Tutorial (3)

"So these are the Doors of the Tower…"

The height of the Doors had me looking at it with my neck bent to the utmost.

It was enormous.

My eyes surveyed my surroundings. There were lots of figures, hoping to climb the Tower.

'There are some good ones mixed in…'

From what I judged, they were burning with passion. They almost seemed too sure that they would make it past the tutorial.

But what I heard from Master was…

'Everyone will be in their highest spirits when the tutorial starts, but that changes. To give you an idea, in a batch of 100 participants, only three participants will pass the tutorial, while the rest will be doomed.'

Maybe the battle royale dwindles the number. Since killing was allowed, it would only make sense for the Climbers to reduce the number of competitors.

{Everyone, the tutorial will start now}

A blinding light permeated from the huge doors. The Tower was opening.

I quietly ran my eyes through the stupefied crowd. There were all kinds of faces. Some were astonished, some were excited, some were grieving, some were fuming, and some were just emotionless.

"..."

There were eyes on me as well. They were… measuring me. Well, in their eyes, I was just another pebble flowing with the crowd.

Of course, I planned to change those thoughts.

{Please enter}

The articulate voice of the system filled my ears.

It was time to enter the long-awaited Tower.

***

It was the start of the tutorial. No one knew what awaited them inside the huge doors.

"Tch, all of them are making such a fuss."

{Please enter}

The people got louder at the message from the Tower.

"Oi oi, don't be like that. Even though we have our dignity to keep, you can still act a little excited. What will our dad say when he sees his little princess like this?"

"Argh, for god's sake. Shut up, will you?"

"Haha… you sure are mean to your brother."

The doors opened and the crowd of Climbers rushed into it.

"Well, shall we?"

"...yes."

"Great! The children of the First King are taking their first steps in the Tower."

The tutorial began.

***

It was dark. I couldn't see anything no matter how much I tried to. Where was I?

I remember entering the Doors of Tower… and the first tutorial began… there was someone… who was it? Shrouded by a black veil, an… androgynous appearance? I couldn't remember but they were dangerous… had malicious intent… and I killed them… but after that…?

"Ugh…"

My memory was hazy. I tried to recall but I just couldn't. It was as if some sort of barrier was blocking my memories.

"Fuck…"

Having nothing to do, I decided to walk ahead.

Each step I took was heavy. I was sinking into something but at the same time, I wasn't. Where was I?

"Father never told me about something like this…"

I was scared.

'Kind, the first part contributes to your stats. The second part tests and raises your mental strength or Soul Power. And the third part is where the massacre happens. Take the utmost advantage of the first two. Though I doubt you'd even survive the first part.'

But what was this? There were no monsters. There were no threats. Only me and this endless darkness. Did my father…?

No, he would never do such a thing to his own son.

Yes, he would never. He was one of the high rankers. He had his pride to uphold.

Walking amid utter darkness, there was nothing to see, nothing to know, nothing to feel. It was just me.

.

.

.

Hours passed.

And there was not much of me left. My mind was running at the edge of a knife. There were only a few moments left before I completely lost myself to this darkness.

.

.

.

I lost track of time.

A day? Or had it been weeks? I had no idea. The only thing I could do was walk, and I walked, without stopping for a moment.

An uncanny presence loomed over me, an always-watching gaze, and incomprehensible whispers filled my ear canals.

"Ugh…!"

My mind fizzled with an excruciating headache whenever I tried to get hold of the whispers, and understand them. But every time, I failed miserably, with a fear overtaking my heart by the second.

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest fear is the fear of the unknown…"

This unknown… reigned in my mind with an unbending tyranny that instilled fear with each step. I was afraid of taking another step now.

.

.

.

I saw something!

Shrouded in the darkness.

Slithering silently.

A humongous figure, so huge that even the Doors of the Tower would be like a pitiful ant.

My mind was plunged into chaos.

.

.

.

Light!

A little but surely a light.

I could see it.

'My way out!'

I ran but fell face-first. I was not hurt, or maybe I was. I could not say. My feelings dwindled to the null in this never-ending darkness. But now, I could get out.

I couldn't be more elated.

I ran and ran like my life depended on it.

I knew that I was going insane. There was no guarantee that I would even get out of this place. But I had to take the chance if it meant my life would be preserved.

"Haa… haa…"

A sudden torrent of exhaustion.

'Schligba…'

'Khuyrodtgna…'

'Qwksi…'

Unknown words filled my head.

"...!"

The slithering figure!

I saw it again! Behind the light!

Unlike last time, it wasn't so subtle. It wanted to show itself!

"Ugh!"

My legs slowed down, slowly coming to a stop.

'Odhuyk…'

"Stop…"

'Yyiepkgo…'

"Stop…!"

'Kdlinmtad…'

Words of… the indescribable...

"Arggghhh!"

'Uyo…'

"STOOOOP!!!"

Unimaginable… Words...

'Seszxnro…'

"PLEEEAASSEEE!!! STOOOOP!!!"

'Pldormenro…'

...knowledge.

"AHHHHH!!!"

'Ruleyeio…'

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPP!!!"

...doom.

"Ah…"

Behind the light…

I saw it….

The…

"Ineffab—"

Chiik—

***

"Blehhh…!"

I emptied my belly in one go but that was not the end. Then came blood. I was vomiting blood.

"Haa… haa…"

'What… was that? Another… dream?'

I could not think straight. The only thing I could think of was the choking darkness and the blood splattering everywhere as I… 'he' burst like a bomb.

"Haa… haa… phew…"

Everything felt surreal but vivid. The endless darkness, the fear of the unknown, the little flame of hope when he saw the light, and that…

"Ugh…!"

I tried hard but that… that… I could not remember it. That was not a creature, certainly not a monster. Neither was that a God nor was that a Demon. It was something… far more sinister and wicked.

And I knew, or at least, had some remembrance of a similar being.

'Something ineffable….'

The Ineffable… I had to look more into it.

"Anyway, where am I?"

I cranked my neck to look around and all I could see was a lush green.

"Hm…"

"Hello there, everyone!"

Just when I tried to get up, a sudden voice echoed from behind me.

"A gathering…"

I was not thrown too far from the gathering site, thankfully.

I stood up and walked up to the site. All the Climbers that were in front of the Doors of the Towers were here, their attention focused on a man flying high, looking down on us.

He must be the administrator.

'The Starter of the Tutorial— Kevin.'

***