Tutorial Boss

There was a complete moment of silence.

The bandit's corpse slowly slipped towards the ground where it collapsed motionless just like the other bodies in the hall.

The bone spear jutting out of his flesh was stained with the same crimson liquid that now seemed to paint the world in red.

"Magi… MAGI!" the dead bandit's brother quickly pulled up his pants and sprinted towards the exit of the hall.

There were no thoughts of revenge in his mind.

Every single instinct in his body screamed for him to flee as soon as possible.

Normal folk had no chance against the magic blessed. Especially not some small-time grave robber and thief like himself.

He was accustomed to bullying the weak and the elderly… not some lunatic mage!

Mei Lian observed the scene with a cold indifferent gaze.

She was not sure what had happened but somehow… she no longer felt any emotions.

She should have been horrified at the thought of impaling a man straight through his heart and yet… she felt nothing.

Yes, they were just NPCs in a game… but they were so life-like that Mei Lian was sure that under normal circumstances she should have been freaking out and hyperventilating.

But instead, there was…

No guilt. No pleasure. No fear.

Just pure… indifference.

Another floating line of text appeared in the corner of her vision.

[Bloodline Awakening in progress… 5%]

"Bone spear!" Mei Lian chanted again a cold collected tone.

Her fingertips once again flickered with a dark sigil of light and this time… she could feel something indescribable slip away from her mind.

The second bandit had almost reached the open doors when he tripped over a corpse that lay right in his path.

He stumbled on the ground desperately trying to get up, but that split second was enough to seal his fate.

A loud crack echoed through the hall as a bone-like spear erupted from the chest of the corpse beneath him.

It pierced directly through his lower back and the jagged tip burst through his stomach with a wet gory snap.

The bandit's legs kicked uselessly, scraping at the dirt as his body was lifted into the air, suspended on the cruel shaft of bone.

His eyes were still wide with disbelief, stared out into the void, the doors… the doors had been just a few steps away.

A gurgled scream escaped from the bandit's mouth before his flailing arms finally dropped still.

His life had come to an end.

The bald-headed man had seen the entire process from start to finish but unlike the other two bandits, he had not moved an inch.

The crude symbols on his forehead glowed ever so slightly with a faint golden tint. There was panic in his eyes, but he took a deep breath and quickly suppressed the fear.

He slowly bent down and picked up one of the silver daggers that were strown across the floor.

A mage was in this room.

Was it a planned ambush?

Did they get caught in a trap designed for someone else?

It didn't matter at this point. All he could do now was to focus on surviving by killing the mage.

His companions might have been scared when they saw the unnatural spear growing from the corpses, but he was not.

After all… he had once killed a wizard.

Those who possessed arcane powers were strong, but they were not invulnerable.

[Tutorial Boss- Exiled Barbarian]

"Come out little mage!" the bald man roared loudly. His booming voice echoed through the room, and it caused Mei Lian to furrow her brows.

[Warning! Under the effect of Provoking Shout!]

[Mental Resistance… calculating… calculating…]

[Failure]

An unnatural feeling of rage surged in Mei Lian's heart as she stared at the bald-headed man with flames in her eyes.

How dare he? That monster deserved to pay!

He and his companions were going to defile the corpses of women!

Monsters! All of them were monsters!

SHE WOULD BUTCHER THEM ALL!

Mei Lian stepped out from behind the stone pillar and stared at the remaining bandit. She was going to kill him.

She was going to rid the world of this piece of shit.

Mei Lian stood still amidst the carnage, her dark black clothes rustling ever so slightly as necrotic energy swirled around her fingers.

The remaining bandit stared back with a helpless expression on his face as though he had given up on the fight.

If Mei Lian had been in her right mind… she would have realised that something was horribly wrong.

"Bone spea… ARGHHH!" Mei Lian screamed in pain as her chant was interrupted.

A flash of silver cut through the dark.

A dagger buried itself deeply in her upper right arm, slicing through flesh with brutal precision.

Her spell faltered immediately, and the half-formed spear crumbled into dust as her body jerked backwards from the impact.

Mei Lian reflexively grabbed her arm in shock. Blood oozed from the wound staining her black sleeve.

The sharp burst of pain snapped her out of her state of rage, but it did not return her to her previous state of calm indifference.

"Ow… Ow!" Mei Lian hissed in pain as her right arm now hung uselessly at her side.

"I ain't dying like them…" the bald-headed bandit spat out in rage as he clenched his fingers together to form a tight fist.

"Not to some magi bitch! I'm going to break you little girl and strangle that pretty neck of yours!"

"Then I'll feed your corpse to the fucking stray dogs!"

Another flash of silver shot through the hall and Mei Lian had to awkwardly drop to the floor to avoid the attack.

A strand of her hair was cut as the blade passed mere inches away from her scalp.

She desperately ran towards the stone column to get some cover, but the bandit lunged forward with shocking speed for a man so well- built.

The symbols on his forehead glowed with a bright golden light as his muscles began to swell and grow.

He let out a guttural roar as veins bulged across his neck and arms, dark and throbbing as though something monstrous had awakened.

His shoulders broadened, spine cracking audibly as his back arched and widened.

"ARGHHHH! I'LL RIP YOU APART!" the bandit shouted with bloodlust as his footsteps caused the ground beneath him to crack.

Mei Lian's only thought was to get away from that monster.

Wasn't this supposed to be a tutorial quest?

Tell me why the hell as an ordinary bandit suddenly cracking the floor with his strength!

If Mei Lian could talk to the developers now… she would strangle them and ask them who the hell was in charge of the balance!

Pain throbbed through her wounded arm, but she didn't dare to stop. Behind her, the thunderous sound of footsteps got louder and louder.

The bandit was coming no longer as a man but as a beast driven by rage and brute power.

"Bone Speare! Bone Spear!" Mei Lian hurriedly chanted as she raised up her shaky left hand and pointed at the corpses in front of her.

Several spears shot towards the muscular bandit and successfully penetrated his chest and lower stomach.

Mei Lian pumped her fist in excitement and felt relief for a brief moment before her eyes widened in horror as the bandit groaned and pulled the spears out of his body.

His guts partially spilled out of the hole in his stomach, but he kept moving forward as though he could not feel any pain.

"You… can't kill me… little girl…" the bandit laughed with a dark chuckle as he wound back his fist and punched the air.

Boom!

A loud shockwave burst forward.

"Bone Spears!" Mei Lian pointed at another corpse and this time the spear shot upwards to form a fragile barrier.

It did not work.

Mei Lian's body was flung several feet backwards as she slammed against the side of a nearby wall and landed on the ground with a heavy thud.

All of her body was now aching with pain.

The dagger that had embedded itself in her right arm had gotten loose and fresh spurts of blood ran down the side of her arm.

Mei Lian groaned in agony as she tried frantically to get up.

Move…. Move… move damn it!

No matter what she did… her body would not respond.

She was simply too injured.

"Log out… please… log out…" Mei Lian gasped quietly as it hurt to even breath. She could do nothing but watch as the bandit approached her slowly step by step.

He stood above her body and looked down at her with a predatory smile that sent shivers down Mei Lian's spine.

He roughly grabbed her injured right arm and pulled her upwards until they were face to face.

"I'm going to make you suffer for killing my men…" the bandit growled as he used his other hand to wrap his fingers around Mei Lian's throat.

With a terrible smile… he begun to squeeze.