After the fight they searched the orcs huts for something useful. Alex just came out of one of the huts. All he found was a wooden bowl. Additionally, there was some meat but it didn´t seem edible. The strange green color of the flesh put him off. Kim and Noah also came from a hut each.
Now they had searched each one. Noah walked to one of the orcs and then stabbed the artery with the pointed end of his warhammer. A huge hammer print was still visible on the orc's chest, making it apparent who had killed it. The blood poured out from the wound and Noah caught it in one of the bowls. Alex swallowed his spit. Had they no other option?
Reluctantly, he did the same. He couldn't think of anything better. Kim stood by. She didn't move a muscle. Noah was the first to try the blood. The minutes passed and he had no problems. Then Alex took a sip.
"We should eat," said Noah. He went to the nearby forest and gathered branches. Alex helped him wordlessly. They piled a mound of firewood in the middle of the village. Alex set on fire with a fireball. No one was comfortable with what they did next but what did it matter. Their stomachs growled and heaps of meat lay around them. They made shish kebab out of the orcs' spears and their own meat. Under the green skin was dark red flesh that looked like game.
"I don't eat this," said Kim.
Alex didn't look at her. He couldn't blame her. In the end, he and Noah ate their fill. It tasted a bit like beef. They rationed something and spent the night in the orc village. It made for a gloomy atmosphere, laying so near to dozens of corpses they killed.
Their sleep was short and erratic. Mainly because someone was always on guard. Alex couldn't even fall asleep after his watch was over. As such he was in a bad mood when the light rose. They decided to hike deeper into the forest. Every now and then the infinite green of the forest opened up and made space for a meadow. Alex was sure that at the end of this floor he would hate the color green. They might think the fourth floor as dead. There was no sign of life during several hours of walking.
Understandably they were really surprised when a small stone house appeared under the thick canopy of the trees. The house had a roof made of gray stones, the walls were the same gray and there were no windows. They watched the house from the safety of the forest. Nothing happened for a while. Minutes passed, maybe hours. Alex was starting to get bored. Their caution seemed pointless.
Ultimately, they decided to go into the house. Noah and was visibly tense. There has never been anything unnecessary on the floors. Kim and Alex walked to the left and right of Noah. Everyone was ready to jump on an opponent at any moment.
Alex was amazed when Noah knocked on the door. Nothing happened. Noah knocked again. Nothing happened. Then he pushed the door open with his hammer. The door crashed against the wall and stopped with a bloodcurdling squeal. Alex stood across Noah. They looked into the house from both sides, but no one seemed to be there.
"Nothing," said Alex.
"Nothing," confirmed Noah. Then he went in and looked around. "Absolutely nobody," said Noah.
Alex followed. The room was empty except for a table and three chairs. The number matched their group. Was that planned by the tutorial? Had they found some kind of retreat? But they would have to fire the interior designer of the house. It looked terribly. Alex relaxed a little.
Then Kim came into the house. In the next moment Alex saw shadows falling from the ceiling. Instinctively he ducked. From behind he heard steel crashing against steel. A bloody fountain spurted from Noah’s position. Alex didn't have time to think. Instinctively he raised his glaive. The shadow turned out to be a goblin, swinging a sickle towards him. Alex blocked the initial attack but the goblin had two weapons. It managed to cut Alex's thigh with the other hand. Blood gushed out from the wound.
He shoved the goblin away with his glaive´s shaft. That gave him a moment to breath. He shot a fireball at the goblin. The close range shot hit its mark, exploding against the stomach. The smell of charred hair and burned flesh lay in the air. The goblin was briefly dazed from the explosion. Alex took advantage of this and stabbed at it. The goblin dodged like a circus monkey, getting back a lot of meters.
Now Alex saw the goblin clearly. It wore a red cap and riveted shoes with steel toecaps. It also looked stronger than other goblins.
Then Alex engaged once again. The goblin dodged, rolling toward Alex. While in motion it jumped at Alex, right into another blow from Alex. The goblin blocked the attack midair with its sickles. The bastards should go to the circus. Although Alex reinforced his blade with mana, the goblin's sickles held out as they glowed too.
However, while striking Alex had activated his ring. Now he shot from close quarters by taking a hand from the glaive. It was a direct hit.
