly for being inside his head—flipping her mood instantly.

“You really bounce back quick, don’t cha?”

“I am not upset you tested the skill on me. I am upset you did not warn me and have not compensated me for it,” Natto chided inside his head. Drake was almost able to see the small girl folding her arms and looking down on him in his mind’s eye.

Drake grinned, relieved that she was being so upfront with him. He would have to pay in long installments of stuff to make up for his mistake this time, he was sure.

He looked up and double checked his status, now full, as he jumped to get into the guard tower to see what was knocking on his new home’s front door.

Waiting for him on the expanse outside of the outpost was quite the sight to behold.

The fights with the gnolls had shown how monsters could form ranks and armies, but this was on a different level. This was almost what he imagined an old medieval army would look like, albeit much smaller.

However he was surprised—well, he supposed he shouldn’t be at this point—at the sight of gnolls amidst the small army of goblins. The mixture of creatures did not surprise him but rather the gnolls’ states.

The gnolls had been pushed to the front of the small standing force, covered in chains and collars. They were prisoners or worse. The gnolls were bruised and battered, some even missing limbs.

Drake recoiled in disgust at the sight. “Are all monsters like this?”

“I understand your frustration, but the multiverse is a completely different place from your relatively peaceful planet. The strong make the rules, and the weak are there for the strong to walk on. It is the law of the system,” Natto said. “But that does not mean I feel no anger toward the display. It is wholly distasteful. I ask you do something for me, for earlier.”

He looked down at the small force of around fifty as he listened to Natto. Two monsters caught his eye.

Goblin Squad Commander Level 19 [F-Rank]

New Subjugation Quest: Kill 20 Goblin Squad Commanders [F-Rank].

Reward: Experience, random [F-Grade] item

Juvenile Tyrant Ant Level 22 [F-Rank]

New Subjugation Quest: Kill 500 Juvenile Tyrant Ants [F-Rank].

Reward: Experience, TP, 2 base class stones, 2 random class stones, 1 profession recipe book.

“What is it?” Drake asked, his eyes widening at the subjugation quest’s goal.

“Massacre them! Murder them in my name! Their cores shall be mine to claim!” she shouted in his head.

Chapter 37

The Perfect Forbidden Spell!

“I’ve got the perfect spell for that,” Drake said with a devilish grin, “but I was wondering something. What is with the number needed for that quest? 500? That seems a bit impossible, and a pretty big jump from the other ones I’ve gotten.”

“It is because the Tyrant Ants dwell in large colonies. And the higher you go in the tutorial, the harder the quests become, but the better the rewards. I do not believe you are intended to finish that quest line, normally. Tyrant Ants are borderline E-Rank monsters by themselves, and they are an E-Rank threat or worse depending on the hive size. I am surprised these goblins were able to find one and capture it…” she said, trailing off at the end as if thinking.

“Well, it looks like they are setting up something? Or… Wait, what is that Goblin Commander doing? No, is it really? You’re joking!” Drake said, pointing down and suppressing laughter.

Drake was about to ask another question that had been itching at the back of his head, but was stopped by the actions of the goblin. It was… reading from a scroll?

Now at the front, the Goblin Commander had begun speaking in a language Drake obviously didn’t understand. It was shouting loud enough that he could hear him, pointing to the gnoll captives and the Tyrant Ant they had in the back, also surrounded by chains and goblins.

The Tyrant Ant seemed a bit off, and Drake didn’t mean its humongous size. It was only half an ant, missing its abdomen. Like the previous group of gnolls these goblins had clearly tormented it, giving Drake another pang of disgust. The goblins were losing more sympathy from him. But soon they would pay.

All of these monsters are just foul minded. I don’t care if it’s my new reality, there are just some lines you don’t cross, he thought.

“Then make them pay with their lives. It certainly seems fair to me, no? You might not realize it but you are adapting to this new reality more quickly than you think.”

“What? Hardly… And before I wipe out this gathering of pangit nga maga aso, I have a question,” Drake cursed, almost spitting the insult.

“Pangit? A what?”

“Wow, I really thought you would get that one, since you did get some of my memories. Guess Tagalog wasn’t part of the standard Assistant package. Basically means ugly dogs.” Drake laughed. “I was just wondering why I haven’t gotten recurring quests? I had one for my class upgrade, but not for subjugation ones. Shouldn’t I technically get two per class?” Drake asked as his mana gathered and swirled, preparing one of his favorite spells from the show that started it all for him.

“Puta nay damo…”

“Oh, so you do know some?” Drake chuckled, cracking his knuckles bringing up his hands to aim at the group of goblins.

“Only the ones your mother used to scream at you, you are quite the pain in the ass, as she says,” Natto giggled. “That would be a typical question, I suppose. It is because the system recognizes the use of dual classes, as I told you. You are not so unique. So, you receive separate quests for the class level up, but will not for subjugation quests. That said, there are repeatable quests, but only outside of the tutorial. Once you finally get to murdering those heathens and gathering their spoils so that I may rank up to F-Rank, I will be able to elaborate. Now, slaughter them! Slaughter them in my name! Ha, ha, ha!”

“With pleasure!” Looking down at the Goblin Commander still reading from the scroll, pointing at him. Adorning it was a patchwork mess of shiny metal armor and scraps of leather—most likely the same beasts they were riding.

Drake took a moment to observe the goblin army, pulling all the quests he could before he rained hell upon them.

Goblin Rider Level 17 [F-Rank]

New Subjugation Quest: Kill 100 Goblin Riders [F-Rank].

Reward: Experience, set of [F-Rank] potions

Iron Tusk Boar Level 15 [F-Rank]

New Subjugation Quest: Kill 20 Iron Tusk Boars [F-Rank].

Reward: Experience

Goblin Shaman Level 17 [F-Rank]

New Subjugation Quest: Kill 100 Goblin Shamans [F-Rank].

Reward: Experience, set of [F-Rank] potions

Goblin Footman Level 15 [F-Rank]

New Subjugation Quest: Kill 200 Goblin Footmen [F-Rank].

Reward: Experience, random [F-Rank] piece of equipment

Within the plethora of new notifications and monsters, he eyed one that had slipped past him earlier.

Goblin Treasure Hoarder Level 11 [F-Rank]

New Subjugation Quest: Kill 15 Goblin Treasure Hoarders [F-Rank].

Reward: Goblin King’s hoard key.

Time Remaining: 167 Hours, 59 Minutes, 23 seconds.

“There’s one with a time limit,” Drake said, finally finished looking over the monsters.

“So there is,” Natto replied, not elaborating.

“That’s all you got for me?”

“I believe I told you I am very limited on certain things. Because you have chosen to put off tithing me my rightfully deserved cores!” she said, obviously pouting.

“I got it already, just watch me work,” Drake said, rolling his shoulders.

“Do not fuck it up.”

“Language!” said Drake in faux offense.

Drake could feel that Natto had just rolled her eyes, making him chuckle.

He then changed his demeanor, taking on a serious expression.

“Alright you filthy, dirty, disgusting monsters. I will give you the honor of being graced by one of the greatest spells in my anime arsenal. From one of the classics! One shot kill, where there are monsters! Victory will be mine!” Drake screamed, raising his arms as he began chanting, only glancing at the captives the goblins held. He held remorse at their treatment, but at the end of the day, they would have done the same to the goblins or himself if given the chance.

“Darkness beyond twilight,” he began, the magic circle forming in front of his hands, turning from a light sky blue to a deep crimson. The flame started small in between both his hands but soon sparked vibrantly with his every word. “Crimson beyond blood that flows.” The flame grew erratic as he poured mana into the spell.

Drake focused to keep the spell from going out of control. He had to keep it condensed. But he had only practiced the School of Fire and couldn’t cast multiple spells simultaneously; he had to make the spell work with just fire.

“Buried in the flow of time!”

With growing fear, the Goblin Commander noticed that Drake was chanting an incantation.

“In thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness!” The fireball blazed with life and then condensed, a deeper burgundy each time it pulsed with the infusion of mana. “All the fools who stand in our way shall be destroyed by the power you and I possess!”

The ball of fire expanded as he fought with control of the spell, continuing to force it down into the condensed spell form he imagined. Exerting all of his concentration as his status began to plummet, by sheer force of will Drake commanded the spell to maintain its structure as he stared down the Goblin Commander, panic in its eyes as it scrambled through the ranks of its force, tripping over the Footmen holding drums and prisoners they had brought.

Drake pushed everything he had down to the dredges of his status into the spell, ensuring the full force of his disgust and fury was known as he chanted the last words.

“DRAGON! SLAVEEEE!”

The spell shot straight for the gathering of goblins and their captives. The spell screeched through the field, nearly igniting the air around it from the intense heat of the condensed fire spell, a beam of pure crimson fury connecting with the army.

After the launch of the spell, a deafening boom filled the area. A small explosion erupted from the impact, engulfing the entire army inside. The sound hit Drake first as he leaned forward to brace for the oncoming wave from the spell. The force of the explosion jolted Drake backward.

The avalanche of notifications confirming he had instantly vaporized the army of monsters flooded his peripherals. He swiped them away, as he had not earned enough to level up, and looked towards the destruction he had just created.

“Beautiful,” Drake said, wiping his sweat drenched brow.

“Ahhh! What do you mean beautiful?! You just completely incinerated all of those monster cores! Are you trying to intentionally keep me from ranking up?! You ignorant, smooth-brained dullard!”

Drake covered his ears at the volume of her scream, but it didn’t help when she was inside his head. “Oops… Haha, my bad… It was cool though, right?!” he said, trying to deflect from his mistake.

“Ugh. It is from a classic, so I would almost regret denying it did give me chills. But it needs to be bigger! The explosion was a pale shadow of its full glory!”

“True, I should have practiced a bit more before I did it. But hey, at least I made sure to keep my HP and stam above death-flag territory this time. So I can at least clean up that guy,” Drake answered, pointing down to the lone survivor of the explosion that took the small army.

A half-charred goblin staggered from the smoking crater that had been left by the spell, tumbling over the top of the dirt hill that had formed. It lay on the ground heaving, barely alive.

Drake hopped down from the tower and opened the gate, taking his time. After a few moments, he walked from the gate to the survivor.

“Hey there, buddy. Like the fireworks?” Drake asked with a scowl.

The goblin was barely conscious, its eyes erratically searching without focus, still heaving as it gasped for air. It looked up at Drake with a fear in its eyes that quickly turned to fury. Green blood leaked from its every orifice, but it somehow mustered up enough strength to spit at Drake’s feet in defiance.

Drake scoffed, “You know. I may be above torturing people for fun. But I’m not above giving anything what they deserve. Every one of you is going to die. Even npc’s deserve better than what you all seem to think is normal,” he sneered, spitting back at the monster.

“Have fun suffocating to death, chump,” Drake murmured under his breath and began chanting his standard earth spell—because he hadn’t had enough practice yet—but bent it to his will with his skills. He just barely had the resources. “The earth that will not falter, crush my enemies beneath you. Stone Bullet!”

The spell started as a light-blue magic circle, then darkened to a deep umber. A stone formed in the shape of a spike from his hand, slowly morphing into the top of a coffin. He then slammed it down with force as it cracked the ground, sealing and covering the Goblin Commander underneath.

Drake sat down on his haunches as he looked at the coffin he had created, waiting for the inevitable notification to pop up. In a few minutes, he received it.

You have defeated Goblin Squad Commander [F-Rank] Level 19.

Experience earned. 5,000 TP have been awarded.

Drake said nothing, lingering in the moment of the gruesome death he just forced on the monster. There was a feeling of something being pulled from him as Natto revealed herself, appearing on his shoulder. She also said nothing, her hand just resting on the back of Drake’s head.

But their silence was broken by an unknown voice.

“My liege! Oh, be this my blessed day! This one beseeches thou! This one is not but an unworthy peasant in the presence of such majesty, but pleadeth for thy humble acceptance of one such as this. Thou hast sung the darkest and most forbidden spell! This one prostrates thyself before my Lord, I beg! Take this one as even thy mere servant!” the voice said from behind Drake.

Drake turned instantly saw upon the ground a human man.

“Dude! What the actual fuck?!” Drake shouted in pure confusion.

Chapter 38

Theodore and Old Debts

“How long have you been there?” Drake asked, flaring his tattoos around his arms in a flash of ethereal azure flames.

“Please, my liege, this one meant no offense! This humble one only ever meant to observe thy majesty in the art of the arcane! For this one has been witnessing his Lord’s triumphs and grandeur for some time now!” the man continued, finally lifting his head to reveal a handlebar mustache and monocle.

“I thinketh this one is coo-coo for Coco Puffs,” Natto whispered into Drake’s ear.

Drake had to fight back a laugh as he closely watched the man for any sudden moves or fluctuations in mana. He continued to inspect the man with his Mage Sight, still getting used the skill.

Theodore Rotwood Level 10 [F-Rank]

Drake was beyond surprised, the man was only level 10. How did he survive with all these monsters above level 15? Was he another dual class?

“Who are you, what level and class are you?” Drake asked to see if the man would lie.

“This unworthy one’s name is Theodore, of the Rotwood Family. This one is but a humble Illusionist. As it were, my current level is 10, my liege,” Theodore recounted as he stood up and bowed at his waist.

Theodore had dirty brown hair that was parted in half and wore a very clean black and white suit that reminded Drake of a butler. There was even a monocle and chain to what Drake guessed was a pocket-watch disappearing into a coat pocket.

Drake nudged Natto with his head as he kept his eyes on Theodore. She quickly understood and merged with him.

What do you think? He isn’t lying about his level and name, but I have no idea about his class. Is Illusionist even a class? There was that stone I got earlier but I’m not sure, this guy has apparently been following us for a while, Drake thought.

“Illusionist is not a class I have heard of, the closest class I can recall is a Dark Magician or Dark Mage. They specialize in Illusions and Dark Magic, including debuffs and mental attack spells. So perhaps the crazy one is just taking liberty with his class name.” Natto explained. “But if he has been following you around, he does not seem like a danger. Consider how many times you have been on death’s door and he could have killed you.”

That’s true, Drake thought.

Theodore, who was now standing, had produced a dark, sleek cane that was adorned with a gleaming, onyx crystal ball on its top, looking very much like a magician’s cane.

Okay, guess it’s a wait and see approach. His name doesn’t ring any bells from the ladders, and if he’s only level 10 I should be able to stop whatever he might try.

“Just make sure to be prudent, in that he may have powerful illusions and mental attacks. He could even have a spell that conceals his status. I believe asking to see his status screen would be best, system screens cannot be manipulated outside of very powerful items and high ranking nobles.”

Wait, you can show other people status screens? Why didn’t you tell me this, and why haven’t I seen yours?

“You have never asked, and we are bound by an owner contract, so I saw no point, as it is impossible for me to betray you in any way that may harm you or your progress. Also since you have never interacted with anyone since we have met, I did not think it was pertinent to discuss.”

Drake sighed. He knew what she said was true, but it still hurt that she had basically called him out for being anti-social. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to party up, it just didn’t make sense to when he first started. Now it made even less sense, as he had no idea how grouping would affect his experience gain.

Drake remained wary as he looked over Theodore. “What exactly do you want? And why are you alone? How in the world did you survive until now?” Drake asked as he slowly kept his mana churning.

“This one has been on a journey set upon him by the voice of the heavens. He dare not thinketh for what reason this trial was beset ontoeth us, but our goal is simple. We must reclaim our power and make haste toward reuniting with our fated one,” Theodore kind of, sort of explained to Drake. “For reasons unbeknownst to this lowly one, my charges didst not see fit to stay under my care. And sought other forms of protection.”

“Okay, awesome. You some kind of larper or drama class reject? Must you keep speaking like that?” Drake grumbled.

“Forthwith, this one asks for humble forgivenance, my liege. But this one dost not comprehendeth thy meaning,” Theodore said with a slight bow.

“OHHHHH, I’m going to freak out! Natto, you can come out, I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Outside of maybe my brain overclocking and leaking from my ears,” Drake said, placing his hand on his temples. “Did you get everything this weirdo—I mean, Theodore said?”

A small pull was felt from Drake’s head as Natto appeared again on his shoulder. Although a bit wary, she spoke up. “Not a word. But are you certain it is alright to show myself? Assistants are not exactly rare, but we are certainly not a dime a dozen.”

Drake kept his eyes on Theodore as he answered, “No, he’s already seen you if he’s been following us. Have you entered the mines, Theo?”

“Theo? This one is beyond pleased you wish to be so familiar with one such as he. But this one regrets to inform thee he couldst not follow his liege’s greatness into the mines. This one didst not have permission and was halted by a force unknown to thineself,” he answered again, with a slight bow of his head.

“Gross… enough with the ‘My liege’ stuff. Susmaryusep… Alright, so that means only I have access to the mines for now then. Good to know. Now, some proof of who you say you are. Theo, show me your status,” Drake demanded.

“How wouldst thine humble servant do so, my liege?” Theodore asked, his eyes going distant as he seemed to look at his status.

Drake turned his head to Natto, his question painted on his face.

She sighed and explained, “It will be the same as you do any other mental task, dumb apes… You must simply bring up your status and will it to be shown, think of it as flipping a book you are reading over to show someone.”

Theodore did just that, revealing his status—most of it, anyway.

Theodore Rotwood

Tutorial Alias: N/A

Race: Human

Class: [Rare] Dark Magician Level 10

“That’s it? Where’s the rest of it?” Drake asked pointedly, glaring at Theodore.

“This one must regretfully withhold some information, my liege. This one, too, must keep some cards up mine sleeve for the moment. Truly, thy humble servant requests thy rumination on this,” Theodore replied.

“So you’re saying I should trust you with only this limited information, after you have just admitted to stalking me for days?”

“This one wouldst hardly name it the act of stalking! This one was merely gathering information on my liege, so that he may better prepare his unworthy self for our inevitable coupling and partnership!”

Drake was becoming increasingly tired by the second. “So let me get this straight. You not only stalked me, you want me to help you? And before you come up with some ass-backwards way to say it. I get the gist. You were with a group, but you were so annoying that you were pushed out, and now you’re stuck alone and, from your low level, I’m guessing without a way to level up. So you found me, saw I was alone, and think I need you?”

Theodore looked a bit nervous, his mustache slightly shaking as he adjusted his monocle. “Mine humble self wouldst not put it quite so derisively. But an adequate and astute deduction of the history this one has endured…” he said, coughing lightly.

“Wow…” Natto mumbled next to Drake. “I can hardly believe you understood all that.”

It was now Drake’s turn to sigh. “Lots of older games will give you a good foothold on some pretty weird and obscure vocabulary. And a lot of context clues, because honestly I don’t understand half the words he used,” Drake said, lifting his drooping head. “Alright, look, Theo. You want me to trust you and party up with you?”

“This one would aspire for nothing greater! Thy firm and astounding use of force towards the heinous and vile green villains just moments ago has lighteth a fire in mine own chest this one had thought long forgotten,” Theodore said, with a flair and twirl of his mustache that Drake could have done without.

“Right… That’s awesome, but what I meant was why should I party with you. What can you offer, exactly?”

Theodore contemplated for a moment before answering, giving Drake time to again go over the man’s wardrobe. It was obvious that he either came here in the butler-like clothes or received them as equipment from quests, like him. But what didn’t add up was how he could only reach level 10 if he had the ability to kill things and complete the quests.

The only explanation that Drake could dredge up was that he completed them before being kicked from his group. Theodore could have also kill-stolen monsters, but Drake quickly dismissed it, he didn’t seem the type. And if he had done it, he most likely wouldn’t have been standing here. Their reality had become more cutthroat than ever, and stealing a monster kill seemed like a quick way to get your ass beat, or worse.

Theodore surprised Drake though with his answer. “If this one must be honest to the fault of being blunt, my liege. He hath nothing at present to offer thine outstanding self. This one simply wishes for safe haven and guidance from one as benevolent as his liege. At present, this one cannot do much in the way of battle-rite, but if this humble one may be so bold. Be it for naught, this one, once stronger, shall become an indispensable boon to my liege,” Theodore explained, both his hands on his cane as he stared back at Drake.

“Oh?” Drake said, his interest piqued. “How, pray tell, would you be so indispensable?” he asked, crossing his arms.

“Might this one give a demonstration of my one and only skill at present?”

Drake allowed his Mage Sight to fully come to life, a cascade of colors blooming in his vision before he answered. He noticed a darker color flutter around Theodore, almost outlining him in a deep purple, bordering black.

“You may proceed, good sir,” Drake said with a half chuckle at his own language. Theodore was beginning to rub off on him. He may find the man’s speech to be peculiar and almost annoying, but finally talking to another human was a great change of pace.

“Excellent!” Theodore replied, beginning his chant, “Light and Dark are one, cast behind the veil I move. Concealment.”

The next moment, Theodore shimmered out of existence in front of Drake’s eyes. Even with his Mage Sight he was unable to keep track of Theodore. The only evidence that he was there were the remnants of the dark purple mana, slowly dissipating into the ambient mana.

Shocked, Drake immediately raised his arms, covering Natto and his head as she merged with him. In a makeshift boxing guard, his mana flowed into his tattoos, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

Theodore shimmered back into view in the same spot, his head in a slight bow. “This one begs forgiveness for startling our gracious lord. As thou wouldst have surely already noticed, the skill allows myself to become near invisible and conceal even trace amounts of mana.”

A low whistle came from inside Drake’s head. “Impressive,” complimented Natto.

“Handy,” Drake said, but not fully convinced. “It doesn’t help me much if you can’t also cover me. An ambush is nothing if you can’t deal any real damage. You did mention that it was your only skill so far. I see your point, though, you can become a strong assassin or ambusher. And at the very least… a scout?” Drake said, lowering his guard and crossing his arms, his finger tapping at his arm as he mulled over the possibilities out loud.

“Indubitably.”

“Eh. I don’t really need any of those, and I don’t think it would warrant adding to the xp sponge I already am,” Drake shrugged.

Before Drake could continue, Theodore interjected, “This one wouldst also like to propound that he is apt in the ways of retrieving foul beasts’ cores, so that my liege wouldeth not be bothered by such a menial task.”

A voice exploded inside Drake’s head before he could answer again, “Do it! Take him! Accept! Accept! Now, now, now! Quickly, with all haste!” Natto screamed, almost knocking against Drake’s skull with every word, as if her hand could somehow smack him from within his own head.

Where in the hell did that come from? We’re supposed to be suspicious of people like him. Like, hello? Earth to Natto? Drake thought, his face quickly turning to one of confusion.

“Lies! Nothing but falsehoods, I say! This benevolent man is offering to carry the load and gather all of my—Ahem—our precious monster cores, for the trivial price of some experience and safety. It is a small price to pay.”

Are you talking like him on purpose? And that’s easy to say when you aren’t the one doing the protecting or monster-killing, don’t you think?

“You owe me! You never get to the cores!”

But—

“YOU. OWE. ME,” she repeated as firm as her high pitched voice could manage. A picture of her stomping her foot with every word was painted inside his head.

Holy shit, fine! Drake thought. “Fine, due to… circumstances… I will help you out. But! You have to gather every single last monster core first, and I know how many I’ve killed, so don’t try to go and snag any. And if you try to screw me,” Drake said, his eyes unyielding as he pointed over his shoulder at both the crater and the small tomb he had made, “you know what happens.”

“I-I-Indubitably…” eked out Theodore, his mustache bobbing nervously as his eyes went to the tomb.

“Good man!” Drake smiled.

Chapter 39

Filling Out

“So, you can handle yourself if anything happens, then?”

“This one can only be called an artist when it cometh to fleeing and hiding. Without a doubt, thy humble forerunner shalt return with thy bounty in all due haste, my liege,” Theodore replied with a bow and walked out toward the opening of the dirt road. It wasn’t hard to spot, as a huge dead gnoll marked the entrance.

Drake looked at the corpse with a grimace. He would have to do something about that at some point. It would probably be a bad idea to just leave it there to rot.

He shook his head, hoping to dodge the oncoming headache that the issue would bring, and walked over to his makeshift tomb. He gazed at it for a moment, uncertain if it was worth opening to get the loot underneath. But his gamer brain prevailed.

You can never have enough loot, he thought.

There was the feeling of a pull from his head, and a small voice whispered in his ear. “Are you alright?” in a tone of concern Drake wasn’t used to hearing from her.

“What do you mean? I’m just peachy. Cool as a cucumber.”

Drake tried to give her a deflective answer, trying his best to just ignore her.

She stewed on his shoulder, tail lashing, before finally screaming, “Drake. Drake! I am fucking talking to you, ape! Drake!”

“Yes, I’m Drake,” he reluctantly answered. “What?” he said, after infusing his tattoos so he could punch into the ground and rip the coffin cover off the goblin.

“Are you really okay? You seemed to have a pretty flaky reason for rejecting dear Theodore earlier.”

“Dear? And yeah, I have problems trusting people, after, well… I’m sure you know,” he said trailing off, picking up the goblin’s dropped skill stone and placing what little pieces remained of its armor inside his inventory.

“Only bits and pieces, I am afraid. It was not on my list of things to get to while I was scrambling to catch up with current events in the tutorial. Would you… Would you be willing to share?” she asked tentatively.

“Nope,” Drake said flatly with a thin smile. He moved over to the crater, scouring the area for any skill stones that may have dropped. And to his pleasant surprise he was able to pick them up.

Thankfully it looked like the stones spawned even after a body’s complete annihilation, and oh, was it a haul.

Natto seemed to turn tight-lipped, even though Drake could see she wanted to ask more. So like a good boy bottling up his problems and past traumas, he just kept picking up stones and identifying them, ignoring the welling feeling of dread topped with existential crisis.

Skill Stone: Primal [Common]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Primal tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot and have an unlocked Warrior main tree or subtree branch.

Skill Stone: Greed [Uncommon]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Greed tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot.

Skill Stone: Gambler [Common]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Gambler tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot.

Skill Stone: Regeneration [Uncommon]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Regeneration tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot.

“Jackpot!” Drake cheered as he checked the other stones, finding there was a little extra hidden in the piles of stone. Probably because of his awesome spell. The system must be giving him great rewards for his great magical performance.

Skill Stone: Oppression [Rare]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Oppression tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot.

“Natto. Not that I’m not happy I got this,” he showed the construct now that she had sat down on his shoulder, her legs bouncing back and forth as she just watched him loot, “but getting a rare stone from these monsters seems a little wrong, don’t you think?”

“Ah, I see. That must be from the Tyrant Ant. Oppression stone, correct?”

“Yeah, spot on. Do they normally drop that?”

She pondered a bit and then answered, “With certainty, but do you recall when I said I was surprised the goblins found a lone Tyrant Ant?”

“Vaguely?”

She hit him on the back of the head. “Dolt! Listen to me when I speak!” She sighed, before continuing. “Tyrant Ants normally travel in large numbers, and never leave their hive’s vicinity for too long, making it very difficult to kill any without getting swarmed. As I have said, even included in the tutorial, I doubt their subjugation quest is meant to be completed.”

“So, you’re saying I got lucky?” Drake said, slipping the stones into his inventory.

“I would venture half and half? Depending on your skill set and how long you waited for a straggler, you may be able to secure a stone. Would it be worth the investment? It is impossible to say without knowing the skill you would receive. But I will say with certainty anything gained from an oppression stone will be very powerful in the short term, so if we were to successfully gather more…” Natto trailed off, her face scrunching to one side as if she was chewing on one side of her mouth thinking.

“Then, if I can keep some slots open for them I should? Is what you are saying?”

“Simply put, yes. Now back to the outpost, you have more skills to gain before night falls. And do not think I have forgotten your promise of food. I expect a feast for my hard work today,” she said proudly, sticking her nose up to the sky.

Ahhh… I forgot about that. I don’t have any water. Maybe Theo has some? Well, I’ll figure it out. I can always just use the stew I have stored, she won’t be able to tell the difference, I’m sure, Drake thought, grimacing.

He and Natto soon found themselves back at the entrance of the outpost gate. Once there, Drake pulled out the stones per Natto’s instructions.

She had told him he still needed to do some back and forth with his skills so that they would round out, complementing each other by filling in the missing essentials in his skills and synergize better overall. They were going back and forth between the main class trees and subtrees, to keep them as even as possible.

Drake checked his ever-expanding status.

Drake Wallen

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Race: Human

Class: [Unique] Elemental Miller Level 10

VIT: 219 (15%)

STR: 226 (20 +15%)

DEX: 171 (30 + 25%) +(40)

INT: 373 (+20%)

WIS: 191 (20%)

END: 106 (5 + 20%)

Free Points: 28

Skill Branches

Primary

Elementalist P2 (1.69%) [F-Rank] 0/5

Mage Sight P1 (5%) [F-Rank]

Heretical Mind P1 (3%) [F-Rank]

3 Slots Unused

Secondary

Shield Miller P1 (0%) [F-Rank] 0/5

Warrior’s Stamina P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Guardian’s Reprieve P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Aura of Command P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Martial Strike P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

1 Slot Unused

Primary Subtree

Internal Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

Of the Apex P1 (1%) [F-Rank]

Weak Point P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

3 Slots Unused

Secondary Subtree

Soul Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

Mana Manipulation P2 (5%)

4 Slots Unused

Tertiary Subtree

Weapon Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

5 Slots Unavailable

Quaternary Subtree

Empty

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge, Close Call, Dead Man Walking, Dual Class, Punching Up, Improbability, Rounded, Dog Hater, One-Man Army, Dog Killer, Battle of Attrition, First of Your Kind, Goblin Hater, Goblin Slayer

Oh man, I hope I can condense this down, he thought before face palming.

“Natto. Can I hide certain parts of my status? It’s, uhh, getting a bit, ya know, long, extended, overdone.

Natto looked a little surprised but quickly recovered, realizing that Drake’s introduction had been, to put it lightly, lacking. She dropped down off his shoulder and pulled out her bag of food.

“Certainly,” she said, taking a bite out of a freshly pulled roasted nut, “just think of what you want to hide and the system will do the rest. Surprised Mr. Big Gamer did not think of doing so in the first place,” she finished, emphasizing her snarkiness with air quotes.

Drake gave her a quick flick to the forehead and did so, downsizing his status dramatically. It now only showed his name, class, level, and stats.

“Nifty.”

But before that, he checked the descriptions of his two new titles.

Goblin Hater

Slay 10 small green men. +5% damage to Goblins.

Goblin Slayer

Slay 50 or more Goblins. There is no reason to leave a single one alive. +10% damage to Goblins.

Drake chuckled. The only good goblin is one who doesn’t leave its stinking hole, huh? he thought, still chuckling lightly.

“That’s it for pleasure then, on to business!” Drake shouted, trying to get himself hyped up, “What are we starting with?”

“Would you show me your skill trees for a moment?”

Drake sat down and lowered her to the ground next to him, willing his status into vision for her to see. “Couldn’t you have just merged with me and looked at it that way?”

“Certainly. But I believe I have been inside you long enough today,” she snickered, obviously joking.

“And you call me the pervert,” Drake scoffed, with a roll of his eyes.

After a few moments scrolling through his skills, or lack thereof, she asked, “And what skill stones did you just obtain? Any of the gambler skill stones I mentioned before?”

“Yeah, a few. We also bagged the primal, greed, regeneration and oppression stones I showed you earlier.”

“I see… The oppression stone will prove very useful, I would say it should be used next-to-last. You also have some other rare stones left over. The fire skill stone and transcendence stone you will have to consume spaced-out to avoid going into a drunken rage again,” she said looking at him flatly, “but with the several added stones, I think we can fill up most of the skill slots quickly, barring any more interruptions…”

Drake fist pumped excitedly. He could finally get a real feel for his class and start theory crafting how to best use it. It was always his favorite part of starting a new game and why he had loved his old game the most. It may have been an older one, but the spaghetti code and the class system meant there were new builds popping up even now, some twenty-odd years later.

It reminded him a whole lot of the TPs he also used to play passionately. The code had been so bad that the community found a glitch that let them come up with an entirely different way to play the game, using animation canceling to the fullest. Drake had spent the better part of a year just learning how to pick up how to do the very basics in that one. Good times.

Back in reality, Drake stood and hustled over to the pile of stones he had left near the green-soaked bed, stacking his newly acquired skill stones beside the pile.

Natto followed not long after at a casual pace, happy to take it slow as she chewed on the remainder of her bag of food.

“Now that you are finally ready to finish this long process of getting your skills, we can begin with getting the active skills out of the way. From what I have seen, you only have a handful of active skills right now, and they are all in your Miller main class tree,” Natto explained, “so we are going to give some to your Elemental side, making sure we can do our best to fill the rest with the strongest passive and utility skills we can possibly get.”

“Where do I start then?”

“You have some debuff skill stones, which are great for what we need. Use both of them in Soul Mastery. They should be able to give you some nasty effects that will let you deal with casters or mana-reliant classes. Then we can go to your Weapon Mastery tree for the new skill stones you have picked up. This will certainly improve your ability for close combat and weapon augmentation. And with everything you were able to get so far, we have enough leeway to keep a slot open in every tree for oppression stones later. Thankfully, you are a dual class, so we have far more to play with,” she mused, letting an eager grin crease her face.

“Ha! So you are a nerd! You would have to be part-me to get so excited about theory crafting and min-maxing like that.”

“Shut it! Do you want help or not! Ungrateful…”

“I thought you were a squirrel, not a sourpuss, come on now,” Drake teased, rummaging around for the correct stones.

“Got ‘em,” he said in triumph, looking down at the two stones.

Skill Stone: Debuff [Uncommon]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Debuff tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot.

Not wanting to waste more time, Drake quickly went through the process of consuming the two stones.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Debuff [Uncommon].

Confirm?

The moment after confirming, a familiar feeling assailed his body. A few breaths later of battling through the more than mildly addictive feeling, he got his new notification.

You have learned Atrophy of the Mind [F-Rank].

Atrophy of the Mind P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

A debilitative spell attacking the opponent’s mind, disabling all forms of mana regeneration and complex mana manipulation for a short period. “Wounds of the soul are not so easily healed. Atrophy of the Mind.”

Mind Atrophy debuff is applied to target for 10 seconds. Increases with proficiency.

Debuff can be cleansed by standard Holy Magic.

Cost: Small amount of mana.

Cooldown: 2 Minutes

Looks like lady luck still doesn’t hate me as much as that intro construct, Drake thought, smiling at the new beefy skill description. It was going to be a great way for him to single out stronger Mages or mana-wielding classes. It wouldn’t fully shut them down, it seemed, but being able to barring them from using his own abilities, as well as keeping them from regaining any expended mana, would be huge for any fight.

“Got a solid debuff skill from that one, basically a Mage-specific one,” Drake explained.

She just nodded gingerly, waving her newly retrieved nut at him, urging him to continue.

Drake pursed his lips, slightly deflated by Natto’s response.

She must just be tired, today has been pretty exciting. And neither of us got much rest before the goblins volunteered as alarm clocks. The annoying default kind. God, I have PTSD from having to wake up to that chime, day in and day out, it almost physically hurts to think about it… Drake thought, grimacing.

He quickly shook his head and got back on track, squeezing the next debuff skill for his Soul Mastery tree. His expression was hopeful.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Debuff [Uncommon].

Confirm?

Trying to get through the process as quickly as he could, Drake assented, feeling the cold then warm energy of power from the stone diffuse within himself.

You have learned Cower [F-Rank].

Cower P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Use aura to force a target to flee. “Fear is binding. Cower.”

Terror debuff is applied to target for 5 seconds. Any form of damage will break the status effect. Increases with proficiency.

Debuff can be cleansed by standard Holy Magic.

Cost: Small amount of mana and stamina.

Cooldown: 2 minutes 30 seconds

“Wow, a fear? Damn, it’s a skill… If it was a spell, maybe I could have manipulated it somehow. Sounds like it would take dark mana, and that could have really added to my repertoire,” Drake sighed.

“A fear. I see,” Natto mused from her seat. “A fear skill is certainly one of the stronger debuffs, if used properly. It will certainly be interesting to see how it presents itself as an effect.”

She then quickly pointed to a stone on the edge of the pile and addressed Drake again, “Now, let us put that Mage stone into your Elementalist tree before we move on to your Weapon Mastery, and finally, your most rare stones after.”

Drake bent down to pick up the stone, gripping it tightly in his hand, but before he moved on something in the description caught his attention.

Hmm. It uses Aura? Didn’t I get a skill for that earlier? he thought, pulling up his tree list.

Ah! Found it.

Aura of Command P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Active skill that surrounds the caster with a beneficial aura, increasing party member’s attack, defense, and resistance to debuffs. “My soldiers, rage. My soldiers, scream. My soldiers, fight.”

A temporary Aura that spanning 2 meters from the caster manifests, limited to a total of 10 individuals. The caster is not influenced by the skill. Increases with proficiency.

Aura buff lasts 10 minutes 30 seconds. Only one instance of Command Buff can be applied at one time. This aura is not malleable. Increases with proficiency.

Effects: 10% to Overall Damage, 10% to Overall Defensive Efficiency, 25% to Debuff Resistance. Increases with proficiency.

Cost: Moderate mana, moderate stamina

Cooldown: 2 hours

Drake paused for a moment, reading the description of the skill. His mind blanked, and then he resumed the process of subsuming the last stones, pretending not to notice how eerily similar skill chants that may have or may not have been to one of the best commanders of all time.

He pushed the skill to the back of his mind, as it was obviously a dud for his Cower skill. He wouldn’t be able to control the aura, as stated by the skill, meaning he needed another skill that would allow him to manipulate it at will. Sighing, he did his best to refocus and continued the process he had become accustomed to for gaining skills, sifting through the prompts with practiced ease.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Mage [Uncommon].

Confirm?

The quick burst of power flowed through his hand and disseminated through his body. The skill’s power felt strong but became muffled as he was nearing his near fifteenth skill at this point.

You have learned Multiplicative [F-Rank].

Only after inspecting the new skill did he really understand why it felt stronger than what usually came from an uncommon stone.

Multiplicative P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

A passive skill allowing the caster to create separate instances of spells.

This skill allows the use of multiple instances of any spell.

Limit: 1 additional spell.

Max 2 instances, including combined forms. Increases with proficiency.

No cost.

Cooldown: None

“Holy shit. Jackpot!”

“Hmm? What was the skill this time?”

Drake stupidly smiled back. “It’s this,” he said as he formed one Fireball in his right hand then another in his left.

Natto looked on, slightly surprised, then an ever-so-faint grin came across her face. “Impressive. A very valuable skill to receive for Mages. Also very common,” she finished, biting into her roasted nut.

“Aw, really? That’s all I get for getting something so good? And what do you mean it’s common! This should be like a game breaker type skill!” he cried, deflating at her explanation.

“Unfortunately, it is in almost every Mage’s skill set. It would only make sense to have it, the same way most attack Mages have a chant-shortening skill, or can outright cast silently,” she said, her brow raising as she looked pointedly at him. “Now hurry and get through the rest, I have a weird inkling dear Theodore will be back soon.”

“Stupid common stones… stupid Theodore… raining on my fucking parade! And why do you keep calling him dear? You’ve only known him for like ten minutes,” Drake asked through creased eyes as he looked at the small construct suspiciously.

Natto coughed and hid her mouth behind her food. “Oh, no reason.”

Drake’s eyes perked up as he realized what was going on. “You’re just saying that because he’s doing your dirty work, aren’t you! You manipulative little…”

Natto simply smiled and answered flatly, “A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do.”

The obvious manipulation was better than trying to hide her actions. But the fact she was doing at all it left a bad taste in Drake’s mouth and brought up more than just unpleasant memories of his past. The faces of certain people flashed in his mind, forcing him to cover his mouth for a moment as he tried not to retch.

“Whatever, just don’t come crying to me if it blows up in your face. You hear me?” Drake said finally, “Now, what’s next, you little vixen?”

Chapter 40

Finishing Up and an Unexpected Visit

“I resent that comment. It is not like you will retrieve the cores any time soon, so I must pursue the other avenues available to me,” the small construct said in the coyest tone she could manage.

“You aren’t even using his name anymore. He’s just an ‘avenue’ now, huh.” Drake frowned. “But you lay in the bed you’ve made and all that. What am I doing next?”

Natto scoffed and then approached the next stone he was to use. Raising it up so that he could take it, she said, “Here, Weapon Mastery now. Greed stone first, as they have good abilities pertaining to equipment, but we do not want to use more than one or two, as they have very specific effects and are heavily equipment dependent.” She then tossed another three stones to his feet, pointing at them. “Then a primal stone, for a hopefully combat-oriented skill. Typically primal stones will impart a skill pertaining to instinctual facets, as you could guess, I am sure, from its name. And do not forget to use the gambler stones beforehand, we want to keep your skill progression as smooth and succinct as possible.”

“Ah, siege. I gotcha,” Drake said as he wrapped his hand around the stone.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Greed [Uncommon].

Confirm?

Already growing tired of repeating this same process so many times today, he mentally accepted the prompt, bracing himself against the sudden influx of power that swam through him.

This one wasn’t so bad this time… Hope it’s ’cause I’m growing jaded to the feeling with how much I’ve consumed, and not that the skill is bad…

You have learned Hoarder [F-Rank].

Hoarder P1 (1%)

A skill that allows you to exceed the standard equipment limit.

Passive: The user may increase their accessory limit by 1. Increases with proficiency.

Standard combat limitation to equipment change is still enforced.

“That’s kinda good? Hmm, depending on how it scales, that could actually be monstrous later. But where would I put all that stuff? Would I basically end up looking like Sinbad, haha,” Drake mused, reminiscing about the conqueror of the seven seas and all his djinn equipment.

“Natto,” Drake said.

Her ears perked up at the mention of her name as she looked up lazily from sketching in the dirt with her free hand, her food in the other, “What?” she grumbled.

Ahh, she must be getting impatient, or maybe she’s just that tired? Either way, maybe this will be my last question today before dinner…

“How would I improve my proficiency in a skill like this?” he asked, flipping the skill window around for her to read. “Do I just keep the extra accessory worn?”

“Correct.”

“Okay then…” Drake said, deciding it was best to just consume the next couple of stones before he did something he would never hear the end of.

Drake picked up the next of three stones in one hand and plucked another ring from his inventory in the other. It was the fifth green ring he now slipped onto his right thumb, as at the same time he subsumed another smooth, glassy stone.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Gambler [Common].

Confirm?

Drake quickly accepted, already grabbing the next stone.

You have learned Fully Loaded [F-Rank].

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Gambler [Common].

Confirm?

You have learned Weapon of Choice [F-Rank].

You wish to consume: Skill Stone: Primal [Uncommon].

Confirm?

You have learned Adrenaline Acuity [F-Rank].

Drake sighed as the wave of euphoric power passed through him. Thankfully, these stones were lower than rare, leaving the potency lacking, but that didn’t shorten length of the ordeal. Taking a deep breath, he looked to his new skills, finally done with the Weapon Mastery tree and ready to move on to his rarer stones.

Fully Loaded P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

A passive skill granting a damage buff when the user is fully equipped.

While fully equipped, the skill user gains an indefinite buff to damage. No partial increase in any form from incomplete sets.

Passive: gain a 50% Damage increase when all equipment slots are filled, this includes gained slots from additional skills. Increases with proficiency.

Weapon of Choice P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

A passive skill granting an increase in specific effects dependent on equipment chosen.

User will receive beneficial effects based on equipment. Increases with proficiency.

Selected Item Limit: 1. Increases with proficiency.

Passive: Unavailable. Please select equipment from list.

That’s interesting, Drake thought.

He looked at the line asking him to select an equipment type. The moment he did, a long list popped up. It contained weapons he had seen in the tutorial and even ones so obscure he wasn’t sure if the system was trolling him or not.

What the fuck is a trishula? Or Emei piercers? Wait, I think I know that one, isn’t it a double-sided piercing weapon? Drake thought, confused.

He shook his head, trying to wrap his head around the sheer variety of weapons the skill encompassed.

After a few moments of scrolling, he found what he wanted, mana ink tattoos.

It’s the only one I plan on using for the foreseeable future, so.

Drake selected and confirmed it, checking again the description of the skill’s effects.

Passive Effects: Mana Ink Tattoos: +5% Physical and Magic Damage. Reduction of 15% in mana consumption of skills and spells. Increases with proficiency.

Bitchin’! That is way more than I expected! Drake mentally shouted with a smile, finally checking his most recent skill with high hopes.

Adrenaline Acuity P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

A passive stacking skill boosting the effects of adrenaline to the limit, increasing cognitive ability and pain tolerance over the course of a fight.

A skill that increases while in combat. Increasing the potency of adrenaline over the course of 2 minutes 30 seconds. Increases from a 1% increase to 10% Potency. Increases with proficiency.

Passive effects last for a duration of 5 minutes and will leave the user in a weakened state for a duration of 1 minute after. Increased duration based on proficiency.

Weakened State: All stats and effects are reduced by 10%. Decreases with proficiency.

“No way,” Drake laughed. “It’s actually right out of that basketball anime. It’s literally the zone. Oh, I’m going to enjoy this one. The demerit is pretty severe though, a full 10% flat is gonna hurt. And I can’t choose to turn it off, since it’s a passive skill…”

Natto rubbed her eyes as she looked up, a slight yawn tugging at the sides of her lips. “Done?”

“Yeah,” Drake said looking down, the thought of her being more pleasant and adorable with exhaustion passing his mind. “So, where are the rest of the stones going? I have five more to go, right?”

“Nn…” Natto mumbled sleepily.

“Haaa.” Drake sighed. “No way around it, guess it’s bedtime for you, little lady,” Drake said, smirking as he scooped up the small construct, cradling her in his arm.

Drake dropped the remnants of the skill stone pile back in his inventory, returning to the lone tent standing a few feet away.

Upon stumbling through the tent’s opening, Drake approached the luxurious bed in the center of the tent. Placing Natto down and tugging the silk cover over her, he lightly patted the small construct’s head.

“Damn, her ears are fluffy… She’s actually not that bad when she’s sleeping. That construct in the introduction alluded to other races, I wonder if cat girls are included in that…” Drake shook his head and dismissed the thought before it could take hold. Looking back down at the construct, he smiled as he left the tent, content she would be able to sleep soundly for the night, or at least until dinner was done.

Drake exited the tent as the last winks of sunlight vanished, the twilight bathing the area in a deep orange and tones of red. But although the twilight hour was as beautiful as it had ever been during this death game, Drake’s mind was on what he should do with the last few stones.

He knew which he had to use, but Natto hadn’t told him where.

Drake would have to decide on his own for now or wait. And after a few seconds in silence he pulled a stone from his inventory.

Skill Stone: Transcendence [Rare]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Transcendence tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot, have an unlocked Mage main tree or subtree branch.

Drake rolled the smooth, glass-like stone in his hand for a moment, mentally selecting his Elementalist main tree.

“Yeah, here just feels right. I don’t think I could use it anywhere else anyway,” he chuckled lightly.

“Bottoms up!” He laughed, gripping the stone tighter than usual as he braced for the rare-quality throngs of power soon to come.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Transcendence [Rare].

Confirm?

Drake confirmed and instantly the pinch of the cold shot through his arm, quickly overtaking his entire body. It was chilling, almost biting at his soul this time as it filled his entire body one cell at a time. Then the heat flooded through the gate of his hand, finally unleashing it. A fire that caused prior stones to pale in comparison now coursed through his body, threatening to roast him from the inside out.

He held back a muffled scream as he dropped to his knees, gripping at the wrist of the hand seemingly scorched by the stone. His eyes shut from the overwhelming power now assaulting him.

“Ahhhh… Fuck—!” he forced out of his clenched jaw as he waited with bated breath for the feeling to pass, struggling to not be overtaken by the seemingly unending stream of power.

He suffered through one passing moment.

Then another.

And another.

He lost track of the time as he waited for the chaotic energy to subside.

Finally, he released his stilled breath as the feeling of power slowly receded, leaving him in a thick, cold sweat.

You have learned Elemental Endowment [F-Rank].

After a few gasps for air, Drake inspected the skill, his eyes beaming with excitement at the skill that had brought him to his knees.

Elemental Endowment P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

A spell that allows the user to endow aspects of Elemental Magic onto their body and weapons. While the spell is in use, the active element may not be used in other spells. This is not limited to base elements and includes magics of confluence.

Cost: Use of Elemental School of Magic while the spell is in use.

Cooldown: None

Earth: “The power of Earth is not thine to adhere, but mine to possess. Endowment.”

Effect: Increase of Defense Effectiveness by 50%. Increases with proficiency.

Fire: “The power of Fire is not thine to adhere, but mine to possess. Endowment.”

Effect: Increase in STR by 50%. Increases with proficiency.

Wind: “The power of Wind is not thine to adhere, but mine to possess. Endowment.”

Effect: Increase of DEX by 50%. Increases with proficiency.

Water: “The power of Water is not thine to adhere, but mine to possess. Endowment.”

Effect: Increase in Active Regeneration by 20%. Increases with proficiency.

Drake let out a gleeful whisper under his gasps for air, “Fucking… epic!”

But Drake wouldn’t have long to bask in pride. Steps from the front gate and a small whimper interrupted him. Expecting Theo, he raised his head.

What met him was Theo, but not how he expected, and definitely not with whom he expected.

“Hey, bro, this guy with you?”

Drake looked slack jawed at the hulking figure of a man holding up Theo like a small kitten by the collar of his suit. Still clutched in Theo’s arms were a few fresh monster cores.

“My liege, this one apologizes. For I was unable to flee as I believed,” Theodore whimpered.

Drake inspected the man up and down, his new plate armor and pauldrons shining with a metallic gleam, a huge, overbearing claymore on his back.

“Bear?!”

Chapter 41

Old Friends

“Bear! How are you here?!” Drake exclaimed, approaching the mountain of a man.

Drake gave Bear a slap on the side of his arm. “Have you gotten taller? And wow! Look at that claymore, are you a half-yomah?”

“I don’t know what that means, but no, still human, bro. Just a bit taller from the rank up, not to mention more handsome,” Bear responded, a half-smile creasing his face.

A small whining sound came from Bear’s raised hand, forcing both of them to look over at the poor man being held.

“My liege… May this one ask to be released… I have gathered said monster cores as well. Before this hulking oaf! Decided to brutally manhandle me!” Theodore yelled like an angry kitten, scowling at Bear.

“Oh! Right, he’s with me, Bear. Would you mind letting him go? He didn’t do anything, right?”

Another whimper came from Theodore as he whispered under his breath, “This one ’tis but an afterthought?”

“No, nothing to me, at least, I just saw him scavenging cores and thought he might be stealing, so I nabbed him. But what’s with the ‘my liege’ stuff? I didn’t take you for being into that kinda roleplay,” Bear scoffed.

Drake shook his head with his hands on his forehead. “I don’t know either, it’s just the way he talks. Believe me, you get used to it quickly, but he’s no danger. And how did you know I was here?”

Bear just smiled, releasing Theodore with an unceremonious plop as he landed on his rear. Then Bear pointed further in. “Let’s talk, it’s been, what, almost two weeks? Don’t mind me spending the night in this cozy new fort of yours, do you, bro? Or should I say, Shot?”

Drake stiffened slightly at the mention of his alias. “Yeah… let’s talk. And of course not, I can’t turn away the monster that saved me from monsters, can I? I’m glad to finally be able to pay you back some, anyway. Come on in. Oh! Do you have water on you? I want to make some fresh venison stew.”

Theodore rubbed his injured butt—and most likely his pride as well—as he stood up, dusted off his clothes, and addressed Drake. “My liege, where shouldst this one put the aforementioned cores?”

Remembering Theo was still here, Drake thought on it for a moment before answering.

“Ummm, here,” Drake said, pulling out one of the large tubs he had looted before from the Squad Commanders. “Just put it here for now. I’ll clean them up and give them to—” he stopped himself and looked at Bear.

With a raised brow Bear looked back. “They’re for the little construct sleeping in the tent, right? Don’t worry, man, my lips are sealed. But you should hide her better, it’s easy to spot her.”

“How did you?” Drake wondered, then realization hit him.

He has some sort of sensing or perimeter identifying skill?

“Like I said,” Bear grinned, “it’s been a while, and we’ll talk. Over there fine to set up a fire?”

Bear didn’t even wait for an answer as he patted Drake on the shoulder and headed to an open area, pulling out a massive tree trunk to use as a seat for himself, then began making a fire.

Theodore dropped the monster cores into the tub as Drake asked, and brought his gaze up to Drake’s. “Sire, dost thou know that tactless oaf? How dare he impose upon my liege like this. It is reprehensible!”

Drake smiled and looked back at Bear as he explained to Theo, “Bear is a friend, yeah. He saved my life not too long ago. I blacked out and was stranded in the forest. It must have been before you started stalking me.” Drake turned back to Theo. “And before you forced your way into my fort, as well. What was the word? Reprehensible?”

Theodore coughed and brought back out his cane. “Yes, well, this one supposes it is acceptable for the savior of my liege to be so daring then.” He coughed again and began walking towards Bear. “Mine humble self will see if Master Bear is in need of assistance forthwith the food preparations!”

Drake let out a stifled laugh as he returned the monster core-filled tub to his inventory. “Where did all these characters come from? I really hope there aren’t any more people that are going to pop up and bother me. Susmaryusep.”

He moved over to the gate and stared at the now darkening sky, black as the infinite abyss as it consumed the last streaks of light. Drake slowly lowered the gate as he stared off at the horizon beyond the trees, both apprehensive of the new things to come and excited for how much stronger he could become from them.

◆◆◆

The small fire and pot had been set up by the time night had fallen and Drake had made his way back over to Theodore and Bear. They apparently weren’t much for conversation, as Theo sat upright on the opposite end of the tree trunk with his back straight and stiff as a board. Bear was on the other end tending to the fire and filling the more-than-large pot with water from barrels he brought out.

Jeez, how much does this dude eat, to need a pot that big? It makes even the gnolls’ pots tiny, Drake chuckled inwardly.

Walking up to the fire, Drake opened the conversation, “So, how hard is it going to be to get you to talk about how you know so much, Bear? Actually, wait, it will be a long night. First thing. How are you?” Drake said, a genuine smile on his face, glad to see the man who saved him doing so well.

Bear looked up from tending the fire with a grin. “I’ll be better when you make me some damn food, man. We out here hungry,” Bear answered in his low, thunderous voice, his tone the polar opposite to his upbeat words.

“Yes, this one is a tad famished as well, my liege. A meal would certainly be splendid,” Theodore chimed in, adjusting his monocle.

“Alright, alright, food first then,” Drake said, raising his hands in surrender at being outvoted, “but I want some answers while I cook, and don’t worry about Theo, Bear, he’s a bit off, but he’s only level 10, so he can’t do any damage as far as I know.”

Bear shook his head. “He can do plenty. Shot,” Bear said, looking pointedly at Drake, “how many people have you run into so far, outside of me and Theo here?”

Though confused, Drake answered truthfully. “Just you two, why?”

Bear’s face became one of concern as he continued speaking. “I’m sure you have seen the TP ladders, but people are killing each other left and right out there, bro. There are a few groups that have banded together for protection, but there is a group of killers out there as well.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Drake asked curiously, pulling some cut venison out of his inventory and placing it into the pot.

“Everything,” Bear answered, standing up. “You haven’t seen where you are on the ladder recently then, I take it.”

Drake was taken aback, but it was true he hadn’t had a chance to check the ladder lately. He brought up the windows quickly.

Time remaining until tutorial’s conclusion: 110 days, 14 hours, 52 minutes, and 23 seconds.

Remaining Participants: 2,895

He grimaced at the still-decreasing participant count, then looked next at the ladders.

Top Level Leaderboard

Rank 1, Level 23: Bear

Rank 2, Level 21: Shigure Kenzo

Rank 3, Level 19: Joker

Rank 4, Level 19: Kohoo

Rank 5, Level 19: Chris Springs

Rank 6, Level 18: Super Megan

Rank 7, Level 18: Ladden Hampert

Rank 8, Level 18: Big Willy

Rank 9, Level 17: VitaminD

Rank 10, Level 17: xXxGunLover69xXx

…

Rank 1,903, Level 10: Shot

There were no surprises there. He was still at the bottom pretty much for levels, his situation being what it was. But were there really people below even him? What had these people been doing? Were they just hiding or getting carried? He would have to ask Bear.

Now he went on to the TP ladder and his eyes widened. Standing at the top was a very familiar name. As it should be, since it was one he had used many times before.

Top Tutorial Point Leaderboard

Rank 1: Shot [664,500 TP]

Drake’s jaw dropped at the sight of his ranking. Had he really gotten that much TP?

Then a pin dropped for Drake. If people were forming groups to protect themselves, as well as groups for people to hunt others, that would make him…

“Looks like you get it now,” Bear said, unusually serious in his tone. His low voice only made the statement more ominous.

Drake looked up, feeling the pressure coming from Bear.

Is this Aura? Or just our difference in level? I haven’t felt anything like this, even with the Foreman, Drake thought, his mind now racing.

“Shot, you have the highest TP, making you the biggest prize piñata currently in the tutorial. And you are only level 10,” Bear said, the weight of his pressure smothering Drake. It was hard for Drake to breathe.

“Is that what you are here for, then? So what was with all the niceties?!” Drake said, his mind fumbling with the possibilities of what might happen, wondering if he was to be faced with another betrayal.

No, more importantly—was there a way out of this? Could he beat someone twice his level? No, he was obviously outclassed, even before he was so significantly out-leveled. Bear’s strength was anything but normal.

Should he make a break for Natto, leaving Theo? Could he even move fast enough to outrun the man, even with his new Endowment skill? But he hadn’t even tested it yet. Would Bear give him time to even cast the spell?

Drake’s body began to sweat as his vision blurred. He could see Bear moving, but what could Drake even do? Until a hand came down on his shoulder.

“Whoa, bring it back, man,” Bear said calmingly, “I didn’t mean to jump ya with that all serious-like. I just wanted to make sure you knew the seriousness of your situation, being a low-level and all.”

The weight suddenly lifted, and Drake’s vision slowly began to stabilize. Whether he froze up because it was Bear or because he wasn’t ready to fight another person possibly to the death he didn’t know, but he was glad he could delay it for now.

With a sigh, Drake spoke, “Bear, why did you have to do that, man? I was scared you were going to try to kill me for the TP.”

Bear waved his other hand. The one resting on Drake’s shoulder squeezed him before letting go and sitting back down. “Nah, I’m fine with TP, my class is especially good for fighting against groups. So I have no problem. But I really mean it, you have to be more aware and careful. Identification skills are more common than I think you believe.”

Drake took a few deep breaths to steady himself. “What even was that pressure you just did, is that an Aura skill?”

“Yeah, my bad, man. It’s still a bit finicky. Haven’t gotten it locked down just yet. Tends to come out when I don’t want it to, or I’m uh… emotionally heightened,” Bear said apologetically with a wry grin.

Before Drake could answer, Bear then pointed to the other side of the tree trunk. “Is he going to be alright?”

There on the ground, fallen behind the tree, was Theodore. He was passed out, mouth foaming.

“Eh… He’ll be fine,” Drake said dismissively.

Chapter 42

More Small Talk

Drake was silent for the next half an hour, trying to understand the implications of being so high on the TP ladder and how exposed he actually was. Anyone could identify him at this point, meaning anyone could see his alias and level and put the two together. They’d kill him for an easy meal. He needed to find a way to avoid that or prove that trying to fight him wasn’t worth the prize.

He wordlessly cut the veggies taken from his inventory for the stew, mechanically adding spices and skimming the scum from the pot. His head was occupied with more important things.

“Hey, man. You’re pretty good at that,” Bear said, his hand wafting in front of him, taking in the pleasant aroma of the stew.

Drake returned to the present to give a casual answer, not stopping his hands. “Yeah, I’ve got a few siblings. My Mom had to work two jobs most of our life after my Dad passed, so I had to learn to do a bunch of stuff quick.”

“Damn, I didn’t mean to bring something like that up,” Bear said with a grimace.

Drake waved his hand dismissively, now focusing more on the conversation. “It’s not a big deal. My Dad was pretty old when he passed, and my Mom happened to be his second wife,” Drake said, trying to keep the atmosphere upbeat while recalling his life. “She moved to the US from the Philippines to live here with him, and the rest was history. He left a big sum of money to us, so we were fine for a little. But having as many siblings as I did, and all of us wanting to go to college… It dried up fast.”

Bear was content to listen for the moment, just politely nodding here and there.

“So, good ol’ Mother had to go to work. Leaving me, the eldest, to go and do everything around the house, fixing broken bulbs, appliances, toilets. Making food for everyone, cleaning the house. That is, at least until I was old enough to get a part-time job to help out some, leaving my little brother to pick up on the grand old legacy of chores.” Drake smiled sarcastically.

He took a moment to think again on his family, hoping and praying to whatever deity might have forced this nonsense system on them that they were alright. And if they weren’t…

Drake clenched his teeth, and the handle of the knife snapped from his strength. “Shit…”

He quickly threw the broken knife towards the mountain and pulled another from his inventory, cleaning it briefly before continuing to cut the food.

“Look, man, I envy you,” Bear began, seizing the lull in conversation. “I grew up with my parents, but it was only us. No siblings, and I didn’t have many friends because of my size. I don’t want to start a pity party, I’m just sharing because I think it’s only fair. I grew up going from one fight to the next, and I guess it’s a saving grace seeing where we are.” He laughed. “But when I got older, I didn’t want that anymore, so I started up my own company to prove I wasn’t just what people saw on the cover. The thing is, between you and me, man, is I truthfully—I didn’t just happen to cross by when you blacked out that day,” Bear said, standing up and looking down at Drake.

Drake felt the pressure on his shoulders again.

“I saw your fight. The entire thing, my man. I saw how desperately you wanted to live. How much you struggled to take down a monster you honestly shouldn’t have been able to. Your resourcefulness was something I haven’t seen from anyone else yet. And honestly, big picture stuff. I think the world will need people like you, people like us,” Bear explained, his voice low and serious.

“Like us? And you saw the whole thing, huh…”

“Yeah. And it’s why I decided to help you. I mentioned it before, but you don’t know how it is for everyone else,” Bear continued. “How long do you sleep every night?”

Drake raised a brow at the question. “Depends? I don’t normally need sleep anymore, so it’s usually none, unless I really feel I need a few hours. Why?”

Bear smiled. “No one else is doing that, even if they can, buddy.” His face turned serious again. “Everyone but a select few are scared and sticking together to keep themselves safe. The more demented ones are forming groups to kill people for TP, thinking this is the perfect time to show their true colors, or even going as far to still think this is just a game or some sickening shit. You haven’t run into anyone else it seems like,” Bear said, raising his chin towards the still passed out Theodore, “well, save that dude.”

“Yeah, that’s true, but again, what does that have to do with anything?”

“I’ll spell it out for you,” Bear said, crossing his arms, “you are probably working twice as hard as anyone in the tutorial, outside of myself. Most people are too scared to even go out in groups unless they have a healer, and as far as I can tell from all the groups I’ve had run-ins with, those are rare enough that people are kidnapping them from other groups, for even a fraction of a better shot at survival.”

Drake’s mouth hung open. “Wha? That’s insane! Why don’t people just come together as a larger group then and fight to survive? That makes no sense, to force someone against their will like that!”

Bear raised his arms in a shrug. “Ego. Competition. Power? Some might just be that sadistic. But whatever the reason, it’s dog-eat-dog out there, man, and now more than ever, weakness is punished quicker than a guy can swipe right on a dating app.” Bear stopped to give a gruff sigh. “Even at the top of the level ladder, I’ve had a few people try stuff when they thought I wasn’t looking. The world is simply not the same. And that is where my point is. I can count on a single hand the people I’m willing to say I respect in this tutorial for their hard work, tenacity, and ability to progress,” he said, raising two fingers.

Drake was curious. He moved to the pot to stir it before asking the leading question Bear probably wanted him to ask. “And those two are?”

Bear smirked. “You. And a youngster named Shigure Kenzo. I’m sure you have seen his name on the boards.”

Drake raised his gaze as he thought. “Yeah, sounds familiar; he’s right under you, right?”

“That’s damn right.”

“How young is he? And I would hardly call myself impressive enough, I still have a long way to go, Bear,” Drake answered, a half-grin on his face as he continued to stir the pot with one hand, his other slipping into his pants pocket.

“Don’t sell yourself short, man. Remember how I found you? There’s been a clear trail of death and destruction leading to this place, it’s honestly hard to miss. Not to mention, the big fucking monster that you can see from half a mile in any direction just casually on the ground.” Bear chuckled with a quick shake of his head. “And the kid is sixteen, it’s the youngest age anyone here is. I’m sure you’re not dumb. You’ve noticed there are no children here. And thank God there isn’t, everyone has already got their hands full trying to not die and keeping the more sadistic POS’s from doing the worst.”

That caught Drake’s attention more than just the kid’s age. Did the system just promote this kind of heinous shit? “Just so there’s no misunderstanding—”

Bear cut him off. “Yes, rape and enslavement. Sometimes even worse. Let’s just say I have had to decide once and for all where I draw the line on who does and doesn’t deserve to live.”

Drake’s face turned grim as his head drooped to look at the ground. “Talaga… Of course, why wouldn’t there be deranged pieces of garbage running around and doing that. We all suddenly got mind bending powers, after all,” Drake spat, remembering the gnolls and goblins. “What do you think happened to the children under sixteen then?”

Bear shook his head. “I haven’t the faintest, bro, maybe ask your construct friend. Seems like she’s waking up anyway.”

Drake was again surprised. How good was his sensory skill? Was it based on mana sensing like his identifying skill or something else? Bear was a pure Warrior from what Drake could tell.

“How do you know she’s a construct? And even that she’s over there? What kind of sensory skill do you have, Bear?” Drake asked, forcing the issue.

“I can’t tell you all the details, but it’s basically a sphere of perception, won’t say how large it is or the info it gives, but I can tell where people and things are inside of it fairly easily. And it lets me identify people within my line of sight. And before you ask, yes, I had it since I first met you,” Bear answered, looking a squirrel construct slowly emerging from the tent. “As far as knowing what a construct is. You ain’t the only one with one.”

Drake glared at Bear, his eyes glowing from the mana infused in them, trying to find any other source of mana around him.

“Don’t give me the scary eyes, man. No, I don’t have one, the Shigure kid does. But his is a little different than yours. She’s taller, for one, and not a talker, that’s for sure. I should also mention, Shigure is the head of the largest group in the tutorial, and they’ve set up camp in an outpost further south from here. It’s a coalition of around five different groups, with him in charge. Crazy to think about once you stop to,” Bear chuckled with his hardy thunderous voice. “If you need anything, they would be your first bet on where to find it, they have damn near over fifteen hundred people last time I checked.”

Drake chewed over the information he’d just been given. Natto had said that constructs weren’t exactly rare, but to have two in the tutorial… Was it just happenstance, or was there a reason the kid had gotten one as well?

Before Drake got a chance to really analyze the information, the quick, soft trotting sounds of geta forced him to look up.

“Food!” Natto yelled, completely ignoring the mountain that was Bear standing in between her and the pot of stew.

Drake moved over with an exasperated smile on his face at the display of Natto jumping up to look inside the pot, a faint line of drool running from her open mouth.

“Hey! Don’t go spilling that, it’s been simmering for an hour now, you little garbage disposal,” Drake shouted, picking her up so she could get on his shoulder.

“Who are you, calling a delicate flower such as myself a garbage disposal?! Dolt! Is it so queer that I am excited for the feast I rightfully deserve?!” she shouted back, rubbing her fist into the side of Drake’s face incredulously.

A deep belly laugh sounded from across the pot where Natto and Drake stood.

“Haha! What is this? Is she your daughter or something? You two fight just like family,” Bear laughed holding his stomach.

“Who’s a dad?!”

“Who is a daughter?!”

Bear ignored them both, pulling a bowl from his inventory. It appeared in his hand as he laughed his way to the bubbling pot.

Chapter 43

A Favor to Ask

“Who exactly is this tall oa—” Natto looked Bear up and down. “Gentleman?” she corrected with a wry smile.

Drake snickered as he ladled some stew into Bear’s unusually large bowl, filling it to the brim. “That’s Bear, I met him in the forest. He was nice enough to not just let me die in a ditch.”

“Ah.” Natto again gave Bear a once over. “He does indeed seem… nice.”

“And tall, don’t forget tall.” Drake grinned, pulling out bowls for himself and Natto as the small construct kept gaping at Bear.

“I bet he ticks a lot of boxes for the ladies, eh, big man?” Drake prodded as he wiggled his eyebrows back and forth, scooping up some stew into one bowl then the other.

Bear surprisingly agreed without embarrassment, deflating Drake’s attempt to poke fun at the larger man. “Yeah, I was pretty popular before all this, and when I went into Shigure’s camp? Oh man, whew, hang it up.”

Drake frowned, his brows going straight as he plopped the last scoop of the stew into a final bowl for Theodore with an audible smack. “Yeah, yeah. Must be nice to be above 6 foot. Fuck you too, bro,” Drake grumbled. “Natto, can you wake up Theodore? I think he’s still taking a dirt nap right now.”

Natto looked over at the hapless man spread-eagle on the ground. “Ah! What have you brutes done to my poor dear Theodore?!” she yelled. “Also where are the cores he was supposed to get for me?”

Drake sighed. “I’ve said it before, but susmaryosep. It’s a cruel world we live in.” He then pointed to a tub heaping with cores off to the side. “There. I’ll clean them up after dinner.”

Natto squealed in delight at the sight of the mountain of cores. Soon hopping down onto the table Drake had set the bowls on, she grabbed one for Theodore. Raising the bowl overhead, she deftly dropped to the ground and trotted over to the incapacitated man, each step bouncing its precious contents.

“Oi! Theo! You better not be dead yet! You still have many cores to retrieve for me!” she shouted, wielding the bowl high as she nudged him with her geta.

Both Drake and Bear looked on amused as Theodore quickly startled awake with a gasp, clearly unaware of his surroundings and what had happened, his head turning every which way as his monocle chain barely kept pace with his movements.

“What foul hooligan doth put this shining knight to sleep?! By what underhanded means was used to subdue thee?!”

Natto looked back towards Drake as if she had had enough already.

Drake just shrugged, not giving an answer, and Bear chuckled as he brought another spoonful of stew to his mouth.

“What did you two apes do to poor Theodore?” Natto finally said. “He was already on the fence of being broken, but now I fear he will not even be able to retrieve cores…”

Bear looked from his seat at the trunk over to Drake, mouthing the word ‘apes?’

Drake shook his head as if to say, ‘Don’t ask.’

Finally Drake spoke up, tiring of the comedy gag. “Bear used some sort of Aura and knocked out Theo there for a good thirty minutes.”

Natto now had a look of surprise, turning back to Theodore as he straightened out his clothes, parting his hair and twirling his handlebar mustache.

“Ah, yes… This one does faintly recall being hit with a rather unpleasant,” Theodore coughed, “bout of… well, something, before he couldst not withstand it. Truly fearing for this one’s life, my liege, ’tis felteth like some fell beast was crushing us underfoot!”

Natto and Drake both shook their heads at the same time, giving up. Bear chuckled softly, already on his third bowl of stew.

Natto, having noticed the big lug scooping up yet another helping of her food, gave out a yelp. “Ah! Take your damned bowl already, Theodore! Quickly, before that hulking animal eats all of my well-deserved victory meal!”

Bouncing from foot to foot as she shoved the bowl in her hands toward Theodore, she immediately sprinted to her own bowl on the table.

“Food… Sweet, sweet food!” she murmured blissfully, staring starry-eyed at the steaming bowl, not even waiting for Drake to set down the spoon for her to begin eating.

Everyone present looked on as the small construct, no taller than a foot, lifted a bowl the size of her head comically with both hands, taking large pulls of the venison concoction.

“It ish shoowww guud,” she said as she chewed the food, her cheeks puffing up like a chipmunk rather than a squirrel, her hands now on her cheeks as she shimmied back and forth from the utter pleasure of every bite.

“First thing she’s said that’s made any sense,” barked Bear, a grin on his face. “The food is fire, Shot. I might have to trouble you to make some more for the road.”

Natto looked over at Bear indignantly, but only long enough for her to swallow her current mouthful. Before long, she forgot he was there entirely, now head deep in the bowl.

Drake grabbed the scruff of Natto’s priestess kisode, keeping her from falling into the bowl. She looked like an annoyed cat whose meal was just interrupted, but it hardly stopped her from chewing her food as she glared up at him.

Ignoring the piercing gaze of the little troublemaker as he took back the empty bowl to fill it up again, Drake dropped her to the table, wiping her mouth with his sleeve. “That shouldn’t be a problem, it doesn’t take too long. I’m just sadly out of venison now. I saw goblins with boars, so pork could work just as well, but there’s more fat on them so it would take just a smidge longer,” Drake said, pondering as he scooped another helping into Natto’s bowl.

Drake brought the bowl over to a Natto, whose lips puckered as fat tears wobbled in her eyes. “What do you mean, you are out of delicious food?!”

“I said we’re out of venison. We still have some food from the squad commanders, you little glutton,” Drake responded, giving her a quick flick to the forehead.

Natto huffed, rubbing her forehead and turning away from Drake. Her attention was obviously needed elsewhere. Namely, the fresh bowl of food that had just been placed in front of her.

“That’s no problem,” Bear answered, “picked up a good amount of stuff from Shigure’s camp, and I’ve killed a few riders along the way so, I’m stacked for food if you don’t mind cooking.”

“Naw, long as I get to keep some for my trouble. Cooking is a hobby of mine, so,” Drake said, raising his arm to dribble salt down his forearm into his own bowl of stew. “I do have a favor to ask, though,” he added, thinking on the question he had pushed to the back of his head since he saw Bear at the gate earlier in new armor, stronger than ever.

Bear raised his head from his fifth bowl of food, arching a brow. “Oh, what’s that? I can’t help you with rizz, if that’s what you’re asking. Have to be born with it, man. Can’t teach this.”

Drake’s eye twitched in annoyance. “No… I do just fine in that department. Thank you…” he said, crossing his arms as his expression became serious. “I want to test my strength against you. Against the strongest person in the tutorial.”

Drake had Bear’s full attention now. He set down the bowl in his hands, rising to meet Drake’s eyes.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, man,” Bear said with a slow shake of his head.

Drake grew irritated, his jaw clenching slightly. “What do you mean? Do you think you’re so much stronger than I am that I can’t even compete?!” he shouted back.

“Yes,” Bear said solemnly.

“Don’t patronize me! You just got finished saying you respected my hard work, then you go around and tell me I’m not up to snuff?” Drake countered, his arms balled into trembling fists at his sides.

The atmosphere turned tense at their exchange. Both Natto and the unusually quiet Theodore stopped their meals to look on with trepidation.

“Putting in the work and having the results are two different things, Shot,” Bear grumbled, his Aura starting to leak.

Drake braced against the pressure but didn’t back down. Since the grave he had come so far; he could measure up, he knew that. Drake had triumphed through so many fights to be stronger, to prove to himself that he could still succeed. He knew this wasn’t a game, but his mind wouldn’t let him differentiate between the memories of his games and his new game-like reality. He had to make sure, prove that he was better, that he was making progress. And to do that, he had to fight Bear—he had to win. For his family, for his loved ones that waited outside the tutorial, and for himself more than anything.

“I need to know, Bear. This isn’t just a dick measuring contest. I can fight just fine against the current monsters here, it’s hardly a challenge with my stats. But that isn’t the point! If what you are telling me is true, I have a bounty on my head worthy of rivaling the Human Typhoon! And I have to know how I stand up to people like you, because you and I both know they will come eventually…” Drake explained, trailing off.

Bear took some time before he answered, obviously mulling over the question. After a few moments, he crossed his arms, a single finger popping up from his hand. “I don’t think you should compare yourself to thee legendary gunman like that, but, I have one condition. Well, actually...” He popped up two more fingers. “I have three conditions.”

Drake’s face brightened. “Sure, what are they?”

“One, you have to take some potions as a precaution,” Bear said, retrieving some red vials from his inventory. “Two, you have to make sure this outpost is safe, and you are completely prepared for the repercussions from fighting me.”

Drake nodded, taking the vials and tucking them into his garb. “And the last?”

Bear hefted the impossibly large claymore from his back with one hand, the full force of his Aura cascading down on the surroundings like a thick fog. The large blade brought a gust of wind with it when it was swung in front of him, its point stopping just millimeters from Drake’s face.

“I’ll only be swinging once.”

Chapter 44

Bjorn vs Drake, Where I Stand

“You think you can take me down with just a single stroke?!” Drake growled, suddenly offended by the proposition of such a gap in their strength.

Bear stood calmly, unperturbed by Drake’s outburst. “I don’t think anything, man, it will only take one for a level 10.”

Drake blinked for a moment. He had forgotten that though his stats completely outstripped his level, he was still level 10. But deep down Drake still knew Bear’s words held some weight. The man’s aura was indication enough for it.

He scratched the back of his head. “Ah, I forgot I’m still sitting at level 10, but I can promise you I’m far stronger than any measly level 10 you’ve come across. I’m probably around level 20 or so, stat-wise.”

Bear surprisingly remained calm, not a pinch of shock on his face, making Drake curious. “Wait, you know?”

Bear placed the claymore on his shoulder, gesturing at the gate with other his thumb. “I’ve been following your trail of blood, my man. No level 10 is going to do that. You must have something under the hood, because even Shigure would struggle to kill that many. Not to mention, I don’t know what level that bigger gnoll is, but I think it’s safe to assume it’s above 10 from its size alone. But, it doesn’t matter.”

Bear shook his head and looked sternly at Drake once more. “I’m not trying to be condescending, the reality is, I am that strong. No matter what you think you have going on behind the scenes, if we fought seriously, I would kill you.”

Drake ground his teeth. “Fine, then you’re going to have to prove it. I’m going to go all out. You may be the highest level here, and you may be a friend that saved me. But I’m not going to let you insult the hard work that I’ve painstakingly put in for the last two weeks!” Drake shouted, pointing at Bear. “Get ready to see the culmination of all that effort! You can say you respect me, but I can see it in your eyes and posture. You’re only giving me lip service, even if you don’t realize it. So, I’m going to etch it into your soul, just how much I’ve changed since we last met!” Drake growled, storming off into a cleared section of the outpost and scrolling through the rest of his skills to see if there was anything he could use right away for this.

Sharp, quick taps followed behind him. “Drake! I say, Drake!” Natto shouted after him.

“What?!” Drake turned, annoyance clear from his clenched jawed, brooding expression, and balled fists.

Natto shuddered slightly at his raised voice, then recovered enough to give him a scowl. “Do not take your damned bruised ego out on me!” she shouted back. “I do not know what has happened between you two or why you need to so fervently prove yourself here, but this is a bad idea, and I know you see that.”

Drake turned away stubbornly, opening his skills to formulate a plan instead of answering.

Soon, Theodore also approached the pair with measured steps. “My liege, do you think it wise to do this? Master Bear is level 23,” Theodore said, worry dripping from his voice.

“Thank you, Theo, but please, kindly shut the fuck up,” Drake said through clenched teeth, gaze lingering on two skills he had yet to read.

Warrior’s Stamina P1 (5%) [F-Rank]

A skill that pushes the Warrior beyond their physical limits.

+10 to Stamina, and 10% to passive Stamina Regeneration. Increases with proficiency.

Guardian’s Reprieve P1 (0%)

The guardian of the battlefield must move swiftly to protect themselves and their allies. The watchful eye of the guardian is ever present. This is A skill that allows the user to create a small, skin-tight shield around themselves, and will give an instantaneous Reprieval Teleport to a location within view. “On blessed wings. Guardian’s Reprieve.”

Shield is based on a 0.5 to 1 VIT. Increases with proficiency.

Teleport can be activated once the shield is broken, 2 charges of teleports may be stacked each 20 minutes before being lost. Increases with proficiency.

Only 1 temporary shield from this skill can be present at a time.

Cooldown starts at the end of the shield’s 10-minute duration or after the shield is broken.

5-minute cooldown begins upon shield expiring. Reduces with proficiency.

Teleport charges gained when shield breaks from damage, or after each 10% loss of Vitality.

Teleport Cooldown: None

Drake laughed inwardly. He was very glad he had not overlooked these skills, especially the one from his epic stone. The teleports had a tight restriction, but the description alone gave him some ideas for circumventing those.

And the most versatile one that he couldn’t believe he hadn’t been using.

Martial Strike P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

A skill that uses stamina to increase the damage efficiency of strikes by 100%. Increases with proficiency.

Cost: Small amount of stamina

Cooldown: None

Drake dismissed the screens and looked back to the man walking towards them.

Standing at his full height, the man was truly a mountain in both stature and presence. He was someone Drake would have to overcome to change in the greatest sense of the word. Bear may have become a trusted friend, but right now, he was just another wall to climb.

Drake knew the time had finally come to man up and face the truth, that there would be people who want him dead. Time for him to measure up against the metaphorical boss of the tutorial. He knew some would come for him for the TP, some for other desires—items, money, titles, or even just because. He would have to steel his currently weak heart, unable to imagine fighting against another human once more, if he was to survive it and the injustice that came with it.

“You ready, bud?” asked Bear, his tone low and serious.

Drake nodded, clenching and unclenching his fists.

Both Natto and Theodore looked on warily, nervousness and fear visible on their faces. Most of all, Natto seemed as if she wanted to object again, but couldn’t in the face of Drake’s determined expression. Born from part of him and carrying part of his personality inside her she knew, even deep down, what and why he was doing this.

“You don’t have to go through with this, Shot, I can see your determination already and how serious you are. I don’t want to do this,” Bear said finally, emotion breaking his stone-cold expression to show a sliver of hesitation in his voice.

Drake’s teeth clenched together, nearly cracking under the pressure. “Stop patronizing me!” he roared, his arm arcing in front of him. “I know what you think this is, but… it’s more than that!” he growled, his voice growing shaky. “I made a promise to someone, and when… when I see them again. I’m going to be a different person. A better person. So you have to let me do this. Please!” Drake pleaded, his knuckles turning white as they gripped and curled in on themselves with his frustration. “You’re the strongest person here, and I need to know how! I need to know how I measure up! Whatever the reality is, I’ll face it head on and go beyond it. I told myself I was going to change, and this is how I do it.”

Bear and the others listened intently. No words were spoken, but their body language showed nothing but acceptance for Drake’s determination, quelling any rebuttal they could think of to stop him.

“Fine,” Bear said flatly, his Aura stirring again.

It washed over Drake like a chill breeze, his body shivering slightly as it caressed him.

Drake held his ground, his eyes hardening with reaffirmed will to improve and face the strongest man in the tutorial.

“Thank you, Bear,” Drake said.

Bear again unsheathed his claymore from his back. It was humming with power now, as a faint white glow emanated from it. As he took up his battle stance with the claymore in one hand, his free hand clad in a metal gauntlet, he shook his head.

“Bjorn Johnson. If you want my full respect, you’re going to need my real name,” he said, glancing at the small peanut gallery of Natto and Theodore, a smile on his face.

They both recoiled and nodded knowingly, a silent affirmation that they would never speak of it to anyone as they backed away to a safer distance.

Drake smiled, his eyes relaxing for a moment. “Drake Wallen.” He then tensed again, preparing for the fight.

Bear nodded in kind and held his ground, waiting for Drake to start.

“Let’s start out at eleven of ten. I won’t be holding back, Bjorn!” Drake roared, his arm tattoos flaring to life in a brilliant blue.

Drake began casting his defensive skills in quick succession. “I am the wall on which my enemies billow. Unbreakable!” A green sheen cascaded over his entire body, bringing the odd feeling of faint security. As quickly as it came, the flash of green faded.

Under the effects of Unbreakable for 5 minutes.

He continued, casting another. “I am the shield. I am the rampart. Bulwark!” Another glistening sheen of green flashed, accompanied by the feeling of his stamina dropping bit by bit. The skill’s barely visible veil swaddled him completely.

Under the effects of Bulwark for 10 minutes.

Drake took a deep breath as he stared down Bear, the tall man’s face shifting slightly as he looked confused. A small smile crept on Drake’s face. “On blessed wings! Guardian’s Reprieve!” he shouted. A final sheen of green encompassed him, a feeling of strength and stability flooding his body.

Under the effects of Guardian’s Reprieve for 20 minutes.

“I thought you were a Mage?” Bear mumbled softly.

Drake’s grin grew, extending beyond his ears. “I am a Mage. But I’ll also quickly become your and everyone else’s worst nightmare.”

He wasted no time trying his new Endowment spell as well, knowing exactly what he needed against Bear’s hulking strength.

Drake wasn’t sure how to use the spell, so he tried to cover for it to ensure Bear wasn’t savvy to his game. “Wind that shall not be shackled, have freedom! Wind Cutter!” Drake shot forward like a loosened spring. His spell circle lightened from cobalt blue into a gentle mint green. Choosing to not release the spell and pressing it into a torrential ball, he closed the distance.

Bear stood stoically, only following Drake with his eyes. That he even could with Drake’s accessory-increased speed only attested how strong Bear’s awareness actually was.

Kicking up dust with every step, Drake circled Bear to reach his blind spot, chanting his new spell and hoping for the best, his ball of wind still in his hand. “The power of Wind is not thine to adhere, but mine to possess! Endowment!”

The sphere of gusting wind in Drake’s palm vanished. The feeling of a cool breeze shot up Drake’s arm as the black tattoos of his weapon, blue from the mana activation, shifted inoto the same green as the spell circle, cascading across what tufts of his hair he could see. He felt an immediate burst of dexterity.

A devilish grin replaced Drake’s surprised expression, and he shot toward Bear’s exposed back.

The shattering of the rocks under his foot rang with his roar as he closed in. Drake’s fist pushed forward in a straight line at a speed like never before, his new Martial Strike ability on full display as a sinister crimson glow enveloped the fist, aimed for the back of Bear’s head.

The next moments were as a slideshow, every moment easily distinguishable from the next. Drake’s Adrenaline Acuity was slowly taking effect.

The scene became even more horrifying as Bear began to move. First he was facing away, then he had already turned to Drake, his mouth a grim line.

Drake’s mind could process what he saw, but his body couldn’t keep up as his fist flew forward, right into Bear’s open gauntlet.

A resounding clap of flesh hitting the metal gauntlet’s bare leather rang through the outpost, the pressure of the contact creating a small burst of air around them.

Despite Drake using so many buffs and skills, Bear caught his first with little effort.

“So, you’re a Mage that can move fast, huh?” Bear said, flatly. “Just not fast enough.” He released Drake’s hand.

Drake pushed backwards to gain distance, holding his fist with his other hand. It wasn’t broken, but just blocking it caused it to shudder; Bear was that strong.

Fuck. How are his reflexes so fast? Is it another skill?! Drake rapidly considered, not stopping his assault as he swiftly circled again.

Trying now to bombard the man, Drake kept the façade of being unable to silently cast. “The fire of my heart,” he began, bringing both his hands front and center this time, “take form and sear my enemies! Fireball!”

Drake continued to circle around, doing his best to remain in Bear’s blind spot as Fireballs streamed from Drake’s hands. Each one pelted and kicked up dirt, a small explosion accompanying it.

Soon Bear was covered in a cloud of smoke and dirt.

Drake didn’t miss the opportunity and shot forward again, keeping the Fireballs in his hand this time as he closed in.

On the edge of the dust cloud, Drake chanted again, “The power of Fire is not thine to adhere, but mine to possess! Endowment!”

Instantly the Fireball winked out of existence and power welled within Drake, his tattoos now taking on the ruby glow of their elemental Endowment.

This time, Drake added to the blow he was about to deliver. Through the dust he saw Bear’s back again. Just as his thrown fist was about to connect, Drake’s eyes cascaded in opalescent hues. His visual skills flared to life.

“Marked!” Drake shouted, his fist inches from Bear’s head. Bear’s body shivered under Drake’s Of the Apex and Weak Point skills, shining faint red just enough that Drake could spot it with his Adrenaline skill.

Drake’s fist moved again through molasses as it closed in on Bear. But this time Bear moved into the fist at the last millisecond, taking the full brunt of the blow to the side of the cheek.

Unbroken.

Beneath the loud crash, Bear grinned, even as a small line of red trailed from his mouth as the blow connected.

But Bear didn’t release him. A fully covered metal gauntlet grabbed at the wrist that assaulted his face.

Drake’s eyes went wide. “What?!” he cried.

Bear lifted Drake into the air like a piece of weightless cloth, then slammed him down into the ground, an ear-shattering boom thundering through the area.

Drake hit the ground and was pushed deeper, the force of the slam forming a small crater. His cough forced blood and air from his lungs as his shields shattered.

Effects of Guardian’s Reprieve lost.

Gained Reprieval charge.

A voice spoke in Drake’s head. And before he could question how it got past the muted notification function, the incoming meteor of Bear’s fist filled his vision, forcing him to think.

Drake looked past Bear and prayed that the teleport would work. Then he willed himself into the air above the man.

Drake was ass-up behind Bear, looking down at him. Refocusing, he began shouting his next spell. “The earth that will not falter—”

But he was cut short as Bear whirled around, grabbing Drake again. He hurled him down into another small crater with a resounding crash.

Gained Reprieval charge.

Fuh-ck! Drake was barely able to curse inside his head as more air was roughly pushed from his body, no shields to cushion the impact.

Bear gave Drake no time to recover as his fist came down again a breath later onto him.

There was no longer a choice. Drake had no time to fake a chant.

