Now, Lucius had been trailed by the odd pursuer here and there occasionally in his younger days, but oftentimes it was for a clear reason: such as out of frustration after he had defaced the Statue of Liberty, or that one time he caused the collapse of Mount Everest. In this world, however, the gentleman had been on his relatively best behavior. Surely there were none who held grudges toward him, were there?

At the very least, his stalker didn't seem to harbor malice. They quietly followed him from behind, weaving through the crowd whilst donning their strange cloak of camouflage colored like those found in the military, or a big-game hunter seeking their next trophy. Perhaps in the midst of a forest they would blend right in, but this was right in the heart of a city. They should have stuck out like a sore thumb; so why was no one reacting to this strange fellow's presence?

They were clearly a player, so Lucius could rule out being trailed by the Peers. A member of the expedition disgruntled by his sudden promotion, perhaps? Unlikely. Lucius had memorized the appearances and skills of everyone who joined the voyage. True, someone could be hiding their ability, but he didn't notice any… 'stealthy' inclinations among them. Beside himself, of course.

There was really only one way to solve this conundrum, and that was to personally take matters into his own hands.

Lucius whistled a merry tone and continued his jaunt through the streets. His stalker followed, naturally, but as the gentleman sauntered, he gradually delved into less populated venues: alleys, corridors, the backstreets hidden from the common eye. Eventually, the crowd dwindled until there were but two, and as Lucius turned at a fitting corner, he quickly leapt up, clung to the wall, and waited as his secret admirer passed underneath.

They swerved around, confused by the gentleman's sudden disappearance. That confusion would not last long, for Lucius elegantly landed behind him without making a sound and then tapped his shoulder.

"Good afternoon, my sneaky little friend," he said. "What may I do for you on this fine day?"

The shady sort stumbled in shock and then fell straight onto their rear. As a result, the hood of their cloak was pulled straight back, and Lucius was met with the bearded visage of a brown-haired, stocky, and gruff looking man. He looked like the very picture of the stereotypical mid-western American lumberjack; although it was not an axe he wielded, but a hunting rifle. One that he soon pointed at Lucius.

"Oh dear, we can't have that now, can we?"

Lucius snatched the rifle before the man had a chance to pull the trigger and then playfully swung it around as if putting on a show. The man paled, sweat dripped from his brow, and he quickly jumped back before pulling out what appeared to be a swiss army knife.

"Ah, shit. Really got myself in trouble now," the man muttered, muscles tense and ready to spring at a moment's notice. Lucius was quite the opposite. He was as relaxed as one could be.

"Language, sir."

"Yeah, yeah. Apologies." The man jerked and mouthed a silent 'What?' as if he didn't know why he just replied.

Lucius smiled and motioned for peace. He emptied the rifle's chamber faster than one could blink and held it in his arms so that the muzzle was pointed away. The man acknowledged the act, but he still gripped onto his knife, albeit with less caution.

"Now that our nerves have been alleviated a bit, I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Lucius Rose, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The man kept a steady eye on the gentleman, watching his every move. "Funny time for introductions, but alright. I'll bite. The name's Colt—Colt Hemingway."

"It is nice to meet you, Mister Hemingway. Now would you kindly explain as to why you've been following me?"

The man known as Colt hesitated, unsure how to properly respond. A scuffle had transpired between the two; but Lucius could see that he didn't truly mean to come to blows. It was a natural response. He had the demeanor of a hunter, as well as one who was being hunted himself.

His fingers twitched incessantly for a weapon, eyes narrowed, and there was a subtle instinct ingrained in his body: ready to flee, to fight, to assess the situation and prioritize survival above all else. After a bit of deliberation, he eventually came to a conclusion.

Victory was impossible.

Colt sheathed his knife and then dropped to his knees, raised his arms, and held them atop his head in a sign of surrender.

