The Tutorial Boss Stands Against the Monster Wave
Elena races through the forest, leading her party members while turning her back on the old man, her feet never stopping as she heads for the city. "Old man..." In her wake, faint tear stains lingered.
The battles etched into Eck's body were driven by pure instinct. Power flowed from his toes to his shoulders, and Eck wielded it without understanding the principles behind it. He'd clawed his way to A-rank through brute-force punching—simple, savage repetition. Innate physical prowess. Combat sense. Accumulated experience. That was all Eck had.
Strip away his mana, and he was a flawless hexagon of an adventurer—no gaps, not even a needle's width. But like all jack-of-all-trades, Eck had the same fatal flaw: invincible against the weak, powerless against anyone even slightly stronger. His perfection left no room for growth.
That's why Eck just guzzled booze at the guild tavern without further training—there was no path forward without borrowing noble hands. Eck was more meticulous than he looked. He knew himself better than anyone and scrutinized others more closely than most. That's why he never touched foes backed by nobles, ruling only within the reach of his fists. His precise throttling was so subtle, no one caught his petty nature.
But I'm not Eck.
Eck's wariness had dulled. The modern man's peace-blunted senses had softened his sharp instincts, and he paid for it with Jeina's sleeping potion. He'd probably skip the daily toxin purge he'd done religiously during meals, claiming it was a hassle someday. Without fully eliminating nearby threats, he had to keep it up every day.
But in dulling, it had deepened. He grasped the principles behind punches thrown blindly. In bare-handed fights, he understood and applied joint-lock leverage. He'd even used it on Darko—effortlessly pinning him. With a sword in hand, he knew the exact moment when force peaked at the blade's tip. Physics. Kinematics. Center of mass transfer. He'd theorized the pulse of Eck's instinctual swings.
Eck was ignorant, but not stupid. Earth's vast combat training data piled up in history. He absorbed the given knowledge swiftly, and in real combat, it seeped deep into his body, taking root.
Shwick!!
The magic sword traced a blue trajectory. Orcs, wolves, trolls, toads—all cleaved by that path as it chased the giant wolf.
As I sprinted across the forest, the giant wolf veered nimbly beside me, defying its massive bulk, trying to shake me off. Even with the Aggro Ring's effect forcing it to notice me, its intelligence weakened the pull. The bastard was playing tricks.
The more I chased the giant wolf, the more monsters in between got hooked by the ring's aggro, trailing the blue trail's tail. The magic sword sliced those in reach: severing an orc's neck, bisecting a wolf's waist, halving a troll's crown.
Instead of their blood, mana glowed blue, sucked into the blade, leaving long, thick trails. The giant wolf waited for my stamina to hit zero. It understood I had to hold the monster wave's ankle, scheming to keep me from ignoring it and veering elsewhere.
"Let's see how far you go."
But it overlooked one thing. I'd prepared to surpass Eck.
Vitalia the magic sword. Ring of the Patient. Overdosed stamina potions. These three gave me endless endurance. The sword absorbed mana. The ring boosted abilities. The potions granted infinite stamina, perfecting tireless vitality.
'I thought the stamina potions were a bug.'
In the original game, those shitty humanoid mobs ignored stamina and charged endlessly—not for balance, but something else. No wonder the game tacked on explanations for their infuriating toughness.
The giant wolf ran on all fours. I heard its panting. Falling for its own trick.
"Grrr...!"
The giant wolf whipped its head around. Ominous mana seeped out, radiating fierce intent to bite if I approached.
'Perfect! Just what I wanted!'
Mana follows physical laws. It flows freely in physical space, but its flow and effects mimic physical energy closely. The difference? It bends to will, shaping force by intent.
Know why a mana blade hits hard, and you can hit harder. Refine mana efficiently, and pack in more. Eck's combat sense rode atop modern knowledge now. Like saddling a knight on a warhorse.
'Eck Self-Taught Style One.'
Eck mastered basic swordsmanship and common sword arts. Mellivere—the sword aura he favored—was from there. But it wasn't enough. He invented his own techniques, refining them into a style.
Eck's genius touched mana too. Otherwise, his piddling reserves couldn't have reached A-rank.
A sword style with one technique. Burn all mana for the ultimate strike.
The magic sword blazed with mana. Sword aura rose like a lion's mane. I gripped it two-handed, raising it high.
'Lion Slash.'
Just before the giant wolf spewed breath, I circled behind it, whipping the sword's mane.
Whoosh.
The wound's edge cauterized as part of its head sheared off at an angle.
"All that bark, and nothing but fast legs."
But its ploy wasn't entirely wrong. If it stalled me even a moment—
Grrr. Rumble rumble. Clang. Kawww!
