Lunch was served in the makeshift mess hall of the third fortress. The smell of hot food drifted through the cold air seeping from the stone walls. Luke set his tray down and paused to reflect. The system notification still burned in his mind, insistent. As he ladled food onto plates, his thoughts kept returning to the same point:"At least 51% of tutorial participants must be present in the third fortress for the event to start at midnight..."

"Fifty-one percent…" he muttered under his breath. Was that the same number Angelica had mentioned? The one Bartholomew feared?

He shook his head. If Bartholomew had known about the final challenge, he would have used it, either to rally people or to manipulate them. No, this had to be something else.

A soft sound cut through his focus. Eleanor pulled up a chair beside him.

"So you really can cook, huh?" she asked, eyeing the steaming lasagna.

"Cook is a stretch. I can handle the basics," Luke replied without looking up.

They had their meals kept in storage items, already packed for travel, hot dishes frozen in time and ready to be summoned. The lasagna he was sharing now was the same dish he had made for Evangeline on the day he reunited with Allison.

Those bastards at the Haven chained me up before I could even finish that dinner, he thought.

"Want another slice?" he offered. The tray was nearly empty.

"I've eaten plenty," Eleanor said with a faint smile. "Just surprised to see you cooking, that's all."

"It's nothing special. Not much competition. Evangeline lives on canned food."

Eleanor laughed softly. For a heartbeat, the tension eased. They traded quick glances at the other tables, noting what everyone else ate. Then Charlie appeared and settled into the seat between them, her armor catching the dim light.

"There's more space over there, Charlie," Luke said, gesturing to an empty chair.

She stared back, then glanced at Eleanor and shook her head. She didn't move. Luke rubbed the back of his neck, puzzled.

"I think I'll… go start breaking down the camp in the courtyard," she murmured, rising.

"Fine," Luke said, turning back to his plate.

Better tell her not to touch my bed, he thought, but he didn't get the chance. Charlie's gauntleted hand landed on his shoulder, pinning him to the seat.

He tried to rise, but her grip pressed him back down. She pointed at his plate, then at his own stomach. Eat.

Luke shook his head. The twin red glints inside her helm flared brighter, a silent warning. She repeated the gesture: food, then him. She was clearly annoyed. Then she lifted her left hand, showing the ring on her finger.

Luke frowned. What is she trying to say? Maybe she's anxious to pick the new class… and I'm stalling. Could be that.

He exhaled and shoveled down the rest of the food while Charlie stayed close, silent and watchful as ever.

***

The inner courtyard of the third fortress lay quiet, broken only by the metallic clatter of armor being adjusted and gear stowed away. The afternoon chill felt heavier than usual, signaling the end of a chapter. They had decided to abandon the fortress once every last task was finished and every resource stripped from it.

"The fortress will still function even without the mechanism active," Ronan said, tightening the belt of weapons slung across his hips as he walked with Mason.

"Yeah," Mason replied with a curt nod.

The women were taking the last few minutes to wash up in one of the fortress's side chambers.

"They're actually getting cleaned up for the trip?" Jack asked, half amused.

Ronan gave a short laugh. "They're women. My fiancée does the same thing, even when we're heading out to hunt in the Wild Zone."

Mason only shrugged, agreeing without comment.

They sat near the main gate, where the ramparts cast long shadows across the stone floor. Luke stayed quiet, adjusting the sheath of his kukri while the others exchanged glances.

"Now it all makes sense," Ronan said after studying him for a moment. "Why the knight never leaves your side or takes off her armor. She's a familiar."

Luke lifted his eyes slowly.

"Charlie is my bodyguard," he said flatly.

With that, the oddity of it all felt easier to accept. The fact that Luke could store the knight inside his soul and summon her at will no longer sounded so far-fetched. At the moment, though, Princess Charlie stood guard over the bathing area, making sure no one came near, especially Luke.

"You really snuck all the way here just so the angel statue wouldn't trigger that thing?" Ronan asked, folding his arms. "Not sure I'd have managed it." Luke rolled a shoulder. "It was a pain, but it worked."

Beside them loomed the massive warhorn. In the evenings Luke would share pieces of his journey through the capital, stories that sounded almost too wild to be true but had become a ritual before sleep.

"Be honest," Jack said, turning to Mason. "You've got the most military experience. Do you actually think we can pull off the final mission?"

Mason took his time before answering. "With the right prep, it's not impossible. But don't fool yourselves. Just because I come from a noble family doesn't make me invincible or some master strategist. Ronan's better at this than I am. He's been facing Marshall and his strategies for five year."

"I wasn't alone," Ronan replied with a brief smile. "And when you showed up, it helped more than you think."

