Tutorial Day 17

  For at least the fiftieth time, I used my new trick and sunk my Mana Pool into Reptilian Body, while simultaneously conjuring all the anger and rage I could muster at the man-it-thing, who stood above me with an empty bowl of milk-pudding.

  I’d been husking trapped here for eight days, if the Sunstone cycles were accurate. I wanted nothing more than to punch the possible AI torturer I the face, take this armor off and flee.

  The latter had been tried already but I’d only made it to the cobblestones out front before my strength died and I collapsed under the weight of the armor. Claude had dragged me back inside, while chuckling. I’d even gained Reputation with the creature—like I’d done something he approved of.

  This time I launched myself to my feet suddenly, hoping to catch Claude by surprise. Then instead of aiming at his face, which would be fantastic, I swung at a knee as I rose. The blow became an erratic uppercut.

  Claude stepped back serenely—then tapped me with the butt of his spear. Somehow straightening my crooked stance. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, and I was no longer surprised by the action. The creature was an AI after all, and meant to be a Spear Trainer.

  I guessed he had to follow some small portion of that ‘coding.’

  In movements trained over the last eight days I high stepped-forward leading with my knee. My elbows firmly raised in front of my head. My forearms protecting my head from his spear’s butt. It was a stance I’d used in Muay Thai.

  This had also become somewhat common. Each time I’d made it back to my feet to attack Claude—I’d usually received a message like this. Through trial and error I think I even knew why.

  The cracked program liked when I showcased something I’d ‘learned’ at his psychotic deranged hands.

  I shot out a fist, aiming it at his head, but simultaneously hoping he’d slip the blow with a minute movement like he’d done early in the fights. Clearly, Claude’s programming could evolve, because he leaped left to avoid my right.

  His spear haft hit my left thigh. I blinked at the staff like weapon as it retracted. My leg was straightened, and I needed to bend it to give chase. So, should I have shuffled forward to keep both legs loaded and ready to shoot after him.

  I exhaled through my nose, bent that knee turned and shuffled after Claude. Attempting to use a variation of a split step I’d seen Speed based Hunters use in the wars. According to the commentaries it let them land and change directions a split second faster.

  Claude retreated backwards and left. My feet his the ground and I bunched them, before springing after the infuriating program. If he hadn’t made this armor heavier I would have long since caught him and—

  I recalled his push up flinging me across the room on that first day——I would have won?

  To my surprise my split step and ‘new’ lesson put me face to face with Claude. The programs eyes widened even as he smirked. A spear shaft tapped me on one elbow and the quickly on the other, before Claude ducked under my right elbow and ‘floated’ away from me.

  I had focused too much on my legs, and forgotten to prepare to punch or grapple him. My inhale came deep and frustrated even as I felt my legs shake a bit, warning me that my Qi was running out.

  My knees bent, I twisted, and then gave chase, this time combining the last two lessons. Mid jump I felt my Qi drain—my ‘engine’ putter—the gas pedal spongey.

  My leading right knee collapsed under me as the weight of the armor returned with a vengeance. Claude caught me, as he had done multiple times over the last week, and lowered me down.

  Once there he chuckled lightly and brushed his hands over the back of my arm.

  “Ahh, too bad. Next time you come to me for training be prepared, no?” Claude intoned his face looking disappointed but the translator not conveying it.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Then to my shock, Claude touched each piece of my armor and summoned it off of me and into some sort of storage device. My eyes widened as I tried to glare at Claude but failed. This husking Greed had cleaned me entirely out of Tutorial Points.

  And now that I had no more he was just going to let me go! Talk about broken computer code.

  Slowly I pushed myself up from the ground on shaking arms. By the time I got to my feet I was glaring at Claude. Surprise gone. Still, without the armor, Qi, and Mana I knew I’d never hit the husking Greed.

  I might have tried anyway if it wasn’t for Mental Fortitude coaching me out of it. Instead it was pointing out that I’d gotten what I wanted.

  Mental Fortitude was right! I checked the Sunstone in the room. It was, as far as I could tell, the afternoon. I turned on my heel and sprinted from the room.

  There was absolutely no reason to engage with my torturer and even less reason I would ever return!

  * * *

  Thursday, May 9th, 2069

  “Your husking mother clearly banged the Pool Boy. You need to use the Cut skill in a way you haven’t before. You know like the opposite of Cutting up a corpse, or something!”

  Dave looked at the Skinning Knife in his hand, the perfectly sectioned and skinned Mole Monster. Then his eyes tracked up to the infuriating demon teacher. How did Brodie put up with this shit without going insane?

