Insomniac Player

Bing!

—

➤[All Players’ Mental States Analyzed.]

➤[Tutorial Departure Conditions Updated.]

➤[Level 10 is no longer required to leave.]

➤[Any Player may exit during an Intermission.]

—

➤[Warning]

➤[Those who leave may live to regret their choice.

Those who clear all twenty tutorial levels shall return as heroes.]

-

Damien looked at the notification. "The system even has updates; it can stretch itself in any direction after analyzing..." That worried him.

The peaceful clearing gradually emptied.

One after another, players made their decisions. They were afraid, as they hadn’t reached level 10, but it seemed like the system saw through their minds.

Some stood silently for several minutes before pressing the glowing ➤[Leave Tutorial] button.

Others didn’t hesitate at all.

Golden pillars of light descended around them, carrying them away one by one.

Some smiled, some cried, and some looked back at the companions they had fought beside for three days.

"Good luck."

"Stay alive."

"Don’t die."

"I’ll see you outside."

Simple words, yet every farewell carried a strange weight.

No one knew whether those who stayed would ever return.

Mark was among those leaving; he walked toward Damien with an awkward smile. "I’ve decided."

Damien nodded. "I guessed."

Mark laughed weakly. "I’ve had enough fighting to last several lifetimes."

No one mocked him.

Not even John, because they understood.

The system had never forced anyone to continue.

The tutorial itself had said it clearly: leave if you wish.

Most people here had families waiting. Parents, children, spouses.

Dreams that had nothing to do with monsters and blood.

Mark extended his hand. "I’ll probably choose a class that seems boring."

"Boring isn’t bad," Damien replied.

"I hope so." Mark scratched the back of his head. "I think... I’d rather become a carpenter than some famous hero."

John laughed. "Heroes have terrible working hours."

"They really do." Mark smiled. "Take care of yourselves."

Rahul shook his hand.

Imran nodded respectfully.

John pulled the smaller man into an enormous hug that nearly crushed him.

Mark wheezed. "...I regret saying goodbye to you."

"You’ll miss me."

"I absolutely won’t."

Golden light surrounded him.

Mark looked toward the four men one last time. "Thank you."

Then he disappeared; silence settled over the clearing once again.

Damien slowly looked around; only seven players remained.

Seven, out of the original twenty.

The others had all chosen to leave, not because they were cowards. Because they were normal people.

The first tutorial had shown them exactly how dangerous this world would become.

They didn’t dream of becoming legendary adventurers.

They wanted peaceful professions.

Farmers, blacksmiths, merchants, teachers, doctors, and builders.

Classes that would let them live beside their families instead of dying in distant battlefields.

Damien respected that choice.

Perhaps he would have made that choice if his body had been normal. He might have chosen the same.

A system window floated before the remaining players.

---

➤[Class Selection Available.]

---

Rahul rubbed both hands together excitedly. "Finally."

A dozen glowing windows appeared before him.

His eyes widened. "There are so many."

Imran leaned over. "How many?"

"I stopped counting after ten."

John whistled. "I’ve got even more."

Damien looked at them. "...More?"

Rahul nodded. "I’ve got all kinds."

He began reading aloud. "’Spearman. ’Pikeman. Hunter. Dragoon. Lancer. Knight. Sentinel... They just keep going."

Imran’s expression remained calm, though his eyes carried obvious interest. "My list is similar. Warrior. Mercenary. Shield Bearer. Executioner. Berserker. Gladiator. Raider.’"

John burst into laughter. "Mine is mostly things that sound violent."

Rahul looked at him. "So... it’s normal?"

"Exactly." The giant proudly puffed out his chest.

"I was born for this." He focused on his screen.

After several moments, his grin widened. "I’ve decided."

A notification appeared before him.

---

➤[Common Class Selected.]

➤[Berserker]

---

Scarlet light erupted around John’s body; his muscles visibly tightened.

The scars covering his arms faded.

A faint crimson aura flashed around him before disappearing.

John flexed one hand. "I like this already."

Rahul looked impressed. "What does it do?"

John scratched his beard. "No idea."

"...You accepted before reading?"

"It sounded cool."

Rahul sighed. "That is the most John thing you’ve ever done."

Imran quietly continued reading his own options.

Unlike John, he examined every description carefully.

Several minutes passed. Finally, he nodded to himself. "This one."

Golden light enveloped him.

---

➤[Common Class Selected.]

➤[Warrior]

---

The aura surrounding Imran felt completely different.

Calm, steady, and solid. He gripped his axe.

For some reason, it suddenly looked far more natural in his hands.

Rahul smiled. "How do you feel?"

Imran looked down at the weapon. "Like I should grow a beard and invade kingdoms by boat."

John blinked. "Oddly specific."

"It feels..." Imran searched for the words. "...Very Viking."

John immediately pointed toward him. "I support this."

Rahul laughed. "My turn."

His list remained open longer than anyone else’s.

He read every available class twice. Finally... his eyes stopped.

A smile slowly spread across his face. "Spear..." he whispered. "was definitely the right choice."

He pressed Accept, and silver light exploded around him.

---

➤[Common Class Selected.]

➤[Lancer]

---

The spear lying beside him floated into his hand.