While they spoke, Luke kept his eyes fixed ahead. The army of dormant statues filled the cityscape around the fortress, row after row of frozen sentinels. Wherever he looked, there were statues, some shattered, others draped in moss, figures monstrous and humanoid alike, locked in eternal stillness.

"My knowledge is more about the system," Mason went on. "It's personal. My family serves a more powerful house, the one with the hawk sigil. Those are the true strategists. I wouldn't even dream of comparing myself to them."

Luke listened quietly. Since the moment he'd met Mason, the nobleman had spoken of places and histories that seemed more like fantasy than memory. Even now, inside the tutorial, it still felt unreal.

"You lived on an island, right?" Luke asked at last.

"An archipelago of islands… or more like floating mountains off the main continent of the New World," Mason said, nostalgia flickering in his eyes. "If we make it out of here alive and back to our world, maybe I'll invite you to visit."

Luke hesitated but couldn't hold back his curiosity. "And the Rhiannon family? How did you even meet Allison?"

Mason gave a faint smile. "Who in the New World hasn't heard of her family? They're practically stars."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Jack nodded. "Even though I grew up in modern society, when I joined my Divine Order I learned about the World Government families."

"They never talked much about that in school…" Luke murmured.

"Information was always restricted," Ronan replied. "The two societies stay separate for a reason."

Mason stretched his arms above his head as he stood. "It's part of the agreement. No Divine Order outranks another, and the government keeps its distance. Publicly they only say 'World Government' or 'the Nobility,' never naming individual houses. It keeps any one family from gaining too much attention or being accused of favoritism. Rules of the game. So don't feel ignorant. You were raised as part of the common society."

A gust of wind swept through the courtyard then, scattering dust across the stones, a sharp reminder to everyone that it was time to move.

***

The river stretched like a dark ribbon between the dead trees, mirroring the gray sky above. Its current whispered in a low, steady growl while the group readied their boats. Damp air carried the smell of moss and rust. No birds, no wind, just the prickling sense of unseen eyes watching from the banks.

Luke paused, his boots sinking slightly into the cold mud.

This is it. This is the way to the hideout.

Inside his head, Artemis's voice drifted in, soft and almost curious. 'Luke, your precious friend here has been having some interesting thoughts about the final challenge of this tutorial.'

He didn't answer right away. He helped Ronan shove the boat into the water, watching the warped reflections of their silhouettes ripple across the current.

What kind of thoughts?

Ronan pulled another wooden boat from storage and dropped it into the river. The boards creaked but held. The women tightened their packs and checked their gear before boarding.

'Hmm…' Artemis hesitated. 'I've been thinking. The final challenge is basically a war, right? The enemy trying to stop you from reaching the portal?'

That's right. Luke replied in thought.

'If you realize things aren't going to end well for your side…' She gave a little mental cough. 'I wouldn't judge you for using your skills to slip through the enemy, get to the castle, find the portal, and escape back to your world. Honestly, I'd be all for it, as long as you survived and saved us in the process.'

Luke's gaze drifted to the distant castle, a jagged shadow against the gray sky.

No. That's not possible.

'Hey, hey…' Artemis pressed. 'I saw you kill a giant serpent. Don't tell me you couldn't do it.'

He sat down in the boat beside Jack and Charlie. The armored knight took the oars, rowing in silence as always. Luke kept his eyes on the horizon, though the thought had already taken root.

I'd be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind.

'Use the others as a screen. While the enemy focuses on them, slip through, reach the castle, step through the portal. You'd protect your kind friend Artemis and still return to your family.'

He stared at his hands, fingers interlaced on his knee. The boat rocked gently. Could I live with myself if I did it at the cost of everyone here?

'A nice night of sleep next to your family would probably help.' Artemis teased.

I wouldn't forgive myself. I've done bad things, sure, out of defense or to prevent something worse. But leaving everyone behind to save myself… that would cross a line. My mother died in a tutorial because no one was there to help her. I'd be repeating history.

Artemis said nothing.

Luke drew a long breath and fixed his eyes ahead. And in the process, I'd be leaving behind everyone who's followed me this far, including Allison. No. That's not happening.

***

The current tightened as the river narrowed, forcing the two boats to drift closer together. Dead trees and twisted roots lined the banks, forming a natural corridor. The gray sky bled into the dark water, turning the surface into a mirror that swallowed depth.

Jack fidgeted with his oar. "Okay, so there's no way to channel stamina into this boat?" he asked, glancing around.

A short laugh drifted from the other boat.

"No," Ronan replied. "The system won't let you. It has to be something small that syncs with you."

Luke stayed quiet, eyes tracking the current and the mental map hovering in his mind. Any moment now, they'd slip into the area near the hideout.

The boat shuddered once. Then again, harder. The boards groaned.

