Chapter 7: Survival Group.

Who in their right mind would turn down free experience points?

Survival in this tutorial floor was a brutal numbers game, and Kael wasn't foolish enough to believe he could go solo just yet. Not until he reached at least Level 5 and got used to moving in this new body.

—STATUS—

Name: Kael Shizer. 

Race: [Human (F) - Lvl 1]

Class: [Rogue - Lvl 1]

Profession: N/A

Health Points (HP): 60/50

Mana Points (MP): 50/50

Stamina: 50/50

Attributes

Strength: 8

Agility: 11

Endurance: 7

Vitality: 8

Fortitude: 7

Perception: 12

Willpower: 7

Intelligence: 6

Wisdom: 6

Attribute points: 2

Titles

N/A

—END STATUS—

His eyes flickered to the stat window hovering in his vision, a small grin forming as he took in the increased attributes. The raw, empowering sensation of growth coursed through him—there was something addicting about it, a feeling of tangible progress.

Before he could fully revel in it, movement caught his attention. The cleric rushed to the injured Michael's side, her hands already glowing with golden light as she worked to heal him. From the way she looked at him—frantic, desperate—Kael was certain that they were close.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group stood frozen, their gazes locked onto Kael.

Ah, right. I still have to deal with them.

Realizing how he might look—standing over a massive boar's corpse, daggers still in hand—Kael sheathed his weapons and raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture. He expected hesitation, maybe even fear. Instead, their focus remained on Michael.

"He's still breathing!" the cleric shouted, relief thick in her voice. The glow from her hands intensified, washing over Michael's injuries as the torn flesh slowly knitted back together.

Kael watched with mild curiosity. Oh, she's putting in some real effort. I don't think I've ever had anyone heal me with an expression like that.

Before he could ponder further, one of the men stepped forward.

It was Liam. The apparent leader.

Unlike the others, who remained wary, Liam approached with a warm, easygoing smile. But Kael wasn't fooled. That was the look of a man who was still evaluating him, still deciding whether he was friend or foe.

"Thanks for the help, my name's Liam." Liam said, offering a handshake. "If you hadn't stepped in, Michael would've…" His voice trailed off, but the meaning was clear.

Kael eyed the extended hand, smirking as he slipped his own into his pockets instead. "Kael. And don't worry about it—I had my own reasons."

Liam's gaze sharpened, his posture subtly shifting. "Oh?"

Kael stretched his arms behind his head, a lazy grin playing on his lips. "Yeah. I wanna tag along—just for a bit. I'll stick with your group until I hit level five, then I'm gone."

Silence fell over the group. They exchanged glances, some wary, others unreadable. Liam, however, studied Kael a moment longer before speaking.

"You look like you'd do fine on your own. Why us?" He gestured slightly toward the massive, bloodied corpse of the boar.

Kael tapped two fingers against his temple. "I wouldn't have been able to kill it if you guys hadn't helped weaken it. It's obvious that my best shot at surviving this tutorial is with a group—for now."

His desire was met with varying degrees of skepticism. The black-haired warrior, broad-shouldered with a shield strapped to his back, made his distrust known.

"And how do we know we can trust you?"

"We don't," Liam replied easily, his eyes never leaving Kael. "But if he wanted us dead, he could've let that boar do the job—or finished us off while we were distracted."

The tension in the air lingered for a beat longer. Then, unexpectedly, Liam's serious expression cracked into a small chuckle. 

"Alright then Kael, you're in, welcome to the team. This grumpy looking guy is Paul, and—"

"I'm all for introductions but let's get it done later, yeah?" Kael cut in, clapping his hands together. His easygoing demeanor dropped slightly as he gestured around them. "We've got a bigger problem."

Paul, already frowning, crossed his arms. "And that is?"

Kael tilted his head toward the massive, lifeless bodies of the two boars bleeding out onto the dirt. The metallic scent of blood hung thick in the air.

"The smell of blood and the noise from our fight" He gave a lazy wave toward the darkening forest. "Its going to end up attracting some predators."

That got their attention. Instinctively, hands tightened around weapons, eyes scanning the shadows between the trees. The distant rustling of leaves suddenly felt far more ominous.

Paul let out a grunt, eyeing the boars' hulking forms. "Then let's hurry and move them."

Kael blinked, then let out a short laugh. "Move them? Do you see the size of these things?"

Paul's scowl deepened. "So what's your suggestion?"

"We butcher them here—take what we can carry and leave the rest." He glanced back at the others. "Meat, hide, bones—whatever's useful. Anything we leave behind? That becomes bait. And that buys us time before something worse finds us."

Liam swept his gaze over the group. "Alright, you heard him. Does anyone actually know how to butcher something like this?"

Silence. A few exchanged uncertain glances, shifting uncomfortably. Someone muttered, "I saw a video once... on the internet."

Kael exhaled through his nose, flipping his dagger in his hand before crouching beside the nearest boar carcass. "I'll handle it."

Liam gave a sharp nod before turning to the others. "We can't just stand around. Everyone, let's try to help out."

There was no argument. Under his direction, the group moved—some stood watch, others gathered supplies, while a few did their best to cover the growing stench of blood. It was messy, inefficient, but necessary.

Kael welcomed the distraction. The last thing he needed was to become their crutch. He had no intention of leading anyone, and it was a relief to see Liam step up.

As he worked, Liam and Paul occasionally crouched beside him, watching, learning. Liam tried his best to mimic Kael's movements, though his cuts were hesitant, imprecise—the work of someone more used to office work behind a desk than slicing through sinew. Paul, on the other hand, adapted quickly, his strokes growing more confident with each pass.

The hours bled away. The sun had begun its descent by the time Kael finished carving the second boar. Two hours. Not bad, all things considered. The real miracle was that nothing had attacked them in the meantime.