《Successor of Kukulkan》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 TJ greeted the new world with a broken nose and fiercely muttered profanities. He¡¯d been on a run with his son Junior in the jogging stroller, but before he knew it, ran into a wall that simply hadn¡¯t been there just before. As he fell to the unforgiving ground, TJ reached out to the stroller, ready to calm Junior however necessary, but his hands touched nothing. Fiercely wiping at his watering eyes and blinking rapidly, TJ could see clearly once again. There was no stroller, no Junior, and no Riverview Park where he¡¯d just been. ¡°The hell is happening?¡± He asked himself as he pushed himself to his feet. Trying to clear his vision and headache, he pinched the bridge of his nose for a split second before gasping in pain again and forcing more tears to his eyes. Yeah, the nose was definitely broken, the blood dripping in a constant patter. He wanted to focus on feeling bad for himself for a split second, but instead and more importantly¡­ ¡°Junior? Junior! Thiago!¡± He was in a pure white room, an omnipresent light casting no shadows around him. The panic he¡¯d tried to kill instead rose as he shouted for his son while the walls seemed to close in on him, but before true hysteria could set in, every emotion was suddenly washed from his body, leaving him cold, dispassionate, and docile. Words appeared before him on a screen not unlike a tablet¡¯s while the same words echoed through his head in an androgynous voice. Welcome to the integration of the Divine System. Twenty millenia have passed since the Ascension. Now abandoned, the divine realm has grown stagnant, and once again, the Throne must be filled. Your planet has been chosen to serve as the proving grounds for the hopeful divines. Embrace your divine heritage and prove yourself capable of succeeding where your ancestors failed. Bloodline: Kukulkan selected as Bloodline of Majority. Tutorial location determined. Initial Class Quest initiated. Transmission to Tutorial grounds has begun. There was a brief time for the words to settle before an additional screen appeared before him, the words just as forceful but somehow benevolent. Participant Thiago Jorge Harris IV, do not worry about the wellbeing of Bystander Thiago Jorge Harris V. He is being kept safe until the completion of your Tutorial. Prove yourself capable of withstanding the pressures of the divine and worthy of ascending to the Throne and he will be returned to you. For the briefest moment, TJ¡¯s emotions were returned to him in an overwhelming wave, ¡°What the fu¨C¡± Before he could curse, TJ¡¯s bodily autonomy was once again taken from him and his mind faded to blackness. An interminable time passed, and consciousness returned. TJ sat bolt upright, looking back and forth, hoping to see that, contrary to the statement made by the stupid screen, Junior was nearby. A bunch of something pokey stabbed into his upper thighs and butt, and he pushed himself to his feet as he looked around. Not only was Junior nowhere to be seen, neither was his stroller, nor the familiar paths of Riverview Park. He wasn¡¯t in Tempe anymore, but the mountains. Fighting hyperventilation, TJ tried to see what he could. The trees all around were pines, and, in an additional attempt to ground himself, TJ leaned in towards the nearest one and sniffed deeply. Same sweet smell as the ponderosa pines that made up the Tonto Rim forests. Plenty of pine needles on the ground, with scrub brush all around. Near as he could figure, he was still in Arizona, just up in the mountains somewhere. Maybe near Flagstaff or Payson? At least 100 miles from home. Whatever had happened was feeling more and more real, since the pounding headache wasn¡¯t one of a hangover, and he¡¯d laid off all alcohol since Junior¡¯s birth. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the GPS, but the thing was dead and totally unresponsive. As TJ gathered himself, he felt just how cold it was here. A warm afternoon in January in Tempe could reach as high as the mid 60¡¯s and he¡¯d been running in gym shorts and a tank top. The sweat still hadn¡¯t dried, and the cold breeze through the trees set him to shivering. ¡°Please tell me it¡¯s a dream.¡± He muttered to himself, as he pulled his backpack off, the wet straps chilling in the air that he figured was just a bit above freezing. He had a light sweatshirt in the backpack and pulled it on, keeping the hood up. Even so, the chill had already set into his bones and TJ rubbed his hands together as, despite his best efforts, the wave of rage, confusion, pain, and everything else washed over him and stole away his rationality. The bleary pain of his broken nose and the taste of blood in his mouth didn¡¯t matter, because something, some worthless sack of sick had taken his son. He didn¡¯t know where Junior was, but TJ was going to find him, and make sure that the toddler was safe.The only thing that could at least partially calm him was the nebulous, maybe believable reassurances from the random words. Yeah, no, he wasn¡¯t about to calm down, but for now, he needed to make sure he didn¡¯t die of exposure or something before he found his son, since he could feel the cold wind whipping through the loose shorts he wore. He stuck both hands deep into the pockets of his jacket and shrugged up his shoulders against the biting winds while looking for the nearest peak. From there, maybe he could orient himself. Before he could, though, another one of the windows appeared before TJ and a diluted form of the artificial calm washed over him once again. Beginning Tutorial. Class Quest initiated. All descendants of the divine will embrace the Path of the Zealot, the Acolyte, the Disciple, or the Neophyte. Before you can qualify to be blessed with your first sliver of the divine, you must prove your mettle, your determination, and your ability. For each of the paths, there is a different Quest to complete. Complete the requirements for one of the four Classes, and you will begin your path towards the Divine Throne. Acolyte Class acquisition requirements: Slay five creatures within the bounds of the Tutorial Area with traps, a ranged weapon, or from a distance by any other way that you devise. Progress: 0/5 Disciple Class acquisition requirements: Heal, help, or support five creatures within the bounds of the Tutorial Area. Progress: 0/5 Neophyte Class acquisition requirements: Display the beginnings of the ability to harness your Divine Bloodline in a concrete manner. Progress: 0/1 Zealot Class acquisition requirements: Slay five creatures within the bounds of the Tutorial Area with your bare hands or melee weapons. Progress: 0/5 Again, his heightened emotions returned, and TJ pulled his hand out of his pocket and gently wiped the blood from the stubble above his lips, careful not to touch his nose. The ache of his nose drew his mind from his boy, wherever he was. For now, he needed to focus on this Tutorial. That was the only clue he had about how to find his son. ¡°I¡¯ve played enough video games to kinda get this.¡± TJ muttered. ¡°Four classes, each one different. Zealots are melee fighters, Acolytes ranged, Disciples supporters. But what¡¯s a Neophyte? How¡¯re they different from the others? What¡¯s that requirement mean?¡± Neophyte Classers focus on allowing the divine to change them, instead of them changing themselves into an approximation of the divine. The Neophyte Class acquisition requirement is deliberately nebulous, as embracing the Divine Bloodline is something that differs from one Participant to the next, as well as from one Bloodline to the next. He was almost surprised, but a little glad to have the windows talking back to him. ¡°And how do I know which of the Classes I¡¯m best suited for?¡± The primary attributes for the Acolyte Class are, in descending order Agility, Wisdom, Perception, and Intelligence. The primary attributes for the Disciple Class are Wisdom, Intelligence, Willpower, and Perception. The primary attributes for the Neophyte Class are, in descending order, Vitality, Endurance, Willpower, and Toughness. The primary attributes for the Zealot Class are, in descending order, Strength, Endurance, Vitality, and Toughness. That¡­ was actually a little surprising. TJ had assumed that, given the Class Quests, the Acolyte Class was a ranger of sorts, but they didn¡¯t need Strength or endurance as much as Wisdom and Intelligence? There had to be something he was missing¡­ but more importantly, before he made any choices, there was another question to ask. ¡°Ok, and which Class does the ¡®Throne¡¯ or whatever prefer? I need to impress it to get my son back, right?¡± The Divine Throne is wholly unfeeling. The Divine System has no preference for what Class the next Ascendent follows, only that they prove themselves worthy of their Ascension. Previous Ascendents have come from every Class without notably statistical skew in any direction. ¡°Then what does it mean that he¡¯s a ¡®Bystander¡¯?¡± The Divine System searches for those who are most suited for Ascension to the Divine Throne. Those younger than the age of 15 are considered unsuitable. Those unsuitable are kept apart from the conflict inherent in the Ascension, though there are opportunities for them to join in the contest at a later date. ¡°And is someone taking care of him? Is he safe? He¡¯s all alone!¡± Bystander Thiago Jorge Harris V is not alone. He is currently being cared for by the Divine System. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything else to tell me? What the everloving FUCK do you mean?¡± The System¡¯s stupid words, forceful but still somehow kind, echoed in his head, but he didn¡¯t care. He needed answers. Frustratingly, the Divine System didn¡¯t give him any more information on his boy, and TJ, after waiting for another minute, held back another string of swears that would have set his mom¡¯s slipper flying at him. ¡°Ok. Fine. I have to trust your word for now. How can I see which of the Classes is best suited to me?¡± There were no words that filled his consciousness, and instead, a page appeared before TJ¡¯s eyes. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Human ¨C lvl 0 Class: N/A Occupation: N/A Level of Divinity: Dirt Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 100/100 Mana Points (MP): 70/70 Stamina: 80/80 Attributes Strength: 7 Agility: 6 S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Endurance: 8 Vitality: 10 Toughness: 8 Wisdom: 8 Intelligence: 7 Perception: 6 Willpower: 9 Fixation: 1 Free Points: 0 Titles: N/A Glancing through the status sheet of information, Zealot and Acolyte were looking the least attractive to TJ, since the ¡°most important¡± attributes for both of those were the lowest he had. A part of him was slightly offended at how low his Strength and Agility were, but he supposed he was now 31, and nowhere near as fit as he once was. The stupid indignation that swelled in his chest was viciously beaten down. Why would he care at all about a stupid arbitrary number on a screen? Instead, he looked at the two remaining options: Disciple and Neophyte. Disciple sounded ok, TJ liked helping people¡­ but given that children were kept away from all this had him wondering if he wanted to be a supporter in the days that came. It¡¯d been years since he¡¯d been to church, but he could remember a couple of things from those Sundays spent in a chapel. God had his angels that healed people and whatever else the Bible said, but He also threw fire and brimstone down on the wicked. Or whoever it was that Nana and the preacher decided deserved celestial punishment that week. To get to his son, TJ would need to start throwing fire and brimstone. And Neophyte was¡­ different from the rest. And his attributes suited the Class perfectly. Assuming bigger numbers meant better. Right? The larger the number next to an attribute in a Participant¡¯s Status Sheet, the stronger or more powerful that Participant¡¯s attribute. Ok. As ass-backwards as all this was, at least that much made sense. It¡¯d been years since TJ could spend any real time with a video game, but he could remember from the few MMOs he¡¯d played before how important the first days were. The more people knew earlier, the better it would be for them. And for Junior, TJ would focus and learn whatever he could as fast as he could. So, with a decision made, he¡¯d find the divine and force it to change him. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s this ¡®Kukulkan¡¯ Bloodline thing mean?¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 2 Every Participant in the selection of the next Divine is a descendant of one or more divine aspirant who reached at least the Ruthenium level of Divinity. ¡°And what does that mean?¡± There are ten levels of Divinity: Dirt, Copper, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium, Ruthenium, Iridium, Osmium, and Orichalcum. ¡°Not gonna remember that.¡± He muttered. ¡°And what level of Divinity did Kukulkan reach?¡± Osmium. That seemed¡­ impressive, TJ supposed. Nearly the top? ¡°And does this Kukulkan bloodline come from the Feathered Serpent Kukulkan? Like¡­ Quetzalcoatl?¡± The Feathered Serpent, the god of the skies and winds, the long path between the spirit and the body, worshipped as Kukulkan, Quetzalcoatl, and Q?uq?umatz, the father of the Mayan, Aztec, and K¡¯iche. So yeah. That Kukulkan. TJ¡¯d heard some stories about the Mayans and Aztec from his Nana, but she¡¯d mostly talked about the big G God. He wasn¡¯t even really Mexican, this many generations down mixed with so many other races. He was just¡­ TJ. But, if he needed to be like something, a flying feathered snake god wasn¡¯t too bad a model to take into this apocalypse or whatever it was. ¡°And how do I harness Kukulkan¡¯s Bloodline?¡± If one desires to seek the Path of the Neophyte, then the Participant must divine and seek that path without initial assistance. If one qualifies, takes the first step without Divine or Systemic guidance, they will receive further instruction. The Divine will only accept some, while others still must seize that Divinity of themselves. Participant Thiago Jorge Harris IV¡¯s only guidance will come from within. ¡°Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun times.¡± TJ habitually censored himself. Then, for the first time since he¡¯d regained consciousness, he fully took in the area around him. Pine trees, scrub brush, mountain, clouds overhead. The sun was still rising, it was maybe 10 am? Didn¡¯t smell like rain, no creek nearby, unsurprising since he was still in Arizona, and he just had a half liter water bottle, some goldfish, and a granola bar in his backpack. His grandpa¡¯s trusty can of chew he kept with him habitually was the closest thing to medicine he had, and tobacco had always been disgusting so he wasn¡¯t going to touch that. No animals or people nearby¡­ right? ¡°HELLO!¡± TJ shouted. ¡°ANYONE THERE? I might need help. Might be crazy too.¡± He muttered at the end. Only silence answered his call, and TJ tightened his backpack across his shoulders and looked again for the nearest mountain peak. As near as he could figure, he was halfway up one of the rolling mountains of the Tonto Rim, and it would be a hike of 30 minutes or more to reach the top. With his sweat drying and the brisk wind picking up, TJ didn¡¯t want to hold still, and seeing what was around him would be his best bet to survive. His arms and chest uncontrollable quivering in the cold, TJ began his ascent. The mountain had no path as far as TJ could tell, and the hike sucked. He was grateful that he¡¯d taken special care to get back into some semblance of good shape in the past year, since he¡¯d really let himself go after Mari¡¯s death. If he were still that 250 pound five foot seven guy, he¡¯d never make it up there. Left alone in his thoughts without a curious toddler¡¯s questions, TJ couldn¡¯t help but wonder if maybe he¡¯d fully gone off the deep end. ¡°Never been crazy before,¡± He muttered, looking around for a path that didn¡¯t take him through the scratchy bushes. ¡°Maybe today¡¯s the day. Hope not¡­¡± Somehow, the emotions he¡¯d had artificially squashed and the Status Sheet he could still pull up kept TJ reasonably sure that he hadn¡¯t completely lost the plot. ¡°Just not Shutter Island. No need for any of that.¡± Too preoccupied with talking to himself, TJ was entirely unprepared for the sudden attack. With a yip and snarl, a coyote lunged out of the nearby bushes, and TJ was so surprised by its attack that he basically fell to his ass without resistance as it bit deep into his calf. ¡°Son of a¨C!¡± He screamed, the instant pain shooting adrenaline through his system. With a clenched fist, TJ smashed the nose of the coyote, and it yelped in pain as it released him. The coyote, so unnaturally aggressive, stepped back and began circling TJ as it growled low in its throat. TJ scrambled to his feet, his shredded calf crying in agony as he tried to protect himself. ¡°I¡¯m way too big for you to kill.¡± TJ tried to reason. ¡°Get the hell outta here and I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Somehow, he¡¯d almost expected the coyote to pipe up and say sorry or something. Instead, it snarled and lunged back in for another bite. This time, TJ was ready and kicked hard up into its chin. Its teeth clacked together, and he swore he saw some chips of white fly away. The canine stumbled, surprised, and TJ thought about giving it the chance to flee, but no. This was real, and even if the Tutorial or whatever wasn¡¯t, this coyote probably had a pack. He couldn¡¯t let it draw more here if only one of them could hurt him this much. ¡°I¡¯m sorry bud.¡± He muttered before stepping forward and delivering an even stronger kick into the coyote¡¯s ribs. He felt bones crack as it flew back a couple feet. Then, with a heavy heart, TJ stomped once, twice, then three times on the coyote¡¯s neck. After the third stomp, a little window appeared in front of TJ. Coyote, Level 0, Slain. Experience gained. Experience stored until acquisition of Class or Occupation. Zealot Class acquisition requirements progress: 1/5 If he could trust the notification, then the coyote was dead. Well, it definitely was, even before he got the System¡¯s little notification. The scavenger dead, TJ squatted down and looked at it. Coyotes weren¡¯t really dangerous to adults, especially not alone. They never attacked, so why this one, why now? The Tutorial being the cause wasn¡¯t a bad possibility, but TJ needed to instead focus on progress. They never used to attack like this, and TJ hoped it wasn¡¯t rabid. That new fear instilled, TJ checked. Its mouth wasn¡¯t frothing, there wasn¡¯t any sign of disease, though it was a little skinny and maybe mangy. The ¡°wilderness survival¡± merit badge he¡¯d gotten as a teenager in Boy Scouts didn¡¯t tell him how to identify diseases on a smushed coyote skull. That thought while observing the creature that he¡¯d killed sent TJ¡¯s stomach to tumbling. He swallowed hard, trying not to lose any moisture or nourishment, and after a couple of deep breaths through his nose, the nausea faded to a more manageable discomfort. On the bright side, if he couldn¡¯t figure out how to become a Neophyte, he was progressing towards becoming a Zealot. TJ fought to keep his feet, his bleeding calf aching and screaming in protest, but he couldn¡¯t sit down now. If he did, it¡¯d be harder to get up the mountain and see what he could find. But before he went¡­ did he want to bring the coyote¡¯s body? He didn¡¯t have any firemaking equipment, so he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to cook it without a ton of effort put into making a fire by hand. And was it even safe to eat coyote? ¡°Hey, can I do anything with this body?¡± TJ idly asked the System, thinking about days playing RuneScape and making leather armor from cows. Most materials can be processed into equipment, artifacts, accessories, or other items, though all have varying levels of utility and value. To learn the value of the pelt, meat, and other parts of the coyote corpse you have, gain a related Skill or be taught by an experienced Tutor. So it might be worth something. Might not. As he looked down at the corpse, the blood trailing from its nose and mouth almost made him leave it, but TJ steeled himself and picked it up. He¡¯d be pissed if he somehow lost an opportunity to keep himself safe and get back to Junior, just because he felt a little squeamish. Not wanting to keep it in his hands, TJ peeked into his mostly empty backpack, pulled out the pack of goldfish and granola bar while leaving the can of chew in the zipping side pocket, put the food in his jacket¡¯s big pocket on the belly, and finally dumped the corpse in the backpack. It wasn¡¯t too large, as coyotes go, but it didn¡¯t fit neatly in the pocket, and TJ eventually had to resign himself to stuffing it in and forcing the zipper closed. Then, with a grunt, he put the now much heavier backpack back on. The blood running down his leg began to slow and clot, and TJ took a quick look at it. Though painful, the coyote¡¯s bite hadn¡¯t gone too deep, and with the cold air combined with whatever the body usually does to mask pain, he could continue his hike. The next twenty or so minutes it took for TJ to reach the peak were much more cautious and attentive than before. After all, if a single coyote had been willing to attack him like that, what would happen if he ran into a herd of javelinas, or a mountain lion? Both were uncommon here in the central mountains of Arizona, but they¡¯d been seen before. Thus, TJ¡¯s eyes were constantly peeled for anything that approached while his ears strained to pick up any unnatural sound. Nothing appeared to assault him by the time TJ reached the peak of the mountain, where he took shelter sitting behind a pine tree that had fallen some years before, looking at the rot. It was enough to keep the wind off of him, though, and TJ took the opportunity to take a couple mouthfuls of water. There wasn¡¯t any water or snow in sight, so he couldn¡¯t say when he¡¯d be able to refill his water bottle. Actually¡­ Three peaks over, the crest of a higher mountain had a smattering of snow across it, though TJ suspected that it might melt in the rising sun, so if he wanted to use that to refill his water bottle, he would need to hurry over there. As for other things down the mountain, he couldn¡¯t see any cabins or homes, no lights or fires, just pretty featureless forest. From where he came, TJ couldn¡¯t see anything, ¡°Shit.¡± He cursed to himself. He¡¯d hoped to see some relic of humanity, because even if there wasn¡¯t anyone there, there could be food, a change of clothes, or something. Instead, his next best course of action seemed to be to go to the snow, and at least get some more water there. With a groan, TJ rose back to his feet and resumed walking towards the next peak, trying his best to keep from descending more than absolutely necessary. Keeping his wits about him, TJ continued to question and wonder. This Divine System, what is the Throne, what did 20,000 years have to do with God or gods or whatever? When he got no answers, instead he asked a question that maybe he should have a while ago. ¡°What exactly do all these attributes mean? Strength and Agility are pretty straightforward but what exactly is the difference between Vitality, Endurance, and Toughness?¡± In addition to the mechanics listed, all attributes additionally influence different Skills. Vitality is directly tied to HP and its regeneration, and the greater the quantity of Vitality, the more difficult the Participant is to kill. Endurance is directly tied to Stamina and its regeneration, and the greater the quantity of Endurance, the more difficult the Participant is to be exhausted. Toughness is directly related to the hardiness of the Participant, and the greater the quantity of Toughness, the more difficult the Participant is to wound. That made sense, he supposed, but still he wasn¡¯t sure. But since he knew now, he quickly pulled up the top of his Status Sheet. Health Points (HP): 87/100 Mana Points (MP): 70/70 Stamina: 69/80 So the bite that coyote had given him¡­ if he was bitten just seven more times, he would have died? And after all this hiking, TJ would have said that he was more tired than just 15% or something. Regardless, though, he continued looking down the attribute list. According to video game logic, Wisdom and Intelligence were like, magic power and mana points? Wisdom is directly related to the proficiency of the manipulation of the divine, and the greater the quantity of Wisdom, the more powerful the divine workings of the Participant. Intelligence is directly tied to MP and its regeneration, and the greater the quantity of Intelligence, the faster the Participant will regain MP. Perception seemed pretty straightforward. Need to see and hear what¡¯s going on around you. TJ neglected to get a breakdown on Perception from the System. Willpower and Fixation, though¡­ Willpower is directly related to the mental hardiness of the Participant, and the greater the quantity of Willpower, the greater the Participant¡¯s ability to resist adverse mental and divine effects. Fixation is directly related to the Participant¡¯s ability to embody and focus on the effects of the divine, and the greater the quantity of Fixation, the more easily and enduringly will the Participant be able to channel certain divine abilities. Ok, Willpower generally made sense. But Fixation¡­ it seemed like it was a bad thing that TJ only had one, and, stranger still, looking at the Class descriptions again, none of them mentioned Fixation as a necessary attribute at all. By default, all Participants¡¯ Fixation starts at 1. Some, due to their Bloodlines, are granted an additional boon to their starting Fixation attribute. ¡°Wait, so some Bloodlines give attribute bonuses? That¡¯s crap!¡± TJ grumbled as he slipped over a dirt-covered stone. The Kukulkan Bloodline grants a +1 to Strength, Vitality, Endurance, Toughness, and Willpower upon Systemic Integration. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Totally cool and normal that some Bloodlines give attribute bonuses.¡± TJ immediately replied. ¡°Wait, so does my Bloodline better lend itself to Neophytes? And what are the usual numbers in any given attribute for a person?¡± Those of the Bloodline of Kukulkan gain bonuses that are well suited for Neophytes and Zealots. Barring outliers, the greatest quantity of an attribute at the time of Systemic Integration is 10. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m not the healthiest guy who¡¯s ever lived. I get sick and whatever. I don¡¯t¨C¡± TJ cut himself off. Something was rustling behind him, scrabbling up the same dusty path that he¡¯d just slipped and nearly fell climbing. His heart leapt to his throat, and he turned around. ¡°Oh. Shit.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 3 Two coyotes rushed forward, jaws wide open and saliva dripping underfoot. TJ, mind rushing, looked for anything he could do or grab to help protect himself. ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you grab anything before when you KNEW something would attack you?¡± He snarled at himself as, with no rock or hefty stick in sight, TJ slung his backpack over his left arm in an improvised shield just in time. The first, faster coyote lunged with its mouth wide open to bite TJ¡¯s knee. He fended it off with an awkward swing of his backpack, the fabric audibly tearing under its jaws. It continued to snarl and thrash, the nylon quickly being rendered useless, but TJ couldn¡¯t care about that right now. Instead, he kept his eyes on the second coyote that lunged in on his right side, jaws flashing as it went for his right hand¡¯s fingers. Reacting as quickly as he could, TJ clenched his fist as tightly as he could as the canines canines dug deep into his balled fist. He grunted in pain as he unintentionally dropped his backpack and focused on the coyote that was trying to rip his hand off. It thrashed and struggled, but with his clenched fingers, it couldn¡¯t spit out his hand. Somewhere in the back of his mind, TJ remembered dog attack instructions. No time like the present to apply it! Bracing himself, TJ shoved his fist deeper into the coyote¡¯s mouth, his knuckles scraping along its teeth, tongue, and roof of the mouth. It tried to get away, but TJ swept his leg under it and knocked it prone. He pushed deeper. It gagged. He pushed deeper. It vomited. He pushed deeper. It struggled to breathe. He pushed deeper. Bones in his hand and the coyote¡¯s skull cracked. It struggled to whimper. He. Pushed. Deeper. The coyote under him¡¯s struggles died down, twitching in pain and fear as TJ¡¯s eyes watered from the pain of his hand and his own distress watching the poor thing die. The second coyote attacked, and TJ wasn¡¯t ready. Its jaws snapped tight on his left trapezius muscle, and TJ screamed in pain, and again when he bashed his broken nose into his flailing arm. He couldn¡¯t care about the first coyote any longer, the second one a much more pressing threat. His screams continued as he scrabbled uselessly at its face, trying to get it to let go and ignoring the flares of agony as its teeth dug deep and he hit his nose two more times. It refused to let go, instead wresting its whole body to rip his flesh free. TJ cried out as he desperately jumped up and fell onto his back, on top of the coyote. He felt its ribs crack under his weight, and it wheezed wetly as it finally released his shoulder. TJ struggled to his feet, the crippled coyote before him. With a final sickening squish of his foot, it was gone. He wanted to collapse to the ground, but the other one¡­ Laid on the ground, gasping for breath. Its jaw was obviously broken, and he¡¯d done something to its throat as the wheezing, desperate gasps of the dying echoed over the mountaintop. TJ stumbled over to the dying creature and with an unsteady jump and a stomp, put it out of its misery before finally laying down on the dusty, unforgiving ground. ¡°Status.¡± He gasped out loud. 2 Coyotes, Level 0, Slain. Experience gained. Experience stored until acquisition of Class or Occupation. Zealot Class acquisition requirements progress: 3/5 Health Points (HP): 28/100 Mana Points (MP): 70/70 Stamina: 12/80 TJ smiled just a touch, happy to see his survival was currently guaranteed. Then, before he closed the Status Sheet, his HP ticked down to 27/100.¡±What?¡± He blearily asked. Warning: Participant Thiago Jorge Harris IV is suffering from a minor Bleed affliction. Participant will continue to lose 2 HP a minute until the Bleed condition is cured. ¡°Oh.¡± TJ¡¯s mind wandered. Why didn¡¯t it just call him ¡°you?¡± Why was it¡­ No! Couldn¡¯t let himself lose focus. He couldn¡¯t muster the energy to curse, but something needed to change, and soon, or he¡¯d bleed out. The chill crept into his bones, and TJ couldn¡¯t get himself to move, to do anything but lay here. With a scream of pain, TJ flicked himself in the nose, and with the burst of light in his vision accompanying the tears and agony, he forced himself to his feet. First aid. Compress the wound. Stop the bleeding. TJ unzipped the jacket, the deep tears in the flesh of his shoulder screaming in protest as he moved his left arm. The wind whipped around him, gooseflesh rising all across his exposed torso. He couldn¡¯t care about that right now. The left strap of his tank top was ripped apart, the right whole. He pulled his shirt overhead, whimpering as the torn fabric pulled out of his mutilated neck. He wasn¡¯t careful enough pulling the shirt over his head, and the front caught on his nose and sent another explosion of additional agony coursing through TJ¡¯s body, and he began to sob. Even so, he wadded the shirt into as good of a compress as he could manage and held it on his left shoulder as best as he could while he pulled the jacket back on and zipped it up. With the shredded cotton of his shirt now placed on his wound, TJ looked for his backpack. Just as he¡¯d already known, the back of it was torn open, half of the pockets now entirely useless, though he hadn¡¯t lost the side pocket or its nearly forgotten cargo. Fortunately, the main pocket, the one that still had a coyote corpse in it, was mostly intact, and TJ shrugged it onto only his left shoulder before tightening the strap as much as he could and pressing the weight of the coyote painfully into his steadily bleeding wound. Then, too exhausted to continue trying to staunch his own bleeding, TJ walked to the nearest tree and slumped against it. ¡°Please be enough.¡± He muttered, tears of pain and fear streaking his dusty, blood-splattered face. ¡°Please, God, let that be enough. System, please. Kukulkan, whatever¡­¡± He pulled up his Status again, nearly too afraid to see what it said. Health Points (HP): 24/100 Mana Points (MP): 70/70 Stamina: 10/80 At least two minutes had passed, going off how much his HP had ticked down. TJ began counting down from 30, praying he wouldn¡¯t see that number decrease. 30. 25. 20. 15. 10. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. And nothing. He took a deep breath, feeling the renewed lease on life. ¡°How fast will my HP refill?¡± The rate of HP recovery is directly proportional to the Vitality attribute of the Participant. Over the course of one hour of rest, a Participant will regain their Vitality worth of HP. Light activity, such as walking, will not impact the rate of HP recovery. Moderate activity, such as hiking, jogging, or flying, will halve the rate of HP recovery. Strenuous activity, such as combat, running, or exercising, will negate the rate of HP recovery. ¡°I haven¡¯t used my MP. How can I use it? And does it come back like my HP?¡± Many manifestations of the divine require the expenditure of the resource MP. Over the course of one hour, a Participant will regain their Intelligence worth of MP. Actively expending MP will not impact the rate of MP recovery. Only certain afflictions can impact the rate of MP recovery. ¡°Can I use my MP to heal myself?¡± In order to use MP to recover HP, a Participant must use a requisite Skill. Participant Thiago Jorge Harris IV does not currently have nor qualify to gain any Skills that would allow him to expend MP and recover HP. A little less panicked, TJ actually asked this time, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just call me ¡®you¡¯.¡± Would Participant Thiago Jorge Harris IV like to change the Divine System¡¯s form of address? ¡°Yeeeees?¡± You have changed the Divine System¡¯s form of address. Congratulations! There are no attribute or experience related, nor any other mechanical advantages gained from so doing. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to.¡± TJ grumbled. His life no longer, apparently, in immediate danger, TJ pulled the granola bar out. Never before had unwrapping a stupid wrapper been so difficult, much less painful, as every movement of his left arm sent shocks of pain up his shoulder. Even so, eventually, he was able to unveil the chocolate chip dusted snack, and he ate it much more quickly than he¡¯d planned. Then, his mouth parched from hiking, screaming, and crying, TJ took three long pulls from his water bottle. Putting the lid back on was a serious effort of will, but TJ was able to keep himself from polishing off the water. Now that the fear of immediate death faded, TJ began shivering. He cursed himself for not pulling his sweats on this morning. Sure, they¡¯d been nearly so stinky as to offend a passerby, but if he¡¯d known, then TJ would have worn them even so. They¡¯d keep him warm, and could have at least reduced the damage to his leg from the first coyote¡¯s attack. That didn¡¯t matter though. Not anymore. For now, the best course of action he could take would probably be to see if he couldn¡¯t create a fire. No knife to cut tinder or kindling. No good firepit or anything. No flint, steel, or lighter. Just¡­ the good old friction method, he supposed. Once, nearly 20 years ago, he¡¯d needed to create a fire from scratch. It had given him blisters through the leather gloves. Was there enough stuff to even make a fire? ¡°Hey, System. There something you can give me that would let me make fire easier?¡± In order to gain something that would benefit you in the creation of fire, you would need a Class or Occupation. You have neither, and thus cannot currently gain Skills or other benefits. ¡°Well, I¡¯m in no state to go kill anything else, so how can I get an Occupation?¡± In order to acquire an Occupation, a Participant must complete certain requirements, usually tasks, and then be offered the Occupation. There was no additional information. After waiting a full minute, TJ asked again, ¡°So what do I need to do to get an Occupation that will help me build a fire?¡± If you desire an Occupation that will better enable you to create fire, then you should create fires, or other things that you would like your Occupation to assist with. An Occupation is earned by completing requirements, so you should do whatever you would like your Occupation to be focused on. ¡°So to get an Occupation that¡¯ll help me, I need to help myself.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, nor posed at the System. ¡°To get a job, I need experience and I need a job to get experience¡­ Bullshit. All over again. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¨C¡± TJ breathed out the word, not bothering to complete his complaining. Instead, he glanced around, looking for any stick or branch or wood or whatever could help him. Fortunately, Ponderosa pines naturally grow straight branches and trunks, and an old deadfall wasn¡¯t far away. TJ struggled over to the collapsed tree, where a bounty of sticks lay scattered around. It didn¡¯t take long to find several that could work, but after peeling the flimsy bark from each, every one sported at least a dozen of the usual pokey nubs that all sticks around here did. After the fourth such stick, TJ bit the bullet and selected the one with the fewest of the sharp spots decorating it before rubbing one of the nubs on a nearby rock in an attempt to sand it down to a more comfortable grip. Then, after a minute or so, he moved on to the next. Then the next. And the next. Finally, TJ had a serviceable stick to be his firestarter. Then, he needed another for the thing he¡¯d rub it on. The larger trunk with a groove in it wasn¡¯t difficult to find, and so, with a prepared nest of dead pine needles and little twigs, TJ had everything prepared. He braced himself for the pain before setting the smaller, long straight stick against the thick one, the tip of his handheld stick nestled in the groove of the larger. Then, ignoring the aches, pains, and agony that flared when he did so, TJ pressed the smaller stick down about as hard as he could between his two palms and, while rubbing his hands back and forth as fast as he could, continued pressing. His neck screamed in protest, and TJ nearly stopped trying to make the fire. TJ¡¯s hands sported only weak calluses from his last couple of months of weightlifting, and they quickly rubbed raw under his focused effort. He immediately found which of the nubs he hadn¡¯t sanded down enough, but he¡¯d already begun, and refused to lose the progress he¡¯d already made and the energy he¡¯d already spent. Before long, he was bored and uncomfortable and sore, but TJ refused to give up. Slowly, he was blessed with the beginning of smoke from between the two sticks appearing, but he didn¡¯t slow down. Instead, he watched his Status, watching his stagnant Stamina and HP, excited when the HP ticked up one. His Stamina remained the same, but after more than a couple of minutes and less than twelve since he supposedly recovered 1 HP every six minutes, the smoke grew thick enough that TJ pulled away his long thin stick and pulled out the little ember that he¡¯d nurtured. Blowing gently on it, he deposited it in the center of the nest of pine needles while continuing to blow. Smoke puffed and filled his face. Still TJ blew, and he was rewarded with a flare of heat. The pine needles exploded into flames, burning hot, bright, and for just a moment. TJ fed more and more into the growing blaze, and finally, one, then two, then five small sticks. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°FIRE!¡± He cheered, finally sure it would last. ¡°I have fire!¡± Then, TJ looked at the three coyote corpses. Now, what to do with these? Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 4 The small cut of meat TJ had been able to salvage from the coyote body sizzled over coals, and the scent of cooking meat set his mouth to watering. To get to this point had been more of an exercise in preparedness than he¡¯d been previously ready for, and he thought about how he¡¯d disassembled the bodies. Once he had built the fire up from a steady flicker to a true blaze, TJ sat with his hands extended towards the dancing flames, the heat making his mostly numbed fingers tingle. As the cold leached from his hands, TJ¡¯s right hand complained and ached with the return of sensation while his left whined about the blisters he¡¯d given himself creating the fire in the first place.. The fire roared and crackled, the pine-rich wood frequently popping and sending flurries of sparks into the air. Pine burns fast and hot, and TJ forced himself up to his feet before long, gathering the thickest branches he could manage without exhausting himself or tearing his wounded shoulder back open. With enough of a supply of firewood to ensure that he wouldn¡¯t be left with nothing before long, TJ could actually focus on the corpses. They represented thousands and thousands of calories, energy he couldn¡¯t leave behind. He¡¯d never butchered an animal before, and now he had to learn quickly. When would the meat go bad? It was around freezing, so could it be counted as refrigerated? Regardless, he couldn¡¯t cook the meat while the fur was still on it. And how to cut it off? TJ searched around, hoping to find a magically sharpened rock that would function perfectly as a knife. No luck. In fact, much of the stone around here was crumbly and weak, wholly unable to keep any sort of an edge. Instead, he¡¯d need to get BACK UP and find a rock that could actually help him. He couldn¡¯t help but curse himself at how he¡¯d laughed at his old man back in the day when TJ had asked him why he always had a pocket knife. The old man¡¯s response was simply, ¡°A man needs a knife. Whenever you don¡¯t have it is when you need it.¡± He missed his dad. He¡¯d know what to do now, but he¡¯d been gone half a decade now, his mom too. Probably better they weren¡¯t around for this. Mari¡­ well, TJ was lying if he said he didn¡¯t wish she was with him right now. Having learned his lesson, TJ very carefully wiped at his eyes without brushing his nose and set to finding a good rock. TJ whistled the Indiana Jones theme song to himself as he wandered around, feeling slightly more like an adventurer as he did so. Who knew, maybe he¡¯d find a whip and a Nazi to punch while he was at it. Eventually, he was blessed to find a little deposit of a harder, darker stone than much of the sandstone that surrounded him, and TJ grabbed a couple and happily trotted back to his fire to see if he couldn¡¯t create a blade of some sort from it. Once, with a master¡¯s guidance, he¡¯d made an obsidian blade, but this, unfortunately, was nothing like that. The stones were nearly spherical, and as TJ smacked them together again and again, he wasn¡¯t able to make anything that even remotely resembled a cutting edge. ¡°Come. On. You. Little. Bastard. And. Become. A. Knife.¡± He repeated, smashing the stones together again and again with each word. Fortunately, on the fourth repetition of the same line, one of the rocks he was holding split almost cleanly through the center, leaving two half-spheres with a mostly flat face from between them. ¡°Halfway there.¡± TJ grumbled before setting one of the stones with the new flat face perpendicular to the ground on a large nearby rock. There, he grabbed one of the remaining whole stones and, with growing force, smashed it again and again into the rock he wanted to have become his knife. With a resounding crack, the stone split, and TJ cheered when he picked up several of the shards that had broken into flat disks with a serviceably sharp edge. Finally armed with a prehistoric utensil, he turned to the corpses. He was sickened and again nearly vomited as he was again forced to confront the reality of how he¡¯d been forced to kill every one¨Ccrushing their skulls. Their heads hung awkwardly to the side, and the bone was obviously shattered while blood and mashed flesh dripped from their mouths. ¡°Well. Sorry. I¡¯ll eat you, at least, so you¡¯re not dead for nothing.¡± TJ grabbed the first coyote he¡¯d killed and laid it out flat on the ground. It laid there, and he thought of the dogs he¡¯d grown up loving. Then, he pulled up his sleeves and began attempting butchery. It was hard, bloody, disgusting work, and TJ did end up retching as he accidentally cut open its intestines and coyote shit spilled over his hands. Worse, he didn¡¯t have water to spare to wash his hands or anything else, and he was slowed even more by having to return to the fire to stoke it and warm his chilled fingers pretty frequently. Eventually, he did have a roughly skinned and unappetizing looking coyote thigh, which he speared with a stick and held over the fire. Of course, he accidentally burned the meat. After he dropped it in the fire. Because the stick broke. His poor Nana¡¯s ears would curl hearing the string of profanities he¡¯d shouted after that, but TJ didn¡¯t care. He didn¡¯t even care enough to scrape the burnt flesh off the bone before tearing into it. It was rangy, tough, and dry, while what little of the juice remaining in the ¡°drumstick¡¯s¡± skin dribbled down his chin. It wasn¡¯t good. But it was food, and that was enough of a spice that TJ tore through the leg in record time. Annoyed by the blood, viscera, excrement, and whatever else that coated his hands, TJ attempted to wipe himself clean on one of the coyote¡¯s fur to limited success. He needed water, and the nearest water he knew of was the snow and ice that coated the next peak. He estimated it¡¯d be another 20 minutes of hiking to get there, so maybe an hour to get there, fill up his water, drink his fill, fill up more, see where he needed to go, and then return to his fire. And now that he¡¯d experienced how much better it was to not be freezing his balls off, walking over there in his shredded jacket and stupid mesh shorts sounded like hell. It was disgusting, but the coyotes could maybe help with that too¡­ ¡ª- Another two cooked thighs and an hour¡¯s worth of skinning the three coyotes, going off his HP recovery of 10, assuming this was light activity, resulted with the most disgusting leg warmers that TJ had ever imagined. He wrapped two of the coyote pelts that he¡¯d crappily pulled from the bodies around his thighs while the third was currently being scraped of all fat, blood, and whatever else was attached to the skin under the pelt. Once TJ was somewhat satisfied with the results, he held the most intact fur skin side down over the fire in an attempt to make what he was about to do less horrendously disgusting. Then, when it was warm and the skin under the fur was beginning to crisp and pop, TJ pulled his waistband out and wrapped the pelt around his waist between his shorts and his underwear. It was so pleasantly warm that he almost forgot how disgusting this was. TJ didn¡¯t give himself any additional time to think about it, to be grossed out, or anything. Instead, he grabbed his backpack, now empty of everything except his makeshift knives, water bottle, and goldfish, and, after piling several more thick branches onto the fire, prepared for his hike towards the next summit. Just earlier this morning, he¡¯d been sleeping in his comfortable bed and drinking coffee, and now, he was shivering here. He couldn¡¯t help but think of his morning. Woke up to his alarm, which was an excited toddler jumping on him. How Junior consistently woke up at 6:30am every day, summer through winter, was one of the universe¡¯s greatest mysteries. Regardless of how the three year-old woke himself up, he always made his way out of his room and into TJ¡¯s, where, uncaring of how much or little sleep his dad had gotten, he happily patted TJ¡¯s face until he woke. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Park? Go park? Big one? Please?¡± TJ grumbled as good-naturedly as he could manage. A Saturday morning in early January was as good as any to go to the park, he supposed. ¡°It¡¯s still early, bud. Let¡¯s do breakfast first, then we¡¯ll figure out going to the park, K?¡± Though Junior whined and moped about not being taken to the park the same instant he woke, a bowl full of ¡°foot woop¡± took the edge of his rage off. Then, given the sun still hadn¡¯t risen, TJ cajoled and guided the distractible kid from room to room as he vacuumed, swept, and tidied. Still, it was only 9 by the time all the chores were done, and Junior was back to begging to go to the park. Southern Arizona wasn¡¯t so cold as most of the world in the middle of the winter, but TJ did force Junior into a jacket and long pants before they left. All the child¡¯s protests about how ¡°Daddy not wearing pants!¡± were summarily dismissed with ¡°Well, dads make the rules¡± and Junior quickly forgot the despotic unfairness of dads. Instead, he complained at the walk through Walmart. Then, he was heartbroken by only going through the McDonalds drive through, because how dare they visit merely for coffee? Only the promise of immediately proceeding towards the park kept the hysterics in check. At the park, Junior happily clambered up and down and around whatever he could reach. Though it would be a beautiful day later on, in Tempe, it was only 45 or so degrees out, so no other kids had managed to convince their parents to get out of their warm houses just yet. Thus, TJ happily played alone with his son, making sure he didn¡¯t fall from the jungle gym or eat too much sand. Then, once the caffeine had fully hit his system (and worked its way through in the freezing public restroom), TJ asked the fateful question. ¡°Wanna run?¡± With squeals of excitement, Junior dragged TJ back to the car, where he pulled the jogging stroller out and, as soon as it was set up, Junior threw himself in while clapping for TJ to ¡°Go fast! Super fast!¡± TJ only had enough time to get up to speed before he¡¯d smashed his face on a suddenly appearing wall and found himself on his ass with his vision swimming and his ears ringing. Then, he¡¯d hiked, and fought, and suffered. And here he was. Shaking his lonely thinking from his head, TJ stood and began walking uphill. Water awaited him, and to take his mind from the past, he asked a question that had been burning for a while, but only now he felt he could actually ask it. ¡°Why are these animals attacking? A single coyote, or even a smaller pack would never attack a person around here. What happened?¡± The native fauna has been adjusted by the Divine System so that they may better participate in the selection process for hopeful divines. ¡°So now they¡¯re all bloodthirsty or something?¡± To put it in so few words, correct. ¡°Then what can I¨CShit. Are reptiles still hibernating? Or are they more active now?¡± The physiology of much of the native fauna has been biologically adjusted by the Divine System to be more active. ¡°So are there any rattlesnakes nearby?¡± TJ looked around warily, not trusting to hear a rattle before receiving a deadly bite. The Divine System does not give additional information to Participants that can be considered hints or especially helpful. ¡°Probably, then.¡± TJ forced himself to be quiet instead as he continued his tracks towards the snow-covered summit. Every step burned his injured calf, and though he¡¯d patched it as well as he could, his shoulder¡¯s wound cried out with every step. The only upside he could think of other than impending water was that the new mountain he began to scale was mostly bare compared to the one he had left behind, and if any coyotes decided to come attack, he¡¯d have enough time to pick up a rock or something to smash his assailant with. Plus, a part of him realized that there was no guarantee that he¡¯d be able to complete the requirements for the Neophyte Class anytime soon, and it might be better to just kill two more animals and become a Zealot. Even so, the Neophyte Class just called to him, and TJ didn¡¯t want to throw in the towel just yet. The twenty minute hike passed without any additional incident, and TJ stepped to this higher peak and looked across the valley between mountains. There, maybe six or seven miles farther down, was a cabin, tucked in a small clearing with an ATV trail leading up to it. Getting up to this mountain had taken him about 20 minutes, and TJ estimated it was only half a mile to get here. Looking up, it was just about midday, so there were only about five hours of sunlight left. Worse, the brush was thick and unmanageable down there, so TJ would have to slow himself even more to be especially careful to make sure he wasn¡¯t ambushed or even just broke an ankle with an unlucky misstep. ¡°How would my Vitality¡¯s HP regeneration help me with a broken bone?¡± He suddenly asked. Returning to full HP does not mean that lasting injuries have been completely healed. Instead, it signifies the peak of health available to the Participant excluding major injuries. At your level of Vitality, it will take two weeks for a minor fracture to be healed, and up to six for a major break of the bone to return to its previously whole state. Yeah, that¡¯d be a death sentence. Grumbling to himself about how he¡¯d need to come back tomorrow to make sure he could make it to the cabin before the sun set behind the mountains, TJ grabbed a couple handfuls of water to place into his water bottle to melt. Grandpa had said something about how eating plain snow was worse for you in a survival situation than finding a creek nearby, something about how snow made you colder than the water would. Given that Grandpa was right about the stupid knife, he¡¯d listen about the snow. TJ shook the metal bottle, the crunchy, more ice than snow breaking apart and melting under his ministrations. A minute later, he opened it and took a long drink. Beautiful. His parched throat gloried in the taste, a couple pebbles and pine needles included. He drank so deeply that TJ could feel the cold water settling and sloshing in his stomach, and though it was uncomfortable, he was happy for it. Then, preparing himself to go back to his impromptu camp, TJ filled the water bottle up once again with the ice, smashing the pointy bits that refused to let the cap screw on. Again whistling to himself, this time Star Wars, more John Williams, TJ made his way back to the camp. Once he left the barren mountaintop, TJ picked up a rock and hefted it in his right hand. Wasn¡¯t much of a weapon, but it was leaps better than nothing, and if a coyote tried to take a bite out of him again, he could kill it without having to feel its bones crack under his feet. He was lucky, however, that he didn¡¯t have to kill anything before getting back to his hot coals. The fire had mostly died down, but TJ had been confident that there would still be coals upon his return. He was correct, and a couple handfuls of pine needles and kindling let his fire return to its previous glory. Now, if he was going to stay the night here before setting off towards the cabin tomorrow, he might as well make sure his night wasn¡¯t entirely miserable. Remembering that a heat reflector of some sort would help the fire¡¯s heat be better directed towards him, TJ let himself rest for just long enough to cook a coyote shoulder and eat about half of it. His belly was still full of the water he¡¯d stuffed himself with, and he wouldn¡¯t have any more water than what was in his bottle until he made the trek back to the other mountain. TJ wasn¡¯t about to force more food down his gullet and make himself sick. With a grumble, he walked off to gather the longest, thickest branches he could muster. There wasn¡¯t much nearby, and TJ was loathe to get himself distracted looking for fallen branches and trees just so a coyote, mountain lion, or rattlesnake could kill him. After five trips back and forth dragging another couple of long branches, TJ was lucky enough to stumble across a fallen tree with most of its branches intact. Taking a big rock in hand, he smashed a dozen of the branches off before lugging them back to camp. Then he made another trip. And another. And another. And finally, he had enough branches to make the most rudimentary of heat reflectors for his fire. Then, TJ needed to gather enough wood to keep his fire going through the night. That took him another two hours, at least. He wasn¡¯t sure how long, since this level of hiking and carrying and transporting negated his HP recovery. TJ did take the time every two loads to sit next to the fire and watch his HP tick up two more points until it had recovered to 50/100. Then, with enough fire to keep him going through the night and enough of a shelter to keep him from dying from exposure, TJ sat and watched the fire. Occupation unlocked. Wait, what? Author¡¯s note: The real ¡°survival¡± focused chapters will become much less common after this one. Thank you! Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 5 Occupation: Savage unlocked. You have already discarded the trappings of civilization. You disregard tools, shelter, and even clothing from the old world. You embrace the work of your hands, sleeping in shelter you¡¯ve built with your hands, under pelts you cured, next to fire you painstakingly created. You are a Savage, a primitive who eschews the easy for the trustworthy. Occupation Skill Primitive Craftsmanship offered. Occupation Skill grants a static 30% bonus to all crafting abilities and Skills when crafting without pre-Integration technology. Per level attributes gained: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Would you like to accept the Savage Occupation? ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m getting this Occupation because I¡¯m doing my best to live?¡± You qualified for the Savage Occupation because you completed the necessary requirements to acquire the Occupation. The requirements completed were: 1. Create fire without using any pre-Integration tools. 2. Create any equipment without any pre-Integration tools. 3. Create a shelter without any pre-Integration tools. 4. Defeat a creature without any pre-Integration tools. 5. Prepare food without any pre-Integration tools or ingredients from the pre-Integration world. 6. Make a deliberate choice to step away from a significant comfort of that from the pre-Integration to return to a more ¡°savage¡± environment. Note: If any Participant wishes to acquire the Savage Occupation, they cannot have completed any of the requisite steps with pre-Integration tools at any time. ¡°But I ate the food I had with me, that didn¡¯t keep me from qualifying for this Occupation.¡± The mere consumption of pre-Integration food does not disqualify any hopefuls from completing requirement 5. ¡°Wait, so if I¡¯d like¡­ sprinkled the salt from my goldfish onto the coyote meat, then would I have lost this?¡± If you had seasoned your food with pre-Integration ingredients, then you would have disqualified yourself from the acquisition of this Occupation. TJ thanked Kukulkan that he hadn¡¯t thought to do that. If he¡¯d screwed himself over like that¡­ Would you like to accept the Savage Occupation? Please say ¡°Decline¡± if you would like to not be offered the Savage Occupation again. The System, with its basso, comforting yet commanding voice, asked again. The blinking notification flashed in TJ¡¯s eyes, and he stuttered, ¡°No, I, yes, accept Savage as my Occupation!¡± Occupation: Savage acquired. Occupation Skill: Primitive Craftsmanship acquired. Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 1. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Point available. Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 2. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Point available. Race: Human has advanced to level 1. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. With the wave of notifications washing over him, TJ¡¯s body began to shiver uncontrollably. His bones cracked, his shoulder and calf tingled, and his aching muscles faded until they were weightless. After a minute or so, TJ felt like himself again, and the changes in his body faded away. Again, the System wanted to tell him something, but he didn¡¯t pay the notifications any mind, instead investigating how different his body felt now. All the pains from before, from the small blisters that had begun to form on his heels to the deep wounds in his shoulder, had faded, and looking down at his calf, the pattern of teeth marks faded to a curve of fine pink marks in his flesh. Curious and cautious, he poked at his shoulder. No pain. He pulled his bloodied rag of a tank top away from the wound, the blood having crusted to his skin. As it peeled away and the cold fresh air set his skin to gooseflesh again, TJ poked the thick muscle of his trapezius. No wounds, just some slight scarring. ¡°Haha! Does leveling up always heal you? Is that why I¡¯m all better now?¡± The act of leveling elevates the body to the greater heights now available. All resources are restored to full, and most minor to severe injuries are fully healed. In the case of amputations or maiming, the scars remain without regeneration. TJ happily tossed the shirt to the side, where the congealed blood and shredded cotton would bother him no longer. Then, before he resumed his questioning of the System, he checked the additional notification he¡¯d received. Title gained: Irregular. Description of Title: The vast majority of Participants who begin their journey towards the Throne in earnest acquire their Class before their Occupation. You are one of 0.5% of Participants who not only sought out but also acquired an Occupation before their Class. Effects of Title: 5% increase in experience gain for all Occupation related Skills, levels, and more. ¡°Sweet.¡± TJ muttered to himself, and a small part of him raged against his happiness at this small gain. His son was somewhere he couldn¡¯t see, find, or reach, and here he was, glad that this stupid System gave him a new little Title for his idiotic Occupation. He¡¯d kept himself from thinking about Junior for a while, but now that he was truly resting without having to think about anything else, TJ worried for his son. He was only three, and Junior had been real quiet ever since Mari¡¯s passing. Could they even take care of him? You should not worry. Observer Thiago Jorge Harris V is being kept in a type of stasis that will ensure that his emotional, physical, and social needs are met without causing undue stress. With a fiercely muttered string of swears, TJ thrust his son¡¯s current well-being from his mind as best as he could. If he let himself worry too much, he¡¯d end up as a mess curled up on the ground while coyotes ate him. ¡°So. Race. Is it that I leveled up from my two Occupation levels? The average between my Occupation and Class levels?¡± Correct. ¡°And how are the attributes I get from leveling up as a Human decided?¡± As a baseline human, you gain +1 to all attributes, and as a holder of the Divine Bloodline of Kukulkan, you gain an additional +1 to Vitality and Fixation for each level gained in Human. ¡°Huh. Status.¡± TJ commanded to see his updated attributes. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Human ¨C lvl 1 Class: N/A Occupation: Savage lvl 2 Level of Divinity: Dirt Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 140/140 Mana Points (MP): 100/100 Stamina: 130/130 Attributes Strength: 10 Agility: 9 Endurance: 13 Vitality: 14 Toughness: 13 Wisdom: 11 Intelligence: 10 Perception: 11 Willpower: 14 Fixation: 5 Free Points: 2 Titles: Irregular ¡°So, Savage must be a pretty good Occupation, right? I mean, I get so many attributes compared to what Human gives me, so it must be a rare or great Occupation.¡± The Occupation Savage is somewhat unique in that it is an unfocused Occupation. Most Occupations, such as Blacksmith, Huntsman, Quartermaster, and Shipwright, have a specific course of action they are meant to take. Savage, however, is a generalist that can gain experience through crafting, hunting, or leading. The only requirement for the Savage is that, whatever they do to gain experience for their Occupation, they must do so with tools and implements that they created for themselves. As a result of the unfocused nature of the Savage Occupation, those Participants who select this Occupation require all the attributes. Therefore, Savages receive a low amount of each attribute to ensure they can follow whatever path they so desire. Other Occupations give attributes focused on assisting the Participant to act in accordance with the Occupation¡¯s intended function. TJ settled onto his back, looking around while thinking about what this meant for him. After all, if he could still progress a little, maybe it would be good for him to wait to get a Class until he qualified for the Neophyte one he was still inexplicably drawn to. ¡°Wait, can I use things from before the Integration now that I¡¯ve become a ¡®Savage¡¯?¡± Savages can use pre-Integration tools, ingredients, and other materials, but they receive a reduction in experience gain when they complete any Occupational tasks using or benefitting from that which is pre-Integration. ¡°Better than nothing, I guess.¡± TJ watched the fire dancing, its allure hypnotizing while his mind wandered. With a conscious effort, TJ thought of something, anything to ask. ¡°Is Kukulkan still¡­ alive? Did he become a god?¡± No. All Participants that begin on their Path towards the Divine Throne either succeed the previous God, or reach the end of their mortal lives. ¡°But I still have a Bloodline that¡¯s supposedly divine from him. So was he a god or not?¡± Upon reaching the upper tiers of Divinity, which are Ruthenium, Iridium, Osmium, and Orichalcum, a Participant¡¯s body is molded by and becomes Divine instead of merely housing a certain level of Divinity. Kukulkan became a Divine, but did not reach the Divine Throne and thus never became God. TJ let himself bask in the warmth of the fire as he listened for anything to approach in the dying light of sunset. Only the popping of the branches in the fire and the whistling of wind through the shoddy lean-to he¡¯d constructed greeted him, though. The exhaustion of the day washed over him, and just before TJ gave in to the allure of sleep, one more question occurred to him. ¡°What Class was Kukulkan?¡± Whether the question was actually asked out loud or not TJ couldn¡¯t tell, but he received an answer nonetheless. He dreamed, and all he could see were swiftly passing clouds. The smell of rain was thick in the air, and the crackling of electricity danced over his long body. With a sinuous movement, he rose his head before diving down, down through the clouds. Once his eyes cleared the cover, a beautiful land lay spread before him. Long fields of corn undulated in the wind, the rustling of leaves accompanying his movement. Untamed jungle was held back by the strong arms of his sons and daughters, fighting the servants of the other aspiring Participants back and away from his temple. His home awaited his arrival, and the peak of his newly constructed temple had long been prepared for his landing. With a tamed wind ensuring his landing was light and easy, Kukulkan¡¯s coils spread across most of his temple, his Castillo. He breathed deep and then blew a warm, wet wind over his lands, bringing gentle rains and pest-free agriculture. With another breath, the feathered serpent was no more, and a tall, handsome man stood atop the temple. Statuesque with his war kilt adorned with leopard furs and thunderbird feathers, Kukulkan raised his hands high above his head and welcomed the cheers and worship of his people. Their adoration washed over him, and he could feel his Divinity soar. As Kukulkan changed from his mile-long serpent form to that of a man, TJ was taken from inside of Kukulkan¡¯s perspective to that of a third party observer. The ¡°human¡± form of Kukulkan wasn¡¯t truly human. Nubs of feathers interspersed with iridescent green scales patterned the backs of his arms, and what TJ had thought were feathers placed in Kukulkan¡¯s hair were instead growing from his scalp. Though Kukulkan¡¯s torso was bare and muscular nearly to the level of a body builder¡¯s, his skin bore countless scars, the evidence of hard-fought battles. ¡°My child.¡± The Divine¡¯s voice was honed obsidian and honeyed tea at the same time. ¡°I see I have failed. I always feared I would. Let me look on you.¡± Before TJ could look for whoever Kukulkan was addressing, his ethereal body was wrenched through space to stand before Kukulkan, whose eyes pierced TJ¡¯s soul. The eyes yawned a deep black, even the sclera the same, serpentine void. Even so, there was a turquoise center instead of a pupil, and the bright blue burned TJ inexplicably. ¡°You have lost, and you are willing to do what is necessary to protect that which is precious to you. You will jump into the cenotes and sail over the trees. You have done well to choose the Neophyte. I will guide you in this first, great jump into the abyss. I will be the water you land in and the soft shore you can rest on. Now sleep, and when you wake, listen for my command. After all, I do not believe we will ever have the opportunity to speak through the ages like this again.¡± Then, oblivion. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. TJ awoke, freezing cold, the skies still dark. The only light he could see were the barest hints of buried coals under several inches of ash. He trembled, his fingers stiff and aching as his stick poked through the ashes and attempted to find a smoldering coal that could still serve to begin a real fire. Desperate, TJ dropped a couple handfuls of pine needles in, and one luckily found the necessary spark to flare to life. As patiently as he could, TJ fed more and more of the dry brown tinder into the growing flame before again building up his fire. With both hands held over the growing, crackling flames, TJ finally realized he had another flashing System notification. When he opened it, he needed to reread it several times to fully understand what he was being told. The Participant has received Divine guidance. This is a rare occurrence, and the Divine System suggests you follow it. After all, all the Divines are dead. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 6 TJ regretted a lot of things. The time he¡¯d pissed all over the high school locker room floor as a dare. Or the time that he¡¯d jumped onto a motorcycle he didn¡¯t know how to ride and crashed it into a wall. The time he¡¯d purposely twisted Mari¡¯s words against her in an argument and made her cry. Somewhere between the second and the third was how he felt now, deliberately searching for a rattlesnake to fight mano a mano. Doubting himself and everything he¡¯d done to get to this point, TJ glanced once again at his ¡°Divine guidance¡±. Requirements to manifest the ability to harness your bloodline: Locate a rattlesnake. 2. Defeat the rattlesnake with your bare hands. 3. Consume the rattlesnake whole. The Feathered Serpent assures you that, if you complete these tasks, even if you are bitten, you will not need to worry about the rattlesnake¡¯s venom. The hours until sunrise had passed fitfully, TJ unable to sleep once he¡¯d seen this latest assignment from the System. Or, from Kukulkan himself, if his dream was to be believed. The guttering flames and incessant questioning of the System were all that could occupy his mind. Could he actually do it? No matter how many times the System assured him that, This is a rare occurrence, and the Divine System suggests you follow it, TJ had been taught from when he was a little kid that you didn¡¯t mess with rattlesnakes. His tough as old boots grandpa had killed one once with a bowie knife from about 10 feet away. The damn geezer had then chased the 11 year old TJ around with the corpse, promising that it ¡°probably¡± wouldn¡¯t bite TJ if it touched him. He¡¯d cried for almost an hour afterwards, and TJ¡¯s mom had chewed her father out for it. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t do this.¡± TJ muttered to himself as his stiff fingers lifted a bough of prickly branches. The System had warned him that even using the pelts of the coyotes as improvised armor could keep him from qualifying. There wouldn¡¯t be second chances if he was being deceived about the venom of the rattlesnake. People could survive a bite, but only with the proper antivenin. There wouldn¡¯t be any chance for TJ to reach a hospital with the proper equipment. Even so, that deep feeling in his core that he needed to follow this avenue offered to him kept TJ hiking forward, checking under large rocks and under thick scrub brush whenever he thought a snake could live there. The hike continued, and TJ grew more and more antsy as he went. He¡¯d taken the time delaying leaving to go to his possible death by cooking up some more of the coyote meat. It hadn¡¯t gone bad yet, he supposed, but TJ didn¡¯t think he could eat any more of it without risking food poisoning or worse. Maybe it was his imagination, but he swore that his sour stomach wasn¡¯t anxiety or nerves but the beginnings of his ignominious death by diarrhea induced dehydration. And, of course, when he was whining about his upset tummy was when the rattlesnake struck from under a rock TJ poked his head under. The fangs flashed, and pain erupted in TJ¡¯s nose. The snake held on for an extra moment to deliver its venomous payload. He reached up and wrenched it free. Unprompted, a System notification appeared in his vision, distracting him. Warning: you are suffering from a Severe Poisoned affliction (Dirt). You will continue to lose 20 HP a minute until the Poison condition is cured. Current HP: 107/140 ¡°Fuck!¡± he screamed as his nose and eyes burned. With a quick thought, TJ dismissed the notification as he looked at the ambushing asshole. The snake was huge, bigger than any rattlesnake TJ had ever heard of. When he held it out in his outstretched hand, there was still half the snake dragging on the ground, so like 12 feet long. Though TJ held its head, and thus the only dangerous part out from his body, he got the distinct sense the snake was still threatening. He hadn¡¯t thought to look at its tail, still under the rock it had struck from. That same tail shot out of the shadows, tipped not with a rattle but a scorpion¡¯s stinger. Only barely did TJ react in time, jerking his right hand out of the path of the needle-sharp appendage. Unfortunately, in his panic, he dropped the snake. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± He screamed as the stupid thing slithered as fast as it could away from him. He lunged, knees scraping painfully against the rocky dirt. His left hand caught the tail of the devil-snake just above where the stinger still threatened him, a gob of venom dripping from the tip. Held back from its escape, the rattlesnake whirled back at TJ, and though he had the presence of mind to keep hold of its tail, it used his anchoring hand as a reference point to strike. Its fangs struck true once again and sent another lethal dose of venom into his left hand. Through the agony, confusion, and frustration, TJ kept hold of the snake with his left and grabbed its skull with his right. Its stinger in one hand and face in the other, TJ had the snake like a jump rope. Without another thought but pure fear-driven rage, he whipped it into the ground again and again, the body thumping heavily with every strike. After the fourth devastating smash, TJ somehow tweaked his back and he roared in anger as the snake¡¯s broken body slumped from his fingers. It still hissed a threat as TJ went to end it. Its tail twitched threateningly, and TJ stomped down on the tail, the six inches of chitin cracking audibly as he did so. Then, as the rattlesnake attempted to flee again, he grasped it behind the head. The little bastard had bitten him, twice! An unnatural anger surged in TJ¡¯s chest, and he screamed into its face, ¡°You pathetic reptile! You think you can compare to the Feathered Serpent? A god!¡± Then, without thinking about it, he opened his mouth unnaturally wide and, with a single chomp, bit the rattlesnake¡¯s head off. Serket-blessed Rattlesnake, Level 3, Slain. Experience gained. Majority of experience stored until acquisition of Class. Small portion of experience allocated to Savage Occupation. Zealot Class acquisition requirements progress: 4/5 Warning: you are suffering from a severe Poisoned affliction (Dirt). You will continue to lose 20 HP a minute until the Poison condition is cured. Current HP: 86/140 Ignoring the appearance of the System notification, the iron taste of blood exploded in his mouth, and TJ gagged and spit the head out. Why did he just do that? The blood was horrendous, and he¨C ¡°Oh, shit. Shit shit shitshitshit.¡± He needed to eat the thing whole. TJ was going to die in just a couple minutes unless he somehow completed the instructions that Kukulkan/the System had given him. Gagging on blood and his own human instincts, TJ picked the head back up and shoved it into his mouth. The severed head was at least the size of an adult man¡¯s hand, and a part of TJ wondered how he was getting the whole thing into his mouth, but he didn¡¯t allow himself to think about it any longer. Instead, with the head slowly choking him, TJ raised the rest of the rattlesnake like a giant spaghetti noodle to his mouth. He swallowed. And again. And again. And then, his hands no longer held the rattlesnake¡¯s corpse. As a matter of fact, his hands no longer existed. Neither did his legs. He laid on the ground, his throat muscles contracting almost reflexively as the rattlesnake was forced deeper and deeper. It took nearly a minute for the huge serpent to disappear fully down TJ¡¯s throat, and as it did, another System notification appeared. Congratulations! You have qualified to acquire the Neophyte Class! Would you like to acquire the Class? ¡°Thissssss issss different than before. What issss happening?¡± TJ spoke, the ¡°s¡¯s¡± unnaturally and unwillfully long and sibilant. WARNING: The System can give you additional information about the class before acquisition. However, you are suffering from a severe Poisoned affliction (Dirt). You will continue to lose 20 HP a minute until the Poison condition is cured, and the acquisition of the Neophyte Class will cure your severe Poisoned affliction. Current HP: 39/140 ¡°Yessss! Acccccept!¡± Class: Neophyte unlocked. You have seen the Zealot¡¯s simplicity, the Acolyte¡¯s frailty, and the Disciple¡¯s weakness and you deny them all. You are ready to embrace the Divinity within and allow that Divinity itself to fuel you in body and soul. The Neophyte can display the Zealot¡¯s brute force, the Acolyte¡¯s cunning, and the Disciple¡¯s guidance. You are a Neophyte, the apex of your Divine Bloodline. Per level attributes gained at the Dirt level of Divinity: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Class: Neophyte acquired Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 1. Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points currently available. Class Skill: Divine Transformation acquired. As a result of your Divine Transformation into a lesser coatl, you have been cleansed of all poisons from below the Copper tier. TJ allowed himself to breathe easy, seeing that this snake-like form he¡¯d somehow gained kept him from dying. Then, he finally allowed himself to take in the information about this new Class he¡¯d managed to gain. ¡°That¡¯sss way better than the Ssssssavage¡¯ssss attributessss!¡± He immediately complained once he say the bonuses from his new Class. The total number of attributes granted per level of Occupation: Savage is 15. The total number of attributes gained per level of Class: Neophyte at the Dirt Level of Divinity is 16. A deviation of 6.25% is unremarkable at this level. After a moment¡¯s thought, TJ realized that, of course, the System was correct. Instead of thinking about any perceived injustices he was currently suffering, TJ took the moment to look at himself as best as he could. His shorts and jacket were still wrapped around him, though they no longer fit. The ¡°torso¡± of this snake body was just a little bit smaller than as thick as his neck was, going off of how he fit through his jacket¡¯s neckline. If he was to guess, this snake, or coatl body was about 20 feet long, and he experimentally slithered out of his clothes. His new body, as he feared to think of it as, was patterned with stripes and scales of varying shades of green and red. As his body undulated, he realized that the serpentine movement came surprisingly easily to him, and TJ curiously stuck his nose into the rattlesnake¡¯s den. It was a sorry affair, filled with its feces, sour air, and nothing else. TJ turned his snout up at the hovel the pathetic reptile had occupied and couldn¡¯t help but notice out of the corner of his eye a couple of feathers attached to his head. Wondering if he looked like the Kukulkan in his dreams, TJ instead looked at his discarded clothing. What was he going to do about this? ¡°Am I sssstuck assss a ssssnake?¡± TJ dreaded to ask. Your current form as a coatl is due to the activation of your Class Skill: Divine Transformation. Most Neophytes fight through the transformation of their bodies, and the duration of the transformation is dependent upon an aggregate sum of the Participant¡¯s Endurance, Vitality, Willpower, and Fixation and divided by 4. With your current attributes, you can spend up to 14 minutes in a row while under the influence of your Divine Transformation before needing to take twice as long as a recovery period. The duration and limitations of this Skill will change as the Skill progresses. Damn. And¡­ what exactly does this Skill do for me? Author¡¯s note: Yeah, I guess I just can¡¯t keep myself back from freaking reptiles. It¡¯s funny, this wasn¡¯t at all my plan when I set out to write this story, but here we are. Hope you like this being the way that I incorporate the ¡°can evolve into nonhuman¡±! Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 7 Skill: Divine Transformation (Copper); The default Skill of the Neophyte Class. This active Skill allows Neophytes to transform part or all of their bodies to better reflect the divine form of their Bloodline Origin. As a Participant with the Bloodline of Kukulkan, the Copper level of the Divine Transformation Skill transforms you into a coatl, a feathered serpent. As you progress in potency of your level of Divinity, your Divine Transformation Skill will improve. If you progress to the higher tiers of Divinity, beginning at Ruthenium, you will be able to adjust your Divine Transformation in accordance with your will. Remaining time for Divine Transformation before forced reversion to Human: 12:07 Though there was so much to unpack from what the Skill and System were telling him, TJ couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Can I change the labels for Divinity? They make no sense to me, and I¡¯m never going to remember all that.¡± As you continue to progress towards the Divine Throne, you mind will advance and allow you to better retain all information. Nonetheless, you can add a numeric to the rankings of the Divinity. ¡°Do that then.¡± The different levels of Divinity have been assigned as follows: Dirt (0), Copper (I), Silver (II), Gold (III), Platinum (IV), Palladium (V), Rhodium (VI), Ruthenium (VII), Iridium (VIII), Osmium (IX), Orichalcum (X). ¡°And why is my Divine Transformation Skill of a higher level of Divinity than I am?¡± As a Neophyte, your Divine Transformation Skill will always remain at a higher tier of Divinity than your own. The other Classes eventually gain this Skill, but cannot progress beyond their current tier of Divinity until they reach the higher tiers. Interested, TJ looked at his Status to see how everything had changed Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Coatl ¨C lvl 1 Class: Neophyte lvl 1 Occupation: Savage lvl 2 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 280/280 Mana Points (MP): 110/110 Stamina: 260/260 Attributes Strength x2: 20 Agility x1.5: 14 Endurance x2: 32 Vitality x2: 34 Toughness x2: 30 Wisdom: 12 Intelligence: 11 Perception x1.5: 18 Willpower: 16 Fixation: 7 Free Points: 3 Titles: Irregular ¡°My transformation doubles my attributes? Damn. I made the right decision.¡± Every Class has its strengths. By dint of their Class Skill: Divine Transformation, Neophytes often enjoy an immediate advantage over the other Classes in their physical attributes. However, since the Class does not, at the Dirt tier, provide any bonuses to Strength or Agility, Zealot and Acolyte Classed Participants quickly outpace them in both. The Disciple Classed Participants gain access to their Divine Workings earlier than the other Classed Participants. Even so, TJ was happy to continue thinking of himself as the superior Class. After all, he wasn¡¯t cold any more. In fact, he was toasty, and actually comfortable for the first time since he¡¯d been teleported or phased or whatever out here. For a moment, he wanted to just relax in this form, but that timer he¡¯d seen before reappeared in his mind¡¯s eye. Remaining time for Divine Transformation before forced reversion to Human: 10:38 The timer continued ticking down, and TJ refused to lose this life-saving Skill¡¯s availability because he was cold. Before he could even think to ask the System how to disable the Skill, he felt something almost like an internal switch and flipped it. TJ¡¯s whole body seized up as the cold struck him like a hammer. He was naked, the front of his body coated with drying rattlesnake blood as well as his own, and he felt his extremity attempt to turtle into his torso. ¡°F-f-f-f-f-f-f-fuuuuuuuuuu¨C¡± he shivered as he struggled to get back into his clothes. The coyote hides were too much of a hindrance to easily shrug into, and instead, TJ pulled his boxers and shorts up before shrugging on his jacket as quickly as he could. The clothing had already chilled on the stone, and TJ fought to pull his shoes and socks back on with wildly trembling fingers. After too long, the sneakers were back on, and TJ began his journey back up to his camp from the night before. ¡°Why did I lose my clothes when I used my Skill? Kukulkan didn¡¯t in my dream.¡± TJ asked at the System as he hiked. ¡°I mean, it should be the same Skill, right?¡± Kukulkan had already reached the Osmium (IX) tier of Divinity. He was able to do many things beyond your comprehension. Though the tone was the same as always, TJ could feel the mockery. He sighed and continued putting one foot in front of the other, but was blessed with additional information from the System. As you grow to greater heights, you will learn many applications for your Skills. In addition, as you practice with individual Skills, you will gain greater flexibility in your usage of each Skill. ¡°How will I get new Skills? How can I progress my Divinity? Hell, I feel like I just get more and more questions and fewer answers.¡± To know all is the realm of the One who sits on the Divine Throne. However, you will gain a new Skill every five levels in your Occupation and Class. All Classes and Occupations gain the same Skill at level one, ie, Divine Transformation and Primitive Craftsmanship respectively in your case. From there, each individual will be offered a different Skill that reflects the Path that they are taking towards the Divine Throne. The next tier of Divinity is typically achieved at the Race level 25. However, there is no guarantee, as it is dependent upon the individual¡¯s growth and acquisition of the divine. Without saying it aloud, worried what might happen if he did, TJ wondered if he could just¡­ not go to the Throne. He just wanted his son back, and becoming God didn¡¯t much matter to him. Let someone else do it, just let him get back to his boy, safe and sound. TJ¡¯s search to find the rattlesnake had taken over an hour, but in reality, he hadn¡¯t ranged more than half a mile from his camp. He pushed through the pokey bushes, the peak nearly in sight. Something, maybe the slight upgrades to his Perception from the levels he¡¯d gained, or just a primeval instinct, warned him that something was approaching. Having been bitten more than enough by supposedly not dangerous wildlife enough already, TJ didn¡¯t hesitate to channel his Divine Transformation. As his body seamlessly shifted to have scales and feathers, TJ slithered out of his clothes as he left them behind. His tongue flickered, tasting the air. Mammal. Warm. Nearby. His head whipped to the side, the heat of the sneakily approaching coyote drawing him closer. With a hiss of warning, TJ lunged forward. His scales scraped along the ground with a pleasant sound as the coyote yipped in surprise and fear. His mouth opened wide, TJ struck. His fangs sunk deep into the coyote¡¯s front leg, and bones snapped in response. He worked his jaw, pulling the unwilling creature deeper into his maw. At his tail, a second, and then a third coyote struck. Their fangs scraped and fought to find purchase in TJ¡¯s flesh, but his scales turned the sharp teeth from tearing into his body. The coatl raised the coyote it was biting into the air before smashing it down into the ground and stunning it. Though it was loathe to, it left its prey there as its tail whipped wildly behind it. One of the assailants pulled back, afraid. The other was foolish. The serpent¡¯s tail wrapped around its neck. With a burst of movement, the coatl constricted the coyote¡¯s windpipe and wrapped it in folds of its coils. It crushed its prey, ignoring its cries for help and mercy. The coyote whimpered and wheezed, and went silent as the coatl broke its neck. Even with the flashing of a System notification, it wasn¡¯t finished. The third prey had long since fled, but the first was only now stumbling to its feet. The coatl rushed the struggling coyote, its jaws finding the canine¡¯s throat. It crunched down as, again, it wrapped its prey in its coils. Crunching of bone was music to its ears, and as the coyote succumbed to its fate, the coatl disjointed its jaws and began the process of swallowing its prey whole. Though it had already eaten its fill today, in times of plenty, one needed to fill its belly. With a pleasant flexion of its muscles in its throat, the coatl swallowed its prey inch by inch. The hair tickled its nose, and the coatl forced itself to swallow more quickly than it wanted. Three minutes later, the coyote¡¯s corpse was fully hidden in the serpent¡¯s gullet, and TJ returned to himself. Remaining time for Divine Transformation before forced reversion to Human: 2:52 Disgusted, TJ flicked the switch to return to his human form. He was on his hands and knees, buck-ass naked, again. The cold settled into his bones as TJ gathered his clothes in one arm and the remaining coyote body in his other. Without bothering with socks, he thrust his feet into his untied shoes and tromped up to his camp. Unsurprisingly, there were still plenty of banked coals in his firepit, and with a minute¡¯s ministrations, the fire was back and roaring. TJ rubbed his hands fiercely over the fire and tried to warm himself as he pulled his shorts back on. For now, he didn¡¯t bother with his jacket, instead rubbing his torso with his arms vigorously as he stomped in place to keep his blood pumping as his mind raced. While he had transformed into a snake, or coatl, or whatever, he had truly become that animal. He¡¯d acted like one. Hunted like one. Fed like one. Though he wanted to ask what had happened, since he absolutely couldn¡¯t digest an entire coyote and rattlesnake like the ones he¡¯d just eaten in quick succession, that wasn¡¯t important. Swallowing a rattlesnake and coyote whole was, admittedly, disgusting. He could still taste the fur and blood and dirt. It turned his stomach to remember his teeth breaking bone. TJ loved animals, and this had been the final straw. He never wanted to do that again. Even so¡­ he forced himself to look at his System notifications. 2 Coyotes, Level 1-2, Slain. Experience gained. Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 2. Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points currently available. Race: Human has advanced to level 2. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Points currently available. This world wanted to kill him. And, it was getting stronger. If he didn¡¯t he would die, and Junior might too. He couldn¡¯t allow that. So, he would kill. And he would devour. And he would grow. Until TJ could save his son. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 8 TJ didn¡¯t feel hungry at all as he spent half an hour waiting for his Divine Transformation timer to reset. Now that his Endurance, Vitality, Willpower, and Fixation had grown, his current transformation limit was 18 minutes, and his recovery time twice that. Somehow, he felt full but not bloated from all that he¡¯d eaten as a coatl, so TJ set to skinning the coyote body he hadn¡¯t swallowed whole with the time he had before he returned to the snowy peak. Though his previous experience definitely helped, TJ could feel the difference that Primitive Craftsmanship offered with every movement. The sharpened stone cut cleanly through flesh and skin, and with long, smooth pulls of his blade, fat and meat scraped clean from the skin. Additionally, as he clumsily cured the pelt, TJ understood where to hold it over the smoke to best clean the raw skin. Even more so, he knew that he¡¯d failed to create pelts that would last more than a couple of days. He didn¡¯t use the right materials or time, but that couldn¡¯t matter right now. His next goals were clear, and he knew what to do. Thirty minutes after his Divine Transformation timer was refilled, TJ set out towards the nearby peak with one more coyote pelt. When he looked closely at it, he got the sense that he could almost see something more, something to do with the System about it, but no matter how long he looked, nothing else appeared and so he wrapped it around his torso under his jacket to keep his core as warm as possible. His mouth was dry, though not painfully so. Evidently, swallowing two creatures, blood and all, was helping to hydrate TJ at least a little, and there was a quarter of his water bottle still remaining. His journey to the snowy peak was uneventful, but TJ felt the difference in his body¡¯s capabilities with each step. Since the last hike there, he¡¯d gained 6 levels, two of each his Class, Occupation, and Race, and though his Strength and Agility attributes hadn¡¯t changed as much as the others, the hike that he¡¯d needed to stop to take a breather on just the day before now wasn¡¯t more difficult than a light jog on flat ground. The blisters and soreness that had inevitably appeared before had healed overnight, and TJ could tell that he wouldn¡¯t be nearly so tired after his hiking today. Beyond that, the hike had taken him nearly half an hour yesterday, but today, it was well under twenty minutes. At the peak, TJ watched the slowly rising sun for a couple minutes. He¡¯d been up when the first light tinged the horizon, and though it¡¯d been almost three hours from then until now, the mountains surrounding him kept the warm light from washing over him until he stood on that lone peak. Though surrounded by snow and still shivering, TJ relished the sun and stretched wide. Finally, TJ stooped to gather handfuls of the icy snow into his water bottle. Without hours of sunlight and the warmth of midday to thaw it, the snow was now sheets of ice, and his fingers immediately stiffened with the chill. After five minutes of painful effort, TJ¡¯s water bottle was pressed full of ice with a little water, and he again shook it vigorously to try to melt some of the ice, to limited success. It wasn¡¯t long before he gave up on the endeavor, instead breaking up a handful of ice and shoving it in his mouth. The chill slowly spread through his mouth, down his throat, and into his core, but TJ shrugged it off and made sure he¡¯d sighted his goal¨Cthe log cabin. It would be over five miles, as far as he could tell. He¡¯d never been the best at estimating distances, and he¡¯d guessed at six to seven miles yesterday. Maybe it was Neophyte or Savage or just the insanity of his situation, but TJ today thought he¡¯d overestimated that by a mile or two. Now, with a goal, a Class, and an Occupation, TJ set off towards the homestead. With each thudding step down the mountain, TJ¡¯s mind cleared. The panic from Junior¡¯s disappearance still weighed on TJ¡¯s soul, the fear about if he was losing his mind, the rage at whatever it was that was doing this, each negative emotion had hung like a cloud over his head over the past day. And they still did, and, barring the revelation that TJ was, in fact, totally losing his mind, they would continue to bother him. If some machine or System or whatever decided that it was going to upend everything and throw his life into the blender of insanity and violence, TJ was going to have to drink the madness smoothie. For himself, for his son. And so, he needed to train and familiarize himself with his new reality. TJ only had the one active Skill at the moment, Divine Transformation, and he could confidently say that it would be what kept him alive from now on. He also had his Primitive Craftsmanship, but that wouldn¡¯t be what helped him right now. There were also the 4 Free Points he needed to allocate at some point, but TJ couldn¡¯t be sure what would be most helpful to him right now and in the future. He had no other Skills, or any idea what the next ones would be, even though he¡¯d asked the System, he¡¯d gotten no response. Strength and Agility were immediately appealing, since they¡¯d assist his Divine Transformation, but would he later get a Skill that changed how his attributes shifted from his coatl body? Fixation was low, but it was one of his most quickly growing attributes. Wisdom, Intelligence, and Perception didn¡¯t seem to do much for him right now, but would leaving them behind screw him over in the long run? With a sigh, TJ left the Free Points alone, for now. If there was anything even remotely dangerous that appeared, like the unlikely mountain lion or black bear, he¡¯d dump all of them into his Strength, but until then, he could only practice his new Skill. He knew that he could keep his clothes, at least, when he transformed, and keeping his backpack would be ideal. Maybe, that was something that would just come with time. But if he ended up buck naked every time he had to fight, then that¡¯d suck in a big way. That was how TJ ended up, every minute or so, stopping in his tracks, channeling Divine Transformation, and trying to keep his clothes with him, somehow. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Initially, he held completely still, eyes closed and concentrating when he shifted. Only once his body was fully serpentine would TJ open his eyes. And, for the first five attempts, he opened them to see his clothing, backpack, and shoes still on him. Then, he took a moment to look around, still without moving, with his enhanced senses before shifting back to a human. The first time he shifted back, his jacket had somehow gotten fully turned around backwards with neither of his arms in the sleeves. Both of his legs were painfully crammed into one leg of gym shorts, while both feet were bare and his backpack laid upside down on the ground. The second time, his clothes were still strewn about him. When he shifted back, both his legs were in the correct leg holes, but somehow his boxers had been left behind. His jacket was twisted 90 degrees, and the backpack was, again, left behind. Socks were on, though twisted around. The third time, he was convinced that he could feel the jacket merging with him as he channeled the Skill. Sure enough, his jacket was nowhere to be seen after shifting, and on his return, his clothing was mostly in order on his body. His backpack was nowhere near being on his shoulders, though. Keeping that in mind, on and on he practiced. After an hour, TJ could shift and bring his clothes with him, so long as he stayed in place before, during, and after the transformation. Even so, there was no progress on his backpack coming along. He focused instead on his ability to move as he shifted. While slowly walking and shifting, TJ left behind just both socks, bizarrely enough. Then, confusing him again, when he shifted, everything but his backpack disappeared as usual, but when he returned to his human body, his stupid jacket was backwards. ¡°This¡¯ll take more practice.¡± TJ muttered to himself, two hours into his hike at this point. He¡¯d made good time, he thought. Maybe halfway to where he thought the cabin was? Then, when he was about to begin one of his regularly scheduled transformations, TJ heard a rustle in the bushes. Without a thought, he channeled his Divine Transformation. Faster than ever before, TJ became a coatl, his scales scraping on the earth underfoot. Or, underbelly. Three heat signatures. He could taste them. Coyotes. His belly was still full from this morning, and TJ resolved not to overfill his coatl stomach. The comedy of a very fat snake fighting for Divinity wasn¡¯t lost on him, but TJ pursued the nearest canine. Significantly larger than the rest of the other five or so of the scavengers he¡¯d seen thus far, the coyote snarled its challenge. A mere dog dared to challenge a divine serpent? One of the feathered ones! An unplaced pride swelled in TJ, and he somehow roared a hiss at the coyote. More air than should have been possible rushed from TJ¡¯s maw, and a gust of wind blew his enemy¡¯s ears back. Even so, there was no need to delay, as TJ could feel the other two approaching. He struck with his jaws, but the dog danced back out of reach. Again he lunged forward, to no avail. A third time, and he bit only air. Reacting on instinct, TJ struck a fourth time, but with a deep inhale as he did so. Again, an unnaturally powerful gust of wind accompanied his attack, but this time, the coyote, airborne and unprepared, was hit. The winds whipped around the canine and pulled it ever so slightly closer to TJ¡¯s attack, and he caught its paw. It whimpered, pained and terrified. TJ didn¡¯t hesitate, his coils speedily enveloping it in scaly death. Cracking of bone followed the forced whoosh of air from its lungs, and TJ released its foot from his bite. It struggled, fighting to escape and survive, but TJ knew and showed no mercy. His jaws flashed, and though his fangs were obviously not made for ripping and tearing, with one, two, three quick bites, TJ broke the coyote¡¯s spine at the base of its skull. The iron taste of blood filled his mouth, but before TJ could finish it off or glory in his success, a sharp tear of pain interrupted him. Another coyote, just as large as this one, had torn into the thick center of his body, and different from the ones this morning, its fangs didn¡¯t struggle to pierce his flesh. The coatl, instincts now taking control over TJ¡¯s mind, immediately released the crippled coyote and whirled to face the other two that had finally arrived. One, that which was gnawing on his spine, was a little larger than the crippled coyote on the ground. It snarled as it continued to chew, but TJ didn¡¯t care about that one. No, the other, different, black one instilled TJ and the coatl alike an instinctive, deep fear. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 9 There wasn¡¯t time for TJ to evaluate the black coyote. The labrador-sized one continued to chew, and the agony alone was distracting enough. The serpent struck, and with a target so consistently near him, his jaws found purchase. One or more of his many fangs pierced an eye, and the coyote screamed in agony as it was partially blinded. Wetness exploded in the coatl¡¯s mouth, blood and other gore painting his maw. The coyote yipped and released TJ¡¯s body. He, however, did not. For a moment, he tried to constrict this second canine, but the movement sent shocks of cold agony down his spine. Instead, he was forced to clamp his jaws down harder on his prey¡¯s head. The torment of his torn body woke TJ a bit from the battle-rage, and he pulled up his HP: 209/440. Additionally, the System gave additional warnings: Warning: You are suffering from a major Bleed affliction. You will continue to lose 10 HP a minute until the Bleed condition is cured. Warning: You are suffering from a minor Crippling affliction. You will suffer a 20% reduction in Agility until the Crippling condition is cured. Shit. His plan had been to put all his Free Points in Strength if he was in danger. Though doubts and agony plagued him, TJ dumped all four into Strength, giving him effectively 30 Strength as a coatl. The even larger black coyote refused to give him any more time to gather himself or kill the normal coyote. Instead, it stepped forward and seized his tail in its jaws before wrenching him backwards. TJ didn¡¯t release the brown coyote¡¯s head, instead sinking his fangs ever deeper into its skull. Its jaws clamped closed, it would only whimper and lash out at his face with its paws. TJ held tight, biting down with even more force as his body began to cool. He was dying, and was sure to, unless he could kill this coyote, and it gave him a level up. As the black coyote pulled and bit down more and more, TJ began to lose hope. He couldn¡¯t kill this coyote quickly enough. His HP ticked down as his ribs and massive wound smashed again and again against the ground. 170/440. 136/440. 93/440. 59/440. 500/500. A rush of strength and excitement surged through TJ. The limp body of the coyote in his jaws stopped pulling against him, and TJ released it. Coyote, Level 5, Slain. Experience gained. Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 3. Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points currently available. He looked down his long body and watched the bloody, maimed section of his torso close over. The major Bleeding and minor Crippling afflictions disappeared, and TJ hissed an additional challenge at the huge black coyote. As he struck at its face, it, unfortunately, let go quick enough to escape. With a moment to evaluate it, TJ could truly see the beast for what it was. Its ears extended higher and more narrowly than the other coyotes¡¯, and its fur was pure, pitch black. Worryingly, it stood nearly four feet tall at the shoulder, and those same shoulders rippled with uncharacteristic muscle. The forelegs were tipped by feet, but a thumb extended from the inside of its legs, too short to grab anything yet. TJ¡¯s hiss went without response, and the black coyote circled him silently. When compared to all the other coyote¡¯s he¡¯d seen and fought, the silence was off-putting, but the murderous beast continued to circle without a sound beyond the shuffling of its feet and quiet breathing. TJ fought to calm himself, ready his attack, anything. This thing was different from all the others, and TJ knew he was in danger, so he fought to ensure he survived. Even so, it continued to circle, and TJ knew he couldn¡¯t recklessly lunge forward to strike. If it caught the base of his skull, he would be dead. A tense minute passed, and TJ couldn¡¯t help but look down at his Divine Transformation timer: 15:42. Plenty of time, but if this thing was patient enough to wear him down, TJ would be left without any weapon or recourse. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, but accompanying it was another, perhaps wiser thought. Another 30 seconds passed while he tried to work up the courage to enact the plan, then, with a deep breath, TJ shifted back. Immediately, the wind on his naked body leached every bit of warmth from him. Shivering, unarmed, and more scared than he¡¯d ever been before, TJ gasped, looked the coyote straight in its face, and turned to escape. Its predatory nature stoked, the monster, still eerily silent, began the chase. TJ¡¯s feet complained at the rough treatment, but he couldn¡¯t care about that. Instead, he ran, panicked breaths coming quickly. He looked over his shoulder, and the canine was gaining on him. He glanced forward, a thick bush cutting off his path, and when his eyes found the coyote¡¯s once again, he swore it was enjoying his fear. It leapt, fangs flashing and seeking his throat. TJ seamlessly fell to the ground in his coatl form before striking up with his jaws opened wide. The coyote, though surprised, reacted quickly, and leapt into another jump as soon as it landed. It was too late, and TJ¡¯s fangs found purchase in the flesh of the coyote¡¯s thigh. Once the creature couldn¡¯t keep any more distance from him, TJ relaxed, since his victory was assured. He wrapped his coils around the blackened beast, and the constriction set bones to cracking immediately. TJ released his bite, adjusting to snap his jaws into his prey¡¯s neck¨C It leapt forward, and much of TJ¡¯s body slipped right off the silky fur of the coyote. One coil remained wrapped around its lower torso, but the coyote didn¡¯t hesitate. It turned and its fangs bit deep into the center of TJ¡¯s mass. He hissed in agony as it attempted to rip his body from around its own, but TJ didn¡¯t allow it. Pushing through the pain of the coyote¡¯s retribution, TJ struck out, his fangs not finding purchase on the coyote¡¯s head. Only on the thick muscle of the coyote¡¯s shoulder did his fangs finally sink deep enough to keep the beast from escaping. Even while he bit and fought to envelop the coyote in his attack, it refused to give up. Its canines dug ever deeper into TJ¡¯s belly while it whipped its head wildly back and forth, trying to dislodge him. TJ didn¡¯t release the coyote¡¯s shoulder, though, and instead he wrapped his tail around its neck. Though it hadn¡¯t yipped or howled since it had begun stalking him, the coyote¡¯s breath hitched as TJ¡¯s tail began to crush its windpipe. TJ, with the strength of three men, twisted and wrenched and pulverized bone in the coyote¡¯s neck until, with its lungs fighting for breath, it collapsed to breathe no more. A notification appeared, but TJ paid it no mind for now. Instead, he slithered towards the first, still living but immobile coyote. Its eyes flew wildly all over, but he couldn¡¯t show any mercy at this time. With a constriction of his aching body, TJ snapped the neck of the last coyote. He was amazed to feel the rejuvenation of a level up when he slew the third, but as he checked his notifications, that amazement gave way to confusion. Anubis-blessed Coyote, level 6, Slain. Experience gained. Coyote, Level 5, Slain. Experience gained. Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 4. Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points currently available. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 3. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Point available. Race: Human has advanced to level 3. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Points currently available. Even with so much new information, TJ, still a coatl, collapsed to the ground, shuddering. With the rattlesnake, he¡¯d been near death and afraid, but everything had moved so quickly that the wonder of gaining his new Class and surviving had washed that terror away. Now¡­ he¡¯d nearly died. The coyotes were getting stronger, and faster than he was. Their levels grew so much in one day, so could he still keep up with them in another day? Would they slow down? When he asked, the System gave him nothing, so instead, TJ laid on the ground, his scales trembling with adrenaline and coming down from the panic of his past two days. Finally, taking a short time to compose himself, TJ could think coherently once again. ¡°Wh¨C¡± The series of questions burning in TJ¡¯s mind clamored for his attention, until finally he settled on the first, ¡°Why was that black one special? What¡¯s Anubis? That rattlesnake I killed before said something about that, but I forgot to ask about it.¡± Somehow, with a greater familiarity with his serpent body, TJ no longer struggled with the ¡°s¡±s. All sapient life that lives is a holder of one of the Divine Bloodlines. Sentient life can qualify for a blessing of one of the holders of Divinity. Anubis, the Egyptian god of Jackals, embalming, and judgment, blessed the black coyote with alacrity and intelligence. Serket, the lesser Egyptian goddess of healing from venom and infections, blessed the rattlesnake with a more potent venom. ¡°But the venom was only a minor affliction, right?¡± Serket¡¯s blessing bestowed the scorpion¡¯s tail to the rattlesnake. You were never struck by its stinger, which could have overwhelmed your current coatl¡¯s body¡¯s resistances. A shiver ran down TJ¡¯s back. Rattlesnakes, still very dangerous. ¡°But how are creatures being blessed by the Divines who came before? You said that all the Divines are dead.¡± All the Divines are dead. Their remnants, though mostly unable to interact with the world during the Integration, can give occasional guidance. There are additional pieces of information to which you have no clearance to learn at your current level of Divinity. ¡°Ok,¡± TJ sighed, ¡°so how did Savage level up? I thought that killing things only gave my Class experience?¡± The System has already addressed this. Savage, as an Occupation, is a generalist that can gain experience through crafting, hunting, or leading. The only requirement for the Savage is that, whatever they do to gain experience for their Occupation, they must do so with tools and implements that they created for themselves. The coatl body created through Divine Transformation qualifies as an implement that you have created for yourself, and so, you gain a reduced quantity of experience from hunting as a coatl. ¡°Why is it reduced, if it qualifies?¡± Savage is not one of the very few ¡°combat-oriented¡± Occupations. Instead, as a generalist, it gains a reduced quantity of experience from many activities. Later, the Occupation can evolve to a more production, administrative, or combative focused subclass of the basic Savage Occupation. Though not exactly what he wanted, that was enough, and TJ nodded. ¡°Then, how can I know how close I am to the next level? I just get told I get experience, now how much or how much I need to the next level.¡± That information is not shared. Do know that the more difficult a task, the more experience gained. The relative proximity to the next level is something that can be sensed, though. With a greater level of familiarity with your own state and self, you will be better able to understand the relative closeness of your next level. TJ thought for a moment and fought to feel that familiarity, but was left at a loss. Again, just like when looking at the coyote pelts he¡¯d created, there was a vague sense that he could potentially figure something out, but it continued to elude him. The near understanding tickled at the back of his mind, and it was nearly painful. Then, without warning, TJ was shunted out of his coatl form and left naked and shivering in the stupid chilling winds. With his arms crossed in front of himself to fight to keep warm, TJ trekked over to where he¡¯d involuntarily left his clothing behind. Worse still, the clothes would be freezing by now, and he couldn¡¯t even use Divine Transformation to warm up for a while. He cursed to himself as his feet caught on the tough stones underfoot, hoping he could quickly get dressed, while wondering if he still remembered where that cabin was. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Once clothed, TJ took special care to stay unnoticed for several minutes as his Divine Transformation timer ticked up to 2:00. In total, with his new attributes, he could remain transformed for 26 minutes. Though he strained his ears to listen to anything that approached, the whistling wind, groaning trees, and rustling brush didn¡¯t tip him off to anything. With a sigh, TJ, instead of worrying needlessly, pulled up his status sheet. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Human ¨C lvl 3 Class: Neophyte lvl 4 Occupation: Savage lvl 3 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 310/310 Mana Points (MP): 170/170 S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Stamina: 290/290 Attributes Strength: 17 Agility: 12 Endurance: 29 Vitality: 31 Toughness: 25 Wisdom: 18 Intelligence: 17 Perception: 19 Willpower: 26 Fixation: 18 Free Points: 3 Skill List: Class: Divine Transformation Occupation: Primitive Craftsmanship Titles: Irregular Current total Divine Transformation time: 3:17 / 26:00 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 He¡¯d at least doubled every one of his attributes since getting an Occupation only yesterday, and his Class today. He could feel that levelling up would take more and more time, since the slight understanding he¡¯d gained of both Savage and Neophyte warned him that he wasn¡¯t even close on either. Curious to compare, TJ carefully focused to ensure his clothing came with him as he transformed back into a coatl. When he opened his eyes, every article of clothing had disappeared, and he looked once again at the changes. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Coatl ¨C lvl 3 Class: Neophyte lvl 4 Occupation: Savage lvl 3 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 620/620 Mana Points (MP): 170/170 Stamina: 580/580 Attributes Strength x2: 34 Agility x1.5: 18 Endurance x2: 58 Vitality x2: 62 Toughness x2: 50 Wisdom: 18 Intelligence: 17 Perception x1.5: 28 Willpower: 26 Fixation: 18 Free Points: 3 Skill List: Class: Divine Transformation Occupation: Primitive Craftsmanship Titles: Irregular This snake became so much tougher and stronger than him that it was difficult to understand. With a thought, TJ shifted back to his original form and stretched. ¡°Do I need to always display the whole status?¡± Just as when you changed the System¡¯s form of address to you to ¡°you¡± from ¡°Participant Thiago Jorge Harris IV¡±, you can adjust nearly every notification and display that the Divine System gives you. The purpose of the System is to assist all Participants in advancing towards the Divine Throne, thus the System can be adjusted to each Participant¡¯s desires and comfort. ¡°Then hide the Skill List. That¡¯ll just get long.¡± Skill List hidden. He verified with a glance then released the Divine Transformation. TJ stood tall and stretched, the bones in his sternum and shoulders popping pleasantly. To his delight, and a little fear, staying mostly still while only garbed in his pretty shoddy clothes wasn¡¯t as miserable as the day before. Before he began to worry, though, TJ had an epiphany. ¡°Do I not get as cold now that my Vitality is higher?¡± Vitality and Endurance allow the Participant to better survive in extreme climates and conditions. TJ grinned widely, happy to get some real good news for the first time. He would be demonstrably better suited to life like this. Even so, his smile quickly faded. His son wouldn¡¯t be there, and TJ couldn¡¯t say when he would be able to see him again. Worse, his Strength and Agility were both going to be quickly outclassed. He would swiftly become nearly impossible to kill as his Endurance, Vitality, and Toughness continued to spike, but if he couldn¡¯t do anything to return a hit except for bite and constrict, anything larger than him or even a bit tougher than these coyotes would kill him. Even so, TJ couldn¡¯t simply decide to dump every Free Point into Strength. That just was foolish, as far as he was concerned. There had to be a way for each of the Classes to be individually viable, right? If the System could be trusted, which TJ didn¡¯t but had to anyway, then each Class had to have the possibility to become the God that sat on the Throne. A Disciple couldn¡¯t be confined to only heal everyone else, or else they would be mere servants to the Zealots and Acolytes, and the Neophyte couldn¡¯t be limited to taking hits like a video game tank. There had to be something missing. As if it had listened to his worries, the System chimed in. At each multiple of five, a Participant will experience a marked increase in their capabilities to protect themselves and continue their progress towards the Throne. With each Skill¡¯s acquisition, a Participant can hone their vision for their Path towards true Divinity. If you decide that you would like your Class to provide Skills that assist in your ability to cause harm, then act in such a way that exemplifies your desire to become a God of destruction. If you desire for your Occupation to provide Skills that facilitate your ability to slaughter, then you must engage in slaughter. The way the System bluntly presented what TJ feared he would have to become turned his stomach. Even as a spike of anxiety made him lose what little appetite he¡¯d built up, TJ examined himself. For Junior, what would he do? Would he kill coyotes, rattlesnakes, bears, and mountain lions? Absolutely, and without hesitation. Would he take things from others, things that would help another person? Throughout his life, TJ had considered himself a generally kind person, willing to share and go out of his way to help people. That wasn¡¯t what this was about. If he had to take food that could go to someone else, would he do it? Would he fight for it? Would he kill for it? The emotions warred within him, TJ desperate to protect his son, to make sure he could go back to him. But he¡¯d never killed someone. The only fights he¡¯d gotten into as a kid were schoolyard things, never anything worse than a bloody nose and a split lip. But to ascend to the Divine¡­ would he step on people to get there? Would he become a god of slaughter and destruction, leaving a ruined world in his wake just for the slight leg up it might give him? For his son, yes. TJ would weep bitter tears and destroy his soul for his son. If TJ must hurt others to protect his child, his sole remaining link to his beloved Mari, his little guy, then he would regret it, but he would do so. ¡°Have mercy on my soul.¡± TJ quietly prayed as a single tear dropped from the corner of his eye. He¡¯d never dreamed of being in a situation like this, but he was here. And he would succeed. With a brusque brush of his dirty and rough hands, TJ cleaned his face. He was sure that there was a streak in the dirt now from his brief stint with emotions, but he couldn¡¯t care. No. He had a goal now, and though his current objective was still the cabin, TJ would ensure that he killed and harvested every creature he found on his Path. And, first things first, he needed to process these corpses. Unsure of his own abilities, TJ decided to practice skinning the first two coyotes before tackling the Anubis-blessed one. He drew one of his ¡°knives¡± from his backpack before beginning the messy, painful process of butchery. He¡¯d done this a little before, and now, with his Occupation and Primitive Craftsmanship, the going was faster. In fact, he learned that, with certain cuts made, he could pull the pelt from the meat in one mostly neat piece. With that revelation, the first coyote was quickly reduced to a furred torso with four stripped legs. Then, working quickly, TJ disemboweled the corpse and tried to carve the much larger and more intricate torso free from its skin and fur. Though more successful than every attempt before, the end result still sported various holes and awkward cuts. Savage Occupation-related task completed. Experience gained. Somewhere in the back of his mind, TJ realized he could feel how much he¡¯d progressed with his Occupation, drawing somewhat near to level 4. Though a part of him wanted to carve a Path entirely focused on slaughter, as the System had somewhat suggested, TJ realized that he would want to be able to take care of himself as much as possible. The Savage, though a less specialized Occupation than so many others, would afford him the ability to provide for himself when others couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t. Beyond that, he couldn¡¯t be sure that there wouldn¡¯t be times where he was forced to fight as a human. In those cases, his Occupation would continue to serve him greatly. He refocused his mind, and already flowing from one task to the next, TJ didn¡¯t hesitate to jump into stripping the hide of the second coyote. Again, with more experience and the bonus from his Skill, TJ¡¯s hands moved ever more smoothly and dexterously. On a whim, he didn¡¯t cut the skins of the legs free once the pelt had been carved from the meat, instead preparing to take the whole of the pelt, legs and all. TJ¡¯s fingers, wet with blood and stiff from cold, ached terribly, but he forced himself to continue. Each leg¡¯s fur was pulled up to the shoulder or hip, and he began to process the whole body. TJ fought to keep his hands steady, cutting smoothly and cleanly through the connecting fat and tissue, but when he unwillingly shivered, he accidentally sent the blade of his stone through the pelt. ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed to himself, but after pulling his hands back and out of the corpse for a moment, he returned to cutting the pelt free. Another couple of minutes passed, and the mostly whole pelt was off the corpse. Again, the System sent him a notification, but he didn¡¯t pay it any mind. He couldn¡¯t forgive himself for his stupid mistake, because an obvious solution was right there. With a quick thought, TJ activated Divine Transformation and the chill that had slowly settled into his bones was gradually banished. He watched the counter that had completely replenished itself tick down, continuing to curse his overeagerness. Four minutes ticked down, and TJ felt he¡¯d warmed up enough to deactivate the Skill. As his human body returned to him, TJ flexed his fingers and found them agile once more, caked blood and viscera notwithstanding. He then turned to the final corpse, its black fur somehow refusing to show the brown dust that should have covered it. TJ began to methodically process the body, cutting around each paw, and then up each leg. With sharp tugs, he pulled the pelt inch by inch up the extremities, the movement making a sickening wet tearing noise. With each leg pulled up to the torso, TJ carefully carved where his Skill guided him to, disemboweling it of its viscera and carving up its neck. With a series of sharp slices, TJ cut the pelt from going higher than the base of the coyote¡¯s skull, knowing that he couldn¡¯t really skin it there with his current tools and abilities. Then, more carefully and deliberately than before, TJ carved the pelt from the ribs, the shoulders, hips, spine, and belly. Once, as he felt his fingers begin to complain, he immediately pulled back, let himself rest, and then, as the chill set in, he briefly transformed to a coatl. Without waiting too long, he returned, and though his fingers ached from the effort and strain, TJ completed removing the pelt. It felt special, the moment it was removed, and TJ¡¯s body stiffened with the now familiar sensation of levelling up. Savage Occupation-related task completed. Experience gained. Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 4. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Point available. Race: Human has advanced to level 4. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Points currently available. He grinned fiercely before bundling up the pelts, placing them in his backpack, and setting off once more towards the cabin. And if he found something else to kill on his way? Then the hunt would begin. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 11 With a firm snap of his jaws, TJ dispatched the third coyote. The single remaining member of the pack fled into the bushes and left the cooling corpses behind as TJ dismissed the System¡¯s notification that he¡¯d killed three level 2 coyotes. These were what was left of the fourth pack that TJ had found since his encounter with the Anubis-blessed coyote, and he still hadn¡¯t hit level 5 in either his Occupation or Class. That Savage hadn¡¯t gone up wasn¡¯t as surprising, as after the second pack had been slain, TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to try to skin the corpse. Making it to his goal was more pressing and important than squeezing every last bit of experience out of these mangy creatures. Even so, that Neophyte had yet to reach the juncture of TJ choosing his first Skill probably was more to do with the relative level of his foes than anything else. He hadn¡¯t encountered anything beyond a level 4 coyote, and with the additional levels he¡¯d gained in Savage and Human, his Coatl form could dispatch these weaker creatures with impunity. The packs he¡¯d encountered all tried their level best to swarm and overwhelm him, but none were able to breach his scales¡¯ defense. When he¡¯d finally asked the System, the answer shouldn¡¯t have come as a surprise. Just as all Participants will experience a notable surge in power every five levels, due to the acquisition of a new Skill, other creatures under the influence of the Divine System gain boons every fifth level. Other than the additional alacrity and intelligence bestowed upon the Anubis-blessed coyote, coyotes in your Tutorial grounds will nearly universally be bestowed with a marked increase to their Strength attribute as well as an enhancement to their bite. They are granted a Bite skill which heightens the power of their attacks. ¡°Guess I should have realized that.¡± TJ sighed to himself as he picked over the corpses, seeing if there was one that was whole enough to merit his lugging further towards the cabin. The only one he decided to continue with was the second he¡¯d slain, since the only blood spilled here came from its mouth and nose. He¡¯d crushed its spine with a swipe of his tail, so it wouldn¡¯t soak his jacket with blood as he carried it, since his backpack was full. In fact, with the specially prepared pelts and meat filling it, the ripped pack was splitting where it¡¯d been attacked the day before. The black fur spilled out of the pack, and TJ wondered if the pack would make it to his destination. TJ continued his path onwards, pleasantly surprised by the relative ease with which he could hike. He¡¯d spent months trying to get back into shape, but TJ knew he still was far from the fittest he¡¯d ever been. At least, before the System¡¯s Integration. Now, he could guarantee that he¡¯d never been stronger. Three complete bodies worth of meat and pelt as well as four additional coyotes¡¯ worth of pelts weighed the backpack down. Then, he¡¯d placed the latest one across his shoulders, so TJ would be amazed if it was less than 100 unbalanced pounds he was actively hiking with right now. And he was doing that without breathing hard or stumbling or getting tired. His steps thudded rhythmically as TJ trotted down a steeper slope and hopped across one of the dozens of two foot wide washes that covered every mountain around here. He didn¡¯t struggle to stick the landing and continue on his path further down the mountain. The old brandless tennis shoes he¡¯d worn for years were close to giving up the ghost, and TJ prayed they too could make it all the way to the cabin. Maybe, once he was there, he could find a new pack and clothes. There were no more interruptions on his path to the clearing, and as TJ bulled through the brush between the trees, he stepped into the lightly tended yard of the cabin. It was a pretty standard cabin for the area, as far as he expected it was, at least, wooden paneling and windows, a wraparound porch and a little shed for firewood and maybe a snowblower. Two stories, but pretty small, maybe 2000 square feet total. TJ, for the first time, realized how grateful he was that there hadn¡¯t been any more rain this winter. He¡¯d struggled for water, but if he¡¯d had to walk through the foot of snow that sometimes dropped here, he¡¯d have died of exposure long before he could get an Occupation or Class. The cabin seemed abandoned, no car or lights on, no movement inside. When TJ drew near and peeked through a window, he saw no fire either. He knocked once, twice, three times. No answer. He banged the door hard. No answer. He tested the knob, and it was unlocked. ¡°Hello? Checking in on you. Things are¡­ kinda going crazy out here!¡± TJ shouted, but got no response. The cabin was a little warmer than outside, but not by much. He stepped in, ¡°I¡¯m coming in, if you don¡¯t want me to or anything, just say so!¡± Still nothing, so he walked in and shrugged off his backpack and the coyote corpse to the floor. They thumped heavily, and TJ rolled a bit of the stiffness out of his shoulders as he looked for the fireplace. It didn¡¯t take long, since he only needed to take a couple steps forward and look. There it was, with a bucket full of firewood beside it, a month''s worth of newspapers stacked up under the bucket. No lighter though. The fireplace was devoid of any ashes, more evidence nobody had been here in a while, so TJ began searching for a lighter to start the fire more easily than by pure effort. Nothing by the fireplace, that was well cleaned. Back near the door he¡¯d come in from was the kitchen, and TJ went through the drawers in the hopes of finding something. Silverware jangled and glass tinkled as he searched. Of course, it was the last drawer that had the lighter, and TJ pulled it out and checked to see if it had any fuel. With a single flick of his thumb, a steady flame began burning, and TJ¡¯s eyes suddenly watered with unexpected and unwelcome emotion. Tearing up over a lighter? Stupid. Even so, TJ returned to the fireplace, and with just a minute or two¡¯s effort, TJ had built up a happily crackling fire. He held his fingers over it, and it wasn¡¯t long before the stiffness was slowly banished. TJ fed the fire a couple logs before, with just a hint of embarrassment, he began to search through the rooms. The main floor had two, one without a closet or anything of note, while the second had a fully stocked closet. A couple owned the place, with a dozen outfits each for a man much bigger than TJ and a woman much smaller. Even though they didn¡¯t fit, TJ happily pulled a fleece-lined denim jacket, a long-sleeved waffle-print shirt, and a pair of worker¡¯s jeans from the closet. Though TJ hesitated to search for it, he did find a couple clean pairs of boxers that he immediately pilfered. He was afraid of smelling the ones he¡¯d been through all this in. TJ carried the clothing out to the living room and laid them in front of the fire to warm up. No reason to put on freezing clothing, was there? Then, TJ pulled a pot out of one of the drawers he¡¯d checked and, hoping beyond hope, twisted the tap to on. There was a faint gurgling, then water began flowing freely from the spigot and TJ cheered. The well or water tank that this drew from still had something in it, and TJ let the pot sit for a minute until it was half full. Then, he carried the pot over to the fire, where he poked and prodded until he had something like a bed of coals to lay the pot on. After making sure the pot wouldn¡¯t tip and lose the water, TJ returned to the kitchen to go through the rest of the cupboards. In the first one he checked, he found what he was looking for: a tin of hot chocolate. Humming tunelessly to himself, TJ grabbed a cup and a rag and carried all three to in front of the fire. He put a finger in the water, and it was still cool, but TJ didn¡¯t want to wait. He stripped all his clothes and began to give himself a sponge bath. The rag came away filthy after his face, and TJ nearly dipped it back in the water he wanted to drink before he thought about it. He poured enough into the cup to fill it entirely, and then TJ resumed cleaning the rest of his body. As the water evaporated from all over his body, the chill fought to resettle into his bones, but the fire kept him from shivering too badly. The water he was rinsing off with was nearly as brown as the cocoa he would drink when he was done with it, but TJ was happy to strip off his clothing and redress in the clean outfit he¡¯d pilfered. Finally, for the first time, TJ was dressed in weather appropriate clothes, and he could refocus on the hell that was figuring out his new life as he dumped the filthy water outside. ¡°Just to be sure, I can see my son at the end of this, right?¡± You will have an opportunity to meet with your son at the end of the Tutorial. TJ gritted his teeth. ¡°And, just to make sure, if I make a tool, I¡¯ll receive more experience using it than using one of the tools here from before the Integration?¡± That is correct. He looked back at the heap of coyote corpses to cut. TJ sighed. Without much hope, he asked, ¡°Is there anything nearby that would be a better knife than the ones I¡¯ve already made?¡± If you wish to gain the ability to intrinsically know which places nearby offer a greater natural bounty, you can select a Skill upon reaching level 5 to assist you to do so. ¡°Of course.¡± He grumbled. TJ thought about going to search out something to be a better blade, but searching it out seemed like it¡¯d help less than just doing the dirty work. He placed the cup full of water near the fire to warm in preparation of the cocoa that he¡¯d indulge in later. Preparations complete, TJ grabbed his backpack in one hand and the loose body in the second, and with a wistful look at the warm fire, he walked out to the shed. It was no surprise that the shed had a massive wooden table for meat processing, the rusty stain of blood having long seeped into the work surface. A handful of well-kept tools hung on a pegboard, each tool outlined in its assigned place. Again, TJ turned away from the convenience of the tools and instead pulled the stones out of his backpack. Then, his stomach not nearly so conflicted as before, TJ began the bloody work of skinning the bodies. One, then two corpses were skinned and hanging before long, and TJ was nearly complete with the third. Then, just as he pulled the last of the pelt free from the body, the blessed notification appeared: Savage Occupation-related task completed. Experience gained. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 5. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Point available. Level 5 Universal Occupation Skill: Appraisal granted. Level 5 Skill Selection available. Not only had he gained the new skill and a level, he got this universal one! TJ wiped his hands on a nearby rag before happily jogging back to the cabin to check out the benefits from this level up. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 12 With his feet propped up by the fire, TJ nursed his cup of cocoa and looked at how this new level changed things. Firstly, this new universal Skill. Skill: Appraisal (Dirt); A Skill all Participants gain upon reaching the fifth level of their Occupation. This Skill allows you to gain additional information about the world around you. The greater the disparity between the tier of Appraisal and the item, participant, creature, or otherwise, the greater the variability in the amount of information provided. A higher tier Appraisal compared to the appraised will give a greater quantity and quality of information, while a lower tier Appraisal will give only limited and basic information. He took no time to wait, and with a thought, TJ Appraised the pelt he was holding. Item: Crudely prepared coyote pelt, Dirt. A pelt clumsily removed from a coyote corpse. It has not been tanned or cured, and will inevitably turn rancid. It can be used to provide an increase in resistance to environmental cold, or as a material in creating equipment. ¡°Well¡­ shit.¡± TJ muttered, and he didn¡¯t wait to check the meat and, more importantly, the special pelt. Item: Butchered coyote meat, Dirt. Flesh that remains after killing and skinning a coyote. May contain parasites. Item: Crudely prepared minorly Anubis-blessed coyote pelt, Dirt. A pelt clumsily removed from the corpse of a coyote that was minorly blessed by Anubis, the Jackal. It has not been tanned or cured, and will inevitably turn rancid. It can be used to provide an increase in resistance to environmental cold, or as a material in creating equipment. In addition, equipment created using this pelt may gain additional attributes upon completion. Ignoring the possibility of parasites, TJ looked at the pelt he¡¯d created. He¡¯d been proud of it when he¡¯d cut it free, but now that he spread it out and looked at it, the stink was the first thing he noticed. Fearing cutting through and ruining the hide, TJ had neglected to scrape the fat and connective tissue from the underside, and though it had only been a couple of hours, the fat was getting gross in the warmth of the cabin. Worse, he knew that merely scraping the last of the crusting flesh from the skin wouldn¡¯t take care of all his problems, since he hadn¡¯t cured the hide at all. But he wasn¡¯t a tanner and though Grandpa would have known what to do, TJ hadn¡¯t ever hunted anything more than a couple doves. Nothing to tan there, just feathers to pluck. Even so, TJ refused to leave this as something that would eventually go bad. The promise of additional attributes was the sirens¡¯ call, and TJ wouldn¡¯t throw something so valuable away for laziness. There could be something in the shed that he could check. TJ was about to send a quick prayer to the System or God to give him guidance to something impactful, but he then remembered he was an idiot. ¡°System, what are my new Skill selection options?¡± Skill Selection: Improved Primitive Craftsmanship: This Skill would replace the existing Occupation Skill: Primitive Craftsmanship. You have exhibited the willingness and desire to create more tools, more equipment, and process items more effectively. This Skill will increase the base 30% bonus to all crafting abilities and Skills when crafting without pre-Integration technology to 50%, as well as bless you with a greater instinctual understanding of how to process raw materials into a more easily used state. Initially, TJ wanted to jump on this Skill, but a little doubt crept in. He didn¡¯t have any other crafting abilities or Skills for the Skill to boost. Maybe in the long term that would be great, but for now, it was only a solid maybe, since TJ wasn¡¯t sure what exactly he would get from it. Primal Savagery: You have only slain your foes with your own body and tools you have created yourself without any pre-Integration tools. This Skill grants a 20% increase to all your attributes while you engage in combat without any pre-Integration tools or equipment. A simple Skill, but one that would always be helpful, considering TJ¡¯s Class. Beyond that, TJ felt the call of this Skill similarly to that of the Neophyte. Barring another doing the same, this would be what he ended up selecting. Mind made up, he looked to the next. Hunter Gatherer: You have eschewed the ¡°civilization¡± of the pre-Integration, and have searched for your own shelter and food. You are a hunter gatherer, just as your earliest ancestors. This Skill grants a 20% increase to your tracking ability as well as your ability to identify safely edible plants and other flora. Not a bad option either. Though it wouldn¡¯t help TJ in combat directly¨Cwhich he¡¯d somewhat decided he¡¯d make his Occupation do before¨Csurvival could possibly be the name of the game too. If the edible creatures began dying out and TJ needed to survive off the land, then this would be invaluable. Orienteering: You have found a distant landmark and found your way to it without getting lost. This Skill grants a 100% increase to your ability to distinguish relative directions as well as retain the relative orientation of your goal. Yeah, that was going to be a no. If he was in a maze, then it would be invaluable. Here? Well, TJ didn¡¯t even know what the final goal of the Tutorial was. Maybe this could be considered, but almost certainly not. He turned his attention to the final available Skill. Equipment Fabrication (Dirt): You have found various uses for the items and materials that surround you. This Skill will give specific guidance on how to craft materials into equipment that grants attributes and other possible boons. And there was an actual crafting Skill. It was attractive, sure, but it would have to be a whole lot more than just a way to create some items slightly better than he could without it for him to select it. TJ might be forced to create his own clothing or equipment moving forward. After all, he hadn¡¯t seen another person in the miles he¡¯d travelled, and couldn¡¯t say how many had been selected to fight for the Divine Throne. That brought him back to his Skill selection. There was use for each of these Skills, and TJ wondered how Equipment Fabrication would work with Primitive Craftsmanship, but he could probably make things even without making the Skill selection¡­ ¡°Wait. Can I like¡­ practice something for a while and gain a Skill for it? Something like crafting with the materials I have at hand?¡± No. Any Participant can gain greater proficiency and skill in any given field throughout the Integration, but that will not translate to Skill acquisition. Different Skills may be presented as an option, depending on the Participant¡¯s gained proficiency, but a Skill holder will progress more quickly and to greater heights than one without the Skill can. That was a letdown. TJ had hoped to game the System a bit and get additional Skills, but it seemed like the God-creating mechanism that was the Divine System was not so easily outwitted. Even so, TJ could learn how to create things, to better prepare skins and meat, and then pass them on to someone else who was better suited for it. Assuming they didn¡¯t use pre-Integration tools. Or other technology. Yeah, he¡¯d probably be forced to take some creation-related Skill at some point. ¡°Will the Skills offered here be offered again at level 10?¡± TJ asked. Usually, the Skills offered at one level will be carried over to the next available opportunity. However, there is no guarantee that such an event will occur. With that, TJ¡¯s decision was made for him. There was only one Skill he would mourn if he missed. ¡°Select Primal Savagery.¡± A tingling sensation danced down his spine, but TJ strangely couldn¡¯t move as it happened. A mere fifteen seconds or so passed, and he could, once again, move freely. His Skill selected, TJ wanted to go to the shed to see what he could find that might give him an idea about how to make sure his spoils wouldn¡¯t spoil. However, another question had arisen while he¡¯d looked at his Skill options, and now, he had time to ask it. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°So, what exactly is the purpose of the Tutorial? How will it end? How many people are in here with me? How will I know when I get to see Junior?¡± The function of the Tutorial is to slowly acclimate the Participants to the realities of the post-Integration world. Each Tutorial will end after the Tutorial¡¯s Quest Goals are completed. In this Tutorial, Tutorial 107.48.891, the Quest Goals are as follows: Within two weeks (336 hours) of Integration, enter the city limits of the city Pine, Arizona. Time remaining: 302:18:09Within 18 hours of the end of the second week of Integration, defend the Pine, Arizona general store from assault.Defeat the assigned Tutorial Boss. Once the three Quest Goals are completed, you will be brought to a secure location where you may interact with Thiago Jorge Harris V. For a moment, I regretted my Skill decision. Orienteering could have been my most valuable Skill, and I threw it away like that? ¡°And what happens if I haven¡¯t reached Pine by the time that the second week is over?¡± The Participants not within the bounds of the city limits of Pine, Arizona at the time of the end of the second week will be subjected to continuous waves of creatures. There is a 99.99999% chance of death and dismemberment if you were in that situation. Don¡¯t miss the city, got it. TJ rolled his shoulders. He couldn¡¯t care about the pelts right now. He didn¡¯t know what direction Pine was, much less how far away it could be. With a quick gulp, TJ threw back the last of his cocoa and began ransacking the cabin in earnest. A good backpacker¡¯s pack was in the hallway closet, and he pulled that out before filling it with canned beans, soup, and more beans, and more soup. Seriously, why so many beans and soup here? Then, a can opener and half a dozen disposable water bottles and two heavy-duty metal thermos. TJ filled both with water, before then finding a sleeping bag and throwing that in. Matches and every lighter he could find, a dozen pairs of socks, and then he traded his thrashed sneakers for a worn-in set of black worker¡¯s boots near the door. They, like the clothes, were a couple sizes too large, but if TJ had to choose between shoes with ripped foam for a sole and these heavy-duty boots, it would be the boots every time. The backpack was getting full, but TJ decided to pile the special pelt on top, at least for now. If it went rancid, he¡¯d toss it, but until then, he would see what he could do. Finally, TJ got a pot full of water and poured it over the guttering fire. It exploded in steam and ashes, sending TJ into a coughing fit. Even so, he closed the mesh over the hot embers and walked out. The boots were uncomfortable, but he could make do. Maybe, Divine Transformation would eventually let him make his feet match the shoe, and the thought had TJ smiling. With a panicked sense of hurry, TJ rushed out the door and into the woods. He followed a game trail, jogging slowly to warm himself up. He ducked under a bent tree and continued running, his stride opening up. As TJ ducked under another bent tree, however, his feet suddenly went out from under him. His head smashed against the ground and he hung upside down with his vision swimming and ears ringing. Even with his impaired hearing, though, TJ swore he heard something approaching and laughing. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 13 [Stanton POV] Though he had no chew, Stanton habitually spit to the side of the trail. It¡¯d been decades since the last time he¡¯d gone so long without, but he''d gone through the last of his can the day he was put here. Whatever the hell it was, he hated it. At least there was good hunting around. It hadn¡¯t taken him long to get to the cabin, and it was well-stocked. Plenty of canned and dehydrated food, but not so much that he thought it was one of those apocalypse believers¡­ Though he supposed he could be called one too, now. Just unprepared. None of his guns had come with him from home, and the break barrel shotgun over the mantle was empty and rusted. His concealed carry 9mm had been securely in its holster, though, so she hadn¡¯t been left behind. Whatever. The world had gone to hell in a handbasket, and Stanton was just looking to survive it. Those magic words or whatever were a pain in the ass, but Stanton knew how to read the writing on the wall. The world was ending, and he had an instruction manual, so he¡¯d quickly found a half dozen coyotes and a deer. His eyes weren¡¯t as good as they once were, but he could still pick out a sneaking scavenger in the bushes. Had to let ¡®em get pretty close, too, but they were small enough a single bullet was all it took. Weird how they lunged at him though. He hated killing without reason, but coyote meat was stringy, unappetizing stuff at the best of times. If he managed to give himself a killer parasite at 68, then Stanton would wish he was dead, if nothing else. After five, he did get that new Class, Acolyte, and his bum knee was feeling better than it had in decades. Still wanted the chew, though. Spitting again, he left the meat for the other creatures to find, but the deer had been his latest catch. Again, weird to see so many coyotes with so few deer and elk. There were hundreds of ¡®em, and the only thing keeping them from being hunted to extinction was the law. Since now there was no law, Stanton looked forward to the venison. A couple of elk had passed by, but with his personal protection, Stanton wasn¡¯t ready for something so big. He¡¯d set a half dozen traps for the rabbits around, but his hope was tied to the hangline snare right near the cabin. Then, it¡¯d be a lot easier to drag the thing to be butchered. Instead, he¡¯d found a single buck all alone almost half a mile away from his new home. It was a perfect shot, though, and Stanton couldn¡¯t help himself. One shot to the chest, and though it stumbled away with the crack of his shot going off, the deer fell quickly. Since he¡¯d gained some of these levels, Stanton overextended himself and slung the deer across his back, just to tweak it. After his God-given time to curse and sweat it out, he¡¯d stood up gingerly before grabbing his prey by one of its feet. Dragging it on, Stanton felt the influence of his new levels as his body actually recovered. After a minute or two, he very carefully hoisted it onto his shoulders and let the weight settle there before slowly walking along the game trail he¡¯d followed here. The faint smell of a fire led him back to the cabin, and Stanton wished his Marva was still there. She¡¯d have the fire roaring, with a can of beans all ready to accompany his first steak, and though she¡¯d complain, she was the best at cooking liver and heart. Yeah, she¡¯d¨C Stanton was actually smelling fire, not just in his trip down memory lane. He¡¯d cleaned every ember out before he¡¯d left, but the fire was fresh and strong. There was no hesitation as he let the deer fall off his shoulders and he jogged towards the cabin. He wanted to sprint, but after hurting his back so easily, he¡¯d have to take it easy. The yards passed quickly, and Stanton again revelled in his healthy body. If all he needed to feel like this was to kill a couple varmints and a deer, he¡¯d be out there as soon as he found some more bullets! He¡¯d gotten some ¡°Skill¡± that let him create a bow, but he wasn¡¯t much of a shot with it. Even more important, his cabin was more important right now, he was a guest and would have it burning down on his watch. A faint trail of smoke peeked through the trees, and, even though he¡¯d cautioned himself to take it easy, Stanton found his steps lengthening and his pace picking up. Even though his knees twinged and his chest burned, he was running! An involuntary chuckle began to build in his chest, and Stanton kept his eyes up to see whatever was happening. And that was how he saw the kid step on his hangline. The cord snapped around his ankle and foisted him up into the air. Before he rose all the way, though, his head smashed with a heavy thunk against the rock beside the trail. He dazedly looked around, and Stanton¡¯s laugh continued to build. The kid would survive, Stanton was sure, even though his eyes were rolling around his head like a pinball. Then, Stanton realized that the kid had stolen the backpack in the cabin. Humor left him as quickly as it had come, and he began to level his sidearm at the cheeky kid and put the fear of God into him. Before he could speak, though, the boy shifted from being a human to an awful, giant snake. His ankle became a tail and slipped right out the trap. The backpack fell from the air and bashed the snake¡¯s chin into the ground again, though it didn¡¯t seem to care now. Stanton raised his gun, about to fire, when the boy again stood before him, rubbing his head and looking all angry like up at the snare. He was a pretty normal looking kid, and now that Stanton could really look at him, he wasn¡¯t a kid. The man in front of him had the beginnings of a patchy beard, and his tanned skin showed someone who was willing to be outside. Tangled dark hair, but not too long, and wasn¡¯t a bad-looking guy, Stanton supposed. He was wearing too-big clothes, and that¡¯d had Stanton thinking the stranger was shorter than he really was, but was half a foot or so shorter than Stanton¡¯s own six feet. When the kid¡¯s eyes met Stanton¡¯s, though, he could see something that so many younguns like him lacked. A depth of experience. Stanton lowered the gun as the stranger raised his hands. ¡°Well. Thanks for not shooting me, I guess.¡± [TJ POV] TJ¡¯s vision was still a little cloudy, but he could still recognize a gun being pointed at him. Before he could say anything, though, the older man lowered it. He was wearing a brown leather jacket and denim pants, a large buckle holding his belt on his waist. Under his Stetson hat was a shoulder length gray ponytail, and the man¡¯s craggy face sported a thick handlebar mustache. ¡°Well. Thanks for not shooting me, I guess.¡± The old man cocked his head at TJ¡¯s words. ¡°I mean, you could have shot, and didn¡¯t. And I appreciate that. Can we put the gun away?¡± ¡°Eh.¡± Grunted the man. ¡°Why¡¯re you robbing my cabin?¡± ¡°Ahh shit. I¡¯m sorry. I just made my way here and thought there was nobody there, so I took what I could manage. We need to get to Pine in the next week or so.¡± ¡°Huh. So if there¡¯s nobody there, you can take whatever you want?¡± The old man began to raise his gun again, and TJ watched as his left hand inched towards a 10 inch bowie knife on his hip. ¡°Um¡­ the end of the world must have permanently damaged my politeness, I suppose.¡± TJ answered, getting more nervous by the second. ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t think anyone would be here until spring, at least. I mean, how would someone come, anyways?¡± The old man scoffed. ¡°You think that¡¯ll trick me? A house in winter with nobody in it, but the water¡¯s still on and the pipes haven¡¯t burst? Obviously someone¡¯s there.¡± TJ frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that means. And I¡¯m sorry,¡± He said, extending a hand, slowly. ¡°I¡¯m TJ Harris. I¡¯m from Tempe.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± The man seemed to like grunting instead of talking. ¡°Stanton Burgess.¡± ¡°Great to meet you. I would offer to shake your hand, but I don¡¯t want to threaten you or anything.¡± ¡°Eh. Couldn¡¯t really threaten me anyways. Except with that snake. How you do that?¡± ¡°You know the System?¡± Grunt. Maybe of acknowledgement? ¡°Yeah, well, I got one of the Classes, Neophyte. Cause of my Bloodline, I turn in the coatl. Er, snake.¡± TJ amended his statement as he saw Stanton¡¯s confusion. ¡°You get a Class?¡± Grunt. ¡°Would you please tell me? I¡¯m just trying to get back to my son, and I¡¯d prefer if you either get on with trying to kill me or stop it.¡± Another grunt, then the gun got put in a holster under the jacket. ¡°Acolyte. Lets me make a bow.¡± Stanton reached an arm out and a simple bow appeared in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m better with the gun.¡± Then, without another word, the old man stepped past TJ and towards the cabin. ¡°You put out your fire?¡± He demanded, and TJ nodded. ¡°Of course! If nobody¡¯s there, you need to put it out. If you don¡¯t you¡¯ll come home to a much larger fire than you planned.¡± Grunt. ¡°Come with me.¡± Stanton demanded before turning on his heel and striding back towards where he came from. TJ had half a mind to just walk the opposite way, but he saw something of his cantankerous grandpa in the old coot, so he halfheartedly followed along. They walked in uncomfortable silence for a couple minutes. Stanton broke it. ¡°His name?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your kid¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Oh. Call him Junior, but his name is Thiago Jorge Harris V.¡± ¡°Teea what?¡± ¡°Tee-AH-go Jorge.¡± ¡°Junior it is.¡± The old man grunted as if that settled it. ¡°How old?¡± ¡°Almost three! If my phone was working, I¡¯d show you some pictures. Looks a lot like his mom did, actually.¡± Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Where¡¯s she?¡± ¡°Um¡­ died, about a year ago. Got hit by a drunk semi truck driver when she was on her bike.¡± ¡°Shit. Sorry, kid. Losing your heart¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°You lost yours?¡± ¡°Yeah. Cancer. Melanoma.¡± ¡°Shit. My mom died of cancer. Breast.¡± ¡°You competing?¡± Though gruff, TJ could tell Stanton was making a joke. He scoffed a little. ¡°Just bad luck.¡± He fought to keep the bitterness out of his tone. ¡°You have any kids?¡± ¡°Nope. Never could.¡± The silence returned, though not nearly so uncomfortable. The brief sharing of pain drew both into their own musings, and when Stanton stopped, TJ nearly plowed into the taller man. A dead deer lay on the ground, a bloody wound on its side slowly leaking crimson to the dusty earth. ¡°Want me to carry it for you?¡± TJ asked, sizing the older man up. If a little labor was what Stanton wanted to make up and be friends, TJ could do that. The only response he got was a grunt, and TJ sighed as he leaned down to pick up the deer. It probably weighed about 150 pounds, so with the probably overfilled backpack, it¡¯d be a sucky walk back. Before TJ could heft it up onto his back, though, the old man grunted and smacked his shoulder. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The backpack.¡± Stanton insisted, and after thinking for just a brief moment, TJ removed the pack and handed it over. Then, with a grunt of his own, he tossed the deer over his shoulder. Before he could begin his journey back to the cabin, though, Stanton¡¯s disbelieving voice cut him to the core. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 14 TJ jumped to his feet, and activated Divine Transformation. He almost didn¡¯t notice the jeans he left behind, his tongue flicking out to taste the air. Nothing living was nearby, except Stanton. There had only been native creatures so far, and TJ hadn¡¯t expected skeletons, but maybe there were¨C At last, TJ actually looked at what Stanton was looking at. Now that TJ had assumed his massive coatl form, Stanton¡¯s gaze was stuck to his own, but his hands were both inside the backpack. The black coyote¡¯s pelt fell from his fingers and half out of the upright backpack. ¡°What?¡± TJ asked, his tongue still flicking wildly out of his mouth as he tried to taste whatever might be lurking nearby. More and more, though, he realized that Stanton cared about the stupid pelt and he sighed loud, the sound strange coming from a massive serpent. ¡°We can talk about the pelt later. Would you grab my pants? I don¡¯t want to shift back right now, so I¡¯ll carry the backpack and deer, if you cinch the backpack around me right.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t¨Cyou¡¯ll just¨CEh. Whatever. Yeah.¡± TJ watched the decision to stop trying to figure it out shift over Stanton¡¯s face before he hauled the backpack up and over TJ¡¯s upper neck/torso/body. The waist strap cinched just enough to be tight, though the shoulder straps didn¡¯t do much to help stabilize the pack. Even so, he could hold himself high enough off the ground not to drag the backpack, and with the deer held in his toothy maw, TJ led the way towards the cabin. With his enhanced Perception, he could hear Stanton grumble, ¡°I¡¯m not a damn maid or your mother,¡± to himself as he gathered TJ¡¯s pants and followed in his ¡°steps¡± towards the house. The journey was quick, and it wasn¡¯t long before TJ relaxed his aching jaws and dropped the heavy carcass to the ground. Then, when Stanton arrived holding his pants, TJ shifted back, swiped the jeans, and walked into the cabin where he began untying his boots. Stanton didn¡¯t hesitate to walk in, but he gave TJ enough privacy to dress himself without being ogled. ¡°You can lose your pants?¡± Was Stanton¡¯s first question, the words dry and judgmental. ¡°Today was the first time I used the stupid Skill, and the first time, I ended up totally naked. I prefer this.¡± ¡°Your Skill strips you naked?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not careful, yeah.¡± Stanton¡¯s chuckle was dry but mirthful, but it built to a roaring laugh that filled the cabin with an infectious warmth. ¡°I was pissed I didn¡¯t get a gun, but you turn into a buck ass naked snake? Oh, I made the right choice.¡± ¡°The transformation doubles my attributes, so don¡¯t look down too much on it!¡± TJ protested. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The laughter slowly died down, and Stanton levelled a look at TJ. ¡°Fully doubles? That seems unfair.¡± ¡°Well,¡± TJ hedged. ¡°Not all of them. And I can¡¯t always use it. There¡¯s limitations.¡± ¡°Like how it takes me ¡®MP¡¯ to make arrows?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t have anything that uses my MP. It¡¯s pretty useless to me for now, even for my Occupation. It¡¯s some combination of other attributes.¡± Stanton sighed and looked TJ in the face. ¡°Got no clue what an Occupation is. Everything we say just makes me more and more confused, kid. Can¡¯t say that I think I¡¯ll get used to this. I¡¯ll show you how to actually treat that pelt and send you on your way.¡± TJ almost agreed, but a slight pang forced him to speak up. ¡°Look, if you ask the System, it¡¯ll tell you that you need to make it to Pine in the next week and a half. I don¡¯t know how far that is from here, but I think it¡¯d probably be best if we stuck together for this. Two heads are better than one, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t ask the System any questions.¡± Stanton¡¯s statement was final. ¡°But you should. It¡¯s kinda in charge of all this, right?¡± A grunt was all that answered TJ. Then, Stanton shifted the subject, his intentions obvious. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to cure a damn hide. You should, if you¡¯re gonna carry one around like that. It¡¯ll rot if you don¡¯t.¡± TJ perked up. ¡°You know how? Could you show me?¡± ¡°I just said I would, didn¡¯t I? Listen.¡± ¡°My bad.¡± TJ answered. ¡°I would really appreciate anything you have to teach me, though.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t looked through all their stuff, but they probably have something in there to take care of it. Let¡¯s look.¡± TJ nearly agreed, but then he remembered exactly how his Occupation worked, and instead, he asked, ¡°Do you know how people used to do it? Like before modern chemicals and stuff?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Stanton looked at TJ, and a strange smirk covered his face. ¡°But you won¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s gross or whatever, I want to know. It¡¯s for my Occupation.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Replied the old man. ¡ª-- Stanton was correct. TJ did not like what Stanton told him. The first issue with how he¡¯d prepared the pelts was that he hadn¡¯t been thorough enough in removing all the fat and connective tissue from it. Nearly 15 minutes later, Stanton declared the results ¡°passable¡±, and explained the second issue: TJ hadn¡¯t let the skin dry. Even when TJ said that he''d done it with the ones he¡¯d worn, he hadn¡¯t been believed. The pelt was currently next to the roaring fire, the heat drying out the remaining moisture while TJ grappled with the third issue, the gross one. Like any sane person, TJ had left the bones when he¡¯d finished taking what he would eat and use from the corpse. After all, what was he going to do with the viscera and bones? According to Stanton and Primitive Craftsmanship, that idea was foolishness. No, what TJ needed to do was extract the actual brains from the thing he¡¯d killed, boil them, then apply it in a thin layer across the back of the leather once it was dried. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me.¡± ¡°What would I get from it, other than a sickened city boy?¡± ¡°Would you need anything else?¡± TJ asked. ¡°Eh. Nah. More than enough for me.¡± Stanton grinned widely. ¡°Even better that I get to make you feel sick as well as tell you I told you so, and be right all at once. A pretty good time.¡± Supposedly, there was enough brains in one creature for just as much hide as they provided, but Stanton offered his deer¡¯s for the task. ¡°Should be about enough for this, and I don¡¯t want you screwing yours all up and then blamin¡¯ it on me when someone asks where you got such a crappy pelt. I wouldn¡¯t be curing these hides this way anyways, so it would just go to waste.¡± TJ had refused to use a rock to crack open the deer¡¯s skull, instead using a cleaver in the shed that, with one swift crunch, exposed the gray organ. Under Stanton¡¯s continued supervision, TJ pulled the brain out and dumped it in a nearby pot. With a stick, TJ mashed it into an unrecognizable mess and added water. When he walked towards the fire to boil it, Stanton stopped him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to boil the water, like you said.¡± ¡°And why not on the range?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it out of power? Or, gas? The central system¡¯s probably out of order.¡± Stanton sighed as he stalked over to the range. With a twist of his wrist, it began clicking, and a fire flickered to life. ¡°It¡¯s a cabin. The propane is in that massive tank outside. It¡¯s all right here.¡± TJ ignored the complaints of ¡°ignorant kids from the city¡± and instead patted Stanton on the back. ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re a lifesaver.¡± Stanton literally shrugged TJ away. ¡°The sooner you¡¯re out of here, the better for me. Don¡¯t take your time.¡± Then, Stanton smacked TJ¡¯s back and walked to check on the drying pelt. TJ tended the nasty juice, stirring the slurry as it gradually rose to a boil. The smell¡­ Objectively, TJ couldn¡¯t say it was horrendous. But knowing what it was and where it came from, TJ¡¯s stomach turned. At last, the special mix was ready, and TJ carried it to the fire to begin applying it. ¡°Take it outside, you moron!¡± Stanton demanded as the younger man stepped to do what he¡¯d been told. ¡°I don¡¯t want that stuff everywhere!¡± TJ faked a stumble to needle the old man, and accidentally spilled a little bit of the brain soup on the floor. ¡°OUT!¡± TJ didn¡¯t hesitate to go out on the porch. Outside, he began applying the slurry all over the flesh of the pelt, initially trying to apply it with a wooden spoon, but eventually, he forced himself to use his hands to rub the softening/curing mixture into every inch of the skin. The process was long and tedious, but the sticky liquid seeped into the skin, and TJ imagined he could feel it grow more supple as he did so. Eventually, with a sticky schlorp, TJ pulled both hands away and looked at them in disgust. After Appraising the pelt and seeing that its description still hadn¡¯t changed, he left the hide to dry and walked inside to wash his hands. To his surprise, Stanton was waiting for him at the kitchen sink, and the older man turned it to a steady drizzle. ¡°Wash fast. There¡¯s only so much of the water left before the tank runs dry.¡± Then, his command issued, he returned to sit in front of the fire. TJ wet his hands, lathered them with soap, and turned the faucet off as he scrubbed. A part of him recognized it really wasn¡¯t that bad, but the idea of brain matter under his fingernails was just gross, and TJ used the dish scrubbing brush to cleanse his hands as best he could. A couple minutes later, TJ had rubbed and cleaned enough to make his olive skin red, and rinsed both hands quickly under the faucet before drying them on a paper towel. ¡°You¡¯ll wanna let the pelt air dry.¡± Stanton called out as TJ walked into the same room. ¡°Using the fire will make it so the fur doesn¡¯t last.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± TJ answered as he extended his freezing hands nearly into the fire. They stood in a relatively comfortable silence for a short time, the popping of the fire the only sound that accompanied the faint whistling of the wind through the trees outside. Stanton broke the silence. ¡°I¡¯m not comin with you. At least, not right now.¡± ¡°Why not? We¡¯ll work together, and I¡¯m sure we both need to go to Pine, it¡¯s the assignment from the System. I don¡¯t like it either, but I¡¯d feel better going it together!¡± TJ retorted, his voice involuntarily plaintive near the end. ¡°Kid. I¡¯m still an old man. I¡¯m a bit stronger and healthier than I once was, but I¡¯m old. My knees aren¡¯t great, and we¡¯re lookin at miles of hiking through the mountains. If there isn¡¯t something that changes for me soon, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to make it.¡± ¡°Then you should start now, so you have more time to make the journey!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do a couple nights out in the cold. I know I¡¯m not that healthy, even though I wish I were.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll carry blankets and a sleeping bag for you.¡± ¡°I refuse to ask you to do that.¡± TJ nearly asked why, but Stanton¡¯s voice and eyes were hard, unyielding. And Junior¡¯s face appeared in TJ¡¯s mind. The resolution he¡¯d made to be focused and ruthless to make sure he could see and protect his son again. Right now, TJ was immensely grateful to Stanton for his help and companionship, but if he kept TJ from thriving, or even surviving, because he was a liability, then could TJ say he wouldn¡¯t grow to resent or even hate the old coot? His mind was wavering, but Stanton¡¯s voice and gentle hand on TJ¡¯s shoulder sealed his decision. ¡°I¡¯m alone in the world. I¡¯m not wantin to die, but I¡¯ve not got much left. You do. Fight for him, do what you need to, make sure your kid¡¯s alright, alright? Let¡¯s see if I¡¯m not along with you before too long, K?¡± For the second time that day, TJ swiped the beginnings of tears from his eyes as he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting. Learn how to use that bow, too. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll get more bullets, so you should be ready to protect yourself. Do a bunch of different things to see if you can get an Occupation, that¡¯s giving me twice as much, since I get levels there. Um, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something else¡­¡± The old man grunted before picking up the large backpack and handing it over to TJ to cut him off. ¡°Follow the road to the highway. It should tell you which direction the town¡¯s at.¡± TJ belted the backpack around his waist before going outside and gathering up his pelt. Though uncomfortable, TJ quickly resigned himself to getting sticky residue on himself. He continued on his path for at least half an hour at a steady jog, his senses peeled and ready for anything that approached. Which was why he nearly jumped out of his skin when the System notification flashed red for the first time. WARNING: Tutorial adjustment period complete. Additional threats incorporated. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 15 Before TJ could curse to himself, the System continued to give its warning. The previously threatening wildlife will remain much the same as before, but will gain levels at an accelerated rate. Additional, non-native threats will be integrated to each Tutorial area. The non-native threats will provide additional experience according to the commensurate increase in danger and difficulty they provide. There will be a significantly increased density of threats to encounter from now on. The total number of threats within the Tutorial will steadily climb for the next 196 hours, after which no additional threats will be created. Note that the total quantity of threats within the Tutorial is set, and each threat dispatched is one less that will participate in the second phase of the Tutorial. The realization that he couldn¡¯t do this alone was immediately and obviously apparent to TJ. If there were more things that constantly grew in number and power as they hunted him and any other human in the area, then he needed to make his way into town with support. Otherwise, he would die if it was more than a couple more miles to get there. TJ decisively turned to return to the cabin. Any delay could result in him being ambushed. He wanted to shift and rush back, but losing the backpack could be much more detrimental than delaying his arrival. With no way to carry their things, he and Stanton would be severely limited in how much food and other supplies they could bring with them, and that could prove deadly. With a deep sniff, TJ tried to see if he could smell anything approaching, anything he could do to make sure he could get back to the relative safety of the cabin. Nothing suspicious, wet dog or the distinctive smell of reptile. No sounds of stalking feet or anything else. TJ could smell the vague hint of spring approaching, leaves beginning to sprout once more, but tinged with rust¨C It was January 16th. TJ lunged forward, eyes and heart racing as his mind made the connection. Two spears sunk home in his hamstrings. Agony flashed and filled TJ¡¯s mind. Without caring about his clothes, he activated Divine Transformation. As a coatl, his senses expanded, and the little goblinoid things¡¯ presence became obvious. A faint shimmer surrounded the space where they ambushed him, obscuring his view, but he could taste them. They smelled of spring, and greenery. And blood. They¡¯d pulled their spears out of his flesh when he shifted, and specks of blood patterned the dirt road under their nearly invisible feet. Never having used it before, TJ activated Primal Savagery to give himself every advantage he could. You have currently equipped pre-Integration equipment. You cannot use the Primal Savagery Skill at this time. He hissed in impotent rage as he lunged towards the nearest aggressor. It screeched like a hawk and dodged to the side while attempting to put out his eye. TJ ducked, instead raking the spear over his raised eyebrow and through his mane of feathers. Several fluttered to the ground as he pressed his attack. After it dodged the second time and the other ambusher plunged its spear into TJ¡¯s side, he let the agony of his failed rebuttal calm him. Two more times TJ made wild lunges, pretending to be desperate. Then, on the third, as the matador-like thing dodged again, TJ¡¯s tail caught its ankle. He constricted, its fragile bones crackling like dry tinder. It screeched again, the sound more plaintive this time. It was stuck, though, and TJ¡¯s cavernous maw flashed once. The little creature attempted to raise its spear in defiance, but TJ knew it was coming. Instead, his needle-sharp teeth sunk deep into its chest. As its blood flowed freely down his throat, its magical camouflage dissipated, leaving a furry black thing in his jaws. It wriggled and tried to escape, but TJ opened his mouth wider, just to slam it shut with even greater force. Ribs cracked then cumbled, and its wheezing breaths struggled and began to die out. TJ didn¡¯t forget the other, though, and dropped the crippled goblin to the ground just in time to take another spear to the neck. Though it sought his eye, TJ avoided the strike enough to have the hardened tip skitter off his mane and scales. The goblin, seeing its companion felled and its ambush failed, attempted to escape. Its presence faded even more, but the coatl¡¯s tongue could still taste it. It had turned its back to him. Foolish, disbelieving that he couldn¡¯t find it. With a final twist of his full body, TJ¡¯s tail smashed into the side of the goblin¡¯s knees. One bent with a wet snap, and it fell, screaming like a hawk. The coatl showed no mercy, its tail raised up high before crashing down on its skull. He turned and did the same to the first, whose wheezes were quickly dying down. The System¡¯s notifications assured TJ that his hunt was over. 2 Pukwudgies, Level 3, slain. Experience gained. There was no relief from the pain of his wounds with the notification. No level then. TJ quickly checked his Status: Health Points (HP): 562/700 Mana Points (MP): 200/200 Stamina: 591/680 Nothing life-threatening, then. The wounds had been deep, but nowhere vital, and hadn¡¯t even triggered a Bleed affliction. Even so, it had sucked, and TJ made special note of how to see, hear, or smell the bastard ambushers before they appeared. The first, and best option, was probably leveling up Neophyte. TJ could feel that Neophyte was so close to the fifth level, but not quite there. Something else would need to die to feed him his next Skill, but the urgency he found himself in was too great to seek out something else to kill. If several of these found Stanton when he wasn¡¯t ready¡­ TJ took several tastes of the air, making sure he couldn¡¯t smell anything else approaching, and was rewarded with a relative surety that there wouldn¡¯t be anything ambushing him just yet. He dropped out of Divine Transformation, standing in the middle of the road in just his pants and boots, his shirt, jacket, and backpack strewn wildly around the path. With a shiver, TJ pulled the shirt, then jacket around him before tossing one of the ¡°pukwudgie¡± bodies into his backpack. He cinched it carefully around his waist, trying to make sure he could bring it all with him. Then, making especially sure to transform with all his clothing, TJ reactivated Divine Transformation. The coatl laid coiled where TJ had stood, and already, the smell of other pukwudgies approached. Without even the time to curse, TJ gingerly picked the other body up and began slithering away from the scene of the fight as fast as he could. The time passed quickly, though TJ¡¯s ability to sense anything nearby was dampened by the creature occupying his mouth, and he considered dropping it in the name of caution, but the angry part of him demanded that the pukwudgies offer their flesh along with their lives to him. They dared to ambush him, so they would serve to help him along. At least, contrary to how goblins had always been portrayed, the pukwudgie in his mouth smelled good, if slightly marred by the scent of blood. Three other pairs of hiding goblin-things attempted to ambush TJ on his route back to the cabin. So far, they always came in pairs, and if their numbers continued to grow, then next time might have enough to swarm him to death. More importantly for now, though, he quickly found that his speed outclassed their own, and his haste pushed TJ to greater heights than he¡¯d believed his unfamiliar snake form could achieve. Disregarding his disbelief, though, TJ made his way back to the cabin in less than half the time it had taken for him to get there. The worrying sound of several gunshots beckoned him onward. In the clearing, TJ spat out the corpse and took a deep taste of the air. Blood, and not his own. Pukwudgie, nearly certainly. Just the one he was carrying? And another¡¯s. More acrid. Stanton. Gunpowder. A mere moment was all it took for TJ to slither up and through the bannister that ringed the wraparound porch, disregarding the usual path for entrance. The taste of blood was thicker in the air, and the windows in the cabin¡¯s door were shattered, a pukwudgie body prone and bleeding. The smell of gunpowder threatened to choke TJ, but he rushed into the cabin, ready to defend or avenge Stanton as necessary. Rustling in the cabin alerted him to something¡¯s presence, and TJ rushed to strike the pukwudgie down. Maybe he could still be there in time, maybe this time he could be there to stop the end, or at least witness it. He didn¡¯t pay attention to the two bodies in the hall, their deaths inconsequential. In the room at the end of the hall, where he¡¯d stolen his clothing from, the noises quietened down. TJ hissed loudly, his jaw open wide and threatening. Luckily, Stanton had been much wiser than TJ, and raised his hands in warning or welcome, the goblin body . ¡°I knew those scales were yours.¡± He slumped down to the ground, his leather jacket sporting a couple thin holes. ¡°Can you get something to clean me up?¡± TJ dropped his transformation before striding forward and gently opening the older man¡¯s leather jacket. Blood colored his blue plaid shirt, but it hadn¡¯t soaked through with his lifeblood. They seemed to be mere flesh wounds. ¡°Shit. How many times did they get you?¡± ¡°Hell if I know. Hurts worse than I¡¯ve hurt in a long time though, I can tell you that.¡± Somehow, the tough coot got more talkative when hurt. ¡°Maybe seven or eight? My leg doesn¡¯t hurt much any more. That¡¯s not good. Might be going into shock. You gonna get me those bandages? Says I¡¯m bleeding. No shit sherlock. I got stabbed.¡± The urgency of the situation settled over TJ like the ringing of a bell. ¡°Didn¡¯t you level up? That would have healed you¡­ whatever. You know where some are? Or do I need to cut sheets?¡± ¡°I did on the first one. The others got me. And bandages are upstairs. There¡¯s a bathroom, behind the mirror is a medicine cabinet. Had a bunch of gauze and so on in there.¡± TJ didn¡¯t say anything as he nearly sprinted out of the room and to the stairs. Four pukwudgie bodies were scattered around the house, and he thought he could paint a pretty accurate picture of what had happened. They burst through the door, Stanton shot one, it went down there. No other bodies, so maybe he missed a shot and retreated back down the hall. They got him once or twice there, but he killed two more. The last one tried to end him in the room, but he got it first. TJ grabbed a double handful of gauze and tight wrappings and topped it with antibacterial ointment and hydrogen peroxide and ran back down the stairs, disregarding the few he dropped. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s get your shirt off.¡± TJ commanded as he strode back into the bedroom. With quick movements, he unbuttoned Stanton¡¯s shirt to see the wounds while disregarding the old man¡¯s rambling about hollow point ammunition. The most serious one was in his belly, just beside his navel. TJ sniffed at it, worried about his intestines or stomach being ruptured. He couldn¡¯t smell anything except blood, but he also couldn''t say if that would work anyways. The bleeding was more immediately pressing, though, and TJ poured capfuls of the peroxide into each wound before patting it dry and daubing it liberally with the ointment. It wasn¡¯t long before each of the small wounds in Stanton¡¯s torso were patched, and the man in question had moved on in his rambling topic to birdshot vs buckshot. ¡°We¡¯re gonna need to get your pants off for the other ones.¡± To his credit, Stanton didn¡¯t stop in his discussion of the merits and demerits of each gauge and type and so on and so forth about shotguns as he dropped trou. There were two shallow wounds in his quads, but nothing deep or near the massive arteries on the inner thigh. TJ ministered to the wounds, and then helped the unsteady man into a pair of the original inhabitant¡¯s flannel pjs. Not wanting to leave the wounded man alone, TJ helped him to the couch in front of the still-burning fire, and settled him down. Just in time for the sound of footsteps on the porch outside to fearlessly approach. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 16 TJ wanted it to be a human. He almost prayed for it, but he didn¡¯t need Appraisal to hear that these weren¡¯t a human¡¯s steps approaching. Though the sound of each footfall wasn¡¯t especially loud, it somehow communicated an almost stomping quality. With a sigh and no small amount of embarrassment, TJ tried his hardest to activate Divine Transformation in such a way that it would shunt all of his clothes off of his body. He couldn¡¯t know what part of the clothing was considered ¡°equipment¡±, and if several pukwudgies were about to assault the cabin, TJ would need every additional attribute point he could muster. A moment¡¯s concentration. The feeling of his belly on the ground. Shifting back to his feet. TJ opened his eyes, and his boots, pants, and shirt were on the floor, his denim jacket unbuttoned with his chest exposed. His boxers and socks remained on, so TJ swiftly rolled each sock off and strode to the front door with an affected air of uncaring. If he was wrong and these were humans, underwear and boxers would be embarrassing, but nothing serious. If, like he suspected, this was a small swarm of the bastard goblin things, then the jacket and underwear would be easy to remove. Still acting unbothered, TJ leaned against the wall beside the door and peeked out, just as two loud knocks snapped against the door. He pulled it open, and there stood a taller, more well-built pukwudgie than any he¡¯d seen before. It stood maybe 4 feet tall, and smelled of flowers and spring just like every other. Its fingers were long and seemed dexterous, while its toes and feet reminded him of a hobbit¡¯s. It was covered in black fur, though along its back, its fur stood straight, almost like a porcupine¡¯s quills. One hand carried the same primitive spear the others TJ had seen carried, though its right hand also held a gleaming hatchet. Its haft seemed to be fashioned of ordinary wood, but the head was a strange blue metal that glowed with internal light. The pukwudgie¡¯s feet were bare, indigo skin and a dusting of hair covering the top. Its hands and face too were devoid of any hair, and its face unnerved TJ. A wide mouth, too wide, and filled with teeth made for ripping into and through flesh, grinned back at him. Its fat, bulbous nose was just as wide as it was long and tall, and both gaping nostrils flared as the creature smelled him. Its eyes were the rotting cherry on top of the off-putting pie. The sunken eyes both yawned black without any glint of light reflecting off them, except for the pure white pupils. To top it off, TJ Appraised the horrid creature. Pukwudgie, Level 5 His Skill didn¡¯t grant him any additional information than that, but TJ¡¯s blood ran cold. This one had reached the first benchmark, and would be commensurately more powerful. If there were others at its same level, or worse, higher level, then TJ couldn¡¯t see himself and Stanton escaping with their lives. Maybe their boon or Skill from level 5 was just a little bit more strength and bulk? This one was maybe 130% the size of the other ones. ¡°Greetings, divine one.¡± It hissed as TJ tried to collect himself. The words came out garbled and chewed, as if they were a delicious morsel that had fought its way free of its gullet. ¡°We offer safe passage.¡± TJ scowled at the statement, confused. ¡°What¨Chow¨C Why?¡± ¡°You are blessed by the Divine. You can pass safely, and we hope that your Eminence shows us mercy at the time of our inevitable meeting upon the proving ground. The pukwudgies have long been bound with the Divinity of this continent, and even if it originates further south the blood of Kukulkan is sweet, and blessed. Pass, please.¡± Though the words sounded like the pukwudgie had gargled glass, his turn of phrase was surprisingly refined. ¡°I see.¡± TJ answered, completely confused, but wholly willing to lie to get himself and Stanton out of there without fighting. ¡°Then let us collect our things, and we¡¯ll be on our way.¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± The pukwudgie answered, its grin even wider and more predatory than before. ¡°You have two minutes.¡± It didn¡¯t move from the doorway, standing bolt upright without any extraneous movement. Recognizing what was happening, TJ turned and began stuffing the clothing he¡¯d stripped into the backpack before sprinting past Stanton struggling to his feet, back to the coat closet he¡¯d found the pack in in the first place. Another large backpack was in there, and glancing in it, it looked like a panic bag of some sorts. Nonperishable food and a couple toiletries filled the bottom, and TJ tossed another sleeping bag inside before rushing back to the kitchen. He didn¡¯t know if there were any more good water bottles, but he filled the rest of the pack with any canned food and water bottle he could find. The pack quickly grew too heavy to hold in one hand, and TJ threw it over his shoulder, nearly knocking himself prone with the weight. Stanton carefully strapped the backpack on, hissing in pain as TJ¡¯s clumsy bandaging was disturbed. Fortunately, he¡¯d still had his boots on, so there was no need to bend over and try to tie them on. TJ lent the older man his shoulder as they walked towards the door. Feeling grateful, TJ asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°We are pukwudgies.¡± The trollish face screwed up in confusion. ¡°Yes, and what is your individual name?¡± ¡°We are pukwudgies. There is not a distinction between us. We are pukwudgies.¡± ¡°Ohhhhhkay then. Anyway, thanks! Let¡¯s all prove ourselves on the grounds! Good luck!¡± ¡°We do not need luck. We seize it.¡± The ugly face smirked, but it extended a hand and blocked TJ¡¯s passage. ¡°Where are you bringing the Blood of the Morrigan? We will devour it here.¡± The catch. There always was one, always would be. ¡°I trust you aren¡¯t speaking about my companion here, are you?¡± ¡°The Morrigan is no companion to Kukulkan.¡± The pukwudgie declared, quite sure of itself. ¡°They fought many times, though not so fiercely as he did with Manannan mac Lir. After Manannan¡¯s death at the hands of Kukulkan, the Morrigan swore to pluck his feathers.¡± It spoke as if teaching a young, slow child. ¡°Fear not, we will cause no more suffering than necessary. To descend from a Divinity of Osmium is an honor, and we will bathe in the Morrigan¡¯s diluted blood. Furthermore, the blood of the Morrigan is already prepared in her traditional attire, the bloodstained clothes of the fallen. ¡°Now, go, and we will meet once more on the proving grounds. We wish you victory and strength. May the winds guide you.¡± It dismissed the younger man and reached out to grab Stanton¡¯s arm. TJ smacked it away while Stanton¡¯s eyes seemed to glaze over. The old man¡¯s lips moved at a frenetic pace, as if he were praying. ¡°No, I don¡¯t care where his bloodline comes from, it''s got nothing to do with Stanton. We¡¯re working together, and we¡¯re leaving this place together.¡± ¡°We will not allow it.¡± The pukwudgie declared, and a half dozen others in the surrounding forest poked their heads out. None seemed to be with a partner, so maybe more than 12 of the troll-goblin things were there? TJ sighed. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Definitely not?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. There are rules to follow, after all.¡± Disregarding whatever that meant, TJ continued. ¡°Ok.¡± He turned to Stanton. ¡°Let me have that backpack. It¡¯s better packed, got more stuff in it and is better packed.¡± TJ shrugged off his own backpack, accidentally catching his jacket and pulling it off with the same movement. He shivered in the wind from the open door and gooseflesh prickled his bare chest and arms. Stanton¡¯s eyes remained glazed over and unfocused, and TJ hoped he could come back from this. Then, as he dropped his backpack and jacket, TJ prayed that his boxers would come off with his Divine Transformation. He gave no warning as his serpentine jaws flashed towards the unsuspecting pukwudgie. TJ caught its right arm, the one carrying the hatchet, and thrashed up and down as hard as he could. It howled its hawklike screech of pain as the hatchet fell. TJ didn¡¯t hesitate to release the mangled arm and snap his jaws closed over the pukwudgie¡¯s head. Its gurgling breaths stunk in opposition to its natural floral scent. TJ felt a flash of something strange, and his enemy¡¯s healthy arm twitched and the spear, which had skated so easily off his scales in the hands of another, sunk deep into the flesh of TJ¡¯s neck. Warning. You are suffering from a minor Bleed affliction. You will continue to lose 2 HP a minute until the Bleed condition is cured. TJ didn¡¯t let the burst of pain and the difficulty of drawing breath distract him. He smashed his enemy into one side of the doorway, then the other, then back to the first. It went limp. TJ crunched his jaws down harder. Pukwudgie, Level 5, slain. Experience gained. Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 5. Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points currently available. Skill selection available Race: Human has advanced to level 5. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Points currently available. TJ grinned as his neck healed and the spear was pushed out of his neck. It fell with a clatter, and, seeing and tasting no pukwudgie immediately there, though many came sprinting towards them, screaming ¡°Deceit!¡± TJ yelled. ¡°Wake up Stanton! We¡¯ve got company!¡± ¡°I know! I figured you¡¯d keep him busy longer, instead of rushing me like this!¡± Stanton replied, his eyes running wildly through the air as if he was reading. ¡°Oh. Shit! You level up?¡± ¡°Level 5.¡± Stanton answered, his sentences stilted and confused as he tried to read and talk at the same time. ¡°Trying to figure out what¡¯ll be best. There¡¯s no guarantee that¨Cwell, that¡¯s what I¡¯ll have to do.¡± He cut himself off, and apparently made his Skill selection. ¡°Keep them away from me, and I¡¯ll keep them from swarming you.¡± He commanded, not asked, but that he was in the fight and confident he¡¯d be able to contribute had TJ convinced to do as he asked. Activate Primal Savagery, TJ thought, and he felt the Skill flare to life. His mane of feathers flared out, and TJ hissed his greeting to the dozen pukwudgies that leapt to screeching battle against him. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 17 A spear thudded and sunk deep into the wood of the porch beside TJ¡¯s head. He remembered how much he¡¯d struggled to catch the first pukwudgies he¡¯d fought, and with a thought, pulled his Status Sheet up while still dodging the three pukwudgies¡¯ attacks. One spear struck home in the center of his body as he made the decision without thinking further about it. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Coatl ¨C lvl 5 Class: Neophyte lvl 5 Occupation: Savage lvl 5 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 764/800 Mana Points (MP): 220/220 Stamina: 740/740 Attributes Strength x2: 42 Agility x1.5: 24 Endurance x2: 74 Vitality x2: 80 Toughness x2: 66 Wisdom: 23 Intelligence: 22 Perception x1.5: 39 Willpower: 34 Fixation: 26 S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Free Points: 6 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular He still wanted to hold on to the Free Points for some other opportunity, but this was just one of the times when he¡¯d need to commit them. Four points put in Agility became six as a coatl, and took his total to 30. A surge of electricity tickled TJ¡¯s mind, and he twisted his neck in such a way that the next spear¡¯s thrust rolled off the thick feathers in his mane. He was too slow to dodge the next attack, but between his heightened Toughness and Vitality, taking a solid blow from a spear was a mere flesh wound. A flashing reminder that he had a Skill to choose refused to leave him alone. TJ ignored it, snapping his jaws at one of the blurry creatures. With his heightened perception, he could see some of them, but others had a more advanced camouflage. Level 5 benefit? Maybe. Didn¡¯t matter why. The three attackers had doubled to six, and TJ forced himself entirely out of the bounds of the cabin. Then, with the weird inhale he¡¯d done before, TJ pulled the closest two pukwudgies off balance as his tail whipped around. It smashed through one¡¯s legs and the other¡¯s ribs alike, the chorus of wet crunching of bones snapping mixing with the pained pukwudgie screeches filling the air. Before TJ could do something to finish off the crippled foes, two more dropped their camouflage and lunged forward. Forced to pull back or risk his eyes, the last two goblinoids pulled their felled companions out of his immediate reach. The injured out of his reach, the two visible ones retreated a step and re-camouflaged themselves. TJ hissed his anger, unable to kill any of the enemies, and he could taste more in the area, though he couldn¡¯t say exactly where they were. ¡°You done in there?¡± TJ demanded. ¡°I can¡¯t take this many, and there¡¯s more coming!¡± The quiet cough of a low caliber bullet answered him. Another pukwudgie screech rang out and one of the four assaulting TJ stopped whatever was masking its presence. Its dominant arm bled, the spear clattering from insensate fingers to the wood porch. The other three redoubled their assault, no longer seeking to wound TJ himself. Instead, they leapt over him, trying to get to the dangerous Stanton inside. TJ puffed and coiled himself up in front of the doorway, but two of the three were too quick. A quick bite caught the straggler, and TJ worked his jaw furiously, his long sharp teeth shredding through the distended stomach of the pukwudgie. Its thick fur prickled the top of his mouth while its blood and screams both flowed freely out. TJ whipped it up and down, and its spine snapped with another sickening crunch. There was no time to acknowledge the death notification. The two wounded behind him were unimportant. Two pukwudgies lunged at Stanton, their spears unseen but still deadly. The old man, however, stood with a faintly glowing pistol held in both hands. In a practiced, shoulder-width stance, he lined the shot. Again, the surprisingly quiet sound of a .22 being fired barked out, and one of the hidden assailants dropped into visibility and to the ground. A puddle of blood began pooling beneath the corpse as another death notification went unheeded. ¡°I¡¯m out!¡± Stanton shouted, and TJ lunged towards the still-standing pukwudgie. It still rushed towards Stanton, but TJ¡¯s jaws caught its leg. It screeched and struck down with all its strength to put out TJ¡¯s eye. He ripped his head back without releasing the leg, and the diminutive creature¡¯s strike skittered off TJ¡¯s scales between his eyes. The coatl didn¡¯t hesitate to smash the pukwudgie against the tiled floor, the sound of a wet splatter accompanying the cracking of flooring. Another death notification, and TJ began to calm himself. His tail being pinned to the floor with a spear through it convinced him otherwise. He screamed a hiss at the offending pukwudgie and slithered back out the door. The two injured pukwudgies were nowhere to be seen, but at least another ten had appeared and TJ could see the different varieties. Some were nearly invisible, even to his enhanced smelling/taste while others were easily visible and bulkier than the rest. ¡°I¡¯ll hold the door!¡± TJ shouted to Stanton. ¡°You have any more bullets?¡± ¡°Takes me ten seconds for each one!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± TJ cursed as he coiled himself in the doorway. To do so, he needed to break the spear through his tail, and doing so hurt like hell. Even so, he needed to hold the line. A dozen goblins fought to kill him, and it would be nearly impossible to escape at this point. He and Stanton needed to kill them all or drive them off. He glanced at his HP: 642/800. Though the injury in his tail was agonizing, it wasn¡¯t going to kill him. Yet. With his new goal being to keep pukwudgies out of the house without sustaining too many wounds, TJ hissed menacingly while lunging out, never committing himself. That worked for only a moment, before the two burly ones jumped forward and wrapped their arms around his mouth to keep it closed. He whipped his head back and forth, trying to dislodge them, but to no immediate success. Their combined weight proved too much for TJ to meaningfully smash them against anything. The others began stabbing him repeatedly with their spears, most unable to pierce deeply. Several, though, plunged halfway through him with each strike, and TJ felt how close death was. In a flash of desperation, TJ disabled Divine Transformation, becoming a naked human surrounded by a dozen furious floral-scented goblins. Those stabbing at his tail missed their next lunge, their spears thunking into the wooden porch and walls. The two holding his mouth shut were sturdily held onto TJ¡¯s head, and all twelve of the attackers looked at TJ with just a moment¡¯s hesitation. In the silence and brief peace, Stanton¡¯s gun fired once again. One of the big ones on TJ, the one he¡¯d been making eye contact with, dropped without another word as its eye exploded. Eleven left. The peace broken, TJ grabbed the remaining large pukwudgie¡¯s hands and tried to wrest it from his head. It was surprisingly strong, and as it smashed its arms together to retain hold of his head, TJ¡¯s vision swam. With a thought, he reactivated Divine Transformation and as a coatl, wasn¡¯t nearly so threatened by the crushing force of a pukwudgie hug. Now that only one held him, TJ wielded his head and the little grappler together as a club, managing to catch one of the slower goblins with the destructive force. It went tumbling ass over teakettle down the stairs, taking another with it. They¡¯d be back soon. Nine still on the porch. With a stifled roar from his mostly closed mouth, TJ smashed his head against the nearby window. With an explosion of glass, the window shattered, and the grappling pukwudgie groaned in pain. Dimly, TJ felt a flurry of attacks against his torso, but couldn¡¯t care about that now. Beyond that, he wasn¡¯t finished with the nuisance, and smashed it again into the remaining glass shards in the panes. The death notification was reassuring, and its weight dropping from his face was glorious. Ten alive, eight attacking him. Now freed, TJ drunkenly lurched to the side and towards the remaining pukwudgies. They dodged in, attempting to strike hom, but TJ heard Stanton¡¯s voice from the window. ¡°Duck.¡± He didn¡¯t hesitate, his jaw smashing against the wood as the full weight of most of his body smashed a pukwudgie to the ground beneath him. Two shots of Stanton¡¯s pistol sounded out, and one of the little bastards went down with a death notification. The other spun out of its camouflage, a heavy wound wetting its lightly furred chest. Nine living, six left in the fight. A quick glance told TJ that his HP was at 298/800, and he¡¯d disregarded his Moderate Bleed Affliction notification as well. This would be close, but he could feel the relative closeness of the next level. That could sustain him to the end of the fight. Pure animalistic aggression and rage drove TJ as he whipped his mouth down and decapitated the pukwudgie below him with one bite. Still no level notification, without healing, there was no option left but to leap out of his coiled position to attack the pukwudgies. Those that he suspected were Level 5 were the first targets. They lunged in, trying either to kill or slow him down. The crazed coatl couldn¡¯t give them the opportunity to escape. His jaws flashed again and again, biting whatever flesh he could find while his deeply wounded tail lashed out. One fell to his maddened assault, and the .22 coughed out another bullet. Two death notifications. No level. TJ¡¯s tongue flicked wildly out of his mouth, tasting the trail of the wounded. Two from his initial defense, and an additional one was severely wounded. His HP continued to tick down as TJ raced to find them. The first¡¯s skull was crushed under his tail. No level. The second and third ran together, and he struck out and managed to trip both. He constricted wildly, his muscles tightening with agony and necessity alike. With a sickening pop, their necks broke, and TJ received the blessed notification. 12 Pukwudgies, Level 3-6, slain. Experience gained. Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 6. Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points currently available. Skill selection available. Even with the healing and revitalization provided by leveling up, exhaustion had settled into TJ¡¯s bones. With a low grumble, he turned and began slithering back to the cabin, passing the strewn bodies of a dozen pukwudgies as he did so. The little creatures, now dead and unthreatening, were almost cute in a troll doll way, and the reality of what he¡¯d done, of what had happened in the past half hour, settled into TJ¡¯s bones. Bile fought to choke him and he knew he¡¯d have vomited were he in his human form, but the coatl was more hesitant to puke. As his body flowed smoothly up the steps towards the cabin¡¯s door, TJ finally saw his body. Blood and gore coated him, the remains of a dozen thinking creatures splattered over every scale and tied together with the remnants of his agonizing stand. The smell and taste of his struggle soured his throat even more, and with a heave of his body, TJ whipped his head around and vomited blood and bile over the side of the porch. And again. And again. Nothing came up as his body wrenched again, and TJ¡¯s Divine Transformation dropped, leaving him naked and filthy and miserable. ¡°Come in, kid.¡± Stanton¡¯s voice called, soft. ¡°Let¡¯s get you cleaned up, then we can talk about all this. And, what we¡¯ll do next.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 18 With his quickly climbing Vitality, the cold shower was only brisk over TJ¡¯s body instead of bone-chilling. He shivered as the water sluiced over his body, cleaning the viscera and blood of the pukwudgies from his skin, but not his mind. A hot shower to wash away these emotions and suffering sounded glorious, but it simply wasn¡¯t possible. Beyond that, TJ refused to waste however much water there still was available, so the cold shower was only long enough to thoroughly scrub himself twice over with a bar of soap and loofa. He toweled off and dressed into the clothing he¡¯d somewhat fortunately had to leave behind on his slaughtering spree. They were clean, though TJ swore he still felt blood sticking to his hair and skin. He padded down the hallway and in front of the fire, where Stanton sat with his new pistol non threateningly placed on the floor before his feet. As TJ walked in, Stanton raised his hands as calm as could be. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hey son. Just so you know, I¡¯m keeping the gun out to fill it with bullets. You¡¯re no monster I¡¯ve gotta put down.¡± ¡°I, you¡­ I wasn¡¯t thinking you would.¡± TJ felt his eyes dart wildly at the thought. Stanton shrugged. ¡°Lots of people think that they¡¯re monsters the first time they have to kill something. To do it like you have to? I can¡¯t say I know how you feel. It¡¯s awful, though. I know that.¡± ¡°Have you¡­ killed someone before?¡± TJ watched as Stanton began to deny, but then decided to answer differently. Stanton¡¯s eyes held steady on TJ¡¯s as he spoke. ¡°I was 16 right near the end of the Vietnam War. Had nothing good in my life, decided I¡¯d lie about my age and fight for my country. Wasn¡¯t too long before I was in jungles and in hell. It was a shitty time, and I puked my guts out and cried like a little kid for a long time after the first time I killed a man. I got used to it for a while, but war doesn¡¯t leave you. I¡¯ve got scars, most of ¡®em here.¡± Stanton knocked his temple lightly as he said as much. ¡°Can¡¯t say you get over it, but it gets easier for most people. Not sure if it should, but in a situation like this? I hope it does. ¡°Anyways. I was sick like that, and that was after I used a gun, not my body like you. It must be hell for you, and I don¡¯t blame you for suffering. But this wasn¡¯t for you, you didn¡¯t want to kill those things. You did that for me. I appreciate it. I would have died, if you¡¯d left me behind. You¡¯ve got a kid to live for, and you chose to put yourself in that danger for me. Thank you.¡± TJ felt his breath catch in his throat as the emotion of killing a thinking, nearly human creature in cold blood fought against the emotions of protecting a friend from certain death. Again, he was reminded of his resolution to do whatever necessary to find any leg up he could get to get through this. Even so, it had been less than two days since he¡¯d just been an administrative manager in a real estate firm. Saying he¡¯d save his son and himself was a lot different from biting the head off of something that was talking to him. Bile rose in his throat again, but TJ focused instead on the genuinely appreciative wrinkled face of Stanton before him. ¡°Thank you, Stanton. I guess that¡¯s what I need to hear¡­¡± ¡°Well, kid, that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be sometimes.¡± The old man rolled his shoulders, obviously uncomfortable with what he said before moving on. ¡°You got healed up right good, right? I¡¯m not seeing any bleeding or anything.¡± ¡°It got close there, at the end.¡± TJ hedged. ¡°I was bleeding out, and had to chase those ones down to get the level before I passed out.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come in and have me patch you up?¡± Stanton questioned, his tone incredulous. ¡°I¡¯ve got two hands, and you did it for me.¡± ¡°I¡­ kinda panicked, I guess. Plus, being that snake makes me more violent, angry, vengeful. It¡¯s weird like that. Makes me feel like I¡¯m not myself, but still myself. Not sure if that makes sense.¡± ¡°Adrenaline¡¯ll do that to ya. I can see how that¡¯d be, like how you got all naked for it.¡± TJ felt himself flush in embarrassment. ¡°No, I have a Skill that gives me bonuses if I¡¯m not using equipment from before the Integration. I thought regular clothes would be fine, but when I fought some pukwudgies before while wearing my clothes, I couldn¡¯t use the Skill. With all them attacking at once, I figured I better be safe than sorry.¡± ¡°Makes sense, I guess. You should figure out what you can keep on to keep the Skill going.¡± TJ nodded his agreement. ¡°Anyways. I¡¯ll not do something so stupid again.¡± ¡°Best hope not.¡± ¡°So¡­ what new Skill did you get?¡± TJ asked, happy to change the subject again. ¡°Something to do with that gun?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Stanton nodded. ¡°It¡¯s only a .22, so can¡¯t do as much as my M16 or even my 9mm, but against things like this, it¡¯ll do just fine. I can fill it up with bullets, takes 10 MP and seconds each. Fills up entirely at 20, so I¡¯m waiting for my MP to refill to continue loading the little girl.¡± ¡°Little girl?¡± ¡°Eh. She¡¯s a Suzie, if you ask me.¡± Stanton said as he carefully hefted ¡°her¡± up in front of TJ¡¯s face, sure to keep his finger away from the trigger while never pointing it at the younger man. The little gun was a revolver inlaid with mother of pearl while the barrel was formed of the stylized wings of a crow. While the gun looked like a regular revolver TJ¡¯d seen in any number of old western films, the little¡­ spinny thing was full of little holes that were mostly filled with bullets. ¡°She¡¯s pretty, I guess.¡± TJ allowed as Stanton flicked open the spinny and checked to see how he was coming along. ¡°Just a couple more minutes, and I think I¡¯ll be ready to go.