Jonathan stood in a vast chamber within Bastion's fortress, a council room where Bartholomew had summoned many of the Safe Zone's most influential figures. Merchants, innkeepers, landlords with apartment blocks scattered across the district, every one of them held economic sway in the region surrounding the fortress. It was the most prosperous area in the Safe Zone, and nothing there happened without Bartholomew's hand on the reins. He wasn't about to let trade run unchecked in his own backyard.

These merchants enjoyed privileges others could only dream of: military protection during invasions, permits to harvest resources from controlled zones, access to blacksmith forges and mining caves, even logging rights. All under the watch of Bastion's soldiers.

An ordinary lumber company in the Safe Zone couldn't simply cut from the easiest groves. They were forced to venture into the Wild Zone, and never at the borders, where felling the wrong trees might weaken the natural defenses that protected everyone during monster waves. That meant plunging deep into hostile territory, hiring not just laborers but guards to fend off bandits and beasts alike. But Bartholomew's allies could work choice areas, even within the Safe Zone, under the army's shield.

It was a well-oiled system. A skilled farmer blessed with the rare Plant Growth skill could replenish what was harvested, creating a constant cycle of production. Trees were felled, crops regrown, goods traded. The economy kept spinning.

And these favored merchants wielded more than coin, they held influence. They gathered whispers, spread whatever truths Bastion's king wanted heard, and helped manage the restless souls eager to return to Earth. Jonathan had learned they were Bartholomew's pieces on the board, though most of them had no idea. They fancied themselves a sort of noble class, bringing order and comfort to the Safe Zone. A thriving marketplace meant jobs, jobs meant full bellies, and full bellies meant less crime. Less crime meant fewer criminals and more people contributing to the collective push to clear the tutorial.

But it was all a lie. Bartholomew wasn't building a society to move forward, he was crafting a utopia to keep people here, buying time so no one would leave.

"Is that true?" someone asked, their voice a strange blend of shock and excitement.

Even Jonathan felt the same jolt of surprise. The barrier gate to the next tutorial zone had been opened.

"It's been some time since it happened," Bartholomew said. "I didn't tell anyone because I was waiting for the right moment."

***

Bartholomew had gathered every major player in the Safe Zone into that room. The news he carried wasn't good, at least not for them. The gate to the next stage of the tutorial had been open for some time now, and he had no idea how, or who was responsible.

He had stationed a camp at the entrance and sent teams to scout, but there was no containing it. His soldiers had started to grow restless, eager, even giddy. He needed to keep that excitement under control. That was why he had been quietly assembling a new network of criminals all this time, more trouble, more distractions for the Safe Zone. But the question still hammered in his head: who had opened that damn gate?

His first suspicion had been the people from the Haven. Weak, destitute, except for Allison Rhiannon and the other noble, Mason. But they had been under watch during the period when he still controlled the gate, and they had never once gone in that direction. In fact, their expeditions always led them the other way. Then they had vanished. His soldiers had made a few inquiries, but all they learned was that her group had made some kind of promise to Angelica and were training in the Wall Dungeon to get stronger.

He had considered posting someone to keep an eye on them, but that dungeon was a maze. They could be anywhere. And now his problems had stacked too high to waste resources. Whoever it was, it was not the Haven. Someone else, a powerful, growing faction, had slipped right under his nose. He needed to find them. That was why he had left a strong detachment at the gate, led by Ronan. No one would cross without him knowing. And so far, no one had.

Keeping Ronan out there had also freed Kruger to start building the new gang. Ronan was critical to Bastion's operations, but in the end, he was just another fool obsessed with leaving the tutorial.

All of this left Bartholomew in a state of simmering chaos. And then there was the Death Painting. Every time he used it, that damned black panther appeared in the darkness, watching, waiting. Something out there wanted him dead. He had killed Marshall. He could walk anywhere in the Safe Zone without fear, no one else had the strength to challenge him. But the sight of that panther was enough to keep him locked inside his fortress.

"It's been some time since it happened," he said at last. "I didn't tell anyone because I was waiting for the right moment."

The merchants stared at him, wide-eyed and eager, hungry for answers.

"It wasn't Bastion that opened that part of the tutorial," Bartholomew told them.

