Chapter 201: Nightmares of Conviction

Drake looked down at the young Orc, he was well-built and had obviously trained. Kalik Tu' wore a hairstyle that reminded Drake of the Orcs he saw in games, shaved sides and a long top pulled back into a ponytail. It was a deep maroon like Sah Ul's. 

The youth had scars here and there on his body, as well as a tattoo on his right shoulder, prompting Drake to look at Rvul and Sah Ul', finding an identical tattoo he had not noticed before.

Must be the mark of their tribe? Drake thought.

The mark itself was that of an ax and what looked like a boar with two large tusks.

Kalik Tu' also wore attire similar to the rest of the Orcs, a tribal wear that covered the important parts but he also wore a larger chest piece that covered most of it.

"Talented youth huh?" Drake mused, "Hello Kalik, can I call you Kal?"

"No," the boy scoffed tersely.

"Kalik!" Rvul growled, "You will show Patriarch respect!"

Kalik Tu' barked back pointing at Drake, "Man is no Patriarch of Rahk! Orcs know Sah Ul' was to be! He has stolen not only Great Fighter but Leadership of Rahk Tribe!"

Rvul grimaced looking between Drake and Kalik Tu'.

Drake laughed, "It's fine. So you think I'm not worthy of being a leader, is that right?"

Kalik Tu' crossed his arms and spat at Drake's feet.

"Cheeky kid," Drake smiled, "Even though I'm the strongest here?" Drake prodded.

The statement made Kalik Tu's face twist into anger.

"You are false! No one can defeat Sah Ul'! Deceiver must have used a trick to win!"

Drake turned to Sah Ul', her face was quickly turning from the calm she normally wore to one paling.

Oh, does she think I'll get mad? Drake thought, pursing his lips.

"Don't worry Sarah, I won't force you to fight me again to prove it to some weak child," Drake sneered.

Kalik Tu' growled even louder his hand going to the small ax at his side.

"Are you going to strike me? Do you really think you can win? Are you strong enough right now? You saw the fight with the massive bird didn't you?" Drake grinned, letting a little of his aura leak out, sending a visible chill down the boy's spine.

Kalik Tu' backed down, removing his hand, but still stared daggers at Drake.

"Come here," Drake waved.

The group that had arrived moved to the wall next to Drake. He then placed Kalik in front of him purposefully wanting to make him an example.

The best way to convince him will be to show him. And if I can get him to fall in line, the rest will I'm sure. Drake thought placing his hand over Kalik's shoulder and looking at the other few youths looking on.

"I brought you all here to grow and become stronger. To protect your tribe and loved ones. If you think you can't learn from me well…"

Drake summoned a fireball of white flame in front of his palm brightening the surroundings and illuminating Kalik's face in surprise.

"W-what?!" he shouted struggling to get away from Drake.

"Calm down and watch," Drake said calmly, holding the teen in place, "You aren't part of the system yet but I'm sure you will understand this."

Drake looked out past the wall plains and sparse trees on this side of the encampment covered in snow.

"Condense," Drake murmured the ball of fire shrinking down as it pulled in on itself condensing into a dense miniature star of white fire.

A second later flew forward screeching through the air and melting the surrounding snow, burning through the first tree it hit.

"Burst."

A crackling boom shattered the silent surroundings igniting the area as the water instantly turned to steam and anything that touched the flames quickly withered, bursting into a white ethereal silhouette.

Drake looked around seeing the gaping maws of the youths, including Charlotte and Landin who had seen Drake cast magic before but never this up close.

He could also feel the teen shaking beneath his hand.

Drake let go releasing the boy. Surprisingly Kalik didn't fall to his knees but moved away his shoulders shaking. What remained was the icy stare he showed Drake.

Tough kid, even when he's shown he can't compete the fire won't waver huh? He's going to go places if he's nurtured.

"That was just a small taste of the magic I can produce. I can teach each one of you how to be strong. Strong enough that you could challenge me one day if you so choose."

Drake saw the faces of some of the teens light up, Kalik's especially forming a slight grin.

"But don't think that magic is the only thing I can do. And that strength alone will be enough to beat me."

Taking his hand, Drake pushed mana into his Tattoos, the golden light beginning to pulse and vibrate with power, soon mixing with a sinister red as he activated his martial skill.

Drake's hair suddenly shimmered cascading to a bright crimson.

