Tutorial II (5)

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  The sky above was a vivid, endless blue, unmarred by even a single cloud. Sunlight poured down like liquid gold, bathing the land in warmth.

  Below, the massive lake glittered like a mirror, perfectly reflecting the heavens above.

  Ripples shimmered across the surface with each breeze, while the soft sounds of splashing water and distant monster cries echoed across the vast open plains surrounding the lake.

  Clusters of players were scattered along the lakeside, weapons in hand, hunting frog-like monsters and fish-beasts that occasionally flopped out from the shallows.

  A peaceful scene… for now.

  “Is everyone okay?” Gavin called out, thrusting his spear forward with practiced ease.

  It pierced through a green-scaled lake frog that had lunged at him, its slimy tongue mid-swing.

  “Trrrk!” the frog croaked out its last breath before crumpling to the ground, steam rising from the puncture wound.

  “Yes, I think everyone’s holding up fine,” Marra said, already nocking another arrow.

  Her auburn hair caught the sun as she pivoted, loosing a shot straight into a leaping fish-monster mid-air.

  “Yeah, this area’s way easier than that first tutorial hellhole,” Bargan grunted, cleaving through a group of frogspawn with his massive battle axe.

  Their bodies hit the dirt with a wet thud, splashing slime and water in all directions.

  Gavin gave a slow nod, his eyes sweeping across the field.

  Most of the newer players were starting to find their footing—some fumbling, others still hesitating—but they were improving.

  He smiled faintly.

  Progress was progress.

  As he turned to check the rear line, a new voice called out behind him.

  “Hello!”

  Gavin spun around, gripping his spear cautiously.

  A middle-aged man approached with a relaxed gait, a calm smile on his face.

  He looked strong—his gear was well-maintained and light for mobility.

  A katana rested on his hip, and behind him stood a few other players, all with steady eyes and confident postures.

  “Umm… how can I help you?” Gavin asked, keeping his tone polite but guarded.

  “I saw you and your group hunting earlier,” the man said with a smile. “You’re good. Really good. How about teaming up?”

  Gavin relaxed a little. “Sure. I’m Gavin, by the way.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Denver,” the man replied, extending a hand. Gavin shook it.

  “Alright, everyone!” Gavin turned to his team. “We’ll hunt together with Denver’s group for now!”

  But then—Denver’s smile wavered slightly.

  His eyes narrowed as they drifted over the others.

  “Wait… why are you carrying all those burdens?” he asked casually.

  “Excuse me?” Gavin tilted his head, a slight edge in his voice.

  “I mean—come on,” Denver gestured broadly.

  “You and a few others here are clearly strong. But the rest? Dead weight. They’re slowing you down. You’d be way more efficient if you let them go.”

  A beat of silence fell between them.

  Gavin’s grip on his spear tightened.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, voice low but firm. “But I’m not leaving anyone behind.”

  Denver sighed, rubbing his temples.

  “Think about it. If you, me, and my team teamed up, we’d dominate this floor. No wasted effort. Just power and progress.”

  “No,” Gavin repeated, his tone like iron. “I won’t abandon them.”

  “Tch. Suit yourself.” Denver raised his hands and turned away. “Come find me when you change your mind.”

  As Denver and his group walked off, Bargan moved beside Gavin, speaking in a low voice.

  “Hey… are you really going to carry them all?” he asked, concern flickering in his eyes.

  “Yes,” Gavin replied without hesitation.

  “We don’t know what this Tower really is. Or how bad it’ll get. If we abandon each other now, then what’s the point?”

  “But—” Bargan opened his mouth, then stopped when he saw the look in Gavin’s eyes.

  “If you want to leave, I won’t stop you,” Gavin said quietly. “But my decision is final.”

  Maybe it was his past as a soldier.

  Or maybe it was just who he was.

  But Gavin believed the strong should protect the weak—especially when they shared the same battlefield.