He willed Water Shot into existence with one hand and forced a Stone Bullet into the other, Endowing it into himself, recalling the feeling of the other spells. His arms became a deep earthy brown as he raised his cross guard for the blow. The water spell created a large cube in front of his guard, hopefully cushioning the impact.

Bear’s metal-clad fist came down onto Drake with unbridled power, swiftly cutting right through the cube of water and pushing past Drake’s cross guard. The crater deepened and the ground cracked, dust shooting in all directions from the impact.

Gained Reprieval charge.

Gained Reprieval charge.

Max charges stored, charge lost.

Bear stood at the top of the crater looking down, his metal gauntlet peppered with red splotches. In his other hand, his claymore still hummed with a white glow.

“So you can silently cast? I guessed you could when you made multiple Fireballs,” Bear mused, then grew stern. “You think you can try to force respect from someone when you are holding back, using gimmicks?! Huh, Drake?!” he shouted down into the small hole.

A low rumble sounded as the ground behind Bear shifted then popped with an audible crack, revealing Drake. His hair and arms were light green now, different from the previous earthy brown.

In one hand was a searing ball of fire, in the other a shimmering ball of water. They clapped together into a tight fist, forcing a finger out as a makeshift pistol. The spells merged into a ball of water covered by a condensed shell of fire. The boiling shell rapidly evaporated and condensed the water within, allowing none to escape the airtight prison.

“Inspirations aren’t gimmicks! I follow what I know, Bear!” Drake shouted at the slowly turning mountain in front of him, “and this one’s a favorite! Don’t worry, I won’t hold anything back on this one!

“SPIRIT GUN!”

He unleashed the small mass of fire and water, and it carved a bright scarlet line through the air straight for Bear. In an instant it reached him and his raised gauntlet.

Bear didn’t even bat an eye when the spell crashed into his open hand and exploded in a mass of steaming water and fire, the explosion enveloping him completely.

Drake didn’t hesitate. He knew that spell wouldn’t kill Bear, but perhaps it would hurt the man.

From Drake’s previous mark, he could see Bear’s location in the screen of steam and used a Reprieval Teleport to get behind him and send a barrage of punches, hoping to catch him off guard.

But reality wasn’t so accommodating. Bear deftly dodged the blows by hair-breadths, each missed blow so forceful it gusted the steam away.

How fucking strong is he?! Why is the gap so large! Drake yelled internally, every punch just barely missing its mark.

Drake tried to change tactics as he silently cast a Fireball and crushed it into an Endowment, staining his tattoos and hair a crimson red.

Dropping down and empowering his leg, he swept low, only for the blow to reverberate to his shin as he struck Bear. It felt like hitting a steel building with a rooted foundation, unshakable. And what was worse: when the steam cleared from the powerful sweep, it revealed the ground below Bear.

Drake went slack jawed, frustration painted all over his face as he glared at the pristine, untouched ground under Bear.

Despite his efforts, the man had barely budged in the entire fight.

Drake’s frustration and indignation bubbled together as he again punched furiously towards Bear, now lacing pot shots of air, water and earth where he could.

But to no avail; everything missed or glanced off the indomitable man in front of Drake.

Drake tried with everything he could to get a solid hit in, changing his Endowment from Fire to Wind more and more seamlessly every time, growing even as he fought. But nothing was working.

Finally Drake used the last of his Reprieval charges to teleport and get behind Bear again. Drake’s hair was viridescent green in the nighttime torchlight, in his hands a Stone Bullet sharpened into a long lance.

Drake released it once he had teleported, but Bear didn’t even face it, as he tilted his head and allowed the spear to harmlessly crash into the ground past him.

Bear then swung around with his free arm and grabbed Drake by the throat.

“It’s enough, isn’t it? You’ve proven you’re stronger than anyone else in the tutorial. No one has even come close, Drake, I can promise you that,” Bear said, solemnly.

Drake struggled in Bear’s grip, and struggled to speak through gritted teeth, “No… Not stronger… Th—Than… You!”

Bear sighed and leapt forward with Drake in tow. There was barely any time to shift his Endowment to Earth before he was slammed and dragged across the ground until he was embedded into the side of the mountain.

Gained Reprieval charge.

Gained Reprieval charge.

Gained Reprieval charge.

Max charges stored, charge lost.

Gained Reprieval charge.

Max charges stored, charge lost.

The resulting impact kicked up a mountain’s worth of dirt and debris. Until the dust cleared, it was silent. A hulking man loomed before a man collapsed in a heap, almost melting into the mountain side.

“Drake…” Bear said softly, looking at the glaring man in the mountain.

“Y-You… still haven’t—” A cough of blood interrupting Drake momentarily. “You still haven’t swung your stupid sword, Bear…” He grinned with red-tinted teeth. “It won’t end,” Drake said as he rose shakily to his feet, forming balls of air and sucking them down into his crumpled chest. His hair shimmered from the earthy brown to a pale green. “It won’t end! Not until I drop or you swing!”

Drake roared, fire exploding in his hand. He shoved it against the exposed side of his undershirt, revealing a bloody friction burn. Cauterizing the wound that went from his hip to the side of his chest, he screamed, “I refuse to lose here, without at least finding out how big the gap truly is! I won’t lose! I CAN’T LOSE! Not here, not now! My pride, my family, my own damned stubbornness won’t allow it!”

Chapter 45

Bjorn vs Drake Part 2—Overwhelming Power

Drake’s body was more than just battered and bruised, but he still had enough gas in the tank to keep going. He had to keep going—if he gave up here just because Bear was a seemingly insurmountable wall and he’d got a few small flesh wounds, he would never grow.

Steel is forged through fire, as they say, Drake assured himself, but fucking hell is it still scary. He wearily looked up again from his seat inside the mountainside—his own side stinging from cauterizing the nasty wound—at Bear, standing patiently. The man stared at Drake expressionlessly from a few yards away, his huge claymore humming with a faint white aura of power.

Drake looked inwardly, sensing the Guardian’s Reprieve shield was nearly off cooldown, but that also meant his Unbreakable buff would be running out soon.

He didn’t have much time to think. He needed to end this within the next minute.

One way or another.

I still have my trump card and plenty of mana in the tank to use something big. I don’t want to keep going close range when he’s proven more than once it’s futile, but… Damn it! I don’t have a choice! Drake screamed inwardly.

Drake forced himself to stay upright, his ribs aching with every movement. The last hit had crushed most of them, and he could feel it. If he wanted to stay in the fight, he needed the spell just to keep his lungs filled with air, but he also needed Endowment’s dexterity bonus.

Steeling himself, he finally readied his body. Exhaling, the pain from his chest flared, forcing him to wince in pain. He canceled his Endowment to cast a Wind Cutter and Fireball in his hands once more, forcing the ball of air into his mouth as he greedily sucked it down. Casting it again in the same hand, he forcibly reactivated the Endowment. Everything cascaded into a viridian shine in the torchlight.

Drake shot forward, ignoring the screaming protests from his body, thankful for his pain tolerance skill. Throwing the Fireball forward, he recast it as well as a Water Shot, willing the Fireball above his shoulder.

The first Fireball reached Bear’s feet in an instant, kicking up dust and hopefully disorienting the man. Drake stopped short and threw the ball of water at Bear’s feet then continued to bombard him with a stream of water, hoping to muddy his footing.

Bear swung his arm and cleared the forming dust cloud, his eyes soon locking in on Drake.

Drake stiffened for a half step as their gazes met but shook his head, forcing himself to recover. He blinked above Bear with a Reprieval Teleport. Drake exhaled sharply, gripping the Fireball above his shoulder then switching to the Fire Endowment and simultaneously casting two Wind Cutters, shoving one down his throat and willing the second one to his feet.

Bear turned to greet him as Drake’s Wind Cutter exploded outwards from the man’s extended leg, pushing him into a spinning heel kick. His heel, glimmering red, struck Bear’s collar bone with thunderous force. The sound of crashing metal accompanied it.

But Bear was unflinching. Again, Drake’s blow didn’t even make the man budge, even as his footing grew more and more unstable. Just how solid was he?

Drake didn’t give up. Casting another two Wind Cutters, he pushed himself to the side with his left, forcing himself into a spinning roundhouse, with the second aimed at the back of Bear’s head.

Bear ducked, Drake’s leg passing harmlessly over his head.

Drake cursed inwardly and continued his assault. His aim was to wait for the right moment, biding his time until some kind of opening, some kind of misstep presented itself.

He continued to assail Bear from every direction with his Wind Cutter. Moving back and forth to keep in his blind spot, flailing with Water Shots at Bear’s feet as he weaved his Wind Cutter to move and breathe in between blows.

Drake darted to the left then to the right, pushing through the pain of the abrupt shifts in momentum as he shot forward from the push of a Wind Cutter, his fist extended to strike at Bear’s right kidney.

But that was Drake’s mistake. Bear leaned far enough that it passed right by him and grabbed Drake by the throat. He hefted him to eye level then reeled backward, ready to hurl him at the mountain.

This was the moment Drake was waiting for. Just before he was launched into the air he shouted, “Fear is binding. Cower!”

Drake’s hands clasped Bear’s, instantly activating the spell as midnight-purple tendrils grew from the black magic circle in Drake’s palm. Twisting and crawling, they wrapped themselves around Bear’s head and disappeared as Drake was flung into the air.

He then used his last stored charge of teleport to avoid striking the mountainside instead blinking a few meters above Bear. The teleport killed Drake’s momentum, so he only had a few seconds to gather mana into a spell. For five scant seconds, Bear was petrified.

Drake canceled his Fire Endowment and began gathering both Wind and Fire in each hand, dumping his status by the gallon as they grew large as wrecking balls.

He glared mirthfully down at Bear, praying this spell would at least incapacitate the man.

The blazing conflagration and whirling gyre kept growing until they contained all but a sliver of Drake’s mana. Glancing at his health and stamina, he barely had enough to survive after this unique cast.

Drake slammed the spells together, forming a ball of fire sheathed in wind, perpetuating the growth and intensity of the flames contained inside.

Reeling back his fist, his body glowed red. “Divineeeeee!” he shrieked. His magic flared, condensing into the size of a baseball, becoming a white-hot miniature sun. “Buster!” Drake roared as he threw his fist into the ball, casting it upon Bear.

The spell undulated and curved as it streaked to the ground, leaving an eye-searing plasma-like trail.

Drake prayed, silently counting the last seconds of the Fear effect.

Four.

Three.

NO! HOW?!

Once more, Bear’s eyes locked onto Drake, head tilting up incrementally.

That second seemed to stretch on into eternity. Finally Bear cut his claymore down in a drawing motion, his body glowing a sinister black against his claymore’s pulsar-white.

“The world will bear witness to my overwhelming power,” Bear recited, Drake’s ball of plasma inching closer, “Sky Splitting Strike.” Bear’s voice was soft but perfectly audible in Drake’s ears.

A streak of brilliance shattered and split Drake’s spell. Both halves embedded themselves into the ground, melting it with an unnatural hissing sound, sprouting molten lava where the spell landed.

The streak of power passed through the spell like a hot knife through butter and continued in Drake’s vision, clear as day. It was pure, unbridled power, annihilating everything before it. It was…

“Beautiful,” Drake muttered in awe.

The sky was lit up in a ray of white light as it closed in on Drake. He had nothing left. He could see the skill coming, his Adrenaline Acuity granting him the clarity of perception, but his body couldn’t react in time. Drake was forced to helplessly watch as it inched toward him.

At last it was just centimeters from him, but the blow wasn’t trained at him directly.

Bear had taken Drake’s position into account, and the blow skidded across Drake’s right arm, incinerating the skin and flesh in its path.

Drake was pushed into a spinning freefall as he plummeted to the ground, his consciousness waning. He fought to stay conscious, struggling to cast a Stone Bullet for his Earth Endowment.

The ground quickly approached just as Drake finished the spell, and he met it. The last thing he saw was the expression of terror on Natto’s face as he hit the ground.

His heart and mind filled with regret as he sank like a falling star.

He had somehow kept conscious, but barely. His awareness waned in and out, sounds muffled as the edges of his vision darkened quickly.

Shouting voices were audible, but he could almost make them out.

“Dr—ke!”

“The—po—t—on!”

Drake could hardly feel his body, but a sharp tug towards his stomach forced him to wince again, and a cool liquid filled his mouth.

He couldn’t breathe, his body was in tatters, but he was forced to swallow the liquid lest he suffocate. A soothing feeling filled him as the liquid dripped down his throat.

His body became less distant, but just barely. The voices were now slightly clearer. Enough that he could make out the speaker, if only vaguely.

“Get away from him!” Natto shouted. “If you touch him I will end your sad, miserable life!”

Drake tried to lift his head, his vision just a smear. But he could just make out a small figure holding something in their hand, and a taller figure bearing down in front of it.

“Na… Natto… Don… Don’t fight…” he whispered.

His head fell back to the ground as he felt hands grip his collar now. “Drake! Drake! If you can hear me, you need to listen carefully, “ the voice said shakily, sniffles breaking up the words. “Y-You do not have enough regeneration to recover from this, and we are unable to use another potion… You have a regeneration stone you have yet to use. I… I need you to get it and use it, now!” Drops of water pattered on his cheek.

Drake fought to hear the voice well enough to follow the instructions. He willed his inventory open and mentally plucked out the stone. It appeared in his hand but slipped from his grasp.

He cursed weakly, each rasping gasp bringing with it searing, intense pain.

But he felt the smooth, glass-like stone enter his hand again and small, shivering hands curled his fingers around it.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Regeneration [Uncommon].

Confirm?

Fuck you… yes… Drake cursed.

You have learned Sound Body and Mind [F-Rank].

“Excellent! Just like that, Drake… It is not working! I said fucking stay away!” the voice shouted. “Damn it! What can he do, what can I do? What can he use?!” the voice rambled, panic obvious. “The fire stone! Drake, please, if you can still hear me, I need you to do one more thing… The fire stone! It is a gamble, but I cannot think of anything else to save you…”

Without hesitation, Drake mechanically grasped the stone from his inventory, his consciousness on its last legs as he rapidly accepted the prompts. Slowly he began to black out.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Fire [Rare].

Confirm?

It was all he could do to hang on.

You have learned Tempered in Flames [F-Rank].

Drake couldn’t hold out any longer. His vision completely blacked out. Sounds once again became muffled. The darkness was taking him, only the scattered sounds of someone screaming slithering their way into his waning psyche.

Chapter 46

The Aftermath

A groan leaked from Drake’s mouth, the rays of the morning sun touching his face. He opened his eyes, trying to blink away the bleariness, but not only were his eyes unfocused, but his head was a jumbled mess as well.

Everything hurt, which only added to the confusion, barely able to remember where he was.

After a few minutes, his vision cleared enough that he could make out the small crater he currently rested in. And the small pink haired construct curled on his chest.

Which was heavy and hurt, by the way.

But he didn’t have the heart to wake her, let alone the strength. His body felt like solid lead. So Drake was content to just lay down and relax for now.

Drake’s chest was still painful and progressively itchy as muscles and bones mended underneath his skin. Every passing moment he regained a small amount of clarity into last night’s events.

His ankle hurt as it mended. Right where Bear had gripped him, slamming him to the ground. His wrist felt bent in the wrong direction as it slowly corrected itself, reminding him that it had also broken when Bear had smashed him against the ground again, harder.

Drake’s left hand struggled to rub his abdomen, which felt the worst of all. He could feel the burnt tissue along with the unsurprisingly more-than-tender parts where Bear had brought his fist down, and where Drake himself had seared his flesh to stop from bleeding.

He coughed a sigh through his incredibly hoarse throat, nearly unable to bring a self-admonishing grin to his face.

He lay there, staring into the deep blue sky. The endless ocean of blue was clear as day but soon became distorted in Drake’s vision.

He bit down hard, clenching his jaw, nearly cracking his teeth.

He had lost. He had said his piece and gave his all, only to still lose without so much as leaving a scratch on Bear. The man had only ever moved because he wanted to, not because Drake made him.

Drake choked back a scream, only allowing a low, shaky growl to escape his clenched jaw.

The mountain was high, and Drake was barely at the starting line. He had become complacent again, drunk on his perceived power from crushing the gnolls. He had forgotten that other people possessed unknown abilities, secret techniques, titles, and possibly even better classes than himself. His class was made for the long haul, and he had tried to sprint right out of the gate.

Fuck, Drake cursed, releasing his held breath.

He laid there for a few more minutes, just trying to clear his head, the sound of Natto’s rhythmic breathing grounding him amidst the otherwise silent morning.

Drake felt unusually weak. It must have been at least six hours he’d spent recovering, but he still felt battered and broken. And now with a clearer head, the fact he was still recovering was very queer.

He finally noticed the blinking icons on the peripheral of his vision.

Weakened [Debuff]

Overuse of body reduces target’s stats by 10% of their maximum.

Cannot be cleansed.

Extended weakness due to massive overuse, lasts 5 hours 47 minutes 13 seconds.

Divine Frailty [Debuff]

Target is reduced to 50% of maximum status.

Regeneration is reduced by 50%.

Can only be cleansed by a skill of the same rank or higher.

Lasts 18 hours 47 minutes 13 seconds.

Well, ain’t that a bitch… Drake sighed.

But he couldn’t refute that he had gone much further than he had intended. The fight with Bear was, all things considered, eye-opening.

Now he had to fight Shigure if an opportunity ever came. He could only guess how strong the second strongest person was. Or maybe Bear was simply a freak of nature. He did have a Divine Debuff, after all. Drake didn’t even realize something like a Divinity affinity was even possible.

He tried to flex his hands, but his right arm painfully recoiled . Fatigue stripped him of the energy and the strength to move any more.

After several more minutes, Drake started growing bored. He wasn’t able to move his body, but with his internal mana flow he could still practice some things.

He needed to make use of every second if he was to surpass Bear. If Bear had been coming for Drake’s life instead… Drake shuddered at the thought.

And from what Bear had said, they were coming whether Drake was ready to accept that or not.

So Drake practiced casting his magic above his head. It was an interesting exercise in what he could and could not do.

As long as Drake could imagine a spell coalescing before him and guide his mana in the correct direction, he could summon a magic circle and then produce the spell.

A Fireball in front of his mouth, a drop of water above his eye. Drake could even move the earth touching the back of his head, allowing him to tilt his head forwards and get a better look at his body.

Regretfully, after seeing it, Drake didn’t even want to describe how battered and torn he was. Somehow most of his armor had survived, but his shredded pants barely covered him and his boots were bent and dented. Thankfully his rare garb had taken almost no damage, save some frayed edges and some crusted blood and dirt. Okay, a lot of crusted blood and a little dirt.

But what flesh Drake could see was mortifying. Black and blue covered every inch of his exposed skin. The seared flesh was a harsh black.

Again Drake felt a sharp pang at having lost. Had he been better and more apt at fighting, it may have been different. But he was still just a normal person. He had learned a few things from his escapades and training with the Commander Gnolls, but at the end of the day, they were just animals lacking technique. He could only grow so far outside his raw destructive power, and that had carried the majority of his fights so far.

But like Natto had mentioned, he was an all-rounder. When Drake finally met another class above his level that specialized in something—Drake had no idea if Bear was a defensive specialist or attack, based on everything—his low level and lack of experience against other humans left him helpless.

Drake lowered his head, pushing his self-loathing and concerns to the back of his mind, and tested out some more things he could do. He found that he was actually unable to create spells outside his field of vision. It wasn’t as if he lacked the imagination to do so, but it seemed there was a limit without a line of sight. But he could move already-created spells beyond his sight.

For example, he could move a Stone Bullet to the side of his head, out of his direct line of sight, and still feel the Bullet through his Mana Manipulation, almost as if it was a part of him. He could even insert the bullet into the ground, aware of the small chunk of earth as separate from the ground. He could even still manipulate it, albeit with jankier control than Drake wanted, but he would work on that later. He could even raise it up from the ground again on the other side of his head, again in his vision.

Drake also found that he could place his spells into already-made physical manifestations of his elements. Placing a Stone Bullet into the ground, he could disperse his mana throughout it, shaping a large portion of earth to his will.

There was only one problem. The use of this cleared him out, as did keeping spells out longer than usual. When he had tried to take control of a portion of earth around the size of his body, it had drained him so much that he lost control immediately, forcing him to stop practicing for now. But still. It was something he added to the list of things he could possibly use for later.

Drake had started feeling slightly better, regaining control of his head after a half hour or so of practice. Leaning his head forward and up, he looked at Natto, who had surprisingly slept through his practice.

“Is she really sleeping, or is she screwing with me…”

“Naw, she’s sleeping,” a voice said from above him.

Drake looked up to see Bear, a half-smile on his face and a cup in his hand.

“Well, do you mind helping me out then? I’d like to get up at some point,” Drake scoffed.

“No can do there, man. When I tried to help last night after our… spar… she nearly tried to kill me,” Bear said, his mouth going flat as he half-shrugged.

Bear jumped and landed next to Drake in the crater with surprisingly little sound. The man must have been nearly 300 pounds of pure muscle but made no noise.

Crouching down and bringing his voice to a whisper, Bear brought the cup to Drake’s mouth, checking that the small construct was still asleep and wouldn’t try murdering him again. “Here’s some water, your throat’s probably fucked from last night.” Bear smirked.

Drake raised a brow, but appreciated the joke and the water all the same.

“Little Miss over there was up most of the night, double checking on you. I didn’t know constructs could merge with their owners, so it was a surprise when she, uh… disappeared inside you a couple times,” Bear admitted, sheepishly.

Drake leaned his head back, heaving a relieved sigh from the cold water before speaking. “That’s…” He closed his eyes and thanked her in his heart. She had been haughty, manipulative, and quick to anger, but she was bound to him and had quickly become important to him. It had been so long since he had been able to trust someone outside his family, and he was truly appreciative of that.

Drake let the feeling pass, then glanced at Bear, who was still casually sitting on his haunches and eyeing the small construct warily, like a rabbit ready to bolt at the slightest sign of movement.

“Did she really scare you that badly?” Drake painfully chuckled.

“I’m not good with kids, bro. They always cry when they see me…”

Drake blinked a few times, astonished that the man actually cared about something so trivial. Chuckling again slightly, he said, “That is hilarious. I never thought I would see a real anime trope come to life. Are you really trying to act like a gentle giant-type after what you just did to me?”

Bear looked away again sheepishly. “Yeah, about that… I’m sorry I went overboard, but after seeing how hard you were pushing, I couldn’t not show what I could do. Again, sorry about the debuff… I know it stings.”

Slowly, gently, Drake shook his head. “It isn’t a big deal. If anything, I should thank you for giving me another goal to reach. But I don’t think—” Drake trailed off, looking down at Natto, now baring her teeth at Bear, her tail and ears standing straight up as she hissed through her teeth.

Clearly she had woken up.

“What are you doing here! I told you to get the fuck out! How dare you even come close to him after what you did!” she hissed.

“Whoa, easy there, Natto,” Drake said, trying to calm her with a half grin. “It isn’t his fault, I asked for it.”

“Drake!” she shouted, darting to the side of his head, her hands fidgeting nervously, uncertain what to check first. “You are awake. That is good, how do you feel?”

“I’m surviving,” Drake responded, noticing that Bear had stood up and slowly backed away as if Natto was an actual bear.

“Ah, thank goodness.” Natto sighed, her hand on her chest. A fist quickly found the side of Drake’s head.

“OW! Hey I’m injured here!” Drake said with a half-hearted laugh. His body shivered in pain slightly, but he decided to ignore it.

“And who is at fault for such an outcome!” she yelled, her eyes pinning Bear with a steely gaze, then returning to Drake. “I told you it was a bad idea! If it was not for those two stones, you would have died! Yo—You cannot keep doing that!” she wailed, suddenly breaking down in tears, surprising Drake, but he just fondly smiled at her as she cried into his shoulder, her hands harmlessly pounding on it.

“It’s alright, look. I’m fine, I survived. You won’t get rid of me that easily,” Drake said, trying his best to pat Natto’s head with his left hand. “That goes for all of you,” Drake said louder, fighting back a cough.

A dirty-blond head shook at suddenly being addressed from where it peeked over the edge of the crater. Theo slowly rose into full view, monocle and all. “Are you more amicable now, my liege? This one apologizes for daring to question thy decision of yesternight. It was not mine place to speak out,” he said, fixing his monocle, then giving a slight bow as he stood fully erect.

Drake managed to slowly shake his head, remorse clear on his pained face. “No, Theo, I shouldn’t have lashed out because of my injured pride…” Drake trailed off, his thoughts going to Natto and how quickly she had come to hold Drake’s full trust. And how he thought possibly, Theodore may be the same someday, if given the chance.

“I—Please continue to tell me when I’m making a rash decision. From here on, that is.” Drake smiled, but only half of his face followed the action. The other suddenly had a wailing Natto covering it, beating more tear-covered fists against it.

Theodore’s face beamed. He twirled his mustache excitedly as he spoke with glee, “Yes! Without a shred of doubt, this one will rejoice in the honorable duty of steering mine lord in the proper direction, when he is found amiss!”

“Alright, not that far, baby steps, my guy,” Drake chortled.

“Well, it looks like I’ve overstayed my welcome,” Bear said, scratching the back of his head, “but first, Drake, I need to go over some things with you.”

Drake raised himself to a sitting position, molding himself a seat and forcing Natto to roll from his face down to his lap. She shook, her tail and ears flapping slightly, then she glowered at Bear, but held her tongue.

“Oh? And what’s that?” Drake asked.

“It’s about the murder group that’s out to get you.”

Chapter 47

Parting Ways is Such Sweet Sorrow?

“Wait. I totally forgot about that, what the fuck, man?!” Drake said, wincing in pain from his side.

Natto glanced up, worried, but Drake quickly pacified her with a reassuring look.

Bear sat down a noticeable distance from Natto and began his explanation. “I know you’ve said that you haven’t come in contact with any of them, so I’m going to give you the bulk of it.”

In the dirt, he jotted some figures. “There are around 3,000 people left here, right?” he asked rhetorically. “Around half of those are in Shigure’s camp. So, what’s going on with the other half?” Bear wrote out 1,500, then sketched a line.

“Of the remaining 1,500 or so, 1,000 of them are in scattered groups, pairs, or alone. Honestly, I couldn’t say what they’re doing, because this is just conjecture on my part based on what I know of the two largest groups,” Bear said, scratching the side of his beard awkwardly.

“You said two groups, and Shigure’s is one. So who’s the other?” Drake asked, his eyes pointed, hoping what he assumed was wrong.

“I’m sure you already know,” Bear said, fixing him with an even gaze.

Fuck, are that many people really that despicable? Drake thought.

Bear nodded at Drake, his thoughts plain.

“The remaining 500 consist of a larger group that Shigure’s group is aware of. They aren’t exact numbers, but they’re probably around 200 or so. And they are out for blood. The remaining 300 are just as hungry for TP and the like, but are scattered about,” Bear explained, his jaw tightening.

“This is where most of the problems lie,” he continued, holding up three fingers. “There are three things that can kill you in the tutorial. Lack of food, monsters and—”

“People…” Drake said, finishing the thought.

Bear nodded and resumed his explanation. “For what it’s worth, finding food was the hardest of the three in the beginning, but with the wildlife ranking up with the monsters, beasts yield far more food than before, and it’s crazy more nutritious. Some monsters you can eat, as well. Thankfully, so far most of the monsters outside a few very strong ones have not been a problem for most groups, especially the big ones with healers.”

That’s good, Drake thought absently.

“The only problem is, I’m not sure how much longer that is going to last,” Bear added.

“What do you mean?” Drake asked, genuinely unaware.

“I know you’re a smart guy, Shot. Think back a bit to the monsters you’ve killed and what’s been slowly happening,” Bear asked, crossing his arms sternly, “did you notice anything?”

Confusion quickly painted Drake’s face as he thought back to when he killed the first ape. Then came a montage of all his past fights as he chewed on the details.

As he did, Theodore slid down and joined them in the small makeshift circle they created, choosing to just sit quietly as he listened in.

After a minute of silence, Drake thought he noticed what Bear was talking about, but before he could answer, Natto became impatient and spoke first.

“The monsters are getting stronger and more specialized, just like the people are,” she mused, looking up. “When you first started, they were general fighters, and then placed into more singular roles. Certainly you remember the last fight where the goblins had even more niche roles?”

Drake nodded, and Bear voiced his agreement. “Maybe you aren’t the brains of the outfit, Shot. I think the little lady might be the one running the show.”

Natto looked back at Bear, her eyes thin lines. Then she spat at his feet, turning away and scoffing.

Drake laughed wearily, not sure how he was going to mend relations between the two.

“Yeah, maybe so. But what she said is true,” he agreed.

Bear nodded, eyeing the small splotch of venomous spit on the ground. “Yeah…” He coughed. “So, that is the biggest ticking time bomb for Shigure’s group, and any of the struggling smaller ones out there.”

“How would groups larger than my liege have trouble with mere monsters?” Theodore chimed in.

Drake had wondered the same thing. They had more people, and regular classes were now more specific, each with a designated role, so wouldn’t it make sense they could handle monsters more precisely?

“Normally you would think that,” Bear agreed. “But that’s only if we’re talking from a numbers point of view. Also if from a game perspective, or I suppose a tabletop campaign.”

Bear held up three fingers again to aid his explanation. “Let’s say that there is a group of three people: a front liner, a mid-to-long-range fighter, and a healer. Now, imagine they are fighting a group of five monsters. I would say five is pretty average out there now. How do you think they deal with it?” Bear asked, prompting Drake.

“Well, obviously the front liner blocks and defends, while the ranged damage snipes from afar, and the healer keeps the front liner alive,” Drake said as if it was painfully obvious.

Bear nodded. “Yeah, normally that seems like the best option. If it were a game,” he said, his expression becoming more serious. “This is real life now. Real life and death. These monsters aren’t just on your screen anymore, they live, breathe, and fight to their last breath just like us. Think back to your first fight. How desperate were you?”

“Okay, yeah, pretty desperate. But we’re two weeks in, everyone should have gone through that by now,” Drake said, his brow raised.

This time Bear shook his head. “Remember what I said about us being the exception? Most people don’t want to fight. It hurts, it’s scary, and more often than not, people are seeing others die in front of them. What kind of trauma do you think that gives people who were just normal nine-to-fivers a few days ago?”

Drake grimaced.

“Exactly. Now think back to the scenario. If that front line fighter has seen people die just from even numbers, what is going to happen when they’re outnumbered? He’s going to shit himself and panic, leaving the two behind him open to get mauled to death. He goes down, and everything falls apart.

“Now this is the actual norm. Shigure’s group and his coalition have survived this far through massive numbers, compared with the monsters who’ve only got a few elites, and now they have a base of operations where they can hole up. But only a handful of them are actually getting stronger. Most of the people in that outpost are scared and satisfied with just surviving. So, what is going to happen when the monsters start to outstrip the actual fighters?”

Drake’s expression darkened further. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I’ll get to that, just stay with me for a bit longer,” Bear said, raising one hand in a calming manner. “This all comes back around to the third problem. Now that the monsters are getting stronger and roaming in larger groups, the people looking to kill others for TP, and whatever else is going on in their sadistic minds, are picking off more and more groups, perpetuating the problem of people not fighting.”

“Again, what does this have to do with me? I don’t understand why you’re telling me this. Are you asking me to help them, after you just wiped the floor with me?”

Bear shook his head. “No, I’m saying all of this to tell you the situation. And that I’m going to head over to deal with it.”

Drake recoiled in confusion. “Why?”

“I’m plenty strong, and the monsters around right now can’t threaten me. And for my own personal morals. It doesn’t sit right with me to let those people die a slow death they either don’t even know is coming or refuse to accept,” Bear explained. “In truth, I’ve been going around looking for other people before it gets real bad out here, and I just happened to follow your trail thinking it was someone very strong. You can guess how surprised and glad I was to find out it was actually you.”

Drake gave a half-smirk at that.

“So, I want to ask something of you. If you come across anyone who isn’t a psycho. I want you to point them in Shigure’s direction, even better if you escort them there. Like you said, bigger the group, stronger we are.” Bear smiled.

Natto scoffed, “Uhhh, apes strong together.”

Drake laughed. “She’s not wrong, I guess. But even if it’s a request from you, what’s in it for me?”

Bear gave the largest grin yet. “This.” Bear held out a colorful, iridescent stone and dropped it into Drake’s hand.

Skill Stone: Confluence [Rare]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Confluence tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot and have an unlocked Mage main tree or subtree branch.

Drake unconsciously drooled, staring at the stone.

“You know I was joking, right? And how did you get this?” Drake asked.

“I managed to trade for it at Shigure’s. Helping people out goes a long way, who’d have guessed?” Bear chuckled. “Last couple things. Shigure’s place is south of here, there’s a big flag placed on a hill near it, can’t miss it. As for the, let’s call them PKers, keep your ears open. Almost all of them have some sort of stealth skill, and the ones that don’t are specialized for power. Also, there’s an easy way to spot a PKer on the ladder, and it’s how we know who is one. Take a look at my TP.”

Drake gave him a questioning gaze, but did what Bear asked, opening the TP ladder.

Tutorial Points Ladder

Rank 1: Shot [664,500 TP]

Rank 2: Bear [465,353 TP]

Drake frowned, still confused. “I don’t get it.”

“It’s the ‘three’. There’s no monster or quest in the tutorial that we know of that gives less than 10 TP. The only way to get that is by killing another participant, and gaining the title with the specific effect that comes with it, forcing a permanent three…” Bear said, his gruff voice becoming a whisper.

The man stood and reached to grasp Drake’s shoulder, his grip firm. “I mean this when I say it this time. After last night, you have earned my respect. So don’t die to those sick bastards out there, man, no matter what. I want to have a good meal again, next time we meet. So play it safe until that debuff is gone. I’d stay, but time is a factor in finding people before monsters and those PKers do, aight?”

Bear laughed and placed another two health potions at Drake’s feet, giving a sidelong glance at Natto and Theodore before hopping to the top of the crater.

A thought passed through Drake’s mind when he saw the large man’s back, the claymore that nearly killed him hanging silent between his shoulders.

“Hey, Bjorn?” Drake said.

Bear turned. “Yeah?”

“Where’d you get all these potions?”

Bear scratched his cheek. “I like flowers, so I picked herbalist for my first profession. It only made sense to go with alchemy afterwards…” His ears were turning a shade of red, the same as his hair.

Drake looked down to see a snickering Natto. “The oaf likes pretty things…” she whispered, uncontrollable giggling forcing her to hide her head against Drake.

◆◆◆

Outside the outpost wall, a man in a black cloak hid amongst the trees.

“Why did I have to get stuck watching the fucking monster…” he muttered.

It was unfortunate, but the group had forced their best stealth user to follow their biggest threat to date in the tutorial.

Kohoo, the fifth participant on the TP ladder and within the top ten on the level ladder, watched the large gate of the outpost swing open, revealing his target.

Bear strode casually from the open gateway as it closed behind him. A wide, sinister grin took hold of Kohoo’s maw.

“Now, just what kind of goodies did he leave inside there, I wonder?”

Chapter 48

Out the Hole Ye Git!

It had been about an hour since Bear left. Drake mulled over the information he’d gained from the day. The meeting had felt much longer than the time it had really taken.

Rolling around in his working hand was a small vial of red liquid.

Health Potion [F-Grade]

Made by a fledgling alchemist.

Heals a small percentage of health.

Cures light ailments, curses, and sickness.

Cooldown of 1 hour, use of additional potions before end of cooldown will result in adverse effects, or, ya know, fucking death, so don’t do it.

Drake scoffed at the description. “I swear the system just likes to mess with me,” he whispered, trying not to disturb the tuckered-out construct laying in his lap, a half-eaten roasted nut in her hand.

Natto’s chest rose and fell rhythmically as she breathed, comforting Drake after everything.

Theodore had left the crater to go and forage for food. Drake had also asked him to fill up on water as they were out, as well as check for any leftover monster cores that might be laying around in the corpses.

Theodore obliged with oh-so-many words, earning him a sigh and a handful of skill stones Drake wouldn’t use, including Mage stones, body stones, and the only illusion stone he had in his possession. It only made sense, seeing as Theo was a Dark Mage.

With Theo off and Natto falling asleep again, Drake was left with his thoughts.

He pondered on where his next steps would take him. It was painfully obvious he needed more strength.

I need enough to protect what’s important to me… Strength means a lot more here than it did in the modern society before the system. Anyone who’s stronger can just come along and take what they want from you now, there’s no police or justice system to call on anymore. It’s on me, he thought, thinking of his family as he watched Natto.

Drake wanted to recover quickly; he had so many things to practice and refine. His magic, his techniques. How he could better entwine his newfound spells and limits.

He had gone over his fight with Bear innumerable times since the man left, trying his best to think of better approaches to the fight, how he could have managed his abilities and resources better.

Maybe he should have started with Atrophy of Mind instead of dismissing it altogether due to assuming Bear  didn’t use mana extensively. Or should he have opened with Fear and gauged his damage output by channeling a bigger spell?

If he had more refined techniques or more time to acclimate to them, could he have lasted longer? Would his mana hold out with the bombardment of spells? No, who was Drake kidding, he’d been woefully unprepared and just wanted to bandage his bruised ego.

Drake sighed and opened his skill screen, specifically interested in the new two skills he had acquired.

Skills Branches]

Primary

Elementalist P2 (7%) [F-Rank] 0/5

Magic Sight P1 (8%) [F-Rank]

Heretical Mind P1 (13%) [F-Rank]

Multiplicative P1 (8%) [F-Rank]

Elemental Endowment P1 (16%) [F-Rank]

Empty

Secondary

Shield Miller P1 (6%) [F-Rank] 0/5

Warrior’s Stamina P1 (17%) [F-Rank]

Guardian’s Reprieve P1 (5%) [F-Rank]

Aura of Command P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Martial Strike P1 (6%) [F-Rank]

Empty

Primary Subtree

Internal Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

Of the Apex P1 (5%) [F-Rank]

Weak Point P1 (3%) [F-Rank]

Tempered in Flames P1 (15%) [F-Rank]

Empty

Empty

Secondary Subtree

Soul Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

Mana Manipulation P2 (9%) [F-Rank]

Atrophy of the Mind P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Cower P1 (2%) [F-Rank]

Sound Body and Mind P1 (15%) [F-Rank]

Empty

Tertiary Subtree

Weapon Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

Hoarder P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Fully Loaded P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Weapon of Choice P1 (10%) [F-Rank]

Adrenaline Acuity P1 (10%) [F-Rank]

Empty

Quaternary Subtree

Empty

Drake had somehow been coherent enough to place them in separate trees, ensuring a mostly even spacing with his skill set-up. Looking at the two skills, he was both amazed and saddened that he could fully optimize the skills despite the debuffs.

Tempered in Flames P1 (15%) [F-Rank]

Forged through fire and tempered in battle, your body has exceeded normal limits, allowing you to regenerate at an ever-burning pitch.

Passive: Gives a 5% regeneration increase to all regeneration rates increases with proficiency.

Converts passive regeneration into active combat regeneration at a 3 to 1 ratio.

Sound Body and Mind P1 (15%) [F-Rank]

Grants the body accelerated regeneration through meditation.

Passive: Increase overall out of combat regeneration by 1%. Increases with proficiency.

Active: Increases regeneration by 25% while in a meditative trance. Breaks upon taking any form of damage, cannot be used under the influence of any form of debuff or curse.

They both happened to be passive skills and had helped save his life, but with his debuffs—especially Divine Frailty—they could only do so much, leaving him at 40% of his maximum stats until they wore off.

Divine Frailty [F-Rank]

Lasts 16 hours 47 minutes 13 seconds

It was painful, but there was nothing Drake could do to change it. Drake placed the potions Bear had given him into his inventory, also snagging the one left in his garb just above his obi, somehow unbroken. Which reminded him, he needed to find or make some kind of a utility belt at some point.

Taking a moment, Drake looked over his body again.

He gained new scars by the day, forcing him to chuckle wearily as he checked them. The exposed right side of his abs had a large burn scar that was still pink, even after starting to recover. His right arm, where Bear had hit him with whatever that skill was, remained tender and raw. The skill had burned and still burned slightly, his skin feeling like it was still bubbling under the heat of invisible fire.

God damn it, that stings. I wonder if that’s part of why the weakness debuff is so bad, if it is partly a pain reducer… I’m glad I didn’t give that asshole any more food, now that I think about it. If this debuff is going to last this long and still hurt for hours, Drake thought, sighing.

“Haa… I didn’t really mean that,” he said, rolling the new rare stone he had gotten in between his fingers. “I got a pretty good deal here, didn’t I…”

Drake began feeling impatient. Like he was just wasting time here. Even over the last day, he hadn’t made any real progress in levels, though he had greatly progressed with his skills.

“Silver linings and all that,” he whispered.

Drake tried to wiggle his toes and was happy to find he was actually not paralyzed, only that everything fucking hurt, especially when he tried moving at all. But Drake’s desire to move was greater than the pain, and he was stubborn, diligently checking what hurt, what slightly hurt, and what really fucking hurt.

Satisfied that he would only have to deal with mild pain as long as he only moved his lower half, he nudged the sleeping Natto with his leg.

“Hey, sleeping beauty. Time to get up.”

“Huh?” Natto said groggily, a line of spit trailing from Drake’s pants leg to her mouth as she raised her head. “Breakfast?”

“Gross,” Drake mumbled. But he wasn’t overly worried, as he was a dirty mess anyway. “Yeah, I have some leftover stew, but we don’t have much until I can get more fresh meat.”

Natto jerked to full wakefulness when she heard mention of food. “Certainly! Food now, then?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Drake said, unable to move his arms well enough to give a dismissing wave. Natto gave him a concerning look.

“Are you well enough to even be moving?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It hurts a bit, but nothing major, everything’s been fixed up thanks to the potion and the new skills you gave me. Thanks for that,” Drake said, giving his honest gratitude.

Natto’s ears and tail turned a deeper crimson. She somehow kept her haughty attitude. “W-Well, as long as you show gratitude, I see no issue with helping you. After all,” her mood changed, “I would not wish to lose such a splendid cook! Now, forward, my glorious chef, to the promised land of food!”

Drake shook his head, a smile on his face, using his earth magic to push himself into a standing position.

With two Stone Bullets he tried to concentrate and move the ground underneath, hoping to create a moving staircase. But after only shaping the small crater into a few steps, he was spent.

“Fucking! 40% total stats is going to suck for the rest of the day, I swear to…” Drake reined in his frustration, clamping down on the bubbling emotion and checking the concerned Natto. “My bad, I guess I’m just still, just a little, itsy bitsy, teeny tiny bit, almost non-existent, more than zero bit mad about losing.”

Natto looked up, her arms crossed, one eye cocked, practically screaming ‘uh huh.’

“What?”

“Nothing,” Natto replied, hopping up each step, waiting for Drake to follow.

Drake took much longer to walk up the half-baked stairs but still made it in reasonable time. After a few minutes of replenishing his mana he again made stairs, shaping the earth.

“You know,” Drake suddenly mused, “it would have probably been so much easier if I just formed a spell for stairs, and then put it on the crater’s side.” He laughed, almost sobbing.

Natto said nothing as her shoulders visibly trembled.

“Hey! I can see that you’re laughing! Remember who can hold your breakfast hostage!”

Natto turned instantly, her face aghast. “You. Would. Not. Dare!” she roared, enunciating every word.

Drake’s shoulders felt slightly better as he shrugged them, tilting his head. “I don’t know. I think that last hit to my head might have knocked my sense of pettiness a bit loose.”

“Bear should have killed you! Ahh!” Natto yelled. “Why was I even worried about such a stupid ape! Nothing can kill something so moronic and childish!” she huffed, stomping towards the small campfire.

Drake laughed a bit too hard and grimaced, but it was surely worth it as he grinned, feeling a bit better after the back and forth.

Pulling an old friend from his inventory, he used it as a makeshift crutch. “Welcome back to the fray, Frank 2.0, may you last longer than your predecessor,” Drake said, patting the staff’s blunted top.

◆◆◆

After a journey from the crater to the unlit campfire that felt very much like taking the hobbits to Isengard, Drake finally sat down on the tree with a gruff grunt, stowing Frank 2.0 away into his inventory. Natto was still slightly peeved, not far away.

“Well?” she said, her posture still wrathful.

“Hold your horses, I feel like I aged like 500 years.”

“Yes, well, you would still be very young for an F-Rank, so it is hardly a valid excuse. Bring out the food, dolt.”

Drake sat upright. “Wait, what? You just said 500 was young?” he gasped.

Natto tilted her head. “Certainly. The average lifespan of an F-Rank being is around 1,000 years. Do you think that you gain strength just to be strong? Or that you can possibly reach S-Rank in a normal lifespan?”

Despair glinted in Drake’s eyes. “No way…”

“What is it? Are you not satisfied and overjoyed to live longer? Certainly, this is a great thing,” she said, tone growing concerned.

“No, that’s great! It’s just, that means I have to deal with you for over a thousand years, too—” Drake didn’t even get the chance to finish before a geta hit him square in the head, knocking him off his seat on the tree trunk.

Chapter 49

Opening Up

Drake rubbed his sore head with one hand, his other shakily stirring the warming pot of leftover stew.

“I didn’t deserve that…”

“Says you!” Natto countered.

“That’s why I said it!”

“Stir the pot and be silent, dolt!” she shouted back, raising another geta in her hand.

Chancla PTSD from his mother took over, and he quietly mumbled indecencies while he stirred the pot.

Growing impatient again, he practiced casting spells in his free hand, focusing on the sensation of the spells while shifting from one element to the other. He watched the magic circle shimmer from color to color, forming a beautiful cascade of shifting lights.

“Ha, it’s almost like RGB for my hand…”

“Enjoying yourself, child?” Natto quipped from the side, eyeing him.

“Says the damn two-day old,” Drake spat back. “I’m practicing since I can’t do much else here. I’m taking the little blessings where I can. God, I miss my damned computer,” Drake said. Then he froze, a thought suddenly hitting him.

“Noooo! If the world is fucked that means all my anime and manga serializations are going to stop! Fucking system! Damn you!”

“Good, now maybe you will finally run out of dumb references to use,” Natto said, spitting the words like a bad taste in her mouth.

Drake looked over, disbelief on his face. “How. Dare. You! I’ve never heard a more blasphemous thing in my entire life. If we were at ComCon, they would eat you alive!”

“ComCon is not a thing anymore, doofus.”

“Well, aren’t you just expanding your vernacular? Your food is warm, you little demon,” Drake said, pulling a clean bowl from his inventory and scooping the stew into it.

Natto’s mood did a full 180 as she trotted over, snatching the bowl without a word and blowing to cool it.

Drake gave the little construct a sidelong glance and half-smile, returning to his practice and reviewing strategies he inevitably fought another person. Or perhaps at this rate, he’d soon fight a monster with human intelligence.

Many possibilities crossed his mind, but the most prominent problem was why his ploy failed in the first place.

Was it because I used the exact chant without variation? Or should I have shortened it? I need to figure out just how common those types of skills are. I can’t exactly form a good lie if I don’t have a solid base of truth to weave it in, Drake thought.

Drake had too many things he still didn’t know. Information was clearly his weak point at the moment.

He sighed and focused on other things he could influence, looking down at the newly obtained stone he pulled from his inventory.

Skill Stone: Confluence [Rare]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Confluence tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot, have an unlocked main tree or subtree branch.

Natto had seen the stone as well but didn’t comment on it. Drake assumed it was because of who had left it, as he eyed the happily eating construct. Bear had said he had gotten it by trading, but Drake wasn’t naïve enough to believe such a lie.

Skills in this world were power, a protection against the atrocities that might befall you at any moment without rhyme or reason. And with the randomness of skills, a high quality stone was a premium. He knew this stone was probably taken, or looted from someone.

Looking back at Natto, he considered the best way to gingerly nudge her into explaining the stones later, and he knew the perfect thing to sway the little garbage disposal. From his inventory appeared a tub of beast cores.

“Perfect!” Drake said, a smile creeping on his face. “I can practice some control and wash these stupid things all in one go. Two birds, one massive tub!”

An hour after Drake and Natto left the crater, his body started to respond better, the pain slowly receding.

Raising his arm, Drake summoned a Water Shot, filling the tub with a stream he directed. In his other hand, he lit a flame to warm the water as it streamed down.

Finally having time to really appreciate it, he observed closely the workings of his magic. The surreal feeling that he was actually using magic nearly seamlessly was a wonder and brought a melancholy smile to his face, replacing the joy that had been there.

He sighed, thinking that such a wondrous thing was used, for the most part, for killing.

But that’s just how it is, isn’t it… Drake thought, looking upwards. This system wants and needs strong vessels. And this tutorial, I can only imagine where I would be if I didn’t improve. Dead? Drake wrapped his hand around his neck, stopping the stream of hot water. Or would those goblins and gnolls have done worse?

Drake clenched his hands together, determined to never let such a thing happen. The world before had constantly been a struggle, and the system now exacerbated the problem by making it primal.

“Primal, but simpler, huh…” Drake whispered, his thoughts slipping out.

The system was awful, all things considered. Looking at the participant count alone showed that.

Time remaining until tutorial’s conclusion: 109 days, 17 hours, 23 minutes, and 14 seconds.

Remaining Participants: 2,636

Nearly 50% of the participants had already died for one reason or another. So Drake could only grimace at the thought of how the world’s overall population was probably doing.

Drake’s mind wandered further as he glanced again at the gluttonous construct at his side, chowing away on the stew.

He needed to be stronger so that he would not worry her anymore. As someone who promised to improve and protect what was his, the sounds of her crying and then witnessing it in the aftermath of his defeat had left a small scar not only on his pride but his ego. And Natto had become that. She had become family.

She was like his family outside the tutorial. He prayed that they were alright and swore to deliver vengeance should they not be. And for that…

I need to be the strongest I can be, and go even further to beat people like Bear. You know, the ones that don’t like pretty things… Drake thought, trying to cheer himself up with the image of his friend frolicking in a meadow of blooming flowers, picking them here and there.

Stifling a laugh, Drake’s mind drifted to something darker.

He never expected this to be his reality, but now that it was, it posed some very real problems. The government had probably fallen or been replaced by true tyrants promising security, in the wake of the world going pure tribal. Certainly Drake hoped the better side of humanity would win out and protect the good and righteous, allowing the world to stay in relative peace in this new world, but…

He wasn’t so sure. With all types of power, people would grow blind. Who could stop someone who could literally level mountains with a swing of their sword like Bear, or even worse? Had Drake enough mana, he could probably blow up the entire eastern seaboard with a custom spell.

Was Drake so hubristic and cynical as to believe he could be the one to police such forces?

He laughed mirthfully. “Probably not…”

But the world would most likely not allow him to refuse to step in. Drake could already see the effects of the system in his tutorial not even a month after. It was sad, but once it ended he doubted things would improve on their own.

Suddenly an empty bowl was thrust before Drake.

“Cease your internal monologue. I am not even inside your head and yet the cogs turn so loudly, I cannot even hear myself chew…” Natto said softly, bouncing the bowl up and down.

“I’m fine,” Drake said flatly, taking hold of the bowl, and moving to refill it at the pot.

“Are you? You will have to address this at some point.”

“Look I’m fine if F is for feeling overwhelmed,” Drake began humming.

“A-And I is for I’m not alright… Damn it! Why must you do that?!”

Drake shrugged. “It’s just how I cope. Anime, manga, comedy. They were comforts for me as a kid when I got bullied for being different, or going a little too far beyond my peers as a homeschooled kid coming into a public school. I learned a lot from those shows, that I don’t think many people get to experience because they dismiss them as being for kids, or what have you,” Drake mused, scooping up more food.

Not wanting to interrupt, Natto looked up, holding her hands out for the bowl, content to listen to him unload his mental baggage.

“When I was a teenager, anime was just starting to come over to the west; DBZ, OP, Naruto, Bleach. And you know what?” Drake grinned. “I found escapism in those shows. The characters faced indifference, tragedy, and weakness head on, never giving up, and using pure raw ideology and hard work to overcome their problems. I can’t even count how long I trained with body weights in my room, thinking I could be just as strong as them, or have the same unwavering ideals and morals like them if I tried hard enough. Day after day, that grind eventually taught me discipline, even if I still didn’t want to get up in the morning,” Drake laughed.

There was a short pause. Drake inhaled shakily. “You know, where I used to live, when my Dad was alive. There was this beautiful river. And a little off where we lived was this stupid makeshift pier my Dad built with stones he found on the shoreline. He said he wanted to build an inland beach or something, so he would go every few days to throw some stones in the river. And on days he wasn’t there,” Drake looked over to Natto, “I would go out and pretend I was pushing and pulling the waves that crashed on the rocks. I’d scream at the top of my lungs to vent, or just pretend I was going ‘over 9000.’”

Drake stopped for a moment, biting his bottom lip as he slunk to the trunk of the tree. “After a few years, my dad developed cancer, and he was going into remission. It was getting better, we all thought it was getting better. But it came back and took him from me… from us. And you know what I thought the day I saw him in that hospice bed?” Drake whispered.

Natto hadn’t touched her food. It was slowly going cold. Her mouth quivered, trying to eke out something, anything, but couldn’t. She shook her head.

“I didn’t cry. I didn’t think about the good times, I didn’t think of everything he did for me for us. I—I thought, ‘Why did you leave me? What am I supposed to do now?’ I was so weak and miserable inside that I couldn’t even find it in myself to grieve for my own father on his deathbed.” Drake clenched his hands, his nails digging into the skin. “That day, I knew I had to embody those lofty ideologies I held so dear through my teen years. If I couldn’t become strong enough to even stand on my own, I wouldn’t be able to ever look him in the eye, let alone honor his memory.”

Silence fell over the outpost as Drake and Natto collected their thoughts.

Drake spoke first. “But, it got better. It took a long time, a lot of new experiences, and meeting a lot of colorful people along the way, but it got better. It was a road bump in my life that pushed me off track, but I’m stronger for it. Just like… other road bumps, I’ll get past this one. So, no. I’m not fine. At least not right now. But I will be.” Drake smiled, placing his hand on the construct’s head, ruffling her hair. “I made quite a few promises, after all. And I don’t want to keep breaking promises. So I’m going to get stronger. Strong enough that no one will ever hurt or take away what I hold dear again.”

Chapter 50

Shigure, Bear, and the Camp

The breeze was calm as it blew across the forest clearing, but the scene it passed by was anything but.

A menagerie of goblins and their chained gnolls, all armed with weapons, converged upon a lone boy.

In the teen’s hands was only a long, sheathed blade, a smaller one strapped to his side. His black hair swayed briskly in the breeze, a cobalt mantle over his black-and-white school uniform.

From behind the line of monsters, the Goblin Commander shrieked an order, and the monsters lunged with visceral bloodthirst in their eyes.

“Fifth Strike, Blood Moon Style, Ketsushouku,” muttered the teen, and his blade flashed with the echoing sound of metal being drawn from saya.

The encirclement stopped dead in its tracks. The teen drew a perfect circle in the loose earth, a wisp of dirt kicking up. His sword’s arc bisected each monster neatly with a thin red line following its tip.

Then the monsters’ upper halves slipped from their foundations, cleanly separated at their midsections, leaving the Goblin Commander gaping at the swift loss of his squadron.

The goblin shuddered in fear, growling and mumbling words the boy didn’t understand. It soon turned to run, but there was no running from the boy, for his name was Shigure. Second on the level ladder.

Sheathing his ‘o-katana,’ Shigure vanished, appearing before the startled goblin as it fell to the ground on its backside, its armor clattering with metal tings.

“Disgusting vermin…” Shigure sneered, falling into a drawing stance. “First Strike, Blood Moon Style, Ketsu-Iai.”

The ringing of drawn metal sounded through the forest like a flute’s high note, traveling for miles—crisp, clear, and beautiful. The goblin was seemingly frozen in time as only its mouth was left quivering with uncertainty.

The goblin’s vision shifted slowly as it fell upward, facing toward the sky and its still-standing body, hand out in a feeble attempt to halt the strike. Its fingers were cut diagonally—as was its head.

You’ve defeated Goblin Squad Commander [F-Rank] Level 20. Experience earned. 5,500 TP have been awarded.

Shigure spat as he kicked the corpse to the ground, cursing.

Moving a small distance from the scene, he wiped the blade clean then sat and placed it on his knees as he meditated.

Shigure Kenzo

Tutorial Alias: N/A

Race: Human

Class: [Rare] Blood Moon Samurai Level 21

VIT: 160 (5%)

STR: 140 (15%)

DEX: 302 (40 + 20%) +(50)

INT: 90 (15%)

WIS: 108 (15%)

END: 130 (15 + 15%)

Free Points: 0

Skills Branches

Primary

Blood Moon Samurai P2 (69%) [F-Rank] 0/5

Eight Blood Strikes P2 (5%) [F-Rank]

Warrior’s Stamina P2 (3%) [F-Rank]

Warrior’s Dignity P1 (10%) [F-Rank]

Shogun’s Authority P2 (3%) [F-Rank]

Warrior’s Intuition P2 (5%) [F-Rank]

Primary Subtree
Weapon Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

Weapon of Choice P2 (1%) [F-Rank]

Swift Strikes P1 (90%) [F-Rank]

Inner Will P2 (5%) [F-Rank]

Hardened Body P2 (5%) [F-Rank]

One Strike One Kill P1 (50%) [F-Rank]

Secondary Subtree

Empty

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge, Punching Up, Improbability, Dog Hater, One-Man Army, Dog Killer, Battle of Attrition, Murderer, Man of Stature, Leader of Some, Leader of Many, Leader of Armies, Goblin Hater, Goblin Slayer, Disciple of Musashi

Shigure breathed out slowly to calm himself, stilling his mind and replenishing his stamina with his Inner Will. He was close to another breakthrough, his inner cultivation almost like a cup ready to overflow.

The sound of measured footsteps broke his trance. Shigure opened one eye, already knowing who it, or more accurately, they were.

“Lord Shigure, Sir Bear has returned. He awaits you at your tent,” said the woman next to him.

Shigure had grown accustomed to her unusual way of speaking quickly, as she had accompanied him since his class change. “Thank you, Uta. But please stop calling me Lord, it makes me uncomfortable. I have enough on my plate without you setting weird trends in the camp.” He sighed.

“Ah, come on, Kenzo! It’s not hurting anything!” shouted the man behind her, waving his pistol in the air in greeting, before bringing it back down to wipe it clean with a cloth. “You should really just play along at this point, more than half the camp is calling you Lord by now.”

Shigure cursed. “That’s only because you keep spreading it and playing along by yourself, Sato! If you weren’t my friend, I swear I would have kicked you and your weird hobby to the curb!”

“Aww, don’t be like that! And where’s the respect? Even though we’ve known each other so long, I still use your last name! And my beautiful hobby isn’t weird! How many times has my precious Jackal saved our butts?” Sato scoffed. “If the Prince of Darkness was here, I would be making him proud!”

“You and your idiotic anime references! When are you going to grow up?” spat Shigure, using his sword as a crutch to sit up.

“That’s pretty rich coming from someone who shouts like he’s Tanjiro slaying demons.”

Rising, Shigure clicked his tongue, noticing a cut on his thumb and brought it to his lips as he spoke from the side of his mouth. “I don’t know who Tanjiro is, Sato. Can you please just start making sense?” he pleaded.

Uta rose, concerned, and grabbed Shigure’s hand to inspect the cut. “My lord, you’ve hurt yourself again,” she said, her black scarf waving slightly in the wind.

Shigure gave the woman a look of admiration, gently brushing aside her hair. “It’s alright, Uta. It’s just because the O-katana I received is slightly longer than what I’m used to. I still need practice,” he said. Her head barely reached below his chest.

Uta leaned into the hand and used her free hand to brush her ponytail over her shoulder, revealing the stereotypical garb of a ninja, her turtleneck mask currently pulled down.

“Damn normies! Get a room!” hollered Sato from the side, returning to furiously polish his Jackal.

Shigure shook his head, exasperated, and walked past the two, collecting the stones from the monsters as he did.

So, Bear has returned. I’ll have to ask him how his trip went. He seemed very excited when he left.

◆◆◆

After a few minutes of walking through the woods, a large outpost came into view beyond the trees. Behind it a massive dirt hill towered above its walls, a bright red flag waving atop it. Spacious tents and campfires clustered around the outskirts in every direction, surrounded only by a very small wooden rampart a few feet high.

The trio walked up to the makeshift opening in the wall, casually waving to the two guards flanking it. One held a bow at the ready, the other a sword and shield.

“How was your little excursion, Lord Shigure? I see you haven’t leveled up, but I hope you at least gathered some good skill stones. Everyone is still hurting to fill out their classes, after all,” the man with a bow asked.

Shigure balked a bit at the word ‘Lord,’ but did his best to ignore it. “I did get a few. I’ll be taking them to the trading posts inside,” he said, waving them off as he entered with Uta and Sato.

“Don’t they know it’s rude to bring up your level, my lord, when they are barely above level 10…” Uta whispered under her breath.

“It’s fine. I understand why they are anxious about my level increasing, especially with Bear leaving when he did. The stronger I am, the safer everyone is, there’s no harm in them expressing it. Now, let’s hurry up and drop these off before we see Mr. Bear, I’m sure he’s tired of waiting.”

Shigure and his companions moved through the small outer rampart quickly, weaving in and out of makeshift dirt roads as they drew closer to the actual outpost’s inner wall. Before they reached it, Sato excused himself with a wave, not wanting to be the third wheel any longer, leaving Uta and Shigure to discuss things as they waited for the gate to rise.

“My Lord, please excuse my disrespect. But may I speak freely about Sir Bear?” she asked when the gate was halfway drawn.

“You know you can speak whenever it pleases you, Uta, I said that when you first hatched from your egg,” Shigure said, turning to where she stood beside him.

Uta, much like Natto, was a construct but of a very different sort. She was a Combat Construct obtained from a quest reward. At first Shigure had no idea how effective she would be, but their personalities meshed well and her fighting prowess only improved. She had started off as a tiny girl but grew within days thanks to her level ups and increase to F-Rank. Now she was almost indistinguishable from other people.

The only ones aware she was a construct were Bear and Sato. Bear had found Shigure and Uta early on when she was still growing. Bear being who he was had at first intimidated Shigure greatly with his strength but quickly earned his respect upon offering his help in protecting those who could not protect themselves, prompting Shigure to trust him with Uta’s secret.

“I understand that we need Sir Bear for additional protection, but he is not loyal to the cause. He says he wishes to protect the camp, but goes off as soon as he gets wind of some stranger who he won’t even bring into the fold?” she said, nearly sneering.

The two passed the raised gate. Within the inner wall, things became calmer and less robust, the structures less grand. Shigure and Uta waved to passersby as they drifted from stall to stall, checking on the residents of the outpost. The teen finally got his chance to reply when they found a path to the center of the crafting block.

“It’s fine. Bear is not technically a member of the coalition; he is simply a friend who is helping out. It would not be fair to force him to stay,” Shigure explained, spotting the stall he was looking for. “And I’m very interested in this man Bear has become so fixated on.”

“Ah, Shigure! Have you come to drop off more stones?” the woman at the stall asked.

“Indeed, I have. How did the last batch I brought fare?” Shigure asked, spotting Uta glaring at the woman. He placed his hand on her shoulder to calm her.

“All got traded out! A lot of them newer folk brought in a bunch of food because of the stones, so we should be set for the next couple days. Looks like the demand is starting to ease for the more common stones, but the higher ones… Well, let’s just say there’s been some fighting going on between the front-liners and Mages for a fire stone that showed up,” the woman explained.

“I see. I’ll have to talk to Drew then, thank you for telling me. Here are the stones from today,” Shigure said, dumping a heap of stones onto the wooden counter.

“Jesus Mary Joseph! Shigure, how many of them damn beasties you done kill?!” she shouted.

“A few,” he said with a shrug. “I have an important meeting, so be sure to mark them all down, please.”

Shigure left the dumbfounded woman behind and made his way back through the outpost to his tent on the outskirts where Bear was surely waiting.

“I’ve been supplying most of the stones for everyone within the wall, I’m hoping it’s enough… But it’s becoming more difficult to kill the stronger monsters, especially with my empty secondary subtree. Uta, are you sure it’s a good idea to wait until the tutorial is over?” Shigure asked, turning his head to the construct.

“Indeed, my lord. I do not have exact information, as I am not a Territory Assistant, but it is common knowledge that there is a store after each initial tutorial for the forerunners of the new worlds. There, you will surely find a subtree stone worthy of filling out your class. This I swear on my life,” Uta explained, her head bowed.

“No need for that, Uta, I trust you implicitly. Now on to see Bear.” Shigure continued on through the gate and made for a larger-than-average tent, flipping open the canvas. Within was an oversized man who if he didn’t know better Shigure would have mistaken for a monster. “Bear! You’ve returned. How was your trip?”

Even sitting down, Bear was a mountain. He turned to look over his shoulder, smiled, and replied, “It wasn’t so bad. Had a bit of fun with an old friend. I was able to get him on board to send people to the outpost at least, guy’s a good dude. I even found a small group on the way back to bring in as well. Man, your English is getting pretty fluent too, it’s only been, what? Two days since I left, and you almost sound like a native speaker.”

Shigure went to the other side of the table and poured some water out into three cups retrieved from his inventory. “Thank you, it’s pretty easy when it’s necessary. Either I learn, or I can’t communicate with nearly anyone here. Now, how was this friend of yours? You said he agreed to help, but do you expect him to follow through? Also, how strong is he? You said he was only level 7 when you saw him last, and he hasn’t touched the ranking ladder for levels. And that he’s at the top of the TP ladder is suspicious.”

“Whoa now,” Bear said, waving his still-armored hands. “First, yeah, I think he will be good for his word. He will need at least a day of rest after, um,” Bear looked to be hot around the collar as he creased an embarrassing smile, “a little spar.”

Shigure’s eyes widened in surprise. “You actually fought the man? What level was he, do you know his class?”

“I couldn’t tell you that even if I knew. People’s classes are their life now, you know that. But he was only level 10,” Bear explained.

Shigure scoffed. Only level 10? He must be covering for his friend, then, no one would be able to even scratch Bear at such a low level, let alone put up a fight.

“And? How did this level 10 friend fare?” Shigure asked, already knowing the answer.

Bear smiled, placing his left hand onto the table, drawing Shigure and Uta’s curious gazes.

“He was someone I’m afraid to fight again,” Bear said, slipping his gauntlet off to reveal a black and blue mess of a hand.

“How?! No, that doesn’t matter. Are you alright? Uta, call a healer!” Shigure leapt from his seat, his eyes never leaving the blackened hand. Already it was beginning to swell. Rivulets of blood leaked onto the table.

“Oops! My bad about the table, and Uta, don’t worry about the healer. I’ll be fine in a few more hours. His magic just left kind of a nasty sting, would’ve melted my hand off if it wasn’t for my skill. Can you believe I had to use nearly everything I had to stop the dude at level 10?” Bear’s words were worried, but his face was lit up in excitement.

Shigure was dumbstruck. How did a level 10 do such a thing? He looked evenly at Bear. “Is he a threat? Can I beat him?”

Bear grinned again. “No, he isn’t. If I had to guess, he won’t do anything at all to hurt anyone, unless they hurt him first. He seems pretty pragmatic in that sense. Just make sure people know to stay away from the big outpost in the north, unless they want to get their asses handed to them for stepping on the wrong tail.”

“You didn’t answer my question, Bear. Can I beat him,” Shigure said, his eyes daggers tearing a hole through Bear’s healing hand.

“No. And pretty soon, I don’t think anyone here will, either.”

Chapter 51

A Storm is Brewing

Theodore walked through the forest. The illusionary veil cloaking him dimmed his vision.

He had been sent to replenish his liege’s water stores at his request, as well as search for any missed cores that he possibly could have missed.

It took some time for Theodore to reach the river, as physical exertion was not precisely his favorite pastime. But he found the river in due time all the same.

“Could not my liege have just used his magic to create water? This one feels very vulnerable as of late. The run-in with Master Bear has left this one lacking in confidence in his espionage skills…” Theodore muttered, pulling a barrel from his inventory and submerging it as the stream bubbled and gurgled.

Theodore lamented his lack of ability even more after recalling their duel.

The ‘spar,’ as Master Bear called it, was anything but. Theodore had seen many fights while seeking his liege and a great many more upon following him, but nothing came close to that display.

Had he been closer to the fight, he would have passed out again from Master Bear’s Aura. And the amazement and respect he felt toward Lord Drake—Lord Shot, he thought, correcting himself—only grew as he progressed from fumbling with his new spells to moving with delightful precision in the heat of the bout.

Just as fascinating was how Master Bear stopped him at every turn with unshakeable fortitude. It was a masterful display of ability from the pair and a sight to behold indeed, Theodore thought, twirling his mustache absentmindedly.

Theodore gazed across the river, noticing movement in the bushes as he thought, stirring him to move. He quickly hefted the barrel with some slight difficulty but managed to hoist it back into his inventory, quickly concealing himself with an illusion spell.

“Light and Dark are one, cast behind the veil I move. Concealment,” Theodore hummed, quickly shimmering out of sight.

He moved a small distance from his point of casting, just in case the thing on the other side of the river had seen him.

Within a few seconds, a person popped out of the underbrush.

Theodore grimaced at the sight of her. The condition of the miserable individual couldn’t even be called poor. Her hair was so disheveled it resembled the dirty nest of an animal, her clothes were in such awful condition that ‘tattered’ would be a compliment, and a metallic clasp gleamed around her neck.

A collar? Theodore thought, disgust bubbling up in his stomach as he observed the distressed woman.

He was moments from revealing himself to help her, but was stopped by the shriek of another and roars that Theodore knew were goblins.

Out of the bushes came a small squad of goblins, distinct armor and helmet marking the head one as a squad commander. The commander held the hair of another young woman, dragging her along as she futilely struggled against it.

Theodore tasted bile bile in his mouth as he witnessed the display, helpless to aid the women against the goblins as he watched the commander close in on the poor woman.

The commander eyed the woman with a sneer, its face showing how it reveled in the pleasure of seeing the woman scared, unable to do anything about her treatment. Raising a green, warty hand in the air, the commander brought it swiftly against her cheek, dropping her to the ground with a loud crack.

It grinned and chortled, its posse of followers snickering behind it.

I have to report this back to my liege. I have not the necessary skills to deal with this ordeal. Theodore gripped his hands, turning them white as he looked at the scene as the woman was dragged away in a similar manner as the other in the goblin’s grasp.

The sharp, overwhelming flavor of iron filled Theodore’s mouth, overtaking the bile from before. He had bitten his lip in frustration.

I have to hurry… Theodore thought, regretting once again he could not do anything more than tell someone stronger than himself to deal with the situation.

With reluctance, Theodore watched the entire display until the goblins and their captives disappeared into the woods. Turning away, Theodore ran with all haste towards the outpost.

Please hold out, brave damsels, my lord will surely deliver justice to those vile creatures and liberate you from your plight, Theodore shouted in his head, his body careening forward against the protests of his ever-weakening legs.

◆◆◆

“I—I never knew, Drake,” Natto said, her head hung slightly lower as she gazed into her now-cold stew.

“It’s nothing special, everyone has a story. I just wanted to tell you. We’re in this together, and it really feels like that now. So I want to make sure you know who you’re dealing with,” Drake said casually.

“You mean, besides the adult child that makes too many cartoon references?” she said, trying to joke and lighten the mood.

“Hey, hey, hey. They are Japanese animations, that’s the second time I’ve had to correct you.” Drake grinned, turning to face the tub of monster cores. “And yes, other than that, I’m not really good with conveying my emotions. But I just wanted to make sure you knew I trust you enough to share that, and that you are someone I consider family now. Even after all the shit you give me!” He laughed, giving the construct the side-eye.

Natto looked back, slightly sheepishly, but returned to her normal attitude. “What about the other road bumps that you mentioned?”

“Let’s, uh, leave that for another time, I’m all out of emotional venting for today. Now it’s your sharing time,” Drake said, pointing to the tub, “if you want all of these, I’m going to need some advice.”

Drake held up the skill stone he received from Bear. “Where am I using this?”

Natto pursed her lips and quickly placed the bowl down to cross her arms in contempt. “Hmph!”

Drake shook his head. “Come on now, we’ve been over this. Bear was just going along with my selfishness.”

“He is his own person, is he not?! He can decide for his worthless piss-poor self to say no! Certainly he knew he would win, being so over-leveled, yet he still participated in your egotistical display of testosterone,” she yelled.

Drake winced. She was partly on the money. Drake believed in accountability, and Bear had decided to give in and go along with Drake’s unreasonable request. But Drake insisted purely because he needed to compare his strength. Once his family inevitably left the tutorial, only Drake would be able to protect them. He had no one else he could trust with the task right now. And he had no idea what the world after the tutorials would look like. His first priority was to get stronger so that he had security. His second, to find and locate his family after the tutorial ended. And his third was to find a safe and stable place for them.

Drake would give Bear a pass this time around, as it was the result of Drake’s own selfishness, as well as some things that could only be said through the exchanging of fists.

“Let’s just let this one slide, yeah? This is a rare stone, after all, I can’t not use it,” Drake said, trying to persuade her with an awkward grin.

Natto gritted her teeth as she turned to him, then sighed in defeat. “Uhhh! Fine. But you will bestow upon me a feast of tastiness like no other for this! I certainly hope this is not how we will be treating those who try to murder you from now on!” she shouted. “The Confluence stone is utilized mostly for mixing skills or connecting unrelated ones. It is a very advantageous skill stone for anyone, and I am honestly surprised he did not just use it himself.”

Drake raised an eyebrow. “Huh… Maybe he already has all his slots filled up?” he thought aloud. “So, I’m assuming it should be the last slot in my Elementalist tree or Shield Miller then?”

“Correct. I would suggest your Elementalist tree, better options for spells than skills. And it will add to your versatility, of that I am certain.”

Drake chewed on the words for a moment then placed the stone out of the way, pulling out his other rare stone. As he did, he checked his debuff timers.

Divine Frailty [Debuff]

Lasts 13 hours 21 minutes 56 seconds.

Weakened [Debuff]

Extended Weakness due to massive overuse.

Lasts 3 hours 21 minutes 56 Seconds

Only a few more on Weakened, but still half a day on Divine Frailty. That’s really cutting into my time limit on the goblin quest as well… Ah, regrets and the consequences of my own actions, how you do haunt me! Drake thought with a mental sigh.

Turning back to reality he looked at Natto again. “So, what about the oppression stone then. I never had a chance to consume it either, and honestly I probably should have. Woulda been a big help, I feel like.”

“Certainly. And I believe it would be best used in your Internal Mastery subtree, there are many useful skills that could fill in your gaps that way. More defensive skills, tailored to your already strong regeneration. Or your missing passive aura skill. Tyrant Ants are known for being, well, tyrants, as well as robust, so any of the skills from that tree will be beneficial,” she explained, raising again the bowl of stew, a look of sadness in her eyes.

“Right, I’ll remember that,” Drake said, putting the stone away and snagging the bowl from Natto’s hands to carry to the still warm pot. “I’ll finish up cleaning your monster cores while you eat, it’s about damn time you stop slacking and rank up to F-Rank.”

“Who is slacking?! How dare you!” she shouted, her hands up in a huff. “After everything I have done!” she continued, only to look at Drake when he turned to give her the bowl, a wide grin on his face. “I absolutely despise you!”

Drake laughed. “They say every relationship needs a little teasing in it.”

Natto snatched the bowl from him and buried her face in it, refusing to answer.

Drake smiled and waddled over to the tub of cores, summoning more warm water with his combination of Fireball and Water Shot. Then using the force of the water to stir the tub, washing the blood from the cores.

After a few minutes of soaking the stones, dumping the water, and filling the tub again to rinse them, Drake heard a shout from outside the gate.

“My liege! It is I! Please open the gate, as this one has most urgent news!”

Drake had a bad feeling. “Oh, what is it now… I’m starting to get annoyed with this protagonist bullshit…” he mumbled under his breath.

◆◆◆

“Why are you back here already? I told you to keep an eye on that fucking shitbag Bear!”

“I know what you told me, asshole. But I found something better!” Kohoo sneered, waving off the other man’s clear hostility.

“Oh, yeah? And what’s that?” the man asked, his brow raised in curiosity.

Kohoo gave a toothy grin, playing with a dagger in his hands. “I want lead on this, though, Joker,” said Kohoo, staring up from his dagger.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, just spill it. Stop being so dramatic, save those theatrics for when you’re killing people,” Joker scoffed.

Kohoo slid the dagger into a holster at his side. “I found a nice little catch. There’s an outpost I followed Bear to, and there’s only two level 10’s inside.”

Joker spat at Kohoo’s feet. “Why didn’t you just kill them then? You’re level 19, pussy.”

“Calm your ass down, one of them somehow fought against Bear, and the other has an invisibility skill. I’m going to need a few more people, just to be safe.”

“Huh? You must be going senile. You’re saying a level 10 fought the strongest man in the tutorial?” Joker grumbled, moving his hands to reveal a bottle of clear amber liquid.

“I’m not saying anything. What I saw was Bear enter the outpost, then I felt the fight they had from outside, then Bear walked out. Next day, some tweeker in a butler’s outfit leaves and goes invisible before I left,” Kohoo admitted.

“Whatever, seems like you’re losing it to me. Just take whoever and bring back some good stuff. And if there are any women inside, you know the drill,” Joker replied, waving around the bottle.

Kohoo turned from Joker and walked out of the tent, a sinister, expectant smile on his face.

Chapter 52

All Good Things

“Keep up the offensive! Protect the backline!” Jared shouted out. “There’s only a few more, we can do this!”

Rushing forward with his sword and shield, Jared was supported by his sister Claire. They had both finally gotten past the bottleneck of level 10, obtaining their first advanced classes.

Jared had gotten a tank-type class and was shining as a front-liner, while his sister had gotten a buffing-type class that unfortunately pigeonholed her into a niche class that only buffed attacks for specific elements that no one in the group could use currently.

But that hadn’t deflated Jared. He told her to keep going and eventually they would find party members that could benefit from her skills. At worst, her intelligence was high enough that she could do some damage with her one attack.

“More from the trees on the left! Jared!” someone shouted from the back, loosing an arrow from their bow and striking down a goblin.

“Damn it!” Jared cursed. “Tighten formation! Get behind me!”

At his commanding shout, the party of ten all formed a wall behind Jared.

“Phalanx!” he shouted, a wall of green forming in a ball around the group. “Fifteen seconds! Turn up the heat, deal some damage!”

Even before the wall was fully formed, the party worked like clockwork and began chanting spells, shooting arrows, and stabbing forward with swords and spears through the barrier.

“Raging flames, burn and char those who defy my searing power! Fireball!”

Daphne, one of the Mages of the group who had also surpassed level 10, chanted her spell, a massive Fireball forming over her head as it flew forward, exploding in the mass of goblins bearing down on the green barrier.

“Good stuff, Daph! Their formation is broken! Rush them, finish it!” Jared shouted as he roared, rushing through the barrier, his sword finding one goblin’s throat after another.

The battle raged on for several more minutes, the ranged members including Claire and Daphne firing off spells whenever they could while watching the surroundings for more goblin reinforcements.

Once the atmosphere had cooled and the last goblin took its last breath, everyone relaxed. The party members took a breather before they began collecting the cores.

Jared walked up to his sister, slightly out of breath but grinning all the same.

“Good job, Claire, getting used to your new class?” he asked.

Claire smiled back gently. “I’m getting there, but not as much as you, Commander,” she teased.

Jared scratched the back of his head. “I’m just shouting out what I think we should do. I’m not some commander, so stop joking around…”

Bumping his side with her own, Daphne grinned next to him. “You seem to be doing a good job of it, all the same. Are you fine on mana, Claire?”

Claire nodded. “I didn’t have to use much thanks to you, Daphne…” she answered, slightly dejected, but a hand lightly gripped her shoulder.

“Oh, don’t worry sweetie. At this rate, we are going to find more people. And I’m sure there will be someone that can use your buff,” Daphne said, trying to console her.

“And even if there isn’t, you’ve still got your attack spell. Don’t worry, Claire, not everyone is strong right from the start. Who knows how much stronger your class will be once we start getting more stones you can use,” Jared added, smiling at his sister.

“Yeah, maybe…” Claire sighed. “I wish the class change at least left me my heal… I could have been way more helpful that way.”

Jared ruffled her hair. “Don’t worry about it, squirt. Big bro’s here no matter what.”

Claire pouted, puffing out her lips at the nickname.

“I’m nineteen, don’t call me that,” she grumbled.

A scream came from the other side of the treeline, breaking the trio out of their bubble.

“R-Run!” someone shouted.

“What’s going on?!” Jared yelled, moving in front of Claire and Daphne.

“More goblins! T-There’s a named commander! Jared, we can’t win!”

Jared clenched his teeth. “Don’t lose hope, get into formation!” he shouted.

The party scrambled from their locations, exhausted from the previous fight but still moving with practiced ease. Once they all gathered behind Jared, he shouted his skill again.

“Phalanx!”

The emerald barrier manifested instantly, only giving them fifteen seconds of protection. But the small reprieve was what they needed to not only catch their breaths but form a plan.

“W-What is that? What is that!” someone screamed from inside the barrier.

“Jared…” Claire muttered, grabbing onto the hem of his armor.

Jared looked at the monster striding across the bodies of the goblins that littered the area from the previous fight, a patch covering its right eye, two daggers in its hands as it looked at the group inside the green barrier that was supposed to protect them. The barrier that now felt more like a prison.

Behind the monster was a small army of goblins, more than the party had ever seen in one place.

“W-What are we supposed to do, Jared?” Daphne asked.

“Hit them with whatever you have! We only have a few more seconds, our only chance is to kill as many as you can before the barrier runs out! Once the barrier goes down, run, I’ll hold him off as long as I can!” he shouted, never taking his eyes off the smiling monster.

The Goblin Commander tapped its daggers on the barrier playfully, leering at the people inside with a sinister grin, the goblins behind it smiling and laughing like their leader.

Spells, arrows, and weapons pushed through the barrier assailing the army, but the goblins didn’t falter, holding their lines against the party’s last-ditch effort.

The seconds ticked by as sweat began beading down Jared’s face, his grip on his sword and shield tightening.

“Five seconds!” he shouted.

More spells and arrows shot at the Goblin Commander, but the goblin dodged them effortlessly, still leering at the group inside the barrier as it licked its lips.

Bracing, Jared steeled himself, turning only for a moment to Claire.

“Run.”

Claire shook her head. “No, I won’t leave you, Jared! Come with us!”

“I said run!” Jared spat, giving a look to Daphne. She nodded solemnly, gripping Claire and dragging her to the back of the barrier with the other members.

Kicking and screaming, Claire shouted at her brother, not wanting to leave him to his fate.

But Jared honed in on the Goblin Commander. His surroundings became muted as the barrier shattered, dissipating at the end of its duration.

Roaring, Jared rushed forward, his shield in a tight guard, his sword pointed, trained right for the Goblin Commander.

“Crescent Sweep!”

A red arc trailed from Jared’s swing, soaring toward the Goblin Commander with incredible speed.

But the red crescent met air. The Goblin Commander vanished just before contact.

Jared’s battle sense skill went wild and he tumbled forward, throwing his shield up as soon as he righted himself, the sparks from the impact of a dagger meeting his shield almost blinding him.

“Shield Swing!” Jared growled, his shield humming with life as it was coated in a viridescent light, his shield arm arcing to throw the dagger from it.

With the swing pushing the goblin’s dagger off, he threw his shield arm forward. The tip of his small kite shield careened for the goblin’s face.

The Goblin Commander smirked and ducked the blow, its second dagger swinging upwards from below.

Jared’s eyes looked down, following the dagger’s trajectory to his chin.

“Iron Body!”

A swift glow of red encompassed Jared, his body hardening like steel as the blade contacted his jaw right under his chin, the tip of the dagger chipping. But not before the force of the blow sent Jared backward.

The Goblin Commander clicked its tongue and stowed his dagger but didn’t follow up the attack, confusing Jared. Until the commander stepped aside, revealing what its army held.

His entire party had been captured. Each one of them, even Daphne and Claire, had a weapon trained to their throats.

“Damn it…” Jared cursed, dropping his weapons in defeat.

◆◆◆

“What’s going to happen to us…” Claire whimpered, the chains and collars clanging against one another.

“It’s going to be alright, we just have to wait until we can find a chance to escape… Or someone will come, just look around. We aren’t the only ones that have been captured,” Jared tried to reassure his sister, jutting his chin at the other cages with people in them.

“H-How can you say that? Look at how many of them there are!” someone from behind him shouted, only to receive be backhanded by a nearby goblin.

The goblin growled and spat at the prisoner, shouting something in their language.

The train of captives shambled through the camp, eventually entering an area with deserted cages that they were forced into, their chains and collars removed as they were.

They were given no rations and no water, packed to the brim in the cages.

Jared looked out through the bars of the wooden cage, trying to glean any information he could for an escape. The others fell to the floor in despair, huddling in corners and next to one another.

His sister slumped against the cage wall with Daphne next to her.

Minutes became hours, hours became days. Jared peered out of the cage, waiting, hoping for something to spark an idea for escape or for someone to come and help them, but it never did.

He was beginning to lose hope, looking at his sister curled up and sleeping, leaning against his leg.

The next morning, something changed. Their cage was opened and two people were dragged from it by a goblin. Moments later, only one returned, battered, bruised, and bloody. They shook as the cackling goblins threw them back inside the cage.

Jared rushed to the person. “What happened?”

They only shook, their eyes still wet from tears.

But Jared didn’t relent, shaking them by their shoulders. “I said what happened! Tell me!”

Their eyes finally focused on Jared, but only for a moment. “T-They made us f-fight…”

Jared’s mouth fell lax, unable to believe the words at first, but it hit him like a ton of bricks a moment later.

“They’re making us fight to the death, for their entertainment…” he muttered, remembering the face of the eyepatch goblin.

Over the next few hours, more people were pulled from the cage, including eventually Jared himself.

Dragged through the goblin camp once more, Jared couldn’t help noticing how much emptier the cages were. He cursed at his inability to do anything about the situation. If only he had a stronger attack-focused class, maybe they could have fought their way out. Or he could have defeated the Goblin Commander before his team was captured.

Soon he came to a makeshift arena of wood and spikes, the surroundings in an uproar. Goblins were packed to the brim on the walls of the arena, sneering and shouting with meaty haunches in their hands. Legs that looked eerily… human.

Tearing his eyes from the stomach-churning audience, his eyes fell on his ‘opponent’, a woman no older than Claire, her clothes ragged and torn.

The sound of the wooden door slamming shut behind him apparently sounded the start of the fight as the woman screamed and ran forward.

Jared was surprised at her slow speed. She must have been under level 10 and had even less dexterity than he did as a tank.

He dodged deftly for a few minutes as the woman desperately swiped and clawed at him.

“Fight me!” she screamed.

“No… I won’t be entertainment for these disgusting monsters,” Jared spat.

The woman shook her head. “Fight, or they will kill us both!” she screamed. “If you don’t want to fight, then let me kill you! I want to live, damn it!”

“No…” Jared said again woefully, unwilling to fight someone below his level and so exhausted for the enjoyment of these disgusting monsters.

The roar of the crowd lessened with each passing minute until Jared could swear he heard jeers.

A moment later a weapon was thrown into the ring. A sword.

The woman immediately lunged to grab it, shakily clutching it.

“I’m sorry, but I want to live!” she yelled, rushing forward.

Jared instinctively dodged as the sword was thrust at him, his hand slamming into the side of the woman’s head as she fell to the ground, slamming her head against a protruding boulder.

You have killed participant Amillia Everson Level 6.

Experience earned. 57,203 TP have been awarded.

“H-Hey… No…” Jared stammered, looking at the motionless body in front of him. “I-I didn’t mean to…”

Jared fell into a stupor until he was pulled from the arena, and before he could realize it, he was back in the wooden cage, his sister shaking him.

“Jared! What happened? Are you alright?!” Claire shouted, worry on her face.

Jared looked away. “Yeah… I’m fine.”

The cage door swung open again and the goblin snatched Claire from in front of him, as well as a random man.

Jared shot up, throwing his fist into the goblin’s unguarded face.

“No! Don’t you touch her!” he shouted, throwing his fists into the goblin on the floor, splattering green blood all over the cage until his hand was gripped by something.

He whipped his head back, a familiar goblin with an eyepatch staring back at him.

“You!” Jared shouted, but stopped in his tracks as he saw Claire in its grip.

Jared lost all of his vigor as the eyepatch goblin motioned to another few goblins at the entrance of the cage. A pair removed the dead goblin Jared had beaten to a pulp from the cage, while another pair chained his hands as they dragged him away.

Minutes later, he was back in the arena, the cheers of the goblins filling his ears again as he looked across the blood-soaked ground at his opponent.

His sister.

“Claire,” Jared said sternly.

“Jared, I’m scared. What is going on?” Claire cried, gazing at him with abject fear.

“Claire, you need to listen to me carefully. You need to kill me, Claire.”

Claire looked at him dumbfounded. “W-What? What are you saying, Jared?”

“If you don’t, they will just kill us both!” Jared shouted. “I won’t kill my own sister, so you have to survive and kill me!”

“N-No… No! Jared, I won’t! Didn’t you… Didn’t you tell me you would find a way out?!” Claire pleaded, shaking her head frantically. “You should survive! You’re worth so much more than I am! You can help people!”

“Claire!” Jared shouted, silencing his sister, putting on a brave smile. “You are going to do this. You can do this. Don’t make me hurt my little sister…” he shouted, his voice cracking.

