Ashley

We manage to get several points while running, and when we get close enough to get a better view, I find myself looking at a group of four adults. Two of whom look like construction workers, one of whom is wearing business attire of a suit and tie, and the other is just wearing casual clothes. And of the four, the one in casual clothes is the only woman of the bunch.

Both the construction workers look like their clothes were previously soaked in sweat but are now dried, meanwhile their hair – brown for one and black for the other – is a complete mess. Likely meaning they were working when the System Initialized. And the one with brown hair is fighting off a hound with a crowbar with the black haired one fighting another hound with some sort of blade made out of glowing blue energy. Likely a skill.

Meanwhile the man in a business suit has his jacket disheveled a little with his tie undone, his black hair in a mess, and is on the ground with his hands held up covering his face in a panic. And the woman is defending him with her hands covered in electricity. Also a skill.

They’re not the only ones using skills though. Not this time.

One of the hounds has its fangs coated in flames and is repeatedly moving forwards then back while chomping down on the air in a threatening gesture. And another has its own fangs coated in some sort of dark energy. Likely that Dark Bite skill if I had to guess.

And the two hounds are split between the two different battles on different bridges to the same platform.

Sean sends a fire bolt flying their way, only to miss a hound and then get yelled at by Julie, who shouts, “Stop Sean! You might miss and hit one of the people!”

Which is a good point. Considering his aim.

I quickly look between the two separate fights happening at different bridges connected to the platform before deciding on going towards the construction workers. Because if I try to attack the hound at the other bridge, there’s a chance I might get accidentally zapped by the woman.

Sean awkwardly stops at the platform next to theirs after realizing how little help his fire bolts will be considering his aim. But I continue past him across the bridge while ignoring Julie’s shout to be careful. Then I pull out my knife and rush towards the two men and those two hounds they’re fighting while activating Assimilate. And without hesitating, right as the hounds are pushing them back onto the platform and entering the platform themselves, I rush in and take a stab at one of the hound’s front limbs. Only to just as quickly pull back again when the thing chomps down where my arm was.

The two men look on in surprise at me, but I just nod towards the hounds. And they refocus on the dogs as well, deciding to ask questions later.

Both the hounds continue pressing forwards despite the wound I put on one of them. But at this point, I’m satisfied. Since I got a wound in while Assimilate is active.

Now I just need to focus on the other hound and see if I can kill it.

This remaining one is the only hound that doesn’t appear to be using any sort of skill. Not obviously at least.

Out of nowhere, the wounded hound jumps at the guy with the crowbar, knocking him off his guard and onto the floor until the guy with the blade takes advantage of the hound’s distraction to stab it with his energy blade. And the blade proves to be rather effective when it makes a sizzling noise and enters straight into the dog’s side, making it let out a yowl of pain.

The man with the blade quickly tries to pull the thing back out again, only for the other hound – the one with the Dark Bite skill – to jump forwards and bite him in the hand, making him scream in pain.

I run forwards myself before raising my knife at the sight of dark veins beginning to spread across the man’s arm from the bite. Then I bring the knife down straight into the hound’s jaws, in between the fangs and the man’s hand. Cutting into both the man’s hand and the jaws in the process as I try to pry the jaws open.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

But the hound’s jaw strength proves too powerful, and it begins to shake its head, pulling the man’s energy blade too close to me for comfort. So I have to back away to not be hit by his own blade.

And to all of our surprise, the hound slips on the edge of the platform thanks to its shaking of its head unbalancing it before it begins to fall.

Taking the man with him as his screams echo through the air.

I look down over the edge for a second before turning to look at the other hound that was stabbed by the energy blade. Only to find it lying on its side, unmoving.

Dead? Guess cutting it with my knife didn’t give me any sort of credit after all.

Seconds later though, I get a few System Messages that I wasn’t really expecting.

{You have been granted 2 Skill Points for killing a monster within the tutorial. All EXP will be withheld until the end of the phase.}

{You have slain a being while Assimilate is active. You have now unlocked the Skill Tree: Dark Hound}

{You have unlocked a new Skill Tree, therefore the root skill of the Skill Tree, Strong Jaws, is now unlocked for your usage.} – [ERROR – Strong Jaws is already unlocked. No skills are unlocked. Skill ‘Dark Howl’ will now be added to the preexisting Skill Tree: Dark Hound.]

{You have been granted 3 Skill Points for killing a user within the tutorial. All EXP will be withheld until the end of the phase.}

{You have slain a being while Assimilate is active. You have now unlocked the Skill Tree: Manifest Energy}

{You have unlocked a new Skill Tree, therefore the root skill of the Skill Tree, Energy Blade, is now unlocked for your usage.}

That’s… unexpected.

Why did I get credit for killing the construction worker? I didn’t do anything other than accidentally cut his hand while trying to pry the hound’s mouth open.

Unless…

I think back to what happened before I remember that the hound only slipped because it was trying to get my knife out of its jaws, shaking its head and therefore losing its balance.

So does that mean responsibility is what determines a kill? If you’re responsible for their deaths? Your actions directly caused it, even if you didn’t deal the most damage to them?

Interesting.

Then does that mean more than one person can bear the responsibility and therefore get credit? Like, if the hound didn’t die along with him, would the hound have also gotten credit for the kill? And if the hound didn’t die, then would I have gotten any credit? Since it was the one who dragged him down with itself?

My attention returns to the present as I hear the other construction worker crying, making me look towards the edge of the platform to find him kneeling there while looking out at the void below. No longer caring about what’s happening.

Guess they were friends.

I glance down over the edge of the platform, not really feeling much of anything for the guy who died. But for some reason I do feel the urge to close my eyes and give a slight bow towards the edge. Probably for the Skill Tree I got from him.

Then I straighten up again and open my eyes before turning to look at the other battle. A battle of which has already finished with the hound over there sizzling on the bridge, the occasional volt of electricity jumping across its body. Meanwhile the people I came with except for Julie are over there with the woman trying to calm down the man in the suit.

Julie on the other hand is looking over at where I am with the construction worker while covering her mouth in shock, no doubt having seen the man falling off of the platform.

So I decide to take the time to push back my discomfort and speak, stating a simple word, “Respawn.”

That makes the man’s sobbing pause for a second before he looks back at me and blinks. Only to blink once and then twice more.

“Right! The System said anyone who dies here will come back after this phase!” Julie exclaims, catching the attention of the others on the opposite end of the platform. Others who only seem to now realize that one of the construction workers is missing.

They manage to pull the man in the business suit to his wobbly feet before bringing him over. Then the woman begins to comfort the remaining construction worker as well. Meanwhile the others just watch on in silence, seemingly unable to figure out what to say.

I have to wonder what this woman’s day job is considering how good she seems to be at comforting others.

On another note, I’m a little surprised no one’s tried to blame me for his death or cause a stir. But I guess that’s because the only people who saw were Julie and the remaining construction worker, and all they saw was that I was trying to pry the hound’s jaws off of his arm. Then the hound went and fell after I stumbled backwards to avoid the energy blade.

So even if I got credit for the kill, it didn’t look like I was responsible from an outside point of view. Or, really, I wasn’t responsible.

This is confusing.

Whatever. The guy will likely be brought back after this phase.

I’m just gonna look at my new Skill Tree.