《P.A.D. World (Rebirth)》


 Prologue

    "In the beginning there were dragons. And from their lifeless forms came a world amidst the vast universe. Then there were monsters. The world adapted to new life. And soon there were humans. With humans came concept. Concept extended to the countless universes beyond. And then came the God Monsters..." -excerpt from "Endless Corridors"


    <hr>


    He watched the chaos on the monitors. Men in full body armor moved in straight formations down the halls, firing assault weapons at every guard and employee they came across. They overwhelmed sector after sector. No one was spared.


    A few cameras lost signal after a grenade exploded in a testing area. Steel partitions lowered in hallways on two sides to slow the attack. But these men were ready. They burned through the barriers with torches and used portable hacking devices.


    So, this is what happens when corporations conquer the world. The man lowered his gaze and stared at the small disk in his gloved hand.


    He turned to regard another man typing at a computer. His fingers tapped furiously on the keyboard, inputting a number of commands to protect his work. A webcam attached to the central monitor came to life and the man''s face appeared in a window on the screen. Sweat crawled down his face, and he took a few deep breaths in an attempt to compose himself. He planted his hands on the desk. The right words eluded him.


    The mysterious, black-garbed individual stared at the conflicted man from beneath his hood. He knew more about him than he should. Regardless, the knowledge of an individual''s countenance, morals and ideals held little weight in this situation.


    He waited patiently for the man named Shinji Takamura, the creator of the Universal Code; a code that comprised a world much like his own. A code uncovered in the real world.


    Takamura finally lifted his hands, readjusted his thick glasses and stood straight with quivering eyes staring down the camera. The words tumbled from him, many wracked with sobs and some coming out clear and crisp as regret and anger took over. At one point, he jolted as a heavy bang came from the sealed door behind him. Muffled gunfire rattled on the other side.


    When he finished his speech, he turned off the webcam and saved the video file to a flash drive. He pulled the device free with trembling fingers.


    The hooded man watched as Takamura moved to another door on the opposite side of the room. He inserted the drive through a thin slot in the door.


    ¡°Have faith,¡± the strange man said. ¡°They will make it.¡±


    Takamura swallowed hard. ¡°And everyone else?¡±


    ¡°Many will die.¡±


    More tears poured down the broken man''s face. ¡°I-I''m so sorry. For everything.¡±


    The enigmatic individual didn''t acknowledge the apology. He let the disc dance between his fingers as he approached a chair with an array of wires that trailed up to the ceiling. A strange helmet with a blue visor sat on the arm. He slipped the disc into a pocket hidden within his robe and sat in the chair. Before putting on the helmet, he picked up a letter written by Takamura. He didn''t necessarily need to read it though.


    ¡°You gave the Universal Code to Pandora?¡± It was more of a statement than a question.


    Takamura nodded.


    ¡°Good. It will buy the monsters some time.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    The drone of a low siren emitted from a speaker in the corner. It was time.


    He lowered his hood and placed the helmet on his head. The blue visor changed the world''s hue. Lines of strange numbers and commands scrawled across the screen.


    A mechanical female voice spoke in his ear, ¡°Greetings, Player. Are you prepared for departure?¡±


    Before he could answer, Takamura rushed up next to him and snatched the letter from the table. He held up a finger to buy some time and stuck the letter in a paper shredder.


    The next question didn''t surprise the mystery man.


    Takamura licked his dry lips and wiped his face. ¡°Where are you from?¡± he asked.


    The articulate female in the helmet spoke again, ¡°Please select your destination.¡±


    A curious question. Perhaps Takamura truly did understand the meaning behind the Universal Code. Or at least, he knew enough. Maybe one day, the concept of reality might be realized by all.


    ¡°The other real world,¡± the man answered. Then he said, ¡°Destination: Pirugan.¡±


    He vanished.


    <hr>


    Three Days Later......


    Sender: Shinji Takamura


    Receivers: Unknown


    If you are receiving this letter, it means that you are one of the few people in this world that I truly trust with my life. It also means that I am most surely dead.


    What I am about to tell you is of grave importance, and I know that most, if not all, of this letter will be difficult to grasp or believe.


    I am sure you are aware of my company''s crowning achievement: the Universal Code. This Universal Code will be implemented in the massive PADW project; a project that will create a virtual game world unlike any that anyone has ever experienced.


    It is a code that is of our world. It is not born or created from one of our technological achievements. It is the code that comprises the world itself. This is a mistake. I believe I have created a brand new world much like ours with a similar code that allows it to function independently.


    Furthermore, the denizens of this world now have free will.


    They feel hatred, love, happiness, and sadness just like us. They are far too real. I would even argue that they are just as real as any of us. I have conversed with many of them and inquired about their lives. I have observed them and they do not act upon the influence of programs.


    The monsters from the original Puzzle and Dragons...I chose them because of the love that so many people have for them. I was so blinded by my ambitions that I did not foresee the consequences that would result from using the code.


    Here is where I ask for your help, my dear friend. For the sake of our humanity and our existence, I implore you. I know everything I have written so far seems absolutely insane, but it is all true.


    My enemies will stop at nothing to retrieve the Universal Code. Everything hinges on it.


    There are monsters in the other world that you can trust. I have given the Universal Code to one of them. Their names and profiles are at the secret place. You know where it is.


    Find Players who may be sympathetic to the cause. Soon, the beta test for the world will begin. If worse should turn to worst, they may be our only hope.


    I am truly sorry. I am sorry that I surrendered to the temptations that man is so susceptible to. And I am so sorry for involving you and anyone else who is potentially in danger for my mistakes. And please extend my deepest apologies to the monsters of the other world if that ever becomes at all possible.


    Thank you so much my friend, for everything you have done for me up until now. Godspeed.


    ...End of file...


    A man sat in the darkness. The only light in the room was from the small lamp on his desk that illuminated the copy of the letter.


    This was the third time he read it. Much of it seemed to be absolute nonsense, the ramblings of a man who had become too engrossed in a world that was not his own.


    But the code being out of reach was disconcerting. For now.


    After long contemplation, he pulled open the filing cabinet next to his desk and returned the letter to its folder.


    He laced his fingers together on the desk and heaved a heavy sigh. "So, Takamura, you turn to the monsters for aid.¡±


    A clever plan. This would mean that the three corporations involved with the PADW project had no choice but to go through with the beta test. They needed to invite Players who were active on the original app game. Rigging the selection system would be difficult, but Players in the virtual world were needed to ensure the Universal Code''s retrieval.


