Chương 24: Chapter 23: The Forest Hears His Name

For several seconds after the Runebark Behemoth died, the eastern forest seemed to forget how to move. The green glow beneath distant roots dimmed, the constant pressure James had felt since entering the region vanished, and creatures hidden among the trees went silent as the Eastern Seal released its stored energy. Natalie Venn stood beside the shattered basin and watched a column of green light rise from the Behemoth's corpse.

It climbed high above the black trees before bending toward the unseen center of the tutorial, where something absorbed it beyond the horizon. Her shield hung in pieces from one arm, held together only by the last strands Kevin had not yet removed. Tolan sat against one of the raised platforms with blood dried along the side of his face. Caleb, Andrew, and Serena moved cautiously around the dead boss, none willing to approach the exposed chest until James confirmed the runic heart had stopped producing energy.

After what they had just survived, Natalie understood the hesitation. James sat beneath one of the creature's broken antlers with the Warpstone Warhammer across his legs already repairing the damaged weapon. Kevin rested on the hammerhead with his limbs tucked close from exhaustion, while Julie lay beside James and allowed the cooler stone to pull heat from her cracked red-gold scales. The three of them looked battered enough that Natalie wondered how they were still conscious.

"You really weren't planning to stop after the Guardian, you physco" Natalie said as she approached, keeping her tone light even though her legs still shook. James glanced up at her and rubbed one bruised shoulder before answering.

"I considered it when the Behemoth threw me across the basin. I gave the idea a fair six or seven seconds." Julie raised her head and sent something through the bond. James looked toward her with a tired expression and sighed before speaking again.

"Yes, you were also hurt, and yes, your suffering apparently lasted longer than mine. I acknowledge your official complaint." Kevin tapped the warhammer once. James looked toward him next and closed his eyes for a moment.

"And Kevin would like the record to show that holding half the boss together with magic spider thread was exhausting. I'm surrounded by coworkers who demand individual recognition for nearly dying." Natalie laughed despite the ache in her ribs. She had spent most of the tutorial watching survivors argue about food, leadership, kills, shelter space, and who deserved to be protected first.

James argued with a giant serpent and a spider as though they were tradesmen on the same crew, and somehow the arrangement worked better than most human groups she had seen. A blue System notice appeared before everyone who had participated. [Regional Boss contribution assessment completed.] [Runebark Behemoth participation recognized.] [Primary Contributor: James Roller.] [Secondary Contributors: Julie, Kevin.] [Supporting Contributors: Natalie Venn, Tolan Reeves, Caleb Mason, Andrew Bell, Serena Holt.] [Rewards distributed according to contribution.] Natalie read the list and felt no resentment. She remembered James crawling beneath the Behemoth while its hooves shattered stone around him, Kevin holding reinforced lines until his body nearly gave out, and Julie absorbing enough nature energy to crack her own scales. Without the three of them, Natalie's group would have spent the fight breaking spears against bark until somebody died.

"That seems fair," Natalie said as she dismissed the notification. Caleb approached carrying a section of Runebark almost as wide as his chest, and she looked toward him before continuing.

"I don't remember any of us volunteering to crawl beneath the thing and rip its heart out."

"I considered it," Caleb replied as he shifted the plate against his shoulder. Natalie stared at him for two seconds until his expression changed.

"All right, I considered it from behind the southern platform, where I was very safely standing."

"That was a good place for you," Natalie said as James used the warhammer to push himself upright. He moved stiffly, though the Level Twelve growth had already started easing some of the damage across his body. Caleb looked toward the dark clouds gathering to the south.

"What happens now?" he asked as another flash of green-yellow light moved through the distant storm. James followed his gaze and rested the hammer against one shoulder.

"Three seals left," James said as Kevin slowly climbed higher on the weapon.

"The nearest territory should be south." Natalie stared at him.

"You're already thinking about the next boss?" she asked as she glanced toward Julie's damaged scales.

"You've been Level Twelve for about five minutes."

"I'm thinking about preparation," James replied as he checked the damaged bindings around the warhammer. His expression sharpened when one cracked plate shifted under his thumb.

