Chương 10: Chapter 9: Deeper Ground

The third morning of the tutorial began with James waking beneath two magical creatures. Julie was wrapped around his torso, her cool scales pressed against his side, while Kevin sat comfortably on his shoulder and had constructed several strands of web between James's torn collar and one of the straps holding his breastplate together. Neither familiar showed any concern about using him as furniture.

"If somebody told me three days ago that I'd wake up with a snake wrapped around my ribs and a spider sitting beside my neck, I would've told them to seek professional help," James said as he opened one eye. Julie flicked her tongue toward his face while Kevin continued working on the web.

"And now apparently this is just my fucking life." James pushed himself upright and immediately regretted sleeping in the breastplate. The overlapping minotaur plates had protected him from Iron Fox tails, but they were terrible bedding, and several straps had rubbed his shoulders raw during the night. He loosened the worst one and made a mental note to redesign the armor once he had better tools. His familiars needed attention as well.

Julie had reached Level Five, matching James before the end of the previous day, while Kevin remained Level Four despite being useful in nearly every fight. James wanted both of them strong enough to survive wherever they were heading, especially because the forest appeared to become more dangerous the farther north they traveled. Based on everything he had seen, the tutorial zone seemed organized in rough regions of increasing strength.

The starting area contained Ferals, ordinary Forest Snakes, and occasional Iron Foxes, while the territory farther north held Stoneback Boars, Silver Thread Spiders, minotaurs, and other creatures around Levels Four and Five. James estimated that he had traveled at least twelve hours away from the starting cliff since Integration, which explained why weaker creatures were becoming less common.

"If the pattern keeps going, Level Five is going to become normal pretty soon," James said as he stood and stretched his sore back. Julie raised her head while Kevin climbed from his shoulder onto the breastplate.

"Then Level Six. Then whatever ugly bastard lives closer to the middle." James packed the camp, checked the Silver Thread bindings on his Minotaur Warhammer, and washed himself in a narrow stream nearby. Breakfast consisted of cooked Iron Fox meat left from the previous night, which tasted considerably better than his first attempt at monster cooking. Either he was improving or his standards had collapsed, and James did not care enough to determine which explanation was correct.

"We need growth today," James said once they started north. He rested the warhammer across one shoulder while Julie resumed her position around his upper body and Kevin remained near his collar.

"A lot of it. Level Ten gets me a class, and I'd rather reach that before something around here decides Level Five humans are convenient snacks." Julie sent eager agreement through the bond. Kevin's response was quieter, but James had become familiar enough with him to recognize interest. Neither familiar seemed interested in a slow morning. Ten minutes later, Julie detected movement. James stopped before Kevin sent a second warning through the bond.

He crouched behind a thick oak and looked through the brush, finding four Iron Foxes moving between several exposed roots. Appraisal confirmed all four were Level Three. [Iron Fox lvl. 3] [Iron Fox lvl. 3] [Iron Fox lvl. 3] [Iron Fox lvl. 3] A day earlier, four Iron Foxes would have required planning, traps, and a serious discussion about whether the fight was worth the risk. Now James looked at his warhammer, then at Julie and Kevin, and felt mostly confident.

"Four of them and three of us," he said quietly while watching the animals spread through the trees. Julie immediately prepared to move, and Kevin began producing thin lengths of silk.

"Yeah. Bad morning for the foxes." The fight lasted less than a minute. Kevin stretched silk low between roots and caught the first Iron Fox across its front legs, while the second tried jumping the strand and became tangled when another line wrapped around its metallic tails. Julie attacked whichever creature became distracted, delivering quick bites before retreating out of striking range. James handled the rest with the warhammer.

The first fox died under an overhead strike, and the second suffered a broken shoulder when he caught it from the side. The third managed to cut his breastplate before Julie's venom slowed it enough for James to finish it, while the final creature tried escaping and found Kevin's silk around its rear legs. [You have slain Iron Fox lvl. 3 x4.] [Experience awarded.] [Shared familiar growth applied.] James rested the warhammer against the ground and looked over the bodies.

