Ding! (Previously Muted due to state)

Welcome to Stage 5 of the Tutorial

The Wilderness is no longer safe for the weak

It is now the Domain of the Strong

Run, Cower, Fight

29 Days Remaining

I stared at the notification for quite some time. Which seemed to be becoming a regular occurrence these days…Anyway, why does it seem like the Tutorial is becoming all poetic all of a sudden? The Wilderness is no longer safe for the weak, and it is now a Domain of the strong?

That definitely feels like a poem of sorts, or like a great line from a movie or something…but this is real life.

And it also included the number of days remaining, which I think is the first time it did that. Don’t remember for certain though. Anyway, does this mean we should just coop up in the Outpost and we’ll be fine? What about the people like Chao and the others who didn’t live in an Outpost? Would they be given time to find one?

Would that mysterious merchant eventually have pointed them in the direction of the Outpost? Or would everyone be left to die.

I already know the answer to these questions, and it didn’t particularly bother me on a deeper level, I just can’t help but think about certain things. Like just how many humans are going to be alive when this is all said and done.

I know I said all those things about a bunch of people starting communities, but who’s to say this isn’t humankind’s extinction event? Or perhaps I should say Earthlings at this point? Which includes me. While I am an Infernal, Earth is still the planet I was born and raised on, and it would feel a little weird to just kind of abandon it.

Anyway, Earthlings could be extinct as we know it, and Tutorial became poetic. Great.

Knock Knock!

“Raizen!”

And there it is. I guess we can’t just hide in our Outposts after all. Not that I was planning to. Let’s go see what the fuss is about.

After walking through the door, fully armed of course. The first I noticed was Richard, which was expected since he was the one who called my name. What wasn’t expected was that Nate would be there too.

Though after a quick thought, it made sense. He and his people had only moved in last night. While the rest of Outpost G has basically been living together for the entire Tutorial at this point. He was here to represent his people. Understandable, I guess.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“Raizen, the defense of the Outpost is still going on. Only this time it’s different. There’s only one Hobgoblin this time….and it spoke.”

Wait what?

“You said it spoke…?”

“Yes…though all it said was ‘Your Strongest’ and it’s just been standing there. What do you want to do?”

Maybe some people would be nervous in this situation, but i’m actually getting excited…I don’t know why or how, but I can feel it. My flames are getting riled up. This Hobgoblin. It’s strong.

“Let’s go talk to it.”

“You’re planning on talking to it? Isn’t that a bad idea? I know you’re strong, but shouldn’t we try to fight it as a group to be safe?”

It was Nate who spoke up. And something must’ve been on my face cause when i turned to face him he took a step backwards as if he was scared of something. Did I look that mean? I didn’t think so. Weird.

“Don’t worry, just be ready to fight if needed. Same thing Richard. Get everyone ready.”

Neither man responded or if he did, I didn’t hear it. My mind was focused on the thought of a strong opponent. The thrill of battle that I felt a a few weeks ago when I first left the Outpost with not a single bit of cultivation to speak of. It’s been a long time since that.

I have grown significantly faster than whatever the Outpost had thrown at me, and the only thing that could likely still test me before this point was the ‘Goblin Village’ Dungeon, but I wasn’t so battle hungry that I’d go potentially risk my life in a place I wouldn’t be able to escape if need be.

But this was different.

This was likely a fight I couldn’t run away from, and something was telling me that I would regret it really badly if I even attempted to run away.

Of course, I had no intention to do that in the first place.

Eventually we made it to the gate where people were already gathering. In full armor and whatever weapons, they chose. Nate hurried off to gather his own people. They were a step behind in all of this. I didn’t blame them though. We were used to this. Although I did the brunt of the fighting in Stage 4, the rest of the group wasn’t just sitting around doing nothing. They genuinely trained with everything they had in them. And then proceeded to turn that training into real practical exercises with the Dungeon runs.

We were a force.

Though, I don’t plan to have them play a part in fighting the talking Hobgoblin if i can avoid it.

Anyway, I made my way to the gate and stepped outside.

There it was. The biggest Hobgoblin I’ve seen to date.

It stood maybe around 7’5 and muscles the size of bricks. It was covered from head to toe in sturdy looking black leather armor, and what looked to be an iron mace hung at its waist.

At some point a smile made its way onto my face as I walked in front of the Outpost and stopped just behind where those wooden fence things were. Richard did not follow me out.

“Good. You have come. Defeat me and your people shall live a bit longer. If not, they will die today.”

His words do not match the movement of his lips. Which means he’s not speaking English. Must be some Goblin language.

I could’ve maybe responded with something snarky but I’ve never been one to talk for the sake of talking, so I didn’t waste any time, and I charged at him.

My flames may have ended this battle before I wanted so I didn’t use them yet. Maybe that was dumb of me, but I needed this, I wanted this, this was the real reason for getting stronger. It wasn’t to start a country, it wasn’t to be an Infernal Patriarch, whatever responsibilities they wanted to give me, no…I was much simpler than all of that.

I simply wanted to fight.

I enjoyed it.

The thrill of fighting and defeating a stronger opponent.

This was the feeling.

I struck out in a powerful thrust the second I reached the large Hobgoblin.

He dodged.

Ahh…I was worried he wouldn’t be able to. That thrust was the full strength of someone who sat firmly in the 7th Cycle, yet he managed to doge.

The grin that sat on my face was wide as can be at this point.

My mom probably begged me to smile like this for picture days a million times.

But how could a picture day compare to a fight to the death where your life and the lives of people you protected were on the line?

It seems I really am crazy. Must be an Infernal thing.

Yep must be.