Leaving the Tutorial
"You didn't hear me? That's weird, should I speak louder!", Minokawa mumbled as fluctuations could be seen in its burning feathers. It was clear that he was annoyed and wouldn't repeat his word the second time.
Realizing this, Hiraya recollected herself as she asked.
"Why?", she muttered as she still avoided making eye contact with Minokawa.
Sigh.
Releasing a sigh, Minokawa closed its eyes as it seemed to talk to itself again. Then, he mumbled.
"Are you sure this girl is the Taming Empress? Isn't she too naive and weak-minded for such power?", it mumbled as its thought escaped its beak.
After a while, it lowered its head as it revealed an annoyed expression.
"Okay, I will tell her to do it", it muttered as it finally opened its eyes.
With eyes showing the reflection of Hiraya as it looked at her, Minokawa opened its beak.
"You, don't have to ask so many questions. I would tell you at least that this Tutorial is like a cage to this benevolent me. I was instructed that if I got tamed by you, I can go out of this Tutorial and enter the Tower.", it muttered as it lowered its head at the same level as Hiraya, just enough for Hiraya to touch him.
"Just tame me! It's not like I can hurt you once tamed anyways. Don't make me wait, you weakling!", it commanded with a high-pitched voice that pulled Hiraya from her trance.
She agreed with what Minokawa had said. When he became her tamed monster, she would have total authority over him. Betrayal and forcefully severing ties were impossible, especially since she had her newly awakened skill [Empress' Dominance].
Tossing her reluctance that Minokawa might have a hidden agenda, she extended her hand as she touched the burning head of Minokawa that was surprisingly soothing in touch.
Sending her will over the latter, Hiraya felt Minokawa's consciousness that felt like an endless expanse.
'This, is this what SSS-grade monsters are like?', she pondered as she felt anxiety building up in her whilst thinking of inevitably exchanging blows with SSS-grade players in the Tower.
It took her so much time to cover the expanse and reach the area where its will was stronger. She then connected her will with the other as she uttered.
"Empress' Taming!"
With mana being drained from her body at the speed of light, she felt her connection with Minokawa being established. It took her a while before finally, she had successfully tamed the SSS-grade monster, Minokawa.
Kruuuuu
Releasing a roar, Minokawa seemed to rejoice as it found a chance to leave this cage.
"You should be honored to have tamed a mythical monster such as me", Minokawa uttered as it raised its head proudly.
However, now that she had secured her safety against this monster, Hiraya took her foothold as she retorted.
"No, you should be honored to be my underling!", she exclaimed.
"You!!!!! That is my line!", Minokawa replied as it extended its wings, seemingly about to smack Hiraya.
Looking at them, Althea couldn't help but think that they were siblings as they were completely alike.
"Alab, can you stand now?", she said to Alab who was still lying on the head of the [Nightmare Skull].
With a ragged breath, Alab replied. "I'm fine now", he uttered as he tried to stand.
He had been in this state multiple times now. His body had started to adapt to mana exhaustion. In the later time, awakened could even walk and run normally whilst depleted of mana.
"Hiraya, we should take the item now", breaking their senseless arguments, Alab spoke to Hiraya.
She then nodded her head as she looked at Minokawa. "Say, can you identify the location of the items in this Tutorial?", she hoped as that was their only way to get Althea an S-grade item.
Raising his head boastfully, Minokawa replied.
"Of course, such thing is as simple as farting to me", it uttered as Hiraya felt her head becoming numb from the needless boast.
If Kevin would hear her thoughts, he would definitely smack her as Hiraya was like that most of the time too.
"How many S-grade items are there?", Hiraya asked.
Closing his eyes, Minokawa spread his consciousness as everything within the Tutorial materialized before him as it utilized its skill. It then counted on the remaining items.
"Aside from the sword that your weak member is holding, there is another S-grade staff in the Northern edge of the Inner part", it uttered as it made sure to highlight the word 'weak'.
Alab felt his face turning red from shyness.
Hiraya then glanced at the system and checked the remaining item to verify.
[Remaining players: 9 -> 5]
[The available items at the moment are:
F(Rank) - 1 -> 1(number of available item/s)
SSS - 0 -> 0 items
SS - 0 -> 0 item
S - 3 -> 2 items
A - 0 -> 0 items
B - 34 -> 31 items
C - 19 -> 19 items
D - 0 -> 0 item
E - 111 -> 111 items]
'Indeed, he is right', Hiraya pondered.
"So what you think of my sk–"
Minokawa was yet to finish his other boasting when Hiraya cut him short as she called for the [Vengeful Dove].
