Hell Difficulty Tutorial Chapter 812 - A bunch of drunken losers

I stop by Lily, who’s hanging out with Maya. Before joining them, I watch as Izzy carries Noodle over to Dennis, where the two of them quickly get into a quiet conversation.

That earns us a few silly noises from Maya, who is currently busy with her Lesser Evil Orb training.

The way Lily talks about it makes me feel nostalgic for my first proper construct. The 3rd floor Nathaniel was truly something else. Did that jerk not realize how dangerous that was? What a badass.

It also reminds me once again that while I have many constructs, I haven’t been giving them much time, other than the odd improvement every once in a while. Even so, they mess up my body in ways similar to my stat imbalance. They’re just there, constantly running in the background and making so many things simple, like the knock off combination of a trait and a passive.

Maybe one day I will actually fix them. I mean, I probably should do something about them, seeing how many people are predicting my death in five to ten years. I don’t know, these predictions are always changing anyway.

But as I listen to Lily talk about how much she learned from observing Biscuit while working on that special healing mark for Grumpy, I can’t help but see a small connection. It all reminds me of what Ruby once told me, about a kind woman on a forgotten planet who found a certain very special bear. By observing him and his body, and through her own talents, she became one of the most incredible beings in the System. Cinderbear was ancient even before Kindness, then a mere Champion, found him. The question stands, is Biscuit special like that? Is Lily?

Lily waves her hand, bringing my attention back to her as she tilts her head and smiles. “All good?”

“Yup,” I say, pushing the distracting thoughts away.

“Good. I’ll keep a few vials of your blood along with the wyvern’s blood so I can experiment on them. I’m sure I can come up with something cool.”

“I don’t think I’m an adequate host for wyvern blood,” I say.

She agrees. “Nope, you’re not. Noodle seems to be the most compatible, but he’s already absorbing the blood from when he bit the hatchling. There isn’t enough blood to do anything like giving any of you guys a bloodline similar to what some vyssari have, but I think I could probably observe it enough to come up with a way to force your Ichor to bolster itself.”

My interest peaks as I lean closer. Looking into her brown eyes, I ask, “How?”

“I think I can concentrate it a bit further and get a few droplets of really pure wyvern blood. Then we would develop a process and let it into your body. It’ll either hurt a lot and do basically nothing, or force your body to react and fight against it. Your Ichor is also very powerful, even if it’s not comparable to a wyvern bloodline.”

“Not yet, and shouldn’t that be a crazy difficult thing to do?”

“I don’t know? Maybe? I think I can do it, though,” she says and thinks. “Maybe it would work with Izzy too, with her Burning Blood trait, but-”

I interrupt. “But there’s a chance her bond with Noodle changes something once he adapts to it.”

“Yup! So, if there is leftover concentrated wyvern blood, we could sell it, probably for a few million shards. Or keep it for Tess, in case she gets some sort of blood trait at level 400.”

“I don’t think she’ll want it.”

Lily lifts her eyebrows. “Are you sure?”

“Yup. I know her that much.” I lean back and think about it a bit more, though no better ideas occur to me. “Let’s go with your plan for now. Save any blood we don’t use to torture my poor body.”

“I will!”

“And how is Noodle, actually?”

“I healed him quite a bit and helped to ease some of the pain and did some things to aid the changes. I don’t think he’ll develop a wyvern bloodline, but his own will be enhanced. That’s where I got the idea to strengthen your trait.”

“If you think about it, didn't Noodle cost just a few shards back then?” Maya finally asks from the side.

“I think we were quite lucky that Noodle came out the way he is. Dennis spoke to Lootenant and Brainiac, and they’ve heard of people who just got some insects or really weak pets they couldn’t even bond with. They said it’s sort of like a gacha.” Lily says.

“Or maybe we weren’t lucky.” Maya pokes one of her Lesser Evil Orbs. “Nat and Sophie bought it, right? It was probably influenced by that. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was influenced by Biscuit as well, somehow. That corgi and his damn scary primordial energy and whatever achievements this lunatic-”

“Who do you mean?”

