Entering the Tribulation

"Where am I?" Hendrix asked out loud as he could now sense his surroundings again.

Hendrix surveyed his surroundings, and he saw many people with large backpacks on their backs. Everyone sat on hay with determined expressions on their faces. The place they were in swayed every so often.

"Shut your mouth back there!" A voice shouted from beyond one of the walls.

Hendrix stopped speaking as he didn't want to know the consequences if he didn't, as he was interrupted by his Guide.

[Welcome to your first Tribulation, Hendrix. It's in the Bygone Eon.]

[You have received the Main Tribulation quest:

[Explorer and killer]

[Reach the first citadel and kill a Varmint.]

[Quest completion Requirements]

1) Reach the Citadel alive.

2) Kill a Varmint from within.

[Once you complete this quest, you can leave or stay for as long as you want.]

[There are many hidden quests, side-quests, achievements, and other methods to increase the grade you receive for this Tribulation. It is highly discouraged to attempt to earn or complete different objectives in this Tribulation.]

[You can try any method to increase your grade here.]

[You can't leave the Tribulation until you have completed the Tribulation quest, minimum. You also have unlimited attempts.]

'I see, so this is my ticket to eternal rest. Let's begin.' Hendrix nodded and pondered what he should do next as he quickly remembered something and thought. 'Status!'

Status

Name: Hendrix Alford

Species: Human

Level: 0

Stat bars

Vigor: 5

Mana: 5

Stamina: 5

Soul Power: 5

Mental Power: 500

Adrenaline: 2

Crit Strike Rate: 1%

Crit Strike Damage bonus: 1%

Lifetime: 16/125 years

Normal Stats

Vitality: 1

Constitution: 1

Intelligence: 1

Dexterity: 1

Strength: 1

Agility: 1

Accuracy: 1

Spirit: 1

Magic: 1

Special Stats

Lifeforce: 1

Perception: 1

Presence: 1

Time Perception: 1

Luck: 1

Instinct: 1

Reaction Time: 1

Willpower: 100

Wisdom: 1

Charisma: 1

Enlightenment: 1

Skills: N/A

Techniques: N/A

Stat Physique: N/A

'What the heck! That's a lot of information, Guide!' Hendrix thought as he looked at his status in shock. As he looked down the list, he noticed his abnormal willpower stat. He pondered for a while why his willpower was that way.

[Hendrix, do you wish to condense your status?]

'Yes, can you tell me why my willpower is so high?' Hendrix thought as he tilted his head, wanting to know as soon as possible.

[It's because of the hell Kendra forced you through in your past life. That forcefully raised your willpower.]

'I see. May I know how strong one in each stat would be?' Hendrix thought everyone was as cruel as Kendra deep in their hearts and wanted to torment him. So he didn't react or ask why Guide was so blunt, as to him, it was a wasted effort as he condensed and closed his status.

[One is equal to how powerful an average human is. So you are average in most ways. Only your willpower is monstrous.]

Hendrix nodded as he thought about gaining information about his situation. As he tried to get up, he realized he still couldn't walk and began trying to relearn how to do so. The others in the carriage pointed their fingers at him while chuckling. Hendrix ignored them and continued to try for a few hours, but his progress was minimal as the carriage stopped.

'Guide, please hide all notifications that involve taking damage.' Hendrix thought, not wanting to see them.

[Noted]

His thoughts ended when an armored figure opened the door to the carriage.

"Alright, bait, it's time for you all to cut firewood. The one who obtains the most firewood will obtain a delicious meal." The armored figure said.

All the people smiled as they looked at one another with narrowed and contracted eyes.

"Though the one who gets the least will not receive any food, now get moving." The armored figure said as they left the doorway.

Hendrix had a complicated expression as he thought he'd acquire the least firewood.

All the other people within started to leave as no one wanted to go without eating. As they left, the armored figure nodded with satisfaction.

Hendrix sighed as he thought he'd go hungry. So he crawled towards the door and slowly off the stairs of the carriage. The armored figure noticed his movements but ignored him.

As he crawled away from the carriage, he looked back, and he saw a long line of carriages. Armored soldiers guarded each one. At the same time, they all wielded many weapon types in their hands as they patrolled the premise.

Alas, he turned around and crawled to the first mushroom he saw and tried to look at its information.

[You do not have the necessary skills to gain access to the information about this organism.]

'I see, so can I gain the information after I eat it?' Hendrix would ask his Guide.

[Yes, but this method of learning information is dangerous. As it can kill you, do so at your own risk.]

Hendrix acknowledged that internally as he picked it up and took a bite. He usually refrained, but since his situation with the food back in the carriage was clear. He knew he needed to determine which fungi and plant life were edible. Through trial and error, even if it killed him.

'That tastes bland. I now need to wait to see if I lucked out.' Hendrix thought as he waited.

[Warning you are now affected by blood powder poison.]

'Blood powder poison?! May I know what type of mushroom which had that was?' Hendrix hurriedly asked, wanting to learn it quickly before the poison took effect.

[That mushroom was called Heech.]

'Heech? Okay, I guess I will die by this, right?' Hendrix asked for confirmation of his thoughts.

