Chapter 2

  I pushed myself to my feet, brushing grass off my jade Technomancer suit. The twin suns were setting on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of purple and orange that Earth had never seen. Around me stretched a vast field, a carpet of thick, soft, brilliantly green grass. Dotted throughout the clearing were flowers and other fruiting flora in an array of colors that would put Earth's gems to shame.

  Looking up at the alien sky, I took in a huge breath through my nose. Never had I smelled such wonderfully clean air. Not a hint of exhaust or smog, or even old lady perfume to dull my senses. Instead, something sweet and unfamiliar, like honeysuckle crossed with something metallic and bright that I had no name for. This sure beats the smell of the sub shop next door. That smell always seemed to permeate through the walls of the store and created a nauseating aroma that had me swearing off cold cuts for the last four years.

  As I surveyed my surroundings, I noticed twenty or thirty other people at varying distances away, each of them looking around bewildered by the exotic landscape. Focusing on the flora around me, I was prompted by a menu in front of my vision to use the skill 'Identify'. Knowledge of how to 'use' the skill swam to the forefront of my mind, and as I studied the plants in front of me, I began to unveil brief descriptions and their potential uses.

  Glowroot Vine: A luminescent plant that emits a soft glow at night. Can be used to create potions.

  Starblossom: A flower with healing properties. Its essence can be extracted for medicinal purposes.

  Arcane Crystal Shrub: Yields crystals infused with magical energy, suitable for crafting enchanted items.

  Bangle Berry Bush: Produces clusters of edible berries. When ripe, can be consumed or used in various potions or dyes.

  Turning my attention to the people scattered across the field, I focused on each individual. A system message appeared in my vision, revealing their identities as simply 'Human: Level 1.'

  A tall, handsome man stood toward the center of the clearing, looking around. He appeared to be taking count of nearby people and logging them on some handheld device as he tapped a finger to his chin. Interesting. I wonder what that guy's deal is, I mused.

  Before I could dwell on it, the locksmith, Darren, materialized about twenty feet away, wielding an axe with unwarranted confidence that seemed comically out of place.

  My stomach dropped. Of all the people on Earth, why did he have to be here?

  The memory of his smirk, those keys dangling just out of reach, flashed through my mind. My hand instinctively went to my energy sword's hilt before I caught myself.

  Of course he fancied himself a warrior, I thought, forcing myself to take a slow breath. The oversized axe drew a bitter smirk from me. I took a step further from him and attempted to fade into the crowd. Unfortunately, I knew my bright red hair would be a beacon, and if he were looking for me, I wouldn't be hard to find.

  Throughout the clearing, people were in various states of chaos. Some appeared to be identifying plants or had a faraway look on their faces, which I assumed meant they were examining their HUD. Others were desperately tapping their cellphones, and still more were visibly distressed. One woman appeared in the midst of a full-blown panic attack.

  I can't blame them. This is insane. I pulled out my phone, knowing that it wouldn't work but attempting to try nonetheless. A useless brick lay before me, but as I identified it, I got the feeling that I'd be able to make it work in some capacity with the right components and a bit of time. Just as I was beginning to formulate a plan, a message popped up in front of my vision.

  Attention Initiates:

  Welcome to the tutorial for initiation 33. The tutorial will run for one month as your galaxy and planet are prepared. Afterward, those still classified as a sentient or living race will be transported back to their home planets to begin the process of re-inhabitation and expansion throughout the rest of the galaxy and then the multiverse. Quests will award points which can be used at the end of the tutorial and all rewards and items from the tutorial will be permitted to transfer back with you.

  Children and their caretakers are exempt from this tutorial and will be in a separate learning environment as to not skew the population upon re-inhabitation.

  Lastly, every five days the tutorial shop will be open and be accessible to all initiates via their HUD. You may earn currency from quests, awards, or it may be traded between initiates either by fair or unfair means.

  The revelation sent shockwaves through the gathered initiates. Panic ensued, with people all around me beginning to freak out. One woman in the back sobbed uncontrollably.

