Quest Escape completed
The System message was the first thing that welcomed her after she touched the stone slab. Well, if she didn’t count the warm sunlight and multiple people staring at her.
As a reward for the quest, a large coin-like object appeared before her. She didn’t pick it up and instead look at the next message.
Welcome to the Tutorial Brave Climber,
the place created to help all Intelligent races familiarize themselves with System, their new abilities as well as take the first steps up the Eternal Ladder. Here you will encounter many dangers and opportunities for progression. How much you can claim depends on your resolve, skills and a bit of luck. So go ahead Brave Climber and rise to the top.
A late welcoming message. This was her mistake. When she was writing Ziri’s arrival to the Tutorial, she completely forgot about it and later, when she wanted to add it in, it just didn’t fit. The start was full of action and getting more than one message would distract everyone from spawning rat. So, she moved it to the more peaceful area. Also, it wasn’t that strange. Before, they were in a bonus stage specially made for fighters. No other types of classes got anything similar.
There was a little more under the main text, in small letters.
By accepting the invitation from System you willingly gave up all possibilities for natural progress. In exchange, System will now provide new ways to progress and climb up the Eternal Ladder based on the rules and regulations set up by Aurunia.
It basically meant that the only way to improve one’s stats was by leveling up. But now that she looked at it, her wording wasn’t very accurate or informative. The effect also wasn’t permanent. If one managed to leave the world, they would be once more in control of their progress. Tho, that would require to become a god and a few other things that her story dealt with in the future.
Next four messages were all new quests. The main one required her to obtain three Mystic Fighter Tokens in time limit of less than five days. Reward was the option to leave Tutorial and choosing one uncommon item. Penalty, on the other hand, was death.
The three side quests were all about killing monsters. They weren’t limited by time and had no penalty. Reward was the same as for her Escape quest. These tokens, as was obvious from their names, were class specific. The aim was to lower, at least slightly, the possibility of violence toward noncombat oriented classes. Albeit one couldn’t fulfill his quest with tokens from other classes, it didn’t mean they were useless.
The giant stone slab that rose behind her, identical to the one in the home of cyclops, opened a shop window if someone touched it. The currency was obviously tokens. Any tokens regardless of who uses them. The shop sold many items ranged in quality from bad up to rare. They weren’t cheap but with a variety of effects and high value outside; they were definitely worth the price.
Luriel finally picked up her token and pushed it into the window with the main quest. It was the safest option for now, and finishing that quest had priority over everything else.
She looked around the camp. In Aurunia, she created 10 starting classes split into four different categories. First three were fighting classes, namely Strong Fighter, Agile Fighter and Mystic Fighter. She choose not to use typical warrior, rogue and mage because they looked too advanced. She wanted her first classes to look absolutely basic, with huge potential to go in any direction. And so fighters were born.
Next was the creation trio or Crafter, Builder and Artist. She would say that those worked pretty well. In the past, she was contemplating a fourth class focused on raising animals and farming. However, when she got to creating skills, it felt overly specialized compared to all the other classes. It also didn’t fit very well into the Tutorial and would require too many changes.
Last were Charismatic Helper and Charming Helper as social and Nurse and Consultant as healing classes. Social were similar to fighting ones but focused on attributes that helped in social interactions. On the other hand, healing represented body and mind. She was not very knowledgeable about psychology, but liked to have at least a possibility. The world looked more complex.
Each class had different colored clothes, so it was easy to distinguish them. The only ones missing in their Tutorial were obviously Consultant but also Artist. She realized it might be because she never mention anyone doing art. It was a shame because it could create an interesting sight for Ziri, who couldn’t comprehend anything like art. She smiled when she imagined his face. He would definitely think it was a just waste of time.
All the crafters were hard at work. They got a few hours where, while fighters were inside the bonus zone, half of the forest was free of monsters, so they could easily gather resources. Builders were already processing the wood from cut down trees. They were aiming to build a few houses as part of their quests. The leatherworkers were processing the hide from horned rabbits that the first group of fighters that came first hunted and cook was working with the meat. The trio of metalworkers already set up a furnace at the edge of their camp. To pursue some classes, people needed more tools than one person could get, so they entered as teams.