"Heretical Attunement, Fire."

His arms quickly brimming to life with another layer of white fire as he reared it back, a moment later throwing it forward toward the plains in front of them the sheer force of the blow uplifting the ground and trees roots and all. A small whirlwind of snow kicking up in the turbulence.

Drake turned smiling, "Follow me, if only for a little. And I will show you how to get this strong."

The youths looked at the destruction in awe. The previous chief and his daughter both stone-faced but it could not conceal their shaking clenched fists at their side, both subconsciously reaching for weapons at their sides that weren't there.

"I'll give you all till the end of the anchoring of the crystal to decide. My training will be tough and you will receive no coddling from me. You may go now, the non-combat classes can stay while I get an idea of what is going on."

Drake gave a nod to Rvul, the man taking a second to come out of his stupor before ushering the children off, the only one in the group looking back with fierce determination in their eyes Kalik.

"W-what was that about?" Landin asked, slightly shaken, "Seeing that up close is just scary man! You make me not want to even learn this stuff now! If you can do that, what can monsters do?"

"That was the point, Landin. Everyone might have the option of becoming strong with the system but I need those who are willing to do more than just become strong. I doubt if even half of those kids come back," Drake sighed.

"A-are you saying we will have to be able to deal with stuff like that… If we become combat classes?" Charlotte asked.

Drake looked at her in the eyes, his face serious, "Yes. I didn't lie to you two before, this will be hard but it is the only way if you want to become strong enough to protect your family. You've seen it already, in this new world people will take what they want and the only thing that will stop them is your own strength. I won't always be here to stop them for you. And would you really want to rely on me forever?"

The teens looked downtrodden, their heads turning to the floor as they both changed to thoughtful expressions.

Drake left them to their thoughts as he addressed the handful of non-combat classes he found remaining.

"OK, which one of you is the warsmith?" Drake asked.

A large bulky bald Orc stepped forward.

"Brok is, Patriarch."

"Brok! Like from Pokemon!" Drake exclaimed hitting the man on the side of the arm, but the joke fell flat as the Orc had obviously never heard of the show.

Coughing, Drake moved forward, "Right. What weapons can you make? Is it only weapons or can you make armor as well?"

"Only weapons, Patriarch. Orc does not concern with armor."

Drake looked back to Sah Ul' nodding to himself, "I can see that. Ok well here are some materials see what you can do with them," he explained, dropping a small hill of Ant bodies and the rest of his materials from the Mines in the tutorial.

Brok's face raised in surprise but soon nodded, excitement taking over as he stored the materials.

"Anything we get from the monster attacks is yours as well, but it will take some time to gather them right now," Drake explained.

"It is fine, this will do," Brok answered.

"Great, hope you can make something good, I want you to prioritize Sah Ul's weapon. I did break it after all…" Drake said, scratching his cheek embarrassedly.

Brok nodded, bowing slightly to Drake then turned to Sah Ul', "May the mother bless your hunt."

"May the mother bless your hunt?" Drake parroted, turning to Sah Ul'.

"It is Orc saying. Brings blessing of the Mother for plentiful hunt and strength in battle," Sah Ul' explained.

Drake chuckled a bit, "I like that."

Pointing to the next one down the line, "Alright, who are you?"

—--------

After a few minutes of interviewing the line of Orcs, Drake had talked to 6 other non-combat profession classes. Their classes ranged from Fletching all the way to Tattooing.

The latter was something that Drake was extremely interested although he didn't have the time or resources to help the woman yet.

"Ok, Nu' Cukik, here are all the F-Rank Cores I can spare right now. Level up those skills and I'll do my best to provide you with with I can later," Drake told her, handing over the cores.

"As Patriarch wishes," Nu' nodded.

The process of making Mana Tattoos apparently involved melting down Monster Cores as they were used as a catalyst to bind the mana from the tattooist.

Right when Drake had sent them all back, someone he didn't wish to see showed up looking for him.

"I'm busy right now, can't you come back later?" Drake grumbled.

"Really? I thought after seeing your brother's city established you would want to talk," Bridgette sighed, letting her cigarette hang from her mouth.

"Put that out there are kids still here," Drake told her, "Atticus isn't my pressing problem right now," Drake explained waving her off.

"Interesting. Even after seeing the name of his city, you still believe that?" Bridgette asked again, squashing her cig.