  Quickly assessing my own situation, I looked down at my Technomancer suit, now that I had a bit more time to get accustomed to it. I rapped my knuckles against it and stretched, twisting from side to side. The suit provided a blend of protection from bludgeoning hits and pretty decent mobility. Its surface shimmered with an energy field, offering additional defense against magical threats and would be comfortable in various environments. The verdant hue of the suit complemented my red hair and highlighted my emerald eyes, creating a striking visual contrast.

  Equipped with a built-in holopanel on my forearm, the suit allowed me to access my HUD and control various technomagical functions, including summoning Byte and giving him commands if he was out of range. Focusing on my HUD, I checked my status. Everything looked the same as in the void, still Level 1, same stats, but now I had two new fields at the bottom:

  Credits: 500

  Points: 0

  So that's the tutorial currency, I thought, filing it away for later. I noted the 500 starting credits with interest. The shop opened in five days, plenty of time to figure out how to earn more.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  My stomach rumbling brought back a reminder to be mindful of immediate needs, and so I turned my attention to the lush surroundings and the gathering crowd. The tall man I'd noticed earlier was addressing the group now. He had a comforting hand on the shoulder of the lady who had been sobbing.

  "Hey, everyone!" he called out, drawing the attention of the scattered initiates. "Let's gather together. We need to assess our skills and resources. If there is anyone with knowledge of survival or useful skills, please step forward. We need to get some food, water, and shelter set up first. Let's not get caught unprepared once night falls."

  The locksmith pushed past an older bewildered woman with tightly curled white hair. "Well, well, looks like we've got ourselves a leader," he remarked with a smirk. "And who put you in charge anyway? What useful skills do you seem to possess, 'how to look like a complete tool in a field'?" He let out a loud obnoxious laugh that reminded me of a horse I'd seen at the fair last summer.

  The man cleared his throat and once again addressed the group starting to surround him. "My name is John. Before today I was a statistician, and I determined the likelihood of things happening, which was very beneficial in making the people around me continuously wealthier. Here, it seems I can use my skills in my class as a Strategist to benefit a town. According to the guide in class selection, if I make a plan, it will award bonuses to everyone involved. Additionally, anyone under the umbrella of a town I'm a part of will gain bonuses."

  Pausing to look around at the bewildered people, he cleared his throat and attempted to begin again in a gentler tone. "I know you're scared. I'm scared too. We will gather information, find our loved ones, and make it safely home if we work together. I see here we've got about 40 people in the area. We will need a fresh water source and a lot of food." John turned back to the locksmith from the video game store. "It appears as though you are a warrior. Do you have previous skills in hunting game or building anything? Something that would be useful to setting up camp?"

  The locksmith-turned-warrior responded, "I'm Darren, and yeah, I have skills. I'm a warrior, obviously. I'll let my axe do the talking if anyone gets in my way." He rolled his shoulders as he attempted to intimidate John. While he'd previously been wearing a denim button-up with his name emblazoned above the left breast, he now donned leather pants and a tunic. His slender frame made the whole ensemble look like an out-of-character cosplay, and his intimidation was not very effective.

  I watched Darren posture and pose, something about his body language nagging at me. The way his eyes darted around the group when John was organizing, like he was calculating something. Evaluating who was strong, who was weak, who might be useful.

  Or maybe I was just projecting my dislike of him. Either way, I made a mental note to keep my distance.

  Another initiate, a young woman with long blonde hair and a bow slung over her shoulder, spoke up. "I'm Elara, an Archer. I've gone hunting with my father since I was 14, so I'm well versed in tracking, hunting, and skinning game." Elara was skillfully braiding her hair over one shoulder as she spoke. She was wearing a pre-system pair of jeans and a concert t-shirt but had adorned guards over top for her chest, legs, and shoulders. Additionally, she had on some kind of gloves and bracers. The look came together surprisingly well.

  John nodded appreciatively, turning away from Darren. "Great, Elara. We can use those skills to scout the area and hopefully locate a good source of protein. Darren, you can help with securing the perimeter and gathering anyone else nearby. Anyone else?"

