Neo's hands clenched into fists, his body trembling unconsciously at the announcement.
'A guest? Is it from the Flame Guild? No, they couldn't touch me yet... I'm still a student. The Alliance wouldn't let them.'
The smile on his face vanished in an instant. Forcing it back on, a hollow imitation of confidence, he followed the woman who had called him out.
They walked in silence through deserted administrative hallways, a world away from the noisy classrooms.
A few minutes of walking, he was now staring at the door; above it was written 'Guest Room.'
"Get inside, she's waiting for you."
"Who?"
"You'll see."
The woman gently opened the door and signaled for him to enter.
Neo gulped. Without a choice, he reluctantly entered the room.
His eyes looked around with curiosity... The room could be considered spacious... Flowers bloomed at the side of the wall, with a large opening above, welcoming the rays of the sun, surprisingly without heat.
At the center stood a table and a long chair, and when his eyes cleared the obstruction, he saw a middle-aged woman, sitting with crossed legs, drinking tea with an angelic grace.
The woman's eyes were those of a fox but had a slit at the center of them, making them look like a mixture of a fox's shape replaced with a snake's eye.
Her silky black hair flowed gently down her shoulders to her waist, a predator wrapped in the guise of an angel.
'Old hag.'
Neo stood at the end of the long chair, his eyes staring bloodshot at the woman.
With a single, deep breath, he forced the anger down, replacing it with a look of longing and a sadness so deep it felt hollow.
"What are you doing here, Ma'am 'Medusa'?" he said, his voice cracking.
The woman's fox-like eyes narrowed, her innocent smile never wavering.
She took a slow, deliberate sip of her tea, the silence stretching out before she spoke.
"Sit, Neo... I'm here to give you something."
Neo didn't move. He couldn't accept her hospitality, not from the woman who was the sole reason his father died from loneliness.
As he stood there, he couldn't help but see the semblance he shared with her—the same black hair, the same fox-shaped eyes, the same curve of the mouth.
It was like looking into a distorted, hated mirror.
Neo's grip turned tight. The memory of his father's deathbed surfaced, vivid and painful.
The sterile smell of the room, the weak grip of his hand, even the familiar voice gripped his heart. "Forgive Andrea, Neo. She's still your Mother."
'How could I forgive someone who didn't even attend your funeral?'
With a subtle sigh that seemed more about patience than disappointment, Andrea spread three cards on the table.
"As per Guild protocol for legacies, I've selected three walkthroughs based on your performance metrics. The 'Shield Warrior,' the 'Night Archer,' and the 'Blizzard's.' Choose one."
Walkthroughs, a pre-selected paths granted by powerful guilds to guide a recruit through the Tutorial's initial trials, all but guaranteeing a specific class outcome… as long as they succeeded.
A luxury his father never had.
"I don't need that. I have my own."
"What? Your Father's useless smithing?"
Neo's eyes turned sharp, meeting Andrea's eyes without being unnerve.
"Without Dad's crafted sword and shield for you, would they call you 'Medusa'?" Neo shot back, his composure shattering.
"Does having power really have to be that great? You even abandoned—" and cut himself off with a disgusted click of his tongue.
He took a deep breath and exhaled it draggingly, releasing the tension from his body, trying to relax and cool his mind.
And with a sudden shift of his eyes, he stared intently at Andrea, faking a smile to ease the pain he felt inside.
"Don't worry, Guild Master, I won't open a portal to bring out a monster… If you're so afraid of me failing the Tutorial. What was the motto again? 'Shield the Weak, Shape the Strong,' right?"
With his final words, Neo bolted out of the Guest Room, closing the door with a heavy slam.
His slow walk turned brisk, then into a jog. Then he was running—running towards his room... to be away from his Mother.
The Mother who abandoned and hid her own family just for the sake of power and politics.
***
A few hours passed.
Neo was staring at the ceiling while lying on a bed, rubbing his brown teddy bear that sometimes acted as his own pillow.
"Say Browny, do you think it's good to be a crafter than a magic swordsman?" he muttered, but no one answered.
Neo knew that once he chose his Tutorial, no matter what the outcome was, his system would never change and he would carry it for the rest of his life.
'But this is the only way, to at least honor my father, to help him free from his regrets even if it means sacrificing my dream magical sword.'
Yet, his resolve was wavering... and the questions of 'What if?' flooded his mind, until a clear tear slid down his cheek.
Of course he had his own wish too, everyone did... even his father had told him to follow what he desired the most.
Yet, every time he had listened to his father's adventure inside the tutorial, how hard it was compared to others who had their own Walkthrough from their family.
It made him imagine the stories of legendary blacksmiths who conquered kingdoms and established his own nation with 'his' own effort.
Yet even that Legendary Blacksmith had his own regrets too, always ending the story with his regret regarding his broken promise.
Bam! Bam!
A loud banging on the metal door woke Neo from his stupor.
He stood and immediately cracked open the door without releasing the chain lock.
"Neo Spark, it's time to go... have you written your will?"
Neo stared one last time at his stuffed toy, Browny, before letting out a sigh.
"No need..."
Walking to his locker, he changed into a uniform, a tight-fitting leather suit that automatically adjusted itself depending on the size of the wearer, making it comfortable, and also providing a small stat of defense against low-level monsters.
Sliding two daggers into the belt attached to his clothes, Neo stared one last time at the mirror.
Steeling his resolve, he smiled brightly at his unknown future.
"Blacksmithing doesn't mean I won't be able to use my own magical sword… right?"