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Tanya von DegurechaffThea MarshallZac

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Published:2026-07-30Updated:2026-10-04Words:219,820Chapters:47/?Comments:420Kudos:423Bookmarks:87Hits:16,515

Tanya's Defiance of the Fall

Failninjaninja

Summary:

Tanya Crossover with Defiance of the Fall (LitRPG series)

Notes:

I've taken a few liberties with the 'Tutorial Pixies' but since that stuff is explained second hand, I'm not too concerned. Felt it added a bit of personality to the info dump. One of the things some in-character dialogue has is reference to the System sometimes experimenting, which means when things don't totally line 1:1 with Zak or other character's experiences, I still view it as plausibly being within the realm of canon based on that.

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Chapter 1

[Initiating System…]

[Welcome to the Multiverse.]

The voice echoed in my head. What the actual hell was going on? I was on my third life after my disastrous assassination mission. This life was by far my favorite. Being reborn in America, in Chicago itself, home to one of the great institutions of economic theory, was a dream come true. Even better, my future knowledge of what companies would strike it big had allowed my family to become comfortably wealthy.

[Planet Earth scanning complete. Low F-grade mass, ungraded energy.]

[Adjusting…]

At nineteen, I was already a graduate of university and planning an enjoyable life of academic ease as I worked on my thesis. My parents had supported me, and had actually listened to my stock tips! My sister was two years younger than I was, and while she had been at times an annoying brat, she had grown on me. Best of all, Being X had not appeared even once!

Naturally, when I started hearing voices in my head about a Multiverse, I was sure it was that charlatan. Seeing me enjoy my third life

[Due to insufficient energy and size, planet Earth will be merged with additional planets drafted for initiation. New values: Low D-grade mass, low D-grade energy. Topography readjusted. Spawn points randomized by cohorts. Wildlife upgrade due to insufficient challenge. Link to the Multiverse System activated.]

The world around me just blinked out and when it returned, I was somewhere else. My first instinct was to prepare for an attack, but it seemed like I had been teleported with other equally clueless people who looked around. To my shock, I saw that there were now two suns in the sky. The temperature was comfortable, which made me immediately suspicious as to what lazy bullshit Being X was pulling. I had already graduated with an advanced degree, and the possible configurations that could allow for this sort of temperature with two stars in a system bordered on the fanciful.

Strange, these buildings look more old-fashioned than modern. And cobblestone, really?

Before I could begin looking to find members of my family, a tiny figure materialized within three feet of my face.

The creature was about the size of a pigeon. It had translucent wings and left faint trails when it moved. Well, when they moved. Apparently everyone got their own personal fairy. It was humanoid and reminded me of a more colorful version of Tinkerbell from the children's cartoon.

"Hello there, new arrival," the voice said while looking me up and down. "You seem to be taking this well. I'm Lily, your official Tutorial Guide for the next thirty days. Welcome to the Multiverse Integration Tutorial!"

"This has to be a joke."

The fairy bobbed up and down. "Many races feel like they are dreaming. Or that they are going mad. Some try to harm themselves. That you aren't doing any of that means you really are special." Her body pulsed with light. "Oh my, you are actually The Chosen of the Skies! A title with great promise!"

I blinked. This was a bit surreal. Being X ruining my perfectly good third life with this sort of nonsense made sense, but I hadn't been killed. And why were other people participating? This whole situation did not seem like his style.

Or maybe that is what he wants me to think.

Before I could say anything in response, the fairy began to vibrate and flash in several colors.

"What's this? You already have more titles? How strange for a baseline F race…"

"Start from the beginning. What is…" I waved my hand around, "all this? Why are there two suns? Who teleported all of us here and why?"

The fairy stopped its strobe light effect and began what sounded like a pre-planned spiel.

"Very well, Chosen. I am Lily, your assigned Guide. You have been brought to the Multiverse Integration Tutorial because your planet, Earth, has been deemed ready for ascension into the greater cosmos. The System has merged your world with others to provide sufficient energy and challenge. That is why you see two suns now."

They merged star systems?

I decided to let her finish her speech before interrupting with more questions.

Lily gestured grandly at the plaza full of confused humans.

"You are the lucky ones. The Chosen of Earth. Most species never receive this opportunity. Over the next thirty days you will be tested and given the tools to rise. Those who perform well will bring glory to humanity. Those who fail… well, the weak have never survived integration."

She had paused, so I figured it was time to get to the heart of it.

"The System? Does it go by a different name? Such as Being X?"

"It goes by many names, but I have not heard of it being referred to as Being X. The Cosmic System. The Ruthless Heavens. The Limitless System. The Throne of Heaven. Most just refer to it as the System. But whatever you choose to call it, just remember it chose you!"

"Why? What is the reason for this? You said that the weak will not survive integration. What could justify such a colossal waste of human resources?"

"The System gains strong cultivators. The multiverse is a dangerous place, Human. Weak races are devoured. Strong ones expand. You are being given a chance to become the latter." She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to an amused whisper, "Most of your kind will die in the coming weeks. The weak always do. But you… you might actually be interesting. So pay attention."

If this was a plot by Being X then it was so convoluted that I had no easy way to determine how to best obstruct him. I knew that beyond the human understanding of science, there existed entities, devils in the case of Being X, that were beyond our understanding. I always knew he wasn't omniscient or omnipotent, else why would he complain about how difficult his job was? Why get so irrationally angry at my thoughts? There was a real possibility, especially with this talk of a Multiverse and the casual power to merge worlds that what was happening was something Being X had never intended.

I've seen neither hide nor hair of him since starting this life… I'll keep my guard up, but let's see what this creature has to say.

"I'm all ears. I would prefer to live, but you are also using terms and phrases I don't quite understand. How does the System benefit from cultivators? You are using that term in a way that is different from the standard definition of farming."

The fairy laughed. "Oh, you are a smart one, aren't you?"

I didn't like her tone, but waited for her to continue.

Seeing that I wasn't reacting the fairy explained.

"Cultivation is the process of drawing Cosmic Energy into your body through meditation and refining your body, typically with the help of a manual. You'll be given an F-grade manual and I'll teach you how to do that when I finish explaining things."

The fairy paused, then continued in a slightly more serious tone.

"The System exists to expand the multiverse. It trains strong cultivators because strong worlds push outward, claim new territory, and spread the System's influence. Weak races are culled so their energy can be used elsewhere. Afterall, why bother with primitives that can't improve themselves? That is the simple truth behind everything you will experience here."

Ugh. This sounds like some sort of death game. As much as I enjoyed the Battle Royale film, I don't want to actually live in anything similar!

