Cleo breathed in heavily, her hands shaking.

She conjured the image of her sister in her mind, rekindling her fury and steeling her resolve.

It was necessary. Jack has to die.

Clenching her teeth and making sure to not look down, she quickly opened the blinking notifications.

Enemy slain! +2 Copper I essence.

That was new. She had no idea what essence was. And the ‘Enemy’ in the text let guilt rise up in her, but she quickly suppressed it. Now was not the time for that.

Quest Walking your Path completed!

Finally. Finally she would get a skill.

But she couldn’t bring herself to feel happy about it. Completing the quest felt empty, devoid of any meaning apart from aiding her revenge. She would gladly trade every skill to bring her sister back to life again.

When she thought about the quest rewards, the last blue textbox morphed into a bigger one, showing her a list of skills. Her eyes quickly scanned over it.

Quest Walking your Path completed!

You have proven your worth in forging your own path and are now rewarded with even greater prowess!

Choose one of the following three aligned skills and continue walking your path:

Spearmanship - Passive - Copper I No longer the beginner you once were, you now begin to show serious skill in wielding your weapon. Effect: Expand your instinctive knowledge and skill of the Spear, moderately improving your abilities against armed opponents and slightly improving your abilities against unarmed opponents and beasts.

Empowered Throw - Active - Copper I A spear is as deadly from far away as it is from close up. Throw it faster and harder than otherwise possible. Effect: When throwing a spear you may empower it using mana, significantly enhancing its speed and power.

Säon̸̏’s Wra̴th - ? - Copper I

E̶̮͖̦̳̣̋͆̓̚͝ͅj̴͈̱͈̝͕̄͛͒̒̉͝j̵̢̨̝̄̒̑͝â̶̛͙͈͙̲̓͂̀͊̃a̴͋̎̕a̶͖̩͛̂s̴͕͙͖̉̓̈̐̓͑d̵̢̼͈͙̋̐ ̸̨̰̜͈̜͎͛̍̀̍̍̓ b̵̡͔͉̼̯̓̃̓͆͜g̶͎̪͇̏̊r̷̻͇͉̻͋̚ j̵̆ wrath of̸̈́̏̐ s̸͊̊͠z̶̠̎͂̆̃x̶͒̍͒́ ̷̘̜̝̳͇̻̳̺̒b̸̧͍̞̼̤̔̔̐x̵̨̢͕̫̠̯͙̤̝͜͝s̸͕̦̜̦͍͚̹͂͆̐̓͂̅͂͝͠͠ừ̶͙̩̍̂̌́͊͘z̵̎̚h̵͗̓̈̓͌̌̀̕ë̷̢̜̖̪͖̖͖̑͆͐̓̊͝͝͠͠d̴̎̈̅̽̔ go̴d Sä̷̽ͅon̵̼̳̉̔ ,̴̵̓̇̃yǫ̵̆̆͘͠ù̸̼͕̙̣͍̲͜͠͠ ċ̷̤͍̮̟̍̓̍̀̐̍h̵̾̈́̀̀̂̆͛̊ǎ̵̱̹̻̈́n̵͈̟̈̚n̶̊ẹ̴̘͐͐̓̾̿̚ḷ̵̛̈́̒̎̾ h̵͌̾͆̓͛͝is̷̆ power ̵̛͍̞̯̱̼̈̐̊̑͜͝d̷̳̮͕͔͒̉ḋ̴̻̖̄̽́̊̒̎̂ͅb̴̜̖͗̆́̆̉̀̂͂̋͘n̷͖̲̺͍̅͜͠g̶͖̥̥̻̍̓͒̔͗̽̈́͘͝͝ţ̸̱͕̫͚̣͕̮̊ḩ̷̧̰̩̯͓̮̀̋̾͊͛̈͛̂̕̕ͅ ̴͙̣̠̮̓́̑̀̔̍̅̕͘͝c̷̖̺̐͌f̶͓̠̦̔̑͆̈́̍͗͋͘à̸̉̑͋̐̊s̷̤̚ ̸̣̎́͌̆̕͘͝͝g̴͇͉̀̕͠h̶̢̗͍̪͙̥̄̀͋̓̆͘͝͠d̶r̷̪̼̠̼̂̆̈́͌͛ s̴̛͍̥̤̉̊̿̇̽̄b̷̜̝̍̐͜j̸̙́̏̓͑̔̒͗́̀̕ ̶̉̓̚͠͠m̶̉̊́ļ̴̹̭̬̤̱̅̀͛͋͗̚ǐ̶̛̻́͂̃̀̿̈̅̚a̴͇̳͙͙̮͖̔̿͂̅̓͒̊͠͠ͅ.̸̛͖͐̈́͌́̈̎̏̕̚͜

