Demigod Class Ascension Chapter 4: Hunting Party

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After having helped Evelyn, Ralph, and Vivian obtain their own Classes, Will set off to hunt some more. His priority was growing stronger, but more than that, he wanted to see if he could net a lot of Tutorial Points. If he could upgrade the Protection Ward of the Safe Zone, he could ensure more days of survival and a safe place to stay—not that he cared about the people, but mostly for his own survival, especially if the Safe Zone could provide further bonuses.

And of course, these goblins could give him clues as to where their nest might be, although he didn’t really know how to learn that yet… perhaps by letting one of them escape and following it. But probably not right now, as he wanted to prioritize his new team gaining more battle experience by hunting these monsters first.

“I almost forgot—take this, don’t lose it.”

Will opened his Bag of Holding, taking out the wooden staff from the Goblin Warlock, which was mostly intact. It had a small black skull attached to it, with weird black vines wrapped around it and the wood. The system was able to tell him and Vivian some basic information about this weapon.

[Cursed Blackwood Staff (F Grade)]

[Weapon Type]: [Magic Weapon] [Staff]

[Weapon Requirements]: [Magician Class]

[Weapon Parameters]: [Physical Attack]: [100] [Magic Attack]: [300] [Durability]: [150]

[Weapon Bonuses]: [+1 Magic Power] [+1 Magic Defense]

[Weapon Description]: [A small, crooked staff made using Blackwood, taken from an old tree that has grown in the Festering Lands of the Great Beyond, where the Green Skins claim their territory. Used by Warlocks to conjure Black Magic, this is a special magic catalyst that can hasten the conjuration of Magic Spells by a small amount. For non-Magicians, this is nothing but a fancy stick.]

Although Will could equip it, he would rather use his fists, and he also feared the damned thing would explode into pieces if he swung it around with his current strength.

“F-For me? But this is amazing… Are you sure?!”

“Don’t make me regret my decision.”

Vivian nodded as she held the staff with her new magic limbs. The tentacles made of Mana wrapped around the staff, though they were so translucent it felt like the staff merely floated by her side.

“Here.”

Will also handed Ralph and Evelyn some Leather Robes that the goblins had, which he had looted before, and some bone knives as well, which they could use to defend in a desperate situation or perhaps throw them if needed.

“Thanks…” Ralph nodded. “Well, I do feel a little more enthusiastic now, but… can we really fight five at once? Wouldn’t it be better with one for each?”

“Goblins like stabbing your weak points. They always go for the ankles, your back, loins, and your thighs,” Will said, ignoring Ralph’s words. “I’ll draw the Hobgoblin’s attention; you do the rest.”

“Okay,” Vivian nodded. “Ignore my brother’s words; he hasn’t finished pissing himself.”

“Hey! I’m just worried…” Ralph sighed. “But fine… we did come here because we wanted to fight and… get back to our parents.”

“So that’s why…” Will smiled lightly. “It’s good to have some motivation, I guess.”

“…” Evelyn mostly remained silent as she heard the group talk, but she quickly noticed something amidst the group of goblins—a sixth small goblin; this one was strange. “Hey, that guy over there—doesn’t he look new? He wasn’t there before.”

“Hm?” Will looked into the distance, and Evelyn wasn’t wrong. “Yeah…”

That sixth goblin was wearing armor made of bones and carried a huge axe. Despite being as small as the others, it seemed rather muscular. When concentrating, Will was able to see some more information.

[Goblin Warrior (Tier 2: Level 8)]

“A Warrior…” Will nodded. “I can take care of that one, don’t worry.”

“You sure?” Evelyn asked.

“Yeah, let’s go now. The three of you go first; I don’t want the little ones to run away instantly if they see me,” Will explained. “Once you’ve gotten the whole group’s attention, I’ll jump. Good thing there aren’t any archers around; I already checked.”

Well, by “already checked,” Will meant that Cube had scanned the surroundings and didn’t find any Goblin Archers hiding somewhere with their bows and arrows ready.

The trio nodded, fully trusting Will, as they charged forward. Ralph started to awkwardly provoke the goblins, screaming like a madman.