"So, humanity will be culled if we don't perform?"

"Yes! Not because the System will erase you, but because other races will. And since your planet was so primitive and tiny, you'll be sharing this new D-grade world with other races."

The fairy blinked in a couple of different colors before laughing.

"I'm being too dire, maybe not all of you will be wiped out. Some might be used for slave labor!"

Joy.

"Aww, I see by your expression you aren't happy. But you do not need to worry about all that. You are one of the Chosen of Earth! You get me as your guide and get to experience the Tutorial. You will be tested, tempered, and given the tools needed to rise and take your place in the Multiverse."

[The First Tutorial Mission begins in five minutes]

"See? Aren't you lucky, you get hands-on training through the Tutorial System!"

I felt a surge of panic. What was this mission going to be like?

"What will our task be? Where do we get equipment?"

The fairy laughed. "You'll find out soon! Plus you'll get your rewards right after and I'll be able to explain how they will help you going forward."

"Lily, you are to be my guide based on what you previously stated. Give me more information about this task I'm getting assigned."

She flashed a few different colors.

"This is the Tutorial, relax." She sighed. "And to think I had such high hopes. You were doing so well about taking the news. I can't really help you until you complete that first mission. But almost no one ever dies in it, just don't panic."

I stared at her incredulously.

"My family, are they here? Can I help them complete this mission?"

The fairy tilted her head in consideration.

"I don't know if they are here or not. Less than ten percent of humanity was chosen to take part in the Tutorial."

I grimaced and scanned the crowd. I didn't see anyone I recognized and the noise pollution was getting bad as some people were shouting while others were crying.

"You phased into existence before my eyes. If I give you descriptions and names, can you find them?"

She shook her tiny head.

"No, can't be done. I'm here to serve as your Guide. I am here to teach you about the Multiverse. I'm not here to run errands."

I steepled my fingers and considered her for a few moments before making my pitch.

"Your role is to prepare me for the Multiverse. As a Guide, you are literally here to help me. If you lower my total stress by reassuring me about the fate of my family, does that not help your goal? If I am truly 'Chosen' and your role is to help prepare me for the challenges ahead, and if I assure you, knowing my family is safe will help with that, are you not obligated to do so?"

"Nope!"

And then the little shit winked out, and I once again felt the universe blink and found myself somewhere completely different.

***

After the universe blinked I felt a wave of energy flow over me. It felt a bit like accessing my magical circuits in my second life, but also completely different. Whatever it was, it had done a number on my body.

Outwardly I still looked quite similar to the way I had before, but I felt strength and vitality practically radiate out from me. Every step was assured like I was currently running a reflex enhancement suite. I felt raw power in my limbs and I knew that I was almost certainly twice as strong as I had been even though there was only a slight increase in my muscle tone.

There were nine other people with me, but before I could say hello to my comrades, a voice chimed in my head.

[Tutorial Mission 1: Survival]

Objective: Defend the camp.

Participants: 10

Time Limit: 60 minutes.

Reward: Variable based on contribution and performance.

Mission will begin in 30 seconds.

I took an immediate stock of my surroundings. There was a roaring campfire where we were spread equidistant around. Behind us was a low three-foot wall. It was dark, no sign of a moon or the two suns. There were buckets which held multiple weapons. Swords, axes, spears, and what looked like some javelins. I was tempted to go for a ranged weapon, but without any knowledge of what I would be facing I grabbed a sword. A man in his 30s picked up an axe while the other eight were milling around confused.

"The mission starts in seconds, grab a weapon and spread out along the wall!" I snapped at them with the voice I had used in my second life on countless battlefields.

It did the trick and they soon scrambled for weapons, just as the enemy came.

I wasn't proficient with swords, but I was with shovels and they weren't all that different. When facing dog-sized rats scrambling over the wall it didn't take much skill to slash at them. My newfound strength and superior reflexes made my first kill laughably simple. The man with the axe scored a kill as did a couple of the others.

One young man screamed and dropped his spear and got bit for his troubles. I glided forward and with a lunge skewered the humongous rat and then slashed another rat coming up over the wall before returning to my own section. The kills came rapidly and easily. A few times we had a breach from one of our less competent fellows, but everyone here moved with an easy grace of an athlete. Whatever the System had done, it had also seemed to improve our natural abilities by a hefty amount.

Some wounds were taken by others and after a lull I had the wounded rip part of their own clothing to apply pressure and bandages to it. Nothing was life-threatening, at least not yet.

"So, where is everyone from?"

One other person was from Chicago with four others being from elsewhere in America. The other four were from Asia and South America. Only one person didn't speak English, though for three of them it was a second language. The last person spoke only Chinese, but had just followed along with what we were doing.

We heard skittering and the next wave of rats were upon us. This time, there was no element of surprise and I did not need to hurry over and help anyone else. I was getting used to wielding the sword and was enjoying the fact I had far more stamina than I should. Whatever the System had done to alter our bodies, I was really enjoying it.

"This is crazy," one woman said, "how am I able to do this?"

"You are just swinging at a critter who is having to climb over a wall," the man with the axe said with a shrug. "It isn't hard and doesn't take any real know-how. We've been given some sort of stimulant or boost."

No kidding. I feel like a million bucks. I feel like I'm strong enough to shatter a protective film with one swing.

The final attack came and it was another round of pitifully simple slaughter. It was like I was back in Dacia. When the last rat was finished off, the System spoke.

[Tutorial Mission 1: Survival. Completed.]

Performance Evaluation: Good.

Rewards will be distributed upon return to the Tutorial Hub.

I once again found myself in the cobblestone town with two suns. I wondered briefly where the System had taken us. Had it been another world? Another part of the world at night? These questions weren't nearly as important as other ones, but they nagged at me.

"See? And you were worried!" Lily tittered, her form blinking all the while. "Not even any serious injuries!"

The fairy floated closer, a look of smugness affixed on her features.

"Now let me show you how to view your rewards and status. It is very simple. Just think the word Status clearly in your mind."

A blue screen appeared in front of my eyes.

Name: Tanya Degurechaff

Level: 3

Class:

Race: [F] Human

Alignment [Earth] Human

Titles: Defier of Gods, Indecipherable Anomaly, The Eleventh Goddess, Devil of the Rhine, Chosen of the Skies.

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 20

Endurance: 14

Vitality: 19

Intelligence: 17

Wisdom: 17

Luck: 13

Free Points: 4

Nexus Coins: 150

What is an F human? What are these titles? Does the System know about my past lives?

I was quite confused and asked Lily to explain each menu item.

"First off is your name, that's your name." She fluttered about and used a sing-song voice that grated at my nerves. She continued in a less obnoxious cadence.

