Michael made a decision quickly.

“I’m Level 17.”

She replied in a surprised voice.

“Really? Wow, you’ve really overtaken me. I haven’t been able to hunt because of the injuries, but still. Good job.”

As she smiled at him, he was hit with a strange feeling of disconnect. They barely knew each other, but she talked like they were friends. It made him raise his guard. Did she want something from him? It was a possibility. Maybe she wanted to know what Sullivan had told him within the barrier? Either way, he had no reason to approach her or let their relationship develop. He had come to her quarters for a single reason.

“Rose. Who attacked you?”

Her smiling face instantly froze. It turned into a scowl. She started to speak.

“Do you remember when I attacked you when we first met?”

Of course I do. I still wonder if I shouldn’t have just fought back.

“Yes, I remember.”

“Well, that was because I thought you were part of the group of guys who attacked me this time around.”

Michael’s brow furrowed.

“So it’s a group notorious for attacking other humans?”

She nodded.

“Even though we only met on the second day, news had already spread to Bluestone Village somehow. They’re a group composed of mostly men, but there are a few women. I don’t know what their goal is, but they’re willing to kill other humans for XP or whatever else at the drop of a hat. And that’s not all.”

“There’s more?”

“Now that it’s been a week since the beginning of the Tutorial, I’m more aware of their workings. They often invite – coerce, more precisely – people to their settlement, either in order to make them join the group or to target them.”

Michael nodded while in thought. He had spent most of the week training under Tairy.

“What’s their settlement called?”

Rose sighed.

“Redglow Village, I believe.”

“I see. I’m going to ask Sullivan about them.”

“I don’t think the NPC will be able to answer those questions.”

Michael smiled.

“He will. I wish you a speedy recovery, Rose. Until next time.”

She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but held herself back.

“Yeah, thanks. Until next time.”

He decisively turned around and left her house. Having done so, he let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t have any particularly good feelings about Rose, so talking to her was a bit stifling. With that out of the way, however, it was time to talk to Sullivan. He headed to the center of Bluestone Village. After walking past its winding dirt roads, he beheld the line of people waiting outside of the Village Hall. It was a sight that never changed, and never seemed like it would. Michael patiently got in line and waited until he was inside the Hall. He observed Sullivan’s mana signature with rapt attention.

Up, right, right, down… No, it’s left.

The dark elf noticed his gaze. The two exchanged looks. Michael nodded and left the Hall. Once he had walked far enough away, his fingers waved in the air as if he were playing a piano. The Whisper spell was completed. The other side picked up. Sullivan’s voice echoed out of the ethereal mouth.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Using Whisper to speak to me instead of drawing more attention to yourself by doing it in person. You’ve still forced me to raise a barrier, but it’s a clever trick.”

“I apologize, but I truly didn’t want to stand out more.”

“It’s fine. Why are you contacting me? You have failed to bring the heads I requested, even though you’re much higher Level now.”

“I wanted to ask you about Redglow Village. Could you please tell me what you know about it?”

Michael heard a chuckle.

“Someone at your Level asking me for a favor is something I find amusing. Very well. Redglow Village belongs to the dwarves, and is similar in design and atmosphere to this one, but that’s not what you wanted to hear.”

“I want to know about the group that hunts other humans.”

“There are all kinds of people in the world, and that includes those who were previously restrained and restricted by the laws and rules of your past world. These people are now able to do whatever they want and to become stronger, they even start hunting their own kind. It is a common story. This particular group is responsible for other heinous acts, but that’s the gist of it.”

“What acts?”

“That is something you will have to find out for yourself. I’ve talked enough. Keeping my barrier up for any longer would be too suspicious. Just remember: you are more than capable of facing those vultures, but they are greater in number. Don’t reveal any weakness that they can capitalize on. You will face them head-on soon enough.”

With those parting words, the Whisper spell came undone. Sullivan had dismissed it. Michael didn’t move, staring at the ground.

I’ll face them soon, huh?

To be frank, it made him uneasy. He was still hesitant to fight other humans, even if they were evil.

No, I shouldn’t think like this.

His eyes narrowed. This group was attacking innocent people for their own benefit; he needed to prepare himself for the possibility that he would need to kill them. As his thoughts reached this point, Michael frowned. The idea of killing someone was one he instinctively rejected, but he knew he would need to do it sooner or later. He needed to ready his mentality and prepare himself. Taking a deep breath, he tried to visualize his first kill. Overcoming his repulsion, he kept at it. He could only hope that it would get easier with time. With a sigh, he turned his thoughts to other matters.

The situation gave him an idea. Using himself as bait was risky, but possible. If only he could draw some of the group members to himself, he would be able to defeat them and ask questions.

I’ll do it after Class Evolution.

He walked back to Tairy’s house. On the way, he tried using Analyze on everyone that crossed his path. None of them were higher Level than him. It gave him more confidence in his plan. If he met the vultures, he would be able to fight them, especially after evolving his Class. He returned home to find the old man sitting on the stone dais, as always. He spoke.

“I’m done with what I needed to do. Apparently, there’s a group that hunts other humans.”

Tairy waved his hand in a dismissive fashion.

“There are always those people. Don’t pay them much heed. It’s not your problem. What you should focus on is getting stronger.”

Michael shrugged. In a way, it was true. The dark elf continued to speak.

“It’s late. Get some sleep. We’ll continue our training tomorrow. You should be acquiring Meditation very soon.”

Michael nodded, thanked the man, and strode into the house and his bedroom. The following week was simplicity itself. He would sit on the dais for most of the day, and then speak to Tairy about how to use his Skills in different ways without revealing too much. When necessary, Tairy would advise him to go on a quest in order to maintain his Villager status, warning about the changes that would take place soon. Michael listened to him well.

Things changed on the eighth day.

Michael sat on the stone dais, breathing deeply, in and out. The flow of his blood, the movements of his muscles and organs, the way the Circle revolved around his Dragonheart. All of that was captured with more precision than ever before. Mana was drawn into him, but it also clung to him out of its own will, as if it were a child holding their parent’s hand. It kept feeding his Circle like water flowing downstream. His perception expanded beyond his own body and to his surroundings. He perceived Tairy, the house, the sturdy tree with mana leaves. This had been his previous limit, but no longer.

He went further. Lightly and curiously, his awareness touched the dirt road beyond. It crawled over the other houses and peeked inside, beholding the other dark elves and humans. The dark elves flinched and turned toward him immediately, before frowning and continuing with what they were doing, but none of the humans noticed anything at all. It kept going and going until almost the entirety of Bluestone Village could be felt, perceived, and touched by his awareness. It started going even further, touching the wild lands around the village.

At that moment, Michael felt as if he were rising and floating in the air, with mana itself holding him up. Then, it bowed, as if revering him. Every one of its actions was seen so clearly that it was as if it were a person standing before him. His entire body repeatedly tensed up and then relaxed, entering a cycle. The Circle around his Heart revolved faster and faster. Much greater amounts of mana than those he was used to surrounded him and entered his body, but it was not burdensome. He welcomed it.

This ascending feeling never stopped. He felt himself getting higher and higher, greater and greater, until… He opened his eyes.

[You have acquired a new Skill!]