“Hey, fuckheads! Need some fresh meat to feed your huge baby?” he roared, glaring at the Hobgoblin, who somehow felt offended by those words.

“Gryaaak!”

The Goblin Warrior was the first to roar angrily, pointing his axe at Ralph as the five other goblins charged by his side, running to capture the humans.

Meanwhile, the Hobgoblin remained behind. It seemed it saw this battle as beneath him despite Ralph’s provocation, glancing from afar and just waiting for the goblins to bring him food.

“That bastard isn’t coming?!” Ralph panicked.

“We’ll simply have to take care of these then…!” Vivian said. “Ugh, how do I… Can’t I make a fireball or something? Fuck, I didn’t even practice!”

“Shit, shit, they’re getting closer! Do something, Ralph!” Evelyn panicked, her hands trembling as she pointed her arrows at the coming goblins, manifesting an arrow with her Arrow Creation Skill—which cost her a bit of Mana—and firing it.

The arrow reached the closest goblin. Although it didn’t hit their head, it pierced their left shoulder. The goblin let out an annoyed shriek before taking out the arrow and throwing it away.

It seemed that goblins weren’t just small and fast; they were capable of enduring pain really well and were quite hardy.

“Fuck, I missed!”

As Evelyn complained, the goblins reached Ralph, jumping on him. Ralph began spinning around, throwing them away, kicking them, and hitting them with his bat while his legs were already bleeding from being stabbed.

“Gaaaaahhh!”

As he screamed in agony and horror, his healing magic activated, healing his wounds and revitalizing him. His eyes widened as he felt adrenaline coursing through his body. He smashed the head of one of the goblins stabbing his leg until it stopped moving.

“Good, at least he killed one…” Will nodded, glancing at Vivian, whose magic wasn’t responding. “She can’t make fireballs then? Is her magic restricted to arms?”

“D-Don’t get closer!” Vivian panicked as she kicked one of the goblins, but they grabbed her pants, managing to crawl back and attempt to stab her thighs while laughing viciously.

“No! No! NO!”

As Vivian screamed, her arms suddenly multiplied—not two, but four, then six, then eight tentacles made of Mana wrapped around the head and neck of the goblin.

“Gryeerr!”

The goblin screamed in agony before its neck was snapped. Vivian then slammed the staff into the head of a third goblin, making it step back in pain.

“Uuaaahh!”

Evelyn screamed while crying and panicking. She kicked the goblin’s head and then created another arrow, stabbing its neck with the sharp blade several times.

“Grukah?!”

The Goblin Warrior was shocked that three of his soldiers died within seconds. He didn’t hesitate, attacking Ralph with his bone axe, unleashing a shockwave of red-colored light. His Mana aura was strong.

“Shit!”

Ralph panicked, quickly stepping back and tripping, falling to the floor and—only by luck—evading an attack that would’ve cleaved him into two halves. The wave hit a nearby building, leaving a giant slice through the concrete walls.

“That’s my cue, I suppose.”

Will jumped into the scene, appearing in front of the Goblin Warrior faster than the monster could predict. Swinging his fist toward the goblin’s face, he punched him down with immense, godly strength.

BAAAM!

“Gryack?!”

The Goblin Warrior screamed in agony as its nose broke and several of its teeth were sent flying away. Its body plummeted down, impacting the concrete floor and shattering it apart, leaving several cracks through it.

However, it immediately stood back up. Wielding its axe, it attempted to cleave Will’s legs with immense force, unleashing the same technique as before. Will was able to respond in time, kicking the goblin away and avoiding the destructive technique altogether.

The Goblin Warrior’s body rolled over the ground, bleeding all over and with several bones broken. It was barely alive, proving that being a Warrior-class goblin granted it much more hardiness than the rest.

Usually, any goblin would die with a single punch or a powerful kick, but this one had survived two of them, despite being at death’s door at this point.

“GRAAAAHH!”

The Hobgoblin instantly noticed Will, rushing toward him without hesitation. Someone as strong as him had to be dealt with by someone as strong as he was! The giant felt excited, smiling and showing his sharp tusks. Will walked toward him without looking back, stomping the Goblin Warrior’s head and killing him on the spot, taking his axe as spoils.

