After a couple of hours of practicing his mana manipulation whilst waiting for the group of chefs to finish, he was rewarded with ten crates filled to the brim with different types of sandwiches and a singular level in his Profession.

  *Your Profession has reached Lv 75 – Points allocated, +4 Free Points*

  Considering that he made thirty small knives for early E-Grades, a singular level was actually pretty good. According to Eric, who checked in to see what was going on, forging equipment or tools lower level than yourself gave less XP.

  Judging by the look on his face, it was clear he was highly annoyed. Based on what he’d heard from the chefs, both he and Angela were being run ragged, tasked with arming every E-Grade in the camp with new equipment. And in Archie’s opinion, that was the number one reason why he refused to be part of a camp.

  After paying their commissions and handing over their newly forged knives—each etched with runes of Soul-Bound, Self-Repair, and Low Sharpness, an upgraded version of his previous Lesser Sharpness rune—he slowly rolled his way out of the camp, careful not to accidentally ram into someone.

  Once properly out of the camp’s walls, Achie released the throttle he kept on the mana within the engine’s mana container and shot towards where the Assistant village used to be, jerking back slightly from the initial acceleration.

  As Archie drew closer to the area where the Assistant village once stood, he found himself surrounded by tall grass and sprawling ferns, their dull green blades swaying gently in the evening breeze.

  The only feature that seemed out of place was a massive marble platform, gleaming a fiery-orange, staving off the darkness around it. At the top, center of the platform, stood a towering pyre thrice as large as the Primalsaur he had killed previously. Along the brazier were images of any and every creature imaginable charging at one another. The humanoids were holding crudely made weapons while the more beastial and insectiods bared their claws and fangs.

  It looked like a war, but everyone was at each other's throats.

  Unable to Identify the pyre, Archie sighed before storing away his Mana Bike into his spatial storage and made his way towards the pyre on foot.

  As Archie ascended up the platform and stood in front of the massive pyre, he tried to analyze it as best as he could without using Identify.

  Even with Gaze of the Forgefather

  Giving up with a sigh, Archie touched the massive golden circular basin of the pyre and activated Identify.

  Pyre of Challenge:

  A pyre created by the System for the sole purpose of burning the Sigils of Challenge to enhance the difficulty of the Final Boss of this Group Tutorial. Once the 55th day of the Group Tutorial begins, the Flame of Challenge shall extinguish and release the Final Boss.

  Archie sighed as he read the description of the pyre. It was obviously magical in nature, but he couldn’t detect any mana from it at all.

  “I need to improve my mana manipulation and sensing abilities,” Archie muttered under his breath as he took out the four Sigils of Challenge.

  Cradling the sigils in his hands, Archie tossed them all into the basin at once. For a brief moment, they rested within the flames, untouched and unmoved, before slowly crumbling into ash. As they disintegrated, wisps of distinct types of energies unfurled from the remnants, swirling and dancing before being pulled into the enormous Flame of Challenge, which absorbed them eagerly, its fire flickering higher in response.

  Archie stared into the pyre for a good moment before looking at his notifications.

  Final Boss Empowerment I:

  You have empowered the Final Boss of your Group Tutorial, increasing the difficulty of the quest regarding the Final Boss of your Group Tutorial. As a result, all native entities within the Group Tutorial have become noticeably more agitated.

  ***

  Final Boss Empowerment IV:

  You have greatly empowered the Final Boss of your Group Tutorial, you have raised the difficulty of the quest regarding the Final Boss of your Group Tutorial to the highest degree. As a result, all native entities within the Group Tutorial have become very hostile to all. Upon the completion of the quest regarding the Final Boss, all Tutorial Participants within this Group Tutorial shall receive a substantial increase in their Records.

  Archie took in the four Final Boss Empowerment notifications he received after tossing all four Sigils of Challenge. Each one being slightly longer than the one before, and warned him about the increased hostility of all creatures within the Group Tutorial.

  But unlike the previous three Final Boss Empowerment notifications he’d received, only the fourth provided a reward. Which in Archie’s opinion, was a welcome surprise.