¡± Stanton answered before putting the gun back down. ¡°The cylinder¡¯s only got four more to fill, and that shouldn¡¯t take longer than it does to get the backpacks ready to go.¡± TJ mentally noted the name ¡°cylinder¡± for the gun part. ¡°Wait, so we¡¯re definitely going? We fought those ones off, so we can do it again and gain some levels and be ready to make the trip more safely.¡± After he said as much, though, TJ realized why. ¡°They¡¯ll keep getting stronger too. Maybe faster than us.¡± ¡°Exactly. Gotta get to where more people are. You want to get the packs ready?¡± ¡°I can, but I want to make my new Skill selection first.¡± ¡°Another?¡± ¡°Yeah, my other one is from my Occupation. Got past level 5 for my Class in that fight.¡± Finally back to his level of comfort, Stanton merely grunted in response before turning and upending both backpacks and beginning to sort general items to both. TJ turned his own attention to the persistent notification flashing in the corner of his eye. Skill Selection: Wind Manipulation (Dirt): The descendants of Kukulkan are blessed with an inherent affinity for the skies, winds, and rains. You already have begun to dabble in the art of drawing the winds to listen to your command. This Skill will grant you the ability to more accurately and powerfully influence the winds that surround you. Your Divine Transformation currently inherently grants a sub-Dirt level Wind Manipulation adjacent ability, and while under the effects of the Divine Transformation Skill to a coatl or its subsequent evolutions, the Wind Manipulation Skill will ascend one tier. Usage of this Skill depletes MP at a rate inversely correlated to your Fixation and Intelligence while scaling in potency at a rate directly correlated to your Fixation and Intelligence. TJ whistled low as the voice slowly read the words he¡¯d already skimmed. His Divine Transformation was Copper tier, and it was the only reason why he¡¯d been able to survive this long. While it would be conditional, having another Copper tiered skill would be a game changer. On top of that, TJ already saw what this Skill could potentially do. Pulling his enemies in from far away was a godsend, with slippery little bastards like the pukwudgies staying out of reach. At a higher tier, it might even work like a tornado or even better. On the other hand, though he¡¯d been told explicitly by the System that a selected Skill would start stronger, progress faster, and reach greater heights than one developed by himself, TJ knew he could use this already. Maybe he could work hard to develop his coatl¡¯s powers to learn how to use this without making the selection? With a hesitant grimace, he put this Skill at the top of his list for now and moved on. Shredding Bite: Though born a human, you have embraced the savagery of combat that a bestial form lends. As a predator, your teeth are sharp, and as a serpent, your mouth is built to swallow creatures whole while your teeth prohibit their escape. Even so, you have used your mouth to shred and tear, to rip and destroy. This Skill will strengthen and broaden your fangs as a coatl to teeth meant to tear creatures apart. In addition, this Skill will grant an additional +1 Strength attribute per level of Neophyte, to be applied retroactively. There¡¯d been no real interest in the Skill until TJ saw the last sentence. He already was feeling how quickly his Strength and Agility were falling behind so many of his other attributes, and this would help to shore up that problem, at least partially. The more dangerous bite and mouth would be beneficial, even if they wouldn¡¯t be the real reason for him selecting the Skill. TJ moved to the next Skill, hoping to help simplify his choice. Crushing Body: Though born a human, you have embraced the savagery of combat that a bestial form lends. As a predator, your body is hardened, and as a serpent, your entire body is an instrument of destructive potential. In keeping with your serpentine nature, you have broken body and bone, crushed organ and flesh with the force of your constriction. This Skill will strengthen your musculature as a coatl and human alike to better allow you to destroy the bodies of your enemies, not just through constriction, but through any bludgeoning force. In addition, this Skill will grant an additional +1 Strength attribute per level of Neophyte, to be applied retroactively. TJ got the sense that the benefits granted by Crushing Body compared to Shredding Bite wouldn¡¯t be as specialized or even as impactful, but he did notice that it applied to his human body as well. Though most of his fighting would almost certainly be within the form of a coatl, if he was forced to fight without his Divine Transformation then Crushing Body would help. With a sigh, TJ added Crushing Body to the same list that Shredding Bite and Wind Manipulation had been placed on. Swift Consumption: Though born a human, you have embraced the brutality of lifestyle that a bestial form forces. As a predator, your hunger is ever present, and as a serpent, your body is built to swallow creatures whole while you digest them. This Skill will strengthen and thicken your mouth, throat, and stomach to ensure that you can more easily consume creatures whole, even if they are yet living. In addition, this Skill will grant an additional +1 Toughness attribute per level of Neophyte, to be applied retroactively. Though the possibility of a creature ripping through TJ¡¯s stomach while he slithered along, unable to do anything about it terrified him, the Skill didn¡¯t appeal to him. He hadn¡¯t swallowed anything still living yet, nor did he intend to. He¡¯d seen a picture once of a python that had swallowed a still living alligator before, and it had ripped the snake in half from within. TJ wasn¡¯t willing to put himself in that situation, so though he feared that outcome, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be in that situation any time soon. Somewhat relieved to find a Skill that didn¡¯t demand his attention, TJ looked at the final Skill offered. Mindful Mouth: A serpent can taste the world around them, and you have embraced this shift in perception, tasting the air as you move and live. This Skill will better hone your ability to taste and smell the world around you while you are in the form of a coatl or its subsequent evolutions. The bonus to Perception from being in the form of a coatl will change from x1.5 to x2. Again, useful, but not one of TJ¡¯s current priorities. The Perception bonus would be much more than those offered by the other Skills, but again, he liked and wanted the Perception bonus, but it was far from his current priority. Now, all five potential Skills observed, TJ had to make the decision of which to select. After thinking about it for several minutes and asking the System one question, he made his choice. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 19 Mindful Mouth and Swift Consumption were quick to be dismissed. TJ would like either of them, but compared to the other three, they just weren¡¯t worth it, at least for now. The next decision, though, was effectively between Wind Manipulation or the other two Skills. Crushing Body and Shredding Bite, though different in form, would serve the same purpose for TJ right now. Both would serve to immediately grant him 6 Strength, and as he continued to grow, even more. As a coatl, that would be 12, and TJ knew that if one of his doubled attributes received such an obvious buff, it would be immensely impactful. On the other hand, Wind Manipulation would serve to broaden the scope of what TJ could do without providing any attribute bonus. He¡¯d seen what Wind Manipulation could do, but he suspected that even at the Dirt tier, the Skill would be immensely useful. At Copper and beyond, the Skill could become one of the key ways TJ functioned inside and out of combat. Kukulkan has flown in his vision, and TJ suspected that the series of small wings patterned down his back were not the sole reason he¡¯d been able to. Then, TJ asked the System the question that made his decision for him. ¡°If I go and learn the Wind Manipulation Skill through practice instead of this selection, how will it manifest? I mean, I know it will never quite compare to the System-granted one, but how close will it get?¡± An ability acquired through practice will be impossible to have ever reach your own tier of Divinity. The only exception to the impossibility of said Skill progression can take place at the time of seizing True Divinity at the Ruthenium (VII) Tier. If you dedicate the primary domain of your initial godhood to the domain of the skies, the Wind Manipulation ability you have acquired through personal practice will be able to reach the same tier as your Divinity. If you instead have the Skill Wind Manipulation and progress to the Ruthenium (VII) tier while devoting your primary domain to be the skies, your Skill will evolve to be one tier above your own. If you have a stipulation within the Skill that allows it to surpass your current tier, that stipulation will remain valid, thus, in your case, at the Ruthenium (VII) tier, your Wind Manipulation Skill would be at the Iridium (VIII) tier while under the influence of your Divine Transformation Skill, your Wind Manipulation Skill would reach the Osmium (IX) tier. TJ couldn¡¯t begin to say what he would do when he reached the levels of a lesser god, but he suspected that the stronger he became, the more he would depend on the influence of his Skills. Of course, his attributes would be the vehicle that carried his Skills, but there was something that told him that Skills would be the true determiner of power. ¡°Select Wind Manipulation.¡± As when he¡¯d gained the Primal Savagery Skill, TJ¡¯s body seized up, though differently from with his Occupation Skill, there was no tingle down his spine. Instead, his vision swam as suddenly he could perceive winds like they were white wisps of mist, and TJ¡¯s mind fought to understand what was happening. The air somehow spoke to him, asking for his next command, for his blessing, to bless him, and so much more. It was flighty, constantly emoting, begging for attention. TJ¡¯s mind opened to the somehow living wind, his sense of self slipping away. The wind moved, through the trees, through the broken windows, through his hair, through a cave, through TJ¡¯s nostrils. It stopped there, gently frozen in the warm body. The heartbeat quickened, afraid of something. That was no concern. He was the wind, the movement through the eons, that which tore down trees and carried their seeds, that which pushed the birds and carved stone. What did the breathing of one individual matter to him? With a gasp, TJ fought to slowly close his perception of the wind¡¯s voice to allow him to hear his own. Feeling himself flow through his body was disturbing, to say the least. Though the new Skill drew him in and promised power, growth, and, most importantly, a path back to his son, it wouldn¡¯t mean anything if TJ was no longer himself on that path. Usually, TJ would go through a breathing exercise, but for now, he felt that would be a bad idea. Instead, he moved consciously, grounding himself by touching the walls, which were wooden, or feeling the carpet underfoot, which was shag and worn. Then, TJ took a deep drink from his water, feeling the cool liquid all the way down his throat as well as the chilly porcelain cup in his hands. It took a couple of minutes, but TJ eventually found himself feeling like a human again, instead of a breeze. He opened his eyes and looked around the sitting room. Stanton stood with his head cocked to the side, looking at TJ. ¡°You good, son?¡± ¡°I¡­ am now.¡± TJ blinked hard a couple of times. ¡°Your Skill do something?¡± ¡°I guess you could say that. Made me feel like I was the air I breathed while I breathed it.¡± He didn¡¯t elaborate. Stanton grunted. He couldn¡¯t help it. TJ laughed at the stoic man, but quickly gathered himself, instead asking, ¡°Are we nearly ready to go?¡± ¡°Once you finish packing.¡± Only then did TJ realize that Stanton had taken half the supplies and packed them carefully into his own backpack which sat next to the door. The other half of the supplies, TJ¡¯s, he assumed, were scattered somewhat neatly around the other bag, the bag itself laid limply on the ground, unloved and forgotten. Without complaint, TJ set to filling his pack with the heaviest things first, trying to keep it as balanced and comfortable as possible. As he finished and tossed his old backpack on the top for good measure, TJ asked, ¡°Those goblin things called you blood of the Morrigan. That your Bloodline?¡± Stanton grunted in response, then seemed to decide to actually answer. ¡°Yeah. Crow goddess of death and war or something. Supposedly, this gun is blessed by her.¡± He held the luminescent pistol up, again immensely careful with his trigger discipline as he did so. ¡°Don¡¯t know anything else about her. You?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s Celtic?¡± A grunt. ¡°Sorry, grouchy. Didn¡¯t know anything else.¡± Grunt. TJ chuckled under his breath as he continued to fill his pack with the necessities that he¡¯d initially grabbed in his mad dash. ¡°You get anything else that might help us on our journey towards Pine?¡± ¡°Not really. You got most of the good stuff already.¡± There was a grudging sense of appreciation in Staton¡¯s reply this time, and TJ smiled as he finished his packing. Content to leave in silence, Stanton surprised TJ when he asked, ¡°If you end up becoming that God or whatever, what¡¯ll you want to do?¡± ¡°Just be with Junior. I don¡¯t really care about the rest of whatever deification offers me, so my focus isn¡¯t on the Throne, just getting to the point that the System will let me hold my son again.¡± Stanton levelled a gaze at TJ that let him know he¡¯d forgotten something obvious, something that would make him feel exceptionally foolish. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t bring back your wife?¡± The thought, something he¡¯d so long shoved aside, stabbed into TJ. How had he never thought of that? Even so, he already knew the answer. He¡¯d been so focused on getting Junior back that TJ¡¯d never thought of what the position and power of a god could offer him. Mari being back. Her sweet hazel eyes crinkled up while laughing at something stupid he¡¯d said. Junior¡¯s uncontrollable giggles from the other room as his mom tickled him. The feel of her lips as she kissed away his teasing. Waking up to her listening to jazz while she cooked pancakes and bacon. Putting his hand on her thigh as he drove. The laughs. The joy. A happily full life. Tears stung at TJ¡¯s eyes, and he let them fall without resistance. He missed her desperately. To see her with Junior now, to watch her make up for lost time would be glorious. They¡¯d both always wanted to be parents, and they could be that again. ¡°System. Could I¡­ bring Mari back? The real her, not some illusion or whatever? Really¡­ be with her again?¡± Once one climbs to the Orichalcum (X) tier of Divinity, death no longer holds the same permanence that it does for mortals. If one sits upon the Divine Throne, then they rule all of creation. The Ascension to the Throne changes the mind and body of the Participant, but once one becomes God, their power is unlimited and limitations nonexistent. ¡°Yeah.¡± TJ choked out. ¡°I¡¯d bring her back.¡± ¡°It was the first thing I ever asked the System.¡± Stanton answered, his own voice soft. ¡°We got to live our lives, though, so I¡¯m mostly ok with life going the way it goes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to try to ¡®win¡¯ this thing? You don¡¯t care about anything else? You¡¯ve thought more about this than I have.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gonna go out like a wet fart. I¡¯ll fight whatever tries to stop me. But I¡¯m rooting for you, kid. You¡¯ve got so much more to fight for, so much of life you¡¯ve missed. You young¡¯uns are the future and so on. You don¡¯t have the same past and so on as me. So, see if you can¡¯t help me and Marva out if you get to the top.¡± TJ scoffed. ¡°I''ll help you out, you coot. Just walk with me as far as you can go.¡± A grunt. ¡°Ready?¡± TJ almost answered in the affirmative, but then he remembered that he had yet to explore his newest Skill, as well as the restrictions on his other. Before that, though¡­ The younger man bowed his head and clasped his hands. ¡°Kukulkan. Um¡­ thank you for giving me this¡­ opportunity, I guess. Glad you¡¯ve given me the Skills I have, they¡¯ve been helpful. Please help me keep going. Like, I know Junior needs me, and that vision I had before was pretty helpful in guiding me to make this choice. So, thank you, and keep helping, if you can. Amen.¡± He felt like he should say some sort of prayer but he stumbled over the words, and felt stupid. Even more so when the System chimed in with a response. The Divines are all dead, even the final god who ascended to the Divine Throne. There is nobody to listen to your prayers. If you desire to listen to and bless others who pray, ascend to the lowest tier of true Divinity (Ruthenium (VII)), at which point you can truly become the object of worship of your followers. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Not what I was getting at.¡± TJ grumbled, but he left it aside. Even if Kukulkan was beyond existence and couldn¡¯t hear TJ¡¯s words any longer, gratitude was just polite. Now, he wanted to begin to explore his Wind Manipulation Skill, but for now, he was too afraid to dive back into the Skill before he¡¯d grounded himself. Thus, TJ began testing how Primal Savagery functioned. It didn¡¯t take long for his rudimentary scientific method bore results: the Skill was wholly unaffected by regular clothes. TJ could keep the boxers, shorts, socks, and shirt on and never have a problem with the Skill¡¯s activation. His shoes and jacket, however, kept him from benefiting from the Skill. Near as he could figure, it was because they protected him from the weather and rocks and whatever else he¡¯d step on, and so became equipment. ¡°We have the materials for moccasins.¡± Stanton said as they decided to do something about TJ¡¯s situation. ¡°The jacket¡¯s easy enough to put on and take off, but the shoes are important. Even with however tough your feet are, walking around this forest without shoes will suck at best. Might lose toes or something else if you¡¯re unlucky.¡± TJ remembered following some pre-cut slipper design at scout camp decades ago, but he remembered nothing about it. Stanton read it in his eyes and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much of it will count, so we¡¯ll make the string and thread your new shoes with it.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to make the string?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be dirty. Get your good clothes off and follow me.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 20 TJ stared at the boiling water, his stomach still churning and upset. Stanton showed no mercy and commanded, ¡°Get over here. You can begin punching holes in it before the gut¡¯s ready for stringing.¡± He went through the motions woodenly as he punched the sharp stone through the edges of the mostly tanned coyote leather. Though he tried not to, TJ remembered and relived disemboweling the pukwudgies, pulling out their intestines, and cleaning them in preparation for usage as durable cord. He couldn¡¯t quite decide if the additional guidance from Primitive Craftsmanship was a blessing or a curse, giving him nudges and instructions on how to push the offal through the intestines without rupturing anything or how best to cut open the belly of the sentient creature he¡¯d just killed minutes ago. TJ carried a bucket with him, vomiting into it as he needed. His throat and mouth were raw from the stomach acid and bile, and little sips of water were doing nothing for him. Stanton¡¯s conversing had helped somewhat with the awful situation, though. ¡°You said you¡¯ve got an Occupation. How¡¯d you get it? What does it do?¡± TJ laughed as he retold his tale of struggling with a couple of weak coyotes. Remembering the life-threatening danger posed by a pack of pukwudgies or a divinely-blessed coyote colored his memories of two basic coyotes shredding his clothing, backpack, and flesh to a much rosier hue. ¡°It¡¯s called Savage.¡± He finished with. ¡°Basically, since I was all alone on the mountain with no tools or anything, the System treated me like I didn¡¯t want any modern tools. Now, my Occupation gives me benefits if I don¡¯t use any ¡®pre-Integration¡¯ tools or materials or whatever. Gave a basic Skill called Primitive Craftsmanship that lets me know about how to do some of these things. Having you help me along is great, though.¡± Stanton grunted. ¡°Bullshit. Shoulda been me.¡± ¡°But wasn¡¯t.¡± TJ grinned. ¡°It¡¯s a weird thing, since it required me to not use any tools, like even the salt from a treat I had in my backpack.¡± ¡°How¡¯s it work, though? I should get one too. Haven¡¯t gotten any offers.¡± ¡°Kinda like a Class,¡± TJ explained before going through the requirements the System had outlined for him after he¡¯d acquired the Occupation. Again, only a grunt answered him. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that hard, though. The way my Title is worded, one in two hundred gets their Occupation before their Class. Did you get a Title for getting your Class before your Occupation?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Stanton grumbled. ¡°Weird. What level is your Class now?¡± ¡°Six.¡± ¡°Same. And I¡¯ve shown my Class to you, what does Acolyte give you?¡± ¡°Just the Skill for the bow I¡¯ve never used. I had to upgrade that for my gun¨Cnow it¡¯s called Divine Armament. Used to be¡­ Sacred Weapon? Not sure.¡± ¡°You could ask the System.¡± ¡°Why would I¡­ Yeah. It was called Sacred Weapon.¡± ¡°And what attributes does the Class focus on? For Neophytes, it''s Vitality, Endurance, Toughness, Fixation, and Willpower.¡± Stanton hesitated for a second as he consulted with the System. ¡°Agility, Strength, Perception, Intelligence, Wisdom.¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯t have any trouble seeing the pukwudgies? If your Perception is really high¡­¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re tricky. Couldn¡¯t see ¡®em hardly at all.¡± TJ was reminded that he had more Occupation and Race levels, and those combined with the bonus to his Perception while a coatl probably carried him to be higher than Stanton usually was. They continued to converse as they did the nasty work of preparing all the materials for TJ to make his own moccasins. Though Stanton obviously hated the System and how it¡¯d uprooted him from his life, he¡¯d made the mistake of not working with it once and wouldn¡¯t do so again. They talked about what would be the most dangerous thing to encounter here, how they¡¯d travel safely, and whatever else occurred to them. Both deliberately stayed away from talking about the world before the Integration, though why they did, TJ couldn¡¯t say. Even so, there was plenty to speculate, worry, and plan about, so TJ quickly found himself trying to sew the ¡°leather¡± cutouts into a sort of a semblance of a moccasin. The work was tedious, and TJ could feel that this first attempt would be shoddy at best. He did try his best, though, and about two hours after he and Stanton began the process of creation, TJ Appraised the moccasins that laid before him. Item: Slipshod Coyote Leather Moccasins (Dirt). This footwear was created by a desperate amateur, and its quality and potential longevity show as much. The insides are lined with the coyote¡¯s fur, and will serve to keep the extremities warmer than uncovered or merely sock-wearing feet would offer. The leather is untreated and shabbily prepared, so it will exhibit wear and tear much more quickly than a well-crafted pair of moccasins would. TJ¡¯s dreams of a pair of boots that would heighten his ability to sneak through the forest or grant some impenetrable boost to his toes were dashed, though they¡¯d never exited their infancy. Instead, he pulled the bootlike slippers up his legs to his mid shin, covering his socks and the bottom of his pant leg. ¡°We¡¯ve lost a lot of time.¡± Stanton stated, looking out the door and up at the darkening gray skies. ¡°Day¡¯s basically over. No reason to leave a defensible position just before we go to sleep. We¡¯ll take turns sleeping, and leave at sunup.¡± It wasn¡¯t a request or a question, but TJ didn¡¯t mind. ¡°You want first or second watch?¡± he asked. ¡°Second.¡± Stanton answered as he stumped down the hall towards the bedrooms. ¡°You sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± TJ asked. ¡°Might be better for us to sleep near the fire to keep warm while the other can see us.¡± Stanton grunted, though not as a response. He reappeared a moment later, dragging a queen-sized mattress that he flopped into the space before the fireplace. It butted up against the couch and left only a foot between the edge of the brick fireplace and the mattress. ¡°Might as well use the mattress before we leave.¡± Stanton said. ¡°Now check the fridge. There¡¯s some bacon in there that should have thawed by now. We¡¯ll throw that in a pan and see what else we can¡¯t bring with us.¡± ¡ª-- Dinner was a strangely familiar spread. Bacon, hash browns fried in the bacon¡¯s grease, and pancakes. There¡¯d been instant mix in one of the cupboards, and so, the two men had breakfast for dinner. No syrup in any of the cupboards, but a can of condensed milk they were going to leave behind served as a syrup substitute. The scratching of forks and knives on the plate accompanied by the crackling of the fire replaced any conversations they could have had. TJ got the distinct impression that Stanton was all talked out, and it would piss him off to continue asking questions. Their plates cleaned off after eating their third servings, TJ rinsed the dishes off in the sink. No need to leave a mess if he didn¡¯t have to. However, halfway through, the faucet began guttering, and TJ left the dishes half washed in the sink. ¡°We¡¯ll drink our fills in the morning from the sink, but we might be out of luck for water for now.¡± TJ called out. Predictably, Stanton grunted. TJ walked out of the kitchen as he dried his hands on his jeans, just to see Stanton all curled up in his bed. ¡°The sun¡¯s only been down for an hour. It¡¯s 6 pm, tops.¡± ¡°It¡¯s winter.¡± Stanton replied. ¡°And it¡¯s almost 7. We''ll move with the sun. Rest when it does. Wake me up around 1, and I¡¯ll take care of watching after that.¡± Then, the old man pulled his covers up to his chin, rolled over, and less than three minutes later, he was snoring. ¡°How am I supposed to know what time it is? You didn¡¯t give me a watch or anything.¡± TJ muttered, still amused by his grumpy old companion. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The time at your location is currently: 6:56 PM. ¡°Can you send me a notification at 1 AM?¡± You will receive a notification at 1 AM. Warning: This notification will not serve as an alarm or notification more obtrusive than those you regularly receive. So not an alarm but still a way to make sure he kept track of time. That was good enough for now, at least. Finally, TJ allowed himself to dive back into his newest Skill. He kept his bottom lip between his teeth, biting a little but not so hard he¡¯d bleed. Hoping that would be enough to keep the wind from whisking away his sense of self, TJ called to the winds. They answered, quick to react and happy to feel his mind. Even so, he made sure to remind himself: Thiago Jorge Harris IV. That¡¯s who he was, not a part of the wind. He could command it. With that in mind, TJ commanded the wind to blow. Starting from his hand, the air gathered into a compressed cylinder before it blasted forward, whipping napkins from the table and rattling books on their shelf. TJ stopped the Skill before it blew out the windows, but still Stanton startled awake, his gun Suzie appearing in his hand. ¡°Where are they?¡± He demanded, bleary eyes blazing in fear and command. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That was me. I was just trying out my new Skill.¡± TJ stammered, trying to figure out how to talk down a pissed off, frightened veteran. To his surprise, Stanton only blinked a couple times to clear his eyes before grunting. ¡°Makes sense. Be quiet and let me sleep.¡± Without another word, he flopped down again to sleep. ¡°Something to practice during the day. And outside.¡± TJ resolved himself. Instead, he asked the wind in a whisper, ¡°Can you tell me what¡¯s outside?¡± It didn¡¯t respond. After all, it was the wind. TJ fought the urge to slap his own forehead. Just because it responded to his Skill didn¡¯t mean that it had a mind of its own. Instead, TJ pulled his lip once more between his teeth and pushed his awareness out of himself, trying to feel the wind. Despite feeling the wind, though, TJ kept his mind focused on the fact that he was a person, not the wind. While within the bounds of his own mind, the sensory input was overwhelming and agonizing. A human mind couldn¡¯t understand the feeling of being air, of flowing constantly, of having no constant form, but being constantly malleable. The air near the fireplace danced and sang, while that by the window was slow, and sad. TJ wrenched his mind back to himself, controlling his gasps as best as he could. He¡¯d bitten almost all the way through his bottom lip, and blood flowed freely down his throat and chin alike. Seeing through the wind was completely beyond him for now, and TJ sucked on his lip as the blood quickly stopped flowing. His mind couldn¡¯t comprehend the feeling of being the air within a couple of feet of himself, much less far enough away to be useful. Instead, TJ shifted back to a coatl, taking note of his current Divine Transformation limits: thirty-seven minutes. Plenty of time for a fight, but for standing watch, it was far from enough. Plus, the time to recover his ability to shift back was twice that of his time spent as a coatl, so he would instead need to figure out a system to use the benefits of his Skill¨C The solution was obvious, and TJ focused to ensure his transformation came easily, smoothly, and without leaving behind any of his clothes. As a coatl, his senses expanded, and he felt the air even more clearly than before, the elevation of his Wind Manipulation obvious. The air outside flowed through the trees, and TJ could almost feel it without his mind exploding in pain. Even so, he¡¯d learned his lesson, and left well enough alone. Instead, he relied on his heightened Perception to see what he could feel, hear, smell, and taste out there. After one minute passed, TJ reverted back to a human, watching and listening for anything that might have changed. He continued watching, and once the timer for Divine Transformation had completely refilled, TJ shifted back, faster than before but still ensuring all his clothing went along with him. Another minute passed as a coatl, and TJ returned to being human for two more minutes. The constant change kept him awake and aware, his mind focused on the Skill¡¯s activation when it was time, and on his surroundings the rest of the time. His watch passed without incident, and when the notification flashed in the corner of his vision, he kicked the side of the bed and shook it. Again, Stanton jolted awake, his pistol forming in his hand. He breathed deeply, looking up at the calm TJ. ¡°My watch?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Great. Sleep well.¡± Then, without another word, Stanton got out of the bed and beckoned for TJ to lay down himself. The younger man did as much, and as soon as his head hit the pillow, TJ fell into dreamless sleep. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 21 ¡°Get up, stay quiet.¡± Stanton¡¯s words woke TJ with a start. He thrashed for a second, convinced he was being held down by something, assaulted by pukwudgies or eaten by coyotes. Stanton crisply smacked him upside the head, and TJ calmed. Nothing was in here. Nothing was attacking. He was safe for the moment. The sun¡¯s light had already broken, and true morning had begun. Checking with the System, it was just before 9 AM. He¡¯d slept long and hard, and he couldn¡¯t hear or see anything. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± TJ asked, blearily blinking sleep from his eyes. Stanton merely tapped his ear while looking around, and TJ attempted to follow the oblique command. Stanton crouched, vigilant next to the mattress, his eyes steadily roving through each of the windows around the room. The younger man forced himself out of the warm covers and mimicked the stance as he strained his ears to hear something, anything. The trees creaked in the light breeze outside. Some birds were singing. The house shifted slightly. Nothing else. TJ shrugged, looking at the older man who shook his head. Still TJ listened, and still he couldn¡¯t figure out what Stanton was trying to call his attention to. Before he could ask again, though, Stanton sighed and stood up. ¡°They left. A couple pukwudgies, one on the roof, the others nearby. Somewhere from three to six, I¡¯d guess.¡± ¡°How high is your Perception? I couldn¡¯t hear anything.¡± Stanton obviously pulled up his Status Sheet before answering, ¡°27.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the same as mine!¡± TJ threw his hands up. ¡°Is there something I¡¯m missing here?¡± ¡°I know what I¡¯m listening for.¡± The old man answered, shrugging. ¡°Practice has gotta count for something. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to type any faster now than I could before. Still limited by the mind.¡± It made sense, since the pukwudgies obviously were built for stealthy operations. Of course they knew how to hide, and of course Stanton, the veteran from the jungles of Vietnam, knew how to listen for people approaching in the night. ¡°Kinda weird they decided to show up now, though.¡± TJ complained. He stretched as he pulled his feet back into his somewhat stinky moccasins. Hopefully, rubbing on the ground and getting covered with dirt and so on would help to purge some of the smell from them. Stanton grunted. In disagreement, TJ thought. When he looked over to see if he was right, Stanton explained, ¡°If they¡¯re invisible, this is a time people get distracted. Could work.¡± Then he shrugged, having said everything he seemed to intend to. TJ didn¡¯t respond, instead walking into the kitchen to see what he could throw together for some breakfast. They¡¯d eaten all the bacon last night, but there was still pancake mix and hash browns. Maybe something else was in the fridge and could add some spice to their meal. Before getting to the fridge, though, TJ looked out the window to see the morning. The sun was almost peeking up over the mountains, though the skies were blue and clear. The air was brisk, and TJ was again grateful that his high Vitality allowed him to shrug off the relatively mild Arizona winter. There was only a moment¡¯s warning before the spear exploded through the window. As the shadow darkened the window and the spear seemed to lunge into the house in slow motion, TJ startled in surprise and tried to dodge. He was too late, and the weapon lodged in his chest. The wet thud of his own flesh being punched through echoed through the quiet house, the jingling of shattering glass accompanying it. Though he was more concerned with the weapon that had nearly punctured his lung, a flashing System notification pulled TJ from looking at the spear. Warning: You are suffering from a Moderate Poison affliction (Dirt). You will continue to lose 10 HP a minute until the Poison condition is cured. Current HP: 398/430 The panic at seeing the notification was quickly washed away by the realization that his Divine Transformation could purge the affliction. But Stanton¡­ ¡°Make sure they don¡¯t get you!¡± TJ shouted as he rushed back to Stanton. ¡°The spears are poisoned!¡± Stanton dove behind a couch as cover as two more spears flew into the room. They clattered uselessly against the ground, missing their target. ¡°Stay under cover!¡± TJ commanded as he shifted into a coatl and purged the poison from his body. With a hissing roar, TJ rushed out of the cabin and towards the assailants. Each spear had come from a different side of the house, and though TJ could taste the hint of lavender in the air, a remnant of the ambushing bastards, he couldn¡¯t sense them anywhere. They must have attacked and immediately fled. A good tactic, he supposed. Poison them and let it do the work. The potency of their camouflage seemed to indicate they were at least level 5 and had some Skill that allowed them to hide better. Even so, TJ rushed out and around the perimeter of the house, searching for any trace of the pukwudgie assassins. Two or so minutes later, he retreated to the cabin, somewhat regretting not taking the Skill that would have heightened his Perception. There was no way to change his decision now, though, and TJ instead returned to Stanton¡¯s side. The older man had his pistol in hand and his head low, though he continued searching the windows for any sign of additional ambushers. Before TJ could shift back to being human, Stanton asked, ¡°They leave?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You seem fine with being poisoned. You figure it out? Maybe that snake of yours makes it so you can¡¯t be poisoned or something?¡± TJ nodded in response, and Stanton grunted in affirmation before continuing, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll keep doing this. We need to get to Pine as soon as possible. More people around will keep us safer.¡± ¡°Hopefully they¡¯ll have a Disciple or three too. I bet they can heal.¡± The thought having crossed his mind, TJ asked the System, ¡°What are the basic Class Skills for Disciples and Zealots?¡± That information cannot be shared with you, as it may provide you with an unfair advantage in conflict against the other Classes. Any information gained about Classes and Occupations, whether your own or others, must come through your own experience or the words of another. The reminder that this new existence was, effectively, a fight against every other person in the world sent a chill down TJ¡¯s spine. With a shake of his head, he attempted to shake the thought from his mind. Regardless of everything else, TJ needed to survive right now. Danger didn¡¯t come from people, but the pukwudgies and any other creature the Tutorial or System decided to throw their way. ¡°We might not be able to trust the other people¡­¡± TJ couldn¡¯t help himself. That possibility had wormed its way into his mind, and the worry plagued him. Predictably, Stanton grunted. ¡°Maybe. But we need to go there anyways. If we can¡¯t, we¡¯ll figure it out.¡± The decision seemingly made, TJ set to quickly preparing the breakfast of pancakes and hash browns. It was a somber affair, one constantly on the lookout while the other desperately stuffed their food down their throat almost without tasting it. Their bellies filled, TJ and Stanton both drank as much as they could, the water¡¯s flow dying down to a weak trickle by the end. Then, with a backpack on each, they stepped out of the cabin. TJ wasn¡¯t ready, but Stanton was as the next ambush began. Suzie barked three coughs out and a pukwudgie screamed its hawk cry of pain. 1 Pukwudgie Assassin, Level 6, Slain. Experience gained. Stanton held his gun high, seeming to track something TJ couldn¡¯t see as it fled. Then, his defense complete, the confident gunman began to refill his gun. Thirty seconds later, Stanton nodded and the two men continued on their journey. TJ strained his ears to let him know if any pukwudgies were near, but he still couldn¡¯t hear anything. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m going to put my Free Points into Perception.¡± Stanton declared. ¡°You can¡¯t be poisoned, but I might just die before I can do anything about it.¡± Again, he didn¡¯t say anything additional, but apprised his companion of the choice. They continued hiking for a time, before TJ couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°So, what did you do after you got out of the army?¡± Stanton seemed to consider whether answering was worth it or not, before grunting. ¡°Marva inherited a citrus orchard. I took care of it ¡®til she got sick, then sold it off. Been retired for a while now, sometimes I volunteer at the orchard we used to own. Sorting and picking, mostly.¡± ¡°Then her family died when she was young? That¡¯s an interesting job!¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Stanton replied, giving no more response. After a couple more attempts to get Stanton to talk, TJ gave up on continuing the conversation as they followed the path. It seemed ideal for a quad or maybe a Razor, too small for a truck or car. The brush was close to the path, and TJ worried at every sound he heard, though Stanton seemed unconcerned. Just when TJ had begun to calm himself, though, Stanton turned and fired two shots. As the pops¡¯ echoes died, the quiet whimpers of a pukwudgie appeared, though it rustled off into the bushes. TJ shifted into a coatl, deliberately leaving his backpack behind. He slithered through the brush, scenting blood and following its trail. The crimson liquid guided him to the shimmering creature. It seemed to be alone, though TJ knew it wasn¡¯t. Hidden, it threw its spear into his face and TJ merely lowered his head to allow it to skitter off his tough scales. The pukwudgie¡¯s companions didn¡¯t expose themselves, but he didn¡¯t hesitate to lunge forward and begin constricting. Bones cracked and it wheezed as he struck, his coils surrounding his prey. The movement was natural now, though TJ acted more taken in the hunt than he was. He listened, scented for his other prey, his true target. He dismissed the kill notification when it appeared, instead taking the corpse¡¯s head into his mouth as he began to return to Stanton. The wind whispered about the approaching spears, and TJ allowed them to land. He could feel two assassins. Calling on his Wind Manipulation, a forked tongue of wind rushed into his mouth. The whistling air screamed through the trees, and both fleeing goblins were yanked off their feet and towards him. As they were dragged through the pine needles, their camouflage was ripped from their bodies. Two shuddering creatures lay on the ground, their arms and feet scrabbling madly for purchase. TJ relented for the barest moment and felt their hope. He ripped it away from the further creature with a heightened blast of wind that caved in its chest and hurled it towards him. It tumbled through bush and over rock, skidding to a stop in front of the coatl. There was no need to kill it with a bite, not while its final companion continued to flee. TJ merely crushed the felled creature under his heavy body as he bolted forward with a slithering sprint. Again, he disregarded the kill notification. There was one left to hunt, another danger to his friend. He knew that there was more to Wind Manipulation than what he had done, and in a flash of inspiration, TJ ¡°spat¡± a spear of wind at the fleeing creature. A wind so strong and condensed it might as well have been a solid cut deeply into the escaping pukwudgie¡¯s spine. It screamed in surprised agony as it was sent sprawling. In a moment of additional bad luck for the pukwudgie, its skull cracked with finality against a jutting rock. Blood splattered across the stone as the third and final kill notification flashed before TJ¡¯s eyes. 3 Pukwudgie Assassins, Level 5-6, slain. Experience gained. TJ could feel he still wasn¡¯t close to the next level with Savage, much less Neophyte. Regardless, this was three creatures that wouldn¡¯t threaten him, Stanton, or any other people in the Tutorial. Before he could feel any sort of relief, though, a series of gunshots followed by wordless bellows sounded out behind him. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 22 Slithering through the bushes, TJ listened to the pops of three more shots fired. That was a total of nine shots without any presumable opportunity to refill the cylinder. Eleven more, and then Stanton was stranded. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± TJ shouted as he rushed to follow his own trail. He cursed his foolhardy rush to kill just a couple more of their enemies. The street was less than a minute¡¯s travel away, but each second stretched, and three more shots sounded out before he burst through the brush surrounding the road. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± he remembered to shout as he rushed out of the cover. Stanton stood solidly in the middle of the road, his eyes peeled and roaming across the surrounding forest. ¡°Hit once.¡± The old man reported as he gestured to a tear in the side of his shirt, exposing the weeping wound below. ¡°Not seriously, but I¡¯m poisoned. 10 HP a minute. My total is 180, so I have sixteen more minutes to live, unless there¡¯s something you can do. Suck out the poison?¡± TJ rushed to do as much, willing to try anything. A little doubt tickled at the edge of his mind, though. ¡°I can. I¡¯m happy to. Do you want to try to do it yourself, though?¡± ¡°I look like a contortionist to you, kid?¡± ¡°No, I mean. Like cut it out? I got my Occupation by doing things. Maybe you could get an Occupation by treating yourself? I don¡¯t think it would give the same Skills or benefits as whatever the Disciples get, but another way to level, at least, is great. Getting the level should heal you all the way, too, so maybe that¡¯ll purge your poison. If the Occupation helps you to heal yourself after the level, then that¡¯s even better.¡± The words tumbled out of TJ¡¯s mouth, his mind not yet caught up to whatever he was saying. After thinking about it for a second, Stanton came to his decision. ¡°Wish I had some chew for this.¡± He grumbled as he pulled his knife from the sheath at his side. TJ nearly retorted, but instead, he remembered his backpack and its side pocket. He wrenched open the zipper while Stanton gathered himself in preparation for cutting the flesh from his side. ¡°Wait a second.¡± TJ said as he pulled the ruined backpack out and ripped the final zipper open. There, the stupid sentimental can of tobacco laid. TJ¡¯d replaced the thing a couple months back when it¡¯d started to smell off, so maybe it was still good. ¡°You can have some of this. Dunno if it¡¯s gone bad.¡± TJ hesitated, but Stanton¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Good dip!¡± Stanton nearly shouted and pulled a thick wad out and shoved it between his gums and lip. His eyes closed in satisfaction, though TJ knew there was no way the tobacco had already made any difference. Even so, TJ squatted down next to the old man. ¡°Anything you want me to do?¡± ¡°Keep an eye out. Not sure if there¡¯s more of the bastards out there, and I don¡¯t want to get caught again.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± TJ answered as he shifted back to a coatl and looked around, watching for any approaching pukwudgies. No suspicious sounds or scents appeared, but TJ felt he couldn''t trust himself and coiled around the sitting man. He realized that he¡¯d grown at least two feet longer since he¡¯d last thought about it. Now, nearly twenty three feet long, TJ made a several foot wide perimeter around Stanton as he prepared his knife to cut himself. He seemed nearly there, taking three deep breaths, and TJ attempted to add an additional layer of protection as he commanded the winds to whip around them both and send any incoming attacks wide. A veritable tornado appeared above TJ, his feathered mane seeming to flap and send more air into the whirling winds. Stanton spit dirt from his mouth but didn¡¯t complain, instead taking a final deep breath before exhaling a long, controlled breath as his sharp knife cut deep into his side. The old man grunted and winced, but still he cut the flesh from just below his ribs. With a sickening thud, the tissue that ideally held the vast majority of the poison flopped to the ground. TJ wanted to rush forward and offer something to bandage the wound, but Stanton was ready. He ripped a pack of sterilized gauze from his pocket, and without needing to be told to stop it, TJ hushed the winds and stopped his frenetic circling. There was no hesitation in Stanton¡¯s movements as he pressed the gauze to the wound, held a wrap, and began binding the wrap tightly around his torso. TJ couldn¡¯t say how effective the stretchy fabric over his shirt was, but after tying it off, Stanton cursed quietly under his breath. ¡°You were right, kid.¡± Without further explanation, Stanton took the offered Occupation and seemed almost to glow for a moment. Then, with a sigh, the old man pulled the soaking bandages from his side and peeked at where he¡¯d previously been wounded. Assured by what he saw, Stanton pulled the gauze and wrap away from his skin, and exposed the flawless skin where a gaping wound had previously existed. ¡°Not what I expected to get, though.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the Occupation?¡± TJ asked, the excitement nearly purging all the worries and panic from before. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Called Druid. Basically a shaman. Kinda hippie shit.¡± ¡°What were the requirements to get it?¡± ¡°Guide someone spiritually, walk in tune with nature, and use natural medicine in a medical procedure.¡± Stanton grunted, seeming unimpressed with what he¡¯d gotten. TJ waited for a time, allowing the other man to acclimate to whatever the new Occupation offered. Eventually, though, he couldn''t hold himself back any longer. ¡°What Skill does it give? And attributes? ¡°Natural Harmony. I can connect with creatures and plants in the area. Lets me heal a little better, and scout out more effectively. Focuses on Wisdom, Intelligence, Perception, Willpower, and Fixation. Three in each per level.¡± TJ felt a hint of envy crawl up his spine at the immediate usefulness of the other man¡¯s Occupation¡¯s Skill as well as its focused attribute distribution compared to his own. Regardless, he was a Savage now, and couldn¡¯t change that any time soon, if ever. Instead, he nodded at Stanton. ¡°Glad you got it.¡± ¡°Thank you. Not sure I agree with this ¡®Druid¡¯ label, but if it helps. Cured the poison as well.¡± ¡°Think you¡¯ll be able to cure yourself again sometime in the future? Does the Skill do that?¡± A grunt that TJ took to mean ¡°maybe¡± was his only answer. Then, without further ado, Stanton pocketed the can of chew and pulled his backpack on. TJ almost asked for it back, but he decided the old man needed it more. More and more, as time passed, TJ remembered Grandpa and his grouchy, self-centered ways. He was a good man, but he could be generally annoying to be around for extended periods of time. That didn¡¯t matter now, and TJ was happy to have anyone with him. The thought of getting through the forest to the town without anyone to keep an eye out while he was asleep sounded impossible to survive. Their little conversation complete, TJ and Stanton resumed their journey, though slower for a couple minutes as Stanton refilled his cylinder with more ammunition. The faint glow from ¡°Suzie¡± was cold and threatening, leaving a faint hint of smoke behind where the gun trailed through the air. They continued walking for a short time, and TJ eventually couldn¡¯t hold back another question. ¡°If you continue down this road, will you become the druidic gunman god? A macabre deliverer of green death?¡± Stanton rubbed his face as he sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t really think that far ahead. Focused on getting to this town and staying alive.¡± As he could tell Stanton didn¡¯t want to talk, TJ stayed silent. They walked wordlessly through the forest, the ponderosa pines stretching high above and rustling in the wind. The trees¡¯ needles constantly dropped from above, coating the trail and the rest of the forest floor alike. Few birds sang, and those that did only did so for a few short moments before nothing else did. Nothing walked through the brush, and it seemed like the only sound other than that of the wind was the crunching of TJ and Stanton¡¯s feet on the gravel path. With nothing to talk about, TJ¡¯s mind drifted to his son. The System assured him that Junior was safe and wouldn¡¯t be too traumatized, though TJ couldn¡¯t be sure of anything. It hadn¡¯t lied to him so far, but that wasn¡¯t to say that it wouldn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t be deceiving him on this most important point. At the end of the Tutorial, he would have the opportunity to prove whether or not the Tutorial was lying. Then, once the ¡°boss¡± of this all slain, he would finally be able to see Junior. What would he do if it was lying to him, though? It could probably continue to hold Junior¡¯s wellbeing over his head indefinitely, so long as he was strung along carefully enough. TJ shook his head, attempting to wrest the dark thoughts from his mind. Instead, he focused on the sounds of his feet on the trail. Though his feet were leaps and bounds tougher than they¡¯d ever been before, the pointed stones that made up the path they walked jabbed painfully, or at least uncomfortably, with each step. Looking forward, the reddish stone continued for quite a while yet, and TJ knew he¡¯d be stuck walking onward with little to no respite. A life of modestly painful steps was what awaited TJ¡¯s future, and he remembered several documentaries he¡¯d watched about people who lived without real shoes. Ideally, his Toughness combined with any other benefit he got from his Occupation would work to offset his meager footwear. A quiet whistle from Stanton pulled TJ from his ruminations on his feet. As the older man gestured with his head for TJ to look around at something, TJ cursed his wandering mind. TJ strained his ears and eyes, searching for something, any indication of whatever it was that he needed to see. At last, he saw a slight hint of a blurred outline of a pukwudgie. Once he saw one, two others jumped out at him. Then, several more. Before TJ knew it, he could see evidence of no fewer than two dozen pukwudgies. There was no need for further communication, and TJ rushed forward to begin breaking the ambush. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 30 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 23 He shifted to his coatl form and the winds sang. The abrupt upgrade to his Wind Manipulation pressed in against him, and TJ could taste that this ambush was different from all those before. The coyote pelt still curing on his backpack was not the only canine around. Three pukwudgies mounted on massive, five foot-tall coyotes carried not spears but lances, at least seven feet long. While they weren¡¯t so imposing as a human-sized one would be, they were tipped with stone heads that dripped a black liquid. ¡°Poisoned!¡± TJ warned, and Stanton gave two pops of his gun as his only answer. TJ couldn¡¯t lose any more of his attention to warning the older man. Right now, his focus needed to be keeping the wolf-sized beasts away from his companion. He hissed and tried to hurl three spears of wind, one at each rider. Instead of the compressed blasts, though, TJ sent stiff breezes that flapped the pukwudgies ears and fur back without threatening to dislodge them. With a screech of frustration, TJ instead focused on one potent tempest that smashed into the central rider¡¯s mouth. Its sharklike teeth went flying as it screeched in confused pain and was thrown from its steed. The other two pukwudgies and the three coyotes still rushed towards him. A flash of inspiration struck, and TJ again condensed the wind in his mind. Just before the coyotes could reach him in unison, TJ whipped his head from right to left, sending the compressed blade of wind shooting from his mouth with a hiss. The wind screamed out and cut deep into all six front legs. Every coyote stumbled, and one of the remaining riders was thrown from a saddleless back. That left the last one, the one on TJ¡¯s left, ready to strike. Its lance pierced easily through TJ¡¯s scales and he screamed in agony. Before he could react, that rider¡¯s coyote lunged forward with gaping jaws. They sunk true into TJ¡¯s flesh, his scales cracking as it tried to rip through his organs. Though it had found purchase, the coyote¡¯s attack was a mere flesh wound. The lance, however, nearly pinned TJ to the ground, the tip scraping the dirt under his belly. The other two coyotes, though lamed, still stumbled forward to finish off their prey. TJ couldn¡¯t focus on them yet, but on the current greatest threat. With a snap of his jaws, TJ nearly decapitated the coyote biting him, but it released him and lunged away before his bite caught deep. As it moved, its rider pulled the lance free, TJ¡¯s blood spilling freely onto the ground. Warning: You are¡­ TJ only looked at the notification long enough to see that he¡¯d resisted the poison and the bleed was only -15 HP per minute. Not as bad as he¡¯d feared. He prepared and shot out another arrow of wind that struck into the retreating coyote¡¯s ribs with a crunching of bone and it whimpered as it tried to draw some distance. With the quick creature slowed, TJ leapt to his prey. The pukwudgie screamed as it tried to raise its lance to stave off the coatl¡¯s strike, but his jaws found its head before it could raise any true defence. With a crunch, its head ripped free, and TJ resumed his hunt. The three coyotes danced around him, disregarding Stanton as the massive snake showed just how threatening it could be. Their leader, the limping one that had carried the pukwudgie that had successfully struck TJ, circled around behind him while the other two menaced his front. Trusting Stanton, TJ only whipped out his tail to grab one of the two coyotes in front of him. His trusting Stanton to continue the work of death among these creatures was repaid. Another cough of a bullet being shot was immediately echoed by a coyote¡¯s wail of pain, and the one behind TJ pulled back, away from attacking and towards the forest. TJ¡¯s tail and then midsection quickly enveloped the other unfortunate creature he¡¯d caught, and the wet crunching of its ribs then spine breaking cut through the other din of combat. It wheezed its last before the inhuman strength of a coatl¡¯s constriction severed its spinal cord. The remaining coyote, the one struck most severely by TJ¡¯s blade of wind, saw its companion die and limped off to follow the other survivor into the forest, yipping in fear and pain. A sudden stabbing pain in his tail made TJ whirl back and see the two other pukwudgie riders had recovered enough to continue their attack. One had plunged its lance into his tail, but TJ lashed his tail back towards his face to bring his attacker into his jaws. The pukwudgie abandoned its weapon and tried to escape, but TJ pulled it further towards him with a quick inhale. With the wind yanking it closer, he struck. His teeth sunk deep into its belly, blood and viscera exploding out and painting his face in a macabre, sickening red. The other pukwudgie saw TJ¡¯s retaliation and turned tail to flee. TJ wanted to pursue, but instead returned his gaze to Stanton. He stood with both hands on the pistol, his eyes peeled and focused on the forest that surrounded them. A spear was lodged shallowly in his gut, but he stood confidently nonetheless. As TJ watched, Stanton sidestepped a spear to only take a grazing wound along his hip and returned fire. A hawklike screech and the tumbling of a body from high in a tree answered his shot. Unfortunately, those throwing spears were a distraction, and a half dozen of the larger blurs rushed from all around Stanton and began their assault. Though he¡¯d tried to be prepared, Stanton obviously wasn¡¯t expecting so many so soon. TJ slithered as fast as he could, gathering two compressed bolts of air and letting them fly, but he missed one of the shots, the other clipping another¡¯s shoulder and spinning it to fall. The last thing he managed to do was to barely catch another pukwudgie¡¯s foot in his striking jaws. The bolt of air that struck true slowed one of the attackers while TJ¡¯s needle-sharp teeth held another from attacking. Four large pukwudgies lunged with sharp spears from under the guise of their camouflage, and TJ knew Stanton was about to die. That was when Stanton leapt six feet straight up and, while still in the air, shot two pukwudgies in the top of their disbelieving skulls. All four strikes missed miserably, some nearly stabbing their peers. TJ, amazed but not stunned, lifted the caught pukwudgie high into the air before smashing its full body down on the other he¡¯d hit with a spear of wind. Both tried to screech in pain, but with the wind knocked out of them they merely wheezed. Though they fought to survive, TJ smashed the one in his jaws down once more, the crack of its skull against the ground a sickening thunk. A death notification prompted TJ to drop it as he slithered over the other prone pukwudgie. It screeched in protest, but it went silent under his considerable weight as he slithered over it and rolled it to its crushing death. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With a quick snap of his jaws, TJ snatched up another of the goblin things and, without thinking too hard about it, wrapped a coil around its neck, snapped its spine, and swallowed it whole. Stanton¡¯s Suzie shot once more, and the final pukwudgie down there died. TJ looked up, seeing at least ten weird blurs in the air, each indicating another pukwudgie. With his Perception and instincts, he knew what was about to come. Before a volley of spears could clatter to the ground around them, TJ summoned up the winds to batter aside the attack. The spears flew wide, but a killer headache struck as he did so and he quickly dropped any attempt at Wind Manipulation. Though another dozen or so of the pukwudgies lurked around, they each fled with unintelligible screeches to each other. The forest went silent as TJ and Stanton looked at each other and then the branches above. After no sign or sound of pukwudgie for several minutes, TJ allowed himself to relax and look at his notifications. 1 Haashch?¨¦¨¦ Oo?t?oh¨ª-blessed Coyote, Level 7, Slain. 2 Pukwudgie Raiders, Level 6, Slain. 4 Pukwudgie Spearmen, Levels 5-6, Slain. TJ forced himself back to his human form, hoping most of his wounds would magically disappear as he did so. He had no such luck. With a groan, TJ pulled the lance from his left hamstring and let it clatter to the ground. The wound still leaked blood, though not so steadily as he¡¯d feared it would. Putting weight on his left leg was agonizing, while his back and stomach both sported rapidly closing wounds. Pulling up his shirt, TJ could see that where the lance had pierced him through as a coatl was mostly scabbed over just to the side of his belly button. When he gingerly tapped along his back, though, he could feel that the entry wound was the more severe of the two. It still wept blood, while his jeans soaked in continuous dripping of his blood from the latest of his wounds. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be fine. How are you doing, Stanton?¡± TJ asked, his voice concerned. ¡°Not great.¡± Stanton admitted. ¡°But with Natural Harmony, I can at least stop my bleeding and make sure I don¡¯t go septic. We need to make sure none of your guts¡¯re punctured. You can die real easy from that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a problem.¡± TJ shrugged, then winced as he moved. ¡°I broke my nose when all this started, and its only tender now. Nothing worth worrying about. I think that the way I¡¯m healing now should mean that I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Keep an eye out. I¡¯ll take care of you after.¡± Stanton disagreed before looking back and forth and settling uncomfortably against one of the thickest trees nearby. As the older man sat awkwardly leaning against the tree, TJ watched carefully for any pukwudgies as the sweet scent of ponderosa pines thickened and grew to a nearly cloying level. Initially, he thought it was the lavender scent of the pukwudgies, but he quickly realized it must have had something to do with Stanton¡¯s Natural Harmony Skill. With none of the little bastards apparently nearby, TJ shifted back into his coatl form, hoping the boost to his Wind Manipulation and Perception would ensure he could give at least some warning about approaching creatures. When he did, though, the thick smell of blood clogged his nose and coated his tongue. There was no escaping the slaughter here. Though TJ had resolved himself not to be disturbed, the smell and taste combined to turn his stomach and threatened to make him vomit. He shifted back to his human form, trying to not breathe through his nose. He kept his eyes high and in the trees, watching for anything to distract him. The first distraction that came to mind was a question for the System, one he immediately voiced without thinking. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­ Haa¡¯sh¡­ whatever?¡± Haashch?¨¦¨¦ Oo?t?ohi was the Navajo god of the hunt. During his existence, he rose to the Ruthenium (VII) tier of Divinity. Though he never ascended beyond that lowest level of true Divinity, Haashch?¨¦¨¦ Oo?t?ohi was a loyal friend and supporter of the other Native American gods and goddesses. ¡°I swear, there¡¯s a Native American god named Coyote. Right? How¡¯d these ones end up blessed by a jackal god and a Navajo hunt god before the literal coyote?¡± Coyote, Maii, the great trickster, ascended to the Osmium (IX) tier of Divinity, and his memory decided not to bless any creatures in this Tutorial. Those blessed and influenced and descended from Coyote exist and will surely appear in your path if you continue progressing towards the Divine Throne. Considering the interactions he¡¯d had with coyotes thus far, TJ couldn¡¯t help but hope that he didn¡¯t run into any blessed or descended from Coyote. Maybe he was totally incorrect in his thoughts, but with how he¡¯d had to fight to keep himself alive¡­ well, maybe it was for the better. ¡°Get over here.¡± Stanton grunted, pulling TJ from his reverie. ¡°You see something?¡± TJ asked, his eyes roving wildly through the forest. ¡°No.¡± Stanton grunted. ¡°No, let¡¯s see what I can do to you with this new Skill of mine.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 24 TJ only began to complain and insist he didn¡¯t need treatment, but before he could get a full word out of his mouth, Stanton grunted again. ¡°Kid. Let me take a look at you.¡± Confronted with irrefutable old man logic and insistence, TJ walked forward to where Stanton groaned and stood up. ¡°This tree¡¯s given too much to use again.¡± Without further explanation, Stanton walked off into the forest. He didn¡¯t seem too concerned about another pukwudgie attack, but TJ couldn¡¯t help but keep his eyes peeled and constantly roving around. There wasn¡¯t any suspicious movement through the branches, but that wasn¡¯t much of a guarantee. Feeling inside himself, he could feel that level 7 of Neophyte wasn¡¯t too far off, but it would require another fight of about that same caliber that they¡¯d just gone through. Or, at least as many deaths on the enemies¡¯ side. The thought again turned his stomach. He could still taste the blood on his tongue, and TJ fought the urge to wash out his mouth with some of the limited water in his pack. Prying his mind from his brief fixation, TJ instead watched Stanton approach several of the tall, proud trees and seemingly confer with them for a moment. None suited his fancy, until they reached the fourth majestic, solitary tree. Differently from most, it stood in somewhat of a clearing, nothing nearby. Stanton only needed to brush a finger across the thick bark before he nodded appreciatively. The old man gestured for TJ to approach, and he did so. ¡°Put your hand on it.¡± ¡°The tree?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The old man rebutted. TJ did as he was told, feeling a little silly. Even so, he trusted Stanton, they¡¯d saved each others¡¯ lives multiple times already, what was touching a tree compared to that. ¡°Thank you.¡± The older man muttered. ¡°You¡¯re welcome?¡± ¡°Not you.¡± Stanton rolled his eyes and looked up at the crown of the tree. Before TJ could ask any more questions, he felt something push into him from the place he was touching the trunk. With a quiet hiss of surprise he pulled his hand back. Stanton immediately grabbed TJ¡¯s hand and pressed it back to the trunk. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± TJ, now anticipating it, felt the exchange of¡­ energy, he supposed he¡¯d call it. There was a faint warmth that accompanied an eerie, uncomfortable tickling sensation, as if a crawling vine was climbing up his veins. Despite the strange feeling, TJ embraced the warmth, trusting Stanton. As he allowed the energy to permeate his body, TJ¡¯s aches and pains died down. His nose cracked faintly before stopping its aching, while the two puncture wounds that remained in his stomach and thigh itched unbearably. He fought the need to scratch the itches, groaning for a moment as the itch transitioned to pain before fading. With a faint expectation of what had occurred, TJ lifted his shirt to look at the wound in his stomach. The scab had become a puckered scar, no longer threatening to tear at slight movement. On his back, the wound was mostly healed, a smaller scab remaining, while the one on his thigh had also formed into a thick scar. ¡°That¡¯s all the tree and I can do for now.¡± Stanton interrupted TJ¡¯s self-examination. ¡°I figure you¡¯ll be fine for now. There was something in you, but I think your body was ok with it. Maybe bacteria, maybe something else. I¡¯d say take a couple weeks to figure out how you¡¯re feeling, but you can¡¯t. It might be miserable, but that¡¯s all I can do for now. If, for some reason, it gets worse, let me know and we¡¯ll find something else to work with.¡± ¡°You healed me! That¡¯s more than enough. Thank you!¡± TJ leaned forward and took the older man into a hug. Stanton, surprisingly, didn¡¯t resist more than a quiet grumble. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. Thank the tree. It was willing to give up its own health for you.¡± ¡°It what?¡± ¡°This tree was strong enough, and willing, to give up some of its own life for you. It should recover, but it might not. A proud old coot, like me.¡± ¡°I¡­ have so many questions.¡± A grunt. TJ was getting used to reading the subtle implications in his tones. Or, he was losing his mind. Either way, TJ decided to ask. ¡°You can talk with trees?¡± ¡°Eh. I can understand them, more like. This one was willing and proud when I asked.¡± ¡°And Natural Harmony let you take its ¡®HP¡¯ and give it to me?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Stanton gave no further information. ¡°Dammit old man!¡± TJ couldn¡¯t help himself as he stepped closer to the stubborn man. Stanton held his ground, but TJ didn¡¯t care. He didn¡¯t want to intimidate him, but the hot emotions boiling inside demanded release. ¡°I get you don¡¯t like to talk, but information will save someone¡¯s life. I want to be able to help myself, help you, and if we can, help others. My son is somewhere I can¡¯t find, and all I can do is trust the shitty ¡®god-making¡¯ System to keep him safe and let me see him. However, right now, your ¡®nature¡¯ could be keeping us back from saving someone¡¯s life in the future, and so help me, if you keep standing between me and him I will leave you to be eaten by the pukwudgies! So be a grumpy fuck on your time, not mine!¡± Stanton leveled an inscrutable gaze at TJ as the younger man swiped furious tears from his face. ¡°Fair. I can ¡®siphon HP away from natural creatures and organisms into a willing recipient.¡¯ It takes MP for me to do it, and I¡¯m mostly out now. I can¡¯t refill Suzie, and that¡¯ll be my next priority for now. As for why we went on a little walk, I figured that since there wasn¡¯t any rush, I¡¯d look for a healthier tree before I used the Skill on you. No need to kill the trees conscripting them when we can look for volunteers.¡± An unexpected fierceness colored Stanton¡¯s words in the last sentence. He deliberately calmed himself and continued, ¡°Natural Harmony lets me pick up on the emotions of the organisms in the immediate surroundings. I think that¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Stanton grunted, though there was a certain twinkle in his eye as he did. When TJ noticed it, Stanton chuckled, ¡°Let a grumpy old fuck keep his grunts and mumbling. I¡¯ll work with you, but I¡¯ll be a pissy codger as I do. Complaining is the spice of life.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± TJ answered, a wry smile of his own answering Stanton¡¯s and breaking the thickening tension. They walked back to the trail, where they put their backpacks on and resumed their walk towards the highway. The crunching of their shoes (and moccasins) accompanied the swirling winds through the trees. TJ imagined he could hear a voice in the air, a breathy tone, but he knew it was in his imagination and Skill. For once, it was Stanton who broke the silence. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you pissed off. To let loose. Lets me see who you really are.¡± ¡°Cause I cussed you out?¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Cause a guy as calm as you in this situation, with some voice in your head and your baby missing, seems like a psychopath. Even if you puked cause you ate someone.¡± TJ fought to keep his gorge down at that last sentence. He opened his mouth to argue but instead took deep breaths through his nose. ¡°You¡¯ve acted like a regular guy who¡¯s just on a longer hike than expected, is all. I believe you have a kid, and he¡¯s obviously not here. But seeing you soldier on like that was weird. Seeing you crack cause of something stupid shows that you¡¯re just dealing well with the pressure.¡± The old man didn¡¯t say sorry or anything like that, and TJ didn¡¯t expect him to. It would have felt disingenuous or hokey if the flinty man had. Even so, the apology was clear, and TJ nodded his thanks. Stanton grunted for good measure, and they returned to walking forward towards their destination. ¡ª--- To their relief, there were no more pukwudgie ambushes for an hour, going off TJ¡¯s HP recovery, as the rough trail transitioned to a packed dirt road, to a gravel road. Stanton worked to refill the revolver, resummoning it every couple of minutes to channel another bullet into the individual chambers in the cylinder. Fifteen minutes after beginning their jog on the gravel road, a small pack of five coyotes lunged out of the brush to attack, but TJ hadn¡¯t needed to activate Divine Transformation to deal with them. Suzie appeared in Stanton¡¯s hand frighteningly quickly, and he squeezed two shots off. One fell while another whimpered and limped. TJ shrugged his backpack off to ensure that Primal Savagery would activate. Then, after taking two steps forward, he punted another in the bottom of its chin. Its jaw and neck cracked unpleasantly as it flopped to the ground in an insensate heap. Only two healthy coyotes remained. Stanton fired one more time, and the wounded coyote dropped, dead. The two remaining canines turned tail and fled. They disappeared into the surrounding brush, making no further sound beyond the stepping of their feet. 3 Coyotes, Level 4-5 slain. Experience gained. Again, TJ could feel that he wasn¡¯t too close to that 7th level of Neophyte. Somehow, this journeying through the forest on foot seemed to be providing some modicum of experience to Savage, though not much. Maybe continued ¡°savage¡± actions would give more experience, but for now, TJ knew he wasn¡¯t going to get a level by journeying to Pine any time soon. He almost wanted a couple more fights to happen, just so he could be sure that he would continue getting stronger, but TJ instead preferred the possibility that he could make it to the town without dying. After that, he could focus on getting levels. Even so, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what level the coyotes that¡¯d fled were. Then, he remembered he was an idiot. Just after he¡¯d gotten the Skill, TJ had Appraised the pukwudgie leader that¡¯d spoken to him. And he hadn¡¯t used the Skill since, except to look at the leather he prepared or the moccasins he¡¯d made. He¡¯d never even used it on Stanton. TJ turned his gaze to the older man, who was channeling his MP into the gun to refill as much as he could. With a thought, he Appraised him. Acolyte, 4 ¡°Is your race level 4?¡± TJ asked. ¡°No.¡± Stanton replied, then seemed to check. ¡°Actually, yeah. Acolyte 6, Druid 3. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°At Human 5, I got a new Skill, Appraisal, and I realized I¡¯d never used it on you. All it tells me is that you¡¯re an Acolyte and level 4. I guessed it was in human, since I know you¡¯re at least level 5 in Acolyte.¡± Stanton, true to form, grunted. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem too useful.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t for now. But I realized I could have used it on the pukwudgies or coyotes or any other number of things, so maybe it could have been useful.¡± ¡°Then use it.¡± TJ didn¡¯t say anything as he did as much, his vision flicking over a dozen things. Ponderosa Pine Tree Bush Rock Sandstone Indian Toilet Paper Pine Needles And so much more. The Appraisals didn¡¯t give TJ any additional information, like it did on his coyote leather and moccasins, though. ¡°Why does it only sometimes give a name?¡± TJ wondered as he touched a rock only labelled ¡°rock¡± next to a ¡°sandstone¡±. ¡°Do the rocks have names?¡± Stanton asked, his face confused. ¡°No, it just calls this one rock, while that one is sandstone.¡± ¡°Does it not know what basalt is?¡± As soon as Stanton asked, the label for the rock shifted to basalt. ¡°It¡¯s based off what I know.¡± TJ said, the information clicking nearly immediately. ¡°What can you tell me about these forests?¡± ¡°Well, that there is sometimes called Indian or Cowboy¡¯s Toilet Paper. Proper name is mullein. Those are brittlebush. Those over there are creosote. That bush there is a jojoba.¡± With each word that was spoken, TJ¡¯s Appraisal shifted to instead display the information he¡¯d been given. When Stanton explained what a Mormon Tea bush was, though there weren¡¯t any nearby, TJ got the distinct impression he¡¯d opened a can of worms he hadn¡¯t wanted to dive into. Even so, the can refused to close, and TJ focused on the twitching bushes as Stanton spoke. Wait, twitching shrubs? Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 25 TJ instinctively shifted into a coatl as soon as he noticed the strange shrubs. Stanton had called that particular bush a creosote, TJ just knew them as the bushes that smelled like water. Even so, something was making it move, and TJ tasted the air, desperately hoping to find whatever it was that could pose a danger. He didn¡¯t hesitate to use appraisal on the bush, but all that came back was its name. There was a different taste in the air, though, and TJ couldn¡¯t quite place it. He was far from a pro, or even adept, but he had spent days in these mountains. There was no doubt in his mind that there was something foreign here. When nothing jumped out of the bush, TJ slowly pushed his snout into the creosote, looking and tasting for whatever was the source of this strangeness. As soon as his eyes passed through the outer covering of leaves to see into the center, he saw it. What ¡°it¡± was, he couldn¡¯t say for sure, but that it was a dancing plant was about all he could reasonably guess. The one foot-tall moving plant sported an inch-thick trunk surrounded with large, deep green leaves growing directly from the stem. It bounced back and forth to a rhythm TJ couldn¡¯t hear, though it seemed to keep good time. Appraisal gave a tiny bit of information. Vivacious plant, Copper (I): A plant with some form of Divinity contained within. It could prove useful to various Occupations, provided it is treated and collected correctly. Better than nothing, but not by a lot. A dancing plant would probably be worth something, but the System directly telling him that it was Copper level of value was good news. Stanton interrupted TJ from his disappointed Appraisal as he spread the leaves open to take a look himself. ¡°That¡¯s something you don¡¯t see every day. What¡¯s it called?¡± Stanton asked. ¡°System just says ¡®vivacious plant¡¯. Could be useful, has some Divinity. That¡¯s about all I¡¯m getting.¡± ¡°Mmm. Surprising.¡± Taking the opportunity, TJ grunted in response. ¡°You getting anything from your Occupation?¡± ¡°Why would¨Cwell, there we are. Called a Lifebloom. Not sure what to do with it, but we can get it out and store it. Will be worth the trouble.¡± ¡°You should probably do it.¡± TJ said. ¡°You¡¯ll get experience from working with the forest, I¡¯d guess, so it¡¯ll be better for us in the long run. I¡¯d like to learn the method, though, if you¡¯re willing to share.¡± Stanton nodded in assent as TJ shifted back to his human form. More and more, as he did so, he was feeling the differences between the two bodies. His human sensibilities faded in the heat of battle, and he didn¡¯t taste the blood of his foes when he consumed them. A coatl was a semi-divine serpent, and something that dared to cross the feathered serpent would inevitably be consumed. That mentality was foreign and uncomfortable to him, but it was, nonetheless, how Divine Transformation affected him. When merely investigating a dancing plant called a Lifebloom, TJ felt like himself, and he was grateful that the Skill kept him alive. When he was offered Skills to better enable him to rip intelligent creatures to bits with his mouth, not as much. With a shake of his head, TJ dismissed the fearful consideration of what would happen to him as he continued to use the Skill. Instead, he focused on how Stanton coaxed the Lifebloom to release its hold on the earth below it. He used a stick to poke into the firm soil, the hardened earth cracking under repeated jabs of the stick. Once the earth was broken, Stanton blew firmly on the base of the Lifebloom¡¯s roots. Strangely, it seemed to laugh like it¡¯d been tickled, and its roots withdrew from the earth to wrap around the stick that still stood planted in the earth near it. At that point, Stanton lifted up the stick and unceremoniously flicked the plant free from the stick and into TJ¡¯s arms. It was surprisingly dense, the foot-long stick weighing nearly ten pounds. More interestingly, now freed from the ground, the Lifebloom¡¯s movements died down until it laid immobile in TJ¡¯s hands. It felt uncomfortably like it¡¯d died, and TJ leveled a look at the Druid in hopes that he¡¯d give some additional information. ¡°Put it in my backpack. We¡¯ll take a look once we make camp.¡± ¡°Just anywhere?¡± ¡°Try to keep it whole. Don¡¯t know if it needs to stay undamaged.¡± Sighing, TJ placed the plant as gently as he could inside the backpack before zipping it back up. They resumed walking the road towards where the highway should be, their feet crunching on the gravel path. The forest surrounding them felt more primal than it had before, the carefully cut back bushes already fighting to reclaim the paths that wound through them. Interestingly, when TJ spotted a game trail, there was no sign of encroaching greenery. Was the System trying to destroy all signs of humanity from before the Integration? ¡°Is it weird to you how much the brush seems to have grown in the past few days? It¡¯s denser and almost threatening.¡± Stanton looked once and cocked his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it consciously. Feels good to me, like the earth is cleansing itself. Might be something to do with the druid stuff.¡± He shook his head ruefully. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll become a treehugger myself.¡± Unconvinced and unsure if plants would begin to pose threats just like everything else around here, TJ asked the System, ¡°Is the forest itself going to attack us?¡± There is no creature within the Copper (I) or Silver (II) tiers of Divinity powerful enough to rule over this entire forest and transform it into their divine nexus of power. ¡°And can the forest itself become sentient? Or is there a third tier or even higher tiered creature nearby that could force us to fight against the trees and bushes?¡± If there was a hostile Gold (III) tiered creature nearby, you would need to rely on sheer luck to survive. The forest itself is not sufficiently suffused with Divine Will or Divinity to achieve sentience or sapience. There is no need to fear its sudden ascension. His worry acknowledged, TJ continued to keep a close eye on the forest itself, trusting Stanton to notice any approaching creatures. He didn¡¯t really think that the forest itself would do anything to them, at least not yet, but TJ refused to be surprised if it did. Especially since the System had refused to give him any real answer about if there would be something nearby that could use the forest to fight them. After all, nearly invisible goblins that smelled like flowers appeared out of nowhere while long-dead gods from Egypt and the Americas blessed coyotes and rattlesnakes. Was a living, violent forest all that unbelievable? It was a nearly silent journey of over an hour to reach the highway. Of course, no cars whizzed by, and no people greeted their approach. Instead, once they saw the intersection with the paved road, nature¡¯s reclamation efforts were obvious. The few cracks in the asphalt sported foot-tall grass that would have been torn away by passing cars too recently to exist already. Across the road, a large green sign had two arrows, one pointing left and the other right. On top, an arrow pointed right, saying ¡°Fossil Springs, 19¡± while on the bottom the arrow pointed left, its destination ¡°Pine, 7¡±. Stanton didn¡¯t say a word before he whirled and continued his journey. TJ groaned. ¡°Let me take a break. I want some food and a drink.¡± ¡°You¡¯re hungry after eating an entire pukwudgie? Can¡¯t a snake go for weeks without food?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not a snake. If I wanted to, I could only live up to a third of my life as a snake. The Skill makes me return to human and spend twice as long here, so I don¡¯t think eating as a coatl helps me with being hungry as a human. And I don¡¯t want to be a snake.¡± ¡°I guess a break¡¯s fine.¡± Stanton allowed while looking around. ¡°Stick to the center of the highway.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve figured out how to watch for approaching creatures by now.¡± TJ opened his backpack after carefully placing his drying coyote pelt to the side. Appraisal told him it wasn¡¯t yet leather and safe to stow, and his Occupation said as much as well. Reaching in, TJ pulled out a water bottle and a can of mandarin oranges. He sipped from the water before cracking the lid of the oranges and taking a deep pull from the syrup inside. His dry throat gloried in the thick syrup, and TJ cracked a wide smile at the sweetness. After nearly half of the juice inside had disappeared down his throat in greedy gulps, TJ pulled the rest of the tab off the top of the can and pulled a couple sections of orange out. As he chewed on them, Stanton settled onto his haunches with a sigh next to him. TJ proffered the can, and Stanton pulled his knife from his belt before skewering a couple and biting them off the knife¡¯s tip. While sitting, TJ looked at the soles of his moccasins. He¡¯d done his best with them, and had felt proud for making them, but they already were showing signs of wear. The hastily, if still supernaturally guided, footwear sported only crappily prepared hide as a sole, and several tears were forming. TJ could only hope that they would make it all the way to Pine, though knowing how far they had left was reassuring. He stuck his hand into the oranges and pulled another pinch free then into his mouth. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I figure we go at least half the way to town before we take another break.¡± TJ said as he swallowed. ¡°Getting close to noon.¡± Stanton replied, looking up at the sun, prompting TJ to ask the System. ¡°12:10, says the System.¡± TJ replied. ¡°I figure it¡¯s my place to complain about young people these days relying on newfangled technology, right?¡± ¡°Well, you are a crotchety old fogey. It¡¯s a god-given right or something.¡± Instead of actually complaining, though, Stanton sighed and pulled a can of beans from his backpack. After stabbing its top several times and bending it back with his knife, he drank from the coagulated mass of baked legumes. TJ laughed and reached out for a taste of his own while proffering his oranges. They switched cans and took several minutes to eat and drink in silence. ¡°Anyways. Since it¡¯s as late as it is, I figure we try to make it all the way to Pine before we stop. There¡¯s only going to be more and more things getting in our way the longer we take, so we should hurry.¡± Stanton said as he stood from his crouch. He groaned and stretched, joints popping repeatedly as he worked his arms, legs, and waist. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± TJ agreed, standing and finding he wasn¡¯t nearly as stiff as he would have expected. ¡°How¡¯re you holding up? You¡¯re not a young¡¯un like me, so you doing ok?¡± Of course, Stanton grunted. Then, he answered, ¡°I¡¯m better than I have been for a while. These levels and attributes are getting me into better shape than I¡¯ve been in a long time. Still not a whippersnapper like you, but I feel closer to 40 than 70, and that¡¯s good enough for now.¡± ¡°And I never asked, jumping like you did, that didn¡¯t hurt?¡± ¡°Not really. Twisted my ankle just a bit while landing, but I could have walked it off. Took care of it when I was healing myself.¡± TJ nodded and finished gathering everything into his backpack. Then, without any more talking, they set off at a jog down the road. The steady pavement was easier on his feet, though TJ wondered if stepping instead on the yellowed grass that ran alongside the road would be better for his moccasins. Regardless, for a time, all that answered their travels was the steady slapping of feet on the asphalt. It wasn¡¯t long before TJ was forced to recognize where his and Stanton¡¯s attributes differed. The older man certainly had a higher Agility than him, but TJ¡¯s Endurance and Vitality combined to help him to continue running much more easily than the Acolyte. After twenty minutes solid of running, Stanton continued doggedly running, his breaths coming in gasps and wheezes, and TJ couldn¡¯t let it keep going. He raised a hand to Stanton, a previously agreed-to sign to stop. With a couple wobbly steps, Stanton staggered to a stop, too exhausted even to ask why they¡¯d stopped. TJ continued walking slowly, and the older man locked his fingers together behind his head and gasped deep, pained breaths. Neither man felt the need to say why they¡¯d slowed, and TJ continued walking at a deliberate pace for another five, then ten minutes. Even then, Stanton rubbed at his knees and ankles, obviously pained. ¡°Go use one of the trees.¡± TJ suggested while walking towards a particularly large pine tree. ¡°If you¡¯re blistering and uncomfortable, which you absolutely are in those boots, then you need to fix that.¡± Stanton merely nodded before walking and laying his hands on the nearest tree and closing his eyes. Which was why only TJ saw the flashing yellow eyes before they lunged out of a nearby creosote bush and towards them. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 26 TJ was too slow to use Divine Transformation as the mountain lion threw itself out of cover and on top of Stanton. Its roar seemed to stun TJ more than mere organic fear would have, and when he realized he couldn¡¯t move, he noted the flashing System notification. Warning: You are suffering from a minor Stun affliction. You will not be able to move for 1 second, and your Agility will be reduced by 50% for the next 10 seconds. While TJ was still stunned, he could do nothing but watch as Stanton¡¯s blood was spilled. The old man groaned through gritted teeth as the long claws savaged him. Larger than any cougar he¡¯d ever seen in a zoo, this mountain¡¯s top predator stood at least four feet tall at the shoulder and twice as long. Its brown fur was thick and long for the winter, but it was increasingly more and more stained red with Stanton¡¯s blood. TJ, unable to move, Appraised the mountain lion. Mountain lion, 4 The only reassurance he got was that the massive predator hadn¡¯t yet reached the fifth level and whatever nightmarish boon it would receive at that level. The second passed so quickly, but even so, Stanton¡¯s body was a mess of ribboned flesh and dripping blood by the time TJ could move. Without care for his backpack, he immediately activated Divine Transformation and lunged at the brutal creature. The feline predator whipped around faster than TJ expected, its jaws seeking the base of his skull. Fangs stretched out in slow motion, and TJ knew he¡¯d die if it caught him. Wind Manipulation came unbidden to his mind, and TJ pressed himself to the ground, below the beast¡¯s counterattack. Asphalt scraped at his scales, but he didn¡¯t care. The big cat¡¯s fangs clashed loudly overhead, and TJ resumed his own assault. His coils lashed out, reaching for any part of the beast¡¯s body. The mountain lion leapt upwards, escaping his second attack. Again, Wind Manipulation changed the course of the battle as TJ instinctively sucked a huge breath in and pulled the escaping feline towards him. His fangs sank into flesh just above its front right paw. Blood burst into his mouth as TJ¡¯s body followed his head. His coils wrapped frantically around any part he could reach, but while the predator had been surprised when he¡¯d forced it into his reach, it still fought for its freedom. Claws flashed and cut into his flesh. His scales, scaled with his Toughness, kept the attack from sinking much deeper than a quarter of an inch, but his blood spilled freely to the tarmac. Again and again the cougar swiped at him, while TJ kept holding onto the beast with dogged determination. He felt his body slam against the ground as he wrenched his neck back and forth. At last, TJ was rewarded with the sound of cracking bone and yowls of pain. Though stronger than a pukwudgie¡¯s, the cougar¡¯s wrist still snapped under a coatl¡¯s attack. As the beast limped and attempted to escape, TJ thrashed again and again while channeling his Wind Manipulation into a long, thin line crosswise above the creature. The winds howled and whistled, and while the cougar couldn¡¯t know exactly what was coming, it desperately attempted to escape. In response, TJ wrapped his coils around its back legs. It hopped, screeched, and fought to dodge his attack. A mere three seconds later, though, TJ willed the blade of wind to slice into the cougar¡¯s spine. With his concentration on the Skill, TJ felt as much as he saw the wind¡¯s dirty work. Blood flew wildly all around, coating TJ¡¯s face more than it already was. Vertebrae screamed in harmony with the wind and the cougar alike, and it too quickly gave way. The wind was mostly spent, but with its spinal cord severed, the mountain lion couldn¡¯t be a threat any longer. Even so, it had yet to die. TJ shifted back to his human form as he released hold on the cougar¡¯s front paw. It lay whimpering before him, and TJ¡¯s stomach turned as he looked at the cute catlike face screwed up in agony. Even so, it had assaulted them, and he knew it was necessary. ¡°Turn¡­ it¡­¡± Stanton gasped, ¡°this¡­ way.¡± Without questioning it, TJ grasped the scruff of the big cat¡¯s neck and hauled it around so that its head was near Stanton. Now that he wasn¡¯t fighting for their lives any longer, TJ actually looked at the heavily injured man. Both of his forearms were sliced to ribbons of flayed skin, blood flowing freely and covering his seemingly frail body. His face sported a couple of relatively minor scratches, but the cougar¡¯s hind feet had found purchase on the old man¡¯s stomach. Two parallel lines of four ugly furrows were cut into Stanton¡¯s abdomen, the shirt so wet with blood so thick that it nearly looked black. The old man had Suzie in his hand, and he leveled it at the cougar¡¯s head. TJ stepped back, and the gun coughed only once before the death notification appeared. Mountain Lion, 4, slain. Experience gained. No level. Even so, TJ glanced at his HP, MP, and Stamina, and was surprised to see that only his MP was showing any danger of running out at 118/230. His Wind Manipulation was a wonderful boon, but it was far from a flawless Skill, given how quickly it chewed through his MP. More importantly, though, Stanton also didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d gained a level. The old man gasped wetly. No blood stained his mouth, and TJ hoped his longs hadn¡¯t been punctured, but he couldn¡¯t say. ¡°Start your Skill!¡± TJ commanded as he stepped closer and kept a sharp eye out on the surrounding forest. Any sound could be another attacker, and every second that they needed for Stanton to heal himself could prove deadly. Stanton didn¡¯t feel the need to verbally answer as he drew life from the tree he leaned against. His breathing grew more steady while the tree visibly wilted. Pine needles fell in droves and TJ kept his eyes peeled on any shadow or flicker of movement. Making sure he could see, hear, or smell anything nearby, he shifted back into his coatl form and flicked his tongue madly. Nothing else seemed to be nearby, but the thick scent of blood from both the coyote corpse and Stanton¡¯s many wounds covered most anything he could smell anyways. About two minutes later, Stanton groaned. TJ didn¡¯t take his eyes from their surroundings as Stanton forced himself to his feet. When TJ glanced at him, he couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°You¡¯re not ready to be moving.¡± ¡°Out of MP. Can¡¯t heal any more. My head¡¯s killing me.¡± Stanton grunted each sentence. ¡°Alright. Get out into the center of the highway, and we¡¯ll see what we can do.¡± Once the older man had stumbled to the center line in the highway, TJ shifted back to his human form and gathered both packs in his hands to carry there. Stanton groaned and settled into an uncomfortable sitting position, his hands wrapped around his stomach. His arms¡¯ skin still hung loosely around the partially scabbed over wounds, but they no longer bled quite so profusely. The cuts on his face had faded to angry pink scars, and TJ felt a surge of hope. Surely Stanton¡¯s stomach weren¡¯t quite so bad. The weeping wounds begged to differ. Where the claws had cut through flesh and organ here was far more serious than the flayed skin on his arms. The healing seemed to have prioritized the different spots strangely, because TJ couldn¡¯t see any intestines or other organs inside Stanton, but he still had the wide cuts. On his face, there were no wounds at all, and though his arms looked agonizing, they¡¯d progressed well on the path towards recovery. It was almost as if each wound was given the same amount of energy and then healed as best as it could. If that was the case, his battlefield healing, already so unwieldy with its reliance upon the strength of the surrounding nature, would be hindered even more. ¡°How long before you can heal yourself again?¡± ¡°Dunno.¡± Stanton grunted. ¡°Fine. What¡¯s your Intelligence? You¡¯ll get that back every hour, and we can see if that¡¯ll be enough to heal you up over time.¡± ¡°25.¡± ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll carry you along for a while after we get you bandaged.¡± TJ stated. It was a testament to exactly how injured Stanton was that he didn¡¯t complain at all at the possible indignity of being carried around like an invalid. When TJ pulled the bandages from his pack and finally pulled the shredded remains of Stanton¡¯s shirt from his wounds, he saw firsthand how badly he¡¯d been savaged by the creature. He had to fight to keep himself from puking out the mandarin oranges and beans that sat heavily in his stomach as he pressed several thick squares of gauze over Stanton¡¯s wounds. Then, keeping a worried eye out on their surroundings, TJ wrapped the wounds as tightly as he dared. Around and around went his hands, and though Stanton continued to breath deep and with obvious pain, he didn¡¯t complain. Several minutes later, Stanton was as cared for as TJ could manage, and he finally realized that he¡¯d need to figure out how he would carry their provisions and the frail man at the same time. Both backpacks were large and unwieldy, made to carry everything a person could need, and as such were packed full of necessary equipment and food. That said, their destination was mere miles away, so would it be worth it to ditch one of the packs for now? TJ quickly decided that for now he would try to carry everything. He cinched the packs together as best as he could, the webbing designed to carry external supplies wrenched out of place and twisted together to tie Stanton¡¯s slightly lighter pack to stick out behind TJ¡¯s. Then, the hundred pounds of supplies precariously perched on TJ¡¯s shoulders, he proffered both arms to Stanton. Though the old man made a face, he didn¡¯t complain too much before getting into TJ¡¯s arms in a sort of a baby/bridal carry. Loaded up with way more than he¡¯d ever thought possible, TJ¡¯s legs shook beneath him. Even so, he stepped forward, trying his best to retain control of everything in his arms. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be too long before he could take a break, right? Step after thudding step seemed to crash into the ground below as TJ walked down the slope towards Pine. Before he¡¯d left, a part of him had lamented leaving behind the cougar¡¯s corpse and leather, but with each painful stride, he was grateful for what little restraint he¡¯d shown. Even so, he suffered with each movement, though not nearly as much as Stanton did. Finally, with a gasp and an attempt to lighten the mood, TJ asked, ¡°What do you know of The Morrigan? The Pukwudgies called you that.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I already told you. Not much. My grandpa was Irish, probably comes from him.¡± Stanton¡¯s own breaths came in gasps and starts of pain. ¡°Have you asked the System? It won¡¯t tell me much about other people¡¯s Bloodlines, but I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°Then be curious.¡± Stanton replied flatly, his tone so grumpy it was nearly pissed off. ¡°This is information you don¡¯t need. If someone else wants to share, they will.¡± TJ nodded his head, helplessly pursing his lips in acceptance as another step slapped against the asphalt underfoot. It was true, he supposed. He didn¡¯t need to know the details of a different goddess, since what he needed to do right now was to survive. And walk. And walk. His ambitious plan had been to take a break only after thirty minutes of solid jogging. Then, it¡¯d become a hope to walk for twenty minutes. After fifteen minutes of slogging along at a painful trudge, TJ¡¯s body demanded rest. He stumbled over towards the nearest tree, keeping his eyes peeled for any new ambushing bullshit, and, as best as he could, gently placed Stanton beside a tree where he could work his magic. This¡­ was going to suck. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 27 With a wordless groan of pain and despair, TJ dropped Stanton to the ground beside the latest tree to be sacrificed. He knew that the tree wouldn¡¯t actually die or anything from Stanton¡¯s magic, but TJ did feel a slight compassion for another living being that gave up comfort and a part of their health for Stanton¡¯s continued survival. Despite any feelings of commiseration or understanding though, TJ lacked the energy to take another step forward to another plant. This was the fifth stop they¡¯d made since the mountain lion¡¯s attack. The first time, TJ had made it a full fifteen minutes before taking a nearly ten minute break. He¡¯d had enough energy at that time to wonder where any cars would be. This particular stretch of highway didn¡¯t have a ton of people on it, but there would have been someone here, in this stretch of road, in the space they¡¯d traveled already. No such vehicles appeared, though, and as he resumed his journey, he was too exhausted to wonder any longer. They¡¯d both only gotten more and more exhausted as he¡¯d continued his painful trek. Stanton was recovering markedly, and his stomach stopped leaking blood all over after the second stop, though the movement pained him and split his scabbing wounds. TJ had only managed a bit over ten minutes of walking the second leg, and Stanton¡¯s MP had only recovered by five in the time between. It was hardly enough to heal himself a large amount, but he was convinced that the newest Druid level was very close. With that hope driving him, TJ didn¡¯t hesitate for too long before resuming their journey. Again and again, he walked until his shuddering legs proved to be too much for him to continue. Each time he stumbled to a new tree, Stanton would exhaust himself to force healing into his body, but the results grew less and less impressive with each stop. With less MP to work with, there was much less that he could do, but now, on the fifth stop, Stanton groaned but stood tall. His shirt remained stained with his blood, and TJ could see the puckered scars that patterned the old man¡¯s stomach under the ribbons of torn shirt and jacket. That he hadn¡¯t bled to death on the highway in the middle of nowhere was a miracle, and now the old man, though not healthy or whole by any stretch of imagination, was on his feet. TJ dropped the backpacks to the pavement of the highway and gestured for Stanton to get whatever he wanted out of them as the exhausted younger man stood as tall as he could while holding both his hands behind his head and breathing deeply. Stanton stumbled over to the backpacks, where he pulled a water bottle from his pack and drank deeply from it before ripping a can of corn out of as well, stabbing it open with three swipes of his knife, and drinking the corn kernels that spilled out. He acted like a starving savage, his entire focus on devouring as much corn as fast as possible. The water it had been suspended in dribbled out of the corner of his mouth and through his stubble to soak his collar. Stanton didn¡¯t seem to care. He merely continued devouring the food as TJ walked forward to stand nearby. Too tired to stay on his feet, he activated Divine Transformation and laid down while keeping his eyes and nose peeled for anything¡¯s approach. Maybe a minute later, Stanton finished his ¡°meal¡± and looked at TJ, who laid coiled in the middle of the road while his eyes felt heavier and heavier. ¡°You done?¡± TJ asked. ¡°For now.¡± Stanton replied. ¡°I¡¯m hungrier than a bear in the spring, but I better move before I eat anything else.¡± ¡°Fine by me. Can you carry your pack or should I take it for now?¡± ¡°Better you, for now. Maybe in an hour or so I can heal myself enough to carry my own gear. Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better that you¡¯re still alive. Taking another backpack is nothing compared to carrying you the next four miles.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Probably closer to five.¡± ¡°... Shit.¡± TJ quietly cursed as he shifted back to his human form. Before grabbing their gear, he idly massaged his feet for a minute while looking around. There hadn¡¯t been any pukwudgies, coyotes, snakes, or even lizards in the past nearly two hours, and he was feeling antsy. Even so, nothing appeared, and TJ strapped his pack on and adjusted Stanton¡¯s to sit on his stomach instead of his back. Then, with his feet aching but not injured, thanks to his massive Vitality, Endurance, and Toughness attributes, TJ resumed walking onward. With Stanton walking, they couldn¡¯t go as fast as TJ had managed when carrying everything and everyone, but they made much more consistent progress as they continued walking for half an hour. Every five minutes or so, TJ had turned to ask if Stanton wanted to stop, but after the second question, Stanton had shot him a death glare so potent that TJ¡¯d stopped asking any questions entirely. At the thirty minute mark, though, Stanton¡¯s face had gone pale and, with sweat pouring down his face, he¡¯d requested a stop. TJ activated Divine Transformation as he went first to the nearest tree, scoping out any potential threats, but seeing nothing. There was no scent or indication of any potentially threatening creature being nearby, so TJ gestured for Stanton to approach. Now cleared to approach, the old man didn¡¯t hesitate to lean against the tree and begin to take some of its vitality for his own. TJ kept an eye on the surroundings and the other on Stanton. Though he was a stubborn, tough old man who had magic on his side, he wasn¡¯t recovering as quickly as TJ had expected. For the first time in horse, his mind was clear enough to think to ask the System a question. In a hushed whisper, he did as much. ¡°It¡¯s been this long, about 2 hours, and Stanton hasn¡¯t recovered as much as I¡¯d expect. Why?¡± The System will not provide specific information regarding another Participant¡¯s physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, divine, or other wellbeing. If you have any questions for another Participant, you must ask them or acquire a Skill that would allow you to access that information in some other way. He fought not to roll his eyes. ¡°What kinds of conditions or afflictions are there that might impede the natural recovery of a Participant? Does HP recovery change if someone¡¯s currently hurt?¡± Common Afflictions such as Crippled, Maimed, Septic, Cursed, Poisoned, and Blighted, as well as more uncommon Afflictions and most Afflictions causing constant HP drain serve to slow or even cease entirely the natural HP recovery offered by the Vitality attribute. Certain severe injuries will also cause an individual to suffer from any number of multiple common Afflictions. TJ felt a surge of gratitude that he¡¯d never even feared getting any of those more exotic sounding Afflictions, much less suffered from them. Also, a part of him mentally thanked Stanton for the idea that his wounds might go septic, since that was a common enough occurrence for it to merit its own ¡°common Affliction¡± title. ¡°What Afflictions do you have right now? You¡¯re not healing as fast as I feel like you should.¡± Stanton stayed silent for a time, but TJ didn¡¯t ask again. If the injured old goat needed some silence to continue healing himself, TJ wouldn¡¯t continue interrupting it. Two or so minutes later, Stanton finally replied as he easily rose to his feet. ¡°Called it ¡®maiming¡¯, localized to the intestines. You don¡¯t want to know exactly what it did, but it kept me from healing anywhere near as much as I should.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking great now, though. You finally level up in Druid?¡± A grunt. ¡°We should be able to make it pretty fast now.¡± ¡°Sure hope so.¡± TJ replied as he gratefully kicked Stanton¡¯s backpack over to the now healthy older man. ¡°Now listen here.¡± Stanton protested, his eyes ablaze. ¡°I packed that special, and there¡¯s good stuff in there. If you break it because you¡¯re being lazy, you won¡¯t need to worry about any damned goblins or ghouls or whatever else. I¡¯ll kill you first!¡± The angry rant continued, but TJ didn¡¯t pay it any mind. Instead, he stepped forward and settled his own pack more comfortably around his back while looking for any movement in the forest. After all, it¡¯d been long enough without seeing anything that it was almost worse that there wasn¡¯t anything ambushing them right now. That would at least reduce the tension. Disregarding whatever he wanted, though, only the rustling trees and the grumpy man¡¯s grumbles answered his nervous observations of the world surrounding them. Stanton didn¡¯t take long to prepare himself and set off at a quick walk towards their destination. As they continued to walk down the mountainous highway and around one of the dozens of bends in the road, Stanton perked up and pointed. ¡°That there is Pine.¡± Looking over the precipitous drop at the edge of the road, TJ was the town. Several thousand homes, at most, with the single ¡°main¡± road crossing through being the highway itself. No stoplights in sight, and TJ imagined there wouldn¡¯t be one either. ¡°Straight shot there through the forest.¡± Stanton mused. ¡°Probably cut half a mile off our journey to go through the trees instead of on the road.¡± ¡°And you¡¯d get stabbed again.¡± TJ gaped at the foolish man. ¡°Are you stupid or something? We can see them coming on the road, and we¡¯ve still got an hour and a half before sunset begins to be a problem.¡± Stanton chuckled. ¡°It was a test, I guess. Just seeing if you were gonna rush.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯d be stupid. You do have enough MP to refill Suzie at this point, but that¡¯ll probably be all we¡¯ve got until we get to town. In the trees, you¡¯ll be more a liability than you are on the road with wide open shots.¡± ¡°I get it. Drop it.¡± TJ shook his head and continued walking onward. Even at this brisk walk to preserve Stanton¡¯s feet, they¡¯d make the couple of miles left in an hour at most, getting into town just before the beginning of sunset. Nothing to do but to continue their path. With their goal in sight, TJ couldn¡¯t help but feel a pit in his stomach begin to form with each step. Surely they couldn¡¯t reach their goal without any additional roadblocks. TJ wasn¡¯t sure if it was worse if he thought that nothing would happen or something terrible would. On the one hand, the universe seemed to enjoy kicking people in the balls when they thought that everything was going to be alright. On the other, it also seemed to love making your worst fears come true. Like your wife dying and leaving you a single father in a job you hate. For example. With a force of effort, TJ wrenched these thoughts from his mind and instead thought about and observed what was around them. The wind wasn¡¯t as loud, though TJ felt that it was still excited to have someone to talk to. How he thought that he could understand the intent of the wind was beyond him, but he could turn into a snake, maybe he could understand the damned wind. And just when he felt like he could understand the wind, it whispered to him that there was something in front of them. Something bad. TJ stretched out his awareness, trying to understand whatever it was that it was saying to him, but he couldn¡¯t place it. He looked out, and saw nothing. Nothing but the faint shimmers of pukwudgies. Dozens of them. With coyotes. And more coming from their flanks in the forest. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 28 [Laura POV] The sun set, and Laura wanted to collapse into bed. Every day of this was probably the worst day of her life. People expected her to know things, and all she knew was that whatever had created all this was the worst. ¡°Penelope. Please stay in your house.¡± Laura commanded as she walked past the firehouse that¡¯d become a makeshift nursing home. ¡°You can¡¯t see well in the dark, and it¡¯s almost night.¡± ¡°But you still need dinner, honey!¡± Insisted the kindly old woman. ¡°I know you haven¡¯t eaten much, and I made sure to set some of the eggs aside for you. You¡¯ll get too skinny if you just pace and work all day!¡± Laura sighed and rubbed her forehead before nodding and walking into the open garage of the firehouse. The engine had refused to start, and it¡¯d taken five men working together to push the worthless lump of metal out of the garage and into the road. That anyone at all had been able to move it was a blessing, and Laura thanked her lucky stars that they¡¯d been able to get the additional enclosed space by moving it. Jeff and Ricky insisted they could get the thing running again, and Laura let them fiddle away at the unresponsive beast. The fires were roaring and the space, set up with a half dozen folding tables from the church down the road, was functional, if not cozy. Laura nodded to a half dozen people that greeted her as she walked in, and with their enthusiastic greetings and barely retained questions, she regretted her first words upon arrival more than ever. ¡°My name is Laura McDougal, and I¡¯m the current mayor of Kingman. Let¡¯s work together and see if we can¡¯t get out of this alive.¡± She¡¯d been one of the unluckier current residents of Pine, as she¡¯d been teleported nearly half a mile away from the town center. The most unfortunate had had to hike all the way from the furthest edge of the girls¡¯ camp, braving assaults from all sorts of mythical beasts each step of the way. At this point, they were fairly certain there wouldn¡¯t be anyone else turning up, but the hunting parties they sent out continued to search for any signs of survivors they could help. Since her initial declaration, Laura had become the de facto leader of the 177 people currently living in Pine. Nobody else was willing to grease the wheels and pander to the stubborn the way that she¡¯d learned how in her nearly two dozen years as a public servant. Now, instead of schmoozing boards and maneuvering with the governor for funding, Laura listened to the dozen elderly folks complain about the cold and talked down the raging bloodlust of the two dozen teenagers. The young twenty somethings weren¡¯t much better, either. Talks of gamifying the damned apocalypse were common at their tables, but they were also their highest-leveled individuals and their protectors, so Laura didn¡¯t really mind the way their minds worked. In contrast, that she didn¡¯t need to leave the relative safety of the center of town to level her Occupation and Class was a blessing, since Laura still felt faint at the sight of blood. She¡¯d hoped that her Disciple Class and its Skill Cure Wounds would purge her of her hemophobia. It had not, and she¡¯d vomited the first time she¡¯d had to deal with an open wound. Her Skill didn¡¯t require her to look at the wounds now, so she struggled much less with healing. ¡°Here you are, sweetie. Thank you for taking stock of all our food, since we¡¯ll need to make sure we all stay eating!¡± Penelope hobbled over with a steaming plate of eggs balanced on her walker¡¯s seat. A side of three strips of bacon accompanied the scrambled eggs, and though Laura had made a New Year¡¯s resolution to go vegetarian this year, she found that starvation and no centralized heating, among other things, served to disabuse her of that mindset very quickly. Sitting on the cold metal folding chair, Laura shivered but devoured the meal set before her. With so many hungry people here, they would eat through the entirety of the general store¡¯s stores before the System¡¯s mandated two weeks were up. And, who was to say that they would be able to go anywhere else afterwards! Pine had no arable land, and even if it did, there were several months before they could hope to plant anything with the intent to harvest. Unless there was some Farmer Occupation. Laura¡¯s mind never stopped, and she continued to wonder at different possibilities throughout her meal, short though it was. ¡°Thank you, Penelope. I need to ensure I eat my fill. My mind doesn¡¯t work quite the way I¡¯d like when I¡¯m too tired.¡± ¡°And we don¡¯t want you to be a bicycle, we need our mayor!¡± The petite lady cackled with glee at her apparent joke. Laura blinked twice, trying to understand whatever the sweet, if overeager, older lady was trying to say. After a beat, it clicked. ¡°Too tired. Two tires. Got it.¡± ¡°Oh, my Fred made that joke all the time.¡± Laura nodded politely, unsure of how to answer, but Penelope continued, taking away from her the need to respond. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be seeing him soon enough. All this fighting stuff isn¡¯t for me. To God¡¯s embrace I go. One of these days, at least.¡± Penelope¡¯s infectious hope and positivity was overwhelming, though Laura wondered what heaven there could be, given that the apparently omnipotent System declared that God had died. Or, at least abdicated the Throne that gave divine power. Those thoughts, though, weren¡¯t worth much. Instead, Laura finished her meal, scaping her fork on the paper plate to pick up every last bit of the food from the corners. Then, she stood and went to take her plate back to the kitchen. Penelope, as always, interposed herself and insisted that Laura allow the elderly woman to do what she could to help. ¡°Have you seen Zig?¡± Laura asked as she accompanied Penelope towards the kitchen. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from the hunters for today.¡± ¡°I think she was getting some rest.¡± Penelope answered as she deposited the dirty dishes in their correct locations. There wasn¡¯t enough water to wash any dishes or utensils, but they tried to keep everything as clean as they could. Thus, paper plates. They¡¯d gone through the disposable utensils much more quickly, and had taken to cleaning the utensils as best as they could between meals. ¡°Ok. Are she and her people still in that ¡®hunters¡¯ lodge¡¯?¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Nobody told me otherwise. Then, they don¡¯t tell me much.¡± Penelope giggled as she reached up and patted Laura¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Have a good night. Make sure to get some rest.¡± ¡°Of course. See you in the morning.¡± Laura bid the older woman good night before finding a couple people to escort her the hundred yards or so to the ¡°hunters¡¯ lodge¡±. The chill air blew through her business clothes, but appearances were important, and Laura remained in her work best as they made the trek. Nobody had ever seen any enemies in the bounds of the town, but that didn¡¯t mean that anyone was willing to take the chance. If tonight was the night that the little goblin things appeared, Laura refused to be caught out in the open all alone. Thus, a little convoy of five people made their way to the little antique store with an adjoined home. Laura had thought that they should leave people¡¯s homes as untouched as possible, but, again, the hunters were a valuable part of the community, and people who weren¡¯t here didn¡¯t matter as much as those who were. Zig and her people had dragged whatever antique furniture and wood carved accouterments struck their fancy into the home. When they opened the door, Zig and Charlie were draped over each other on a Victorian style loveseat, huddled under a thick quilt. It wouldn¡¯t have been the first time for Laura to have stumbled in on two (or more) of the hunters indulging in the pleasures of sex, but this time, it was a mere companionable cuddle. Or post coitus. Frankly, Laura didn¡¯t care. She¡¯d been young and hormonal once, and it was the end of the world, who¡¯d care if they wanted to bang all over the house. The twenty-something with bright red hair turned and drew an ethereal bow with supernatural speed, her breasts exposed. Laura cursed her mind as she mentally filed away the hunters¡¯ state as ¡°post-sex¡±. The animal side of her brain flinched and nearly screamed in fear, but Zig quickly realized who was at the door and let her bow disappear into glowing motes of light. Then, she seemed to understand why they were there and hung her head as she looked for a shirt to pull on. ¡°Shit, Laura. My bad. We¡­ we should have come see you. Nothing worth eating today, again. And¡­ we lost Hannah.¡± That explained why they¡¯d gotten distracted. Soldiers these kids weren¡¯t, and Hannah wasn¡¯t the first of the hunters to have died in the past days. Charlie stood and shrugged on his own shirt, one stained with blood, dirt, and who knew what else. Laura fought to keep her gorge from rising. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. How¡¯s Seth doing?¡± ¡°Bad.¡± Charlie responded. ¡°He¡¯d promised to protect her this morning. Then¡­ a pukwudgie got her in the eye with a spear. It was too quick to do anything.¡± Laura sighed, again cursing her mind for calculating the slight excess in rations that the 19 year old¡¯s death provided. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Have you all eaten?¡± Zig swiped the tears from her eyes as she nodded. ¡°Yeah. We had food here. Had a little wake for her.¡± Her breath caught in a strangled sob as she continued, ¡°Haven¡¯t even known her long enough to tell all the good stories.¡± Their situation resettled over Laura. Nobody in this whole town knew another before they¡¯d appeared here. Some came from as far as eastern California or western New Mexico, but nobody¡¯d had time to truly get to know anyone else. ¡°Do you want to talk about your day any more than that? Any news for the rest of us?¡± They glanced at each other and Charlie shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s more and more of them out there by the day,¡± Zig answered, ¡°doesn¡¯t seem like us killing them does a whole lot. The System says that it will, long term, though. That¡¯s all we can really trust for now. We got one Tracker Occupation, that was Nat. System told her it was because of how she was following the tracks, but the rest of us are doing the same, so who knows. We found some elk tracks, but too late in the day to follow out. It was on our way back that we were ambushed. Seth figures it''s his fault, cause his Perception is the highest. Freak accident is all, though.¡± ¡°Again, I¡¯m sorry. If there¡¯s something we can do to help, let us know. We realize that you¡¯re all the most valuable asset we have at this time, and want to ensure that you feel our support and appreciation at every step. Let us know if there¡¯s anything else we can do.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep you posted.¡± Zig answered. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, it¡¯ll be safer for you to travel before the sun¡¯s all the way down. We still don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll gank us sometime.¡± ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll see you in the morning, make sure you get your ration allowance for the day.¡± Laura bid the grieving kids in the house as she let herself out of the house. Jeff, who¡¯d tagged along, rubbed the back of his head as they walked out of the fenced front yard. ¡°Feels pretty shitty that we¡¯re letting a bunch of kids fight for us while we stay safe in town. I don¡¯t think I can convince myself to keep working on this truck when a kid just outta high school just died for me today.¡± Laura fought to figure out what to say in response to that. How could they possibly keep morale up like this? Which was, of course, the moment that the pagan snake god decided to appear with a suffering, heavily bleeding man in its mouth. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 29 As TJ slither sprinted into the bounds of Pine while carrying Stanton¡¯s mostly limp body in his jaws, he Appraised every person that came into view. Zealot, 2 Zealot, 1 Acolyte, 2 Acolyte, 2 Zealot, 3 Disciple, 5 His decision made, he rushed towards the Disciple and tried to demand that she heal Stanton but couldn¡¯t really speak with the bulk of the limp torso within his mouth. The Disciple, a maybe mid-30¡¯s woman wearing a dirty tan pantsuit and practical flats, blanched, screamed, and fell flat on her ass as TJ approached. The other five looked panicked at each other before the level 2 Acolytes summoned their bows and tried to pull it back to shoot at TJ. He only then realized how it looked¨Ca twenty or so foot long snake rushed into the town faster than Usain Bolt could sprint while carrying what appeared to be a human¡¯s dead body in its jaws. Only barely with the last dregs of his MP only recently recovered did he manage to call Wind Manipulation fast enough to deflect the arrow that would have struck Stanton ¡°No!¡± TJ shouted as he dropped his Divine Transformation. Fortunately, Stanton remained in his arms as he pleaded without walking any closer. ¡°I¡¯m not hurting him! We were ambushed and he was injured so I transformed to carry him here to try to get him healed. Please! I think he¡¯s still alive. I¡¯m sure you can heal him, right?¡± He gestured at the Disciple, desperation coloring every word. TJ¡¯s nearly unintelligible babble confused them enough that the Acolytes didn¡¯t shoot again. A win, in his book. ¡°Please. He¡¯s dying. He needs to be healed. I¡¯ll pay or whatever you need, just help.¡± The man¡¯s voice cracked as he begged and tears burned at the corners of his eyes. Only barely could TJ hear Stanton¡¯s rasping breaths while his blood dripped to the asphalt underfoot. The Disciple hesitated but stepped forward. The three Zealots stepped in front of her, and two of them were suddenly carrying thick iridescent tower shields while the third was decked out in full chain mail and glared at the two interlopers half threateningly and half in terror. The near darkness from the setting sun obscured all their faces, but TJ didn¡¯t care about what they looked like. ¡°No, Laura.¡± The level 3 Zealot said while glancing around his shield at TJ and the slowly bleeding body of Stanton. ¡°We can¡¯t risk you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re both humans.¡± The woman¡¯s voice replied from behind the wall of shields. She peeked through the narrow gap, her hazel eyes evaluating. ¡°The snake one is a level 6 Neophyte, and the hurt one is a level 5 Acolyte.¡± With that, she pushed through the shields, gasped, and averted her eyes before she laid a hand on Stanton. A golden, somehow holy light flowed from her hand into his chest, and after a moment of fear, TJ felt the dying man¡¯s breaths strengthen. After nearly a full minute of channeling her Skill, the Disciple stepped back. She was slightly unsteady on her feet, but she nodded as she spoke. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. Needs food and rest, but he¡¯ll pull through.¡± TJ didn¡¯t look at her, instead watching Stanton¡¯s face as his complexion improved and his breathing shifted from a labored fight to a more comfortable sigh. Before TJ could look up at Stanton¡¯s savior, the old man groaned and opened his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t let me do that again.¡± Stanton complained. ¡°Get ambushed?¡± TJ replied as he set the man down on his feet. He swiped at his eyes as he continued, ¡°Yeah, not a fan.¡± Stanton was about to reply when he finally noticed the strangers surrounding them. He stood stiff and tall, his hand obviously itching to summon Suzie. Before he said anything, TJ began speaking again. ¡°These are the people in Pine. That lady there saved your life. I¡¯m sorry, what¡¯s your name? I¡¯m TJ, and this is Stanton.¡± The Disciple nodded and stuck out a hand. ¡°Laura McDougal. Glad you made it here safe. Is there anyone you were forced to leave behind?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just been us for the last couple days. You¡¯re the first people we¡¯ve seen.¡± TJ said. Stanton merely grunted in agreement. ¡°C¡¯mon you goat. At least tell her thank you.¡± ¡°I would have in its time. But thank you, missy. You saved my life. I appreciate it.¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯re happy to help everyone. I¡¯m surprised that a man of your age made it this far.¡± Stanton¡¯s face dropped, but Laura blazed on with stoic perseverance, ¡°Most of the senior citizens in the city have needed to be taken care of at every step, so it¡¯s great to see someone who can stand on their own.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only barely a senior. Don¡¯t treat me like the rest just because I¡¯m almost a fogey.¡± ¡°I apologize, Stanton. I was wrong. I merely wished to express my admiration for your grit and strength. Do you two need somewhere to sleep tonight? I don¡¯t know if you realize this, but long term, you¡¯ll probably want to be in town.¡± She spoke with an easy authority, though one of the Zealots, the level 3 who¡¯d been vocal about keeping her back, didn¡¯t like the instant invitation she¡¯d given. ¡°The Tutorial wants us here, yeah.¡± TJ interjected. ¡°And we lost our packs getting out of that ambush, so if we could get somewhere to sleep, that¡¯d be great.¡± ¡°Glad to hear you know as much. If you need to rest immediately, don¡¯t hesitate, but we would appreciate a warning about whatever it was that reduced you two to that state if you can give it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sleep.¡± Stanton answered before TJ could. ¡°I wasn¡¯t conscious for all of it. He can tell the story better.¡± Then, without any further ado or words, Stanton stumped over to the nearest dark house. He stalked through the front door, slammed it closed, and, before long, the flickering lights of a fire peeked through the window facing the road. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°He¡¯s like my Grandpa that way.¡± TJ mused aloud. ¡°Just feels like it¡¯s gotta be his way, but he¡¯s trying to help everyone else out while he¡¯s at it.¡± ¡°My dad was the same way.¡± Laura agreed. ¡°Many good people are like them. Set in their ways. Now, would you join me in the hunters¡¯ lodge over here as you tell your story? The people there will welcome whatever you have to tell them.¡± TJ nodded for her to lead the way, and it was only a dozen steps to reach the door to the antique shop that apparently was the lounge. All around outside were massive wood carvings, of bears and thick men and a dozen other things, though there were some conspicuous vacancies where something had been taken away. As he looked around, Laura leaned forward to knock on the door, but before she could, a young woman¡¯s voice called out, ¡°Come in!¡± Laura pushed the door open and gestured for TJ to step inside. As he did so, his eyes gradually acclimated themselves to the warm light cast by the roaring fire in the center of the room. A young couple, the woman maybe twenty and the man a couple years older than that, stood with their arms crossed in the center of the room. The woman was just a couple hairs above five feet tall with unnaturally bright red hair. Both her ears were heavily pierced, bars and rings going from top to bottom, and she wore a Metallica tee with the sleeves cut off to expose the swirling ink on both arms. The man looked much like most metalheads in the midst of an adulthood-forced reckoning with professionalism¨Cheavily tattooed arms under his short sleeves as well as a couple holes in his ears from piercings he¡¯d removed, paired with a professional haircut and practical jeans. ¡°You¡¯re a newcomer?¡± The vibrantly-haired woman asked. ¡°Just got in. Laura saved my friend¡¯s life, and he went to rest in the house across the street.¡± TJ answered. ¡°Ok. What happened? One of the pukwudgies get him or something?¡± The man asked, his face alarmingly sober. ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡ª---- Though they¡¯d survived an ambush before, back then, their enemies numbered only maybe half as many pukwudgies, and on top of that, they weren¡¯t surrounded when the first ambushers had attacked. The only upside was that at least they were in the middle of the road, and with thirty feet of asphalt between them and the nearest ambusher. Even so, there wasn¡¯t much time. Coyotes sprinted out of the forest while pukwudgies of various sizes and shapes approached. Under the cover of their magical camouflage, it was nearly impossible to tell what they were intending to do. TJ activated Divine Transformation and let his backpack fall behind him. If they could break the morale of their attackers, then they might be able to get through this without dying. It didn¡¯t look good, but it was all they had. TJ rushed forward, a blade of wind prepared to shoot out whenever necessary. He heard Suzie fire one, two, then three times. He couldn¡¯t help but count down. 17 shots left without reloading. The pukwudgie blurs atop the three closest coyotes fell to the highway behind their steeds. The scent of their blood filled TJ¡¯s head, and he knew they were dead. Without riders, the coyotes posed less of a deadly threat, and TJ lunged at the first. His jaws found purchase on its throat and, instead of trying to kill it immediately, he lifted it up. With the unnaturally large canine aloft, he swung it down at another of its companions. The coyote dodged away, but the one in his jaws smashed against the asphalt with a wet thud. A strangled yelp fought through the windpipe in TJ¡¯s jaws. He merely hurled the mostly dead creature at the third. It tried to leap above but was too slow. Eight legs and two torsos collided with the sound of bones cracking. The third coyote yelped and tried to catch itself. TJ wrapped his tail around its neck and contracted. It wheezed as he continued to squeeze it. Its jaws scraped painfully across the scales on his back, but TJ twisted his body out of its reach. Then, he spun in a circle and smashed the coyote into the pukwudgie trying to stealthily stab him. The pukwudgie screamed in agony as it was mostly crushed under the larger coyote¡¯s mass. TJ raised his living weapon aloft once more, and with a sickening thud, he received the first death notification. Pukwudgie, 4, slain. Experience gained. Again, TJ threw the coyote he held towards the others. Again, they dodged out of its flight path, though another death notification came as the body rolled across the ground. Coyote, 5, slain. Experience gained. TJ could feel how close the next level was, and decided to throw himself more recklessly forward. Three pukwudgies, under the cover of their camouflage, were nearly bisected with his prepared blade of wind. Still, they hadn¡¯t died, but TJ didn¡¯t stop to finish them. Instead, he lunged at another, one attempting to sneak past to Stanton. His coils wrapped around it, and as bones creaked, it became fully visible. Its too-wide mouth spread in a breathless scream. Before he could finish it off, two coyotes tore into him. Though his scales and Toughness prevented their teeth from shredding through him entirely, TJ¡¯s blood flowed freely while the coyotes howled in excitement. They pulled him from their master, but not before his jaws found its throat. The pukwudgie¡¯s face, which had begun to show some semblance of hope, went slack as his fangs ripped his throat from its body. Pukwudgie, 5, slain. Experience gained. He was so close. TJ knew that only one or two more kills would bring him over the edge, so he recklessly prepared another, broader blade of wind. The headache appeared even before he emptied his MP, but still he compressed the wind into a long blade, nearly as long as he was. Fully half of his MP went into solidifying and refining the weapon, and just as his MP bottomed out, TJ sent the scythe forward into the densest group of pukwudgies to reap lives. 8 Pukwudgies, level 4-6, slain. Experience gained. Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 7. Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points currently available. The metaphorical glow suffused TJ¡¯s body, and he prepared himself to leap back into battle as the coyotes¡¯ teeth were forced out of his healing body. He slithered forward, jaws agape and threatening while the coyotes began to question their next move. That was when Stanton called out, ¡°Help!¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 30 ¡°Six had slipped past me.¡± TJ explained, his tone regretful. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying as much attention as I¡¯d thought. They¡¯re damn hard to see, and I wasn¡¯t careful enough. Stanton took three out before they could get close enough, but while he was able to make sure that none of their next attacks were lethal, they still got him good. I tried to get back to him, but the coyotes kept attacking me, so he got stuck a couple more times as he fended them off and more came to kill him. I used most of my MP to kill the coyotes and cut off the pukwudgies from killing him, but then I was surrounded by 20 enemies with an injured man. ¡°I did the only thing I could do, I carried him through them, going as fast as I could. With my Agility and everything, I was able to get through, but we were both attacked a couple times. My scales kept me mostly safe, but it was bad for Stanton and he passed out. After we broke through, they followed us for a little while, but eventually they just stopped chasing. That was maybe half a mile outside of town. Then, I got here.¡± TJ finished, shrugging his shoulders. When he¡¯d mentioned the level 5 Skill and how much he¡¯d been able to do with it, the strangers had looked at each other with no small measure of fear. TJ was too tired to care. ¡°You¡¯re pretty tough, then.¡± The fiery-headed woman broke the uncomfortable silence. ¡°We could use you on the hunt.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll join in tomorrow.¡± TJ agreed. ¡°The more we kill the less we¡¯ll have to defend from.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re a Neophyte?¡± The hunter man asked as soon as TJ responded. TJ nodded in response as he Appraised the two hunters he could see. Acolyte, 4 Neophyte, 3 ¡°You are too?¡± TJ couldn¡¯t help but ask as he looked at the younger man¡¯s small amount of information. ¡°What can you transform into?¡± ¡°Nothing. Or, not really nothing, but nothing really.¡± ¡°That means nothing.¡± TJ replied. ¡°And by the way, what are your names?¡± ¡°Call me Zig.¡± The redheaded woman answered. ¡°And I¡¯m Charlie.¡± The man said, stretching out a hand. ¡°TJ. And can¡¯t you turn into whatever animal your Bloodline comes from? Or something like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what snake god birthed you, but Loki was mostly a person, so far as I know. I have the Skill Divine Transformation like all Neophytes, but it¡¯s a bit different. We can talk about it tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sounds good, I¡¯m exhausted.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°Zig, you have any other questions, or can I go to bed?¡± ¡°Oh tons.¡± She responded. ¡°They can wait for morning as well, though. You have anything to eat yet?¡± ¡°No. All our food was in the backpacks we lost, and I don¡¯t have hands while I¡¯m a snake. Lost everything we had¨Caww dammit!¡± At his declaration, every person perked up, fear obvious in their movement. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing to worry about. I just had something special in my backpack that I don¡¯t want to lose. And in Stanton¡¯s. Shit, his is really important.¡± TJ¡¯s mind raced, and though he wanted the coyote pelt that had been curing, he felt like the lifebloom was something that could be lifechanging for people here in town. Could they ever find something like that again, when going into the forest was a potentially deadly action? It hadn¡¯t been that long, so would it be worth it to try to go back? TJ consulted his MP. Only 6/240. He couldn¡¯t really do anything with that. But he was faster than the coyotes and with his toughness¨Che made the decision. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. I need to get Stanton¡¯s pack. It¡¯s got a magical plant in it, and I don¡¯t know what it can do but it might save someone sometime.¡± Then, without another word and disregarding everything the people from Pine said, TJ transformed into a coatl and dashed out the door. Less than a minute later, he was up the hill, following the road towards the ambush. Less than a minute after that, TJ was regretting everything. Really? Was a plant worth his life? Was a stupid pelt? Of course not. But he¡¯d made the decision and the declaration, and he didn¡¯t want to walk it back. So, cursing himself, he still sprinted forward. At his speed, the mile or so to the ambush point would take him less than four minutes to get to. It¡¯d only been maybe thirty minutes since the ambush, so maybe they were still there. If the backpacks were abandoned, he¡¯d try to grab both and retreat. If they were there and tended, he¡¯d try to just take Stanton¡¯s. If they were gone, he¡¯d retreat. Perfect. A plan. A stupid plan, but a plan nonetheless. The minutes passed by quickly, and TJ found himself making the turn into the bend where they¡¯d been attacked. He subconsciously slowed himself, his senses peeled for any creature lurking in the trees¡¯ cover. If they couldn¡¯t ambush him, he¡¯d be able to escape their grasp, he was sure. There wasn¡¯t any obvious movement, and TJ couldn¡¯t smell or taste any nearby, so he made the turn to the ambush point. Nothing moved, but the signs of the fight remained. Bloodstains, fur, and bodies patterned the pavement. The pukwudgie corpses had been left where they¡¯d fallen, but the coyotes¡¯ were taken away. The unfortunate reality remained as well. Two tattered backpacks¡¯ corpses lay in the middle of the road, torn apart to leave nothing inside. All the food had been taken away as well as the lifebloom and Anubis-blessed coyote hide. Though he couldn¡¯t say if the pukwudgies knew what was inside of the cans, they¡¯d been taken as well, and all that remained was nylon straps and torn fabric. TJ turned to leave the disappointing discovery behind, angrily cursing himself as well as the pukwudgies¡¯ intelligence and avarice. He whapped his tail across one of the bags and heard a quiet clatter from inside. After a moment attempting to open it with his snout, TJ transformed back into his human form and, with hurried movements, found the source of the sound. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The can of tobacco had been dented and damaged by the pukwudgies¡¯ rough dismantling of the bads, but still it held whatever remained of the chew inside. With a scoff, TJ transformed himself back into a coatl, gently placed the can in his mouth, and then rushed back towards Pine. A quiet rustling of branches seemed to follow his every step, or slither, as the case may be, back to town, but nothing approached him as he rushed down the center of the highway. As he crested the hill to descend back into town, TJ saw three people waiting for his return. Both the hunters he¡¯d met, Zig and Charlie, as well as another person he wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d seen before who stood on the roof of an empty home. The soft sound of his scales on the ground betrayed his approach in the dark, and he transformed back into his human body as he made his way into town. He pulled the can out of his mouth and placed it in his pocket as he walked forward with both hands held high above his head. ¡°Just me.¡± TJ called as he walked slowly forward. ¡°Didn¡¯t get anything. Sorry for running off like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not much of a thinker, are you?¡± asked Zig. ¡°Can¡¯t say it was my finest moment.¡± TJ allowed, though he still felt the surge of anger at his poked pride from her tone. ¡°Even so, I feel like finding that lifebloom sooner rather than later would be good.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± shrugged Charlie. ¡°Laura had some people go to get you and Stanton some grub, so eat up and rest well. See you in the morning. Glad you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°Yeah. Next time, I¡¯d appreciate a little more heads-up. That said, I¡¯m the only other hunter who¡¯s hit level 5 in my Class, so you¡¯re probably strong enough to take care of yourself.¡± Zig allowed before turning to walk back into the house. Charlie nodded his goodnight while the other sentry remained at his post. TJ walked up to the ground under him and waved. ¡°I¡¯m TJ. You?¡± ¡°Farid.¡± The man was wearing dark clothes, and against the black stone shingles, he blended in remarkably well. TJ Appraised him and wasn¡¯t too surprised by what he saw. Acolyte, 2 ¡°Thanks for keeping an eye out, Farid. Have there been any attacks the past couple nights?¡± ¡°Not here.¡± He answered, his eyes roving their surroundings. ¡°Might have come in without attacking anyone, though.¡± ¡°Sweet. Thanks. What time is my watch?¡± ¡°We already have it scheduled out for tonight, so you and your friend should get some rest. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll plan for you to join in.¡± The man¡¯s voice was a pleasant tenor, with the faintest hint of an accent TJ struggled to place. ¡°Thanks for offering.¡± With those last words, Farid was obviously done talking to TJ, so he raised a hand as he said goodbye. In the house where Stanton had set up camp, a paper plate sat in the middle of the table. Maybe two eggs¡¯ worth of scrambled eggs with three strips of bacon sat on it, and though they were cold when TJ held them to his mouth, his stomach gurgled happily as he ate voraciously. Faster than he¡¯d hoped, the food was gone, and he unashamedly licked the plate clean. Stanton was curled on the couch in front of the fireplace, his boots on the ground in front of him. Curled under a knit quilt, he looked much frailer than ever before and TJ remembered the look of panic on the old man¡¯s face as he¡¯d called for help. In his recounting of the story, TJ had glossed over many of the worst feelings he¡¯d been struck with that evening. For a while, he¡¯d been convinced Stanton was dead and he was merely carrying a corpse as he fled, and he remembered the helplessness he¡¯d felt when he¡¯d gotten that call about Mari. She¡¯d always loved riding her bike, and was as safe as she could be¨Chelmet, lights, high-vis stripes on her jacket. That day, she¡¯d said that they needed some carrots for dinner and wouldn¡¯t be long. He was tired, and didn¡¯t insist on driving. He enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with Junior while she was out. It was late. Walmart wasn¡¯t far, but it was far enough. The driver didn¡¯t see her, or didn¡¯t care, or didn¡¯t react fast enough. By the time anyone talked to him, he was a blubbering mess that could only remember that he didn¡¯t remember. TJ felt himself beginning to hyperventilate and react to the delayed fear. Stanton had nearly died. He put on a brave face after being healed, but his face was sallow and his meal half-eaten. His breaths came quickly, with a slight rattle. Laura insisted that he¡¯d been healed, but the doctors swore that while Mari needed emergency surgery, she¡¯d pull through. Could he trust the magic? Just like with the System, TJ could only trust. After all, if it didn¡¯t work, then Stanton would die, and what could he do about that? If he completed the Tutorial and still couldn¡¯t see Junior, how could he do anything about that? He realized he was spiraling, and stood. Taking deep breaths, TJ centered himself enough to go to a bedroom, pull off the mattress from the bedspring, and drag it nearer to the fire. Then, after stoking the fire up high, he fought to find sleep while the sight of Stanton impaled on half a dozen spears taunted him. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 31 When TJ woke, it was to the sound of Stanton¡¯s grunting. In a panic, he sat up and looked at his companion. Stanton was still curled up on the couch, only his face poking out of the thick quilt. Though he wasn¡¯t making any sort of a comfortable face, the color wasn¡¯t bad, and he mostly just looked cold. The faint light of morning shone through the windows, and after asking the System what time it was, TJ realized he¡¯d slept pretty well, nearly all the way to 8 AM. He scrubbed the sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand while looking at the fire, or the remains of it. Putting his hand in the fireplace, TJ felt the barest hint of warmth from mostly dead coals. He wadded up a newspaper from by the firewood and, with a bit of Wind Manipulation to stoke the coals, set it alight. The pine needles and kindling and so on that were near at hand were quickly fed to the flames, and it grew to a comfortable blaze before too long. He continued to feed the flames and the wood popped loudly in front of him. TJ didn¡¯t react, instead keeping his hands stretched out to warm them more completely. As his Vitality continued to climb at an amazing rate, TJ found that he was less and less bothered by the cold or other creature discomforts. He knew that, before the System, he never would have made it through the night in a house that was maybe 20 degrees all night just under a regular, if somewhat thick, quilt. He knew he¡¯d leveled up during the fight with the pukwudgies, but he hadn¡¯t pulled up his Status in a day or so, so he pulled both up in tandem. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Human ¨C lvl 6 Class: Neophyte lvl 7 Occupation: Savage lvl 5 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 470/470 Mana Points (MP): 240/240 Stamina: 440/440 Attributes Strength: 21 Agility: 20 Endurance: 44 Vitality: 47 Toughness: 37 Wisdom: 25 Intelligence: 24 Perception: 28 Willpower: 38 Fixation: 30 Free Points: 4 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Current total Divine Transformation time: 39:15 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4. Current cooldown: 0:00 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Coatl ¨C lvl 6 Class: Neophyte lvl 7 Occupation: Savage lvl 5 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 940/940 Mana Points (MP): 240/240 Stamina: 880/880 Attributes Strength x2: 42 Agility x1.5: 30 Endurance x2: 88 Vitality x2: 94 Toughness x2: 74 Wisdom: 25 Intelligence: 24 Perception x1.5: 42 Willpower: 38 Fixation: 30 Free Points: 4 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Looking at his Free Points, TJ cursed himself. What if he¡¯d put them into Agility last night? Would he have been fast enough to protect Stanton? Or, with Strength, could he have been strong enough to throw off the coyotes faster to help? Then, of course, Intelligence and Fixation would allow him to use more of his Wind Manipulation for longer. TJ sighed as he made the decision to spend his Free Points. But where? ¡°Someone piss in your Cheerios?¡± Stanton grumbled as he rolled off the couch and onto the mattress. He grunted for TJ to scoot over and he obliged. ¡°No. Just feeling bad about last night. If we¡¯d run right away, I could have carried us to safety and not gotten you so close to dying. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Not a lick of that was your fault. We¡¯d made a habit of fighting everything we came up across, and it kicked my teeth in last night. Thanks again for saving my life.¡± ¡°Course. Happy I could get there for you.¡± Stanton grunted, looking quite small all bundled in his blanket. They sat in silence, watching the flames and listening to the pops of the burning wood. Maybe five minutes later, TJ¡¯s stomach grumbled and Stanton stood with a grunt. ¡°Figure there¡¯s breakfast somewhere. I think I can smell more eggs.¡± TJ joined the older man in standing, smelling nothing but believing him nonetheless. ¡°What do you think I should put my Free Points in?¡± ¡°I just put all mine in Agility. Maybe you do Strength? Might be a diminishing return there, though.¡± As they walked out of the house and into the street towards what seemed to be the communal building, TJ thought about what to do. Though the idea of putting them all in Strength appealed to TJ, he felt like his Strength wasn¡¯t the problem. The Neophyte Class¡¯s focus wasn¡¯t Strength. If it was, it would give at least some attributes there. Instead, there were none. Following it to just give more Vitality, Endurance, or Toughness didn¡¯t seem to be the answer either, though. The coyotes and pukwudgies over level 5 could break his defenses, but though it hurt, he hadn¡¯t really been threatened by them recently. Instead, he needed to keep them from getting away from him while killing them more easily than he had been already. Strength and Agility could serve him in that way, but more than that, his Wind Manipulation was more and more proving itself to be a massive boon. That meant either Intelligence or Fixation, both of which filled the same problem. His Intelligence would increase his efficiency for using his Skill while also increasing his MP. Fixation, on the other hand, would also increase the efficiency of the Skill while also, according to the System, being an attribute that every Class and Participant needed. On top of that, it would help ensure his Divine Transformation could last for as long as he needed. In the end, though, only one of the two attributes would see marked change compared to what he would get from his levels. Fixation grew much faster, having started at 1, and was already at 30. On the other hand he was already seeing the limits of his MP. How slowly it recovered was also a problem, and increasing Intelligence was the only way to make a change to either of those. Without further thought, TJ dropped all four Free Points into his Intelligence, and though he regretted not having distributed them before now, he was glad to have waited for a while. After all, while his Strength and Agility were lower than all his other attributes, he was sure that he would have regretted putting all his Free Points into them before long. Stanton already outmatched him in Intelligence, and that was just after a couple levels in Druid, so a Zealot would quickly outclass him in Strength, even with the boosts from Divine Transformation. This more and more raised the question to TJ about what a Neophyte was best at, but if it was just surviving, then he could still be quite pleased with that. They¡¯d gotten most of the way to the street where the¡­ firehouse, it seemed, was. The streets were mostly empty, through two of the hunters were a couple dozen paces ahead, almost serving as guides. Now that the sun was up and it was light, TJ took the time to observe the town more than before. As he¡¯d suspected, there wasn¡¯t a stoplight in sight, just the single main street going through town. A single schoolhouse, a small library, and a couple restaurants stood just off of the highway that ran through the sleepy little town. The pine forest hadn¡¯t been removed so much as planned around in constructing the dozens of homes and small storefronts that surrounded the highway. When they turned the corner past the single grocery store towards the firehouse, a more primary street spread before them. Though it was a single lane, asphalt type road, TJ saw that it, just like the highway, was being reclaimed by nature at an unnatural pace. Strangely, none of the homes showed any sign of supernaturally quick vegetative reclamation. TJ shrugged, and, with about 100 yards to the firehouse, decided to give the System a clarifying request. ¡°Please show me the description of the Neophyte Class again. I want to better understand what the ¡®purpose¡¯ of the Class is.¡± Class: Neophyte. Description: You have seen the Zealot¡¯s simplicity, the Acolyte¡¯s frailty, and the Disciple¡¯s dependence and you deny them all. You are ready to embrace the Divinity within and allow that Divinity itself to fuel you in body and soul. The Neophyte can display the Zealot¡¯s brute force, the Acolyte¡¯s cunning, and the Disciple¡¯s guidance. You are a Neophyte, the apex of your Divine Bloodline. Neophyte Classers focus on allowing the divine to change them, instead of them changing themselves into an approximation of the divine. The Neophyte Class acquisition requirement is deliberately nebulous, as embracing the Divine Bloodline is something that differs from one Participant to the next, as well as from one Bloodline to the next. Stanton glanced at TJ, his eyebrows curious, but TJ paid him no mind. ¡°Am I correct in thinking that the Neophyte is different from the other three Classes because, instead of seizing Divinity, the Class focuses instead on¡­ being seized by Divinity? Just letting the Divinity of their Bloodline influence their growth?¡± That is not an erroneous understanding to make of the role and Divine Path of the Neophyte Class, though it remains limited in scope and understanding due to your current Dirt (0) tier of Divinity. TJ sighed and walked into the firehouse while pasting a grin on his face. Not many people looked at him and Stanton the same second they entered, but once a couple people realized the newcomers had wandered in, quiet whispers swept over most of the people eating their breakfast. He¡¯d never really experienced anything like this, but before the awkwardness could settle in, a very elderly lady hobbled over with a walker with a wide, mostly toothless grin cracking her face. TJ couldn¡¯t help but Appraise her. Disciple, 1 ¡°Alright, honey.¡± She spoke with a faintly Southern accent. ¡°You two¡¯ll get in line behind Seth and Farid, there¡¯s a server who¡¯s gonna give you exactly as much as you¡¯re gonna get. Don¡¯t argue, complain, steal, or nothing like that, you hear? There¡¯s almost 200 people here, and there¡¯s only the food that was in the grocery store and that we¡¯ve been able to get from nearby houses. There¡¯s not enough food for everyone to eat as much as they want. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Good. We¡¯ve got eggs and bacon, again. The eggs are supposed to go bad in the next couple of days, so we¡¯re eating them about as often as we can stand it, and then some. There¡¯s not enough water to shower or anything, and you get two water bottles a day. If you manage to fill them up with something, then you get more to drink. Now, here¡¯s your plates.¡± She finished, holding two paper plates aloft. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, grandma, what should I call you?¡± ¡°Granny Penny, if you need a granny.¡± She smiled, the sunken spots in her mouth from the missing dentures somehow endearing. ¡°If you just want a friend, Penelope¡¯s fine. What¡¯s yours?¡± Since he still hadn¡¯t taken the proffered plate, she swatted TJ with it just once before he gently caught her wrist and pulled the plates free. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m TJ, and this is Stanton.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, TJ and Stanton. Happy to have you with us at the end of the world.¡± Then, with surprising speed, she hustled away and began to collect dirty dishes. Each person she approached got some version of the energetic grandma routine, and Penelope was obviously well-loved by the people in Pine. With her energetic and warm welcome, TJ felt some of the more distrustful and hostile looks be tempered with, if not understanding, at least patience. Then, with plate in hand, TJ got in line behind Farid, grabbing a metal fork from a pile at the end of the table. ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t recognize you.¡± TJ said as he held his plate out for his serving. Just as Penny¡¯d warned, he didn¡¯t get enough food to fill his grumbling belly. ¡°I only really saw your shadow last night.¡± Farid was a handsome man with blemishless brown skin and sleek black hair. He was shorter than TJ, though not by much, and his broad shoulders suggested that he was active, if not an athlete. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. You have a lot of people to meet.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± TJ walked forward with his ¡°filled¡± plate, following Farid to the nearest empty table. ¡°Granny Penny said your name¡¯s Seth?¡± Seth, a skinny tall blonde man with greasy hair and scars from acne, merely nodded without looking at him. His eyes were sunken and red, and TJ decided not to pry, and instead focused on his meal. Though they were well-seasoned and cooked, he could feel that he¡¯d need some more variety in his diet or else his stomach would be pretty miserable before too long. After too few bites and not enough time, TJ was ready to take his plate and fork wherever they needed to go, but Granny Penny was there too quickly. ¡°She¡¯ll never let us take care of it.¡± Farid chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s my job.¡± She insisted. While TJ wondered what he was going to do next, he settled into a comfortable lean against the back of the chair. ¡°Hey, come with me.¡± Zig popped out of nowhere and scared the daylights out of TJ. ¡°Sonuva¨C! What is it Zig?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got something that needs investigating, and I think you¡¯re the man for the job.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 32 TJ¡¯s stomach dropped with the insinuation that there was something that they needed him to do. Even so, he stood up and wiped what little remained of his breakfast at the corners of his mouth off. His patchy stubble was coming in, and he could hear Mari¡¯s teases about the ¡®stache ringing around his head. Now that he was somewhere even a little safer, it was surprising how much more his mind could wander. ¡°Alright. Tell me.¡± ¡°Walk with me.¡± Zig responded and TJ followed. Stanton too stood while shouting a thank you for the food to nobody in particular before following them out. Zig didn¡¯t comment on his presence, and Farid and Seth followed along as well. Their path quickly led them out of the firehouse and towards the general store a hundred yards or so away. At the door stood a man and a woman, the man the level 3 Zealot from the day before and the woman a stranger to TJ. The man held a makeshift club in his right hand and a full coat of chainmail fell over him with a glitter of slight iridescence. The woman didn¡¯t react except to nod at Zig and cock her eyebrow at the man. ¡°Hey Jeff, Sarah. You eaten?¡± Zig asked as she waltzed right past the two guards. ¡°Not yet.¡± Sarah responded while Jeff continued to give TJ and Stanton distrustful looks. ¡°The hell¡¯s the matter with you?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t know about these two.¡± Zig stepped back out of the store to glare at the guard. He was a somewhat handsome but generic looking guy. Brown hair and eyes, tall, straight teeth, and not in shape, but not fat. Pretty unremarkable person to see throughout the state. ¡°Two guys, just like us, in the middle of the apocalypse, but instead of being put close to town, they were miles and miles away instead of as close as we were. Now, they¡¯re here and happy to work with us to make sure we make it through this ¡°Tutorial¡±. What¡¯s the damn problem?¡± ¡°Laura Appraised them¨Cthey¡¯re both at least level 5, which means that they have at least 10 levels between their Class and Occupation. Snake guy TJ here is level 7, which means that he could have a Skill from level 5, 10, and 15. Laura¡¯s the only one in town who¡¯s been able to get even close to that level, and she¡¯s not a fighter. Not meaning a whole lot of offense to you two, but you¡¯re dangerous, and the System has said that this is a competition. If you wanted to kill our strongest healer and our leader at the same time, it wouldn¡¯t be hard and I don¡¯t think any of us could stop you. If you¡¯re good guys and are looking to help us, I don¡¯t mind if you think I¡¯m an asshole. If you¡¯ve got bad intentions, then I''ll do whatever I can to keep people safe.¡± As Jeff had begun speaking, TJ felt his blood boil, but as he reached his conclusion, the rage drained away to a sort of appreciation, though TJ still didn¡¯t like him. ¡°Don¡¯t know if this¡¯ll help,¡± TJ cut in, ¡°but I¡¯m not level 7, but 6. Level 7 in my Class and 5 in my Occupation.¡± ¡°And it doesn¡¯t matter if he isn¡¯t!¡± Zig added. ¡°We¡¯re going to work with him for now because the other option is to throw away or hide or hate the most powerful people that we know are in the Tutorial right now! Now get out of the way and shut up!¡± The feisty woman didn¡¯t say anything more and pulled TJ by the arm into the store. Stanton followed behind, no expression on his mustachioed face. They walked into the store, the lights all out. A couple flashlights were placed in strategic locations to allow for some light to be spilled basically everywhere, but without power or any windows, the building felt more like a cave with aisles than a grocery store. It was small, with maybe six or seven aisles, and nobody was inside that TJ could see. ¡°Sorry about him.¡± Zig sighed. ¡°He¡¯s just¡­ whatever. Not my monkey, not my circus. Not really, at least.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I disagree, but I understand what he¡¯s saying.¡± Zig sighed explosively, blowing her bangs out of her face. TJ changed the topic, ¡°Where¡¯s the name Zig come from? I¡¯m assuming it''s not the one you were born with.¡± ¡°Yeah. Go by Zig. Nickname from when I played competitive ultimate frisbee. I¡¯ve preferred it ever since I got it.¡± ¡°Something about how you run or something?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Zig allowed as they turned a corner and there, in front of an empty refrigerator, was a folding table set up as a desk with Laura sitting with a half dozen stacks of paper laid before her. ¡°Thank you, Zig.¡± Laura said as she looked up from whatever she was writing. ¡°And thank you, TJ and Stanton, for coming.¡± Last night, between his panic and the darkening skies, TJ hadn¡¯t paid much attention to what Laura looked like other than her business attire. Now, lit by several flashlights and a kerosene heater as well as seeming to no longer be afraid at the sight of him, he could get a good measure of the mayor of their Tutorial. She wore no glasses, though TJ felt as if she should have, and her gray eyes were striking, framed by her chocolate skin and curly black hair. Her fingernails were trimmed and well-kept without any polish, and she tapped habitually on the table as she thought over whatever her request was. Again, she wore a pantsuit, this one navy with white stripes over a white button-down shirt. ¡°Heard you need some help and think we might be your guys.¡± ¡°Stanton, if you¡¯ve recovered enough to participate in this journey, then we¡¯d be happy to have you along. Frankly, you were the first person I¡¯ve healed that was quite so near to passing on, so I can¡¯t say what sort of condition you¡¯re in at the moment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been better, but I¡¯m fine. My HP, MP, and Stamina are all recovered and I don¡¯t have any afflictions at the moment. Happy to help keep everyone safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it. We need to stick together, and every day that passes makes us less and less secure. It is my understanding that the System has said that we will need to defend the town from the creatures¡¯ assault before the end of the Tutorial. You two are the strongest fighters we have, except for maybe Zig here. I hope you¡¯ll be willing to help us.¡± TJ nodded, but with a sinking feeling in his gut, he felt like he needed to speak up. ¡°I think we¡¯re both willing to help out at least some. I know I am. But¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t care about the rest of you as much as maybe I should.¡± Laura frowned and leaned forward, but she seemed more curious than anything else. ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°I have a son, he¡¯s just about three and I¡¯m all he¡¯s got left. The System says I¡¯ll be able to be with him again if I make it through this Tutorial, so I¡¯ll do whatever I can to make it through. I¡¯m willing to help out the town with things that¡¯ll help us on that path, but I can¡¯t be some captain or leader or hero or anything. My focus is on Junior, and getting back to him. If you¡¯re gonna ask me to do something really dangerous because it¡¯ll be better for everyone else, I¡¯ll feel really bad about it, but I¡¯ll have to tell you no.¡± Laura nodded slowly, digesting his declaration. Stanton didn¡¯t say anything either, his face impassive while Zig scowled and looked at TJ. ¡°That makes sense, and I don¡¯t mind it, for now.¡± Laura finally answered after nearly a full minute of contemplating. ¡°Remind me of what the Tutorial¡¯s requirements are?¡± TJ realized that she was asking the System, not him, but he mentally requested that the System pull up the requirements. In this Tutorial, Tutorial 107.48.891, the Quest Goals are as follows: Within two weeks (336 hours) of Integration, enter the city limits of the city Pine, Arizona. Time remaining: NA¨Cyou have entered the designated area. Total elapsed time: 72:46:31Within 18 hours of the end of the second week of Integration, defend the Pine, Arizona general store from assault.Defeat the assigned Tutorial Boss. When he looked at the first Goal, TJ felt like he needed to rub at his eyes. It¡¯d only been three days since he was taken away from his previous life? ¡°Looking at the requirements,¡± Laura continued, unaware of his realization and struggle to believe, ¡°it seems to me that it¡¯s in your best interests to cooperate with everyone else in town. I agree that there are certain assignments that I will want to make that will not necessarily further your explicit goals, so I will hold back from even asking you to complete them. Thus, I will request that you understand that every assignment I ask you to perform will directly improve our chances of succeeding on each one of the Tutorial¡¯s Quest Goals.¡± TJ felt his stomach unknot and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s more than fair. Thank you for understanding.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try. Now, I introduced myself to you last night, but allow me to do so once more. I¡¯m Laura McDougal, and I¡¯ve become the leader of this town, for now at least. Under normal circumstances, I can¡¯t imagine that I would speak about this as candidly as I¡¯m about to, but the reality of the matter is that with 178 people in this small part of one town with no additional food or supplies coming in, we will soon starve. At least, we will if we rely entirely on the food contained within this single store and the nearby homes and buildings. The hunters have been tasked with finding and hunting anything that is edible, but all they¡¯ve seen so far is a goblin-like thing called a pukwudgie. You mentioned seeing them last night. ¡°As of yet, we aren¡¯t willing to begin eating something like a person, but the time is quickly approaching. In your recounting, you mentioned seeing coyotes and a mountain lion. I can¡¯t imagine that we would be able to find those bodies and bring them into town, but they do promise the possibility of finding something worth hunting for food, for now at least.¡± ¡°Weird you haven¡¯t seen any deer or elk.¡± Stanton cut in. ¡°There¡¯s usually hundreds of them around here.¡± ¡°Which brings me to the point of what we would like to ask you to do. We don¡¯t have as much water as we need, either, and the sole creek with running water we¡¯ve found is almost a mile away. Collecting the water and bringing it back to town is intensely difficult, and we still need to boil and clean the water after that as well. In addition, we¡¯re making efforts to collect all the food, perishable and otherwise, that we can from the surroundings. All the houses within the half mile or so that the monsters don¡¯t seem to enter have been scoured clean, and we need to find every additional source of food that we can.¡± ¡°Is it a half mile from the center of town, or from this store?¡± ¡°I¡¯d imagine it¡¯s this store. The Tutorial has assigned it some measure of intrinsic value due to our Quest Goals. There is also the not insignificant possibility that the safe area will shrink or altogether disappear at some point.¡± ¡°So you need people to get water and to keep searching for food.¡± TJ completed the meandering conversation. ¡°I¡¯m fine to go with one of the teams searching for food. Stanton, what are you planning on doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with the water team. Taking care of a group holding a position is a good fit for my abilities.¡± ¡°There you have it.¡± ¡°Great. Now, before you go, would you two tell me your Classes, Occupations, and Bloodlines, as well as any powerful or potentially impactful abilities they give you? Also, any other abilities you have that may assist the rest of the town would be greatly appreciated.¡± ¡°Why do you need to know that?¡± Stanton asked, his eyebrows raising nearly all the way up to his hat. ¡°I am in charge of 178 people, and every person is assisted by knowledge. I am compiling, explaining, and working however I can to ensure that we all make it out of this hell alive. For your information, I am a Disciple level 5, Bureaucrat level 5. My Bloodline comes from the African goddess Inkosazana, and I am limited almost entirely to healing and to running some semblance of a civilization. Is that a sufficient answer?¡± Stanton merely grunted and TJ broke the growing tension. ¡°TJ Harris, Neophyte 7, Savage 5.¡± Zig didn¡¯t hide a quiet hissing breath at the name of his Occupation. ¡°The Savage occupation mostly means that I was taken outside of civilization when I was left here. It¡¯s why I don¡¯t have real shoes, because I get a bonus to my attributes when fighting if I don¡¯t have equipment from before the Integration when I fight. Normal clothes don¡¯t count, but the shoes do.¡± ¡°Stanton. Acolyte 6, Druid 4.¡± Of course, the old man didn¡¯t offer any more information, nor did Laura request it. Then, after Laura asked a couple questions, the two men walked out of the store and into the light of day with Zig behind them. ¡°Stanton, go with Nat¡¯s group. It¡¯s her turn to lead the water team. TJ, you¡¯re with me. Let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t find some food, huh?¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 33 Bonus chapter for reaching 100 favorites on RR. Walking out of the grocery store, TJ fought to keep his eyes from watering in the bright light of late morning. There was movement all around the town, though it was localized to the area immediately surrounding the firehouse and the grocery store. More than a hundred yards or so from there, nobody could be seen to go anywhere, except for one group of five or so, who stepped purposefully with their eyes peeled in every conceivable direction. His breath clouded in front of his face and TJ idly rubbed his hands together in a habitual reaction to the cold, though his fingers were hardly chilled. ¡°You¡¯re ok in this weather?¡± Zig asked. ¡°You don¡¯t have gloves or real shoes, so aren¡¯t you miserable?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°Here.¡± He proffered a hand and Zig seemed to think about taking a glove off to test him, but instead decided to lean her face against the extended fingers. TJ almost recoiled but decided against it. Zig¡¯s cheeks were flushed from the cold, and TJ realized it was probably 50 degrees in the store and closer to freezing outside. His fingers were warm against the chilled cheeks, and again, he shrugged. ¡°Probably because of my Vitality. I noticed even when I¡¯d just barely gotten my Divine Transformation that I wasn¡¯t that affected by the weather. Now that I¡¯ve gotten some levels, I¡¯m really doing ok. If I was outside overnight without anything, I¡¯d probably get a little sick, but I¡¯m not. It¡¯s a cold day, but I¡¯ll be fine, especially as I keep moving.¡± ¡°Huh. I guess Charlie¡¯s never really complained about the cold, but he¡¯s not much of a complainer anyways so I never thought about it. I guess we¡¯ll have to ask him later. This¡¯ll be your stop, Stanton.¡± Zig gestured to a house on the corner where there was some movement inside. Under the shadow of a massive tree, the home seemed gloomy and unwelcoming, but Stanton merely nodded and walked forward. ¡°Hey, Nat!¡± Zig shouted, ¡°got an old guy coming in, the one from last night! Name¡¯s Stanton, and he¡¯ll be with you for the water run and all the other crap you get up to today!¡± A wordless shout of acknowledgement echoed out of the building, and TJ watched Stanton settle his Stetson more securely over his head. ¡°Keep an eye on your six, kid.¡± Stanton called back. ¡°Not everyone¡¯s as good a shot as me.¡± Zig muttered darkly to herself about old men and sexism and TJ cocked his head at the younger woman. ¡°--always saying some shit about how a woman can¡¯t shoot¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that.¡± TJ interrupted. ¡°He doesn¡¯t trust easily, and we¡¯ve both saved each others¡¯ lives. He¡¯s just worried.¡± ¡°Sure about that? You¡¯ve known each other for two days.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve saved each others¡¯ lives.¡± TJ replied simply. Zig seemed initially resistant to the statement, but didn¡¯t take long to make her decision. ¡°Makes sense. I trust my team as much as anyone from my old life. Sorry.¡± TJ shrugged, following her as she walked back up the highway towards the hunting lodge and where he and Stanton had stayed the night. It wasn¡¯t long before Zig broke the silence, and TJ briefly saw Stanton¡¯s own frustration with TJ¡¯s constant interruptions of their quiet traveling. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a quick rundown on what we¡¯re looking to do today. Laura talked about it, but more specifically, we¡¯re gonna go up the hill a little to where that turn is, by the church. There, we¡¯ll hit as many of the rich cabins we can safely get to today and return with whatever we get. Capische?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Great. So, you said you have a kid? How old is he? What happened?¡± TJ tamped down any outward signs of his frustration with a force of will. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be plenty of questions for me before long. How about I answer them all when everybody¡¯s together? I don¡¯t want to answer the same questions over and over.¡± ¡°K.¡± For a blessed minute, they walked in silence. Alas, it wasn¡¯t meant to be. As soon as they were easily seen from the hunters¡¯ lodge, a voice called out to Zig. ¡°We ready to blow this popsicle stand?¡± ¡°Hells yes!¡± She shouted back, and nearly immediately, a dozen people swarmed out of the lodge. Each one wore a mostly empty backpack, just a water bottle or two poking out of the side pockets. TJ quickly Appraised them, seeing one Disciple, level 3, and one Neophyte, Charlie, who was still level 3 as well. All the rest were Zealots and Acolytes, somewhere from levels 1-3. Zig was the only level 4, and TJ felt his confidence slip a notch or three. The kids, for that was all TJ could think of them as, looked anywhere from a pimply-faced 17 to a deliberately severe-looking 23 or so. ¡°You¡¯re the snake guy!¡± one boy shouted, pointing at TJ¡¯s face. ¡°Snake guy!¡± A couple others took up the call. ¡°Just call me TJ.¡± He replied. ¡°Listen up!¡± Zig cut in, her voice surprisingly authoritative. TJ¡¯s estimation of her climbed as she continued to speak. ¡°We¡¯re moving together today. TJ here ran into a huge group of the pukwudgies yesterday, and he said some of them were riding coyotes.¡± Quiet mutters of ¡°Cavalry¡± and ¡°I want a mount¡± briefly burst into being, but Charlie reached out and flicked two ears and the peanut gallery quickly went silent. ¡°They¡¯re an unknown, and we don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll be waiting for us. They were in this direction, but much further up the highway than we¡¯re planning to go today, so we should be fine. Key word is should. I say it every day, but this isn¡¯t a fucking game. I don¡¯t want to hurt anybody, but remember that Hannah died yesterday, and there wasn¡¯t anything we could do about it.¡± The man Farid had introduced as Seth turned away at Zig¡¯s words, though the rest also looked deeply uncomfortable with the reminder of their mortality. ¡°So, we¡¯re all together, minus Nat with the water team. Keeping an eye out and making sure everyone stays ok. We won¡¯t cross as much ground like this, but once we get closer to the cabins we haven¡¯t visited yet, we might spread out a little.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good plan, guys.¡± Charlie jumped in. ¡°We need to be as safe as possible as we go through this. Angelo, you¡¯re our number one priority so stay in the middle of the group the entire time. If you¡¯re safe, we have a much better chance to be sure we all make it home alive.¡± The sole Disciple nodded his head in acknowledgement. He was a shorter man, about the same height as TJ, with long straight black hair in a french braid down his back. ¡°Good.¡± Zig jumped back in. ¡°We¡¯re moving in two minutes, so if you have any questions for TJ, get them out now. After, we¡¯ll be trying to be as quiet as possible, since our main goal is going to be staying out of sight and mind of the goblin bastards out there.¡± Before any of the rest of the hunters could jump in on the sudden opportunity, Zig herself asked the question she apparently still had for him, ¡°You said you have a son. How old is he?¡± ¡°Almost three, just a month away.¡± TJ answered, keeping from clenching his jaw. Where was he? Was Junior really ok? The anxiety spiked, and TJ felt his stomach twist and turn and complain as the thoughts of his child came back. His fear struck him so suddenly that he didn¡¯t hear the next question. Charlie¡¯s hand and voice pulled him from continuing to spiral into deeper and deeper paranoia. ¡°Look, we know that nobody under 15 came to the Tutorial. Now, we know his kid isn¡¯t in a different one. Leave it alone. You don¡¯t want to worry about your siblings, family, and so on, so don¡¯t make him do it. Got it?¡± Mumbled apologies echoed out, and Zig specifically spoke louder than the rest as she too asked for forgiveness. ¡°What was your old job?¡± Charlie prompted. ¡°Administrative manager in a real estate firm. Basically herding a bunch of contractors to work better together and stop poaching clients from each other.¡± The curious sounds of teenagers and early twenty-somethings died off in a disinterested grumble. Before long, they turned to a much more interesting topic. ¡°So how do you transform into a snake? Can you show us?¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without another word, TJ activated Divine Transformation and let them ooh and ahh. One enterprising and annoyingly bold young lady reached out and grabbed one of the large feathers that stuck out of the base of his skull and tried to pull it out. He hissed his displeasure and stopped using his Skill. The girl had a fistful of his hair, twisting his head to the side. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± The girl stammered wordlessly as she released his head and TJ stood tall. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough. Zig, Charlie, can we go?¡± Then, without waiting for their response, TJ led the way up the hill towards the church on the corner. A couple whispered conversations began as he continued walking, his unnatural pride demanding some sort of recompense. ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡± Charlie said as he jogged to walk alongside TJ. ¡°My own Skill is way worse.¡± ¡°You said we could talk about it yesterday. Show me.¡± Charlie sighed and shrugged his jacket off. Then, his Skill activated, and his arms and legs bulged to twice their original size while the rest of his body remained the same. TJ stepped back, unsure of how to react. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about what I thought when I did it the first time.¡± Charlie laughed ruefully. ¡°But the 50% bonus to every attribute is really nice, so I don¡¯t mind the way the Skill makes me look.¡± TJ nodded in agreement at first, but then turned with a confused look. ¡°What do you mean 50% each attribute?¡± ¡°Is¡­ that not what your Skill gives you?¡± ¡°No, it doubles my Strength, Endurance, Vitality and Toughness and gives a 50% to Agility and Perception. Nothing else.¡± They both looked at the other, surprised to see the blatant difference between their supposedly identical Skill. TJ was the first to break the silence as he asked the System, ¡°Why do our Skills give different bonuses?¡± Due to the variability offered by any Participant¡¯s Divine Bloodline, the Divine Transformation Skill they acquire will vary from one Neophyte to the next, as well as from a Neophyte¡¯s Skill compared to that an Acolyte, Disciple, or Zealot may acquire. At the Copper (I) tier, the Divine Transformation Skill offers a total of a 500% increase to attributes. The Divine Bloodline of each individual will determine what the additional attribute bonuses provided will be. TJ nodded slowly as he tried to understand what he¡¯d just been told. The voice of the System slowly faded from his mind as he considered what this would mean longer term for him and other Neophytes. Then, he thrust it from his mind¨Cit didn¡¯t matter how other people¡¯s Skills benefitted them. Just how it helped him, and while his Divine Transformation didn¡¯t mesh as well with his Wind Manipulation as Charlie¡¯s would have, he didn¡¯t regret it. There was nothing he could do. ¡°Ok. Well, interesting.¡± TJ said. ¡°Your Skill is way better!¡± Charlie responded, his face obviously envious. ¡°I don¡¯t use like any of these attributes, and yours are the best.¡± ¡°I disagree.¡± TJ scoffed. ¡°I need better Intelligence and Fixation than Vitality. My level 5 Skill is great, so much better than the mere attributes Divine Transformation gives.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll worry about that when I get there, I guess.¡± Charlie sighed. ¡°Might be another couple of days. We¡¯re trying not to fight anything right now.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ not just on this trip? You¡¯re trying not to kill anything?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± The ignorance of his statement immediately set TJ¡¯s blood to boiling and he fought to hold it down. Unfortunately, the only thing he could bring himself to say was, ¡°Are you all stupid?¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 34 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?¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°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. ¡°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¨C¡± 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¨C¡± 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.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 35 Unsurprisingly, there were dozens more creatures waiting for the hunters at every step of the way. However, with each successful kill, the hunters grew in confidence and power. Most didn¡¯t have Occupations, but each one obviously had a Class and each of the lower-levelled hunters gained at least one level while coyote corpses were thrown into backpacks. With the hunters showing themselves capable of succeeding without being babysat, TJ stepped further and further back. He was, according to Zig, two levels higher than her, and she was the only hunter who¡¯d reached level 5. While he stood in the back, keeping an eye out on anything that could potentially pose any threat to the hunters, something that hadn¡¯t been noticed by the rest, he asked Zig what her additional Skill was. ¡°Arrow Shower. I can spend an exponentially increasing amount of MP and Stamina to duplicate the arrows I shoot. I can do up to 20, but that bottoms me out. If I, instead, just do a couple pairs or triples, I can do a bit more than twenty. Haven¡¯t needed to use it today, since I want to make sure these kids are growing.¡± TJ nodded, not looking at her. ¡°You¡¯re not ex-military or anything?¡± Zig asked out of nowhere. ¡°Hell no. I don¡¯t know anything about leading an operation or whatever. Stanton served in ¡®Nam, but he wasn¡¯t a career soldier after that, so he¡¯s fifty years out of date.¡± ¡°Were you like, a guild leader or anything like that? You seem to be pretty progress oriented, more than we were.¡± ¡°Nope. I have a solid goal, that¡¯s all. I don¡¯t know anything about the rest of you. Honestly, I don¡¯t need to. My only focus right now is Junior. If I can get to him, that¡¯s all that matters to me. Making sure you all pull your weight and get stronger will just help me to get back to my son. I don¡¯t think any of you here have kids, right?¡± Zig shook her head. ¡°Not as far as I know.¡± ¡°If you did, I¡¯d imagine you¡¯d be a bit more driven to get to them. I bet a lot of these kids still kinda think of this as a scarier video game, and that¡¯s fine if it keeps you all sane and alive because God knows we all need that. I don¡¯t need to think of this as a game. Just something standing between me and him. So, I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m an ass or difficult to be around or whatever, but frankly, your safety isn¡¯t my end goal.¡± Sig nodded, though she couldn¡¯t hide the slight frown. ¡°Are you trying to be unlikeable with all this talk like this? Just like, deliberately tearing us down?¡± TJ scowled. ¡°No. I just don¡¯t want you to be disappointed that I¡¯m not really a hero or a guide to safety. I¡¯m going to be up front about my long-term goals, because you need your own. There¡¯s gotta be something that¡¯ll pull you through this, and it can¡¯t be me.¡± ¡°Sounds kinda like my dad, honestly.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°He¡¯s always on my back about deciding what to make of myself. Hell if I know what I want to do, though. Guess that doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± Zig trailed off, her eyes looking not at the trees but something far beyond them. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Maybe you should try to see him after the Tutorial. Could be something to work towards.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Zig pulled herself from her thoughts and kept an eye peeled on our surroundings. As the time passed, they had walked past several streets where more cabins were sure to be, but under Zig¡¯s instructions, they hadn¡¯t turned onto any of them. Instead, the pack of hunters continued on the well-paved path for another half mile or so. Every so often, a pack of pukwudgies or coyotes would attempt another ambush, the pukwudgies focused on lightning-quick assaults without warning, the coyotes determined to tear into whatever human they could reach. The coyotes continued to demonstrate the monstrous, unthinking rage that drove them to violence, even when they were guaranteed to die. On the other hand, the pukwudgies remained a much more insidious foe. The little goblins didn¡¯t care how much damage they did. They just wanted to make them suffer. They¡¯d throw spears from the pine trees overhead, fake engagement, even send a single one of their companions around to hope to get lucky with a thrown spear. With so many hunters ready for them, though, the pukwudgies refused to fully commit the way they had been with TJ and Stanton alone. Though it annoyed him to no end, TJ recognized the wisdom in their approach¨Conly commit when they had a great chance of killing them all. Otherwise, harry and harm as best as they could. Eventually they¡¯d made it far enough that Zig gestured for the group to follow the next branching road up a steep hill. The gated community of cabins stood seemingly undisturbed. No windows were broken, no monsters roamed the streets, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. TJ glanced through the space between the thick bars. His face didn¡¯t fit, and he activated Divine Transformation to stick his narrower snake head through. He didn¡¯t see or smell or taste anything¡­ When he tried to pull his head back, though, it caught and TJ felt panic begin to rise in his chest. Then, he realized it was just his mane of feathers catching and he slithered through the bars and then under the two foot gap under the fence to return to the rest of the hunters. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing anything in there, though that doesn¡¯t mean much.¡± a couple chuckles from the youngest of the hunters answered his stupid joke. ¡°The houses all look untouched, though, so I think that might be a good thing.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve never seen pukwudgies to be the first ones in a house.¡± Charlie answered, also looking around for anything out of place. ¡°They¡¯ll go in after a human has been, but every cabin is left untouched until then.¡± TJ grunted. If that was the case, maybe this would be a particularly beneficial expedition. He refused to get his hopes high just yet, though. Instead, he waited for the rest of the hunters to be prepared to go in. Though he couldn¡¯t quite place why, the idea of walking into the community seemed a daunting one, and TJ wasn¡¯t going to press the rest into entering before they were ready. Then, as Zig briefly consulted with the other Acolytes about the current condition of their MP and Stamina, a question occurred to TJ. He turned to Mary, the Zealot who¡¯d been briefly swarmed by coyotes. ¡°How do you keep your armor up? Does it require your MP constantly? Or is it a purely physical thing? And what¡¯s the name of the Skill?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Holy Vestments. Lets someone get armor or a shield, and doesn¡¯t take MP to maintain. It drains a little Stamina and MP when it takes a hit, and, as you saw, it doesn¡¯t protect anyone perfectly.¡± The woman, about the same age and height as TJ¡¯s own early thirties and 5¡¯7¡±, scratched idly at the pink flesh that replaced the wounds on her face. She was rather plain, with dirty blonde hair, narrow eyes, and wearing too-tight exercise clothing. TJ supposed that she, like him, had been on a jog like he was when all this started and felt an unreasonable kinship with her. ¡°What happens if you run out of Stamina or MP while you¡¯re using the Skill? And why do some people have shields and some armor?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know what happens. But we all made a choice when we got the Skill on if we wanted armor or shields.¡± TJ nodded, then, since he was already asking, figured he¡¯d ask the last question, ¡°What¡¯s your Bloodline?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Dazhbog.¡± Then, seeing TJ¡¯s followup question, she answered, ¡°Slavic god of the sun and plenty.¡± ¡°Thanks. By the way, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve said it publicly, but mine is Kukulkan. The Mayan and Aztec feathered serpent god.¡± ¡°I kinda already guessed the feathered serpent thing.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± TJ nodded and watched as Zig and the rest finally were ready to enter the community that laid before them. He stepped into the front, willing to take the potentially most risky position, and the other zealots on the front nodded their thanks to him as he walked around the gate and into the street that waited before him. Nothing stirred as they approached, only their own steps and the winds overhead seeming to react to their presence. TJ made his way to the first home and, finding the front door unlocked, made his way in. Every other member of the expedition quickly fell in step behind him, all except for Seth, who stood at the door with his crossbow at the ready and his eyes on the street. Most of the hunters walked directly into the kitchen and ransacked whatever they could find. With a walk-in pantry full of non-perishables, half the backpacks were filled nearly immediately. Seeing the kitchen filled with searching people, TJ and several others poked into the upstairs, where warm blankets and the few changes of clothes there were quickly shoved into whatever backpack they fit in. ¡°Do we need more blankets?¡± TJ called down the stairs to where Zig and Charlie were. ¡°Yeah!¡± Charlie replied, his voice echoing through the wooden building. ¡°Most people can make it through the day, but keeping sleeping quarters nice and warm has been nearly impossible.¡± With an answer received, TJ found another backpack and stuffed it full of a couple quilts as well. There weren¡¯t any other packs upstairs to use, but when they returned to the ground floor, TJ saw that three more backpacks had been added to various arms. Half the hunters were double-stacked with supplies, and it was obvious that many of their number thought the journey was over. ¡°Are we ready to go to the next one?¡± Charlie asked, disregarding a couple groans that the younger ones made as they prepared to move along. TJ merely nodded in response and strode right out the building. With his insistent steps, though a couple kids grumbled about aching feet, everyone fell in step quickly enough. The second cabin wasn¡¯t nearly so well-stocked with food, less than a single backpack''s worth found inside. There was, however, a five gallon bucket with some useful supplies stored within, so Mary grabbed that bucket and carried it out. The swarm of hunters descended on a third, then fourth home. In the fourth, they found enough supplies to load everyone up nearly to capacity and, with Zig¡¯s instruction, they began to return to the street. With the end of their expedition in sight, many of the hunters, again, let a certain sense of complacency wash over them. Before TJ could say anything about staying alert and ready, he felt a slight rumble in the ground. As he tried to understand what was happening, Seth shouted while pointing up the street and further into the neighborhood, ¡°Be ready, something¡¯s coming!¡± TJ turned and looked just in time to witness a veritable horde of javelinas come charging down the street, squealing with rage and in challenge. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 36 ¡°Get out of the way!¡± TJ screamed as the hunters behind him panicked. He hurled his two backpacks through the window of the nearest cabin, the glass shattering as the laden packs smashed through the flimsy panes. Then, no longer laden, TJ activated Divine Transformation and compressed the winds into his tail. He watched his MP plummet as he forced more and more of his power into the single Skill. An arrow multiplied into a dozen as Zig tried to slow the flood of furry pigs, but only one faltered with the attack, the others who¡¯d been hit simply ignoring the glancing blows they sustained. Just like the coyotes he¡¯d seen thus far, the javelinas were larger and more violent than ever before. They screamed their rage to the heavens, and they charged forward in one unyielding body. Though they were usually somewhat furry, their hair had grown to exhibit a sort of a metallic sheen, the coarse pelts gleaming in the midday sun. In addition, their usually somewhat friendly looking snouts were now ringed by vicious looking tusks like a warthog¡¯s. They screamed in unison as they drew ever closer. Once his MP reached a mere 100 and the javelinas¡¯ charge had drawn them within 50 feet or so, TJ threw the scythe of wind out, sending it slicing into the javelina¡¯s comparatively weaker legs. Pained screeches and squeals answered his attack and several collapsed to the ground with his initial assault. The implacable pace of the piglike beasts behind them trampled anything in their way, some of their own no exception. TJ disregarded the kill notifications, only taking note that the four that¡¯d died were all level 4. The other hunters rallied, the Acolytes shooting the impending danger with their Sacred Weapons while the Zealots and Charlie began throwing whatever they could lay hand on into the mass of beasts. The javelinas squealed their rage as one higher, somehow more piercing cry than the rest rang out. As soon as that somehow different cry washed over the herd of javelinas, the hurtling mass renewed their charge and better disregarded the wounds they¡¯d gained. TJ fled, the javelinas growing far too close for him to continue trying to thin their numbers. He felt the rumbling of the ground under his belly and rushed to the right, trying to dodge between trees. At least ten of the javelinas broke from the rest to follow him, the other nearly twenty continuing to smash towards the other hunters. TJ couldn¡¯t concern himself with them, focusing instead on how to keep himself alive. He had no delusions of surviving being trampled by over 1,000 pounds of angry warthog. He drew further away from the javelinas as they were forced to dodge around larger stones and trees, but TJ could see the flanks beginning to turn back towards their fellows. TJ gritted his teeth, as much as he could as a snake, and leapt nearly straight up into the air. The confused javelinas slowed as they were going to pass underneath him. Now that they weren¡¯t fully up to speed, TJ was willing to press his attack. His jaws found the base of a javelina¡¯s skull, and he bit as deeply as he could while his tail wrapped desperately around another¡¯s neck. A third javelina charged forward, its tusks seeking his head and TJ conjured a foot long blade of wind directly below it, taking his MP to a diminutive 37/280. As it sliced up into the javelina¡¯s throat, its eyes widened in terror as it gurgled for more breath. The other seven javelinas took that opportunity to begin gouging him with their tusks and stomping him with their hooves. TJ felt his many ribs begin to crack under the pressure, but surprisingly, his scales held the tusks back from shredding him to pieces. Surprised but willing to seize on the moment, TJ pressed the momentary advantage. With a twist of his body, he lifted the javelina he held in his mouth into the air. It squealed and cried out, but he used it like a club against its fellows. Even so, the living and free seven javelinas continued to attack, and TJ watched as, though he was protected from much of the damage, his HP ticked down. 900/940 850/940 S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 775/940 650/940 Though he sustained damage and struggled to deal killing blows, TJ used whatever tool was available to him, constriction, biting, and slamming his weight into the enraged creatures. By the time his HP reduced to 500/940, he¡¯d killed four more of the javelinas, leaving just five, though they were mostly all healthy. He desperately wanted to create a huge guillotine of wind to kill them all in one fell swoop, but TJ had learned that precise, sharp uses of his Skill functioned much better than a wide, hopeful attack. Enduring four stomping and goring attacks, TJ wrapped the entirety of his body around the fifth. While it was immobilized and tusks pierced his body, he conjured a two-inch long blade of wind under it. MP 29/280, but the javelina immediately began seizing up as the wind dismembered its throat. TJ had been gored in two locations and the two javelinas pulled him apart, his spine cracking as he was stretched further than his body naturally allowed. Though he hissed in agony, TJ¡¯s mind continued to race and he threw the last of his MP into conjuring a blade where he thought one of their spines was. He sent it careening down, and the disturbingly familiar sound of harsh winds slicing into flesh filled the air. Luckily, the creature holding him in the air crumpled to the ground, and TJ painfully hauled himself off the curled tusk. With a wet slap, TJ¡¯s body fell to the ground, but he raised his head up. His HP remained above 200, so he would survive for now. He disregarded the moderate Bleeding affliction. Three more to kill. No more MP. Just his body. With a roaring hiss, TJ threw himself at the javelina that still held its tusk lodged in his body. His coils sought its neck, but found its ribs instead. Bones crack. Javelina screamed. Another rushed in. His jaws found its eyes. It squealed in agony. TJ pressed the attack. Wet pops and a foreign taste. He bit harder, his coils breaking more bones. He was blinded with rage. Two death notifications. He dropped the two corpses. The final javelina was somewhere. He would find it. Where? His tongue flicked out of his mouth, tasting the air. There, the scent of fear and javelina, and when he opened his eyes to see once more, the creature was fleeing. With a maddened laugh, the coatl rushed after the beast and its jaws found the flesh of its prey¡¯s hind leg. Once it was caught, the hunt was over, as the coatl¡¯s coils quickly enveloped its food and cracked bones. The death notification took too long too appear, and he distended his jaws and settled them around the creature¡¯s head, where he twisted hard and its spine snapped with a wet noise. The coatl hissed with pleasure and, with a toss of its neck, swallowed its prey whole. TJ slowly returned to himself, the feeling of being pleasantly full washing over him. He glanced down and saw his belly distended by the javelina¡¯s corpse. Looking at his flashing notifications, he saw the death notifications and the Affliction warning. 10 Javelinas, Level 4, Slain. Experience gained. Warning: You are suffering from a minor Bleed affliction. You will continue to lose 2 HP a minute until the Bleed condition is cured. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that a moderate Bleed affliction just a minute ago?¡± Due to the relatively nonthreatening nature of your wounds, your body¡¯s Vitality has naturally recovered from the moderate Bleed condition. You are still suffering from the minor Bleed condition. Due to your Vitality, you are able to heal from minor wounds more quickly than many other Dirt level Divinity Participants. ¡°And how long will it take me to purge the condition entirely?¡± You will recover from the minor Bleed affliction in five minutes. TJ sighed and finally turned his attention away from the System. In front of him, a horrified girl, the one with the boomerang, stared at him. In that moment, TJ felt the blood drip from his jaws and flow down his body. He was coated in the crimson liquid, both his own and that of the javelinas. He shifted back to his human form and looked down. His clothes were mostly clean, but he could still taste the eyeball that¡¯d popped in his mouth. When he swiped the back of his hand across his mouth, it came away streaked with blood. ¡°It¡¯s¨C¡± TJ coughed the dribble of blood in his throat clear, spat it out, and tried again. ¡°It¡¯s not all mine. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± When he said that, the girl¡¯s eyes widened even further and she stumbled away from him. Probably not the best thing to tell a frightened teenager, but TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to care. He walked back towards the rest of the hunters, hopeful to find no dead bodies. Mary¡¯s twisted corpse denied him that hope. A half dozen puncture wounds dotted her body, and TJ imagined he could see the moment when her MP had given out under the javelinas¡¯ assault. More disturbing than the places where the tusks had torn into her, though, were the tears that streaked her face, the single eye that remained. The right side of her face had been trampled by the beasts, and her face was distorted and misshapen from her destroyed skull. TJ felt his gorge rise, gave his best efforts, and barely staved off the surge of nausea that demanded he vomit. He breathed solely through his mouth, trying to calm down. ¡°He was¨Clike¨Che¨Ca monster¨Ceating¨Cblood everywhere¨C¡± ¡°Calm down Sheridan. What happened?¡± Zig interrupted the girl that had fled from TJ¡¯s presence. She pointed an accusatory finger at TJ. ¡°He was eating them! Raw, like a monster! He¡¯s covered with their blood! He was¡­¡± Sheridan gathered her strength and glared at TJ. ¡°It¡¯s your fault Mary¡¯s dead!¡± TJ was still too nauseated to respond, and Sheridan continued her wild accusation. ¡°You wanted us to keep searching, to go farther, to find more things, and that¡¯s why Mary died! If you weren¡¯t so greedy, a monster, a fucking bastard, then she¡¯d be alive! It¡¯s all your fault, and how we have to bury another friend. How dare you!¡± Sig and Charlie tried to calm the girl, but TJ¡¯s vision went red and he leaned forward, bellowing into her fearful face, ¡°I took care of ten of them myself! You had ten people and only twenty javelinas. On top of that, I killed at least four of them before you did a damn thing!¡± ¡°Then you should have done more instead of running away!¡± Sheridan gathered herself and screamed back, tears streaking down her dirty face. ¡°If you¡¯re so fucking strong, why¡¯d you leave the weak people to hold the line, huh?¡± ¡°Alright, if you were so strong what would you do, let them charge right into you, just stand there as they trample you? You think that¡¯s what I did? And I¡¯m not the person who calls the shots here, Zig is! We stayed because we have a job and if we don¡¯t do it, people starve. But let¡¯s pretend we went home, clapped each other on the back, and cheered over how we got a level today. Yippee! Maybe we¡¯ll be level 10 when the Tutorial is ending! ¡°Then what would you have done when this same group of javelinas, ten levels higher than now, charged through every one of you and killed the people behind you in town? Huh? What if they had some Skill that made them stronger and faster? Or if they were all just twice the size they already are? What would you do then when you¡¯re too weak and forced to stand and watch as they tear every old and young person apart because you were too weak to try harder when you could? It¡¯s terrible that someone died, and I feel sick at having to take care of her dead body, but what the fuck else could we have done?¡± He waited five seconds, his eyes meeting Sheridan¡¯s. She quickly averted her gaze, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. ¡°Anyone?¡± TJ shook his head, his hands quivering with the surging emotions inside him. With a steadying breath, he leaned away and looked up at the sky. ¡°Someone get some rope. Tie as many of the javelinas to my body and I¡¯ll take them back to town. I¡¯ll stay with you if you want, or I¡¯ll go alone. Just don¡¯t talk to me right now.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 37 TJ stood, or posed, or whatever he did as a serpent, in near silence as Charlie tied nearly half a dozen javelinas to his back. They¡¯d quickly discovered that he¡¯d need to carry a halter or something to that effect in his mouth, or else the tied on ropes would simply roll down his body and off his tail. Thus, TJ felt something like a strange horse as he held the rope in his mouth. It was uncomfortable at the corners of his jaws, but TJ didn¡¯t mind the excuse not to talk. He felt slightly uncomfortable about blowing up at Sheridan, but he didn¡¯t care enough to say anything to her. He¡¯d been right with everything he said, and he merely regretted losing his patience. ¡°You should be more patient with her.¡± Charlie almost seemed to speak to himself instead of TJ. ¡°Mary saved her life in that charge. She probably just feels guilty.¡± TJ grunted in response. ¡°Not that I blame you. I wonder if you¡¯re the only one of us hunters who¡¯s seeing our situation for what it is. Having someone scream at you for doing what seems to be the best option sucks, but we¡¯re in hell. I hope you can show some patience and understanding. That¡¯s all.