Tutorial (20)

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  In a dimly lit command room lined with glowing panels and flickering screens, four beings were present.

  The faint hum of magical circuits filled the air, blending with the sound of rustling papers.

  At the center of the room sat a man in a sturdy wooden chair, his muscular build slouched with authority.

  His thick beard framed a hardened face, and his piercing green eyes scanned the piles of documents and mission reports spread across his cluttered table.

  His skin, pale like porcelain left in the moonlight, caught the dim glow from the desk lamp.

  This was Sébastien—a senior guide and the one currently in charge of overseeing the development and safety of the current player group.

  His subordinates: Fiona, Gilbert, and Melissa stood before him in stiff but uneven postures.

  The fourth junior guide, Trevor, was currently patrolling the assigned floor, managing things in Sébastien’s absence.

  Sébastien tapped his pen on a report and then looked up.

  “This time,” he said, voice deep and laced with quiet authority, “we're going to be in charge of the second zone. So... among you three, who wants to take the lead?”

  Fiona instantly raised her hand with a smug smile, flipping her ponytail dramatically.

  “Sir, it should obviously be me. My zone has the most survivors, after all.”

  Sébastien stared at her for a moment, unimpressed.

  “...No. You won’t do.”

  “Huuh? Why, sir?” Fiona pouted, genuinely shocked, like a kitten being told it couldn’t knock over the vase.

  “Because,” Sébastien said flatly, leaning back and folding his arms, “you’re too lazy.”

  “No, sir! I worked really hard this time!” Fiona exclaimed, adopting a pitiful expression and clasping her hands like a praying saint.

  “I even skipped my nap for this!”

  “Haa…” Sébastien sighed deeply, rubbing his temple.

  “First, you arrived late—again. Second, you didn’t properly guide the players about the quest objectives. And third—”

  “Okay, okay! I got it, I got it…”

  Fiona cut him off, her cheeks reddening from the embarrassment, voice trailing like a scolded child.

  Sébastien shifted his gaze. “Hmm… Gilbert.”

  “Yes, sir!” Gilbert said, chest out, hands behind his back like a soldier reporting to a general.

  “To be honest,” Sébastien continued, eyeing Melissa briefly, “I’d have preferred Melissa as the lead. But she’s... well, too timid for now.”

  “I-I'm sorry, sir,” Melissa mumbled quietly, barely audible over the hum of the panels.

  “So, Gilbert,” Sébastien said, pointing a finger, “you’re in charge this time.”

  “As you command, sir,” Gilbert replied with a confident grin, which was about three inches too smug to be professional.

  “Melissa, Fiona—you’ll assist him. And for the love of the gods, don’t fight.”

  “As you command…” Melissa replied in a soft whisper.

  She was a small woman size of teenage girl, delicate and with an air of fading into the background.

  Her muddy golden hair cascaded past her shoulders, and her pointed elven ears twitched slightly at the noise.

  Even her uniform seemed to wear her, instead of the other way around.

  “Okay, sir!” Fiona said, though her eyes were already twitching toward Gilbert.

  “Good. I’m going to report to the Administrator. You three do good work.” Sébastien stood up and stretched his back with a small grunt.

  “Fiona—try being more hardworking. Melissa—believe in yourself. Gilbert—try being a little less arrogant.”

  Gilbert gave a lazy salute with a wink. “Will do, chief.”

  Sébastien gave them one last look, shook his head, and walked toward the door with the weariness of a father leaving three hyperactive children alone for five minutes.

  The moment the door closed, Fiona immediately turned on Gilbert.

  “You! You totally snitched about me, didn’t you?!” she pointed a dramatic finger like a courtroom attorney.

  “Whoa! False allegations!” Gilbert said, raising both hands, still grinning. “You wound me with these baseless accusations!”

  “Yeah right, your smug little rat face says it all!”

  “I’m a higher class oni, not a rat, thank you very much. Totally different class.”

  “Don’t fight...” Melissa tried to interject softly, raising a hand between them, but neither of them noticed.

