Cain roared, appearing above Jasper in a flash of movement. His twin hatchets crashed down on an empty stair.

Jasper re-appeared at the top like stepping from a shadow, but Leo was already upon him, dashing through the air with as much speed as he could muster. Attacks were fired at the man without pause, a clear enemy they had to take out, despite them knowing him once.

The moment Leo was about to land, his danger sense arose, warning him to dodge. Leo Spark Dashed out of the Wyrmstep, just as a glob of acid appeared from the darkness, passing just where he was.

Jasper dodged the ranged attacks with easy precision.

“The orb!” Cecelia cried as Jasper tried to run.

Jasper ducked down, moving quickly and swiped an item.

He took the key.

A moment later, an army of half-antling half-humans appeared from a hidden chamber behind the Queen’s throne. They formed a wall that blocked vision of the insect-like Jasper.

“Move!” Cain screamed, his aura flaring like a sun. He’d lost all composure upon seeing Matilda be killed, something Leo fully understood.

Cain started ripping into the army that had emerged, disregarding his own safety while doing so.

“Ash, keep him alive! We need to fight together!” Leo called as he joined Cain in the fray.

His fists were coated in power, one after another, Leo unleashed his attacks in an attempt to get to Jasper. Crack of lightning, blast of flame.

The creatures were throwing themselves at him like martyrs in a desperate attempt to slow him down, completely uncaring when Leo would punch holes in them. The notifications he was receiving had made his skin run cold on realisation.

You have slain: Insect-human Converted, Disciple of Serrix - Level 66

Experience gained

+12,124 Store Credits

These people were the ones remaining on the tutorial survivor list. The number they had been unable to find. Something had happened to them, turning them into monsters. Somehow, they were under the lead of Jasper of all people, who was perhaps this new Serrix. Leo just didn’t have enough information.

He killed them all the same, telling himself it was the humane thing to do. Their numbers were greater than he’d anticipated though, still reinforcing while Jasper fled. A shrieking clacking noise echoed out across the group of them and they all began retreating as quickly as they had attacked.

A few of them remained as martyrs, the rest spitting lines of acid that blocked entry into the secret passage that had emerged.

When the last converted was killed, Leo tried to follow. But on an attempt to enter, he found the passage they had travelled to get here had completely collapsed. Without a mage who could manipulate earth, or someone versed in digging, there was no way to follow them.

“What the fucking fuck was that?!” Ashley demanded from no one in particular. “That was Jasper, right? Jasper, as in, cowardly creeper who tried to kill me and ran at the first sign of danger. How is he even alive?”

“You know him?!” Cain got into Ashley’s face, voice strained with emotion.

Leo grabbed his shoulder hard, stopping him from going further. His aura flared as Ashley’s eyes flashed with a brief panic.

He spoke in a way Cain could understand. Slowly. “Easy. I’ll explain.”

Cain didn’t relax, but he did back off. His shoulder was wrenched free from Leo’s grip as the man turned to face him.

“Explain.”

“Jasper was someone who came into the tutorial too. A normal guy. Human, like us.” He thumbed to Cain and himself. “He was… odd.” Leo paused. “At one point, maybe a week in? He ran off into the city, leaving us to fight some criminals. We thought he’d turn up somewhere, maybe be back at camp. He never came back. We assumed he’d died.”

Cain growled, not entirely satisfied.

“Look man. I didn’t like him. Pretty fucking certain he tried to kill Ash. If not for whatever happened to him to turn him into a bug, he’d have for sure died, or I’d have killed him.”

Leo hoped it was enough to put him at ease, but before Cain could speak, a yell sounded out from the stairs.

“The orb is gone!” Gordon called.

“What!?” Cecelia shouted, rushing up to join the young man. She looked around, face filled with panic. “Did any of you take it before they did?”

Shakes of heads all round.

“Fuck!” Cecelia roared, louder and more angry than he’d heard her.

“Jasper took the key,” Leo said. “But I didn’t see him take the orb.”

“It must have been one of his freaky insects,” Nolan added. He looked to Cecelia. “What do we do now?”