Effect: O̶̡͚͊̀̚p̸̟̖͠w̸͔̟͇͉̞̞͐̔̐́̃̋͊̔̉̚ͅy̵͓̝͂̄ͅḃ̸̧̧͕̗̀̑̿͐ma̵̍s̵̔̓̅̓͘ ̵̡̥̼̰̣̟̯͉̮̖̈́̓̅n̷̛̗͙̤͖͉̑̾̈́͌͝ē̷̻̂̇̈͗͠ͅ ̷̦̘̲̓̌̿́̀̍̕o̴̞͇̱̾̏̆͘ị̵̧͓̞̪̙̹̒͆͘ẃ̴̠̫͇̈̄͌̽̓͒̑̽͘n̶̫͔̮̼̫͇̮͋̓̇̕ͅm̸̟̩̅̅̀́̀̓̇̀͝ṁ̵̲̣̱̺̦̱̞b̸̨̛͖̦̥͑͛͒a̶̦̜͆́s̴̬̣͍̭̗̩͂̈́͂̿͜f̶͕̙̠̄g̴̋̓̔̓̃g̵̀̉͋̊͘͘ë̷͈͖̟a̸̫̘̖̅̐ ̴͔̬̯̯͍̳̦̼͖̝̊̽a̵̴̞̘̜͙̰̣̼͉̞̯̋͊̂̒̐̍͒͑͜z̵͍͌̑s̷͇͐̂f̷̈́g̵a̵̒̃͛̈́̂ ̸̂́̏i̸͉̥̜̣͑͋̌͜͜͜ͅ increase ̷̆̊̐̒̚͘͝ỉ̵͉̪̓́͗̂̃̄͝n̴̏̿̀sh̸̙͒̅̏̏͌̐̈́͜t̶̛̀̀͛͆̈́tw̶̗̩͚̪͈̘̽̐ b̴̈́̀̍od̶y'̵͙̗̀͆s̵̹͖̖͈̍̾ strength, agility s̷͈̕ͅa̷̲͇̕b̵̗̖̉ ̷̠̆͠ë̵̼̌g̸̭̍͝h̶̦͔̆̽n̸̘̭͂n̸͍͖̈̕d̴͚̓̕ǟ̷̤w̸̺̞̾͝ ̶̰͋ą̴͛n̴̘̳̕d̸̙̏̚ ̷͓̰͘a̸̯̦̎͝ ̸͔̽̓s̸̢̑̒ì̵͎ḡ̵̹͙ņ̵̩͝ȉ̷̼̱f̴͚̌͂í̸͍͔͝c̵̩̓͝ạ̷̻̌n̸̙̼̓̽t̴͔̀̑ decrease ̴̈́l̶̯̂̐k̷̻̿͘͜ ̷̱̈́m̴̜̉̄b̸̰̀̊b̸̠͐̈́ḑ̴̈́́ ̷̬̲̕r̴̞̦̿̍e̸͕̯͛̾a̶̅͜c̵̨͐̕t̵̼̻͊͠i̷͇͋ǫ̶̲̂̾n̶̠̓ ̴̯̤̓̚t̵̛̗̭́į̷̣̉m̶̢̺̈́ê̵͉̯͘ ̸̪̉̀b̷͕̓ỵ̵̨̄ channel ̵̪͕͋̚a̵̪͂s̵̫̈́̓ͅc̴̜̮̈́ȟ̶͍̗h̶̹̭͂t̵̝͎̄̿d̶̝̗̑̆s̸͍͛̕d̵̦̃g̵̡̳͌̽ through your ̶̺͍̌a̵̧̨̿͐d̴̟̈̕n̷̹͈͠h̵̄͜r̷̬̔́ ̴̰̓͋c̸̛̦̈ͅv̷̰̲͂͋h̷͇͖͋͒r̶̰͘͝ ̴̳͛n̸̘̏̎d̷͇́ť̷̢h̴͍̄.̷̹̔