“Come!”

With a brave roar, Will clashed against the Hobgoblin’s fists with his new weapon, infusing a part of the power of his new Skill, [Will-o-Wisp], into the weapon itself.

Both axe and fist met as a powerful shockwave of Mana erupted, pushing both combatants back. Will smiled, however. He saw how his flames spread through the Hobgoblin’s arm rapidly, eating his Lifeforce away.

At the same time, Will’s eyes widened as he felt a little of that Lifeforce coming back to him, making him feel more energized as a result.

The Hobgoblin didn’t seem bothered; the flames were cold, but his vitality was enormous, and his Mana alone was already suppressing the flames.

He stepped forward, trying to kick Will with all his force. Will evaded, jumping to the left and rolling over the ground before standing back up again and touching the Hobgoblin’s left ankle.

Phantasmal flames suddenly emerged from his hand, covering the Hobgoblin’s leg and sapping his energy once more. The Hobgoblin grew angered, quickly trying to stomp Will constantly, hitting the floor and spreading cracks through it.

Will quickly manifested a small trident-shaped pseudo-divine weapon, aiming at the Hobgoblin’s head and throwing it once he was able to avoid another stomp. The trident didn’t hit, though—the Hobgoblin was capable of protecting his head; it wasn’t as dumb as the previous one.

However, it didn’t matter. The pseudo-divine weapon still pierced the Hobgoblin’s hand and exploded. Divine Mana erupted and blew up the monster’s whole hand while spreading a wave of water that quickly froze the creature’s left arm entirely.

“Graaahhhh!”

The Hobgoblin let out an agonizing shriek before his aura grew redder, his eyes as well. He suddenly became faster, kicking Will away with immense force, sending him flying into a nearby car and making the car explode.

BOOOM!

Evelyn, Ralph, and Vivian panicked. Having finally finished the last goblin, the trio was exhausted, and yet Will was fighting on another whole level.

“Will!”

“Shit, isn’t that thing too strong?!”

“But he said he fought one before!”

Ralph ran toward Will while Evelyn and Vivian distracted the Hobgoblin, who was aiming to crush Will—or whatever remained of him—firing arrows at him while small Mana Tentacles wrapped around his legs, trying to make him trip.

“GRAAAH!”

The Hobgoblin was furious his battle was being interrupted. Rushing toward the girls, he grabbed a car with his remaining hand and threw it at them.

“Aaah!”

Vivian and Evelyn jumped out of the car’s way before the vehicle impacted on the mall’s walls, exploding. But it didn’t damage the building at all; instead, a previously invisible, clear, green-colored barrier emerged once damage was dealt.

“Will! A-Are you okay?! Will!”

Ralph looked for Will amidst the flames spread around the car, finding him on the floor, slowly standing up, covered in burning wounds. Ralph’s magic quickly activated, golden light covering his burning wounds and healing them, proving himself useful.

“Thank you.”

“Are you okay?! You were in the middle of a car explosion!”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Will stepped forward as he rushed back to the Hobgoblin, this time aiming to finish him. He manifested a long trident, using half of his Mana; he decided not to get stingy with it. A Hobgoblin was a formidable foe, and each one was different in its own way. The previous one he fought must have been a clueless one; this one clearly showed more fighting experience.

He had to finish him quickly!

Focusing Mana on his ankles, Will jumped over seven meters off the floor, aiming the trident at the Hobgoblin’s head while it had its back turned, and firing it with extreme precision and speed.

BOOOM!

The trident exploded upon impact as the Hobgoblin’s head blew up into pieces, killing it on the spot. The monster’s giant body collapsed onto the floor with a loud thud, making the whole street tremble.

[You have slain [Goblin Warrior (Tier 2): Level 8]] You have earned Bonus Experience for slaying a Lifeform above your Tier and Level. You earned 120 Tutorial Points.

[You have slain [Hobgoblin Fighter (Tier 3): Level 7]] You have earned Bonus Experience for slaying a Lifeform above your Tier and Level. You earned 300 Tutorial Points.