"Welp, I know when to throw in the towel," he said. "You don't look like you're gonna gut me alive, at least. I'll take it." Colt then sighed and wrestled with himself, carefully mulling over the right words, before replying, "I didn't mean any harm, really, but you gotta understand that I wasn't… expecting another guy. Not those Frankish sorts, but one from earth, you know? I got curious. Couldn't help it. My momma always said it right: If you stick your nose in where you don't belong, you'll eventually sniff the grave."

The man's tangent was all well and good, but what drew Lucius's curiosity was his odd claim.

"You didn't expect to see another otherworlder?" he asked. "Interesting… I see now why I don't recognize you. Mister Hemingway, you are not a member of the expedition, are you?"

He stared blankly. "Expe-whatsit?"

That gave the gentleman all he needed to know. "It does not concern you. But that begets the question: Where have you been all this time, Mister Hemingway? Do you know of the Peers? The demons? The siege at Roncevaux Fortress?"

Again, the man shook his head and reacted as if Lucius just spoke in a foreign language. "Hell of a lot you're talking about right now, but no. Ain't got a clue."

"How strange. Were you not summoned with the rest of us?"

To that, Colt responded with a nod this time. "That, I remember. Don't like thinking about it though. First this system or whatever kinda godly nonsense kidnaps me to some crazy forest of monsters, and right after I escape, it suddenly tosses me into a fancy castle? Like hell I'd stick around. Got a bad feeling about staying any longer, so I hightailed it outta there as soon as that priest started blabbering about a feast. I left the gates, left town, and situated myself proper right in the heart of the wilderness."

Lucius tilted his head. "You made your home in the beast-infested wilds?"

Colt took a deep breath, and he uttered a pained, regretful sigh. "Yeah, uh, I did. Thought since this was some sort of civilization that the woods would be filled with regular animals, right? Deer, boars, maybe a bear or two if I was unlucky. Turns out there are things far worse out there: lots of fangs, tough hide. Was a nightmare for a month, at least until I got enough levels to finally hold my own."

"How eventful." Lucius hadn't even considered leaving the castle. Why would he do so when there was just so much fun and entertainment to be had whilst mingling amongst so many people? But for others, he could understand.

"Sure was. Honestly, though, it ain't all that bad. Once I got to a town and made a base for myself, I started shopping my services around as a hunter. Used to do it back on earth, so it wasn't too hard. I got by selling pelts, bones, meat. Not so much meat, though: I tried to cook some up myself, but boy do they taste like garbage." He laughed and internally groaned at some not-so pleasant memories. "Lotta folks looked at me funny at first 'cause of my face, but it was easier to sell that I was just ugly instead of some mystical alien from a separate dimension."

"You've built quite the life for yourself, Mister Hemingway. And that is just swell, but… you do know our staying here is not permanent, do you?"

Colt's face darkened, and he scratched his head. "Yeah. Two years, right? Happened while I was in the middle of leaving the city. This screen suddenly popped in front of my face with some nonsense about a Demon King. I figured I'd have to help out eventually, but to be honest I ain't good with groups. I'm a lone wolf, you see? A solo act. Sure I like socializing as much as the next guy, but the call of nature is what's in my heart. I'll join the hunt eventually, but until then I'm going to build up my skills here: seek stronger, bigger, more enticing prey. Only when I've conquered the beasts will I move on to other areas."

>[The Primal Hunter is intrigued by this man and has decided to move over to his channel. The Hunter wishes Lucius well, but the gentleman isn't quite as dedicated to the pursuit of strength as they would like. They donate 200 Cosmic Coins as a parting gift]<

>[Virtual Goddess of the Wired scoffs and says good riddance. They do not understand why there are so many evil-aligned and morally grey Stars in Lucius's channel]<

>[Sinister Interdimensional Bureaucrat blinks and says that there's no need to corrupt what is already black as the void]<

Just as the Stars finish their bickering, a strange feeling washed over Lucius. It was similar to the first time that he felt their descent; only, it wasn't he who was granted audience this time. No, it was Mister Hemingway. The world around them froze, and the bearded man's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at a screen Lucius could not see. Not a brush of wind swept by. Not a sound was made.

