I reached out into the dark abyss and tapped the "Retry from Checkpoint" button that lingered. Within an instant, every color, sound, and scent returned. I was back there again, woken up by the sound of a catapult launching a rock into the walls. Seems like everything has been happening the way they did last time.
I then shake my head and ran further into the city. Every house I passed through were either burning or crushed by boulders. Wasn't I supposed to be a fabled commander in the game? Why am I fleeing like a little rat right now?
"Help us...", a faint voice said that snapped me out of those thoughts. Upon further tracking, it came from a house with a crushed roof and with debris flooding the doorway.
"Hello!? Are you still there? I'm here to help!", I said as I began lifting the debris away from the doorway. As I slowly cleared the area, a thought lingered and clawed at the back of my mind. What if... I die again? Is this my last chance?
"Are you two okay?", I asked frantically as I eventually rescued a mother and a child. All they could do was nod from the shock. I have to at least save these people...
Shouts echoed from afar again. The centaurs have probably broken in. With haste, I grabbed both their wrists and made a reckless run for it. Where to? I don't know- but I'll figure it out.
From the corner of my eye, I see a soldier rallying the people. We're almost there, but the sound of galloping was getting closer. At this rate, it'll catch up to us! Not if I...
"Go! Run towards that man and DO NOT LOOK BACK!", I yelled as I pointed towards the soldier, before I turned around with a grim expression, preparing to face death again. At least... I saved a life.
I remember that arrogant mug. This is the same monster that killed me! I got into my orthodox stance, standing left foot forward and right foot behind with my fists raised, focusing on his wielded spear.
As he began to swing his spear, I pushed off my front foot, moving backward and avoiding the deadly edge before I bent my legs as I moved my torso, twisting slightly as I slipped my head to the left away from the incoming thrust, then weaved under with head movement before I hopped away to maintain extra distance and reset.
This shit is so fucking unfair! With that spear of his, he can attack me from far away without consequences. Even if I close the distance, I don't think I can wrestle him with those horse legs of his. With thighs as big as a horse's, leg kicks to the thigh are a fruitless endeavor...
The centaur then stood on his hind legs, signaling a charge so I used my footwork to step to the right before pivoting off of my right foot, turning away from the centaur's charge like a graceful matador. So he has that thrust, swipe, and charge attack... but how can I deal with that weapon? Think, Marcus, think!
My mind recalls to a seminar that happened at our MMA gym. It was from a weapons expert. He said that when it comes to facing an armed assailant, there is no "self-defense". Just running away wasn't going to cut it either, if the assailant is determined to kill. You must quickly cripple or seriously injure the opponent in a few moves before running or ending the battle. Those knees of his seems like a viable target.
I then take a wider stance, tucking in my elbows to guard my stomach and sticking my fists to my cheeks, imitating Mike Tyson as I begin bobbing my head from side to side. He who controls the distance will win this fight.
I begin to push off my right foot, dashing diagonally as I leaned towards the left, before I pushed off my feet into another backstep, avoiding that spear swing of his. As the centaur retracts his arms for a stab, I pushed off my right foot again, dashing diagonally to the left as I slipped my head to the left, avoiding the stab to my head before I pivoted with my left foot, turning my body away to the far edges of his vision and I performed a lateral shuffle with my footwork, now disappearing from his line of sight. The centaur now had no choice but to trot and turn to face me... that will be my opening. As the centaur turns, I waited patiently for the right timing...
"Shh!", I exhaled as I threw a right oblique kick, stomping down HARD on one of his front legs with my tilted right foot, just above the knee which caused a sickening cracking sound as his knee hyperextended and folded inward.
"AARGH!", the centaur cried out in pain. Just before he swung wildly with the spear, I quickly mounted his lower body like a horse, further stressing and folding his knee joint. He tried to trash wildly, but my left arm quickly wrapped around his neck like an anaconda, with my left hand holding onto my right bicep as my right hand snaked its way onto the back of his head, pressing down and squeezing at his neck in a rear naked choke. All he could do was grip my forearms as each second passes... until his body goes limp and I fall down with him. He'll be out cold for a good minute... but what if he returns and kills the civilians? I have the opportunity to finish him... but isn't killing bad? Should I spare him? But he killed me once...
I take a deep breath to clear my thoughts. Focus on the motion, eliminate the threat.
"Focus on the motion, eliminate the threat...", I chanted as I gripped one of its horns and grabbed its goatie... before I exhaled as I tugged, twisting and snapping his neck in one quick motion. I killed a centaur.
