NOVEL NEXT 103. Hug and Applause
"Sure," Shen said. "What is this about?"
He was facing the leaders of all age groups—well, the ones he hadn't killed—and everyone else was grouping behind them. They were 847 people in total.
"Some of us want to ask to join your group, family, clan, whatever it is again, me included," Marzia said. Schneider cleared his throat, and she rolled her eyes. "But we all want to thank you. We... Not everyone likes you or how... forceful you were on certain things. Some even resent the group fight before being allowed to fight the boss. But we have to admit we couldn't defeat the golem without you."
Shen nodded, and the strategy of War let him guess what was coming next. Some people were undoubtedly downright pissed at him, yet they were behaving. They wanted something from him.
"We also want to... uh... ask if you could teach us a little more about Concepts and Paths and stuff like that."
He smiled; he had expected just that. "Yes," he said. "Whoever wants to join me, come forward and give me your contact information. I'll call you when I get access to a smartphone. Otherwise, I'll probably be heading to New York City, and you might be able to find me there."
About fifty people came forward, half of whom were Pioneers, none Americans. Shen memorized their numbers, addresses, and even their virtual addresses—Alicia and Sai also gave him theirs—then started the lesson.
"Alright," he said with his Lion's Roar. "Let me tell you about Concepts and Paths."
He told them everything he knew, hiding nothing. These people would help protect Earth, even if they had an agenda. They also hadn't betrayed anyone in the final fight, or at least he hadn't detected it. Considering they had been under the character boost compulsion, their honor spoke volumes of them, as it might have boosted something much worse instead if they had it inside them.
A troubling possibility was that the system had boosted their fear of going against him rather than anything like honor, yet the worst was that they were sneaky enough to pretend not to be so. He had no way to check, so he could only hope for the best.
The lesson took all the time he had left as he answered questions and elaborated his thoughts and feelings. He felt like an experienced cultivator exposing the Truth to his juniors. He liked that feeling very much. Some people even just outright sat down and meditated while he talked.
When ten minutes were left to the end of the tutorial, a countdown appeared on the top of everyone's vision. It broke most people's concentration, who started bidding each other farewell. Shen continued talking to the ones who insisted on listening until was one minute left, then he concluded it the best way he knew.
"The most important thing I was ever taught," he said, "that kept me going through many adversities, especially related to my Path, was this:
"Accept what you have, do the best with it, and move forth. Regret your bad decisions but don't dwell on them. Seek the best but don't envy what you don't have or can't achieve. Never compromise your morals for anything. Acceptance, purpose, and honor are the keys to a fulfilling life. A Path without any one of them leads only to ruin."
He nodded to the people still listening, and someone started clapping. It was very awkward because a few followed, but most just looked embarrassed to the side. Shen smiled, said a polite thanks, and turned to Alicia—
She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
"Please come find me," she whispered, and he heard the tears in her voice. "Please don't leave me. Not you. Please."
Shen just stood shocked for a moment. That went against everything he believed about physical contact between men and women. But just this once, instead of feeling offended or harassed, he accepted it for what he was: a vulnerable friend seeking comfort.
So with great difficulty, he slowly returned the hug.
"You're my friend," he said back. "I'll see you on the other side."
It was supposed to be an emotional moment, but instead of teleporting them away when the countdown hit zero, the system sent new messages.
Tutorial - Maiden
All races of the Multiverse Alliance have two beings carrying one racial Title each.
Racial Titles aren't as rare as most Titles, yet they still define their holder's identities and carry great significance.
One of them is the Maiden.
The Multiverse Alliance was only established because the Primordial Maiden helped our predecessors. Without her, we wouldn't exist.
Therefore, we honor her by having an extraordinary female in any race hold this Title.
Races without females must pledge their case to the court of law to seek an exception. Races that do have females cannot have a non-female hold the Title.
The Maiden is considered a political position by most. She will represent humanity at certain official events and acquire the same privileges as a B-rank for any purpose regardless of her rank. For a newly integrated race like yours, that will remain relevant for a long while.
The Title is almost always decided by casting a vote among all the highest-ranked beings of race. The exception is when a race completes the Pioneer Tutorial.
All of you must vote.
You have one minute to choose your Maiden.
That was too sudden. Many people immediately looked at Shen, then their eyes turned to Alicia, whom he was hugging. He flushed, realizing how public that demonstration of affection was.
Alicia froze for an instant before turning, looking around, and pointing at someone else.
"I can't do politics for shit," she said. "I vote for Sandra."
A board appeared on the right side of Shen's vision.
| Votes for Human Maiden:
| Alexandra King — 1
Shen didn't blame Alicia for not wanting the Title. Politics wasn't for everyone. He had minimal contact with other people, so he shrugged as everyone looked at him. He wouldn't vote for a woman he didn't like, but he wouldn't push the responsibility on Alicia either.
His nonchalance opened a damn. People talked, argued, screamed, and made promises.
In the end, to Shen's enormous surprise, it was the fifteen-year-old Marzia who won. Everyone was considered to have hidden agendas and untrustworthy, and she was the most apolitical choice. He had the impression that they also took her as the easiest to manipulate.