“-this lunatic and Sophie had at that point influenced it,” Maya finishes.

“Sure,” I decide not to argue. “But it seems like it’s going to be you, Dennis, Min-Jae, Izzy, and Noodle here alone for a while, and then Dennis might truly go for Beyond.”

“We’ve kind of gotten used to it,” Maya waves it off. “And I’m sure we’ll come up with some sort of rotation. And don’t forget Blackie, though he’ll probably cause more trouble than he helps.”

“You still don’t want to attempt Beyond?” I inquire.

“Not truly. I’ve never been exceedingly ambitious, and what would my little companions here do without my presence? Besides, I can simply train with you all and perhaps, at some later juncture in life, achieve the status of Champion.”

“You absolutely can do it!” Lily interjects swiftly. “You are already quite formidable. I doubt many from Earth could truly stand against you.”

“Indeed,” Maya offers a smile to our delicate healer, “if you believe so. All of you, please exercise caution. You see, initially, I considered five years to be an immense duration. However, the longer we remain within this tutorial, the more I perceive its brevity. All these opportunities and discoveries across the various floors... all the experiences you all are able to obtain in Beyond.”

“To be quite honest,” I state, “I don’t anticipate much remaining for me to accomplish in Beyond after the next few weeks, and I shall be dedicating more time to the tutorial. There will be no need for combat preparation there, nor will I require my frequent presence for crafting. By then, I will have likely explored the majority of interests I hold. I’ll simply participate in an event or a quest on occasion.”

“The most usual Guild Master,” Maya remarks with a chuckle. “The most dutiful, even.”

“Maya, if you ponder it, and consider the nature of the Primordial Lunat— I mean, the Knights—you must concede that I am remarkably sensible.”

I receive an unmerited look from her, yet my sincerity is genuine. While advantages exist within Beyond, they appear to become increasingly scarce. Thanks to the most disregarded floor within the tutorial, the ninth one, I had nearly a full year for such extensive explorations.

Before my departure for Beyond, I approach the collection of items we have amassed, particularly those acquired from the auction house. Among them are a suit of armor, a delicate flower encased in glass within a jelly-like substance, a necklace fashioned from human teeth, a shield, and a substantial quantity of materials. One of these is even a Pristine item, although it consists merely of a type of thread and bone, rendering it not immediately useful. Nevertheless, it should command a good price or be commissioned into crafted items.

My primary fascination lies with a small sphere of water, contained within a diminutive glass vial. It is not an item, as it lacks any descriptive text, and consequently, it is not a material. It brings to mind the remains of the wyvern, which also lacked a description. Therefore, it is likely... something of significance.

A peculiar liquid? Blood of an unusual hue? The saliva of a dragon?

Who can say. Nevertheless, I resolve to take it to the Crimson Forge; perhaps the three mora residing there might possess insight.

Following this, I attend to Maya as she strategizes some duels with Lily. Min-Jae promptly joins us as well, having concluded his studies in the cave's secluded corner. For a period, the four of us engage in a debate concerning two subjects.

We are indeed a group of sharp intellects.

The second, more protracted discussion revolves around the predominant factor influencing one's lifespan.

We reach the consensus that while elements such as passives, active skills, rare fragments, traits, and items play a role, the primary determinant for the majority of individuals is likely the number of body upgrades combined with their Constitution stat. We further concur that Candidate titles, the rank of Champion, and the bond with a Sovereign Spark, thereby becoming an Absolute, likely exert influence as well.

So numerous are the variables that our debate extends to the point of inciting Maya's ire. She commences making sarcastic, aggravated, and impolite jests, suggesting that at this juncture, merely inhaling Kindness's flatulence might grant a few additional years.

As ever, there exist an abundance of exceptions and no single, straightforward answer, yet our human minds persistently strive for simplification. I believe this is our inherent nature, attempting to render matters easily comprehensible, if only to evade the unknown.

