Chapter 90: Nothing to Lose

“It is the reality,” Natto said softly, not sure how to address Drake’s displeasure.

You’re going to tell me that humans can also drop Skill Stones? Where do they come from the sponsors as well?! Drake asked, furious.

“They are selected randomly as a dropped item from the slain, that is as far as my knowledge goes I am afraid,” Natto answered.

Drake did his best to calm himself, turning his gaze from where the two fallen men he had killed in the corner of the tent.

“Drake the stones,” Natto reminded.

Drake grimaced under his mask. Not wanting to touch the stones himself. But he forced himself to pick them up as he could not waste any resources.

He was almost relieved to find that the stones that had dropped were anything but rare stones. Both being common Warrior Skill Stones. And with that he attempted to crush them in his hand, but alas he was unable.

Cursing, he placed them into his inventory. The stones getting lost in the piles of skill stones that he carried.

Drake turned his attention to the woman still shaking on the bed, not sure of what to do. But started with a few basic things.

Looking her up and down, they had not gotten far as she was still clothed, although a bead of red liquid was running from the middle of her lip.

“Are you alright? What am I talking about obviously you're not… Are you hurt?” Drake asked, amending his statement.

“I-i’m fine. They pushed me into the tent, but you came j-just…” the woman broke down in tears on the bed.

Drake winced not out of sympathy, his emotions still dulled, but out of knowing how wrong what was done to her had been.

Once again he was forced to see the reality of what real assault was, and just how deranged Stewart was to falsely accuse him of such.

Clenching his fists, Drake walked to the front of the tent, the sound of the screaming man growing louder.

Turning Drake, gave the woman a terse word.

“I will be outside, take all the time you need to calm and gather yourself. No one will come in unless they get through me.”

The woman rubbed her eyes and nodded her head, still doing her best to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Lifting the flap of the tent Drake departed the room. Coming into view was the man he had stabbed in the leg and pinned to the ground. Around him a circle of the people all looking on in horror and confusion.

Drake looked down at the man, his leg still pinned to the floor as his hands wrapped around the impact point of his spell.

Walking up to him he crouched down to eye level, ignoring the rest of the people. If anything he wanted everyone to hear what happened, and what would happen to this man.

“Why were you guarding the door for those men?” Drake asked evenly, being careful not to mention the act in particular.

“Th-they forced me!” the man spat, wincing in pain.

Drake grabbed the man by the face forcing him to look him in the eyes. With that and Drake’s aura pressing down on him in such close proximity it was a reckoning.

“I didn’t ask what they did to you. I asked, why were you doing it for them?” Drake asked again.

The man’s paling face stiffened and his eyes widened as he understood what Drake was alluding to.

“T-they…” he started but Drake flexed his fingers, the man’s skull creaking in his grip, “W-We! Just didn’t see a point in holding back anymore! You may be strong, but we arnt! It’s only a matter of time before we die just like the rest to some monster…” the man looked into Drake’s eyes, “Or another..”

Drake cursed, releasing the man.

“For your crime of being an accomplice in what just happened, you will be jailed for the remainder of the tutorial. Repent on what you allowed to happen to that poor woman until either a monster takes you,” Drake flooded his Tattoo Ring with Mana, it flaring to life in almost a fire of blue ethereal on his arm, “Or someone like me but worse finds you.”

Drake pulled the earthen spike from the man’s leg as he screamed in pain. Drake poured a health potion on the man’s open wound to the man’s surprise. But then grabbed him by the throat and pulled him along through the camp for all to see.

Once he reached near the Mines right next to Hudson’s tent, the people inside came out with confused looks, they all looking at the large entourage that Drake had brought.

Opening up his inventory Drake pulled out a familiar looking wooden cage, hitting the floor with a thump. Swinging the door open Drake not so carefully threw the man to the back of it, the lock on the outside clinking with a metal chime as Drake turned it.

“What is this all about?” Claire asked, looking on in disgust.

Amir, Tom, Harley and Hudson also looked perturbed by the display, not sure what to make of it.

“He broke the rules,” Drake said loudly, “But not enough to die for it,” Drake pulled a a large piece of wood from his inventory that was used in the tents, breaking it down to a smaller piece.

He then used his finger to light a torch like flame to it, using the torch to write something on the piece of wood.

Growing a Earthen spike next to the cage door, he took a moment to fix it on the makeshift pole.

