Hell Difficulty Tutorial
Chapter 614 – Fake AF

It's the fourth day, and in an effort to keep things running smoothly on this floor, I follow my schedule. That means I do as Professor Elian asks and head to the lesson with Ari and Kays.

Fixing up my clothes, I arrive just in time, and my entrance causes all conversation to stop. Ari, Kays, and Melo all turn to look at me as I move to stand behind the desk at the front. I stop there and face them.

“My name is Nathaniel Gwyn, Assistant Professor under the tutelage of Professor Elian. A pleasure, I suppose,” I say, mirroring the formal introduction I once observed from that insufferably self assured blonde Professor.

I continue, “Today’s lesson concerns basi... advanced topics.”

My suit is immaculate, as is my hair, which I had styled earlier. My tone is calm, though I make a deliberate effort to sound authoritative. And I deliberately let a bit of mana seep into the room, just enough to show off.

I take a few steps and come to a stop in front of Kays. “Your name, if you would.”

“K-Kays,” he stammers.

“Good. Now then, Kays, you suck.”

“What?!” he shouts, then quickly lowers his voice, “What?”

“From the moment I entered this room, I’ve been interfering with your mana, and you’ve failed to notice. I didn’t even have to put all that much effort into it.” I say, lowering my voice and narrowing my eyes at him. “In a real battlefield scenario, you would’ve already been dead.”

Whatever complaints he had vanish. I pause dramatically, taking a moment to come up with more nonsense to amuse myself, all the while remembering the way Kays treated me in the first loop.

For the next twenty minutes, I make him try to detect the methods I’m using to disrupt his mana until he starts sweating. The whole time, I find myself surprised by how different his behavior is from the first loop. The only thing I can think of to explain it is my grand entrance and faked confidence.

I guess first impressions really do matter.

When I leave him, he sits down, breathless and clearly relieved to be left alone.

I stop in front of Ari, who’s been watching me with an expression of interest flickering behind her eyes, “Your eyes are pretty, Assistant Professor Gwyn. Is it a trait?” she asks, smiling even more.

"Yes. It allows me to see through other people’s nonsense,” I reply in the same authoritative voice I’ve been using from the start.

Then, for another twenty minutes, I do the same to her as I did to Kays. I use it as a chance to form a better evaluation of the overall power level and talent among the students.

I also try to make her slip, just in case she happens to be looping too. Unfortunately, I notice nothing. Either she isn’t looping, or her mask is flawless.

When the lesson ends, both of them leave ahead of me. I stay seated behind the table, looking out the window, thinking and planning. The thermonuclear warhead should be on track to be stolen today. And I’ll let it happen, I won’t even watch, or try to stop it. I’ve already made that decision.

Tomorrow is the lesson where Elian is going to ask me to release my mana. I might release a bit more or play around with it to see how he responds and test the students’ reactions. The day after that, I might go to the library to meet Min-Jae, and possibly Tyven, who Min-Jae said should be there.

Then the day after that, the Champion will visit. I need to decide what to do about that.

Done thinking, I get up and head outside. I’ve already sensed her signature, so I’m not surprised to find Ari waiting by the door, leaning against the wall.

“Assistant Professor Gwyn, isn’t it rude to make a young lady wait this long?”

I slide back into Professor Mode and give her my best annoyed-professor look, “How may I assist you?”

She giggles, covering her mouth with two of her six hands. The whole time, joyful flames flicker in her eyes.

When she lowers her hands, she’s grinning. “I liked you more during your first loop.”

In a second, dozens of thoughts flash through my mind.

Maybe I should pretend not to know. Maybe I should play dumb, like some of the natives do when anyone brings up system-related stuff. Maybe I should act like a grumpy professor.

None of those fit me.

“Let’s talk somewhere else,” I say.

“I can’t,” she says, shaking her head with a hint of a smile. “But I bet you’re curious, Assistant Professor Gwyn. I’ll answer one of your questions for free, so go ahead and ask.”

“How many loops?” I ask.

That question appears to amuse her, and she imitates my manner of speech, “That reveals quite a bit about you. You choose to indulge your curiosity before anything else. You must be an exceptionally inquisitive individual.”