[Level Up!]

[Special Class: {Demigod} has reached Level 10. Stat Points have been allocated; you gained 1 Free Stat Point.]

“We’re done…”

Will closed his eyes and sighed in relief as Cube congratulated him.

“Well done, Master! But wherever you fight those big guys, I would recommend not holding back! Not even saving Mana is possible against such strong foes. It’s always better to go all-out from the start!”

“I know, it won’t happen again. I shouldn’t have underestimated it either. This one is ‘Hobgoblin Fighter,’ unlike yesterday’s Highway Hobgoblin.”

“Indeed, and it is also of a much higher level! This only means the nest must be between the highway and the mall, somewhere within these three blocks.”

“Yeah, I don’t know if we’re ready to continue hunting, though. Let’s go check on the rookies; they worked just fine.”

Will smiled, feeling satisfied with the results, looking at Ralph, Vivian, and Evelyn, who were resting on the floor, completely defenseless if another monster were to appear.

“You’re taking this too lightly. Stand up. What if a monster shows up? That you defeated one doesn’t mean another won’t appear afterward.”

“Aw, come on, give us a break…” Vivian groaned. “We worked… our asses off…”

“Haaa… I think my Mana’s empty,” Ralph groaned. “I feel sick.”

“Will, you don’t feel tired at all? You just fought the literal Incredible Hulk right there…” Evelyn muttered.

“It was a tough opponent, my toughest so far… but I believe I can push myself further,” Will said. “Just hunting this much won’t do, though; you need to hunt much more. Did you level up?”

“Yes…” Vivian nodded. “I’m Level 3 now.”

“Level 4…” Ralph said.

“I’m Level 3 too…” Evelyn added. “It sucks we don’t even get free healing or Mana recovered from leveling… This shit is godawful.”

“Not everything is too bad. Once you defeat a few more monsters, you can complete the third objective and get bonus stats or a new skill,” Will explained. “Come on, we must keep hunting.”

“But I’ve got no Mana!” Ralph complained.

“Your body can move just fine. The more you get used to having a body with empty Mana, the less it’ll affect you,” Will said. “You three did well… Thanks for having my back; you risked your lives for me. And sorry for being a bit rude before; I was testing you.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet…” Vivian smiled, but then her face turned serious. “So, we pass or what?”

“Yeah,” Will smiled. “Barely. And I think I can give you another little help if… if you kill ten monsters each—not now.”

“Little help?” Ralph wondered. “What does that even mean? I’m tired, man.”

“Eat a chocolate bar and keep moving,” Will sighed, using his healing magic to revitalize Ralph a small bit. “Come on. We must keep on; this much won’t do for our daily quota. At least we have to kill twenty more monsters—goblins or whatever else we find.”

“You serious?!” Evelyn cried. “No way… I want to go back already…”

“Come on now, we have to work hard, or we’re not going to get anywhere, Evelyn,” Vivian said, looking into Evelyn’s eyes. “Please, let’s work together…”

“…” Evelyn rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

As the group thought it was time to move on, they saw Will use a knife to tear apart the giant body of the Hobgoblin into three pieces, tearing its core out of its body, and then doing the same with the other goblin corpses—all while eating the Hobgoblin meat.

“Is he a damn caveman?”

Evelyn broke the silence as Vivian and Ralph glared back at her with worried expressions, their eyes widened as Will walked back to them with a nonchalant expression on his face, his arms covered with blood.

“I’m done. Let’s go,” he said.

“Um, what were you exactly doing?” Evelyn asked.

“Didn’t you see? I cut down the Hobgoblin into three pieces to fit it inside my bag,” Will explained. “The cores are also important materials, and I can eat them to restore Mana.”

“Oh, you can do that?!” Ralph asked. “Wait, why were you eating the raw meat, though?”

“For the same purpose,” Will said. “However, I wouldn’t recommend you do that, Ralph. My Class allows me to eat these things without getting sick, but you’ll definitely die if you try.”

“I-I’ll die?! Can’t I heal myself?” Ralph asked.

Will looked back at Cube, and the Novice Administrator seemed unsure if that would work, but he knew it was definitely a risk not worth taking.