Surprisingly, Lucius was fully conscious during this time. He could even move; although, he deigned not to considering there were still a few spectators watching his movements. Best to keep some secrets hidden even if he didn't quite understand the reason himself.

"... Me, your successor?" Colt mumbled. "Can't say I'm not a bit skeptical, considering I just met you. Besides, I don't like the thought of being someone's subordinate. How about this? We'll be partners. You sponsor me, and I help out with your requests—If I agree to it. I ain't doing anything that goes against my morals. If you don't like it, then I'll find another god or whatever you guys call yourselves."

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

He paused and reacted to something, before eventually breaking into a grin. "Then a deal's a deal. Pleasure working with you, Hunter."

With that, the world returned to its normalcy, and Lucius pretended to be none the wiser to the fellow's conversation. "Are you alright, Mister Hemingway? You seemed a bit off for a moment there."

"Hm? Oh, me?" he said, acting nonchalant. "Was thinking about some stuff, that's all."

"It must have been quite important."

"Yeah, I'd say so. And, uh, thanks Lucius. I got something real nice thanks to you. You're a good man—didn't expect trailing you would end up like this. Honestly, I was even prepared to…"

The man quickly shut his mouth and tried to change the topic, but it was no use. Lucius was very interested in what he was about to say.

"Prepared to what, Mister Hemingway?"

Colt scrunched his face, smacking his lips and fiddling with his hands. He cracked his knuckles and, very carefully, spoke to Lucius in a tactful tone, saying, "Don't take this the wrong way, but I have a special something I use to… gauge people. It's a danger sense skill. I normally use it to judge how threatening a monster is, whether or not I can take it down, and usually it sends a small jolt or 'pressure' I feel in my body. But you, Lucius? It's hard to even breathe. I get shivers running in my spine, and though I can see that you don't have any—uh, that you're not an evil man, it's strange. It's as if I'm a helpless piece of prey staring down a predator, or god, or something beyond that. Something terrifying."

He instinctively reached for his knife again, but quickly grabbed his own wrist and stopped himself, sighing. "I couldn't ignore it if I tried. Was it a few hours ago when you entered the city? That's when I felt it: this sense of dread, like I needed to run away as fast as I possibly could. I thought maybe some demon had snuck inside, so I searched around, refilled my ammo, and eventually saw you walking down the street. The rest is history."

Lucius rubbed his chin in thought. Was he really so intimidating a man? It was true that certain people had a presence to them, but the gentleman had taken careful measure to prevent the more 'dazzling' aspects of himself from leaking out.

"I cannot fathom as to why your skill reacts with such dramatism, but I am no demon or monster or anything of the sort: I assure you."

Mister Hemingway still seemed a bit anxious, but he swallowed his nerves and tried to collect himself. "Right. If you were, I would've lost my head a long time ago. Must be something else about you that's triggering it: a skill, or maybe a… sponsor? Hey now, I ain't gonna pry. A man's business is his own. I'm just glad to see another powerful fella among the humans. If the others are like you, then the Demon King's hunt is gonna be nice and simple."

Lucius smiled and reached out his arm for a handshake. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mister Hemingway. I would much enjoy to share a cup of tea with you, wherever our paths cross next."

The man let out a friendly laugh in response and obliged, firmly taking Lucius's hand with a solid grip. "I'll look forward to it."

What a touching display of manliness. Lucius didn't see anything in Mister Hemingway that needed blooming, but he was a pleasant fellow nonetheless. Perhaps in the future he could also serve as a necessary actor for his future performances.

But just as the two were about to break away, something peculiar happened.

Colt turned rigid, and his feet clung heavy to the earth. He seemed confused, then agitated, and finally terrified: besieged by what seemed to be a creeping bout of horror.

