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LOCATION: THE LUSTY WENCH
CITY: GRIMWATCH
DATE: ??? | TIME: EVENING
The hearthfire crackled softly at the far end of the tavern hall, casting amber light across the long wooden tables that stretched nearly wall to wall. Plates and trays had mostly been cleared, leaving behind glasses of wine, steins of ale, and a quiet tension that hummed just beneath the surface.
It was the final night of their Tutorial, and the group had taken to gathering here every evening, recounting the trials they’d faced during the day.
At some point, Mallory’s voice rose through the buzz of conversation, calm but commanding—a new tone of authority that hadn’t been there before.
“So it’s interesting,” she said, looking around the table. “We arrived late that first night, but since then it’s been one event per day. Weapons and armor the first day, then five dungeons over five days. Is it always this structured, Ronan?”
Ronan shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Actually, that’s proof Mr. Voss chose well. You don’t know it, but behind the scenes, a massive algorithm is gauging your decisions, karmic leanings—even your intent. If the System detects that someone plans to abuse their power, their progression through the Tutorial changes. They’d face more challenges, more obstacles—forced to confront their decisions until something shifts.”
Grim glanced up from his mug. “So you’re saying you can trap someone in this thing? How long are we talking?”
Ronan leaned back, folding his arms. “Not forever. But if necessary? Days could stretch into weeks. It all depends on how willing they are to evolve. The Trials are more than just battles—they’re mirrors. And for some, the reflection is… difficult.”
Darian nodded thoughtfully. “That was always the goal. We’re trying to help humanity ascend—not create a new class of megalomaniacs.”
“Exactly,” Ronan agreed. “And remember—these moral tests aren’t always obvious. Some are subtle. But the System is always watching. Tracking growth. If someone can’t—or won’t—improve, then the final safeguard kicks in.”
“What kind of safeguard?” Elise asked.
Ronan hesitated. Then he lowered his voice.
“You’ve all heard about the Karmic Gates?”
Most nodded.
“Well, what you may not know is that after a certain point—if all soft methods fail—the System starts to suppress effectiveness. Not the stat numbers themselves, mind you. Those remain. But their impact is diminished. A person with 35 Strength might find they hit no harder than someone with 25.”
Brick sat forward. “Wait, you’re saying the System can nerf someone’s stats without them even knowing?”
“Exactly,” Ronan said. “It’s hidden deep in the framework. A last resort. And it’s the biggest secret Mr. Voss and I ever coded in.”
As his words hung in the air, a ripple passed through the group—and then, all at once, a new message flashed across their vision.
---
System Message
You have been entrusted with privileged knowledge about the inner workings of the System.
This information is strictly confidential.
Attempting to disclose it to unauthorized parties will trigger a visual warning.
Continued disclosure will result in System intervention.
Do you understand? [Y/N]
---
“Uh, Ronan?” Grim’s face had gone pale. “What the fuck is this?”
Aria leaned forward, eyes wide. “Yeah, and what does it mean by intervention? Is my tongue going to rot out of my mouth or something?”
Mallory couldn’t help but laugh. “No. I remember Mr. Voss explaining this. The System can enforce contracts. It doesn’t need a court of law. If you try to speak about classified information, you’ll get a glaring warning across your vision—one you can’t ignore. Just back off, and nothing happens.”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Ronan nodded. “The System isn’t looking to become the very tyrant it’s trying to protect the world from. But it will step in when it must.”
The room went quiet again, the crackling hearthfire the only sound.
Then Grim raised his mug, voice low but certain. “In that case, let’s make sure we protect it.”
Elise looked a little melancholic—and she wasn’t the only one.
“I’ll say this,” she began, her voice softer than usual. “My time here has revealed more about myself—my path forward, the choices that led me here—than anything else in my life. I have all of you… and Mr. Voss… to thank for that. And, I suppose, The System. Once we’re out, I’m more determined than ever to make this global rollout a success.”
Darian nodded. “I feel the same. It’s hard to imagine the impact once all of humanity goes through something like this. We’re not just trying to force fundamental change—we’re trying to inspire it.”
Mallory stood, and the room quieted instantly. There was something different about her now—more poised, more commanding. Something earned.
“You’re both right, obviously. But as we emerge from this crucible, we need to remember: those with power and wealth, those who benefit from the world as it is now—they’ll fight to keep things exactly the same. We have to be careful with every step we take toward the global rollout.”
