Episode 4: Tutorial (Part 2)
"Ghk!"
A stifled death rattle escaped as the armored man collapsed without even mustering a proper scream.
"Hehe. Free kills really do taste the sweetest~"
Kim Minhyung - a small-framed man barely reaching 160cm - giggled while extracting the arrow from the corpse's neck. His eyes glinted as he examined the pristine arrowhead. "No wonder it's a top-tier guild. Even their disposable gear is premium quality."
The equipment spoke volumes. From the composite shortbow to the twin swords at his waist and the full-body leather armor, every piece surpassed what any ordinary Level 1 tutorial participant should possess.
"The guild just told me to survive..."
But survival wasn't enough for Minhyung. As a B-rank trait holder of 'Agile Movement' scouted by Seongsam Guild, he understood their ruthless meritocracy. Major guilds operated on a simple principle: excel and receive obscene levels of support. Their prospect system guaranteed top 10 tutorial finishers unparalleled resources.
'Surviving this high-MMR tutorial would earn basic backing...'
Minhyung's teeth ground together. 'But that's scraps for someone like me.' The memory of his academy expulsion burned fresh. 'I didn't get kicked from that damn institution to become some grunt.'
His fingers twitched as he recalled how Seongsam had buried a recent assault case involving their members. That's the power he craved. 'I'll make them regret ever discarding me!'
After collecting his arrows, Minhyung moved with purpose. 'No players in this wildlife zone. The stream ambush point then.' Every reputable guild possessed tutorial strategies - so-called "cheat sheets" - and he intended to exploit them.
'This should be the area...'
Simoon honed his senses like a blade while pushing through dense foliage. The babbling brook came into view just as a bowstring's twang echoed through the air.
Snap
He flicked his fingers, Synthesis Power rippling outward. Streamwater erupted beneath him, crystallizing into a razor-edged barrier that bisected the incoming projectile mid-flight.
'An arrow. Predictable.'
Another finger flick toward the attack's origin.
Boom
The explosion shook the ancient tree, dislodging a cursing figure. "Damn magic-user!"
Kim Minhyung hit the ground rolling, already nocking another arrow with fluid grace. His follow-up shot never left the bowstring.
Snap
"Argh!"
The second detonation sent Minhyung sprawling, blood trickling from his nose. 'Impressive reflexes,' Simoon noted clinically. The spatial blast had targeted the head - slightly off due to his unfamiliarity with finger-based casting, but enough to expose the archer's level.
"B-rank trait: Agile Movement," Simoon stated as his opponent drew twin swords.
"What? How'd you-"
Minhyung's shock lasted precisely one heartbeat too long.
Snap
An earthen spike erupted from the ground, impaling him through the abdomen. "Kkh... You... Academy..." the archer gurgled through bloody lips.
Simoon's bitter smile didn't reach his eyes. "They'd never accept someone like me."
Crack
Seated on a boulder, Simoon observed the dissolving corpse. 'In a proper Arena, this would be permanent death.' The memory of nations crumbling from failed Arenas flickered through his mind before he dismissed it.
His attention shifted to the evaporating gear. 'Full C-tier set at minimum. Must be a prized guild recruit.' The lack of neural shock from their battle confirmed high-end immersion gear - a far cry from his own barebones access.
"Broadcast function..." he mused, recalling his companions' advice about achievement points. Even reclusive top-rankers streamed compulsively for that advantage.
Crackle
A spark danced across his fingertips as he stretched. "Synthesis recovery's absurdly fast. Is this the Philosopher's Stone or..."
The Arena board's hologram materialized, displaying rankings that defied logic:
1st: Kang Hoyoung [2 Kills | 4% Zone Control]
2nd: Lee Seyoon [1 Kill | 4% Zone Control]
3rd: Kim Simoon [1 Kill]
...
"Only 1-2 kills among top ranks?" Simoon's brow furrowed. "They're all camping."
High-stakes players with quality gear would prioritize survival in this capture-point tutorial. But the current standings reeked of coordinated manipulation.
"Teaming..."
The word left a bitter taste. While forbidden in official Arenas, the tutorial's lax enforcement bred corruption. Four elites maintaining identical zone control percentages?
"Time to thin the herd."
"Haah... Haah..."
The plate-armored runner's breath came in ragged bursts, his pallid face gleaming with sweat. "Crazy... That monster's crazy..."
Snap
He threw himself sideways at the telltale sound, only to meet the earth spike erupting precisely where he landed.
"Efficient," Simoon remarked, wiping his brow as he emerged from the treeline. The eleventh kill's notification shimmered:
[Synthesis Power +1]
[Philosopher's Stone Level Up!]
His status panel confirmed the changes - Level 2 Stone, Synthesis at 11. "Should've charged earlier," he mused, eyeing the nearby capture zone's blue outline.
The approach path told its own story. Dozens of corpses lay in precise formation - a killbox perimeter. The leaderboard now showed:
1st: Kang Hoyoung [7 Kills | 60%]
2nd: Lee Seyoon [5 Kills | 60%]
...
5th: Kim Simoon [11 Kills]
"Four players maintaining near-identical control percentages?" Simoon's lips thinned. The capture point should be a warzone, not a synchronized dance.
Peering through the brush revealed the truth: A shield-bearing tank anchored their formation, flanked by dual warriors and a rear archer. The perfect camping squad.
"Mission rewards get halved for this..." Cold resolve settled in Simoon's eyes as sparks danced across his knuckles. "But you've forced my hand."
Fzzzt
The gathering energy hummed like a live wire.