All that work was organized by one person. His yellow clothes shined like sun and anyone who just looked around would immediately spot him. His name was Euris. The single Charizmatic Helper of their Tutorial. In the short amount of time it was on, he showed his ability to work with people. Complemented by his good-looking, friendly face, he made a good first impression on most of them. That was why when he started his big speech about the necessity of cooperation, the majority listened. There was also a skill at play that naturally draw the attention to him, but it wasn’t strong. Just a very subtle manipulation so no one would notice.
Luriel walked around, listening half heartedly. Many fighter groups had injured people, but there were only two healers. Each tended to wounds as best they could. Luriel stopped a few meters from one, smiling. Nurse wasn’t human or satyr. She was a girl with long golden hair and a round human face. But on her head, a pair of thin horns was growing. Also, her ears were that of the goat and when Luriel looked closer, she could see hooves instead of feet. The girl was from a race called fauns. They were born between satyr and human. Tho she wasn’t pure bloodied but closer to the human side.
Luriel stared at her main character named Lily, as she worked. Compared to the other healer, she didn’t get even a third of the gratitude for her work. All her patients were giving her cold judgemental looks as if she did something terrible in the past and now was trying to redeem herself. However, Lily ignored it and worked energetically with a radiant smile.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Luriel felt tempted to continue staring as she stared at Ziri before, but with so many people around, that would be too weird. She would also like to find a group to join. Being alone was dangerous. Especially now in the main stage.
She continued through the grass-field, happily looking around. The camp was for now just a bunch of people sitting on grass talking or working, enjoying the warm sun. But that will change as builders progress. In just a few days, they will create buildings and barricades against monsters. She turned on the spot, imagining how it would all look.
When suddenly she was approached by a few background characters. She quickly recognizes Xapi between them. They had to be all from Ziri’s group.
I hope they don’t want to recruit me because there is no way I will agree; she thought with a toothy smile. But I might listen to their offers. It would be rude not to.
However, her smile quickly faded when she felt the hostility in their gazes. She raised her eyebrows.
“So, what’s the matter?”
To her surprise, the answer came from the side.
“Isn’t it obvious, you crazy cow?”
It was none other than Thoth. Luriel turned to him with the same questioning gaze. She felt a little strange being insulted by her villainous character.
“Eee… no?”
He pointed his wand at her, even more pissed than before.
“You intentionally brought cyclops to kill us!”
She stared at his angry face, her mind in turmoil.
Oh. Fuck. He is right. They saw me. Shit. What should I say? Can’t tell him the true.
“I didn’t mean to,” she defended herself after a brief pause. “He just noticed me and I wanted to run away somewhere safe.”
Thoth laughed.
“You take me for an idiot? I saw how you crawled from that rat ass and run after giant and then brought him back.”
“I just panicked. I swear. I wanted to get away from him as soon as possible.”
Shit. Thoth, please. Don’t be so hard on me. You should save your enmity for Ziri.
“Your lies are so obvious. I should incinerate you on the spot!”
But he didn’t start casting. Their argument attracted a lot of attention. Away from Euris.
Luriel was ruffling the side of her robe. She didn’t know where to look, so she had chosen the grass. She felt very uncomfortable with so many people staring and murmuring about her. Luriel wasn’t afraid of his threat tho. Not because he wouldn’t do it. She knew he was capable of killing a person. Under right the circumstances at least. Maybe if everyone around them started chanting to kill her, he would actually do it.
However, the crowd didn’t give off any bloodlust or hatred. People were just curious, some maybe angry at Thoth’s behalf. But no one desired her death. They all came from the same territory controlled by the lower goddess, Mother of life Levija. She was generally seen as a kind goddess. Life in her territory was seen as a precious thing that should never be wasted. Murder was a terrible crime condemned by everyone, regardless of circumstances. There didn’t even exist execution, although dying was more merciful than the worst punishment someone could receive in her territory.
Just then, the grown crowd parted for three people. In the middle was Euris. He must have ended his speech early because he lost most of the attention. Luriel sent him a quick apology in her mind. On his right came Grym, who looked like his bodyguard, even tho the situation concerned his party. And on his left was Misty. Tall human woman, that looked ten years older than everyone else, even tho she was eighteen, with muscles almost comparable to Grym. She was his self proclaimed rival and the only reason she came was because what happened concerned him.
They all looked displeased, each for a different reason.