She looked at him, eyes flashing with something Leo couldn’t place. Her words filled in the gaps.

“Oh? So now you look to me for directions? Didn’t you just vote for Leo to lead? Maybe ask him.” Her tone was snarky.

Nolan clicked his tongue. “I just lost the woman I loved under your orders to come here. Was it the only viable option to attack when we did? Probably.” His eyes started to moisten, voice cracking. “It doesn’t make it any easier.”

Cecelia’s face softened a touch. Her eyes closed. “I’m sorry, Nolan. Truly. Morgan was a true asset, and a lovely person beneath all the glum and deadpan tones.” She sighed. “If I could go back and change that fight against the Royal Guards, of course I would, without question. But now,” She shook her head, “we need to look forward. To whatever is happening under the city with these half-insect creatures.”

Nolan sniffed, rubbing all the tears from his face with one swipe of his palm. “Like I said. What do we do now?”

Cecelia pondered for a moment. “We have two options. One: we give chase with everything we have to track down these thieving murderers and kill them all. That’s my vote.”

“Or second,” she continued. “We fortify ourselves until the end of this tutorial, ensuring safety. If they come for us, then we kill them. With the Queen gone, they are the only threat.”

She let her words hang, and Leo figured he’d have decided on these two options too if asked for his opinion. Although right now, he was close to losing control after Matilda was killed in front of him. His mind wasn’t exactly stable enough to be so calm. He didn’t know how she was doing it.

“Instead of putting this to a laborious vote, should we perhaps just do a show of hands?” Cecelia asked. “Every second we spend here is another they gain on us.”

“Show of hands on who wants to go after them,” she said, raising her own hand.

Leo looked around, waiting to raise his hand. Nolan, Cain, Ron, Gordon, and Edward all raised their hands. It didn’t matter if he raised his hand or not. It was already decided.

“Then it’s decided. We will reinforce our allies at the gate, and then find a way underground.”

~

Jasper pushed his way through the tunnel, worming his way downwards as he felt his body healing. He’d taken a hit from that hairy beast that was healing very slowly. Something he’d done was making him bleed more than usual.

Disgusting humans. We should have killed them all.

The surprise he’d felt when he’d spotted almost all people he knew with the corpse of the Queen had unsettled him. He’d been waiting in the shadows, watching the entire fight. The temptation to slice off Ashley’s head was almost too much to bear. The same with Leo, although, something inside him told him it would be a bad idea.

Like with Lord Serrix, he couldn't even identify him, only receiving question marks when he tried. But it was two instead of three. Not even Leo’s race appeared.

When the fire mage had attacked, he thought it was his chance to take the key, but that hairy one didn’t look away from it for a second. He was beginning to think that there would be no opportunity, and would have to resort to sending all of his converted to attack and give their lives.

So when that older human had arrested so much attention, he couldn't help himself.

He’d killed her in moments, and had been expecting the retaliation, but not quite to the degree he felt. He’d swiped the key as fast as he could, and made his escape thanks to his army.

Now he was descending at speed, the tunnel behind him being collapsed to stop any from following. There were still ways to get underground from within the city, so they needed to be quick.

Mud crumbled as his hands pushed forward, the same scent of it mixed with blood filled his nose. Before long, Jasper reached the bottom, and looked upon his encased Lord once more.

A feeling welled up in him as he received the notification.

Quest Complete!

You have retrieved the key for your lord from the Queen’s corpse. Whether you were the one to slay her or not is inconsequential, all that matters is the key in your hand.

What you do next is up to you.

Utter elation.

All this time. All this effort. The struggles. The endless days and nights of killing ants for the purpose of helping his lord.

It was all worth it.

He’d succeeded.

Jasper couldn’t help but ball his hands into fists as he celebrated his victory.

“Yes!”

“Jasper,” Lord Serrix whispered into his mind, the words like a sultry seduction.

Jasper snapped to attention, speaking aloud within the chamber. “Yes, my Lord.”

