The moment he stepped up, a trident lovingly greeted him with a vicious jab that sent a breeze fanning toward his cheek. He blocked with his sword. This time, his sword of ice was not trapped by the trident’s fork; it skirted from the trident’s shaft toward the Imp’s neck. Unfortunately, preventing an easy kill was another trident, pinning Rue’s sword at an awkward angle.

  Seeing the danger, Rue retreated, pulling his sword before the Imp could bend its trident.

  He tried to find an angle—a brief gap between its guard to capitalize, but The Imp Forger kept jabbing at him. Rue barely kept up; his sword almost got knocked out of his grip. The level ten continued, pushing the small Imps aside as it grew bolder and kept delivering jab after jab at Rue.

  He kept blocking, over and over again.

  Steel scratched and clashed against ice.

  By the sixth block, Rue was still backing away. Each strike committed by the Forger was way heavier than that of the normal Imps. Maybe it was because its level was similar to his. If the other two were joining… wait, where were the other—

  Rue’s eyes widened, realising what the Forger had been aiming at.

  The two imps behind the Forger had space to throw their tridents.

  The Forger grinned, a devilish smile curled so wide it revealed pointy teeth like a vampire.

  “Die human,” the Forger screamed.

  Tridents sailed through the air, and at the very last second, Rue wondered what their plan was.

  He ducked.

  The two tridents pierced the Forger’s chest. Six steel forks gored through its already red body. The Forger gurgled, and its legs gave out, falling on one knee.

  Its eyes bulged open, and its mouth worked up and down, trying to say something. But Rue raised his sword and cleaved it down, kicking the corpse to the side.

  There must be an explanation for this stupidity…

  “Its Mind stat right? I must raise it to not be like you,” Rue mumbled to the corpse.

  Actually, the old man! And the summoner, too. Both of them said some stupid stuff earlier, was that perhaps because of this low Mind stat to start? Like everyone would be stupid from the get-go until they raise Mind stat? But the girl actually did reasonable things to trap them. As much as Rue complained earlier, he must admit that it was nice to have a barricade.

  She wasted her entire Mana for it though…

  How about him himself? He used the Obsidian armor from the get-go, and he was very calm in that state. So maybe he skipped the part where his decision would be… stupid.

  The last two Imps screeched. They screamed at him and charged weaponless.

  Rue sighed. He stepped backward, dodging a punch.

  The other one tried to do a ridiculous karate kick at him, only for Rue to pivot away and plunge his Frost sword down its throat after the imp fell. He drew his sword back up and rushed at the last one, who just stood frozen as he impaled its throat.

  [You Have Slain Imp Forger—Level 10]

  [You Have Slain Imp—Level 5]

  [You Have Slain Imp—Level 5]

  [Level Up]

  [Level Up]

  [Level Up]

  Name: Rue Hazard.

  Level: 1 → 14.

  Class: ArchMage-Knight.

  Creation Point: 0.

  Authority: Authority of Frost.

  Core: Arch—Core.

  Mana: 21/200 → 21/330

  Strength: 9 → 25

  Dexterity: 5 → 18

  Constitution: 7 → 21

  Mind: 8 → 27

  Sense: 6 → 19

  Arcanery: 9 → 35

  [Knight Spell (2/3)]

  - Frost Sword [35] [Fragile-Piece] [Common]

  - Stasis of Obsidian Ice [50,025] [Archon-Piece] [Mystic]

  [Mage Spell(1/3)]

  - Frost Blast [12] [Fragile-Piece] [Common]

  [Knight of Frost Skill option Impending]

  [Mage of Frost Skill option Impending]

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Rue clenched his fist, trying to see the difference. He just assumed that if these numbers went up, he would get stronger. Almost all of these statuses were self-explanatory, except for Mind and Arcanery.

  “Are you there?” Rue asked softly to the air. Ignoring the smell of blood permeating around the closed prison.

