Episode 5: Tutorial (Part 3)
The tutorial's capture point - an arena known for hosting the fiercest territorial battles - now lay in unnatural tranquility.
"Seems like nobody's coming anymore?"
Lee Se-yoon popped her gum, azure eyes scanning the perimeter with crossed arms. Beside her, shield-bearing tank Kim Jae-won chuckled through his visor.
"What? Your Far Sight failing from Ohr depletion?"
"Hey Jae-won. My Thousand-League Eyes run on mana, dumbass."
"Hah! Must be nice~ Snatching kills with leftover Ohr."
As Jae-won guffawed, Se-yoon's eyes narrowed to slits. "Why the fuck you complaining to me about your pathetic kill count?"
"What am I supposed to do? You're all sitting pretty with 5+ kills!"
"Funny. Who forced you to be tank?"
"Fuck! Like I chose this shitty trait!"
"Mine's garbage too, you know?" another teammate chimed in.
"You little-!" Jae-won's face flushed crimson at Se-yoon's mockery.
"Enough."
The sword-bearing leader Kang Ho-young silenced them with a glance. Both combatants shriveled under his gaze.
"Capture's at 60%. Jae-won, we'll feed you kills from now."
"Seriously? I knew I could count on you, boss!"
Jae-won beamed as Se-yoon sidled up to Ho-young, arms still crossed.
"Oppa, shouldn't we leave capture zone now? It's stuffy camping here."
"Leave?"
"Yeah. Player count dropped. No point turtling when we could hunt."
She squirmed with exaggerated boredom. Ho-young stared vacantly at the sky - a gesture that should've provoked irritation, yet Se-yoon stayed quiet. She understood.
His apparent disregard wasn't dismissal, but...
"Oppa. You're worried about that Kim Si-moon guy?"
...preoccupation with the arena board's updates.
"Relax. I know all notable guild rookies. No Kim Si-moon exists."
"That's the problem. Some nobody took 11 kills."
"True."
Se-yoon pulled up the board herself, examining the 5th ranked player. "Still, why sweat it? Look at these trash mobs."
She smirked at surrounding corpses. "Probably kill-snatched like hyenas. If he were any good, he'd have come here already."
"Mm."
As Ho-young stroked his chin, Se-yoon pressed closer. "If you're nervous, let's patrol while maintaining formation. We trained hard, remember?"
After their humiliating wipe in the last tutorial, the quartet had drilled relentlessly - enough for their Scorpion Guild to issue proper gear. The results spoke for themselves: 20 combined kills, 60% capture, though achieved through teaming.
Twenty corpses around the zone proved their capabilities regardless.
"Oppa, have confidence. Why fear some random when we've got teaming and..."
Se-yoon froze. Azure energy swirled in her pupils as she spun, loosing an arrow with flawless form.
Thwip!
Snap.
A finger-click echoed as an earthen wall erupted, intercepting the projectile.
"Ma-magic?!"
"A caster?!"
Jae-won scrambled forward with his shield as another teammate, Park Ho-cheol, drew his sword.
"Decent ambush. B-rank Far Sight trait?"
Se-yoon's eyes bulged. "How'd you know?!"
The crumbling wall revealed a gray-hooded man. "I've... studied traits extensively."
"Oh really?" Se-yoon nocked another arrow. "Let's see if you studied avoiding headshots!"
"Hold."
Ho-young raised his hand, stepping before Jae-won with drawn blade. "You're Kim Si-moon?"
"And you?"
"Kang Ho-young."
"Ah. Rank 1. The leader."
"Correct." Ho-young extended his empty hand. "Join us."
"Oppa?!"
"Boss! He'll backstab us!"
Their protests fell on deaf ears. Ho-young appraised Si-moon like rare merchandise.
"11 kills without gear. Must be S-rank caster."
"We'll guarantee top rankings. Feed you kills for first place."
"Ho-young oppa! Have you lost it? He's a caster!" Se-yoon grabbed his shoulder.
"Securing a mage's allegiance outweighs risks."
"What?"
"Think." Ho-young gestured to his team. "Mages outvalue support classes. Even alchemists bring profit."
He lowered his voice. "Once he joins, he's in our killzone. Any betrayal..."
Se-yoon's frown melted into a grin. "Ah~ That angle? I'm in!"
Jae-won and Ho-cheol nodded reluctantly.
"You heard." Ho-young turned to Si-moon. "We'll ensure-"
"Pathetic."
Si-moon scratched his head with a dry laugh. "Why would I join cheaters?"
"Cheaters? Team's not against rules."
"You'd be roasted alive if this was streamed."
"Who cares? No penalties."
"Wow." Si-moon whistled. "Scorpion Guild lives down to its name."
Ho-young's hand rose. Three weapons clicked in unison.
"We're coordinated. Nothing like the trash you fought."
Twenty surrounding corpses validated his claim.
"Join gracefully. That 11-kill streak's too precious to waste."
"Actually..."
Snap.
Thunder boomed as lightning struck Si-moon's side, coalescing into a crackling white rod.
"...I'll be taking first."
The Astraphe hummed as it levitated to his grasp.
"Negotiations failed."
Ho-young blurred forward. "Se-yoon!"
"On it!"
Her arrow flew as Si-moon leveled the relic.
"Wail."
He recited Alexander's famous line: "Astraphe."
CRACK!
Arcing lightning eviscerated Jae-won's armor, vaporized Ho-cheol, and fried Se-yoon mid-scream - all within one breath.
Si-moon stared at the dimming weapon. 'This is 10% power?'
"INHUMAN!"
Ho-young materialized behind him via shadow teleportation - only to impale himself on an earthen spike.
"H-how... mana for... lightning..."
Si-moon twirled the disintegrating Astraphe. "Different energy source. Now die."
[Capture 100% achieved]
[Tutorial complete]
The jungle melted away, leaving Si-moon alone with the scoreboard:
1st: Kim Si-moon - 15 kills [100% capture]
2nd: Jung Seo-yeon - 2 kills
He stretched lazily. "Boring. No one even challenged the zone."
[Rewards:
Title: Tutorial Overlord
100 Merit Points
Completed Zeus's Trial (+1000 Points)
Zeus's Favor (+100 Points)]
"Sweet."
450 → 750 points. The Philosopher's Stone's 50-point rebate lessened his Astraphe-related regret.
[Returning to origin point]
Si-moon smiled. Guild scouts would swarm soon - perfect for his plans.