"We rest first. Then I fix this thing before it turns into several pounds of magical shrapnel." Julie had already started moving toward the Behemoth's exposed chest. James noticed after several seconds and pointed at her without raising his voice.

"You cannot eat the entire boss, Jules. There are five other people here, and some of them probably want food." Julie stopped and looked back at him. The corpse behind her could have fed an entire settlement, yet her objection came through the bond strongly enough that James rubbed his forehead.

"You can eat part of it," James said as Julie immediately resumed moving. Natalie watched the serpent disappear behind the torn chest plate, then looked toward James again.

"What about us?" she asked as Kevin began inspecting a broken section of James's breastplate. Natalie had expected some request after the fight, whether it involved supplies, service, or joining him for the next boss. James instead shrugged carefully around his injured shoulder.

"You decide," James said as Caleb and Andrew began cutting meat from the Behemoth's flank.

"You helped kill it, so you earned whatever the System gave you. Nobody here owes me another fight." Natalie looked toward the shattered Eastern Seal. She had learned quickly that offers of protection usually came attached to expectations, especially once people started gaining leadership skills and forming larger camps. James appeared more interested in repairing his hammer than collecting followers.

"You could use more people," Natalie said as she watched Kevin reinforce one loose plate with a small amount of silk.

"Five extra fighters make a difference if the next boss is worse."

"They can," James replied as he turned the hammer to examine another crack.

"More people also means more instructions, more chances for somebody to panic at the wrong moment, and more bodies I have to track when a monster starts throwing attacks across an entire battlefield. I'd rather work with people who understand what they're doing than collect a crowd because the number looks impressive." Natalie considered her own group.

They had begun with eleven people before the eastern territory reduced them to five, and several of the dead had followed decisions they never understood because everyone assumed staying together automatically made them safer.

"We're staying here," she said after a moment.

"The boss is gone, and the eastern region should be safer for survivors who need somewhere to grow."

"That's useful," James said as he met her eyes. He nodded toward the path leading back through the dead forest.

"Set up routes, warn people about the network, show them where the stronger monsters live, and build something people can actually defend." Natalie smiled faintly.

"You mean something with walls you won't complain about?" she asked as James looked offended enough to make the answer obvious.

"Daniel told me what happened when you saw his gate."

"That gate deserved criticism," James replied as he picked up the Anchor Rune Fragment and examined its green lines.

"Gravity was already winning the argument before any monster arrived." Nearly thirty miles away, Elizabeth Johnson stood over the corpse of a Level Thirteen Ashhorn Elk when the trumpet announcing the eastern victory reached her hunting party. Blood ran from the narrow blade in her hand, and Isaiah Torrings lowered his bow while every member of the group turned toward the distant green light. Golden text appeared before them. [The Eastern Regional Boss has been defeated.] [Regional Bosses Remaining: 3.] [The Eastern Regional Territory is now unsealed.] A second notice followed several heartbeats later. [Primary Contributor: James Roller.] The name meant nothing to several of the newer members of Elizabeth's group. Isaiah recognized it immediately, and his expression shifted as he looked toward her.

"That's the guy who fell off the cliff when we arrived," he said as he cleaned one arrow against the dead elk's hide.

"Thomas said he survived down there alone for days." This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"I remember him," Elizabeth replied as she sheathed the blade. Her throat had recovered from repeated use of Echoing Sound, though her voice still carried a rough edge.

"Everyone assumed he died before the tutorial properly started." One hunter stepped closer with an Ashhorn spear resting across his shoulder.

"If he killed a Level Fifteen boss, he might be ahead of us," he said as several others exchanged worried looks. Elizabeth opened the newly unlocked ranking before answering. [Provisional Tutorial Ranking — Tutorial #782-F] [1. Elizabeth Johnson — Level 13.] [2. James Roller — Level 12.] [3. Timothy White — Level 12.] [4. Isaiah Torrings — Level 11.] [5. Daniel Warsky — Level 11.] Elizabeth studied James's placement for several seconds.

He remained a level below her, yet the System had ranked him second because of objectives, achievements, and the Regional Boss victory. The information bothered her less than the rate at which he had risen.

