Michael woke up with a jolt, his body damp with sweat and his heart pounding erratically. He glanced out the tent flaps and saw the first rays of sunlight starting to peak over the camp walls.
Goddamn it, he thought, rubbing his face. Ever since the tutorial began, nightmares have been plaguing him. He kept fearing the worst for his son. Are the kids facing the same kind of battles as we did? Are they being personally handled by the Assistants? All the ones he met were nice people but were Noah’s the same?
Every time he thought of Noah, he remembered the day his world cracked.
Michael had only recently ended his tour, finally setting foot back on home soil. He wiped away the hardened expression that had become second nature. He knew that he had to bury the memories of what he'd experienced overseas; it wouldn’t be fair to burden his wife and child with his struggles. Too many of his brothers-in-arms returned home only to let the “greater-than-thou” mentality tear their families apart—marriages shattered, bottles emptied. He'd seen enough to understand that truth.
So, Michael made the decision to bottle it all away. Life was supposed to be hard, and he was supposed to be even harder to survive it.
When he got to his room to gather his belongings, Michael called Juniper, his wife. She didn’t pick up. He called again, but there was still no answer.
Worry started to creep in. He called his father to ask if something had happened. The response he got made his heart sink. His sweet Juni had been driving their son to school when they collided with another car. The other driver was speeding—going forty miles above the limit in a school zone—and drunk. Only Noah survived.
It had barely been a month since it happened, and Noah was still in the hospital.
Michael got into his truck and drove straight to the hospital where Noah was. Everything that happened until he reached Noah’s room passed by in a blur. Visiting hours had supposedly ended, but Michael pushed past everyone and rushed to Noah’s room.
He opened the door and immediately dropped to his knees, his heart sinking once again. Noah was awake, scrolling through his phone. When he saw his dad, Noah’s eyes widened and grew a smile. He tossed his phone aside and slid off the bed. “Dad!”
Noah limped across the room and wrapped his arms around his father and Michael wrapped him in return. The floodgates opened, and Michael began to cry. “What’s wrong, Dad? Are you okay?” Noah asked, startled by his father’s tears.
The question only made Michael cry harder. He held Noah even tighter, afraid that he might disappear. His son—who had almost died—was asking if he was okay. His son, who had lost his right leg, was asking if he was okay.
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“Michael, are you awake?” asked a voice from outside his tent.
Michael snapped out of the memory of that day, brushing away the somber mood with a quick swipe of his palms before replying, “Yeah, I’m up. Gimme a minute, Sarah.”
Michael grabbed his greatsword, secured it across his back, and stepped out of his tent. Looking to his left, he saw a smiling Sarah standing just as he had seen her yesterday afternoon.
Her curly brown hair was tied into a ponytail with a leather strap, and she wore the familiar healer’s robe, a small wooden wand tipped with a white gem clipped to her hip. However, the dark circles beneath her eyes told a different story—she hadn’t slept in a while.
Considering we saw each other yesterday, and with our level-ups, the need for sleep has decreased, Michael thought. But despite that, the exhaustion on Sarah's face was undeniable. “You okay, Sarah?” he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
Sarah was part of Michael’s team when the tutorial started. Because of her young age, he treated her like his niece. She was passing through Michigan on a trip to visit college when she was sent to the tutorial.
“I’m fine, Michael. I just had to work a bit overtime because of the recent attacks,” Sarah replied softly, smiling at Michael’s concern.
The mention of the recent attacks furrowed Michael’s brow. Last night marked the sixth attack from the cult. What the hell do they want from us?
Michael and Sarah stepped into the large white tent, where three others were already seated around a table. James, dressed in steel-plated leather armor and representing the hunting groups, sat on the right. He looked like he desperately needed a drink. Too bad we don’t have any on hand—I could use one myself, Michael thought.
Across from James was Daniel, the representative of the Culinary Provisioners. His leather armor was stained with grass, and his gloves were caked in dirt—clear signs he'd been farming. He must have maxed out his level as a farmer by now, Michael mused. Despite being in his sixties, Daniel had outpaced everyone in farming proficiency.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Beside Daniel sat Eric, who represented the Production Provisioners. His leather armor was marked with singes and ash, evidence of his craft. He wore a half-awake expression, and Michael guessed that Angela probably hadn’t let him reach his bed before pulling him into the meeting. Can’t blame her—he never sleeps until sunrise, always focused on his experiments.
“You’re late; how’s that fair?” Eric complained.
“Eric, you walked in a minute ago,” James replied with a deadpan expression, earning an eye roll from Eric.
“Semantics,” Eric shot back, prompting a groan from James.
Daniel chuckled at their exchange, smiling warmly at the two of them. Probably comparing them to his own children, Michael thought.
"My bad," Michael said, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Let’s get started with the recent attacks from the cult. Any updates?"
“Just this morning, we dealt with the seventh attack,” James replied with a heavy sigh. “We lost a few warriors and some mages.”
“How? The hunting groups operate in teams of ten,” Michael said, his confusion evident. James clicked his tongue in frustration.