“No, don’t make me do this!” Claire shouted back, tears in her eyes.

The sound of metal hitting the ground broke their argument, a blade falling in between them.

Their eyes turned to where the weapon had been thrown from, a goblin with an eyepatch sneering at them.

Jared turned away first, walking to the blade, Claire still balefully looking on at the Goblin Commander, her teary eyes filled with bloodthirsty anger.

“Claire, take it.”

Jared pushed the weapon into Claire’s hands, wrapping her fingers around the hilt of the sword, his hands tightening around hers.

“N-No… Don’t make me do this Jared! We can still get out,” she protested, “we can still find a way out! Y-You promised!”

Jared ignored his sister’s pleas, knowing that this was the only choice he could make.

“Claire,” he said looking into her eyes, one hand on the hilt of the sword, the other ruffling the top of her head. “You’re going to be fine. You’re going to survive this. A-And…” His voice cracked ever so slightly. “I love you, baby sister. Be safe, squirt.”

You have killed participant Jared Osberg Level 14.

Experience earned. 143,503 TP have been awarded.

You have gained title Murderer.

Chapter 53

The Problem

Drake stood with his arms crossed as he bit the side of his mouth, reluctantly replying, “Okay, and what exactly am I supposed to do about it right now?”

“T-This one knew not for certain… but expected some feat of Herculean strength would save the maidens in peril! I couldst not do it myself and returned with all due haste to thee, sire, in hopes thou wouldst swiftly liberate them from their tribulations!” Theodore rambled, his mustache quivering ever so slightly as he recalled the scene he had witnessed.

“Theo…” Drake looked at the man, torn. “I’m running on 40% right now, I don’t think I could even deal with half that number of monsters without help.”

“Then we are of one mind! This one will do his utmost to support thee, my liege! But we must move with winged Mercury’s haste, I fear that the damsels may not have long.” Theodore looked at Drake, pleading.

Drake had a tough decision to make and in turn looked to Natto on his shoulder.

She simply shook her head. “I am wholeheartedly against it. I feel for those women, but your safety comes first, so I advise against helping them,” she stated flatly.

Drake tensed. He was hoping Natto would say the opposite, giving him justification to go. But she was right, he couldn’t help anyone half-baked or half-dead. And he had no obligation to help these people.

This was all true, but Drake still struggled with just letting people die—or worse—without doing anything.

“Theodore,” Drake finally said. The man perked up. “Don’t get your hopes up, I won’t be doing anything until my stats recover later today. I have around twelve hours left on my debuffs, so I need you to make a decision,” Drake continued, looking back at Natto, “you can either wait here until I am recovered and do nothing. Or, you can take action again, and Natto here will give you the bare minimum of skills you need, and then get me the most optimal list to finish it up. If you do this, I need you to track them, and then in twelve hours come back and lead me to them.”

Theodore immediately accepted. “Indubitably! There is no doubt in this one’s heart! If Lady Natto would be so kind, I would leave right away!” he shouted, fixing his monocle.

“If I must… Only because it is dear Theodore, though. By the way, did you manage to find any monster cores, perchance?” she asked, coyishly.

“Indeed! I have secured a small portion of monster cores, but only a single barrel of water. Please forgive this one, as the goblins made themselves known before I could gather more,” Theodore said with a quick bow, obviously ready to get going.

“Good, then you two work it out, I have some unfinished business to attend to in the mines. Natto, when you are finished, come get me,” Drake said, bringing the construct down with one hand.

“Are you sure you will not find some other extremely strong person to nearly die against while I am not watching you?” Natto asked, pointedly.

Drake recoiled and chuckled. “No, I promise no more near-death fights for today. Okay, Mom? Can I go now?”

“Who would ever mother someone like you! You are a failure! I cannot even brag to the other constructs of your strength!” she joked.

Drake smiled. “Keep the emotional damage to a minimum, would you, I’m nursing some harsh wounds and injured pride here. But at least you can tell people I can cook. That’s what my mom does.”

Natto scoffed. “Still not a doctor or lawyer…”

He rolled his eyes and hobbled to the mine entrance with measured steps, his body still somewhat stiff.

◆◆◆

Drake made it to the entrance of the mines. Its daunting opening was able to accommodate the enormous Foreman, while its side-door allowed him inside. Drake walked forward, swinging the door open, recounting his goals in coming here.

He needed to pick up his mining profession for one, and also it was just plain safer at the moment.

Drake wasn’t sure how many people were actually out to get him, but he knew stealth skills were a thing and that his Mage Sight was not able to pick up mana hidden by certain skills just yet, Theo’s skill being a perfect example.

Sitting on 40% of his total combat power wasn’t ideal if something went south.

So he would hide out here in the mines, which only he and by extension Natto could enter at the moment.

This is also the perfect time to try out some spell combinations! And… Drake thought, pulling out two sleek crystalline stones in both hands.

Skill Stone: Confluence [Rare]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Confluence tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot, have an unlocked Mage main tree or subtree branch.

Skill Stone: Oppression [Rare]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Oppression tree.

“It’s about time I finish off these rare stones,” Drake said, grinning. “It’s also good that Natto will take a little to get here, just in case I somehow go wild again…”

Walking a bit deeper into the shafts of the mines, Drake summoned a Fireball and played with it in his hands, observing the mana expenditure needed to keep it stable as it danced from hand to hand. It was nothing extreme but quickly added up when making full use of his Multiplicative skill.

So intelligence is going to be a priority again if I want to stay relevant with my magic. I mean, duh, but depending on how my skills progress, it may be even more prevalent than I can imagine right now… he thought, pulling the sphere of fire to his hand in front of him.

“Now I know this is how they do it in anime, but…” Drake mumbled, summoning a Wind Cutter into his free hand.

He slowly tried to merge the spells, but unlike before, now he was attempting to combine them at their base rather than layer them.

Sadly the spells sputtered out and flashed out of existence in a burst like a grease fire.

“At least Chef would be proud of how I can flambé anything, haha,” Drake said sarcastically.

He tried several more times, rotating through different combinations. Fire and Water, Water and Air, Earth and Fire. Nothing seemed to go together.

“Guess that settles that, no mixing of elements for now,” he said, sighing. “Maybe I just need to shave my head and get some arrow tattoos, though… Nahhh…”

After traveling down the shaft and practicing with the elements, Drake found himself at a familiar shack much too large for any normal person and now darkened within.

Hmm… Suppose the candle or oil died out. It has been a day since I’ve been here… Drake moved towards the door, a lone Fireball lighting the way.

It had been an hour now since he had entered the mines, and his body had started to feel much more responsive and loose. He still could not perform anywhere near his usual feats of dexterity, but walking was no longer a problem, and opening a door was certainly no longer an insurmountable task.

Placing his hands on the shack’s door, he slowly pushed it open with a grunt. What hit him next was beyond unexpected as the shack sucked up the mineshaft’s air like a drowning man breaching the water’s surface. Expelled from it was the most foul-smelling air Drake had ever had the displeasure of inhaling.

“Oh—Oh my fucking god—” He paused in between gasps of his spell’s fresh air, gagging with every attempt. “What the fuck is that? It smells worse than if something died!” he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the tunnel.

Quickly backing away, he abruptly recalled his last time here. “Oh, is that the gunk from when I ranked up?” he said, pinching his nose. “There’s nothing worth anything in there anyway… Burn it! Kill it with fire!” Drake roared, summoning more Fireballs to launch at the pitiful shack.

The Fireballs set it aflame, overwhelming the smell of the nasty gunk with burning wood and the smallest hint of cinnamon. Drake dismissed the slightly sweet scent, figuring it was food left in the shack.

Lowering himself to sit, the shaft lit by the small bonfire that now was the shack, Drake pulled out his two rare stones and prepared himself mentally.

“Okay, no flipping out and going tribal. We’ve been here before, it’s no big deal…” Drake recited to himself, trying to hype himself up.

Grabbing the first stone, he began his consumption of it.

You would like to consume Skill Stone: Confluence [Rare].

Confirm?

Drake confirmed the prompt with a held breath and instantly felt the power of the stone go to work. He braced himself against the sharp cold that shot up his arm as it filled his entire being, forcing him to clench his jaw tightly.

Soon the feeling of a warm summer day cast itself upon him, slowly loosening his rigid body. It enveloped him in the power’s embrace.

Minutes ticked by as he held strong against the feeling of the stone merging with his being, breaking out in a cold sweat despite the heat. After what felt like hours, he finally released his breath. With a ragged breath, hot steam escaped his mouth, near-fire.

Gasping for air more than once, he finally settled.

You have learned Elemental Conflux [F-Rank].

Elemental Conflux P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

The merging of the elements is every Elementalist’s dream, but only a small few can achieve such power. This skill allows the user to freely mix elements to create new elements.

Passive: Allows the use of elements in convergence to create new elements.

Cost: Double the mana cost for combining and maintaining base elements.

Cooldown: None

Drake huffed as he gasped for air but still stood up nevertheless, too excited to wait.

Summoning a Fireball into one hand and a Wind Cutter in the other, he tried once again to combine the two.

Just as he willed, the two elements came together in harmony with a shocking result.

Crackles and snaps filled the shaft. Drake’s lips slowly curled in a childish grin, ignoring the larger-than-normal drain on his mana.

“Drake? What did you do?” a female voice called out.

“Haha! Look at this!” he shouted, posing before the fiery backdrop of the burning shack, the lightning elongating into a thin blade. “Who am I! It’s over Anakin! I have the high ground!”

Natto fell to her knees. “Kenobi!” Then a look of realization and disgust came over her face as she brought her hands to her head, screaming into them, “Noooo!”

Chapter 54

It's Mine's Time in the Mines

“Is this not the coolest thing?!” Drake shouted with glee, swinging the makeshift lightsaber with a satisfying whoosh.

Natto still had not recovered and looked up from her kneeling position. “Why must you do this to me, my mind can only take so much!”

Ignoring her, Drake held the saber in one hand, stroking his chin with his other as he pondered. “Now all I need is a force choking ability… If only I had a skill from that Force Mage class!”

“Please, spare me!”

Drake smiled. “What? Kuuuhhh, haaaaaa. Natto! Kuuuhhh, haaaaaa. I. Am. Your. Father.”

Natto’s face filled with internal dread at the display. “Make it stop! I never even watched those movies! This isn’t fair!”

Drake laughed uncontrollably but quelled the lightning in his hand, a flick of his wrist cutting off its supply of mana. Before walking over to sooth Natto, he checked his mana pool from the experiment.

Down to 35%. That small bit really took that much? Maybe I should put my free points into intelligence now instead of waiting for my next level, Drake mused, slowly approaching the curled-up construct.

“Hey, enough of that. I know you love the galaxy far, far away. It’s time to help me out a bit. And how did it go with Theodore?”

“How would you know anything!” Natto looked up in faux pain, a single tear struggling to hold on against her batting eyelashes.

“Because I love it, and that means you love it. Now, help, and Theodore,” Drake chuckled, retrieving another bag of roasted nuts from the dwindling supply within his inventory.

Natto stood ramrod straight and placed both hands on the bag, her hurt demeanor gone with the wind along with her solitary tear, replaced by starlike eyes.

“Certainly, if you insist. Dear Theodore’s skill progression went nicely, he apparently had an epic Descent subtree stone which he had not used for some reason, but he was surprisingly agreeable as I barked orders at him. We filled his main class tree with Mage and Body stones for stat multipliers, then used the Descent stone as well as a Soul Mastery stone, leaving the latter empty. The Illusion stone you gave him certainly came in handy for his current task, as well. But we will need more of those, and of course any high-grade stones we can spare, if you wish to craft him into a more reliable stealth Mage,” Natto reported spitfire, tearing through the bag of food.

“Well, that will just have to wait until we come in contact with more Red Caps, then. What about his stats, anything you find lacking?”

“Dibacbufao, dacbyyywcd. Bvibfaw!”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, that’s so unladylike, where are your manners?” Drake said, cringing with a half-smile on his face.

“I said. No, for the most part he is a standard Mage class, but rather specialized in stealth and illusions instead of offensive spells. So if he could use anything, it may be vitality to prevent him from dying in one shot.”

Drake nodded, making sure to take note. If he could find or make a vitality accessory, he should give it to Theo. And also Natto should meet his mother to straighten out her manners.

“Then, about the mining. You said before I just need to throw a pickaxe at the wall basically, right?”

Natto nodded, but also clarified after finishing her current snack. “You just need to mine a proper gem or mineral, then a profession quest should pop up. The gathering professions are usually quite straightforward, but crafting quests are much more arduous.”

“Simple enough,” Drake replied, lifting the small construct and re-entering the mineshaft.

He headed toward the mineral veins he had passed before, and his Fireball’s light reflected sparkling crystals and veins.

Natto hopped off and found a nearby rock to sit on with her bag of food, while Drake lit the torches in the area.

“While I do this, you can use this time to rank up. We have about…” Drake  checked his debuff.

Divine Frailty

Lasts 11 hours 58 minutes 45 seconds

“Eleven-ish hours give or take,” Drake finished.

Natto’s eyes glistened with greed at the mention of the cores. She quickly stowed her food and trotted over to Drake.

“Splendid idea, for once. I am thrilled I thought of it!” She laughed, sticking her nose up in the air, hands on her hips.

Drake didn’t say anything, but gave the small squirrel girl a knowing gaze, dropping the tub of cores beside her with an audible bang.

Natto grinned at the mountain of treasure, finally cleaned, and immediately tried to pull the tub back to her makeshift seat.

And after a few minutes of failing to budge the larger-than-life tub, she huffed at the cackling Drake, kicking him square in the shin. “Hey, you brute! Will you not do your civic duty and move the stupid thing over! How dare you sit there and laugh at me in amusement!”

“B-But it’s—It’s so funny! Wa—Watching this small girl in a miko outfit trying her darndest to pull a tub probably five times her weight. Because she’s too stubborn to ask for h-h-help—!” Drake said, almost curling over.

“Be a proper man and help me, you dolt!” she screamed, her face going red.

“Ohhhhh, so now I’m a failure as a man because I didn’t help you move the big heavy thing, huh. Well, at least it’s better than being one because I’m not a doctor.” He laughed and rolled his eyes, then picked picking up the tub and walked over to her seat.

“Hush, you. Go play in your dirt. Real work is being done here.” She dismissed him, grasping her first monster core in both hands.

“Oh, I can’t wait until the snow needs to be shoveled,” he said. Drake approached the shaft wall and channeled mana into his eyes, a blue sheen swiftly coating his vision as he inspected the veins with his Mage Sight.

He was unfortunately unable to glean much from the stones, only see some of the natural mana of different affinities clustering around the gems and veins.

“Well, that’s wildly unhelpful… I guess it’s just hard work, spit and sweat from here,” Drake grumbled, pulling a pickaxe from his inventory.

Rearing back the pickaxe, he aimed for an exposed blue crystalline stone protruding from the wall, striking it with a distinct clang that resounded through the shaft.

The crystal stood firm in the wall, Drake’s pickaxe only chipping lightly into the wall.

“What the... I have like over 200 strength, how the—”

“No, shu du nawt!” a jumbled voice said, prompting him to turn to see Natto with a mouthful of cores. “You hash a deboof, remember?”

Shit, I forgot. Stupid reduced stats… But that shouldn’t prevent me from breaking the wall… Is it something to do with proficiency? he wondered.

Drake shrugged off the surprise and brought his pickaxe down on the wall several more times, the loud clang of metal on stone ringing in his ears each time.

A few sweaty grunts later, he finally exhumed the blue crystal, still encrusted with some sediment.

Sapphire Gemstone [F-Grade, Uncommon]

A magically infused gemstone. Can increase Intelligence by a small amount when used in crafting

“Yes! Finally! Why is this so goddamn hard,” Drake huffed.

“Certainly it is because you are a failure!” chimed the peanut gallery.

“Shut up, fat ass! Eat your cores and let me play in my sandbox in peace!”

Drake pulled up his notifications hoping to see a new quest, but there was nothing. Just the timed goblin quest along with the others.

Drake turned back and asked, “Hey, I think the system is broken, I didn’t get a new quest.”

Natto stared silently at Drake. The squirrel chewed her monster core with an irritated look, one eyebrow cocked upwards as if saying, ‘so what, dolt?’

“Okay, I’m sorry. You aren’t that fat. But you should really slow down on those roasted nuts, my shoulders are starting to get sore car—OW!” A half-eaten monster core crashed against his cheek, cutting him off before falling to the ground. The sound echoed in the mineshaft.

“Hey, these were hard to get!” Drake admonished.

“You did not even retrieve them! And have you no tact? Talking about a lady’s weight??!”

Drake’s jaw dropped and he looked around, seemingly searching for something.

Natto frowned in confusion. “What are you looking for, ape?”

“The lady.”

A tang of metal embedding against stone rang in Drake’s ears sharply. Slowly turning his head, he found a dagger stuck in the wall.

“Susmaryosep. Take a joke, won’t you?”

“Hmph!”

◆◆◆

After some consoling and another dose of Drake’s ever-shrinking supply of roasted nuts, he finally got the answer he was looking for.

“The quest may take several discoveries of the required material. This isn’t a game, you are not going to obtain new skills just from doing regular tasks,” Natto explained, a tired look on her face as she bit into another core.

“Oh… really? Even with all this system stuff?”

“Yes, you dolt, think about your own skills. Even with the subsumption of those stones, did you really obtain any practical knowledge regarding them?” she said, turning back the question on him.

He briefly recalled those moments and found some inconsistencies in Natto’s words. “Yeah, but there were some skills that did teach me a few things, like Mana Manipulation and my ocular skills.”

“That is completely different. Those are skills with intrinsic uses because they have no concrete activation procedures. And even then, you only received the most basic of inklings of how to use them. Let me put forth the question—have you even gotten used to your Mage Sight skill? Most other people would have it active indefinitely by this point.”

Natto was correct. Drake had gleaned a small amount of instruction from the skills upon obtaining them, but nothing substantial. And Drake had actually forgotten the most vital part of skills in all the chaos.

Proficiency in use.

Drake cursed when he realized. His inner gamer admonished him for forgetting such a fundamental part of any skill-based system. To gain familiarity in the skills and eventual mastery, you have to actually use the skill.

He checked his Mage Sight.

Mage Sight P1 (9%) [F-Rank]

It was abysmally low for such a fundamental skill. And it was not as if his dual class was making it harder to advance the skill’s level. So in theory, if he was on top of his skills, he could gain mastery for his rank in record time compared to a singular class.

“Damn it. I hate when you actually point out things I’ve missed… Guess it’s time to work even harder.” Drake sighed, but put power into his eyes as they cascaded in blue, red, and yellow.

“Then you must live in perpetual hate, because you miss quite a lo—Wait! No! Give those back! I’m almost F-Rank! You brute!” Natto shouted at Drake as he snatched away her tub of cores, smirking at the distressed little construct.

Chapter 55

The Eye of the Storm

“Okay,” Drake said, sighing, “truce?” His hair was disheveled and a swollen black eye was forming.

An equally messy ball of fur and hair looked up. “We do not admit defeat where I come from! Surrender the cores, or face the wrath of every construct!”

“Fine, whatever! Here! I swear you’re more of a badger than a god damn squirrel…”

“Yay! And serves you right! You take teasing too far. Do you not wish for me to rank up that I might assist you more?” Natto said, hugging the tub of cores like her life depended on it.

“Sure, if I didn’t have to bribe you every step of the way…”

“Equivalent exchange as they say, young Edward.”

Drake was taken aback by the reference. “How do you say that without cringing, but get upset when I make references?”

Natto looked at him, confused. “What reference?”

Drake’s mouth fell open. She hadn’t even noticed she had said it. “She is coming over to the dark side… Perfect…” he whispered.

Natto eyed him suspiciously, but soon returned to her cores. If she was truly close to ranking up, the sooner the better for both of them. But Drake and Natto hadn’t discussed what that would entail outside of her gaining new information, so Drake was somewhat curious to see the results.

Leaving that bridge for when they had to cross it, he continued his work on the wall of the mines, spotting a brownish-silver line in the wall.

Striking with his full strength, slowly chipped away at the discolored bit of wall. Small bits went flying and falling to the ground.

Once Drake piled up quite a bit he inspected it, hoping for the best.

Mana-Infused Raw Iron Ore [F-Grade, Uncommon]

A magically infused mineral that can be used in crafting Mana-Infused Pig Iron.

Maintaining his Mage Sight for this long in combination with his other ocular skills was a pain. In fact, it was more than just a pain; it was causing him physical injury, and the overuse was making his eyes bleed. But thankfully his new regeneration skills helped alleviate the damage.

Slowly but surely, his body was adjusting to the constant use of the skills. Sadly his battle-oriented skills were progressing much more slowly than his Mage Sight, which was a more general use skill. Drake assumed that was because he had no real enemies or people to use them on. He had considered practicing on Natto, but decided against it as he had already scared the poor construct one too many times already.

But thankfully this hour or two of practice allowed him to look at the fallen bits and identify them instantly when they fell from the wall.

Regardless, Drake was growing impatient since the quest was refusing to pop up.

Drake gave up on the iron and decided to look for more gems. He wasn’t necessarily hurting for them, as he had looted nearly a lifetime’s worth of F-Grade gems from the Foreman’s shack, but they had taken him more time to mine, and Drake assumed that difficulty gave more experience.

And after another hour, Drake finally got the notification he so longed for.

New profession quest: Mine an assortment of gems and minerals.

Reward: Profession experience, mineral identification skill, Mana-Infused Iron Pickaxe.

Requires 10 Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Amethyst, Smokey Quartz, Topaz, 45kg of Mana-Infused Iron Ore, Mana-Infused Silver Ore, Mana-Infused Copper Ore.

Oh, fuck off… Do they want me to mine half the goddamn shaft? Drake cursed.

Drake quickly scanned the room, searching for what he assumed were some of the materials and gems he needed. He knew some of the associated colors, but Drake was clueless about the actual minerals.

Well… We have about nine hours left. Let’s not waste them! Drake threw his pickaxe into the air.

“Yur doing wheerd stoof again!” Natto shouted through a cheekfull of cores.

“Stop talking with your mouth full, what are you, a Saiyan?!”

◆◆◆

Theodore’s muted footsteps darted through the forest, traveling beneath the guise of his illusion. After speaking with his liege he had embarked, fervent to complete his mission.

Tracking the goblins was no difficult task, as they were so blatant as to leave tracks behind, and they were becoming so numerous they left ruts in the earth.

After picking up where he had last seen them, Theodore was able to tail the ever-growing group at an acceptable distance. They had met up with several other groups and were now heading to the west of the outpost.

Theodore, after receiving Natto’s guidance, had improved by leaps and bounds physically, no longer requiring rest. As was the amazing nature of the system’s skills.

Thankfully the vile beasts lacked any monster that could detect him, making the task of tracking much easier.

Through the forest, he had witnessed unspeakable things done to not only the human captives but the other monsters as well. Ants, gnolls, and even some sparse apes and a bipedal monster that looked strangely similar to a yeti. How the goblins had been able to capture these other monsters and people was still a mystery to Theodore.

He admitted that he was no match currently for the monsters, especially in the numbers they boasted. Theodore remained on the lower end of the level scaling, but he hoped that so long as he stayed in service to his liege, that would change quickly.

After an hour of traversing the forest grounds, Theodore and the goblins finally took rest at an open camp.

Theodore’s jaw dropped.

This is inconceivable! The gnolls were one thing, but what is this massive gathering of green beasts? Theodore thought, looking out into the clearing packed with campfires, tents, cages, and poorly sharpened wooden fences that spanned further than his eyes could see.

There are beyond thousands! I cannot even estimat—

New tutorial-wide urgent quest: Defeat the Goblin King’s invasion.

The Goblin King has roused the goblin tribes, rallying a force few have seen before growing by the day. Defeat the summoned force before it becomes insurmountable, or else suffer capture or death.

Reward: Experience based on contribution, TP based on contribution, titles based on contribution, selection of 1 rare piece of equipment.

Requirement: Kill the Goblin King and his 10 generals.

Bonus Requirement: Kill 5,000, 10,000, or 20,000 Goblins of any kind.

Bonus Reward: 10 mana pills [Uncommon], 10 strength pills [Uncommon].

The loud bell sounded in Theodore’s head, causing him to wince  as he listened intently to the mechanical female voice.

By God, may the powers that be help us, Theodore stammered inside his head.

He continued to watch the horrific scene that was unfolding before him. Several men and women were herded into large cages as he watched. Some were put into metallic, coffin-like contraptions to be put on display for the goblins’ pleasure.

Theodore gritted his teeth again, wishing that he had the strength to save at least someone. His eyes panned over the immense camp.

He began to pace on the edges of the camp, trying to gauge just how many were currently present. More and more goblins joined the fray by the hour.

Eventually he came to a small fenced area where the goblins were forcing the captives to fight. He couldn’t believe that anyone would submit to something such as this.

His mustache twitched in anger when two new humans were thrown into the makeshift arena. One tossed away his rusted weapon, refusing to fight, only to collapse limply as a gunshot rang out from the crowd. The spectators roared in rabid glee at the display.

Vile heathens… Theodore cursed, the bitter taste of bile rising in his mouth for the second time today.

He began to turn away to search the rest of the camp, only to stop.

“Harley?!” He couldn’t stop himself from gasping aloud when he laid eyes a the blonde woman shoved into a metal cage with shackles on her arms, legs, and neck.

But there was no chance for a closer look. Theodore’s outburst had already alerted many of the nearby goblins. They could not see him, but his voice alone had put them into a frenzy.

Theodore cursed and bolted for the forest, chanting a new spell as he did.

“The world is not as you see it, but as I make it. Grand Dark Veil,” Theodore whispered as softly as he could. A dark miasma wafted from the deep-purple magic circle cast within his open hand.

Two shadowy figures in the forms of Drake and Theodore manifested at his sides, keeping pace with the invisible Theodore.

With speed, lead these bottom-feeding green monstrosities from me! I must not fail to return to my lord! he mentally commanded The two illusions nodded in turn and sprinted in different directions.

Theodore would be arriving back early, but he knew where the headquarters of the goblins was. He dashed the forest towards the outpost, his heart fearing for the woman he saw in the camp. She was the reason he had pleaded with his liege in the first place, the reason he had groveled in spite of himself to leverage his liege’s power. He had not the strength to protect her himself, so he had to ask his lord to do it instead.

◆◆◆

“Are you sure they were here?” said a gangly man with a red scarf tied around his face, giving him a very ‘Thug A’ look.

Kohoo turned, a murderous glint in his eye. “Are you saying that I was wrong?”

The man flinched away, falling into the small group trailing behind Kohoo.

“Fucking imbeciles…” he mumbled. “All they have to do is just listen, but everyone has to have an opinion…”

Finally returning to the outpost, the group of ten looked on from the forest, scanning the outside.

“You and you, go search the outskirts, see if there are any ways inside. I really don’t feel like climbing the side, but if we have to, we will,” Kohoo ordered, pointing to two of the men.

They both looked at each other nervously.

“Did I fucking stutter? Move, or I will make your sorry asses move!” he said, raising his voice, his hand moving menacingly to the knife at his side.

Both men shook their heads, and cast their cloaking skills.

“Morons…” Kohoo grumbled, drawing an ostentatious chair from his inventory, then sitting down and waiting.

A few minutes later the men reappeared, one speaking up. “There are no entrances besides the gate.”

Kohoo clicked his tongue, sitting up and stowing his chair. “Guess it’s plan B then. I trust everyone is strong enough to climb the shitty wall?”

All ten of the people surrounding him nodded in unison.

“Good. Then let’s get to it.”

The group swiftly crossed the space between the forest and the outpost, noting the huge fallen gnoll and its smaller kin peppering the field as they did.

Many of them began having second thoughts as they eyed the brutally marred and torn beasts on the ground. Some were blown to pieces and others had their heads crushed. Were they making a huge mistake?

Most of Kohoo’s posse exchanged other pensive looks as they finally reached the nearest side of the wall, in between the ditch and spiked pieces of wood.

Each person removed a pair of daggers as they slowly scaled the wall, Kohoo far above the rest.

As the group made it halfway up the outpost’s wall, Kohoo dropped to the other side, looking around for any sign of the two level 10s, but only found a singular tent.

He darted to the tent, peering inside and searching the room with his inspection skill. Finding nothing, he glared at the others who had finally caught up with him, each uncloaking themselves as Kohoo had.

“There’s no one inside the tent and I can’t see anyone else around. Where the hell are they?!” he screamed.

The same man from before muttered absentmindedly, “Maybe they went outside to level up?”

Those would be his last words, as Kohoo blinked behind him and unceremoniously slit his throat. His body dropped like a sack to the ground, drowning in his own blood as he gripped at his throat.

Kohoo crouched next to the man on his haunches looking him in the eyes, mouthing mockingly at the dying man, “Maybe they went outside to level up, blah blah blah. Shut the fuck up… Anyone else?”

A shaky hand rose. Kohoo shot the person a steely gaze.

“T-There is an entrance into the mountain, but…” the voice started, but trailed off, fear in their eyes.

“B-B-B. But what?” Kohoo asked, leaning forward.

“We ca—can’t access it!” they shouted out.

Kohoo sighed then clicked his tongue, considering the body on the ground behind him, debating if he could lose another lackey on a whim.

“Okay!” Kohoo said, his voice even despite killing someone in cold blood mere moments ago. “So spread out, and cloak up. Looks like we’re waiting till the fuckers come back,” he stated, taking out his chair once more and sitting down, like a king on his throne.

Chapter 55.5

Thrown to the Wolves

“Chelsea… What are we doing out here?” Tom asked.

“Shh, you bloody tosser!” Jacqueline hushed him, looking around in anger.

Chelsea peered out from behind the line of trees. She had gotten wind of something in front of them on their way to the larger outpost and set out tracking whatever it was.

She had good sensory skills, but whatever it was had stayed just out of her range, which in itself was suspicious.

The timing is too good. Why would Chris send us out on a scouting mission just when we were about to leave? And it isn’t like I could say no! It would rouse too much suspicion… unless… Chelsea thought, her head whipping backward to look at the faces of the small scouting party accompanying her.

Every single one was a person who had wanted to leave. Not only that, but they were people who had spoken out about Chris in one way or another.

She clicked her tongue. They’d been had.

“Jacky, I think we’re screwed,” she sighed.

“Why, cause Tom’s here?” Jacqueline asked.

“No, take a look around.”

Jacqueline whirled about, looking first at the surroundings, but couldn’t understand what Chelsea meant. So she scanned them again, this time noticing the people with them.

“No…” she murmured.

“Yeah,” Chelsea affirmed, “he figured it out somehow. Let’s get back to the camp. They might have just left without us.”

Damn it! she thought. I should have just forced Megan to come with us! We could have just made a break for it. I wanted to take it slow to keep appearances, but… fuck!

Before the party could pack up, the sound of leaves rustling through the forest heralded another group’s approach, emerging from the treeline.

“Lenny?” Chelsea wondered aloud.

The man was average-looking, a Warrior class. He wasn’t much of a talker, but he was a solid front-liner.

Though Tom raised his hand in greeting, something was off.

Lenny raised his hand as well, then threw it downward, a hail of arrows and spells following its arc.

“Cover!” Chelsea shouted.

The group scrambled, and Chelsea grabbed Jacqueline by the waist, rolling for cover behind a tree. But some of the other members weren’t as lucky or quick, the bombardment of spells and arrows skewering them where they stood.

“Lenny, you fucking rat! I didn’t take you for some obedient dog!” Chelsea shouted, pulling back on her bowstring.

“Sometimes you have to follow to get what you want. And I get the pick of the litter if I bring your head back, you little mouthy bitch!” Lenny shouted back.

“I liked the sod better when he didn’t talk…” Jacqueline grumbled.

“You and me both, Jacky,” Chelsea replied, ducking out of cover and loosing her arrow. It hummed with a green light as it ripped through the air, aimed right for Lenny’s throat.

Lenny, unfortunately, wasn’t any slouch and avoided it. Instead it hit an archer behind him, killing him instantly.

Before Lenny could curse back, Chelsea took Jacqueline by the arm, and shouted to the rest of her party.

“Get back and regroup, we’re too spread out right now! Tom, do your fucking job and raise that shield!”

Tom nodded nervously, obviously not used to combat yet with his new tank class, shakily holding up a medium-sized kite shield.

The small party turned around, making a dash for another line of trees.

But it didn’t last long as screams rang out from those in the rear who had turned first.

Chelsea and Jacqueline’s heads swiveled upwards to see what the hell was going on, only to see a larger-than-normal goblin heading an army unlike anything they had seen so far in the tutorial.

“W-What…” Chelsea stammered, looking at the army of goblins with horror.

She ground her teeth together, unable to think of any way for their little group to escape an army this size. Too quickly she saw a group of goblins jump one of their party members.

They screamed but weren’t killed. The goblins held in their hands shackles and collars, smiling sinisterly as they looked back at the group.

“T-They’re taking prisoners?” Chelsea muttered under her breath in disbelief.

Chapter 56

What Comes After

“I swear! When Theo gets back, I’m going to slap him for not getting more water!” Drake huffed, buckets of sweat pouring from his skin.

“Why are you not using your own water magic?” Natto interjected from her seat on the rock, looking at him with confusion.

Drake turned, frowning as his brow furrowed. “What do you mean?! I always thought drinking water made from mana would have, like, I don’t know, adverse effects? You know, like that one anime where it gives you the runs.”

Natto’s face scrunched up. “What? No. Water made from mana is perfectly safe, what sort of backwards show did you watch to come to that conclusion?”

Drake scratched his cheek sheepishly, another droplet of sweat cascading down from his bow to drip off his chin.

Coughing, Drake moved on. “I’m only a few more kilos away from completing the quest. And we have plenty of time left, thankfully. This mine was a real blessing,” Drake said, grinning at the debuff timer.

Divine Frailty

Lasts 3 hours 43 minutes 18 seconds

“Now all I need is the last of the mana-infused silver, and we are done!” Drake shouted. “But first, I need some water, I’ve sweated at least five times my weight in water…”

Natto waved her hand in front of her face. “Yes, I have certainly noticed…”

Drake gave her a smile as he walked over. “Oh, you don’t say?”

“What are you doing you, smelly beast! Away with you!”

“Aww, but we were such good friends when I gave you those cores, now you don’t want anything to do with me? I’m hurt,” Drake said in faux offense.

She jumped backwards, away from Drake. “You reek worse than a wet animal. Consider yourself lucky I am even within your eyesight, let alone breathing the same air.”

“Now, that’s just rude,” Drake laughed, squirting her with a summoned stream of cold water.

Natto shrieked at the sudden cold, her hair and fur sticking to her skin.

“Haha! Now who’s the wet animal!” Drake said in triumph.

She leveled a murderous gaze at him, her hand slowly reaching into her sleeve, a metal gleam reflecting in the torchlight.

Drake’s laughing and smile turned to a grimace. “Okay! A little water never hurt anyone, here,” Drake said, combining some wind with a spark of fire for a makeshift hair dryer.

Natto’s hair and fur curled backwards with the flowing wind as she closed her eyes and leaned into the pleasant feeling.

Wow, that pacified her quickly… She kinda looks like that Pomeranian from that one movie with Ryan and Sandra, in like, what, 2010? 2009? Even her tail is wagging! I didn’t know squirrels could do that… he mused.

“Satisfied?” Drake said, still blowing the pleasant wind at the irate, red-furred construct.

“Mmmm… I require five more minutes… Make sure to get my tail, it is still damp. And be delicate! My fur is worth more than your life!”

“Yes, your highness…” Drake laughed, aiming the stream of warm wind toward her tail.

Five minutes and one much more placated, angry little red squirrel construct later, Drake got to bathing himself. Only slightly mourning the lack of soap and shampoo.

My kingdom for a bar of soap… He sighed inwardly as he poured warm water over himself and his clothing, taking time to scrub at his wounds tenderly, checking the scarring underneath the now blackened flesh.

Thankfully, his regeneration had been a great help in curing the raw flesh and sealing the wounds. It even seemed to completely heal his internal injuries; the bruising was nearly non-existent at this point. His exhaustion was lessened as well, with his weakened status falling off.

While he poked around his body between washing off the filth, he pondered how he would fill the time after completing his first profession quest. Would it be better to continue mining to raise his proficiency? Or go and try his hand at jewelry crafting?

But he quickly remembered he had no tools, and dismissed the crafting for the moment, meaning his other options were continuing to chip away at the walls or practicing his magic. After all, his experience with his elements was limited, and he also needed to figure out how to use them with his Endowment.

He had only given himself a brief period to look over his skills while walking and mining, but he did notice additions to some of his skills.

Elemental Endowment P1 (42%) [F-Rank]

A spell that allows the user to endow aspects of elemental magic onto their body and weapons. While active selected element may not be used in other spells. This is not limited to base elements and includes magics of confluence.

Lightning Endowment: “The power of Lightning is not thine to adhere, but mine to possess. Endowment.”

Effect: Increase in DEX and STR by 50%. In addition to increased reaction time, and visual acuity. Increases with proficiency.

Ice Endowment: “The power of Ice is not thine to adhere, but mine to possess. Endowment.”

Effect: Increase in Dexterity by 50% and active regeneration by 10%. In addition to increase by 50% of magic damage. Increases with proficiency.

Magma Endowment: “The power of Magma is not thine to adhere, but mine to possess. Endowment.”

Effect: Increase in STR and defensive Effectiveness by 50%. In addition to a 20% increase in resistance against debuffs. Increases with proficiency.

Cost: Use of Elemental School of Magic while the spell is in use. In cases of confluence magic, all included Schools of Magic will be temporarily locked.

Cooldown: None

This is quickly becoming my favorite skill. I can only imagine it at later ranks. But what’s bothering me is that, now that I have access to Confluence magic, why did it only open the door for three different types of deviant magic? It’s probably because of my lack of understanding of elements, or some other practical reason, but I’ll have to look into it more, or… he thought, looking back to Natto.

“Hey, Natto,” Drake said, still sopping wet as he went through his mental gymnastics.

She looked up, with a look of ‘What is it now?’

Drake just ignored it, already used to her sassy personality. “Do you have any idea why I can’t use schools like Nature magic, Metal, Gravity, Space and Time? Seems a bit flawed to me.”

“Yes,” she said flatly, looking at him almost pitifully. “The reason is very simple. You are not mentally capable of wrapping your head around those concepts. As much as I like to tease you about being an imbecile, those are extremely complicated forms of magic, and without specific skills to aid you, I am afraid you are simply not able to understand those concepts at the moment. Certainly through hard work, you could do it,” she said consolingly, “give or take a few hundred years.”

Drake scoffed. It wasn’t anything he didn’t suspect already, but knowing the truth helped. Because that would mean a very small minority would be able to do certain things without a specifically tailored class or in-depth knowledge of a subject.

And though it pained him to realize that his dual class wasn’t as omnipotent as he had believed, he still had many positives within his skill set.

Now he had another decision to make. He had been putting it off because of his body and fear of not being able to handle two stones in such a short amount of time, but the time had come. In his inventory window, he eyed the oppression stone.

Skill Stone: Oppression [Rare]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Oppression tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot.

He had to accept that he would need this stone’s power sooner rather than later.

Drake began washing himself again, gingerly peeling away some more scar tissue from his side as he asked Natto, “So I’ve been wondering. Why haven’t you changed at all since you ranked up?”

When Natto had ranked up from No-Rank to F-Rank, there had been virtually no change in her appearance or strength. She had told Drake that she was now able to access more information, but it had been of little help so far. Before, Drake had half-expected her to grow or something, maybe gain some more tails like a mystical fox, but a squirrel.

“What would you like, ape, an update on every little thing I am now privy to?” she asked incredulously.

“Actually, yeah, that would be a good start.” He nodded, pouring water on his head, finally feeling clean enough to start drying himself off.

At the candid answer, Natto was taken aback for a moment, but then began explaining the small amount she could pertaining to her ‘new’ knowledge of the tutorial, ranks, and races that he could possibly meet after the tutorial on the newly merged Earth.

“—so the ‘new’ Earth will be around ten times larger than normal, as it has been merged with at minimum five and at maximum ten other planets, depending on the size, but there is always a standard for the two new worlds in an integrated system. They must meet the minimum threshold of resources for an F-Grade planet, and be hospitable for the merged races of said planet. This will upturn a few things, as climates will not function the same as they once did. Some biomes of the planet will be severely harsher or more accommodating depending on what planet they were integrated from,” she said at length.

“So what does that mean exactly for my family? They were only thirty minutes away by car before this all happened,” Drake asked, slightly apprehensive.

“I am sorry to tell you this, Drake, but they could technically be anywhere. The planet is reconstructed in a rather hodge-podge fashion when it is merged, so someone or someplace that began right next to you could very well be on the other side of the planet,” she said, her face growing downcast from delivering the news.

Drake’s face also tensed as he contemplated his plans. His hopes of just taking a short run and making sure they were okay was out the window now.

“You said that when the tutorial ends, we are going to be placed where we were before, so my apartment,” Drake asked, his eyes still on the gray stone floor of the mineshaft. “So that applies to my family, what about the kids under sixteen?”

“They will, as well, go to their previous locations. But Drake,” she began, looking up at him with a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips, “I do have a way to find your family. It will not be instantaneous, and you may need to wait a small time before you can use the method to find them. But there is a way.”

Drake’s head perked up. “What! What is it? How long will it take?”

Natto’s hands raised, placatingly. “Please, cease. Hear me out, there are some things first we must do, so please stay focused on the tutorial for now. But you must do two things: there is an item called a Town Sanction node that you may buy from one of the system-made stores after the tutorial. Only those with an Assistant would know of it, unless there was some sort of interference from a tutorial sponsor,” she explained, “so I must ask that you withhold at least 200,000 TP for after the tutorial. 100,000 for the node, and 100,000 for the quest afterwards.”

“Wait, how is that even fair?” Drake asked.

She smiled. “Who said anything in the world was fair? But yes, there is some equality for this. The node and the quest are available to everyone, but using TP will allow one to skip the prerequisites and grants a head start over nearly everyone.”

Drake was ecstatic, a glimmer of hope building into purpose. Now he had an even bigger reason to continue to gain levels and TP. He didn’t need to hear more,. He went ahead and found the nearest silver vein and went to town, his determination once again renewed like a fire receiving gasoline.

◆◆◆

Theodore ran for an hour straight through the forest. His excessive need to reach his liege superseded all else.

He had long lost the trailing goblins thanks to his new skill, Grand Dark Veil, his doppelgangers able to do just enough to elude the monsters.

Passing trees in a blur, Theodore crossed the familiar dirt road marked with a giant gnoll in overalls. He was so near the outpost, its wooden outsides a blessing to his sore eyes and sore feet.

Theodore beelined for the gate, uncloaking himself as he shouted and beat on the door.

“My liege! This one implores you to open the gate! I have most dire news to apprise you of!”

Theodore continued to batter the door with his fists, his hair and clothes growing disheveled. The gate then creaked suddenly, forcing Theodore to cease his pounding and back up to allow it to swing open.

But what awaited Theodore was nothing. His liege was not at the gate wheel. And before Theodore could turn around or cast his cloaking spell again, a sharp pain assailed his side, accompanied by a whisper.

“Well, well, what do we have here? The butler?” the voice whispered, revealing itself.

Theodore looked down at the small knife protruding from his abdomen, slowly painting itself in a bright red that pooled and dripped at the hilt.

Theodore looked up to find a man a head shorter than himself with mousey facial features and a devilish grin.

“Let’s have some fun, shall we? While we wait for the other one,” said the man as other men and women in similar attire of black revealed themselves. Each wielded short swords or daggers, partnered with sinister expressions.

Chapter 57

I Like to Play With Dirt

“Ahhh! We. Did. It!” Drake shouted in triumph, placing the chunk of silver-gray stones into his inventory and looking at the new prompt.

New profession quest: Mine an assortment of gems and minerals.

Quest completed

Accept rewards?

Drake mentally accepted the rewards. The hard work of gathering the required ore and gems had left sweat drenching his every crevice.

A mote of light dropped a grey pickaxe much like the one he clutched on the ground, and the familiar mechanical female voice spoke again despite being muted.

Congratulations! You have unlocked the Miner Profession.

You have learned system skill: Material Identification.

You have been awarded profession experience.

You have reached Proficiency 2 Miner.

You have reached Material Identification Proficiency 2.

“Wow, that’s a lot. Natto, I have to ask. Why do notifications like this get past the mute function?” Drake asked, an eyebrow raised as he picked up the pickaxe from the ground.

“Ah. That would be upgrades after F-Rank. There are two ways they get past the mute function. Either they pertain to skills or they are providing information that is not given commonly,” she said, waving a roasted nut in the air.

“Why in the world would levels not be included in that?” Drake asked, confused.

“Certainly seems a bit off, but I believe the system sees leveling as a common part of your reality, as normally it would be much more frequent than what you experience,” she clarified.

Well, that does make some sense. I am leveling slower and slower, he thought, inspecting the pickaxe in his hand a bit more in the light of the Fireball rotating around his shoulders. Faint, cobalt-blue streaks reflected in the iron that shone in the light every so often, giving the pickaxe a surprisingly otherworldly feel.

Mana-Infused Iron Pickaxe [F-Grade, Uncommon]

A mana-infused tool used to mine out various ores, gems, and materials. Deals no damage.

Increased proficiency in mining by 15%.

Requires mining profession.

Drake whistled. “Ooo, Drakey likey. This little baby is sure to help me out,” he said, smiling.

Looking over at the wall, he activated Material Identification while staring at a blue gem he was already familiar with.

Unmined Sapphire Gemstone [F-Grade, Uncommon]

A raw magic gemstone.

A magically infused gemstone. Can increase INT by a small amount when used in crafting.

Okay, that’s less helpful than I would have liked… But at least it tells me what I’m going to be mining definitively, before it’s mined, Drake thought, slightly deflated.

Looking around, Drake spotted several other gems and ores that he had mined before, all sporting about the same descriptions just with the prefix ‘Unmined.’

“So, now that I have this. I’m gonna test the difference, but I wanna ask before I get lost in the sauce again. You sure you can’t help me out a bit with the crafting profession?” Drake asked.

Natto stuffed another nut into her cheeks, forcing them to slightly protrude. Turning to Drake, she only shook her head.

Has she gotten even more gluttonous after her rank up? Drake thought, turning away to prepare to strike the wall, wanting to compare the difference in the tool grade.

Drake walked up to the shaft wall, spotting a cluster of gleaming violet crystals. He recalled Natto’s explanation from earlier, summarizing the basics of how certain professions worked and what they did, even now going as far to tell him some of the specific items they could make in detail. But as far as teaching the profession, allowing him to pick it up, he was shit out of luck.

Drake did feel the pressing need to increase his repertoire of jewelry to encompass his major stats, but there was sadly nothing he could do about it at the moment.

He made a mental note to ask around Shigure’s camp when he inevitably visited it. He would need both tools and expertise in jewelry crafting, and a proper fighting expert if he could manage it.

Taking the new pickaxe, Drake pulled it above his head, his eyes trained on the cluster of amethyst gems. Bringing the pickaxe down with a crack, Drake fell forward off-balance, the pickaxe sliding through the stone like a hot knife through butter.

“What the—Wow, that’s so much better… Let me see,” Drake said, pondering aloud.

Switching back to the old pickaxe, Drake tried again. Swinging down with all his might, the pickaxe crashed against the sedimentary wall. This time the pickaxe didn’t slide in as easily, but made its way inside the shaft wall more deeply than before.

It confirmed Drake’s suspicions that gaining his profession must  by default grant some extra bonuses to his ability to mine, even though it was not mentioned in the description of the profession.

Mining Proficiency 2 (1.24%)

You enjoy playing in the dirt. You have worked hard to break ground with the purpose of gaining wealth from the land, earning you the title of a back-breaking profession.

It wasn’t entirely detrimental, but it was very weird how the system would arbitrarily withhold information.

The system had done the same with some of Drake’s skills. Granted, almost all of the information was within the skills, but some small snippets adding nuance were left out. His ability to use Confluence skills was a perfect example.

He could conclude that something was missing, preventing him from using certain forms of combination magic, but the skill hadn’t explained the why or how.

More surprising was that Natto had no idea either, as if it was just a known quirk of the system that everyone accepted.

Drake pulled the pickaxe from the wall, snapping the amethyst from the wall as well, placing all the items into his inventory and pulling out another familiar stone he had been procrastinating on. Until he was interrupted by a symphony of loud notification.

You have reached Mage Sight Proficiency 2.

You have reached Multiplicative Proficiency 2.

You have reached Warrior’s Stamina Proficiency 2.

You have reached Of the Apex Proficiency 2.

You have reached Heretical Mind Proficiency 2.

You have reached Hoarder Proficiency 2.

The notifications were surprising, both in that they were far less overpowering than those from the introduction and that so many had upgraded all at once.

It seemed most of the skills he had been using up until now had increased, and two of his passive skills had gone up as well. Looking at his skills, the other passives were not far behind.

Tempered in Flames [F-Rank] P1 (83%)

Sound Body and Mind [F-Rank] P1 (87%)

Weapon of Choice [F-Rank] P1 (76%)

It appeared that even the passive skills increased at different rates. Drake didn’t fail to notice most of his active skills had stalled since he hadn’t fought recently. His Fully Loaded skill had it the worst. Unable to be utilized, it was left it at an abysmal 0% along with his Aura of Command skill.

Drake continued to use his skills ad nauseam, making up for lost time where he could. There was nothing he could do for some of his skills but he would remember to focus on them when he could. Skills were his lifeblood now, after all.

But he was digressing. Drake looked down to the smooth stone in his hand, finally ready to take on another rare stone.

Skills Stone: Oppression [Rare]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Oppression tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot.

Taking a deep breath and with a slightly nervous glance at Natto, Drake clenched his hand around the stone.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Oppression [Rare].

Confirm?

Bracing himself for another round against the power that came with consuming the higher grade stones, Drake accepted.

The rote feeling of cold shot up his arm but much more quickly this time, becoming a warm comfort like the smoldering embers of a campfire. But soon the feelings changed. The hot and cold oscillated back and forth, pushing Drake’s inner equilibrium severely out of whack.

The feeling created a raging tornado within him, fighting to break free from his fleshy cage.

Drake fought fervently against it, trying his best to contain the struggle. But he could only endure so long.

Drake was quickly overwhelmed as he screamed silently, falling to his knees. The power ripped his consciousness from him, his senses expanding outward in an alien manner.

You have learned Tyrannical Aura [F-Rank].

It was almost like an out-of-body experience. Drake was inside his body but was also aware of his surroundings such that he could instantly identify Natto running to him.

“D-D-D-Drake… I implore you to c-c-c-calm down… You have gained a powerful aura skill. A-A-And it is affecting your surroundings. Rei—in yourself in, imagine your body as your focal point and b-b-bring your consciousness inside!” Natto advised, her teeth chattering.

Drake wasn’t sure what was going on. Only that he knew his actions were hurting her.

Trying his best to focus, Drake imagined himself as both an anchor and container, trying to pull his spreading senses back into himself. The feeling was nauseating, but he gradually inched his purview inward. His senses locked into place around him as if a mental clamp came down on them.

A deep exhale escaped Drake as he found himself curled on the ground, staring up at a shivering Natto, her teeth still clattering as she returned his look with concern.

“W-W-What was that. I’ve never experienced something like that in my l-life. It felt like I was being spread so thin I could lose myself,” Drake said, his body still trembling.

Before Natto could answer, he again felt himself pull apart ever so slightly. He focused on his body, gasping for air.

“Y-You finally got a proper Aura skill. Certainly you r-remember Bear’s? A real passive Aura skill needs minute control to keep in check and be used p-properly,” Natto explained, her tremors slowly subsiding. “I believe you obtained something very strong. Normally a recently awakened Aura is not so overwhelming. It almost felt like it wanted to consume its surroundings, leaving nothing in its wake.”

While struggling to focus on not staying in his body, Drake cast the spell for a Fireball. It was cold.

The spell sputtered out several times before Drake cursed, unable to summon the concentration to cast the spell silently. Forced to chant the spell, he closed his eyes then spoke the words mechanically.

“The f-fire of my heart, take f-form and sear my enemies. F-Fireball,” Drake chanted. Deep in his core it was still so cold, as if being spread too thin had expunged all of his body heat in the process.

The Fireball formed in Drake’s hand but distracted as he was, it went out of control and flew into the wall of the mineshaft. The fiery explosion left a small crater in the wall.

“Shit…” Drake cursed, fighting with himself to keep his body from ripping in twain.

“Y-You dolt! Your essence, soul or spirit, whatever you want to call it, is the one being spread. Y-You will continue to feel this until you rein yourself in. You w-will also keep imposing your Aura on the world until you control it. Calm yourself and b-breathe!” Natto shouted.

Drake looked up at her from his prone position with one eye, his body shivering beside hers. He could see her face pale more and more.

He was hurting her again, he knew it. She was putting on a front, but he could see the fear in her eyes, the same as before.

Fucking damn it, Drake cursed inwardly. And he had promised to never do this again. He forced himself into a sitting position. His body fervently objected, faltering each step of the way.

Finally managing a meditative position, he closed his eyes, doing his best to contain his senses and will.

Slowly but surely, warmth filled his body again, his anchor fully focused on the center of his body. His senses were gradually starting to normalize.

A silence washed over him when as he heard the crackling of the torches, the light droplets of condensation falling to the mine floor, a touch on his hand and the soft, steady breathing of the only person who was with him.

Drake finally opened his eyes to see Natto again. Her face was painted with worry and cold sweat, but color was returning to her skin.

He had found some small balance in keeping the aura at bay, but the container was weak. He had yet to fully grasp his new skill, but for now, that was enough.

Placing a gentle hand on Natto’s slightly damp hair, Drake smiled. “Thank you.”

Chapter 58

The Sponsors

Drake struggled to move. Straining himself to keep the Aura in check, he fumbled his way through controlling it.

“This is like trying to h-h-hold onto a goddamned wet river stone! It’s like a bar of soap!” Drake roared. His body was constantly tensed, his whole being covered in sweat.

“Is this what Bear had to deal with when he gained his Aura?!” Drake grumbled between his teeth.

New tutorial-wide urgent quest: Defeat the Goblin King’s invasion.

The Goblin King has roused the goblin tribes, rallying a force few have seen before, growing by the day. Defeat the summoned force before it becomes insurmountable, or else suffer capture or death.

Reward: Experience based on contribution, TP based on contribution, Titles based on contribution, selection of 1 rare piece of equipment.

Requirement: Subjugate the Goblin King and his 10 generals.

Bonus Requirement: Subjugate 5,000, 10,000, or 20,000 Goblins of any kind.

Bonus Reward: 10 mana pills [Uncommon], 10 strength pills [Uncommon].

Drake winced at the loud notification alert.

“W-What the hell is it now?!” he shouted, reading over the notifications. “Yo—You’re kidding me. A tutorial-wide quest? Just how b-big is this army?!”

“This is certainly ill timing…” Natto said, a safe distance away from Drake and his chaotic Aura training. “I believe I know who the tutorial sponsor is now, and why it has been so absurd in difficulty.”

Drake turned his gaze to her, shutting off his Of the Apex and Weak Point skills as he did. Controlling his skills had become easier by the hour, but with his new Aura skill eating up his concentration he had to manually shut off his skills again.

“W-What do you mean?” Drake asked. “And who do you think is in the ring for tutorial sponsor, then?”

Natto gazed forlornly at the ground. “It is not much better than I had assumed before, with the liches,” she said, her jaw tensing. “If my guess is right, based on the monsters and the increase in difficulty, there are three other races that it could be…”

Drake managed to cock his brow through his struggle, wondering at her reluctance.

“Drake, there are only three races that have the resources to pull off a tutorial of this scale and form, and they are all Primordials,” she finally said.

His Aura slipped its tight leash. Reining it in, he recalled Natto’s explanation of Primordials.

Like any other race they could be made to bleed or die. But the Primordials were seen as gods within the Multiverse. This was because they gained extreme benefits from ranking up. From increasing in base stats per level, to skill properties and abilities, and even racial specialty skills that could easily be seen as cheats.

Natto proposed that this was because they were the purest of races from the Progenitors of the system and not muddied down by eons of interbreeding between the races, retaining the potency of their racial strengths. They also had the best possible training and growth of any of the races, each inhabiting an S-Grade universe while reigning over many more lower-grade planets and universes to bring up the next generations of their race.

On top of all that many of the Primordials’ children started at C-Rank or higher when born, giving them an innate advantage when leveling up.

Drake shuddered, thinking of the power scale. Fortunately they would not be an issue until long after the tutorial ended.

Finally he asked the question. “What races?”

“The three I suspect are… the elementals, dragons, and… asurans,” she slowly eked out.

Drake wanted to be surprised but he knew he was lacking context. Manga wouldn’t cut it here.

“Is that particularly b-bad?”

Natto pursed her lips. “Of course it is, you imbecile! These are the gods of the Multiverse! Even if it was not these three, it would still be an awful situation! Primordials are so far ahead of anyone else they only engage in tutorials for entertainment! Going to extremes to not only test the participants, but to whittle them down so that only a few remain, which they will kill later as sport!” she screamed back, putting her shaky hands on her head.

“C-Come on… It can’t be that bad, right? And we have ten years after the tutorial to prepare,” Drake said, trying to console her.

She glared indignantly at Drake, her eyes bulging and red. “You do not even understand the severity of this! Uhhh, if only I could explain in more depth!” she screamed. “You need to understand why it is so tremendously unfortunate we are in this tutorial. One, this means that the tutorial will be brought to its limit in terms of monster capacity and strength. That means borderline E-Rank monsters! And that is not even the worst! These monsters can level up, the same as you can! Do you understand what that means?!” she continued to explain, breathing harder with each word.

Drake just looked on blankly.

“Ahhh! It means they can level up and rank up to E-Rank! Do you think you can compete with an E-Rank at bottom F-Rank?!” she howled.

Drake pondered for a bit, leaving Natto’s mouth open in exasperation.

“No, you fool! You cannot! Certainly, you understand what the difference in stats and skills would mean?!” she continued screaming.

“Sure, I get that, but don’t I have stats that allow me to compete with those types of things, even though I’m lower level?”

“Sure, you certainly can within F-Rank and below, but each rank up means a substantial increase in raw strength that is not reflected in your status! It is one of the reasons obtaining an Aura is so important!” Natto continued. “My point being, it will make getting to the end of F-Rank within the tutorial nearly impossible. And as for what lies after, I can only balk in fear…”

Drake let out a long breath as he refocused himself, his container of sense solidifying with each passing minute. He was becoming better accustomed to his new skill, slowly.

He glanced at his debuff timer, checking how long he had to practice before he needed to get ready for Theodore.

Divine Frailty [F-Rank]

Lasts 2 hours, 49 minutes, 40 seconds.

It wasn’t much but he would have to do his best to grow comfortable with the new abstract skill, balancing control over his new Aura with utilizing his other skills.

Drake asked Natto to keep explaining her assumptions as he tried his best to multitask and focus. “So, what makes you think it’s these three in particular?”

Natto chewed on her thumb, obliviously. “There are some certain specifics of this tutorial that makes me pick them. One, there is more than one Assistant in this tutorial, if we are to believe the oaf.”

“What does that have to do with it?”

Natto shook her head. “Despite what you might think, resources in the tutorial are not as random as they appear. Remember what I stated about how monsters are recruited for the tutorial?”

Drake nodded.

“What do you think that implies about items you received from the quests?”

A light bulb went off in Drake’s head, briefly risking his concentration but he quickly pulled it back.

“Good, dolt, you see the correlation now. Yes, those quest items are supplied by the sponsor, along with the monsters. And as I have said, Assistants, while rare, are not elusive. And you have two legendary stones,” she said pointing at his pockets, “that would mean that the sponsor, at minimum, has the capability to obtain such a rare stone. This immediately excludes any race below a certain rank.”

Natto sighed and her hand moved to her head, as if a headache was growing as she spoke. “Now, that alone is not enough to pinpoint it to these three, and so, the monsters selected. They are numerous, and relatively easy to find in the Multiverse. That would mean that the sponsor requires a large selection of areas containing them, but the sheer size of the monsters we have seen is beyond what lower-rank races could obtain in bulk. And the subtle point is that they are efficient monsters.”

“Efficient?”

“They are the best bang for your buck-type of monsters. Think bargain sale-types. Apes are numerous throughout the multiverse, find a planet with jungles or warm, dense forest and you can probably find them there in some subspecies or another. Gnolls are essentially rodents, dime a dozen. And goblins… they are a plague, and they multiply fast. And from what we know, there are also Tyrant Ants, also low maintenance and multiply even faster than goblins, as long as they have food. So that basically brings us to elementals: they are calculating, and efficient. Well, for the most part,” Natto explained at length.

“Okay, then dragons and asurans? And I thought asurans were a myth? Like god level myth,” Drake said, confused.

“I suppose that would be how they appear to races not indoctrinated into the system. Many of your myths and grand stories come from, most likely, Primordials who have somehow either visited the planet before, or left offspring here to grow up,” Natto said nonchalantly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Wait. Hold up, you’re saying they had babies stay on Earth?” Drake said, shock clear on his face.

“Certainly. It is actually very common for Primordial races to leave offspring in far-off, non-system planets.”

“Why? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“In the grand scheme? Certainly not. Even a baby would be a C-Rank, so nothing on these planets could even come close to hurting them,” Natto said dismissively with a wave of her hand.

Drake nodded slowly in understanding, though still confused by the logic.

“I still can’t fit my head around why? Is it like a protection thing? Or are we talking Saiyan takeover-type stuff?”

“Why must it always go back to anime with you? Yes, it is protection. I am sure you are aware of what royalty is?”

“Of course, I’ve seen plenty of kingdom building-type shows.”

Natto facepalmed. “Yes, well… Imagine a power struggle between royalty. But those royals are millennia old and powerful enough to wipe out entire star systems,” she paused, making sure Drake was following, “now, imagine a big, bad, long-living great, great, great, great, great, great to the Nth degree uncle does not like your daddy or mommy, and finds out you were born.”

Drake grimaced.

“Yes. So the safest place to put a child that will be or may become a target is to leave them where there is no system in place. With no system, it becomes that much harder for them to be tracked. At least until they are forgotten about, or are old enough to go off to another planet to get stronger. But we are getting off track,” Natto said, coughing.

She motioned Drake with her hand, and he understood, taking out a small canteen of water, tossing it to her.

Natto took a long draw from it and began again. “So, for the other two. We have not encountered any dragon subspecies, or lizards for that matter, which makes me think dragons are a possibility. Dragons look down on nearly everything, they would not even deign to have cousins of their kin fight such lowly battles. And they love to gather treasure, so having the resources to sponsor this would be almost trivial to them.”

“Well, why would they give away the treasure then, if they love treasure? Isn’t that kind of counter-intuitive?”

“Certainly, if you think of it just as a simple give and take. But these are races who live longer than some planets do. And they are willing to wait.”

“Wait—Oh… You are saying they are investing…” Drake said, frowning intensely.

“You are right on the mark. They are willing to wait a few hundred years for you to increase their investment and then they can come in and just snatch whatever you have.”

“That is fucking dirty…”

Natto shrugged. “It is common practice in the Multiverse, if we are being candid, but to do it with this level of rare equipment and such would make it almost certainly the dragons.”

She started up again, “Lastly, the asurans. One is very obviously that,” Natto pointed to Drake’s garb and rings, “that is asuran equipment. Two, the sheer number of monsters here and the difficulty is very in line with asuran ideology.”

“Meaning?”

“They love a good fight, and a disadvantaged fight even more. If you ever run into an asuran, never, and I mean never, fight them on an even playing field. They live and breathe for overcoming obstacles and adversity. So the state of this tutorial is, as I have said, right up their alley,” Natto said, taking another swig of the canteen.

“Well,” Drake started, his face pursed into a pensive expression, “this sucks worse than Kirby after a long weekend.”

“What does that even—Never mind, I do not even want to understand that reference,” Natto said, holding up her hand.

Drake laughed. “Probably for the best. But there’s really nothing we can do about it for now, so we’ll just have to cross that bridge when we get there.”

He focused on himself as he digested the information. The stretching of his consciousness proved a good exercise for his concentration.

He continued to sit as he rotated his spells around him, in and out of each element including his new additions. Every so often he switched to his Endowment, interweaving the process of casting and Endowing the spells to be as close to second nature as possible within his short timeframe.

Multiplicative wasn’t forgotten, as Drake tried to become used to his upgraded abilities. A now-familiar female voice interrupted his practice.

You have reached Tempered in Flames Proficiency 2 (0%).

You have reached Weapon of Choice Proficiency 2 (0%).

You have reached Weak Point Proficiency 2 (0%).

You have reached Sound Body and Mind Proficiency 2 (0%).

Chapter 59

Stewart?

The soothing quiet of the mines was uninterrupted, save for the occasional droplets of water or occasional soft shuffling of Natto as she grabbed a piece of food from her bag.

It was calm, serene even for Drake as he focused on his breathing.

In and out.

In and out.

It had been several hours now of trying to find his center. His new skill was an indomitable foe who would not be pacified so quickly.

Drake’s eyes finally snapped open, breaking through the crust of dried sweat that had sealed them. Steaming condensation stained his skin, the remnants of his long struggle with his skill.

“Uhh, that’s just gross…” he sighed.

Drake plucked one of the four spells hovering over him, his Water Shot, and poured it over himself to clean his filth-ridden body.

With a gasp of relief he began drying himself. His control over his spells had improved even with the limitations of the debuff still in effect.

Divine Frailty [F-Rank]

Lasts 37 minutes 52 seconds.

“I will be so overjoyed when I’m rid of this annoying-ass debuff… I still have a few slots open, can’t we try for a specific debuff-resistance skill?” Drake asked, finishing drying off his clothes.

Natto shook her head instead of replying, a roasted nut occupying her mouth. After swallowing, she elaborated, “Your skill slots are dwindling, and we cannot waste a single one. Unless another incident, like with that… oaf, happens again, you are to reserve them for rare or better stones, or the shop after the tutorial.”

Drake was unsatisfied with the answer, but it made sense. Why gamble on skills that he might not get when he could have better, more specialized stones to fill the gaps later on?

I had the worst time with Bjorn, but he’s the exception to the rule right now, so there’s no sense in getting greedy and filling the slots when I don’t have to, he thought.

Brushing and fiddling with his clothes, Drake gave himself another once-over, feeling slightly more clean than before. His black and gold-embroidered garb was a perfect balance between snugness and freedom of movement while his pants were in a sorry state of being half-torn.

The boots he wore were battered but usable. And the ever-growing number of rings on his fingers made him chuckle wryly.

Yet another green shine now adorned his hand for a total of five rings on it. A benefit of his growing Hoarder skill.

Drake walked over to Natto. “I think it’s about time we go out. Don’t want to keep Theo waiting for too long, if he isn’t already. Should be around fifteen or so minutes left on the debuff when we exit, and I’m already feeling better by the second, now that it’s counting down.”

Natto rubbed her eyes and nodded, Drake scooping her up in a cradle.

Ah, that’s right. It would be pretty dark out, right now. My sense of time in here is a little funky with no sun, huh. Surprised yet again that I’m not even tired. The power of stats. Drake gave a slight grin at the thought.

Walking to the exit, Drake continued cycling through his skills and magic. He noticed he was now making far less headway on his Proficiency 2 skills. It would seem that with every rank there was a huge jump in experience needed.

Drake wasn’t too upset. Although the numerical visualization was steadily increasing, albeit slowly, he could still feel that he was improving and growing accustomed to his stats, skills, and new body limits. He could only imagine how it would feel when he had the time to practice at full strength again.

As he approached the exit Drake felt the world with new senses again through his Aura skill. It was a very foreign feeling.

He was able to tell what was happening within a certain sphere of influence around him, but it was more than that. His Aura tugged at the world around him, taking what it wanted from the surroundings and suppressing anything undesired. And even more, he sensed something lurking within him, ready to squash anything that came to defy him.

It was a heavy feeling that Drake couldn’t make heads or tails of. He had never felt something so primal before. Was it the skill changing him or had it always been there, just held so deep, tucked away… until now?

The Confluence skill stone alone granted him so many new variants on his spells, and even more possibilities for his fighting style with his Tyrannical Aura. But the latter was extremely tricky and needed far more practice to be used correctly. As it stood, he had to tightly control it or it would affect anyone and anything indiscriminately.

Drake sighed. His tight deadline made him slightly regretful, but he made a promise to properly train his abilities and spells after the current problems were taken care of.

It’s like every few hours something new happens now, and there’s still three more months until we’re out of here, he thought, watching the sleeping Natto as she breathed lightly in his arms. Drake made sure to ‘toggle off’ his Weak Point and Of the Apex skills.

Then he continued on toward the exit, noting in detail the ways the size of his spells drew on his mana.

It hurts, but I simply don’t have enough mana now to test some of the spells I want… At least, not all at once. My new regenerative skills are helping, even with the 50% cut from the debuff, but there’s no way I can pull off bigger spells in succession, Drake thought while walking, remembering just how dire it was for him to find a proper mentor for both spells and fighting technique.

His own practice was not enough to cut the learning curve to his satisfaction, and having a mentor or even proper sparring partners would help him improve exponentially. Drake continued to practice on his short walk out, eyeing the debuff timer, the new tutorial-wide quest, and the countdown for the tutorial.

Time remaining before tutorial’s conclusion: 109 days 1 hour 19 minutes 41 seconds

Tutorial-wide urgent quest: Defeat the Goblin King’s Invasion.

The Goblin King has roused the goblin tribes, rallying a force few have seen before, growing by the day. Defeat the summoned force before it becomes insurmountable, or else suffer capture or death.

Reward: Experience based on contribution, TP based on contribution, Titles based on contribution, selection of 1 rare piece of equipment.

Requirement: Subjugate the Goblin King and his 10 generals.

Bonus Requirement: Subjugate 5,000, 10,000, or 20,000 Goblins of any kind.

Bonus Reward: 10 mana pills [Uncommon], 10 strength pills [Uncommon].

Drake eyed the other quest that was ticking down, which he was eager to finish.

Subjugation Quest: Subjugate 15 Goblin Treasure Hoarders [F-Rank]

Reward: Goblin King’s Hoard Key

Time remaining until quest ends: 123 hours, 19 minutes, 41 seconds.

◆◆◆

“Hey, sir… This guy still isn’t talking,” said the cloaked man.

Kohoo looked back over his shoulder, spotting the dirty blonde-haired man in a butler uniform. “Well, isn’t that surprising. He’s still alive right?” he asked, turning around.

“Yup, still breathing. We’ve been giving him potions on the hour, like you asked. But the guy just won’t spill the beans. All we know is his name, and that’s just from identification skills. He ain’t sayin’ nothin’ on the other level 10 that’s here,” answered a woman.

Kohoo clicked his tongue, grumbling, “Useless morons…”

He walked over to the man slumped against the outpost wall, his black suit a darker red now.

Kohoo grabbed him by the collar. Theodore’s monocle swayed against his chest with the motion, dangling back and forth. Kohoo produced a knife from his side, placing the tip across Theodore’s cheek. “Very resilient, aren’t you? Reminds me of some cockroach back in the day, that didn’t know how to just roll over and die… Come on now, Colonel Sanders, just tell me where the other low level prize is, and I promise we’ll let you go.”

Theodore sat there slumped, not uttering a word. His eyes were a hazy mess.

Kohoo’s expression became one of frustration as he stood up, grinding his teeth. Looking down at the man again, he spat. Winding up his right leg, his heel connected with Theodore’s head with a loud crack, forcing him to double over.

“Fucking loser just won’t cooperate!” he yelled.

“What should we do, keep at it?” one man asked, a slight grin on his face.

Unamused and simply agitated, Kohoo crossed his arms. “Do whatever you want, just don’t kill him. I want him alive, so I can do it myself in front of whoever decides to show up.”

Walking back over to his comfy chair by the fire Kohoo sat back down, turning to face the mine they were denied entrance to. “It’s always more fun to see the anger and despair on their faces before they go begging ‘n’ crying, anyway,” he hummed.

◆◆◆

Drake finally reached the exit of the mines, the closed door’s outline illuminated by a fire on the outside.

That’s weird? I don’t think the torch would last over twelve hours. Is Theodore back? he thought.

He was reluctant, but Drake was concerned. By now it was late enough to be dark out and though Theodore could have just scaled the wall given enough time, he wasn’t so sure he would do that over just waiting and doing his LARPing thing. It was another opportunity for his whole ‘sire, liege’ thing, after all.

Looking down, Drake shook Natto lightly to rouse her from her sleep. “Hey, sleeping beauty. It’s Defcon 3.”

Natto slowly woke, both hands finding an eye to rub the drowsiness. “Huh? What is a Defcon, does it taste good?”

“No, you food maniac, wake up. There might be monsters or people in the outpost. I need you to, uhh, get inside me, just in case,” he said, slightly uncomfortable at his own words.

Natto snapped fully awake upon hearing his reasoning. She looked over at the door outlined in orange and yellow and nodded. Climbing to his shoulder, she merged herself with him. “Do you think it is the people the oaf talked of?”

I have no idea, I’m just being careful. I still have around five minutes, give or take, before the debuff is up, so if it’s anything bad, we will just pop back into the mines and wait out the debuff, Drake thought.

He received a mental nod from Natto and made his way to the door, slowly inching it open.

The fire Drake had previously used to make food was lit but no one was near it. An ostentatious-looking chair was left beside the fire, empty.

Very slowly Drake peered out from the crack in the door using his enhanced vision to check for anything out of the ordinary, but found nothing.

When are my ocular skills going to do more than just identify? Mage Sight is nice for a lot of things, but it seems to flop when I need to pick up invisible things, Drake griped internally, a slight tinge of irritation in it.

“It will take time. The skill is only strong enough to detect those beneath your rank or proficiency. But as I said, it will take time for your skills to grow,” Natto replied, her voice a little groggy.

Yeah, well, it would be nice if I had it right now… I can tell there are people nearby, but I can’t see them, and can only vaguely pinpoint them with my Aura.

“All good things take time.”

Oh, you don’t say… Drake bit back sarcastically.

Drake retreated back behind the door, taking a deep breath. His palms had already begun to sweat in anticipation of having to fight another human being.

It was not something he was excited to do. He had just fought Bjorn, sure, but neither had wanted to kill the other. And this fight, if Drake’s inkling was correct, would end very differently.

Wiping his hands on his garb and steeling himself, he swung the door open and walked out. His tattoos were on full display as he readied himself, flanked by small balls of air and earth and prepared to change his Endowment at a moment’s notice or dash back into the mines.

“I can tell where you are!” Drake shouted, his eyes flaring between yellow, blue, and green as he pointed in the general direction of one of the invisible people. “If you are here for a fight, I’ll have to decline, but my receptionist can schedule an appointment at the gate on your way out.”

Drake could feel the person flinch at being singled out, but the feeling was still vague.

After his declaration a space near the fire shimmered, revealing a man clad in pure black, a mask over his face.

“Drake? Drake Wallen? No fucking way, is that you?” the man said, sliding his mask down to reveal mousey features. His nose was pointed and his eyes just a tad too close together. Even his unkempt facial hair almost looked like a mess of whiskers.

Drake froze. The blood drained from his face made it as if he was hit again with Bjorn’s debuff anew. Drake’s body went cold at the familiar face of the art director from his old company. His memories came flooding back.

“Drake? Drake! What is wrong?! Dra—” Natto shouted inside his head but it became white noise as Drake took a shaky step forward, not sure if he was in some surreal dream.

“Stewart?”

Chapter 60

The Truth Comes Out

“Drake? What are the chances?” chuckled the man lightly, walking forward.

Drake put his hand up in caution, breathing an ember of flame to life with a snap and a red circle.

Natto, why can’t I see his alias or level… Drake asked, his body going cold as he eyed Stewart warily.

Dn18&amp;@)dn Level *%

“He must possess an obscuring item. They are not uncommon outside the tutorial, but he would have to craft such an item here, or get lucky with a quest reward, or…”

Drake felt unsettled. He knew Stewart. They had even been acquaintances at work. It was a bad memory, but he had even been the one who invited him to that party so long ago.

He a piercing shiver went down his spine. Stewart’s eyes briefly glowed green, but Drake didn’t miss the shift.

“Oh, what do we have here? Why are you level 10 still, bud? And you? You’re Shot? Oh…” Stewart laughed, nearly falling backwards as his spine bent with his chortle, his hand going to his forehead like a classic anime villain.

“This is just too good, you can’t make this shit up!” Stewart shouted, straightening to look at Drake again. “Drake, I knew you were still alive, but you seem to be doing pretty well after everything was said and done, huh? Last you told me, you had started your own art business and were doing pretty well, no?”

Drake flinched. Stewart was one of the few non-family members Drake had kept in contact with when everything happened. Stewart had been empathetic over the phone, apologizing for bringing him to the party and saying he had no idea such a thing would happen.

He had even checked up on Drake every few weeks to check how he was doing, until suddenly stopping when Drake mentioned his financial situation had actually improved since leaving, and he was steadily doing better overall.

The memory left a bitter taste in Drake’s mouth but he responded, scanning the area with his eyes and Aura to make sure the other shrouded people didn’t move.

Drake opened his mouth to answer, but first muttered, “Marked…” under his breath targeting Stewart, just in case he vanished again.

“Yeah, that’s right. Luckily all that hard work I had put in for all those years pulled me up by my bootstraps, along with a bit of luck from some algorithms on some social media,” Drake answered finally, trying to stay calm and casual.

Stewart scoffed, almost disappointed at that answer. His demeanor was far different from how Drake remembered him.

“Ha! Isn’t that how it’s always been with you! Just a bit of luck…” Stewart’s face scrunched up as he spat to the side. “Surprised you didn’t just off yourself after you got fired. At least those other guys had the decency to stay the lowly bastards they were and never got back up.”

Drake’s eyes turned to shrunken points hearing that. “What do you mean?”

Stewart laughed. “You think it was a coincidence you got fired for that bullshit? Who do you think told HR about your little escapade, you dumb chump,” Stewart said, giving a ratty snicker.

Drake’s magic winked out suddenly as he lost his concentration for a split second, his aura leaking out, resulting in a wince of confusion from Stewart.

“Drake? What is wrong? I have never seen you so upset or unsettled, who is this rat?” asked Natto.

Drake ignored her, unable to answer the question. His mind was doing flips trying to piece together Stewart’s words.

“Are you saying the reason I was fired wasn’t even Marrisah’s fault? It was you?!” Drake asked, his hands shaking.

Stewart shook off his confusion and put on another sneer, his haughty, condescending attitude returning. “No, she knew,” Stewart said, a swing of his arm enunciating the word, “she may have done it for money, but she knew. Personally, I just had to get rid of you. Couldn’t have you taking my job, now could I?”

Drake tasted iron. He had bitten his lip.

Stewart continued, “Please… don’t be so upset. It isn’t like you were the first, or the one and only. Had this little system not given me the opportunity to have so much fun, I would have done it to many more. Oh, by the way, is this one with you?” Stewart asked, giving a wave of his hand.

A moment later, two black-clad figures appeared, flanking a third person hunched on the ground.

“Theo!” Drake shouted, taking a step forward, but stopped at Natto screaming in his head.

“Drake! Not another step! I do not want to leave Theodore either, but you still have your debuff! Think calmly, he is still alive. You… We need to buy time until it is gone,” Natto said, her voice dripping with concern.

Drake cursed, looking at the debuff.

Divine Frailty [F-Rank]

Lasts 4 minutes 27 seconds

Stewart spoke again, “Oh, so you do know him! That makes this all the more poetic,” he said, giving a sinister grin. His hand moved to the side of his leg sliding a knife out of the holster. “I’m going to make you watch as I take him apart, just because he knows you,” he chuckled wildly, the knife flying from his hand and embedding itself into Theodore’s thigh.

Theodore shrieked in pain, his head finally rising to see Drake. Theodore’s eyes went wide at the sight of him.

And Drake could see it in his eyes. Regret. Apology. Frustration.

Drake glared at Stewart. “You sick fuck!” he roared, his jaw tightening.

“Haha! Good! Don’t think you can even do anything anyway, everyone here is well above your level, for one. Just one move and I’ll be all over you, just like HR was,” Stewart snickered.

“You can’t be serious, that you would do all that just to keep me from getting promoted and taking your position? Don’t you have any integrity?!”

“Integrity? Puh-leaseee… Not only do I lack it, so does the world. Imagine my surprise when all I had to do was just send an anonymous tip that you had been harassing someone at the party. Then just a quick bribe to Marrisah and a letter saying she corroborated my story, and that was that. What a world we live in, right?” Stewart smiled.

“You have no remorse for what you did? You ruined my fucking life!” Drake screamed, his voice so loud it sounded almost like a banshee. “It wasn’t just my job! You ruined my entire life! Any opportunity I might have had in the job market, friends, colleagues, any chance of a relationship, gone!”

“Oh, boo hoo. Honestly if I knew it was going to be that easy, I would have gone further. I should have went further, you fucking jackass! It would have been just a few more hundred dollars in a few more peoples’ pockets to put you in jail for much worse,” Stewart laughed again, “it went much easier for the next two, but too many and they stopped taking the reports seriously,” Stewart continued, shrugging his shoulders as he walked over to Theodore.

“Do you even know what kind of vile injustice you perpetuated! You ruined my life, fine. I was lucky, and I had a supportive family and I bounced back. But those other people… How many fucking lives did you destroy just for your own fucking selfishness?!”

Not even missing a beat, Stewart answered, “Hmm, at least four. Didn’t bother keeping track, and I lost count after that.”

Drake felt his tooth almost chip under the stress of his jaw.

“You’re not human…” Drake muttered.

“Hmm?” Stewart said, cocking his head and hand in a listening motion.

“You aren’t human! Do you know how hard it already is for people to take those types of allegations seriously?! And all you did was make it so no woman, no person! Whoever reported another one of those cases at that company would even be looked at seriously. You set the bar back for everyone for years, if not more! Those false accusations did more than just ruin the accused’s lives,” Drake shouted, his voice breaking, “you were charged to take care of employees, and you manipulated all those people, for what? To keep a job you weren’t qualified for? For pleasure?!”

Stewart pulled another knife from his side, playing with it in his hand. “Are you done?” he said, his face glazed over in boredom. “I did it because I could. With you, it was for my job, and because I liked Marrisah. Seeing you get along so well with her pissed me off, so I decided to get rid of you. But after that? It was just so easy to put you out of the picture, I decided to do the same with a few more people, and got myself a nice little spot near the top! Doubled my pay in less than a year.”

“Drake? What are you doing? Stop! You need to wait!” Natto yelled.

Drake couldn’t hear her. His mind had finally gone blank in anger. He slowly stepped forward, his Aura going out of control and washing over the outpost.

Eight other figures in black shimmered into vision, fear in their eyes. Some were shaking after dropping to their knees. Others desperately chanted, reactivating their stealth skills and spells.

Drake didn’t care for the background characters. His eyes were trained on only one person right now.

Stewart.

Drake’s eyes cascaded in an eerie glow of yellow, blue, and green, fixed on the man, with unbridled fury. Every hair on his body bristled as his Aura roiled in unprecedented, vicious bloodthirst.

The beast inside him was scratching at the cage and Drake had no mind to stop it.

Tyrannical Aura P1 (4%) [F-Rank]

The monster inside you refuses to submit. This world is yours to subjugate. You are the epitome, the apex, the ever-oppressive Tyrant. Your word is law inside your domain.

This skill grants access to Aura.

A passive ability to impose your will upon the world within a certain distance.

Allows user to perceive their surroundings within a 15-foot sphere around themselves. Increases with proficiency.

Aura suppresses anyone inside your sphere that is of your Rank or lower, imposing a perpetual 10% debuff to all combat stats and momentary fear. Increases with proficiency.

Aura momentarily disrupts any and all spells or skills being cast when will is flexed. Must be of equal or lower Rank. Limit once per hour.

Devourer: Any target inside your sphere of influence has one beneficial buff removed once per hour.

Chapter 61

This is Player vs Player

Drake trudged forward towards the temporarily stunned Stewart, his Of the Apex and Aura forcing the man into a momentary submission. But Drake’s skills were not well-enough trained yet. Stewart quickly shook off the stun with a sinister grin. He pulled up his mask and whispered something under his breath before shimmering out of sight.

Drake stood stock still, his eyes turning to Theodore, fury welling up inside. He needed to get him away from the fight fast or he would just be made a hostage again.

With his Mark still on Stewart Drake could still track him well enough, but only for five minutes.

Natto, how can I get Theodore inside the mines?

“Now you wish to speak?! Fine. You just have to give him permission to enter, verbal or mental, does not matter to the system as long as it is voluntary and not coerced,” she replied, irritated, “but you should go back to the mines. I cannot in good conscience say that you can help him in your condition! You need to stay alive to help someone, and you are outnumbered! Please, see reason and retreat for now!”

You really expect me to just leave him out here, after saying I would help him save those people? To just leave him to be tortured even more… From what Stewart said, Theo never said a word about us. He’s already family, Drake thought, his emotion leaking across their mental connection.

Natto went silent.

Drake continued tracking Stewart as he crept up to his side, quickly checking his lingering debuff in his peripheral.

Divine Frailty [F-Rank]

Lasts 1 minute 53 seconds

Damn it, if I knew this was going to happen, I would have just made Bjorn sit his big ass down here till the debuff was gone! Drake cursed.

He felt a mental sigh and roll of the eyes from Natto.

I don’t need a lecture about it… I know it was my fault, I’m just saying! Hindsight is twenty-twenty…

Drake looked again at the two people holding Theodore, both suddenly shaken stiff by his gaze.

Taking his chance, Drake lunged forward but his diminished stats slowed him greatly.

Fuck, is this how it would be if I was really level 10? This is harsh! he screamed internally.

Drake sprint-stepped forward. Summoning a ball of wind was second nature now that his anger focused him. Crushing it in his hand to shift his hair and tattoos to a mint green, his speed exploded halfway through the step.

The people holding Theodore were shocked by the sudden influx of speed and the shift in Drake’s hair color, their eyes going wide as they desperately scrambled back.

But with the help of his Endowment, there was no escape.

Drake roared as he threw a fist forward, catching the person on the right with a straight hook to their face. The person’s mask fluttered off their face revealing a man in his twenties before they flew backwards from the force of the blow.

In the same motion Drake conjured a Fireball in his hand, aiming it at the person on the left. At the same time the man flew backwards, he threw the Fireball to the left.

But the second person was quicker to recover. They dodged down and pulled a knife from their side, lunging forward at Drake in a counterattack.

Drake put more mana into his tattoos aiming to deflect the blade, but it just barely cut through, leaving a streak of red as it passed by Drake’s face.

Shit! I put an extra 5% into that! he shouted internally, watching as the blade passed his face.

Drake grabbed the passing hand as he conjured another Fireball, crushing it for his Fire Endowment. His voice was low as he whispered his chant.

“On blessed wings. Guardian’s Reprieve,” he recited as a glow of green shone around him.

Drake pulled the person’s arm over his shoulder in the same breath, throwing them over his shoulder and down to the ground. His extra strength from his Endowment showed its increased force creating a small crater with an audible crack when they were slammed to the ground.

Now I can see why Bjorn liked doing this!

Drake quickly changed to his Water Endowment. The last few seconds had drained his mana and he needed to get back what he could.

Looming above them, Drake made sure to keep track of the others around him. Nine figures were still in shadows moving in on him. Three were closest, but surprisingly Stewart was the furthest back.

He didn’t have time to consider the moral repercussions as Drake grit his teeth, snapping his fingers and summoning his element of conflux, lightning.

Bringing his finger to a makeshift gun, he pointed it down at the masked person’s head.

“No one hurts my family,” he sneered, loosing the spell. A bolt of lightning embedded itself into their forehead with a sizzle, a small bead of red and the scent of charred flesh its only indication.

You have killed participant Julia Kelly Level 13.

Experience earned. 86,253 TP have been awarded.

You have gained the title Murderer.

Drake clicked his tongue but had no time to admonish himself as he felt the three from before closing in. The man he had flung across the outpost was also slowly getting up, shimmering into the shadows.

He repositioned, putting himself behind Theodore who was still on the ground. Standing to cover him like a wolf protecting its cubs, his tattoos and hair switched to a deep tawny as he changed to his Magma Endowment.

Even with the debuff cutting his regeneration in half, by now his mana was restored to nearly 40%.

The invisible figures were less than a few feet away and quickly closing in.

Putting more mana into his arms, Drake felt two blades collide with his tattoos, a third finding its home in his side.

Drake grunted in pain, the three figures shimmering into existence as their invisibility dropped. Each one wore black, some donning pieces of leather here and there. One in particular pulled his mask down and sneered, “Dumbass! You should’ve left the dead weight!”

Drake smiled back, his eyes flaring yellow. Both his hands raised as a small dome of ice quickly formed around them. Drake’s tattoos and hair then cascaded into a pristine white.

The three grew confused at the dome that now contained them.

A female voice shouted behind Drake, her knife dripping in a suspicious purple liquid, “You idiot, now you’re trapped in here with us!”

Drake glanced at the debuff.

Divine Frailty [F-Rank]

Lasts 7 seconds.

6

5

“No,” Drake said.

4

3

2

“You’re locked in here with me.”

1

Drake felt as if training weights had been lifted. Power akin to absorbing an epic stone quickly flooded his body.

