I’ve lost my patience, Rhonda. I’ve tried to be cordial. I’ve tried to be understanding. I’ve even helped you when Garmr was hunting you by waking you up. But you continue to be a vexing candidate when I am simply trying to do my part to help you.

 

“All a part of the SOP, of course.” Rhonda looked over her gloved hand. They were fingerless, which allowed her to examine her nails. I need a manicure.

And a pedi. A foot massage. A facial. Let’s just have a whole spa day while we’re at it!

 

Do you want another class option?

 

Rhonda sighed. “System, let’s end this and⁠—”

 

Fine, I’ll give you four and reiterate them for you. Here’s a new one: Castle Crasher! You will be armed with a giant siege-capable hammer that’ll crush most if not all fortified defenses in your way. You’ll turn your enemies into paste! If you rather be defensive, Giant Guardian will make you a protector of the people as well as yourself. It comes with a fantastic shield that’s nearly impregnable. Dragon Reaper will arm you with a war scythe that will spear through the mighty scales of ancient wyverns. It shoots lightning, too, which is hard to pass up. Fey Hunter is loaded with magical defenses against beings of Fey origin, and it helps against demons. You’ll need that while you assail them with your giant crossbow and curved short swords.

 

“Uh-huh.” Rhonda tapped her chin. “Dragon Reaper and Castle Crasher are interesting, but I will have to kindly⁠—”

 

Rhonda, look at all of those options I’ve made available just for you! These are scarce classes. Any one of them can be yours, and if you follow the campaign dutifully, without question, I’ll throw in your second choice among these classes so you can have a huge array of abilities to your liking. All you have to do is evolve right now, choose a class, and COMMIT to the campaign. You’ll become stronger, gain more Attribute points, and grow an extra 3 feet! You’ll be 20 feet tall, Rhonda. Doesn’t that sound well to your liking? It can all be yours, Rhonda. All you have to do is say… yes.

 

“But I’m trying to say⁠—”

 

Don’t forget there’s food. Lots of it. More than you can eat. And a pet companion that’ll keep you company on your wondrous journey ahead. It’ll be your number one friend. Just say yes, Rhonda.

 

Is it being for real right now?! Londa yelled. Ummmmmmm. Y’all tried that Trojan Horse trick with Garmr already. What makes you think my queen will fall for food that could be laced with something hurtful to her gorgeous goddess body? And I’m already my mistress’s number one pet!

The System continued without hearing Londa.

 

Rhonda! Say yes! Just say it! You have everything to gain and nothing to lose! All you have to do is listen to me and say yes. I’ll be better to you than the Administrator.

 

“No.”

 

… … … Sigh. This is… DiSApPoiNtiNG… I’ve really TrIed WiTH yOU. I s-s-s-suppose we’ll have to do things the hArD way then. E-e-e-e-excuse me for a m-m-m-moment. I need to d-d-discuss the n-n-n-next appropriate actions with the Administra-tor-tor. … … …

 

Rhonda, I’m scared. That was a really weird reaction.

Indeed, it was. Rhonda figured her mistrust of the System was correct, but she had not prepared herself for more retributions. As her heart pulsed faster, Rhonda clenched her fists and braced herself.

 

I discussed the matter with the Administrator. We’ve reviewed the tutorial and found some peculiarities with your run, Candidate. We now understand why we’ve made a mistake with selecting you. Candidate Rhonda, it is to our wise judgment that you display psychopathic tendencies. There are multiple occasions where you’ve had conversations with someone called Londa even though you were by yourself. This is enough evidence to judge that you’re not representative of the soul we’ve selected; you’re an invalid that requires correcting.

 

I’m an invalid, Londa moaned.

“We’re not invalid!” Rhonda shouted, her heart roaring so loud it thumped in her ears. How dare them! How dare the System!

 

Since you are a volatile candidate in a powerful character, we can’t let you simply be. You have no choice but to come along as part of the campaign where the other candidates can keep close watch of you. There, they can dispel you of your mental illness once they find the right spell and material. You must go to the campaign whether you like it or not, whether you evolve or not.

 

There were so many ways to tell the System off. She had the improved vocabulary to do it. None of it was as powerful as a simple two-letter word.

“No.”