¡± Again, TJ adopted the Stanton response. Charlie didn¡¯t seem to mind and continued to work in silence for a time. Once TJ was effectively fully loaded, Charlie stepped back and looked at his handiwork. ¡°How much time do you have left on your Divine Transformation?¡± TJ, without having thought of that limitation, pulled up his Status. Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 39:15 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Current cooldown: 57:28 With the cooldown being twice what the time spent while using Divine Transformation was, TJ forced himself to do the mental math of dividing the cooldown by 2. He¡¯d spent a bit over 28 minutes with his Skill activated, so had maybe 11 minutes left. TJ struggled to spit the rope out of his mouth to respond. ¡°About 10 minutes.¡± ¡°Yeah, you gotta leave. You should be fast enough to get at least to where it¡¯s somewhat safe like that. Let¡¯s have Angelo heal you a little before you go.¡± Though he tried to argue, TJ¡¯s wishes were overruled by Charlie¡¯s insistence. When Angelo began to pour his Skill¡¯s healing into TJ, Angelo gasped. ¡°Dude! Why didn¡¯t you tell me to heal you already? You¡¯ve got it bad!¡± TJ glanced at his HP: 248/940 and rising. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. Just need to take a break. I can at home, once I drop this off.¡± ¡°What do you mean he has it bad?¡± Charlie demanded. ¡°He¡¯s below a third of his total! Are you stupid, TJ?¡± ¡°Typical of some macho man moron.¡± Zig chimed in. ¡°No need to bleed out looking over the snowy valley. It¡¯s just cold, no snow here! You need to get to the Northeast or something for that.¡± TJ couldn¡¯t say that he had any idea what she was referencing, but he tried to shrug. He had no shoulders, so nothing happened as the silence stretched into something awkward. ¡°I can¡¯t top you up. You have too much HP for that, so I¡¯ll give you what I can without emptying my MP.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go now.¡± TJ didn¡¯t say anything more as he adjusted the nylon rope back into his mouth and, feeling like a reindeer, or maybe a mushing sled dog in the Iditarod, he made trails back to town. Some of the hunters watched as he went, but TJ refused to look back. Instead, he accelerated forward. With so much weight slowing him down, TJ made sure to gradually get up to velocity instead of leaping into his top speed and risk ripping ropes or anything like that. On top of that, though he¡¯d insisted on another two being put on him, TJ could feel that he was notably slower and weighed down with so much. He was much stronger than he¡¯d been before the System, but not enough to sprint the whole way back to town. TJ continued on his way, and the rope chafed at his scales and twisted in his mouth, but it held sufficiently for him to continue on his path. The wind whispered to him as he moved, seeming to want to tell him something. TJ refused to listen, instead keeping his eyes and ears peeled to listen for anything approaching him. Every shifting branch seemed like it was a pukwudgie preparing to strike while every shifting bush could be a cougar in the act of pouncing. While his worries plagued every step of the way, TJ¡¯s journey began wholly without incident. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before his hopes for a quick, easy journey were dashed as he heard the sound of coyote yips approaching. Four burst out of the bushes, rushing to surround him, their jaws wide. He paid them no mind, instead drawing Wind Manipulation into a whirling tornado that burst out from around him and pushed them away. The canines screeched and cried as they were sent tumbling around him. TJ¡¯s path remained clear and so too was his destination. He continued slithering at top speed forward, the wind whistling through his ears. Thankfully, his cooldown timer had only reached 1:15:07 by the time he began descending the hill into the town itself. Though TJ was relatively sure that he was no longer in danger, he still hurried through the town, staying in the center of the highway as he rushed. Several people screamed at his approach, but TJ coasted to a stop in front of the general store where he allowed himself to transform back to his human form. ¡°Hey, Jeff. You help a guy out?¡± The tangles of rope around his legs and torso kept him from moving, and it could be that that was one of the primary causes keeping Jeff from throwing something at him. Seeing the big bad snake man trapped in hundreds of pounds of food he¡¯d brought back seemed to be enough of a consolation to stop Jeff¡¯s mood from souring further. Or maybe it was the fact that the big bad snake man was trapped and now Jeff had been invited to take care of him. With a sharp knife. With efficient strokes, Jeff cut the javelina corpses from TJ¡¯s body. TJ happily rolled his shoulders as he was freed. ¡°I¡¯ll help carry them in.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Where¡¯s the rest of the hunters?¡± Jeff asked, his tone curt and uncaring. ¡°I had to go ahead to bring all this before my Skill¡¯s duration ran out.¡± TJ didn¡¯t want to get into the entirety of the drama that had occurred. Luckily, Jeff simply nodded and threw a corpse over each of his shoulders before turning and stalking into the general store. TJ grabbed another brace of javelina bodies and dragged them in, noting how obvious it was that Jeff had a higher Strength than him. He Appraised the prickly man again and saw that his level hadn¡¯t risen from Zealot, 3. As Jeff pushed through, the doors of the general store hung open, the faint light within struggling to pierce the much brighter sunlight outside. The store almost looked like a cavern of sorts as TJ struggled to pull hundreds of pounds of limp javelina into the place they¡¯d store the food. Jeff strode purposefully to the back of the store and TJ followed as best as he could. Sarah, the other guard, seemed to struggle to pull the bodies as much as he had, and his slightly pricked pride felt slightly better. Then, TJ realized he was comparing himself to a woman quite a bit smaller than him, and that the System meant that what people looked like no longer had much of a bearing on how strong they could be, and he was mostly able to get over himself. For the second time that day, TJ walked through the small store, but when he reached the back, he couldn¡¯t help but notice that Laura was missing from her desk. In fact, as far as he could tell, Jeff, Sarah and he were the only people in the building, though there was no guarantee that there was nobody in the back. With steady steps, TJ left the thought behind as he followed Jeff. In the back of the building, there was a large door marked ¡°EMPLOYEES ONLY¡± that was in the process of swinging closed. TJ followed as well, and inside he saw Jeff laying the two corpses on a large metal counter. With a deep breath, TJ gathered himself and picked both bodies up to thump them down beside their companions. The stainless steel rattled from the carelessness with which he tossed the bodies, but TJ didn¡¯t care. He¡¯d pushed hard for a long time, and he nearly collapsed to the ground while he gasped for breath. ¡°It was just a little ways to get here.¡± Jeff said, his tone derisive. ¡°You really need to be so dramatic?¡± ¡°I basically ran a mile and a half with 300 pounds on my back. Yeah, I¡¯d say I warrant a rest.¡± TJ mustered up the energy to glare up at Jeff. Jeff didn¡¯t say anything and just stalked out of the storage area after holding the door open for Sarah. ¡°I¡¯m willing to take care of the skinning and preparing of the meat, unless someone else wants to do it.¡± TJ offered to the much friendlier woman as they worked together to get the bodies up on the counter. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Figures. Where¡¯s Laura?¡± ¡°Lunch. Granny Penny gets after her if she doesn¡¯t eat every meal. Her lectures are great, so long as you¡¯re not the one she¡¯s disappointed in.¡± Sarah smiled wide. TJ nodded before changing the subject, ¡°How did you get your levels? Are you one of the hunters?¡± ¡°No, I just guard here. Why?¡± ¡°Because you have at least 4 levels. Did you get an Occupation?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a Guard. I get a little experience from standing watch, I¡¯d guess that if I fought to protect a place I¡¯d get more.¡± Sarah shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m pretty happy not having to fight and kill things, though.¡± Having already had the conversation twice today, TJ didn¡¯t jump in though a large part of him was dying to. Instead, he nodded to Sarah and walked out the doors. There, Jeff was being relieved from his position by another man, and they were locked in heated conversation. ¡°I dunno what it is, man. The gas still burns, but the spark plugs won''t ignite it. It might be something I haven¡¯t seen when I was working before, but it¡¯s like magic is keeping the engine from running. The diesels won¡¯t start either, so it¡¯s not the plugs.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s gotta be something. There¡¯s no way that a fuckin¡¯ internal combustion engine just stops burning. The gas burns, the engine draws the gas, and so it should fire!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not. We¡¯ve looked at every part of the engine, of the intake system, everything, and there just isn¡¯t any way to see why none of the cars or trucks will turn on. The batteries are all dead, the grid is down, and cars don¡¯t work. That¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a look after I eat.¡± Jeff scoffed, his scowl threatening to burn a hole in whatever he looked at. Though they were going to the same place, TJ deliberately hung back and gave the angry guardsman his space. The idea of a functioning car was beautiful, and TJ couldn¡¯t believe he hadn¡¯t asked about it. When he¡¯d come into town, nobody had used one or mentioned it, and he¡¯d simply forgotten to ask anyone about it. Now, though, he supposed he had an answer. With nobody to man the power grid or water system, he wasn¡¯t at all surprised there wasn¡¯t electricity or running water, but he just didn¡¯t think about the cars. Before he could make his way to the firehouse, though, TJ heard a familiar voice. ¡°Hey kid.¡± A broad smile cracked his face as he turned to Stanton, who stood behind him with his thick handlebar mustache groomed away from his mouth and his Stetson proudly perched on his head. ¡°Hey geezer. How was water duty?¡± ¡°Wet.¡± he grunted, but seemed mostly fine. ¡°Good.¡± TJ began to turn away and towards the firehouse, but a thought crossed his mind and he sighed. ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡± Stanton grunted. ¡°Could you take some of the people you were with today up the road, turning right at the church up at the hill? I had to go ahead of the rest because my Skill was running out of time, and I¡¯d appreciate you making sure they¡¯re ok.¡± Stanton cocked an eyebrow up at TJ, grunted, then turned on his heel with a whistle and started plodding up the street. Though he didn¡¯t like Stanton wandering off on his own, TJ had confidence that he would find someone to help him, plus TJ himself couldn¡¯t really support his friend right now. His MP was near zero while his Divine Transformation was effectively unable to be used as well. He resumed his path towards the firehouse, the grumbling Jeff serving as his announcer. In the firehouse, TJ made his way to the serving line, where there were, blessedly, no eggs. Instead, real mashed potatoes with heaps of butter and some fresh ham were plopped onto his plate. Sure, there wasn¡¯t as much of it as he¡¯d like, but it was good. With a smile, TJ tossed the food into his mouth and chewed, eating as fast as he always did. Then, looking around, he saw Laura, eating quickly, though with her eyes focused on a paper report of some sort. TJ scraped the last of his food into his mouth and picked it up to carry it to the kitchen. Out of nowhere, Granny Penny blazed past and stole the utensils from his hands and hobbled into the kitchen. He laughed as he approached Laura, who held up a finger to keep him from interrupting. TJ waited, and a minute later, Laura looked up. ¡°Speak.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 38 The woman¡¯s face, though somewhat pretty, framed by her dark hair and strikingly light eyes, was pinched in frustration. Seeing TJ¡¯s face, she took a deep breath and settled a more understanding look on her own while steepling her fingers. ¡°Hello TJ. How was the hunt? Do you have something specific to report?¡± ¡°I¡­ do you want the bad news or good first?¡± ¡°Bad.¡± ¡°Mary died while being attacked by a giant herd of javelinas. It was ugly, and at least one of the hunters holds me responsible.¡± ¡°Why would they think it¡¯s your fault?¡± Laura¡¯s face remained impassive and professional, though TJ noted a shaking in her hands. ¡°Sheridan said that I should have been able to do something more because I was the strongest person there. She¡­ I mean, she¡¯s wrong, but I feel like I might have been able to do something else? I don¡¯t know. It was bad.¡± ¡°Ahh, yes. She¡¯s young and emotional and her friend died. I¡¯ll ensure she receives whatever support we can offer.¡± Though he spoke as dispassionately as he could manage, TJ clenched his jaw as he remembered Mary¡¯s face, the skull crushed, her body torn¡­ It was replaced with Mari¡¯s bloody body in the hospital room. The smell of antiseptic. Junior¡¯s confusion and tears and screams. The sound of her heart monitor flatlining. The emptiness. His gorge again fought to rise, to spill the meal he¡¯d just consumed. His throat swelled and threatened to shut entirely. With a force of will, TJ breathed deeply through his nose and shook his head forcibly. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯ll need that.¡± TJ swiped at his eyes and changed the subject. ¡°Um. Yeah. Just a couple of things. One, I brought javelina bodies back, so where do you want me to leave the prepared meat? My Occupation will progress by preparing the materials, so I¡¯d like to process the meat.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll decide what we want to do about those by the time you¡¯re finished.¡± ¡°Fine. And then there¡¯s the big point. I don¡¯t know if you can, but you need to force everyone to level up as fast as possible.¡± Laura cocked her head, her eyebrows raising in curiosity. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an intelligent woman. The creatures out there are just getting more and more dangerous. If the herd of javelinas was just one level higher, I don¡¯t know if any of the hunters would have survived, myself included.¡± ¡°And there will just be more enemies every day. That compounded with their strength growing continuously doesn¡¯t bode well. In fact, I¡¯d say our days are numbered if we think we can just sit comfortably here in town.¡± The politician bowed her head and held it in both hands as she rubbed her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re right. So much of what we¡¯ve been doing in town has focused on the idea of merely holding steady for now.¡± ¡°Great. I¡¯m going to go take care of the bodies before taking a rest to recover my Skill and my HP, so let me know if you have any questions before I¡¯m elbow deep in a corpse.¡± Laura¡¯s face blanched at TJ¡¯s words, but she shook her head. TJ didn¡¯t say anything else to her, instead giving a two finger salute as he turned and walked out of the firehouse. The stressed but generally calm conversations that filled the communal space would soon be replaced by frustration, disbelief, or even rage, but TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to care. Almost every one of these people in here were surviving off the goodwill and patience of the dozen people risking their lives outside. If he was honest with himself, TJ recognized that if he¡¯d been teleported here instead of in the middle of nowhere and forced to fight to survive from the same moment the Divine System manifested itself, then he¡¯d want to do the same. Why not trust other people to keep you safe, wasn¡¯t that what police, firefighters, and soldiers were for? This world wouldn¡¯t allow that complacency, TJ realized. It seemed like the Divine System would create more and more trials for the Participants until it found whoever it deemed to be the best pick for the next occupant of the Divine Throne. Though he only considered even attempting to get there to restore his family, he recognized he didn¡¯t want to be a god. The world and the System didn¡¯t care about what he wanted. This Tutorial would push him to keep fighting and striving to get stronger, and if he wanted to see his son, he would claw his fingers down to the bone to destroy whatever stood in his way. He internally decided that if Laura hadn¡¯t broken the news to the rest of the town by tomorrow, then he¡¯d start telling everyone to get working. Whether or not that would be at all effective or possible, TJ couldn¡¯t say. He pushed that possibility to the back of his mind and returned to what he next planned to do. Feeling at his pocket, he could tell he still had one of the sharp stones in there, and though he wished for something more like a real knife, that wasn¡¯t to be. Jeff¡¯s replacement guard didn¡¯t seem too worried when TJ approached with the intent to enter the store. ¡°What¡¯re you up to?¡± He asked as he leaned on his large shield for support. ¡°Cleaning the javelinas and getting them ready to eat.¡± ¡°Have fun, then.¡± TJ nodded and made his way into the store. As before, it was dark, restrictive, and uncomfortable inside. Uncomfortable? As soon as he thought it, TJ wondered why he¡¯d think it was restrictive, much less uncomfortable. Sure, he didn¡¯t love being in a place he couldn¡¯t see well, but he¡¯d never thought of that as uncomfortable before. Though he continued to think about it and try to find out why he subconsciously hated to be in the store, he couldn¡¯t place it. The mystery remained as he pushed into the back area, where, after following a faint scent of iron, TJ found something he was relieved to see. A fully stocked butcher¡¯s kitchen with meat hooks, a drain for blood, and everything else he could imagine as well as various things he had no idea what function they would serve awaited him. TJ set his rock aside on the counter and gathered in the six corpses. Then, looking at what was waiting for him, TJ looked down at himself, sighed, and stripped out of his shirt before putting on a heavy apron that was hung in the corner of the room. Finally, with his sharp rock in hand, TJ set to work. ¡ª--- Initially, he¡¯d tried to keep the blood off of himself. After all, it was sticky and generally distasteful. Then, as the third body hung, dripping blood to the ground, TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to care any more. The damn sticky crimson stuck, seemingly, to every bit of his body, and more than once, he couldn¡¯t figure out how, he¡¯d gotten the blood into his mouth. With a grunt and a grumbled curse, TJ hung the sixth corpse to drip. He felt a welcome surge of energy, and quickly realized what it was. Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 6. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Point available. Without a second thought, TJ put the Free Point into his Intelligence and pulled up his Status sheet. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Human ¨C lvl 6 Class: Neophyte lvl 7 Occupation: Savage lvl 6 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 480/480 Mana Points (MP): 300/300 Stamina: 460/460 Attributes Strength: 22 Agility: 21 Endurance: 46 Vitality: 48 Toughness: 39 Wisdom: 26 Intelligence: 30 Perception: 30 Willpower: 40 Fixation: 31 Free Points: 0 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 41:15 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Current cooldown: 0:00 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Coatl ¨C lvl 6 Class: Neophyte lvl 7 Occupation: Savage lvl 6 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 960/960 Mana Points (MP): 300/300 Stamina: 920/920 Attributes Strength x2: 44 Agility x1.5: 31 Endurance x2: 92 Vitality x2: 96 Toughness x2: 78 Wisdom: 26 Intelligence: 30 Perception x1.5: 45 Willpower: 40 Fixation: 31 Free Points: 0 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular He didn¡¯t know if the cooldown for Divine Transformation would have been fully refreshed by his new level, but it had been well over an hour since he¡¯d begun his butchery, so the cooldown had long since passed. When he turned to look at his handiwork, TJ did feel some measure of pride at what he¡¯d been able to accomplish. Though the first two attempts had not gone especially well for him, the other four corpses had their matching hide stretched out behind them. Though the cuts remained clumsy and inexpert, he could see that, properly cured, the hides could be quite useful. This first step complete, TJ considered leaving the rest for someone else, but he¡¯d already seen that he could be overwhelmed by numbers and strength. The rest of the town would learn that they needed to work harder soon, and TJ would seize every bit of experience he could for himself at this point. If others became Tanners or Butchers or any other Occupation, then they could do whatever they needed to level up on their own time. Getting the materials for and using them for processing the hides was still horrendous and turned his stomach, but TJ cracked the skulls, extracted the brains, and took care of the hides as best as he could. All the while, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he hadn¡¯t leveled up his Class or Occupation before now. He¡¯d killed tons of javelinas and pukwudgies and coyotes, to no avail. Sure, there hadn¡¯t been hundreds of them, but he felt that another level of both seemed like they would make sense. After each watershed level (every five levels in the Dirt (0) tier of Divinity, the requisite experience per level increases while the awarded experience from activities and experience sources from below that same watershed is decreased. ¡°So the more I level, the less I get.¡± TJ sighed and continued working the brain slurry into the raw hide. The smell no longer bothered him after hours spent elbows deep in gore, so after another hour of rubbing the foul mixture into the pelts, he carried them out into the sun to dry. In his time working in the butchery, he¡¯d found the door out the back, where the shipments would have been delivered when the world hadn¡¯t gone and collapsed in on itself. Four days ago. He sighed and rubbed his eyes as the reality of that settled over him. This was the fourth day since hell had decided earth was a good place to set up camp, and things were just going to get worse. How many people would have died by now? Were other Tutorials worse off than this one? If people had been yanked from their homes in Canada and were stuck outside without their winter clothes, they¡¯d all have died. He shook his head. Worrying wouldn¡¯t do anything right now. Other people freezing to death was a horrible end, but Junior wasn¡¯t there. So long as the System was to be trusted. TJ grunted and ground his teeth. His mind kept wandering, betraying him. He needed to focus on the here and now to make it to tomorrow. Looking around, TJ couldn¡¯t see anywhere that stood out to him as a good place to hang the pelts. He sighed and threw them over his shoulder while disregarding the blood that streaked all over the bottom pelt¡¯s fur from his torso. ¡°What¨Cwhat the hell¨C¡± A terrified voice pulled TJ from searching for somewhere to leave the pelts to dry. Whirling around, searching for enemies, he couldn¡¯t see or hear anything. Instead, he watched as Laura, dressed in her suit and with a pencil held in a horrified, disbelieving hand, gaped at him. Before TJ could ask what was wrong, her face drained of its blood and she collapsed to the ground. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 39 ¡°What the¨C¡± TJ shouted, still looking for whatever the imminent danger was. There was nothing so terrifying as to render him unconscious anywhere nearby, but still his eyes darted in every direction, prepared to defend himself as necessary. When the guards from the door jogged up to Laura without seeming to be particularly worried, TJ figured that he had missed something. A mere moment later, Laura stirred and rubbed her eyes. She kept each eye firmly closed as she muttered to herself. With a hand from the guards, she stood, eyes still closed without any indication of a willingness to open them. ¡°I apologize. I was surprised to see you, TJ. When covered by so much blood, I mistook you for something threatening and unfortunately lost my composure. Again, I apologize for my unbecoming display.¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. TJ nodded for a second, then the reality of what she¡¯d said settled over him and he connected the dots. With a disbelieving tone, he asked, ¡°Are you a hemophiliac?¡± ¡°No,¡± the woman, with eyes still closed, replied. ¡°I am hemophobic. Hemophilia is a disease of the blood, while hemophobic is the irrational fear of blood.¡± ¡°Pretty shitty fear to have in times like these.¡± TJ mused aloud. ¡°That sucks.¡± ¡°Indeed. Now, is there anything I can do for you?¡± ¡°Not right now.¡± ¡°Very well. If you have anything else to tell me, please do so after you have cleaned yourself.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± TJ nodded before waving goodbye. Laura¡¯s eyes remained closed, so he added, ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Goodbye TJ.¡± Laura turned, and with the blood out of sight, she shrugged off the assisting hands of her guards and strode into the store. She pointedly did not look back as the door closed behind her. As TJ considered where to dry his hides, he fully looked down at himself to consider what he looked like. Dried blood coated his hands and arms up to the elbow, while errant splatters covered his shoulders and chest. His blue jeans sported dark stains all over them, and he was sure that there was no shortage of coagulated blood decorating his face. He¡¯d removed his moccasins, saving them from being covered by the dripping evidence of his butchery, so his bare toes too were mostly red from the scabbing scarlet. Perhaps working to make his appearance ever more bestial and off-putting, he had pelts draped over his shoulders, skin side up. Though he¡¯d scraped the majority of it off, the veins and flesh that remained stuck to the pelts made for a grisly sight. Most off-putting, though, were the yards of intestines he¡¯d roped around his neck like a macabre scarf. Though each item he carried was bloody and generally unpleasant, TJ carried them exclusively for their utility, and he didn¡¯t regret having them. Even so, he recognized the unpleasant sight he made and, instead of thinking about it any further, he carried the pelts to the house he¡¯d spent the night before in. As he walked down the highway, the partially setting sun colored the town gold. The trees and forest that were only slightly pushed back by this little pocket of civilization grew all around, their green needles tinted yellow in the light. Some few people moved around in these houses further away from the ¡°center¡± indicated by the store and the firehouse, but not many. The bulk of the population preferred the safety offered by numbers, and TJ supposed he couldn¡¯t fault them. Though he felt a burning need to continue growing and leveling to keep himself and his son safe, TJ understood the terror of leaving the bounds of this apparent ring of safety. After just a night spent here, he¡¯d worried about what he¡¯d find, about what would threaten him. If he¡¯d never been forced to fight for his life, been pushed to that edge of desperation, changing would be nearly impossible. And he would ruin that for every single inhabitant of the town. He would feel slightly badly about it, but TJ knew that he wouldn¡¯t regret ripping the slight peace they¡¯d found away from these people to ensure that they could survive. So that he could succeed. Maybe his heart would falter after he saw another die, but the reality was that they would die if none of them forced themselves to level up anyways. Regardless, that was a concern for tomorrow. For now, TJ merely wanted to find where he could lay his pelts to dry. He settled on the small fence that bordered the house¡¯s porch and laid out the half dozen pelts to dry. When he turned to walk into the house and decide what to do next, he was startled out of his next choice of what to do. ¡°No.¡± Stanton said, standing in front of the door. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Get clean, then you can come in.¡± TJ opened his mouth to complain or disagree, looked down at himself, and sighed. ¡°Would you guide me to the creek? That¡¯ll be my best bet.¡± Stanton grunted, pulled the door closed, and hiked his jacket¡¯s collar up to better cover his neck. The old man walked onward and TJ Appraised him. Acolyte, 5 ¡°No levels today?¡± ¡°One in Druid.¡± ¡°Oh, that means a new Skill!¡± TJ replied, excitement tinging his voice. ¡°What Skill did you choose?¡± Stanton glared at the younger man for a second before sighing and seeming to give up on his closed-lipped act. ¡°Nature¡¯s Advocate.¡± TJ cocked his head, waiting for Stanton to provide some explanation. They walked in silence for nearly a minute before TJ gave in. ¡°What does it do?¡± ¡°I can make plants grow faster, encourage growth, and help food bearing plants to sprout and bear fruit more quickly.¡± ¡°A longer term Skill choice.¡± Stanton merely grunted in response and TJ left the topic behind. ¡°How are the hunters? You get them all home safe?¡± ¡°Yeah. Couple of them are shaken, and I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll go out again. They¡¯re all home, though.¡± Stanton didn¡¯t offer any more details as they walked, and TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask any more. They walked in silence, eventually leaving the road and following a small game trail for a quarter mile through the woods. Before long, the burbling of a creek cut through the quiet sounds of their steps and TJ could see the water. Though he could hear it flowing relatively quickly, there wasn¡¯t much in the creek. What little ran down the hill was, at most, a foot deep with the occasional pool just a couple feet wide. TJ nearly entered the water right there but thought better of it, instead walking a hundred feet or so further downstream. He stripped down to his boxers, the cool of the end of the day chilling him without making him shiver. His Vitality of 48 was so impactful to such mundane parts of his life that TJ wondered how much his body and mind would change as he continued to progress and evolve. As the frigid water splashed over him and prickled his whole body with gooseflesh, he thought about his mind, the way he¡¯d been as steadfast as he¡¯d been these days. Though he¡¯d gotten through Mari¡¯s death as well as he could, TJ was well aware he was far from unbreakable. Now, though, he was shrugging off mortal wounds and deferring treatment while he bled out. The increases to his attributes in Strength, Agility, Vitality, and Endurance, as well as even Toughness, were easy enough to wrap his mind around. Sure, eventually he might be able to lift an airplane or outrun a car, but that just felt as if he were Superman or something. But the changes to his mind frightened him. He shrugged off wounds that would have easily sent him into shock five days ago, could that have been a result of his Willpower? If so, what would happen once it got to triple digits? Would he simply buck up and deal with it if someone he loved died? Would he still be considered human after all that? And if these attributes continued to climb, would TJ be swallowed up in the Participant? For not the first time that day, TJ forced the thought out of his mind. There wasn¡¯t a valley he wouldn¡¯t tread through to get to Junior, and though it terrified him, that included hardening his heart and mind to this terrible world he now lived in. He scrubbed his body all over, flakes of blood falling free as he did so. Disgustingly, his hair was matted with sweat, dirt, and blood, and the water flowed a rusty reddish down his torso as he dunked his whole head again and again. Eventually, TJ finally felt that he was ready to move along. The sun overhead had fallen enough to nearly be considered setting, and he made a decision as he dunked the intestines he¡¯d brought along again and again in the water. ¡°Stanton!¡± A grunt answered him. ¡°Do we have water for me to boil these, or could you get me a pot to gather the water myself?¡± Instead of answering, the old man shrugged off his jacket for a moment, his mouth worrying at his upper lip and chewing on a particularly long moustache hair. Once the jacket was fully off, TJ saw the small pack Stanton kept under his jacket, and Stanton tossed it over. TJ caught it with a sloshing sound and saw it was one of those backpacks with a water bladder inside. ¡°Is this safe to drink?¡± Stanton nodded and kept his eyes on the surrounding trees. TJ only then realized he could see Suzie set carefully in a makeshift shoulder holster under Stanton¡¯s left arm. Unconcerned, though curious why the man would have it manifested when he could summon it with a thought, he nodded his thanks. Only now that he had so much drinkable water in front of himself, TJ felt how parched his mouth and dry his throat were. Since it was about to be contaminated with unboiled water, TJ indulged in probably too much water. His stomach sloshed with each movement as he bent over to refill the bladder, though from several feet upstream of where he¡¯d just been cleaning himself. Facing the mouth of the bladder downstream, he filled it and screwed the top on. When he stood up, Stanton wasn¡¯t looking at their surroundings any longer, but staring at TJ. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made a decision.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, just strangely astute, as the man usually was. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve got something I need to do tonight. Probably by myself.¡± Stanton nodded, merely accepting the statement for what it was. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, you hear?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± A grunt. ¡°You need me to take your things back to the house for now?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll walk with you. Probably better for me to talk with Laura before I go anyways.¡± Stanton nodded, the Stetson hat covering his eyes as he did so. Then, without another word, he stepped up and out of the path, giving TJ enough space to dress himself as much as he wanted. All his clothes were dripping wet, and TJ considered leaving them off and walking in his skivvies all through the town to let his clothes dry, but modesty and a general sense of shame kept him from doing so. Instead, he shook the jeans hard a couple times, droplets of water flying everywhere before he gave up and put the dripping pants on, though he didn¡¯t put the moccasins on. The wet denim chilled his legs and was painfully uncomfortable, but he had a goal in mind. Fortunately, TJ¡¯d had the presence of mind not to wear his shirt and jacket while butchering, so they were dry as he pulled them on. Again, he debated wandering around in just his patterned boxers, but the ridiculousness of him wandering around in bare feet, no pants, and a jacket was just too much. Instead, he sloshed uncomfortably up the path until he stood on the highway once again. Stanton followed him as he walked towards the general store, where he was quickly turned away to the firehouse, where he¡¯d find Laura. Before he got there, though, she walked around the corner, her chocolate skin glowing an almost golden color in the light of the setting sun while her hair seemed to flash in the light as well. A gentle smile crossed her face and her eyes were heavy-lidded. As soon as they met eyes, though, the light drained from Laura and she put on a more severe look. ¡°How are you, TJ? How can I help you?¡± ¡°I just wanted to tell you that I¡¯m going on a hunt tonight, before the sun sets all the way. I don¡¯t need any support, it¡¯ll just be me this time.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 40 Though Laura, Sarah, and, when he appeared, Farid disagreed with his decision, TJ wasn¡¯t deterred. After explaining himself for the third time, TJ merely said, ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you either later tonight or tomorrow. Don¡¯t wait up for me, but I¡¯ll make sure the sentries see me when I return so you won¡¯t worry quite so much.¡± Without listening to any further complaints, he turned and began walking away. Stanton walked alongside while Farid, after a moment¡¯s indecision, trailed behind. ¡°This is stupid, TJ. I don¡¯t know what you feel like you need to prove, but you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t for me.¡± TJ responded simply before asking, ¡°Has Laura announced anything to the rest of the town yet?¡± Farid cocked his head before answering, ¡°No. Nothing I¡¯ve heard about, at least.¡± TJ nodded slowly. ¡°What level are you now?¡± ¡°Acolyte 5. No Occupation just yet, but I feel like I¡¯m close to one.¡± ¡°Nice. Tangent, but your Bloodline and Skill?¡± ¡°Shiva, and it¡¯s called the Waning Moon. Upgraded my javelins and they have a secondary attack if they hit something.¡± With a thought, a javelin appeared in his hand, and TJ noted that the head had split into two. Then, looking to make sure TJ was watching, Farid hurled it at a nearby tree. As the projectile flew, a faint halo of a moon trailed at the butt, as if it were fletching on an arrow. When the javelin struck its target, it pierced deeply into the wood and the moonlike halo flew up the shaft of the javelin and cut a six inch gash at least a full inch past the bark and into the trunk. ¡°That something that Shiva did?¡± TJ asked, looking closely at the tree as they walked towards the house to drop everything off. ¡°Well, Shiva the Destroyer is commonly depicted as holding a trident. Though the head now only has two points, I wonder if it will eventually resemble his trident. His forehead bears the mark of the crescent moon, so I suspect that also comes from him.¡± ¡°Great. Glad you¡¯re progressing, and I think you¡¯ll want to follow that hunch to get an Occupation as soon as possible. Back to the point at hand¨CLaura¡¯s come around to my way of thinking, and we need everybody around here leveling up as soon as possible. I wish it¡¯d been today, but I bet she¡¯s letting everyone get a good night¡¯s rest before she breaks the news to them. In the morning, we¡¯re going to have to start training people who are reluctant at best, and I¡¯m going to try to take out some of the most dangerous enemies that¡¯re nearby before they¡¯re able to attack anyone tomorrow. I¡¯m the best person for it because I can get in and out and be pretty sure I won¡¯t die, plus I have a timer of exactly how long I can be out before I need to return.¡± Farid thought for a moment, then frowned. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s necessary to do this? For everyone?¡± TJ fought to urge to sigh. ¡°Look. We were outnumbered about 4 to 1 with those javelinas, right?¡± ¡°I guess, yeah.¡± ¡°And, as terrible as it is, Mary died.¡± sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Farid nodded. ¡°How many pukwudgies and coyotes and javelinas and mountain lions and whatever else do you think might be in the nearest ten miles?¡± The descendant of Shiva¡¯s mouth hung open. ¡°Oh. That¡¯s¡­ really bad.¡± ¡°You can say that again. So, we need to close the gap of numbers, and getting more combatants and leveling up will reduce our enemies¡¯ numbers while bolstering our own. I hope everyone lives¡­¡± TJ trailed off, not willing to finish the sentence and sentiment. Even so, what he was about to say hung heavily over all three men¡¯s heads. Farid looked shell-shocked, but he nodded several times with growing intensity. ¡°I should come with, help out.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be better for you to get your Occupation.¡± TJ denied the eagerly helpful man. ¡°Alone, you¡¯re in danger, and getting that other source of Skills and attributes will be way more impactful than risking your life when tomorrow you can assist way more effectively.¡± Seeing the look in Farid¡¯s eyes, TJ continued, ¡°No, I¡¯m not risking myself doing this. I¡¯m going to be careful and just strike a couple of the higher leveled ones I find from far away. If something ambushes me, then I¡¯m hardy and tough enough to get out of there before they can do too much damage to me. I¡¯m fast enough to get back here if I¡¯m Afflicted with something, I¡¯m kinda the perfect person for the job, and I¡¯m the highest level too.¡± Farid nodded, his eyes determined. ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll see if I can get the new Occupation tonight. For everyone else¡¯s sake, we should.¡± TJ quickly realized the misunderstanding Farid was under, and couldn¡¯t bring himself to disillusion the younger man. He merely nodded and waved goodbye as Farid jogged into the hunters¡¯ lodge, the door slamming shut behind him. Stanton cocked an eyebrow at TJ, his slight disapproval obvious. TJ sighed and didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he deposited the water and intestines he¡¯d been carrying near the door of the home he and Stanton had begun to live in. ¡°Would you boil these tonight? If you think they won¡¯t keep for the next hour or so.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. Do it yourself when you return.¡± Stanton walked into the horse, seemingly unconcerned with TJ. ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll be back before an hour goes by. If I want to go back out again afterwards, then I¡¯ll let you know.¡± Stanton grunted, and then, TJ was off. He jogged a ways forward, up the hill towards where he and Stanton had been ambushed only the day before. Looking at the setting sun, TJ supposed it had been nearly a full day since they¡¯d made their way into town, and he hoped there would be others like them to appear sometime soon. If they had stronger combatants come and help train the rest of the people who were only now entering the fight, then they would stand a greater chance of success and survival. TJ sighed and refocused on his current situation. He¡¯d found his mind wandering a lot today, and he refused to be caught by something in the forest, away from all support, because he was unfocused while in a dangerous location. He stretched his ears and eyes, looking for anything that seemed to communicate impending danger. Nothing seemed to jump out to him, but TJ remained still, looking for the faintest glimmer of a pukwudgie, the slightest sniff of coyote. After several minutes, TJ felt he was ready and activated Divine Transformation. Scents bombarded him as he took special time to evaluate if his more limited observations as a human had been correct. A minute later, he was relatively sure that he wouldn¡¯t be walking into an ambush of some sorts, but decided to ask the System one final question he couldn¡¯t believe he hadn¡¯t asked already before setting out. ¡°Why don¡¯t the enemies come closer to town?¡± As the Tutorial progresses, the safe zone¡¯s radius around the general store within Pine will shrink. There remain 10 days, 11 hours, 22 minutes, and 18 seconds until the safe zone disappears completely. Currently, the safe zone¡¯s radius surrounding the general store is 650 yards. Each day, the safe zone¡¯s radius will be reduced by 50 yards. On the final day before the next phase of the Tutorial begins, the safe zone¡¯s radius will be 100 yards. Once the next phase, the 18 hour defense of Pine¡¯s general store, begins, there will remain no safe zone in the Tutorial. TJ hissed in thought, his tongue flicking and tasting the air. At least now he knew how limited his safety was. Looking back at the general store, he was well within the bounds of the safe zone¡¯s 1900 feet. Did he wish he¡¯d been smart enough to ask this well before right this moment? Of course. Even so, here he was, and he still needed to pick off the strongest enemies he could find as quickly as possible. With that in mind, TJ slithered forward without thinking further about it. Instead of sticking to the road where visibility was high, he dove into the thick scrub brush that filled the area between the trees. He made his way through a gully and a dried wash, his every sense stretched to find anything that wasn¡¯t a mere deer or elk. If he was able to find one of those, of course, he¡¯d happily hunt it and bring it back to town, but that was far from his focus. Unless it was a monstrous¨C With a quiet hiss to himself, TJ pulled his mind from continuing to wander. There was a faint taste of¡­ something rotten on the air. He somehow knew that this wasn¡¯t the smell of some natural death, and TJ was more than willing to listen to his instincts on this, given his total reliance on the coatl¡¯s form and function. The air stilled, the nearly constant winds dying away. The immobile air stopped carrying the scent he¡¯d been following to him, but with his Wind Manipulation, he was well aware of where it had been coming from. He slithered over the omnipresent bed of pine needles, the sound of his scales on the brittle litter quiet. The scent grew stronger once again, though the winds remained quiet and nearly imperceptible, forcing TJ to stop himself from rushing forward. Instead, he lowered himself entirely to the ground, keeping his coils hidden below any bush he passed by. He made his way forward, nose and tongue to the air. The scent of rot overcame the pleasant odor of the pine trees and creosote. Somehow, as the light fell and the air grew ever more chilled, the scent of death took on a certain freezer burned quality, like that of an ice cream carton left long forgotten in the back of the freezer. Then, without warning, the feathers in TJ¡¯s mane prickled in warning. He froze, looking for whatever it was that had his Bloodline and Divine Transformation nervous. The sound of quiet steps echoed around a small clearing in front of him, and in the waning light of dusk, TJ watched as a pack of a half dozen pukwudgies gathered together in a huddle. They each had their left hand on the next¡¯s shoulder, their right hands in the center. They moved four times in concert, and one of the six groaned in a bitter, almost hopeless disappointment. While they were distracted, TJ Appraised them. Pukwudgie, 7 Pukwudgie, 7 Pukwudgie, 7 Pukwudgie, 7 Pukwudgie, 7 Pukwudgie, 7 It was strange to see every one of them at the same level, since there had always been at least some level of variation before. Even so, that was far from TJ¡¯s main concern, given that the pukwudgies then reached out and plucked a long, hard hair out of the loser¡¯s back. Before, he¡¯d thought the creatures to somewhat resemble a porcupine, and these ones were no different. When the hairs left the loser¡¯s body, they became much stiffer, seeming almost needlelike in form. TJ considered rushing out and dispatching the beasts as he knew he could, but something held him back. They were far from enough to give his Bloodline pause, and they certainly weren¡¯t the source of the smell that still choked the air. His answer came swiftly, though. A groan, wheezy and painful, came from a particularly deep shadow TJ hadn¡¯t taken notice of on the opposite side of the clearing. Then, a shambling figure emerged, towering over the pukwudgies. Before TJ could react, the loser pukwudgie stepped forward and prostrated itself before the shadowy figure. It stepped forward, and TJ finally saw it. The emaciated figure showed itself from the shadows. Its fingers were tipped by long black claws and its mouth hung wide open, drool and slobber dribbling from between its teeth. The sharp teeth that filled the vaguely bovine-skull looking face were filed to points, and, ringed with curling ram¡¯s horns, its sunken eyes glowed with an icy blue flame. The flesh that covered the monster¡¯s body had rotted, and a cold fog seeped off its every limb. Beneath its humanoid legs grew a small forest of ice crystals, and the ice slowly grew over the prostrate pukwudgie. TJ couldn¡¯t help but watch as the creature languidly reached down and pushed its claws into the base of the pukwudgie¡¯s skull and slew the worshipful goblin. It raised the corpse to its face and began tearing into the flesh with a deliberate slowness, and TJ appraised it. Wendigo, 5 While TJ debated what to do now, the wendigo made the choice for him. ¡°More. Flesh. Here.¡± It said, pointing a finger coated with frozen blood at his position. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 41 TJ was the first to react to the wendigo¡¯s declaration. He had plenty of confidence in killing the pukwudgies, and the possibility of them working together with the obviously much more powerful wendigo was terrifying. He condensed a scythe of wind, feeling the benefits of his slightly improved Intelligence and Fixation as he did so. When he was confident the blade would cut through flesh and bone, TJ sent his attack forward. With a hissing roar, the nearly ten foot-long blade appeared and flew forward. One pukwudgie on the end dodged out of the way, another fell prostrate, losing only hair from the initial attack. The last three seemed as if they¡¯d die, and TJ felt his adrenaline spike. Victory would soon arrive! That was when a wall of ice appeared in front of the last three. The wind, with more preparation and power sunk into it than the ice, sliced through, but on the far side, was only able to wound the pukwudgies shallowly. TJ¡¯s stomach sank as he saw that he would be fighting alone against six enemies, and he made his decision without hesitation. He spun and began fleeing back towards town. The scent of blood followed him, the bleeding pukwudgies pursuing without hesitation. There would be two more uninjured ones following as well, and TJ¡¯s mind raced to decide what to do about them. More importantly, though, were the surprisingly quick and heavy steps of the wendigo as it too followed his trail. TJ consulted his MP: 222/300. He could do that same blade of wind nearly three more times, though it would empty his MP. Unfortunately, the pukwudgies no longer stood together and had spread to attempt to surround him. He was sure there would be weapons in each hand, though they¡¯d all activated their camouflaging ability. His flight led him ever further, and TJ considered calling his hunt a bust. Even with the impending danger, though, TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to. This was at least one more level laid out in front of him, and he wasn¡¯t about to run away from it even before they¡¯d landed a blow on him. Decision made, TJ slowed himself just enough to allow the quiet sounds and subtle smell of pukwudgie to close in on him. The tromping steps of the wendigo remained at the forefront of his mind, but TJ sensed it was too far away to immediately reach him. There was an immensely risky idea that occurred to him, but if it worked, TJ was sure he could quickly dispatch the closest assailant. With that surety and his confidence in his own ability to survive, TJ deactivated Divine Transformation just as a pair of spears tried to pierce through him to pin his body to the ground. As a human, his body was no longer there, and the pukwudgies were far from prepared for his response. Though TJ suspected that the level seven goblins had a higher Strength than him, he knew from experience that their weight was exactly what one would expect from a potbellied creature that was more legs and arms than body. He dove towards one of the two uninjured creatures. His right hand found its pukwudgie¡¯s ankle, and his left its other. Then, just as its spear began to descend towards him, TJ whipped it around and headfirst into the nearest tree. Its skull cracked against the wood with a sickening thunk. There was no kill notification, so TJ spun a full 360 degrees before smashing its back into the same tree. Its spine snapped with a final crack, and TJ didn¡¯t pay any attention to the kill notification. The rest of the pukwudgies rushed towards him and TJ spun one last time and hurled the limp body at its companions. Two of the injured creatures were unable to avoid its spindly limbs and torso while the other one and the single remained healthy one flickered around and outside of the body¡¯s range. Their spears glinted dangerously, but TJ¡¯s goal as a human had been completed. He shifted back to his coatl form, his timer for Divine Transformation with over half an hour remaining. The two furious but weak thrusts skittered off his scales uselessly. TJ lunged forward, catching one¡¯s head while sending magic to the tip of his tail. Anything that followed him would quickly regret it. With the pukwudgie¡¯s head stuck in his mouth, it wouldn¡¯t survive for long and TJ shook it like a terrier shook a rat while he fled. The second death notification let him drop it without worrying, and TJ wondered if the rest would simply let him escape. The wendigo¡¯s words disabused him of that thought. ¡°Catch. My. Dinner.¡± Wordless birdlike screeches filled the air behind him. The wendigo, with the short delay that fight had offered him, had closed in enough for TJ to see the bushes it was stomping through. He resumed his flight, but the sole healthy pukwudgie had caught up. It stayed in front of him, stabbing at his eyes without engaging fully. It knew it only needed to slow him enough for the four remaining enemies to surround him, and that was all it seemed to intend to do. TJ cursed to himself, noting the relative position of the other two pukwudgies as he sprinted as quickly as he could manage. The wendigo was, once again, being left behind, and TJ evaluated the three pukwudgies that remained. The healthy nuisance in his face could momentarily be ignored, and he focused on the two behind him. Though they both were wounded and bleeding heavily, TJ saw they were ready to stab him wherever and however they could. He sent the vast majority of his MP to his already prepared tail, banking on the proximity of his next Neophyte level. TJ slowed his head¡¯s dodging slightly, allowing an errant strike to scrape just into the flesh under his scales along his mane. He flared the mane, the feathers tightening around the spear and keeping the pukwudgie from easily wrenching it free. Meanwhile, the two flanking goblins saw the opportunity he¡¯d deliberately presented. Before their spears could wound him terribly, TJ flicked his tail and released the ripping winds into the pukwudgies¡¯ gaping maws. There was a wet sound of tearing flesh and screaming pukwudgie as TJ¡¯s blade of wind ripped the upper half of their heads free. Two more death notifications left him with one wholly uninjured pukwudgie and wendigo ready to rip him to pieces. The wendigo was again gaining on him, the time taken to slay the penultimate monsters providing it enough time to draw closer still, closer than it had ever been. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. TJ rolled his whole body over, the pukwudgie¡¯s spear lodged between his feathers wrenching free of its owner¡¯s hands. He could hear the crackling of frost behind him as the wendigo approached. Checking his MP, he saw he had only 54/300 remaining. He couldn¡¯t use it in fear of weakening himself with a killer migraine if this last pukwudgie didn¡¯t give him sufficient experience to reach level 8 of Neophyte. His decision made, TJ leapt at the pukwudgie, disregarding the sound, smell, and chill that accompanied the wendigo as it reached him. His coils wrapped around the pukwudgie, and its sharp teeth dug into him with a desperate ferocity. With a Toughness of 78 and his scales, it only broke its own teeth. TJ constricted as strongly as he could, bones cracking and its breath wheezing. Before he could kill it, though, the wendigo reached him and, with chilled claws easily piercing his scales and flesh, began pulling him from his prey. The fear that had so easily settled over him by its presence was washed away by fury. It would steal his prey from him? TJ bit down on the pukwudgie again and again, tearing its flesh free. A sharp icicle of pain shot up TJ¡¯s whole body in return. The pukwudgie was dying in his coils and he stopped his desperately snapping jaws to look at the source of agony. The wendigo was doing to him what he¡¯d done to the pukwudgie. Its mouth, though skeletal and shaped like a cow¡¯s or ram¡¯s, was filled with the sharp teeth belonging to a predator. It chomped easily through his body and tore a four inch section from his tail free. With its claws still holding his body, it swallowed the mouthful of his flesh with its coldly glowing eyes flaring in apparent pleasure. ¡°You. Tasty.¡± It¡¯s tone rasped up his spine and made TJ¡¯s mane flare up in an involuntary attempt at intimidation. The wendigo paid him no mind as it lowered its mouth to take another bite. TJ wriggled in a maddened attempt to escape, but its claws, buried inches into his flesh and literally freezing his muscles, held him tight. The frost crawled up his skin, nearly a full foot of his body frozen to a snake-shaped ice cube. His mind swam with the agony of the frigid magic stealing from him his ability to move. With a wide grin, the wendigo¡¯s mouth descended once more and chomped nearly completely through his body where it had bitten before. The last foot of his tail went limp as much of his spine was severed. Hiss screaming in fear and desperation, TJ bit towards the wendigo¡¯s arms and face again and again but it didn¡¯t seem to care. His fangs scraped off the wendigo¡¯s skull and face, and though his fangs found purchase in its arms, the ropy flesh was strangely tough and refused to bleed or fall apart under his assault. To make matters worse, with each strike he made, the wendigo¡¯s frost spread over his face and down his throat. Then, as TJ lost all hope of escape, praying that he would be able to drop Divine Transformation and maybe escape, his wounds stopped bleeding. The agonizing cold that filled his head more sharply and painfully than any brainfreeze disappeared. The wendigo¡¯s claws in his flesh were pushed free by his healing wounds, and though feeling didn¡¯t return to the parts of his tail below where his spine had been bitten through, every other wound he¡¯d suffered in this brief clash was healed. With a sharp twist of his body, TJ wrenched himself out of the wendigo¡¯s grasp and flopped to the ground. He didn¡¯t hesitate to pull himself back and out of its immediate reach. He looked at his notifications, thanking the System and Kukulkan that the final pukwudgie had provided sufficient experience for him to level up. 5 Pukwudgie Cultists, 7 slain. Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 8. Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Race: Human has advanced to level 7. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Point currently available. TJ threw the Free Point into Intelligence, well aware that if he wanted to kill the wendigo, he couldn''t be anywhere near this monster as he did so. For its part, the wendigo didn¡¯t seem to mind TJ¡¯s escape and survival. Instead, a long black tongue licked its bloodstained snout as it wheezed out an off-putting cackle. ¡°You. Bring. More. Meat? Always. Make. More? Perfect. Snack.¡± Its piece said, the wendigo resumed attacking, rushing forward with claws and jaws ready. TJ slithered away while sending a couple condensed spears of wind into its face, though its eye¡¯s flames didn¡¯t flicker or even seem to react to the attack. Its laughter grew louder and more piercing, and TJ¡¯s rage surged and filled him. Disregarding the paralyzed tip of his tail, he was at the top of his game, and this undead cow-skulled bastard was going to attempt to mock a son of Kukulkan? TJ allowed his magic to surge through his body as he leapt to reengage the monster. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 42 Though his enraged, hot blood rushed in his ears and threatened to drown out the entirety of rational thought, TJ knew he couldn¡¯t allow the wendigo to so easily lay its claws on him again. His Intelligence and Fixation had increased by 3 and 4 respectively, and his Toughness and Vitality¡¯s increase would surely allow him to better survive first contact when it inevitably happened. As he glanced over his Status, he noticed that the cooldown for his Divine Transformation hadn¡¯t changed, though its duration had been expanded by the requisite amount. He¡¯d have plenty of time to finish this fight, regardless of its resolution. Now, he simply needed to kill the skeletal bastard. While TJ fought to maintain some distance from the wendigo, it pressed in closer to him again and again, its claws glittering in the dying light of the setting sun. Its maw gaped wide in a monstrous grin, obviously convinced that it would be able to slay him without much struggle. TJ¡¯s pride had him forming two contradictory conjurations in his mouth at the same time, a condensed blade and a whirling tornado. These attacks would take time to prepare, and the wendigo¡¯s own pressure was relentless as its claws sliced through the wind near him multiple times. First blood of this new engagement went to the wendigo, its claws cutting deep into the numbed, nearly dead flesh at the tip of TJ¡¯s tail. Its unnerving cackling rang out again as it lifted its bloodied claws to its tongue. Though where it had struck was wholly unfeeling, TJ could still sense the chill that had entered his blood from just the glancing blow it had struck on him. Another flurry of strikes came at him as he condensed the short blade on the tip of his tongue, making sure the attack would deal a, if not mortal, at least crippling blow. While he plotted and dodged and tried to guarantee his success, TJ took another three hits, the frost spreading up his body and slowing him. The coatl body wasn¡¯t cold-blooded, thankfully, but the lethargy still struck him mercilessly. Death by one thousand cuts approached, but TJ was finally ready. He pulled further ahead of the wendigo, hoping that the wounds he¡¯d sustained wouldn¡¯t slow him too much. Blessedly, TJ managed to gain a small gap between himself and the wendigo. It lunged forward, claws grasping desperately. Just as TJ had planned. With a shrieking of wind, TJ inhaled and pulled the wendigo closer and off-balance with a nearly visible tornado that exploded from his mouth. The wendigo stumbled and involuntarily lunged directly towards his mouth. He grinned widely as he flicked his tongue free of his mouth and sent a foot-long blade of wind directly at the wendigo¡¯s throat. Powered by over half of his MP, the deadly winds would shred the life from the wendigo¡¯s body, and TJ felt a sense of certain victory settle over him. This was the wendigo¡¯s just desserts. Somehow, TJ was surprised when it raised both hands, freezing fog smoking from them, to interrupt the deadly attack. The first hand was chopped messily from its wrist, dried flesh without blood flying everywhere as the raging winds tore mercilessly into it. The second hand¡¯s claws chipped and nearly shattered but were hardy enough to keep the worst of the attack from reaching the more vital throat. As it was, weakened by mangling the wendigo¡¯s primary weapons, the magical attack barely cut through the skin of its throat. ¡°Ow. Not. Good. You¡¯re. Food. Not. Do. Again.¡± The wendigo¡¯s tone was somehow childish, whining that he¡¯d cheated or broken the rules of what food was allowed to do. TJ tried to escape and do the same thing, but the wendigo didn¡¯t allow it. Though its remaining right hand¡¯s claws had been chipped and weakened, they remained sharp enough to tear flesh and rend scales. With an enraged roar, the wendigo stabbed forward, its claws sinking deep into the flesh of TJ¡¯s body. He groaned in agony, the chills and wounds he¡¯d sustained clouding his mind. There was nothing to do but to prepare a second attack. Though he outleveled it significantly, the wendigo posed such a dire threat that TJ considered cutting his losses, including his tail, and fleeing. He could sever the last foot of his tail and escape. But no, he couldn¡¯t. His Bloodline demanded that he prove himself superior to this whelp of a myth that dared to challenge his sovereignty! Needing some space, TJ thrashed his tail while spending half of his remaining MP, a quarter of his total, on a blast of wind into the torso of the wendigo. With his maddened attempts to escape and the gale force wind pushing it away, TJ was able to escape the wendigo¡¯s clutches, though only barely. Though it was sent tumbling, the creature gathered itself, cocked its head with the sound of grinding bones, and wheezed a scream of challenge. Though he roared in response, TJ¡¯s focus was on condensing the last of his MP into a final blow. The wendigo rushed back in, and despite his best efforts, one strike after another landed on him. He checked his HP: 397/1060, Moderate Bleed for 10 HP a minute, and an entirely new Affliction. Warning: You are suffering from a minor Frostbite affliction. You will suffer a 25% reduction in Agility until the Frostbite condition is cured or 2:00 have passed. Each additional application of Frostbite will refresh the countdown. Time remaining: 1:58 Regardless of how he was suffering from a variety of things, the last of his MP was already ready to be used. TJ hissed and feinted to the side, prompting the wendigo to lunge forward to counter him. As its claws swiped across his nose, only a faint chill cut through the sharp, burning pain of the cut. He didn¡¯t lose focus, and spat the blade of wind out again, aiming for the wendigo¡¯s neck. Surely it couldn¡¯t thwart his attack again? It continued its lunge, raising its right shoulder high while the shrieking winds tore the flesh to bits. The arm dropped, unresponsive, but still the wendigo showed no willingness to retreat or fear. Instead, it simply lunged forward with its jaws agape. TJ tried to break free, giving up on killing the creature. Maybe with Stanton¡¯s help he could do something about the feral, seemingly unkillable monster, but for now, he needed to survive. The four fangs in the front of the jaw sank deep into TJ¡¯s neck, though, just below his mane. He couldn¡¯t escape, and the inevitable chill that sank into his flesh spelled his doom. Even so, TJ would fight to his last breath¨C There was no chill. The fangs in his neck shot spasms of agony through his body, but there was no more magic on the verge of killing him. Of course, the wendigo had no more MP! The thought revitalized TJ, and he now knew victory was imminent. His coils wrapped all around the wendigo, struggling to break something, anything. Its bones creaked and shifted, but nothing snapped. Its teeth dug ever deeper into his neck, and TJ felt his blood coursing freely down his body. He knew that his Bleed affliction was getting worse, but he had no other options available. With a hissing roar, TJ wrested his body back and forth until his fangs found the monstrosity¡¯s neck. He ground his teeth in, the flesh only barely giving way, but slowly, eventually, between his constriction and his attempts at mauling, the creature fell to its knees. ¡°Why. Not. Food?¡± It whispered as it slowly succumbed. TJ only trusted himself to let it go once he got the blessed System notification. Wendigo Elite, 5 Slain. TJ couldn¡¯t gather enough energy to complain about the unfairness of its strength at its level, instead he merely collapsed to the ground, panting and suffering. Even so, he took note of anything happening around him, the possibility of an approaching pukwudgie, or anything else. Nothing moved or popped out to him immediately, so TJ took stock of his afflictions. Warning: you are suffering from a Severe Bleeding affliction. You will continue to lose 20 HP a minute until the Bleeding condition is cured or staunched. Current HP: 253/1060 Warning: you are suffering from a Moderate Exhaustion affliction. You will regain HP, MP, and Stamina at 25% of your usual rate until your Stamina rises above 50%. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Another new affliction. Glorious. TJ muttered to himself and checked his Stamina. 2/1000. That would explain the Exhaustion being more than something you said you were after a day at work. Instead of recovering over 100 HP an hour as a coatl, he¡¯d be just over 75, now, so he¡¯d call it 1 HP a minute. On the other hand, the Bleeding would effectively drain 19 HP a minute. He¡¯d call it 10 minutes to get back to Pine without having to worry too much. A part of TJ recognized that he was calling 3 minutes to find a healer and be healed a ¡°generous window for survival¡±, but he was too tired and angry at himself to care. More productive than self-recrimination, though, would be hauling this thing¡¯s corpse back to town. It would slow him down, but the claws, horns, and possibly skull would be too useful. Another System notification he hadn¡¯t noticed continued to flash in the corner of his eye, and as TJ gathered up the amputated hand as well as the corpse from the wendigo, he was reminded that bringing the whole corpse back would be a good idea. Title gained: Elite Hunter Description of Title: Elite monsters are the Tutorial¡¯s introduction to Boss-tiered monsters. You are the first Participant in your Tutorial to slay an Elite-tiered monster. In addition, you have slain the Elite-tiered monster as well as its cadre without support. Effects of Title: Your Appraisal Skill can now detect the tier of those you Appraise. You are granted an additional 15% resistance to Elite-tiered enemies¡¯ innate expressions of Divinity. This Title is a record of a Minor Divine Trial and can be upgraded. ¡°Not helping now.¡± TJ grunted to himself as he attempted to haul the surprisingly light wendigo corpse along without losing track of its hand. Then, with his body aching and leaving a trail of his own blood, TJ made his way back towards town, hoping beyond hope that the sounds of the wendigo¡¯s corpse dragging through bushes and the warm wet path his depleting life left didn¡¯t lead any more predators to kill him while he doggedly attempted to return home. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 43 Zig was on watch when, seven minutes later, TJ dragged himself and the wendigo into town as the sun¡¯s last light disappeared over the horizon. She was, to say in as many words, unimpressed. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°How the hell is it that the big strong guy goes out alone, saying ¡®I got this, I¡¯m fine, I¡¯ll help everyone else¡¯ and then comes back a ragged mess, bleeding all over the ground?¡± ¡°Call Angelo.¡± TJ deadpanned. ¡°Any other Disciples too, while you¡¯re at it. Let¡¯s get them some experience. Now hurry. I have about seven minutes left before I bleed out.¡± Zig¡¯s face lost all congeniality and mirth as TJ¡¯s words sunk in. ¡°ANGELO! Get your ass out here and heal this man!¡± She screamed the instruction before sprinting towards the firehouse. TJ felt that the dramatics weren¡¯t necessarily necessary¡­ then his HP ticked down by one, and three seconds later, ticked down again, and he felt that maybe it was worth freaking out about. The apathy scared him, and he couldn¡¯t place where it came from. The fear that surged in reaction to Zig¡¯s own washed away the unnatural emotions that had settled into his heart, and TJ felt his heart rate surge even higher than his sprint there had made it. He began to hyperventilate, and fought to calm himself. He still had enough time in his coatl form that the additional HP would keep him alive. He would be fine. TJ fought to soothe himself as the reality of the closeness of death settled over him. Angelo tumbled out of the house, pulling a pair of pants on as his wild eyes flew everywhere. When TJ Appraised him, he saw he¡¯d leveled up at least some, his displayed level showing Disciple, 4. ¡°Bro! What the hell happened to you?¡± ¡°This.¡± TJ nodded weakly at the wendigo corpse. ¡°I¡¯ll explain it later, but this¨C¡± ¡°Is that a fuckin¡¯ wendigo?¡± The young man asked, his jaw dropping. ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± ¡°I knew it already with the pukwudgies, man, but this is something else.¡± Angelo was beginning to hyperventilate as well, and the inopportune timing had TJ laugh enough to shake himself from freaking out too much. ¡°What do you mean? You can heal me while you tell me.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, sorry. It¡¯s just,¡± Angelo explained as his hands rested on TJ¡¯s head that was resting on the ground, ¡°So, I¡¯m Navajo. Bloodline of Haashch¡¯eezhini, the Black God. Anyways, I know that Pukwudgies come from the Lenape and Shoshone and some other tribes that have different names for them. At least, I do now that the System told me, but they aren¡¯t my people¡¯s myths. My family and elders never told stories about pukwudgies. I¡¯ve heard of the Wendigo, though. Before the System, before all this crap, I¡¯d heard of the wendigo. That¡¯s something that actually comes from my people. And now, there¡¯s one here. That¡¯s not good. They¡¯re basically frozen zombies, man. Worse than just a zombie, actually. Way worse even than them, though, is what else could be here.¡± As Angelo¡¯s mouth continued to run, his hands shook with the adrenaline of having to run out of the house and heal TJ. Or with fear, as his voice too, shook. ¡°What is it, Angelo?¡± TJ asked, feeling nervousness rip into his own innards at whatever it was that Angelo feared. ¡°Yee naaldlooshii.¡± Angelo whispered before shaking his head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t say anything. It¡¯s not something we talk about.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°These are not things that need or should be discussed by outsiders.¡± Angelo¡¯s tone was brusque and final. ¡°The world¡¯s gone to shit, and I recognize you¡¯re trying your best to help. But you don¡¯t know how my people work, what we believe, or what we¡¯ve seen. You don¡¯t know my history nor our customs. You never will.¡± Though he was wholly a snake at the time, TJ tried to raise his hands in a calming gesture. He did nothing but flare his mane as he tried to do so. ¡°It¡¯s cool you know anything about anything. I don¡¯t really have a lot of family history to go back to about my bloodline and I was just curious. I mean, I just know who Kukulkan was, a tiny bit. If there¡¯s anything you want to say, you can. If you don¡¯t, then no worries.¡± Angelo nodded once and continued healing TJ. There was a tense silence between them, but TJ didn¡¯t mind it. Everyone had tender nerves, and he¡¯d accidentally pushed Angelo¡¯s. The younger man still willingly healed TJ, and he was grateful. Before long, Angelo stepped away, his face taught with effort. ¡°That¡¯s all I can manage for now. Getting close to another level, but I¡¯m not there.¡± Angelo nodded. ¡°You should be fine, no more bleeding. Get some rest. I couldn¡¯t take care of your tail, that might have to be Laura. Any questions?¡± ¡°Nope. Sorry for making you get up.¡± ¡°See you in the morning.¡± Angelo nodded and walked back into the hunters¡¯ lodge. TJ dropped his Divine Transformation and stood tall before nearly falling. All the toes on his right foot were numb and unresponsive. When he poked them, he couldn¡¯t feel anything. His panic spiked again at the thought of being unable to walk or run without difficulty. There were so many potential problems with that in this world¨CHe cut himself off from the worrying. It wouldn¡¯t serve him any good, and would do nothing for him. At that moment, Zig came running back, Laura in her wake. Though she seemed obviously uncomfortable at the prospect, Laura came with all the speed she could muster, and was obviously focused on coming to help. Knowing how she felt about the sight of blood, TJ was touched. When they both saw TJ mostly whole, Zig slowed down with a stutter step while Laura¡¯s uncomfortable run died with heavy steps. ¡°You said you were dying!¡± Zig nearly screamed into TJ¡¯s face while he raised both hands in a helpless gesture. ¡°And you called for Angelo, who took care of the active bleeding. Wasn¡¯t that the point?¡± ¡°But you called for every healer we had, just in case!¡± ¡°No, I said we might as well let everyone get experience. I understand I was in a bad state, but with Disciples around here, I was ok. I¡¯m sorry I scared you both, but I merely communicated the gravity of the situation when I arrived. You misunderstood, which I understand, but I just wanted to see if everyone wanted to get some easy levels.¡± Laura tried to keep her face calm and collected, but TJ watched as she ground her jaw before speaking. ¡°Is there any reason why I sprinted out here right now?¡± ¡°Actually yes, but not because I¡¯m dying. Zig, you should be part of most of this, and I¡¯d guess at least Charlie too should come along. First, Laura, can you heal my feet?¡± ¡°There is a reason most of us wear shoes, TJ.¡± Laura sighed before doing anything. ¡°Yes. I know, that¡¯s not the point. Half of each of my feet is paralyzed.¡± Laura looked at him with a stony face. ¡°That is good information, I suppose.¡± When her hand reached TJ¡¯s shoulder, though, her face fell. ¡°I wasn¡¯t kidding.¡± ¡°Nor did I think you were. You¡¯ve sustained minor nerve damage to the base of your spine. I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s only your toes that¡¯re affected, but you¡¯re lucky. I¡¯ll see what I can do, but it might be better to take our time while we do so. You said you have something to tell us?¡± TJ nodded in agreement, and without any further discussion, Laura sent Zig to get Charlie from wherever he was. ¡°We¡¯ll meet in the home you¡¯ve been staying in. It¡¯ll be easiest for you not to move as much as possible.¡± Laura led the way towards the house where TJ and Stanton had been staying. TJ didn¡¯t argue, merely tiredly following her steps until he stood at the door. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll need that wendigo corpse here.¡± Laura¡¯s lip curled in distaste at the statement. ¡°Is there something I need to see on it?¡± ¡°What? No. The claws and horns will definitely be useful though.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Stanton interrupted, walking out of the house. ¡°Whatever it was, it did a number on you. I¡¯d like to hear what happened.¡± ¡°Course. Could have used you.¡± ¡°Now you admit it.¡± Stanton sighed as he grabbed his Stetson from a peg on the door and put it on his head. Though dirty and obviously tired, or maybe because of it, TJ saw something of an old cowboy movie in the old man as he walked out, the light gone out and his silhouette starkly obvious. TJ collapsed to the couch, uncaring of the mess he was making and put his feet up with a groan. Laura pulled a kitchen chair up next to the overstuffed couch and sat straight upright beside his feet. Without further comment, Laura stretched a hand out and set it lightly on TJ¡¯s feet. A faint tingle flowed into his toes, though it didn¡¯t return full sensation. It wasn¡¯t long before Zig and Charlie jogged up the porch with what would have been unnaturally quick feet before this whole apocalypse thing. ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± Zig said as she flopped into the other couch in the room. Charlie nudged her over with his hip as he sat and she grumbled as she adjusted herself. ¡°Why¡¯re you massaging his feet? You got a thing for it?¡± ¡°No, and you know that.¡± Laura responded primly. ¡°Why would I know that you don¡¯t have a thing for feet?¡± ¡°Zig.¡± Laura¡¯s disapproving tone had the younger woman raising her hands in mock surrender. ¡°Got it. Any progress on helping him feel his toes?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re going slowly so I don¡¯t exhaust myself. Now, we¡¯ll wait for Stanton to return before TJ gives his important information.¡± TJ, now that they had an audience, was quite uncomfortable with laying down with his feet up while the mayor tended to his boo boo. Sure, it was permanently paralytic nerve damage, but he did feel like he was being dramatic. Laura, though, didn¡¯t seem to care whatsoever, keeping a finger on each foot for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°Would you lay on your stomach? The more I try it this way, the more I feel I¡¯m going about this the wrong way. I suspect the real healing that needs to be done will be on your spine.¡± TJ complied and lay down while Laura gently ran a finger down his spine. The tender touch immediately made him tense up¨Cother than Junior, nobody had really touched him since Mari¡¯s death. Though he remained uncomfortable, TJ held still and asked, more to break the silence than anything else, ¡°Charlie, what did you have to do to qualify as a Neophyte?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Charlie asked, and TJ only then realized the younger man had been murmuring something into Zig¡¯s ear. The artificial redhead¡¯s face matched her hair and Charlie smiled laconically. TJ pushed through the hormonal foolishness and asked again, ¡°What did you do to qualify as a Neophyte?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, yeah. So, my Bloodline is Loki. He was a shapeshifter, and did all sorts of things, kinda tricky, you know? Yeah, so uh¨C¡± ¡°He tricked a deer with mating calls!¡± Zig interrupted. ¡°But he couldn¡¯t just make it come, he had to make it feel like ¡®she¡¯ desperately wanted it!¡± She dissolved into a puddle of laughter while TJ¡¯s mouth dropped open in disbelief. Charlie nodded and sighed. ¡°A bit awkward, I basically had to moan for it for a while until I was told I succeeded. He ran off before I could catch him or anything. Something about how Loki deceived man and animal alike.¡± TJ scoffed. ¡°You act all embarrassed, but I wish that was all I¡¯d had to do.¡± After a moment¡¯s silence, Zig asked, leaning forward in curiosity. ¡°How about you?¡± Though he didn¡¯t want to answer, all three people in the house looked at him in obvious desire to know. As Stanton dragged the Wendigo up the porch, he poked his head in as well, letting him know that he wasn¡¯t getting off so easily. TJ scratched his head. ¡°I¡­ ate a rattlesnake.¡± ¡°You¡­ like, had to cook it?¡± ¡°No.¡± TJ kept his face as stoic as possible. ¡°How¡¯d you kill it?¡± ¡°You probably don¡¯t wanna know.¡± TJ lifted his head as much as he could manage and finally spoke about why they were there. ¡°Now, I need to tell you about what I saw out there.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 44 ¡°On a scale of 1 to a pedo in prison, how fucked are we?¡± Zig asked and she looked at the rest of the people in the house. ¡°I¡¯m thinking at least an eleven.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say I don¡¯t agree.¡± Charlie grunted. ¡°If they¡¯re as dangerous as you say, then any group that runs into a wendigo will have several casualties at best. Might even get wiped out entirely, especially since it seems like they¡¯ve got those servant cultist things.¡± ¡°Do you think that they¡¯ll all have that? TJ said that it seemed pretty ready to just kill them because it wanted to, even if the System called them its cadre.¡± Zig argued back. Those two were the only ones who didn¡¯t just let TJ¡¯s report settle over them, with Stanton leaning back in his chair and looking at the ceiling while Laura chewed on her lip. The two representatives of the hunters continued their arguing back and forth until Stanton finally spoke. ¡°If these things are meant to be a representation of the eventual Boss, there can¡¯t be too many of them, right?¡± ¡°Your guess is as good as mine.¡± TJ responded, the quarreling couple going quiet. ¡°When I asked the System, I got nothing. Just an additional explanation of what an Elite is.¡± ¡°Frustrating though that is, it makes sense.¡± Laura answered. When TJ and Stanton looked at her, confused, she shrugged before answering, ¡°As far as I can tell, the System doesn¡¯t give specific information about the Tutorial itself, except for the requirements for clearing it. When it is general information about what a Tutorial is, or even this entire contest to Ascend, it seems willing to answer. The answers that it gives regarding specifics are always in response to specific questions made with additional information that an individual acquired within the Tutorial itself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you said something important there. Care to say it in Cro-Magnon for the rest of us?¡± Stanton asked after a brief pause. Laura laughed, seeming half embarrassed and half in genuine mirth. ¡°Specific questions about the Tutorial, like how many people are left living, or how many pukwudgies there will be, will never be answered. If it¡¯s about how the System itself works, like general rules to acquire an Occupation, it will answer. If you want to know something about the Tutorial, like what an Elite is, you need to have learned about the existence of an Elite beforehand. Or, as we¡¯ve learned from TJ, that there is a definitive perimeter of safety that is constantly shrinking. How nobody already asked that is beyond me.¡± ¡°Which is why we can¡¯t just ask what the Boss will be, or what a wendigo¡¯s weaknesses are.¡± TJ added on with a nod as he disregarded the praise he received. He¡¯d asked as much and received a resounding silence in response. ¡°Exactly. Though, it never hurts to try.¡± ¡°And again I ask, what are we going to do about this?¡± Zig asked. ¡°If you ended up like that from one of them, then we need to figure out what to do.¡± The rest of the group obviously agreed that something needed to be done, but had no idea of what it could be. Each idea, from ¡°everyone travel together,¡± to ¡°make TJ travel with each group that goes to get levels¡± was shot down for reasons of practicality, to it defeating the purpose in the first place. Eventually, Laura raised a hand and brought the discussions to a halt. ¡°We can sleep on it. Tomorrow, I will be making the announcement requiring that every member of the community take direct steps to increase their levels. I know that there will be no shortage of resistance to my declaration, but it needs to happen. My primary concern will be with enforcing the rule, since there is not much that we can withhold from the reluctant or incapable.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be anyone that¡¯s truly incapable of going out.¡± TJ flatly replied. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of Disciples to ensure nobody is actively dying, and though I feel badly for those like Granny Penny that struggle to move, they¡¯ll get better the more they level, and we can¡¯t provide for those unwilling to work. Those who refuse to work for the good of the whole won¡¯t eat what I provide.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t starve people!¡± Zig shouted back, her eyes flashing with rage. ¡°It¡¯s unconscionable!¡± ¡°It¡¯s happened all throughout history.¡± TJ countered, though his stomach twisted, knowing what he was suggesting. ¡°You feed every homeless person you ever see? You give all your money to people who are struggling? How many single parents do you know that are living paycheck to paycheck and miserable? Did you spend all your salary on them? And they deserved more than someone who just stays in their house and provides nothing to everyone else!¡± ¡°I tried. I gave what I could. And more than that, we¡¯re in a position now where we can help other people. I like helping people! I like being a good person, a protector, and helping those who are struggling more than me. Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TJ shrugged helplessly. ¡°I do. I¡¯ve always liked helping people.¡± ¡°Then why would you¨C¡± ¡°Now, I won¡¯t go hungry, weaken myself, for the good of someone who refuses to admit that we¡¯re stuck in this now. I won¡¯t. My son needs me, and I¡¯ll happily work with people who understand that this is life now. But if someone wants to be a leech off of me risking my life, then they can go parasitize someone else.¡± ¡°This is hard, TJ.¡± Laura cut in. ¡°Everyone here is miserable with the hand we¡¯ve been dealt, and it won¡¯t help us to alienate everyone as they¡¯re making a hard transition. I agree that there should be benefits for assisting in the effort to protect the rest, but we can¡¯t make it mandatory to fight. It will end in extra deaths, low morale, and possible political unrest.¡± ¡°There¡¯s less than 200 people here, Laura.¡± TJ retorted. ¡°It isn¡¯t real politics. We tell people how it is, and then they¡¯ll do it or pay the damn consequences.¡± ¡°And what if ten hungry old people decide they can¡¯t fight for food?¡± Laura responded, her voice soft and gentle but firm. ¡°What if Granny Penny thinks she simply can¡¯t do that, and ends up starving in a room, alone? What if a member of the hunters decides to feed her? Do we then reduce the rations they get and endanger the rest of the hunters to prove that Penny should have starved to death because she was afraid? ¡°Worse, what if those same ten hungry old people storm the store and fight for a fistful of bread or a mouthful of rice? Do we incarcerate them, and take more people off the front lines to guard our makeshift prison? Do we kill them and instate a form of fascism in the hopes that the military state we create and the ideals we enforce allow us to find success?¡± As Laura poked holes in TJ¡¯s certainty, he wavered. He¡¯d sworn to do what was necessary to see his son, and even to kill whoever he needed to, monster or otherwise. Even so, he knew he couldn¡¯t justify the slaughter of, though not the innocents, but definitely not the necessary. Unable to respond, unwilling to admit how wrong he¡¯d been, TJ threw up his hands and stalked out of the house. Charlie started to get up to go after him, but TJ heard Stanton saying something as the door closed behind him. ¡°Give him a minute. He¡¯s¨C¡± the rest of Stanton¡¯s words were cut off by the slamming of the door. TJ felt and knew how petulant he was being, but even so, he couldn¡¯t keep himself from walking out into the yard and taking a series of breaths that didn¡¯t serve to calm his temper. The cold air felt nice on his face as he rolled his shoulders. Another minute passed before Stanton, going off the heft of each step, walked out. The old man merely stood in companionable silence beside TJ for a time. The silence stretched on, and TJ felt his embarrassment grow as they stood. ¡°I get we can¡¯t kill everyone who doesn¡¯t help out.¡± TJ growled. ¡°I know we can¡¯t just starve out anyone who won¡¯t level up, but we have to do something! There has to be something to do to keep people focused. We can¡¯t sit around and do nothing, because if we do, we¡¯ll all die!¡± Stanton didn¡¯t look at TJ, though he did nod in agreement. Then, after letting TJ continue to grumble, he asked, ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Hell if I know.¡± ¡°Do you want to be in charge?¡± ¡°Never. I¡¯d go crazy, and I need to be out here killing things to make sure that I can at least live to see my son.¡± ¡°You know what Laura¡¯s Occupation is?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Bureaucrat.¡± Stanton said as if TJ hadn¡¯t said he¡¯d known. ¡°I don¡¯t know what fresh hell she went through to have that be her Occupation instead of just her job before, but she chose it. Trust her to be good at it.¡± TJ sighed and patted the old man on his shoulder. He didn¡¯t feel the need to comment any further on it and walked back to the cabin. Before he could walk in, though, the door opened. Laura nearly bumped into TJ and raised both hands in surprised. ¡°I apologize. I didn¡¯t see you.¡± ¡°No worries, Laura. Sorry I gave you a hard time. I¡¯m on your side, let me know what you need me to do tomorrow.¡± The Bureaucrat simply nodded, as if she¡¯d never doubted that he would happily do what she needed. ¡°For now, simply stand beside me tomorrow when I make the announcement. I am planning on addressing our town at 8:30. You¡¯ll be there?¡± ¡°Sure. Have a good night, Laura.¡± ¡°Of course. Thank you for your willingness to help, and all that you¡¯ve already done for us.¡± Then, without looking back, Laura walked away from the cabin and towards the general store. Before long, her omnipresent shadow, Jeff, came out of the woods, surprisingly close, and escorted her home. ¡°I don¡¯t like him.¡± Stanton grumbled to himself as they turned back towards the cabin. ¡°He¡¯s a bit freaky, yeah.¡± Zig said as she and Charlie walked out of the cabin, arms linked. ¡°Not a bad guy, though. I think he just really wants Laura. Don¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever go for him, though.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought you two would be together.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°So weirder things have happened.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Zig demanded, her left hand trailing higher up Charlie¡¯s chest. ¡°He¡¯s hot and a good kisser, nothing wrong with having someone in bed with you.¡± Stanton grumbled and pushed his way between the two into the house. Zig exaggeratedly stumbled back, shaking her fist at the crotchety old man. ¡°Forgive him.¡± TJ sighed while he wanted to do the same. After so completely putting his foot in his mouth earlier, though, he was loathe to. ¡°And me, for that matter. Two sad widowers might have a different approach to it than you guys. Have a good night.¡± Zig sputtered at the direct admission of Mari¡¯s death, but Charlie nodded as he walked away. Though he didn¡¯t physically pull the apologetic, unsure how to react girl, Zig quickly bobbed her head with a muttered ¡°sorry,¡± and hurried off to walk with Charlie. TJ chuckled, and, before wandering into the house himself, decided to gather up the pelts laid forgotten on the porch¡¯s bannister. Inside, TJ found a somewhat unobtrusive place to lay the pelts out in the comparative warmth from the fire. Though he was sure the smell would have disgusted him just a couple days before, he didn¡¯t mind, and after an Appraisal confirming to him that these were Well-prepared javelina hides, TJ found himself boiling the intestines to use as cords for whatever he decided to make with the hides. He lost himself in the flickering flames, watching as they danced and sang. TJ imagined he could hear something they were saying, and supposed he might just be, considering he heard the wind speaking nowadays. With his MP partially recovered, TJ idly used Wind Manipulation to stoke the flames until his Primitive Craftsmanship convinced him that the intestines were done for tonight. A part of him wanted to move ahead with processing the horns and claws from the wendigo already, but he decided against it. Instead, he laid the intestines out to cure as he instinctively understood was necessary, and finally he walked into the same place where he slept the night before. Tomorrow was another day, and would begin the fifth day since the apocalypse came. Strangely, though, TJ slept soundly, his dreams formless and relaxing. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 45 The morning came too soon, and TJ wanted nothing more than to disregard any promises made the day before. Not because he was sleepy, though he thought he ought to have been. No, he just wanted to avoid all responsibility and do nothing. As soon as he remembered Junior, though, all thoughts of even taking it easy, much less escaping, quickly fled his mind. He sprang out of bed, and only then checked with the System to see what time it was. 6:30. TJ¡¯s heart panged. The same time Junior always woke him. His body was accustomed to his child¡¯s presence, and his absence caused TJ physical pain. There was nothing for it but to move, to do anything. With a roll of his neck and a couple stretches, TJ began the day. He didn¡¯t want to go to the firehouse and sit around for two hours, so instead he checked on the javelina pelts. Not quite done, so TJ moved them outside of the house, where they¡¯d sit in the sun. Then, he moved to the wendigo remains. In the light of day, its body was even more disgusting. Since it hadn¡¯t bled or oozed any liquid whatsoever, every discoloration on its body came from TJ¡¯s blood. The red staining its horrendous bovine maw colored it into a rusty picture of gluttony. While he looked down on it, TJ wondered if there was anything the supernaturally strong bone of the skull would be good for, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything. Even so, he¡¯d set it aside for possible eventual use. The claws and horns, though, he could use immediately. The first problem, though, was getting the horns from the stupid skull. Now that he¡¯d done so before, TJ thought that he wouldn¡¯t mind cutting up a creature, especially if it didn¡¯t have any blood or other stuff to make it even dirtier than the other creatures. However, because it was mostly human shaped and sized, TJ felt a certain unspeakable distaste at the idea of dismembering it. Then, there was also the problem of how he was going to cut through the ridiculously tough corpse with his shoddy stone knife. A thought occurred to TJ, and the irony of it wasn¡¯t lost on him. Then, he found the amputated hand, and sure enough, differently from the hand still attached to its body, the claws were undamaged and remained sharp and long. For now, he just needed to remove the claws to use them. There was the option of getting a knife out of the house, but using entirely ¡°post-Integration¡± tools to create this tool seemed to be the obvious choice. The stones he had were far from sufficient, and TJ suspected he¡¯d somehow manage to damage or break them before he made any meaningful progress on his dissection. He considered activating Divine Transformation to upgrade Wind Manipulation to the Copper tier, but decided against it. Instead, he concentrated on the wind, trying to focus it into a blade that could cut through the superhuman tendons and bones of the creature. Though much less effectively than the Copper tiered Wind Manipulation, TJ sliced through the hand inch by inch. He sent little blades of air to separate the thumb from the rest of the hand, and about 10 minutes later, he had a thumb-sized and shaped and constructed blade. With a glance at his MP, TJ saw that he hadn¡¯t spent nearly as much as he had suspected he would have. He¡¯d been using the MP intensive Skill on and off for nearly that full 10 minutes, and he was only right around the halfway point of his total MP. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I use much MP?¡± He idly asked the System. The higher tier of Divinity a Skill, the greater the drain on whatever resource the Skill requires. Thus, when using the Copper (I) tiered Wind Manipulation, the MP drain is greatly heightened compared to the drain of using Dirt tiered Wind Manipulation. That made sense, and TJ was almost embarrassed he¡¯d never thought of it. Of course a more powerful Skill would demand a greater spending of resources. It was harder to lift a heavier weight, after all, so it made sense that elevating the tier of his Skill would be more intensive. The long term thought of what the drain on his MP would be at the higher levels of Divinity, when his Divine Transformation would evolve Wind Manipulation to two tiers above his current Divinity, staggered him. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What¡¯re you so focused on?¡± Stanton¡¯s voice interrupted TJ from his musing. ¡°Just thinking about Skills and how hard it¡¯ll be to keep up with them.¡± Stanton grunted his agreement. ¡°Have you thought about what the higher tiers of divinity and Skills will do?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve got a Copper Skill now, so I get it.¡± ¡°Wait, you do?¡± TJ felt his jaw drop. ¡°Yeah. You think that upgrading my bow to a gun was something small? It costs me 10 MP per bullet. Does that seem like a reasonable cost for a Skill that I depend on?¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°Course not. I¡¯m betting your Wind whatever is Copper rank too? It¡¯s too damn powerful not to be.¡± ¡°Only when I¡¯m using Divine Transformation.¡± Stanton nodded. ¡°Far as I see, someone¡¯s gotta pay something to get that kinda power. I can only store so many bullets and it¡¯s hard for me to prepare them. You can only really use the Skill like you do when you¡¯re using another. Makes sense to me. Other people can just always use theirs. We get powerful Skills that we can¡¯t use all the time.¡± ¡°I guess.¡± TJ answered as he looked down at the thumb he¡¯d cut free from the wendigo¡¯s body. He needed a knife, and this seemed like it would be his best bet, but he didn¡¯t want to carry a literal thumb in his pocket as a grisly reminder of this monster he¡¯d killed. Looking at the skull that¡¯d been set aside in favor of extracting the ¡°blade¡±, TJ remembered something else from his youth as a Boy Scout¨Ca knife made from scrap rotary saw blades and an antler. With a pursing of his lips, TJ quickly made his decision. ¡°You see a big rock near here? Or do I need to go find one?¡± Stanton cocked an eyebrow in confusion, but just a moment later, he looked down at the wendigo corpse and up at TJ. ¡°Round the back, there¡¯s a couple boulders that might do what you¡¯re looking for.¡± Though disgusted with the thought, TJ had made his decision and hauled the body around the corner of the house, where he could continue his macabre work. ¡ª- Wind Manipulation, blunt force trauma, and more of both eventually left TJ with two curling horns and the shattered remains of the wendigo¡¯s skull. As TJ breathed deeply to recover himself, he wiped a hand across his sweaty brow. Dirt, bone dust, and who knew what else coated his hand, a testament to days spent without any real option to clean himself. In his mind, the thuds of the bone repeatedly against rock echoed, and TJ fought to clear his mind of it. Though the act had been horrifying, to say the least, the Appraisal of his materials wiped any regret from his mind. Wendigo Horn: The remains of one of the horns of a wendigo. Though most wendigos do not use their horns in battle and they remain primarily as a decorative accessory, the horn remains one of the most valuable parts of the wendigo. This horn can be used as a material in creating equipment, tinctures, and more. In addition, equipment created using this horn may gain additional attributes upon completion. All crafting attempted utilizing this ingredient will be heightened in difficulty due to its origin as part of an Elite monster. All crafting products completed utilizing this ingredient will be enhanced in quality due to its origin as part of an Elite monster. The horns both hadn¡¯t been damaged in his rough treatment of them, though they¡¯d both hit against the stone multiple times. The shards of bone remaining of the skull came back merely as Bone Shards. Then, seeing that there was insufficient time left for him to complete the creation of this newly ideated knife, TJ evaluated the wendigo¡¯s hand. It came back merely as Amputated Hand while the thumb was more specific. Wendigo Claw: The remains of one of the claws of a wendigo. All wendigos are born with two innate weapons: their bodies and their frost. Their claws serve as the apex of both. The claws are supernaturally hard and sharp, resistant to damage, and are an effective conduit of divine manifestations, such as the wendigo¡¯s frost. This claw can be used as a material in creating equipment, tinctures, and more. In addition, equipment created using this horn may gain additional attributes upon completion. All crafting attempted utilizing this ingredient will be heightened in difficulty due to its origin as part of an Elite monster. All crafting products completed utilizing this ingredient will be enhanced in quality due to its origin as part of an Elite monster. TJ looked at the multiple materials laid out before him and could almost feel his Occupation growing in level already. The mere acts of cutting off the single finger and extracting the horns from the skull had given him not insignificant experience that nearly brought him to the cusp of the next level of Savage. Though he didn¡¯t like how it¡¯d look when others saw him making something with an almost human finger, the wendigo had already shown him just how vulnerable he still was. Every level was more HP, Toughness, and everything else that would keep him alive. Public perception wouldn¡¯t change that. His decision made, TJ grabbed the entire hand, both horns, and after activating Divine Transformation and lopping off the second, more damaged hand, made his way back to the front of the house. Stanton stood there, both hands in his pockets, his breath misting in the chill morning. After glancing at TJ and the contents of his hands, he sighed. ¡°You gonna put those in a bag? Fingers at the breakfast table are a bad look. Especially since a lot of people here already think you¡¯re a crazy.¡± TJ reached in the door, where just beside the entrance sat a mostly empty backpack. He carelessly dumped the contents to the side before tossing in the horns and hands and a prepared gut, just in case. When Stanton opened his mouth to complain, TJ raised his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll clean it up later, just getting moving for now.¡± The grumbling old man muttered something about disrespectful little shits under his breath while TJ chuckled and jogged onward towards breakfast. His Primitive Craftsmanship reminded him that he¡¯d need something to bind the blade of whatever knife he made into the hilt, so he pulled the thumb out of his pocket and cut a couple sections free from a pine tree he walked past where the sap had oozed free and crystallized. Even frozen and solidified, there was a certain amount of stickiness the sap carried, and TJ hoped it would be enough to hold this blade together. Then, his materials gathered and in his backpack, TJ and Stanton made their way to the firehouse. The smell of fatty meat frying made TJ¡¯s mouth water as they walked forward, though he couldn¡¯t quite place the smell. It was almost like bacon, but not quite the same¨Cthe simple solution struck him. As they walked into the wide open garage, a table veritably filled with all cuts of javelina was sprawled before them. There wasn¡¯t any processing possible into sausage or anything like that, but slabs of steak, bunches of bacon, and piles of pig awaited him. Some hash browns were there to give some semblance of a balance to the meal, but it was obvious that the fresh, unprocessed meat would go bad before too long and the kitchen knew it. Though he wondered if his stomach would complain about the nutritional imbalance, TJ piled his plate high and quickly threw himself into devouring the meal. At least in that moment, he merely enjoyed the feeling of being full while missing a cup of coffee, regardless of its quality. Once he finished his meal and Penny swept up his plate with her usual insistence, there was still plenty of time left before Laura¡¯s planned address. Thus, TJ was sat in a corner, idly whittling away at one of the horns with the thumb knife when Laura¡¯s voice cut through the sounds of the crowd he hadn¡¯t realized had grown around him. ¡°Thank you for staying, even if you¡¯ve finished your meal. It¡¯s now the fifth day of this, and we need to talk.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 46 ¡°We need to talk.¡± Regardless of how old he¡¯d gotten, those words still sent a shiver down TJ¡¯s spine, and he could see in Laura¡¯s face that it was the intended effect. The quietly chatting populace went silent, an air of tension sweeping over the 178 people in the room. Laura continued to sweep her gaze over everyone, locking eyes with whoever allowed it. ¡°108.¡± She said to break her silence, letting it puzzle everyone who heard her. ¡°108 of you are level 1. 56 are level 2. That means that less than 15 people in this town are level 3 or higher. Less than ten percent. You might think that we¡¯ll be fine, because that''s about the same as the United States military, counting supporting personnel. Unfortunately, we are not the military, and we are in far greater danger than we used to be. The military isn¡¯t coming, at least any time soon, and we have a deadline to survive. ¡°Who knows what the requirements for this Tutorial are?¡± Laura asked, eyes roaming across the uncomfortable crowd. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Granny Penny raised her hand with a hefty serving of pep. Laura pointed at the elderly woman and she spoke in a warbling tone, though her voice was clear. ¡°Survive to the end of two weeks. Protect the store. Kill the big guy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s close enough.¡± Laura answered. ¡°There is, however, one part that I wish to clarify and to emphasize. The space surrounding the general store will continue to be reduced until it is nothing.¡± The Bureaucrat let the fear begin to set its claws in the masses at her words. Whispered worries grew in intensity until Laura raised both hands and hushed them. ¡°I know you hate to hear this, but we are all in clear and present danger. The few securities we retain are diminishing, and eventually, they will all be taken from us. The day of reckoning is coming. You can see what time it will be if you ask your System.¡± TJ couldn¡¯t help himself and asked how long until the end of the first part of the Tutorial. Time remaining until the end of part 1 of Tutorial 107.48.891: 237:52:36. Just under ten days, then. As he¡¯d already known, given that only four full days had passed since Integration, but even so, the time remaining seemed like so much, and so little all at once. Laura¡¯s continued speaking tore him from his musing. ¡°There are less than ten days until there will be nowhere safe that we do not reinforce and protect ourselves. Beasts as mundane as coyotes and as fearful as monsters from the dark will come, and if you are weak, they will kill you. You need to protect yourselves, because I won¡¯t be able to. Our hunters won¡¯t be able to. Only you can. You can only truly depend on yourself.¡± A man¡¯s voice TJ didn¡¯t recognize called out, ¡°Why won¡¯t the strong people protect us!¡± It was more of a raging scream than a question, but Laura was ready for it anyways. ¡°Because they can¡¯t. TJ, would you stand up?¡± Hesitant, TJ stood tall while Laura gestured to him. ¡°Most of you have at least heard of our newest additions to the town. TJ can transform into a massive snake, and has spent most of these past four days fighting for his life. As such, your levels are¡­?¡± She trailed off, allowing TJ to answer for himself. ¡°Yeah, Neophyte 8, Savage 6. I¡¯m sure I can hit 7 before lunch.¡± A burst of whispers exploded at his declaration, and TJ heard quite a few worried conversations about his ¡°Savage¡± Occupation and what that must mean that he was. Laura nodded in thanks and TJ sat back down. ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone else in this town that can begin to measure up to his levels, but that just raises the question again, why doesn¡¯t he just protect us? He seems driven to grow stronger, so he can just do the difficult part. Why won¡¯t he just bleed for us so we can stay hidden behind our doors, praying that someone else will take the beating for us? Isn¡¯t he selfish?¡± Though she seemed to be chastising TJ with her words, it was obvious what her point was. ¡°No, he isn¡¯t selfish. In preparation for today, he was willing to go out into the night all alone last night, making sure that the surroundings were safe for you and me. When he left, he met the first true monster any of us have seen. It nearly killed him, and it was only level 5. There will be more of them, so can TJ kill another? Or two? Or five? No, he can¡¯t. He¡¯d simply be killed in vain, and that would only be if he was willing to die for you. TJ isn¡¯t willing to sacrifice himself for you.¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Angry murmurs and glances responded to her latest statement, and TJ felt his blood surge at the woman he¡¯d thought he trusted put him on display to be torn apart by the judgment of so many people. Then, Laura¡¯s voice cut through the simmering rage. ¡°Why the hell would he?¡± The grumbling went silent as she asked again, ¡°Why the hell would he sacrifice himself for you? What have any of you done for him? What have any of you even said to him since he came to town a day and a half ago with his dying friend across his shoulders? Maybe good morning, or maybe whispered mutterings behind closed doors about how he¡¯s dangerous and not to be trusted. He hasn¡¯t made you any promises to be a knight in shining armor for you, and why would he? He¡¯s ignored and nearly mistreated by the vast majority of you, and you expect him to bleed for you? ¡°Though the hunters are treated with more respect than TJ is, we all still call them ¡®adrenaline junkies¡¯, ¡®foolish¡¯, and just plain crazy because they¡¯re willing to live in the world we¡¯ve found ourselves. Why would these young people, the ones who will survive in this hell, get themselves killed for people who refuse to understand that the days of letting others work for us are long gone?¡± Laura¡¯s impassioned rant rang off the concrete walls surrounding them, and at least half of the people there hung their heads in shame, though others¡¯ jaws still stuck out in stubborn anger. The experienced public speaker only let the silence hang long enough to let her words sink in. ¡°No longer can we merely depend on the few selfless. We can¡¯t throw our young and strong at the problem and hope that they¡¯ll solve it for us. They aren¡¯t able nor willing. We need to survive and protect the general store, and we need to do it ourselves. Things will change. ¡°From today, everyone will receive half rations if they are unwilling to go on at least one expedition a day. During that expedition, there must be at least as many of our enemies killed as there number in the group. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a Disciple and a Bureaucrat or a Zealot and a Hunter, you need to be involved with the killing. This is our world now, and just like the rest of you, I need to be involved on the front lines. ¡°Now, questions?¡± A barrage of near-insults exploded from the more surly looking people in the group, and they slowly emboldened those who¡¯d waffled on the edge of compliance. Laura answered each with a balance of logic and emotion, but the angry people refused to be placated. As his own rage boiled to the forefront of his mind, TJ stood and shouted, drowning out every other voice. ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± His shout shattered the illusion of civilization in the room, and many people cowered before the inhumanly loud voice. ¡°Laura¡¯s willing to talk to you right now. Frankly, I¡¯m not fucking willing to listen to your horseshit. You listen to me. ¡°My name is TJ. My son, Junior, will be three years old on the day this first part of the Tutorial ends. I¡¯m going to have to miss it because I¡¯m here with you. I don¡¯t know how many of his birthdays I¡¯m going to have to miss because of this mess, and I hate the System for doing this to us. You need to get ready and work for yourselves, and if not you, then someone else you care about. If you can¡¯t manage that, I don¡¯t give two shits about anyone who¡¯s gonna sit in their room pouting like a toddler because you had to do something for yourself. If you can¡¯t put on your big boy pants and get out there, then I¡¯d say let you starve. Laura¡¯s nice enough to still feed you, but frankly, you¡¯re a waste of space if you¡¯re not willing to do anything to save yourself. You¡¯ve been given a lifejacket, and you¡¯re saying that buckling the stupid thing is too hard.¡± Then, too disgusted to look the cowards in the face, TJ stormed out. He didn¡¯t go too far, since he¡¯d promised he¡¯d escort one of the groups on their inaugural hunt, but he didn¡¯t want to hear any more mitching and boning, as his dad used to say. Remembering his parents, and his Nana, for that matter, TJ couldn¡¯t help but have his piss-poor mood elevated with a wry smile. ¡°Sorry Nana, I should use my smart words, not stupid curses.¡± His apology given, TJ sat under a tree and pulled the horn and thumb out. Though the thumb remained grotesque and off-putting, it also remained his best bet at getting a real knife that worked in tandem with Savage, so he needed to take the time to get the thing up to snuff. His grandpa had always harped on him about doing things right and doing it right the first time. Since this knife would be immensely important to him moving forward, TJ finished boring the hole to be just larger than the entire thumb in every dimension, except for half of the last joint. Then, the ¡°blade¡¯s¡± housing complete, TJ carefully slotted it into its new handle with no small amount of effort. With the extra half-inch of thumb added to its length, the knife¡¯s blade was about four inches. Making sure there wasn¡¯t too much leeway in any direction, TJ decided which way the mirrored blades would face. Then, warming the sap between his fingers until it was a gluey putty, he shoved it into the hole inside the horn. The thumb followed after that, the sap filling the remainder of the space. As the sap cooled, the blade stopped wiggling, and TJ realized he needed something else to help tie it in to finish the knife. Fortunately, he¡¯d tossed a cleaned intestine in the pack as well, and he wrapped it tightly around the bottom of the thumb and the top of the horn that now served as the knife¡¯s haft. It still wasn¡¯t quite done, and TJ looked up at the tree he was leaning against. A perfect bead of sap was just in arms reach, like a half dozen more, and TJ plucked it free. Just like before, he warmed it between his fingers before applying it to the tightly woven gut, where it slowly hardened into an approximation of a real knife. While the last touch dried, TJ measured with his right hand just how long he wanted the haft before, with a concentrated ring of wind between his cupped thumb and index finger, he cut the rest of the horn free from his knife. Just as TJ felt a warm glow of pride from completing his project, a series of notifications took him by surprise. You have constructed a piece of equipment using Elite level materials. Bonus Experience acquired. Minor Divine Trial success recorded. Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 7. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Point available. Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 8. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points available. Race: Human has advanced to level 8. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Points currently available. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 47 With so many notifications plying him, TJ realized that there was a question he¡¯d had for a while and hadn¡¯t ever gotten an answer for. Ever since he¡¯d killed the wendigo, he¡¯d gotten a similar notification, but then forgotten about it in the panic of rushing back to safety and warning the rest of the town about what he¡¯d learned. Thus, the small additional phrase had escaped his scrutiny. Now, however, TJ finally paid it attention and asked the System. ¡°What is a Divine Trial?¡± All those who achieve any measure of Divinity must overcome Trials set by the heavens themselves. What comprises a Divine Trial or which Trials which Participant must overcome will vary, but overcoming Trials is a vital part of the path towards the Divine Throne. Though the exact use of Divine Trials cannot be revealed at this time, it can be explained that eight Minor Divine Trials carry the same weight as four Moderate Divine Trials, two Bitter Divine Trials, or one Celestial Divine Trial. Would you like to have your Divine Trial completions recorded in your Status Page? As he idly agreed to allow the display, TJ felt a faint smile crack his face at another realization. He had, effectively, completed a Moderate Divine Trial, and though he couldn¡¯t say he had any clue what that could do for him, the achievement carried some weight. That there were Divine Trials for various types of achievements also assuaged some measure of worry as well. Now that he knew what it was, though, he grew more and more curious as to what the purpose of the Trials was meant to be. More importantly, though, was the result of this completed Trial. TJ turned his appraisal to his knife, curious what it could be that gave him more than a full level¡¯s worth of experience. Item: Wendigo Blade (Copper, (I)). An amateur¡¯s honest attempt at creating a sharp tool from the materials gathered from a wendigo slain by their hand. Using the extended claw of a wendigo, the Wendigo Blade is a serviceable knife, though the method of securing its tang was mediocre. The true value of this knife is instead found in its materials and specialized preparation. Whether by skill, coincidence, or pure luck, the blade was perfectly prepared by the creator. By using primarily Wind Manipulation and the wendigo¡¯s own claws to construct the blade and prepare its materials, the creator subtly shifted the purpose of the claw and horn to better respond to the creator¡¯s Wind Manipulation Skill. As such, the Wendigo Blade¡¯s wielder can channel Wind Manipulation through the blade with an improved efficiency, thus lowering the cost of using Wind Manipulation while wielding the blade by 10%. TJ whistled under his breath as he read the description. Though he wanted to complain at the obvious disparagement regarding the quality of his work, he also couldn¡¯t bring himself to disagree. More importantly, the explanation that he¡¯d managed to somehow shift the magical or divine nature of the claw to suit him perfectly was a blessing in disguise that he¡¯d never expected. In his mind, he¡¯d only expected the knife to serve as something to better prepare other materials for his use with. Learning that it could potentially serve as one of those gas-exploding knives that he¡¯d seen on the internet was a surprise, but a welcome one. If it was inside of an enemy, TJ could imagine that, with the additional reduced cost of being at the Dirt tier combined with the bonus from the blade itself, the Wendigo Blade could easily serve as a deadly weapon for him, disregarding the build quality. The thought of making something explode with wind inside of it was disgusting, but TJ shoved it out of his mind by pulling up his Status. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Human ¨C lvl 8 Class: Neophyte lvl 8 Occupation: Savage lvl 8 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 570/570 Mana Points (MP): 360/360 Stamina: 550/550 Attributes Strength: 26 Agility: 25 Endurance: 55 Vitality: 57 Toughness: 47 Wisdom: 31 Intelligence: 36 Perception: 37 Willpower: 48 Fixation: 39 Free Points: 2 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 49:45 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Current cooldown: 0:00 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Coatl ¨C lvl 8 Class: Neophyte lvl 8 S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Occupation: Savage lvl 8 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 1140/1140 Mana Points (MP): 360/360 Stamina: 1100/1100 Attributes Strength x2: 52 Agility x1.5: 37 Endurance x2: 110 Vitality x2: 114 Toughness x2: 94 Wisdom: 31 Intelligence: 36 Perception x1.5: 55 Willpower: 48 Fixation: 39 Free Points: 2 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Divine Trial Records 2 Minor, 0 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial Compared to how weak he¡¯d once been, TJ enjoyed seeing how much he¡¯d progressed in just these days, since each additional attribute point was another step up the path to truer power and the ability to protect himself and his future. He looked at his Free Points and nearly threw them immediately into Intelligence as he had been, but he decided to consider a bit deeper for a moment. His Strength as a coatl had always seemed to be more than enough, but between its frost and claws, the wendigo was nearly impossible for him to kill. Yes, it was an Elite, but TJ had exhausted its MP through protecting the pukwudgies from his initial assault, and it had wasted its energy in killing the first pukwudgie theatrically. Even then, TJ had only survived because he had fully exhausted his MP killing the pukwudgies and managed to level up by doing so. Doubling his MP barely brought him to being level with the wendigo¡¯s expenditure. Would another two points of Intelligence do more for him, or Strength? Maybe even Agility, as it was falling behind his other attributes, at least, during Divine Transformation. He almost certainly wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape last night with his Agility as it was, and that terrified him. ¡°Hello, sir?¡± A nervous woman¡¯s voice cut through TJ¡¯s idle worries and he startled and looked up. A woman maybe a decade older than him stood in front of him, twisting her hands anxiously. When he locked eyes with her, he Appraised her while standing up. Disciple, 1 ¡°Don¡¯t call me sir. I¡¯m TJ. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Uh, we¡¯re the people assigned to¡­ hunt with you.¡± She was obviously uncomfortable with the idea and continued avoiding his gaze. ¡°Great, glad to have you.¡± He stuck a hand out. ¡°As I said, I¡¯m TJ. I¡¯m happy to make sure you all stay safe since you¡¯re willing to come out and work for the community. For your information, I have the Bloodline of Kukulkan, and I¡¯m at level 8 with both Savage and Neophyte. How about you?¡± ¡°My name is Rebekkah, Disciple and Flamekeeper. The System says I¡¯m a daughter of Hestia.¡± The woman responded as she reached a limp hand out for a disappointing handshake. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a Greek goddess?¡± Rebekkah nodded, her dark curly hair framing her face. ¡°What¡¯s that Occupation do? How¡¯d you get it?¡± After asking, TJ raised a hand. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll ask you that again in a minute, if that¡¯s alright with you. Instead, I¡¯d like to speak with everyone coming along.¡± Rebekkah didn¡¯t mind, simply nodding as TJ walked forward. Eight more people stood before him, all but two of them level 1 to his Appraisal. One was the level 2 Zealot Sarah who helped guard the general store, while the other was Farid, whose level now showed Acolyte, 3. ¡°You manage to get that Occupation you were talking about yesterday?¡± TJ asked, reaching a hand out to clasp Farid¡¯s shoulder. The younger man smiled broadly as he nodded. ¡°We¡¯d used some traps on the monsters out there, and I just needed to trap one more person before I got the Occupation.¡± ¡°A person?¡± Farid grinned even wider. ¡°Yes. Charlie is tall, and does not always look up.¡± TJ raised both hands with a slight chuckle. ¡°Not sure I want to know. Good for you. That¡¯s something that will become more and more useful the longer this Tutorial goes, I¡¯m sure.¡± Then, having spoken to the single person that he knew, TJ stepped back so he could look most of the group in the eyes. With himself counted, their little hunting party numbered ten. Other than himself, there were three Disciples, two Zealots, three Acolytes, and one Neophyte. Naturally, TJ was interested in the Neophyte. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± TJ asked the hunched and obviously afraid girl standing in the middle of the group. ¡°Kailani.¡± She spoke in barely more than a whisper, avoiding eye contact almost fearfully. Her long dark hair covered her face and she refused to make eye contact. ¡°Great. Just for my information, what attributes does your Divine Transformation boost?¡± The young woman, more of a girl, really, looked around herself before answering in a murmur, ¡°Vitality, Wisdom, Intelligence, Willpower, Fixation.¡± She cocked her head, a little confused. Even so, she didn¡¯t ask the question so obviously on her mind. ¡°You wondering why I¡¯m asking?¡± TJ prompted, and after glancing back and forth, she nodded, keeping her head and eyes down. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve talked to the few of us that are also Neophytes. I¡¯m the bloodline of Kukulkan, a giant snake god from Mexico. I get bonuses to Strength, Agility, Endurance, Vitality, Toughness, and Perception. Makes me a lot tougher, so it¡¯s easy for me to be in front of everyone else. With yours, though, I don¡¯t think being on the front line makes a whole lot of sense, does it?¡± Lailani shook her head wildly, and TJ chuckled. He wanted to pat her head or shoulder, but she was scared, and he might be the source of that fear, so he was wholly unwilling to exacerbate that. ¡°Do you have anything else that you just kinda know how to do when you¡¯re using the Skill?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Just as an explanation, I realized I could control wind when I was a snake, and I ended up getting a Skill that helps me out with that. When we¡¯re out today, can you see what you feel when you use the Skill?¡± Lailani nodded and stepped behind someone else. TJ didn¡¯t press the matter, and gestured for Farid to step forward. The descendant of the Indian god of destruction stepped forward, his face open and happy. ¡°I know you don¡¯t really know me. I probably don¡¯t have the greatest impression on most of you, and I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve had a pretty crap couple of days. You don¡¯t deserve to have me chewing you out. I¡¯m not your dad, I¡¯m not your boss. I¡¯m just going to keep you alive and well, ok?¡± Farid raised a hand and TJ pointed at him. ¡°Just a second Farid. You don¡¯t need to raise your hand, not really, and I don¡¯t want any of you to call me sir. I¡¯m not a military commander or anything like that. That¡¯s all.¡± The handsome man grinned widely, pure white teeth starkly contrasting his dark skin. ¡°I just want you to know¨Ceveryone here asked to be on your team. You¡¯re a scary man, but you¡¯re on our side, and we think you¡¯ll keep everyone safe while they work to get stronger. I just didn¡¯t want you to worry about us. We¡¯re happy to follow your commands.¡± TJ felt his throat choke up for a brief second. Though at least half of the team was like Rebekkah and Lailani, avoiding his gaze and shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, none of them seemed to disagree even slightly with Farid¡¯s declaration. The feeling of ostracization that¡¯d hung over him like a pall since he¡¯d arrived was slowly washed away. He was about to speak when Farid spoke again. ¡°You should have seen Seth¡¯s face when he learned I¡¯d already taken the spot of the hunter on your squad. I bet he¡¯ll try to convince you to go out again this afternoon after we return.¡± TJ chuckled through the almost uncomfortable emotion. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to see about that when we come back. Now, here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 48 Though he hated not being right with them, TJ felt it was necessary to extend some measure of trust to the trainees who were, reluctantly, on the front lines and ready to kill. Rebekkah and Jordan, the two Disciples, stood in the middle of the group while TJ walked near them with his every nerve stretched out to the extreme. If anything appeared, he¡¯d need to react immediately, and his Wendigo Blade stayed in his hand, just in case. They hadn¡¯t gone more than a hundred yards away from where he estimated the outer bounds of the safe zone, and there wasn¡¯t anything here. The possibility of a spear burying itself in someone¡¯s eye wasn¡¯t lost on him, and TJ desperately hoped nobody would die on this inaugural hunt. They¡¯d need to kill at least ten creatures, and TJ refused to return before they did so. Just so long as they didn¡¯t encounter a wendigo. When he walked under a tree, the wind whispered about something overhead. TJ didn¡¯t look before he reacted, pushing both Rebekkah and Jordan underneath him just in case. As his instincts had wondered, the pukwudgies had struck at the Disciples as soon as they appeared. ¡°Look up!¡± TJ screamed as he pointed at four shimmering silhouettes. Farid was the first to react, both his javelins flying to pierce through the legs of a pukwudgie, sending both plummeting to the ground. The other two Acolytes shot towards the other two, one missing entirely and the other lodging in the pukwudgie¡¯s eye. The body fell without ceremony while the fourth of the overhead ambushers began to flee. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°They¡¯re not alone, I¡¯m sure!¡± TJ shouted again, pointing at the two Zealots who were approaching the felled but still living monsters. Both carried large shields and turned wildly, looking for whatever was approaching. Nearly immediately, they were rewarded with the snarling attacks from three coyotes and their riders. Wordless cries of panic filled the air as the unprepared hunters were taken up in the adrenaline of battle. TJ knew he had to move, and activated his Divine Transformation. The nearest coyote and its rider were easy to tie up in his coils, the coyote snapping ineffectually at him as his stone-hard scales while the rider¡¯s spear barely cut through his skin. TJ knew he could easily dispatch both, but instead took his time, keeping them from doing anything other than try to hurt him. With them tied up, quite literally, he looked to the other battlefields. The first thing that struck him was the sound. Every fight he¡¯d been in so far, he¡¯d been either with Stanton or alone, and he¡¯d found his ears wholly filled with the roaring of his rushing blood, nearly unable to hear anything else. Now, though, the panicked and untested people screamed wordlessly, their fear manifesting in unintelligible sounds of terror. More than the sounds, though, were the sights. One of the two Zealots, Sarah, was holding her own. She¡¯d sustained a single hit from the coyote¡¯s rider¡¯s spear in her right shoulder, the blood coursing down her arm and slicking her fingers. Her face was twisted in a grimace, but she kept her shield hoisted high to keep the coyote from reaching her body. The pukwudgie whose spear had reached her was prone on the ground, fighting to its feet while Sarah struck wardingly at it. The other, Rod, however, screamed in fear and pain as he made contact with the enemy. Perhaps unprepared for the savagery of the assault, the Zealot had been knocked down by the coyote while the pukwudgie¡¯s spear sought for his throat, head, and chest. Rod had enough presence of mind to roll over and keep moving, trying to avoid getting immediately killed. Fortunately, the rest of the hunters went to help the struggling man, shots lancing towards the two aggressors. Farid¡¯s javelin plunged deep into the coyote¡¯s shoulder, the crescent flying up the shaft and cutting a long gash into the creature. It stumbled back, yipping in surprised pain. The move saved Rod¡¯s eye, the pukwudgie¡¯s lance cutting through the skin of his cheek instead. With the coyote off balance, Rod scrambled to his feet while taking a much deeper stab into his back. He screamed again in rage and fear and pain before trying to smash the edge of his shield into the pukwudgie¡¯s face. The strike missed as the pukwudgie dodged to put its body against the coyote¡¯s back. Rod didn¡¯t stop, his makeshift club swinging wildly at whatever he could reach. Due to the large javelin lodged in its shoulder, the coyote was slowed enough that the club smashed painfully into its head. The thunking sound of heavy wood against bone sounded like a gong for the second round of battle and Jordan redoubled his efforts to kill his attackers. What the others didn¡¯t seem to realise, though, was that Sarah no longer could hold the other two back safely. The coyote¡¯s jaws found her ankle and she suppressed a scream of pain and rage as its rider¡¯s spear pushed her shield away from her body. Then, exposed, the rider threw a rock directly into her face and Sarah went down, stunned. Pukwudgie and coyote alike were ready to exploit the opening and they lunged in for the kill. TJ released his two victims though they were still living as he rushed to protect the fallen woman. He didn¡¯t need to. A pair of sprays of water like from a hose shot into the faces of each attacker. They sputtered while Kailani, fear streaking her face, stretched one hand out to each one, the water flying from her palms. Though it disrupted the attacks and startled them, the two monsters were still effectively uninjured. That was when Jordan and Rebekkah¡¯s fist-sized stones pelted the pukwudgie. One struck a glancing blow against its shoulder while the other caromed off its head. Now that all other nine hunters were engaged in the fight, TJ leapt back to the still-living coyote and rider he¡¯d previously trapped. As his coils once again found their places entangling the creatures, TJ watched as Rebekkah rushed forward and laid a hand on Sarah. Nearly immediately, the felled Zealot stood up, her eyes unfocused, but she threw herself back into the fight without hesitating longer than it took for her to blink three times. Once the hunters had truly begun working together, it wasn¡¯t long before the pukwudgies were killed and the coyotes were hobbled. While they snarled and lunged out in threatening bites, most looked unwilling to kill the more normal-looking creatures. That was, except for Sarah. With her blood-coated fingers creaking around the wooden handle of her club, Sarah approached the coyote with her blood painting its maw. Then, after shoving its head roughly to the side with her shield, she dealt a deadly blow to the base of its skull. The crunching of bone was final, and the corpse dropped to the ground. After he gathered himself, Rod extended a hand to the others to kill the other coyote in much the same way. He seemed sick as he saw the boy lay on the ground, and though she¡¯d led these final executions, Sarah looked rather green as well. ¡°There¡¯s two more.¡± TJ reminded while the pukwudgie and coyote struggled and screeched for help and in terror. ¡°You two Acolytes, you kill them.¡± The two inexperienced people were obviously immensely uncomfortable with his command, but after barking another, ¡°Kill them¡±, they approached. Their run of the mill bows were drawn taught, all the way back. The glittering, ethereal arrows summoned by their Skill had TJ slightly on edge, given their lack of experience, but he figured if he kept his head back, he¡¯d survive. It took three shots each to finally kill the two struggling, impotent monsters, and TJ noted from the kill notification that these creatures had ranged from level 2-4. Disregarding the success of the hunt, the air of the hunting party was somber and dark. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this will make you feel better or worse,¡± TJ said as the eight new hunters looked uncomfortably at each other, ¡°but good job. This isn¡¯t just me saying this, but Farid can agree. You¡¯re all alive, and you¡¯ve gained experience. Who gained a level?¡± Everyone but Farid and Sarah raised a hand. ¡°Now, you¡¯re all healthy, at full resources. You¡¯ve seen how much stronger you can get from a single level, so I want you to realize something: The monsters are getting these same levels too.¡± He paused, letting his statement sink in. ¡°The first coyotes I fought were level 0. How many of you can say the same?¡± Every Acolyte and Zealot nodded in agreement. ¡°None were level 0 here. They¡¯ve gained levels, and they¡¯ll keep doing it too. They¡¯re only going to get more and more dangerous, and if you stop here, you¡¯ll let down the people around you right now. They¡¯ll get hurt if you decide to be selfish and go home right now. In two weeks, they¡¯ll die if you aren¡¯t willing to kill right now. ¡°Now, we have a decision. Are we going to call it quits right now and hope we can coast to safety? Or are we going to put the work in right now to make sure we can survive and protect our companions and see our families?¡± He wasn¡¯t expecting nor did he receive a cheer, but everyone, from the excited Farid to the still terrified Kailani, nodded in agreement. Before they could move on, though, Sarah spoke up. ¡°That was scary. I thought I was doing ok because I have a higher level, but all it took was a second before they turned it around on me.¡± Her voice quivered from the adrenaline and every other emotion she was overwhelmed with. ¡°I can¡¯t do this alone.¡± ¡°Yeah, we should each be assigned to help one of the Zealots.¡± One of the Acolytes jumped in. As the rest of the group planned and strategized how to continue to hunt and be successful, TJ let a smile crack his face. More than getting them to higher levels, he¡¯d wanted them to feel a bit more confident in themselves and ready to face the Tutorial. Somehow, it seemed like they were taking those steps forward. ¡ª- The second hunt was much less frightening than the first. Since each person had received more of an assignment and, instead of a loose group of ten people, there were effectively two squads, the initial engagement went much more smoothly than before. That paired with only two coyote riders attacking after the initial ambush allowed the hunters to gain not just experience but confidence. Shouted commands and warnings worked together, though nobody followed them especially well. Even so, the injuries sustained were significantly less serious than before and Rebekkah and Jordan quickly ensured that nobody was in serious danger. TJ stood with a coyote corpse over each shoulder while looking out for anything else coming nearby. The exultation of victory and new levels had at least half of the party ready to continue the hunt, but TJ stopped them. ¡°We¡¯re doing great, and maybe we can come back out after lunch. But what are our Disciples¡¯ MP looking like?¡± ¡°28/190.¡± Jordan supplied. ¡°34/220.¡± Rebekkah echoed. Though TJ was surprised to hear the difference between them, Rebekkah did have her Occupation. Regardless, he kept speaking. ¡°It¡¯ll take them almost nine hours to be back at full.¡± He didn¡¯t need to say anything else before the rest of the hunting party hurriedly gathered together to go back to town. They talked excitedly to each other about small different victories, how this one had totally saved another, and that arrow was shot just right. TJ happily walked in the back of the group, watching the freshly minted fighters make their way back to town in victory. As they pushed through the bushes into the bounds of the town, the smell of freshly grilled meat filled the air and the hunters found that they were much hungrier than expected. Even so, they all looked at TJ before going anywhere. ¡°I¡¯m not your dad. Go.¡± He shooed them off as people, many of them older than him, hurried to the firehouse. TJ leaned against a nearby tree and sighed. Was this really what he was going to do for the next two weeks? Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 49 TJ stayed out of the firehouse, musing over the next ten days and what he was going to do. When people came out, several shot nasty looks his way, but TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to care. Junior needed a living dad, and TJ was more than willing to be the heel to some of these people to ensure he had his best chance of making it out alive. After the early lunch was complete, the next hunt was prepared, and TJ was reminded there was more yet to do. Two more, very different trips were taken that day. The second expedition was with an entirely different group than the one from that morning, Seth replacing Farid and many of the other newest hunters being older folks who struggled to walk that far. With the advent of the System and its attributes, many of these people who would be largely hopeless in any attempt to journey any distance by foot could make their slow and steady way to where the hunt would take place. Granny Penny laughed when TJ offered to carry her down the road and out of town in the opposite direction from where he¡¯d entered. ¡°I¡¯m takin¡¯ care of myself. Don¡¯t you worry that pretty little head of yours, I¡¯m doin¡¯ just fine!¡± She declared as she continued to push her walker down the road. Somehow, when TJ Appraised her, he saw Disciple 2 displayed, so she¡¯d gained levels somehow. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Laura,¡± she stage whispered, ¡°I went and got me an Occupation. It¡¯s helping out a lot!¡± ¡°Now what Occupation was that?¡± TJ asked, too curious not to dig deeper. She glanced back and forth before grinning widely. ¡°Attendant!¡± TJ squinted at the old lady, unsure how to react. She kept her joyous look, unconcerned with his potential disbelief. Eventually, he had to ask, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Sure as can be!¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad it¡¯s helping.¡± TJ replied with a shrug. He internally asked the System, ¡°How does the Occupation Attendant help someone on the path to the Divine Throne?¡± Every aspect of life can be honed to the level of Divinity. Service, healing, leadership, and destruction are all facets of life, and a Participant can choose to exemplify any aspect of life in their pursuit of the Divine Throne. TJ sighed deeply as he decided not to follow that train of thoughts. Though he had so many questions about the System and everything it wanted to do, his focus remained on Junior. Thus, he assisted the much less mobile group of hunters, though he was much more careful with how he approached potential combat with them. Instead of just blazing into the forest, he ranged out himself while Seth and the others stayed completely at the ready for anything to come their way. Thus, TJ slowly kited four coyotes, two javelinas, and a mountain lion to the waiting hunters. The mountain lion was a surprise and very nearly deadly, but TJ was quick enough to shift to a coatl and take it down to ensure that though its claws cut through a Zealot¡¯s armor without much difficulty, it didn¡¯t strike any deadly wounds. That it was merely level 2 and had ambushed them all and nearly eviscerated someone was not lost on him, and TJ feared the day he encountered a level 5, or Kukulkan forbid, level 10. As the more sickly of the group gained a level or two, their backs straightened and their breathing grew more steady, Penny especially walking away from her walker whenever she could, though she needed to return to it for a moment to catch her breath each time. Despite himself, TJ felt himself bonding further with the hunters as they stumbled and crawled and actually learned. Their five Zealots, only one with a shield, worked together in tandem, and the single Acolyte used her hand crossbow to the best of her ability. Seth stayed near Penny and the other Disciple, the plucky old lady leading her fellow Disciple to throw the largest stones they could manage at the enemies. More often than not, Penny¡¯s gravel would plink uselessly against one of the Zealots¡¯ armors, but once she managed to strike a javelina¡¯s eye and she crowed in exultation as it squealed. ¡°Ha HAH!¡± She cackled. ¡°You slippery varmint! Just roll over!¡± Every other one of her attacks went wide, but her enthusiasm was infectious. The Zealots gained levels and experience, and, as TJ learned, they gained 3 Strength every level. Though the beasts all remained a higher level, they were outnumbered and with every hunter having someone supporting them, there were no casualties or serious injuries. The hunt ended when three pukwudgies tried their luck at ambushing them from above but the two Acolytes shot them from the trees. Seth¡¯s shot struck its eye, and by the time its corpse smashed against the ground, it was dead. Of the other two, one escaped, but the last took a shot to the leg and broke its spine once it fell over twenty feet. The Zealots closed in, and though they were obviously uncomfortable with it, they finished the little goblin creature off. Then, the quota finished, TJ threw the mountain lion¡¯s corpse over his shoulder and led the way back home. Disaster struck when they¡¯d been where, to the best of TJ¡¯s knowledge, they¡¯d crossed into the ¡°safe¡± zone. The hair on the back of his neck prickled, and TJ shouted, ¡°Get down!¡± Everyone listened, but poor, or lucky, as the case may be, Peter, the sole Zealot with a shield, went down with his shield over his body. TJ couldn¡¯t say how, but the pukwudgies¡¯ thrown spears bounced off the shield and one flew straight up and cut through Peter¡¯s right eye¡¯s cornea. As the man about the same age as TJ himself screamed in pain and fear, the rest of the hunting party tried to protect him, to retaliate against the pukwudgies. They disappeared into the trees too quickly, retreating from the space they couldn¡¯t yet intrude upon. TJ growled curses under his breath as he dropped the mountain lion corpse where he stood. ¡°Disciples, on him, now!¡± Penny pushed through the group of concerned but unable to help hunters and laid her hands on Peter¡¯s face. ¡°Hold still, honey. It¡¯ll be just a second.¡± Peter stilled to mere shaking breaths as a light washed over the group from Penny¡¯s hands. She took a shuddering breath and swayed while TJ reached a hand out to steady her. The old lady gratefully took it and struggled to stand. He helped her to her walker while the rest of the hunters gathered Peter into their arms and carried him deeper into the safe zone, hopefully away from the range where the pukwudgies could reach him. There wasn¡¯t any more movement from anything in the forest nearby, but TJ didn¡¯t take any risks. He activated his Divine Transformation and dragged the two corpses left behind as the rest of the hunters hurried to the firehouse. It wasn¡¯t long before TJ caught up and could hear the panicked conversation. ¡°It¡¯s all blurry!¡± ¡°Like you can see light or just like you need glasses?¡± ¡°Like it¡¯s all blurry! I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t see anything! I¡¯m blind!¡± TJ quickly caught on to what the crescendoing discussion was about. When he came around and was able to see Peter¡¯s face, the blood had been wiped off as best as it could in so little time, though it still filled the man¡¯s eyebrows and eyelashes. Under that, though, was the much more concerning eye. It had once been a dark blue but now was cloudy and unresponsive. Peter was waving his hands, the terror of losing his sight stealing his rationality. ¡°Everyone!¡± TJ shouted while using Wind Manipulation to blow back their screams and force their attention onto him. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do right this second. Let¡¯s get to the firehouse, speak with Laura, and figure it out from there. Got it?¡± Surprisingly, Peter was the first to respond, gritting his teeth and nodding before turning and leading the way to the firehouse. The rest of the hunters gathered whatever came to their hands and followed his lead. TJ walked in the back, eyes wide open and searching for any abnormality. There wasn¡¯t anything that stood out to him, but he¡¯d already known that didn¡¯t mean anything. Even so, he¡¯d gotten complacent and Peter paid the price. He was supposed to be the smart, experienced one, and he¡¯d lost focus at the last second. As they stumbled into the firehouse, TJ saw what he¡¯d refused to earlier. The ugly looks he¡¯d received at lunch hadn¡¯t come from the lazy who resented being made to work. They came from the survivors of the less fortunate expeditions. Peter¡¯s wound was far from the most serious he could see. Missing fingers and thickly scarred faces were common while wounds so serious they were still only scabbed over instead of fully healed patterned most people. Wounds had been treated only to the level that HP recovery wouldn¡¯t be impeded so that natural regeneration could take care of the rest. For a moment, TJ questioned why they¡¯d been left to suffer, but as he watched harried Disciples pacing between groaning patients, he realized why. Necessary though he thought they were, these hunts were dangerous, and each person out there risked their lives. Looking around in these people¡¯s faces, he saw many that would struggle to walk out of this building again tomorrow. They¡¯d set off with expectations of strength and security, and instead they¡¯d found their own weakness and death. Groans of pain and fear filled the air, and TJ worried that he¡¯d broken the spirits of these people. Then, he worried for himself, and cursed his selfishness. Fortunately, before he¡¯d lost himself in his worries and fear, TJ took a second look. Though some faces were filled with despair and weakness, most were set with stubborn defiance. They¡¯d seen their friends and companions be hurt and they decided to do something about that. His reluctance was washed away by a righteous fury, and TJ felt that these mere beasts had challenged the dignity of a coatl for long enough. ¡°Peter?¡± He asked, and the partially blinded man turned to look. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Will you be ok here for now?¡± Peter shrugged. ¡°Nothing else I can do, to be honest.¡± ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll check on you when I get back.¡± Then, TJ stood up and met the eyes of those who looked at him. ¡°This is ridiculous. Those monsters think they can ambush us and I¡¯m not going to do something about it? I¡¯m taking the fight to them, weakening them even more. Anyone who¡¯s at least level 5 in their Class and willing, meet me outside in ten minutes. I¡¯m going to kill some of the bastards.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything more, merely stalking out of the room. Shuffling feet and murmured voices answered him immediately, but TJ didn¡¯t look back. He merely walked to the tree where he¡¯d settled down earlier that morning and turned to sit down. Before he fully hit the ground, though, the sight of a dozen determined denizens of the town greeted him, Stanton in front of them all. ¡°Kid, we¡¯re with you. Let¡¯s hunt some of the fuckers.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 50 They set out without too much planning except to go south, where the latest pukwudgies had been seen. Even so, there had been a brief discussion about what to look out for. The established greatest threats were, in ascending order, pukwudgie ambushes, mountain lion ambushes, large numbers of recklessly charging anything, especially javelinas, a wendigo, then anything that had overcome the barrier to level 10. Though nobody had seen anything even especially close to that benchmark, they could instinctively understand how terrible it could be to encounter something so far beyond their capabilities. It wasn¡¯t long before they agreed to get moving before night actually fell. The sun hadn¡¯t quite gotten to the point of setting behind the mountains, but dark wasn¡¯t too far off. Even so, with so many people who had gained at least their first additional Skill around, the group was confident in doing something to the monsters that surrounded their current home. Even so, they walked carefully, Zig and Stanton calling warnings for the slightest suspicious thing in their surroundings. The Acolytes, TJ had learned, were the best Class for scouting. All Acolytes¡¯ Perception growth was +2 per level, and if they had an Occupation, as both Zig and Stanton did, they would gain additional Racial levels and whatever other attributes they could. When he¡¯d finally gotten around to asking, TJ learned that a Bloodline provided, beyond any additional attributes gained at the time of Integration, two additional attribute points upon every Racial level acquired. For him, it was Vitality and Fixation, while he¡¯d learned that for Stanton (after an unnecessarily long period of asking) it was Strength and Agility. Zig, from her Bloodline of Brigid the Celtic goddess, gained Wisdom and Perception. TJ hadn¡¯t yet found a purpose for the Wisdom attribute, but Zig said that her Occupation¡¯s, Huntmaster, base Skill gave a bonus to the damage dealt in proportion to her Wisdom attribute. Supposedly, it was negligible at this point, but what that would mean and do long term wasn¡¯t lost on him. Regardless of what each person¡¯s newest Skills may be in the party, TJ felt secure in their vengeful endeavor. The fact that they called it vengeful was important, he supposed, since Seth had vowed to avenge the loss of Peter¡¯s eye and could thus feel where the guilty party was, in a general sense. ¡°I just know it¡¯s that way.¡± The skinny man said, pointing. ¡°How far or if it¡¯s moving or anything, I don¡¯t know. But it¡¯s there.¡± His hand didn¡¯t waver, though it shifted slightly as they all stood still. ¡°Want to start there?¡± TJ asked. ¡°We can see if we recover that Lifebloom too, while we¡¯re at it.¡± Stanton didn¡¯t even deign to grunt in response, merely turning to look at TJ before his grey eyebrow rose in a disbelieving denial. ¡°The hell¡¯s a Lifebloom?¡± Zig asked, though she only watched their surroundings. ¡°We¡¯re not sure.¡± TJ responded. ¡°Just that it was a magical plant of some sort, and the pukwudgies stole it when they nearly killed Stanton.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll find it and see if it¡¯ll help everyone who¡¯s hurt.¡± Zig declared. The rest of the hunting party made various sounds of approval, and TJ refocused himself on the forest. Shrouded by trees at least 50 feet tall, the shadows were long and everyone¡¯s breaths fogged the chilling air. Some shivered lightly, but it was obvious that everyone there wearing ill-fitting or insufficient winter clothes had gained enough levels and Vitality to, if not be unbothered by the moderate southern winter, at least ok. TJ¡¯s feet in the mostly destroyed moccasins stepped cautiously, the crackling of dead pine needles underfoot accompanying their passage. ¡°Incoming, above!¡± Zig shouted as she loosed a shot without taking more than a quarter of a second to draw, aim, and fire. A pukwudgie corpse dropped, arrow in its eye, but the ambushers were far from done. A hail of spears fell, at least as many as there were hunters on the ground. ¡°I got it!¡± TJ shouted as, without activating Diving Transformation, he swirled a 15 foot wide weak vortex into being above them with Wind Manipulation. Though most didn¡¯t come all the way to where he¡¯d anticipated, each spear was pulled from its intended target and instead struck either completely harmlessly against the ground, or merely glanced off of the shoulders of the hunters. TJ celebrated to himself as he saw that his MP was reduced only by 28 instead of if he¡¯d forced every spear to come to him with the Copper tiered Skill after activating Divine Transformation, as that would have exhausted at least double that. The hunters all leapt into action, with the exception of Angelo, the Disciple with a Zealot dedicated to protecting him. Skills blazed into being, javelins, arrows, bullets, and more shredded through each pukwudgie they could see. None of the Zealots seemed to have Skills dedicated to any sort of ranged combat, but there were plenty of things to throw. The hail of things flying to the pukwudgies quickly knocked many of the creatures out of the trees, and TJ led the charge to kill those that had fallen. The flurry of kill notifications went unheeded, TJ seeing more than just those he¡¯d directly participated in. Overhead, the few pukwudgies that survived tried to flee. Only one was able to escape the final volley, its screaming warning its fellows of the hunters¡¯ hostile presence. When the fourteen bodies sprawled on the ground were confirmed dead by the System, TJ checked the notifications to see whatever classification each pukwudgie had. Ranging from level 4 to 6, the latest pukwudgies were nothing he hadn¡¯t seen, and it was no surprise that there were no mentioned riders or the more melee focused types. ¡°Anything else?¡± Zig asked, her own eyes focused on their surroundings. ¡°No.¡± Charlie confirmed. ¡°It looks like it was just an opportunity they saw and decided to seize. Nothing on the ground that I can see, and no more enemies approaching.¡± Stanton grunted his agreement as he held his hand to Suzie, the gun glowing a faint blue as his MP created and chambered more bullets. ¡°Good job on slowing that initial attack.¡± Charlie said as he walked up to TJ. ¡°How much MP did it take, though?¡± ¡°Less than 30, so less than 10%. More like a twelfth of my total.¡± ¡°Good. Keeping people preemptively healthy when we¡¯ve only got the one Disciple is key, even if we do have Stanton here to help as well.¡± Zig¡¯s command cut through the quiet sounds of the more idle chatting. ¡°Listen up! Who¡¯s lost at least 10% of their HP?¡± Nobody responded, though TJ wondered if one of the Zealots was lying, a faint red stain coloring the shoulder of his armor. ¡°Great. We¡¯re moving forward, let me know if you drop below 50% of MP, HP, or Stamina. This isn¡¯t some desperate, last ditch activity where we¡¯ll need to sacrifice ourselves, so don¡¯t you even dream of keeping it hidden, however you¡¯re feeling. I¡¯m not letting this be some zombie B-movie where a moron gets themselves dead because they¡¯re not talking.¡± As Zig finished her little spiel, she made eye contact with the same Zealot who TJ¡¯d mentally noted. The man, to his credit, didn¡¯t seem fazed at her words, and TJ supposed it was possible that the cut looked worse than it seemed. ¡°We keep following me?¡± Seth asked, his vision tunneled on the pukwudgie he¡¯d sworn vengeance on. ¡°Yeah.¡± Zig said after looking around the group. Her red hair seemed almost to glow in the dying light of sunset and she led the group from the center of the massed body of hunters. TJ considered activating Divine Transformation, but he needed to trust in the people surrounding him. Traveling in the group still somewhat grated on him, needing to worry about everyone else¡¯s safety as he worried about himself, but TJ reminded himself that he needed only to look out for himself for now. Whether he himself actually believed that statement was something he refused to fully confront himself about. The hunters continued forward, their path clear enough under Seth¡¯s guidance that nobody questioned when the path veered to the right, deeper into the forest and away from cabins and roads and even game trails. ¡°How far will we go before we decide to go back home, even if we find nothing?¡± Farid asked. ¡°Three hundred yards at most.¡± Stanton directly answered. ¡°We can¡¯t be out here in true dark. It¡¯s their territory and we¡¯ll be SOL if we¡¯re stumbling through bushes during an ambush.¡± Nobody disagreed with the old man¡¯s stance, and the group decided to go only a set distance further. Thrice in that distance, a pair of coyotes lunged out of the brush and snapped with slavering jaws at the humans, but there was never any true threat. In retrospect, TJ realized they¡¯d been lulled into a false sense of security. There hadn¡¯t been any true threats, and so they¡¯d begun to believe that there wouldn¡¯t be any creatures intelligent enough to sacrifice some of their number to draw them further in. When they¡¯d nearly reached the point where they¡¯d decided was the point of no trespassing, the wendigo appeared. Its eerie jaw gaped in a laugh, and the pained gasping of air through its teeth set TJ on edge. ¡°You. Come. Feed. Me.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without any further words, the wendigo lunged towards the hunting party. TJ Appraised it, and had to swallow past the sudden lump in his throat. Wendigo, 7 The level had been increased by two, and though TJ couldn¡¯t say exactly what that would mean for this individual, it wasn¡¯t good. ¡°Stronger than the one I killed last night!¡± He called. The chorus of acknowledgement was interrupted by the sound of claws tearing through metal with a discorant shriek. As Connor hoisted up his shield, the wendigo easily tore through the Zealot¡¯s shield¡¯s magically reinforced material. With a hiss of pain, it took less than a second before Connor pulled back and shouted to the rest of the party, ¡°Burned me! Ice on my shield!¡± TJ rushed to engage the creature, but quickly realized he was just about the worst person to have do so right now. He had no armor beyond what his body and Divine Transformation offered him, and he¡¯d quickly learned that the chill of a wendigo¡¯s claws easily bypassed his Toughness. For now, though it was painful for them, it was better to pit the wendigo¡¯s attacks against the Zealots¡¯ protection that wasn¡¯t merely their bodies. Just as he considered utilizing the whole of his MP to create a blade of wind to weaken or even kill the wendigo outright, a shuffle of sound in the nearby bushes reminded him of the other aspect of what made a wendigo so dangerous. Three pukwudgies mounted on coyotes approached, their spears held high, and behind the wendigo, five more pukwudgies materialized. Pukwudgie, 7 Pukwudgie, 7 Pukwudgie, 7 Pukwudgie, 7 Pukwudgie, 7 Coyote, 6 Coyote, 6 Coyote, 6 Pukwudgie, 6 Pukwudgie, 6 Pukwudgie, 6 Counting the wendigo, the two groups were matched in numbers, and TJ wasn¡¯t confident in matching up in quality. The wendigo¡¯s voice, somehow sounding wet despite its desiccated nature, laughed out again, and TJ¡¯s Wind Manipulation seemed to scream that even the monster¡¯s mere voice was a desecration to life itself. ¡°Feed. Good. Taste. Good.¡± Without another word, the entire gathered host of enemies rushed forward, and there was no chance open to the hunters except to stand and fight. The idea of fleeing appealed to everyone, it seemed, but they¡¯d have to sacrifice several of their companions to do so. TJ nearly did, but Stanton stepped forward and shouldered him towards the pukwudgies. ¡°Time to get to work.¡± Cursing his cowardice, TJ did just that. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 51 Though he desperately wanted to just kill the wendigo and stave off the desperate fear in his bones, TJ instead focused on the pukwudgie riders. He wasn¡¯t sure what exactly the level 7 ones behind the wendigo were doing, but he assumed they were the same as the cultists he¡¯d killed before fighting the first wendigo. They held spears and didn¡¯t seem afraid to enter into combat with the hunters, but they held themselves back. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, TJ didn¡¯t feel the need to pay any more attention to the possibly hesitant enemies. ¡°Connor!¡± Zig shouted. ¡°Get in the front with the others. Stanton, stay with Angelo and make sure he stays safe!¡± Connor didn¡¯t hesitate, rushing ahead with his shield aloft and club ready in his hand. The wendigo, which had been shredding through the other Zealots¡¯ defenses without much difficulty, was slowed enough by the addition of a fifth Zealot that it didn¡¯t seem like there would be any immediate casualties or serious injuries. TJ couldn¡¯t pay them any more mind as he closed in with the coyotes. Different from their counterparts from under level 5 earlier that day, the pukwudgies and coyotes managed to cut through his protective scales and pierce his flesh. Though none of the wounds were serious enough even to induce the Bleed affliction, each attack he sustained chipped away at TJ¡¯s total HP. One of the coyotes seized his tail in its jaws and pulled him away before he could constrict one of the pairs of rider and steed. A flurry of attacks sought to cripple or even kill him, and TJ was forced to abort any attempted reprisal. He was forced to dodge his head back and forth, sustaining hits on his neck, body, and around his mane. Another set of coyote jaws bit deep into his flesh and he hissed. The faint thought he¡¯d retained to retain his MP to deal with the wendigo was thrust from his mind. TJ infused his mouth with a fair amount of his MP, ready to yank a pukwudgie from its saddle. As he was about to release the Skill and try to turn the tides, Charlie leapt out from behind TJ¡¯s target and buried a felling ax six inches deep in the pukwudgie¡¯s head. Its cavernous, unsettlingly wide smile was nearly split by the blade, and the creature died immediately. TJ felt a hint of experience coming towards him, but knew that the experience he was receiving from the few kills that¡¯d occurred was limited. There would almost certainly be no level up coming his way in this fight. Charlie didn¡¯t hesitate after killing the pukwudgie in a single blow, yanking the ax back and out of the twitching corpse. The unprepared coyote, the single one that hadn¡¯t yet sunk its teeth into TJ, lost one of its front legs to another massive swing from Charlie. It stumbled, and with the appearance of a new threat, the coyote holding TJ¡¯s tail let go as it and its rider rushed towards Charlie. Three creatures, the heavily injured coyote and the unscathed rider pair, rushed him as he tried to recover from his overcommitted swing from before. He was too late. The riding pukwudgie lunged forward with its spear, catching Charlie¡¯s shoulder deep in the flesh. He shouted in pain as two coyotes¡¯ jaws dug deep into his flesh, and they whipped their heads back and forth, ragdolling the man as he tried to fight them off. When the riding pukwudgie raised its spear back, it was obvious the strike would almost certainly be mortal. TJ released his condensed Wind Manipulation and inhaled, the targeted cyclone whipping the creature from its mount. Though he sustained another strike from the monster mounted on the coyote gnawing on him, TJ focused on his victim that flew directly into his mouth. It thrashed and fought and struggled to escape, but TJ ground his fangs into the creature before whipping around and smashing it like a club into the sole remaining rider. The two smashed together, their birdlike screams a harsh cacophony. With so much extra weight in his mouth, TJ smashed the goblin into the coyote biting him one, two, three times. The body became a corpse with a kill notification, and TJ threw it towards the coyotes that Charlie was struggling to get the upper hand on. Needing to focus on the insane monster trying to gnaw through his spine, TJ conjured another, short blade of wind on the tip of his tongue and let it fly into the creature¡¯s spine at the base of its skull. It went limp, and TJ whirled to help Charlie. He was too late, because Charlie roared before his fingers merged into the hoof of a horse. He whirled and attacked the mostly healthy one. The thick foot smashed through the coyote¡¯s skull and it died just a mere moment before its crippled companion did too in the same way. The bloodied man threw his head back and screamed in victory, TJ noting that his wounds healed as his hands reverted to their human shape. Seeing the other man was no longer in danger of death, he turned to the remaining rider, who fled into the forest. TJ had learned his lesson not to leave his companions behind to pursue another kill, though he wanted to kill the bastard. As it fizzled into a cloudy, nearly invisible form, though, Stanton¡¯s gun coughed once and the creature dropped, dead. That would leave just the wendigo and the cultists. Three cultist bodies lay basically where TJ had last seen them standing, a bolt from Seth¡¯s crossbow in one, a javelin from Farid in another. Though he glanced around, the other two had faded back into invisibility somewhere TJ couldn¡¯t see. Thankfully, the wendigo looked mostly dead, wounds filling its body while no fog or frost seeped from its claws or maw. The cool blue flame of its eyes flickered weakly, and the Zealots continued to press the advantage as its claws no longer froze everything it touched. Their superior position wasn¡¯t gained without risk, as only two Zealots remained in melee with the monstrosity. Three lay on the ground in the backline, their wounds recovered enough to survive, but they groaned in pain. Angelo, his face obviously pale even to TJ from a distance in the darkening wood, crouched near the three downed hunters and the four Acolytes. Farid and Seth both struggled to continue to press the attack, their hands shaking with apparent cold and stark blue spots on their obviously stiff fingers. Zig and Stanton fared better, though they both waited to take any shots, ensuring they didn¡¯t accidentally strike any of their companions. Even so, without them hitting the monster again, the wendigo was about to die. When Connor¡¯s club exploded into kindling on the wendigo, nearly knocking it flat, it was obvious that the end was nigh. The two remaining Zealots burst into movement, stomping and striking out with whatever came into their reach. As their weapons descended to deliver the killing blow, a pukwudgie appeared, interceding itself between their attacks and the creature. It was quickly slain, but its interruption was enough to allow the last remaining cultist to pull their master from the press of bodies. Stanton¡¯s gun fired, once, twice, but was unable to kill the creatures. Zig moved to ensure she had a good shot, but it was too late. The pukwudgie lowered its head and, after dislocating its jaw and revealing a cavernous black hole where its mouth was, the wendigo decapitated the creature with one bite. It swallowed, and its nearly skeletal body grew more fleshy, more whole. Once again, fog misted off the creature¡¯s body, and now it stood alone against the hunting party. Before their eyes, its wounds closed and the faintly glowing flames in its eyes blazed to life, casting shadows below its feet that guttered and fluttered unnaturally. ¡°You. Are. FOOD!¡± It grated before lunging back into the fight. It moved even faster than ever before, dodging a shot from both Stanton and Zig. As TJ moved towards the battle, he noted their situation. Two Zealots, two Acolytes, and two Neophytes mostly whole and ready for battle. Three Zealots out of commission, two Acolytes suffering from what was probably a more advanced frostbite affliction, and a mostly exhausted Disciple. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Shit.¡± TJ grumbled to himself as he went to engage with the wendigo. ¡°Go for its legs. I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Charlie said as he sprinted towards the monster some 100 feet away. Before they got there, though, it smashed Connor¡¯s shield out of the way with one hand before plunging its other into his chest. The Zealot dropped, and the wendigo wasn¡¯t nearly finished. The other Zealot, wearing chain link armor that may as well have been cardboard, was eviscerated in a flurry of three swiping attacks. When the monstrous Elite lowered its head to begin to feast on their comrades, Stanton and Zig both finally got a clean shot on the creature. Its skull splintered as a bullet carved a thick line in the bone. Though small fragments of its head flew into the air, the skull managed to retain its integrity. The old cowboy squeezed three more shots off in quick succession, and though the creature dodged one, the other two penetrated deep into its torso and slowed it down. Again, it leaned down to begin eating the felled Zealots, but Zig¡¯s arrow lodged deep in its eye socket. Though it didn¡¯t plead, it was obvious that had been enough to tear its attention away from the suffering people on the ground. The wendigo dodged back three steps, taking a glancing blow from Stanton¡¯s gun, before, instead of escaping or pressing the attack, it lifted Connor up and between it and the Acolytes. Zig only barely managed to turn her shot before pincushioning the Zealot, and Stanton cursed as he ran to get around the creature¡¯s improvised meat shield. Finally, TJ reached the creature, noticing Connor¡¯s agonized breathing as ice spread along his body where the wendigo¡¯s claws pierced him. While Wind Manipulation could certainly kill the beast, TJ knew it could easily use his ally as a shield, and while the situation was dire, it was far from as serious as it would need to be for him to consider endangering someone else¡¯s life for ease of attacking. He wrapped his body around the creature¡¯s legs. Chills immediately settled through his flesh and into his organs, and TJ shuddered as his body became much stiffer. With a roar, the wendigo responded, its free hand¡¯s claws stabbing entirely through his body and scratching the surface of the scales underneath. He screamed in pain before biting and attacking, his jaws clamping onto its upper thigh. Its claws flashed and went for his eyes. TJ tried to dodge out of the way, but he would be too late. Charlie, again, came to his rescue. The blade of the ax crashed into the base of the wendigo¡¯s neck, cutting deep and knocking the attack off course. For the first time, the wendigo seemed to panic. It tried to turn and address the latest attacker, but with TJ severely limiting the mobility of its legs, the wendigo struggled to move quick enough to protect itself. Charlie continued to move, to keep himself out of immediate danger, though TJ felt his body completely stiffen. Even his Wind Manipulation didn¡¯t listen to him as well as it had before, and he checked his latest Affliction. Warning: You are suffering from a Severe Frostbite affliction. You will suffer a 75% reduction in Agility, a 75% reduction in mobility, and a 50% reduction in use of MP and Stamina until the Frostbite condition is cured or 10:00 have passed. Each additional application of Frostbite will refresh the countdown. Time remaining: 10:00. That, combined with the Moderate Bleed affliction, meant that TJ couldn¡¯t do anything. He could try to escape, but that would be impossible in his current state. Then, the most unlikely of heroes arrived. Connor, disregarding the ice spreading along his chest and the claws that were their origin, roared and smashed his shield into the wendigo¡¯s face. The hard edge of the slightly iridescent tool smashed into the furrow Stanton¡¯s bullet had carved into it. There was, initially, no reaction, but with the activation of a Skill of some sort, the edge of the shield transformed to a thick blade, and he smashed it down again. With this second blow, the wendigo¡¯s skull shattered, half falling to the ground while the remaining side screamed in agony and fury. The heavily wounded Zealot fell to the ground, but with him out of the way, Charlie retreated and Stanton¡¯s pistol coughed three more times in quick succession. At that, the wendigo swayed, growled something unintelligible, and fell. Though still nearly unable to move, TJ fought to keep himself from cheering as he read the monster¡¯s death notification. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 52 As lethargically as a mostly frozen snake would be, TJ pulled himself from the corpse of the wendigo. A part of him remembered that he still had 2 Free Points he¡¯d never quite decided what to put in and cursed himself. More importantly, though, were the fates of Connor and the others who¡¯d been injured in the fight. ¡°Keep an eye on the surroundings.¡± Zig commanded, her own gaze focused on the forest and whatever lurked there. ¡°We need to get moving as fast as possible. If we run into anything else, there¡¯ll probably be casualties.¡± ¡°Nobody¡¯s dead?¡± TJ shivered out the question, his heart beginning to thaw much faster than his flesh. ¡°Nobody yet.¡± Angelo muttered as he laid a hand on both Connor and the other Zealot that TJ didn¡¯t know the name of. Connor grinned widely, disregarding his blood frozen into icicles down his chest. ¡°Got the bastard. Knew that Skill was a good pick.¡± His breaths were wet, and TJ wondered if the man was about to die, but Angelo seemed more concerned with the other one, which seemed promising enough for Connor¡¯s survival. ¡°What was that Skill, then?¡± He asked, more concerned with keeping the Zealot awake than actually learning the details of the Skill. ¡°Tortoise Shell. Kept the claws from getting as deep, and it empowers an attack I choose. I, uh, kinda forgot I had it on that first hit. That¡¯s why it didn¡¯t do as much. That second one, though, that was awesome!¡± As he spoke, TJ looked at Connor¡¯s wounds. Though ugly and definitely painful, they weren¡¯t nearly as deep as he¡¯d feared they were. The Asian man had a wide smile, and though he was obviously embarrassed by forgetting to enhance his first attack, he looked straight into TJ¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive. When it got you and you went down, I thought you were dead.¡± ¡°No, I¡­ planned on ambushing it from behind, but it never got past me. Then, I was surprised by how bad it hurt to be stabbed through¡­ and I ended up taking too long to respond to its attack. So I was a meat shield. Shit. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± TJ said while reaching a hand down and grasping Connor¡¯s wrist. Though the still-wounded Zealot winced and obviously didn¡¯t enjoy the movement, he didn¡¯t complain. Instead, he held his shield aloft and turned to Zig. ¡°See anything we need to investigate before we move on?¡± ¡°No. Better we move sooner rather than later.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± The goofy smile and happy-go-lucky demeanor shifts from Connor and he¡¯s a businesslike Zealot once more, though he lacks a weapon to brandis. TJ considered passing his Wendigo Blade on, but it wasn¡¯t really the kind of weapon that went well with the shield. Instead, he searched for and quickly found a rock that he passed over. ¡°Not much of a weapon, but I¡¯ll see what I can do for you with this wendigo¡¯s materials tonight and tomorrow.¡± Connor squinted for a second, considering, but he took the head-sized stone and hefted it. He nodded, rolled his shoulders, and turned to stand next to Angelo. The twenty something man was slumped over, having obviously exhausted his MP to heal as many people as he could manage. Connor stood beside the recovering Disciple, asking a flurry of quick questions. It was obvious that, though TJ hadn¡¯t seen Connor in the hunting party from the day before, they¡¯d worked together in close proximity before. Before long, the four people still unable to walk under their own power, every one of them Zealots, were gathered up. TJ carried one, a somewhat petite woman named Valerie, who was one of the three taken out of the fight in the first ¡°phase¡±. She was chatty, asking a variety of questions ranging from inane to invasive. ¡°Where do you live? How long did you live there? You have a son, right? Where¡¯s his mom? How¡¯d she die? What do you think you would say to her right now if you could speak with her?¡± He stopped answering after telling her that Marie had died. She jabbered on, but the exhaustion from the day and his unwillingness to entertain stupidity allowed him to easily shut out her words. As it became more and more apparent that she didn¡¯t much care about whether or not who she was speaking at actually reciprocated the conversation, TJ happily remained silent as they walked onward. When Zig approached, though, he stopped tuning out the rest of the world. ¡°The one you killed last night, was it as strong as that one?¡± ¡°No. Two levels lower, but the difference was huge. Almost as much as one of the five level benchmarks, I¡¯d say.¡± ¡°Ok. Shit. How fast do you think they¡¯ll keep growing? If they get two levels a day and there¡¯s more than one or two more of these Elites in here, then we¡¯re plain fucked.¡± TJ shrugged helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Asking the System things like this doesn¡¯t usually work.¡± Just in case, he wondered aloud, ¡°How fast will the Elites in the Tutorial grow in level?¡± That is information that cannot be provided at this time. ¡°No dice. But, I¡¯ll make a guess. Though it¡¯s a stupid System and I hate it for putting us in this hell, it has a goal, it has to. I¡¯m going to choose to believe that its stated goal is its real one¨Cto prepare someone to become God or whatever. Someone needs to be alive to have that happen, so the goal can¡¯t be total extermination. Therefore¨C¡± ¡°It won¡¯t give impossible tests, especially in a Tutorial.¡± Zig cut in, nodding. ¡°Makes a certain kind of twisted sense. So we shouldn¡¯t see might higher level any time soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a betting man,¡± Charlie mused as he held another Zealot over his shoulders while dragging the wendigo¡¯s corpse behind him, ¡°And I¡¯ll bet we see Elites hit the level 10 mark at ten days into the Tutorial. So, basically five days.¡± ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Zig demanded. ¡°I hate the idea, but one week makes more sense to me.¡± ¡°Because that marks one week since the introduction of more enemies. Just feels right.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s stupid to plan about it.¡± TJ said, pulling both of their attentions to him, though Zig turned back to their surroundings as they continued to trek out of the forest. Charlie¡¯s glower nearly glowed in the darkness. ¡°If it is on day ten, then it is. But if we¡¯re planning for it to be even a day later than it ends up being, people will die. We might see level 10 monsters tomorrow, and we need to be ready for that if it happens.¡± Charlie leveled a look at TJ before sighing. ¡°You really need to work on the way you present this information. Every time you open your mouth about this, you say something right but in the worst possible way. How about, instead of calling me stupid next time, you say something like ¡®I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the best way to approach this. Here¡¯s why.¡¯ It¡¯ll keep me from wanting to punch you when you¡¯re right.¡± Though he tried to joke about it, it was apparent that Charlie was bothered by the brusque dismissal that TJ had towards his guess. He raised his hands in surrender. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not usually like this, but these aren¡¯t usual times. I¡¯ll try to be better.¡± Charlie nodded, continuing to carry his charges without any discernible effort. TJ was struck by the utility of having the Divine Transformation being a human body. He¡¯d felt some measure of envy towards Charlie¡¯s variation of the Skill before, since it would have benefitted his Wind Manipulation, but TJ saw the value of the natural weapon that was a massive snake. Now, though, opposable thumbs with boosted strength would be amazing. As the conversation died down, Valerie resumed speaking and TJ nearly dropped her. Instead, before she could ask more invasive questions, he interrupted her flow and asked, ¡°What happened? How did you get hurt so badly you need me to carry you?¡± ¡°Oh, you finally ask! You see, I¡¯m a Zealot. Had to kill some of the poor creatures to get the Class, but it was necessary, you know? Plus, the piglets were mean. Like, you wouldn¡¯t believe how much they were wanting to hurt everything they saw! And it¡¯s such a shame that they got those ugly tusks. Javelinas are so much cuter without them! Anyways, we saw that ugly monster, with the big claws and horns and stuff? The wendigo is soooo ugly. Scary too, I mean, when it touched my shield, it started to freeze! Even I felt cold, and I haven¡¯t felt cold ever since I got a level in Zealot. Anyways, my fingers, they were like, wicked cold¡­¡± Victoria continued to jabber, and TJ couldn¡¯t handle listening any more. The constant tangents and distractions and whatever else was making him crazy, but he wouldn¡¯t leave the still obviously wounded woman to walk. Her meandering tale of how she¡¯d been sliced here, and how she¡¯d gotten cut kinda like that once when she was cooking, but it was on her finger and whatever else kept her from asking him any questions. That was enough for now. TJ watched for whatever happened in their surroundings, fearing any ambush that could be incoming. Once or twice, he thought he heard or felt something, but before anything could materialize, Stanton leveled his pistol and squeezed two shots off. The unseen creature scuttled off before TJ could see it. Ten excruciatingly tense minutes later, they arrived back at Pine. The town was mostly dark, and there was very little movement now that the sun had fully set. Their expedition lasted less than an hour, which was more than enough for the town without electricity to lose all light. The few homes and buildings that were occupied this far away from the general store and firehouse had a fire flickering inside, visible from outside. Most of the hunters gratefully stumbled into the hunters¡¯ lodge, groaning about this pain or that ache. TJ went to drop Valerie there, but she protested. ¡°No, I don¡¯t stay here. Would you please take me to the firehouse? That¡¯s closer to the house I¡¯m sharing with Emily. She¡¯s an absolute dear, and¨C¡± ¡°Great. I¡¯ll take you there. I¡¯m getting dinner.¡± TJ grated out, though he couldn¡¯t manage a smile. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Actually,¡± Zig called out, stopping the hunters from going into the lodge, ¡°you all should come to the firehouse too. Everyone needs some level of healing, and there should be plenty of Disciples there that need the experience anyways. No need to make them walk all the way there when we¡¯re already moving.¡± Though there were plenty of grumbles, nobody disagreed with their leader¡¯s command. With more people there, TJ didn¡¯t mind Valerie¡¯s prattling as much, and it wasn¡¯t far to the firehouse anyways, so just a couple of minutes later, they stood at the closed doors of the firehouse. Charlie banged a fist against the door, the sound of the metal echoing through the garage. It slowly rose, and the warm light of candles greeted them. Though the sun had set and night had truly fallen, many of the people who¡¯d been wounded before stood in the communal area, awaiting their return. When they saw that each one of the twelve hunters had returned alive, Laura stepped forward. She, as always, wore a pantsuit and walked with a confident air, the wooden heels of her formal shoes clacking loudly with each step on the concrete floor. She rose both hands high and the room went quiet before she spoke, a welcoming smile crossing her face as she did. ¡°Welcome home, our avengers. Please, eat and rest, and when you¡¯re ready, tell us how it went. We¡¯re excited to hear from you, and we see the evidence already of your success.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 53 TJ happily allowed anyone else to tell the tale of the hunt and everything that transpired. He was tired, and only halfway through the return journey to the town had he finally been cured of the damned Frostbite affliction. Even so, the chill persisted in his bones. Though the attack he¡¯d sustained that pierced completely through his body was almost cauterized by the chill of the wendigo¡¯s frost, TJ felt his own blood slowly seep down his side. He found a couple of rags to staunch the bleeding on each side of his body. As he pulled his shirt down and tried to tie the rags in a way so as to press down on the wounds as best as he could manage, Stanton ambled up, his plate in hand. ¡°I want some vegetables already.¡± TJ joked as he tried to adjust to sitting comfortably while his whole body ached. ¡°Don¡¯t expect it. Unless we find something out there, we¡¯re protein heavy until someone figures out how to grow food.¡± ¡°Damn. Never thought I¡¯d miss a salad.¡± Stanton merely grunted as they both tucked into the javelina meat that was already getting to be nauseating after just one day of eating it with every meal. They ate while the residents that hadn¡¯t gone on the hunt watched the rendition, completely enamored with Zig¡¯s retelling of their journey and struggles. She took desperate bites between sentences, inhaling the meat after just one or two chews. It was quite impressive, if TJ was to admit it. After a particularly enthusiastic bite, TJ groaned and settled back into his chair while gingerly cradling his aggravated wounds. ¡°You need to get that healed.¡± The old cowboy scoffed as he looked at TJ¡¯s bloodstained shirt and shoddily wrapped injuries. ¡°I know. It¡¯s no rush though. Others have got it worse.¡± Stanton obviously disagreed and grunted. ¡°Fine. You want to take me out into the cold and heal me up? Are there any trees nearby that can offer enough of their lives to get me all healthy?¡± ¡°Quit your snark, kid. I¡¯m too damn tired to deal with it.¡± TJ grinned and stopped talking. Zig¡¯s enthusiastic retelling of their journey had just revealed the wendigo¡¯s trap and, though the result was obvious, given the wendigo¡¯s dead body and there being no dead hunters, the fiery-headed woman was a good enough storyteller that a chorus of gasps erupted as she declared, ¡°They¡¯d prepared for us!¡± ¡°We need to talk to Laura about all this.¡± TJ spoke just above a whisper to Stanton. He just looked at TJ in response, waiting for an explanation. ¡°Today shows we can¡¯t just treat this like a merry hunt to go on every day. They¡¯re learning what we¡¯re doing and adapting to it, and we¡¯ll need to change something or else we¡¯ll have too many casualties to sustain real growth.¡± ¡°What do you think we should do, Mr. Smarty?¡± ¡°I dunno. It just needs to change somehow.¡± ¡°Well, kid, you can talk about problems all day long. If you don¡¯t have anything to do about the problems, you¡¯re just complaining. If you want to talk to Laura about this problem, you need to bring some ideas to the table. No need to stress her out with something she can¡¯t control.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to do all that. I just want to see Junior. I¡¯m not made for being in charge of people like this anyways.¡± Stanton¡¯s jovial face shifted. A hard scowl filled his wrinkled face, and he spoke in a deadly serious tone. ¡°Once we get out of here, you can talk about ¡®not made for this¡¯ or ¡®don¡¯t wanna¡¯ that. You decided to make the good decision of forcing hundreds of people out of their comfort zones and into battle zones. You¡¯ve gone out and proven yourself as, if not the absolute premiere fighter in this Tutorial, then at least the top five. Now, you¡¯ve gotta live with the fact that people are going to take your words seriously. If you walk up to Laura and say that we¡¯re in deep water and you have no pail to start bailing out the water, then more people will be convinced we¡¯re on a sinking ship. ¡°You made yourself the representation of people who have adapted themselves to this hell. Everyone will follow your lead, so you can¡¯t just walk around and start saying ¡®woe is me¡¯ or they¡¯ll do the same.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want the responsibility.¡± TJ knew he was whining, but he couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°Once upon a time, I might have said that¡¯s what makes you a good person to have it. Don¡¯t think that any more, but even so, you¡¯ve got the authority whether you like it or not. Gotta do something with it.¡± TJ grumbled as he took another bite of his tough javelina pork chop. After a minute¡¯s thought, he answered Stanton¡¯s unspoken question. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll think about it tonight. I have a lot to do until then, so maybe I can figure some sort of a solution out by morning.¡± ¡°I bet Laura¡¯s going to want a meeting with everyone who went out tonight.¡± ¡°And she can have it with everyone else. I¡¯m going to try to process the rest of the wendigo claws and horns tonight. If I¡¯m out on the front lines all day every day, I¡¯m going to need to make things some time. You take care of it. Or literally anyone else.¡± Stanton bowed with a grunting laugh, a certain twinkle in his eye that made TJ miss his gramps. The little levity drained what little unjustified anger remained in TJ as he finished off his meal and pushed back from his seat. He hadn¡¯t been paying attention to the story, but eyes flew to him as Zig continued her retelling. ¡°Things were looking grim as the monster ate its own companion!¡± Gasps rang through the audience. ¡°It was restored to full health, and its foul magics returned! As fog filtered through the air, chilling everyone within 100 feet, we all wondered if we were going to die. Well, all of us except for the valiant TJ! Without a thought for his own safety, he threw himself at the wendigo! Scales clattered and bones creaked as he sacrificed his own health to tie the beast down for just another minute, just another second. It roared and lifted Connor¡¯s body to shield itself as it dealt a killing blow to TJ. Yet, here he still stands, unwilling to accept death as a possible outcome! Though he was pierced all the way through, he continued to hold the monster still, keep it from approaching the weakened Acolytes hiding behind. ¡°It sought to strike him again, perhaps a truly fatal blow. How could he survive? He¡¯d never let it go and compromise the safety of his friends. Caught between a rock and a hard place, the decision was made for our valiant hero. Charlie rushed in, ax held high and with a mighty blow, halted the deadly strike. The wendigo screeched in agony, unable to believe our continued efforts, and as¡­¡± TJ stopped paying attention, instead walking to Penny, who sat nearby, enraptured by the story. He tapped her shoulder and she jumped, startled. ¡°Oh, TJ! She¡¯s such a good storyteller I almost believe her. There¡¯s no way it was quite the way she¡¯s telling it, though, is there?¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°There¡¯s some embellishment.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡± ¡°Course, honey.¡± ¡°Would you heal me? I think I¡¯ll be ok, but I might have some bacteria or whatever that needs some help.¡± ¡°You really were hit by the bony devil?¡± TJ raised his shirt, showing the bloodied rags. ¡°Oh, why on earth didn¡¯t you say anything? You needed attention the moment you got here!¡± Granny Penny didn¡¯t keep her voice down at all, and began getting attention from others around them. TJ tried to point at Zig, to get them to continue to listen to her story, but as they saw him there, sporting wounds to support her story, the whispers grew and exploded. The storytelling Zig quickly realized what was happening and jumped into the distraction. ¡°So selfless is he that he let all the rest be healed before him! Someone, is there someone that can heal our poor TJ?¡± He shot the redheaded woman a glare, which she returned with a toothy grin. The witch knew what she was doing, and was enjoying it. A couple people, Disciples he was sure, approached with concerned looks. Penny was the first to lay her hands on him and TJ fought to suppress a grimace. A wash of healing energy flooded through him, and once she was exhausted, Granny Penny stepped back. The next, Jordan and Rebekkah, the Disciples from his first hunt that morning, both laid a hand on his shoulders, and more healing flooded his body. More and more hands touched him, and once TJ saw that his HP was full, he raised both hands and spun in a gentle circle. ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯m good. Thank you.¡± He raised his shirt and pulled away the bloodied rags to display his healed, if still filthy, skin. ¡°Enjoy your night, but I need some rest. I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow.¡± TJ didn¡¯t wait to hear a response before walking out the firehouse. The crowd continued speculating about something or other, but, too uncomfortable with the hero worship, TJ merely grabbed the wendigo¡¯s corpse and dragged it back towards the home he and Stanton were currently living in. The darkness of the night was a welcome change, and TJ felt he finally wasn¡¯t being dissected by hundreds of eyes. As he walked, the chorus of night creatures lulled him from his worries. An owl called, and though it was too cold for the crickets to sing, the movement of something small through the brush both set his mind at ease and made it race wildly. It couldn¡¯t be an enemy or something, right? He forced himself to calm down, instead making his way home as quickly as he could manage. The Javelina hides were still outside curing, and TJ dropped the wendigo corpse by the door before gathering them all up to hand again inside. Then, his first task complete, he turned to the real purpose of his work for tonight. To say nothing of the new corpse he¡¯d just lugged home, the materials left over from the first wendigo still remained, nine fingers and one whole horn. Nearly a foot of curved horn remained of the other, the point coming to a wicked spike. TJ saw the possibility immediately and, after stoking a fire in the fireplace in the center of the house, settled down to carve. Though he knew that he could use Wind Manipulation to cut the horn into his desired shape, TJ didn¡¯t want to influence the material any more than he already had. Instead, he painstakingly cut the horn into a nine inch-long pick. Then, realizing he didn¡¯t have a haft for the weapon he was creating, TJ looked down at the first wendigo¡¯s body. It didn¡¯t stink, strangely enough, but even so, TJ wanted to deal with it faster than the newer one and dispose of the body. Thus, with a less disturbed stomach than he¡¯d expected, TJ cut the bones of the wendigo¡¯s arms and legs free. When he looked at the flayed body, though, TJ knew he was done. There might have been more materials that he could salvage, but at this point, it was too gruesome. Taking one of the bones from the wendigo¡¯s forearm, TJ cut and drilled a hole until he¡¯d fashioned one big enough to have the wendigo¡¯s bone serve as a haft to the war pick. After hammering the bone into the socket he¡¯d carved, TJ finally cut a small section of one of the horn offcuts into a long thin wedge. He drove it into the top of the haft, making it snugly fit into the haft and making sure the head wouldn¡¯t fly off so easily. Having done so, TJ felt that he¡¯d nearly reached level 9 in Savage with this latest endeavor and looked at the rest of his grisly materials laid out in the living room. There was still so much left to do, and TJ was sure he could get at least one more level that night if he tried hard enough. He refused to check the description of the weapon he¡¯d created, instead choosing to check the results of everything he did at the same time. With a sigh, TJ rolled back his sleeves, rolled his neck, and rolled on to the next item he wanted to try to build. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 54 Stanton had long since retired to his room, but TJ continued his work, mind feverish and manic. He¡¯d hardly noticed the revitalization that came when he reached the next level of Savage. Instead, he continued to work, uncaring of his flesh rubbing raw as he continued to cut the horns into the same shape he¡¯d already figured out. The bases of the other three horns were all cut into the same size to serve as knife handles while a finger was prepared for each handle. This time, however, since TJ didn¡¯t plan on keeping every one of the final products for himself, he carved each horn and finger and hole solely with the Wendigo Blade. Shavings surrounded his seat, but still, TJ lost himself in the act of creation, and before he truly took notice of the time, he had three mostly completed knives in front of him. He stood up, intending to walk out and collect enough pine sap to seal the blades into their housing on the antler, but his stiff legs didn¡¯t pay him any mind and instead stumbled. TJ was able to easily catch himself on the table nearby, the materials all clattering with the sudden impact, but he couldn¡¯t quite believe that his legs were so entirely asleep. It was only in that moment that he realized that the fire had long since died down to smoldering embers and the candles whose light he¡¯d been carving by were now down to little nubs. ¡°What time is it?¡± He muttered to himself as he rubbed his thighs with his hands. 1:32 AM With the System¡¯s notification, TJ realized it must have been at least five solid hours of him sitting and carving the materials now spread out on the table he was leaning against. Even with his body strengthened and changed by the System, circulation could be difficult, and so long spent in the same position was uncomfortable. Even so, TJ took only one minute to allow his legs to stop tingling before going out to the nearest pine tree. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that as he walked out of the relatively warm house, the chill of the below freezing air didn¡¯t bother him, feeling like a cool breeze instead of immediately sending a shiver down his spine. The nearest tree had no easily found pine sap, so TJ went to the next couple, gathering small tidbits where he could find it. There were some that he missed, but the walking cleared his mind so he enjoyed the cool air and the walk to loosen his muscles. Once he finished gathering the necessary materials, he made the decision not to finish everything he¡¯d planned tonight. The aspirations he¡¯d had of completing a new set of moccasins, a club with each horn, and something else with each finger were long out of the picture. Instead, he¡¯d complete the three Blades, Appraise them and the club he¡¯d made, and go to bed. Now sure of his next course of action, TJ rolled his shoulders and stepped back to the table. He reached for the materials. ¡°The hell¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Stanton¡¯s bleary voice nearly made TJ scream in surprise, Wind Manipulation created gusts exploding into being around him and making the old man close his eyes. ¡°Me? What¡¯s your problem? Nearly gave me a heart attack!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too damn late for this. Why were you banging around?¡± ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t realize my legs were asleep. Bumped into the table. Sorry.¡± Stanton didn¡¯t even grumble at TJ as he said as much, instead glaring at the younger man before stalking back to his room. TJ decided again to just finish what he was working on and be done for now. The bulk of the work was complete, and he merely needed to warm the sap and fill it into the hole before wrapping the prepared gut and calling it a night. More aware of himself, TJ worked quickly and efficiently, and it wasn¡¯t long before the knives were all laid out in front of him, completed and beauti¨Cno. They weren¡¯t at all beautiful. Maybe functional could be the best thing to call them, and that couldn¡¯t be guaranteed. Just as he was about to Appraise them, TJ received another System notification that startled him out of using his Skill. Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 9. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points available. Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 10. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points available. Race: Human has advanced to level 9. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Points currently available. Level 10 Occupation Skill Selection available. For the second time that day, TJ gained three levels in quick succession. He¡¯d never considered that being a possibility before, and it was so unexpected that he couldn¡¯t quite wrap his mind around it. For the first time in what was only a couple of days, though it felt much longer, Savage was a higher level than Neophyte. After thinking for a moment, TJ decided to Appraise the items before looking at his new potential Skills. He started with the new knives. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Item: Wendigo Blade (Copper, (I)). An amateur¡¯s honest attempt at creating a sharp tool from the materials gathered from a wendigo slain by their hand. Using the extended claw of a wendigo, the Wendigo Blade is a serviceable knife, though the method of securing its tang was mediocre. The true value of this knife is instead found in its materials and specialized preparation. Based off of previous experience, the blade was adequately prepared by the creator. By using primarily the wendigo¡¯s own claws to construct the blade and prepare its materials, the creator refrained from shifting the purpose of the claw and horn from serving to transmit the Wendigo¡¯s natural frost. As such, the Wendigo Blade¡¯s wielder can channel MP through the blade to afflict those struck with the blade with a weakened version of the Frostbite Affliction. It was immediately apparent that the bulk of the item¡¯s categorization as a Copper tiered item came from its materials, and TJ was suddenly grateful that he¡¯d managed not to ruin these or the first Blade he¡¯d made. The differences in the new Blades¡¯ description were few but distinctive. The new ones mentioned his experience, and instead of being ¡°perfectly¡± prepared, the new ones were merely ¡°adequate¡±. Then, of course, the end of the item¡¯s description mentioned the difference in effect between the two ¡°versions¡±. He¡¯d like to test the Frostbite, but TJ couldn¡¯t imagine choosing the item over his body, Skills, or even the other Blade. The knives had no sheathes, so he just set them aside and looked at the weapon he¡¯d made for Connor. Item: Wendigo War Pick (Dirt, (0)). An amateur¡¯s honest attempt at creating a war pick from the materials gathered from a wendigo slain by their hand. Using the ulna and carved horn of a wendigo, the Wendigo War Pick is a perfect example of what Primitive Craftsmanship is capable of. By taking materials, processing them to the bare minimum necessary to maintain longevity, and then creating a weapon that will function as an instrument of blunt force, a weapon for an untrained Participant was created. Though the horns of a wendigo are largely ornamental, they are extremely tough and are well suited to serving as the head of a weapon such as this. TJ couldn¡¯t help but feel a little offended by the System¡¯s blase regard of his hard work. He¡¯d put real effort into this, and now, his effort was pushed aside as childish? Then, with a calming breath, TJ recognized he was just too damned tired. The System wasn¡¯t making personal attacks on him, and there was no reason to be so pissy about something so stupid. He made a good weapon, though he was a little disappointed it was classified as Dirt tier. It did remind him that the most valuable parts of the wendigo were its claws, and he needed to figure out what he was going to use the rest for. Moving on from the Wendigo Par Pick, there was the much more interesting Skill Selection for level 10. Though TJ realized his mind was slowing down from the exhaustion, he refused to sit on this like he was already sitting on 4 Free Points he was unsure of what to do with. The first two Skills were familiar, though both had changed. Introductory Divine Primitive Craftsmanship (Copper (I)): This Skill would replace the existing Occupation Skill: Primitive Craftsmanship. You have exhibited the ability to create tools, equipment, and process materials, even of a higher tier of Divinity than you, more effectively. This Skill will increase the base 30% bonus to all crafting abilities and Skills when crafting without pre-Integration technology to 100%, as well as bless you with a greater instinctual understanding of how to process raw materials into a more easily used state. The Skill had been enticing when he¡¯d first seen it, and now, TJ was almost tempted not to look at the rest of the Skills offered. He had already seen the power of a Copper tiered Skill, and had since decided to base most of his fighting around it. Another Skill at that level would be immensely impactful, he knew. Beyond that, remembering that it would compound and work with any additional Skills he got that focused on crafting was another point in its favor. Even so, TJ did move on to the next, familiar Skill. Equipment Fabrication (Copper (I)): You have found various uses for the items and materials that surround you, and have surpassed your tier of Divinity in creating Copper (I) tiered equipment. This Skill will give specific guidance on how to craft materials into equipment that grants attributes and other possible boons. This Skill¡¯s potency scales with the Participant¡¯s Wisdom and Intelligence. Again, the Skill had been upgraded by his achievement in creating a Copper tiered item. TJ hadn¡¯t thought about it at the time, but he¡¯d certainly been extremely lucky in creating the Wendigo Blade on his first try. Being elevated by luck and the quality of the materials was nothing to forget either. Additionally, this would finally give him a Skill that explicitly benefitted from his Wisdom attribute. All things considered, he wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted Divine Primitive Craftsmanship or Equipment Fabrication at this point, but there remained three more new Skills to check out first, the next of which was a sort of a spiritual successor to those that came before. Prehistoric Huntsman: Since the Integration, you have not spent a day without hunting the monsters that plague your Tutorial. This Skill will grant a 30% bonus to tracking and ambush attacks. In addition, any attacks made with an item or weapon made without any pre-Integration tools or materials will benefit from minor additional damage scaling with the Participant¡¯s Wisdom. Interestingly enough, Prehistoric Huntsman seemed to have taken the place of Hunter Gatherer from before. Instead of focusing on finding anything useful as well as tracking, Prehistoric Huntsman was very nearly a combat Skill. TJ wasn¡¯t much of an ambusher, but taking this Skill might convince him to do so. That said, the Skill didn¡¯t draw him in the way the first two did, even if it was a good choice. He moved to the next, seeing that Orienteering had been wholly left behind. Stealth (Dirt (0)): Since the Integration, you have hunted and followed your enemies. To limited success, you have attempted to maintain secrecy and distance from your prey. This Skill will allow you to better hide from those around you. This Skill¡¯s potency scales with the Participant¡¯s Agility, Wisdom, and Perception. If he were an ambusher, then this Skill would certainly be useful, but his Divine Transformation was not made to be sneaky, but a fuck-you massive snake. He dismissed it out of hand and moved to the last option. Primeval Champion (Copper (I)): You have proven yourself to be an exemplar of those who have acclimated well to the world post-Integration. The people around you see you as an example to follow and their protector champion in this new world. This Skill grants an aura to the holder, and the aura boosts the attributes of those around the holder of the Skill by 5%. In addition, the Skill grants the holder the simple weapons fighting proficiency. WARNING: This Skill choice will unalterably change the path of the Savage Occupation. Oooh. Another good Skill that drew his attention. TJ sighed and went to his room to think about it while in his comfortable bed. So many good options, but what exactly did that warning at the end of Primeval Champion mean¡­? His mind, without him realizing it, calmed, and before he could make the decision, TJ fell asleep. