Chapter one

Zayne was standing in an unknown, dimly lit forest that was engulfed in mist as the sky overhead started to brighten up. The trees that blanketed the area were in the beginning stage of fall, with the leaves turning into the colors of the sunset. This all escaped his notice due to the fact that Zayne didn’t care about it.

He stood there wondering about the last thing he could recall: the dark, musty basement they locked him in his whole life was the only thing that came to mind. Zayne didn’t really have too much human contact; unless you count the brief moments that his parents came down to feed him. Because of this, he was never taught how to read properly and knew just a handful of spoken words his parents used to degrade him with. This combined with being in a strange place didn’t make him the ideal candidate for the tutorial.

The untoward appearance he had was beyond disgusting. Long, black greasy hair ran from his face to his chest. He was small and looked malnourished, making Zayne look like a walking skeleton. Lucky for him, the system gave all entries the bare minimal score of attributes at the least; nothing like alien standards.

Zayne, being the walking corpse that he was didn’t bring a sense of danger only the sight of pity. Being ghostly pale that only came from little to no contact with the sun add to the affect. Now in front of him was a floating mass of fluff trying to explain to him something that was unintelligible and a blue screen that was hovering in his face. He stood there for a time listening to what it was trying to say, but as minutes ticked by Zayne was getting bored.

He wasn't sure what the fluff thing was, or how he got here. Zayne was used to being locked in his room when the world shook violently. The small window in the corner wall where it met the ceiling was dark from the night till the outside world lit up to the point that it was painful to watch. Being displaced for a second or two in complete darkness giving him only a moment to wonder if he was dead, until he found himself here instead.

The shock of it was keeping him still as this fluffball kept telling him to do something with gestures. There was a floating blue screen in front of him with scribbles of lines making no sense as the thing continued to talk. The fluff ball screamed at him, wanting Zayne to do some unknown task. It kept at it while he just stared there looking at it, waiting for it to either feed him like he was used to or for it to start beating him. Zayne didn’t care about what it decided to do, because if he got his beating it generally meant there was food afterwards. The last time his parents forgot to feed him, he made sure to make a mess as big as he could with the body he had at hand. That’s why there was dry blood caked all over him.

As time continued to pass, Zayne found he wasn’t going to be fed, and all he knew was that he was hungry. He hadn't eaten for at least a couple of days, and that thing kept taunting him. He looked around for some kind of stick but fell short. He had his first real thought in a while, that's fine, he had his hands and what better to use than them. Bracing himself, he lunged for the infuriating fluff ball with everything that he had.

Vall was an incorporeal cloud fairy that was used to helping new life forms get integrated with the tutorial of the system. It was her job to help this child pass the tutorial so she could get back home. She hated telling stupid humans that this was the end of their life, and the only way out was to complete the tutorial and then get merged into the new world. She was always stuck teaching these stupid humans the ropes of the tutorial. Why she couldn’t get one of the other races was something she brought up to corporate repeatedly over the multitude of planets she was sent to reap.

Vall was part of the tutorial sect, just like many other cloud fairies. They were sent to seeded planets to bring in new populations to the mother worlds. The process was long and strenuous, but it was a job that gave great benefits and a promise of immortality to those that retired from it. She had more than enough of other humans after this, so she wanted to get through it as fast as possible, but this nasty human wasn’t listening to anything she was saying. There was a lot of explaining to do about how the System worked and the skills, levels and abilities one got after they were done. The class and build one got was important to grow into a reliable species on Galaria. If you didn’t pay attention to what you were doing, then you would be screwed. The biggest part was getting a useful class and learning to use it properly. One didn’t start to level until after they were done here.

Digging around in her fluff, Vall pulled out her cigarettes. Years of watching this particular planet had taught her bad habits. Other fairies had picked up other habits as well, one of them Vall had gotten was smoking. She was normally ethereal but for rare moments when she took a drag from her Virginia Slims she gains mass. Vall lit the slim and took a long pull to blow smoke at this child, who had not responded to anything she said. He just stood there and held her gaze like an idiot. She couldn't tell what age the boy was, maybe 15 or 16, but what was with the long greasy hair that hung around his face. He was in bloody rags, with thick chains that hung from his limbs. Something was off here, and she swore she was going to take it to corporate as soon as she finished here. With that last thought, the boy shifted and lunged at her, ending the light in the woods that she floated in.

After Zayne tried to eat the fluffy fairy, the blue screen appeared again in its annoying glow. "Error, not part of the tutorial program" flashed in his face, but alas, he couldn't read. He would love to find some proper food that actually filled his stomach, but there was nothing here, so he had to move on.

