Chapter 19 - Tutorial (Hunter) - 5
Vesper's smile turns bitter as he realizes that the hunter's side has more rules than the survivors'. What's more, the last rule really bothers him. He and Alanna have already crossed that line!
Vesper's curiosity is piqued. He asks Xenokaz.
'Why is that last rule in place, sir?'
"Political issues."
'Political?'
"It's related to the competition between factions. We, the hunters, belong to Lord Supreme Judge. The survivors, on the other hand, represent Lord Supreme Protector. And there's… never mind."
The lich coughs and looks at the billboard, grumbling in frustration. He paces back and forth as if he's touching an uncomfortable topic.
"I understand your confusion. You see, in the past, some twisted hunters took pleasure in abusing the trial grounds by enslaving female survivors and turning them into meat slaves."
Vesper's frown deepens as he envisions the horrifying scenarios. He shudders at the thought of countless women being abused by monsters and hunters in a confined house. Memories of the disturbing chapters from the Berserk Series flood back, triggering his PTSD.
Xenokaz notices Vesper's reaction and continues his explanation.
"In the past, there were no time limit rules. Hunters would trap survivors in their territory and toy with them. Since they were technically human, the enslaved women were impregnated. This led to complications when the babies were born."
Xenokaz stops speaking. His blue eyeballs exude red and black flame because of his unstable emotions.
'What happened next, sir?' Vesper inquires.
"Long story short, war."
Xenokaz snorts and changes the subject, giving Vesper a strange look.
"Let's not dwell on the past and focus on the present. I hope you haven't violated the last rule."
Vesper is startled.
'O-Of course not, sir.'
"…Very well. If you say so. Just remember, no hunter is immortal. You can still be killed… and cursed."
'…'
Despite the mist concealing his face, he's sweating profusely. He wonders how the taboo or the curse will affect him in the future.
The lich raises the orb in his hand, causing items to fall from the sky. Bottles of water, hard bread, daggers, and bear traps litter the street. With a wave of his staff, the lich organizes the items by category.
"These are your starter items. If you need more, you can access the hunter's store by standing in the middle of a summoning circle, like this one here."
Xenokaz explains and lightly taps his right foot, creating a wooden box.
"Go ahead. Touch that box. You might not be able to buy anything right now, but you should familiarize yourself with the shop."
'Shop?' Vesper is curious. He places his hand on top of the wooden crate, which instantly lights up.
A semi-transparent window screen appears in front of Vesper, resembling an online shopping website from the modern world. However, the options are limited.
Cold weapons and traps take center stage. Water and food follow, along with spell books, runes, and potions. Firearms are nonexistent, as are worldly items like computers, furniture, toys, or trinkets.
Surprisingly, a rusty weapon and nail traps cost only one point, while a piece of bread requires 10 points, and a bottle of water costs five. A can of warm corn soup carries an exorbitant price tag of 100 points!
Being a gamer, Vesper naturally prioritizes checking out the end-game items. He adjusts the filters and looks for the most expensive ones.
On the screen, third-grade items are displayed. Short weapons like daggers, short knives, and shurikens are listed on the menu. The priciest among them is a resurrection potion, priced at 5,000 credits. Unidentified third-grade runes are also available, each costing 2,000 credits.
In addition to weapons, spellbooks catch his attention. All third-grade spellbooks are priced at 3,000 credits each. Second grade is at 1,500, and first grade at 1,000 respectively. Molotov cocktails are also offered for 1,000 credits each.
Another intriguing item is the Upgrade Tickets. Only first-grade upgrade tickets are listed, priced at 100 credits each. They're advertised to upgrade all spells from +0 to +1.
Vesper lets out a deep sigh as he realizes he can't afford any of the items. He closes the "System Window" and turns to Xenokaz.
Xenokaz laughs, "Are you disappointed?"
'The items aren't as impressive as I thought, sir.' Vesper admits.
"Heh! If you want access to a better shop, you'll need to earn a promotion through your achievements. Getting three S ranks guarantees a promotion. If you score anything else other than the S rank, you won't get the promotion."