  He’d just assumed that the rewards of the Final Boss quest would be increased, maybe providing him with 200,000 Tutorial Points instead of 100,000.

  But this was a far better reward than what he expected. While he didn’t really understand what exactly records were, he recognized that they were very important. For example, they played a major part in his Class and Profession Evolutionary Options.

  . Archie smiled as he stared at the last Final Boss Empowerment notification. But that smile soon vanished as he was met with another notification.

  Your actions have caught the attention of many

  “Huh?”

  Archie’s ember wreathed eyes focused on the large molten chunk of Volthrinite he held in place with his precision tongs. he continued to smoothen its side with increased intensity, when he suddenly heard a sharp crack echo within the cave.

  Confused, Archie looked to his left hand and found his heavy-duty tong’s hinge snapped in half, with only the lower jaw still attached. Looking at the sand below, he found its upper jaw lying beside other chipped remains of the tongs.

  With a heavy sigh, Archie dropped the reins and let them fall to the ground with a soft thud.

  “…Damn it,” Archie muttered under his breath as he turned to face his hammer and noticed the thin fractures all along its head.

  He had completely forgotten to etch the Self-Repair rune onto his tools, and now it had come back to bite him.

  While he could add it now onto the tongs, it would then consider its current state as its origin state. Which would mean every time he repaired it, it would go to what it currently is now. And judging by the state of his hammer, he wasn’t sure if it could survive for any longer as well.

  “I’ll just go ask Syll—” Archie mumbled, only to stop mid-sentence as he remembered that the Assistant village was gone. With a resigned sigh, he turned away from his tools and forge.

  He’d probably have to commission a new hammer from Eric or one of the new smiths and then use that to craft a replacement.

  , Archie reasoned, his thoughts drifting as he walked toward the shore of his cave.

  “But why does it feel so wrong to have someone else forge something for me?” he spoke aloud, his brows furrowing as he watched the waves lap against the shore.

  His gaze shifted, catching the faint glint of moonlight reflecting off the water’s surface. For a moment, he stared at his own unmasked reflection, his eyes were drawn to the equipment he wore, the equipment he made with his own hands.

  His eyes then shifted from his reflection, drawn instead to his nearly broken hammer resting atop the battered anvil beside his forge.

  If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  He had been hesitant when he first chose this Profession… , Archie thought, a soft smile spreading across his face.

  It was far more fulfilling to create things with his own hands—whether it was forging his first sword, crafting his own armor, or ultimately building a motorcycle powered by mana from scratch.

  And the thought of having someone forge him something that he was more than capable of forging filled him with discomfort. While he had no issues with Eric or any of the other new smiths, asking them to forge him something just felt .

  So that left him with only two options, etch onto his non-broken equipment Self-Repair runes and constantly repair them while in use and forge himself new equipment entirely or to wait until the Tutorial Reward’s shop started and use whatever material he’d find in it to make better equipment.

  Both were reasonable choices, one that he’d rather deal with after the Final Boss was dealt with, and judging by the time he had left, it wouldn’t be a long wait.

  Group Tutorial

  The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Emernigan Isle is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. Tutorial Points can be exchanged between individuals as a form of currency. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.Completion Criteria: Number of Survivors:Time Remaining:

  “Only thirteen-ish hours to go,” Archie muttered, staring at the Group Tutorial panel. But just as he was about to look at his status page, a loud shout caught his attention.

  “Archie!”

  Swiveling around and looking up, Archie found Michael staring down at him through the hole in the cave’s ceiling.

  “Hey…”Blinking a few times, Archie waved at Michael, confused at how he found him and why he had shouted his name. “What’s up?”

  Michael’s face contorted with a mix of confusion and anger for a moment before jumping down the ceiling’s hole and landing on the sand. Without wasting a moment, Michael crossed the distance between the two in moments.

  “What’s up?” Michael hissed as he approached Archie. “Did you know what you did?”

  Archie’s guard immediately went up at Michael’s sudden attitude. “The hell are you on about?”

  “Empowering the Final Boss!” Michael shouted, hands going wide above his shoulders. “When you empowered it, everyone got the same message.”