  “How in the husk!” Dave shouted before Smegma smirked, and he realized he’d just drawn the attention of the rest of the Cleaners in the area. Dave raised a hand in apology and even said, “Sorry, Skill didn’t work the way I thought it would,” he mumbled in explanation.

  Jaw clenched he moved on to the next Mole Monster, one hand in his pocket caressing his Mana Battery a bit too forcefully. As he walked he muttered, “Husking demon anchoring himself to me of all people—what in the greeding shit is this.”

  “Hey at least I can confirm that Brodie is alive,” Smegma retorted, sticking his tongue out at Dave.

  That seemed to be literally the only thing the husking Greed Pig was good for. He definitely wasn’t a good teacher. He had no access to the Demonic Vault Store, and he couldn’t even tell them where Brodie had gone.

  Dave stopped muttering, and regarded the next Mole Corpse. Abyss: Portal Services and Consumables, was barely making ends meet—trying to keep up with P-squared. They’d probably be fine if Gary and Clara were in any state to work, but instead he, Willa and Jarred were in charge.

  Thanks in large part to Smegma appearing beside Dave on Tuesday, he was largely in charge. Mostly because he could pass on some tips to Gardeners, Miners and Cleaners alike. Not that it was doing more than barely scraping by.

  Two problems were causing this, as far as Dave could tell. First, with Brodie gone they were capped out on Mining Picks, Gardening Kits and Skinning Knives. Second, they hadn’t really been able to hire anyone after the thirty of each Gatherer, due to Jagger offering more money for the Mana Pool laborers.

  Even though we had better Bonuses, somehow that guy was keeping people from coming over. Still, Dave, Geneva and Kristen had a plan to deal with that. He looked down at his camera, and then scanned all the other cameras being worn by each employee inside this portal. With the right footage, they could destroy the misinformation that Jagger seemed to be spreading.

  Well he must be…

  What else would stop others from joining?

  Smegma was studying Dave, as Dave vacantly stared at the Mole Monster. Smegma scoffed before he said, “You know the single gear in your brain is going to overheat and melt if you keep overtaxing it.”

  Then the Demon sighed. “I get it. You need to earn a Butchering or Skinning Skill and you think that will somehow help Abyss. I’m trying my best to get you in the right mindset for it, but I don’t even know where to start. This System isn’t the husking same as what I’ve seen on other Planets.”

  Dave sighed, drew on Mana and slashed out with the Skinning Knife while envisioning what he wanted his Skill to do. He felt the pull of Mana intensify, and he buckled down making sure he kept the flow steady, and not turbulent. His ‘Mana Pool’ was growing but if he over drew from the Battery and shattered the Funnel—he’d be useless again.

  Due to his control the Cut Skill took longer than it needed to, and might have even drew more Mana from the Battery, but the result was the same. The Skin slid free of the corpse, and a great deal of the meat and organs, no longer held up by connective tissue, descended.

  At least he was able to—a blue screen popped into his vision.

  “Holy crap!” Dave shouted pointing forward at the screen.

  Smegma frowned and looked at the Mole Monster. “What? You’ve done that a dozen times. That wasn’t anything new.”

  People were once again staring at him, and he raised a hand, but didn’t bother verbally apologizing. Instead, he said, “I’ll be right back. Need my lunch break.”

  Then he rushed away from the group so he could hiss. “I just unlocked two stats.”

  Smegma was in front of him in an instant, his eyes wide. “You what?”

  “Did you actually not hear me, or are you expressing how amazing I husking am?” Dave responded with a whispered growl.

  “Neither, you selfless moron. It’s just rare that a Skill raised two stats!” Smegma retorted.

  “Well, mine just did!” Dave hissed back, checking to make sure no one was nearby.

  Smegma began tapping a talon on his tooth. “Were you trying to use Cut differently this whole time? Always adding new elements to the Skill’s use?”

  Dave tilted his head, bit his lip and shrugged. “Well yeah, but more that I was trying to speed up the Skills usage, and be really precise with where it cut.”

  Smegma continued to tap a talon to his fang. Dave growled, “Do you have a theory of what husking happened?”

  “Oh, well clearly your Skill has reached its peak before evolution. That’s what happened when Brodie unlocked Stats. As for why there were two stats? Umm—only a theory.”

  “Isn’t that what I just asked for?” Dave whispered, angrily.

  “I’ll let you know when I’ve fully thought it through. Only imbeciles think they are husking awesome.”

  “I wish your anchor had transferred to a Priest. At least they might excise you or something.”

  Smegma just smirked in response before he answered, “Dave you seem to have a thing for Priests, is there something you want to tell me?”

  Dave closed his eyes. He’d brought up being baptized one time—once—and now the Demon wouldn’t stop teasing him about being molested, into uniformed men, or just worshipping the wrong race.

  What an amazing week!

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