    ¡°Well played, Takamura. Well played.¡±

 Chapter 1: God Monsters

    ¡°I am Lo. I am the overseer of this world as it comes to fruition. I am the authority of its inhabitants. I bear witness to the code''s evolution. Creator, do you really think these chains can hold me?¡± -Lo (Lady Overlook)


    <hr>


    Present Day


    Caramoc Cove


    Pirugan Continent


    2 Days before launch of PADW


    Pandora knelt before the large chest and released its lock with a wave of her hand. The encroaching chains awoke and whipped violently through the air like crazed serpents snapping at prey. A dark fog crept over the sides of the chest and settled around Pandora''s legs as she spoke inaudible words. Her hands traced the intricate designs along the base, all the way up to the edge of its gaping maw containing an infinite abyss.


    Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead as the unheard incantation began to take affect on the once-dormant powers that resided within. The dark fog that spread throughout the cove retracted slowly as the abyss proceeded to draw back its intangible form.


    A sudden quake of the earth momentarily interrupted her in the midst of the enchantment. She clasped her hands and allowed the fog to pass through her as it returned to its resting place. Her luminous emerald-green hair blew forward as the rumbling drew closer. The chains grew even more frantic and batted each other side to side as they sensed her mounting desperation.


    She took a moment to cut off the incantation so she could focus on the direction of her approaching adversary. Even though she was fairly certain of who it was, it helped to discern the distance of the quakes so she might at least allow herself a moment of relief.


    The relief was not forthcoming.


    He is here.


    She finished her work and sealed the chest as the remaining darkness receded. She grabbed a leather backpack and dumped the contents in front of her. Small gemstones, about the size of one''s palm, clattered to the ground and shimmered in the moonlight. The magic stones were used for nearly everything in this world, and she''d been saving them for just this occasion. One by one, she inserted the stones in three slots engraved in the chest. The stones melded into the ironwork and disappeared.


    The rumbling intensified, and Pandora hastened to embed the remaining stones. She had already infused a large amount, but with the Players arriving, she wasn''t certain how long only a few stones would last. It didn''t matter if it seemed excessive. There was no room for error at this point.


    She heaved a sigh of relief as the last stone vanished. After a few moments of inactivity passed, the chains ceased their violent spasms and began to form organized spirals around her. They stiffened in place and then coiled themselves around the chest. They bulged, tightened and the main body sealed with a metallic click.


    Pandora rose and stared at the now silent box.


    The quakes stopped.


    A massive shape took form in the cave she''d recently left. Even in the darkness, Pandora''s ruby eyes discerned the black masses charging forward at the behemoth''s feet.


    She stood straight with her head raised defiantly as the giant figure halted a few ten yards away. She noticed that the creatures at his feet were knights clad in pitch-black armor, brandishing finely crafted broadswords and pearlescent shields.


    The large monster leaned forward with six absurdly muscular arms and planted his fists on the stone. His form was momentarily shrouded by massive wings that blocked out a considerable portion of the sky when fully extended outwards. He held a black staff with lines of gold in one of the six hands, and another wielded a massive broadsword laced with fire. Four horns protruded from his forehead. Two more, one on each side of his head, thrust straight outwards like curved daggers. The shape of a helmet laid around the horns and a red mask covered the mouth.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    The monstrosity stepped forward slowly and knelt down on one knee. He rested an arm on his bent leg in a carefree manner. The mask folded into a grin.


    The behemoth spoke in a deep, powerful voice, ¡°Mistress of the Bleak Night, Pandora, you have been quite a thorn in my side these past few days.¡±


    Pandora managed to still her shaking hands and allowed herself a smirk. ¡°Oh Satan, you know how I just love playing hard to get.¡± With those words she felt her fear slipping away, replaced by a mix of determination and frustration.


    The one known as Satan visibly frowned at her lack of fear. ¡°I don''t intend to play word games with you.¡± He extended an arm. ¡°Hand over the box, and I spare your fellow God Monsters the misery of banishment to the dungeons.¡±


    Pandora pretended to consider his offer for a moment and placed a finger to her lips. ¡°Oh, such a tempting offer. Why is it that you dark, evil guys always attempt to entice us with mercy, when clearly we can dismiss such a notion before you even utter it? It''s tiresome, but it does buy me some time.¡± Her mouth curled into a grin.


    Satan''s eyes narrowed. As he was about to reply, a heavy blow drove into the side of his head. A well-placed attack that connected outside of Satan''s peripheral vision. The curved blade of the striking weapon cut across his view as it scraped along his helmet. The wielder of the weapon twisted her wrist and drove the blade straight into his face, sending him reeling backwards. The knights at his feet scattered desperately to avoid being crushed by his massive body. He landed in a brief daze, but managed to quickly reorient himself just as a swift kick landed on his other blind side and sent him careening into the cliff overlooking the cove. He let out a gasp that mixed with the faint taste of blood.


    Satan rose and uttered a stream of curses as his assailant landed gracefully a few feet in front of the still-grinning Pandora.


    Pandora''s comrade stood straight and brandished her weapon, an eccentric mix between a halberd and a glaive, with blades resembling a double-edged axe. A curved length of steel thrust dangerously from the axe''s apex, making it a versatile weapon. Its length was nearly double her size. As she readjusted grip, a pair of armored, dark rainbow wings extended from her back. The female warrior threw her ponytail over a shoulder and allowed it to fall its full length to her waist.


    She parted a length of hair that hung over one eye and sized up her opponent. Her expression remained neutral despite the powerful aura that exuded from the large God Monster.


    ¡°It''s good to see you, Leilan,¡± Pandora said. ¡°Though you are a tad late.¡±


    Leilan addressed her calmly as she checked her red and gold combat dress for tears, ¡°Metatron had some last-minute adjustments that needed seeing to.¡±


    Pandora shrugged. ¡°I guess she is known for taking her sweet time.¡±


    Leilan was only half-listening at this point. Satan rose to his full height and glared at the duo. Large azure, translucent rings began to form in his hands, etched with strange archaic symbols. Blue sparks showered around him, and the surge of energy somewhat lifted his spirits.


    ¡°What lousy timing. You Chinese gods are always so irritating.¡± He drew his arms back. The rings split and increased speed. They shrieked with the collision of steel. ¡°Time to tear your wings off, little fire bird.¡±


    Leilan readied herself.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± she breathed.


    Satan prepared to release the deadly rings, but halted his motion as an astonishing white light lit the sky. A low hum emitted from the refulgence and throbbed like a beating heart. It meandered across the sky in a straight line with a distinct purpose. Even Leilan and Pandora could not help gazing at its brilliance. The light took the form of a sphere and settled its image over one of the moons. Its form emblazoned with specs of yellow, consuming the moon''s body.


    A pulse erupted outwards and shook the cove.


    Satan tore his gaze away from the hypnotic display and glared at the two female monsters.


    ¡°It seems we are running out of time,¡± he muttered.


