Kaito Asamura listened to the faint hum of the crystal in the changing meadow of the tutorial map. Nine waves had passed; each victory revealed the cruelty of this world more clearly. The sky was covered in purple and orange clouds, spiral trees buzzed in the distance like a mechanical pulse. Gravity had shifted between the waves; it was light now, making his steps feel like a feather. Kaito's mind worked like he was planning moves on a chessboard. Riku's negligences were endangering the team, but Kaito kept his cool. Survival required intelligence and strategy.
Next to him, Yuna Mizuki scanned the system with her tablet, Daichi Tanaka glared at the crystal with angry eyes, and Riku Sato barked random orders at his towers. Kaito's towers—Iron Claw Grendel (Trash, savage growls, Beowulf knockoff), Shadow Archer Lila (Common, analytical, and calm), Sand Mage Saren (Common, cheerful, and flirty), Steel Shield Tor (Common, autonomous, and silent)—formed a frayed defensive line around the crystal. Yuna's Water Priestess Mira and Wind Healer Aria provided support, while Daichi's Stone Fist Gorr and Flame Blade Vark stood in the front lines. Riku's towers—Bone Warrior Skell, Fire Archer Ember, Stone Golem Grund, Wind Mage Sylph—were scattered and weak.
The system screen flashed:
Wave 10/10. Warp Event Active. Enemy: Desert Dragon.
Target: Protect Crystal. Reward: 100 Crystals, 50 XP.
A warning appeared on Kaito's screen: Warp: All power is being directed at a single enemy. Be prepared. Kaito checked his towers. Grendel's health was at 40%, Tor's shield was full of nicks, Lila and Saren were tired. His Trash Cloth Armor (Defense +5) was worn, his Rusty Sword (Attack +3) was dull. Yuna gripped her tablet with shaking hands. "This is… going to be very powerful, right?" Daichi gripped his sword tightly, "No matter what comes, it'll be crushed." Riku chuckled, waving his sword in the air. "Epic boss fight! Let's break out the VR!"
Kaito glared at Riku. "This isn't a game. Be serious, or you'll die." Riku shrugged, but a flicker of hesitation appeared in his eyes. Kaito turned to his towers. Lila drew her bow, her gray eyes scanning the path. "Last wave, Varis. What's your strategy?" Saren chuckled as he played with the grains of sand. "Hey, boss, let's blow this monster up and then celebrate, huh?" Grendel growled, and Tor silently raised his shield.
The map went dark with a sandstorm. Gravity dropped to zero; the grains of sand sparkled like floating crystals. The grassland turned into a desert covered in obsidian flakes, the spiral trees quivered with flames. At the end of the path, a giant silhouette appeared. The Desert Dragon, twenty meters long, its scales glowing like night. Its eyes were fiery red, its tail cracked like a whip. Flames spurted from its mouth, melting the grains of sand. Its roar shook bones.
Kaito's heart raced, but his mind was clear. "Everyone in position! Lila, target the eyes! Saren, focus the storm on the tail! Yuna, keep the heals ready! Daichi, advance Gorr!" The heirs drew their swords, but their hands shook. Kaito swung his rusty sword, but his movements were clumsy. He didn't know how to use a sword; where would someone who analyzed data in an office learn how to dance with one? Yuna held her sword incorrectly, Daichi dropped his sword on the ground, and Riku swung his sword like a club. Reality slapped them in the face.
The dragon advanced along the path, shaking the ground with each step. Kaito directed his towers. Lila drew her bow, shadow arrows flying at the dragon's eyes. The arrows hit the scales and broke, but one hit its right eye. The dragon roared, breathing fire. Lila glided up onto a mound, "The scales are tough, but the eyes are weak!" she said, her voice calm but tense.
Saren raised his hands. "Let's bury this giant in the sand!" The sandstorm hit the tail like a tornado, scratching the scales, but the dragon didn't shake. Grendel lunged forward, growling, his claws digging into the dragon's leg. The scales cracked, but the tail slash knocked Grendel away. The monster sank into the sand, its growls weakening. Tor raised his shield, the flames melting it. Tor held his position with robotic movements, but his shield collapsed.