“So what is going on?” asked Euris, but surprisingly, the answer came from Grym. He needed just a single glance at Luriel and Thoth to come to a conclusion.
“That girl brought cyclops to our room. I and probably some other members would have died if not for Zirilion. Our currently missing member. Now one of my other members feels the need for vengeance.”
“She killed him! That chicken brain is dead because of her! What is so bad about getting revenge?”
What a villain. It definitely sounds better to want to kill me out of vengeance for a fallen comrade.
“We don’t know for sure yet, Thoth. He might still come back.”
“So you will just let her go? That monster almost kill us!”
“I didn’t say that.”
“She should at least pay us a compensation. That item and a token will do.”
Luriel looked down, only now realizing that she was still holding an uncommon leather shirt. But this was a perfect opportunity. She needed some excuse to give it to Ziri, and Thoth was such a gentleman and helped her. His anger about cyclops was real, but his aim was the shirt this whole time. She smiled at him.
“I agree to give up this item. Token is a bit too much.“
“Too much? You wretched…” he dramatically sighed and held out his hand.
“Fine. Give me the shirt.”
“About that. I think that the one deserving it most is your missing member.”
“What? So you just want to keep it…”
“No,” she went to Grym and handed him the item.
“Please give this to him when he returns.”
He stared into her eyes, no doubt trying to discern her intentions. After a few moments, he accepted it. Thoth couldn’t say anything to that, but he also didn’t want to give up.
“What about the rest of us? What compensation will you give to us for trying to kill us?”
“I will say this again, but it was not intentional. And there is nothing more I have.”
That might have been a mistake, because Thoth grinned.
“Oh, but you do have some things. How about those potions from System? I would definitely appreciate having two more for restoring mana and my friends one more for healing.”
Thoth!
“That is…”
“Let’s calm down here,” spoke suddenly Euris. All the attention turned to him. Luriel was sure he used his ability Charismatic voice. She could feel a slight pull at her eyes and mind. It had such a weak effect on her only because of her high mind attribute.
“I understand your anger Thoth. But ultimately, nothing happened to any of you.”
“What?” Now she could hear a dangerous undertone to his voice. The ability, after all, only brought attention to Euris. It was a similar to taunting ability that tanks in games used but with no added emotions.
“You survived the encounter with death incarnate. But do you believe that similar situation will never repeat? I bet you will face death many times in this very Tutorial. And what? Will you always seek compensation from someone? The monsters? Or maybe your teammates?”
“I…” Luriel saw how he frantically tried to think about something smart to retort. One corner of her mouth slightly went up. It was hard to think when facing that charisma. And Euris wasn’t stupid to let him.
“Of course not. You are no fool. You came into Tutorial willingly, fully knowing the dangers and opportunities that this place offers. But to appease your anger, let me ask you one more question.”
Luriel suddenly had a bad feeling when Euris glanced at her.
“Who do you think would want in their group a person that panicked so much that she would run toward a giant? Even if she is a Mystic Fighter.”
Euris had to get some information on his way there and he used them right away. Now it was Thoth who grinned. Luriel sighed in defeat, at least glad that he forgot about potions. Or any material gain. There was no way to somehow avoid her loss. And if she tried, she was sure Euris would make the situation even worse for her.
“Yes, I believe no one is stupid enough like that.”
As the situation was getting resolved, the most unsatisfied seemed to be not Luriel but Grym. And it didn’t surprise her. The leader of the different group just solved his problem instead of him. It boosted Euris’s competence in the eyes of others and, at the same time, lowered his own. But Grym shouldn’t blame himself. Luriel didn’t create him to be the perfect leader. He had his strengths and experiences in tactics and fighting strategies, but lacked that in social disputes. And Euris was the opposite. Their animosity will slowly grow as each of them gets the power over the other. This situation actually boosted the problem which Luriel felt she didn’t properly set up when writing.
The crows started to disperse as the drama was over. Luriel also went to find some place to sit down and think. As she was leaving, she saw a dark feathered person approaching Grym. All her negative feelings instantly melted away. Oh, how she would want to just hug her cute little protagonist. She would never let him go. Ever.
She also felt a strong urge to apologize for the difficulty she put him through. She was sorry, however she didn’t regret it and would do it again if need arose. His arc, his proper development, was the most important thing and Luriel was determined to do anything to protect it.