The creatures that had nearly killed him on Day Two had become manageable opponents less than twenty-four hours later. That improvement felt good, but it also confirmed that hunting low-level monsters would not carry them much farther.

"We're done deliberately looking for Level Threes," James said as he began cutting several useful tail sections free. Julie watched the surrounding forest while Kevin helped bind the harvested material into a bundle.

"If they attack us, fine. Otherwise, we find something worth the risk." They found that something before noon. Julie noticed the creature first, though Kevin sensed its movement moments later through vibrations running across a fallen tree. James followed their attention and saw a large wolf moving through patches of pale green mist approximately forty yards away. Its fur was dark gray with green markings around the mouth, eyes, and paws. James used Appraisal. [Mist-Touched Wolf lvl. 5] [Predatory beast altered by toxic mana.] [Capable of releasing an irritating toxic mist.] [High mobility.]"Same level as us," James said while lowering the warhammer from his shoulder. The wolf turned its head toward him immediately, proving that whatever stealth advantage they had possessed was already gone.

"And apparently it breathes poison, because normal wolves weren't annoying enough." The Mist-Touched Wolf charged. James stepped toward open ground rather than letting it choose where the fight happened. Julie dropped from his shoulders and moved wide to the right, while Kevin climbed the nearest tree and began stretching silk between two low branches. The three of them no longer needed detailed instructions for every fight. Julie attacked first.

Her fangs entered the wolf's side and released before the creature could twist around to bite her, leaving venom inside the wound. Kevin dropped silk across its front legs a moment later, forcing the wolf to tear through the first strand and stumble into the second. Then the creature opened its mouth. Green mist erupted across the clearing.

"Shit!" James said as he jumped backward. He avoided most of the cloud, but enough touched his left arm and neck to make his skin begin burning immediately. Red lines appeared across his hand and forearm while the irritation spread beneath the edge of his breastplate. Pain made him stop being cautious. When the wolf lunged again, James stepped forward and swung the warhammer sideways.

The broad striking face caught the creature across the jaw and shattered bone beneath the fur, sending several teeth across the ground. The wolf collapsed, and Julie immediately wrapped near its throat before delivering another bite. [You have slain Mist-Touched Wolf lvl. 5.] [Experience awarded.] [Shared familiar growth applied.] James looked down at the corpse while fighting the urge to scratch his own skin open.

"Okay, useful information," he said through clenched teeth as he unfastened part of the breastplate. Julie returned quickly and watched his irritated arm while Kevin climbed back onto his shoulder.

"Green mist equals stay the fuck away." The rash continued spreading. James pulled several Forest Vitality Berries from his remaining supply, crushed them between his palms, and rubbed the juice directly across the affected skin. The burning began to fade within seconds, and a blue System message appeared. [Action recorded.] This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. [Field remedy applied using natural recovery material.] [Class Seed learns.] James stared at the message.

"I rubbed berry juice on a rash," he said as he looked toward nothing in particular. Julie remained visibly concerned while Kevin tapped one leg against James's breastplate.

"Apparently my class seed thinks basic first aid is groundbreaking research." Neither familiar appeared convinced by his complaint. James finished treating the rash, then crouched beside the dead wolf and used Appraisal while searching for anything worth harvesting. The hide was less impressive than his minotaur plates and the claws were inferior to Iron Fox material, but the glowing green eyes produced a more useful result. [Mist-Touched Eye] [A minor toxic-aspect material.] [Useful in poison-related crafts, perception tools, and alchemical mixtures.] James carefully removed both eyes and wrapped them separately.

"No idea what the hell I'm going to build with poisonous eyeballs, but throwing magical materials away would be stupid," he said as he stored them in his tool belt. Kevin shifted closer to inspect one before James closed the pouch. Far across the tutorial zone, Elizabeth Johnson stood opposite a Level Eight Stonebind Minotaur. The creature carried a broken tree trunk in both hands and had already destroyed several sections of surrounding forest during the fight.