    Leilan turned to Pandora who nodded her assent. ¡°The Players are almost here.¡±

 Chapter 2: Ray

    ¡°I constantly tell them not to look in the box, but they always do anyway. It''s rather amusing.¡± -Pandora


    <hr>


    Seattle, Washington


    United States


    2 Days before launch of PADW


    Emily opened a bound manila folder and carefully removed its contents, as if they would break just by the gentle brush of her fingertips. She laid out the papers and sifted through them one by one, scanning each with sparse intent and typing notes on her laptop.


    It had been a long day, and the temperature was rising from all the individuals packed together in the spacious assembly hall. Nevertheless, she was particularly interested in one of the files that she received.


    File #223: Subject Summary of Completion and Test Recording


    Please submit this form to your supervisor upon completion.


    Subject: Ray Andylon


    Gender: Male


    Blood Type: B


    Height: 5'' 11¡±


    Weight: 175 pounds


    Eyes: Blue


    Hair: Brown


    Note: Eye correction required [Right -2.5 ------ Left -3.25]


    Physical and Endurance Exam Results:


    Cardio: S


    Notes: Subject''s ability to sprint at moderate speed level is consistent. Limitations noted due to slight contraction of bronchial tubing. Subject has history of asthma, and medication with albuterol inhaler has been discontinued for past three years. Excessive, deep air intake may prove problematic for initial login, but negligible with results from intrinsic scans upon transfer. Subject form suggests intense professional training, which was confirmed at the high school level and has been continued to the present.


    Strength: A


    Notes: Subject is competent at lifting heavy objects and shifting between stations with time constraints. Endurance is not an issue. Subject has knowledge of differing exercises and is aware of proper muscle groups for each exercise and operates them accordingly.


    Reflexes: S


    Notes: Subject displays excellent performance when presented with constantly changing situations while maintaining focus. Exercises 1-7 were performed flawlessly with exercises 8-11 receiving only one flaw each. Subject stance was analyzed and, upon inquiry, subject mentioned participating on his high school¡¯s wrestling team. Along with athletic history, a form is attached providing information with specific athletic stats past and current.


    Emily took a moment to glance up from the paperwork. A young man in his early twenties stood before her with a passive expression on his face. His hands were clasped behind him as if he were standing at military attention. His brown hair was slightly disheveled and he wore a black polo fully buttoned. The woman noted his build as well. Lean muscle. Not the show-off gym muscle that some males enjoyed admiring in a mirror. He was built for the endurance described in the report.


    She was supposed to take note of these characteristics. She''d done it for so long that it became a habit with everyone she met for the first time. Even with acquaintances. It never hurt to assess someone''s transformations.


    As she was about to speak, a man approached from behind and tapped her shoulder insistently. His light blue button-down was darkened from all the perspiration under his arms and neck. He motioned to her and she leaned towards him, despite the noise level in the room reaching intolerable levels. She glanced at Ray, who still remained motionless; however, his eyes were roaming almost imperceptibly around the room. No, perhaps it was more along the lines of analyzing.


    She nodded to the man and he made a hasty exit. Her eyes followed him until he approached another man, this one wearing some sort of security uniform, and began speaking frantically about something inaudible. The man in the security suit beckoned for him to follow and they exited the room from an unseen door.


    Emily sat back in her chair for a moment and began to fuss with her ponytail. She knew it was a distracting and unbecoming habit, but she was convinced it helped her thought process. The exchange between the two men was troubling. In any case, Ray didn''t seem to be distracted by it in the least when she made her introduction.


    ¡°As your supervisor for this testing process, I am required to provide you with information that will encourage any inquiries on your part,¡± she said.


    She felt like a broken record, and was convinced she certainly sounded like one. Her words came out fluidly, but they almost felt robotic in a way. Sometimes, it was irritating to just hear her own voice with this job.


    Ray responded with a stiff nod. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Emily smiled. ¡°Ease up, kid. No need to be so tense.¡±


    Ray hid a deep inhale of breath through his nose as he composed himself. He returned the smile. ¡°Right. Got it.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, since this is our first official meeting, allow me to introduce myself. I am Emily Tanner. I will be your supervisor for the virtual world. My job is to go over these files and collaborate with your test instructors to ensure that you are given the proper coding that represents your true ability here in the real world. It will be applied to your person upon entering the virtual world, and it will build upon the levels and stats you gain. Do you have any questions so far? I know we are moving fast, and it''s a pretty wild concept to grasp.¡±


    Ray didn''t take much time to ask his question, even though the question was actually more of a confirmation, ¡°So basically, my ability in the real world has been gauged and it will be applied to me in the virtual world. That is my starting area. The stats and levels will improve upon it from there. Do I have the gist of it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you pretty much got it. The only other thing you''re missing is that you can improve yourself even without gaining levels. Just like you can in the real world.¡± She left a notable emphasis on the word.


    ¡°It seems a little unfair if some people are more athletic or stronger than others,¡± Ray commented.


    Emily appreciated his observation. ¡°In hindsight, it does seem that way. However, you will find that people have capabilities that make you all equals. It depends upon how your unique talents are used that will bring the desired outcome. The intrinsic scans are also in place to determine what your possible innate potential is that you have yet to reach. I assure you that nobody ever reaches their full potential. We hope to bring that out in the virtual world.¡±


    Emily paused as she reflected on her own responses. Strange. This young man had her blathering. The typical concise statements she was used to were gone. His questions sparked her own curiosity.


    I wonder... She dismissed the notion and returned her attention to Ray.


    ¡°Do you have anymore questions?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Only one. Is there someone I can speak to about the database we''ll have later?¡±


    Emily cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Yes, there is a final assembly held the day before you are sent in. You will have some guest speakers who will explain how everything works. If you don''t get some answers you are hoping for, I am sure they will hold separate meetings afterward.¡±


    When no more questions were forthcoming, she went back to examining the forms and scanned through some of the unimportant details: background checks, possible criminal history, highest level of education, they could all wait until a later date. After a quick skim, she reached a report that seized her attention. At first, the letters didn''t quite register in her brain. It was like a calculator input with a formula that defied all the laws of equation it had been taught. She tightened her mouth as she read his intrinsic scan report.


    It didn''t seem possible.


    She slowly looked back up at Ray. ¡°You didn''t look through this folder, right?¡±


    Ray tilted his head. ¡°No. They told us not to. It was sealed anyway.¡±


    Emily nodded and composed herself. ¡°Of course. Sorry, I wasn''t thinking. It''s been a pretty long day.¡±


    She rubbed her eyes and glanced back at the form...


    Intrinsic Scan Analysis Report:


    Subject displays tremendous physical and mental capabilities. Physical capacities include heightened reflexes and situational strength/endurance limiter removals. Circumstantial testing displayed a 97% success rate for limiter removal in dangerous and time-crucial situations (situations and conflict varying upon mental state and source of conflict).


