The Primal Hunter

The sun hung above as it shone upon the serene lake. The sky was blue, inviting everyone to bask in the warmth outside and enjoy the weather. Everything appeared utterly ordinary at first glance. Until it wasn’t.

The surface of the lake erupted as a giant maw emerged. In the mouth of the enormous fish was a several meters long insect that had been invisibly surfing along the surface of the water only moments earlier.

The fish looked like a giant bass. Its teeth were far more prolonged and sharper than expected, and the sheen from their sharpness only amplified by the glittering droplets of water. Despite its size and jaw-strength, it failed to shut its maw tight.

Four powerful legs of what had been a small water strider before the system held it open. At the same time it opened its tiny mouth and let out a blast of water straight down into the mouth of the beast that had tried to eat it. In a turn of events where the hunter became the hunted, the fish was bisected into two pieces by a water cutter.

Blood flew everywhere as the beast died from the powerful attack, unable even to comprehend its demise. The victory of the strider was short-lived, however.

From above dove the figure of a giant bird, and before the strider could reconnect with the water and make its escape, it was caught in two powerful talons that crushed its feeble head.

The giant hawk beat its wings as it flew off with its dead prey still clenched below it. The serene lake that was now filled with blood reflected in its eyes - the sun above uncaring.

Earth had become a battlefield. A battlefield the humans would now rejoin. Rejoin, and once more, strive to be at the top of the food chain.

What had once been a great city was now but a shell of its former self. The massive monoliths of glass that had marked the prowess of human engineering now lay shattered on the ground. The structures toppled to the ground or ripped apart from the inside out.

Nature had not been kind to human civilization. It had reclaimed most of what had formerly been taken from it by urban development. Grass now grew in the streets, moss covered the buildings that still stood, and one could even see trees that had grown to full size in mere weeks.

This day there was a significant change. Scattered around the city, humans appeared. All at once, the city that had been populated by nearly a million people was now inhabited once more.

Of the million people, around 800.000 – 900.000 returned - a phenomenon that was not just in this city, but the entire world. The survival rate of tutorials coming at 86% would surprise most, some for how low it was and some for how high.

Inside what had once been the lobby of a big office building, a cluster of humans appeared. The many-storied juggernaut was now reduced to only its ground floor. Among those who appeared stood a man with long blonde hair in a white robe, together with a stoic armored man by his side.

Jacob looked around to get a feeling for his surroundings. He instantly noticed many familiar faces in the crowd. Familiar, yet foreign. Only a bit over two months had passed, but he could see the changes on everyone’s faces.

His Lighthouse of the Holy Mother allowed him to soak in the emotions of all those around him. He felt mainly trepidation mixed in with a bit of relief. It was no surprise that many were happy the nightmare that was a tutorial was over.

The emotions were many and varied. But one stood out more than any of the others. Stood out in that Jacob couldn’t feel anything at all.

Solitarily stood a figure covered in the brown cloak given to archers. Beneath it, one could see the black leather armor and beneath him two shoddy-looking boots. Jacob couldn’t even look at his face as a mask now covered it. Yet, he didn’t fail to recognize his old employee. Jake.

Soon the silence was broken as people began talking. Some were simply looking for comfort, others asking about their loved ones. Not everyone had entered the tutorial with those closest to them, far from it. A few even saw Jacob and turned to him for direction. And direction he would give them.

“Everyone, please calm down!” he yelled out, amplified by one of two remnant skills from his time as a warrior: Amplify Voice. A weak common-rarity skill, but it was more than enough to have the focus of the room switch to him. He even felt two powerful eyes from behind a mask pierce into him. He shuddered slightly inwardly but appeared unfazed outwardly.

“Jacob, is that you?” someone asked. Looking at him, Jacob saw it was Mike. Joanna’s husband.

“It is good to see you made it, Mike. I- “

“Were you in the tutorial with my wife? What about everyone else in the elevator with us back then?” Mike quickly interrupted frantically. The anxiousness clear on his face.