Isaiah Torrings remained behind her with a bow, firing whenever an opening appeared. Elizabeth no longer needed to scream to use Echoing Sound. She had learned to narrow the force, concentrate it, and direct it toward specific parts of an enemy rather than wasting power across a large area.

"Left knee," she said as she watched the minotaur reposition. Isaiah adjusted without argument and sent an arrow into the joint. The minotaur charged. Elizabeth released a focused burst of sound into its face. The air distorted in front of her, and the impact staggered the monster long enough for another arrow to enter its knee. She advanced before it recovered and released a second concentrated pulse directly against the side of its skull. The minotaur lost its balance.

Elizabeth stepped inside its reach and drove her makeshift blade into its ear, using the opening created by the sound attack rather than trying to penetrate the stone plates protecting its body. The creature convulsed before collapsing. [You have slain Stonebind Minotaur lvl. 8.] [Experience awarded.] Isaiah lowered his bow and approached once the body stopped moving.

"Another one down," he said while checking the surrounding trees. Elizabeth removed her blade and wiped the blood from it against the minotaur's fur.

"At this rate, Level Nine won't take long," Elizabeth said as she examined the deeper forest ahead. Her voice remained calm, and there was no celebration beyond the small satisfaction of another successful fight.

"After that, we find out what waits closer to the center." Several miles away, Timothy White watched twenty survivors leave the largest camp near the starting region. He had remained behind while sending the group toward another minotaur discovered by scouts, because fighting personally was no longer the only way he could grow. His actions since Integration had awakened a leadership skill. [Party Leader] The skill rewarded Timothy when recognized followers operated under his orders.

Every scout searching territory, hunter gathering food, and fighter killing monsters contributed indirectly to his progression, allowing him to reach Level Seven while remaining responsible for a growing camp. The arrangement suited him because organization had become power in a very literal sense. Elizabeth remaining ahead irritated him. James Roller bothered him more. The carpenter who fell from the cliff should have died before the tutorial properly started.

Instead, reports from Thomas and Rachel claimed James had survived alone, bonded a monster, killed a minotaur, and refused an invitation to return.

"We need to establish contact with Elizabeth eventually," one of Timothy's officers said while watching the hunting party disappear. He adjusted his police vest and glanced toward Timothy.

"If her group keeps expanding, ignoring them becomes risky."

"Eventually," Timothy replied as he continued watching the forest. He understood the concern, but Elizabeth was visible, predictable, and surrounded by people whose movements could be tracked. James was not. Another man cleaned blood from a short blade before speaking.

"A fight with Elizabeth's group would be costly," he said as he placed the weapon back into its sheath. Several nearby survivors became quiet enough to hear Timothy's response.

"It would be catastrophic," Timothy said while keeping his voice controlled. He paused before looking north.

"For now, find James Roller first." The officer frowned.

"And if he refuses to come?" the man asked as he studied Timothy's expression. Timothy's jaw tightened slightly before he answered.

"Then he needs to learn that no one survives alone," Timothy said as he turned back toward camp. The people around him accepted the order and began preparing another scouting group. James knew none of that. He continued north with Julie and Kevin, more interested in finding stronger monsters than in the politics developing behind him. The System had provided thirty days, but James intended to reach Level Ten long before the tutorial forced him toward its final objective.

A roar came from less than a hundred feet away. James stopped. Julie tightened around his arm while Kevin climbed higher on his shoulder. James gripped the warhammer and smiled.