[Yes, you are correct]

Hendrix began to cough out red powder violently as his body started to sway back and forth. The symptoms continued for about ten minutes before he finally died from the poison, as his blood vessels filled with blood powder. He then revived inside the same carriage, surrounded by the same people.

[Common Achievement acquired. Trial and Error food Critic.]

[Achievement Description

In desperation, you decided to eat unknown organisms to stave off hunger. Not knowing if it will kill you or be delicious.]

[Requirements]

1) Consume an unknown organism without any research.

[All Tribulation achievements are evolvable]

'I now have more reasons to eat unknown plants.' Hendrix thought as he crossed his arms.

Hendrix looked around again as he thought about how best to use his time. Eventually, he decided to spend a few hours trying to walk and then continue trying unknown plants.

He died in horrifying ways due to the different poisons, like having his brain slowly eating itself, his cells deconstructing, and an animal eating him alive, etc. Eventually, he ate a myriad of plants while finally learning to walk.

[Trial and Error food Critic Achievement has evolved to Exotic rank.]

'Guide, how many different plants have I eaten?' Hendrix thought while his head tilted to the side as he wondered how many plants he needed to eat to evolve his achievement.

[You have eaten fifteen different organisms. Thirteen killed you, while two are edible.]

'Thank you for telling me. Please tell me the names of the edible ones.' Hendrix asked as he wanted to be able to forage his food.

[The two edible organisms are Kneaf and Shrove]

Hendrix nodded as he left the carriage along with all the others, as he planned to continue eating other unknown plants, as he wanted to try every method to increase his final score.

About a month's worth of hours passed as Hendrix tried every plant or mushroom species in three miles. He died many times due to this, but Hendrix didn't care. He felt this was a necessary price he needed to pay.

[Trial and Error food Critic Achievement has evolved to Aberrant rank]

'I can check how many I ate later.' Hendrix thought as he decided to see if he could find any other achievements.

He began to do different actions to see if they could count as an achievement, like chopping wood, trying to make wooden arrows, and picking a fight with the soldiers, among others. He did this for a few days to see if any action worked. But alas, after doing all these actions, he didn't achieve any.

'Guide, I'm confused. Why aren't any of my actions giving me achievements?' Hendrix thought as he frowned.

[It won't be an achievement if the task is easy to acquire. You earned yours quickly due to your gambling with your life. Most aren't willing to do that, even in their first Tribulations and with unlimited retries. Remember, most who go through these aren't reincarnated and are indeed sixteen years old. Almost everyone fears death Hendrix.]

'I see, so maybe I should think about what people normally are averse to doing if I want to get achievements quickly.' Hendrix pondered in thought as he tried to find a solution to his predicament.

[You can earn them quickly like that somewhat, but they are extreme.]

'Guide, are you sentient?' Hendrix thought as he believed it might be possible.

[I am not, I'm a tool similar to an AI in a way.]

Hendrix nodded as he thought about how to gain his next achievement. He first grabbed some branches and cut them into small pieces. Afterward, he cut them with a rock until they became crude wooden needles.

He then created some makeshift string with some long malleable grass, twisting them together as he grabbed a jagged rock and slashed his legs deeply as they split open. He only raised a brow from the pain due to his abnormal willpower stat, having experienced far, far worse.

He picked up the string and needle and tied them. Afterward, he began to stitch his leg wounds back together, though his first few attempts only made the injuries worse. He read about this during his century of horror but couldn't remember everything perfectly. At the same time, unable to practice due to having no limbs for the entire duration.

He eventually stitched the wounds back together in a barely acceptable way as a prompt appeared.

[Common Achievement Acquired. Ruthless Surgeon]

[Achievement Description

Your willingness to stitch your wounds without any relief or practice. While ruthlessly using yourself as an experiment. Well done, your endeavors are just beginning. Hone your skills and branch out your dark medical knowledge. As this is just the beginning.]

[Requirements]

1) Stitch a large wound back together in an acceptable manner without any relief.

'Guide, may I know what rules the achievements follow so I can find and obtain them more efficiently?' Hendrix thought as he wanted to find out.

[I already told you all I can about this subject Hendrix. I'm not authorized to go into detail.]

Hendrix nodded as he decided to try to evolve his achievement, as he taunted a soldier until they killed him. After he did that, he waited until he could go into the forest again. And he slashed his legs again and stitched them back together as he spent another three months trying to perfect his stitching skills, carving wooden needles, making grass string, and tying knots, after which he died again and repeated.

Eventually, he could stitch himself efficiently without causing unnecessary damage to his body. At the same time, his polished skills in making needles, string, and knots progressed nicely.

'Guide, I'm curious why my achievement hasn't evolved yet.' Hendrix thought while narrowing his eyes, with all his hard work not being enough.

[You haven't met the requirements.]

'I see.' Hendrix sighed as he pondered how to get his achievement to Exotic rank as he surveyed his surroundings again. Looking at everyone else inside the carriage, he got a disturbing idea but quickly discarded it.

'I'm not willing to torture anyone by cutting them and stitching their wounds. It would be better if I waited until anyone got injured first. I will give them a choice if they wish to get treated.' Hendrix thought as he still had some morals left. Most were gone, but he still had lines he didn't cross.

He then decided to wait until the perfect time came.