Nobody at the table wanted to drink. On the contrary, most of them seemed to sober up from the shock. Lotte looked horrified at Alex, unable to comprehend the things happening in front of her eyes. Knowing about and experiencing the powers are two different things. Looking around, Alex saw everyone in a shocked state.

A girl asked Alex. “Is Mellie coming back?” He fell into a silence. He couldn't answer the question.

“Is she coming back?” Repeated the girl. Her voice firmed up but who was Alex to know? “Maybe.” She wasn´t happy with that answer. She wanted to hear a yes. Maybe if the people felt the same magical feelings he had at the start, they would be less scared.

The people became restless. A boy ran out of the room. “I don't have any more time.” Then Alex got up and left. He left a message on Malle's cell phone.

Then he had an idea. His father could make a business out of training people. They needed that.

At home, Alex went into the tutorial. His desires for the new world were too strong. He needed the thrill. The bright light brought him to a huge cave. Two other people were standing next to him. He recognized the huge man from the first floor. The second one was a young woman. She had black hair tied in a ponytail. As a weapon, she wore a katana on her belt.

“You cannot return to your world until you have defeated the champions of the floor. In addition, regular creatures are waiting for you. For the first time you have to choose your fights wisely, don't die a stupid death.”

The other two seemed to find little joy in this task. Still, they were focused and ready. The three stood in a triangle to each other and scanned the others. You could hear a needle drop during the silence. The woman was the first to speak. “I'm Kim. Nice to meet you.” She had a few freckles on her cheeks and nose.

“I'm pleased. My name is Alex.” Said Alex.

“Noah,” said the giant.

“Before we go any further, we should share our skills. I assume you have some too, otherwise, you would hardly have defeated the sword ant,” said Kim.

Alex nodded and cut the ground in front of his feet with his glowing glaive. Noah was just as pragmatic. He brandished his warhammer and smashed it into the floor. His destructive power was greater than Alex's, even though his weapon looked unboosted. Kim was the last. She drew her sword. The movement was too fast to be seen. A brief glow was visible. Then she sheathed her sword.

Alex was baffled at her skill. “Did you receive any martial arts training before the tutorial?”

“I practiced kendo for eleven years and with the strength of the tutorial I could be world champion if we were still in the old world,” said Kim and winked.

“Impressive,” said Alex.

“Let's not waste time. Go,” said Noah and so they left the cave together. A breathtaking view greeted them outside. Alex had just left the cave entrance and a rugged mountain landscape stretched down until it fused into an endless mix of meadows and forests that interchanged. Far at the end of the sky, the tutorial's veil-like curtain obscured the view, but it was far away. Alex felt like a king, a chosen one who was allowed to walk on heavenly land.

The view was magnificent but should hinder their task.

“Where do we start?” asked Alex.

“I don't know,” said Kim. She was just as stunned as Alex was a moment ago.

“We need to get an overview,” said Noah. That idea was agreed upon. After half an hour, maybe an hour, they reached the top of the mountain.

The only problem was that everything looked the same from up there. There was no stream or lake, just endless green. So it didn't seem to matter which way they went.

“We should prepare for a long stay,” said Alex. He guessed that searching the landscape for the champions alone would take a few days. They didn't even know what kind of opponents they would face.

“Does anyone have food or water?” asked Noah. Alex and Kim shook their heads.

“This is going to be difficult,” said Noah. Alex thought the same.

They set off and after traversed the land. They had already left the mountain and crossed one of the many meadows. The entire time was without any sign of a champion or a squirrel for that matter.

Noah led them. He was their stoic leader and seemed reliable. Alex was glad to have him and Kim for that matter. Alex was their rearguard.

Suddenly Noah stopped, ducking towards the ground. Alex did the same. What was going on in the front? He saw nothing. The silence was overwhelming. Very soon Alex heard loud grunts and a little later several individuals trampling on a trail.