“Better not take the risk. Your Mana will restore over time. If you eat food with lots of calories and sugar, I’ve noticed it restores faster,” Will said. “You have food on you?”

“No…” Ralph sighed.

“Here,” Will shared a chocolate bar with him. “Eat it before our next fight.”

“Thanks, man…” Ralph said, eating the chocolate bar in just a couple of bites. The girls looked at him with hunger on their faces.

“…Share it between the two,” Will ended up giving them another chocolate bar—just one, which both girls had to share this time. They weren’t as tired as Ralph, so it was fair.

As they finally finished eating the chocolate bars, Will decided to check the nearby mini-markets or any other shop in their way, while Cube scanned the surroundings as far as he could.

“I’ve detected three different groups of monsters, Master. They’re farther away. A group of six goblins with another Tier 2 goblin to the northwest near a burning bus, then there’s two Steel Bovines eating cars to the south, and lastly, another group with a Hobgoblin to the west—this one has another Warlock! And it looks like they captured some people.”

“Captured? Not killed?”

“Indeed, they seem to be in an induced state of sleep, probably conjured by the Warlock’s magic!”

“Hmm… Where are they going?”

“They don’t seem to be looking for more humans and are walking back to their nest!”

“We should follow them, but… the training should be prioritized. Can you follow them, Cube?”

“Actually, I think I’ve got an idea! Could you lend me one of those Goblin Crystals, Master?”

“Any?”

“Yes, any.”

Evelyn, Ralph, and Vivian were scouting the front while Will “talked to himself”—something they knew he did a lot but decided not to comment on. All three of them had already assumed Will wasn’t well in the head and might be talking with some sort of “person inside his head” to cope with the current reality.

However, the moment they saw him take one of those small crystals and give it to “something” invisible in the air—making the crystal disappear and then reappear, glowing bright red—they realized Will might not be that crazy.

“It’s done; I’ve imbued this crystal with my own Essence. Although I am prohibited from acting directly in this world, I can do things such as scouting for you, Master. This Crystal has now become something similar to a Golem!” Cube explained. “Although it might shatter after a day or two, it can move independently and send information directly to me.”

“Excellent,” nodded Will. “Then send it to track those goblins.”

“Way ahead of you, Master; that’s exactly what my drone has gone to do! Now you can hunt the small fry with your team and not worry about losing track of them,” Cube said. “Unfortunately, I don’t think I can maintain more than one for now.”

“It’s more than enough. You’re already very useful, Cube; thank you,” Will nodded, walking back to his team. “I’ve already figured out where there are some monsters. Come with me.”

His team didn’t question him, knowing that asking too many questions might not be a wise choice. They quickly ran through the streets, reaching an area with lots of cars that looked like they had been chewed on, close to an alley filled with restaurants—all abandoned or in ruins right now.

“What’s wrong with these cars? Who the hell would chew on them?” Vivian asked.

“Shhh,” Will told her to shut up, pointing into the distance.

The group hid behind one of the chewed cars as they noticed what he was pointing at. There were two huge, three-meter-tall creatures eating cars right now. They resembled bulls made of black steel, covered in fiery red flames.

[Steel Bovine (Tier 2: Level 7)]

“Steel Bovines…? How can we even beat creatures made of steel?”

“They’re not completely just steel. Their internal bodies are constantly ablaze; they need their internal heat to move and live, and they eat metal… most likely to keep their flames going,” Will said. “I can conjure water, so I’ll cool them down and then crush their heads. Just watch my back; there’s another group of goblins nearby. They might come for us once they hear the commotion.”

“Got it,” Vivian nodded, as Ralph and Evelyn agreed with the simple plan.

Staying behind, they saw Will step forward, slowly walking directly toward the Steel Bovines. The creatures looked at him with fiery eyes, flames coming from their nostrils.

“Grrrrhhh!”

They roared; both started getting more furious, beginning to charge for a tackle. They were highly aggressive territorial beasts—though not as intelligent as goblins—so for Will, it felt like a break from fighting those smart humanoids.

