The Enlightened Blade

Arjun withdrew his dagger from the back of his target, and stepped back. The familiar bile that rose in his throat was easily suppressed, and he turned just in time to watch Ernest walk in.

“Hehe, good work kid. That guy was a freebie. At this rate, all of us will get classes soon enough,” the tall, wiry man said, a menacing glint in his eyes. Arjun just nodded his head, his eyes blank, his gaze pointed at the ground. Ernest peered into his eyes for a moment before sneering, and calling over their third guy, who had been hiding behind a rock with their captive, George. “Thatcher, it’s all clear. You can drag our captive back out here. And throw this damn body out of our cave.”

The man named Thatcher dragged a limp George into the open, and dropped him right next to the still form of Raj. “I got it boss,” Thatcher said, leering at Raj. “Serves him right for bargin’ into our hideout like that.” Thatcher’s deep voice was laced with a thick Southern accent, sharply contrasting the shrill sound of Ernest’s voice. “Hey boss, this one’s got a ring. Should we take it?”

“No, there’s no point. It’s just some jewelry. It’s worthless to us now,” Ernest replied dismissively.

Ernest turned back to Arjun. “Kid, you can go back now,” he said dismissively. He quickly whipped back around, however, catching Arjun just before he left to go deeper into the cave.

“Yes?” Arjun submissively replied.

“You remember the golden rule, right?”

“Yeah, I remember. Death awaits all those who use magic. But you said I can practice eventually, right?” Arjun reiterated for what seemed like the 100th time, the spark of hope within him burning strong.

“Y-Yeah, eventually,” Ernest responded, hesitating slightly before exchanging a smirk with Thatcher, his echoing footsteps signaling his return. Arjun, oblivious to the exchange, let a small smile find its way onto his mouth.

He started to walk further back into the cave, his expression not faltering even slightly as he walked past the pleading eyes of George.

*****

Raj awoke in midair.

Am I flying? Or am I dying? I ain’t lying. Your mama was-

His inner monologue was interrupted when his face met with the ground. “Eughh,” he groaned, spitting dirt out of his mouth. He sat up, turning around. Behind him was a small ledge, about five feet in height.

“Wow. Now that takes talent. In a matter of a couple seconds, I managed to process the fact that I was falling, and then start a rap about me falling. All while somehow twisting myself in a way that made me fall face first into a pile of muck.” Raj stopped for a moment, before finishing his thought, “I am not okay.”

Suddenly, it all rushed back to him. The cave, the pain, the knife, Arjun. And pain. Excruciating pain. Agony raced through his body as though it was just reminded of the fact that he had been mauled by dragons only a few hours ago. Physical pain wasn’t the only thing he felt, however.

Why, Arjun? No, I must have not seen it correctly. Or maybe he slipped or something. Or was he held at gunpoint? Raj’s ramblings grew more and more inane, his mind not able to grasp the fact that his best friend had done this to him. He opened his status to see his condition.

Status

Name: Rajeev Narayanan

Race: Human(H)

Class: Swordsman[(Common-G) lvl 12]

Profession: None

Titles: Giant Slayer, Vitality I, Strength I, Enlightened One(G), Agility I, Endurance I

HP: 54/500

MP: 260/270

SP: 312/360

Stats

Strength: 47(45)

Agility: 53(46)(+5)

Vitality: 54(52)

Endurance: 36(35)

Intelligence: 27(26)

Wisdom: 24(23)

Free Points: 0

Class Skills: Mana Slash(Common), Dash(Uncommon)

Profession Skills: None

General Skills: Identify(Common)

Raj opened the tutorial panel in quick succession.

Welcome to the Tutorial

Information: The Tutorial will proceed for 30 days. The only required criteria for completion is survival. Anything else is extra and will thus be rewarded for.

Countdown: 23 days, 13 hours and 58 minutes

Tutorial Contribution(TC) will be given to all participants for any actions that impact the tutorial or the beings inside it. This includes slaying monsters or other humans, as well as completing or contributing to the completion of objectives. The leaders in terms of TC will be given rewards at the end of the tutorial in accordance to the amount of TC they have. TC is not visible as points by the participants.

Objectives: A power lurks in the grassy plains to the East of the forest. Defeat the monstrosity and its 3 most powerful subordinates to complete the objective.

Damn. It’s only been an hour since I last checked, and somehow my entire world has been turned upside down for the second time this week.

He reached into his ring, pulling out a few plants and stuffing them into his mouth in an attempt to quell the pangs of hunger flaring up from his stomach. It worked, at least partially. He leaned against a tree, trying to bring his emotions under control. He let out a sigh, before quickly turning his head.

“What was that? Who’s there?” Raj asked, trying to push himself into a fighting stance. A pulse of green light emitting from a nearby tree had caught his eye. The forest, however, remained as quiet as ever. He cautiously approached the light, head on a swivel. It wasn’t until he was right next to the tree that he realized that the light was coming from inside the tree. Making sure not to damage the object that was causing the light, he cut the tree in half.

The light immediately intensified, no longer being constrained. It captivated Raj, demanding his unwavering attention. Tears began to well up in his eyes as flashes of beauty and nature ran through his head. Words were simply too inadequate to describe the emotions he felt.

He willed a mental block into fruition, and he immediately broke away from the visions. That was dangerous. Being stuck like that next to a beacon of light could get me killed, especially in my weakened condition. He debated simply fleeing from the light, worry gnawing at him. His curiosity took over, however, and he grabbed the light.

“Is that… a fairy?!?”