Chapter 46

"We need to talk."

Regardless of how old he'd gotten, those words still sent a shiver down TJ's spine, and he could see in Laura's face that it was the intended effect. The quietly chatting populace went silent, an air of tension sweeping over the 178 people in the room. Laura continued to sweep her gaze over everyone, locking eyes with whoever allowed it.

"108." She said to break her silence, letting it puzzle everyone who heard her. "108 of you are level 1. 56 are level 2. That means that less than 15 people in this town are level 3 or higher. Less than ten percent. You might think that we'll be fine, because that's about the same as the United States military, counting supporting personnel. Unfortunately, we are not the military, and we are in far greater danger than we used to be. The military isn't coming, at least any time soon, and we have a deadline to survive.

"Who knows what the requirements for this Tutorial are?" Laura asked, eyes roaming across the uncomfortable crowd. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Granny Penny raised her hand with a hefty serving of pep. Laura pointed at the elderly woman and she spoke in a warbling tone, though her voice was clear.

"Survive to the end of two weeks. Protect the store. Kill the big guy." 

"That's close enough." Laura answered. "There is, however, one part that I wish to clarify and to emphasize. The space surrounding the general store will continue to be reduced until it is nothing." The Bureaucrat let the fear begin to set its claws in the masses at her words. Whispered worries grew in intensity until Laura raised both hands and hushed them. 

"I know you hate to hear this, but we are all in clear and present danger. The few securities we retain are diminishing, and eventually, they will all be taken from us. The day of reckoning is coming. You can see what time it will be if you ask your System."

TJ couldn't help himself and asked how long until the end of the first part of the Tutorial.

Time remaining until the end of part 1 of Tutorial 107.48.891: 237:52:36.

Just under ten days, then. As he'd already known, given that only four full days had passed since Integration, but even so, the time remaining seemed like so much, and so little all at once. Laura's continued speaking tore him from his musing.

"There are less than ten days until there will be nowhere safe that we do not reinforce and protect ourselves. Beasts as mundane as coyotes and as fearful as monsters from the dark will come, and if you are weak, they will kill you. You need to protect yourselves, because I won't be able to. Our hunters won't be able to. Only you can. You can only truly depend on yourself."

A man's voice TJ didn't recognize called out, "Why won't the strong people protect us!"

It was more of a raging scream than a question, but Laura was ready for it anyways. "Because they can't. TJ, would you stand up?"

Hesitant, TJ stood tall while Laura gestured to him. "Most of you have at least heard of our newest additions to the town. TJ can transform into a massive snake, and has spent most of these past four days fighting for his life. As such, your levels are…?"

She trailed off, allowing TJ to answer for himself.

"Yeah, Neophyte 8, Savage 6. I'm sure I can hit 7 before lunch."

A burst of whispers exploded at his declaration, and TJ heard quite a few worried conversations about his "Savage" Occupation and what that must mean that he was. Laura nodded in thanks and TJ sat back down.

"There isn't anyone else in this town that can begin to measure up to his levels, but that just raises the question again, why doesn't he just protect us? He seems driven to grow stronger, so he can just do the difficult part. Why won't he just bleed for us so we can stay hidden behind our doors, praying that someone else will take the beating for us? Isn't he selfish?" Though she seemed to be chastising TJ with her words, it was obvious what her point was.

"No, he isn't selfish. In preparation for today, he was willing to go out into the night all alone last night, making sure that the surroundings were safe for you and me. When he left, he met the first true monster any of us have seen. It nearly killed him, and it was only level 5. There will be more of them, so can TJ kill another? Or two? Or five? No, he can't. He'd simply be killed in vain, and that would only be if he was willing to die for you. TJ isn't willing to sacrifice himself for you."

Angry murmurs and glances responded to her latest statement, and TJ felt his blood surge at the woman he'd thought he trusted put him on display to be torn apart by the judgment of so many people. Then, Laura's voice cut through the simmering rage.

"Why the hell would he?"

The grumbling went silent as she asked again, "Why the hell would he sacrifice himself for you? What have any of you done for him? What have any of you even said to him since he came to town a day and a half ago with his dying friend across his shoulders? Maybe good morning, or maybe whispered mutterings behind closed doors about how he's dangerous and not to be trusted. He hasn't made you any promises to be a knight in shining armor for you, and why would he? He's ignored and nearly mistreated by the vast majority of you, and you expect him to bleed for you?