"Your level is three. You leveled up twice in the tutorial. Good job! Your race is a human. The [F] stands for the grade of human you are. Every human is that grade and only the best will be able to advance beyond it. Your alignment is that to your planet and being a Chosen of humanity. As far as your titles, you can see what they do yourself. Huh, those are some really odd ones. But since you've done nothing yet to earn them, they were somehow acquired before joining the Multiverse. The System detected your past deeds and applied those titles."

"So it knows what I did?"

"No, it knows the impact of what you did upon your essence."

I looked at her suspiciously but dropped the matter.

"What do these titles do?"

"Just think Titles like you thought Status!"

Defier of Gods: Defied a deity in a deity's presence. Immune to the effects of Mind Control.

Indecipherable Anomaly: The System cannot define the soul anomaly. Immune to skills and abilities that allow Mind Reading.

The Eleventh Goddess: Become a legend. Become a myth. All stats +1, all stats +5%.

Devil of the Rhine: Prove your superiority over a critical series of battles. Dexterity +5, Vitality +5.

Chosen of the Skies: Chosen for the tutorial. All stats +5.

"To make sure I absolutely understand what is going on. Because of my actions before joining the Multiverse, the System read the impact those actions had upon my essence, and then modified my body and gave me certain immunities?"

"Yes! See? This isn't so complicated at all. I knew you could do it."

I glared at her and then asked about the mission rewards and what was next.

"Through the System. Just think! Now, as you look, keep in mind your Title bonus has already been applied to your stats."

[Tutorial Mission 1: Survival. Completed.]

Performance Evaluation: Good.

Nexus Coins: 150

Tutorial Title Bonus: Additional +1 to stats.

F-grade Cultivation Manual

Skill Choice

"Okay, that's great. Now, explain what these stats do and how these bonuses are calculated."

"So bossy! The stats are straightforward. Strength is how much physical force you can exert. Dexterity is how agile and quick you are. Endurance is your resistance to damage while your Vitality is how quickly you can recover from injury and resist poisons. Intelligence is how powerful your spells will be if you choose that route, while Wisdom will aid you in Dao comprehension. Luck gives you the ability to sense danger and opportunity."

"And skills?"

"Yes, since you survived your first mission, you get to choose a free skill. All because you are the Chosen of Earth!"

"Right, but what do they do?"

"They do all sorts of things! Gaining a skill engraves it on your essence and then you can use it as easily as breathing! Well, depending on the skill, some require mana. Others require you to have a weapon. I can give you Basic Sword Mastery, but it won't do any good without a sword!"

She told me the list of options. For almost all weapon groups there was a basic mastery version. From swords, spears, axes, bows, and more. When I asked about guns, she made a face and said no, and guns would not help me progress. The bow seemed like a good choice for my preferred style of fighting, which was not up close and personal. However, there were more than just basic combat mastery skills.

There was also Minor Healing, Fireball, Power Strike, and a dozen others.

I looked at her intently. "How effective are these skills? How strong is Fireball compared to a normal flame? How much mana does it consume? How often can I use it before I run dry? And can I gain more skills later, or is this the only one I get?"

Lily blinked, and for some reason I got the impression she wasn't used to being asked these questions.

Was she new?

"Fireball is common for people who want to eventually learn the Acolyte, Elementalist, or Pyromancer class. It can kill one of the rats you killed earlier. You can get more skills later, but that depends on you. You are the Chosen of Earth! I can't really advise you, because the System wants you to be bold and follow your own path, but I can say you will likely only have one skill for most of the Tutorial."

"Class?" I asked.

"At Level 25, you get to pick from one of five classes. What you do will help the System determine what classes you'll have access to. Some of it is luck, but if you do well," her voice took on a slightly deeper tone, "which I'm sure you will, then you may get more than just common class choices."

I frowned. "Is there a list of classes available? What are the prerequisites and benefits?"

The fairy frowned at me. "That is beyond the scope of the tutorial. You aren't a particularly promising species, so I doubt you'll even get to select a class before the end of the Tutorial."

I quirked an eyebrow.

"Uh, well exceptions do exist, after all, you are the Chosen of Earth! Your race is really not impressive… now, but with this fantastic opportunity, I'm sure you'll be able to excel!"

I obtained more information from Lily and learned that the Tutorial would be for thirty days and most days would involve going on a mission. I was tempted to take a non-combat specialized role as I dearly wanted to remain behind the frontlines, but that would make me dependent on others and their talents. Unfortunately, the world was full of people who were not equipped to handle the types of combat encountered. Members of the military, at least the spear tip, would probably handle all this fine, but that was a minuscule percentage of the global population.

Damn it. Well, if I have to fight, I'll at least do it at range.

I selected the Fireball skill and then used my Free Points to up my Intelligence stat by four.

"Now I'll teach you how to use your manual of cultivation. Races like yours aren't very good at it, but I'm sure if you try real hard, you'll make some progress!"

Author's Note: Binge read the first three books of the series and just HAD to write in the world!

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Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Bookmark Mark for Later Comments Share Download

Work Header

Rating:

Not Rated

Archive Warning:

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Fandoms:

Characters:

Tanya von DegurechaffThea MarshallZac

Additional Tags:

Crossovers & Fandom FusionsStrong Female CharactersPost-ApocalypseLitRPG

Language:

English

Stats:

Published:2026-07-30Updated:2026-10-04Words:219,820Chapters:47/?Comments:420Kudos:423Bookmarks:87Hits:16,515

Tanya's Defiance of the Fall

Failninjaninja

Chapter 2

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

The instructions on how to meditate and focus both on myself and the F-grade Cultivation Manual were not complicated. The mental focus, or lack of focus, depending on how you viewed it, wasn't all that complicated. The spreading of Cosmic Energy around my body and around my core was tricky to get a hang of, but echoes from my second life made it also feel familiar. There was no precise one-to-one precision to it, but I guess if I had to make a comparison it was like bowling and pool. The action was completely different but an understanding of motion and spin carried over in the comprehension of what was occurring.

Lily had led me to the small room I would be sleeping in and had shown me the steps. The breathwork and meditation was simplistic and I got the sense that she doubted I would make much progress, but I was happy to prove her wrong. I was able to draw in Cosmic Energy, circulate the foreign energy into my 'pathways' as she called it, and then expel it. The difference was that the input and output ratio was skewed. I drank in more energy than I gave out and the difference stayed within me and circulated.

As I went through this process, my focus was interrupted at times as I thought about my family. My father was Edwin Degurechaff, a second generation immigrant to America from Europe. He was a practicing dentist, so we were reasonably well off even before my insider knowledge of the success of tech companies. He was everything that I liked in a professional. Hard-working, punctual, and orderly. He loved my mother very much and the two worked together well.