Vanessa gave a dry laugh. “Yeah… NDAs aren’t gonna cut it anymore. We’re going to need serious security around everything from here on out.”
That led to a more tactical discussion. Graham and his team—already tasked with designing the combat class architecture—had security on their minds at all times.
“The Peacekeeper wave can’t come soon enough,” Graham said. “There are five of us now, but it’s not enough. We’re all about to be a lot busier.”
Ronan looked thoughtful. “I’ve been thinking… Before we run the Peacekeepers through their course, maybe we should have one more cohort go through the Tutorial. Mallory—what if we bring in the sixty-four CEOs and one deputy each? That’s 128 people. It would give us more data on how the towns scale under heavier load, and we’d be building a larger cadre we can rely on before the rollout begins.”
Mallory considered it for a moment. “That could work. With Mr. Voss’s passing, we can summon them back to San Francisco for another summit. Administer Vitalyx during that visit. Send Rejuvenex a week later, and have them return two weeks after that for what we’ll call a week-long ‘retreat.’ During that time, we trigger their Tutorial sessions.”
“And we’ll be able to monitor them from outside,” Ronan added, his tone brightening. “That’s something I haven’t mentioned yet. I’ve been looking forward to telling you all—once our Tutorial ends, we’ll be able to come back to Grimwatch. Voluntarily. When we sleep.”
“What?”
“Wait—seriously?”
Ronan and Mallory both nodded.
“Oh yeah,” Ronan said. “We’ll be able to return here. Not usually to someone else’s Tutorial, but there will be versions of this town available for post-Tutorial training and refinement. And because we’re Round Table… we get special access. We can enter any Tutorial instance, observe, support, troubleshoot. It’s how Graham’s team will handle the Peacekeeper wave. They’ll be able to leave and re-enter freely.”
Sienna smirked. “Guess it’s true what they say—access has its privileges.”
Ronan grinned. “Exactly. And I think the CEO run is a smart move. I can’t see any live data while we’re inside, but once we’re out? I expect reams of it waiting. We’ll make some adjustments to the code. But having another massive dataset will be invaluable.”
He glanced around the room.
“So yes,” he said. “Let’s do it.”
The group lingered for a while longer, savoring their drinks and the warm glow of the tavern on what they knew was their final night in this space.
Graham raised his glass, grinning. “So, we’ve covered world domination and all that—but there’s one thing we haven’t celebrated yet.”
Brick smirked. “You mean the fact that we all hit Level 5?”
A few people chuckled. Glasses were raised again, and a quiet chorus of toasts followed.
They spent a few minutes comparing the new skills they’d unlocked.
Grim let out a dramatic groan. “Mine’s another leadership aura. Helpful, sure. But I was kinda hoping for something a little more smash and a little less inspire.”
Aria snorted. “You’re already inspiring my panties to be wet, but I could use a little more smash too, if you know what I mean…”
Sienna and Nina nearly fell off their benches laughing.
Then Aria, feigning embarrassment, added, “Oh shit—did I say that out loud?”
As the evening stretched on, the conversation turned serious again. There were still topics they needed to cover—while they were all together, and while no outside ears could overhear.
One of the most important was Vanessa’s work on nanite generators—devices that would, over time, saturate Earth’s atmosphere with safe, System-compatible nanites. These airborne constructs would not only enhance bodily regeneration, but serve as the foundation for many of humanity’s powers outside the Tutorial and dreamspace.
Vanessa’s spectral arrows. Elise’s healing. Even Graham’s abilities—they all depended on a nanite-rich environment to function at their full potential. Establishing this infrastructure would be one of the highest global priorities once they returned.
Entire profession paths would be developed around advancing that science.
Finally, as night deepened, a new notification appeared in everyone’s vision at once:
---
System Message
Congratulations. You have completed the Tutorial.
You have faced and overcome personal trials, and you have chosen your path.
May you walk it with purpose and strength.
This Tutorial shard is now complete.
The weapons and armor you wield in spirit must be forged in truth.
To carry their power into the world, you must create them in the waking realm.
You will awaken soon—restored and changed.
The world awaits what you have become.
The System watches. The future listens.
Your journey begins.
NOW.
---
And just like that, each of them woke—safely, soundly, and with a rush of clarity—back in their beds on the tenth floor of Voss Tower.