  “I’m. Most impressive, Rue Hazard.”

  “What am I supposed to do now? Just hold this place?”

  “About that. Things have taken a turn.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “There are a lot of spectators… the system grants you an incredible opportunity to show what you can do.”

  “Why would I care… What do you mean by ‘Spectator’? Tell me everything!”

  “All of them, gods, kings, leaders of important organisations such as Adventuring guilds, to the Mage College’s board. The last Tutorial will birth to the last planet, in which all other planets shall cease to exist, and everyone needs to move to the Last World. In which only will be opened after the Last Integrators win the Tutorial, and invite outside forces by completing the world quest.”

  “Usually, during the first stage of the tutorial, it was forbidden for any spectator to well… observe. It usually happened in the second stage, the last stage of the tutorial… But this time, gods and various entities tried to get their hands on Integrators like yourself—allowing these events to happen.”

  “Okay, maybe don’t tell me everything for now, just what is necessary for me to survive,” Rue huffed. That was a bit too much information delivered so literally.

  “Yes, we can talk about it when you finish the first stage. We shall meet if that happens. Then I will explain everything. But, for now, the system had offered all seven of you an interesting offer.”

  “System? What kind of an offer?”

  [Adaptation Tutorial: First Stage]

  [The Succubus Sruka has stolen ten Integrators. Two had been killed while one had been forced into a Warlock contract. Seven integrators trapped with newfound power.]

  [Objective: Conquer Sruka’s Brothel.]

  [Reward: 100,000 Creation points to all participants]

  [Bonus Objective]

  [Slay Sruka: 100,000 Creation points to the Slayer]

  [Slay Sruka’s husbands: 10,000 Creation Points for each husbands death to all participants]

  [Warning: No Watcher shall be sent until First Stage is over.]

  [Warning: No Observer allowed to offer advice until First Stage over.]

  [Warning: The whole stage will be available for spectators as it occurs outside the original tutorials bound]

  [Accept?]

  {Yes/No}

  Vote: Y: N:

  “Our help will be recalled?”

  “Exactly. And Rue? I’m not allowed to give you advice. All I can tell you is that you will be allowed to shop using Creation Point when you meet me after you complete the First Stage. From then on, you shall join others in the Second Stage.”

  “Wait, what happens if we refuse? Where would we be taken to?”

  No answer came for a couple of seconds.

  “I just confirmed. I can tell you. You will go to the usual stage where every integrator goes. But, this special Stage grants you a great opportunity with its reward and perhaps future patronage if you impress them. That is all I can tell you until the vote concludes.”

  “Wait, wait, at least tell me his one question. Does having low Mind stat degrade Mind?”

  “Your body grows stronger; that is no mistake. However, one’s normal body stat is reflected in 10. So yes, anything below that will mean you’re weaker than usual. Now, you’re very sickly at first, Rue, so even one strength makes you stronger.”

  Rue whipped his head at the three. The old man who stupidly charged without any plan, the man who cried at his dead summon when he could just summon it again, and the girl. Their stats are probably below ten.

  Except for the girl, that is. She must have levelled up earlier, and she was a Druid, which Rue assumed had high mind stats.

  “What about Arch Core? What does it do?”

  “I can answer that, too. It allows you to achieve easier levels and proficiency gains, and the ability to use skills beyond Masterpiece, just like your Stasis of Obsidian ice. Your skill option will be severely enhanced, and more. Integrators can buy Core with Creation point, but normal people usually have to settle with the core th—ah, the voting started. Rue, I hope this will not be the last time we talk. Good luck.”

  Vote: Y: 1 N:

  Yes? Somebody chose yes?

  Vote: Y: 2 N:

  “Hold on a second here!” Rue clasped his hand. He was desperate. No matter how he sees it, it was better to just wait for these Watchers to help them, in his opinion. “Can we talk about this first?”

  “Talk? With these cowards?” The girl, Ilryin, crossed her arms, glaring inside the cells.

