As the time neared zero for the beginning of wave ten, I sent the admins a quick request to purchase the Rare quality Affinity Seed Turret. It cost nearly half of our current wave coins, but with my affinity being what it is, I figured I could use it to break the system. Again.

  They agreed, and it grew from the adamantine wall. A thick vine coiled around to form the base, branching out to first form the gunner seat. Tiny sprouted vines formed complex runes that spread from the seat to the firing mechanism, which appeared as the knot of a gnarled tree, but open wide enough that I could see the vertical grips. The gun section grew out as a large bulb a meter in diameter that sprang to life as the vine-runes grew over it.

  I could feel the power emanating from the turret and I excitedly sat in the gunner seat. The ground rumbled as the tenth wave’s enemies, but I couldn’t focus on what we had to face as the turret connected to my core.

  HUNGER!

  Upon the vines beginning from my seat, the vibrant green shifted as veins of the deep crimson spread up into the grips, which expanded and split into four to accommodate my physical composition.

  HUNGER!

  My affinity veins reached the bulb and it expanded, swelling to twice the original size before the outer petals bloomed and rolled as the bulb split into four smaller bulbs.

  HUNGER!

  The four bulbs expanded to a meter in diameter as the original and vicious teeth sprouted from each bulb’s core.

  Affinity Seed Turret, Rare, has been overtaken and altered by the core of the All-Devourer, becoming the Devouring Bloom Turret, Ancient.

  I roared excitedly as I looked out, only to find that there was nothing there.

  “Armies to the west and east!” the shouts echoed from the scouts.

  FUCK!

  I focused on the turret’s support, trying to find any way to get some use out of this damned turret.

  MY TURRET!

  HUNGER!

  The vine of the turret’s base, now the full crimson of my hunger affinity, unraveled and lifted me a meter into the air as the flashing light of skills and spells erupted into the enemy waves. The heavy vine thickened and split into four sturdy legs that branched out and jointed like a spider’s. I roared my success as I willed the turret forward.

  The Devouring Bloom’s legs stuck to the side of the wall and I skittered down. Small puffs of dust accompanied the landings of my veloci-labradors, who nodded and barked at me in anticipation. They hadn’t needed to fight before, and probably didn’t now, but I welcomed them nonetheless.

  “Let’s go!” Bill leapt up and grabbed the back of my seat, with his thick claws, tongue lolling between his rows of sharp teeth.

  Stolen story; please report.

  We sped around to the west, the veloci-labradors more than capable of keeping up with my skittering turret. There were no more of the weaker chimpcrete rapscallions in the army, and it had fewer total enemies, but the gorilla cretins, now Level 32, were amassed and stood at 3,000 per side, alongside 2,500 of the steelflame bulls, now Level 30.

  My pets were still Level 80, maintaining a huge gap, and they tore gorilla and bull asunder with reckless abandon, easily dodging any incoming blows with their high agility.

  My turn.

  I squeezed the upper right trigger, felt the pull from my pool of Stamina, and the upper right bulb opened wide, a thin vine like a tongue lancing out to peirce through the chest of the nearest gorilla cretin. As it began to slump, the vine wrapped around it and lifted it off the ground, pulling inexorably to the bulb expanding wide to eagerly envelope my first turret kill. I felt the surge of internal energy as the bulb quickly shrank back, consuming the entire beast nearly instantaneously.

  “Feed me, Seymour!” I shouted as I set my turret to work. Flames buffeted me from blasting bull breath, but I endured the brunt and brutally retaliated, pulling bull after bull into my awaiting bulbs. Steel balls and spikes crashed ineffectually against me and my turret from the cretins. They, too, soon joined my pathways.

  I had to pause occasionally for a minute or so to allow for my stamina to regenerate, but I quickly turned the western battlefield into a slaughterhouse before making a mad dash to the east to do the same. Around a half hour of violence later, we received the notification.

  Tutorial Time Remaining: 29 days, 15 hours, 37 minutes.

  Survivors: 801/2000.

  WAVE 10 COMPLETE! Next Wave to commence in 8 hours. Records received.

  QUEST UPDATED.

  Waves Survived: 10/100.

  Tower Health: 100%.

  Wave Coins: 1,019,000.

  Survivors within your designated Tower Area: 801/801.

  Somewhere in the chaos, we had our camp’s first death from the waves. As we all began to wind down, the battlefield was scoured. I used Devouring Bloom to help clear the field, and it didn’t take long to find them. One of the fire mages from Sarah’s group, who looked like a humanoid salamander wearing orange robes stained with dirt and blood, had been pierced through in many places by the rebar spikes of the cretins. We cleaned him up and laid him onto one of our medical cots someone had moved near the Rejuvenation Portal. Sarah stood before everyone and spoke.

  “Like Selka said when this started less than a day ago, we’re going to lose people. This tutorial is fucking terrible, and it’s temporary, so as much as it pains me to do this,” I had a weird feeling as she turned to look directly at me, “Dan needs to eat all of our dead.”

  The noise of the crowd spiked as people began to protest. I completely understood, naturally, as the concept of eating people didn’t often sit right with most people before the System showed up. It would have horrified me just as much back then. At least no one tried to attack me or the others in the heat of the moment.

  The crowd quieted somewhat as Bethany stepped beside her sister and raised her hand, “My sister’s right. There’s no purpose in keeping with our old human traditions. None of us are humans anymore, after all.”

  I rubbed the back of my head, very uncomfortable with this. I shrugged and nodded, “I will do this, but only if their friends or family will allow me. Also, you should know that I can only benefit from the consumption if it has been less than an hour since they passed.”

  “Let’s get to it, then. We will do this inside the tower so no one has to see it. None of Kris’s family made it this far.” The muttering of the crowd shifted to reflection as we wheeled Kris into the tower.

  You have devoured Level 55 Salaman Flamestriker. Their highest stat was Intelligence. Your base Intelligence has increased by 6 points. Bonus stats from eating a Salaman Flamestriker of a higher level than yourself. All stats increased by 3. Bonus experience earned.

  DING! Profession: Neophyte Enchanter has increased from Level 43 to Level 46.

  DING! Race: Omnis Vorare has increased from Level 52 to Level 54.

  Your stats have reached a new threshold. Common rarity magic items no longer grant stat increases.

  After that awkward business was completed, we set about preparing the camp for the continuing war.