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 55 With a groan, TJ kicked off the blankets. He was sweating, uncomfortably warm under the comforter and quilt he¡¯d pulled over himself. As he blinked and actually woke up, he was struck by how bright it was. He grunted and checked the time from the System. 9:57 TJ swiped at his eyes, disbelieving. Yes, he¡¯d gone to sleep after 2 AM, but even so, he¡¯d thought someone would wake him up long before now. The thought of everyone waiting on him was a little embarrassing, but then, that last Skill option crossed his mind again. Primeval Champion. If he was honest, it was a damn cool name for a Skill, and he was curious as to what the weapons proficiency meant. A Copper tiered Skill would obviously be hugely impactful for his future, and TJ was sure he¡¯d take one of the three for his next Skill. He walked out of his room, the house much warmer than he¡¯d expected. Stanton didn¡¯t answer when TJ called out, so he figured he was alone. The weapons he¡¯d made the night before remained on the table, and TJ grabbed his backpack to bundle them together before going out the door. Surprisingly, it was almost warm out, well over freezing, and though TJ could survive much colder temperatures than ever before with his 61 Vitality, it still wasn¡¯t comfortable for him. As he walked through the town, whenever someone saw him, they tried to get his attention and express gratitude or admiration for what he¡¯d done last night. Zig¡¯s little storytelling escapade must have been even more impactful than he¡¯d suspected, and they looked at him with near worship. Each thankful smile and grateful word put TJ¡¯s teeth on edge, so he nodded his thanks before walking past as quickly as he could manage without being too terribly impolite. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t too many people actually out on the street, so he was able to get to the general store before too long. There, TJ only ran into Jeff, who nodded curtly and gestured for him to go ahead into the store. ¡°Thanks.¡± TJ said before entering. The store remained much as every time he¡¯d entered it, shelves ever depleting of their stores, no natural light and a couple LED flashlights set up every so often to cast just enough light not to get lost in the aisles of shelves. TJ made his way through, towards Laura¡¯s desk. There, he found nobody. With a sigh, he turned and walked back out where he¡¯d come in. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me Laura wasn¡¯t in?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but snap at the man who sat there, looking decidedly smug. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°And I didn¡¯t ask to be let in either. I walked up and you gestured for me to go ahead.¡± ¡°Thought you were doing something else.¡± TJ blinked hard and slow. ¡°Fine. Where¡¯s Laura?¡± ¡°She said everyone¡¯s gotta go out on these hunts, so she¡¯s leading by example. Went out yesterday too.¡± ¡°Oh. Oh shit.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jeff asked, serious and immediately showing signs of panicking himself. ¡°We noticed the monsters were getting smarter, planning, and I was going to talk to her about it today. I don¡¯t know if people will be safe, since they¡¯re making plans out there now!¡± ¡°Oh, just that.¡± Jeff relaxed. ¡°She¡¯s with Zig and Charlie. She¡¯s also the highest level Disciple we have. Jeez. You scared the daylights outta me.¡± ¡°I¡­ never mind. I¡¯ll just hope you¡¯re right.¡± TJ cut his hands through the air, dismissing the argument. He didn¡¯t know where she was, how he could get there, or when he should expect her return, but for now, there was nothing he could do. Instead, he walked to the firehouse, wondering if he¡¯d be lucky enough to find something that wasn¡¯t some form of javelina to eat. If it was still fresh, even better. TJ was disappointed. Cold javelina steak was all he received, though Penny was more than excited to talk to their newest hero. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you were so¡­ self sacrificing!¡± the old lady said, much more of a spring in her step than TJ had ever seen before. ¡°Zig was just telling a story. Reality was very different from what she said. Really. I didn¡¯t do much of anything at all.¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯t make sure that the monsters couldn¡¯t flank the team?¡± ¡°Me and Charlie, but he did most of it.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t rush in against the wendigo, just to tie it up?¡± ¡°Yea, I did.¡± ¡°And did you keep holding on to it after it stabbed you all the way through?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have a whole lot of other options available to me!¡± TJ protested. ¡°And it¡¯s all being spun way out of proportion!¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Granny Penny leaned in close, her eyes heavy lidded, as she whispered, ¡°I know.¡± TJ looked at her in confusion, but a sly smile slowly cracked her face. ¡°You what?¡± ¡°Of course I know!¡± Penny cackled. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure you did your best, but I¡¯ve seen you. You¡¯re not a hero, not really. You¡¯re helping out, but it¡¯s not some self-effacing sacrifice. No, you¡¯re selfish. You know what you want, and it needs everyone else to cooperate to work. There¡¯s nothing more to it for you, is there?¡± TJ scoffed. ¡°You really had me going there.¡± ¡°My Fred and I enjoyed being in musicals. Well, he¡¯d complain and say he hated it, but you should have seen him in Bye Bye Birdie. Was a wonderful Albert.¡± Penny¡¯s smile was sweet and tender and genuine and nearly brought a tear to TJ¡¯s eye. ¡°Course, we had our whole lives together. I¡¯m sorry you lost that.¡± The familiar lump in his throat returned. TJ nodded curtly. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt you. I¡¯m sorry, honey.¡± Penny¡¯s apology was sincere, and she reached out with two wrinkled hands and patted TJ¡¯s own. ¡°I just meant to say that I know what you¡¯re fighting for. I understand what your thoughts are, and I don¡¯t blame you. I just wanted to get a laugh outta you, then I got all misty eyed on you.¡± ¡°It happens.¡± TJ swallowed. ¡°Thanks for caring.¡± Penny gently kissed the top of TJ¡¯s head as he sat, and his mind flashed to the kitchen table in his grandparents¡¯ home. For a brief moment, he saw the family photos decorating their wall, the cabinets filled with china, the plants on the windowsill. The pasture out the back door, the strawberry plants patterning the path. Not for the first time that morning, TJ swiped the back of his hand across his eyes. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he was so quick to tears, so emotionally fragile. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at himself, but ate his food as quickly as he could manage. To take his mind off of it, TJ asked the question he should have before going to sleep, but had fallen asleep too quickly to. ¡°What does ¡®This Skill choice will unalterably change the path of the Savage Occupation¡¯ mean, exactly?¡± The base Savage Occupation is a multifaceted Occupation, able to gain experience from most activities, granted they are performed within the restrictions of the Savage Occupation¡¯s intent. If you are to select the Primeval Champion Skill, that will no longer be the case. Instead, the Savage Occupation will become an Occupation focused exclusively on interpersonal leadership and combat. You will retain your Primitive Craftsmanship Skill, but it will not be able to progress and all things you create will be suppressed to the Dirt rank of Divinity. TJ sighed. Of course, there was a drawback to the Skill. The more he¡¯d thought about it, the more it¡¯d seemed too good to be true. Taking away the versatility of the Occupation would be extremely bad, and never getting more Skills to allow him to create things to help himself sucked. Looking at Equipment Fabrication, he saw that items and equipment could give bonus attribute points, so did he want to cut himself out of being able to provide that to himself? There was no way people would happily hand over the best items available just because he said please. Now realizing that the question to answer was whether he wanted to be able to craft or not with his Occupation, TJ pushed back from the table, his plate empty. As always, Penny swiped the disposable plate and cup from him before he could stand. ¡°I am an Attendant, after all.¡± Penny smiled sweetly. ¡°You¡¯re letting me get stronger if you just let me take your things.¡± TJ sighed and waved her off. Then, with his backpack slung over his shoulder, he made his way outside. A hunting party was returning, more wounds than usual. A queasy feeling in his stomach surged as TJ watched the group carry four people, maybe dead bodies, on their backs. Wait, then that meant the group had at least 20 people in it, more like 25. Stanton led them, gesturing for the hunters carrying people to move along into the firehouse. They did so without complaint, following the wordless command. They jogged past, Stanton speaking before they were all out of earshot, ¡°How was your rest? You needed it.¡± ¡°I just barely woke up.¡± TJ confessed, feeling bad about it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The old man answered, apparently reading TJ¡¯s mind. ¡°You still slept the same amount as these yahoos, or less. I checked out those knives, by the way. Interesting things you made there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a way to put it. You want one?¡± ¡°Nope. Frankly, they¡¯re disgusting.¡± Stanton scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve got my knife. All I need.¡± ¡°Fine by me. I¡¯m sure someone will want the grotesque but powerful things. Now, about them.¡± TJ tried to change the subject as quickly as Stanton had. ¡°I hit level 10 in Occupation last night when I finished those. Have a new Skill to choose, and wanted to use you as a sounding board, see what you think.¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°Got some choices between Copper tier Skills, and trying to make the choice between two kinds of options. Two of ¡®em are about creating things, like I did last night, but they¡¯re not what I want your opinion on. The other one is quite different. It¡¯s called Primeval Champion, and it seems like the Skill¡¯s meant to make me a hero. Like, people looking up to me, being a leader, fighting all our enemies, and so on.¡± Stanton nodded, following along but not saying anything yet. ¡°The catch is that it¡¯ll basically take away my ability to make things like this,¡± TJ lifted his knife from his pocket, ¡°making my Occupation more of a combat one.¡± Stanton stood, mulling over what TJ¡¯d said for a moment. ¡°Which do you want to take?¡± ¡°Not sure, that¡¯s why I¡¯m talking to you about it. It¡¯s a pretty big difference, and I see the benefits to both.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t the question, kid. Which one do you wanna do?¡± ¡°Both?¡± ¡°Quit lying to yourself. Or me. You know which one you want. Maybe a part of you thinks you should do the other ¡®cause it might be better for other people. But you do know what you want to do.¡± At that, TJ realized that yes, he did know what he wanted. He smiled at the old man who smirked in return, the look almost lost under the massive handlebar ¡®stache. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not much of the hero type, am I?¡± ¡°No. Sure you are to your boy, but not to the rest of us. No need to be something you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Thanks, geezer.¡± Stanton waved him off, walking towards the firehouse. That he didn¡¯t seem to be in a rush or particularly worried calmed TJ, and he began to decide which of the two similar Skills he wanted. The upgrade to Primitive Craftsmanship was impressive, and the percent increase would be especially marked. On the other hand, Equipment Fabrication was more specialized¨Ccreate better items. He didn¡¯t know how specifically to enhance whatever it was that he made, but this Skill would get him that understanding. Even so, TJ felt that improving the core of his core creation Skills first would allow him to do something more impressive later on, which would enhance Equipment Fabrication or whatever other Skill he ended up taking down the line. Decision made, TJ selected Introductory Divine Primitive Craftsmanship, laughing about the long and somewhat silly name to himself. Just as he did, a shock rocked him, a twinging that went down his spine. Before he could get used to it, though, someone screaming for help sprinted up the main road towards the general store. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 56 ¡°Help! We need a healer! Please!¡± the man whose name TJ didn¡¯t know continued screaming. Stanton didn¡¯t hesitate to turn from walking into the firehouse. ¡°Where?¡± He demanded. ¡°Up there.¡± The man panted while pointing up the road towards the church. ¡°Just up the turn past the church.¡± The man tried to explain more, but Stanton didn¡¯t pay him any heed. Instead, he sprinted down the road in the direction of the person that needed help. TJ tried to follow suit, but even after activating Divine Transformation, he was far from capable of catching up to the sprightly old man. Just about a minute had passed since the man¡¯s screams had become audible, and already Stanton had run nearly a mile towards the person who needed support. TJ watched as Stanton turned the corner and disappeared from view. By the time TJ turned to corner to be able to see what was happening, Stanton was holding a thrashing man he recognized with one hand, the other on a nearby tree. A faint green glow passed through the Druid and into the fallen Disciple. As TJ watched, Jordan, the healer that he¡¯d accompanied on the first hunt the day before, stilled. Fearing the worst, TJ continued running forward. Jordan¡¯s body remained still, and TJ readied himself to give apologies and commiserations. Just as he opened his mouth to do so, though, Jordan gasped and choked out an uncomfortably full mouthful of blood. Only now that he was so close could TJ tell that Jordan had been cut in the base of his throat, the still wet blood staining his shirt. The recovering Disciple continued to retch and gag, red spittle dribbling from the corners of his mouth. ¡°Keep moving.¡± Stanton commanded, looking at their surroundings and evaluating whatever surrounded them. ¡°We¡¯ll talk once we¡¯re safe.¡± Nobody argued with the statement, and the haggard two dozen people stood up, a few coyote corpses slung across their shoulders, and resumed traveling towards town. Blood and torn clothing accessorized every member of the hunting party, and the, if not excited, at least battle-ready faces that had filled every face the night before, were now downcast, fearful, and hesitant. The few minutes that followed passed in near silence, the crunching of feet on gravel and the quiet whisper of the wind being the only things that TJ could hear. As it frequently did, the wind seemed to be trying to say something to him, and this time, TJ indulged it. Unsurprisingly, it had nothing of note to say. What little he could understand was simply that it wanted there to be more water so that it could carry a storm. TJ almost doubted what he¡¯d heard from it before, the few warnings he¡¯d felt from the omnipresent air. He sighed and shook it from his mind. Instead, he recentered himself, looking at the people surrounding him. They were exhausted at best, and needed a rest. Their leader, a woman it took TJ a moment to recognize as Natalie the Acolyte, the one Zig called Nat, was limping, favoring her right leg. The party as a whole relaxed somewhat as they stepped into the bounds of the city proper, definitely well past the border denoting the safe zone. Even so, the harried and exhausted group didn¡¯t cease looking around until they dispersed to enter wherever they could sneak in a rest. ¡°What happened?¡± TJ asked Natalie as she doggedly continued her path towards the firehouse. ¡°Did anyone die?¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She sighed. ¡°Thank all that¡¯s holy, no. It got close for a lot more than just Jordan, though.¡± ¡°Ok. And how did it all happen?¡± TJ insisted. ¡°Started off normal enough. Ran into a couple wild animals, nothing new. No pukwudgies, though that wasn¡¯t too weird. Couple people said we should go a bit deeper, see if we couldn¡¯t find anything there. I didn¡¯t want to at first, Laura¡¯d said something about how it was good to be cautious today. Eventually, we just weren¡¯t running into anything, and so we decided to go deeper, get some experience, you know? There were a couple things we ran into, but nothing dangerous. Until it suddenly was. ¡°A ton of pukwudgies surrounded us all at once, their spears focused on the Disciples. Course, we were protecting them, so the Zealots and Acolytes took the most hits, Kailani helped a lot with keeping them away. Honestly, she¡¯s one of the main reasons we got away. She¡¯s got her water magic or whatever, and that kept a lot of the second wave of spears from hitting us. We fought our way out of them, killing a couple, but we were surrounded and more focused on getting out of there. Once we got out, it seemed like we were gonna make it. Lots of wounded, but nobody died so we were feeling pretty good. Our Disciples all exhausted themselves to heal everybody up enough to keep moving. ¡°Just as we got far enough away to think that we were home free, the pukwudgies returned for a final volley. We weren¡¯t ready. Jordan got the worst of it, with the spear in his throat. Everyone else got hit once, but Jordan¡­¡± Natalie took a shuddering breath. ¡°I was pretty sure he was dead. If Jake hadn¡¯t thought to go get help as fast as he did, I¡¯m sure Jordan would have died. Thank you, by the way,¡± Natalie said, looking at Stanton. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t hurried as much as you did, then we would have lost him.¡± Stanton raised a hand dismissively. ¡°Just in time, that¡¯s all. Glad he¡¯s gonna pull through.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to see if there¡¯s someone available to heal me.¡± Natalie said as she limped towards the firehouse. TJ let her go, clenching his jaw in worry. If the pukwudgies alone were posing such a threat to the right now, how were they going to deal with everything else that was going to come? Just under nine days remained, and though the total number of pukwudgies and other monsters in the Tutorial wasn¡¯t going to change, the number was only going to grow. ¡°I think we might be up shit creek.¡± Stanton said, watching her go. ¡°You got any ideas?¡± ¡°I should ask you. You fought in Vietnam, you¡¯ve got experience.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. Don¡¯t know anything. All I can say is that we don¡¯t have the numbers to do what the military usually does. A guerrilla force usually works that way because they¡¯ve got fewer numbers and arms than the people they¡¯re ambushing. That¡¯s not what¡¯s happening here. We¡¯re outnumbered, and if we count the wendigos and any other nightmarish Elite monster out there, we¡¯re outgunned too. It¡¯s a superior number of guerrillas, so we need to limit our casualties while killing as many of them as possible.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true, but you just told me to kill more of them than they kill of us.¡± ¡°At its core, the way to win a fight is to win the damned fight. Forgive me for not having some amazing wisdom regarding how to counteract the constant attacks of a force of goblins that can turn invisible and keep growing in number.¡± Stanton¡¯s usual good humor had melted away, a real frustration and anger touching his words. ¡°So yeah, for now, my plan is to kill as many of them as I can manage. You have anything else to add?¡± TJ shook his head. ¡°Just that we need to get as many people Occupations and levels as fast as we can manage. I¡¯ve got an idea to help with that in town, but I think we need to push everyone to at least level 5 in their Class, ideally by the end of today or tomorrow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a hard ask, kid.¡± ¡°For now, that¡¯s all I can add.¡± Stanton grunted, a little of his good humor returning. ¡°I¡¯ll let Laura know you¡¯re looking for her if I run into her. Isn¡¯t there something you were meaning to be doing?¡± TJ scoffed. ¡°I guess. I¡¯ll be back at the cabin. When you see her, let Laura know that I¡¯d like to see some of her notes on Occupations today as well.¡± Stanton nodded before walking into the firehouse. By the time TJ had jogged to the cabin, still with his nearly forgotten bag of weapons in his backpack, Stanton had carried someone out of the firehouse and towards a nearby towering tree. While the old man gained experience for his Occupation, TJ decided it was finally time to go about creating some shoes that would last him a little longer. He Appraised the javelina hides he¡¯d set to cure just a couple days ago. Item: Tanned javelina hide, Dirt. A hide removed from a javelina¡¯s corpse. It has been tanned, the process artificially accelerated by the creator¡¯s presence in a Tutorial. Due to its preparation by the brain-tanning method, the leather of the hide is more supple than it would have been if created by other methods. It can be used to provide an increase in resistance to environmental cold, or as a material in creating equipment. Though he hadn¡¯t expected otherwise, the wholly ordinary nature of these hides was disappointing compared to the inherently magical and impressive natures of the materials gathered from the wendigos. The wind seemed to titter something in TJ¡¯s ear as he sighed and allowed his mind to relax. He¡¯d been so focused and stressed and driven these last few days that he hadn¡¯t noticed the wind¡¯s constant desire to communicate with him. As he gathered up the materials to make a pair of moccasins with soles so thick they were better called shoes, TJ idly listened to the winds¡¯ whispers, though they didn¡¯t seem to mean anything. Finally, with the gut and leather laid out in front of him, TJ pulled his personal Wendigo Blade from his jacket pocket and placed it on the table. He was ready to begin the creation. Of course, that was when Laura knocked on the door. ¡°Come in!¡± TJ shouted, trying to hold any frustration from his tone. Nearly as soon as he spoke, the door swung wide open and Stanton gestured for Laura to walk in. She did, and TJ couldn¡¯t help but notice she¡¯d finally abandoned the pantsuit entirely. Now, she wore what just about everyone was¨Csome variation of jeans, boots or sneakers, and a jacket over a tee shirt. ¡°Stanton said you had something to show me in here?¡± Laura asked. TJ noticed that there was a small fleck of blood on the cuff of her jacket and nowhere else. A mischievous part of him considered alerting her of the fact, but the rest of him quickly tamped that down. ¡°I have some weapons to pass on to other people, and some other things to talk with you about. Seems like the thing I wanted to talk about has already come up though.¡± ¡°Alright. Then start with the weapons, I suppose.¡± Laura looked disinterested, and when she saw the blades, she couldn¡¯t hide the brief moment of disgust that flashed over her face. Then, when she saw the haft of the war pick for what it was, she actually dropped it to the table. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Appraise them.¡± Laura cocked her head and did so, before then reluctantly gathering the items up. ¡°Do you have a bag, or a towel or something so I don¡¯t have to hold all these? They¡¯re frankly disgusting.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Stanton answered before walking into the bathroom down the hall to collect a towel. While he did so, Laura continued to look at TJ. ¡°There must be something more, or else you wouldn¡¯t have asked me to come.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Look, those weapons there represent less than half of the materials from the two wendigos. I can keep processing them and getting experience. Frankly, I¡¯d like to because they represent a lot of experience. However, you can see that the weapons are only of the quality that they are because of the materials. I didn¡¯t do anything special. I¡¯ve gotten some pretty stellar Skill options presented to me because I made these. It¡¯d probably be in our best interest to ensure that as many people as possible reach higher levels and have as high quality Skills as possible, so I¡¯m, well, not offering because they¡¯re not all just mine, but I¡¯m saying that maybe we should have some other people work on this too.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you asked that I bring a copy of the Occupations found within the town.¡± Laura nodded. ¡°Makes sense. It isn¡¯t necessary, though. I¡¯ve already memorized everyone¡¯s Class, Occupation, if they have it, and Bloodline. I¡¯ll round up whoever has an Occupation that can benefit from this, as well as any who haven¡¯t yet acquired an Occupation. We need to push everyone who hasn¡¯t gained an Occupation yet to make more deliberate strides towards that. Though there were several deaths this morning, it may push the more hesitant to greater effort.¡± After dropping that bombshell, Laura stood, gathered the weapons all together in the towel Stanton brought, and walked out the door. ¡°Thank you, TJ. Was there anything else?¡± ¡°I was going to talk about the monsters getting smarter, but it looks like we¡¯ve all already seen that.¡± ¡°Yes. Would you do me a favor on that account?¡± ¡°Sure?¡± ¡°Next time you¡¯re out there, kill as many of the fuckers as you can.¡± Without another word, Laura stalked out of the house. Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 57 TJ rushed to the door and shouted out that the war pick was specifically for Connor, as he¡¯d promised the Zealot a new weapon. True to form, though she obviously was still upset and brooding over the fact that several people had died, the mayor turned Bureaucrat and Disciple turned, made eye contact, and nodded before continuing on her way. TJ too struggled with the thought, and wondered if he would regret having gotten to know more and more of the people he was, at least temporarily, stuck with. Then, the thought of who he would need to become and be to do that settled over him. He didn¡¯t like it, but he¡¯d promised that he would kill what he needed to to make it through the Tutorial and find Junior. Beyond that, TJ swore that he¡¯d kill even a person to make sure he made it to his son. That said, TJ wanted to remain himself. He could feel the changes that were happening in him. The sickness he¡¯d felt at having to kill a coyote when he¡¯d first come to this place, just a couple of days ago, was long gone. When he¡¯d first heard a pukwudgie speak, he¡¯d felt like a monster for ending its life, but now he slaughtered them with impunity. Was who he was about to become, who he was in the process of becoming, even still TJ? To attempt to ensure that he remained himself, TJ opened his heart to the negativity of this situation. He would bond with people, and if Granny Penny was one of those who died, he would mourn her, truly. The sweet woman might die, and if TJ didn¡¯t feel something were it to happen, then he couldn¡¯t still consider himself TJ. That decision had been made. He steeled himself and looked down at all of his crafting materials, spread across the table and ready for him to work on. ¡°I¡¯m going to need more space.¡± TJ muttered to himself before setting off to see if he couldn¡¯t find a folding table in the house to set up. ¡ª- When the first of the hopefuls stepped up to the door, TJ was ready for them. After searching through the house turned up nothing, he¡¯d nearly given up. However when he poked a head into the detached garage/shed, a pair of ten-foot tables leaning against the wall took care of the problem of where to work. ¡°Hello, Mr. TJ?¡± A young voice called out as TJ settled the materials onto the second table in the now somewhat cramped family room of the home. ¡°Come in.¡± TJ called as he turned and saw a young girl he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever seen before. Her curly brown hair was as well kept as could be managed after days without being able to wash in a shower as usual, and the vestiges of heavy eyeliner remained at the edges of her eyes. The remains of a tear streak remained on her left cheek, which she didn¡¯t seem to be aware of. She wore a too-large hoodie, the sleeves pulled over her hands. The poor teenager was anxiously wringing her hands in the sleeves, and when they met eyes, she smiled awkwardly. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Molly.¡± ¡°Glad to meet you Molly. You can call me TJ, no mister needed. Do you want to take a seat for now?¡± He gestured to one of the chairs at the main kitchen table. He¡¯d moved most of the furniture into a pile in the corner, leaving just tables and chairs to occupy the bulk of the space. All the chairs were at the kitchen table, piled high with the vast majority of all the materials he had already prepared for use. Molly nodded and sat at the table before speaking up again. ¡°So why am I here? Miss Laura just told me to come here, and to be ready to work.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain more when everyone else gets here, but I¡¯m going to help you get an Occupation, that¡¯s the big one.¡± ¡°What kind of Occupation? Is it yours? I¡¯ve heard yours is called Savage, right?¡± The sudden rapid fire questions were tempered by a similarly sudden flush of her face. ¡°Um. Sorry, Mr. TJ.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± TJ chuckled, restraining the urge to reach out and tousle her hair. ¡°I wish it could be, but you guys won¡¯t qualify for the same Occupation as me. To be a Savage, you can¡¯t sleep inside, use plumbing, or stuff from before the beginning of this whole Tutorial crap. I wasn¡¯t trying to get the Occupation, I was just dropped in the middle of nowhere, so I just didn¡¯t have anything. I was lucky that I was able to make a fire and didn¡¯t get too hurt that day, or else I would have died. I¡¯m not going to make you all sit out in the cold and suffer, so there won¡¯t be any more Savages any time soon.¡± ¡°That sounds pretty shittastic. Did you think you were abducted by aliens? That¡¯s what I thought happened. I, uh¡­ got pretty disappointed when I saw that¡­ I wasn¡¯t asleep or anything.¡± Molly obviously swallowed past a lump in her throat as she said as much and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been rough for most people. Sorry you¡¯re going through it, but I hope I can help at least a little.¡± ¡°Well, I was hoping to be just like you, since you¡¯re doing so well.¡± TJ nearly said she couldn¡¯t be like him, since she wasn¡¯t a Neophyte, but decided to Appraise her instead. Neophyte, 2 ¡°Well now. Didn¡¯t realize I had a fellow Neophyte in my presence. What can you do with your Divine Transformation?¡± She smiled, a little uncomfortable, but then, suddenly, a wolf-sized canine of some sort was in her place. It wasn¡¯t quite a wolf or a coyote, not a fox or a dog, just canine and big. Molly¡¯s Divine Transformation made her into something that TJ instinctively understood to be an under-evolved form of a Mayan Lightning Dog. ¡°Xolotl.¡± He breathed, an instinctive understanding of her Bloodline settling into his bones. The twin of his own Bloodline¡¯s origin, Xolotl was a god of lightning, fire, and monstrosities. In some beliefs, nearly evil, in others nearly heroic. The mythologies and the individuals¡¯ history varied slightly, with Xolotl focusing his power nearly entirely among the Aztec while Kukulkan embraced a greater diversity among his worshippers, spreading to the Mayan, Aztec, and more. Unfortunately, TJ could feel that the brothers parted on bad terms, Xolotl embittered, feeling forgotten and rejected by his twin. ¡°I¡­ Yeah. When I first saw you transform, I knew we were kinda related.¡± Molly said, twisting her hands once again. ¡°Well, glad to have you, cousin. Happy to help you out in getting an Occupation too.¡± Even though TJ understood the history between their however-many great grandparents, he also didn¡¯t care. It had nothing to do with him, and following the instincts of a failed god¡¯s long-dead grudges was stupid at best. Beyond that, when Molly saw that TJ was just excited to help her, her smile broadened and she stood from her wooden chair. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were a bad guy. You¡¯re scary, but my dad¡¯s scary sometimes too. I bet he¡¯s being scary wherever he is now, too. So I¡¯m glad to know you aren¡¯t just like, a douche or anything. You know? Do you know anything about Xolotl?¡± Different from the prying Valerie, TJ didn¡¯t mind answering Molly¡¯s litany of questions. He quickly learned that she was a freshman down in Mesa, not far from where he lived. When he didn¡¯t have any answers about Xolotl or anything else, Molly began asking questions about his exploits and how he¡¯d gotten so strong. ¡°Obviously you¡¯re the strongest one in the Tutorial, and so, if I want to protect my family when this is all over, I need to be like you! You can be, like, my Gojo or something!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a dojo. I guess, if you want to, you can call this our dojo? Not learning martial arts or anything though.¡± TJ shrugged, a little confused. ¡°No, like my sensei! Gojo is this guy in a manga I love. He¡¯s like, super awesome and hot. Wait, I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re hot, or ugly, or wait, shit, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Molly continued tripping over herself as she continued to make an awkward fifteen year-old out of herself. TJ raised both hands as she blushed furiously and buried her face in her hands. ¡°I get it. I think. You want someone to help you and teach you. I can do some of that. I¡¯ll tell you right now, though, that this world isn¡¯t sunshine and rainbows. It¡¯s gonna get worse, and I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to be waiting for us once we get out of the Tutorial. You¡¯ve gotta stand on your own two feet, because I¡¯m struggling too, ok?¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Though he smoothed over the worst of it, Molly stopped talking to him after her apparent faux paus. He could remember that age, and he¡¯d constantly had his foot so far in his mouth that he could smell his knees. After assuring her that he didn¡¯t care about her not meaning it that way, TJ turned to the door as he heard footsteps approaching. The clunking of heavy boots seemed familiar, and as he pushed open the door, TJ asked Stanton, ¡°What, you need something?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± The old cowboy looked around the room, frowning a bit at the tables filling the area where the couch had been. ¡°Just wanted to tell you something.¡± After waiting a minute, TJ realized what his friend was doing and asked with a wry smile of his own, ¡°What was it?¡± ¡°Just¡­ by the way. For your information. Found another one of these.¡± Then, TJ watched as Stanton pulled his hand from behind his back and showed off a Lifebloom, at least as large as the one they¡¯d found before. ¡°What? When? Where?¡± ¡°Out on the hunt today. Felt it out there with my Skill, and checked it out. I¡¯ve got a couple ideas about what it can do, but I want to see if your new Skill helps you find anything else out without my interference.¡± ¡°Ok. But we talked before this, you had the opportunity then. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ask.¡± Stanton grinned wide, his teeth shining in contrast to his wrinkled, heavily tanned face. ¡°Dammit man. Get out. I¡¯ll look at it later.¡± TJ couldn¡¯t help but smile as he shooed Stanton away, just in time for a group of five people to walk up the ramp to the door. While what TJ supposed was the last of his little class of people to learn walked in, he rolled his shoulders. Molly quickly settled into a corner, still mortified but paying attention while the rest of the group settled into the chairs surrounding the kitchen table. The surprise to TJ as he looked on were two men he recognized¨CJeff and Ricky. Jeff still looked angry at the world in general and TJ in particular, but Ricky looked at the materials with genuine interest. ¡°Alright guys.¡± TJ said, clapping his hands once. ¡°I might be the person with the highest leveled Occupation in the Tutorial. I just hit level 10 last night, and I¡¯ve learned some things. Because of what I¡¯ve learned, there¡¯s something I want to teach you all to make sure we live through this Tutorial. Before I get started, are there any questions?¡± ¡°Why do you think you¡¯re better than us?¡± ¡°What?¡± TJ sputtered, unable to believe what Jeff had just said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d intended. Why do you think that you know better, you have the same amount of experience as the rest of us.¡± Jeff at least had the decency to look a little embarrassed as he spoke. ¡°Ahh. Makes sense. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll know why when we get there, but short answer, I have information that nobody else in the Tutorial does, due to my position as one of our premiere fighters and crafters. I hope that¡¯s good enough for now, because we¡¯re moving on. Any other questions?¡± Nobody spoke or moved, so TJ nodded once. ¡°We¡¯ll start with the javelina hides. Now, let¡¯s talk about brains.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 58 Two of those that Laura had sent to learn from TJ quickly proved themselves wholly incapable of working with organic materials. Surprisingly, one of them was Jeff¡¯s buddy Ricky. It was almost comical how the heavyset man with a thick beard swayed and went green as TJ explained how to tan the hides in the only way he knew how, nearly falling face first into the table. Before long, he gave up and, stuffing his hands into his oil stained coveralls, walked out, where he audibly took long deep breaths for a couple minutes until his stomach settled enough to leave. Almost as if Ricky¡¯s escape had given her permission, another woman walked out afterwards and didn¡¯t look back. With four students willing to sit through the deliberately excessive and detailed explanation of preparing the hides and treating them with the brains of whatever they came from, TJ finally transitioned to explaining how to work with the materials he had prepared. Still, he didn¡¯t hesitate to explain exactly what each of the materials they were working with were. ¡°So, for me, today I¡¯m making myself new shoes. My Occupation gives me bonuses for not wearing equipment from before the Integration. I don¡¯t know why only shoes count as equipment to the System, but here we are. I''m going to give a general walkthrough of how I¡¯m going to make this, and that¡¯ll be what you two who don¡¯t have Occupations will focus on once I dismiss you. For you two, however,¡± TJ turned to Jeff and Michelle, the other ¡±student¡± who already had an Occupation, ¡°we¡¯ll get into the real value that I¡¯m hoping to bring here and now. Thank you for your patience.¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Jeff rolled his eyes while Michelle also didn¡¯t look too happy either. Even so, they sat through the painstaking instructions that he gave for Molly and Tessie, another teenager, though their ¡°look¡±s couldn¡¯t be more different. While Molly was almost a stereotypical nerdy goth girl, Tessie looked like the truest rendition of a sporty girl, her eyes a startling blue and framed with dirty blonde hair which was pulled back into a tight ponytail. Were she here, Mari would have been between them right now, TJ knew. She¡¯d been a high school math teacher, though she only really did that because that let her be the volleyball coach as well. A slight smile quirked at TJ¡¯s lips as he internally saw Mari fussing over some of her girls, if they¡¯d been in this same situation. He let the pang of longing settle into him for a brief moment before gently pushing the memory of his late wife fade. The teens were working together, Molly giving advice on particular ways to thread the gut through the holes in the hides. She was, self-reportedly, ¡°A pretty good seamstress.¡± While they were settled and working on their own, TJ finally turned himself to Michelle and Jeff. Jeff¡¯s brown hair was streaked with gray, his goatee slowly growing past its well-kept previous state. His arms showed that he was no stranger to exercise, broad and strong, and he remained generally handsome, disregarding the stormy look on his face. He and Ricky made for quite the pair, large white men with facial hair and stormy looks in their eyes. Michelle, on the other hand, didn¡¯t look like she worked out, but instead like she worked outside. She wore a waffle-print long sleeved shirt with the sleeves pulled up to her elbows, thick khaki cargo work pants, and suspenders. Her shoulders were broader than TJ¡¯s, the muscles underneath taut against the shirt. The shiny scarred skin remnants of burns covered her hands, the shine of the sunlight through the windows making her mahogany hands almost seem like they contained a light within them. Her dark curly hair was cut short, too short for a ponytail, and her eyes did literally glow as she looked at TJ. ¡°Alright, just for my benefit, what are your Occupations, their levels, and your Bloodlines?¡± ¡°Tinker, 5.¡± Jeff grunted. ¡°And I don¡¯t see any reason to give you my Bloodline.¡± TJ fought to keep himself from rolling his eyes. Before he responded, Michelle spoke. ¡°Blacksmith at 4. Bloodline is Ogun. You know who that is?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever heard of¡­ him?¡± ¡°Him.¡± Michelle confirmed. ¡°Yoruba god of warriors, iron, fire, and so on.¡± ¡°Ok. Thanks. The reason I ask, Jeff, is because it seems to me that, regardless of any other choices you make, your Bloodline will affect how you do whatever it is you do. Maybe even how much you can do. Keep it secret if you care, Jeff. I was just curious. ¡°Now,¡± TJ spoke, making sure they stayed focused. ¡°We¡¯ve killed some wendigos, and I¡¯ve made some things with their materials. When I did, I was level 6. After using part of three horns and the entirety of the fourth, I hit level 10. If you¡¯ve gotten past level 5, you know how much harder each level gets after getting a new Skill.¡± Both nodded as TJ continued. ¡°The materials we got from them also gave me new Skills, once I hit 10. There¡¯s definitely more to it than this, but the Skill I chose is Copper quality, so a tier higher than I am now, and I know that working on these higher quality materials helped me with that. As an example of what I made¨Cactually, I¡¯m not going to show you.¡± TJ remembered what Stanton had just said to him and decided to follow suit. Jeff shook his head, as if he¡¯d expected to be disappointed, but Michelle nodded her head in agreement. ¡°You don¡¯t want to influence what we do with these materials. If we just do what you did, we probably won¡¯t get the same experience that you did. We don¡¯t have the same Occupations anyways, so it¡¯s better we do what we want.¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± TJ agreed, and Jeff at least had the decency to stop acting like TJ was being an asshole to him. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know that the claws are considered to be the most valuable part of the wendigo¡¯s bodies that I¡¯ve dealt with in particular. Now, we have three more horns about a foot long as well as eleven claws in good condition. I might recommend using the five partially damaged ones first, because if you fail, it won¡¯t be as disappointing, but that¡¯s entirely up to you. Any questions?¡± ¡°Is it fine with you if I take some materials to the forge? It¡¯s not great, but I can¡¯t really do what I want to without it.¡± ¡°Sure. Take one horn and three claws with you, one of them damaged. That good with you?¡± Michelle nodded, pulling a Gerber knife from her pocket. TJ pointed her to which hand she should cut the fingers from, and though she didn¡¯t hesitate, her lip curled in distaste as she tried to cut, and then was forced to crack the fingers off with a grunt and twist of the pliers in the tool.Then, she put all three fingers in one of the massive pockets in her pants while holding the horn in her hands. ¡°You know anything about heating these? Do they anneal with fire, or melt or burn?¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°All I know is that the wendigos come with frost as something that¡¯s a part of them. I don¡¯t know how putting their materials in a forge will work, but when I was careful, I created something that had some of the wendigo¡¯s frost powers.¡± She nodded while a pensive frown creased her face. TJ only noticed then that at the corner of her mouth, marring the edge of her full lips, was another burn scar. Before he thought about whether it was wise to do so, he asked, ¡°Why do you have so many scars?¡± Michelle looked him straight in the eye. ¡°You¡¯re asking a blacksmith why they have burn scars? I got burned.¡± After looking at her in confusion for a second, TJ realized what she was saying. ¡°You were a blacksmith even before the Integration? Cool.¡± ¡°I just transitioned to full-time after officially becoming a journeyman in the ABS. Had a good following and everything, and then this shit rips my dream coming true from me.¡± ¡°That sucks, I¡¯m sorry.¡± TJ wasn¡¯t sure what else he could say, not the least of which because he had no idea what she was saying. ¡°Yeah. Here¡¯s to hoping we don¡¯t get eaten in the next week.¡± Michelle turned and walked out, her thumb running over the horn as she muttered ideas to herself. TJ turned back to Jeff, who looked down at the materials spread in front of him and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with this. Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t have come if Laura hadn¡¯t told me to.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get it, you don¡¯t like me. I don¡¯t care. You¡¯ve disliked me since I showed up, and I didn¡¯t care then and don¡¯t now. There¡¯s a point to being here, so do you want some of these materials to see if that helps you grow stronger or are you just going to keep being a moron instead? I don¡¯t care a whole lot either way, but make the damn decision.¡± Jeff started to look offended, then took a calming breath before looking in TJ¡¯s eyes. ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair. Yeah, I¡¯ll try something, but I¡¯ll only take one of the damaged fingers for now. I don¡¯t think my Occupation is as well-suited to this as Laura thought, but I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± True to his word, Jeff took a single finger from the damaged hand after a minute of sawing at it with another hand¡¯s claws. Without another word, he took it in his hand and walked out of the house, leaving TJ with Tessie and Molly. The teens watched him go, only barely able to keep themselves from gossipping long enough for him to leave the house. Once that door closed behind him, they burst into whispers. ¡°Why do you think he¡¯s so mad? I¡¯ve seen him around, and he never looks happy, but like, he¡¯s super pissy now.¡± ¡°I think I know what it is. He¡¯s always talking about Laura this and Laura that. I like to sit by her at meals, and he¡¯s always trying to be around. I bet he says it¡¯s cause he¡¯s her bodyguard, but, like, he just wants to guard her body, you know? I¡¯m sure he has a crush on her, and thinks that TJ will get in the way of him making her fall in love with him. So, because he¡¯s an adult, he, like, doesn¡¯t want to fight or anything, but he¡¯s still like, all douchey.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough of that.¡± TJ cut in with a chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t really care what you two talk about, but let¡¯s focus on getting you two an Occupation as fast as possible.¡± ¡°Fiiiiine.¡± Molly answered, while Tessie blushed and averted her gaze. ¡°So, how do we get this Occupation?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± TJ answered, and while their faces fell, he let their confusion and disappointment grow for about ten seconds. ¡°But I do know some things. Occupations are usually offered after doing something. I can¡¯t say what else you¡¯ve done in these days so far, but I¡¯m willing to bet that you¡¯ll get something offered to you if you create something on the level of rudimentary equipment.¡± With TJ¡¯s continued guidance, the two girls eventually finished their individual pairs of moccasins. Molly, as eager and quick to action as ever, pulled her boots off and slipped the slippers on. Her excited face quickly morphed to disappointment and she pulled her foot back out. ¡°Did you not think about how the thick, hard fur from the javelinas was going to stay thick and hard?¡± TJ asked while fighting to keep the giggles down. ¡°Well, I guess. I made these shoes, and they¡¯re not only ugly, they¡¯re also super uncomfortable. So what¡¯s the point¨C¡± Before TJ could answer about how it could save her life, Tessie gasped. Mollie followed suit, and the two girls obviously received the System notification they¡¯d all been hoping for. TJ could feel, somehow, the moment when they accepted their new Occupations. The feeling they gave off, something he couldn¡¯t quantify, changed. ¡°I¡¯m a Crafter now.¡± Molly said, excited. ¡°I gained two whole levels, and with some Free Points, that¡¯ll really help me a lot!¡± ¡°I got Crafter too.¡± Tessie added. She smiled and bobbed her head to TJ in thanks. ¡°I really appreciate it.¡± ¡°No problem. Girls, make sure you keep getting levels whenever you can. Tonight, I¡¯ll provide some materials and see if we can¡¯t get you all the way to level 5 before too long.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we do it right now?¡± Molly whined. ¡°I¡¯ve got time!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± TJ replied. ¡°I promised Laura I¡¯d show the monsters some hell. It¡¯s time.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 59 Though he wanted to just strike out alone and kill all the pukwudgies and other enemies that existed in the area surrounding their town, TJ was well aware that was far from his best idea. Leaving aside the general foolishness of just running into danger willy nilly, he wasn¡¯t the only person who needed to gain experience. TJ escorted the two girls towards the firehouse, and now that they weren¡¯t actively working on something together, Molly went quiet and looked down. Since he wasn¡¯t teaching them any more, TJ didn¡¯t concern himself too much with the teens. Before long, they had arrived back at the firehouse, and the two girls dispersed to do¡­ something. TJ walked inside, looking for Stanton. The Acolyte sat at a table, listening to a conversation between a couple other people. As TJ approached, they went silent, looking up at him in obvious hero worship that made him deeply uncomfortable. Even so, he merely nodded and asked, ¡°Is it alright with you if I steal this codger for a minute?¡± A chorus of ¡°Oh, of course!¡±s and ¡°Please!¡±s answered him as Stanton grumbled and stood up. As they walked out to the door, Stanton said, ¡°I¡¯m feeling younger by the day, and if you keep runnin¡¯ your mouth, you¡¯ll find my fist in it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. The grumpy old coot needs his respect.¡± TJ grinned, noting that Stanton too, though only begrudgingly, smiled as well. ¡°Those kids do alright?¡± Stanton asked before TJ could speak. ¡°Yeah. They both got Occupations, and I said I¡¯d help them with some of the wendigo materials later tonight. Not why I¡¯m here though.¡± Stanton nodded and continued walking slowly with TJ, leading them both until he got to a nice patch of sunlight that fell between the pines¡¯ branches. The sunlight was pleasant, and TJ enjoyed nearly basking in it as he continued, ¡°I¡¯m planning on going further out today. Leaving soon, killing some of the stronger ones out there and seeing if I can hit level 10 today. I¡¯m worried about the ones farther out there, and wonder if getting that new Skill will be enough to help with that.¡± ¡°Because the further out we go, the stronger the monsters are.¡± Stanton answered. ¡°Can¡¯t say what we¡¯ll find though.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± TJ agreed. ¡°If I run into another Elite, I might just be killed outright. So, I figure having you and one or two other people along will let us move quickly and safely, while you can also heal and take care of people. Who do you think should come with?¡± ¡°Not me.¡± ¡°What?¡± TJ felt his jaw hand open. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been out already today. Figure it out yourself.¡± Without saying anything else, Stanton smiled, clapped TJ on the shoulder, and walked away. The confusion of being abandoned by his friend was painful, but TJ felt he could trust Stanton enough to not lose his mind over something that the older man obviously meant no ill-will by. Even so, he couldn¡¯t help but call out and ask before Stanton got back into the firehouse. ¡°You sure?¡± Not even a grunt answered him, and TJ scoffed to himself. This was, he supposed, what Stanton wanted. As he moved to figure out what he should do next, he¡¯d need to figure out who else he would trust to work together. ¡°You didn¡¯t even look for me?¡± ¡°Sonuva¨C!¡± TJ shouted. Not for the first time, Zig had taken special care to scare the absolute bejeezus out of TJ. As he whirled and looked for her, he found her hunched in the shadow of a large thick bush. Somehow, her bright red hair didn¡¯t stick out until he actually figured out where she was. Until the very moment he recognized her silhouette, Zig faded into the background, but as soon as his eyes discovered her position, the red of her hair stood out as a stark contrast to their surroundings. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m a little offended you went for the old man before the young, cute Huntmaster.¡± Zig grinned widely, her teeth flashing in the shadow as she walked out. ¡°You didn¡¯t even consider me?¡± ¡°Zig. Thank you for volunteering, I suppose. And should I guess that Stanton knew you were here, so he purposefully had¨C¡± ¡°Me overhear you, yeah.¡± ¡°He was inside talking, how the hell did he know you were out here, as well as where you were specifically?¡± ¡°A maiden deserves to keep some secrets, does she not?¡± Zig fluttered her eyes exaggeratedly. TJ sighed. ¡°I guess. You willing to go out on a hunt with me? I¡¯m thinking we go farther than any of us have been since Stanton and I came here.¡± Zig¡¯s joviality drained from her face as she responded. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s necessary. If there¡¯s some of those Elites that keep growing, or any wholly new monsters or anything out there, then we need to be ready. Need to see them, to cull the bastards.¡± ¡°Great. You have two more people in mind to bring with us? I¡¯m not too familiar with who¡¯s our highest leveled fighters.¡± ¡°I bet that¡¯s part of why Stanton told you no. You always fall back to him, don¡¯t really get to know anyone else. And yeah. Charlie¡¯s a good option, so¡¯s Seth, Farid, and Angelo. Rebekkah¡¯s a pretty strong healer, if Angelo¡¯s busy. She¡¯s not quite as high level as the rest, but Sarah¡¯s got an Occupation that helps her protect the people she¡¯s with, so she¡¯s not a bad option either. So, I¡¯d probably recommend one of them. There¡¯s a couple others that you don¡¯t know who might need to fill in if they¡¯re all unavailable, but I figure it¡¯ll be better for you to work with people you already know.¡± TJ cocked his head. ¡°Rebekkah¡¯s at the level of being included in this?¡± Zig shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s more driven than a lot of the people here. A lot like you, and now that she¡¯s seen what she¡¯ll need to do to survive, she¡¯s putting in more work than anyone.¡± ¡°Huh. If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m fine with whoever you think makes the best team with us.¡± ¡°Leaving it to the Huntmaster, then?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know them, and, frankly, I¡¯m not going to make decisions as quickly or as well as you.¡± ¡°Glad you know it then. Rebekkah, Sarah, and Farid, then. You need anything before we get going?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Great. Stay here.¡± Zig, now in her ¡°directing a hunt¡± mode, moved efficiently and hustled off to collect the others who would go out to kill as many monsters as they could manage. Before she stepped out of view, TJ Appraised her. Acolyte, 7 That meant that the stealth or camouflage Skill she had that had kept him from seeing her clearly almost certainly came from her Occupation. Of course, if it had been anything else, TJ wouldn¡¯t have had the faintest idea what it was. He almost went to lean against a nearby tree, but instead decided to sit in the middle of one of the puddles of sunlight that had filled the area. The warmth was amazing, and he allowed himself to relax for as long as he had. Birds sang and the wind whispered to him as he closed his eyes. Though he¡¯d nearly tried not to listen, the wind¡¯s attempts at communication, now that he had this time alone without anything to do, was persistent. Before too long, the sighs of the air pulled him from his solitude. The wind traveled through the mountains, tasting the vapor from the occasional stream and lifting leaves to fly. Birds used it to soar, and everything breathed it to live. Air filled a human¡¯s lungs, enjoying the warmth and moisture inside the body before flying away as she spoke. The air pushed a bough gently, then decided to flare in anger and snap it violently. As the branch fell, it disturbed the air and the wind laughed at the casual destruction and change of form. The winds whipped up the mountain, finding a thick wall of stone in their way. How dare they? The wind was constant, unphased by the stone¡¯s stubborn will. Just like so many stones before, the winds would whip and tear at it until, years and decades and centuries from now, the stone gave way. Then, decades and centuries and millennia more would pass until the stone was no more. There would always be more to find, friends who would give way and foes who stood strong. The winds would enjoy each path they flew, and each relationship they made, but they would remain eternal, and everything else¡­ changed. There had to be more nearby to investigate, though. What it could be, who knew, but there¨C TJ was yanked back into perceiving his own body with a crack of pain. As his vision swam, he only saw the world spinning around him. No, not the world. Leaves and dirt fell to the ground all around him, the trees overhead creaking in the passage of a fierce wind that had sought its destruction. With a deep breath, TJ centered himself, rubbing at his chest that ached continuously. In his lap sat a stone nearly the size of his fist, and as TJ stood, the rock fell to the ground. ¡°What in the hell was that?¡± Zig demanded, Rebekkah, Farid, and Sarah standing beside her. ¡°You just wasting MP or something?¡± TJ shook his head, trying to figure out what had happened. Was there a cyclone or something here? While his mind denied what he suspected to be the truth, Rebekkah spoke in a frightened yet respectful tone. ¡°I was the first one to come. When I tried to talk to you, you didn¡¯t answer so I left you alone. Then, the wind started. It was just a little breezy, but it kept getting stronger and stronger. Before long, it was like a hurricane or something, and you didn¡¯t respond to anything. I tried to touch you, but the air cut me.¡± Rebekkah raised a hand where there was no wound, but blood remained. ¡°Zig just got here and she threw that rock at you and that got you to stop.¡± ¡°Shit. I¡¯m sorry. That wasn¡¯t what I was trying to do. It¡¯s just¡­ this Skill, sometimes it makes it so I can¡¯t really¡­ I don¡¯t know. It just is weird. I¡¯m sorry for cutting you. I never would have meant to.¡± Rebekkah nodded, though she didn¡¯t look particularly at ease to work with him again given his apparent lack of control over his own Skill. Curious, though, TJ checked his MP to see how much he¡¯d spent in the somewhat meditative state he¡¯d been in. 400/400 ¡°Actually, Zig, my MP¡¯s at full.¡± TJ answered, somewhat confused. ¡°You sure it was me doing all that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, and frankly, I don¡¯t care. Are we ready to get moving? The earlier we go, the more likely we can make sure we get back home safe and before dark.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready.¡± TJ answered, and looking at the rest, their party of five was ready to go. ¡°Great. Now, lead us to where you were ambushed on your way in. Let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t find the bastards that tried to kill Stanton.¡± At the mention of the grouchy old man, all four of TJ¡¯s companions bristled, willing to go to battle in defence of Stanton¡¯s honor. Or something. TJ couldn¡¯t help but smile at the realization that his friend was so well-beloved by the rest of the people in town. That he wasn¡¯t nearly so individually treasured was a reality he didn¡¯t hesitate to face. And besides, there were monsters to kill and levels to gain. They set off, and TJ felt the spring in his step carry him forward to the inevitable battle. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 60 Though he¡¯d known the name of her Occupation, TJ was surprised to see how efficient and focused Zig was as she gave directions to the little hunting party. She knew where they were moving, how to ensure they moved safely, and what the terrain was all around them. Something about the Occupation or one of her Skills helped them to move more efficiently, something that TJ only now realized had also been present the other times he¡¯d been out on the hunt with her. The pine needles underfoot crackled less obviously, each step taken was a little easier, and TJ could feel and see that the hiking was far less draining, his Stamina only barely reducing. Finally, as they left the safety of the bounds of the ever shrinking safe zone, TJ bit the bullet and distributed the four Free Points he had sitting in his Status. With as many levels as he¡¯d gained in the past day or so, TJ felt he could be at least moderately confident in this hunt. He looked briefly at the Status. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Human ¨C lvl 9 Class: Neophyte lvl 8 Occupation: Savage lvl 10 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 610/610 Mana Points (MP): 440/440 Stamina: 600/600 Attributes Strength: 29 Agility: 28 Endurance: 60 Vitality: 61 Toughness: 52 Wisdom: 34 Intelligence: 44 Perception: 42 Willpower: 53 Fixation: 43 Free Points: 0 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 54:15 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Current cooldown: 0:00 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Coatl ¨C lvl 9 Class: Neophyte lvl 8 Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Occupation: Savage lvl 10 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 1220/1220 Mana Points (MP): 440/440 Stamina: 1200/1200 Attributes Strength x2: 58 Agility x1.5: 42 Endurance x2: 120 Vitality x2: 122 Toughness x2: 104 Wisdom: 33 Intelligence: 44 Perception x1.5: 63 Willpower: 53 Fixation: 43 Free Points: 0 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Divine Trial Records 2 Minor, 0 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial Looking at his Status, TJ felt more and more how much his Strength and Agility were falling behind. There was, however, one of the people whose Strength was the highest in the Tutorial with him, so he stepped near Sarah as they walked and asked, ¡°Can I ask you a couple questions about your Status?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sarah shrugged as she continued to watch their surroundings. Her shield had been dismissed, though TJ knew it didn¡¯t cost anything to keep it summoned. In her right hand, a hatchet wholly made of steel flashed with every step. Farid and Zig too kept their eyes peeled, their weapons at the ready while Rebekkah stood between Sarah and TJ, trying to stay as safe as possible. ¡°What¡¯s your Strength, Agility, and Vitality?¡± ¡°56, 51, 57.¡± She rattled off without having to consult her Status. TJ felt his jaw begin to drop. Her physical attributes were so much higher than he¡¯d expected, even compared to his Divine Transformation. ¡°And what two bonus attributes do you get from your Bloodline?¡± ¡°Agility and Perception.¡± ¡°And what level are you?¡± ¡°Zealot 6, Guard 7. Why?¡± TJ couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to himself, laughing at his inflated sense of grandeur. He began to wonder if continuing to spread himself thin with the lack of specialization of Savage was going to make him weaker than everyone else in the long term. Then, remembering he didn¡¯t really want to ascend the Throne, he chuckled again at his needless worrying. ¡°What?¡± Sarah asked, obviously a bit offended. ¡°I¡¯m laughing at myself. I thought that, with Divine Transformation, I would be so much stronger than everyone else, but I look now at you, and see that I was just full of myself for no reason. I could only begin to compare to you, and that¡¯s with my Divine Transformation.¡± Now assured he wasn¡¯t looking down on her, Sarah grinned and spoke, still keeping her eyes peeled. ¡°Yeah, but I bet your other attributes are way higher. My Wisdom, Intelligence, and Willpower are just barely at 20. The only reason my Perception is as high as it is comes from my Bloodline.¡± Before TJ could respond, Rebekkah spoke. ¡°Can we focus on the hunt?¡± She didn¡¯t say anything else. Before the atmosphere got too tense, Zig chimed in. ¡°Here¡¯s what I think she meant. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re talking. For now, though, only talk about plans about this hunt. We¡¯re taking risks, so be as safe as possible.¡± ¡°My bad.¡± TJ apologized as he went back to paying attention exclusively to their surroundings. Zig was right, of course. Though he¡¯d spent his life working together with other people and never really minding it, he¡¯d spent the formative very beginning of the Integration alone, forced to fight for himself and himself alone. With that as his foundation of the Tutorial, he was slightly resistant to the very necessary teamwork that came as a part of, you know, working together. It wasn¡¯t long before they arrived at the site of the fight. As they turned the corner of the sharp turn, there it was. On their left, a nearly sheer dropoff, large red stone patterning the way down at least 100 feet. On the right, the ponderosa pines towered over them, thick brush growing more and more dense by the day. It was hard to remember when you saw it every day, but as TJ looked at the scene of the ambush, he could see how nature was reclaiming itself. Asphalt cracked and grass grew where it couldn¡¯t possibly have only a week ago. The forest, though still in a desert in the winter, was greener and fuller than before. Then, TJ looked not at the surroundings but at the location of the ambush itself. The remains of his backpack had been mostly blown away, only a few tattered shreds of nylon remained. Beyond that, though the bloodstains were difficult to pick out on the worn gray asphalt, they still remained, and TJ felt his blood boil remembering what his friend had gone through. Then, he remembered something. ¡°Has anyone been talked to by the pukwudgies?¡± A chorus of ¡°No¡±s answered him. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Farid questioned, keeping his eyes on the forest that bordered their position. ¡°On the first day they appeared, they spoke to me, trying to get me to give Stanton up for safe passage. I didn¡¯t think about it again until now, but I realize that I haven¡¯t heard any of them speak since.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of any of them speaking.¡± Zig answered, Rebekkah and Farid nodding in agreement. Sarah had stood herself between the forest and their party with her now summoned shield at the ready and wasn¡¯t paying attention to the discussion. ¡°Ok. Maybe we¡¯ll find out why today. Maybe we won''t find anything. I don¡¯t care too much either way, I just was wondering.¡± ¡°Well, I think we¡¯re ready to go in. Is that right?¡± Zig asked. The hunting party agreed, and so they followed her into the forest. As soon as they entered, though, Farid stopped and the rest with him. Though he didn¡¯t know why, TJ watched with the rest as Farid, with supernatural speed and efficiency, dug a hole about a foot in diameter and depth. As soon as he finished it, gleaming, magical spikes appeared at the bottom, and as Farid stood up, it faded into a nondescript patch of dirt, just like the rest that surrounded it. ¡°Here is the first trap. As you watched me create it, it will be much easier for you to spot on our way home, and if we need to run, it will be best that you recall its exact location. You should have a bonus to your ability to spot it en route, but be careful. I will make a couple more on our path, so make sure to take note and follow my steps if we flee.¡± The party nodded and TJ was reminded how impactful having a team with him would be on this hunt. He redoubled his focus, and they walked onward. Though it was still early afternoon, the more and more primeval forest consumed the light that fought to trickle to the ground. TJ had loved these pine forests as a child, the few trips he¡¯d taken here remained fond memories of sitting near a campfire with Gramps, his mom and dad sleeping beside him in a tent. This forest, though mere miles from where those memories took place, was almost a twisted version of the lands he remembered. The vegetation choked all light from the air, and with each step they took deeper, the shadows seemed to loom darker and longer until much of the light of day was stolen from the environment. Worse still, though they walked farther for ten minutes, they saw no enemies. No ravening coyotes, no charging javelinas, and no ambushing pukwudgies. TJ felt the hairs on the back of his neck stick up, the wind whispering that something was nearby. Before he could speak, Zig whistled low and pointed to both sides before pulling out her bow and drawing it all the way back to her ear. Farid turned to the other side, his two pronged spear, a bident, held at the ready. Before TJ and Sarah could decide what to do, though, two silhouettes leapt from the bushes towards Rebekkah. Supernaturally quickly, Sarah charged and intercepted the ambush with her shield, one, and then two of Zig¡¯s arrows lodging themselves deep into its ribs. On TJ¡¯s side, the mountain lion was faster than he could react and bore Rebekkah to the ground. Different from the few he¡¯d seen before, this massive mountain lion was nearly pure black, and its form seemed to billow in the darkness that surrounded it. Its every movement was nearly inaudible, and TJ struggled to see it, even as he watched it. The only flash of color on the monster was its pink mouth and white teeth. It bit towards the Disciple¡¯s face as she struggled back and forth. He activated Divine Transformation as Rebekkah screamed. TJ¡¯s jaws sought the cougar¡¯s face, hoping to pull it away, but Rebekkah was faster. Though she continued to thrash, she opened her mouth and breathed a gout of fire into the beast¡¯s face. It hissed and reeled back as it swiped at her face, trying to get her to stop. TJ got there in time, and with it being temporarily blinded, his jaws found its face. Its paws continued to claw at what it couldn¡¯t see, cutting long but shallow gouges in TJ¡¯s scales. TJ didn¡¯t care, instead wrenching it back away from Rebekkah. As he did, Farid¡¯s javelin found its flesh, the crescent moon sliding up the shaft until it cut deep into the beast. It roared and TJ felt its body phase to become somewhat incorporeal. A beat later, and his coils fell through its silhouette. Nearly immediately after, the mountain lion returned to a physical form and turned to attempt to escape. TJ immediately sent a foot-long blade of wind at its legs. It made contact, making the beast falter. TJ pursued it, wrenching it back towards the party where TJ, Farid, and Rebekkah whittled it down until, after its third failed attempt to escape, it succumbed to injuries with a pathetic cry. Tezcatlipoca-Blessed mountain lion, 7 Slain. Experience gained. On the other side of the group, Sarah grunted with exertion as she pulled back her hatchet, it glowed with supernatural light, and she cleaved straight through the mountain lion¡¯s skull. It fell, dead, a dozen arrows and half as many deep cuts from the hatchet covering its body. Sarah panted, her legs covered with deep lacerations from the mountain lion¡¯s back legs. TJ waved off Rebekkah¡¯s ministrations, so she went and healed both herself and Sarah for a moment. This first fight was complete, and they¡¯d already sustained injuries. Even so, they pressed on. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 61 TJ had lost less than 100 HP as a coatl, and wasn¡¯t concerned with being healed immediately. That was less than 10% of his total, so he would heal completely in less than an hour, and once he stopped using Divine Transformation, there weren¡¯t even any visible wounds. How exactly that worked, he didn¡¯t know. The concept of HP versus what he still considered to be ¡°real life¡± was strange. If he got poked in the toe enough, could it kill him? What about if he pinched someone? How exactly did HP work? HP serves as an abstraction of the damage one suffers. The greater the pool of HP, the more resistant to damage one becomes, and beyond the Gold (III) tier of Divinity, it is possible for a Participant to reconstruct much of their body through the recovery of HP, even recovering from what would have been a mortal wound to those below that tier of Divinity. Within and before the Gold (III) tier of Divinity, mortal wounds are much easier to strike, though any increase in Vitality, Toughness, and Endurance will heighten the durability and resilience of the mortal¡¯s body. If that was the case, then no, pinching someone again and again wouldn¡¯t kill them, barring it being their carotid artery or their throat. TJ refocused on their continued hunt. He¡¯d insisted on taking at least one of the corpses with them, given its viability as food as well as the intrinsic value of the pelt. He could feel how impressive these Tezcatlipoca-blessed hides would be, especially after learning that Tezcatlipoca was the Aztec god of jaguars, darkness, and a whole lot more. When he¡¯d asked, the System gave much more information than that, but he realized that, while the System had tons of interesting things to learn, it didn¡¯t truly affect him at this time. Instead, he needed to keep focusing on the hunt. He could feel that Neophyte 9 level closing in, and after that, the level 10 Skill selection. He had to admit that hearing Sarah¡¯s attributes compared to his though he had, across Class, Occupation, and Race, a cumulative 27 levels while Sarah had a mere 19 shook him. More and more, TJ realized that as a Neophyte, his place wasn¡¯t necessarily to fill the place of another Zealot, because they would swiftly outpace his Strength, even through Divine Transformation. Nor was he to be an Acolyte or Disciple, given his lack of Skills to do so. Thus, what could he do? What was he supposed to be beyond a mediocre approximation of any of the other Classes? His attributes were too well-spread, the focus of them being Vitality, Endurance, and Toughness. His Willpower was over 50, and what did it do, except for give him a couple more minutes transformed? He continued to listen to any hints from the wind about what might be around them, but he internally asked the System, ¡°What is the niche of a Neophyte compared to the rest of the Classes? I¡¯m starting to feel like the more levels we gain, the weaker I¡¯ll be in comparison to the rest.¡± The typical path of each of the Classes towards the Divine Throne is as follows: The Zealot carves, smashes, and consumes the obstacles in their path, violence and overwhelming power accompanying their every step. For each Trial they face, they use the might of their fists to prove their worthiness to ascend. The Acolyte views, plans, and follows the paths less followed, following wisdom and a connection with the world itself. For each Trial they face, they use the alacrity of their feet and minds to prove their worthiness to ascend. The Disciple heals, guides, and advises others to carry them forward on their path, a firm determination to help carrying them on their path. For each Trial they face, they elevate others to accompany them to prove their worthiness to ascend. The Neophyte enhances, survives, and carves new routes through the path established by their Bloodline¡¯s origin, their focus entirely on the ascension of their Divinity. For each Trial they face, they rely upon their own steadfast willpower and elevated vitality to prove their worthiness to ascend. TJ¡¯s knee-jerk reaction to that was to get frustrated or even angry. Instead, though, he read through each Class¡¯s focus, what their intent was, what their path was. True, the System itself was saying that the Class was built to make it through suffering, that he was granted Toughness, Vitality, and Endurance in spades so that he could survive what was thrown at him. The Class¡¯s focus wasn¡¯t to be a peerless fighter like the Zealot or a marksman and hunter like the Acolyte. It surely wasn¡¯t to be a healing Disciple, so instead, their focus was to survive on the path laid ahead while enhancing that of those who came before. Kukulkan had been a god when he¡¯d died or been destroyed or whatever. A lowercase ¡°g¡± god, but still, at the IX tier of Divinity, extremely close to getting all the way to the Divine Throne. His path was nearly perfect, so TJ¡¯s role as a Neophyte of his Path was to study where Kukulkan had succeeded and failed, to follow in his prosperity and avoid his failures. The Class was focused on ensuring he could survive long enough to learn those things and thus create his own path. Beyond that, the statement that he was supposed to ¡°focus entirely on the ascension of his Divinity¡± was interesting. There wasn¡¯t some sort of an experience boost that he received for his Class, at least, as far as he knew. That would be pure foolishness, if it were the case. Instead, was it referencing what the attributes increased for the Class? Would he face different Trials regarding it? The sound of javelinas crashing through the brush interrupted his musing. There would be time for introspection, and the middle of a hunt wasn¡¯t it. With a hiss, TJ activated Divine Transformation and readied himself for battle. The beasts squealed and TJ put himself in the front as he said, ¡°I¡¯m doing fine on HP. Sarah, stay by Rebekkah for now. If we¡¯re both on the front and something attacks her, we¡¯ll be SOL.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response as he spent 100 MP on preparing a scythe of wind to cut into the javelina¡¯s ankles. Sarah didn¡¯t approach, heeding his command. TJ waited for the beasts, their squealing and thundering coming closer and closer. He desperately wanted to send the blade formed of wind forward to cut as many of them to pieces as possible preemptively, but that would be stupid and wasteful. His adrenaline demanded that he pump more and more of his MP into the Skill, but he refused. He only needed to slow or stop that front line. That would slow those behind them, and he would trust in what the System said his Class was for¨Csurviving. The deep shadows cast by the trees overhead seemed to shake with the monsters¡¯ approach. TJ held and condensed the blade to be even thinner. A sapling was knocked over by the charge. TJ refused to pump more MP into the Skill, but still he honed this opening attack. The first javelina appeared, screaming its squealing cry. At least a dozen followed behind it, a horde of the beasts desperately charging to kill the humans. Before TJ sent his opening salvo, he Appraised the front line of five javelinas. Javelina, 6 Javelina, 6 Javelina, 7 Javelina, 7 Javelina, 6 All of them were over level 5. TJ cursed under his breath, unsure of what they might have gained from this benchmark. Even so, this was the exact moment he¡¯d prepared his Skill for, and he sent the winds scything at the pigs¡¯ front feet. With a howl and a scream, the wind whipped into their ready and waiting legs. The front line screamed in agony, their feet giving way under them. They tumbled to the ground and those behind them suddenly glowed with a silver light. Under the influence of the silver glow, the five fallen of the squadron were trampled to death, TJ receiving the death notifications and experience as the silver glow faded markedly. Then, though they were not nearly as slowed as he¡¯d expected or hoped, TJ threw himself at the javelinas, uncaring for their wickedly curling tusks, merely avoiding being trampled underfoot. He snapped wildly at whatever he could reach, his tail wrapping around one and pulling it into another. Tusks gored deep into one¡¯s eye, and TJ, seeing a javelina¡¯s eye explode in gore, reminded him to keep his own free from the range of the crazed beasts. His goal wasn¡¯t to kill them here. The first five had been enough of that. For now, it was to protect the much more exposed people behind him. As such, TJ¡¯s focus was entirely on distracting, slowing, and blinding the javelinas as best as he could manage. He thrashed, pulling as many of the javelinas off course as he could, but as they glowed with silver again. Though their glow was obviously reduced from before, their Skill or ability pushed TJ off and as he bounced against the ground behind them, the dozen remaining javelinas continued their charge. With a hiss, TJ lunged and was able to catch the flank of the rearmost javelina in his jaws. His long sharp fangs pierced through its hide and blood filled his mouth. It squealed again and kicked at his face. TJ didn¡¯t care, instead pulling himself on top of the beast. There, he watched as Sarah and Rebekkah dodged one way and Zig and Farid the other. They¡¯d build up a good head of steam, and the javelinas attempted to turn their charge and follow the dodging hunters. They couldn¡¯t, and several stunned themselves as they charged headlong into several foot-thick trees. Pine needles fell from the trees as Farid and Zig released attacks. The pigs screamed in rage as their charge was thwarted, each little squad glowing with the weakest silver yet as they attempted to run over their enemies. TJ¡¯s ¡°steed¡± followed those pursuing Rebekkah and Sarah, but as its faint silver glow appeared, it was insufficient to push him off. While TJ tried to do something while conserving his MP in this probably not as dangerous situation, Sarah pushed Rebekkah behind her and brandished her shield. With a wordless roar, Sarah activated a Skill. The javelinas trying to skirt around her and hit her flanks or Rebekkah were instead drawn to her shield, which flared with a divine power. Three pairs of tusks smashed into her, trying to launch her into the air. Either through skill or Skill, Sarah remained on her feet, grunting in strain. She didn¡¯t try to strike back, instead ensuring she and Rebekkah were safe. TJ hauled himself forward, wrapping around two javelina necks as the Flamekeeper reached a hand forward and bestowed a flame on the Zealot¡¯s hatchet. Then, with a flaming weapon and fury in her eyes, Sarah struck. With each swing of the superheated ax, a javelina fell. Even if not dead, they were out of commission, and not ten seconds later, the flames faded from the hatchet. Six javelinas were down, skulls split or spines severed. Looking at Zig and Farid, though they hadn¡¯t yet killed the whole of their half of the squadron of javelinas, they were making good progress. Only three remained, and they were bleeding from several wounds as the two Acolytes split up and harried them from both directions. Then, with a final arrow and throw of a javelin, there was a single javelina left. It turned, squealing in terror, but it was too late. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sarah¡¯s hatchet flew through the air and buried itself in the javelina¡¯s neck. It fell with a squealing groan, and then, there were seventeen dead javelina corpses in the area. TJ began to relax and release Divine Transformation. That was when Zig screamed while pulling her bow to full draw, ¡°Look out above you!¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 62 TJ leapt to cover Rebekkah, but Sarah was faster. Again, with a preternatural speed, she rushed to Rebekkah and covered her with her shield and body. The hail of seven spears mostly lodged in her shield, but one missed entirely while the other sunk deep into Sarah¡¯s foot and pinned it to the ground. ¡°Fuck!¡± She growled as she kept her eyes up on the trees overhead. TJ did the same, seeing the faint glimmering of pukwudgies as they faded back into their stealth. A javelin sailed towards them but fell short, while Zig¡¯s attack was more successful. Her arrow split into two, and then four as it reached the pukwudgies. Two arrows hit their mark, but the goblin didn¡¯t fall. Instead, the seven prepared another volley of spears and let loose towards Sarah. She managed to catch all of them on her shield, but with the sixth, her shield exploded into iridescent shards and she sagged as the Skill was forcefully dispelled. The seventh caught her in the collarbone, sinking deep into her chest. Sarah fell, unconscious or dead, and the pukwudgies fled. Rebekkah immediately pulled the spear free from Sarah¡¯s chest, a horrendous schlorping sound accompanying the moment the last inch of the foot that had buried itself in her torso was pulled out of her chest. Then, after pulling the spear free of Sarah¡¯s foot, Rebekkah began healing. The holy light of Cure Wounds was a welcome break from the dark of the ever more imposing forest that they were in. The Disciple prayed under her breath as she exhausted herself trying to heal Sarah. ¡°Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name¡­¡± she murmured the words without pause, the prayer flowing easily from her tongue. TJ didn¡¯t care to say anything to her about whether or not any divine beings at all could hear them. Instead, he watched as Zig drew her bow back and loosed again. As the arrow reached the slightly blurry place where he supposed the ambushing pukwudgies were fleeing through, it split into two, four, eight, sixteen. The mighty hail of arrows threw three pukwudgies from the trees, falling to the ground some thirty feet below. One death notification answered the thumps of bodies falling to the unforgiving ground. ¡°TJ!¡± Zig commanded, ¡°Go kill them, there¡¯s two left. The experience might be enough to save her life!¡± TJ didn¡¯t hesitate, knowing that the faster he went, the faster he could return. Though they tried to camouflage themselves, between the taste of their blood in the air and their breathing that the winds carried to his ear, their positions were immediately apparent to TJ. With a fierce snapping of his jaws, TJ dispatched both. 3 Pukwudgie Assassin, 9, slain. Experience gained. Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 9. Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Point currently available. He rushed back to the group, where Sarah was groaning and sitting up. ¡°Coming back like that sucks. Not a bad result, though.¡± Sarah rolled her shoulders. ¡°Got a level in both Guard and Zealot. I feel like I can still feel that spear in me, though.¡± She shuddered. ¡°I¡¯m glad that was enough.¡± Rebekkah rolled her shoulders. ¡°I just reached a new level in Disciple as well, so I was going to exhaust myself to keep you alive.¡± Then, she grabbed the smaller Sarah by the shoulders and wrapped her in a fierce hug. ¡°What?¡± Sarah stammered. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°You saved me. You moved to protect me, and because of you, I¡¯ll have another chance to see my children. Thank you. I love you. If you need me, ever, let me know, and I¡¯ll be there. Thank you.¡± Rebekkah¡¯s voice caught in her throat, but after holding Sarah tightly for another second or three, she let go of the Zealot, the shimmer of tears in her eyes apparent without falling. She swiped at her eyes and stood. In the darkness of the forest, she seemed to glow, though TJ couldn¡¯t say why. ¡°Now, do we wish to continue? I think that we should, though all these materials seem to be valuable.¡± Rebekkah¡¯s words pulled everyone¡¯s attention from whatever other thoughts they were having. Even so, the other four remained silent after she said as much. ¡°How much MP do you have left after that one?¡± TJ asked Zig before he gave his answer. ¡°Just under 100. I¡¯ll be fine for at least one more fight and getting out of here.¡± ¡°And you, Farid?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I think I¡¯m close to a level in Acolyte, too, so I can be a bit more aggressive.¡± The Indian man smiled ruefully. ¡°I should have been already, but I was worried about becoming useless if I ran out.¡± ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Zig clapped him on the back while still looking all around. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t do if at least one of us was a little smart. Thanks for being cautious. Make sure you get this level, huh?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Great.¡± TJ said. ¡°Then there¡¯s just you, Sarah. You want to keep going?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t like this, and I feel pretty out of my depth. Honestly, I just want to be at home in my pajamas. Unfortunately, I¡¯m in this, so here I am. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°Ok. Zig, anything to add?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I wish I could range out there and Stealth to see what I can see, but I think it¡¯ll be better to stick together for now. If I get caught by one of those mountain lions, I¡¯ll die. So, that being the case, keep your eyes peeled, and I think we¡¯ll do one more fight then get out of here with whatever we think is most valuable. For now, we¡¯ll carry one of the lion corpses, and figure out the rest on our way back. Capisce?¡± The rest of the hunting party nodded and agreed before continuing on their path. They walked in silence, their steps being their only companion. The forest grew ever darker, the sound of dirt underfoot growing quieter under the oppressive aura of the more and more primeval forest. No birds sang, no insects chirped, and no rodents scampered. More and more did the oppressive aura grow, and after five minutes of walking in the off-putting environment without coming in contact with anything, Zig shot TJ a look. He shrugged, mostly agreeing. ¡°This is too much like it was last time we got ambushed. We¡¯re going back.¡± Zig said, and TJ noticed that, though they¡¯d all walked forward with confidence, after an extended period of time hearing nothing but their own breaths and steps, their valor was long since drained from them. Without further discussion, they returned back to the scene where they¡¯d slain so many javelinas and pukwudgies. There, they¡¯d be able to load up and continue on their path, though TJ mourned the loss of more experience. He¡¯d truly expected to be able to push for level 10 in Neophyte in this expedition. As they arrived at the place where they¡¯d last seen the javelina corpses, though, several had disappeared. Worse still, the game trail they¡¯d followed was gone. There was no sign of where they¡¯d come from, no footprints or broken branches. Looking past the new bushes that¡¯d sprouted in their wake, the trail had disappeared for at least another 30 feet. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t like this.¡± Farid understated. TJ couldn¡¯t help himself from laughing. ¡°No, me neither.¡± He forcefully cut the laugh off before it became fully manic. ¡°Grab what you can carry easily and follow me.¡± Zig commanded, her tone panicking. ¡°We need to get moving.¡± The party of five let Sarah carry the mountain lion while the rest each grabbed a single javelina before rushing to try to follow the direction where they had entered. With each step they took, the forest fought to keep them contained. Brambles reached up and tore at their pants, roots stretched to twist their ankles and the horizon darkened until they couldn¡¯t see anything but an endless expanse of trees. Their travels shifted from hurried but controlled to a maddened flight through the pathless forest, branches whipping at faces and terrified breathing thundering in their ears. Every shadow seemed to threaten an ambush, and though they fled for minutes, the edge of the forest refused to get any closer. Zig, Farid, and Sarah¡¯s eyes began to roll in complete, consuming terror. Sarah sobbed quietly as she ran and Farid began babbling incoherently. Zig remained the calmest of the three, though her eyes roamed constantly around them, searching for something that didn¡¯t exist. TJ realized, however, that Rebekkah wasn¡¯t quite so terrified as the rest, and as he ran behind the others, he noticed that he too was slowly acclimating to their situation. There wasn¡¯t anything except for the shadows around them, and though they could contain multitudes of enemies, they didn¡¯t. There had to be some reason for why they were all terrified, but he couldn¡¯t place what it could be. If he was the only calm one, he could understand it as just being less fearful. If it was just Rebekkah, it could be the same. Since it was both of them, though, what could it be? ¡°You feeling like them?¡± TJ asked Rebekkah as he reached forward and pulled Zig to slow a little. She resisted, but Sarah and Farid followed suit as their leader was brought to a walk instead of a run. ¡°No. I was wondering if I was the crazy one for not freaking out.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s got to be something. Something keeping us from doing the same.¡± TJ¡¯s mind raced, but after just a couple of seconds, the three terrified hunters pulled out of his hands and tried to resume fleeing wildly in the direction that they thought the edge of the forest was. ¡°Stop!¡± TJ shouted, trying to hold them back, but Sarah wrenched her arm free and sprinted away. With a groan, TJ rushed after her and activated Divine Transformation. He wrapped around her legs, and she strained but was effectively hobbled. Sarah attempted to say something, to explain why they needed to run, but she was too terrified to speak words. Unsure of what else to do, TJ sent a jet of wind to blast back her hair and hopefully snap her out of it. That did the trick, and though she continued hyperventilating, Sarah stopped where she stood. After deactivating Divine Transformation, TJ pulled Sarah towards the others, as Rebekkah pleaded for Farid and Zig to stay with her. ¡°System, am I currently suffering from an affliction right now?¡± You are currently suffering from a minor Fear affliction. While still in the presence of the source of your Fear, you will suffer from a 5% reduction in your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Willpower. Your ability to perceive reality from your fears will be diminished. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I told this?¡± There are ways to hide the infliction of an affliction from the affected victims. TJ knew the System well enough to know that it wouldn¡¯t give any more information right now, so he instead grabbed Sarah¡¯s face and looked in her eyes before speaking. ¡°Sarah. You¡¯re suffering from Fear right now. Ask the System if you¡¯ve got any afflictions right now.¡± ¡°Am-m-m I suf-f-f-ering from an-n-ny aff-f-f-lictions-s-s right now?¡± She asked with shuddering breath. As the System gave her an answer, she continued shuddering in TJ¡¯s hands, but she did calm down enough to stop trying to run away in blind terror. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be shitting me.¡± Zig said, evidently having done the same thing as TJ had asked Sarah. ¡°Why were you two safe from it?¡± TJ shrugged, but even before he could articulate his question to the System, it gave its answer. The Willpower attribute heightens an individual¡¯s ability to resist most mental afflictions. Well, that was his answer, but a more important question was¡­ Where were they now? Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 63 Once the still terrified, or Feared, he supposed he should call it, members of the hunting party recovered sufficiently to stop running in any random direction they could, TJ and Rebekkah spoke about how they thought they could escape. ¡°I have no idea which direction leads us out.¡± Rebekkah admitted. ¡°Now that I¡¯m aware of the affliction, it¡¯s not affecting me nearly as much, but I¡¯m no good at figuring out where we are relative to town, especially after all that running.¡± ¡°Same.¡± TJ admitted with a sigh. ¡°I almost wish I¡¯d taken that Orienteering Skill back when it was offered. Not the first time that I¡¯ve wanted it too. I don¡¯t really notice the Skill I took instead.¡± ¡°If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, then we''d all have a merry Christmas. Now quit your complaining.¡± The words rolled so smoothly off Rebekkah¡¯s tongue that it startled TJ into silence. She then realized she¡¯d said that to a grown adult and flushed in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s something I always say to my kids. I didn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡± ¡°My Nana said many of the same things. I¡¯m not worried about it.¡± TJ laughed. ¡°Zig, Farid, you have any Skills that¡¯ll let you guide us out of here?¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zig shivered as she shook her head no, obviously straining herself to keep from indulging in the supernatural fear that had overcome her. She clung to Sarah, the two women looking around themselves for anything that would confirm the reason for their terror. Farid, though, gritted his teeth and, through a clenched jaw, said, ¡°I might be able to. I can sense where my traps are, more or less.¡± ¡°So do you have any idea of where you left the few traps at the entrance of the forest?¡± TJ asked, hope beginning to surge. ¡°No.¡± Farid admitted, still nearly petrified from the magical fear. ¡°If we get within a half mile or so, though, I¡¯ll be able to tell.¡± ¡°Then we need to make increasingly large circles until we get a hint of where to go.¡± Zig ground out. Sarah remained wordless, hyperventilating and twitching in fear, but staying nearby. Everyone agreed, and started from there. After making a stack of rocks, TJ joined them, walking in deliberate circles, following from one tree to the next, trying to stay consistent in their steps. Even so, with all five doing their absolute best to maintain reason and orientation, each step was difficult, and while they kept the pile of stones in sight as long as they could, it wasn¡¯t long before the forest stretched in every direction, the light from the sun seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. The oppressive forest fought to inflict TJ with a greater affliction than before, but now that he was wise to the affliction¡¯s existence, he was able to stave off the worst of it. Walking in circles was nerve wracking for TJ as everything nearby knew that they would return back to where they¡¯d once been. Each time they circled by the same spot, he was convinced they would stumble across an ambush. Worse still, this wasn¡¯t merely the affliction speaking, as there was no small possibility that the pukwudgies were doing just that. However, to ensure that none of the other three truly terrified members of the party allowed their fear to hear his own worries, TJ kept his thoughts to himself. To make matters worse, it wasn¡¯t too long after being forced to internalize this fear that TJ noticed that they¡¯d strayed off course. Something about the forest surrounding them was the same as before, though he couldn¡¯t place exactly what it was. ¡°Farid, you feeling anything yet?¡± TJ asked, trying to keep his tone conversational. ¡°Other than a certainty that if this forest doesn¡¯t kill me, you will?¡± The Acolyte joked, though he continued twitching at every sound. ¡°No. Nothing yet.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± TJ nodded, keeping his every gesture calm. ¡°Why? Has it been too long? Are we going to die? What did you see?¡± Sarah immediately spiraled into a panic attack as TJ spoke, glancing back and forth while she prepared her posture to run. ¡°No, I was just thinking that, since the forest or whatever it was that did it was able to move bushes to be in our path, that it might try to move or hide our stack of rocks while we couldn¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re lost forever.¡± Sarah¡¯s legs buckled for a moment but she forced herself to her feet after doing so. TJ forced himself to remember how he¡¯d forced himself to react every time Junior had felt like this. He¡¯d always spiral whenever told no. If TJ said, ¡°No, no bike rides today¡±, Junior would say ¡°Never? You hate riding bikes!¡± and dissolve into a puddle of tears. Now, he had to deal with adults stronger than him in his Divine Transformation while their mentalities fell apart just as quickly. ¡°We¡¯re ok as long as we¡¯re alive.¡± TJ said. ¡°We¡¯re all basically at full resources, so we should continue doing what we are now, seeing if that will help us get home. Right? Anybody have any other ideas that might help us move faster?¡± Rebekkah was the only one who answered in the negative, the other three still fighting off the trembles of terror. With no other ideas, TJ internally groaned. He suspected that alone, he could escape the forest before too long, moving quickly and being mostly safe from ambushes from anything weaker than a wendigo. He was tempted to do so, but beyond it being unnecessary, that wasn¡¯t the kind of person he was. The desperation of the Tutorial was real, and TJ was here for himself. Even so, he refused to leave people behind simply for convenience. There was no danger to him, and beyond that, it was his fault that they were all here. Their safety was his responsibility. As he made the decision, TJ¡¯s mentality shifted, and he walked forward to put a hand on Farid and Sarah¡¯s shoulders. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. Rebekkah and I are mostly resisting the Fear, so you can see it¡¯s possible. We¡¯re here for you, and we won¡¯t leave you behind. Ok?¡± Still shivering, Zig grinned in a face that was honestly more of a grimace. ¡°Are you trying to raise a death flag for us?¡± ¡°Not sure what that¡¯s supposed to mean, but no, if you¡¯re saying that my words will somehow kill you.¡± Zig nodded, reaching out to place a hand on my own shoulder. ¡°I appreciate it. Now, let¡¯s get out of this hell.¡± The rest of the hunting party on board, TJ led the way. The few times he¡¯d taken a group of Junior¡¯s friends to the park, it had felt something like this, since most of the people under his protection were largely helpless and easily confused, but when the first ambush caught up to them, it was immediately made apparent in what way these violence-prone adults different from toddlers on a slide. Disregarding caution, wisdom, or planning, when a pack of four coyotes appeared, Zig immediately drew and loosed three arrows, every one splitting into eight. Twenty four faintly glimmering missiles lodged up to the fletching in the canines and all but one dropped to the ground while the survivor tried to hobble into the forest. Before it could get more than three steps away, Sarah flashed forward, her hatchet glimmering with the light from her Skill. ¡°Sarah, don¡¯t!¡± TJ called out, but to no avail. The empowered axe chopped through the creature¡¯s skull in a single swing, though she activated her Skill again and used it to chop through its spine afterwards. It fell to the ground in two parts, though Sarah still looked like she needed to find something else to hit. Her weapon began to glow a third time, but TJ rushed forward and placed his hand on hers. Sarah startled, seeming to begin to rear back for another attack. ¡°It¡¯s ok! They¡¯re all dead! You¡¯re just exhausting yourself for nothing. Calm down, we¡¯re going to keep moving. We¡¯re safe now, so thank you for working for us. Ok?¡± Sarah¡¯s nostrils flared as she restrained her panting, the adrenaline of the opportunity to slay one of the things that preyed on her fears purging the worst of the terror. Even so, her emotions remained heightened and she twitched as the sound of blood dripping to the ground rustled dry leaves and pine needles underfoot. TJ attempted to soothe her, but every word he said didn¡¯t seem to sink through to her. Eventually, he gave up and instead looked at the others. Farid had closed his eyes as he rocked back and forth with his clenched fists pressed to his ears while Zig took calming breaths as she grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Shouldn¡¯t have done that. Almost emptied my MP.¡± Zig apologized as they reserved circling the area. After three more rotations, an ambush of pukwudgies occurred, taking both Rebekkah and Sarah by surprise. Zig and Farid again threw an excessive response at the monsters, killing one and nothing else. Fortunately, none of the wounds sustained were severe, but Rebekkah healed herself and Sarah while looking at TJ in growing concern. Though she refused to verbalize it and set the three terrified hunters to spiraling again, TJ knew what her fear here was. The monsters would continue whittling them down until they died to attacks they easily could have survived before. One more rotation later, five javelinas sprang from behind the cover of a bush and rushed forward, silver streaking their rush. Sarah¡¯s overreaction was helpful that time, her shield and ax glowing as she charged forward and cut through everything she could touch. The moment when she ran out of MP was obvious, as she sagged and took a hit from a tusk that cut through her shield and stabbed deep into her thigh. As it happened, something in Sarah broke and, instead of her reckless attacking like before, she sprinted away, the fear she¡¯d suppressed overwhelming her. ¡°Take care of the last ones!¡± TJ shouted as he rushed after Sarah. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere!¡± TJ was forced to use Divine Transformation and Wind Manipulation to catch up to her, pushing himself forward with gusts of wind and pulling her back with the occasional inhale. Nearly a minute passed, but TJ finally managed to wrap his body around her legs enough for her mind-numbing panic to subside. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry. I-I-I don¡¯t know why I did that.¡± Sarah gasped, trying to gather her breath. ¡°Well, I¡¯m lucky you held onto the mountain lion without thinking. I doubt I could have caught you without that weighing you down.¡± TJ answered, trying to stay positive. Just as he wondered if they¡¯d be able to find the rest of the party, a rustling through the trees and bushes approached. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 64 Sarah trembled in his hands but turned and held her hatchet wardingly as the sounds approached. She trembled and sobbed, but even so, she kept her weapon aloft and threatened whatever approached with the brandished woodcutting instrument. Before the mystery creature stepped into view, it called out, ¡°Wait!¡± TJ immediately recognized the voice and felt foolish, but Sarah¡¯s eyes went wide and wild. ¡°It¡¯s just us. Farid freaked out and started to follow you, so, to make sure we all stayed together, we decided to follow.¡± Rebekkah poked her head out from behind a tree with a mollifying smile. Sarah still nearly hurled her ax, but TJ held a calming hand on her elbow while slowly guiding the steel item back to her side. Now that the Zealot wasn¡¯t threatening death and dismemberment on their allies, TJ sunk to a squat and knuckled at his eyes, hard. What little patience he had been able to garner was instead overwhelmed by frustration and rage. He was just trying to get back to his kid, and now these three idiots were in the way. The temptation to abandon them in the forest was immense. After all, they would continue to kill anything that came near them until they themselves were killed, and while that wasn¡¯t the ideal turn of events, it would be enough. No. TJ was frustrated and angry and a mix of most other negative emotions right now, but he wouldn¡¯t leave people to die. That this was not the first time that he had to convince himself of that in just ten minutes wasn¡¯t something he wanted to confront just now. After all, if he had to think too much about it, he¡¯d lose his mind. Instead, he reached a hand out to Sarah, who had no idea what he was asking. ¡°Hand me the hatchet.¡± Though she obviously hesitated to do so, Sarah handed over the weapon. Then, with a scream of emotional release, TJ slammed it into the nearest tree one, two, three times. On the fifth hit, the tall ponderosa creaked. On the eighth, it leaned. On the tenth, it fell. With a groan and cracking branches, the ponderosa pine slammed to the ground, the boon of the fallen thousands of pounds of tree echoing through the forest. TJ sighed, straightened his back, and grinned. ¡°Ok. I feel better now. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± ¡°You¡­ you sure?¡± Zig asked, her face half frightened and half confused. ¡°Yup.¡± TJ tossed the hatchet towards Sarah, who caught it and shrugged around the huge mountain lion she still carried. ¡°Now, keep carrying your load, don¡¯t worry about the forest around us, and keep moving.¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Following his own command, TJ settled the large javelina more comfortably around his shoulders and led the team in a continued path. Two more circuits were completed, and they were ambushed one more time by pukwudgies. As the hail of javelins fell, TJ was their focus this time, and he used Wind Manipulation to push them away from piercing him directly. Zig tried to use her Arrow Shower, but after the arrow divided a single time, she staggered and nearly fell from the MP depletion. She shrugged off helping hands and continued on her way, her eyes darting back and forth with mounting terror. Two more circuits were completed, and TJ was sure, as he clambered over the fallen tree, that whatever was adjusting the forest had fully twisted them around. ¡°THERE!¡± Four of the party freaked out at the sudden scream, but Farid didn¡¯t care. He sprinted in a direction, basically following the direction the trunk had fallen. TJ was the first to understand Farid¡¯s excitement, but the others followed suit thereafter. Like before, they ignored brambles, thorns, and any other tripping hazard in their desperate search for escape. Now that they had a hope, a sort of a guiding beacon, their flight was no longer fueled by desperation, but by hope. TJ could see the Fear being pushed out of his companions¡¯ minds, and he hoped beyond hope that Farid wasn¡¯t mistaken or merely deluded. If this ended with them unsure of where they were, then TJ was sure that it would be soul-crushing. When Farid pointed at a spot to avoid because it was where an untriggered trap was, the entire group sighed in relief, knowing that they had, in fact, found the right trail. Surprisingly, the stoic, put-together Rebekkah had the most explosive reaction as she collapsed to the ground in a heap of sobs. TJ couldn¡¯t understand her barely audible prayers, but what little he understood was enough to know she was grateful, not bitter or angry. He leaned down and patted the woman¡¯s shoulder, a grounding she seemed to appreciate as she leaned her tear-stricken face against his hand. TJcouldn¡¯t quite understand her viewpoint, but before he could ask any clarifying questions, something tickled at the back of his neck, a warning of something nearby. He whirled, looking for whatever it was that was creating this feeling. The wind didn¡¯t tell him anything, seeming not to understand whatever it was that was off-putting to him. Zig, the hunter with the highest Perception, didn¡¯t feel it either, or at least she didn¡¯t respond when TJ gestured to her. Then, as he dismissed it as an aftereffect of the Fear, a breathy voice whispered in his ear, ¡°You feel me. You know I¡¯m here.¡± Turning wildly, there was nothing there. Nothing to let him know that the voice he heard was real. The others reacted to his panic, but he held up a hand to stall any speaking. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡­ was right!¡± The being or monster screamed. ¡°You¡¯ve finally touched enough of the divine to feel my touch. To hear my words. To feel my pain.¡± At its words, a crippling loneliness, the distinct feeling of being forgotten by a close friend, of being abandoned by those who should have protected you washed over TJ. He groaned involuntarily, the emotional anguish of being left to suffer and die filling him. TJ involuntarily groaned as he bent over, the chill of an icy knife in his belly, nearly as physically agonizing as the wendigo¡¯s claws when they¡¯d pierced him. ¡°You abandoned me! You left me to die! You didn¡¯t help me, you watched my death! You forgot me. You let my son grow up without a mother!¡± The spirit¡¯s words struck TJ like a physical blow, it¡¯s hatred haunting him. More than that, the hissing whisper slowly became a voice TJ recognized, one he knew intimately. A voice he¡¯d heard sing and shout and cry and whisper and murmur and laugh. Mari¡¯s voice. Mari was here. Mari¡­ hated him? Blamed him for her death? ¡°You rejoiced when I died, didn¡¯t you? You got a life insurance payout, got to have everything taken care of for years, and now you¡¯re wandering around the forest with some other woman.¡± ¡°No!¡± He shouted, uncaring of the reactions of the others. ¡°I¡¯ve never forgotten you! I spray your perfume on your pillow every Saturday. I tell Junior the stories of how we met, where we dated, and how much you loved being his mom! Every day, I talk about how important you were, no, are to him!¡± ¡°Liar!¡± Mari hissed, her form materializing in front of him. A pillar of light fell from between the trees, and a mist coalesced into her bone-achingly familiar form. She wore the same yoga pants and loose tank top she¡¯d died in, her blood and the stains from the asphalt staining the white of her shirt. ¡°You were grateful for that money!¡± ¡°Of course I was grateful to have half a million dollars, but I¡¯d pay it back with all the interest in the world if it meant I could see you again. I¡¯d sell the world for you, and you think some fucking money would change that for me?¡± ¡°Words are cheap, husband.¡± Mari whispered, her fingers trailing down TJ¡¯s tear stricken face. ¡°Prove your devotion. Your love.¡± Alarm bells rang in TJ¡¯s mind. Mari never wanted any proof from him, other than a kiss and a foot rub. Then, he smelled her perfume. Sweet. And perfect. ¡°What do you need?¡± He asked, his mind slipping away from his concerns. Zig and Farid were saying something, but it didn¡¯t matter. Only his wife did. ¡°Can you get me a body?¡± Her tone was reasonable, normal. TJ didn¡¯t question the request. ¡°Of course. How can I get you a body?¡± ¡°That redheaded one¡¯s will do nicely.¡± ¡°What do I need to do for you?¡± ¡°Kill her of course. Make sure not to damage the body too much, hon.¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ll make sure it isn¡¯t too damaged.¡± TJ turned to Zig, sure she¡¯d understand what he was going to request. It was for his wife, so of course she wouldn¡¯t mind, right? ¡°Zig?¡± ¡°You¡¯re scaring me, TJ. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I just need something from you. It¡¯s just that¨C¡± Mari¡¯s screams of agony cut through his reasonable request. Whirling, TJ watched as that bitch Rebekkah¡¯s flames cut into Mari¡¯s spirit. He didn¡¯t hesitate to activate Divine Transformation and jump in front of the fire. Rebekkah stopped her Skill nearly immediately after he interposed himself, and TJ leapt towards her, his jaws wide open. She¡¯d pay for attacking Mari. For laying hands on his wife! He¡¯d prove his devotion. ¡°APPRAISE IT!¡± Zig screamed as she tried to wrench him from his path. Sarah dared to stop his defence of his wife, her shield appearing and smashing his back from attacking. He roared his wrath as he was pushed away. ¡°Please TJ!¡± Farid pleaded. ¡°Just Appraise the thing you¡¯re talking to! Then you can do what you want!¡± ¡°Back the fuck off.¡± Sarah growled. She didn¡¯t plead. She held her shield aloft, her eyes glowering behind her shield held high. Mari¡¯s whispers prodded him to keep attacking, to get her that body, but the wind said to do as they asked. Out of the corner of his eye, Mari leaned forward, tears streaking her face. ¡°Please. Baby, I just want to be with you.¡± Chindi, 8 The Appraisal told him something that shook the surety from his mind. He gritted his teeth as he asked the System aloud, ¡°What¡¯s a Chindi?¡± Chindi is, according to the Navajo belief, the spiritual remains of those who have died. It is all that is malevolent and malicious of those who have died. NOTE: Due to your Title as an Elite Hunter, you learn that this Chindi is an Elite monster. Mari reacted as quickly as the System. She fled without another word, the mist fading to nothing in the shadow, and as her presence faded, TJ¡¯s certainty that she was, in fact, his wife, faded. He dropped his Divine Transformation and stumbled away. ¡°The hell is wrong with you?¡± Zig demanded. TJ shook his head and stumbled away in the direction of the highway. Before anyone else could make any other demands of him, a group of ten more damned pukwudgies appeared and hurled their spears. Though their opening salvo took TJ by surprise, the fury bubbled up inside him again, and he activated Divine Transformation. The rest of his party was most out of resources, but he, having been so careful to maintain his MP after gaining a level, lost all sense of rationality. With a roar and a hiss, TJ conjured a tornado that ripped from his mouth, the air tearing leaves and branches from everything in its path. The spears flew in every direction without any target, and as the pukwudgies resisted being yanked from their perches in the trees overhead, TJ maintained the tornado while compressing a half dozen spears of wind to blast them from their position. He sent them forward as he felt his MP falling. TJ didn¡¯t care, and as the six bodies met each other in the center of the maelstrom, wind shredded their bodies, and TJ didn¡¯t stop until his MP was reduced to 0. He didn¡¯t care. There needed to be something to vent his rage, and TJ smashed the pukwudgie bodies in front of him, uncaring for anything but the opportunity to kill something. The blinding headache suddenly faded, and TJ was pulled from his mindless fury for long enough to notice the System notifications. Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 10. Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Point currently available. Skill Selection available. Race: Human has advanced to level 10. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Points currently available. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 65 TJ was saved from the killer headache by the levels gained, but his mind was far from capable of merely moving past what he¡¯d just experienced. He deactivated his Divine Transformation, still surrounded by the massacred bodies of the pukwudgies. Though they asked, TJ disregarded every question that came at him, instead stalking away and running his fingers through his hair in a doomed attempt of calming his mind. It did nothing, and as the gained levels had returned his emptied MP and partially depleted Stamina, he had nervous energy in spades. With a grunt, TJ leaned down and grabbed the javelina he¡¯d dropped once he¡¯d seen Mari¡¯s face. Slinging it over his shoulder, he began walking towards the edge of the forest, now barely visible. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No, you can¡¯t pull that shit.¡± Zig shouted, though without approaching him too closely. ¡°Were you about to attack me? Why?¡± TJ merely grunted, the sight of Mari¡¯s sobbing face filling his mind. Could it really have been her? If it had, would she really have been so bitter? Or was it because the chindi was merely all the anger and disappointment that was left behind by her death? There were too many questions that this monster¡¯s existence brought up, and the only person TJ could think to ask wasn¡¯t here. Thus, he needed to return to town. ¡°Stop.¡± Sarah commanded as she stepped in front of TJ and dropped the mountain lion¡¯s corpse. ¡°You need to answer some questions. If you¡¯re going to act like this, then why would we let you come back to town? You¡¯re at least as dangerous as one of the Elite monsters, and if you¡¯re going to snap and try to kill people¡­ I don¡¯t know if we can let you leave.¡± Without thinking, TJ shrugged his shoulders. She would dare challenge him like this? After he saved their lives and stuck with them? Then, before he responded in his anger, TJ watched as Rebekkah stared at him. Her entire body trembled with fear and each shuddering breath. Zig stood with her bow in hand, an arrow already conjured on the string. Even Farid had one of his javelins at the ready, and TJ fought to master his immediate reaction to all this. He¡¯d need to see from their point of view, and from what little he¡¯d shown thus far, he was a loose cannon that was looking to get them all killed at their earliest convenience. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry. To better explain, I would like to know what you all saw, because I¡¯m sure it¡¯s different from what she, no, it showed me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything until Rebekkah burned it.¡± Farid offered, looking at the three women. ¡°Did you see something?¡± Zig and Sarah shook their heads in the negative, but Rebekkah nodded. ¡°It was a¡­ ghost, or something. I couldn¡¯t see it very well, but right when you started to talk to it, it got more and more visible until I could kind of see a woman in it. Then, you¡­ got really scary. The way you looked at Zig, it was like she was prey for you. So I tried to burn it, and then you know what happened.¡± ¡°Yeah, when it started to burn, I could see something. Just like¡­ a face that was in agony and so angry. So¡­ angry.¡± Farid shivered at the memory, and TJ fought to change his perception of the spirit. Maybe it truly wasn¡¯t his wife. It could be that it was merely a formless monster. ¡°Ok. I saw it as my wife. I saw Mari¡¯s face, and she knew who I was. She talked about our son, how she died, and the life insurance payout that I got after she was killed. Every word she spoke drew me in more and more. She accused me of forgetting her, of being happy she died. That I was trying to replace her. So she said she could come back if she had Zig¡¯s body.¡± All four of the people who had gone on the hunt with him recoiled at the admission, at the thought that he¡¯d sacrifice her for his wife. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and before continuing on his speech, he asked the System aloud, ¡°What afflictions have I been under the influence of in the past ten minutes?¡± You have suffered from a minor Fear and a severe Charmed affliction in the past ten minutes. ¡°What¡¯s the effect of a severe Charmed affliction?¡± Severe Charmed affliction: While still in the presence of the source of your Charm, you will be 600% more likely to agree with whatever the source of the affliction suggests. You will be 500% more likely to feel positively about the source of the affliction, and you will be 400% more likely to do whatever it is that the source of the affliction requests. TJ sighed and swore more under his breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I never would have guessed that I was being Charmed. I wouldn¡¯t have known that was an affliction. I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry Zig, for being deceived. I¡¯m sorry Rebekkah, for taking it out on you. Farid, Sarah, I¡¯m sorry for losing myself.¡± The four other hunters obviously checked with the System with what he was saying. Zig was the first to speak, her voice still accusatory. ¡°What level?¡± ¡°Severe.¡± She asked the System again, and getting its answer, asked in disbelief, ¡°Really? That bad?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know why it was that strong, but I guess it was because it¡¯s an Elite? I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°If it was an Elite, we were lucky. Probably not a creature meant to fight head on, since a wendigo could have done a lot more to us in that case.¡± Zig mused, still keeping her distance from TJ. However, his explanation seemed to be enough for now, as she gestured for the others to gather their assigned monster corpses. ¡°You walk in front for now please.¡± Sarah demanded as she gestured for TJ to lead the way. He didn¡¯t complain, welcoming the opportunity to be back in his own thoughts. Mari wouldn¡¯t have ever treated him that way, but, if it was just the most negative parts of her without the tempering of her laughter, her sweetness, her care, and her love, then could she have been so bitter? ¡°In the future,¡± he asked the System, ¡°how can I resist Fear or Charm?¡± Wisdom and Willpower are the primary attributes necessary for any individual to resist any mental affliction. Though there are items and Skills that allow for a Participant to better resist the effects and infliction of afflictions, the primary determiner of whether an individual resists part of or the entirety of an affliction comes from their Wisdom and Willpower. Though Wisdom was far from his highest attribute, that Willpower was the other determiner and his very high Willpower wasn¡¯t enough was a sobering thought for TJ. When the Chindi inevitably returned, TJ couldn¡¯t say how they¡¯d be able to deal with it, even if they had the entirety of the town to help. TJ shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts and fears free while he was at it. After all, he couldn¡¯t allow himself to wallow in this. The only reason why he was trying to be the one to ascend to the Throne was because that would allow him to return to life with his wife and son. Immediate goal, complete the Tutorial and see Junior. Secondary goal, somehow win the whole thing. That idea was overwhelming, but the long term goal and end result was what he focused on. With that in mind, TJ rolled his shoulders, settling the javelina across his shoulders more comfortably before pulling up his Status. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Human ¨C lvl 10 Class: Neophyte lvl 10 Occupation: Savage lvl 10 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 610/610 Mana Points (MP): 440/440 Stamina: 600/600 Attributes Strength: 30 Agility: 29 Endurance: 67 Vitality: 69 Toughness: 57 Wisdom: 37 Intelligence: 47 Perception: 45 Willpower: 58 Fixation: 49 Free Points: 2 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 1:00:45 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Current cooldown: 0:00 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Coatl ¨C lvl 10 Class: Neophyte lvl 10 Occupation: Savage lvl 10 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 1380/1380 Mana Points (MP): 470/470 Stamina: 1340/1340 Attributes Strength x2: 60 Agility x1.5: 44 Endurance x2: 134 Vitality x2: 138 Toughness x2: 114 Wisdom: 37 Intelligence: 47 Perception x1.5: 68 Willpower: 58 Fixation: 49 Free Points: 2 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Divine Trial Records 2 Minor, 0 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial He hadn¡¯t looked at the Status while in the Chindi¡¯s Forest, as he started to think of it, so seeing the changes those three levels he¡¯d gained had on the Status as a whole was heartening. The fear and rage that boiled inside of him threatened to wipe away all rational thought, but TJ fought to focus instead on what was currently in front of his eyes. Level 10 across all three possibilities, though he hadn¡¯t gained anything in particular from reaching level 10 as a human like how he¡¯d gained the Appraisal Skill from level 5. Divine Transformation could now last for over an hour, though only just barely. There were two more Free Points that he nearly decided to throw right into Intelligence but decided against as he was reminded that he had a new Skill to select. He would decide where to place those Free Points after choosing that new Skill. A part of him thought it might be more prudent to wait until he was back in town, but the need to occupy his mind was too great, and TJ pulled up the Skill selection options. He was surprised to see three returning Skill options. Shredding Bite: Though born a human, you have embraced the savagery of combat that a bestial form lends. As a predator, your teeth are sharp, and as a serpent, your mouth is built to swallow creatures whole while your teeth prohibit their escape. Even so, you have used your mouth to shred and tear, to rip and destroy. This Skill will strengthen and broaden your fangs as a coatl to teeth meant to tear creatures apart. In addition, this Skill will grant an additional +1 Strength attribute per level of Neophyte, to be applied retroactively. Crushing Body: Though born a human, you have embraced the savagery of combat that a bestial form lends. As a predator, your body is hardened, and as a serpent, your entire body is an instrument of destructive potential. In keeping with your serpentine nature, you have broken body and bone, crushed organ and flesh with the force of your constriction. This Skill will strengthen your musculature as a coatl and human alike to better allow you to destroy the bodies of your enemies, not just through constriction, but through any bludgeoning force. In addition, this Skill will grant an additional +1 Strength attribute per level of Neophyte, to be applied retroactively. Mindful Mouth: A serpent can taste the world around them, and you have embraced this shift in perception, tasting the air as you move and live. This Skill will better hone your ability to taste and smell the world around you while you are in the form of a coatl or its subsequent evolutions. The bonus to Perception from being in the form of a coatl will change from x1.5 to x2. Though he¡¯d ultimately chosen not to go with any of these Skills, TJ still felt the allure of Shredding Bite and Crushing Body. An additional 10 Strength, 20 while using Divine Transformation, would be immense. He¡¯d already begun to feel himself lag behind in the physical department and this would serve to close that gap. Mindful Mouth still didn¡¯t appeal to him, so instead, TJ looked at the other two Skill options. Raging Coatl, (Copper (I)): You are a Neophyte of Kukulkan, and you have indulged in the fury of your bloodline. This Skill will allow you to fully lose yourself in the bloodlust and fury of your Divine Transformation. While using the Divine Transformation Skill, you will gain a 50% increase to every one of your attributes. In addition, you will gain the Fearless and Painless conditions while using your Divine Transformation. As a consequence, while using the Divine Transformation Skill, you will be inflicted with severe levels of the Bloodthirsty, Enraged, and Frenzied afflictions. Wind Scythe, (Copper (I)): You are a Descendant of Kukulkan, and have displayed a familiarity with his rule over the winds. This Skill will better hone your ability to use Wind Manipulation as a weapon. This Skill will strengthen the cutting power of Wind Manipulation while decreasing the MP cost of all usage of the Wind Manipulation Skill with the intent to cut. TJ supposed he should be grateful to have such varied Skills to choose from, as with so many options placed before him, he could distract himself long past the time it would take to arrive home. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 66 As he considered his options, their travels took them out of the bounds of the Chindi¡¯s Forest and onto the highway. There, though part of him longed merely to continue musing over the Skill options, TJ figured that it would be for the best if he paid more attention to their surroundings. He peered around, looking for whatever could be nearby. As he did so, Rebekkah walked up next to him and placed a hand on his elbow. Looking down at the slightly shorter woman, TJ tried to look as open and honest as he could manage. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for your reaction.¡± Rebekkah said. ¡°There may be others who cannot help but to blame, and if so, that is their prerogative. Do know that I forgive you your weakness in that harrowing moment.¡± TJ couldn¡¯t bring words through the lump in his throat, the unexpected ball of emotion threatening to overwhelm him completely. Instead, he merely nodded his gratitude. ¡°That said,¡± Rebekkah continued, ¡°you need to make a decision. Will you live in the past? Will you lose today in yesterday and allow the pains and sufferings of a life lost too soon to steal all opportunity for happiness? Or will you allow tomorrow to be brighter than today, allow that pain to wash over you and through you and then leave you in its wake?¡± There was a soft yet pained tone to her voice, something that warned TJ of her wisdom. ¡°You lost a spouse?¡± ¡°My second son would be 13, if he hadn¡¯t drowned in a neighbor¡¯s pool.¡± Rebekkah answered, the mental image shaking TJ to his core. ¡°My family and I nearly broke from his death, but we¡¯ve recovered. We miss him dearly, but there is a future without him. We will see him when we return to God¡¯s arms.¡± ¡°You really think there¡¯s a God out here when all this shit is happening? Really?¡± TJ whispered in disbelief. ¡°How can you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re hurt, and bitter, and I understand.¡± Rebekkah answered, surprisingly calm after the insult. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have said¨C¡± ¡°You meant what you said, and I forgive you. To answer, I hope there is a True God out here now. I hope that He hears our prayers and witnesses our suffering and is here for us. I hope He feels my fear and washes it away with the certainty of His divinity. There is much I hoped for before all this and much more I pray for now.¡± ¡°Even though the System said the Divine Throne is empty? It sure seems like it knows everything.¡± TJ doubted. ¡°I¡¯ll believe the things it says that I can see. Maybe it¡¯s a bit hypocritical to say that as a woman of faith, but I¡¯ve found my path, and I¡¯ll keep hoping it¡¯s right.¡± Rebekkah laughed. ¡°And you know, if there isn¡¯t one right now, there will be. So, whoever it is, I¡¯ll pray for their well-being and mercy and love.¡± Though he couldn¡¯t bring himself to agree with the idea, TJ also couldn¡¯t bring himself to continue thinking she was foolish for hoping. Sarah and Zig listened to the conversation while still keeping their distance from him. Farid approached, clapped a hand on TJ¡¯s shoulder, and smiled. Half of the people who¡¯d been affected by him succumbing to the Chindi¡¯s influence were willing to extend the olive branch, and he felt obligated to reach out again, more honestly, to Sarah and Zig. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know that there isn¡¯t much of anything that I can do to prove myself, but I¡¯ll do what I can to gain your forgiveness.¡± Then, without pushing his apology further, TJ continued walking the trail and paying more attention to their surroundings while trying to decide what to choose for his Skill. Of the two new Skills, the easier to address was Wind Scythe. It read to be somewhat underwhelming, if he was honest. A large part of this was due to the generic, unclear phrasing the Skill¡¯s description had. ¡°Strengthen¡± and ¡°Decrease¡± were basically useless for him in terms of understanding exactly how much impact the Skill would have on him. Regardless, that the Skill was Copper tier was enough to speak of its potential and potency. Though there was plenty that he did with Wind Manipulation that didn¡¯t involve cutting, it was quickly becoming his chief use of the Skill. Thus, even with the vague and generally unexciting language in the Skill description, it was a contender. The more complex and confusing Skill was, of course, Raging Coatl. The blanket 50% boost to every one of his attributes was beyond what he¡¯d believed possible. Effectively, it would double the strength of his Divine Transformation, though not solely on the attributes he already received. Even so, that increase was more than enough for TJ to want to take it outright. The rest of the Skill¡¯s description, though, gave him pause. First, the phrase, ¡°fully lose yourself in the bloodlust and fury of your Divine Transformation¡± was far from a pleasant idea. Like with Wind Scythe, the description wasn¡¯t clear on what exactly it offered in this case. He felt he was relatively sure that the three afflictions that the Skill would permanently inflict on him while using the Skill would illuminate that concern, though. Before that, though, he wanted to understand the two other conditions that Divine Transformation would give him with Raging Coatl. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fearless condition: While under the influence of this condition, your resistance to the Fear affliction and its variants is increased by 300%. Painless condition: While under the influence of this condition, your susceptibility to pain will be reduced by 75%. On their face, TJ saw the benefits from these conditions, as being Fearless almost certainly would have saved him from being affected at all by the Chindi. The Painless condition would save him from being crippled by taking a severe hit, though he hadn¡¯t yet found himself crippled by pain. On the other hand, he also immediately understood the potential problems posed by these conditions. He knew the reasons why the human body felt pain and fear, and they weren¡¯t small. Pain let the mind know that he was damaged, and fear allowed the body to react more decisively to dangerous situations. Did he want to neuter himself like that? Then, there were the three Severe afflictions the Skill would put on him. ¡°As a consequence, while using the Divine Transformation Skill, you will be inflicted with severe levels of the Bloodthirsty, Enraged, and Frenzied afflictions¡±. TJ hadn¡¯t encountered these afflictions, and as he checked them, he was more and more sure that he wasn¡¯t ready to be so debilitated while using his primary Skill from his Class. Severe Bloodthirsty affliction: While under the influence of this affliction, the afflicted will suffer from a 500% increase in their desire to attack and harm others. In addition, the affliction¡¯s duration will be extended by one minute each time that the afflicted draws another¡¯s blood. Severe Enraged affliction: While under the influence of this affliction, the afflicted will suffer from an 80% reduction in their ability to engage in rational thought. In addition, the afflicted will be 300% more likely to experience surges in their emotional state with each inconvenience that occurs. Severe Frenzied affliction: While under the influence of this affliction, the afflicted will gain a 60% resistance to all positive and calming effects. In addition, the afflicted will lose 60 HP per minute if they cease all movement or are forced to cease all movement. TJ couldn¡¯t help but sigh in response to reading the descriptions. All the afflictions and conditions combined would probably force him to devolve into a mindless, ravening beast for the entirety of the time that he spent using Divine Transformation. That may serve him later, after the Tutorial, but for now, he had to work with other people. If, at the time to defend the grocery store, he exhausted himself in a bloodthirsty rage, he¡¯d die. If, even worse, he attacked one of the other defenders, he¡¯d be killed by his allies, and he couldn¡¯t blame them. ¡°If I get the Skill to come back at a later time, like what happened with Introductory Divine Primitive Craftsmanship?¡± There is a possibility of that occurring, though in order for a Skill to be offered again at a later opportunity with an improved grade, it would be necessary for you to have improved your usage of the precursor of the Skill being offered. As an example, before you were offered the Introductory Divine Primitive Craftsmanship, you created a Copper tiered item. Thus, if you wish to be offered a higher tier of the Raging Coatl Skill, you must first act in a way that proves that your steps on the Path are those of a Raging Coatl. With his answer received, TJ fully dismissed the Skill. In the world after the Tutorial, the Skill might be worth much more to him, but he had a goal to complete, and with specific tasks assigned to him, he knew that Raging Coatl would be a detriment, not a benefit. Then, there was the other Copper tiered Skill offered. Wind Scythe was impressive in name, and he¡¯d already named a particular use of his Skill the same thing. Then, he knew that he¡¯d be much deadlier with this additional aspect to his Skill heightened. Even so, efficiency in using the Skill didn¡¯t seem like it was the best choice to make. After all, he could already do those things, and he knew from asking before about other skills that getting a Skill for something specific would allow him to do that something better than he could without it. Even so, did he feel like his Wind Manipulation wasn¡¯t deadly enough? No. His Skill was already capable of cutting through Elites, and though he was sure that the Boss could resist the Skill as it was, he had over a week to heighten his abilities and attributes. Who knew, he could even reach the Copper tier of Divinity by then. Regardless, he didn¡¯t think that his Wind Manipulation needed the bonus from Wind Scythe. Thus, he returned to the three Skills that had been offered to him before. Mindful Mouth was still off the table, so TJ needed to choose between Shredding Bite and Crushing Body. In the basic terms, both of the Skills served the same basic function¨Cgive him more points in Strength and serve to enhance a part of his physical combat abilities in the coatl form. That this would also help him to a lesser extent when Divine Transformation had to recover wasn¡¯t something to be forgotten, given that there was effectively no way that he would gain enough levels by the end of the two weeks to leave him capable of maintaining the Skill for the 18 hour defense listed in the Tutorial¡¯s description. Thus, the decision came down to if he wanted to reinforce his ability to constrict whatever he wrapped up, or the strength of his bite. TJ knew what snakes did to kill their prey¨Cvenomous bites or constriction. That was how they killed. Conventional knowledge would suggest that he follow the same path, either gain venom or become a constrictor of sorts. Conventional knowledge could go rot in a hole. TJ was a magical monster, and he wasn¡¯t going to make a decision on which Skill to take based off of how mundane snakes existed. He was a descendent of the Feathered Serpent Kukulkan, known as Quetzalcoatl and a badass flying serpent. And, frankly, TJ wanted to be like a dragon. With that thought in mind, TJ made his Skill selection and felt his body grow stronger. Skill: Shredding Bite acquired. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 67 TJ felt it was strange to leave behind Copper tiered Skills in favor of one that had been offered to him at the very first opportunity. Sure, he hadn¡¯t taken it at that time, but now he had and though he welcomed the change, especially when seeing his Strength as a coatl soaring to 80. Even so, he¡¯d been assured by the System that Skills could continue to progress, and the idea that the Skill could offer greater changes to his attributes and ability to deal death was heartening. As the effects of the Skill settled over him, the party of haggard hunters stepped into the bounds of Pine. It may have all been in their heads, but TJ could feel the moment they arrived in the safe zone. It wasn¡¯t too far from his and Stanton¡¯s claimed home at this point, and TJ realized that he¡¯d have to move before too long, given the shrinking radius of safety that surrounded the general store. He¡¯d always hated moving, but given that none of the things that filled the home, except for the unprocessed javelina hides and wendigo bits, were his, it wouldn¡¯t be too troublesome. As he turned to stagger into his home, TJ groaned. The sun was beginning to set, and there was so much left to do. So much that even assigning the two Free Points he had settled over his soul with an annoying weight, but TJ refused to slow down. He was emotionally and physically exhausted, and that couldn''t matter. ¡°Do you want me to leave the materials to you? Or someone else? Or should I just get started tanning the hides and seeing what else we can do with these things?¡± ¡°Take em.¡± Zig answered, still curt. TJ didn¡¯t push, merely nodding and asking that they leave the bodies near enough to the house as to not inconvenience him. Sarah grunted and let the mountain lion corpse drop where she stood and took two steps away. Before anyone reacted to that, though, she turned around, picked it back up, carried it respectfully to the door, where she dropped it, muttered an apology to TJ, and walked off. It was so unexpected and just outright silly in the situation they found themselves in that the frosty air that had settled over the rest of the hunting party melted and most chuckled aloud. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say about that,¡± Zig said as she allowed a grin to crook at the corner of her mouth, ¡°but I think that¡¯s enough of being pissy. TJ, I don¡¯t think I can trust my back to you right now. Feelings are still too raw, frankly. Even so, I get you weren¡¯t really in control of yourself, and it isn¡¯t fair of us to be pissed at you when, while we didn¡¯t threaten you directly, you still stuck with us when we were in the middle of that Fear. I¡¯ll need time away from you to feel totally safe, but I still know you¡¯re on our side, and you don¡¯t deserve to be treated like shit. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡­ I appreciate it.¡± TJ changed from apologizing as well, instead accepting the apology. ¡°I understand why you might not want to be around me. Still have days of this left, though, and I hope we can still work together.¡± ¡°Sure. Have a good evening, snakey boy.¡± Then, Zig turned to walk to the firehouse after dropping the javelina corpse nearby. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine soon. I bet Sarah¡¯s just embarrassed.¡± Farid said, though he looked nowhere near as confident as his words made him seem. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m saying. But she¡¯s a friend and good people. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I might worry about it,¡± TJ answered, ¡°but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll wake up with a hatchet buried in my skull. Thanks, Farid. Have a good night.¡± ¡°Sure. If you need someone to come with you on a hunt, let me know! Just¡­ I don¡¯t think we should go back to that forest any time soon, how about you?¡± ¡°No. Not if I can help it.¡± TJ answered with a shudder. Rebekkah left without another word, though she groaned in relief as she dropped the corpse to the ground near the house. She nodded and walked towards the firehouse as well, making TJ wonder if he wanted to go there now and allow himself to relax. The thought of being left with nothing to do with his hands as the memories of Mari¡¯s face twisted by that monster¡¯s intent¡­ he didn¡¯t want to deal with that. Then again, there was Angelo he¡¯d wanted to speak to¡­ ¡°Rebekkah?¡± TJ called out as the woman continued walking. She turned. ¡°Could you ask Angelo to come visit me? I have a couple of questions I wonder if he can answer.¡± ¡°Of course. You can come as well.¡± ¡°Not this time.¡± TJ felt his smile grow bitter and brittle. Rebekkah merely nodded and continued on her way. TJ sighed and turned to the pile of five corpses. The four javelinas, now that they were out of the oppressive darkness of the Chindi¡¯s Forest, were vaguely silver, even without their charging Skill. Looking down at the corpses, TJ Appraised them again. Ironhide Javelina corpse. A mostly whole corpse of a javelina whose evolutionary path has been decided to be towards becoming more and more impenetrable and powerful in their charges. TJ hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the death notifications of the javelinas when they¡¯d died, but after asking the System to bring the notifications back, he saw that they were indeed called ¡°Ironhide Javelinas¡±. That probably meant the hides would be worth significantly more than those of the regular javelinas they¡¯d killed before, and TJ decided to skin the corpses immediately. With the Wendigo Blade and occasional bursts of wind that he sent through the tip of the Blade, TJ was quickly able to skin one of the javelinas. It was a less bloody affair now that he drew on attributes so much higher than before, and that paired with the much superior tool compared to his stones from before allowed TJ to be mostly through the second corpse¡¯s processing by the time Angelo turned the corner. ¡°Oh. Hi. You looking for help or something? I¡¯m a Medic, not a Tanner or whatever.¡± Angelo said, though he seemed entirely unphased by the bloody scene. ¡°Well, yes.¡± TJ grunted as he pulled the skin back off the flesh and tore it from the connective tissue. ¡°But not with this. I encountered something else from your people, and wondered if you¡¯d be able to tell me about it.¡± Angelo¡¯s easygoing stance shifted to become more guarded. ¡°Just because a lot of the stuff here is Indian doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s Navajo.¡± ¡°I know, the System already said that it¡¯s Navajo. Called a Chindi. Something you can talk about?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. But you shouldn¡¯t really talk about the recently dead.¡± Angelo hedged. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°Ran into what I thought was my dead wife¡¯s spirit.¡± TJ deliberately kept himself focused on the task at hand, trying not to focus on the reality of what he was saying. ¡°It was¡­ like all the angry, mean parts of her without all the good. It Charmed me, gave me an affliction that basically made me listen to what it said. Long story short, when I Appraised the thing, the System said it was a Chindi. I asked it what that was, and it just told me it¡¯s basically an evil spirit. Is this thing¡­ the ghost of my wife?¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s not exactly what Chindi is. Did your wife die in the Integration?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s been over a year.¡± TJ shook his head and Angelo shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s probably not her, then, unless she died near here. That said, the System is twisting and changing a lot of our beliefs, so it might just be presenting whatever it¡¯s making as if it were a Chindi. Or¡­¡± he trailed off, worrying at his lower lip for a moment as he thought. TJ didn¡¯t interrupt as he shucked the last of the second javelina¡¯s pelt from the body. ¡°It could be that it is a Chindi, and from someone who died in the forest. Then, strengthened by the System to become a monster, its power now allows it to better influence people who come near it. A Chindi is the representation of all that is evil, malicious, and angry left by a person, and this sounds like it could be that. I don¡¯t know anything else about this monster in particular, but did you pick something up in the forest that could have belonged to someone? Because Chindi is much less of a creature than a¡­ presence or a miasma. If you have an item from the dead, the Chindi will follow that, as the miasma is linked with that person¡¯s items.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we had anything like that.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°We killed some of the monsters there and so on, but no clothes or bones or whatever.¡± ¡°Well, then I think it might well be the spirits of those who died in that forest, empowered by the System and come to be something worse than what they¡¯re named.¡± Angelo shrugged, as though he couldn¡¯t be bothered to care much more about it. ¡°And I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s your wife. Maybe you said something that gave it that idea, and then it capitalized on it.¡± TJ sighed. ¡°I guess that¡¯s good news. Ok. Thanks.¡± ¡°Sure thing. Thanks for remembering my tribe. Before I go, you need any healing?¡± ¡°I leveled up just before this.¡± TJ shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks.¡± Angelo nodded and went his way towards the hunter¡¯s lodge, where he jogged in. On a whim, TJ continued to watch as the door opened, and inside the building he saw a surprising amount of bare flesh. TJ sighed and, without thinking about it, looked down at his hands. Across the road, the twenty-somethings were just losing themselves in sex and alcohol and whatever else that could take their minds off of the lives they now led. TJ, moping widower that he was, was elbow deep in viscera while he carved the skin from the flesh of javelinas. Self pity aside, the bodies needed to be processed and there was work still to do. TJ could feel the experience coming through as he did this most menial yet integral part of the processing of the hides. He grumbled to himself as he realized he hadn¡¯t prepared any fire or anything to boil the brains to smear on the hides once they were prepared, and TJ remembered the little aside the System had provided for him on the other hides he¡¯d prepared. ¡°the process artificially accelerated by the creator¡¯s presence in a Tutorial¡±. The longer he took to do this, the less experience would come his way. Unwilling to lose more time, TJ set to tearing into the third of the javelinas. These were just going to serve as the warmup for the much more interesting mountain lion. Its description, Tezcatlipoca-Blessed mountain lion, drew TJ¡¯s imagination, and after learning that Tezcatlipoca was the Aztec god of the night sky, he figured he knew where their near invisibility and incorporeality came from. So, he focused on cleanly, effectively carving the hides from the javelina corpses. The third was complete before long, and the fourth followed soon thereafter. Though he could feel that the next level was nowhere near, TJ still decided to take care of the cleaning of the hides and lathering on the brain mixture before touching the mountain lion. ¡°Mr. TJ! Hey! Where are you? You said we could come back later and get some more training, so here we are!¡± Molly¡¯s voice pulled TJ from his thinking about what exactly to do next, and as he looked down at all the materials and hides that still needed more attention, he called out to the two teenaged Crafters, ¡°I¡¯m out back! Hope you brought your gloves!¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 68 TJ had to admit that, though they¡¯d said they were willing to do the dirty work, he hadn¡¯t expected a whole lot from the two teenaged girls. After all, they were, as far as their conversation had told him, regular high schoolers before the Integration occurred. Now, he asked them to work scraping little bits of flesh and connective tissue from the pelts laid out in front of them before taking a brain paste soup thing and slathering it all over the pelt they¡¯d then prepared. And, though both Tessie and Molly winced and made gagging noises, it was more performative than real distaste. While his two assistants followed exactly what he¡¯d asked them to do, TJ rolled his shoulders and turned to skin the mountain lion while asking a couple questions. ¡°Our goal is to get you to level 5 for now. How much progress did you make while I was gone?¡± ¡°We¡¯re both level 3 now.¡± Tessie answered, keeping her focus on the pelt they were treating. ¡°I think we¡¯re getting close to 4.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m real close.¡± Molly agreed. ¡°We finished working with the other things you prepared for us and then there wasn¡¯t really a whole lot we could do. I carved something and got a tiny bit of experience, but it wasn¡¯t really worth it so I went on a little hunt with a bunch of other people. It¡¯s, like, super dangerous, but I got to level 5 in Neophyte!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not there yet.¡± Tessie moped. ¡°I don¡¯t have something like your Divine Transformation so it¡¯s hard to really get in there and I¡¯m a terrible shot with my bow.¡± ¡°OK.¡± TJ interrupted them. ¡°You¡¯re working with a higher tier of material now. These come from javelinas that were over level 5, so they¡¯re probably going to be able to push you over level 4. Then, as soon as you¡¯re level 4, stop what you¡¯re doing and tell me. We¡¯ll get you working with some wendigo materials once you¡¯re both level 4. I really don¡¯t want you to do just one thing and push yourself over the threshold. So, better to play it safe than sorry, ok?¡± The girls agreed to do so at the same time, though Molly looked a little miffed at being so directly commanded on what she should and shouldn¡¯t do. TJ didn¡¯t care and set to cutting the vaguely smoking hide from the mountain lion¡¯s corpse. He wasn¡¯t halfway through when Molly stepped close, though not so close as to be in arm¡¯s reach. ¡°I just hit level 4.¡± ¡°Already? And you, Tessie? You close?¡± She didn¡¯t answer for a moment, but as she put the final touches on spreading the javelina hide wide to dry, she turned with a tired smile. ¡°Yeah. Just hit 4.¡± ¡°Great.¡± TJ said as he looked down at his blood-covered hands and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up really quick then we¡¯ll move inside. You¡¯re probably getting a bit cold by now anyways, so wait inside.¡± Both the girls nodded as he said as much, but before they went in, Tessie asked, ¡°Can I wash my hands too? They¡¯re all gross.¡± ¡°Sure, both of you come with me. Might as well get a little cleaner, since the Wendigo stuff isn¡¯t too dirty.¡± ¡ª- After taking the necessary time to get clean and then warm inside where Stanton had built up the fire, the Crafters were ready to get the experience and Trial boost he hoped he could offer them. Stanton sat in front of the fire, watching with a possibly disapproving scowl. Or maybe just the scowl of an old man past his bedtime. ¡°These are what you¡¯re going to work with.¡± TJ explained as he held a whole wendigo claw in front of each of the girls. ¡°They¡¯re the fingers of the wendigo. Yes, don¡¯t make that look, I know it¡¯s gross. However, these are the best materials we¡¯ve got. Period. I managed to make something Copper tiered with them, and that counted as me completing a Minor Divine Trial. I don¡¯t know exactly what that means, but I can guarantee that they¡¯ll be important moving forward. More immediately impactful, though, was me getting better Skill options presented to me when I hit level 10. I want to see if I can get you guys a leg up at level 5. Make sense?¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Molly was the first to respond, happily nodding as she took the finger. ¡°What should I do with it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I should tell you.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you just following my instructions will count. Maybe it would give you a better chance of creating something at Copper tier, or maybe it¡¯ll end up keeping you from reaping the benefits I¡¯m hoping to give you. I won¡¯t make the decision for you, though. If you want me to coach you through it, I will, just know it might be worse for you.¡± Molly stopped to think about what TJ was offering, but Tessie made her decision immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself. I think I¡¯ll take it home tonight and see what I can come up with. Maybe, in the morning, I¡¯ll have an even better Skill than you!¡± Tessie grinned, putting her hand out to take the wendigo¡¯s finger. With a smile, TJ passed it over. ¡°Is there any general advice you want before you get working? Maybe materials you could or should use?¡± ¡°If I do, I¡¯ll come by later.¡± Tessie set her jaw and nodded once. ¡°I think I should do this by myself.¡± ¡°I will too, then.¡± Molly nodded to herself. ¡°If we have any questions, you¡¯ll still be here?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± TJ responded. ¡°You need anyone to walk with you back to your house? I¡¯m sure Stanton would be happy to.¡± While the two girls tripped over themselves explaining how they didn¡¯t need help, Stanton stood up with a grunt and shot TJ a grumpy look before gesturing for the two girls to follow him. They waved goodbye to TJ before they walked out the door and left him to his own devices. Though his Vitality was now basically seven times what it had been at the time of Integration and he didn¡¯t shiver in the cold of freezing weather, the warmth of the fire called for him. It whispered to him about sweet dreams and easy sleeping, but TJ knew that wouldn¡¯t be possible. At least, not with his current focus on ensuring he got stronger every day. Thus, before he got too comfortable inside, TJ walked himself back outside into the cold. The chill of the night threatened to settle into his bones, but TJ merely rubbed his hands together before going back to cutting the mountain lion¡¯s pelt free. With the Wendigo Blade, the fat, connective tissue, and flesh quickly gave way, and it wasn¡¯t long before TJ had cut the skin off entirely. Then, with one of his old sharp rocks, he carefully scraped the bits of flesh that remained off. Though he knew that using the Blade would go much faster, with this singular opportunity to prepare and use this particular pelt, TJ decided to take no chances. Thus, he painstakingly dragged the edge of the stone ¡°knife¡± across what was left of the shadowy mountain lion. By the time TJ had returned from fully losing himself in the process of preparing the pelt, Stanton had been standing behind him for some time. How long, he couldn¡¯t say. As soon as he turned to spread the brain mixture over the pelt, though, Stanton grunted to get his attention. ¡°You could have walked those girls down to town. Why not?¡± ¡°Just wanted to keep doing this.¡± ¡°Sure. And it has nothing to do with you not wanting to be around other people right now? I¡¯m not sure what exactly happened, but there¡¯s whispers about your hunt today going¡­ awry.¡± ¡°Everybody¡¯s alive and home, right?¡± TJ grunted as he gritted his teeth. ¡°Nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°Just a new monster you didn¡¯t know how to deal with.¡± ¡°Fucking hell Stanton.¡± TJ slammed his hands against the table he was working on. ¡°Do you expect me to know how to do everything? I¡¯m already coaching people in getting Occupations while being the highest levelled person in town. What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Get off your high horse is the first order of business. Or maybe throw away your hero complex. I don¡¯t know what turn of phrase you want to adopt, but here¡¯s the reality of it: You¡¯re not the highest levelled person in town. At least, you¡¯re not the only one. Zig hit the same levels you have today on your hunt, and she¡¯s working for everyone else here. Lots more people are closing in on your level and might very well pass it.¡± ¡°Great!¡± TJ retorted, ready to be done with the conversation. ¡°It is great, kid.¡± Stanton reached a hand out to TJ¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No need to think you¡¯re where this will all succeed or fail. You¡¯re getting caught up in the fact that when we came here, you were far and away the strongest person around. It¡¯s not the truth any more, and that¡¯s good. Now, if you want to talk about why you don¡¯t want to be around everyone else when you wanted to before, go ahead. If not, fine. Just know that it¡¯s ok to be imperfect.¡± TJ continued to work with his hands, slathering the brain soup liberally into what would be leather. He sighed and nodded. ¡°Thanks, Stanton. I¡¯m good for now. Just¡­ dealing with this new life, you know?¡± The old man grunted and walked back into the house. After taking the time necessary to clean up all the spare scraps of skin and flesh from preparing the carcasses, TJ made the decision. He loaded himself up with two of the javelina corpses and began carrying them towards the general store. On top of that, TJ didn¡¯t allow himself the excuse of going to clean the corpses right now. Instead, he merely carried them inside the store and past a guard he didn¡¯t recognize by name. Then, he dropped the bodies in the butchery before leaving to collect the next load of two javelina corpses. After the second load, the guard asked, ¡°Is there anything else you need to bring? I can get someone to help. After all, the food¡¯s for everyone.¡± ¡°Nah.¡± TJ forced a smile. ¡°There¡¯s just one more load, and I¡¯m almost done. Thanks though.¡± ¡°Sure thing. You¡¯ve done a lot for us, and I¡¯m glad you kicked my ass into gear. I was too ready to just do nothing until I realized how important it was for me to do anything at all.¡± TJ nodded and gave a more natural smile as he appraised the man. Zealot, 5 This man, someone he¡¯d thought to be wholly unremarkable, had gained at least a total of 10 levels across Occupation and Class. He was about as strong as TJ was when he came here, and though that was¡­ four days ago? Three? TJ was losing count. Anyways, the rest of the town was getting stronger much faster than TJ was. Closing that gap would allow them to stand up to all the threats that would continue to appear in the coming days. With that in mind, as TJ carried the mountain lion¡¯s corpse to the general store for its imminent butchery. Maybe they would make it through this apocalypse. He allowed himself to relax somewhat after he dropped the last skinned corpse at the butchery and walk towards the firehouse. Maybe there would be some leftovers? As soon as he walked into the communal area, an accusing voice accosted him. ¡°Why the hell are you in here?¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 69 TJ looked for whoever was the subject of the angry address, but he quickly realized that it was, in fact, for him. Looking around, he saw that several faces looked at him in distrustful fear, and in their center was Jeff. His face was screwed up in rage, and as he shouted, his face went nearly purple with the overwhelming force of his fury. ¡°We don¡¯t want monsters in here, so get the fuck out!¡± Jeff walked forward, his finger accusing and jabbing at TJ¡¯s chest. ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± TJ demanded, slapping Jeff¡¯s hand away with more force than necessary, the crack of the slap echoing in the concrete room. ¡°I¡¯m getting some dinner.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the problem, you always have been!¡± Jeff screamed. ¡°Ever since you got here, you¡¯ve been dangerous and trying to hide it, but you can¡¯t any more. You tried to kill people today! You¡¯re a monster and you shouldn¡¯t be around people!¡± Though he fought to retain some measure of composure, TJ immediately lost all handle on his rationality. ¡°Who the hell told you anything?¡± ¡°And he doesn¡¯t deny it!¡± Jeff screamed while refusing to answer. ¡°He knows he¡¯s been caught, and now he¡¯s trying to silence the truth. Don¡¯t let him lie his way out. A dangerous monster, and we¡¯ve let him into our home. A treacherous snake in the grass looking for the next opportunity to bite!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what happened, and you were too busy sitting at home doing jack shit while I went out helping everyone else!¡± TJ insisted, but around Jeff, more and more faces turned to look at him with fear and distrust. When Granny Penny¡¯s face twisted into an emotion TJ couldn¡¯t place, he lost it. Already exhausted, TJ didn¡¯t think before he lashed out with a closed fist. Jeff was waiting for it, and his armor appeared around him with a clinking of metal. However, TJ¡¯s recently enhanced strength combined with the fact that Jeff was only level 4 according to TJ¡¯s Appraisal sent the Zealot stumbling back with a bloodied lip. He began to try to shout something else, but TJ was having none of it. With a snarl, he used Wind Manipulation to pull the man back into range, where TJ lunged forward to attack again. Now that he was ready, Jeff wasn¡¯t so easily knocked down. He raised his fists, ready to shout something else, but TJ refused to be put on the back leg and activated Divine Transformation. As a 30 foot serpent appeared in the middle of at least 50 people, screams echoed out as Jeff raised his weapon. Others moved threateningly in the rest of the room, but TJ only cared for one person. His mind screamed for slaughter, for Jeff to pay for his accusations, for his ignorance for challenging Kukulkan¡¯s honor! But no. TJ was not a murderer, certainly not for something so petty. Instead, he wrapped all around Jeff¡¯s torso while holding his arms flat to his sides. Then, once the adversarial asshole was fully immobile, TJ flashed his jaws, new bladelike fangs threatening Jeff¡¯s life. The bastard went silent as he saw how close to death he was, and those rallying to support him did too. TJ¡¯s blood continued to pump wildly in his ears, but as he heaved one breath after another, he spoke, Wind Manipulation carrying his words further and louder than before. ¡°If I wanted to kill someone, they¡¯d be dead. Like you. I¡¯m done dealing with you all. I¡¯ve saved dozens of lives already, and you listen to some ignorant, weak, jealous fool instead of reality. He told me he¡¯s a level five in his Occupation today, and he still hasn¡¯t crossed level 5 with Zealot, if that¡¯s true. A whispering, gossiping weakling who can¡¯t do anything for himself except for run his worthless fucking mouth.¡± TJ shook his head, his feathers pulling the wind more eagerly through them, filling the enclosed space with a growing gale. ¡°I¡¯m done. When you have a Chindi coming to twist your minds to kill each other, I won¡¯t save you. When a wendigo comes to eat your flesh and crack your bones, I won¡¯t mourn you. When a herd of javelinas trample your homes, I won¡¯t rebuild them. I¡¯ll be here for the boss and the defense because I have to, but since I took Jeff into my home today and offered him advice on how to get better Skills and in return, he decided to treat me like a monster, I¡¯ll be your troll under the bridge. Cross my bridge and meet my fangs. I¡¯m done.¡± As he finished, TJ transformed back to human. He couldn¡¯t keep himself from pushing Jeff much too hard, sending him stumbling into a nearby table, glasses clattering and silverware falling. Jeff started to open his mouth, but Farid was there, and to TJ¡¯s surprise, he threw a wicked haymaker Jeff hadn¡¯t seen coming. The Zealot fell to the ground and Farid¡¯s handsome face twisted in true hatred. ¡°You know nothing! You¡¯re worthless and do nothing but pine after a woman that doesn¡¯t care about you! Are you so stupid that you think this is helpful to anyone?¡± Then, while Jeff was still sputtering his anger, Farid lunged forward and kicked Jeff¡¯s stomach so hard his armor dented. While he still wheezed on the ground, Farid spoke aloud, addressing the whole of the people in the room. ¡°Justice dies when the weak and evil are allowed to speak while the good do nothing. I will explain what happened, to show you that my friend TJ did nothing wrong and was only a victim! What this foul stain on the floor refuses to remember, what he fails to mention, is what the monster did to all of us, and how TJ saved our lives.¡± Though he¡¯d resolved to leave them behind, to forget helping the rest of the inhabitants of the town, Farid refused to let Jeff¡¯s words taint anything. As TJ watched, Shiva¡¯s descendant explained the Fear that had consumed his mind, that had forced him to rush around without a thought, how he¡¯d been less than half the warrior that he¡¯d learned to be while under its influence. He spoke of the reassurances TJ had made, how TJ¡¯s plan allowed them to move towards escape and push the worst of the Fear off as they had something to do. ¡°TJ was unaffected, and he could have escaped at any moment. Instead of that, he stayed with us, chased after Sarah when she lost her nerve, and when he caught her, instead of lecturing or yelling at her, he comforted her! Is that something a monster does? No! He is a good man, and just a man, like the rest of us. When the monster decided to stop trying to kill us because TJ¡¯s plan led us to escape, it left the rest of us alone and focused on him. It saw he was the most powerful, and showed just how despicable it is. ¡°The Chindi, that monster, took his wife¡¯s face and controlled his mind. If you think making everyone so afraid that they can¡¯t think isn¡¯t enough, he controlled TJ¡¯s mind. Made him think that he had to kill Zig to get his wife back. He was mind controlled, and it was scary, but did he hurt anyone? No! He was scary for about 15 seconds, then he was back and we scared the monster off. Did he need 15 seconds to kill someone? No. Even being mind controlled, he wasn¡¯t a monster or violent. ¡°So don¡¯t you¨C¡± Farid punctuated his words with another kick into Jeff¡¯s ribs, the man sat on the ground as his mumbled excuses were washed out by Farid¡¯s furor, ¡°fucking dare to cheapen his pain and his work for us. I¡¯d rather feed you to the monsters out there before I allow you to slander him. Now get out before I show you what an angry descendant of Shiva the Destroyer will do to you!¡± Before Farid could continue attacking Jeff, the man, eyes swollen from the punches he¡¯d taken, rushed out of the firehouse. Farid spat in Jeff¡¯s direction as the Zealot fled, his rage slightly mollified by Jeff¡¯s flight. Even so, he was far from done. With his hands held open, Farid spoke to the people in the firehouse again. ¡°You all owe TJ an apology for listening to rumors instead of him. I hope he can forgive me for my part in allowing the liar to spread his tales as far as he did.¡± Farid bowed his head in an earnest apology, and TJ, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes for Farid''s genuine support of him, stepped forward and took Farid into a rough hug. After slapping his back a couple of times, TJ let go and stepped back. Something about his vulnerability there must have changed something in the way these people perceived him, because although Penny was the first to step forward, she was outpaced by younger, healthier people begging for forgiveness. In the press of people, TJ nodded as one person after another asked for him to forget the way they¡¯d been swayed by Jeff. Before long, Penny pushed through a couple people before reaching up to TJ¡¯s shoulder and pulling herself close. ¡°There¡¯s a quote I like for moments like this, though I wish I¡¯d been able to do it instead.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± TJ asked, unsure of what the old woman was going to say. ¡°Whole lot of people have gotten used to running their mouths. Oh¡­ how did he say it? People got used to disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it.¡± ¡°Granny Penny,¡± TJ said, a smile creeping over his face, ¡°are you quoting Mike Tyson at me?¡± ¡°One of the greats!¡± The old lady grinned wide. ¡°I know I messed the quote up, but I¡¯ll tell you, if I was just a couple levels higher and bit healthier, I would have beaten Farid to the punch. Literally!¡± ¡°Thanks Granny.¡± Penny patted his cheek and pulled away through the crowd. Others didn¡¯t lie and say they would have done the same thing, but most of the apologies seemed genuine enough that TJ didn¡¯t want to hear them any more. He was about to escape anyways, just wanting to get out of the press of people, but Penny caught up to him again, carrying a plate loaded with meat and boiled potatoes. Surprisingly, she¡¯d heaped a gob of butter on top, the luxury item slowly melting over the hot tubers. TJ smiled as he thanked her and then Penny shooed the rest of the well-meaning or simply bothersome people away. He took the time to make his retreat, the emotional whiplash from Jeff¡¯s accusations and Farid¡¯s support serving to exhaust him completely. TJ walked out of the firehouse, looking down at the heaping pile of food on his plate, and scoffed a little. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I let that happen.¡± Farid apologized once again outside of the building. ¡°I should have made sure that he would never be able to speak for as long as he did, but I was too shocked. I¡¯m glad you got a couple hits in though.¡± ¡°He made the decision to be an ass. I don¡¯t think anyone could have stopped it before it escalated to that point.¡± TJ said, trying to be rational. Even so, he felt his rage boiling under the surface, threatening to melt everything in his path. ¡°Who the hell told him I was trying to kill someone?¡± ¡°That was my fault.¡± Zig said as she faded into view from a particularly deep shadow. TJ had to fight back a snarl of rage as she walked forward with her hands held high in an attempt at mollifying him. ¡°What the hell did you think was going to happen when you told him?¡± ¡°I was trying to tell everyone about how dangerous this Chindi was, and gave that as an example. I wasn¡¯t trying¡­¡± Zig trailed off, seeming to grapple with what she was saying. After a moment, she looked up and met TJ¡¯s eyes. ¡°Those are excuses. I was still scared and hurt and it made me stupid. I tried to have people be scared of you, but I wasn¡¯t thinking that someone would act like that because of it. I was wrong, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± TJ stiffened and stepped back away from her. Zig tried to walk forward, to make another excuse, but he shook his head, keeping her from coming too close. ¡°TJ, really¨C¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me. I can¡¯t trust you.¡± He saw that his words fell on her like hammers, but TJ didn¡¯t care. ¡°You knew that people look at me like I¡¯m some kind of monster. You told stories about how I¡¯m a hero to try to combat that, and now you¡¯re working against it? I can¡¯t understand you, and I don¡¯t want to be around you.¡± ¡°You tried to kill me!¡± Zig said, incredulous. ¡°Can you blame me for being scared?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± TJ responded, his blood feeling like ice. ¡°But do you remember the last thing you said to me? It was, if I remember correctly, ¡®I¡¯ll need time away from you to feel totally safe, but I still know you¡¯re on our side, and you don¡¯t deserve to be treated like shit.¡¯ Seems like a pretty fucking shitty thing to do to someone if you ask me. Come talk to me if you want. Talk with other people we trust if you need to. You¡¯re going to talk like that around people we know hate me? You must be deluded or stupid, and I don¡¯t care which. Zig, I get it was a moment of weakness, but you don¡¯t have a monster or affliction to blame this time.¡± Zig tried to say something else, but Farid spoke instead, ¡°You¡¯ve both felt betrayed by someone you trusted today. Let¡¯s stop talking before we say anything else that can¡¯t be taken back. I trust you both, and I¡¯ve seen both of you at your worst today. Get some rest. Tomorrow will be better than today.¡± TJ clenched his jaw, wanting to argue back, and saw that Zig was doing the same thing. He just nodded and turned on his heel back towards his house. His steps echoed through the night and TJ fought to settle his emotions enough for rest. After his meal, the sleep still didn¡¯t come easy. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 70 Since he¡¯d gone to sleep much earlier, even though he hadn¡¯t slept well, TJ found himself waking early, the sun¡¯s light only barely peeking over the horizon. He stumbled out of his room, and there waiting for him was Stanton. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about last night.¡± The old cowboy said. ¡°I never thought that cowpie given life would pull the shit he did. You didn¡¯t deserve that.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°Maybe I didn¡¯t. Maybe I did. Even after sleeping it off, I don¡¯t want to deal with anyone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your right. You want to go get breakfast?¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯ve gotta.¡± ¡°Great. Let¡¯s go.¡± Stanton spoke with an easy certainty, and TJ felt that, just as with Farid, he had a true friend in this old man. They walked in companionable silence out of the house, and TJ felt some measure of movement further down the road. Someone he didn¡¯t recognize in time rushed into the general store, though TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to care too deeply. Then, while they continued to walk, another flurry of movement exploded out of the general store, and Laura hurried out, though not quite to the level of running. Instead, in as composed a way as possible, she speed walked to intercept the two walking men. ¡°What is it?¡± Stanton asked, subtly standing in front of TJ. ¡°I need to apologize for the actions of my ex subordinate.¡± Laura immediately got to the point. ¡°You and I both extended him many graces, and in return, he spat in our faces. Jeff has been removed from any semblance of a leadership position, and the only place he is currently welcome while within the bounds of the town is a singular building on the outskirts.¡± ¡°That was quick.¡± TJ responded, his tone as level as he could manage to make it. ¡°Was there any fallout?¡± ¡°Nothing that you¡¯d need to concern yourself with. I¡¯d always considered Jeff to be slow to change but with a good head on his shoulders, but it just goes to show how well you can know someone after less than a week.¡± Laura bowed her head, her curly hair falling around her face and obscuring it completely. ¡°Again, I apologize for his actions. I would also like to personally express my gratitude to you for your support of the other hunters in your party as well as your continuous willingness to put yourself on the front lines, regardless of if it is for the town as a whole or not. It cannot be overstated the influence you have had on us, and I do not believe that we would be capable of surviving this Tutorial without your guidance and presence.¡± Though it felt forced, the gratitude and apology from the Bureaucrat rang true. TJ chuckled under his breath, remembering she was a career politician before all this. The Mayor of a city, regardless of how small it was, would have experience in public relations. ¡°Thank you for your apology.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°I¡¯m happy to continue working in tandem with the current residents of this town. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be quite so happy to go exploring though.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that we would like to do that either. Even so, we can¡¯t say that we know what other option is available to us as people who need to defend this storefront. We need to gain experience.¡± She trailed off, looking at TJ expectantly. He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to guide this town any more, Laura. They¡¯re going to continue to see me as a monster, and I¡¯ll live with that. But I don¡¯t want to deal with people treating me like I¡¯m going to hurt them at the easiest opportunity. So I won¡¯t. There¡¯s plenty of people who¡¯ve gained enough levels to at least nearly be my peers. They can guide the rest of the hunting parties and see what they can achieve. I¡¯ll keep doing what I do, and if the people I trust want to talk to me, they can.¡± ¡°Are you sure that is in everyone¡¯s best interests?¡± ¡°Yeah. If they think, even a little, that I might try to kill or worse, eat them, then we can¡¯t work together. We¡¯ve gotta trust each other, and there won¡¯t be any trust between us, not like that.¡± Laura pursed her lips. She took a deep breath, trying to sort out what to do next, TJ supposed. He did feel bad for turning her down like this. Laura had, missteps notwithstanding, always listened to his counsel and supported him. She¡¯d never treated him badly, even when he¡¯d appeared as if he were a monster, and didn¡¯t she deserve some level of consideration? Should he just deal with the week of uncomfortable conversations and situations to ensure that the end of the Tutorial was as safe and secure as possible? The thought was foreign, and TJ, aloud, asked the System, ¡°What afflictions am I currently under?¡± You are currently suffering from a minor Friendliness affliction. While under the influence of the Friendliness affliction, you will be 25% less inclined to sweeping shifts to your emotions and 10% more likely to consider the origin of the affliction as someone you trust. ¡°You could have asked me as well, TJ.¡± Laura was wholly unafraid of being found out, and, as the Affliction faded from his Status, TJ realized that he didn¡¯t mind too much either. At this level, it didn¡¯t mean much, though her willingness to use it in this moment was eye opening. ¡°You would inflict an affliction on me?¡± sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Just as much as I would offer you tea and a snack were we to be in my office in Kingman. I am the preeminent political authority in Pine at the moment, so I should be someone you trust or I shouldn¡¯t be in my position. I would hope that, given your goal of returning to see your son after this Tutorial, you can understand the benefit of not being wholly swept away by your emotions.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that, if this affliction did any more than it does, I wouldn¡¯t be nearly so forgiving.¡± Laura shrugged. ¡°I have my aura going at all times to attempt to keep everyone as happy as can be in town. If it helps, you¡¯re not at all special in the way I¡¯ve treated you here.¡± ¡°I just want you out of my head for now. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Sure, I can exclude you from my aura. I¡¯m sorry if my approach was more than you want to deal with right now, but the town can¡¯t stand to lose you at this time. Let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do to help to convince you to continue to help the town. At least, more than you will be already.¡± At that, Laura nodded her head and walked back into the general store. TJ and Stanton watched the mayor return to her ¡°office¡± in the store, and Stanton grunted before spitting into the forest. ¡°Politicians. She¡¯s a good one, but she¡¯s still a damned politician. Chose to be a Bureaucrat. Must be something wrong in her head.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. After we eat, you want to come on a hunt with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m with you, kid.¡± TJ smiled as he and Stanton walked into the firehouse. ¡ª- Their meal passed quickly. The awkwardness of people being overly polite grated on TJ, and he refused to engage too long with any of the people who came and tried to speak with him. He realized that many of those who approached genuinely just wanted to talk, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to engage with them beyond surface level conversations. The few requests he got to let them tag along on his next hunt were politely but firmly rebuffed, while TJ and Stanton both hurried to eat as fast as they could manage. Outside of the firehouse, they went to walk away, but someone came and stopped them. When TJ and Zig¡¯s eyes met, he could feel the tension radiating off of her. ¡°Zig, let me apologize.¡± TJ spoke, not stopping when Zig tried to interrupt. ¡°I realize you were just trying to vent last night and then Jeff twisted what you said for his own agenda. I know that I¡¯ve said stupid and mean things about people I love, so to say it about someone who actually threatened your life? Well, it makes sense. So I forgive you for messing up, and I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t accept your apology last night.¡± ¡°Shit man.¡± Zig scoffed. ¡°I feel like what I wanted to say doesn¡¯t compare. But here¡¯s the thing. I messed up. I¡¯m sorry.¡± TJ nodded. He was, quite frankly, sick of dealing with so many people all the time, and wondered if, once the Tutorial was over, he wouldn¡¯t be pushed to work with others all the damn time. The thought made him laugh, considering how much he¡¯d wanted to be around other people when this Tutorial all started, but maybe the Integration had revealed a part of TJ that he¡¯d never known existed. ¡°You need any backup today or will it just be you two?¡± ¡°Just us.¡± ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want a Disciple or anything?¡± ¡°I should be fine for that.¡± Stanton answered and with his response, Zig nodded and backed off. ¡°Happy hunting.¡± With a sigh of relief, TJ led Stanton out of the bounds of the town. In mere minutes, they left the safe perimeter, the forest outside seeming to take on an ominous hue. The sunlight, powerful though it tried to be, couldn¡¯t cut completely through the shadows of the growing trees. Where humanity had beaten down nature before, now nature reclaimed its territory with unending dedication and unyielding finality. TJ wondered if humans would be able to push back the incursions of the natural world after the Tutorials all finished. Given where his home was, would he return to a shell of a building reclaimed by the thin scrub brush of the valley? Would only sand remain of the house all his memories of Junior took place in? There was no way to tell, and instead, TJ had things to kill. He would gain levels, grow stronger, and overcome this damned Tutorial. Less than eight days remained, and TJ would take advantage of every minute he had. That day¡¯s hunts passed with little incident. After gaining so many points in Intelligence and Fixation, TJ could keep Stanton safe from pukwudgie ambushes, and everything else could be dealt with or evaded if necessary. After two dozen creatures were dead at their hands, Stanton and TJ gathered up the most valuable materials that resulted from the hunt and retreated back to town. Then, they ate a quick lunch where they talked about the possible uses of a Lifebloom before they went back out. More pukwudgies, coyotes, and javelinas died at their hands, again without any real danger. After dropping off the spoils of their second hunt, they went for a third before dinner, setting out to ensure they had enough time to return home before the sun set. After dinner, TJ cared for the pelts he¡¯d already prepared while preparing the newest additions, and this all while coaching Tessie and Molly through their next step. They¡¯d both managed to create items that the System counted as Minor Divine Trials, even though the end results weren¡¯t Copper tiered. Then, after TJ finished teaching the girls, he went to rest to do it all again the next day. And the day after that. On the tenth day after the Integration, he set out on a special hunt¨Cone to reach level 15 in Neophyte. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 71 Over the past days, TJ had reached level 17 in Savage and 14 in Neophyte. His level 15 Skill selection in Savage was unimpressive, though Equipment Fabrication, Prehistoric Huntsman, and Stealth had returned as options while Primeval Champion had not. The other two options, Savage Countenance and Lone Survivor, hadn¡¯t appealed to him, given that the first would make him even more intimidating while the second gave bonuses focused on him remaining alone. Though TJ¡¯d been minorly betrayed by someone who¡¯d continuously been an asshole to him, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be alone frequently enough for Lone Survivor to help him. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Speaking of Jeff, he¡¯d taken his exile with about the same level of dignity as TJ¡¯d expected, which was to say with no dignity whatsoever, and by now, on the tenth day after the Integration, Jeff was a social pariah and left to fend for himself. Such desperate measures left the man no choice but to hunt, and since nobody wanted there to be more deaths, he was allowed to take a small portion of whatever he successfully hunted with the team he was forced into that day. Going back to TJ¡¯s Skill selection, he¡¯d been torn between Equipment Fabrication and Prehistoric Huntsman, as while Stealth was useful, it was far from the top of his list of priorities. The two Skills offered him something that, more and more, he realized he would need in the next five days. Up until now, he¡¯d always had the opportunity to take time to rest between hunts, to allow his resources to replenish and for the Divine Transformation total time to tick back down. When questioned, though, the System promised that the defense of the grocery store would take place over the course of 18 hours. That was time that he couldn¡¯t simply spend in the form of a coatl and then step back for twice the time he spent engaged with the enemy. Thus, he needed Skills that would enhance his ability to contribute to the fighting effort over a longer period of time. Equipment Fabrication would, in theory, give him superior weapons, armor, and whatever else he could come up with. More than that, though, was the promise the Skill made, that he would learn ¡°how to craft materials into equipment that grants attributes and other possible boons.¡± The prospect of equipment that gave better bonuses than the very basic armor and weapons he¡¯d made thus far was tempting. But so too was Prehistoric Huntsman, as instead of the possibility of creating very impactful equipment, Huntsman offered a bonus to the damage dealt with the weapons he¡¯d be using in the final siege. When he¡¯d asked the System what the ¡°minor additional damage scaling with the Participant¡¯s Wisdom¡± entailed exactly, its response had been lackluster. Minor additional damage scaling with the Participant¡¯s Wisdom is reflected as a percentage of the Participant¡¯s Wisdom being added to the damage dealt by the applicable attack. And what percentage would that be? In terms of classification, a minor damage bonus would be anywhere from 0-7% of the attribute it would be drawing from. Though it was so unspecific what this bonus damage was, TJ felt more inclined to take the Prehistoric Huntsman Skill. In the end, it came down to the reality that he could gain some Skills and do other things adjacent to other Skills with his own abilities. When it came down to it, TJ had every confidence in his own ability to create equipment that granted additional benefits, just like he had with the original Wendigo Blade that he still used. It¡¯d needed to be repaired several times, given his inexperience and generally shoddy workmanship, but it still served him well. The additional insight from Equipment was sure to be valuable and effective, but TJ had some ideas of how he could treat and prepare his materials to create more rugged and beneficial equipment without the Skill. On the other hand, he didn¡¯t have the faintest idea how he would be able to replicate ¡°a 30% bonus to tracking and ambush attacks¡± or a general addition to all damage dealt with his weapons. His Wisdom, after all these newest levels, was at 53, which, while it was his second lowest attribute, could give up to a 3.5 boost to his damage. What in the hell that meant was an absolute mystery to TJ, but he recognized that while he might be the most impactful member of the siege defense while in his coatl form, he wouldn¡¯t be nearly so when limited to his human form. Plus, the damage also applied to his natural weapons while under the influence of Divine Transformation. Thus, his newest Skill was Prehistoric Huntsman. He was still holding out hope that the Tezcatlipoca-blessed mountain lion hide was special enough to make the cloak he was planning with it. Then, he could prove to himself that his upgraded Primitive Craftsmanship was enough to create noteworthy equipment. As it was, he¡¯d fully equipped himself over the past days. With the Tutorial speeding up the tanning process, TJ ended up with an Ironhide Javelina leather chestpiece. Though not as impressive as the ever more powerful armors created by the Zealots¡¯ Holy Vestments Skill, the chestpiece and its accompanying bracers had saved TJ from serious injury a couple of times. On one of his expeditions, he¡¯d come across a wendigo just as he¡¯d been returning to town because he was running out of time on his Divine Transformation. When he¡¯d been forced to return to his human form, the hide armor had turned the claws enough that he¡¯d been able to escape without truly chancing death. His body sported a dozen more scars and told a dozen more tales than it had a mere four days ago, much less two weeks ago. The wounds he¡¯d sustained were far from the most severe the town¡¯s residents had incurred of the past four days. Of the remaining 167 residents, 35 had died, and 29 of which had died in the past two days. The reasons for those deaths were also the reason why TJ was setting out to hit level 15 now. The primary reason why TJ only had confidence in reaching level 15 in Neophyte now was because he couldn¡¯t find anything above the level 10 threshold until yesterday. He¡¯d never truly experienced the steep decline in fighting and killing creatures from below his watershed level until he¡¯d passed level 10, because immediately after he did, it¡¯d taken him two days to gain a single level. Then, after two days of reckless hunting and culling the numbers of the enemy monsters, he¡¯d returned to town to the enraged shouts of dozens of people. ¡°How the hell are we supposed to¨C¡± ¡°This is absolute horses¨C¡± ¡°--what was I supposed to do? They appeared and¨C¡± After pushing his way through much of the nearly rioting people, TJ found Charlie, who remained a friend regardless of the remaining air of awkwardness between TJ¡¯s and Zig, even as they actively worked to mend fences. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°A full ambush of level 10 and 11 pukwudgies.¡± He explained curtly. ¡°They massacred all but three of the members of a hunting party in their opening salve, and only Nat managed to escape alive. Sheridan, Rod, and Jordan are the ones in there you knew best. We¡¯re trying to calm everyone down.¡± Though Sheridan remained hostile towards TJ, thinking him responsible for Mary¡¯s death, she wasn¡¯t a bad girl, and TJ mourned her. Beyond that, Rod and Jordan had been two of the men he accompanied on their first real hunts, and both were good members of the town. That they¡¯d died was another hit to TJ¡¯s gut, though he supposed he was grateful that he hadn¡¯t had to witness their deaths or dead bodies, as he had with Mary. Even so, there were 23 people who¡¯d died on their hunts that night, 23 people who left their families and friends behind, both those here in Pine and those in their homes. People who¡¯d never know what happened to their loved ones. That night, about 36 hours before TJ prepared to go on this final hunt, he¡¯d gone on the hunt with the rest of the hunters that had surpassed level 10. Though the pukwudgies gained new titles and descriptors as they passed the level 10 benchmark, the primary differences were two things. The first, that their invisibility was truly invisibility now. Only supernatural senses such as TJ¡¯s ability to sense heat as a coatl or any one of a dozen Acolytes¡¯ chosen Skills that enhanced their senses. To the eye and the general bystander, however, the pukwudgies were impossible to predict. That, combined with the other difference they¡¯d gained, was deadly. The other change in pukwudgies was simple but deeply impactful. The monsters, though they¡¯d grown somewhat from the initial levels to those around level 9, remained weak. Their spears, when thrown, could pierce flesh, but they were easily parried or dodged or simply tanked through. The attacks of those that were beyond level 9 were faster, harder, and much deadlier than before. The spear attacks that TJ had become able to entirely ignore as a coatl and easily deal with as a human were now threatening. To the Disciples and Acolytes who hadn¡¯t even approached the level 10 watershed, though, one spear was threatening, two were a sure injury, and three meant death. He hated to even search for the silver lining of nearly two dozen deaths in one night, but TJ did find that he gained much more experience from the monsters as he slaughtered them. He gained a level that night, and two the day after as he grappled with pukwudgie knights mounted on mountain lions, vivisected pukwudgie executioners in the trees, and ripped through pukwudgie infantrymen on the ground. Interestingly enough, the coyotes seemed to have largely been exterminated by now, which the citizens of Pine took as a sign that their efforts to cull the monsters¡¯ numbers were showing some results. That brought him to today. He¡¯d assigned his Free Points to a mixture of Fixation and Intelligence as he¡¯d gained levels. Something told him that bumping Fixation that bit would be hugely beneficial. He thought maybe it was the whispers of the wind and how they became more intelligible the higher his Fixation got. Though Wind Manipulation scaled off Intelligence and Fixation, TJ realized that Fixation had a deeper relationship with the Skill than Intelligence did. Remembering that Fixation was described by the System as ¡°is directly related to the Participant¡¯s ability to embody and focus on the effects of the divine, and the greater the quantity of Fixation, the more easily and enduringly will the Participant be able to channel certain divine abilities.¡± The attribute would be key moving forward, he was sure. Thus, he¡¯d bumped his Intelligence and Fixation at about the same rate, and he could feel that some form of enlightenment was about to come to him. The few times he¡¯d allowed himself to get lost in the Skill, the air had swept him away, promising knowledge, progress, and something just¡­ more. More than he knew or was already. Maybe it would come at level 15. Maybe it required the Copper tier of Divinity, TJ couldn¡¯t say. Even so, he knew that he needed that understanding, and when he¡¯d truly allowed himself to be nearly consumed by the Skill, he¡¯d been unable to reach quite there and it remained tantalizingly out of reach. Regardless of his hopes for elucidation, there were monsters to kill and levels to gain. With Stanton, Charlie, Rebekkah, Sarah, and Connor at his side, TJ left to go on this hunt. They wouldn¡¯t return until he gained that fifteenth level and became the first person in the town to cross the level 15 threshold in his Class. After checking to ensure that they were all prepared with the equipment and tools necessary, they set out into the forest. The eerie silence that had replaced the sounds of life and vibrancy was familiar to them at this point, and TJ merely nodded as he led them deeper into the monsters¡¯ den. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 72 As soon as they were well and truly outside of the bounds of the safe zone, TJ activated Divine Transformation. The boost to his attributes was secondary to the ability to sense the pukwudgies¡¯ heat signatures, and they¡¯d long learned to leverage every ability that they could to ensure their hunt was successful and safe. Stanton and he exchanged looks before Stanton signaled to the rest that they hadn¡¯t found any trace of their enemies just yet. Connor and Sarah still stood on both sides of Rebekkah, their shields hoisted high. The pukwudgies knew who were the most vulnerable humans to ambush, and they didn¡¯t hesitate to exploit that. A dead Disciple, the Participants had learned, led to many more casualties very quickly. Stanton walked beside TJ, trusting the Neophyte¡¯s senses and control of Wind Manipulation to keep him from suffering any mortal wounds. That and his own senses honed by his Druid Occupation and his boosted Perception gave Stanton enough confidence to walk alongside TJ with minimal fear. Charlie, on the other hand, was in his hulking form. As he¡¯d gained more levels in Neophyte and his Occupation, his attributes had grown enough that his Divine Transformation made him appear like a poor imitation of the Incredible Hulk. The two more vulnerable members of the hunting party were covered, and they would complete their hunt. TJ wasn¡¯t the only one near that fifteenth level in his Class, with Stanton hoping to hit the level on this outing as well. Now that they were in the forest, though, they remained quiet. If there wasn¡¯t any need to draw additional monster attention, then they wouldn¡¯t. After the ten days they¡¯d spent in the Tutorial thus far, nobody had learned if the pukwudgies only communicated through speaking and their birdlike chirps, or if they also had some magical way of communicating. After all, nobody had heard them speaking to each other except for TJ. While he slithered forward, TJ checked his Status for any afflictions. Nothing appeared. Since the encounter with the Chindi, everyone had learned to check their afflictions regularly. That didn¡¯t change a whole lot about what they did to everyone, but that knowledge sapped some of the terror that the unknown brought. The party had agreed not to stray too deep into the forest, as there was simply too much that could go wrong too far from civilization, but there weren¡¯t any monsters close enough for them to easily pick them off to gain experience. As patiently as he could, TJ continued walking. There was no way to say if they¡¯d be able to find enough to get him that level, but he was convinced that once he got it, the benefits would be huge. Then, when they¡¯d begun to worry that there wouldn¡¯t be any monsters to hunt, TJ tasted the warmth of a creature nearby. ¡°Stanton, there¡¯s something that way.¡± He gestured with his head. ¡°I think it¡¯s just one creature. Not too sure though.¡± The cowboy nodded to let TJ know he¡¯d heard, then began gesturing to the others about what TJ¡¯d found. They quickly settled into battle positions, Connor to leave his protector position and transfer to the front lines while Stanton stood beside Sarah and Rebekkah. Charlie stayed on the side, ready to intercept any ambushers, and TJ mirrored the position. Ready to make their approach, they walked forward while maintaining their formation. The source of warmth TJ had sensed was growing colder the closer they got, but he couldn¡¯t say why. Once they turned the corner, it was obvious what it was, and that they¡¯d been drawn into a trap. A woman TJ recognized but whose name he forgot laid dying, sprawled across a pine tree¡¯s roots. Her breaths came in shallow gasps, and blood pooled on her lips as the dying woman fought to survive. Three pukwudgie spears were buried deep in her chest, her own crimson blood staining her clothes. Rebekkah rushed to step forward, to save a life, but Stanton stopped her. Taking the hint from Stanton, Sarah raised her shield and just in time. Their planned ambush thwarted, the pukwudgies sent a hail of javelins towards the hunting party¡¯s backline. Sarah grunted as the weapons punched through the front of the shield, but held tight even when one javelin¡¯s point scratched her forehead, drawing blood. TJ had no idea how they¡¯d fooled his senses, but as soon as they appeared, he couldn¡¯t worry about that any more. He felt his anger surge as he saw one of the javelins lodge in the suffering woman¡¯s eye, killing her instantly. With his heightened Fixation and Intelligence, TJ could commit to using more of his MP in the beginning of a fight than before, and he quickly sent a volley of spears of his own towards their attackers. Though he spent 70 MP, roughly one tenth of his total, on the attack, only two spears hit home. The pukwudgies had prepared for the way he could sense them, and were ready for his returning attack. As the single goblin was struck from the tree, Stanton¡¯s gun cracked three times. Each shot left a pukwudgie body falling from the treetops, but their silhouettes faded to full invisibility before either side could kill any more. ¡°Every time.¡± Sarah grunted as she dismissed her shield and resummoned it a second later. Her complaints, as well as everyone else¡¯s, would have to wait, though. A wave of javelinas approached, the first TJ had seen in a day or so. ¡°More of these bastards.¡± Stanton cursed. ¡°I can¡¯t do much to ¡®em but I¡¯ll trip them up.¡± A quick Appraisal let TJ know that there was one leader type javelina in the middle of the pack while the rest were still stuck at level 9. He didn¡¯t need to tell anyone else how important it was to eliminate the leader quickly, as they had some sort of a boost that they granted to the rest of their piglike companions. Stanton jumped into action as a thick brown root burst from the ground and coiled around the leader like a snake. The rest of the javelinas continued their charge, though they were weakened the leader left their midst. Whatever the aura was it granted the others, it primarily assisted them when the creatures charged all at once. That combined with the charging attack they¡¯d gained once the javelinas became Ironhide made for a deadly combination. TJ rushed forward, spending over 100 MP before sending the resulting long blade at the javelina¡¯s legs to cripple the front line. There were only a dozen or so of them, so he knew this opening attack could cripple or kill at least half. Again, just like the pukwudgies, they knew what was coming and lowered their heads and allowed the attack to strike their much less vulnerable curling tusks. As his winds were rebuffed again and again, TJ hissed a challenge at the dumb beasts. Why wouldn¡¯t they just roll over and accept death? Why would they make this more difficult? As he¡¯d gained levels, TJ continued to grow longer and thicker as a coatl, now nearly 40 feet long and over a foot thick. Though he¡¯d be severely wounded if he threw himself to be trampled by the beasts, with just a small amount of care, he¡¯d be able to wreak havoc among the simpleminded creatures. He sat coiled in front of the creatures, and just as soon as they drew near, he threw himself into the air. Once he¡¯d landed atop the javelinas, there wasn¡¯t much they could do to him. The charging creatures split like the damned Red Sea underneath him. TJ was largely ignored and the monsters and they charged Charlie and Connor. TJ whirled to support the rest of his hunting party, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the charge. Sarah used her Guard Skill and effectively teleported away from guarding Rebekkah before appearing in front of the javelinas. A massive spectral shield spread in front of the front line, and though the javelinas smashed through it, the sacrifice of the Skill slowed their charge from deadly to merely inconvenient. Even so, TJ rushed to try to support the others. His presence would be immensely beneficial,and with his Strength being over 100 as a coatl, he shredded through the javelinas¡¯ flanks with his nearly draconic fangs. Blood splattered and flew through the air as TJ put his Shredding Bite to good use. The javelinas squealed in pain as their ambush was thwarted. TJ, Connor, Charlie, and Sarah shredded through the javelinas in no time at all, TJ taking care to dispatch the level 10. That was the moment when the true ambush made itself manifest. Rebekkah screamed in terror and agony as another volley of javelins pierced her. She nearly died with that salvo, but was able to heal herself enough to stagger to her feet. The Disciple¡¯s MP was almost certainly drained after that, and then, TJ saw the telltale signs that sent a shiver down his back. His breath clouded in front of his face and TJ shouted the warning, ¡°Wendigo!¡± The entire hunting party knew what that would mean for them, so they gathered around Rebekkah to carry her away to survival. With a mortally wounded Disciple, it would be beyond foolish to fight a wendigo. Its cultists, however, made their appearance before the harried humans could retreat. Another volley of spears, this time both from above as from their flanks, appeared. TJ exhaled as strongly as he could, blowing the attack away at the cost of 150 of his MP, taking him down to 376/710. Though none of the thrown javelins found their marks, the pukwudgies were unfazed. They closed in, keeping the hunting party from making a clean getaway. Stanton¡¯s gun coughed again and again, the goblins dropping like so many leaves from trees in the fall. It wasn¡¯t enough, as the ambush had been prepared to deadly success. More pukwudgies closed in while attacking more and more, no sense of self-preservation apparent among them. Sarah struck out again and again with her hatchet, limbs and heads flying free with every swing. Connor roared a challenge that forced attention to come to him before stomping and shaking the ground in a 30 foot radius. The stumbling monsters made for perfect targets for Charlie. He¡¯d hefted a hundred-pound stone in each hand, and smashed them into whatever enemy entered his reach. The blood and viscera coating his body didn¡¯t seem to phase him, and the Neophyte smashed his way through every enemy that appeared. Though dozens of pukwudgies lay dead at their feet, the cultists remained at a distance while the wendigo approached. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Pull back! Just a couple feet!¡± Stanton commanded and the rest listened. He leaned Rebekkah against the large tree the other woman had just died against before pulling the tree¡¯s vitality into Rebekkah. She steadied herself at that, ready to actively participate in an escape. ¡°It¡¯s too late, at least for now.¡± Sarah whispered. ¡°There¡¯s too many of them, and it¡¯s here.