Alex tensed up. He would take a battle any day. A grin crept over his lips but his expectation was left unfulfilled. The beings moved on and Noah did nothing. When the noises had left for a long time, Noah turned around. “Four orcs. They have a trail. "

He then went to inspect the path. Alex followed. It was a beaten track that was used very often. Only hard-packed earth was left.

“We should follow the path,” said Noah.

They followed the path from a safe distance inside the dense forest. They were safely hidden from any eyes. The path ended in one of the numerous meadows. They went up to the end of the forest, only hidden by the very last branches. From their position, they could see the four orcs on the meadow. In the distance were more orcs. They covered the perimeter with about ten orcs. Each one had a sharpened branch.

The situation seemed calm. Something squeaked. The orcs dashed off and mowed the high grass in front of them down. Their spears flew through the air. Sometimes Alex could hear the painful screams of their prey. The scene ended at a moment's notice.

The orcs went to collect their spears. Some picked up goblins together with their spears. The little creatures squirmed in the face of the orcs and Alex soon understood why. One of the orcs lifted a goblin by the shoulder and leg, then bit down on it. The goblin screamed hellishly. Then all orcs started to eat. Some lucky goblins were already dead.

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The scene made Alex shudder. He was familiar with fighting and killing and had even looked forward to the thrill. But the brutality and the helplessness of the goblins disturbed him. Additionally weren't orcs and goblins almost the same thing, green monsters? How could they eat one another? He expected them to work together.

Noah remained in the hiding spot. Now, as Alex blooded cooled down, he got an idea why. They could get information by tracking the orcs. The fact that all orcs were taking the same route back made the decision obviously right.

They followed the orcs until the sun began to set but the beasts marched without halting. In the meantime, they had lost sight of them twice, but caught up again, because they only had to follow the trail.

The moonlight illuminated the night, as they reached a village. It stood in a small clearing of the forest with six huts in total. A fire pit stood in the middle of the huts and some female orcs went about their business. Two extremely fat orc children were running wildly around the camp. Everything seemed fairly normal.

After a while, another group of hunters came back from the other side of the village with more killed goblins. Alex heard the tutorial voice in his head.

“You saw the champion Orc Warlord.”

With the normal orcs came a real beast. The others were 2,2 m tall, muscular, and had green skin but the champion was a whole head taller. His physique was also disproportionately strong. Two tusks protruded from its lower jaw. Its deep red skin made it look fierce and its presence alone froze the air.

Alex could hear his own breathing. He made eye contact with the other two and they decided to retreat. Only after being far enough away so that nothing could hear them speak, did they stop.

“What do you think?” asked Kim.

Noah started talking. “I can manage a lot of orcs. The spears will be of little danger to me. I have a ring that strengthens my skin, but Orc Warlord. Not alone.” said Noah.

“Time is working against us. Soon we won´t be able to fight properly,” said Kim.

“I suggest we attack the village tonight. With us three we can take the champion” said Alex.

“Let´s smash their head in right now”, said Noah.

“Do you want to fight everyone?” asked Alex.

The expressionless, almost questioning look from Noah, why not, was truly scary in Alex's opinion. He needed to explain his plan better. Noah was crazy.

“Let's wait until they fall asleep and kill them then,” said Alex.

“Why don't we start with the champion? Would make everything easier,” said Kim.

“Do you think he will die quickly or easily?” asked Alex. He couldn´t explain why he thought that way but he was certain. The champion for last. The hair on the back of his neck still stood on end at the very thought of the monster, mixed with a hint of anticipation. He must have grinned stupidly because Kim shook her head and gave him a derogatory look. He didn't care.

“That's not my way of fighting,” said Noah. To be honest, Alex agreed with him. With his hammer, he would wake up all the orcs in no time.

“I and Kim do that. You stand outside and warn us if they come,” said Alex. Noah crossed his arms and fluffed his upper body. His silence must have been a kind of consent. Alex simply smiled at him.

The late-night came. They had to wait several hours but the orcs finally went to sleep. Their hunger and thirst made them restless. That battle had to happen. Alex would give so much for a good sausage with mustard right now but it was finally time to get started.

