Clash With The Zombies (III) : A Past Comrade

50 minutes before...

"Nehar, are sure that you want to do that?", Amelia asked him.

"You should think about it Nehar. If you do that you are not going to receive any EXP points from now on, literally, not just due to the level difference", Grace also voiced her thoughts.

"I've already thought about this. But, still, as you two are asking me, let me ask you a question too in return."

Both women nodded their heads.

"Do you really wish to follow me in every battle? Or do you two just want to achieve a sufficient amount of power to live on?"

Nehar stopped talking for a moment after asking the question.

He took a look over them and then continued, "If you choose the second option, I'll help you two so that you can attain a good amount of power and better quality skills. I'll also help you two to qualify for the Tutorial. But that's it. After that, our paths will be different."

Amelia asked him when he stopped talking, "And what will you do if we choose the first option?"

Nehar replied, chuckling, "I'll help you two to become stronger by any means necessary as I would not be able to trust anyone that easily other than you two to cover my back. Both of you have proved yourselves quite capable in that matter."

Amelia asked him again, "Can we really become as strong as you?"

'Heh, strong as me...you guys don't even know how many crazy shits I'm about to pull in these part Tutorials...just to become a bit stronger, ultimately to face that final enemy...'

"I don't know about that. But I know one thing, if you work hard, then I can make you two the strongest after me."

Nehar answered without any hesitation. He already had several methods to make them more powerful...but what he needed was their consent and trust.

Otherwise, he wouldn't help them no matter what.

Amelia took a small glance at Grace and then answered him, "I don't know about her, but I'm going to follow you. The only thing you've to do is to make me as powerful as possible."

"Deal", Nehar took her hand in his and shook firmly.

Then both of them looked at Grace, to know about her decision.

"What? Why are you two looking at me like that?"

"Well, what did you decide?", Nehar asked her.

"I've never expected that question from you...after what you have...no, we've done before", Grace answered him in a light tone.

At that moment, Nehar was fighting a rogue zombie while blocking its attacks using his left-hand dagger. 

After hearing such a response from Grace, which he never expected...Nehar coughed dryly and swiftly kicked that zombie aiming towards its neck and a rotten head flew off in the air just like that.

"Ahem, I wasn't talking about, you know that."

Nehar answered Grace while taking a quick look at Amelia. That woman was looking at them quite suspiciously and was thinking about nocking an arrow to ask them properly what was going on.

"Hey, what's going on between you two?", Amelia asked while taking out another arrow from her quiver. 

She had already bought a total of five (5) sets of Inferior rank arrows; five hundred arrows (500 Arrows) in total from the Tutorial Shop using a total of 500 TP, following Nehar's advice. 

Thus, she was never lacking an arrow to shoot at anyone.

Seeing her pulling out an arrow to threaten them, Nehar quietly chuckled.

Grace also took a small glance at her and then spoke, "Nothing. We already have some prior agreements between us, thus I'm also going to follow him. If I had thought about leaving, I would've left by now."

Nehar didn't say anything and just nodded his head in approval. Amelia was still looking at them suspiciously but she finally fired the arrow in the direction of the zombies.

Grace laughed softly seeing her behavior. 

"So, if you two are going to follow me, then I've to make your levels much higher than now....otherwise it'll affect my hunting speed."

Both women had already understood that fact and were thinking about it for some time. They were quite grateful as Nehar had reduced his hunting speed quite a bit to level them up first.

However, they didn't know that Nehar wasn't doing that to only help them...he was also helping himself, as he was trying to feel the <Skill Synchronization> once more while fighting those zombies while wearing the Limiters on his both hands. 

Nehar looked at them and then he commanded to alter the EXP ratio as the Party Leader.

'I've chosen to form a <Party > mainly because of this. Only a <Party > provides this facility...which a <Team > can not...'

[System Alert: As the Party Leader, you've chosen to alter the EXP ratio between the Party Members.]

[System: Please Input the Details.]

"Set my EXP ratio to 0, and divide the rest between 2 Party members equally", Nehar commanded.

[System: The new EXP ratio has been updated...]

[System: Current EXP ratio --> Raven: Artemis: Hecate => 0:50:50]

'Okay, now this is fine...I was getting a minuscule amount of Experience anyway....by doing this, they will be able to level up much faster...and later when I've to move for those zombie lords and their royal guards, they'll be much more useful to me...'

'Moreover, I'm still trying to feel the <Skill Synchronization> as before while limiting and suppressing my powers....though by doing this, my hunting speed has reduced considerably...it's still fine...

I've to take a look at the bigger picture from now on....'

---

Current Time, just after the release of the Regional Rankings...

"Nehar, we're at the top in the whole Regional Ranking Leader Board", Amelia called out to him in excitement.

Nehar bashed a zombie's head with the backside of the Bloodkin's Dagger and nodded while looking at her.

Though he had no doubts that they would be able to dominate the Leader Board easily, he still took a look at it to check if any of 'Them' were here or not.

