Chapter 370 - Cruelty in you (Patreon)

Just a few minutes remain until the black wolf returns home. Biscuit's summon was only for 12 hours, unlike mine for 24 hours. In that time, we got some information from him and he got some training from Biscuit. Somehow.

It’s still an interesting sight to see a burrito-shaped corgi floating in front of the giant wolf who just listens and nods once in a while. I bet if he could, he would be taking notes. That’s how much reverence he watches him with.

The black wolf was about to die, saved by the system, and summoned to be Biscuit's disciple. Right away, he understood the majesty of the deer jerky addict Biscuit and his control over the primordial energy that they both share. Even though he is of a higher level, just knowing that he was willing to learn from Biscuit and even revered him as master shows quite a bit about his personality.

At the start of the summon, he complained a lot and even growled, but closer to the end, he just closed his eyes as Vega and other members of Group 4, unable to resist, petted him.

Obviously, he still complained about disgrace, but it’s not like it changed anything.

There are even a few dozen photos in the gallery of the smartphone Izzy has, together with more pictures of Vega and our group. The smartphone is kept charged by solar panels meant for people going camping and needing to recharge their devices. That smartphone is now on the table nearby, playing cheerful Japanese pop music. Tess’s favorite.

It took a while for Vega to get used to this kind of sorcery, but now I notice her humming in rhythm when she thinks no one is watching.

While others wait in the clearing, I sit to the side, moving mana inside of my body. Compressing and decompressing it, checking the limits of my body when it comes to using black mana to power my skills. It’s something I do nearly constantly here in the common area.

I’m sure I would make better progress training outside with real danger, but even this kind of training is good for knowing my limits.

How much black mana can I use to strengthen my body and how much will kill me? For how long can I keep control over it? If I generate it too quickly, how much abuse can my body take? What passive is helping the most in handling it and what will happen if I turn off this or that passive? Can my epic healing passive keep up with black mana damaging my body? If yes, what is the limit?

And so many more. Testing my eyes, my strengthened mana circuit.

[Redistribution - lvl 47 > Redistribution - lvl 48]

[Mana Manipulation - lvl 44 > Mana Manipulation - lvl 45]

[Mana Domain - lvl 37 > Mana Domain - lvl 38]

[Mana Crown - lvl 21 > Mana Crown - lvl 22]

The leveling is going pretty well, and from what I've seen, a lot of people from Hell difficulty use this as an opportunity to train, Group 4 included.

Then there are some people from Hard difficulty who think of using difficulty change to go to Hell. There aren’t that many of them, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they use it after the tournament.

Samuel is not one of these people, instead preferring to stay with his group and grow stronger together as a unit.

Everyone is also using this opportunity to plan, and it might have been the intention of the tournament. I think even the system said it’s an opportunity to meet other attendees, the First Generation of Earth.

The black wolf stands up and looks down at Vega, tapping on his front paw.

(Master is smart indeed, assholes, all of you,) he can’t help but say.

But that’s also when Biscuit returns from the house, two purple tentacles holding a small bag he then puts in front of the young black wolf after wobbling there on his short legs.

(Food.)

The curious black wolf creates two shadowy tendrils of his own and opens the bag. Inside, there are dozens of pieces of deer jerky. The ones I paid to Biscuit to let me challenge the black wolf, and even more from the ones the corgi was saving up.

His pink tongue sticking out, Biscuit's expression looks like a cheeky smile.

(Master… I can’t,) the wolf sounds moved.

(Food!) The two tentacles move and slide the bag close to the wolf. Biscuit's voice is now firmer.

To that, the black wolf just lowers his head which is dozens of times bigger than Biscuit is. Biscuit floats into the air, lifts his front right paw and boops the nose of his disciple.

(Thank you, master.)

Only a few seconds remain.

“I will see you soon, Wolfy! The next time, I will be stronger and you will be my minion the same way your master is a minion to my master!” Vega is smiling as she says so. “So get stronger so I won’t be ashamed of you!”

(Crazed half demon,) the wolf snorts.

“Thank you for all the help and for enduring it all. It was nice meeting you.” Tess makes a small bow and the black wolf returns it.

“Take care, wolfy!” Lily shouts.

“I hope you get even bigger! As big as the city!”

“But don’t forget us! I want to show off to the others for knowing you.” Both twins throw in a sentence, and the rest of the group as well.

Just before the wolf disappears the the door invisible to us, his golden eyes find me sitting on the roof of our house.

(Asshole human, take care of my master. He is too nice for his own good and some members of your pack as well. You and I both know that sometimes just being strong is not enough and you need to make hard decisions and be cruel.)

I nod.

(I saw that cruelty in you and it will help you. But, human, get stronger. Get someone to declare you a Champion candidate and find yourself a good master. You are powerful and prideful, I agree, but don’t be stubborn to not receive guidance from someone you deem worthy. Like I did.)

“Will think of that,” I mouth.

After that, he turns away and makes a last gentle expression towards Biscuit and nudges him carefully with his giant nose.

Then the wolf disappears, returning back to his world.

***

Both Isabella and Vega watch as I craft an item. It’s just a simple dagger with the simplest inscriptions.

I even let them try it on their own while I offer them advice.

The results are terrible, but Isabella keeps jumping up excitedly when she does something correctly.