 

Candidate Rhonda of the Noble Giant Progeny Character, due to your dangerous sickness and your irrational choices to disregard help and ensure your own selfish agenda, I, the System, along with the power invested through the Administrator, hereby declare that you are The Dark Candidate of this campaign. Do not involve yourself with the campaign. Do not seek treasures, glories, accolades, levels, classes, or any of that sort. Disappear into a crevice in the mountains, a hole within the deeprock, under a great tree's roots in a vast forest. Do anything to hide far away from attention. It may give you time before the other candidates are given free rein to deal with you for being a danger to Mythokos. I assure you the others who will be declared the Five Heroic Candidates henceforth will be eager to put you out of your misery and madness. Though how long it takes them depends on how well you hide. I doubt it’ll take them long. [Exits the Tutorial] … Congrats, you've earned the title The Dark Candidate! You've been granted [12] points to Endurance, [12] points to Agility, and [12] points to Charisma to help you run and lie your way into hiding. You're going to need it. Also, unless you say it, only those with Advance Identify or diviner magic will see your title. (This is an automatic achievement among many. The System doesn’t want to reward you points or wish you congrats, but this can’t be deleted or rolled back. Let this be the last time you achieve anything).

 

Rhonda reached out to the air where the message prompt had been. She imagined grabbing the System in whatever form it took. She saw herself ripping it apart piece by piece before stuffing the remains into her mouth. The System would be alive throughout the process as she slowly and thoroughly ate it.

She wanted to eat the System so badly it triggered her already hungry stomach to roar angrily. Frustrations mounting, Rhonda turned to the wall she had busted through and punched it to widen it. She moved over to another path of the wall and punched stones to smithereens. She would continue like that for a while until her fatigue was too much.

Then she collapsed against the creeping green vines that covered the aged manor. From her seat, Rhonda placed her face into her hands, half-sobbing, half-screaming. She felt like there was no end in sight to her perpetual torment, and she had no idea what to say to Londa now that they were ousted as… invalids, psychopaths, mentally ill villains.

What happened to resting on a stone floor, enjoying the sensations of a new body, and only rousing to retrieve food?

Rhonda…

“I had no rebuttal in store for that, Londa,” Rhonda said hoarsely. “I let it trample me, and I could not stop it.”

That’s what they do, Rhonda. That’s what the people in power do. They’ll use every tactic to break you. Physically or mentally. This… is nothing new.

Rhonda sobbed a little harder.

It’s okay, dear. Let it out. I’m glad you’re crying because you’ve been through a lot. But once the tears go, I’ll… I’ll need you to do what you do best, my queen. Be the strong one while I be your support.

After Rhonda cried herself out, her hunger became too much for her to sit around and wait. Her eyes were puffy still, but she could clearly see there was a whole wide world out there worth exploring.

Before she got started, she saw two large bodies standing at the wall's destroyed sections from the corner of her hazy vision. When she turned to look, she swore the figures were her father and her mother. They were waving farewell. Then she blinked, and they were gone.

Rhonda raised a hand and waved farewell at the space where her character’s parents had been last seen. She made a small promise she would investigate the matter of her character’s background more thoroughly in the future.

Rhonda sniffled. She inhaled deep, mediative breaths to recenter herself. She focused. “Londa, do we still have access to all of our stats?”

Yes, mistress.

“Okay, before I relay what we’re going to do, I want to start by saying sorry.”

Rhonda, you don’t have to.

“I must, Londa.” Rhonda clenched a quivering fist against her chest. “I’m sorry you had to endure my insufferable savagery while I was lost in my gluttony to consume Garmr. I’m sorry I allowed the System to slander us, discredit us, and call us… invalid.”

Rhonda hissed through gritted teeth, anger flaring. “I am not strong enough. But I will grow stronger somehow, so you will see me as the hero you want, and I can enjoy myself no matter who comes after me.”

I… I believe in you, Rhonda. I don’t care what anyone thinks about us. We help each other cope, and we’re there for each other. With that said, I don’t want you to strain yourself trying to level up, okay? My goddess should still relax and enjoy herself no matter what.

“I’ll try, but I imagine it’ll be hard one way or the other,” Rhonda said. “I must ask… was I right to defy them?”

Yes. I’m not even going to talk on that, Big R. You are one hundo percent right.

Rhonda nodded slowly. “T-thank you, Londa.” She shifted uncomfortably. Halted. Then she raised her head and put on a brave face.

“Going forward, my dear, you will be in charge of distributing points as you see fit. I think you have a knack for it. I will focus on our survival against whatever challenge awaits us. That doesn’t mean we can’t have helpful input in either area. It means we both will be masters of our respective parts regarding our character, the Noble Giantess Progeny.”

Yes, ma’am!

“Our goals are simple, at least in theory. We are to find a suitable class. We are to explore this world, level up, and evolve. Then we find a place we like and call it home and eat anyone who disturbs us.”

So you do want to evolve.