 Searching for a particular person from 6000 people wasn't easy...and Nehar didn't want to waste his precious time doing that kind of thing.

Thus, he just patiently waited for the 'Leader Board' to come up.

'If they are here, their names must be on the Leader Boards....after all, they were no less talented than us who climbed the Tower later....'

While checking the Leader Board, Nehar stopped at the 10th name. 

'Neferet !!! ... she is here...'

Several memories from the past resurfaced in his mind.

'Nehar, once you go back and join the 117th <Tutorial > again, you'll meet at least five of our past and present comrades...it will be for the best if you can form a good relationship with them, so that you can proceed to that <Stage > without facing any major problems, and they'll help you after that too...but it would be for the best if you're able to tame them and rule over them....if you can do that, please do so...

Those guys have no idea about who you are...so it'll be for the best if you prepare from the beginning to become the most powerful one in the whole <Tutorial >....then they'll easily choose to follow you without showing much resistance...'

'Aellion, are you sure that they will follow him? I mean you know that guy, right? He'll never bow down to anyone....but the rest, maybe they will.'

'I trust him Devon...if it's Nehar, he would be able to do that...'

'You guys don't have to worry....if they don't want to obey me, I'll just beat them into submission...'

'A mad bastard', Devon started laughing heartily. 

'See, why do I trust him more than anyone else here?'

'What will you do about him, Nehar?' Orpheus asked him.

'I've got a good understanding of him...the moment 4th Tutorial starts, he will come down on his own to challenge me after seeing my ranking...and then, I'll beat him down too...'

'This is what you call confidence...I'm with him, beat the shit out of that arrogant future 'King of Dragons' once you meet him...we'll cheer for you from far away...'

'Hey, hey don't badmouth him....his lover might be listening to our words secretly, you know....'

'Bahahaaa, lol...'

Nehar sighed while thinking about them. It was such a good time when all of them were together, thinking and devising plans and fighting side by side.

Although he was thinking and reminiscing about his past, his hands and legs never stopped for a single moment. He was fighting and killing those zombies relentlessly.

'So, Neferet is here...should I make contact with her first?'

Nehar thought about that for a moment. Then he discarded the idea.

'Nah, it's still not the ideal time...she has just started growing. If I approach her now, it will affect her growth negatively...let's just watch her from the sidelines for now...

Moreover, it's not like I'm going for the Zombie Lord or it's Royal Guards right now...I still have much time left....'

"Nehar can I ask you something?", Grace asked him while casting her <Slow Move> skill on a group of zombies, that was being taken care of by Amelia.

"Ask...", Nehar replied casually.

"Do you know for how long this Tutorial will be going on?"

"This one will end within one day, and then you can rest- "

Grace interrupted him showing her hands.

"Nehar, you know very well what I'm asking about. I'm not talking about this particular Tutorial or asking anything so that I get to end these continuous battles. I'm asking you for how long this whole process will go on and we will be trapped here, without any outside connection or contact with others, from the different Regions?"

Nehar had understood her question the moment she asked him. He was just trying to shift her attention by giving her a different type of answer, which of course didn't work.

'Sometimes, she is just too sharp....it's really hard to believe that they all died in the past following my idiotic uncle....had they lived for long, they would've surely curved a respectable place for themselves in the Tower...'

"Well...it'll last for at least 6-7 months if everything goes perfectly. If not, the period may become longer or even shorter. That's the best I know."

Nehar answered her calmly while tackling three zombies at the same time.

"Ohh....", Grace replied absentmindedly as she never had expected the period of the complete Tutorial to be that much longer.

'Well, that reaction is quite normal. No one can seriously expect at the time of the beginning, that this <Tutorial > will last for at least half a year. 

In the past, even I was terrified after learning about that prospect.

Battles after battles, non stop fighting for survival without a break...it can break anyone, whether it's mentally or physically...

Even if you ask the Lackeys or Observers at this point that, when we will be able to leave...they will just provide you with vague answers at this point....and people will fight continuously with their all hoping at the end of each Tutorial that they will be able to move on and get out of this place...the <Tutorial World> or specifically the <Tutorial Dimension>...

What the System needs are powerful <Warriors >, who can perform various odd quests, jobs, and subjugations in its order...the first three (3) part Tutorials are there just to distinguish and segregate the real <Talents > from the rest... 

But everything changes once you've successfully finished the 3rd Tutorial....you will be able to leave this place, your starting Region, and can become a part of the broader world...that's the time when the <World Missions> will start and survivors from all the Regions will join together, to finish those missions and part Tutorials one by one to advance and finally leave this <Tutorial World> once and for all...

Only then, those Lackeys, Observers, and Administrators will inform you that you still have a long journey ahead of you, as there will be still 3 part Tutorials left....once you complete Tutorial - 06, you can officially leave this <Tutorial World> and enter the Awakened World and start climbing the <Heavenly Tower>...

But, I don't think that will be true for me....as what I'm about to do after the Sixth Tutorial, no one would ever expect....not even those powerful and omnipotent <Divine Thrones> or the <Constellations >...