Kaito held his sword tightly, but his hands were sweaty. "We must attack!" The heirs ran to the towers. Kaito swung his sword at the dragon's leg, but the rusty sword hit the scales and shook. His arms ached, he could barely keep his balance. Yuna swung her sword like a demon, but her movements were clumsy, the sword cutting through the air. "T-that's too heavy!" she shouted. Daichi grabbed his sword with both hands, brought it down like an axe, but the scales only nicked. "Damn!" Riku swung his sword haphazardly, "Go ahead and die, boss!" he shouted, but the dragon didn't even notice him.
The dragon opened its mouth, sand flames engulfing the path. Kaito glided onto a mound, but the flames scorched his armor. Yuna was held up by Mira's healing, but her cloth armor was torn. Daichi was supported by Gorr's fists, but his sword was useless. Riku's towers melted in the flames. Skell stabbed the dragon with his spear,
but the flames reduced him to ashes. Ember muttered, "Target…missing!" and burned. Grund was crushed, growling. Sylph raised his air shield, but the flames pierced through it. "This Heir is an idiot!" Sylph shouted with his last breath.
Riku swung his sword at the dragon's claw. "Come on, drop epic loot!" The claw threw Riku into the air. Kaito shouted, "Riku, fall back!" But Riku cackled as he soared through the air. "This is just a game—" The dragon opened its mouth, and the flames engulfed Riku. His scream tore through his ears, and his body fell to the sand in a pile of ash. His eyes, frozen in fear and regret, shone for a final moment, then faded. The sand was red with blood.
Yuna screamed, and her tablet fell to the ground. Daichi gripped his sword tightly, his eyes wide. Kaito's heart clenched, but his mind did not stop. "Don't panic!" The dragon turned toward the crystal, its health dropping to 60%. Kaito scanned the area. Sandstorm, spiral trees, zero gravity… A plan took shape.
"Lila, fire arrows at the trees! Saren, direct the storm at the trees!" Lila raised her eyebrows, but drew her bow. "Understood." Her arrows hit the spiral trees, the trees whizzing and cracking. Saren sent his storm into the trees, the sand falling down the trees. The fallen trees blocked the dragon's path, its tail caught in the trees. The dragon struggled, roaring.
Kaito shouted to Yuna, "Mira to Grendel, Aria to Tor!" Yuna led the healers with shaking hands. Mira pulled Grendel to his feet, "Hold on, please!" Aria repaired Tor's shield. She turned to Daichi, "Drive Gorr into the trees, pin down the dragon!" Daichi sent Gorr and Vark into the trees, fists and the flame sword cracking the dragon's scales.
Kaito drew his sword, gliding into the dragon's wounded eye. The rusty sword pierced the eye, the dragon roared, flames erupted. Kaito fell to the sand, his armor burned, his arms shaking. But the trap worked. The dragon was pinned in the trees, unable to move. Lila shouted, "Shadow Storm!" as a rain of arrows pierced the dragon's wounds. Saren focused his storm on the scales, sand grains widening the cracks. Grendel snarled and leapt for the dragon's neck, his claws tearing flesh.
Kaito made one final move. "Everyone, retreat to the crystal!" The Varis and the towers gathered around the crystal. The dragon broke free of the trees, but it was weakened. Kaito signaled to Saren, "Storm to the crystal!" Saren synchronized his storm with the whirring of the crystal, the grains of sand surrounding it like a shield. The dragon let out a final blast of flame, but the shield deflected the flames. Lila drove her final arrows into the dragon's neck. The dragon collapsed with a roar, its scales buried in the sand.
The screen flashed:
Congratulations! Tutorial Completed. Reward: 100 Crystals, 50 XP.
Note: Heir Riku Sato has died. Remaining Heirs: Kaito Asamura, Yuna Mizuki, Daichi Tanaka.
You are being teleported to the Main Lobby.
A purple light engulfed the three of them. Kaito took one last look at Riku's corpse, reduced to ashes. Shock shook his mind, but his resolve prevailed. This world knew no mercy.