  It was then—

  A sudden rumble rolled through the ground, and system messages flared across every player’s interface.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  [Someone has slain the Three-Tailed Fox!]

  [The power of Fire has weakened!]

  [The power of the North has diminished!]

  [The South has gained a Buff!]

  [Water has surged!]

  [The Lake has risen!]

  “What the hell…?” Marra murmured.

  The lake’s surface began to tremble, rippling violently.

  The once-calm waters surged upward, overflowing into the surrounding land.

  The ground beneath the players’ feet became slick and soft.

  Frogs and fish-beasts screeched and hissed as they suddenly became faster, stronger, more aggressive.

  “Why are they moving so fast now?!”

  “They weren’t this strong before!”

  Panicked cries rang out as several players were knocked back, slashed by water-charged attacks.

  [The Lake Bison has awakened from its slumber!]

  [Lake Bison has regained its lost ability: ‘Water Shroud’!]

  [Lake Bison has been buffed by the elemental imbalance!]

  [The Lake Bison will begin its rampage in 24 hours!]

  [New Quest: Bison Rampage! – Objective: Defeat the enraged Lake Bison before it devastates the area!]

  Gavin’s eyes widened as he read the messages.

  “Lake Bison…? That’s one of the boss, isn’t it?”

  The water around them surged again, and distant tremors rumbled beneath the lakebed.

  The real challenge had just begun.

  -----

  [New Quest: Bison Rampage!]

  Type: Survival

  Difficulty: D+

  Objective: Survive the Bison and his lake monsters assault until the the buff ends.

  Conditions: None

  Description: The four boss of each direction balanced each other.

  But now that boss of north three tails have been slained.

  The boss of South lake bison has began his rampage.

  After next 24 hours, he and his lake monsters will attack.

  Try to survive.

  Time Limit: 3 hours.

  Rewards:

  - Items according to your contribution rate.

  - Tower Points (TP) +5,000

  [Quest Begins in 24 hours!!]

  ---

  “Hmm…”

  I narrowed my eyes as I stared at the new quest notification glowing faintly in the corner of my interface.

  [Quest: Bison Rampage]

  In 24 hours, the lake monsters will begin a relentless assault.

  For 3 hours, waves of aquatic beasts will attack the surrounding region.

  On the last hour, the Lake Bison will rise and lead the final onslaught himself.

  The objective was straightforward.

  Survive. Defend. Or defeat the Lake Bison to end the threat prematurely.

  But…

  I tapped my chin thoughtfully, my eyes narrowing.

  The real issue wasn’t the quest’s objective.

  It was the sheer number of monsters.

  Hundreds of lake creatures would rise and attack.

  They would swarm the area like a tidal wave, allowing only a few short hours of rest between assaults.

  It would be constant, draining, and brutal.

  ‘Not that it’s a problem for me!’ I smirked.

  Why chase prey when the prey comes running?

  While most would see it as a terrifying trial, I saw an opportunity.

  A perfect, endless loop of EXP and TP.

  A literal flood of progress.

  Sure, the easiest way to end the quest was to defeat the Lake Bison outright.

  But I had no intention of doing that.

  Not yet.

  ‘The bison can wait. I need the lake monsters more than I need the title of hero.’

  With that thought, I turned my gaze toward the battlefield behind me.

  The scorched plains were littered with the corpses of fire monsters—remnants from the elemental imbalance caused by the Three-Tailed Fox’s death.

  Their cracked bodies steamed as wisps of heat escaped them.

  The crimson hides were still warm.

  I exhaled slowly.

  ‘It’s gonna take time to clean all this up.’

  Kneeling beside one of the larger beasts, I pulled out my dagger—a simple, black-handled blade I had come to rely on.

  Shhink.

  The dagger slid into the monster’s chest with ease.

  One by one, I began carving out the fire cores from the fallen monsters.

  The air was filled with the scent of burnt scales and ash.