Shen, however, noticed she had a lot of allies. She was a sneaky one, that girl, though he strangely didn't feel anything deceitful from her. In fact, it was almost as if she had nothing but goodwill towards him. She even winked at him with a beaming smile as she won the competition.
"Inspect," he said after the system confirmed her as the new Human Maiden.
| Marzia Martino, the Human Maiden
| Pioneer
He Inspected the Title next.
Title: Human Maiden
The Maiden of the human race.
Traits:
- Race representative status
- B-rank privileges
- +50% AP gain when not fighting
- -50% AP gain when fighting
It was bizarre for the Alliance to ask them to decide something so seemingly critical in so little time. It was even weirder to make it harder for her to gain AP from fights after this Pioneer Tutorial focused so much on that.
Something was going on, but it wasn't his problem. It was the Maiden's. He smiled back at her.
"Good luck," he said, tunning the Lion's Roar down just enough to be heard over the commemorations and some discussions still going on. His voice had the immediate effect of shutting everybody up.
She beamed at him. "Thank you!" she said happily. "I still want to join your team! Call me!"
Tutorial - Crafting and Research AP
The Guardian Store is always looking for more items to sell. If you can produce any item of good enough quality, you can sell them to the Guardian System for 10% of the store price.
Research that advances the Alliance technology is also rewarded on an individual basis. Contact the Guardian System when you think you can contribute.
If you want more information on either, you can choose to enter the regular tutorial once this one is over.
Marzia winked. "I guess I know where I'm going."
Her voice sounded tired, but Shen still couldn't shake the impression that that was precisely what she wanted.
Tutorial - Rising Star
The racial Title is the Rising Star.
The Rising Star is meant to rise. It receives incentives to grow stronger faster. It's not as good as the advantages you received in the Pioneer Tutorial, but it's still good enough to cause many wars in some races.
The Title is almost always decided by having the system pick the most remarkable talent of a race. The exception is when a race completes the Pioneer Tutorial.
Whoever achieved the highest contribution points against the final boss will become the new Rising Star.
Title acquired: Human Rising Star
The Rising Star of the human race.
Traits:
- Race representative status
- +10% learning ability score
- -10% AP cost to purchases through the Guardian System
- +25% AP gain
- +100% AP cost when gifting Guardian Store items to others
Shen felt his mind getting even better at making connections as his learning ability improved once more. He liked that Title already, even if for all practical purposes, he couldn't buy anything for his followers any longer. Not using AP, at least.
Tutorial - Racial Titles
Both racial Titles will remain with each being until they die or reach B-rank.
The Titles can get sanctioned if at least 75% of the race's B-ranks, including the Maiden, choose to do so.
Sanctioned Titles will not be removed, but they stop being visible and will not provide any bonuses until they are restored.
The Titles can get restored if at least 50% of the race's B-ranks, including the Maiden, choose to do so.
If any holder of a racial Title reaches B-rank, a new holder is selected, and the B-rank gains the Former Maiden or Former Rising Star Achievement, which keeps some of the Title's traits and removes others.
The racial Titles were great, yet bearing them required the power to protect oneself.
Shen mostly didn't like that, but he had to admit that part of him welcomed the challenge.
Tutorial - Mana
In this tutorial, you didn't need to use your personal mana reserves, yet you undoubtedly saw the mana potions and crystals available at the Guardian Store.
Mana will not be an issue for you most of the time, but it might in some places, especially in the front lines or in Void invasions.
Be sure to carry some mana recovery consumables to fight the Void.
That message was useless to him, but some people bought some mana items, Alicia included.
Tutorial - Conclusion
You are the top Guardians of Earth.
In one local month, Earth will enter a new phase of the integration process. The new phase will include political shifts, rifts deployment, and teleportation circles.
Until then, we suggest you take the time to come to terms with what you have become and what awaits you going forward.
We hope to see humanity become new champions against the Void.
You'll be returned to where you were when you joined the tutorial. Your items will be teleported with you.
| Initiating teleportation in 10 seconds
Shen and Alicia looked at each other. She flushed. "Now I feel like an idiot for wasting a perfect hug at the wrong time."
| 5...
Shen laughed, then widened his eyes when he realized he had over twenty-eight thousand AP left to spend at a 90% discount.
It seemed learning ability gave him a lot of connections between memories and everything, but it still didn't make him immune to forgetting something now and then.
As he had concluded time and time again, he wasn't perfect.
| 4...
He had no idea what the future held in store for him, but he knew it would definitely not be easy. He also knew he had the best weapon and armor available in the store.
Buying stuff to gift others would be a waste of AP, so there was only one good choice on what to purchase, really.
| 3...
"Buy twenty-five healing crystals and seven minor healing potions," he said.
| 2...
He spent 28,500 AP on those, and everything appeared floating before him. The system had said all items would be teleported with them, but it might be a lie, right?
So he used his agility to the utmost to grab everything into an awkward carry with his arms, just to be extra safe.
| 1...
Alicia chuckled. Shen smiled at her.
Then light surrounded them all and took them back to Earth.