Leo carefully led what was left of Cain’s people through the street towards the remnants of his own camp, passing through the half scorched, half frozen battlefield that was the approach to the wall. Cain’s people were looking around, speaking in hushed whispers. Some of them were even appreciative of the spectacle, likely due to the clear victory.

“Thank you for letting us at least plead our case,” the woman said warmly as she walked next to Leo.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Leo said, glancing towards her. “Some of the people here may have been in the attack on our camp. That doesn’t just go away.”

She nodded. “I appreciate it anyway.”

They moved silently from there until they got to the wall, or what was left of it, still in repair. Leo spotted two of the people on the wall quickly running off into the camp. It wasn't really necessary though. He’d eyed Ron on one of the rooftops when approaching earlier, given him a head tilt that he understood immediately, and the man had run off.

“What brings you here?” Cecelia amicably demanded before she was even in view.

“Hello, dear,” the woman said warmly. “My name is Matilda. I take it you must be this Cece your man here mentioned.

Cecelia flicked Leo a brief look before he moved to stand beside her, facing the crowd.

“Cecelia will do just fine,” she said. “Now, once again, what brings you here?”

Matilda’s expression softened into something more solemn.

Leo didn’t think she was trying some kind of trick, but it didn’t take much to pull one over on him. Still a little too trusting for his own good. But he was trying.

“Our camp is broken,” she said plainly. “The antlings came at us from every direction, and while we have people who are strong on their own, we lack the means to deal with a swarm properly. We were… overrun.” She took a deep breath. “I convinced Cain to come here and ask for your assistance.”

Her gaze moved over the camp behind them before settling back on Cecelia.

“We are not here to make demands or threats. We’re here because we want to live.”

Cecelia took a moment, considering everything. She spoke to Leo quietly. “What do you think about this? You know Cain better than anyone here.”

“I don’t think anyone really knows what’s going on in his head.” Leo shook his head. “But he did ask me for help.”

Cecelia’s eyebrows rose, a genuine surprise. “Interesting.”

Cain took this opportunity to voice his annoyance in a growl.

“It appears one of your people does not agree with you,” Cecelia said.

Matilda sighed. “A beast growls its displeasure for many things.” She turned to face Cain, flicking him on the head. “But will do what is needed to protect the pack. Right?”

“Mmh,” Cain mumbled through a grunt.

“Well, while this is unexpected to… perhaps the highest degree,” Cecelia began. “There are a lot of issues with bringing your people within our walls. Paranoia, fear, anger. Those are just a few things that my people, my friends, feel towards your group. I’m not sure I can staunch all of them.”

“Miss Cecelia,” Matilda said quietly, “this place… this tutorial… has twisted people.”

Her voice didn’t shake, but there was something heavy in it.

“I’ve watched good people break. I’ve watched frightened people become monsters because they thought they had to. I’ve watched others become strong because they had no choice but to.” Her eyes lowered for a moment. “No one here is untouched by what this place has done.”

Then she stepped forward.

And to everyone’s surprise, she dropped to her knees.

Leo felt everyone, both her camp and his, go still around her.

“I am not too proud to beg if it means these people survive,” Matilda said calmly. “Some of them are cruel. Some of them are foolish. Some of them are barely more than children to me. But they are still mine—ours, to protect.” She lifted her head, meeting Cecelia’s gaze directly. “I am not asking you to forgive what has been done.”

She took a breath.

“I am asking you to give them a chance.”

Another breath, deeper this time.

“And if a price must be paid for that chance…”

Her voice lowered in submission.

“Take my life.”

“No!” Cain roared, stepping forward before anyone else could speak.

Leo tensed immediately, expecting violence. He’d never seen Cain like this. Not even when the man had been trying to kill him. He started forming one of his Elemental Stances in preparation.

But Cain didn’t raise his weapons.

He lowered his head.

“Take mine.”

The whole crowd of Cain’s people, the entire camp that had come to watch from safety behind Cecelia, both Leo and Cecelia, had all been completely stunned once again.