    Mental capabilities were impressive, resolving highly difficult problems and amending provided instructions with opportunities to ascertain flaws and/or enact improvements. Readings indicate unidentified potentials at rates ranging from 87%-99%.


    Subject Final Intrinsic Scan Analysis Score: SSS


    Emily closed and sealed the folder with a special lock she withdrew from a small metal box on her desk. She stared at the folder. It was as if she was seeing through it and still reading Ray''s files. SSS.


    She felt a thought tugging at her, but she couldn''t quite grasp it. It was like someone was dangling the answer at the end of a fishing line constantly being pulled out of her reach. She drew a pen from her pocket, pulled out a stack of notes and wrote a short memo to herself: More research: Ray Andylon, ID 223. She ripped the sticky note off the pile and stuck it in her pocket before extending her hand across the table to Ray.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°You are dismissed. I will see you after the final assembly for a few last-minute instructions. I wish you luck.¡±


    Ray grasped her hand in a firm grip and they shook with one quick motion. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ray grabbed his backpack off the floor, gave Emily a formal nod and proceeded to the cafeteria for dinner. Emily watched him until he disappeared behind the glass double doors at the end of the assembly hall.


    She stared down at her hand. A person''s handshake could tell a lot.


    <hr>


    Ray strode down the crowded hallway and pulled out his cellphone. He missed seven calls: one under the name Keiichi, and the other six under the name Lucy. It was typical of Lucy to call a few times in a row with only a few minutes of space between. Ray grinned when he opened his text message inbox and found ten more texts from her and two from Keiichi. He didn''t see much point in calling them just yet. They were probably at the meet-and-greet he was late for. No point going now.


    The hallway merged with a sky bridge encompassed by glass with a view of the city below. Seattle was bustling with massive crowds of people heading home after a long day of work. The traffic was as horrendous as ever, with cars knit tightly together and evidence of an accident a few blocks up the road. Ray didn''t much like the city. A person couldn''t walk without bumping into twenty or so people before making it across the street. Even the narrow bridge felt uncomfortable as he hugged the railing that lined the glass.


    Ray noticed the jumbo digital screen that overlooked this section of the city. An ad for some sort of shampoo had just ended. Replacing it on the screen was a female wielding a lengthy pole weapon in combat with another female warrior clad in thick armor. The armored female deflected her opponent''s attack with a finely crafted lance. The curved blades attached to the sides of the lance allowed the halberd to drag alongside it and forced the other female''s momentum to carry forward. It was a magnificent battle.


    Just as the armored female prepared to deal a critical side swipe, her lance was halted by a male with a lance of his own, this one a lime green and exuding some form of pestilence. The man in green readjusted his hat and gave the other lance wielder a wry grin. The armored female leaped back and took a defensive stance. As the duo was about to charge her and take advantage of the one-sided battle, a steel arrow cut across their vision and exploded into a nearby boulder, completely decimating it and showering the two surprised warriors in sparks and debris. They turned to their new adversary who stood upon a giant lizard covered in sapphire scales that shined in the dying light. The young male upon his steed gripped the hair on the lizard''s back to steady himself as it charged forward. The armored female moved in unison and as each team was about to clash, a sudden bolt of pale lightning struck between them, sending up a geyser of dirt and stone.


    Both teams gazed at each other curiously and soon became distracted by a great darkness that polluted the sky. A pair of blood, red eyes emerged from the blackness, accompanied by a face with a crimson mask covering its mouth. The monster carried a broadsword seared with flames.


    As the new enemy descended upon them, they brandished their weapons dramatically. At the last moment before each side met, the screen went dark. Golden, fiery letters appeared from all sides of the screen and merged together to form the words Puzzle and Dragons World.


    Ray stared at the screen a little longer as the advertisement shifted to a news bulletin.


    He felt an excited chill run down his spine.


    I won''t let any of this go to waste. He promised himself.


    The cafeteria was crowded, just the way he hated it. Ray''s fellow Players were already seated, and he could pick out their excited conversations concerning what they planned to do once they entered the virtual world. Some of them were showing off their ranks and monster boxes from the previous Puzzle and Dragons, the one for the android and ios released many years ago.


    Man, how long has it been? Ray reminisced.


    He discerned a few key words from specific conversations. They discussed conquered dungeons, teams that were most effective against certain enemies and other achievements. Most importantly, some mentioned potential first monsters they wished to partner with in the virtual world.


    Each Player would get the opportunity to list five monsters he/she wanted when first starting out, beginning with the first as the most desired and the last as least. Ray didn''t know how it was decided who received what monster, but he assumed it had to do with how often the monster was used by the Player in the previous Puzzle and Dragons. He hoped rank didn''t apply. The original Puzzle and Dragons existed for years, but Ray started the game late, due to not owning a cellphone that could run the game. Emulators were banned.


    So basically, he was way behind most of these Players as far as rank was concerned. Nobody had a prayer of catching up to Players who had a two-year head start. In the end though, it was just a number, right?


    He heard a familiar name uttered by one of the Players, ¡°.....Leilan.....¡±


    The name halted Ray in his tracks. It was a name he had discovered during his first few weeks of playing the game.


    He recalled the mixed emotions he felt as he pulled on the gacha machine that released a variety of eggs, all different colors, that could hold one of thousands of monsters:


    With a trembling finger, Ray pulled down on the arm of the gacha machine. A gold egg emerged. Ray stared unblinking as the egg shook a few times. After a brief moment, it burst open with a bright light that consumed the screen of Ray''s phone. As the light diminished, he saw a girl with streaked, amber hair wrapped in a long ponytail. Her Chinese dress was a deep red laced with gold and her small rainbow wings were outstretched, prepared to take flight. She wielded a broadsword burning with an unquenchable fire that mimicked the flames that swirled around her in a controlled circle.


    Ray sat staring at the screen for a long while. Time had become meaningless.


    She had a wonderful smile on her face that exuded an air of confidence, but also hid a reserved kindness. He tapped the screen with a trembling finger and at the top left of the screen it read ¡°God¡± with a red orb, a fire symbol sealed within it. On the character screen it read: Incarnation of Suzaku, Leilan.


    His first God Monster.


    He willed the memory away and grimaced. Not a chance, buddy.


    Just as Ray was about to take a strained step forward, he felt a slight nudge from behind. He could instinctively tell it was not hostile, so he glanced over his shoulder calmly and noted the person behind him. The young man was around his age with short black hair and a similar lean build. He wore a winning smile as he gave Ray a quick wave.


    ¡°Well if it isn''t Keiichi,¡± Ray said.


    Keiichi slapped a hand on Ray''s shoulder and they immediately embraced in a one-armed hug.