  A man standing off to the right spoke up, his posture hinting at a reserved nature. His caramel skin caught the light, giving him a warm glow that contrasted with his shy demeanor. "Hey. I'm Felix. I'm a healer." There was something about the way he said it, just a hair too quick, like he'd rehearsed the line. "I'm a nurse too, so I've been trained in first aid, and I've been camping a lot."

  He was undeniably good-looking, with gentle eyes and a soft, thoughtful expression that seemed to invite trust, yet suggested he was more comfortable observing than leading. Despite his attractiveness, there was a hesitancy in his movements, as if he was wary of drawing too much attention to himself.

  "Excellent, Felix," John replied. "What luck to have a trained medical professional in our midst!"

  "Well, I'm not taking orders from no one. I'll set up a perimeter since that was my plan anyway," interjected Darren, suddenly feeling outdone.

  I, unable to resist, called after Darren, "Swing that axe where it counts, and let's hope you manage to hit something useful." Darren replied with a middle finger as he continued stomping into the distance.

  Turning my attention toward John, I offered, "Sorry about that. The guy was being a total jackass right before we were transported. I'm Maura. I don't have any skills for food or water, but I'd be glad to go search that forest and bring back anything we can find!"

  Byte chirped in agreement at my feet.

  John nodded. "You're welcome to head off with another group or go on your own," he offered before he diverted attention to the others in need of direction.

  He sent a group out with Elara to scout around for food and local game to eat. Another group went out in search of a water source, and two separate groups began gathering materials for a fire and shelter. Luckily, there were a couple of people familiar with building things and camping, so he left them in charge of shelters. Gradually, the group started to break off, forming smaller clusters to tackle their assigned tasks.

  In the midst of the evolving organization, the older woman whom Darren had pushed aside earlier finally found the courage to approach John. "Hi there, I'm Susan. I must admit, I have no idea what's going on here. I've been a homemaker for the last 52 years, and all this camping and magic or whatever, this is a bit much for me," she said, giving a perplexed shake to the healer's staff she had appeared with. "Dear, I just need to sit and gather my thoughts. This whole situation is a bit overwhelming."

  John placed a comforting hand on Susan's shoulder. "Take your time, Susan. If you need anything or have questions, feel free to ask. We're all figuring this out as we go."

  I glanced around at the forming groups. People were settling into tasks, building, organizing, comforting each other. John had things well in hand. The camp would be fine.

  Me? I was better suited to exploration than to standing around reassuring people or building shelters. My skills lay in problem-solving, in understanding systems, in discovering how things worked. Out there in that forest were resources we needed, information about this world, maybe even answers about what we were really facing.

  Besides, I worked better alone. Or at least, with just Byte for company.

  I caught John's eye and gave him a nod. He returned it with a small wave, already turning back to coordinate the shelter teams. Permission granted, not that I really needed it.

  With Byte at my side, I turned toward the tree line. The alien forest beckoned with its strange beauty and unknown dangers. This was where I could be useful, out there, discovering what this world had to offer. Let the others build the camp. I'd bring back what they needed to survive.

  As I walked toward the trees, the sounds of camp organization faded behind me. The grass muffled my steps, and the farther I walked, the more the strangeness of this world settled over me. The twin suns cast double shadows at my feet, each one slightly different in hue, one amber, one faintly violet. Insects that weren't really insects drifted past, their wings catching the light like fragments of stained glass. The air grew cooler near the treeline, carrying scents I couldn't place: something like pine but sweeter, underlaid with a mineral tang that reminded me of wet stone.

  No social niceties to navigate, no awkward small talk, just me, Byte, and a world full of mysteries waiting to be uncovered.

  The forest loomed ahead, its canopy a dense weave of deep greens and unexpected purples. As I stepped into its shadow, I activated my Identify skill again. Time to see what secrets this tutorial world was hiding.

  Byte's sensors whirred as he scanned ahead, his usual cheerful beeps falling silent. Alert mode.

  A flash of color caught my eye. There, just ahead, partially hidden by luminescent vines, something that definitely didn't belong in a natural forest.

  It looked like a chest. A very video-game-looking chest.

  My pulse quickened. In games, chests meant loot. But they also usually meant,

  Byte's warning beep came half a second too late.

  Something moved in the shadows behind the chest.

  Something big.