"...MY BROTHERS, KILL THAT HUMAN!", a centaur shouted from afar. Behind him was a band of centaurs galloping forward before tugging on their bowstrings and aiming their arrows upward. This is probably it. I will most likely be executed by those arrows. Time seemed to slow down as they release the arrows and I watched a volley of them now aiming to rain down on my body like meteors. If I die again... will I respawn, or will I finally die for real?
Suddenly, a shadow was casted over my eyes as a figure leaped over me and the dead centaur, standing steadfast with a shield raised. The figure was clad in full plate armor and chanted a silent prayer, conjuring a blue ethereal field around us. Arrows seemed to bounce off of what looked like a force field and the field remained as the armored person stood up to face me. This must be a Guardian. Is this character a player?
"Off your back now.", the figure asked beneath her steel plated helmet, her voice as sweet as honey, muffled by steel. The guardian then offered a hand and helped me get back onto my feet.
"Knights of the Six, rally to me!", another person yelled. His voice sounded familiar. I turned to him and my suspicions were confirmed. It was Alfonse Reiner, the humans' champion from the original game, and the guy you faced the tutorial with. Alfonse, wielding his special sword Lightbringer, along with the knights and the guardian charged towards the wave of centaurs and made quick work of them. The guardian was a curious sight though, and as I suspected, she can only use the basic mace and shield skills. Only after the tutorial were we allowed to use other utility skills.
The human army then successfully pushed the centaurs back. If memory serves me right, a centaur priest will gallop into the battlefield and summon a gigantic earth elemental to crush the city, and the players are supposed to beat it to end the tutorial. Am I coming with? Hell no! The fuck are my punches going to do against a big ass stone monster!?
...but it wouldn't sit right with me just to stay still. I have to act... what if there were more citizens to be saved? And that's what I did next. I ran, scoured the whole city calling out to survivors, lifted debris and redirected them to the evacuation site. The survivors were mostly injured men and women, children, and some... farm animals?
As I was saving them though, on the other side of the city, I can see the earth elemental, a creature of rocks, rubble and roots held together by magic. Now that I'm done evacuating the civilians, maybe I can score some participation points for it- assuming the game mechanics still work. I looked around and grab a fist-sized rock before I ran towards the other end of the city, trying to keep my eyes off of the centaur corpses which looked oddly realistic.
I got closer to the scene, and saw Alfonse, the guardian, and the knights hacking, slashing, and bashing at the elemental. At this rate, it's probably on its last stand. I then extended my left arm into the sky, trying to estimate the distance before I threw the rock with all of my might, watching the rock soar through the skies and slowly descend... until it landed and merely tapped one of the elemental's stony hands. Yeah, nice participation buddy, shit did nothing!
Suddenly, I can feel a wave of pressure internally. It's as if the action triggered my fight or flight instincts... did I just initiate combat with that thing? A few seconds later though, the pressure lifted as the elemental looked up, screaming as a burst of light began to exit from its body, before it released a shockwave that knocked away everyone that was too close, good thing I'm so far away. So that's how it looked like behind the scenes. I ran up to the scene, seeing Alfonse and his soldiers recover, but the guardian was still knocked out. I suppose I can't just leave her here... so with great struggle, I hoisted the armored lady over onto my shoulders and began my long walk towards the evacuation camp.
"Medic?", I called out as I entered the camp, looking for a tent. Upon talking to the few survivors that recognized me, they then led me to the medic camp where I dropped the armored guardian onto a spare bed and caught my breath shortly after.
"Another casualty?", the medic asked, who looked more of a hooded priest than a doctor. She lifted up the guardian's helmet and revealed a lady as fair as them all, with flowing blonde hair and an expression as peaceful as sleeping beauty's. Even I can't help but spare a few seconds to admire her beauty. The medic- or healer then opened her palms in front of her, coating the sleeping guardian with a ray of golden light as she heals her.
"She seems to be alive, thank goodness. And you? Are you injured?", the healer asked.
"I'm good. Hella sore everywhere, though. I could use a bed to rest.", I responded. The healer then gestured to a free medical bed at the other side of the tent. I went to lay down on it. Now that the tutorial is over... I'll probably wake up from my dream now, right? It was fun while it lasted.
As I shut my eyes close, everything quiets down... until another message pops up from the dark.
"Tutorial Completed. New title earned: Hero of Graywatch"