"He's always been an overzealous man, drawn to one cause or the next. It's why he was so unstable and left," Drake scoffed.

"What if I say that the things he did in the tutorial were the epitome of that extreme, and it is targeted at…" Bridgette looked at Sah Ul'.

"Purity… You don't mean... Even he wouldn't go that far, even at the worst of times," Drake said, his jaw clenching slightly.

"Then, care to hear what I have to say?"

"Why now?" Drake asked, "You can't tell me the finishing of his city is the real reason, you could have just insisted when we were in the library."

Bridgette pointed to the other end of the wall, "May we move this elsewhere, I would appreciate being able to smoke if you don't mind."

Drake looked over to Sah Ul', "Watch the kids," before she could refuse Drake looked at her pleadingly, "Please. This is… This talk is personal, about family."

Sah Ul' looked taken aback but nodded, moving down the wall and next to the children.

Drake snapped his fingers and placed an elemental on the wall for good measure of any unwanted guests.

The pair walked further down, Drake pulling out some chairs for them to sit down, as Bridgette pulled another cigarette and lit it.

"Then, tell me. What was my older brother doing when he came back from the dead?" Drake asked tersely.

"Why did you believe he was dead?" Bridgette asked, then received a death stare from Drake. Coughing, "I-if you don't mind me asking."

Drake sighed, "Atticus was my older brother, he was several years older… and a half-brother. My father was married before he met my mother. He was an only child up until then for years, but he was lost. He went from one cause to the next after he got out of school. One year it was some mission in Africa helping kids, the next he was in the Middle East helping towns torn apart by war. Eventually, he found his way back but it was worse."

"Worse?"

"He had become eccentric beyond help. My father tried to help him, admitting him to a mental facility. But Atticus being the resourceful person that he was, charmed the nurses and broke out. We received a letter a few days after from him saying he was on a journey and had met his rightful path with some loony cult. After that, we never heard from him again. I assumed he was dead, it was well over 10 years ago, he should be pushing 35 by now."

"I see…" Bridgette said exhaling a long drag. Crossing her legs she recounted her time in the tutorial, "I believe you said there were only humans in your tutorial correct?"

Drake nodded.

"In my tutorial, there were many races. Beastmen of all kinds, Insectoids, and some races I still could not tell you what they were. It was a melting pot of sorts… But," Bridgette paused taking another drag, "As all new and unknown things with humans, they were scared. We had no idea what was going on, on top of new races being introduced it was a nightmare. Your brother, Atticus… He began immediately rounding them up. Once he received his class he outstripped everyone in strength."

"What was his class?" Drake asked, "And what do you mean rounding up?"

"I mean concentration camp style. There was no remorse. And no I do not know what his class was, all I know is that it used some form of potent fire magic. But the things he did. I won't say that I cared for it, but it was quite the story."

"You talk as if it didn't affect you? Are you some kind of psycho?" Drake asked gripping the hem of his hoodie slightly.

"I am a sociopath after all. It's why I was so good at my job. I can look at the data unbiasedly. I was never the employee of the month, but I got my job done, and it was interesting. That's all I cared about."

"A sociopath? But you feel fear?" Drake said recalling her shivering.

"Natural instinct is different from being able to feel empathy… I don't want to die. Regardless, the things your brother would do were amazing in a sense, if not cruel. He killed every other race in that tutorial. I witnessed many horrific things. Women children and whole families were burned by his hands, all in the name of some obscure god that he had only seen. He told his followers he was freeing the dirty, cleaning them. I never participated," Bridgette said holding up her hands, seeing the seething anger in Drake's eyes, "The point of all this is to tell you that if he is able to gain more followers outside it will only get worse. And based on where this little city seems to be going, it will be right in his crosshairs eventually."

"I see…" Drake eeked out through clenched teeth.

"Well? What are you going to do about it?"

"What do you expect me to say? I'll kill him?" Drake growled.

"Well, that would be the simplest method."

"I won't kill my brother! I thought he was dead this whole time. I'll at least... I'll at least talk to him first. No matter what he's done he's still family first and that means something. He's just confused, like he was before, I'm sure the system has only made it worse," Drake explained, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than her.

"I see. And what if he attacks this place?" Bridgette asked, puffing on her cigarette.

"It won't. I won't let him."

Drake looked behind him, seeing Sah Ul' and the teens.

"He will see reason.. I'll make sure of it…"