Old man Tullus slowly rose to his feet.
His aide rushed over to help him up but the elder declined, mustering his own strength. His hand didn't so much as reach for the walking stick lying discarded on the floor, he rose alone, determined like a man shouldering more than just his years.
"I am well aware of the gravity of what I am asking," Tullus said, voice heavy with guilt. His head lowered, body bowed deeply. "Not only is it dangerous, life-threatening even, it also means you, as travellers, may never again see the families you left behind in your world."
He raised his head slightly, eyes glistening. "I know full well the gravity of this request. To ask strangers to risk death for people they don't know... I know how unreasonable that sounds. I do."
Sympathy.
A subtle but dangerous tool, one only effective in the hands of those who understand its value.
And Old Man Tullus?
Nathan was impressed, deeply, begrudgingly impressed. The man was a master manipulator cloaked in frailty.
"Please, heroes," Tullus pleaded, tears now flowing freely, voice cracking. "Save my people. Save my village. Please… do not let us die."
See? Sympathy, executed with surgical precision. A brilliant performance.
An old man, eyes wet, body bent, kneeling and weeping. Who wouldn't be moved by that image?
Even if your heart were chiselled from ancient, unyielding mountain stone, it would melt in the face of such desperation. You'd find yourself playing the noble fool, tail wagging like a puppy desperate to save the day.
'How... selfish.'
That was all Nathan could think as he stared at the broken old man grovelling before them.
What Tullus was asking wasn't just aid. It was sacrifice. Their lives, essentially, traded for the survival of strangers.
And why? Because some ancient prophecy foretold their arrival? Because fate supposedly ordained them to "do the right thing"?
The sheer audacity behind that notion disgusted Nathan. It repulsed him. That his life was being weighed like spare change in the hands of a desperate beggar, it made his stomach churn.
Still… he was only human.
Despite his cynicism, despite how clearly he could see the manipulation for what it was… he couldn't ignore the sobbing elder. The helplessness. The pleading.
'Damn these human emotions.' Nathan inwardly cursed.
But he said none of that aloud. Instead, he sighed.
"You don't have to go this far, Old Man Tullus," Nathan said at last. "We'll help."
"What?! Are you crazy?!" Rory barked from behind. "Speak for yourself, fatass!"
"Sure," Nathan replied calmly. "You keep sitting there, arms folded. I'll take this on with or without you."
Rory's face darkened, veins bulging as his fists clenched. He looked ready to throw a punch.
"Kid! You wanna die?!"
But Nathan ignored him. His eyes remained on the old man, whose face lit up through his tears.
"Thank you! Thank you, hero!" Tullus cried, snot and tears making his words nearly unintelligible.
"Don't thank me yet," Nathan said, raising a hand. "I'll do everything I can but giving my life? That's not on the table."
He was aware of those who had chosen to abandon the tutorial quest. Some stayed in this world, refusing the call to action. They lived out their days in peace but their profiles remained stagnant, forever locked in limbo.
A fate worse than death.
Name]: Nathaniel Lockwood
[Age]: 15
[Race]: Human
[Rank]: Dormant
[Level]: -
[Stats]: Locked
[Available Stat Points: -]
[Talent]: Locked
---
That's what happened to those who gave up completing the tutorial quest. No awakening. No growth. No power, and no way back to planet Gaia.
It was a clever system, cruelly clever. It made abandoning the tutorial feel like surrendering your entire identity, your potential, your future.
And Nathan? Oh, how he ached to awaken, to see his stats unshackled, to grow into the strength he instinctively knew lay within.
Why did he feel this urge? He couldn't say. Perhaps it was just another one of those mysterious human instincts, the hunger to rise above weakness.
"Before anything else," Nathan said, turning to the group, "I need to know who's with me. Who's willing to work with me… and who's not?"
He didn't expect much. After all, they'd all received the same tutorial quest, and whether they lifted a finger or not, if Nathan succeeded, they'd still share the rewards.
Disappointment, he reminded himself, only exists when you have expectations.
Still… it wouldn't hurt to ask.
"I'll help out!" Anna stepped forward.
Her volunteering first spoke volumes, her desire to be more than just half-awakened, more than just a passive observer.
"Same here," Marvelous added. "I'm an old bone now. What use is there in preserving the last of my time doing nothing?"
Valid point. Nathan almost felt like clapping for her sudden clarity. But that would be rude, wouldn't it?
"Anyone else…?"
Nathan turned toward Subaru.
Nothing, not a single peep from her.
No surprise there.
The man who once acted like he was ready to go far and beyond for the weak, backing out at the moment he was most needed?
Nathan didn't even feel disappointed, he hadn't expected much from him to begin with.
"Thank you, heroes," Tullus said, bowing deeply again. "We will provide accommodations for you to stay in. Whatever you require, just say the word. We'll do our best to provide."
Nathan nodded.
Of course, they would. Imagine risking their lives and being denied decent treatment in return. That would be absurd. He'd be offended if they didn't roll out every ounce of hospitality they had.
But that wasn't important now.
If he was going to survive and complete this quest, he needed to plan, and strategize.
Saving a village wasn't as simple as killing a few monsters. It required knowledge, skill, timing… and above all, awareness.
This was not just a test of strength, it was a test of resolve.
And Nathan? He wasn't planning to fail.