His tone hardened, frustration sharpening every word. "Keep explaining, Ronan."

"It's been a month since we discovered the gate was open," Ronan reported.

"That's incredible, isn't it?" asked Eddie, a timber merchant.

"Incredible? That doesn't even begin to cover how I feel," said Tom, who owned a clothing shop that used fabric from Wild Zone creatures. "If we told the people, they'd throw a festival in the Safe Zone."

Ronan's expression stayed dark. "The truth is, we don't know who opened the gate. And the one responsible… might already be dead."

Every face in the room turned toward him, their expressions shifting into something caught between confusion and dread.

"There's a new area out there," Ronan began, "bigger than the entire Wild Zone. But to reach it, you have to cross a forest." His voice dipped. "None of the soldiers made it far."

"What do you mean?" someone asked.

Bartholomew exhaled, letting Ronan take the lead. For once, the man actually had something worth sharing.

"They're all dead," Ronan said flatly. "We found pieces of them scattered across the woods, next to grinning statues. It took a while to realize those statues were the monsters. Destroy them during the day, and by night they would put themselves back together and start hunting again. No one got past them."

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"S-s-stronger than a Midnight Warden?" Eddie asked, his voice shaking.

At least their fear was something Bartholomew could enjoy.

"In terms of brute strength?" Ronan shook his head. "No. I've killed a few myself and gotten stronger for it. Wardens have gear, while the statues are pure damage. The real danger is when they come in groups. They attack from a distance with bows." He hesitated. "But that wasn't the worst part."

He swallowed hard, eyes dropping to the floor. "I sent a large team, men I personally selected. Their mission was to enter the forest, grind levels, and try to approach the other city. But…" His voice trailed off. "They ran into a giant snake."

"A… giant snake?" Tom's voice cracked.

"I just returned with the few who survived," Ronan said. "One man is completely broken, can't even speak. Watched his friend dissolve in front of him, burned away by acid. The only thing he managed to say to me was, 'There's no salvation left for us.'"

The room went pale. Even the soldiers standing silent in the corners looked uneasy.

"Any courage or will to explore that new area died with that story," Ronan went on. "No one who's heard it wants to go near the place. For them, defeating that thing is impossible, let alone reaching the castle."

Bartholomew kept his face appropriately grim, but inside, the words were music. No one in their right mind would fight a monster like that. One less problem for him to deal with. Yes, the open gate still bothered him, he hated not knowing who had done it or how many were involved, but if nature itself was guarding the path, his enemies could break their necks on it for all he cared.

This meeting had been nothing more than a test, a way to gauge the mood of the Safe Zone through its most connected people. Would they rally, hungry for the challenge, or shrink back in fear? Now he knew. That snake wasn't dying anytime soon, and the other side of the city would remain untouched.

"There's… no risk of the snake coming into this side of the Wild Zone, right?" Tom asked, his voice thin. "Everyone's thinking the same thing I am, aren't they?"

"You… you have some kind of countermeasure?" another merchant pressed.

"The snake isn't an issue for now," Ronan replied. "It's too big to fit through the gate, according to the scouts' reports. The real threat is the statues, or anything else we haven't seen yet. As a precaution, we've built a barrier of stone and wood. Right now, the plan is to upgrade it to metal, blacksmiths are already working on it. The problem is, any noise out there might draw the snake's attention, and it can still attack with acid. For now, the entrance is sealed off with layered stone barricades."

"Then if it wasn't you who opened the gate, who was it?" Eddie asked.

A fist slammed against the table, sharp and sudden. Jonathan's glare could have burned a hole through wood.

"It was that bastard, Luke!" he snapped, and every head in the room swung toward him.

Bartholomew's eyes narrowed, studying him.

"It had to be Luke," Jonathan pressed. "That piece of trash crossed over. The whole damn time, he's been on the other side of the barrier."

No one had believed him when he claimed Luke was still alive after all this time. But Bartholomew's gaze sharpened. There were only two ways to open that gate: activate both mechanisms, or use the severed arm of a Midnight Warden. He already knew the first hadn't happened.

"You're saying Luke could kill a Warden?" Bartholomew asked, his voice cool. Of course that was absurd.

"He did!" Jonathan's pacing turned frantic. "He told me! And I didn't believe him, none of you did!"