  The bickering grew louder, turning into a flurry of sarcastic jabs, exaggerated gestures, and some very creative name-calling.

  “I’m going to sew your mouth shut with guide thread, I swear!”

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  “I’d like to see you try, Miss ‘I-Missed-the-Tutorial’!”

  “Please… please don’t fight…” Melissa tried again, voice now reduced to a whisper that only the nearby coffee cup probably heard.

  But then—

  Beep! Beep!

  A sharp siren blared through the room.

  All three froze.

  “W-What happened?” Fiona asked, startled.

  Gilbert quickly turned to the nearest glowing screen, which flashed red with urgent signals.

  “It looks like… someone just cleared a hidden boss.”

  “What?” Fiona blinked. “Wait… could it be that player?”

  They all rushed toward the central screen, the blue glow reflecting in their widened eyes.

  There, on the display, was the unmistakable form of a player—kneeling, panting beside the massive, lifeless corpse of Hati, the shadow beast.

  “Unbelievable!” Melissa whispered, her voice for once carrying a little more strength.

  “He really did it…” Fiona muttered, stunned.

  Gilbert crossed his arms and gave a low whistle. “Alright. Color me impressed.”

  “Fiona,” he added after a pause, “you should go and inform the other players. They’re probably confused as hell right now.”

  “Hmph. I was already about to go,” Fiona huffed, turning on her heel with a swirl of her cloak. “Unlike some people, I actually care about helping others.”

  “Sure you do,” Gilbert called out. “Just don’t forget your nap this time!”

  Fiona flipped him a not-so-friendly hand sign on the way out, leaving Melissa and Gilbert behind.

  ----

  In the middle of the vast forest, surrounded by towering trees and thick undergrowth, there was a wide clearing where sunlight streamed through the canopy, bathing the mossy ground in golden light.

  Gavin and the other players were, as usual, engaged in the daily grind of monster hunting.

  Their targets for the day were a group of aggressive forest boars — huge, tusked beasts with bristly hides and a tendency to charge first and ask questions never.

  “Alright, everyone, stay sharp. On my signal, we strike together, got it?” Gavin said, tightening his grip on his spear and eyeing the largest boar, which was snorting and pawing at the dirt like a mini warhorse.

  The rest of the group nodded, weapons at the ready.

  Marra, nimble with her bow drawn, perched lightly atop a tree root.

  Bargan, always ready for a brawl, rested his massive battle-axe against his shoulder with a toothy grin.

  But before Gavin could give the signal—

  Beep! Beep!

  A series of loud, mechanical chimes echoed in the air like an emergency announcement.

  A holographic message burst into view above them, casting an eerie blue light over the clearing.

  [Someone has defeated the hidden boss 'Hati Hróevitnisson'!]

  [Forcibly closing the quest!]

  [Congratulations! You’ve cleared the quest!]

  [Rewards being distributed…]

  [Portal to the next tutorial zone has been opened!]

  The players froze in place, weapons halfway raised, mouths half-open.

  “Wait, what?” one of the newer players muttered, blinking rapidly. “Did… did we just win without doing anything?”

  “But there’s still one day left on the quest, isn’t there?” someone else asked, scratching their head.

  “This is weird,” Marra said, lowering her bow, confusion written all over her face.

  “What’s going on, Gavin?” she asked, stepping closer to the group leader.

  “I have no clue,” Gavin replied honestly, eyes still on the message.

  “But we’re not standing out here scratching our heads. Everyone, fall back to camp. We regroup first.”

  The group nodded and began moving as one, jogging back toward their camp nestled under the cover of trees.

  It was their temporary home — a cobbled-together mess of tents, wooden crates, and cooking fires, yet it was cozy in a rugged, slightly-smells-of-smoke kind of way.

  But as they arrived—

  “Whoa! What’s that!?”

  Everyone’s attention snapped to the center of the camp.

  There, floating a few feet off the ground, was a large, shimmering circular portal.

  It swirled with vibrant blues and silvers, rippling like water but shining like starlight.