"Mister Hemingway? Is something the matter?"

He did not respond; or rather, he could not. His lips trembled, unable to form a single word, and his eyes shook erratically as if desperately seeking a way to escape: to protect himself from whatever fright now consumed him.

Lucius was quite baffled by his demeanor. The gentleman didn't sense anything dangerous in their vicinity, nor did the people walking by a few blocks down react with any alarm. They simply carried on with their day.

It was when Mister Hemingway began to foam at the mouth that Lucius discovered the source of his distress.

It was himself. Lucius was the cause.

>[Congratulations, Player Lucius Rose! You have accomplished an impossible feat! The boss of the Tutorial, the Horned Exile of the Maze, has finally succumbed after a months long struggle against tetanus. It has died. Died! The system is uncertain how to proceed. You were not meant to slay it. But you did. As outlined in the Astral Code of Conduct, rewards must be given. ERROR. ERROR. Complications imminent. An administrator has been contacted, and will soon arrive to resolve the matter]<

The world froze again, only this time it felt more - what's the word - absolute. As if not even the Stars could gaze at him now.

The Horned Exile? Oh, yes. Lucius did recall encountering a fearsome sort by that name not too long ago. So much had happened since then that he didn't particularly care to think back to those times, other than to keep Jack's memory alive, but now that he thought about it… he did, indeed, inflict tetanus after slashing its eyes. That was all, however. Did the realm not disappear after he cleared the so-called game? Apparently not. What that meant implied far too much for him to ponder at the current moment.

>[The Administrator has arrived. Their eyes twitch in exhaustion, and they take a big gulp of Moon Coffee before sighing and asking Lucius just how he's managed to stir up so much trouble. First it was his immeasurable Dark Art stat, then was the commotion with the other Stars, and now this strange situation]<

"You tell me, my friend," Lucius replied. "I had not the foggiest idea that the creatures of the Tutorial even remained after our departure."

>[Each dimension chosen to serve as the setting for the Game has its own history and existence, as well as inhabitants that evolve naturally regardless of the system's interference. The administrators merely save the dimension's data and then replicate it to a separate copy, where they may then use it for the backdrop of the Celestial Competition. However, life created cannot be easily removed. Even if the inhabitants are copies, the administrators, as well as the Stars of other dimensions, do not have the authority to delete these replicated worlds even after it has served its purpose. Whatever remains shall continue in a different, branching timeline]<

"I see. And as a result, the Horned Exile was left with its tetanus-infected body."

>[Your case is a complicated one. The bosses of the Tutorial were never meant to be conquered. Their strength is set to the level of those at the Third Round. The Horned Exile, itself, had six different phases with each one rising in difficulty. It would ordinarily not succumb even to the strongest of players brought into the Game, but various connecting variables have allowed you to prevail. The rusted knife, which should have broken after one use, successfully inflicted tetanus despite its low probability. But even so, most creatures have the immunities and resistances to overcome it. The Horned Exile however was among the only few vulnerable. Its body was composed entirely of muscle and sinew, and thus when inflicted with an ailment that causes muscle contractions… ]<

"Its death was all but guaranteed."

>[That is the problem. You have slain a creature with divinity: a Nova soul, albeit corrupted. It is equivalent to prevailing over a Star Candidate. To achieve such a feat during the first round is very rare. Only a few individuals have ever accomplished it in the history of the Celestial Competition]<

"Oh? That would imply a precedent has already taken place."

>[Indeed. Although assigning rewards now would likely disrupt the balance, you as a Player have every right to claim your spoils. Unfortunately, you will not be able to receive the full compensation due to your limited Ascension, but it will be much larger than anything you have been granted thus far]<

Well, Lucius didn't have any reason to refuse. Strength and power was not something he pursued out of desire; it merely came to him naturally.

"Do carry on, then."

