#Current Zone: Y (Tutorial)
#Tutorial Points: (122/100)
#Squad: @Boxcutter
#Time Left: 20h 22m
#Name: Bandage
#Class: Healer
#Level: 1 (0/10 XP)
#HP: 5/10
#MP: 2/5
#Skills: Healing (Level 1): Heals oneself or others.
In the morning, I checked my system.
Last day. Only 13 players left. We walked out of the cave, grim and serious. It was a dangerous situation.
Out of us thirteen, only 10 had any real chance of completing the tutorial.
What happens when we fail? Nothing good, I believed, as the other seven players had died right in front of our own eyes, a grim reminder that death in this "game" was very real.
Boxcutter grabbed me by the arms and pressed herself close to me. "Good work last night, partner. You are getting good at this. The tutorial is almost over. What do you say, we go somewhere private to discuss your trade?" She whispered in my ear, biting my earlobe lightly.
I gulped and glanced back. All of them were looking at us.
Blaze was being carried by Junglejoe on his back, while the kids were following them. The others were following closely behind.
They were staring at us very sharply, more specifically at Boxcutter, as joining her squad was the only way for them to have any chance of clearing the tutorial.
However, Boxcutter was so scary that I knew none of them would approach her.
We kept walking back towards the clearing. The cave, covered in blood and gore, wasn't a nice place to be. We would need to find a new shelter.
On our way towards the clearing, Boxcutter pulled me away from the others and brought me towards the creek. I went with her, having no energy to resist.
"So. Do you still need the points...?" She pushed me against a tree, her chest pressing against mine as she licked a stripe on my cheek.
I froze, my heart pounding loudly.
"Not po-points exactly... but I want you to immediately build up the squad and give the new members the required points... and please let's not do these kinds of things... yet..."
I didn't look in her eyes, her warm breath on my face. She smirked and pulled out her Boxcutter, running it along my neck.
***
Blaze POV
My leg hurt; it hadn't healed much since that bear had bitten it. It was so pathetic that I had to ride on the back of an armless guy.
I clung to his shoulder, feeling pathetic and embarrassed, like a dead weight. I wanted to be strong, at least in front of the kids, show myself to them as a dependable older sister, but here I was.
The clearing was still a ways away, so I opened my stats:
#Current Zone: Y (Tutorial)
#Tutorial Points: (805/100)
#Squad: @Chase, @Eyes (Leader)
#Time Left: 20h 15m
#Name: Blaze
#Class: Element Caster (Fire)
#Level: 1 (0/10 XP)
#HP: 4/10
#MP: 2/5
#Skills: Flame Thrower (Level 1): Throws out flames.
There it was: 805 points and 3 members in my squad. This tutorial looked clearable. One would think the tutorial of any game would be easier than the real game. But if the tutorial is this brutal, then what would the real game be like?
For that exact reason, I needed to get strong players in my squad. The kids were a burden but also my responsibility now. So for the remaining two members of my team, I had to choose strong players.
This Junglejoe guy was coming with us; not only was he strong, I owed him for carrying me on his back. One might say he has only one arm, but even after that, he was the most fearless and useful in our fight against those wolves.
For the last member, if going by the metric of strength alone, Bandage's girlfriend or whatever their relationship is... what was her name again? Boxcutter?
She was clearly the strongest player among us; with her in our team, we would have an easier time in the game.
The problem was that she had her own squad and, more importantly, she hates me. And I hate her.
That's why Bandage would be the last member of my squad. I know he is in Boxcutter's squad, but I also know that he doesn't want to be there; their relationship is toxic and a clear power imbalance is at play.
I chose Bandage because not only had he protected Eyes from the bees, but I also knew him better than any other player who wasn't already in my team.
Most importantly, he was a healer, so any hope of getting my leg healed was with him. I would wait for him until the last hour and keep his space reserved.
"We've reached the clearing. Put me down. Near that tree..."
I said as the clearing came into view. I wanted to get off as soon as possible, not being able to bear this humiliation any longer.
He did as told and put me down. I leaned against the tree and breathed deeply.
"Are you alright, miss... your leg, is it hurting badly?" Eyes came over as soon as I was in her reach and clung to me, her eyes anxious. I patted her head and assured her.
"It's healing faster than expected. I'll be able to walk soon..."
"But how is it healing? Isn't that healer guy off fooling around with his girlfriend?" Chase interrupted, and I glared at him.
"I... I am sorry..." He shut up. These kids were very brazen; it was amazing how they could behave so normally after seeing people die and being in dangerous situations themselves.
Almost as if they still thought it was just a game.
As for Bandage, I had noticed him get pulled away by that girl towards the creek. Maybe they were having some serious discussion... maybe not. Would they really 'fool around' in a situation like this? I wasn't sure about Bandage, but that girl, she could do anything. Her screws seemed loose, if anything.
"Blaze... we need to talk..." a voice called out. It was Junglejoe, still standing around, maybe wondering how to bring it up. This guy had lost all four of his teammates. I knew what he wanted.
I sent him the squad invitation, and his eyes widened for a moment before he accepted.
#Congratulations: @Junglejoe has successfully joined your squad.
While all this was happening, the other players who were still hanging near us were watching very closely. Their eyes were desperate.