  Archie’s eyes went wide at Michael’s words. He hadn’t known that everyone had received a message that the boss had become empowered, but thinking back on it, it made sense.

  “Okay,” Archie replied with confusion. “I don’t see the issue.”

  Michael stared at Archie incredulously, enough for a long and awkward silence to fill the air between the two.

  “Are you being serious right now?” Michael asked in disbelief, staring at Archie’s unmasked confusion. But seeing Archie’s genuine confusion, Michael released a chuckle of disbelief, “You actually are…”

  “What’s the issue about empowering the boss?” Archie asked, his tone laced with confusion. “We’re all gonna get bonuses from it.”

  Taking a step closer and getting into Archie’s personal space, Michael firmly poked at Archie’s chest, his blue eyes boring a hole in his own. “You’re risking the lives of everyone in the Group Tutorial for a fucking bonus?”

  “Do you think this is a fucking game?” Michael shouted, lurching forward as beads of sweat dripped from his head, one splattering across Archie’s cheek. “There are people here just trying to live, and you’re risking it all for a fucking bonus?”

  “Now hold on a damn moment,” Archie shot back, his face hardening. “I’m not risking anyone’s lives, so don’t go putting words in my mouth.”

  “Oh, you’re not?” Michael retorted mockingly, raising both the adrenaline and anger in Archie. “What about the hundreds of others who still aren’t E-Grade, huh? What about the majority of people who just want to focus on their Professions, support their families, and not have to worry about coming home in a fucking body bag—if they even get that!” His voice thundered with anger as the last few words echoed.

  “This is a fucking Tutorial! You hear me? A fucking Tutorial!” Archie shouted, his forehead now pressed against Michael’s in defiance. “What the hell do you think a Tutorial is? You think Oliver or his cultists were tough?”

  “Oliver is nothing compared to what’s out there in the multiverse,” Archie continued, his voice rising as the mask perched on his head slipped off and fell onto the sand. “There are gods out there who can create planets on a fucking whim. Oliver’s barely a gnat compared to whatever else exists out there!”

  “So what?” Michael shot back, his tone defiant. “The system will protect us until we’re ready.”

  “No, it fucking won’t!” Archie shouted back, his voice echoing with frustration. “We barely have enough time as it is to get stronger before our universe gets invaded!”

  “What the hell are you on about?” Michael snapped, shoving Archie, only to stumble back himself as Archie stood firm, unmoving. “The system said it’s here to protect us until we’re ready.”

  “And how long do you think that is?” Archie retorted with a scoff. “A year? Three? Ten? Did it give you a fucking estimate?”

  “Whatever number you’re thinking of, it’s wrong,” Archie continued, his tone sharp. “We don’t know—no one fucking does—except the system. So don’t you dare blame me for trying to get stronger while I still can.”

  “We'll have an opportunity to ask the System human... thing at the end of the Tutorial,” Michael argued, his tone edged with frustration. “You couldn’t wait five fucking days?”

  “And what are you going to do if the system aspect says the protection period ends that very day?” Archie hissed back, his voice sharp. “What about Noah, huh?”

  “Don’t you fucking dare bring up my son!” Michael growled, stepping closer to Archie, his fists clenching.

  “What if the moment you get back to Earth, both of you are attacked by creatures stronger than you are now?” Archie continued, his tone unyielding. “What if he gets hurt because you were too weak? That’s on you for not trying hard enough while you still had the chance.”

  “And if a god fucking shows up on Earth, what then?” Michael shot back in disbelief. “You gonna march up and punch it in the face?” he added mockingly.

  “Of course fucking not, I’m not stupid,” Archie replied flatly.

  “Could’ve fooled me,” Michael scoffed, shaking his head in exasperation.

  “Besides, what’s the big deal about a slightly stronger Final Boss?” Archie said, brushing off Michael’s concerns and steering the conversation back to the main issue. “At most, it’ll be an early D-Grade. That shouldn’t be anything you can’t handle with your numbers and enough preparation.”