Nothing was said for what felt like a long time.

Then, Cecelia spoke, barely more than a whisper at first. “Raise… your head.”

She walked over to Matilda, offering her a hand, speaking more confidently. “Please, stand.”

Cain’s eyes showed no aggression. They were so…human.

“I will be taking no heads. Nor will I be demanding blood for blood,” Cecelia announced. “I am not some barbaric leader that holds no compassion for those in need.” The corners of her mouth tugged upward. “I also believe that one of the most nai—nicest people I know would not allow me to cast away those who just wish to be protected.”

Matilda brushed off her robes. “You will grant us safety?”

Cecelia shook her head. “I cannot promise that. I don’t promise that to the people I swore to lead. A chance is the best I can do.”

Matilda smiled warmly, a tear forming in her eye. “That is all I ask.”

“Come. We need to discuss rules and consequences before the next assault. Bring those you deem in charge, no matter how small the job. Everyone here must contribute.”

Leo gave Cecelia a knowing smile as she passed. She let out a breathy laugh from her nose.

They all entered the camp and witnessed the devastation first hand. Things were still being rebuilt, antling tunnels being collapsed or filled with what little earth magic people had.

“What the fuck is this?” Nolan shouted, storming toward them with his weapon already in hand.

Cain moved just as quickly, his own weapon appearing at once, but Leo was faster. Getting in between them.

“Nolan,” Cecelia snapped, trying to wrest control of the situation. “We are granting them asylum in our camp. They have asked us for our help. I have decided to grant it.”

He looked at her. Bewildered. “So you want to bring these people, one of whom might have cut Jules in half, or brutally beaten Jonah to death! Dragged Amy and Gordon out as hostages in order for us to capitulate, into our camp and just forget about it?!”

He pointed past Leo, straight at Cain’s people.

“Where was all this need for mercy then?”

“I–” Cecelia tried to start but was interrupted.

“If they stay, I’m not. You can all go fuck yourselves.”

Nolan turned sharply and started to walk off.

Leo Spark Dashed in front of him and caught his shoulder before he could get far.

“Move,” Nolan said, voice low and shaking with anger. “Or I’ll move you.”

Leo knew that look. He understood it far too well.

“I’ve killed some of their people,” Leo said, as Nolan pushed past him.

That made him pause.

“Ron has too.” Leo’s voice stayed steady. “And I miss Jules. I miss Jonah. I know what they took from us. What they threatened to take.”

He glanced past Nolan toward the people gathered behind him.

“But no one should have died by another human’s hand in the first place. Not here. Not with monsters the size of houses already trying to tear us apart.”

“Make your point,” Nolan spat, but with a little less venom.

“These people need our help. The same way you needed help when I found you,” Leo said.

“It wasn’t the same, we didn’t kill anyone.”

Leo smiled sadly. “Didn’t you?”

He flinched. “Don’t. We didn’t have a choice. They were going to kill us.”

“And the ones who killed Jules and Jonah probably told themselves the same thing you just did,” Leo said. “That they didn’t have a choice. That it was us or them. The only difference is that when it came down to it, it wasn’t us who killed them. It would have been Cain. Or that mage I killed.”

Nolan’s jaw tightened.

“We all want the same thing,” Leo said more quietly. “To stay alive long enough to get back home.”

Nolan sighed. “I’m not convinced.” He walked away, but then stopped.

“But I won’t leave.”

That was the best Leo was going to get. He let out a breath of relief, glad he managed to help somewhat.

“You handled that as well as anyone could have. Perhaps better,” Cecelia said softly.

“He’s helped me out a lot, I owe him enough not to let him just die out there alone.”

She patted him lightly on the shoulder. “Let’s go talk things out, you should be there.”

He smiled. “Sure, sounds go—”

“Ants incoming!” A voice yelled from a rooftop, it was Alex, the used to be Cain’s fighter, now turned.

“Where?” Cecelia demanded.