Vega gradually also changes her bearing a little and smiles. It feels more honest than before, even in the presence of someone else.

***

I watch as Vega attacks Tacita again, the mute girl appearing out of nowhere for another round of teasing my disciple.

As before, Tacita is harsh and shakes her head every time something takes Vega too long.

For two hours, Vega gets mentored by Tacita, who seems to have taken a liking to the daring little girl and for some reason is fascinated by her horns.

When Tacita touches these horns, Vega attacks her again, even more aggressively.

After a bit longer, Tacita becomes bored and leaves after touching Vega’s horns for the last time.

***

In the living room, the twins and Min-Jae sit opposite Vega, taking a short break for some food.

When Min-Jae slides some sweets he hid toward her, Vega takes them shamelessly and quickly eats all of them as if worried he will ask for them back.

The young boy watches with a smile as she stuffs her cheeks while the twins make fun of her.

“You should thank him. Min-Jae was saving these sweets for himself,” I tell her.

“Master almost never thanks anyone!”

The twins stop laughing when I look at them, and Min-Jae hides his smile.

As a reward, Vega gets an extremely sour candy a bit later from me.

I watch her face scrunch and her eyes squint. I’m sure she knows why it's happening, yet the little half-demon refuses to give up on food and still eats the candy.

***

“Can I take him with me?” Vega asks me while holding Noodle, her hand moving on his scales that have a nice feeling to them.

“Noodle is mine!” Isabella fights back.

“You said you wanted to be friends? Aren’t friends supposed to give gifts to each other?” Vega asks innocently, but I can see her red eyes shine and the corner of her lips lift.

Even Isabella must feel her emotions.

“You… you!”

“I think you lied then.” Vega hugs Noodle and continues to pet him.

The white snake with emerald eyes just looks at me almost as if he is blaming me.

Sorry, bud.

***

“You feel strong, you only need a better heart,” my minion says seriously.

“I already plan to. With Nat, we will work on these kinds of stuff. I experimented with the remains of a Fallen Hero’s heart and learned more from a Champion’s body Nat’s heart,” Lily says cheerily.

“Tess, Nat is still continuing to ruin poor Lily,” Maya shouts towards the living room from the kitchen where we are.

“Lily is already a lost cause,” Tess shouts back.

“You are probably the smartest of master’s underlings! The gray smoke you showed me felt really strong. I’m sure it’s a skill some powerful demon created long ago. If you get a powerful heart, you will be strong!”

“I’m already pretty strong.”

“But your heart is weak,” Vega says, confused.

(Nat, can you come here for a moment?) Tess sends through the link.

(Sure.)

Leaving Lily and the minion to argue, I head to the living room and then follow Tess outside, onto the terrace.

I strengthen the field around us that makes it impossible for others to listen, and both of us disconnect from the web.

“The murderer from Easy difficulty is gone,” she says seriously.

I quickly check the anchor I placed on him, and the connection is cut off.

Right after, I check our surroundings and Vega, but I sense nothing. I repeat it a few times to the point that not even Tacita would be able to escape my senses, but there is nothing.

“He is not here,” Tess shakes her head, “he left the tournament.”

“I thought it wouldn’t be possible to leave the tournament.”

“Yes, we thought the same. We even paid someone from Easy to try to leave as the tournament started and he couldn’t. But Nat, check the Community numbers.”

Something in her tone makes me check it right away.

Easy difficulty: 1319/2000
Normal difficulty: 862/1000
Hard difficulty: 241/500
Hell difficulty: 39/250
Beyond: 7/10

Oh. So interesting. Easy difficulty is one attendee less and Hell difficulty gained one more person.

“It’s possible he got a reward from the tournament before he left, he did pretty well during previous events. Maybe that reward allowed him to change the difficulty up to Hell even though it was possible to jump only difficulty higher or lower before.”

“Or he had help from our nosy friend. It sounds like something that Intent would do.”

“Yes. That’s also an option.” She nods seriously. “We wasted our opportunity to get rid of that man. I just hope we won’t regret it.”

“That’s not like you to be worried over some weak guy.”

“I know, but you could say that I became really paranoid. If the Intent that messes with this tutorial was willing to risk angering the Ruler of Greed and did that, he must have done it with something in mind. And I don’t think it was anything good for us.”

“Don’t expect it to get better,” I say.

“What do you mean?”

“The first Intent is here because of the guy who started in Beyond. The first one in millennia. The Intent is probably of a Ruler, and it seems like Rulers have a bit of sway over the tutorial even though it seems like Ruler of Greed is in control of either ours or all the tutorials. I wouldn’t be surprised if more of the Rulers pop out to watch the guy and mess with us in the process.”

Tess sighs, “Just great.”

“There’s nothing we can do about it. We will deal with it when the situation comes. So make the others train as hard as possible while in the common area. If we are stronger, we will have more leeway.”

“They are already doing so a lot, Nat. Sophie weakened some of their memories so they can continue to train and die. I know, I know. Don’t look at me like that. Not everyone is handling it as well as you do. But we will be ready when the 6th Floor comes. But I will ask you once again to keep some distance so they can face real danger and improve on their own.”

“Sounds good. You can gather the others to say goodbye to Vega and I will take her to Miwa and Channeler. After that, she will be gone.”

Just a few more hours with the minion, and after that, two more days of the tournament. Then it's back to the Astral Prison floor.

***

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