“They have E-Grades now,” James revealed, causing most people at the table to look shocked.
“How? Are they perfect evolutions?” Eric asked, his tiredness suddenly replaced by sharp interest.
“No. They’ve more or less abandoned their professions—at least the ones who fight us. But judging by their gear, they probably have E-Grade crafters,” James explained and Eric narrowed his eyes. He’s only two levels away from reaching max level on his race, Michael thought.
“They do, but the items are not that great.” Eric said, “I looked at them last night, at most they were Common rarities. When I evolve in a day or two, I can make way better armors and weapons.” Getting smiles from James and Michael.
“Yeah, in a day or two I should evolve as well,” James added.
“What does a perfect evolution give?” Sarah asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Ten extra points in all stats,” Daniel responded, earning even more stunned expressions. “I evolved last night.” Causing everyone to Identify him.
[Human Lv ??]
“Congratulations, Daniel!” Michael exclaimed, the somber mood in the tent vanishing. “What did you get?”
“My Profession is called Mana Gardener, and my Class is Nature’s Enchanter,” Daniel replied, his excitement evident. “Apparently, you don’t just have to kill with your class to gain XP. At least for a mage at the very least.”
That sparked interest from everyone around the table.
“I guess that makes sense,” Sarah said, leaning forward with curiosity. “I’ll try and see if I can do the same with my novice tailor Profession. Maybe I can make a bracelet that heals or something.”
“Speaking of E-Grades,” James interjected, eyes narrowing. “Can we trust Archie?”
The question shifted the atmosphere in the room, and all eyes turned to Michael.
“Archie is trustworthy and doesn’t like the idea of being brainwashed by Oliver,” Michael answered, voice firm. “But then again, who would?” He leaned back, crossing his arms confidently. “He’s strong too. Took out leeches and three jaguars with ease. I don’t even think he broke a sweat.”
James tensed his jaw at the new information, clearly weighing it in his mind. “Is there something else you picked up on while talking to him?”
Michael paused, recalling his conversation with Archie. “He’s from Illinois.”
That simple answer caused everyone around the table to crack a smile, the tension easing a bit.
“I can vouch for him too,” Daniel chimed in. “Evelyn’s said nothing but good things about Archie. Bill said the same thing, but... a bit more gruffly.”
“I trust both of your judgments,” James said, his voice serious. “Do you think Archie would be willing to stay with us, in our camp?”
“I can ask,” Michael offered, giving a confident nod. “But, moving on to the next topic. Those who’ve focused only on their Professions need to start leveling up their classes now. It’s getting too dangerous with the cult now sending out E-Grades.”
James nodded in agreement. “No problem. I can have some of the hunters watch over them while they focus on leveling their classes.”
“Good,” Michael said. “Now, onto a lighter note. I’m evolving later today.”
Gaining smiles from everyone at the table. The news of a second E-Grade within the camp was exactly what they needed to lift morale.
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A few hours later, Michael emerged from the large tent and headed off towards Eveyln’s stand. I need a bite to eat after all that, Michael thought as his stomach started to grumble.
On his way to Eveyln’s stand, he saw the healer’s tents filled to the brim with hunters. Michael pursed his lips at the sight, Oliver and his cult will get what’s coming to them. And I’ll be at the forefront of delivering it.
Michael reached Evelyn’s stand and found her frying some fish for lunch. “Hello Miss Evelyn,” Michael said, catching her attention.
“Hello, dearie,” Evelyn smiled warmly, offering him a plate of fried fish. “Would you like a plate?”
“If you’re making food, I’ll always ask for a plate,” Michael responded, taking the plate Eveyln offered him and making her chuckle.
Suddenly, Evelyn’s smile faded, and a somber look appeared on her face. “Are the hunters, okay? I saw quite a few of them being brought to the healer’s tent.”
“The cult is starting to attack now,” Michael said while scarfing down the last piece of fish. “But don’t worry about it. We will soon have quite a few E-Grades in the camp.”
Evelyn slowly nodded, processing Michael’s words. “And Archie? Is he okay? I haven’t seen him around lately.”
“I haven’t met him today, but I wouldn’t worry about him. He’s very strong.” Michael reassured her, easing her concerns.
“If you see him, tell him to come over,” Evelyn said as Michael paid for his lunch. “Take care.”
“Take care, Miss Evelyn,” Michael waved before heading to his tent.
As he entered his tent, Michael pulled up the notifications he had pushed aside the night before.
Flawless Evolution
Objective: Reach max level in Race, Class, and Profession before evolving. ✔
Reward: Flawless E-Grade Evolution title.
E-Grade Race Evolution Requirements Met
Your body and soul have synchronized with the essence of the multiverse; you now are a denizen of the multiverse. For denizens of the multiverse, evolution is the key to survival, with each evolution molded by the Records collected on your path.
Do you wish to proceed?
Warning: It is advisable to conduct this in a secure environment.
Michael sat atop his mattress, accepting the evolution. Not a moment later, everything went dark.