Her name was Melissa and she was a bit different than my father. One would think that a pianist would also have an orderly mind, but she was anything but. Fortunately, she cared for her family so her 'last minute family trips' and other ill-planned events were benign in nature. She loved surprises and I did my best to pretend to enjoy them, so long as they did not actually take me out of town at a random time!

Julia was my sister and where I was skipping grades and attending university early, she was a diehard athlete. A basketball player who had outgrown me in height before her eleventh birthday was more than a little annoying. I wasn't even short this time around!

Stupid orphanage.

As best as I could tell I was in the same body as my second life. Same blond hair, same facial structure, same nose, and blue eyes. The difference was that I was not malnourished or as addicted to coffee and lack of sleep on the frontlines as I had been in that life. I had grown in a stress-free home, loved, cherished, and was listened to.

Thinking about my family filled me worry and fury. I already hated Being X, but I wasn't sure if he was even responsible this time. If he wasn't, then my hatred would pass on over to the System. The very notion that our planet would be crunched together with other worlds and we would have to fight for survival in this bizarre circumstance made me want to rip something in two. That my parents and my sister might be even now dead or in dire straits filled me with dread.

Lily had been vague, but said that there would be many dangers for those who did not get chosen for the Tutorial. My concentration broke at the thought of something happening to them, but after a few moments of box breathing, I returned to my equilibrium.

Huh, did I just level up?

After checking my status, sure enough, I had. What was odd was that my Wisdom was already one point higher.

"Lily."

The fairy popped into existence again.

"Why did my Wisdom go up when I leveled up. I still have my Free Points to assign."

She looked rather surprised, but then smiled.

"You already leveled from cultivation? Well, look at you. So talented! You Humans aren't very optimized. There is plenty of room for your stats to be refined. They won't go up forever, but early on you'll get some improvement just by doing things alongside where you assign your stat points."

If that was the case, I had better get back to it. I dismissed the Guide and returned to my meditations. I didn't end up leveling again before it was time to call it a day, but I did drink in more Cosmic Energy so I had to assume I had made some more progress to the next level.

The following day I was given a choice by Lily as to the mission difficulty I would be assigned.

"You can choose the difficulty of the task, the harder you pick, the better your rewards. Easy missions come with only a 5% mortality rate, while the Impossible tier is at 99%!"

I blinked. "Wait… even at a 5% mortality rate, that's a lot of death. Based on your timeline we'll be doing over twenty missions during the Tutorial."

The fairy pulsated a few times. "Yeah, but if you are strong, you will survive. The System rewards people who push themselves. If you want to sit back and take it easy, you can, but you won't ever get on the Ladder that way!"

"Ladder?"

"The top one hundred people on your planet for your race! The System will eventually display the top one hundred in three categories. Level, Wealth, and Dao. The powerhouses of your primitive version of humanity. If you aren't at least on the Ladder, you aren't important."

I sense more than a little prejudice from this fairy. Best to ignore it, for now.

"The System Ladder is still being configured, but by the time the fourth month rolls around, you will see if you are worthy of anything."

I don't intend on throwing my life away, but glancing at my Titles, I realized I probably had an edge up on my competition. I also had worthwhile combat expertise and my progress seemed to have surprised the bigoted Guide.

I ended up choosing the Hard difficulty which nearly blinded me with her blinking excitement. I hoped I had not made a bad choice. The mortality rate was listed at sixty percent. Still, I had faced worse odds. It would also make sense if other people with combat skills chose harder difficulties. Lily said team sizes could be anywhere from five to a hundred in the Tutorial missions. My thinking was that the trained athletes, soldiers, and fit people might begin their journey on the Hard difficulty.

I spent some of my Nexus Coins to equip myself with some low quality F-grade leather armor. Casting spells didn't require staffs or wands, so I also equipped myself with a sword again. There wasn't any point in not having a backup weapon, especially considering I could run low on mana. Though I had learned that cultivation would allow faster mana regeneration. So equipped and ready for war, I felt the universe blink again.

***

Koha screamed in rage as he swung his axe at the six-legged scaly wolflike creature. He and fourteen others had been teleported. The mission was a nightmare. They had to survive for four hours while being hunted by three of these massive beasts. From the get-go, they had tried to fight, confident in their abilities. A fireball had caused one to yipe, but other than a scorch mark on the thick scales it had not done much at all.

Another man had jabbed at one with a spear and the wolf had just bitten the spear in two! After two of their number had died he called for them to split up in his native tongue. He doubted they all spoke his language, but they understood his intent.

The terrain was nearly as deadly as the creatures themselves. They were on a rocky hill that had a mixture of slope gradients. A false move could send you down a steep drop to your death, just as easily as being mauled by one of those giants.

His axe connected and the scale crunched inward, but it was not a killing blow. The creature opened its maw to bite when a fireball was sent straight down its gullet. The ball of superheated flames was smaller than the first one fired, but the reduced size allowed it into the mouth and explode upon the back of the creature's mouth instead of on the better protected exterior.

The heat barely even singed Koha as the wolf recoiled away from him, tried to whimper, took a step, and then crumpled to the ground.

Chet tyet!

He was breathing hard and the young blond woman saluted him before running off. With a groan Koha got to his feet. He had been sprinting as fast as he could possibly run for the last twenty minutes. He heard a howl from the distance and smiled grimly. He could afford to take a breather. He chose to ascend at a more reasonable pace to a spot that gave him two avenues of retreat. This would allow him to see if one of the wolf monsters was coming his way.

His eyesight had improved since the Tutorial, but it wasn't super-human. Still, he was able to look on as one of the wolves took out another person. It was a grisly sight, and he once again was thankful that the creature took time to eat the corpse before continuing its hunt.

He caught sight of the fireball woman running from another straight to a ravine. Koha called out a warning, but she didn't alter her course. When she got to it, she began running parallel to the cliff's edge. The wolf pounced and she rolled under it and launched her fireball. This time it wasn't aimed at the wolf necessarily, but at the ground it sought to land on. Instead of finding the earth as it no doubt expected, it found an explosive blast aimed at pushing it over the ravine.

After twenty seconds, the girl cried out in English. He didn't know enough to understand it properly, but she was cursing. Koha wasn't a dim man; he understood that killing powerful creatures within the Tutorial gave you some of their Cosmic Energy. If she had seen the monster fall, but did not gain the experience, it must mean the beast was still alive even after falling what looked like at least fifty meters down.

