Elden Tutorial

"Ugh, why do I feel like I just fell off a cliff..." I twitched for a moment on the ground before slowly rising up. Last thing I remember was getting ganged up by 4 assassins. Then escaping via tutorial. I could have killed them, but honestly felt like it'd be funnier if my father had to listen to their excuses on how they failed to kill me. I can just imagine the sheer rage on his face right now.

It brought a smile to my face. But enough about that, for now to get my bearings. I glanced at my surroundings, I was in a cave of some sorts. It was a bit familiar, I've definitely seen this before. I hummed for a moment as I immediately realized where I was.

Before making anymore assumptions, I stepped over to a chair with a corpse on it. There was a red and blue flask on it's lap. I looted it before a sudden screen appeared in front of me.

[Welcome to the tutorial. As you have most likely guessed by now, you are in The Lands Between.]

Well it's nice that I have some confirmation, the real question is. Can I die here?

[You will be allowed to keep anything you find within this tutorial world. While the strength that you gain from levels in this world will be the base capabilities of your body after leaving. Please say 'Status or stats' to continue the tutorial.]

"Stats." I spoke out loud

[Name: Zieg Aversis

Stats offered by tutorial so far:

Strength: E-

Endurance: E-

Agility: E-

Mana: E-

Luck: E-

NP: None

Skills:None]

I blinked in confusion at the servant parameters from the Nasuverse. Surely I was stronger than this. I had aura from RWBY along with the Schnee's semblance. I kept my Primordial runes from the life before along with my magecraft. I know I'm definitely not this weak. Which means....

[These parameters will change as you level up within this tutorial world. Eventually becoming your physical body's base abilities after leaving. Spirit ashes may be integrated into your semblance after leaving.]

Okay, that was alright. Which means that I would be stronger as a whole after this. I can work with that. Plus the spirit ashes thing will be nice.

[For an example. 9 strength= E- / 19=E / 39= E+ / 59= D- / 70= D / 80= D+ / 90= C- / 99=C]

Not bad, but dear lord the amount of grinding to be done just to get all stats to 99, I imagine it'd be mind numbing.

[Not all stats from levels will affect base parameters, some will translate into skills at the end. Strength will affect Strength, Dex will affect Agility, Endurance for Endurance, Arcane for Luck and the rest will turn into skills.]

Okay which means the highest I can get is a C rank in all servant parameters for myself, I wonder what the other stats will turn into.

[Before beginning your journey, would you like to use challenge mode options? Completing your journey will yield extra bonus rewards at the end.]

"What are the options?" I asked out loud. I mean, since I don't think I can die in this tutorial. I may be able to complete them easily.

[Option 1: No Aura or Magecraft for battle.

Reward: Random main boss summon integrated to semblance.

Option 2: No death run.

Reward: The secret behind spirit ashes

Option 3: No summons run.

Reward: Noble Phantasm: Elden Lord's Strength

Option 4: No using torrent.

Reward: ???]

No aura or magecraft for battle... That would make this more annoying. I imagine it wouldn't let me reinforce weapons before battle then. But damn that random boss summon is tempting.

The no death run confirms to me that I'll respawn if I die. I mean, I might as well take it. If I fail, then I fail. It doesn't say that it'll make me perma dead. Just wants me to do the run without dying.

The no summons run kind of makes me frown. In this current strive for power, I planned on becoming a sort of summoner, not just in this tutorial but in general. Especially with my semblance, I could let minions do the fighting for me so I wouldn't have to worry about my little issue with battle lust. But a Noble Phantasm is just too good to pass up.

As for the No torrent thing... I imagine the reward is incredibly good just because it's question marks. But I'd rather not be forced to go everywhere on foot.

[Challenges 1, 2 and 3 confirmed. Please enjoy and you may leave either at the end or give up early.]

"Alright, let's get this over with." I said with a small smile.

∞

Two figures stood within the cave. Their boots soaked in the shallow water beneath. Zieg's shoulder length white hair flowed in the breeze as he kept his eyes on the man before him.

"Ah the God of Soldiers and The Soldier of God, Rick." Zieg stared at the memelord before him.

The Soldier of Godrick responded with a grunt, hefting his greatsword up. The water beneath splashed with each step towards the white haired protagonist. Then his blade howled through the wind as it descended towards Zieg with ferocious intent.

That is until Zieg stepped into his guard, tripped the Soldier backwards and proceeded to pin him down to stab repeatedly until death with a manic smile on his expression.

"Well, that was anticlimactic" He hummed before heading towards the exit.

∞

Sitting at a site of grace situated right next to a large gate. I continued to listen to the random spirit girl that decided to show up near me. Honestly I would have freaked out and stabbed a spear at her if I wasn't expecting this. Seriously, there was no indication of her presence.