Then Alex launched an attack the goblin couldn't avoid. His cold steel pierced the goblins heart. He celebrated for a moment but his happiness vanished quickly, as he Noah in a bad position. Meanwhile Kim to be doing just fine.
Alex rushed to Noah. His skin had turned a dark granite color and the goblin cut at him in a frenzy. Noah blocked some attacks, but most landed directly on the skin. Alex accelerated, jumping with strong step. He swung his glaive forward and cut the goblin in half. The stupid beast hadn't even seen him coming.
Then Alex wanted to rush to Kim but her goblins lay now dead on the floor. Everything happened in mere seconds.
“Congratulations. You killed three Red Caps. 3/3”
But Alex couldn´t enjoy the win, as Noah slumped down. There was a deep gash in his neck. A layer of the granite-colored skin crumbled and revealed his original skin. Countless smaller cuts were hidden underneath. Alex immediately healed with his ring.
The wound closed slowly and Alex sent more and more of his mana to heal. Kim immediately started helping. Noah looked at them. His blank stare worried Alex. The effects of the healing rings diminished until there was nothing more he could. All the superficial wounds had healed. A thin scar remained from the deep cut on his neck.
It bordered on a miracle that Noah was even alive with this injury. The ground was soaked in his blood. He was literally sitting in a puddle of his own blood. Now Alex had to rest too. Fortunately it was quiet outside. Those wild goblins were probably the only monsters around.
Later Alex got up. “We should explore the area some more. Kim will you come?” She was currently examining one of the goblin and screamed shortly after. “Bestial. These goblins are fucking crazy. Their hats are soaked in blood. Yes please let’s get out of here for a second. Noah will you be fine?” Noah nodded sullenly.
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Alex turned to Noah before leaving. “It's best to lock the door.”
They found a lot of orc and goblin footprints around the house on closer inspection. All came from different directions. Strangely none led away from the house.
Alex and Kim were just in a lush part of the forest. When Alex turned to Kim. “Why did you decide to go further into tutorial, if I may ask?"
She smiled. “Have you loved something since you were a child but were never been able to fulfill its true purpose?”
Alex frowned. "Not really."
“I´ve loved sword fighting and kendo in particular. Do I have to say more?” asked Kim.
“No,” said Alex.
“Why are you here?” asked Kim and Alex began to wonder. Why did he? Probably because he´s drawn to here, the intense feelings and the thrill of battle.
“Too help my family get more items and survive but actually I like it here,” said Alex.
“You're even more screwed up than me,” said Kim.
“True,” said Alex.
Then they ended their conversation and focused again on their surroundings. Nobody wanted to be surprised but they found nothing in the area except the footprints from the beginning. So they returned to the house. Alex knocked and called for Noah, who unlocked the door.
Later on night came and they could really use some rest. Alex slept much better that night. He didn't know whether he had got used to the fourth floor or having four walls and a roof was calming.
Alex and Kim used the next two day to explore the area some more but there were no signs of life. Meanwhile, their food and drink supplies were running low.
Noah sat in a chair when Alex and Kim returned. “Have you not found anything?”
“No, nothing. Who knows how many champions are out there and where they are.” said Alex.
“That's shit,” said Noah. He slammed his hand on the table. The table legs crunched as a crack went through the table. “I'll come with you tomorrow. Then we leave this house.”
On the next day they hiked to the end of the floor. Alex climbed a tree. From there he saw the hill in the middle of the floor again.
“We should go back to the mountain,” said Alex.
“Whatever,” said Noah. He smacked his war hammer against the veil that bordered the tutorial. There was a thud. The hammer flew back while the veil remained undamaged. Noah yelled. “Shit.”
Their trip back took two more days. They were almost dying of thirst. Even their meat supplies were gone. With that, Alex mood and patience sank as well.
One day Noah rushed like a wild beast onto a meadow and tried to kill some goblins because of his frustration. His actions were futile and he returned even more annoyed.
Finally some time later they reached the mountain. For the first time in ages they found something interesting that appeared to have a purpose. It was a cave in the hill and not the one they started in. Alex tried to be mentally and physically prepared for a fight but that was difficult in his state.
Nonetheless his mind sharpened, when he saw the bones in front of the cave entrance. Incredible that they didn't notice that place in the beginning, but they must have been on the other side of the mountain.