Zayne was walking through the woods as he got his bearings. This is fine, he thought. This was better than being down in a cell that held little to no entertainment. He was never allowed out for unknown reasons. As he moved through the woods searching for anything edible, he came across a trail with footprints. That's when Zayne got his first skill. The screen popped up in his face, but he just pushed it aside like all the other times. Zayne's sight now outlined fresh footprints leading out of the forest into a valley. A smile crept across his face at this fresh development. He continued through the forest picking up levels for his tracking skill. It was getting easier for him to follow the barely visible path as he walked past tree after tree.

The sun was setting as he left the forest and entered the valley. Getting closer to the small hamlet with lights being turned on, he made out a little more of the surroundings. The small hamlet was not something he had ever seen before, with no lamps and cars but stick buildings and thatch roofs. The lamps had flames in them, and horse droppings littered the road. Men and women were closing their window shutters, getting ready for the long night. It comprised a dozen houses and barns with a field that was prepared for harvest, but all this escaped the notice of Zayne. No, what he cared about more was the occupants in the homes.

Moving with a quickness and stealth that few of his age had, Zayne crept through the silent town as he made his way to the closest building, a barn. The barn itself wasn't very impressive with all the chipped paint and the holes that were in place through the walls. The floor was dusted with hay sporadically through the barn, dust laid heavy on things that weren't used daily. He would have read the blue status that said "Save the town" with a timer counting with three days, if he could read. No, what got his notice was all the farm tools that were on the walls. Everything that he could ever need to help keep himself entertained was in here, and that was what he was planning to do. Taking down a rusty machete, the blue screen popped in his face again and if he could have read it, it would say.

Stolen story; please report.

Rusty machete damage dealt 5-8 scales of strength at c.

Durability 80/120

Because of the rust scaling goes down by 5, damage is halved

With his new toy in hand, he made his way out to the silent town.

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Vall, frozen in place, had no fucking idea what happened, and that's saying something since she has been part of the tutorial for the last eon. This individual should have heard her when she said that no harm could come of her and the only thing that would come of it was a little fluff and no guide. No, this was insane, she had to get to corporate about this. After all, the syncing with the human race was important. The last of the humans of Galaria was almost extinct. This was one of the few ways to help repopulate those vermin. Why the system needed them was beyond her, but this wasn't the time to get into that.

Vall flew off towards the transport. She needed to see what the human was doing without her. She rounded the corner and flew straight into the pod to start phasing. All while debating with herself if she should say something now or wait and see what happens. The tutorial sect, her department, was in charge of disposing of any being that was harmful to the integration, and Zayne was within grounds for just that decision. No, Vall would wait to report after she got her fill of enjoyment. She wanted to savor this, by watching that fool of a child get obliterated by the tutorial. Once you guide a few planets, you see them all; well maybe not. After all, this was new.

The pod door opened up, revealing a white plain of existence with nothing in it but a crystalized tower that ran up for ten stories. The tower itself was impressive for those that hadn't seen such things before; for Vall, this was all too common for her. Most of the tower comprised cubical desks with screens in them. The Cloud fairies were well known for their gift of monitoring and eavesdropping, so they were well suited for running the tutorial sect. Going forward, she shot up to the open expanse with a flair shooting above the tower, then dive bombing to the top of the tower. She was sure the alpha team was already watching the beast child be crippled by the npcs. Landing on the veranda, Vall opened the door and stopped when she saw a crowd gathered in the room staring at the screens where that boy was on the move. There were roughly about 200 of her fellow fairies there watching the screen in a full stupor, just staring, glassy eyed as the boy went on his merry way.

Did he have that much blood on him the last time she saw him? No, this was too much. Vall was about to ask the person next to the door by her when the screen flashed red and the screaming started. The boy was killing something. Could it be the goblins? They were the scenario. No, the blood was red, the only color goblins bleed was blue, so that wasn’t it.

"He's killing the village! Is anyone going to stop this? It's all wrong!" Vall shrieked.

"No, it's approved. He's giving us readings on brain waves that we have never seen before. Not only that, but he isn't going against the system. As long as he completes the aim, then it's all fine. People sometimes can't cope with what's happening, and he's not the first case that has killed a couple of the npc's." The deep, melodic voice came from an umpa-lumpa fuck of a fairy entering the room. He was the head of the tutorial sect. It was none other than Mr. Fipples.

"Though this is the first time we have seen something of this nature. Normally, life forms are a little more squeamish about murder." He explained.