With two spheres of water in both hands, Will stood there, provoking the Steel Bovines by screaming at them. They got so angry they instantly charged him together for a double tackle.

BAAAM!

Will held both of the beasts at the same time, placing his hands in front of their heads. Their charge attack was strong enough to blow through a truck, but Will kept his footing stable as he was being slowly pushed back.

His Mana instinctively wrapped itself around his body as Will realized this reflex allowed him to strengthen his body temporarily—some sort of innate Strengthening Aura.

The flames of the Steel Bovines wrapped around their bodies as both angrily roared, trying to pierce Will’s arms with their sharp horns, only for Will to punch them both once they stopped pushing.

The impact alone created a shockwave, shattering the floor as cold water encompassed the monsters. Their internal heat instantly dissipated as their bodies suddenly became as stiff as actual statues made of steel.

“So the colder they become, the more rigid and slower they are… I can handle them now!”

Will smiled, quickly stepping back. One of the bulls roared, charging at him—but so slowly that Will easily walked to the side and avoided it before kicking it down and making it fall to the ground.

“Let’s see—running you over with a truck is no longer an option, so…!”

His fists were coated with Mana and that “pseudo-divine power” he exuded through his divine weapon skill, this time wielding it without giving it any form, as a mere coating.

And then, Will unleashed a barrage of punches, demolishing the monster’s bull-like face until it became a flattened steel board on the floor.

“Next.”

While his hands looked covered in bruises from punching metal, he was ready for round two. The second Steel Bovine started running away, though very slowly. Will easily caught up to it, punching it down, kicking its head, and then doing the same thing he did with the other—punching his way through until their metallic heads were literally disfigured and flattened on the floor.

It turns out these monsters were similar to golems or something; they didn’t have flesh inside their bodies but were pure metal—no brains, or perhaps brains made of metal… They were strange monsters, completely alien.

However, as Cube had stated, their metal was top-notch Magisteel of the highest quality that the Tutorial could offer, perfect for the creation of strong weapons and armor—if one had the skills for it.

“And done…”

[You have slain [Steel Bovine (Tier 2: Level 7)] x2. You have earned Bonus Experience for slaying a Lifeform above your Tier and Level. You earned 240 Tutorial Points.]

“Superbly done, Master! Now you simply have to gather enough points to purchase a Forge and the Alchemy Cauldron, and you’ll be able to make your own equipment!”

“I know, but let’s not celebrate too soon; we’ve got company.”

Will glanced into the distance, noticing his party was already engaging in a battle against the goblins he had feared would come to them after all the noise. He ran to join them.

…

“Gryakuha! Kehaka!”

A Tier 2 Goblin roared, commanding his group of six other Tier 1 Goblins, who surrounded Ralph, Vivian, and Evelyn. This goblin was unlike the Warrior they had seen or the Warlock that Will had faced before, carrying a luminous wand of white steel and wearing white and gray robes. Its golden eyes shone with bright light.

“Damn it! These things aren’t dying?!”

“That guy is healing them constantly!”

“A fucking Goblin Healer?! Seriously?”

The trio couldn’t believe the situation they were stuck in. Whenever they managed to almost kill one of the goblins, the healer would instantly heal them back to full health, and it seemed the little bastard had enough Mana to go for hours.

“Gyeheheh! Hehehehehe!”

The Goblin Healer laughed, mocking the humans’ pitiful attempts at survival. They were already being pushed to their limits, and soon, they would fall before his army.

“…Geh?”

However, his golden eyes suddenly noticed something. The sun had set a bit too early out of nowhere as a large shadow loomed over him. As he looked up, a giant fist crushed his face, his eyes exploding and flying away as his entire head was flattened into the pavement.

BAAAM!

“Will!”

Ralph cried in happiness as he noticed Will was finally back after hunting the two Steel Bovines. His huge fists punched away the goblins as he stomped another, killing three on the spot.

“Take care of the rest!” he roared, quickly glaring at the Goblin Healer’s corpse.

The trio nodded. Ralph slammed their heads with his bat while trying not to get hurt too much. He was now wearing the bone armor of the Goblin Warrior, which barely fit him but was too small for Will, helping him endure more hits. Vivian’s magic strangled her foes or bound the goblins together, making it easier for Evelyn to stab them in the back with the knives she had.