She nods seriously, but at the same time, it looks playful. Then she answers in a quieter voice, “Over one hundred.”

Oh boy.

“Surprised, are you? We can speak more later. For now, I must take my leave. After our next lesson, we shall continue this conversation.” She continues in the same style.

“You said that again. Why do you have to go?”

She turns to leave, and that impish expression returns to her face. I can tell she is about to drop something big.

“If I break my schedule, the others will find me.” She locks eyes with me. “I hope you didn’t think I was the only one looping.”

Then she’s gone, and I’m left with even more questions spinning wildly in my mind. At this point, I don't even know what the hell is happening.

I fucking love this floor.

When I try to share the information I just acquired in the Community, most of it gets censored. That hasn’t happened since we started the floor, and there can only be one reason it has now. Someone else from the fifth round must have cleared the seventh floor and entered the eighth.

Good things never last.

I toss a few insults in the Community, mostly aimed at Savant, who I expect to have made it through. Of course, he stays silent. Then I leave my room so the thermonuclear warhead can be stolen without interference.

Along the way, I run into the twins. I fill them in so that they can pass the information on to the others, along with my theories, and many questions. I also ask them to quietly involve others in tracking Ari’s schedule, but I emphasize that they must avoid bringing too much attention to themselves or Ari. I repeat that until I can be sure they’ll be extremely careful.

Later, as night settles, I break whatever rule of the Academy bar flight and lift myself to the top of one of the tallest towers in the Academy.

Its roof is open and clearly serves as an observatory, having been set up with an array of tools for watching the night sky. I climb onto the wall, let my legs hang over the edge, and watch as soft lights slowly switch on all around the Academy, illuminating the paths and any rooms that happen to still be in use.

It’s peaceful, unlike my mind and all the thoughts running through it.

Accompanied by one of the evil orbs, I sit there and continue to take in the view as the night progresses and lights take over the role once held by the sun. Even now, there are people walking around, those who, like me, don’t tend to sleep much. But almost as if they had some particular respect for the night, they remain quiet, with a solemnity that’s clearly absent during the day.

Out of boredom, I quickly attempt to estimate the length of time Ari could’ve been looping. Assuming each loop averages ten days, my rough calculation puts it at around three years.

There’s a lot I want to ask her.

As always, there’s much to be done in the following days. Lessons to attend, floor mechanics to exploit, shards to spend, skill combinations to explore, mysteries to uncover.

A demon professor to challenge to a fight. A library to explore. The Crafting Zone to check out.

A fellow mana Amplificator, and her pet with the ridiculously adorable name Lulu. At this point, are we not best friends? Two brilliant minds who clearly think alike?

I lean back, gaze straight up, and use mana to enhance my sight as Tess taught me, observing the night sky. It’s almost funny to see it that way, especially knowing that it is fake and that just a few miles above, there’s probably a barrier marking the edge of the floor.

It’s fascinating that someone managed to create this. I don’t care if they are a Ruler or used some kind of limited system access to hijack parts of its mechanisms. It is still incredible. The sheer amount of energy, mana or not, required to sustain it must be astonishing.

And then there’s the system itself, with a tutorial that incorporates entire planets and beings such as Absolutes. At some point, we have to admit that these powers are truly godlike.

I want them. I want to be able to do this sort of thing as well.

And one day, I will.

POV Earth

A few shouts ring through the bar, and conversations end as most of the patrons turn towards the TV, and the barman raises the volume.

Displayed on the screen is a live broadcast. A female reporter, seated inside a helicopter, speaks directly into the camera. The wind buffets the aircraft, and her voice comes through slightly shaken.

"We are currently flying over what used to be a remote stretch of savannah in northern Kenya," she says. The camera shifts to the window beside her. Below, the plains seem to stretch on endlessly, dotted with massive structures.

The ground is peppered with anthills.

Not the small, dirt covered mounds one might normally see. These ones tower as high as trees, some of them reaching two or three stories tall. Their surfaces are hardened with a texture reminiscent of ancient clay, and riddled with twisting entrances.

