Charlie’s good humor quickly drained from his face. TJ raised his hands and apologized, “No, that’s not exactly what I wanted to say.”

“Then fucking say what you meant.” Charlie’s tone lacked all the playful happiness from before.

“Did you know that we need to protect the general store from an assault for 18 hours, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And did you know that there’s going to be a limited number of enemies appearing in the Tutorial, right?”

“Something like that.”

“Final question: have you noticed that they’re getting stronger?”

“I… not really?”

“Ok, so your lack of urgency makes some sense, though I don’t know how you’ve missed it. The first pukwudgies I saw appeared on day two, immediately after that System warning about integration. When did you see the first ones?”

“I dunno, later that day?” Charlie’s face stopped glowering quite so much.

“The first ones I saw and killed were all level 3. Later, I saw only a couple that were over level five. Yesterday, on day three of this Tutorial bullshit, I fought a group with at least a dozen at level 5 or higher. Each multiple of five seems to be a watershed right now, and I’m afraid of running into anything at level 10. The idea that the boss is coming in less than two weeks, and it could be level 25, or Bronze tier, or anything like that, has me petrified. I saw what a level 4 mountain lion could do to someone levels above it. If it’d been level five, Stanton would absolutely be dead. If you all take your sweet time getting levels right now because you’re scared, we’re gonna end up having to fight even more enemies at a higher level in a couple weeks. That’s unacceptable. I understand this all has been the scariest, most nerve-wracking experience in my life, and I know I’ve danced on the edge of death every day. I realize you all are the brave few willing to range out to help the old, weak, and fearful. I don’t want to discredit that.

“But dammit Charlie! Let’s put just a minute’s thought into this! We need to kill as many as we can, to make sure that we can make it through this hell!”

TJ’s mouth was dry with anxiety and from talking as long as he had. He looked up at the taller man’s face, worried he’d see a disbelieving, unwilling look. Instead, he saw fear and acceptance.

“Oh. Shit. Zig!”

He hadn’t needed to call. The fiery-headed hunter had obviously been listening, and her face mirrored Charlie’s. When TJ turned to look around, he saw that every one of the hunters had been listening none too subtly, and every single young face was screwed up in some approximation of fear, terror, horror, or defeat. TJ’s stomach dropped, seeing the hope drain from so many excited faces, but he didn’t regret it.

“You heard him.” Zig said. “I don’t like to hear it, but I think it’s the truth. Second priority today is to hunt. If you’re too scared to focus on killing as many of these creatures as possible, I understand. Make your way back to town and stay with the people in the firehouse. Thank you for helping out until now. If you stay, you’re going into the fire with us right now.”

The assembled hunters looked at each other, worried. One began to turn away, a young girl about 17 or so, and TJ Appraised her as she walked away.

Acolyte, 1

Anywhere up to a level 3, without an Occupation. Several others looked at each other and the retreating girl, but then Seth walked forward. His acne-scarred face was screwed up in a horrible display of hatred and rage, and he spat the words with a vitriol that almost scared TJ.

“They killed Hannah yesterday. I’m not letting another one of the fuckers live another day, not if I can help it. I’m with you.” Then, he walked forward and summoned his Sacred Weapon, a medieval-looking crossbow. TJ realized that he didn’t understand the variations between the Skills offered by each Class, just like how his Divine Transformation differed from Charlie’s.

“Well said, Seth. TJ, if you want, you can lead us on the hunt.” Zig answered, and many of the less sure hunters seemed mollified by his potential presence.

“I’ll be here,” TJ answered, his hands held up in a warding gesture, “but I’m not much of a leader. I’m happy to be a part of all this and help out however I can, but I won’t lead. I’ll protect and fight alongside you, but it’s better to follow Zig, since she knows all you and everything.”

“Sounds good. OK everybody, keep your eyes peeled while we go. If you notice something, pass it on and prepare to engage.”

Murmurs of agreement traveled up and down the group, and the dozen people standing together all prepared themselves. Of the five Zealots, three had suits of armor appear over them while the other two carried massive iridescent shields over three feet tall and stood on each side of Angelo the Disciple. Charlie stood beside TJ, his jacket put back in his backpack and his eyes peeled for anything approaching. The remaining hunters were all Acolytes, and TJ was again surprised at how the weapons varied. Zig and another carried bows, while Seth hefted his huge crossbow and Farid had a pair of javelins appear in his hands. The last Acolyte, a short girl, carried a two and a half foot-long boomerang that looked almost comical in her hands. That she was labeled an Acolyte, 2 meant that she’d been at least partially successful in hunting with it, though, and TJ refused to underestimate her.

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“Ok, we’re moving. We’re about to get to where we’ve seen the closest enemies, so be ready for anything!”

With that, the group of hunters set out. The initial nervousness quickly segued to a more high-strung caution, to a relaxed awareness. With each step that they took without anyone seeing or noticing anything out of the ordinary, the less experienced hunters slipped more and more out of readiness. So it was that when Seth shouted, half were entirely caught off guard.