    ¡°Dammit man, where have you been?¡± Keiichi asked. ¡°I messaged you a few times but didn''t hear back from you.¡±


    Ray raised his hands apologetically. ¡°Sorry, they held me there longer than I expected. Had some equipment problems.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? That''s a shame. You missed out on the meet and greet. Not that it was anything all that special I guess.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Though I can tell that a bunch of them are going to be taking a dark path. More than I expected.¡±


    Ray motioned for Keiichi to follow him so they could grab some food. He didn''t address the statement outright, but he did take some time to process Keiichi''s words. It was typical of games that had Player vs. Player combat to have some Player Killers, but he was hoping that the focus would be more on conquering dungeons and discovering the secrets of the world. The fact that a lot of other Players were already considering killing others was unsettling.


    Ray and Keiichi grabbed their meal from the buffet line and settled at a high-top table in a corner of the room separated from most of the cacophony. Ray could now get a clear view of the area and noted that there must have been at least a couple hundred people. Some were Players, while others appeared to be staff.


    ¡°So, if we have Player Killers, we''ll need to make sure we don''t draw too much unwanted attention.¡± Keiichi paused. ¡°But you go for the whole rogue thing in these types of games anyway, right?¡±


    Ray shrugged. ¡°Usually, but I may try to join a guild so I can have a decent information network.¡± He sighed. ¡°Which may be a little problematic for someone like me.¡±


    Keiichi nodded solemnly. They were both friends in the original game, so Keiichi knew about the rank issue. Ray''s rank was low. He''d started the game too late, and he didn''t spend much money towards it like others did, which pushed him even further behind.


    ¡°I wouldn''t worry about it,¡± Keiichi said. ¡°If some guilds reject you, then they don''t know what they''re missing out on. You''ve demonstrated some of your skills in the co-op dungeons, and they were damn impressive. Besides, our abilities in the real world will be applied. You might even have an advantage.¡±


    Ray nodded. He was thankful for Keiichi''s support. A newfound confidence built in him.


    If he could have Leilan as a partner...


    ¡°In any case-¡± Ray started.


    He jolted as a tray slammed with a loud bang on the table right in front of his plate. The plate leaped up and somehow managed to hold the food in place. Both Ray and Keiichi reared back in their chairs. Ray was more fortunate than Keiichi. He leaned forward just in time to right himself in his seat, while Keiichi''s chair settled too far back on its legs and dropped him hard to the floor. He lay there sprawled in a heap with his legs dangling above his head.


    The two stared with wide eyes at the newcomer. Her head was lowered and her body trembled. When she looked up, Ray pushed himself towards the corner, cowering in fear while Keiichi covered his face with his shirt and assumed the fetal position.


    ¡°Oh god, she''s here! She''s friggin here!¡± Keiichi sobbed. His voice was nearly raised to a shout.


    A few people turned. Some laughed, while others gave them critical frowns.


    Ray threw his face in his hands. ¡°Gods above, I am so sorry! Whatever my sin, I will amend in any way I can. Your humble servant begs for mercy!¡±


    Someone shouted from a few tables over, ¡°Hail Hera!¡±


    A few others replied with their own cheers of worship, ¡°Praise Metatron!¡±


    ¡°Praise dah sun!¡± The Player who shouted this last bit received a couple slaps to the back of his head.


    Many worshiping Players joined in, adding the names of their favorite God Monsters to the growing list.


    The two fear-stricken boys continued their stammering pleas as the girl eyed them. She finally settled on Ray. She stepped on the metal rungs of his high chair and grabbed him by the collar.


    Keiichi clapped his hands together in prayer, thanking his God Monster for sparing him and sacrificing his friend.


    Ray opened his eyes a sliver. The girl''s mouth quivered. Brown hair settled just past her shoulders and, despite the fact that she was now towering over him, she was rather petite. She was barely an inch from Ray''s face; her sparkling blue eyes bore into him as if analyzing the very depths of his soul.


    Ray finally managed to find his voice. ¡°H-hey, Lucy.¡±


    At the sound of her name, she shook Ray a few more times before embracing him in a devastating hug that should have been impossible for someone of her size.


    ¡°Why didn''t you answer my calls you jerk?¡± She rocked the chair back and forth and Ray''s head collided with the wall a few times.


    Ray strained to breath. ¡°I''m-sorry.¡±


    Keiichi now stood at his side and rested a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Poor Ray. His life was a brief one.¡±


    ¡°Screw-you.¡±


    Lucy turned to Keiichi at the sound of his voice with a mixture of joy and hate in her eyes. This sort of emotional combination should have been impossible, and that terrified Keiichi. He raised his hands nervously in surrender, but the girl had already leaped away from Ray and seized Keiichi in another death hug.


    <hr>


    Emily maneuvered through the assembly hall as soon as she finished saving her data on the laptop and filed away all the physical documents. There were still large throngs of people blocking her route, and she shoved many of them aside with obvious irritation. They gave her disapproving and angry looks, but she really didn''t pay much mind.


    The hallway outside lulled into quiet, and she made good time to her office three floors above. A man sat at a long marble desk, typing away furiously, his brow furrowed deep to match his intensity. The door to the entry room closed silently behind Emily and she made her way past the front desk to her office. The man didn''t seem to notice her.


    Her office was a generous size with a window dominating a side wall that overlooked the city. Two large bookshelves filled the adjacent wall where a mahogany desk sat before them with just enough room to swivel her chair back to sit. Nothing decorated the room.


    Emily withdrew her laptop and woke it from sleep mode. She picked up a disposable phone, dialed a number and depressed an unseen button on the phone''s underside.


    After a few tones passed, a tired voice answered.


    ¡°Hello?¡± The man yawned on the other end of the phone.


    Emily dismissed this lack of professionalism. ¡°Rick. It''s Emily.¡±


    The man named Rick made a loud shuffling on the other end of the phone. ¡°Well, I guess if you''re calling it must be something important.¡± He attempted to mask his interest.


    ¡°I just received a SSS rank.¡±


    Silence. The only indication of Rick''s presence was his slow, even breath. When no answer seemed forthcoming, she broke the silence.


    ¡°Rick?¡±


    ¡°Who else knows about this?¡±


    Emily rolled her eyes. ¡°You, me, and the guys who administered the tests. What do you take me for?¡±


    ¡°I know. I know. Just one of those questions that needs asking. Okay, I need you to send me his information. I highly doubt this is a coincidence. And if my hunch is right, there will be more.¡±


    Emily opened a document on the computer and prepared to relay the information to Rick.


    ¡°What about the testers?¡± she asked.


    ¡°There is nothing we can do about them. If we tell them to keep quiet about this, it will just arouse more suspicion. No, they will definitely shoot their mouths off. Who wouldn''t after testing a SSS rank? We just need to hope it doesn''t reach the wrong people too soon when it spreads.¡±


    Emily nodded even though Rick obviously couldn''t see her assent.