Giant ants move across the savannah in endless trails. Each one the size of a small dog or large housecat, their carapaces gleam dark brown with a chitinous sheen under the sun. Thousands march together in long, flowing lines, moving with a coordination that looks almost unnatural.

A zebra tries to run across an open space, already wounded, and the camera zooms in just as a group of ants take notice of its passage. In seconds, they break formation and chase her. The zebra’s efforts are pitiful, and the ants catch up to her, surrounding her in seconds and start crawling over her body, burying the beast in a mass of shifting legs and biting mandibles.

The zebra screams one last time, and then there is only the rustle of clicking insect limbs.

The reporter’s voice returns, strained now. “I have to admit... I am not feeling well. I’ve had no issues with food or water, but something is wrong with me. Since I came here, I’ve been seeing things. Screens appear in front of me, almost like video game pop-ups. It’s been happening to our entire crew.”

Her hands are visibly trembling. She presses her fingers against her temples.

She pauses to take a breath. The camera briefly pans over to the pilot, his expression cold and focused as he controls the helicopter. Light spills into the cabin before the cameraman turns back to the reporter.

“We’re seeing more movement to the south,” she continues. “Another mound is opening up. More of them are coming out. At this point, we estimate there to be upwards of thousands of ants, and they just keep expanding. There are no signs of them stopping, and rumors of planned bombardments are already circulating. The borders of the region have been heavily militarized, lethal force has been authorized to prevent any spread. Unconfirmed reports suggest that several allied major powers are providing satellite support, using their military assets to track the movement of the Colony.”

Her voice drops. “I don’t think this is a local phenomenon anymore. There are reports coming in from all over the world about strange animals. A moose the size of a small house was seen near the Yukon, wolves in the Carpathians are being reported at twice the normal size, along with crocodiles in the Nile dragging entire boats under. Elephant herds in central India have started to act with military coordination. Something is changing, and I don't even need to talk about all the new kinds of metal or incredible trees we’ve been discovering just these last few weeks, and...”

Her voice cracks on the last word. The broadcast lingers on her face for a second longer than it should, then cuts back to the studio. After a moment, the network shifts to a still image of the African plains with a brief message at the bottom:

Coverage will resume shortly.

Back in the bar, no one speaks for a while. A glass clinks against the counter. Someone clears their throat.

Then the sound returns. Conversations resume, if a little quieter than before.

POV Earth

"Colonel Jonathan Kane, we have completed our testing, and I’ve brought you the report."

"Stand at ease," the Colonel says, taking the thick file. It’s heavy with printed documentation, mostly photos, thermal scans, sensor data, graphs, and hastily written analysis. He begins flipping through the pages without looking up. "What conclusions did you come to? Talk freely and briefly."

"The individual code named Channeler demonstrated impressive capabilities. Surprisingly, he did not object to any part of the testing process."

The Colonel raises an eyebrow. "Of course he didn't. He knows exactly what he represents. The more we see, the more impressed we are, and that works in his favor. He’s shrewd, no doubt about it."

"I agree, sir. He makes a very strong candidate for controlled exposure to the public, if we decide to distance the army from everything that’s been happening."

Kane closes the folder and taps a finger on the cover. "Unfortunately, I suspect he’s already taken. Now tell me, how does he compare to the returnees we’ve profiled so far?"

The officer straightens his posture slightly before answering.

"He’s far beyond anything we’ve seen so far. His armor is fully powered by mana and integrates seamlessly with his body. We haven’t encountered any other returnee with equipment this purpose built or stable. In terms of speed, strength, and defense, he outperforms every known returnee by so much it’s not even funny. At this rate, we expect his advantage to hold for at least a year, possibly two."

He pauses briefly.

"He was clocked running at sixty miles per hour on flat ground without strain, and it didn't even seem to be close to his limit. He flipped over a ten ton transport vehicle as part of a stress test. Our scientific observers suspect that the armor’s performance adjusts itself automatically depending on the user's intent."

Colonel Kane remains silent for a few moments, absorbing the information.

"And his weaknesses?"

"None that we could confirm, at least not physical ones and certainly not while he was wearing the armor."

Kane leans back in his chair and sets the report down, murmuring to himself, "To create a suit of armor like that after only two years in a tutorial that’s meant to take five..."