For a brief moment, elegant silver lines spread across its shaft before fading away.

Rahul spun it once; the movement was so smooth that even he looked surprised. "I didn’t know I could do that."

John crossed his arms. "Now do it again."

Rahul complied; the spear spun effortlessly around his body. "That’s actually amazing.

John nodded solemnly. "I hate how cool that looked."

The three turned toward Damien. "Your turn."

Damien nodded; he opened his own class selection.

His expression froze. "..."

Nothing, only one window floated before him.

No list, no alternatives, no scrolling options. Just a single glowing panel.

Rahul noticed immediately. "What happened?"

Damien didn’t answer.

John stepped closer. "Lad?"

Damien didn’t respond; John asked again. "Damien?"

Damien slowly spoke. "...I only have one."

"What?" Rahul walked over. "You only have one class?"

Damien nodded; the others exchanged confused glances.

"That shouldn’t happen," Imran said quietly. "I’ve got more than ten."

"So do I," Rahul agreed.

John scratched his head. "I’ve got... I think... fourteen?"

Damien stared at the single option.

---

Available Class

➤[Nightwalker (Uncommon)]

---

Nothing else, no common classes, no rare alternatives. He didn’t even know what "uncommon class type" means; the system only mentioned four classes.

Common, Rare, Epic, and Legendary.

Apart from them were special categories. Such as unique and mythical.

No where was mentioned any ’Uncommon’

His heartbeat slowly accelerated.

’Why?’

He hadn’t fought only at night; he had used traps, he had planned, and he had survived.

Surely the system should have offered something else.

Another notification suddenly appeared beneath the class window.

---

➤[Special Notice for First Generation Players]

During the tutorial sequence, first-generation players may freely change their class upon completing each tutorial level.

As players conquer more tutorial levels, they will gradually unlock higher-ranked classes.

---

Another line materialized beneath it.

This one was bordered in gold.

---

➤[Advanced Class Availability]

Limited legendary classes may become obtainable by players who successfully clear tutorial levels fifteen through eighteen.

Limited mythical classes may become obtainable only to players who conquer Tutorial Level Nineteen and complete the final twentieth tutorial.

---

John let out a low whistle. "So we can keep changing."

Rahul grinned. "Meaning this isn’t permanent."

Imran nodded. "The better we perform... the better classes we unlock."

Damien barely heard them; his attention remained fixed on one word. Nightwalker.

He reached toward the description, and a small window appeared.

---

➤[Nightwalker

Rank: Uncommon

Requirement: Unique Qualification Met.

Compatible Candidates: 1]

---

No explanation, no abilities, no drawbacks. Nothing.

John frowned. "That’s... suspicious."

Rahul nodded. "Very."

Imran folded his arms. "Uncommon rank is bothering me."

Damien stared for several more seconds.

If the system only offered one class, then refusing it probably meant refusing any class at all.

Besides, the notification had said they could change classes after future tutorials.

It wasn’t permanent; he inhaled slowly. "...Let’s see what kind of person walks in at night."

John chuckled. "I’ve already met him."

Damien smiled faintly. Then, press Accept.

The world stopped; no light surrounded him, and no dramatic aura appeared.

Instead, everything became quiet. The birds disappeared, and the wind vanished. Even his heartbeat seemed distant.

"...Damien?" John’s voice echoed strangely.

As though coming from underwater.

Damien blinked, his vision blurred. The trees split into two, then three.

A sharp pain exploded inside his skull. "Ugh..." He grabbed his forehead. The world spun violently.

Rahul stepped forward. "What’s wrong?"

Damien staggered backward; the pain became unbearable.

It felt as though someone had driven burning needles through every nerve inside his brain.

His breathing grew uneven. "No..." his pupils trembled. "Not now."

John immediately moved. "Damien!"

Damien looked toward him; his face had become frighteningly pale.

His hands trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead.

He recognized the feeling far too well.

Years of living with insomnia had taught him exactly what this meant.

His body had reached its limit. His curse... was returning.

Damien forced himself to stay standing. "...Shit..."

His voice came out barely louder than a whisper. "My body..."

Another wave of dizziness struck, and his knees buckled. "It’s entering..."

Everything became white. "...a coma..."

John lunged forward.

But he was too late. Damien’s eyes rolled back.

His body collapsed. John barely managed to catch him before his head struck the ground. "Damien!"

There was no response; his breathing remained steady.

His heartbeat remained normal; he simply wouldn’t wake up.

Rahul knelt beside them. "What happened?"

"I don’t know." Imran placed two fingers against Damien’s neck. "Pulse is stable."

"So why won’t he wake up?" asked Rahul.

Nobody answered.

A soft chime echoed through the clearing.

Bing.

A system notification appeared before Damien’s unconscious body.

John, Rahul, and Imran could see it.

---

➤[Condition Detected.]

➤[Player Status Updated.]

➤[Player Damien has entered a comatose state.]

---

The three men stared silently at the glowing message.

John tightened his grip around Damien’s shoulder. "The rumors about him were true... I should’ve paid attention."

For the first time since entering the tutorial, the giant looked genuinely afraid. "...Wake up, lad."

But Damien heard nothing; only darkness answered him.