"He's still Level Twelve," Elizabeth said as she dismissed the ranking. Isaiah recognized the calculation behind her words and waited for the rest.

"He was much lower the last time we heard about him. His progression is accelerating."

"You want to find him?" Isaiah asked as he returned the arrow to his quiver. Elizabeth looked toward the southern storm and shook her head once.

"Later," Elizabeth replied as distant thunder rolled over the flooded territory.

"James Roller proved the Regional Bosses can die. I'm more interested in making sure he isn't the only person capable of killing one." Isaiah followed her gaze.

"Mire-Crowned Hydra," he said as several members of the party shifted uneasily.

"That sounds manageable with the right plan," Elizabeth replied as she picked up the dead elk's antler and examined its sharpened edge. A small smile crossed her face as another flash lit the southern clouds.

"We start moving after everyone eats." There was no attraction in her thoughts when she considered James. He was another capable survivor, a rival in progression, and potentially someone useful once their paths finally crossed. For now, his success had given her something much simpler: proof that the highest barriers in the tutorial could be broken. Timothy White received the same announcement from the largest organized camp in the northern half of the starting region.

More than two hundred survivors lived behind the expanding wooden walls, and many carried temporary party marks connected to Timothy's leadership skill. As a police officer, Timothy had fallen into command almost immediately after Integration. People recognized the uniform, listened when he gave clear instructions, and continued turning toward him even after the uniform became torn beyond anything that resembled official clothing.

He had accepted the responsibility because disorder killed people, though the System had gradually begun rewarding him whenever others treated his orders as legitimate authority. James Roller's name spread through the camp faster than any announcement Timothy could have made. Survivors who had heard Thomas's stories connected the name to the carpenter who fell from the cliff, the man with two familiars, and the fighter who repeatedly refused invitations to settle permanently with larger groups.

Timothy climbed onto the central platform while the whispers grew louder. His Party Leader skill carried his voice through the camp when he began speaking, and people gradually turned toward him.

"The destruction of the Eastern Seal changes our situation," Timothy said as he placed both hands on the wooden railing. His gaze passed over the gathered survivors before settling on the hunters nearest the front.

"The remaining territories are becoming more aggressive, and we need organized preparation before we enter them." A woman beside the main fire raised her hand.

"James killed the boss already," she said when Timothy acknowledged her.

"Maybe we should find him and ask how he did it."

"He had assistance," Timothy replied as he kept his voice even. The System had listed several supporting contributors, and he used that fact carefully.

"We don't know what resources were consumed, what risks were taken, or whether the same strategy works against another Regional Boss." Another survivor spoke before Timothy could continue.

"We have to kill all four anyway," the man said as several people around him nodded.

"Waiting doesn't solve that." Timothy's fingers tightened against the railing. More people had begun questioning instructions since the System unlocked voluntary separation from his party structure, and the Regional Boss announcement had given them another successful leader to compare against him.

"We will defeat them," Timothy said as he forced his grip to loosen.

"We'll do it with scouts, organized teams, reserve fighters, medical support, and clear command. Nobody under my authority is charging a Level Fifteen monster because someone else made it look possible." His private status opened for less than a second. [Party Leader] [Active Followers: 173.] [Leadership Benefit: Shared growth from recognized followers.] [Authority strengthened through voluntary recognition.] The number of active followers had fallen since morning.

Timothy dismissed the screen before frustration showed on his face, because every person who left weakened both the camp's organization and the class he had built around leading it. One of the other police officers approached the side of the platform.

"Should we send people east first?" he asked quietly, though the skill carrying Timothy's voice did nothing for his own.

"James knows more about the seals than we do."

"We don't need his permission to advance," Timothy replied as he looked toward the western mountains. He kept the answer controlled because several nearby survivors were listening.

"If he wants to cooperate with the larger camp, he knows where we are." The officer hesitated.

"And if he doesn't?" he asked as Timothy looked back at him. Timothy remained silent for a moment before answering.

"Then we gather information anyway," Timothy said. He motioned toward two scouts standing near the platform.

"Find James. Learn where he plans to go, what his familiars can do, and how he killed the Behemoth." One scout shifted uncomfortably.