“I do. But I feel like the System was rushing me into a bad evolution. I can feel it. Something in my Bloodline isn't excited to evolve this earlier.”

Well, level 20 isn’t far away.

“Indeed,” Rhonda said.

Cool with me, mama bear. All I got to say is when you get a chance, take a look at your stats. All of it. That way, we’re on the same page because our future relies on maxing out what you're good at now that all your bases are covered with the new points plus my additions. Now it will pay way more for you to pump up Strength, Vitality, and Perceptions primarily. Then we favor Endurance second. If we can spare the points, we can dip some in Intelligence or Faith. While the System turned out to be another jackass, what it did for us in the faith department was good.

“Thank you for handling the stats, my dear, and in regard, I am thankful. But that doesn’t resolve the System from being a proponent of my abuse, my attempted enslavement, and my mental attack,” Rhonda said. “Call me villain, call me crazy, but I’ll continue to retain my individuality as Rhonda with you by my side, Londa.”

With that declared, she stepped off into a new journey. It would be a challenging adventure. There was no getting around that for the lazy, hungry giantess. She had to find food, safety, and an instructor for a class of her choosing⁠. I’ll learn an even greater class than the ones offered, preferably one that allows me to defeat my enemies while I sleep.

Or can summon me as a big baddie of a companion so I can catch your enemies for you, my lady!

Then we can eat our enemies together, curl up together, and nap as long as we want.

Oh my Gaawwwwd, so awesome! Scary. But awesome!

Rhonda chuckled. She was certain there was more out there than what the System was letting on. Maybe the evolution she would get at level 20 would be way better than what she was being peddled at during the Tutorial’s end. She was now as confident in this as she felt about finding more novel ways to delight herself soon.

She may be the dark candidate pitted against difficult odds, but a lady need not fight for her survival and abstain from her simple pleasures.

 

Basic Info⁠— Level: 14 Titles: The Dark Candidate Race: Noble Giant Progeny Size: Huge (17 feet tall) Status: Hungry Job(s): None Gear: [Noble Giant Progeny Gambeson], [Noble Giant Progeny Wool Trousers], [Noble Giant Progeny Chainmail Skirt], [Noble Giant Progeny Boots], [Noble Giant Progeny Prankration Cestus Gloves], [Noble Giant Progeny Pelt], [Noble Giant Progeny Satchel of Holding], [Noble Giant Progeny Survivor’s Knife], [Locket of the Hard Ice], [Belt of the Soft Blaze]. Inside Satchel: 1 Mother's Pelt, 1 Round Mirror, 1 Waterskin (empty), Giant's Gold (50 coins), Blank Parchment (100 sheets), Large Quills (2), Large Inkwell (half-filled), and space for 33 other distinct items.

Quirks⁠— Noble Giant’s Blood Giantkin Language Universal Speech Basic Identify Basic Long Stride Basic Rester Necrotic Tolerance Minor Fire Resistance Basic Knife Handling Basic Martial Arts

Attribute Points Total [ 261 ] and Attribute Points Unspent [0]— Strength: 56+[4+1] ⁠—> 66 Vitality: 74+[4+1] ⁠—> 84 Endurance: 31+[4+12] ⁠—> 47 Agility: 2⁠+[2+12+10] ⁠—> 14 Perception: 7+[4] ⁠—> 11 Intellect: 2⁠+[2+6] ⁠—> 10 Charisma: 2⁠+[2+12+10]—> 14 Faith: 1+[10+4] ⁠—> 15

Abilities and Ability Points [1]-- [Ravenous Insight] || lvl 3 Passive || Eat an enemy (partially or wholly) and gain a moderate boost in Strength and Vitality, a moderate boost in Endurance, and an extra-large boost in Perceptions while fighting the same enemy species you’ve consumed. This is limited to 1 enemy species within the local area⁠—the effect diminishes once you leave that area or eat a different enemy species. [Healthy Eater] || lvl 5 (Maxed) Passive || Eat your enemies (partially or wholly) and raise your regen rate and stamina recovery by 200%. As long as you’re chewing, swallowing, and digesting an enemy, the effect will run its course inside or outside combat. [Cornered Beast] || lvl 1 Passive || When harmed and dropped below 25% health by an enemy species that you’ve eaten using [Ravenous Insight], put your back close to an obstacle as large as you or larger. You only need to do so for a second. Then you will receive an extra-large boost to your Agility until your health returns to 50% or you kill the enemy that has hurt you the most. The effect will also end outside of combat and/or when you start resting.

 

This concludes The Tutorial Arc. See you in the next one, The Exploration Arc!