̷̞̌

̴̩͙̈́M̴̳̆͠k̶̫͇͒̕g̶͈͖̀h̴͎͉̏a̴̲͊̊d̵̲̱̓á̵̼͚û̶̱͙ ̸̨̦̽̍b̶̗̈̉n̸͓̈͜g̵̼͌̉ẗ̸̜̞́ ̵̳͇́a̴͕͋ ̷͔͜͝a̴͓̖͌x̷̹̉c̵̳͛̐v̸̢̓b̶̮̿h̶̦̀t̶̟̉r̵̦̔̔ i̶ncre̵͂aṡ̴e̷ ̸̱̎̈́͜v̷͚͆͆ÿ̸̥̳́̋ ̷̝̐͜z̴̙̗͊͠x̸̗̃̆͜x̶̜͑͘ ̵̹͍̐d̸͕́̀s̷̹̖̎͂d̶̢͇͊f̵̤͋̓ ̵̣͂͋d̴̩͆̚ë̷́͜ erosion ̸͎͛̊s̴͂̑ͅd̶̢͖̎ ̵̨͒j̶̬̈r̴̛̫t̸͙͒̽ ̴͎̒͝A̶̦̟͝s̸͈̙̽y̶̯̍͋f̸̨̐ḧ̶̼̰́j̶̨̊.̷͙̝͑͘

Her eyes widened at the last entry.

What is that…

The System looked like it was bugging out. However… it looked strong. There was something to be said about picking something without being able to read everything it said, but something with ‘Wrath’ in its name… wasn’t that exactly what she needed right now? What she felt right now?

The other two options… were alright. The first one would probably give her an advantage once she got into melee combat with Jack. But for that she first had to get there. She would probably turn into a porcupine before she made it even halfway to him.

The second option seemed better, she could surprise him with a throw of her spear and cross the distance that way. However, if her throw missed, which it probably would since it didn’t say it improved her accuracy, she would then be completely weaponless. And without anything to use a skill with.

And she didn’t even know if she had mana, the System certainly didn’t tell her if she had any. What if she picked the skill and she couldn’t use it?

No, her only real option right now… was the ominous and buggy looking skill.

Skill S̵̩̋ͅäon’s Wrath̸̫̳͆ gained!

“Alright… let's do this.”

****

Jack was slowly moving in a circle around the tree both of them were hiding behind, his crossbow always trained on it in case they suddenly moved. His spear was tugged on his back with some self made rope from cloth.

He suppressed a yawn.

He had hit Alex twice, that guy was certainly bleeding out right now.

If he waited a bit longer he would die on his own.

But he didn’t want to miss the girl if she decided to run away, it would be bothersome if she alerted others about him. Then completing quests would become more annoying.

Not that he thought others coming after him would be much of a threat. He believed himself to be one of the fastest, if not the fastest progressing person in the Tutorial. Killing people was so much more efficient than just going after those pesky boars. And also much more fun.

He withheld a chuckle when memories of his first companions started to rise up in him. The confused and angry faces at their invisible enemy, as he picked them off one by one.

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With a content smile and while keeping his eyes on the tree, he summoned his Status in front of him.

He didn’t have to worry about it blocking his view, he could still perceive everything behind it. Which was weird. But very useful.

He looked over his Status, marveling at his two superb skills, which had helped him tremendously with the last few kills.

STATUS

Name Jack Anders Race

Human Grade

Ungraded Alignment Crossbow Quests

Walking your Path III Essence

Copper I 4

Skills [2/5]:

Weapon Storage - Active - Copper I Ranger’s Evasion - Passive - Copper I

Especially Weapon Storage, which allowed him to store his crossbow and ammunition in a sub-dimension. That way he could pretend to wield something completely different, and simply summon his crossbow whenever he saw an opportunity.

The only downside was that the summoning took some time, even longer than when the weapons had appeared out of thin air at the start of the tutorial. He also had to reload it before putting it back, otherwise it would come back unloaded.

Though putting it back was much faster in comparison, which was also more important in his opinion, since he often had to hide it quickly.

His second skill was quite useful too, it improved his agility whenever he was in melee combat. That way he could pretend to be wielding a melee weapon without accidentally dying to whatever he was fighting.

Closing his Status again, he kept walking slowly in his circle around the tree.

Soon he would get a clear sight of them and then he could finish off that stupid brat.

A head suddenly poked around the tree. Jack instantly pulled the trigger and a bolt shot towards it, impaling it. The body sacked lifelessly to the side.

What… was he already dead?

The girl appeared from behind the tree and started running towards him.

That little shit!

He hastily started reloading his crossbow. Sometimes he wished he had chosen a bow, crossbows took so long to reload. However it was also much easier to steadily aim a crossbow for a long time and wait for the perfect opportunity to shoot. A tradeoff that had turned out to be very useful. Except for now.

He had barely brought up his crossbow again when he saw that the girl was only a few steps in front of him. Looking at her face made him freeze and waste another precious second.