Drake moved with untold speed with a makeshift blade of fire in his hand, cold breath escaping his lips in a puff of frozen smoke. Three headless bodies hit the floor around him and Theodore.

You have killed participant Abraham Reynolds Level 12.

Experience earned. 101,053 TP have been awarded.

You have killed participant Kim Samsarah Level 14.

Experience earned. 100,553 TP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Elemental Miller level 11.

40 FP have been awarded.

You have killed participant Lee Hyuk Level 16.

Experience earned.

127,853 TP have been awarded.

Drake quickly squashed the fire and changed to his Water Endowment, a slight shiver running down his spine but not from the cold.

He had killed three more people without hesitation. Something in his mind had changed. He felt remorse but only logically. His body, his instinct only recognized them as more monsters. They had tried to kill him and his, so they died for it.

“Drake…” Natto almost whispered inside his head.

“Not now. We’ll talk about it later… Right now, I need to recover as much of my missing status as possible, before they decide to break through the ice. And we need to somehow get Theodore into the mines,” Drake said, looking at the poor man.

Theodore’s clothes and body showed the signs of the torture they put him through. Rips lined the seams of his coat and shirt, his dress pants were stained a thick red. A knife still protruded from his thigh.

Drake wasn’t sure if he should risk removing the knife but quickly decided against it.

Cursing that he still hadn’t made a pouch for his potions, he tried to pull a potion from his inventory but failed. He was still in combat.

Drake’s mind moved to what he could do. His Endowment, regeneration skills, and the debuff finally falling off meant his status was quickly filling but it would still be a minute or more to reach full. Even the knife wound he had suffered to the side was only beginning to heal.

From inside the ice dome, the only assailant he could track was Stewart. There was no way to tell when they would decide to cave in shelter.

“Okay, I can’t get to the potions, and we probably don’t have a lot of time,” Drake said, kneeling down to Theodore. Drake lightly shook him, trying to get him to respond. “Theo! Theo! You still there, you stupid Larper? Look at me, bud!”

Drake continued coaxing Theodore to focus, eventually pouring some water over his head. Finally Theodore responded with a small groan.

“My liege…?” Theodore eked out.

“Yeah, it’s me. Can you stay with me for a few more seconds? I’m going to get you to the mines, and you’re going to be fine, okay?” Drake said, trying his best to reassure the man.

“N-No… P-Please, you must liberate my dear Harley. She is in the gobl—” Theodore slumped forwards again before finishing his thought.

“Fuck! Natto, we’re making a break for the mines!”

“Drake, please, just a few more seconds! You need time—”

“Theodore doesn’t have that time! His ass is bleeding out, and it’s because I wasn’t there to help him. We are going to those mines, even if I have to go through that fucking worthless scumbag to get there. This is not a debate!” he shouted.

Drake didn’t wait for an answer as he hoisted Theodore onto his shoulders and pulled him into a piggy back ride, chanting his skill, “I am the wall on which my enemies billow. Unbreakable.” The viridescent glow quickly flared then winked out of sight.

Then tracking his Mark, Drake checked Stewart’s location from inside the ice dome. Summoning a ball of lightning in each hand, he let one hover to his side as he condensed the other, dropping a little more of his mana into the spell.

Drake pushed the ball to the edge of the ice dome in Stewart’s direction and condensed it further as it crackled and snapped with power. He extended one arm out. Lightning crackled as he lined up the shot with Stewart.

“Railgun!” Drake roared, letting his thumb fly out and connect with the ball of energy.

It flashed with brilliance and fired, cracking and shattering the dome. The bright line of lighting flooded forwards as licks of the electricity connected with the ground and a line of white-hot lightning burned the grass below.

Drake moved with urgency as soon as the spell let loose, Endowing himself with lightning while flying forwards with his full speed. He tackled Stewart, his Aura unfurling and pressing up against the other invisible figures.

When he was only steps from the mines’ entrance, having dodged each assailant, Drake’s Mark unexpectedly moved. Suddenly Stewart was right in front of Drake. The man’s blade hurtled down with a sinister ebony glow.

Drake didn’t even have time to gasp as he turned his shoulder, putting power into his right tattoo to block the incoming blade. Only his Lightning Endowment allowed him to even glimpse it, and his body could barely keep up.

Drake’s other arm he pointed at the man. Drake attempted to activate his skill, “Fear is—” but Stewart’s blade moved with vicious determination as he mumbled something under his breath.

“Butcher.”

There was no chance to catch the blade.

Gained Reprieval charge.

Drake saw his arm before he felt the pain. It flew in front of him, tattoo still glowing as Drake tracked it with his eyes. The arm flopped to the ground between them. Drake saw the smile on Stewart’s face, painted red by drops of Drake’s own blood.

Anger erupted in him. His determination to see the bastard pay for what he had done ignited, and Drake roared in wild, animalistic fury.

Swinging around in a 360 degree turn, Drake grabbed his dismembered arm by the elbow and bashed it right into the side of Stewart’s head. Flooding it with a red glow of power from Martial Strike, he drove it down and pinned Stewart to the ground with a disgusting crunch.

You have killed participant Kohoo - Stewart James Level 19.

Experience earned. 235,453 TP have been awarded.

You have been awarded the title Serial Killer.

Drake pulled his arm from Stewart’s dead corpse in one motion and dove for the mines, saving his teleport for anything else unexpected. But for once luck was on his side as he crashed through the door uninterrupted and tumbled with Theodore to the ground.

The second he came to a stop Natto popped out, hysteria painting her face.

“Drake! What?! Potion! A potion! Hurry!” she shouted.

Drake tried to pull the potions from his inventory but nothing appeared. Each passing second his vision darkened.

“Fuck, not again…” he mumbled, trading his Endowment out for his Ice and locking up his wind and water elements.

The active regeneration helped somewhat but he was still losing blood too fast.

After dropping his own severed arm in his inventory, Drake cast Fireball with a wince. Bracing himself, he screamed as the fire touched the base of his shoulder, the smell of burning flesh filling the mine.

Gasping for air through his teeth and with saliva dripping down the sides of his clenched mouth, Drake tried again for the potions.

This time, thankfully, they popped into his hands. He offered one to the shaking Natto. “Hurry, get it to Theodore. I’ll be fine, I stopped the bleeding so I just have to wait for the weakened debuff to drop off and my status to recover,” he huffed out between breaths, pulling the cork of one with his teeth and downing it in one go.

Soon his breathing evened out and he collapsed against the cool ground of the mines as he let the comforting grip on the floor and darkness of the mines embrace him.

Chapter 62

Is it Over?

A loud crunch of shattering glass sounded, the small pieces from the container of amber liquid shimmering to the ground like falling stars.

“What do you mean he’s dead?!” growled Joker as he throttled the man’s collar, his eyes like pointed knives. “It was just some level 10 punk who isn’t even on the ladder!” he shouted, spittle flying.

“I-It. H-H-He was on the ladder!” the man said, trying his best to cower and lean away from Joker.

Joker’s brow rose. “Who is it?” he asked, not letting the man go.

“His name was Shot! He might have been level 10, but he killed people in one blow! It was like fighting Bear!” the man shouted, nearly hysterical.

The next moment the man was on the ground, slumped in a pooling puddle of red. A low gurgling and popping of bubbles was barely audible.

Joker pulled his knife up to look at the blade then cleaned it on the man’s shirt.

“Anyone else want to lie to me?” he asked the remaining five people.

Everyone shivered at the gaze but shook their heads.

“Good. You,” he said, pointing the knife at one. “What really happened? You all jump Kohoo and run away?”

The woman he pointed to hesitated, her voice shaky and her body language sheepish as she folded her hands together. “I-It’s true. I don’t know how, but I watched him kill Julia with a single spell! B-But he also sent Dominic flying with one blow to his chest!” she shouted, staring at Dominic still in a pool of his own blood.

“Huh… Guess I shouldn’t have killed him, then… Bastard was telling the truth…” Joker shrugged and gave a smile. “Oh, well. Someone please tell me you at least picked up their loot?”

Four heads nodded in affirmation.

“Good!” Joker shouted. “Now, tell me more about the highest participant on the TP Ladder.”

Rank 1: Shot [1,315,603 TP]

◆◆◆

A slow, swaying motion gingerly roused Drake from sleep.

“My liege… Sire! Please awaken, my liege!” the shaking, pleading voice entreated.

“Just five more minutes…” Drake grumbled, then winced as he turned over onto his stump of an arm, sharply inhaling. “Ah! Susmaryosep… That stings! You know I lost an arm, Theo…” he said, cracking an eye to see the dirty blond-haired man’s face uncomfortably close to his own.

“Sire! Were it not a dire situation that sorely required thine owne attention, this one wouldst surely entertain thy mirthful jesting. But I implore thee, please, we must move to liberate the captives of the goblins! There is but little time!” Theodore said, clinging to Drake’s garb.

“Thanks, Theo, I’m fine too. Appreciate you asking…” Drake said wryly, sitting up. His shoulder still stung from cauterizing the wound. His status was full but the pain still lingered, as it always did. Drake quickly scanned the mineshaft and found Natto a small distance away, sitting on a small stone.

“Natto? What, no ‘dolt’? No ‘ape’ comment to chew me out?” Drake joked, slowly getting up to walk over.

Natto was silently brooding as she stared at the ground.

“Come on, we’re alive and we made it out. Let’s take that as a win,” Drake said, kneeling down to meet her eyes.

Drake lifted her bangs to get a good look at her. She wasn’t hurt, thankfully, but crying had made her eyes red and puffy. Their eyes met, and she quickly turned away, new tears pooling.

“What’s wrong, Natto? It’s not like you to be so upset without me doing something really stupid.” Drake smiled, trying again to joke.

“You have done something stupid!” she shouted, making Drake grimace. “And I believe you said that there were no more secrets! Certainly, your dealings with that bottom-feeding rat in the form of a man could be considered a secret!” She turned back to him, small streams now dripping from her chin as her lip quivered. “Do you still not trust me enough to share such things?!”

Drake rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Of course I trust you. It’s just that whole thing isn’t the type of laundry I like to air. It was my problem, and I had to deal with it back in the day. Of course my family knew I was fired for a false accusation, but that’s pretty much as far as it went. They supported me until I got back on my feet, and things got better from there. I just thought, I don’t know. It didn’t need to be mentioned. I never expected to meet Stewart again, much less in this tutorial…”

“Is it not our problem? You told me we are in this together, and I am entitled to such things! Do not treat me like a child, Drake!” she wailed, beginning to full-on pout as she stood up.

“Alright, alright…” Drake consoled, putting his hand on her head. “I promise, no more hiding things like that.” He smiled, lying through his teeth.

Drake knew she wanted to share the burden, but his past was his emotional trauma to bear and he wouldn’t put that onto the little construct to carry with him. He would deal with it in his own time and in his own way.

Natto looked at Drake, her face pensive as it shifted from relief to sadness, concern, and then reluctance.

Drake moved to pick her up with his right arm but chuckled wearily when nothing happened.

Oh yeah, forgot that asshole cut it off… Damn, that skill was crazy. Cut right through my defenses like butter, he thought, picking her up with his other arm.

Once up, Natto sniffled for a moment then used Drake’s garb to rub the snot from her nose.

“Hey! What gives?! How do you shift from worrying to doing this kind of stuff all in a matter of seconds?!” he shouted, conjuring a ball of water to splash both his shoulder and Natto. The small girl deflated, her ears and tail flopping down like wilting, reddish flowers.

“I am a woman of many faces,” Natto said, blowing her pink bangs out of her face.

“Yeah, faces of gross, snot-filled angst, maybe,” Drake said, then started looking around.

“Who are you looking for?” Natto asked, raising a brow as she wrung the water from her sleeves.

“The woman you mentioned, can’t seem—Okay, okay, I’m kidding! Just kidding!” Drake laughed, blowing hot air on both her and his clothes. His head tilted away from the very pointy metal object that had mysteriously appeared near his face.

After pacifying Natto Drake turned again to Theodore, who was anxiously waiting at the door of the mines, his cane in hand and his eyes attentively pressed to the cracks.

“Theodore,” Drake said.

“Yes—” Theodore answered before a wall of water splashed over him, soaking him to the bone in lukewarm liquid.

“You’re covered in blood, bro, time for a scrub,” Drake said with a grin on his face. “I’m glad you didn’t die, Theo. And thank you. You know, for not snitching,” continued Drake, placing his hand on Theodore’s shoulder.

Theodore gazed at Drake, the mustache plastered to his face looking much like a certain fast food chain’s yellow ‘M’ as it framed his mouth. He frowned slightly.

“My liege, please, now is not the time for jests! We must return to the goblins’ encampment posthaste! Those people, Harley… This one will do anything!” Dropping to the floor, Theodore bent at the knee, his face pressed against the dirt. “Anything I have said before, but I beg thee, as I do not have the strength myself. Save her!” Theodore implored.

Drake kneeled to meet Theodore, his hand again finding the man’s shoulder.

“Theo. It goes without saying. You’ve earned your keep and I will do what I can, but you need to take care of yourself first, you’re a mess,” Drake said, smiling.

A scoff sounded next to Drake’s ear. “That is certainly rich coming from someone who rushed in head-first with a 50% debuff restricting him!” Natto grumbled, crossing her arms.

Drake laughed sheepishly and stood, his hand stretched to help Theodore up. “Never mind that. Let’s get us cleaned up, yeah? Then we can go. It will only take a few minutes, and the more we dally the longer it takes. Know how to speed shower, I hope?”

Theodore’s eyes found renewed life as he took the hand, hope welling up in his chest. “Yes, my lord! With wings as swift as meditation, or the thoughts of love!”

Drake raised his brow for a moment but dismissed it, pouring more water onto Theodore and ignoring his grunting as he quickly scrubbed away the blood on his body.

Drake quickly switched to some warm air as his mind momentarily wandered. His thoughts turned to his arm. Would this injury be permanent? Could a healer possibly do something about it? Or perhaps a rank up would fix it, as was the case in so many other light novels and stories.

Shortly before they left, Theodore piped up with a question.

“My liege, dost thou feel capable enough to fight?” he finally asked while looking at Drake’s severed arm, regret clear on his face. “Will the loss of thine appendage not hinder thee?”

Drake gazed forlornly at his stump but only for a moment before his face shifted to a grin once more.

“I’ve got a few things in the bag, and that level up beefed me up quite a bit. I’m dumping the points straight into intelligence. Going to be needing as much mana as possible for this little trick.” Drake’s smile grew larger as he summoned a spike of earth in front of him.

Quickly molding the long spike into the form of an arm he placed it on his shoulder, slightly overlapping with his clavicle.

Looking at his status then stats, Drake nodded. Regeneration had kept his mana at 100%, canceling out his basic earth magic manipulation consumption as long as the arm remained stationary.

Eyeing his mana, he began flexing his manipulation to move the arm and fingers. Each movement caused a small dip in his mana before it filled back up. More dexterous uses of the hand and fingers required more mana but it wasn’t a problem.

Drake looked at his new stats, glad to see the rare class combination was treating him well even before the added stats.

Drake Wallen

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Race: Human

Profession: Miner P2 (7%) [F-Rank]

Class: [Unique] Elemental Miller Level 11

VIT: 227 (15%)

STR: 236 (20 +20%)

DEX: 171 (30 + 30%) +(40)

INT: 383 (+25%)

WIS: 199 (25%)

END: 106 (15 + 25%)

Free Points: 62

Drake smiled. The class descriptions had not mentioned it but he was gaining a full 10 points in his main stats strength and intelligence, and 8 in his sub-stats vitality and wisdom. He placed 62 points into intelligence, pumping him up to over 400.

As his mana pool welled up, the increase made him giddy inside. He remembered to visit Shigure after the rescue and leveling up more. He would need to learn to make more powerful jewelry now that he had fewer fingers to go around. At least now that he had lost an arm. He lamented that he only had 40 extra points in dexterity now, but it wasn’t a large loss. Drake’s bigger priority was to either find or make intelligence jewelry and something that would hide his identity.

The people that had come with Stewart, as well as Stewart himself, had some sort of item that obscured their status and he would need that sooner rather than later with his increase in TP.

Drake looked to Natto first, who nodded and merged within him. Then he turned to Theodore.

“Alright Theo, wait here for a moment. I’m going out, and then I’ll come back when I’ve cleared the outpost, alright?”

Theodore hesitated for a moment, obviously wanting to object, but nodded and tightened his grip around his cane.

Drake gave him a quick nudge with his new stone arm. “Don’t worry, Theo, we’ll figure out how to get you stronger in no time. But first things first, let’s rescue your girl. Speaking of which. Natto, I’ve been meaning to ask, there’s a party system, right? There has to be.”

“There is. The basic party system splits the experience gained on an even basis, then is adjusted based on contribution. For more advanced features, you would need a full support class to assist you,” Natto explained.

Drake talked to himself, leaving Theodore unaware of their conversation. “Oh, there are full support classes? Are they only branches of Cleric classes? And I’m guessing just mentally asking for a party will make the system do its thing, right?”

“That is correct. Support classes can come from any of the base classes, each one specializing its base in what and how it supports. Warrior classes need to be in closer range to give benefits, some even needing killing blows to enemies to ramp up buffs. Rangers, similarly, can give support in various ways. But Clerics on average are more geared towards helping others.”

Drake nodded. “So, does that mean there might be a Cleric geared towards healing enough to mend my arm?”

“Yes, it is possible. It would be somewhat unexpected to find one within the tutorial at such a low relative level, though. Without a proper supporting number of people, they would be essentially useless outside of anything else.”

“That’s all I needed to hear. Guess Shigure’s even higher on the list. But now it’s time to get to saving some people.”

Chanting his defensive skills, Drake opened the door to the mines, the morning sun striking him in the eyes and briefly painting the entire outpost in a brilliant white.

Adjusting quickly as he looked around, he got to scanning the outpost with his glowing, blue eyes, while also expanding his aura to the fullest.

Feeling nothing odd within its thirty-foot sphere and seeing no abnormal fluctuations in mana, Drake waited a moment, bracing for a sneak attack. But it never came.

Drake shrugged and ran the span of the outpost, making sure to check every nook and cranny of the area.

No one remained. Even the corpses of the people he had killed were cleared. It gave him some mixed feelings.

“Drake. They certainly deserved what they reaped. You need not feel remorse for punishing such people,” Natto said, trying to console him.

“It isn’t that, Natto. I know it was justified, and if it happened again, I would do the same thing every time. What is bothering me is how I feel about it. When I killed my first monster, I nearly broke, not being able to cope, throwing up and reeling. But this? I feel nothing but vindication. I know logically it’s wrong to take life, but I feel nothing. No remorse, no sorrow. I almost feel good about it. Like they deserved it for even considering they could hurt me or my family…” Drake trailed off, gripping the hem of his garb with his real hand. “These skills, they’ve changed me more than I care to admit, or maybe even want. But I don’t think I can survive if I don’t change. Is that wrong?”

A beat of silence passed before Natto answered.

“Drake. I have told you, and you know as well as I. This is not your old world. And I will do anything to keep you alive. If you must kill someone in cold blood to do so, I will not admonish you or even bat an eye. I certainly sympathize, but you will not find me trying to take some moral high ground or trying to find justification. You take lives to protect your own. It is now that simple.”

Drake sighed, then took a calming breath.

Turning to the mines, he was silent. It was going to be a very harsh wake up call. Drake was now certain that the world was going to be very, very different.

Chapter 63

Heyo, I'm Shot, and I'll be Your Savior for Today!

Screams, squeals, and shrieks kept most of the captives in the pen up the entire night. Or at least, that was the best way Chelsea could describe the sad excuse for a cage they were kept in.

She examined the large wooden structure she had been forced into after that bastard Chris set her up.

Men and women sat sullenly at the edges of the large pen, some crying or injured, some shivering from anxiety and fear.

Chelsea on the other hand could only think of two people. Chris and Megan.

It had been a long time coming for Chris and she had finally built enough of a reputation to try to usurp Chris. She had hoped to bring everyone to the larger camp they all knew of. It was run by a younger boy but contained hundreds of people, making it the safest place they could go.

Chris had somehow gotten wind of it and made an excuse to have Chelsea and a few others go scout out ahead. Little did she know it had been an ambush.

Fucking asshole didn’t even have the balls to do it himself! He sent goddamned Lenny to do it! she yelled internally, scowling deeply.

“What’s wrong, Chelsea?” a man asked across from her.

She raised her head to look across at the man, Tom. He was a good person, all things considered. He came with her when they were forced to scout ahead. She knew how he felt about her and Megan, it was no secret with how he looked at them and how he treated them.

But he had been utterly useless during the fight, which had pushed them away from the camp and Megan. Eventually it forced them into a pack of goblins at the worst time. And for some reason the goblins captured everyone instead of killing them.

Only later did Chelsea realize why. The goblins had pulled the women away and done unspeakable things to them. Those that resisted like Chelsea were forced to fight against their own party members and other beasts in an arena. Chelsea herself had been forced to fight several times, each time leaving a foul taste in her mouth.

The men fared no better. It seemed some of the goblins had some particular tastes. Many others were sent over to certain tents. Sometimes screams would come from those tents—but they always fell silent.

Many goblins often passed through that tent, bowls of food in hand.

Not everyone was happy with Tom’s concern. “The same thing that’s wrong with the rest of us, you bloody twat!” spat a woman.

Tom recoiled. “I was just trying to be nice…”

“Yeah, well, maybe if you were a little fucking less nice, we wouldn’t have gotten into this stupid shit situation. Chelsea did more work in that fight before the goblins, and after. Might I add. Than your despicable ass, and she’s a right Ranger class, you bloody loser!” she roared.

“That’s going too far, Jacqueline. Even if it’s true. We’re all stuck here now, and we need to get back somehow…” Chelsea said, intervening before the woman strangled the poor guy.

Like Megan, Jacqueline was one of their group’s healers, but she specialized in active healing rather than Megan’s buffs and passive healing.

Normally she would never have been allowed to leave the group’s main camp but Jacqueline had a very specific way of speaking to people and voicing her opinions. And she was very vocal about how she disliked Chris.

“No, no, let me land here. This bastard literally came just to chase tail. And was nothing but dead weight when shit hit the fan. Doesn’t that sound right?” Jacqueline continued. “You’re supposed to be the front liner, innit? But all you do is make excuses and cower! Even with me right there with you!”

Tom looked down, unable to refute anything she said.

Chelsea just sighed. Everyone was on edge, not just Jacqueline. She gazed over the cage again and while no one spoke, they were all thinking the same thing.

They were doomed.

◆◆◆

“Okay, coast is clear, Theo. Time to go out and save some people,” Drake said, poking his head in through the doorway. “Put your invisibility on and let’s get going.”

Theodore nodded furiously. “With all due haste, my liege! What shall we do about the aforementioned party arrangements?”

Drake pursed his lips. “Oh, almost forgot about that…” Drake tried sending a mental invitation like in one of his games, and a small chime sounded as he heard the familiar mechanical female voice.

Theodore Rotwood has joined the party.

“Not sure why that’s so off-putting, but thankfully, it worked,” Drake said, walking back out into the open of the outpost. Theodore concealed himself and following close behind.

Theodore spoke from beneath his veil. “My liege, how art thou going to keep track of where this one is, if I am to remain inconspicuous?”

“No problem, my new Aura skill will let me know where you are, vaguely. It is a bit disappointing there is no map function with the party, but lead the way, Theo.”

Are there any other party functions I should know about, Natto? Drake asked mentally as they approached the gate.

“No, unfortunately there are no other functions without a support class to facilitate them. It is essentially just a means of sharing experience. I suppose you could certainly use it for verifying someone’s level and alias, if you wished,” she answered.

Ah, bummer, Drake replied, pulling on the gate wheel using his earth-made arm and getting a better feel of it with the process.

“Alright, Theo. I’m going to close the gate, then follow. We’re going to make this as quick as possible. We rescue Harley, you bring her back here, we go back inside the mines and sort everything out from there,” Drake listed off rapid-fire.

Drake didn’t wait for a reply and got to work. He felt Theodore move outside the gate and released its lock. It swung close.

He leapt to the top of one of the guard towers then vaulted over the wall, landing on the yellow brown-dirt which barely shifted below his feet.

Drake then gestured as if to say ‘lead the way’ and the two were off.

They both moved through the forest at a brisk pace, Drake easily able to keep up with Theodore. Both passed by some of the leftover corpses that still littered the ground, reminding Drake that he had to do something about them and the ones inside the outpost.

After a few minutes of traveling Natto spoke up. “You know, I have said some things are bad ideas before. And evidence dictates that to certainly be true.”

Drake rolled his eyes, keeping pace with the surprisingly fast Theodore.

Yeah, and? Are you going to say this is a bad idea as well? he asked internally.

“No. I was going to say this is the worst idea yet.”

Drake remained silent, yet judging.

“Well, if there is an F-Rank Goblin King amassing an army, that means the top of the goblin hierarchy is present here,” she continued.

Point being? Drake asked mentally, dodging an extended root.

“Please, Drake, do not be intentionally dense. If a raid boss is present, what does that mean,” Natto prompted, tilting her head sarcastically inside his own.

Oh… So, what kind of extra monsters are we talking about? A few generals like the quest said, and what, lieutenants or something?

“Certainly, but with the numbers given in the quest and bonus goals, there seems to be a growing number of the green beasts. Meaning that there are going to be generals, lieutenants, and so on. This also does not mention if they have brought their infrastructure with them as well. Remember the gnolls?”

Drake nodded, still trailing Theodore. The pair had begun slowing.

“It will resemble that, but much larger. We are talking about real roles. Cooks, jailers, lumberers, butchers, real infrastructure for growth…”

The trees had begun to thin out as they reached their destination. Beyond the treeline they witnessed an endless sea of monsters. All along the bank of the river were campfires, tents, walls, barricades. You name it, they had it. But drawing Drake’s attention even from afar were large cages lining the sides of tents holding captives. People. Not far away were pits which dozens of goblins congregated around, cheering.

“Well, that certainly doesn’t bode well…” Drake said.

“My word, that is a lot… That is far more than what the quest suggested. They must have nearly taken over the whole tutorial’s population with that many. It really is an invasion.”

Drake smiled, an idea flashing in his head.

“No… No, Drake! You are not him, and you do not have Conqueror’s Haki. If anything, you have the weaker version at the moment. One might call you Ape’s Little Bitch Haki,” Natto interjected into Drake’s daydream.

Drake frowned, a scowl forming. “Aw, come on… Let me have my moment. You at least can’t deny that the Time Skip reveal and Fishman Arc was pretty cool, when he just flexes on them!”

Natto was silent, bringing another smile to Drake’s face. “Okay, plan set then.”

◆◆◆

Chelsea peered beyond the cage, filtering out Jacqueline’s long tirade against Tom’s uselessness.

She had given up on trying to stop it, instead trying to find a way to get out of the goblin’s ever-growing camp. But again and again her thoughts returned to Megan. She hoped that scumbag Chris wouldn’t hurt her. Not until Chelsea made it back.

The problem was that her skills required use of her bow, and without one she had no chance of escape.

Tugging on the threaded rope of the cage, she clicked her tongue, her now dirty-brown, rust-colored hair encrusted in sweat and blood from the days of sitting in the sun and fighting in the small arena.

Turning back to the rest of the captives, she spotted a blonde girl who looked more fierce than the other sullen people among the cage and walked up to her. Plopping down next to her, she pulled a small container of water from her inventory.

Thankfully the goblins, like everyone else, had no way of taking away their stored items, but as fate would have it many people did not hold on to their older equipment or keep spares of their main weapons, leaving them mostly weaponless. The few weapons remaining were held by cowards who had already given up and wouldn’t even retrieve them from their inventories.

Sitting down, she offered the canteen. “Harley, here. Your face is going to get wrinkles if you keep scowling like that,” Chelsea joked.

As if pulled from deep thought, she grabbed the canteen gingerly with both hands, “Oh! Thank you, Chelsea… I was just thinking of my husband… He is a bit of an oddball, and I can’t imagine him doing well in the tutorial, so I’m just worried.” Her voice had a beautiful, feminine pitch, even when it was dripping with concern.

“I told you, call me Chels. I can’t have friends calling me by anything but my nickname,” Chelsea chided, wrapping her arm around Harley’s shoulder. “It’s such a shame someone took you off the market. What did this man do to bag such a sweet cutie?”

Harley looked down sheepishly at the canteen, taking a long draw from it before answering.

“I-I’m a bit of a role player… or cosplayer, if you know what that is, and I have a thing for Shakespeare. He is a stage performer, and… it kind of just happened…” Harley said, trailing off once again. She was blushing as she handed back the canteen.

“Oh… roleplayer, huh?” A cheeky grin creased Chelsea’s face. “I’m sure he’s fine and on his way right now to save you. Who could leave someone like you alone?” Chelsea said, trying her best to comfort Harley.

“Yeah…”

But before they could talk more, loud drums thundered from the other side of the large camp.

Slowly everyone in the cage gathered at the edge of the cage, struggling to glimpse the cause of the commotion.

“What is it?!” someone asked.

“It’s Bear or Shigure! I knew they wouldn’t leave us behind!” another shouted, raising the hopes of everyone in the cage.

“Don’t be fucking stupid! Do you know how many goblins there are here? It’s probably just more of those green bastards turning up to kill everyone,” a gruff man said, deflating everyone’s hopes.

Chelsea looked over at the man, glaring at him for his words. Asshole… she thought.

But soon the drumming stopped and the mob of goblins marched in earnest, each one running in the direction the drums had just come from.

Screeches and shrieks accompanied the loud, thunderous booms and cracks.

Chelsea raised a brow, peering past the row of people pasted close to the wall of the cage.

The screams and shouts increased in volume, the booms and rumbles enough to shake the cage as they reverberated.

“Does anyone else hear boss music?” Tom said, wrapping his arms around himself as if he suddenly became cold.

Soon a wave of cold passed over the rest of the cage, like liquid fear had oozed into it. It was palpable in the air, soaking all the cage’s occupants.

A whisper came from the opposite end of the cage, nearly giving everyone a heart attack.

“Harley, my love! It is I!” the voice whispered with urgency.

“T-Theodore?”

Chelsea looked over right at Harley, her hands covering her mouth as tears pulled at the edges of her eyes.

They could not see the source of the voice but it seemed to be the man Harley had spoken of.

“Theodore! I didn’t even think you were in this tutorial!” she shouted, running to the opposite side of the cage. Everyone's gazes followed her, but their faces still showed confusion.

“Hush, my love. My lord shall be here soon to liberate you all,” Theodore said, anger and concern obvious in his nearly shaking whisper.

The stream of goblins continued to pour past the cage, nearly endlessly, oblivious to Theodore and the movement inside the cage.

Until the loudest banshee-like shriek yet rang through the area. Something hurtled towards the cag and past it, colliding with the oncoming flow of goblins. Dust, bodies, and debris were kicked into the air around the impact.

Each of the goblins in front of the cage froze. The captives inside the cage stared in shock, their jaws left agape at the sight of their captors frozen like stone statues watching whatever had just landed.

The dust settled. Protruding from a dead goblin was another goblin’s corpse, crumpled like a soda can.

Soon another figure was flung into the mass of goblins, then another and another. A shout sounded on the other side of the camp, pulling everyone’s attention once again.

The loud laughter and cackling of someone or something grew louder and louder, a dust cloud trailing whatever it was.

Booms and the crackle of thunder resonated inside the cage. Then a flash of phosphorescent white lightning shot across the front. In the next moment there was another boom and crash. A plume of earthen debris erupted from the ground.

From within the plume came another maniacal cackle. White lightning silhouetted the figure of a man within.

The goblins, still frozen, pointed everything they had at the man as the dust slowly cleared. The people within the cage craned to look.

“My lord! Thou saidst t’would haste to set the diversion, didst thou not?!” Theodore yelled, his apparent invisibility breaking in the shock.

“I am doing it! And your doppelgangers are doing their job as well. I just want to make sure you’re covered when you break them out,” the man—the lord—answered.

The screen of dust and rubble revealed a young man in a black and gold-trimmed robe, his hair shoulder length, and… light blue? With reddish-pink animal ears? And a tail of the same color happily whipping back and forth?

Everyone scrunched up their faces in confusion and fear. It was hard to say which emotion was stronger as they stared at the man, a goblin in each hand, skulls crushed in a horrific mess as green blood painted his arms.

The man turned to the cage. “Heyo, I’m Shot, and I’ll be your savior for today!”

Chapter 64

You Can Call Me Mr. Asshole

“He is so cool…” Tom mumbled quietly.

“The fuck did you just say?!” Jacqueline yelled, turning to him.

“Uhh, nothing! I’m just happy there’s someone here for us!” Tom corrected, waving his hands dismissively.

“This guy is a psycho! Look at him! He’s bloody laughing!” Jacqueline shouted.

Drake turned to the encirclement of monsters around him, a grin on his face as he snapped his hand. Two balls of lightning sparked to life at the gesture. “Theo. Get them out of the cage, take anyone willing to come and then we’re leaving. I can only do so much on my own right now.”

“Yes, sire!” Theodore shouted back, running to the front of the cage. “’Tis a lock! It appears there is a need for the key, this one canst not get past whatever dost keep the cage together!”

Natto? Can I just blast the thing open? he asked internally, shooting forwards and throwing both orbs of lightning into the crowd of goblins. The smell of burnt flesh and fresh screams bombarded his senses.

“You could if you wish to kill them all. The cage is a magic tool, it will collapse on itself if it is forced open. You must find the Jailer with the key,” she told him, urgency in her voice.

“Theo! Goblin Jailer, point it out if you see it!” Drake shouted out, running from goblin to goblin and hurling each one into the air, and out of the cage’s vicinity.

Drake’s eyes flared as he searched for the Jailer in the crowd.

Goblin Footman Level 15 [F-Rank]

Goblin Footman Level 14 [F-Rank]

Goblin Footman Level 18 [F-Rank]

Goblin Butcher Level 15 [F-Rank]

New Subjugation Quest: Kill 100 Goblin Butchers [F-Rank].

Reward: Experience, F-Grade weapon box of your choice.

Goblin Shaman Level 15 [F-Rank]

Goblin Shaman Level 17 [F-Rank]

Goblin Footman Level 14 [F-Rank]

Drake did a full circle around the cage, getting in close to each goblin. It forced him to use his hands and smaller spells for killing blows.

Although they had only come for Theodore’s wife, there were still other people here in the goblins’ massive camp. Drake couldn’t use anything too destructive.

Drake flowed through the endless stream of goblins moving from one to the next, his hands and feet constantly on the move. The bodies were piling up, forming a small wall around the cage.

“Theo! Jailer?! I have two minutes!” Drake shouted, a sliver of worry worming through his chest. Soon his Adrenaline skill would expire, hitting him with a debuff.

“This one apologizes! ’Tis no Jailer in sight, my liege!” Theodore yelled back, desperately scanning the surroundings.

Drake was making his second lap around the cage, the putrid green wall piling higher and higher, when a loud thumping came from its other side. One Drake hadn’t caused.

More and more thumps sounded outside the wall, quickly picking up pace. A moment later a part of the makeshift wall burst open as corpses of goblins flew in all directions to reveal a hulking, green figure covered with plate mail, an enormous ball and chain in his hands.

Goblin Jailer Level 19 [F-Rank]

New Subjugation Quest: Kill 50 Goblin Jailers [F-Rank]

Reward: Experience, 1 piece of random F-Grade equipment.

“How the hell did we miss this guy coming in? He’s like twelve feet tall!” Drake laughed, exasperated.

The Jailer roared behind the welder-like, plated mask it donned, shaking the surroundings as it wound up its massive ball and chain above its head.

Drake took no time to snap his fingers, casting rapid fire, “On blessed wings. Guardian’s Reprieve! I am the shield. I am the rampart. Bulwark!”

Green lights passed over Drake in quick succession. His eyes never left the hulking metal monster and the small metal object hanging on its neck, bouncing back and forth against its chest.

“I’ve been wanting to test this one out.” Drake smiled wide, his right arm disintegrating as he held one remaining palm, an orange magic circle forming.

A goopy, viscous liquid of red, yellow, and mottled orange dribbled from Drake’s hand, falling through the cracks in his fingers. “I’m going to put some dirt in your eye.” Drake closed his hand, the taffy-like liquid receding back into his hand. His hair and tattoo flared to a bright amber as he transitioned to his Magma Endowment.

Drake bent at the knees as the Goblin Jailer roared, throwing forward his ball of metal with a loud whoosh, the clinking of metal chains creating a sharp timbre.

Drake’s foot ground into the dirt as he leaned forward his hand at his side, glowing a more potent blue.

The massive ball of metal careened forwards. The moment before impact, Drake spoke, “Marked,” and shot forward. There was the sound of a gunshot going off and the ground cracked beneath his feet.

The ball shattered in an instant with a loud crash accompanied by the shearing of metal. It fell to pieces where Drake had just been standing.

When he appeared in front of the Jailer Drake’s hand was solidly embedded inside the mammoth-sized monster.

The large monster tried its best to wrap its hands around Drake but was never able to close its grasp. And with a long, extended grunt, it fell backwards, the ground shaking as it landed.

Drake’s fist was covered in blood, but a smile graced his face as he opened it up to reveal the small key they needed.

You have defeated Goblin Jailer [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 3,500 TP have been awarded.

“How’d that get in there?” Drake scoffed, his smile growing wider.

“Are you impressed with yourself? That movie is like over fifteen years old,” Natto said, her eyes rolling mentally.

Hey, Bully Maguire is a legend, and don’t you forget it! Disrespect his name again, and I’m pulling out the dance moves on the next monster, Drake thought, chortling to himself.

“Oh for the love of… Please, no.” Natto pleaded.

Drake tossed the key back to Theodore. “Quick, Theo, time’s almost up for me,” he said, changing his Endowment again to his Water. His hair and tattoo became a light blue. Another earthen arm formed in front of him as he slid it back into place, flexing the fingers and hand.

“With all due haste, my liege!” Theodore fumbled with the lock until an audible click rang and he swung the door open, rushing for Harley.

“Harley!” he shouted.

“Theodore, you stupid man, why would you risk coming here?!” she shouted back, but her smile was reaching past her eyes already pooling with tears.

“This one feared the very day his eyes left thee. The very moment we were separated, my mind was clouded by the blackest of thoughts, and believed I would never see thee again…” Theodore said, his arms wrapping around her, ignoring the stares of the captives around him. “But once I saw thee, I beseeched mine Liege to assisteth me in saving thee, as I was unable. But this one vows I will protect you from now on, never again will the world take thee from me as long as I have life to breathe.”

Drake coughed behind Theodore. “Theo, that was absolutely touching, but we need to run. Like, yesterday.”

Chelsea eyed Drake up and down. “Asshole…”

Drake ignored the woman, his makeshift Natto ears twitching in irritation. “Right. Listen up, anyone that wants to come can, anyone that doesn’t, can sit here and eventually die or wait for whatever horrible thing that isn’t death that is coming your way.”

A woman in the back spoke up. “Why should we trust you!”

Drake folded his arms, his eyes an eerie cyan instead of the previous gentle crystal blue. “Did you not see what I just did to those goblins? You don’t have to trust me. I’m offering a way out. Do you want out or not?”

A man piped up this time. “Who’s going to go with you, psycho?! We just have to wait until Shigure and Bear come and get us!” he shouted, a few more voices agreeing behind him.

Drake shook his head. “Look, Bear isn’t coming, and neither is that kid, Shigure. Bear and him are protecting the massive number of other people in their camp.”

The man that spoke up hesitated to speak, but eventually shouted, “You’re lying, they wouldn’t leave us!”

Drake looked over his shoulder. The goblins were beginning to crawl over the small wall of corpses surrounding the cage.

“Look, I don’t particularly care if you believe me or not. You want to be a prick and stay here, fine by me. That’s less people I have to deal with and protect on the way back to my outpost, before I bring you all back to Shigure anyway. Susmaryosep…” Drake sighed,but turned towards the incoming goblins. “Theo, round them up, you have fifteen seconds,” he said before shooting forwards. The sound of shrieks and metal clashing reached the captives.

Around the cage people gave each other worried looks, some mumbling amongst themselves. All were trying to decide what to do.

Theodore leveled a gaze at Harley, his hands on her shoulders. “Harley, my love. Lord Shot is a blunt but fair man. He will keepeth us safe until we art able to do so ourselves. Do not doubt his oath, and trust in thy dear Theodore’s.” Theodore looked past her and addressed everyone else in the cage. “We speak no falsehoods, if thou dost come hence. With him. He will do his utmost to guard and be thy shield, each and every one of you. But wary shouldst thou be, every single one of thee is free to choose of thine own volition.”

Harley grabbed Theodore’s hand tight and nodded, turning back towards to Chelsea. “Let’s go, Chels. I trust Theodore, and he trusts the weird man. You want to get back to your group, right?”

Chelsea shared a glance with to Tom and Jacqueline. She seemed pensive, but turned back to the determined Harley.

“Fine, but only as far as the outpost he mentioned. And if he tries anything on the way, we are out,” Chelsea explained.

With that settled the group separated into two: those who were desperate to leave the hellish nightmare of the goblin camp, and those who didn’t trust Drake. Some of them hoped for proper rescue from Shigure and Bear, the ones they really trusted to come to their aid.

The latter group was the very small majority. By one person. The gruff man who had spoken up against Drake now lurked at the back of the cage, sitting down with his arms crossed.

With a crack of thunder, Drake reappeared in front of the cage door. “Alright, passengers, this is your captain speaking. Time’s up, and we need to go.” Drake spotted the man in the back behind the gathering group. “Hey, bro, you coming or you going to just sit there and die alone? Bad leg? Can’t run? Or you just like to pretend you’re different than all the other scared people in the cage?”

The man’s face turned red as he stood up and shouted. “Hey, asshole! Fuck you!”

Drake eyed the man, his eyes flashing gold. “You seem like a respectably stubborn man. I think it would be a shame if you died here, so how about you come with us, and you can be as stubborn as you want to be in the comfort and safety of an outpost with your lovely cellmates? I promise, I have good food.”

The man shivered beneath under Drake’s gaze for a moment. Not a moment later Drake blinked in front of him like he had with the Jailer, surprising everyone.

Drake leaned forwards, his hand on his ear. “What’s that? You said you want to come now? That’s amazing! I’m so glad you decided to change your mind!” He shouted as loudly as he could, throwing a punch into the man’s abdomen. “Oh no! What happened? You’re so happy you get to go with all your school friends you couldn’t contain yourself and fell asleep from emotional exhaustion? Understandable.” Drake nodded to himself.

Looking around, Drake spotted a very disgusted-looking woman with sun-kissed skin and rust-colored hair parted into two ponytails.

“Hey you, strong-looking girl who keeps looking at me like she wants to kill me or spit on me. Carry this guy, will you please?” he asked, placing the man on her shoulders.

“Ugh… Asshole…” Chelsea mumbled under her breath as she adjusted the man on her back.

“Can we leave this insufferable woman behind? She has been nothing but a rude bitch this entire time,” Natto spat.

Language! Drake thought, his jaw slacking in faux astonishment. But when he spoke to address the whole group, he quickly changed gears.

“Good, everyone settled? No? Too bad, let’s go, because we’re house guests and I’m pretty sure we pissed off the host,” Drake said sarcastically, moving to the front of the group.

“Do you not mean you angered the monsters?” Natto jabbed at him.

Hush, you, what else am I supposed to do, offer them food in exchange for their food? You saw the tents, you saw everything, same as I did…

“You act like an asshole, but you sure are one big softy.”

Stop talking, please. I’m trying to concentrate on channeling my inner piece of shit. Drake smirked sarcastically.

“I do not believe that is very hard for you.”

Drake rolled his eyes, turning to Theodore.

“Okay, Theo, I’m going first. I’ll pull them to the south, you send out your doppelgangers to the west. You ready?” Drake asked, withdrawing the last of the potions Bjorn had given them.

“Indubitably, my liege,” Theodore said, taking the potions and handing one to Harley. He bowed slightly.

“Good.” At Theodore’s side was a blonde woman, slightly shorter than her fiancé. Much like the other captives, she looked like she'd run through a carwash without the water. But Drake’s eyes softened slightly, happy he found her. “Hello there, Miss… or, it’s Mrs. Rotwood, isn’t it. Pleasure to meet you,” Drake said. He nearly offered a handshake with his earthen hand but he quickly caught himself switching hands.

Harley hesitated for a moment but moved to greet him in kind, staring at the arm she now noticed was made of earth. Then she met Drake’s eyes.

“Likewise… Mr. Shot?”

“You can call me Mr. Asshole, seems that’s what my nickname is now, anyway,” Drake said with a toothy smile, meeting her confused stare.

“Language!” Natto snapped.

Chapter 65

Upgrades

As the loud clangs of weapons and the shrieking of goblins closed in, Drake closely examined the outside of the suspiciously sturdy wooden cage.

He took in a quick breath, snapping his fingers and summoning a spark of lightning. Switching to his Lightning Endowment, his hair and tattoo became a bright yellow. He checked his status.

Thankfully most of it had recovered from his time in his Water Endowment and his active regeneration was just topping him off.

Unfortunately there was a flashing icon beside it.

Weakened

Overall stats are now reduced by 10% for 5 minutes.

Well, it was bound to happen, let’s just make sure we don’t run into anyone too daunting in the next five minutes… Drake said internally.

“Do you like collecting flags, or are you really just that woefully unaware?” Natto grumbled.

Drake smiled and sprinted around the wall of fallen goblins, dumping the spawned stones and non-broken armor and weapons into his inventory. He even snagged another medium dimensional bag from the Jailer but he didn’t have the time to sort through it.

After his little clean-up the goblins began pouring over the small wall.

“Okay, time to put on a show, then.” By the cage Theo was summoning his doppelgangers. Behind him, the rest of the group looked on apprehensively. “Natto, let’s instill some confidence into our rescuees, shall we?”

Drake felt Natto roll her eyes but it only increased his happiness at the idea.

While most goblins made a mad dash for Drake, some split off and began surrounding the cage.

A Footman lunged at Drake, its spear passing by his chest harmlessly as he turned. With his full status’s dexterity combined with his Endowment, he was easily able to dodge the slow attack.

As the goblin passed Drake he kneed it in the chest lightly. It rocketed several feet off the ground. Drake swung around with a kick. He scored a goal, as it and the rest of the floor went flying, clearing a path for the captives.

“Work harder, not smarter.” Drake smiled, his earthen arm crumbling away to the ground. With a snap of his fingers an aqua circle formed on his shoulder, a new water-based tendril extending from it. “Little bit of water.” Drake grinned.

Shooting forwards he left a trail of soaked earth and began pelting, splashing, and impaling goblins left and right with his water tendril. Gradually he circled around the cage, careful not to touch it.

After one full lap Drake’s hair faded back to black and his tendril of water sloshed to the ground.

Snapping his fingers, another magic circle formed at the base of his shoulder, this one bright yellow as sparks and crackling lightning formed and licked the air. Drake extended his new arm forward, thundering with electrifying power.

“Twin Maximized Magic. Twin Dragon Lightning!” Drake roared, the throngs of his fingers firing forward as they kissed the wet ground and arched toward the water-soaked goblins. Resignation was clear on their dumbstruck faces.

In an instant the entire area was charred and smelling of burnt flesh. The ground steamed with coagulated blood and heated water.

Congratulations! You have reached Elemental Miller Level 12.

40 FP have been awarded.

Shooting a glance at Theodore, Drake nodded. Of course he didn’t forget to chuckle and smile as he saw the gaping mouths of the group of people inside the cage, wholly pleased with himself and their obvious awe.

“You are such a dumbass,” Natto chided.

I thought you were born a few days ago, not in the 70’s. Who even says that anymore? Drake questioned, sprinting forward past the wall of charred goblins. He snapped his fingers to summon a shard of ice, changing his Endowment. His hair shimmered to a powdery white and another earthen brown circle of magic affixed a new arm to his shoulder.

“It is from the greatest dad in the history of television,” Natto said proudly. “Now hurry up and distract the vile green beasts, before my foot finds a vacancy in yours.”

Drake couldn’t hold back a deep belly laugh. “I don’t think that’s something you should say when you’re only a foot and a half tall, that show is as old as I am,” he chuckled, producing chaos through the goblin ranks as he ran forwards and jumped over  squads, dropping bombs of concentrated fire into the crowd that set every monster ablaze.

Notification after notification piled in as they slowly died off from the ever-hungry fire.

Drake passed more than one similar cage filled with pleading-eyed people inside. But he was forced to bite back the urge to help them as he couldn’t stop moving.

Saving the first group was one thing, but now that they knew where he was and were following there was no telling when one of the stronger goblins would take notice. He was honestly surprised they hadn’t shown themselves already.

“I have said it before and I will say it again. You certainly enjoy creating flags,” Natto sighed at Drake’s wandering thoughts.

Drake couldn’t disagree, he had been in the habit of stating certain eerie but obvious things lately. And it wouldn’t stop with just that.

“Hey, have you noticed something weird about the types of goblins we keep running into?” Drake said, looking around quickly.Even now he kept up his assault on the goblin hordes.

You have defeated Goblin Commander [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 5,500 TP have been awarded.

You have defeated Goblin Footman [F-Rank] Level 14.

Experience earned. 4,500 TP have been awarded.

You have defeated Goblin Footman [F-Rank] Level 13.

Experience earned. 4,000 TP have been awarded.

You have defeated Goblin Commander [F-Rank] Level 18.

Experience earned. 5,500 TP have been awarded.

You have defeated Goblin Footman [F-Rank] Level 13.

Experience earned. 4,000 TP have been awarded.

You have defeated Goblin Footman [F-Rank] Level 13.

Experience earned. 4,000 TP have been awarded.

“Yes… they are certainly becoming a less diverse bunch…” Natto agreed, her slow realization spilling over to their mental connection. “Do you think they know it is a distraction already?”

Drake dodged an incoming sword, pivoting to his left, then countering with his palm and sending the goblin in a heap towards the oncoming crowd. “It’s either that, or they simply have so many foot soldiers that they can just throw bodies at us. But…” Drake glanced at his status, “regeneration and Ice Endowment means I could literally do this all day.”

Drake felt Natto mull over something before she spoke, “I feel unsettled by this. Goblins are not the smartest, but they are competent enough to form ranks and adapt. I believe you are correct, something is wrong. Let us go back to Theodore.”

He nodded, surrounding himself with five balls of flame in a snap. Each one shot in a different direction and exploded in a beautiful array of reds and yellows.

Snapping again Drake conjured another Fireball, forcing it into a thin line a few meters in front of himself. His mana dipped more with the command, and this time his regeneration couldn’t fully compensate.

“Let’s get going, then,” Drake said, dropping to something like a sprinter’s posture. “Straight line, no stops!”

The thin line of concentrated red and orange sliced through the mass of goblins like a volcanically hot knife through butter, an avalanche of notification clogging the side of Drake’s vision.

Drake sprang forwards, breaking the ground beneath his feet. He followed the fiery thread of death and destruction as it cut through the glob of goblins.

The line began to bend becoming into a V-shape. Drake’s mana slowly depleted as he kept the concentrated form of fire alive.

Within no time he reached the cage. Covered now in green spatter, he looked as if he had run through a mass of bugs in the countryside.

Taking a momentary breath of relief, he pulled a black die from his inventory he eyed the new completed quest. The text was a familiar friend not seen in some time.

Quest Completed: 200 of 200 Goblin Footmen

Accept rewards?

Drake quickly accepted, after checking for any sign of Theo or any higher-tiered goblins in the area.

Experience points have been awarded.

Please roll for item rarity.

Drake cast the die to the ground. With his increased stats he perfectly tracked its movements. 15, 4, then it bounced against the cage turning to a 7 then a 13, finally stopping in a small crack in the dirt near the cage.

17

A moment later a bright red mask fell into Drake’s open palm. It was strapless and seemed to only cover the bottom half of the face.

“Oh… Ohhh!” Drake roared.

“Oh, God…” Natto said, as she mentally covered her face.

“Be still, my weeby heart…” Drake whispered.

Drake gazed starry-eyed at the mask as he brought it into the sun. It was a half-mask, a glistening carmine cover, the mouth of which bore elongated obsidian black fangs and sharp protruding teeth firmly holding a white, double-handled blade in place.

“It’s my dream come true!” Drake squealed.

Martial Artist’s Battle Mask [F-Grade, Rare] Set Piece 3/3

A mask made in the image of the glorious martial artist. Made from mana-infused steel, the item is crafted for both protection and intimidation. +15% defense proficiency.

179 – 183 Physical Damage Reduction

186 – 192 Magic Damage Reduction

+5% Magic damage

+10 DEX, +15 INT, +5 END

Set Effect: Increases flat defense proficiency and DEX by 10%.

Requires a minimum of 2 Set pieces to activate set effect.

Special Effect: Increase effectiveness of aura-based skills by 5%.

Drake placed the mask against his face as it somehow snapped into place. It did not feel uncomfortable and Drake hardly even noticed it was there. There was no difficulty breathing and the points of the mask covering his cheekbones did not obscure his vision.

Curious, Drake moved the mask with his hand to the side of his head, surprised that it stayed in place and only budged when he wanted it to.

“Oh, that’s handy… I like…” Drake mumbled, a big, goofy smile on his face.

“Neanderthal…” Natto grumbled.

“Come on, grumpy,” Drake chuckled, snapping the mask back into place. “Let’s go find Theo, I wanna show him my new toy!”

Drake ignored the feeling of Natto rolling her eyes. A more and more frequent occurrence as he shot forwards towards the outpost, one last notification sounding in his head.

You have reached Elemental Endowment Proficiency 2 (0%).

Chapter 66

Nearly There

The group ran relatively unimpeded through the carnage of the goblin camp left by Drake’s rampage. Shards of ice, craters of magma, and spikes of earth peppered tents and barracks across the span of the trek.

Panting, Tom looked around. His eyes locked on to the back of the man who held Harley’s hand tightly even as he scanned the horizon for anything dangerous.

“Is anyone else concerned that a level 11 was able to produce this kind of destruction?! And what is he, a Mage or a Warrior class?! No one can produce those types of spells without specializing!” Tom hissed.

“You’re a right dumb bastard, Tom. Just shut it and run, will you!” shouted Jacqueline over her shoulder. “What does it matter what he is, we’re getting out this shite proper and I sure as hell ain’t worrying about jack till I am! So one foot in front of the other, and shut your mouth, yeah?”

“No. Tom is right,” Chelsea agreed. “We know nothing about the guy, and he’s been nothing but a mad man killing anything he sees as an enemy without them even being able to put up a fight. Do you think any one of us could kill a goblin like that?” She hiked up the man on her back as she kept pace with the group.

“At 11? I could barely kill those damned gnolls, and that’s in a group!” a man from behind them replied, a few others voicing their agreement.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, there’s no way he’s the level we’re seeing with skills. He has to have a skill or item that’s fooling our inspection skills.” Chelsea looked at Theodore and Harley. “Even Theodore… I don’t believe they could make it here with their levels.”

Theodore Rotwood Level 12

Harley Mongrass Level 14

Without looking back Theodore spoke up, the jingle from the chain in his coat pocket chiming as he took each step. “ ’Tis laughable after everything thou hast witnessed that thou still fail to showeth any sort of appreciation for my liege. For if I am to be forthright, this one was concerned with helping a congregation of prisoners when witnessing their mistreatment, but when my eyes felleth upon Harley that horse fled the stable, and the only person that concerned me was her.” He glanced back at Harley, his hand tightening around hers. “ ’Twas my liege that decided to even attempt to care for thy persons, yet the only one to showeth an ounce of deserving gratitude seems to be the young miss there. Did you perchance without fail, gaze upon the gift horse in the mouth when given?”

“Does this guy have to speak like this all the time?” Jacqueline asked.

Harley turned her head. “Yup! Isn’t it great?”

Jacqueline’s face turned incredulous as they all continued to sprint.

The group was making good pace through the widening camp, the entrance in the wooden wall coming into view. But not everyone was able to keep up the hectic sprint.

Some began to straggle behind the others, forcing all to slow to compensate.

Looking over his shoulder, Theodore began to worry.

Our flight for the exit has left some of the captives lacking on the physical front. Shouldst our quarry find us before we can cross the river, we shalt have no hope of escaping… But we need rest! Do we abandon the stragglers my liege has charged me to keep safe… Theodore thought, his eyebrows furrowing in discontent. Looking over to his wife Harley, his chest tightened.

If we stop, this one would be putting her in mortal danger… I may have leveled up, but the skills this one has obtained still lack lethality…

“Art any of thou a minstrel apt in the arts of recovering!” Theodore shouted.

Jacqueline raised her hand, along with two others.

“Art any of thee well-versed in the restoration of one’s stamina? We need to keep going… This one is afraid if we do not, the foul beasts will catch us, and this shall all be for naught,” Theodore spoke in a low voice, disgusted with himself.

All three shook their heads. Then Jacqueline spoke up.

“My healing is specific to recovering one’s health. It’s powerful as it were, but nothing on stamina, gov.”

Theodore hesitated to speak for a moment as they closed in on the smashed gate. “Then we must leave them behind.”

Chelsea came to an abrupt halt, stopping several people behind her.

“I fucking knew it! You’re just like him! You both spouted some serious nonsense and showed so much strength I almost had some hope! But you’re the same! You’re just going to leave us behind when it’s convenient to you! You aren’t any better than that lunatic, Chris! Your sweet words were just a cover, weren’t they!” she howled, pointing an accusatory finger at Theodore.

Theodore stopped, but only because Harley had also halted to turn to Chelsea.

The butler didn’t even turn to meet Chelsea’s eyes. He knew what he had said was selfish but he couldn’t, wouldn’t put Harley in danger for the lives of strangers. Now that he had found her his only thought was of keeping her safe.

“You may call this one a most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of not one good quality. But for me to put my love in the line of fire for strangers is folly of the highest order, and this one will not have it!” Theodore shouted, his face contorting to anger for the first time.

“Save your bullshit for someone who’s willing to listen! I should have known better to hope after everything. I’ll get back to my group on my own damn two feet! I don’t need hypocrites telling me to leave people that they just saved to the dogs!” Chelsea yelled back, her face going crimson.

Harley looked between the two, unable to form words to calm either.

But stopping here would have consequences.

The goblins didn’t need the time to catch up—they had already been lying in wait.

A large goblin walked into the opening of the broken gate, its aura and eyes penetrating as it stared down the group.

“Thine enemies kneweth our strategy to exploit the confusion of their ranks?! But they are mere beasts!” Theodore said shakily, stepping in front of Harley and extending his arms to cover her.

“W-What is that?!” a woman shouted, pointing at the goblin.

“They’re surrounding us!” another man cried out from behind as an encirclement of monsters quickly formed.

“Fuck! I should have just stayed in the cage! What are we going to do, there’s hundreds of them!”

Theodore’s mind raced as he sized up the sole goblin blocking the gateway. Its armor reminded Theodore of a knight and left hardly any exposed parts on the monster save its head. It toted a small round shield on one arm and a short sword in the other. Standing at about the same height as Theodore, it would look almost human if not for its extended green ears and extended canines passing its lips.

Rujik’ Fuv Jeric Level 24 [F-Rank]

“We have not a choice, but to face our aggressor in combat. If any of thee hast instruments of war, this one would suggest arming thyselves with haste! This one will support with illusions and status effects,” Theodore barked, holding his cane in both hands now.

The group formed a small, tight ball, back-to-back, looking around nervously. Most lacked weapons and few who didn’t could hardly call them weapons.

Theodore looked at the now-smiling goblin, its pearly white teeth jagged and sharp like serrated daggers.

Ice-cold shivers ran up Theodore’s spine as he chanted, but he had Harley to protect. The thought of letting her down and the image of his liege fighting with such gusto filled his head, inspiring him.

“May the chaos of your mind find no solace! The world shall drown behind the veil of my illusionary performance! Stage Play of Illusion!” Theodore roared. A wave of dark black smoke filled the surroundings, rolling across ground and passing through the legs of the group. Looming from it came inky black, smoking figures of various sizes, slowly solidifying into monsters of all imaginings.

Ogres, drakes, dragons, serpents, and mammoths appeared around the group, each one seeming to possess physical form.

Theodore followed it up with a new spell. “My enemies see not the world through a lens of clarity, but as I make it! Breath of Nightmares!” Another pulse of dark smoke shot forwards at speed to the surrounding monsters. Each inhaled it, including the goblin named Rujik’.

The surrounding goblins began to quiver and gaze frightfully around at one another. Eventually they devolved into a panic as one stuck an ally in fear, then another, until the entire mob crumbled into a melee with themselves.

The group surrounding Theodore all looked on in amazement as they witnessed the area of effect Fear, then gaped once more as the illusionary monsters around them ran to join the fray, stomping forwards with real weight and action.

Unfortunately they were only able to do minimal damage. Rather than the full physical manifestations of the monsters they pretended to be they were only empty shells, just present enough to give the semblance of corporeality. But for now they did the trick, adding to the confusion of the chaotic scuffle between goblins.

At least until a guttural roar sounded from the goblin in the arch of the gate.

Intense fear shook Theodore and the group to their cores. The surrounding goblins roused from their frightful stupor as they realized they were fighting each other. They then turned on the illusionary monsters within seconds.

“Impossible! The beast didn’t even flincheth at mine spell?! Does the vile worm have resistance to status ailments?!”

Rujik’ scoffed as it huffed, black air expelling from its mouth as if it had just spat out something foul. Its smile returned to its sharp and intimidating face.

Yellowed, pointed eyes stared back at Theodore, true despair filling his gut.

He tore his eyes from the monster and back to Harley, regret and fear tearing at him from the inside.

The butler tried to speak but was unable to voice the reality of their situation. His every spell was thwarted by the beast.

His head hung, gazing forlornly at Harley.

Shot has defeated Goblin Shaman [F-Rank] Level 17.

Experience earned. 1,000 TP has been awarded to a party member in compensation.

But then Theodore’s eyes widened and a tear pulled at his eyes as a flood of fifteen notifications suddenly blotted out his vision.

Shot has defeated Goblin Treasure Hoarder [F-Rank] Level 14.

Experience earned. 1,000 TP has been awarded to a party member in compensation.

Shot has defeated Goblin Shaman [F-Rank] Level 17.

Experience earned. 1,000 TP has been awarded to a party member in compensation.

Shot has defeated Goblin Rider [F-Rank] Level 17.

Experience earned. 1,000 TP has been awarded to a party member in compensation.

Shot has defeated Iron Tusk Boar [F-Rank] Level 15.

Experience earned. 1,000 TP has been awarded to a party member in compensation.

The notifications came streaming in. Drake was in range to activate the experience share.

A scream sounded from behind Theodore, then a loud bang. As he turned, a tuft of dirt surrounded a man in a familiar black and gold trimmed robe—the goblin named Rujik’ nowhere to be found—and the man turned a frightfully intimidating red, black and white half-masked face towards Theodore.

But the eyes of the man smiled as they always did, even behind the mask. Theodore imagined the grin his liege was making.

“Hey, guys. Miss me?”

Chapter 67

The General and the Tyrant

Turning from the group Drake looked first at the goblin he had drop-kicked into the camp’s wall, then with some surprise at the small cut on his thigh. Already it was slowly healing.

Wow, I thought I dodged it. Does the goblin have a blade-extending skill? Drake thought, examining the monster as it pulled itself from the heap of crushed wood.

“It is certainly possible, but you would have noticed it with your Mage Sight. I am afraid this is most likely from your Adrenaline Acuity being down, as well as the monster’s speed specialization. The only way for the goblin to counter the speed with which you attacked is comparable stats. Skills would not have sufficed,” Natto conjectured.

That isn’t a good sign… I still have some stat points left, and we just upgraded our Endowment. Maybe we go with a stat surprise again?

Upon pulling itself from the rubble, Drake watched the goblin advance. It rolled its shoulders, sawdust falling as it grinned at Drake, its sword and shield at the ready.

“My liege! It has some sort of resistance to status ailments, please err on the side of caution!” Theodore shouted from behind him.

“That certainly does not bode well…” Natto grumbled.

Resistance isn’t the same as nullifying, I can still use my fear if I need to. Even a second can make a difference, Drake thought, beginning to smile.

Drake sized up the goblin named Rujik’, ready to change his Water Endowment at a moment’s notice.

Snapping his fingers, Drake conjured a ball of fire and magma and set it to revolve around him. Both Rujik’ and Drake locked eyes.

Rujik’ looked on in wonder, surprised to see the man wield magic. Then it paced to the side, blocking the way to the broken gate again. The group’s only exit was barred.

Drake kept his gaze on Rujik’. His aura expanded, informing him of his surroundings as he walked backwards, a plan forming in his head.

Dropping his voice low, he began speaking to Theodore when he was close enough. “Theo, you and the rest of the groupies are going to get through that gate while I keep creepy Goblin Jr. busy and delay the rest.”

Theodore nodded then turned to address the group, explaining the situation.

“No! Fuck that! I won’t trust you two any more than I have! You were just about to leave people behind!” Chelsea shouted from behind Drake.

“What’s her problem, Theo?” Drake asked, snapping his fingers again after dropping his Water Endowment. He summoned a ball of air to switch to his Wind, his hair turning to a light green.

“The lady named… Chelsea, has found ire in how this one chose to handle the situation before thou arrived, Sire. She hast made herself adamantly clear that what I have decided goes against her moral imperative, or she hast severe distaste towards thyself.” “What did you do?”

Theodore hesitated for a moment but firmed himself to answer. “This one prioritized the rescue and protection of his beloved over the lives of the ones who couldst not carry on with the rest of our company.”

“Okay, and?”

Theodore seemed surprised, whereas Chelsea grew red in the face as she pointed at Drake from behind his back, the man she held shuffling with her.

“I knew you were a piece of shit, just like Chris! You don’t give a single shit about us!”

Drake clicked his tongue. Rujik’ seemed done sizing up Drake as he bent at his knees, ready to spring forward.

“Look. You’re right. I don’t give a shit. What have you done for me besides yell, kick, and scream the whole way as I try to help you and save all of you—complete strangers—from being killed, eaten, or frankly much worse, by these very monsters. Besides Theo and his girl, I do not have a single reason to save any of you. And I will not be guilt tripped into feeling bad for choosing what Theo would have. I have family I have to get back to, same as everyone else. And I’m not prepared to die or ask anyone else I hold dear to die for people we’ve just met. So hush up and run because your lives depend on it, or sit there and complain about how unfair it is. I won’t lay down my life for random strangers who don’t give a shit about me, let alone know my name,” Drake returned, his voice even.

Drake snapped his fingers, and a blue magic circle the size of his torso appeared in front of him, dousing the entire field between himself and Rujik’ with a torrent of water leaving only a small portion untouched. He slightly inclined his head toward Theodore, hoping he understood.

“On blessed wings!” Drake shouted, his eyes cascading as he shot forwards. Across the way, Rujik’ did the same like a twisted mirror.

“Guardian’s Reprieve!” Drake continued, side-stepping Rujik’s downward slash with a spatter of mud.

The skill flashed green as it momentarily cloaked Drake.

But Rujik’ didn’t miss a beat, shouting something back in its own language with a similar green flash.

A foreboding feeling came over Drake.

Preemptively Drake consumed his earthen arm as it crumbled to nothing, his ball of magma wisping away at his side. Brown shimmered across his hair and tattoo. He chanted his defensive spell while simultaneously snapping his fingers, an arm of ice forming in place of the earthen one.

“I am the wall on which my enemies billow! Unbreakable!”

The next moment, Rujik’ briefly disappeared from Drake’s vision.

Gained Reprieval charge.

The sound of shattering glass filled Drake’s ears and cold steel chilled his skin.

But in that moment the metal touched him, Drake consumed his Reprieval Charge and advanced.

Drake whipped around to see a confused looking Rujik’, staring at his red-tipped blade.

Drake scoffed and smiled at the goblin, his pointer finger aiming down. Rujik’ following it with his eyes, only for them to widen in surprise seeing a small ball of static at his feet.

“Lightning Mine,” Drake chanted with a snap of his fingers. A loud bang heralded the small explosion.

Drake checked his mana, frowning.

Controlling that took way too much mana. Over 5% for just a remotely detonating spell?

Rujik’ zapped and crackled as it struggled to move for a moment, its face scowling at Drake as it inched forwards.

Drake laughed back at the monster. “Poor little Goblin Jr. Gonna cry? But not so fast, buddy!” Drake snapped his fingers again, his hair cascading to a pure white. His arm melted away while two spikes of earth sprouted from deep brown magic circles flanking him.

They speared into the earth, caging Rujik’ and dragging him down as Drake’s mana usage began to slowly outpace his recovery.

Drake willed the earth to immure Rujik’ then solidify around the monster. Its upper torso was left still struggling to get free as the lightning spell’s paralysis wore off.

He shot forward at breakneck speed, his tattoo glowing a bright, ethereal blue then shimmering in a faint crimson glow as he pulled back his arm, throwing his fist right at Rujik’s exposed head.

The sound of scraping metal reverberated like a gong as Drake’s fist slammed into the goblin’s small shield, a sly grin on its face.

But Drake laughed behind his mask, growing louder as he snapped his finger again, four balls of magma and fire casting the goblin in a red light.

“Do you know how we cook shellfish where I come from?” Drake chortled like a mad man as he hopped a step back. Two balls of magma melted into the earth around the goblin, creating a small moat of molten earth.

The two remaining balls of fire crackled to life as they expanded and covered the exposed torso of the monster.

But there was no kill notification.

Rujik’ roared and its body shimmered in red, fixing Drake with a vicious death glare from its sunken position. The monster clawed at the ground, shrieking and howling.

“A protection skill? This goblin has more skills than I would like to count.” Natto grimaced.

“It’s fine. There’s more than one way to crack a hard shell,” Drake said evenly, clapping his hands together. His hair reverted back to his natural black as a large, icy blue magic circle formed below him.

His hands separated slowly, a shard of ice forming between them, growing larger and larger.

Raising his hands, the ice shard was now a huge glacier above his head. Drake stared down Rujik’ as coldly as the ice he held.

The glacier moved to above Rujik’, its mouth agape in despair as it watched the block of ice.

“Marked!” Drake pointed his arm at Rujik’, then snapped his fingers with an ear-piercing crack that echoed throughout the surroundings. “Sang Arsarros!”

The glacier shattered into countless shards of ice. Each one rained down in a plume of white, the long, serrated shards of ice piercing the ground and Rujik’ below it.

Drake laughed maniacally at the pure destruction he created, the death notification finally appearing in the side of his vision.

You have subjugated Goblin General Rujik’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 24.

Experience earned. 350,000 TP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Elemental Miller Level 13.

40 FP have been awarded.

Drake continued to laugh even as his mana drained.

His vision quickly started to paint over in red, his breathing becoming ragged and rough.

“Dra—Drake—!” Natto shouted from inside his head, but the sound was muffled.

He observed the surrounding goblins beginning to encircle him. His eyes searched among them wildly for a moment before lunging forwards into the crowd.

Drake plowed through the waves of goblins without control. The feeling of watching someone else controlling his body shook him awake as a louder shout came from Natto.

“Drake! You need to get out! Think about Theodore and your family! You already killed the general, you need to run!”

Drake snapped his head. His body staggered and limped as exhaustion overtook him. Becoming alert, he saw that he was already deep into the ranks of the goblins.

“Damn it, what is going on!” Drake yelled, but there was no time to think. Drake quickly melted his arm of ice, the green blood frozen within slipping to the ground.

Not bothering with snapping his finger, Drake switched to his Lightning Endowment and conjured a new earthen arm, forcing himself up. His health gradually regenerated, outpacing his consumption once again.

“No spells for the immediate future… Let’s get back to Theo as fast as possible, then we’re going to debrief. This can’t happen again,” Drake said, gritting his teeth at seeing the destruction he had wrought.

He raced back the way he came, the carnage he had inflicted making it easy to find his way to Theodore and the group.

◆◆◆

“Are we sure that we’re okay with that guy?! Everyone else just saw him do that, right, then go all crazy-eyed and run off?!” Tom yelled as the group passed beneath the arch of the broken gate.

No one responded. Even the vocal Chelsea and Jacqueline decided to stay silent as they exchanged glances, both remembering what they had just witnessed.

“We can’t seriously be going along with this, right? Guys?!” Tom screamed, more desperately this time.

“Shut it, Tom! You right dumb cunt!” Jacqueline finally howled back. “Weren’t you just spouting how cool he was a minute ago?!”

“Yeah, when I didn’t think he was a real psycho! And might turn on us faster than a bad date!”

Theodore turned, stopping. “Silence! This one will not have thee disparage my liege in my presence. He hast gone so far as to be benevolent enough to let us escape that jail in which thou were incarcerated! Be thankful!”

Theodore grit his teeth, wanting to say more, but Harley stopped him by squeezing his hand.

Harley looked at the concerned faces of the group. “We are alive. Let’s get back to Mr. Shot’s outpost first, then we can figure it all out. Once we are safe. Yeah?”

Disgruntled looks and murmurs passed through the group of some thirty-odd people, but everyone resumed running, following the butler-like man in front of them.

Chapter 68

Returning to the Outpost

“Are we really going along with this?” Tom mumbled, walking behind Chelsea.

“Shut up, Tom. Why do you always need my affirmation for your decisions?” Chelsea spat, obviously aggravated and not in any mood to deal with him as she watched Theodore’s back.

“I don’t… but I’m just saying! What if this guy turns out to be worse than Chris?! Or even the goblins!”

Chelsea bit her lip, staying silent. She had no desire to stay in this outpost with these men who were obviously off their rockers, but everyone had seen what that man, Shot, did to that goblin and how he had put it in the ground. At level 12, no less.

That wasn’t something she could just ignore. Especially if she could use him to return to her group, punish Chris for his disgusting, backhanded shit, and save those with no choice but to follow him.

When she had raised enough support to take Chris on, she had learned he was holding people hostage. Chelsea had noticed early on that many of the people in their group knew each other. What she wasn’t aware of was that Chris kept a tight collar around some of the weaker members, and with them forced others to obey him. What loners remained just went along with his sick and twisted ways, keeping it all on the down-low so long as he stayed in power over the group.

But with a man like Shot? With someone wielding that much power she could save everyone. She just had to figure out how to persuade him.

Someone shook her shoulder, prompting her to look over as the man finally stirred awake.

“W-What’s going on… Where the Sam Hell am I?” mumbled the gruff man.

“Finally awake?” Chelsea dropped the man from her back like a sack of potatoes. “Walk on your own. We’re going to those guys’ outpost.”

“What! What about all the goblins?!”

“The crazy dude who knocked you out killed them and ran off, don’t know after that.”

A brisk gust of wind blew Chelsea’s hair backwards, her ponytails coming undone.

“Who’s crazy?” Drake asked, his arms crossed. “Ah! Good to see you awake.” He grinned, then spoke up, waving off Theodore for the moment, “Alright everyone, follow quickly, the rest of the goblins are on their way and we need to make it to the outpost quickly! And keep an eye out!”

“For what?” Tom spoke up behind Chelsea.

Drake pointed a finger, a burgundy magic circle forming on the end of it. A beam of condensed fire shot out past Tom’s shoulder. Something yelped.

Tom turned shakily. The smell of burning flesh filled his nose as he looked down at the Red Cap Goblin, forehead still smoldering.

“For the invisible monsters of course!” Drake smiled.

◆◆◆

“Can I come out yet? I do not particularly enjoy being inside of you for long periods of time…”

Wow, that’s both disturbing and rude. I’m not sure how to feel about that…

“Drake… You are doing it again.”

I know, just a little longer. We need to make it to the outpost and get settled. Mental health and introspection on why I went insane and nearly fought until I died comes second.

He made his way to Theodore, snapping his fingers to change to his Water Endowment upon catching up. Drake needed to replenish his status since there was no telling what might be waiting for them back at the outpost. They had left it unguarded after all, so anyone could just climb the walls.

“Theo, how has it been, any trouble since the last time?” Drake asked, placing his hand on the man’s shoulder.

Theodore bowed slightly. “None, my liege. Surprisingly the Red Cap thou slew hast been the only monster our band hast come at odds with.”

Drake put his earthen arm to his lips, thinking.

They continued to walk together at a slightly slower pace as everyone meandered in the direction of the outpost. Drake made sure to keep his eyes peeled, his Mage Sight now on by second nature.

Mage Sight [F-Rank] Proficiency 2 (13%)

Grants the passive ability to see the elemental affiliation of objects and beings. It also allows one to observe ambient mana. It will allow the user to inspect any object or being that has mana in greater detail. (Increases with proficiency.)

Passive Cost: None

Active Inspection Cost: Very small amount of mana

Cooldown: None

Drake’s Mage Sight had grown by leaps and bounds and now allowed him to observe minute displacements in mana, detecting at least the Red Caps.

“I don’t like it,” Drake finally said.

Theodore looked over, confused. Natto chimed in, “Certainly, I as well find it suspicious. It is almost as if they are allowing us to flee. Perhaps another ambush?”

Drake nodded, addressing Theodore.

“Theo, can you go scout ahead? I want to know if there’s something waiting for us,” he asked, looking around the surroundings once more, suspicious that there may be some monsters nearby.

Theodore furrowed his brow but bowed at his waist, giving Harley’s hand a squeeze as he chanted his concealment spell. He shimmered into the background.

Well, I’m back to not being able to tell where the hell he is. Guess his spell upgraded too?

“I believe we must stop for a moment then and wait for dear Theodore to return. Shall we take a stroll to the rear and see if you were followed?”

That’s a good suggestion, glad I thought of it. Drake smirked, feeling Natto sigh and roll her eyes.

“Harley, would you please make sure everyone is as calm as possible and won’t run off? I need to make sure we’re safe until Theo gets back,” Drake asked, his eyes softening as the obviously worried woman looked in the direction Theodore had departed.

Barely able to pull her gaze away, she turned. “Y-Yes. Of course, I will do my best.”

Drake smiled. “What class are you, Harley?” he suddenly asked.

She blinked for a moment. “I-I’m a Ranger. It’s just a common class specialized in long-range fighting.”

Drake nodded, pulling some equipment from his inventory and dropping it in front of her. A recurve bow, crossbow, bolts, and some pieces of leather gear, as well as some familiar green earrings were thrust before her.

“Here, take these, and get a count on what people need. I have a lot of stuff that needs getting rid of. Do you have a full set of skills yet?” Drake asked, placing the set of rings and earrings into her open hand.

Harley shook her head, her mouth slightly agape.

“I see. Do your best to get that list, and don’t mention skills just yet. I want to make sure it’s worth giving them anything. First, we start with some equipment to make sure no one is going to die. I will be back in a bit.” Drake grinned. He turned to dash to the back of the group. Much of the group was disgruntled, but a few went wide-eyed at the sight of so much equipment.

“Where’s he going?!” Tom shouted.

“Tom, will you ever stop bloody whinging…” Jacqueline grumbled.

◆◆◆

“I thought you wished to not do more than you had to for these people?”

Drake darted through the forest, casting as wide a net as possible with his aura, scanning the area for anything that might be a danger.

“It’s not about wanting to or not. They should at least be able to defend themselves, and I’m not exactly using those pieces of equipment right now, anyway.”

It was only a few minutes of backtracking before Drake spotted a small squad of goblins, one heavily armored with a tower shield in front jogging forwards, its armor clanking rhythmically.

Drake quickly ducked behind a tree.

That’s a new one… Is that another general?

Tjiruc’ Fuv Jeric Level 20 [F-Rank]

“Perhaps. There is no way to know, if your inspection skill does not reveal it already.”

Isn’t that just helpful… I would love to go at it, but they’re too close to the group, and I want to figure out what’s going on before I become just a mindless, bloodthirsty beast.

Natto stayed silent.

Drake retreated toward the group, a little concerned at Natto’s silence.

What? No quippy sass this time? I set you up pretty well there.

“There is nothing to say when I truly fear it may happen if we do not get a handle on it.” Her tone was serious.

Drake grimaced. He wanted to assure her he would be fine, but he honestly wasn’t sure, himself. Something was changing inside him, and quickly. It was plain that they needed to figure it out sooner rather than later, but circumstances forced them to stall until they reached the outpost, at the very least.

“Let’s not give in to all the doom and gloom just yet, alright? I’ll figure it out. And if not, then we’ll figure it out.”

Drake’s grimace became a smile as he picked up pace, switching to his Lightning Endowment.

◆◆◆

“Please calm down! Mr. Shot said that he will give everyone the equipment they need, so you need only tell me your class and what weapon you require. He will be back shortly,” Harley said, her hands raised in an attempt to pacify the group.

“Why did he leave in the first place! Why isn’t he here protecting us?! He’s obligated to keep us alive, isn’t he?!” a man from the group screamed, his fist shaking in the air.

Harley recoiled slightly at the shout, not sure how to respond. She agreed it looked abysmal right now. They had no weapons outside her own and both Theodore and Mr. Shot had left to secure the surroundings, but in doing so left them basically defenseless.

Harley was a combat class but hardly able to defend the group by herself.

“I… H-He, um …” she stammered, but Chelsea came to her rescue.

“Don’t you dare put this on her! She is not responsible for you, just because that asshole put her in charge on a whim! If you want to shout at someone, do it to him when he gets back. Until then, you better just keep alert and watch the surroundings,” she growled.

The man quickly backed down, his hand dropping to his side as he grumbled, turning to look out into the brush.

“Thanks, Chels… I’m not very good at these types of things…”

“It’s alright, Harley, even if you were, under the circumstances it would be a tall order to fill. Everyone is on edge, and Mr. Big Shot Asshole decided to go off again without telling anyone,” she grumbled, crossing her arms.

Another burst of wind came from behind her, a tuft of dirt swirling at the feet of the man who appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

“Who didn’t tell anyone? Harley knew what I was doing, right, Harley?” Drake asked, grinning slightly.

A gasp sounded from the entire group when Drake appeared, startling several people so much they dropped to their knees.

“I... um… Yes, you did. Sorry,” she replied, her face dampening.

Drake waved his good hand. “It’s alright. I was hoping having people stay busy might help with their nerves. Guess I was wrong, I’ll have to work on that. So, did you manage to get the list going?”

Drake snapped his hand and his Endowment became Water once again, his tattoo and hair shimmering aqua in response. Natto’s ears and tail twitched slightly.

Chelsea raised an eyebrow. “How do you do that? Are you a Mage or a Warrior?”

Drake’s expression chilled as he looked the woman up and down. “It’s none of your business, but something like that.”

Chelsea frowned in confusion. “Something like what? That doesn’t answer my question…”

Drake ignored her and looked back to Harley, waiting for an answer.

“Oh, yeah. I got most of the people to tell me, but some of them don’t want to reveal their classes, which is understandable. But there are fourteen people who can use sword-type skills, four magic-users including healers, and eight ranged users. The remaining eight are unique weapon users, or at the very least non-standard, varying from spears, guns, fist weapons and some even using instruments. There are a few among the unique users who have mentioned they are support or non-combat classes, also…”

Drake perked up his ears at the mention of unique weapon users and especially the word healers. “There are healers here? Who?”

Harley looked to Chelsea, not sure if she should name them. But the woman in question piped up.

“That would be me, love,” answered Jacqueline, emerging from the group.

Drake looked over at the woman. Her stature exuded confidence as she leaned putting her weight on her right leg, arms crossed. Her black braided hair came down past her waist and her umber complexion was well-fit to her features.

“What type of healing do you specialize in?” Drake asked, getting to the point.

“None of your damn business. You won’t tell us so I won’t tell you. Knowing I’m a healing class is good enough.”

Drake grit his teeth.

This is going to be a problem. I was hoping she would just tell me, since I saved her life, but they want more? Or do they just not trust me? he asked Natto.

“It certainly makes sense. You may be the one who saved them, but think on how you did it. You basically told them they were baggage,” Natto answered, a mental shrug of her shoulders coming through their connection.

Drake opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t find a rebuttal.

I suppose you’re right. Then it will have to go on the backburner until later. We have to hurry this along.

Drake spoke up so everyone could hear. “Alright, everyone gather around for your equipment. Sword users first. If you can use a shield, even better,” Drake said, waving his arms inward to gather the group.

He quickly passed out what he could to the Warriors and those who could work with a shield as well. That reminded him that he hadn’t gotten the opportunity to grab the Goblin General’s equipment and still had the Jailer’s bag to go through.

After the Warriors Drake passed out some bows and crossbows, including arrows. Then came the Mage and Cleric classes.

Surprisingly Jacqueline shook her head when offered a staff, instead asking for a cudgel, but Drake could only offer up the wooden club most of the apes had been using.

Unfortunately the only unique weapon Drake could offer to the rest of them was a singular gauntlet. The same one he had used before he had gotten his tattoo rings.

There were the guns he had stored but he wasn’t ready to part with those, hoping to trade them for something useful when he someday reached Shigure’s camp.

With the weapons Drake also handed out armor where he could, but not everyone was willing to wear the blood-soaked gear, or it simply did not fit some of their builds.

All throughout this Drake tried to keep an eye on their surroundings with Mage Sight. But after a few minutes he tried hurrying them all along.

“Theodore isn’t here yet, but we need to keep moving now that everyone is geared up,” Drake said loudly.

Some were still fixing their new equipment. They looked up from their adjustments with concerned faces, looking back at him.

“There may be more than one group, but I know there is at least one more strong individual leading a pursuing party. Harley,” Drake looked at the woman, “I am going to delay them. I want you, and Miss…” Drake looked at Chelsea.

“Chelsea…” she answered reluctantly.

“Miss Chelsea, to take charge until Theodore comes back. If there is an ambush waiting for us back at the outpost, you will tell him to go to the second outpost, he will know what I am talking about. If it’s all clear, you are to head with the group straight to the originally planned outpost.”

“You have two outposts?” Tom called above the others, fixing the shield in his hand.

“I have a lot of things, but that’s for later. Right now you all are liabilities. I cannot protect you all against a pursuing enemy out in the open,” Drake said, his gaze going over the group.

“But you did it before! Why can’t you do it now?!” someone asked.

Drake shook his head. “I got the drop on the strongest monster, and Theo had turned their surrounding ranks into a ball of chaos. In a fight out here in the forest, with cover? They could easily pick you off and get away. I am going to go back and stop them before they even get close.”

“But—” Tom started, but Drake shouted above him, his voice stern and his aura pulsating ever so slightly to drive home his words.

“This is not a discussion! Are any of you confident enough to fight a general? What about a group of fifty or more coordinated monsters? Do not forget that you were captured by these monsters not so long ago.”

The crowd’s expressions turned docile as Drake’s aura flared.

Drake turned again to Chelsea and Harley. “Crystal clear, ladies?”

Both nodded, their shoulders slightly shivering as they hugged themselves.

Drake stalked through the group and in the direction of the approaching goblin squad.

I need them all out of the way so they don’t get hurt. And I’d really like the experience all to myself, he thought.

“I take it back, that yappy young girl was right. You are an asshole,” Natto giggled.

Chapter 69

The Pursuers

Drake swiftly navigated through the forest, backtracking to the last known location of the named goblin he had encountered.

While running, Drake glanced at his stats and his many incomplete quests, not sure where to put the points.

Drake Wallen

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Race: Human

Profession: Miner P2 (7%) [F-Rank]

Class: [Unique] Elemental Miller Level 13

VIT: 235 (15%)

STR: 246 (20 +15%)

DEX: 171 (40 + 25%) +(40)

INT: 455 (15+20%)

WIS: 207 (20%)

END: 106 (20 + 20%)

Free Points: 86

His intelligence was by far his highest stat at the moment, and with good reason. With the loss of his arm, he was more reliant on his magic than ever to carry him through fights. He even had to constantly maintain an elemental arm, which was great practice for his magic manipulation but also ate up most of his passive and active regeneration benefits all on its own.

There were still glaring holes in Drake’s skill set, even with his many skills and absurd amount of stat points per level. He could see now why the tutorial encouraged groups. Each individual truly did have to specialize, lest they just be a worse jack of all trades.

Even with skills that may boost their stats, without a high-ranked class few would have the stat points to become a true all-rounder like him. And even with his own Unique-Ranked class, a combination of two rare classes, it was a stretch to say he was really an all-rounder anymore.

Circumstances and skills had pushed him towards magic, but he didn’t want to neglect his physical stats for much longer. Drake would have to put forth more work, yet again, to increase his level.

With the sheer number of goblins gathering he couldn’t rely on just his magic if he was to oppose them alone. His regeneration was extraordinary but it was not endless. At least, not yet. Maybe once the tutorial was over and he had a look at the shop Natto spoke of he would be able to complete his skill set, filling up the widening holes.

Looking now at the uncompleted subjugation quests, he frowned at a particular quest.

Subjugation Quest: 3 of 15 Goblin Treasure Hoarders [F-Rank]

Reward: Goblin King’s hoard key.

Time remaining until quest ends: 115 hours, 45 minutes, 28 seconds.

Subjugation Quest: 12 of 50 Red Cap Goblin Assassin [F-Rank]

Reward: Experience, communication crystal [F-Rank, Common]

Subjugation Quest: 5 of 100 Goblin Rider [F-Rank]

Reward: Experience, set of [F-Rank] potions.

Subjugation Quest: 5 of 20 Iron Tusk Boar [F-Rank]

Reward: Experience.

Subjugation Quest: 23 of 100 Goblin Shamans [F-Rank]

Reward: Experience, set of [F-Rank] potions.

Subjugation Quest: 12 of 50 Goblin Commanders [F-Rank]

Reward: Experience, large 500-slot dimensional bag.