Hopefully it cannot find a way back up. And that the last one does not find me before the time runs out!

***

"Lily! What the hell was that? Our attacks barely even fazed those things."

I was pissed. I had nearly died on that 'Hard' mission, that was more like a damn Impossible mission to me! Sure, we had survived, at least some of us, but other than my fortunate fireball into an oversized mouth, there was no good way to actually damage those things.

"Only eight of you died! That's only a little more than fifty percent!"

I grit my teeth. I did not like seeing comrades fall in battle. I did not like feeling helpless.

"And look, not only did you survive, you leveled up twice, and wow, look at that reward!"

[Tutorial Mission 2: Survival. Completed.]

Performance Evaluation: Excellent.

Nexus Coins: 600

Tutorial Title Bonus: Additional +2 to stats.

High Quality Beast Scale

Title Awarded: Flame Savior.

The new title wasn't bad. It gave me +5 Luck and it also gave me +5% damage with flame-based attacks. I also noticed that my Endurance and Vitality had also both gone up by one for all the running around I had done on top of the additional +2 to all my stats my upgraded Tutorial title bonus was giving me.

Name: Tanya Degurechaff

Level 6

Class:

Race: [F] Human

Alignment [Earth] Human

Titles: Defier of Gods, Indecipherable Anomaly, The Eleventh Goddess, Devil of the Rhine, Chosen of the Skies, Flame Savior.

Strength: 14

Dexterity: 23

Endurance: 17

Vitality: 23

Intelligence: 30

Wisdom: 21

Luck: 21

Free Points: 0

Nexus Coins: 615

I noticed that the 5% bonus to my stats didn't seem to apply on the Status screen unless it could add a whole number. I wasn't sure if that was because the System liked whole numbers for display purposes and I still gained the benefit, or if I didn't until I hit twenty in a stat and 5% allowed me to gain an additional point. Lily didn't know either… some Guide.

She also wasn't much help in what I was supposed to do with the High Quality Beast Scale. She said that once I had access to shops or someone bought one I could sell it. Or I could make a deal with a crafter who could forge something with it.

"Crafter? Is that also a class?"

"Yes, there are many crafter classes, though people will have to wait until level 25 to make use of them."

"So I'm supposed to carry this thing around until then?"

She just nodded brightly. It wasn't crazy heavy, as it wasn't the creature's entire skin. But not something I wanted to be weighed down by after I was done with the Tutorial. In between missions I'd keep it in my little bedroom assigned to me.

The rewards had been good, but I wasn't ready to die for a few improvements and another title. Before I cultivated again I mingled around to see if I could find anyone I knew, but there were few people from Chicago and no sign of my family. The odds were dismally low, but I felt I had to try. About the only useful thing I learned was that most people referred to their Guides as pixies, not fairies. When I cultivated again, there was no level-up or stat increase that occurred before it was time for me to rest for the day.

The next day, I chose to go on a Normal difficulty mission instead. The difference was like night and day.

Or perhaps it is because I gained a new title bonus and levels? I killed the most of those giant hornets among all thirty participants. Some people were even struggling with them!

Fortunately, my flames and my quickened reaction time meant that not only had I managed to rack up the most kills and the corresponding Cosmic Energy that came with them, but I had also managed to keep everyone there alive. No new titles were waiting for me, but I did gain another level. There was a certain addictive quality to that.

Normally when you exercised, it would take weeks to see marked improvement. Here, a single difficult battle could drastically improve your natural abilities and power. It was going to be very difficult to resist trying anything harder than Normal. I wanted to avoid dying, but on the other hand, wouldn't getting more power now mean I was less likely to die in the future?

That's how they get you. But it doesn't mean the thinking is wrong. If what Lily says about the System Ladder is right, only one person in every ten million would matter in the System's eyes. Dare I be this reckless in my caution?

***

After three days of missions, we had a full day dedicated to meditation and recuperation. I continued my journey of cultivation but also took some time to get to know some of my neighbors. It was with some surprise that I learned not everyone was having the exact same Tutorial experience. All of the pixies generally blathered on about the honor of being a Chosen, but how much information they shared from person to person varied a bit. Their personality was just a wee bit different too. Which I guess meant that pixies were a true separate race and not just some sort of construct the System created for this Tutorial.

After a whole day of cultivation, I went for another Hard mission. It was a brutal affair, but this time I had a great partner. A martial artist who seemed to be an ace at cultivation and fisticuffs, he proved extraordinarily skilled. His contribution was probably greater than mine, but I think I won out on Cosmic Energy increases thanks to my Fireball skill which was great to use against the hordes we fought. Once again, the rewards were amazing, but I also didn't truly wish to risk my life in so many dangerous encounters every single day.

Plus there are other advantages of doing Normal missions.

I had obtained a Dynamic Quest after leading a bunch of other Tutorial participants.

Commander of Men (Unique): Have followers that recognize your leadership slay 10,000 dangerous foes. Reward: Title: Commander of Men (Upgradeable). Followers who recognize your leadership gain 2% to all stats under your direction. (102/10,000)

In my conversations with others, only one other person had a quest given to them and it was a Hornet Slayer quest that required her to kill the insectoid monsters and one Hornet Queen. She seemed a bit troubled as to ever being able to complete that quest. As for my quest… I didn't particularly like it, but as someone specializing in sending fireballs at people, it would be a potentially useful buff for the meat shields in front of me. I had learned from Lily how to share screens from the System menu and I could use that as a way to get people to listen to my orders as well.

The quest was vague as to what counted as a 'dangerous foe' and what was necessary for followers who 'recognize your leadership' but basically it seemed to amount to was that the System detected if I was leading people and they were listening to me while they slew things that could hurt them. On Hard quests, it was quite difficult to do more than just survive, but on Normal quests I not only was often the most confident individual, I was able to ensure we stood our ground and slew our enemies instead of trying to run or hide.

The other exciting part of the title was that it said upgradeable. That meant the 2% bonus would almost certainly be raised in the future, which would allow me to be even more helpful to others. It also made me wonder if working on this quest would help unlock an uncommon or rare class.

Lily had explained that I would be able to choose from five different classes once I hit level 25. What classes I could get for someone so primitive ranged from Common, Uncommon, to Rare. The better I performed in the tutorial and what I physically did in the Tutorial would determine the kinds of classes as well as their rarity. Which led me to a more in-depth conversation with her about the crafting abilities she mentioned could be done with the High Quality Beast Scale.

"Wait, so your class determines how you gain experience? I thought we gained it through cultivation and absorbing Cosmic Energy from our kills."

Lily's body blinked from purple to green and then back to a myriad of colors.

