Friends of Four

*BOOM 

Onslaught of powerful attacks came hurling at the Trex. 

The fire in its eyes turned dimmer as it was assaulted by [Life Drain]. Its speed had visibly lessened. 

With its pace, it was not able to evade the incoming onslaught. A Dragon's Breath descended from the sky and burned its bones to nothingness. A domineering sword slash spiraled on its body. And finally, a sword beam of 834 damage killed the undead. 

*Roar…

With its last roar, the S-grade monster died before it could even reach its prey. 

Four individuals then dropped to the ground as they exhausted their mana. 

"D---did we do it?!", Alab couldnt believe what happened. 

An S-grade, an unprobable bug in the Tutorial was killed by them! If someone would hear his story, they would brushed it off as a lie. 

"Did you see that dragon breath?! That was mine! WAHAHAH", Hiraya boasted as her body embraced the ground. 

"Ahmmm, Alab said to not reveal your skill to just anybody", Althea muttered. Her body laying on the soil comfortably. 

"You guys may be idiots, but you have strength. I must acknowledge that.", Kevin uttered. His lens broken from the shockwave. 

As the group exchanged teases and boasts, a system notification greeted their sight, amplifying their celebration. 

[You have killed the S-grade monster, Undead T-Rex]

[You have accomplished an unspeakable feat in the Tutorial. A corrsponding reward will be given after you passed the Tutorial.]

"So its name is really Undead T-Rex", Alab uttered as they could not check the monster's detail beforehand as the classic system appraisal function didnt exist in the Tower of Promise. 

Looking at a large pit on the ground just meters ahead of them, Alab was overwhelmed as words escaped his mind. 

"Say… isnt that fun?!", he uttered as his body laid down the ground. His face reflecting smile that knew no bound as he looked at the sky. 

One by one, the other three players replied. 

"Yes bro!"

"What do you mean by fun? It is the best thing ever!!!"

"I was thought not to reveal too much expression but I must say that was fun *cough" 

Their celebration last till night time hits. They just remained on the ground as they looked at the sun set and stars dazzle in the sky. 

Teasing each other half of the time, boasting their skills quarter of the time, and sharing laughters for the remaining time, the group of four lied on the ground as they waited for their fatigue to subside. 

Having shared a crisis and a common enemy, the group had unknowingly developed friendship that came like a wave. 

Their naivety made them trust their back on the strangers they just met. Or to be exact, it was their deeper past that seemingly brought them together. Past that they were oblivious of… 

"Hey Kevin! You have food on you, right?", Alab broke their fun as he felt his stomach growling in pain. Their fun celebration made them forgot that they hadnt eaten for two days yet… 

"These idiots…", Kevin said as he took foods from his pouch.

"Here, 100 Karma points for each", he uttered.

Apparently, Kevin had a money-obsessed trait. 

—--

Karma points are currency used in the Tower that are rewarded upon clearing of the floor. For these newbies who hadnt received a single Karma points yet, they could only cry inside as they enter a one-side deal. 

*crunch

Kevin felt three pair of eyes looking at him with horror as he ate his dinner. On his side, three players sat as tears seemed to evacuate their eyes, chewing their food as they lamented on their expensive dinner. 

"Say siz, dont you think that 100 Karma points are too much for a single piece of meat and 10 ml of water?"

"I think so, bro!"

"I cant believe that a businenessman is also transported here in the Tower." 

Digesting their food, the three players could only allude Kevin, hoping that he would feel conscience and give it for free. The latter on the other hand, ate unfazed. It was clear that persuading him wouldnt work. 

The dinner ended with only Kevin having a satisfied demeanor… 

When darkness engulfed the area, the group had decided to stay together. Kevin was reluctant at first but later on gave in, after all, he was curious about their skill. 

"What is the rank of your title?", he inquired frankly as he looked at Alab, Althea, and finally, Hiraya. 

Alab could only reveal a smirk as the question was too blunt, "did not even bother with words, arent you?"

"I believe such thing is a waste of time. If you want to tell me about it, you will tell me even without that. And if you dont, you wont", Kevin justified himself. 