Vall knew the fluffy bastard was right. The human psyche was an important factor in keeping the humans alive in Galaria, and this wasn't the first time a being killed a few villagers. Every life-form the System came across was dispensed to Galaria, forced into joining the System's rule. No one knows why, and if anyone did, it was too far past Vall's pay grade. Every new planet they brought in on the fold was custom tailored to that species for the tutorial. The humans had the same npc's species as themselves and a common enough enemy that they could identify what the aim was and not be too shocked by their new surroundings.

"No, this isn't right. I have a bad feeling about this." A chill went up Vall's back after she said that. This moment was something that she would never forget for the rest of her life. The mistake that would backfire on them for a millennium.

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Zayne was the happiest that he had ever been, what with all the blood, gore and guts that he had stuck off of his new toy. He was in the 10th house and almost done with it; after visiting the back of the house where an unsuspecting parent was making their nightly run to the outhouse. Zayne was happily surprised to find that none of the homes he’d come across had locks on them, which made it easier for him to get around, let alone anyone that was up.

Old farmer Patrick opened the outhouse door and was quite shocked to find a bloody teen with a machete waiting outside right in front of him. Zayne feinted left, then shifted right, plunging the rusty weapon into the old man with a satisfying squelch. The old man barely had time to make a whimper as the blade twisted, then wrenched out of him, slashing through his right lung. Another one down Zayne, thought. That's when the blue screen popped back up in his vision again. God, that was getting annoying. That happened every time he made a new 'friend' and quite honestly, it was starting to wear on him and so he pushed the blue screen away yet again. Each time became easier than the last.

Staring down at the dead farmer, his stomach rumbled. This reminded him to get a bite to eat, so he pulled out the lung that was barely intact and started chewing, making his way through the organ as he walked. As Zayne finished, he wiped the blood onto his shirt and started moving into the home, humming what he could only call a merry tune.

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Vall saw the human go cannibalistic to the parent that he just shredded. OH GOD, she had to turn around, so she didn't see the rest of that hideous scene. She thought the boy wouldn't touch the children, but that came down in a crash. Literally a crash. He dropped the top bunk bed on the child below and slit the other's throat. Each kill he made got more and more gruesome as the night continued, and no one was listening to her to shut this shit show down. This was not why there was a tutorial. Looking around for Mr. Fipples, she spotted him in the center of the room. Making her way over to him was like fighting through cotton candy when she finally made it to Mr. Fipples. Gasping, she called out "Sir, we need to shut this down, it's gone on long enough."

"No, I don't think that will happen. This is just a tutorial and the data that we are getting from this human's psyche is pixie brilliant." He paused briefly before adding in a quiet tone. "Besides, I'm part of the betting pool on how long this human will be stuck there." He had a slimy smile on his purple face. The kind of smile that made Vall want to jump in a sugar bath and go to town scrubbing her body with a sugar cane.

"Furthermore, isn't it about time for your retirement?" He asked snidely. "Obviously the man child doesn't want you and it's getting awfully close for you." Fipples said maliciously. They both knew that wasn't true, but it didn't look good on her end with the child killing all the npc's. She was in a tight spot and the only way out was to be sent for a pink slip or retirement.

"Fine!'' she said through gritted, sweet teeth. "I'm out of this sugar stand, but don't come crying to me if this blows up in your pie hole!" and with that she stormed out.

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Zayne finished killing all the people around town and was feeling pretty good about himself. That came to a halt when a booming voice came out of nowhere, speaking gibberish to Zayne.

"System message, you have failed the quest Save The Villagers. Through the actions of killing the villagers, you are hereby awarded by the following."

"Unique class: 90s Slasher-This unique class has never been achieved.

Achievement: for being the first to get this class you've gained a skill"

"Skill: Schizophrenia - allows one or more voices and personalities in the skill holder's head."

Vit +5

End +5

Str +5

Agi +5

Percep +5

React +5

Will +5

Intelligence +1

Wisdom +1

The voice ended and the blue screen appeared again in his face, showing the same unintelligible stuff as the last time.

"CAN YOU HEAR ME!?" The thought came to Zayne, but he's never had an intelligible thought like this before; this is new.

"Yes, it is new, but I'm not. I'm the voice that you've been ignoring this entire time! You may call me Jiminy and I am your conscience." This so-called Jiminy said. His voice had a weird flair to it that Zayne couldn't place. "That, my friend, is called an accent and mine is British, though you can't ignore me. I am fully aware of your thoughts." The voice said, in an amused way that left Zayne lost in the abundance of words. "Oh, and you should be ready for Foulness to speak soon, he's starting to wake up."

"System reset, starting tutorial." the System's voice rang out.