He killed one?

That piece of information made Bartholomew's jaw tighten. If true, Luke was far more dangerous than he had assumed. Bartholomew was strong, one of the highest-level individuals in the tutorial, and his skills were formidable. But his class was, at its core, a healer. His plague and poison skills had a fatal flaw: they didn't work on Midnight Wardens. The undead were naturally immune.

Add to that their heavy armor and skill with spears, and they were his hard counter. He could wipe out everyone in this room without breaking a sweat, but a Warden? He wouldn't even scratch it. Not that killing one was impossible, Kruger could do it for him without trouble, but it was still a reminder of the gap.

"The one who killed Angelica?" one soldier asked. "You think he's still alive?"

"He's a damn rat. A coward. I told you he survived!" Jonathan's voice cracked with frustration.

"But… how did he open the gate? Did he really kill a Warden?" another voice asked, tight with unease.

Murmurs rippled through the room, conversations overlapping.

"So maybe that's a good thing, right?" someone ventured. "I mean, I know the news is mixed, but if he's strong enough to take down a Warden, why don't we all join forces and kill the snake? What do you think?"

Faces that had been frozen in tension began to ease, cautious hope creeping in. A loud thud cut through the noise as Bartholomew's fist smashed into the armrest of his chair.

"No! That is not good news!" His voice cracked like a whip.

Silence dropped instantly. Fear hung in the air.

"We're nowhere near ready to carve a safe path from the Safe Zone to the castle," he said. His eyes locked on the soldier who had dared call it a good thing. "What's your name? Do you have family here? A mother? A girlfriend? A fiancée?"

Bartholomew knew every person in this room. He would never allow someone he didn't have pegged to get this close.

"Call me Gale. I… have a wife. Met her here in the tutorial… and we had a daughter. She's eight months old," the soldier said quietly.

"A little girl, huh? I've got a daughter too. She's waiting for me back on Earth." Bartholomew leaned forward. "Tell me, Gale, do you think you could make the journey from the Safe Zone to the castle with your daughter in your arms? A safe journey? You think you can cross the Wild Zone carrying a baby? What happens if your precious little girl starts crying in the middle of the night?"

The man said nothing.

"Now, put that on a larger scale," Bartholomew continued. "What do you think happens when two thousand people start marching toward the castle? And what do you think happens that very first night?"

The silence in the room grew heavier.

"A massacre," Bartholomew said flatly. "Men, women, children, infants… all slaughtered by the Midnight Wardens and whatever other monsters are out there. Your daughter, Gale, might be among them."

He gestured to the model on the table. "That's why building a safe path, slow as it may be, is the only real option. Now that the Renegades aren't sabotaging us, we can dig the tunnel. It'll take time, but it'll be safe. And yes, we still have to hunt down the mechanisms and face dangerous monsters, but that part… leave to me. The giant snake? Definitely a problem. But my most trusted men and I will deal with it. I swear that on my life."

He studied their faces one by one. They needed to fear the idea of finishing the tutorial too soon, but they also needed to believe in him completely.

"That's why we have to find this Luke, if he's still alive," he said. "I wasn't going to bring this up yet, but we have information that he's a former Renegade. There are even rumors of a new, powerful bandit gang forming, maybe he's part of it. And if that's true, their goal might be to kill us. A new kind of Renegade attack."

"Renegade attack?" someone asked.

"You all remember what happens when the third mechanism is activated," Bartholomew said. "The Midnight Warden army comes for everyone in the Safe Zone. If Luke and this new gang find the mechanisms, they could trigger them to escape, at the cost of every life here. They'd leave us all to die. You understand what I'm saying?"

The color drained from their faces as the thought settled in.

"You've never considered that possibility?" Bartholomew asked softly. "That's why I'm asking for your trust."

His gaze swept across the room. "Luke is now our top priority. I'm sending a search party into the Wild Zone. If you see him, capture him. Imagine the information he might have about the mechanisms."

A few faces lit up with the idea. "You're right. If he's alive out there somewhere, and if he opened the capital's gate, maybe it's because he knows something about the mechanisms. First one in years to pull it off."

"He must be captured immediately!" someone said sharply. "Doesn't matter if it's by force or not. He's too dangerous to let roam free."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.