Eventually, we formulate a highly approximate calculation: 1 point of Constitution equals 1 year. Min-Jae insists, for reasons unknown but likely stemming from a fondness for the game and a desire to playfully provoke Maya, that it should be 1 point of Constitution equals 0.824 years, much to Maya's visible frustration.

This leads us to the conclusion that Lily would enjoy the longest lifespan among us, given her Constitution score exceeds 1,000. This prompts an interesting comparison with my own, which stands at approximately 100.

Observing the flow of the conversation, Dennis beckons Izzy and Noodle to join our gathering. Sophie returns from Beyond laden with water, spirits, and other provisions, relieving Tess from her guard duty. Even Blackie settles nearby, adopting an air of attentive listening to the discussion.

The bottles of alcohol are opened, and we revisit the same points once more. This time, Sophie opposes our view and aligns herself with Min-Jae. She posits that if one possesses numerous body upgrades, it is plausible for 1 point of Constitution to equate to 1 year. However, if the Potency variation of the Constitution attribute upgrade was selected, it could yield 3 or more years per point of Constitution.

Min-Jae then asserts that being bonded to a Sovereign Spark and achieving Absolute status potentially anchors one's existence to that particular planet, rendering them nearly immortal against all but direct termination.

I strongly reject that notion. Tess and Dennis align with me, concurring that it feels like utter nonsense given our lack of any prior information suggesting such longevity, though we do concede it probably extends one's lifespan considerably.

Maya redirects the discussion towards Lily. For a full hour, we apply all our calculations to determine the lifespan of our petite powerhouse. Midway through, Min-Jae reconsiders, proposing that 0.824 is too generous and suggesting a more likely ratio of 1 Constitution equating to 0.5 years. He supports this by mentioning that he has encountered Champions who have lived for thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of years, with only Absolutes surpassing that age.

Nevertheless, the consensus remains that Lily, owing to her regenerative abilities, will likely live a considerably longer life, even when factoring in these updated calculations.

Towards the conclusion of our conversation, Lily, under the influence of the wine Sophie procured – a high-quality vintage potent enough to intoxicate even individuals with physiques like ours – drunkenly vows to make it nearly impossible for any of us to perish. In her spirited declaration, Lily proclaims she will thrash any member of our group who approaches her centuries from now, weeping that they have grown weary of living and wish for death.

Tess embraces the inebriated healer, tenderly stroking her hair while chuckling, playfully teasing her, and gently pinching her cheek. She explains to us that Lily recently binged a television series featuring several episodes exploring these very themes, indicating it has been occupying her thoughts.

Lily hiccups and nods with grave sincerity. Breaking free from Tess's embrace, she nearly crushes Dennis in a hug, speaking to him and Aaron through his eyes, pledging her assistance and emphasizing repeatedly that they are her friends.

By the tenth reiteration, Dennis, feigning bravery, gently pushes her away and relays a few messages from Aaron, who dismisses us all as a band of 'drunken losers.'

I suspect that if we were to face an attack at this precise moment, we would find ourselves in a dire predicament. Yet, simultaneously, I am confident in my ability to clear my mind and confront the threat, especially with Notdrunkthaniel diligently scanning our surroundings.

For reasons unknown, at some juncture, I find myself engaged in dancing with both Tess and Lily, while Maya commences playing her instrument. Izzy spins some tracks from a speaker I salvaged from Earth. Dennis, who apparently underwent some dance training, gracefully demonstrates a few classical movements to Izzy, before later executing a polished routine with the agile Maya, who exhibits a remarkable aptitude for such activities.

When Blackie decides to join the revelry, the cave nearly succumbs to the shockwaves of kinetic energy; however, no one expresses any displeasure. With a hearty laugh, Tess dances before Sophie's bonded companion, gesturing for him to mimic her steps.

Yet, before I can seize the opportune moment to retreat to my solitary corner, Lily forcibly apprehends me, and there we remain, swaying to the languid cadence of the music and the slurred voices of the half-intoxicated members of group 4.