"Everyone gains experience from killing things, but you can also gain experience by fulfilling the task of your class. If you are a scribe, that means writing things. But that method is often much slower, but safer. The System rewards boldness. You are a Chosen of Earth!"

"But if I were, say, a blacksmith or whatever, I could still gain experience by hunting monsters, yes?"

"Yes." Lily looked to her left and right. "The System encourages boldness, but some powerhouses have come up from the crafting classes. If you make a lot of Nexus Coins you can buy Nexus Crystals and absorb them to gain large amounts of experience as well. I can't advise you on what path to take, but you should have already noticed the experience curve. In time slaughtering very low level monsters gives you almost nothing at all. The same is true for crafters. Higher quality items need higher quality ingredients, if you want to be on the Ladder you would need to either partner with someone strong who can kill monsters, or risk fighting yourself to get those necessary materials. And as a crafter your skills won't help you in battle!"

I wonder what incentives and compensation these pixies have. She's very obviously trying to step around some guardrails on what she can say, but just as clearly seems to want to push me to a combat class.

In this new reality, where supremely dangerous creatures existed, I would really prefer to have a way to advance that did not constantly have me risk my life. The option of cultivation was always there, but it was far slower than killing things. In an attempt to perhaps influence the System, I took up some simple tasks while I cultivated. It lowered my cultivation a bit to shape wood with a knife, but only minimally so once it became routine.

Rewards for Hard quests were generous. My stats were increasing nicely from my title advancement and I had obtained two [Constitution Pills] that would help me on the journey to go from an F-grade Human to an E-grade Human.

I was shocked, but incredibly happy when Lily shared with me more about what that meant. Humans tended to only live to around a hundred. With the improved stats from leveling it would likely lead to our species breaking longevity records, but we could cap out before we reached our second century. Unless someone upgrades their Race-grade. Then… it should be simple to live to be over five hundred years old.

That appealed to me greatly. The biggest reason is I still had no clue about what Being X had done to me in regard to my reincarnations. He had threatened oblivion at the end of my first life if I did not turn to him in my second life. That didn't happen, and here I was in my third life. The idea of being able to live for several lifespans was a boon, and Lily teased that, while she doubted I would ever reach such heights, D-grade Humans are able to live to thousands upon thousands of years.

If I assume she's telling the truth… there's another reason to do well in the Tutorial and get more of those pills as rewards.

Despite all that, I wasn't going to risk ever trying the Impossible mission difficulty. It just wasn't worth the hazard. After the Tutorial was done, Lily seemed to be implying that the world would be far more dangerous, and would continue to become more dangerous over time as the planet grew into its D-grade status. While probably not her goal, this told me that I would still have more opportunities in the future to gain more pills or other magical substances that could help me transform my Race-grade.

I felt far ahead of the curve. My neighbors around me were half of my level by the time we were done with the Tutorial. That sort of difference encouraged me to make my last three missions Hard difficulty. I nearly lost my life, but through some clever application of Fireball to knock down a building on a horde of pursuing skeletons I had survived. Level 23 was what I had reached and I felt overwhelmingly powerful compared to what I had been before the Tutorial.

I checked the Status screen and felt quite pleased at what I saw.

Name: Tanya Degurechaff

Level 23

Class:

Race: [F] Human

Alignment [Earth] Human

Titles: Defier of Gods, Indecipherable Anomaly, The Eleventh Goddess, Devil of the Rhine, Chosen of the Skies, Flame Savior, Adventurer, Giantsbane.

Strength: 28

Dexterity: 34

Endurance: 32

Vitality: 36

Intelligence: 60

Wisdom: 52

Luck: 32

Free Points: 0

Nexus Coins: 4,900

Items: Medium Quality F-grade Sword. Medium Quality F-grade Dagger x2. Medium Quality F-grade Leather Armor. Low Quality F-grade Spear. High Quality Beast Scale. Medium Quality Wyvern Teeth x6. Medium Quality Beast Fur x8. Healing Pill x2. Small Cosmos Sack. Dried victuals x5.

The voice of the System came on again and the universe blinked.

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Published:2026-07-30Updated:2026-10-04Words:219,820Chapters:47/?Comments:420Kudos:423Bookmarks:87Hits:16,515

Tanya's Defiance of the Fall

Failninjaninja

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

I was back in what looked like part of Chicago. Only it wasn't the Chicago I had been used to. The very terrain was different and a damn jungle had erupted in it. The skyline was completely different, with most of the familiar buildings missing. The other thing about the jungle was that the trees were wrong. They looked more like rock than bark and the air itself was warmer than what it should have been.

I looked around at my more immediate surroundings and saw a few other Tutorial participants. None that I recognized. One woman was in her forties. She didn't speak English, German, or Japanese, but she pointed off in the direction of a massive hill. When I attempted to follow, she drew an axe and glared at me.

I shrugged and saw a couple of men in their twenties who looked like they were from Chicago begin talking. I joined them and asked what their plans were.

"The pixies told us that we were Chosen, so I figure, we find out who is running what's left of this city and find out what's going on. If we really are as powerful compared to the losers who didn't get the Tutorial, it should be easy to be right on top. I'm level fifteen and he's fourteen. What about you?"

I gave them an appraising look. Thirty days of being told they were the best and Chosen had clearly gotten to their heads.

"I think I'll prefer to go alone. At least parts of Chicago still exist, and I'm going to look for other humans and see if my family is among them."

I looked around and saw a few corpses in varying states of decay. Which did not bode well.

The man who hadn't spoken, a guy with a large staff with metal on its ends, advanced on me.

"Oh, is that so? You know a pretty girl like you probably shouldn't be running around alone. Might get hurt. Better to have some protection, right? And if you play your cards right we'll treat you nice, real nice."

I summoned a fireball in my hand. It was a basic skill, but the more points I put into Intelligence the more potent I could make it. It also wasn't a skill you normally could just hold idle, but when you learn how to shape mana properly, there were all sorts of things you could do.

"I'll be fine."

The wiser of the two grabbed his new companions and pulled him away. I let the fire dissipate and looked around for any accurate landmark as to where my home might be. There was no honking of horns, no sound of machinery going, and no music playing. It already felt like some ghost town and it had only been thirty days.

Multiple planets had merged together, but gravity feels the same? The System just messing with the laws of reality is really obnoxious, but at least it's to our benefit when it comes to temperature and gravity.

I picked a direction and walked for about ten minutes and then I saw a crude wall of masonry and wood that had been erected. I could see maybe a dozen people behind it, all in various states of raggedness.

"Who are you?"

"Tanya Degurechaff, resident of Chicago. I just finished the Tutorial and I'm looking for my family. Who are you?"

