The Enlightened Blade

“WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK ARE YOU GUYS DOING!?!” Paul screamed, nearly tearing his hair out. Raj paused, as did the big man in front of him, both of them digesting his words.

“We’re fighting,” the big man slowly replied, as though he was talking to a five-year-old.

“I can see that, you dumb brute. What I meant was why the hell are you fighting in the first place?” Paul said, bringing his scream down to a slight yell.

“I don’t know, it felt right in the moment I guess,” Raj mumbled, lowering his weapon.

“‘Felt right’, he says. As if one of you battle junkies wasn’t enough,” Paul grumbled, shaking his head. Raj wanted to protest, as he didn’t think of himself as a battle junkie. Then he paused, realizing that he was currently acting like one. His fights and high level also added to the impression. Raj had always liked to think of himself as a smart, rational guy. He didn’t like to see himself straying from that path, and he made an internal vow to integrate that intelligence into this new world. Just because the world basically ended didn’t mean he couldn’t keep his head on straight.

Raj was thrown out of his inner musings when Paul addressed him again, this time in a measured tone. “I brought you here to not only meet the boss man, but also to trade information. I don’t know how much you know, but we aren’t the only major camp in the tutorial,” Paul said, causing Raj’s eyebrows to shoot up.

“Makes sense,” Raj replied. “But how many are there? And are they as large as this one?”

Paul went to speak, and then hesitated, before ultimately shaking his head. “We haven’t been able to get a proper report of the other camps, as their locations are simply better than ours. We do know that there are 2 other major camps, with numbers similar to ours. The problem is that one camp lucked out and found a massive cave, which can easily house all of them. It also provides multiple entryways, so they can’t get trapped, but they are small enough to guard with limited people.” Paul finished that thought with a deep inhale. After a moment, he continued. “Additionally, we know the other camp lucked out with some really weird tree camp. They have housing in the treetops, and the tree itself is at the other end of the forest, where the trees are largest. It is hollow in the inside as well, and is surprisingly big, according to our scouts. There are, of course, a few rogues, similar to you. That is all the information we have been able to glean thus far.”

Raj took a moment to digest the info dump he had been given. 2 other camps, huh? He thought, his expression turning into a grin. Knowing Arjun, he made friends with a big oaf on day one. He’s probably at one of the camps, but I don’t know which one. Raj knew those worries were at least a few days away from him, so he tried to keep Paul talking by asking a question. “Have the camps shown any open hostility to each other yet?” He asked. Raj knew this was an important question to ask, as it was one of the things that would shape the rest of the tutorial, and how he proceeded. Paul’s answer left him feeling slightly uneasy.

“At the moment, we kind of have a ceasefire in place, but it is very shaky, and it could break at any moment. None of the camps like the others very much, and the distrust is palpable,” Paul said, not seeming to like it any more than Raj did. Raj’s hopes for a nice Kumbaya moment were dashed, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to stick around the large camps. His main concern was the fact that he might have to kill another person, but he also just didn’t want to get slowed down in general. Additionally, if he wanted to find Arjun as fast as possible, he couldn’t afford to stay tied down to a camp.

Raj had made sure to scan the camp when he had walked up, and he hadn’t seen Arjun anywhere. Even a quick name drop didn’t seem to ring any bells for Paul, who seemed to know everyone in the camp by name. Also…

I need to get stronger, he thought. As strong as possible. This tutorial will be unrelenting, and the real world will be even more so. I have no idea what will happen out there, so I have to be prepared to fight. Speaking of power-ups, I wonder when the first milestone is? Raj guessed that there were milestones because of the fact that his class, as well as his race, were both labeled at H-rank. Raj assumed that the upgrades would come with more stats, but anything else was unknown.

“So, Raj,” Paul said, making Raj focus his attention back onto the smaller man. Raj was at a decent height, standing at 5 foot 10 inches, but there were many people that he had gone up against when practicing with a sword that were taller and built bigger. Raj always dreamed of being the big, muscular hero that could cut anything that stood in his way. Alas, reality caused his dream to come crashing down, and the limitations of his build and physique would not allow him to utilize a build focused on STR. AGI would have to be his primary stat, with the others growing alongside it. Paul continued after a slight cough, and Raj took the hint.

“As I was saying, we were wondering if you were thinking about joining a camp. Specifically, our camp. You are very strong, perhaps even stronger than the boss, and with you, we would be able to take on stronger monsters, and take on the other camps with increased success,” Paul said, a hint of desperation leaking out from under the otherwise expressionless mask he called a face.

“Before I answer, I have a question of my own,” Raj said. Paul dipped his head slightly in response, and Raj kept talking. “How do your scouts survive in the forest? It doesn’t make any sense. I am much stronger, and I constantly run into deadly situations where I barely escape with my life intact.” Raj leaned forward after his last words, curious to find out if there was a trick he could apply himself.

“To tell you the truth, archers in general seem to possess an innate ability to better conceal themselves, and this dense jungle terrain is very good for it. Even so, we have lost half of the archers we have sent out, and not a single one returned without injury. Some were lighter wounds, while others were severe. The information we just gave you came at a price, and we simply cannot send any more scouts out right now without good reason,” Paul replied. Well, that makes more sense. Too bad I can’t use the advantage myself, but those poor archers did not seem to be able to make much out of it with their low strength. There are simply too many powerhouse monsters that roamed the forest for safe travel to be guaranteed.

Raj nodded in response, before saying, “I understand what you are going through, I really do, but I got a person I have to find, and can’t afford to let my search or my strength stagnate. I will view you guys as allies, and if I can help against a tough monster, I will.” Raj quickly raised a hand to stall Paul’s inevitable question, and kept going. “That being said, I refuse to fight against other human beings unless I myself determine them to be bad people. As nice as you have been, I simply can’t go off of just your word.”

The big man, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke. “I understand your thoughts, and I honestly did not expect you to stay. I appreciate the sentiment about being allies. I wish you safe travels on your journey.” Raj stood there for a moment, before nodding at the axe wielder. He then turned to Paul, cracking a smile as he did so.

“Thanks for the information Paul, you guys have been really kind to me. I truly am sorry I can’t stay and help. I wish you all the best of luck. Raj turned on his heel with that final remark, marching back out of the cave, and down the path. Dozens of eyes stared at him as the people of the camp whispered furiously amongst themselves. After a few moments, he finally arrived back at the treeline. He stepped back into the jungle, and summoned his sword. He melted back into the surprisingly familiar foliage, and pressed on, never once looking back.