"Though the hunters are treated with more respect than TJ is, we all still call them 'adrenaline junkies', 'foolish', and just plain crazy because they're willing to live in the world we've found ourselves. Why would these young people, the ones who will survive in this hell, get themselves killed for people who refuse to understand that the days of letting others work for us are long gone?"

Laura's impassioned rant rang off the concrete walls surrounding them, and at least half of the people there hung their heads in shame, though others' jaws still stuck out in stubborn anger. The experienced public speaker only let the silence hang long enough to let her words sink in.

"No longer can we merely depend on the few selfless. We can't throw our young and strong at the problem and hope that they'll solve it for us. They aren't able nor willing. We need to survive and protect the general store, and we need to do it ourselves. Things will change.

"From today, everyone will receive half rations if they are unwilling to go on at least one expedition a day. During that expedition, there must be at least as many of our enemies killed as there number in the group. I don't care if you're a Disciple and a Bureaucrat or a Zealot and a Hunter, you need to be involved with the killing. This is our world now, and just like the rest of you, I need to be involved on the front lines. 

"Now, questions?"

A barrage of near-insults exploded from the more surly looking people in the group, and they slowly emboldened those who'd waffled on the edge of compliance. Laura answered each with a balance of logic and emotion, but the angry people refused to be placated. As his own rage boiled to the forefront of his mind, TJ stood and shouted, drowning out every other voice.

"Shut the hell up!" His shout shattered the illusion of civilization in the room, and many people cowered before the inhumanly loud voice. 

"Laura's willing to talk to you right now. Frankly, I'm not fucking willing to listen to your horseshit. You listen to me.

"My name is TJ. My son, Junior, will be three years old on the day this first part of the Tutorial ends. I'm going to have to miss it because I'm here with you. I don't know how many of his birthdays I'm going to have to miss because of this mess, and I hate the System for doing this to us. You need to get ready and work for yourselves, and if not you, then someone else you care about. If you can't manage that, I don't give two shits about anyone who's gonna sit in their room pouting like a toddler because you had to do something for yourself. If you can't put on your big boy pants and get out there, then I'd say let you starve. Laura's nice enough to still feed you, but frankly, you're a waste of space if you're not willing to do anything to save yourself. You've been given a lifejacket, and you're saying that buckling the stupid thing is too hard."

Then, too disgusted to look the cowards in the face, TJ stormed out. He didn't go too far, since he'd promised he'd escort one of the groups on their inaugural hunt, but he didn't want to hear any more mitching and boning, as his dad used to say. Remembering his parents, and his Nana, for that matter, TJ couldn't help but have his piss-poor mood elevated with a wry smile.

"Sorry Nana, I should use my smart words, not stupid curses."

His apology given, TJ sat under a tree and pulled the horn and thumb out. Though the thumb remained grotesque and off-putting, it also remained his best bet at getting a real knife that worked in tandem with Savage, so he needed to take the time to get the thing up to snuff. His grandpa had always harped on him about doing things right and doing it right the first time. Since this knife would be immensely important to him moving forward, TJ finished boring the hole to be just larger than the entire thumb in every dimension, except for half of the last joint. Then, the "blade's" housing complete, TJ carefully slotted it into its new handle with no small amount of effort.

With the extra half-inch of thumb added to its length, the knife's blade was about four inches. Making sure there wasn't too much leeway in any direction, TJ decided which way the mirrored blades would face. Then, warming the sap between his fingers until it was a gluey putty, he shoved it into the hole inside the horn. The thumb followed after that, the sap filling the remainder of the space. As the sap cooled, the blade stopped wiggling, and TJ realized he needed something else to help tie it in to finish the knife. Fortunately, he'd tossed a cleaned intestine in the pack as well, and he wrapped it tightly around the bottom of the thumb and the top of the horn that now served as the knife's haft.

It still wasn't quite done, and TJ looked up at the tree he was leaning against. A perfect bead of sap was just in arms reach, like a half dozen more, and TJ plucked it free. Just like before, he warmed it between his fingers before applying it to the tightly woven gut, where it slowly hardened into an approximation of a real knife. While the last touch dried, TJ measured with his right hand just how long he wanted the haft before, with a concentrated ring of wind between his cupped thumb and index finger, he cut the rest of the horn free from his knife. 

Just as TJ felt a warm glow of pride from completing his project, a series of notifications took him by surprise. 

You have constructed a piece of equipment using Elite level materials. Bonus Experience acquired. Minor Divine Trial success recorded.

Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 7.

Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Point available.

Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 8.

Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points available.

Race: Human has advanced to level 8.

Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Points currently available.