They crept up to the village. Everything was silent. The orcs had no guards but what out here was crazy enough to attack a village full of orcs, definitely no goblins.

Alex and Kim moved in slow motion across the trampled floor. They had already put aside everything that could make noise. In front of them was the first hut. The entrance was designed for orcs, more than big enough for a human. The inside was slightly cramped. Alex had trouble swinging his glaive inside. Kim was significantly better equipped for the job.

In the end, Alex stood before the first orc. That would be his easiest kill inside the tutorial. The orc snored, his foul breath crept towards Alex. It was more than terrible. He barely stopped himself from puking but even an orc had something peaceful about themselves while sleeping, and for the first time since the preparatory battles he hesitated. His memories or rather the memories the tutorial had given him kicked in. To hesitate is to die. He would not die. His glaive fell and cut the throat down to the bone. The orc made a low gurgle, but would never get up again.

Then Alex went to the second orc and killed him instantly. Kim in the meantime had been faster than him, but she hesitated noticeably at the last orc in the hut. It was one of the little orc children. Amazingly, it was uglier than the grown-ups, yet it had the round features of a child.

Alex and Kim looked at each other briefly. Alex couldn´t risk them getting revealed so early. Then he killed the little orc.

They went to the next hut and the next. Everything went well until they were in the fourth one. Out of the blue the Orc Champion roared from inside the other hut. The orc next to Alex woke up. Yet a glaive finished him before it realized what was happening.

Alex and Kim ran out of the cabin. No more Orc was left inside. Noah had already run to the hut without a champion and hurled the first orc back inside with his warhammer. He had that entrance under control.

Alex and Kim rushed to the champion's hut to stop him but it was too late. The Monster stood outside and was ready to fight. Armed with a spear. Alex fought the champion together with Kim, at least for a moment.

The other orcs from the hut came out and harassed them. An orc hurled his spear at Alex when he thought Alex was not looking. Luckily Alex was looking and dodged the projectile by a hair's breadth. The speed of the spear made him shudder. He didn't have time to breathe because the champion was already stabbing at him.

The fight was getting intense. With his reflexes on edge, he reflected the attack. His counterattack with his glowing blade cut the flesh of its forearm but the champion had reacted in time. Otherwise, his whole arm would be cut off.

Alex didn't have time to continue, as the other orc tackled him. Alex couldn't do anything about it and fell to the ground with the orc. The hardness of the impact drove the air out of him. It felt like he lost his awareness for a moment.

Then he wondered why the orc flew through the air in the next moment. When he came to his senses, Noah stood next to him.

“Come on,” he shouted and ran on. Alex rolled onto all fours and stood up, still wobbly on his feet. He grabbed his glaive and moved. Right now, Kim was blocking attacks from two normal orcs and the champion. She defended herself bitterly but rapidly lost ground.

Noah came in and launched a massive attack on the champion. The air was stirred up, its spear broke after coming in contact with the Warhammer, but surprisingly the Champion caught the hammer.

Alex ran to them. Now he could return the favor to Noah, who was now in a duel of muscles and was at a clear disadvantage. Alex strengthened his blade and struck the champion's shoulder. That was a clean strike that went deep into its flesh and bone.

The unthinkable happened. The blade stopped after a while, unable to penetrate. A dark red shimmer merged with the skin color of the champion. Alex's mind quickened. He didn't have time. With pure muscle strength, he retrieved his blade and lifted his glaive over the orc for a second attack, but the champion blocked this with his arms alone.

However, that allowed Noah to free his weapon. Now he bashed the champion for good. He smashed the shoulder, leaving nothing but broken bones. Admittedly, there was no shimmer on the skin of the champions this time. It worked more like a limited ability.

Alex took the chance and this time aimed for the head of the champion. The champion was overwhelmed by the two opponents and the damage he had taken. Alex's attack connected. It was over. The champion's head flew through the air. Some orcs might have fled during the chaos but Alex could care less.

“Congratulations. You killed the orc warlord. 1/1”