5 Tutorial [5]

There are times in life when you don't need to see what's happening to understand the situation.

For those with energetically amorous neighbours, this sentiment couldn't be truer.

Though the current situation was different, it didn't take a genius to figure out why terrified screams followed the entry of a group of wolves, as tall as adults, into the cave on the hill.

Lionel took several steps toward the hill before I halted his action.

"And where do you think you're going?"

He turned to look at me upon hearing my voice.

His body still trembled, and various emotions were visible in his eyes.

"W-we have to help th-them-" he struggled to say.

Lionel hadn't even finished speaking before I interrupted him.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Ah..." Lionel's reaction showed he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"What do you mean—"

"Do you want to get yourself killed?" I pressed.

This time, he closed his mouth and fell silent.

His fists clenched, and from the way he bit his lower lip, I could tell realisation had dawned on him.

It was clear that heading to the cave right now would lead to only one outcome.

Death.

Sure, Lionel had the power to handle a few adult males easily, but humans were different from wolves. These were also not the wolves he knew.

From the expression on his face, I could tell Lionel had realised this.

However, I could also see his reluctance to accept it.

I sighed silently in my head.

Seeing Lionel's current look made me recall how 'righteous' and 'heroic' the protagonist of Tower Ascendance was in the early stages of the novel.

He was always willing to sacrifice himself for others if he could, until the true nature of people got revealed to him in a bad way.

I knew this was the author's build-up to his character development, and I enjoyed the journey, but it's different now.

That was the novel, and this is reality.

Being good was not bad, but being too good was stupid.

Though in the original narrative, Lionel did not end up courting death as he realised he was only going to deliver himself as dessert to the wolves, now I wasn't a reader.

I wasn't about to put up with that nonsense, especially when I needed to use him throughout the tutorial Floor.

"I know it's cruel, but you have to realise that sometimes some things are beyond you."

"...."

"So what are you going to do when you get up there? Stab the wolves to death? With what? A sword? And then what? Everything would be okay?"

"...."

"Use your head! There's only one you! I know it's cruel, but we also have to survive!"

"Perhaps if they had left the cave when others did as well, then it would not have come to this. But did they?"

"They can only blame themselves for the consequences of their choice."

"....."

Lionel's grip on his sword tightened with every word I spoke.

I knew he had a 'hero complex,' but that didn't mean he was stupid.[1]

He was just a little ill in the head with that rubbish.

It's ironic since I liked that about him in the novel, but once again, that was in the novel, this was reality.

Mistakes could not be rewritten, nor could I afford them.

"Quick! We don't know if they'll come back out, so let's get away from this area fast."

With that said, I increased my pace to put distance between me and the hill.

Though I appeared anxious on the surface, I knew we didn't have to worry about the wolves, but rather the other dangers in the forest.

Those wolves were as good as dead with 'her' there.

Lionel had no idea of this, though, as he followed closely behind me.

Soon, the screams faded away.

"...."

"...."

In silence, we continued making our way around the outskirts of the forest, keeping our guard up.

As we continued forward, I could feel Lionel's gaze on me.

I wondered if it was because of what I had said to him earlier or if it was because of the path I was taking.

If it was the former, I needed to knock some sense into him.

If it was the latter, I had my reasons for it.

It wasn't just a random decision on my part, but one that centred around our survival.

In the first level of the tutorial, the forest was designed so that as one went deeper into it, the challenges became more difficult.

This wasn't limited to just terrains, but monsters as well.

At our level, while facing monsters would be beneficial in raising our stats fast, it was also the quickest way to die.

My decision to go around the forest also had something to do with getting stronger.

A few kills would be involved, but nothing as risky as it would be in the forest. It wasn't time to enter it yet.

Another reason for going around the forest was that even if we encountered any monsters, the ones at the outskirts of the forest should be easy for Lionel and me to handle.

"Mr. Leo," Lionel called from behind me. I was just about to turn around and face him when something else caught my attention.

SHHFFFF!

A sound came from a bush ahead of us, and something emerged.

A creature.

One that even a child could connect to something out of fantasy but wouldn't imagine ever seeing.

A goblin.

******

[1] A hero complex, also known as a messiah complex or saviour complex, is a psychological phenomenon where an individual feels an overwhelming need to help others, often at the expense of their own well-being.

People with a hero complex may seek out situations where they can rescue or save others, sometimes to validate their own self-worth or to fulfil a deep-seated need for admiration or recognition.

This behaviour can sometimes lead to over-involvement in other people's problems or neglect of one's own needs.