—it could've teamed with that parade of horrors to kill me or chase Elena. Its plan would've succeeded.
Halfway there, monsters swarmed my flanks en masse. Their frenzied, murderous glares mixed rage and sorrow, like some loser protag watching his crush NTR'd by the golden boy.
I regripped the magic sword. Stamina full. Right now, theoretically, I was strongest.
"...!"
Facing the horde closing from all sides, I backpedaled to maintain distance. The nonstop run spread their speeds. The fastest wolves at the front bared fangs.
I thrust the magic sword between those teeth. Culled from the vanguard, one by one.
'Just hold till Elena reaches the city.'
Sliced the lead. Second leaped in. Sliced. Third. Fourth. Fifth. Sixth... Stopped counting.
The monster horde roared, warping the forest with mana ripples like searing heat, spreading left and right, filling my sides.
"...A lot."
Too damn many?
Around that time, in the city—
Dong! Dong! Dong!
The alarm bells tolled, plunging the city into emergency. The gates were closing when Elena vaulted through, knees buckling immediately after.
Her party and Daryl's all passed. Amid sighs of relief, adventurers swarmed them.
In the chaos, Elena slumped alone.
'I left the old man behind.'
Her palms were filthy with dirt. Droplets fell, soaking it dark. Left him. Abandoned him alone. Against thousands.
'Because I'm weak. That's why I left him.'
Too weak, a burden. Sent away as dead weight. His rugged back lingered in her vision. That crude, fierce momentum wouldn't fade.
She slammed her fist into the ground. The paved stone cracked.
"I have to save him."
Not like this. She refused to regret losing him later. But she had to stay cool. Exactly what he taught: adventurers own their risks. Rush in on emotion, and both die. To take responsibility, you need the power.
But no calculation worked—she'd just burden him more alone. Waiting quietly was best for him.
'I need firepower.'
If solo fails, go group. No randos.
She looked up. The plaza inside the gates teemed. Evacuees crammed it fuller than ever. Armed folk moved through, clan adventurers checked gear. Archers positioned atop the walls.
Adventurers, bound by duty to the lord's hunting grounds, climbed the ramparts. Familiar faces among them. Two stood out.
A silver-short-haired knight. Barie. Directing squires, coordinating adventurers.
Beside her, a pink-long-haired robed mage gripped her staff tight.
Something poked Elena's chest. Pink hair. She'd asked Mira to check on a lanky pink-haired mage. Rare color—Mira ID'd quick.
Pila Emerson. Lord's direct mage. Child prodigy who'd aced 6th-circle theory young, once hailed as archmage material. Lately, rumors of her spotted with the old man. Just the two.
'Not the time for that crap.'
Elena brushed dirt from her knees, stood, and ran to them.
"Lady Barie!"
Barie turned. Seeing Elena, she smiled warmly, glancing behind.
"Elena. Joining the defense? Dangerous—where's Eck?"
"The old man's...!"
Elena glanced at Pila, who flinched behind Barie—but perked her ears.
"The old man's in danger! We have to save him now! I can't alone. He's out there solo. In the monster horde's heart. For me. Because I'm weak. He stayed behind."
Barie's eyes sharpened.
"Eck?"
Pila paled.
"E-Eck's in danger?"
"Yes."
Elena clenched her fists.
"Help us."
She clasped their hands, pleading.
"Please."
She knelt.
"Save the old man."
"Elena."
Barie knelt too, matching eyes, then pulled her up by the arm.
"Let's go."
Barie said. "My benefactor risks his life as the city's shield? I can't ignore that as a friend or debtor. I've waited for a chance to repay."
She laughed heartily.
"Guess I'll tell the commander I'm scouting. Haha!"
"M-Me too...!"
Pila gripped her staff, butting in.
"E-Eck helped me. L-Let me help. My e-explosion magic... Eck said. For a m-monster wave plunge... I'd be useful."
"Thank you."
Elena bowed deeply to them.
"You going too?"
"Yes! I'm strong despite looks!"
"Rumors say so. Gear up first. Helic! Fetch gear for her!"
After donning the squire's gear, they passed the gates outward. Elena downed potions, recovering stamina and wounds.
'Old man, coming to save you now.'
Please be safe.
"Nice how all the prime cuts gathered."
Eck spat blood. Swept by an ogre's log toss into a cliff.
Ogrez, trolls, basilisks, stone turtles, night chickens, etc. Minimum B-rank. Plenty A-ranks. Knight-order level force just eyeing him.
Culling low-stamina mobs first left the tankiest bastards. Ring ditched long ago, yet surrounded, glared at with killing intent.
"Hah."
A hollow laugh escaped.
"Fuck."