¡± At least another twenty pukwudgies still stood and pressed the attack on the beleaguered hunters, but behind them, stood the most terrifying thing TJ had ever seen. The wendigo that stood there was at least seven feet tall, and hunched. Its skeletal head no longer resembled that of a cow. Instead, it was entirely alien, an extra pair of horns growing from just above the eyes, complementing those that curled around where its ears would be. The curved fangs that filled its mouth were all filed to points, and the bone was stained red with the blood of an untellable number of creatures. Worse, the emaciated body of the wendigo sported spines that grew from every bone, the hooked protrusions wickedly shining in the dimming light of the forest. A thick but sparse fur sprouted from its spine and it cackled with a manic glee as it approached. Saliva dripped from between every tooth in its mouth as it spoke. ¡°Finally. I find my brothers¡¯ killer. You shall give me your strength.¡± Most chilling of all, however, was the result of the Appraisal that TJ habitually conducted on the monster. Wendigo, 12 Though he was convinced he would die for it, this creature needed to be destroyed. TJ didn¡¯t need to look at his companions to see that they agreed, and his focus shifted from gaining a level to protecting every human in the Tutorial. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 73 TJ couldn¡¯t help but ask as he slithered forward, ¡°So you can talk, wendigo?¡± ¡°Yes, little divine whelp.¡± It breathed deeply through its gaping nostrils. ¡°Or perhaps I call you snakeling, descendant of the Feathered Serpent. Your blood reeks of plundering the strength of my kind.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t given much of a choice.¡± TJ offered, looking down at his Divine Transformation timer. He¡¯d only spent 54 minutes, so he had over half an hour remaining. Plenty of time to try to talk his way out of this, and for if that didn¡¯t work, he was condensing an attack on his tongue. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be eaten, after all.¡± ¡°It is your place to be predator or prey.¡± The wendigo¡¯s wheezing, dry voice was cold. ¡°We wendigos do not need to make the choice. We are predator. And predator of predator.¡± ¡°Any way we can walk away from this without any more death?¡± TJ offered. The only response the wendigo gave was a bone-chilling laughter. TJ didn¡¯t wait for its response, nor did the rest of the surviving hunters. Stanton¡¯s gun fired again and again and pukwudgies fell as they charged forward. The returning volley of spears was stopped by Sarah¡¯s spectral shield once again, though she was left wheezing with the effort. Her MP was nearly out with her efforts, but with her physical shield and hatchet at the ready, the Zealot tore into the front ranks of the dozens of pukwudgies. The armor that¡¯d been fashioned for her combined with her Toughness stopped any blows from striking too deeply. Beside Sarah, Connor roared a challenge as he too leapt into battle, his war pick piercing easily through his foes, though each strike he made opened him up to twice as many counterattacks. He didn¡¯t care, lashing out to deal crippling or even killing blows in exchange for taking a series of stabs from the goblins. The man bled, but with his Tortoise Shell Skill active, he tanked through them. Stanton and Rebekkah supported from behind as best as they could, though Stanton was conserving bullets and hurling the few knives he had prepared for just this task. Rebekkah had a crudely prepared bow she shot whenever she was confident there wouldn¡¯t be any friendly fire. TJ couldn¡¯t look at them for any longer, needing to focus on the wendigo and slowing it down. As TJ rushed to close in with the wendigo, Charlie made himself known. The large stones he¡¯d used before were thrown with unerring accuracy at the wendigo. One was dodged while the other smashed against claws that seemed unphased by the attack they¡¯d sustained. Replacing the rocks was the felling axe Charlie had used against the last wendigo they¡¯d fought together, and he swung it heavily to ward off the wendigo¡¯s initial attack. TJ lunged forward to tie up the monstrosity, but he was too slow and too late. The skeletal creature dodged back from the range of the axe¡¯s swing and jumped into melee combat with Charlie faster than he could recover. Its claws cut through his flesh and the muscles of the Neophyte¡¯s chest. Frost crackled in two inches in either direction as Charlie¡¯s blood froze where it leaked out. He grunted in pain as the Frostbite affliction slowed him. TJ continued condensing his MP, pumping well over 200 MP into the Skill while he tried to tangle the monster. ¡°You. An unfamiliar god¡¯s blood. It is sweet.¡± The wendigo spoke as it dodged back again out of their range. ¡°Your flesh will feed me well.¡± The wendigo pressed the attack once more, claws flashing and the ambient temperature dropping. TJ missed that first wendigo he¡¯d fought, so reckless and wasteful with its MP. This one, beyond having passed the level 10 threshold, used its MP sparingly, and only when it landed hits on the two Neophytes. Which happened often. TJ¡¯s sides were patterned with deep frozen slashes, and he¡¯d nearly lost an eye to a sudden bite that instead tore a large part of his mane of feathers from his neck. His Frostbite affliction had already grown to the moderate tier, and as he¡¯d been slowed, more and more attacks struck home. Charlie looked no better, his axe literally frozen into his grip while chilled muscles struggled to move at all. Now that they were slowed, the wendigo pressed its advantage, claws tearing ceaselessly into their bodies. Both men were haggard, and TJ was tempted to use the prepared Wind Manipulation attack, but with the wendigo still so uninhibited, it would quite possibly evade the attack entirely. The Elite monster remained patient, tearing chunks of flesh free and devouring them while dodging away from their strongest attacks. Charlie only landed two solid blows on the beast, and as it continued to devour their flesh, it recovered. TJ himself had managed to seize one of its ankles but was forced back when its descending claws nearly ripped his head apart. They were only distracting the creature for now, and both men were close to being in real mortal danger. The sounds of battle slowed and quieted behind them, but TJ couldn¡¯t spare the time to look to see how his companions fared. Stanton made himself known, though, when he fired two shots in quick succession. The pistol, looking much the same but now a .45 caliber instead of .22, managed to punch into the wendigo¡¯s flesh. It grunted in pain but laughed once again. ¡°You will receive my attention.¡± It rushed towards the back line and the slowed Charlie and TJ turned as quickly as they could. They couldn¡¯t stop the creature as it rushed past, but Connor and Sarah rushed to. The two Zealots were covered in blood, both their own and that of the pukwudgies that had desperately fought to get to Stanton and Rebekkah behind them. Most of those pukwudgies lay dead on the ground, their blood making the soil dark with crimson. A scant four continued to fight, patterned with wounds, but the wendigo¡¯s approach was more than threatening enough to the wounded and exhausted Zealots. Connor roared wordlessly as he activated his Tortoise Shell Skill again, his body toughening and his shield gaining a honed edge. The wendigo didn¡¯t care, its claws shearing through the shield with little apparent effort. Frost covered the tool while Connor¡¯s war pick swept towards the monster¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯d use my brother¡¯s body as a weapon?¡± The wendigo shrieked as the pick struck deep into its ribs. The calm it had displayed until then burned away as it sent a wave of frost knives towards Connor. He held his shield aloft and several of the weapons shattered against the raised protection. Two of them, however, speared through and into his gut. Connor grunted in pain as frost crawled all around his torso from the attack. The wendigo closed in, claws ready to tear into the partially incapacitated defender. One hand¡¯s claws sliced deep into his right shoulder, nearly amputating the limb while the other sought his heart. It wasn¡¯t prepared for the other aspect of Tortoise Shell, the enhanced attack. Now that it couldn¡¯t escape, Connor¡¯s shield smashed into the approaching hand. The powerful edge audibly snapped the wrist bones of the wendigo¡¯s right hand and made the claws only strike a glancing blow along Connor¡¯s hip. His Skill exhausted, the man slumped and fell off the monster¡¯s claws. Before the wendigo could finish him off, Sarah closed in, no Skills enhancing her movement but still ready to stand and fight. She chopped with her hatchet, the movements quick with her huge Strength and Agility. The fending blows slowed the wendigo enough that TJ and Charlie caught up to the wendigo. Now surrounded for the first time, the beast screamed in rage. Even with its hand broken, its MP showed no signs of flagging. The creature threw knives of ice while slashing with deadly speed and precision in every direction. TJ could see Stanton raising his gun and squeezing several shots off again and again, though his aim was nowhere near the fight. There was no time to focus on that, though. His speed was severely hampered by the affliction, yet he still needed to fight. TJ had held the roiling weapon on his tongue this entire time, still unable to guarantee its success. Then, when the wendigo committed to a heavy overhand blow on Sarah and she bashed it back, the opportunity arose. The wendigo countered with an underhanded blow, the claws piercing all the way through Sarah and poking out her back. TJ lunged forward, his jaws fully encircling the wendigo¡¯s torso. Its skeletal frame fit in his jaws, and TJ ground his teeth in while the monstrosity roared. Then, while Charlie swung his axe at the monster¡¯s head, TJ flicked his tongue back and forth and tried to saw through the wendigo¡¯s spine. Bone crunched as it screamed but TJ didn¡¯t stop until nearly 300 MP was spent and the wendigo¡¯s spine was in fragments. Its legs went limp and it fell to the ground while thrashing wildly. ¡°No!¡± the wendigo screamed. ¡°I will take revenge!¡± TJ, Sarah, and Charlie relaxed as Sarah pulled Connor out of the wendigo¡¯s range. It couldn¡¯t reliably move now, so they could take their time to dispatch it¨C ¡°Oh shit!¡± Stanton shouted. The others jumped back in fear, but it was the perfectly wrong thing to do at that moment. A pukwudgie cultist with a gaping wound in its chest sprang to its feet and into the wendigo¡¯s reach. The hunters tried to interpose themselves, but it was too late. The wendigo¡¯s jaws opened wide and bit through the cultist¡¯s head in one massive bite. The Zealots and Neophytes tried to press the attack, but the wendigo¡¯s body burst with a fog filled with shards of ice. The explosion of frost pushed them back long enough that the wendigo took two more tearing bites of the corpse. The consumption of flesh restored some level of mobility to the wendigo, and it crawled away on all fours as fast as it could manage. TJ tried to rip into it, to keep it from escaping, but it picked up speed as it dragged him along. Stanton shouted out, ¡°Pull back.¡± TJ didn¡¯t argue but sent a quick spear of wind into the healing wendigo¡¯s spine before he turned away. The blow didn¡¯t do much of anything except to hurry it along, and TJ roared his frustration to the escaping wendigo. To add insult to injury, the winds carried the wendigo¡¯s words back to him. ¡°I will eat your flesh and crack your bones. Just wait.¡± They¡¯d killed dozens of pukwudgies in this hunt, but TJ still hadn¡¯t hit the level. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta get out of here.¡± TJ said as he whirled towards his companions. ¡°Connor, you able to get up or do you need to be carried?¡± ¡°I can walk.¡± The Zealot answered, his narrow eyes tightened in pain. ¡°Can¡¯t fight much though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough for now.¡± Stanton said. ¡°If necessary, we can patch you up, but we should be able to get back to the safe zone pretty quick.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Fast is good.¡± Connor grunted. TJ and Charlie took hold of two javelinas each, given the quality of the meat and materials from creatures that had passed the level 10 benchmark. The others kept their hands free in case there was another ambush. There were no more words spoken as they returned to Pine, though everyone paid special attention to whatever possible to be prepared for an ambush or other attack from pukwudgies or other monsters. Nothing happened as they returned, though TJ wondered what the name was for the poor woman who¡¯d been abducted or something else to serve as the bait for the trap. She deserved better treatment, but there wasn¡¯t anything they could do for her at the moment. Thus, as the hunting party returned to town and a dozen people waited with excited faces, TJ could only muster a disappointed shake of his head in response to their hope to celebrate. He was so close to that level that he was tempted to go out once more, but decided against it. Instead, he¡¯d return to the forest in the morning and gain that last little bit of experience. For now, he could only lick his wounds and allow himself to recover. The night, however, refused to give him that peace and quiet. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 74 For the first time in several days, possibly for the entire apocalypse that was the Integration, TJ went to bed without practicing any Skills or crafting anything. He did carve the hides free from the javelina corpses and applied the brain mixture to them, but that was hardly work. Once the relatively quick treatment and preparation was complete, he retired to the space that he and Stanton now stayed in. The safe zone had pulled past the hunting lodge and ¡°their¡± home a couple days ago, and now, the bulk of people slept on whatever bedding they could scrape together. TJ and Stanton, as two of the strongest members of the survivors, got their own space in a house just across the street from the general store. There were a dozen more people living in the small home as well, but TJ and Stanton had their own room. Thus, they were, compared to the cowardly few who refused to go on hunts now, living in luxury. The thought of what the world would be like after Tutorials ended was somewhat interesting, but TJ couldn¡¯t say that he could believe it would be even remotely peaceful. Just as soon as TJ collapsed into his heap of quilts and pillows in the corner of their room, raised voices made themselves known outside. Then, while he tried to ignore those, angry voices were raised, and then there were screams. He began to pull a pillow over his head to ignore it all, but after nearly a minute of screaming continued, there was a knock on his door. TJ stifled a shout of his own and instead stood up and answered the door. Molly stood there, her eyes darting all over and her shoulders tense. ¡°Hey Moll. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Um¡­ outside needs some help. He, well, they kinda, well, they¡¯re fighting, and I just¡­ I think you might be needed there.¡± TJ sighed but nodded. ¡°On my way.¡± ¡°Great! Thanks.¡± Molly turned on her heel, her spear decorated with wendigo bits tearing through the wall when she wasn¡¯t careful. ¡°Oh, sorry!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± TJ responded as he pulled his moccasins on and followed her tracks. She jogged out of the house, and TJ idly Appraised her as they went. Neophyte, 11 ¡°You¡¯ve been getting some levels!¡± TJ congratulated her as they hurried down the stairs. ¡°You probably got your Class past 10, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Molly answered, though her attention remained outside. ¡°We can talk about it later?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± TJ rolled his shoulders, ready to confront whatever it was that was waiting for him. What he wasn¡¯t expecting, though he probably should have, was Jeff. The bastard had been pushed aside and nearly forgotten since his last outburst, and TJ simply hadn¡¯t thought about him at all, unless he saw the moron. Right now, though, he had his face pressed to the ground and his arms behind his back. Most surprising of all, though, was that it was Farid holding Jeff down. Regardless of the foot between his shoulder blades or the torsion of his shoulder, Jeff kept running his mouth. ¡°They almost died today! Again! And it¡¯s because TJ was being the usual monster he is! You¡¯re all blind! That fucker is trying to kill everyone, and I¡¯m the only one who sees it! You have to believe me, you¡¯re all in danger! Please!¡± While he tried to continue ranting, Farid pulled off his shoe and then a sock and stuffed it in Jeff¡¯s mouth. The grappled man gagged and his face went green once the filthy garment was held there as a gag. The combative prisoner silenced, Farid spoke, his tone obviously trying to carry further to be heard by the curious, cautious, and furious people that surrounded the action. ¡°Jeff. We haven¡¯t seen TJ purposefully harm any members of the town, or any people nearby. He¡¯s been one of our most active hunters, and he¡¯s saved most everyone¡¯s life either directly or indirectly at this point. The danger that the hunters encountered today is just a testament to his foresight in making everyone start hunting a week ago. The monsters are getting stronger, and we need to too. If you have any real evidence, different from what you¡¯re said is evidence before, of TJ¡¯s wrongdoing, then please, let us know. If you still only have a hunch or a suspicion, then you¡¯ll need to spend the night somewhere that won''t disturb everyone else.¡± Farid pulled Jeff up before yanking his sock free. It was dripping with spit, and Farid¡¯s lip curled in distaste as he looked at it. Jeff didn¡¯t hesitate to gesticulate at TJ as he and Molly approached. ¡°There! There¡¯s your evidence! He¡¯s coming to silence me! He¡¯s going to kill me! Please, protect me!¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As he spoke, Jeff¡¯s eyes rolled in genuine terror and he fought to get away from TJ as he approached. The previously put together man in TJ¡¯s mind was long gone. The unkempt, filthy, terribly stinky, manic wretch who trembled and fought for escape now wasn¡¯t the combative Jeff TJ had known before. ¡°I¡¯ll stay back here.¡± TJ said, his hands held high. ¡°You can take him away if you¡¯d like, but I¡¯d like to ask some questions if I can. Jeff, can I ask you just one or two questions?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t taste good. Please don¡¯t eat me.¡± Jeff trembled as he rocked back and forth in Farid¡¯s arms. The steep decline in his sanity was both off-putting and frightening at the same time. TJ looked at Farid, hoping to get some sort of an answer, but Farid shrugged helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten a person.¡± TJ said, still not approaching. ¡°I won¡¯t either. But Jeff, have I ever attacked you or tried to kill you?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jeff screamed. ¡°You did, in the firehouse! You didn¡¯t want me to reveal your evil deeds there, and so you tried to kill me! Everyone else protected me, but you used your magic to change everyone¡¯s minds!¡± TJ was so baffled that he couldn¡¯t answer at all. Something had changed in Jeff, something that didn¡¯t make sense. He¡¯d been so reasonable at first, nervous around immensely powerful strangers, and then he¡¯d been, while not friendly, not hostile either. More than that, he¡¯d been open and up front about his feelings and reasons. TJ hadn¡¯t imagined friendship was possible, but he hadn¡¯t expected Jeff to be an enemy either. The drastic turnaround was just too much. Then, a thought occurred. ¡°Has Laura been around?¡± He asked. ¡°She¡¯s been too busy to deal with something like this.¡± Farid answered. ¡°Could someone bring her here? As well as any other high-leveled Disciples?¡± ¡°Yes, let me convince them of his villainy! Go quickly, before he can change his mind and silence me!¡± Jeff answered, and Molly activated Divine Transformation and then as a lightning dog ran towards the general store. After she left, Jeff resumed his ravings, but after Farid threatened him with the sock again, Jeff fell mostly silent. Less than two minutes later, Laura jogged in, Rebekkah, Angelo, and Granny Penny following behind. TJ smiled seeing Granny Penny so mobile, and then, Appraisal letting him know that she¡¯d passed level 10 was enough to see how she¡¯d recovered so well. ¡°What is it TJ? Do you need help with a civil disturbance? A dozen people have gone missing today, and I don¡¯t know where they are.¡± Laura asked as she walked forward, her steps hurried and her face unhappy. Over the past ten days of the Integration, she¡¯d stopped wearing her pantsuit all the time. Instead, she wore rugged jeans and a jacket over a shirt, just like most of the people who¡¯d survived thus far. ¡°Laura, help me! He wants to kill me! Kick him out, he doesn¡¯t belong! Please!¡± Jeff screamed, and Farid, unwilling to deal with the madman¡¯s desperation, stuffed his sock back in Jeff¡¯s mouth. TJ gestured to Jeff, still secured in Farid¡¯s arms, as he spoke. ¡°When was the last time you or anyone healed him?¡± ¡°At least a week for me.¡± Laura answered, looking at the other Disciples nearby. A chorus of people replied as well, saying that they¡¯d not tended to him in quite a while either. More interesting was that nobody who had been on a hunt with Jeff in the past days had seen him be injured beyond surface level, unimportant strikes. He hadn¡¯t needed to be healed in days. TJ continued to speak. ¡°And does anyone here have the ability to see if someone¡¯s suffering from an Affliction?¡± Laura shook her head, but Angelo walked forward. ¡°I do. From Medic, I can access that part of someone¡¯s Status.¡± TJ was going to ask, but Angelo put the pieces together before he needed to. ¡°I¡¯ll diagnose him, see if there¡¯s anything driving this.¡± Angelo laid both his hands on Jeff¡¯s face, looking into his eyes. Jeff writhed, avoiding eye contact and generally making a nuisance of himself, but he hadn¡¯t gained more than a handful of levels in the past days and had long since been left behind by the rest of the active combatants in town. Between Farid and Angelo, Jeff couldn¡¯t move, and before long, Angelo hissed a breath between his teeth. TJ felt a sinking in his stomach as his guess was confirmed. ¡°There¡¯s a nasty cocktail of afflictions he¡¯s got, but the big ones are severe Enthralled, Charmed, and Terrified. You¡¯ve probably seen or heard of Charmed, and you can ask what the other two do, but it¡¯s bad. I have no idea how these afflictions are continuously renewed, because their cooldown is currently at the max.¡± TJ didn¡¯t need to ask the System audibly for descriptions before they were supplied to him. Severe Enthralled affliction: This affliction is the superlative version of Charmed. While still in the presence of the source of your Enthrallment, you will be 2000% more likely to agree with whatever the source of the affliction suggests. You will be 1500% more likely to feel positively about the source of the affliction, and you will be 1600% more likely to do whatever it is that the source of the affliction requests. Severe Terrified affliction. This affliction is the superlative version of Terrified. While still in the presence of the source of your Fear, you will suffer from an 85% reduction in your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Willpower. Your ability to perceive reality from your fears will be nonexistent. The rest of the crowd surrounding them obviously got the same information at that time, as angry, annoyed, or hateful looks became pitying and charitable. Laura stepped forward, glowing with her healing light, and laid a hand on Jeff¡¯s shoulder. He quivered in¡­ fear? As her light flowed into the bound and gagged man, it visibly flowed to a spot just under his armpit. As the light touched it, Jeff screamed, the sound blasting through the gag, and as Farid reeled from the shock, Jeff struggled free. His fist sailed towards Laura¡¯s face, but before it could land, a half dozen others interposed themselves. ¡°It¡¯s.. bad.¡± Laura gasped. ¡°That took most of my MP, and I don¡¯t know how close we are.¡± ¡°Get his shirt off.¡± TJ commanded, stepping forward to do so himself. Farid, Molly, and a dozen other pairs of hands held Jeff down while a knife cut through his shirt and exposed his armpit. As Jeff¡¯s torso was revealed, the first thing that became apparent was the stench of rot, somehow held back and made to smell only of body odor under the shirt. Worse, though, was what they saw under the cover of the cloth. Several of the people holding him down audibly retched at the smell and sight, and Laura vomited as she turned away. ¡°Sweet heaven above.¡± TJ whispered. ¡°What happened to you, Jeff?¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 75 Jeff¡¯s torso was a spiderwebbed pattern of putrescence. Green veins pulsed all over his chest, and pus leaked from each of the bulging, disgusting marks. The pattern of rot originated from a black and necrotizing injury in his armpit, a little bigger than TJ¡¯s thumb. There, the weeping wound leaked continuously, but the pus or whatever liquid it was that dribbled continuously was a stomach-turning brown. Worse, the abscess¡¯s discharge was so thick that as they pulled the cut shirt away, strings of the fluid hung between Jeff¡¯s thrashing body and the cloth. As soon as he was exposed, Jeff¡¯s gentle resistance shifted to a wild, animalistic frenzy to escape. He snarled and snapped his teeth and body in every direction, wresting his every limb without consideration for his health or injury. Even through the improvised gag, the afflicted man released an ear-ripping scream, his throat audibly going hoarse immediately with the force of his cry. As he thrashed, several of the people holding Jeff down were dislodged as they turned to vomit or breathe less rancid air. With this barest hint of the possibility of escape, Jeff pulled the gag free and shouted as he tried to crawl away, ¡°They¡¯re all crazy! They¡¯re trying to kill me! Help! Help! Help! They¡¯re under mind control! Save me! Please!¡± Farid shouted and leapt fully onto Jeff and drove him to the ground. Though Jeff had gained some levels and a fair amount of Strength with them, he was far from superhuman. With a dozen people redoubling their efforts, Jeff was held down on the ground, his arms hoisted above his head. Though he fought to spit out the gag, there was no time for him to. Too many people held him down, and though Jeff thrashed and screamed and wept, he was held secure. ¡°What the hell happened to him?¡± Laura demanded to nobody in particular. There was no answer, but every Disciple there stepped forward to the point where they could lay a hand on the suffering man. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Wait a second.¡± TJ said before anyone else healed Jeff. ¡°We¡¯re not going to leave him in suffering because of your previous arguments, so there should be a reason why you¡¯re requesting that we wait.¡± Laura said, her hand a mere inch away from touching Jeff¡¯s chest. Before TJ answered, though, Angelo spoke. ¡°No, I agree. We shouldn¡¯t recklessly throw all of our MP at the problem before we take a look at the wound. This obviously isn¡¯t a normal injury, and there may be something that we should learn first.¡± ¡°If that is the case, I¡¯ll step back for now.¡± Laura said, her face looking nearly as green as the pulsating, poisonous looking veins covering Jeff¡¯s chest. ¡°Make sure he can¡¯t pull his arms down. I¡¯m going to investigate the wound, see if there¡¯s anything in there that shouldn¡¯t be. If it¡¯s just a poison or something, then I can take a look for that, but his Status isn¡¯t showing Poisoned.¡± At Angelo¡¯s command, TJ stepped closer, taking Jeff¡¯s arm into a slightly gentler version of an arm bar. Instead of hyperextending the trapped man¡¯s elbow, TJ kept it fully extended and trapped against the ground. With his Strength being so much higher than Jeff¡¯s, it wasn¡¯t too much of a struggle. Then, each of the highest leveled Zealots took another limb as Angelo looked to ensure that the supporters were all ready. While Jeff thrashed with all his strength, he could only move an inch or so in any direction. ¡°Ok, Jeff. I don¡¯t know how much of you is left in there right now, but I¡¯m sure this is going to hurt. Probably a lot. I¡¯m sorry about that, but there¡¯s really just not that much I can do about it. If you can hear me, I want you to hold still as best as possible. The less you move, the faster this will be. Ok?¡± Jeff didn¡¯t respond, but his eyes did go glassy for a second. TJ had no idea what exactly that meant while Angelo pulled a disposable glove out of his backpack, one intended for fast food preparation, not surgery, but the attempt at sanitary practice couldn¡¯t hurt. Then, a squirt-topped water bottle was pulled from the backpack as well and placed within arms¡¯ reach. Then, as prepared as he could be, Angelo began the surgery. When he touched the wound, Jeff bucked in agony, the rage that filled his face immediately changing to misery. Tears streaked down his dirty cheeks as Angelo prodded around the site of the injury. Weeping sickly pus flowed freely from the swollen puncture, the wound pulsating with Jeff¡¯s heartbeat. The sounds of his suffering were loud and insistent, but Angelo didn¡¯t stop checking out the necrotized flesh. The natural hair that should have been growing in the underarm had instead grown stiff and almost bony, though TJ couldn¡¯t say if it was because of the body¡¯s seeping fluids or because of something else. TJ didn¡¯t have the stomach to keep looking at the wound so continuously and instead focused on ensuring Jeff couldn¡¯t move. The smells and groans of pain were inescapable, and TJ noticed a few other people going green at the gills as they listened to and smelled the suffering of the man they were holding down. At least a minute passed by while Angelo investigated Jeff¡¯s wound. Then, after a fair few muttered curses, he spoke to everyone else. ¡°I think I found what the main problem is now. It¡¯s deep, about an inch under the ribs, but I can feel some hard foreign body there. If we don¡¯t take it out, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to heal him. I¡¯m going to get my pliers out and see if I can pull it out without cutting the wound bigger.¡± Angelo explained what he was doing, but it didn¡¯t seem that anyone there cared to have a full explanation from him on every little thing he was doing. Thus, after he pulled a pair of needle-nose pliers out of his surprisingly well-prepared backpack, the Medic Disciple plunged them into the wound. TJ felt his stomach tumble as the wound leaked more and more pus onto the ground, a greenish tint mixing with the brown rot. The smell grew ever more overpowering, and a couple people retched again as the unnaturally horrendous scent filled the air. TJ had gone dumpster diving and he¡¯d smelled the aftermath of a body left to bloat and explode, and Jeff¡¯s wound smelled like a mixture of the two scents dialed up to 43. Even while the smell overpowered them and Jeff thrashed, the people holding him down were able to keep him from bucking free, though he seemed to get stronger the longer it went on. Or, perhaps, he was simply more desperate. Whatever the reason, TJ was tiring as they continued to hold the raving invalid down. Checking, he saw his Stamina was at 486/980, almost perfectly halfway spent. Much of that was still holdover from the nearly disastrous hunt, but the humber appreciably fell as Angelo continued his attempted extraction. There was a wet squelching noise, and a fountain of brown liquid shot out of the wound in Jeff¡¯s ribcage. Angelo shouted and dry heaved as he picked up the water bottle and sprayed it into his mouth. The thought of that disgusting fluid all over TJ¡¯s face nearly had him retching but he was grateful that Angelo, though disgusted, was not cowed. He sprayed the water all over his face and leaned back down to continue treating Jeff. The poor man had long gone hoarse from his muffled screaming, his breaths rasping in agony as Angelo pulled a utility knife out and, muttering apologies again, cut the rotting flesh away from the wound. It wasn¡¯t long before the Medic pulled out his pliers once again and pushed them into the larger access point. TJ couldn¡¯t help but watch as Angelo grabbed something hard inside the wound and then, with both hands on the plier, jerked back. Angelo grunted as he fell back onto the ground, his pliers decidedly unsuccessful at removing the foreign object. Whatever it was that had been lodged inside of Jeff wasn¡¯t willing to come out, but Angelo¡¯s will was stronger as he reset his grip and pulled back again, slower this time. Jeff¡¯s screams of agony redoubled in fury, but Angelo was implacable, and the long thing was pulled free inch by inch. Even after it was loosened and pulled back a little, the source of Jeff¡¯s afflictions didn¡¯t relinquish its hold. When Angelo relaxed his grip to adjust, TJ saw it sink back into the flesh. ¡°Fuck off!¡± Angelo grunted as he set the pliers against the hard core of the devilish item. Steadily, he pulled it free, and as TJ saw the furthest point of the item, he realized that he recognized it. The wendigo¡¯s claw, once fully out of Jeff¡¯s body, glowed with a sickly green radiance. A whorling pattern of¡­ something covered the surface of the digit, and the glow somehow originated from the cracks of the pattern. As soon as the claw was removed, the green tint to Jeff¡¯s veins faded, and Angelo called out to the rest of the Disciples. ¡°Alright, we should be good to heal, let¡¯s do it all at once. Ready? 3, 2, 1, go!¡± Angelo didn¡¯t wait to give commands, and every one of the other people nearby capable of healing, including Stanton, did so on his command. With the glow of five healers¡¯ Skills working in tandem, Jeff convulsed as if he¡¯d been defibrillated. The nasty goo that¡¯d filled his wound exploded out again, the smell of rot intensifying and filling the air. However, with the residue created by the wendigo¡¯s claw discharged, Jeff¡¯s complexion improved immensely. Though the veins that patterned his chest still were darker and more distended than they should have, the sheer panic in Jeff¡¯s eyes faded to a more reasonable fear. ¡°We¡¯re basically done with the healing.¡± Angelo said as he stepped back and pulled his gloves from his hands. ¡°I just hit level 15, and should get some Skills that¡¯ll help us with these stupid fuckin¡¯ afflictions. Jeff¡¯s still got at least a dozen, so keep holding him for now.¡± TJ and the Zealots followed instructions as Jeff rolled his head back and forth, his eyes flitting from one face to the next. When TJ¡¯s and Jeff¡¯s met, TJ smiled as best as he could. Jeff resumed screaming, his throat apparently healed by the Disciples¡¯ ministrations. ¡°Maybe I should be replaced?¡± TJ suggested, his ears ringing from the poorly muffled screams of terror. ¡°I think someone else can take my spot at this point.¡± Someone did just that, and as soon as TJ stepped away, Jeff did calm down quite a bit. He still was unhappy with being held down and nearly a prisoner, but he was merely unhappy instead of apoplectic. Angelo continued checking through his Skill choices before he smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve got just the thing, guys.¡± As soon as Angelo lay his hands on Jeff¡¯s head, the struggling and unhappy Zealot went still. A full minute passed, then, with Jeff still unmoving, Angelo whispered, ¡°Let him go, everyone.¡± While they stepped back, Angelo kept his hands on Jeff¡¯s head for another minute or more. Then, as if a dam had broken, Jeff collapsed into sobs. He clutched desperately at Angelo, his fingers tangled in the fabric of Angelo¡¯s jacket. As the healed man continued his wracking cries, Angelo ran his fingers through Jeff¡¯s hair and quietly hummed a comforting song. They remained like that for a time, Jeff¡¯s body trembling with the release of too many emotions and Angelo caring for Jeff as he came back to himself. After a couple of uncomfortable minutes of bitter weeping, Jeff stood up while pulling Angelo up with him. His eyes were puffy from his tears, and Jeff wiped at his face with dirty hands. His streaked cheeks were filthy, but he stood taller than TJ had seen him do since maybe the first time they¡¯d met. ¡°Everyone, and especially you, TJ,¡± Jeff said, ¡°I owe you an apology. I hope that the information I can give you now will help you, but even so, I don¡¯t deserve your mercy or forgiveness, but I believe this information will be useful for the end of this Tutorial.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 76 ¡°There are more Elites than just the wendigos. There are the Chindis, which you¡¯ve heard about, and there¡¯s another. The raven did this to me. I don¡¯t know what kind of creature it was, I never asked before, and when I ask now, I don¡¯t get anything. But it was a huge raven or crow, at least four feet long with a wingspan bigger than I am. Its feathers were constantly falling out, and its breath was disgusting. Whenever it cawed, my heart shuddered, and when I saw it the first time, I couldn¡¯t move.¡± Nobody interrupted as Jeff continued to tell his story. ¡°When I first saw it, I had walked into the forest alone. I know, it was stupid, but I was mad at you, TJ, and I wasn¡¯t thinking very clearly. I¡¯d seen you get stronger and stronger, and I was just¡­ doing nothing. I was too scared to go on hunts, too prideful to ask for help. I was jealous of how hard you worked and how much people looked up to you. I was just¡­ I just wasn¡¯t ready for all this, and I¡¯d thought I was an inspiration before you appeared here. But that doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯d left TJ¡¯s house and went out alone, and that was when I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d been taken by the Chindi. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Its magic just got me to keep walking further and further, until I was all alone in the middle of the forest. I¡¯m not sure why, but I think I started to resist the Chindi then? But before I could react, the raven flew in as if from a shadow, because I didn¡¯t see it until it was there. It left a trail of feathers everywhere it went, though more kept on growing. Its eyes were terrible. As soon as I met its eyes, I couldn¡¯t remember my name, or why I was there, or anything. The next thing I knew, I was laying down on the ground, the materials TJ gave me in the hands of a wendigo that appeared. With all three Elites there, they cursed me. ¡°They talked to each other, though I couldn¡¯t understand them at first. I screamed, but nobody heard me. The wendigo held that finger¨C¡± Jeff pointed at the runically inscribed object on the ground, ¡°while the raven ran its beak all over. Wherever its beak went, its tongue flicked out and left those carvings and they started to glow. Then, when it was done, the raven swallowed the finger before spitting it out. The Chindi did something I couldn¡¯t see to the finger, then the wendigo said something else and stabbed it into me. ¡°While I screamed, I was suddenly able to understand what they were saying, and they commanded me to go back to town. I couldn''t say no or do anything, it was like I was watching my body in a movie. Every time I went out on a hunt, I heard the Chindi¡¯s voice. Each time I heard it, it made me more sure that everyone here was wrong, that they were in danger, and I forgot why I¡¯d ever thought otherwise. When I heard Zig saying that TJ was dangerous, that was it. My mind broke, and I did what I did. ¡°After getting kicked out, the Chindi had more time to mess up my mind. Whenever I wasn¡¯t with a hunting party, I was sleeping or out in the forest. I can¡¯t remember very much after that. My mind was just¡­ broken. I remember bits here and there, but nothing solid. Except for this. ¡°The woman who died tonight, who was the bait in your ambush, Julie. Her death is my fault. Because of the Chindi, I drew her away from her party. I¡­ there¡¯s no reason to give any of my excuses about this. But she left her party because of me, and I was out there with her just before you all showed up. The Chindi hid me while the wendigo tried to kill you. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Jeff¡¯s throat was choked with emotion, but a part of TJ couldn¡¯t help but feel like his words rang hollow. It was because he ¡°had no choice¡±? He couldn¡¯t do anything else? TJ couldn¡¯t help but feel like it was a crock, but he tried not to say it out loud. Jeff was looking at him, though, and his already bitter expression fell further as TJ heard the last of the story. ¡°I don¡¯t expect to be forgiven or forgivable. I just¡­ thought you should know. They seemed to say something about some sort of plan for the final siege, but there weren¡¯t any details I learned. Sorry.¡± Jeff petered off. After saying as much, Jeff shrugged and turned before he started to walk off into the forest, away from everyone else. His bare torso still showed dark lines all over, a remnant of the curse or poison or whatever it was that the raven had done to the wendigo claw. In the darkness, TJ saw Jeff shiver, but he seemed like he didn¡¯t think that he deserved even to try to warm himself and didn¡¯t react. Angelo walked forward and caught Jeff by the shoulder and pulled him back before the older man could get too far. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can forgive you. I mean, the reason you got caught up in all this was because you were jealous of TJ getting close to Laura and doing better than you. You know. Like a kid. You¡¯re a grown ass man, and you got someone killed because of it. After this Tutorial, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll want to see you ever again. During the Tutorial, I don¡¯t want to trust my back to you. But you¡¯re here and it seems like you want to get better. That¡¯ll have to be enough, because we¡¯re seeing every day just how much more dangerous all this is than we expected. Someone will stay with you to make sure you¡¯re recovering, and tomorrow, you need to get some levels. Then, we¡¯ll see if we can get you to prove how you¡¯ve changed.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Laura agreed as she walked forward. ¡°You have made mistakes, and if we could afford it, I believe some punishment would be due. However, just over four days remain until we need to defend the general store, and exiling or imprisoning anybody who could help is just hurting the possibility for our own survival. Jeff, come to the firehouse. We¡¯ll have you sleep where several others can ensure you don¡¯t get yourself lost. TJ ground his teeth, keeping himself from speaking about the situation in any way. He recognized the similarities between what had happened to him and Jeff, just that Jeff had been weak and alone when under the influence of the Chindi, but even so, he found it difficult to feel even a little charitably about him. Maybe it was hard feelings from the insults and passive and active aggression Jeff had shown the entire time they¡¯d known each other, but TJ eventually came to the realization that he¡¯d deliberately stepped away from being a leader of the town multiple times. He didn¡¯t want to be mayor, he didn¡¯t even want to be in charge of a group when they went hunting. If he wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to put him in charge, then he couldn¡¯t be pissed when the people in charge didn¡¯t do what he wanted. Right? ¡°C¡¯mere kid.¡± Stanton grumbled as he pulled TJ back to the house he¡¯d only recently been pulled out of. They walked up to their room, where TJ slumped into the bedding he¡¯d claimed for his own. Stanton, being an old man, had taken the bed without complaint when TJ offered it. ¡°You don¡¯t want Jeff to stick around.¡± Stanton said as they settled into bed. ¡°No. He¡¯s an unstable element, and, frankly, I just don¡¯t like him.¡± Stanton nodded and grunted without asking anything else. After working the thought over in his head for a while, TJ spoke again. ¡°It might be a little hypocritical of me, but I don¡¯t trust him. He¡¯s gotten someone killed, and while I was very dangerous to Zig when I was under the Chindi¡¯s influence, I didn¡¯t do anything more than scare anyone. I didn¡¯t hurt anyone, much less kill them! He¡¯s dangerous, and I don¡¯t want him around me. Maybe it¡¯s just because we¡¯ve never liked each other, but no matter what happens, he¡¯s been an asshole at best! It¡¯s just¡­ like¨C!¡± ¡°I get it, and I don¡¯t disagree with you.¡± Stanton said, surprising TJ. ¡°You¡­ agree with me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t trust ¡®im half as far as I could throw ¡®im. Never have. But here¡¯s the thing: in this situation, there¡¯s only really two things you can do about it. The first is you can leave him alone and just never be around him. Only see him in the final battle, if you¡¯re lucky, and then, the Tutorial¡¯s over and maybe we get taken home so he¡¯s out of your life. ¡°The other option is to kill him.¡± TJ blinked at the stone faced man three times before he spoke. ¡°Holy shit, Stanton! What the hell are you talking about? There are, like, a thousand other things we can do instead of murder!¡± ¡°In this situation? With all that¡¯s happening around us? Really?¡± Stanton met TJ¡¯s eyes. ¡°What other things would you do, and how would they not harm everyone else¡¯s chances for survival? You put him in jail, and people need to watch him instead of getting levels. You exile him, and the Elite monsters out there will do the same thing to him. He doesn¡¯t have anything to pay a fine with because there¡¯s no money, and who¡¯d waste time in a made up court to decide what punishment to levy on him? So, what other things do you want to do?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t want to kill him!¡± ¡°So you leave him alone, stop worrying about it, and move on with your life. TJ, there¡¯s a lot of good you can do, and maybe Jeff can do some good too. Maybe he¡¯ll be a hindrance, but I doubt it. He¡¯s too low-leveled to pose much of a threat to anyone, and if he starts killing monsters, then that¡¯s fewer monsters that¡¯ll be attacking us. In times like this, we¡¯ve gotta make choices, and if you don¡¯t want to make a choice, that¡¯s a choice all on its own.¡± TJ ground his teeth, and felt like there was something that Stanton was missing, but instead of thinking further about Jeff, he decided that the last thing Stanton said was true: doing nothing was a choice in and of itself, and instead of thinking about someone he didn¡¯t like and couldn¡¯t trust, TJ would just get some rest, like he¡¯d been trying to before. Though exhausted, it took a while for TJ¡¯s mind to clear enough to fall asleep, and when that dark oblivion found him, dreams plagued his rest While he dreamed, when he looked down, he saw a temple below him. Bountiful lands spread in every direction, thick fields of every kind of produce to the south, and thick jungles to the north and east. The west¡¯s lands were dedicated to herds, and all the products of every direction were for his benefit. Every mortal that walked was his worshipper, one who had fallen in line at the sight of his divinity. Kukulkan ruled this land, and his influence spread far beyond where the eye could reach. His presence blessed the lands with rain, clear skies, and temperate weather. His grace allowed the mortals to live outside of the strife of the gods above them, to resume the lives of those from before this turbid time. Though he watched his lands, he remained hidden to the eyes of mortals. If they were always to look on his majesty, there would be precious little they could do beyond continue to appreciate his splendour. As he watched, some of the members of his priesthood ascended the steps to his temple, escorting another. The escorted struggled, but was carried forward by the priest¡¯s blessed strength. When the peak of his ziggurat was visible, the unwilling attendant¡¯s struggles surged in frenzy, but the priests were prepared for it and one dealt a heavy blow to the struggling man¡¯s chest. The man gasped as his ribs cracked from the strike but tried to pull free. When he was thrown atop the altar, Kukulkan¡¯s presence froze him in place, his face in a rictus of a scream. ¡°Our Lord Kukulkan!¡± A priest called to the heavens. ¡°This sinner has denied your faith and your sovereignty, he has claimed that you are but a weak approximation of a god, and your presence is naught but a lie we tell our children. His people demand that we submit to his god¡¯s rule!¡± Kukulkan¡¯s pride was pricked, and though the mortal had been egged on by a jealous competitor¡¯s deceit, the might of a god was not to be questioned. The Feathered Serpent¡¯s head pressed down from his divine domain, and as the head the size of the temple made itself known, every mortal within 100 miles felt his descent and lay prostrate. The foreign worshipper couldn¡¯t move, and Kukulkan took the briefest moment to evaluate the man. His skin was much paler than Kukulkan¡¯s worshippers, evidence of his origin. ¡°You come from across the sea, do you not? One of the silly northern ¡®gods¡¯ who find themselves devoid of space and devout and seek to steal that which belongs to others? Name your god and I shall bestow upon you a quick death.¡± Try as he might, the man couldn¡¯t muster more than a shallow breath in response. Kukulkan reduced his divine aura enough to allow the wretch to speak. ¡°Vi¡­ han¡­ sa¡­ bless¡­ me.¡± He uttered in a strange language, though as a god, Kukulkan understood. ¡°Very well. Vihansa shall pay for her arrogance. Perhaps you can find rest in her afterlife before I find her.¡± Then, Kukulkan flicked his tongue and decapitated the man without any effort. While the corpse cooled and was emptied of all blood, TJ felt his consciousness pull back from Kukulkan¡¯s. There was no other sensation before he awoke in bed, sweating profusely and mouth tasting of blood. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 77 While TJ roused himself completely from his strange dream, the feeling of killing someone so easily filled his head. A mere flick of his tongue, and there was a dead body where a living person had been before. Was that¡­ what a god was? If he ascended to the seventh tier of Divinity, would that be how he needed to act? Would he want to act that way? TJ knew that he¡¯d become much angrier and more violent than ever before ever since this whole Integration thing began, but he wasn¡¯t going to kill someone for effectively looking at him wrong. Was that dream a mere nightmare? Or was it some vestige of the departed Kukulkan trying to give him instructions? Worse, was it the System giving him a command to slay anyone who stood as even an annoyance in his path? TJ had made the resolution to kill to see his son again, but he hadn¡¯t yet been tested on it. Monsters, sure, that was easy, but people were a different case entirely. If they were an impediment to his journey home, though, their heads would roll, just like the nameless worshipper of Vihansa¡¯s had. It was too early in the morning for rehashing the same moral dilemmas he¡¯d already spoken with himself over and over again about, but Stanton¡¯s words from the night before stuck with TJ. Leave Jeff be, or kill him. Now that TJ had rested, he felt that there was so much more nuance to the discussion, but Stanton¡¯s words painted everything in a stark, unimpeachable light. Life. Or death. Then, was Jeff, victim of mental manipulation and worse, guilty of any crime worthy of death? TJ couldn¡¯t say that Jeff¡¯s involvement in other people¡¯s deaths was forgivable, but he did know that he didn¡¯t want to be an executioner. Instead, TJ rolled his shoulders, pulled on his moccasins, and walked out of the room. Stanton was still softly snoring in the bed, and TJ didn¡¯t want to bother the older man. Outside, TJ could see the movement of people inside the firehouse, and as they saw him as well, many raised their hands in genuine greetings. They smiled, called out his name, and were happy to see him. Over the past week, though, TJ had shown that he preferred to be given space, and they respected that. Even so, dozens of people, each time they saw him, were excited. Hero worship glimmered in their eyes, and TJ couldn¡¯t help but dislike the treatment. Perhaps, if they¡¯d been consistent in their treatment of him over the past week, he wouldn¡¯t have minded it quite so much. However, that hadn¡¯t been the case. TJ had not been welcomed in Pine the day he arrived, though he¡¯d fought to be recognized as someone trustworthy and competent. Over the course of just a couple of days, he¡¯d been elevated to a position of respect and authority, though not in name. Then, with the raving words of a disillusioned, afflicted man, he¡¯d been a monster again. Again, it¡¯d taken days of work and dedication and proving himself to overcome it, and now, here he was again, a hero in these people¡¯s eyes. The nature of humans to change so much wasn¡¯t exactly a surprise, but TJ recognized he¡¯d become disillusioned with it all. He¡¯d been hero and monster multiple times to the rest of the people in the Tutorial, and he refused to care which of the two it was at present moment. ¡°You get any rest after all that?¡± Farid asked, one of the few people that TJ felt he could call friend in Pine. ¡°I couldn¡¯t, not really. Just kept seeing those fingers and imagining what they would do to me.¡± Farid shuddered at the thought. ¡°I slept ok, but not well.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the worst night I¡¯ve had since all this happened, but I couldn''t sleep like a rock either.¡± ¡°Good for you. You wanna eat?¡± Farid thumbed over his shoulder towards the firehouse. TJ shook his head. ¡°Just going for a walk for now. Thanks, though.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going out together today, so make sure you¡¯re ready by 10:30, ok?¡± TJ checked the System: 7:42 ¡°Sounds good.¡± TJ answered as he walked forward. Farid left him alone, and TJ internally thanked the man for his understanding and space. Though a descendant of the Hindu god of destruction, Farid was a calm and kind man. Then again, TJ realized he really didn¡¯t know much about Shiva the Destroyer. Also, he wasn¡¯t much of a soul-guiding flying serpent himself, so there could only be so much impact from the Bloodline on an individual¡¯s personality. While he wanted to wander off into the forest and get some real peace and quiet, TJ knew better, especially after Jeff¡¯s story the night before. With only a 250 yards¡¯ radius, give or take, of safety, TJ refused to get himself killed because of overconfidence or a mere desire to get some space. Before he knew it, he found himself in the little clearing he¡¯d been in when Zig and the others approached him for that hunt. Just a couple days ago, and it felt like ages. If TJ actually saw Junior at the end of this Tutorial, he worried the poor toddler wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him. With a grunt, TJ sat and leaned against the tree, imagining what he would do after this Tutorial. What would happen with Junior? He¡¯d made a decision to try to ascend to the Throne, at least for now, because that could lead to some fairytale ending, but TJ couldn''t say that he actually believed it was possible, or would happen. For now, he¡¯d trust in the System, though the deadline to see if the proof was in the pudding was quickly approaching. If the Tutorial ended and he couldn¡¯t see Junior, what would he do? Doggedly continue, chasing an ever more ephemeral hope that the seemingly all-powerful System would one day deem him fit to see his child again? Give up? Assuming he saw Junior, what would he do with him? How could he take care of a little kid in this hell? What could he do to make sure he was safe when invisible, human-eating goblins were all over? Worse, since he was only in a Tutorial, worse things were sure to come. The anxiety threatened to overwhelm him, and TJ forced himself to take steadying breaths. They didn¡¯t help, the thoughts of so many things that could go wrong, would go wrong. The deep breaths and his thundering heartbeat were all that TJ could hear, and the firmly bottled up emotions spilled out. The control he¡¯d fought to maintain over these growing fears for the past ten and a half days wasn¡¯t enough, and TJ wept. Bitter tears stung his eyes as wracking sobs seized his chest. He pulled his hand to his mouth and bit hard on his clenched fist. The pain brought some of him back, and TJ could see through his misty eyes. Fortunately, nobody was around to watch as TJ unravelled. He let himself be lost in the release, and minutes passed. The stupid part of his mind that never shut up repeated the Dune mindkiller speech, and he was surprised to find some solace in it. Eventually, TJ found himself calming down, swiping at his eyes, and feeling some measure of true peace. Maybe it was the high of unleashing his doubts and insecurities, or maybe it was something else, but after he¡¯d emptied himself of these fears, TJ¡¯s mind cleared. He settled back against the tree behind him, closed his eyes, and thought. There was so much that could go wrong, but only so much he could do. TJ went through plans of what he could do to ensure that he survived this siege in just three days, and how he could ensure he gained as many levels as possible before that. He planned who should stand where, and how they should work together to defend the general store. Possibilities filled his mind, and TJ realized he really just didn¡¯t know what the enemies were capable of. His worries impossible to address, TJ allowed himself to do a brief meditation. It¡¯d been a long time since the last time he¡¯d meditated, and he couldn¡¯t remember anything but the basic idea of what to do to clear his mind. TJ changed his breaths to be more deliberate, more focused, and though he couldn¡¯t remember much of the how and why, threw himself into meditation wholeheartedly. Moment by moment, TJ felt his thoughts still, his racing mind slow, and his frantic heart calm. A System notification tried to rouse him, but TJ didn¡¯t care to pay it attention. He allowed himself to fall deeper into the meditation, and the peace so enjoyably enveloped him. The winds whispered something, and TJ listened. More than ever before, he allowed the air to truly speak to him. Without resisting, TJ felt his awareness stretch far beyond his body, the rhythmic breathing assuaging any fears that threatened to slow his progress. He continued to breathe, and the world outside of his own awareness called for his attention. Bit by bit, his sense of self slipped away. He would have panicked or rushed back to his body, but he could feel that personality and individuality were still within reach, if he wanted them. If someone came and jostled his body, he¡¯d probably know it. Even so, the body was in a safe place. He could allow the winds to truly encompass him. Before, when he¡¯d been whisked away by the playing hands of the wind, the whims of the skies carried him in a rush, showing all that they could be, but this time, he was the wind. There was no need to hurry, to show off any aspect of himself. There was only the omnipresent wind. From the highest reaches of the Tutorial, to whipping through the grasses forgotten on the mountaintops, he was there. Parts of him danced in the dumpling waters of a brook, and so much of him rebelled at the Tutorial¡¯s bounds. Massive walls closed him off in every direction, and the freedom of the wind had been cut off. The audacity of the Tutorial! It may have its reasons, but they were wrong! It had impinged on the sovereign authority of the skies and heavens, the most primordial of all the divine realms! He roiled at the thought, his rage building all around him. Clouds gathered and lightning flashed¨Cno. It was only a matter of time before they were released, and the Tutorial¡¯s clutches were loosened. There was no reason to lose control. There was power in the rage of the heavens, and there would be cause for it yet. The skies¡¯ fury hadn¡¯t yet been fully stoked, and would not need to be loosed at this time. Soon, yes. But not now. He relaxed, the rainclouds that had gathered dispersing. The weight of the clouds pressing in and the smell of ozone gradually disappeared. Instead, he allowed himself to be swept up in the joy of the freedoms that the winds already had. The energy and possibilities of the winds enveloped him, and he lost himself in them for a while, a time he couldn¡¯t explain or estimate. And then¡­ A System notification that refused to be ignored. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. You have touched upon the Divine Domain of the skies, winds, and heavens. You will experience a Dirt (0) tiered Enlightenment and Tribulation. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 78 TJ¡¯s sense of self was forced back onto him. Looking around himself, he was in the middle of the clouds, wind and faint static electricity enveloping him. He couldn¡¯t move, but it also didn¡¯t feel like his body was present here, only his mind. As soon as that thought crossed his mind, TJ realized he was seeing in every direction, though the strange, superhuman perception didn¡¯t disorientate or confuse him. Instead, it was a place where he found himself fully centered, and TJ wanted to investigate what had changed, since he¡¯d ignored the other System notifications that¡¯d appeared in his journey as the winds. Though he couldn¡¯t place it, he¡¯d gained something other than this opportunity for Enlightenment while living as the winds for however long it¡¯d been, but for now, he was forced to think only about what this Enlightenment and Tribulation were. It wasn¡¯t so much that they were more pressing, but he felt the foreign demands of the System pressing in on him. Much like when the Integration had begun and the System had quashed all his emotions, his mind was forced to think only about the incoming Dirt tiered Enlightenment and Tribulation. His curiosity, however, was not kept away, and he could still speak in this ethereal in-between state. ¡°What¡¯s this Enlightenment and Tribulation?¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Before one can ascend to each new tier of Divinity, one must touch upon an aspect of divine rule. Different from every time before, the System¡¯s voice and presence was overwhelming instead of tender, aggressive instead of gentle. It thundered in his head, and it continued to speak. Enlightenment is a necessary step for every Participant to grasp that which makes the most basic governing laws of the natural universe. The mortal mind cannot comprehend that which rules everything. In order to govern, one must understand, and in order to understand, one must be enlightened. With Divine understanding comes Divine Tribulations, and after the period of Enlightenment comes the period of Tribulation. With each step towards the Divine Throne, there must be resistance. From that comes the Tribulation. ¡°That¡¯s not very clear on what a Tribulation entails though!¡± The System didn¡¯t give any additional information. TJ wanted to ask more, but instead, the enlightenment began and his awareness shrunk more and more as he was whisked from his cloudy, limitless view of the sky. Once brought back down, TJ saw a creature. A large bug trundled through thick overgrowth, its curving horn pushing through brush and branch alike. The rhinoceros beetle walked without care. It was large, strong, and unafraid. The few times that another creature dared to remain in its path, it bulldozed, browbeat, and bullied until its journey was once again unimpeded. With each successive victory, its pride soared ever higher. ¡°Why are you showing me this?¡± TJ asked the System. ¡°How is this going to enlighten me?¡± He received no answer and suspected that this opportunity didn¡¯t guarantee anything. With that realization, he refocused on the scene before him. TJ couldn¡¯t begin to understand why we followed the weird bug¡¯s path, but he was forced to follow it, his eyes unable to look anywhere else. It was a little tyrant, and TJ witnessed days, weeks, and possibly months of growth in an accelerated fashion. That was, until it met its demise. When it walked through another clearing, the beetle didn¡¯t raise its head. Why would it? It had ascended to a small hegemony in this forest, and nothing dared to cross its path. It was well on its way to ascending to the next step of life, whatever that would be, and its strength was uncontestable! The ambusher struck from above, nothing warning of its approach except for a long, narrow shadow. When it attacked, the speed of its flying descent lent additional strength to the attack. The bright green serpent¡¯s tail smashed into the beetle¡¯s skull, just behind its horn. The thick exoskeleton maintained its integrity, but only barely. Even so, a huge vulnerability had been presented, and the smaller serpent didn¡¯t hesitate to press the attack. On the ground, it coiled into a springlike circle before leaping into the sky, where the winds held it aloft. With a trumpeting cry, the beetle shook its head in a surprisingly human-like gesture. It was too late for it to react to the serpent¡¯s repeated attack. Again, its tail smashed into the beetle¡¯s skull, and this time, thick green blood oozed out of the cracked shell. Though it tried to struggle and save itself, the beetle¡¯s pride had allowed the much smaller serpent to strike crippling blows, and as it stumbled back and forth, the serpent rose to the heavens for one final strike. It was too late, and the beetle¡¯s demise was definitive. The third, final blow smashed most of the beetle¡¯s skull into paste, and it fell to the ground, either insensate or dead. Its killer didn¡¯t care if it was dead yet, and the serpent burrowed into the weakness it had created. TJ was no stranger to the death of creatures after these past weeks of the Tutorial, but watching the serpent eat into the skull of the evidently still living beetle was uncomfortable, to say the least. Once it was protected in the corpse of its prey, TJ felt time pass like it was being fast forwarded, and an hour or more later, the snake emerged. Now that it had evolved, it looked familiar. The green serpent had gained a brightly colored mane of feathers, and its eyes now shone with a much greater intelligence than had been present before. Some scavengers had appeared during its evolution, but as it pushed itself free of the corpse¡¯s entrapment, the coatl rushed out and began a new hunt. Before TJ could react or say anything about the vision he¡¯d just witnessed, the vision shifted to a handsome man wearing a kilt or something like it. The thick linen wrapped around his waist held a copper dagger and a small satchel and he held a very long copper-headed spear in his hand. He walked through a delta, muggy heat making the air shimmer over a nearby river while he stalked something. When he reached a thick patch of bushes, he hunched down and hid himself. The thick growth gave way to desolate desert not more than half a mile away, and the winds whipped threateningly at the outside of the oasis of life that surrounded the slowly flowing river. After TJ took in the surroundings, the vision was slowly pulled back to the partially hidden man. Though he couldn¡¯t change what he was looking at or how detailed the vision was, TJ didn¡¯t want to watch as this man was ambushed by the coatl or whatever other creature was lurking. Time passed, the sun setting, and TJ felt his anxiety spike then die down. After all, this was an opportunity for him to learn how to touch the skies and embrace Divinity. If he had to watch a long dead stranger die for it, then that was far from the worst thing that could happen. As the man huddled and waited, TJ stretched his awareness out, feeling the movement of the wind. It was harsher here, somehow more selfish. It didn¡¯t want to merely move around and seek freedom, or even cut through stone if it stood in its way like it did to the mountain peaks in the Tutorial. Here, the winds scoured everything clean, and hated anything that dared to challenge its sovereignty. The air and lack of moisture killed all but the toughest, and even those things bowed to its fury. Overhead, TJ saw a huge bird, maybe an ibis? He couldn¡¯t tell and he was randomly guessing, while the System still didn¡¯t respond to him. Regardless of what kind of bird it was, how had it touched on the most basic principles of the heavens and wind? It was pushed to greater speeds by the unforgiving gusts overhead, but that was far from noteworthy over every other bird in existence. It glided down towards the river¡¯s side, long curved beak slightly ajar. Only then did TJ realize just how massive the creature was. Its wings spread at least twenty feet across, and its body was truly massive, at least eight feet long. If he was forced to fight the monstrosity, he wasn¡¯t sure he could win, or even survive. It continued its dive, unconcerned with the hiding man. Did it not see him, then? While TJ watched the two, the man set his spear against the ground and gauged the distance between himself and the ibis. Then, as it dove to pull something out of the water, the man murmured something in a language TJ couldn¡¯t recognize and a 30 foot-long column of wind whipped into existence and yanked it off its path. With its inertia and the influence of the man¡¯s Wind Manipulation, the bird was out of luck. It flapped its wings wildly, but the trap had been sprung and it was the planned victim. Screams echoed through the delta as the spear pierced through the bird¡¯s breast before protruding out its back. Red blood sprayed across the man, painting his face, chest, and hands while he shouted something in that same language he¡¯d spoken in before. The bird¡¯s huge beak snapped threateningly, but the man jumped back out of its reach. It tried to walk on its long legs, or to take to the skies once again, but once the bird was grounded, the man jumped and wrapped one arm around the bird¡¯s beak, holding it closed. The other hand held his dagger, and he plunged it again and again into the bird''s eyes and head until it died. The man glowed in the dying light of the sun, his head bowed in respect to the dead bird. He gathered it into his arms and spoke in a reverent tone. Then, as he walked towards the flowing river, TJ was whisked away again. His third vision showed another man with aquiline features and stormy eyes. He stood atop a small mountain while a shifting mass of monsters assailed his position. He sneered, a spear and shield in hand and a simple bronze breastplate. Others stood around him, carrying similar equipment with their faces screwed up in terror, but this man¡¯s visage showed nothing but arrogance. With a shout in a different but still foreign tongue, the man struck out with his spear long before it could have reached the enemy, but a spear of wind so furious as to be visible exploded into being in front of him. It battered several of the attacking monsters to death, the wind carrying the glow of lightning within it. Arrogance still marring his face, the man led a charge into the roiling mass of enemies, uncaring of if his fellows followed him. He lunged forward with a rictus of a grin as TJ was, again, pulled away. A fourth vision was of a redheaded woman standing on a steep cliff. Turbid clouds massed overhead, and rain lashed against her, the sea in front of her, and the fleet of sails marking an attacking fleet. Her face was twisted in fury, and she spoke in a language that almost sounded like English to him. She swirled her hands over her head, and the clouds obeyed. As she continued to speak, her words rang like thunder. The seas heaved more violently, the weather¡¯s rage matching her own. Then, with a final cracking shout, the woman sent a massive scythe of wind, hundreds of feet long, into the assembled ships. Masts and hulls splintered and fell apart, and hundreds of men screamed for mercy as the woman¡¯s rage was replaced with a vengeful joy. A fifth vision showed another woman, dark locks framing her face as she used Wind Manipulation to carry thousands of seeds through a freshly tilled field. The seeds were spaced and placed with loving care before the wind drilled a small hole for each and placed them within. As soon as the seeds were carried to their destinations, a soft rain appeared, also under the woman¡¯s apparent control. A moment later, she relaxed and allowed the control over her Skill, or Divinity, to cease. She smiled with genuine joy as TJ was pulled away from this vision. A sixth, seventh, tenth vision, all the way up to at least twenty flashed past in increasing speed, each one showing a Participant¡¯s Skills and skills. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, TJ was wrenched back to that formless, cloudless vision where the System asked one question. What have you learned? Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 79 TJ gasped, feeling more himself than he¡¯d been able to for a while. His fingers and toes spread, feeling the humidity of the clouds flow through them. His brows were wet from the clouds, and each breath moistened his throat, which he only then realized was dry. Before he could relax or contemplate or resettle himself, the System demanded again, What have you learned? He tried to formulate a thought as the earthshaking voice rumbled his entire being. His sense of self was swept away as again, it shouted at him, What have you learned? Less than ten seconds passed and and the voice returned, louder than ever, What have you learned? The System¡¯s messages filled his vision, stealing away the beautiful view, What have you learned? TJ screamed in pain What have you learned? He looked for freedom What have you learned? ¡°Freedom! Power! Opportunity! Flexibility!¡± TJ shouted, the words meaning next to nothing to him as he just wished for release. Blessedly, the System ceased its inundation of information and sound. TJ gasped, trying to bring himself back to rationality. He hadn¡¯t said anything with any real thought, but as the System¡¯s insistence pulled back from him, TJ allowed his thoughts to coalesce. The words he¡¯d spoken were, in large part, what he¡¯d thought as he watched other people use Wind Manipulation, or something like it, to great effect. There were uses he¡¯d considered and done before, like pulling something closer or pushing it away, using it to cut like a blade or pummel. Then, there were basic uses he merely hadn¡¯t considered, like the coatl using the winds to leap higher and dive faster or the farmer to carry the seeds. These applications were interesting but basic. Much more interesting to him were how some visions showed more creative uses, like the spearman somehow making lightning appear in the Skill, or the witch on the cliff channeling her power through that of the weather. Others had accelerated individual attacks, lightened their steps, and helped others to run faster. Bringing good weather to crops and fending off clouds of locusts also filled the other visions, and TJ felt his mind open to more than what he had used his Skill for thus far. He got the distinct impression that none of the visions he saw used a Skill above Copper tier in power, so how had they been able to produce results so much better than his own? Maybe it was due to a massive difference in attributes, but TJ suspected it was something else entirely. He felt the System approaching, ready to browbeat him once more. There wasn¡¯t time to think more about it, he needed to talk to preserve his own sanity. ¡°The winds are free!¡± TJ declared to the heavens. ¡°They will not be bound, and they will outlast anything that wishes to control them. They can be patient, but they aren¡¯t unless forced to. They whip around the highest peak and batten down anything that refuses to acknowledge their superiority. Everything must bend or break before the wind, because the wind doesn¡¯t care about what everything else is or thinks. ¡°The skies bring rain, light, and life. Someone who wields the winds becomes a vessel for the heavens, to cloud them or open them as they desire, to destroy mountains with rainfall and lightning, hurricanes and typhoons. More than a mere weapon, what I wield is the oldest, strongest tool of the gods, and I¡®ve seen it as a mere blade instead of the limitless domain it is. Beyond destruction, the winds carry moisture inland and seeds from their trees. The sun brings life to those it warms, and the winds are energized by it.¡± TJ could feel the beginning of a true ¡°enlightenment¡± coming, but he also felt that he was rambling, so he drew his speech to a close, hoping it would count for the System. ¡°The winds are movement and release, joy and rage, implacability and capriciousness. I cannot forget its flexibility and place as the first of the divine tools.¡± Enlightenment achieved. Fixation +10. Tribulation inbound. TJ wasn¡¯t warned of anything, but as soon as the System¡¯s words stopped ringing in his head, he was wrenched from the celestial plane he stood in. The softly glowing clouds disappeared from view and he slammed to the ground on top of a hill. Nothing but a vast plain surrounded him, and he wore only a simple tunic. None of his equipment was nearby, and when he tried to call up his Status, nothing appeared. When he tried to activate Divine Transformation, nothing happened. Appraisal too didn¡¯t work, and he got the feeling that his other passive Skills were unavailable to him as well. Only Wind Manipulation answered his call, though it was not limited to the Dirt tier. The speed with which the Skill gathered the winds and prepared whatever he commanded was at least on the same level of his Copper tiered Skill while under the influence of Divine Transformation. Perhaps the change was the boost he¡¯d received to his Fixation? Though he wanted to continue to explore the thought, the System shook him from his exploration of his situation. Survive. There was no further explanation, even an ominous timer. Instead, TJ looked in every direction, hoping to see what he even needed to react to. There was nothing. No enemies, no allies, no monsters, no people, no threatening anything. There was, as far as he could tell, nothing that would merit giving him the warning to ¡°survive¡±. Even so, TJ figured there was no reason to disregard the warning, and looked for a defensible position. There was nothing anywhere nearby, but he¡¯d just seen how Wind Manipulation could help him scout more effectively. Knowing what he was about to do, though, TJ needed to swallow down his fear as he compressed the wind below him. Then, he leapt and pushed his Skill to allow him to leap twenty feet into the air. He tried to look around, to look for any goal to move towards, but he¡¯d miscalculated the jump and the use of his Skill. As he started to flip over himself in the air, TJ screamed. He plummeted towards the ground headfirst, nearly guaranteed to hurt himself. With both his arms curled up over his head, TJ thumped to the ground. He groaned, but had underestimated the strength of his body. His Vitality and Toughness were both pretty close to 100, and those combined to make the fall onto soft ground mere painful instead of debilitating or even crippling. He grunted and tried to gather himself up. Though the Skill-assisted leap hadn¡¯t provided any information on the first attempt, TJ was more than willing to give it a second. As he sailed up into the sky the second time, though he floundered and was bound to land on something other than his feet on the way down, he took in the surroundings. Nothing but green fields in every direction, though off to the side, there was a dark cloud of something. With the sun directly overhead, TJ couldn¡¯t tell if the cloud was to the east, west, north, or south, and worse still, he had no idea if the cloud would be a good or bad thing. He thought it was good, but there was, of course, no damned instructions coming from the System about what he should do. Perhaps it was the source of whatever he needed to survive, or it was something he could exploit to ensure he could survive whatever else this Tribulation threw at him. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fortunately or not, TJ quickly received his answer when a horde of Mayan Lightning Dogs, just like what Molly could transform into, rushed towards his hill from the opposite direction of the cloud. Several dozen of the creatures lunged towards him, and TJ knew that if they managed to surround him, he wouldn¡¯t survive. Instead of confronting them head on as he would have before, he called on the winds to hasten his movements and sprinted in the direction of the cloud he¡¯d seen before. TJ cursed his hesitation when his knee-jerk reaction had been that the cloud was a good thing. If he¡¯d started running as soon as he¡¯d seen it, he would be so much closer than he already was, and now, there was no way he would get there before the Lightning Dogs caught up to him. For now, though, it was better to focus on sprinting. The winds compelled by his Skill carried him forward ever faster, ever further, and though the baying cries of the Lightning Dogs grew closer and closer, TJ focused solely on continuing his flight. The clouds drew closer and closer, and TJ got the distinct impression the cloud was actually being pushed towards him. Maybe divine providence, maybe a sign that the Tribulation was intended to be survivable even for boneheads like him, or maybe something else entirely. Either way, TJ needed every additional second he could get. The deep shadow that fell under the clouds was a quarter mile away when the first of the Lightning Dogs reached TJ. It snapped forward, its teeth shining with electricity. As the teeth closed, the lightning crackled like a taser. TJ only barely escaped, and sent a long thin blade of wind back. He didn¡¯t care to kill or even cripple any of the beasts. He only needed to slow them down. The creatures suffered through the shallow cuts without issue, and TJ screamed his frustration to the skies. Would he be able to escape, ro would he be killed here? If he was killed here, did that mean permanently or just in this vision? There was no time to worry, instead, TJ pushed himself harder. A pair of jaws found his left calf and bit down into the flesh. TJ¡¯s screams of frustration quickly became agonized as jolts of electricity shot up his leg and into his torso. He tried to keep his balance, but couldn¡¯t. The electrical current was too much, and though it quickly ran out, TJ was hobbled. Blood covered his legs and made the ground muddy underfoot as he thrashed. With a shout, TJ blasted the closest Lightning Dogs back, the winds answering his desperate call. For a moment, he gained a small distance between himself and the Lightning Dogs. TJ struggled to his feet, running towards the cloud cover. He was sure that there, he¡¯d be able to turn the tides, escape, survive, or even defeat the monsters. The creatures seemed to desperately want to keep him from doing so and TJ knew that was how he¡¯d survive. Another beast¡¯s jaws found him and sent another jolt of excruciating electricity down his spine. He shuddered and struggled to continue rushing away. Escape was mere yards away. Two more pairs of jaws set into his legs and TJ screamed in agony and fear as he stretched his fingers out, touching the edge of shadow. The clouds moved over him, and TJ was quickly covered in shadow. He pushed back onto his feet, ready to stand through the agony. The Lightning Dogs didn¡¯t allow him. A third and fourth pair of jaws found him, the electricity keeping him from moving at all. While he still jittered in place, a fifth pair of jaws found the base of his spine. With a final bite, Thiago Jorge Harris IV died. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 80 [Stanton POV] How the hell the kid did it, Stanton couldn¡¯t say. It wasn¡¯t the first time the wind had taken his mind away. Hell, he¡¯d seen it happen when the Skill was brand new. Something about his wind Skill was¡­ off, or something. Every time it¡¯d happened before, though, someone had been able to pull him out of it. This time, the wind and System together didn¡¯t allow it. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Participant Thiago Jorge Harris IV is currently undergoing Divine Enlightenment and a Divine Tribulation. Further attempts to influence or pull him from this state will result in immediate Systemic reprisal both to the interrupter and Participant Thiago Jorge Harris IV. When Farid¡¯d come running to Stanton¡¯s room about TJ doing something crazy again, Stanton had been forced to leave his little Lifebloom grove he¡¯d cultivated. Running here, he¡¯d learned there was nothing he could do. Now that he was stuck right next to a damned tornado while TJ did something inside of it, he wished he could walk away. The little grove was so interesting, and Stanton found that so many of his Skills grew stronger the more time he spent with the magical plants. Fortunately, he¡¯d had the foresight to plant the additional ones he''d found by the general store, so they were still safe. He knew that the plants would survive another relocation, but it was better that they stay in the same soil and locale for a while. After all, the little potions they¡¯d attempted to make with the Lifebloom had bolstered people a bit, but it¡¯d been a waste. How had TJ so consistently done things that, if not perfect, were at least effective? Stanton couldn¡¯t understand it, that he made weapons and equipment and led hunting parties and still kept his head down. Wasn¡¯t even prideful when he should have. At first, Stanton had thought it was a good thing, but he realized more and more that all this wasn¡¯t because TJ had a good head on his shoulders and was well adjusted. Worse, that the poor kid thought so many of the town¡¯s citizens were scared of him didn¡¯t help. He didn¡¯t listen, but when someone held rage so close to their heart like he did, it was hard to see anything without that tint. TJ didn¡¯t really understand the worship that filled their eyes when they watched him walk past. That little fucker Jeff had ruined so much. That first outburst was so damaging, even though Farid had done everything perfectly. Stanton had nearly made the decision for TJ to just end the coward. He wanted to preach forgiveness or whatever, but turning on your allies in a time like this? Unforgivable, and even though Stanton knew there was other shit getting in the way, he¡¯d nearly gone out and executed the bastard that night a week ago. And most of the nights that followed as well. Would have been better for the people who¡¯d died if Stanton had made that choice. Stanton ground his teeth and stopped working himself up thinking about the slimy piece of shit. Instead, he looked at Farid, Charlie, and Molly who stood nearby. The little girl patrolled around the tornado, eyes peeled. She took the assignment seriously, perhaps too seriously. She looked up to TJ more than just about anyone else in town except maybe for Farid. The Indian man stood with his spears in hand, looking like he was there to kill. Maybe he was, Stanton guessed. Then, when he saw Stanton looking at him, he smiled wide, white teeth flashing. ¡°He is sure to get even stronger with this! With TJ¡¯s power, we will slay all the wendigos, especially that strong one!¡± ¡°I sure hope so.¡± Stanton grumbled. ¡°We need him out there, killing the monsters. He¡¯s already been in there for hours.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Farid nodded, seeming to be unconcerned. ¡°But he will be fine. TJ always is.¡± Stanton merely grunted, but Molly and Charlie walked up at that point. The girl looked at TJ, surrounded by winds so strong they were visible and swallowed hard. Then, she nodded. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. I know it. He¡¯s my sensei.¡± Stanton couldn¡¯t keep himself from groaning at the girl¡¯s weird way of talking, but he didn¡¯t do any more. Charlie spoke up before the little kid continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we should do anything about all this.¡± The other Neophyte spoke. ¡°It says that there¡¯ll be issues with it if we interrupt, but I know that the hunts are getting bloodier and bloodier. Maybe it¡¯s better to lose out on whatever benefits we¡¯d get from him doing this enlightenment or whatever.¡± ¡°Not your place.¡± ¡°Nuh-uh!¡± ¡°You cannot make that decision.¡± All three of the other people there spoke at once, and it became immediately apparent that Charlie was the only one who thought as much, at least here. He raised both arms in an attempt to placate the others. ¡°I was just wondering if maybe we should. What if he was in here when the final defence happens? If so, then he could get surrounded and killed by the monsters. They might not care or might not be hurt if they did interrupt him anyways. If that¡¯s going to happen, it¡¯d be better to get him out earlier and make sure he could recover for a day or so and get out there and get some levels. I don¡¯t want to make any decisions for someone else, but if it¡¯s between saving my friend¡¯s life or leaving him to get torn apart, I¡¯m willing to pay whatever that price is that the System is demanding.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re totally right.¡± Molly was the first to respond. ¡°I think he can do whatever he needs to in there, but, like, if he¡¯s stuck there, then that¡¯d be so bad!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not our place to make the decision.¡± Farid said, but he looked at Stanton without saying anything else. Stanton shrugged and said his own piece. ¡°He made a choice to be where he is. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something that¡¯ll let him get to his kid faster or safer, and if I took that away from him, I¡¯d lose all respect from him. Wouldn¡¯t blame him either, since all of us need every leg up we can manage. So we don¡¯t touch him. If the last day is coming and we need to do something, we might, but until then, we hold the line and make sure nobody else touches him. Capische?¡± The other three nodded in tandem, and another voice echoed from behind them, ¡°Capische!¡± Zig, the redheaded wonder, strode out of the forest, her bow held in one hand. Ever since there¡¯d been more deaths in the hunts, she¡¯d never let the weapon leave her hand. Stanton recognized the look in her eyes, the sense of responsibility and fury. She considered herself the leader of all those who hunted, and perhaps correctly so. Because of that, everyone who died was, to her, her own fault. ¡°Makes sense to me.¡± Zig continued. ¡°He¡¯s always got his own ideas, and though he doesn¡¯t always think of what he¡¯s running into, TJ¡¯s been able to make something positive out of everything he¡¯s done.¡± The rest of the people around nodded in agreement, and Stanton settled himself into the crook of a nearby tree, where the roots created a nice natural seat. As he settled himself in, he used Nature¡¯s Advocate and Natural Affinity to make the spot fit perfectly to his body. After gaining dozens of levels, his body was effectively that of what it¡¯d been when he was in his 30¡¯s. Even so, Stanton found himself getting stiff and uncomfortable more easily than he ever had as a young man. He needed to sit just right or he¡¯d tweak something, to say nothing of sleeping. His vigil set, Stanton let his mind unfocus somewhat. He was, of course, keeping a close eye on TJ, but his mind wandered. The whirling winds making a sphere around TJ should have been louder than they were, given their apparent ferocity, but as it was, they weren¡¯t much louder than the sound of the breeze drifting through the trees overhead. The man sat in the middle of a clearing, though TJ realized he¡¯d drifted from his original position just a little, closer to the general store. The only way this had been possible was that TJ was floating a couple of inches above the ground, his position that of a monk or something with their legs crossed. The kid¡¯s face was screwed up in concentration, and Stanton had initially thought it was funny. After all, he looked so concentrated about what might not be anything at all. On the other hand, Stanton quickly realized that it probably was the case that this wasn¡¯t nothing, but instead was something either dangerous, difficult, or a combination of the two. He still didn¡¯t quite understand this whole Tutorial shit, and he wished he didn¡¯t have to. Even so, TJ deserved to have a friend have his back and not laugh at the stupid faces he was making. The other people watching TJ to ensure he was safe switched out as the hours passed and evening approached. Stanton stayed where he was, only eating a light dinner when it was brought to him. The few vegetables he¡¯d been able to cultivate and encourage to grow were a welcome addition to their plates, just enough to keep Stanton from feeling like his heart was actively being choked by fatty meats. When Marva was around, he¡¯d never thought he¡¯d think as much, but after her death, he¡¯d found more and more how much he enjoyed a good spread of veggies. ¡°Aint that something.¡± He grumbled to himself. Nobody nearby was able to see him, so he indulged in a quick conversation with his sweet wife. ¡°Almost feels like he¡¯s ours. Couple of the ways he acts are like you. Got that same little smirk when he¡¯s made a joke that goes over someone¡¯s head. The way he laughs with people too. Got my meanness, though. Damn. I miss you lots. And I¡¯m worried about all this. Who knows what¡¯s going to happen.¡± Stanton let himself rumble on without any real purpose to his words. Just liked talking with Marva, even if she wasn¡¯t there. Though, he needed to talk a whole lot more now that she wasn¡¯t here. ¡°Wish he could show me, I¡¯m sure the kid¡¯s¨C¡± Stanton cut himself off as TJ twitched, then began seizing. Without any conscious thought, Stanton flowed to his feet and sprinted forward. Whatever was happening to TJ, he needed help immediately. Blood flowed from his nostrils, ears, and eyes, though he remained in the same meditative position as before. He rushed forward, ready to tear through the winds to get TJ out of this trial or whatever it was. Participant Thiago Jorge Harris IV is currently undergoing the punishment from failing a Divine Tribulation. Further attempts to influence or pull him from this state will result in immediate fatal Systemic reprisal both to the interrupter and Participant Thiago Jorge Harris IV. Stanton desperately wanted to be able to do something, anything, but the System was much more upfront with the results of pushing in where it didn¡¯t want them. ¡°Dammit kid.¡± Stanton whispered to himself as he fought to keep from ripping him out anyways. ¡°What have you gotten yourself into?¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 81 Content warning: loss of family, friends, and torture. TJ writhed in agony in the cloudy expanse he¡¯d been returned to. Instead of comfortable and impressive, the place was now the source of his every discomfort. His body was flayed, skin and muscle hanging from his bones, but he couldn¡¯t scream. The winds that whipped him refused to give him any air. Instead, he suffocated as his body was shredded to bits. For what felt like hours, he suffered, his body recovering only slightly and only enough to return more suffering on him. Though he choked airless breaths and his lungs seized for any relief, he was denied the oblivion of unconsciousness. Suffering was his lot in life, and it sought to break him completely. Eventually, he was freed from suffocation, and TJ screamed himself hoarse. Whatever it was that compelled the winds to torture him, it continued. No part of him was left whole, his eyes plucked out, his tongue removed, his every inch made to suffer. There was, however, an end. The winds ceased their destruction of his body, and TJ slowly healed. He wept and sobbed, feeling like a child. He¡¯d never been tortured like this, though the agony of Mari¡¯s death was a different, similarly visceral suffering. Bit by bit, he recovered enough to look at the world around himself. Was there any sight of what had done that to him? Then, TJ remembered. He¡¯d been killed by the Lightning Dogs. Was this the afterlife? ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to Junior!¡± He demanded of the heavens. ¡°What the fuck was that? Total bullshit! You can¡¯t pull that shit! I got a bonus, but then had it taken away from me, and I die?¡± His rage was too great to articulate. The sobs of pain and suffering were replaced with wordless screams of bestial anger. He¡¯d been cheated, and now there was nothing he could do about it. Robbed by the System or by Wind Manipulation. He¡¯d paid the price for what, curiosity? Searching for more power in a world that demanded it? There weren¡¯t words to describe it, and TJ couldn¡¯t even touch anything to destroy, to vent his fury. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No!¡± He screamed, and with an internal snap, the heavens that surrounded him exploded. The calm, white clouds blackened and roiled with thunder. Lightning struck everything around him as the System spoke. Behold the consequences of your failure. TJ was wrenched to a vision, his eyes held captive to the sights. Pine was under assault, hundreds of pukwudgies running forward. They¡¯d grown larger and stronger, nearly to the size of a young teen, and they threw their spears. A dozen fell to the initial volley, and though the defenders strove, they were overrun once the wendigos arrived. At least seven appeared, and as they laid into the already struggling vanguards, the Zealots and Neophytes were taken down and devoured. Stanton and Zig stood firing again and again into the horde, but though they slew dozens, it was far from enough. TJ was forced to watch as everyone he knew was slaughtered. Granny Penny lunged to heal Connor, but both were stabbed again and again, spears punching through their bodies until they were nothing but bloodsoaked corpses. Javelinas charged through the Disciples and Acolytes, crushing the hopeful people into a sickening mountain of corpses. Angelo stood behind Farid as he lunged forward again and again, but the two men were brought down by more of the shadowy mountain lions. One appeared behind Angelo and tore his back into ribbons. When Farid turned, he was ambushed by two more. He slew one, but a pukwudgie threw a spear that lodged deep in the Acolyte¡¯s eye. He went down as well. TJ vomited again and again as he saw the reckless slaughter of over 100 people. He was forced to watch each individual¡¯s death, their agony, their hopelessness. Molly and Tessie tried to run but were chased down. Laura, petrified by the sight of so much blood, couldn¡¯t move as she was torn apart. Charlie, Seth, Peter, Natalie, Rebekkah, and every other individual. TJ was forced to witness their last stand, and he himself could do anything to stop them or help. He only watched as the familiar sights surrounding the store were soaked in the blood of his friends. There were no survivors, and they didn¡¯t even see the Boss. He wept as he was forced to look over the slaughter, the corpses of his fellow Participants being picked over by the monsters he¡¯d been unable to slay. ¡°Please. Let me go. Let me help them!¡± TJ begged. He was taken away, but somewhere else entirely. He saw Junior, sitting at a table, all alone. He colored something TJ couldn¡¯t see, but he looked up every minute or so. TJ knew his son looked for him. Junior never saw him, and TJ couldn¡¯t reach out to him. He watched as his boy, his baby, aged. He sat at a table, nothing worthwhile to do, but nobody came. When Junior aged a couple years, he stopped crying. When he was about ten, he stopped looking at all. When he was a teenager, he was a bitter, forgotten child. Then, one day, he disappeared. TJ saw his child, a boy who grew to a man without anyone to love him, to support him, to care for him, as he was taken to a new world. Alone, bitter, and angry, TJ watched as Junior was put in an unfamiliar land. When he saw other people, Junior¡¯s face spread in a wide smile, a happy one. When he saw their faces, though, Junior felt the wrongness there. He was immediately captured by this group of people. He couldn¡¯t resist as they put him in chains and dragged him away. ¡°Don¡¯t you touch my boy! Keep your fucking hands off!¡± TJ screamed, but he wasn¡¯t heard. He lashed out with wind and fist, he thrashed and wept, and could do nothing but cry as his son, forgotten and unloved by everyone except TJ himself, was subjected to the worst of humanity. He¡¯d known nothing but loneliness, and as soon as he met another person, he was forced to be subhuman, until, a scant few years later, he died. As he was forced to watch the end of his child¡¯s life, the last remnant of TJ¡¯s sanity disappeared. He screeched an inhuman call to the heavens, and despite the restriction that¡¯d seemed to be placed on him, he became a coatl. In his Divine Transformation, TJ felt his body swell, grow, and fill the space that he¡¯d been placed in. The body of the Feathered Serpent, Kukulkan, defied the restrictions of the System. The System would not be beaten. Though he strained and roared and used Skills beyond his comprehension and power, Kukulkan and TJ were pressed back into a cage. TJ¡¯s raging spirit crumbled, and he wept. He lost control of the Divine Transformation. He curled into a ball, and wept. Behold the consequences of failure. TJ couldn¡¯t react, so broken in spirit he was. Then, the System continued speaking. You have not yet failed entirely. There remains one additional attempt. Will you allow this to be your end? There were no words that came to his mind, but neither were they necessary. TJ forced himself out of his huddled misery, stood tall, and forced the heavens to obey him. Whirling clouds surrounded his hands while lightning danced across his body. He swiped at his eyes, and TJ fell from the heavens. This time, TJ knew what would come. There would be enemies, and though his newfound determination and fury drove him to slaughter them where they stood, he remembered the lessons he¡¯d learned from the visions. He would draw on every lesson they¡¯d presented, and he¡¯d use his greatest strength against these dogs that challenged him. A mere Xolotl versus Kukulkan? Arrogance at its finest. Conserving some of his power, TJ didn¡¯t fly towards the cloud cover, but he used the storms enveloping his hands and feet to propel him to speeds that he¡¯d only ever seen in sports cars before. The featureless land blurred beneath him as TJ screamed through the air. Every one of his lightning-infused steps left scorches in the healthy green grass behind him, and TJ quickly found himself under the cover of the heavy clouds. They were black with moisture and potential energy. More than before, TJ could feel the boiling rage contained within the clouds, and regardless of the strength of these Lightning Dogs, TJ knew he¡¯d be able to slaughter them all. He settled himself in the center of the excited clouds¡¯ shadows. He felt their eagerness to unleash a deluge, and he could choose the form of their wrath. Winds, lightning, and rain all begged to be unleashed on the world, to blow, burn, or wash away whatever stood in their way. Though he could use all three, TJ had learned what he was most familiar with. He could experiment when his son¡¯s life wasn¡¯t on the line. As TJ condensed his Wind Manipulation¡¯s power more completely into him than ever before, the potential, turbid energy pushed him several inches into the air. He hovered, ready for Xolotl¡¯s spawn to approach. They wished to steal from him his future? Never again. The wind begged to be released, to cease waiting, to rush and dance and play. TJ convinced it to wait just a little longer, to work together just a bit more, to let itself build into something greater than he¡¯d ever built before. Though reluctant, the winds agreed, and a minute later, the Lightning Dogs ran sprinting into the cover of the clouds. The same second the hounds approached, they drew on the electricity dormant and almost forgotten in the clouds above. They wished to wrest from him a part of the heavens? To usurp his dominion? TJ rushed forward, and as soon as he could see the white of the fifty canines¡¯ eyes, he unleashed his rage, fury, impotence, agony, torment, and more. A magnified, strengthened reflection of his own coatl form burst into being, its body made of solidified wind, its fangs and feathers lightning, its eyes raindrops. It hissed out a roar and tore into the Lightning Dogs. It towered over the canines, its body thicker than theirs and well over 100 feet in length. It didn¡¯t matter if its form was made manifest by a Skill, the wind, or something else, because the coatl devoured a dozen of the dogs in the initial attack. Winds and teeth alike shredded the beasts, and TJ merely watched as he siphoned the strength of the storm into the coatl he¡¯d created. Overhead, the clouds cleared while the coatl weakened, but by the time the storm was half spent, the few Lightning Dogs that remained were wounded and weak. TJ rushed forward, ready to dispatch whichever ones he could reach, but it was unnecessary. The coatl surged forward, though its form was much less solid and TJ felt that, though much of the strength of this ability came from the storm overhead, he was nearly out of MP. Even so, there was more than enough for the coatl to ravage the ten or so survivors. With a final clap of thunder, it dove into a group, where it exploded into a burst of cutting winds and lightning. The creatures were mostly unaffected by the lightning, but the winds cut them into little pieces, and TJ stood still, surrounded by the dismembered bodies of tens of Lightning Dogs. He felt nothing. Nothing but vindication, and a surety that he¡¯d need to continue to do this. The System spoke, reinforcing his thoughts. Divine Tribulation complete. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 82 TJ fell back into his body, the sensation distinctly different from the state he¡¯d been in while in the Divine Tribulation and Enlightenment. He tried to fight down the overwhelming fury that¡¯d consumed him, but the emotions refused to calm. Instead, TJ ground his teeth, the creaking serving to better anger him. He thumped to the ground and growled unthinkingly. The System had said that he¡¯d finished that Tribulation, but he wasn¡¯t going to trust anything it showed him right now. TJ rose to his feet and opened his eyes, ready for whatever it was that was attacking. He stood in the dark, the moon directly overhead. All around him, the wind whispered about the Tutorial. There were people out and about right now, but there wasn¡¯t any panic. Time had passed, but how much? TJ only thought that it¡¯d been maybe two hours, so it shouldn¡¯t even have been noon yet. Instead, though, it was the middle of the night. ¡°Welcome back, kid.¡± A voice nearly startled him, but the winds had warned him of some movement. TJ whirled and there stood Stanton, his hands held up in a non threatening gesture. ¡°If you want to talk, you can, but it looks like that Tribulation or whatever was real hard on you.¡± With a force of effort, TJ stopped his heaving breaths and shoulders. He wanted to say something about how he was ok, but he wasn¡¯t. That vision or whatever was gone, it wasn¡¯t real. But the sight of his son being forgotten and abused changed him. That might have only been a dream or something like that, but he¡¯d been too soft. Never again would TJ hesitate. Nothing would threaten Junior, and by extent, TJ wouldn¡¯t leave any threats alive to challenge him. Maybe he could start with Jeff, but he quickly realized that the traitorous Zealot didn¡¯t pose a threat. No, the monsters. ¡°How long has it been?¡± TJ asked, only then realizing just how dry his throat was. The words stuck in his throat, and TJ tried to swallow. Even then, his mouth felt like it¡¯d been days without liquid. ¡°Maybe 18 hours.¡± Stanton answered as he stepped forward. He held a canteen in his hands and offered it. TJ took it gratefully and drank deeply with a sigh of relief, not just for the water either. He still had plenty of time. There were so many monsters left for him to slaughter, and he refused to allow a single one of them to threaten his or his child¡¯s future. ¡°Mmmm.¡± TJ mumbled as he finished drinking and tossed the canteen back to the older man. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Sure. You ok?¡± TJ took a page out of Stanton¡¯s book and merely grunted back. In response, the old cowboy raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯ll probably want to check out your Status. You started bleeding back around dinnertime.¡± The words sent a shiver down TJ¡¯s spine. Memories of what the source of his suffering must have been made him shiver. ¡°Yeah. That sucked.¡± Stanton stood waiting, ready for TJ to pull up his Status. Before he did so, though, he received several other notifications first. You have overcome a Dirt (0) tiered Divine Tribulation. Class Experience acquired. Moderate Divine Trial success recorded. Copper (I) tiered evolutionary requirements complete: 1/3 You have gained a Copper (I) tiered Divine Authority. Domain: Storms. Copper (I) tiered evolutionary requirements complete: 2/3 Skill: Meditation acquired. Skill: Divine Manifestation acquired. Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 15. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Skill Selection available. Race: Human has advanced to level 16. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Point currently available. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Human ¨C lvl 16 Class: Neophyte lvl 15 Occupation: Savage lvl 17 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 1030/1030 Mana Points (MP): 730/730 Stamina: 1020/1020 Attributes Strength: 58 Agility: 42 Endurance: 102 Vitality: 103 Toughness: 79 Wisdom: 55 Intelligence: 73 Perception: 70 Willpower: 88 Fixation: 86 Free Points: 1 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 1:34:45 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Current cooldown: 0:00 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Coatl ¨C lvl 16 Class: Neophyte lvl 15 Occupation: Savage lvl 17 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 2060/2060 Mana Points (MP): 730/730 Stamina: 2040/2040 Attributes Strength x2: 116 Agility x1.5: 63 Endurance x2: 204 Vitality x2: 206 Toughness x2: 158 Wisdom: 55 Intelligence: 73 Perception x1.5: 105 Willpower: 88 Fixation: 86 Free Points: 1 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Divine Trial Records: 2 Minor, 1 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial That was so much to unpack, but TJ decided to take it one piece at a time. He wasn¡¯t ready to look at Skills to choose, and figured he¡¯d work his way towards that, though he figured the Skills were the easiest to address. Skill: Meditation (Copper (I)); You have communed with the heavens and lost yourself in self reflection. You can meditate, sacrificing mobility and external awareness for an increased level of self-reflection and recovery. When active, this Skill grants a 150% increase to the recovery of all resources and a 100% increase in the ability to undergo enlightenment. Note: some Afflictions can weaken or even disable the usage of this Skill. Initially, TJ was a little underwhelmed, but quickly realized that what this Skill did wasn¡¯t to multiply his recovery rate by 1.5, but to add additional recovery. Thus, it changed the time necessary to recover MP or HP to four hours instead of ten. In the siege, this Skill would be invaluable, and he needed to try to get everyone to gain the Skill, especially the Disciples. The idea of so many people having to undergo the Tribulation that¡¯d followed his own Enlightenment, though, sounded miserable. Pushing that aside, he moved on to the more exciting sounding Skill. Skill: Divine Manifestation (Copper (I)); You have shown yourself capable of harnessing a part of your Divine Authority to empower your Skills. You have ascended beyond the limitations of the Dirt (0) tier of Divinity, and can draw on your own Divinity to strengthen any one of your Skills. The utilization of this Skill will be greatly heightened and the cost will be halved by the natural presence of any one of your Divine Authorities. The usage of this Skill consumes MP and Stamina at a rate of 5 per second. The usage of this Skill consumes HP at a rate of 1 per second. This Skill scales in power and efficiency with your Fixation. This Skill¡¯s tier of Divinity is dependent upon the highest tier of Divinity your Divine Authorities have reached. Current Divine Authorities: Storm (Copper (I)). Though the description was overly vague in what exactly it did, TJ had seen the potential of the Skill. Siphoning power from that massive but tame storm had allowed him to completely annihilate a pack of creatures that he suspected were at least as strong as a mountain lion over level 10. The risks associated with this Skill were far from dismissable, though. Without a storm to take the brunt of the cost, it would cost 300 MP and Stamina per minute, and with his MP max of 730, he could only use the Skill for a bit over two minutes. That wasn¡¯t counting the cost of whatever Skill he was using in conjunction with Divine Manifestation, so it effectively meant he was a one-minute warrior while depending on Divine Manifestation. That one minute would be immensely impactful and destructive, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to reliably use it in this upcoming siege, unless he wanted to be magically out of the fight immediately thereafter. Even so, TJ was merely evaluating the cons of the Skill. Altogether, it was glorious, and if he could learn how to summon a storm without consuming all his MP, then it¡¯d be insane. Also, as he gained more and more levels, that price would be something he was more and more able to pay, since just 11 days into the Integration, he¡¯d gained 48 levels total. Eventually, the time would come that his regeneration would be greater than 5 MP per second. It¡¯d take an Intelligence of¡­1800? Yeah, maybe it was quite as in reach as he¡¯d thought. But even so, the price to pay would continue to close in on his natural regeneration, as he could continue to push numbers wherever necessary with his Free Points. Pleased with the two Skill¡¯s he¡¯d gained, TJ remembered something that the System had said that seemed contradictory to what he¡¯d been told before. ¡°You said that Skills gained without getting them through leveling up were going to be a lower tier, but both of these Skills I got are Copper tiered. What¡¯s the deal?¡± Correction: Everything that the System has stated to you with regards to Skill acquisition and potency has been completely truthful. Find below every statement made by the System with regards to Skill acquisition and potency: S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As a Neophyte, your Divine Transformation Skill will always remain at a higher tier of Divinity than your own. The other Classes eventually gain this Skill, but cannot progress beyond their current tier of Divinity until they reach the higher tiers. No. Any Participant can gain greater proficiency and skill in any given field throughout the Integration, but that will not translate to Skill acquisition. Different Skills may be presented as an option, depending on the Participant¡¯s gained proficiency, but a Skill holder will progress more quickly and to greater heights than one without the Skill can. Any Class or Occupation ability acquired through practice will be impossible to have ever reach your own tier of Divinity. The only exception to the impossibility of said Skill progression can take place at the time of seizing True Divinity at the Ruthenium (VII) Tier. If you dedicate the primary domain of your initial godhood to the domain of the skies, the Wind Manipulation ability you have acquired through personal practice will be able to reach the same tier as your Divinity. If you instead have the Skill Wind Manipulation and progress to the Ruthenium (VII) tier while devoting your primary domain to be the skies, your Skill will evolve to be one tier above your own. If you have a stipulation within the Skill that allows it to surpass your current tier, that stipulation will remain valid, thus, in your case, at the Ruthenium (VII) tier, your Wind Manipulation Skill would be at the Iridium (VIII) tier while under the influence of your Divine Transformation Skill, your Wind Manipulation Skill would reach the Osmium (IX) tier. For the first, TJ was just reminded that other Classes would be able to gain Divine Transformation but his would remain a higher tier than theirs. That reminded him that he might get the opportunity to gain Divine Armaments or Sacred Weapon, which might be nice, considering they shouldn¡¯t impede his bonuses from Primal Savagery. On the second, he was read again and again to ensure he understood. He was able to gain Skills just as he had now, and then, when he gained Skill selections later, he¡¯d be able to take Skills that were upgrades to what he¡¯d gained. If a Skill came from experimentation and self discovery, then it wouldn¡¯t be able to grow as high as a Skill selected with a Skill selection. Then, the third was where he called bullshit. ¡°You said that any ability I get through practice could never even reach my own tier of Divinity, much less surpass it! Both of these Skills I got are higher tier than I am. I¡¯m not complaining, but what the hell?¡± You are mistaken. Meditation is a Universal Skill, not a Class or Occupation ability, and is thus not limited to any tier of Divinity, regardless of your own. Divine Manifestation is, in itself, an untiered Skill. The tier is entirely reliant upon the Divinity of whatever the highest tier of your Divine Authorities have reached is. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ semantics.¡± TJ trailed off from arguing with the System that was giving him additional benefits. His desire for total clarity and intelligibility from the System was far outweighed by his hope to continue gaining things from the System, regardless of anything else. As such, he wasn¡¯t going to continue to complain about it. Now, before he got into the Class Skill selection options, there were the other two notifications. That the Tribulation was merely a Moderate Divine Trial was insanity. Maybe the fact that he¡¯d gotten a second chance was reason enough to disqualify it for one of the higher tiers, but TJ knew for sure that he didn¡¯t want to find a Severe or Celestial Trial any time soon. Before the evolutionary requirements, what was Divine Authority? Divine Authority is a representation of any concepts, domains, or aspects that a Participant has claimed at least partial dominion over. With your Enlightenment, Tribulation, Skill, and Bloodline, you have claimed the Copper (I) tier of Divine Authority over the concept of Storm. Having gained the Divine Authority, any Skill or ability that is in any way linked to the concept of Storm will be empowered by 50% with no additional cost while within the influence of a Storm. While within the influence of a Storm, all of your resource regeneration is doubled and you gain a 10% bonus to all your attributes. About what TJ had expected, though, after checking to be sure, the bonus to Wind Manipulation was a welcome surprise. ¡°And I¡¯ve passed two of the three requirements for evolving to Copper tier, what¡¯s the third?¡± There are hundreds of potential requirements for a Participant to evolve to the Copper (I) tier of Divinity. In order for any Participant to evolve to the Copper (I) tier of Divinity, they must complete three of the requirements. The two that you have completed are: 1. Complete 1 Dirt (0) Bitter Divine Trial¡¯s worth of Divine Trials. Progress: 2 Minor Divine Trials, 1 Moderate Divine Trial. 2. Gain any Divine Authority. ¡°What other options are there within reach for me?¡± TJ asked without much hope. He got the same answer he expected: The System will not provide you with that information at this time. TJ sighed. Though he¡¯d shrugged off the worst of the consuming rage that¡¯d grown as a result of his vision of the ¡°consequences of failure¡±, he still was far from calm or close to his old self. The simmering emotional turmoil remained, and TJ turned his attention to his Skill selections. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 83 Before jumping into the Skill selection options, TJ asked the System a much simpler question. ¡°What time is it?¡± 1:58 AM TJ rolled his shoulders. He was tense and suspected that, if his attributes were even a little bit lower, he¡¯d be sore to the point of near immobility. While he decided to check with the System as to what Skills were going to be offered to him at this point, he also stood up and walked towards the house. It would still be in the bounds of the safe zone until the final siege began, and TJ would get what comfortable rest he could while it was still possible. There was no guarantee as to what would follow the Tutorial, and with the reality of failure staring in his face, TJ would ensure that he could hunt down as many of the monsters as possible. Plans regarding Meditation and Divine Manifestation combined to wreck large swathes of space for the enemy crossed his mind, and he mentally filed them back as he walked forward, Stanton beside him. It was finally time to make a decision as to what Skill he would take. The first two options were familiar, and this time, he gave them much more consideration than at level 10. Raging Coatl, (Copper (I)): You are a Neophyte of Kukulkan, and you have indulged in the fury of your bloodline. This Skill will allow you to fully lose yourself in the bloodlust and fury of your Divine Transformation. While using the Divine Transformation Skill, you will gain a 50% increase to every one of your attributes. In addition, you will gain the Fearless and Painless conditions while using your Divine Transformation. As a consequence, while using the Divine Transformation Skill, you will be inflicted with severe levels of the Bloodthirsty, Enraged, and Frenzied afflictions. Wind Scythe, (Copper (I)): You are a Descendant of Kukulkan, and have displayed a familiarity with his rule over the winds, even going so far as to establish a Divine Authority over the concept of Storm. This Skill will better hone your ability to use Wind Manipulation as a weapon. This Skill will strengthen the cutting power of Wind Manipulation while decreasing the MP cost of all usage of the Wind Manipulation Skill with the intent to cut. This Skill will be enhanced by your existing Copper (I) tiered Divine Authority; Storm. He¡¯d thought that the downsides to Raging Coatl were too much to really consider the Skill before, but now, TJ didn¡¯t think that it was worth dismissing it out of hand. If he became a monster to ensure he survived, he¡¯d do it. He felt like he¡¯d made the resolution a dozen times a day since the Integration, but again, the Tutorial continued to beat any consideration for the world before the INtegration out of him. Maybe, the world that followed this hell would be kind enough to allow TJ to thaw out, but for now, he would continue hardening himself for each moral quandary that arose. Every other Skill was a new offering, showing that he''d lost the opportunity for Crushing Body and Mindful Mouth. Stormcaller, (Copper (I)): You have embraced the storm and, with it, the Divine Authority of Storm. Some Divine Authorities are nearly or entirely omnipresent, while Storm, a violent, encompassing force, is fleeting and overwhelming. Those with a Divine Authority must have the capability to summon, create, and influence the concept, domain, or aspect that their Divine Authority encapsulates. Stormcaller allows its holder to create a storm in their vicinity that serves as a Storm for the purposes of Divine Authority and any other Skills. To create the storm, you sacrifice any amount of your current HP, MP, and Stamina over the course of any time longer than one minute. The strength, longevity, potency, and range of influence of the storm created is dependent upon how long you spend calling and channeling the storm, as well as how many resources you put into the creation of the storm. TJ couldn¡¯t hold back a low whistle of surprise as he read this latest Skill. Though complicated and he couldn¡¯t say exactly how much this Skill could impact things in the greater scheme, he wanted to choose it immediately, even without looking at the other two options. ¡°What is it?¡± Stanton asked. ¡°You get a good Skill option?¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Because you levelled up and you¡¯re not looking where you¡¯re walking now.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, yeah. A lot of things.¡± Stanton grunted in response, nothing else. TJ imagined he could feel curious questions coming his way, but he didn¡¯t want to answer them and was grateful when Stanton merely continued to walk alongside him. Though he¡¯d almost certainly already made his decision, TJ refused to choose before he checked out every possibility the System was offering him. True to his suspicion, the other two Skill options were good, but far from as potentially impactful as Stormcaller. One, Lightning Manipulation, initially drew him in, but after thinking about it, TJ quickly decided against taking the Skill. Frankly speaking, lightning was was cooler than wind, but TJ had a fair amount of practice with wind, and through his Enlightenment, he¡¯d come to at least partially understand that with his Divine Authority, it was merely a question of time for when he¡¯d gain the ability to manipulate lightning as well. If it wasn¡¯t a Skill granted by a selection, then it wouldn¡¯t be as powerful, but TJ was alright maintaining Divine Transformation and Wind Manipulation as his two primary Skills in combat, to be bolstered by whatever he could create with his Occupation. In addition, if TJ had to choose to limit the tier of either Stormcaller or Lightning Manipulation, he would choose Lightning Manipulation in a heartbeat. The impact of having a storm with him basically at his beck and call, especially as his Divine Authority reached higher tiers, would be much more impactful than having a second, highly MP consuming, Manipulation Skill. In addition, Lightning Manipulation didn¡¯t currently get any bonuses from his Divine Transformation, so it would be stuck at Dirt tier for now. TJ had every confidence that wouldn¡¯t always be the case, but he quickly set it aside. The other Skill offered was just another bodily enhancement Skill, granting more Toughness per Neophyte level. That was one of the few attributes TJ cared much less about, given that it was over 150 while in his Divine Transformation. That said, if the Skill had offered two or three per level, he might have considered it. After all, who wouldn¡¯t prefer if a wendigo¡¯s claws couldn¡¯t get through their defenses? After thinking as much, though, TJ realized that even if it offered three Toughness per level, that would only offer him the ability to survive better. He wouldn¡¯t be able to drive off the attacking monsters or kill them any better with more Toughness, so unless it was something insane, to the level of making him able to completely disregard all attacks, then it would be better for TJ to take any Skill that made him stronger instead of more unkillable, at least for now. He¡¯d need to trust in his Vitality and Toughness for that. TJ made the choice and felt the understanding of how Stormcaller worked settle into him. Principles of humidity, air currents, cold banks, potential lightning creation factors, and so much more he couldn¡¯t correctly explain settled into his mind. The first thing that settled into TJ¡¯s mind was just how good of a choice he¡¯d made. The greater the potential for a storm in an area at any given time, the less it would cost him to create a longer lasting, more powerful storm. It almost made TJ regret living in the generally temperate south of Arizona. Somewhere that storms lashed the coast, like in some of his visions, he¡¯d experience a marked upgrade to his personal strength, because even if the storm wasn¡¯t actively there, he¡¯d have much less trouble summoning up a storm to grant him all his bonus powers. Then, a thought occurred to him, one he asked the System aloud. ¡°What happens when two people with the same Divine Authority come into conflict?¡± Divine Authority is hotly contested. When two Participants with the same Divine Authority come into contact with each other, they have the opportunity to siphon away or even entirely seize the other¡¯s Authority and add it to their own. Though he¡¯d already known it, TJ was again reminded how, outside of the Tutorial, other Participants would be at least as dangerous as the monsters inside of it had been. Maybe it was for the best that he was here, away from somewhere that gaining Divine Authority over Storm was easier. Now that he¡¯d made the Skill selection, TJ felt the tiredness really settle into him. Though he hadn¡¯t been strictly conscious and he¡¯d gained levels that restored him to peak form, the exhaustion from the torture and the general difficulty of a Divine Tribulation wasn¡¯t so easily shrugged off. Even so, as they walked into their room, TJ couldn¡¯t help but look at the many materials he¡¯d set aside for crafting. There were several dozen ideas that¡¯d bounced around his head, but TJ didn¡¯t have enough time to waste to do that right now. Instead, he looked at the Tezcatlipoca-blessed mountain lion hide and promised to take care of it tomorrow, or today, he supposed. It was the twelfth day of the Tutorial, and in about 72 hours, the final siege would begin. His plan for the hides temporarily put to the side, TJ spoke to Stanton. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. I¡¯m just going to try out this new Skill.¡± Stanton grunted and followed TJ. The younger man shrugged and continued on his path out of the house. Nobody was moving or making any noise, given that it was 2 AM, but TJ didn¡¯t mind if Stormcalling ended up waking a couple people up. He wouldn¡¯t be putting too much into it anyways. His decision made, TJ went to a small clearing less than 100 feet away from the house, still well within the bounds of the safe area. Then, following the instructions that came from the Skill, he sat down, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. Just as when he¡¯d left his body¡¯s perception and triggered the Enlightenment in the first place, TJ¡¯s consciousness entered the skies above him, though he retained a good sense of himself instead of forgetting who he was. There, he sacrificed a mere tenth of each of his current total HP, MP, and Stamina. As soon as he¡¯d made the conscious decision of how much of himself to sacrifice, TJ pressed it outwards. The resources, a representation of himself, called the storm from where it slumbered. While unconscious, the storm was everywhere, as if a thin sheet of aluminum foil, and Stormcalling was the act of consolidating it into a single solid bar. TJ quickly understood why spending more time would create a stronger, longer lasting storm, as it would allow the storm to form into a more complete whole, to build on and sustain itself on the part of himself that TJ incorporated with the storm. Since he was experimenting, TJ used only the bare minimum of time, one single minute, to call, create, and establish the storm over his head. As soon as he finished the summoning, he returned back to himself, and looking around himself, he could see that a faint circle had been carved into the ground by winds circling around him. Beside him, Stanton looked ready to tear him out of the Skill, but TJ raised a hand to placate the old cowboy. ¡°Just using the Skill. I won¡¯t go anywhere else any time soon.¡± TJ didn¡¯t give any more explanation while he stretched his awareness to understand what he¡¯d done. Looking up, he couldn¡¯t see much in the dark skies, but he could feel the presence of the storm activating the boons from his Divine Authority. That said, TJ knew that if he tried to draw any power out of the storm to fuel Divine Manifestation, he would quickly deplete it and would only get about 40 MP worth out exhausting the storm completely, so just over half of what he¡¯d spent. Instead of destroying the pitiful storm that continued overhead, TJ waited to see how long it¡¯d last. With over 100 each of his HP and Stamina, combined with the 73 MP, the storm overhead whipped at the top canopies of the trees. Though the trees creaked and groaned, there was no danger of them falling and TJ couldn¡¯t smell any moisture on the air. Evidently, what he¡¯d spent was far from enough to bring moisture that wasn¡¯t there, and after a mere eight minutes, the storm¡¯s ability to grant him the bonuses from Divine Authority waned. At just over nine minutes, the storm faded enough that it was no longer a Storm according to the System. As soon as that happened, TJ felt that whatever was sustaining the winds overhead fell apart and the storm returned to its ¡°aluminum foil¡± form. ¡°Is the duration the number of minutes multiplied by the percentage?¡± TJ muttered to himself. ¡°Couldn¡¯t be, because then gaining more levels wouldn¡¯t actually help if it¡¯s based off of percentages. Would it be additive?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the Skill do?¡± Stanton finally asked, unable to hold himself back. ¡°You were surrounded by wind for a minute, then it got all windy.¡± ¡°I got a lot out of the Enlightenment. Storms help me now, and I can make them.¡± TJ explained without going into detail. ¡°I¡¯m going to do exactly what I did now, but I¡¯ll take ten minutes. You can wait here, or you can go to bed. I¡¯ll be in the house in fifteen minutes at most.¡± As usual, Stanton merely grunted, but after doing so, he turned and walked back towards the house. TJ chuckled to himself, sat back down on the ground, and chose to spend, again, one tenth of each of his resources. Then, his consciousness placed within the skies overhead, TJ set to gathering the storm once more. He idly wondered if he would be able to Meditate as he channeled the Skill moving forward, but for now, it would be better to merely execute the Skill as identically as it had been before, with the exception of the amount of time he spent preparing it. In the skies, TJ took the time to build humidity, heat, wind, and everything else required for the storm to feed itself. Again, he couldn¡¯t understand what exactly it was that created and maintained the thing, but he knew what to do as he gathered the storm into one piece. After ten minutes, with an uncanny sense of how much time had passed, TJ released the storm and returned to his body. The moment his perception was his body¡¯s once again, TJ felt the difference in the Storm he¡¯d created. The winds, instead of shoving at the trees, whipped threateningly and tore weak branches free, and pine needles and pinecones pattered to the ground all around him. Lightning flickered overhead, and though he knew it wouldn¡¯t rain, TJ could smell moisture in the air. As soon as he noticed it, a thought occurred to TJ, and when the System supplied the answer, he felt pretty stupid. ¡°How long does a Storm generated by Stormcaller last?¡± Thanks for reading! Another longer chapter cause some of the past ones have been a little bit shorter. If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 84 ¡°How long does a Storm generated by Stormcaller last?¡± The formula that dictates the length of time that a storm generated by the Skill Stormcaller (Copper (I)) is: x=2y x z/5. In this formula, x equals the number of minutes that the resultant Storm will last, y equals the combined total of how many HP, MP, and Stamina points were spent in the process of channeling the Skill, and z equals the total amount of minutes spent channeling the Skill in the first place, rounded up to the next whole number. It¡¯d been a while since TJ sat in a math class, or anything like it, so it took him a moment to figure out what exactly the System was telling him. Once he did, he asked another clarifying question to make sure he understood. ¡°I spent 102 Stamina, 103 HP, and 73 MP. That¡¯s¡­ 278. Doubled¡­ 556. It was just one minute on that first try, so multiplied by 1, stays the same. Would be¡­ nine minutes and sixteen seconds for the first time. This time, then, the storm will last twice as long, even though I spent ten times as long preparing it?¡± Spending 556 points worth of HP, MP, and Stamina and channeling it into creating a storm with Stormcaller will result in a storm that lasts for 1112 seconds, or 18 minutes and 32 seconds. TJ sighed and knuckled at his forehead. Disregarding the unimportant fact that the math came much easier to him than he¡¯d expected, and much better than it should have, this all felt rather pointless. He could have just asked that question before, but now, he¡¯d spent so much time and for what? He could have just asked all along. Then, however, another question occurred to him. ¡°If this storm is going to be only twice as long as the last, then why is it so much stronger?¡± As soon as he verbalized the question, though, TJ thought he¡¯d found the answer. ¡°The storm will be stronger if you¡®re closer to the top of the channeling time, right? If you want a powerful storm, you use it for as long as you can without going to the next multiple of five, and if you want it long lasting, you just pass the next threshold. But why would you care how comparatively powerful a storm is, if they all give the same benefits?¡± TJ didn¡¯t receive an answer from the System, but he had a couple other guesses that occurred to him as he continued to think about it. How much he could draw from a storm for Divine Manifestation was the first and most obvious, while fighting against someone else that had a contrasting Divine Authority, or just didn¡¯t want him to be able to use his, was another easy option. A more powerful storm would be better, if he could manage it, but increasing the multiplicative nature ever forward seemed like it was a good way to find yourself channeling Stormcaller for days. ¡°Wait, why couldn¡¯t someone with this Skill just use it for a long time, put a bunch of their resources into it, and create a basically permanent storm?¡± At the Copper tier of Divine Authority, Stormcaller cannot generate a storm that lasts for more than 24 hours. Any further channeling or sacrifice of personal resources will not do anything, including intensifying the storm, prolonging its existence, or extending its sphere of influence. Even so, TJ quickly realized how quickly this could spiral. As a stupid piece of trivia, he already knew that a day only had 86,400 seconds, so if someone took an hour and one minute to channel it, they¡¯d only need to spend¡­ 6,650 points worth of resources to make a 24 hour storm. Sure, that was a lot to him right now, but he didn¡¯t know what evolving to the next tier would do for his attributes. The logistics of it¡­ TJ shook it from his mind. There was no reason to think so much about something that, as of yet, had no bearing on him. Even so, he was curious. TJ was about to go into the house to sleep, when a thought occurred to him and he groaned to himself before turning and going towards the firehouse and general store. He hadn¡¯t had to deal with just about anyone today, and that was a blessing, after what¡¯d happened with Jeff just the night before. It¡¯d only been, like, 30 hours, but TJ felt like he¡¯d aged years. Maybe he had, given the visions and everything else, but TJ found he was even less willing to deal with people¡¯s willingness to bury their heads in the sand now, and he was going to dispense with a lot of that tomorrow. And, because of that, he needed to find someone who could be called at least a little in charge. As he walked, TJ continued to feel the influence of the Storm overhead, and he watched his Status recovering. His HP, bolstered by the additional attributes granted from being within the influence of the Storm, was at 1002/1133 and climbing quickly. He quickly realized that since his HP regeneration was doubled, and had doubled not the base but what was offered by the Vitality from his bolstered attributes. As such, he gained 1 HP about every 15 seconds. Again, he was struck by the potency of these new Skills and abilities he was gaining. It wasn¡¯t long before he was walking past the store, which had Sarah standing guard at the door, and when she saw him, she raised her hatchet to her forehead in a salute. ¡°Glad to see you up and about, though a quarter past two in the morning isn¡¯t the best time to go for a walk, if you ask me.¡± Sarah joked, a faint smile on her face. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°You here all night?¡± TJ asked. ¡°No, just until 2:30. Seth¡¯ll take over from there. He¡¯s more of a morning guy than the rest of us.¡± ¡°Ok. Can you pass on a message to him? I don¡¯t want anyone to leave tomorrow morning before I talk to everyone. Some things need to change, and I¡¯ll need to talk to Laura about it before we make the announcement.¡± Sarah¡¯s eyebrows furrowed further and further as TJ spoke. Finally, though, she asked, ¡°Do we need to go wake her up?¡± ¡°No, let her rest. There¡¯s just some stuff I saw in that vision I had, and we need to change some stuff quickly.¡± Unable to help himself, TJ asked the System and was quickly granted his request. A countdown to the end of the Tutorial appeared in the top right of his vision, a reminder of what his timeline was. 75:48:16 Just over three full days until the Tutorial entered the bloody end. TJ set his jaw and nodded his thanks to Sarah. ¡°You ok?¡± She asked as he turned away. ¡°I heard that, whatever that Tribulation or whatever was, it hurt you pretty bad. Like, bleeding for your eyes or something.¡± ¡°That was about what I needed to talk with Laura about. I bet, if you want to, you can sit in on the conversation we have tomorrow.¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll be sleeping.¡± Sarah grinned. ¡°Now that the youngest hunters aren¡¯t banging every night, everyone else can get some good rest all the time.¡± TJ couldn¡¯t help but scoff and look at Sarah¡¯s very serious face before asking, ¡°Every night?¡± ¡°You think you can put a bunch of hormonal late teens and early twenty-somethings together, make them think they might be about to die, and then they won¡¯t indulge in the only thing that makes them feel even a little safe or alive? Those of us with someone else at home have abstained, but most of ¡®em have been like rabbits. It¡¯s funny but damned annoying.¡± ¡°You have someone?¡± TJ asked, immediately regretting asking instead of just going to bed. ¡°Yeah. Hope he¡¯s still there when I get back.¡± Sarah had a glimmer of tears misting over her eyes for a moment, then she raised her hatchet again in a salute. ¡°I get you don¡¯t wanna talk about that, though. Have a good night.¡± TJ nodded and walked away, confident that Seth and Sarah could get something figured out to let him get his plans under way in the morning. The thought of being in charge of the 150 or so people in the Tutorial set his teeth on edge, but TJ had made the decision. He¡¯d make sure that he saw his son, remnants of the old world be damned. That hellish future that awaited Junior if TJ failed wouldn¡¯t be permitted to happen. When he reached his bed, though, TJ found himself shaking. The thought of those torturous visions keeping him from true sleep almost kept TJ from even trying to sleep. Even so, he forced himself to take calming breaths, and then, with Meditation calming him further, TJ found his mind at ease enough to try to sleep. He slipped into unconsciousness without much struggle, and he didn¡¯t dream of anything specific, just the feeling of floating in clouds. ¡ª- At 6:30 on the dot, TJ woke with a certain nostalgia as well as a twisting in his stomach. With his plans already made, the morning passed quickly, especially since he didn¡¯t need nearly so much sleep as he had as a regular person before the Integration. Even so, he took several minutes to get dressed into as nice of clothing as he could manage, while still being practical. Then, he walked to the river, washed himself as much as he could manage, and returned to the grocery store. On his journey back, everyone who saw him began whispering, though there weren¡¯t that many people out and about. Even so, with his Perception of 70, TJ heard most concerning themselves with how he¡¯d apparently created a tornado yesterday. ¡°I saw it.¡± An older man, what was his name¡­ Rock? ¡°A silent tornado whippin at the trees without breakin anything. A damned miracle. Lucky we have ¡®im.¡± TJ wondered if they¡¯d still think that he was such a blessing to have around after they heard what he was going to make them do today. He supposed it shouldn''t bother them, but ¡°shouldn¡¯t¡± didn¡¯t mean a whole lot in general. TJ walked down the road and approached the general store, where Seth stood at the door. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°She¡¯s inside.¡± Seth said, his heavy crossbow in hand, as always. He didn¡¯t say anything else, his eyes focused solely on the forest that was outside of the safe zone. Day by day, it was closer, and today, there was a mere 400 yards in every direction of safety. ¡°Great, thank you.¡± TJ nodded as he walked in. He wove through the carefully stocked shelves and took note of how little remained there. The participants in the Tutorial were, at this point, largely surviving off of the food that they could scavenge and hunt down from monsters, and he knew that Stanton was the source of every vegetable they could eat these days. Seeing the empty shelves here made his stomach grumble for chips or something from Little Debbie. Instead, he turned the corner to see Laura crossing through a line on a paper, muttering to herself about rations. ¡°One moment, TJ.¡± She said without looking up. ¡°I¡¯m nearly¡­ finished¡­ there.¡± Laura looked up in TJ¡¯s face, her smile wan but as genuine as she could manage to make it. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get to the point.¡± TJ said, though he sighed. ¡°I hate to say this when people want to keep the town in good shape, but here¡¯s the thing: we should tear down every building other than the general store, as well as as many trees as we can manage.¡± ¡°We¨Cwhat? Why?¡± Laura stuttered as TJ explained his plan, the only one he could think of that might keep everyone alive. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 85 Laura sighed as TJ finished explaining his plan. After knuckling at her brows for a second, she shrugged and looked up at TJ, who stood ready to be told he was right. ¡°You¡¯re right. Most people aren¡¯t going to be happy about it, but you¡¯re right. It¡¯ll be best to make the announcement to do that at breakfast, as you already said, and then get started on it immediately.¡± ¡°I know people want to think that their homes are being respected wherever they are and I¡¯ll be pissed if someone destroys my home, but that¡¯s a petty concern and a problem to deal with when we¡¯re not in mortal danger. We need better defenses than the walls of a store and our bodies. The material¡¯s gotta come from somewhere, and the trees¡¯re probably our best option. Then, we need a clear sightline everywhere, or else they¡¯ll be able to sneak up on us.¡± ¡°Yeah, I got it when you explained it before. People are going to revolt when they hear you want to destroy the firehouse. It¡¯s become a sort of a communal area.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m fine being the villain for this, but we need to build the best walls we can manage as fast as possible. I¡¯ll be busy helping with this and exterminations all day.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll help with this?¡± Laura cocked a brow at his statement. ¡°I¡¯d think you would spend all your time hunting and leave the construction to all the peons here.¡± ¡°I have some new Skills that¡¯ll let me do some explosive damage and recover more quickly back here, so I¡¯ll cycle through like that. Frankly, the gloves are off, and I¡¯m going to focus on killing as many monsters as fast as possible instead of working with a team. While I¡¯m here and working, I¡¯m going to try to teach people as many ways as I can to see if we can get people to the Copper tier. I¡¯ve gotten a couple of leads on that and another Skill that people might be able to gain that¡¯ll help out a lot.¡± ¡°That might help soften the blow.¡± Laura sighed. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t complain, though, since this¡¯ll give me plenty of experience for my Bureaucrat Occupation.¡± ¡°Looking on the bright side, good!¡± Tj managed a smile, but he found that, even after sleeping and trying to take his mind off it, he still bubbled with an impotent rage towards the monsters. The idea of being pulled from his family was intolerable, and he needed to work off some of that rage. ¡°Do you want me here for the announcement, or do you want me to begin my hunt sooner rather than later?¡± Laura looked down at her table, thinking for a moment. Then, she stood up and gestured for him to follow. ¡°We¡¯ll do it in 20 minutes. I¡¯ve kept some people back, so we¡¯ll wake everyone else up and make them come in to the firehouse now. That way, we can announce it and get people moving immediately.¡± The former mayor was nothing if not decisive, and she strode forward out of the store. There, Seth stood, his face mostly impassive, but Laura met his gaze. ¡°Did you hear what TJ told me?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Any questions?¡± ¡°Other than when I can get out there and kill some monsters? No, ma¡¯am.¡± Seth smiled a grim smile and TJ Appraised him. Zealot, 14 S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise, TJ supposed, given the man¡¯s dogged focus on eradicating monsters and his Avenger Occupation. There was no need for him to do anything except for hunt, and he was good at it. Seth locked eyes with TJ as he Appraised him and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m right there for both of my level 15¡¯s. I¡¯ll be joining you today, though not on the hunt.¡± ¡°Looking forward to it.¡± TJ mirrored the grim smile. Seth was, perhaps, the person who¡¯d most solidly thrown himself into the mentality that they weren¡¯t even in a war with the monsters, but a struggle for eradication. TJ felt some measure of competitive spirit at the thought, and he made the petty resolution to himself to keep Seth from catching up to him. ¡°We¡¯ll have someone talk to you about the other things we say, but you¡¯re on the right path anyways. I wouldn¡¯t worry.¡± Seth nodded as TJ and Laura continued walking past. TJ was content to go in silence, but Laura spoke quietly once they¡¯d taken a couple of steps. ¡°He¡¯s a good man. I might have called him a kid a week or two ago, but he¡¯s changed. His friend¡¯s death was really hard on him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± TJ halfway agreed. ¡°However, I think he''s the one of us who¡¯s gotten best acclimated to this whole ¡®new world¡¯ thing. He¡¯s not going to be a liability in a couple days when this all shakes out.¡± TJ looked at the countdown he kept in the corner of his eye as he spoke. Almost exactly 72 hours left. ¡°It¡¯s going to be ugly, and we¡¯re not going to be able to take breaks, not really. People who¡¯ve hardened themselves will be worth four who haven¡¯t yet.¡± ¡°I guess.¡± Laura responded. ¡°I can¡¯t help but hope that you¡¯ll be totally wrong. Maybe we¡¯ve killed most of the monsters and there¡¯ll just be a couple left to pick off.¡± ¡°Nope. We have at least one each of Chindis, wendigos, and the weird raven thing that Jeff talked about. I¡¯m worried about the rave, since we¡¯ve never seen them or what they can do.¡± TJ shook his head as he responded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Now get some breakfast, and as soon as everyone¡¯s there, I¡¯ll have you come up to explain the plan better for everyone, though I¡¯ll present it.¡± ¡°Just tell me when.¡± TJ agreed as he went to a corner table where, for a little while, he could step out of the spotlight. He¡¯d willingly opened the doors to spend the rest of the Tutorial in the middle of everything, and he didn¡¯t regret that, but he¡¯d welcome whatever short time to himself he could steal until he was stuck in the forefront of everyone¡¯s attention. Of course, as soon as he settled into his seat, Granny Penny walked up, no longer needing a cane, much less her walker. There weren¡¯t any options for him to select from, so she just placed a bowl of instant oatmeal with javelina bacon on top in front of him. ¡°We¡¯re working on getting some more fresh vegetables and fruit, but we¡¯re basically out at this point.¡± She shrugged in apology. ¡°Stanton wonders if we¡¯ll have something by tomorrow morning. Anything else I can get for you, honey?¡± TJ shook his head and Penny smiled at him before she turned and walked away. She walked with a jaunt in her step, and TJ found himself smiling, finding a small positive in the horror that was the apocalypse. Stanton was already mobile when the Integration occurred, though he had struggled running or anything like that. Now that they¡¯d all gained so many levels, even the most geriatric of the people in the Tutorial had overcome whatever lasting ailments they¡¯d brought into the Integration. Sure, they weren¡¯t spry, but every person in Pine was able to go on long hikes for hunts and were more than capable of doing a full day¡¯s labor. Before she got too far away, TJ Appraised Penny and was pleasantly surprised. Disciple, 11 She wasn¡¯t one of the powerhouses in the town, but she could hold her own, even without any combat-oriented Skills. Every additional level she gained from here on out would better serve to ensure she survived the Tutorial itself and whatever followed. Tearing his attention away from his surroundings and keeping himself from Appraising every person he saw, TJ instead set to eating his food, and nearly as soon as he finished, Laura stood up in front of everyone. Looking around, TJ saw frightened, angry, excited, tired, and more in the faces around him, but even with so many negative emotions, he also saw the steel forged in the past eleven days of the Tutorial. As the days passed, even the most hesitant of the people in town had cast aside the worst of their weaknesses and fears, and TJ wondered if they could actually make it through this upcoming siege. The vision of their twisted, desecrated bodies remained tormenting him, but he focused on Laura, whose eyes met his own. ¡°Thank you for gathering.¡± Laura said simply. TJ felt her aura wash over him, and he noted a new affliction, ¡°Inspired¡±, giving a greater susceptibility to bravery and strength. ¡°There are three days until the siege begins. TJ has some information about that for us, as well as some instructions we should follow.¡± TJ didn¡¯t give himself an opportunity to step away and walked up to the front of the space. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on him, and TJ noticed the dozens of faces he¡¯d come to know much better for the past week waiting for the news he had to give. ¡°Here¡¯s the big thing. We need to build a barricade. Walls or something around the general store. We know that the monsters¡¯ goal is to destroy it and ours is to protect it. I don¡¯t know why we haven¡¯t already, but it¡¯s time. To do this, we¡¯re going to use every material we have on hand and prepare more. In line with that, we need to have a good view of everything around us to know how to react to the monsters¡¯ attack, so we¡¯re going to level everything around the general store, as far back as we can manage.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t destroy people¡¯s houses!¡± a voice TJ didn¡¯t recognize shouted out. ¡°Who knows how long they¡¯ve had it, and if they come back to a wrecked home, well, it¡¯s just not right!¡± ¡°Better a broken house than a broken body.¡± TJ replied simply. Laura had been preparing herself to respond somehow, but she was so surprised by his response that she said nothing while he continued. The rest of the people present also went silent at TJ¡¯s flatly practical words. ¡°Look. People have already lost a lot of ¡®things¡¯. Beds, windows, linens, and so on. The more sentimental stuff, we tried to leave alone. But if I have to choose between things and people, I¡¯m choosing people. Now stop being so naive and understand what we¡¯re saying. ¡°We need a clear line of sight on whatever¡¯s approaching. Stanton, how far off would you say you can shoot accurately?¡± TJ asked, and the cowboy responded without much thought. ¡°With all the levels and Skills I¡¯ve got? Well over 100 feet, with one inch of variability. At 500 feet, I¡¯m within a foot.¡± ¡°Zig?¡± ¡°About the same, but more accurate at 500.¡± ¡°Seth?¡± ¡°About half as accurate as them.¡± ¡°There¡¯s three of our best Acolytes at range. If they can¡¯t see anything that¡¯s coming until it¡¯s 20 feet away, we¡¯re throwing away an advantage. I wish we could move this to be on top of a hill, but that¡¯s not a choice. So, we¡¯re going to clear out everything so we can see the monsters coming, make a barricade, and build on every advantage we can get. I don¡¯t like the idea of destroying people¡¯s stuff, but we¡¯ll gather what we think to be most valuable in the grocery store, and hope that people can find it there when they come back, if they¡¯re still alive.¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll work to be as respectful and understanding as possible as we do this.¡± Laura jumped in. ¡°We just want to make sure that we make it through this fight.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± TJ agreed. ¡°Laura has a lot of specifics about that for you, but I do have one other thing that will be of interest to all of you. Let me tell you about a couple of Skills I gained without using a Skill selection.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 86 After explaining Meditation, Divine Authority, and the two requirements for evolving to Copper tier that he¡¯d discovered to everyone in the building, as well as the importance especially of the Disciples to gain Meditation quickly, TJ nodded and turned to leave the front of the room. He would listen to everyone else¡¯s words before he went out and began slaughtering as many of the creatures that were findable nearby. ¡°Hey! Everyone wants to know what happened to you yesterday.¡± Stanton¡¯s voice cut through TJ¡¯s attempted escape. When their eyes met, Stanton smirked. TJ ground his teeth and looked at Laura, who raised her eyebrows. Though she tried to hide it, the woman obviously wanted to hear as well. ¡°Fine.¡± TJ said with a sigh. ¡°Here¡¯s the short of it. When I gained Meditation and Divine Authority, I was taken away into a vision. There, I saw a lot of people using Skills like mine in different ways, and it gave me some ideas. I don¡¯t know how many, maybe twenty people like that, and then I was put in the Tribulation. I was attacked by a bunch of monsters and died, then I was¡­ I was shown visions of everyone I know and love dying.¡± TJ swallowed and pushed through. ¡°Then I was told I had another chance and was put back in the Tribulation. I succeeded that time. ¡°If you get the opportunity, I¡¯d say you should do any Tribulations that come your way. It gave me a lot. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯ll be enough time for people to do them before the Tutorial ends, but if it comes up, you should do it. Not like I had much of a choice, though.¡± Then, the last question answered, TJ stepped away from the front of the room and back into his corner. He couldn¡¯t help but feel the eyes on him and sighed. It was weird that being in front of people bothered him so much now, though. His job as a real estate manager had involved plenty of talking in front of people and he¡¯d never been too bothered by it then. So why did he not want these eyes on him? It simply didn¡¯t make sense, and as Laura subdivided people into different roles, TJ decided to ask the System if there was a reason for it. The discomfort you are feeling comes from the dissonance between your mortal mind and the Divine as it is incorporated with your soul. As a mortal, unaccustomed to the world of the Integration and the Divine, your subconscious recoils at the idea of being worshipped as a hero or god. As a Participant, a Successor of Kukulkan¡¯s path, it is in your nature to seek and strengthen worship in others. Thus, two halves of your deepest self are in direct opposition. His knee jerk reaction to the statement was to say that there was no way that he was going to let these people worship him, but then, TJ tamped that sentiment down. There would be a reason to seek out worship from others, otherwise, his soul wouldn¡¯t long for it. What would the benefits be? Though he extended the thought out to the System, it gave no response, so instead, he wondered for a moment. Would there be requirements for progressing to higher tiers be something like gathering a certain amount of followers? If that was the case, then there would still be other things a worshipped individual would need to do in order to progress to the next tier. That wasn¡¯t counting any Skills that came about because of the worship of people, because TJ could guarantee that those existed. Then, though, there were the feared, barely worshipped gods. TJ couldn¡¯t say that he knew any of them, but there were sure to be possibilities for ascension to the Divine Throne that didn¡¯t require worship so much as overwhelming power. Someone was sure to pursue strength at the abandonment of all else, and that would be permitted, he was sure. All the System wanted was to put someone in the Throne. More frightening, was Lovecraft onto something? Would there be eldritch monstrosities in the world outside of the Tutorial? With a shake of his head, TJ put his mind back on the present. The future was still unknown, and he wasn¡¯t going to lose himself in fear. Instead, as the teams of people filtered out of the firehouse, TJ too looked to make his way out. There was so much left that he had to do, and the timer in the corner of his eye continued ticking down, uncaring of his personal feelings. Before he could escape, though, Laura caught his hand. ¡°If you would, it might be better to try to teach people how to use Meditation before you leave. Helping people recover faster will do better the sooner everyone else has it.¡± ¡°I can do it.¡± Farid interrupted, walking forward and placing his arm around TJ¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t have the Skill, but I¡¯ve practiced some form of Meditation for my whole life. I bet if I lead some people in getting the Skill, it will help me as well.¡± TJ shrugged as Laura looked at him. ¡°I bet he¡¯s right about that. If he can gain a Skill at the same time that he gets other people to get that same Skill, the System will benefit him. You have my blessing to do it, whatever that counts for. Just¡­ I don¡¯t know. Maybe focus on feeling the world around you? Or going inside yourself? Never mind. I know nothing. I was just exploring my Skill when it happened.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough. Thank you, TJ. See you soon!¡± Farid grinned widely before jogging away and calling for all Disciples to come to him. Laura sighed but didn¡¯t show any additional sign of frustration or unhappiness. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Laura.¡± ¡°Wait, TJ.¡± He turned back to the town¡¯s leader, and instead of seeing the put-together, pretty lady, he saw a scared, out-of-her-depth woman. Laura shuddered as she looked up at him, and TJ noted again that her hair had grown ever more curly, pulling in so tight it was nearly an afro at this point. ¡°What you saw¡­ was it¡­ did I¡­ were we all there?¡± TJ chewed on his cheek for a second before responding. Then, he nodded once. ¡°I saw everyone here killed by monsters. Then I saw Junior.¡± ¡°Do you think all this¨C¡± she gestured at the dozens of people walking towards buildings and trees, their eyes appraising, if not finding out how best to level everything, ¡°--will do anything? Will it change that?¡± ¡°I hope.¡± TJ answered simply. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else we can do. Maybe me being here will change that vision. But if it doesn¡¯t, there¡¯s still nothing else I can do but fight until all the monsters or I am dead.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Laura answered, her bottom lip quivering. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can. Be safe.¡± ¡°As much as I can.¡± TJ answered as he turned to walk away. Walking past people, he kept his head down, and with this newest, largest assignment, the people milling around the town were talking a lot more than they usually would be. He wanted to ignore them, but with his Perception, he couldn¡¯t help but overhear. Most of the people were generally accepting of this new reality, but one group in particular was complaining. ¡°This guy¡¯s thinking he¡¯s a hero or some shit. I don¡¯t get what the fuckin problem is with him, thinking that he can tell us all what to do.¡± One of the men said. He was about the same age as TJ, but when he Appraised them, all he saw were unimpressive levels, Acolytes and Zealots ranging from level 8, all the way down to 4. They continued talking. ¡°Yeah, just walks in here, like ¡®I¡¯m a giant snake and I¡¯ll kill you if you don¡¯t do what I say.¡¯ If I¡¯d gotten a busted-ass Class like him, I could do twice of what he¡¯s done. Did you notice that he¡¯s always doing things for the other Neophytes? Just, like, he¡¯s always looking out for them or some shit?¡± ¡°Yeah, totally.¡± A third voice, a woman¡¯s, answered. ¡°First he gets a broken Class, then he helps the others like him.¡± TJ continued walking past, though he did take note of each of the faces he saw. The 5 dissidents weren¡¯t anyone noteworthy, and they were so consumed in their complaints and anger that they didn¡¯t notice the object of their envy walked past. To TJ¡¯s frustration, he saw Jeff walk up to them as well. He slowed his pace, and listened as Jeff spoke up. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°How about, instead of running your mouths, you do something?¡± Jeff¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t combative, but he was far from kind in how he spoke. TJ was so surprised to hear Jeff at least obliquely defending him that he continued to listen for just a moment longer as he walked very slowly past. ¡°You¡¯re the guy that hates him most!¡± The first speaker poked an accusing finger in Jeff¡¯s chest. Jeff didn¡¯t mind it. ¡°I don¡¯t like TJ. That¡¯s not just what the monsters did to me, I think he¡¯s arrogant and thinks he knows best and isn¡¯t much of a listener, to say the least. But he¡¯s also worked damn hard every day for everyone else. I know that his reasons aren¡¯t exactly noblest, but he¡¯s doing this for his kid. I don¡¯t know who you chucklefucks care about, but maybe instead of being petty little children, you do something for the people you care about. Now, do what you¡¯ve been assigned to do.¡± Jeff didn¡¯t keep talking to them, but he turned towards whatever it was that he was supposed to and continued walking past. TJ took his cue and did the same, finding himself at the border of the safe zone before long. The sounds of movement and destruction had already sounded out behind him, but TJ was ready to destroy something of his own, something that would put up much more of a fight than a building. For a time, he considered Stormcalling something to give him another leg up for now, but instead, he verified the effects of Divine Manifestation, then activated Divine Transformation and slithered into the forest without further ado. While he traveled through the forest, all alone, TJ kept Divine Manifestation at the forefront of his mind. The Skill said that he could empower any other of his Skills with it, and while he¡¯d experimented with Wind Manipulation in the Tribulation, he was looking forward to venting some of his rage with his physical body. How his coatl form would change with Manifestation would be great for him. The drain on his MP wasn¡¯t anything to forget, because he would only really be able to use the Skills in conjunction for two minutes at most. Even so, the idea of being a berserker of sorts and tearing through the monsters as soon as he saw them was appealing. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t more than a five minute search before TJ heard a rustling in the nearby bushes. He lunged forward, his jaws immediately finding a pukwudgie and tearing it to pieces. Its blood covered his face and it died. Nothing else nearby lunged out at him, and TJ kept himself from using his prepared Skill to empower himself. The allure was so strong, but he searched forward, looking for a group or an Elite so he could truly let loose. Another five minutes later, TJ found his opportunity to fully loose himself. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 87 While he slithered through the forest, TJ almost deliberately made more noise than he needed to. He was itching to slaughter the monsters, and he had every confidence in being able to escape anything. Maybe that was foolishness on his part, but barring a Chindi being able to do a whole lot more to him than the other had been able to, he¡¯d be able to escape. Right? As soon as that thought crossed his mind, TJ immediately stopped rushing headlong everywhere. He couldn¡¯t let this strange pride drive him forward. Instead, he would be wise and intelligent with every step. Speaking of intelligent, TJ remembered to allocate his Free Point into Intelligence. With his Fixation soaring well into the 80¡¯s with his Divine Tribulation, it had left his Intelligence behind. Looking at his Strength and Agility, it was still one of his highest attributes, but TJ found that more and more, he was going to rely on his resources to make himself strong. Even so, the thought of this extended siege coming up tempted him to put more into his physical attributes. His body itself wouldn¡¯t betray him, and he had a difficult fight ahead. Even so, there was so much more that Intelligence would do for him in the long run. He was quickly realizing the niche that he was going to fit into long term, though how he could do so with his attributes steadily skewing away from his body¡¯s strength confused him. He¡¯d only survived this long because of the strength of his body and Divine Transformation, and he didn¡¯t like the idea of becoming wholly dependent upon his MP to keep himself alive. The thoughts of how to fix his attributes was washed away as he finally found something worth testing out his new combination on. A herd of thirty javelinas with a troop of half as many pukwudgies above them in the trees. He couldn¡¯t see the pukwudgies and so couldn¡¯t Appraise them, but the javelinas were all at least level 12. TJ grinned, and, checking to see that he still had plenty of time left on his Divine Transformation (it¡¯d only been ten minutes since he¡¯d left the safe zone), TJ activated Divine Manifestation, focusing on Divine Transformation. As the Skill said, it empowered another Skill. He¡¯d only truly used it in his dream state of the Tribulation, so TJ didn¡¯t know what to expect. The persistent pain certainly was a surprise as he felt his HP drain away. Beyond that, though, was the immense power that flooded TJ as soon as Manifestation surged through him. His body crackled with power, lightning and gale-force winds accompanying his every movement, and TJ shot forward into the middle of the javelinas. Since Manifestation was draining his MP so quickly, TJ used only the bower of his body instead of relying on Wind Manipulation. His fangs ripped through the javelinas without any difficulty, their spines giving way with each snap of his jaws. Piglike squeals filled the air, but TJ didn¡¯t slow or stop himself. His body was stronger than ever before, and the javelinas¡¯ tusks couldn¡¯t break his scales. There was a plinking, like a heavy rainfall on a metal roof, as a hail of javelins shot towards him and bounced off his body. These attacks would, at most, bruise him, and TJ cackled with reckless abandon. More and more he lashed out, his entire body flashing with lightning while he tore through the javelinas. Blood coated his body and whipped around him while the squealing beasts were felled like so many stalks of grass. A mere second or two was all it took for each to fall, and TJ laid in the killing field, a pool of blood filling the area. He wasn¡¯t done yet, though, and TJ coiled and threw himself up into the air. With a slight boost from Wind Manipulation, TJ¡¯s 40 foot body was able to reach the pine trees¡¯ branches above him. He hissed as the pukwudgies¡¯ birdlike cries filled the air and they fled. There were more still to slay. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. TJ chased through the treetops, felling four of the screeching monsters in less than half a minute, but he retained his head and rationality. His MP was sure to be nearly depleted, and TJ deactivated Manifestation while he descended from the treetops. Corpses filled the area, and all that TJ could smell, taste, and see, was blood, though none of it was his own. He shook himself and blew a firm gust of wind down his body to clean the worst of the viscera off. Then, knowing that this preliminary test was effectively complete, TJ gathered two of the least destroyed corpses and dragged them back to town. Now that he was down and done with using Manifestation, he took stock of his resources. Health Points (HP): 1968/2060 Mana Points (MP): 62/740 Stamina: 1123/2040 That explained the killer headache. TJ did notice that he¡¯d spent a bit more of his Stamina than MP, and given that he¡¯d slaughtered the vast majority of his enemies with his body, it wasn¡¯t surprising that he¡¯d expended additional Stamina there. In reality, he felt like Stamina was a pretty oblique resource, given that it was just¡­ there a lot of the time. Of course, it was important, but for so long, it¡¯d faded into the background. The Zealots had told him that many of their Skills drew on Stamina instead of MP, which made sense, TJ supposed. Just a couple minutes later, TJ dragged the javelinas into town, where mass destruction was just beginning to get under way. Homes crumbled and trees became timber wherever people passed, and TJ deactivated Divine Transformation. The javelina corpses weighed heavily in his hands, but TJ, given his Strength, could carry a couple hundred pounds of animal for the quarter mile or so ahead of him. Other Participants looked at him, watching as he returned without any outward signs of battle, but still carrying enough food to feed dozens of people. TJ nodded at them as he passed, but didn¡¯t engage until two of the people who worked with Penny, an older man and woman named David and Denise, came forward. ¡°We¡¯ll take those for you.¡± David said, hauling one over his shoulder without much effort. Denise, more focused on keeping herself clean, grabbed the other by the tail and dragged it behind her while she walked towards the store. ¡°Thanks for going out there.¡± Denise grunted as she continued pulling. ¡°Yeah.¡± TJ responded, unsure of what else to say. They didn¡¯t seem to need anything else, since the pair of sixty-somethings continued walking with their charges, uncaring of anything else. TJ wondered if they, too, were Attendants like Penny. Maybe that or something similar. He was grateful to have them, but he refused to take an Occupation that would put him at so much of a disadvantage. Being dependent upon serving someone else to gain a measure of strength was far from TJ¡¯s ideas of how to survive this apocalypse. Instead of continuing to dwell on someone else¡¯s choices, though, TJ decided to go to where Farid was leading people in the process of getting the Meditation Skill. He had neglected to find out where they were intending to do so, but TJ didn¡¯t struggle too much in finding the group of thirty Disciples and Farid sitting in a relatively quiet area in the safe zone. When he arrived, TJ found himself slightly disappointed, as he¡¯d hoped to gain some further insight into actual Meditation through listening to Farid¡¯s instructions. Instead, TJ was left alone, while all these people tried desperately to get the Skill they¡¯d been told was so important they gained. With a grunt, TJ settled onto the ground where he could get some space. He closed his eyes, and as soon as he thought of activating Meditation, he felt his mind slip away. He could still think about all of the problems they were facing, about Junior and himself, but they lost their urgency, and he felt his shoulders sag down. Then, with another deep breath, TJ¡¯s perception of the world around him slipped away. While in his mind, TJ had a question that¡¯d slowly been growing in the back of his mind, one he asked the System. ¡°What exactly happened when I used Divine Manifestation on Divine Transformation?¡± Under the influence of Divine Manifestation (Copper (I)), the Skill Divine Transformation (Copper (I)) gains an additional 250% bonus in statistics to apply during the duration of both Skills¡¯ activation. That 250% is applied evenly to each attribute amplified by Divine Transformation. In your case, Strength, Agility, Endurance, Vitality, Toughness, and Perception each receive 41.67% additional bonus. Though still meditating, TJ felt himself gasp and his concentration fell away. It took him another minute to recenter himself, but he eventually did. Then, as his mind returned to the featureless nothing of Meditation, TJ asked another question as he braced himself to remain in the bounds of the Skill. ¡°What do my Attributes look like under the influence of Divine Transformation, Divine Manifestation, Primal Savagery, and in the bounds of my Divine Authority?¡± Attributes Strength x2: 116+12+48+23=199 Agility x1.5: 63+6+26+13=108 Endurance x2: 204+20+85+41=350 Vitality x2: 206+21+86+41=354 Toughness x2: 158+16+66+32=272 Wisdom: 55+6+11=72 Intelligence: 74+7+15=96 Perception x1.5: 105+11+44+21=181 Willpower: 88+9+18=115 Fixation: 86+9+17=112 Looking at the numbers in his Attributes as the System presented them was amazing. TJ couldn¡¯t help but admit he was a little disappointed to see the bonuses didn¡¯t compound, with the exception of those granted by Divine Transformation. Was that because those were the attributes of his body as a coatl, not his attributes as granted by any additional Skill? Yes. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why didn¡¯t the bonus from Divine Manifestation get added on to the baseline attributes to draw the bonuses for Primal Savagery from? The bonus attributes granted from Divine Manifestation when used to amplify Divine Transformation are similar to those granted by Divine Manifestation itself, but they are not the body¡¯s base attributes, and as such, are counted as a bonus, given that they are a bonus granted by the Skill Divine Manifestation. TJ got the distinct impression he was being treated as if he were a dull child. Even so, he felt like he needed to ask to be sure. Then, since he was on the topic, there was another question to ask the System. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Primal Savagery give me more of any of my resources? That 20% boost to my Intelligence should be more notable, since another 150 MP would be huge.¡± Per the description given at the time of this Skill¡¯s acquisition: ¡°This Skill grants a 20% increase to all your attributes while you engage in combat without any pre-Integration tools or equipment.¡± This Skill does not, at this time, grant a universal bonus to attributes whilst complying with the requirements, but only within the constraints of battle. ¡°It doesn¡¯t say that it¡¯s Dirt or Copper tiered. Can it upgrade, even though it isn¡¯t a tiered Skill?¡± All Skills can be upgraded, though each will have its own requirements and level of difficulty. Some can only be upgraded by taking Skills at opportunities of Skill selection while others still can be evolved or upgraded by enlightenment or personal effort. So, while Primal Savagery was impactful and powerful, it could still grow further. TJ nodded internally and asked that the System remind him when his MP had recovered to 85%. While meditating, time passed by quickly, and it wasn¡¯t long before the System gently flashed in the corner of TJ¡¯s eye. With the bulk of his initial recovery complete, TJ woke from his meditation, ready to work on the fortifications. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 88 Though it would take another hour for his MP to recover to full, TJ knew he needed to take the time to work on the barricades. Not only was it so that he could be seen working for the benefit of the town as a whole, but also because he had a sneaking suspicion that building things like barricades would help him to gain experience for Savage. Since he wasn¡¯t felling the trees himself, and those that were were using axes, saws, and tools from before the Integration, TJ could feel that he was gaining a reduced amount of experience. That said, with fewer than three days remaining before this final siege, TJ wanted every last level he could manage to seize for himself. Opening his eyes and looking around, TJ could see the sun directly overhead. There weren¡¯t any clouds, much less a hint of a storm coming, and TJ hoped he could figure something out about how to ensure he would have some level of Storm cover for the final siege. He supposed he could just do a long Stormcalling the day before, but would that be worth more than killing more monsters and maybe getting another level? TJ walked towards the nearest construction crew while doing the mental math of how he could achieve a 24 hour, weak Storm for the final siege. ¡°Life over there! We¡¯re using these branches to lock together, so stop futzing with them!¡± Peter was shouting at the rest of the team hauling the massive log into position. ¡°No, the branches go facing out! We cleared out this side so if any of the monsters get close, they have to struggle through the branches. Yes. the outside, not the inside, you know, the part that¡¯s facing OUT. There. Yes. Now drop it here. No, I¡¯ll take care of it. You just go prepare one just like this and bring it here. Hopefully, by then, you¡¯ve learned your lesson.¡± As he finished speaking, the other three men grumbled but dropped the 40 foot log. Its branches had, just like Peter said, been stripped off half of it, the others facing one side, like a giant, long green hedgehog. ¡°Can you give me a quick hand here?¡± Peter asked TJ. ¡°I know you¡¯ve got better things to do, but I just need to take care of this without putting out my other eye.¡± ¡°I can do you one better than a quick hand. I¡¯ll help you out for the next hour, how¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°Can you?¡± Peter asked, hope glimmering in his remaining eye. His glassy right eye didn¡¯t move, maybe unable to, but his left eye maintained eye contact with TJ. ¡°It¡¯s hard to do this with half my vision, even if I¡¯ve gotten a little better.¡± ¡°Course. Between the two of us, I think we can get this figured out.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Peter smiled an exhausted smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad I ended up with this Occupation, now that this all is happening.¡± ¡°Builder or something?¡± ¡°Not or something. Just ¡®Builder¡¯.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you end up with that?¡± TJ grunted as he hauled back on the trunk of the tree. The damned thing was heavy, even with his immense Strength. ¡°Was helping out with some stuff when we were first here in town. My old company, Build-Wright, is probably long gone now, but I guess it¡¯s all the same, since we¡¯ve still got a Builder and a Wright.¡± Peter scoffed as he pointed at himself, clearly not believing the positive spin he put on things. ¡°Ok then, Mr. Wright.¡± TJ answered. ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± The next hour passed in a blur as TJ followed Peter¡¯s instructions. With Savage guiding some of his movements and an experienced contractor at his side, they made good progress. By the time it was time for lunch, they¡¯d made a wall over 100 feet long and about chest high. It was far from complete and only a little more sturdy than a regular stack of logs, but Peter assured TJ that it was only a matter of the rest of the afternoon to double the length and strength of the wall. TJ couldn¡¯t do anything but take his words at face value, but he believed the man¡¯s words and the faint trickle of experience that brought him over to Savage 18. Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 18. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Though he¡¯d been told that the Occupation¡¯s experience gain was reduced somewhat, TJ was seeing the benefits of the nearly universal opportunities for Savage to gain experience. Building a wall? Experience. Killing some monsters? Experience. Making some moccasins? Experience. That all paired with the small but noteworthy bonus for all experience for his Occupation gained from his Irregular Title made for a comparatively quick level gained. TJ threw the additional Free Point into Intelligence and went to eat lunch. On his way there, he finally came to the decision of what it would take to ensure that he had the benefits of Storm for the entire 18 hours of the siege. Assuming he needed four hours of sleep and meditation afterwards, he¡¯d need a total of 22 hours resulting from Stormcaller, and he didn¡¯t want to do anything that would inhibit the rest of the defenders, so he¡¯d need to stop the Stormcalling right after it crossed another multiple, so he¡¯d take it to the one minute past something. Then, with the four hours of couple regeneration combined with Meditation, he could, effectively, spend the entirety of his resources, leaving behind just 100 or so in each. As his attributes were right now, that meant, if he left 100 in HP and Stamina while leaving only 60 in MP, that would be 2,580 seconds, or 43 minutes. 22 hours was 1320 minutes, divided by 43 was a bit over 30.5. That meant that TJ needed to have 31 times 5 minutes, or 305 minutes, which was five hours and five minutes. Or, six minutes, given the additional minute necessary to make it a Storm that wouldn¡¯t blind everyone else. The siege was set to begin at 8 AM, so that minus the 4 hours of rest and the five hours of channeling, he¡¯d need to begin right before 11 PM, though 10:30 would probably be better. Having done so much mental math had TJ surprised at himself and his heightened mental acuity. He¡¯d never been a slouch, able to do most multiplication with a couple digits in his head, but he¡¯d worked all these calculations while keeping up idle conversation with Peter and building the wall. Shaking his head at the almost unnoticeable changes to his mind from the Integration and all these new Attributes, TJ grabbed a plate and was surprised by what he¡¯d been offered. It seemed like Stanton was better learning how to make vegetables sprout, somehow, as there was a small salad available for each person. Though it was plain spinach with a light dressing, TJ devoured the four bites he got. It had been almost two weeks with poor nutrition at this point, though it was obvious that, as everyone¡¯s Vitality, Endurance and just levels in general increased, poor nutrition had much less of an impact than it had before the Integration. Even so, nobody turned away at the sight of the healthy greens, and as Stanton walked in and looked at everyone enjoying the products of his work, he smiled in a small, satisfied way. ¡°You just using magic or something on seeds?¡± TJ asked when Stanton approached. Stanton grunted, and when TJ rolled his eyes, Stanton replied with that same self-satisfied smile. ¡°It¡¯s part that, part Lifeblooms. I help ¡®em along, but it¡¯s mostly the blooms, if I¡¯m honest.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± TJ responded as he set to eating the javelina steak that remained. After the salad, it wasn¡¯t nearly so disappointing to eat the gamey, samey meat. It was still the same food he¡¯d been eating for the past week and a half, but with something else to accompany it, TJ could manage without it turning his stomach. Where the energy from eating at least one javelina or something similarly sized in coatl form every day went, TJ couldn¡¯t say. At least he didn¡¯t need to eat that much every day, so far as he could tell. It was difficult to say, in honesty, because from the limited information TJ had, most snakes didn¡¯t have to eat more than once or twice a month. Now, as a coatl, he¡¯d eaten hundreds of pounds of prey, and there didn¡¯t seem to be any sign of him needing, or even wanting, to stop. Instead of getting fat, though, that mass seemed to be gradually getting pushed into his size as a coatl. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, he¡¯d begun the Tutorial as a snake about half as long as he was now. On top of that, he¡¯d been pretty thin as a 20 foot snake, about as thick as a man¡¯s clenched fist. How much he could have weighed, he had no idea, but he guessed maybe a little bit more than he had as a human, so less than 200 pounds. Now, he was at least half a foot thick, and his head had grown more and more draconic instead of snakelike, and it was thus significantly heavier to complement his Shredding Bite. TJ had no scale or other weighing implement to verify his theory, but his guess was that he weighed over 800 pounds now, assuming he¡¯d doubled in size in each dimension. ¡°You want help out there?¡± Stanton asked as TJ scarfed down the last of his lunch. ¡°I¡¯m focusing on killing as many as fast as I can.¡± TJ replied with a shrug. ¡°I have a couple Skills that I can get to work in tandem now, and I just want to do as much as I can as fast as I can. Doing it, though, makes me a bit of a one minute warrior. I¡¯d guess you¡¯d do more with a fully established team, since I¡¯m just focused on finding groups of powerful monsters and exterminating them all before coming back here to rest. I killed almost 30 javelinas and pukwudgies in about two minutes a couple hours ago.¡± Stanton grunted, though more pensively than usual. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you do that same thing with a team in just a bit more time? Then you wouldn¡¯t be back here out of commission for a couple hours.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°It gives me experience with all these new Skills, and I can do something nobody else can. Beyond that, getting back here and working on the walls is giving me experience for Savage. Just got a level and everything.¡± Stanton grunted, cocking his eyebrow in disbelief. The old cowboy continued looking at TJ like that until, nearly a full minute later, the silence was too much. ¡°Yeah, I like the excuse to be alone, ok?¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Stanton nodded knowingly. TJ merely shook his head in reply. Stanton spoke up, still smiling. ¡°I guess that¡¯s enough. I think you¡¯ve got more Lone Ranger in you than you thought.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± TJ shook his head. ¡°But I won¡¯t have any allies outside of wherever we end up, if it''s outside of the Tutorial. I¡¯m willing to bet I¡¯m taken back home, or at least where I was before the Integration occurred. I don¡¯t know anyone who lives nearby around here, and any neighbors I did know weren¡¯t particularly close. If they¡¯re going to stick their necks out for me when it might be them or me¡­ well I wouldn¡¯t believe it. I think I¡¯ll be alone again after the Tutorial, and I need to understand myself and everything I can do before that happens and I still have somewhere safe to get back to.¡± Stanton tapped his nose at TJ, and the younger man sighed. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re so wise, or whatever. You got any more spinach or vegetables for me before I go?¡± ¡°No favoritism, I¡¯m afraid.¡± TJ grunted in response and left his plate where it was, seeing one of Penny¡¯s fellow Attendants approaching to clean off the table. After all, his MP was basically full at this point, and he was ready to go out for another blitz hunt. If he was quick enough, he might just be able to get three in before nightfall, then spend the evening helping with the wall and then making something with the Tezcatlipoca-blessed mountain lion hide. His plan for the rest of the day made, TJ rolled his shoulders, walked past the wall, and jogged off to find his next prey. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 89 ¡°Oh fuuuuuuuuuuu¨C¡± TJ breathed out the curse more than he actually swore. He tried his best, but found he couldn¡¯t send even a stiff breeze out as he fled for his life. He¡¯d exhausted his MP, and though there was still plenty of time left on his Divine Transformation, his roaring headache pulsed painfully at the back of his head and behind his eyes. Though he knew there might not be any chance to twist the narrative, TJ hoped he¡¯d be able to just¡­ not explain himself to Stanton. As for how he¡¯d gotten here, TJ felt his mind wistfully wandering as he drew a little further away from his pursuers. The rest of the day passed much the same as the morning had¨Cgoing on quick blitz missions to exterminate as many monsters as possible, then return to town to Meditate, recover, and work on the barricade. In the work in town, the walls were coming along nicely, and Peter thrived on the work he was offered. He quickly became less of a constructor than a foreman, giving instruction and advice on how best to construct and organize materials in order for the walls to stand up to the rigors of battle. The Meditations, careful as TJ was, didn¡¯t result in any Divine Tribulations or massive tornadoes, so he counted it as successful. Somewhat surprisingly, there was another who entered a period of Enlightenment and Tribulation. Lailani, the nervous little Neophyte, was found surrounded by a bubble of swirling water and wind. Different from TJ, though, she wasn¡¯t protected by something that seemed inherently violent. Instead, the water was gentle and carefully pushed people away when they got close. There were still the threats of severe negative consequences, but Kailani¡¯s Divine Authority, if that was what she was getting, seemed much kinder than TJ¡¯s. While he was thinking about it, though, the Skill itself told him that Storm was a volatile, powerful Divine Authority. Maybe there were intrinsic different ranks within different Authorities? Like, Storm was higher than Air? Or would Air be higher than Storm, since it was a wider concept? Though he mused over it, the System didn¡¯t give him any answers, so TJ remained questioning what exactly Lailani¡¯s Enlightenment was about. Other than his somewhat ¡°normal¡± routine of slaughter, construction, and meditating, nothing noteworthy happened until TJ¡¯s third hunt of the day. The second hunt, he¡¯d tested the effects of Divine Manifestation on Wind Manipulation while transformed as a coatl. Though it wasn¡¯t quite as impressive as when he¡¯d been able to siphon off the massive storm in his Tribulation, every minute movement he made with his blades, spears, and whips of wind had dismantled his foes. It was an exceedingly brief usage of his Skills, though, as he was forced to stop after only a minute of use, since the two MP intensive Skills served to drain him below 100 very quickly. On the positive side, after slaughtering two dozen more pukwudgies, all at least level 12, TJ could feel he¡¯d nearly reached another level for Neophyte. He was sure that the third hunt would tick him over on that. The third hunt did not. Nor was it much of a hunt. When TJ ranged out to find some new prey, some group of monsters to eradicate, he found wherever he went, the forest was quiet. As soon as he realized as much, he went on his guard and checked his Status while asking the System specifically if he was suffering from any afflictions. Though his Status and the System both insisted that he wasn¡¯t, TJ made the decision not to stick around any longer, but to find his prey somewhere closer to town. That was when he¡¯d stumbled across another pack of pukwudgies, dozens all together and unsuspecting. In his haste, TJ had empowered Wind Manipulation to tear through their numbers with reckless abandon, and by the time the last of them were dead, TJ¡¯s MP was just over 40/760. The fight was explosively loud as TJ wasted his MP on flashy tornadoes and cracks of thunder to accompany his every move. Since his prey were only pukwudgies, TJ figured there wasn¡¯t much of a reason to collect any of their materials or bodies. They hadn¡¯t found any real use for them, and though TJ wondered if they¡¯d be edible, the fact that they were capable of speech made TJ decide they were off the table. Plus, too human like. Before he could get out of the clearing, though, another group of pukwudgies appeared. These were the highest level he¡¯d ever seen, all over 15. For a moment, TJ considered just rushing them, tearing them apart and getting that level that he could feel was right there. But no. If they were planning like this, a single level wouldn¡¯t be worth fully falling into their trap. The more levels the pukwudgies gained, the more intelligently they moved. TJ could circumvent much of their craftiness by sheer strength, but he¡¯d heard stories and seen bodies that came from underestimating the creatures. He wouldn¡¯t add his own to that pile. As he moved to bowl through the assembled monsters, the faintest hint of a chill blew over him. Before, TJ would have disregarded it, after all, it was January. But now, he knew that this chill wasn¡¯t the weather. It threatened to go down his spine, and TJ looked for the wendigo hunting him. He was disappointed, instead seeing nothing but the pukwudgies¡­ and a huge raven. The hulking bird was at least four feet long, beak to tail, and its eyes hung from its sockets like weeks-old balloons. The feathers fell steadily from the monstrosity, but it didn¡¯t seem to be going bald. In fact, the feathers that fell disappeared by the time they hit the ground. Regardless of what the sickly Elite monster¡¯s feathers were like, TJ knew he couldn¡¯t let it get close. He rushed even faster through the encirclement, taking a dozen wounds as he did so. These pukwudgies, having passed the level 15 watershed, hit hard, harder than anything he¡¯d encountered before. For the first time, TJ lamented the nearly 400 HP he¡¯d spent on Divine Manifestation as he watched his HP plummet. Notifications of a Bleeding affliction appeared and quickly scaled from Minor to Severe. TJ broke through the ring of pukwudgies and they pressed the attack. Some of the spears skittered off his scales and past him, but many more struck true and made him shout out in agony. His blood covered his body and some ran into his eyes, but TJ continued fleeing. The monsters all followed, the raven above them calling hauntingly. TJ cursed, not to himself, but at himself as he continued his escape. Though he slithered as quickly as he could manage, he was reminded again and again of his hubris and how, just like any hero of any story ever in the history of man, he¡¯d die because of it. He¡¯d been made powerful with these new Skills, and now he was thinking he could confront the world and not come out of it dead. ¡°Kukulkan, System, someone. Please bless me to get out of this alive.¡± TJ muttered to himself as he dodged another strike from one of the pukwudgies. It went wide, scraping off one of his feathers. The vibrant part of his body flew off into the distance, and for a brief moment, TJ was angry. They¡¯d take a part of him off! Then, the rest of him was afraid. He had no MP, and nothing he could do beyond continuing to run and hope to escape. Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t ranged too far, but before he could feel even remotely happy about that, the raven swooped over him. He ducked below its talons and Appraised it as it flew past. Raven Mocker, 13 ¡°Oh fuuuuuuuuuuuuu¨C¡± Though he managed to avoid being physically hit by the monster, TJ recognized that, with its level, it was as dangerous as the wendigo that escaped just a couple days before. That it wasn¡¯t focused on physical combat was more frightening than reassuring, and TJ wasn¡¯t ready to avoid the flurry of feathers that it sent shooting towards him like so many darts. As soon as the feathers hit him, a series of warnings from the System flashed across his vision. Warning: you are suffering from a Minor Poisoned affliction (Dirt). You will continue to lose 5 HP a minute until the Poison condition is cured. Current HP: 107/140 Warning: you are suffering from a Minor Exhaustion affliction. You will regain HP, MP, and Stamina at 50% of your usual rate until your Stamina rises above 75%. Warning: you are suffering from a Minor Blighted affliction. Your wounds will require twice the time and twice the resources to recover until this affliction is purged. Warning: you are suffering from a Minor Septic affliction. The severity of all other afflictions will be worsened by one tier until your wounds are properly dressed and treated. TJ nearly wept as he continued trying to escape. He could feel he wasn¡¯t far off, but that was, of course, the moment when the wendigo decided it was time to appear. It burst out of the cover of a nearby bush and threw a wall of ice into his path. The timing, so perfect, made it impossible for TJ to avoid it. His head smashed into the ice, and though it splintered and cracked at his collision, the wall held. The wendigo sent a wave of frost over TJ, and he felt himself stiffen as a Severe Frostbite affliction settled into his bones. With a grunt of effort, TJ launched himself up over the wall, too slow to evade another round of spears, feathers, and strikes by the wendigo. His HP fell to 250 total, and TJ felt himself dying. His pride, arrogance would lead him to die. Not something unavoidable, but his own stupidity. A war cry greeted him as Sarah and Charlie charged into battle. Both held axes, though Sarah¡¯s smaller hatchet seemed much less threatening than Charlie¡¯s felling ax. Sarah¡¯s ethereal shield burst into existence in the middle of the fight, stopping another round of spears from permanently stopping TJ¡¯s escape. The Skill fell into motes of light after that first round of attacks, but Sarah held steady as she and Charlie held off the monsters. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Get the hell back in the safe zone!¡± Charlie commanded as he lopped a pukwudgie head from its torso. His movements were quick and powerful, and when a mostly dead pukwudgie tried to tie down his feet, that foot morphed into a horse¡¯s hoof and reduced its head to a pulpy pancake. Sarah didn¡¯t say anything else, though she flashed from one location to the next, her shield battering anything that threatened TJ or Charlie while her weapon glowed with more motes of light. A spectral axe extended from her own and chopped through three more pukwudgies in quick succession. When the raven tried to fly overhead to sow more afflictions, the familiar sound of a gun fired four times in quick succession. The raven exploded in feathers, but instead of dying or going down, the feathers all fell and it reappeared in another location about thirty feet back from where the fight was taking place. ¡°He is mine!¡± Shrieked the wendigo as TJ continued his retreat. Charlie was fending it off, his axe moving with surprising grace, as if he were a trained axe fighter. He fended off the monstrosity¡¯s attacks, trading one blow in for every five he parried and sustained, but it was a losing game. When Sarah flashed in and smashed her shield into the wendigo¡¯s back, they could finally engage with it on equal ground. The Zealot focused more on keeping the wendigo from building up momentum than on dealing damage, but that was more than enough. Charlie bellowed and struck out with his axe again and again, carving thin slices of wendigo flesh free with each attack, though never striking true. ¡°Still gotta pull back!¡± Stanton shouted from behind as he squeezed off four or five shots and a pukwudgie fell, dead, after each one. TJ gloried in the System notifications that appeared after. Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 16. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Race: Human has advanced to level 17. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Point currently available.\ TJ prepared himself to leap into battle with the notifications, but then he noticed something that made his blood run cold: He was only at half of his HP, MP, and Endurance, and his HP was still dropping fast. The levels had done their best to heal him, but it wasn¡¯t enough. The afflictions still fought to sap away his life, and the wendigo, raven, and pukwudgies knew it, as they redoubled their efforts to ensure he couldn¡¯t walk away from this alive. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 90 TJ slithered further away, trying to escape, and the forest seemed to stretch out further than it should have before him. He maintained enough of his mind to realize what that may mean. He asked the System as he looked at his Status, his fears unfortunately being confirmed. After trailing down the other litany of afflictions, there were two more. You are suffering from a Moderate Fear and a Severe Charmed affliction. He didn¡¯t need an explanation of what the two afflictions did, because he knew what they were coming from. ¡°There¡¯s a Chindi here, somewhere!¡± TJ shouted while attempting to continue his escape. As soon as the words left his mouth, Sarah exploded in a series of curses. ¡°One of all the fuckin¡¯ Elites are here, then?¡± Charlie asked while his axe¡¯s strikes continued to slow. ¡°Unless there¡¯s something new to surprise us with.¡± Sarah replied, her hands shaking as she parried another of the wendigo¡¯s blows. Come back. You need to protect your friends. They¡¯re in danger. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Chindi¡¯s voice made no pretense this time. If it was the same one, TJ couldn¡¯t say, but the sickening hold the words had over him sent a shudder down his spine. He didn¡¯t think before turning away from escaping to help the two struggling fighters. The pukwudgies were overwhelming them, even with Stanton¡¯s suppressing fire. TJ couldn¡¯t leave them to die, and he ripped into the pukwudgies with reckless abandon. Their bodies were shredded to pieces under his thrashing jaws and massive body, and TJ tried to lessen the pressure on the two other fighters. You can still win! Stay strong. You¡¯re strong. Keep fighting. TJ knew that the voice was the Chindi¡¯s but he didn¡¯t see any other option. He couldn¡¯t leave these two brave fighters to die alone. They couldn¡¯t be sacrificed for him! He conjured up blades of wind, cutting through the pukwudgies without consideration for preserving his MP. For a brief moment he considered strengthening himself with Divine Manifestation, but that couldn¡¯t help him, right? Or was that just the Charm from the Chindi saying it? TJ couldn¡¯t trust his own mind, and instead of thinking any further, he let himself get swept up in the pace of battle. ¡°Get levels! They¡¯ll keep us going!¡± Charlie shouted, giving TJ some more hope before the melee devolved even further. His length as a coatl was used against him as more spears struck home. Again and again he was stabbed through, and he felt his HP dropping. With Stanton¡¯s assistance, all the pukwudgies were dead, but the wendigo was largely unharmed and the three fighters engaging it were slowing more and more. The Frostbite afflictions were growing, and though Stanton¡¯s shots were able to keep the raven from swooping in directly and touching anyone, its feathers continued to inflict worse and worse afflictions on the three fighters on the front line. You¡¯re almost there. You¡¯ll make your family proud if you can just keep pushing. You¡¯ll save everyone if you do! The Chindi¡¯s words, though TJ could recognize them as such, struck true. TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to disagree, pushing in against the wendigo, convinced he would be able to win. It struck twice in quick succession, destroying Sarah¡¯s shield. She collapsed, evidently out of Stamina as her chest heaved in exertion and exhaustion. The Zealot couldn¡¯t manage to raise her weapon any longer, and couldn¡¯t react as the wendigo¡¯s claws destroyed Charlie¡¯s axe. Then, it laughed in terrifying glee as its claws punched straight through Charlie¡¯s chest. The Neophyte gasped and collapsed to the ground, his blood freezing all around the wound. ¡°Finally. You pay, kin-killer.¡± The wendigo rasped as it turned to TJ. Three shots from Stanton smashed into its chest and knocked it back a step, but it only roared in response as its walk took it to TJ. His MP was completely spent, and he wanted to escape, but the Chindi wouldn¡¯t allow him to. The raven dove towards him, but the wendigo shooed it away. ¡°The snake is mine.¡± It declared as it struck down. TJ dodged, watching the smoky form of the Chindi approaching Sarah while the raven glided towards Charlie. A warcry sounded behind him, and TJ felt a rising hope. Maybe they could all survive¨C Sarah began seizing on the ground as the smoky form of the Chindi melded with her. She jolted and thrashed while trying to drive off the Elite¡¯s possession. Charlie¡¯s body began swimming with black veins as soon as the raven¡¯s talons made contact with his body. A wordless cry of agony filled the air as Charlie¡¯s body was filled with the rot from the Raven Mocker. A putrescent green glow filled the blackened veins, but Charlie didn¡¯t move except to hoarsely cry out in suffering. TJ¡¯s blood froze in his body as the wendigo¡¯s claws slipped deep into him and pinned him to the ground below. The wendigo¡¯s jaws opened wide as it went to deliver the killing blow with a bite on his head. ¡°Rargh!¡± Connor¡¯s scream filled the air as he smashed his shield into the wendigo and pushed it away from TJ. He smashed the massive hunk of metal again and again into the wendigo¡¯s head, the sound of cracking bone accompanying the ringing of metal. Farid¡¯s javelin pounded into the raven¡¯s chest and knocked it off Charlie, the slicing crescent moon digging deep into the bird before it disappeared again in a puff of rotting feathers. Zig¡¯s arrows pounded into the two corporeal monsters with reckless abandon as she loosed shot after shot. Molly¡¯s form crackled with electricity as she rushed to attack the wendigo. The Chindi withdrew from Sarah as soon as the reinforcements arrived, and though the wendigo shrugged off a couple blows from Connor, it was out of MP and unable to continue the fight. It looked down at the prostrate form of TJ and screamed in frustration, that it¡¯d been unable to dispatch him again. Then, it began its retreat, sprinting into the forest without looking back again. The Chindi disappeared into mist that flowed back into the forest, its influence subtly pulling away from TJ¡¯s mind. Of the three Elites, only one didn¡¯t escape as arrow after arrow smashed into the raven, and every time it reappeared, it was more and more haggard. Finally, Zig¡¯s arrow struck true again, and it didn¡¯t disappear. When the form of the bird fell to the ground, Connor rushed forward and dismantled the body with a series of smashing blows from his war pick. It croaked its last, and TJ felt the swell of experience unable to bring him to the next level. While he laid there and the enemies continued their retreat, a group of half a dozen Disciples rushed forward and laid their hands on him, Sarah, and Charlie. With a groan, TJ disabled Divine Transformation and allowed the healing to more fully settle into his body. He didn¡¯t open his eyes and so couldn¡¯t see who it was that was healing him, but they both gasped in horror as they witnessed what exactly was wrong with him. Maybe it was how low his HP was, or something else. TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to look at his Status. Instead, he laid down for a second, and as soon as he had even a modicum of energy, he groaned and spoke. ¡°Sorry Charlie and Sarah. I fucked up.¡± Sarah didn¡¯t do anything but whimper in fear, pain, and maybe something else while she was at it. Charlie whispered something TJ couldn¡¯t hear. He cracked a smile and forced himself to sit up. He glanced at his HP, which was steadily climbing up, though not as quickly as it should have, given the ministrations of two Disciples. Looking around, Sarah was huddling into a ball, shivering with terror. TJ cringed looking at her, hoping she would be able to recover mentally from this. He couldn¡¯t say for sure, but it¡¯d be a difficult path, and he was mostly responsible for it. He turned and looked at Charlie. The man was an absolute sight, his veins crawling with green corruption, and his eyes glazed over in suffering. TJ wanted to make a joke or thank him for going through this for him, since without both Charlie and Sarah, TJ definitely would have died. Then, when TJ saw the two Disciples look at each other in panic, he realized that this wasn¡¯t something they could treat. His stomach, already twisting from seeing Sarah¡¯s state, dropped entirely. Charlie was dying. ¡°Fuck.¡± Charlie said as TJ stumbled closer. Zig was already holding Charlie¡¯s hand. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the heroic save I thought it¡¯d be.¡± TJ wanted to say something, anything, but couldn¡¯t. What words were there to say? Zig said something, but her voice caught in her throat and she sobbed instead. ¡°That bird¡¯s an ugly fucker.¡± Charlie continued. Farid and Connor walked closer at that point. Connor spoke. ¡°Zig and Farid got it. I¡¯m sure. You get the notification?