Chapter 8 – Last Tutorial

Max knew that he would have increased viewers if he streamed, thanks to the thread posted in the Knighted Lobby community forum.

But 300 viewers were more than he had expected.

'I thought I would only get 50 or 70 curious viewers at most.'

His jaw dropped in surprise. But the stream had started, and he couldn't look stupid even when the game world was still paused. 

The cutscene hadn't started yet. A window to play it hovered in front of him, with the words 'Play' glowed a blue light.

There was one thing he needed to do before. Greeting his viewers.

"Hello!" Max waved his hand cheerfully at the floating camera.

— Hi, Breeze!

— Yahoo! We are back!

— Yooo, show us the cutscene! Is it different from the normal one?

— Damn, just start the cutscene already!

Some viewers complained about the cutscene, but that was normal. Their curiosity about the cutscene after Hutch praised him was at an all-time high.

"Hahahaha, wait a little bit. Welcome back to those watching from the start! This time, I turned the gore content off! Sorry for what happened earlier." He laughed to brush off any sign of nervousness.

— No worries!

— It's an honest mistake. I don't mind.

— Thank god… I don't want to see guts spilled. You learned, newbie!

"Hahaha, yeah." His laughter turned dry. "Let's not wait any longer and continue Knight's Journey from where we left off earlier!"

— Let's a goo!!

— Show us the cutscene! Now now now!

Max nodded at the chat and pressed play.

Instantly, the world moved once again, and he couldn't move his character.

"I am moving by myself!" Max exclaimed loudly.

— Hahaha, it's a cutscene. Of course, you won't be able to move freely!

— So far, it's similar to a normal one.

— Yeah… They are just walking toward the knight's barrack.

— But don't you think Hutch and the horse look a bit… fresh?

— Fresh? Do you mean unscratched? Yeah, they definitely are.

Even when he knew that he wouldn't be able to move freely during a cutscene, experiencing it himself was slightly different from his expectations. It felt… strange.

'It's as if my body isn't mine, and many ropes restrain me. I won't be able to get used to this feeling.'

Max's character moved slowly, following Hutch, who was leading him on a horse. His axe was slung over his shoulder.

Some viewers already noticed a slight difference between a normal cutscene and this one, which was Hutch's condition.

In a normal cutscene, Hutch and the horse would be riddled with wounds because the players were always too late killing the barbarians. But Max was able to kill two in a short time and even dealt with the last one without help.

They moved through the city with no hurry. Everyone had already guessed that they would just move toward the knight barrack.

Midway, Max's vision was distorted, and the scenery changed. He was in a stable, watching Hutch pet his white horse.

— ???

— ?? What ??

— Stable? Aren't they supposed to be in a barrack? My trauma of getting bonked when I can't control my body!

— It's different! The cutscene is different!

— Oooh! This is what we're here for!!

— Clippers! Don't forget to clip this. This is a new route!

— On it.

As expected, the viewers' reaction came. They were excited as the cutscene was different from a normal one.

"Sir Breeze. Our duty as a knight is simple: to protect the populace of Ratsack City." Hutch began speaking as he continued to pet the horse.

Hearing the city's name almost made Max laugh, but he kept it to himself.

"I understand that, sir! And I shall protect it with my life!"

Max answered intuitively. Somehow, he was able to speak, and he just blurted out the best response he could think of in this situation.

Hutch nodded, satisfied with his answer.

"That's commendable." He said. "I have recognized you as a brave knight who is not afraid even in front of the barbarians. However, I believe our colleague won't accept that. That's why I have a mission for you to prove that you're worthy!"

"Yes, sir! Please give me the mission!" Max answered once again, putting up a salute that he had often seen in a video.

— You don't need to make any gesture, Breeze! The AI won't detect it!

— lol, he saluted!

— He got a mission already? Where is the tutorial?

— This is still the tutorial, idiot! Breeze has no knight armor yet! He's still wearing a soldier's full-plate armor!

— I see.

— Kick… He didn't get kicked! This is unfair!

— I want to see him get slapped! Or rather, slap Hutch for me please!

The new viewers still complained about not getting kicked or such. They were expecting Hutch to be strict, just like the normal route.

But those who came to find a new route of the game reacted differently.

— New missions?

— There is no Huh Ah knight? Where is the fighting tutorial?

— Fool! This would be his tutorial! His skill is recognized by Hutch already, unlike you peasants! So he won't need the fighting tutorial.

— So, no butt-kicking?

Max read the chat calmly and thought, 'Huh Ah knight? What is that?'

While he was curious about it, he needed to stop the chat before it went awry.

"Don't fight guys. Let's see what the mission is about." He calmly stated as he waited for Hutch to give him the mission.

It didn't work, but at least no one made a provoking chat anymore. The viewers were too excited to calm down, and a row of text was sent in a matter of a second.

The Knight Captain approached him and raised his sword. Max was startled by the sudden movement, but it didn't seem he wanted to attack him.

Instead, he held the sword straight in front of him and declared.

"We have received information about the remaining barbarian army in the west, near the mountainous area. Scout and report back to me. We need to know how many barbarians are left before advancing to deal with them!"

As soon as Hutch finished speaking, a game notification popped in front of him.

[Last Tutorial!]

[Scout for the barbarian army in the west of Ratsack City! They are hiding around Ratcor Ner mountains.]

At that time, Max's vision changed. He could see a glowing light in the distance, specifically in the west.

'Is that the quest's objective?' He guessed.

"I will do my best, sir!"

"Good. I am counting on you, Sir Breeze."

Once again, the chat exploded with text.

— Scouting? Is there a mission like this?

— The west of Ratsack city in the Ratcor Ner mountains.

— Kekeke, rat corner. A fitting place for the barbarians' remaining army!

— How exciting! So there is a mission like this in the tutorial? I am not looking forward to what happens when he finishes this and enters the main story!

  "So this mission is also different from what you guys did?" Max asked the chat as he walked away from the stable to the west.

— Yeah, we fought Huh Ah knight.

— That guy was annoying. He kicked my butt.

— You really love getting kicked… Although he also kicked my butt.

"I-Is that so. My condolences, guys."

Max looked at the camera with an apologetic face and put his hands together.

— This guy…

— Don't be happy with just a tutorial! There are many times your butt will get kicked in the future!

— Or slapped!

— Or both!

"Hahaha… W-Well, let's just finish this mission first. The mission said it's the last tutorial, so I guess I will enter the main story soon."

Because the viewers got unhinged and wanted him to suffer, he ignored them for now and went to the quest location, shown by a glowing light in the distance.

"It's time for the mission!"

— Hell yeah!

— Forget scouting, just kill them all!