A sea of players was rushing frantically toward a corner of the village. Behind the crowd, two individuals were lazily following behind.
"Have we been waiting for this training NPC all along, teacher?" Bubblegum asked with interest.
"Yes and no. I have another prerequisite to executing my next plan. This training NPC is a shortcut to fulfilling it, that's all." Jack mysteriously replied. Bubblegum could only follow in wonder.
Before long, they arrived in front of a well-maintained building made entirely of chiseled rocks. There were already many players running around trying to locate the entrance as they called out loudly:
"Hello, anyone here? We're Players, and we need help!"
"Dumbass, we're called braves in this world…."
"Sir, we're braves, and we need a teacher!"
"There really isn't any door. This is BS!"
"You, what are you doing on the ground?"
"Kneeling and begging him to take us in, obviously."
"Screw this shit! I was hesitating between knight and magician, but the florist NPC will be easier to find. I'm out!"
A few decisively decided to leave for the easier option. Still, most of them stayed. After all, picking a Class was extraordinarily significant. They wouldn't be swayed by a little adversity! The vast majority even copied that one guy as they began "sincerely" kneeling next to the building.
"Teacher, I must admit that I'm shocked," Bubblegum whispered.
"About?" Jack softly inquired.
"I'm picturing you as the scheming evil lurking in the shadows kind of guy. I'm surprised that you're not gunning for the magic NPC trainer." She way too candidly murmured.
"….Hey, that's uncalled for!" Jack protested. How did she perceive him?! He wasn't even that scheming! He was only trying to be efficient! It couldn't be helped if he knew more than most.
She only replied by mischievously sticking out her tongue. How was she so comfortable fooling around? Wasn't she worried that he'd get a new student?! Well, it would be a pain to find another as obedient as her indeed.
She wasn't wrong that he leaned more toward a magical Class. It was just that necromancer wasn't so easy to obtain. Otherwise, it would reign supreme as newbies were incapable of even dealing with one summoned skeleton.
Meanwhile, the others were still doing whatever they could think of to get the man inside the building's attention. But then, a few minutes later, a commotion happened.
A large crowd appeared with long faces, disappointed. In their midst were the guys who had just left this place. They were all back. As many sent them curious glances, one of them explained.
"The magical instructor is easy to find but won't see nor teach anyone. Apparently, he's busy analyzing a magical dagger or something…."
"So he drove all of you guys away just because of such a silly reason?! You all told him you were braves, right?"
"Of course we did! He didn't care at all. He told us all to come and see him once he was done. But, he wouldn't even give us a time frame!"
"What's with the training NPCs playing hooky?! In most MMOs, they are in plain sight with a huge <Trainer> above their heads!"
"I know, right! This game is so goddamn crazy. Whoever created it is a madman!"
"Either a madman or a mad genius. At least, it's unique. Anyway, what's the plan now?!"
Thus followed a long discussion about the options that they had. Well, bickering would have been more accurate. Many were quite frankly confused as they had never expected such a troublesome situation.
Jack could only watch them all amused as his student intently stared at him, countless thoughts swirling in her head. The magical instructor was busy inspecting a dagger?! She knew for a fact that they were the cause of it!
Had this been part of Jack's plan all along?! Back then, she only thought he was trying to acquire tools for some obscure purpose. She had assumed it was for a gardening quest or something.
But, what if his main objective had always been to influence the Players? What would happen if the mage instructor wasn't busy? People would prefer him to the other mysterious instructor that was nowhere to be seen!
This seemingly simple sale had determined the fate of this entire village: it would have fewer users with magical classes! Had this all been premeditated?! Just as she was going crazy with realizations, a thundering shout echoed.
"Braves? Don't make me laugh! All I see are weak worms!"
Hearing this made so many beam with happiness. Were they all masochists? Nope, the training NPC was finally here! He was standing on top of his house, looking extremely valiant, totally copying Bubblegum earlier.
His back was straight. He wore a simple but great-looking black cloak, had black hair tied in a man-bun, bushy brows, a chiseled jaw, and most importantly, was carrying a war hammer.
"Careful, I'm coming down!" He shouted as he made a plunge attack toward the Players assembled below.