“I am sorry. Our tutorial was… a mess,” Jacob answered, loud enough for everyone around to hear. The focus now solely on him. “We had bad actors. They moved to conquer or simply kill everyone. In the end, they succeeded. Even I lost my life and only managed to save myself and Bertram with the help of a benevolent god. By the time I died, only two others remained.”

stammered out as tears began gathering in his

nightmare,” Jacob tried to console him. “But I managed to help her in the end. She died with only the regret that she couldn’t rejoin you and her children here on Earth. Just know that she truly is in a better place now… not in a figurative

Mike asked, not caring much about the last part

William. He sought to slaughter everyone for his own gains,” he answered, glancing at Jake. “An

gazes to the masked figure; many only truly noticing him now. Even with everyone wearing widely differing outfits of questionable taste, Jake still stood out. His mask

but found that his gaze was the same as before the tutorial. If with a bit more wariness. He was relieved that he didn’t appear to blame him for what happened. “Yeah,

listen to me when I say we aren’t safe even here. Earth has changed and is, in

fuck are you on about?” someone yelled at the back. Someone who didn’t know

human struggled on Earth. To underestimate any being after the system is

about by the Viper earlier. A few details differed, but nothing of consequence. At the same time, the archer was still considering his own

class and skills were surely not

and without purpose. They were afraid of the future, not sure what to do. For someone to stand up and give them direction was

the broken building and onto the street. Jake had decided to stick around a bit at the back alone, as he had gotten

about her killer. But instead, he threw a quick jab at the young man’s appearance. He found it disrespectful and stupid

mask was the proof of his victory over the King of the Forest. Evidence of him beating the tutorial. Instead of giving a proper answer, he

you so

Jacob’s speech. Trying to

reached level 10, but many had only just done so. Jake could barely comprehend how that was even possible. Jacob had naturally been the second-highest person except for himself. A fact that

puffing up. He was a tall man, more than half a head taller than Jake. His muscles were far more prominent than Jake’s. But he was truly weak - only level 16. Jake wasn’t even sure if he had upgraded

What the fuck did you expect to accomplish after lazing about in the tutorial

fuck had they been doing? He understood that not everyone is fit for fighting, but what about professions? And even if they weren’t fighters, they should at least

of more than just Mike as many turned towards him. Their gazes were less than gentle as he felt several people try and Identify him. Useless

yelled, his face red. “I went to hell and back,

to try,” Jake said, staring into the eyes

of listening to his instincts, he exacerbated the situation. His own fear made him only angrier - his sorrow of his learning the death of his

threw

It never landed.

speed pathetic in his eyes. The strength behind it was negligible. He caught it and pressed down on the fist in his hand. He felt it squash like a rotten apple as Mike screamed out

had all eyes on them now. Jacob had been watching it from the beginning without interfering. A decision he

to cast magic. In a split-second, the situation had turned from just an interesting squabble to a possible

seemed to have

healing potion from his spatial storage, he put it down on the floor in front of Mike as

seconds of your time?” Jacob quickly asked

didn’t want to, but

towards Jacob, people just moved out of the way. Jake could feel the looks of fear in the eyes of his former colleagues. The wariness and unwillingness to engage him. Many of the eyes belonging to people who had looked down on him or felt utterly indifferent

to talk. It likely didn’t help as everyone had amplified hearing with increased stats, making it more of a gesture more than anything else.

his lips. He didn’t appear to care much for the

the last time he saw him, he had led him into an ambush. Both men had feared the other blamed them for

“Yeah,” Jake simply said.

are leaving,

really fit here,” Jake sighed. A statement Jacob

and… I’m sorry about everything I did. I am happy to hear that you managed to beat it in the end. We all need to create our own place in this new world - our new homes. I don’t know what your plans are, but I hope you find what you are looking for,” Jacob said, smiling at his friend. “I fucked up in the tutorial big-time… I nearly got you killed because of how much of an idiot I was… I hope that you forgive me, but I understand if you won’t. Just know that I will always consider you a friend, even if you don’t consider