Chương 119: Interlude: Birth of a Monster

Dusk was about to settle over Camp Persistence. Rays of orange and gold stretched across the camp as Richard leisurely strolled past rows of ramshackle huts, observing the camp as it hummed with its familiar evening activities. Richard smiled. These people were nothing if not diligent. Every task had been completed exactly as he had instructed. Watch rotations were already changing along the walls. Hunters returned with their catches. Gatherers organized their forages. It was remarkable how far they'd come.

When they first arrived, these people were no different than the monsters beyond the walls. They were desperate for a leader. Now, every person had their role. Every person contributed to the camp's survival. Richard couldn't help but admire the fruits nearly ready to harvest. Without him, Camp Persistence would never have survived. People in this Tutorial needed direction. They needed a leader. They needed the comforting lie that hard work and collaboration would get them through the Tutorial alive.

And why wouldn't they follow him? His words had a way of slipping past their doubts. His ideas settled comfortably inside their minds. A suggestion here. A carefully placed compliment there. Of course the skill he received from the System helped, but most were already eager to believe whatever he told them. Anticipation stirred within him. Tonight. My harvest begins tonight. He almost salivated at the thought. Everything he had done since entering this Tutorial had led him up to this night.

His eyes drifted to the wooden palisade surrounding Camp Persistence. People often mistook walls for protection, but Richard knew better. To them, Camp Persistence represented safety from the monsters outside. They had no idea that the sanctuary they built had slowly become their cage. His smile never faltered. He made sure of that. Several survivors waved in passing.

"Evening, Richard!" He returned the greeting with a warm nod. The harvest wasn't personal. These people simply had something he wanted. Experience. The System rewarded strength, not kindness. Richard merely understood the rules better than everyone else. As he continued his stroll through the camp, his thoughts drifted back to the first day of the Tutorial. He had been given a System Core and dropped from the sky just like everyone else. Only he was alongside four complete strangers. Three men and a woman.

Unlike him, the four already knew one another. Friends from before the System. One of the men had even been dating the woman for nearly three years, if Richard remembered correctly. He had been the outsider at first, but his [Silver Tongue] soon made them all believe they were all good friends. Thanks to this skill, an ordinary conversation would lay the seeds of his influence. And once those seeds sprouted, his influence became compliance, and compliance became obedience. It was fascinating.

The boyfriend never noticed how often Richard subtly praised the other two men while quietly planting resentment between them. A passing comment here. An innocent observation there. Nothing overt of course. Nothing anyone could point out directly. Just enough to encourage thoughts he knew had already existed beneath the surface. Jealousy. Richard hadn't created those feelings. He had merely watered them and by only the second night, they had blossomed beautifully.

While the couple slept, the other two men quietly drew their knives. Two throats opened before either victim had a chance to wake. Richard didn't even have to lift a finger. He simply watched as the two men killed their own friends. That was the moment he truly began to appreciate the System and its gifts. The experience that flooded into him had been staggering.

Even receiving only a fraction of it as the mastermind behind the killings had granted him more experience than the pathetic skinks they had killed earlier that day. The deaths of the couple had also taught him that his skill had its limits. Influencing someone wasn't as simple as issuing commands. That would have been too obvious. Instead, it was like guiding the flow of a river. His words nudged people's thoughts ever so slightly until they began believing those thoughts had been their own all along.

It was elegant, and naturally, he wanted to see just how far he could push it. But it wasn't until the following evening that the three of them stumbled upon another group of survivors. A large group with only a lone guard standing watch. The others slept peacefully inside an earthen hut. Richard immediately saw another opportunity. More people meant more experience. He whispered the suggestion. Eliminate the guard, quickly and quietly. His men hesitated for a moment.

But fortunately, through his [Silver Tongue], it only took a few more words to whip his puppets into another state of bloodlust. Richard remained hidden among the trees as they crept toward the campsite. Why expose himself when expendable tools were readily available? Unfortunately, those tools proved rather disappointing. The guard reacted as soon as he spotted the men. Richard felt powerful magic erupt across the clearing. Before he knew it his men had vanished.

Richard quietly backed deeper into the trees before anyone thought to search the surrounding swamp. He hid for the remainder of the night. Wandering cautiously while avoiding monsters. Around sunrise he heard the sounds of axes striking wood and curiosity drew him closer. What he saw made his heart leap. Nestled in a clearing on a patch of relatively dry ground, stood a fledgling settlement. A crudely carved sign rested nearby. Camp Persistence. Richard smiled at that, he rather liked the name.