    ¡°This will no longer be a secure line in a few days,¡± Rick added. ¡°I will meet you at the usual place to give you access to the new line.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    There was another long silence before Rick spoke, ¡°What about Kurosaki?¡±


    Emily started playing with her ponytail as she considered. ¡°I don''t think we can trust him just yet.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose he is Takamura''s successor. Anyway, I''ll be in touch.¡±


    ¡°See you soon.¡±


    Emily hung up the phone and sat there for a moment running the conversation through her head. If what Rick said was true, then more SSS ranks were entering the virtual world.


    The question was: Which side would they choose?

 Chapter 3: Reversion

    ¡°Ensure everyone maintains their individuality. Each separate will is not unique to the universal laws.¡± -Christopher Alsheimer, CEO of World Virtual Visions (WVV)


    <hr>


    Caramoc Cove


    Pirugan Continent


    2 Days before launch of PADW


    The spinning disc sliced past Leilan as she side-stepped out of harms way. The remaining swirls of azure lightning maneuvered strategically in a circle, as if waiting for her to make the first move.


    Leilan didn''t need to win this battle though. Buying Pandora enough time to make her escape was the priority.


    The moon was completely consumed by the specks of yellow and blazed like a brilliant sun. Streams of silver laced around the circumference of the glowing sphere and glided to the ground, seemingly inserting themselves into the land. The sphere''s pulses now beat uniformly. Rings of rainbow light shot outward and disappeared into the distance from all angles.


    Leilan turned to Pandora. ¡°Get going.¡±


    Pandora nodded her assent and retreated towards the other end of the cove where a short tunnel promised an escape.


    Leilan inspected the spinning discs. One of her eyes conjured a slight flame that burned a scorching blue and orange hue. The eye remained immune to the burn and her pupil narrowed.


    ¡°Initiating active skill, Flame Lure.¡±


    <hr>


    Pandora glanced over her shoulder and saw that the vicious rings had become impatient and launched themselves at Leilan in unison. Pandora hated being the one to turn tail, but she knew that the box needed to be kept safe at all costs.


    At the end of the tunnel, she was halted by a cliff that overlooked the expanse of the roiling ocean. She stared down and observed the curled waves battering the rocky shore. To her left was a natural staircase that led downwards.


    What stood before the staircase was the real problem.


    Pandora cursed her luck. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    A black armored warrior strode towards her. He drew a broadsword from the long scabbard on his back. The sword''s length was as long as he was tall, and a small iron shield with intricate, swirling symbols attached to his left forearm. Gold spikes protruded from his helmet, and a single narrow slit was all that allowed him vision.


    He took an intimidating, heavy step forward and flexed the multilayered, jagged fingers of his gauntlet. The smooth rock beneath his feet showed signs of thin cracks with his passing.


    Pandora retreated a few steps back to put as much distance between her and the black knight as possible. She needed to hold on for just a little bit longer. The Reversion was about to take place.


    Just a little longer...


    She found herself at the edge of the cliff, the heel of her foot no longer resting on solid ground. Her foot rose and fell a few times, as if refusing to believe it reached the end of the line.


    Pandora glowered at her enemy and set the box down beside her. She cleared her mind and readied herself for the inevitable encounter, despite the aching resistance of her body.


    The knight was now only a few yards away, and he could easily close the distance with his bulky armor. He took a sliding step forward and lowered himself into a crouch with sword drawn parallel to the ground.


    Pandora took a fighting stance of her own and conjured a sphere of darkness. A materialization of her own malice. It swirled calmly at first, and then increased in speed as she forced her hate to rise. It was the source of her power; the manifestation of dark emotions.


    As the two monsters prepared to engage, a loud clamor of steel and pained shouts reached their ears. They stiffened at the sudden interruption. Pandora stared at the source of the turmoil. The sounds traveled up the stairs. More screams, grunts and heavy blows echoed, and then soon dwindled into silence.


    The two monsters stood there expectantly, but nothing appeared at the top of the natural staircase.


    Pandora saw it first. A silhouette appeared from an adjacent cliff. It crouched low and then leaped down directly above her enemy.


    ¡°Unnecessary dramatic entrance punch!¡±


    The black knight looked up in time for his face to meet a spiked, metal fist that drove his head into the ground in a splash of rock and dirt that concealed both him and his assailant. The female who struck him drew back her other fist for a second attack, but the knight recovered faster than anticipated and drew a hidden dagger concealed in the waist of his armor. He slashed in an upper arc. The blade barely grazed the female monster as she reared her upper body to avoid the returned sneak attack. She pushed off the dazed knight and landed a few yards away, driving one of her fists into the ground to ease the landing.


    The girl stood straight and threw her long, black hair over her shoulder, revealing a wide grin on her face. She flicked the small fins extending near her ears and grabbed one of her jagged horns in a mocking gesture. An aqua, silk kungfu suit extended to her thighs, covered by elaborate body armor of similar hue. What was most peculiar about her humanoid appearance was the long, cerulean tail extending from her lower back that brushed against the ground.


    She smashed her armored fists together, and the metallic clang echoed throughout the cove. The girl turned to Pandora with the same winning grin.


    ¡°Heya Pandora! Just thought I''d drop in to lend a hand.¡± She pumped her fist in the air for emphasis.


    Pandora''s shock transformed into a relieved sighed. ¡°Hello, Karin. Tell me, what is with you Chinese gods showing up at the last minute?¡±


    Karin shrugged with that steadfast smile. ¡°I dunno, makes things more exciting, I guess.¡±


    The sound of scraping metal interrupted them as the dark knight rose from the shallow crater formed by the devastating punch. His hand rested on the flat of his sword and he drew it across the flat of the blade. At first, it seemed as if this motion was some sort of battle ritual, but upon further inspection, one could discern a faint, dull glow that emanated from the edges of the sword.


    ¡°Any idea what that active skill is?¡± Pandora inquired.


    ¡°Nope, but reinforcement isn''t all that special.¡± Karin brought her fists together again, this time in a controlled manner, as she prepared her defensive stance. ¡°I got this.¡±


    <hr>


    Leilan bat aside the first disc and angled her halberd towards the ground to catch the second. The first disc smashed into a third, which lost course and buried itself in the rock. It didn''t seem to lose its momentum and continued cutting through the stone in an awkward arc that passed Leilan at a safe distance from behind. The disc eating into the blade of the pole-arm was stubborn and attempted to slice through, but Leilan angled her grip so the disc ate into the rock instead. She centered her hands on the shaft of the weapon as a fourth disc drove into the top portion. This extra force pushed Leilan back, and she felt her feet begin to slide. Another leveled itself at head height a short ways in front of her.