Subjugation Quest: 0 of 20 Goblin Lieutenant [F-Rank]

Reward: Experience, 1 random piece of [Rare] equipment.

Drake was unhappy he hadn’t made much progress on the Goblin Treasure Hoarder quest, but two quests he hadn’t noticed before had also popped up and he was surprised he had made some headway in one of them. The implications of the other, however, was even more jarring.

That’s a big bag, that’s what? Double my largest right now? Drake thought.

A tired-sounding Natto chided, “Quest completions are the least of your worries. Would you not agree, Drake?”

Drake clicked his tongue, his aura picking up some movement behind a tree a few meters away. His Mage Sight confirmed a distortion of mana in the air around the tree.

Yeah, I know, but my boyish excitement still gets me all giddy when I see a quest… And those rewards are nothing to turn your nose up at, Drake thought, summoning a magic circle for lightning and firing at the invisible figure behind the tree. The lightning bolt went straight through it.

You have defeated Goblin Scout Level 15 [F-Rank].

Experience earned. 1,600 TP have been awarded.

New Subjugation Quest: Subjugate 100 Goblin Scouts [F-Rank].

Reward: Experience, communication crystal [F-Rank, Common].

“Holy shit… How many types of goblins are there? That’s the tenth one so far.” “I have told you as much. Goblins have a surprisingly long-standing history in the multiverse.”

Drake approached the corpse. The goblin was clad in a scarf and half-mask that reminded him of Stewart and his lackeys, leaving a bad taste in Drake’s mouth.

He waited for the mote of light to disappear before scooping up the goblin’s equipment along with the stone. Unsurprisingly, it was an Illusion stone. He would have to give it to Theodore when they met up again.

“What’s bothering me is the second quest that I somehow didn’t notice. When did we encounter a lieutenant? It can’t be that it’s that named mob, right? I thought it was another general with its getup,” Drake said, crossing his arms as he surveyed his surroundings and looking for the rest of the goblin’s group.

“I am uncertain. I have the knowledge that many beasts, once they attain a certain position in the hierarchy of their groups, can be named by elite monsters; but so many would require a very strong leader, which does not bode well for us…” Natto explained. “But as far as their strength, or what constitutes their ability to give names, I have not the slightest idea at my rank. We will need to gather E-Rank cores once the tutorial is over, if we are to fill our gaps in knowledge. The F-Rank ones simply won’t be enough, no matter how much we gather within this limited space.”

Before Drake could ask more, movement registered faintly on the edge of his aura, garnering his attention. He moved in the direction a few feet and spotted the group from before. The same hulking mass of metal and large Tower Shield Goblin stood at the forefront of the now-larger group.

There’s at least double the amount now… Drake thought, grinning slightly.

“Cease your smiling, dolt. You are quickly becoming a battle maniac. Lest you not forget that you are only fighting to protect the group so that they may escape to the outpost.”

Yeah, yeah… But no one said I can’t give them the run around while picking them off, Drake thought, ideas forming in his head.

Drake gave a full smile behind his mask, speeding ahead of the group. He was ready to put his plan into action.

First Drake canceled his Water Endowment, finding a good spot within the line of trees and soaking the forest floor until it was a muddy puddle and he could visibly see some of the ground curve in on itself.

Then Drake snapped his fingers again, conjuring a large slab of earth and covering it. The cost to maintain the large surface made for a small dip in his mana, but not enough to be a detriment.

Now all Drake had to do was wait, and lead them here. He snapped his fingers again. He had to keep this made-up habit, just in case someone was watching. A ball of fire and a ball of air formed next to his hand.

Drake willed them upwards with a flourish and they shot up into the sky, eventually colliding in a fiery explosion that rang with a loud bang.

He positioned himself on the edge of the earthen slab and summoned another ball of air, smothering it to gain his Wind Endowment.

A few minutes later, the rumbling of the goblin troops reverberated through the forest near Drake.

“Took them long enough,” Drake said, pointing his earthen hand out in the direction of the rumbling.

The large mass trampled through the forest, led by the lumbering goblin covered in armor wielding a tower shield. Shrieks and cries rang out as they hoisted their weapons high in the air.

A brown magic circle formed on Drake’s earthen shoulder as he spread his fingers wide and pointed them at the oncoming horde.

“Weapon’s Left!”

A cacophony of earthen spikes fired from Drake’s fingertips, instantly regenerating after firing. A barrage of Stone Bullets struck the mass of goblins charging forward.

“That was from your right arm… not your left…” Natto pointed out.

Don’t sweat the details! Drake thought, but raised a brow in surprise as the large goblin raised its shield. A red sheen covered not only itself but several other goblins around it, protecting them from the peppering of stone shards.

“Oh? It has a defensive skill.”

The line of goblins began to fall, forcing the exposed ranks to withdraw behind the larger goblin and its protective skill.

Drake grinned behind his mask.

Perfect!

The thin rows of goblins advanced upon Drake, the forefront column of monsters shrieking louder as they closed in.

Drake continued to pour out Stone Bullets from his arm as they drew ever closer, until they were almost on top of him. And also atop the earthen slab that he had made.

Jumping back deftly, Drake snapped his fingers. The slab crumbled into the large puddle of mud below it.

The mass of goblins couldn’t stop in time and cascaded into the large, swampy mess.

But the larger goblin’s buff still glowed red around the surrounding monsters, and it raised its shield high as it tried to remove itself from the mud.

Drake was quick to capitalize on his trap going off.

Canceling his Wind Endowment, he quickly snapped, conjuring a shard of ice, then broke it in his hands to activate his Ice Endowment’s increased magic damage.

Summoning a ball of fire in his left hand with another snap, Drake shaped it into a blade, one stretching far enough to reach the goblins trapped within the marsh.

“The Quagmire would be proud, if I do say so myself!” Drake shouted, patting himself on the back as he gazed at Tjiruc’, the goblin holding the shield. Drake shouted, “Marked!” increasing his damage further on the monster.

In the next moment Drake flexed his aura, letting it devour the goblin’s protective buff, causing them to look on in bewilderment.

Drake laughed, and with a quick swing of the fiery blade he removed their heads from their bodies.

You have defeated Goblin Lieutenant Tjiruc’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 150,000 TP have been awarded.

Subjugation Quest: 1 of 20 Goblin Lieutenant.

Drake blinked. “That was really, um, anticlimactic… Are we sure this was a Lieutenant? The general was above it, sure, but this seems kinda like, I don’t know, sad?” The blade of fire was still roaring in his hand.

“I am not sure.”

Drake shrugged looking at the remaining contingent of goblins. “Well, don’t look an experience gift horse in the mouth, I guess.”

Drake raised the blade high into the air, pouring more mana into the beast of a fire spell. A crimson magic circle formed next to the blade, then encompassed the fire in a spiral of intense heat.

Within seconds the blade turned a beautiful cerulean hue as the temperature rose.

“Getsuga!” Drake howled, bringing the blade down on the column of goblins as they looked on in abject horror. “Tenshou!” The pillar of blue flames burned, flaring like a brilliant meteor, falling down upon them.

Drake looked on as the blue fire consumed some of the forest and most of the goblins, setting some aflame as they ran around screaming, the kill notifications flooding in.

“I really wish I knew how to make black fire…” Drake grumbled, pursing his lips below the mask, slightly disheartened by the display of the spell.

Natto giggled. “It was still very effective. And I will certainly say the blue is not so bad. Maybe next time you can say eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.”

“Oh! That’s a good point…”

Drake snapped his fingers, canceling his Ice Endowment. His white hair returned to its natural black, a magic circle ejecting a ball of water above his palm before it was subsumed, turning his tattoo and hair a shade of oceanic blue.

Snapping his fingers again, a Stone Bullet shot from his hand and formed a long plank, bridging the marsh he had made.

Drake casually crossed the marsh, picking up the equipment and spawning skill stones. Sadly none of them were rare or better quality. Even the stone from the Lieutenant had been a common Warrior stone.

Looking at his status, he noticed his Weakened debuff had returned, forcing a click of his tongue. His mana and stamina were sitting at around 50% and his health was a solid 70% from his custom spell, but they were quickly recovering.

Walking further past the spell’s flames now beginning to die down, Drake picked up much of the same skill stones and equipment from before.

A shout sounded in the echoes of the forest but it was not from the direction of Harley’s group.

“That was oddly well timed…” Drake mused, looking in the direction of the scream.

“I am inclined to agree… It seems to be in the opposite direction of the group, I would suggest ignoring it.”

“It’s probably a trap… But what if it isn’t?” Drake pondered, shaking the mud off one of the skill stones before placing it in his inventory.

“I am wholeheartedly against allowing you in any fights until we have figured out what is causing your personality changes. If it is your Tyrant’s Aura, we must get it under control sooner rather than later,” Natto explained, concern and hesitation dripping from her voice.

Drake bit his lip under his mask.

“We’ll just take a look.”

Natto gave a mental sigh.

“Come on, what can go wrong?”

“You die, moron! That is what!”

Chapter 70

The Next General

Drake ran through the forest in the direction of the scream, making sure to preemptively place a ball of fire and lightning above his shoulders. His hand was ready to snap again to change from Water to Ice, or any of his other Endowments at a moment’s notice.

“Must we do this? Even if this is not a trap and there are people in need. You, yourself, have said that you owe these people nothing, and rightfully so. What have they done for you? You should not be risking your life for people. And what about those people in the camp that you passed by? Is this not hypocritical?”

Drake mulled over the words before answering. Running quickly through the forest was almost second nature now as he maneuvered through it, his vision a blur.

I would hardly call it hypocritical, Drake thought. It’s true I don’t owe strangers anything close to risking my life, but at the camp, I had the priority and obligation to see Theo and his wife safe. Here, I’m just stretching my obligation to delay monsters so Harley can be safe again. See, not hypocritical. Drake smiled impishly.

Natto was silent at Drake’s reply, obviously disagreeing his thought process.

Look… We are only looking. If it’s something I can’t handle, we delay and go back, simple as that.

“When has it ever been just simple with you! And you always do things you know you cannot handle! Need I remind you of your fight with Bear?!”

Sorry—Er—You—r break—ing u—p, Drake joked.

“There can’t be static interference when I am literally inside of you! You are being a child!”

Only when it suits me.

Moments after their conversation, Drake’s eyes picked up the change in the ambient mana only shortly before his aura picked up on lifeforms entering his range.

Stopping and placing himself tightly behind a tree, his floating elements lined up behind him. Drake inched out behind the tree taking in the disgusting scene before him.

Fucking again?! What are they doing?

“I have told you before, this is quite the common occurrence in the multiverse. The strong and the victors dictate the treatment of the losers. Much like your world before, victors write history. This is certainly much of the same,” Natto explained with an even voice.

Yeah, well, things seem to be getting more and more heartless…

Looking out at the scene, Drake saw a chain-linked line of people being marched by the goblins, many Jailer Goblins on flanking the long row.

Drake grit his teeth as he saw the sheer number of people and their conditions. Each one was bruised or maimed, their clothes in tatters. Some were even worse off, their eyes swollen or completely missing, others had burns on their bodies.

At the front of the line was a goblin unlike any other. It stood gangly and hunched, and in its hand was a staff of gnarled wood taller than its body. Beads hung from the outstretched branches of the staff and a long, pitch-black robe was draped over its shoulders.

Mufasi’ Fuv Jeric Level 24 [F-Rank]

It’s a Mage General?

“So it would seem. But there is no telling what it specializes in, its clothing and weapon are too generic.”

Drake sized up the monster before his eyes were drawn to the line of people again as it began marching forward at a languid pace. The crack of a whip pulled his attention to a man being lashed on the back, a long line of red crossing his tattered clothes as he screamed in pain.

The man lurched forward, nearly tripping over the chains that bound him.

Drake tightened his fist, ready to jump out from his cover.

“Drake! No! You said you would only look.”

Drake paused, but felt a gaze fall on him.

He looked over to the Mage in front. Its eyes pierced the tree Drake hid behind, a crooked yellow-toothed smile on its face with equally yellow glowing eyes.

Jig’s up, it has a mana sensing skill! I’ll end it in an instant, Drake roared in his head.

Quickly snapping his fingers, Drake switched to his Ice Endowment, his ball of lightning also winking out of existence.

Drake then roared and flexed his aura, hitting everyone in the vicinity with his Tyrannical Aura skill. The prisoners crumpled at the pressure, but they would have to deal with it for the moment.

Stripping them of whatever buffs they might have, Drake clapped his natural and earthen hands around the Fireball he had conjured beforehand, infusing his arm with molten rock.

As he pulled his arms apart, molten bullets of brimstone dripped in front of Drake. Four in total, just enough for each Jailer.

Drake eyed the first on the left of the line, screaming his skill, “Marked!” And with the shout a fiery bullet launched at the head of the Jailer, leaving behind only a clean, red hot wound in its metal helmet.

You have subjugated Goblin Jailer [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 3,500 TP have been awarded.

In quick succession, Drake shouted again, “Marked!” another bullet firing off, killing the next Jailer.

You have subjugated Goblin Jailer [F-Rank] Level 19.

Experience earned. 3,000 TP have been awarded.

Collecting his mark once more, he looked to the next one less than a fraction of a second later. Marking it and firing his bullet was swift, but the bullet fizzled out as Drake saw the mana in the air shift.

He glanced at the Goblin Mage, its face contorted in a smile.

It can cancel magic?!

But Drake didn’t let that keep him from pressing his attack. He instantly snapped his fingers after canceling the Ice Endowment for magic power, summoning a lightning bolt in the same motion as stepping forward, his last molten bullet sizzling away in the air as he switched to his Lightning Endowment.

He closed the distance with the third Jailer in a flash of sparks, another snap of his fingers changing his Endowment to Fire, creating a glowing red sheen around his left outstretched hand.

Drake gripped the Jailer’s head in his hand and crushed it in the same motion of flying past it, hitting the ground, it cracking beneath his momentum.

You have subjugated Goblin Jailer [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 3,500 TP have been awarded.

Snapping his fingers with a ringing noise, Drake canceled his Fire and switched again to his Lightning Endowment, another step digging deep into the ground as he shot forward like a cannon ball to the last Jailer.

“Marked,” Drake whispered as he snapped his fingers, changing again, this time to his Ice Endowment. Only a moment later his earthen hand molded to a blade, passing through the Jailer’s head effortlessly.

You have subjugated Goblin Jailer [F-Rank] Level 21.

Experience earned. 4,000 TP have been awarded.

But he wasn’t done. Drake had aimed his body so that he was lined up with the Goblin Mage behind the Jailer.

Shooting forward still, he snapped again, his hair shifting to an electrified yellow. Drake took a split second to notice his Weakened debuff falling off with a grin.

Finding himself just inches away from the Mage, Drake threw his left hand forward, trained at the goblin’s hunched body. Drake’s tattoo flared with more power as he sunk mana into the weapon, glowing a neon blue.

But the blow never connected. The goblin raised its staff as a physical nearly transparent bubble formed around it. The bubble enveloped the entirety of the goblin, shooting backwards from the force of the blow.

But Drake wasn’t about to let up. Chanting two quick skills as the monster flew backward, a crack of white light crawled out from the impact like a spider web.

“Fear is binding. Cower!” A black, smokey tentacle shot out, chasing the goblin. “Wounds of the mind are not so easily healed! Atrophy of the Mind!” Drake shouted, a line of blue light shooting from his fingertips.

The inky tentacle fizzled out as it traveled towards the goblin, but the blue line made it, piercing the goblin’s chest harmlessly. But Drake noticed how the goblin gasped in anger when it connected.

Drake shot forwards again, not wanting to cease the chase.

But the goblin had other plans. Its staff lit up in a muggy green as four similarly colored balls materialized in front of it.

Drake grimaced, snapping and changing to his Magma Endowment instantly for the resistance buff.

Chanting his skill, he also snapped his fingers to conjure makeshift Wind Cutters for bursts of propulsion to dodge the incoming green balls of goo.

“On blessed wings! Guardian’s Reprieve!” The comforting viridian sheen shimmered over his body. “I am the wall on which my enemies billow! Unbreakable!” Another feeling of security encompassed him in an emerald sheen momentarily.

Drake used his makeshift air jets to dodge the first two balls of goo, but the third and fourth smashed against his shoulder with the sound of shattering glass.

Reprieval charge gained.

He grit his teeth as the initial hit splashed against the shield, the splatter touching his skin with a sizzle.

“Fuck!” Drake howled through his teeth, wildly searching for where the Mage had gone. But the goblin had disappeared.

Drake landed on the ground, his eyes and aura searching for the Mage. His aura picked up the location first as he turned around, a scowl forming as he saw the goblin.

The goblin had teleported to the line of people. It picked up a female prisoner in its hand,pointing its staff at her back with the other.

Disgusting piece of shit! It’s using a hostage?!

The goblin snickered, its yellow, crooked teeth in full view as it muttered something. Then a ball of acid plunged through the woman’s chest, her screams falling short as she died instantly. Her body turned into something Drake didn’t even want to describe.

“You fucking—” Drake shouted, taking a step forward, but stopped as the goblin picked up another prisoner, a man this time, his eyes wet, expression desperate.

“P-Please! I don’t want to die! Pl-Pleaseeee!” the man sobbed as the goblin moved the man in front of him, snickering.

Drake grit his teeth, not sure what to do. If he teleported behind the goblin he could surely kill it, but would the man die in the process? Would it be better to sacrifice the man so he could stop the goblin from killing the others?

Fuck! Drake screamed internally, his grip turning real hand turning white.

Drake’s shoulders shook in anger as he looked on, frozen in indecision.

But the monster made the decision for Drake as it pointed its staff at him instead of the man it held in his arms.

Drake understood. It was going to be his own life instead of the man’s.

He smiled wearily, but didn’t move. The Goblin Mage formed a ball of acid and launched it, hitting Drake’s chest. It only sizzled slightly against his robes before it dripped off like water.

Reprieval charge gained.

The goblin raised a brow in surprise but fired again. Drake inched slowly forwards after taking each hit.

He began forming a small magic circle on his empty shoulder, a small wave of earth rumbling outwards.

Drake waited, as he felt his robes start to falter, the smell of burning flesh filling his nose.

Reprieval charge gained.

Max charges stored, charge lost.

Finally, the goblin huffed in exhaustion, Drake’s Atrophy at last pulling dividends.

Drake teleported in the split second of delay in the spells, his earthen arm forming in a flash. Then his arm gripped the goblin’s, shock plain on its face as Drake wrenched its hand. He pulled so hard it tore the goblin’s arm from its socket and freeing the man in the process.

He quickly thrust forwards a glowing red and blue arm, but not before the goblin formed another barrier around itself, its still-attached hand holding the staff and covering the lost one.

He cursed, then kicked the goblin’s barrier and all across the forest.

Drake followed the flying ball with a display of speed that would have impressed some anime protagonists as he shot in front of the monster, both his hands clenched together in the form of a hammer that Drake brought down on the barrier.

Somehow it still still held out against his might. The barrier took the abuse and fell downward into the ground, embedding itself.

Drake jumped backwards and canceled his Endowment. Looking down with an ice cold glare, he summoned a ball of fire in one hand and a pillar of air above his other.

“Not a speck of your disgusting ilk will be left behind!” Drake growled. “Reap him from this world. Blow this vile beast like ashes to the winds!” Drake pumped mana into his fire, turning it blue before he slammed the Wind Pillar and Fireball together, as it erupted into a massive tower of blue-flamed pitch. “Foraz Zora!”

Drake roared as he brought down the enormous fire tower on the Goblin Mage, but no notification came. Drake was sure the Mage was still underneath the pillar, he could feel it with his aura.

Looking at his status it was quickly dropping, but Drake wouldn’t let the monster go.

Drake dropped his remaining free status points into his intelligence as he roared, pressing down the pillar of blue flames on the goblin like an enormous cleaver of fire, scorching the land around it.

You have subjugated Goblin General: Mufasi’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 24.

Experience earned. 350,000 TP have been awarded.

Exhaustion overtook Drake as his spell winked out of existence, the surrounding forest scorched from the impact and burned black. His status had bottomed out, and he had nothing in the tank left as he fell forwards to the ground.

Breathing heavily, Drake struggled to stay conscious.

“Drake! Drake! Stay awake! If you pass out, there is nothing stopping them from coming here and killing you!”

I’m awake… just don’t you dare come out. I don’t think I can fight anyone if they take you hostage, too, Drake grumbled in his head, a smirk forming on his face.

“This is not a joke, you halfwit!”

Yeah, but it’s still pretty funny. Did you see that last spell? It was almost the same thing as the real one… If only I could make black flames…

The sound of footsteps reached Drake’s ears and he tried his best to roll over onto his back.

But relief washed over him when he was rolled over, and the face of the person and their mustache became visible.

“My liege!” Theodore shouted, a smile on his face.

Drake laughed. “Oh… Hey there, Theo, is the outpost okay?”

Chapter 71

Declaration of War

Theo looked out at the destruction as he placed his arm under Drake’s shoulder.

“Sire, what hast thou wrought to bring such a pox upon the land?”

Drake chuckled, raising his upper half to lean against Theodore. “Haha… Let’s just say I had an anime protagonist moment.”

Theodore raised his brows in confusion.

“I see my liege hath unleashed another forbidden spell of such magnitude. Surely t’was what this one witnessed, that hast led me to thee,” Theodore said, a soft smile forming on his lips.

Drake coughed, a little embarrassed. “Sure, Theo. More importantly, the camp and the group?”

Theodore pulled Drake up so that he could stand before answering.

“They art currently under the protection of the outpost. Harley and Miss Chelsea art acting as lookouts in thitherward towers.”

“More important, huh… You should worry more about yourself, dolt!” Natto grumbled.

“Hush, you.”

Theodore looked confused.

“Oh, not you Theo, my bad. Can you look over the captives over there, see how they are doing? We will need to get them up and moving, even if they can’t. My little firework display is going to be bringing every goblin in Mordor to us in short time,” Drake chuckled wearily. Finally he had enough mana to conjure a ball of water. It splashed against his arm, changing his tattoo to a soothing blue. His hair cascaded to the same.

“As you will it,” Theodore said with a bow, carefully slipping his arm from Drake’s.  He crossed to the chained prisoners still shaking on the floor from the overpowering aura.

Drake was spent, struggling to keep his senses straight while his Water Endowment did its job of recovering him. Then a lightbulb lit in his head.

He plopped unceremoniously to the floor again, and crossed his legs. Closing his eyes, he did his best to concentrate like he had in the mines, turning his senses inwards and focused on his breathing.

In and out, in and out. The world went silent as he focused.

Soon there was a hand on his shoulder, gently prodding him awake.

Opening his eyes, Drake felt fully refreshed. He looked at his now-full status with a grin. Turning away from his status, he looked upwards to see Theodore.

Hopping to his feet and snapping his fingers to activate his Wind Endowment, he now saw most of the captives had gotten to their feet, but unfortunately were still chained.

Careful to ensure his aura was under control as it scoured the area, Drake turned to the butler and asked, “So, Theo, couldn’t find the keys?”

Theodore offered up five bags resembling the one Drake had looted off the Jailer in the camp. In his other hand were three stones.

“This one simply did not wish to rummage through my liege’s spoils. T’were one bag per goblin, including one,” the man’s eyes fell upon the scorched hole in the ground not far away, “of the more-than-suitably deceased goblin thou hast dispatched. As well as the stones that this one couldst find amongst the corpses. But this one couldst not find keys on any of their persons, and thine armor is here.” A large pile of armor clanged to the ground.

Drake scratched his head, staring at the blackened earth. Then he looked back as he pulled the armor and weapons into his inventory for later. The dimensional bags joined them, one by one.

Systematically he checked the contents of each with a mental click, one by one, beginning with the one he’d taken off the Jailer.

But with each one he checked, his stomach began to turn. Was it still right to keep these bags, knowing what it was they contained?

Body parts.

Dozens and dozens of human parts filled the bags, amongst other unspeakable things. Drake grimaced as he tried to avoid looking at the icons for now, his stomach forming a knot.

After browsing the new bags, Drake replaced his smaller ones with these. That increased his inventory space by five, even if the contents were…

I’m going to have to do something about this when we get back. And I’m going to make sure I clear that camp out. We have some serious work to do before we go back to meet Bjorn at Shigure’s, Drake rumbled internally, his gaze even, eyes glowing out of anger.

“I—I will not harp on what I think, as you already know. Please, just do not push yourself. You now have many people who require your protection until you bring them to Shigure’s camp. And we still do not know of the whereabouts of the remaining PKers you and the oaf have spoken of,” Natto reminded.

They reminder cooled his head slightly. But he tearing the goblin camp apart had now become a priority.

Fortunately the stones in Theodore’s other hand were a delightful surprise.

Skill Stone: Water [Rare]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Water tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot, have an unlocked main class tree.

Subtree Stone: Restraint [Uncommon]

Unlocks Restraint subtree branch.

Requires 1 or more empty subtree branches, have an unlocked main class tree.

Two of the three being subtree stones was a disappointment, but the Water Stone was a big get.

He wanted to use the stone right away, but he had priorities. It was unwise to risk getting another volatile skill like his Aura that could incapacitate him.

Looking back at the prisoners, he could see their weary faces even more clearly. Quickly stashing the stones, he pulled the keys from the Jailers into his hand, passing two to Theodore.

“Start unchaining them quickly, there are bound to be more groups here soon and I already ate up a bunch of our time recovering,” Drake ordered.

With another curt nod and bow, Theodore moved to the line of prisoners and began unlocking their restraints one by one, passing the extra key to a kind woman who mimicked him.

Heading to the other end of the line, Drake moved his mask away from his mouth. It snapped into place on the side of his head.

With as gentle a smile as he could manage, he began unlocking the restraints as well. Each person was very wary of him, but most gave nods of thanks, regardless.

Until a particularly frightened woman bolted straight for the forest after being freed.

Drake looked on as she scrambled to her feet and ran, nearly tripping the whole way. His face creased in distress—and grief.

With a quick step he moved in front of her.

“It’s alright, you won’t be in danger for much longer,” Drake said, trying to coax her down.

The woman huffed a heavy breath, drawing her arms inwards as she stared coldly at him.

The reaction was a shock to see. He thought she was just afraid and desperately fleeing. This body language suggested something entirely different.

“Drake, this woman…” Natto said, sympathetically.

Drake didn’t answer, but instead called over another woman with a wave and a shout. “Excuse me you! Come here and take her. We can’t let her run off.”

Someone shouted back, “Let her go if she wants! What if those bastards come back for us while we’re messing about here!”

The man was silenced with a harsh glare.

She’s obviously not in her best wits, and… Drake trailed off in his thoughts.

“Yes, it would seem the goblins have assaulted her. It would explain their growing numbers, and why they kept these people on their march.”

Drake looked around again, as the woman he called over took the other back to the group. Many of the women had similar body language and expressions, but were simply too exhausted to run. Their eyes were glazed over in despair.

He felt sick to his stomach. Long-buried emotions were flooding over him again. This is what that piece of shit Stewart had accused him of? How dare Stewart even use such a thing when the reality was worse than anyone could possibly try to imagine.

Drake walked back to the group with new understanding of why these people, and especially the women, would not meet his eye or recoiled from his touch. It was not because of his display of power and his use of Aura, no. They had been through something so much more traumatic.

Gritting his teeth, Drake felt something enter the edge of his aura. He gave a knowing look to Theodore before leaving to see what it was.

The butler nodded and slowly corralled the people forward towards the outpost, helping those who could not walk themselves and directing others to do the same.

When he arrived more beings had entered his sphere. A squad of goblins tromped through the forest, unaware that Drake was now watching them.

He flared and flexed his Aura, allowing it to break away from his control.

The goblins froze and watched as Drake walked from the brush, his hair and tattoo now a chilling white as he held a huge plume of blue fire, his eyes a shifting spectrum of blue, green and yellow.

With his other hand he snapped his mask into place on his face. Each goblin shivered in unbridled fear as they looked at the man in front of them, unable to move from the pressure bearing down on them.

Not even when the tendrils of the blue fire slowly wisped through the air and wrapped themselves around one goblin. Then the next, and the next, slowly burning each one alive.

The smell of burning flesh and the sound of screams faded. There were no more monsters to go through the torture, save the last trembling Goblin Footman.

Drake approached the monster in slow, measured steps before bending down to sit on his haunches, getting eye level with the goblin. He raised his hand as the blue fire licked and singed the goblin’s dirty hair.

With his other hand he removed the mask from his face, staring evenly at the monster.

Several long drawn out seconds passed in silence as the goblin shook and sweated under the eyes of Drake.

No.

Of the monster in human flesh. A tyrant.

The tyrant released his aura, reining it inward and crushing the fire in his hand, extinguishing it like it was never there. His hair shifted back to black as his closed fist shone blue for a moment. Water leaked from it, slithering up his arm before it changed his black tattoo to a serene blue, and in turn his hair.

Drake turned and left, leaving only one monster alive. He was slow to recover the stones and cores from the ashes of its companions.

“Why leave the vile deformity alive?” asked Natto.

Drake answered evenly and without emotion, his thoughts elsewhere. “There’s always a need for a messenger. When sending a declaration of war.”

You have reached Elemental Conflux Proficiency 2 (0%).

You have reached Martial Strike Proficiency 2 (0%).

You have reached Tyrannical Aura Proficiency 2 (0%).

◆◆◆

Drake drifted through the forest listlessly as he returned to the outpost, mechanically taking out any scouts or Red Caps found along the way with a bolt of lightning from his fingertips.

What was he to do next?

He couldn’t just stay a bystander after taking in so many people. He was obligated to protect them, to at least bring them to Shigure in a timely manner.

Saying it wasn’t his problem would no longer pass muster. He had made it his problem the moment he saved Harley. The moment he took the lives of Stewart and his lackeys.

Drake knew he wasn’t a leader, and that he was at times childish. But if he was taught anything, it was to take accountability.

“Natto.”

“Yes?”

“I think it’s time I catch up,” he said, something instinctive sparking to life inside him.

Something was brewing within him, something that wanted more, and hungered for conflict. He had felt it when he first obtained his Aura skill, and again when he blacked out in the goblin’s main camp.

Now he could feel it again, calmer this time. The desire for more, the desperate clawing from inside him for strength was willing to pull itself from him. And yet almost still, like a frozen ocean.

The dichotomy of the intense push and pull of the menace within felt like that of the calm before a storm, the chaos that raged, begged to be let loose from the clouds, only to be held back by the container of somber gray. But Drake was ready to unleash it. He held the gun, soon to point it at the ones who deserved it most.

“The Goblin King’s head,” Drake said, his hand wrapping around a stone had been waiting to reach the outpost to use, “is mine.”

You wish to consume: Skill Stone: Water [Rare].

Confirm?

Yes < No

The familiar cold rushed up his arm as he took a deep breath, the warmth of a fire then overtaking it. The opposing forces raced to his center, dancing in tandem with each other as his breath became ragged.

But this time Drake was determined to go forwards and embrace the power, aligning with the hunger inside him. The pure feeling of refreshing empowerment washed over him.

Then settled.

You have learned Purity of the Soul [F-Rank].

Purity of the Soul Proficiency 1 (0%) [F-Rank]

With each monumental change, your soul is cleansed.

Passive: Your maximum mana capacity is doubled. Increases with proficiency.

Bonus: You now gain an additional 2 Intelligence per level.

Drake smiled. The skill was simple, but simple meant effective and powerful.

Now opening the level ladder, he eyed the top.

“We have a ways to go. Thankfully the goblins are so accommodating.”

Top Level Leaderboard

Rank 1, Level 24: Bear

Rank 2, Level 22: Shigure Kenzo

Rank 3, Level 20: Joker

Rank 4, Level 19: Chris Springs

Rank 5, Level 18: Super Megan

Rank 6, Level 18: Ladden Hampert

Rank 7, Level 18: Big Willy

Rank 8, Level 17: VitaminD

Rank 9, Level 17: xXxGunLover69xXx

Rank 10, Level 17: Ash Ketchup

…

Rank 771, Level 13: Shot

Chapter 72

Camp Rules

Chelsea paced around the outpost. It was barren, save for one large tent that they were explicitly told not to enter and a bed that was covered in green blood.

As she walked from one end to the other, she noticed spots of blood on the ground, as well as obvious signs of wear and tear. Looking back at the tall wooden wall encircling the entirety of the place, she couldn’t help but feel a bit safer for the respite, despite her suspicion.

Sighing, she turned her head to the rest of the group, as some had begun arguing on what to do.

“I don’t like this! All I’m saying is, this might just be as bad as the goblins’ cage! They literally just dropped us off here and ran off again! They can’t possibly be reliable!” a gruff voice shouted over the crowd.

“Well, I for one am staying. Didn’t you see how quickly he wiped out that entire horde of goblins? Not to mention that big one with some ridiculous ice spell? Can any of you do that?”

“That’s what I’m saying! What’s stopping him from doing that or worse to us?!”

“You’re just being paranoid. Sure, the spell was big, but if he’s only a caster, we can just overpower him, if it comes down to it,” a younger man said.

Chelsea had reached the edge of the group that huddled around the campfire they had relit. Some people were eating the small bits of food scrounged from their inventories, and others were filling cups from a barrel of water Theodore had left.

“Are you fucking daft? Blind? Maybe both? Did you not see him kill that bloody Jailer with his bare hands? And what the hell are you all whinging about? You are safe, behind walls and not a monster in sight. I’d call this a step up from the dredges of that damned cage,” Jacqueline yelled back.

“Oh, forgot about that…” the young man said, visibly deflating as he fell silent.

“That does bring up the question,” Chelsea said, inserting herself into the conversation, “what class do we think this guy is?” she asked the group. Her eyes fell on Harley, sitting on the fallen tree by the fire, her eyes slightly unfocused as they gazed at the dancing flames.

“My vote is on a Mage that has a skill to change his stats to melee!” Tom shouted over the crowd.

Chelsea scoffed, “We all know you can only specialize, Tom. Anyone else?”

A woman shakily raised her hand, “Actually… I think Tom has a point. During my own class advancement, I rolled a 1, and it gave me one of the starter classes. I didn’t choose it, though, because it said I would be reverted back to level 1.”

Chelsea raised a brow. “Anyone else have something similar?” She asked, propping her hand on her hip.

The heads of the group all shook no.

Well, that’s not very helpful. I have to figure out what class he is, if I want to know if he can beat Chris and his lackeys, Chelsea thought.

Walking over to Jacqueline, Chelsea lowered her voice to a hushed tone, “Jacky, I need your help with something.”

Jacqueline cocked her ear and nodded. “Sure, love, what’s the damage?”

“You remember how he asked about your healing?”

“Who? The devil in human skin, blows us all to bits if he’d like, chap?”

Chelsea smiled wryly, coughing slightly. “Ahem, yeah, that guy. I need you to find out why he needs a healer. Besides the obvious of him being alone. I think it’s his missing arm, but I’m not one hundred percent sure.”

“He has a missing arm? I thought it was an item, or some piece of equipment.”

Chelsea shook her head and pulled Jacqueline out of the group so she could speak more candidly. “No, I got a good look at it before he ran off. It was made of earth. Either way, when you find out, I want you to do your best to get him to help us with Chris. If he can kill that many goblins on his own, we might have a chance to get back to the camp and save everyone.”

Jacqueline pursed her lips for a moment.

“Love, it’s been a few days since we’ve been about. I don’t think…”

Chelsea shook her head hard. “You know Chris will want to keep everyone alive, even if he is found out. He needs Megan for her group buffs. And without the rest of his goons, they can’t keep everyone under control.”

Jacqueline nodded. “Sure thing. I’ll honey trap the little psycho. He doesn’t stand a chance,” she said, winking.

Chelsea gave a genuine smile and hugged her. “Thank you, Jacky.”

While they finished their discussion, a loud knocking came on the gate, more like a ram hitting the door than a proper knock. Everyone startled, glaring at the ruckus.

No one moved or answered, the silence deafening as all their minds raced on who or what it might be at the gate.

Then, a voice shouted from the other side.

“Open the gate already, would you!”

Harley was, surprisingly, the first one to get up and answer, almost rushing to the gate.

“Who is that? Mr. Shot?” she hollered back.

“No, it’s your landlord, rent is due! Open up, or we’ll send in the Squirtle Squad, and no one wants that. Jerry can be a bit quick on the Water Gun, if you know what I mean!”

Harley sighed, convinced it was Shot. She began wrenching the gate wheel slowly, until Chelsea ran over and helped with a pensive look.

◆◆◆

Drake sighed. He had tried to keep a normal demeanor with his jokes, as they helped the newly freed captives to the outpost.

It had taken much longer than he thought. They were not well. Many needed medical treatment and food. He wasn’t sure how long they had been abused or starved, as the goblins had only started showing up a few days ago—as far as he knew.

The wounds on many of them and their malnourished, sunken faces strongly suggested it might be an entirely different story.

The gate slowly opened as Drake waved the large crowd of thirty-odd people inside.

Theodore moved next to him, his back straight, monocle now in place on his right eye.

“My liege. What art we to do withst thy flock? Surely we want for the means to feed and protect them?”

Drake kept watching the people pile in through the gate, slowly, not turning to face the other.

“I picked up a lot of food from those bags we got earlier. And if my little messenger does his job, we won’t need to worry for long,” Drake answered. A woman tripped, but he moved to catch her quickly.

She flinched at his touch and recoiled, looking back at him in fear.

Drake's emotionless mask never broke as he simply nodded to her, waving for her to keep moving.

“Ungrateful…” Natto spat.

Give them a break, they’ve been through hell.

“It has nothing to do with you. Was it your fault the monsters captured them? Was it your fault what happened to them? They could at least show a sliver of gratitude for someone who saved their lives from the unending torment.”

Drake winced at her wording, recalling what had happened only a few moments earlier before reaching the gate.

Natto… Leave it alone, Drake thought, his brows pushing together for a small scowl.

Earlier, a pair of the captives begged to be killed. It was not a pleasant experience. They had yelled, insulted, and pleaded for him to end them and just free them of the hell that was the tutorial.

Drake was against it. Fervently against it. He had almost snapped at the two as they asked him. Did they really not value their own lives enough to press on?

They would really ask a stranger to end it for them, to take on the burden of guilt from ending their lives, because they were too cowardly to do it themselves?

It left the foulest of tastes in Drake’s mouth to even ponder the thought. He could empathize with them. What had happened was unforgivable and scarring. But to ask someone else to do the deed was asking hate to beget hate. And he wouldn’t stand for it.

He had said nothing to the pair, and bit his tongue as they eventually broke down in tears, but finally moved on with the group.

Drake sighed once more. Moving into the outpost, the last of the group filed in.

He and Theodore were greeted by Harley and Chelsea, each with a questioning look on their face. Harley moved to her fiancé as they shared a gentle exchange of looks before Chelsea began bombarding Drake with questions.

“Who are these people? They look like they’ve been pulled from a camp in the 1900s,” Chelsea said, her frown deep.

Drake ignored her, moving past and closed the gate himself behind them. Then moved to the center of the camp.

“Who here is a healer?” Drake shouted, as loudly and clearly as he could.

Several hands hesitantly raised up, including Jacqueline’s.

Drake nodded. “Good, step forward. These people that have just joined us are in need of healing and food. If you are a healer in need of skill stones or a weapon still, I will provide it.”

Many confused gazes were then exchanged, but a group of six emerged and approached the mass of sixty-odd people.

“You really have those stones? The only healing stones I’ve seen have been from quest rewards,” Jacqueline asked, suspiciously.

Drake dumped a small pile of stones from his inventory. “These are Soul Mastery subclass stones, Healer stones, and Prayer stones. I killed a Mage General and this was on his person. There is enough here for the six of you, take what you need and get to healing.” Drake then waved Theodore and Harley over. “Theo, please make sure that they are using them and not stashing them.”

The man nodded as Harley looked down at the stones, mouth slightly agape.

Drake didn’t stop there, raising his voice again. “Was anyone a therapist, or dealt with trauma victims before the tutorial?”

No one raised their hand, sadly.

Well, it was a shot in the dark, he thought, a little disappointed.

Then he moved further away and began unloading tents, beds, campfire supplies and leather gear. “Everyone sets up their own tent, one bed per person. The new group will come with me for food and drinks first.”

“Hey, why do they get special treatment? We’re hungry too!” someone shouted.

Drake spread his Aura, letting it flex slightly.

“Because they have been marching for God knows how long through that forest and need food. And I own this place, so I say so. Do you have a problem with that?” he said evenly.

No answer.

“Good. I will lay some ground rules, also. No fighting, no stealing, you may come and go as you wish. But if you stay, know that you play by my rules in my house. I will provide protection, food, and shelter, as best I can. In a week’s time, I will take whoever remains to Shigure’s camp.”

A few faces lit up at the mention of the camp; others looked just as despondent as before, simply eyeing the gate they had just been led through.

“If you have something you want to complain about, bring it to that.” Drake pointed to the gate.

“But that’s the gate?” Tom said from the crowd.

“Exactly. You are not a prisoner here. You don’t like it, feel free to leave. While you are here, I am responsible for you. The moment you decide to leave. I am not. Any questions? No? Good. Food for everyone is ready in thirty minutes, second group first, first group after!” Drake barked.

He didn’t stay for the low grumbles and exchanges of disbelief in the crowd, and instead got to work.

Moving to one end of the outpost, he unloaded another tent, quickly setting it up and placing chairs, tables, bowls and utensils within.

Next was to cobble together ten campfires, placing cauldrons for food on top of them, lighting each one with a snap of his fingers.

“You seem a little more at peace doing this,” Natto mentioned, feeling the meditative calm of Drake’s mind.

Yeah… It brings me back to when I used to cook massive meals for my family. There’s some quiet in the mechanical cutting and serving of food. Just you and the sound of the kitchen.

“You are almost a housewife with that thought process.”

Cooking soothes the soul in times of distress. It’s my aikido, my zen. And Chef would be disappointed in you making fun of people enjoying cooking. Maybe we should try some squirrel stew instead?

Natto recoiled with a slight shiver at his joke, making him smile.

Drake pulled more tables as needed from his inventory, placing the necessary supplies on each one. He cut the ingredients as needed, while he filled each cauldron with water in between.

Soon, ten fully stocked pots were simmering with a pleasant aroma under Chef Drake’s watchful eye.

Looking out into the slowly forming crowd of people, he felt a tinge of regret.

“Drake?” Natto asked. “What is it now?”

I was just thinking. Maybe if I hadn’t run off at the start. I could have had a group like this already. You know, without all the nasty stuff happening to them. I can say I sympathize with them all I want, but I’ll never really understand what it’s like to go through what they did, the same way they can’t for me. It’s frustrating.

“Everyone has their story, as you have said… Trauma, tribulation, and walking your path all gives form to the character behind the person. They will either move past it and thrive, in one way or another. Be that overcoming it, burying it deep inside, or using it to fuel them to never let it happen again, like you have. But that is not something you can make them do,” she said, doing her best to console him.

Tough times make hard men, soft times weak men. Is that the saying, huh? came the absentminded reply.

“I do not know that saying but, for what it is worth. It certainly applies. There will be no harder time than that of a new universe initiation. I can promise you that without question, Drake, so you must be strong. Stronger than you are now.”

Tutorial-wide Quest Update

The slaughter of his generals has slighted the Goblin King, moving him from his throne. This transgression will not go unpunished.

The mighty Goblin King advances his forces in response, seeking the transgressor. The march of the goblin horde will not cease until they are killed, or until the king purges the land of the insects that blight it.

Time remaining until the Goblin King joins the fight: 6 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 34 seconds.

Additional Bonus Reward: Experience, TP, [Epic] class stone.

Additional Requirement: Subjugate the Goblin King before the countdown ends.

Shouts and complaints sounded throughout the area, the already tense mood turning from bad to worse as the notification sunk in.

Drake snapped his mask into place and smiled behind it as he felt beings outside the walls of the outpost entering his sphere.

“Looks like our messenger finally met with the Big Green Baddie, and it’s perfect that they know where we are. So they can just come to us,” Drake said softly.

Quickly, he cast his defensive buffs. “I am the wall on which my enemies billow, Unbreakable!” A sheen of green passed over him. “I am the shield, I am the rampart, Bulwark!” An emerald cover cloaked him like his other shielding skill. “On blessed wings, Guardian’s Reprieve!” The last of his defensive buffs finished solidifying around him.

Drake snapped his hands and a Stone Bullet sank down into the ground. An earth-made podium pushed him up above the people in the outpost, as he spoke.

“Today, I brought you all here from the goblins. Some of you were put through unspeakable things that I cannot even attempt to understand. So I won’t give you platitudes of it going to be alright, or that time will heal your wounds.” He snapped again, changing his Endowment to lightning. His hair and tattoo shifted to a bright yellow. “I can’t give you back the time or peace of mind taken from you. But I will tell you this.”

Drake turned to look at the wall of the outpost. Goblin horns and drums resounded in the night air.

He crouched down and shot upwards, the earthen stage he had made crumbling from the force.

Up in the sky he could watch the force of goblins, a sea of horrible, sickening green.

“It’s time to see how much this new skill helps, and I’ve wanted to test this for a while,” Drake said, smiling.

In the air, he began casting. One hand rose high above his head as he looked down. With his senses he spoke in an even, slow tone, but in reality his Lightning Endowment had increased the speed at which he casted.

“Spirit of Sorrow and Isolation.” A large blue circle formed underneath him. “Thou who bestows thy power unto Kings!” The circle enlarged further, a ball of water forming above his hand.

The goblins had begun throwing everything they had at him, many of the spells and arrows missing, but some hitting their mark. Drake continued to cast undeterred, the near planet-sized ball of water swirling above him.

Bulwark broken.

Reprevial charge gained.

“Bring forth a great torrent that shall rule the earth!” The massive sphere of water blocked out the sun above, giving shade to those underneath it as it threatened to swallow everything with its sheer size and torrential waters.

The bombardment continued from the goblins, an arrow embedding itself into his shoulder. Drake grit his teeth and gave a vicious glare down to the mass of goblins below. The casting finished, pouring the disproportionate amount of mana he now had into it.

A spear launched from the crowd of goblins, gleaming in blood-red as it hurtled towards him, but Drake blinked to the sky above the center of the army at the gates with a Reprieval Charge, his spell traveling with him.

“Vainel Ganezza!” he roared, throwing down his hand as the torrent of water spilled from above, subsuming all of the spells and arrows during its descent to the mass of goblins.

The notifications seemed unending. Drake fell from the sky backwards.

Snapping his fingers, he changed to his Water Endowment, his hair shifting. Flipping in mid-air with a snap of his fingers, he conjured pockets of wind to change his position and land softly on the ground back in the outpost.

Observing once more the shocked crowd of people, the waters of his spell splashed against the wall of the outpost behind him. Drake spoke again.

“I will tell you. That without a doubt, the perpetrators of your trauma in this tutorial will pay. And they will pay with their lives and blood, tenfold!” the tyrant roared, his eyes cascading in ethereal, opalescent hues, as he wrenched the arrow from his shoulder and raised it in a fist above his head.

Congratulations! You have reached Elemental Miller Level 14.

40 FP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Goblin General: Serteppi’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 24.

Experience earned. 350,000 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Goblin Lieutenant Erciru’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 150,000 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Goblin Lieutenant Riruc’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 150,000 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Goblin Lieutenant Tubruic’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 150,000 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Goblin Lieutenant Shiruc’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 150,000 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Goblin Lieutenant Locuvic’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 150,000 TP have been awarded.

Quest Complete: 100 of 100 Goblin Shamans [F-Rank]

Accept rewards?

5 health potion [F-Grade], 5 mana potion [F-Grade], and 5 stamina potion [F-Grade] have been awarded.

Experience earned. 50,000 TP have been awarded.

Quest Complete: 100 of 100 Goblin Rider [F-Rank]

Accept rewards?

5 health potions [F-Grade], 5 mana potions [F-Grade], and 5 stamina potions [F-Grade] have been awarded.

Experience earned. 50,000 TP have been awarded.

Quest Complete: 20 of 20 Iron Tusk Boar [F-Rank]

Experience has been awarded.

Quest Complete: 50 of 50 Goblin squad commanders [F-Rank]

Accept rewards?

1 large 500-slot dimensional bag.

Experience has been awarded.

Quest Complete: 15 of 15 Goblin Treasure Hoarder [F-Rank]

Accept rewards?

You have received the Goblin King’s hoard key.

Congratulations! You have reached Elemental Miller Level 15.

40 FP have been awarded.

Chapter 73

First Day of Camp

Silence.

A bead of cold sweat dripped from Drake’s cheek as he stood there, his hand in the air. His shoulder itched as it slowly healed.

Shouldn’t they be cheering or something…

“Hahahaha! They are all looking at you as if you are crazy! This is certainly a treat! Finally! Sane people that understand how cringe you are!” Natto screamed, practically fist pumping out of his skull.

Hey! Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?! This should be just as embarrassing for me as it is for you! Drake shouted internally as he slowly lowered his arm and turned away from the onlooking crowd.

“It would, but they cannot see me! So all the embarrassment is yours, you dolt!”

Fuck…

Drake’s ears turned a shade of red comparable to his mask, but he tried his best to recover.

“A-A-A… And with that said!” he shouted, turning back around. “Any support class or healer that wants to improve. See me tomorrow! For now, rest up, I will keep watch, so you can rest easy.”

Looking into the sky, it was beginning to bleed into a darker orange. The day had been long and difficult for many, so Drake would make sure they could at least rest for now.

He moved to the wall and jumped onto the guard tower, looking out to the destruction his spell had caused.

The open plains that had once been dirt were now a wet pool of mud as the water slowly receded back into the forest, taking the bodies of the goblins with it. Not all of them. Some of the goblins had been slammed against the outpost’s walls, others were crushed into the mud, unable to be freed by the waves of the receding waters.

“I’ll have to do some cleaning tonight, huh…” Drake mumbled.

◆◆◆

“You believe anything that crazy dude said?” one of the men whispered to another, taking a spoonful of the food he had grabbed to his mouth. “Ahh, this is good! What the fuck?!”

“I’m not so sure about killing all the goblins. I mean, you saw that quest, right? But at least we’re safe here. That spell he just did was something else!” another chimed in next to him.

“Shhh! Don’t be so loud, what would you do if the guy heard us?!”

“I don’t believe Mr. Shot is so petty as to kill someone for having a differing opinion,” Harley said, handing another person a bowl of food. “He did save everyone after all, even with some being not so cooperative,” she added, sparing a glance for a gruff-looking man on the edge of the group.

“Ha! Save everyone? What about the other people still in the camp?” someone said.

Harley pursed her lips, not sure how to respond to the question. But a familiar voice came to her rescue.

“Yeah? And what exactly the bloody hell did your sorry ass do to save those people? Easy to point a finger when you’re sitting cozy by a fire eating grub, when you didn’t lift one to do shite,” Jacqueline sneered.

The man scoffed and placed a spoon of food into his mouth, grumbling something.

“Thank you…” Harley offered.

“Don’t sweat it, love. Tensions are high and all that, but we all have something to bear for not doing more.”

Suddenly another horn sounded, and both women looked to the guard tower.

It had been a few hours since the last one sounded, and it was now dark. The only thing they could see in the night was a shimmer of green, before a flash of white silhouetted the outline of a person on the tower.

Those with magic senses and identification skills looked up in more detail, seeing the man on the tower. His tattered, gilded black robe, his white hair with red animalistic ears and tail. A ferocious red, black and white mask covered the bottom half of his face.

Shot Level 15

Sparks of green then flicked in the night, as arrows and spells battered against a shield in front of him.

But he stood unperturbed as a crimson red magic circle formed in his left hand. A tall throng of fire extended from it, lighting up the night like a beacon.

The fire bent and formed a longbow, another circle of red bursting to life in his other dark, earthen hand. It was forming a condensed arrow of fire.

Shot pulled back the bow. The string of fire flickered and sputtered in the air as he stretched the string. When he released the mountain of fiery mana, the arrow shrieked as it screamed through the air, a loud explosion sounding in the distance.

Then he released another, then another, and another. Each one sounded fiercer than the last, creating a loud, cascading boom for each screeching arrow.

“Could you do that?” Jacqueline asked, hesitantly.

“N-No. I’m a level 15 Far-sight Archer… The best I could do is maybe kill two gnolls at a time. How many goblins do you think he is killing with each arrow?” Harley asked, just as pensively.

“My liege is killing around thirty goblins per arrow,” Theodore said, shimmering into existence next to Harley with an expressionless face. “Ah. Another level. This system of gathering is quite extraordinary. Should my liege decide to continue, this one feels he wouldst be set quite speedily upon their goal of amassing strength.”

Harley looked over at her fiancé, her eyes gleaning green for a moment as she inspected him.

Theodore Rotwood Level 13

He was slowly closing in on Harley’s level, and he had increased so quickly over the course of such a small period. Even Shot's level had grown, and no one knew his class.

“Theo,” Harley whispered.

“Yes, my love?” he responded, dropping his ear to her.

“What class is Mr. Shot?”

Theodore looked troubled for a moment but then answered in a low tone, “Truly, this one hath not the slightest. My liege hast not graced this one with such information as of yet.”

“And you still follow him?” she asked again, her face painted in surprise.

The butler curled his mustache with a slight grin as he stood straight and answered in an even tone, looking up at the fireworks display.

“My liege hast done much for me. Even going as far to fell perpetrators of torture as recompense for their actions. Sire is… Shot is… as he would put it, now family.”

Harley’s mouth parted slightly in astonishment, but she regained her composure to look back up at the man still firing arrows into the distance. She wondered what exactly Shot had done for Theo, and just what was he planning for the future.

◆◆◆

Haha! I’m so fucking glad I have that show as reference for this! How cool is a full magic bow?! Drake whooped as he continued to fire off arrows. Each one dropped his mana slowly, only to be filled back up from the massive pool and regeneration he now had.

“Brihd! Brihd!” he muttered with each arrow, as they screeched through the air like a phoenix then plummeted into the ranks of the now-scattering goblins.

“You are such a child and a moron… Why not just use a real bow?! You have plenty,” Natto complained, as she watched the display of magic with disinterest.

Obviously because this is cooler. AND do you really think that a regular bow can withstand the fire spells I’m launching?

“Fair, I suppose. But Drake. We really must discuss your personality changes. You have been showing more inclination towards fighting, and even gone berserk at one point. I fear it might be a side effect of your growth, or the Oppression skill stone’s influence.” Drake grimaced. She was right, they needed to discuss it. And he had been intentionally dodging the discussion.

Can’t we wait just a b—

“No! I know you, and you will keep putting off something like this until it becomes a problem! Use more than two brain cells for once, and get ahead of the problem!”

Okay. Okay. No need to shout…

“There is always a need to shout when it comes to you! Have you not been paying attention to the past seventy-two hours?!”

Drake pursed his lips. “Okay, fair…” he replied, finally drawing and releasing his last arrow. The impact lit up the plains in front of the outpost enough to see that the goblins had fallen back to retreat or regroup.

Looking back up at the night sky, Drake plopped back down on the top of the guard tower, then turned his gaze over his shoulder, where sixty-odd people had found temporary residence.

Unfortunately, because of the goblins continuing to try to force their way into the outpost—which Drake assumed was because of him—no one was getting any sleep. At least, that was what he guessed, as most of the people were now eating or up and about, wandering the grounds.

There were a few that he had noticed watching him since his little ‘speech’.

Amir Fadel Level 10

Claire Osberg Level 11

Harley Mongrass Level 15

Jacqueline Evans Level 15

And the last one, who was trying her best to not show she was studying him. But his Aura sensed her subtle head turns as she stood at the bottom of the guard tower.

Chelsea Jackson Level 14

They should really have made Aliases… Having your real name on display seems kinda careless, Drake thought.

“Stop thinking about other people! Where did that selfish asshole from a moment ago go?!”

I know, I know… Look, let’s wait until morning, when I have better visibility. My Mage Sight’s improved, but I still can’t catch everything. It isn’t like it improved enough to see in the dark, and I do need to stay alert for now. I haven’t noticed too many Red Caps in the notifications, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there, outside my scope of sight.

“And I’ll have time to think later, when we bury them…” Drake whispered under his breath.

◆◆◆

The next few hours went surprisingly fast for Drake. The goblins had had stuck to a rather predictable pattern.

They would sound a battle horn, then try to storm the front gate. Footmen and Shamans would try to support the lieutenants as they marched forward.

Drake had yet to see another general as the night pressed on, and their ranks had become less diverse as well. He was sure was it for a reason, but what could it be?

Were they trying to outlast him in a battle of attrition?

“Good luck… my mana pool is so large now I hardly know what to do with it against this level of monsters,” he grumbled as he paced back and forth on a new strip of earth conjured behind the outpost’s wall.

He had decided last night he needed more maneuverability, and constructed the temporary wall along the outpost. The goblins fired on him, breaking both his defensive shields and taking a good chunk out of his shoulder before he teleported away to recover had made the decision for him.

The spell that hammered the goblins was one for the ages, but that incident had taught a lesson.

Don’t stand in the same spot more than once.

“It looks like there’s a small lull right now. Might be the best time to do it… “ Drake said, looking back at the camp in the new morning daylight.

The campfires were sputtering out, and people were cautiously exiting the tents slowly.

“Alfred!” Drake called, but no one answered.

Damn, I was hoping that would work…

“You never cease to joke, do you…”

“What can I say? It’s in my nature. Theo!” Drake chuckled, trying again.

A moment later a shimmer in the air turned to Theodore, bowing slightly next to his liege.

“Yes, my liege?”

“Here, before I forget,” Drake said, placing the Illusion stones he had picked up on the way back in the man’s hands. “These finish up your slots?”

Theodore eyed the stones for a moment then gripped them tight. “I believe it will, sire. My liege is most gracious.”

Drake nodded, and eyed the sun breaking fully over the horizon.

“I have some stuff to finish up really quickly. I need you to watch the goblins’ movements. If anything happens, come get me,” he said, pointing to an unoccupied corner of the outpost. “I’ll be over there.”

Theodore bowed slightly again, then chanted something under his breath, disappearing once again.

Drake hopped off the earthen rampart he had created and began walking to the area he had indicated. Many of the early risers had given him glances, but no one approached him as he walked on the outskirts of the newly formed camp inside the outpost.

Soon he had reached the area and begun the process of something he had been dreading since he found them inside his new dimensional bags.

Natto, you can ask away while I do this. I don’t have time to waste not doing both. “Is it not disrespectful?” she asked.

Drake placed his earthen hand over the ground, a small portion falling from it to the floor below. He put mana into the shard of earth, and it expanded into a six-foot-deep rectangular hole.

His mana took a dip, but his Water Endowment now compensated for it easily.

Opening his inventory, he placed one slot of human remains into the hole. Then slowly covered it in earth, he set a gravestone at the foot of the grave.

I don’t even know their names, or what they have gone through. The most I can do for them now is give them a proper burial.

“And leave them with a promise,” he added aloud, as he engraved something in the gravestone.

Here lies a victim of the tutorial. May they rest in peace, for I will give them justice.

Drake spun about, facing the newcomer. The auburn-haired woman with the twin ponytails avoided looking surprised.

“What do you want, I have work to do.”

Chapter 74

I’m Changing

“Well, ever the rude one, huh?” Chelsea said, crossing her arms.

Drake bit his lip, keeping himself from making a snarky comment, instead going on with burying the victims of the goblins. Ignoring her, he continued his conversation with Natto.

“Well, well, I am certainly impressed. You are growing!”

Shut up, I just don’t have time to deal with her, unless she actually needs something. If you haven’t noticed, there’s more than one army at our doors, and I’m the only one able to fight right now… he grumbled as his mind raced, reflecting upon how many different ways he could have told the woman off.

One after the other, Drake made graves for the people, leaving the same message on each gravestone.

“For I will give them justice…” Chelsea whispered as she read the message. “Do you really think you can do that? I saw how strong you are, but you are up against tens of thousands.”

“I’m not the only one in the tutorial. There are plenty of strong people still left, just look at the leader board.”

“Then… Then you have spare time to save others!” Chelsea suddenly exclaimed, a tinge of desperation in her voice.

Drake turned a brow raised. “Have you looked around? We’re surrounded by armies. They have countless numbers, replenishing their stock of monsters going to who-knows-what lengths. And there are invisible monsters, just waiting in the wings to climb these walls and kill every single one of you the moment they can. Not only that!” Drake raised his own voice to a growling pitch. “There are people here I owe my obligatory protection to! And you want me to go gallivanting around, leaving them vulnerable, to save more?! Fuck off! I think I’ve filled my humanitarian quota for the tutorial!”

“Drake… I know you do not believe that,” Natto chided.

“Please! I have a friend who needs help! You owe it t—” She stopped as Drake turned a yellow-eyed glare upon her.

“I don’t owe you shit. You may be a victim of circumstance, but so are they,” he said, pointing to the collection of tents. “What makes your suffering any more valuable than theirs? Or theirs!” Now his shaking hand pointed down to the graves.

Chelsea tried to speak, but Drake wouldn’t let her as he yelled again, snapping at her.

“I won’t hear it! How about you go back and be thankful you’re even breathing. Then think about how you can help yourself!”

His Aura flexed with his last words, making Chelsea stumbled backwards before she ran off to the rest of the people in the camp, her face pale.

“Drake, while I enjoyed you finally telling her off, she was hardly worth snapping at.”

He gripped his hands, before huffing a sigh and getting back to work.

I know… I know I shouldn’t have snapped. My emotions are off-kilter, even more than usual. It feels more… primal, like I’m losing my filter and becoming more impulsive. I feel more powerful than ever because of it, but I also feel that I’m losing more and more control. I’m getting more comfortable with things I never thought possible, and also leaning more on crutches I thought I long since threw away, he explained, slightly shaking at the thought of losing his mind like his father, but from something entirely different.

“Well, like father, like son, I guess…” he mumbled, pouring mana into the earth for another burial.

“This is normal, Drake. I was worried, I will admit, when it took hold so fast. But from the sparse knowledge I have of dual classes from ranking up, it will continue to be like this as you gain and consume more skill stones.”

Drake could feel her lifting her nose into the air, even though he couldn’t see her as she continued.

“Therefore, I was entirely correct in having you slowly consume the stones and leave a subtree free to provide you space your skill intake! You are entirely free to praise me. Please proceed with the gratitude. I shall wait.”

What she received was a very lackluster golf clap, not even loud enough to hear.

“You are no fun…”

Drake grinned, thankful the little construct was trying her best to keep him both sane and upbeat with her little jabs, keeping a modicum of normality through their back and forth.

So, it really is because of the stones then, huh. I had a feeling they would change a person when you took them. There was no way they wouldn’t. But I thought the description said it only happened with legendary stones? Drake thought, grimacing a bit.

“As it is with most things the system claims, it is true, but it is also not,” Natto started. “The non-legendary stones individually do not usually have the power to change a person to a significant degree. Even the few that do will not explain the full extent of the change.”

Drake scoffed, pumping a bit too much power into his next grave, as it went down a few extra feet.

Shit. Haa… Of course they wouldn’t put the warning label on the smaller stuff… So, essentially because I have double the slots, I’m getting double the poison, so to speak?

“That would be the case, yes. As I have mentioned, it is normal for individuals with two classes to go through some changes, but you have gotten somewhat lucky with the stones you have acquired, accelerating and exacerbating the process slightly. I will go on a limb and say that it is most likely worse for those with dual classes on the outside of tutorials. And most likely the reason there are so few.”

Drake raised a brow at the last part.

What do you mean, outside of the tutorial? Wouldn’t it be easier for them if… Oh… He mused, trailing off in understanding.

“You are correct. And that is the problem. Dual class individuals are strong. And depending on the combination and classes you receive, that can be unbelievably so. But outside of the tutorial, the way classes and skills that are obtained is far more structured, as I have mentioned. So, with you being able to better pick the stones you will consume, rather than it being a life and death decision where you have no choice in the selection, everyone picks the best of the best chances they can afford.”

And that leads to many of them using many rare and higher stones, leading to more changes?

“Yes. Some of the changes drive the person mad. There are other hurdles for dual classes as well that make them very difficult to cultivate. The experience gain is a perfect example. Just look at the lengths you have had to go through to find adequate experience. You are essentially killing monsters well above your pay grade regularly, just for experience and challenge that helps only slightly. Now, I will also say that this leads into why Primordials in high-ranking systems are so strong and stay that way. Imagine a person who has all the time, money, and support in the universe, no, countless universes to cultivate themselves,” Natto said wearily.

Drake winced.

Okay. We will deal with that problem when it comes, he thought, his mind moving to the races that may be sponsoring the tutorial.

◆◆◆

The impromptu graveyard rapidly grew as more people were buried, until Drake came to the last of them.

Well, the last arm.

His arm.

“I’ll be honest. I forgot I had this thing,” he said, looking at his arm, a surreal feeling washing over him. “I’m not even sure if I should feel upset that I have it, or thankful?

“It is a little creepy you are keeping your own severed appendage in your inventory,” Natto giggled.

“Yeah, whatever,” Drake replied, slipping off the tattoo ring from his severed arm’s hand. “What do I do with it, even?”

While caught up in the decision he became aware of the people now approaching him. He turned, his arm still in hand.

“What is it, I’m not particularly in the mood to talk,” he asked, his arm slightly dripping at the shoulder. “Ah! I should put this on ice.” With a snap of his fingers he encased the severed arm in ice.

No one said anything after witnessing his poor-tasting gag, but their eyes and facial expressions spoke volumes.

Drake just gave an awkward shrug as he looked over the eight people.

A familiar face stepped forward, as she pointed to the arm.

“I can help with that,” Jacqueline said, her other arm on her hip.

Drake and Natto both raised an eyebrow.

“Explain,” Drake said, even toned.

“I specialize in Active Healing Magic, gov. And one of my main class skills allows me to give a right enormous heal that can easily reattach that.”

Drake offered the arm, but Jacqueline shook her head.

“I said I can, never said I will, muck in ya ears or something?”

Drake frowned. “Were the skill stones, saving your life, and feeding you not sufficient?” he said, gritting his teeth behind his mask.

“They were lovely, but I didn’t ask you to do none of that. Let me land and say you offered those things, and you never said you wanted notin’ in return,” she teased, a smirk on her face.

“Fair…” Drake replied, his brow twitching in irritation.

“Haha! I like her! I can feel your frustration! Let it flow through you!” Natto cheered.

Calm down there, Sidious…

“Well then, what do you want, for the reattachment of my arm?” Drake asked aloud.

“A favor,” Jacqueline offered.

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, I get that. What kind of favor? I’ll have you know I don’t date women over thirty. And I don’t like long walks on the beach, sand and salt water freak me out after watching Jaws one too many times.”

Jacqueline’s mouth flew open in a gasp and hung there for a moment before she could recover.

“W-What, no! I don’t want to date you, you bloody fucking moron!”

Drake wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead.

“Oh, susmaryosep. Thank God. I was afraid I was going to have another crazy bitch following me around,” he chuckled.

“W-Wha? Huh? Uhh! You know what?! Fuck you, slag! You’re off your rocker!” Jacqueline shouted and stormed off in a huff.

“That was very funny. Yet also very stupid. Is it for the best to let her run off like that, knowing she can heal your arm?” Natto asked.

It’s fine. She isn’t going anywhere. And she’s already established she needs something from me, and it has to be me, Drake chuckled, then teasingly addressed the remaining seven people.

“Okay, then what would the rest of you like to ask? I only have so much time before I need to kill some pests again, so please be to the point. I don’t mind if you are rude. I’ll just be rude back.”

The next person to step forward was someone Drake was surprised to see.

She was much shorter than him, standing at only about his chest. Her hair was matted from sweat and grime. Whether the dirty-blonde shade was from filth, or just its natural color, Drake honestly couldn’t tell at the moment. Beneath some leather armor from his own stores he glimpsed familiar tattered clothes.

The difference now was her deep brown eyes were no longer dead. Now they were lit with a fierce determination. The woman who had tried to escape when Drake had freed her in the forest was no longer there, but instead someone ready to stake her life on something.

Claire Osberg Level 11

She looked Drake in the eyes, her voice soft and shaky, but the emotion behind the primal stare she held with him hit him like a ton of bricks.

“I want to help kill those goblins. I want revenge… I want revenge for everything they’ve done!”

Chapter 75

Starting the Party

Drake looked the woman up and down again. She was still malnourished and her cheeks were slightly sunken.

“Have you eaten? The best thing you can d—”

“I don’t want to eat! I don’t want to rest! I want to help! I saw what you did last night, what you did in the woods! You can kill them all, I’m sure of it now! You can get them for killing… killing my broth—” she began her tirade, but Drake raised his hand, stopping her.

“No. First you eat, then you sleep. Then, I promise you I will listen to what you have to say. A healthy mind lives in a healthy body, and your body is weak right now,” he said, a commiserating expression on his face.

“Very funny, coming from someone who just snapped at someone else a moment ago…” Natto chided.

Guilty, but, ‘do as I say not as I do’ applies, he thought, hearing Claire shout back.

“But—!”

“No buts. I am not going anywhere. You come back in six hours or so after resting and filling your belly, and I will listen.”

Claire gave Drake a fierce scowl but turned back around and stomped off.

“It would seem you have a habit of pissing women off.”

True, it would seem my track record is getting worse and worse, Drake conceded.

“Next. What’s your damage?”

Amir Fadel Level 10

“Ah! Y-Yes sire, er, um, liege?” the young man, Amir, started as he stumbled over his words.

Drake placed a hand over his face, the sound of Natto cackling inside his head louder than his own sighing.

“I have to do something about the way Theo speaks,” he chuckled wryly, “look, just Shot is fine. What did you want?”

“Yes, um… I heard your speech and saw what you did at the goblin camp and wanted to help.”

“Okay, so like everyone else? Is there something specific you want to help with? What class are you?” Drake asked. The roundabout answers were starting to irritate him.

“Do not be rude, he is nervous and wants to help,” Natto reprimanded.

Right, my bad… I’m just on edge, no, that’s a poor excuse… I need to do better, I will do better, Drake agreed, sighing.

The man, who looked about eighteen give or take, had black hair and fair caramel skin, and wore a similar leather outfit on top of tattered clothes. Before he could speak again, Drake apologized.

“My bad, I didn’t mean to be so brusque about it. I’ve just been… never mind, it isn’t an excuse. What is your class, Amir?”

“You know my name? Oh, an identification skill! I, um, I’m an advanced Cleric class? I guess? I can’t heal anymore, but I have support class skills that are helpful, but not?” The longer Amir explained, the more he began to wince at his own awkwardness.

Drake put his hand to his temples.

“Okay… What skills? Can you show me?” he asked.

“Show?”

“Just think of showing me the skills and class you have, and I’ll see a window,” Drake explained. As he finished speaking, a blue-hued window popped up in front of him.

Wealth Maker Level 10 [Rare]

Wealth Maker [Rare]

A support class that improves the quality of treasures obtained by the user and their constituents.

Treasure Trove P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Increases the drop chance of higher grade items from defeated enemies. Extends to party members.

Increases the chance of drop by 10% from common to rare. Increases with proficiency.

Increases the chance of drop by 1% from rare to epic. Increases with proficiency.

Bonus: Monster cores are automatically removed from defeated monsters you have slain or assisted in slaying, including party member kills, and are placed into your inventory unless full.

Experience Pool P1 (15%) [F-Rank]

Increases the gain of experience for all party members.

Increase the range at which party members can gain experience in relation to one another.

5% increase of gained experience. Increases with proficiency.

Drake’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the descriptions. Then he eyed Amir, confused.

“How on earth were you captured? Your skills alone would make you a coveted person, no?”

Amir’s face turned downcast.

“Yes, at first that is what everyone thought. But without my healing spells, I had no combat competency. And my skill doesn’t mention it in the descriptions, but the increase in drop rarity doesn’t seem to apply within the tutorial. So, the experience gain I offered didn’t help much when I was just a liability, and the gain didn’t outweigh the time it took to kill the monsters, as well as the amount that was shared with me…”

Drake took his words in for a moment, then asked inwardly.

Natto?

“Hm… I would say that the experience alone makes him worth having, with the amount of monsters you kill.”

Sounds promising, but what about the other skill?

“It is a normal thing that the system is known to do, leave parts out in descriptions, as you know. But a skill not functioning within the tutorial… I am afraid I do not know. It could be a restriction on the skill by the sponsors, but that would only further cement that a Primordial is responsible…”

Drake mulled over it for a moment.

“Amir, do you have open skill slots?” he asked.

The kid looked hesitant to answer, but after a short pause did nonetheless.

“Y-Yes… I actually only have my main class tree filled, and nothing else. The group I was with had a person in charge who hoarded the drops we got, and because I wasn’t helpful after getting my class rank up, they took the stuff I had gotten as a Cleric. I couldn’t get more after that, as I can’t fight monsters in groups like others. Then they kicked me out, and I was captured by the goblins… But I promise I’ll work hard! With how many you kill, I’m sure my skill will help!” he began shouting desperately. “Please, I just want to help! I’m sick of being so useless, after helping so much as a Cleric.”

Drake looked at the man, sympathetically.

What do you think, Natto? What kind of stones would he need?

The Assistant didn’t answer right away, giving Drake a moment pick out one more familiar face from the small group.

The gruff man he had knocked out in the cage stood before him, his arms folded as he scowled back until Drake met his eyes. Drake gave the man a terse nod, then listened to Natto as his attention fell back on Amir.

“Since he is a support class, he would want the best available. I would suggest Greed stones, just based on his class. As far as subtree stones… It is hard pickings, he would want something in line with Soul Mastery. But for his second, I do not believe there is one within the tutorial, based on the monsters and what we have found so far. Possibly, he could get something he needed from a quest reward, or the shop thereafter?”

I thought quest rewards were random?

“Only to a point. You will not receive something you cannot use, class-wise. Even the Necromancer stones you received you can technically use, though there is a restriction on them within the tutorial.”

Drake hummed as he opened his inventory, glancing over the stones he had currently. He could give Amir a Soul Mastery stone, he had plenty from his run-ins with monsters. But Greed stones were rare, and he had only killed a few of the Treasure Hoarder Goblins so far.

And the ones that he had killed recently were still outside the walls. That left Drake with only one stone, presently.

He went back and forth in his head for a minute, as he looked at the pensive Amir.

Finally, he clasped the man on his shoulder.

“Alright, I think we can work with this. Go over there for now, while I go through the rest of the people who showed up,” Drake told Amir, pointing to a spot near the tents.

Amir nodded excitedly, and ran back through the group.

“You are going soft,” Natto hummed in Drake’s ear.

And you are being as bipolar and annoying as I am, can you pick a mood, please?

“I can go back to threatening to stab you, if that is what you are into, stupid, dumb ape.”

Better.

Drake quickly fixed his expression as he saw the gruff man step forwards. Then he cocked an eyebrow at the even gaze the man offered.

They stood at about the same height, the man a little higher.

Damn it, he’s over six foot…

“Do you need something, or do you want to hit me for knocking you out?” Drake asked.

The man scowled, then his face surprisingly turned to one of remorse, as he scratched the rough stubble on his cheek.

Hudson Lawrence Level 12

“I’m not too good with apologizing, so you won’t be hearing sorry from me, pup,” Hudson said in his heavy voice.

Drake screwed his face up at the word ‘Pup,’ but stayed silent as he listened.

“But even a stubborn bastard like I know when to say thank you. You did right by bringing me here, I’ve always been stubborn and I wasn’t going unless someone made me. Ah…” Hudson groaned, scratching the back of his head. “I just wanted to say thank you,” he said, offering his hand.

Drake was genuinely surprised by the man’s candidness, and took it with a firm shake. The hand was calloused and rough, reminding him of a friend who used to work in a machine shop.

“You don’t have to thank me, I did hit you, after all. So we’re square. May I ask where you used to work?” Drake questioned, taking back his hand.

Hudson raised his own brow at that.

“Used to be a welder, before all this tomfoolery. Got dropped in as a Warrior because I wasn’t all that familiar with the explanation the man gave me in the white room. So I defaulted to whatever the first class was.”

A man?

“Everyone gets a different construct,” Natto answered quickly before Hudson went on.

“Then when I got to level 10, I picked something familiar. Got myself turned into a Machinist. Get to plop some little metal pea shooters on the ground, and they go to work. And it was doing just fine, until they went and got busted up in a fight and I couldn’t repair them.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Don’t have the material to make more. Can use the regular iron the gnolls had, but it don’t quite cut it anymore against them higher level cocksuckers and the goblins. They just tear through the damned things. Not to mention, I need monster cores to power the little contraptions!” Hudson spat; like actually spat on the ground.

Drake grimaced a bit, then smiled wide.

“Hudson! How strong would you say those little boys of yours are?”

“Oh, I’d say pretty damn strong. When we was fighting the gnolls, they were going toe to toe, and the gunner ones? Could probably kill two or three before they went down on their own.”

Drake patted Hudson on the back. An enormous smile formed under his mask.

“Oh, Hudson, my surly old boy! I think you and I are going to be great friends!”

Chapter 76

Let Me Get Back to You on That

“W-W-What is that asshole’s problem!” Chelsea shouted as she hurried back to her tent. “That guy wouldn’t even hear me out! Sure, I didn’t pick the best time but… We need to hurry! I don’t know what Chris might be doing to the rest of the group, to Megan!”

Chelsea wrapped her arms around herself as she stammered on, thinking of how she could rectify the situation. Then her eyes found Jacqueline, hope blooming in her core until she saw the woman was screaming to herself angrily.

“Jacky?” Chelsea asked as she closed in, still mumbling something.

“Fuck that idiot! I’m not even twenty-five! Bloody fucking asshole, how dare he even think I came over to get at him! Bastard’s probably a right virgin! Rubbernecking every girl that passes him! Fuck! I’m not even twenty-five!” Jacqueline roared as she sat down in a huff, her arms crossed.

“No luck, then?” Chelsea asked.

“Fuck that prick, wouldn’t go back there if you paid me!”

Chelsea sighed.

No luck for her, then, either… she thought as she looked back at the few people still hovering around Drake.

They were slowly dispersing, leaving only a small handful of people now, before the sound of another horn blew in the distance.

◆◆◆

Drake turned his attention from the woman in front of him at the sound of the horn.

“Looks like that’s my cue. Everyone who I’ve talked to, please stay together, and familiarize yourselves. Once I’ve beaten back this group, I will come right back and we will get started on some things,” he shouted.

After he got a few nods and hesitant ‘Yes Sires’ that forced him to shudder slightly and wince at the title, he left the crowd. Taking a light step forward, he launched himself to the earthen rampart.

Once he had a better view, he slightly frowned at the field in front of him.

“I really have to do something about this. It’s a literal mess, and it’s going to be a problem for sanitation soon,” Drake said, taking in the hundreds of goblin corpses strewn about the field.

Pushing out his Aura slightly, he vaguely noticed someone next to him, who he assumed was Theodore. A bit further out were some invisible figures below him on the other side of the wall, drawing his gaze.

“Little rats…” Drake grumbled as he pointed a finger in their direction. A yellow magic circle crackled to life. The lightning from the spell shot forward and arched between the two, a sizzle and shimmer later, two Goblin Red Caps slumped against the outpost wall, charred black.

Subjugation Quest: 12 of 50 Red Cap Goblin Assassin [F-Rank].

Reward: Experience, communication crystal [F-Rank, Common].

Drake peered through the forest treeline, but only saw sparse, unconcealed goblins here and there through the brush.

“Seems like they are changing strategies again. They aren’t rushing in after the horn? Theodore.”

“Yes, my liege?” Theodore answered, his head already in a half-bow.

“Why didn’t you tell me there were Red Caps below us? Do you not have an identification skill yet?”

“This one regrets to inform my liege that he was unable to acquire such a skill or spell in the initial rounds of stones thou hadst bestowed upon me. Truly this one was hopeful to gain such skills when we returned, but hath not had a spare moment to do so, with the new occupants.”

“Ah. Yeah, it has been a bit hectic. Alright, go get it done, I’ll take it from here. It will be hard for anyone to be a lookout if they don’t even have a detection skill…” Drake mused aloud, trailing off.

“Might this one suggest mine eternally bound? She is a Ranger after all, and hast the ability of far-sight.”

“Oh! Wait, are you sure she’s alright with being up here? She could get fired at.” Theodore brought his hand to his mustache and twirled it thoughtfully for a moment.

“This one hast a perfect solution, please wait a just moment my liege, I will be swift as the diving falcon,” he said, a small grin beginning to form under his facial hair.

◆◆◆

“Why am I doing this again?” Tom asked worriedly as he held a shield in both his hands.

“That is. For the greater goodeth of the camp, my young patron! My Liege must striketh fear into the foul beasts remaining in thitherward forests, so thou must fortify our positions henceforth, and for that thou art most necessary!” Theodore stated in a booming voice. Harley stood next to him with her bow, wearing a face of disbelief.

Drake snickered as he listened in, keeping his gaze towards the forest.

“I’m not sure I agree with this… I may be a tank specialty, but I don’t think I can stop anything the goblins throw at us…” Tom complained.

“Hogwash! Shouldst thou not be able to stop their said attacks through thy skills, thou must merely use thy body to protect mine eternally bound!”

I am beginning to believe you are rubbing off on poor dear Theo…” Natto murmured.

’Tis for the best, dare I say!

“I don’t like this! I’m leaving!” Tom said as he began to scramble off the rampart.

Drake finally had to step in.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Just a moment, Mr. Scaredy Cat, I mean, Tom. Here,” he said, pulling an enormous tower shield out of his inventory which cracked in the ground below them as it thudded to the rampart.

“This is something I got from one of the lieutenants. It should stop anything in its tracks, short of an attack from a general, and I’ll be the only thing a general will want to hit, because I’ll be forcing them to deal with me, ‘kay?” Drake said with confidence, checking the shield.

Mana Steel Tower Shield F-Grade [Uncommon]

A large tower shield made from mana-steel. Has unusual durability.

315 – 354 Physical Damage Reduction

420 – 440 Magic Damage Reduction

10% Critical Damage Reduction

“Nothing will get through this, I promise, man!” he said again, slapping the shield with a gong before leaning it towards Tom, who nearly fell off the rampart trying to hold it up.

Okay, maybe it won’t be okay… This guy is a tank, right? Drake thought, looking at Tom worriedly.

“That is what Theodore and the man himself said… He should have skills pertaining to shields or durability, if that is true.”

Hmmm…

Drake looked at Tom holding the shield and thought about doing a little test. He conjured a small ice shard in his hand and pointing it at the shield.

Letting it loose, the shard collided with the shield and it was easily deflected upwards as it ricochet off the mana steel.

“Oh! Would you look at that!” Drake snickered in surprise. “Okay, we’re good.”

All three of the other people present looked at Drake, aghast.

“What? I needed to make sure,” he said, his hands up in the air in a shrug.

“I used to think you were cool… Now you tried to kill me! This is why they say never meet your heroes…” Tom said, shrinking away.

“Hey. I’m no hero, never pretended to be. I just hit things that I think are bad and shoot magic at stuff.”

Tom moved behind Harley.

“Mr. Shot, I think you are scaring the poor man,” Harley finally said, a bit of exasperation on her face as she looked out into the forest.

Drake waved his hands dismissively. “It is what it is. But hold that thought, I think I hear something? Or feel… something?”

Drake paused as he felt the ground rumble slightly under his feet, the small pieces of dirt on the rampart vibrating.

All four of them looked outward to the forest now, as large contraptions began emerging from the treeline.

“You are shitting me. Are we in LotR?” Drake shouted in amazement.

Out of the forest came a horizontal line of medieval catapults counting well over twenty, all manned by teams of goblins. At the head of each was a familiarly outfitted goblin marking them as Squad Commanders.

“Are we in t-trouble?” Tom asked.

Another horn blew and the line of catapults fired in succession. The large boulders of earth hurtled through the sky.

“Shit. Like I said, hold that thought!” Drake cursed, counting the number of projectiles in the air.

He might have the concentration for five spells—if his arm weren’t constantly draining his mana.

With a snap it became dust in the wind, replaced by a ball of water. He activated his Water Endowment for his next spell.

Five yellow magic circles appeared before the rampart. Each one snapped and crackled, balls of lightning condensing above them.

“I’ve been wanting to try this one for a minute, everyone cover your ears, it’s going to get loud!” Drake shouted gleefully. His mask snapped into place.

“Sagitta Magica,” he began. The boulders in the air hurtled closer by the moment. The circles tilted in the air, tracking their movement. “Convergentia Fulguralis, Infinitus!” Drake boomed above the thunder. Five orbs of lightning erupted from the magic circles.

Each one found its mark with an earthen boulder. Each boulder shattered into dust in the air from the collision.

But the magic circles didn’t fade after the initial gatling. Like clocks they rung loud, launching round after round of lightning, almost as if Thor himself was striking the rampart. An endless number of them flew forwards, crushing the boulders in the air.

And once the supply of ammunition was exhausted, the lightning turned on the catapults’ crews.

The entire population of the outpost stopped when they heard the ear-shattering explosions from the rampart, then the impacts like distant thunder.

Drake looked on, satisfied as he saw the strikes land on each of the goblins’ constructions. The entire line was in shambles. The goblins manning them scrambled to run away.

But before he could fully decimate the lines, he doubled over in a coughing fit.

“My liege?!”

“It’s alright, I just ran out of stamina… Damn, I’ve been neglecting it, haven’t I…” Drake mumbled.

Checking his status revealed that the lightning spell alone had drained his mana reserves completely.

Well, that’s no good… he thought as he brought up his stats, putting an even 70 into his endurance, bringing it closer to an even 200.

Drake Wallen

Race: Human

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Profession: Miner P2 (7%) [F-Rank]

Class: [Unique] Elemental Miller Level 15

VIT: 264 (15%)

STR: 306 (20 +15%)

DEX: 171 (40 + 25%) +(40)

INT: 530 (15+20%)

WIS: 262 (20%)

END: 176 (20 + 20%)

Free Points: 10

Much better! Now, time to clean up! he mused. Somewhere in the depths of his skull, Natto was shaking her head.

Chapter 77

A Team, Meet Sherry!

With the immediate threat dealt with, Drake sat in meditation, leaving Harley and Theodore to keep a watchful eye on the treeline while his status recovered.

Sometime later Theodore lightly roused him with a shake of his shoulder.

“Sire, they are gathering further catapults.” “More? I thought we just broke like twenty of them.”

“Yes, ’tis unfortunate to say, but ’tis commendable that they have such a quantity of resources to throw hitherward. This one hast concerns for the rest of the participants in the tutorial,” Theodore reluctantly conceded as he stood straight, looking at the gathering of catapults.

Drake pursed his lips, doing the same.

“Ehh, I wouldn’t be too worried, there is Bear at Shigure’s, not to mention Shigure himself, though I don’t really know his strength. I’m more worried about what is happening with the rest of the captives… Theo, could you get the people I gathered earlier? I want to get them to work right away. Especially that girl, Claire. If she isn’t at the gathering, go find her, please,” Drake ordered.

“With all due haste,” Theodore replied. Without further ado, he leapt down off the rampart.

Perhaps Drake should have constructed stairs, for the normal folk. Once Theodore was out of sight he did just that, raising an earthen staircase with a snap of his fingers.

“Imbecile…” Natto laughed.

Drake didn’t reply, only coughing briefly before sticking his tongue out.

“Mr. Shot, what are you doing?” Harley asked, hugging her bow.

“Just, um… tasting the wind. Bit salty, I think.” He chuckled, earning him a mental kick from Natto.

“I think they’re about to try again,” Tom said, sheepishly.

“Then you best put that shield up. If anything happens to Harley, you won’t be just dealing with me, but another Mage that can go completely invisible,” Drake teased.

Tom began to sweat. He pushed the large tower shield closer to Harley.

“Stop teasing the poor boy. Can you not see he is about to have a heart attack,” Natto chided, but couldn’t hide her light giggling.

It will be good for him, bit of bullying might get his ass into gear, Drake chuckled inwardly.

A fresh volley of boulders encouraged Drake to refocus. With his mask back in place, Drake decided to conserve his resources, opting for a single burning red magic circle.

“Sagitta Magica,” he began again in a low voice. The circles flared to life as fires pooled into balls in front of them. “Convergentia Ignis.” DThe fires condensed further, shifting to blue. “Infinitus!” They screeched into the air, colliding with their earthen counterparts. Quickly they overwhelmed the catapults.

“I love that I don’t actually know Latin and can use that. Negi, you really are one hell of a teacher!” Drake said, jubilantly.

“Is he not ten? How does that work?”

Not sure, but you know. Anime.

“Negi?” both Harley and Tom asked.

“Ah, it’s just from a show I know… Don’t worry about it.” It was a very good thing the mask hid Drake’s reddening face.

“Finally, I say again. People who do not understand your idiotic references.”

That’s harsh. Anime is my lifeblood, you know!

“Yes, but that does not change that you are cringe beyond belief!”

Drake sighed, unable to argue. So he simply returned to his meditation instead.

It wasn’t until he heard mutterings of a conversation that he roused.

“—is he going to wake up?”

“He’s just sitting there…”

“I can hear you, you know,” Drake said, cracking an eye open. A few more people than he had expected had joined, making nine in total.

The group had expanded to include Amir, Claire, Hudson, Theodore, Tom, Harley, and the last addition to his little group, Sherry.

Sherry was a special individual that Drake was looking forward to seeing grow. She stood at about 5 foot 2 with a short side-bob cut, wearing glasses that were cracked on the left lens.