He quickly talked his way into their little group. Their trust was so easy to earn. He soon realized they had no real leader. Several people shared responsibilities, but nobody possessed the desire to truly take command. Decisions were discussed as a group rather than made by one person. Pathetic. Richard worked his magic and within days they nearly unanimously appointed him as their leader. As Camp Persistence expanded, so did Richard's own power.

His level climbed steadily despite rarely venturing beyond the established camp. He directed construction projects, organized hunting parties, and resolved disputes before they escalated. The System even rewarded his effective leadership just as it rewarded combat, with experience. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. His skills grew alongside him. His [Silver Tongue] became sharper and its influence ran deeper.

What once required a carefully worded conversation, now required little more than a few well-chosen sentences. No one challenged his authority and that was when the System acknowledged what everyone else already knew. He had officially become the leader of Camp Persistence. With that recognition came an even greater reward. System-enforced contracts. Richard had laughed aloud when he first read the notification.

The System had transformed concepts such as trust and loyalty into chains he could use to bind those foolish enough to sign a contract he made. Of course, he didn't have to sign it himself. Why would he willingly restrict himself with vague clauses and inconvenient obligations? No, he had drafted the contract, explained its necessity, and watched as every frightened survivor eagerly bound themselves to it. For a time, everything progressed exactly as Richard envisioned.

His influence continued to grow, Camp Persistence flourished, and the System rewarded his leadership. But eventually the steady stream of experience slowed to a crawl. Directing others no longer granted meaningful gains, and leveling became increasingly difficult. But Richard wasn't discouraged. By diminishing the experience granted for leadership, the System had made one thing abundantly clear.

If he wanted to keep leveling and become truly powerful, he would have to go back to what had brought him so much experience in the beginning. Darkness now settled over Camp Persistence. Only embers remained in the firepits, and one-by-one, the survivors disappeared into their hovels for the night. Second shift guards paced atop the palisade. Their torches held high as they scanned the surrounding swamp for threats.

Earlier, he had instructed the second-shift guards to ignore any unusual noises coming from within the camp that night. There would be a late-night training exercise and he didn't want anyone abandoning their posts over a few screams or the sounds of battle. Every guard had accepted the explanation without hesitation. [Silver Tongue] truly was a remarkable skill. He tread softly against the packed dirt as he left the central camp and wandered toward one of the newest huts built far from the palisade.

He stopped before the crude wooden door and politely knocked three times. The sound echoed softly through the still night. A moment later, he heard the scrape of a wooden chair across the floor. Richard's placid smile widened.

"Sasesh," he called through the door.

"I trust you're still awake." Silence. Richard chuckled.

"I certainly hope so. For tonight is the night." The latch clicked. The wooden hinges creaked. The door swung inward and moonlight spilled into the dark interior. A hooded figure sat in a chair just inside the hovel.

"Excellent," Richard said as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"I'm pleased you've decided to stand on the right side of what comes next." His mana flowed effortlessly through his channels as [Silver Tongue] intertwined within every word.

"You've always struck me as a practical man. Helping me tonight will prove beneficial beyond anything you can imagine." The seated figure remained perfectly still.

"I assure you, once everything is over, you'll understand why this was—" The twang of a bowstring cut him off and an arrow slammed into his shoulder. Stabbing pain exploded through his arm and the impact lifted him off his feet, throwing him backward onto the packed dirt outside. Richard cried out in shock as hot blood soaked through his shirt.

"What—" His vision swam. How? He jerked his head upward just as the cloaked figure lunged through the doorway. Steel flashed beneath the moon's light. A dagger. Richard's eyes widened. That wasn't Sasesh. The hood shifted as the figure lunged forward. It was Kyle, the crippled man Sasesh had brought with him. Richard's mind raced. That was impossible. Kyle was restrained in the healer's hut, bedridden as he recovered from his injuries. The man had barely been conscious most days. How in the hell was he here?

And how did my words not affect him? Kyle closed the remaining distance, dagger aimed directly at Richard's gut. Only then did Richard notice the wads of cloth stuffed inside the man's ears. Earplugs. Richard rolled to the side as the dagger plunged down. The blade bit into the dirt where he had been a heartbeat earlier. Pain lanced through his shoulder as the arrow shaft snapped against the ground. Blood streamed from the wound.