Although they got their job done, they sure didn’t work like you would expect a Healer, a Magician, or an Archer to work. For once, Ralph was forced to be the Tank and a Warrior while also being a Healer. Vivian’s magic was weird and could only work for short distances, and Evelyn’s accuracy sucked even with the skills boosting it, so she just used the bone knives or the Arrow Creation skill to create an arrow through the bones of goblins—a strange way of fighting.

But it worked; that’s the only thing that mattered to Will.

[You have slain [Goblin Healer (Tier 2: Level 5)] You have earned Bonus Experience for slaying a Lifeform above your Tier and Level. You earned 120 Tutorial Points.]

[You have slain [City Goblin (Tier 1): Lv 9] x3. You earned EXP. You earned 30 Tutorial Points.]

[Level Up!]

[Special Class: {Demigod} has reached Level 11. Stat Points have been allocated; you gained 1 Free Stat Point.]

“Are you guys alright?”

Will knew Ralph’s Mana was still recovering, so he quickly healed them with his magic, making them feel not only revitalized but even clean, as if they’d taken a cold shower.

“Phew… Your healing is the best, Will!” Vivian sighed.

“You took a bit too long…” Evelyn commented.

“Thanks for coming back… That guy was a better healer than I could ever be, damn it,” Ralph sighed.

“Well, this is yours now,” Will said, giving Ralph the metal rod. “It’s around the size of the bat you wield but also doubles as a magic catalyst. It should help you recover your Mana quicker and heal better…”

“Really?!” Ralph glanced at the wand. “Y-You’re giving it to me? But wouldn’t it be more useful in your hands?”

“Not really. If it were, I wouldn’t have given it to you,” Will said. “Look at the information.”

“Huh?”

[White Silver Wand (D Grade)]

[Weapon Type]: [Magic Weapon] [Wand]

[Weapon Requirements]: [Healer Class]

[Weapon Parameters]: [Physical Attack]: [300] [Magic Attack]: [500] [Durability]: [700]

[Weapon Bonuses]: [+1 Strength] [+2 Vitality] [+1 Magic Power] [+2 Magic Defense]

[Weapon Description]: [A small wand exquisitely crafted using White Silver and imbued with Holy Light from a powerful Priest, stolen from a Priest of the Cult of the Holy Tree by the Green Skin Tribe of the Great Beyond and given to a Goblin Healer as a reward for their promotion. This wand is not only good for the conjuration of Healing Magic, enhancing single-target spells into multi-target, but also for giving a beating to unruly heretics.]

“It’s amazing?! I’m in your debt, man…” Ralph held the wand with eyes wide open as Will took his bat for himself, storing it inside his bag.

“You are, so you’d better work your ass off, Ralph. Let’s loot that mini-market now; I’m feeling hungry,” Will said as the group nodded, walking inside the mini-market next to a pizzeria that had been run over by a truck.

The corpses of people and blood littered the streets and even the interior of the mini-market, making the scene eerie. The silence of the abandoned store also gave chills to Evelyn, whose hands wouldn’t stop sweating and trembling while looking around.

“Have you guys tried contacting anybody with your phones?” she asked.

“Yeah, there’s no signal,” Vivian said.

“Mine doesn’t work either… There’s no internet too; the whole world’s disconnected,” Ralph sighed.

“What the fuck is going on, man…” Evelyn sighed, sitting down. “Shit shouldn’t be like this… Where’s the government? What are the soldiers doing? I haven’t even seen a single cop around! Where is everyone at?”

“Probably ran away or died,” Will said, grabbing a bag of chips and throwing it at Evelyn. “Eat something.”

“…Thanks,” Evelyn sighed, opening the bag and wolfing down the chips like her life depended on it.

“But it’s still kind of strange…” Ralph said. “It isn’t that complicated to gain a Class, and if people with guns would just shoot down those monsters, maybe they got Classes too?”

