Marco let out a tired groan and rubbed his eyes. “The hell does it mean, tutorial? You tellin’ me after all that we’re not even at the starting line?”

  “These strange windows did say this was a screening, Mister Bernardi,” Lucius said. “A preliminary culling, so to speak. They thin our numbers, filter out the dispensable, until only a select few are left to participate in their sordid game.”

  He was still unaware of their intentions, those masterminds out of sight. The little Mari’s unfortunate death showed they cared not for the young: deemed them too worthless to even consider giving a chance. No, they only cared for the able-bodied, those with minds fully developed.

  They sought to change humanity’s preconceived morality. They forced fgeltion upon them, confession, and granted powers beyond rational comprehension. These mysterious figures did not desire to eliminate mankind; no, this all seemed to Lucius like one big test. But for what?

  “Competition… competition…” Lucius muttered to himself. “The Competition of the Stars. That was what the screen called it, if I remember correctly. Just what do Stars mean? Perhaps they are akin to gods? Oh dear, I suppose this revetion will cause many a breakdown for those of religious beliefs.”

  Well, the specifics weren’t important. All in due time as Lucius liked to say. If heaven existed, then that was just swell. If the cycle of reincarnation was true, then even better to continue his trade. Lucius was a man who lived in the moment, and right now, he simply wished to see through this amusing adventure to the end.

  >[As a reward for the three pyers who underwent the Orientation’s challenges, a random weapon box will be gifted. Please take a moment to prepare yourself. When you are ready, step through the door and enter the Tutorial]<

  Soon, a curious floating box with a question mark appeared in front of Lucius. This day truly had no shortage of excitement.

  “... Wait, what?” Jack said, voice stuttering as he waited for a box that would never come. “Why didn’t I get one?”

  “Is it not obvious?” Lucius said. “You were the only one spared from partaking in the trials. I assume these rewards are meant to serve as a condolence for the mental anguish we suffered.” Lucius didn’t really suffer at all though, save for some stark disappointment in nipping a potential bud so wastefully.

  “How was I supposed to know that? If I did, I would’ve…” Jack’s voice trailed to a whisper, and his demeanor grew stiff. Lucius had to hide a chuckle before the sight. Would you really? The answer was no. Jack did not have the same resilience as Marco, nor the innocence of Mili, nor the cssy can-do attitude of Lucius.

  The squeamish man had to come to terms with it: if it were not for his fellows, he would have never passed the test… except maybe the first one. Lucius doubted he’d come out mentally sound, however.

  But nevermind him now. Lucius had some gambling to do!

  He touched the floating box, and soon, a charming visual of a roulette spun past his eyes. On and on it went, pying a most catchy jingle, before eventually slowing down and nding on his fateful implement.

  *(NEW!) Obtained [1] Rusty Knife

  Description: A rusted knife made of poor quality material. The bde is corroded and is unlikely to inflict much harm, but you may be able to get a few sshes out of it before it breaks.

  Has a 0.01% chance of inflicting Tetanus upon dealing damage.

  Lucius had used many a knife over the course of his life, but this one was by far the most wimpy of the lot. Still, he didn’t compin. The weapon itself mattered little compared to how one used it; anything can be a treasure in the right hands.

  Lucius looked over to the others. Contrary to his poor luck, Marco obtained a pair of high-quality brass knuckles - a fitting weapon for the old mobster. Mili on the other hand held a sturdy spear made of steel. It was tall, taller than the dy herself, but she had no problem wielding it: no wonder considering she hauled a heavy guitar everywhere. Under her fmboyant attire were no doubt muscles bigger than the common man.

  Mili didn’t seem all too satisfied, however. After leering at the spear for a bit, she walked up to the depressed Jack and offered it to him.

  “Weren’t you going off about spears or something earlier?” she said. “Take it.”

  Jack’s eyes lit up, excited, but also a bit ashamed. He lowered his head and spoke like an embarrassed school-child receiving a consotion award. “Thanks Mili, but… you’re the one who deserves this. I didn’t do anything to help, so it’s only right that I gotta tough it out myself.”

  But to that, Mili scoffed and shoved the spear into his hands. “Come on, now’s not the time to have an ego. I already have ol’ Cassie here to bash heads with. If you really wanna help us out, just accept the damn thing and get to butt kickin’.”

  Jack sighed and reluctantly accepted it, but his giddiness was undeniable. The man groped and examined the spear as if it were some priceless treasure, and he even struck a few tacky poses, masquerading as an action movie star.

  When he finally regained his sanity, Jack coughed and strode to the next door with a grizzled expression. “Now that we’re all geared up, let’s talk strategy. We’ve got a good thing going on here so we’ll go by the books. Listen up…”

  After an enthusiastic, and somewhat confusing, lecture on a peculiar medium called “real time strategy games” and “cssic D&D inspired party formations”, the group began to settle into their assigned roles. Marco stood at the forefront with his rge frame, Jack stationed right behind, while Mili supported from the back as the “mage”, or so he called it. Lucius’s job was to protect her as a rear-guard.

  Truth be told, Lucius thought it all the ramblings of a madman, but it seemed fun and the young Jack was so very passionate in his speech. It wouldn’t hurt to follow along for now.

  With all their preparations made, the group marched on and finally entered the Tutorial.

  The dull grey walls disappeared. The room - gone. Instead, a long hallway stretched out into a vast, foreboding darkness. It had no perceivable end, nor any sign of life. The only sound was of torchlight, flickering whilst affixed to harsh walls of blood-red brick.

  There was a pressure here, hostile and foreign. It pushed down on them with a weight, caused the skin to perspire in beady drops of sweat, yet it was not what the group saw that unnerved them: Nay, it was the unknown. The threats that lurked out of sight.

  They instinctively understood, then - something, somewhere, was hunting them.

  >[Welcome to the Tutorial. Your task is simple: Navigate the Maze of the Horned Exile and reach the exit. Any treasure you discover here may be passed onto the next stage, but be warned. The longer you take, the noisier you are, will increase the chances of It finding you. Victory is impossible. Good luck!]<