"Tutorial? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"The System didn't tell you? No pixies about this big," I motioned with my hands, "came and told you about everything?"

"No! Can you tell us what is going on?"

I sighed. They seemed to be even more clueless than I was.

"Sure, let me in."

They threw down a rope ladder of all things and I gave it a deadpan look before jumping over the wall.

"What the fuck?"

I saw two guns trained on me as well as a couple of people with spears. I wondered how effectively my vitality and armor protected me against small arms fire. I suspected based on how hard monsters had hit in the Tutorial missions that the Medium Quality F-grade Leather Armor would stop small caliber rounds easily enough, but getting shot in the head may still be fatal. It was hard to tell, and not something I wanted to test.

I raised my hands up. "Hey, you let me in, and I didn't want to waste time. Is this the lot of you or can I explain it to more people all at once?"

It turned out this group of people consisted of about four hundred people in total. The survivors looked exhausted. Faces were hollow from poor sleep and clothes looked like they hadn't been properly washed in weeks. They were also very twitchy. Children clung to exhausted parents at every unexpected sound while older men and women gripped kitchen knives, baseball bats, and scavenged spears. The System's integration with the Multiverse was cruelty on an unimaginable level.

The survivors had erected these walls at different locations to keep their sleeping shelters safe, only they had lost a lot of people already from animal attacks. Rats had grown the size of dogs, dogs the size of bears, and different types of animals not from this world had also killed a fair few.

Electricity still worked in this world, but the power grid seems to be dead. They have a generator that runs off gas, but fuel will run out sooner rather than later. For now... at least they have coffee.

"Food is running out and trying to forage is dangerous. We aren't sure how much longer we can hold out and there's been no word from the government. Cell phones don't work, there's no internet, we are screwed!"

I took the time to explain to a large crowd of about a hundred what I had learned in the Tutorial from the pixies. By the time I had finished, a trio of other Tutorial members had shown up as well. None of them I recognized from my time in the Tutorial.

No, scratch that. I think I did see one off in the distance in the Tutorial town, but I never spoke with her.

It was good that they arrived when they did, because it meant that the disbelieving looks on some faces had gone away. I mingled and explained several things. I had also gotten a general layout of the land and believed my family's neighborhood, if it hadn't been fully merged elsewhere, to be south by about three miles. That was easily doable with my absurd vitality. As I began trying to tell these people I had to go out and see for myself, we were attacked.

Sparrows in their dozens screeched and began to swoop down. Most people ran, a few fired guns, and others stabbed at them with spears. I launched a fireball that incinerated one with ease.

Not that strong at all. Maybe mid-Tutorial Normal difficulty? No, probably weaker.

I thought this as I slashed one down with my sword as it swooped toward me and then killed another with a fireball. The Cosmic Energy I was gaining was fairly minimal. To my horror one of the non-Tutorial members of the group had their skull caved in from a peck from the oversized sparrow. No wonder these people were afraid, they were so vulnerable!

Fortunately, the flock was soon killed by me and the other Tutorial members. I was now even more concerned for my family. If they didn't get into the Tutorial, that meant they might be just as helpless as these people.

"I'm going to go out and see if I can find supplies and my family. I'll try to be back in a few hours."

Several people protested, especially after seeing me slaughter so many birds, they wanted me to remain, but I had my priorities, and they weren't at the top of the list. Even early on during the Tutorial I could run as well as an Olympic sprinter, but with all the stat increases, especially the ones from my Chosen of the Skies Title, racing forward had me arrive where I thought my neighborhood would be in record time.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. The place looked like part of the street that was near it, but instead of the turn into the housing area, it led to foothills with an unfamiliar grass.

Damn it. I had spent the entire Tutorial convincing myself they were waiting for me and I could locate them quickly.

I was angry and frustrated, so much so I very nearly got myself injured. The month in the Tutorial and years of warfare allowed me to keep at least some of my wits about me and I leapt to the side as an overgrown tiger pounced. With no preamble, I launched a Fireball right at it. The huge animal hissed at me. I smelled the stench of burning flesh, but it was still out for blood.

I drew my sword and charged it as it tried to rake me. Its catlike reflexes and Dexterity must have been better than mine, but I had already intended my motion before it had begun to strike. I leapt up and over it while firing another Fireball at its back. It had tracked me and took the Fireball directly to the face. The mutated animal gave a cry of pain and tried to rub its face into the dirt. It wasn't on fire, but I suspected that the superheated flames had seared away its eyeballs, or maybe just temporarily blinded it. Either way, as I landed I dashed forward and thrust my sword two-handed into the center of it.

It gave one last pathetic mewl and died. Phew, that had been surprisingly tough. I felt the Cosmic Energy fill me and I felt myself level to 24. I must have been close to the threshold of advancement after completing the Tutorial.

I must admit, I do miss the structure of the Tutorial Missions.

I found an abandoned house and spent some time cultivating, primarily to recharge my mana, but also to help circulate my newfound advancement through my core. After I finished, I realized that this might be an opportunity to work on my Dynamic Quest. I stretched, feeling fully recovered from my sprint and fight, and decided to head back to the little group of humanity I had shared my knowledge with.

***

Jayden was relieved when he saw the blond fireball user return. He had tried to keep this little community alive, but he knew things were rapidly falling to pieces. So many people had died after 'integration' and he felt he was fortunate enough to still be breathing. Tanya's information had been so incredibly helpful already. He had not even realized how to check his stats and being able to see them and use his fourteen Free Points he had gained from leveling up seven times had made him feel so much stronger.

"Glad you are back. Any luck with your family?"

"Unfortunately, no. My neighborhood was not where I hoped it would be. It wasn't destroyed, just gone and replaced with an alien landscape."

"What will you do now?"

She paused, considering. "I think I'll stick around here for a bit. But I do think you need to change how things are being run here. You are going about this in a logical, but flawed way."

He frowned.

"What's gotta change then?"

"You need to get stronger. You can't hide and only fight when you get attacked. Groups should go out and work together to kill the beasts and other monsters they come across. Leveling up is important and will help you be safe in the long run. At Level 25 people will get to choose a class. From there, that can open up people to being able to earn experience from non-combat things. Cultivation doesn't seem to be an option for the people here, as so far it seems that only people who were selected for the Tutorial have that capability."

Jayden sighed heavily. That was going to be a tall order to try to get people to fight. Even if they now knew how to use the System Menu. He had thought he had felt something when he had tried to cultivate, but it seemed not to do anything.

I'll keep trying, when I can.

"Not sure how many volunteers you're going to get to do that."