>[Very well. The Administrator is distributing the rewards now…]<

*(NEW!) EXP + 72,000

Lucius Rose has risen from Level 29 to Level 65. You currently have 36 unassigned status points.

*(NEW!) 50,000 Cosmic Coins

*(NEW!) Obtained S-Rank Skill: One in Body and Flesh

*[Rank S] One in Body and Flesh (Passive): You have perfect control over every muscle in your body. You may manipulate every strand, and also bend, concentrate, or tighten the fibers as you wish, but you can neither grow nor reduce your pre-existing mass. Your muscles will also still be affected by strain after prolonged use.

*(NEW!) Passive Title: The One Who Slayed the Divine

The One Who Slayed the Divine: Whilst engaged in combat with an enemy whose level is higher than yours, your stats will be boosted by 20%.

*(NEW!) Unlocked stat: Nova

From now on, in addition to your existing stats, a new value known as 'Nova' will be included in your sheet. The stat will be hidden from those with appraisal skills, and increasing it will raise your Ascension progress, leading you closer to becoming a bright aspect of the heavens: a Star.

>[In slaying the Horned Exile, you will also absorb a small proportion of its gathered Nova. Reaching 100 will advance you to the next stage of your Ascension]<

*(NEW!) 30 Nova points

>[The Administrator groans and cracks their back for a job well done. With this, the last of your rewards has been assigned. They wish you well on the rest of your celestial climb]<

There was quite a lot Lucius had received, but there was one matter he was curious about. "Do pardon me, my friend, but may I inquire as to why my growth skills have not increased in rank?" He initially thought raising his level would naturally lead to greater upgrades, but that appeared not to be the case.

>[In order to increase a skill's rank, you require both the necessary level cap as well as personal experiences: combat being the main factor. If you do not fight, then your skills will not rise, regardless of your current level]<

"Ah, I see then. Well, that'll be all from me. Good tidings to you!"

>[Before the Administrator leaves, they ask if Lucius has any questions about his new Nova stat, or anything about Ascension]<

"No, not particularly. The intent is quite clear."

In fact, Lucius had already put all his free points into his shiny new stat. Now it was at sixty-six! His current physicality was already quite impressive, so he didn't feel the need to improve it at the moment. Ascension, however… now that was a curious term. He wasn't all too far away from reaching the next stage, so why not work toward it and see its effects personally when the time comes?

Now that would be entertaining.

>[The system has now returned. Lucius Rose, please continue with your quest]<

With the Administrator's leave, so did the Stars return, as well as the ordinary world. Lucius quickly suppressed his presence as a pale Mister Hemingway collapsed onto the ground and heaved, struggling to regain his breath.

"Good god, that was terrible," he wheezed, pounding his chest with his fist. "I think I'm alright now. This damn skill must be faulty or something, Jesus Christ…"

"Perhaps so," Lucius replied innocently.

>[Virtual Goddess of the Wired stammers and looks around. Something just interfered with the Stellar Array]<

>[Sinister Interdimensional Bureaucrat says that an administrator must have descended somewhere. Why exactly, they do not know. But it had to have been a grave matter if one of the cosmic overseers was forced to intervene]<

The Stars were evidently ignorant of Lucius's conversation with the Administrator, not that he minded.

Lucius walked up and helped Mister Hemingway up to his feet. "I believe you should go and get some rest, my friend. I have heard tell from some of my companions that one's mental state also affects the usage of their skills. I have no doubt you'll return right as rain after a night of slumber."

Colt nodded and steadied himself with a trembling foot, before taking his rifle back and concealing it under his camo cloak. "I owe you big time, Lucius. You ever need a hunter on your side, give me a shout. Well, whenever you see me next."

"Will do, my good sir. Will do."

With that, Colt wobbled off into the distance, leaving a very satisfied Lucius alone to continue his fancy of wanderlust. There were still some hours left until the expedition's leave; perhaps he should visit a restaurant. Sample the local cuisine.

Come midnight, they would descend into the wilderness once again.

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