“I always had faith in you to succeed. Ever since the day I felt your presence within the city and was able to enter your mind, I knew you were destined for greatness. The humans did not see your potential. They saw you as an obstacle.”

He continued, filling Jasper with such joy that his enlarged eyes began to moisten. “You led my soldiers, raised them up to greatness. An army of converted to do my bidding on the newly integrated planet. Now, after carrying out every task I have set for you with such incredible precision, free me from this cage so I may reward you.”

Jasper couldn’t move quick enough, hand reaching out to the crystal with the key firmly inside it. At the last moment, Jasper hesitated.

“What’s the matter, Jasper? Unlock this prison so I may be freed. Free to lead you in this new world. It is your destiny.”

Quest Received

Lord Serrix is awaiting freedom. You hold the key. Use the key to set him free.

If you choose to betray him, all of the converted will turn against you in his name. Your class will change, and you will be forced to run.

It is your choice.

And now is the time to choose.

Objective: Free Serrix or Renounce him and flee

Reward: Dependant on choice

For his whole life, even before the tutorial and this system arriving, he’d been treated like a waste of space. Working for Bjorn in the factory had been a nightmare each day. The man had been somewhat kind, but he could feel the looks of distrust and frustration whenever he messed up or took an extra break.

The women in his life had been the same, each one he’d approached to date would scoff at him at best, usually acting disgusted. Life was hell.

Then this tutorial started and the hell continued, even after gaining mysterious powers. Looked at like he was nothing more than a burden. Treated almost worse than he was on Earth.

Lord Serrix had been his saving grace.

Saved him from a life of hell and promised him one of luxury and freedom. Treated like he finally wanted.

And now the system was giving him a choice to betray him.

Not a chance.

Jasper thrust the key forward the last few inches. The moment it touched the crystal surrounding the encased converted it began to crack as the key dissolved into motes of light.

The cracks spread as the smile on his Lord’s face did the same. They travelled up and around, chunks of it falling away as Serrix made his way free of his prison.

As the last parts started to shatter, Serrix flexed, and the crystal exploded outwards, sending pieces of it flying away into the walls. Jasper tilted his head to the side in reflex as one rushed towards him. He remained unmoving as his Lord set himself free.

The converted had finished closing the tunnel behind them, gathering behind Jasper as they fell to their knees.

Then, Serrix stepped forward.

He took a deep breath through a nose that was once human, exhaling with an almost moaning sigh of relief.

“Sweet freedom,” he purred, spreading his arms wide.

He looked upon the crowd of kneeling converted, smiled devilishly, and let out a fully unrestrained aura of immense power.

Pressure filled the room instantly, spreading wider still. Jasper felt his knees go weak as it reminded him of the feeling Leo had given off during the fight with the Queen. He fell to the floor, crushed by the pressure Serrix was exerting.

“Ahh, yes. That’s better,” he said, letting the pressure off so Jasper could breathe again. A few of the converted had passed out under the strain.

He approached Jasper and the man looked up, seeing nothing but his muscular insect-like legs.

“Raise your head.”

Jasper did as commanded.

“Now that I am free, I’d like you to hand over the Territory Orb that the Queen dropped upon her death. It is the first step in our domination over… what did you call it again, Earth?”

Jasper looked up at him, directly meeting his eyes. They were filled with a taunting gaze that filled him with happiness and anxiousness all at once. Jasper felt what was left of his lip tremble.

His vision spun as Serrix lifted him into the air, around two feet off the ground so they were eye to eye. “Give me the orb. Now.”

Panic arose from within, he knew of the Territory Orb as he’d received the quest from the System when the Queen had first dropped it. The power it promised was incredible. To be able to use it for himself was a pipe dream.

So there was a problem with handing over the orb. One that filled him with fear.

“My Lord,” Jasper croaked, Serrix’s grip tightening. “I don’t have the orb.”

Serrix’s eyes widened and Jasper was tossed across the room, hitting the wall hard.

“Useless!” he called, anger rising as his aura flared.

Then he smiled, so excitedly it was like a switch had been flipped.

“It appears we need to go visit your friends.”