Two others had appeared that he hadn’t expected to see for a little longer, but better now than never.

“Miss Chelsea and Miss Jacqueline… How wonderful of you to decide to join us…” Drake said sarcastically, stealing a glance at Theodore.

“This one apologizes, my Liege, but they insisted that they wished to make amends.”

“For what? Trying to entrap me? Trying to guilt trip me into helping them? Insulting my morals, or insulting my intelligence?” Drake said, smiling at the two.

Both winced at the list.

“We plead guilty to everything but the entrapment,” Chelsea said.

“Yeah, I didn’t even get to speak long enough to try to do that one,” Jacqueline added, earning a glare from Chelsea. “My bad… guess I’m still shook up from the cannon fire earlier.”

There wasn’t any time for Drake to indulge his annoyance. He rose to his feet.

“I’m very busy. What do you want? If it’s an apology, I don’t want or need it. There are far too many things going on around the outpost right now for me to care enough.” Chelsea looked like she wanted to say something, but held herself back, taking a moment to think before speaking.

“I—We want to help. We’re willing to do anything we can to help,”she began, prompting a raised eyebrow from Drake.

“And in exchange?”

Chelsea bit her lip. “Only when you think the outpost is safe enough. Then I’ll ask.”

A finger rose to Drake’s chin as he considered the offer.

Natto, how much will two more people burden my experience?

“It is negligible with the amount you kill. Also, with the addition of Amir they should counteract each other, even with a full party of ten.”

What exactly is the distribution for the experience, then? It doesn’t make sense that that many people wouldn’t be a detriment to the experience gain.

“Experience is not quantifiable in the sense you are imagining. Each individual will receive a different amount, depending on a number of factors, whether that be the amount they contribute to defeating said monster, or their class orientation, rarity, skills affecting their gains or individual Rank and Race. There are many factors but to simplify, it very much so will be about even. Experience earned is not reliant on the cumulative experience of the defeated, but rather the contributions of the victors.”

That’s very helpful. So, what you meant by ‘negligible’ is that it won’t affect me as much, because I am the one doing all the heavy lifting, huh…

There came a very faint clapping inside his head, ending the conversation.

“Hmm,” Drake hummed. Then he looked at Jacqueline. “What about my arm?”

She squirmed slightly under his gaze, turning to Chelsea for guidance. But Drake didn’t miss the look. Soon she had her answer for him.

“I’m thankful for what you’ve done for us. All of us, yeah?” she said.

“But?” “But, Chelsea and I. We had a previous group. And they are being held against their will, some poor bastards not even knowing the mad shit happening right under their snot-filled noses, and we want to help them before it’s too late,” she explained. “So… even, yeah? You save them, and I’ll heal your arm. Square?”

Biting the inside of his lip, Drake adjusted his mask to reveal his expression.

With an even stare he analyzed her own face closely, asking, “Are you sure that’s it? I have a sinking feeling there is more to that story that you are not telling me.”

Jacqueline returned his gaze. Then her dark eyes flickered back to Chelsea. He followed the look, meeting her eyes too.

“Well?”

Chelsea shivered slightly, her body remembering their last interaction by the gravesite.

“There is more… but p-please, let me explain it in more detail once this place is safe! I know it was selfish to ask in the way I did earlier… I was desperate, and I’m in a rush to just get there quic—” she began pleading before a gesture stopped her.

Drake was gazing into the forest. It had been too long; the goblins must have regrouped by now. Nevertheless, he mulled over the offer. Would he be able to find another Cleric as specialized as Jacqueline within the tutorial? Clerics were a rare commodity already.

I’m going to go through with it. I need my arm healed, and they seem to be reflecting on their earlier behavior, finally, he decided. It really does feel almost like having children.

“It is not like I can stop you. Do as you wish, even if I do find it idiotic.” “That’s enough. I’ll accept, but only because you asked so nicely. And I’m a sucker for people crawling back when they know they’ve done something wrong,” Drake said sarcastically, a grin creasing his face. Both women’s faces turned to scowls but they stayed silent, not wanting to argue. “Then, all of you. Welcome to the A Team! First order of business.” Drake raised a hand up in the air, but that felt too awkward with only the one. With a fresh earthen arm conjured, he continued, “is for a little exercise in trust! Let me introduce, Sherry!”

Sherry gazed back at the sudden attention with little interest.

“I just want more food, bro,” she said, looking up to Drake.

Bringing his hand to his head, he sighed. “God damn it, I have another Natto…” he whispered, but received a mental jab from Natto.

“I do not act like that!”

Drake rolled his eyes, then quickly addressed Sherry.

“Yes, yes. I will prepare you some more food once the massive fucking armies are dealt with, okay?”

“Cool beans, bro,” Sherry replied, giving two thumbs up. Her expressionless face broke, the edges of her mouth curling slightly.

If Drake had not been watching her, he would have missed it.

“Isn’t she just a bundle of energy,” Jacqueline scoffed, her hand going to rest on her hip.

“Her lack of sunlight, cortisol and B12 intake is of no concern. What matters here, is Sherry’s class, and what we are going to be doing with such a unique, wonderful, caring, totally-not-life threatening skill!” Drake said, quickly deflecting.

“My Liege, what class wouldst that be?”

“Sherry”—He gave the woman another cheerful pat, her glasses sliding down her nose—“is a Pactmaker! And you’re all going under magical contract!”

Chapter 78

Building Trust in a Murder Tutorial

Drake carefully gauged the facial expressions of the nine people. Each one made a different screwed-up face save for Sherry, who pushed up her glasses lazily and rubbed her stomach, which growled loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Susmaryosep, what kind of monster do you keep in there?” Drake asked.

“I haven’t eaten since last night…”

Drake laughed and produced a certain bag.

“Hey! Those are fucking mine!” Natto screamed.

He willfully ignored the screaming construct and handed it to Sherry.

“Here, these will hold you over for now,” he said, offering the roasted nuts.

Sherry’s eyes shone like stars. She snatched the precious bag away.

“Alright, now that the hungry beast is satiated, we can talk about the contracts!” Drake said. He turned to the rest of the wary group, clapping his hands together.

“I already don’t like governments, pup, what makes you think I’m going to sign some contract with you?” Hudson said, crossing his arms.

“Sire, thou knoweth this one wouldst follow thee to hell and back, but a contract does seem rather dubious,” Theodore added. At his side, Harley wore a pensive expression.

Drake raised his hands in a pacifying manner. “I understand what you are thinking but, no. This is not going to be a contract from me to you. On the contrary I will be going under contract for you.”

The surrounding expressions grew even more confused.

“What do you mean?” Chelsea asked, stepping forwards a bit.

Drake glanced the forest. Judging from the positions for the catapults, he only had a few more minutes here.

“Look, I’ll get straight to the point. I have a history of betrayal—well, being betrayed. Which makes me very bad at trusting new people. I don’t want to have to keep checking over my shoulder and wondering whether some people need to be put in their place or not,” he stated flatly. His eyes passed over Chelsea, Jacqueline, and Hudson. “But I know some of you have good intentions in mind.” Amir, Theodore, and Harley easily returned his state.

“And I also know some of you just plain want revenge.” His gaze settled on Claire, lurking in the back. She made no effort to meet his gaze, instead glaring murderously into the treeline.

“What does that have to do with the contract, sir?” Amir questioned, finally speaking up.

“Everything!” Drake declared with some enthusiasm. “I told you all to get to know each other, right?”

Everyone nodded; even Claire, who was only mildly paying attention.

“So, you all must have had a question or two you all asked each other about me, yeah?”

All except Theodore, busy twirling his mustache, nodded.

“So, here is the deal,” Drake began, holding up two fingers, “Sherry can hold one contract per level. Her level is 10, and we have seven people here I can’t yet trust explicitly.”

Theodore counted those in attendance, frowning.

“Sorry, Theo, Harley may be your wife, but I’ve only just met her.” The butler merely bowed slightly. There was no helping such things.

“Back on topic. I will answer one question from all of you collectively, and I will help each of you in filling out your class slots, subtrees and skills. Under the condition you take a contract to not speak of what information I give you until after the tutorial. And in exchange, I will go under a condition for the contract to not harm you in any way, even if you were to try to harm me.”

With that he clenched his fists shut, and thought, Now it’s just a matter of who wants it more.

“What do you mean? It sounds like a very good deal for them, does it not?” Natto asked, confused.

And that’s the problem. If a deal is too one sided, the other party is going to be suspicious. I’m basically offering them the promise of being able to kill me after they get what they want without repercussion. So, the natural reaction would be to look for the angle on my side, or turn it down outright.

From the back came the first voice to speak up. “I’ll take it,” Claire said. “Don’t care about anything, just want to kill those little green cock suckers.”

“Well then…” Drake said, his eyes widening a bit at the language. “Anyone else?”

Sherry raised her hand. “Long as I get food, it’s chill.”

“Alright, that makes two.”

Harley took a step forwards at a nudge from Theodore. “I-I’m fine with going under contract as well, Mr. Shot.”

“Three.”

Having just finished mulling something over, Amir spoke up “I have one question, sir.”

“Shoot.” Drake's attention was already drifting to the line of catapults.

“What exactly is in it for you?”

“Outside of gaining the use of your skill sets, and building a team that is going to protect the rest of the people here so I can go kill the Big Dumb Green Monstie King?”

Amir nodded. The others waited intently for the answer.

“Hmm… Nothing, honestly. If we’re being transparent, I’m the one losing out here. But that isn’t the point. I’m trying to build relationships that will outlast the tutorial and have you each help yourself, so that when we are finally outside of it, you can stand on your own feet. Well, and eventually come find me so we can continue working together. So, I guess depending on how you look at it, I am getting something out of it. But let’s just agree to call it, I don’t know, 70-30?”

“Fuck that,” Jacqueline said.

“80-20? 90-10? Okay, 99.99-0.01, final offer, but only because you’ve pressed me,” Drake amended, earning him a roll of her eyes. “Look, honestly it doesn’t matter, it’s your choice. I’ve laid my cards on the table. You get skills, levels, and I get to benefit from your skills. I’d say that’s pretty fair.”

Amir nodded. “I agree, I will undergo the contract as well, then.”

Hudson was next in, scratching the back of his head, seemingly fed up with worrying about it.

“Well, I don’t much like the bureaucracy of it, much prefer just a spit n’ shake, but if it’s how you’re going to do it, I don’t see a problem. You are giving us basically everything we need to survive for a little hush hush.” The man offered his hand.

Drake smiled and shook it.

“I knew I liked you! Under that hard gruff facade is an emotionally understanding hillbilly and I love it.”

“Damn right, and don’t you forge—Wait. What?”

Being the last of the group, Chelsea and Jacqueline exchanged looks, quickly reaching an understanding.

“We’re in, only because we don’t have a choice if we want your help,” Chelsea said flatly.

“Fair enough. Don’t care for the reason, long as you play by the rules. And don’t try to honey trap me again,” he said. Jacqueline scoffed at that, “and are professional about it. I do appreciate the honesty this time around, wins you both some brownie points. But only the regular brownie points. Not the double chocolate cookie ones. Now—” Drake snapped his fingers.An enormous platform bloomed from the rampart, then spread upwards into a boxlike shelter, providing privacy from the camp’s other occupants.

“Here,” Drake began, his ears and tail receding as a small pink-haired construct emerged on his shoulders, “is the secret you will all need to keep. Meet Natto.”

“Hello, apes! May you live long and prosper under the benevolent tutelage of the great and all-knowing Natto!” she shouted. Her chest puffed out, nose stuck high up in the air.

“’Tis a pleasure that thou hast graced us once more, Lady Natto,” Theodore said, giving a 90 degree bow.

Natto nodded at the affirmation, but not everyone was in reverence of her entrance.

“Aww, she’s so cute!” Harley purred. Chelsea and Jacqueline joined her in swarming Natto.

Even Claire turned her eyes from the forest for a moment to look at her.

“Her outfit is so adorable!” Harley continued, stretching a hand out. A metallic gleam stopped her short.

“Do not fucking touch me, you filth!” Natto shouted, wielding a dagger from her sleeve.

Harley recoiled, as Theodore hid a chuckle behind his raised hand. Drake laughed louder.

“Feisty, isn’t she?” He placed Natto on the ground just as catapults loosed their payloads. “Alright, get your questions ready, and Natto already knows your classes. Accept the invites to the party, and let’s get this ball rolling, shall we?” Drake finished, mentally sending invitations to all of the people present.

Amir Fadel has joined your party.

Hudson Lawrence has joined your party.

Claire Osberg has joined your party.

Chelsea Jackson has joined your party.

Harley Mongrass has joined your party.

Jacqueline Evans has joined your party.

Sherry Turner has joined your party.

Tom_The_King has joined your party.

“Who the fuck is Tom_The_King?” Drake asked, confused.

After somehow going unnoticed even holding his large tower shield, Tom finally piped up, raising his hand.

“Sorry! You guys were just all sorta talking and I didn’t want to interrupt so I’ve kinda just been staying here, silent… I promise I won’t say anything to anyone! Please don’t kill me!” he cried, ducking behind the shield.

Drake face-palmed, amazed that he didn’t notice the man. He waved him off. “Agree to the contract and you’re square. If not, Natto has her way with you.”

The tiny construct’s ears perked up at the mention of her name as she turned to Tom.

“Certainly! Bow your head now in deference to this great magnificent one! I am a merciful lord, you sad excuse for an ape! Follow me wholeheartedly, and I shall turn you into the slightly-below-average ape you are truly meant to be!”

“Wait, only slightly below average? What’s average then?” Tom asked.

A dagger pointed stiffly at Drake.

“That one. He is the standard ape, gorilla, enemy of all constructs.”

“I take that as a compliment. Silverbacks are majestic creatures, and Bondo Apes scare the shit out of anyone. I heard on a podcast that they kill lions. Lions!” Drake exclaimed, snapping his mask back into place.

He turned to the incoming boulders. This was becoming a regular occurrence.

“Well, it’s almost like swatting flies if you think about it…” he said, looking up at the masses of earth flying towards them. “Guess I don’t need to hide the casting when I’m with them now.” Several fire magic circles appeared silently.

Drake lined up four bellows of flames in front of him, his arm disintegrating once again as the fifth and final one crackled to life.

“Short and sweet this time!” Mana flooded into the flames, each one turning to blue, one after the other. “Big Seven! Sakura!”

Each of the five blue balls of fire shot outwards, colliding with the boulders and raining down upon the treeline, destroying the catapults.

“You are doing it again! You only have five spells going, and you shouted seven…” Natto yelled behind him, giggling.

A soft mumble of snickers followed.

Drake turned quickly, pointing at the small construct.

“Alright, no food for a week!”

“Nooooooooooooooooo! You are a demon!”

Chapter 79

Why are you here?

Drake sat down on top of the newly made glorified box, peering into the forest. His legs swung back and forth as beneath him Natto raked the new people over the coals.

With each dolt, imbecile or ape, he smiled, beginning to count them like a game as he ensured the goblins were dealt with.

The past through hours had put them through the wringer. During a lull in the attacks, the little group finally reached a consensus and came to Drake.

A quick tug on his pant leg from below alerted him to hop down. His gaze moved over the group that now seemed slightly more amenable.

“All set?”

“They are a bunch of fools! Not a single one has a full set of skills, not a single one took the time to optimize their skills!” Natto shouted, her hands up in the air.

Drake winced. “But that should be alright as long as we fill the remaining ones correctly?”

“It will be difficult, especially for her.” Natto pointed at Claire. “Her support class is too specific and unique for the skill stones we possess at the moment. She requires Lightning stones and Water stones, but presently we are only receiving those from Generals, and each are of rare quality. Luckily, her class skills substantially buff your spells, so we should be able to manage until the end of the tutorial. At that point she should, if she is lucky, be able to purchase the required stones through the shop.”

Claire deflated at being called out, but the information was necessary to formulate a plan.

“That’s fine, Claire. Your class alone is worth the investment. In fact, even if we don’t get a single stone for you to use, I wouldn’t call it a loss. Also, there is a big thing I’m banking on for everyone once I squash the king!” Drake grinned.

“Be that as it may, we have other problem children.” Natto pointed to Jacqueline. “She is a healer, but somehow hasn’t been able to get her hands on Heal and Prayer stones. Even after the ones you provided, she will still need several to fill out. The old man does not need much, the common stones you have can finish up his empty skill slots, unless you wish to wait for rarer stones.”

Drake looked over to Hudson. “What do you think, Hudson? Do your little guys need more bang for the buck, or can they hold out until we get better stuff?”

Hudson mulled over the question then answered, his eyes inspecting the ceiling as he ran through the logistics.

“I reckon for now I can only make two big guys, but with the pile of shit you’ve given me, and if you aren’t lying about the mines, I can make as many of the stationary boys as we need. It will be really pricey, but with some mana steel and quality monster cores, we should be cookin’,” he explained.

“Good, then we wait so we can get you to tip-top toymaker quality.” Natto sighed before continuing, “Dear Theo’s woman has filled up her slots, so there was nothing I could offer there, but as a pure Ranger class, she had few options in the way of stones in the first place. The annoying, yappy one is also the same. Her skills are slightly better, surprisingly, but she is more of a reconnaissance-based class, somewhat a Ranger version of Theo.”

Natto’s description earned her a quick glare from Chelsea. At an answering glare from Natto and a gleam of the dagger, her expression flattened..

“The second-to-last will also require a lot of resources. You must already understand that young Amir needs Greed stones for the majority of his skills,” Natto said, to which Drake nodded, “but thankfully, the food-snatching child!” Natto screamed, then cleared her through, “only needs common Mage stones, outside the Restraint subclass stone you picked up. Her main skills come from her base class, and every other skill will only benefit the effects of those skills, as well as keep her from dying too quickly, as she does not have the slightest combat usefulness…”

Natto finished with a huff. “And this one,” finally, Tom was singled out, “he is… I must be honest, even if he receives the necessary stones to complete and boost his class. That it would be a well-spent investment is doubtful…”

Drake inspected Tom. The man shirked away under the gaze.

He wasn’t sure what to do with the man, either. He was supposed to be a frontliner, but had no backbone to speak of. Inflict purposeful trauma onto someone Drake hardly knew would be distasteful, so he was currently at an impasse on how to deal with him.

“Tom,” Drake said.

“Y-Yes?”

“Why are you here?”

“What do you mean? I told you, I just didn’t want to interrupt.”

“No, I don’t mean why are you here physically in this place right now. I’m asking what is your goal. Or what drives you to want to be here?”

“I—I mean, I’m a nice guy and just want to help, and I would hate to leave Chelsea and Jacque—” A bolt of lightning cut Tom off.

“Leave the bullshit and the ‘I’m a nice guy’ garbage for the old world. I’m talking about real drive, real motivation. Amir here says the same, that he wants to help. I know he sees the injustice after being locked up in a fucking cage, and wants to change for the better. But you. Is the only thing that motivates you chasing tail? Or being threatened by someone stronger than you?” Drake asked, his eyes going cold. “Because if that is, then you’re worthless baggage here. With how things are now, I don’t need you if you aren’t going to take this seriously.”

The makeshift room fell silent. Chelsea and Jacqueline shifted back and forth uncomfortably at being mentioned.

“I—I don’t know what you mean. I’m just a nice guy, and…” Tom trailed off as Drake stepped forward.

“Tom, have you ever heard of the saying, nice guys finish last?”

He nodded.

Drake took another step forwards. “What about the term that nice guys aren’t actually nice guys?”

Tom shook his head, confused. “How can someone nice not be nice?”

“Nice guys, nice men, men who are always polite and never confrontational. Do you know what they are?” Here Drake paused, then spat out, “They are liars. They don’t speak their minds, they never bring up when a friend is making a genuine mistake because they don’t want to get into a fight. Nice guys, lie. Nice guys are snakes.”

With every word Tom took another backwards, until he collided with the rampart wall.

“If you want to say you are getting stronger, willing to kill monsters all for a chance to sleep with one of them,” Drake pointed to Chelsea and Jacqueline, “that’s fine. And I would respect you more for being honest. But if you want to lie to me and tell me that you’re ‘just a nice guy’, who is doing nice things out of the goodness of your heart. Specifically for them. You are not only lying to them, but you are lying to yourself, and it’s disingenuous.”

Both of the women turned away from the confrontation, shifting awkwardly foot to foot.

Sweat beaded on Tom’s temple. Drake not breaking his gaze.

“I—I think they’re both pretty, yeah… Even Megan back at our old camp was really cool, and nice, and cute…” he stammered. Chelsea turned back with a scowl on her face, “and I really just wanted to impress them. It’s why I chose my current class, even…”

Drake placed a hand on Tom’s shoulder.

“It’s alright. There is nothing wrong with having attraction to someone. But you know why I pressed you?”

Tom shook his head.

“I need people who are going to have a baseline of honesty with me, and everyone on this team. I don’t care if you like them, that is your prerogative and how you go about it, as long as you aren’t forcing yourself on them, or making them uncomfortable. I think it’s fine. But, the best thing you can do is become the best version of yourself now. And do it for you first, because they won’t be the ones coming to your rescue. Hell, even I won’t be. You must be the one who has to dig yourself out of your own shit every time, when it boils down to it. You need to be strong enough to carry your weight and theirs. That’s the class you chose, that’s the road you’ve decided to walk. And I can help you get there, but you have to be the one to ultimately change and do it for yourself first.” Drake gripped Tom’s shoulder tighter. Then he released his grip, scratching the back of his head a little sheepishly.

“Sorry about that, I just have a big problem with the term ‘nice guy’. Last one did frame me and try to kill me, but that’s a story I’m not willing to share. Glad we got that cleared up, hope that wasn’t too awkward haha…” He chuckled wearily. Trying to move the conversation along, he asked, “Anyway, now that everyone has a plan for stones and such, what question have you all decided on to ask before we get the formal contracts all done?” The group exchanged pensive glances in the wake of the intense scene. Only Sherry seemed to not care in the slightest, moving at her own pace.

Waving her empty bag of food in her hand, she spoke up, “They want to know what class you are. Also I need more grub…”

Chelsea spoke up next.

“Exactly. I think the biggest question is, what class are you? None of us have ever seen someone not only use magic so strong, but also be able to fight evenly with monsters of higher level in a brawl. It doesn’t make sense, when everyone so far has had to specialize in one way or another. Even if you had a high-tiered class, would there even be enough points to go around?”

“Classes,” Drake stated.

“Excuse me?” Jacqueline asked, curiously.

“Not class, classes. I have two classes. And I wouldn’t worry about my stats, I do just fine.”

Chelsea’s mouth opened slightly, then closed as if a light bulb lit up.

“That person was right, then? You chose to start over with another basic class? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, how the fuck are you alive?!” she shouted.

Drake laughed softly as he remembered his ‘choice’. Natto stepped to his side, her geta tapping on the stone below her.

“I didn’t have a choice. I rolled a one, three times,” Drake explained, his eyes glazing over as he tried to block out the memory.

Amir laughed, then covered his mouth, coughing. “That’s impossible, or, well, very unlikely. That is a one in eight-thousand chance.”

Drake just laughed. Had he been very unlucky, or fortunate all along? The others looked on in disbelief. Somewhere in Drake’s gut, unpleasant emotions churned. He needed to vent. Despite all this progress, he felt he still had yet to reach his promised goal.

“I’m going to go kill something. We can do the contracts in a little bit,” Drake said, nearly laughing. He approached the edge of the outpost’s wooden wall.

He snapped his hands, summoning yellow circles of magic. Each one crackled with more mana conjuring enormous balls of lightning larger than his previous spells.

Without uttering a word, he began firing the condensed spheres of energy into the forest with no regard to where they landed, or if they were actually hitting the goblins.

Natto sighed from behind the eerily laughing Drake.

“I fear that you may have broken him,” she muttered. The tyrant’s laughter grew louder as he fired off more bolts of electricity. “Yes, certainly you have broken him. Alright, it would seem we shall have to break for a snack until he returns to his senses or exhausts himself,” Natto finished, retrieving a bag of roasted nuts from her sleeve.

Sherry spotted the food and moved closer to ask for some.

“No! Filthy peasant! These are for I, and I alone! Begone, thot!”

Chapter 80

Contracts and Stipulations

From upon the rampart Drake unleashed his own special hell upon the distant treeline, surprising everyone with his sheer magic reserves.

Chelsea whispered to the others, glancing over her shoulder every now and then.

“Hey, is this really going to be alright? I think he may be crazy, if he isn’t going crazy…”

Natto perked her ears up and kicked her in the shin, forcing a yelp out of her as the group looked down, turning their attention to the small construct.

“If he is going crazy, so are all of you. Certainly you have all seen trauma while in the tutorial?” she began, scoffing. “And you should all understand that with every skill you gain, you change, and lose more of yourself to the abilities. Dra—Shot there has double your skill pool. So show some gratitude and respect, you yappy-mouthed bitch!”

Theodore bent down, trying his best to calm Natto.

“This one understands thy meaning, Lady Natto, but these newcomers haven’t hadst the pleasure of being in mine Liege’s company for long,” he spoke, then singled out Chelsea in particular. “Thou hast only seen mine Liege’s barbarism, and this one understands that it can be a thorn in one’s mind. But lest ye forget the gracious deeds he hast committed as well, filling thy bellies, giving thee roofs to rest under,” Theodore eyed the rest of the group, “means to grasp power in thy hands.”

Saying so, Theodore stepped beside Drake to quietly converse with him.

“That seemed rather selfish to say, didn’t it?” Jacqueline grumbled.

“The only selfish thing here is that two of you want to voice how your trauma and problems are more important than his,” Natto sneered. “You are not the only ones who have dealt with hardship since coming here. The only difference is that he understands that, and does not fault others for it, whereas you seem to want to chastise him for trying to overcome and deal with it,” she spat, joining Drake and Theodore.

It was Tom’s turn to speak up. “She calls that dealing with it?”

Claire approached Drake and the others, before stopping and addressing Tom.

“I would say he’s doing a good job of dealing with it. Imagine if he truly broke like some of us, and turned those spells your way instead? Do you think you would stand a chance? He seems to be making the best of his situation, using his frustration, faults, and anguish to push himself forward… And I’m going to do the same, killing every last one of those fucking green monsters with him. That’s more than I can say for you,” she sneered, spitting the last word, “pussy.”

Claire joined the small group at the edge of the rampart, waiting for Drake to calm down.

“Well, that was just uncalled for…” Tom mumbled.

“Don’t think it was, pup, you are kind of a wimp for someone who likes to talk so much,” Hudson said, making for the growing group.

Sherry walked away without a word, her hand on her grumbling stomach as she mumbled the names of Italian dishes, her gaze distant.

“Well, shite. Are we really the odd ones out again? Feels like we’re the mad ones now… It isn’t looking good for us, Chels, if this is how the going is gonna get, ya know,” Jacqueline said.

Chelsea bit her lip in frustration, unsure where to go from here. At every turn so far, she had slipped up, worsening her situation by rushing the process of rescuing Megan and freeing the rest of the group from Chris.

Watching to the gathering group, her fist clenched and shook, unable to hold back the anger and frustration of taking two steps back after just taking a step forward. But a gentle hand touched her shoulder, giving her a life line.

“It’s alright, Chels, Mr. Shot is a nice man, all things considered. From what I’ve seen, even if all you have done is insult him recently… It looks like he really values people who work hard, are trustworthy, and try their best to improve their situations. And I think you embody all of those, even if you are rushing it right now out of concern,” Harley said consolingly, letting Chelsea relax slightly. “I will talk to Theo about possibly having Mr. Shot make Megan and your group a priority. He did say he would listen to the whole story when he had a chance. You’ve helped me before, so let me help you. Take some time to think about the best way to explain your situation to him.”

Harley gave a gentle smile, earning her one back she moved next to her fiancé and linking arms.

“That girl is too precious for this world,” Jacqueline murmured.

“Yeah, she’s a real sweetheart… It amazes me she married someone that speaks in gibberish that’s wrong half the time…”

“Is it wrong? Well ain’t that just par for the course, for fake it till you make it, innit?”

Chelsea trailed off as she considered at the now-calm Drake.

I really will have to think about how to speak to him… Damn it…

◆◆◆

Drake took a deep breath that both eased his mind and provided air for his aching body.

Checking his status, it was almost empty. And the only thing he had really accomplished was burning the forest.

His impressive lightshow had netted him a whopping total of zero experience. But he had relieved his stress, and that was something, and totally not a cope for him.

“Okay…” Drake huffed, “now for the contracts… I answered your question, but I guess a little more is needed for the explanation other than just ‘I have two classes,’ so would anyone like more elaboration?”

Surprisingly no one spoke up. Each only looked concerned.

“What?” Drake asked, putting aside his mask.

With the battle over, he recreated his earthen arm, settling for its subpar regeneration.

“We—I’ve never seen someone use spells like that, or even that many. How in the world do you have the mana pool for that, Sir?” Amir asked.

“Skills? Having two classes helps a lot too.”

“What skills?” Amir asked again.

“That’s something I can’t say just yet, lady’s got to have her secrets, ya know,” Drake said winking. “But in all seriousness,” he motioned to Natto. Understanding, she disappeared again as his ears and tail reappeared, “I’ll tell you all later. I may have opened up a bit, but we have all just gotten started. Everyone has to earn that trust over the next couple days.”

Drake surveyed the people gathered, noticing some people missing. The last of the stragglers emerged from the makeshift earthen room and joined as well.

“Now, anything else before we get this underway?”

“Food…” Sherry said, pulling on Drake’s black sleeve.

“After… I got some of those boars in my inventory. So, I think I can whip up something really good. If the goblins are good for nothing else, they carry quite a lot of spices,” Drake told her.

“Fuck them! Get the contract over with,” Claire snapped.

Drake made a sympathetic face at her.

“Alright then, Sherry, if you would.”

Sherry grumbled a bit, but grabbed Drake’s hand as a pure white magic circle formed below them.

“Infallible Mistress of Truth and Law. Be my witness in the writing of this tying of destiny. Form Creation. Of Truth and Law,” Sherry chanted, the power beneath them fading slowly.

A prompt appeared in front of Drake, as he felt a pull of mana from his body.

Would you like to form a contract with Sherry Turner?

Details of this contract are as follows:

You may not harm the contractor in any form.

You may not retaliate in any form against the contractor.

The contractor will not disclose any information deemed confidential between parties that has been agreed upon prior to contracted agreement.

The recipient will be required to protect the contractor for the full duration of the tutorial, under penalty of harm if broken.

Breach of contract will result in a punishment of loss of experience.

Drake stiffened at the terms, not sure he liked the wording of ‘under penalty of harm’ and ‘loss of experience.’ But he had agreed to help them. These things went without saying.

Lay in the bed you make, they always say. Know how far this ‘harm’ goes, Natto?

“I do not, but in most contracts it is reciprocal, so I would venture to say that if they were harmed you would be harmed in a similar way. This would only go for significant injuries, cuts, broken bones, etc. You will not be getting small paper cuts as a recompense.”

What about this loss of experience? How much are we talking? Drake asked, his hand moving to his chin.

“Standard contract is commonly one level. The more requirements, details, stipulations and clauses, as well as the more powerful the contractor, the stronger the punishments. So, it is a blessing and a problem that the hungry mongrel is only level ten.” Got it. Thank you. And takes one to know one, don’t be too hard on Sherry. “I want to add a small change to this,” Drake said aloud.

Sherry's expression pinched in annoyance, as if he was wasting her precious time to get her food.

“Make it so the harm won’t count if a person inflicts self harm.”

Sherry grumbled but recast the spell. A new prompt appeared.

Would you like to form a contract with Sherry Turner?

Details of this contract are as follows:

You may not harm the contractor in bona fide in any form.

You may not retaliate in any form against the contractor.

The contractor will not disclose any information deemed confidential between parties that has been agreed upon prior to contracted agreement.

The recipient will be required to protect the contractor for the full duration of the tutorial, under penalty of harm if broken. This does not include harm inflicted by the contractor against themself.

Breach of contract will result in punishment of loss of experience.

“Perfect.” Drake grinned.

He mentally accepted the contract. There was another tug of mana from his body, accompanied a chime in his head.

You have entered a standard contract with Sherry Turner.

Drake gasped slightly at the jarring drain of mana, Sherry doing the same. The the subtle magical tether connecting them was hard for Drake to grasp unless he focused on it, but he did not miss the change. The palest blue threads shimmered between them if he .

Fuck, is it going to be like that for all of them? he chuckled sarcastically.

“I did not enjoy that… That food later better be good…” Sherry grumbled, hunching down.

Drake scoffed, “The Chef never disappoints.” Standing, he grinned. “who’s next?”

After a few long, arduous minutes, Drake received the contracts of all eight party members, each leaving him slightly more exhausted than the last.

Fuck, I think I might need to actually sleep after this. I haven’t felt this tired since starting the tutorial, he thought.

“This many participants for your first contract would be quite exhausting. It is good that you have such potent regeneration skills.”

Drake smiled inwardly, gazing upon his newly formed group of future confidants.

“Good, now that we have that out of the way, I’d like to say it’s time for a good meal to christen the deal, but the goblins won’t let that happen, it seems.” Drake sighed.

In the distance, the sound of a horn and drums roared, signaling the approach of another wave of goblins.

They rose from the treeline, each one bearing a tower shield similar to the one Tom held. Behind them came the rolling sound of the catapults and thrums of footsteps, hundreds of foot soldiers following.

“Lovely, looks like they’ve upped the ante. How accommodating.” Drake smiled. “Let’s see just how well this new team works together, shall we? I can’t wait, it’s like Team 7 is back together!”

“Did not that team only consist of three members? You have double that, you buffoon…”

Drake kept smiling, once again willfully ignoring Natto’s correction that was, in fact, very correct.

Chapter 81

The Siege

Drake rolled his arms, stretching out muscles increasingly fatigued from the past two days’ constant fighting. And still there would be more to come. For now though, he was stopped as he looked to his status.

Shit, I’m still running low…

“Yes, well, that certainly happens when you go pointless rampages. Maybe you will learn to vent in a more productive manner, next time,” Natto chided.

Drake couldn’t argue with her on that. He had certainly lost his cool, resulting in this situation. Thankfully, he did have a small reserve of mana left, not to mention his Water Endowment’s gradual regeneration. But it would still take him quite a while to fully recover his pool.

“Bad news, I blew my loa—mana pool, so we are going to have to rely on everyone else for the time being! Hudson, how many of your boys do you have ready?” Drake asked, coughing over his near slip.

Amir snickered, coughing to cover it. It would seem the young man had caught Drake’s Freudian mishap, though he didn’t draw attention to it.

“Got none of the Big Guys made, since they take a long time to build ‘n all. The stationary ones, I got two made and can set the rest of them up, but it will take a spell,” Hudson said, eying the outpost walls. He chewed on the side of his mouth, gauging it.

“That’s going to be a problem… How much damage output can your sentries deal to those Lieutenants, you think?” Drake asked.

Hudson mulled over the question, then reluctantly sighed.

“Son, I’m sorry, but I haven’t had to go against one yet. These boys will take care of the average gnoll, no sweat, and with how high up we are, I don’t think them normal goblins will be a problem, long as they don’t get a hit on them. Thing is…” Hudson grumbled, looking out at the massive sea of monsters. “I only got so many to go around. Damn near endless bullets don’t help much when you only got four guns to pepper them with.” Drake nodded in understanding.

“Right, well, that helps enough to give us some time, if they get close enough. Set up what you can, and start churning out the little guys. We can worry about making the bigger ones when we have some time to spare. Tom!”The man jerked at his name being called.

“Y-Yeah?” he answered, doing his best to stand up rather than shirking away like before.

“Time to show your guts! Your job is to block anything coming in that wants to break those little ones, got it?”

“Y-Yep!”

Next were Sherry, Amir and Claire.

“You three, back to the box, or you can go down behind the wall. We don’t need more targets on the wall.”

Sherry just waved her arm. Amir nodded reluctantly, but Claire grumbled and spoke up.

“I don’t want to hide! I want to help!” she shouted.

“And you will. I know what your buff does, and I will need it when I can use a larger spell. But until then, I need you safe and out of the way. If I have to protect you, I can’t focus on recovering. I understand your hate and need for revenge, believe me. But you are no help to me until I can cast something large enough to deal with them,” Drake said evenly, meeting her blue eyes.

Claire wanted to say something, but bit her lip in frustration. She spun, returning to the makeshift earthen room with the other two.

“I’m going to make them pay… I promised!” she mumbled under her breath.

“Strong hearted, that one. She will need help to recover her mind in time, though… She is hurt, in a way only time will heal,” Natto said, with sympathy in her voice.

Wow, that was actually very kind of you. I’m proud of you, Drake thought, smiling at the woman’s back.

“Silence, you ape, it is plain to see she is the most hurt among them. Even a blind man could see such.”

I know. I just hope I can give her what she needs to grieve and come to terms with herself. When there is time, I’d like to hear what happened…

“Pain recognizes pain, as they say.”

Who says that?

“I do. Now, shut up and get to it, those little green boogers in their toy cars are getting closer.”

Drake glanced over his shoulder and sure enough, the line of goblins had begun to advance.

“Hudson, hurry and set up. Tom, protection. Theo!” Drake yelled.

“Yes, my Liege!”

“Cast your illusions to distract them while Hudson prepares what he can, we just need to buy some time for me to recover.”

“It would be this one’s utmost pleasure!” Theodore shouted back in reply as he moved to the side and began chanting his ‘Stage Play of Illusion.’ A black magic circle formed below him.

On the edge of the Ootpost’s wall, a myriad of monsters spilled towards the oncoming horde, but they would only buy so much time.

“Thankfully, we still have that other skill Theo has. The AOE fear, right?” Drake mused. Then he turned to Jacqueline, Chelsea, and Harley. “Alright, now for you three…”Chelsea and Harley each had a bow in hand, and quivers strapped to their backs. The only difference was the jewelry adorning Harley, small gleams of green here and there.

Drake popped another two rings and earrings into his hand, offering them to Chelsea.

“Here.”

Chelsea cocked an eyebrow. “What are these for?”

“They’re dexterity rings. Or would you rather have strength ones?”

Chelsea and Jacqueline’s eyes went wide. The Ranger hesitated, inspecting the jewelry.

“May I have two strength-based ones, as well? My skills do scale off dexterity, but my base damage will increase on strength, so an extra 20 points will do a whole lot in the long run,” she asked, pensively.

Drake tried to meet Harley’s eyes. The woman shied away from his gaze.

“Ah, so you need them as well, Harley? You know, you can just ask. I don’t bite…” Drake chuckled, popping four more strength-based accessories into his hand.

Jacqueline waited, expectantly.

“Sorry, unfortunately, I don’t have anything other than strength and dexterity,” Drake said, showing off the two green rings on his left hand, “if I did, I’d be wearing them. But they are on the list.”

She quickly deflated, but Drake couldn’t do anything about that at the moment. Instead, he addressed her again.

“Your job is pretty obvious, but if anyone gets hit, we need you to heal them up. I haven’t had a chance to go over your skills, but do you have any bubbles, or is it just red healing?”

“Bubbles?” she echoed.

“Yeah… Like shields, or white health? You know what, just shields. Do you have any shielding skills?” Drake said, scratching his cheek.

“Dumb geek…” Natto giggled.

Drake stifled a sheepish laugh as Jacqueline answered.

“No, I’m just able to heal regular vitality.”

“Still, that’s excellent. Then keep an eye on everyone. It’ll be my job to watch you until I can go on the offensive, alright? So stay close, but not too close, don’t want you getting any funny ideas,” Drake joked, grinning.

Jacqueline scoffed and crossed her arms, a cudgel appearing in one hand.

“Now,” Drake returned to Harley and Chelsea, “I don’t think either one of you can deal with the catapults, so leave that to me for now. It’s going to hinder my recovery a bit, but we don’t have a choice. I want both of you to prioritize hitting anything coming too close, that might break the gate,” he explained. He peered out across the battlefield, spotting some of the goblin squads transporting large trees. “Things like those rams, or any of the Lieutenants that look extra nasty. I’ll try to help where I can, but don’t count on it exclusively. This is something I need you two to do. You are the only ones who can right now.”

Both women nodded and gripped their bows, then moved to the guard towers where they had better vantage points. Each began nocking their arrows and firing. Every loosed arrow glowed a mixture of green and red.

Drake was thankful they hadn’t argued with him.

The sound of the catapults loosing their cargo in the air stole his attention.

“They’re starting kind of early with this?” he mumbled, readjusting his mask.

One-handedly, he summoned two crimson-red magic circles.

Two Fireballs appeared. Without enough mana to fuel it, Drake didn’t bother turning them blue. He wasted no time, firing off the balls of flame in the direction of the sparse first volley of boulders.

They collided and exploded with the boulders, but couldn’t fully disintegrate the rocks. The boulders only broke apart into smaller chunks.

With their momentum halted they fell downwards onto the goblin troops below, squashing the soldiers underneath them.

Drake winced.

“That is no way to go…”

“No more than they deserve. Fuck those jackoffs,” Jacqueline spat next to him.

“That’s fair. War is war, after all… How is the experience?” Drake asked, wanting to change the topic.

“It’s not bad, nothing monumental though, looks like. No levels just yet, but feels pretty brilliant. Think I’m just a tad bit off till I get my next level, innit,” Jacqueline said, gazing into the distance slightly, most likely browsing some of her screens.

“Must be Amir’s buff at work. I can’t imagine ten people sharing experience and not having it be brought down significantly,” Drake said,watching the line of monsters slowly encroaching. Closer and closer.

Jacqueline nodded, but said nothing, her shoulders slightly shaking.

“Don’t worry, they will never get close enough,” Drake said lightly. “I’m going to try to speed up my recovery. Every time they fire those catapults, feel free to hit me to wake me up.”

Jacqueline smiled, her small shiver evening out.

Soon she smacked him in the side with her cudgel.

“Fucking ow! I said wake me up with it, not just hit me!” Drake complained.

“I needed to make sure of how hard I could hit, ya get me?” “I think I might have made a mistake, signing these contracts to not hit back…” Drake sighed, returning to his meditative position.

The next time he awoke he saw Jacqueline pointing upwards with her free hand at incoming boulders.

Drake checked his mana bar quickly, summoning three red magic circles.

His status sat at slightly more than 20%, but it was still slow going, and the higher number of projectiles demanded more spells to match them.

With each strike his mana dipped a bit more, settling a bit below 20%. The catapults would be a problem, Drake knew. He needed to make a decision, whether he should expend his mana to take them out now, or let them slowly chip away and hinder his regeneration.

His eyes darted to the oncoming line of goblins, getting closer and closer to the door, but Theodore’s illusions still kept them at bay. Over the roar of battle, the sound of gunfire rang out.

On Drake’s right were a row of the now-erected turrets, resembling small sentry guns out of a sci-fi show, peppering blue-hued bullets into the side of the goblins from above.

There were a total of five now, with more were being produced on the wall of the outpost.

The steady influx of notifications showed the power of the turrets, but that soon stopped when the Lieutenants came to place their shields in the way of the hail of fire.

Drake looked down at the steadily moving mob, but he was forced to ignore them.

The flood of monsters moving forward was slow. They weren’t worth his concern right now. That was reserved for the catapults in the back, acting like heavy artillery.

He needed to put a stop to them, so he could focus on helping with the front.

Drake grit his teeth as he snapped, changing to his Ice Endowment for the increase in spell damage. His earthen arm eroded and disappeared as he summoned five crimson red Fireballs in front of him, all trained for the backline of the goblin army. Right at the catapults.

He was forced to his entire store of mana to send off enough Fireballs to strike the catapults down, unable to utilize his unique spellmaking skill. But even then, he was not able to get all of the catapults.

Still, he got enough of them that their usefulness was severely limited.

The barrage of spells had exhausted Drake’s mana, canceling his spells as his hair faded to jet-back. His tattoo was receding as well.

He wasted no time in dropping to the floor in another meditative position. The only thing that kept him from immediately meditating was waiting for his mana to recharge slightly, so he could reactivate his Water Endowment.

It’s going to be a long night, he thought.

Chapter 82

The Siege Part 2 - Going Nuclear

Jacqueline’s cudgel smacked into Drake, forcing him to rub the side of his arm. But what irritated him more was the sound of banging against wood, and the sensation of many monsters around the wall.

“Did I oversleep or something? Why are they so close already?” Drake asked, looking upwards at the dark sky, checking his status as he did so.

His mana was still low, but not overly so, sitting at about half. Still not enough for a spell to wipe out the remaining goblin horde at their gate. At least, not normally.

“It was bloody hard to wake you up! Sleep less like a thick rock, won’t ya?” Jacqueline complained, darting across the rampart towards Hudson, Theodore and Tom.

Several more sentry guns had been added to the wall, bringing a grin to Drake’s face.

Kinda cool how sci-fi fantasy that is… We definitely need more of those, like, a lot more, he thought.

“You have quite bigger problems to deal with currently than gushing over your nerdy passions,” Natto interjected.

Drake coughed, but approached the gate. The loud banging continued as the goblins rammed the gate with large pieces of timber. The Lieutenants covered those holding the ram with their large tower shields.

“Yes, that does seem to be a problem…”

Drake checked the guard tower, glad to see that Harley and Chelsea were doing fine, still bombarding the goblins below where they could.

Unfortunately, gunfire and arrow-fire did not seem capable of penetrating the Lieutenants’ shields.

“Oh, is it time to be the hero? I like where this is going…”

“Oh lord, please no…”

“You know, I’d like to tell you about a story,” Drake started, his brows shimmying up and down.

“Please do not.”

“This man trained all his life to be strong.”

“Please, I do not care! Make it stop!”

Drake smiled widely behind his mask.

“But this man could not overcome a nuclear bomb! So, there was only one option!” Drake shouted, spreading his arms. “Claire! Are you ready for your first taste of vengeance!” Drake yelled as the woman scampered up next to him.

For all her fury and ire, she seemed fragile and timid when the time came.

“I-I—I’m ready!” she finally shouted back, her hands pressed against her chest.

“Then let us make it rain pain upon them,” Drake said, struggling to stay firm against his giddiness for the spell he was about to unleash.

She nodded, and began chanting her own spell.

“The heavens shine brightly down upon the land, but the world will not be protected from the rumbling of my heart! I call down the rain, I call down the thunder! Be blessed in your fury, my people!” she chanted, a large yellow magic circle forming below her that shifted to blue, then black. “We are the wind of change! We are the storm that crashes upon the world! Storm Caller’s Rising!”

Claire’s spell finished with a thunderous crash. Blinding white lightning struck her from above, enveloping her body. She stood unharmed, gasping from the power of the spell, toppled forwards from her exhaustion, only for Drake to catch her in a princess carry.

He brought her to Amir, resting her down gently on the floor.

“You did well. I will make sure to kill every last one of them,” Drake said softly, but Claire had passed out from the exhaustion of the spell. “Make sure she’s safe till she wakes up, Amir. Counting on you,” he said, winking.

Do you know what that last option was, Natto?

She stayed silent, but Drake knew she had the answer.

It was to become nuclear himself. He beamed underneath his mask.

Beneficial magic from a party member has been applied.

Storm Caller’s Rising applied for 30 seconds.

All lightning affiliated magic has reduced cost by 50%.

All lighting affiliated magic damage increases by 150%.

All enemies slain by lighting affiliated magic replenish status by 1%.

Drake leapt to the edge of the outpost’s wall, chanting his defensive skills.

“I am the shield, I am the rampart! Bulwark! I am the wall on which my enemies billow, Unbreakable! On blessed wings! Guardian’s Reprieve!”

Three flashes of green covered Drake. A fourth viridian flash snapped to life at his fingertips as he activated his Wind Endowment, his hair and tattoo cascading to mint green as they flared to life.

Drake cannonballed into the crowd of goblins like a missile, crushing his launch point beneath his feet and speeding to the center of the horde.

He threw his feet forwards, crushing the skull of a goblin as he landed, cratering the earth around him. Every goblin surrounding him struck him with all they still had.

“Playtime is over!” Drake shouted. The timer on the buff ticked down slowly, each second stretching out as his Adrenaline Acuity extended seconds into what seemed like hours.

The weapons and magic of the goblins clashed against his defensive shields, shattering them quickly.

Reprieval charge gained.

Now that it had come to this, Drake wanted every inch from his regeneration for this spell. Grinning, he switched out his Wind Endowment for Water.

Then he teleported before the weapons and spells of the goblins could harm his flesh.

From on high he stared down at the monster horde in glee.

An enormous yellow magic circle snapped to life above him. His left arm raised as the lighting sparked in his hand, growing and condensing rapidly in the fractions of seconds.

Losing an arm had improved Drake’s ability to manipulate mana manyfold.

Snapping his finger again, two smaller, light green circles appeared—one in front of his face, one beneath his feat.

Drake looked down and spoke, the wind magic adding an ethereal quality to his voice.

“Let the true meaning of Almighty be carved into your Souls!” Drake roared, almost cackling. The lightning in his hand pulsed with every word as it condensed and expanded, sparks flickering outward, looking for somewhere to escape. But Storm Caller’s Rising provided Drake with nigh-endless reserves, pouring in more and more.

“I!” Drake softly uttered the word, the wind magic at his feet whispering to life. It oriented him downwards to the ground, right at the horde of goblins.

“Am.”

The wind magic at his feet exploded, propelling him downwards like a falling star from the heavens.

Throwing his hand forwards, he lit up the sky with the condensed ball of lightning mana. Drake screeched towards the ground.

“Atomic.”

Despite being a mere whisper, the last word reverberated across the entire battlefield. It cascaded out over the horde just a breath before Drake’s impact, his fist embedding deep into the earth below.

Upon impact, his magic exploded the soil of the open plains. In a beautiful cacophony of explosions and rubble thrown skywards, the ground cracked and scattered. Lightning burst through the floor in every fissure, every split rock.

The geyser shot up and then outward. Growing exponentially larger with every beat of the explosion, the last of them formed a cascading effect as the spell lit the whole world.

The party on the wall looked on in amazement and awe as they lost count of the number of monster kill notifications and completed quests they were receiving.

Shot has subjugated Goblin Lieutenant Zvic’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 150,000 TP have been awarded to a party member in compensation.

Shot has subjugated Goblin Lieutenant Nomivic’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 150,000 TP have been awarded to a party member in compensation.

Shot has subjugated Goblin Lieutenant Senuvic’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 150,000 TP have been awarded to a party member in compensation.

Shot has subjugated Goblin Lieutenant Ocuvic’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 150,000 TP have been awarded to a party member in compensation.

Shot has subjugated Goblin Lieutenant Enoic’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 20.

Experience earned. 150,000 TP have been awarded to a party member in compensation.

And the kill notifications continued to roll in, as each person in the party found themselves leveling up from the well of experience they had received.

“Well, looks like I bet on the right horse after all,” Hudson said, gazing at the pillar of white lightning as it slowly began to wane.

There within the center of the impact was Drake, standing inside the massive crater that he had created.

He remained still for a moment as the spell dissipated. His hands then curled at his side as he gave a guttural roar of triumph. His gaze panned to the gate, where many of the remaining goblins and their Lieutenants stood flabbergasted at the spectacle they had just witnessed.

Surging forwards, Drake quickly dispatched them, adding to everyone’s experience and TP gain before falling upon the last remnants of the goblin army that had assailed his outpost, running desperately for the forest beyond the carnage.

Moving swiftly, Drake sped after them, catching them in handfuls as he moved from group to group, slowly making his way into the forest.

Only one person dared to speak up in the momentary lull.

“Hey, isn’t that from an anime?” Tom asked.

Chapter 83

Cooking, Cleaning, and No Rest

You have subjugated Goblin Butcher [F-Rank] Level 17.

Experience earned. 500 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Goblin Butcher [F-Rank] Level 18.

Experience earned. 700 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Goblin Forester [F-Rank] Level 12.

Experience earned. 300 TP have been awarded.

New Subjugation Quest: Subjugate 200 Goblin Foresters [F-Rank].

Reward: Experience, random piece of [F-Grade] equipment.

Drake ripped his earthen spike of an arm out of a goblin’s chest. Unsupported, it toppled to the ground as he surveyed the wrecked forest clearing. He scowled as he panned over more cages filled with people, some chained to trees.

After his flashy spell in the plains, Claire’s buffs had allowed him to quickly recover. This let him clean up the rest of the monsters around the walls of the outpost.

He was also pleased to find out that everyone in the party had gained a level from the fight, Sherry even gaining two and reaching 12.

Drake afterwards scouted for any sneaking monsters near the outpost, and went to finish off the retreating goblins. For the first time, he would be taking the fight to them. Hopefully it would allow the outpost some real rest once he cleared out the immediate vicinity.

What awaited Drake instead were small camps set up in a semi-circle around the outpost further into the forest, each one with logging operations set up to build the catapults, and vast amounts of supplies to keep the fight coming to them.

Drake had made quick work of the camps so far, not having trouble with any of the monsters that defended them.

What troubled him was the number of cages and people kept within. Drake had finished razing two camps to the ground, and between the two, there was a total of a hundred people at least scattered throughout them.

That not all captives were kept in cages made the fight more challenging as well. Unable to dispatch the monsters with larger spells, he had to use more precise measures and make the fight hand-to-hand.

Once the battle was over, Drake plucked the key from a Jailer’s neck, hoping it matched the locks. Thankfully, it did. The captives were soon freed, none injured too severely. That was good—this wasn’t the last camp Drake would be raiding today. Seeing things would be fine here for a little while, he made an announcement.

“Alright, get in the cages until I return. I still have some more of the forest to clear,” Drake told the freed captives stonily. Sheer exhaustion and the atrocities he had witnessed dulled his gaze.

“W-Who are you?” a man said, rubbing his wrists.

“I’m no one.” Not far away were some tables which had been used by the Goblin Butcher. Still strewn across it were the remains of those Drake hadn’t been fast enough to save. He struggled not to think about them. “Someone who’s been a little too late, recently… Now, get in the cage, I don’t have time to argue.”

“But what if they come back?!” he shouted.

“Then you will be safe in the cage until I get back. I won’t leave you here to rot, but I have other people who need to be freed. Now move, or I will make you move.” The now-freed captives stared at the camp’s carnage. Soon they obeyed, and Drake helped them back inside the cages.

He left as much food and water as he could fit inside the cage, as he had done for the previous camps. Ignoring the complaints of those within, he shut the cage and locked it.

Drake shot forwards. His Lightning Endowment activated, speed increasing to something the naked eye was unable to follow .

“Drake, I understand being cold, but do not forget that they are victims, not the perpetrators. Also, do not forget that you are not responsible for what has happened here. The goblins are the ones who did this to them. It is not your fault that you could not save all of them,” Natto said, trying to console him.

“It isn’t that… I’m not egotistical enough to think I can save everyone. But I can’t help but think if I tried a little harder, I could have maybe saved at least some. I’ve never been one to expect or calculate for loss, that just isn’t something I want to accept. I know now that it’s something that happens, but I want to struggle and fight, so that it’s as little as possible. I want to get strong enough to make it zero,” Drake said, staring ahead while traversing the forest.

“That is… admirable, but please do not hold it all on your shoulders. You are just one person.”

Drake didn’t answer. He knew she was right, and it was pure hubris to think that he could stop all the losses in the tutorial. But that was not what went through his mind.

As his power grew and grew, he couldn’t help but think that he might have no choice but to stand up, not just for himself, not just for his family or his friends, but for his own ideals at large, for the people that were under him, the people who needed him. Maybe even his entire race.

Was he kidding himself? He couldn’t possibly know. There had been billions of people before the tutorial. It would be a fallacy to believe himself the strongest, that it was up to him alone, but that didn’t stop him from feeling responsible.

A shriek derailed Drake’s internal dialogue as he arrived at the next camp.

A few meters ahead of him was a Butcher dragging a woman across the ground to a table dyed in red. The monster only noticed the newcomer for a second, before Drake’s hand gripped its head, ripping it from its body with such force it stood stock still, before it slumped to the floor.

Drake landed, then quickly doubled back, picking up the woman in his arms. He deposited her next to a tree, the sound of horns and drums ringing out behind him.

“Stay here and out of sight, I’ll be right back,” Drake said, then snapped his fingers, his hair shimmering white.

Converging on Drake were the forces of the goblin camp. Footsoldiers, Shamans, Butchers, and Jailers. Every monster held some form of weapon or spell in its hands.

But Drake was in no mood. With deadly precision, he tore through the flood of monsters. At the tip of his earthshaped right hand was orange molten goop. In his left, his tattoo flared to life with increased mana.

His right hand pierced through anything it touched with a sizzle of flesh and the scent of scorched of innards. He pushed it into one goblin’s head and then the next, using each body he put down as a foothold to shoot forwards and repeat the process.

His left arm did the same, hurling goblins in every direction.

Within seconds, he had taken down the camp. A trail of havoc and smoldering bodies was left behind him. Then he felt another figure enter his Aura’s field.

Looking over his shoulder, Drake wasn’t sure if he should be happy or irritated.

Obitk’ Fuv Crukz Level 25 [F-Rank]

New Subjugation Quest: Subjugated 10 Goblin Knight] [F-Rank].

Reward: Experience, TP, random piece of [F-Grade] equipment.

Emerging from the treeline was a mass of gray iron. Only small gaps revealed green flesh, its white teeth clenched underneath its metal visor. In one hand was a broadsword, in the other a large kite shield smeared with blood.

Drake snapped his fingers. Ice replaced his earthen arm as his hair and tattoo were tinged orange.

The two locked gazes in a tense moment.

Drake grinned behind his mask. “I hope you last more than one punch. I need to let off some steam. Marked!”

◆◆◆

“Staring out into the forest isn’t going to make him come back any faster, Theo…” Chelsea said. But she too kept watch, using her identification skill to scout for any lurking Red Cap Goblins.

“I’m sure Mr. Shot is just fine, Theodore,” Harley said, consoling him with and arm around the shoulder. “I don’t think there’s a single monster out there that can even hurt the man.”

Theodore watch, but placed a gloved hand on Harley’s. “ ’Tis not the vile monsters that lurk those night-black woods that this one fears. ’Tis those monsters that walk falsely in human flesh that haunt me,” he said softly, moving his free hand to his thigh.

“What do you mean by that, love?”

“Let us just venture, that there art just as worse fiends in the tutorial that doeth unspeakable acts. Barbarism and cruelty ’tis not exclusive to monsterkind.”

Chelsea grimaced next to him. She knew well what he was alluding to.

Behind them, a grunt sounded, and Amir spoke up.

“Claire is waking up!” he shouted.

“W-Where am I?” Claire mumbled hazily, her eyes snapping to attention. “The goblins! Did he kill them?!” she shouted, gripping Amir’s shoulders.

“Y-Yes, Shot, Sir Shot, managed to kill them all, thanks to your spell. You should check your stats and levels, we all gained at least one from the fight thanks to it,” Amir explained, a weary grin on his face.

Hudson spoke up from his fiddling with another sentry.

“Looks like the crazy pup is coming back. And he brought a whole mess of lost sheep.”

Out of the treeline came Drake. Following behind him was a line of well over one hundred people. Each was no worse for wear than they had been upon being rescued, not long ago.

The line of people passed Drake, as a few began to sprint for the outpost over the battered and ruined field leading up to it.

Drake followed up the rear, ensuring everyone made it out of the forest.

“Looks like we best get down there and help out, yeah?” Jacqueline said, as she turned for the earthen stairs, the rest of the group following behind her.

Claire was the last to rise up and follow. On shaky feet she stopped, and looked out over the destruction she had not witnessed.

“I helped him do all that?” she murmured under her breath, counting the line of people slowly coming through the gates.

She moved from the wall to overlook the mass of people coming, spotting Drake as he came through the gate last. He patted Theodore on the arm and gave a shake to Amir and Hudson, the rest only getting nods.

Apparently, he felt Claire’s eyes on him as he raised his head and grinned, giving her a goofy thumbs up, then tossed her a crystalline stone.

Skill Stone: Lightning [Rare]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Lightning tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot, have an unlocked Mage main class tree.

Claire held the stone in her hands, then pressed it against her chest.

“Are you sure you don’t need it!” she hollered to him.

She saw Drake shake his head, holding up two more stones.

“Nope, don’t worry I found some very helpful goblins who happily gave me some.”

Claire couldn’t help but crease a grin. It quickly returned to her near-permanent scowl as she looked down at the stone again, reminding her that she needed to get stronger herself, so she could help wipe them all out.

◆◆◆

“Alright, looks like we have a hefty new batch of people. And I need a bath like Mineta needs a girlfriend,” Drake chuckled, walking past the new group of people towards the grouping of tents in the outpost.

Behind him, the gate closed and he began the task of getting everyone settled once again.

“Okay!” he shouted, using his wind magic to amplify his voice. “Clothes and weapons you can use are here! Tents here! Put them up yourself, if you need help, find someone. If they say no, you tell me and then they get no dinner! No one likes going hungry, so let’s all be friends, yeah? Food will be prepared by yours truly in an hour on the other side of the already-made tents! I’ll be setting up tubs of warm water near the mines in that direction,” he pointed, “take what you need to clean yourselves inside your tents. No one get any fresh ideas, or I’ll kick the shit out of you! Everyone good? No? Don’t care, you got three rules to follow in this outpost, ask one of the nice people who have been here for a day already what they are! You break them, I break you! Have a lovely evening!”

Drake finished his tiresome speech. A sea of confused faces looked back at him, but he picked out one with his finger beckoned her over.

“Yeah?” Chelsea asked, her brow raised. “Nice introduction, almost as good as the intro construct’s…”

The sights he’d seen in the forest still weighed on Drake’s mood. He ignored the jab.

“After I’ve finished making dinner, you, Jacqueline, and I need to have a talk,” he said evenly. “Find me by the graves once you’ve grabbed some food and are done eating. I’ll be there the rest of the night, anyway.”

Drake left for the the makeshift mess hall, not waiting for a response. Theodore briefly appeared beside him, before Drake said something inaudible to him, sending the butler back to Harley. They both departed for the top of the outpost wall.

Jacqueline walked up next to Chelsea, her arms crossed.

“He doesn’t look to be in a fine mood, bloody bastard looked like he had seen war crimes,” she said.

“Jacky, If I’m being honest. I think he might have.”

Chapter 84

His Name is Chris Springs

Drake retrieved as many barrels as he could from his inventory, arranging them in rows of two alongside the outskirts of the tents. He then began to fill them with steaming hot water.

A line was steadily forming, every person in the outpost eager to wash the filth from their bodies. Some were more eager than others, as pushing and shoving broke out amongst the people waiting.

Drake sighed and snapped his fingers, a loud boom sounding. He had used wind magic to amplify his snap, getting everyone’s attention. Using the same spell, he made his voice heard.

“Everyone plays nice, or you ruin it for the rest of the class,” he said, gazing across the crowd. “Any more fighting, and no more free stuff.”

Those who had been fighting hastily returned to the line. There was some sparse grumbling here and there, but the lines began moving smoothly once again.

“You have learned some very neat tricks, recently,” Natto snickered.

I need them for some of the stuff I will be doing now… And the better I can control the smaller stuff, the easier it will be for the larger destructive spells.

“It seems you have reached another poor state of mind… Do you care to speak on it?”

I’ll be alright, Natto. Thank you. If I had to say something, it would be that I’m concerned… Drake thought, returning to setting up rows of cauldrons for the newcomers.

“Concerned?”

Drake moved his hands quickly, setting up the large pots, campfires, and spit roasts.

Yeah. I’ve started to notice it more and more with every fight I’m having… but I am becoming increasingly enthralled by the combat. I only feel something when I’m on the edge. These fights are barely cutting it anymore. And that’s not all… Drake trailed off, skewering an already-skinned boar from his inventory, and placing it on a fire.

He began seasoning the cooking meals he had set up. Natto interrupted him.

“That is not all? What else is changing, Drake?” she asked, concern apparent in her voice.

Right… I can feel… Well, I can feel my humanity fading each time I level up. It’s strange. it’s as if I’m performing a habit that I don’t understand anymore. The smiling, the interactions, the talking, and sympathy in general. When I saved those people… I didn’t feel sorry, I didn’t feel the same amount of empathy I know I should have. That I knew I used to have. It felt like I was just going through the motions, because I knew I should. I only feel alive, feel something more, when I fight now. Is that the effect of the skill stones? he asked.

“It is one of the drawbacks of the higher rarity stones. You are also progressing impressively fast. Making me fear that your psyche may not be able to keep up with the trauma you are facing.”

Trauma? I don’t think I need that type of sympathy. You should save that sympathy for those who are actually being abused, Natto. If you haven’t noticed, I’m the one shelling out the punishment for the accused lately, he scoffed, filling another pot with water, food, and seasoning.

“That is trauma, Drake. You may not feel it because you have gone through it so much as of late, but you are killing thousands, snuffing out lives, even if they are monsters. But not weeks ago, you were just a normal man watching tv shows and drawing on your tablet for a living. You are far too unforgiving of yourself.”

Forgiveness isn’t something one gives themselves. It’s salvation given by the grace of others, Drake thought, a realization coming to him. I see. I know what I have to become then. I will do what I must to survive, I will become whatever this tutorial and system needs me to be in order to protect what’s important to me. Damn the consequences. I will let someone else judge me when the time is right and it’s all over.

“Well that is rather dramatic, but if that is what you wish, I will help you do so. May we stand trial together, you dolt.”

Drake smiled underneath his mask, finishing the last of the pots.

He looked up to see a line of people again, forming near the food this time.

Picking out a few people, he gave them instructions for the food.

“You, you, you, you, and you. Turn the pig every five minutes. You, you, you, you, and yes, you. Stir the pots every ten minutes. Pigs are done in two hours, the pots are done in an hour. Don’t burn my food,” Drake said, adjusting his mask to reveal his grin.

Unsurprisingly his joke did not go over well with the new people after witnessing a darker side of their savior. His grin was visibly shaking.

Well, aren’t they rude… Drake thought, snapping his mask back into place and making for the graves.

“Yes, well. They did see you put your molten hand through quite a few goblin faces… Not to mention what you did to the first Knight…” Natto chided, when memories of the scene made her wince.

Hey. I wanted to see what happens when you use water magic to put the water in the monster. And now I know.

“Yes, you, the goblin, the goblin reinforcements, and everyone inside the cage next to the goblin now know. And I am sure they appreciate it greatly.”

“That’s why I put out the hot water!” Drake said aloud, offended.

Natto gave a mental shake of her head. He faced the rows of the graves.

“At least I don’t feel as much now, so this sucks less I guess… Who am I kidding, it sucks even if I can’t feel the pit in my stomach,” he mumbled, digging the first hole in a new row.

Drake continued in silence for nearly an hour before he felt a pair of people draw closer. He could guess who they were, as otherwise he would have heard Theodore calling him.

“Well, this is bleak…” Jacqueline said.

“Jacky…” Chelsea whispered.

“My bad, love. Never been good with these types of situations…”

“It’s alright,” Drake said, not bothering to face them. “Not knowing how to handle something like this means you haven’t had to deal with it. I envy you for that.”

“Mr. Shot…” Chelsea started, but a raised hand cut her off.

“I’m not looking for sympathy. I’m not the one who died. Save it for them, if you want to give it,” Drake said, unintentionally cold. “Sorry, I’m dealing rather poorly with some things… Just… No. Please tell me about this friend of yours, and what you want me to do about it. You’ll have to forgive me for multi-tasking, but with everything, I don’t know when I’ll have another chance.”

Chelsea and Jacqueline exchanged a look. At a nod from the Cleric, Chelsea stepped up beside Drake.

“The man’s name is Chris Springs,” she started. This time Drake turned.

“Wait, the blond prick? Good looking, tall, nice smile, rather charismatic, but secretly an asshole with an evil juicy center?” he asked, his brow raised.

“Y-Yes? How did you know?”

“He tried to get me into his little group at the start, I turned him down because… Never mind. So you want me to kill this guy ‘cause he’s too good-looking, maybe turned you down, or did something, then?”

“Drake!” Natto snapped.

My bad, I jumped the gun.

Drake adjusted his mask, showing off a sheepish smile. “Sorry, my intrusive thoughts got ahead of me. Continue,” he said.

“No—um,” Chelsea said, slightly confused, “you hit the nail on the head, pretty much… Chris seemed like a nice guy at first, but his true nature quickly showed when the tutorial started throwing stronger and stronger monsters at us.” She moved in tandem with Drake as he made grave after grave. “He used his charm to get close to fifty people together at one point, but what we didn’t know was that he had done so only to have himself be protected.”

Drake spun his finger in a circle, asking Chelsea to turn for a moment. She complied, and Drake placed the remains of a person into the grave, then moved to the next.

“Protected how? From the strength he showed when he grabbed me, I assumed he was a Warrior?”

Chelsea stayed where she was for a moment, mulling something over.

“He apparently had people he knew in the tutorial. And they found people who were easy to manipulate…”

“I see… So, he tried for younger people, mostly women. And men he thought he could easily bring under his wing and manipulate to do what he said,” Drake offered, recalling Tom.

“For the most part, yes.”

“Ha! That means he thought you were easy to manipulate. I always knew you were an imbecile, but even the stupid evil villain guy thinks so!” Natto laughed.

Drake ignored her as he listened to Chelsea go on.

“I was much the same, they found me a little after… I had been chased out from the group I had come into the tutorial with, and had run into them. The one who vouched for me and helped me get into the group was… Megan.”

“And this is the friend you want to save?”

“Yes! She… She is the one who kept me from going crazy, all those restless nights in the dark. I will do anything. Anything you ask! Even…”

Drake held up his hand.

“Please. I have enough crazy women around me, I do not need more. And value yourself more. I understand you want to help your friend, but I was going to do so regardless.” Drake glanced at Chelsea with an endearing grin. “I only needed to know how much you cared for her. And from what I can tell just from this, is that you do so immensely. From the fight earlier, I can also say you know how to take a hit and stand back up. You obviously don’t like me, but decided to work with me regardless to help her. And right now in this situation, that is good enough for me.”

Drake fully turned to face her.

“You and Jacqueline have only just become a part of my group, but I can tell you are good people. Even if one of you, or, well, both of you, have a smart mouth. But anyone who can willingly sacrifice themselves for another… for friends and family. Is someone I’m willing to help. All you need do is ask me,” he said, holding out his hand. “Preferably politely,” he added, with a light chuckle.

Chelsea looked bewildered at Drake, her face cycling through expressions in rapid time. Disbelief, concern, anger, shock, joy, gratitude, and relief that then finally became a smile. Her left hand moved to meet Drake’s, her other covering her mouth as she whimpered behind it, tears of relief and joy cascading down her face.

“Please save my friend. P-Please save my friend Megan!” she shouted, soft gasps resounding through the area.

Drake gave her hand a firm shake as they met.

“With pleasure,” he said. “Now if only Jacqueline could learn to be just as polite.”

“Piss off, bloody idiot!” she shouted from behind.

“Baby steps, we’ll get there,” he laughed. “Now, let’s go see a mustached man about finding an evil villain!”

Chapter 84.5

The Dazzling Tyrant!

Ahhhh! Magnificent! Such beauty, such inspiration! thought Aono. Ahhh, I must draw this! Quickly!

Aono quickly summoned her mana stylus and mana paper, both produced from her only skill as a non-combat class, Artist.

Aono was a one-track mind type of woman. She loved to draw. She found inspiration from anything. The birds flying in the morning sun. The construction workers ordering around the laymen as they worked on buildings or roads. Even the sight of people eating at a roadside stall.

Anything could and would be used for her art.

And once she was pulled into the tutorial by some infernal system, she lost her ability for the art she loved. The system pushed onto her classes for which she cared not. Of them she chose Mage, and begrudgingly became efficient at it, as using the staff they provided allowed her to somewhat ‘paint’ with the mana she found.

Her happiness spiked, however, when reaching level 10 offered her the option to change to an Artist. She cared not that it would remove all of her combat potential and make her a non-combat class.

All that Aono cared for was being able to draw once again. Properly draw. No more using her staff as a makeshift utensil to scratch in the dirt.

She had witnessed so many scenes in this tutorial. And every single one had inspired her to draw, but she could not, leading to dull, sleepless nights, writhing in frustration, desperately wanting to. It was all she could think of. All she could dream of.

And now, finally, she could.

Now, finally, she had found it, found him. The most brilliant subject. The pinnacle of inspiration.

The way the man moved from goblin to goblin, tearing them to pieces with such grace and poise did everything for her. Her eyes could not be torn from him.

His hair, cascading from hue to hue. His eyes, changing just as quickly. The devilish ears of pink fur he wore, the same pink squirrel tail he donned.

The stylish black robe trimmed in gold, a shining golden pauldron adorning his left shoulder.

His fiendish red, black, and white half mask. Its frightening teeth gripped a cool blade of white.

The two subtle, fresh scars on the side of his face, one just above his right eye.

His creativity and brutality with spells sent shivers down her artistic spine. She could barely hold back a girlish scream as her pen moved over her canvas.

Elegance! Truly, elegance in its purest form! I must paint him! This scene! It must be done! I have a moral obligation! she shouted in her mind.

Her fellow captives screamed and shouted annoyingly, but what was worse was how they jostled each other, blocking her view of the man.

She was forced to rise from her sitting position to get to the edge of the cage. The man was quickly dispatching the goblins.

Then Aono saw him. The Goblin Warrior who stood across from the man.

“It’s the epic Jojo stand-off!” she squealed, earning her a few confused glances.

She put ‘brush’ to paper, capturing the moment, when she heard the man say something she almost didn’t catch.

“I hope you last more than one punch. I need to let off some steam. Marked!” the man roared, then shot forwards, disappearing from Aono’s vision.

The next moment she heard a crash, and he reappeared on top of the goblin. The man’s glassy ice arm melted, entering the monster’s helmet.

His other arm gripped its throat, preventing it from struggling as he poured more and more water down its gullet.

She looked on in awe as she witnessed the man’s tyrannical, one-sided fight.

The monster swelled and bloated, its armor barely able to hold the ballooning container before…

Pop.

Aono finished the brush strokes of the scene on her mana paper. Holding it up to the torchlight, the green blood and bits of the goblin victim slowly slipped off its back, seeing the beautiful manga outline she had created.

“Elegance!” she shouted out loud, looking over the mana paper that was still splattered in green blood, screaming once again with fanatic glee, “Title! The Dazzling Tyrant!”

Chapter 85

The Road to Finding Chris

Drake finished the graves while Chelsea and Jacqueline talked amongst themselves. Both seemingly went back and forth on how to go about finding Chris, and who they could rely on when they did.

Soon, the crack of dawn shone as the bright yellow-orange of the sun pierced the darkness, cresting the distant treeline.

Drake placed the last of the victims’ bodies he had been able to collect into the grave, carving the headstone in the same way as the others. And after a short silence, he turned to the pair of women.

“Alright. Time to get this villain slaying arc started,” he said, walking past the two.

“Bruv, do you do that on purpose, or are you really just that childish?” Jacqueline asked, following.

“Are you asking because you care, or have my devilish good looks captivated you enough to tease me relentlessly like on those shows?”

“You see! He’s doing it again!” she shouted, turning to Chelsea.

“Sir Shot, I’ve been wondering that also, to be fair. The spells you use, and the fighting are all strong, there isn’t any question there. But the way you speak and the jokes you use, is there a reason for it?”

Drake stopped for a moment, then faced the pair.

“Do you want the truth?” he asked.

“It’s why we asked, you right bloody arse, now land already, will ya?”

“First. That was a very rude way to ask,” Drake said, giving her an even glare. “Second, I do it to keep myself sane, at this point… The stones I used were strong, and it’s outpacing my ability to stay mentally stable. Let’s just say it’s one of my roots grounding me from going entirely crazy. So, I’ll settle for a bit childish and crazy over going full-turn ripe supervillain-crazy. Unless, of course, you’d like me not to.” He smiled, his left hand zapping with electricity.

Both women shook their heads, no.

“What stones did you use?” Chelsea asked.

Drake pursed his lips for a moment, debating if he should divulge, but decided to tell them, as they had opened up a small bit about their friend.

“I’ve used more than several rare stones and two epic stones. And let’s just say I have some more slots to use for the rare ones we pick up along the way.”

“Two?! How in the fuck did you get two tings like that?” Jacqueline shrieked, louder than she intended, drawing some gazes from people around the food area as they passed. Her head dipped and ears became a shade darker.

“Just some luck with the quests. And don’t forget I had two classes, so I had two class quests. That helped some.”

“I see,” Chelsea said solemnly. “I guess the secondary class was a blessing, then?”

“Absolutely not,” Drake replied immediately.

Chelsea’s face screwed up in confusion at the terse answer, although Drake didn’t see it.

“Look, how much work do you think went into getting my class to this point?” he asked, stepping onto the first earthen stair step to the rampart.

“Just as much as anyone else? Maybe double, since you have two classes? Oh…”

“You’re half right. I have a title that forces me to gain double the experience of the previous level. So, you can probably understand just how many monsters I’ve had to kill. And honestly,” he said, hesitating on a step to address them, “I’m pretty surprised I haven’t gotten a title for the number of monsters I’ve outright killed so far.”

There was a chime, accompanied by a notification.

Complainer

This is not a real title. You’re just a whiny little bitch.

Drake scoffed, and swiped the notification away. The previous fight had left some others he had yet to sort through.

For now, he just continued up the steps.

“The other thing is to gain that much experience, I also had to kill monsters well above my level. I’m not going to say the benefits of the secondary class aren’t worth it, but it does take far more hard work that, if I didn’t have any other choice, I would have shirked immediately. That is, until I realized I needed the strength provided by the dual class to protect what I need to…” he finished, trailing off as they reached the top of the rampart.

They all looked out to the broken and battered field that was now the plains outside the outpost, the bright sun now above the trees, illuminating the piles and piles of monster corpses.

“Oh,” Drake said, remembering something, “I have to talk to Amir about the cores. Wait, that means Theo is out of a job…”

“He has other uses!” Natto snapped.

I suppose he does now, doesn’t he? He was a great investment, if I do say so myself.

The trio approached the guard tower, spotting Theodore and Harley both talking happily as they kept their eyes trained on the horizon.

Drake was surprised to see Claire and Amir with them.

“Well, aren’t you two getting cozy? Why are you both here?” Drake asked.

“Need to be here if those fucking goblins come again. I want the experience, and to help wherever I can,” Claire responded, scowling for a moment her expression softened to something more neutral. “And… thank you. For the Lightning stone. I’ll be sure to use it immediately.”

“Don’t mention it. Have you used a rare stone before?”

Claire shook her head.

“I see. Wait until I have some free time to use it, then. Rare stones can have some adverse effects, alright?” he said with concern in his voice. “Also, Amir, how did we fair on monster cores with your skill?”

Amir perked up from next to Claire when his name was called. For a brief moment he looked distantly at something, then refocused just as quickly.

“Ah, we have collected. Wow… 1,600 cores in total. If you hadn’t given me more dimensional bags, Sir Shot, I wouldn’t have been able to carry them all, I’m sure,” Amir laughed wearily.

“That is a nice haul, I will say. Did we really kill that many over the past two days?” Drake wondered.

“You mean, did you kill them,” Claire amended.

“It does not matter who killed them! Those cores are rightfully mine!” At that, Natto popped out of Drake.

“Hey! Who said you can come out?!” Drake shouted.

“It is fine. No one will see us here for the moment, and I would like to stretch my legs. Now, boy, the cores!” Natto demanded, her hand outstretched.

Amir looked hesitantly between the two.

“Look, it’s an even cut. She can have my share, Amir. Everyone take some, you’re going to need them for currency outside the tutorial, if the little glutton there is to be believed,” Drake smirked, pointing to Natto with his chin.

Natto's head swiveled to give Drake the death stare. He stuck his tongue out at her.

“That is 160, cough it up, and not one less. But certainly, feel free to round up to 200, dear boy,” Natto said, raising her chin with a sinister grin.

Amir again looked to Drake for help.

Drake smiled and sprayed Natto with water, drenching her.

“160. No more, no less. You can give me the ones for Sherry and Hudson. They don’t look to be here right now, so I’ll find them myself,” he said, ignoring Natto, who had run over to him, stabbing at his metal boots with her dagger.

“R-Right…”

Amir distributed the cores to everyone present, and they all put them into their inventories. Theodore speaking up.

“My Liege, thou hast mentioned the use of said cores in the world outside. Dost thou knoweth the uses of such?”

“Little Miss Grumpy here,” Drake said, now blowing warm air on Natto, “hasn’t mentioned specifics, other than they will be turned to currency. So, think of this as a salary for now.”

Theodore nodded, twisting his mustache thoughtfully.

“Now, Theodore, I have to ask you something,” Drake said, moving the stream of air back and forth away from Natto. Her teeth bared each time the warm breeze changed.

“Anything, my Liege,” Theodore said. He pressed a hand to his chest, showing off his new gloves.

“Oh, those are fancy. From a quest?” Drake asked.

“Indeed, they art of quality most rare, increasing this one’s ability to concealeth others, as well as decreasing the mana which is used. ’Tis quite the boon, if this one must say!”

“Perfect!” Drake brightened. “I need you to go find this man Chelsea is looking for, Chris Springs. You and her are going to go find him, is that alright?”

Theodore stared pensively at Harley.

Drake nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she’s safe, you have my word. I will die for her if it comes to it.”

“May she not accompany us thither, my liege?” Theodore asked.

“Unfortunately not. I need someone else who can see through stealth like her that I can trust. My Aura is very useful, but it can’t cover the entire outpost’s walls. That is why I need to see Hudson as well.” He pointed to the sentries that now lined the outpost. “I need to know the extent of the sentries’ abilities. And I’m interested in his big boys.”

A giggle sounded from Drake’s feet. Looking down, he saw Natto snickering, a suggestive grin on her face.

Drake tapped the back of her with his foot, forcing her to stumble slightly forwards, then looked to Theodore for an answer.

Theodore took only a moment to tighten his gloves, then bowed.

“With all due haste, my liege. ’Twill be done.”

“No, not that much haste, Theo.” Drake smiled, placing his hand on the man’s shoulder.

“My Liege?”

“You look like a car wash rag, my friend. You and Chelsea get some rest. You’ve both been up all night. Two hours of rest after a hot bath. Both of you take all the time you need to clean up, and make sure to tell your friends you care for them since you won’t be seeing a hot bath or them for the next couple days, I’m sure,” Drake said. He plopped two large tubs in the room and filled them with hot water.

Chelsea’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the large, wooden tub filled with steam. Dropping it in her inventory, she scurried. Theodore gave Harley a significant look, placing the tub in his inventory as well, then descended the steps of the rampart with her in tow.

“What about you three? Want a hot bath? I got up here for a bit, get some real rest,” Drake offered.

Amir and Jacqueline both nodded, accepting similar tubs as they left.

Claire on the other hand stayed, absently rolling a stone in her hand.

“Aren’t you tired as well? I don’t think I’ve seen you sleep since we’ve gotten here,” she asked.

“I don’t sleep. My class, stats, and skills let me stay up pretty much indefinitely at this point. Speaking of which, I think I have some time now to help you with that stone.” “Oh, please,” Natto grumbled, “I am still here, you apes. The room is not exclusively yours…”

Drake smiled and pulled two chairs from his inventory, both facing out to the horizon and the still-rising sun.

He patted the seat next to him.

“Ignore her,” he scoffed, “let’s get you some new skills, yeah?”

Claire nodded and timidly approached the chair.

“Oh,” Drake said, his brows rising, “Sorry about having to carry you earlier. Didn’t want you to fall on the floor.”

Claire looked surprised that he had said anything, reflexively covering her mouth.

“It’s… I understand you had to, because I passed out. Thank you for telling me…” she answered, sitting down and nudging the chair a small bit away from Drake.

“Would you tell me what happened? I want to understand more. But only if you’re willing. We can sit in silence and just watch the sunrise, instead. I could use the quiet for a bit, myself.”

Claire looked pensive. But before she could answer, a high-pitched voice from between them interrupted her.

“Hey, Mr. Asshole! Where, might I ask, is my chair?!”

Chapter 86

Is This What They Call Bonding?

For the next hour, the trio sat in relative silence, the only disturbances between them the rustling of clothes and the sounds distant chatter from the direction of the tents.

Natto had fallen asleep in Drake’s lap, a pool of drool forming on his right pant leg. Looking down, he gave a quick sigh, but he was used to her being a handful.

In Drake’s good hand, he held two small, clear crystal stones. Claire held a third in between her cupped hands.

They both stared into the distant rising sun, just content with resting and watching the horizon.

At least, until Drake became restless. He had been so busy the past week that he felt that if he was not moving forwards with something, he would drown in boredom. Every moment he wasn’t making progress was a moment he fell further and further behind.

Taking a breath, he tried to relax himself. For the first time in a while, Drake pulled up his skill list.

Skills Branches

Primary

Elementalist P2 (37%) [F-Rank] 0/5

Mage Sight P2 (38%) [F-Rank]

Heretical Mind P2 (33%) [F-Rank]

Multiplicative P2 (82%) [F-Rank]

Elemental Endowment P2 (16%) [F-Rank]

Elemental Conflux P2 (5%) [F-Rank]

Secondary
Shield Miller P1 (86%) [F-Rank] 0/5

Warrior’s Stamina P2 (27%) [F-Rank]

Guardian’s Reprieve P1 (94%) [F-Rank]

Aura of Command P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Martial Strike P2 (11%) [F-Rank]

Empty

Primary Subtree

Internal Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

Of the Apex P2 (15%) [F-Rank]

Weak Point P2 (13%) [F-Rank]

Tempered in Flames P2 (35%) [F-Rank]

Tyrannical Aura P2 (14%) [F-Rank]

Empty

Secondary Subtree

Soul Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

Mana Manipulation P2 (19%) [F-Rank]

Atrophy of the Mind P1 (17%) [F-Rank]

Cower P1 (21%) [F-Rank]

Sound Body and Mind P2 (15%) [F-Rank]

Purity of Soul P1 (90%) [F-Rank]

Tertiary Subtree

Weapon Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

Hoarder P2 (17%) [F-Rank]

Fully Loaded P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Weapon of Choice P2 (14%) [F-Rank]

Adrenaline Acuity P2 (23%) [F-Rank]

Empty

Quaternary Subtree

Empty

Still playing around with the stones in his left hand, he perused his current skills’ progression.

He was making headway with most of his skills, considering it had only been a few days. Hard work really had allowed him to start closing the gap between himself and the upper ranks of the participant ladder.

Though, he was miffed by the stains that were some of his skills. His ‘Fully Loaded’ and ‘Aura of Command’ skills both sat at a still abysmal 0%, but hopefully that would change, now that he had a party upon which to use the Command skill.

A few quests had also been completed, with more on the way. Additionally there was a large amount of equipment he was still waiting to cycle through, after all the commotion.

He had, unsurprisingly, leveled up once again after saving so many captives in the forest, but Drake wouldn’t be surprised if the goblins had even more hidden elsewhere, sadly.

He was only able to grit his teeth, instinctively imagining what might be happening to them. Another sign his ability to empathize was waning.

As his profile showed, his stats had truly ballooned once again with some free points to spare. All thanks to his passive skills which boosted the growth of his intelligence.

Drake Wallen

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Race: Human

Profession: Miner P2 (7%) [F-Rank]

Class: [Unique] Elemental Miller Level 16

VIT: 274 (15%)

STR: 314 (20 +10%)

DEX: 200 (40 + 20%) +(40)

INT: 582 (15+15%)

WIS: 270 (15%)

END: 200 (20 + 15%)

Free Points: 50

Looks like I have a few points for a rainy day, for now. I was able to bring up my endurance, thankfully, but it did cost almost my entire stat pool… Now  dexterity is lagging behind a bit, since I’ve lost my arm.

It was true that he had steered away from close combat in favor of using his Mana Manipulation, almost fully leaning into it with his near-600 raw stat point. But he was concerned he might soon need to place more into his physical stats. He didn’t want to lack the growth needed to fully utilize his skills, after all.

Breaking him from his thoughts, Claire struggled to speak up.

“U-Um, I’m sorry, I’m just not ready to speak about it just yet… But since we have time, can we use the stones?”

Broken from his trance, Drake realized she was looking at the stones he clutched.

Here I am ignoring the person I was trying to help and console… he thought, admonishing himself.

“Yeah, that sounds good. You go ahead. You’ve used some of the more common ones, right?”

Claire nodded, gripping the stone warily.

“H-Here I go,” she said.

Drake observed, ready to step in if needed, but was captivated by how the use of the stone looked from the outside-in. He had never seen someone use a stone in front of him, not even Theodore.

Claire went into a trance, almost. A faint, white glow crept up the arm gripping the stone, finding its place in the center of her chest before webbing out to every part of her body from her center.

She gave a gasp for air and the light subsided, he assumed signaling the end of the process.

“That was much quicker than I thought…” Drake said with a look of concern.

“I-It felt like that took a longer time than it should have…” Claire eked out through gasps.

“How was it? Good skill?” Drake asked, a smile tugging at his lips as he tried to keep the mood up.

She returned the smile. “Y-Yeah. It’s another buff skill, this time for Water Magic!” she said proudly, her face glistening with sweat from the subsumption process.

Drake gave a hearty laugh and brought out a cup of cool water from his inventory, as well as a few other things.

“What are you going to do with those?” Claire asked, pointing with her chin at the leather straps he had brought out.

“I. Have been neglecting some things that I said I needed. So! I’m going to get it done now, while I can,” he said, punching holes into the straps with his earthen hand and twisting them into a small pouch.