  “I agree with the young lady here, we should not talk to them. Between the four of us, we hold the six of the vote,” the suicidal old man said, nodding proudly.

  Six?

  Did the Mind stat make him struggle with basic math?

  “That is wrong, senior.” The summoner druid said. “With my summon, when Benedict can be summoned again, we hold seven votes.”

  “Oh, that is right!” The old man opened a palm and made a fist.

  Ilyrin’s mouth hung open, and she stared at Rue.

  “That is wr—” Rue exhaled. Be calm. Time to navigate carefully. “So, your summon will get a vote?” He turned and asked the summoner who leaned against the dark stone wall in between prison cells.

  The man was tall; he was taller than Rue by a foot at least. He had a tan complexion and a handsome face. “Why shouldn’t they be? Don’t they deserve it as much as we do?’

  “Oh, we’re so dead,” Rue blurted out, palming his face.

  “No, no, don’t give up,” Ilyrin spoke, walking to Rue and gripping both of her hands on his shoulders, her face desperate. “Look, I voted no.”

  Vote: Y: 2 N: 1.

  “Go on, vote too.”

  [No.]

  Vote: Y: 2 N: 2.

  “See? Now just two more.”

  “Just two more…” Rue muttered. Hope roused inside of him. He held on to the word and stared at the flickering torch flame that lined the cells above. He fed all of his frustration to those flames and steel himself. “Two more, let's do this.”

  “Yes, we should have a proper conversation with these cowards,” the summoner declared and kicked one cell where somebody was inside. “Hey! Come out and—”

  “I don’t appreciate being called a coward,” the voice inside said.

  Vote: Y: 3 N: 2.

  Hold on, did everyone inside the cells say yes? Weren’t they too scared to fight earlier? What’d they been doing? Would someone who cowered in fear voted yes?

  “Don’t let the voice fool you with those rewards!” Ilyrin bristled.

  “Those are not lies!” another voice inside the cell barked. “They meant what they said.”

  “What are they talking about?” Rue asked Ilyrin.

  “When you destroy these strange runes, the Observer confirms it is safe to speak to them. But mine got hijacked, and a group called Green Druidic Order reached out to me and offered their patronage on the second stage if we survive this stage. Not only them, they soon got replaced by others, some gods too, the voice all muddy but all offer their patronage.”

  Why didn’t that happen to him? Were they being considerate because he was in a fight?

  Well, at least now they cannot make an offer since the communication was cut off during the voting. This was the only chance for Rue to convince them.

  “A god of summoning promises to bring back Bartholomew,” the summoner man fell on both knees. “If I chose yes,” he sobbed.

  Rue’s hand moved automatically, and he dragged the man up by the collar, bringing his face close. “Don’t you dare choose yes. Do you hear me? Look, I swear to god—gods if you choose yes…”

  The man grunted, choking, struggling to breathe.

  “Violence!” The old man screamed, drawing his sword in a rasp of steel. It looked like he had healed already somehow.

  “You!” Ilyrin pointed at the old man, and a vine shot up from the stone floor below. “Stand down.”

  “B—but Benedict!” the Summoner cried. He was actually crying.

  “You even get his name wrong!” Rue shook the man up and down, hoping for some sense to return. “Look, you can summon the Dire wolf again, right?”

  “He was—”

  “Just summon him again. You drank one of those Mana potions, right?”

  “It will not be the same! It's just not!”

  Vote: Y: 4 N: 2.

  [First Stage Initiated]

  [Participant:

  Rue Hazard [ArchMage-Knight]

  Paxwell Hazard [ArchSword-Fighter]

  Ilyrin Hazard [ArchWitch-Druid]

  Agi Hazard [ArchDruid-Summoner]

  Yom Hazard [ArchMage-Summoner]

  Emily Hazard [ArchRogue-Archer]

  Gilbert Hazard [ArchPaladin-Beastmaster]]