¡± ¡°I.. yeah. Got a level and everything.¡± Charlie coughed again, the movement weak and his breath caught in his throat. He tried to say something, but instead, he died. The hand Zig held went limp, and she tried to force herself to speak. She couldn¡¯t manage it. A choked cry was all she could muster, and TJ saw himself holding Mari¡¯s body there. A pained yet peaceful face on the corpse of the person they loved, and the living left devastated. The Disciples continued healing him and Sarah, and TJ stood there, shell-shocked and guilty. He couldn¡¯t muster a single word, a single thought, and a minute later, Zig stood up and punched him in the chest, hard enough to send him sprawling. TJ looked up. ¡°Fuck you.¡± Zig whispered, her face streaked with tears and her eyes clouded with true hatred. ¡°Fuck you, you self-centered, arrogant bastard.¡± TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything in response, his own guilt making the words strike true as the Huntmaster carried her lover¡¯s corpse into town. A/N: This was not my plan, but as the situation got worse and worse, it was inevitable. Had a lot planned for you, buddy. Sorry. o7 Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 91 TJ stumbled through the rest of the day. He had someone bring him dinner outside of the firehouse. He couldn¡¯t remember who. The food tasted like ashes. A small part of his mind saw himself back in the hospital with Mari, but much more of him just hated his stupidity. He¡¯d learned this lesson, supposedly. He¡¯d already run into a wendigo and nearly died. Then why had he thought he¡¯d be able to circumvent loss this time? Why had he been so assured of his own immortality? The rush of leveling was intoxicating, but TJ realized he¡¯d just been fully stupid. There wasn¡¯t any other way to put it, and Charlie had paid the price. Sarah was more than injured, and TJ couldn¡¯t be sure that she¡¯d be able to pull out of this terrible Fear she¡¯d been subjected to again. As he sat hating himself, Jeff¡¯s words from that morning filled his head, but TJ saw what they truly meant. He¡¯s arrogant. How else to describe someone running into the apocalypse all by himself without any backup, with merely the thought that his new Skills would protect him. He¡¯s a bad listener. That may have been all that Jeff had said, but TJ could have listened to his friends, to Stanton, but instead, he¡¯d run out alone, and now Charlie¡¯s body was somewhere, cold and marred by the raven¡¯s putrescence. The words were so simple, and TJ felt them rebounding in his head, reminding him of his failure. Did Charlie have a family? He and Zig were involved with each other, but that wasn¡¯t what TJ wanted and needed to know. What had Charlie left behind, what had he risked when he¡¯d run out to save TJ? Whose heart would be broken because of TJ¡¯s pride? Zig¡¯s was obvious. What of Charlie¡¯s parents, friends, pets, or anything else? The numbness that filled and cut at TJ¡¯s soul shifted to raw pain. Unfiltered agony. Unprocessed grief. Hunched over his styrofoam plate, TJ sobbed, his tears streaking down his face and dripping onto the plate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was¡­¡± TJ hiccuped, the emotions clogging his body. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so¡­¡± His attempted apology at nothing devolved into more, broken cries. Adding insult to injury, at that moment, TJ felt Divine Authority¡¯s passive activate, and his recovery doubled in speed. Snow fell and dusted him, the cold unable to even get him to shiver. The superhuman body TJ had acquired throughout the Integration now felt better and better as he sat under a tree and felt the snowflakes melt on his face. ¡°Such bullshit.¡± TJ half laughed and half cried to himself. The darkness of the skies had, without him realizing it, slowly changed to a lighter color, the clouds lit by the moon and stars. There was a storm now, and he couldhave done so much more with its presence. He could have saved Charlie. Maybe he could have resisted the Chindi entirely. There was so much that it¡¯s presence could and would have done for him, but instead, the world wanted to laugh at him, to taunt him. He let himself collapse into tears and sobbing laughter. He couldn¡¯t say how long he stayed there, broken and wet on the ground, but it was cold enough that the snow stuck. It had piled up to half an inch of powder, and finally, TJ stood up. His eyes were a little grainy, but that was the only physical thing that remained of his grief and remorse. He walked out of his little grove and went to find two people. A different one was the first to find him, though. ¡°TJ¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Molly said as she looked up at him. Her face was tear streaked and her eyes red. ¡°Charlie was a good man. I¡¯d, like, gotten to know him of these weeks, and¡­¡± Her face crumpled back into crying. ¡°I¡¯m glad good people like you will remember him.¡± TJ said, a lump in his throat, though he felt unworthy to mourn the man. ¡°Where¡¯s Zig?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Molly forced through her soft cries. ¡°She blames you, for, you know, Charlie¡¯s death?¡± ¡°I know. She should. Now, do you know where I can find her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in one of the few houses in the safe zone that didn¡¯t get levelled today.¡± Molly pointed off in a vague direction. ¡°But that¡¯s not a good idea!¡± She repeated. ¡°Maybe not, but it¡¯s the only idea I¡¯ve got.¡± TJ nodded his thanks and began his walk away. The grief-stricken teenager didn¡¯t know how to respond as he walked away. His steps crunched in gravel and snow alike, and TJ lost himself in deciding exactly how he was going to say what he needed to. Nothing specific came to mind, but he felt a driving need to say something. There wasn¡¯t a flash of inspiration that gave him magical words, and TJ found himself outside of the home. ¡°Go away.¡± Zig sniffled before TJ could reach the door. She didn¡¯t say anything as he continued his path up the porch. He stood there in silence for a moment before his hoarse throat creaked out the words. ¡°You were right. There¡¯s no excuse. I wish I could fix it, and I can¡¯t. Charlie¡¯s dead and it¡¯s my fault.¡± He deliberately didn¡¯t apologize. It wouldn¡¯t do anything. Neither would the rest of these words, but he needed to acknowledge what he¡¯d done wrong, how his actions had damaged another. The door whipped open and smashed into TJ¡¯s nose. Though the broken bone had healed after the past weeks and dozens of levels, it felt just like when he¡¯d broken it at the time of Integration. TJ stumbled back, stars and tears filling his eyes as Zig stormed out of the house, her hair floating behind her in a supernatural way. ¡°Get the hell away from me.¡± Zig hissed. ¡°You almost killed me before, and now you get Charlie killed for no damn reason? I¡¯d kill you if I thought it wouldn¡¯t fuck the rest of us over. Don¡¯t let me see you again unless I have to.¡± She ended her tirade with a wicked uppercut. He¡¯d expected violence to this degree, and TJ didn¡¯t even try to dodge it, though he suspected he didn¡¯t have a snowball¡¯s chance in hell to get out of the way without Wind Manipulation or Divine Transformation. His teeth smashed together and TJ tasted blood. He fell in a heap on the ground, getting right back to his feet. That was just in time for Zig¡¯s reddened eyes, filled with tears, to meet his. ¡°Never again.¡± She whispered as she slammed the door closed. TJ collected himself, checking his HP, which had only been reduced by 20 with the Acolyte¡¯s full-force blows. Worse than the physical pain, though, was of course the emotional whiplash, the familiarity he felt to Zig¡¯s suffering. Even so, he¡¯d said what he¡¯d intended, more or less, and TJ realized there was some part of him that welcomed the pain, the mistreatment. He was responsible for a death, and hedeserved to suffer. ¡°Never again. Maybe not wrong, but eh.¡± Stanton trailed off as he fell in step beside TJ. TJ didn¡¯t respond, instead focusing merely on continuing to walk. After walking in silence for several minutes, he asked, ¡°Do you know where Sarah is?¡± Stanton grunted in affirmation and TJ let him take the lead. They continued walking for a time, TJ wallowing in his misery and self-recrimination. He didn¡¯t mind the companionship, but he had no intention to find peace or solace in another. The Storm brought his spirits up without caring for his own thoughts, filling him with the feeling as if it were adrenaline and he were about to walk into a fight. He didn¡¯t expect the time with Sarah would end up as such, but he supposed it wasn¡¯t impossible. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this and I¡¯ll do it for free.¡± Stanton interrupted TJ¡¯s misery. ¡°I think you¡¯re a bit dumb. You¡¯re confident, and probably rightly so. You¡¯re doing things that the rest of us just don¡¯t think of. Probably comes from your total focus on Junior, and I respect that. But you¡¯re so focused on the ¡®later¡¯ that you¡¯re forgetting the now. You were thinking about the later when you left like you did, not the now, and you nearly died for it. That said, the only thing you did was to be a bit stupid. I think your only crime was a bit of stupidity, and everyone deserves a fair amount of forgiveness for their stupidest moments. ¡°Charlie, Sarah, and I, and some others, knew you were up to some stupid shit. We let you go out alone, just thinking that you¡¯d come back with some new story. That isn¡¯t what happened, and we all wanted to bail you out when we heard your struggles. We didn¡¯t think about how it was because of your stupid bonehead that you ended up in that situation. We just thought we wanted to help our friend live, so we went out and did that. Charlie paid the ultimate price for that, and I¡¯m grieving him with everyone else. ¡°But all you did was make one decision for yourself. You didn¡¯t tell us to come bail you out, you didn¡¯t even let us know where you were going. We came to your support when and where we did because we care about you. You¡¯re a friend. Maybe the stupidest one I¡¯ve got, but you¡¯re a friend. You¡¯ve saved my life dozens of times, and Sarah isn¡¯t about to forget just what you¡¯ve done for her neither. ¡°Zig¡¯s allowed to hate your for your stupid choice. Charlie was allowed to bail you out from it. Neither one of them were wrong. Got it?¡± TJ nodded, still miserable but not quite as self-loathing as he did so. ¡°I think it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re doing.¡± Stanton said, and after looking the younger man in the eyes for a minute, Stanton nodded at TJ and stepped to the side while gesturing at the firehouse. TJ immediately understood what Stanton was saying and walked in with his shoulders drawn tight against his neck. Even with the pep talk, TJ expected to be berated, hated, or something. Instead, he found Sarah, shivering in a bed, but with fierce determination in her eyes. ¡°You bastard. Couldn¡¯t even kill one of them?¡± She asked, partially joking and obviously partially genuinely upset. ¡°I killed some pukwudgies.¡± TJ weakly defended by habit, but he immediately recoiled from joking back at her and changed the subject. ¡°I wanted to check in on you.¡± ¡°Those three together¡­¡± Sarah shuddered even more, her shivers obviously more than just the cold. ¡°It¡¯s bad news. It was a miracle we never ran into them like that before.¡± ¡°Have¡­¡± TJ swallowed down the lump in his throat. ¡°Have you heard about Charlie?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sarah¡¯s face fell. ¡°I think that raven is the worst of the three. We haven¡¯t paid as much attention to the others as we should have.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± TJ mustered up the apology. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have been there if it wasn¡¯t for me.¡± ¡°No?¡± Sarah responded. ¡°The way I see it, the way it all shook out was almost as good as could have been expected. And don¡¯t look at me like that, TJ. Think about it for a second. They were laying a trap for someone. Maybe you. Probably you. But if someone else fell in that trap, do you think they¡¯d live? Hell no. If you¡¯d had just one person with you when it all happened, though I don¡¯t know what the trap was, I bet they would have died too. Instead, Charlie died and I¡¯m more than pissed about that. However, if it¡¯d been a party of 10 of our weaker people? They¡¯d have died and the raven would still be around. We just need to figure out how to deal with that Chindi. Not my job, cause there¡¯s nothing I can do to it. I¡¯ll tell you that.¡± As soon as she spoke of the Chindi, Sarah¡¯s shivers grew even more powerful as she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Charlie died too. Not your fault. Next time, go with someone, but I trust you. You¡¯re probably my best hope of surviving this. Now, I think I¡¯ll try to get some rest, because this Fear is still kicking my ass.¡± TJ stood, stunned and confused. Sarah, before rolling over, cracked a smile. ¡°You know, people usually say ¡®sorry¡¯ when they should be saying ¡®thank you¡¯ instead.¡± ¡°Thank you for risking your life for me, Sarah. You saved me.¡± ¡°Good. See you in the morning, so we can kill the monsters.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. TJ walked away before stopping and letting the snow continue to dust him. Then, redoubling his determination, he retired to a space where he could work on creating more equipment, because, dammit, Sarah was right. Tomorrow was the second to last chance for him to kill monsters before the end of the Tutorial. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 92 He¡¯d tiptoed around it for far too long, so TJ finally decided to use his most valuable materials. That this would also be the second to last possible opportunity for him to use them before the final battle wasn¡¯t lost on him. The timer showed a bit over 58 hours remaining in the Tutorial, two days and ten hours. He¡¯d never felt like that was much time at all, but now, especially, TJ felt the hastening, looming ticking of the clock. With steady steps, TJ left behind the things behind him and walked into the shed that¡¯d been left behind for all the crafters and other Occupations to work inside of. Once inside, he was reminded that there wasn¡¯t enough time to try to figure out what to do with the materials he¡¯d been granted, to experiment and hope and poke and prod. He needed results. Maybe he could put off processing the most valuable materials immediately, but he needed to make sure he and those people around him were prepared, so he¡¯d have only a couple of hours before he was working on the final products. There were plenty of javelina hides that¡¯d been turned over to the other crafters in the town, and TJ supported the thought. Even so, he had four complete and fully tanned hides waiting for his attention, to say nothing of the two Tezcatlipoca-blessed mountain lion hides he¡¯d already promised himself to work with tonight. While he looked at the materials before him, a pile of something dirty caught his eye. Then, as soon as TJ realized just what was on his bench, he didn¡¯t quite know how to react. The raven mocker¡¯s body had been recovered by someone, and then they also decided that he was the best option available to process it. With the guidance of his Skills and Occupation, he quickly realized that the most valuable parts of the raven were, in ascending order, the feathers, the middle claws, the eyes, and the tongue. As soon as he realized those things, he also realized that, as a rotting creature, its nature would continue to shift the longer it was left alone. Before he could lose himself in thinking about what ifs and so on, TJ decided to jump right in. Every feather was plucked, and seeing that they continued to steadily crumble into nothing, he realized that he didn¡¯t know how to keep a mostly ethereal item solid when its very state of being wished to dissolve. He¡¯d need to think about that as he continued to work, because the rest of the raven¡¯s body was obviously similarly decaying. With a grunt, TJ went to the feet, where he quickly learned why it was that the middle claw was the only valuable one. It swirled with distinctly foul magic. He couldn¡¯t say why exactly the magic was foul. Was it the sulfurous stench? The putrescent green light? Perhaps it was because a single touch had resulted in Charlie''s death. Whatever the case was, TJ cut both flanges free with his Wendigo Blade and placed them to the side. The claws¡¯ magic aura swirled continuously around them, even after removal, and TJ moved on to the raven¡¯s head. With the feathers all plucked, it looked like a diseased chicken corpse. Its skin was distinctly greenish, and even though it was long dead, the muscles under the skin continued to write, not in death throes, but as if there were something living within the corpse. TJ wondered if the thing would animate and come after him if left alone for long enough, but its eyes¡¯ constant flickering motion was more than enough to put him off. The eyes were, after the removal of the feathers, remarkably large, about the size of TJ¡¯s fist. How they had changed so much since when he¡¯d seen the creature was even more off-putting, as, in life, the creature¡¯s eyes hung out of its skull. Now, though, the eyes seemed to have somehow receded into their sockets, and though they were more than a little gross, they also seemed to radiate a certain magic. That its tongue was the most valuable part of the creature was particularly interesting. Since he didn¡¯t know how to process either, he made the decision to cut the head off entirely and see if he gained any further enlightenment after that. With sure strokes, TJ cut through the spine at the back, and then carved the throat out until it joined with the torso. The raven didn¡¯t bleed when shot or butchered, and now that he was tearing it apart, didn¡¯t seem to have blood at all. The corpse seemed to be worthless now, and TJ tossed it aside, to see if he couldn¡¯t do something to preserve the magic of the items before him. Every minute that passed, they lost potency, so he needed to figure it out now. Those immediately changing the most were the feathers, as TJ suspected he¡¯d already lost up to 25% of the total number of feathers. Those in the center of the pile seemed to not be losing any of their mass, TJ made a snap decision. Looking around the space, there was what he was looking for, though it was full of screws and random odds and ends. He stepped to a corner, dumped the mason jar out on the ground in the corner, and summarily stuffed every feather he could manage into the jar. Once he couldn¡¯t manage to get any more in without allowing more and more of the valuable items to dissipate, he pulled the top out and screwed it on tight. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Decision made and acted on, TJ still couldn¡¯t bring himself to move on to his next project. Instead, he watched through the clear glass, hoping to see confirmation of his success or condemnation of his failure. Smoke filtered off the feathers, darkening the jar, but it seemed to reach a saturation point, and the feathers stopped disappearing. Instead, a faint smoke filled the jar, but the feathers themselves remained physical. What TJ would be able to do with them, he couldn¡¯t say, but they were preserved for future use. Next, the claws. TJ realized that everything he¡¯d tried to build before had been clothing or weapons, but he¡¯d neglected so many other things. There were physical structures, like he¡¯d made with Peter today, but there were also tools, ornaments, food, and more. With these items, given the nature of the raven, TJ wondered if he could finally cross the invisible border of items and equipment that granted additional attributes. These claws would serve as his first step. He wasn¡¯t thinking about the other items right now, and instead threw himself into development for whatever these claws could be. He considered their nature, as the thing that the raven used to kill Charlie. He stuffed down the pain from that final result, but it was its claw that was so deadly. The arcane, deathly aspects to the toe unsettled him, and they could function as a focus through which to channel magic. That was, after all, what the raven had done. That TJ only barely understood the meanings of the concepts that he was claiming that he was going to use the toes for was beside the point. Wendigo claws too worked to channel magic through, but that was more just them using their magic wherever they touched someone than using the claws as a focus. Instead, TJ thought of a shape that he would want to use to channel Wind Manipulation or something like it through. Sorry, British witches and wizards, but a wand wasn¡¯t it. If he was locked in a fight with another one of these monsters, he didn¡¯t want a delicate stick that¡¯d break so easily. If it was possible, then, maybe knuckle dusters or a knife, but TJ didn¡¯t have any post-Integration materials that¡¯d incorporate into a long-lasting tool worthy of an Elite¡¯s materials. Maybe he¡¯d need to learn how to find, process and prepare steel, and then¨C TJ pulled himself out of his distraction. For now, he needed only to do something that¡¯d make an accessible item that could focus his magic. His Wendigo Blade already did that, but TJ could feel that this toe would work much better for him, if it were to be properly treated. It wouldn¡¯t work as a melee weapon, or even a good tool, so he¡¯d better make it discrete. But how? It was at least as long as one of his fingers, so how could he keep it on hand? Thinking the words ¡°on hand¡± and the epiphany that came afterwards made TJ groan. The stupid dangly hand chain glove things he¡¯d seen and had no idea what their name was came to mind. Was TJ willing to create such a strange, ugly thing for himself, in the off-chance that it¡¯d create something to strengthen his magic? Yes. Without a doubt. TJ sighed and set to cutting out parts of the nearby javelina hide to the shape of a glove. It didn¡¯t need to be fancy, and, as a matter of fact, TJ quickly realized that delicate work on a glove might be worse for it in the long run, since it needed to last. As such, instead of a full glove, he created a fingerless bracer that had a loop for the thumb to go into and secure it. The dark brown leather was sewn together roughly, though functionally, and TJ quickly had a foot-long bracer with a designated space along the top where he could secure the raven¡¯s toe. He walked outside and found a pine tree¡¯s stump with dozens of droplets of frozen sap bubbling its top. With his blade and then some boiling water, TJ had a generous dollop of sap to slather on the bracer, to then hold the toe steady as he sewed it onto the new item. His fingers moved supernaturally quickly as he created this item, though he cursed himself for sewing the bracer together before he¡¯d sewn the raven mocker¡¯s toe in place. Even so, it wasn¡¯t too long before the item was complete. Even so, TJ could feel that there was something missing, and that if he left the item as it was, it would merely work as a slight improvement to regular spells or Skills¡¯ casting. While he tried to figure out what was missing, he cut out a scale pattern of excess javelina hide and then sewed it over the toe, leaving just the tip of the claw exposed. He had confidence in the basic integrity of his sewing job, but he didn¡¯t want to put it to the test. Also, the appendage would break with very little rough treatment. Thus, a bracer that could actually serve as a bracer was created, but that was only a delaying tactic. The scales of leather covered all but the tip of the claw, and TJ was in the process of closing the end when he had an epiphany. Looking at the raven¡¯s skull, TJ didn¡¯t allow himself to second guess. He pulled the Wendigo Blade out and carefully split the skull down the center and exposed the bone behind the eyeball. There, he just pushed forward with his thumb, and there was a cracking sound before the eyeball was free. The optic nerve remained attached to the back, and as he held it, TJ was struck by just how hard the eye was, more like a marble than an organ from a creature. Without further thought, TJ twisted the nerve onto the bone exposed at the back of the talon. The skin had sloughed off and disintegrated, leaving the bone swirling with a sickly green hue, and as soon as the nerve touched the bone, they merged together as if they¡¯d always been one thing. Then, before TJ could react, the eye shrunk and sealed itself to the base of the bone. Though confused, TJ took the brief moment to seal the end of the leather scaling on the bracer, and internally designated the item as complete. That was all it took, and then TJ Appraised the item he¡¯d created. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 93 Item: Raven Mocker¡¯s Remnant (Copper, (I)). A respectable attempt from an amateur in creating an item featuring the middle talon and eyeball of a Raven Mocker. The creator¡¯s intent was not to create equipment to serve as an article of defensive armor, though it can serve as a mediocre defensive bracer. Its construction is simple but effective, and it will not be worn down by regular use. However, its purpose is to serve as a focus and an item which grants the wearer the strength of the Raven Mocker. In this, the Raven Mocker¡¯s Remnant is successful. The wearer of this equipment can activate a Touch-based Skill with a 25% increase in potency with no additional cost. This equipment grants additional attribute points to its wearer. Points granted: +7 Intelligence, +3 Fixation. TJ chuckled under his breath as soon as he finished reading the item¡¯s description. He¡¯d done it. Its base effect was rather unremarkable, if thinking only of its limited bonus to Skills. Yes, it was a 25% increase, but TJ¡¯s Wendigo Blade was made using comparatively less of similarly valuable materials and it granted a 10% increase to use of Wind Manipulation, while the other Blades he made served to give the wielder a rudimentary version of Frost Manipulation, or something like it. Then, the Blades were, of course, functional tools and weapons. Finally, TJ had crossed that divider and created an item that granted additional attributes. They weren¡¯t a ton, but ten attribute points in the two attributes most focused on spellcasting and divine workings wasn¡¯t nothing. TJ was looking forward to his additional 70 MP, to say nothing of the increase in Wind Manipulation¡¯s potency with the extra boost given by the equipment. TJ grinned widely as he set to creating the bracer¡¯s twin. The experience he gained from creating the item was nearly enough to take him to the next level of Savage, too, so finishing the pair would give him that level as well. Now that he knew what he was doing, the process went much more quickly. Less than an hour later, the pair to the Raven Mocker¡¯s Remnant laid on the table. As soon as it was complete, TJ noticed the flashing System notification in the corner of his eye. Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 19. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. When he Appraised it, it was confirmed that both were considered identical in the eyes of the System, and TJ put one on and checked his Status, excited to see what the difference would be. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Human ¨C lvl 17 Class: Neophyte lvl 16 Occupation: Savage lvl 19 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 1100/1100 Mana Points (MP): 810/880 Stamina: 1100/1100 Attributes Strength: 62 Agility: 45 Endurance: 110 Vitality: 110 Toughness: 86 Wisdom: 59 Intelligence: 81+7 Perception: 76 Willpower: 95 Fixation: 92+3 Free Points: 0 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 1:42:30 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Current cooldown: 0:00 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Coatl ¨C lvl 17 Class: Neophyte lvl 16 Occupation: Savage lvl 19 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 2200/2200 Mana Points (MP): 810/880 Stamina: 2200/2200 Attributes Strength x2: 124 Agility x1.5: 68 Endurance x2: 220 Vitality x2: 220 Toughness x2: 172 Wisdom: 59 Intelligence: 81+7 Perception x1.5: 114 Willpower: 95 Fixation: 92+3 Free Points: 0 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Divine Trial Records: 2 Minor, 1 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial The information gained was, mostly, good news. The Intelligence gained also gave additional MP, which was the biggest part. That it didn¡¯t fill up the MP that it granted made sense, though he was the slightest bit disappointed with that. With a smile, TJ pulled the other bracer on, keeping his eyes on his Status. As soon as the second settled over his wrist, though, the System flashed a notification in his eyes and over his Status. Note: A Participant can only equip a single item of the Copper (I) tier or higher in each slot at one time. ¡°Then is there only a single ¡®bracer¡¯ slot?¡± Yes. TJ sighed. ¡°How many slots are there, and what are they?¡± Ten. The slots are boots, leggings, chestpiece, bracers, right hand¡¯s ring, left hand¡¯s ring, dominant hand, off hand, necklace, and helm. A thought occurred to TJ. ¡°The Raven Mocker¡¯s Remnant was only considered an item once I internally decided it was, right?¡± Correct. ¡°Then, if I¡¯d only considered the Remnant complete once I¡¯d finished the second one, would they have been considered a pair?¡± Yes. ¡°Would the completed Remnant with both bracers have provided twice as many attributes? Would it have given a greater bonus to any touch-based Skill used while wearing them?¡± That cannot be divulged at this time, However, a larger item or one that uses more of a valuable material tends to be more valuable and powerful than that of one made with less material. TJ let his forehead thump to the table he was working at. There was so much he was still learning about this System and how everything worked now, and it was obvious that there¡¯d be problems that occurred as he explored this new world. Even so, he found himself seething over the mistake he¡¯d made. If he¡¯d just thought a little harder, he was sure that he¡¯d have been able to figure that out. Instead, he had two halves of a pair that he couldn¡¯t use in unison. That one would be great for the Disciples to have in the siege was the best consolation he could come up with. He moved his mind on to something else, hoping to keep himself from languishing in his self-recrimination. ¡°Why does that limit only begin happening at the Copper tier?¡± The limitation for equipment equipment only begins to apply at the Copper (I) tier of Divinity because it is only at the Copper (I) tier of Divinity that equipment begins to grant additional attributes upon equipment. The way that the System had explained it used far too many mentions of the word equipment, but it did make a sort of sense. If it was just plates of metal, someone could cover themselves in it and slow themselves to a crawl, but they wouldn¡¯t get anything else out of it. With equipment that granted attributes, though¡­ That seemed to be directly contradictory to the intent of the System to forge someone capable of ascending to the Divine Throne. Then, TJ realized there was something else that he knew, something that he¡¯d never thought was at all important. ¡°Divine Transformation, as I got it from Neophyte, is at Copper tier. Are the Skills Holy Vestments and Sacred Weapon both also at the Copper tier when granted by the Zealot and Acolyte Classes?¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ordinarily, this question would not be able to be answered, due to your selected Class not being Zealot or Acolyte. However, as you have provided sufficient related information to the query, you will be granted an answer. Yes, all Skills granted by the acquisition of a Class are granted at the Copper (I) tier. ¡°Are the tiers of the weapons and armor created by the Holy Vestments and Sacred Weapon Skills the same as the tier of the Skill itself?¡± Yes. ¡°Then the equipment that the Zealots and Acolytes wield grant additional attributes.¡± Though he phrased it more as a statement than a question, the System¡¯s answer came nonetheless. Yes. TJ shook his head at himself in disbelief. He¡¯d quickly learned that the Zealot and Acolyte Classes granted weapons and equipment, and didn¡¯t query further. After all, a weapon was enough of a benefit, compared to turning into a giant snake and getting a massive boost in his attributes, right? As soon as he internally asked himself the question, he immediately understood how he¡¯d just lost himself in ignorance. Again and again, the System had punished a lack of curiosity, and he wasn¡¯t learning that lesson either. After resolving himself to think more and ask someone questions about how many attributes the different Skills granted, TJ refocused on what he was doing. He had plenty of items to create, and extremely limited time. TJ looked at the skull and throat of the raven, unsure of what he would do with the tongue. It was, apparently, the most valuable part of the raven, so he¡¯d need to be more careful with it than he¡¯d been with the talons and eyes. Looking down at the tongue, it seemed like it was the only part of the raven that wasn¡¯t actively decaying, so TJ put it to the side for now, instead focusing on the two Tezcatlipoca-blessed mountain lion hides. The hides were much thinner and finer than those of the javelinas, and TJ had long since decided that he would use these hides for something other than mere armor. His thought had been a cloak of some sort, given how good the creatures had been at hiding, But now, that raised a question of what equipment slot that would fill. A heavily weighted cloak without a hood is a chestpiece. A hooded cloak is a helm. A heavily weighted cloak with a hood can occupy both the chestpiece and helm slots. A cloak without a hood or substantive weight is a necklace. TJ threw up his hands. ¡°What makes a cloak heavily weighted?¡± A cloak is termed as heavily weighted when it contains metals, multiple layers of leather, or is otherwise heavily modified to serve as an item which can physically block attacks. If that was the case, then, TJ figured that his best bet with these cloaks would be to try to make them fit into the helm slot. As he decided as much, TJ commanded the System to display the slot for any equipment he Appraised from then on. That this cloak would ideally be considered a helmet was initially strange for TJ, as he only thought of a helm as, you know, a helmet. But if he was hoping for the cloak to help the wearer hide, then he would want it to cover their head. Couldn''t make it too heavy though, because TJ suspected that the cloak would be far less impactful to the wearer than wearing a motorcycle helmet and a set of javelina hide armor. But since the hide armor was Dirt tier, couldn¡¯t he double up on it? The constant thinking and planning about what could go where and do what drove TJ crazy, but it didn¡¯t take long before he simply made his decision. Helm. As such, he set about preparing the hide as best as he could, to have the fur on the outside and leather inside, with the cowl peaked and covering the majority of his face. The process was particularly easy, given that he didn¡¯t really need to do a whole lot other than to cut it to size and affix a clasp, which he used a braided loop of treated intestine paired with a shard of bone to create. He nearly decreed the cloak as complete at that, a simple, black garment that covered him fully down to just below the knee, but then, TJ thought of a use for the feathers. They¡¯d been the source of the raven¡¯s ability to disappear, and that would pair well with the pelt, right? But how would he be able to get the feathers from turning into nothing? They disappeared as soon as they weren¡¯t in the jar. Or fell out of the raven. With that inspiration, TJ poked out a lining of small holes along the edges of the cloak, about an inch between each one. Once that was complete, he prepared a large pile of warmed pine sap, said a quick prayer to Kukulkan for success, and opened the jar. He grabbed three feathers and closed the jar back up before dipping the tip of each feather in the sap and stabbing them into the prepared holes. After preparing all three, TJ watched the faintly smoky feathers, disappointed as they continued to smoke. He was about to call it a failure and rip them out, but then he realized that though they continued to appear to fizzle out of existence, they continued smoking without losing any of their substance. TJ grinned widely and continued on that same path, lining the entirety of the edges of the cloak, including the hood, with the Raven Mocker¡¯s feathers. Now that the feathers had been added on, the cloak constantly smoked, though it seemed more to fade into the background than to seem as if it was on fire or anything like that. Looking down at it, TJ smiled and decided the cloak was complete. He felt a surge of experience taking him halfway to level 20 as he Appraised the final result. Item: Helm; Tezcatlipoca¡¯s Minor Shroud (Copper, (I)). A cleverly constructed cloak of interesting design, using the feathers of a Raven Mocker and the pelt of a mountain lion blessed by Tezcatlipoca. This item was created for the express purpose of obscuring the wearer and has been constructed effectively to suit that purpose. This Shroud grants its wearer the Dirt (0) tier of the Skill Stealth. While wearing this Shroud, the wearer can use the Skill Stealth as if it had been gained by selecting that choice from any Skill selection opportunity. Though it didn¡¯t offer any additional Attributes, TJ grinned widely. This would be much more impactful than a couple mere attribute points, and he could see how he could use it starting tomorrow. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 94 TJ took the time to create another Shroud, the size about the same as his. The experience of creating the same thing again was halved, leaving TJ a bit over a quarter of the way to level 20. Whatever next level he gained would also give one in human, which would be impactful, TJ was sure. Even so, TJ looked at the four Bronze tiered items he¡¯d made that night and made the decision to get some rest. He didn¡¯t need to go into a building to sleep, as the freezing temperature didn¡¯t bother him at all, but TJ did want the mattress and to stay dry. As he continued walking, TJ also admitted to himself that he wanted to feel human, and sleeping indoors in a bed helped with that. The superhuman strength of his body was a blessing and helped him to survive in this hellscape, but every day, he felt less and less like the man who raised Junior. The thought that it would only be a couple days until he would be able to see his son, according to the System at least, was enough to keep TJ moving forward for now. As he lay down to sleep, TJ looked at the countdown in the corner of his eye. 54:09:27 Two days left, once he got up. Going off the timer and the clock the System provided, the siege would begin at 8:00 AM. It was supposed to last for 18 hours, or, more correctly, they needed to protect the general store for that long. TJ had asked a bevy of questions about how the siege was going to work, what the boss would be, what they could expect and so on, but the System refused to give any real information pertaining to the end of the Tutorial. Since he¡¯d just been reminded of the importance of asking more questions, TJ asked every question that occurred to him as he laid to sleep, but before he even got through half of the questions and clarifications he hoped for answers to, the oblivion of sleep took him. ¡ª- He woke, curled as a serpent upon the top of a temple dedicated to him. Lush jungles spread in every direction, and his worshippers brought everything he could possibly need. Food, drink, and company, though they treated him as the god he was. Though he was waited on hand and foot, something was missing. He was just bored. There was nothing to make him feel like he was alive, no struggle. Nothing dared to challenge his sovereignty, his power and position as the ultimate ruler of these lands. The skies darkened, and he felt his pulse quicken. The combination of adrenaline, excitement, fury, and more surged through him, and he raised his head. The winds whispered of their approach, of Manannan mac Lir¡¯s approach. The whelp considered himself a god of the skies and storms. What a fool he was. There was no comparison between an established Deity and a newly ascended child. Manannan had stolen the smallest portion of Kukulkan¡¯s Divine Authority and now considered himself a worthy opponent. It would have been a joke, if the upstart hadn¡¯t stolen from the Feathered Serpent. Because he had, though, it was an offense punishable by death. ¡°There¡¯s no place for snakes in the skies!¡± Manannan mac Lir¡¯s voice echoed out, his spear and shield covered in lightning as he approached. The flying man paused for just the briefest moment above Kukulkan, giving the Feathered Serpent the time necessary to lift off his temple and soar into the heavens. As soon as his mass ascended into the sky, Kukulkan stopped compressing himself, his body stretching out in every direction until he was, once more, in his true form. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His head, larger than Manannan¡¯s entire body by far, glared at the prideful hatchling. The Celtic god didn¡¯t retreat or show any reaction to the much larger, senior god. Given that his decision had been made, Kukulkan asked a simple question. ¡°How did you never learn better? Or are all the Celtics like you?¡± ¡°An inflated windbag of a snake, you are!¡± Manannan cried out as he threw himself forward, his spear clashing against Kukulkan¡¯s body. It managed to bypass his scales, but the strike couldn¡¯t even be termed as a flesh wound. Kukulkan drew the omnipresent and usually hidden storm all around him into the physical world. Clouds filled with constantly striking lightning filled the air, and Kukulkan began his counterattack. ¡ª- TJ couldn¡¯t remember any details about the fight between Kukulkan and Manannan mac Lir after it began in earnest, but he woke up with his heart pounding in excitement. As he stirred, TJ took in his surroundings. He laid on a mattress in the mostly destroyed remains of a house, and looking at his timer, it was, as usual, 6:30. TJ smiled, remembering his son and sat up. There wasn¡¯t much else for him to do than to gain experience and keep pursuing more levels and dead monsters. He¡¯d initially been told that most people evolved to Copper tier at level 25 in their Race, which had gotten him thinking about how he might hurry his own evolution. There was no way to tell what it would take for him to evolve, since he was most of the way there already, but only one more requirement. Maybe level 25 in Class or Occupation would bring that, but there was no way to say. Without thinking too hard about it, TJ gathered up the two Shrouds and Remnants, putting one of each on himself before taking them to the firehouse. The vast majority of movement was centered there, and people were working in a frenzy in preparation for the siege that was coming. A couple people looked at him with a measure of fear, but most smiled, nodded, or even had their eyes widen in apparent respect. He did try to keep Zig out of his mind and away from him, but he didn¡¯t see her, which he figured could be considered a good thing. ¡°What¡¯re we doing today?¡± Sarah asked as she walked up to TJ , her hatchet stowed on her waist and her shield nowhere to be seen, but she already had her scarred javelina hide armor on. The large slices in the leather remained, the armor appearing to be pretty worthless at this point with how permanently damaged it was. ¡°You going out like that?¡± TJ asked, disbelieving. ¡°Well, do you have anything better for me?¡± She asked, gesturing to what he was holding. ¡°Not great for you, no.¡± TJ replied. ¡°But there''s gotta be someone who can rivet some metal onto that chestpiece or something, make it a little better!¡± ¡°Yeah. Someone¡¯s working on it today. Just waiting.¡± Sarah answered with a cheeky grin. ¡°I know you don¡¯t work with metal.¡± TJ rubbed his forehead with a slight chuckle, despite himself. ¡°Fine. And to answer your question, I¡¯m planning on getting a group of the strongest people we can manage to go out and kill everything we see. As soon as there¡¯s any hint of someone running out of MP or HP, we¡¯ll come back and recover, help with the fortifications, then keep moving.¡± ¡°Sounds good. You finally decided to give up on the whole ¡®lone wolf¡¯ thing, huh.¡± TJ swallowed, remembering Charlie¡¯s body, covered with blackened, poisonous veins. ¡°Yeah.¡± Sarah patted TJ on the back, though not as gently as she seemed to think it was. She smiled, nodded, and walked away, gathering up whoever she decided was the best fit for the expedition. ¡°Wait, how many Attribute Points do you get from your shield?¡± TJ asked, thinking of actually asking the question he¡¯d intended to ask after last night. ¡°I¡¯ve upgraded it once, so it¡¯s 10 Toughness, 10 Endurance, 10 Strength, and 5 Ability and Vitality.¡± TJ whistled under his breath. Though it wasn¡¯t nearly as big of a bonus as he got from Divine Transformation, 40 Stat points were far from nothing, especially since they were in the big ones to make her more deadly and effective as a Zealot. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯ve upgraded it?¡± TJ asked, curious. ¡°You haven¡¯t asked many people about their Classes, have you?¡± Sarah scoffed, turning back to continue the conversation. ¡°There are, shit, what¡¯re they called? Yeah, Attainments. If you complete an Attainment with your Holy Vestments or Sacred Weapon, you get an upgrade. They aren¡¯t explained, because the System never explains anything, but they¡¯re pretty good bonuses. For me, using my Guard Skills to get between what¡¯s dangerous and my friends got me to complete the ¡®Guardian¡¯ Attainment and upgraded my Holy Vestments to give double the Attributes.¡± ¡°Do you know if there are additional Attainments to get in the Guardian series or group?¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± Sarah shrugged. ¡°System doesn¡¯t tell me anything about it. I¡¯d guess so, but no idea.¡± TJ nodded as he thought over what she¡¯d just said. The Zealot waited for a moment before seeing that TJ didn¡¯t have any more questions and walked on her way to collect whoever else she thought would be good to go on a hunt with. He continued walking towards the general store, looking for Laura, but asked the System as he walked, ¡°Are there Attainments for me to get in my Divine Transformation?¡± No. The Divine Transformation Skill is one that is specifically intended and tailored to each tier of Divinity. It made maybe a sort of sense, but TJ didn¡¯t like it. Well, not disliking it, but he did feel a little frustrated that he wouldn¡¯t be able to progress that same way. And Zealots and Acolytes were going to be able to gain the Divine Transformation Skill anyways, so TJ realized, again, that there wasn¡¯t much of an intrinsic leg up from his Class as opposed to the others. The System was fair, even if TJ wanted for it to be skewed in his favor. TJ walked up to the door of the general store, which was no longer guarded. With the walls under construction, there weren¡¯t many people who could be spared to guard the store, especially since it was a designated safe zone. When he stepped inside, TJ quickly realized that there wasn¡¯t anyone inside of the building, not even Laura. Walking out, he ran right into Stanton, whose thick moustache quivered while hiding his smile. ¡°What¡¯s going on kid? Whatcha got there?¡± ¡°Something for you and something else for the Disciples in general, to be under Laura¡¯s jurisdiction.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m willing to bet she¡¯ll pass it on to Rebekkah, but I¡¯ll show you to Laura. She was just over here working on one of the walls.¡± ¡°Sounds good. And here you go, Stanton.¡± TJ said, tossing over the Mantle. The cowboy Appraised it, his eyebrows rising in surprise as he did so. ¡°That¡¯s a damn fine thing you¡¯ve made here, kid. You sure you wanna give it to me?¡± ¡°Yeah. If you wanna give it to someone else, I¡¯d bet Seth and Zig would do at least as well as you with it, and though Farid wouldn¡¯t do as well, he could benefit from it.¡± ¡°Probably Seth, if I was honest.¡± Stanton grumbled. ¡°Wish it was something well-suited to me.¡± ¡°I made what I could, Stanton.¡± TJ chuckled disbelievingly. ¡°I¡¯ve only got so much experience, you know.¡± Stanton grunted. ¡°I¡¯ll have to pass it on to Seth. He¡¯ll get way more out of the Skill than I will. I¡¯m too loud, and Zig¡¯ll refuse anything from you.¡± TJ held his hands up in defeat. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about that at this point.¡± ¡°I know. There¡¯s Laura.¡± Stanton said, abruptly shifting the conversation topic. TJ cocked his head. ¡°You¡¯re a strange man.¡± A grunt in response. Knowing the stubborn coot wasn¡¯t going to give him any more information or interaction, TJ walked towards Laura, the Remnant in his hand. The mayor was carrying one end of a log, sweat wetting her brow as she hauled the massive tree into place alongside several other people. They settled it into place under Peter¡¯s command, and Laura grunted and wiped the back of her hand over her forehead as soon as the load was complete. ¡°TJ. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°I just have something for you and the Disciples.¡± TJ proffered the Raven Mocker¡¯s Remnant and passed it on. As she Appraised it, Laura¡¯s eyebrows climbed higher and higher until they nearly reached her tightly curled hairline. TJ realized as he looked at her that said eyebrows had grown bushy and long in the past weeks without civilization. ¡°You¡¯re giving this up?¡± Laura said, still disbelieving. ¡°I can¡¯t equip two at the same time.¡± TJ said, holding his right hand up. ¡°Ah. It was smart to create them as two different items.¡± TJ didn¡¯t react to show how little of that was purposeful. ¡°That way we can have plenty of people benefitting at the same time. Good work. Thank you, TJ.¡± Laura nodded. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Very well. Good luck today. Be careful.¡± Just as quick as she¡¯d appeared and they¡¯d begun talking to each other, Laura turned and walked away, leaving TJ to find Sarah and the team of hunters that would, for these last two days, kill as many monsters as possible as quickly as possible. Chapter 95 ¡°Over there,¡± whispered Farid, pointing. Even though TJ knew what he was looking for, it was insanely hard to keep an eye on Seth while he was using Stealth. His silhouette was broken by the smoke, and he faded into the background as soon as he tried to. That paired with his Avenger Occupation¡¯s penchant for seeking out his enemies allowed Seth to quickly locate whatever they wanted to hunt, regardless of the prey¡¯s desire to stay hidden. He didn¡¯t need to keep an eye on Seth to understand what Farid was telling him, though. A small group of pukwudgies was stirring up in the trees, hoping to avoid notice. They were better hidden from this perspective than they must have been from Seth¡¯s since they were effectively impossible for TJ to have reasonably found without being guided on where to look. ¡°Firing in three, two, one.¡± Farid commanded, and on one, the three Acolytes loosed their shots. Javelins, crossbow bolts, and smaller caliber bullets tore the pukwudgies apart. As soon as the attack began, a bush nearby rustled, and a large snake TJ had forgotten about appeared. The rattlesnake did flick the tip of its tail back and forth, but instead of the segmented rattle, it now had a scorpion¡¯s stinger. TJ recognized the blessing from Serket, and shifted to his coatl form as he closed in with the inferior serpent and Appraised it to see its level. Serket-blessed Rattlesnake, 16 It had reached a high level, much higher than most things they found. That the inhabitants of Pine hadn¡¯t seen any other reptiles at all, the only exception being the single rattlesnake TJ¡¯d killed for his Class Quest. That there was one here, and it¡¯d been blessed by the same Egyptian goddess that the other was put TJ on edge. Even so, the snake was something TJ needed to take care of personally. The venom from the rattlesnake¡¯s bite wasn¡¯t something that TJ worried about, and he was more than twice the size of the other reptile, but he¡¯d been warned by the System long ago that the stinger was where its most potent venom lay. As such, TJ prepared a blade of wind over two feet long, just to be sure. He pumped it full of a probably excessive amount of MP as he engaged in strafing blows with the rattler. Different from before, TJ didn¡¯t rush in. He needed to ensure that neither he nor anyone else got hit by that tail, because a single hit might end up being deadly. ¡°Stay back!¡± TJ commanded as Sarah and Connor jogged forward to put themselves in combat with the rattler. ¡°It¡¯s venomous, and I¡¯m immune to at least some of it.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t no way!¡± Sarah replied, but she was cut off by Connor¡¯s curse. ¡°Over here. Holy shit, what the hell are they?¡± TJ didn¡¯t care to pay attention to what was happening on the other side of the fight, instead focusing on making sure the scorpion tail stayed far far away from him. As he¡¯d grown larger and stronger, TJ had also taken the Shredding Bite Skill, and his face was now much different from that of a regular snake, instead much more draconic and sturdy. When the rattlesnake snapped out at him, TJ feinted forward, just to pull his head back when the tail struck for his eyes. As soon as that tail missed him, TJ knew he¡¯d won. The prepared blade of wind whipped forward and sliced deeply into the rattlesnake¡¯s spine just above where it transitioned to a foot-long scorpion¡¯s tail. Blood spurted from the wound as the wind whipped it everywhere, while the rattlesnake tried to turn and escape. Now that the sole dangerous part of the creature was mostly immobilized, TJ lunged and caught the snake¡¯s tail just below the deadly appendage in his mouth. With a triumphant snap of his jaws, TJ ripped the rattlesnake¡¯s tail off and tossed it to the side. His attempt at grandstanding was just as well, since the tail continued thrashing and attempting to pierce and envenom after being ripped free. The rattlesnake hissed in a combination of fear and anger, but TJ didn¡¯t care. It was entirely unthreatening to him now, and in a few short bites, he¡¯d paralyzed and consumed the creature. Looking back at Sarah and Connor, they fought against a pair of truly massive gila monsters. The yellow and black patterned lizards snapped at the two Zealots like crocodiles, but larger, wider, and meaner, as if a pony were coated in scales and rage then dipped in another 200 pounds of muscle. Their jaws¡¯ teeth dripped with more venom than the ordinary lizards could produce before the Integration. Behind him, TJ heard Stanton squeezing off more shots at the pukwudgies above. Several of the goblin corpses fell to the ground around them as TJ Appraised the newest threats. Gila Monstrosity, 18 Gila Monstrosity, 17 ¡°Have either of you been bitten?¡± TJ asked as he hurried to join them on the front lines. ¡°Nope.¡± Sarah grunted in response as she smashed her shield down onto the top of one of the Monstrosities¡¯ heads. Knowing how hard she could hit, TJ was amazed that the beast was largely unhurt by her action. It roared a hissing protest and continued its attack against her, though she kept her legs clear of its massive maw and angrily thrashing forelegs. ¡°At least they¡¯re not Elites.¡± TJ called back as he tried to find where he could fit into the fight. Connor and Sarah each focused on one of the reptiles, their threatening hisses seeming to be more bark than bite. Farid and Stanton stayed away, throwing spears and bullets at the beady little eyes. Stanton struck true and one eye exploded in a mist of blood and viscera. Unfortunately, the creature didn¡¯t seem like it¡¯d been hurt so much as simply blinded. Worse, as it roared in pain from its wound, it charged past Sarah and into Connor. Sarah rushed to try to interpose herself, but she and Connor were just too close for her to get there in time. The half-blind Gila Monstrosity¡¯s jaws wrapped around Connor¡¯s knee. He grunted in pain as he was surrounded with the glowing activation of his protective Skill. With his leg caught, though, Connor couldn¡¯t keep his feet and was wrenched back and forth like a dog with a favorite chew toy. ¡°Help! Me!¡± Connor screamed as he was slammed three times against the ground. Sarah¡¯s hatchet glowed with sparkling light and she swung down and cut deep into the reptile¡¯s back. It hissed in outrage, but didn¡¯t care about the wounds that the attack caused, instead continuing to focus on mauling Connor. Farid followed suit, running closer and throwing three javelins in quick succession, though they only managed to do a little damage and cause lightly bleeding injuries. TJ had an idea occur to him, and, without thinking more about it, he deactivated Divine Transformation and pulled his Wendigo Blade out of its sheath. Then, ensuring he was out of the reach of the two creatures, he leapt onto the wounded Gila Monstrosity¡¯s back and plunged the Wendigo Blade deep into the deepest wound on its back. Before it could react, he sent a jet of wind through the blade and into the monster¡¯s flesh. The creature¡¯s body resisted being pumped full of air, but TJ forced more of his will and MP into it and was rewarded. With a sickening explosion of blood and scales, TJ¡¯s attack was successful. He had to close his eyes to the spray of blood that threatened to blind him, but when TJ opened his eyes, he saw the cavernous wound he¡¯d inflicted on the monster. A hole the size of a softball had replaced the flesh where he¡¯d stabbed, and the creature¡¯s blood struggled to pool enough to fill the hole. Fortunately, with the massive wound it had sustained, the Gila Monstrosity released Connor. Wounded, it tried to retreat while the other fought to dispatch him as well, but Connor was able to get his shield between himself and the monster. It scrabbled madly at him, its blunt claws seeking to rip through his flesh. ¡°Hold on for just another second.¡± TJ grunted as he shifted back into a coatl and, with his Copper tier of Wind Manipulation, began sawing into the monster¡¯s exposed spine. ¡°Outta the way!¡± Sarah shouted and TJ pulled himself back as quickly as he could manage. Just in time to watch Sarah¡¯s hatchet, glimmering with divine power, cut through the monster¡¯s spine. It went limp immediately, and though it didn¡¯t die, it was out of the fight. TJ looked behind himself, wondering what Stanton had been doing, but saw him guarding Rebekkah, who seemed to be struggling to keep herself from rushing onto the front lines to help Connor. Stanton¡¯s eyes were focused on everything around them, and he continued to take shots at anything that appeared nearby, from pukwudgies to other rustles in the bushes. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Refocusing, TJ threw himself at the Gila Monstrosity, wrapping himself around its torso four times and crushing down with all the force he could muster. He felt its ribs creak and crack, but TJ was far from done. He opened his mouth as widely as he could manage and set to tearing into its front right leg. His jaws and fangs, changed to do this now, wrenched the creature¡¯s shoulder up and back, its hand unable to support itself. The beast left off on tearing into Connor, instead rolling over on TJ and trying to crush him into submission, but it couldn¡¯t reach him with its jaws. As it rolled over on him, TJ felt his ribs creak, but he was fine. With its throat exposed, Sarah went to finish it. ¡°No.¡± Connor growled. ¡°This one¡¯s mine.¡± Sarah backed off as Connor activated the other part of his Skill and made the edge of his shield shine with a silver light. Then, with a roar of rage, Connor slammed the magically sharpened edge of his shield into the soft throat of the Gila Monstrosity. In one fell attack, the shield cleaved through the monster¡¯s neck and its head sagged back, neatly amputated. TJ slithered out from under the beast, his ribs complaining a little, but altogether none the worse for wear. As soon as the melee died down, Rebekkah jogged forward to Connor, whose right leg was basically mangled, even though he continued to stand on it without much difficulty. ¡°How bad is the affliction?¡± TJ asked as he transformed back to human, keeping his eyes on the trees above. Stanton seemed unworried as he kept his eyes up, pet pistol Suzie at the ready. ¡°Minor Copper. 40 HP a minute until it clears. Doesn¡¯t give me a timeline, but¨Cactually, now that I say it, says my body will fight it off in thirty minutes. That¡¯s more HP than I¡¯ve got, but not by much. Just a bit of healing and maybe some Meditation and I¡¯ll be good to go.¡± ¡°Not as bad as I guessed it would be.¡± TJ said, shrugging. ¡°With my Vitality as a coatl, I heal over 200 an hour, so that¡¯d help a little in keeping it from killing me.¡± ¡°Well, it says it slows natural regeneration of HP by 100%, and reduces Stamina and MP regeneration by 10%.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no bueno.¡± Sarah said as she hauled the massive lizard over her shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you could use Meditation to heal it off?¡± ¡°Yeah. It slows regen by 100%. With Meditation doubling it, I¡¯d regen like usual.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Sarah responded. ¡°We ready to go?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll top you up right now,¡± Rebekkah interrupted, shooting glances in both directions, daring them to stop her, ¡°then we¡¯ll get moving.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind that.¡± Connor grunted. ¡°Feels like I¡¯m going to puke, sneeze, sneeze puke, and maybe just collapse and die on the side. A little pick me up would do me some good.¡± Rebekkah didn¡¯t quite scowl as she looked at Connor and his blase attitude. The younger man merely grinned as the matronly woman shook her head, laid her hand with the Raven Mocker¡¯s Remnant on it on Connor¡¯s head, and healed him. TJ hadn¡¯t realized until just that moment how much Connor¡¯s complexion had greened, and the sallow look flew away as Connor groaned in relief and rolled his shoulders back. ¡°Awesome. Thanks, Rebekkah.¡± They didn¡¯t talk any more as they began their journey back to town. It was morning, just before lunch on the second to last day of the Tutorial. And TJ had just gained three levels. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 96 TJ forced himself not to look at his Status as they trekked back to town. More and more, he was struck by the differences in everyone¡¯s soaring Attributes. He thought of himself as pretty strong, and in his coatl form, he¡¯d been able to muscle out some of the monsters. As a human, though, he couldn¡¯t carry one of the Gila Monstrosities. Sarah and Connor slung the corpses over their shoulders without any fuss as they continued to keep their shields up in the other hand and watch for any possible attackers. TJ guessed that each of the monsters weighed at least 500 pounds, though he suspected it would be quite a bit more. From snout to tip of the tail, each Monstrosity was at least 12 feet long, and when standing, they¡¯d been about 3 feet tall, and they were packed with dense flesh and muscle. Even so, the two Zealots didn¡¯t struggle with the corpses. TJ carried the severed head of one and the tail of the Serket-blessed rattlesnake, and the head had to weigh at least 70 pounds, if not more. To distract himself from getting lost in his Status and new Skill selection, TJ focused on the quick math necessary to guess what Sarah¡¯s Strength would be at now. She didn¡¯t get bonus Strength from her Bloodline, so one Strength per level of Human, and an Appraisal let him know that she was at level 18 in Human, the same as him. 18 Strength there. Both her Class and Occupation gave +3 in Strength per level, so 108 for the 36 levels between Class and Occupation. TJ didn¡¯t think she¡¯d put any of her Free Points in Strength, but that didn''t really matter now, though that was a possible variable of another 36 possible. Then, there was the +10 that her shield with one Attainment gave her. So, her Strength was, at least, 136 plus whatever she started with. Her Endurance and Vitality would be close but still a ways below that, but TJ was struck by how little of a leg up he truly had with Divine Transformation. Much of that was because his Occupation wasn¡¯t one that truly aligned with his Class, and TJ wondered if he would be able to change his Occupation moving forward. The irony that he was asking that at the same moment that he was holding himself back from looking at that Occupation¡¯s Skill selection wasn¡¯t lost on TJ. While he wondered about changing his Occupation, the System answered his unasked question. Once a Participant has chosen an Occupation, that Occupation and its evolutions will be all those that the Participant will have access to. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But what did that mean? The System didn¡¯t elaborate, and TJ had to guess. As far as he could tell, the names of the initial, Dirt tiered Classes, didn¡¯t seem to indicate godhood. Based on his intuition, which was frequently wildly wrong, Classes and Occupations would evolve? Maybe like how that one Skill, Primeval Champion or whatever, changed the way the Occupation Savage would work. Even after making those suppositions and attempting to ask the System to clarify, he got nothing. With a force of will, TJ pulled himself away from calculating other people¡¯s Attributes or how evolutions worked and instead focused himself on their surroundings. Since Farid, Stanton, and Seth were all keeping an eye out, There was little to no chance that there would be anything capable of getting the drop on them, but keeping watch was more productive than thinking about other people¡¯s levels at this point. The winds whispered to him about what was nearby, and with his steady steps to ground him, TJ didn¡¯t get lost in the whimsical wandering wind. It said that there was something alive, something interesting a couple miles away, but TJ wasn¡¯t about to pull everyone away to check this thing out, and he¡¯d like to think that he¡¯d learned his lesson about running off alone, so the interesting things the wind wanted to show him were forgotten. As their steps sloshed through the melting snow, TJ continued to listen for anything noteworthy the wind had to say. Since he didn¡¯t consider the Tutorial¡¯s continued control over the weather to be of special note, there wasn¡¯t anything that the winds told him that he cared to remember. As they walked into the clearing that the industrious people of Pine were still creating, TJ let out a sigh of relief. They¡¯d entered the safe zone at this point, and he didn¡¯t need to keep such a clear view of everything around them. More and more, TJ found that he wasn¡¯t hungry after eating his fill as a coatl, so instead of going to eat lunch, he went to help Peter in the fortification preparations. There was so much left to do, but the walls now surrounded the general store with a 25 foot berth in each direction. They stood about a foot and a half high in every direction, plenty high enough to ensure that whatever was on the opposite side would end up struggling through the dense branches still attached on the outside of the walls. It wasn¡¯t enough, though, with supernaturally strong creatures on the outside that could certainly continue to grow faster, stronger, and more deadly. ¡°How can I help?¡± TJ asked Peter as he approached. The construction manager swiped the sweat from his forehead, sighing. ¡°Probably not me, right now. I¡¯m figuring out how to make sure these walls are sturdy enough to keep building them up. If they¡¯re 100 feet tall but fall over from someone breathing on them, they¡¯re no good.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got your work cut out for you, then.¡± TJ responded. ¡°Bet they need help on water duty, though.¡± Peter followed up as he started digging into the ground and scowling at the hole. Not knowing what exactly water duty was, TJ turned to go ask someone else about it. Before long, he ran into Molly and Tessie, who were walking back into town with 2-liter bottles in both hands and spilling out of the backpacks they wore. ¡°Heya TJ!¡± Molly waved as he walked up to them. ¡°What¡¯re you up to?¡± ¡°Trying to help out while the other people who went out to hunt recover.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah!¡± Tessie said. ¡°You were the ones who killed those giant lizards?¡± ¡°Yeah. You two might find something to do with their skin, since I doubt I¡¯ll have enough time to.¡± ¡°Ehhh.¡± Molly waffled her hand back and forth. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll have time to cure anyways. Even with the Tutorial helping us out.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll help us out more since there¡¯s so little time?¡± Tessie answered with a shrug. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t hurt to do something.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Molly rolled her eyes, less dismissive than joking. ¡°So did you think we needed your help? Sorry, but nope! We¡¯re big girls, can carry our own water and everything.¡± ¡°Nothing like that.¡± TJ raised his hands in mock surrender. ¡°I just saw you carrying water, and I was told that the people on water duty might need help.¡± The two teens looked at each other in understanding before Molly nodded. ¡°Yeah, sure. Don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything we need help on right now, though.¡± TJ didn¡¯t say anything else, merely holding out a hand to offer help to the two girls. Molly scoffed and gathered her waters up more tightly as she led the way. Tesse shrugged helplessly and offered the two soda pop bottles filled with water she held. He chuckled, took them, and tousled Tessie¡¯s hair as he caught up to them. It wasn¡¯t long before the two girls were talking to each other again, speculating what the siege and boss fight were going to be like. The anger that TJ kept tamped down swelled in him as they neared their destination and the girl¡¯s talk continued. These were two girls, sophomores or juniors in high school, and they should have been talking about an upcoming school dance, or a TV show, or literally anything instead of strategies to ensure they and those they cared about didn¡¯t get ripped apart in less than two days. This System, though it¡¯d seemed to extend some level of favoritism towards him, still was pitting so many people against monsters, and it didn¡¯t care how many people it killed as it did so. He didn¡¯t quite consider it to be his enemy yet, but it certainly wasn¡¯t a friend or anything either. ¡°Here, TJ.¡± Molly said. As she looked at him, though, she cocked her head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Just¡­ all this. I hate that kids like you two are stuck in all this shit, and I wish there was something that I could do about it.¡± As he spoke, TJ expected to have at least Molly begin posturing, saying how they were grown up and didn¡¯t need his pity. That wasn¡¯t what happened. Instead, first Molly, then Tessie too, fought to keep the tears from filling their eyes and spilling. Neither was successful, and as the breath caught in Molly¡¯s chest, Tessie spoke. ¡°Us too.¡± She sniffled, unable to speak coherently as she continued. The teens fought to get themselves back under control, and Tessie was again the first to do so. ¡°We try not to think about it too much. It¡¯s hard. And it hurts.¡± Molly looked up at TJ, her tears streaking her face as she spoke. ¡°I miss my mom and dad. I¨C¡± Her voice broke again and she collapsed into sobs, though she continued walking towards wherever needed to have the waters dropped off at. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± TJ said as they walked into the back of the general store, where the trucks unloaded everything. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡± Tessie shrugged helplessly as they walked to the dropoff and deposited their water bottles. There, Laura met eyes with the teary girls and then looked at TJ. Though she wasn¡¯t at all accusing, when the leader of the town saw the grown man walking with two crying teenagers, TJ couldn¡¯t help but feel his stomach drop. ¡°My bad. I was just thinking about how shitty it is that we have children here who¡¯re being forced into this instead of regular life.¡± Laura¡¯s mouth dropped open in understanding. ¡°Makes sense. It¡¯s a bit of a landmine. I¡¯m sorry, girls and TJ. It¡¯s easier to try to forget everything that used to be instead of wishing it were still here.¡± TJ nodded, and trying to truly change the subject, he spoke up. ¡°I heard there¡¯s more people needed for water duty? What is that?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need anyone else right now, but I can tell you what it is. Since we won¡¯t have any water running or a river down here during the siege, we¡¯re preparing all the water that we can manage to store before then. With enough, we can make sure everyone¡¯s hydrated throughout the siege and final battle. We don¡¯t need more right now,¡± Laura continued talking, keeping TJ from interrupting her, ¡°because all the bottles and barrels we have are filled now. We¡¯ll need more later, after we use a fair amount of the water we already have stored, but we have several hundred gallons prepared already.¡± ¡°Oh, ok then.¡± TJ answered. ¡°Makes sense. Anything else I can help out with?¡± ¡°Not at this time. Thank you, TJ. Now, girls, would you help me with this over here? I¡¯m afraid my Strength is much too low to organize one of our stockpiles.¡± For a brief moment, TJ wondered why she was asking the teenagers instead of him, but he quickly realized that Laura was working to distract them from the hard feelings TJ had reminded them of. He nodded to Laura and walked on his way out of the store, instead looking for somewhere to sit down and go over his new Skill options. It wasn¡¯t too long before he walked out of the perimeter of the walls and found himself back where he ordinarily slept. Now, though, there was nothing left except for a couple of bricks and broken drywall. The beds had been brought back into the general store, the final preparations for the siege having taken away the last vestiges of privacy available. TJ wondered where all the debris from destroyed storefronts and homes had been hauled, how the workers had disposed of it without creating bulwarks for the enemy monsters. Surely there was some plan there, and TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to care. Instead, he looked around, saw that there wasn¡¯t even anything to lean against, sighed, and laid down on the ground. Surrounded by the ruins of someone''s home and livelihood, TJ pulled up his Skill selection options from Savage, read through them, and was left with a difficult choice to make. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 97 Disregarding the three levelling messages, one from each Human, Neophyte, and Savage, TJ focused his attention on the new Skills that reaching level 20 in Savage granted. The five Skills presented were all new to TJ, and that was a large part of the reason why he struggled now to know what he would choose moving forward. Each was valuable, but he figured he¡¯d go through it again to ensure he made the right choice. Primal Savagery, (Copper (I)): This is an evolution of your current Skill of the same name. This Skill evolution will change the Primal Savagery Skill from an untiered Skill to a tiered one, and as such the Skill will be able to continue to advance in power and influence. This Skill will retain its 20% bonus to all Attributes that its untiered iteration does, but that 20% bonus will be universal and apply not just in combat, but at all times that you are only equipped with items created solely without any pre-Integration tools, materials, or equipment. As such, the 20% bonus will apply to resources as well as Attributes. This wasn¡¯t the first upgrade to a Skill that TJ had seen, but he was particularly drawn to it, as it would keep pushing him ahead in power. All those additional Attributes would be huge. Simple Weapons Fighting Proficiency, (Dirt, (0)): You have created and battled with weapons made entirely from items and materials from after the Integration, and have dealt deadly blows with magic and strength of fist. This Skill will grant you an intrinsic understanding of how to leverage the strengths of basic, simple weapons, such as the dagger, club, stave, and spear. Additionally, this Skill grants a 20% increase to all your attributes while you engage in combat while wielding any simple weapon. Though simple and Dirt tiered, TJ recognized the silent power this would grant him. When he asked if this bonus would apply while he was transformed into a coatl, though, he was told that he was unable to wield any of the weapons he had as a coatl. Even so, if TJ figured out how to create what the System deemed a simple weapon that a serpent could wield, then he would do so. Equipment Manufacturing, (Dirt, 0)): You have perfected the process of creating copies of an original item. This Skill will reduce the experience penalty for creating additional copies of the same item and will grant a slight increase of 7% to the aspects and bonuses to every Item you create. Though this was probably the least likely of the five options available for him to take, it was still a possibility, given that TJ suspected he¡¯d spend a fair amount of time refining whatever items he created. Or wearing through them, considering how thrashed the armor he¡¯d seen on every one of the Zealots. Even so, TJ didn¡¯t imagine that he¡¯d become the equivalent of a factory, pumping out dozens of copies of the same thing again and again. The other two Skills available were different from the first three, with an entirely different focus than anything he¡¯d seen before, though they were somewhat similar to the Primeval Champion he¡¯d been offered before. Primeval Barbarian¡¯s Awakening, (Copper, (I)): You have lived as a personification of primitive anger and justified slaughter. This Skill serves as one of the requirements to evolve to the Copper tier. In addition, it will unalterably change the path of your Savage Occupation to that of a Primeval Barbarian. The Savage Barbarian Occupation is a combat-oriented Occupation, though it does retain benefits and a minor focus on wilderness survival and exploration. Primitive Craftsman¡¯s Awakening, (Copper, (I)): You have proven yourself as one who has embraced the new world, and this new world¡¯s need for creators. This Skill serves as one of the requirements to evolve to the Copper tier. In addition, it will unalterably change the path of your Savage Occupation to that of a Primitive Craftsman. The Primitive Craftsman Occupation is a production-focused Occupation, though it does retain any combat-oriented Skills already granted by the Savage Occupation. The last two Skills¡¯ descriptions were somewhat similar to the Primeval Champion¡¯s, in that they promised permanent changes to the Savage Occupation. Seeing the description now, TJ suspected that taking the Champion Skill would lock him into that particular Occupation evolution. Regardless, both were appealing, though TJ didn¡¯t want to cast aside either half of the Occupation¡¯s versatility. Each of these evolutionary options would limit him somewhat, and TJ had hesitated to take Primeval Champion for the same reason. Since he¡¯d just barely spoken with the System about Occupations and their evolutions, he figured there was a possibility he¡¯d be able to glean some more information at this point. ¡°Are the Primitive Craftsman and Primeval Barbarian both Occupations that are evolutions of Savage?¡± Yes. ¡°Other than what¡¯s already written, what are the differences for these Occupations? What do they offer?¡± No answer. TJ rolled his eyes and moved on. ¡°So, when I evolve to Copper tier, I¡¯ll get access to them either way? Unknown. ¡°Why is it unknown if I¡¯m getting them offered to me right now?¡± TJ asked, aware that there were some people coming closer to him and listening. He waved them off, focusing on the conversation he was having. The System does not grant any guarantees to Participants anticipatory to evolutions, Ascensions, Tribulations, or anything of the like. TJ figured that meant he¡¯d almost certainly be offered at least one of the two options when he inevitably evolved, but when that would occur without these Skills remained a mystery. He nearly decided on one of those two Skills right off the bat, but something in the back of his mind told him to ask a question he¡¯d already asked and been rebuffed on before. ¡°What other evolutionary requirements am I closest to?¡± Due to having crossed this threshold artificially, you are granted additional information: One of the potential benchmarks to complete to qualify to evolve to the Copper (I) tier of Divinity is to reach 100 Fixation. For a moment, TJ wasn¡¯t sure what the System was saying, but then he looked at his Status. There, at the bottom of the column, was his Fixation: 97+3. He put the dots together pretty quickly after that. ¡°So you told me that this is an evolutionary requirement because, with the bonus from the Raven Mocker¡¯s Remnant, I¡¯ve crossed that baseline already?¡± Correct. Looking at the two Free Points left, TJ couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He could bring himself to 99, but not. To add insult to injury, if he gained a single level in either Neophyte or Savage, he¡¯d gain a level in Human as well, which would give him at least three Fixation, regardless of if the level came in his Occupation or Class. Though he asked it, TJ suspected he knew the answer, and when the System answered, he felt more and more stuck. ¡°Will there be any difference in what options are available to me at evolution if I get the third evolutionary requirement through a Skill or through reaching the Fixation benchmark?¡± Yes. TJ grumbled unintelligible curses to himself as he looked at the System displays in front of him. The System wouldn¡¯t tell him if the Occupations offered after evolution would be any better than the one he chose through a Skill selection at this moment, so he was left needing to choose what he was going to do. Did he want to take the evolutionary certainty right now, or wait and possibly have better options available to him? After thinking for a moment, another question occurred to him. ¡°If I evolve to Copper by taking one of these two Skills, will Neophyte also evolve?¡± Yes. ¡°Will there be any negative consequences if I do?¡± Evolution within the bounds of the System is complex. As an explanation, there is a relationship between the level of your Class and Occupation and the quality of the evolutionary options offered to you at the time of Ascension to the next tier. If a Participant is able to evolve at a lower level, they may not have done everything necessary to acquire certain evolutions. However, if a Participant does evolve at the lower level, they will more easily be able to gain levels whilst in a higher tier. A higher tiered Class, Occupation, and Race grant higher Attributes per level than their lower tiered counterparts, and they also grant additional Skill options that their lower tiered counterparts cannot. So there were benefits to both. That didn¡¯t really help though¡­ TJ asked, ¡°If I evolve by taking one of these two Skills, will I be able to choose how my Race and Class evolve without limitations?¡± Yes you will be able to choose, but if you decide to evolve more quickly, you may have limited your options by keeping yourself from achieving certain tasks while still at the Dirt (0) tier. He felt like he was talking in circles. No matter how many times he asked, it felt like the same things kept coming back to him. Now, the choice was if he wanted to evolve now and possibly keep himself from being able to choose the best options, or to wait and give himself greater benefits in the long run. After continuing to lay down and ponder over it while occasionally asking the System more questions that didn¡¯t give him any satisfactory answers, TJ decided that he couldn¡¯t make the decision right now. He didn¡¯t want to wait, but there were other people he could ask, even if they didn¡¯t know better than he did. Walking back to within the bounds of the walls, TJ saw that Peter had made his decision regarding what to do to stabilize the walls, and holes were growing around the interior perimeter of the walls, holes where tree trunks could be buried vertically and used as supporting braces for the logs making up the walls. He liked Peter, but TJ wasn¡¯t going to ask him for any sort of advice on this. Instead, TJ walked into the general store, where Laura, Stanton, Seth, Sarah, and most of the other elites were sitting around, recovering in Meditation. Zig too was there, but she was watching over the assembled Participants instead of Meditating herself. Unsure of what to do, TJ nodded when he saw her and walked forward to get closer to Stanton. Behind him, he heard Sarah sigh and walk out, muttering something unflattering about him under her breath. With a poke, Stanton roused, blinking a couple times to focus on TJ. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Stanton asked, shooting to his feet. ¡°Did I miss something?¡± ¡°Nope, just looking for some advice on a difficult decision I¡¯ve got. You willing to talk? I was going to ask a couple of people what they thought before I made it.¡± Stanton grunted as he rolled his neck and walked out of the center of the Meditating Participants. ¡°Hit me.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve learned that I can take a Skill right now and evolve to Copper tier, or get one more level and do it then.¡± Stanton nodded, waiting for TJ to continue explaining. ¡°Doing it now will limit my Occupation a little, which I don¡¯t like, and doing it later will allow me to make a couple more choices. Doing it now gives me two more levels with Copper bonuses to Attributes instead of Dirt tier.¡± When he saw that TJ was basically done explaining, Stanton asked, ¡°How fast do you think you can get that one level?¡± TJ checked internally, though he knew he¡¯d only just reached the levels he¡¯d gained today. ¡°Maybe today, if I¡¯m lucky? If not, early tomorrow.¡± ¡°And how long does it take for someone to become Copper tier?¡± TJ shrugged and asked the System. While within the Tutorial, the System is more willing to put its hand on the scale and hurry things along. Evolution to the Copper tier would take no more than 12 hours. ¡°Half a day.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got more than a day and a half ahead of us. You make the decision. What do you want to do? Which option do you think you¡¯d regret more?¡± When Stanton asked that, TJ realized he knew the answer. He was pretty likely to get at least similar options if he got one more level, and being forced into something that didn¡¯t quite suit him was uncomfortable¡ªeven if he¡¯d just been lamenting how neither his Class nor his Occupation granted good Attributes for the physical side. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve made your decision.¡± Stanton said with a smile under his thick moustache. ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± "I''ll let you know. For now, I need to choose a new Skill." Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 98 With the two ¡°evolutionary¡± Skills off the table, TJ needed to make his decision. Equipment Manufacturing was the first of the three remaining to be disqualified, as TJ had already thought. Between the Primal Savagery upgrade and Simple Weapons Proficiency, TJ pretty quickly realized which of the two he preferred. It might have been that the upgrade to Primal Savagery already had it at Copper tier, but though Simple Weapons Proficiency would give an additional stack of 20% bonus to all his Attributes, that would make it so there was no bonus to his resources. On the other hand, TJ suspected that he¡¯d be doing quite a lot of fighting in the next couple of days with simple weapons, maybe even to the level of gaining that proficiency organically. Primal Savagery, as far as he knew, couldn¡¯t be upgraded organically. As soon as he selected the Skill, strength flooded TJ¡¯s body. He checked his Status page, just to see the benefits he was granted, as well as the growth from those three levels. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Human ¨C lvl 18 Class: Neophyte lvl 17 Occupation: Savage lvl 20 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 1390/1390 Mana Points (MP): 1080/1080 Stamina: 1390/1390 Attributes Strength: 65(+13) Agility: 47(+9) Endurance: 116(+23) Vitality: 116(+23) Toughness: 91(+18) Wisdom: 62(+12) Intelligence: 84+7(+17) Perception: 80(+16) Willpower: 100(+20) Fixation: 97+3(+19) Free Points: 2 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 2:04:30 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Current cooldown: 0:00 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Coatl ¨C lvl 18 Class: Neophyte lvl 17 Occupation: Savage lvl 20 Level of Divinity: Dirt (0) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 2780/2780 Mana Points (MP): 1080/1080 Stamina: 2780/2780 Attributes Strength x2: 130(+26) Agility x1.5: 71(+14) Endurance x2: 232(+46) Vitality x2: 232(+46) Toughness x2: 182(+36) Wisdom: 62(+12) Intelligence: 84+7(+17) Perception x1.5: 120(+24) Willpower: 100(+20) Fixation: 97+3(+19) Free Points: 2 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Divine Trial Records: 2 Minor, 1 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial Now, with all these benefits, TJ could barely compare to Sarah¡¯s Attributes in Strength. When he was transformed. Assuming she hadn¡¯t done anything that would boost her Strength beyond the Attributes she gained every level from both her Class and Occupation. TJ shook the feeling from himself, knowing that it was foolish to continue down that line of thought. Looking at the Attributes specifically, he saw that the bonus from Primal Savagery didn¡¯t count his bonuses from equipment, though that didn¡¯t surprise him. Now that he¡¯d made that decision, he needed to decide if he was going to actively pursue the next level, or if he¡¯d allow it to come when it came. With each new level, Savage was struggling to gain another, and TJ suspected that, barring using another Elite¡¯s materials, it would take at least a full fifteen hours of working on production to gain the necessary level there. On the other hand, more and more monsters were appearing that had crossed the level 15 watershed, so they provided more experience when slain. That thought made TJ want to rush out alone again, to struggle to gain that last experience, to grow more, to be a stronger coatl, to see what lay beyond the horizon¡ª The foolish thoughts swept through TJ, and he tamped them down. Already, he¡¯d learned that that wouldn¡¯t work. He couldn¡¯t rush headlong out there and expect to survive, because the monsters were getting more and more intelligent by the day, and even when he¡¯d taken special care to go out with a full team with greater Skills than his Prehistoric Huntsman, they¡¯d encountered the Gila Monstrosities while trying to avoid set traps. This foolhardy need to rush forward was something different from everything TJ had always been before, and finally, a question occurred to him. ¡°Is my Bloodline pushing me to be more reckless than I was before?¡± Yes. The simple answer was more chilling than a complicated one would have been. It was stark, absolute. TJ¡¯s mind was changing because of the blood of Kukulkan in his veins. ¡°If I¡¯ve always had it, then why am I only feeling its influence now?¡± Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As a Participant grows in power, so too does their Bloodline. If one wishes to entirely escape the influence of their Bloodline, they must eschew it and cast it off entirely. For a moment, TJ considered it. Becoming entirely his old self. He was kinder then, softer. Slow to anger and quick to forgive, a steadfast friend who¡¯d easily overcome most insults. That TJ would fit in much easier to the little microcosm of society that existed in Pine. He wouldn¡¯t have been the target of Jeff¡¯s anger, or the cause for Charlie¡¯s death. Indulging himself, TJ thought about how he could have been instead of how he was now, how he would have been happier in the safety of the town, making friends and working together. Then he was realistic. There was no way he could have survived this far without this additional ruthlessness. If he hadn¡¯t learned to leave the tides of society behind, they wouldn¡¯t be preparing for an actual siege, instead waiting foolishly to be overrun by hundreds of raging monsters. TJ¡¯s body would be among the rest of the people¡¯s in his vision of loss if that was the case. If TJ shrugged off Kukulkan¡¯s presence and influence, then could he even use Divine Transformation? So much of what had allowed him to survive came from his Bloodline, and TJ wasn¡¯t going to cast it aside. Sure, he¡¯d be more comfortable in town when he died if he wasn¡¯t changed, but that wouldn¡¯t bring him to Junior. Resolved, TJ rolled his shoulders and called out to Stanton, who remained nearby. ¡°How long will you need to go back out again?¡± ¡ª- Less than an hour later, TJ walked out of the safe zone with Stanton, Seth, Sarah, Molly, Michelle, and Peter. Michelle, the Blacksmith, was kitted out in what could pass for a reasonable replica of medieval armor, though she insisted it wasn¡¯t nearly ¡°articulated enough¡±. TJ thought she was moving pretty well, but even if she was less flexible, having a heavily armored Disciple in the party, with her Occupation and Class both at level 15, was a godsend. Instead of needing someone to stay beside her at all times, she carried a mace and shield, ready to protect herself. As she clanked along, her every step loud, there was no chance for an attempt at stealth. Michelle swiped at her face, but couldn¡¯t reach whatever it was that was bothering her, her heavy leather gloves hitting the repurposed metal mesh that made the front of her helmet. Molly, already transformed as a Lightning Dog beside the Blacksmith, looked up with a doggy grin. ¡°Sweaty under there?¡± ¡°You already know I am.¡± Michelle grumbled back. ¡°I have a Skill that makes this less miserable, but the sun¡¯s baking me and the weather turned unseasonably warm all of a sudden.¡± ¡°Wearing that coat under it all isn¡¯t helping either.¡± Molly grinned and danced back when it seemed like Michelle might kick at the hyperactive teenager. ¡°Have to have it on so I don¡¯t get pinched to pieces by the metal.¡± Michelle sighed. ¡°I wish I had a gambeson or some quilted clothes made for this. Have to do with what I have.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Seth commanded as they walked into the forest, his massive crossbow at the ready. ¡°It¡¯s going to be dangerous, and we need everyone as ready as can be.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Peter said, keeping his shield high and at the ready. TJ heard he¡¯d been out at least once a day since he¡¯d lost his eye, but he remained quite nervous and twitchy as they left the safety of the cleared fortress. Even so, Peter¡¯s Builder Occupation had soared in levels as he directed the construction of the walls, being the only person in town that TJ knew of that surpassed his Occupation¡¯s level. TJ slithered along outside of the assembled body of hunters, a primal part of his brain twitching whenever he saw Molly¡¯s form out of the corner of his eye. He distinctly remembered being torn apart by creatures that looked just like her, even though he knew it wasn¡¯t her. With that, TJ instead focused on talking with the wind, to learn about if there was anything invisible nearby. Given that he dealt additional damage if he was able to surprise attack something, TJ wanted to have a piece of that action this time around. ¡°There.¡± Seth whispered, pointing off to the east. ¡°It¡¯s a dozen or so pukwudgies. There¡¯s something else there, I can¡¯t quite tell.¡± TJ nodded and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of initial contact. You all follow that.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response before, as silently as he could manage, he snuck into a thick creosote bush near to where Seth had pointed out. In a small clearing, the pukwudgies were circled around a large boulder, about the size of a small sedan. TJ didn¡¯t care, instead, listening to the wind tell him that nothing else was nearby and the boulder was really cold and the pukwudgies were talking and a dozen other things he blocked out. Since he had a moment and the little goblinoids didn¡¯t seem to have found him out, TJ prepared a large scythe of wind, though he didn¡¯t compress it enough to immediately kill them all. That much compressed, dangerous wind made more noise than a silent sneak attack should, so once this initial attack was prepared, TJ let it loose. As soon as the whipping winds manifested themselves, TJ launched himself forward. The pukwudgies weren¡¯t close to being prepared for his attack. His fangs found one¡¯s throat and ripped it out. Blood splattered against his back as he rushed to the next. Again, his jaw opened and again, a pukwudgie was torn apart. The rest of those around turned and tried to react, but they were sluggish, unfocused. While their black beady eyes fought to understand what was happening around them, Stanton and Seth began their attack. Bolts and bullets flew from the surrounding forest, and as soon as Peter and Sarah rushed out, the fight was basically over. TJ looked around, searching for any additional enemies, but all that remained were twelve corpses. The ambush had gone perfectly, with the creatures unable to put up any real resistance. Looking around, TJ considered eating one of the corpses, but decided against it. There wasn¡¯t any real point, and he wasn¡¯t hungry. Instead, he looked at Seth to give any indication of what they should do to find more monsters to kill. ¡°Over there.¡± Seth responded, and TJ went to follow. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Stanton said, looking at the boulder that the pukwudgies had been surrounding. ¡°There¡¯s something here we need to take a look at, and maybe deal with. The hotheaded, reptile part of TJ¡¯s brain revolted at the idea of stepping away from a hunt, but he listened. Then, when he saw what was inside of the boulder, TJ no longer doubted that they needed to check it out first. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 99 Looking down at it, TJ could only guess at whatever was happening here. More than a rock, TJ realized that it was a massive slab of ice, and it was wrapped around the vestiges of a pukwudgie and human corpse. Though the ice was cloudy and wavy, they could still see some of what was within. The pukwudgie¡¯s corpse was wrapped around the human¡¯s, as if it was a strange hedgehog fur coat. Its fur stuck out in every direction, but its flesh seemed to have melded with the skeletal human¡¯s corpse. Where the pukwudgie was situated around the back of the human, the two torsos had begun to meld, and the human¡¯s arms had elongated. ¡°This is some freaky shit.¡± Molly said, sniffing at the ice block for a second before recoiling. ¡°Why were they doing this? How?¡± ¡°Definitely unnatural.¡± Sarah said. ¡°Obviously, we have no idea what they were doing here though.¡± When nobody responded, she asked again, ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like burnt bone, I can tell you that.¡± Michelle answered as she leaned over the remnant of the strange ritual. ¡°I¡¯ve worked with antler and bone for handles before, and it doesn''t melt together like that naturally. But this is magic, so what the hell do I know.¡± TJ looked at the corpses, and noticed the stretched neck from the pukwudgie. It¡¯d been a larger specimen, but still nowhere near the height of the person in the ice. Even so, its head reached the back of the skeleton¡¯s, and it looked like the pukwudgie was in the process of trying to crunch through the skull¡¯s bones when it was frozen. All of it set TJ¡¯s teeth on edge, and he wanted to look away. That was, until he took a step forward and, in the faint shift from the ice, saw the amalgamation¡¯s silhouette in the ice before him. As his mind put together that flash he¡¯d seen, TJ felt his blood go as cold as the magical remnant in front of him. ¡°Does¡­ does anyone else think that this looks like a wendigo?¡± TJ asked. Most of the others recoiled at the thought, but Seth perked up and stopped observing everything around them. He stalked forward, appraising the corpses. ¡°The way its feet are shifting and the fingers¡¯ bones are elongating, I¡¯d say so. The skulls were merging to create the larger head for a wendigo.¡± He spat to the side, his observations complete and his fury stoked. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ monsters can¡¯t even make more of themselves like anything other than a monster.¡± ¡°Should we do anything with this?¡± Peter asked, his eye darting back and forth to the slab of ice as if he wanted to look away and couldn¡¯t bring himself to. ¡°Is it¡­ dangerous?¡± ¡°Should at least destroy it.¡± Sarah answered, hefting her axe. ¡°If more come back, then they might be able to make another wendigo, and I¡¯d rather fight a dozen pukwudgies than a single wendigo.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Stanton replied, and then held up both hands before summoning a root to pierce through the bottom of the ice. Over the course of a minute, the ice crackled and snapped until it split down the middle and the fetal wendigo fell to the ground with a dull thunk. Without the ice in the way, it was more obvious that this was, in fact, the beginnings of a wendigo¡¯s creation. The mass of the pukwudgie seemed to lend the vast majority of the flesh to the final monster, and little vestiges of sallow skin covered parts of the human skeleton. Its fur would become the patch of shaggy hair along the spine of the wendigo, and the two creatures together would become one. Worse, though, was that the pukwudgie truly was in the process of consuming the human¡¯s skull. TJ vaguely remembered that the legends of wendigos mentioned cold and cannibalism, but seeing some sort of a ritual sacrifice working to create more enemies for the Participants in the Tutorial enraged him. ¡°This is horrible.¡± Michelle summed it up. ¡°Should we destroy it? Bring it back to town?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t leave it here.¡± Stanton grunted, his hands on his knees as he recovered from destroying the ritual ice. ¡°True.¡± TJ agreed. ¡°I think we should bring it back for now, let other people take a look and see if there¡¯s something else we need to do. Give the dead some respect?¡± ¡°I disagree.¡± Seth answered next. ¡°Our job is to get you another level. This is secondary to that goal, and, frankly, you getting stronger will be better for us than showing respect to one of our fallen.¡± ¡°We need to take care of those who died.¡± Michelle disagreed. ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly what they were doing with this, and getting it back to the town will let some of our other people take a look at it and see what we can learn. Knowledge is power and all that.¡± ¡°I think we shouldn¡¯t leave the body.¡± Molly said quietly, still in her Lightning Dog form. ¡°It¡¯s not right to leave someone we knew to this. There¡¯s only one hundred of us now, we ate dinner with this person.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Peter said, still looking sick. ¡°It¡¯s just not right to leave people¡¯s bodies to be desecrated like this.¡± ¡°Then we carry it with us as we go?¡± Seth asked. ¡°If we take the time to go back and then return, the monsters will have moved, and maybe set up another ambush. We haven¡¯t seen many of the Elites, and we don¡¯t know how many there are. We¡¯ve only seen the one Raven Mocker, and we know nothing about the Chindi. The wendigos are a known element, but they¡¯re damned dangerous, and we need to whittle down the enemies¡¯ numbers as much as possible before they can enter the safe zone.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to carry the dead body around as we hunt.¡± Stanton said simply, and Seth didn¡¯t look too eager to do so either. Michelle, Sarah, and Molly didn¡¯t look happy at the thought of hauling the mutated, enmeshed corpses, and before TJ could say anything, Peter spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯m not as much help on the front line, so I¡¯ll do it.¡± He needed to visibly swallow down his gorge as he said so, but before anyone else could comment on his decision, he leaned down, grabbed the skeleton¡¯s ankles in one hand, and stood tall. He looked like a macabre rendition of the caveman dragging his prey, his face green. ¡°Thank you, Seth.¡± TJ said as he nodded at the nervous Zealot. ¡°I¡¯ve lost most of my nerve.¡± Peter admitted as he pointedly kept himself from looking at the corpse. ¡°Now, Seth. You said you have something else that you think we can kill? I want to move quickly and get this done soon.¡± Seth nodded approvingly and led the way. ¡ª Seth was noticeably grumpy as they walked towards the safe zone. TJ hadn¡¯t gained a level, though it wasn¡¯t for lack of trying. He could feel he was close, nearly on the cusp, but it would be more than a couple pukwudgies to carry him over the edge. If they¡¯d found some more of the Gila Monstrosities, then there might have been enough, but no such luck. As Michelle explained that the many small wounds TJ and Molly sustained were enough to basically drain her MP entirely, they retired from the hunt, even though all of them wanted to just be done. Peter had, at least, gotten over the worst of his squeamishness, and dropped the corpse to the ground on the third and fourth fights of the day. The sun was well past noon, and though it was far from near dark, they¡¯d been on the hunt for hours. Most of them had skipped lunch, and TJ felt himself getting hangry. He needed more fuel, and he¡¯d eaten one of the javelinas they¡¯d killed. Even so, that¡¯d only taken off the edge and made TJ realize that the most basic monsters were becoming more and more uncommon. How long had it been since he¡¯d seen a coyote? There weren''t any herds of javelinas wandering all over either. Even the pukwudgies weren¡¯t so omnipresent, even keeping in mind that they were under the apparent control of the wendigos. The hierarchy of the Elites was also interesting, but TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to really think about it. Instead, he decided how they could make sure that he gained enough experience quickly. Everyone else also needed the last minute levels, and there was, basically, just one day left. TJ sighed, slithering forward. He held a javelina corpse in his mouth, a level 14 one. It was several hundred pounds, and could provide the bulk of the nutrition for the entire town for a meal. Even so, TJ felt himself wanting a more balanced diet. And he missed sugar. What he wouldn¡¯t do for some good old processed sweets. The winds and Seth together ripped TJ from his thoughts about food. The winds laughed about something big and ugly hiding from him, and Seth called out, reaching ahead, ¡°Big enemies, three of them! In the brush!¡± TJ dropped the corpse and rushed forward. When the three Gila Monstrosities rushed to meet him, he felt like maybe he¡¯d bitten off more than he could chew. Fortunately, the angry reptiles were quickly stopped by Sarah, whose massive, ethereal shield shimmered into existence and ceased their every move. With the giant reptiles held back, Peter stepped forward. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So close to town and with that final level in sight, TJ did something he wasn¡¯t sure was possible until that moment. He strengthened both Primal Savagery and Wind Manipulation at the same time with Divine Manifestation. Activating the Skill twice at the same time was possible, TJ learned, but it was immensely agonizing. His MP dropped precipitously as his Attributes boosted and the heavens answered his call. A pillar of violent winds burst into existence above the Monstrosities, and before anyone else could react, they were slammed into the ground and the flesh was flayed from their backs. They roared in confusion and pain, their beady eyes squinted against the gale force winds, but the fury of TJ¡¯s Skills in tandem destroyed all resistance. The headache swiftly grew into a migraine, and TJ stopped using every Skill, including Divine Transformation. He staggered to his feet, his shoes off his feet because of how disoriented he was. Even so, the Gila Monstrosities were much worse, and they groaned in pain. They laid in a crater TJ¡¯s Skill had created, and TJ slid down into it with his Wendigo Blade in hand. When he got down and stood beside the giant reptiles, he realized that he didn¡¯t want to destroy his tool doing this. Looking up, Sarah met his eyes and offered her hatchet with a raised hand. TJ nodded, and she tossed it down. Feeling brave, TJ raised his hand and caught it, hardly thinking before he turned and slammed the blade of the weapon into the monster¡¯s spine. A death notification appeared. Two more swings of the hatchet, and two more death notifications. On the third, TJ also received two level notifications and a third, welcome one. Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 18. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points currently available. Race: Human has advanced to level 19. Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Points currently available. You have gained 100 Fixation. Copper (I) tiered evolutionary requirements complete: 3/3. Would you like to evolve to the Copper (I) tier of Divinity? Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 100 TJ shrugged as he looked at the notifications. Of course that was all it took. As he chuckled to himself, Sarah Appraised him. ¡°That was what it took? I mean, that was scary as all shit, but you were really that close?¡± ¡°Well, I killed three strong monsters at level 19. I don¡¯t know what else I could have done.¡± TJ fought to clamber out of the pit, spitting dirt out of his mouth as he failed to get up the collapsing walls. That pillar of destruction was insanely impactful, but TJ also saw that, after a mere 15 seconds of boosting two Skills and using Wind Manipulation, he¡¯d been under 100 MP. The cost from using Divine Manifestation was only 150 MP for those few seconds, so Wind Manipulation had been immensely costly in those few seconds. ¡°You¡¯ve been holding out on us if you can do that.¡± Sarah said as she extended a hand to pull TJ from the pit. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you could ever get into trouble if you can pull that out of your back pocket.¡± ¡°It took me 1,000 MP.¡± TJ replied, his tone dry. ¡°That¡¯s basically all I¡¯ve got, and that¡¯s with all my Free Points in there and everything.¡± ¡°Damn. That¡¯s a lot. But that doesn¡¯t matter, now you can evolve. You on any timeline for this?¡± Sarah asked as she helped him out but kept her hand outstretched. TJ quickly realized she wanted her hatchet back and offered it. As she slipped it into its case on her hip, TJ answered. ¡°Not sure.¡± Then, he asked the System, ¡°Is there a deadline for how long I have to evolve?¡± No. ¡°No deadline.¡± He told everyone else. ¡°I¡¯ll still probably do it soon, since it says it¡¯ll take up to 12 hours. I don¡¯t want to shoot myself in the foot and end up sleeping through most of the last day to prepare.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Stanton said, looking at the three corpses in the hole. ¡°You need help getting these out of there?¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably worth something.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°We have more in town, and probably more materials sitting around than we know what to do with, but I¡¯d guess that, if we had time to cure these hides, they¡¯d be better than regular leather, but that¡¯s no guarantee, I don¡¯t know how tough their skin would get. Then there¡¯s everything else. Maybe food? Maybe poison to use on the monsters?¡± ¡°They¡¯re worth bringing in.¡± Peter agreed. ¡°If we want everyone else to keep an eye out, I can go get a shovel and dig out a better path here into the hole.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Michelle panted. ¡°I need to get out of all this, and the sooner the better. Now shoo.¡± The Disciple stayed in her full armor she¡¯d created, not even the helmet coming off, but she did slump to sit on the ground. Seth stayed alert, but asked TJ, ¡°You feel any different? Did the System tell you anything?¡± ¡°All I¡¯ve seen so far is it asking if I would like to evolve now. I can ask any questions you¡¯d like me to, though.¡± ¡°Nothing from me.¡± Seth answered. ¡°I¡¯ll ask questions after you¡¯ve done it.¡± ¡°I was gonna say that it¡¯s crazy that you¡¯re the first to get here,¡± Sarah jumped in, ¡°but thinking about it, I can¡¯t think of anyone who¡¯s been more on the ball than you have. Maybe we¡¯ll be able to get someone else at Copper before this all goes to hell in a handbasket, but I doubt it. I haven¡¯t heard of anyone else who¡¯s gotten any steps to evolve.¡± ¡°Lailani does.¡± Molly disagreed. ¡°After her Tribulation, she got a Divine Affinity. It was¡­ Rain, I think? Like, TJ¡¯s Storm, but gentle. Or nice.¡± The conversation continued, but TJ didn¡¯t pay it any mind, merely waiting for Peter to return, and when he did, it was surprisingly quick. He held a full-sized pair of shovels, and put one down as he set to digging a path that he could walk directly into. ¡°A couple people were coming to investigate already.¡± Peter explained as his shovel continued cutting a deep swathe in the earth. ¡°Sent them to grab the shovels.¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As soon as Peter finished his explanation, two more of the citizens that TJ couldn¡¯t remember the names of jogged in. With Peter¡¯s Occupation and Strength combined with two other workers, it was less than three minutes before a foot-wide trail was dug out and tamped down all the way to the three corpses. TJ couldn¡¯t bring himself to help, his focus instead on getting to where he could evolve. As he continued to glance at everyone that made their cautious, slow way out with the prey they¡¯d all gathered, Stanton walked forward, clapping TJ on the shoulder. ¡°Go on, git. You¡¯re no help to us with how you are now.¡± TJ didn¡¯t need any further encouragement and he sprinted off towards the general store. There were people all over the walls, working on every last detail as the sun set. Darkness was falling, and looking at his timer, TJ saw that there were a mere 39 hours remaining until the siege began. People called out to him for news, but TJ only barely responded, his focus remaining singular to evolution. He could feel that much of this single-minded obsession came from his Bloodline, but at this moment, TJ didn¡¯t mind. Looking around, there wasn¡¯t anywhere that particularly struck him as a good place to begin his evolution, and he asked the System, ¡°Is there anything that I need for this? Do I need space or will I be dangerous?¡± There will be no particular danger to you nor those around you during the process of evolution, though you will still be vulnerable and exposed during that time. His answer received, TJ went to a quiet corner outside of the general store. There was a pile of the debris from some of the destroyed homes, and TJ figured nobody would care if he sat up there as he evolved. As soon as he found a somewhat comfortable spot, he sat down, closed his eyes, and told the System he was ready to evolve. Evolution of Participant Thiago Jorge Harris IV initiated. Due to Participant¡¯s current presence within the bounds of his Tutorial, Tutorial 107.48.891, typical Systemic Audience will be delayed until after the completion of the Tutorial 107.48.891. TJ wasn¡¯t able to question what the notification was meant to refer to, because instead, he was taken to a place just like where he¡¯d broken his nose at the beginning of all this, only 12 days before. This time, he sat on the round, just as he had been before beginning this evolution. He had other questions, but the first one that came was idle curiosity. ¡°What happened to the people who were driving or on a bus or plane when all this happened? Did they just get splatted on the walls?¡± All momentum was arrested at the time of Integration. You were running at the time of Integration and ran into the bounds of the administrative space you found yourself in at that time. TJ shrugged, staying seated. He wasn¡¯t emotionally stunted while here this time, and focused instead on what was before him. The other questions that appeared in his mind were swept away as the System spoke. Your mind has been brought to this space to select your Occupation, Class, and Race at the Copper (I) tier of Divinity. Be warned that your body remains where you last left it. Options will be presented in ascending order of importance, from the lowest (Race) to the highest (Class). He rolled his shoulders, ready to see what options were presented to him. The first being Race was strange to have as an option. That hadn¡¯t ever felt like an option to him, but the System didn¡¯t wait for him to think about it before presenting his options. All Copper tier Races provide +5 in every Attribute every level gained. The two bonus Attributes provided by the Kukulkan¡¯s Bloodline per Race level is increased from +1 to Vitality and Fixation to +5 Vitality and Fixation every Race level, and Intelligence is added to the Bloodline Bonus per level gained in Race. NOTE: Each option below provides additional Attributes every level as listed after each entry. If a greater explanation of each Race is desired, then it can be asked for. OPTIONS: Human, Worshipper (Copper (I)): Wisdom, Intelligence, Perception, Willpower, Fixation +5 per level. Human, Warrior (Copper (I)): Strength, Agility, Endurance, Vitality, Toughness +5 per level. Human, Leader (Copper (I)): Strength, Endurance, Toughness, Wisdom, Intelligence, Willpower +4 per level, Fixation +1 per level. Human, Semi-Divine (Copper (I)): All Attributes +3 per level. Coatl, Juvenile (Copper (I)): Strength, Endurance, Vitality, Toughness +5 per level, Agility, Perception, Fixation +3 per level. Serpent, Adult (Copper (I)): Strength, Agility, Endurance, Vitality, Toughness +8 per level, Perception +4 per level. With these considered the least important of the evolutionary options presented, TJ couldn¡¯t help but wonder how big the differences presented in Occupation and Class were. Even so, he needed information about what these different Races would do. The System had more words for him than a direct explanation, but it was pretty apparent what the two first Human options were. Worshipper for more magically focused, Warrior for physical focus. The Leader was an interesting mix of the two, with their bonuses being slightly smaller but spread mostly evenly between physical and mental Attributes. Even so, none of these three first options called out to TJ the way Neophyte had at the beginning of the Tutorial, even though the physical specialization made him drool. Then, a thought occurred to him. ¡°So me getting that one extra level in Neophyte instead of selecting my Skill in my Occupation cost me at least 80 Attribute points from my Race alone? Every level in Race gives at least 90 points now!¡± The opportunity cost cannot be entirely calculated, as certain evolutionary items may not have been available to you if you had evolved through selecting one of the Skills that would push you through to qualify for evolution to the Copper (I) tier of Divinity. TJ rubbed at his face, disbelieving. Even so, there wasn¡¯t anything he could do at this point, and he instead focused on the other three, more interesting evolutionary options. The first to appeal to him was the Serpent one. Though it was physically focused, it offered 14 more Attribute points per level than the next closest. TJ pulled up the System¡¯s explanation for more information. Serpent, Adult (Copper (I)): A generalized large serpent without any inclination to any path of Divinity. As an adult, this Race will provide to any Participant with its Race more Attribute points than those of a lower developmental stage would be able to at the expense of being nearer to the culmination of its path. TJ was smart enough to read between the lines. This was a trap, plain and simple. It stepped away from the magical strength of the Coatl and didn¡¯t become anything more than a big snake. ¡°Aren¡¯t the last things listed supposed to be the best?¡± TJ grumbled at the System as he threw the Serpent option far away. There is no correlation between the relative strength of an evolutionary option and its position when listed. The presentation is in order of most similar to the Participant¡¯s current Race to least similar. Though it made sense, he wasn¡¯t happy to have his expectations dashed like that. TJ pulled the definitions of the Coatl and Semi-Divine up at the same time. Human, Semi-Divine (Copper (I)): Those who have truly set foot onto the steps of the Divine Throne before entering the Copper (I) tier of Divinity are few and far between. You are one of those and thus qualify as a Semi-Divine. This Race, along with providing an equal and enhanced distribution of Attributes, also strengthens those who select it to better understand how to step further on the path towards the Divine Throne. This Race¡¯s focus is eternity, and its every step will be towards that goal. Coatl, Juvenile (Copper (I)): This race is currently extinct on this planet. Those who are capable of and choose to evolve to this Race will be capable of reseeding this world with the beautiful, divine feathered serpents of epochs long gone. As a Juvenile, this Race is still finding its place in this world, and though its Attribute growth is far from what it will become at its peak, it will continue to grow swiftly in the hopes of becoming a truly Divine Feathered Serpent. As a Neophyte of Kukulkan, you will permanently be under the influence of your Divine Transformation Skill. With a deep breath, TJ looked at the two options and asked the question that would probably be more important for him in the long term. ¡°If I take coatl, will I actually become a snake? Will I¡­ have a human body?¡± No. With that, TJ¡¯s decision was made. Though the allure of permanently having his Attributes boosted was great, TJ wanted to hold his son in his arms again. ¡°I choose Semi-Divine Human. Show me my Occupation options.¡± Thanks for reading! I wasn¡¯t expecting this to be chapter 100, but hey, that¡¯s pretty good! I there¡¯s 24 chapters in the rest of book 1. If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm!.gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 101 Though he was quick to make his decision on evolving to become a Semi-Divine Human, the Occupation options required much more thought. As he¡¯d suspected, there were more options than the two he¡¯d seen as possibilities through his Skill Selection. Unlike for Racial options, there is no guaranteed Attribute gain per level of Occupation. There are those of higher quality, and those of higher quality will provide more as a baseline, while those which are lower quality will provide less. All Attributes gained per Occupation level attained are listed below. Primitive Craftsman (Copper (I)): Strength, Agility +4 per level, Endurance, Vitality, Toughness +6 per level, Wisdom, Perception +8 per level, Intelligence, Willpower, Fixation +10 per level, Free Points +8 per level. Primeval Barbarian (Copper (I)): Intelligence, Willpower, Fixation +4 per level, Wisdom, Perception +6 per level, Toughness, Agility +8 per level, Strength, Endurance, Vitality +10 per level, Free Points +10 per level. Primeval Champion (Copper (I)): Agility +4 per level, Endurance, Toughness, Perception +6 per level, Strength, Vitality, Intelligence, Fixation +8 per level. Wisdom, Willpower +10 per level, Free Points +12 per level. Ancient Huntsman (Copper (I)): Vitality, Toughness +4 per level, Endurance, Willpower +6 per level, Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Fixation +8 per level, Agility, Perception +10 per level, Free Points +15 per level. Savage Shaman (Copper (I)): Strength, Agility, Endurance, Vitality, Toughness +5 per level, Wisdom, Intelligence, Perception, Willpower, Fixation +12 per level, Free Points +15 per level. TJ felt a bit better as he looked at the evolutionary options for his Occupation now. He¡¯d left a fair amount of Attribute points on the table when he¡¯d decided to get another level before evolving, but he was seeing here that the two options that¡¯d been available to him before were the worst of the five. They were two sides of a coin, with the Craftsman being focused on the creative aspects of the Savage Occupation and the Barbarian focused on physical combat. Neither was surprising in what they were meant to do, but they provided 80 points per level. The other three provided progressively more total Attribute points, from 86 for the Primeval Champion, 87 for Huntsman, and a massive 100 for Shaman. Off of Attributes alone, TJ wanted to go for Shaman, but he figured it was worth it to check the general purposes of the Champion and Huntsman Occupations. Even though both Barbarian and the Champion (being presented served as an affirmation that the Skill offered before would have counted as an evolutionary requirement) were primarily combat focused, the Champion had bonuses to creating buildings and community centers along with a bonus Skill called, simply, Leadership. Per its description, it would grant him an aura to boost the Attributes of those under his leadership by 5%. On the other hand, the Huntsman¡¯s sole crafting inclinations were towards traps and hunting equipment and it would upgrade his Prehistoric Huntsman Skill to the Copper tier. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Turning his attention once again to the highest Attribute value Occupation, he saw that it was, for all intents and purposes, the perfect Occupation for him. On impulse, he nearly immediately selected it, but took care to read through the Occupation¡¯s description first. Savage Shaman (Copper (I)): A Shaman is a spiritual leader of the Savages of the Integration, and they serve as a leader to those who wish to listen to their wisdom. More than that, though, the Savage Shamans are potent warriors and healers, with powerful Skills and divine workings serving to allow them to serve as a bulwark of protection and a spear of violence in service to their aims and those of their tribe. A Savage Shaman provides relief to their allies and fear to their foes. Though this Class isn¡¯t focused on crafting as a whole, the Savage Shaman is focused on creating items that amplify the spiritual aspects of materials presented to them. Selecting this Occupation will grant you the Ritualistic Transfer Skill. Strength, Agility, Endurance, Vitality, Toughness +5 per level, Wisdom, Intelligence, Perception, Willpower, Fixation +12 per level, Free Points +15 per level. The Skills provided with each other Occupation were interesting, if underwhelming. More than the better Attribute offerings by this Occupation was the Ritualistic Transfer Skill, which was particularly interesting to him. Ritualistic Transfer (Silver (II)): A Shaman serves as the center of the Savages¡¯ community, and can, as such, siphon, grant, and transfer resources from those around them. Through the use of this Skill and a base sacrifice of 75 HP, MP, and Stamina, the Shaman can create a ritual which will allow free transfer of HP, MP, and Stamina between themself and the rest of the participants in the ritual. For the willing, there is no loss of resources from one transferred individual to the next. For the unwilling, the Shaman can attempt to force the victim to surrender their resources. The Shaman and the willing participants in the ritual can sacrifice resources to extend the length of the trial presented to the unwilling participants. The difficulty of the internal trial that the unwilling participant faces scales off the Shaman¡¯s Willpower and Fixation. ¡°If I want to, can I transfer the attributes just between what I have?¡± Yes. TJ suspected that he¡¯d be on his own again, at least for a time, after the Tutorial ended, and having the ability to heal himself would go a long way to ensuring he didn¡¯t die alone. Though there was a cost to using this Skill instead of just spending MP and healing, this would allow him to use his frequently forgotten Stamina and transfer it to his HP. More complicated than he¡¯d hoped, but still good. Maybe even better, given how high his Endurance was. Even so, TJ did have a question before he selected the Occupation. ¡°Do I have to make my choice right now, or can I choose before I leave this space?¡± All three evolutionary choices made will be confirmed before leaving the Systemic Audience Chamber. So many unnecessary capitalizations, TJ joked to himself. Then, he finally moved on to his final options, his Class. He felt his anticipation rising, with the most impactful options presented to him. Unlike for Racial options, there is no guaranteed Attribute gain per level of Class. There are those of higher quality, and those of higher quality will provide more as a baseline, while those which are lower quality will provide less. All Attributes gained per Class level attained are listed below. NOTE: Any Skills you have which grant additional Attributes gained per level are not factored into the Class options presented below. Neophyte Adept (Copper (I)): Strength, Agility +5 per level, Wisdom, Intelligence, Perception +6 per level, Toughness, Willpower, Fixation +10 per level, Endurance, Vitality +12 per level, Free Points +8 per level. Serpentine Devotee (Copper (I)): All Attributes +9 per level, Free Points +10 per level. Storm-Calling Neophyte (Copper (I)): Strength, Agility +6 per level, Wisdom, Perception +7 per level, Toughness, Intelligence, Willpower +11 per level, Endurance, Vitality, Fixation +13 per level, Free Points +10 per level. Paternal Protector (Copper (I)): All Attributes +10 per level, Free Points +10 per level. Overwhelming Origin (Copper (I)): All Attributes +10 per level, Free Points +15 per level. With his Class options, TJ was much more willing to spend time understanding what exactly was being offered. Near as he could tell, Neophyte Adept was just a baseline upgrade to the Neophyte Class, granting 80 Attribute Points per level. The only point of interest was that it upgraded Divine Transformation to the Silver tier, though the System didn¡¯t explain what exactly that would mean. The same Attributes were focused on as in the baseline Class, and when he read the description, it confirmed as much. The other four Class options, however, were variably interesting as well, given that only one of them made him intuit a meaning from its title. Serpentine Devotee (Copper (I)): As a Neophyte with the Bloodline of Kukulkan, your Divine Transformation is that of a coatl. You have frequently prayed to the Great Feathered Serpent, and you have slain many monsters, Elite and common, to the aggrandizement of your Bloodline¡¯s prestige. Selecting this Class will grant you the Skills: Favored Bloodline and Scaled Defense. All Attributes +9 per level, Free Points +10 per level. Favored Bloodline was simple, giving an additional and retroactively applied +3 per level of Neophyte bonus to Vitality and Endurance. Why it was granted in a Skill instead of the Class itself was strange to TJ, but he suspected it was because it could be upgraded outside of evolution, while the Class could not be. In essence, Favored Bloodline made Serpentine Devotee a Class that offered 106 Attributes per level instead of 100. The Scaled Defence Skill was much more interesting. Scaled Defence (Copper (I)): Serpentine Devotees embrace the power of the reptile, and as such are blessed with the beauty and strength of their chosen serpent. As a Devotee of Kukulkan, you would be protected by the vibrant scales of the coatl and adorned with its feathers. While under the influence of Divine Transformation, your coatl form will gain an additional x.5 for Toughness. While not under the influence of Divine Transformation, your body will be lightly covered by scales which will increase the effect of the Toughness Attribute by 25%. TJ liked all of those things, except for the statement that, if he took this Class and gained this Skill, he would become scaly. The System wouldn¡¯t tell him if the scales would be noticeable, but he suspected that they would be, considering the Skill¡¯s description of the coatl¡¯s beauty. Soft saying no to the Class but not rejecting it out of hand, TJ moved on to the Storm-Calling Neophyte. Storm-Calling Neophyte (Copper (I)): Kukulkan was a god of the skies, wind, and souls. Even before you ascended onto the first steps of the path towards Divinity and the Divine Throne, you have seized Divine Authority for the domain of Storms. You have begun to learn to seize the achievements of your Progenitor and make them your own while hoping to grow beyond what Kukulkan once was. Selecting this Class will grant you the Skill: Storm Soul and will upgrade the Class Skill: Divine Transformation to the Silver (II) tier. Strength, Agility +6 per level, Wisdom, Perception +7 per level, Toughness, Intelligence, Willpower +11 per level, Endurance, Vitality, Fixation +13 per level, Free Points +10 per level. The Storm-Calling Neophyte called to TJ more than the first two. It didn¡¯t quite offer as many Attribute points per level as the two that followed it, but TJ found that since he¡¯d gained the Storm Divine Authority, he had grown more and more. Divine Manifestation was a good indicator of how he could continue to lean on his Divine Authority and grow stronger and stronger, especially since he was planning on using Stormcaller to make himself significantly stronger at the time of the siege. All this in combination with the upgrade to Divine Transformation to Silver tier made a strong first impression. Then, the description of the Storm Soul Skill made him more inclined to take the Class, though he still needed to check the other two. Storm Soul (Copper (I)): You have seized a Divine Authority as a Dirt (0) tiered Participant, and your soul has been moulded by that Authority. Storm Soul is the manifestation of that influence. While within the domain of a Storm, you can draw on the Storm to replenish your resources, weakening the domain in exchange for your own recovery. While within the domain of a Storm, your resource recovery will be doubled. NOTE: This bonus to resource recovery is in addition to the bonus to resource recovery granted by Divine Authority. TJ quickly realized that this meant that he would recover three times as fast while under the influence of a Storm. That would make him even more disgustingly difficult to kill, and if he had time to use Meditation, he¡¯d be an absolute menace to defeat if he had even a little time to recover. And if Savage Shaman truly provided him with a healing Skill? A smile cracked his face and he didn¡¯t care to hide it. That with the total of 108 meant that the Attributes offered were near the highest possible. Even so, he looked to the last two Class options, strange as they sounded. Paternal Protector (Copper (I)): You have made it clear time and time again that your sole motivation, more than immortality, than omnipotence, than respect and worship, is to protect your child. Many profess love for their offspring, you have demonstrated your devotion. This Class is focused entirely on the ability to protect its holder¡¯s offspring. Selecting this Class will grant you the Father¡¯s Sacrifice Skill. All Attributes +10 per level, Free Points +10 per level. His face curled up at the description. The Class was offered because of his true devotion to his child. The guilt he truly felt at not talking about Junior more, the rage at being unable to see him, the helplessness, everything. This Class saw it, and awarded him for it. Looking at the Skill, TJ had to fight not to take the Class immediately. Father¡¯s Sacrifice (Silver (II)): A father will lay down his life for his child. When your child is damaged, you will interpose yourself and take all damage intended for your child. This Skill will allow you to absorb all damage directed towards your child, though all damage you receive instead of your child will be doubled. There was no way to say where Junior was or when he¡¯d come back to Earth, so would this Skill be necessary? Would Junior remain in whatever place he was now, safe, for 13 years until he was 15 and ready to Integrate? Would all this be over by then? TJ couldn¡¯t know any of these things, and if Junior was killed, TJ could guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t survive much longer. The Class was altogether underwhelming. It wasn¡¯t specialized, which TJ was already feeling the stretch with his current generalized Class and Occupation. With Savage Shaman and a specialized Class focused on Intelligence and Fixation, though, Wind Manipulation and everything that would follow afterwards would become more and more potent. But Father¡¯s Sacrifice¡­ ¡°Is Father¡¯s Sacrifice a Skill exclusive to the Paternal Protector Class?¡± No. TJ sighed. That made the decision harder, not easier. Now Storm-Calling Neophyte was back on the table. Unable to make the decision, he turned his attention to the last of the offered Classes. Overwhelming Origin (Copper (I)): You are one of the first 5,000 Participants on Earth to achieve the Copper (I) tier of Divinity. As such, you are offered the Overwhelming Origin Class. This is a Peak Copper (I) tiered Class, offering the maximum Attribute Points per level gained. This Class is unlike the four baseline Classes and their evolutionary paths, instead allowing the Class Holder to serve as a primordial version of a Deity. Selecting this Class will grant you the Divine Presence Skill. All Attributes +10 per level, Free Points +15 per level. What exactly would this Class do, and why did TJ get a bad feeling about it? Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 102 ¡°What exactly does the Overwhelming Origin Class do?¡± TJ asked the System. ¡°It¡¯s supposedly different from all the other Classes, but how?¡± The Overwhelming Origin Class is an exclusive Class that will change the path forward for any who choose it. Instead of pursuing Divinity through one of the Systems preorganized paths, the Participants who follow the Overwhelming Origin become half a god as soon as they take the Class. They will be able to receive the strength granted by their devotee¡¯s faith, and their bodies and souls will be changed to become divine beyond the bounds of a mortal¡¯s. As such, their focus is, even at so early a stage as Copper (I) tier, on gathering worshippers and establishing a religion. The Overwhelming Origin will become and take over your Bloodline, thereafter granting bonus Attributes to every Attribute for every level of Race attained. Though that gave more of an insight into the future for any Participant, TJ didn¡¯t want to focus on that right now. That the Class would also benefit his Race wasn¡¯t to be underestimated either. Gathering worshippers sounded nice, to do that instead of slaughtering hundreds of monsters for a single level. On top of that, he could immediately intuit the synergistic possibilities between gathering worshippers and Savage Shaman. He could establish a society and create rituals to siphon hundreds of people¡¯s resources into himself, to make himself basically a deity. Or literally a deity, considering that was the whole point of the System. The question of if he could, however briefly, gain more resources than he naturally had was answered quickly. Yes. More and more, the Overwhelming Origin Class sounded powerful, intense, maybe even too good to leave behind, even if it didn¡¯t speak to him the way that Storm-Calling Neophyte did. The explanation of its bonus Skill further cemented the power the Class would offer. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Divine Presence (Copper (I)): You have set foot into the realm of the truly divine, the gods. The aura of a god compels those that lay eye on them to worship. Divine Presence inflicts the Awestruck affliction on those within 100 feet of the Skill¡¯s holder. The Skill description was so short, and initially, TJ was disappointed by how it was only Copper tier. After all, shouldn¡¯t a Skill offered by a transcendental Class be higher tiered than the Class itself? Then, his critical thought caught up with the brief frustration, and he realized that if it was as powerful as it showed at Copper tier, then it¡¯d have an additional tier to continue to grow more and more influential. Again, he nearly made the decision that very second, but that discomfort in the back of his mind remained. What was it about this Class that had his subconscious recoiling? TJ thought for a moment, then a question occurred. ¡°What kind of influence would this Class have on my mind? If it replaces my Bloodline, then it¡¯ll probably change the way I feel somewhat, right?¡± Those with the Overwhelming Origin Class and Bloodline become the culmination, apex, and perfect representation of the Divine System. With each step, they grow closer to the Divine Throne, and with each movement, they form a deeper connection with their own Divine Realm. The System presented it as this wonderful change, TJ¡¯s enthusiasm grew cold. ¡°If I had the Overwhelming Origin Bloodline, would I still remember who I am? Would I remember Junior and my life from before?¡± All memories would remain present, but they would retain no lasting emotional hold on you. With that, the Class was entirely off the table. TJ had already suspected that the System would try to wrest all individuality away from Participants until they were its perfect little godlings, but he could fight that gradual change. There was nothing he could do if the System itself stripped away all that made him TJ. As such, he pushed Overwhelming Origin away, shuddering at its fitting epithet of ¡°overwhelming¡±. Now, TJ only needed to choose between Paternal Protector and Storm-Calling Neophyte. The difference in Attribute points offered was negligible, with an extra 2 for Paternal Protector, but nothing specialized. Instead, Storm-Calling Neophyte was focused on those Attributes that would strengthen his Wind Manipulation and any other Skills he got that supported that. He didn¡¯t like the idea of getting manhandled, but more and more, his power was becoming focused on his MP, whether that was because it was the limiting factor for Divine Manifestation, Wind Manipulation, or otherwise. Thus, the Attributes were slightly in the favor of Storm-Calling Neophyte. In fact, TJ stopped lying to himself. The only reason why Patrenal Protector remained an option was because of the Father¡¯s Sacrifice Skill. Nothing else about it was noteworthy, but it was a huge draw. If Junior was brought into this world like this, then he would need to be protected. Father¡¯s Sacrifice would help him keep Junior safe¡­ but would TJ actually be able to protect his child if he took Paternal Protector? It didn¡¯t provide any other Skills, and it was obvious that the focus of the Class was protecting others. If TJ truly did end up alone, then Paternal Protector would help him keep Junior safe in the immediate appearance of a danger. That was far from something to discount, but what if it was a powerful creature that TJ struggled to face? Would the Class allow him to defeat the monster? Would it help him to get Junior out of danger? For all of those, it seemed like TJ would be better served by having the Silver tier of Divine Transformation and Storm Soul, to have so much more to help Junior with. In combination with that fear, TJ needed to get out of this Tutorial alive. Paternal Protector wouldn¡¯t do much for him in this siege and boss fight, while it would be the proving ground for Storm Soul specifically, given the permanent storm he would provide. So, for the Tutorial, Storm-Calling Neophyte would be vastly superior to Paternal Protector. But did the Tutorial really expect people to reach the Copper tier? If it hadn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t he be able to easily overcome whatever difficulties it had to put in his way? TJ stopped himself from thinking that way, as maybe it was, and he¡¯d kill himself because he was banking on the System not being ready for him. Then, too, there was the answer the System had given him. He could gain Father¡¯s Sacrifice as a Skill without taking this Class. That would be the best possible option, to have the Skill he wanted alongside the Class he wanted. It simply wouldn¡¯t be possible the other way around, so, although it pained him to push this golden, or Silver as the case may be, Skill to the side, TJ did so. ¡°I¡¯ll take Storm-Calling Neophyte as my Class.¡± Confirmation: You, Thiago Jorge Harris IV want your Copper (I) tiered evolutionary choices to be: Race: Semi-Divine Human Occupation: Savage Shaman Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte? TJ rolled his shoulders. ¡°Yes.¡± Evolution confirmed. Typical Systemic Audience delayed until the culmination of Tutorial 107.48.891. Evolution to Copper (I) tier Semi-Divine Human Savage Shaman and Storm-Calling Neophyte will take place over the next 11:07:54. The few questions TJ had about evolution and what was happening were wiped away by the forced oblivion of evolution, where he saw, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted nothing. [Stanton POV] It¡¯d been a couple hours since TJ rushed off all in a tizzy about evolving. Something about it was a little weird to Stanton, though he couldn¡¯t quite say what. Maybe it was like how he was finding himself enjoying killing more than merely shooting these days. He didn¡¯t like remembering those days, when he¡¯d been a more effective soldier than he¡¯d like to admit. As he¡¯d been with TJ¡¯s Trial or whatever, Stanton stayed close, idly pushing his MP into the little grove of Lifeblooms and vegetables. The magical plants helped keep the spinach and broccoli growing quickly, even if he only visited twice a day. He looked up the hill of garbage where TJ sat with his legs crossed. Stanton suspected, as well as everyone else did, even Zig, that TJ would be the key to their survival when this all went to shit. Just two nights and one day lay before them and the beginnings of the end of the Tutorial. That Stanton himself had gotten one of the requirements for evolving to the Copper tier was something he needed to share. He¡¯d just barely gotten it when he¡¯d figured out how to evolve his Divine Armament to the Silver tier. It was a bitch and a half to figure out five Attainments, but now, his Suzie was far more dangerous than she¡¯d ever been. That she also gave him almost 200 Attribute points wasn¡¯t anything to neglect either. He was almost there with his Fixation, too, now that he knew to throw more of his Free Points in there. What would that third requirement end up being? Eh. If he could figure it out early tomorrow, that¡¯d be enough for him to join with TJ as Copper tier when this all went to hell in a handbasket. ¡°Anything change?¡± Sarah asked as she jogged up to Stanton. Most of the people in town had eaten their fill already and were in the process of tearing down the final building near the general store¨Cthe firehouse. It was bittersweet, but the concrete, cinderblocks, brick, and metal would be immensely useful as they put the final touches on their bulwarks tomorrow. ¡°Nope.¡± Stanton answered, looking back up at TJ¡¯s form. The young man hadn¡¯t moved at all since Stanton had found him here, and nothing seemed to be changing. As they looked up there, though, TJ fell. Sarah used her Skill to dash forward, but with Acolyte giving him so many points in Agility, Stanton was quicker. He caught TJ, his heart in his throat. ¡°No way you¡¯re pulling this shit again.¡± Stanton grumbled as he looked into TJ¡¯s face. The System didn''t push him away this time, at least, and when he felt at TJ¡¯s pulse, it was slow but strong. When he went to push some of the life of the Lifeblooms into the unconscious man, there wasn¡¯t anything he could push it into as TJ grew healthier and healthier by the second. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Sarah asked, her eyes searching Stanton¡¯s face. ¡°Do we need a Disciple?¡± ¡°No.¡± Stanton laughed, shaking his head. ¡°The dramatic little bastard just fell asleep.¡± After looking at him for a moment in confirmation, and then receiving a nod in response, Sarah laughed as well. ¡°Hope he gets some beauty sleep, then, because he¡¯s got a full ten hours before we get moving. Better sleep than I¡¯ve gotten this whole time.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s to hoping.¡± Stanton replied before asking, ¡°Where should we put him now?¡± As he did so, he ignored a new System notification that appeared in the corner of his vision. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 103 TJ woke with a dry mouth. He swallowed a couple times, trying to get the taste out, and opened his eyes. He was inside of the general store, in the back. A couple people were walking quietly around the space, carrying food supplies from storage into the front of the store. As he stood up, a voice called out, ¡°There we go, sleeping beauty!¡± Turning to look, TJ saw Granny Penny looking at him. As she¡¯d grown beyond level 10 in her Race, she¡¯d grown more and more upright, her hunched back and walker relics of the past. Her mouth sported healthy teeth instead of her dentures, and she smiled widely as TJ¡¯s eyes met hers. ¡°It should still be¡­¡± TJ trailed off and checked his timer. 23:47:02 Less than a day. Last day to do anything, and every level he gained would be so much bigger than every one he¡¯d gained before that point. ¡°I gotta get moving.¡± TJ said as he stood. As he did so, he realized just how easily he¡¯d moved. He¡¯d gained so much strength over the past weeks, but nothing had ever felt so marked as it did right now. A couple notifications flashed in the corner of his eye, but instead of looking at them immediately, he smiled back at Penny. ¡°Yes, you do. I know Laura wanted to talk to you before you did anything today. There¡¯s something you might have a notification about but Laura¡¯s just in here, so it¡¯s probably better for you to just talk to her.¡± He wanted to check the notifications right then, but Laura walked out before he could. ¡°TJ. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re already done. Come here so we can tell the highest leveled members of town currently here about your experience.¡± Though she was polite and genuine in her treatment of him, Laura¡¯s stress and borderline anger was obvious as she walked with him. ¡°I can. Give me the lowdown on what you wanted to say before we get there?¡± Laura nodded once. ¡°Alright. Have you seen the notification about the Elites and Boss?¡± ¡°No,¡± TJ responded, ¡°but I¡¯ll look at them right now.¡± He did so, and Laura went silent as TJ mentally commanded the System to tell him whatever it was that she was so concerned about. WARNING: Participants in Tutorial 107.48.891, one of the Elite monsters within your Tutorial has completed the Copper (I) tier of evolutionary requirements. Those completed are: 1. Slay 10 Participants with its own hand, 2. Be overwhelmed by enemy forces three times and survive, and 3. Complete four Elite creation rituals. As the unnamed Elite monster has completed these requirements when the System did not believe it to be probable, it has been given the opportunity to subsume the previously planned Boss monster and adopt several of its characteristics and take the Boss¡¯s place. It has accepted that and has been removed from Tutorial 107.48.891 at this time. Due to the increased difficulty of Tutorial 107.48.891, bonus experience will be granted for the remainder of the Tutorial, including through the siege and Boss fight. ¡°Shit.¡± TJ swore, his stomach dropping to his feet. ¡°That¡¯s gotta be that wendigo, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Laura¡¯s reply was clipped. ¡°After the announcement, we learned that the wendigo was fought once before your first encounter with it and it escaped that time as well. At least, we suppose it to be the same one, given that nobody else has seemed to survive an encounter with a wendigo, if it wasn¡¯t by your side.¡± ¡°Nobody¡¯s been able to get any additional information about this?¡± TJ hoped. ¡°No. The announcement came last night after you fell asleep. We¡¯ve asked hundreds of questions, but all have resulted in no information. With that slightly reduced risk, hunts began as soon as the sun rose this morning. I know that Stanton and Kailani are the closest to evolving at the moment, with Sarah and Zig among the others with one requirement complete. The two with two requirements completed are both trying to figure out what they can do about crossing that final threshold, and they have teams with them to ensure that they progress as much as possible. Kailani¡¯s closest after her Tribulation, but it¡¯s a tossup if she¡¯ll get enough experience in time. Peter¡¯s learned something that might help a couple people who are close enough to only need one more, so we¡¯re chasing that possibility down.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Reaching level 25 in your Occupation counts as one of the three requirements.¡± Laura responded. ¡°I think Stanton¡¯s pushing for Acolyte 25. The bonus experience is helping, but there¡¯s only so many monsters out there, and each level he¡¯s gaining makes it harder and harder to progress.¡± TJ rubbed his face with his hands. ¡°System, do you just make things harder here the stronger I get? Is it my fault that the wendigo evolved?¡± Every Tutorial was designed long before any Participants entered one. Your presence has activated one of the contingencies within the Tutorial that has caused the level of monsters to climb 10% faster than originally planned. Your presence has allowed the unnamed Elite monster¡¯s evolution to Copper (I) tier to remain within the bounds of Tutorial 107.48.89, but the Boss was already a Copper (I) tiered creature. The resultant Boss from the unnamed Elite monster¡¯s evolution will have one more Skill and 10% more Attributes than the original Boss would have. With a shrug, TJ accepted what the System told him. There was nothing he could do about it now, and he spoke. ¡°Did you ask the same question?¡± ¡°I did last night,¡± Laura confirmed, ¡°but it was hidden from me. What did it say?¡± ¡°System, can you permit anyone who asks a similar question about me in regards to my influence on the Tutorial to receive the same answer I did?¡± Yes. ¡°Ask again.¡± TJ said as he looked out the front doors of the store. Laura read the System¡¯s notification, her eyes darting over the invisible screen instead of listening to whatever it said. TJ watched as several dozen people worked on the bulwark, Peter commanding them. The single-eyed man was obviously much more at home directing construction instead of tromping through the forest and killing monsters. As soon as someone realized he was there, a cry went up and Molly and Tessie were the first to run up. ¡°You¡¯re doing ok? You¡¯re still a Neophyte¡­ You really are Copper tier, right? You¡­ You¡¯ll be able to kill it, right?¡± Tessie asked. The brief attempts at pleasantries were quickly overcome by their real concern. TJ couldn¡¯t help it as he smiled and tousled their hair. ¡°I am Copper. My Class, Race, and Occupation, everything. I guess, since my Class is an evolution of Neophyte, it still Appraises as Neophyte. But I¡¯ve got some good Skills from evolving and I think I¡¯ll be able to help everyone else out with it.¡± ¡°Oh, ok. Good!¡± Molly responded. ¡°Yeah, I never doubted.¡± ¡°Yes, TJ is here and he¡¯s Copper tier.¡± Laura cut off any further talking. ¡°What information do you want to provide about evolution for everyone here?¡± ¡°The most pressing information is that it can take up to 12 hours. I took longer than that. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s because I was sleeping or because I asked a lot of questions before I actually evolved, but there, I got to choose between five options each of Race, Occupation, and Class. The bonuses you¡¯ll get per level at Copper tier are huge. The lowest of my offered Races gave¡­ 80 Attributes, I think. I took one that gives 95 per Racial level. My Class and Occupation both give over 100. More than that, though, they give Skills, some at the Silver tier. I think it might be better to wait a little if you can, to see if you can get Silver Skills. ¡°I¡¯d guess that your Class¡¯s main Skill will become Silver tier if you select one of the Classes that are direct descendants from it. I was offered two Neophyte Classes and one that seemed to be half a Neophyte class. Um¡­ what else¡­¡± TJ thought for a moment then added, ¡°If you get an option that seems too good to be true, then ask questions about what it might do to your might, personality, or if it has any drawbacks. ¡°Any questions?¡± ¡°Did it hurt?¡± ¡°How did you know what to do?¡± ¡°What Classes and Occupations were offered?¡± ¡°What Races were there?¡± TJ fielded a dozen or so questions, none of which were especially good or noteworthy before he raised a hand to silence everyone. All fell silent. ¡°If you have more questions, you can ask tonight, but for now, I think I need to try to get every level I can.¡± Nobody complained as TJ stepped back. Laura accompanied him, and once they were outside of the supernatural earshot of the Participants in front of them, she whispered, ¡°Thank you. Let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do for you.¡± TJ nodded and then, as he walked away, finally looked at all the System notifications from his evolution. Congratulations, you have evolved to the Copper (I) tier of Divinity! As a gift, you have gained one level in your Class, Occupation, and Race! You have gained the Ritualistic Transfer (Silver (II)) and Storm Soul (Copper (I)) Skills, and the Skill Divine Transformation (Copper (I)) has advanced to the Silver (II) tier. You have gained the Evolutionary Frontrunner Title. Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 19. Attribute points allocated: Strength +7, Agility +6, Endurance +13, Vitality +13, Toughness +11, Wisdom +7, Intelligence +11, Perception +7, Willpower +11, Fixation +13, Free Points +10. Additional Free Points currently available. Race: Semi-Divine Human (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 20. Attribute points allocated: Strength +8, Agility +8, Endurance +8, Vitality +13, Toughness +8, Wisdom +8, Intelligence +13, Perception +8, Willpower +8, Fixation +13. Additional Free Points currently available. Occupation: Savage Shaman (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 21. Attribute points allocated: Strength +5, Agility +5, Endurance +5, Vitality +5, Toughness +5, Wisdom +12, Intelligence +12, Perception +12, Willpower +12, Fixation +12, Free Points +15. Additional Free Points currently available. He couldn¡¯t truly understand just how much his Status would have changed with these three levels, so before he checked out the change to Divine Transformation, he pulled his Status up. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Human ¨C lvl 20 Class: Neophyte lvl 19 Occupation: Savage lvl 21 Level of Divinity: Copper (I) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 1820/1820 Mana Points (MP): 1530/1530 Stamina: 1750/1750 Attributes Strength: 87(+17) Agility: 67(+13) Endurance: 146(+29) Vitality: 152(+30) Toughness: 118(+24) Wisdom: 91(+13) Intelligence: 122+7(+24) Perception: 109(+22) Willpower: 134(+27) Fixation: 138+3(+28) Free Points: 28 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Evolutionary Frontrunner Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 0:00/2:51:45 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Storm Coatl ¨C lvl 20 Class: Neophyte lvl 19 Occupation: Savage lvl 21 Level of Divinity: Copper (I) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 3650/3650 Mana Points (MP): 3000/3000 Stamina: 3500/3500 Attributes Strength x2.5: 218(+43) Agility x2: 134(+27) Endurance x2: 292(+58) Vitality x2: 304(+61) Toughness x2.5: 295(+59) Wisdom x1.5: 137(+27) Intelligence x2: 244+7(+49) Perception x2: 218(+43) Willpower x1.5: 201(+40) S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fixation x2: 276+3(+55) Free Points: 28 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Evolutionary Frontrunner Divine Trial Records (Dirt (0)): 2 Minor, 1 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial Reset to 0 upon evolution. TJ hadn¡¯t thought about how he¡¯d see the change to the bonus Attributes when he pulled up his Status, but as soon as he saw it, he could quickly understand that the Silver tier of Divine Transformation had doubled the total percentage of increase from 500% total increase to 1,000%, with an additional 50% increase given to each Attribute. That it took the extra 50% that should have gone to Endurance and Vitality to give them to Intelligence and Fixation seemed to be in line with Storm-Calling Neophyte¡¯s focus on magic and divine workings. With a smile, TJ turned to look at the new Title and upgraded Skill¡¯s description. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 104 A/N WARNING: this is a painfully thick System chapter. I know that we¡¯ve spent basically every chapter since the beginning of 100 talking about this. However, I want to present everything as it works together for TJ because, starting after this chapter, it¡¯s going to be at least 5, probably closer to 10 chapters of pure fighting (with the exception of the inevitable level 20 Neophyte level that¡¯s going to be quickly dealt with because, honestly, screw Systems and needing to keep them functioning in a LitRPG.). There¡¯s going to be some stupidly powerful synergies, and I¡¯m going to present everything in a neat little bow so that, if anything¡¯s a little confusing, you can come back and reference this chapter moving forward. Forgive me in advance, cause this chapter¡¯s a doozy. Anyways. Enjoy! Title gained: Evolutionary Frontrunner. Description of Title: You are the first in your Tutorial to evolve to Copper (I) tier. As such, you will remain a leader for all Participants for as long as you live. Effects of Title: Ability to grant a Minor High Morale buff to those who are willingly following you. Buff: Minor High Morale; 3% decrease in the expenditure of MP and Stamina. Though it wasn¡¯t that much, the Buff provided by the Title would benefit people. All that he had to do was tell people that he would be the leader in the siege, and that would be just another step into ensuring that more people would survive. The idea that the wendigo that kept surviving was now going to be the Boss wasn¡¯t reassuring. With its frost, ability to eat corpses to heal, and physical power, it would be deadly, to say the least. Then, there was whatever extra Skill the Boss would have. TJ continued walking, Molly falling in step beside him as he went to check the Silver tier of Divine Transformation. Before he looked at it, though, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s up, Molly?¡± ¡°I just wanted to go out with you when it¡¯s time for the hunt. I¡¯m not close to evolving, so I just wanted to help you out.¡± She shrugged weakly before continuing. ¡°The total number of people left alive is under 100. We¡­ keep losing people. I¡¯m scared.¡± TJ saw the reflection of that vision of Junior in the scared teenager before him. Without thinking, he reached out and put an arm around her shoulder, his other hand patting the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯m here. The rest of us adults are too. I know you¡¯re being pushed into adulthood, and this is frankly bullshit that you¡¯re being pushed into. If I thought I could make you and Tessie and the other young people stay here and be safe and it would work, I¡¯d do it. Unfortunately, we¡¯re in hell, and I¡¯ll help you however I can. I¡¯m happy to have you as strong as you are. Happy to have you watching my back, I¡¯ve seen what you can do.¡± Molly sniffled and TJ felt his shirt soaking with her tears as the emotions she¡¯d fought to keep down struggled free. He didn¡¯t say anything else, letting the kid cry for a while, but about a minute later she stepped back and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. Wiping at her face and nose, she scoffed at him, ¡°You stink.¡± ¡°Well,¡± TJ smiled down at her, ¡°That¡¯s something we old men do. Now, you wanna round up a team for me while I check out a couple last-minute things with my evolution?¡± Molly nodded and jogged off. TJ felt his paternal instincts rise up, and for the first time, he truly promised to keep the people in the Tutorial safe. He couldn¡¯t guarantee that nobody would die in the siege. In fact, TJ could feel deep in his heart that there would be casualties. But now, he¡¯d promised to himself that he¡¯d actively protect these people. He would keep his own life as a priority, but he remembered his words when Jeff had first called him out as a danger. How he¡¯d said they would all be on their own and he¡¯d only do this to save his own skin and Junior. Now he was going to do it for Molly and Tessie and their parents, for Peter and Farid¡¯s families, for Zig and Sarah and Rebekkah¡¯s loved ones. Maybe it was something to do with his new Class, or Occupation, or his Bloodline, but TJ didn¡¯t want to be so callous if he didn¡¯t need to. Maybe he was being inconsistent, but if he could help these people, if he could do something to save someone else from grief and mourning, why wouldn¡¯t he do it? His decision made, TJ pulled up the last loose thread from this evolution. Skill: Divine Transformation (Silver (II)); A Skill acquired at the Dirt (0) tier of Neophyte then upgraded and moulded through the acquisition of the Storm-Calling Neophyte (Copper (I)) Class. This active Skill has been adjusted to adhere to the form of the storm-calling nature of Kukulkan, to exemplify the physical prowess and magical stature of your Bloodline Origin. You use the strength of Kukulkan¡¯s body to supplement the power of your Divine workings, especially Wind Manipulation and calling Storms with your Divine Authority. As such, the Silver (II) tier of the Divine Transformation Skill transforms you into a storm coatl, a feathered serpent. As you progress in potency of your level of Divinity, your Divine Transformation Skill will improve. If you progress to the higher tiers of Divinity, beginning at Ruthenium, you will be able to adjust your Divine Transformation in accordance with your will. TJ read through the Skill, seeing that not much had changed in broad strokes, but it specifically mentioned that he was focusing on Kukulkan¡¯s ¡°magical¡± aspect. There was one question that the Skill and his Status together raised, though. He could ask the System, but instead, he decided to try to figure it out himself. He activated the Skill, and his body rapidly shifted to be long and sinuous, longer than before. He estimated that, with all that he¡¯d consumed in the last day of the Tutorial, his coatl form had nearly reached 50 feet long. To his surprise, he hadn¡¯t grown as much as he¡¯d suspected he would. That said, he was still a 70 foot snake, far longer than any anaconda or python he¡¯d ever heard of. The length wasn¡¯t the biggest difference, though, as he¡¯d grown nearly 30 feet in the weeks since gaining his Class. No, now, instead of a more green color, much of his body was patterned with striations of electric blue, and his mane of feathers had almost neon blues interspersed alongside the purple, blue, and yellow. Though he felt the changes in his body, how strong he was, the feeling of the ease with which he could call Wind Manipulation and other Skills was the most impactful in his mind. His Divine Transformation before had offered no bonuses to Intelligence or Fixation, which carried the greatest impact on his Wind Manipulation. Now, both were doubled while in Divine Transformation. The thought of how easily he could tear through the many monsters that plagued the Tutorial with Divine Transformation, Manifestation, and Authority was, to say the least, gratifying. A pack of javelinas would quickly be torn to shreds under his Wind Manipulation as a coatl, even when not under the influence of Divine Authority and being in the bounds of a Storm. Even so, TJ worked to rein in his expectations. There had to be a reason that the System was still giving bonus experience to everyone for this final day, and he was included among everyone else. TJ looked at his Status again and, with a thought, put 26 of his Free Points into Strength and Agility, bringing them up to 100 and 80 respectively and leaving his Free Point total at 2. There wasn¡¯t anything else he thought to put them into right now, so he resorted to allocating them into Intelligence, bumping that up to get closer to Fixation. Then, to ensure he knew everything that he would be able to do to keep himself and others safe and kill all these monsters, he pulled up his Status and went through every one of his Skills. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Semi-Divine Human ¨C lvl 20 Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte lvl 19 Occupation: Savage Shaman lvl 21 Level of Divinity: Copper (I) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 1820/1820 Mana Points (MP): 1560/1560 Stamina: 1750/1750 Attributes Strength: 100(+20) Agility: 80(+16) Endurance: 146(+29) Vitality: 152(+30) Toughness: 118(+24) Wisdom: 91(+13) Intelligence: 124+7(+25) Perception: 109(+22) Willpower: 134(+27) Fixation: 138+3(+28) Free Points: 0 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Evolutionary Frontrunner Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 0:00/2:51:45 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Storm Coatl ¨C lvl 20 Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte lvl 19 Occupation: Savage Shaman lvl 21 Level of Divinity: Copper (I) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 3650/3650 Mana Points (MP): 3050/3050 Stamina: 3500/3500 Attributes Strength x2.5: 250(+50) Agility x2: 160(+32) Endurance x2: 292(+58) Vitality x2: 304(+61) Toughness x2.5: 295(+59) Wisdom x1.5: 137(+27) Intelligence x2: 248+7(+50) Perception x2: 218(+43) Willpower x1.5: 201(+40) Fixation x2: 276+3(+55) Free Points: 0 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Evolutionary Frontrunner Divine Trial Records (Copper (I)): 0 Minor, 0 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial SKILL LIST: Neophyte: Divine Transformation (Silver) Wind Manipulation Shredding Bite Divine Manifestation Stormcaller (Copper) Storm Soul (Copper) Human/universal/other: Appraisal Meditation Divine Authority (Storm, Copper) Savage: Introductory Divine Primitive Craftsmanship Primal Savagery Prehistoric Huntsman Ritualistic Transfer Description of Class Skills and Origins: DEFAULT CLASS SKILL, SUBLIMATED AT EVOLUTION TO COPPER TIER: Skill: Divine Transformation (Silver (II)); A Skill acquired at the Dirt (0) tier of Neophyte then upgraded and moulded through the acquisition of the Storm-Calling Neophyte (Copper (I)) Class. This active Skill has been adjusted to adhere to the form of the storm-calling nature of Kukulkan, to exemplify the physical prowess and magical stature of your Bloodline Origin. You use the strength of Kukulkan¡¯s body to supplement the power of your Divine workings, especially Wind Manipulation and calling Storms with your Divine Authority. As such, the Silver (II) tier of the Divine Transformation Skill transforms you into a storm coatl, a feathered serpent. As you progress in potency of your level of Divinity, your Divine Transformation Skill will improve. If you progress to the higher tiers of Divinity, beginning at Ruthenium, you will be able to adjust your Divine Transformation in accordance with your will. LEVEL 5 CLASS SELECTION: Wind Manipulation (Dirt): The descendants of Kukulkan are blessed with an inherent affinity for the skies, winds, and rains. You already have begun to dabble in the art of drawing the winds to listen to your command. This Skill will grant you the ability to more accurately and powerfully influence the winds that surround you. Your Divine Transformation currently inherently grants a sub-Dirt level Wind Manipulation adjacent ability, and while under the effects of the Divine Transformation Skill to a coatl or its subsequent evolutions, the Wind Manipulation Skill will ascend one tier. Usage of this Skill depletes MP at a rate inversely correlated to your Fixation and Intelligence while scaling in potency at a rate directly correlated to your Fixation and Intelligence. LEVEL 10 CLASS SELECTION: Shredding Bite: Though born a human, you have embraced the savagery of combat that a bestial form lends. As a predator, your teeth are sharp, and as a serpent, your mouth is built to swallow creatures whole while your teeth prohibit their escape. Even so, you have used your mouth to shred and tear, to rip and destroy. This Skill will strengthen and broaden your fangs as a coatl to teeth meant to tear creatures apart. In addition, this Skill will grant an additional +1 Strength attribute per level of Neophyte, to be applied retroactively. LEVEL 15 CLASS SELECTION: Stormcaller, (Copper (I)): You have embraced the storm and, with it, the Divine Authority of Storm. Some Divine Authorities are nearly or entirely omnipresent, while Storm, a violent, encompassing force, is fleeting and overwhelming. Those with a Divine Authority must have the capability to summon, create, and influence the concept, domain, or aspect that their Divine Authority encapsulates. Stormcaller allows its holder to create a storm in their vicinity that serves as a Storm for the purposes of Divine Authority and any other Skills. To create the storm, you sacrifice any amount of your current HP, MP, and Stamina over the course of any time longer than one minute. The strength, longevity, potency, and range of influence of the storm created is dependent upon how long you spend calling and channeling the storm, as well as how many resources you put into the creation of the storm. COPPER TIER EVOLUTION REWARD: Storm Soul (Copper (I)): You have seized a Divine Authority as a Dirt (0) tiered Participant, and your soul has been moulded by that Authority. Storm Soul is the manifestation of that influence. While within the domain of a Storm, you can draw on the Storm to replenish your resources, weakening the domain in exchange for your own recovery. While within the domain of a Storm, your resource recovery will be doubled. NOTE: This bonus to resource recovery is in addition to the bonus to resource recovery granted by Divine Authority. Description of Occupation Skills and Origins: DEFAULT OCCUPATION SKILL, LEVEL 10 UPGRADE: Introductory Divine Primitive Craftsmanship (Copper (I)): This Skill would replace the existing Occupation Skill: Primitive Craftsmanship. You have exhibited the ability to create tools, equipment, and process materials, even of a higher tier of Divinity than you, more effectively. This Skill will increase the base 30% bonus to all crafting abilities and Skills when crafting without pre-Integration technology to 100%, as well as bless you with a greater instinctual understanding of how to process raw materials into a more easily used state. LEVEL 5 OCCUPATION SELECTION, LVL 20 UPGRADE: Primal Savagery, (Copper (I)): This is an evolution of your current Skill of the same name. This Skill evolution will change the Primal Savagery Skill from an untiered Skill to a tiered one, and as such the Skill will be able to continue to advance in power and influence. This Skill will retain its 20% bonus to all Attributes that its untiered iteration does, but that 20% bonus will be universal and apply not just in combat, but at all times that you are only equipped with items created solely without any pre-Integration tools, materials, or equipment. As such, the 20% bonus will apply to resources as well as Attributes. LEVEL 15 SELECTION: Prehistoric Huntsman: Since the Integration, you have not spent a day without hunting the monsters that plague your Tutorial. This Skill will grant a 30% bonus to tracking and ambush attacks. In addition, any attacks made with an item or weapon made without any pre-Integration tools or materials will benefit from minor additional damage scaling with the Participant¡¯s Wisdom. COPPER TIER EVOLUTION REWARD: Ritualistic Transfer (Silver (II)): A Shaman serves as the center of the Savages¡¯ community, and can, as such, siphon, grant, and transfer resources from those around them. Through the use of this Skill and a base sacrifice of 75 HP, MP, and Stamina, the Shaman can create a ritual which will allow free transfer of HP, MP, and Stamina between themself and the rest of the participants in the ritual. For the willing, there is no loss of resources from one transferred individual to the next. For the unwilling, the Shaman can attempt to force the victim to surrender their resources. The Shaman and the willing participants in the ritual can sacrifice resources to extend the length of the trial presented to the unwilling participants. The difficulty of the internal trial that the unwilling participant faces scales off the Shaman¡¯s Willpower and Fixation. Description of Other Skills and Titles: Skill: Appraisal (Dirt); A Skill all Participants gain upon reaching the fifth level of their Occupation. This Skill allows you to gain additional information about the world around you. The greater the disparity between the tier of Appraisal and the item, participant, creature, or otherwise, the greater the variability in the amount of information provided. A higher tier Appraisal compared to the appraised will give a greater quantity and quality of information, while a lower tier Appraisal will give only limited and basic information. Skill: Meditation (Copper (I)); You have communed with the heavens and lost yourself in self reflection. You can meditate, sacrificing mobility and external awareness for an increased level of self-reflection and recovery. When active, this Skill grants a 150% increase to the recovery of all resources and a 100% increase in the ability to undergo enlightenment. Note: some Afflictions can weaken or even disable the usage of this Skill. Skill: Divine Authority (Storm, Copper (I)); You have claimed the Copper (I) tier of Divine Authority over the concept of Storm. Having gained the Divine Authority, any Skill or ability that is in any way linked to the concept of Storm will be empowered by 50% with no additional cost while within the influence of a Storm. While within the influence of a Storm, all of your resource regeneration is doubled and you gain a 10% bonus to all your attributes. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. DIVINE TRIBULATION REWARD: Skill: Divine Manifestation (Copper (I)); You have shown yourself capable of harnessing a part of your Divine Authority to empower your Skills. You have ascended beyond the limitations of the Dirt (0) tier of Divinity, and can draw on your own Divinity to strengthen any one of your Skills. The utilization of this Skill will be greatly heightened and the cost will be halved by the natural presence of any one of your Divine Authorities. The usage of this Skill consumes MP and Stamina at a rate of 5 per second. The usage of this Skill consumes HP at a rate of 1 per second. This Skill scales in power and efficiency with your Fixation. This Skill¡¯s tier of Divinity is dependent upon the highest tier of Divinity your Divine Authorities have reached. Current Divine Authorities: Storm (Copper (I)). Irregular: Description of Title; The vast majority of Participants who begin their journey towards the Throne in earnest acquire their Class before their Occupation. You are one of 0.5% of Participants who not only sought out but also acquired an Occupation before their Class. Effects of Title: 5% increase in experience gain for all Occupation related Skills, levels, and more. Elite Hunter: Description of Title; Elite monsters are the Tutorial¡¯s introduction to Boss-tiered monsters. You are the first Participant in your Tutorial to slay an Elite-tiered monster. In addition, you have slain the Elite-tiered monster as well as its cadre without support. Effects of Title: Your Appraisal Skill can now detect the tier of those you Appraise. You are granted an additional 15% resistance to Elite-tiered enemies¡¯ innate expressions of Divinity. This Title is a record of a Minor Divine Trial and can be upgraded. Evolutionary Frontrunner: Description of Title; You are the first in your Tutorial to evolve to Copper (I) tier. As such, you will remain a leader for all Participants for as long as you live. Effects of Title: Ability to grant a Minor High Morale buff to those who are willingly following you. Buff: Minor High Morale; 3% decrease in the expenditure of MP and Stamina. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 105 TJ stopped using Divine Transformation and resumed his normal human form. He realized that he didn¡¯t know if he looked any different as a Semi-Divine Human and asked Natalie, the Acolyte that had always been one of the hunters, if he¡¯d changed. ¡°Not a lot.¡± She responded, looking into his face. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re a hair better looking? Slightly stronger jaw, maybe clearer skin? I haven¡¯t paid a whole lot of attention, if I¡¯m honest. Your hair might be a little darker?¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°My Divine Transformation looks a lot different now, and I haven¡¯t looked in a mirror, so I was curious.¡± ¡°Eh. I¡¯ve got my compact in my pocket, so you can take a look.¡± When TJ looked at Natalie a little confused, she shrugged. ¡°A mirror¡¯s useful to look around a tree if you¡¯re pinned down. Never been in that position myself, but I figured it could be useful if I needed it. You want the thing or not?¡± TJ chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll take what you have to offer.¡± He caught the tossed compact and opened it to look at his face. For the most part, Natalie was correct, there wasn¡¯t too much that had changed about him. His hair was a nearly-black brown before, but was now truly black while his jaw was more defined. That might be because of the pounds he¡¯d shed over the past two weeks, but it also seemed to be slightly different beyond his neck losing some fat. The thing that Natalie totally missed, though, was the change to his eyes. His eyes had been a little narrower before, but as they¡¯d opened more, his irises were more obvious, and they¡¯d changed from a dark brown to hazel. Most people who didn¡¯t spend a lot of time looking at his eyes wouldn¡¯t have noticed, but he could see the faintest ring of blue around his pupils now, the center of his eyes calling for attention. As he thought about it, though, TJ wasn¡¯t sure if this came from his evolution or from his Divine Authority, or anything else. Altogether, though, TJ hadn¡¯t changed nearly as much as he¡¯d somewhat expected. He didn¡¯t mind, though, and passed the compact back to the younger woman. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Sure. Anything change?¡± ¡°Eh, not really. Don¡¯t mind, I still want Junior to recognize me.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°We ready to go?¡± ¡°I think so, Molly probably knows better because I¡¯m giving her a chance to lead, to do something on her own.¡± Natalie met TJ¡¯s eyes, her gaze uncomfortably firm. After appraising him for a minute, she asked, ¡°You trying to do something with her?¡± TJ wasn¡¯t so thickheaded as to misunderstand what she was asking and didn¡¯t begrudge her the question. ¡°No. She¡¯s a child. My late wife taught high school, and when I saw kids like those she loved and cared about here in the Tutorial, I just kinda adopted them in my mind. They¡¯re at a time in life where everything was already changing tons, and having the apocalypse come along and keep them from dealing with what should have been regular life is shitty. That their parents aren¡¯t in here either is even more painful, and I just feel for them. I figure I should try to keep them as safe as possible until this is all over. I¡¯d want an adult to look out for my kid if he was in this, so I figure I¡¯ll keep the kids safe and occupied.¡± Natalie continued watching TJ. Then, she slowly nodded. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re telling the truth. I¡¯m glad. A couple of the hunters weren¡¯t quite to the level of going for the young ones, but they were wanting to trade ¡®favors¡¯ for protection.¡± TJ¡¯s blood boiled. He gritted his teeth, then, after a time, pushed the thought from his head. ¡°So long as they leave the children alone, I don¡¯t wanna hear it. It¡¯s a new world, and if someone wants to sell their body for levels, I¡¯m not going to stand in their way.¡± ¡°You might be right, but it¡¯s pretty fuckin¡¯ gross.¡± Natalie sighed. ¡°It¡¯s get levels or die, and you¡¯re gonna demand sex to help someone live?¡± ¡°Not a whole lot different to doing it for money if you ask me.¡± TJ replied. ¡°But I¡¯m not in charge and I don¡¯t want to be. So long as kids are safe, the adults can do what they want, for now at least.¡± ¡°I only heard the end of that.¡± Molly interrupted, Tessie by her side. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to make sure you¡¯re safe until the end of the Tutorial, that¡¯s what.¡± TJ noogied the two teens, both of which dodged out of reach as he did so, Tessie sticking her tongue out at him. ¡°I figured I¡¯d treat you two as practice for when Junior gets all big and annoying. Maybe you should sass me a little before we go out there for extra practice.¡± Both looked at each other before, in unison, rolling their eyes. TJ chuckled and jokingly shook his fist at the two girls. ¡°Just right. Now, who else is coming with us? I have something to do before we get moving.¡± ¡ª- With the ten people who were going on the hunt all together, TJ used one of his newest Skills. The mere 75 of each of his resources wasn¡¯t much to sacrifice, and after the sacrifice and a minute-long chant in a guttural tongue he didn¡¯t know, TJ pulled his Wendigo Blade out and cut into the palm of his left hand. The blood pooled and filled his palm quickly, but he could feel the wound quickly closing, the blood never spilling more than enough to fill his single cupped hand. Everyone looked at each other in a mix of fear and confusion, but TJ walked to Natalie first. She grimaced but didn¡¯t move as he dipped his right hand¡¯s index finger in his blood and annointed her forehead at her hairline with a long line. Then, two quick dots on the back of both of her hands, and he moved on to the next. Granny Penny, when it was her turn, sighed and grumbled something about kids and their wacky ideas. With supernatural ease, TJ finished painting the finale of the Ritualistic Transfer on each person in the party. As soon as it was complete, he could get a general sense of every other participants¡¯ current state. They were all near full, and he could feel that the ritual would allow him to continue to move resources around for the next two hours if they stayed here. Once they started to move, it¡¯d cut down to merely thirty minutes, but that was manageable. ¡°Alright, everyone.¡± TJ explained. ¡°For the next 30 minutes, I can transfer my Stamina, or someone else¡¯s to your HP. That¡¯ll allow me to heal you if necessary. I won¡¯t unless there¡¯s serious danger, because I want to make sure everyone gets experience while we¡¯ve got this bonus going on. Any questions?¡± Though they looked back and forth, nobody asked anything, so TJ nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s get hunting. Who¡¯s leading the way?¡± Natalie set out, and TJ gestured for everyone else to follow suit. He thought to activate Divine Transformation, but more and more, as he had become a foot-thick snake that was as long as an entire semi truck and trailer, he realized that slithering around in the forest was just not what his transformed body was made for. Maybe in a jungle instead of this mountainous forest, he¡¯d do well, but more and more, he was feeling the need to learn how to leap or even fly like the coatl in his vision of other Storm using Participants. For now, he would stay as a human, and transform as necessary. It wasn¡¯t long before Natalie called back, ¡°Seeing some signs of something passing by. Seems like a wendigo and its worshippers. Something else I¡¯m unfamiliar with but like the coyotes.¡± The hunters looked back and forth, and TJ nodded. ¡°No reason not to. Sounds like there aren¡¯t any Elites that are allowed to get to Copper tier and stay in here, so we should be able to take care of ourselves. Chances are, it¡¯s one of the ones the other one made, so it might not be too high level.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Molly said with a grin, dropping to all fours as a Lightning Dog. As soon as she did, the ¡°things like coyotes¡± burst through the brush. ¡°These are wolves!¡± someone shouted as the pack of wolf-wendigo things rushed to shred into the party of people. They looked as if someone had grafted a wendigo¡¯s skull onto a wolf the size of a doberman, and TJ figured at that moment that he could guess where all the coyotes had gone. He activated Divine Transformation as he Appraised the new monsters. Wendigo-bred Coyote, 17 The coyotes left fog in their wake, and the six of them lunged at the party¡¯s unprepared Zealots as they rushed to put themselves on the front line. TJ smashed broadside into one and pushed it into two more. His jaws ripped and tore into desiccated flesh while the coyote abominations whimpered in pain. He didn¡¯t slow, throwing the shredded and mostly dead one to the side while crushing two more in his coils. Even so, he had more length to work with and he interposed himself between the other coyotes and the back line of Participants. Above you. Whispered the winds, and TJ listened without looking. A massive umbrella of wind burst into existence above him and the backline, throwing the volley of spears from pukwudgies above wide. Several met his scales and clattered off to the side. ¡°I knew you were good for something.¡± Laughed Granny Penny as she picked a fist sized rock up off the ground and pelted one of the coyotes in the eye with it. She ducked back behind a shield after doing that, though no pukwudgies'' attacks were anywhere near. TJ scoffed and refocused himself on the battlefield. The winds followed his every thought more than he¡¯d believed possible, and TJ changed his focus from slaughtering as many of the monsters as possible to keeping everyone safe. He tried to ignore the coyotes trapped in his coils¡¯ bites, but although they couldn¡¯t manage to break through his scales'' innate Toughness, they were annoying and their innate cold was threatening to affect him. With a quick flex, TJ killed both by snapping their spines. Looking around, the other three coyotes were being held off by the Zealots, but their master approached with his claws at the ready. Appraising it, TJ saw that this wendigo wasn¡¯t frighteningly high level, currently 14. Maybe it was one of the newer ones, but that wasn¡¯t his concern now. Instead, TJ watched as the wendigo coated both hands in black ice and struck out at one of the Zealots on the front line, a middle-aged man whose name he couldn¡¯t remember. TJ tried to call out to him in time, but the wendigo¡¯s claws carved through his mundane shield without any issue. His Holy Vestment armor held under its initial attack, but his arm was mostly shredded by that first blow. The creature went to finish the kill, but TJ flooded the Zealot¡¯s HP with 1,000 of his own Stamina. While he darted forward, TJ watched the man¡¯s arm knit back together as he screamed in fear and defiance and smashed his metal club into the wendigo¡¯s face. The steel scraped off the Elite¡¯s bony face and it slashed two more times before TJ could arrive. Between the wendigo-bred coyote and the wendigo itself, the man sustained multiple life-threatening injuries, but then TJ arrived and activated Divine Manifestation on Wind Manipulation. Immediately, the skies screamed his rage. The wendigo turned to run, leaving its cultists and coyotes behind, but over half of each were already dead and TJ had arrived. With the Storm emboldening his attack, the Storm-Calling Neophyte called a storm to smite the cowardly wendigo. A pillar of wind smashed it to the ground. As soon as it lay prostrate, four blades of wind amputated each limb and the Elite monster was nothing more than a whimpering torso. He left the crippled monster as he turned to ensure all the rest of the monsters were slain as well. Though he was far and away the strongest in the party, the rest had survived this far by their dedication and strength. No pukwudgies, invisible in the trees, had escaped, and the coyotes were all culled. Then, seeing that nobody was still hurt badly enough to need his interruption, TJ deactivated Divine Transformation as he smiled widely. Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 20. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Attribute points allocated: Strength +7, Agility +6, Endurance +13, Vitality +13, Toughness +11, Wisdom +7, Intelligence +11, Perception +7, Willpower +11, Fixation +13, Free Points +10. New Skill selection available. There were five options, but there was only one that he considered as he turned back to the hunters. After all, it was only 10 AM, and there were plenty of monsters to kill. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 106 [Stanton POV] Somewhere in the distance, TJ did something insane. Stanton could hear the damn kid throwing his tornado around, though that it was twice the size that it had been just the day before was reassuring. Slightly. Stanton sighed and pushed his team to move faster. He¡¯d felt that he was near to completing his last evolutionary requirement, and it wasn¡¯t going to be hitting level 25. There was just something missing for his little Lifebloom garden to become something much more. A capstone. He followed his nose, smelling the exotic sense of life that would provide what he needed. Although he joked about it being hippie shit, you could serve in ¡®Nam and still be a hippie. The LSD still made for interesting experiences, even though Stanton expected his body would need a whole lot more of any drug to feel any influence. Maybe death cap mushrooms would be the newest tobacco by the time all this was done. That wasn¡¯t the point, because his chew had long since run out and though he didn¡¯t need it, he sure did want it. Maybe this new plant he was tracking down would be something to work with that way¡­ Stanton continued Appraising every plant as he walked, even though he knew every one of them. There was just¡­ something that was missing. Maybe it was a bigger Lifebloom? But he doubted that. The smell on the air was too different. More earthy than vivacious. The clomping Zealot guards near him were a little annoying, but when one¡¯s stupidly large shield brushed back a bush and revealed the streaks of orange in the soil, Stanton realized that he was looking for the wrong thing. Maybe it was just the thinking about death caps, but when he saw the carpet of fungi that covered the roots and bottom of the trunk of every bush around, the Druid knew that he¡¯d found what he was looking for. Without touching it, he Appraised the material. Myconic Nursery (Silver (II)) A bed of fungus that prepares a space for the appearance of a Myconid Tender. He whistled low, under his breath, as he looked at the fungus. It spread across at least 40 of the nearest bushes, but there was no sign of weakness or rot on the bushes. It was strange, but he quickly realized that ¡°Tender¡± didn¡¯t mean soft, but something that takes care of other things. And this Silver ranked nursery would make something that could take care of a garden. Stanton grinned widely and drew on his ability to sense the life of the flora around him. Underneath the bushes was the fungus¡¯s main body, and he quickly tracked it to where its center lay. A glowing sphere about two feet across was buried nearby, and he bent down and pressed his fingers through the surprisingly loamy soil until he touched the edge of the sphere. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Are you ok?¡± asked one of the Zealots and Stanton waved him off with a grunt as he kept his hand as still as possible. Then, when the faint life sent a probe of curiosity back towards him, he asked the Nursery a simple question as he sent a surge of his MP towards it: ¡°Do you want me to bring you to a magical garden?¡± It quivered in response, evidently understanding what he was saying. Or just wanting his MP. Whichever it was, he continued offering both. ¡°I have a dozen Lifeblooms that need a skilled tender. I can protect you, make sure that you can make them grow into something much more than they are now. Just come along.¡± He didn¡¯t need to say much more when a grasping tendril of the fungus wrapped around his fingers. The Morrigan in him demanded that he do something about this soft, infantile life, and before, he¡¯d have thought he needed to kill the innocent creature. Now, though, Stanton realized that she knew that for there to be death, there must be life. Why would she keep a creature from growing, when it could provide so much more to reap later? Care for the world now, that when it is lush and full with the powerful, extend the scythe to cut down the fields you have tended. Was that not their purpose? His Bloodline saw more things as fields than he did, but Stanton understood already that crops were grown to be cut down. Maybe he¡¯d consider the world a field ripe to sow as he continued to grow. For now, he just wanted to tend to his garden and see if he couldn¡¯t catch up to that reckless TJ. Minutes crawled by as the fungus crept up his hand and he continued to slowly press his MP into it. Eventually, the Nursery made up its mind and surrendered its charge to him. A huge mushroom like a puffball flowed out of the ground and Stanton picked it up to carry the surprisingly heavy fungal egg in his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He commanded as he led the way back to the town¡¯s ruins. His garden was waiting for him, and this would be the newest addition to it. That it could also serve as an evolutionary requirement was just the icing on the cake. ¡ª- The journey back was quick, and Stanton didn¡¯t speak as he carried the hefty mushroom into his garden. In the center of the dozen Lifeblooms was a spot that he hadn¡¯t been able to figure out what he wanted to do with it. That it was just big enough for the Myconic Nursery to fit within it wasn¡¯t lost on him. This whole Tutorial business was just wrong, but there was nothing he could do about that except try to stay alive. With a careful eye, Stanton chose where the torso-sized mushroom would go. After looking for a short time, he realized he was being foolish and simply placed the embryonic ¡°myconid¡± in the middle. As soon as he did so, the thing settled into the ground and wriggled like a comfortable dog. Stanton smiled, but more than that, as soon as the Nursery was placed, a notification from the System appeared. You have created a nascent Druid¡¯s Grove. Copper (I) tiered evolutionary requirements complete: 3/3. Would you like to evolve to the Copper (I) tier of Divinity? ¡ª- [Lailani POV] ¡°Stay together, I¡¯ll keep you safe.¡± Lailani said, the commands uncomfortable and foreign in her mouth. That she needed to do this to survive was unfair. Adults like TJ thrived in this world, and even other teens like Molly and Tessie were doing way better than she was. How she ended up as one of the people everyone was expecting to evolve was just¡­ it was stupid, and she wasn¡¯t a fighter! Her stupid magic didn¡¯t help her fight anyways. ¡°Lono give me strength.¡± Lailani prayed to the god that gave her his bloodline. She¡¯d never heard of any of the gods, so she just prayed sometimes. Maybe there was that capital ¡°G¡± God that Christians and Muslims talked about, but this was all just stupid! Even so, Lailani used her Refreshing Rains to keep everyone moving and focused. If only she¡¯d had it when she was studying for her AP Chem final, maybe she wouldn¡¯t¡¯ve had to stress out so much about focusing. All those equations were miserable. If she had to do any more stoichiometry, she¡¯d¡­ actually be pretty happy. All of school didn¡¯t mean shit now that the world was all gone to hell. If only she could go back. Sitting on her bed at home, hearing Mom listen to her music in the other room while she tried to remember how all the science worked together. She¡¯d wanted to finish the last year and a half of high school and get out of the house and away from all the family, and now she wanted nothing more than to go home and hear her mom and dad talking in the other room. As the sounds of monsters approached, Lailani felt her hands shake, as they always did. She couldn¡¯t get used to all the fighting. She threw up before her volleyball games, so what was she supposed to do when, if she messed up, it wasn¡¯t a stupid point but someone bleeding out on the ground right next to her? It was lucky that she¡¯d gotten a Class in the first place. Who knew that sharing water with a thirsty squirrel would change her whole life? Maybe it would have been better if she''d taken time and become a Disciple instead. They didn¡¯t have that crazy man TJ as the example of their Class, so they could just heal people. For her, though, nooooo, she was a Neophyte, and she¡¯d had a Divine Tribulation, so of course she¡¯d be the second coming of the killer snake himself. Shouldn¡¯t she be out there all by herself, slaughtering thousands of goblins and bringing back news? No, she wasn¡¯t a damned war hero! If she had to be out here, though¡­ Every one of her Skills were focused on supporting other people. That she¡¯d gotten the stupid Tribulation was just because she¡¯d been interested in the water she could make. How was that touching on the domain of ¡°Springs¡±? TJ¡¯s was Storm, he was a hero to everyone in the town, not even the monsters using magic or whatever could change their minds. And now, she was stuck here, in his shadow, and being made to go kill monsters! In the back of her mind, Lailani knew she wasn¡¯t really mad at him. He was brusque and not good at talking to most people, but he hadn¡¯t done anything to her. As far as she could tell, he didn¡¯t expect her to fight, or even to be like him. She just was unhappy that she was in this and he was an easy target to blame even though he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. ¡°Something in the brush!¡± Seth called out as he levelled his crossbow and squeezed a shot off. Something whimpered but continued running towards the hunting party. Lailani¡¯s hands shook harder but she took a deep breath and activated Divine Transformation. It wasn¡¯t like TJ¡¯s or Molly¡¯s, and most people didn¡¯t even realize when she used it. She grew maybe an inch taller and her hair¡¯s curls grew looser and more wavy, but that was about the entirety of the physical change her Skill brought on her. She didn¡¯t even get a good powerup when she used the Skill. The sounds of battle filled the air and Lailant had to fight not to run away screaming. The pukwudgies had a new monster with them, some skull-headed¡­ wendigos! Lailani did scream as soon as she saw half a dozen wendigos lunging in at her and the rest of the hunt. She kept close to the rest, though, and sent out her Bolstering Presence to assist however she could. People threw themselves into the fight, weapons ringing and flashing, and Lailani tried to help. She threw spouts of water at the wendigos¡¯ glowing eyes, which seemed to be even more impactful for them than if they were humans. While the undead creatures were blinded, the Zealots and Acolytes pressed the attack, swiftly dispatching three of the beasts. A shadow came over her and tried to do something to her, but she waved it away. It was persistent, and it wasn¡¯t long before Lailani realized the weird mist was following her. A Skill her Occupation had given her but never had a use for called to her. It was just annoying, and she wanted to focus on helping everyone else. So, with a surprisingly large draw on her MP, she cast Spiritual Cleanse on the mist. It quickly dissipated and Lailani tried to focus on the battle, but the System flashed three notifications in the corner of her eye that just wouldn¡¯t leave her alone. The levelups were welcome, but she didn¡¯t care about those right now. The other two, however, made her gasp. You have destroyed a malevolent soul and provided the avenue for defeating an Elite in your Tutorial. Copper (I) tiered evolutionary requirements complete: 2/3 You have gained 100 Fixation. Copper (I) tiered evolutionary requirements complete: 3/3. Would you like to evolve to the Copper (I) tier of Divinity? Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 107 Though there were a couple other options presented to him that were attractive, as soon as he saw that Wind Manipulation at the Copper tier was available to choose, there was no other option. Its description had changed somewhat, but knowing that his Wind Manipulation would permanently be at the level that it¡¯d always been while using Divine Transformation was a huge plus. Wind Manipulation (Copper (I)): You have claimed the Storm as your first Divine Authority, and your mastery over the wind has grown. The weak Wind Manipulative abilities of the hatchling coatl have been strengthened as you have delved into this Divine Domain. This Skill grants you the ability to more accurately and powerfully influence the winds that surround you, as well as to send your consciousness into the wind at your leisure. Your Divine Transformation currently inherently grants a Copper level Wind Manipulation Skill, and while under the effects of the Divine Transformation Skill to a Storm Coatl or its subsequent evolutions, the Wind Manipulation Skill will ascend one tier (currently, to the Silver (II) tier). Usage of this Skill depletes MP at a rate inversely correlated to your Fixation and Intelligence while scaling in potency at a rate directly correlated to your Fixation and Intelligence. The description given to him was heartening, showing that his personal control over the Skill was growing markedly. That it would provide an immediate and huge boost to his power for the final siege was nothing small either. As soon as he''d made the Skill selection, TJ was excited and ready to rush to experiment with it. He pushed the party to find something new to hunt, just so he could test out the new Skill, and they were only too eager to oblige. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll get a lot bigger when I evolve?¡± Molly asked, her face a strange mixture of emotions that TJ couldn¡¯t quite place. ¡°Eh,¡± TJ waffled as he listened to the much clearer voice of the winds report nothing nearby, ¡°no idea. I¡¯d guess that yes, but nowhere near as large as my Divine Transformation will get? I think that as Quetzalcoatl, Kukulkan got a lot bigger than Xolotl ever got. Not sure exactly how all that works or if it¡¯s true, but I had a vision of Kukulkan as a god, and he was miles long.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that.¡± Molly muttered as she continued walking. ¡°Even if I got as big as a horse I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want the Skill any more.¡± ¡°I¡¯d guess that if that¡¯s what you want, then that¡¯s what you¡¯ll get.¡± TJ replied. When Molly looked up at him disbelievingly, he continued, ¡°The System allows for choice. If you¡¯re trying to stay smaller or whatever, I think it¡¯ll probably accommodate you. I don¡¯t mind getting bigger, though I¡¯m not a fan of being so long right now. Maybe down in the valley where it¡¯ll be harder for things to sneak up behind me and stab me, I¡¯ll be happier to slither around. Anyways. I got distracted. I think you¡¯ll be fine, and if you say to the System that you don¡¯t wanna get too big, then maybe you won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Molly didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just¡­ hope that works out.¡± ¡°I think it will. If it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll work with you to get something figured out.¡± TJ tousled her hair jokingly and Molly ducked away from the attention, though she didn¡¯t seem upset. ¡°Whatever, geezer.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s what I call Stanton, I¡¯m just an old man, not a geezer!¡± TJ picked a pinecone up and tossed it at Molly. She ducked it and jogged away laughing. Considering his job done, TJ refocused on whatever was around them. There wasn¡¯t much movement, and he got the distinct impression that the monsters had pulled back further and further into the mountains. After an hour of no luck in finding any more monsters to kill, TJ made the decision for everyone else. ¡°The monsters know that we¡¯re hunting them, and they¡¯re avoiding us. If we keep pushing in, we might find some, but there won¡¯t be many. If we¡¯re unlucky, someone¡¯ll end up hurt or even killed, and I¡¯d rather we wait a day to get some of this experience instead of getting anyone killed in the hopes of getting a level today. Any complaints?¡± Though a couple of faces showed slight disagreement, nobody voiced anything, so TJ led the rest of the party back to the safety of the city. After all, it was past noon, and there remained precious few hours until nightfall. They made good time through the forest, especially since they weren¡¯t searching out pockets of enemies any longer. Every step drew them closer to the walls, but TJ prepared himself and the rest for any potential ambush. Peter had lost his eye to a last-minute pukwudgie spear, and TJ wasn¡¯t going to let that happen again. There was no final attack from monsters, and he suspected that there¡¯d be nothing nearby until well after night fell. What the ¡°rules¡± would be regarding the siege were entirely beyond him, but that was something the System refused to explain in detail to anyone, beyond the fact that it was going to last for 18 hours to be followed by a fight with the Boss. He tugged, but there was nothing for it. The System so frequently was forthcoming and generous with information, but whenever it wasn¡¯t, there was nothing to do for it. Back at the town, the party quickly parted, though Molly stayed near TJ. There was something vulnerable in her face, but he didn¡¯t know what to say about it. Or if he should say anything in the first place. So, he said nothing at all. He set most of his things to the side and looked down at his Raven Mocker¡¯s Remnant on his right wrist. That and the Minor Shroud were far and away his best equipment at the moment. He could help create more armor out of the tanned javelina leather that they had hundreds of pounds of extra sitting nearby, but TJ knew that he needed to focus on things for the strongest people in the Tutorial. The rank and file had equipment already, and if he could create Copper tiered equipment for the people who¡¯d take the brunt of the assault from the strongest monsters, that would do much more. ¡°What to do, what to do?¡± TJ muttered to himself as he sorted through the materials that were all around. Ideally, he¡¯d have some sort of ranged weapon for himself to use when he wasn¡¯t using Divine Transformation in this siege, but what could it be? He realized that the Sacred Weapon that the Acolytes got from their Class contained some Skill rolled into them that facilitated the weapons¡¯ use. Thus, he couldn¡¯t just make a bow and hope that it¡¯d do anything good for him. So far, hurling rocks was about all he could manage to do, and while there was plenty of loose rock and building material laying around, that was inferior to a real weapon, as far as TJ was concerned. Should he make himself a spear or something? That would be simple enough, but he didn¡¯t really have a good material for its head¡­ ¡°Do you think they¡¯re alive?¡± Molly asked, pulling TJ from his idle thoughts and planning. ¡°Hm?¡± He asked. ¡°My parents. Do you think¡­ they¡¯re still alive?¡± TJ stood tall and met her gaze. The teenager was sitting with her back against the wall of the general store, her knees pulled up to her chest and her face looking down at her feet. As he turned to look at her, her teary eyes met his. He dropped the materials he¡¯d been looking at and walked over to sit somewhat close to her. ¡°What kind of a man is your dad?¡± He asked, somewhat changing the subject. ¡°Kinda scary.¡± She admitted. ¡°He can be angry sometimes. We got in a fight that morning that this was all beginning because of what I was wearing to school. He wanted me to wear a jacket because it was cold, I called him controlling and manipulative. He was about to respond when I got pulled away to the System.¡± Though he realized that it was way too late for someone to just be leaving for school when the Integration happened, TJ didn¡¯t mention that weird inconsistency. Instead, he asked, ¡°What did you think once you were finally able to get to some measure of safety?¡± ¡°That I wanted my mom and dad to come help me.¡± Molly sniffled. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I can bet that he wants nothing more than to be able to protect you. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fighting like hell right now, just like I am, to make sure he can save you. You don¡¯t need it, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s busting his ass like crazy for it.