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 41 / Tyrranical Conniver– lvl 28] – Experience earned. 27.254.214

several levels from that one fight. But then again, he had killed

He had fulfilled the final wish of his first friend,

of consciousness. With his body idle, he only had his own mind to keep him

killed, just a mild satisfaction from the levels and whatever else he got. He enjoyed the benefits from the kills, but not the act of killing itself. He did make a game out of it, but that was just

of emotions 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 that emotions could allow one to perform feats above what they should otherwise.

had been corrupted. So many people in this tutorial had been infected with the curse that was chaotic emotions.

Yet, he could not simply write them off. Herrmann had made armor far

end, felt the inklings of corruption enter his mind. His thoughts turned cloudy, his desires illogical.

He healed himself of much of the affliction that had come over him. He felt close to what he did before entering the tutorial once more. Through the many dreams that came to him, he felt enlightened as he came

definition of perfection. His

reaped the benefits once. He would have never upgraded a skill like that without the massive stimuli from the near-death experience coupled with his raging emotions. It was a

craving, but now he truly desired it. He desired to reach perfection, to become an insurmountable existence, and he would stop at nothing

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

much for the quest. William did not see himself as a leader. Not because he believed himself incapable

the loyalty of 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

other leader, who William 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.

hoped they had not scattered to the winds at the loss of Richard but had stayed. It would be easier that way, and

even bother to 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

open his

William answered, returning the

have healed up alright. You looked terrible the last time I

Had Jacob found him on the battlefield? William 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

[Human – lvl 37]

lifted his guard instantly. He also identified the warrior, with a level that at least wasn't

[Human – lvl 26]

What had the otherwise utterly useless ‘manager’ done to become

William asked, the mana in his body churning, ready to

you. Distracted. Like you had lost something, and that you had a wrong you had to make right. And from the looks of it, you have succeeded in doing so,” Jacob answered, still smiling at the young man in front of him. “I am happy for you that you

not at the top of that list. Naïve, idealistic, passive, a pushover, all of those were on the list. But not

for the last week, which made it natural for

hell do you

your actions. You have

what? While I kill you and everyone else here?” William asked, clearly annoyed. An annoyance that only got worse as the warrior didn’t even react at the apparent

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,

tilted his neck upwards, displaying only a faint smile as the sawblade cut his head off. But before the severed head even hit the ground, his entire body turned to light that entered Jacob. William didn’t get a kill

he will return to my side once more after a while,” Jacob answered the question the teenager had yet to ask. He didn’t

this was not a fight they could ever win, not that he had ever had the intention to fight. Even with all the survivors

yeah, and what about the others?” William asked, trying to wrest back some semblance of control of the situation. He felt like he was just doing precisely what

earlier,” Jacob said as he summoned a lantern. Around it, many motes of light flew. 45 motes, to be

panel with his mind and widened his