“Three blurs!” Without another word, Seth raised his crossbow, sighted down it, and let the bolt fly. TJ only saw the blur at that moment, and saw it attempt to dodge. The pukwudgie was too late, the bolt catching it squarely on the shoulder. It spun out of its camouflage, blood and screams flying freely. Zig was the second to shoot, an arrow flying with a slight whistle through the air towards the gathered monsters and into one’s surprised throat. Farid’s javelin was just behind, though it fell slightly short of the group. The third attempted to flee, and none of the hunters were ready to keep it from escaping.

TJ, seeing the inevitable problems that would arise from a warning being given to dozens, and maybe hundreds more pukwudgies, activated Divine Transformation and rushed forward. His scales made a pleasant sound on the ground as his tongue flicked out of his mouth and tasted the fleeing pukwudgie’s scent. He could see it, though not with his eyes. He trusted his senses, and with a brief moment’s concentration, he sent a spear of wind lancing around a tree and into the goblin-like creature’s spine. It fell with a weak cry, and TJ grabbed it in his jaws before carrying it and the other still living pukwudgie towards the group of hunters.

He dropped both in front of the dozen, all but four of them (Zig, Farid, Charlie, and Seth) looking sick as he transformed back into his human body.

“You need experience. If the most powerful keep killing everything, the weakest will get left farther and farther behind. Zealots, you especially will need to find out how you can get more experience.”

“Who’s the lowest–”

Seth cut Zig’s question off, pulling a dagger from his belt and stabbing it deep into the pukwudgie he’d shot’s eye. It screamed for only a second before its body went limp and its cries died.

“My prey.” He grunted. “I can share later. But this one… was for Hannah–” His words cut off suddenly.

TJ looked around, slightly off-put by the rage still so prominent on Seth’s face. Before he could ask any questions or respond to that though, Seth spoke up, his tone surprised and a little happy.

“I just got an Occupation.”

“Sweet!”

“Nice!”

“Congrats!”

“What is it?”

A chorus of excited voices cut through the sudden tension, and Seth looked up, a painful rictus of a grin beginning to cross his face. “Avenger.”

Zig hesitated to ask, but eventually she pushed through her obvious discomfort. “And the requirements?”

“To have lost a friend and sworn vengeance for their death. Then, you need to kill the object of your hatred, alone.”

TJ saw several jaws clench in response, his own one of them. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Seth’s shoulder.

“I’m glad you were able to avenge her. The System seems to guide us to do things that’ll let us progress that way. Let’s see if we can’t keep you as a preemptive avenger from now on.”

Seth merely nodded and swiped at a tear from the corner of his eye. Charlie wrapped the skinny man in a rough hug, whispering something TJ couldn’t quite pick out in his ear. Charlie patted Seth’s back a couple times as he pulled away, and Zig grabbed Seth’s hand for a moment. Many of the rest of the hunters offered words of comfort, but Seth shrugged them off and pulled the string of his crossbow back while a bolt appeared in its slot.

All the while, TJ kept his eyes out, watching for anything that approached. No more pukwudgies made themselves known, but TJ swore he could hear something in the bushes.

“Keep an eye out! I hear something!” He called, and the positive huddle of hunters dispersed, each clumsily pulling away from the rest and going to their assigned spot. As they fought to get into position, a pack of a half dozen coyotes burst from the brush and jumped, jaws slavering, towards the three Zealots in the front. Two were ready enough not to be pulled off their feet, but the third was dragged to the ground and she screamed, fighting to escape their deadly attack as three seemingly insane creatures ripped and tore at her.

Charlie burst into his Divine Transformation form and threw a massive haymaker into the crowd of three furry bodies. Two were sent flying, and Charlie grabbed the third by the scruff. It snarled and snapped at his face, spittle flying everywhere. The Neophyte held it by its back legs and swung the canine like a club at the others that lunged back in. Charlie let it fly out of his hands after it smashed once against the ground with a sickening wet crunch, and it tumbled away with weak whimpers as the briefly toppled Zealot fought back to her feet with panicked breaths and strangled cries.

The two Zealots that had remained on their feet lashed out with makeshift clubs, their strikes occasionally finding purchase in the flesh of their attackers. Then, the Acolytes joined in, and with weapons flying every direction, it wasn’t long before most of the coyotes lay dead at their feet. The last two tried to escape, but were too wounded to flee quickly enough to escape the final blows coming from the enraged hunters.

With no more immediate threat, Angelo walked forward and laid a hand on the girl who’d been beset by coyotes. A faint glow accompanied the use of his Skill, and the several deep cuts on the girl’s face faded to new, healthy pink tissue.

“This was just barely outside of the ‘safe’ area.” TJ said, still looking at their surroundings. “Imagine if they’d gotten into town, what they’d do to all the people inside. What could Granny Penny do about that? Or anyone else you care about? That’s why we’re here.”

As he spoke, TJ supposed he believed it, though he wondered if the real reason he was here was just self-preservation. Did it matter if it was? He shook his head.

“Don’t let your guards down. There’s certain to be more nearby.”

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