Alex stood stunned as he looked upon his old friends, or perhaps captives based on how he aghast he looked.

“Where!” Cecelia repeated, harsher this time.

Alex flinched. “Uh, that way.” He pointed towards the castle, but based on positioning they would likely come from a different street than the one used yesterday. Tighter alleyways if Leo remembered correctly.

Behind building A… or what’s left of it.

Cecelia realised it too, calling out with her skill. “Fighters to the broken Goliath building! The antlings are coming!”

Leo walked up to Cain, smirking. “Well, well. Time for us to team up once again, eh?”

“Fuck off.”

“There he is,” Leo said, laughing.

Cecelia approached Matilda, who was next to Cain. “I know you all just arrived, but—”

“Say no more, we didn’t come for a free pass. We will earn our keep,” Matilda replied.

Cecelia nodded. “Okay. I won’t order your people, yet. So please direct those who are not as proficient in fighting to defend the sides of the camp. We don’t need them to sacrifice, just to alert us.”

“I can do that.”

Fighters from all angles quickly descended on the approaching swarm. Leo took to the rooftops with Ellie, looking for a place to dive straight in. There would be no using Crownfall, even if he could, nor would there be a need. With Cain’s people here, they had more than enough competent fighters to hold this wave off.

He didn’t begin the attack with Draconic Equip, opting to save it until a Royal Guard appeared. He did note that the average levels of the antlings had increased by at least a couple of levels. The Queen really was building up a stronger and stronger army each day somehow.

Good news and bad news on that front. The stronger the ants, the more levels they’d get. But the stronger the ants, the more chances of accidents happening, resulting in death or grievous injury.

Leo wouldn’t admit it to the man, and he was still very skeptical about all this, but having them here would be a boon if things stayed somewhat civil. He’d just have to avoid getting under Cain’s skin.

Something he was definitely good at.

Leo fought hard, practicing combination moves with Ellie as best they could when they weren’t being overwhelmed. Each antling killed was more experience for himself and his companion. Not to mention the Store Credits that could be used for potions, and nothing else.

The next two days passed quickly with fighting, training, and scouting. He wanted to try and find a key out in the city for the bank, so he did explore when he felt the ants weren’t coming for the day, but sadly found none. Even asking around had given him no results.

At the end of the day four assault, and a lot of fighting and killing an ever growing horde, Leo had reached level 63. He’d gained seven levels in just three days of fighting, which just went to show just how strong the ants had become. And how many he’d killed.

Ellie had reached level 59, and felt like she was on the cusp of getting to 60, but sadly there were no more ants to kill out here today.

The city felt entirely empty when explored. All the ants had been either used in the assault, or were preparing to be used when day five struck and the castle opened.

Gaining so many levels did give him access to a new skill at level 60, with Ellie gaining a skill of her own at level 55.

He’d been offered a few skills at level 60. Some were tied to toughness, the sort of skills that would make him harder to put down, and one would have boosted his speed further at the cost of stamina. On paper, they weren’t bad skills. In another build, maybe they would have even been great. But none of them really felt like they filled the gap he kept noticing whenever a fight became difficult.

Right now, Leo felt like he was missing a way to interrupt someone beyond simply hitting them harder, and he still lacked any proper method of restoring himself once he had burned through too much mana or stamina. Second Wind helped, but only so much. In a longer fight, or against someone dangerous enough to force him to keep spending, it didn’t feel like enough of a safety net.

There had been another skill in the selection too, one that tempted him more than the defensive options ever could. It was a spell that would force a frozen spear up through the ground beneath an enemy. A proper spell. The kind of thing that would have fit neatly into that part of him that still looked at magic and thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

Ellie gave him a little growl when that thought crossed him

Okay, second coolest.

And that was the problem.

Leo loved magic. There was no point pretending otherwise. Lena’s battlefield-wide spell had been incredible. Ashley’s summons made of pure light were ridiculous in the best possible way. Even the magic stored inside his ring had felt absurdly powerful when he’d used it. Compared to that, his own skills could feel almost plain at times. Effective? Yes. Strong? Definitely. But they all bent back toward one thing in the end.

