Maximilian spent the rest of the day and the next in cultivation. His efforts bore fruit of another level. This time he divided his points between Intelligence and Endurance, bringing the former to 30 and the latter to 28. He hadn’t asked about attribute distribution, so he stuck with his plan. He devoted about two hours to sleep but found it wasn’t necessary. The lack of sleep or, rather, the lack of need of it still felt weird. Like he was back in college and would eventually crash. Since that hadn’t happened yet, he ignored it, not that there was anyone he could ask. The dwarves were never around for questions outside of the topic they had chosen.

  When the dull hum spread through his apartment, he got to his feet and took a breath. A complicated jumble of emotions formed in the pit of his stomach as he walked toward the meeting hall. He didn’t pay anyone else any attention as he waited for the next quest to start. The situation reminded him of waiting for a basketball game to start in college. The pregame nerves that would disappear as soon as the referee threw the ball. The moment that felt like an eternity as you jumped for the tip-off. Only he would die if he lost. And it wouldn’t be peaceful. He shook himself out of the self reflection as the white pillar engulfed him. It was time for the show to begin.

  When the light faded, he stood in a forest clearing. Thick trees reached to the sky as warm sunlight beat down on his skin. For a moment he thought he was back on Earth. He realized that wasn’t correct right after he thought it. One, it was winter when he left, so unless the Network had stolen them for longer than he thought or dropped him somewhere in a fantasy version of Europe. The second and biggest hint was the energy. It felt like spiritual energy would enter him if he just stood still for a while. As he was thinking about that, several white pillars appeared, and out of them, five figures emerged. Three of which were human, two of which were harpy women. They looked like a humanoid bird fusion with feathers spread across their arms. Their feet and hands ended in sharp talons instead of fingers. Talons that seemed sharp enough to rip out the throats of most living things. They had thick, curly and colorful hair.

  The other humans were two men and a woman. All three were from East Asia based on what Maximilian could see. The woman was an archer and held an impressive bow in her hands. The men wielded a saber and a staff, both impressive in their own right.

  “Hello, my name is Maximilian. I’ve reached level 3 before this.” He flashed the group a campaign-style smile. “I am a caster and can create a bolt of electricity. I also have a defensive barrier skill.” There was a part of him that wanted to keep the second skill hidden, but he decided against it. In a situation like this, he figured trust was more important. Besides, he would have to use the skill, which meant they would figure it out.

  “My name is Loraphine, and this is Nyphyne.” The biggest of the harpies said before she gestured to the second tallest. Loraphine’s wings reminded him of a falcon, only sharper.

  “I am Ura,” the smallest of the harpies replied. “You said you are at level 3? I am only at level 2. How have you managed this?”

  Maximilian smiled. “Well, just cultivation, I also fought a horde of insect creatures in my second quest.”

  “My name is Lao Kang.” The saber wielder offered.

  “I am Song Bai,” the archer replied with a slight nod of her head.

  “And I am Quan Li.” The staff user replied as he spun his staff. “I am going to be the strongest man on Earth.” Just as we finished up the introductions, the quest prompt appeared.

  Search for and obtain the Majestic Clove in the forest. Reward: Choice of: High-Grade Intelligence Fruit, High-Grade Agility Fruit, High-Grade Constitution Fruit.

  He wasn’t sure what the fruits were but he could make a reasonable guess. They would provide a boost that attribute. Potency was likely related to the quality, so high should mean an enormous boost. He got rid of the screen and thought of something. “Did you all get the same quest rewards? I got something about fruits.” Maximilian asked to several looks of incomprehension.

  “I was offered a skill.” Lao Kang replied. “Something that should go with my saber.”

  Once everyone explained their rewards, Maximilian put together a theory. The Network could determine what they each needed and then tailored the rewards. It didn’t explain everything, like why he got Constitution as an option. Endurance was his second highest attribute, and Agility was even lower down. Was it related to what he wanted or what the Network wanted? Either way, there wasn’t much he could do. It wasn’t like the Network had a customer support line. “I think we should stick together and search the forest for the clove. I assume it’s a plant.”

  “We will go our own way.” Loraphine started. “We mean you no disrespect, but we do not trust easily, and we move faster in the air than on the ground.”

  “Big groups are not very stealthy when traveling through a forest.” Ura offered.

  Maximilian was about to recommend against when the others expressed similar interest. “We are going to travel together.” Lao Kang offered with a pained expression.