  Occasionally, sparks would flare as I cut too close to an active ember buried inside their flesh.

  It was dirty work, but necessary.

  Over the next hour, I meticulously harvested every valuable core I could get my hands on.

  The smaller cores weren’t nearly as powerful as the one from the Three-Tailed Fox, but together, they formed a decent pile.

  Enough for what I had in mind.

  “Rookie Guide,” I called out once I was satisfied.

  In response, a flash of blue light burst into the air beside me, and from it appeared a fluttering figure—no taller than my plam.

  Bernet appeared with a cheeky smile.

  “Hello! Ho—?” He stopped mid-greeting, blinking at the sight around me. “Whoa… you hunted all that?”

  He floated slowly over the field, his wings giving off a soft hum.

  “You’re kind of scary, you know that?” he mumbled under his breath.

  “Open the shop,” I said without wasting time.

  “Right away!”

  A blue screen projected itself in front of me, the shop interface loading up with a pleasant chime.

  Dozens of items appeared—weapons, armor, consumables, scrolls, and more.

  Without hesitation, I began browsing.

  I selected a sturdy new set of armor—lightweight but reinforced—and a long sword with a gleaming, curved edge.

  Its stats were a significant upgrade from my current weapon.

  There were also a number of temporary skills on offer, time-limited boosts and enchantments.

  But I wasn’t interested in shortcuts.

  I waved them off.

  [Your purchased items have been transferred to your inventory.]

  With that done, I turned back to Bernet.

  “Now purchase everything in my inventory,” I instructed, “except for the new items I just bought, the meat, bear parts and the cores.”

  He gave a playful salute.

  “You got it!”

  Bernet snapped his fingers, and a shimmer of light danced across the interface as my unwanted items vanished.

  [You’ve obtained some TP!]

  ‘Good.’

  Those tools… some of them I had prepared for hunting the Three-Tailed Fox.

  I didn’t need them anymore. Luke and his friends had helped me when it mattered most.

  ‘I won’t forget your sacrifice. Rest in peace.’

  “Anything else?” Bernet asked, tilting his head.

  “No, you can go,” I said.

  With a nod, he vanished into a burst of sparkles, the air falling still once again.

  I opened my inventory and withdrew the long sword.

  Its blade gleamed under the evening light, the steel humming softly as if eager to taste blood.

  I gave it a few practice swings, feeling the smoothness of the weight and balance.

  ‘There’s still 24 hours left before the lake monsters attack.’

  I wasn’t going to sit idle.

  No, until the battle began—I would hunt.

  And so, I moved into the field once more, stepping among the dancing embers and fading red light of dusk.

  Fire monsters still roamed the charred plains, unaware of the storm that would soon come.

  I struck with precision.

  Slash!

  A fire-hound lunged toward me, but I met it mid-air, cutting it down in a single swing.

  Slash!

  A twin-headed salamander hissed from behind a tree, but it too fell with a single arc of steel.

  None could withstand even a single strike of my new weapon.

  And so, the hours passed.

  Night fell.

  The stars blinked overhead, reflected faintly in the rising waters of the lake. But I did not rest.

  There was no time to rest.

  Only time to prepare.

  ----

  The moon hung high above like a polished silver coin in the sky, casting its gentle light across the still surface of the lake.

  The water shimmered faintly, each ripple catching the moonlight and scattering it like stardust.

  A soft breeze carried the scent of damp earth and wild reeds.

  The lake was beautiful under the night sky—almost serene, as if untouched by conflict.

  But I hadn’t come here to admire the scenery.

  ‘It’s time to test the new skills.’

  I stood up from the flat rock I had been sitting on, dusting off the back of my coat.

  My gaze shifted to the left—about fifty meters away, a cluster of muckducks waddled clumsily on the muddy bank.

  "Quack!"

  "Quack!"

  Seven of them.

  Bulky, amphibious creatures with slimy, gray-green skin.

