Goals And Wishes

The city of the Tutorial Section was surrounded by high walls with one gate in the south, west, and east. The South Gate separated the city from the Southern Fields, a wide grass field that allowed new people to get accustomed to fighting monsters—creatures that did not exist in the outside world. They were creatures with strange and often grotesque appearances. Some monsters appeared similar to normal animals—even harmless ones—but no matter how small or weak they looked, they were still dangerous if one was careless.

It was the very same place where Jay met Ella and Luna for the first time.

"Jay? You're on your feet again?" Luna gasped in surprise after seeing him arrive with Ella and Erik.

"Thank you for helping me yesterday. A short rest was enough to heal up." Jay said formally, directing those words solely to Luna.

"No problem! Glad that you're doing better now!" Luna responded with a cheeky smile.

"Ella and I happened to come across him after he was discharged, so we thought that it'd be a good idea for him to join us today." Erik proceeded to explain the situation to Luna, leaving out the commotion Jay had caused in the middle of the streets.

On the day Jay was helped by Ella and Luna, it was suggested that the four of them form a temporary group. After all, it seemed like Erik and Jay needed some guidance on how to fight monsters, which was an important aspect if one wanted to survive inside the tower.

And today, Ella, Erik, and Luna had planned to explore the Southern Fields and train a little while Jay was staying in the hospital. However, since Jay was already discharged, Ella and Erik dragged him with them to the Southern Fields.

"If that's the case, we can take on a quest, right?" Luna asked Ella, her eyes glittering with excitement.

The tower that granted a person's wish—it was that rumor that lured people into the tower. And while it was true, there was a catch to it. A person who wanted their wish granted had to clear ten quests in each of the tower's ten sections. In other words, they had to clear 100 quests.

Quests, in turn, varied from person to person based on their powers and would only get more difficult as more quests were cleared. They could involve monster hunting, escorting someone, finding a specific item, or something beyond a normal person's imagination.

"Hmm... What do you say? Do you want to train before attempting your quests?" Ella directed the question to Erik and Jay.

"We can do what Luna wants to do." Erik replied kindly.

And after seeing Jay nod, Ella made her decision.

"Let's search for slimes for now. I want to teach you a thing or two before we attempt your quests!" she announced, motivated.

The group agreed with Ella's decision and set off. And while exploring the area, they observed the people around them. Some fought strange gray slime blobs the size of a basketball. Others were busy with harmless-looking white rabbits that turned aggressive the moment they saw an enemy. And a few faced green, grotesque goblins, wielding clubs bigger than themselves.

"Sorry, but I won't show you my status window."

"Oh, come on...! I showed you mine, right? Isn't it fair to share yours with me then?"

While Erik and Ella were discussing a few things, Luna and Jay appeared to bicker in the back. Luna, who was curious about the new things she had learned inside the tower, wanted to take a look at Jay's status window in order to get a grasp on what other people's status windows would look like.

"I don't want to." Jay rejected her, sounding tired from their brief interaction.

"Wow, at least you're honest, huh?"

"I just can't lie." Jay said before picking up his pace.

"Found one!" Ella suddenly shouted happily, interrupting Jay and Luna.

A slime appeared in front of them, moving as slowly as a snail with its body wobbling like a pudding.

"In this world, there are different ways to fight. Many people use their bodies and weapons at the beginning since they aren't aware of any other options." Ella started to explain as she pointed her wooden staff at the slime.

"However, as you continue to clear your quests, you will learn how to use magic."

Ella gathered flames out of thin air in front of her staff until a fireball the size of a gymnastic ball took shape. It was a phenomenon that could not be explained with science—it was magic, something that only existed in fantasy stories and in the world inside the tower.

"There are a lot of different types of magic and a lot of rules and restrictions that come with it, but once you get the knack for it, you can use it like this!" Ella elaborated before she shot her fireball at the slime.

The slime was instantly engulfed in flames. Its round silhouette changed as it turned into a small puddle of melted liquid.

"But the most important factor is how you use your Exclusive Skill—"

"Amazing, Ella! Can you show me your magic one more time?! And can you teach me that, too?!" Luna begged, sounding like a child who had found a new toy they wanted to play with.

Erik, meanwhile, approached Jay, placing his hand on Jay's shoulder.

"We're getting closer to them, huh?" Erik commented, still wearing a smile.

Jay nodded.

"At this rate, we can finish things faster than we thought."

"Let's wait and see for now." Jay responded indifferently, his gaze not wandering away from Ella and Luna.

Erik did not respond. Instead, it seemed like he was pondering something before he came to a realization. He left Jay's side and joined the other two, whereas Jay sat down on the grass, staring at the sky that was starting to change its color from blue to orange.

"Already taking a break?" Ella giggled as she sat down beside Jay.

"Just taking in the scenery." Jay responded bluntly, watching the grass field and the clear sky.

"Oh, I get what you mean! I have moments like that, too!"

Jay looked over to Erik, who happened to meet his eyes as well. It seemed like Erik was guiding Luna to another spot, distancing themselves from Ella and Jay.

"Erik and Luna wanted to search for other slimes in the vicinity since Luna's quest was to take down five slimes." Ella stated, also looking at the duo's backs.

"I see."

"What about you? Erik told me that you wanted to look for Killer Rabbits with me."

That was the official name for the small white rabbits that appeared harmless at first. However, they were one of the nastier monsters in the Southern Fields because of their aggressiveness and strength that did not fit their cute image.

"Erik said that?"

"Yes!"

"Then, shall we go look for some?" Jay said after he stood up.

Without hesitation or questions, Ella went along with Jay—or rather, Erik's suggestion. The two headed in the other direction, splitting up completely from Erik and Luna.

However, even though they had spotted a few rabbits, Jay ignored them.

"Jay?"

Now, Ella also started to have her misgivings.

"Sorry, but I'd like to avoid people as much as possible."

"A-ah! Is it because of the rumors?" Ella said nervously.

She thought that Jay was too embarrassed to be seen struggling with a Killer Rabbit and, therefore, searched for a Killer Rabbit that was away from people's eyes.

"Can I ask you something?" Jay said, sounding grim.

"Of course!"

Jay shifted his empty gaze to the beaming Ella.

"Is there anything you want to achieve? Do you have a goal?"

"A goal? That's a sudden question. Hm..." Ella pondered deeply.

The two were finally at a spot where no one was around them—not even Killer Rabbits.

"I don't know if you can call it a goal, but I just want to help out people as much as I can!" she admitted with a wide, innocent smile.

Jay had somewhat expected that response but remained quiet nonetheless.

"What about you? What's your goal? Or is there anything you wish since you're climbing the tower?"

People who climb the tower by attempting to clear 100 quests do that because there was a wish they wanted to fulfill. Jay, however, was not like them. Although goals and wishes were similar, they were still different.

Everyone had a wish, even if it was buried deep in one's heart. Jay had thought that there was something he wanted to turn into reality as well, but there was nothing. His wish was missing.

Still, he had something he had to accomplish—a goal.

"I have a goal but..."

However, it was at that moment that the flow of the conversation took a sudden turn—as sudden as the cold blade that pierced Ella's chest.

"To reach my goal, I have to kill myself." Jay added sharply, pulling his sword out of the shaken and wide-eyed Ella.

Jay raised his sword one more time.

"Welcome back, my kindness."