"Our next fight is coming to us," he said as he pulled out the flint and steel he had started carrying. He wrapped dry bark around a branch and produced a crude torch before moving toward the sound. The creature entering the clearing was another Stonebind Minotaur, but this one was larger than the beast James had killed inside the ravine. Dark stone plates protected its shoulders and chest, while thicker horns curved outward from its head. Appraisal confirmed the threat. [Stonebind Minotaur lvl. 6] [High Endurance and striking power.] [Resistant to pain.] [Vulnerable to fire, poison, and mobility disruption.]"One level above me," James said as he lowered the torch toward a patch of dry grass. Julie slid down his arm and disappeared toward the flank while Kevin climbed into the nearest tree.

"Good. Let's see if we've learned anything." James lit the grass along the minotaur's approach. The creature recoiled from the flame, and Kevin immediately dropped several strands of Silver Thread around its legs. Julie rushed the exposed side and buried her fangs in the minotaur's calf. The plan worked perfectly for approximately three seconds. A second creature exploded from the brush. James barely turned before a massive gray wolf slammed into him.

Claws scraped across the minotaur breastplate and knocked him sideways while green mist leaked between the animal's teeth. [Mist-Touched Wolf lvl. 6]"Of fucking course," James said as he regained his footing. Julie immediately abandoned the minotaur and launched herself toward the new threat. Kevin reacted differently. The spider dropped directly onto the minotaur's face. James saw a narrow silver point extend beneath Kevin's body before the spider drove it into the minotaur's eye.

The monster screamed and slammed both hands against a nearby tree as it attempted to scrape Kevin away.

"You have a fucking stinger?" James shouted as he stared for half a second too long. Kevin leapt away before the minotaur could crush him.

"We are discussing that later." The Mist-Touched Wolf opened its jaws. James refused to let it release another cloud. He stepped forward and drove the warhammer into its front leg. Bone snapped beneath the blow, and the wolf collapsed while green vapor escaped harmlessly toward the ground. Julie wrapped around the creature's throat and bit repeatedly. James turned back toward the minotaur. It continued clawing at its ruined eye while Kevin's venom and Julie's earlier bite worked through its body.

James drew his Iron Fox knife, rushed forward, and drove the blade into the exposed throat. Dark blood covered his hand. The minotaur tried to roar but produced only a wet choking sound. James grabbed the warhammer with both hands and struck the same knee twice until the leg buckled. Kevin's silk caught the other ankle. The minotaur fell. James brought the warhammer down against the back of its skull. The monster stopped moving. Behind him, Julie released the wolf after its body became still.

[You have slain Stonebind Minotaur lvl. 6.] [You have slain Mist-Touched Wolf lvl. 6.] [Experience awarded.] [Shared familiar growth applied.] [You have leveled up!] [You are now Level 6.] [3 Attribute Points are available.] [Kevin has leveled up!] [Kevin is now Level 5.] [3 Attribute Points are available.] James lowered himself onto a fallen log and rested the warhammer across his knees.

His body was tired, his breastplate carried several fresh scratches, and he had just discovered that his giant spider possessed a weapon he had somehow failed to notice.

"You had a stinger this entire fucking time?" he asked as Kevin dropped from a thread onto his shoulder. Kevin tapped one leg against the armor. James rubbed his forehead.

"Right. My mistake for not requesting the feature list," he said as Julie returned and wrapped herself around his torso. Kevin felt entirely too pleased with himself through the bond. James opened his attribute screen and considered his options. The fight had reminded him that Strength helped only when he could actually reach the target, while his Agility remained one of his weakest physical attributes. He placed two points into Agility and the final point into Strength. [Strength increased to 16.] [Agility increased to 11.] James assigned Kevin's three points with the spider's approval. Two went into Intelligence to strengthen his growing awareness and control, while the final point went into Strength to improve his ability to hold enemies with silk and deliver venom. Kevin settled more firmly on James's shoulder when the changes completed. James looked north. Level Six monsters had arrived exactly where he expected them. That meant the next region would be worse.

"Good," James said as he stood and lifted the warhammer back onto his shoulder. Julie raised her head, and Kevin tightened slightly against the armor.

"Level Ten isn't going to come find us."