Chapter 23

　　It took Kal half a dozen attempts to hit the glass bottle, a depressing amount of tries that damaged his ego. The second bottle only took three shots, which was much better, if only compared to his previous record.

　　Running out of bottles to practice on and with his pocket stuffed with bullets, he searched for Rottes. Kal wasn`t sure what they looked like or how many he would need to shoot, but it couldn`t be too hard, not if it were in the tutorial.

　　As he trudged through the wheat field, the sun shining overhead, Kal appreciated how real this game was. He could easily forget he was in a simulation if it wasn`t for the HUD and the few fake elements, like the NPCs.

　　After only a few minutes of searching, he found his first Rotte. They were similar to rats, only much bulkier. It was the size of a housecat, with brownish fur, sharp claws and long teeth like a beaver. The Rotte was using a stalk of wheat to construct a nest, and its activities had left a swath of destruction in the farmer`s field.

　　Hefting his Rifle, Kal carefully aimed at the creature as it was sniffing and pawing at the ground. With a loud bang,` his shot missed the animal, striking the ground a few feet away. The Rotte, startled by the sound, perked its head up and froze, staring at Kal.

　　Shaking his head at the action, he reloaded, carefully aiming at the animal again before firing. This time the shot struck true, hitting the virtual creature in the torso. It keeled over, the bullet penetrating its body before disappearing into motes of light.

　　1/4 Rottes eliminated.` The words flashed at the top of Kal`s vision.

　　"Well. That was easy. Hopefully, they`re all like that." Kal whispered, lifting the rifle by its strap and slinging it across his shoulder.

　　He spoke too soon. The next animal was on the edge of the field, shuffling slowly along as it appeared to be searching for something.

　　Kal aimed carefully, kneeling on the ground to get a steadier shot. The rifle cracked, the bullet arcing too high, sailing past the Rotte and entering a forest on the other side of the fence.

　　Again and again, Kal tried to shoot the moving creature, each time getting closer. Whether the animal was deaf or simply headless of his presence, it didn`t change its pattern. Likely a feature of the tutorial` allowing him to practice against a moving target.

　　After the eleventh attempt, his bullet struck the Rotte in the head, blasting it into motes of light and changing his ranking in the quest to 2/4.

　　"This is going to take forever." Kal whispered, hefting the rifle and searching for the next one. It took him an hour to find and eliminate the four Rottes, earning him 100 credits and the rifle as a reward.

　　Leaving the farmhouse, Kal decided against continuing for today. He was getting tired, the strain behind his eyes becoming almost unbearable.

　　Focusing on his real` body, he tapped the terminal`s red End Session` button. The lid of the VR Terminal retracted, freeing him from the confines of the casket.

　　"So, how was it?" Talha asked, looking up from her datapad as Kal climbed out of the pod. He looked tired, the session had lasted a couple of hours, and she knew from experience that it was draining until you become accustomed to using it.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

　　"I`m terrible." Kal replied, explaining his experience at the cabin, learning to navigate the environment, to his awful aim against the Rottes. The redhead laughed as he recounted his adventure.

　　"Don`t worry. You`ll improve. The tutorial is designed to get you on your feet. You`ll be running and gunning like a pro in no time." Talha assured him, grinning at the frown on his face.

　　"I think I need help if I`m to improve quickly. Do you think you can give me some pointers?" Kal asked. It was galling to know he was inadequate at something, especially in a needed skill intricately tied to his title of Baron.

　　He needed to be able to defend Caledon, and this was the first step in learning how.

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　　The next few days went rather quickly as Kal settled into a routine. True to her word, Talha trained with him in the mornings, sometimes joined by Tamara or Elric. They covered the basics of combat: How to hold a weapon and calm his breathing to aim better, as well as simple tactics to use in battle.

　　Kal trained physically through callisthenics, workouts or in unarmed combat sparring with Talha. He was in excellent shape, his genetics would never allow him to be soft or fat, but he was unused to the exertion of combat.

　　His afternoons were spent with Sylla, either reviewing the study material she had provided or going over the governmental business.

　　Repairs on the estate were progressing well, and each day brought increased stability to Caledon. Soon, he would have the basics of government in place all across the planet, with his people in place to enforce Imperial Law.

　　Best of all, business was returning to the planet. According to Sylla`s economists, Caledon`s economy would be recovering to the level it had been before Kal`s arrival in less than a year. It was fantastic news considering the turmoil he had caused since his return.

　　Merrick Tan was ecstatic, stating that his superiors would be very interested in further investments given some more time. Miranda already had several ideas on where that capital would be spent.

　　In the evenings, Kal would re-enter the VR Terminal, using what he had learned in his morning training. It was a daily cycle of applying what he learned in the mornings and finding areas he needed to improve in the evenings.

　　In New Haven, he spent hours helping the NPCs of the town with their quests. There were dozens of them, all in varying degrees of difficulty.

　　In one memorable quest, Kal helped a woman retrieve a lost item on the outskirts of town, only to be assaulted by a swarm of large insects. He had been handed a long stick by the woman, and spent a few minutes swinging wildly at the pests, driving them away.

　　He shot more of the Rottes around town with his rifle, earning him more Credits that could be used in the local shops.

　　Another mission had him fighting the town drunk in the market square before a crowd of onlookers. To his shame and Talha`s amusement when he told her later, it had finally taken him three attempts to defeat the man.

　　In all his plans of reconquering Caledon and leading its armies to protect his home, Kal never expected to brawl with a shirtless drunkard in the streets while strangers cheered him on. At least it motivated him to learn how to defend himself in his morning training sessions.

　　At last, after three days, Kal completed all the available quests in New Haven. For his efforts, he had several new items. The Shops had only a small selection of weapons and armour, which Talha had explained would expand once he left the tutorial section.

　　After handling all the weapons and visiting the attached firing range at the rear of the building, Kal selected a compact Laspistol. It felt comfortable in his hand, packed a punch relative to its size, and its battery capacity meant he would only need to carry a few cartridges.

　　With a holster on his new belt, he matched his weapon with a set of very worn, very hand-me-down body armour. Grey and faded, with patches and tears from its previous owners, it covered his torso and provided minimal protection against direct attacks from firearms.

　　He combined it with a helmet in a matching colour. It left his face exposed but covered his head adequately. Having spent all his credits and exhausting all the quests, Kal went to the only transport available off planet, and out of the game`s tutorial section.

　　His last sight of New Haven was from an outdated shuttle that made the one that carried him from prison look practically new. Kal stared down at the planet as he travelled to a waiting starship. The whole process only took a few minutes.

　　Arriving at an empty Starship, something that would not happen in the real universe, it jumped immediately, carrying him to a more populated planet, where new adventures and players waited.