"Torrent has chosen you, treat him with respect." I remained deadpan at the girl in front of me.

"Why does everyone keep telling me I got no bitches?" Something about being told that I'm maidenless to my face feels a lot more personal than when I was playing the game.

"...No bitches? Do people normally inform you of the absence of female dogs?" Melina asked in her usual tone with intrigue. I forget that bitch literally translates to female dog. Normally I would think a person was being sarcastic if they asked me this question, but I can feel her sincerity.

"It means... nevermind." I sighed out loud before sulkily leaving.

∞

Making his way down the stairway situated in the ruins, Zieg silently pondered the way that the NPCs he had encountered, seemed to have more personality than what he remembered from the game. It was a bit odd, but not unwelcomed. Varre seemed more creepier than in-game, the merchant Kale and Melina were slightly more talkative.

He straightened the creases on his robes. Oddly enough he started out with the Astrologer robes when he ended up here for some reason. He would have swapped it out for some armor, but he felt like the armor he tried on so far were a bit too bulky for his liking. He was a bit disappointed that he couldn't just enchant the robes that he had or reinforce them with magecraft since he was doing a challenge run.

Stepping through the fog door, he was greeted by a towering humanoid with a distinctive pumpkin shaped helmet. It blitzed towards him with a low growl, readying it's large flail.

Zieg dodged out of the way, and ran a spear he had found earlier straight through it's back. He blinked in surprise before jumping away from a flail slamming towards his earlier position. He noted that his enemy didn't mind having a spear lodged through it's torso.

The corner of Zieg's lips began to twitch upwards before he squashed the feeling of excitement down. Taking out a knife, he began to methodically avoid the pumpkin head's wide attacks while cutting the berserker in multiple areas. Eventually the battle ended with the enemy exploding into runes.

"This is honestly easier than I expected." Zieg noted. He hadn't really had much trouble in his time within the tutorial so far. His lessons from Scathach made it seem like a walk in the park.

Either way, the reason he came here was to begin learning the magic of this world. Before, he didn't really use his magecraft for much besides reinforcing his body or assisting him in combat in the past. But now he had decided that he could help his summons by being a ranged spellcaster in the future. Plus he wouldn't lose his damn mind in battle if all he did was pelt enemies from afar.

Activating the site of grace, he took out his scroll. A scroll was basically a smartphone from RWBY, but much more compact. On the screen, it showed his inventory and runes. It was a neat feature added by the tutorial. At least he had an inventory now, although he idly wondered what would happen if he lost his scroll. Before, he had kept the Gae Bolg in a small sub-space within his soul. He still had it, but the weapon was unusable due to being snapped in two from the interdimensional truck that killed him.

Placing some more points into intelligence, he hummed with satisfaction before lifting up the door at the end of the room.

The room was littered with glintstone crystals scattered across the floor. In the middle of it all was a feminine figure with a glintstone crown covering her head and facial features. Zieg idly wondered why she was here, behind a door with a Mad Pumpkin head guarding it.

"Oh hello, apologies if that was your guard out there. He didn't seem to be the type to listen to reason." Zieg apologized now that he thought about it. What if the Mad Pumpkin head was a sort of guard for her. Sellen didn't respond for a moment, as if attempting to see something within him. Zieg didn't interrupt and allowed the awkward silence carry on.

"It's no issue, the brute was not of mine and I did not deem it necessary to do away with a free guard." Sellen finally responded. Judging from her words, she was apparently using the raging berserker to keep people from bothering her and her research. Zieg understood this as he was also a magus who got lost in research a couple times in the past.

"Tarnished, are we? It's a wonder you would end up here. I am Sellen, a sorcerer, quite plainly. Why are you here?" She introduced herself before inquiring.

"I am from a place far from here and found interest in learning the magecraft within these lands." Zieg answered honestly. He tried to keep his habit of randomly cursing down. In his experience when it came to speaking to scholarly types, they would find his cursing to be crude and unappealing. It wouldn't do to give his possible teacher a bad first impression.

"Ahh, a yearn for glintstone sorceries? Well your aptitude does appear... passable. But one must choose one's masters wisely." Sellen moved closer to him in inspection. "I was exiled from the Academy of Raya Lucaria, as a reviled, apostate witch. Do you still wish to learn from me?"

In response, Zieg grinned. "My last teacher was also a witch of sorts." He thought back to Scathach for a moment. "I'd be honored to recieve your tutelage." He gave a short bow.

"Well, you seem to be a piece of work. Very well, you are now my protege in glintstone sorcery. But I refuse to coddle, or cast kind words. Never." She turned around as Zieg wasn't able to discern her expression due to being covered by the crown. "Anticipate grievances, young apprentice."

For some odd reason, she sort of reminded him of Scathach as well. But it's not like she'd put him through the ringer as well... right?