“You aren’t going to use your stones?” “Well,” he continued to fashion the leather into a small pouch, doing his best not to wake Natto, “last time I used a rare stone, I nearly killed Natto, and the time before that I nearly killed her again. Oh wait, that’s right, the last time I didn’t nearly kill her, but my skill did go out of control and I made her very, very shaky, not good, in a shake-weight way, but like a pale-face-sweaty way.”

Claire eyed him concerningly as she kept silent, sipping the water from the cup. She was obviously content not to see him use his stones now.

Drake was no leatherworker, but did his best to work with what he had. Making some straps, and using the strings of leather he had cut off, he attempted to sew together the pouch he had been procrastinating on.

“Annndddd, done! Nice, just what I needed,” he said proudly, pulling several of the potions he had gotten from his inventory and pushing them into the small rings of the pouch.

Four red pieces of jewelry were also added from his inventory.

“Th-That looks um… nice,” Claire lied, looking away.

Drake held the pouch up to the sun, spotting a few gaps. Some of the pieces were falling apart already, as one of the flasks slipped from a ring.

He quickly caught it as he chuckled wearily, placing it and the rest into his inventory and setting the leather on fire now that it was ruined.

“Well, it was worth a try… Guess it’s time for quest rewards, then,” he said, trying to change the mood.

Claire perked up at that, shifting in her chair slightly. She had already cashed in on some of her own quests. Her luck hadn’t been as good as some of the others.

Drake pulled up several of the quests, going through them. A black die materialized in his hand.

Quest Complete: 20 of 20 Goblin Lieutenants [F-Rank]

Accept rewards?

Yes < No

You have been awarded experience.

Please roll for equipment rarity.

Drake grinned at the prompts, having not seen them in some time. His pulse surprisingly rose as he held his breath in anticipation.

Breathing deeply, Drake tossed the die lightly against the floor. It bumped against the wooden wall of the outpost, then came bouncing back to them, a 16 facing upwards.

“Wow… You have some real unfair luck there, don’t you?” Claire said with a glare.

“Haha…” Drake chuckled, holding out a hand for the item.

A red shawl dropped into it.

Halo Shawl of Possibilities [F-Grade, Rare]

A shawl made from the wings of the Volcanic Fire Drakes of the Elemental Plains.

Effect: Allows the user to pull freely from their inventory, regardless of combat status.

“I don’t think I should use this… The dragons are going to kill me…” Drake mumbled.

“Huh? What did you say? That’s a really nice-looking scarf, it’s so strikingly red!”

“Haha… Yeah, nice… It seems it’s a shawl. But would you look at that? That fixes my problem.” Drake smiled, wrapping it around his neck.

With a light snapping sound the shawl fixed itself in place with some System feature or magic, much like his mask had done, startling Drake. If it was magic, Mage Sight couldn’t detect it. The fabric unraveled from around his neck, creating almost a halo around his shoulders, the ends of the shawl adhering themselves to his forearms.

“That is oddly cool,” Drake said.

Now, how do I test it? He glanced at Claire, who was still wide-eyed.

“Hey, Claire.”

“Hmm?”

“Can you hit me?”

“Excuse me?”

“I need to test the shawl, and for that, I need to be in combat,” Drake said. There came a sudden, sharp pain in the side of his arm.

Natto had woken up, sinking her teeth into his arm.

“Dosh dish work? Shu bahoon!” she said through her closed jaw.

Drake looked down with a straight face at the small construct. Then tried to pull something from his inventory.

A second later, a red vial popped into the air above Natto’s head, smacking her with a clank.

She fell backwards, her hands rubbing the forming bump on her head.

“Yeah, looks like it works. Thanks.” Drake smiled.

Chapter 87

Morning Glory

Claire giggled at the banter, her laughter light and easy.

Drake held back the riled-up Natto, appreciating the woman’s smile and laugh. He was happy to see her starting to cheer up, focusing on things other than how much she wanted to kill the goblins.

He understood that it would never go away. Scars like that didn’t heal so quickly, but seeing her able to distract herself was good.

“Well, Natto, what do you think about some food while I finish what I need to?” Drake said.

“Food?!” Natto asked, her ears and tail perking upwards. A slight dribble escaped the side of her mouth.

“Yes, food,” Drake repeated, “Claire would you mind grabbing her a barrel?”

“A b-barrel?!” Claire stuttered.

“I said what I said. Please and thank you.”

Claire nodded and left the earthen box, only stopping for a moment to look back. Her smile was gone, a lonesome frown replacing it, before she turned the corner and down the stairs.

“Why did you have the young lady leave?” Natto asked, wiping her mouth with Drake’s sleeve.

He grimaced, cleaning off his sleeve with a spurt of water from his other hand, then drying it with his wind magic quickly.

“I have a few stones to use and a quest reward I didn’t want her here for. I trust her, but if I get something useful out of this reward, the less information out there, the better… also,” Drake offered the shawl, “is this going to be a problem? It says it’s made from drakes.”

“Ha! Nothing would be easily made from the likes of yourself,” Natto giggled with a pointing finger, but pouted when Drake eyed her seriously.

Huffing, she snatched up the item to look more closely, then pursed her lips.

“I would think not. Although dragons would be angered by you holding onto an item made from one of their kin, an item from a Volcanic Drake would not count. I would even go as far to say that anything up to dragons themself should be fair game. When we begin to get into the realm of B-Grade items and equipment we may need to start worrying about it. But anything within the F-Grade is fine, so far as it stays below Epic Grade,” she explained.

“That’s comforting… but why? Aren’t dragons, dragons? Is there a difference here I’m missing?” Drake said, crouching to pick up the die from the floor.

Natto sighed, but nevertheless explained, if only in mock reluctance.

“For dragons, kin is important. But it is just that, their immediate family,” she began. “You can read from the description it says ‘Volcanic Drake’?”

Drake nodded waiting for further elaboration.

“Well, that is just a species. It is not a brood name or moniker. Generally, lesser species of monsters or higher races will be given generic names. It is the same for elementals, titans, dragons, ogres, elves, and so on and so forth. In this instance, we are talking about nameless monsters. If the item description mentioned a specific name, such as Draconic of such and such, then we would have a non-metaphoric flame up our tooshies.”

“Huh… So, what exactly is the lesser species of humans… Wait, don’t answer tha—”

“It is apes! You ape!” Natto cackled, not missing her chance.

Drake sighed, shaking his head, admonishing himself for falling into such an obviously laid trap. He quickly brought up the second quest he wished to finish, excitement and anticipation beginning to spread in his mind after such a long time.

Quest Complete: 50 of 50 Goblin Jailers [F-Rank]

Accept rewards?

Yes < No

Experience has been awarded.

Please roll for equipment rarity.

Casting the die to the floor, Drake watched as it turned and bounced on the ground. Eyeing it carefully, he tried to curb his expectations in real-time.

6

17

3

1

“Fuck.”

“You certainly cannot win them all, as they say,” Natto said, not-so-consolingly as she picked her nails.

“Yeah, well… It was bound to happen.” He sighed, holding his hand out for the item.

What dropped in his hands were two leathery bracers, with some small fur protruding from them.

“Wait, isn’t this…”

Another item plopped out into his other hand. They were the identical twins of the bracers.

Leather Bracers [F-Grade, Common]

A crudely made pair of bracers, meant for warmth rather than protection. +1 Defense Proficiency.

5 – 12 Physical Damage Reduction

3 – 9 Magic Damage Reduction

Drake stifled a laugh, as he looked at the pair of identical items.

“Well… at least I’ll have extras,” he said, trying to stay positive. He reflected on memories of coping with how he’d gotten his dual class.

Drake quickly put on the bracers, flexing his wrist to see if they fit, only to hear a faint tearing sound.

The leather was stretching and ripping already. He hadn’t even put on the second one. It forced a weary laugh from his lips.

At least flaring his tattoo didn’t rip the bracer any more than flexing his arm had, he found.

“Certainly, it is a good thing you have extras. The bracer looks like the last button on a dress shirt worn by an anime character,” Natto said, then slapped her face, realizing what she had just said.

Drake chortled, flexing his hand a bit too much. The leather bracer ripped fully in half.

“Damn it,” he sighed, “at least I have a lot.” He replaced the ruined bracer with its mate, careful not to destroy this one.

He opened his inventory once again, checking something he had been hoping for since he remembered his Fully Loaded skill was still stuck at 0%. But now, with the addition of his shawl for his shoulders and his massive amount of shitty—leather bracers, he hoped it would fill all his slots.

Opening the screen he saw the same figure, his right arm blacked out.

Asshole system… he thought, clicking his tongue, but quickly returned to task.

The figure on the screen had all of its slots filled now,as he had hoped, his Hoarder skill allowing him to pseudo-fill the accessory slots even without the use of a necklace. Even his gloves, which should have been empty, were replaced by his tattoo rings. Apparently, they had counted in the place of proper gloves.

Thinking about it, it did make sense. His tattoos did cover his entire hand like gauntlets.

And with that, he had fully equipped himself, giving him the long-sought-out 50% boost to his combat abilities.

Next was the final quest he was able to complete, thanks to slaughtering all of the goblins camps.

Quest Complete: 100 of 100 Goblin Butchers [F-Rank]

Accept rewards?

Experience has been awarded.

Please select a weapon box of your choice.

Drake looked over the options of weapons, surprised that each one was of rare quality. Perusing the selection he stopped on several weapons that might be useful for him.

Dart and Chain

Ink Tattoo Rings

Mana Gauntlet

But there was one that caught his eye the most.

Two-Handed Staff

Oh, this might be my jam… he thought.

It took Drake a few minutes of mental back and forth, comparing the pros and cons of the staff over the other three.

The dart and chain was something Drake liked aesthetically, and would honestly help with confusing those about what his class really was. But in every other department, it was a con. It most likely didn’t have high Magic Damage, and Drake wasn’t sure practicing with a brand new weapon would be the best use of his time.

Especially considering he still had to learn real hand-to-hand combat. Right now, his style was mostly smash their face in till they’re dead, or tear their head off. He would very much like to change that, as soon an opponent would likely come that he could not kill in a single punch. Learning a new weapon from scratch was just too much of an investment for him, when he had yet to master his current main weapon. So, the dart and chain were sadly out.

Well, I could always just make one with magic… Drake thought, consoling himself.

The ink tattoo rings was only another possibility, being his main weapon at the moment and having served him well. So having a possible upgrade through the weapon box may be worth blowing off the others. But, in the same vein, he already had them.

The mana gauntlet was much like the tattoo rings. His main source of melee damage, currently, was his hand-to-hand combat mixed with his destructive style of magic.

The gauntlet would be a nice option if it was a guaranteed upgrade, but on the same coin, would it really be better than his current equipment? But with the staff, the possibilities were endless.

A goofy grin creased his face.

“What are you making that disgusting face for, again… This is almost the same as… No, Drake…” Natto almost hissed.

He locked eyes with the construct as he mentally confirmed his decision, grinning ever wider.

Selected [F-Grade] Staff weapon box as reward.

Confirm?

Yes < No

A box almost as tall as he was materialized from a flash of light.

The box seemed to be made of very high-quality finished wood, with exquisitely well-crafted markings and engravings on the outside. A golden latch adorned the side of the box, and the hinges also shimmered a beautiful gold.

“Yeah, don’t need this, what’s in the box!” Drake yelled with anticipation as he flung open the cover, pulling the staff from the box all in one motion.

Four Petaled Morning Glory Staff [F-Grade, Rare]

An exquisite staff carved from the wood of an Elder Darkwood Treant, the Morning Glory blossom cradles four elementally attuned crystals of equal power, granting the weapon an ethereal allure.

35 – 42 Physical Damage

833 – 937 Magic Damage

100% increase in Elemental Magic Damage

Special effects when killing targets with specific base elements:

Earth: Magic defense is increased by 1% per kill. Can stack up to 20 times. Duration 15 seconds.

Fire: Increases magic damage by 1% per kill. Can stack up to 20 times. Duration 15 seconds.

Air: Magic expenditure for your next spell is reduced by 80% on every 100th kill.

Water: 5% of mana is regenerated on every 20th kill over 10 seconds. Cannot stack.

“Oh… I do not deserve this, haha!” he declared gleefully, holding the new staff in the air.

The dark, almost ebony wood was smooth to the touch, curved into a beautiful spiral at the end. At the crown of the staff, the wood splintered into eight curling points. Grasped by each pair of points, or petals, was a glimmering crystal.

One of faint crimson, another of serene blue, another of tranquil yellow, the final of a robust, earthy brown.

“This looks too good to be true! It makes no sense, but I will name you Chunchunmaru! Wait, no… that’s the wrong weapon…” Drake said, going back and forth with himself.

“Cease! That name, you do not mean to—” Natto shouted, almost concerned.

“I’m not doing anything,” Drake lied, placing the staff into his inventory, then used his new shawl to practice switching between his rings and staff.

After a few repetitions, his excitement mellowed by a level. Unfortunately, the shawl was not as perfect as he had hoped. It only allowed for the items to be taken in and out within the space, but wouldn’t allow him to equip an item instantly.

“That… That’s fine, just makes for more cool equipping scenes. Wait… Does that mean I’m a magical girl? Oh no… I have color-changing hair. Natto gives me ears and a tail. Fuck!” Drake howled.

“What are you going on about now, you dolt?”

Drake stood straight and lied through his teeth, “Nothing. Absolutely nothing…”

A few calming breaths later, Drake absentmindedly toyed with two skill stones. He was wary of both of them for the same, very good reason. Three open slots were left in his skill tree, but he was rightfully concerned about the repercussions of using more higher-grade stones with his current mental state.

Skill Stone: Oppression [Rare]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Oppression tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot.

Skill Stone: Lightning [Rare]

Unlocks 1 random skill from the Lightning tree.

Requires 1 open skill slot.

“Now, today has started off as a relatively good one. Saved some people, killed some monsters, had some quality time with the little one-foot demon. But is it going to stay one?” Drake whispered.

“I heard that you fucking moronic ape!”

Chapter 88

Tom’s Special Power

“How has it been a good day exactly, Drake? I should not have to tell you,” Natto started. “I have yet to acquire the sustenance I was promised and deserve! Where is that girl with my meal?!”

“There is something oddly funny about a three-day-old, one foot tall, chi—” Natto’s glare stopped him from continuing, “woman,” he amended, “calling a grown 5-foot sum woman a girl. You act like one of those landladies from anime.”

“And whose fault would that be? Lest you forget, I was derived from you. May you also not forget that I am made in an image that you would enjoy and find comforting! That includes parts of my personality.”

“I can’t forget something you’ve never told me. Wait… Does that mean I like tsunderes? Or am I just a m… No, I can’t handle this monumental moral dilemma right now…” Drake said, grinning as he joked.

“Monumental moral dilemma, is it? Certainly, it is the latter. We both know quite well how much you liked to get yourself knocked out, at least until recently.”

“Hey! I… Okay that might be true,” he said, shrugging his shoulders, “but back to my point. Am I alright to use these? I still don’t feel like myself, honestly, but I can’t put gaining power on hold. The goblins seem to be ramping up the scale of the attacks, as well as changing strategies. And we only have…” Drake trailed off as he glanced at the quest.

Time left until the Goblin King joins the fight: 4 Days, 16 Hours, 29 Minutes, 34 Seconds.

“A little less than five days until the king joins, and with Theo out finding Chelsea and Jacqueline’s friend, I don’t think we have a way to find him unless I go out myself. And there’s no telling what might happen if I leave. It’s honestly really taxing to think about, unless we can just wait until the king finds us?”

“And the manchild Tom’s friend. Do not forget him.”

“What?”

“Do not forget about the buffoon, you maroon,” Natto said again, thumbing to the corner.

In the corner with his shield was Tom, motionless with a sheepish look on his face.

Drake stared, flabbergasted that the man had gone unnoticed for so long, even with his Aura and ocular skills.

Tom waved at Drake, awkwardly. “Hi…” he muttered.

“Ho—How long have you been there Tom?”

“I’ve been here since, um… Since Claire was here. I just, uh… Didn’t want to interrupt again, so I just stayed quiet in the corner…” Tom answered, his face beading with cold sweat.

Drake placed a hand to his face.

“Aii puta ne dana… Tom, you have less presence than Theo does while his skills are on. How in the world are you a frontliner?” he scoffed, honestly impressed the man could sit so still for over an hour and elude his skills.

“Uh… I don’t know. Honestly that kind of sounds like an insult… I’m pretty sure that’s an insult… but it’s not like I’m trying to do it. I guess people just don’t notice me? The monsters spot me right away, though…”

“Tom, do you want to change that?” Drake asked honestly.

“Of course I do! I don’t think anyone likes being ignored…”

“Then you need to start by at least speaking up. No more sitting in corners waiting to be talked to. Can you promise me that?”

“Y-Yeah… Yeah! I can do that.”

“Okay, now go get some rest and food, man.”

Tom nodded then placed the shield in his inventory, starting to walk out of the earthen room, but Drake stopped him for a moment.

“And Tom,” he said, eyes flashing to gold and mouth tugging a smile. “It goes without saying, right?”

Tom nodded quickly, then bolted down the steps, nearly tripping a few times.

“You bully that child far too much,” Natto finally snickered as she spoke up.

“Yeah, well, I think it’s better me than someone who’s going to actually bully him and kill him. Sometimes tough love is what even grown adults need. I think I know that better than anyone,” Drake said, a full-blown smile breaking out across his face.

“Is it from your past? It is quite the odd reaction to be given tough love and smile for it, no?”

“Yeah. I loved my Father, but he wasn’t the hardest on us. He gave us everything we ever asked for. Money, games, food, clothes, you name it. He even gave me money for pot one time because I said it helped me with my headaches.”

“He certainly sounds like a very loving Father, I will say.” Natto smiled back.

“Yep, he was the best. But being smothered in love doesn’t always help prepare you for the real world, or the dynamics of society. And especially the job market, when you leave high school and college. Anyway, my point is, I met a few friends while playing games, and they ended up being the best male role models I could have asked for. They were way older, but they had been through it, ya know? Telling me everything to look out for, what to do, not to do, but I ended up having to go through the mistakes anyway to really learn. Then it got to the point where I hit the bottom, after, ya know… and that’s where the real tough love came out, and they kicked me off my ass and got me moving again,” Drake said. Realizing he’d gone on a tangent, he stopped.

He briefly thought of how those two friends would be faring during something like this tutorial, then quickly dismissed it.

They’re probably living the dream and loving it. I wouldn’t be surprised if they both willingly chose a dual class.

Shaking his head to dispel the nostalgia, he turned back to Natto.

“Alright, serious time again, what about the stones? Am I greenlit for take-off, or are you going to keep Maverik down?” Drake asked.

“I am against it. Your growth is remarkable, there is no denying that fact. And that is the problem, as I have said. At least give it a few days, you need to assimilate your growth better. I wish nothing for you but to get stronger,” Natto said, pausing to chew on her bottom lip.

“Okay, but?”

“However, mana vessels take time to change, and there is normally a standard growth rate. Have you noticed how well-adjusted some of the others are? They react how a normal person would to most things and have become accustomed to the tutorial’s brutality while still maintaining their human emotions,” Natto explained.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been anything but normal. So I don’t think that’s a fair assessment.”

“Drake, I am serious! Please, for your own sake and mine. Give it a few days. With any luck, the goblins will ease up on their assaults, giving you time to rest. And you will still have plenty of time to assimilate the stones when you have stabilized. Then you can have your little fight with the Goblin King.”

Drake deflated at the word “little” but took it to heart, vowing it would be the most annoying reference-filled fight Natto would ever have the displeasure of witnessing.

“Yeah, sure,” he answered.

“No! Not su—Wait… You agreed?” The little construct blinked, confused. “Why would you agree so quickly?”

“No reason. Come on, let’s go find Claire. I’m actually hungry for once.”

“Wait. Certainly, you are up to something!” Natto shouted as she chased him to the edge of the earthen box.

“Maybe, but I’ll never tell,” Drake grinned, picking up Natto as she merged with him, still flabbergasted.

“Ah! I see what you are going to do, you dolt!”

“Shit. I forgot she can read my mind and memories.”

“You think you can get away with this?!”

Drake fully ignored her with a casual whistle as he strode down the steps of the rampart.

Cry all you want, I’ve got to see a man about a robot, Drake thought.

The tent area had exploded into liveliness with the wide assortment of newcomers. Drake snapped his mask into place as he walked, just in case, eventually finding Claire before Hudson.

She was finishing filling some barrels with food, receiving some disgruntled looks from the other residents, but she hardly seemed to notice. Amir was next to her. Both began to walk in Drake’s direction.

Why does that look so awkward?

“Claire seems only to have opened up to you. I assume she is just hard to talk to for everyone else,” Natto replied dismissively.

Claire and Amir both spotted Drake at the same time. Her face lit up just as Amir’s visibly slackened in relief.

“You came down from the rampart? Is anyone watching the wall?” Claire asked, peering over his shoulder to the wall.

“The sentries have got it for now while I go find Hudson. Do you know where he is? I have to ask him about the bigger robots.”

“I believe he is in the far tent near the mines, Sir. I think he wanted to stay close to his supply of mana iron ore. Where is—” Amir started asking as he looked around for the little construct, when his gaze fell upon the two iconic red ears appearing on Drake’s head with a ‘pop’.

“She’s right where she should be. Kinda seen and not heard,” Drake said flatly, his grin hidden behind his mask.

“I will hurt you… There is very intense pain in your future, ape,” she hissed.

“Why do I hear music?” Claire asked.

“It’s just your imagination. Now, Amir, would you please lead me to the tent? I think it’ll be good if you guys weigh in on everything, also.”

“Are we going somewhere?” a voice sounded from behind Drake.

“Ah! What the fuck, Tom,” Drake shouted.

“Sorry… You did tell me to speak up, so I did.”

“Right. Well, good. Actually, good you’re here as well, let’s all head off to anno—I mean, see Hudson,” Drake finalized, checking over his shoulder to see if anyone else had snuck up on him.

Are my skills not working or something?! he silently wondered.

“Neither does your brain, so it would not surprise me in the slightest,” Natto answered.

Fine, I deserve that. And I also deserve the food Claire got for you.

“Touch it and I will leak every dark thing you have ever looked up on the internet.”

“Okay, Claire, make sure to hold tightly onto that bowl of food for she who will not be named,” Drake said, cold sweat beading down his face.

“Sure… Are you okay? You are really sweating. I’ve never seen you do that, even with the goblins,” she asked, concerned, as they all began walking in the direction of the mines.

“Yeah, she is completely right, Sir. Are you having backlash from the fight?” Amir added.

“Oh, wow, he’s going slightly pale,” Tom said.

“I-I’m doing fine. I’m just having my fiercest battle in the tutorial yet.” All three of them exchanged looks as Drake speed-walked away.

◆◆◆

“Hudson!” Drake shouted as he pulled back the tent’s entrance flaps.

“What is it, ya lunatic? Can’t ya see the sign outside that says I’m damned busy?” Hudson asked, looking up from his chair.

“Nope, sorry I can’t read. Anyway, how’s the big robot coming? I need to know the specs when you have a moment.”

“Huh? Son, you alright? You look a little paler than usual.”

“Yeah, I’m good. I’ll be better once Claire gets here with the food.”

Just then Claire, Amir, and Tom entered behind Drake. And with an enamored scream, a small pink-haired glutton wrenched herself from Drake’s body and latched onto Claire’s stomach.

“Food!” Natto cheered.

“No… Claire,” Claire said, pointing to herself, then looked up to Drake. “She isn’t going to eat me, right?”

He shook his head. “If I’m being honest, I think she would eat anything if you called it food. Just bring out the barrels, give her a spoon, and let her deal with the rest.”

“But that barrel is like ten times her size, where is she going to fit it all?” Tom asked, looking away under Natto’s glare.

“The same place she puts everything. Into the endless black hole she calls a stomach,” Drake chuckled, earning a glare from her as well.

Drake looked around the tent, not seeing much except for the slowly forming bases of two metal legs, standing in the middle of a silver magic circle.

“Oh, that’s cool. How much longer until it’s finished?” he asked. “I reckon maybe a few more hours. Never made one of these big boys before, and the skill description doesn’t mention a construction time,” Hudson replied, scratching the back of his head.

“Good! That means we can bother—I mean, hang out for a bit. I think it will be a great team-bonding experience. Also, the sentries on the wall, can they detect invisible targets?” Drake asked.

“Yup, but only in a very small area. They’d have to be basically on top of the things, but we were able to get them all over the place, so things are wrapped up tight on the wall.”

“Perfect!” With that, Drake pulled out four chairs and setting them down in front of the magic circle. “Then we can watch the equivalent of paint drying, but with a robot.”

“How much equipment do you have in your inventory, Shot, Sir?” Amir asked, taking both a seat and a bowl of food from his own inventory.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy.” “Sir, I am not. And I have never been a weatherman, or… weatherboy?” Amir said, his face painted in confusion.

“It’s a… You know what, never mind. I have a large quantity of stuff, let’s just leave it at that, alright?”

“Serves you right that he does not get your silly reference! I have been waiting far too long for normal people,” Natto said, still koala-hugging Claire’s side.

“Yeah, yeah, go and eat ten times your own body weight,” Drake said, waving her off and turning his head back to the magic circle. “Now, then, Hudson, what exactly can this big guy do?”

Claire brought out the barrel of food for Natto, joining the rest of them. After Drake thanked her for the bowl she offered him, the four of them turned their attention to the man on the other side of the magic circle.

“Well, if what the system says in the description is correct, thing’s just a walking tank. It’ll have the same fancy-schmancy bells and whistles as the sentry guns up on the wall there. But a hell of a lot more powerful, and won’t be stuck in one place,” Hudson explained.

“And the damage? What are we talking about on that front?”

“That there, we will just have to see,” Hudson said, revealing a toothy grin.

Chapter 89

There Are Theodore Clones in Your Future

The wait for Hudson’s big giant, or semi-large robot, did not go as smoothly as Drake would have hoped. Soon after entering the tent, the sound of gunfire came from the top of the outpost walls.

Naturally, was quickest to act, and was relieved to find that the sentries had taken care of some Red Caps that had tried to sneak past.

“Well, at least we know they work against the annoying ones. I am a little miffed I didn’t get the kills, though, still need a few for the quest,” he said, slightly disgruntled.

Subjugation Quest: 23 of 50 Red Cap Goblin Assassins [F-Rank].

Reward: Experience, communication crystal [F-Rank, Common].

Drake went from checking the quest to surveying the horizon, expecting to see another company of goblins at their doors. Instead he was greeted by a soft breeze and the warm, mid-day sun.

“Huh…” he mused, extending his Aura for good measure and scrutinizing the area closer.

Am I disappointed? he thought finally, his lips pursing.

“Possibly a disappointment as well!” Natto giggled.

I’ll have to come back to that… he decided as a trio of individuals left the outpost’s gate.

A few leaps later he joined them, addressing two of the three first.

“Are you both set? Have the supplies you might need, potions, weapons, armor, skill stones?” Drake asked.

“You sound like a mother sending her children to college,” Natto laughed.

Maybe I am. Doesn’t hurt to be prepared when the chicks leave the nest to go find an evil, manipulative son of a bitch.

“Yes, this one and Miss Chelsea hast a set of five potions each. Thanks to my Liege’s battle earlier,” Theodore said.

“And I gave them each an extra from my set,” Harley added.

Chelsea looked a bit apprehensive as she twiddled with the string of the bow earned from another quest reward. Its dark wood looked similar to Drake’s own staff, so it may very well have been of rare quality.

“What’s up with you? Normally we can’t keep you quiet,” he jabbed.

At first scowling, she then mellowed into a hard-to-decipher expression, sighing.

“Are you constipated?” Drake asked, not sure what to make of her scrunched-up face.

“No! You asshole! I’m just not sure how I can thank you after how I acted… It wasn’t right to judge you like that when you came to save us. And I was… I just couldn’t help seeing Chris and what he did to us in you.”

“Yeah, well, I am kind of an asshole sometimes, so it’s fair play. And leave out all the weird thank you stuff. Makes me all itchy,” Drake said, scratching his back awkwardly. “Besides, teammates don’t thank each other. It’s expected to help out, that’s how a party works.” With a nudge to his mask, he revealed a smile.

Chelsea paused for a moment, absorbing his words. Then she broke out into a chuckle.

“Please put your mask back on, that smile is too goofy!” she laughed, holding her sides.

Drake’s hardened as he struggled to hide his disbelief.

“She certainly has you with that!” Natto chuckled, laughing as well.

Here I was trying to be cool and nice!

Chelsea forced herself to breathe deeply, her laugh eventually petering out.

“Okay! I’m just going to say it! Thank you for letting me do this!” she shouted, then turned to Harley and Theodore. “And thank you both for helping me with my selfish request!”

Before they could respond, Drake interrupted with a wave.

“What did I say about the mushy shit! Get out! Get out, get out, get out, will you! Susmaryosep! Go find your friend and come straight back,” he said, staring seriously at Chelsea. “And I mean it. I’ve already put Theo in enough danger lately, and if you two aren’t back by tomorrow morning, I’ll burn down this whole forest.”

He sent a firm nod Theodore’s way.

The man bowed at the waist, his hand over his chest.

“This one will return hitherward, be it through hell or high water. By your will, my Liege,” he turned to Harley, his gaze softening, “and for you, my love. Be safe.”

“You don’t have to worry about a thing, Theo. I think I’m in the safest place I could possibly be in this hellish place,” Harley answered him.

As Drake watched their farewells, something struck him as missing.

“Where’s Jacqueline? I thought she would be saying goodbye?” he asked, looking around.

“She’s still sleeping. The fight last night took a lot out of her, and I couldn’t bring myself to wake her up,” Chelsea said with a sidelong grin. “She might wake up in a few hours, but everything… everything took a lot out of us.”

Drake gazed silently at the tents. Everyone was tired, frightened, and more than likely confused about what was going on. But he was a leader that people needed—at least, he was right now.

“I’ll do my best to keep her safe as well. Don’t you worry. It’s hard to keep her away from me with that crush she has on me.”

“She doesn’t have a—” Chelsea stopped as a realization struck her. “You knew?” she asked, embarrassedly.

“I mean, it’s hard not to. Big strong guy comes in. Then, a woman he hardly knows approaches him with an ‘offer’ in exchange for something he conveniently needs. You would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to not see the manipulation from a mile away. Nice try though, I did find her pretty cute, just not my type,” Drake replied.

Chelsea’s mouth hung open for a moment, then closed slowly before she asked him something she was becoming more and more curious about.

“Then what is your type?”

“Not you, or her,” Drake said flatly. “Now go on. Your friend is waiting. Stay safe and stay hidden, I don’t exactly want to piss off Smokey the Bear in the middle of a goblin invasion, but I will if I have to.”

Theodore interrupted, pulling Chelsea away before she could grumble loud enough for Drake to hear and drag on the banter. The Dark Mage cast his concealment, covering Chelsea as well with the help of his new gloves.

Drake winched open the gate.When he didn’t see Theodore unstealth, he shut it again, assuming they had gotten out. The butler’s enhanced skill continued to impress him.

Damn, maybe I should steal those gloves from Theo… Drake thought.

“You do not even have an invisibility skill!” Natto yelled.

Not ‘yet,’ Drake corrected.

The construct rolled her eyes.

“Just bring me back to the bumpkin’s tent. I still have food to conquer!” she said, mentally pushing him.

Yes, yes, right away, your highness…

Drake turned to Harley. She stayed still, watching the gate with her hands pressed against her chest.

“They’ll be alright. Theodore might not be able to beat people up as well as I can, but he can sure hide pretty damn well,” Drake said, doing his best to console her.

She snapped back from whatever thoughts she had gotten lost in at Drake’s words, slowly nodding.

“I know… I just wish this could have never happened at all… Why did this all happen? We were supposed to be planning for a child this year…” she said, softly.

Whoa, big bomb there… Drake thought, his eyes widening.

“It would be entertaining to see many small Theodores trouncing about. I am all for them producing offspring,” Natto laughed, obviously smiling.

Drake considered the information she had just casually dropped, and said the only thing that came to mind.

“Well, it can still happen. Once the tutorial ends, who knows how the world might unfold? All I do know is that I’ll be here to do my utmost to ensure you and he have that opportunity. I will stake my life on it,” Drake said firmly.

Harley looked up to Drake, tears beading at the corners of her eyes.

“I—I don’t know what to say Mr. Shot…” she murmured.

Drake scratched at his cheek, then snapped his mask back over his mouth, hiding his brightening cheeks.

“You don’t have to say anything. I already told you all. Friends don’t have to say thank you. And family most definitely does not.”

Drake left for Hudson’s tent, glancing over his shoulder only to give one last line.

“You can join us in watching paint dry, but I think it might be better if you rest some more. I can handle the wall. I have a special surprise for the next group that decides to make the worst decision of their lives,” he mused, pulling his new staff from his inventory and twirling it between his hands, getting a feel for it. “It’s going to be explosive!”

Harley looked blankly at Drake, amazed at how he could go from saying something so meaningful to something so unbelievable.

“Her face says you are most certainly a moron,” Natto giggled.

Yeah, well, good thing I can’t see what her face is saying then, huh?

Drake returned the staff to his inventory. Halfway back to Hudson’s tent, he heard a notification get past his mute function.

You have reached Purity of Soul Proficiency 2 (0%).

Nice! I love passive skills.

Arriving at Hudson’s tent with Harley hot on his heels, Drake gestured for Harley to enter first, since she had decided to accompany him rather than rest by herself.

“Although I’d hate to do this right now, you and the rest of them hole up here until the robot is done. Then you can come get me, alright?”

“What are you going to be doing then, Mr. Shot?” Harley asked, curiously.

“I have some rats that need dealing with,” he said, his eyes hardening.

Without waiting for Harley’s reply, Drake activated his Lightning Endowment.

Through his Aura, Drake had noticed something very unpleasant. But he couldn’t say he hadn’t expected it, with so many people in such chaos.

After all, chaos breeds opportunity.

With just a few steps Drake maneuvered to a tent near the edge of the encampment.

Spreading his Aura inside, he could ‘feel’ three figures and one more outside, currently shitting himself as Drake stop in front of him.

“I do—” the man tried to say.

“Don’t care,” the tyrant said. An earthen spike went through the man’s leg, pinning him to the ground as he screamed in pain.

After dealing with the man, he entered the tent, pulling the flap back to reveal what he already knew was happening.

A woman in tears, and two men. One was holding her down, as the other fiddled with his pants.

All three saw Drake and froze, each with a different emotion on their face.

Abject fear consumed the men. They fell to the floor, scrambling backwards.

At first the woman looked relieved. Then colors swirled in Drake’s eyes and her expression froze to fright, his presence becoming more palpable by the second, the air growing cold.

“Y-Y-You said we could leave, i-if we broke the rules!” one of the men shouted.

“I might have. I probably did. But it looks like I’ll have to change the rules to get rid of some bad apples. Men are meant to protect those who cannot defend themselves in situations of uncertainty and chaos. Not take advantage of the defenseless, whom they were supposed to help. Neither one of you,” his Aura flexed, “deserve the air you breathe.” Drake's Aura bore down on them. He approached with slow, measured steps as they struggled, their breaths becoming ragged gasps for air under the pressure.

“Marked,” Drake growled out.

Snapping, a thin blade of water sprung out from the end of Drake’s finger. And in one swift motion, he pierced the first man’s heart.

You have killed participant Raymond Lurch Level 9.

Experience earned. 12,253 TP have been awarded

“Marked.”

The blade of water stabbed into the second man’s heart.

The clear blue blade once pristine, was now tinged a hateful red as the spell canceled out. The red war splashed onto the man’s lap.

Turning to the woman, Drake asked, “Are you alright? I hope I wasn’t too late…”

She unsteadily shook her head, eking out the words, “Tha—Thank you.”

His only response was a nod. He placed the two men’s bodies into his inventory. Two flashes of colorful light from his peripheral, causing him to pause in leaving.

Drake’s eyes widened.

Natto… Does that really mean… he asked, long-buried implications that he hadn’t wanted to consider re-emerging.

“Yes. People within the tutorial drop skill stones as well,” she answered.

Drake clenched his jaw, nearly unable to hold back a scream.

Fuck this place! Fuck this tutorial!

Chapter 90

Those with Nothing to Lose

“It is the reality,” Natto said softly, uncertain how to address Drake’s displeasure.

You’re going to tell me that humans really can also drop skill stones? Where do they come from, the sponsors as well?! Drake asked, furious.

“They are selected randomly as a dropped item from the slain. That is as far as my knowledge goes, I am afraid,” Natto answered.

Drake struggled to calm himself, turning his gaze from where the two men he killed had fallen in the corner of the tent.

“Drake, the stones,” Natto reminded him.

He grimaced under his mask, not wanting to touch the stones himself. But he forced himself to collect them. He could not justify wasting any resources.

He was almost relieved to find that neither were anything approaching rare, both being common Warrior Skill Stones. And with that, he attempted to crush them in his hand, but was unable.

Cursing, he placed them into his inventory. The skill stones were lost in the piles he already carried.

That left only the woman still shaking on the bed. Drake wasn’t certain what to do, but he started with a few basic things.

From what he could see, they had not gotten far. She was still clothed, although a bead of red liquid trickled from the middle of her lip.

“Are you alright?” Drake asked, then amended his statement. “What am I talking about? Obviously you’re not… Are you hurt?”

“I’m f-fine. They pushed me into the tent, but you came j-just…” the woman tried to explain, but broke down in tears.

Drake winced. Not out of sympathy, as his emotions were still somewhat dulled, but from the sheer wrongness of what had been done to her.

Once again, he was forced to see the reality of what real assault was, and just how deranged Stewart was to falsely accuse him of such.

Clenching his fists, Drake walked to the front of the tent. Outside, the sound of the screaming man grew louder.

Drake left the woman with a terse word.

“I will be outside. Take all the time you need to calm down and gather yourself. No one will come in unless they get through me.”

She rubbed her eyes and nodded, still struggling to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Drake exited the tent. Just outside was the man he had stabbed in the leg, still pinned to the ground. Around him, a circle of people all looked on in horror and confusion.

Drake loomed over the man. He was gripping at the earthen spike desperately.

Walking up to him, Drake crouched down to eye level, ignoring the gathered crowd. If anything, he wanted everyone to hear what had happened, and what would happen to this man.

“Why were you guarding the door for those men?” he asked evenly, being careful not to mention the act in particular.

“Th-They forced me!” the man spat, wincing in pain.

Drake grabbed the man by the face, forcing him to meet his eyes. Between that and Drake’s Aura bearing down on him in such close proximity, it was a reckoning.

“I didn’t ask what they did to you. I asked, why were you doing it for them?” The man’s paling face stiffened. He finally understood what Drake was alluding to.

“T-They…” he started, but Drake flexed his fingers. The man’s skull creaked in his grip, “W-We just didn’t see a point in holding back anymore! You may be strong, but we aren’t! It’s only a matter of time before we die just like the rest to some monster…” The man stared into the tyrant’s eyes. “Or another…”

Drake cursed, releasing the man.

“For your crime of being an accomplice in what just happened, you will be jailed for the remainder of the tutorial. Repent on what you allowed to happen to that poor woman until either a monster takes you,” Drake flooded his tattoo ring with mana. It flared to life in a blaze of ethereal blue flames, “or someone like me but worse finds you.”

Drake wrenched the earthen spike from the man’s leg as he screamed in pain. He poured a health potion on the man’s open wound to the man’s surprise, but then grabbed him by the throat and dragged him through the camp for all to see.

Once he reached the mines right next to Hudson’s tent, those inside emerged with confused looks, all seeing the large entourage that Drake had brought.

Opening up his inventory, Drake pulled out a familiar-looking wooden cage, which hit the floor with a thump. Swinging the door open, he roughly tossed the man inside. The lock clinked metallically as Drake locked it.

“What is this all about?” Claire asked, looking on in disgust.

Amir, Tom, Harley, and Hudson also seemed perturbed by the display, uncertain what to make of it.

“He broke the rules, but not enough to die for it," Drake said loudly. He drew a wooden tent stake from his inventory, breaking it down into a smaller piece.

A single flame sparked to life on his fingertip, which he used to write something on the piece of wood.

He affixed the makeshift sign to an earthen spike beside the cage.

! Caution !

Self-centered bastard. Do not feed, will bite.

Satisfied with the message enough that he wasn’t upset by the lack of more colorful words, Drake addressed the crowd that had followed him.

“I want to make this abundantly clear! I know you have been through hell and back in the last couple of days. I know you might not think you have a chance in this new world and the changes it comes with. But I want you all to understand something,” he announced, “the world does not care! Not this one or the old one. To give up is to die, is now more literal than ever.

“You each have a decision to make. You can either give up your morals and do the unthinkable, as this man has. Or you can continue to struggle and work hard, finding your place in this changing landscape in whatever capacity that may be! If you claw and crawl through the mud for yourselves, for the people that love you, for the people you may yet meet. I promise you. I will protect you. I will work harder than I ever thought possible to make sure you survive this unfair tutorial to get to those people. You need only put in the effort yourselves and not give up. This world is hard, much harder than our previous one. But I know you can get through it. And with me here, you will do more than survive. You will grow stronger, you will grow together and we will find a way to the end.

“Do not think of everyone here as strangers,” Drake continued, a knot forming in his chest. The ice freezing his emotions melted, yet he remained stoic all the same, “think of them as brothers and sisters in arms. As they have suffered as you have, they know of your struggle. Help each other, and help me help you. If you choose to reject that and harm others while in the occupancy of this camp, I will be fair, but show you no mercy. In a few more days, we will make for Shigure’s camp. They have a better-fortified position, and you will be safe there.”

With a long exhale, Drake finished. He faced Claire and the others, his demeanor softening.

“Claire, I know this might be a lot to ask of you, but would you come see someone with me?” “S-Sure?” Claire answered.

The others still looked on, confused. They didn’t understand the whole situation, but knew enough to hold their tongues.

“Sorry for the commotion, everyone. Hudson, can you keep an eye on this bastard for me?” Drake asked.

Hudson nodded, sizing up the cage.

“What did the sorry sack do?” Hudson asked.

“Something I should have killed him for,” Drake spat, “but he wasn’t in the act so he’s going to remain in that cage, like the animal he is!” he shouted pointedly. “At least for now, until I know or have time to figure out something better… He… he basically gave up on life, which is his choice. But he decided to push that decision onto an innocent person, with two others.”

“Sir, what happened to the other two, then?” Amir asked.

The tyrant said nothing, just patted his hip. His inventory. The group seemed to understand, by the widening of their eyes.

“Jesus, dude…” Tom whispered.

“Some people deserve what’s coming to them, and I just happen to be the one that gave them what was deserved…” Drake said, his eyes firm.

Claire wanted to say something, but hesitated to. No one knew how to respond to hearing he had killed two people.

“Let’s get going. I don’t want to leave the person alone for too long,” Drake said, walking through the crowd as they parted like the Red Sea for him.

Claire pressed her hand to her chest, but soon followed after him with quick steps.

◆◆◆

“You think he really did that?” Tom asked the others, still stunned.

“Reckon he did, we’ve all seen how he puts down those damned goblins,” Hudson said.

“He seemed so hurt to have done it… Theo has hinted that it wasn’t the first time Mr. Shot has killed someone,” Harley added.

“But why would he do it? Sir Shot has been blunt at times, but I have seen him very compassionate, giving food, shelter, even skill stones, and equipment, asking nothing in return. To think he has murdered people, I can only imagine what crime they must have committed,” Amir said.

“Can think of a terrible few that deserve gettin’ put down,” Hudson said, crossing his arms.

“But to do it right in the camp? In front of all those people?” Amir asked.

Harley looked like she wanted to divulge something, but chose against it, instead wrapping her arms around herself as she turned back towards her and Theodore’s tent.

“I think I’m going to go to rest for a bit. I have a feeling it’s only going to get harder from here,” Harley said, walking off.

“I will also go to rest, I think. We were up most of the night,” Amir said, his face growing grim.

Tom looked to Hudson, but he only huffed, turning to go back inside the tent.

“Don’t look at me, boy, you got your own damn mind. Go do what you want,” Hudson said.

“Didn’t Shot ask you to watch this dude?” Tom asked, trying to shift the subject off himself.

“I can watch him from here, don’t cha worry,” Hudson replied. A silver magic circle formed outside the tent as a sentry was constructed in moments, the barrel spinning as it pointed it at the cage.

“That’s cool… Why in the world did I choose to be a tank….” Tom whined. “Now what the hell am I supposed to do?”

Tom watched the dispersing crowd as he mulled over his options. He wasn’t exactly tired, since he had relatively decent stamina. But there wasn’t much to do in the camp, outside of meandering about.

Then an idea popped into Tom’s head. He rushed to the side of the camp, a grin on his face.

Chapter 91

Mending

Drake and Claire walked in silence as he considered how to further enforce the new camp rules.

He couldn’t constantly be on guard for both goblins and rulebreakers. He needed to delegate. Could Hudson's robots possibly help...?

Claire broke the silence. “Shot?” “Hmm?” He faced her.

“What exactly happened? With that man and the other… two?”

Drake mulled over how much to tell her, as he didn’t want to openly discuss someone else’s trauma if they hadn’t consented to it. So he tried his best to step around it.

“They did something I forbade in the camp, and it was so severe that I couldn’t let them leave. People like that, like them… They would do it again, I’m sure. But could you possibly talk to the girl? I don’t think I would be the best person to help her,” he said gingerly, coming to a stop in front of the tent in question.

Claire’s eyes thinned as she processed Drake’s words. They fell upon the blood stain on the ground next to the tent.

Drake entered the tent, leaving the flap open behind him. “I’m back, I brought a friend who might be a better conversation partner.”

The woman had not moved from the bed. She looked up. Though her eyes were slightly puffy and red, she looked to have ceased crying.

“W-Who?” the woman asked.

“This is my friend, Claire. She’s very sweet when she wants to be, but also very mean when she needs to be,” Drake said, earning him a glare. His voice dropped to a whisper as he told Claire, “She was assaulted by those men. If you are comfortable with it, I just want you to help her however you can.”

Claire’s eyes widened. She looked thoughtfully from the woman to Drake, eventually nodding.

She took a seat at the end of the bed hesitantly. Drake just observed from the entrance of the tent.

“No snappy comment this time?” Natto asked.

Even I have some tact when it’s needed. I don’t think it needs to be said I’m out of my depth when dealing with something like this, he thought.

Neither woman had a said a word yet. Claire continued sitting patiently at the end of the bed.

“Yes, well, it does not look like the girl is able to swim in the deep end, either.”

Just give her some time. This is as much therapy for her as it is for the other woman.

Without warning, the woman on the other side of the bed broke down in tears again, her head in her hands. Claire moved a little closer, her own eyes watering, hesitantly moving to touch the woman’s back.

There it is. Alright, time for us to go, Drake thought, exiting the tent.

“What just happened?”

Women’s special ability to observe and understand. That’s what. My mom used to know somehow all the time when I did something wrong, or school didn’t go well. Didn’t matter how well I tried to hide it. It was almost like a second superpower.

“What was the first then?”

Her ability to use everyday objects as a way to punish you… Drake chuckled, rubbing his butt from remembering the random beatings he used to get. Never underestimate an angry Pinay mother surrounded by anything she can get her hands on…

Drake shook his head, scanning the surroundings with his Aura and eyes.

It’s beside the point, though. My point is mothers, sisters, even my exes, women in general seem to be way more in touch with their emotions and can somehow empathize with others better than I certainly can. Especially now when my mind is all funky, Drake thought.

“That is rather observant yourself, is it not?” Natto asked, slight awe in her voice.

Knowing what you are good at and what you have no shot in the dark at doing is a good skill to have. And I was way off from that back in there. Claire, on the other hand, has unfortunately been through something similar, and I don’t think she ever had a chance to talk it out or grieve about the experience. I was hoping she would open up to me with at least her brother, but she just wasn’t ready. This… This was a good chance for her to vent while helping someone else.

“You truly are just a big softy. Or, possibly, you have feelings for Claire?”

Drake scoffed, instead walking towards Hudson’s tent once more, satisfied that their surroundings were calm for now.

Don’t get me wrong, she is actually surprisingly beautiful. But, I’m not looking for anything right now. I need to focus on the task at hand. Maybe after the tutorial, if we miraculously meet up again I would consider giving dating a try again, but that is a big maybe.

“Who are you, and what have you done with the weeby immature ape I know as Drake? You actually sounded like an adult for once,” Natto snickered.

I am an adult… Drake chuckled, but—

“Only when it suits you?”

Spot on. Or when the situation calls for it.

Drake had carefully surveyed the camp on his way to Hudson. Eyes followed him here and there, unsurprising, as he had just dragged a man through the camp. He was honestly astonished that he didn’t mind itHow to deal with it weighed more on his mind.

I need to find someone to handle this camp, or get to Shigure’s faster. The speech earlier might have been how I really feel, but swaying the hearts of a mass of scared and disgruntled people is another, he thought.

“You could always just threaten them into submission.”

What is wrong with you? You can’t just go around threatening people.

“Certainly you can. I threaten you and your party members on a regular basis now,” she cheered.

That is not helping.

Guarding the cage beside the tent now squatted a metal menace. It turned back and forth with its four-barrel muzzle, spinning every few seconds.

“Now that is a real babysitter,” Drake thought, then looked at the cage. “I mean bastard sitter.”

Natto made a gagging sound in his head, sounding far more unpleasant than Drake cared to comment.

“That joke hurt me,” she said.

“Maybe it was intended to get you to gag. You did eat a whole barrel of stew,” Drake mused.

“Are you trying to say something intelligent or funny? Because I believe you are, but it is certainly failing.”

Drake rolled his eyes and pushed past the flaps of Hudson’s tent.

“Honey, I’m home!” he declared, his arms spread wide.

“Shut up, you git. Don’t you knock?” Hudson snapped.

Drake laughed. “That’s not very nice to say to your fearless leader. How is the robot coming? And where is everyone else?”

“Amir and Harley both went to rest, they said, the other idjit I got no idea,” Hudson answered, crossing his arms.

Did he just say idjit? Drake thought.

“He certainly did,” Natto confirmed.

I knew I liked him. Maybe we can convince him to change his last name to Singer.

“I see you have a deadly metal bastard sitter outside, nice touch. Hope the bigger ones are better, need someone to help controlling this place until we get to Shigure’s,” he spoke aloud.

“It does seem a bit rowdy lately, specially after you pulled that sad sack through the place. Big guy here is gonna take a bit longer than expected. And I’ll have to get more materials from the mines for the next one,” Hudson answered.

Drake put his hand to his chin. “I think I’ll go walk around, maybe showing I’m an actual person and not just a big scary murderer might help. Also I haven’t seen Sherry in a minute, any ideas?”

Hudson only silently shrugged his shoulders, closing both his eyes.

“Very helpful…” Natto sighed.

He can’t help being emotionally exhausted. It’s in his nature, remember? Drake chuckled. He must be tired as well. I don’t know what kind of stats he has, but I’ve been running him pretty ragged since yesterday.

Drake exited the tent, taking in the surroundings. High above, the sun had just passed its apex.

Not wanting to lax about this late in the day and thinking about the conspicuous absence of goblins, he began snapping his fingers, practicing spells as they circled around him.

Drake sauntered through the camp int he direction of the dinner tents, hoping to find a certain someone.

“Ah, there she is. Where in the world does she fit it all… Is she taking lessons from you, Natto?” he said under his breath.

Natto scoffed in his head, not dignifying the question with a real response.

“Touchy today, are we…” he laughed.

Passing the people still picking at the leftovers of last night’s dinner, he stopped in front of a short woman with glasses like a certain wizard’s, her face halfway in a bowl of stew.

“Sherry. You aren’t going to rest? Aren’t you tired?” Drake asked.

“I—hum ghod,” she responded through a full mouth.

She’s a life-size you… Drake cringed.

“She is nothing like me! I eat with dignity and grace, she is but a sleepy-eyed barbarian.”

Drake bit back a laugh, as she was a pot calling the kettle black.

“Are you sure? We don’t know when the goblins might be back,” Drake asked again, concerned for the girl.

Sherry waved her spoon. “It’s alright, dude. I’m used to long nights, I used to work at a company that did graveyards. A little bit of noise and sitting around eating food is a godsend compared to those days.” She grinned widely, revealing a bit of food stuck in her teeth. “You should make more of this stuff, it’s really good!” she added.

“I can do much better. If only—” Drake was interrupted as a crazy-eyed Sherry grabbed him by the arms. She leaned in close, her breath smelling of spices and meat.

“Only what?! What do you need? Just tell me who to hurt!”

“Whoa! Whoa! I don’t think I can get it in the tutorial, anyway. I need tamarind and some other things to make a proper stew. Or… Yeah, I’d kill for some soy sauce or some rice… I miss my rice cooker…” Drake said, suddenly downhearted.

Sherry crumpled to her knees, her eyes watering as she nearly began to silently sob.

“My only reason for being! And y-you tell me I can’t have it! Wahh!” she howled.

“Hey! Stop that! People are going to think I did something,” Drake said, shifting uncomfortably as he crossed his arms.

“I understand her pain. You did hurt her. More than you know,” Natto said sympathetically.

What are you, kindred spirits now? Jesus…

“Look, if you can somehow find me after the tutorial, I promise to make you some, and anything else I can cook up, alright? So stop crying already,” he said.

Sherry perked up, suddenly no worse for wear.

“Sounds good dude!” she said cheerily, returning to her seat by the cauldron of food.

“Well, she recovers fast…” Drake scoffed. “Hey Sherry, do you know if Jacqueline is up, or where Tom is?”

Sherry shook her head at the first question, already chewing another mouthful, then pointed in another direction with a spoon.

“Thanks…” Drake said, sighing.

Looking there, Drake saw Tom through a gap in the line of tents. The man was trying to make something on the ground that looked like…

“Oh? What is he doing…” Drake mused.

Chapter 92

Are You Not Entertained?!

Drake cut through the line of tents, entering within earshot of Tom. But instead of immediately calling out to him, he just observed for the moment, interested in what the man was doing.

“I really wish I had some tools to work with… Having to snap stuff doesn’t exactly make things break and measure the way it’s supposed to… Ahhh! How am I supposed to bend the metal? I don’t suppose there are magic metal benders now?” Tom mumbled, fiddling with broken pieces of wood and metal.

Drake moved silently behind the man, peering over his shoulder as he tried to work.

Oh… He’s trying to make a hoop? That is a cool idea… Drake thought.

“Like a basketball hoop? The things where one team of buffoons tries to put more balls into a hoop than the other buffoons?” Natto said, snidely.

I don’t think the NBA would appreciate you describing their game like that, Drake chuckled wryly.

“Hey, Tom! Whatcha doin’?!” he yelled in the man’s ear.

“AH! What the fu—Oh… Hey there, Mr. Shot… All done with your mur—thing?” Tom said wearily, chuckling softly.

“Why, yes. I was…” Drake said, pulling off his mask.

Drake didn’t like killing people, no matter what people thought or this reality decreed, but he knew full well what was required to live in it. And to make others safe, he was willing to shoulder the gruesome burden of being judge and jury for some.

And if someone wanted to say he was wrong for what he had done. Let them.

Shaking his head slightly, he refocused on Tom and what he was building.

“So what’s this all about?” he asked, pointing at the rather abysmal-looking basketball hoop.

“Oh, um… I was just thinking that there’s not much to do here, so I wanted to make, I don’t know… a hoop or something?” Tom replied, an embarrassed grin on his face.

“That’s… actually an amazing idea, Tom. I’m actually really surprised and proud that you came up with something like that. That is exactly what these people need!” Drake said, growing more excited by the idea.

“I-It is?”

“Yes! They need a way to vent! Why didn’t I think of that? They have no way to safely go out and fight to get stronger, because of the sheer number of monsters out right now. And I couldn’t possibly fit all of them in one party. That would be like shooting myself in the foot to spite my face. But then they’re left with no outlet for their frustration. Here, I want to help.”

Walking further past Tom, Drake snapped his fingers. A large, expansive, flat slab of dirt rose up. Drake cut off the spell. The slab crashed back to the ground, forming a flat terrain perfect for a sports field.

Then he walked onto the slab, jumping up and down and testing its durability.

“Yep, this will work for relatively normal people.” He grinned, turning around and snapping his fingers again. A backboard and hoop made from earthen spikes shot from the ground.

On the other end of the makeshift court, Drake repeated the process.

“And… Tadaaa!” he said, spreading his arms out.

Tom stared with his mouth open, his piece of wood and metal rod in hand. He looked at both pieces, frowning, and threw them to the floor.

“The fuck was I wasting my time for? Stupid Magic…” he mumbled.

“Don’t be like that, Tom,” Drake said, thumbing to a small sign he had made out of earth.

Tom’s Initiative — Community Court.

“It was your idea after all, I was just able to make it faster,” Drake said, giving him a thumbs up.

“Who thumbs up anyone anymore, what are you, sixty?” Natto snickered.

You are very cranky today for someone who ate so much. Shouldn’t you be taking, like an itis nap or something?

“It was not that much!”

It was a barrel of food. A barrel! Like Donkey Kong Barrel but filled with stew. It was a lot.

“Is it really okay that people think this was me?” Tom asked, hesitantly stepping onto the court.

“It was you, man. Be proud. Now all we need is to figure out how to make a basketball… What do we need, leather and rubber? We have plenty of leather from the boars, but it isn’t cured, and I have zero idea how to do that. I think I remember an anime where they said it needed urine?” Drake huffed some air, shaking his head. He did not want to think about having to do that.

After dispelling those unpleasant images, he remembered he had a plethora of leather from armor they could also use. Taking some from his inventory, they plopped onto the court.

“Now, do we know anyone that can stitch it together? And what are we going to substitute rubber for?” Drake wondered aloud.

Tom spoke up, surprisingly.

“You can use the boar’s bladder for it… That’s what old balls used to use, then wrap the leather around them.”

Drake cocked an eyebrow.

“How do you know that?”

“I like sports, and I have the internet,” Tom said as if it was the most natural thing.

“I do like me some good internet searches,” Drake agreed, then sighed, remembering there was no internet anymore.

He turned to the rest of the largely open space of the outpost, a sparkle in his eye.

“Okay, Tom, what do you think of making some more fun things?”

“I, uh…” Tom tried to reply, but before he could Drake had shot off, creating things left and right in one space, then the next, filling the outpost up quickly.

A dirt soccer field accommodated with goals and even markings for the field. A football field, roughly measured out by him walking foot to foot, with two goalposts at a height he thought was good enough. Even a baseball field ended up getting built, including cages for warming up batters and pitchers on the side. The back fence for the batter’s box covered it fully with hardened earth.

Drake even tried to make a very unadvised pool, but then quickly sank the pool idea as it became muddied and gross each time, even when he lined it with hardened magma to try to stop it from leaking.

“So, no skinny dipping, but the rest is good, right?” he said, glancing at Tom.

“Uh… I guess?”

He gave Tom’s back a slap. “Come on, man, be more enthused! This is your idea! And it’s great! Now, I’ll leave finding someone who can make some balls for the fields to you, alright? And if you need to make anything, come get me and I’ll figure it out.”

Tom nodded, more out of falling into Drake’s pace rather than actually agreeing, but didn’t want to speak up. Afraid that responding might entice the man to say mor about how this was his idea.

“Good! Then what shall we do next… I think dinner might be on the menu again, soon… But what to make?” Drake pondered.

“Dinner?!” Natto perked up.

Drake was about to respond sarcastically, but just as the sun began to set, a horn sounded.

“And here I thought we were going to get a really nice off day for once,” he said, a grin pulling the side of his lips.

He snapped his fingers and switched to his Water Endowment, wanting to refill his stock of mana.

Looking over again to Tom, Drake gave a smile, snapping his mask back into place. Crouching to bend at the knees, he chanted.

“My soldiers, Rage. My soldiers, Scream. My soldiers, Fight!” A pulse of aura emanated from Drake, but not the same as his Tyrannical Aura.

This one emboldened him, strengthening all as it pushed out like a wave through the air, catching Tom. A white sheen cascaded over him. The look of surprise on his face that quickly brightened to a smile.

“Kogarasumaru!” Drake howled.

“Kill ‘em!” Natto howled back. “Wait, no! Not again!”

Not waiting, Drake shot from his position with speed to the walls. As expected, he was the first one to arrive.

Gazing out into the twilight, Drake unfurled his aura. He could not find any goblins hiding around the wall beneath him. Even surveying the horizon, he had not spotted a single goblin exiting the forest.

No catapults, no monsters, nothing.

What are they doing blowing a horn but not fighting? Drake thought.

“Perhaps they are changing tactics once again. There must still be a few Generals alive, or there would have been an announcement updating the quest.”

“I really wish you told me that. I feel like that’s important information to know, Natto,” Drake said, shaking his head.

“You didn’t ask. And you would have found out eventually.”

He stayed vigilant as he continued surveying the surroundings, pacing back and forth on the rampart.

Alone and in pairs, the rest of the party joined him on the wall, the last being Jacqueline.

She slumped up the stairs, her hair a mess and her eyes half-open as she lazily gripped her cudgel.

“What are you cunts doing, waking a lady up this bloody early…” she spat.

“It’s almost nightfall, Jacky…” Harley said, wryly.

“Don’t change no-ting!” she growled back. With her fingers, she combed through her hair, trying to iron it out. “What I would do for a straightener and a comb! Fucking, ahhh! Why can’t they just leave us alone!”

“It’s good that they’re here, we need to kill them all anyway,” Claire interjected.

“You’re a real bloodthirsty one, aren’t ya, kid?” Hudson said from the corner.

“Problem?”

“Ain’t got a single problem with it, pup,” Hudson replied, shifting his gaze to the horizon.

“Hudson, is the big guy done yet? It’s been all day,” Drake asked.

Hudson hesitated a bit before answering.

“Not yet, it’s taking a lot longer than I coulda thought. Don’t even want to try and predict how long. Just hope the blasted thing is worth the trouble, at this point.”

Drake nodded, a little disappointed, but it wasn’t the biggest priority if the goblins were already here.

“Sir? Where are the goblins? They normally would be running for the gates after a horn sounded,” Amir asked, shifting on his feet.

“I’m not sure, either. You all have seen how the monsters’ tactics change from time to time, right?”

All of them shook their heads. Sherry just plopped down in the earthen box with a bowl of food, taking another bite.

“What?” Drake asked incredulously.

“What do you mean, what? It isn’t a ting,” Jacqueline asked back.

“They most likely have not had to fight the large quantities you have. Nor have they had to fight the stronger monsters who would command them,” Natto said, stepping into the conversion.

Drake pursed his lips.

That is unfortunate. That means this is the first time they’ll experience this kind of thing, then, and right after a big fight, he thought.

“Alright, when facing larger groups commanded by higher monsters—I guess you can think of them as like boss monsters from games —they can quickly change tactics, and not just small things like adding more monsters or changing their weapons, but entire formations and how they engage in combat. So, be more alert than usual until we know what we’re dealing with,” Drake explained.

Each member nodded and dispersed into smaller groups across the wall.

Harley, Claire, and Sherry stayed in one of the guard towers. Drake, wanting Harley close if anything happened, lingered nearby. At least near enough for him to move instantly without hindrance.

Amir and Hudson stood next to a cluster of sentries at another spot.

And finally, Tom and Jacqueline occupied the other guard tower.

Now they waited, eyes trained on the forest watching for the goblins, but they never came.

The sun had well and truly fallen, and visibility was down by now.

“Mr. Shot, where are they?” Harley asked, concerned. Her arms absentmindedly ran along her bow.

“I’m no—” Drake was about to say when a sentry fired, and a scream sounded.

His gaze snapped in the direction of the bullets and spotted not a goblin, but a person.

And they weren’t alone. A long line of people edged out of the forest.

All were bound to panels of wood.

Hudson’s sentry had fired at a goblin lurking behind on panel. These people were being used as shields.

Drake turned to the gruff man. Hudson’s face paled in realization as he quickly shut down all of his sentries.

His head whipped back to the line of people inching out of the forest, his eyes trained on a goblin that stood taller than the others. It was garbed in an odd patchwork of robes and leather, an eye-patch over its right eye and a smile displaying its crooked yellow teeth.

Drake ground his teeth, feeling his molars creak under the pressure.

You fucking sick piece of shit! he screamed internally. His face furrowed into a fierce scowl.

Chapter 93

Flash Step, Asura!

Satar’ Fuv Jeric Level 24 [F-Rank]

Drake clenched his fists. There came a sound of creaking earth as his knuckles cracked.

“TThey’re using human shields?” Harley muttered in disbelief.

Claire leaned forwards over the wooden rail, her pupils pinpricks as she bared her teeth. Her fingers wrenched the wood below them.

Drake met eyes with the goblin, its disgusting, yellowed teeth grinning from green pointed ear to pointed ear. It trudged forwards ahead of the line of human shields, holding Drake’s glare.

The goblin unsheathed first one, then two medieval-looking short swords, placing it on the neck of the struggling human on the block of wood.

Drake’s Aura flared, but he was unable to move for fear of retaliation against the rest of the human shields.

The goblin noticed his hesitation and threw its head back in a cackle. Gently it pulled the sword across the person’s neck, a river of red pouring out as they struggled more, until they fell limp, covered in their own blood.

“That bastard! Aren’t you going to do something?!” Claire shouted, turning her head to Drake.

“If I do anything, I could make a mistake and kill any one of those people on those shields,” he said through gritted teeth.

“If you do nothing, then they will all die! Are you just going to abandon all of them?” she pleaded. “Don’t let them be used by those sick bastards like this! Save them like you saved me!”

Drake's body heated up. Something he hadn’t felt since he’d been fired flooded through his veins, a feeling he could only vaguely remember, although it had been so present in his mind only a few days ago when Stewart had told him the truth.

Hatred.

The monster moved to another woman. Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked at the blade slowly encroaching on her throat. They became rivers as she vehemently struggled to get away, screaming and kicking the board below her.

Natto… he thought, pure determination shining through despite the reluctance.

“Drake, I am against it. We don’t know what it will do to your psyche!” she warned.

The goblin took its time slicing the woman’s throat, licking the blade with a snicker. Raising one arm and shouting, the line of goblins advanced. It roamed behind them a smile on its face as it held Drake’s gaze.

The dam holding back Drake’s emotions began to rattle, began to crack. He could feel it. But the only emotion leaking through was unadulterated, seething hate.

No.

No more. No more watching as people who I can help suffer in front of me as I sit and debate the possible consequences. I will go above and beyond. I’ll go beyond what’s needed, what’s expected, he promised.

Removing two stones from his inventory, he turned to Claire.

“Claire, chant,” he said, tersely.

Her eyes softened, relief painting her face as she nodded. She joined him on the rampart.

“The heavens shine brightly down upon the land,” she started, closing her eyes. Beside her, drake took up a position to ensure no monster attacked while she was casting. The bright magic circle formed around them.

Drake’s gaze fell to the two stones he held.

If I have to break myself, force myself to rebuild from the ground up to do what needs to be done… he thought, gripping the stones.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Lightning [Rare]

Confirm?

Yes < No

You have learned Magic Exposure [F-Rank].

The potent pulse of power washed over him. His body was rippling in it as he forced the process to stay stable within him. His gaze rose, fixating on the goblin lurking behind the line of human shields.

You wish to consume Skill Stone: Oppression [Rare]

Confirm]

Yes < No

You have learned Tyrant’s Indomitability [F-Rank].

The power of the stone wormed its way through Drake’s body. The heat merged with the heat of his emotions, the dam unable to withstand the tide as he imagined how he would kill, how he would make the monster suffer with his bare hands.

Then it will be done! Drake shouted internally. The dam inside of him shattered, the rapids flooding with his backed-up hatred coming full to bear.

His eyes flashed yellow, and he mouthed the word, “Marked.”

Claire continued to cast next to him, as Drake activated his own defensive spells.

“But the world will not be protected from the rumbling of my heart!” Claire shouted, the deep timber of thunder sounding.

Guardian’s Reprieve. Unbreakable. Bulwark. Drake’s body flashed in three successive viridescent lights.

“I call down the rain, I call down the thunder! Be blessed in your fury, my people!”

Drake did not snap his hand this time, but instead clapped them. His earthen arm disintegrated as a light yellow magic circle formed. A javelin of lightning protruded from it.

“I’m going to save them all. Even if my body breaks. First is you, then, I will kill that sack of shit king of yours!” he proclaimed, clutching the javelin.

“We are the wind of change! We are the storm that crashes upon the world! Storm Caller’s Rising!” Claire howled. A bolt of lightning crashed into her as she fell to one knee, drained and exhausted by the spell.

Beneficial magic has been applied by a party member.

Storm Caller’s Rising is applied for 30 seconds.

Drake chanted his spell, dropping all of his free points into his dexterity, bringing it to 250, and over 300 with his accessories.

“Endowment of Lightning, twofold, Flash Step!” he shouted for the first time, pushing his Heretical Mind to change his Endowment skill. His body strained under the buff, empowered twofold. The javelin in his hand shrank as  his status dropped to half, his body creaking from the intense increase of his stats combined with the new spell. A bead of red dripped from the side of his mask, but Drake was not finished.

“Water Trifold, Asura!” he screamed. Three magic circles formed on his shoulders, two to his right and one behind his left.

Three shimmering, light blue arms sprouted from the base of his shoulders. The moment they materialized the fingers sharpened to thin water blades.

The goblin Satar’ looked on unperturbed until it saw Drake’s last spell. Its eyes widened in fear as it scrambled to get to the nearest human shield.

But Drake gave it no time.

From the rampart, he rocketed forwards with such speed he was nigh invisible. He blinked from the wall to Satar’. Seconds after he arrived there came a boom.

“Fear is binding, Cower,” Drake chanted, pressing a hand to the monster’s chest. Dark, inky smoke spilled towards its head.

Satar’s eyes glazed over. It began to tear through the crowd, wildly. The rest of the goblins turned, finally noticing the tyrant in their midst.

“Five seconds is plenty to kill every last one of you… Then, I will deal with him,” Drake said coldly as he flexed his aura, freezing the nearby goblins.

But that was all it took for him to rip through the ranks of their line, bisecting and beheading any monster in his wake. The blocks holding the captives fell to pieces, their bonds cut by Drake’s multiple water arms.

In less than five seconds, every goblin besides Satar’ was removed from the plains.

Satar’ came out of its stupor with a shake of its head. It found itself surrounded by a wasteland instead of its former battalion. Its eyes quaked in fear. Quickly it turned to the forest, ready to run, but there standing in his way was Drake.

“For the first time in my life. I’m going to enjoy watching you suffer as you get what you deserve,” he said.

With a flash of blue his arm moved, severing Satar’s left arm.

Abruptly the monster noticed the absence of its appendage, as it gasped and looked to its left. It drew a ragged breath as it tried to use a movement skill, teleporting to cover within the forest.

But Drake had already marked the monster, and followed to it at the same moment.

“There is no place I cannot reach you,” he intoned, then chanted another spell. “Atrophy of the Mind.” One of Drake’s arms moved again, and the goblin Satar’ lost his right arm. It stared at its stump of a shoulder, flabbergasted.

Drake’s two right arms moved. And Satar’ became half his height as he lost his legs. The the tyrant stabbed the monster in its chest with his three water arms. It struggled, blood leaking from its mouth.

Stormcaller’s Rising has expired.

Finally Drake canceled his Endowment, the ache and pain of the spell going beyond what his body could handle finally catching up to him.

But he ignored it as his arms turned to ice, slowly freezing over, stopping the monster from bleeding out.

Drake sauntered to the center of plains. Satar’ was still struggling, even lacking arms nor legs.

The rescued captives had gathered, quickly spotting the goblin. Scowls painted their expressions.

“All of you, go to the outpost,” Drake said. His expression was emotionless, but his eyes remained fierce.

No one argued with him this time, as his Aura warned them that it was not a suggestion, but an order.

They all booked it to the gates of the outpost, as it slowly opened and welcomed them in. Drake’s party were still on the wall of the rampart.

“Drake, what are you doing? Kill that monster and move on! This is not like you!” Natto shouted.

“No,” he said, hurling the monster as high as he could into the air, its body spinning wildly as it flew upward, “I’m going to send another message, wherever that king is. That this is what’s coming for him.” He scowled, his three arms melting away as his Endowment changed to Ice.

“Operation X. Soft Flame,” Drake whispered. An arm of fire spilled from the magic circle at his should as Drake positioned himself parallel to the ground.

“Hard Flame.” A pulsing flame grew in his left hand, pointed right at the spinning, half-dead corpse of the monster. The glow of the spells cast his hair and tattoo in a hellish reddish tinge.

Drake dumped everything into the spell in his left hand. The flame shimmered to a bright azure, then was bleached to a hot white flame, heat threatening to consume him.

Throwing his hand open and forward, Drake aimed right at the sky behind the monster.

“X! Burnerrr!” The white pillar of fire exploded, engulfing Satar. The spell shone so brightly that the entire area was illuminated in a beautiful, horrifying white hue, like a nuclear explosion had erupted from the ground and funneled into the sky.

You have subjugated Goblin General Satar’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 24.

Experience earned. 350,000 TP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Elemental Miller level 17.

40 FP have been awarded.

Tyrant’s Indomitability P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Your will cannot be undone and will not be denied. Nothing will impede your rule.

Passive: Any and all External and Internal debuffs that are not from personal skills will be reduced by 150% effectiveness. Increases with proficiency.

Reduction will only reduce effects to 0 and will not convert said effects to beneficial ones.

Magic Exposure P1 (0%) [F-Rank]

Lay bare the rules of magic. Strip your enemies of their right to protection through your mastery.

Passive: Spells and skills now strip targets of 150% of their Defensive effectiveness. Increases with proficiency.

Effects will reduce defensive effectiveness of the affected to the negative if there remains a difference reaching 0.

Effects cannot stack on the same target.

Spells now cost 50% more. Reduces with proficiency.

Chapter 94

The Other Side

“So, did I tell you about that time when I was twenty-two and got involved with the Russian Mafia?”

“The only thing you got involved with at twenty-two was that girlfriend of yours in college, who was nothing but a major ball hog!” laughed the other man.

“Relaxed as ever, I see,” Shigure said, walking up behind the two guards on the reconstructed rampart outside the main outpost’s walls.

“Lord Shigure! W-We’re sorry, we didn’t mean to—” the man said, fumbling over his words until Shigure held his hand up.

“It’s quite fine. That just goes to show what a good job Sir Bear is doing, holding off the mountains of monsters that seem to keep finding their way here. Is he still out?” he asked.

Before the man could answer, a loud crash sounded in the forest beyond their vision, a large black cut the only thing visible above the treeline.

“That answers that…” Shigure laughed wearily.

“Yes, Sir Bear has been out there non-stop since the change in the quest. He’s even managed to kill two Generals and many more Lieutenants,” the other man replied, a smile on his face as he looked out into the forest.

“That is very reassuring, but I don’t want him overdoing it. We only have a few more days until the king of these beasts appears. I’ll go fetch him. We have a wall for a reason, and I wish he would realize that…” Shigure sighed, hopping off the wall and onto the ground.

After a few minutes of brisk walking, Shigure came upon a scene of carnage. The ground was split in two, a great chasm in front of a daunting man holding a large claymore in his one hand, goblins strewn across the ground around him.

“Bear… working hard as ever,” he said, taking in the scene. His eyes stopped on a large goblin bisected down the center, a little further down the scar on the ground.

“Oh! Shigure! Good that you finally decided to come out, going to stay for a bit this time? The monsters are only getting stronger, and we need to keep up if we want to protect the camp, bro,” Bjorn said, resting the claymore on his shoulder.

Shigure glowered as he crossed his arms.

“You know very well I can’t do that… If you are out here, that means I have to be in there, in case anything gets past you! That’s why I’m here! You’ve been hogging all the monsters!”

Bjorn smiled knowingly. “Ah, that’s what this is about? So, I take it you have seen the ladder and you’re getting worried, then?”

Shigure fell back on one foot. “What? Of course not! I just don’t wish to fall behind any more than I already have, and with this invasion, it is the perfect time to level up,” he said, fixing his obi.

“Lord Shigure,” a female voice from behind him suddenly said, “you need not worry about someone so below you. Even if he has risen through the levels, that is only because he was so low at the start. Remember, giving birth to a baby is easier than worrying about it.”

Shigure sighed, but the strange saying calmed him slightly.

“I suppose you are right, Uta. I am putting the cart before the horse, as they say. He may have begun catching up, but the levels are not the only difference between us, I’m sure…”

Top Level Leaderboard

Rank 1, Level 26: Bear

Rank 2, Level 23: Shigure Kenzo

Rank 3, Level 20: Joker

Rank 4, Level 20: Chris Springs

Rank 5, Level 18: Super Megan

Rank 6, Level 18: Ladden Hampert

Rank 7, Level 18: Big Willy

Rank 8, Level 18: VitaminD

Rank 9, Level 17: xXxGunLover69xXx

Rank 10, Level 17: Shot

◆◆◆

“Miss Chelsea, this one must advise that we flee hence from this place. Whether thy comrade dwells thitherward ’tis of no import. This place is filled to the gullet with goblins, and…”

Theodore and Chelsea watched from their perch in a tree, both still concealed by Theodore’s magic, but close enough to converse in whispers.

Below them was disfigured, gnarled goblin bound in chains, stood at the front of a barricaded cavern, wrapped in a soft glow.

Gruubrik’ Fuv Jeric [F-Rank] Level 23

Chelsea bit her bottom lip, seeing the named goblin standing in front of the place they had tracked her group to. Her frustration only built as she watched the goblin army circle the cave for a way in, knowing she was too weak to kill them all herself.

“But… they’re waiting,” she murmured.

“What wouldst such foul beasts halt their assault for? Dost they want for the strength to penetrate such a blockade?”

Chelsea shook her head, although Theodore could not see it.

“No, we have—had four healer classes in our group, including Megan and Jacky. One of the other two, Julia, specialized in protection.” She gestured at the pearlescent glow coming off the barricade. “That is one of her reinforcement spells. It’s very powerful, but only lasts so long… I don’t know how long they’ve been at it, but she will without a doubt run out of mana even with potions to help her regeneration. We need to do something, soon.”

Chelsea gripped her bow, the wood creaking ever so slightly under her grip.

“We mustn’t do anything drastic. We are only meant to find the place of their refuge and leave the rest to our Liege. We canst not help them if thou is but a meal for worms, or worse.”

“I—I can’t just sit here and watch, or go back and wait, though! Are you asking me to abandon my friends when they are right there in front of us?” Chelsea said, her voice shaky.

“This one is only asking of thee to take the best course of action. There art hundreds of those beasts thitherward. And one general, of which we knoweth. What lurketh in the shadows, we hast not the faintest. My Liege would not forgive me, Harley would not forgive me, if this one allowed thee to put thyself in danger, knowing it could have been avoided,” Theodore entreated.

Both fell silent for a moment, the only sound the clatter of armor and weapons from the army of goblins below, their armor clanking clamored to finally strike the cave, and the cornered prey within.

“I—” Chelsea’s lip quivered. She gripped her bow tightly once more, using the fine and familiar weapon to calm herself. “Let us hurry. There isn’t a second to lose.”

Both jumped from tree to tree, causing only the slightest of shakes to the branches as they left behind the army of goblins and the raucous noise they made, both running at full speed back to the outpost.

Chelsea looked over her shoulder once more as the army faded from view.

Please stay safe. I’ll return with help, I promise!

◆◆◆

“Know your fucking place, Turner!” Chris shouted, his breath ragged as smacked the man to the floor with a gauntleted hand. “This is your fucking fault! If only you had listened and not fallen back, we could have made it to that outpost!” he screamed.

“But… I would have died if we stayed any longer! Chris, you can—” the man tried to reason with him, but was silenced by another backhand.

“Just shut the fuck up! We are in this mess because of you!” Chis shouted back, his wild eyes leapt across each member of his group.

Each one looked at him with fear and disgust.

“What are you looking at?! Keep that goddamn wall solid if you don’t want to die! Those monsters can break in at any moment if Julia runs out of mana!” Chris commanded.

How did this happen? Why?! Why did this invasion have to get worse? It was going so well! I got rid of that pathetic, annoying bitch Chelsea and her little posse, but then it all went to shit when the invasion came and we didn’t have enough people! Fuck, fuck, fuck! he thought.

“Chris…” a voice said behind him.

“What?!” he roared, turning around to see Megan, their most valuable healer.

Megan stood up to Chris’s chest at around 5 feet, her blonde hair shimmering in the dim torchlight.

“M-Megan… I’m sorry, I’m just stressed…” he said quickly, fixing his tone and putting back on his façade.

“It’s alright… I think everyone is stressed, but we’ll get through it, I’m sure. We’ve fallen on hard times before, but we’ve always gotten through it. It’s just, I’m just worried about Chels and the others. They never came back from their scouting before this all happened. Do you think they’re alright?” Megan asked, concerned.

Chris cringed internally, although his outward demeanor stayed soft.

This fucking dumb bitch is still on about those useless idiots? Maybe I should have made them die in view of her, at least then she wouldn’t be bugging me about them every other hour.

“I’m sure they are fine. You know Chelsea, Megan. She’s too strong to die to things like goblins,” Chris lied, giving her a starlight smile. “I’m sure she’s coming back to us right now and going to come to our rescue like she always does, yeah?”

God, it’s like speaking to a child… Well, I suppose she might as well be, with the state she was in when I found her. The tutorial broke her as soon as it started, now she follows me around like a helpless puppy. She doesn’t even question anything I do, just accepts even the stupidest explanations, Chris thought.

Megan took a moment, her gaze moving from Chris to the rest of the group behind him, struggling to keep the barrier intact and functioning. Her eyes fell upon the one struggling the most, Julia.

She made for the front of the group, breaking the silence that had fallen.

“I’m going to see what I can do to help Julia, I can’t have her doing everything on her own!”

Chris waved, a picturesque smile on his face.

I swear if I survive this, I’m going to kill every last one of them, one way or another, and then make it out of this infernal tutorial. Damn it, why did everything have to change in the first place! The company was doing so well, and Father had just handed me the coziest position I could have asked for! Fuck! Fuck this place, fuck this tutorial! And fuck that stupid old man for taking so long to give it to me! If only he had croaked a few years sooner, I could have just inherited the company and lived the good life, like in college!

Chris ranted in his head as he looked at the struggling members of his ‘party’. His only thought was his own self-preservation. They were all no more than ants, tools for him to use and discard when he pleased. That was how life simply was. No one said no to him.

No one.

Chapter 95

New Me, Who Dis?

As soon as he had killed his opponent, the recoil from the spell struck Drake. His every strained muscle fiber in Drake’s body screamed in protest.

His status had fallen to 10% from the overcharged spell, slowly recovering thanks to his Water Endowment.

He would meditate, but he was unsure of what might come out from the forest in that time.

Using his new shawl, he brought a health potion into his hand, popping the cork and downing the liquid in one gulp.

That actually doesn’t taste that bad. Kind of like fruit punch, if I had to say. Drake grinned from his seat on the ground.

“Are you quite done?”

Hmm? What do you mean?

“I am talking about how reckless you are being! Will you not listen to my counsel?! What would have happened if those skills pushed you even further over the edge? What if your skill had turned you into a madman!” Natto screamed, genuinely furious.

Honestly… I don’t know. In that moment, all there was was hate. Hate for that monster, hate for what it was doing. Hate… for my inability to do something about it, despite how ‘strong’ I am. But I’m going to push myself, Natto. I need to, for both my progress, and to protect those around me, Drake thought calmly.

For the first time in a long time, he felt calm. Truly calm and clear-headed. Touching the stump of his shoulder, he knew what he needed to do more than ever, and what the consequences might mean for him. But now. Now, he felt the serene bliss of having his mental fatigue swept clean, as if the sun had finally come out from behind the clouds.

A genuine smile creased his face.

“I feel better than ever!” he shouted, throwing his arm into the air, “Ow, ow, ow… Okay, my head feels better, my body, not so much.”

“I would disagree! After all of the shenanigans you have just pulled, you are nothing but disturbed! The stones may have been fueling some of it, but you still have your own will, Drake. You cannot give in to impulse on a mere whim,” Natto chided with a drawn-out sigh.

Come on… It isn’t that bad is it? Besides, it isn’t like there’s been a General yet who’s given me a real run for my money!

“You are allowing these fights to go to your head, you dolt! Have you already forgotten the struggles that got you here? Have you truly learned nothing?”

Drake sat up, peering upwards into the seemingly endless night sky.

“No, Natto. I’m not forgetting anything. I’m just finally fully embracing the changes the system has made in me. I need to be strong, I want to be strong. And in this reality, if it means killing before being killed, used, backstabbed, or worse? I’m going to be all in. I thought with just my family on the line, I had too much to lose. But now more than ever, with everyone I’ve met and humanity itself possibly on the chopping block, I need to embrace this part of me that is screaming so loud inside to grow stronger, and fight more and more difficult opponents.”

“Ugh, men… No, man-children. Why must you all go headfirst into death in the name of strength? Certainly, I said I would support you, but this is hardly advisable, and I can hardly relate to the need to protect one’s entire race. At the very least, it is a relief that you now have comrades to support you,” Natto reluctantly conceded.

Speaking of party members, Drake’s were still lining the wall of the outpost, looking at him with guarded expressions.

He returned their stares with an amiable wave, letting them know he was still alright and alive, although very content with not moving for the next few hours, as his body ached all over.

He couldn’t see or feel anyone in his immediate surroundings, so he surrendered to the peaceful quiet of the night, the still after the battle.

He was not one for praying, but he did hope that those he could not save had found peace in the slaughter of their murderer. Not even an atom of its wretched body remained.

Above him glinted a mote of light, reminding him that skill stone drops came after the monster had perished.

“Susmaryosep…” Drake muttered. The glassy stone smacked him in the forehead.

◆◆◆

“I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. I am so glad he is on our side,” Tom muttered.

“Pup, think that might be the only thing you’ve said today that we agree on.” Hudson nodded, but his face still bore regret for his mistake.

“Mr. Shot seems to be getting stronger by the day. I’m getting levels steadily as well, but every time he levels up, it seems as if he jumps so far ahead,” Harley wondered aloud.

“Yeah, I’ll say. That man is a bloody army all on his own,” Jacqueline added. She held one faintly glowing hand over the resting Claire, trying to ease her discomfort.

The high cost of the buffing spell and her low level had weakened Claire greatly. Additionally, her physical resilience was nothing compared to Drake, when buffed by his Heretical Mind skill. The effort had exhausted her.

Although Jacqueline’s skill set focused on healing physical health, the weaker side effects of her healing skill still helped ease some of the muscle pain.

“Now imagine if he had both his arms…” Claire eked out, fixed on what little she could glimpse of the man past the rampart’s guard rail.

“No need to be like that, the man’s got four arms now. And just cause you landed on your rump, love, doesn’t mean my club won’t find its way upside your pretty head. Shot and I have a deal, and I plan on delivering once he does,” Jacqueline chided, a cheeky grin on her face. “Someone must have warmed up to a certain someone, yeah?”

Claire just scoffed.

Amir was speechless, having just witnessed something out of this world. Yes, he had seen Drake use massive spells before, but this was quite different. He could only imagine the sheer destructive force the spell would have unleashed had it been aimed at the forest.

Sherry was speechless as well, but for a very different reason. Her mouth was full of leftovers. Upon swallowing, she stayed as unimpressed as normal.

Lackadaisically, she asked, “I wonder what he’s going to cook for breakfast…”

No one commented on Sherry’s lack of enthusiasm at the destructive display Drake had just shown, but Tom did ask what everyone else was thinking.

“Why is he just sitting there?”

An hour went by as Drake was forced to sit and play with his spells, his legs refusing to move without searing pain equal to the growing pains of his teen years—but much, much worse.

“I wonder if this is how Goku feels after using the kaoken…” he muttered.

“It is good to know that even after everything, your core personality still remains. Actually, I am mistaken. It is unfortunate that your personality has not changed for the better…” Natto corrected.

“You know, you have been very mean today. I think I should remind you I saved like fifty people back there. Which I still have to go help assimilate into the mass of other people I saved.”

“Quite the philanthropist. Please, tell me more about how selfless you are without telling me you are selfless.”

“See, this is exactly what I mean, you won’t find any nice boy constructs if you keep up this attitude.”

“Who in God’s name says that I wish to meet anyone?! And it is your fault I have this attitude!”

Drake chuckled, but then winced, holding his ribs with both arms as they stung from the motion.

“Right, no laughing just yet. But I’m wondering if we can stand. I have a lot of equipment and stones to get. Not to mention, I really need to do something about these dead monsters piling up. That can’t be good for everyone’s health. Ah, that really reminds me, that I wish I had some fucking soap!” he grumbled. “Alright, that’s it, I’m taking a hot bath when we get back! I don’t care if I have to do it on the wall while watching the treeline. And where the hell is Theodore?! I told him to be back by now.”

Drake raised his arms again in protest of not being able to move.

“Alright, it’s decided. Hot bath, then burning down a forest. I’ll just have to go to fisticuffs with Smokey on this one.”

“Why exactly do you want to fight a bear with a Ranger’s outfit?” a female voice said next to him.

Drake turned as figures shimmered into view. One a woman donning archer equipment, her twin tails a rusted auburn. The other, a man with a distinguished mustache, bowed at the waist.

“Sire, we hath returned from our endeavor,” Theodore announced.

“Shoto!” Natto screamed inside Drake’s head. He stifled a laugh at Natto then cursed. “I do not even know who Shoto is!”