  “Ah, I see.” Maximilian nodded to the two groups as they took off. The harpies were both frightening and majestic as they took to the air. He considered following the three humans anyway but didn’t. He was sure that the group knew each other before this, so either they partnered up consistently or they knew each other before all this happened. Either way, he didn’t want to find out what would happen if they wanted to enforce their choice. He also relished the idea of traveling alone. Of not worrying about the lives of anyone but himself. He headed south from the clearing, which should eliminate the chances of his encountering either of the other groups.

  He ignored the plants as he passed through the forest. Though most of them were beautiful with vibrant colors, he was pretty sure none of them were important. The Network hadn’t told them what the clove would look like, so it would either be obvious or the voice would return when he saw it. He was more worried that the plants were poisonous than anything else. Nature color coded things, and bright usually meant dangerous. After he had walked for twenty minutes, he worried he had made the wrong choice. He was about to head back when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He threw himself to the ground as a thick green vine lashed across the space his head had just been.

  He spun and unleashed Static Bolt at the vine, only for a second to shoot out from a tree. This time he triggered his robe’s defensive array to take the hit. The vine crashed into the robe and knocked him back several steps. He formed another Static Bolt but couldn’t find a target. Not only were the vines gone, but the forest had become eerily silent. “Ambush hunter? Or hunters?” He mumbled to himself as he scanned the forest floor and the trees for any signs. No matter how hard he looked, there was nothing. Did he have to let himself get attacked to draw it out or... No, the vine attacked for a reason. He had been alone for a while, so it made more sense to assume that he was near the actual tree. Near enough that the creature thought him a threat. The question was where. He continued in the same direction, but this time he kept his eyes trained on the trees. Sure enough, he hadn’t walked for five minutes before a pair of vines shot out at him.

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  This time he was fast enough to avoid the attack. When the second vine missed, he reached out, grabbed it and wrapped it around his fist. In the next moment, he was yanked forward and into the trees. He activated the array on his robes just to give himself some protection as he fought to avoid trees and vines. He slammed into the trunk of a tree twice the size of his body when his barrier broke and the vine slipped his grasp. The world spun as he fought to breathe. When he could see again, he wished he couldn’t. There was a tree the size of a building with eyes and a mouth that split it in half. It looked like something you would find in a horror Halloween movie. He tried to stand up only for the world to spin again. Instead, he forced energy into Prismatic Barrier. A vine slashed across his chest like a whip before his skill activated. He bit back a scream of agony as he focused. When the rainbow-like bubble sprung into existence like his guardian angel.

  The tree unleashed three more attacks before he got control of himself. The tree was massive, but it wasn’t like the treants. It couldn’t move, which meant — his thoughts trailed as a tree branch crashed into the barrier. This time, a latticework of cracks spread across it. Maximilian unleashed a Static Bolt aimed at the tree’s eyes in hope it would buy him a moment. The spark singed the eye and forced its limbs to recoil. It somehow made the tree monster more horrifying. He got to his feet and backpedaled. Another blast of electricity carved a hole in the tree’s bark. Green sap like blood oozed out but the ugly thing kept coming. He needed more. His mind rushed to come up with a new plan. He could try to use his bare hands, but he wasn’t sure it would work. Even if he imbued his fist. He ducked in time to avoid another tree branch just as a vine shot up and shattered his barrier.

  With his main defensive weapon gone, he retreated. He made it five steps before he stopped. The voice in the back of his head wouldn’t let him. He couldn’t run. He gritted his teeth as madness warred with reason. The tree unleashed another vine. This one aimed at his right leg. He avoided it and belted out a scream. A scream of fury and irritation. Before he could stop himself, he turned and raced into the battle. Now that he had made the choice, new options sprouted in his mind. As if all he needed was to resolve to fight. He gambled on his speed and ability to take at least one hit. He ducked behind the closest tree, which exploded a second later as a pair of vines pursued him.

  Electricity warred with nature as the battle raged. It happened slowly, so slowly that Maximilian hadn’t realized it, not at first. He replaced the fear in his heart with something else. Every near miss was like a drug more powerful than anything Earth ever had. There were no complications here. There was only him and his skills. Amidst the storm of trees and electric shocks, a new creature was born. One forged from the early flames of the tutorial. A pop interrupted Maximilian’s flow state. At first he thought the tree had hit him, that he had lost, but he realized that wasn’t it at all. Static Bolt had advanced again. The realization nearly cost him his right arm as the tree struck like a constrictor. He retreated in time to avoid being snapped in half. His spiritual energy surged into the improved skill.