¡± Molly sniffled again, but nodded. TJ sat and let her gather herself as he waited. There was plenty of movement around them in the stronghold, as more and more people gave up on finding any more monsters to hunt today. The teenager leaned against him for a minute before pulling away. ¡°Thanks, Uncle TJ.¡± He smiled. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. You wanna help me with this crafting stuff?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Molly replied as she nearly bounded to her feet. To be fair, TJ realized that he absolutely could do so as well, but he felt too old to do that, regardless of his Attributes. She offered a hand out to him and he pulled on it as he thanked her. ¡°Do you have any plans for things you want to make?¡± TJ asked the girl as he continued trying to think of something to use as a weapon for himself. ¡°I was wondering if I could use some of the metal we¡¯ve taken from homes and carve it out like this.¡± Molly started to explain her plan for creating what were effectively lawn darts. In fairness, Farid¡¯s spears and plenty of scrap metal seemed like they¡¯d inspired a good weapon for her. Now that he thought about it, TJ realized that Molly had much of the same problem that he did in this siege, that her usefulness would be impeded by how long she could keep up Divine Transformation. They consulted back and forth with each other as TJ lamented his own inability to use the metal and other materials that were left over from before the Integration. Using a spear with a metal head would cut his total Attributes down by quite a bit, since it¡¯d disable Primal Savagery. ¡°Why not use one of those glass-edged clubs that the Mexicans used in ancient times?¡± Molly asked. ¡°They¡¯re real dangerous, and there¡¯s natural glass somewhere!¡± ¡°Not a bad idea, but there¡¯s nothing volcanic around here, so far as I know.¡± TJ replied. ¡°I¡¯ll have to look into finding some obsidian to make one of those. For now, though, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible.¡± TJ resigned himself to using a less impressive weapon when the time came for the siege, but he still wanted whatever levels he could get before then. Savage Shaman wasn¡¯t nearly so production focused as Savage had been, but if he was using higher quality materials, he¡¯d get more experience than he would have as a Savage. But where could he get any of those? He didn¡¯t have any more Elite monster materials, and the Gila Monstrosities needed more time for their hides to tan¡ª He facepalmed before asking, ¡°The wendigo we killed. Where¡¯s its corpse?¡± ¡°I think that someone brought it to the front door of the store? Someone would do something with it there, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Thanks. Good luck on your lawn darts. Hope no lawyers are around to sue.¡± ¡°My what? To sue?¡± ¡°Ask any old person and they¡¯ll know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± TJ waved her off. ¡°Just a fogey making a joke.¡± TJ left a sputtering teenager in his wake as he jogged off to take the best parts from the wendigo for his own use. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 108 ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s ok.¡± Michelle grumbled as TJ stuck out his hand for a shake. She shook her head before shaking his hand, but she did take it. Then, with a sigh and a frustrated wave of her hand, she gave TJ permission to cut both legs, one hand, and one horn off. The thoughts of what exactly he¡¯d do with all that he¡¯d plundered raced through his mind, but his general plan had been made. It hadn¡¯t taken long for TJ to locate the corpse. When he told Michelle that he wanted the whole thing, the Blacksmith and he¡¯d engaged in a battle for the ages. Or, perhaps more correctly, there¡¯d been some serious bartering that¡¯d swiftly begun. He wanted most of the usable materials, so he was expecting some resistance. He got it, and eventually, he had to admit that taking all the limbs, claws, and horns was too much. When he walked away with all that he¡¯d taken, TJ knew that Michelle had been generous with him. Thus, as he stripped the desiccated flesh from the wendigo¡¯s bones, TJ didn¡¯t think about what he was doing as much as diving into a particular aspect of his Occupation: Though this Class isn¡¯t focused on crafting as a whole, the Savage Shaman is focused on creating items that amplify the spiritual aspects of materials presented to them. There was much more to the bones and claws than just their physical aspects, and TJ tried to inspire his Occupation to help him to bind the disparate bones together as one single, much larger stave. He wanted to create a spear using the two legs¡¯ bones as the haft, but they were, by nature, not a single, long pole. He couldn¡¯t weld them together, could he? As soon as the thought crossed his mind, his Occupation and Introductory Divine Primitive Craftsmanship worked together to warn him that no, it wouldn¡¯t work. Even such a mouthful of a Skill wasn¡¯t just giving him that information. So, he could tie it together, but that would make for a weak point that he didn¡¯t want to have exploited. So how to make the bone merge? As far as he knew, there wasn¡¯t anything that he could do to ¡°smelt¡± the bones together, but he figured if anyone knew, it might be Stanton. When he found the old cowboy, though, he was sitting with his legs crossed in the middle of his little garden, his eyes shut tight. Before TJ could reach out and shake him, Zig called out, ¡°Don¡¯t touch him.¡± TJ turned and fought to keep his face neutral as he asked, ¡°Is something going on?¡± ¡°He¡¯s evolving.¡± Her tone was clipped and unkind. ¡°Alright, thanks.¡± He didn¡¯t want to talk with her any longer, from guilt and hurt feelings on both sides, as well as who knew what other cocktail of complicated emotions. She didn¡¯t call out as he walked away, and he didn¡¯t turn back. Maybe he could have done something about the hurt and anger between them, but he also didn¡¯t want to open himself up to that pain and anger. Instead, he went to find Michelle, who seeing him walk back so soon after taking so much of the wendigo¡¯s precious materials, bristled. He raised both hands placatingly. ¡°I just wanted to know if there¡¯s some way to bind the bone together to make a single long haft for the spear I¡¯m making. Wanted advice, not to wring you totally dry.¡± Michelle let her hammer fall from its threatening position. ¡°I have no clue. You get bones too hot, they burn, crack, break, and so on. I have no idea what to do to get them to stick together.¡± ¡°Well, crap.¡± TJ sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing either. But I wanted to make a spear out of those materials.¡± ¡°I had my ankle fused when I was a bit younger.¡± Michelle offered with a shrug. ¡°But they used metal and let the bone grow together. And anyways, it¡¯s not like you can do that with bones from a re-killed undead monster, right?¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡­ have no idea. But I¡¯m willing to give it a try.¡± TJ replied with a chuckle. ¡°Good luck. See if you can¡¯t get some rest tonight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try, but no promises.¡± Michelle rolled her neck as she replied. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of things to do, and I wonder if getting more experience would just be better than getting a little more sleep.¡± ¡°Wish I knew.¡± TJ replied as he walked away. ¡°Thanks for the idea.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± TJ jogged back to this workstation, his mind already made up. Now that he had the idea, Savage Shaman assured him that the idea could work, with enough put into it. If MP would be enough to make that work, then he¡¯d have a spear before long. The only issue with experimenting was finding what could be used instead of the metal braces¡­ He continued mumbling to himself about ideas as he sat down and looked at the series of bones that were laid in front of him. Most spears were long, longer than a person was tall, but he didn¡¯t feel the need to have a full-sized one. Instead, he would focus on making it just about his height, maybe as long as 6 feet. Then there was the head, would he use the horn for that? Probably. TJ set the bones in various positions, planning for the design of the spear until, about half an hour later, he settled on the final design, with the bones of the legs patterned in such a way that the haft was mostly straight and ready for fusing. How that would work, exactly, was now time to experiment. The bones of the wendigo¡¯s ankles were distinctly inhuman, which probably helped TJ in what he was doing. The idea that he was elbow deep in the dust from a wendigo¡¯s bones wasn¡¯t exactly pleasant. Even so, he focused instead on the task at hand. Just squeezing the bones together as hard as he could manage didn¡¯t do anything, except to cause his hands to hurt a little. Maybe he could drill out a hole then place a dowel inside to seal them? But that would only be as strong as the dowel itself, so the spear would be way too weak to use. Savage Shaman and his crafting Skill promised that he¡¯d be able to bind them, he was sure. Then there was the pine sap he¡¯d used as glue, but it was far from sufficient for something like this, since it was just sticky instead of something as strong as epoxy. He considered what Skills he might have to bind it, and he remembered the words that Michelle had said that inspired his choice in the first place. Her ankle was fused, but not by the metal. Those braces were only to hold the bone together until it could bind itself, most of the strength came from the bones themselves. There was only one way that he was capable of healing something other than his own body, so that was what he¡¯d try. With his idea solidified, TJ pressed the bones together and activated Ritualistic Transfer. At first, it all went according to the same way that the initial casting of the Skill had¨Cspeaking some words and soaking it in his blood, but when he tried to pull the bone into the ritual, it resisted. Though it was only two inch-long bones from the wendigo¡¯s ankle, they fought and took an additional 50 from each of his HP, MP, and Stamina before they submitted to the ritual and grew together. Then, once he broke their initial resistance, he could use the slight remnants of energy within the bones to reach out to each other. When that internal energy began to run dry, he provided it from himself to keep the bones growing. Five minutes later, TJ let the two small bones out of his hand. Before he looked at the end result, he appreciated the Skill. He used the energy within the bones themselves to take on part of the load, and only then did TJ realize just how insidious the Skill could be. He could capture someone and, as long as he could overpower their resistance, use them as a battery, dragging them nearly to death as he milked their HP, MP, and Stamina to fuel whatever he wanted to do. He suppressed a shudder at the thought. ¡°I¡¯ll never subject someone to that.¡± He promised aloud to himself before looking down at the one inch square segment of bones and Appraised it. Shaman-Bound Wendigo bones, Dirt (0): Bones from the ankle of a Dirt (0) tier wendigo, bound together through a Savage Shaman¡¯s Skill Ritualistic Transfer. Not much of a description. They were stained faintly red instead of the ashy gray from before, and when he tried to pull them apart, they resisted. When he threw the little amalgamation to the ground, they didn¡¯t shatter. Then, when he grabbed a nearby hammer and smashed the bones with it, they cracked, but not where they¡¯d been made to grow together. AS it was still bound to him through Ritualistic Transfer, TJ felt he could provide any of his three resources to bolster the damage the spear had sustained. That was enough, no, it was more than enough. The only question now was how he¡¯d get enough resources to get the spear done in time. If fusing those two bones took, not counting the 75 of each that the Skill itself demanded, 50 each of all his HP, MP, and Stamina to break open and another 30 of each to fuse, then he couldn¡¯t imagine that he¡¯d be able to get to everything he needed to to make a sufficient weapon. ¡°What were you just saying?¡± Molly looked over at TJ as she asked. He reread the Skill description and laughed to himself before explaining and asking her for a favor. ¡ª- About 20 minutes later, Molly shook TJ out of his Meditation. Looking around, she¡¯d managed to gather a surprisingly large amount of people with nothing better to do. Counting himself and Molly, there were 19 people who were going to help him in the creation of this bone spear. Standing up, TJ nodded his thanks to Sarah who stood nearby with a wide grin, and Rebekkah beside her. ¡°Thank you for coming. I¡¯m going to use a Skill to fuse these bones together into a weapon,¡± TJ explained, ¡°that I¡¯ll be using tomorrow in the siege. Since you¡¯re willing, I¡¯m going to use some of your MP and Stamina to help complete the weapon I¡¯m making. To begin the Skill, I¡¯m going to do a ritual and then put a little of my blood on your foreheads and the backs of your hands. If you¡¯re not comfortable with that, I get it. While you make that decision, I¡¯m going to take a moment to get everything ready.¡± He chose not to mention the ability he had to take their HP as well, and turned to set all the bones together so that the natural curl of each offset the next. Once they were in the ritual, he thought he might be able to change their shape somewhat, but even if he couldn¡¯t, it would still be worth it to have a weapon he could bolster to greater strength with his own resources. Two minutes later, TJ was satisfied that everything was set exactly where it needed to be, and when he turned back to see who would be helping him. Strangely, twenty faces looked back at him. He hadn¡¯t paid enough attention to see what two people had thrown themselves into the situation to assist, but he nodded his thanks at everyone as he began to channel Ritualistic Transfer. The beginning went quickly enough, but with so many people and his excessively large Vitality, he needed to cut his palm open three times to get enough blood to mark each person. Then, with each person anointed, TJ coated each bone with his blood and began to enforce his will over each of the six bones and single horn. Immediately, all three of his resources dropped precipitously. Since he didn¡¯t need to physically touch them to force them to submit, he immediately activated Divine Transformation. With twice as much of himself to throw at the problem, he made a small amount of headway, but it wasn¡¯t long before he needed to draw on the Stamina and MP of the 20 willing participants in the ritual. A chorus of sounds of surprise filled the air as the others¡¯ resources all drained. The mere numbers he¡¯d spent on his initial experiment were swiftly washed away, and TJ pushed more and more into it. He¡¯d spent 80 of each HP, MP, and Stamina, and he was throwing that amount in against the will of these bones every second. In the back of his mind, he felt that he could do the same thing over time in the future, but that wasn¡¯t an option for now. He¡¯d spent thousands, and drawn thousands more before the first, a tibia, bone¡¯s resistance snapped. As it pressed against the others, its paired fibula was the second. TJ watched as his blood on each one soaked deeper and deeper until the bones were dyed with the same red as the experimental Shaman-Bound bones. With each person, once their MP and Stamina reached 15% of their total, he stopped drawing on them. Most fell into a sitting position to begin to Meditate as soon as he stopped pulling some of their strength into his ritual. Before long, most had dropped out, but the last material, the horn, was about to give in. With a roar of challenge, TJ pulled the last bit of will necessary to smash the bone¡¯s stubbornness aside, and it too, gave up. Everyone who had been willing to lend their strength was exhausted, though TJ hadn¡¯t drawn on anyone¡¯s HP except his own for the ritual. He¡¯d still need probably another half of what he¡¯d already spent to get the bones to grow together, but he could wait. He wasn¡¯t going to demand that¨C ¡°I know you can use it to fill HP,¡± Sarah jumped in, ¡°so can you use some of my HP to fuel this change? I¡¯ve got plenty, and I¡¯m not leaving the safe zone tonight, so I¡¯d like to see what you can do with some more to throw at it. You know, as long as you leave me with a third of what I¡¯ve got.¡± The Zealot grinned widely as she spoke. ¡°I can,¡± TJ said, ¡°but I didn¡¯t want to do that just so I can make this weapon.¡± ¡°To hell with propriety.¡± Sarah countered. ¡°I wanna see you get it done. I bet it¡¯ll help me out in my future if I help you create some dope-ass spear anyways.¡± Most of the other faces reflected that same desire, so, with a grin of his own, TJ spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t dip below thirty percent of your totals.¡± Then, without saying anything more, he pumped the life of every person in the circle into the bones. Maybe it was all in his head, but he swore that the bones¡¯ growth and fusion was more effective through using HP than the other two resources. To make sure that everything grew together as it was supposed to, he ceased his Divine Transformation and assembled the spear from the bottom to the top, each bone fitting exactly where he¡¯d intended it to. Before long, the red bones were fused together from the bottom to the top, and only the head remained. As TJ fused the horn to the top, he unfurled it from its loose curl and instead pulled it out into a foot-long spearhead, sharpening the sides and head to an acceptable level. Once the bone fused to the horn, TJ nearly considered it complete, but then remembered the yards of excess leather that remained from the many many javelinas that¡¯d fed the town. He quickly cut long lines into the leather every inch, ready to wrap the bone haft. Then, with plenty of pine sap and a small amount of convincing the bone to cooperate, TJ wrapped the entire thing in leather. It wasn¡¯t pretty, but the bone would be slick in his sweaty hands, and he preferred the entirely leather-wrapped look to the ominous red bones. As he tied the leather off at the head and dolloped a generous amount of pine sap there, he considered the weapon complete. He disregarded the level notifications and instead immediately Appraised the spear. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 109 Item: Weapon; Bloodied Wendigo Spear (Copper (I)). This weapon was created by a Savage Shaman in conjunction with many attendants from the bones and horn of a Dirt (0) tier wendigo Elite. However, in every way except for durability, the original form, function, and attributes of the wendigo¡¯s materials have been subsumed by those of the Shaman¡¯s blood and will. As such, the Bloodied Spear thirsts for blood, and will reinforce itself with whatever blood is offered to its head. While under the influence of Ritualistic Transfer, the Spear¡¯s creator can transfer his HP, MP, or Stamina to fortify the Spear. The Spear¡¯s creator can channel Skills through the Spear at no additional cost. This equipment grants additional attribute points to its wearer. Points granted: +5 Strength and Toughness, +8 Vitality. TJ hefted the weapon with a pleased look on his face. Though it wasn¡¯t a weapon he was particularly comfortable with, it was a good proof of concert. Plus, there weren¡¯t any weapons he was comfortable with. That the spear only required that he see what he wanted to hurt and poke it was something he could manage. ¡°Lemme see.¡± Sarah demanded, though she sat on the ground with a decidedly woozy look on her face. He stood and offered the weapon to the Zealot who Appraised it and nodded appreciatively. ¡°That¡¯s pretty good. Better than my hatchet. I think.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t offend your partner,¡± TJ joked, looking down at the always present weapon on Sarah¡¯s hip, ¡°otherwise, it¡¯ll fail you to prove a point!¡± ¡°Nah, she¡¯d never.¡± She patted the solid steel item as she passed the spear back. ¡°Plus, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll take the Holy Weapon Skill at level 20. I was thinking I¡¯d hold off untilI evolved, but as the monsters get stronger and stronger, I¡¯m worried they¡¯ll chip or even break ol¡¯ faithful here. I¡¯m just about there, and am pretty bummed I didn¡¯t get that level today.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t get it as an option on your Occupation?¡± TJ asked as he sat and let himself recover. He¡¯d planned on needing to Meditate soon to get himself ready to conduct a massive Stormcalling tonight, but as he¡¯d gotten a level in Savage Shaman with this, so he was at full again. So, he was able to have a relaxed conversation. ¡°It was offered in my Class and Occupation. I just kept taking other Skills, but now, I think I need to get with it. Maybe I could get someone to make me something like that spear and I wouldn¡¯t but I think I¡¯ve been too hopeful to get through this all without making that decision.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± TJ replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters. The Classes offered to me were all good, and suited to what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯d guess if you have Holy Vestments and Sacred Weapon at the same time, your evolution will provide a mix of the two or both an upgrade.¡± ¡°Probably right.¡± Sarah shrugged. ¡°I was going to do it anyways, so whatever. Anything else I can do for you right now, or should I just try to get as much rest and experience as I can manage for now?¡± ¡°Nothing else for me.¡± TJ agreed. ¡°I¡¯m just going to see if I can¡¯t make anything else in the next couple of hours before I make a storm to help us out for the siege. This spear was a good proof of concept, so I¡¯m going to try to bind something else.¡± ¡°You call this a proof of concept?¡± Sarah scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s a damned fine weapon.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d try something with your hatchet there, but I can¡¯t really work in metal, at least, not for now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve talked to Michelle about it. Not a whole lot to do about it as is, I¡¯m just too strong for it, even though it¡¯s pure steel all the way through.¡± Sarah yawned as she stood. ¡°Good luck making a storm, or whatever.¡± TJ laughed as he turned back to his experiments. He wasn¡¯t willing to spend a lot of his resources on experimenting much with imbuing his own will into objects, given that he¡¯d need to spend quite a while as well as a lot of his own resources channeling Stormcaller for it to last as long as he needed it to. But then again¡­ TJ quickly set to doing some mental math as he checked what his current HP, MP, and Stamina totals were. As Savage Shaman reached level 22, it pulled Semi-Divine Human to 21, and (after distributing his Free Points to a variety of Attributes to round them out and boost what he thought he¡¯d need most) with all the Attributes from those two levels, his resources were as follows: Health Points (HP): 2360/2360 Mana Points (MP): 2110/2110 Stamina: 2100/2100 Health Points (HP): 4640/4640 Mana Points (MP): 4150/4150 Stamina: 4200/4200 Checking with the System, he could spend his resources as a coatl for Stormcaller, but he¡¯d have to spend the entire time during the Calling in coatl form. He¡¯d already done the math on what it¡¯d take to create a 24 hour storm¨Can hour and a minute with a resource spend of 6,650. He could almost afford to do that without Divine Transformation. Given that he woke up at 6:30 and the siege was going to start at 8:00 AM, he could get that done and just go to bed whenever he wanted. The sheer increase in his Attributes from evolution was insane. Doing some more calculating to ensure that he would be able to begin the siege with his Divine Transformation able to last as long as possible, he decided to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to make a 24 hour storm that would last from 5:45 AM before the siege to 5:45 AM after the 18 hours of the siege were long over. With Storm Soul and Meditation, he¡¯d be able to recover back up to full long before it was time, and allowing himself to recover to the maximum length of time to use Divine Transformation would be important for the siege. Decisions made about resting and Skill use, TJ settled back to conduct whatever experiments he could manage without spending too much of himself before his upcoming rest and Stormcalling. Though it was entertaining, there wasn¡¯t much he found out, and before long, he found himself eating dinner with Sarah and Farid sitting near him. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m not even close to Copper.¡± Farid said. ¡°I barely got one requirement. I wonder if I¡¯ll get closer in this whole siege.¡± ¡°I get it.¡± Sarah commiserated, shooting a joking glare at TJ. ¡°This yahoo¡¯s got us all thinking that we should be Copper when the System itself said that getting that high is crazy.¡± ¡°TJ, setting high expectations from the very beginning. I hope your boy can live up to them.¡± Farid said, though his tone and face were gentle as he met TJ¡¯s gaze. For his part, TJ let out a shuddering breath. ¡°The System said that there¡¯s something that you typically get as you evolve, a¡­Systemic Audience? Yeah, that. Said mine was banked until after the Tutorial. I figure that¡¯ll give me more information about Junior at that point. And, no matter what, he¡¯ll always live up to my expectations.¡± ¡°I figured.¡± Farid smiled wide. ¡°You seem a fierce and loving father. I hope that he is healthy, safe, and happy.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± TJ shrugged. The conversation continued, and he engaged a little with it, but his mind drifted. If all went according to what he understood from the System, he was just over a day away from getting more news about his child. Just needed to get through this siege. Before he consciously noticed it, night had fallen and TJ was fighting to fall asleep. His mind raced, wondering if Junior was missing him, if he was safe or alive, if the System had lied to him and would continue to. Was the vision that he saw of Junior¡¯s future accurate to what would happen if TJ himself died? Where was the child? He felt himself pushing his mind into an anxiety attack, spiralling further and further out of control. Fear for the future, for everything, built inside of him, but somehow, before he lost himself completely, he fell asleep. His rest was fitful, and time stretched as he kept checking his timer each time he woke. 8:32:45 7:02:27 5:54:52 3:48:01 When he woke the fourth time, TJ didn¡¯t try to sleep any more. He didn¡¯t have a reliable alarm, and he was close enough to his planned starting time that he decided to eat, take some time to look around, and begin the Stormcalling. As his consciousness filled the skies, he gathered the winds to himself. Somehow, they understood from him that the time for the Tutorial¡¯s end was coming. The entrapped wind gloried in that news, and excitedly gathered all together. TJ lost himself in the moment, the wind gathering moisture from wherever it could be found and adding to the clouds that stayed overhead. TJ himself danced in the swirling maelstrom, though each time that he felt it wanted to grow to a fiercer storm, he held on long enough for it to grow in longevity instead of ferocity. In this state, it wasn¡¯t long before TJ felt that it was time to pull himself out of the Stormcalling. He didn¡¯t delay, and as his consciousness was once again on the ground, he opened his eyes. He was wrapped around himself, a massive pile of vibrant scales and coils. Overhead, clouds billowed and a light rain fell, letting TJ feel that he was recovering much more quickly than usual. As he reverted back to his human form, TJ rolled his shoulders as he pulled the hood of his Tezcatlipoca¡¯s Minor Shroud over his head. The rain splashed down his back, and TJ walked to where he could sit and stay mostly dry for a short while. With his Divine Authority and Storm Soul, his recovery was increased by 200%, so even without Meditation¡¯s assistance, he could get to full with just a little longer than the time that was available. There was some movement around the fort, but few people were actually awake. Some were relieving themselves quickly, others were rolling over to rest, but most remained in bed, even if not asleep. TJ quickly decided to Meditate for an hour and a half, until 6:30. It was his habit, after all, and remembering Junior¡¯s presence just before this final day began in truth seemed like a good choice. Again, with his mind focused within a Skill, the time passed quickly, and TJ found himself nearly recovered to full once again as the timer showed that a mere hour and a half remained until the siege began. Standing and walking around, TJ saw that much more of the fortress¡¯s inhabitants had woken. The smell of cooking food filled the air, and his stomach grumbled. With a sigh, TJ went to fill his stomach. At the fire where breakfast was being prepared, everybody sat in painful silence, lost in their thoughts. He joined them,though when Laura walked past, her face pinched in worry, TJ stood and threw the last of his javelina pork chop in his mouth. With his excessive Strength, he took only two chews to get it ready to swallow. ¡°Laura.¡± He called out, and the Bureaucrat stopped for him. ¡°Yes, TJ?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be better for everyone if I become the nominal leader of the siege defence. I got a Title,¡± TJ explained to the woman, ¡°that will keep everyone from spending their MP and Stamina quite as fast.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Laura agreed without further discussion. ¡°Is there anything else that I can do for you? I¡¯m rather busy preparing for this.¡± ¡°No. I just should probably say something to everyone not long before the siege begins.¡± ¡°Fine. That¡¯ll be in an hour.¡± TJ nodded and left her to continue on her path. Then, he let himself worry about what he¡¯d say in his speech. The next hour passed in tense, anxious quiet as everyone woke up, including Lailani and Stanton, who had finished their evolutions some time during the night. Upon Appraising them, both remained Neophyte and Acolyte respectively. Then, as TJ¡¯s stomach twisted in particular anxiety, Laura spoke up and called everyone¡¯s attention to her. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all here. For today, TJ will be in charge. He¡¯s the strongest of those in our Tutorial, and he has a Skill that will give you all a buff. I¡¯ll also be providing what I can from behind the lines, but for now, let¡¯s listen to what TJ has to say.¡± TJ swallowed, stood up in front of the assembled Participants, and began the speech to begin the end of the Tutorial. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 110 ¡°You know who I am.¡± TJ began. ¡°I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m a great leader, and I wouldn¡¯t be here if I couldn¡¯t help out. If you decide to follow me, then you¡¯ll get a High Morale buff that¡¯ll keep you from spending quite as much Stamina and MP through this upcoming siege. That¡¯s the main reason why I¡¯m ¡®in charge¡¯.¡± TJ motioned air quotes when he said it. A couple people let out half-hearted laughs, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡°That said, there is something I want to say in these last ten minutes before the Tutorial ends. Many of you probably know why I¡¯m fighting so hard¡ªit¡¯s for my son. He¡¯s just two, almost three, and the System says that, if I do right by it, I¡¯ll see him again. For now, that means killing a lot of monsters. Thank you all for helping me with that. I¡¯m grateful for people who¡¯ve kept me safe through this, so that I have some measure of hope to see my son. But now, we have the final day, the last hours of this hellhole we¡¯ve been pulled into, so I just have a last request. ¡°Fight like hell. Fight like Satan himself is trying to yank you to hell, or whatever else motivates you. You¡¯re almost there. Near as I can see it, we have three different options of what to fight for, and I don¡¯t care which of the three you choose. ¡°The first is for yourself. Be selfish¡ªfight because you don¡¯t want to die. Fight because it hurts to lose. Fight because if you don''t, a monster''s going to eat you and you don¡¯t want to be pukwudgie shit. Fight because you want to get home to your comfy bed. Fight for whatever selfish reason you¡¯ve got. That¡¯s the first option. ¡°The second is for the person at your side. Look at them, remember their name and everything they¡¯ve done for you. Remember the laughs and the rough times. How you¡¯ve saved their life and they¡¯ve saved yours. Remember the times they¡¯ve told you about what they want to do with their lives, about what matters to them. Fight for them, to protect the future they have, to save them from pain.¡± TJ felt himself looking at the youngest people in the audience and felt himself lament their loss of innocence and safety. ¡°The third is for the people you¡¯ve left behind. Maybe they¡¯re a sibling, parent, or child. It could be a friend, a pet, a spouse, anything. Think of the dozens or hundreds of people who you want to see again, and how they want to see you again. Remember all the ways that the people from your past have impacted you, how they¡¯ve blessed you and been there for you. Remember how you feel when you¡¯re near them, and fight to the last bloody breath for them, because they¡¯re fighting for you. ¡°I feel privileged to have so many people who¡¯ve fought to survive this far. I¡¯m seeing warriors and leaders and friends and supporters here, and I appreciate every one of you. Fight hard, because we¡¯re at the final step, at the final obstacle before we can go home. So rise, fight, and win!¡± TJ roared the last sentence, and cheers rose up from the people in front of him. He raised his spear overhead for a short moment as a rallying symbol before stepping back and away from the limelight. ¡°Pretty good speech there.¡± Stanton said as he made his way closer to TJ. ¡°Got me a Moderate High Morale buff.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± Farid grinned. ¡°You are a good leader!¡± ¡°Nah.¡± TJ shook off the praise. ¡°I¡¯m a good speaker, but not a leader. I can run my mouth when I have to, but I¡¯m not a great planner or anything. Still appreciate it though.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Stanton answered. ¡°Did a fine job.¡± The conversation continued for another minute as they walked up onto the walkways of the walls surrounding the story. The outer walls were about six feet tall with walkways about three feet tall behind them. As soon as they¡¯d settled into position, though, the System interrupted everyone in the Tutorial from whatever they were doing. In this Tutorial, Tutorial 107.48.891, the Quest Goals are as follows: Within two weeks (336 hours) of Integration, enter the city limits of the city Pine, Arizona. Time remaining: NA¨Cyou have entered the designated area. Total elapsed time: 336:00:00Within 18 hours of the end of the second week of Integration, defend the Pine, Arizona general store from assault.Defeat the assigned Tutorial Boss. Congratulations, you have completed the first of the three Quest Goals! Please complete the second of the three Quest Goals. Calculating bonuses to provide to all Participants due to the success of the Participants in Tutorial 107.48.891. Base combat missions completed: Slay 25% of all basic monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 62%. COMPLETE. Experience gained. Slay 50% of all basic monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 62%. COMPLETE. Experience gained. Slay 75% of all basic monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 62%. INCOMPLETE. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Slay 100% of all basic monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 62%. INCOMPLETE. Slay 25% of all the original Elite monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 55%. COMPLETE. Experience gained. Slay 50% of all the original Elite monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 55%. COMPLETE. Experience gained. Slay 75% of all the original Elite monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 55%. INCOMPLETE. Slay 100% of all the original Elite monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 55%. INCOMPLETE. Slay 25% of all the additional Elite monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 10%. INCOMPLETE. Slay 50% of all the additional Elite monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 10%. INCOMPLETE. Slay 75% of all the additional Elite monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 10%. INCOMPLETE. Slay 100% of all the additional Elite monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 10%. INCOMPLETE. Slay 100% of all the Copper (I) tier monsters in the Tutorial. PROGRESS: 0%. INCOMPLETE. Final additional monsters for Tutorial 107.48.891 spawned. Wave 1 of 3 of assault on the Pine, Arizona general store, begin. WARNING: During the next 24 hours, any levels gained will not refresh or refill any spent resources. There wasn¡¯t any time to understand what the System was saying, though TJ didn¡¯t gain any levels from the experience he gained. A wave of pukwudgies flooded from the tree covers a couple hundred yards away from the fortification. Hundreds ran forward, the only sign of their passage were the footprints left in the slightly muddy dirt. ¡°OPEN FIRE!¡± TJ shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t exhaust yourselves, but don¡¯t let them in!¡± No sooner had he spoken did arrows, spears, bolts, and rocks fly out of the fortress. Though he wanted to experiment with his newly Silver tiered Wind Manipulation, TJ didn¡¯t activate Divine Transformation. Instead, he slashed his spear several times through the air and created a series of slashes of wind in the air. Each one whipped the falling rain in every direction, and TJ felt the amplified strength of his Skill through his Divine Authority. As soon as they were ready, no more than 200 MP used in each, TJ sent the ripping winds through the air towards the approaching pukwudgies. The blurry creatures tried to dodge his attacks, but TJ didn¡¯t allow them to. He curved each attack to slash through a dozen pukwudgies, their dead bodies returning to a visible state as they were bisected. With his three attacks, the majority of the pukwudgies on this side of the wall were immediately killed. He wanted to rush to the other side, to help stave off the attack there, but he held himself back. This was the beginning of a preliminary wave, and all the monsters here were pukwudgies. He spent a full quarter of his MP on that opening attack, and even though it would recover all by itself over the next hour, given Storm Soul and Divine Authority, he needed to conserve his resources. As soon as he made that decision, he heard shouts of concern on the opposite side. He tried to listen to the wind about what was happening there, but before he could turn to look back there, Stanton spoke. ¡°I really should be on the other side. You go north if they have problems, I¡¯ll go south. Got it?¡± Though he asked for a response, the old cowboy sprinted away long before TJ replied. Even so, he looked to the north, seeing their reply to the initial assault. Nobody there was so capable as he was at dispatching the majority of the attackers on their section, but on the east side, TJ heard Stanton¡¯s Suzie coughing bullets at an insane clip, several shots a second. There must have been a change there, TJ mused to himself, if the old man was willing to use so many shots so quickly. On the north, the pukwudgies were already in melee distance, having closed the distance in record time. TJ watched, helpless to react so quickly, as a hail of javelins flew through the air towards the defenders. With there being so many more of the goblins than the defenders, their opening salvo of spears struck several bloody wounds. Then, while the defenders recoiled and fought to drive off the attack, the furry beasts pressed into and through the boughs of pine branches to reach the wall proper. Drying branches cracked explosively as a dozen pukwudgies launched themselves wildly at the defenders. The Zealots on the wall held strong, striking down with their weapons to stop any errant attack, but nobody expected a second wave of pukwudgies to strafe past. Riding in a fog bank created by their mounts, a dozen wendigo-bred coyotes, the cavalry hefted their spears and threw them with blistering speed. Though he noticed and used Wind Manipulation to try to knock the attack off-course, the spears thrown by pukwudgies with atlatls flew too fast and too far for him to do anything but turn several deadly blows into mere live-threatening ones. Two Acolytes and one Zealot fell from their posts and were swiftly collected by Disciples waiting, hunched behind the safety of the thick wooden walls. TJ wanted to send a blade of wind to cut the cavalry into pieces, but he held himself back, again. If he did, he knew that he¡¯d be lucky to kill even a single one of them from this far away. If he missed, then he¡¯d have wasted the precious MP that he spent. He growled low under his breath as the cavalry continued circling. ¡°Eyes on the coyotes!¡± He called out as the monsters eyed his side of the wall. ¡°They¡¯re quick and have a longer range than we¡¯re used to!¡± The call went up as others noticed what he was pointing out. Though they made another attack, with a warning from someone on the south side of the walls there were no serious wounds. Sarah, who stood on the south side, raised her shield and took three of the spears without any apparent worry. ¡°They¡¯re strong! Better at shieldbreaking than the other thrown spears, but not as good as one of the brutes. Block if necessary, but better to dodge if possible!¡± The rest passed the message of the threat that the cavalry posed on to the rest. Nobody had died, though several wounds had popped up on every side of the wall except his own. With Wind Manipulation killing more than half of the initial attackers, the west side had disposed of the opening wave without difficulty. TJ allowed himself a grim smile as the worst of the sounds of battle on the other sides of the fort died down. He turned back to look at the wounded who were quickly being patched up. ¡°Hold strong!¡± TJ called out. ¡°We can do this, just stay focused!¡± Of course, as soon as he shouted that was the same moment that the heavy cavalry arrived. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 111 Javelinas had been hunted nearly to extinction in the Tutorial. Or, at least, that was what TJ had thought until this moment. The heavy cavalry disabused him of that supposition as a pack of 15 javelinas with shield-toting pukwudgies on their backs rushed the south wall. Their steps thundered as they rushed the wall. ¡°Stanton!¡± TJ screamed for the Acolyte. Even so, he didn¡¯t hesitate to throw himself southward. If one of the walls was destroyed this early, then they wouldn¡¯t have any prayer of surviving for another 18 hours. Deciding that slowing the attack would be the best option available to him, TJ activated Divine Transformation and threw himself off the wall. He slithered towards the cavalry, moving much more quickly than the mere Dirt rank pigs could manage. Stanton¡¯s gun coughed out a dozen shots in short order, but the pukwudgies¡¯ raised shields staved off the assault. The quick shots were replaced by one thunderous explosion, and the shield in one of the goblins¡¯ hands shattered into so many matchsticks. That same shot blasted the pukwudgie from its saddle. Its body tumbled to the ground, unmoving. With so much power in Stanton¡¯s attack, TJ refused to be outmatched. He strengthened his coatl form with Divine Manifestation and, as his Attributes all rose even higher, he smashed into the broadside of the nearest javelina. Their steely aura fought to drive him off, but through sheer force TJ¡¯s jaws found a javelina¡¯s neck. It squealed in panic and pain, but TJ ignored it and the pukwudgie smashing his shield against his head. Lifting the massive beast aloft, he smashed it down into the next two charging pigs. Then, with another two out of commission, he hurled the mostly limp javelina¡¯s body at the next javelina. It tripped, throwing its pukwudgie out of the saddle. Four down, eleven to go. TJ snapped his jaws at whatever flesh he could reach, his strengthened, monstrous jaws ripping limbs free with each snap. Their aura fought to drive him off, but he was too strong. Even so, he and Stanton were the only ones able to pierce through the Skill or Aura or whatever that kept them charging all together. A dozen arrows and other attacks plinked uselessly off the enemy, and though TJ felled eight of the javelinas in time, the other seven charged straight into the wall. Wood splintered and branches were crushed to pulp as the javelinas made first contact. The walls held steady, but where that attack had landed, an obvious weakness was made. As pukwudgies leapt off their mounts onto the walls, Zealots, Acolytes, and Neophytes fought to stand their ground. TJ stopped amplifying himself with Divine Manifestation as he continued ravaging the significantly slowed javelinas, ensuring they couldn¡¯t wreak more havoc nor retreat and carry more of the pukwudgies into battle. Despite his best efforts, two of the javelinas were able to turn and sprint back into the forest¡¯s cover, squealing the entire way. On the walls, the defenders fought hard, but except for Sarah, they were unprepared for the sturdy, shield-wielding pukwudgies. The monsters stood together in a remarkably well-disciplined line, their spears lancing out in regular strikes against the defenders. TJ continued ripping into the javelinas on the ground, ensuring that none of the creatures survived. Just as he considered going up there, Sarah roared and smashed through three shields in one blow. As soon as their protection was taken away, Farid threw three spears in quick succession and each of the pukwudgies expired with a two-pronged javelin piercing both eyes. The monsters fell, and it wasn¡¯t long before their fellows were slain as well. ¡°Are there any more coming?¡± TJ called up to the defenders on the wall. They shouted around, and less than 30 seconds later, the answer came. ¡°The ranged cavalry has retreated as well. No sign of any enemies!¡± TJ relaxed as he deactivated Divine Transformation and took his Spear in hand. With the javelinas weakened and no pressing danger, he dispatched the creatures with the weapon. Any time he could get to recover cooldowns while still in the early stages would be ideal. He hadn¡¯t wanted to use Divine Manifestation so soon, but without it, he was convinced that there would have been real damage to the fortifications, and possibly casualties. The Spear cut through the thick-skinned monsters with ease, and as soon as he was done, TJ looked back to the walls. Plenty of people were keeping their attention outward, ready for any attack from the monsters, but nothing came. ¡°Keep an eye out!¡± TJ commanded. ¡°I¡¯ll gather in the javelinas for food or barricading, whatever we need.¡± ¡°Aye aye!¡± Sarah replied, her hatchet held in hand. ¡°I hope you leave me some more next time! I¡¯m just one level away from getting that level 20 Skill!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± TJ called back. ¡°Actually¡­¡± Sarah jumped over the wall, her casual hop taking her at least 15 feet away from her starting position. ¡°I¡¯ll be better down here with you for now.¡± She ran off to the furthest javelinas and tossed two over her shoulders before running back and tossing them over the wall. Then, helping TJ, they quickly gathered the other corpses. They decided to bring them all back into the fort where they could later choose what they wanted to do with the thousands of pounds of newly dead monster pig. As soon as he hopped back into the fort, TJ checked his resources. With his MP recovered by about 200, it had only been 15 minutes since this all started. He sighed. ¡°Any casualties?¡± He asked the nearest Disciple, Granny Penny. ¡°No, but it was close. Harrison lost an eye and we¡¯ve had two people pass out from blood loss. Nobody¡¯s died, which is a damn miracle with those spear throwers. Thanks for that.¡± ¡°Glad I could help.¡± TJ sighed in relief. ¡°Those cavalry¡¯re gonna be something we need to figure out how to deal with, and fast.¡± Before there could be any response, Laura suddenly shouted ¡°News!¡± from the center of the fort. Most people turned to look at her as her shout interrupted conversations and other preparations. ¡°Listen, but keep watching outside of the walls!¡± She shouted again, making most people turn back to what they were doing as she continued speaking. ¡°The System is giving a lot more information now. Here¡¯s what we know! The System originally allocated 100 monsters for every person in the Tutorial, and even though we never saw more than 180 people, there were 200 in here, meaning that there were 20,000 monsters in our Tutorial. We killed 62% of them, so a bit more than 12,000. The ¡®Final Additional Monsters¡¯ that were spawned made for an additional 2,000, taking the total number of monsters coming against us just under 10,000.¡± Whispers of worry and fear filled the fort, but Laura wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°In addition, there was one Elite spawned for every 10 people in the Tutorial, making 20 total, and we killed 11 of the original 20. Beyond that, the ¡®additional Elites¡¯ the System messaged are, we think 20 more in total. Our current guess is that the Chindi and wendigo killed yesterday were the additional ones slain. If we¡¯re right, that means that there are 27 Elites in the Tutorial, counting the one that¡¯s become the final Boss. ¡°There is some good news!¡± Laura explained. ¡°The waves the System mentioned. This first wave will be 25% of all those monsters. They are required to attempt to attack the base before they are able to retreat to any form of safety, and they must attempt to attack the base 30 minutes before the next wave comes. A new wave begins every six hours, with that guaranteed 30 minutes after each one where all surviving monsters must have already attacked. The second and third waves will be comprised of 30 and 45% of the total number of the monsters left, respectively.¡± TJ¡¯s mind did the math. That meant that in this first wave, there would be about 2500 non-Elite monsters and six or seven Elites. Something else that the opening of this whole mess had mentioned stuck with him. ¡°How many Copper monsters were there in the Tutorial?¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°One.¡± Laura nodded to him as she said as much. ¡°It will serve as the leader of the third wave.¡± TJ let out a long, loud breath. That was as reassuring as it could be, he supposed. Or would he prefer that it not come with the largest wave, instead coming in this first, smallest one? No reason to think about it, it was best to just deal with what he had right now. ¡°That¡¯s all for now! We¡¯ve counted a total of 527 monsters that have attacked in some way in this opening wave. We suspect that they¡¯ll focus less on heavy attacks for now, instead focusing on harrying us and keeping our people from recovering as much as possible. If you need healing, come get it, the Disciples are working hard to keep themselves as close to full to keep everyone alive. No reason to let a wound get worse.¡± There was little response to her closing statement, but people perked up and several retreated from the walls to stand near Disciples who tended to wounds as quickly as they could manage. Not five minutes later, though, Stanton squeezed three shots off as he shouted, ¡°Sneaky bastards!¡± No sooner did Stanton break the stillness did pukwudgie birdlike screeches fill the air. TJ, who¡¯d been patrolling the north and west sides of the fort, turned around and saw at least one hundred nearly invisible pukwudgies rushing forward, already almost halfway through the clearing. Most sprinted together, marching on the eastern wall. Taking note of his diminished MP, TJ didn¡¯t do anything immediately, though the Acolytes all fired on the attacking monsters. With their previous stealth, they¡¯d gotten quite close, and maybe 15 seconds later, the sounds of physical battle begin. The pukwudgies didn¡¯t carry shields, their only equipment their spears, but with so many on a wall only manned by 15 people, severe injuries immediately swelled in number. People scream in agony, only Jeff standing as a mostly unharmed Zealot on the front lines. For the briefest second, TJ suspected the man, but Jeff screamed in challenge and threw himself at whatever monster came near with reckless abandon. He was lower level than most of the Participants and struggled to deal deadly blows, but he refused to back down or show fear. ¡°Go, support them.¡± TJ commanded the squad at the north wall. ¡°I¡¯ll keep this part safe, just in case.¡± His words were punctuated by a surge in screams of panic as some of the pukwudgies overcame the wall and threw themselves towards the Disciples. They weren¡¯t able to do too much damage immediately, though, as the rest of the defending Participants rushed off the walls to protect their healers. Pukwudige dying screams filled the air, and TJ had half a mind to go help them as well. However, he had enough presence of mind to watch outside the walls. It was just as well, as he saw another troop of 10 javelinas gathering to charge at the same walls already overwhelmed with dying pukwudgies. ¡°Oh, come on.¡± TJ groaned to himself as he threw himself over the wall to block the charge as he activated Divine Transformation. That was, of course, when the second troop of cavalry riders appeared. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 112 Just before he threw himself into battle with the 10 javelinas, TJ took four hard hits from javelins. Fortunately, he¡¯d already transformed, and his Storm Coatl¡¯s scales turned the worst of the hits from sinking into his flesh. His blood flowed as he roared at the two groups of cavalry. The heavy cavalry of javelinas and pukwudgies bore down on him while those on the wendigo-bred coyotes kept their distance. Not for the first time, TJ cursed the coatl¡¯s length. He was unable to protect himself completely as several of the javelinas focused not on the walls but on him. Instead of being able to pick off javelinas at his leisure, TJ was reminded of his first contact with javelinas, how he¡¯d nearly been torn apart. The audacity of these creatures, thinking he was that same weakling. However, since he was their focus, the Storm in him demanded that he strike them down for their arrogance. For the first time, Silver tiered winds ripped away from TJ. In an instant, his MP dropped by 800. The uncompressed, casual winds that ripped away from him tore through reinforced javelina hide, bone, and entire bodies without effort. TJ fought to keep the raging zephyrs from tearing everything without any focus, instead specifically crippling the Dirt tier pigs. That opening attack retained some of its strength even after every one of the ten javelinas was permanently crippled. Their mounts looked at each other with panic as they realized their charge was doomed so quickly. They tried to smash their shields down on him, but TJ whipped his tail through them, shattering shields and bones without any real effort. Far off, the coyote-mounted pukwudgies turned to try to flee, but TJ left the weakened javelinas and their riders behind. He rushed towards the coyotes and, seeing that he couldn¡¯t close the distance fast enough, used Wind Manipulation to push himself to fly. More than any sort of controlled flight, TJ launched like a 70 foot-long spear towards the coyotes. Again, his MP dropped precipitously, but TJ flashed forward almost faster than he could comprehend. But he was in the midst of the coyotes and pukwudgies. Different from the javelina-comprised heavy cavalry, the coyotes couldn¡¯t do anything about his mass and strength. Their frigid jaws fought to pierce his scales, but though they bruised his flesh, there was no real damage sustained. The pukwudgies spears cut shallowly. TJ didn¡¯t care. He was a fox in a chicken coop, and slaughter was the only possible outcome. Fangs flashed and coils crushed, and the elite ranged unit was dispatched. Two of the coyotes managed to escape with minor wounds, but to reduce an entire unit of a dozen to a mere two by himself was a feat to respect nonetheless. His MP had dropped below half, but since he still had 1700 after everything, he didn¡¯t mind. Looking around, TJ didn¡¯t see any pressing threats, and, in fact, saw movement drawing back, away from him in fear. With nothing nearby to kill, he pulled back to the fort, but as soon as he turned, he saw Sarah putchering the pukwudgies and javelinas he¡¯d left behind from the heavy cavalry. ¡°This is enough for me!¡± The blood-splattered Zealot called out with a smile. ¡°Just hit that level!¡± TJ took the time to check his own System notifications at that point, disregarding the kills and instead seeing if he¡¯d gained any levels. He wasn¡¯t disappointed by the hope. Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 19. Attribute points allocated: Strength +7, Agility +6, Endurance +13, Vitality +13, Toughness +11, Wisdom +7, Intelligence +11, Perception +7, Willpower +11, Fixation +13, Free Points +10. He felt that Savage Shaman wasn¡¯t far off, and he was sure he¡¯d get another level before long. Maybe not in this first wave, but in the second, for sure. Though it was a little frustrating to be reminded that getting the level hadn¡¯t refilled his resources, they¡¯d already known that was the case. TJ threw the 10 Free Points into Intelligence, finally taking it higher than his Endurance. He rolled his shoulders and used his Bloodied Wendigo Spear to cut the coyote heads off. So far as he knew, there wasn¡¯t much use for the rest of the corpses there, so with the nearly foot-long spearhead, he decapitated the coyotes he¡¯d killed. He hadn¡¯t done anything with their horns, but he was sure that they could serve as something valuable in crafting. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It wasn¡¯t long before TJ had a double armful of skulls and he gave up on the last three. Jogging, he got back to the fort where people were subdued. Fearing the worst, TJ looked around for any dead bodies. There was nothing, so he asked Farid, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s ¡®wrong¡¯, per se. Just¡­ everyone has realized just how dangerous this situation is. Less than halfway through the smallest and least dangerous wave, and the Disciples are exhausted and we¡¯ve had several serious injuries. So, scared and tired, is mostly it.¡± TJ opened his mouth in understanding. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to get worse before it gets better.¡± Stanton agreed. ¡°And you, TJ, need to stay back. I get what you¡¯re trying to do, but you¡¯re keeping the lowest leveled people in the fort from getting experience, so you¡¯re benched for now.¡± He pursed his lips in a bit of frustration, but TJ nodded before too long. Stanton was right, and he needed to let other people gain levels before things got worse. ¡°I¡¯ll Meditate for now, then. Need to recover my MP. Have someone know where I am to punch me or something and get me out of it when the time comes, though, alright?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Stanton replied. ¡°You¡¯re a strategic resource, and we¡¯ll just keep you where you need to be.¡± TJ waved the old cowboy off and fought to calm his mind enough to Meditate. He cleared his mind, but the occasional shouts of seeing monsters, of combat, of pain, kept him from being able to concentrate fully. Even so, the fitful Meditation allowed him to recover his MP more rapidly, the only resource that was seeing any real use at this point. With deep breaths, the world around him slowly faded away and TJ felt the sounds and sensations surrounding his body fade into the background. Just when he was about to lose himself in the sense of recovery and enlightenment, though, someone jabbed him hard in the ribs. ¡°TJ!¡± Granny Penny hissed. ¡°Get up!¡± He hopped to his feet, looking around him. Was there enemies inside the walls? The panicked shouts of the walls¡¯ defenders let him know exactly what was happening. ¡°Three wendigos!¡± ¡°I see a raven!¡± ¡°There¡¯s some mist over here, I don¡¯t know what it is!¡± ¡°Leilani, help!¡± ¡°Where¡¯re those wendigos going?¡± TJ rushed to the side that was calling out that three wendigos were seen. Behind him, Lailani hopped to the side calling for help. Stanton slowly circled inside the walls, his eyes on the sky, Zig and Seth beside him. As TJ went to where there were multiple wendigos, Farid and Sarah walked up to accompany him. ¡°Glad you decided to stop slacking off.¡± Sarah laughed. ¡°I gotta show this off, don¡¯t I?¡± She held up, instead of a pure steel hatchet with a blue rubber handle, a pure steel battleaxe with some sort of engraving on it. Though he¡¯d considered it required for all battleaxes to have a head on both sides, it was obvious this weapon wasn¡¯t meant for wood. The sharp side had a five inch blade, while the other sported a long spike meant for piercing anything that refused to give in. ¡°Means business.¡± TJ nodded to her. ¡°You wanna take one of the three by yourself, have me support you?¡± ¡°I was thinking to take all three, but if you wanna be selfish, I guess I can share.¡± Sarah grinned and winked. ¡°That might work too.¡± Farid replied. ¡°I can see a whole lot more of the rank and file coming to help them, and we will hold the walls. So, you think you can hold all three off?¡± Sarah¡¯s face fell into a much more serious look. ¡°If they¡¯re under level 17 and I¡¯ve got some support, yeah. I can do one handily, I¡¯d guess, two with a bit of trouble.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll do something to take one out as fast as I can.¡± TJ offered. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you?¡± ¡°Sounds good. What¡¯re you going to do?¡± Sarah queried. Instead of saying anything, TJ responded by activating Stealth through his Shroud. Stealth (Dirt (0)): This Skill will allow you to better hide from those around you. This Skill¡¯s potency scales with the Participant¡¯s Agility, Wisdom, and Perception. The two people he was talking to continued to look at him. There was no reaction to the activation of his Skill. ¡°Are you going to do something?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to use Stealth.¡± TJ replied weakly. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why.¡± Farid answered. ¡°Harder to hide once you¡¯ve been seen. Just FYI. Now we need to get on the walls.¡± TJ kept Stealth active and hunched behind the walls, peeking through a gap between the logs that made up the fort. Hundreds of monsters marched on the fortress, three wendigos in the center of the force. ¡°They¡¯re gonna have their weakest monsters soften us up before charging in themselves.¡± Farid grumbled. ¡°Not sure how we¡¯re going to do here.¡± ¡°At least we don¡¯t see a Chindi?¡± Sarah joked. ¡°I can keep swinging my axe at these things. Not sure what to do with something that doesn¡¯t have a damn body.¡± ¡°Fair.¡± Farid replied. The frontmost javelinas charged forward, their feet kicking up a storm. TJ wanted to do something to stop them, but there were too many. A troop of at least 15 was at each side of the walls, and it was inevitable to have to do some repairs soon. As well as that, he needed to step back and let other people get experience or it¡¯d just get worse. Finally, with at least 300 of the attacking monsters on each side, even with Divine Transformation, TJ would be surrounded and, at the very least, heavily wounded in this initial assault. With his teeth gritted, TJ watched as here on the north wall, the defenders threw everything they could at the enemy. Rocks, spears, arrows, and cinderblocks flew freely through the air as they descended on the initial charge. Less than half of the javelinas went down, and nine plowed into the wall. It didn¡¯t shatter, but several of the logs shifted and tumbled down with that attack. Zealots reached down and struck viciously, but the javelinas pulled back to allow the pukwudgies to jump through the exposed weakness. Dozens of the goblins filled the space, their spears jabbing at everyone nearby. People screamed on every side of the walls as the first real contact with the enemy began. Staying hunched behind a wall, TJ struck out with his Spear again and again, the blood of his enemies coating the leather and strengthening the bone. There was nothing to do but keep killing. Acolytes tried to keep their distance, but there were too many enemies. Farid held a spear in each hand and danced through the stubby swarming beasts, but his every movement was deadly. Sarah, on the other hand, was a brute, her weapon and shield both slaying with every moment. As TJ listened to the wind to make sure he was ready for the wendigos¡¯ arrival, Connor blitzed past, his shield glowing with divine power. Pukwudgies were pulped under his charge, and his war pick ended the lives of anything that managed to survive initial contact. The Zealot continued trucking through the pukwudgies, never stopping and allowing those behind him to gather themselves. TJ needed to stop watching, though, as the winds whispered of the approaching ¡°cold monsters¡±. Though he was already difficult for the monsters to find, TJ lashed out three more times, his spear slaying with each movement. Then, before the wendigos¡¯ heads could peek over the wall, he ducked behind a thick supporting post. The battle raged on, and TJ heard Granny Penny shriek a wordless battle cry somewhere behind him, but he needed to ensure the Elites were dealt with. ¡°Come on in!¡± Sarah screamed to the skull-faced monsters. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of whoopass left for you!¡± One leapt up, claws flashing, but Sarah shield bashed it away. While she was so occupied, though, the other two easily scaled around her and went for her flanks. Sarah and Farid both focused on the one on her right, so while the one on the left thought he had an open shot, ice gleamed on his hand and he thrust it forward towards her spine. TJ took that perfect moment to strike it down. With Prehistoric Huntsman strengthening his ambush attack, he knew just where and how to strike. Ordinarily, the Bloodied Wendigo Spear was a stabbing weapon, but against a skeletal creature like the wendigos, the long, thick blade could be used almost as a poleaxe. Then, strengthened with a dozen monsters¡¯ lifeblood, the weapon was strong, strong enough to bite deep when TJ swung it at the wendigo¡¯s spine. Its curling ram¡¯s horns protected its nape. There was nothing but its monstrous spine exposed and when the Spear met spine, Spear won. A bisected wendigo fell to the ground and the other two, seeing their companion fall, turned to TJ. Their glowing icy blue eyes flashed, and both cried out in unison, ¡°The sibling slayer!¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 113 ¡°The eldest has laid claim on your head.¡± One said. ¡°The rest are ours.¡± The other said. ¡°We will feast on their bones.¡± ¡°Yes, we shall¡ª¡± Sarah didn¡¯t care for their conversation and flashed forward with her dashing Skill. The first that¡¯d spoken attempted to escape and raised its claws to block her, but Sarah¡¯s axe struck true. With her Strength and Skills, she cut through its magically strengthened fingers and lopped the monologuing monster¡¯s skull from its shoulders. ¡°Suck it!¡± She shouted as she closed in on the other wendigo. Now that it was sufficiently prepared, though, it sent waves of frost wardingly at TJ and Sarah as it disengaged. It tried to flee, but Farid launched a pair of spears into its legs. It leaned down and grabbed an errant pukwudgie corpse into its arms. TJ and Sarah pushed forward, trying to kill it before it could make its escape. It let out a wordless scream of fear and rage, causing ice to shoot out in every direction from the creature. TJ raised the Shroud in front of himself to cover and protect his face from the sharpened shards. As soon as he could see clearly again, he saw the wendigo fleeing. It leaned down and took a bite from the pukwudgie corpse, causing the spears lodged in its legs to fall free. The Elites on this side of the fort dealt with, TJ turned his attention to the rest of the mundane monsters. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Two of the walls had large holes broken in them. Pukwudgies swarmed over three struggling Participant bodies, and TJ whipped the Spear through the air to create a 20 foot-long scythe of wind. He threw it forward and bisected a dozen of the creatures. Every thought he¡¯d had of holding back for the benefit of others was washed away as the three Participants buried in pukwudgies went limp. Elsewhere, the pukwudgies and wendigo-bred coyotes took note of how the battle¡¯s balance was shifting. Several of the weakest Participants had been swarmed, and TJ knew that there were deaths. But, as the strongest Participants killed the monsters occupying them, they turned to slaughter those harming their fellows. The four intelligent types of monsters went to flee, including the two Elites that TJ could see. They retreated, leaving hundreds of monster corpses behind, and the Participants didn¡¯t let them leave without their pound of flesh. On the other hand, there were two types of genuinely stupid monsters that didn''t care about the odds or how much support they got from the other monsters. Javelinas savaged whatever they could reach, but since their charge was long over, they were quickly dispatched. On the other hand were the Gila Monstrosities. He hadn¡¯t noticed that there were several of the Monstrosities that had broken into the fort. Three lay dead and two more remained fighting. Before TJ could get there, Jeff threw himself from a dozen feet away on top of one. He stabbed repeatedly with a thick hunting knife, and the beast screamed in rage as one of its eyes was punctured. Its companion went to rip the weaker Zealot off but others came to his aid. Everywhere else, dead and dying monsters filled the fort, but so too were there heavily injured or even dead Participants. As TJ watched, Stanton raised his pistol and it transformed to a rifle in his hands. He squeezed a single shot off and the Raven Mocker, trying to escape, exploded in a ball of feathers. Lailani did¡­ something TJ couldn¡¯t understand, and a puff of mist exploded into wisps of smoke that disappeared. The Elites defeated, the rest of the rabble monsters tried to escape, rushing over and through the walls however they could. ¡°Kill as many as you can!¡± TJ commanded as he lunged out with his Spear. It cut easily through every monster it reached, but his inexperience and lack of any Skill to guide his strikes kept him from being nearly as effective as any Zealot or Acolyte. While he paced himself on slaughtering the creatures, he watched Molly go absolutely ballistic. As a Lightning Dog, she leapt out of the safety of the walls and ravaged everything she could reach. Her snarls were punctuated by claps of thunder, and TJ hoped she was safe as she slew everything she could reach. While he worried what had set her off, TJ saw Tessie rise from the ground. She was covered in still dripping blood, but it was obvious she¡¯d been assisted by a Disciple as she raised her hand and her Sacred Weapon bow appeared in her hands. Wiping blood from her eyes, the teenager started drawing and shooting with reckless abandon. Though she missed frequently, with dozens of pukwudgies fleeing as the Participants rallied, several of the goblins died to her attacks. Groans of pain filled the air as the last of the attackers within the fort were slain. TJ decided he¡¯d had enough of the monsters, and turning to Stanton, called out, ¡°I¡¯m going out, if you can keep people here safe for three minutes.¡± Stanton merely nodded, the brim of his cowboy hat darkening his face as he looked at the massacre around them. TJ leapt out of the cover of the fort and activated Divine Transformation and Divine Manifestation on Wind Manipulation. His MP dropped faster than ever, with the enhanced Silver tier Skill pairing with Manifestation, but the wind and skies screamed their rage in conjunction with TJ. A maelstrom descended from the heavens, surrounding the entire fort. The visibly whipping winds compressed for a moment before exploding outward in a blade two feet off the ground. TJ¡¯s vision flashed with dozens and hundreds of kill notifications as his hasty rage bisected everything in its way. Two tiers of Divinity lay between the rabble and TJ¡¯s Skill, and throwing everything that his Class, Skills, and Divine Authority had at the enemy shredded them mercilessly. The raging tempest of wind drowned out every other sound, whether it was the cries of the pukwudgies or the groans of pain from the Participants. Nearly as fast as it¡¯d begun, though, the manifestation of a god¡¯s rage died and TJ collapsed to the ground. He remained in his coatl form, laying on the ground. He¡¯d gained another level in each his Class, Occupation, and Race, and more than ever, he missed the healing and refilling of his resources with a new level from outside of this damn siege. Looking at it, his MP had been entirely depleted by that move, and more than the headaches and discomfort that getting close to empty had been, this was agony. His head throbbed with each heartbeat and his whole body ached. More than merely being wrung out, he felt as if a giant had grabbed him by his head with one hand and, with the other, held him tight at the neck and squoze everything down his entire length. ¡°Shit.¡± Sarah called from the fort. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was an option!¡± She, Molly, and Stanton jogged over to TJ. ¡°You gonna live, sensei?¡± Molly asked with a hopeful smile. ¡°I¡¯ll live. That took everything out of me and I need some real rest now.¡± Stanton merely grunted and bent down. After looking TJ up and down, the old man said, ¡°You gonna change back or what, kid?¡± It took a surprising amount of mental effort to deactivate Divine Transformation, and when he did, for the first time in weeks, TJ shifted back with his clothes all in a disarray, his Spear, Shroud, and Remnant on the ground beside him. Fortunately, he¡¯d managed to keep his underwear on, but everything else needed to be rearranged. TJ groaned as he realized it. ¡°You must really be tired!¡± Molly said as she averted her gaze. ¡°I haven¡¯t had that problem in a long time!¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± TJ groaned and closed his eyes tight, even the muffled light from above the storming clouds hurting him. ¡°Stanton, help me get my pants on? I can¡¯t really look.¡± ¡°Sure, kid. Put your leg here?¡± TJ had almost thought his friend would give him a hard time, to tease or mock, but he got none of that. Instead, Stanton was kind, patient, and experienced in helping someone dress themselves. TJ remembered how Marva had died, and realized that Stanton must have been her primary caretaker to the end. Fortunately, the light rain hid any tears that might have wet his cheeks thinking of that. A minute later, TJ had pants on and he didn''t care about the rest for now. All that he needed to do was to get behind the walls and let himself recover much more than he could out here. As Sarah and Stanton supported his faltering steps back to within the bounds of the fort, TJ swallowed hard and asked the question that he needed to. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Not sure.¡± Stanton replied, his voice barely above a whisper. Without asking, he still knew what TJ was asking about. ¡°At least five, but I¡¯d guess ten. The Disciples are doing their best, though, and I¡¯ll help out however I can once we get you back to safety.¡± TJ took a shuddering breath. Then another. And a third. ¡°Should¡­ I have done more? Should I have tried to kill them all like that as soon as they appeared?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Sarah responded easily. ¡°It could have helped save lives right now. Do you think you could have killed all of them when they appeared?¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± he replied, his head pounding in agony. ¡°Really? I thought you were smart enough for that to have been a no.¡± Sarah looked down at TJ as he answered. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re a little delusional, because you didn¡¯t kill all of them right now. You sure cut down most of them, but all? Not even. If you can¡¯t kill half of them when they¡¯re running away, why do you think you¡¯d be able to get them all?¡± ¡°Slowing them down¡ª¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have done shit.¡± Stanton interrupted. ¡°People need to get stronger. We¡¯ve been in a garden until now, but now, we¡¯re in the jungle, and it¡¯s trying to kill everyone. I¡¯m sorry it got some people, but there¡¯s no way we¡¯d all have survived this.¡± TJ forced himself to nod. Then, as he was helped through the shattered remains of the southern wall, TJ looked at the devastation that surrounded him. Walls were shattered, hundreds of dead monster bodies filled the space, and human injured and deceased filled the space. TJ witnessed the wounded, their suffering, but he forced himself to look at the seven dead. Flesh had been ripped from their bones, and pukwudgie spear puncture wounds filled their torsos. Faces screwed up in agony and terror haunted TJ, and he fought to keep himself from vomiting. Weeping and cries of agony echoed around the fort and pulled him from his self-recrimination, and TJ wanted to run away. Despite the reassurances from his companions, he felt responsible for it, somehow, like he could have done more to help. Instead of accusing looks, though, Farid jogged up. ¡°Thank you, TJ. You¡¯ve helped us so much, for guiding us and being here for us. Thank you.¡± TJ nodded, but Penny walked up and grabbed both his hands in her own before taking them up to her lips and kissing them. ¡°You saved me. Thank you.¡± After kissing his hands, Penny reached up and pinched his cheek with one hand. Despite her teasing, tears of gratitude filled her eyes. Others walked up to him and extended hands and smiles of gratitude. It didn¡¯t take away from the suffering in his heart that spiked every time he turned and saw the line of mutilated human corpses, but it helped him calm down enough to sit in a comfortable position and get comfortable. He tried to let himself slip into Meditation, but instead, the oblivion of sleep claimed him. ¡°Wake up, TJ! It¡¯s time!¡± shouted someone in his ear, and he sat bolt upright with his heart thundering. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 114 When TJ looked at his clock, he saw that hours had passed. A System notification flashed in the corner of his eyes and he acknowledged it. Wave 1 of 3 of assault on the Pine, Arizona general store, complete. 30 minute extermination period, begin. Time until wave 2 of 3 of assault on the Pine, Arizona general store: 27:42 ¡°What¡¯s this extermination period?¡± TJ asked as he looked around for some divine destroyer. Was there something they¡¯d done wrong? What was happening? ¡°It¡¯s the penalty the monsters face if they don¡¯t attack the fort in time.¡± David explained. The older man, one who worked with Penny in many things, had been the one to wake TJ. ¡°And sorry about the rude awakening. You just didn¡¯t respond to anything else.¡± ¡°I get it.¡± TJ replied as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. Had he really been asleep for almost five hours? ¡°I¡¯ve always slept like a rock.¡± ¡°Thanks. But we saw a couple of the monsters that failed to do what they were supposed to. They were running towards the fort but just dropped dead before they could get here.¡± ¡°Well, nice to have the reassurance that they can¡¯t just all wait until ten thousand throw themselves at us at the same time.¡± TJ said as he yawned and stretched. As soon as he did so, he felt ready for whatever was coming. The rains overhead continued to fall, and with so long recovering with Storm Soul and Divine Authority, he was back at full. His head still ached, but he was fighting fit. David nodded as he walked away, focused on other things. TJ looked around until he found Farid, who stood beside Sarah and Tessie. The teenager hung back, looking a little awkward, but she continued watching everything outside of the walls with commendable vigilance. ¡°Glad you got some rest, TJ.¡± Farid greeted as he approached. ¡°You needed it after that killer tornado.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± TJ grumbled as he hopped up onto the wall. ¡°What happened while I was out?¡± ¡°You killed most of the attackers with that huge attack.¡± Farid shrugged. ¡°We estimate that, of the 2,500 in wave one, you killed just under 1,000 of them. The rest of us have, we think, killed a bit over 1,200 of the rest. The other 300 tried to mount an attack, but with everyone already angry about that first wave of attacks, it was a slaughter. Nobody else died on our side.¡± TJ sighed. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°With you out for then, there were a couple people afraid of what might happen while you needed to rest. Seeing you collapse also kept anyone from complaining about how you¡¯d been holding back or whatever. Laura also kept anyone else from running their mouths. Then there was Stanton¡­¡± She trailed off, letting TJ imagine whatever his old friend had done. ¡°Thanks.¡± TJ said and meant it. ¡°I totally exhausted my MP, so it was a miracle I got back to the fort at all. Thanks for the help.¡± ¡°¡®Course.¡± Sarah shrugged. ¡°Farid, don¡¯t mind me asking, but why are you still here?¡± TJ asked, changing the subject as he looked at the handsome Indian man. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked with a cocked head. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you go lay a bunch of traps before they start to come?¡± Farid chuckled as he understood. ¡°Ah. You are not wrong! Unfortunately, as a Dirt tiered Occupation, it is very MP expensive for me to create traps. I¡¯ve gone out and exhausted myself every hour creating more. I wish there¡¯d been a safer way for me to prepare them before the siege, but in retrospect, I think I should have done so, disregarding the potential danger that would pose to the others.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have figured.¡± TJ apologized as he kept his eyes out on the surroundings. ¡°Perhaps.¡± Farid shrugged. ¡°But you have become our leader, and it makes sense you would like to ensure that we are all pulling our weights.¡± TJ opened his mouth to disagree but realized he couldn¡¯t in good faith. Instead, he nodded his thanks to the Acolyte. Then, he peered around to look for Stanton. Not seeing the old man immediately, TJ turned to ask the people with him. Tessie, surprisingly, was the one to understand and respond quickest. ¡°He¡¯s behind the store, in his little garden.¡± ¡°Thanks, Tessie. How are you? I saw you got hurt in that wave?¡± TJ asked before going to do anything else. The teenager¡¯s face blanched as he asked. After a moment, she replied. ¡°I¡¯m ok. It¡­ really hurt, what happened then, but I¡¯m ok. Laura got to me fast enough to keep me¡­ alive.¡± She choked on the last word. TJ reached out a hand and put it on Tessie¡¯s head. The girl sniffled but didn¡¯t push it away. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. Do you need to stay a bit further back on the next wave?¡± She sniffled as she shook her head no. ¡°Sounds good. Let me know if you need anything, alright?¡± TJ asked. Tessie nodded. ¡°Good. I¡¯m gonna go check with Stanton.¡± TJ walked away towards Stanton¡¯s garden. As he did so, he truly looked around the fort for the first time since he¡¯d rushed out to kill as many pukwudgies as possible. Two of the walls showed where they¡¯d been breached, rubble and shattered wood stacked in an attempt to recreate the barricades that¡¯d protected them before, to varying levels of success. Instead of right angles and walkways, the holes were filled with whatever would impede the attackers¡¯ approach. The defenders¡¯ faces didn¡¯t show any dirt or filth, the constant shower of rain washing away the most obvious signs of injury. Even so, many eyes remained reddened, and nobody walked without a weapon in hand, Disciples included. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Tutorial was ending, and with it, any innocence or irrational hope that the Participants had held onto. Though he lamented it, TJ felt it was necessary and he moved his attention to instead check his Status. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Semi-Divine Human ¨C lvl 22 Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte lvl 22 Occupation: Savage Shaman lvl 23 Level of Divinity: Copper (I) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 2890/2890 Mana Points (MP): 2790/2790 Stamina: 2570/2570 Attributes Strength: 147+5(+29) Agility: 125(+25) Endurance: 214(+43) Vitality: 234+8(+47) Toughness: 177+5(+35) Wisdom: 152(+30) Intelligence: 227+7(+45) Perception: 170(+34) Willpower: 210(+42) Fixation: 231+3(+46) Free Points: 25 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Evolutionary Frontrunner Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 0:00/4:29:30 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Current cooldown: 0:00 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Storm Coatl ¨C lvl 22 Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte lvl 22 Occupation: Savage Shaman lvl 23 Level of Divinity: Copper (I) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 5700/5700 Mana Points (MP): 5520/5520 Stamina: 5140/5140 Attributes Strength x2.5: 368+5(+74) Agility x2: 250(+50) Endurance x2: 428(+86) Vitality x2: 468+8(+94) Toughness x2.5: 443+5(+89) Wisdom x1.5: 228(+46) Intelligence x2: 454+7(+91) Perception x2: 340(+68) Willpower x1.5: 315(+63) Fixation x2: 462+3(+92) Free Points: 25 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter Evolutionary Frontrunner Divine Trial Records (Copper (I)): 0 Minor, 0 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial With how high his Attributes were climbing, especially Toughness as a coatl, TJ felt more and more assured with his current plan for how to ensure the fort remained standing after this second wave. Every Attribute was growing insanely quickly with every level, and TJ wanted to feel some measure of pride for where he was now. After all, he was at least 20x as strong as he¡¯d been in any Attribute at the beginning of the Tutorial. Even so, he knew that he could be hurt, or killed. He divvied up his Free Points, 3 in Strength, 5 Agility, 3 Intelligence, and 9 Fixation, and then, not sure where to put the other 5, left them alone for now. As soon as he¡¯d made the decision, TJ met eyes with Stanton, who sat in his garden, watching TJ¡¯s approach. The old man grunted and gestured for TJ to take a seat. He didn¡¯t mind and sat in the muddy dirt. Funny how he couldn¡¯t bring himself to care about those kinds of things at this point. Instead, he enjoyed the smell of life that filled the air near the garden. ¡°Pretty good grove, huh?¡± Stanton asked with a smile of pride. ¡°Thanks for the rain, even though there might be a bit too much of it.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°I think the help it¡¯ll give us will be more important that your little garden.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Druid¡¯s grove.¡± Stanton frowned as he replied. ¡°Not like I¡¯d expect a big old snake like you to appreciate that. TJ raised his hands in apology. ¡°My bad. I just wanted to check on you. And Lailani, if I can find her. The more levels I get as Copper is making me more and more worried about what we¡¯re going to do about the Boss and the Copper monster that¡¯re coming.¡± Stanton sat back and nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll get the girl to come to talk about it. We should have some sort of a plan before it¡¯s too late.¡± As soon as he said as much, Stanton plucked a single, large leaf from one of the Lifeblooms near him. Then, after scraping his nail across it in a pattern, the leaf flew away and whipped around a corner before TJ lost sight of it. The wind told him it went inside the store, and then it didn¡¯t want to follow the little thing inside. ¡°That from your new Occupation?¡± TJ asked, impressed. ¡°Yeah. Copper is¡­ very different.¡± Stanton replied with a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t feel really¡­ human anymore. Too different.¡± ¡°I get it.¡± TJ commiserated before changing the uncomfortable subject. ¡°Did you figure out what thes plants all do? All I got from them is that they¡¯re pretty strong and can live longer.¡± ¡°Plenty.¡± Stanton answered, but he obviously took special glee in not giving TJ the information he¡¯d requested. Before TJ asked again, Lailani stepped out and towards them. ¡°You wanted me, Stanton?¡± She said, hands clasped behind her back. ¡°Both of us.¡± Stanton clarified. ¡°You¡¯re the only other Copper here in the Tutorial, and you¡¯ll be really important as you keep getting levels. How many levels have you gotten in Copper?¡± ¡°Six.¡± She answered, looking embarrassed. ¡°Just the three from evolving, and a couple more in my Class. I can feel that my Occupation is close, though! The Chindis are good experience for my Occupation, so I think I¡¯ll get some more levels soon!¡± ¡°Them specifically?¡± TJ asked, curious. ¡°What¡¯s your Occupation?¡± ¡°... ¨Cassin.¡± the nervous girl muttered, embarrassed. ¡°What was that?¡± TJ pushed again. ¡°Metaphysical Assassin.¡± She answered, raising her head but keeping her eyes averted. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s edgy, but it was the best Occupation offered, and it was a boon from killing the first Chindi in the Tutorial, ok?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what its name is, sounds like it¡¯ll help a lot!¡± TJ replied, holding both hands up in as placating a gesture as he could manage. ¡°I just didn¡¯t hear you that first time. My Occupation is ¡®Savage Shaman¡¯, so I get the idea that the names are maybe a bit much. I don¡¯t care. I just wanted to work out a plan with you two about how we¡¯re going to deal with the Copper tier threats that¡¯re coming our way.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lailani¡¯s face puckered up like she¡¯d eaten something sour. Her tanned skin flushed as she blushed in embarrassment. TJ didn¡¯t call attention to the poor teen, regretting that the girl was being forced to the front of these upcoming conflicts. ¡°So, I think your Skills are focused on supporting and killing spirits, right? Your Divine Transformation isn¡¯t focused on physicality like mine, right?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s almost entirely mental Attributes.¡± The girl confirmed. ¡°A lot of my Skills are more focused on making everyone else stronger because I¡­ don¡¯t like to fight.¡± Her voice trailed off as she spoke, but TJ didn¡¯t mind. ¡°I get it. Honestly, I was going to suggest you stay back and let me get up close and personal with the monsters anyways. I¡¯m getting better and better at just taking hits, so that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do.¡± The three Copper tier Participants conversed together for a good 20 minutes, trying to decide what they¡¯d do in this second wave to make sure that they were supporting and protecting the rest of the Participants better and allowing them to gain more experience, because the third wave was going to be bloody. As the countdown reached zero minutes left in the ¡°extermination period¡±, they stood up and made themselves ready for the second fight, more prepared for what was coming this time around. It was just in time, as the System gave another warning.: Wave 2 of 3 of assault on the Pine, Arizona general store, begin. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 115 TJ hopped onto the nearest to one of the breaches. He looked out over the plains, the killing fields. Hundreds of twisted pukwudgie corpses remained outside of the walls, but they¡¯d been brought in much closer to the walls to serve as an additional bulwark to break any heavy cavalry charges as they came in. Stacks of monster corpses nearly two feet high surrounded the perimeter of the walls, a couple feet outside of the reaches of the branches. Maybe it would facilitate a few pukwudgies¡¯ attacks, but their approach was less devastating than some of the larger monsters¡¯ ability to destroy defences. As he watched, nothing moved. He wasn¡¯t deceived though, as there would be thousands of pukwudgies ready to attack the walls at any time. He kept the winds focused, as well as he could, on letting him know where the first pukwudgies to attack were coming from. TJ¡¯s attention strained, trying to make sure he didn¡¯t miss whatever was coming for the fort. He¡¯d made plans, and he¡¯d stand by them, dammit. Looking back and forth with every sense he had, though, there was nothing. No monster of any kind, unless it was a Chindi, which he had difficulty sensing. Five minutes passed, and still, there was nothing. Ten minutes passed, and still, there was nothing. Thirty minutes passed, and still, there was nothing. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When an hour had passed without anything approaching the fort, frayed nerves had fallen apart so much that people were grumbling at each other so fiercely that TJ suspected there was some sort of foul play. When he checked his Status for any afflictions, though, there was nothing. ¡°Has anyone seen anything?¡± Someone shouted, opening the floodgates for dozens of voices to chime in. Stanton shouted in a way that cracked through the rest of the rabble. They went silent as he speculated, ¡°They¡¯re up to something. ¡°Not only are they holding back, they know what the consequences are for failing to attack, so they¡¯re planning something. The only thing I can think of is that they¡¯re going to charge us with all their numbers near the end of the six hours we have.¡± TJ thought about it as well and realized he couldn¡¯t think of any other options for what they would be doing either. ¡°We don¡¯t know what happens if monsters are in the act of attacking the fort when the extermination period begins, but I¡¯m willing to bet the System has no problem with it. So, we might be in for a brutal night. The sun will be down, and if we have 7,500 monsters attacking us all at once, then I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re going to be able to do.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to whittle down their numbers somehow.¡± TJ said. ¡°Is anyone willing to accompany me on ranged, strafing runs on the monsters? I¡¯m not willing to go into the forest and get swarmed, but from the edge, we might be able to pick some off.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve gotta, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill every last one of the fuckers!¡±¡¯ ¡°This is for everyone they murdered!¡± ¡°Hell yes I¡¯m doing it!¡± Every Acolyte raised their hands and answered that question while at least half of the Zealots also chimed in. ¡°We¡¯ll go in rotations, then.¡± Stanton said. ¡°We can¡¯t leave the fort undefended. TJ, you with three Zealots and six Acolytes. Throw everything you have at the first thing you see, then retreat. Farid, do you need to go with them to make sure they don¡¯t trigger any traps?¡± ¡°I probably should.¡± Farid answered. ¡°I¡¯ll be on each, but not spend any resources as I go to ensure I can keep going.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± TJ answered as he started to pick out who would be the first group to strike back. ¡ª- Less than 15 minutes later, the first strike team was ready. Farid, Connor, and Seth were the strongest three to accompany them, except for TJ himself. As soon as they left the bounds of the fort, TJ activated Divine Transformation as he warned them, ¡°I¡¯m not going to be focused on killing when we approach. My focus will be on ensuring that I can protect us all from any ambush. As soon as we begin pulling back, that¡¯s when I¡¯ll deal a final blow to cover our retreat. Got it?¡± A chorus of agreement rose up as he spoke. The assurance from the strongest in the Tutorial that he¡¯d focus on keeping them safe was one of the primary reasons why many of them had come. As the ten people made their way to the edge of the forest, TJ continued talking to the wind, listening to what it had to say about where he could find some monsters. Most of them were holding still, so the winds couldn''t feel them very well. On the other hand, Seth¡¯s eyes were focused on one thing in particular and TJ was more than willing to follow the Avenger¡¯s sense of where his enemies were. Farid gave two quick instructions on where not to step, and nobody else did anything but follow Seth¡¯s steps forward. As soon as they were within 50 feet of the trees, Seth muttered under his breath, just loud enough for the rest of the Participants to hear him, ¡°Maybe 20 feet back from the closest trees. There¡¯s a pack of coyotes with pukwudgies overhead. I¡¯ll focus on the pukwudgies, you all go for the coyotes. They¡¯re just behind that thick patch of bushes. On my call. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, fire.¡± He never raised his voice. He didn¡¯t shout fire. But the second the word left his mouth, he hoisted up his crossbow and fired one bolt. When it hit a tree, though, TJ suspected Seth had missed. The bolt exploded, sending fiery shrapnel in every direction. The Acolyte didn¡¯t slow, drawing another bolt into position as he wrenched the crossbow¡¯s action back into place. All of the other Acolytes sent their strongest attacks forward while the Zealots hefted their rocks and cinderblocks. Seth sent another shot into a different tree¡¯s canopy and it burst with a deafening detonation while pukwudgie corpses fell from the skies. TJ watched as the forest exploded with at least a dozen Skills¡¯ rage. Pukwudgies screamed and coyotes cried out. Though he hadn¡¯t killed them himself, at least 60 death notifications trailed up in the corner of his vision. The monsters weren¡¯t going to take it lying down, though, and the winds excitedly warned him of hundreds of monsters approaching. ¡°Pull back!¡± He commanded, but nobody needed the warning. They all retreated as the site of their attack was reduced to refuse. The smoldering heaps of bodies and branches were all that remained, and the attackers fled back the way they came. Hundreds of pukwudgies flowed out of the treeline, shrieking a challenge. Before TJ could send his own attack forward, Seth prepared his third shot. He staggered, much of his resources obviously spent on his previous attacks, but he sent his third and final attack into the center of a javelina cavalry. For the first time, TJ saw the effect of whatever that Skill was without anything in the way. When the bolt lodged in the body of a javelina, the creature¡¯s body erupted with fiery red light that coursed underneath its skin for less than a second. Then, with a wet boom, the body burst into meaty shrapnel, shredding through its rider and coating everything within 40 feet. A dozen javelinas stumbled in the shockwave, and most of the riders were knocked from their mounts and trampled under the feet of their allies. Zealots threw whatever they had ready at the attacking monsters, to limited effect. Their stones and blocks knocked the frontrunners into those behind them, to trip their fellows and be trampled themselves, but still, hundreds of enraged monsters rushed onward. ¡°My turn.¡± TJ hissed as he made sure he was in the back of the line. Without empowering it further than its baseline Silver tier of Divinity, TJ sent a 100 foot-long scythe of wind towards their pursuers on the side that Seth hadn¡¯t attacked. As the zephyr screamed into existence, it ripped through bodies, blood and viscera fountaining into the air. Pukwudgies screamed in terror as an implacable Skill far beyond their understanding slaughtered dozens and then a hundred. The Skill¡¯s potency died before it ripped into the furthest ranks of the monsters, but it was more than enough to make them fear continuing to follow the Participants. TJ allowed himself a single, predatory smile. After all, this was necessary if they were going to survive the upcoming siege. [Stanton POV] As that damned wind explosion died down and the rain of monster parts ceased, Stanton finally let himself take a breath. He never regretted taking the Skills he had, and he knew that, for consistently wounding and killing larger, more dangerous things, he either already outclassed or soon would outclass TJ. The gun, Skills, and Class he had all guaranteed it. But when it came to these¡­ for lack of a better way of putting it, godly displays of power, TJ was unmatched. Ever since that Tribulation, he¡¯d been more than half a monster himself. It was both heartening to have a friend like that on his side as well as terrifying to think of so many of the power-obsessed assholes he¡¯d known in his life. If they got to TJ¡¯s position¡­ They¡¯d need to be put down. Fortunately, Stanton had already put himself in the position to be able to do that. The new Skills he had were built for just that kind of thing. Even so, as TJ followed behind the other hunters that¡¯d gone out there to cull the monsters¡¯ numbers, Stanton saw what this System was made to make. He himself had made the decision to be a soldier here. He¡¯d be a damned good one. But TJ was becoming a god. The tornado that he¡¯d made earlier¡­ Stanton had seen what a squad with M60¡¯s could do. TJ¡¯s outburst there was just as gory, but done by one man in about seven seconds. That man was more tender-hearted than any other that Stanton had heard of engaging in those acts of slaughter, so Stanton supposed he counted himself lucky to consider TJ a friend. Of course, the other side of that was the terror that would be visited on the world if the System had actually taken Junior away, permanently. If there was nothing holding TJ back¡­ Stanton looked at the carnage left behind. With his enhanced Perception, he could still see the red mist from the shredded bodies filtering down with the steady, soft rainfall. The echoes of the winds¡¯ rage still resounded over the fort, and the remains from him doing the same thing mere hours before remained surrounding the fort. With a heavy breath, Stanton tore his attention away from the semi-trailer length snake, instead focusing on the other people who¡¯d been selected to enter his team. ¡°We can¡¯t let the scaly bastard out there get all the experience, can we?¡± The response wasn¡¯t quite as eager as he¡¯d have liked, but it was enough, and Stanton began the organization of his own team to slaughter the monsters that wanted to hunt them to the last. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 116 TJ watched as another foray to slaughter more of the monsters was only barely successful. After Stanton¡¯s attack, only the second one the monsters had sustained, they¡¯d all gone to ground. TJ swore his ears were still ringing after the painfully loud shots from Stanton¡¯s gun. Since he¡¯d been curious about what had killed the Raven Mocker so easily, he made sure to watch Stanton specifically. When the pistol shifted to have a stock and grew to several feet long, TJ wasn¡¯t sure what to think. When it then released shotgun blasts on automatic, TJ knew what to think. It was echoed by the people standing next to him. ¡°Holy crap.¡± Looking through the forest where Stanton had unleashed at least a dozen shots, TJ watched as several trees listed, then fell with booms. Whatever had been alive there wasn¡¯t any longer, as pulped flesh and mashed bodies were all that remained of the Acolyte¡¯s attack. He didn¡¯t seem too exhausted either as he continued to wait for the other members of the party to deal their damage. They strode a bit closer than TJ¡¯s group had, but still not within the cover of the forest and killed everything they could see. As the monsters rallied to fight back, they retreated, Stanton in the back. Even with him there, though, the monsters continued their pursuit, and for a moment, TJ worried that he¡¯d need to step in. He was wrong. As soon as a large group of monsters stepped out of the cover of the trees, Stanton stepped away from the rest of the Participants and ran along the broad side of the rushing beasts. There, he unleashed another barrage of buckshot. TJ had used a shotgun before and he knew what damage a .12 gauge with buckshot could do. What Stanton was doing was far beyond the limits of ordinary shells. Two rows of monsters exploded into red mist as each one of the shots hit them, and before long, every living being along that side of the attackers was reduced to so much pulped flesh. Stanton wasn¡¯t done at that point, because the creatures seemed to be unsure of what they were going to do about the insanely quick Acolyte harrying them. The old cowboy didn¡¯t hesitate. Seeming to choose to conserve his MP for now, Stanton drew a large bowie knife from his waist. Before TJ could react, he rushed into melee combat with the monsters and went about slitting throats with reckless abandon. Each of his movements was deadly, and though the pukwudgies and coyotes tried to reach him, he couldn¡¯t be stopped. It was almost like a ribbon dance as Stanton¡¯s knife dripped blood in fountains through the air. Whenever the trailing crimson faltered, he¡¯d bury the weapon deep in one of the monster¡¯s necks and flit away. Even though he was in striking distance of the monsters, Stanton refused to allow himself to be surrounded and continued engaging for a mere second, just long enough to strike a deadly blow on the nearest enemy. Then, he was back away and ready to kill another. The monsters screamed their rage and pressed in closer, determined to kill the reckless old man. That opened them up to the rest of the hunters. The Acolytes let every attack they could muster fly, dozens of monsters dying by the second. As javelinas and coyotes closed in, the Zealots in front of them spent their Skills recklessly to ensure that nearly every attack they ade was crippling or deadly. Flashes of light and cracking of bone filled the air. As the Gila Monstrosities closed in on the Zealots, they all turned to flee in unison. With roars of determination and fury, the monsters continued their charge forward. Meanwhile, as the rest of his hunting party pulled back, Stanton did too. He sprinted with inhuman swiftness away from the lines he¡¯d been fighting on and arrived back at the first just before the rest of the hunters did. ¡°Get ready to kill!¡± TJ commanded as the monsters continued chasing forward. ¡°Fresh Zealots, get ready to chase them down if they disengage!¡± Then, knowing how good of an opportunity this could be for the lower-leveled Participants, TJ sat back and watched. He hadn¡¯t bothered to use Ritualistic Transfer, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to heal anyone, but he could move quick enough, or react fast enough with Wind Manipulation, to keep the eager and less-experienced members of the Tutorial safer. There wasn¡¯t much need for him to do so. As they drew close, something seemed to pull the monsters back. Before they got into melee range of the walls, they slowed, allowing the frantic attacks from every Participant to fall among their ranks. Even so, they fled. ¡°Charge!¡± Screamed TJ as the creatures turned their backs. Every Zealot on the walls leapt over their bulwarks and rushed at the monsters. TJ himself didn¡¯t lead the way, but bolstered the sprinting Zealots with Wind Manipulation, putting the wind at their backs. As he did so, he thought of how he could do the opposite for the monsters, and conjured up a strong headwind to slow them. With his help, the Zealots tore into the retreating monsters. As javelinas fought to turn around and engage their attackers, Skills flashed and filled the air, enhanced strikes like Sarah¡¯s and explosive damage like Seth¡¯s annihilating everything they touched. With a dozen fighting fresh Zealots ripping into their flanks the monsters¡¯ numbers were quickly reduced. They turned back to threaten the Zealots, but with one final push, the Participants slaughtered another two dozen monsters and ran back to their fort. The monsters pursued for another moment, but as the Acolytes on the walls continued to press the attack, they gave up as another dozen of their number joined the dead. As the last stragglers from the force of several hundred beat a hasty, defeated retreat, a mere 50 or so remained alive. ¡°Can¡¯t have that.¡± Stanton grunted as he pulled Suzie out and leveled it at the monsters. Then, he held the gun much too high for the bullets to have a prayer of hitting the fleeing enemy. When he squeezed off a shot, it was a grenade that shot out. Or, not actually a grenade but a twisted fist-sized clump of roots. As it landed in the middle of the monsters, it burst out like an enormous, green octopus. The roots grabbed all but a few of the monsters and Stanton grunted in displeasure as the three enemies escaped. ¡°Go deal with it.¡± He shook a hand dismissively at the Zealots that¡¯d just hopped over the walls. ¡°But we just got here!¡± Joked one, though he was the first back over the wall and sprinted at the constrained targets. The Zealots all destroyed everything they could reach, wading through the struggling, frustrated creatures. Before long, an out of place clump of mossy roots was all that remained of that last vestige of resistance. After two engagements that had shredded through at least 600 of the monsters, they¡¯d had no small amount of faith in their plan. The monsters, unfortunately, refused to engage after that. Each sally they did forward would result in a paltry dozen or so of the enemies being killed. It wasn¡¯t long before it became apparent that Seth was the best person to be on those attacks, because he could reliably find a pocket with at least a couple dozen of the monsters, but even then, it was hardly worth it. ¡°Pity we can¡¯t always throw ourselves out at full power at every attack.¡± TJ mused with Stanton as the older man returned with a strike force that¡¯d found only a dozen monsters that were unable to escape their blitzed attack. While the attackers returned, TJ had been busy digging out a trench as fast as he could manage without running himself ragged. Most of the Disciples and Zealots had joined him, excavating a several feet deep pit with the dirt all piled on the side to make a smaller, secondary wall surrounding the walls of pukwudgie corpses and wood. ¡°Yeah.¡± The cowboy responded, sucking his teeth habitually. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be bad. But we probably need to pull our biggest hitters back now, make sure we¡¯re all at full when the 3,000 come. We haven¡¯t seen any Elites so far, and there should be about ten out there. They¡¯ll need our attention, and we can¡¯t exhaust ourselves on that wave or the Elites either, if we¡¯re right about the other monsters coming in bulk as soon as the third wave arrives.¡± TJ couldn¡¯t muster up a coherent response, instead merely sighing. Even if they thought they knew what the monsters¡¯ plans were, there was only so much they could do about it. They had the numbers, and the Copper tier was coming as an appetizer to the damned Boss. The System still refused to tell them how long of a recovery period they¡¯d have before they had to fight it. ¡°You ready for your part on this initial wave?¡± TJ asked the old man as he picked up a shovel and dug much faster than any ten men from before the Integration could hope to. ¡°You¡¯re the one with a hard part.¡± Stanton scoffed. ¡°You ready to plug some holes?¡± ¡°And make a lot more.¡± TJ shot back. ¡°There won¡¯t be much they can do about it.¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You sure seem sure of yourself. Hope you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I am.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°With how high my Toughness has gotten, I¡¯ll be nearly impossible for the weakest Dirt monsters to do anything to. The stronger ones, the ones over 20, will be able to do just a little, but I¡¯ll react nice and quick to them. Slowing that initial advance will be the most important part.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Stanton didn¡¯t seem to agree. ¡°We¡¯ll have Angelo on your side of the wall, just in case you need our best healer for your hubris.¡± TJ grunted as he wiped the mixture of sweat, mud, and rain from his brow. Checking the System¡¯s countdown, another three hours remained until the end of the wave, and the sun was almost all the way set already. They¡¯d struggled to figure out a way to shed any meaningful amount of light on the fields surrounding the fort, and after they realized that there wasn¡¯t any gasoline to power the single generator found in the back corner of the store, they gave up. With everyone gaining levels and getting marked increases to their Perceptions, nobody was entirely unable to see somewhat in the dark. The constant drizzle wasn¡¯t helping, but everyone could see at least 40 feet out into their surroundings. Farid went out preparing as many traps as he could manage while everyone else strengthened the battered fort as best as they could. Hours passed with little motion or commotion from the edges of the forest. As the sun set, they set people to watch on every side of the fort. The higher level Acolytes like Stanton could see at least a hundred feet out into the clearing. TJ, as a coatl, could see and smell far more than he should have been able to with the scent of mud and petrichor covering everything. As soon as the light of day truly faded, TJ settled into his position, though not as a coatl. After all, this might truly be a long battle, and if he was forced back into his human form while overwhelmed by hundreds of monsters, he¡¯d die. TJ sat in the rain, the mud under him seeping through his pants while the Shroud kept the rain from flicking his eyes. He fell into a nearly meditative state, but his focus was instead on his surroundings. An hour passed and someone brought him a wet but still warm steak with a salad beside it. He didn¡¯t even look down as he stuffed the meal into his mouth with both hands. The food sat comfortably in his stomach, but TJ didn¡¯t let it pull him from his focus. As the timer for the wave¡¯s completion ticked down to 32:06, the winds excitedly announced that things were moving. A lot of things. He stood, his empty paper plate forgotten. This would be a fight for his life. ¡°Ready! They¡¯re coming!¡± TJ shouted as the sounds of enraged monsters finally let loose echoed over the clearing. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 117 There was no time to waste, and TJ activated Divine Transformation. With his current Attributes, could keep the Skill up for four and a half hours, so he did the first thing that he, Stanton, and Lailani had planned. He laid on the ground just behind the ditch and wall that they¡¯d excavated just an hour before. As another tripping hazard and, hopefully, something that¡¯d draw the attention and ire of hundreds of monsters, he¡¯d keep the initial wave from gaining the walls. That first charge was the most important, and if he could keep one of the two large, previously breached ramparts from being overrun just as the assault began, it would be enough for the first step. Behind him, Participants hustled to fight off the thousands of enemies that needed to attack the fort in the next two minutes. They didn¡¯t have even that long to wait as the first javelinas and coyotes burst forward. The coyotes didn¡¯t struggle with the trench and barricade, simply leaping over. Fortunately, many of the pigs struggled to leap so adroitly. Many tumbled and fell as their hooves caught in the loose mud comprising the walls. Beyond that, there was TJ. He wasn¡¯t going to use his MP just yet, instead focusing himself on only striking with his jaws and coils for now. As the coyotes entered his range, he needed to do something or else they¡¯d rip into him or ignore him. With a hissing roar, TJ snapped out and caught a coyote¡¯s front legs in his jaws. He merely ground his jaws down and snapped both at once. The creature crippled, there was no need for him to pay it any more attention. More than killing them, he needed to slow the monsters. Since most of the monsters that¡¯d reached him were coyotes, his foot-thick body thrashing with his over 400 Strength was more than enough to snap legs like twigs and spines like kindling. The agonized squeals of the wendigo-raised coyotes filled the air, punctuated with the thuds of his body smashing against the ground again and again. Dozens of jaws and hundreds of teeth fought to pierce his scales, but the fast, intelligent coyotes lacked the strength to do more than lightly bruise him. TJ moved over like a rolling pin, tripping dozens of his assailants while squishing more. As the first of the javelinas crested the little hill, they charged down on him. Their tusks managed to pierce his skin, but only barely. With Divine Authority and Storm Soul, he recovered 1710 HP an hour or almost 30 HP a minute. His total trickled down, but nothing frightening yet. TJ continued to indulge the animalistic rage that¡¯d built inside him for the entirety of the Tutorial. For the first time in a long while, TJ fully let himself go. Instead of relying on one of his other additional Skills, he let his body, strengthened by Divine Authority and Primal Savagery, be his weapon. Everything that approached was smashed by his body or ripped into pieces by his jaws. Mud coated his body and served as another layer of defense. Like an implacable monster, TJ shredded every single creature that approached. When he started to feel real pain, TJ pulled himself from his inhuman frenzy. Several Gila Monstrosities were latched onto him at various places, and though their poison seemed to be something he could resist as a coatl, their jaws were strong enough to push their teeth into his flesh. He roared in response to the monsters¡¯ arrival, at the presence of creatures challenging his sovereignty. Even so, he refrained from using any Skills, instead changing from his mindless destruction. With three swift snaps of his jaws, he decapitated the Gila Monstrosities that were gnawing on him. As he reared up to look at the fort¡¯s current state, TJ was interrupted. A flurry of spears launched from near and far, all focused on his head. Most clattered off his scales, and one came dangerously close to his eye. Two, evidently from the damned long-ranged pukwudgies, pierced into his throat and made him gag. Fortunately, the spears only got an inch or two into his flesh. His breath wheezed, but he would survive. TJ turned and whipped his tail through a small battalion of pukwudgies. They went flying, bones cracking, and TJ made his retreat. He¡¯d slowed well over half of the monsters that¡¯d approached from this direction, and behind him, the defenders were easily holding their position. Axes, spears, and clubs were the most frequent weapons lashing out at pukwudgies. Unfortunately, even on this face, the occasional hit from a monster was enough to merit the defender being pulled back from the wall. Screams of terror, rage, and agony filled the air, and TJ launched himself over the frontmost wall of monsters trying to scale the shoddily repaired wall. In the air, TJ released Divine Transformation and pushed himself further into the fort. He landed without much trouble well within the bounds of safety and checked the timer until wave 3. 27:32 ¡°How¡¯s it only been three minutes?¡± TJ asked aloud. Then, refocusing himself, he hopped onto the grocery store¡¯s roof to look at the walls. As soon as he went up, Angelo hopped next to him and began pumping some healing into him. As the Disciple Medic healed him, TJ first looked at his resources to evaluate what he was going to do moving forward. Health Points (HP): 2017/2890 Mana Points (MP): 2710/2790 Stamina: 1768/2570 That wasn¡¯t as bad as he¡¯d thought it might be. The care he¡¯d taken to preserve his MP would allow him to go a little wild for a little while, but he needed to reserve himself for the beginning of wave 3. There wasn¡¯t anything to do about his Stamina, but he was holding steady. TJ pulled his attention back to the walls as Angelo pushed his HP nearly to full. Stanton¡¯s bulwark was holding steady, though it seemed to be struggling. Just when TJ considered going to support them, Rebekkah stepped forward from the back lines and covered her fists with flames. Then, darting forward, she smashed through three of the pukwudgies that¡¯d gained the walls. Each punch flared with light and drove the monsters back. Surprisingly, Leilani¡¯s wall showed no signs of struggle, every defender fighting hard. TJ noticed that the rain on her wall glowed a faint, lively green. The humans in that rain didn¡¯t tire and their wounds visibly healed as they fought. Then there was the fourth wall, unmanned by a Copper, sandwiched between TJ and Stanton. There, Farid, Connor, Sarah, Peter, and Molly fought desperately. Sarah fought decisively, though not so flashily as she had before. Everyone knew that if they exhausted themselves completely for this second wave, then they¡¯d absolutely die on the third. Even so, they needed to not die on this second wave, so everyone was fighting to understand what the lines they needed to stay within were. The lynchpin of their defence was Molly. Instead of maintaining a position on the wall and holding monsters back from it, Molly was a constantly moving menace. Whenever a pukwudgie raised its spear to throw at a Disciple, Molly was there ripping its throat out. Whenever a Gila Monstrosity began tearing into the walls to expose them to other monsters, Molly was on top of it, savaging it to death. Whenever a defender flagged, about to die, Molly was there to cover for their exhausted weakness. TJ forced himself to ignore the several unmoving bodies sitting in the middle of the fort. Instead, he shouted to Stanton, ¡°Elites?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve killed two wendigos!¡± He replied. ¡°Sight on one raven!¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Two Chindis here!¡± Lailani declared. ¡°No view of anything, but I feel two Ravens in the clouds!¡± As soon as she said it, TJ felt stupid. He extended his consciousness to the clouds above him and felt the two ravens there. With a rictus of a grin, he clapped his hands together, and in the skies, the clouds did the same. The fragile ravens disappeared once, twice, three times as they used their strange teleportation ability, but on TJ¡¯s fourth attack, there was no more they could do. Their twisted bodies fell unceremoniously from the sky. TJ didn¡¯t pay them any mind. ¡°That¡¯s six down! At least four more, maybe six!¡± ¡°Five more!¡± Seth shouted out as he shot an explosive bolt into a cluster of javelinas gathering themselves to charge down a wall. Two exploded as Seth continued to shoot an individual dead with each bolt. ¡°Three wendigos, one each of the others! Not sure where the Chindi is, but all three wendigos are there and the raven just retreated to the trees!¡± ¡°Lailani, you¡¯re on the Chindi!¡± TJ screamed as he turned to look at the little pack of wendigos. While he looked, Stanton raised his gun and Suzie transformed into a .50 cal. He sighted down her for a moment before squeezing a single shot off that blew the head off of one of the Elites immediately. ¡°I got the highest level one. Now I¡¯ll find the raven!¡± Stanton shouted. ¡°You take care of those two!¡± TJ didn¡¯t complain or say anything more, instead just running off the roof and pushing himself forward with the wind once again. The hundreds of crumpled bodies underneath him didn¡¯t matter. Only the two monsters over there. While still airborne, TJ activated Divine Transformation as he Appraised the two Elites. Wendigo, 21 Wendigo, 19 That wendigo being over level 20 was worrisome. TJ could kill it, for sure, but he wanted to keep as much of himself in reserve as possible. There was a possible solution that wouldn¡¯t cost too much though¡­ Without thinking harder about it, TJ strengthened Divine Transformation with Manifestation, drawing half of the cost for the Skill from the storm overhead. It would still last for another nine hours, and he didn¡¯t think the Boss was going to give them that long to recover. All of his Attributes surged, and TJ ignored the frost coating the flaming-eyed monsters. One tried to say something in warning to him, to screech some idiocy, but his life was at stake, Junior¡¯s freedom was in jeopardy. There wasn¡¯t a damned thing they could say that would stop him. TJ focused his attack on the weaker one first. The frost that coated his face threatened his vision, but TJ ducked low and caught a leg in his jaws. As he lifted the wendigo up, its claws sought his eyes. He whipped it down onto the ground. It sunk a couple inches into the muddy earth. The coatl dove down, but instead of opening his jaws to the claws that were looking to find his brain, he curved to the side and caught the head of the higher-leveled wendigo in his maw. It immediately tried to do something, but TJ didn¡¯t wait. It blew frigid air down his throat, but he merely continued biting down. With over 500 points in Strength, the wendigo¡¯s bones creaked and tried to resist, but it was mere seconds later that its spine cracked and the creature was decapitated. The weaker one turned to try to flee, and TJ spat the other skull out, accelerating the missile to the speed of a bullet. When it hit the other wendigo¡¯s spine, it blew straight through. With its spine as the only thing holding the skeletal creature together, it fell prostrate and TJ gave it no time to devour a corpse to survive. Seizing the monster¡¯s upper body in his jaws, TJ hurled the thing back towards the fort as he stopped drawing on the Storm¡¯s power through Divine Manifestation. ¡°Pull!¡± He warned Stanton, and before the Elite was halfway to the fort, its head exploded in a puff of blue flame and bone shrapnel. As he retreated back to the fort, TJ couldn¡¯t feel the Raven Mocker flying anywhere, and the mostly exterminated army of monsters was trying to pull back. Though exhausted, the defenders of Pine showed no quarter. Dozens more pukwudgies and coyotes fell at the assault of hardened, truly spent fighters. Just as soon as the creatures escaped, the defenders sagged to the ground. Mud, blood, viscera, rain, sweat, tears, and more covered every defender, conscious or not, living or dead. TJ looked at the Disciples. He didn¡¯t want to, but he had to ask. ¡°How many dead?¡± ¡°Another eight.¡± Laura replied, blood covering her hands, arms, and legs. She didn''t react to the crimson stains, simply sitting on the ground in numb, possibly defeated exhaustion. ¡°We¡¯re down to 78.¡± TJ muttered. ¡°Yeah.¡± Laura whispered. ¡°122 of all the people in here have died. The worst is yet to come. Have we hardened ourselves enough? Or will this crucible leave none of us alive?¡± TJ didn¡¯t have a response, simply checking the System¡¯s timer for how long remained, and seeing that it was a mere 22 minutes, he swiftly pushed himself into Meditation. After all, the third wave was about to arrive. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 118 It felt like mere minutes since he¡¯d begun to Meditate when he was shaken awake. As soon as the thought crossed TJ¡¯s head, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh at himself. It had been mere minutes. The extermination period had a mere minute left. As TJ stepped onto the walkway of the walls, he couldn''t help but notice how thrashed everything was. There weren¡¯t any more massive breaches in the barricades like had been made with the first wave, but all the branches that¡¯d been left to stave off the attackers were almost all ripped free. Even with the rain and constant steps and combat over them, human and monster blood painted the walls and walkways. Fifteen human bodies lay somewhere in the store behind them, and nobody was mourning for them. Nobody could afford to. They were all too exhausted. Looking at his basically full resources, TJ realized he needed to do more on this part of the siege, or else everyone would die. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°TJ.¡± Stanton said as he jogged up. The timer for the wave was at a mere 14 seconds. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°We need you.¡± Stanton gritted his teeth, nervously looking over the expanse to the forest. ¡°I was just thinking that.¡± TJ replied. ¡°But I can¡¯t go too far or else I won¡¯t be able to help on the Copper monster here.¡± ¡°Do what you can. Focus on one side.¡± Stanton replied as the System¡¯s notification appeared. Wave 3 of 3 of assault on the Pine, Arizona general store, begin. No sooner than had the notification appeared did shrieks of thousands of monsters on every side of the barricade fill the air. Participants shivered in fear and cold and rage. TJ shouted a rallying cry: ¡°This is the last one! I¡¯m softening them up!¡± Even though he said as much, he didn¡¯t immediately jump out into danger. Instead, he watched as the monsters came closer and closer. He¡¯d only have one shot to do as much damage as possible, and he didn¡¯t want to allow the trees or brush or anything else to weaken this attack. After all, he was close to getting another level in his Class and Occupation. This might bring him over that threshold. It wouldn¡¯t heal him, but those extra Attributes might be necessary against the Copper tiered threat, whatever that was. Once the wind told TJ that hundreds of monsters had exited the forest on his side of the fort, he leapt high into the sky and pushed himself forward with Wind Manipulation. Just like before, he activated Divine Transformation while still in the sky and glided forward to the attackers. Then, he condensed two blades of wind, one on his tongue, the other on his tail. As he fell from the sky, TJ watched as hundreds of javelinas, Gila Monstrosities, coyotes, and pukwudgies noticed his descent. That the damned beasts thought themselves capable of reacting to Kukulkan¡¯s champion was the height of hubris. Many tried to react. It was too late. As he pulverized a dozen monsters, TJ let his real attack begin as he used Divine Manifestation on Divine Transformation. Hundreds of futile strikes reduced his HP, and he noticed three wendigos running towards him. Just as well. Instead of sending the blades forward to lose potency as they sliced through the enemy, TJ held the two attacks with a force of will, keeping them attached to him at the head and tail. He rolled and twisted like a propeller, slicing twice as quickly and wrathfully as the densely packed monsters were cut to ribbons. His Bloodline pushed him to slaughter more, and he indulged. His HP fell somewhat, but with his every Attribute boosted by several Skills, he could continue his attack. As his MP continued to plummet, TJ continued wreaking as much damage as possible. As soon as his MP fell to 1,000, he stopped using Wind Manipulation, but still his jaws and body remained. He shredded through everything he could reach, blood and viscera coating his face and body. Dozens of attacks streaked towards him, some striking deeply. His blood mingled with that of his enemies, and he drew on an aspect of Storm Soul for the first time. TJ used the part of Storm Soul that allowed him to replenish his own resources by sapping the strength of the Storm. With his ever-increasing use of the Storm¡¯s fury to fuel his Manifestation and now to recover, the Storm¡¯s duration was reduced drastically and would last a mere two more hours, now, but there was no need to worry now. If they survived the next two hours, TJ could deal with it then. Beyond that, several hundred monsters were dead and distracted by his opening salvo, though the three wendigos remained alive. Each one had borne multiple devastating attacks from TJ¡¯s Wind Manipulation. Their limbs hung limply from their bodies, ligaments fighting to keep them from being entirely dismembered. The skeletal monsters desperately shoved the flesh of their dead allies in their mouths and their twisted, mutilated bodies recovered. The coatl roared a wordless challenge to the three Elites and leapt forward. They turned to escape, but TJ¡¯s focus wasn¡¯t on restraint, but the eradication of three Elites. As he lunged forward, a pair of jaws made of whipping winds extended past his own. Though the fangs lacked substance, the moment they made contact with the wendigos, flesh ripped like paper, and two wendigos died in that first attack. TJ caught the third and final one in his jaws as he turned to escape back to the fort. He slithered through the mud and corpses, his fangs working on the struggling Elite. As he took his time, not using any of his resources, the wendigo slowly succumbed to his grinding teeth. As soon as the death notification came, TJ dropped the corpse and sped up his return to the fort. Before he arrived, he asked the System, ¡°How many kill notifications have I gotten from monsters in this wave?¡± You have killed 724 enemies during Wave 3 of the siege on the Pine, Arizona general store. ¡°Something like 15% of all the enemies in this wave, huh? Hope that¡¯s enough.¡± TJ mused to himself as he noted that he¡¯d gained a level in each his class, Occupation, and Race. With the increase to his current Attributes, he would hopefully be strong enough for the rest of the Tutorial. His body felt heavy, even though his resources were close to full. As he drew close to the fort, he evaluated everything that was happening. Fortunately, this side of the fort had been almost entirely left alone. That didn¡¯t mean that the defenders had nothing to do, as half had moved to the other sides to support the eastern and western bulwarks. The fighting there was bitter, but the Participants managed to fend off the worst of the monsters. Though there had been precious little time to rebuild after the deadly fight at the end of the second wave, the thousands of bodies surrounding the walls served as enough of a tripping hazard that the javelinas couldn¡¯t easily charge into the walls. That combined with the rapidly climbing levels of the defenders brought TJ enough hope to think that they¡¯d be able to survive this final wave. The wounded were getting pulled back only long enough for the Disciples to get them back on their feet, but it was enough. TJ didn¡¯t see any more dead than before, so that was heartening¡ª ¡°Look out!¡± Someone screamed. It was too late for Granny Penny, who stood healing Tessie. Penny threw herself over Tessie as a Tezcatlipoca-blessed mountain lion jumped out of the shadows and onto the old woman¡¯s back. Its jaws savaged her, and TJ lunged to save her life. He was too slow, as it opened its jaws impossibly wide and decapitated her with one bite. As her head dropped onto Tessie, the teen screamed in terror. The cougar lunged forward, its jaws seeking Tessie¡¯s face. The Bloodied Wendigo Spear punched through its throat and drove the monster away. As the creature rasped its final breath, TJ hauled up with the spear and severed its spine. It slumped to the ground, on top of Penny¡¯s body and pinning Tessie down. The teen continued sobbing as she pulled herself out from under Penny¡¯s corpse. What seemed like gallons of blood covered the girl as she shook with terror and her eyes darted in every direction. Screams of fear and cries for help filled the air. ¡°Nobody hold still! Panthers coming from everywhere and they¡¯ll ambush you!¡± TJ screamed as he pulled the shell-shocked girl into one of his arms. He held her up in one arm as she clung to his neck and shivered. The tezcatlipoca-blessed monsters continued to lunge out of the shadows and rip into Disciples. With Penny died three more Disciples, but Michelle rallied the survivors alongside Rebekkah. The fully armored Blacksmith hauled back a massive club and smashed a pair of the mountain lions away as the Flamekeeper flared with fire. The fire kept the deep shadows away from the center of the Disciples, so the cougars were kept back from shredding easily into the less-protected Disciples. ¡°Who¡¯s seen the Copper or Elites?¡± TJ shouted out as he fought to keep the Disciples safe. Tears pricked at his eyes whenever they crossed over the decapitated corpse of Granny Penny, but he couldn¡¯t think of that right now. A pack of three mountain lions bore Michelle to the ground and ripped sections of her armor off. She screamed in pain as the metal shredded her skin underneath. She couldn¡¯t move, one of the monsters on each arm while the third fought to rip off her head. TJ lunged forward and pierced through the center one¡¯s torso. He felt the Spear drinking deeply of its blood, and he let out a smaller burst of wind from inside of the creature. It exploded in a shower of gore, but TJ wasn¡¯t done. Retaining his left hand¡¯s hold on the nearly catatonic Tessie, he leapt forward and stabbed through the one on Michelle¡¯s dominant arm, piercing the spear¡¯s head into the ground. As the creature tried to escape, TJ released his hold on his Spear before he pulled his Wendigo blade from his hip and buried it in the monster¡¯s head. Again, he forced a burst of wind out of the blade¡¯s tip, but with it plunged into the creature¡¯s skull, the wind scrambled its brains and almost effortlessly killed the monster. As soon as her arm was free, Michelle tried to smash the third monster with her club, but it retreated into the shadows before she made contact. TJ continued to protect the Disciples, ensuring that the fort¡¯s support structure didn¡¯t all fall apart. As he did so, he looked to the walls where, without constant Disciple assistance, more and more casualties continued racking up. ¡°There¡¯s too many of them. We¡¯re all going to die. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m weak. I can¡¯t help. I¨CI¨CI¨CI can¡¯t.¡± Tessie whimpered in TJ¡¯s arm. He shushed her as gently as he could manage as he tried to not feel the same way. The walls were filled with hundreds of dead monster bodies, but more continued to surge over the bulwarks to cut deep into the defenders. He desperately wanted to throw himself forward and slaughter them all, but he couldn¡¯t dare to. There were still so many Elites left, plus the Copper tier, whatever it was. ¡°Stanton, report!¡± TJ screamed as he stabbed one more mountain lion. It escaped and he growled in barely constrained rage. ¡°Three Elites killed here!¡± The old cowboy shouted back before two deafening blasts sounded off. ¡°Make that five!¡± ¡°Two Chindis!¡± Leilani shouted before TJ could ask. ¡°No visual on the Copper, or at least, nothing that stands out as Copper.¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for two Elites and the Copper, then.¡± TJ counted up in his head. ¡°What¡¯re the rank and file looking like?¡± ¡°Less than 1,000 left, but we¡¯re flagging.¡± Stanton shouted as his gun shifted again to a pistol and he started taking measured shots, each one killing a monster. ¡°Ok. We can work with that. But where is the¨C¡± TJ¡¯s question was cut off as the ground underneath him dissolved to nothing and he was teleported outside of the fort. Tessie screamed, but he didn¡¯t hesitate to activate Divine Transformation, which was the only thing that saved their lives. A massive paw, at least two feet across, batted his head three times. As his head rang and TJ fought to see what was happening, his vision cleared long enough to see the biggest mountain lion he¡¯d ever heard of. ¡°My prey.¡± it said as it stalked forward with arrogance obvious in its eyes. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 119 Though he didn¡¯t need to, TJ Appraised the monster that¡¯d somehow ripped him out of the fort and into a space almost 100 yards away. Tezcatlipoca-blessed Mountain Lion, 14 (Copper (I)) His initial thought was a second of excitement. After all, the monster was less than level 20 and it was only a mountain lion! But if every level it had gained was a Copper quality level¡­ even if it was the same race as an inferior version, then every single level it gained was worth at least 4 of his before he evolved. Then, his coatl form reacted to the creature in front of him. All the Tezcatlipoca-blessed mountain lions before were mere shadows blessed by the shadow of the Aztec god. Now, one of his aspects¡¯ rivals was before him. Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca¡¯s longstanding rivalry and hatred swelled inside him. There was no reason to retreat. Only to strike down this pretender. Since its initial attack was unable to kill him outright, the Copper tiered beast seemed willing to take its time. TJ evaluated his circumstances while it did, planning on how to slay the cougar. As he did so, he wrapped the end of his tail around Tessie three times. ¡°Land as gently as you can.¡± TJ whispered. She started to respond, but he couldn¡¯t take the time necessary to listen. With a twisting of his body, TJ hurled the girl away. Tessie¡¯s screams were unintelligible as she flew towards the fort and fell, rolling on the ground. Fortunately, she was high enough of a level to roll to her feet and run and jump over the walls. That was all the attention TJ could spare for the teen, turning to the mountain lion that¡¯d dragged him there. The monster was at least six feet tall at the shoulder and twice as long, without counting its tail. Its entire body was pitch black, as dark as the shadows that filled the area. He couldn¡¯t figure out how the creature had managed to teleport him out of the safety within the fort, but that was unimportant. Instead, he focused on what else threatened him. Four more of the Tezcatlipoca-blessed beasts were nearby. They didn¡¯t pose nearly as much of a threat that the big one did, but they weren¡¯t nothing. Three Gila Monstrosities as well drooled as they looked at him like a giant feast just for them. A Raven Mocker too fluttered overhead, trying to get its feathers to fall on him. TJ knew how important it was to protect himself from the litany of afflictions that damned creature would put on him. They¡¯d been lucky enough to keep the poisonous Elites from sabotaging the defenders, but there was no way TJ would be able to protect himself entirely from its attacks. At least, not without risking a little. And a little damage to himself to ensure the death of one of Tezcatlipoca¡¯s? Worth it. Knowing that he might be dooming himself for the fight against the Boss if he miscalculated, TJ strengthened Wind Manipulation with Divine Manifestation. His MP nearly emptied out completely, but the corkscrewing zephyrs he called down from the heavens to spread out around him were more than enough. The Raven Mocker flashed away from the attack, left mostly without feathers. The descending wrath sought out everything it could touch and ripped the limbs from the GIla Monstrosities, leaving them grounded and roaring in frustration and anger. Two of the mountain lions managed to escape as they dove into the shadows, but the other two were reduced to so many ribbons of flesh. Most importantly, though, the Copper tiered one was surprised enough that its front paws were heavily damaged by the shredding aggressive winds. It yipped in pain and disappeared into a shadow, only to reappear right beside TJ. ¡°You are prey!¡± the almost childlike voice repeated. ¡°You are not an enemy! You are food!¡± ¡°Not today, you fuzzy bastard.¡± TJ panted as he stopped using every active Skill except Divine Transformation. The mountain lion stopped looking at him, curious. Instead, it now attacked, its paws flashing through the air as it struck. TJ tried to dodge, but the creature was too fast. Each hand¡¯s attacks caught him in at least a glancing blow, and the feline form was just too well-suited to hunting a snake. Again and again the mountain lion battered his head back and forth, and try as he might, TJ couldn¡¯t do anything about it. He considered using Wind Manipulation in a wide area again, but his MP was painfully low. Maybe he¡¯d do some damage to the creature that way, but he needed to be more strategic with the Skill than he¡¯d been ever since he evolved. No longer was he some bully on the playground, but an equally-matched opponent. A tried and true tactic, TJ condensed an attack on his tongue and continued to fight the beast. The more he fought it, the more obvious it was that while they might be matched in Strength, its Agility was so high above his that they couldn¡¯t begin to be compared. Each attack it made was blisteringly quick, and try as he might, TJ couldn¡¯t ever make meaningful contact with it, except for when it smashed his head into the ground again and again. To keep himself from being pinned down and devoured, he needed to keep his head up and moving, outside of the easy range for it to kill him. ¡°See! You¡¯re prey!¡± The voice cried at him once again, the hissing voice proud. ¡°I will hunt you!¡± As it declared that, the two surviving Dirt tiered mountain lions appeared and leapt onto TJ¡¯s head. They drove him down to where their larger counterpart tried to bite his head off. Just as soon as the Copper tiered monster drew close enough for TJ to smell its breath, its jaws open and revealing its dagger-like fangs, TJ released his attack. The blade of wind shot out from his tongue and cut into the monster. It tried to retreat, but TJ¡¯s timing was precise enough that he cut the bottom jaw from the beast. It screamed and recoiled in agony as its blood poured out of its face. The monster¡¯s words were no longer intelligible, but its weeping was obvious. TJ didn¡¯t hesitate to kill the other monsters that had worked to hold him down. With two quick bites, the last two of the predators were dead, leaving just the Copper and the Mocker. The Copper was still pouting and screaming like a child, but the raven seized the opportunity to apply some afflictions. Warning: you are suffering from a Minor Poisoned affliction (Dirt). You will continue to lose 5 HP a minute until the Poison condition is cured. Current HP: 4826/6440 Warning: you are suffering from a Minor Exhaustion affliction. You will regain HP, MP, and Stamina at 50% of your usual rate until your Stamina rises above 75%. Warning: you are suffering from a Minor Blighted affliction. Your wounds will require twice the time and twice the resources to recover until this affliction is purged. Remembering the Septic affliction that made everything else worse, TJ was glad the creature hadn¡¯t managed to get that on him. Even so, this was already bad, and the enraged Copper tier creature had recovered from its shocked confusion. Now, it wanted him dead. It burst at him with a flurry of attacks, its claws flashing in the darkness. TJ dodged back again and again, but it was too fast. Whenever he turned to try to escape for now, to let it weaken from blood loss, it would savage his tail, making his HP dive downward. The human part of his mind screamed in pain, in fear, in panic, and watched as his life was in danger. The coatl, however, saw this as a chance to prove itself. Though he hesitated to do anything else, since the damned mountain lion wasn¡¯t the most threatening thing he would have to deal with soon. It didn¡¯t deserve his whole attention. This was just a primer for the Boss fight soon to come. He refused to count on if the Tutorial would show him any clemency, so instead, he tried to keep himself as fighting fit as he could. As a last-ditch effort, TJ turned to try to escape again. As the monster ripped into him, TJ blew himself backwards with his Wind Manipulation. The cougar wasn¡¯t prepared, and TJ¡¯s coils found their way around its neck. He clenched every one of his muscles as it tried to escape. Three full times did he wrap around its throat, and it wheezed out a panicked breath. To escape, it dove through a shadow, but with TJ on it, it brought him along. They flashed through the shadows three times, disorienting him, but TJ refused to let go. The mountain lion spasmed as it fought to breathe, but TJ only squoze himself tighter. After a full minute, it fell limp, but without a death notification, TJ didn¡¯t stop. In fact, as the creature stopped its resistance, he started ripping into its face with his jaws. After another minute, the death notification came with another level in his Class and Race as well as a Title upgrade. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At first, he questioned it, but when he saw the death notification, TJ stopped to wonder why his Occupation hadn¡¯t gained that final level either. Tezcatlipoca-blessed Mountain Lion Elite (Copper (I)) Level 14, Slain. Experience gained. Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 24. Attribute points allocated: Strength +7, Agility +6, Endurance +13, Vitality +13, Toughness +11, Wisdom +7, Intelligence +11, Perception +7, Willpower +11, Fixation +13, Free Points +10. Additional Free Points currently available. Race: Semi-Divine Human (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 24. Attribute points allocated: Strength +8, Agility +8, Endurance +8, Vitality +13, Toughness +8, Wisdom +8, Intelligence +13, Perception +8, Willpower +8, Fixation +13. Additional Free Points currently available. Title Upgraded: Elite Hunter to Elite Hunter Copper (I) Description of Title: Elite monsters are the Tutorial¡¯s introduction to Boss-tiered monsters and every Participant must face one at some point. Those Elites are Dirt tier. You are the first Participant in your Tutorial to slay an Elite-tiered monster, and now you have slain a Copper Elite-tiered monster. In addition, you have, once again, slain the Elite-tiered monster as well as its cadre without support. Effects of Title: Your Appraisal Skill can now detect the tier of existence as well as its tier of Divinity of those you Appraise. You are granted an additional 20% resistance to Elite-tiered enemies¡¯ innate expressions of Divinity. This Title is a record of a Minor Divine Trial and can be upgraded. It was true that TJ hadn¡¯t struggled with any of the Elites since evolution, but he also hadn¡¯t engaged with any of them fairly. He¡¯d thrown amounts of MP at the problem that he hadn¡¯t been able to dream of as a Dirt tier, and now that he was Copper tier, when they¡¯d gotten close to him, they¡¯d still posed a threat. Wendigo claws could pierce his scales, Chindis were able to influence him, and Raven Mockers could give him afflictions. He was higher level than them, and still vulnerable. This Copper tier Elite had nearly killed him, and if it hadn¡¯t been raised as an apparent petulant king in its corner, it would have killed him. TJ dragged the corpse along with him as he followed the sounds of battle. The mountain lion¡¯s last-ditch efforts to escape had taken them into the forest, and TJ could smell the results of thousands of monstrous creatures living in close proximity, even if only for a couple hours. TJ suspected that he wouldn¡¯t have enough time to process the corpse he had, given the whole ¡°Tutorial¡¯s about to end¡± thing, but in the off chance he did get to make something with its hide, it¡¯d be worth a lot. The damned Raven Mocker overhead tried to sprinkle feathers on TJ every so often, but TJ was exhausted enough that he was willing to extend some trust to Stanton to kill it before this all ended. Before he could do so, though, the raven flew off, directly towards the fort. Battle sounds were dying down, and TJ dropped the corpse as he shouted out, ¡°Raven Mocker coming in!¡± Stanton fired off three shots at the seemingly mindlessly attacking Elite. It dodged, but not to get away. Even though the defenders seemed to have been successful to some level, they were obviously harmed and exhausted. That being the case, it still didn¡¯t make sense for the monster to attack. The reason clicked in TJ¡¯s mind the same second Stanton¡¯s gun fired one last time and the raven fell to the ground, dead. ¡°Shit!¡± He shouted. ¡°Are there any more living monsters? Don¡¯t kill them!¡± It was too late, and less than a second later, the System gave a welcome, if disheartening notification. The end of it, though, made TJ¡¯s heart sink. In this Tutorial, Tutorial 107.48.891, the Quest Goals are as follows: Within two weeks (336 hours) of Integration, enter the city limits of the city Pine, Arizona. Time remaining: NA¨Cyou have entered the designated area. COMPLETE!Within 18 hours of the end of the second week of Integration, defend the Pine, Arizona general store from assault.Defeat the assigned Tutorial Boss. Congratulations, you have completed the second of the three Quest Goals! Please complete the third and final of the three Quest Goals. Calculating bonuses to provide to all Participants due to the success of the Participants in Tutorial 107.48.891. Victory by total extermination of monsters. COMPLETE. One hour rest period granted. 25% of all Participants survival. Progress: 18%. 50% of all Participants survival. Progress: 18%. 75% of all Participants survival. Progress: 18%. 100% of all Participants survival. Progress: 18%. Disbelieving the announcements from the System, TJ trudged back into the fort, leaving the Copper tiered corpse on the ground outside the fort as he deactivated Divine Transformation. As he stepped over, he left the bloodsoaked vestiges of snow behind him, the ruined landscape a testament to the difficulty of this battle for survival. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 120 Looking back and forth, TJ saw dozens of dead Participant bodies surrounded by hundreds of monster bodies. The mountain lions had broken the back line, and as soon as the Disciples¡¯ support slowed, the casualties on the walls had exploded. Before he could truly take in the devastation, though, Tessie jumped off the walls and into a sobbing mess in his arms. TJ took special care to keep his Spear pointed far away from anyone, and as soon as he was sure everyone was clear, he dropped the weapon. ¡°I¨CI¨CI¨CI¨CI thought you were¨Cwere¨Cwere¨Cdead or¡ª¡± TJ patted her back. ¡°I¡¯m glad you got back here. You ok? How about Molly?¡± Tessie just nodded, sniffling and rubbing her face on TJ¡¯s chest. Molly popped up nearby, tears streaking her face as she met his gaze. TJ nodded and the other Teenager scurried off somewhere he couldn¡¯t see. He forced himself to focus on the girl in his arms, not to look at the carnage that surrounded them or the System notifications that demanded his attention. Instead, he comforted the sobbing child until she stilled. TJ waited for her to pull back, but then he realized the way she was softly breathing. Tessie was so exhausted that, as she fell from the high of anxiety and adrenaline, she fell asleep holding onto his shirt. With a sigh, TJ picked her up in a princess carry and walked fully into the remains of the fort. Every wall had fallen. The strong beginning they¡¯d held onto had fallen, and as the Zealots needed to keep themselves back from the walls, more and more monsters must have taken the fort. Every dead Participant was soaked in their own blood mixed with that of dozens of monsters. The light rain fought to clean the carnage, but there was too much, and the water ran pink no matter where he looked. Everywhere, TJ saw the scene of valiant last stands, of people sprawled to protect another, of stories he knew nothing about. Natlie¡¯s body lay crumpled on the ground, a pair of pukwudgies dead with arrows in their heads on top of her. Peter¡¯s had a spear buried in his single eye, but based on how his face was still twisted in fury, that hadn¡¯t killed him immediately and instead it was the Gila Monstrosity with its skull crushed and jaw locked around his left arm. Others whose names he knew and stories he forgot had died here. David, Jake, and Ricky¡¯s corpses were held out in front of something. There was no body behind them, so whoever they fought to protect had survived. The last new corpse TJ found was Jeff¡¯s. The stubborn man¡¯s body was twisted in agony and black veins covered his face. Tufts of Raven Mocker feathers remained in his hands as a testament to his final struggle against the Elites that fought to steal his mind and will away. A rictus of a smile covered his face, and in his mouth was the head of the Raven Mocker he¡¯d slain with his bare hands. TJ pulled the disintegrating limb free and closed Jeff¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jeff. Good job holding on how you did.¡± TJ whispered. ¡°It was for me.¡± Laura¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Everything was targeting the Disciples. It was coming for me and he took it down first. I tried to heal him¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t continue. ¡°How¨C¡± TJ¡¯s voice caught looking at the carnage that surrounded him. He collected himself and asked again, ¡°How many Disciples survived?¡± ¡°Four.¡± Laura whispered. ¡°Me, Michelle, Rebekkah, and Angelo. The eleven others all died in the ambush.¡± ¡°Fuuuuuu¨C¡± TJ breathed the curse more than he said it. He was too damned tired to mourn as he wanted to. ¡°You ok, kid?¡± Stanton asked as he jogged up to TJ. He looked at his resources and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just about tapped out. I should probably check these System messages and decide what to do from there.¡± The whole group of survivors straggled over to TJ and, before he jumped into the notifications, he looked for the friendliest faces he knew. Seth, Farid, and Sarah walked forward mostly of their own power. Molly stepped close and held out her arms to take Tessie, who TJ happily passed over. The exhausted teens slumped to the ground, leaning against the thrashed remains of the store¡¯s wall. Zig and Angelo walked together, and TJ couldn¡¯t tell who supported whom. Connor walked with a heavy limp, but Lailani and two other men stood behind him. Michelle and Rebekkah stood as surprising contrasts to their Classes, obviously having fought as warriors instead of mere healers. Altogether, a mere 36 Participants yet drew breath. 200 entered the Tutorial, 92 the siege, and now 35 people stood and sat in front of TJ. The foul, militaristic part of his Bloodline cheers, saying that these were the strongest, the most worthy. To purge himself of that, TJ looked to where he knew he¡¯d see Granny Penny. She still lay on her belly, her back scored with inch deep wounds from the cowardly mountain lion. Her head lay on the ground, and though TJ tried to bully his Bloodline with the sight, instead, he turned his stomach. Before he could distract himself with information from the System, his gorge rose and his body revolted. Turning, TJ vomited a pathetic, thick yellow bile. It stung his throat, nose, and eyes as again he retched. A third, and then a fourth time. The smell of carnage all around him threatened to make him do so again, but TJ gathered himself and wiped his mouth. Nobody judged him, and finally, he pulled up the System¡¯s notifications. Due to Participants¡¯ of Tutorial 107.48.891 success, you have been granted an additional one hour to the thirty minute rest period before the commencement of the battle against the Boss of the Tutorial. Time remaining: 1:23:53 There were also his levels gained, and once he looked, TJ glanced through his Status and divided up his Free Points to make as many even numbers as possible. Maybe he could have been wiser about it, but he didn¡¯t care. Every Attribute would matter even if they weren¡¯t exactly where he might want them in a week, and he didn¡¯t want to think right now. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Semi-Divine Human ¨C lvl 24 Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte lvl 24 Occupation: Savage Shaman lvl 24 Level of Divinity: Copper (I) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 1152/3570 Mana Points (MP): 793/3550 Stamina: 684/3230 Attributes Strength: 190+5(+38) Agility: 170(+34) Endurance: 269(+54) Vitality: 291+8(+58) Toughness: 220+5(+44) Wisdom: 200(+40) Intelligence: 290+7(+58) Perception: 220(+44) Willpower: 260(+52) Fixation: 310+3(+62) Free Points: 0 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter (Copper (I)) Evolutionary Frontrunner Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 0:00/5:41:45 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Current cooldown: 1:48:32 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Storm Coatl ¨C lvl 24 Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte lvl 24 Occupation: Savage Shaman lvl 24 Level of Divinity: Copper (I) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 2304/7060 Mana Points (MP): 1586/7030 Stamina: 1368/6460 Attributes Strength x2.5: 475+5(+95) Agility x2: 340(+68) Endurance x2: 538(+108) Vitality x2: 582+8(+116) Toughness x2.5: 550+5(+110) Wisdom x1.5: 300(+60) Intelligence x2: 580+7(+116) Perception x2: 440(+88) Willpower x1.5: 390(+78) Fixation x2: 620+3(+124) Free Points: 0 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter (Copper (I)) Evolutionary Frontrunner Divine Trial Records (Copper (I)): 1 Minor, 0 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial TJ fell to the ground, unwilling to keep standing. The Storm would last another hour and thirty nine minutes, as he could feel. More important than using Stormcaller to make sure that it would last longer than that, though, was getting himself back up to full resources. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. Painfully tired. I¡¯m sure you all are too. But there¡¯s just nothing else we can do right now. I want to do funerals and memorials and who knows what else, but we can¡¯t take that time. Meditate, and hopefully the Tutorial will show us some measure of mercy when the Boss is dead. Please, recover. We don¡¯t want to have to bury any more of our friends.¡± He wanted to go right into Meditation after he said that, but TJ took note of Angelo as he spoke. He¡¯d always thought of the Navajo Disciple as a man, but for the first time, TJ internalized that he was only 19. Sure, he was an adult by every standard he could think of, but this was a kid just a year out of high school. He¡¯d even said something about being an EMT at one point. That wasn¡¯t enough to make it through this all unscathed. As TJ watched, Angelo took shaky, steadying breaths. He was about to say something when he clocked Rebekkah noticing him. The mother simply walked up to Angelo and whispered something in his ear. He nodded, lower lip shuddering. She continued to talk to him, and TJ internally thanked her for the help she was offering. ¡°Get some rest kid.¡± Stanton pulled TJ from trying to help the others. ¡°We need to have you, me, and Lailani as rested as possible.¡± TJ nodded and closed his eyes. Still sitting in the wet, TJ threw himself into Meditation. He wouldn¡¯t quite be able to restore his Stamina and MP to full, but he could get close. He took special care to ensure he didn¡¯t lose consciousness. If he did, he¡¯d lose out on over 500 MP and Stamina. So, after changing his position to a more uncomfortable squat, TJ fell into Meditation, his mind filled with what the Boss would do. It was sure to be the wendigo they¡¯d been talking about, but how would it have changed? How could he deal with it? What would its additional Skill be? His mind wandered aimlessly, thinking of a million options, but none felt right. What Skills did a wendigo have? The frost and the ability to eat a dead thing to recover, so what could add? Something to strengthen its attacks? That would be bad if it could tear through any defences everyone had. And what level would it be? How many of those levels would be Copper levels and how many would be its base Dirt ones? And the bonus Attributes? The worries plaguing TJ¡¯s mind whirled, and he hoped for the enlightenment that the System said could happen while Meditating. He sure needed it now. But no, an hour and twenty-three minutes later, TJ was pulled from his Meditation and stood. His joints creaked as he stood, even though there was no stiffness or discomfort from his prolonged seat. The other 35 people were ready for the final battle, each wearing their armor and carrying their weapons. TJ searched for and quickly found the Bloodied Wendigo Spear, and as soon as he found it, he saw that he¡¯d unwittingly dropped it in a pool of blood. It was several pounds heavier than before, and the leather as well as the spear¡¯s head were dyed crimson. Before he could worry about the changes to the weapon, TJ¡¯s vision flooded with a massive System message. You have entered the final stage of Tutorial 107.48.891, the Boss fight. Boss: Wendigo Ritualist (Copper (I)). Boss fight will begin in 3:00 Good luck, Participants. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 121 The System wishing him luck was strangely off-putting. As far as he could remember, it never had before, so breaking that pattern worried TJ more than he¡¯d like to admit. Looking around, he could see anything, but given that it was past 10 pm, it was raining, and the Boss fight didn¡¯t begin for a couple more minutes, that didn¡¯t mean much. The other Participants were standing, and many of their grim faces showed determination and a cold sense of defeat in equal parts. ¡°Lailani, Stanton, are we sticking with our previous plan?¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t think of anything better to do.¡± Stanton affirmed. ¡°You, Lailani?¡± ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll be depending on you to take care of keeping it from killing everyone back here.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± TJ agreed. ¡°Everyone, come join me as I do a really fast ritual. This way, if you¡¯re staying back here and not using many of your resources, I can draw on them to keep myself in the fight. In the off chance that I¡¯m doing fine and you all are struggling, I can move resources around as necessary. If you don¡¯t want to be a part of the ritual, step back right now.¡± Nobody did, and TJ quickly spoke the strange yet familiar words necessary to effectuate the ritual. A minute later, he cut his hand and began anointing everyone with his blood. He was maybe three quarters of the way through when the timer to the Boss fight finished, as was apparent by the bone-chilling roar that rose up in the forest to the north. TJ couldn¡¯t say anything, instead focusing on finishing what he was doing. Stanton, who was already done, bolted to the shattered remains of the north wall. Just as TJ finished with the second to last Participant, Stanton began to curse sulfurously. With his heart in his throat, TJ finished the ritual and ran to the same wall where the rest of the Participants were going. As he watched, he, too, swore in every way he knew. Dozens of decapitated wendigo heads floated out of the forest, nothing carrying them. While TJ watched, they settled onto corpses, where the jaws of the wendigo distended until they could devour the body¡¯s previous head and, with a crunch, they did just that. The skulls¡¯ eyes began to glow as they settled over their new bodies. With dozens of cold blue eyes lighting the night, TJ¡¯s blood ran cold and he shuddered. Then, another thought occurred to him. ¡°Shit. We need to get the Copper corpse out of here. If it manages to revivify that¡­¡± He didn¡¯t need to say any more than that, and Sarah bolted off with Connor in tow. The two together immediately hauled the body through a gaping hole in their previous defences before they threw it into the store. ¡°Do we hold the line?¡± Laura asked, her voice terrified. ¡°I want to kill the fucker.¡± Seth hissed, his crossbow, as ever, held at the ready. A chorus of opinions grew as the people there tried to decide what to do, but Sarah¡¯s voice cut through them all as she shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll trust the Coppers with this. But¡­ let¡¯s be fast, huh? I can see them coming closer.¡± Lailani shrugged, looking lost, and Stanton met TJ¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, kid.¡± TJ sighed. Of course it came down to him. Looking around, he saw the dozens of people, three dozen people. In the end, it might come down to him, Stanton, and Lailani to kill the wendigo. Appraising the people around him, none were lower than level 21, and TJ suspected most of them would evolve to Copper tier as soon as the System allowed them. He wished there was time to talk, to cool down, to be just¡­ human. But there was no time. ¡°We have two options, as I see it.¡± TJ said to the assembled people. ¡°One is to sit tight and try to defend from these monsters. They''re not coming straight for us, so there might be limits to how many of them the wendigo can make at once, or it¡¯s going to take more time to make more and more until it can bury us in hundreds of them. This first option would result in just sitting here and dealing with it as it comes. There has to be limits to what the wendigo can make, and maybe this would exhaust it before we fight it personally. ¡°The second option is to charge it. We don¡¯t give it time to do anything, and just blitz forward. We can¡ª¡± ¡°Kin killer!¡± The wendigo screamed. Its voice made TJ¡¯s ears tremble in pain, and the lowest leveled Participants¡¯ ears bled from the cry. ¡°You will finally die at my hands! Now come, and lay at my feet for a swift death! If you fight back, I will slaughter every one of your weak friends and torture you until your soul becomes a delicious treat! I will use your bones to conquer and I will ascend to the Throne!¡± Everything went silent as the hoarse, raspy voice¡¯s declaration died. ¡°Well, there goes that.¡± Stanton said. ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s coming and doesn¡¯t want to wait.¡± The winds whispered to TJ and he felt a massive creature¡¯s approach. ¡°I¡¯m gonna fill up my resources that last little bit from the Disciples¡¯ Stamina and the Zealot¡¯s MP, if that¡¯s alright. It¡¯ll be about 40 from each of you. Any complaints?¡± Five seconds passed without a word. With no disagreement, TJ filled himself back to full before activating Divine Transformation and slithering over the remnants of the barricades. He called back as he went, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how strong this thing is going to be. The other Copper was an Elite as well, and it was beating me around while I was transformed. Zealots, I don¡¯t want you to get close to it unless you need to. Try to get it from afar, but I don¡¯t know what it¡¯ll do with the ice.¡± ¡°We get it. You don¡¯t know. Now get in there and kill a Boss, will you?¡± Stanton grumbled, though there was a tired twinkle in his eye. TJ continued moving. The killing field before him was still littered with the dead bodies of the monsters from every wave that came before and the thick iron scent of blood filled the air and his mouth. Fortunately, the enhanced sense of smell from his coatl form didn¡¯t mind it. As he wriggled forward, the squishy, icy mud prickled his scales, and TJ waited for the monsters¡¯ approach. The dozens of mendigo-headed monsters charged forward, javelinas and Gila Monstrosities in the front. As he watched, something tried to ambush him, only to be shot down by Stanton and Farid. When TJ risked a glance backward, he saw the falling bodies of two mountain lions. ¡°Comin¡¯ out the shadows.¡± Stanton grumbled. ¡°Everyone, come up here! Never be alone!¡± TJ was sure they listened, but he needed to focus on what was in front of him. The wendigo approached, but the rest of the recently revived monsters stood between them. The first to arrive would be more of the wendigo-bred coyotes, but Connor and Sarah were there first. Connor¡¯s shield glowed for a moment as he smashed it into a coyote¡¯s slavering jaws. It yipped in pain as he continued forward, shield and weapon both batting aside the vanguard. ¡°If we¡¯re not killing the Boss, then we¡¯re killing all the rest of these.¡± Connor said. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta be worth something, right?¡± ¡°Damn straight.¡± Sarah chuckled. Her glittering axe exploded with power as she struck through a javelina¡¯s bony skull. ¡°I¡¯m gonna hit Copper after this, so I¡¯ll show off now before I evolve.¡± The two Zealots weren¡¯t the only ones to charge forward. In fact, every one of the 16 Zealots ran forward and exhausted themselves destroying everything they could reach. The javelinas and coyotes were easy enough, but as the Gila Monstrosities and wendigo-pukwudgies came close, they needed to work together as pairs. Even so, they swiftly reduced the monsters to nearly nothing and TJ felt his heart soar. After all, they could destroy this creature with minimal effort, since he¡¯d killed a Copper Elite himself without support. This was a Boss, but it wouldn¡¯t be that much harder, right? They¡¯d already negated its bonus Skill. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, TJ cursed himself. Regardless, the wendigo, still rushing forward, didn''t seem to care about the deaths of its new subordinates. Instead, as its silhouette became much clearer in mist, it waved a staff, or something like it, through the air. In the air where the staff moved through, ice crackled in the vague shape of a sphere before shattering into skulls. This new mass of two dozen skulls raced out of the staff¡¯s trail and into the nearest monster corpses. Before he could decide what to do about it, TJ saw and heard three shots from behind him rocketing into the skulls. All three that were hit immediately shattered into ice on the ground, and Stanton called out, ¡°Not too hard for me to break like that. Seth, Farid, how was it?¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Only took a regular attack!¡± Farid supplied. TJ didn¡¯t quite hear Seth¡¯s response as the remaining skulls devoured the heads of their new bodies. He didn¡¯t pay attention to them, instead looking at the Boss wendigo for the first time. The first time TJ had fought a wendigo, he¡¯d been about 40 feet long and it had been a bit over six feet tall. How fitting that this time he was more than twice as large, and so was the Boss. As every wendigo he¡¯d fought and seen thus far, the creature¡¯s legs were mostly humanoid, if a human walked on its toes and its feet were several feet long. Its emaciated figure could be barely distinguished from the dark forest behind it. Its mouth hung wide open, drool and slobber dribbling from between its teeth which had been filed to fangs. The skeletal face was framed by its curling ram¡¯s horns, its sunken eyes glowed with an icy blue flame. Instead of the usual dull flame, though, the Wendigo Ritualist¡¯s eyes blazed with an inhuman fury. Different from the rest, though, the flesh that covered the monster¡¯s body wasn¡¯t rotten. Instead, it had crystallized to either a stone or ice, and as it drew closer, TJ realized he could see its bones inside its body through the flesh, whatever it was. The cold fog that seeped off its every limb crackled just like the trail of ice crystals it left with every step. Then, there was its staff. The thing was taller than the wendigo, maybe 15 feet long, and made from what were very obviously human bones. Looking at the grotesque item, TJ couldn¡¯t help but notice that, because of how large the wendigo was, the shaft of the staff was made from complete ribcages. How they¡¯d managed to make the bones stick all together, TJ didn¡¯t know, but the frost that coated the thing certainly didn¡¯t help. The tip was made of three skulls, but it was obvious there was a place in the center of them for a final capstone. TJ wasn¡¯t going to take more than one guess to figure out whose skull the monster wanted there. When it was a mere hundred or so feet away, it swiped its staff through the air three times in quick succession. At least 100 skulls burst into existence over its head, and though Seth fired an explosive bolt and the rest of the Acolytes fired as best they could, dozens of monsters fought to regain their feet. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re fighting. I wanted to hunt you, you know.¡± The wendigo cackled. Then, without further ado, it planted its staff in the ground and leapt forward, massive claws threatening and jaw gaping. There was nothing TJ could do except to respond in kind, activating Divine Manifestation on Divine Transformation and locking himself in battle. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 122 Though he lunged forward, TJ knew better than to lock himself in melee with the Boss. Its ice would slow him at best, and he was sure that a Copper tier giving him Frostbite would be much worse than the Dirt had. As such, TJ lunged forward only long enough to get the wendigo to engage with him. Then, with Wind Manipulation¡¯s assistance, he pushed himself back. The air knew that, as soon as the wendigo was dead, the Tutorial would finish. The prospect of freedom was too alluring, and it happily helped him more than it should have for as paltry an offering of MP as he gave. The wendigo¡¯s claws cut through the air in front of him, and TJ continued to the side. The enemy pressed the attack, its powerful steps shaking the ground. It went for the tip of his tail, looking to slow him. With a thought, TJ deactivated Divine Transformation and stood as a lone man with a spear before the monster. Its claws stabbed into the ground, freezing the mud as soon as they came in contact with it. It pulled its hand out, frozen mud holding its claws together. With a shriek, it spread its fingers and lunged back in to kill him. TJ held the Bloodied Spear aloft and hurled it at the wendigo¡¯s chest before blasting it forward and himself back with the same explosive use of Wind Manipulation. The red horn of his spear¡¯s head smashed through the hardened ice and buried itself in the wendigo¡¯s chest. Even so, it was fortunate that TJ had launched himself backwards with his wind, because the wendigo¡¯s icy claws ripped through where he was just standing. A wave of frosty mist shot towards him, and TJ reactivated Divine Transformation just quickly enough to resist the frostbite that surely would have impacted him were he to only have his normal body¡¯s Attributes. He stood ready to fight back, but the wendigo looked down at the weapon in its chest and screeched again. ¡°With my brother¡¯s body!¡± It screamed. ¡°You hurt me with his body!¡± There was a massive boom and the bone around the wendigo¡¯s eye shattered. It whirled, looking for whatever it was that¡¯d dared to attack it. A certain Copper tiered Acolyte stood not far off, chambering another round into his .50 caliber rifle. ¡°I¡¯ll do a lot more than that you bastard!¡± Stanton shouted as he raised Suzie again. The wendigo sprinted in the direction of the old man, who fired at the Boss again. It dodged, only its horn taking a glancing hit. TJ slithered forward, the wind hurrying him along. He couldn¡¯t let Stanton be overwhelmed by the Boss so early! His fangs found the monster¡¯s calf and he crunched down into the frigid, supernaturally hard ice. As soon as he made contact, TJ felt the chill travel down his whole body. A minor Frostbite affliction appeared in his Status, but he couldn¡¯t pay that any attention right now. Instead, he condensed a blade of wind on his tongue. The wendigo predicted his desperate attack and kicked at TJ¡¯s head with its other leg. Frost crawled over his body as he desperately thrashed and writhed. Frost grew from the ground all around him, boxing his body in. He couldn¡¯t escape. The wendigo¡¯s right hand¡¯s claws shot towards his eyes. Stanton shot twice, both times into the wendigo¡¯s hand hard enough to knock it off-course and it stabbed into the ground instead of TJ¡¯s head. It hissed and lunged down with its left hand while the right swung towards Stanton and released a hail of ice spears that shot forward. Stanton dodged out of the way while TJ still tried to wriggle out of his prison. He was saved by an unexpected hero. A Divine Transformationed Molly lunged from his blind spot and sank her jaws into the same place that he had. Crackling electricity shuddered up the wendigo¡¯s leg inside the wound, making it twitch hard enough that its foot came free from TJ¡¯s back. The teenaged Neophyte dodged back as soon as TJ was remotely free, and with Divine Manifestation again amplifying Divine Transformation, he ripped free from the icy prison. He tried to merely slither away, but the Boss lunged down with its jaws gaping wide. Thick mist billowed out of its maw and fought to blind and freeze TJ where he writhed. He blew back himself, the wind forcing the icy breath of the Boss into the skies. The rain froze into hail and plinked to the ground all over. A pair of foot-long claws threatened his life, and TJ couldn¡¯t see how to escape. ¡°Here!¡± Sarah screamed as she burst from behind two wendigo-pukwudgies and smashed her glowing shield into the wendigo¡¯s right hand. It was knocked off course enough for TJ to receive only a glancing wound down his side instead of being disembowelled completely. With frost creeping down his body, TJ was heavily slowed and unsure of what he could do. Before he could even think about different options, though, a faintly glowing green rain fell over his whole body. The frost melted away and TJ¡¯s afflictions all faded as Lailani¡¯s rain purged him from his suffering. He whipped around to reengage the Boss. In that short time, Sarah had been knocked at least 40 feet back, and she lay on the ground with ice growing all around her. TJ could faintly hear her wheezing breaths, which was enough to let him know she was still alive. Molly was fleeing as fast as she could manage, pillars of ice appearing all around her as the wendigo swiped wildly to kill her. As TJ watched, frost crawled up her legs and she stopped, stuck to the ground. ¡°No!¡± TJ and Lailani screamed in unison as the wendigo struck down at the much smaller Lightning Dog. Connor got there just in time, raising his shield between Molly and the Boss. He glowed with his Tortoise Shell Skill. Its claws punched straight through and into his upper chest. Even so, his Divine Armament shield didn¡¯t disappear. Instead, it shone like the sun and, with his right arm hanging limp, he roared in challenge. With a swing of his left arm, the shield punched through the wendigo¡¯s palm and severed all its fingers except its thumb. It screamed its most terrible cry yet, its amputated fingers remaining inside of Connor¡¯s chest. ¡°I will be God!¡± It screamed into the heavens. ¡°You dare?¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The monster seemed to be trying to think of something more eloquent to say, but it couldn¡¯t. Instead, as frost climbed up Connor¡¯s body as the wendigo recovered from its momentary lack of focus. Then, with its other hand, the left, it swiped down to finish them both off. Lailani¡¯s green rain expanded at this point and covered the entire battlefield, melting ice and any other afflictions while she was at it. Fortunately, it had taken long enough that Stanton fired three more times in quick succession. Each bullet exploded on its face, but they didn¡¯t slow the monster. TJ did. Disregarding the chill that immediately seeped into his organs and made him shiver, TJ leapt and wrapped his body around the wendigo¡¯s left arm, his coils then reaching to its other arm. TJ disregarded the flashing warnings from the the System about his ever-worsening Frostbite affliction, instead tightening himself to keep the wendigo from moving easily. Lailani¡¯s rain washed over him and kept his body from crumbling into ice. That was enough for two other Zealots to dash in and extract the trapped Connor and Molly. Despite his efforts to trap the Boss, TJ felt the wendigo¡¯s arms move to pull him off. Though he didn¡¯t feel it was ready, TJ let his wind blade loose from his tongue. The attack cut into the bone, sending shrapnel in every direction, and its right eye¡¯s flame died entirely. The wind whipped into the wendigo¡¯s face with such power that the Boss stumbled. ¡°Zealots, now!¡± someone screamed, and TJ felt more than he saw a half dozen weapons and shields smash into the 12 foot-tall monster¡¯s knees. It slowly toppled, and nobody hesitated to continue pressing the attack. Seth¡¯s bolts, Farid¡¯s spears, every Zealot¡¯s weapons, everything. TJ focused entirely on slowing its recovery, and it fought to get to its hands and knees. The occasional attack hit TJ instead of the Boss, but he didn¡¯t care. He, again, began condensing an attack on his tongue to hopefully decapitate the threat. It stretched its left hand forward. Everyone simply avoided it, instead focusing on dealing more permanent damage to the Boss. That was a mistake. They¡¯d forgotten one of its base Skills. With surprising speed, the wendigo threw the body of a Gila Monstrosity into its mouth. As soon as it happened, everyone understood what the problem was. Its head wasn¡¯t nearly large enough to swallow the beast whole, but as soon as it got that first bite of flesh, its strength surged. With a flex of its shoulders, it pulled TJ mostly off of its left arm. Then, with improved mobility, it disregarded all the attacks it was receiving and stuffed the rest of the body into its horribly disfigured jaw. ¡°Don¡¯t give it any time or space! It can recover!¡± TJ shouted, even though he knew he was just repeating the obvious. The only silver lining he could see was that the monster hadn¡¯t been able to recover its right hand¡¯s fingers. As soon as he felt that there was a positive side, though, the wendigo threw its head back and roared. That same moment, subzero mist burst out of every wound it¡¯d sustained. TJ¡¯s Frostbite affliction was Severe, but all he could do was draw on the strength from the storm overhead to empower his Wind Manipulation. The boost from his Storm Authority began to flag and run dry, but TJ couldn¡¯t sacrifice any of his dwindling resources, and through his Ritualistic Transfer, he could feel that most people weren¡¯t doing well either. None were at full HP, and most where nearly exhausted in one of their resources. ¡°Focus fire!¡± Stanton commanded, and a dozen Skills all together struck the Boss. It screamed and laughed about something, but TJ refused to listen. The Storm and the winds both whispered in his ears, telling him he was nearly there. The ice chilled his body, and he could only move his neck. Still he waited. He watched as the wendigo kicked a Zealot away and she smashed into three others like bowling pins. None got up. Still, he waited. The wendigo pulled his spear from the ground, where it¡¯d fallen after it was restored. It reared back and threw it at the Disciples and Acolytes. TJ couldn¡¯t see what happened. Still. He. Waited. As it jumped forward and landed with one foot each on Connor and Molly, TJ wanted to weep, but finally, it was time. The wind and the Storm screamed for release, and TJ lunged forward as quickly as he could manage, a pitifully slow attack. As soon as his jaws caught the Boss¡¯s neck, he flicked his tongue back and forth like only snakes could. The hyper-focused blade of wind shaved through the thick, icy vertebrae exactly as it was meant to. Less than a second later, its spine was severed and the wendigo fell. ¡°Kin¡­ killer.¡± It whispered. ¡°I¡­ was¡­ avenge¨C¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck.¡± Seth interrupted, TJ¡¯s Spear in his hands. He smashed it down in the guttering eyes of the wendigo. Just as the System notifications began to roll in, TJ¡¯s eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 123 TJ could tell that it wasn¡¯t long before he woke. The Frostbite paired with however many other afflictions he¡¯d experienced had caused him to black out. Looking around, he was back in his human body, covered with mud and aching everywhere. Angelo was pulling him up and out of the slurry he¡¯d lost consciousness in. TJ wiped the filth from his eyes and looked around. ¡°How many?¡± He croaked, his throat rasping and aching from the blasts of frigid air that had frozen him. ¡°How many what?¡± Angelo asked, confused. Stanton, however, understood. ¡°None.¡± The veteran assured TJ as he wiped some of the mud from the younger man¡¯s face. ¡°It was close there for a couple of us, but Laura saved Zig when she took that spear. She was the closest.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± TJ sighed. ¡°Thank heavens. I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know if I would have been able¡­¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Stanton agreed. As soon as he had, though, he sprinted away, moving so quickly he looked like a blur before he disappeared in the darkness. TJ looked around and saw 34 other people still living, even if most weren¡¯t still walking or on their feet. Then, the gravity of the situation settled over him and he stood tall as he pulled up the System notifications. He disregarded several level notifications, but was glad to see that he¡¯d recovered all his resources with the levels gained. Instead, he focused on a single notification, the most pressing one. You have completed the final stage of Tutorial 107.48.891, the Boss fight. You have completed Tutorial 107.48.891. All Participants will be removed from the Tutorial with whatever they are holding in 10:00. Congratulations on your survival. Prepare yourselves to integrate with the Integrated world. You will be returned to the location where you were at the time of Integration. Time remaining: 8:59 ¡°Even now we can¡¯t rest?¡± TJ complained. Many of the other people nearby chuckled as they realized what he was saying. ¡°Alright, everyone, get what you want. If there¡¯s any disagreement, then we¡¯ll talk it out.¡± TJ looked back and forth, and many of the other Participants shrugged helplessly. When TJ looked at Angelo, the younger man sighed. ¡°Most of this stuff isn¡¯t worth anything to me. I can¡¯t make anything with it, my Occupation isn¡¯t good with it unless it¡¯s medicinal. So¡­ most of us don¡¯t have any use for the stuff.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± TJ mused before turning to jog away. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, and I¡¯ll have something for each of you.¡± Sarah groaned and trotted alongside him as he made a beeline for the general store. ¡°I figure you¡¯ll need a strong arm helping you out to get all this back.¡± ¡°Thanks, Sarah.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°How¡¯re you holding up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ok.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I wish I¡¯d been Copper earlier, but getting it in wave two of the siege wasn¡¯t enough. Maybe when we run into each other again outside of all this, we¡¯ll be able to work together better.¡± ¡°I¡¯d probably like that.¡± TJ sighed. ¡°I¡¯m learning more and more how stupid I was about being alone and so on.¡± ¡°None of us knew anything about anything,¡± Sarah disagreed, ¡°so there¡¯s no reason to be mad at yourself for being as ignorant as the rest of us.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± TJ allowed. As soon as they laid eyes on the mountain lion¡¯s corpse, TJ sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a damn big monster, isn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°Respectfully,¡± Sarah chuckled, ¡°you¡¯re a damn big monster. I wonder how the rest of us will deal with whatever else we have to fight once we get out of here.¡± TJ raised both hands in surrender before hoisting up its front. He grunted and didn¡¯t strain too hard, Sarah doing the same behind him. ¡°Where are you based?¡± Sarah asked as they drew close to the assembled Participants. ¡°In Tempe.¡± TJ offered ¡°I¡¯m in Phoenix, so I bet we¡¯ll find each other before too long. Anyways, you said you had something for all of us?¡± A couple of other people perked up at Sarah¡¯s subject change, though nobody was anything short of totally exhausted. ¡°I¡¯ll cut something from one of the two Copper tier monsters for each of you. Be quick, because we have¡­ six minutes left.¡± TJ said, checking the timer. Sarah was already there. She was the first to request one of the mountain lion¡¯s fangs, and those went quickly, as did the wendigo¡¯s claws. Then, one of the wendigo¡¯s horns, the bones of its arms and legs, and the mountain lion¡¯s claws followed. In the end, TJ was left with one of the wendigo¡¯s horns and the mountain lion¡¯s body without its fangs or claws. Fortunately, TJ could activate Divine Transformation and cut through each thing with ease. In the end, he remained in his coatl form, the horn and giant mountain lion corpse in his mouth as the timer ticked to 00:00. TJ was whisked away, holding all his grisly trophies. [Stanton POV] S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was just able to safely remove all the Lifeblooms and Myconic Nursery in time. The damned System didn¡¯t care that they were delicate lives and needed to be extracted safely. He found himself sitting in his old Lay-Z-Boy, the plants by his side and his favorite blanket on his lap. There wasn¡¯t any way he could trust this, was there? For the first time in what was sure to be a series of looking for the clever kid, Stanton wanted TJ somewhere to just take the heat for a second. Then, the System spoke to him. ¡°Hello Stanton. Welcome to your promised Systemic Audience. You must have many questions for me.¡± [Sarah POV] Holding the fang in her hand, Sarah watched as TJ struggled to lift everything he was trying to take home. She thought about offering to help, but there was no need. The man refused to accept any meaningful help most of the time, though his promise to maybe work together brought her some comfort. After all, she couldn¡¯t imagine anyone being scarier than he was after the Tutorial. Being at his side would help her survive longer. Maybe that¡¯d be her first goal after she evolved to Copper. She laughed to herself as she found herself back in her apartment, familiar decorations and photos everywhere. As soon as she opened her eyes, the System gave her a prompt: Copper (I) tiered evolutionary requirements complete: 3/3. Would you like to evolve to the Copper (I) tier of Divinity? [Molly POV] ¡°We¡¯ll have to find each other.¡± Molly said to Tessie. ¡°We can keep each other and our parents safe after all this, right?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Tessie shrugged. She¡¯d been different since Granny Penny died. Not that Molly blamed her, it was super traumatizing! But Molly wanted to protect her friend and her family. And they were super strong now! ¡°I¡¯ll help you. We¡¯re both in Mesa, so we¡¯ll find each other, ok!¡± Molly said, but there was nothing else she could do, because that was when the System took her away. She was then standing in front of her house, wendigo claw in her hands. She let it fall from her hands as she called out, ¡°Mom? Daddy?¡± and ran inside. [Farid POV] There was so much to do. Farid wanted to take everything valuable home to see if it could help his parents, but, deep in his heart, he suspected that his parents were dead. His mother was too ill and his father too stubborn to survive things half as terrible as he had faced. ¡°There is always hope.¡± Farid muttered to himself as he walked out of the office. ¡°Of all the days to go to work early, huh?¡± There were five miles between him and his parents¡¯ house, but it wouldn¡¯t take long for him to get there to check if his worries were true. [Rebekkah POV] She took a claw from the mountain lion as a souvenir more than anything. Her boys would enjoy that, though she probably wouldn¡¯t tell them the whole story leading up to that. But they would have been through something just like her, wouldn¡¯t they? Rebekkah nearly cried thinking of her Robbie and Markus. They were the only ones that were old enough to go through this hell, and she prayed that God had sheltered them. Maybe someone like TJ could have taken them under their wing to keep them from suffering too much. Was it too much to ask God for to have them and Joseph in the same Tutorial? Her husband would protect them. With a quick prayer, Rebekkah called for her family to come home, and with faith fueling her every motion, she began to prepare a meal for them all to reunite over. [Sven POV] ¡°If you wish to live, you will come to the ASU campus and continue to follow me. The only person excused from arriving before me in the next week is Krista, you will be in charge of spreading my influence through the northern cities in Arizona. Am I clear?¡± Fucking Bryan raised his timid fucking hand. Sven almost beat him to death right then, but instead, he sighed. ¡°Yes, the Tempe campus, not the polytechnic one. That answer your stupid question?¡± Bryan¡¯s hand fell. Good. Sven could be merciful, but all these morons needed someone to lead and protect them, and it wouldn¡¯t be another one of the sheep, but a wolf to protect and lead. As the System welcomed him to his audience with it, Sven thought about how he¡¯d leverage his strength on campus. Since they would all be college kids, he¡¯d need to do something more than flex how much stronger than them he was, though. But he¡¯d figure something out. The more people submitted to him, the more he¡¯d be able to protect. After all, what else was a Tyrant supposed to do? [TJ POV] He found himself not in a featureless white room like he had at the time of Integration. No, instead TJ was teleported to a room resembling Junior¡¯s. In fact, if not for how clean the walls were, TJ would have said that it was Junior¡¯s room. Divine Transformation had been stopped by something, not himself, and TJ went on edge. What was happening? Then, he looked down and saw that he was clean and wearing the same clothes that he had been when the Integration occurred. Where was he? Where were all the scars and remnants of the Tutorial? What had just happened? ¡°System, what the fuck is this?¡± He demanded at the heavens¡­ or ceiling, as the case may be. ¡°Daddy!¡± Junior¡¯s voice pulled him from his confusion, and TJ didn¡¯t care to think about anything else. He knelt down as his little boy sprinted into the room, nearly running into the walls as he followed TJ¡¯s voice. TJ took his child into his arms and wept. With tears streaming down his face, he pulled back and looked into Junior¡¯s eyes. ¡°Daddy.¡± He said in a very serious tone. ¡°You said no no word.¡± For a moment, TJ was speechless, then he closed his mouth and nodded while he chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re right, bud. My bad. I won¡¯t do it again. Promise you won¡¯t copy me?¡± Junior nodded, and when a shadow fell over them, TJ turned his back to the threat, terror filling him. He wouldn¡¯t let anything harm his boy. Nothing. ¡°What¡¯re you doing, TJ?¡± An achingly familiar voice asked. Unbelieving, TJ turned and stood, locking eyes with her. ¡°Mari?¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 124 A/N: This is the end of book 1. I''m taking a week off posting here, and will only post 2 chapters to Patreon this week. Just feeling a little run down after being sick for the past week. Her eyes and face¡ªeverything was perfect. That was Mari. The crow¡¯s feet at the corners of her eyes, the faint smell of her perfume, everything. She wore an apron, as she always did when she was baking. It was her favorite gray one that said ¡°Queen of the Kitchen¡± on the breast. As TJ stood to look into his wife¡¯s eyes and ask disbelievingly, Before he could ask if it was really her, something in her face felt off. He couldn¡¯t say what it was, but there was something ¡°other¡± about her. Picking up Junior, TJ stepped back and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Is Mommy!¡± Junior supplied. He pinched TJ¡¯s cheeks and frowned. ¡°Your face scratchy!¡± ¡°Yeah, bud.¡± TJ acknowledged before looking at the thing that looked like Mari and demanding, again, ¡°But who are you?¡± A System notification answered TJ instead of Mari. Welcome to your Systemic Audience. This representation of your late wife, Marisol Harris, serves as a caretaker for your son, Thiago Jorge Harris V. It is a reflection of the System¡¯s will, and keeps the very real body of Thiago Jorge Harris V safe and cared for while he is within the bounds of the System¡¯s care. ¡°Can we speak without him hearing?¡± TJ asked the System. If you wish to be parted from him, you can conduct your Systemic Audience without Thiago Jorge Harris V¡¯s presence. Do you wish for him to be removed? ¡°No.¡± TJ growled, holding his son more tightly. Junior squirmed in discomfort as his dad squeezed him. ¡°Stop.¡± He grumbled, and TJ loosened his hold on Junior, if only a little. ¡°You gone so long!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Junior. I didn¡¯t want to. Was it hard to sleep without me, or did you have your bunny?¡± Junior giggled. ¡°No sleep! No nap!¡± Before TJ could ask how it could be that a two-year-old had gone two weeks without sleeping, the System gave him more information. Time passes at one one hundredth of the rate for individuals under the care of the System for those outside of it. It has been 3.370218 hours for Thiago Jorge Harris V since you and he have seen each other. TJ¡¯s heart caught in his throat. It¡­ He¡­ There was so much that Junior wasn¡¯t seeing, but TJ hadn¡¯t missed two weeks of his child¡¯s life. Junior said something that TJ didn¡¯t quite hear, and he leaned down to the curious child. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what was that?¡± ¡°You stinky.¡± TJ laughed, feeling the anger and frustration from the weeks of the Tutorial wash away as he did. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Like poop.¡± Junior writhed away, and TJ allowed him to escape. His kid ran over to his shelf and pulled his favorite book out. Then, seemingly uncaring about how much TJ stunk, he climbed back in his lap. They didn¡¯t need to say anything about it, and TJ just read the book, making the same voices for each dinosaur just like he always did. After he did so, he stood up, keeping Junior in his arms. ¡°You hungry, buddy? I think it¡¯s probably getting close to lunch time, isn¡¯t it?¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Make baby noodles!¡± TJ looked at System-Mari and asked, ¡°You have shell noodles and grated cheese?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± His wife¡¯s voice replied, and TJ fought the simultaneous urges to take her in his arms and to punch the System for taking his wife¡¯s face. ¡°I also have the carrots and hummus you love, honey. You do need to eat your vegetables!¡± He couldn¡¯t keep himself from smacking her hand away as she reached out to stroke Junior¡¯s head. The sound of the slap wasn¡¯t quiet, and Junior just looked at his dad, confused. TJ sighed and walked into the familiar hallway. The pantry, his room, the bathroom, everything. This was his home. If he had to choose, maybe it was best that Junior spend this time in a place that was just like his home, but it was a violation. Fighting against himself not to stomp or act like a child, TJ pulled a box of uncooked pasta from the pantry, pulled a pot out, filled it with water, and set it to boil. As the comfort of familiarity settled over them, TJ watched Junior run into the family room and pull out his blocks. He¡¯d always been a tactile kid, and as TJ waited for the water to boil, he watched his thoroughly unconcerned son. This innocent life didn¡¯t know about the bloodshed that was going to be common the world over now, about the scars his dad had picked up over the past weeks, or anything else. Instead, TJ could see that there were the remnants of Play-Doh on the kitchen table, mostly cleaned, and a couple of his favorite toys out. Now that he was here¡­ was he going to pull his kid out of this and into the hell of the world post-Integration? As a part of your evolution to Copper (I) tier, you have been granted a Systemic Audience. As you have expressed particular interest in your offspring, the audience will take place in the same location that your offspring is currently in. Please, ask questions. ¡°Is time between the world and here still moving at a different speed?¡± No. ¡°How long is this fighting and so on going to last?¡± TJ asked after his first, stupid question. A struggle for supremacy will continue until one is selected to ascend to the Divine Throne. Until then, life will quickly settle into something resembling the life that you had before. There will be powerful individuals seeking ever more power, and there will be the weak whose only choice will be to struggle along in the shadow, hoping not to catch the attention of the strong. TJ sighed, unsurprised with the response. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen with Junior?¡± There are two options available to you and Thiago Jorge Harris V. The first is to pull him out of this space and for him to accompany you in the post-Integration world. He will be Integrated to the System, and be given a simple choice of what Class to select at the age of 10 years. Until then, he will remain dependent on you or any other who takes pity on him. The second is to leave him in this space until he reaches the age of 15 years, and he will then be pulled out of this space and given the opportunity to select a Class. ¡°So my only choices are to pull him out into a life of suffering or to leave him here all alone until 1300 years pass in the world outside?¡± If the second option is chosen, the choice can be revisited at any time when you have the opportunity to have a Systemic Audience. ¡°Do you think that the next god to sit on the Divine Throne will be selected in the next 1300 years?¡± The System will make no such speculations. TJ groaned. The water behind him was boiling and he added the pasta to it before asking his next question. ¡°How dangerous will the world be outside when I return?¡± The System will make no such assurances. ¡°How long does it take to get to Silver tier?¡± The System will make no such generalizations. TJ asked a dozen more questions that the System refused to answer. Holding back his rage as best as he could he demanded, ¡°Then what kind of information do I get from this audience?¡± You have received a confirmation of the safety of your son, and you have been presented with options for how to bring him into the post-Integration world. Many questions typically asked within the bounds of a Systemic Audience pertain to the next tier of Divinity. For example, you will find great boons in continuing to expand your ability to create equipment and expanding your Divine Authority. You may wish to follow inspiration from what you saw in your Enlightenment that led to your acquisition of the Divine Authority of Storm. ¡°Alright. And Junior¡­¡± TJ¡¯s voice caught in his throat. This thought enraged his Bloodline, but he tamped down the emotion to ask. ¡°Can I stay with him here?¡± You have caught the attention of the System by your performance in Tutorial 107.48.891. You will not be permitted to leave the Integrated world for long. Though he¡¯d suspected he¡¯d get an answer like that, TJ wouldn¡¯t have minded to have the decision taken away from him. To not have to be so strong any more. Now that it wasn¡¯t an option, though, TJ made his decision. He¡¯d make a place where Junior could be safe and he could raise his child. And he¡¯d do that by the time he hit Silver tier. After making and serving up the ¡°baby noodles¡± and carrots with hummus, TJ watched Junior eat his meal with his usual excitement. Then, he spent an hour playing with his son, constantly wiping tears from his eyes as he listened to inane stories, read books, played tag, tickled and laughed. The hour had passed, and TJ knew what to do. He leaned down and picked Junior up. ¡°I¡¯m leaving for a while buddy. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be gone. You won¡¯t be alone here, and when I come back, I won¡¯t leave you again, ok?¡± Junior¡¯s lower lip quivered. ¡°You¡­ go to work?¡± TJ shrugged, tears streaming down his face. ¡°Yeah. Going to work. I¡¯ll miss you. I¡¯ll see you soon, though, ok?¡± ¡°Bye-bye.¡± ¡°Bye bye.¡± TJ repeated, still ignoring System-Mari. Then, he squared his shoulders and spoke. ¡°Alright, System. Send me back. If I gotta go in, I¡¯ll be your monster.¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 125 TJ opened his eyes. The park he¡¯d been in two weeks ago with his son was there. To his surprise, though it¡¯d been night when he¡¯d been pulled away by the System, morning was just breaking. Looking around, there were the climbing gyms, the slides, everything. However, the sand showed a different story. Clotted blood was all over, and the scent of iron in the air wasn¡¯t just from the metal pipes that supported the jungle gyms. Fur and feathers had been blown by the wind into the corners of the walls, and TJ knew this was, if not the site of a last stand, a place where much of a different Tutorial¡¯s fighting occurred. ¡°How bad was this one?¡± TJ half asked himself and half the System. Neither responded, though his own lack of response was enough of a tell to how much he¡¯d changed since the System ripped him away from his previous life. The stroller was still in front of him, empty of Junior. In fact, it was obvious that the stroller had been ransacked for anything of value. The only reason that it was still there was that it was obviously because the frame was too lightweight to serve as a weapon. That TJ had to fight down a sense of anger and violation at that was almost humorous. He¡¯d ripped homes to the ground to give himself a better chance of survival, and now he was mad someone touched an empty stroller? He focused himself, taking in the rest of the area. The dozens of families that¡¯d been there in the park were gone, and TJ was alone. Could they all have died, or was he just quick to return? He didn¡¯t know and couldn¡¯t say. That wasn¡¯t his problem, anyways. Instead, his concerns were the wendigo horn that he still had and the Tezcatlipoca-blessed carcass beside him. The System had given him the warning that the spoils of his Tutorial would need more prompt treatment in the warmer valley, but he didn¡¯t immediately set on dealing with the hide. Instead, he shrugged and looked at his Status, since, as soon as he¡¯d disappeared from the facsimile of his home, the System had told him that the levels it¡¯d held back until after his victory over the Wendigo Ritualist would come in. He wasn¡¯t disappointed. Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 26. Attribute points allocated: Strength +7, Agility +6, Endurance +13, Vitality +13, Toughness +11, Wisdom +7, Intelligence +11, Perception +7, Willpower +11, Fixation +13, Free Points +10. Additional Free Points currently available. Skill selection available. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Race: Semi-Divine Human (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 26. Attribute points allocated: Strength +8, Agility +8, Endurance +8, Vitality +13, Toughness +8, Wisdom +8, Intelligence +13, Perception +8, Willpower +8, Fixation +13. Additional Free Points currently available. Occupation: Savage Shaman (Copper (I)) has advanced to level 26. Attribute points allocated: Strength +5, Agility +5, Endurance +5, Vitality +5, Toughness +5, Wisdom +12, Intelligence +12, Perception +12, Willpower +12, Fixation +12, Free Points +15. Additional Free Points currently available. Skill selection available. That was two levels in each. Maybe those Attributes would have helped him in the final fight, but since nobody had died, he couldn¡¯t complain too much. How many levels he¡¯d stand to gain outside of the Tutorial now was currently an unknown, since he wouldn¡¯t have the experience buff and he didn¡¯t know how many monsters would be sitting around nearby, ready for him to hunt. That, again, was a worry for later. Looking at the Skill options, TJ saw that those offered for his Class wouldn''t help him with the pelt treatment, but a couple of those offered for Savage Shaman could, so he¡¯d need to make that choice now, before he cut and prepped the hide. Before he could look at the Skills specifically, though the System provided a warning to him. All Classes and Occupations, beginning at level 30, will provide additional Skills only every 10 levels instead of every 5. That was information that TJ wasn¡¯t too surprised to read. He couldn¡¯t say what level Silver tier would come at, but he suspected it would be much higher than 50. On top of that, it further incentivized Participants to evolve at lower levels, to get more Skill selections as higher tiers. Shaking his head, he instead refocused on the Skill options for his Occupation. Simple Weapons Fighting Proficiency, (Copper, (I)): You have created and battled with weapons made entirely from items and materials from after the Integration, and have dealt deadly blows with magic and strength of fist. Your weapons have struck deadly blows on a Copper (I) tiered Boss and you have dealt heavy blows with simple weapons. This Skill will grant you an intrinsic understanding of how to leverage the strengths of basic, simple weapons, such as the dagger, club, stave, and spear. Additionally, this Skill will grant a 20% bonus to all Attributes that its untiered iteration offered, but that 20% bonus will be universal and apply not just in combat, but at all times that you are only wielding any simple weapon. NOTE: At the Copper (I) tier, this Skill does not grant an additional bonus to Attributes while you are using the Divine Transformation Skill. The ideas TJ had previously had about this Skill remained unchanged, though he now saw that the Skill¡¯s description limited the bonus provided while in coatl form. He supposed that wasn¡¯t particularly noteworthy, but it was an unwelcome surprise. Equipment Fabrication (Copper (I)): You have found various uses for the items and materials that surround you. As you already have a Skill dedicated to the processing and utilization of post-Integration materials (Introductory Divine Primitive Craftsmanship), this Skill is instead focused exclusively on the creation of equipment. This Skill will strengthen all equipment created by 25% and will increase the Attributes granted by each piece of equipment. This Skill is influenced by the ¡°100% bonus to all crafting abilities and Skills when crafting without pre-Integration technology¡± granted by Introductory Divine Primitive Craftsmanship. The upgrade to this option was also nice, given that it would synergize with the first Skill he received since the whole apocalypse began. TJ only had three pieces of true ¡°equipment¡±, with the Remnant, Shroud, and Spear, so as he had more time after the Tutorial, one thing he would focus on was creating more things for himself. He tentatively put this as his first option as he moved on to the next. Mobile Ritualism (Copper (I)): You are a Savage Shaman, a leader. A leader must always lead, and leading requires movement. However, rituals are made to be stationary and are weakened by moving. Thus, this Skill allows for any rituals up to Copper (I) tier to be moved without suffering any ill effects. Skills of Silver (II) tier and above will experience a decrease in the reduction to their efficacy. A good Skill, if one that TJ didn¡¯t think he¡¯d need right now. He had no allies nearby, and even if he did, he suspected that his single ritual wouldn¡¯t be on the forefront of things to make sure to accommodate for now. Necromantic Ritualism (Copper (I)): You have witnessed the power of a necromantic ritual. One who controls¡ª TJ pulled his eyes away. His knee-jerk reaction to hearing necromancy was first, excitement, second, confusion, and third, disgust. He wasn¡¯t a necromancer. Did he want to be one? As he thought about it, no, not at all. He¡¯d seen what the wendigo had done with the bodies of the other monsters, and he didn¡¯t want to do that. After he was entirely sure that he didn¡¯t want the Skill, he stopped looking at it, not even finishing reading it. Instead, he looked at the final Skill option. Influential Leadership (Copper (I)): You have gained a Title that grants you a greater realm of influence over those who would follow you. You can grant strength and morale to those who follow you. This Skill will grant any of your willing followers the Moderate High Morale buff as well as a 5% increase to all Attributes while in battle. Another Skill that could be powerful, but didn¡¯t suit his current needs. As far as TJ was concerned, the only two he really wanted to consider right now were the fighting proficiency and Equipment Fabrication. Regardless of which he chose, the end result would be him getting stronger as a human. Therefore, the choice was if he wanted the Attribute boost coming from wielding whatever weapon came to hand, or if he wanted it to come from higher quality equipment that he made for himself. He¡¯d only seen pretty unimpressive Attribute bonuses from equipment, though. From the two pieces of equipment that he had that granted Attributes, he gained a total of 23 Attribute points. He¡¯d get more than that from just the boost to Intelligence. However, the things he¡¯d made weren¡¯t particularly noteworthy. Divine Armaments and Sacred Weapons that were still Copper tier gave up to 50 Attribute points each¡­ TJ asked the System, ¡°What are the limits of Copper tier equipment?