'...Sounds challenging,' Vesper remarks.
"It can be. Killing a survivor in the tutorial is easy. But easy-mode survivors can be tricky. The odds are stacked against us," Xenokaz explains.
'I can imagine. They probably speed-run past us without a second thought,' Vesper adds.
Xenokaz's grin widens, and he taps his head lightly with his staff.
"I'm glad to be your tutor. You're not as whiny as other newcomers, and you catch on quickly. I appreciate coachable hunters."
'...Thank you, sir. You are very kind,' Vesper responds sincerely.
"Heh! Me? Kind? I wish my colleagues could hear this, BAHAHAHAHAHA!" Xenokaz chuckles.
'…'
After laughing for a minute, Xenokaz lets out a long sigh. He points towards a one-story house that Vesper had entered earlier.
"Well, no survivors have shown up yet. We've got some time for a tour. Let's head inside that house. It's a default first stage that survivors always pick."
Vesper nods and follows Xenokaz into the house.
...
Xenokaz steps into the house and switches on the lights. Standing in the middle of the living room, he gestures towards the front door.
"Although the rules state that your spawning location is random, there are only four possible locations - in front of that door, the kitchen, the bedroom, or the garage. If you spawn at the front door, it's an automatic win. Otherwise, you'll need to rely on spells."
Vesper takes mental notes but remains curious about the hunters' abilities.
'What are spells, sir?' he asks.
Xenokaz settles on a couch, sighing like an elderly man as he puts his belongings down and snaps his fingers.
A bear trap materializes out of thin air and lands in front of the entrance, its rusty jaws wide open, poised for any unwary prey to step into.
"There are three default spells that you can use at the beginning - Turn off the breakers, summon a bear trap, and summon a guardian. Light-off spell costs 10 energy. Summon a bear trap costs 50, and summoning a guardian varies. You start with full 100 points."
Listening to the lecture differs from the real experience. Vesper can't help but feel that the spells are underwhelming.
'…Wow. Those spells suck.'
Once again, Xenokaz bursts into laughter. "Are you already experienced in this field? Yeah, the initial spells may seem powerful and useful at first glance. However, in practice, they're very situational! The only reliable option is the summoning guardian spell. Only fools would step into an obvious giant bear trap, even if it's placed in a chokepoint! Well, first-timers often fall for it, though. Don't underestimate the spells, alright?"
Vesper wryly smiles, recalling his experiences as a survivor. He doesn't remember Alanna summoning a bear trap or using other spells on him.
Xenokaz adds, "There's also a limitation to the bear traps. You can only deploy TWO simultaneously. Once one is activated, you cannot rearm it or retrieve it! Keep that in mind."
Understanding the limitations, Vesper is once again disappointed. The perk is worse than he imagined.
"Next, the hidden rune's location is sealed inside a wall in the washroom. Survivors need a gold key to unlock it."
Xenokaz continues lecturing and giving tips to Vesper for hours. After exploring the house, they move on to the next buildings.
...
Three hours later, Xenokaz and Vesper leave the fifth house. The lich turns and heads towards a five-story apartment.
*DING-DING*
Suddenly, an alarm sounds, and a giant digital clock appears in the sky. A large billboard emerges from the road 500 meters away from their location. In the distance, a red naked man sits on the concrete road, looking around in confusion.
Xenokaz and Vesper gaze at the survivor. The former grins.
"Your first prey has arrived. Let's postpone the tour for another time. It's hunting time."
Vesper gulps and takes a deep breath. Concealing his nervousness by biting his lower lip, he follows the mentor toward the survivor.
Xenokaz explains, "Survivors cannot see, hear, or interact with us, but we can observe their actions. Whenever a survivor or a team appears, make sure to stalk them and learn their behavior before the match. This way, you can understand their preparations and initial items."
Vesper appreciates the guidance. He wonders why Alanna warned him not to trust anyone when the apostle is so kind and helpful.
"Also, don't forget to check their boards to determine their difficulty mode. Adjust your tactics accordingly, understand?"
'Yes, sir!'