  Their short, squat legs made them slow on land, but I knew they were agile and swift once submerged.

  Their primary form of attack was spitting globs of corrosive mud—disgusting, but effective.

  ‘Not a bad target for practice.’

  I stepped forward, my fingers twitching slightly as I summoned the first of the new abilities.

  'Fall of dusk!'

  At my command, the shadows beneath me began to quiver.

  They rippled unnaturally, stretching out like tendrils before slowly rising, coiling around my arm like living smoke.

  I could feel it—an eerie coldness seeping into my skin, but also power.

  I focused that energy toward my right hand.

  The shadows thickened.

  Solidified.

  A long, curved claw formed at the end of my arm—its shape jagged, yet sharp, pulsing with faint purple veins of mana.

  Swipe!

  I turned to the nearby boulder and slashed it cleanly.

  A deep gash carved through the rock, splitting it partially down the middle.

  Stone fragments cracked and tumbled to the ground, steam rising faintly from where the claw had touched.

  I exhaled and let the skill fade.

  The shadows recoiled instantly, slithering back into the ground as if never there.

  ‘Effective. And sharp. Definitely not just for show.’

  Time to test the second skill.

  'Umbral Howl!'

  The temperature around me dipped.

  The moonlight dimmed, as if the shadows themselves grew bolder.

  Dark tendrils seeped from the ground again, coiling into shapes.

  One by one, beasts emerged.

  "Grr...!"

  The first was large, smaller than direwolf—entirely black, featureless except for the glowing crimson eyes burning from within its form.

  No fur, no mouth, no flesh—just writhing darkness given shape.

  Then came another.

  And another.

  Until five stood before me.

  Silent.

  Still.

  "Grrr..."

  Each of them let out a low growl—distorted, like an echo crawling through a tunnel.

  Their eyes met mine for a moment, and then—

  WHOOSH!

  They dashed towards their target with quick and silent steps.

  The muckducks noticed them too late.

  "Qua–!"

  One of the wolves lunged and tackled the lead muckduck, sinking its claw-like limbs into its flabby chest, dragging it into the mud.

  Another pounced from the side, slashing through a muckduck’s leg before darting away like a phantom.

  "Quack!!"

  The creatures retaliated—one puffed up and spat a massive glob of steaming mud.

  It hit one of the shadow wolves square in the face.

  Ssshhhk—!

  The shadow creature recoiled, its body flickering violently.

  Parts of it were eaten away by the mud’s corrosive properties.

  But within seconds… it began to reform.

  "Grrr...!"

  Darkness reknit itself, the limb regrowing like smoke coalescing.

  ‘So they can regenerate… as long as I supply the mana.’

  I could feel the drain in real-time.

  The link between me and the wolves tugged at my mana reserves—each attack, each movement, costing more and more.

  But the wolves didn’t falter.

  They circled the muckducks, outmaneuvering their sluggish steps and drowning them in coordinated strikes.

  Their glowing red eyes danced through the night like sparks.

  In under a minute, the fight was over.

  The muckducks lay motionless—their heavy bodies torn and sprawled across the muddy bank.

  The shadow wolves returned to me, their forms flickering.

  But then—

  [You’re low on mana!]

  A crimson pulse flashed in the corner of my vision.

  I could feel the strain now—my breath slightly ragged, my head buzzing faintly from overuse.

  “Disengage,” I muttered.

  With that, the wolves dissolved—melting into pools of shadow before slipping into the earth like rain down a drain.

  The night returned to stillness.

  No more growling.

  No more fighting.

  Just the sound of gentle lake waves and wind rustling through tall grass.

  I smiled faintly, catching my breath.

  ‘I didn’t even need to test the last skill. If these two worked this well… the third one will be a monster.’

  I turned back to the rock and sat down once more.

  The lake still glowed faintly, reflecting the red moon above like a twin sky beneath my feet.