“P-Perfect timing,” Drake said, biting down on subsequent giggles, “I can’t exactly move, so bring me up to speed while helping me get around. I have some spring cleaning to get to.”

Both raised an eyebrow, but neither protested. Each placed an arm over their shoulder and picked Drake up. However, they were both at very different heights.

Theodore was over 6 feet tall, while Chelsea barely clocked in at 5 foot 5, making the walk very lopsided.

“So, I’m assuming you guys found their location?” Drake asked, a red magic circle forming in front of him. He didn’t bother snapping his fingers.

“We did,” said Chelsea, her grim and frustrated expression filling with anxiety, “but there’s a problem.”

“Yes, there certainly is, my Liege. ’Tis surro—” Drake cut the butler off. “I’ll stop you there, Theo. It doesn’t matter what the odds are, or what the actual circumstances are. Let me get my land legs again, and point me in the right direction. You know the deal with me, and I’m all in from here on out,” he said, eagerly.

Chelsea’s mouth opened, but Drake’s sheer confidence soon shut it again. He had been egotistical to a fault before, but at least he had been calculating. This was on a completely different level.

“What happened while we were gone? You aren’t even going to ask about how many there are?” she asked, confused.

“Let’s just say it’s the start of a new year. And you know what that means. New me, new phone, new skills, who dis?” He casually set another monster corpse on fire.

“That made absolutely no sense…” Chelsea said. Her anxiety evaporated, replaced by disbelief.

“This one is inclined to agree, my Liege. It is completely ill-advised to head into battle withouteth any sort of information.”

“It isn’t that I don’t want the information, Theo, it’s that I’m that confident this time. I haven’t felt this pumped since I was a kid and heard Evangelion’s opening song for the first time. Now, don’t forget to get me over to the Foreman, I’ve got to burn that big fat bastard to ashes before he leaves a brick of coal for me,” Drake chuckled.

Chapter 96

Feels Just Like Vanilla!

“Then, my Liege, when whilst our company depart?” Theodore asked, still supporting Drake as he incinerated monster corpse after monster corpse.

The man winced, but still trudged on.

“Ow. I’d give it about two more hours,” he said confidently. Chelsea’s face darkened. “Don’t worry, we can leave sooner if I push it,” he tried reassuring her. Then, he finally asked, Is it really that desperate of a situation over there?” Chelsea jumped at the chance to explain, describing what she had witnessed as they continued cremating the monster remains.

“Yes! There was an army as large as the one at the camp where you found us all! The monsters are already at their door!” she exclaimed.

This is sounding more and more like an LOTR setup, Drake thought while listening.

“Fool, do not interrupt. The least you can do is let her vent her concerns,” Natto chided.

Yes, yes, I know. I’m just wondering what we’e going to do about the camp here. We need someone strong enough to either stall, or fight off anything that comes. My first choice would be Hudson and Tom, but I don’t think either is currently strong enough… They’re right around level 15 to 17, if I remember.

“—and there’s only so long the barrier can hold before Julia exhausts her mana pool. Please, Shot, I’m begging you. We should go as quickly as possible!” she pleaded.

“I got it, Chelsea. And we will. But I need the time to set up our defenses here. The goblins are ramping up the scale of their attacks again, and we have five other Generals, and who knows what else to worry about if I leave. I’m going to have to have someone either set up a defense strong enough, or…” Drake smiled.

“You are evil. Why would you even think of something like that? This is not a game!” Natto protested.

I know it’s not a game, but that doesn’t mean the system doesn’t work like a game. My plan has no flaws.

“Certainly, no flaws. If you exclude the one where the other two may die!”

I would never let that happen, and you know that. So just go with the flow and let it happen, you squirrel in the mud!

“My Liege, what might exactly be thy plan for such fortification?” Theodore asked, squinting in concern as he glimpsed Drake’s expression.

“Oh, don’t you worry about it, old boy. Just leave it to me, and…” Drake trailed off as his eyes wandered to the wall of the outpost, watching two men in particular with a sinister smile.

◆◆◆

“What in the Sam Hell did you just say, pup?!” Hudson blustered. His arms crossed as he scowled at the question.

“I would also like to voice my concern, Sir. Are we not going to be put in danger?” Amir added.

“Yes. That you are, Amir. But look at it this way, you are always going to be in danger from now on,” Drake said, spreading out his arms. “Monsters exist now. At least this way, you both will be with me, and I can ensure your safety. Well, for the most part, at least.”

Hudson continued scowling, unconvinced. Amir began sweating cold buckets as his eyes darted around.

“Hey, look. Wake up to reality, nothing ever goes to plan in this accursed world. You both are the ones I need to make this work, so I can leave to save Chelsea’s friend, and possibly even go after the king. Hudson needs levels for stronger sentries and more advanced robotics, and you are the only one able to speed up the process. You both agreed that people need help here, and this is how we are going to do it in the short term,” Drake said, struggling to communicate his sincerity.

Hudson’s face wavered for a moment but then returned to his stony scowl.

“You idjit. I won’t be guilted into risking my damned life.”

Wow, did he just quote me? Drake thought, holding back a laugh.

“Certainly it was unintentional. Why in the seven hells would anyone want to say the same thing as you, dolt,” Natto snickered.

Drake mentally rolled his eyes and addressed Amir, who was still perspiring profusely.

“Do you feel the same, Amir?” he asked.

“I—” Amir took a moment to think, mentally weighing the pros and cons. “No… I knew what I was getting into when I asked to help. If this is what you think we need to do, this is what I want to do, Sir.”

Drake nodded, then looked back to Hudson.

“Alright, my spry old friend. Let’s take a walk for a bit,” he said, kindly but firmly, still assisted by Theodore and Chelsea.

Wincing slightly but mobile, Drake rolled his shoulders and stretched his legs. The stiffness faded, if only a minute bit. Nonetheless satisfied with his range of motion, Drake waved over Hudson and began down the earthen steps of the rampart, not looking back to see if he was following. Through his Aura he sensed the man following, Drake assumed, reluctantly.

Once out of earshot of everyone, he looked Hudson in the eyes.

“Is that the first time you’ve killed someone?”

Hudson jolted slightly, his scowl melting into a sullen expression. “Y-Yes… Never did imagine I’d be taking another’s life. Even more so unrightfully. I-If only I cou—”

Drake cut him off with a gesture, then removed his mask so Hudson could fully see his expression. His face, filled with sympathy and pain, was fully revealed.

“Hudson. I don’t know what that meant to you personally, or what demons you may be facing. But you know of the two men I killed earlier?” he asked, his visage lit by the distant torches and firepits of the tent area.

Hudson nodded silently.

“For me, that wasn’t the first time. The first time I killed someone, I didn’t have a choice. Or, I’d like to think I didn’t. You see, they were holding Theodore hostage, and they had been torturing him. I watched them sink a knife into him right in front of me. Now, you might think that made it easy, but it didn’t. At least, not for the reason you’d probably think,” Drake said, clutching his right shoulder. “For me, family is everything. They got me through the good times and the bad. And I don’t just mean blood family. Friends I have made have helped me through things you might even find trivial, but were world-shaking to me at the time. And you,” he gestured towards the top of the ramparts, “and the rest of the party. Yes, even Tom… are now a part of that for me.”

Hudson looked at Drake like he was crazy, conveying a sense of pure ‘Where are you going with this?’

Drake scratched the back of his head. “What I’m getting at is, sometimes we do things because we have no choice, sometimes it’s because we make mistakes, and others because we must, for our principles and what we hold dear. That person you killed was in defense of this place, and these people I hold dear. And for that, I do not fault you, I thank you. What befell that poor person who was taken hostage is something I will make those monsters pay dearly for. But it was not your fault. Don’t let me see you sulk about it and make me give you another speech, because it’s making my fucking mouth dry.” Drake smiled.

Hudson scoffed, but his face brightened ever so slightly.

“Pup, you are twenty years too young to be teaching me anything, you hear me, idjit,” he said, “but thank ya… Fine. I’ll tag along with your plan, so you can go help the girl’s girl out.”

Drake chuckled, “Good! Because I wasn’t giving you the option of saying no!” he said, clasping Hudson on the shoulder. “And don’t you worry about getting hurt, I won’t let it happen. I get hurt if you get hurt on my watch, thanks to this contract, and no one wants that.”

Hudson’s mouth fell open, then curled into a smirk. “Selfish little bastard…”

“Only when it suits me!” Drake laughed, backtracking up the rampart steps.

They both returned to the group. For now the night still cloaked the forest and land beyond the outpost in pitch black. Soon it would be dawn, and another day would pass in the hellish tutorial.

Time remaining until tutorial’s conclusion: 105 days, 22 hours, 45 minutes, 43 seconds.

Remaining Participants: 2,254

Drake dwelled on first the ticking timer, then the remaining participants.

Looks like the rate at which the participants are dying has slowed… he thought solemnly.

Nearly two-thirds of the entire participant list were gone, and they hadn’t even survived 80% of the tutorial period yet.

“Do not dwell too long on it, Drake. This is how the system intends it for these types of tutorials. The weak are taken, and the strong survive and prosper,” Natto consoled.

He held his tongue, his new skill stabilizing his emotions better than ever before. Despite his wanting to scream, he choked it down like bad medicine. He needed to hear it, he needed to accept it. He may have wanted to defy the system and the tutorial, but it would do nothing, for he had been told that was an established fact in the multiverse.

At least for now.

“Alright, everyone. It’s decided,” Drake started.

“What? Breakfast?” Sherry said, half-yawning.

“Yes and no! I managed to find some flour in the supplies I looted, so I was going to try and make some pancakes later, problem is we don’t have syrup. So that’s a no-go. Sorry, Shers,” Drake said, dramatically. “But on a serious note. I will be taking Amir and Hudson with me to power level them, essentially, so we can run over and save…” he turned to Chelsea.

“Megan…” she said, slightly irritated.

“Right, Megan. And hopefully most of their group, minus one asshole.”

“Oh, that’s a kickin’ idea. Does that mean you’re staying there?” Jacqueline jabbed.

“The funny one beat me to it,” Natto laughed.

“Only if that means I get to stay further away from you, Jacqueline.” Drake grinned.

“How long is this going to take then, Shot?” Claire asked, her face conveying her inner thoughts.

“I will get them as far as I can in one hour. It’s speedrun time!” Drake shouted, raising an arm. “As far as the rescue goes? I’m not entirely sure. I’m told there is an army waiting for us, so possibly one day. If I had more time, I would have taken Harley to level up as well as Tom. Their skillsets would massively help the defenses. But all in good time. You all will grow stronger, I’m sure, it isn’t like I’m going to end the invasion while on this rescue mission.”

Everyone exchanged glances.

“What?” he said.

“I swear you are clueless…” Natto sighed.

Drake was about to comment until he heard another goblin horn in the distance.

“Well, that saves us the trouble of going out there… Alright, everyone who isn’t Hudson, Amir, Chelsea, Harley, or Theodore, you are free to go. In fact, please go for now, I need people to handle the new arrivals and make sure everything is settled.”

“Don’t have to ask me twice, dude,” Sherry said, waving him off and sauntering down the steps.

“Guess I’ll go finish those sports courts we worked on, then…” Tom said, slightly disappointed after hearing he was in the running for power leveling.

“Oh, guess I’ll go rightly fuck off then, yeah?” Jacqueline sneered.

“Don’t worry, Jacqueline, I’ll save your friend and be back before you know it. Don’t miss me too much,” Drake laughed.

“Fuck you, wanker! I hope you don’t come back!” she shouted, storming off in a huff.

Drake turned to Chelsea with his big, goofy smile. “I think she’s warming up to me,” he said, but Chelsea just sighed with a shake of her head.

Theodore placed his hand on his mustache and stifled a chuckle, as Harley gently nudged with her elbow. He coughed.

Last was Claire, as she was obviously reluctant to leave.

“Try to be back soon, I don’t want to fall behind…” she said, softly. “I’m going to go back and have a talk with Gracy…”

“Gracy?” Drake asked.

“The woman who… ya know.”

“Oh! I see…” he said, realizing that he had never learned the woman’s name. “And don’t you worry about anything. I promised you the revenge you deserve. And I won’t go back on it.”

Claire nodding stiffly, descending the steps with the rest.

“Now,” Drake said, trying some different things until he received the first notification.

You have removed Claire Osberg from your party.

Got it! That was surprisingly easy… he thought as he removed the rest, rapid fire.

You have removed Tom_The_King from your party.

You have removed Sherry Turner from your party.

You have removed Jacqueline Evans from your party.

You have removed Theodore Rotwood from your party.

You have removed Harley Mongrass from your party.

You have removed Chelsea Jackson from your party.

“There we go,” he said. He faced the forest, spotting exactly what he wanted. A fresh army of just regular old goblins, with a few sparsely placed Lieutenants for some juicy experience.

“Would it be inappropriate to state that this one feels naked as a babe without the comradery of mine Liege?” Theodore asked suddenly.

“Of course not, Theo, totally not weird, and perfectly normal!” Drake lied. “Now, let’s get to it! Ah, power leveling! Feels like I’m back in Maradon! Now pay up. 15 Gs a pop, people,” he said, offering an upturned palm to his confused party.

Chapter 97

On the Fifth Day, Look to the East

Shrieks sounded as massive fireballs fell from the sky, incinerating monsters left and right as they flooded the surroundings.

And the culprit was none other than Drake.

“They really are sending nothing but relatively normal goblins, huh…” Drake said, waving his hand in an arc over his head as four more Fireballs formed. His new skill turned each one from a deep crimson to an ethereal azure, and finally a bright hot white.

Magic Exposure P1 (37%) [F-Rank]

Lay bare the rules of magic. Strip your enemies of their right to protection through your mastery.

Passive: Spells and skills now strip targets of 150% of their defensive effectiveness. Increases with proficiency.

Spells now cost 50% more.

“This 50% cost increase is really kicking my mana pool in the butt; my regeneration can’t really keep up anymore. Hopefully, when it ranks up in proficiency it’ll alleviate it a bit…” He sighed.

“Sir, with that last batch I have reached level 14, and we’ve collected around one thousand cores again,” Amir reported.

“Wow, already? They are really sending in a lot. The quest mentioned thousands as the bonus quest, but this is getting up there into the tens of thousands, isn’t it?” Drake said, firing off another round of white Fireballs.

“Thanks to it though, just hit level 15 myself. Well, shit, got a new variation on my little ones!” Hudson cheered, showing genuine enjoyment for the first time in a while.

“Oh? Good to hear! What’s this one?”

Hudson’s eyes went distant, as if reading something. Upon focusing again, he beamed.

“Well, I would say it’s definitely a welcomed upgrade. These little ones are definitely going to help with those damned goblins.”

The man planted hand on the ground, a silver magic circle forming. Drake and Amir watched as metallic parts grew from the ground up, almost like a 3-D printer, coming together in the form of a flying drone. The whole process took only about five minutes.

Hudson’s smile spread to Drake. The drone was not one of the typical ones you see with the four propellers, these had some form of propulsion to them, keeping them upright as they lifted vertically off the ground. Even better, they were dead silent.

“Now that we have this, can we go?” Chelsea asked, her face impatient.

“Hold your horses, Chelsea. I know you’re in a rush and so are we, but I’m going to do this right. Let’s see what the little guys can do. Hudson, you’re up,” Drake said, giving him a wave.

Hudson nodded, growing serious as he stood, giving a mental command to the drone. It flew off towards the distant treeline.

“That there is hard to deal with,” Hudson muttered. “Once the little one gets out of vision, it switches over to a sort of heads-up display thing, like out of those movies. But I can still see from my perspective as well. Don’t like that shit, not one bit… I think I’m gonna—” he tried to say, then expelled the contents of his stomach on the rampart.

“Man…” Drake said, grimacing as he washed away the vomit with summoned water. “Besides not being able to hold your lunch, how’s it looking, Hudson?”

Hudson stood back up from retching, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “Before I let the meal go, the little guy took out a goblin with no problem with a small turret from its undercarriage. And, looks like the little guy had a surprise as well, pup.” Hudson grinned. “Little bastard has some explosives. Won’t kill ‘em in one batch, but a few more of these little guys and I’ll be carpet bombing the Sam Hell out of those little vermin.”

“Then my Liege, shall we proceed henceforth?” Theodore asked, both hands on his cane.

“I think this counts as a greenlight, yup. You have everything you need to make more of these, Hudson? And what’s the count on these ones?”

“It’s one for every five levels, so I can only manage three right now, but I got the biggun’ in the tent waiting as well. With that, I think I can manage with the rest of us to hold off anything short of the king himself,” Hudson said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

“That’s all I needed to hear. With these, the sentries on the wall, and a mini Big-O, I think we are all set to go, Chelsea, Theo.”

Chelsea’s face relaxed, heaving a sigh of relief. Finally, she’d be able to keep her promise.

Theodore nodded, tersely. “As you command. With all due haste, my liege!” Then he turned to Harley, squeezing her hand and laying a peck on her lips. “This one will return swiftly, my love. Be safe.”

Harley smiled dotingly and nodded. “You too, Theo.” Then she looked to Drake, silently telling him to keep Theodore safe.

Drake nodded, once. That went without question. He would make sure everyone made it back, at any cost.

“Then, let’s get going! Make sure you two can keep up,” he grinned, “also make sure to keep the order here as best you can, anyone doing anything naughty gets put in horny jail with the bad guy till I get back. And make sure to let the others know we’ve left for now.”

Harley, Hudson, and Amir nodded in unison as they saw the group off.

Theodore Rotwood has joined your party.

Chelsea Jackson has joined your party.

“Then, lead the way you two. I want to be there by sunrise or sooner,” Drake directed, when a thought hit him. “If only you guys met with them before.”

“Why in the world would that be a thing we would want?” Chelsea asked, confused.

“Because then we could use one of the greatest quotes of all time! ‘Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day, at dawn look to the east’,” Drake said, pulling out his staff and grooming a non-existent beard.

“You have to be the worst person I could have been stuck with.” Natto sighed, her tone indicating she was cringing.

Come on… You know you love me, Drake chuckled.

◆◆◆

God damn it! What are we supposed to do? What am I going to do?! I can’t die like this… I won’t die like this! Chris screamed internally with incredible desperation, as the banging on the barrier from the outside continued. With each thrum, the light enveloping the makeshift barricade visibly dimmed.

“Fuck, can’t you refresh the barrier yet, Julia, you useless piece of shit?!” Chris growled, his eyes shaking wildly.

“I—I just refreshed it! I won’t be able to do it for another fifteen minutes! Don’t ask for the impossible, you lunatic!” she shouted back, pools of sweat streaking down her face as she fought to maintain the spell. Each blow to the barrier depleted her mana bit by bit.

“W-What did you say to me, you filthy bitch?!” Chris howled. He leapt at her, metal ringing as he drew his sword. “You’re lucky I ever asked you to be in this group, you ugly pig!”

“Chris! What are you doing? Stop!” Megan yelled from beside him, struggling to hold him back.

“Get off of me, you fucking dumb college skank!” Chris snapped, throwing her to the ground. “Why…? Why did I have to end up with so many incompetents?! It wasn’t like this at the company… All I had to do there was tell someone to do something, and it would get done without fail! But here, you all miss the mark every time! I’ve had enough! I won’t die here, not like this! All of you get to the front and protect me when they break the barrier!”

“Are you crazy?!” someone screamed.

“He’s finally snapped…” said another.

“The fuck did you just say?! Who do you think got you all together?! Who do you think got us this far?!” Chris shouted back.

“You mean got us into this? We would have been better off with Chelsea in charge,” someone whispered.

“Who fucking said th—” Chris was about to roar, but loud thumping from outside cut him off.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” Chris stammered, his brain running at a million miles an hour to figure out a way to survive. “Oh, I know!” he said. Low chuckles grew into a maniacal, booming laugh “I’ll just kill you all and throw you to the goblins! Maybe that will distract them long enough so I can run out of here! Why didn’t I think of it earlier, you are all dead weight anyway! Hahahaha!”

“W-What are you saying, Chris?” Megan said, her face paling. “You said you would protect us! You said I would be safe! You said that we could make it through this together!”

“Blah blah blah, stop running your mouth for once and shut up, Megan! It’s like it never closes! The only reason I tolerated it for so long was because you were a Cleric! And what’s worse? You never even put out! How was I supposed to know you were some little pure girl who’s saving herself,” he said, spitting the word in disgust, “the least you could have done was give some service to your fearless leader.”

Megan recoiled, her face shattering into despair. Her entire image of Chris was falling to pieces, like the shower of tears falling from her eyes.

“Y-You… p-promised,” she cried.

“Shut up already,” Chris shouted. “For fuck’s sake… I know! Before they get in, I’ll let you die with at least a little bit of pleasure! I’ll save you and Julia for last.” He cackled. “She can’t very well stop using the spell if she wants to live even a little bit longer. And she can’t lose too much concentration either, which makes this perfect!” he finished, licking his lips as he looked them both up and down.

“You sick fuck!” one of the men from at the back of the cave screamed, drawing a sword.

But Chris was unfortunately faster. He had methodically planned to stay at the top level in the group. No one here could match him, regardless of class.

Chris dodged the swing with ease. His own sword glowed red as he raised it, bringing it down swiftly on the man, gouging out his back and the meek leather armor he wore.

Chris had also hoarded all of the good equipment in the name of ‘protecting’ everyone else, even going as far as to confiscate people’s quest rewards from them.

Standing above the man’s bloody body, he stared at the rest of the group. Some were clearly unwilling to go down without a fight—mainly those who had just recently been his own lackeys.

“So, you’re just going to throw us in with them, huh? Don’t forget, we have some of that equipment too!” one of the men growled. He drew his bow, the nocked arrow shining green. “I’m not dying here! Not without a fight!”

The man screamed and loosed his arrow. It screeched across the cave, building speed and power as it left the string, now blazing a brilliant emerald light.

But that meant nothing to Chris and his class.

Chris raised his free hand, his red shield shining. The arrow collided with it as sparks flew, until the arrow shattered into motes of light. A smirk creased the mad man’s face.

“Did you forget! I’m a tank class, you fucking idiot! And still far above your level!” Chris cackled as he rushed the archer. The red light spread to his sword, but he halted in his tracks again as the noises from outside grew louder, startling him. The goblins, again.

“What?! Are they getting through already?! Do something, you stupid woman!” Chris sneered at Julia.

Julia’s face had gone past pale and was turning ghostly white, jerking with every strike against the spell.

Her hands shook as she struggled more and more to stay not only focused, but upright. Her form wobbled back and forth. Julia reached into her shirt pocket to retrieve a vial of blue liquid, removing the cork with her teeth.

“Julia, no!” Megan shouted. “You’ve already drunk too much already! Any more so soon will give you mana poisoning!”

Julia brought the vial to her mouth, ignoring Megan’s pleas. She didn’t want to protect trash like Chris, but she had no choice if she wanted to live even a moment longer. She could only pray for some kind of miracle.

The banging and thumping intensified as she gulped down the liquid.

But the mana potion backfired. She had taken too many too quickly.

Julia coughed, drops of blood flying from her mouth. She convulsed, falling to the ground.

“Julia!” Megan cried.

“Fucking useless! Now what are we supposed to do?! All of you get the fuck up there, or I’ll kill you my God damned self!” Chris roared.

The commotion outside fell silent. Within the cave, all were hesitant to speak, even Chris.

When nothing more happened, some of his confidence returned.

“You cowards in the back, I thought I told you to get the fu—”

But he never finished his sentence. The barricade crashed open with a sound of cracking wood and wrenching metal, the dust covering the entire cave entrance as everyone shielded themselves from the debris.

“Wh-What the fuck is going on now?!” Chris cursed. He peered over the arm he’d used to shield his vision, only to see a scowling woman, her twin auburn tails fluttering behind her as she roared and sprinted at him, her fist thrust forwards as it connected with him, square in the face.

“Chris, you fucking psychotic asshole!” Chelsea howled.

Chapter 98

This Guy Really is a Classic Villain, Huh?

The sound of the blow reverberated throughout the cave, but it was not exactly what Chelsea had been hoping for.

Just before her hand connected with Chris’s face, it was stopped by a red-hued shield.

“Oh! Look who’s back, just in time for the gobl—wait, what happened to all of the goblins? And the General?!” Chris yelled, his condescending sneer contorting into confusion.

Chelsea recoiled, shaking out her fist.

“Don’t worry about it, you God damned crazy silver spoon baby. You’ll get yours!” she sneered.

“Get what? And from who? You?” Chris laughed, spreading his hands wide. “I think you’re forgetting who you’re talking to, bitch! I’m leagues above you in both levels and status! You should have just died when I sent those brain-dead morons after you! Do you think you are going to come in here like some sort of hero, save your dumb bimbo friend?!”

“God damn, is that what I sound like when I monologue? Please, tell me I’m not like that, Theo,” said a voice behind Chelsea. “And no, Mr. Classic Villain. I’ll be the one saving everyone today.”

The owner of the voice stepped into the cave’s opening, the new dawn silhouetting him with bright white and yellow ribbons. From his hand, a ball rolled into the cave.

Or at least, it seemed to be a ball, until it rolled stop in front of Chris’s feet. His face paled.

“This is… This is the General?! Then, the goblins? You couldn’t have killed them all with just the two of you!” Chris stammered, becoming hysterical once again.

“This one is forlorn to be left out of my Liege’s conquering band, ’twas this one’s illustrious illusions that helped a handsome sum,” Theodore said, shimmering into existence behind Chris, his cane pointed at the back of his head.

“You were very helpful, Theo, I’ll be sure to sing your praises when we get back to the outpost,” Drake said, from the light and fully entering the cave. Gilded black battle robes fluttered about him as his mask obscured his face. “But I do have to say, this General,” he said, pointing down with his finger, “was honestly kinda, meh. I’ve fought better, and if we are being honest. I was hoping for a bit more…” Chelsea gave him a sidelong glance before turning to the other people of the cave, ignoring Drake’s over-dramatic entrance. Looking around, her eyes finally landing on Megan, holding a limp Julia, the shuddering woman’s mouth dribbling a purplish liquid.

“Megan!” she yelled, running to her, nearly skidding to the floor as she slid down next to her. Tears streamed from her eyes as she wrapped her arms around the Cleric. “You’re alright! He hasn’t done anything to you, has he?! And what happened to Julia? This is... blood and mana potion? She didn’t overdose, did she?!”

Megan’s eyes watered as she started to sob all over again, this time thankfully from relief. Finally, she and the others were saved.

“Y-Yesh, she took a potion to save us! And th-then she started seizing!” Megan eked out through her crying, pressing her face into Chelsea’s arms. “I-I don’t know what to do! Pluheas, Chelsea!”

Chelsea’s face turned serious.

“It’s going to be alright, Megan. I won’t let anything happen, now that I’m here. Shot is going to take care of everything, and you are going to be safe.”

“W-Who is Shot? Do you mean the number one on the TP Ladder?” Megan asked, her face incredulous.

Chelsea laughed wearily. Knowing his personality, saying something like that may not be for the best.

“Y-Yeah… That one…”

Across the cave, Chris shouted as he swung his sword at Theodore. “Do you think you’re going to be able to do anything to me you stupid asshole?! You’re only level 17! Even if you’re a pure damage specialized class, you can’t get past my defenses! I’ll outlast you and kill you myself, all you’ve done is hand-delivered me more experience and TP!” Theodore deftly dodged the swing, shimmering back out of sight.

“The fuck did he go? Get back here!” Chris howled, whipping his head back and forth.

“Now, now, now. You should be more worried about me,” Drake said, his gaze falling on the dead man in front of Chris. “After all, seems like Chelsea was saying all the right things about you.”

Drake's focused moved on to the fallen woman, Julia.

Natto, is there anything we can do to help her?

“I regret to say that there is not. Unless you wish to magically find herbs that can’t possibly be in this tutorial, whether she survives or not will be up to her. If the snippy one that I am fond of was here, the healer, she may have been able to help a little, but not much can be done besides numbing the pain she is feeling. The mana potion must disseminate itself through her body naturally. That is why it is inadvisable to use too many too quickly.”

So I just need to get her to Jacqueline quickly, then?

“That would be the best course of action, yes.”

Drake mentally acknowledged Natto, then returned his gaze to Chris. The man was slightly taller than Drake remembered, and also broader built. The armor he wore resembled that of a medieval knight without a helmet, and in his hand was a similarly themed blade.

In Drake’s Mage Sight, mana flowed from Chris’ hand.

“Chelsea,” Drake said, addressing her as he kept his focus on Chris, “you said there were others he had doing some of his dirty work? If you would be so kind as to point them out.”

Chelsea surveyed the group with slight disgust. “I only see one, looks like the other already turned on him,” she said, pointing at a man in robes.

“Okay then,” Drake said, rolling his shoulder. “Everyone but the robed guy and the wannabe villain can move over here, if you want to leave the cave and go to a safe place.”

Most seemed hesitant, with only a few sprinting when given the offer, confident from seeing Chelsea that the man wasn’t lying.

“How do we know you actually killed all the goblins?” a person in the back asked, warily.

“I didn’t kill all the goblins. I killed all the ones outside,” Drake said, shifting his mask to offer a smile.

“Wait! I know you! Y-You’re that fucking loser I tried to recruit at the beginning of the tutorial! How the fuck did you survive for so long? And make it to the top of the TP ladder?!” Chris sputtered. A few people ran past him. “And all of you! No one move!” Chris screamed wildly. “I said, don’t fucking move!” His sword came down upon this backs. It moved quickly, but not as quick as the now red-haired Drake. An ethereal blue radiance enveloped his arm as he caught Chris’ sword.“Well, well, well. Looks like you were telling the truth. You don’t have much strength—or at least not more than me,” Drake scoffed. With his mask back in place, his jingled a ruby earring hanging from his lobe with his earthen right hand.

Drake’s earth magic, just like his fire magic, had evolved from his new skill, deepening in color to an almost-obsidian black. It was closer to steel than earth now.

“What?!” Chris gasped, struggling to remove his sword from Drake’s grip. “How! I have over 200 strength?! Are you a pure fighter?!”

Drake laughed. “Guess again!”

In front of Drake’s chest formed a cobalt magic circle, conjuring a large, deep blue sphere with hints of seafoam green, aimed right at Chris’s stomach.

Chris yelped as he was thrown backwards into the rear of the cave by the water ball, right into a mess of debris. As the dust cleared, a red shield was revealed in front of Chris, right where the water ball had impacted.

Drake whistled. “Oh, he is tough. Natto wasn’t joking when she said tank specs are crazy durable,” he said, checking the people now staring at him with wide eyes and gaping mouths. “Alright, ready to move now?”

Absent-minded nods answered him, their feet slowly beginning to shuffle.

Drake looked back at the pile of rubble containing the makeshift villain. Not far from him was his lackey, paling where he stood.

“Now, it’s just the three of us. You guys, and I,” Drake chuckled.

“Fuck you!” the robed man screamed. The mana around him shifted to crimson, pooling in his hands.

“Oh, a Mage? And a Fire one at that, it’s a good chance to see how well my defenses do against a proper human Mage,” Drake said, casting his defensive skills before the Mage could finish casting his own spell. Several green lights flashed.

The robed Mage finished his spell with a shout. A Fireball sized similar to Drake’s appeared, classic red rather than white. The ball shot forwards towards Drake, covering the distance between them quickly, but Drake didn’t move. He allowed it to smash against his shields.

The spell did nothing.

“You’re joking,” Drake chuckled. Then he said, flabbergasted, “It didn’t even break through my extra shield?”

“That is quite something… Your armor set’s extra defense is doing wonders against these particular people. It would seem they do not have particularly high levels, outside of the cackling chicken you put into the rubble, nor high proficiency,” Natto surmised, her tone light and obviously impressed, despite her perpetual instinct to tease Drake.

But with this, I can’t even use my movement skill. I’ll have to think of ways around that… Maybe more maneuverability with fire and air? Like a jet!

“How?! I thought you were a damage dealer! There’s no way you can fend off an attack like that if you’re spec’d for damage! What kind of bullshit equipment do you have, or is it your class?!” the man shouted at Drake, stumbling backwards as he tried to gain distance.

“Me? I’m just a hero who’s doing it for fun. Wait, no, that’s not right anymore… I’m just a guy who’s idealistically selfish, and contradictory when it suits him. And, I’m finally on time to save some people for once,” Drake said, deciding to get serious. “And I will take on the burden of giving you judgment for what you have done.”

Drake’s hair and tattoo shifted to black,  a crystal of pure-white ice sprouted from a pale magic circle. It glowed faint blue until Drake crushed it in his hand, his hair and tattoo cascading into white. The pristine white circle was stained blood red.

“Let me show you what a real Fireball looks like,” Drake growled coldly, pinning the other Mage with his gaze. “The searing of my heart, give him fury, Fireball.”

The ball of white fire formed and pulsed in Drake’s hand as he chanted, condensing into the size of a baseball on the last word. It screeched towards the man in the blink of an eye. The little star passed through him, searing a hole of molten rock right above Chris.

The man gurgled his last breath, blood spilling from the sides of his mouth, the smoke from the charred remains of his chest obscuring his pain-stricken face. Then he collapsed, slumping to the floor. Only the sound of his sizzling and smoldering flesh remained.

You have killed participant Ash Ketchup Level 17.

Experience earned. 273,423 TP have been awarded.

Chris looked on in abject horror. His gaze settled on the molten hole above him. A small bead of lava dripped down to his shoulder, turning his armor into a sheet of hot metal.

Scrambling to his feet, Chris placed his sword in front of him, with his other hand struggling to wipe off the burning lava.

“What the fuck are you! How are you so strong when you’re at such a low level?! It isn’t possible!” he screamed, his body involuntarily shaking. Drake’s eyes swirled with colors.

Drake slipped off his tattoo ring, trading it for his Morning Glory.

“Oh, it’s possible. Believe it. I’m just someone who turned a shit roll into an opportunity to change and better myself. And I’m going to be the one that kills you, Chris Springs.”

Drake pointed his staff at Chris, or more specifically, at the molten rock behind him. A magic circle spun at the tip of the staff, a small pellet of lava forming.

Then it shot at the wall and burrowed deep within. Chris’s face contorted into confusion.

“How are you going to kill me if you can’t even hit me?! And I’m a tank, remember! Even if you are strong, my defenses are stronger!” he snapped, breaking out in a confident smile.

“That’s where you’re wrong. And even if I can’t kill you in one blow, I will outlast you, I’ll go further beyond.” Drake laughed, his head tilting back into a sneer. “Plus Ultra.”

Heretical Mind he pushed the burrowed lava pellet into the rest of the wall, melting a large portion of it behind Chris as the ignorant mad man drilled into Drake with a death stare.

Finally noticing the moving lava, Chris twisted around to see the wall crumble, the lava oozing out of it. But it was too late.

The lava lunged forward, wrapping around Chris’s feet and immobilizing him.

“Marked,” Drake whispered.

Chris screamed in anguish as the lava singed and charred his legs, but he could not fall. The lava slowly crawled up him, burning him bit by bit, then hardening to encase him.

His eyes teared up as his legs were consumed by the spell, his voice growing hoarse from the screaming.

“P-Please! I-I’m sorry! I won’t do anything again! Please, you’ll never see or hear from me, I promise! Ju—Just let me live! I’ll apologize, I’ll do whatever you want!” he pleaded.

Drake did not cease. His frigid gaze was unrelenting as the lava inched further and further up the man.

Once it had consumed his lower half, Chris began activating his skills to protect his torso and arms, body glowing red. But all it did was draw out the torture as molten lava encased him.

“The world is different now. And it has no need for people like you,” Drake spoke. The spell claimed the last remaining piece of Chris: a teary, hate-filled eye.

True to his class, the man survived for several more seconds in the tomb, his screams muted inside it. When notification came, Drake’s shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.

You have killed participant Chris Springs Level 19.

Experience earned. 432,253 TP have been awarded.

Chapter 99

All Out War

Drake gazed coolly at the sarcophagus of lava he had built around Chris. He exchanged his staff for his his tattoo ring, slipping it back onto his middle finger.

“And I thought you didn’t like torture?” Natto asked, leadingly.

You know I don’t but, it isn’t about what I like, it’s about what he deserved. The world is different, measures must be equal to the crime, Drake answered.

A crystal stone clattered on the ground with a clang, soon joined by a dimensional bag. Where the Mage had stood was left a similar bag.

Drake collected them all, slipping both bags into his inventory and giving a the stone cursory glance.

Subtree Skill Stone: Protection [Rare]

Unlocks the Protection subtree branch.

Requires 1 open subtree slot and have an unlocked Warrior main class tree.

“Well, at least he wasn’t lying about being a tank… Lot of good it did him.” Drake sighed.

“Y-You didn’t have to kill him so brutally!” Megan shouted from where she kneeled next to Julia and Chelsea.

“Megan…” Chelsea chided.

Drake faced her, his expression colder than it should have been.

“Yes, I did. What he did, what he was going to do to all of you, was unforgivable. I was told of the things he was doing behind the scenes, and what he was capable of. He made his own bed. Hate me if you want, it won’t change the fact that he died because he deserved it,” Drake said.

“What makes you the judge and jury?!” Megan snapped.

“Nothing. Nothing makes me any better than him, but I know that. The only difference is that I’m strong enough to carry on, and he wasn’t. I killed him because I was stronger and it suited my morals. That’s the new world.” His gaze fell on Chelsea. “Your friend seems to be in shock, Chelsea. She was moments away from being killed herself, but still defends him?”

Chelsea’s face twisted between anger, sympathy, and confusion.

“She’s just… Yeah, she’s just in shock,” she said, finally.

“Best we get moving, then. This is no place to recover. If we move quickly, we can get back by mid-day, I hope,” Drake explained, checking the now-still Julia. “If we have any luck, we can get her to Jacqueline and save her. Theo?”

“Yes, my liege?” Theodore said, appearing.

“Would you please scout ahead for anything that might stop us? If you can divert them without risking yourself, do it, if not, report back immediately and I’ll take care of it.” “By thy will,” he replied, bowing slightly as vanished once more.

“I’m not going anywhere with you! Chelsea, how can you be with a man like this? He killed Chris and Johan in cold blood!”

Chelsea gently pushed Megan to arm’s length, looking her deep in the eyes.

“Do you really believe that, Megan? I know you latched onto Chris because he was the one who reached out, but after everything… you can’t say you didn’t see what he was doing!” Chelsea said, her voice rising.

“I… I know he wasn’t perfect, but he protected us! Protected me! He even went out of his way to send more people to get you, when you went to scout for the goblins!” Megan snapped back, desperately grasping at the broken façade of the man she thought she knew.

Chelsea shook her head. “No, Megs. He sent them to finish the job. But we ran into the goblins first. They didn’t kill us, and instead took us captive. They did… unspeakable things to us, made us fight one another for their enjoyment,” she recounted, her grip tightening around Megan’s shoulder as she did. “They tried to take me! But I fought back. The unlucky ones… they were turned into food! Or used to birth more of those disgusting things! And all of that was because of Chris! If he hadn’t tried to kill us, kill me, I would have never ended up there. And you know who saved us?”

Megan just looked back into Chelsea’s teary eyes, slack-jawed.

“It was him. And all we did when we met him was fight the whole way… He did nothing but offer us safety, food, shelter, and protection. And we spat in his face every step of the way. But he still did it, never asking for a thing in return.” Chelsea grew serious as she wiped the bubbling tears away. “Don’t make the same mistake the rest of us did. Face the reality of who Chris was. And who is saving you now.”

Chelsea watched Drake lifted up Julia, gently cradling her.He even went as far as to summon wind to cushion her body so as to not rock her while carrying her.

“It isn’t as easy as that! Chels!” Megan rebutted. “How am I supposed to just trust some man who came out of nowhere and killed two people!”

Chelsea’s regretful expression twisted as she wore a forlorn smile.

“Then you will just have to see for yourself. You aren’t the only ones he’s saved,” Chelsea said.

She helped Megan to her feet, guiding them to the entrance of the cave.

“Alright, everyone, are we ready to get this ill-advised show on the road?” Drake said, checking over his shoulder.

Tired and weary faces returned his gaze, as most were on their last legs of energy. The few nights they spent huddled in the cave, waiting for death at any moment to either Chris or the goblins were taking its toll on them.

“Well, guess I should have expected that… Alright, if we can make it back to the outpost in time, there will be plenty of space, food, and hot water to go around. So bear with it and put your running shoes on for me, people,” he requested as they left the cave, only to hear a notification.

Tutorial-wide quest update.

The 10 Goblin Generals have been slain, forcing the hand of the Goblin King. He has now deployed his army early in response to such disrespect. Moth Ru Var’ drags his army by its heels to all-out war, while his most trusted Knights accompany him to battle.

Bonus quest reward for subjugating the King prior to all-out war has been removed.

Well, shit. Who killed the other four Generals? It has to be Bjorn and Shigure, right? Drake thought, sighing.

“I would certainly believe so. Although there could be a group we do not know about. Perhaps a group of PKers have decided to fight, or were cornered and had no other choice. Regardless, we now have more to worry about,” Natto explained.

We best get back to the outpost as soon as possible, then.

“Alright, looks like we have to double-time it. Chelsea, you know these people better than I do, I’m going to have to ask you to keep track of them while we make a dash for the outpost. And do you know of anyone with a class that could help speed up everyone?” Drake asked over his shoulder.

Chelsea's eyes wandered to Megan. “Megan has a group buff, but it will only affect those in her party, so a max of ten people.”

Drake turned to look over at Megan. She scowled.

“Then, find the ten slowest people and get them to the outpost as quickly as you can. Chelsea, you’re in charge,” Drake directed.

Chelsea Jackson has left your party.

Chelsea nodded hesitantly, turning to Megan. The Cleric scoffed, facing fully away from Drake, but seemed to have accepted the party. A few more people gathered around as she began mumbling a spell, enveloping all of them with a large, bright white magic circle—reminiscent of Claire’s, but a different color.

I wonder if her mumbling was intentional so that I couldn’t hear the spell? Drake thought.

“It does beg the question of if she will be yet another problem that you have to take care of. I am certainly surprised that the mouthy one has decided to fall in line, when she seemed to be so adamantly against you only a scant few days ago,” Natto giggled.

It’s my devilish charms, what can I say?

“You can say something that makes sense, you dolt. I will be amazed beyond reason if you someday find a person willing to tolerate you as a partner.”

Alright, bet on it?

“I have never heard of a more easily won prize. Certainly then. What shall we wager?” Natto asked, intrigued.

All the candy in my apartment when we get back, and any future candy found or made.

“I have never tasted candy, you cannot expect me to wager that.”

Can’t you just go into my memories and taste it that way?

“Of course, I can—a moment…” Natto said, going silent.

When no more was said, Drake shrugged it off and began the march. He fully left the cave, with Chelsea and the group following closely behind.

Thanks to Drake’s magic, he kept good pace without disturbing Julia in his arms. But it still wasn’t anywhere near even his normal speed as Chelsea and the others in Megan’s party began to overtake him.

e group of twenty people crossed the forest relatively unhindered. Only Drake began to lag behind, carrying the injured Julia. This wasn’t the worst option by far, it gave him keep a close eye on everyone and cover their rear, providing a way to retreat if necessary.

This is going a bit too smoothly… Why haven’t we run into any monsters yet? Drake thought, scanning the surroundings tirelessly.

He raised his brow when he didn’t receive a reply from Natto.

Hello? Natto?

“Ahem… My apologies, I was… preoccupied,” she replied.

You’re literally in my head, what could you possibly be doing? Wait… did you actually use my memories to see what candy tastes like? he chuckled, still surveying the group and surrounding trees.

“I do agree that it is certainly suspicious that there are no signs of monsters nearby. Perhaps they have all retreated to rally with the Goblin King,” she speculated. Then, with a small cough, she added, I would like to also state that I will accept that wager.”

Uh huh… Any reason why you decided now to agree to it?

“None. Now pay attention, you buffoon,” Natto chided, trying her best to deflect the conversation.

Drake rolled his eyes, letting her.

The group marched through the forest for several hours as the sun slowly moved through the sky. Their increased physiques from the system level ups were doing wonders for their pace. But it could only go so far, as many of the group who were lower level or not endurance-oriented slowed once the sun reached its apex.

Drake jogged to the front of the group to join Chelsea. She was still breathing evenly, but the same could not be said about her friend Megan and some of the other forerunners.

“Looks like we need a break, I’ll get a light snack out and some water,” he decided, then raised his voice with wind magic so everyone could hear. “Break for ten minutes, eat what you can without slowing you down!”

He quickly brought out some food he had stashed. Dried jerky from the goblins’ rations, and not the human kind, as well as some of the stew he had made the day before, still just as hot as when he stored it.

“Hey, that is my stew! Why are you giving it away yet again to these ungrateful apes?!” Natto roared.

Come now, you could go for a bit of a diet. Those chipmunk cheeks are getting a little out of hand there, Drake teased.

“Why, I have never!”

Just think of it as making room for all that candy you are going to have, Drake chuckled, gently placing Julia down with his magic onto a spare bed from his inventory.

While overseeing the group of people getting their break, Drake felt something unseen enter his Aura sphere. He knew it was not Theodore. He would have never sensed Theodore, meaning this was someone, or something, else.

Drake fired off a small, white flame bolt.

A yelp sounded as the bolt pierced whatever it was. Some of the startled people shrieked.

You have subjugated Goblin Scout Level 16.

Experience earned. 1,500 TP have been awarded.

“A scout? That certainly can’t be a good sign…” Drake said, ignoring the yelling.

Theodore appeared in a bow. “My Liege,” he said. “’Tis most certainly not. Thitherward the path to thine outpost is treacherous, to say the least.”

“Is it that bad? FUBAR?” Drake asked.

“This one doth not understand thy reference, Sire. But this one believes my Liege will have to see to understand the magnitude of which this one speaks.”

“Not that I’m against killing more monsters today, but I’d really enjoy it if a rescue just went smoothly for once,” Drake said with a sigh.

“As would I, my liege.”

Drake scanned the weary faces of the group, not even five minutes after sending out the food and water. Each one stared back with clear worry and anxiety, save Megan who was still glowering at him, and Chelsea who was clearly waiting for a plan.

Drake turned to Theodore.

“Can you shroud everyone here, Theo?” he asked.

“This one regrets to inform my Liege, he canst not.”

Drake clicked his tongue, one of his options gone.

“Are they blocking the path entirely or are they just in the vicinity?”

“The last moment this one checked, thy quarry t’was marching as with Mercury’s winged sandals.”

“We can’t outrun them then, I’m guessing… Do we just go back and let the new people hole up for now?” Drake pondered aloud.

“This one believes that is the correct course of action, Sire.”

Drake nodded. “No need to get them in the line of fire if we don’t have to,” he agreed, then raised his voice, addressing the group. “Listen up, we are going back to the cave, and you are going to hole up, I will leave supplies to last you enough time for when I can come back.”

Megan’s scowl deepened.

“What about Julia?! We need to get her to Jacky, or she might die!” she shouted.

“If I force you all forward, you are all going to die. Not just her. Pocket your damned entitlement for a second and look around. Everyone here besides a small handful are exhausted and frightened. Not only that, there are only a few of you who would even be helpful in a fight out in the open at full status. We are going back, period,” Drake stated evenly, lifting Julia without waiting for a response.

There would be no time to wait for a response, either. Several more entities entered his Aura sphere.

Shit, Drake cursed, his eyes falling on a group in the distance.

Moth Ru Var’ Level 28

Indu Ru Vixrik Level 26

New Subjugation Quest: Subjugate 5 Royal Goblin Knight.

Reward: Experience, TP, map of the king’s treasure hoard.

Evyr Ru Vixrik Level 26

Vokr’ Ru Vixrik Level 26

Xibric Ru Vixrik Level 26

Loryr Ru Vixrik Level 26

Chapter 100

The King is the Last One Standing

Loud screaming and scrambling broke out as the group suddenly realized what had surrounded them.

“Theodore, how did they ge—” but before Drake could finish his sentence, one of the Knights dashed forward ahead of the pack, two small javelins in its hands.

The Goblin Knight raised one arm, the weapon shining red as it hurled it forwards, aiming straight for the group.

Shit, not even room to talk! Drake thought. His hands and mind moved at breakneck speed, activating his Wind Endowment. His hair shimmered a mint green as he snapped his hand, summoning lances of flame and water simultaneously.

Drake closed to distance to the Knight’s javelin, making it just barely in time to swat the weapon away. His left arm burned like a star from the mana poured into it.

At the same moment, he willed his own magic javelins forwards, aimed at the incoming goblin. But the goblin deflect avoided the two spells. They collided together, forming a screen of steam.

Looking down, he saw a scratch on his arm, a small bead of red trickling down his forearm as it minutely trembled from the impact.

Fuck! That’s no joke of a skill or a weapon…

“Everyone make a run for the outpost, I’ll hold them! Theo! Do your best to delay them with illusions, and get to the outpost!” Drake barked.

“N-No wa-wan leevesssss!” hissed a deep, gravelly voice within the steam.

“What?! It can speak?!” Drake said in disbelief.

Before he could even parse the revelation, an arrow ripped the steam wall wide open, glowing green as it flew straight for him.

Drake clicked his tongue, dropping two of his rings into his inventory and ripping out two peridot rings simultaneously, thanks to his shawl.

In one swift motion, he dumped mana into his ring. His arm blazed blue as he threw it forwards, his fingers precisely equipping the dexterity rings as his Adrenaline Acuity ramped up.

His hand didn’t stop there. It turned with Drake in the trajectory of the arrow as he grabbed it out of the air, spinning in place from the momentum and hurling it back through the mist.

The arrow flew true, like a curved bullet. There was a cry of pain from within the mist, but no notification of a kill.

Tough sons of bitches, aren’t they? Drake cursed, summoning three fire lances and a ball of water to his side, ready to go the moment he might need another screen.

Sensing where the targets were, Drake chucked the three lances into the still-dissipating steam cover. He glimpsed a flare of light as two of the three struck their targets.

But there were still no kill notifications. For the first time in quite some time, Drake was unable to one-shot these monsters.

“My Liege! Thine enemy’s aid hast cornered us! We art hounded at every corner!” Theodore shouted from behind.

Drake’s eyes widened.

How did they surround us so quickly?! Did some of their scouts manage to trail us outside of my Aura’s perception, or did my Mage Sight miss an advanced stealth unit? Drake wondered, trying to go over the answers in his head.

He only had so much time, though. The steam fully dissipated, revealing the entourage of Royal Goblin Knights and their King.

Drake’s new skill kept him calm, but even now, a spark of emotion for the beast that had started all this suffering smoldered.

The reappearance of these goblins revealed Drake had been unable to inflict any real damage. The long, drawn-out pause in the scuffle allowed him to examine the goblins more thoroughly.

Each one held a specific weapon made to fill in a role, almost like an adventuring party. Two wore similar armor, bearing staves much like the Mage General’s, but much more extravagant.

I thought this was supposed to be a tutorial. This is more like goddamn hard mode.

The goblins sneered back at Drake, meeting his scowling, hate-filled eyes with equal resentment. Only the arrogant King held them back.

From left to right, the goblins guarded him in a semicircle. On the far left was the one holding double javelins, which seemed to be some sort of unique item, as the one it had thrown had been replaced.

Next to it was one of the Mage-like goblins, garbed in long, dark robes that dragged on the forest floor, a gnarled staff in one hand and a bright blue-gemmed ring in its other.

On the other side of the King, the three remaining Royal Knights stood, all of them equally eager to be let loose on Drake and his companions.

One carried a bow and quiver attached to its back, one eye covered by a goggle-like lens. It wore leather equipment, a matching glove adorning its drawing hand.

The second-to-last of the goblins was the other robed individual, this one with a lighter beige hood that covered its face, but did nothing to veil its large, bumped nose and pointed ears.

Finally, the last of the Royal Knights, and the most problematic at first glance.

This one boasted a kite shield. It was at least three times the size of the Goblin Generals Drake had faced before, but the monster seemed unimpeded by the bulky mass. Its abnormally large frame was covered head-to-toe in glistening metal, holding in its other hand was a sword that reminded Drake of Bjorn’s.

Oh, we are well and truly fucked, I think, Drake thought, a wry smile forming behind his mask.

“Then why are you smiling…? You are certainly becoming a battle junky, and I am fervently against it. There are better ways to increase your level without facing death every time!” Natto screamed in Drake’s head, her worry and caution spilling over.

Yeah, but what’s the fun in that? We’re stuck now, might as well enjoy it. And if they don’t kill me, this spell surely will, he answered, allowing Natto to glean parts of his plan.

“Drake! Not only is that going to kill you, but I am not even sure if it will work with your level of Mana Manipulation! You are not even E-Rank yet! Your skill will not compensate for the control!” she pleaded.

“In for a penny, in for a pound. As a great man in multiple anime once said! It’s now or never!” Drake roared, his fierce eyes drilling holes into the Goblin King’s.

“K-Keel, the v-v-veerminne!” King Moth hissed, its jeweled finger pointing right at Drake—no, past him.

Drake whipped his head around. The encirclement of goblins were closing in from all directions.

He cursed, his plan already off to a horrendous start, and he was forced to change it. Crushing the ball of water in his hand from earlier, Drake activated his Water Endowment. Lightning and Ice weren’t options, as he needed his Wind Magic.

Swiftly, Drake threw up a gust of wind in front of him, hoping to blind the group of Knights and the King. Then with a burst of fire from his hand, he backtracked towards the group, another ball of fire conjured in his hand.

Closing in on the group, he hurled the ball forwards, pouring mana into the spell. A ball of wind soon joined it.

The white-hot ball of flames flew into the crowd of oncoming goblin troops with a beautiful explosion of white fire and debris. A fraction of a second later, the wind ball arrived at the center of the impact.

Drake snapped his finger. “Detonate!”

The ball of air exploded in a gust of destructive expansion as the debris from the ground was flung up and out, including the remnants of the fire and the impacted goblins, armor, and weapons.

The explosion made for an incredibly successful pipebomb of earth, weapons, armor, and partial goblin remains. They rained down on the surrounding forces, killing a whole section of the encirclement instantly.

“Theo, Chelsea! Run, now!” Drake shouted, magic circles at his hand firing twin fire lances. Both the lances stopped at the impact, forming a fiery wall to hold the lane Drake had opened up.

Theodore did not even look back as he pulled Chelsea forwards. She did the same for the group, all running as quickly as their exhausted bodies would take them.

But it was not fast enough. The double-javelin goblin broke off from the group behind Drake, sprinting forward at such speed he overtook the tyrant in a breath.

Fortunately, thanks to Drake’s Adrenaline Acuity, he was able to catch the instant it came into his peripheral, allowing Drake to conjure a third lance of fire. He threw it directly in the path of the goblin, slowing it down by a hair’s breadth. Simultaneously, Drake activated his Wind Endowment.

Moving at a speed incomparable to earlier, Drake lunged forward and past the goblin. The surprise on its face made him all the more jubilant.

“Marked! Atrophy of the Mind!” he chanted, passing by the monster as its eyes followed Drake.

He reached out for the lance of flames he had thrown earlier. It had slowed the goblin down by just enough for Drake to block it.

With one quick motion, he brought down the lance onto the goblin. It was unable to change course, unable to get its feet under it.

Forced to into desperate straits, the goblin raised its javelins into a cross guard above its head, spinning its body for the impact.

“Fool!” Drake sneered. The lance fell downward but split in two as it met the javelins, painting a near-unbroken line of white onto its body. But Drake wasn’t done there.

After the spell seared into the clothes and flesh of the goblin screaming in anguish, Drake raised his arm again quickly. The tattoo flared to life in ethereal blue and red from his Martial Skill, before he slammed it down into the face of the goblin. With a deafening crunch, it flattened into the earth.

You have subjugated Royal Goblin Knight Vokr’ Ru Vixrik Level 26.

Experience earned. 500,000 TP have been awarded.

Drake had no time to even revel in his triumph, as the sound of a soaring arrow tore through the air. Drake narrowly avoided it as it collided with the ground, the impact much larger than should have been possible, throwing debris into the air all around him.

He lost sight of the rest of the goblins, but felt two fast-moving targets to his right, and the army of foot soldiers closing in around the walls of flames.

Drake exchanged Wind for Ice, needing the extra power for his magic and regeneration. With a terse glance, he saw the group was only halfway through the wall of flames, and cursed.

Fuck, I need those spells to deal with two at the same time! And there’s no telling when the rest are going to join! Drake swore.

And with that, Drake’s fears came true. The two beings that Drake had felt ran past the shield of debris.

Drake cursed as he saw them, but the composition surprised him. The two goblins that sprinted at the group were the Archer Goblin and the Dark-Robe.

Turning his head to the falling debris, Drake peered through it to find the Shield-Bearer and the Beige-Robe were still by the sneering King’s side.

Is it keeping those two by its side out of fear? Why won’t it just throw everything it has at me? Drake wondered.

“A king does not lower himself to deal with vermin. You heard it yourself. It must not think much of you, even after felling its Generals and one of its Knights. It will be its certain downfall if it continues. You are far stronger than it gives you credit for,” Natto conceded.

Drake smiled as he dashed backwards, boosting his speed with bursts for fire.

Aww, Natto, I didn’t know you thought that way about me. Makes my heart all warm and fuzzy! Drake thought sarcastically, closing in on the two running monsters.

Natto had no time to interject as the Archer nocked and released another arrow, this one tinged in blue light.

There was something ominous about the incoming arrow, and Drake decided to dodge it completely. With a burst of fire he changed his own trajectory at the last second.

But that only did so much. As his eyes widened, the arrow tracked him, striking his pauldron and piercing it with ease, leaving Drake aghast but more or less unharmed, saved by his armor.

He took the initiative and propelled himself forwards with a burst of fire towards the pair, but caught the wide, yellowed smile of the Archer Goblin.

“Drake, the arrow!” Natto shouted.

He continued to stare at the goblin, only to see its eyes move, and followed its gaze to the group.

Seconds dragged out into hours as Drake forced his head to turn. He tracked the arrow as it changed directions again. It was aimed right at the backs of the retreating group.

Drake could only look on helplessly as the arrow flew to its true target. Straight into the back of Chelsea, piercing right through her shoulder as she fell to the ground.

A phantom pain pierced his chest. The contract dropped his own health plummeted below half, despite taking no damage. But Drake hardly felt the pain. Sound faded as he watched one of his party members once again lay on the ground in a mess of their own blood, injured.

Drake’s pupils shrunk into pinpricks. He swung his head around, zeroing in on the Archer.

“You. Die. First.”

Chapter 101

The King is the Last One Standing Part 2

“Marked,” Drake muttered, snapping as he produced a lance and ball of white flames. “On blessed wings! Guardian’s Reprieve!” Drake took a languid step, instantly closing the distance with his quarry.

Both goblins flinched as Drake blinked across the field, his eyes flashing from blue to yellow to green.

Brilliant sapphire flames swallowed Drake’s hand as he thrust it towards the Archer.

The goblin tried to move, but Drake’s Aura flexed, freezing it while stripping it of at least one of its buffs. This forced the goblin to raise its bow in an attempt to block the hand, but Drake cared not. His hair and tattoos cascaded in a bright crimson red, becoming a vibrant orange glow.

He gripped the wood of the bow, the clash of magic sending sparks for a brief moment before his hand reached the goblin’s eyes, wide as small, fearful moons. Drake surged forwards and gripped the monster by the throat, slamming it to the ground in a crater of earth.

Red hair shimmered back to white as Drake changed Endowments once again, his jet-black earthen hand raised above him. A magic circle spun above it.

The Dark-Robed Goblin shrieked in fear and began muttering something off to the side, but he ignored it. His sole focus was the monster in his grip, like a predator locked onto prey. Nothing else mattered but killing it now.

“Oh, Darkness shrouded in light…” Drake began, a red burst of flames blooming in his hand. “Frenzied blaze clad in night.” The flame shimmering to blue as it started to fully form, and the mana poured into the spell. “In the name of the crimson demons, let the collapse of thine origin collapse!”

A spell struck his shoulder mid-cast, but he barely felt it. Nothing would prevent him from completing this spell. Not attacks nor notifications.

Fear of the Forest applied.

Skill Tyrant’s Indomitability has nullified Fear of the Forest.

Drake smiled, wrenching open the Archer’s mouth.

“Summon before me the root of thy power hidden within the lands of the kingdom of demise!” Drake roared, the flame brightening into brilliant white as it grew to the size of a wildfire. “My name is Drake Wallen!” The flame condensed into a small marble as bright and fierce as the sun.

Drake slammed the small spell into the goblin’s mouth, then threw himself backwards.

“Make sure they know who sent you,” Drake said, grinning wide enough to reach his eyes. Snapping his fingers as Morning Glory appeared in front of him, his tattoo ring slipped into his inventory. He pointed his staff at the Archer, its eyes wide in horror as smoke sizzled from its charred mouth, now seared shut.

“Ex-plosionnnn!”

With the snap of his fingers, Drake’s spell went supernova, tearing the goblin limb from limb, piece by piece in a cacophony of thunderous roars and bangs. It was dead, instantly.

The spell cost Drake a hefty sum of status, but he reaped the rewards with a bonus kill.

You have subjugated Royal Goblin Knight Xibric Ru Vixrik Level 26.

Experience earned. 500,000 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Royal Goblin Knight Loryr Ru Vixrik Level 26.

Experience earned. 500,000 TP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Elemental Miller Level 18.

40 FP have been awarded.

Ignoring the notifications for now, Drake landed, then lunged towards to Chelsea’s side, where Theodore, Megan, and the others surrounded her.

Drake looked on, his eyes frowning as he saw the mess.

Her arm had been separated from her shoulder like his. She coughed, losing blood quickly.

This time having experience with his own injury, he quickly took the severed arm and placed it next to her shoulder, pulling a potion out of his inventory and uncorking it with his teeth.

“What are you doing?!” Megan screamed, waterfalls spilling from her eyes as she clawed at his robe.

Drake let her do as she pleased. She wasn’t strong enough to hurt or stop him either way.

He poured the potion onto Chelsea’s wound, hoping for the best as he kept a honed watch on the surroundings with his Aura sense, making sure nothing would interrupt them.

With a quick flex of his will, the firewalls bent, connecting to to raise a circle around them.

He waited impatiently for a sign. Chelsea struggled in pain but still fought as she yelped again, the potion mixing with her blood, gradually seeping into the wound.

Her flesh slowly but surely mended, and he heaved a relieved sigh. When the mending stopped it had not fully mended the arm, it was enough to let Drake sear the rest of the flesh, saving her arm and stopping the bleeding.

Even against Megan’s fervent screams, he did so. Then he looked at Chelsea, her face pale but more peaceful after the ordeal.

He addressed Theodore.

“Get them to the outpost. After an hour, give her another potion and have Jacqueline look at her. And when she wakes up... tell her I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect her like I promised…”

“My Liege…” Theodore whispered, “this one doth not thinketh—”

Drake cut him off by standing. “When mistakes are made, we must take accountability. I put myself in charge, it’s my fault. I won’t hear otherwise. And for that, I’m going to make it right,” he said, gripping Morning Glory in his hand.

“It’s time I broke this bad boy in!” he declared, approaching the edge of the ring of fire. With a wave of his staff the fire blew outwards, killing the waiting goblins in the closer proximity, charring them at their bisected midsections.

“Make it there safely, Theo, I’m counting on you once again,” Drake ordered, crossing the charred line left by his fire spell.

The group quickly rallied behind Theodore and the exit made again by Drake, rushing forwards as fast as they could manage.

Drake then twirled his staff in his left hand, slamming it to the ground. His earthen arm disintegrated, as he would require all his spells for full use of his staff.

His hair receded to black as he canceled his Endowment. Five magic circles formed around him. Red, blue, brown, green, and finally yellow winked on as their corresponding magic bloomed to life.

“Symphony of Elements!” Drake shouted, the spells soaring to the encircling remains of the army the king had brought.

Drake’s spells began wreaking havoc upon the goblins’ ranks as he met the King’s arrogant gaze. Its face gradually shifted from a sneering confidence to a worried scowl.

Drake’s Fire Magic threw bullets of piercing white flames through goblins, ramping up his magic damage with every kill, quickly reaching its max of 20%.

His water spell was lashing out like a whip, bisecting the soldiers with ease, rejuvenating him with flat mana regeneration each twentieth kill.

Next, his earth pillars pierced goblins like barbed lances, launching them back into the crowd and striking more as they went, activating his defensive boosts. Small air bullets fired off rapidly in all directions, leaving marks in the foreheads of any goblin that dared to approach. Drake used it to bide his time, waiting for the hundredth kill notification.

In the wings, his lightning spell crackled. All mana regenerated by his water spells was dumped it into this one. The rumbling slowly grew fiercer and more pronounced, the lightning tinged with a sinister violet color.

100th Air spell kill stacked. Next spell’s cost reduced by 80%.

As soon as the notification came in, Drake dropped down to the ground like a sprinter. His staff vanished into his inventory, replaced by his ring. Drake canceled all of his spells besides the lightning and water. A small ball of water fell in front of his face as he bit through it, launching himself forwards. Blue dyed his hair and tattoo.

Drake screeched through the air, closing in on the king, his Lightning spell traveling in cadence with him.

He met the king’s eyes and threw his arm forwards, willing the spell into action.

The king’s face turned again into a snide smile, instead of the fear Drake expected.

The goblin with the kite shield appeared before the king, its large metal slab of a shield raised in defense.

But Drake didn’t care. A blue bottle of liquid appeared in front of him.

Drake roared as he shouted the spell.

“Elmekia Lance!”

He devoted all his mana and status to it, then crunched the mana potion in his mouth, glass and all. More mana to feed the beast that was his spear of lightning.

The spear, vibrant white, shimmering cascade as sparks flew from it like whips, surged forwards. Drake willed it straight into the center of the goblin’s shield.

The spell clashed against the shield, roaring and thundering with a boom that could be heard for miles as the collision kicked up dust. The battle went back and forth between the throngs of lightning and the shield painted red from the skill.

Drake howled like a primal thing as he pushed his will and control of the spell to the limit, pressing his desperate want for the spell to pierce the shield. The goblin shrieked and screamed in turn against the pressure of the spell.

Drake’s Aura flexed, erasing the shield’s defensive skill, as he screamed out, “Marked!”

The shield glowed red-hot vibrant orange and yellow as the spell melted a hold through the center of it. The goblin screamed in disagreement, its helmet shaking back and forth, fervently trying to deny the situation. But it was all for naught.

The spell still burrowed through the goblin’s armor, deep into its chest. Yet somehow, the goblin survived. There was no kill notification.

Drake cursed, forced to jump backwards. He kicked the Shield-Bearer into Goblin King Moth. Neither would survive unscathed. The Shield-Bearer may not have died but was left mortally wounded. The spell pierced through its shield, armor, and body to singe the armor of Goblin King Moth.

Forced back and low on status, Drake considered his options. He hoped he had bought enough time for the rest of the group to get away from the goblin army as he released a ragged breath through his mask.

Looking at the nearly dead Shield-Bearer and Goblin King Moth, who was nursing his side, Drake smirked. He was so close. Just a little more and he could easily finish them, he thought.

Unfortunately, fate was not so kind. The Beige-Robed Goblin stepped out from behind the king, its hand and staff bathed in a white glow.

You’ve got to be fucking shitting me, Drake thought, his teeth clenching.

The goblin that had stayed behind and by the king’s side this whole time was a healer.

Drake cursed, admonishing himself for being so naive to think he did not have a pocket healer, being a boss.

He had made a grave error, one that might cost him. Searching desperately for a way to recover, he spotted the dredges of the goblin army and smiled.

He could do it, but only if the king acted exactly how he hoped it would, now that Drake had shown he could hurt, if not kill, hit.

Drake exploded from his position, running as fast as he could.

With one swift motion, he traded his two strength rings for dexterity, necessary for his plan.

Behind him he glimpsed the Shield-Bearer rising from the ground, green flesh showing through the new gap in its armor. The Goblin King recovered just as quickly, leaving a bad taste in Drake’s mouth.

But he knew now which one would have to die before the others.

Reaching the still-disoriented army of Goblin Footmen, Drake’s disgruntled emotions became pure anticipation.

Just you wait for what I have in store!

Chapter 102

The King is the Last One Standing Part 3

Drake Wallen

Tutorial Alias: Shot

Race: Human

Profession: Miner P2 (7%) [F-Rank]

Class: [Unique] Elemental Miller Level 18

VIT: 294 (15%)

STR: 330 (20 +15%)

DEX: 250 (40 + 25%) +(40)

INT: 606 (15+20%)

WIS: 286 (29%)

END: 200 (20 +20%)

Free Points: 80

Skill Branches

Primary

Elementalist P2 (47%) [F-Rank] 0/5

Mage Sight P2 (58%) [F-Rank]

Heretical Mind P2 (63%) [F-Rank]

Multiplicative P2 (98%) [F-Rank]

Elemental Endowment P2 (36%) [F-Rank]

Elemental Conflux P2 (25%) [F-Rank]

Secondary

Shield Miller P1 (96%) [F-Rank] 0/5

Warrior’s Stamina P2 (47%) [F-Rank]

Guardian’s Reprieve P1 (94%) [F-Rank]

Aura of Command P1 (5%) [F-Rank]

Martial Strike P2 (21%) [F-Rank]

Empty

Primary Subtree

Internal Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

Of the Apex P2 (15%) [F-Rank]

Weak Point P2 (13%) [F-Rank]

Tempered in Flames P2 (35%) [F-Rank]

Tyrannical Aura P2 (24%) [F-Rank]

Tyrant’s Indomitability P1 (23%) [F-Rank]

Secondary Subtree

Soul Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

Mana Manipulation P2 (79%) [F-Rank]

Atrophy of the Mind P1 (45%) [F-Rank]

Cower P1 (30%) [F-Rank]

Sound Body and Mind P2 (55%) [F-Rank]

Purity of Soul P2 (13%) [F-Rank]

Tertiary Subtree

Weapon Mastery [F-Rank] 0/5

Hoarder P2 (27%) [F-Rank]

Fully Loaded P1 (10%) [F-Rank]

Weapon of Choice P2 (24%) [F-Rank]

Adrenaline Acuity P2 (33%) [F-Rank]

Magic Exposure P1 (46%) [ F-Rank]

Quaternary Subtree

Empty

Titles: First Blood, Two Versus One, One Versus Many, Monkey Slayer, Living on the Edge, Close Call, Dead Man Walking, Dual Class, Punching Up, Improbability, Rounded, Dog Hater, One-Man Army, Dog Killer, Battle of Attrition, First of Your Kind, Goblin Hater, Goblin Slayer, Murderer, Serial Killer

Drake tore through the packs of Goblin Footmen, his knifelike earthen arm butchering and crippling goblins as he went. His goal was to keep a slow pack of them around him, blocking the Goblin King’s view of him. Perhaps he could even use them as goblin shields.

He did not stop, he did not slow, but took glances at his status. He was happy with his growth, but also irked  that Proficiency 2 to Proficiency 3 was such a steep wall for many of the skills. That some of the skills were still Proficiency 1 just showed how much Drake had neglected them in recent fights.

Thankfully, some of his most used skills were close to reaching their peak for this rank, giving him renewed hope for the fight.

You are now weakened.

Drake’s Adrenaline Acuity had finally run out of juice, leaving him 10% weaker for five minutes. He cursed.

Damn it, right at the worst time. It feels like the old days with this, living on a knife’s edge. One blow might mean certain death. Drake laughed internally, dancing his way through the goblin soldiers. He dodged sword swings, magic spells, curses and arrows, his regeneration slowly replenishing his stores.

Drake began placing some of his free points into his status, knowing exactly what he needed for his next spell. He could only hope the amount he had now would be enough.

Dodging and weaving, only nicks and scrapes grazed against his Guardian Skill’s Barrier, not even enough to break it. And with every passing moment, Drake became more adept at dodging.

“This is the best practice I’ve had in days! Maybe I should have done this earlier?” he joked aloud, dumping points into vitality and endurance. Both pools of resources needed to be as large as possible.

He ended with 300 vitality, with his endurance at 274. His stats and skills weren’t ideal for what he wanted to attempt, but it would have to do. If he didn’t at least try, he wasn’t sure he could kill the healer and tank with enough to spare for the Goblin King.

Drake continued to harass the goblin army, biding his time and allowing his status to recover steadily, his new vitality and endurance doing wonders for his body.

Then another horn sounded. Drake’s head snapped in its direction. He glimpsed something through the trees dotted across the battlefield.

More goblins.

Tuz’ Fuv Crukz Level 25 [F-Rank]

Ekruv’ Fuv Crukz Level 25 [F-Rank]

Tsud’ Fuv Crukz Level 25 [F-Rank]

Mohrah Fuv Crukz Level 25 [F-Rank]

From a distance he could identify four Knights, with more peering through the spaces by the second. Endless armies marched behind them through the forest.

But Drake didn’t panic. In fact, this was exactly what he wanted and needed.

“Good. More Experience decided to show up!” he yelled, almost laughing.

“Drake, you certainly are becoming a battle maniac…” Natto sighed, voice tinged with worry.

It will be alright, Natto. I’m doing what I must to get out of here alive. I need to have you meet my mother, remember? You need a lesson in manners! Drake chuckled, deflecting a downward strike from a Footsoldier.

“I take it all back. I hope the king does kill you! Maybe I will find a better owner in my next life!” She hmphed.

Drake smiled gleefully, enjoying his banter with her. It let him breathe in a bit of the comfort of normalcy he hoped to survive to enjoy once more. His family, his friends, his new comrades. To see them again, to speak to them, to eat meals and joke with them.

That was what he was fighting for. That was what he was going to risk it all for.

His status was still barely at half, but that was all he needed for now to take on the goblins, outside of the Royal Knights and the king.

Drake turned up the destruction. No more simply injuring the monsters. It was time to farm some experience.

He started skewering goblins left and right. Some he tossed into others, extending his earthen arm to pierce and cut through several at a time. Bit by bit, stacking up his experience gain.

But the easy part was soon over, as the horn sounded from the same direction once again. Massive hordes of the goblins flooded the battlefield, all vying to kill Drake first.

He only laughed at the bloodthirsty, red-shot eyes of the goblins.

“Now that more have arrived, it’s time to turn up the pace!” He traded Morning Glory for his tattoo ring.

Drake canceled his Endowment temporarily, using just his basic spells in quick succession, dodging and shelling out spell after spell to stack his buffs from Morning Glory, laughing with each kill.

Upon stacking twenty kills for his water buff, he exchanged weapons once again, quickly reforming his earthen arm and reactivating his Water Endowment.

The added buffs, along with his recovery from his Endowment, allowed him to slowly eke out a sliver more of regeneration to speed up his recovery. The others helped with his defense and attack and most of all, reaching his hundredth kill and allowing him to use the spell he had been preparing.

Every second ticked by. Each was a longer, more drawn-out fight for Drake as he was forced to dodge, turn, block, and deflect incoming swords, spears, spells, curses, claws, and arrows.

But in his turmoil, he also found solace. He was fighting to survive, to make it to the end, but the process, oh, the process. His body reveled in it.

Drake’s new skill, Tyrant’s Indomitability, brought him clarity, helped him wipe the slate of his mental anguish clean. But now, something else was taking its place, slowly eroding it as he bathed in the experience of one fight to the next.

His ripped wider like an open wound, and his daring and confidence bloomed to heights he didn’t think possible with every passing kill, every inch of ground he gained.

Drake continued to weave his spells for their buffs, then switched out for a deft melee, inching his status and experience forward.

You have subjugated Goblin Knight Ekruv’ Fuv Crukz [F-Rank] Level 25.

Experience earned. 400,000 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Goblin Knight Tsud’ Fuv Crukz [F-Rank] Level 25.

Experience earned. 400,000 TP have been awarded.

You have subjugated Goblin Knight Mohrah Fuv Crukz [F-Rank] Level 25.

Experience earned. 400,000 TP have been awarded.

Then what he had hoped for happened. His eyes met with the Goblin King’s as the notification sounded in his head.

You reached Multiplicative Proficiency 3 (MAX).

You have gained the title Well on Your Way.

100th Air spell kill stacked. Next spell’s cost reduced by 80%.

Drake’s eyes fixed on his status as his Weakened debuff began to blink, indicating it was falling off as well. What forced him to click his tongue, however, was that his status was still not full. His mana sat at only 60%.

Pulling a blue vial from his inventory, he heard Natto.

“Drake, no! You have done enough. You can just leave! There is no point in poisoning yourself!” Natto shouted.

“Run? There’s no running, Natto. Not anymore. There’s only forward and upward. From now on there are only going to be worse and worse monsters and stronger enemies! You said so yourself!” he spat, dancing around the few remaining Knights in the field, clutching the blue vial in his left hand. “And I made a promise to make this fucker suffer! And you know me, I’m a man of my word! At least when it suits me!”

Before Drake popped the top of the vial, he chanted his last defensive spells. “I am the wall on which my enemies bellow! Unbreakable! I am the shield, I am the rampart! Bulwark!” Their familiar green glow cascaded over him.

Drake downed the vial and stiffened. The mana caused him to seize up, but he forced his own mana to keep circulating, using every fiber of his being to control and move it as best he could, softening the damage. It tore at his insides all the same. It only kept the process going at a snail’s pace.

But it was enough.

Drake flexed his Aura to the limit, releasing his normal constraints. The monsters surrounding him froze. Enough for him to cast his spell.

Throwing his hand in an arc in front of him, all seven of his mastered elements manifested.

“Heretical Endowment of the Elementalist! Septenarius!” he cast, each spell winking out of existence as Drake shuddered from their combined infusion.

His hair and tattoo shimmered in the colors of each element, fighting for control and dominance. But they were not the master—Drake was.

And he won.

His body glowed in a golden hue, the colors sparkling in tandem across his hair and tattoos. But Drake was not unscathed. Blood dripped from every one of his orifices, the spell guzzling his stores of health, mana, and stamina.

It was fine. The spell only needed to last long enough to kill the king. And he had no plans of wasting any time.

He approached like a tsunami, blowing and pushing away anything and everything in his wake as he roared forwards to the king.

The Shield-Bearer barely had the time to jump in front of Drake, stopping him from beheading the king. Drake’s earthen arm froze to a sharp obsidian jet-black blade. The two clashed for only a moment, before Drake threw a punch with his left arm, glowing a deep red.

Drake’s fist shattered the shield, throwing the goblin backwards as it slammed into the king. The Healer was left exposed and confused. Its eyes were unable to follow what had just ensued.

Drake darted behind the Healer, his right arm disintegrating and reforming in ice. He quickly plunged the hand through the goblin’s chest, staining it green.

“The most annoying one down,” Drake said coldly, the ice spreading from the wound as it encased the creature.

You have subjugated Royal Goblin Knight Indu Ru Vixrik Level 26.

Experience earned. 500,000 TP have been awarded.

Drake turned to see the Goblin King and his last Knight stumble to get up. Both were shaking their heads, trying to remove the disorientation from their impromptu flight. In disbelief, they laid eyes on Drake. Seeing that he had killed their Healer, their faces contorted into unadulterated fear.

“H-Huuman vermiiinnn,” Goblin King Moth hissed, wagging his finger in anger as he pointed.

Drake stepped again, closing the distance in an instant. He blinked in front of the king, gripping its finger.

“The only vermin here is you,” he spat, breaking the finger with a loud snap and howl from the king.

“I’m disappointed. Your Knights are stronger than you, your army doing all the heavy lifting, and you put on this invasion, causing all this suffering. And for what?!” he roared, his mana and Aura flexing, almost warping the air around him.

The Goblin King Moth looked defiantly at Drake. “F-Forsssed by syssstem. No choissse, but iss o-our way!”

Drake’s face cringed at the hissing sound from the monster’s mouth.

He turned to look at the last Knight, struggling to raise itself to the defense of its king, its bones mostly broken from Drake’s earlier strike.

“Yeah, well,” he scoffed, his right arm melting into magma. It dripped over the Knight, which it began to scream in pain and anguish. “Your way sucks pretty hard, donkey dick.”

You have subjugated Royal Goblin Knight Evyr Ru Vixrik Level 26.

Experience earned. 500,000 TP have been awarded.

Quest Complete: 5 of 5 Royal Goblin Knights

Accept rewards?

Yes < No

Drake swiped the notification away mentally, having other pressing matters.

Over his shoulder, he could hear the stomping of footsteps from the last remaining forces of the goblin army. Turning back to see the Goblin King’s face, he was disgusted.

The monster still had hope in its eyes, as it saw his forces rally.

Drake summoned two large magic circles, one of carmine red and one of mint green. Wind and Fire.

He placed both next to each other as he poured mana into them, his palms facing outwards to the incoming force.

“Impact.”

A tremendous boom cracked the ground around him. He rushed forwards, propelled by white flame and wind. Drake twisted with it, spinning and snapping in a torrential blast of fire.

The goblin army was immolated. Only charred remains now stood in their place.

The king’s face became one of horror once more, as his last hope was wiped off the face of the tutorial.

It looked up at Drake in fear.

“Noghhhtt hummaaann! M-Monsssster!  it screeched, skittering backwards on its hands and feet.

Drake sighed. Blood leaked from his mouth, eyes, and ears, dripping past his mask and pooling on his chin.

“Only when I need to be, and it seems to be more often than not, now…”

Looking at the pitiful Goblin King Moth trying to scamper away as fast as he could lit a fire in Drake’s heart. He had expected more, he had expected the monster that caused all of this to be strong, to put up a fight, to not be... this.

He screamed at the back of the monster.

“Don’t run! Don’t run after everything you’ve done! Take responsibility for thousands of your own kin dying, of all the people you enslaved, killed and…” In Drake’s head, Claire’s face flashed, then Amir, then Hudson, Sherry, Jacqueline, Tom, Harley, and finally Chelsea. “And worse! You fucking cowar—” Drake tried to roar, but coughed. His body was beginning to give under the stress of the all his magic.

But Drake refused to stop now. He grit his teeth he rushed forwards, adamant to keep his promise.

With his lunge toward the king, he reached it quickly, gripping its skull and slamming it into the ground, crushing its face. Then Drake thrust his magma arm out. It hardened to deep black earth.

With four quick swipes of his arm, Drake removed all of the king’s limbs, then used a small fire spell to cauterize them. And with that, he silently dragged the monster by his hair to their final destination.

◆◆◆

“Open the gate! This one bringeth new refugees in need of thy treatment!” Theodore shouted over the outpost gates.

Within seconds, the gates shot open. Harley and Jacqueline rushed forwards. Harley threw her arms around Theodore, welcoming him back, but he reluctantly kept her at an arm’s distance, focusing on Jacqueline.

“Miss Jacqueline. Miss Chelsea has suffered a severe injury. This one implores thee to aid her,” he asked.

Without hesitation, she rushed to her side, offering the still-crying Megan a brief nod. She gave Chelsea a once-over, then got to work. Her hands began glowing with a warm white light as she chanted her spell.

Theodore beckoned the rest of the group.

“Inside the rest of thine fair! We wouldst not wanteth to be ambushed here in the open, ’twould make more trouble for my Liege!” he directed. “Once Miss Chelsea hast received an ample amount of healing to keep her from the Styx’s plutonian shores, prithee look at Miss Julia as well, albeit inside,” he added for Jacqueline.

Jacqueline nodded, but kept her focus on healing.

“What in the bloody hell did this to her?” she asked, sweat lining her brow.

Theodore grimaced “’Twas the King’s Guard.”

Both Harley and Jacqueline jerked slightly.

“Then does that mean… Does that mean that’s where Shot is?!” Claire suddenly said, emerging from the gate. “Is he still fighting them? Is he fighting the king?!”

Theodore’s face darkened.

“Yes, this one suspects so…”

“Then we have to go! Even he can’t fight something like that on hi—” she began pleading, but soon stopped as a figure appeared on the horizon, backlit by the sun.

Without waiting she ran forwards, popping a health potion into her hand.

She slowed as she saw the state of Drake.

In his hands was an abomination. A goblin, with severed limbs and a crushed face.

Drake was a bloody mess. His robes were disheveled, his pants torn, his hair caked in blood and sweat. And worse, from every opening on his body, blood slowly oozed.

Drake stopped in front of her, throwing the monster at her feet, ripping away his mask with his other hand.

“Kill it. It’s the king. The one responsible for everything that happened to you,” he said weakly.

Claire recoiled in disbelief for a moment, her hands shaking. Her mouth opened and shut.

“I…”

Drake was silent.

“Shot? Shot?!” Claire said, concerned. At his unresponsive state her hand went to grip him, but Natto popped out from his head and stopped her.

“Do not touch him for now,” she said, calmly. “He has passed out on his feet. Kill the pitiful beast, then find a healer.” Her attention was fixed on Drake, his eyes glazed over.

“I—” “Kill the monster! Is that not what you have wished for since coming here? Revenge?! Kill it and be done with it!” Claire still hesitated, but deliberately took out her staff. The health potion she returned to her inventory.

Pointing the staff at the monster, she chanted the only attack spell left in her tool kit.

“Spark!”

A small, yellow magic circle formed at the tip of her staff. From it emerged a small ball of electricity, jolting the half-dead corpse of the king.

You have subjugated the Goblin King Moth Ru Var’ Level 28.

Experience earned. 2,500,000 TP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Storm Caller Level 14.

24 FP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Storm Caller Level 15.

24 FP have been awarded.

Congratulations! You have reached Storm Caller Level 16.

24 FP have been awarded.

You have gained the title Accomplice of the Vanquisher of Kings.

You have gained the title Aide in the First of Many

Tutorial-wide Quest Update: The Goblin King Moth Ru Var’ has been slain, ending the invasion. Contributions will be calculated and rewards will be bestowed to the participants.

Calculating rewards…

Rewards based on contribution: Experience earned. 250,000 TP have been awarded.

Distributing titles based on performance: Supporter of the Vanquisher, Survivor of Torment, Follower of the Tyrant

Calculating leaderboards…

Contribution Leaderboard

Rank 1: Shot [32,741 Goblins subjugated]

Rank 2: Bear [11,475 Goblins subjugated]

Rank 3: Shigure Kenzo [7,362 Goblins subjugated]

…

Rank 2,136: Claire Osberg [57 Goblins subjugated]

Chapter 102.5

Glorious Vengeance! Such Elegance!

Aono somehow managed to escape the outpost after Drake and the others had left.

She hid behind a tree, her breath coming in ragged heaves as she pushed her sweat-painted glasses up by the brim. She was surrounded by monsters that could easily find and kill her, should she make one wrong move.

Thankfully, the scene that was playing out was more than a good distraction.

It was art.

Pure euphoria choked her throat at the battle in front of her.

“Elegance…” she whispered, her glasses glinting in the sun as she poked her head out from the tree just a little bit more to get a better view. In one hand was a pen, in the other a faintly glowing piece of paper.

She watched the scene, manically catching on paper the paper the pure unadulterated violence unfolding before her.

“My sparkling knight in shining armor is killing the foul beasts left and right! The magic! The punching! The stabbing? Oh! Ohhhhh?! This spell?! Is this an ultimate move?!” Aono squealed with fangirlish jubilation.

Drake muttered his spell, his staff appearing before him as multiple spells manifested, lashing out in all directions.

“Now that is magic! Yes, continue your great deeds, my Knight! I shall document them passionately and precisely!” she giggled, looking down at the page.

On the faintly glowing paper a figure, supposedly Drake, stood. His chin was tilted upwards, lit in the color of his spells as they annihilated the throngs of monsters in his way. The only thing that seemed to be misrepresented was Drake’s face. It missed his iconic mask, instead replaced with a chiseled jawline and an incredibly handsome face with equally sparkling teeth.

“It’s perfect…” she whispered. Then her head snapped as she heard the horn of more monsters.

Once again the quickly disappearing monsters and equally elusive Drake, moving so fast he was teleporting, amazed her, forcing Aono to scrunch up her face.

“Well, a little artistic liberty is always required I guess…”

Looking on, her hand drafted the page at a feverish pace as she tried to take in the entire scene second by second.

After what felt like hours, her face long-since caked with sweat, Drake finally stopped. Something in the air washed over the surroundings, even reaching her. A chill froze her drawing hand stopping.

Drake stood amidst an army of green statues.

Seven magic circles surrounded him, and she heard him utter his spell.

“Heretical Endowment of the Elementalist! Septenarius!”

An assortment of cascading colors illuminated him. He basked in the glow of the elements as they infused him with their power.

Aono couldn’t help but sob her next words. Her tears would not stop falling. “Ele-gran-suuu!”

Afterword

The tutorial is far from over. Drake and his newfound party members will still have an arduous path forward as they face what the tutorial and sponsor have in store for them.

Can’t wait for book two? You can read advanced unedited chapters on Patreon and join the conversation on Discord. You can find the links at arthurinverse.carrd.co

If that isn’t enough, check out another MoonQuill original, Black Market: A LitRPG Isekai Adventure.

A former mafia boss is reincarnated into a new world, where he uses his skills to take over from the shadows of the underground. Follow as Kyle Hawthorn lets this new world know exactly who the boss is. Read it on Kindle Unlimited.

Still looking for more action? Scan the QR code or click the link below to join our mailing list to get notified of new releases!

Join the MoonQuill mailing list

Thank you for reading a MoonQuill original novel. More exciting stories can be found at www.moonquill.com and on our platform, www.moonquillnovels.com.

We would greatly appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a review. Every review helps the author and supports their ability to continue writing fantastic books for everyone to enjoy!