I've got a long way to go....let's keep working hard and develop myself step by step...'

[System: Zombies Killed: 1606/25000]

[System: Zombies Killed: 1607/25000]

[System: Zombies Killed: 1608/25000]

[...]

[...]

[System: Time Remaining: 04:20:05]

[System Alert: The Tutorial Panel is being updated...]

[System Alert: The Total No. of Participants is being updated...]

[System: The Total No. of Participants (Region: C): 6248]

[System Alert: The Regional Rankings are being updated....]

[System Alert: The Regional Ranking Leader Board has been updated...]

-------*****--------

[Regional Ranking Leader-Board (Region: C) - Channel A53]

1. Raven: Level 9 (61.16%); Kills: 141 (Participants), 753 (Zombies) 

2. Artemis: Level 4 (57%); Kills: 9 (Participants-Team), 235 (Zombies-Party)

3. Hecate: Level 4 (23.3%); Kills: 9 (Participants-Team), 201 (Zombies-Party)

4. Elena Gilbert: Level 2 (42.7%); Kills: 91 (Zombies-Team) 

5. Aiden Gilbert: Level 2 (34.74%); Kills: 83 (Zombies-Team)

6. Liam: Level 2 (10.25%); Kills: 67 (Zombies-Team)

7. Noah: Level 1 (97.12%); Kills: 59 (Zombies-Team)

8. Theodore Rykner: Level 1 (47.4%); Kills: 41 (Zombies-Team)

9. Elijah Hermon: Level 1 (33.2%); Kills: 37 (Zombies-Team)

10. Neferet: Level 1 (29.89%); Kills: 31 (Zombies-Team)

11. ...

12. ...

-------*****--------

[System: Participant 'Raven' is dominating the battlefield...]

Nehar took a look over the messages first.

'So, almost one and half hours have passed and after the last time, 87 more people died...

I can say for sure that the Death Toll in Region C is the lowest...not only because of the presence of the highest numbers of Celestials and Stars or myself...it's because of them...'

Nehar thought about it while checking the floating giant-sized 'Regional Ranking Leader Board'.

He didn't bother to check the Rankings after the 10th position, as their kill count was still in one digit or even zero.

The ten people at the top were keeping the most of zombies in check, while the rest were trying to form a group and hunt them, and after failing once or twice, they opted to run and hide among the destroyed buildings and debris of the Region. 

'There are quite a few good Participants from this Region...I've had no idea that there were so many good ones from here...

Well, I didn't even hear about them, so it does mean that they didn't survive ultimately....probably they tried to hold on, but got overwhelmed by wave after wave of zombies within a few hours and finally died...

I can't blame them after all...there's no way that they can survive if hardly ten or twelve people among 6000 Participants actually fight...

Those cowards think that they can survive just by running away and hiding till the end, as the System specified before they can even run away to survive, there is no need to fight these overwhelming numbers of zombies...

But, that's not the whole truth....if you don't fight and level up when your opponents are still low-leveled, you will be the first one to be eliminated in the next rounds...

In the past, when I participated in the <Tutorial > from Region Y, there were cowards like them too....and when they finally reached the 2nd Tutorial after surviving for a whole day by hiding, running away while leaving behind their injured team members; they just got wiped out by the <Undead Army> as a whole, without able to resist at all...

Those people never fought, never increased their Stats and physical abilities, nor did they actually collect the <Mana Cores> from the higher level zombies in the 2nd or 3rd Wave and increase their magical abilities....and ultimately got wiped out from the face of this <Tutorial World> once and for all...

The same thing is happening here now....even though I'm killing a huge number of zombies even after suppressing my strength and abilities by a huge margin and not using any other skills than my <Dagger Skills>, Amelia and Grace are also growing by receiving all these EXP points from killing Level 2-4 zombies for now and even without my help, they're killing a large number of zombies on their own by combining their teamwork almost flawlessly....the same can't be said for the others...

Other than Neferet, I've already noticed that the 'Gilbert' pair is quite good, so are Liam, Noah, Theodore, and Elijah....but their kill counts and increase in the level have decreased significantly....which means they are trying to find and hunt those lower level zombies, around Level 0-2 and as their levels are slowly increasing, they're receiving less and less EXP points by each passing seconds, making their growth stagnant.....

Either they need to hunt more powerful zombies, or the level gap, which is already quite prominent between third and fourth-ranking Participants in this Region as of now, will continue to increase further...

I seriously need to change the situation once this 'Wave' ends...otherwise, we'll have to suffer a huge loss, and I'll be in a pickle at the time of the 4th Tutorial while leading a <Community > or <Group >...

Either those 6000 people, who are now in hiding and depending on these 10-12 people who are fighting relentlessly, for saving their asses, will come out and fight or.....let's just see how can they escape from their responsibilities and most importantly, from me... 

Well, it doesn't matter to me at all even if I have to become a 'Tyrant' from now on to save these people and also progress smoothly in the <Tutorial > until the end....'