"Sir?"

"Never mind. You’re dismissed. And, check on Miss Thalia Gwyn. Make sure she’s..." He pauses, then shakes his head. "Forget it. I’d rather handle it personally."

POV Channeler

"Rafael, are you sure about this? The Army might not like it." Anna asks, turning to me with that worried expression she always makes.

I smile at her in a way I know will calm her down. "It's fine. I've thought it through. There are already too many reports coming out of the other countries. It's becoming impossible for anyone to hide this anymore. We should start now. It will make things easier later."

She nods. “If you think so.” Then she picks up her laptop and leaves to upload another set of videos across a multitude of platforms. Most get taken down, of course, but we’ve hired people to help manage that. Friends, family members of the group, and a few more useful contacts are helping on the side.

I stand up, grab a drink from the fridge, and head over to the living room. I drop onto the couch and set my laptop up on my lap.

In the corner of the room, my armor rests on its rack. I stare at it for a while.

Couldn’t he have made it just a little better-looking?

I sigh, unlock the laptop, and one of Isabella’s short videos starts playing. It is one of her best. I doubt the others have noticed yet, but she has this hidden, devious streak. I could tell how much fun she was having just from the subtle shifts in her expression while she edited the videos.

The video starts with a young man, a pale blue crown floating over his head, two differently colored eyes glowing faintly. There’s a confident, arrogant presence in the way he stands. He has that confident, arrogant air around him, and his every movement radiates with it.

In the first cut, he glances at the camera like he's staring into your soul. The shot zooms in as golden rings form around his pupils. The screen glitches, then starts to shake, and one of those bass heavy, hype songs kicks in.

With each beat drop, the screen flickers and shifts to a new scene. In the next wide shot, he lands hard on a scorched patch of ground, golden flames flickering around him, scorching the air with every step. Another cut shows him rising into the sky in that unnervingly stable way that makes it look less like he’s flying and more like the world is shifting around him. Behind him, a barrage of blue projectiles takes form and launches itself forward, each bolt sending out a shockwave to ruffle his hair.

Afterwards, a few more quick cuts follow. Some are wide-angle closeups, some have been taken from a distance, showing the scale of the damage he leaves in his wake, others zoom in on him or the monsters he faces.

It then ends on the final shot.

He stands perfectly still, eyes closed. His hair slowly fades to white, and the music continues to build. At the crescendo, his eyes snap open, but this time they’re blood red, and for the first time in the video, he smiles. Then the video ends.

I hit replay. Probably for the tenth time today.

Nathaniel’s going to hate it. And even more so, he’ll hate the comments this video has already picked up:

@maddiek47: This is CGI, right? No way this is real

@burner_acc99: I don’t care if it’s fake, he’s hot

@realist2345: weird flex but ok. also fake

@sm1le4mepls: THAT SMILE AT THE END??? I’m dead

@himbo_spotted: not me pausing every time he smirks... send help

@jadedpilot22: lol this is fake af, nice editing tho

@bloodcrow: remind me to never piss off a guy with two eye colors

@thirst_trap_division: I volunteer. For whatever. Anything.

@hisoka: y’all simping for a war crime waiting to happen

@true_returnee69: Noname’s gonna lose his shit over this lmao, RIP whoever did this

@pixelforgeFX: High budget fan film? The VFX is clean but nah

@brickenthusiast94: fake, cringe, overedited trash

@reel_truth_now: You sheeple still think this is CGI? Open your eyes.

@ufowatcher666: Saw some weird stuff in Brazil last week. I'm telling you it's happening

@hotnconfused: idc if he’s fake or not. he could ruin my life, and I’d thank him

@bunkersoonpls: government is definitely hiding something

@catgirlcentral: i can fix him

@staticdancer: this isn’t cgi. I work in cgi. this is something else.

@burnallphantoms: tell me why this has more plot than half of Netflix

@midnight404: not fake. my cousin came back home after two years and told me so. she won’t talk about it now.

He’ll hate it so much.

I take another sip of my drink, glance at the armor in the corner, then back at the screen. I read a few more comments and then close the laptop and lean back.

Let the chaos begin.