  It pulsed gently, almost like it was breathing, inviting them in with silent whispers of progress.

  “Is that… the next zone’s portal?” Marra asked, mesmerized.

  “I don’t think we should enter it just yet,” Gavin replied, cautious. “Let’s wait for the guide.”

  And almost as if on cue—

  Whooosh!

  A flash of radiant pink light lit up the air as Fiona appeared, descending gracefully from above.

  Her iridescent butterfly wings fluttered behind her, sparkling in the sunlight, and her pastel-pink hair waved gently in the wind.

  She had an almost theatrical presence, like a magical girl crossed with a fairy queen — if fairy queens wore mini cloaks and had a clipboard.

  Trailing behind her were her junior rookie guides — tiny pixie-like beings with glowing auras and half-panicked expressions, clearly still new to this whole “grand entrance” thing.

  One of them stumbled mid-flight and nearly faceplanted into a bush.

  “Everyone, stay calm, please. There’s no need to panic,” Fiona said in a melodic voice, her hands raised in a calming gesture like a flight attendant assuring passengers mid-turbulence.

  The players, who had begun to buzz with theories and gossip, fell quiet at once.

  “Miss Fiona, what just happened?” Gavin stepped forward, voice respectful but firm.

  “Oh! It’s quite simple really,” Fiona replied with a dazzling smile.

  “Someone found and defeated the hidden boss. Because of that, the quest ended early for everyone.”

  The players exchanged surprised glances.

  “So… that means we completed the quest?” Gavin asked again, just to be sure.

  “Yes, yes! You're all officially done with this stage. Now, all that’s left is for you to step into that lovely glowing portal over there.” She gestured dramatically toward the swirling gate like a game show hostess presenting a grand prize.

  “You’ll be transported to the next tutorial zone. It’ll be… less foresty.”

  “And, um, who exactly defeated the hidden boss?” Gavin ventured, rubbing his chin. His instincts tingled — he had a hunch, a strong one, but he needed confirmation.

  “Ah, sorry! That’s classified,” Fiona said with a playful wink, putting a finger to her lips. “Can’t just go around spilling all the spoilers, you know.”

  “Of course,” Gavin replied, half-smiling. He was more convinced than ever.

  “Oh, and once you pass through, you’ll meet other players from the various tutorial zones. So try to be on your best behavior — no throwing axes, Bargan.”

  “Hmph,” Bargan grunted, not even pretending to be sorry.

  “You all heard her!” Gavin called out, rallying the group. “Let’s move out!”

  “Right!”

  “Yes!”

  “Let’s goooo!”

  One by one, the players stepped into the portal, their bodies shimmering and vanishing into light as they passed through.

  The gate pulsed with every entry, like it was checking names off a divine attendance list.

  Eventually, all of them were gone — only Fiona and her junior guides remained.

  She hovered above the clearing, arms crossed.

  ‘Hmm… Where is that player?’ she thought, eyes scanning the distant treetops.

  The rookie guides fluttered nervously behind her, unsure if they should say something or just pretend to look busy.

  ‘Do I need to go find him myself?’ Fiona pondered, tapping her lip with a finger.

  A leaf drifted down and landed on her head. She didn’t even flinch.

  “…Ugh. I really hope he’s not doing anything useless.”

  She sighed, her wings giving a frustrated twitch.

  But then—

  Thud! Thud!

  Heavy footsteps echoed through the forest clearing.

  Fiona’s ears perked up, and her head turned sharply toward the sound.

  The rookie guides, no larger than her hand, fluttered nervously behind her, their glowing wings twitching mid-air.

  From between the trees, I emerged—silent, steady, and carrying something massive over my shoulder.

  The lifeless body of Hati Hróevitnisson—the hidden boss of the zone.

  The beast’s massive frame was draped over my shoulder like a sack of grain, its fur matted with dried blood and its once-fiery eyes now dull and lifeless.

  Steam still rose from its wounds as if the body hadn’t yet realized it was dead.