"Those who don't take part, don't get stronger. According to the pixies in the Tutorial, the animals will continue to evolve as the planet is now, a low D-grade energy planet. I can help lead some groups, and try to help weaken or cripple some of the tougher monsters, but the System also assigns experience based on contribution. I'll get the bulk if I do most of the work."

Jayden scratched at the dark stubble on his face. "Why don't you show me how it's done and I'll come with the first group of volunteers."

She flashed him a smile. "Excellent, no time like the present. Gather a group and follow my lead."

They learned much on their first excursion under Tanya's tutelage. The first was that guns, while still effective against some threats, did not give someone Cosmic Energy for their use. For 'grinding' out experience, it was really not ideal. The threats they hunted were things like overgrown pigeons, sparrows, stray cats, and worse. Tanya was a blur as she helped protect people from more dangerous ones. Even though she clearly favored using Fireball against serious threats, she was murder with her sword. She slashed and cut with speed and precision that had everyone, including Jayden in awe.

Wielding his own spear after putting points in Strength and Dexterity was a trip. He could have trained all his life in the gym, even on gear, and he wouldn't ever have become this strong. It weirded him out that his muscles hadn't gotten much bigger, but he just had so much more power in him now.

***

Spending time with these people probably saved a lot of lives, but it didn't do all that much for me except for finally finishing with my Dynamic Quest.

After I selected the completion of the Quest I received the new title and with it a new quest.

[Leader of Men] (Unique): Have followers that recognize your leadership slay 100,000 dangerous foes. Reward: Title: Leader of Men (Upgradeable). Followers who recognize your leadership gain 5% to all stats under your direction. (0/100,000)

Well… that was a lot of things that needed killing. The 2% aura I could now use did actually do something, even if it didn't physically raise a stat on the status screen. This still wasn't a massive boon by any means, but I saw the upgradeable tag again, which meant that once I finally completed this quest I'd likely see another with an even greater percentage increase.

I was eager to see that level up, but far more eager to see what my class choices would get me. Cultivation was still useful, but I was getting fewer gains from it for a few reasons. The first was that the residual Cosmic Energy in the air and earth of where I was located was simply less potent than it had been in the Tutorial area. The second was that leveling required exponentially more experience the higher I climbed. The few moderate challenges I had found on my hunts didn't seem to give me much progress. And the current efforts to work on my cultivation was dreadfully slow.

The camp had almost begun to feel routine. The initial desperation and fear that I had first seen upon my arrival was now transformed into wary caution and determination. I was starting to get tempted to once again go out on my own and try to find more challenging prey that could get me to Level 25, when things changed. I was cultivating when a panicked cry came up from one of our walls. I raced out and saw a dozen dead already. Including one of the dozen or so Tutorial participants who had joined us.

The enemy was over a dozen spear-wielding humanoids. They looked mostly human except for the antennae on their heads. They didn't have noses, just a slight bump and two holes. Their ears looked like a boxer's, and their eyes were mostly humanoid but larger and with purple irises. Beyond that, their skin was also a light violet color and they moved with fantastic and troubling coordination as they wiped out the guards with little trouble.

I launched a Fireball and they moved with competent speed. They dodged, but I managed to singe two. Other people were coming to help and gunshots rang out. One of the insectoid-like humanoids took three to the chest. Blood trickled out, but it hadn't been enough to put it down or even slow it by much. As I got closer, I threw out another fireball and with less time to dodge the projectile of flaming death, it had caught one in the chest and killed it.

It gave a gratifying amount of Cosmic Energy. Killing one had made me target number one, but that had its own advantages. As I dashed away from them, they naturally bunched together in their pursuit of me with only a couple still dealing with the other defenders pouring out. My high stats, probably due to all the Titles, meant that even if their levels were close to mine, I was physically better off. As they struggled to close in, my pursuers bunched up nicely for my next set of fireballs. I spammed them over and over until my mana began to run low and a bare handful, highly burned enemies, managed to make it through the holocaust I had unleashed.

Between their previous wounds and my own superior stats, I was able to make short work of them with my sword. I was pleased to see that Jayden's people had managed to finish off the stragglers. This was probably mostly due to the fellow Tutorial participants who were still far ahead of the 'mortals' who had been left behind. Jayden was sharp and had the air of a survivor, but he was still levels behind those who had gone through the Tutorial.

As we patched up the wounded I saw a shimmering Nexus Station appear in the communal area. It looked very similar to the Tutorial Nexus Station that had allowed me to buy things like my F-grade armor and weapons. One of the other Tutorial participants by the name of Zhou Jie eagerly interacted with it, but then frowned. He had been a businessman from China who spoke English as fluently as most people here, with even better diction. Judging by the way he moved and the way he used his spear, I suspected he was in the upper teens in terms of levels.

"You don't look happy," I commented.

"Almost nothing can be purchased except for a [F-Grade Nexus Node] for 3,000 Nexus Crystals. Based on the description it will allow for the choosing of classes and the purchase of skills."

Nexus Crystals occasionally dropped, but since they could be consumed during cultivation for a burst of Cosmic Energy I had quickly used what I could find.

Zhou gave me a thin smile. "If we instead choose to spend our Nexus Crystals instead of using them for advancing ourselves, it will take some time before we as a group can collect enough. I suspect the skills will also cost significant Nexus Coins as well. I had hoped for more. Oh, and there is a quest, one which you will likely be the one to complete."

I accessed the node by proximity and in the same way I accessed the System Menu. I confirmed what Zhou had told me and then saw the quest.

Active Quest:

Outpost Formation (Normal): Become the Dominant Race within ten kilometers. (12/1,000) Zhix slain. Highest Contribution becomes default leader of Outpost. Contribution Ladder:

Tanya Degurechaff – 10.

Zhou Jie – 1.

Samuel Martin – 1.

Reward: Based on contribution.

So the strange insectoid-like creatures were the Zhix.

An Outpost probably provided other benefits as well, and hopefully access to a proper shop like we had in the Tutorial. I wasn't keen on being a leader, as administrative work and management was not something that I wanted to take time to do when I could be cultivating or killing things to advance. It was also with some irritation that I realized that when I had finally hit Level 25, I couldn't even advance to a class because we didn't have a proper Nexus Node.

"Unfortunately the damn Tutorial didn't give us all the details on what all this means. But I think it is now going to be critical for us to pool our resources and purchase the [F-Grade Nexus Node] and create an official System 'Outpost' whatever that means. Can I count on you to help with that?"

Zhou gave a sharp nod. "We must also track these Zhix back to where they came from. Hopefully none of their warriors are stronger than the ones we just fought."

Hopefully…

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Chapter 1605 - defiance