Flying closer to Minokawa, the Dove appeared to be ordinary as Minokaw's magnificent looks overcast it.
"Don't get close to me", he threatened the flying Dove as he still felt bitter from being ignored. The Dove could only flinch as it flew to the other side and took a detour.
"Take that item and being it to us, fast!", Hiraya commanded as the Dove flew at its fastest speed. Behind it were three other aerial monsters in case it engage in a fight.
Sitting down on the skull, Hiraya looked at the smug look of Minokawa.
"What do you want?", he asked as he felt her piercing gaze.
"You seem to know a lot about this Tutorial. I have a lot of questions", she replied as she bombarded him with questions that he answered even against his will.
'This weak girl, trying to control me!', it pondered as its beak inevitably answered Hiraya's question.
They only had a few more hours before the Tutorial ended, with the S-grade item being secured by the Dove, the three players enjoyed their remaining time as they listened to the proud Bird narrated its tale.
"So what do you mean earlier by the Tutorial serving as a cage to monsters in here?", Hiraya asked
"To be exact, monster"
"Huh?!"
"Monster. I'm the only real monster in here"
"Then what are them? The other monsters?", Hiraya asked as she pointed to her tamed beasts.
Minokawa just shook its head as it replied.
"Those are just replicas of the real monsters in the Tower. Only that they possess only 10% of their original's power"
"Replicas…"
"Yes, do you think newbies like you could kill an S-grade monster the same way you killed it in the Tutorial? Heck no!", Minokawa uttered as it had seen most of what happened inside the Tutorial.
Pondering over his words, the three players brushed off their past idea that they could easily kill an S-grade monster in the Tower. Clicking their tongues, they hated themselves for being conceited and overestimating their strength.
Minokaw saw their down expression as he opened his beak.
"But, you guys did well in the Tutorial. Being down is only for the weak, stop showing your weak sides in front of the benevolent me!", he muttered.
Hearing him, the three raised their heads as he their eyes burned with morale.
Hiraya then revealed a serious expression as she uttered.
"About the voice you are talking to… is it a ghost?", she asked as it had been bothering her for a while now.
'He couldn't have a hallucination-related disease, right?', she pondered.
However, she only received a "Blehhhh" reply from Mikonawa as it ignored her question. She was about to forcefully ask him but Mikonawa spoke first.
Cough
"Forgive such vulgarity unbefitting the benevolent me, but do know that that was the monster inside of me. It is the same entity I'm talking to since earlier.", Mikonawa explained as a such thing was common knowledge in the Tower anyways.
"An entity inside of you?!", Hiraya asked
"Basically, every SSS-grade monster developed an entity inside of them which amplifies their strength by hundred times", he added.
Hearing him, the three couldn't help but get surprised as they exclaimed.
"A hundred times?! Isn't that too much?!", they shouted.
Minokawa just nodded his head as he looked at the sky. Emerging from there, the Dove with 3 more aerial monsters came back, carrying a staff.
When Althea took the item, she bowed to the Dove to express her gratitude before she looked through its details. Her expression turned delighted instantly after that.
The S-grade item, [Light Convergence Staff] suited her greatly.
Seeing that it was already too late at night and only an hour was left before the Tutorial ended, the group stood up as they started to bid goodbyes to each other.
Each of them had already secured an item and it was about time to leave the Tutorial.
"I guess, I will see you guys in the Tower then", Althea uttered as she uttered the word "exit".
Hiraya touched the smug Minokawa as she also uttered the word and spoke.
"See you in the Tower! And let's form a guild immediately!", she uttered as her body started to disintegrate into golden particles.
Seeing them gradually leaving the Tutorial, Alab nodded his head as he sneaked a glance at the wilderness for the last time.
They had spent a lot of time in this place. Those 7 days felt like years full of hardships and joy. Alab was glad to have found friends in this place.
He cried, smiled, and had matured countless times now.
"That was fun, till next time, Tutorial world", he muttered as he was about to say the word exit, but…
Before he could open his mouth, he felt a large foot kick his body, sending him off the back of the [Nightmare Skull].
Dumbfounded, he looked at the person above him as his body continually fell to the ground.
With a face he couldn't possibly forget as he had met him three times now, Alab vividly remembered that person.
"It's you!", mumbled Alab as his body met the ground, instantly cracking his bones as blood oozed out of his body.
Meanwhile, atop the back of the [Nightmare Skull], Alon took the sword that Alab had lost hold of as he kicked him. Looking at the broken body of Alab below, he revealed a smirk as he uttered.
"Exit!", he then exited the Tutorial…