"I saw something!" Jack yelped, backing from the prow and yanking his wand from his belt.

"Calm down. Probably just a rock," Luke said.

Eleanor rose with her bow drawn, scanning the water's surface.

A low, dragging sound drifted from beneath the river, like something pulling itself through the depths.

"Could be a crocodile?" Allison asked, weapon at the ready.

Luke drew his kukri. "Either way, we're strong enough. If we go overboard, we can handle it."

Jack went pale. "Go overboard? I can't swim, man! I'm not dying dragged down by some monster from the abyss!"

"There's no monster from the abyss here," Eleanor said without looking away from the water.

"How do you know? This river could be a portal to an endless abyss!" Jack shot back, eyes wide.

"Dude… you're exaggerating," Evangeline muttered, trying to steady the mood.

Then, without warning, two massive tentacles erupted from the water, black and glistening.

"I knew it! We're dead!" Jack screamed. "It's the abyss!"

Luke moved instantly. He channeled stamina, raised his kukri, and hurled it with precision while Eleanor loosed an arrow. The air cracked with the force of their strikes.

Text flashed across Luke's interface:

[Great River Octopus – Level 55]

The creature let out a high-pitched roar and sank back into the depths, leaving violent waves slapping at both boats.

"We're going to die!" Jack repeated, hugging his knees.

"We've killed a level 70 monster and you're scared of a 55?" Evangeline shot back, sarcasm sharp.

Luke sat again, eyes on the surface as it slowly calmed. "I marked it with an ability. It's retreating."

Through the Predator's Mark, he saw the outline of the monster drifting deeper, moving away.

"This is going to be a problem," Allison said grimly. "We can't leave it here. When the others cross, it could strike again."

Jack trembled.

"You volunteered to kill the Midnight Lord with us and you're afraid of this thing?" Luke asked.

"As long as the final battle isn't in the water, I'm fine," Jack said, breathing hard.

Luke studied him. Some fears ran deeper than levels or skills could reach.

"Ever told you about the time I fought a crocodile underwater?" Luke asked, trying to distract him.

Jack only shook his head, still too pale to hear stories.

***

The river stretched wide and dark, its steady current pushing the boats forward. When they reached the point marked on the map, Luke signaled for them to pull over. Charlie rowed with precision toward a bank where thick roots and jagged stones made it easier to climb out. Cold spray leapt from the rocks as the water struck.

Once everyone was on solid ground, Luke and Ronan hauled the boats ashore. One by one, the crafts vanished into storage items, pocket dimensions where they would stay safe and untouched by time. Then the march began.

The trail cut through a forest of dead trees, twisted branches scraping against armor and snagging on cloaks. The ground was a carpet of ashen leaves that crumbled underfoot, releasing a fine dust with each step. In places they skirted massive roots or slid down soft earthen slopes. The climb was slow and silent, each person lost in their own thoughts.

After a while the dark mouth of the cave appeared ahead, tall and uneven, like a split in the hillside. Luke drew a deep breath. This was his hideout, one of the few places where he felt in control.

Crossing the rocky threshold left the daylight behind and the air turned colder. Lanterns and torches revealed slick stone walls, old markings, and tables cobbled together from planks balanced on blocks.

"Finally," Evangeline muttered, sinking down and stretching her legs.

"You didn't do anything but walk behind us. You didn't even row," Mason teased.

"Doing nothing still drains you," she shot back, smoothing her hair. "Don't tell me you're heading out again. Rest a little."

The group began setting up camp in the cavern's main hall. The reason for returning was simple: most of them still needed to hit the peak of their rank, and hunting in the surrounding forest was safer and more predictable than provoking insane living statues or undead in the city. At the same time, they could clear the river route for future crossings, whether for themselves or other survivors.

Inside the cave, the conversation continued. Eleanor sat on a wooden chair, listening to water drip somewhere deep within. "Every second here is a second farther from Earth. Are you sure about this?"

Evangeline clicked her tongue, impatient.

"So, what's the plan?" Ronan asked, spreading maps across the table.

Allison laid her notes on top, lining up routes and markings. "Before we dump cold water on everyone at the Safe Zone, we need something good to bring back. Let's start with what's missing."

Their message had to be simple and strong: they'd killed the Beast Lord, reached the third fortress, claimed it, and hit peak rank. If they wanted to convince everyone the final mission was possible, they needed to return with hard facts and the bearing of victory.

"Then it's time to finish leveling and hit the peak," Mason said, closing his fist over the table.

Groups began to split off, each heading in a different direction. Luke and Evangeline, however, had no reason to take part; they were already at the apex and could afford to rest.

As everyone organized their tasks, Luke opened Princess Charlie's interface. It was time to choose her new class.

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