Tutorial
Unlike my original plan, it was late at night by the time we set off for the Tower again.
According to Daon, you needed a "Hunter registration card" to enter the Tower.
"I have one...."
Sua had a small registration card clearly marked E-class, but of course, I didn't have anything like that.
"Hmm."
From the status I'd seen at the Association last time, I was just a regular civilian, after all.
...What a bunch of people who couldn't recognize true value.
Anyway, once the sun had completely vanished, I left Daon's house with Sua.
In the meantime, I'd explained to Sua that I had a special constitution allowing me to enter the Tower with her.
"Are you sure it's okay just the two of us...?"
"Yeah."
Daon couldn't enter with me anyway, and since we had to sneak in, fewer people was better.
With that, I walked toward the Namsan Tower with Sua, steadying my pounding heart.
Will the inside of this Tower place look like that forge from back then?
A throbbing mix of anxiety and excitement.
"Um, do we really have to go in...?"
As I sorted through the wave of overlapping thoughts, Sua spoke up cautiously from behind me, taking careful steps.
I turned around.
She couldn't hide her anxiety—sweat beading on her forehead, eyes darting wildly.
"If you don't want to, then don't."
That sight irritated me for no reason.
My mind was already a mess, and now it looked like I was dragging her in against her will.
As I puffed out my cheeks and whipped my head away, Sua suddenly grabbed my hand tight.
"N-no! I'll do it...."
A great attitude—her head nodding on its own.
Unlike her usual demeanor, she seemed to have a burning desire for success.
Overlapping her utterly ordinary life story from earlier with her current attitude, I pondered what equipment to make as we walked, and soon familiar scenery brushed past.
Familiar, yet a little different.
The stalls that were always bustling were empty, no one in sight.
No Hunters lined up at the Tower entrance either.
Just two burly men standing guard at the entrance.
They looked odd in black suits and sunglasses despite the dark night, but they were definitely obstacles.
"What do we do...?"
I glanced back at Sua's question, then turned forward again.
"Just follow my lead."
The path appeared instinctively.
The route to move while avoiding their eyes, the structure of nearby terrain and objects.
Like a hunter stalking sensitive prey.
Sometimes I hid in bushes to move, other times I rolled during the moments they looked away.
Scamper.
Because of that, my tail fur and new clothes got covered in grass stains and dirt, but I actually liked it.
Daon won't like it, though....
She hates dirt.
Such an incomprehensible perspective, but since we're living together, I should adapt, right?
Anyway, I reached beyond the fence, hid in nearby bushes, and glanced back.
Sua was fidgeting her lips, panicking, her body twitching indecisively.
After hesitating for a long while, she finally...
"Eek...!"
Threw herself forward fiercely.
"Wh-what?!"
Not the path I'd sneaked through—she just charged straight at the fence.
Agh....
I pressed my fingers to my forehead and watched.
Contrary to expectations that she'd get caught immediately, she was dodging the encirclement surprisingly well.
"Ooh...."
They say humans get strongest when facing mortal threats.
I was admiring that moment of inspiration when...
"L-let's go!!"
Whoosh.
Sua, with guards on her tail, rushed into the bushes, grabbed my hand, and hurled us toward the Tower entrance.
— Hummm.
Soon, a familiar sound rang out, and my vision flickered.
Then, I felt an indescribable flow pulling my body along.
A sensation I'd felt before.
When forging my own body and leaving the forge.
When my vision returned moments later, I opened my eyes to a desolate forest.
Towering trees everywhere, faint light filtering through gaps in the leaves.
I scanned the surroundings, relying only on that light.
First thing I saw: Sua sprawled flat on the ground at my feet.
"Get up."
I nudged her several times with my foot.
Shoeless, the dirt on my instep left clear marks on her black clothes.
"Uwaaaah!!"
Soon, Sua bolted up with a massive yell.
"Th-the Tower...!"
Her trembling eyes darted around frantically as she fiddled with her fingers.
A ring glinting faintly in the dim light.
As Sua scanned desperately, her gaze suddenly froze.
"Uh... huh?"
A dazed breath escaped her lips as she stared into space.
I could clearly sense her emotions: confusion and fear.
"What's wrong?"
No threats reached my ears yet.
Just the wind rustling leaves.
Sua whipped her head toward me at my question.
Equipment not compliant with Tower standards detected.
Tutorial difficulty increased.
"Aha."
I'd suspected as much, but it was just a fuss over nothing.
I'm super strong, after all—no problem.
*
Scratch that last statement.
"Q-quick, come on...!"
"Th-is, damn, shit.
I glanced back, with Sua fleeing ahead of me.
— Grrr!!
— Kyak!
A number of monsters too vast to count.
Spiders twice my size dripping purple venom from their fangs, and bipedal wolves charging with massive stone clubs.
I had no doubt about my strength, but this was still daunting.
I'd never actually fought before, after all.
"Do something!"
I yelled at Sua.
The whole point of entering the Tower was to observe her fighting, so running all day was pointless.
"Wh-what...?"
"The ring!"
Sua, focused only on fleeing, looked down at her hand at my shout.
The ring I'd made was still on her finger.
"Ah, aha...!"
As she ran through the forest, Sua raised her right hand.
At the same time, she flicked the index finger with the ring.
— Ping!
Silver threads burst from the ring.
They grazed the edge of my ear and shot toward the monster pack behind me.
Splurt!
The sound of slicing wind.
And blood spraying.
Green and red blood mingled, cascading like a waterfall.
"It... it worked...!"
Dozens of monsters were bisected.
But still too many left.
Before the severed bodies even hit the ground, even more monsters burst through the bloodfall.
— Kraaa!!
Taking advantage of the obscured view, a stone club hurtled toward me at terrifying speed.
My mind reacted. Duck, kick off the ground, backpedal to dodge.
But... thinking and body moving in sync were totally different.
Now I truly realized—that status was 100% real.
"Urk...!"
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the dull impact.
But instead...
— Boom!
No pain at all.
Just the faint patter of stone dust grazing my head.
As my eyes flicked open in surprise, all I saw was the massive stone club shattering in my place.
— Grk...?
Me, Sua, even the monsters—we all froze in shock, halting our sprint.
"Wow."
I wanted to apologize to my own body for doubting it, even briefly.
But no time for lingering thoughts.
I kicked off the ground and dashed backward, just as planned.
"H-how did you do that...?!"
Sua snapped out of her daze and pounded after me.
But she still persisted with questions...
"......"
Tough one to answer.
If I had to, it'd be "Guess I'm tough," but my pride wouldn't allow it.
So I ran in silence for a while.
But those monsters didn't tire—they closed the gap with earth-shaking footsteps.
Nearly tripped on rocks several times, balanced with my tail.
Finally, at a dead end in the forest: a massive rock mountain towering endlessly.
"...Let's fight."
"Y-yes?!"
I spun around to face the approaching monster horde.
"F-for real? H-how...?"
"No other way."
Sua, scanning for escape routes in panic, realized it too and stood still, catching her breath.
"Huu, haa...."
I'm tough, so if I block the monsters, Sua can snipe with the ring...
As I clenched my fist with that thought...
— Whoosh.
I felt weightless.
Glancing back, Sua was biting her lip, hoisting my body with one hand.
"L-lending me your body for a sec."
"......Huh?"
With that short phrase, as the floating sensation hit, Sua dangled me like a toy and charged the oncoming monsters.