The inhabitants of the cave came out shortly after Alex and the other two arrived. They were two huge monsters and again they had a green skin-color. It always had to be green, the forest, the meadow, the goblins, the orcs and now these monsters. Alex wanted to vomit. Everywhere was death and it had one color.
Their opponents made him feel tiny. The monsters were probably three meters tall and really wide. They had grotesquely fat bodies and faces, which made them the ugliest things Alex had seen in the tutorial and it had some strong contenders. Additionally they held small tree trunks as weapons.
One of the monsters run down and tried to smash Alex to a pulp. Dust and stones had flown through the air. Alex jumped as far away as he could. Then Alex got up again. He looked at the beast with a horrified face. Cold sweat ran down his forehead. That was to close for comfort. That was definitely a champion and one of a kind.
The monster started a fight with Noah afterwards. Kim supported him and landed a series of clean cuts, but the monster's flesh closed on its own. Black blood poured out from the wounds. Alex shot a fireball at the other one. The skin charred and a small wound was visible, but new skin already formed. That was insane.
Alex shortened the distance and landed a reinforced attack on the beasts hand. Two fingers fell to the floor. The flesh was already forming again, but the bones didn't grow back. That was a relief to Alex. He had hope.
"The bones!" He yelled, then dodging an angry monsters attack. The beast charged him. It relentlessly kept going. Alex dodged and run, until he got pushed inside the forest. There it was him against the monster. Trees made for cover and potential weapons for the beast.
He suddenly he felt danger and without thinking, he jumped away. His instincts saved his life as a tree trunk crashed into his previous spot. Moments later, the monster pulled out a new trunk from the earth.
Alex tried to visualize the weak spots of the beast. The joints and all possible directions of attack. He would only get one chance, as he put everything on the line. With all his strength from his joints, arms and upper body he attacked. In one moment he leapt forward, ducking under the tree trunk. Thus he got within attack range of the important body parts.
A storm of swift cuts followed. He didn't give the monster time to realize what was happening or to regenerate. First he severed the forearm, thus making the monster drop the tree trunk. From then on yanked his glaive down, cutting into the thigh. After two powerful strikes he severed the leg as well. His mana took a huge blow but it was worth it.
The flesh tried to restore itself on the orcs body and the bodyparts twitching on the ground. It was a hideous sight. Flesh overgrowning bones and blistered all over.
The fight itself was nearly done. The beast collapsed. It could barely move. Alex had to make one final strike or in this monsters case maybe three or four. In the end he chopped off its head. He had to wait four seconds, then the voice appeared.
“Congratulations you defeated a troll. 1/1
You have met all the requirements and can now return or continue hunting. “
An incredible weight fell from his shoulders. After the troll's death, a flood of mana rushed into Alex´s body. He felt his strength renew. He could go home now but Alex wanted to see how the others were doing. Apparently her troll was still alive. He really wanted some more mana. The thrill of it gushing through one’s body was intense.
He reached the troll's cave but the other two were missing. Only the troll was standing there. It seemed at least as confused as he was. Yet when it saw him, it came running at him. Alex felt his blood boil.
The troll´s hands were missing several and a huge dent to its head. Alex got really close to it, felling adrenaline rush through him, as the troll´s hand brushed past. Once he was close he cut beast leg. This time he hit the joint, reducing his mana consumption. Immediately the flesh formed again, but the bone was gone and the leg was barely holding on. To cut it of complete he needed a second attack but he lacked the time for that.
Dodging the troll´s attacks were a breeze now. The troll almost fell over after its first attack. Then Alex aimed at the leg again. His attack landed ten centimeters below the first one. Then he cut it a third time.
With every movement Alex was highly concentrated, because although the troll was only a shadow of itself. It could kill Alex with one movement but none of it mattered. The troll fell to the ground. It´s glassy eyes looked at Alex and he looked back. Then he thrusted at its throat. The flesh reformed and he thrusted again. That went on for way to long but Alex found it very interesting. The powers of the Trolls were insane but their brains and sluggish movements made them killable. At least if one survived the first close quarter engagement.
“Congratulations you defeated a troll. 2/1”
Now Alex decided to leave but before the tutorial sent him away it gave him his rewards, aside from the additional mana boost he got from killing the troll.
“You will receive a Ring of Frost (minor) and a Ring of Granit (minor) Skin as a Reward.”