Are her eyes… glowing??

Her face was warped from fury and hatred, akin to a demon mask. Her eyes really did glow an ominous red.

He pulled the trigger and the bolt shot towards her and… missed.

The moment he had pulled the trigger she had already moved to the side, out of his crossbow’s sight.

Shit!

He triggered Weapon Storage, his crossbow disappearing with a *fump* and fumbled at the spear on his back.

“Dieeee!”

What the fuck is wrong with her?

Her voice sounded distorted, like coming through a bad loudspeaker.

His Ranger’s Evasion kicked in once she got close enough and he finally managed to bring his spear out, just in time to hastily deflect a stab aimed at him.

At least he intended to deflect it. Her spear scraped across his in a flash, its trajectory barely altered, ripping open his side.

“Ahh!”

This was the first time he had been injured today.

What followed was a flurry of blows from her, which he desperately tried to deflect or evade while retreating backwards. More and more injuries accumulated on his body, his increased agility the only reason none of them had been lethal so far.

She wasn’t even using any superior techniques - she was simply stabbing forward with enough speed and brute force that he couldn’t do anything. And any attempt he made at countering was easily dodged by her.

After a few more strafing wounds, his luck finally ran out when he tripped on a root.

Falling backwards, he threw his head to the side in a last attempt to dodge the incoming attack, but it was for naught.

Her spear pierced through his neck, only a gurgling sound instead of his scream making it out of his mouth. The ground hit him hard, the spear impaling him on the forest floor.

His hands grabbed the spear shaft, uselessly slipping off it. Cleo’s body loomed over him, her weight on the spear keeping him pinned to the ground. Blood came in bubbles out of his mouth.

The girl’s red eyes hung like evil suns above him, her face warped into a weird mix of smiling and scowling.

Darkness crept in from the edges.

The last thing he felt was the spear leaving his throat and entering his chest.

****

Cleo felt empty and tired.

She was kneeling in front of Jack’s corpse, her spear standing upright embedded in him. There wasn’t much she remembered of the fight, only that she activated her skill and then… noise. Pain. Rage. Like a red veil got thrown over the world and everything only consisted of hurt and anger.

She didn’t even know how long everything took, but judging from the mangled corpse in front of her, she must have been stabbing at it for quite a while.

And now, when the skill had ended, she felt weaker than before. Emptier. Like it had taken something from her. As if the emotions she felt while the skill was active now somehow muted her other emotions.

“What now?”

Looking up through the dancing leaves above her, into the blue sky, she once again thought about her sister.

The pain from her loss was still there, although not as strong as before her skill use. She didn’t know if she should feel glad or concerned about that.

I did promise her I would join her right after, but…

She was already dead. Cleo never really believed in the concept of Heaven (or Hell). So she didn’t think she would ever see her again. Though perhaps with everything that had been happening today, she should start believing in an afterlife.

I know she wouldn’t want me to kill myself. Of course neither of us would wish that upon the other…

She sighed and let herself fall backward onto the ground.

Why did you have to leave already…

Even with the muted emotions, tears formed once again at the edges of her eyes.

Stupid sister…

Then the dam holding everything back broke again and she started sobbing bitterly.

So she lay there for a long time, long periods of crying interspersed with smaller breaks of just staring at the sky.

Only after she was so exhausted that no tears wanted to come out anymore, she finally sat up again.

“I’m sorry, sis,” she said, wiping her face. “I’ll keep going. I hope you aren’t mad at me.”

She looked in the direction where she left her corpse behind. She briefly thought about burying her, but she didn’t think she could handle looking at her once more.

“But I promise you,” she continued, sniffing, “I will find whoever got us into this world and I’ll rip them apart.”

A red spark of wrath flashed through her mind but it was gone as fast as it had appeared.

She did a small bow.

“So long, Laira Harper. You were the best sister I could have ever hoped for.”

She turned around on her heels and resolutely walked away.

****

Blurry darkness greeted her when she opened her eyes.

Groaning, she tried lifting herself up only to collapse back onto the ground.

Her body felt like she had just run a marathon. Twice. Once on her legs and once on her arms. Everything hurt and her limbs had the strength of wet noodles.

She blinked a few times, trying to make sense of her surroundings. A blinking light at the side indicated System notifications, but she ignored them for now.

The rest of the area was bathed in dim moonlight, barely letting her make out the shapes of trees. Moving her head a little she also spotted something lying on the ground, though she wasn’t sure what it was.

What happened?

Her mind felt fried, her memories a complicated jumble.

And where the hell is everyone?

Laira had never been more confused.