“Perhaps, but the panic caused by the sudden change made a lot of people do dumb things as well. Look at how many cars ran into these buildings,” Will said, drinking from a soda can. “Anyway, I think that if we keep looking, we might find another group of survivors.”

“And then what? Are we going to become friends and survive together? I doubt it…” Vivian said, eating a white chocolate bar.

“What? Now’s the perfect time for humanity to unite against these monsters, Vivian! What are you even talking about?” Ralph asked angrily.

“Ralph… don’t be naïve. People are going crazy out there. We might get attacked, and they’ll probably try to steal our food or weapons,” Vivian sighed. “Without Will, we would need to be even more careful too…”

“…” Ralph remained silent while making a sour expression on his face.

“This is just the beginning. Phase 1 of the Tutorial is just 7 days; then there’ll be another phase, and then whatever comes afterward… might be even crazier,” Will sighed. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but it feels like our planet might be no more after everything’s done. Earth… it’s simply being assimilated by something bigger—what the system messages called the ‘Great Beyond.’ I assume it’s a place where countless other worlds merged together or something. That’s where the monsters are coming from too; they’re all trying to grab this new land before it gets assimilated fully.”

“S-So that’s what’s happening?” Vivian asked. “What the fuck?”

“This is too much, man,” Ralph sighed. “Makes me just want to die if everything is going to be gone… What else will we even have once everything we built as humanity… as society, is gone?”

“…Our own lives?” Evelyn finally spoke. “And… I mean, don’t you guys have families? Isn’t that a good enough motivation at least? Just… we have to stick together. Humanity won’t die as long as we… as we stay together. I think?”

“What do you think, Will?” Vivian wondered, glancing at Will.

Will simply remained silent for a long while; he didn’t really know what to say. He wasn’t that kind of person—he never was. He had always been a loner; he wasn’t a family man nor someone with friends. This was perhaps the first time he ever spoke so seriously with people outside of his job.

“I might hate this apocalypse as much as the next guy, but…” Will said. “I discovered something really important yesterday… My parents are somewhere out there, in the Great Beyond… And I’m going to fight, grow strong… and find them. No matter what.”

“…Your parents?” Vivian wondered. “W-What?”

“What do you mean, Will?” Ralph asked.

“How are they there?” Evelyn followed.

“…It’s something personal I would rather not talk about,” Will said. “Maybe… maybe later. Come on now, let’s pack things up; I think we looted most stuff here.”

His bag was almost completely full of food. He seriously needed to get back to the mall and probably leave it stored somewhere else, as the bag was important for carrying monster materials.

“Cube.”

As the group walked outside the store, Will glanced at Cube, who quickly scanned his surroundings.

“Another big group of… several different monsters this time, Master. There’s six goblins? And other creatures that they seem to have tamed… Regarding the other group, I think I know where their nest is,” Cube explained. “It’s below the highway, inside a school called ‘Highway High School’… What a stupid name—do humans really?”

“Alright, then let’s go,” nodded Will. “You guys feel ready for more? There’s another monster group nearby.”

“S-Sure!” Vivian stuttered a bit, but she was confident.

“Okay,” Ralph agreed.

“I… ugh, sure,” Evelyn groaned.

Will went with everyone else, walking toward Seventeen Street Avenue, moving toward a large restaurant that sold Mexican food. In there, they found the group of monsters—and screaming people.

“Aaahhh!”

“Shit! They got us!”

“Fuck! Run!”

“Hey!”

Will tried to talk with them as they ran past, only for the group of people—which he calculated were around four young men near his age, three women, and a girl—to rush to the opposite street from where they were.

Only for something to suddenly occur.

FLASH!

A bright red light emerged, shocking them with a powerful electric zap, sending them flying to the floor. Half of the group lay on the ground, unconscious, while the little girl started crying near her mother.

“What the fuck was that?!”

As Evelyn panicked, Will glanced at the origin of that red zap—a gigantic red wall with text on it, which seemed to encompass dozens of blocks and most of the highway where he had been before.

[Exit from Dome Number #403 locked until conditions have been met.]

[Number of Invaders Defeated: 63/300]

[Time until Territory falls to the {Green Skins Barbarians Faction}: 5 Days, 15 Hours.]

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