[Caution Self-Centered Bastard, do not feed, will bite]

Satisfied with the message enough that he wasn’t upset he hadn’t used more colorful words, Drake turned to the crowd that had followed him.

“I want to make this abundantly clear! I know you have been through hell and back in the last couple of days. I know you might not think you have a chance in this new world and the changes it comes with. But I want you all to understand something,” Drake said looking over the crowd, “The world does not care! Not this one or the old. To give up is to die now more literal than ever. You each have a decision to make. You can either give up your morals and do the unthinkable as this man has. Or you can continue to struggle and work hard, finding your place in this changing landscape in whatever capacity that may be! If you claw and crawl through the mud for yourselves, for the people that love you, for the people you may yet meet. I promise you. I will protect you. I will work harder than I ever thought possible to make sure you survive this unfair tutorial to get to those people. You need only put in the effort yourselves and not give up. This world is hard, much harder than our previous one. But I know you can get through it. And with me here, you will do more than survive, you will grow stronger, you will grow together and we will find a way to the end. Do not think of everyone here as strangers,” Drake continued, a knot forming in his chest as he began feeling something, the dullness of his emotions melting, but stayed stoic all the same, “Think of them as brothers and sisters in arms. As they have suffered as you have, they know of your struggle. Help each other, and help me help you. If you choose to reject that and harm others while in the occupancy of this camp, I will be fair, but show you no mercy. In a few more days we will make for Shigure’s camp. They have a better fortified position and you will be safe there.”

Drake finished with a long exhale, and turned to Claire and the others.

“Claire, I know this might be a lot to ask of you but would you come see someone with me?” he asked, his voice soft and concerned.

“S-sure..?” Claire answered, her demeanor changing after listening to his speech.

The others still looked on confused, not understanding the whole situation, but held their tongues.

“Sorry for the commotion everyone. Hudson, can you keep an eye on this bastard for me?” Drake asked.

Hudson nodded, looking back at the cage.

“What did the sorry sac do?” Hudson asked.

“Something I should have killed him for,” Drake spat, “But he wasn’t in the act so he's going to remain in that cage like the animal he is! At least for now until I know or have time to figure out something better… He- he basically gave up on life, which is his choice. But he decided to push that decision onto an innocent person with two others.”

“Sir, what happened to the other two then?” Amir asked.

Drake didn’t say anything, just patted his hip, indicated they were in his inventory and the group seemed to have understood by their widening eyes.

“Jesus dude…” Tom whispered.

“Some people deserve what’s coming to them, and I just happen to be the one that gave what was deserved…” Drake said, his eyes firm.

Claire wanted to say something but hesitated to. The others not sure how to respond to hearing he had killed two people in cold blood.

“Let’s get going, I don’t want to leave the person alone for too long,” Drake said, walking through the crowd as they parted like the sea for him.

Claire pressed her hand to her chest, but quickly followed after him with quick steps.

—-----------------

“You think he really did that?” Tom asked the others, still stunned.

“I reckon he did, we’ve all seen how he puts down those damned Goblins,” Hudson offered.

“He seemed hurt to have done it.. Theo has hinted that it wasn’t the first time Mr. Shot has killed someone,” Harley added.

“But why would he do it? Sir Shot has been blunt at times, but I have seen him very compassionate, giving food, shelter, even skill stones and equipment, asking nothing in return. To think he has murdered people, I can only imagine what crime they must have commited,” Amir presumed.

“I think I’m going to go to rest for a bit, I have a feeling it’s only going to get harder from here,” Harley said, walking off.

“I will also go to rest also I think, we were up most of the night,” Amir said, going in another direction.

Tom looked to Hudson, but he only huffed, and turned to go back inside the tent.

“Don’t look at me boy, go do what you want,” Hudson said.

“Didn’t Shot ask you to watch this dude?” Tom asked.

“I can watch him from here, dontcha worry,” Hudson replied, a silver magic circle forming outside the tent as a sentry formed in moments, the barrel spinning as it pointed it at the cage.

“That’s cool… Why in the world did I choose to be a tank….” Tom whined, “Now what the hell am I supposed to do?”

Tom looked out to the dispersing crowd as he mulled over his options. He wasn’t exactly tired since he had relatively decent stamina. But there wasn’t much to do in the camp outside of meandering about.

An idea popped into Tom’s head as he rushed to the side of the camp, a grin on his face.