It only took a few instants, and he was landing powerfully, his hammer creating a shockwave all around that sent all players nearby straight to the respawn zone. Insta-kill!
"Why didn't they move? I even warned them…." He grumbled, perplexed while many players were facepalming.
There was a moment of silence. Had this NPC really just killed a dozen players that easily?!
"Holy shit! Teach me, daddy!" An enthusiastic player shouted.
Many couldn't help but be taken aback. How fucking awesome was this guy! Instantly, they began pushing toward the front, all to be the first ones to receive his teachings.
"Bunch of worthless animals! Freeze!" He bellowed loudly, bringing all the players to a stop.
"I will never teach anyone that lacks discipline. If you maggots can't handle this, then fuck off! You won't be missed!" This was a first for many to meet an NPC with such 'personality.
Most games were trying their best to be PG13. This one didn't care at all as the basis was R18. It was possible to play while younger, but the experience wouldn't be the same as the AI would filter out some stuff.
"Stand in a formation!" He ordered.
The players were at a loss. What formation? They made a pathetic attempt at it, only to get scolded.
"Are all of you idiots?! Don't you even know how to take a formation?! Wait, you really don't?! Garbage, all of you!" The instructor looked at them with great disgust.
Many just left directly, not wanting to deal with this NPC's bullshit. Some were calling him a control freak. Others were complaining that he was way too arrogant for an NPC, and some even said they'd report him to the admins— as soon as they figured out how.
Still, the majority stayed as they hardened their resolve. They all wished to get revenge on the cheeky chickens. It was a matter of pride! They were also extremely eager to brag to their friends once they had become powerful. It would be awesome!
It took a few minutes, but people finally managed to do rows. They looked more like school children waiting for roll call than soldiers, but it was a start. The instructor nodded with satisfaction.
"All of you, I am instructor Igor. I can teach you out of respect for the king who expects great things of the braves, but know one thing: you are all worthless! Potential is meaningless in the face of mediocrity." Igor warned them.
Many couldn't help but gulp. As expected of a man that had been an instructor in the royal army! While they didn't know anything about the royal army, it did sound mighty! They couldn't help but shiver in excitement.
"Alright, the first order of business is to inspect the troops." Igor began walking near the players starting from the back and diligently observing them. They thought it was nothing but a formality at first, but then… "You, the quivering one, you're out! Get out of my sight!"
What?! Many couldn't help but gasp in shock. This was a test?! Was he examining their posture? If yes, they had to stand as straight and confidently as possible. The player evidently wouldn't go that easily as he dropped to the man's feet.
"Please! Please let me stay! Otherwise, others are going to make fun of me for failing the tutorial and—" The poor guy seemed to have a plethora of excuses, but his tirade was prematurely terminated by one very hard fist.
Igor had sent the player on an express trip to respawn. He clicked his tongue in annoyance: "No begging, no crying, and no running away! A man needs to be manly at all times, and a soldier needs to be even more of a man!"
One girl nearby couldn't help but scoff: "Talk about archaic thinking. Girls can be soldiers too. Why would they need to abide by such dumb principles and—"
There was another teleportation to spawn happening. This time Igor had thrown a pebble at the annoyance to make her disappear.
"No talking back either! I'm using man as in human. If you want to question my methods, then go screw yourself far away!" Igor warned.
Most were now looking at the NPC with heated gazes. He radiated so much confidence! In this new world, they felt utterly lost. The only quests they had received were either killing OP chickens or doing odd jobs. This guy would be the rock they would rely on!
This rock just happened to be passing next to Jack. That is when he was able to see Igor's back for the very first time. The NPC's cloak wasn't entirely black. No, there were orange glowing runes, ones that Jack was able to read.
የቡጢ ፍትህ
He tried his best, he really did, but he instantly erupted laughing. His laughter resonated in the otherwise stern atmosphere. The flabbergasted players all turned toward him, wondering what was wrong with him.
That's when Igor turned back…
Creator's Thought
Instructors in the royal army are all a very serious bunch. For them, a man should never break down, but that's utter BS. It's fine to break down every fucking day as long as you find a method to pick yourself back up afterward. I truly believe this to be true.