"What if he catches us following him?" he asked as Timothy stepped down from the platform. The police officer's expression stayed calm.

"Don't fight him, unless he becomes to troublesome," Timothy replied as he looked toward the fading eastern glow.

"We gain nothing from making an enemy of him before we understand him." Daniel Warsky heard the announcement while helping three survivors reinforce a settlement wall. He had never asked to become responsible for the camp, yet people still brought him arguments, injuries, missing supplies, and frightened children because the police uniform he wore on the first day had made him look like somebody who should have answers. The actual uniform had been shredded days ago.

The expectation remained, which Daniel suspected might survive longer than the shirt ever had. The young man beside him lowered the log they had been lifting.

"James Roller," he said as he looked toward the eastern light.

"Wasn't he the idiot who fell off the cliff?" Daniel grunted as he pushed the log back into place.

"He prefers 'guy who survived falling off the cliff,'" he replied as the young man helped him secure the brace.

"And apparently he's now 'guy who killed a Regional Boss,' so I'd avoid leading with idiot when you meet him." Questions spread through Daniel's settlement throughout the next hour. Some survivors wanted to travel east and join James, others argued Elizabeth's group was stronger because she remained first in the ranking, and several believed Timothy's larger camp offered the safest future. Daniel ignored most of the debate and kept working on the wall.

A Regional Boss had died, yet the tutorial still contained monsters capable of killing people who spent too much time arguing about rankings. Then the remaining bosses answered. Far to the south, black swamp water erupted around a half-submerged stone crown. Three enormous reptilian heads rose from the mire, and acid dripped from their jaws hard enough to dissolve the ruined streets beneath them. [Southern Regional Boss awakened.] [Mire-Crowned Hydra — Level 15.] In the western mountains, an entire ridge shifted.

A stone hand broke through the slope, crystal plates moved beneath tons of rubble, and gravity warped around the enormous creature pulling itself upright. [Western Regional Boss awakened.] [Gravemantle Colossus — Level 15.] High above the northern cliffs, storm clouds folded inward around a shadow wider than any building left inside the tutorial. The Stormcrown Roc opened its wings, and lightning jumped between the crystal feathers surrounding its head. [Northern Regional Boss awakened.] [Stormcrown Roc — Level 15.] A final blue warning appeared across every survivor's vision. [Regional Boss aggression increased.] [Regional territories will continue expanding until their guardians are defeated.] Daniel stopped working and looked toward the clouds.

"Well," he said as thunder answered from the north, "that sounds like everybody's day just got worse." The same warnings appeared while James sat beside the Behemoth's corpse cutting a narrow section from one of its antlers. Natalie stopped harvesting bark and stared south as the swamp clouds visibly pushed farther across the sky.

"So killing one pissed off the other three," Natalie said as another green flash lit the horizon. James turned the Anchor Rune Fragment in his hand while Kevin followed the energy inside it with several thin threads.

"It also gave them addresses," James replied as the fragment's green light traveled through Kevin's silk and touched the cracked housing of the Warpstone Warhammer. Workman's Appraisal immediately showed several possible joining points, though James lacked the mana and clean materials to attempt a proper repair yet.

"I'll take that trade." Julie had consumed enough Behemoth meat to finally satisfy her evolved appetite and now rested beside the broken seal. Her scales still carried several cracks, but the lingering nature energy beneath them had faded enough that James no longer felt constant heat through their bond. J ames packed the Anchor Rune Fragment carefully. His armor needed repairs, Kevin needed rest, Julie needed time to heal, and the southern territory demanded preparation for deep water and acid.

Each problem could be broken into smaller jobs, and that made the coming fight feel possible. The southern sky flashed again. Three separate roars rolled beneath the storm and merged into one long sound that reached the eastern basin. James lifted the warhammer while Julie raised her head. Kevin climbed onto the reinforced hammerhead, and anticipation flowed through both familiar bonds despite everything the trio had just survived.

"That one sounds fucking unpleasant," James said as he looked toward the path leading out of the basin. Julie's excitement strengthened, and Kevin sent a quieter pulse that carried the same conclusion. James started walking south. The forest knew his name now. He intended to give it another reason to remember.