  , Archie thought to himself,

  “We could barely handle the early E-Grades when we were late F-Grades!” Michael shot back, his frustration spilling over. The memory of his first E-Grade kill flashed in his mind—his broken sword, his shredded armor, and the haunting sight of two teammates lying dead. “And that wasn’t even that long ago!”

  “And how do you think it’s gonna go against a D-Grade?” Michael pressed, his voice rising. “Sure, we might win, but people would die in droves! Sarah, Eric, James, Evelyn—hundreds would die by the end! How is that a win if it costs us almost everyone?”

  “You’re selling both yourself and your camp short,” Archie replied, clicking his tongue in frustration. “You guys are only about ten to fifteen levels lower than me in Race. I killed a level 99 troll boss just a couple hours ago, with barely any issues.”

  “We aren’t all like you,” Michael growled back, his voice tight with resentment. “Not everyone has a god backing them up. Not everyone’s bullshit strong like you. We’re just barely getting by.”

  “Barely getting by?” Archie repeated in disbelief, his eyes narrowing. “Are you hearing yourself?”

  “I saw what you guys did to Oliver’s camp. That wasn’t ‘barely getting by,’” Archie pressed. “If it was the same raid team as when we raided Oliver’s cult, you guys would be able to destroy that dungeon without breaking a sweat. Not to mention the number of E-Grades shot up recently in the camp.”

  “Dungeons only allow five people at most,” Michael scoffed.

  “The Final Boss isn’t in a fucking dungeon,” Archie exclaimed, his frustration exploding. “It spawns on the island. You still have the numbers advantage.”

  An awkward silence filled the air as the two of them stared at each other, each huffing in irritation.

  “I just want to get strong while I can,” Archie finally replied, his voice softer but resolute. “Worst case, I die when I fight it. But, you and your hundred-something E-Grades can attack it all at once. No way an early D-Grade survives a barrage like that.”

  Another silence stretched between them as they continued to stare at one another.

  “As absurd as this sounds,” Michael said, his voice quieter as he turned to stare at the ocean’s waves, “what would you do if a god came to invade our planet?”

  “Earth’s fucked if that happens,” Archie replied, his gaze drifting up to the moon through the hole in the cave’s ceiling. “I don’t know… Probably ask the god that blessed me if there’s a way for my family and me to leave Earth and start somewhere else. Not much I or anyone else could do about it.”

  “We just have to get strong enough to tell them to fuck off,” Archie said resolutely, turning to face Michael. “To be safe, we need to be strong enough to make anyone second-guess attacking us.”

  “What about the enhanced creature hostility on the island?” Michael asked, his voice soft and strained.

  “I don’t know,” Archie replied, his gaze drifting as he picked up his fallen mask. “Have your people move in here. Nothing really comes to this cave other than me. There’s also a level 75-ish undeath dungeon in one of the tunnels—would be great for any of the healers to take a team in and grind out some XP.”

  Michael nodded silently, his gaze lingering on Archie’s masked face before he walked toward the hole in the cave’s ceiling.

  Just before Michael jumped out, he turned back to face Archie. “...I’m sorry for shouting at you. I—” his previous anger vanished from his tone.

  “No, I get it,” Archie cut in with a dismissive wave. “You’re just looking out for your people.” He couldn't fault him for doing his job as the leader of his camp; in their eyes, he was the reason why they might die.

  “Still, I shouldn’t have come at you like that,” Michael said, his voice softening. “I h... It doesn’t matter. I just hope this doesn’t ruin our friendship.”

  “It doesn’t,” Archie replied, his anger having vanished as well. “I shouldn’t have brought up your son either. It was wrong.”

  “No hard feelings?” Michael asked.

  “No hard feelings,” Archie echoed back.

  Thanks for Reading!

  Read ahead on Patreon: 10 ahead for $5 and 30+ ahead for $10

  Patreon:

  New Goal: 750 Followers -> Bonus Chapter

  Current Number of Followers: 608

  Don't forget to follow, comment, and favorite if you are enjoying Adrenaline Junkie!

  Let me know your thoughts, theories, and cool ideas that you'd be interested in seeing in the comments—I read every single one!