  Fiona’s eyes widened, and even the rookie guides froze mid-flutter.

  I walked forward with even steps and, after reaching a clearing near the portal—

  Thud!

  I dropped the heavy corpse onto the ground with a satisfying weighty slam.

  Dust kicked up from the forest floor.

  Fiona floated over quickly, her wings shimmering as she landed a few feet in front of me, clapping her hands together with a bright smile.

  “Oh! Congratulations on clearing the hidden boss! That’s amazing—you’re really awesome!” she exclaimed, her tone full of cheerful admiration.

  “Is it so?” I replied flatly, brushing some blood off my cloak.

  Her smile wavered slightly. “U-Umm… yes. Of course!”

  She seemed thrown off by my deadpan tone.

  ‘Why… why is this human so calm even after killing that thing? And unaffected by my charm magic?’ she wondered, a slight twitch in her brow betraying her confusion.

  I could practically see the gears turning in her head.

  I gave a short chuckle under my breath.

  “I can enter the next tutorial zone, right?” I asked, tone casual.

  “Yes,” she answered with a quick nod. “You’re free to proceed through the portal.”

  “Before that, I’d like to trade the corpse of Hati.”

  I pointed down to the fallen boss.

  “Ah! Yes, of course! That corpse will fetch you a great deal of TP,” she said enthusiastically.

  I narrowed my eyes slightly.

  ‘TP? She thinks Hati’s corpse is that easy to bargain with?’

  “No. Not for TP,” I said, calmly. “I want an item.”

  She blinked. “An… item? I’m sorry, but that’s not possible.”

  Her voice was soft, but the refusal was firm.

  She smiled again—but this time, it was tight around the edges.

  ‘Does he think he can haggle with a system assistant? Foolish…’ she muttered to herself inwardly.

  “I see,” I said with a sigh, feigning disappointment. “Then I have no choice…”

  She tilted her head. “Huh?”

  “I’ll just have to burn the corpse, then.”

  I crouched down and pulled out a small piece of enchanted wood.

  The color drained from her face.

  “W-Wait! No, don’t do that!”

  I didn’t say anything.

  I simply lit the wood with a small spark of flint, letting the flame lick its edges.

  “Wait! Wait! Fine—I’ll trade with you for an item!”

  I extinguished the flame with a flick and smiled slightly. “Good.”

  ‘This bastard!’ she cursed inside her head, but her face returned to its sweet, professional smile.

  “What item do you wish to trade for?” she asked, maintaining the pleasant expression with visible effort.

  “Ice giant Core,” I said without hesitation.

  Her wings twitched.

  The Ice giant was a monster that only appeared on higher tutorial floors, typically not accessible yet.

  Its core was a rare alchemical ingredient, valuable for crafting cold-resistant equipment or advanced enchantments.

  She gave a strained laugh. “Ahaha… I’m sorry, but that’s impossible. That kind of material isn’t available at your stage.”

  “Is that so?” I asked, letting the weight of my gaze settle on her.

  “Y-Yes. But… how about an Ice Witch Core instead?”

  Now that was something worth considering.

  The Ice Witch Core was of slightly lower tier, but still a solid reward and useful for my future plans.

  “Hmm… fine,” I said, nodding after a moment.

  “Great!” she said, snapping her fingers quickly before I changed my mind.

  A pink butterfly, made of pure magic, fluttered from her palm and landed on Hati’s body.

  It shimmered brightly—and then the massive corpse vanished into particles of light.

  [Your item has been transferred to your inventory!]

  A system prompt appeared.

  I checked my inventory—sure enough, the Ice Witch Core was sitting inside, glowing faintly with a pale blue hue.

  “Anything else?” she asked, clearly hoping the answer was no.

  “Nothing. I’ll be on my way,” I said.

  “Wonderful! Goodbye!” she replied, waving just a bit too quickly.

  I stepped into the glowing portal.

  [You’ve entered the Tutorial Zone 'Elaran Wilds']

  The swirling blue light enveloped me—and the next stage of the tower began.