Ashley
As we walk, I make sure to keep an eye on the three. Just in case they end up trying to betray or push off of one of the platforms.
They haven't shown any inclination towards doing that yet, but who knows.
So far they just seem to pity ever since I stated the word 'Amnesia'. Which makes sense. It's the entire reason I said it in the first place.
To get them to stop talking.
I can't handle talking well.
My mind goes back to the strange flash of mory I had when they spoke to . One of standing around in so sort of hall filled with people whose faces I can't see with a glass of juice in my hand. There was a crowd of people gathered around trying to talk to for so reason, and I just couldn't help but withdraw inwards. Feeling more and more uncomfortable with their presence and endless words.
Then more of those visions from various other instances passed through my mind, with speaking less and less each ti.
Until I almost entirely stopped talking.
After which my mind returned to the present and I answered their question with my na.
I… really don't want to rember.
Thankfully I couldn't make out any faces or anything at all during those strange flashbacks. I couldn't even make out the voices or what people were saying. Not even what I was saying.
It… makes feel uncomfortable.
So instead of focusing on all of that, I continue walking with this trio while figuring out what I can from their physical shapes, their actions, speech, and how they interact with each other. And from what I can tell from their dialogue, the Julie girl was so sort of cheerleader for the Sean guy's football team, as they seem very close, both have muscle built up, and they ntioned football gas and the cheer team back at their school. They're clearly in a romantic relationship as well. anwhile the Jas guy is a little bit of a third wheel amongst the three.
Jas is smart and seems to know what should be done in a dangerous situation, but he's not exactly the bravest of the bunch. Julie moves with caution and controlled movents implying she most likely has so sort of training, and she's slowly growing less afraid by the minute. And Sean seems overly excited about all of this and is trying to figure out secrets of the System. Mostly by saying or thinking random words.
Like when he figured out how to 'identify' people during our walk simply during his random spewing of different words. Specifically the word 'identify' while looking at soone and wanting to identify them.
It basically just makes a number representing their level appear above their heads along with their given na and the number of skills they have unlockable in their Skill Tree. No last na though.
And for so reason a red dot appears next to my na when they identify .
Probably the whole Successor thing if I had to guess.
The three don't have that dot when I identify them.
♢ Level 0 Julie – 15 Potential Skills – X ♢
♢ Level 0 Jas – 8 Potential Skills – X ♢
♢ Level 0 Sean – 12 Potential Skills – X ♢
Either way, they aren't trying to talk to much thanks to my amnesia thing, and this guy is giving so good intel and ideas on the System.
I've also realized that there aren't many monsters here. We haven't run into any for the past four minutes of walking.
Which makes wonder, considering the story these three told about their own hound fights.
Did hounds spawn only near the users? It would make sense.
From what I can tell, this particular phase of the tutorial is likely to get everyone used to the idea of life and death battles. Of risking your life. And of dying. Since it said we'll co back after dying, and there are barely any monsters in it.
So I wouldn't be surprised if the next phase is even worse.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Although the whole 'Chaos's clone killing people in the first phase' does complicate that conclusion a little.
That aside, I also make sure to try figuring out how to use my wings as we walk, but all I manage to do is twitch them. No flapping them like I managed in the fight before.
My thoughts eventually co to a halt as Julie stops the conversation the two boys were having by muttering, "Hound ahead." Her eyes glowing again indicating her use of her skill. The one she's been repeatedly using that gives her far sight.
I turn to look in the direction she's looking before I spot a hound that's currently charging in another direction several platforms ahead of us. Barely within my view.
And it doesn't take long to realize the hound is charging after another person.
"We need to help him!" Sean exclaims before he starts running in that direction.
His girlfriend nods her head and charges after him. anwhile Jas lets out a sigh and says to , "C'mon, let's go."
I blankly nod my head and begin following after in a jog, my muscles having been fully restored by now.
Thankfully my little ntion of amnesia has made things too awkward for them to ask about my current physical condition. Or my sudden gaining of clothes.
Because I'm pretty sure they seem to recognize from sowhere. Likely as the newbie who ca in wearing a hospital gown.
What I am very curious about though is the fact that they don't seem to notice my knife. At all.
I hid it away in my jacket pocket after spotting them myself, but they'd already seen before that. So I'm sure they saw the knife.
But they aren't acting like they did.
Which reminds of how everyone seed to see different things when it ca to Chaos.
Could it be like that?
Would certainly make things easier for if it is like that.
To my surprise, my quest to figure out what Sean's ability is ends rather prematurely when he shoots so sort of bolt of fire at the hound out of his hand. And misses miserably.
So sort of Fire Bolt skill then.
With no assistance with guiding the bolt it seems.
Now I just have to figure out Jas's skill.
Assuming they haven't unlocked a new skill since the start of this tutorial, of course. But just knowing their root skills should give an idea of what their others might be at least.
Anyways, after the kid fires – and misses – a bunch of bolts of fire at the hound, he attracts its attention. Along with the attention of the man it's chasing. So blond-haired middle-aged guy wearing a lab coat.
The hound begins to charge towards us, crossing one bridge after another while dodging the kid's fire bolts. And considering how Jas is standing here to the side doing nothing, I think it's safe to assu he doesn't have a ranged skill.
Eventually Sean stops firing fire bolts, briefly confusing his friends until he shouts, "I'm out of mana!"
Well that's to be expected considering how many of those things he was firing off.
He should get so target practice in when we leave this Tutorial. Assuming he survives till then at least.
The hound continues charging across one bridge after another, anwhile Julie moves up to the front and wields that bloody hairpin of hers like a weapon. Jas clenches his fist while standing back next to at the edge of this platform, and Sean steps back, seemingly panicking a little.
I let out a small breath of air in my own version of a sigh before pulling the knife out and sprinting forwards as I activate Assimilate. Startling all three of the talkative trio in the process along with the dog.
{You have activated Assimilate. The skill will last for ten minutes, and you will gain the ability to permanently unlock the Skill Trees of anything you kill during this ti.}
The hound almost slips while crossing the bridge connected to our platform, and I use that opportunity to slide onto the ground with my knife pointed upwards. Then my knife cuts straight into the hound's throat and underbelly. Only getting cut and bruised a little in the process by its claws when the very large dog proceeds to step on . While also being splashed with its blood.
But the hound continues moving forwards for a mont as I drive my feet into the tal bridge to stop myself, leaving the hound to collapse onto the bridge while a wave of ssages appear in my vision.
{You have been granted 2 Skill Points for killing a monster within the tutorial. All EXP will be withheld until the end of the phase.}
{You have slain a being while Assimilate is active. You have now unlocked the Skill Tree: Dark Hound}
{You have unlocked a new Skill Tree, therefore the root skill of the Skill Tree, Blood Hound, is now unlocked for your usage.}
Good. It's dead.
My thoughts pause for a second when I feel my sense of sll… changing… but I eventually just ignore it.
Just like I completely ignore the hound blood that was splashed all over as I open my Skill Tree to see what I got. Feeling more than a little interested by the fact that this Skill Tree has the sa na as the last yet a different root skill.
"Ashley!" I hear the others shouting my na, making only briefly glance in their direction before I look down at myself. Surprisingly finding that my clothes are still dry.
Huh. Convenient.
Anyways. I ignore the kids running towards along with the middle-aged man who seems to be recovering on the next platform over as I focus on the Skill Tree I just got.
And it did add another Skill Tree. It didn't just extend the other or sothing.
But this Skill Tree only has a single skill in it. Just like my original Skill Tree.
Interesting.
I check out the skill as Julie rushes up to and begins to pat down as if searching for injuries, only to hug rather tightly after finding nothing but a single small cut, missing the bruises entirely.
{Blood Hound – Your sense of sll will be heightened.}
That would explain my sense of sll.
"Ashley! Pleeeaase don't worry like that!" Julie exclaims while still hugging , the girl for so reason oddly attached to a stranger. Then she pulls away a little, still with her hands on my shoulders as she adds, "And what the hell was that?! Where did you even get a pocket knife that sharp?!"
Pocket… knife?
I glance down at the rather large and rather sharp looking knife still in my hand before looking up at her again.
Pocket knife. Really?
They must be seeing sothing else. And you shouldn't be hugging people like that when they're holding a weapon.
"More importantly, where'd you get those clothes? They're dry even with all that blood!" Sean exclaims afterwards, bringing my gaze upwards to find both him and Jas a ter or so behind Julie, on the bridge.
I don't answer.
And at this point I think they're getting used to my lack of speaking, so after a few monts of silence, Jas sighs and says, "We should check on the man."
"Right," Julie says while quickly climbing to her feet. "Almost forgot about him."
Brutal.
She reaches down and grabs my hand before pulling to my feet. Then we begin to walk over towards the platform where the man seems to finally be recovering. Enough to climb to his feet.
Great. More people.
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