    Options were limited.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    She readjusted her grip once again so that the driving force of each disc on either side of the pole distributed evenly. As the final disc was nearly upon her, she forced her hands up and her feet left the ground. She shot upward thanks to the two opposing forces of the discs. The final disc flew harmlessly below her and drove into one of the cliffs, utterly decimating it. The wall collapsed, and the resulting blast contributed to Leilan''s forward motion. She rolled over, and the two hungry circles of magic disappeared into the blinding light of the moon.


    Satan didn''t sit idly by watching her impressive display.


    Leilan beat her wings to push herself mid-air, but Satan''s hand was faster. He grabbed her by the ankle, extended his arm back and flung her straight down. Leilan smashed into the stone and vanished in a geyser of demolished stone.


    ¡°Is that all, little fire bird?¡± Satan roared.


    He brought down all of his massive fists. The sheer force spread out in six directions and climbed up the the rock walls surrounding the cove. After a brief delay, the six fissures exploded and showered the battlefield with more debris.


    Leilan emerged from the swirling dirt behind Satan.


    ¡°No,¡± she said.


    She swung with the axe side of her pole-arm and it dug into Satan''s back.


    Satan let out a grunt. ¡°The land also gives the bird flight!¡±


    Leilan ducked under Satan''s arm as he whirled about, and put some distance between them. A blast of violet lightning shot from his palms. Leilan dodged with the aid of her wings and landed on an outcropping of rock.


    Why isn''t he using his active skill? Leilan wondered.


    They sized each other up, preparing for the next bout.


    Satan sat back against a boulder and allowed his arms to rest easily at his side.


    As if on cue, a bright pillar of golden light descended from the sky and planted itself in the ground. Sparks erupted from the rock and small specks like fireflies encircled the pillar.


    ¡°Ah, The Reversion is at hand,¡± Satan said.


    Leilan side-stepped so she could get a full view of the God Monster.


    ¡°You''re awfully nonchalant for someone who just lost. What are you up to?¡± Leilan asked, masking the concern in her voice.


    Satan leaned forward and clasped two of his hands together. ¡°Nothing at all.¡± His deep voice boomed throughout the cove despite the even tone, ¡°I only just realized that this defeat is a minor hindrance in the whole scheme of things.¡±


    ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°I see no reason to,¡± Satan replied. He decided to let those words sink in as he clasped two other hands behind his head.


    He regarded the dark knights that stood around them. He had realized during Pandora''s retreat that they made no attempts to pursue her. They just stood there, staring vacant into the distance with weapons held at their side.


    ¡°Ah, I forgot about your active skill,¡± Satan said. ¡°They''re enamored by your flame. A nifty little skill.¡±


    Leilan closed her eyes without responding to the comment. She still sensed the presence of Pandora, along with another individual a short distance outside the cove. Then another she recognized. An ally God Monster.


    Two more pillars of light appeared. These engulfed both Leilan and Satan. Leilan glanced down at her hand and felt a soft tingling sensation creep along her fingertips. They pixelated and flaked. As her fingers began to disintegrate, tiny flecks, no more the size of a grain of sand, floated up the pillar towards the moon in a lazy ascent.


    Her whole body took on a strange sepia tone with a grayscale aura that outlined her form. She stared where her hands once were. The pole-arm disappeared next, and she felt naked, even though her hands could not have held the weapon.


    When only their upper bodies remained, Satan gave her a slow nod. He vanished in the light. Leilan didn''t know what that motion meant, but she hated to admit that a sense of dread creeped into her thoughts.


    <hr>


    Karin landed against the rock wall and launched herself just as the blade of her enemy''s sword embedded into the stone. The dark knight jerked his arm back and the blade bent at an awkward angle as he flicked his wrist. The sudden change in direction caught Karin off guard, and she was barely able to deflect the whip-like sword with a shower of water. The end of the blade cut her shoulder and she fell into a roll to break her fall.


    The knight retracted the bladed whip with the quick snap of his wrist, and it became a broadsword once more.


    It can change shape? Interesting, Karin thought.


    The water that she utilized to block the blade began to swirl around her and morphed into the shape of a dragon serpent. The water dragon flapped a line of sapphire scales on its liquid form. Its lifeless eyes hardened to orbs reflecting like tough glass. It settled around Karin and rested its head on her shoulder, awaiting a command.


    Karin turned to Pandora, who was grasping at her chest and quietly cursing. Just creating that tiny sphere of malice had drained nearly all of what little energy remained in her body. The parasitical aftereffects of the box still lingered and sapped her life force. The magic stones were still in their pure state, but she needed them to reach a certain level of corruption before the box fully sealed. Extra energy was necessary, so she had to allow the box to continue feeding off of her until it was satisfied.


    ¡°Pandora? Hey, you okay?¡±


    Pandora waved her off. ¡°I-I''m fine. Worry about yourself.¡±


    Karin bit her lower lip and brought her attention back to the fight. It was true. This guy wasn''t a pushover. Focus.


    The black knight pointed his sword at Karin, as if daring her to make the first move.


    Karin was accustomed to initiation, so she decided to humor him. The dragon resting on her shoulder slid down her arm, swirled around it and tightened, all while retaining its aqueous form. Karin snapped her fingers and, accepting the signal, the dragon charged forward, pulling Karin along with it. She beat her feet against the ground to increase speed and bound in a multitude of directions to make herself a challenging target. The water dragon also shifted direction when she formed signals with her bending fingers.


    The knight lowered his stance and slid a foot back with the sword still extended. His other arm hung relaxed at his side, swaying no more than an inch in either direction, forward and then back.


    As Karin drew near, he jerked his arm forward and the blade extended to an impossible length. It stretched a few yards. Then ten. Then twenty until it reached Karin. All in less than a second.


    Karin saw the blade at the center of her sight, right between the eyes. It was as if everything entered a perpetual state of slow motion. The tip of the sword crept closer and closer, the flat of the blade reflecting the yellow light of the moon. That brilliant light was what prevented her from flinching. A flinch instigated hesitation, which prevented the crucial, slight twitch of a muscle that responded to danger.


    She would not allow herself to flinch.


    Karin let that disciplined, instinctive twitch take over when she noticed the second slight bend of her opponent''s knees.


    Karin relaxed her head and gave the water dragon another quick sign that was executed relatively simultaneous with the previous one. Her dragon was trained well, for it canceled the former command and processed the latter just in time to pull Karin to the side. The tip of the long blade sliced along Karin''s cheek, drawing blood that it hungrily accepted.


    It locked onto a new target: Pandora. Even in her weakened state, Pandora noticed the water dragon''s last-second shift in direction. She rolled sideways and the blade shot over her head.


    Karin detached the water dragon and skid along the rock. She planted her fist in the smooth stone and slowed to a halt.


    She glanced up at her enemy. The black knight extended an arm, and his fingers formed familiar signs.


