The Primal Hunter

His entire body ached with pain. Pain, unlike any he had ever felt before.

But he could only smile at the sensation because pain meant that he was still alive.

When he had regained consciousness, he didn’t know. But he did know that it had been several days since he had nearly fallen. His entire body cooked inside his armor, his skin cauterized, the blood in his veins boiling, and his eyes popping out from the heat.

But despite all that, he had lived. Held on to his last sliver of health. He should have died; he knew that. But hadn’t because death was not his destiny. He was chosen, so his body refused to die, and slowly, he started to heal.

His entire body healed at once, meaning that all parts healed at a nearly equal pace. It only took a few days before his limbs started returning to peak condition, but his internal organs had still taken a long time to return to a functional state.

And today, for the first time, his sight returned. He could always see through the breastplate still on him, but now he could finally observe the world through his own eyes. Today, he was finally ready to make himself known once more.

The ash on him scattered as he moved his body. His skin revealed below, healthier than ever. His mind, sharper than before. William felt reborn like a phoenix experiencing nirvana. Reforged in both body and mind.

Looking around, he saw the now already half-eaten corpses of the ones he had slaughtered. He saw the dead rodents that had dared to think him just another cadaver to consume.

He had absorbed the armor and weapons of the fallen. He had regained his mana and was now far more potent than before. His skill to absorb metals had even upgraded in rarity, now allowing him to absorb even enchanted metals.

With his mind, he extended his armor to cover his entire body once more, only leaving his face visible. As he looked around for useful items, he was disappointed to find not a single enchanted item anywhere.

It didn’t take him long to put and two and two together. The other survivors must have come to gather the loot. In the end, no matter a herbivore or a predator, humans would be forever greedy. William saw no scenario of them leaving good stuff laying around.

He was lucky they hadn’t found him. He had been entirely burned, likely being why no one had recognized him as being alive. But luck was but to be expected. For a protagonist to experience supernatural luck wasn’t out of the ordinary in the least. At least that is what William believed.

His domination of the tutorial was, however, not over. As his tutorial panel clearly showed, he had more to kill.

Tutorial Panel

Total Survivors Remaining: 49/1200

Duration: 14 days & 00:40:44

As he looked through his logs, he found an entry he had expected.

Tutorial Quest: A Leader is born

Objective: Become the sole leader of at least 90% of the other humans during the tutorial.

Current progress: 2%

Eliminate other leaders: 0/1

He had gotten it the moment he also got the notification for killing Richard - a sweet notification indeed.

- lvl 34 / Stalwart Bulwark - lvl 41 / Tyrranical Conniver– lvl 28] – Experience

one fight. But then again, he had killed a lot of

his first friend, Hermann Schmidt,

of consciousness. With his body idle, he only had his own mind to keep him company. William had, for the first time, felt anger and had become illogical because of his emotions.

the benefits from the kills, but

had been opened to him. He was acutely aware of it. But unlike an average person, William viewed it as only another tool. He had seen

been corrupted. So many people in this tutorial had been infected with the curse that was chaotic emotions. By guilt, loss, depression, bloodlust, and

fate. Yet, he could not simply write them off. Herrmann had made armor far stronger than he should have been able to make, and

lost himself towards the end, felt the inklings of corruption enter his mind. His thoughts turned

over him. He felt close to what he did before entering the tutorial once more. Through the

beyond his prior definition of perfection. His

near-death experience coupled with his raging emotions. It was a cocktail that

only as an instinctual craving, but now he truly desired it. He

been betrayed by those he believed to be his allies, which had ultimately

the quest. William did not see himself as a leader. Not because he believed himself incapable of leading, but because it wasn’t necessary. Yet

2% of the tutorial. A rounded up number, he was sure. He was the leader of only one survivor, and that was himself - a fact he had no desire to change. Even in all his arrogance, William didn’t believe it possible to make them all loyal to him, so he would have to do

already knew was Jacob. It had to be. Weirdly enough, he didn’t really feel any desire to kill the man, but he knew he would have to. It was possible

winds at the loss of Richard but had stayed. It would be easier that way, and he would be able to get the unpleasant business out

attempt a covert approach as he simply strolled through the open gate. He feared for a moment that the survivors had left, but just as he entered, he spotted two people sitting just inside. Jacob and that warrior

the first to open his mouth. The warrior at his side,

returning the man’s smile. “Been

I see that you have healed up alright. You

didn’t remember seeing him… which meant it was during the first days when he was still blacked out. But if that was true… why hadn’t he killed him? The man in front of him was

[Human – lvl 37]

thought to himself as he lifted his guard instantly. He also identified the warrior, with a level that at

[Human – lvl 26]

the otherwise utterly useless ‘manager’ done to become

the battlefield?” William asked, the mana in his body churning, ready

did. But I am not talking about your injuries. You looked confused, last I saw you. Distracted. Like you had lost something, and that you had a wrong you had to make right. And from the

of that list. Naïve, idealistic, passive, a pushover, all of those were on the list. But not stupid. He must know that William was the instigator of the slaughter that had happened. That

a lot about desires for the last week, which made it natural

the hell

it matter? You have clearly chosen your path already, and my wants won’t change your actions. You have come here with a goal

there and die, or what? While I kill you and everyone else here?” William asked, clearly annoyed. An

but once again, my desires will not change the outcome. This is how it is meant to be. We can only hope to struggle against fate, and that hope is enough for me. I have altered the course slightly, made

sawblade was fired out from his hand, hitting the warrior. To which the warrior just tilted his neck upwards, displaying only a faint smile as the sawblade cut his head off.

side once more after a while,” Jacob answered the question the teenager had yet to ask. He didn’t even try to hide the sadness of imagining his friend die. While death was not permanent, Bertram would still feel pain. But at least

to fight. Even with all the survivors in the camp, it would only be a one-sided slaughter. They had all known, and they all

control of the situation. He felt like he was just doing precisely what

I said, they joined me earlier,” Jacob said as he summoned a lantern. Around it, many motes of

with his mind and