  The new bolt was about twice as large as its earlier version. He unleashed the skill from his hand this time. He dodged another attack and broke out into a full sprint. When Static Bolt was ready, he leaped into the air and flung it forward. There was no time between his attempt and the spell connecting. The tree’s bark exploded, revealing a green spherical core. Something akin to a heart. His body was in movement before his mind caught up. He activated Prismatic Barrier to avoid a combined assault of vines and branches as he reached the tree. He imbued both hands with spiritual energy and reached into the tree. He wrapped his hands around the spherical core and crushed it.

  Instead of the resistance he had expected, the core was squishy, closer to a gel than a solid object. As soon as he crushed it, the forest went quiet. Maximilian leaped back from the tree, prepared to continue the battle when fresh energy surged into his dantian. It would be before he would reach level 4, but this was a nice infusion. He waited to see if there would be a follow-up attack, but there was nothing. He sat against a tree and grinned to himself. Right before a prompt appeared.

  Monsterbane: Solo kill an enemy at least 5 levels higher than you. Reward: +1 to all Attributes.

  So the tree was around level 8? Did that mean they were supposed to fight it together? He scanned the surrounding area, but there were no signs of the flower, which meant this wasn’t where he was supposed to go. As long as the others weren’t ambushed and their weapons worked, they should be able to eliminate one of them. Maximilian considered trying to warn the other groups but decided against it. One, he wasn’t sure how to find the harpy women. If they were flying, they could be anywhere in the forest. The humans were different, but he knew nothing about tracking or finding people in a forest. He decided to warn them if he could, but he wouldn’t run after them. With any luck he would either find the item first and thus save everyone, or he would come across them at the same time.

  He rested for what felt like half an hour before he set out again. He ran across five more plant creatures before he started to worry. These plants weren’t as strong as the tree, but they were just as dangerous. One of which was a massive plant that smelled wonderful. It wasn’t until you got close enough that the plant reached out and tried to trap you. The only positive thing about the whole place was that the plants couldn’t move. As long as you knew they were there, you could avoid them and be safe. Maximilian was about to look for somewhere to sleep when he heard the sound of battle. He raced through the trees until he could make out three silhouettes in the sky. They were being attacked by a tree like the first one. Only instead of vines, it launched wooden projectiles at them.

  At first, he didn’t get why they didn’t just run away. Even if they weren’t strong enough to beat the tree, it couldn’t chase them, but then he saw it. Every time one of the harpy women got too far away from the tree, vines would grow across their bodies. It seemed as if a thorny net or a shock collar covered them. Despite the tree’s abilities, it shouldn’t be a threat to him. The harpies couldn’t use any ranged attacks, which forced them to risk receiving an attack. He didn’t have that worry. The question was whether he should help them. He considered for a moment but knew the answer. He pushed energy into Static Bolt and took aim. It wasn’t about what they did or said. It was about who he wanted to be. If he left them behind, it would be no different from if he killed them himself.

  That idea resonated with something in his chest. The feeling lasted for less than a second, gone so fast that he couldn’t be sure he hadn’t imagined it. Regardless, he unleashed his skill. Electricity tore through the space between him and the tree faster than he could see. The tree took the attack, but it wasn’t enough to kill it. Maximilian reached down and grabbed a discarded tree branch. He pushed the maximum amount of energy into his right hand and launched the branch like a spear. It wasn’t as fast as his skill, but it didn’t need to be. It was faster than anything short of a gun on Earth. It impaled the tree right where the core should be. He didn’t wait for the tree or the harpies to react. He pushed energy into his feet and shot toward the tree. As soon as he could unleashed Static Bolt the electricity ripped through the tree’s attempt at defense like they weren’t there.

  He slammed an imbued fist into his makeshift spear and forced deeper into the tree. A second hit and the tree let out a guttural cry. A third and the forest went silent. A fourth and he received a surge of spiritual energy. It wasn’t as much as it should’ve been, but he knew that already. He unleashed Static Bolt into the tree again just to be sure that the battle was over. He felt the harpies land near him and stood up. He glanced at them but wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say now. They hadn’t asked for his help, but it was clear he had saved their lives. He also didn’t care. He pushed some spiritual energy into his robes to speed up their cleaning array before he started walking.