Insomniac Player

Only 3 hours remained until the completion of second day.

The cave was quiet, not peaceful. There was a difference.

Peace meant safety. Silence in the Tutorial usually meant something had decided not to announce itself before trying to kill you.

John sat cross-legged near the entrance, polishing his mace with a piece of torn goblin cloth.

"...You know," he said proudly. "I think she deserves a name."

Damien didn’t look up from sorting through a pile of loot. "Your mace?"

John nodded. "Every legendary weapon has a name."

Damien thought for a moment. "...Goblin Remover."

John looked horrified. "That’s terrible."

"It accurately describes its purpose." Damien shrugged his shoulders

John clicked his tongue. "It lacks passion."

Rahul grinned. "How about ’Headache’?"

Imran smiled. "More like ’Permanent Headache.’"

John stroked his moustache thoughtfully. "...I’ll keep thinking."

Damien ignored them. Spread before him was everything they’d collected over the last two days.

Stone knives chipped from river pebbles, crudely fashioned goblin spears with splintered hafts, weathered leather pouches bearing rough stitching, ropes frayed at the edges from repeated use, battered wooden shields bearing gouges and stains, as well as a variety of other discarded items such as cloaks torn by combat or time.

It looked like junk to everyone else. To Damien, they were options.

The office worker scratched his head. "...You’re keeping all that?"

"Yes."

"It’s rubbish."

"No." Damien picked up a bent spearhead. "It’s tomorrow’s weapon."

He held up a leather belt. "This becomes straps."

Another pouch. "This carries water."

A torn cloak. "Bandages."

He shrugged. "Nothing is useless."

John heard it and nodded enthusiastically. "I once fixed a table with sausage."

Everyone stared. "...How?"

After pondering for a bit, he replied. "I forgot; it was a terrible table."

"..."

As midnight approached, everyone went back in cave to sleep and with the sun’s rise, the morning’s initial bustle subsided, the camp transitioned into a state of surprising organisation.

Without anyone discussing it, people naturally fell into roles.

Rahul turned out to be surprisingly good at repairing equipment.

His engineering classes suddenly seemed much more useful than they ever had at university.

Imran possessed an excellent memory. After Damien explained patrol routes once, he could repeat them perfectly.

The office worker sharpened wooden stakes.

The teenage girl collected herbs under Damien’s supervision.

Mark filled pouches with water.

Nobody remained idle, and nobody complained. Fear had slowly become routine.

Damien stood beside the stream, examining several unfamiliar plants.

The frightened woman from yesterday approached cautiously. "...How do you know those are safe?"

"I don’t."

She blinked. "...Then why are you touching them?"

"I’m not." He pointed with a stick instead. "Some plants heal, some poison, some do both, depending on how stupid you are."

She immediately stepped away. "...Good advice."

"I’m full of accidental wisdom." Damien chuckled.

Truthfully, Damien wasn’t certain about most of the herbs. But he’d spent enough sleepless nights reading survival forums and watching documentaries to recognise a few common medicinal plants.

Though the ones here were completely different, there could be similarities traced; it was a gamble.

One looked similar to broadleaf plantain; another resembled an arrow. Not perfect, but better than nothing.

He collected only the ones he felt reasonably confident about. "This one helps stop bleeding."

John wandered over. "And this one?"

Damien sniffed it. "...No idea."

John immediately threw it away. "Excellent diagnosis."

The System chimed.

➤[Goblin Lv.3 Eliminated.]

➤[+10 Experience]

Damien blinked. "...Huh."

John looked over. "You kill something?"

"I don’t think so."

The group exchanged confused glances. Then Rahul pointed toward the nearest pitfall. "...Maybe."

They hurried over.

A goblin had wandered directly into one of yesterday’s traps.

It lay motionless among the sharpened stakes.

John burst into laughter. "You were making lunch. The forest delivered dinner."

Damien smiled. "I think I like automation."

John frowned. "...Auto... what?"

Rahul: "It means doing work without doing work."

John nodded wisely.

"In simple words, being lazy professionally."

Rahul nodded. "...Close enough."

Damien opened his Status Screen.

---

➤[Player: Damien]

➤[Level 2]

➤[Experience: 198 / 200]

---

"...Seriously?" He yelled.

John leaned closer. What?"

"I’m two experience short."

John tried not to laugh; he failed immediately. "You’ve got to be kidding!"

Damien pinched the bridge of his nose. "I’ve survived two days. I’ve invented goblin insurance, but I’m defeated by arithmetic."

Even Imran chuckled. "The System has a sense of humour."

"I don’t appreciate it." Damien sighed.

As if answering Damien’s complaint... A lone goblin wandered into view.

Small and thin. Carrying little more than a wooden club.

It looked almost lost. John slowly raised his mace.

Damien held up a hand. "I’ll take this one."

John lowered the weapon. "You sure?"

"I need exactly two experience points... that’s the most specific reason."

The goblin spotted Damien and shrieked confidently before charging.

It was overconfident, exactly as Damien had predicted.

He stepped backwards, not away but toward a tripwire.

The goblin eagerly followed, but its foot caught the vine.

SNAP!

It pitched forward face-first; Damien calmly sidestepped.

Then drove his dagger into the back of its neck.

The monster twitched once before falling still.

Damien stared at the body, remembering how the first time he had been overwhelmed by nausea and guilt. Now, confronted with the second, he felt only a troubling emptiness, the absence of sickness unsettling him more than the act itself.

That realisation disturbed him far more than the blood on his hands. "...That’s dangerous."

John walked over. "What is?"

"I’m getting used to it."

John’s smile faded; he understood immediately. "You don’t have to like it."

"No." Damien quietly wiped the dagger clean. "But I have to survive."

The System chimed.

Bing

—

➤[Goblin Lv.1 Eliminated]

➤[+2 Experience]

---

➤[Level Up!]

➤[Level 3 Reached!]

---

A warm current spread through Damien’s body.

The lingering ache in his arms disappeared, and his breathing steadied.

Even the bruises from yesterday seemed to fade.

John grinned broadly. "Congratulations! What’re you spending them on?"

Damien didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he looked toward the dark forest beyond the trees.

Strength could wait; intelligence had kept him alive so far.

Speed had saved him more than once; stamina was becoming increasingly precious.

The strongest build wasn’t always the smartest.

And Damien had no intention of becoming another Player who confused muscles with survival.

Just then... A long, guttural horn echoed from somewhere deep within the forest; every goblin nearby fell silent.

Rahul slowly turned toward Damien. "Did that horn blow yesterday as well?"

Damien’s expression grew serious. "It didn’t."

Somewhere beyond the trees, something had just gathered the goblins.

And Damien had a sinking feeling that the easy part of the Tutorial was over.