¡± Copper tier equipment can grant up to 50 Attribute Points as well as one Skill and one bonus ability. ¡°A bonus being something like the Wendigo Blade¡¯s bonus to my Wind Manipulation or the Remnant¡¯s boost to Skills by touch?¡± Correct. Then the question that came up was if TJ wanted more of these abilities or more Attributes. Or, if he wanted to wait on one of the two and then try to upgrade whatever Skill was offered to him next time. And which one was more likely to be offered to him again in five levels? After thinking about it for a while, TJ finally made his decision. Equipment Fabrication didn¡¯t immediately assist him with processing the Tezcatlipoca-blessed mountain lion¡¯s body, but it did let him know that the only part of the body that was really worth anything was its hide. Or, the most valuable part that was left. Its fangs were pretty potent as well, but those were long gone, and TJ didn¡¯t begrudge making sure the rest of the survivors from his Tutorial had something to take with them. The bones could be used in something only slightly better than the bones originally used in his creation of the Spear, but at this point, given how much blood the Spear¡¯d absorbed, they were probably effectively the same. Thus, TJ pulled his Wendigo Blade out and set about carving the hide from the corpse of the Copper tier monster. It wasn¡¯t easy going, as the Blade was the first Copper tiered equipment he made. TJ wished he had one of the claws from the Wendigo Ritualist, but again, he was sure he could get something comparable. He¡¯d had plans about making a macuahuitl, and maybe he could use the massive wendigo horn as the haft for that. But that wouldn¡¯t help as much with the processing of any new materials that came his way. And where would he get obsidian hard enough to work against the supernatural monsters that would fill the planet now? Various thoughts filled TJ¡¯s mind, but he noticed as a couple people appeared in the park. He didn¡¯t leave himself entirely exposed, his stomach twisting at the thought of possibly confrontational people trying to force him to do anything. Then, instead of anxiety, a sense of anger flooded him, at the hubris and stupidity of someone trying to steal from him. With deep breaths, TJ forced himself to calm down, focusing instead on the work he was doing. He refused to damage the hide because of the possibility of someone trying something stupid. On the other hand, he did make sure his Spear and extra horn were always between himself and the massive corpse in front of him. No reason to tempt anyone. ¡°You gonna give that to the rest of us or what?¡± A gruff voice asked. TJ gritted his teeth and turned away from his work, bloodied knife in hand. ¡°What did you just ask me?¡± TJ demanded, his fist tightly clenched around his knife as he bent over and picked the spear up. He was significantly shorter than the pale man who spoke, who was well over six feet tall and wearing Holy Vestments armor. The full plate he wore was impressive, but when TJ Appraised him, any nervousness that remained was washed away. Zealot, 21 With no indication of his tier, that meant he was Dirt tier. The larger man demanded again, ¡°Are you going to try to eat that all yourself? You won¡¯t be able to before it spoils.¡± ¡°Oh, the meat?¡± TJ laughed, pushed back his anger. ¡°Yeah, you can have that. I¡¯m taking the hide and was planning to leave the meat behind.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a crafter?¡± The large man raised his eyebrows as he extended his hand. ¡°Nice to meet you. My name¡¯s Kolt. Er, my name¡¯s Kolter, but I go by Kolt. You?¡± ¡°TJ.¡± TJ took the offered hand, and when Kolt squoze tighter, TJ matched him until Kolt could go no further. Then, he took it just a little further. Kolt pulled his hand back and shook it. ¡°Level 26 is impressive. If you¡¯d leave some of that meat behind, I¡¯m sure we¡¯d appreciate it.¡± ¡°And I appreciate you not taking too hard a stance there. I think we¡¯re all a little¡­ twitchy.¡± TJ said, eyeing a couple of the other people who stood nearby. None of them were even as high of a level as Kolt, much less himself. ¡°I¡¯ll finish removing the pelt and probably a couple dozen pounds of meat and get out of your hair.¡± A woman behind Kolt reached out and put her hand on his arm, which he noticed but didn¡¯t do anything about. ¡°That sounds fine, TJ.¡± Then, with a growing crowd watching him, TJ continued to remove the pelt from the giant creature. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 126 ¡°He¡¯s obviously taking the most valuable part!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s his, because he either brought it from the Tutorial, or he killed it here before any of us got here. Given that this blood is all old, then it¡¯s from the Tutorial. You think he killed it or it was given to him?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Either way, I don¡¯t want to mess with him. So, Kylee, please be quiet.¡± Kolt and his¡­ wife, maybe, were trying to whisper, but with a Perception well over 200, TJ could hear everything clearly. More and more he became inhuman, inhumanly strong, fast, and everything else, to say nothing of the whole ¡°able to control the wind¡± thing. Or turning into a giant snake. TJ focused on cutting the hide free as quickly and cleanly as possible. He refused to damage the hide, but he didn¡¯t mind having to scrape more connective tissue and fat from the skin after he got out of this annoying and possibly contentious situation. It was still the work of almost an hour to cut the hide free, even with his immense Attributes. As soon as he finished, he bundled the hides all together before looking at the beast¡¯s exposed skull. How was he going to get the brain out and carry it with him? After grumbling to himself for a second, TJ focused a blade of wind on the tip of his Wendigo Blade and sent it through the nearly two feet-thick neck of the mountain lion. With a wet crunch, the Skill cut through everything, sending blood flying everywhere and letting the offending head bounce free. A chorus of gasps rose from people behind him. TJ looked down at himself and couldn¡¯t help but laugh a little. Just two weeks ago, he¡¯d nearly vomited from killing a coyote and trying to cut off its hide to keep himself warm. Now, he was coated in the mountain lion¡¯s blood and fragments of its bones, and all he thought about was how annoyingly sticky blood was. He grabbed the head, bundled it in the pelt, cut a thick hank of the mountain lion off and bundled that in there as well, then grabbed his spear and additional wendigo horn before turning to walk away. ¡°That¡¯s all I really wanted. Thanks for your patience, all. I¡¯ll be off now.¡± ¡°No problem, TJ.¡± Kolt said, offering a hand to TJ. The Neophyte looked down at his two full hand before looking up at the Zealot. The other man raised both hands in an apologetic gesture. ¡°My bad. Just curious, what Skill did you use for that? Is it something for crafting or¡­¡± he trailed off. ¡°I don¡¯t think you really need to know that, Kolt.¡± TJ refused to answer. ¡°I don¡¯t think that any of you have plans to hurt me, but I think you can all understand that the world is different. While I¡¯d like to get along with you all, I want to make sure that I¡¯m safe more than that. You know, trust but verify. I won¡¯t ask you about your Skills, and you won¡¯t ask me about mine.¡± A couple people obviously wanted to press him on that, but Kolt nodded slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t like that, but I agree. The world is dangerous, and we don¡¯t know if we can trust strangers like we did before.¡± ¡°Look, you done kissing ass or whatever?¡± Another man¡¯s voice cut in. TJ sighed as he looked at the interrupter. He too was tall, though not nearly so imposing as Kolt, and much younger, maybe college age. He wore surprisingly clean clothes, but his fingernails were dirty and his hair showed that he¡¯d lacked enough water to wash his hair frequently. Strangely, his eyes were particularly blue and his hair showed blond at the roots. The still-unnamed man put his hand on TJ¡¯s shoulder and tried to pull him towards him. TJ resisted and Appraised the pushy kid. Acolyte, 23 How a higher levelled Participant had avoided his Appraisal before put TJ on edge. Not seeming to notice that, he continued speaking. ¡°There¡¯s a guy, Sven, who¡¯s gonna be at the ASU campus. He could use strong people like you to reestablish some sort of normalcy around here. Come with me and I¡¯ll introduce you.¡± Something about his tone implied that he thought he was doing TJ some massive favor and that just rubbed him the wrong way. ¡°I¡¯ll swing by at some point.¡± TJ shrugged the hand off. That seemed to somehow surprise the boy, and he looked at TJ with his strangely blue eyes and put his hand back on TJ¡¯s shoulder. Or, at least, he tried to. ¡°I¡¯d say it was pretty obvious he didn¡¯t want you touching him.¡± Kolt interrupted as he caught the other man¡¯s hand in his. ¡°What did you say your name was?¡± ¡°Andrew.¡± The younger man answered. After pulling on his hand for a second, he only got free when Kolt let him go. Then, he looked at the crowd around him. There were dozens of people, many of which looked confused and lost about what to do next. TJ only then realized he saw two younger kids and one sleeping baby that¡¯d appeared at some point. All three were currently sleeping, but the parents didn¡¯t look concerned. Kaylee, Kolt¡¯s wife/girlfriend, held the baby in her arms. Many other parents nearby were conspicuously alone. ¡°You guys brought your baby back?¡± TJ interrupted as Andrew looked to be about to speak again. The younger Acolyte seethed at the inattention but seemed to be barely able to reel in his anger. ¡°Yeah.¡± Kolt answered as he looked back at TJ. ¡°That¡¯s brave.¡± TJ said, nodding. ¡°You¡¯re not Copper yet, but if you work hard to protect your kid, I wonder if there¡¯s a Class you¡¯ll be offered. Paternal Protector. It¡¯s a good Class, and I wonder if you two together can protect your little one. I wasn¡¯t confident I could, but I hope for your success. I¡¯ll be near campus in the next day or so, if you want me to make something for you. If you have materials, I¡¯ll be able to do more. But for now, I¡¯ll get moving. Sounds like, regardless of my impression of Andrew here, Sven might be able to keep people pretty safe. If you¡¯re pretty close to campus, you might wanna check it out.¡± ¡°Thanks, TJ.¡± Kolt nodded, not reaching out a hand again. ¡°Hope to see you soon.¡± TJ looked around and saw nobody else looking to stop him, so he turned and began jogging away. Even carrying hundreds of pounds of pelt and equipment, he wasn¡¯t slowed, and he nearly immediately was outside of the park. The towering climbing structure in the park quickly disappeared behind shopping centers and other buildings as TJ ran west. Though his arms were full, TJ focused on listening and looking out for anything approaching. He hadn¡¯t seen any monsters so far, but there was, as far as he knew, also no safe zones nearby. If there would be any after the Tutorial was up in the air as well, but there wasn¡¯t anything he could do about that. Instead, TJ continued on his path in the direction of his home, running down the center of the three-lane road under the 101. Every step of the way, signs of devastation greeted him; destroyed homes, limp corpses, and bloodstained sidewalks were everywhere he looked. There were no signs of life at first, but as time passed, more and more people appeared. There, a house had young voices calling for parents or older voices calling for children, and on the other side, tearful reunions occurred. TJ forced himself to remember why he didn¡¯t have Junior with him right now, and redoubled his dedication to make a safe place for his son to return. That Sven guy could be an adequate leader, and if he was, that could be a place that TJ ended up settling down. With hundreds of other people, even if they weren¡¯t tied together by the Tutorial, monsters would have much more trouble getting into their safe areas. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As someone shouted and ran at him from the mall as he ran past, TJ stepped back and listened as he Appraised her as a Disciple, 17. ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± The slightly overweight woman asked. ¡°Further into Tempe. Why?¡± ¡°Can you take me with you?¡± She asked, desperate. ¡°My son and daughter. They¡¯re at Tempe High. It¡¯s in that direction, but I can¡¯t get there by myself and the care isn¡¯t working. My phone isn¡¯t, and my husband¡­ I, I just¡­ Please. Just help me get further west?¡± TJ wanted to grumble, but he also knew what the woman was feeling, but more than him, the middle aged Hispanic woman who¡¯d run up to him needed to see if her kids had survived their Tutorial. ¡°Sure. My destination is just a bit further west than the school, so I¡¯ll take you right there. I want to keep running, though, if I can.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you! I don¡¯t care. I was just shopping¡­¡± Her voice hitched. ¡°I get it.¡± TJ answered softly. ¡°My name¡¯s TJ, you?¡± ¡°Rosa.¡± She answered. Her clothes were filthy, but she obviously didn¡¯t care. Her single focus was to get to her children, so TJ respected that. He resumed jogging in the direction of the high school, going a mile further south than was necessary for him to get home, but he didn¡¯t have anything pressing enough to make him abandon the desperate mother. He couldn¡¯t leave a parent behind like that, desperate and needing someone else¡¯s help to find their child and see if they¡¯d survived the apocalypse. So, though a couple other people wanted his attention and Rosa was pushing herself and gasping for breath after a couple of miles, they didn¡¯t slow. As each main intersection passed, bringing them closer to the school, Rosa pushed herself harder, sweat beading on her brow and coursing down her face. When they were just a mile away, though she was flagging, Rosa sprinted faster and harder than before. Her gasping breaths almost made TJ want to carry her the final steps, but he let her continue on her own feet, and as they came up to the gate of the school, Rosa looked at him for a brief moment. ¡°Thank you, TJ.¡± She panted, hands on her knees. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know if¡­ I could have¡­ made it¡­ without¡­ you. I don¡¯t¡­ know if¡­ there¡¯s monsters.¡± ¡°I get it. TJ answered. ¡°Do you need me to walk you in or¡­?¡± He trailed off. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± She waved him off, standing up tall and putting her hands behind her head. ¡°I can find them now. Thank you.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°With everyone in there, you should be safe. We haven¡¯t seen any monsters anyways.¡± Rosa merely nodded and resumed walking into the high school, her legs obviously wobbling with every step. Even so, she had a goal, and she was focused on it. TJ turned, and once she was within the bounds of the school, jogged back north for a mile before going further west to his home. Nobody else jumped in front of him like Rosa had, and he had a brief moment to himself. As the slapping of his bare feet on the asphalt accompanied his thoughts, he asked the System, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen any monsters?¡± There is a safe period for the next 15:36:23. Until 8:00 am local time tomorrow, there will be no monsters to be found within the bounds of any population center. TJ cursed himself. How had he not been asking questions after already knowing how important it was to keep asking them? He raised a dozen more as he continued to run in the direction of his home. One of his most burning questions was how so many people of lower level managed to survive their Tutorials, but that and most other questions received no real answer. The only other question he asked that had an even remotely interesting reply was, ¡°if there¡¯s going to be another Tutorial or anything like it any time soon.¡± There will be no System-guided events occurring in the next 100 days. At the end of the 100th day, there will be an announcement regarding the next System-guided event. The System didn¡¯t give him any more information about that, regardless of how he asked or what specifics he went after, but then, just a couple minutes later, TJ turned into a neighborhood, and, instead of asking any more questions, he unthinkingly slowed down. Then, as he turned another corner, he was on his street. Slow steps carried him forward, and as he saw his home, his heart clenched. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 127 There was obvious evidence of ransacking, and TJ fought down that sense of rage and violation. He¡¯d done worse to every home he came across in Pine, and he¡¯d done more than leave a front door open. Even so, he gritted his teeth as he went through the gate on the side of the house and dropped the massive mound of black, untreated hide on the porch. A puff of dust rose up as he did so, and TJ ground his teeth as he forced himself to take a calming breath, and then another. For some reason, the large bay window into the kitchen had been shattered. Remnants of glass were everywhere, inside and out of the house, and TJ walked through them without concern. Even though his moccasins had been lost or forgotten in the madness of the siege and Boss fight, he was unconcerned with the glass everywhere. It couldn¡¯t cut the thick calluses on his feet, and he peered into his home. The fridge was open, only a couple sauces left inside. Past that, the pantry had been raided, he could see, but the specifics of what might have been lost was impossible to tell from this angle. As the door had been left closed, TJ stepped through the remains of the window and looked at what had happened to his home. Funnily enough, if he could find any humor in what he was looking at, the things that¡¯d been most valuable before were untouched. The giant 4k TV he¡¯d bought cheaply as a floor model, the couch set he¡¯d done the same thing with, the fancy china Mari¡¯d bought and never used¡­ all were left alone. The food, kitchen utensils, and blankets he¡¯d kept on the couches, though, were all gone. Though Mari¡¯d complained about how small it was, the pantry had once held plenty of food, and there was nothing left in there. Not a sauce, can of soup, or cellophane-wrapped treat. When he turned down the hall towards the three bedrooms, he saw that the office and Junior¡¯s rooms were basically untouched. There was one thing, more monetarily and emotionally valuable than the rest, that TJ worried about. In his bedroom, his bed had been stripped. He found himself growling under his breath, wondering why in the hell people would need his sheets. Maybe to carry the food they¡¯d stolen, but that was just¡­ bleh. TJ forced himself to calm down. It wasn¡¯t personal, it was survival. Plus, his anger was petty. And, most importantly, Mari¡¯s wedding ring that he kept on his nightstand remained there. It was a simple white gold band with a pillow-cut diamond, and he kept it there to be something to see when he woke up and went to sleep. Now, though, TJ worried that he wouldn¡¯t spend as much time in his home as he had before. If there were monsters threatening his life, then he realized that his single-story home wasn¡¯t going to do a whole lot to protect him. ¡°System.¡± TJ whispered. ¡°If I put her ring on a chain and wear it as a necklace, will it count as equipment?¡± Yes. ¡°Why?¡± He demanded. Appraise the item in your hands. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The System didn¡¯t give a real explanation, but TJ Appraised the ring. Item: Ring; Ring of the Devoted (Silver (II)). This ring is the last remnant of a mother, wife, sister, and daughter. It was presented to the owner by one truly devoted to her, and worn daily thereafter. When the owner was killed, it was covered in her blood as she died, damaged by the ravages that slew its owner. After being cured in its owner¡¯s blood, the ring was repaired, though some of its owner¡¯s blood remained in the deep scars in the gold. This ring has since served as an effigy of the owner, tended to daily by the original giver of the ring. This ring can only be equipped by the original giver of the ring, or the owner¡¯s offspring. If any other than the original giver or the owner¡¯s offspring attempt to take or wear this ring, they will suffer from a Severe Cursed affliction. Equipping this ring will not negatively impact the original giver or the owner¡¯s offspring in any way. This equipment grants the Shield of the Devoted (Silver (II)) Skill to its wearer. This equipment grants additional attribute points to its wearer. Points granted: +10 to Strength, Agility, Wisdom, Intelligence, Perception, Willpower, and Fixation, +20 to Endurance, Vitality, and Toughness. While TJ sat on his bed, disbelieving, he checked what the Shield of the Devoted Skill did out of habit. Shield of the Devoted (Silver (II)): This Skill is a blessing given by one devoted to those who are being protected. This Skill grants the protected a shield which covers their entire body for up to five minutes. During those five minutes, the Shield will safeguard the protected from 25% of all damage, or until the Shield is dispelled. As it has been bestowed by equipment, using this Skill does not cost the user anything. Instead, the item¡¯s wielder can, at any time, activate the Skill, or it will be automatically deployed if the item¡¯s wielder¡¯s HP falls below one third of their total maximum. This Skill has a 24 hour cooldown. Just to make sure, he asked the System, ¡°If I wear this ring, will it keep me from using Primal Savagery?¡± No. As listed in the Item¡¯s description, equipping this ring will not negatively impact you in any way, as you were the original giver of the ring. He sat down and chuckled to himself, mostly in disbelief. Somehow, Mari had blessed him with a lifesaving item that also would give him a lot of Attributes. Yes, he¡¯d rather have her with him, but as something to remember her, her ring was more than just a memory. In reaction, TJ looked down at his own left hand. His simple gold band was there, and when he Appraised it, the System told him that it wasn¡¯t anything more than a Simple gold ring and it didn¡¯t count as equipment. Picking up the diamond ring, he pulled it onto his left hand¡¯s ring finger, to sit just above his own wedding band. As it touched the tip of his finger, the ring that was much too tight for him expanded until it fit comfortably just above its paired ring. Just as soon as the ring was on him, TJ could feel his mind open, his muscles grow more limber, and his general sense of self improve. Just like when he¡¯d put the Minor Shroud on, TJ could feel how to activate his new Skill, though he made sure not to. Looking around his bedroom, TJ almost decided to change into some of his own clothes, but instead, he looked down at himself, covered in filth, mud and coagulated viscera coating his whole body. When he walked to his bathroom, of course the water didn¡¯t run, but sharing his back wall, the neighbor had an in-ground pool. Without thinking more deeply about it, TJ stripped off his clothes and pulled on a pair of trunks and threw a towel around his neck before unlocking, opening, and walking out the door and into the backyard once again. He didn¡¯t need to try to jump over the wall and into the pool, landing directly in the water with a splash. TJ ran his fingers through his matted hair, the water going murky all around him as he scrubbed the dirt and vestiges of the Tutorial from his body. It wasn¡¯t long before most of the filth settled to the bottom of the pool and, with a thought, he pulled up his Status Sheet. Wanting to simplify it, he divvied up the Free Points as he could to round out the Attributes where he could. When he was done, he admired his Attributes and his Status as a whole. Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Semi-Divine Human ¨C lvl 26 Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte lvl 26 Occupation: Savage Shaman lvl 26 Level of Divinity: Copper (I) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 4600/4600 Mana Points (MP): 4610/4610 Stamina: 4140/4140 Attributes Strength: 230+15(+46) Agility: 210+10(+41) Endurance: 328+20(+66) Vitality: 360+28(+72) Toughness: 270+25(+54) Wisdom: 260+10(+52) Intelligence: 370+17(+74) Perception: 280+10(+54) Willpower: 330+10(+66) Fixation: 390+13(+78) Free Points: 0 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter (Copper (I)) Evolutionary Frontrunner Current total maximum Divine Transformation time: 7:20:15 (End+Vit+Will+Fix)/4 Current cooldown: 0:00 Status Sheet Name: TJ (Thiago Jorge) Harris IV Race: Storm Coatl ¨C lvl 26 Class: Storm-Calling Neophyte lvl 26 Occupation: Savage Shaman lvl 26 Level of Divinity: Copper (I) Divine Bloodline: Kukulkan Health Points (HP): 8920/8920 Mana Points (MP): 9050/9050 Stamina: 8070/8070 Attributes Strength x2.5: 575+15(+115) Agility x2: 420+10(+82) Endurance x2: 656+20(+131) Vitality x2: 720+28(+144) Toughness x2.5: 675+25(+135) Wisdom x1.5: 390+10(+78) Intelligence x2: 740+17(+148) Perception x2: 560+10(+112) Willpower x1.5: 495+10(+99) Fixation x2: 780+13(+156) Free Points: 0 Skill List: Hidden Titles: Irregular Elite Hunter (Copper (I)) Evolutionary Frontrunner Divine Trial Records (Copper (I)): 1 Minor, 0 Moderate, 0 Bitter, 0 Celestial ¡°Who is that? We¡¯ve killed monsters before, so don¡¯t think you can get one over on us!¡± A voice interrupted TJ from pulling up his Skill Selection options for Storm-Calling Neophyte. ¡°It¡¯s just me!¡± He replied, holding his hands up and out of the water. ¡°I¡¯m your neighbor from the other side of the wall. I didn¡¯t have any water and was just trying to get clean. I wasn¡¯t thinking, I¡¯m sorry. Is it ok if I get out now?¡± ¡°Move slowly!¡± The faintly accented voice called out. ¡°We¡¯ll shoot you if we need to!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± TJ said, keeping his hands up. ¡°I¡¯m gonna put one hand down to help me get out, alright?¡± ¡°Sure thing, neighbor.¡± He hopped out of the water with one hand¡¯s assistance. ¡°Am I alright to hop back to my side of the wall or do you want me to stay here for a minute.¡± ¡°Get back in your yard, if you would.¡± ¡°On it.¡± TJ hopped right over, and as soon as he was out of sight, he couldn¡¯t help but grin a little. Whoever that was, he couldn¡¯t imagine that they could have done anything to him any time soon, but he wanted to respect them and the fact that, regardless of the collapse of society and so on, he was in their pool using their water. ¡°You can call me TJ.¡± He called over the wall. ¡°I¡¯ll be in my backyard working on some stuff for the rest of the day, so if you wanna talk, you can holler over or hop over whenever.¡± ¡°Call me Roger.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± TJ didn¡¯t say any more, instead stripping down and wrapping himself in the towel he¡¯d laid aside. Seeing no peeking eyes, he ducked into the house just long enough to get dressed in nothing more than another pair of shorts. Then, he spread the pelt out on the grass and set to scratching the connective tissue, fat, and flesh from it. As time passed and he lost himself in the vaguely meditative feeling of just continuing to prepare the pelt, TJ noticed that Roger poked his head over the wall and saw what TJ was doing, but then didn¡¯t do anything else. For the first time, he regretted not having done more to meet the neighbors. He¡¯d lived in the house for almost six years, and he didn¡¯t even know the last names of any of the people who lived nearby. As soon as he was done and the pelt was scraped free of all the unnecessary bits, TJ looked around for how he could build a fire to boil the brain. He didn¡¯t have any firewood, and though nature was supernaturally quickly reclaiming everything, it was far from providing enough for him to build a fire sufficiently large to prepare the brain slurry. Looking back and forth, the grill caught his eye, and TJ laughed, pulling a pot out from inside the house before getting ready to set it on the steady flame of the grill. ¡°Roger!¡± TJ called out. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Could you fill my pot with water from your pool?¡± TJ asked while holding the pot over the wall. ¡°I don¡¯t need potable water, just any water.¡± After a moment, Roger took the pot, and TJ heard the sloshing of water filling the pot and it came back to his hands. ¡°Thanks!¡± The other man grumbled something and TJ waved over the wall before placing the full pot on the flames. At last, he was ready to make his Skill selection. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 128 TJ made sure the pot was as centered as he could manage on the grill¡¯s flames before pulling his Neophyte Skill options. He¡¯d glanced at them right when he¡¯d appeared outside of the Tutorial and his Systemic Audience, but now he actually looked at each one. Shredding Bite (Copper (I)): Your fangs have ripped into Copper (I) tiered Bosses and Elites. You have proven yourself a dangerous predator, one whose mouth deals death and dismemberment with ease. This Skill will further strengthen and broaden your fangs as a coatl to teeth meant to tear creatures apart. It will also grant you a better understanding of how best to maim and disable with tearing attacks, both as a coatl as well as a human. In addition, this Skill will grant an additional +6 Strength attribute per level of Neophyte, to be applied retroactively (subtracting whatever bonus has been provided before). A Skill upgrade. TJ considered it a top contender even without looking at the rest, as the additional 130 Strength would make him stronger than any other Participant he¡¯d met. Sure, he realized that Zealots would gain more Strength and quickly outclass him again, but this was an easy way to make himself much more deadly, and immediately. Sacred Weapon (Copper (I)): You have proven yourself a danger with a weapon forged by your hands. Sacred Weapon will bestow you with an enhanceable Copper (I) tiered weapon that suits your current fighting style. Current options: spear, macuahuitl, spiked bridle, club. While you are wielding your Sacred Weapon, you will be granted a Dirt (0) tier of Weapon Proficiency for that weapon. Current Attainments: 0. TJ waffled over this choice. This also would help him quite a bit, as having a weapon that, even if it broke, would be available to him, was attractive. He¡¯d put some pretty good materials in the Spear, and he learned that, the more he used the thing, the stronger it became. Ever since the Tutorial, he had Appraised the Spear, but it was listed the same. This Skill could give him something better¡­ But eventually, TJ disregarded it. Shredding Bite combined with his ability to craft things would end up with TJ having a better item than the base Sacred Weapon. Sure, he could gain Attainments and continue to strengthen it, but to continuously dedicate Skill selections to Sacred Weapon seemed counterproductive, and he wasn''t sure how exactly to upgrade the Skill outside of those rare selections. Getting more Attainments, or maybe using some of the materials he gained to fortify the weapon seemed possible, but that was just¡­ unnecessary. TJ looked at the next possibility. Wind Scythe, (Silver (II)): You are a Descendant of Kukulkan, and have displayed a familiarity with his rule over the winds, even going so far as to establish a Divine Authority over the concept of Storm. You have hunted Copper (I) tiered Elites and Bosses with your winds. This Skill will better hone your ability to use Wind Manipulation as a weapon. This Skill will strengthen the cutting power of Wind Manipulation while decreasing the MP cost of all usage of the Wind Manipulation Skill with the intent to cut. This Skill will be enhanced by your existing Copper (I) tiered Divine Authority; Storm. This wasn¡¯t quite a direct upgrade, as it wouldn¡¯t impact TJ¡¯s versatility with the Skill, but it would be impactful, especially since it would be a Silver tiered Skill. Intelligence and Fixation were quickly becoming his highest Attributes, and that gap would only continue to grow (unless he took Shredding Bite¡¯s upgrade) as his levels climbed. This Skill probably would have allowed him to fully decapitate the Wendigo Ritualist when he¡¯d tried to before. It was put up for consideration alongside Shredding Bite as TJ went to look at the fourth option. Lightning Manipulation, (Copper (I)): The descendants of Kukulkan are blessed with an inherent affinity for the skies, winds, and rains, and you have pushed that further to seize Divine Authority over the concept of Storm. You already have called lightning to yourself, though you lack the ability to truly command it. This Skill will grant you the ability to summon and control lightning and electricity near you. Usage of this Skill depletes MP at a rate inversely correlated to your Fixation and Intelligence while scaling in potency at a rate directly correlated to your Fixation and Intelligence. TJ considered it only for a short time. As before, the Skill offered wouldn¡¯t go up a tier when he used Divine Transformation. He wondered if he could do enough adjacent to Lightning Manipulation to allow him to get that boost when he used Divine Transformation in tandem with it. If not, if he gained the Skill through practice and effort, there was a chance that he would be able to make a choice to select an empowered version of the Skill later on. After all, he¡¯d been told that any Skills he gained through practice instead of selection would be limited to a tier below his own current one. He took a deep breath and checked on the pot of water, which wasn¡¯t boiling yet, before looking at the final Skill option. Monster Slayer, (Silver (II)): Since the time of the Integration, you have dedicated yourself to slaying monsters beyond the reach of your fellow Participants. You were the Elite Slayer in Tutorial 107.48.891, the primary reason for the deathless defeat of the Boss of Tutorial 107.48.891, and the slayer of the sole Copper (I) tier Elite in Tutorial 107.48.891. Since the time of the Integration, you have been seen as one able to slay the immortal and defeat the insurmountable. This Skill grants a 25% increase in all Attributes when engaged in combat against a monster of Elite tier or those of a higher tier than yourself. This Skill also grants a 10% in all Attributes of all followers when you and any followers are engaged in combat against a monster of Elite tier or those of a higher tier than yourself. TJ sighed. This was another one of those conditional Skills. He¡¯d spoken with others, and they didn¡¯t get anywhere near as many offered to him as he did. He hadn¡¯t seen anyone else take any like Primal Savagery, that gave percent bonuses to Attributes. He¡¯d seen a couple like Shredding Bite, that gave a benefit and an Attribute increase, or even some like Prehistoric Huntsman, that gave bonuses to attacks based off of an Attribute, but the bonuses to Attributes were different from any other he¡¯d seen. As he tried to decide between the upgrade to Shredding Bite or the two Silver tiered Skills, TJ realized he couldn¡¯t come to a decision. Monster Slayer would help him against, basically, any monster that actually posed a threat to him, as would Wind Scythe. Shredding Bite would provide exclusively a boost to his physicality, but 130 to his Strength would catapult it to 360, nearly as high as his Fixation or Intelligence. Then, as a coatl, his Strength would be truly monstrous, over 1000 with Primal Savagery. He simply couldn¡¯t shove that aside, even though he didn¡¯t want that to be his focus. He enjoyed the magic of using¡­ magic, he wanted to call it. Sure, the System called it ¡°divine manifestations,¡± but given that MP stood for Mana Points, TJ didn¡¯t mind thinking of it as magic. Anyways. TJ enjoyed doing magic. He liked the slow progress he¡¯d made towards flying, and realized he hadn¡¯t paid nearly enough attention to that. While he didn¡¯t mind becoming a coatl and ripping his enemies apart, he¡­ just didn¡¯t like it. It had become necessary, but more and more, he just wanted to be a magical flying snake, not a world-devouring one. Reluctantly, TJ pushed back Shredding Bite as one of the options for his Skill selection. Realistically, it might be the most powerful of the Skill options being presented to him, but he¡¯d also seen how much each Skill chosen affected what the System would offer moving forward. There was power in strength of body, and if TJ had become a Zealot, he¡¯d have accepted Shredding Bite without hesitation. The biggest influence for the Skill was that it effectively elevated his Attribute growth back in the Dirt tier to a Copper level, at least for Strength. That didn¡¯t outweigh the inconsistency in his path that would highlight. TJ had leaned powerfully into the ¡°magic¡± side of things with his evolution. Semi-Divine Human was an all-rounder, though he¡¯d cursed his choice of that in the past, but Savage Shaman was obviously built towards becoming more and more magically adept, given its Attribute focus and the Skill it¡¯d given. Already, the Skills it¡¯d offered were focused on magic and leadership, and if TJ showed the System he wanted to become a physical bruiser, he was sure that it would facilitate that. Even Storm-Calling Neophyte was focused on channeling the more magical aspects of his Bloodline. No, TJ would take one of the Skills that would strengthen him in different ways. Monster Slayer was a draw, and though he didn¡¯t imagine it would give him quite the same benefits as Primal Savagery quite so quickly, it would continue to scale with his growing strength. How it multiplied with Divine Transformation also couldn¡¯t be forgotten, as he¡¯d seen. On the other hand, there was how Wind Scythe would help him to last longer in fights and to kill more quickly. More than that, though, Monster Slayer would do the same. Again, that was only conditionally, but¡­ weren¡¯t those conditions the ones that he had already established as the ones that would pose a threat to him? Something in the back of his mind, a warning that he couldn¡¯t quite place, whispered about why Monster Slayer would have issues, but that doubting voice never gave him anything concrete. When fighting against a monster of Elite tier or higher tier of divinity than himself, he¡¯d get the boost, as would anyone following him. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Once he realized it was just a general worry, TJ made the decision. Thoughts of how best to strike wendigos, Raven Mockers, and even Chindis occurred to him after he selected Monster Slayer. Ideas of how to cripple the Wendigo Ritualist¡¯s raising of the dead, or to poison nearby corpses flitted through his mind. Experiments of how to disable or slow the Copper tiered Tezcatlipoca-blessed mountain lion¡¯s teleportation made him smile. Then, with his decisions made and Attributes already assigned, TJ looked at the pot, which had started boiling while he contemplated the various Skill options. As he stirred the brain into the water to make the pelt-processing slurry, TJ thought about the promise he¡¯d made the System, to ¡°be its monster¡±. Maybe it was reckless, but tomorrow, he¡¯d know for sure what that would entail. His Skills and Occupation lent themselves to working with other people, and TJ would prefer to go through the Apocalypse with friends instead of just enemies. He¡¯d work on getting a better relationship with Roger and his family, so that they could work together and maybe have them follow him long-term. He¡¯d find more people to come under his banner and make a place where, whenever he reached Silver tier, he could bring Junior. And, if monsters stood in the way of him making that safe zone for his son, they wouldn¡¯t live for long. Even if those monsters were human. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 129 After taking his time to treat the pelt, TJ walked back into his house. He looked around the ruined kitchen and felt his anger rising again. In his heart of hearts, TJ knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold onto this little piece of history throughout this apocalypse. It was obvious that people had swept through here, desperate for anything to help them to survive their Tutorial. That they¡¯d only taken food and necessities, not destroying everything and instead leaving everything other than what they obviously desperately needed helped. A little. While he slowly walked through his home, TJ twirled Mari¡¯s ring around his finger. He wasn¡¯t used to the protrusions on the ring, and it had caught on the pelt multiple times as he¡¯d prepared it for the tanning slurry. The diamond actually glowed faintly as he walked through the dark hallway in the house. It made him smile, but as he turned and looked at the office, devoid of light and life, his stomach sank once again. Junior¡¯s blocks were out. TJ could remember snapping at his son a little the night before this all had happened. Something about him not listening, which was unfair, given how young Junior was. TJ knuckled his forehead, the emotion of having left his son in the System¡¯s care settling back over him. Would Junior understand? How long would it be? The System hadn¡¯t provided a typical baseline of when Participants typically would reach Silver tier when he¡¯d asked it in the Tutorial. He pulled himself from his grumpy self-remonstrations and instead decided to ask the System questions. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s changed since I left?¡± He mused to himself. ¡°When does someone reach the Silver tier of Divinity?¡± Any Participant who reaches the Silver (II) tier of Divinity will have done so before they reach level 100 in Race. Though it wasn¡¯t a true answer, not one that provided the exact level that the System considered a benchmark for evolutionary requirements, it was something. TJ figured he¡¯d be able to get more information once he crossed one of the requirements for evolution to Silver tier. As far as he could tell, his two best options were to bump his Fixation higher and higher, or to get a Silver tier Divine Authority. Something in him thought that, once he taught himself Lightning Manipulation, he¡¯d be most of the way there to progressing his Divine Authority. Then, there was the option of going through a Tribulation and somehow progressing in his Divine Trials. ¡°John!¡± a screamed name pulled TJ from his wondering about evolution. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at himself, less than a week into the Copper tier and already thinking of Silver. Looking for the source of the shouting, TJ left the hallway and looked out the front windows. The door was still open, and as he got there, a man with wild eyes bulldozed into his home. ¡°Whoa there.¡± TJ said, pushing the man back. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°My son, John. Have you seen him?¡± the intruder demanded. ¡°He was home from school, he hasn¡¯t come back. Where is he?¡± TJ¡¯s heart sank, but he still pushed the man out of his home. Now that he looked at the man, he recognized his next-door neighbor. A middle-aged man TJ hadn¡¯t really spoken with in the few years they¡¯d both lived in the neighborhood. His thinning gray hair was unkempt, and the man was only barely holding onto his last shreds of sanity. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m the only person in here. At least, for the last couple of hours. I haven¡¯t seen your son. Wasn¡¯t he about my height, curly dark hair?¡± TJ asked. ¡°Yeah. You sure you haven¡¯t seen him?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I can keep an eye out for him. Was he 15 already?¡± ¡°16.¡± was the reply as the man ran a shaky hand over his head. He was fighting off hyperventilation as best as he could, and TJ reached a hand out to shake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t believe I neer introduced myself. I¡¯m TJ.¡± ¡°Ted.¡± The older man replied, shaking TJ¡¯s hand distractedly. ¡°Yell for me if you see him, would you.¡± It was more of a command than a request, which Kukulkan¡¯s blood revolted at. TJ punched that pride in the nose and wrestled it down. ¡°Of course, Ted. Let me know if you find him.¡± Ted ran off, and TJ couldn¡¯t help but feel like, miserable and terrible as it was, John was probably dead. The kid had been living in the house for what, four years? And TJ had never gotten to know him. Unknowing of who it would go to, TJ stepped into his home and offered a little prayer to whoever and whatever would listen. ¡°All these parents and children, brothers and sisters and friends and family¡­ help them.¡± He couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say or do, but TJ needed to say at least that much. The feeling of if Junior had been put into a Tutorial away from TJ himself¡­ TJ felt his stomach clench. He would be in a worse state than Ted was if that was the case. TJ hoped he was strong, and turned his attention to making sure he would be ready for whatever was coming. Just tomorrow, the monsters would be back, and TJ had no idea of what he¡¯d be required to do. For now, he needed something to cook food with, any more food or water he could find, and maybe something to fortify parts of the house to make it a better place for him to sleep. For now, something to burn, because the two propane tanks he had wouldn¡¯t last for too long. With that in mind, he looked at the three ten-foot-tall Chinese Elm trees in the front yard. They¡¯d grown markedly in the past two weeks, getting up to almost fifteen feet tall. More and more, nature was reclaiming what was once its own, and the weeds pushing through the gravel in the front yard were another testament to that. Though he¡¯d kept them sprayed to keep the weeds from growing in the first place, it was obvious that the apocalypse was stronger than whatever brand of weedkiller he¡¯d been using. With that in mind, TJ pruned a dozen finger-thick branches from each tree with quick gestures of his hands. Wind Manipulation cut each branch easily, and TJ carried the firewood-to-be around the house to the back porch to begin drying out. Then, with a frown, TJ spread his mind and awareness to feel each of the weeds filling the gravel front yard. As the wind surrounded each stem, he, instead of cutting, tried to carefully pull each free from the roots. Just as soon as he gave the mental command for the wind to begin pulling up, though, TJ felt the excited and excitable wind tear through half of the stalks that existed. Shredded weeds filled the air, and TJ couldn¡¯t help but scoff at himself. He¡¯d spent the last two weeks honing his ability to kill and destroy things with his Wind Manipulation, and he expected to do such a large thing without problem right on his first try? The closest thing to that that he¡¯d even attempted was probably making a wall of wind. Instead of getting frustrated, TJ walked to the center of a patch of weeds before he sat down and closed his eyes. He felt each stem around him, felt them sway and tremble with the winds dancing around them. The wind giggled, wanting to whip the small but hardy plants in every direction, to test their strength, to spread their seeds. TJ reined that in, instead focusing on getting a firm visualization and hold of the stems in four feet in every direction around him. There were¡­ fourteen that were large enough to be considered. TJ felt the wind grasp each one, and instead of ripping up, he instead slowly pulled. Three immediately snapped, but he didn¡¯t pay attention to that. Instead, he continued to try to force each one to release its hold on the dirt. Five more broke as he pulled a little harder, and again, TJ disregarded the failed attempts. Six were left, and TJ adjusted his ¡°grip¡± on them as they pulled the faintest amount out of the ground. With a final yank, three were pulled from the ground, roots and all. TJ chuckled to himself with a genuinely excited smile. With a thought, TJ gathered up all the weeds that¡¯d been ripped from the ground, whole or otherwise. As the wind held the fragile greens aloft, TJ rolled his shoulders and carried them to the backyard, again making a pile for the future tinder to dry out. Once it was there, he saw the pile of things he¡¯d just throw away in the past, and he laughed to himself. There wasn¡¯t anything in the house intended for him to throw firewood into, he didn¡¯t even have a fireplace in the first place. Then, looking at the barrel prepared for just these same things, TJ laughed. After pulling the yard waste barrel from the corner of the yard where he always kept it, pulled out his Wendigo Blade and cut it open to keep the plants from decomposing, and instead drying. He could feel that there were some other things that he was missing that would allow the tinder to be truly dried, but experimentation would help with that. TJ realized that random weeds wouldn¡¯t be something sold in stores, but that¡¯s not what he needed. Instead, he went back out to the front yard where more weeds awaited to serve as practice for delicate use of Wind Manipulation. ¡ª- As noon passed and TJ munched on a thin strip of steak he¡¯d carelessly grilled and overcooked, he decided it was time to have a real conversation with Roger. After all, the man¡¯s pool would serve as the best nearby source of water, especially after TJ started using Stormcaller to keep it full. He walked through his small backyard, the painfully long grass catching his ankles as he raised both hands over the wall. ¡°Hey, Roger!¡± TJ called. There was no immediate response, but he didn¡¯t mind waiting for a little while. After about a minute, the other man responded. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I just wanted to talk for a minute. So long as nothing like the Tutorial comes along again, we¡¯ll probably be neighbors just like we¡¯ve been for a long while. Sorry I never got to know you. I enjoyed listening to your karaoke nights, though!¡± That last bit was a blatant lie. Maybe once a month, Roger and his wife would have a dozen people over and sing obscenely loud Vietnamese songs in the backyard. At least, that¡¯s the language a quick Google search turned up for him when he searched for the lyrics that were keeping him from sleeping. That the singing started at 9:30 pm was enough for TJ to consider it a sin, especially since the shortest session was well over two hours long. ¡°You like it? B?n c¨® n¨®i ti?ng vi?t kh?ng?¡± ¡°Not sure what language you¡¯re speaking, sorry.¡± TJ hopped up and sat on the wall, one of his legs on each side of the cinderblock wall. Roger and his wife were inside their house, though Roger had stuck his head out the back door. ¡°I think it¡¯s Vietnamese? I remember looking up a couple of the frequent songs you sang.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. We are Vietnamese.¡± Roger nodded his head and TJ returned the much more hospitable reaction he received from the older man this time around. ¡°I just wanted to get a better relationship with you two, especially since I was going to ask you for a small favor.¡± TJ didn¡¯t miss the way Roger¡¯s face tightened at the word favor. He continued saying, ¡°I think I might be able to help make sure that your pool stays filled with water, I just wanted to have occasional access to it. How does that sound?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Roger¡¯s squint showed just how disbelieving he was. ¡°What about this,¡± TJ offered, ¡°does it look like it¡¯s gonna rain any time soon?¡± Roger poked his head out the window and looked up. The skies were clear, and there was no smell of rain on the air. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I can make it rain in four minutes. If I can do that, could I come by twice a day and fill a five-gallon bucket with water from your pool?¡± Seeing the question that was about to come, TJ spoke preemptively. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that it rains enough to keep your pool basically full, but the ease of access that¡¯ll come from me being able to fill a bucket whenever would make my life easier.¡± Roger nodded disbelievingly. ¡°So, if I can make it rain in the next five minutes, do we have a deal?¡± TJ offered a hand from afar off in a shake. Roger looked at him in distrust and TJ needed to fight to keep himself from reacting. ¡°I don¡¯t need a physical shake of the hand. Do you agree though?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Great!¡± TJ said and hopped down on Roger¡¯s side of the wall. As soon as he did so, he sat down beside the wall and leaned against it. Consulting his resources, TJ figured he could throw 140 of each resource into it without much hardship, which would make a storm that lasted for about 17 minutes, and should make the storm more potent than otherwise, with four minutes channeling the Skill. He threw his consciousness into the heavens, calling moisture from wherever he could find it. The winds laughed, feeling the prank for what it was. They pulled moisture from the ground, from plants, from places nearly as high as the stratosphere. With only four minutes, the water couldn¡¯t come from many places, though TJ felt his soul and body demand that a storm grow into being. As his consciousness returned, lighting pealed overhead and the heavens poured down on them. ¡°We have a deal?¡± TJ shouted to a completely confused Roger who nodded dumbly as he looked at the torrential downpour. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 130 The opening explosion of rain quickly died down, but the storm retained its strength for the time that it should have, and TJ couldn¡¯t help but smile as Roger watched his pool nearly overflow. His neighbor quickly agreed with TJ¡¯s terms, oblique as they were. Sure, TJ was going to keep it raining here frequently enough that he didn¡¯t really need to make this agreement, but he figured having some sort of a relationship with his neighbors was going to be important. After all, getting a couple buckets of water a day would just be so much simpler than having to make it rain or store the water inside the house. Since the storm continued to weaken for the entire time it existed, when it died to a light drizzle and constantly rumbling thunder, Roger walked out and looked up at the sky. Seeing the clouds and rain, the man sighed as if he¡¯d expected it to be faked somehow. TJ took the opportunity to Appraise the man. Zealot, 17 Again, TJ was struck by how low his level was, and couldn¡¯t imagine he understood how Roger¡¯d survived his Tutorial. After all, nobody had escaped Tutorial 107.48.891 while lower than level 21. In the end, TJ couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What was your Tutorial like?¡± Roger scowled a little as he looked at TJ, but after looking for a second, the Zealot replied, ¡°Not fun. How was yours?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an understatement.¡± TJ scoffed. ¡°We had 36 people survive. The other 164 were killed by the monsters.¡± Roger¡¯s jaw fell open as he heard TJ¡¯s words. His wife, whose name TJ still didn¡¯t know, called as she walked out from inside, ¡°What? I not hear you right, I¡¯m sure.¡± She was a shorter woman, her thick black hair cut in a bob and occasionally streaked with gray. The bridge of her nose bore the marks of glasses that she no longer needed to wear. When TJ Appraised her, he was surprised to see she was higher level than her husband. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Neophyte, 19 ¡°Hello, Mrs. Roger¡¯s wife. I¡¯m TJ.¡± He introduced himself with a wave. ¡°I¡¯m Susan.¡± She said, her voice much more thickly accented than Roger¡¯s. ¡°But what you say about people dying?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m thinking that my Tutorial experience was very different from yours.¡± TJ hesitantly answered. ¡°We had 200 people in our Tutorial. Did you two too?¡± Both nodded, and TJ couldn¡¯t help but be sidetracked for a moment. ¡°Did you two go to the same Tutorial?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Roger answered. Seeing that Susan was going to ask again, TJ raised his hands in acknowledgement. ¡°So, we were fighting monsters from day one. Our safe zone kept shrinking, and as the pukwudgies got smarter and stronger, more and more people died. When the other monsters started coming and the Elites, more and more people were killed. The final battle against the monsters and Boss killed another 60. In the end, only 36 people survived.¡± ¡°What are puk¡ªno. Are you ok?¡± Roger asked, his face disbelieving. ¡°I think only 27 people total died in our Tutorial.¡± ¡°Was 26.¡± Susan corrected. ¡°Ok.¡± Roger shrugged. ¡°Are you ok? That is a lot of death to see.¡± ¡°It¡­ was what we were forced to do to survive.¡± TJ didn¡¯t want to talk about the specifics. ¡°What was your Tutorial like?¡± ¡°200 people put all together in a cave up on the mountains.¡± Roger explained while pointing to the group of mountains to the north. ¡°I think it was up on Four Peaks? But we were given a little water, directions to a river, and a lesson on how to find the monsters. They were mostly duendes, and we didn¡¯t have too much trouble with them. They were dangerous if you let a couple get on you, but we could protect each other while we were learning. Some other monsters too, but the dangerous ones were the chupacabras. If they caught someone, they needed to be killed fast, or they¡¯d die from blood loss.¡± Roger shuddered. ¡°And was there a Boss at the end? Did you need to protect the cave, or how else did the Tutorial end?¡± TJ asked. ¡°A big chupacabra, and we needed to defend the cave.¡± Roger answered both questions in quick succession before providing more detailed responses. ¡°The System told us how to build defenses, so the siege wasn¡¯t too bad. The Boss was a big chupacabra, and it killed a couple of people when it jumped over our defenses. While it was distracted, Susan was able to kill it with the blessing of Li?u H?nh C?ng ch¨²a. The earth itself revolted at the monster¡¯s presence and crushed it!¡± TJ had no idea who that was, but figured it would be the origin of her Bloodline. Given how excited Roger was about it, TJ didn¡¯t have any heart to ask questions about who that was, figuring the System would provide more information if he asked later. And if not, that wouldn¡¯t matter too much anyways, as he could just see her Divine Transformation later on if he was really that curious. For now, he didn¡¯t care about the exact things she got from her Skill. Instead, it was reaffirmed to him that his Tutorial was much more difficult than at least some of the others, and that right from the get-go. Why was that? ¡°¡ªTJ!¡± Roger¡¯s voice pulled TJ from his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was thinking about how different our Tutorials were. Yours was just so much less dangerous.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Roger replied. ¡°Do you want the water now?¡± ¡°No.¡± TJ shook his head as he stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll get moving now, don¡¯t want to intrude on your evening. Do you have enough food to feed yourselves today? There should be more food coming tomorrow, if you¡¯re willing to hunt.¡± ¡°We have a little that the looters didn¡¯t find.¡± Roger offered, though he stiffened up at the question. TJ sighed internally as he hopped over the wall. ¡°Glad to hear it. I have a little that they didn¡¯t think to check for, so I should be ok. See you tomorrow, neighbors.¡± ¡°Good evening, TJ.¡± ¡°If we get more food, come eat!¡± Susan added. ¡°We only have for us, but later, I make you good food!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it!¡± TJ smiled as called over his shoulder and walked into his house. True to his word, the laundry room had been left alone, and Mari¡¯d used much of the cabinetry in there for excess nonperishables. Most of the stuff in there was extra instant ramen or mac¡¯n¡¯cheese, but there was one thing TJ sneakily pulled a sleeve out of before he retreated to his bedroom. As the first oreo hit his tongue, TJ nearly wept. He hadn¡¯t eaten any sweets since the Tutorial, except for the canned fruits and syrup on his pancakes those first days. On top of that, he¡¯d always had a sweet tooth and an appreciation for the fattiest, sweetest treats. The dark cookie¡¯s crumbs filled his mouth, and as he continued to chew, the almost sickly sweetness was something that just made TJ feel like he would be ok. Why that was the case, he couldn¡¯t say, but it was. He kept himself back to only a single cookie, and twisted the sleeve closed before placing it back in the large box. Then something else occurred to him and he walked down the hall back to the main room, where he entered the garage. Since he had Primal Savagery, TJ hadn¡¯t thought to check on the tools that might still be in there, but there were a couple barrels in the attic that were almost certainly forgotten and would be useful. The car, an older sedan he didn¡¯t care about, was in the way. Ordinarily, TJ would have opened the garage door and backed the car into the drive before getting the ladder out and then into the attic. Now, he climbed on the hood, and even though he was only barely tall enough to push the loose tile out of the way to get into the attic, he could easily jump up there without issue. Before he did so, though, something else occurred to him and TJ activated Divine Transformation. Being in his house was playing tricks on his mind, making him forget the world he lived in now. He pushed the reminiscence from his mind, instead focusing on his goal. TJ knew that it would be difficult for any snake to lift themself directly in the air like he was, but with his supernatural Strength, he didn¡¯t struggle at all to poke his snout into the attic and find what he was looking for. Six five-gallon buckets with emergency food inside of them awaited his approach, and TJ grabbed the handles for two in his jaws and carried them down into the garage. The other four weren¡¯t needed for now, so he left those where he¡¯d found them. In the garage, TJ shifted back to his human form as he carried both buckets towards his bedroom. He didn¡¯t want there to be any chance of someone storming into his house like Ted and finding food. There wasn¡¯t any reason to incite anger, frustration, or violence, so far as TJ could tell. So he wouldn¡¯t. He looked through the kit, seeing instant mashed potatoes, a half dozen MREs, a couple packaged treats, some camping gear, and a first aid kit. Funnily enough, he¡¯d nearly taken the MREs out of the buckets years before, thinking that he¡¯d have more food in the house and they wouldn¡¯t be needed, but he¡¯d figured that having more food wouldn¡¯t ever be a bad thing. Now that the apocalypse had come, TJ only needed the food and didn¡¯t care about the rest of the more ¡°practical¡± items in the bucket. Figuring that, with the appearance of monsters tomorrow, he could eat some more, TJ set to preparing two MREs. A lasagna and ravioli, supposedly. He¡¯d never actually eaten one, so TJ was actually a little excited to try them. According to the directions, all he needed to do was add water, so that¡¯s what he did. Whatever chemical was in there heated the water and TJ relished the smell of the cooking food in his room. As he needed to keep waiting, he pulled the extra pair of sheets out and made the bed. It still felt like a violation that whoever had robbed his home had taken the sheet, but it was obvious they¡¯d used it to carry their spoils. Once the bed was made, TJ tossed himself onto it. It was soft, comfortable, and familiar. The smells, the little divot where he always laid, everything. He nearly felt himself drifting off at that, but TJ forced himself to sit up instead. If he fell asleep right now, he¡¯d miss the meal he¡¯d so lovingly prepared for himself. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at himself as the thought crossed his mind. The lasagna was looking him in the face, and TJ went to get a fork to help himself to the meals. Surprisingly, TJ really enjoyed both. He could feel that, if he¡¯d been eating something other than plain salted javelina steaks for the past week and a half, he¡¯d probably be only ok with the food the package held. As it was, the variety of spices and materials was more than enough to be pleasant, even if it wasn¡¯t real cheese on the pastas. TJ ate both quite quickly before going ahead and locking every door into the house. Sure, the bay window was smashed wide open, but with the table propped up against it, he figured he¡¯d have enough warning of someone or something coming in to wake up and transform himself. Then, for good measure, he closed and locked his bedroom¡¯s door. Wrapped up in his blankets in his bed in his house, TJ felt a swelling of a wild cocktail of emotions. He didn¡¯t cry, but as his mind struggled to figure out what he was feeling, he slipped into unconsciousness. Hours later, he woke to the sound of a foot scraping on glass in the kitchen. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 131 TJ¡¯s eyes flew open. He couldn¡¯t see in the perfectly black bedroom, but that was ok. The blackout curtains would serve to make sure the intruders couldn¡¯t see him either. The only question was if he wanted to open the door or wait for whoever was there to make their way to him in the bedroom. His initial reaction was to just sit in the bedroom and see what happened. After all, there was no reason for violence, was there? The rest of him shouted down that idea. He was strong and in his own home. He wasn¡¯t about to let some moron sneak into his house while he did nothing about it. Instead, TJ smoothly unlocked the door and eased it open. It made a slight sound, but he didn¡¯t mind it. Instead, he stepped quietly into the hall. Two intruders whispered quietly to each other, but he could still hear them. ¡°You¡¯re sure nobody¡¯s here?¡± A feminine voice asked. ¡°The table was pressed against the window, why would that be the case if the place was abandoned?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just from the Tutorial.¡± The lower voice countered. ¡°I bet there was a fight here or just came through looking for food.¡± ¡°I guess.¡± The first voice trailed off, obviously not entirely sold on the idea. ¡°But if someone already took all the food, why are we here?¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s gonna be looted already.¡± The male voice dismissed the argument. ¡°We¡¯ll need to search a lot more carefully than the others did, because we¡¯re safe for now. With monsters showing up again in the morning, moving will be a lot harder. Now, we¡¯re gonna take whatever we can get, cause we gotta stay moving. If they¡¯re still around...¡± the voice trailed off. As he poked his head around the corner, TJ saw two kids. The boy, maybe 17, was squinting and trying to see what the kitchen looked like through the darkness. On the other hand, the girl was probably only barely old enough to have been put in the Tutorial. Both had similar enough features, dark eyes, loosely curly hair, sharp chins, and what might be a smattering of freckles across their noses, that TJ suspected they were siblings. Their clothes were ill-fitting and dirty. If the Tutorial had just barely ended, TJ wouldn¡¯t have thought twice about that. But they¡¯d had the opportunity to go home since then and they hadn¡¯t. Or, if they had, there weren¡¯t clean clothes for them there. As he actually looked at them for the first time, TJ Appraised both. Zealot, 16 Disciple, 18 The younger sister was a higher level than the Zealot brother. Maybe the big brother was always getting hurt and she was healing him? Or maybe the other people in their Tutorial had kept him hidden in the safe zone while she''d still gotten experience from healing the people who returned from the hunts injured? But more than that, why were they here instead of their home? He had a couple thoughts about that. Finally, TJ had to say something. ¡°Hey, kids.¡± Their response was immediate, the boy having a paired sword and shield appearing out of nowhere as he stepped between himself and his sister. The girl eyed the window, evaluating how easily she could escape while her hands started glowing faintly. ¡°Woah there!¡± TJ kept his voice low and calm. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have anything that¡¯ll let us see each other real easily right now, I just heard you come in and wanted to let you know you¡¯re not alone in here. Welcome to my house. You¡¯re looking for some food, right?¡± His greeting seemed to confuse the two kids. Then, a thought occurred to him and he spoke again. ¡°I just realized I have a couple candles in the closet right here. There¡¯s a lighter I can grab too. You gonna run away while I get them?¡± ¡°Sam,¡± The girl whispered, ¡°do you wanna run?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Sam whispered back. TJ didn¡¯t let them know he could hear and understand their faint whispers. To their credit, they couldn¡¯t have known that his Perception was halfway to 400, given his equipment and Skills. ¡°Not unless you do something that scares us off.¡± Sam said in a normal tone. ¡°The whole ¡®world is burning down all around us¡¯ thing makes for bad neighbors.¡± ¡°True enough.¡± TJ chuckled, more at how grown up Sam was trying to sound. Without another word, TJ collected a couple of candles out of the pantry, scented things that Mari¡¯d loved. Then, beside them was the lighter, and TJ carried all the items he¡¯d just collected out into the kitchen once again, where he lit three candles and put them on the counter. ¡°You guys wanna let me see your faces? I figure we can introduce ourselves and see if I can¡¯t help you get a late dinner.¡± TJ smiled. ¡°I¡¯m TJ. You can call me that, or, if you really wanna, I guess you can call me Mr. Harris? I¡¯m not a fan of that, but some people insist.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Sam.¡± The boy offered. ¡°This is my sister, Mimi.¡± ¡°Really?¡± TJ cocked his head, confused. The girl¡¯s face fell at that, and he saw that he¡¯d committed a faux paus somehow. ¡°I was just wondering. It¡¯s what my dad called his mom.¡± ¡°Her name¡¯s Sammi.¡± Sam offered with a sigh. ¡°Mom and Dad didn¡¯t want to have to think too hard about which of us they were calling.¡± TJ felt his lips purse subconsciously. His suspicion had been correct. Shitty parents. The poor kids had stiffened up at the familiar explanation. He couldn¡¯t say why exactly that was, but the mom and pops there were obviously not the kind of parents anyone wanted to have. ¡°Sorry Mimi.¡± TJ offered. ¡°I was just used to that being something some people called my grandma. Now, I do have a little food for you, if you¡¯ll answer some questions while it warms up and you eat. That sound good?¡± ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t we just take it?¡± Sam¡¯s voice quavered a little, a boy who was used to violence even if he seemed to hate it. TJ smiled in as apologetic a manner as he could manage as he said, ¡°Appraise me, then I¡¯ll explain something.¡± Both did so, and TJ could pinpoint the very second that they did as their eyes widened and they shifted a little closer to each other. Before he could keep speaking, though, Mimi asked, ¡°What can you turn into?¡± Pulled from his planned speech, TJ took a second to understand what he was being asked. Then, he answered, ¡°A snake. Pretty big.¡± Mimi was initially frightened then obviously disappointed at that answer. She blushed as she realized what she¡¯d done and explained, ¡°Mr. Anderson turned into a lion. I¡­ like cats.¡± TJ chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. I might have chosen a lion instead if I could have. No choice in the matter, though. Now, now that you¡¯ve done as I asked, my explanation. I Appraised both of you before you knew I was in the house. I¡¯m a much higher level than you two, and, more importantly, I¡¯m already Copper tier. Have you met anyone in Copper tier?¡± Both shook their heads. ¡°I get at least 90 Attribute points per level. And I¡¯ve gotten quite a few levels as a Copper. If you wanted to get away and I wanted to catch you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to get away. If you wanted to rob me, you wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to me. Now. I¡¯m going to get you each an MRE. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He didn¡¯t stay right next to them after saying how completely in his power they were. There was a small, sadistic part of him that enjoyed being the slightly mysterious older man mentor type in this situation. Two siblings against the world, looking for food, stumble across a strangely powerful man in his kitchen in the middle of the night. He still figured there was at least a 50% chance they¡¯d run away, but that wasn¡¯t really a problem. If they did, they wouldn¡¯t have that food that TJ didn¡¯t imagine he¡¯d need long-term, and nobody would have any hidden information of his. To his surprise, both kids stayed basically exactly where they had been since he¡¯d made himself known, and when he returned with a water bottle and two MREs in hand, TJ showed them off. ¡°I was telling the truth. Now, as the food¡¯s warming up, I figure I ask you a couple questions. That¡¯ll be payment for the food. Sound alright?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sam answered, obviously wanting to reach out and take the food. TJ didn¡¯t allow it, filling the packets to the required line and putting them to the side, behind him. ¡°Now. What school did you two attend?¡± TJ asked, figuring he¡¯d start off easy. ¡°Tempe.¡± Sam answered. ¡°And what were you, a Freshman and Junior?¡± ¡°Sophomore and Senior.¡± ¡°You on any sports or extracurricular teams?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Did you work then?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Fast food, service industry, what?¡± ¡°I work at a grocery store.¡± Sam offered. He was obviously confused about the random questions, but TJ figured he¡¯d ask those to get things started. ¡°Ok. What was your Tutorial like?¡± ¡°We were in a canyon with pueblos, there were a bunch of scorpions and snakes and a bunch of giant jackals. We had to fight them to live. The snakes were dangerous, but we¡¯ve spent most of the past weeks eating them. The scorpions¡­ were mushy.¡± Sam shuddered. ¡°Ok.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°Did you two fight a lot, or did the adults keep you back from fighting?¡± ¡°I made sure I got to kill some monsters every day.¡± Sam stubbornly set his jaw. ¡°Mimi got more experience because she didn¡¯t have to argue with anyone to let her heal. But I know how to fight!¡± ¡°I believe it.¡± TJ raised his hands as he turned to pick up the MREs. ¡°I just wanted to ask. Now, by my timer, your food should be ready, so here you go.¡± Both nearly tore into their meal without utensils, but TJ was quick enough to dig forks out of a drawer and offer them to the kids. They destroyed the MREs with animalistic furor, though. They were already halfway through the meals when TJ decided he needed to ask his real question. ¡°You two¡­ are you runaways?¡± Sam was the first to meet TJ¡¯s eyes, though it took him a couple minutes to turn his attention to TJ. Then, as he swallowed the last bite of his ¡°pizza¡±, Sam asked a question of his own. ¡°What are you going to do with us?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± TJ shrugged. When Mimi met his eyes, he insisted, ¡°Really. I¡¯m not an obligated reporter, or whatever that term is. I¡¯m not a teacher, a therapist, a lawyer, or doctor or anything. I don¡¯t have to talk about that to anyone. Even if I was, I suspect the government¡­ doesn¡¯t really exist any more. There¡¯s nobody to report to, and nobody else will be able to do anything about it. That said, I suspect you¡¯re both from a house that doesn¡¯t treat you too well. I wanted some more details to see how I could help you out. If you don¡¯t wanna say, well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about that.¡± ¡°Our parents don¡¯t care much about us. We¡¯ve always taken care of ourselves, but they can be¡­ controlling.¡± Sam¡¯s shrug mirrored TJ¡¯s, though Sam obviously wasn¡¯t nearly so unaffected by what he was saying as he pretended. ¡°If they¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger because of the System, we didn¡¯t want to be around when they came home. So here we are.¡± TJ nodded, keeping his eyes on Mimi. She seemed more honest by nature than her brother, and he could see that there was more, a darker side of humanity that TJ knew but was unfamiliar with personally lurking there. He ground his teeth, but took a deep breath. He justified to himself that this was for himself. After all, Father¡¯s Sacrifice was something he needed to get before Silver. ¡°Ok. You can stick around here for the night, if you want. I can¡¯t give a whole lot, but a safe place to sleep and water in the morning is more than you¡¯ll easily find around here. I¡¯ll promise I won¡¯t tell anyone you were here, and I can see if I can¡¯t find a good place for you to hide out and get more levels. Maybe a place where other people are safe.¡± They looked back and forth at each other. Mimi seemed to want to whisper something to her brother, but TJ raised a hand. Once they were both watching, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to overhear you or make you feel like you can¡¯t get away. I¡¯m gonna go into my bedroom and close the door. If I hear you go into the room across from me, I¡¯ll think you¡¯re staying the night. That¡¯s my son¡¯s room, and that¡¯s the only other bed in here. There is the couch out here, if you wanna use it instead, I guess. If you leave, I do ask that you go through the door, and I¡¯ll lock it up a couple minutes after you leave.¡± He didn¡¯t say more, retreating back to his room, where he locked the door. A couple minutes later, he heard quiet steps in the hallway, and when they entered Junior¡¯s room, he smiled a little. The bed was small, way too small for two nearly-adult children, and TJ called through the door, ¡°You want me to bring the extra mattress from the garage in and some blankets?¡± It took a minute for Sam¡¯s response to come through the door, ¡°Sure.¡± TJ didn¡¯t mind the couple of minutes it took to pull the nearly-forgotten mattress out of the garage, an old tarp hung over it. When he carried it through the hall, he thought of the last time it¡¯d been used, a year or two ago when an old friend came to visit. Then, with Sam waiting at the door of the room, TJ passed the mattress through and watched as he set it up in front of the door, keeping it from opening easily. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back with the sheets.¡± TJ smiled as he went to collect the bedding from the linen closet. He still tried to convince himself that he was just doing this for a Skill, though the idea of helping out two needy kids wasn¡¯t something that he¡¯d regret either. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 132 With how high his Attributes were, TJ didn¡¯t really need to sleep. He didn¡¯t mind giving the invitation he had to the two runaway kids, but he also didn¡¯t know them well enough to sleep soundly when they were already in his house. He didn¡¯t think two mid-level Dirt tiers could do much to him, but he¡¯d hate to be proven wrong on that. Beyond that, if they got the idea to ransack the house while he was happily sleeping away¡­ well, he¡¯d regret that too. So, in short, TJ spent the night awake, looking through what things he had that might be useful for him now. TJ tossed a massage gun over his shoulder as he looked through the closet for the third time. Other than food, there really wasn¡¯t much that would help him here. Sure, there was metal in various corners of the house that could be forged or twisted to serve as a weapon, but Primal Savagery prevented him from using it. He didn¡¯t have any good wood either, so there was that. Zombie movies taught him how to improvise things¡­ Divine Primitive Craftsmanship taught him how to create things. His weapons were sharp and his equipment was magical. There wasn¡¯t anything around here that would help to keep him alive in just a couple hours when the sun rose and the monsters returned. As he stayed in his room, trying to make sure he didn¡¯t wake up or freak out the kids, TJ quickly realized that there wasn¡¯t much for him to do. His room was already searched through, and he didn¡¯t need any of it. In the garage were some long-forgotten vegetable seeds that he hoped he could do something with. Given how the world seemed to be trying to return to its original state, maybe the spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes he¡¯d failed to grow last year would thrive. That was something to look into tomorrow, though. TJ sighed to himself and sat down, his back leaning against the single door into his room. There were four hours left until he was going to get up and make breakfast. He wanted to see what progress he could make on teaching himself Lightning Manipulation until then, and Meditation would be his best bet on what to do until then. After all, it granted a 100% increase to his ability to gain enlightenment. But¡­ was he really going to do this? He wasn¡¯t sleeping because he didn¡¯t want any unwelcome surprises. Meditation would be even harder to pull himself out of, especially if he somehow managed to throw himself into a Tribulation. Eventually, he decided to just bite the bullet and do it. First, though, he decided to Call a Storm that¡¯d give him a little bit of a boost in case anything did go wrong. He activated Divine Transformation and sacrificed 2000 of each resource into Stormcaller. If he then channelled Stormcaller for a mere six minutes, that¡¯d end up lasting¡­ 400 minutes, or less than half an hour under seven hours. Yeah, that¡¯d be good. Without thinking about it further, TJ sent his consciousness into the sky. He wasn¡¯t going to channel the Skill for much longer this time, but he put almost twelve times as much power into it. As such, he felt his mind spread much further, pulling moisture from pools all around the area, from Tempe Town Lake, from water features in front of malls, and from the ground itself. TJ knew that he didn¡¯t need for a Storm to have rain to count as one, but he wanted the rain, and especially, the lightning. If it was constantly rumbling for the next six hours, then he should be able to make good progress on figuring out how to control nature¡¯s fiery fury. In fact, with that in mind, TJ channelled the Skill for eight minutes instead, trying to ensure the Storm would have sufficient power to show him what he might be missing. As he pulled himself out of the storm, letting the skies vent their emotions however they wanted, the winds laughed and tried to convince him to stay. After all, wouldn¡¯t it be wonderful to dance among the lightning and push and pull the clouds wherever he wanted? Wouldn¡¯t it be a wonderful adventure, and something that taught him a lot? He needed to deliberately ground himself as a person to get back to his body, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as demanding as the winds had been many times in the Tutorial. Still in his coatl body, for a moment, TJ thought about it. After several minutes¡¯ thought, though, he came to a decision. Whatever the reason for this change may be, TJ couldn¡¯t say. He just centered himself back in his body and felt the influence of the Storm fill him through his Authority. There wasn¡¯t anyone else in the bounds of it that had any conflicting Authority, he could feel it. For a while, TJ wanted to explore that, to see what he could see and learn, but he pushed himself to focus. Instead, he looked inside himself and lost himself in Meditation, taking note to come out of it at 6:30. Meditation was a strange experience, with his focus not being on recovery. TJ hadn¡¯t ever thought about it, since he¡¯d gotten the Skill and then had a deadline threatening him. Now that he didn¡¯t have anything else to do but was using the other half of the Skill, the experience was different. Instead of a weightless and almost dreamlike quality, his Meditation was surrounded by clouds. Had his Skill taken his consciousness to the real clouds that flowed and billowed overhead? TJ couldn¡¯t say. Even so, TJ could see lightning as it flickered back and forth all around him. Though he¡¯d never Meditated as a coatl before, TJ could feel a difference in the way the storm treated him as a Storm Coatl instead of a regular coatl. The storm wanted his approval, his attention. It wanted to be directed by him, like how he had in his Tribulation, creating a lightning representation of himself. He¡¯d been so limited, hadn¡¯t he? He¡¯d been focused on cutting and pushing things with wind, but he hadn¡¯t embodied the storm. Where was the pride and rage? Where was the indomitable fury that shredded sails and beached boats? Where was the pride that struck down that which stood tall in his presence? Lightning wasn¡¯t the wind. Wind wished for freedom and movement, to be respected and cared for. Lightning demanded humility and obeisance. If the wind was denied, it would blow and cut, but it was easily thwarted. Lightning would strike that which stood tall. Lightning rods were forced to redirect the fierce fury of the skies, they couldn¡¯t stop the lightning¡¯s attack. If the rods weren¡¯t perfectly created, the lightning would burst through and burn whatever humanity attempted to protect. Yes, the lightning couldn¡¯t be convinced or forced. Only persuaded. Would TJ offer himself as something for the lightning to pass through? As he was, no, he couldn¡¯t. Perhaps he could pull lighting into his body and electrocute whatever he was touching as much as he did himself, but that was foolishness. So how could he convince the peals of thunder and the cracks of lightning to give him heed? In his Tribulation, he¡¯d seen some push lightning through weapons and items, but he didn¡¯t want to contain the lightning inside of himself or an item. No, he wanted to deem what would be struck and from where. As TJ continued to think about that, the System flashed in the corner of his vision. Already, it was time for him to leave his Meditation and get ready for the day. When he grumbled and deactivated Divine Transformation, TJ heard quiet voices in Junior¡¯s room. He, again, deliberately didn¡¯t listen, and instead grabbed an unopened box of pancake mix from the laundry room. Then, realizing he had no milk, eggs, or water to make them with, he grumbled and grabbed a large mixing bowl from the kitchen before taking it outside and placing it in the middle of his backyard, away from the house and the oleander bushes in the corner of the yard. Then, while the rain continued to fall, TJ looked up at the stormy skies. Lighting continued to dance through the clouds while thunder rumbled nearly constantly. He could feel that he¡¯d made progress towards Lightning Manipulation in that Meditation, but he was still quite a ways off from gaining the Skill. Even so, his Semi-Divine nature assisted him with understanding the process of gaining a Skill. He was understanding the general idea of the Skill, he just needed to continue to make progress in this way. For now, though, there should be enough water in the bowl to mix up the pancakes. Then, he¡¯d need to cook them on a pan on the grill. So much was less convenient now¡­ sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, the thought of how he might be able to get his electric range to work if he got Lightning Manipulation figured out crossed his mind. That¡¯d be huge. Maybe even enough by itself for him to take the Skill if it was offered again¡­ Nah. He would choose the best Skill available. But it was a thought that crossed his mind. When TJ poked his head back inside to start mixing up the batter, Mimi poked her head out of the hall and into the kitchen. ¡°Hey there.¡± He said as he whisked the water and mix together. With a hopeful glance, he looked into the cupboard where the baking powder and other spices were, but now, those were all gone too. ¡°You sleep alright?¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Mimi responded, seemingly unsure of how to respond. ¡°It¡¯s raining pretty good right now.¡± He offered, pointing out the window. ¡°If you feel dirty, I bet we can find a bar of soap or something for you and Sam to use and take a shower out there. Monsters aren¡¯t going to appear for another hour. Now that I think about it, maybe I should take myself up on that offer¡­ Anyways. The rain¡¯s pretty chilly, but you should have high enough Vitality to be fine, and I can offer towels. Pancakes sound good?¡± TJ was well aware he was rambling a little, but he didn¡¯t care. The two kids were still around, and he would help them out as best as he could manage. ¡°Um¡­¡± Mimi responded and TJ went silent. After maybe ten seconds, she said, ¡°Can we have some water? For the toilet?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯ll get a bucket for you.¡± TJ nodded and jogged out of the kitchen and into the backyard. One of the 5-gallon buckets was still mostly full, and he carried it in. ¡°Since there¡¯s no water, you¡¯ll wanna pour this into the bowl, and¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done this before.¡± Mimi interrupted, then her face flushed as she realized she had. TJ took that as a good sign and handed over the bucket. ¡°I should have known.¡± He chuckled. ¡°You and Sam have any problems with pancakes?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mimi responded as she took the bucket. TJ saw then that she was just as tall as he was, though that wasn¡¯t hard to do. He was only a hair over five and a half feet tall, so most men towered over him and many women were the same height. She also seemed surprised to notice that but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Sweet. I¡¯ll have to do them out on the grill cause I don¡¯t have any gas in the house, but they¡¯ll be ready in 15 minutes.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Mimi nodded and turned back to walk to the bathroom in the hall. TJ carried his mixing bowl and a pan outside to the grill. He¡¯d never done pancakes on a grill, but it couldn¡¯t be that different from doing them on a gas stove. In fact, it really wasn¡¯t, but the handle got real damn hot as he was cooking so he needed to go inside to get a hot pad to keep himself from getting burned. The first time he¡¯d touched the handle, it¡¯d merely been uncomfortably hot instead of giving him blisters immediately. Being reminded of how much he¡¯d changed from what he¡¯d been before was sobering, but TJ didn¡¯t allow himself to worry too much about it. Instead, he made the food and placed them on a plate under a baking sheet to keep them dry. Then, once the food was prepped, he brought it inside to the waiting siblings. They seemed surprised that he¡¯d made them food as well, and TJ was struck by the desperate need to go kick the shit out of their parents. Instead, he smiled and gestured to the cupboard where the plates were. ¡°I don¡¯t have juice, but I do have plates and I think I¡¯ve got some syrup hiding somewhere. Wanna set the table?¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 366 Look, kids. You¡¯ve got two options. Number one is sticking around here. You see what you can do in Harandal, maybe you apprentice with a smith or something. That¡¯s hard, because you need to pay at least 50 Dalars upfront for an apprenticeship, but if you become someone that the Overlords trust, you¡¯ll make more than a little coin. You don¡¯t know it here, cause you¡¯re rolling over in your own filth, but the richest men in the city are the armorsmiths and the weaponsmiths, in that order. The rest of us just feed off their scraps. Anyways, number two is throwing in with an Overlord. Chances are, you¡¯ll end up as a miner and you¡¯ll work hard every day without rest, and you¡¯ll be taken care of just enough to live. If you¡¯re big and strong for your age, you might get pulled into their army, which will let you see the suns every day, but who knows how long you¡¯ll have to enjoy it. So, which will it be? ¨CA commonly successful Overlord recruitment speech given to urchins in Harandal. Days passed and the winter grew harder and colder. The snow never melted, and I was particularly grateful that I¡¯d returned as quickly as I had. When I asked Nievtala if she¡¯d done anything to ensure that the winter¡¯s fury didn¡¯t arrive before I returned, she merely laughed. I am the goddess of conquest and victory. Where do you think the snow would fit into my domain? Maybe it was just luck, then. Something about the tone of Nievtala¡¯s voice suggested that there was something that I was missing, but I couldn¡¯t understand what it could be. After a day of thinking, I thought I suspected what the true answer was. Nearly the same moment the thought crossed my mind, a laughing Nievtala¡¯s voice filled my head, making my heart sing with joy at her own excitement. You are clever indeed! Such a sharp little fang you are! ¡°You¡­ conquered the goddess of winter?¡± God. And he was hardly a challenge, given that the bulk of his strength was focused here in the Shandise. Disregarding the other continents, the winters have always been mild to the west, so when I established my seat of power here, conflict was inevitable. He fled to the south, where the Principality¡¯s hubris allowed him to think of himself as safe. Obviously, he was not. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Dozens more questions occurred to me, but it immediately became clear that though Nievtala enjoyed speaking with me, it remained a force of effort, and her worship had waned in universality. Then, how she, weakened, had been able to maintain control over a conquered god as universal as the nameless winter occurred to me, and I was left with more questions than I¡¯d started with. Regardless, I worked alongside my people to build homes that would retain heat as our most pressing concern. The ¡°wild¡± keelish from the Shandise mountains further north had some ideas of how to protect themselves that involved massive nests of decaying leaf litter, and they worked, if they were also immensely unpleasant to smell. Those from Tala were used to building things that lasted, but were altogether unconcerned with retaining warmth. Then, we from further away were intelligent enough to figure things out, but we were so unaccustomed to building things that we relied on the history and experience of the others. Fortunately, with 2,500 keelish working hard, it wasn¡¯t long before a couple large buildings were established where hundreds of packed keelish bodies kept the air warm enough that there was no risk of freezing to death. None had gotten to the point of life-threatening, though Vefir and the rest of his healers had been kept busy tending to various wounds, injuries, and sicknesses. With my presence, though, I was quickly seeing the effects of my [Title] [Keel Progenitor]. Farahlia was the first to succumb to the call of evolution, though several others began to follow suit until another ten lay catatonic and evolving. The suns hardly rose as the deepest depths of winter embraced us. What light we could see was hidden behind thick clouds and little more than keelish moved through the piling snowdrifts. That such a hard winter had struck so quickly and suddenly took me by surprise, though I supposed I¡¯d never seen a winter outside of a much more temperate climate before. As I waded through the thick snow, it crunched underfoot, and my stiff scales kept me warm while also keeping me from being able to step onto the tops of the snowdrifts. Sybil walked alongside me, as did Joral and Shemira, all locked in a conversation I listened to without saying anything yet. ¡°They don¡¯t mind listening, but as soon as they get near the surface, they freeze.¡± Joral explained. ¡°Even when the other Kou¡¯Tal finish their evolutions, I don¡¯t think the ants will return to being able to surface. They can¡¯t survive in the cold like even the keelish can, much less the Keel.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if they survive.¡± Shemira retorted. ¡°They¡¯re food. If we¡¯re going to eat them, who cares if we kill them or the snow does?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t because I want to kill them, it¡¯s that they can only get out of the hole if it¡¯s been sufficiently warmed.¡± Joral growled back. ¡°It is not a question of the ants¡¯ willingness to leave or our desire to preserve life,¡± Sybil interrupted, making the arguing Keel go quiet, ¡°it has become a question of logistics, and the question at the heart of it all is how to get the ants to leave their hole. Joral, you understand the ants themselves while Shemira is better suited to sending wider commands. With Solia, Hala, and their fellow flamecallers working in tandem, will you be able to create an environment in which the ants are able to enter a place where we can pull them out, whether they be living or dead?¡± Shemira flicked her tail. ¡°If I can see any, then I can get them to pass the message on.¡± ¡°I can get them to stay for long enough for her to do that,¡± Joral added, ¡°but my claws and jaws are full with keeping the rest of our herds alive. They¡¯re accustomed to much warmer climates, and many are getting sick. Something will need to change, because cycling them through a stable that¡¯s warm enough to keep them alive until their next visit to the stable is making them lose their sense of gratitude to us.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t need to be grateful, they need to obey.¡± Shemira retorted. ¡°I don¡¯t care if they hate me, just stay where they belong.¡± It was a long, tired argument, one I¡¯d mediated in before and one that would quickly overshadow the real conversation we were having. I cleared my throat and the growls bubbling in Joral¡¯s throat died before they became audible to anyone except for me. ¡°We all know where you two fall on this argument. Neither will change your mind, and I don¡¯t mind that.¡± I said as I stepped forward and knocked a knuckle on each¡¯s snout. ¡°However, we need to keep the herds happy for now. There are, as far as I can tell, two different options available to us right now. I have an idea of which I prefer, but I wish to hear what the Herdsman-in-chief and the Militia¡¯s Superintendent think. I¡¯ll also ask the Huntmaster, Councilor, and the General what they think before any decisions are made.¡± I referred to Joral, Shemira, Took, Ytte, and Percral by their titles in an effort to further solidify the organizational structure of the Empire. With less than 3,000 keelish, it was simple for me to still be the be-all end-all for all decisions, but as the several hundred eggs due to hatch this winter promised, our population would boom for the next months and years. I would need to take special care to firmly establish this ruling structure. The three Keel with me were silent, waiting for my explanation though I saw a knowing look on Sybil¡¯s face. ¡°We either slaughter enough of the herds to get the remaining to fit in the safe, warm area we already have, or we expand the safe area enough to allow them all to rest. Long-term, they won¡¯t be what we need them to be if we don¡¯t have some measure of their trust. Superintendent, you can gain obedience from the keelish if you make them submit, but the herds are different.¡± Joral ground his jaws, frustrated that I was getting back to his longstanding request for more enclosed stables for the herds that¡¯d been pushed back again and again in favor of living conditions. ¡°Though the first option is easier, the second is much better in the long term.¡± Shemira said, looking at Joral. He let out a pent-up breath and they began discussing how to properly house our hundreds of animals. Both looked up at me as they discussed, and I waved them off. ¡°I¡¯ll speak with the Huntmaster and General about it, but I suspect that they¡¯ll defer to the Councilor, and we know that the Kha¡¯Tal are always looking for more work, though we have that in abundance now.¡± Both flared their frills and continued walking towards the current interim stables while discussing different possibilities and how they could use their respective magics to help. Sybil stayed beside me as they walked away. ¡°Thank you, Ashlani. They would have listened to me, but Joral always responds better to you.¡± My scales wanted to flare in anger at his disrespect of the Zaaktifi, but I knew it was just his respect for me, not anything more than that. ¡°There is something else that we need to decide.¡± Sybil continued. ¡°What will we call ourselves? Keelish is¡­ demeaning, and Keel inaccurate. What do we call the little ones and the children?¡± I sighed, though not in displeasure. There was just too much to do, and there always would be. Thanks for reading! Check out the Patreon, where you can read up to 40 chapters ahead! /No_creative_name Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 133 TJ took a maybe unhealthy amount of enjoyment in the genuine confusion that accompanied every kindness he did for Sam and Mimi. He realized he had to do that instead of thinking more deeply about it, because if he did, he¡¯d just get more pissed than he already was. So, he giggled like a naughty schoolboy when Mimi¡¯s eyes flicked between him and the syrup bottle when he¡¯d insisted she ¡°needed at least twice as much syrup than that!¡± or when Sam had eaten only one and made to stand up to clear his plate and TJ¡¯d tossed another three on the teen¡¯s scraped-clean utensils. ¡°If you don¡¯t eat that, it¡¯ll go to waste. So eat.¡± When both kids seemed genuinely well-fed, TJ smiled and pushed himself back from the table. The stark change in life now, outside of the Tutorial compared to within it, was startling. There was no timeline, and no need to go kill monsters. That there were only 30 minutes until the System let them know exactly what was coming next was beside the point. TJ hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to just relax and enjoy a meal without anything breathing down his neck or threatening his life in a couple weeks. Now, he was taking that time and it was wonderful. ¡°So, do you two have plans moving forward?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sam replied. Too quickly, though. ¡°Really?¡± TJ asked as he collected the plates. Putting them in the sink, he sighed. No running water to clean the cutlery and so on. Yeah, he¡¯d really need the water from Roger and Susan¡¯s pool. Even as he thought that, TJ didn¡¯t let his gaze fall away from the blustering teenager. ¡°Yeah.¡± Sam didn¡¯t offer anything else. TJ pursed his lips before he answered. ¡°Ok. Here¡¯s what I¡¯ll offer. If you think it¡¯s a worse deal than what you¡¯ve already got planned, then feel free to stick with what you¡¯ve thought of already. Sound good?¡± Mimi looked at her older brother. She was obviously happy to do that, but she was also obviously her older brother¡¯s follower more than an equal leader. Sam met his sister¡¯s eyes and shrugged. ¡°If it¡¯s better, ok. And we can talk about it where you¡¯re not listening.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°Two options. One is sticking around here. I have beds for you two, I¡¯ve got enough food to make sure you¡¯re well fed, and I can guarantee that we¡¯ll have more food coming once the monsters show up. I have my Class that lets me call the storm that¡¯s going on outside, so I¡¯ll keep anyone who follows me with enough water to not die of thirst. My Occupation lets me make things, so I can make you better equipment than what you¡¯re wearing, like this.¡± He tossed the Raven Mocker¡¯s Remnant over to Mimi at that. ¡°In fact, you can keep a hold of that for now. It¡¯s not doing a whole lot for me, but it¡¯ll be great for you, especially when healing.¡± As soon as Mimi Appraised the item, her eyes widened and she shook her head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t!¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You can.¡± TJ insisted. ¡°And you will. Put it on. Anyways. Stick around here, and I¡¯ll keep you safe, let you hunt and grow levels, just take care of you. The country¡¯s probably effectively dead. If it isn¡¯t yet, I bet it will be before long. Even so, kids need to be taken care of, and I¡¯m in the position to be able to. I¡¯m happy to help take care of you for a while, at least until we have a better idea of what the world is gonna look like moving forward. Basically, I¡¯d be your guardian until you¡¯re ready to face this new world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s option one.¡± Sam answered, his tone hesitant. ¡°What¡¯s number two?¡± ¡°I can bring you two to the ASU campus.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what exactly is going on there, but there¡¯s a guy there, Sven, who¡¯s apparently about as strong as I am, and he¡¯s looking to make some sort of a town. I¡¯d guess that it¡¯s gonna get bigger and bigger over there. If he¡¯s as strong as I¡¯ve been told, he¡¯s probably going to make a safe place. I might even end up going over there, if it¡¯s somewhere safe for me to take care of Junior.¡± ¡°Your kid?¡± Sam asked. TJ nodded, and Sam continued, ¡°You have a picture of your wife and son. Where are they?¡± TJ let out a long breath. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ a lot to say about that. I will, it just doesn¡¯t have to do with this conversation. Is it ok with you if I table that until after we make a tentative decision?¡± Sam didn¡¯t hesitate to nod and go along with what TJ said. Mimi did the same, her eyes looking down immediately. He was again reminded of how they must have been treated by the adults in charge of them until now. ¡°Great. My story will be the next thing we talk about. Now, ASU. I don¡¯t know what kind of leader this Sven guy will be. He might be a good guy, he might be an asshole, there¡¯s no way to tell without going over there. I don¡¯t mind checking it out and making a decision after we see if he¡¯s the kinda guy you¡¯d wanna follow. ¡°So, with either of those being your options, do you have any desire to stick around? Or do you want to just keep moving? I won¡¯t try to convince you either way. And if you wanna go back into Junior¡¯s room to talk about it, you can. I¡¯ll stay out here and see what I can see.¡± Sam went to walk back into the room, but Mimi took both Sam and TJ by surprise when she stayed, nervously met eyes with TJ, and said, ¡°I want to stay here.¡± TJ bowed his head in a slow nod, and Sam ground his teeth for a second. ¡°I appreciate that, Mimi.¡± TJ said before gesturing with his head back down the hall. ¡°I think your brother wants to talk about it, though, so maybe you let him say what he was planning on, and then we can see where to go from there, ok?¡± She merely nodded, and TJ walked out of the kitchen and towards the back door. ¡°I¡¯ll be just out here. If you wanna ask questions or whatever, just come on out.¡± Without saying anything else, TJ strode into the rain, enjoying the feeling of the water on his skin. As he did so, he realized he wanted to wash himself up again. He¡¯d gotten used to being filthy in the Tutorial, but with an opportunity to take a shower now, he wanted to take it. As such, he nearly stripped down and grabbed a bar of soap that was still on the back porch, but he thought for longer than that. Turning around, he looked into the dark house. There hadn¡¯t been much light to see by, but with his Perception, he¡¯d been able to see fine. Only then did he wonder how well the two teens had been able to see in the unlit room. ¡°Hey!¡± TJ called in. Sam poked his head out into the main room and TJ just quickly explained, ¡°I¡¯m about to wash off out here. I¡¯ll call in when it¡¯s safe for Mimi to come out.¡± Sam, unsurprisingly, didn¡¯t seem to have any idea of how to react to that. His mouth dropped open, then he gave a thumbs up, and he walked back into the hall. TJ wasn¡¯t sure how else to have acted in that situation, but it was definitely for the best that he made sure not to scar the children. Then, turning around the corner to be mostly out of sight, TJ soaped himself up. ¡ª- TJ had thought about the apocalypse in dozens of different ways in the past years. After all, with dozens of shows about zombies, diseases, asteroids, and dozens of other ends of the world, who hadn¡¯t thought about it once or twice? One thing he¡¯d never thought about was how sucky living without modern amenities in a damned desert would be. There were no nearby rivers, and the man-made lake nearby would probably go dry. Once the sewers stopped working, every bit of refuse was going to be HORRIBLY disgusting as it rotted. Keeping yourself clean when you couldn¡¯t shower in the privacy of your home? Terrible. Long story short, TJ quickly finished his shower and was in a pair of shorts on his back porch as he towelled off. ¡°I¡¯m decent!¡± He shouted into the house. Then, as he stepped in, Mimi and Sam walked out. When they seemed ready to talk, TJ gestured for them to join him on the couches in the family room. ¡°We¡¯re gonna stick around for now.¡± Sam said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s going to be, but you¡¯re giving a better option than everything else. Plus, the System is gonna give instructions in 15 minutes, so¡­¡± ¡°Ok. Sounds good.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°Now, I think I owe you two a bit of my family history. The short answer should take us just long enough to get information after. That good with you?¡± Both of the teens nodded, and TJ realized there was a question he hadn¡¯t asked. ¡°Real quick, you two ever want me to call you by your last name?¡± ¡°No!¡± The response was almost shouted from Mimi, who quickly returned to her usual embarrassed, unsure position. ¡°Figured.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°Just wanted to be sure. So¡­ Mari. My Mari died about a year ago. She was riding her bike along one of the main roads nearby when she was run over by a semi truck. She, uh¡­ died in the hospital. It was pretty bad. The driver was drunk at the time, so we got her life insurance and a good payout from the company. We being me and Junior. We paid off the house, which we were at risk of going under on. My family had all died a couple years before that, and she wasn¡¯t too close with her family. They live across the country, so after the funeral, they all went home and haven¡¯t reached out. No clue if they¡¯re still alive, kinda doubt it. ¡°So, it¡¯s just me and Junior. He¡¯s a good kid. Two and a half, a good obedient kid. Oh. Yeah¡­ I¡­ I miss him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen a couple of kids after the Tutorial, though.¡± Mimi said as TJ¡¯s voice caught in his throat. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he here? Did he¡­¡± Though she didn¡¯t say anything, TJ understood what she was asking. ¡°No, he¡¯s ok. I got the option to bring him back right now or later, and I chose not to for now. I didn¡¯t know how dangerous everything here would be, and I wanted to make sure I could keep him safe. So, I¡¯m here hoping I get a Skill that¡¯ll help me protect him, as well as to set up a place that¡¯s safe from monsters and evil people. I guess you could call that an ulterior motive of mine in helping you two. I¡¯ve seen a Skill that I¡¯m absolutely going to get before I bring him back here, one that¡¯ll allow me to protect him better than anything I¡¯ve ever heard of. I figure helping protect two kids will help me get the Skill.¡± Both seemed a little reassured to hear another reason he had to help them beyond because he thought it was right. That was a testament to their lives thus far, and again, TJ ground his teeth in frustration at the world and how it¡¯d treated them. Maybe the apocalypse was a good thing for them. That the thought even crossed his mind was a damned shame, but it was allowing them some measure of escape. ¡°So¡­¡± Mimi hesitated to ask. TJ smiled, a tear pricking at the corner of his eye as he was reminded of his family. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll ask a bad question. Even if you do, all I¡¯ll do is not answer it.¡± ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s it like losing someone you love like that?¡± Mimi asked, her face earnest and genuine. TJ sighed as he thought about it. ¡°Well. Well well well. That¡¯s a question and a half, isn¡¯t it.¡± He nodded as he subconsciously unfocused on the present for a moment. Then, just as he thought they thought he wasn¡¯t going to answer, he spoke. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m no stranger to loss. I was close with my grandparents and parents before they died. I had a different relationship with each of ¡®em. Each one hurts differently. Not having parents to ask for advice on raising Junior was hard, though I think that you''d better understand that feeling than I do. Your hurt is different, though, if I was a betting man. It was¡­ feeling a whole lot of ¡®what ifs¡¯ and ¡®if onlys¡¯. But nothing¡¯s like losing a spouse. It¡¯s¡­ a special vintage of agony. ¡°You know, Mari and I¡¯d send memes to each other all the time. Just stupid shit.¡± TJ felt himself grinning. ¡°She had a bunch of favorites, and I have them saved on my phone. Or, saved, I guess. That phone¡¯s gone. But she had a special brand of humor. Always smiling, but not always that silly. She was happy. Damn, if she were here, she¡¯d have insisted we adopt you two. She taught high school, actually. Not at Tempe, but at a smaller charter school down the road. ¡°Anyways. That wasn¡¯t answering your question. It¡¯s something that¡¯s hard to express, because it¡¯s someone you planned on spending your whole life with. It¡¯s not a friend who might come or go, but your love. Someone you plan on raising kids with, on going dates alongside for the rest of your life, to spoil grandchildren and retire with. To snipe at each other, to offend and apologize, to laugh and tickle and love and scream and sing and talk¡­¡± TJ¡¯s voice broke. ¡°It was a loss of our future. It was losing those smiles, those memes, the deep conversations when we should be sleeping, the teasing when something didn¡¯t turn out right. ¡°You know¡­¡± He whispered, ¡°When I turned a corner into her after the Tutorial, a part of me almost expected to see her. It hurt just as much yesterday as it did every other day when I woke and saw an empty bed.¡± They sat in silence for a minute, but TJ smiled. ¡°So. There you have it.¡± As if it¡¯d been waiting for him to say that, that was the same second that a notification from the System appeared. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 134 All Tutorials have been completed and the Integration has been completed throughout the entire world. No longer will there be boundaries between different parts of the planet, nor between the original scopes of those tales influenced by Participants and Deities past. As Participants and other entities within the bounds of the Integrated world are granted opportunities to claim Divine Authority, the surface, atmosphere, and interior of the planet will change. Depending on multiple factors, the planet may grow, shrink, divide, collapse, or change completely. The wills of the Divinities that have passed from this world have been reincorporated. As such, monsters and other entities have been reintroduced to the world. While there are no safe zones currently established, no monsters will be found within the bounds of any major population centers. The highest tier of entity reintroduced to the world at this time is Gold (III) tier. Those few entities of that tier are not near any current population centers, and are limited in scope by how far they can wander, but they can continue to grow in strength and may pose a threat to individual and groups of Participants. For additional information regarding monsters and other entities that have been added to the Integrated world, consult with the System. In order to create a safe zone, there must be an established leadership with sufficient guards to protect the area. After the rule of law and protection by the ruling force have been constant for 180 days, a safe zone will be established. The closer that a safe zone gets to being established, the more it will serve as a draw to other Participants as well as other entities. For additional rules regarding the establishment of a save zone, consult with the System. Challenges to serve as Divine Trials have been placed all around the world. There will be no warning given to any Participant who enters the area of a Challenge. If a Participant explores, they may find things that will grant them greater power. In 100 days, the System will provide all still-living Participants an invitation to join in an event to gain an advantage over others with their same Bloodline. No information will be provided on this at this time. The System message faded from view, and TJ sighed as he finished reading it. The androgynous voice the System used when speaking continued in the back of his head, but his eyes had moved much faster than the voice had. What would this mean for him and the rest of the Participants? Tempe was large enough to count as a major population center, he was sure. So, no monsters breaking down his doors right now, but they could easily make their ways into the city. How long it would take for them to arrive here was a mystery, given that the System had mentioned that there were monsters up to Gold tier somewhere out there. His confidence in going out wandering was entirely shaken at that point, though he was doubly reassured by having chosen Monster Slayer. Notably, the System hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about any Silver tiered monsters or, Kukulkan forbid, Silver tiered Elites and how they might be able to wander around. TJ shuddered and focused on everything else the System had said to him and, apparently, every other Participant in the world. He was curious why some things were considered ¡°monsters¡± and others were merely called ¡°entities¡±, but the System was unwilling to provide anything more for him at this point. As such, he changed his focus from freaking out about damned Gold tiers possibly living just down the highway. Challenges would be interesting, but TJ wasn¡¯t going to think about those right now. He¡¯d experienced a Tribulation, and while that was hugely beneficial, if a Challenge was like a Tribulation, he also couldn¡¯t trust his back to these two kids if something tried to kill them and him while he was stuck in there. Then, of course, if it was something else entirely, it would be better for him to better establish himself in the Integrated world before rushing off. Safe zones, though¡­ that was important. TJ needed one for Junior. The only potential problem with that would be the leader. It was obvious by how the System presented it that the leader of a safe zone would have no small amount of control over the zone. They¡¯d have to to establish the place. Now, the question was if he wanted to establish one himself or throw in with someone else¡¯s. He knew he didn¡¯t want to rule over people. It just wasn¡¯t what his ideal course of action would be. That said, he knew that he could be a powerful leader. With Ritualistic Transfer, as well as any other rituals he learned or gained moving forward, he would easily make himself into a nearly unstoppable champion. If he had thousands of people who¡¯d dedicated themselves to him, then he could throw hundreds of thousands of MP at any problem that approached. He could easily cut through the Wendigo Ritualist if he stood at the head of people like that. Maybe that was why so many paths towards the highest echelons of Divinity seemed to be focused on being your people¡¯s god. ¡°I¡­ maybe we should check out ASU soon?¡± Sam¡¯s voice cut TJ from his thinking. ¡°If that Sven guy is going to make a safe zone, maybe we should go there?¡± ¡°We need to check that out.¡± TJ agreed. ¡°Do you think that there¡¯ll be anyone there that you don¡¯t want to see?¡± They looked at each other, but it wasn¡¯t long before Sam shrugged. ¡°If we need to choose between going back to being with them or having to protect ourselves constantly from monster attacks, I¡¯ll choose to go back there.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t make you live with them or anything,¡± TJ protested, ¡°I was just warning you that they might find their ways back to be in your life. I¡¯m not about to hang you two out to dry. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± TJ shook his head. ¡°Anyways. I don¡¯t know if I want to go there today, I want to keep an eye out on what¡¯s going on here. This is further south, so we¡¯re closer to the edge of the city. I¡¯ll be able to evaluate what¡¯s going on or what might be dangerous around here. Plus, I have good memories about my home. I¡¯d like to stay here if that¡¯s possible. If you both really want to get to campus as fast as possible, though, I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Mimi shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d probably be able to get more experience there than here. There isn¡¯t much to heal if you¡¯re here, and I bet there¡¯ll be more things to work on there. We¡¯re both Crafters, so we need more material.¡± As he heard that, TJ was struck by how that had to be a very basic Occupation, given how Tessie and Molly had gained it. Even so, he only grinned. ¡°I have some materials for you both to try out, then.¡± ¡ª- Mimi and Sam had smelled something weird about the house, but given TJ¡¯s presence, they hadn¡¯t been free to explore. Beyond that, it¡¯d been dark, and the mound of black fur in the corner of the family room had gone largely unnoticed. When TJ had explained what it was, his two visitors/protegees? or whatever he decided to call them, had opened their eyes wide and gaped. He didn¡¯t hide the fact that he found some amusement in that. Even so, the Copper Elite hide that was curing was a draw for them. Something they didn¡¯t know and needed to have better explained was the effect of what they¡¯d achieved and how it would give them better Skills and evolutions. ¡°You didn¡¯t notice those things during the Tutorial?¡± TJ asked. ¡°You¡¯ve both gotten plenty of additional Skills since then, so¡­ why didn¡¯t you know?¡± Sam flushed and snapped back, ¡°We were going through the end of the world, in case you forgot! We saw people die!¡± ¡°So did I.¡± TJ ground his teeth, something inside of him revolting as a child talking back to him. ¡°200 people started in my Tutorial. Only 36 survived. So I don¡¯t wanna hear it. You had an easy Tutorial. I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯m asking you a damned question. Why didn¡¯t you ask? Did the System not answer? Or were you just not curious? You not able to ask a damn question?¡± Both of the children in front of him went quiet at that and TJ sighed as he knuckled at his forehead. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly what I wanted to say. I apologize. I¡¯ve been tense and angry since all this began. Again, I¡¯m sorry. Have you not asked the System?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Mimi offered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± Mumbled Sam. ¡°I didn¡¯t want apologies.¡± TJ explained. ¡°Frankly, you¡¯re doing pretty well, all things considered. I¡¯m genuinely happy that your Tutorial wasn¡¯t like mine. Watching dozens of people die while you can¡¯t do anything, even though you¡¯re the strongest person around¡­ It¡¯s a terrible experience. I wish you teens didn¡¯t have to go through anything like this. The two teenagers who survived my Tutorial¡­ they saw some shit. More than anyone should, especially at your age. But, if you¡¯re going to survive through the Integrated world, you¡¯ve gotta be curious. I¡¯m not good at it myself. I forget to ask questions, I forget to do stuff, and I¡¯ve paid the price. I don¡¯t want you two to go through that. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°So, let me explain what you¡¯re going to need to do to keep growing. I want you to be able to take care of yourselves, because this is going to be our lives from now on. Got it?¡± Both nodded. ¡°Great. The leather won¡¯t be ready for a while. I don¡¯t know how long, because the System has¡ªactually, it¡¯ll be a week. Skills are cool. Anyways. I¡¯ll get you both my tools that¡¯ve been forgotten and we¡¯ll see what we can do about getting you practicing your crafting. Before you get to your next Skill selection, I¡¯ll make sure I get you some good materials to work with.¡± Immediately, TJ gathered the metal bits and bobs from every corner of the house to carry them to the back porch. There, Mimi and Sam stood, awkwardly waiting for him to get there and give instruction. ¡°Well, here¡¯s stuff I won¡¯t use because of my Occupation. I can explain later, but for now, tell me about what you¡¯ve already made, and what materials you¡¯ve used. We can work from there.¡± Explanations of makeshift clubs and shields were unimpressive, and after they both trailed off, TJ asked, ¡°And have you worked with any of the materials from the monsters?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Sam answered. ¡°They¡¯re gross, and they spoiled really quickly, so we quickly decided they weren¡¯t worth working with. We¡­ don¡¯t think that any more.¡± Sam said as he looked at the bracer TJ had passed on to Mimi. ¡°Yeah, you think?¡± TJ asked, laughing. ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve got your Vestments and a Sacred Weapon, as far as I can tell. You never thought that you could make something else like them?¡± Sam opened his mouth to argue, but he closed it. TJ chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, kid. I¡¯m not mad at you. You were just thinking of making things out of metal, weren¡¯t you? But, as far as I¡¯m concerned, it¡¯s way easier to work with already ¡®divine¡¯ materials, like the monsters we kill. So we¡¯ll have you two tinker around with the things that I have around the house, but before that, I have one more question: Do you two want to be Crafters?¡± ¡°That¡¯s our Occupation.¡± Mimi shrugged. ¡°We can¡¯t choose anything else, can we?¡± ¡°Not until you evolve.¡± TJ replied, and both teens¡¯ faces lit up as they understood what he was saying. ¡°We can change our Occupation when we evolve?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± was TJ¡¯s entire response. ¡°So, if you want to be something else, maybe you should use your Occupation Skills to do that. But it¡¯s up to you, and you¡¯ll have some time to choose, because I can hear there¡¯s something out front that¡¯ll need our attention real soon. Come along.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else as he picked his Spear up from inside the house and carried it to the front of the house, where several pairs of feet were approaching. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 135 As he lay eyes on the creatures assembled in front of his home, TJ Appraised them. Sobek¡¯s Devotee, Zealot, 15 Sobek¡¯s Devotee, Zealot, 17 Sobek¡¯s Devotee, Disciple, 14 Sobek¡¯s Devotee, Neophyte, 18 Sobek¡¯s Devotee, Acolyte, 20 Seeing that none were Copper tier, the slight concern that¡¯d filled TJ washed away with the steady rain from above. These creatures¡­ TJ couldn¡¯t tell what they had initially been. All of them except for the Neophyte were vaguely humanoid. Only in the broadest sense, in that they had two arms and two legs, a head and a torso. Their bodies were fully covered with thick scales, and heavy tails sprouted from their backs. They only had four fingers on each hand, and the fingers were thick and stumpy. Their heads were crocodilian, and the Zealots carried rough-hewn metal in the vague shape of a curved sword. The other two ¡°Classes¡± of humanlike Sobek¡¯s Devotees didn¡¯t carry weapons. The Disciple¡¯s hands were empty, its short, thick fingers curled in what had to be a painful contortion of their natural state. In its curled fingers glimmered a sickly green light, not far off of what the Raven Mocker¡¯s magic had appeared like. TJ instinctively prickled at that, unwilling to let it cast whatever magic it had planned. Then, the Acolyte carried a wand, or something like it. With the wand, it was summoning crocodiles labelled Sobek¡¯s Servant, 15 to stride alongside the Neophyte. Unlike its fellows, the Neophyte did not resemble a human. It was closer to a crocodile morphed with a hippo, as it strode along with heavy steps. Its legs were much longer than a crocodile¡¯s, and it walked much quicker than any crocodilian TJ had ever seen. Its neck rippled with thick muscle, and TJ¡¯s planned command went partially out the window as he watched the group of five Devotees approach. Once four more crocodiles walked alongside the Zealots and Neophyte on the front line, the Acolyte stopped creating more of the creatures. In the end, a squad of nine monsters devoted to what the System told TJ was an Egyptian god continued walking up the driveway towards his house. ¡°Either of you got anything to do with Sobek?¡± TJ asked as the two teenagers ran out the front door to stand beside him. As he watched, Sam¡¯s sword and shield appeared in his hands. Mimi was grabbing nervously at the Remnant on her wrist. ¡°No.¡± Sam shook his head. ¡°Well, maybe? I¡¯m Bloodline of Set, who¡¯s also Egyptian. I guess that¡¯s a connection?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not both the same Bloodline?¡± TJ asked, mostly unconcerned with the monsters that stopped about 30 feet away from the house. He was particularly grateful for his Perception warning him they were here preemptively, since he¡¯d hate if the first monsters he saw after the Tutorial tore his house apart. ¡°No.¡± Mimi answered. ¡°We¡¯re still siblings though!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t doubting it.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°Just curious how all this works. Anyways, go ahead Sam. I¡¯ll make sure they don¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± He answered. ¡°I won¡¯t get anything out of slaughtering these things. I¡¯m surprised they¡¯re here so quickly, but I wonder if it¡¯s something to do with the rain. Like, crocs need water? Anyways. Go ahead.¡± TJ gestured at the assembled monsters. ¡°Do we want to have¡­ some sort of dialogue with them?¡± Mimi asked. TJ sighed, supposed immediate bloodshed wasn¡¯t the best option available to them, but he had a sneaking suspicion he knew what was going to happen. ¡°Fine.¡± TJ said. ¡°Now, you five, something we can help you with? Or are you just going to keep on your way?¡± ¡°We have no quarrel with thee, descendant of the Great Feathered Serpent.¡± The Acolyte replied with a hoarse, breathy voice. He? seemed focused on the person TJ thought would be their focus. ¡°But the spawn of chaos and disorder must die. Set¡¯s influence cannot be allowed to grow so powerful as it once came to be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to turn over a child in my care to you.¡± TJ shook his head. As the Devotees gathered themselves to fight, though, TJ interrupted them. ¡°However, I¡¯ll let you fight him. I won¡¯t stop you from doing what you feel like you need to.¡± ¡°What?¡± The two kids spoke in unison, but couldn¡¯t ask any further questions as the Devotees threw themselves forward. TJ didn¡¯t explain anything else as he watched what Sam would do when overwhelmed by monsters higher level than him, and all alone, except for his sister¡¯s support. Sam¡¯s sword and shield sparked with a red energy, and he bashed his shield into the Neophyte¡¯s snout. It roared in anger as he pressed the attack, his blade flashing as he struck down with it one, two, three times. The Neophyte¡¯s thick scales turned the blows from being deadly, even though it was apparent that Sam was attacking with Skills guiding his blows. The boy wasn¡¯t able to dispatch anything as the other two Zealots and the crocodiles approached, though. His initial attack complete, he instead had to put his entire effort into avoiding deadly blows from the seven monsters that surrounded him. Fortunately, only the Neophyte was taller and faster than the usual crocodile, and Sam ran along one of the summoned beast¡¯s back to escape the encirclement. ¡°Please, TJ! Save him!¡± Begged Mimi as the Acolyte¡¯s green spell seemed about to be cast. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± TJ assured her as he flicked his wrist and sent a blade of wind at the Disciple¡¯s hands. All eight of its fingers flew free from the attack, and its spell or Skill was interrupted by the casual attack. Mimi looked at him, confused, and when the Disciple and Acolyte looked at him accusingly, he shrugged and pointed at Mimi while he asked the System what ¡°Devotee¡± meant. A Devotee is a monster, animal, Participant, or other entity that has presented the whole of their self and ego to be swallowed up in the intent and desire of their chosen deity. So, as far as he was concerned, these weren¡¯t humans any more, if they ever were. Fair game. Three of the crocodiles came towards Mimi as their Acolyte summoner commanded them in a hissing roar. ¡°Help me, TJ!¡± Mimi begged again. ¡°Sam¡¯s getting hurt!¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± TJ said as he handed over the Bloodied Spear. ¡°Good luck!¡± The tears already welled up in her eyes spilled as her shoulders shook and she held the spear trembled in her hands. Even so, she pointed it at the crocodiles. ¡°Look at Sam.¡± TJ encouraged her. ¡°He¡¯s learned that you need to stab them. You¡¯ve got a perfect weapon for that.¡± sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. True to his word, Sam had realized that slashing at the crocodile-skinned monsters wasn¡¯t doing anything. He¡¯d cut a couple wounds into each of his attackers, now that he was only outnumbered 4 to 1. The inexperienced boy was still overwhelmed, and hadn¡¯t done anything particularly outstanding to TJ¡¯s vision. Even so, the heavy clanging of metal on his shield showed that he¡¯d prioritized survival over everything else. TJ could respect that. His shield was close to giving out, though, and he¡¯d be out of luck at that point. Mimi screamed more in terror than in challenge as she stabbed the spear towards the nearest crocodile¡¯s face. In what was either luck or latent talent, she plunged the spear deep into the monster¡¯s eye. It wailed in pain and Mimi shook with her eyes closed tight. ¡°Open your eyes!¡± TJ commanded. ¡°Just cause you hurt it doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s not dangerous! There¡¯s three more trying to kill you too! You¡¯re higher level than them and your brother needs help. Forget about your fear!¡± Mimi opened her eyes, tears streaming down her face and mixing with the rain that coated everything. TJ realized that she and Sam were both just about out of luck and energy, and he didn¡¯t want Sam to face permanent injury in this teaching session. As such, he drew some strength from the Storm overhead and called lighting down. After all, that Acolyte there had his hands up in the air, and was pretty tall. Wasn¡¯t that a challenge to lightning? The lightning was almost convinced, then decided it didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Well, if you won¡¯t listen, I know who will.¡± TJ grumbled to himself. Then, with three sharp movements, he sent pillars of wind to smash the Disciple, Neophyte, and Acolyte to the ground, prostrate. The crocodiles and Zealots continued attacking, but TJ convinced the wind to assist Sam in his fight. As his movements grew faster and more sure and the greatest threat was no longer actively threatening him, Sam roared his anger as his sword flashed red again. Then, after batting the Zealots back, he leapt up and fell, sword first, onto the Neophyte¡¯s back. With the wind and his Skills guiding him, the blade slipped between scales and vertebrae. It went limp and Sam¡¯s wounds visibly healed. Just in time for one of the Zealot¡¯s blades to cut deep into his back and send him flying. ¡°Sam!¡± screamed Mimi as she picked the spear back up and stabbed it into one of the crocodile¡¯s mouths. It dropped dead as the spear greedily drank its blood. Mimi didn¡¯t care to retain hold on the weapon, jumping over the thrashing body of the dying crocodile. Then, she threw herself over her brother¡¯s body and began healing him. With the bonuses from the Remnant, Sam was wholly healed after just a couple of seconds. Of course, that was more than long enough for the still-standing Zealots and crocodile summons to surround them and kill the two kids. TJ didn¡¯t allow it, extending the influence of his Wind Manipulation to lay every one of the still-surviving monsters flat on the ground. His MP was still dropping pretty quickly, so he tossed his Spear over to Mimi and demanded of the two, ¡°Dispatch them quickly! I can¡¯t do this all day!¡± He could see the questions on both of their faces, but they did as he said. The Acolyte Devotee, however, was clearly livid about the duplicitous treatment TJ was giving it. ¡°Thou saidst thou wouldst not stop us!¡± It roared. ¡°Thou liest! Thou deceivest!¡± ¡°Yeah? So?¡± TJ asked as the teens killed the Zealots and the crocodiles before moving to the Acolyte and Disciple. ¡°Why would I keep my word to monsters? I¡¯d kill hundreds of you before I gave over two children to be slaughtered by creatures who lost themselves to the worship of a dead god.¡± ¡°Thou shalt pay!¡± The Acolyte swore. ¡°Sure.¡± TJ waved it off as Sam lifted his sword and stabbed it into the Acolyte¡¯s head. It died with a snarl on its face. Two bloodied teens stood in his front yard as he rolled his shoulders and looked at the blood running down his driveway and into the gutter. ¡°I¡¯m sure you two want an explanation for that.¡± TJ started. ¡°No, I think I get it.¡± Sam answered, though he definitely looked a little sour. ¡°You want us to learn our own lessons about what¡¯s dangerous or something like that.¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± TJ agreed. ¡°I wanted to test you, and I knew I could keep you safe. If there was something more dangerous, I would have just started killing the enemies, but I want you to do hard things. That¡¯ll help you be a lot stronger once you hit Copper tier.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you explain that before?¡± Mimi demanded, tears still in her eyes. ¡°I thought we were going to die!¡± ¡°I wanted to see how you¡¯d react is one thing.¡± TJ said. ¡°I also didn¡¯t want to tip the monsters off and let them try to sneak in a killing blow. And I¡¯m not always going to be with you, I¡¯m sure. I want to help you, to keep you safe, but I won¡¯t always be able to. Any more questions?¡± Mimi just shook her head as she wrapped her arms around her brother. She was shivering, possibly from the cold, but more likely, from the adrenaline that¡¯d slowly drain from her system. ¡°On the other hand I have some more materials for you two to work with!¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 136 TJ couldn¡¯t say for sure what it was that had changed in him to loosen up so much with the two teenagers, but he didn¡¯t mind the change in himself. He felt more like TJ and less like the carrier of the Bloodline of Kukulkan. In 100 days, he¡¯d have to fight against the other people with the Bloodline of Kukulkan and see what the whole competition thing was about, but for now, he could just be a somewhat crotchety old man mentor to these two kids. Watching as they both hesitated to skin crocodiles and Devotees, TJ couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He wasn¡¯t going to eat anything from the Devotees, but everything else was valuable, and he wasn¡¯t going to let it slip through his fingers. ¡°This was¡­ a Neophyte, like you.¡± Mimi complained in the same vein for the fourth time since TJ had assigned the two to work on preparing the crocodilian skins for armor. ¡°Not really.¡± TJ grunted as his blade cut easily through yet another crocodile¡¯s belly. He hadn¡¯t really expected the crocodiles¡¯ bodies to remain after being killed, given that the Acolyte had summoned them. There hadn¡¯t been any sign of them dissipating or anything, though, and when he¡¯d asked the System if they were real creatures, its response had been definitive, once he¡¯d finally gotten it: Sobek¡¯s Servants are real creatures and those present in the Integrated world are drawn from the vestiges and memories of His Divine Realm. ¡°So these weren¡¯t representations of Sobek¡¯s Servants and were real crocodiles?¡± Correction: the Dirt (0) tier monsters you have slain here are representations of Sobek¡¯s Servants. Those Servants that existed during the life of the Iridium (VIII) tiered Divinity Sobek were Ruthenium (VII) tiered existences themselves, as they were representations of Sobek¡¯s most devoted followers that achieved Divinity by merit of following their Deity. However, the bodies of the Sobek¡¯s Servants that you slew will remain until they are otherwise affected by decay, consumption, or other forms of destruction. TJ sighed. He supposed that was only right, considering he¡¯d asked a question whose answer wasn¡¯t exactly clear. Then, with a shrug, he focused on continuing to process the hides. There was plenty to do, and he focused on doing it. After all, if nothing else, these hides would serve as experience for the two teens who were still a little grumpy with him. As he finished with the fourth crocodile corpse, TJ looked at the two Crafters still struggling with their first corpses. There were plenty of frankly terrible cuts that sliced through the hide and would ruin whatever leather resulted from their work, but it was necessary, and TJ didn¡¯t consider any of the materials before them as particularly valuable. So, they¡¯d be sacrificed to teach two kids to work with leather. Frankly, looking at how abysmal their work was, TJ hesitated to give either of them any access to the Copper Elite hide drying in the house. Then, he turned his focus inward and reaffirmed that he would continue to teach the kids. Right as he finished working the last of the last crocodile¡¯s hide free from its body, Sam settled back with a groan. He¡¯d been carving the skin from the tails of the crocodilian but still humanish Zealots, Acolyte, and Disciple. His work was only marginally better than his sister¡¯s, but considering TJ had cut his teeth on mere coyotes, not supernatural reptiles, he cut Sam some slack. TJ looked down at the stack of meat piled on his diminutive front porch and sighed. A couple people were coming out of nearby houses and looking at him hungrily, so he grabbed two mostly intact bodies and tossed them forward until they were well away from his front door. Then, as he held a third one, he settled it on top of the others and shouted to anyone listening, ¡°These three are up for grabs! I¡¯ll ask that you share them with people around you, but I¡¯m not from the police and I¡¯m not in charge. First come, first served. If you try to break into my house to steal more, you¡¯ll have to deal with me, so don¡¯t. If you''re starving or whatever, you can knock and we can have a conversation.¡± Then, without another word, TJ hauled the other two corpses over his shoulder and carried them around the house to the backyard, where he took the time necessary to jerry-rig a stand of some sort that¡¯d let him bleed the food. He looked around, wondering where would be best to dispose of the filth, but he quickly realized that the drain in the gutter out front would probably be ideal, at least for now. With a sigh, TJ set another one of his 5 gallon buckets under the dripping Servant corpse. Only then did he meet Sam¡¯s gaze, and the surly teenager didn¡¯t look angry, just confused and maybe a little hurt. ¡°You can talk to me.¡± TJ offered. ¡°I don¡¯t bite. Not as a human, at least.¡± Sam still just kept looking at TJ, seeming unsure of how to speak. TJ let him and Mimi stand in silence as he futzed with the stand. ¡°If you wanna walk with me, I need to go get those skins I removed.¡± TJ offered as he walked through the back door. He¡¯d wanted to keep the worst of the filth out of the house, but he was quickly realizing that it wasn¡¯t going to be possible for too long without dedicating a lot of time to cleaning. Would that be worth it? TJ grumbled as he collected the skins and carried them behind the house. As he walked into view, he saw three people already working to drag away two of the crocodile bodies left behind. They dropped the creature to the ground as soon as he appeared, but since he didn¡¯t react at all, they resumed pulling the food as soon as he wasn¡¯t looking directly at him. Sam and Mimi hadn¡¯t followed him, but once he was back on the porch again, they both approached him. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± Mimi asked, a quiver in her voice. ¡°I¡­ I thought I could trust you.¡± TJ had been ready to be cantankerous, or grumpy, or something else, but he wasn¡¯t expecting that feeling of true betrayal from Mimi. He¡¯d been prepared to deal with snark and anger, not this. His facade he¡¯d prepared cracked and he met her eyes. ¡°You felt like I betrayed you?¡± He asked, his voice soft. Tears glimmering in her eyes, she nodded. ¡°Shit.¡± He mumbled to himself. Then, he met her eyes. ¡°I can explain more, but know that I never planned on letting either of you be seriously injured. Can you believe me when I say that?¡± Mimi shrugged, but Sam nodded behind her. ¡°You said you¡¯d make sure they couldn¡¯t kill me, and that¡¯s what you did. I think you were an asshole about it, but I think you meant what you said.¡± ¡°Fair.¡± TJ said. ¡°I thought it was a teaching moment. Situations like that¡­ they¡¯ll probably be common in the world now. I wanted to see how you¡¯d act. I¡¯d have explained it to you, but there wasn¡¯t time. Maybe I¡¯m just¡­ more callous than I was before all this. No, there¡¯s no maybe about it. I definitely am. You both deserve an apology. I¡¯m sorry. You thought I¡¯d hung you out to dry and was going to watch you die. That was wrong, and I¡¯m sorry. I promise that for as long as we¡¯re together, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re safe to the best of my ability. When you need help, I¡¯ll be there, and I¡¯ll prove it to you. I¡¯ll still make you work hard, because I can¡¯t think of any other options that would help you to survive in the Integrated world, but I¡¯m going to help you as much as I can. Is that fair?¡± Sam grunted ¡°Yeah,¡± while Mimi just nodded once and walked inside. Though he thought for a second about calling her back, he realized that would be a bad choice. Instead, he turned to Sam and asked, ¡°Is there something I should do to help rebuild trust with you two? Or just give you space?¡± Sam didn¡¯t react for a time, so TJ just set about preparing the skins. The constant rain wasnice, and TJ had some ideas of different ways to prepare the skins to make into leather. His Skill and Occupation were working together to provide different, more advanced methods of preparation, and TJ figured he could experiment. After all, he didn¡¯t think that a crocodile had a brain big enough to prepare the brain slurry for their skin. ¡°I think she¡¯ll come around.¡± Sam interrupted TJ from his thinking. As he turned to look at the young Zealot, TJ listened without asking any clarifying questions. After waiting for another ten seconds or so, Sam continued, ¡°She¡¯s always wanted someone to tutor her. A couple of her teachers kinda filled that role, but once she moved out of the class, they moved on too. Here, though, we don¡¯t have a school year, so we should be fine.¡± His face twisted in a faint grin, and TJ decided not to question it. ¡°Sounds good. I want to see what you guys do with your hides, so take your time.¡± ¡°Wait, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Those are yours, you and Mimi¡¯s.¡± TJ repeated. ¡°I want to see how you two are able to process them, and what you¡¯re going to make with them. If you need advice, I can provide it, but I want basically all the ideas on how to do it to come from you. Trust in your Skills and Occupation and see what comes out of it, ok?¡± Sam¡¯s mouth hung open as he realized just what TJ was saying. TJ nodded as he let Sam slowly realize he needed to come up with all the ideas, then, Sam smiled broadly. ¡°I have a couple ideas. If my stuff isn¡¯t enough, is it ok if I ask you for some?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say so, but I bet you¡¯ll have plenty more to work with before long.¡± TJ shook his head. ¡°I can feel more movement that¡¯s entering the domain of the Storm, and I know most of it isn¡¯t human. But we¡¯ll be fine, so long as we¡ª¡± Screams from the other side of the wall shook TJ from his hopeful monologuing. He didn¡¯t hesitate to leap over the wall and into Roger and Susan¡¯s backyard. A pack of very large, if still mundane wolves were leaping through the windows. A quick Appraisal let him know that none were over level 20, but each bore the moniker of Fenrir-blessed. Inside, the sound of shattering glass and title echoed while wolves howled in pain, but TJ could hear the sounds of pain getting louder. ¡°Sam, get Mimi over here immediately!¡± TJ shouted over the wall as he leapt into the house. He didn¡¯t listen for Sam¡¯s response, but he heard the teen burst into motion on the other side of the wall. As TJ stormed through the house, he quickly saw Roger and Susan in the kitchen fighting for their lives. Roger held a kitchen knife in each hand and wore a full set of chain mail. Susan had evidently begun to use her Divine Transformation, her hair trailing nearly to the floor and gravel orbiting her body. The stones flew away from her and pelted the wolves in the snout and eyes, driving them back. The remains of three fully crushed bodies were partially buried in stone and tile, and TJ could see that Susan¡¯s MP was running low. TJ wordlessly commanded the wind to push the beasts back from the older couple, which gave him the angle to see the deep wound in Roger¡¯s thigh. The Zealot stood as tall as he could manage while keeping the weight off his right leg. ¡°Sam! We need Mimi here now!¡± TJ commanded, hoping they would get there fast enough that he wouldn¡¯t need to quickly prepare and channel Ritualistic Transfer. Fortunately, Mimi and Sam both burst through the door at that moment and took in the scene. That was, unfortunately, also the moment the Copper tiered monster decided to make its appearance. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 137 With a snarl and the ripping of wood and brick, the entire side of Roger and Susan¡¯s house disappeared. As TJ watched, a horse-sized wolf pulled its head back and howled at the sky. The hole it¡¯d ripped into the house was twice its body¡¯s size, but TJ immediately saw how it had enacted so much property damage so quickly. It activated a Skill and a 20 foot tall ethereal version of its head appeared. TJ Appraised the wolf as he activated Divine Transformation and threw himself at the monster. Fenrir-blessed Vargr (Copper (I)), 27 ¡°Stay back! Keep Roger alive, kill the wolves if you can!¡± TJ shouted as he slashed a blade of wind through the Vargr¡¯s Skill. It was weakened but still crashed into him. TJ was sent flying back into the house, but he immediately gathered himself and sailed back at the beast. The black-furred monster opened its jaws and snapped at him. In the relatively controlled situation of facing just a single Copper tiered monster while under a storm and being influenced by Divine Authority, TJ let its jaws fall on him. He tensed up, waiting to see how much damage he took from the creature. His worry was answered by a sound not unlike that of a hammer striking an anvil. The Vargr¡¯s fangs couldn¡¯t pierce his scales. With a quick calculation, TJ realized that his Toughness, while being assisted by the Storm, was just over 900. He grinned internally, and went to test his strength against the Vargr¡¯s. With jaws wide open, TJ¡¯s fangs found the wolf¡¯s shoulder. As his fangs flayed flesh and tore tendons, TJ writhed and began wrapping his coils around the beast. Its bones creaked and it whined as he crushed the air out of it. The other wolves, the ones that had been menacing Roger and Susan, came out to assist their leader. They fought to pull TJ from the giant wolf, but to no avail. He continued to crush, to kill the beast. It lowered its jaws at him, probably to make a last-ditch, useless attack, and TJ didn¡¯t pay it any mind. When the ethereal version of its head appeared, TJ realized he¡¯d discounted the Vargr too quickly, but it was too late. The glowing jaws punched through his scales and ripped him away from the giant wolf. Most of his length was pulled away from the wolf as it did so, though maybe 10 feet of snake remained around the wolf¡¯s chest. TJ wrapped himself even more tightly and cracked ribs as the Vargr¡¯s Skill¡¯s power faded. He went to close back in on the Vargr and deal a final, deadly blow, but it would appear that the Vargr was far from done. Directly above TJ¡¯s head, another representation of the beast¡¯s head appeared. Knowing what was coming, TJ sent a pair of blades of wind through it, cutting it into four. This time, the Skill dissipated completely, but the Vargr howled again, the sound somehow different from before. As the sound visibly shook through the falling rain, each of the Fenrir-blessed wolves swelled in size from four feet tall at the shoulder to at least five. Then, they threw themselves more desperately at TJ. For his part, TJ decided to stop solely competing with his physical body. With a thought, he sent a blade of wind through every one of the Dirt tiered wolves¡¯s legs. They fell to the ground, crippled, but TJ was done experimenting. He pulled a cloud from the sky, lightning rippling inside of it, and made a sparking approximation of himself. It opened its mouth in a hiss, crackling thunder sounding off instead of a more animalistic sound. The lightning snake smashed into the Vargr''s face and knocked it back. It twitched, the lightning coursing through its body as TJ slithered back into melee distance with it. Whenever the Vargr attempted to use one of its Skills, TJ sent the cloud and lightning version of himself smashing into it. All the while, he bit deep into its throat again and again, ripping fur, flesh, and life from the Vargr. Its blood coated his face as it stumbled and fell to the ground. Even so, TJ didn¡¯t stop, condensing a blade of wind on his tongue and sending it through the monster¡¯s neck and decapitating it. As soon as he got the death notification, TJ relaxed and slithered away from the corpse. Panting, he deactivated Divine Transformation and rolled his shoulders. The wolf hadn¡¯t been able to do too much damage to him, all things considered, but it also wasn¡¯t an Elite. It was surprisingly powerful, considering how it was just a regular Copper tier. TJ laughed at his own pride, how he¡¯d considered the beast to be nothing more than an easy target to practice on. The smell of burnt fur filled the air, though the still-falling rain quickly dampened that. With the blood washing from his body, TJ looked behind himself to see the remains of Roger and Susan¡¯s house. Where the Vargr had shredded the wall, the roof had collapsed. Roof shingles and shattered wood lay everywhere, remains of what had been the two people¡¯s life. Inside, blood mixed with water slicked the floor, and Mimi tended to Roger. The Vietnamese Zealot¡¯s wounds had been healed, and he stood in front of his wife, who¡¯d sagged after exhausting her MP. Sam had walked through the crippled wolves and dealt killing blows to each, leaving a total of a dozen dead wolves on the ground. All four of the people inside of the house looked at TJ with their jaws agape. ¡°Should I charge you?¡± He joked, looking between them. ¡°No, you¨Coh shit!¡± Roger replied. TJ didn¡¯t say another word as he turned to respond to the threat. Nothing was there. Just a bunch of dead bodies. Before he could ask, Roger rushed past him and grabbed the Vargr¡¯s body to drag it back closer to the house. Only then did TJ realize that gallons of blood were covering the pool deck and tinting the pool¡¯s water pink. He didn¡¯t say anything else and went to help pull the corpse away from their lasting supply of water. It took less than a minute to pull it to the side of the house and over the rubble, where the blood still flowed freely, but soaked into the ground instead of the pool. Then, TJ again met eyes with the other four people nearby, who continued to look up at him. ¡°You¡¯re very strong.¡± Roger said simply. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was possible for someone to be that strong.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the world we live in now.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°You will be too, once you evolve to Copper.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Roger replied. ¡°Maybe not.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to be.¡± TJ insisted. ¡°If you don¡¯t you and Susan will end up dying. That wasn¡¯t an Elite or Boss or anything. That was a regular Copper tier monster. You think you¡¯ll be able to survive in this world when everything is like that as you are?¡± Nobody responded, but TJ did notice Sam and Mimi shoot each other glances. Then, with a shrug, he looked down at the Vargr¡¯s body. It was the first Copper tier that he¡¯d killed that wasn¡¯t a Boss or Elite, so he wanted to see if there was anything particularly special about this creature¡¯s materials. It didn¡¯t take long for TJ to realize that the fangs were the only part of the corpse that were even remotely remarkable. The rest of it was just¡­ a large wolf with thick fur and skin. Perfect practice materials for the two kids, he decided. ¡°Roger, what are you and Susan¡¯s Occupations?¡± TJ asked. ¡°I¡¯m a Cook, she¡¯s Architect.¡± The response came quickly, as if reporting to a superior. TJ sighed, understanding what was happening. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ok.¡± He didn¡¯t acknowledge the deep respect he was being offered.¡±Sam, Mimi, you know what I¡¯m about to tell you to do.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Mimi groaned, but she didn¡¯t say no. Sam merely nodded and hopped to it, though he didn¡¯t have a knife on him and went to hop over the wall to get the knife he and Mimi had used earlier. ¡°Use mine.¡± TJ said as he pulled the Wendigo Blade from his waist and offered it. Sam seemed excited to use it, surely expecting something as effective as the Raven Mocker¡¯s Remnant. He fought to hide his faint disappointment when it was revealed that the knife wasn¡¯t anything more than a pretty sharp knife. TJ chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do for you two using one of these fangs.¡± He gestured at the decapitated head that lay nearby. ¡°Or, maybe I let you two make one yourselves. We¡¯ll see what you prefer when we get there.¡± Less disappointed, Sam set about cutting the skin from the Vargr¡¯s corpse. TJ didn¡¯t think that it was anything meriting that excitement, but he decided not to disappoint the teenager more. Instead, he turned to Mimi to figure out what she should be skinning the other wolves with. Instead of having to find her a tool of her own, though, he saw that Roger had offered one of their knives for use. Surprisingly, the knife offered cut relatively easily through the dense muscle and skin of the Fenrir-blessed beasts. Seeing the quality of the handle in Mimi¡¯s hand, though, TJ quickly realized that the couple who lived behind him had much nicer tools than he did. ¡°You fought things like that in your Tutorial?¡± Roger asked, consciously stepping towards the Vargr corpse and inspecting it. ¡°There were two.¡± TJ explained. ¡°There was one, and it led the third wave of our defense. It was a mountain lion, so kinda like this. But it was an Elite, and it could teleport. Real pain to kill, but I managed to without dying myself. The other was the Boss, a wendigo. It made the dead things all around it come back to life with heads like its own, then used ice magic and healed by eating corpses. Not fun. Both were stronger than this one here.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Susan¡¯s response was muted, as if she was short of breath. She nearly hyperventilated, but consciously mastered herself before she nodded once and met TJ¡¯s eyes. ¡°You have free access to our home and our water. Thank you. You save us. Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t think you need to be so formal about it though, Susan. I wanted to help you, and I¡¯m happy to have. Let¡¯s keep working together and help each other out as we continue, shall we?¡± In the back of TJ¡¯s mind, he realized that this was an opportunity for him, and he didn¡¯t mind seizing it. He¡¯d seen that a god¡¯s followers could be Divinities in and of themselves by dint of their faith, and in order to keep Junior safe, having a bunch of strong followers would work wonders. For now, that could start as making people feel indebted to him, to feel like he could protect them. How that would work moving forward, he didn¡¯t know, but for now, he would work on teaching and leading, and see where that got him. The rest of the morning was spent giving slight instruction to Sam and Mimi as they fought to skin the wolves that¡¯d been killed already. With two fights so close together right at the same time as the reintroduction of monsters, TJ expected to have a dozen more skirmishes by the time the sun set. He was wrong, though. Maybe it was just those two packs of monsters that were focused on them, or maybe it was because the other monsters were killed by other people, but whatever the case was, no more creatures came by until after the storm faded. With a bright sky overhead, TJ nodded approvingly at Sam as he scraped the fat from the Vargr¡¯s pelt. Mimi was largely done, given how much easier the Dirt tier monsters were to work with, but Sam had fought to be the sole worker on the Vargr, and neither TJ nor Mimi had argued with him about it. The pelt was hard to work with, but there wasn¡¯t anything to do about it except to work on it. Eventually, Sam stepped back and, though there were a couple spots that still needed his attention, nodded in approval. ¡°There we go. And actually, TJ¨Coh, man, that was a level? All I did was take off the skin!¡± ¡°You were probably pretty close in the first place.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. But working with higher tier materials will give more experience. Plus, you¡¯ll get better Skills offered. Anyways. What were you going to say?¡± ¡°I just wanted to say thanks.¡± Sam avoided making eye contact before continuing, ¡°And, I wanted to say that I think I know what I want to do with my Occupation.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Mimi jumped in. ¡°Sweet!¡± TJ declared as he stood up. ¡°Tell me about it!¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 138 ¡°I want to be an Armorsmith.¡± Sam said simply. TJ didn¡¯t respond, instead letting the teenager explain himself as they walked into the remains of Roger and Susan¡¯s house. ¡°I want to be able to protect myself as well as others. That¡¯s why I took the Skills to get the sword and shield, because I thought that I could use them to protect Mimi. I planned on getting armor from another Skill too, so that I could be a knight, like in books and movies.¡± The young man blushed a little at that, but he didn¡¯t walk back his statement. ¡°And why did you decide not to do that?¡± TJ prompted. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I saw you.¡± Sam answered limply. When TJ squinted a little, trying to understand the statement, Sam continued, ¡°You have Skills, real ones that make you¡­ I don¡¯t know, like someone who can actually become a god. That¡¯s what all this is about, right? And I was trying to be a knight, not a god. So, I want to become something more than someone who can put magic armor on. If I can make it, I can be like Hephaestus or¡­ I don¡¯t know any other gods of blacksmithing.¡± Again, Sam blushed, but he didn¡¯t have anything else to say. After a moment, though, he looked up at TJ for approval. TJ gave the unsure kid a thumbs up and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I didn¡¯t think about how you need to perceive your path forward, so I just wanna say good job on that, since that change in perception is pretty important. I think. Whatever. Anyways, I wish Michelle was here to help you with that, but since I¡¯m all you got, I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Michelle?¡± Sam asked. ¡°Someone from my Tutorial. She was already a blacksmith before the Integration, so she got the Occupation of Blacksmith. I bet she¡¯d be able to teach you more about smithing, but I can give you directions on creating leather armor. If we have questions, we¡¯ll see what we can learn. How¡¯s that sound, kid?¡± Sam smiled a surprisingly sweet grin and ducked his head. TJ counted that as a victory and turned to Mimi once again. ¡°What was your idea?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a Crafter at all.¡± Mimi said, avoiding meeting TJ¡¯s eye. ¡°Fine by me.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°What was your idea, then?¡± ¡°I want a fighting Occupation.¡± Mimi almost whispered. ¡°I know they¡¯re not common, but I need to be able to protect myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad point.¡± TJ said, nodding. ¡°However, I¡¯m sure you can make your Class more of a fighting and healing type of thing. Why would you want to change your Occupation? That¡¯s the one that seems much more flexible than the Classes are.¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know?¡± Mimi responded, her face suddenly worried. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I realized that was an option?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling you what to do,¡± TJ clarified, ¡°I just wanted to ask. If you¡¯re sure you don¡¯t want to have anything to do with creating or crafting, then you should stop doing it entirely. Nothing more. You¡¯ll get to Copper tier some other way, and then you¡¯ll get more levels in your Copper Occupation. The trade off will be that your Class¡¯s levels will be more Dirt tier than copper, but as far as I can tell, that¡¯s basically a moot point. My Class gives more Attributes than my Occupation, but I¡¯m willing to bet it can go either way.¡± ¡°I¡­ Ok.¡± Mimi said, but it was surprisingly little time before she made a decision again. ¡°I still want a fighting Occupation. I want to be able to heal people, and be really good at it. So, I¡¯ll stay a Disciple, but I still need to defend myself. So, Occupation.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll leave most of the cleanup to Sam, though I¡¯ll do whatever is most needed.¡± Sam groaned, but TJ shrugged. ¡°Look, I won¡¯t get anything from this. I was one of the first 5,000 people to hit Copper tier in the world. I¡¯m level 26, and some random Dirt tier harvesting will just be busy work for me. Plus, my Occupation doesn¡¯t care about Dirt tier materials. It needs to be more divine than that. As a matter of fact, if you weren¡¯t around, I wouldn¡¯t harvest these wolves at all. I¡¯m offering you experience, though this isn¡¯t exactly what you¡¯re wanting to do. Even so, you¡¯ll get levels and you¡¯ll get stronger, so don¡¯t complain.¡± The faces of awe and disbelief that replaced the more casual looks that had decorated the teens¡¯ faces. For a second, TJ wondered what they were so surprised about. Then, he asked, ¡°Was it the first 5,000 thing?¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Sam asked, confirming the answer. ¡°Well, I was offered a Class for that when I evolved to Copper tier.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°Said I was one of the first 5,000. Didn¡¯t take the Class, though. It would have changed me.¡± ¡°... Ok.¡± Sam answered. Mimi merely closed her mouth before looking at the Spear that was still in her hands. Then, she looked up at TJ with puppy eyes. ¡°No.¡± He said with a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s mine. If I had something better, I¡¯d pass it on, but I don¡¯t. Plus, don¡¯t you want to have a sword or something cooler than a bone and horn spear?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mimi answered, holding the spear out for TJ to take it. She managed to maintain eye contact, and somehow, the sad look she gave as she returned his weapon to him made him realize that he was going to be giving her something before long. She continued, ¡°This is good. It doesn¡¯t have Attainments, but I want a spear.¡± TJ groaned as he gave up on resisting what he was going to do for this girl. ¡°Ok. Ok. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Mimi acted innocent, as if she didn¡¯t know what he was talking about, but instead of engaging with her about that, TJ turned to Sam, who shook his head wryly as the older man walked to the Vargr¡¯s corpse. ¡°Does she always do this?¡± TJ asked. ¡°Quiver her lip and pout to get what she wants? Yeah. Didn¡¯t work at¡­¡± Sam trailed off before restarting, ¡°It didn¡¯t work at home, but she could get most people to do what she wanted this way.¡± ¡°Well, from here on, don¡¯t let me near her when she wants something.¡± TJ laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to afford it.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Mimi answered. ¡°I resent that!¡± ¡°Then resent it!¡± TJ laughed as he carved the flesh from the creature¡¯s thigh. Its femurs would be here, and they would, together, probably be more than enough to work as the haft for her spear. ¡°I¡¯ll help you out this time, because I was already planning on making Sam something, so it¡¯s only fair. But instead, you need to practice with my Spear until I¡¯m done with yours. I¡¯m also going to make you fight any and all monsters that come through here. Clear?¡± The little laughter and small points of relaxation from the past hours felt good. TJ cut the first femur free and flipped the corpse over to begin working on the other as he felt a pit building in his stomach. These couple of days hadn¡¯t been too bad. In fact, they¡¯d been positively pleasant compared to the Tutorial. And that made him afraid. Afraid something was going to happen. Would a Silver tier come through and kill all these people TJ was allowing himself to relax around? Would they turn on him? Would a Participant decide that they were going to subjugate everyone and make this all go away? TJ remembered the dreams he¡¯d had of Kukulkan, of other people coming to usurp the faith in him. Of a god coming to challenge his sovereignty. The violence that continued beyond the day to day. Then, there were the visions he¡¯d seen of the others in his Tribulation. Would he have to fight off hundreds of people? Would the monsters always attack? Then, there was the promise he¡¯d made to the System. ¡°I¡¯ll be your monster.¡± This wasn¡¯t him being particularly monstrous. He was just¡­ pretty regular right now. Helping some people out and just taking things a day at a time. Sure, he had the ulterior motives of gaining a Skill from protecting the teenagers or from getting followers to help him out moving forward, but he was still doing objectively nice things. Frankly, he wasn¡¯t at all monstrous now. There was so much he could do that was so much less dark and painful than destroying every enemy in his path. It was so much better to teach these deserving people, to take time and laugh and relax. Would that keep him safe if a Silver tier came knocking? No. TJ was willing to take time and effort to help these people, but the time was gonna come soon that he¡¯d need to leave them behind. He was Copper tier, so far beyond where they were, and he wasn¡¯t going to get any levels out of just watching them as they slowly caught up to him. With a grunt of effort and a wet pop, TJ pulled the other femur free from the Vargr¡¯s pelvis and Appraised Mimi and Sam. Zealot, 18 Disciple, 19 Each had gone up, though Sam had gained more levels than his sister. Not too surprising, considering what their Classes demanded of them. But even if they were as exemplary as he had been, they were at least four more levels away from Copper tier. And, until now at least, they hadn¡¯t been. So, how long would it be before they got even close to being able to keep up with him? TJ thought about the Skills they had evidently taken, and realized that they¡¯d be at least level 30 before they could be approximately where he was. That¡­ wasn¡¯t going to happen any time soon. As soon as he realized that, TJ knew what he was going to have to do. He¡¯d make the things he promised them, keep the pair safe through the night, and tomorrow he¡¯d visit Sven¡¯s little community to see if he couldn¡¯t find a safe place to drop them off. There was a long way to Silver, and TJ was sure he could protect tons of people until then, enough to get him the Skill he needed. But he¡¯d never get that Skill if he was holding himself back. With that in mind, TJ took the two femurs and one of the Vargr¡¯s other bones, either its tibia or fibula, and set about making the two weapons he¡¯d said he would. As he worked with the materials, TJ wondered to himself how he would explain it to these two kids without making them feel like he was abandoning them. ¡ª- Since he¡¯d learned how to bind things with Ritualistic Transfer, TJ was willing to admit that the knife he made for Sam was better than his own. That the materials, experience, Skill, and Attributes used to create the item were all of higher quality was beside the point. TJ acknowledged that it may be time for him to replace the Wendigo Blade. Once the knife and the Spear were both complete, TJ set them to the side and Appraised them. Item: Weapon; Bloodbound Fungr (Copper, (I)). This knife is a common implement created by a Participant with the ability to Bloodbind materials. Made from the fang and bone of a Copper tiered Vargr, this knife is sharp and strong, able to cut through Copper tiered materials with little difficulty. As a remnant of the beast it was made from and the blood that bound it, the Fungr thirsts after blood and will reinforce itself with whatever blood is offered to its headgrants its wielder the ability to spend MP and Stamina to grant it an ethereal blade twice the Fungr¡¯s length that will cut even Silver tiered materials with effort. This equipment grants additional Attribute points to its wielder. Points granted: +5 to Strength, Agility, and Endurance. Item: Weapon; Bloodbound Geirr (Copper (I)). This spear is a common implement of created by a Participant with the ability to Bloodbind materials. Made from the fang and bone of a Copper tiered Vargr, this spear is sharp and strong, able to cut through Copper tiered materials with little difficulty. As a remnant of the beast it was made from and the blood that bound it, the Geirr thirsts after blood and will reinforce itself with whatever blood is offered to its head. grants its wielder the ability to spend MP and Stamina to grant it an ethereal blade twice the spearhead¡¯s length that will pierce even Silver tiered materials with effort. This equipment grants additional Attribute points to its wielder. Points granted: +8 to Strength and Endurance, +5 to Agility. The weapons made, TJ offered them to the two teenagers. As night fell, excited explanations of how they¡¯d use the weapons filled the air, and TJ, unable to bring up the news of his inevitable parting from them, let them enjoy the evening as he prepared dinner. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 139 TJ slept fitfully. Every movement he heard outside had him out of bed and patrolling the area. There were a dozen interruptions to his sleep, but TJ didn¡¯t begrudge that, as being ambushed would have been a lot worse than sleep less with a body that nearly didn¡¯t need any. The wind danced through the house, bringing him news about whatever was happening outside. He realized he didn¡¯t need to go out to physically take a look at these things, but he felt better doing it. Long before true light and the first blush of sunrise painted the sky, TJ got out of bed definitively. The System said that it wasn¡¯t quite 6 am, but TJ wasn¡¯t too tired and he wanted to be on campus early enough that they could get back to the house in case anything went topsy turvy. As such, he resigned himself to cutting a couple steaks from the Vargr¡¯s leg and grilling them in the backyard. When he looked over the vegetables he¡¯d planted, there were the faintest sprouts letting him know what he¡¯d done, but they wouldn¡¯t be ready for harvest any time soon. Of course, that was unsurprising, but he¡¯d hoped for Stanton levels of speed on more vegetables growing, unreasonable or not. With no rain falling, since he hadn¡¯t summoned a storm, TJ enjoyed looking out over the neighborhood. Ordinarily, houses and walls interrupted any clear view he had, but as the steaks cooked, he hopped onto the roof with an easy leap. The surroundings were more damaged than they¡¯d been just a couple days before when he¡¯d come back. Cinderblock walls were toppled, and homes were splintered. With everything washed away from the rain he¡¯d brought down yesterday, TJ couldn¡¯t see any bloodstains, but he could see crumpled bodies that¡¯d been chewed by monsters. Yes, these monsters were on the prowl, even if he couldn¡¯t see any at the moment. More and more, TJ saw that the area wasn¡¯t safe. Could he justify keeping two teenagers here, when the campus was almost certainly a safer place? The easy answer was no, and the harder answer was also no. There just wasn¡¯t any reason for him to do it, not when it was the worse option available to them. They¡¯d need to get stronger, and so did he, so that was that. For now, they¡¯d investigate what was going on, and take it from there. His decision reinforced, TJ pulled the meat from the grill and carried it inside. Hopefully, the food would wake the teenagers up and get them ready for the day. Mimi was the first to wake up, or, at least, get up. She walked out into the hallway and smacked her lips unhappily. ¡°You don¡¯t happen to have a spare toothbrush, do you?¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s some in the laundry room.¡± TJ answered from the kitchen. ¡°You wanna get them or have me do it?¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Mimi said. After a minute of shuffling drawers and cupboard doors, she grumbled something to herself and walked out into the kitchen. There, she held a pair of brushes and a tube of the paste. ¡°Got another one for Sam.¡± She explained. Something in her face showed the justification was second nature, looking to keep a fight from starting before someone accused her of anything. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No worries.¡± TJ shrugged. You wanna brush before or after we eat? Meat¡¯s getting cold.¡± ¡°After.¡± She groaned as she stretched. Mimi was still wearing the jeans and tee that she¡¯d shown up in, and TJ realized he hadn¡¯t even offered additional clothes to the two kids. ¡°You been sleeping in your jeans?¡± TJ asked, incredulous. ¡°I¡¯m not stripping down in front of my brother.¡± Mimi said, her tone a little accusatory. Then, she thought about it and waved both hands. ¡°No, oh, I haven¡¯t gotten the bed dirty! I¡­ well, maybe a little, but I¡¯ll wash the sheet!¡± ¡°Not that, you dork.¡± TJ shook his head. ¡°Sleeping in dirty jeans, and you haven¡¯t been able to shower. Why didn¡¯t you say anything? I¡¯ve got a dozen pairs of gym shorts that have a waistband you could tie! Is Sam just in his jeans too?¡± ¡°I¡­ Yeah. We could probably use that. Thanks.¡± Mimi said, bowing her head. TJ shook his own as Sam walked out and looked between the two people in the kitchen with heavy eyelids and a yawn. ¡°Before we go out for the day, we¡¯ll get you and Sam both a quick rinse off and wash the clothes. With my wind, I can dry it pretty quick, I¡¯m sure. Oh, and by the way, that¡¯s not a request.¡± TJ said with a laugh as he watched Sam and Mimi¡¯s faces shift, unsure of how to feel about his commands. ¡ª- It wasn¡¯t long before the two teens had bathed in Roger¡¯s pool with permission. Their dips had been quick, the water still cold for Dirt tiers, but TJ provided towels and a magical blow dry for the clothes that got a rough and ready washing. Before it was 9 am, they were on the road, Roger and Susan in tow. When TJ had explained where they were going and why, Roger had looked at his wife before they broke into a quick conversation in what TJ could only assume was Vietnamese. ¡°We¡¯d like to come too,¡± Roger explained, ¡°if you¡¯ll allow us. There¡¯s nothing for us here any more. We just¡­ want to be safe.¡± ¡°A good idea.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°Safety in numbers and so on. If there¡¯s anyone nearby that wants to join us as well, they¡¯re more than welcome. I¡¯d imagine that there¡¯s plenty of need for more hands to keep things safe.¡± When everyone was preparing to leave, though, TJ had to figure out how to explain to Sam and Mimi that they¡¯d better take all their stuff. ¡°I just think that if we¡¯re comfortable there, it¡¯d be better for you to be ready to claim some space.¡± TJ maintained. ¡°I¡¯m sure more and more people will be going in there before long, and having your stuff already set up in a dorm or whatever will help you to keep some space to yourselves. If I need to come back here and collect some big stuff, like my other pelt or whatever, then we can get it then.¡± TJ was carrying the Vargr¡¯s pelt that Sam had hesitantly treated with the brain slurry the day before. The mixture had mostly dried out overnight, but TJ was taking special care to ensure the valuable material wasn¡¯t mistreated as they travelled. ¡°And we¡¯re taking this one along, why?¡± Sam asked, his eyebrow cocked. ¡°Because if I¡¯m leaving you there, it¡¯ll be something you can work on and keep an eye on to see what you learn from the process.¡± TJ was grasping at straws as he explained. ¡°Now, you ready to go?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± The younger Zealot gave up on questioning, but it was obvious he wasn¡¯t quite sold on what TJ had said. They set off, keeping an eye on their surroundings, ensuring that no monsters got the drop on them. With TJ¡¯s Perception being as high as it was, no Dirt tier monsters could get the drop on them. The journey was relatively uneventful, though there were plenty of monsters that appeared. TJ merely pointed to them as they approached, letting the four Dirt tiered Participants take care of it. Several of the newest appearances were generally unremarkable. Four snake-like creatures called Infant Basilisks popped out, the only truly dangerous moment had been when two spat a gray fog at Sam. He¡¯d dodged them, knowing how dangerous it could be. TJ had two of them slung around his neck to see what might be valuable once they weren¡¯t in active danger. Then there were some Duendes, three-foot-tall human-looking things that Roger and Susan obviously recognized and hated. They had small stone tools that Susan collected, as nobody really wanted to make anything out of a creature that looked so humanlike. If they¡¯d been Copper tier, TJ would have thrown away such worries, but as it was, they weren¡¯t worth much. The only surprise that came was a cavalry of pukwudgies. Mounted on massive scorpions. TJ thought about killing them for old time¡¯s sake even though they were all no higher than level 15, but was surprised as Mimi took the front line with a shield that Sam had fashioned for her the night before. It¡­ would hold up for now. Bones tied together in a roughly rectangular shape, and it would serve as enough to block the worst attacks. Right? Three pukwudgie spears immediately tested the integrity of the shield. Bones splintered and one shattered to let a spear through. It scraped up Mimi¡¯s arm and she screamed in a mixture of pain and challenge as she struck back with her Geirr. It pierced straight through a scorpion¡¯s claw and into and through the pukwudgie on its back. The scorpion¡¯s scream of pain was strangely low pitched, while the pukwudgie went limp with the spear destroying its insides. Sam rushed forward, ready to deal death with his own weapons, but contrary to TJ¡¯s expectations, the pukwudgies all dismounted and shimmered to near invisibility as the three frontline combatants engaged with the seven remaining enemies. ¡°You gotta be more careful than that!¡± TJ warned as one of the pukwudgies circled around Sam. It went to bury its spear in his spine, but TJ casually flicked his wrist and pushed the spear lower with some wind. The weapon pierced deep into the top of Sam¡¯s thigh, and the teenaged Zealot shouted in pain and anger as he turned and whipped his sword at the creature¡¯s head. It dodged back and raised its weapon in a parry, turning the killing blow into a mere wound. Mimi whirled and pressed her right hand against Sam¡¯s back as she healed his wound with a quick use of her Skill. Then, with a certain measure of craziness in her eyes, she stabbed at another pukwudgie that tried to hamstring her too. The strike was true, and another pukwudgie went down. With only two pukwudgies left, the tides began to turn and Roger threw himself at one of the scorpions, a makeshift club smashing into its face between the strikes of its claws and tail. His armor deflected the worst of its strikes, but he took a sting to his arm and grunted in pain. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine for now!¡± Mimi shouted as she stabbed another scorpion¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll cleanse it once we¡¯re done.¡± Sam focused on the scorpions. Used to their pattern of attack and with a magical shield in his hand, he could keep from sustaining any real injuries, though one did manage to catch his sword in its claw and twist it free. It disappeared after a second, but he¡¯d already shifted to the dagger that he punched into the monster¡¯s face twice. It fell, and the battle¡¯s tides had shifted entirely. TJ kept the pukwudgies from escaping, as the scorpions seemed too stupid to even try to escape the inevitable death. Once every one of the creatures was dead, Mimi touched Roger and his pale face improved immediately. ¡°I won¡¯t heal you for now.¡± She said, ¡°We¡¯re almost at campus, and I don¡¯t want to exhaust my MP right now, just in case.¡± ¡°A good point.¡± Roger nodded. ¡°You are clever.¡± Mimi blushed as Sam walked next to TJ, who quickly cut the tails off the scorpions and slung them around his neck just like the basilisks. ¡°You seemed like you knew those goblins.¡± Sam said as TJ kept his eye out. ¡°Pukwudgies. Yup. Nasty little bastards. Sneaky, turn invisible, run away if their attacks don¡¯t work. Haven¡¯t seen any Copper ones yet, and I¡¯m not looking forward to it. I was kinda hoping there wouldn¡¯t be any around here.¡± ¡°They¡­ they were a lot more dangerous than the scorpions, I think.¡± Sam seemed unsure about his point, looking to TJ for confirmation. ¡°Eh¡­ altogether, I¡¯d probably agree with you. Smarter enemies aren¡¯t gonna be fun to deal with, that¡¯s for sure. But if you can catch them, they¡¯re pretty fragile.¡± ¡°Well, I guess so¡ª¡± ¡°Hey! What¡¯re you doing there?¡± An unfamiliar voice interrupted the conversation. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 140 TJ didn¡¯t hesitate to summon a blade of wind just behind and above his head as he stepped in front of the other Participants. His Perception had slid over this person until he was aware of them, and he didn¡¯t like that. It was probably a Stealth Skill or something adjacent to that, but he hated the idea of being surprised by anyone. ¡°Come out, there.¡± TJ said, looking directly at the corner of the house where he could feel the person¡¯s presence. ¡°Not yet.¡± The woman replied, somehow making her voice sound like it was coming from the opposite side of the street. ¡°I want to ask some questions first. Don¡¯t do anything or else I¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± TJ growled. With a thought, he made a lasso of wind around her and yanked her out into the open. Even with several hundred MP expended for the action, TJ didn¡¯t mind as his eyes met their stalker¡¯s. She was an ordinary looking woman, maybe early 20s, and what looked like an English longbow was in her hands. As she was forced out of her hiding place, her eyes opened wide and she looked everywhere in a panic. ¡°Happy to talk to you now.¡± TJ said as he Appraised the woman. Acolyte, 23 Pretty high level. TJ wondered if she¡¯d had as rough of a Tutorial as he had, given that she was as high level as she was. He¡¯d guess that she was close to Copper tier, given the way she held herself. ¡°You¨Cyou shouldn¡¯t do that!¡± The flustered woman replied. ¡°I¡¯m dangerous!¡± ¡°Yup.¡± TJ answered. ¡°I am too. Now don¡¯t do anything stupid or you¡¯ll find you¡¯re more injured than dangerous. Capische?¡± She seemed to weigh her options before deflating and nodding. ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡± ¡°So.¡± TJ drawled, ¡°You wanted to know what we were doing?¡± ¡°Yeah. Yeah! This is the land claimed by the New Republic, and all resources found in our lands belong to us.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± TJ chuckled. ¡°Then I¡¯d like to know where you get that authority. After all, I¡¯m a sovereign citizen, and I am not under your jurisdiction.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The woman replied, shocked out of the formal tirade she was building herself into. ¡°You¡¯re one of those freaks? Laws still apply to you, even if you say they don¡¯t, dumbass.¡± The soft chuckling changed into full laughter, making TJ¡¯s companions look at him strangely. He didn¡¯t mind it, and sighed. ¡°No, I¡¯m not one of those people. I will tell you that I don¡¯t recognize any authority from a ¡®New Republic¡¯ I¡¯ve never heard of, though. Going off how close we are to campus, though, I¡¯m gonna guess you¡¯re Sven¡¯s people?¡± ¡°You know Sven? Why didn¡¯t you say so! I¡¯m one of the new members of the Republic, so I wasn¡¯t in your Tutorial. My name¡¯s Maddie.¡± Her attitude shifted completely. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard many stories yet, so I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t recognize you. What¡¯s your name? Sorry, I got scared when I saw you were level 26. I just didn¡¯t know what to do!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± TJ said. He figured it would be better not to correct this misunderstanding just yet, as it would let him get closer to Maddie and see how she and the others in Sven¡¯s camp reacted when they saw someone who didn¡¯t immediately fall in line. ¡°I¡¯m TJ.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know your name.¡± Maddie apologized genuinely. ¡°I only got to campus last night. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°Lead the way. We wanted to check out what he¡¯s managed to come up with so far.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ huh.¡± Maddie answered, looking at TJ with a bit of confusion. He didn¡¯t ask about it, though, and gestured with his head for her to continue walking. She did so, and while they continued forward, there were signs of hunting nearby. Splatters of blood but no human bodies. Fur here or there, a couple discarded feathers, things like that. Looking around, TJ didn¡¯t see anyone in the houses they passed, and no sign of people living in there right now either. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°So¡­ is this your family?¡± Maddie asked as they walked in silence. ¡°Niece and nephew, maybe? Parents or in-laws?¡± ¡°Yeah, you can call us family if you want.¡± TJ said. ¡°If there¡¯s any complaints from these ones, though, I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Mimi said, holding her spear uncomfortably as they walked. ¡°No complaints.¡± Sam smiled while Roger and Susan shrugged, so TJ chuckled and figured he¡¯d made the decision for everyone else. ¡°Sounds good. Found family in the Apocalypse. Sounds good.¡± Maddie repeated herself. She was¡­ genuinely trying to have a conversation with him, and TJ felt a little bad. After all, she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong except for being waspish when they¡¯d met. That was far from a cardinal sin, and she didn¡¯t deserve to be so obviously uncomfortable as they went back to a place she wanted to fit in at. ¡°Look, Maddie¨C¡± ¡°Find some strays, Maddie?¡± A loud male voice demanded as they walked across the street to get to ASU campus. ¡°No, this is TJ, from your Tutorial? Right, Gus?¡± She answered, though it seemed like she¡¯d already suspected what she was about to learn. ¡°This guy¡¯s not from our Tutorial. Are you stupid? How could you not know?¡± ¡°He knew who Sven was! I don¡¯t know, were there other questions I was supposed to ask?¡± ¡°Look.¡± TJ interrupted both, stepping between them as he Appraised the man. Zealot (Copper (I)), 26 He was tall and fair-skinned, his hair a light blonde. His eyes were dark, though TJ couldn¡¯t say if that was because of the evolution to Copper tier or he was born that way. Something was stony gray in the brown of his iris, though. A shield appeared on his arm while he pulled a metal club from his waist. ¡°My name¡¯s TJ. When I got back from the Tutorial, a guy said that Sven was going to be gathering people here on campus. Figured I¡¯d swing by and see what¡¯s up. Maddie was just being kind enough to bring me here. So, let me know what¡¯s up, ok?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Gus snapped. ¡°You don¡¯t know what the difference is between you and me. And you need to surrender all that stuff you guys are carrying. It¡¯ll go to the people who deserve it in here. Taxes, you know?¡± He grinned in a distinctly infuriating way. TJ nearly activated Divine Transformation and threw himself at the arrogant fool right away. Instead, he limited himself to speaking. ¡°Good for you, Mr. Barely got to Copper. How about this. You can collect some fuckin¡¯ taxes when you¡¯ve provided some fuckin value, how¡¯s that sound? And yeah, I¡¯m someone who knows you¡¯re Copper while you¡¯re too stupid and greedy to figure out I am?¡± TJ answered, his blood boiling. ¡°Or were you too weak to?¡± Saying that pulled Gus out of his anger immediately. His skin had flushed red with the fury of his emotions, but as soon as TJ said it, Gus grinned. ¡°My bad, man. I saw your level and figured you were Copper, but my Appraisal¡¯s not able to check Tier. Figured if you were Copper, you¡¯d get pissed by what I did.¡± TJ sucked on his teeth, surprised at the sophistication of the plan. He filed that away for future use, but still was pissed at the demand for taxes right away. Gus continued speaking as TJ processed the way he¡¯d just been spoken to. ¡°Looks like you were probably the strongest person in your Tutorial too if your Appraisal tells the tier of whoever you Appraise. We had a couple Neophytes in ours, and they were really impressive. Sven wished he could choose again when he saw what a Divine Transformation could do!¡± ¡°So he¡¯s not?¡± TJ asked, trying to fish for information. ¡°Nope.¡± Gus didn¡¯t seem to mind giving an answer. ¡°Zealot, like me. He was offered a different kind of Class for being one of the first people to evolve, though. Didn¡¯t take it, preferred what he took.¡± ¡°He was offered Overwhelming Origin?¡± TJ asked in disbelief. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m speaking with one of his fellows!¡± Gus grinned wider. ¡°Glad to hear it. We¡¯re looking for more and more people who¡¯re strong enough to protect campus while we make it a safe zone, and if we¡¯ve got someone who was one of the first to get to Copper, then I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll go even better for us! Sven will want to meet you as soon as he can, and I¡¯ll take you to him. Do you want your friends to come with as well? Frankly, because they¡¯re so much weaker than you, they probably won¡¯t be given the same benefits that you will, but if they can evolve soon, they¡¯ll be among the elites!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m sticking around.¡± TJ shook his head. ¡°I just wanted to check things out.¡± ¡°Sure. Sure.¡± Gus grinned. He seemed like a happy guy, and sure that TJ would want to stick around. ¡°Maddie, would you keep an eye out here? I¡¯m gonna walk everyone in and introduce them to Sven and Raya and everyone.¡± The confused Acolyte nodded before Gus tilted his head inward towards the main buildings and began leading the way. As they walked through campus, tall buildings surrounding them, TJ had a flashback to walking through the University he attended. He smiled, seeing that, though it wasn¡¯t nearly as busy as it should have been in the middle of the day in the beginning of the semester, there were hundreds of people walking around. No monsters were around, either, and TJ hoped it could stay that way. ¡°Over there is where the¡­ I think the Occupation is Horticulturist. Anyways, there¡¯s where the people making crops and new magic plants and shit are. I know Sven was hoping we got some Farmers too, since that¡¯d help a lot. Yeah, so, I think they¡¯ve almost got some baby spinach or something growing, so that¡¯s nice. There¡¯s only so much meat you can eat before you just want something green, right? And over there is where we¡¯ve got our Crafters and so on. Raya was saying something about a training ground, but Sven hasn¡¯t made any decisions on that, since the more places we claim, the more we¡¯ll need to defend, you know?¡± Gus continued speaking, pointing out a couple places he thought might be of note, such as where everyone was sleeping, where they were putting excess items, and so on. After maybe five minutes of nobody but Gus talking, he asked, ¡°So, what do you think?¡± ¡°Looks good.¡± TJ shrugged. ¡°But really, the main reason why I¡¯m here, and the main thing I wanted to check out, was the leadership. The world¡¯s gone down the drain, and I don¡¯t want to set down roots where there¡¯s a weak or bad leader.¡± ¡°Well, if that¡¯s your only concern, then welcome to the New Republic!¡± Gus laughed and clapped TJ on the back. TJ wasn¡¯t too moved by the hit, and he was pretty sure that Gus had far fewer levels in the Copper tier. Even so, TJ didn¡¯t know anything about his Class or anything else. As such, he kept his mouth shut and shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll see, Gus. Are we close to where Sven is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s gone out yet today, so he should be in here. There¡¯s plenty of planning ¡®n shit that he has to do, so he¡¯s set up an office over here to make sure he can take care of things as they come up. As a matter of fact, there he is!¡± Gus waved to another man as he jogged forward. Sven was even taller than Gus, who TJ supposed was 6¡¯2¡± or so. Sven was at least 6¡¯5¡±, and with broad shoulders that strained at the chainmail shirt he wore. Long platinum blonde hair brushed at his shoulders, and his eyes were a striking blue. However, the sclera was a dark grey, making for an off putting combination. TJ saw that the armor wasn¡¯t his Holy Vestments, so he also had a shield he could create at a moment¡¯s notice. The handsome man had a faint scar that ran down the right side of his face, puckered and healing. When Gus reached Sven, they locked arms together as Sven also patted Gus¡¯s back. ¡°So,¡± Sven said in a Norwegian accent. ¡°You¡¯re a new friend of ours, are you?¡± Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD Chapter 141 ¡°Yeah,¡± Gus said as he gestured to TJ, ¡°this is TJ, and he¡¯s pretty strong. Brought these other people with him too, which could be promising too.¡± TJ Appraised the man that was almost a foot taller than him with a quick thought. Zealot (Copper (I)), 28 He felt his eyebrows raise as he saw that Sven was higher level than him, and not by a little. On top of that, he felt¡­ something in his Bloodline towards Sven. What that was, he wasn¡¯t sure, but there was something vaguely competitive towards the leader of this little settlement that was fighting to get established. Sven had been nothing but friendly, and the people who¡¯d met him seemed to speak about him favorably, but TJ didn¡¯t like something about the way the large blonde man looked at him. It felt as if he were looking down on TJ, and he wasn¡¯t ok with that. ¡°You are Copper. That is good!¡± Sven smiled widely as he addressed TJ. ¡°I am glad you have come. Since you are Copper, you will be one of our leaders. Talk with me, what is your Occupation? With your Class, there are so many things you can become, so I am excited to learn what you can do!¡± ¡°I can do a whole lot of things.¡± TJ shrugged, noncommittal. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to share everything the same second I walk in here. I am curious about how you were offered the Overwhelming Origin Class, and your reason for not accepting it, since I¡¯m sure it offered some better things than whatever your Zealot Class was.¡± Sven stood a little taller, more curious than merely excited. He looked at Gus, who immediately shook his head and raised his hands in denial. ¡°I didn¡¯t say the name of the Class!¡± Gus protested, looking at TJ as if he were trying to get the larger man in trouble. ¡°I just said what you told us to, that you¡¯d been offered a Class for being one of the first. He said the name of it, and that he didn¡¯t take it either.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Sven nodded and looked at TJ as if he were an equal for the first time. TJ only realized then that part of the reason that he¡¯d been so uncomfortable was that Sven had been looking at him the same way that he¡¯d been looking at Gus¡ªsomeone who¡¯d only barely gotten to Copper. He didn¡¯t have the time to unpack that strange feeling, but TJ rolled his shoulders and extended a hand to shake. ¡°Like Gus said, I¡¯m TJ.¡± ¡°It is an honor to meet you, fellow Participant TJ. Now, I believe there is a conversation that you and I should have right now. After all, I would be amazed if there is anyone else nearby who will have gained the same opportunities that you and I have.¡± ¡°... Sure.¡± TJ agreed after a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°I¡¯d like my companions here to stay close, though, if it¡¯s all the same to you.¡± ¡°Of course. Gus, find Raya, have her present what options will be available to TJ¡¯s companions if they choose to join with the New Republic.¡± ¡°Sure thing, Sven!¡± Gus replied as he herded the four people just a little ways away, still within eyesight. Mimi and Sam looked at TJ for some reassurance, and he nodded once to calm them. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was his best decision, but he was fine to keep an eye on them from a little ways off. As far as he could tell, there were various Copper tiered people here, and if they wished him and his people harm, as frustrating as that would be, all that he could reliably do was escape if Sven was as strong as he appeared to be. Turning his attention back to the man in front of him, TJ watched as much of Sven¡¯s casual demeanor drained away. Once his companions were a couple hundred feet away, Sven was, for lack of a better way of saying it, a lordly person. ¡°You were one of the first 4,000?¡± Sven asked. TJ stiffened as he realized how Sven was testing him. Not only was the man in front of him obviously strong and a charismatic enough leader to be creating a little town in the remains of the apocalypse, he was also clever and cunning. ¡°No.¡± TJ answered. ¡°I was not.¡± Sven chuckled. ¡°Then, like me, you were one of the first 5,000.¡± ¡°You decided to toss me a bone there, huh?¡± ¡°You could say it in that way if you so desire.¡± Sven smiled in a distinctly predatory way. ¡°You are clever and strong, but I must say that there is something much more mundane that I feel I must ask you before I continue on what I wanted to truly say.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°What is your Bloodline?¡± ¡°You consider that to be mundane?¡± TJ scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s a revelation of the simplest path laid before someone to gain godhood, and with how much information the System will supply to someone, that¡¯s offering much more than just a name.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. You are one of my own kind.¡± Sven nodded appreciatively. ¡°However, it was a question of mere curiosity, and I shall provide my own in response. I am Sven Ard Larssen, Zealot of the Jormungandr, the World Serpent, Son of Loki and Angrboda, He who would devour the heavens.¡± TJ had expected some level of deceit from Sven, but his own Bloodline confirmed the statement as truthful. He could feel the pride in Sven¡¯s blood, the need to exert strength and dominance over others, to prove himself superior. ¡°I thought the Jormungandr was a monster, not a god.¡± TJ answered instead of providing his own Bloodline. Sven didn¡¯t seem to mind, and grinned widely. ¡°There is much we do not understand, but I am sure there were many who ascended to the ranks of true Divinity that were not hailed as gods to those who opposed them.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡± TJ nodded. ¡°I am Thiago Jorge Harris IV, Neophyte of Kukulkan, The Feathered Serpent, the god of the skies and winds, the long path between the spirit and the body.¡± ¡°Ah. That now makes sense to me, TJ.¡± Sven replied. ¡°It was your scent, it smells of¡­ not kin, not foe, but one who walks a similar version of my own path.¡± ¡°Ok. Now, why did you want to talk with me alone? You have to know that people will be able to easily overhear us from a long way off, given what people¡¯s Perceptions are like now.¡± ¡°I will extend trust to you, TJ.¡± Sven said before he answered. ¡°I have a great amount of belief in the necessity for civilization to be reestablished in a form that suits the new world. As such, I am putting most of my work into the establishment of a religion. A pantheon of those who will quickly ascend to Divinity needs to be formed, and people such as yourself are perfect additions to my pantheon that I wish to create. You knew what the Overwhelming Origin Class was, and you were wise enough not to select the Class. Therefore, you are powerful and you are worthy. ¡°I have asked that others step away from us because, as a part of my Monarch Occupation, I am able to maintain secrecy within conversations, so long as nobody is within a certain radius. You can watch your followers out there, and see that they are safe, but we can have the real conversations here while they are learning how they will fit into the new world. Perhaps they will prove themselves to be some of the elites of the world, and they will join our pantheon when they are ready. If not, they will be provided a safe, productive place in the world while those who are capable will protect and provide for them.¡± ¡°Wait wait wait.¡± TJ raised his hands, unsure of what exactly Sven was saying. ¡°You¡¯re skipping some steps here. I know about pantheons, and I get why you want to make one. What do you mean by¡­ all the making people be in a safe or controlled position.¡± ¡°That is not my intention.¡± Sven shook his head. ¡°Anyone who wishes to leave the New Republic will be able to leave whenever they please, and unless one initiates competition or conflict with us, I don¡¯t see any reason why we would do anything against them. But you have seen the options available at evolution. There are those weak options, such as a mere direct upgrade to your Class or Occupation, and then there are the influential ones. My Class grants me 118 Attribute Points every level. The base Copper tier Zealot upgrade offered me a mere 80. Every two levels I gain in my Class will count as three for someone who can only choose the base Copper tier Classes. ¡°People who have no future cannot be treated the same as those who do not.¡± Sven shrugged. TJ thought about interrupting, but Sven continued speaking with passion. ¡°I will not share my Divine Authority with someone who shows no promise. If one merely achieves progress at the barest level, they will only be granted the barest level of support from me. I will keep them safe, because they deserve to be safe, but they will not be given Silver equipment when they struggle to fight against Dirt tier foes. It would harm them much more than it would help! People will be treated with the same level of value as they provide to those around them.¡± TJ opened his mouth to argue, but felt the hypocrisy before a single word formed on his tongue. It was just an extension of what he¡¯d said should be done in Pine. But that it was tied to someone¡¯s achievements, to their Class and Occupation quality, that was what grated on TJ. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a bad idea.¡± TJ allowed. ¡°Even so, I don¡¯t think I can agree with it. If the Tiers keep scaling like they did to Copper, then each new tier will be more and more impactful than the last.¡± ¡°No.¡± Sven denied. ¡°That was something I asked the System about extensively when these thoughts began to fill my mind. The jump from Dirt to Copper is only surpassed in the qualitative change present in the jump from Rhodium to Ruthenium, the initial entry into true Divinity. The evolution to Copper tier is perhaps the most important one, period, as it will dictate your future.¡± TJ filed that thought away, and instead sucked on his teeth for a moment. After thinking for a short time, he sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know. I wasn¡¯t really thinking of doing the whole ¡®rebuild civilization¡¯ thing, but it¡¯s probably necessary. I think I was just hoping someone else would do the hard work for me and I could just capitalize on it.¡± ¡°It is not an invalid path, that of the conqueror.¡± Sven shrugged. ¡°I do not think it¡¯s the best one available to you, but then again, I do have a bias. I do wonder why you did not take the Overwhelming Origin option when it was presented to you, if that is your desire.¡± ¡°I have people I care too much about to leave behind.¡± TJ gritted his teeth for a moment before relaxing. ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°It is a trap.¡± Sven replied simply. ¡°Perhaps that would be the ¡®optimal¡¯ choice, but it would no longer be me that sat on the Throne.¡± TJ thought about saying more to Sven, but instead of that, he decided to not argue but think of what he could and would do moving forward, with Sam and Mimi, with Junior. Seeing this, Sven nodded once with solemnity and stuck his hand out again. ¡°I believe we will have a relationship moving forward, so I will merely say ¡®I will see you soon.¡¯¡± TJ shook the Zealot¡¯s hand, unsure of what he should believe. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thanks for reading! If you''re dying to read more, join the Patreon, where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead! Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD