“Alex, stop what you’re trying to do!” Rishi, who hadn’t even bothered joining the conversation until now, suddenly steps in with a concerned look.
“What is it, Rishi?” Alex asks, confused. What’s he getting at? he wonders.
“Tereza is doing you a favor. You’d better stick to the plan and avoid any liabilities that could drag you down. They could end up being your death sentence. Tereza’s absolutely right. Those two, no matter how nice they may seem—are poison to you. Avoid them! They’re exactly the kind of hopeless low-level players who get manipulated over and over, their whole stay in the Fantasy Realm. They’re mere puppets. Once the strings are cut, they’re useless. Without someone pulling the strings, they’ll desperately cling to the next person willing to guide them.”
“That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?” Alex protests. “Anyway… hey, what are you doing?” he asks, startled, as Tereza suddenly grabs his hand and drags him away from them. Then she slaps him.
“Wake up! I can already feel you getting sympathetic towards them. Stay sharp. We did all the prep for you, and you have everything you need. Don’t waste a single thought on them; act like they’re already dead. Now, check your inventory again. Are your grenades ready?”
“Yes, mom, I checked everything earlier at the trading hub,” Alex says, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
“Heh… getting cheeky, are we?” Tereza smirks and slaps him again. “Concentrate!”
“Fine, I get it. I’ll keep my distance. But it wouldn’t hurt to have comrades, you know? There might be a few phases during the exam where teamwork could really help.”
Rishi suddenly grins, makes a fist, and lightly knocks it on top of Alex’s head.
“What is wrong with you two all of a sudden?” Alex asks, bewildered.
Rishi replies, “Exam phases that require teamwork? They’ll most likely die before they even reach the exam, or they’ll be completely lost trying to find it. Even if, by some miracle, they make it there, they’ll fail instantly. And if you’re on their team, you might as well consider yourself dead, too! Stay away from them. Do not play the hero or get involved in some silly game. You know what you need to do.”
Alex finally understands. “I get it… I’ll stay away from them, I promise.” He thinks to himself, “I guess this cruelty toward them is their kindness toward me. They’re right. I need to stay focused—on the mission, and nothing else. I indeed was planning to lend a hand… why? I need to wake up, this is not a game.”
“Good, Alex. Remember what we talked about. In the last mission, the real enemies were the players, while the NPCs were irrelevant. This mission’s different. These players are the most incompetent around; every single one of them was foolish enough to fall for this obvious scam. They’re practically already dead, so ignore them. Or if you get the chance, use it to your advantage. Extort them for their possessions, and if they refuse, don’t hesitate to use force. Your real enemies are the powerful people taking the hunter exam and the challenges the examiners have planned.”
Alex checks his [285th Hunter Exam Application] again. “Five more minutes,” he notes.
“Okay, this is it.” He hugs Rishi, then turns to hug Tereza, who just brushes it off and kisses him fiercely.
“I expect you back in a few days at the latest. If you’re late, expect punishment,” she demands, unyielding.
Alex shrugs. “The time compression in the Realm is so chaotic. It could feel like hours or days here while I might spend weeks or even months inside that world. Remember the tutorial mission? It was in some kind of vacuum where only a few hours passed here. I think the bigger the world and the longer players are inside, the longer they’re ‘missing’ out here.”
“As much as I’d like to get into this with you, Alex… it’s time.” Rishi smiles.
“Guess so. It’s an interesting topic for later. Keep track of how long I’m gone!” Alex grins at him before turning and heading toward the portal.
Alex makes his way to the portal and waves at his two diabolical yet oddly caring companions. Aside from Alex, everyone else looks like they’re walking straight to their own execution.
Many people point at them; most look on with pity, while others watch with twisted glee, savoring their impending deaths for their own sick pleasure. At one point, most of the onlookers focus on Alex, who ended up in this position after essentially being cheated into it. Through some miraculous turn of events, he killed the goblin responsible, managing to survive the Realm’s punishment.
“1337, I’ll see you soon. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you. Despite my other companions, I’m just as grateful for your help as I am for theirs. I’ll remember what you did for me!”
[Good luck, Host—I’ll expect you back soon!]
Suddenly, the portal activates, and a large beast enters the tutorial realm through it. The creature looks like a cross between a man, a snake, and some kind of demon, with two large horns jutting from its head. It towers over Alex by at least three or four heads; at 1.78m (5’10”), he’s of average height, but this thing makes him feel small. The beast has legs, yet also a long tail, and features dangerously sharp claws, eyes, and teeth. Alex tries to assess it but can’t even determine its gender. The creature is holding a large flag bearing the Hunter Association logo.
“Participantsss of thisss year’s hunter exxxam, please follow me. We’re going sssstraight through the portal. I am your guide, sssselected by the realm to make thissss misssssion especially easssy for you. Aren’t you guyssss lucky? You’ve already found your guide to the exxxam! Now follow me. The portal remainssss open for 60 more secondssss. If you don’t make it, I fear for your life, and more importantly, thisss crucial exxxam will be over for you.”
People immediately start sprinting toward the portal, with a few even stumbling and falling in their rush. Alex could swear he saw one trembling guy twist his ankle. “What the fuck is wrong with these people? That guy is already as good as dead from a weak threat like that. Or is my SPR just too high to be affected?”
The group rushes in. Alex, however, takes his time, glancing back one more time before stepping through the portal. The snake beast watches him with a curious expression. “Well, well, perhaps I actually have to do my job and guide one of you to the actual location. Hee Hee Hee.”
The snake demon beast turns back to the crowd, hissing, “I’ll sssssee you people sssssoon enough. Don’t think your current freedom regarding misssion choicesss will ssstay like thisssss. Hee Hee Hee!”
The other players, who had initially seen the beast as somewhat decent, now look at it with fresh fear. One of the newer players even pisses himself and collapses on the ground, causing others who witness it to step away in disgust. To the players not joining this mission, it’s clear: this isn’t a guide or an examiner—it’s an executioner, and the players who just entered the portal are its victims.