Close combat.

Even his ranged options felt more like extensions of that than a true shift in fighting style. They supported what he already was, rather than redefining it.

Back when he had first integrated, he’d genuinely been torn between mage and pugilist. A part of him wanted to go all in on fists and movement, while another part had imagined some kind of hybrid from the start, a fighter who could blend raw physical combat with elemental magic in a way that felt seamless.

He was still doing that to some extent, but not in the way he’d first pictured. With every unlock, his path seemed to be pushing him further toward something more specialised. Not away from magic entirely, but away from being the kind of person who solved problems by standing still and casting.

So when it came down to the final choice, Leo had to be honest with himself about what he actually needed.

It ended up being none of the available skills. Instead, it was Concussive Clap and Flicker Jabs, and for a while he genuinely struggled with the decision. Flicker Jabs appealed to the part of him that liked speed and pressure. The idea of overwhelming someone before they could recover. But what finally tipped things the other way was watching Cain fight.

More specifically, it was that moment when Cain unleashed some kind of roar point blank into a Royal Guard and the thing just froze. Leo had seen it clearly, the sudden hitch in its movement, the terror in its compound eyes, the way the whole rhythm of the fight had been broken for a heartbeat. That single moment made something click for him.

Damage alone wasn’t always enough.

Sometimes what he needed was a way to disrupt someone. To stagger them, throw them off, break their flow, and force an opening where there hadn’t been one before.

That was why he chose Concussive Clap.

You have unlocked the Elemental Adept Class skill: Concussive Clap (Uncommon)

Concussive Clap (Uncommon)

Bring your hands together with precise force, compressing air and momentum into a short range shock.

The resulting concussion disrupts balance, breathing and focus in front of you. Targets caught close may be briefly staggered or disoriented.

This effect rapidly weakens with distance

Scales with Strength
Cooldown: 30 Seconds

Ellie, on the other hand, had surprised him.

When the notification appeared, Leo had expected something that matched the way she usually fought now—something fast, direct, maybe even physical. Instead, she’d gained another ice-based skill.

Ellie has unlocked the skill: Glacial Orbit (Uncommon)

Glacial Orbit (Uncommon)

Ellie draws upon her affinity for ice to conjure a number of condensed frost shards that orbit her body. These shards remain suspended in controlled motion, awaiting her command.

At will, Ellie may launch the shards toward nearby targets. Each shard applies a stacking Chill that slightly hinders movement and reaction speed.

Scales with Intelligence

Cooldown: 30 Seconds

The surprise wasn’t because it was bad. Far from it. It looked useful, and more importantly, it fit her better than she might have realised.

That was what caught him off guard.

He hadn’t fully noticed the pattern until now, but her last two unlocks had both leaned into ice and magic rather than raw physical force. That was interesting on its own, but what made it stranger was that she hadn’t really been building toward that direction stat-wise. Most of her free points had gone into keeping herself quick enough to stay alongside him.

That part was cute, obviously. Leo was not above admitting that. But if she genuinely liked ice magic, and her instincts kept pushing her toward that kind of skill, then her stat spread needed to reflect it.

So he sat down and had a proper talk with her.

A grumbly talk, because she clearly didn’t appreciate being told that maybe copying his priorities wasn’t the best idea.

Still, she listened.

In the end, she put almost half of her accumulated free points into Intelligence, and while she clearly wasn’t thrilled about it, Leo couldn’t help but feel a bit proud for taking it seriously. If she wanted to lean into ice, then he wanted her to be able to do it properly.

It was now the night before the Queen’s castle would open, and Leo sat upon a rooftop overlooking the city, the dark skyline stretching out beneath him in uneasy silence.

Tomorrow they would fight harder than they ever had before. Not just to survive another assault, not just to hold the line for one more day, but to end this.

To finish the tutorial.

And perhaps… finally go home.