Hearing him, Althea replied, "but… Kevin said that we should not tell other people about our skill so casually"

"He is right, you should not. Im just asking out of curiosity. From your reaction and the power you shown earlier,  I could at least point out that its at least S-grade", said Kevin as he fixed his eyeglass that was new, it seemed that he brought a spare one. 

Hiraya fixed her golden hair on her ear, revealing her beautiful demeanor. If Althea was an incarnation of a goddess, Hiraya felt like a fierce Empress who would make her subjects submit in fear. 

Looking at the beautifully-crafted people around him, Alab felt his inferiority getting stronger and stronger. He was like a mice in a pond of Angels. 

"Say, arent you all good looking?", having enough of it, his thought escaped his mind. 

"You just realized that?", Hiraya uttered

"Now that I think about it, you are the only ugly-looking guy here. You are a monster in a sheep's clothing, arent you?", Kevin scorned with his dry humor 

"Dont mind it bro, at least you are kind!", comforted Althea which delivered the knife of inferiority deeper to his chest. 

'Arghh, these guys!', Alab wailed in his heart as he couldnt deny their words. 

AN: pitiful Alab (T_T)!

"Now that I think about it, you said you were chasing an important person, right? Who was it?", Alab asked Kevin as he remembered the latter's words earlier. 

Kevin fixed his beddings made out of weaved vines as he replied, "Its an SSS-grade player, Ive been chasing him for a day now and thanks to the three of you, I was discovered. You should pay me 500 karma points for the damage, dont you think?", he said. 

Alab felt his nerves twitching from his remarks. He couldnt believe that he met a demon businessman in this Tutorial. 

"I chased an SSS-grade too before I met Althea. But I lost track of him. Guess we have a bad luck", he uttered. 

"Its only you who has a bad luck", Kevin retorted as he finally fixed his beddings. Now taking out another weaved vines from his pouch that seemed to carry to much that it seems, he laid on his comfortable bed. 

On the other hand, hearing the words of Alab, Hiraya couldnt help but remember what happened earlier. She nearly died and it was an experience she never wanted to happen again. 

Thinking of this, she looked at Alab. If it was not for him, she might have died for real. 

She only had one attack skill at the moment and she couldnt use it that time as she didnt know the exact location of the girl. Using it blindlessly might cost her her life. Besides, she thinks that the fat girl was using an illusion type of spell and she no way of breaking from that.

Looking at Alab, gratitude overwhelmed her. She swore to pay this favor by hundred times when they entered the Tower. 

Alab on the other hand was unaware of the amount of respect he had gained as he just bother the sleeping Kevin. 

"Hey! Dont you think you should share your bed with us?!", he uttered as he tried to steal the weaven vines. 

"Just sleep in the ground or find leaves in your comfort.", Kevin replied as he took the other end of the vine and pull with large force. 

"At least give this one to us!", Kevin retorted as he pulled with yet a stronger force. 

"Just sleep on the ground, you idiot!"

"Chkkk, HAHAHAHA, fighting, bro!", Althea laughed as she supported her bro in taking their sheet. 

Looking at them making yet another trouble, Hiraya could only revealed a smirk as she decided to join them. 

Apparently, she was another troublemaker. 

"Give it to us, Kevin! Feel pity towards us ladies!", she said as she took the other corner of the sheet and pull. 

"You are in no way a lady with that flat chest!", Kevin uttered. And apparently, he hit the rock. 

Hiraya stood up as her nerves twicthed from anger, her face revealing an expression akin to enraged hyenas that made them remember the undead Trex earlier. Seeing this, Alab fell in disarray as he let go of the sheet and decided to not join them. But it was too late, Hiraya had already decided that she would need to release her anger and a single punching bag just wouldnt suffice. 

*gulp

Alab could only gulp as he looked at the enraged Hiraya. He was trying to persuade her with words to appease her madness but Kevin just wouldnt seem to realize the situation as he said…

"Flat monster", he uttered.

And that was how the night ended with two souls discovering a new meaning of pain…

On a corner, laying comfortably on the interlocked vines, Hiraya released a series of laughter as she watched the two receiving a beating…

"HAHAHAAHAH" 

And the 2nd day of the Tutorial ended like that…

—-