He frantically scrambled away as Kyle wrenched the dagger free, readying himself for another strike. How did Kyle attack me and not receive any backlash? The contract… The realization struck him harder than the arrow had. When Sasesh's group had first arrived, Kyle had been rushed directly to the healers. He had never signed the contract that Richard had required of everyone else. The archer had been overlooked. Forgotten. Richard's smile vanished completely. How had he forgotten about the cripple?

And where was Sasesh? Had they planned this together? Or was Kyle a lone assassin? He forced himself back onto his feet and ignored the blood gushing down his arm. The surprise lasted only a moment more as he regained his composure and forced his familiar smile back onto his face.

"I have to admit, if you weren't so incompetent you might have actually killed me," Richard said calmly. Kyle tried to lunge again but Richard easily sidestepped the one-legged man.

"Perhaps this is for the best. I've only had the opportunity to test my newest skill on monsters. It'll be interesting to see how well it performs against a human." Mana surged through Richard's channels and the shadow beneath Kyle's remaining foot rippled. Kyle's eyes flicked to the ground just as the darkness beneath grew. His shadow peeled itself away from the earth like thick, black tar. Long, spindly limbs clawed their way free. A bulbous torso that undulated as though filled with liquid pitch followed.

The horrific creature's slick surface shimmered in the moonlight. Twin glowing red eyes split open across its featureless head as a jagged maw lined with needle-like teeth stretched into an impossibly wide grin. Kyle slashed down with his dagger, slamming the blade deep into the creature's tar-like flesh. Thick black ooze slowly enveloped the steel, clinging to it like creeping tar. The creature lunged, slamming its full weight into Kyle's chest. The one-legged man crashed to the ground with a grunt.

The abomination of shadow didn't give him time to recover as its jaws snapped shut around Kyle's forearm. A scream tore from his throat and Richard couldn't suppress the laugh bubbling up from his chest.

"There it is." Kyle twisted violently beneath the creature, driving his elbow into its head before finally freeing the dagger. Each slash carved through the tar-like flesh, only for the black substance to slowly flow back together as though knitting itself closed. The creature didn't seem to care. It simply continued tearing at Kyle's arm with relentless hunger. Richard strolled toward the struggling pair, his placid smile returning in full.

"I must thank you, Kyle." The archer ignored him, desperately slashing at the creature with one hand while trying to force its jaws apart with the other.

"You've provided me with an excellent opportunity to test my newest skill." Kyle growled through gritted teeth as he drove his dagger into the creature's neck only for the wound to seal itself off. Richard stopped only a few paces away.

"I'll admit..." he said thoughtfully.

"I was rather surprised when you shot me. That was well played." Kyle finally looked up and Richard could see the hatred burning in his eyes. Richard merely smiled wider.

"But you should have gone for the head." The shadow creature abruptly released Kyle's arm before sinking its teeth deep into his chest. Another scream echoed across the camp. Richard sighed dramatically.

"You should feel honored. You are the first lamb of many to be slaughtered tonight." Kyle lifted his remaining leg and stomped three times in rapid succession. The ground below trembled and Richard instinctively jumped backward just as the earth beneath Kyle split apart. A dark pit yawned open. Kyle and the shadow creature dropped together into the darkness before Richard could react. Less than a heartbeat later the earth slammed shut again. Silence returned to the camp.

Richard stared at the ground and for the second time that night, genuine surprise cracked his composure.

"... Earth magic." His eyes narrowed.

"Sasesh." There wasn't another earth mage in Camp Persistence. This had to be his doing. But how? Sasesh's Willpower had never been particularly impressive. Richard remembered checking it himself weeks ago. His own Intelligence vastly exceeded the earth mage's Willpower. The man should have been putty in his hands. So how had he broken free? Had someone warned him? But who could have figured out his [Silver Tongue]? Richard's smile faded for only a moment before returning once more.

"No matter." He straightened his jacket with his good hand, wincing as pain shot through him. Kyle had escaped for now. Perhaps Sasesh had as well. But they had to come up for air sometime. Besides, the rest of that little party was bound to be within Camp Persistence still. Richard still had more than enough mana to summon additional shadow beasts. One earth mage couldn't protect an entire camp. Especially not while it slept. His smile widened into something predatory. His harvest was only just beginning.