    Karin''s eyes widened. He figured out my commands already?


    Immediately after that thought, The Reversion initiated its final stage.


    The armored warrior relaxed his stance as a pillar of light enveloped his body. Karin and Pandora were admitted soon after.


    The battle was over.


    Karin forced a wink at Pandora, who responded with a weak, yet relieved grin as their bodies began to vanish.


    Their mute adversary sheathed his blade into the scabbard on his back. It locked in the elegant handle with a metallic click.


    Karin saluted her opponent before her hands disappeared. ¡°Nice battle there friend, even if you aren''t much of a conversationalist.¡±


    The knight remained silent, but to Karin''s surprise, he returned a similar swift salute. As the last of their bodies disappeared, the pillars extended into the sky, along with hundreds of others that extended all over the continent.


    The pillars retracted, and a silence fell over the world that would be short-lived.


    <hr>


    A hooded figure stepped into Caramoc Cove. He watched as the last of the pillars vanished from sight. The moon continued to pulse with its vibrant light. A series of vein-like cracks beat with an angry red like hot blood.


    He examined the aftermath of the battle. Debris littered the ground, walls collapsed and black stains scorched the rock.


    The God Monsters were impressive. They completely exceeded his expectations.


    I hope the Players show as much promise.


    The cloaked figure examined a teal, banded device that encircled his wrist. It was covered with an array of small lights that were currently faded. It was akin to a wristband that extended to his elbow with three thin slots that could be observed upon closer examination of its underside.


    He reached into his robe and procured the disc he received from Takamura. He stared at it for a moment before inserting it into one of the slots on his arm.


    The familiar, mechanical female voice spoke, ¡°Artificial intelligence identified.¡±


    A series of symbols lined up on the screen and merged. The man observed the two that remained.


    ¡°As expected,¡± he said. ¡°Two artificial intelligence in this world. The Lady Overlook and...¡±


    He trailed off as one of the symbols began to beat an angry red.


    ¡°Ah, I see. Lo has full control.¡± He pointed at the red symbol. ¡°But you, you lie in wait. Why?¡±


    One of the lights lit up as he ran a gloved finger over it. A holographic screen appeared before his eyes. He scrolled through the list of menus. After a brief moment of searching, he settled upon the one he was looking for.


    A list of categories appeared. His finger hesitated. Soon, the Players would arrive and join their God Monsters. The events that followed held ramifications beyond just one world.


    ¡°Good luck, Puzzle and Dragons.¡±


    He swiped his hand over a selection and confirmed.

 Chapter 4: Choose

    "I''ve hacked into the most thorough security system in the world during a lunch break. A constantly evolving, goal-driven, malicious AI might be a challenge." -Rick Moore (Former Security Programmer for World Virtual Visions)


    <hr>


    Seattle, Washington


    United States


    20 hours before launch of PADW


    Athena. Karin. Mei Mei. Parvati. Sarasvati. Vishnu. Zeus. Metatron. Sakuya. Siegfried. Pandora. Satan. Hera. Valkyrie. Verche. Guan Yu. Cao Cao. Ra. Hades. Bastet. Sonia. Lilith. Tsukoyomi. Haku. Odin. Anubis. Isis. Idunn & Idunna. Persephone. Tearju. Apollo. Michael. Freyja. Noah. Alraune. Amaterasu. Raphael. Shiva. Cleopatra. Neptune. Da Qiao & Xiao Qiao. Venus. Okuninushi. Thanatos. Lu Bu....


    Ray scrolled through the extensive list of monsters presented to him on the screen. He swiped to the next page on the tablet and scanned through a new column of names. He''d forgotten how many God Monsters there were.


    It would''ve been nice if they listed them in their numerical order. Or at least alphabetical. Maybe by monster type or attribute? It was as if the developers just decided to throw them all together in a random number generator.


    The information and stats were also meager in presentation: name, attribute, type, health, and attack. These were some basic bits of information needed to understand any character in a game, but a Puzzle and Dragons Player knew that several pieces of crucial information were omitted.


    For example, monsters in PAD had an active skill and a leader skill. The leader skill is passive, and only triggers if a monster is assigned the position of leader on a team. The active skill is used after a certain amount of turns pass or, in this new game, could be implemented after other instances. Both of these skills were not listed.


    Why?


    They are really leaving us in the dark aren''t they, Ray thought. Guess I''ll just have to adapt.


    The man sitting at the desk in front of him glanced at his watch as Ray swiped through another page.¡°You know you only pick five, right?¡±


    Ray answered the man without looking up, ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    He didn''t push the conversation further with an explanation as he maintained focus on the screen. The man unsuccessfully attempted to stifle a yawn and pretended to rifle through some papers at his desk.


    Ray reached the last page and scanned to the bottom.


    What the hell? She isn''t here.


    He scrolled back to the first page and frantically analyzed every monster that appeared. He looked at the name for each at least a whole second before moving to the next one.


    Why can''t I find her?


    Possibilities dawned on him as he weighed reasoning. One of these disheartened him immensely.


    Did they remove her from the game?


    Impossible. There was absolutely no way they could remove a character like her. She was immensely popular with the new meta, and her skills complimented many endgamers.


    He convinced himself that she was still in this game as well.


    Okay. So the Chinese gods are: Mei Mei, Karin, Sakuya, Haku, and Leilan.


    Ray went through the list again, searching for all the names of the Chinese gods. He first happened upon Karin on the second page, followed by Mei Mei. Sakuya was on the next page, and then Haku a few pages after that. There was still no sign of Leilan.


    What the hell...


    He reached the last page. His hands were slick with sweat and it was difficult to move his finger across the screen. For a moment, his vision blurred and he rubbed his eyes, even though the motion might be the worst course of action. The haziness probably stemmed from staring at a screen for so long.


    When he reached that last page again he leaned back in the leather chair. He tried to force himself to relax, but found this to be impossible. Sitting hunched over had actually blocked off his airways slightly, and he noticed his labored breathing. The encounter with the asthma was brief at least.


    The bored man behind the desk heard him. ¡°Everything okay, kid?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just didn''t get enough sleep last night.¡±


    The man laughed humorlessly. ¡°Nervous or something?¡±


    Ray let out a soft chuckle. The truth was, the fact he was going to be in this game with the entire world watching him was a little unsettling. He didn''t need that added on to the desperation and disbelief he fought with right now.


    <hr>


    Sanctuary


    Pirugan Continent


    20 hours before launch of PADW


    ¡°I am afraid, we are out of time,¡± Metatron announced.


    She stared at the God Monsters seated around the long stone table. The illuminated archways surrounding them exposed their defeated faces. A normal moon hovered in the sky with its sister celestial bodies.


    Her fellow God Monsters avoided eye contact as the grim mood settled over them. Despite their recent victory against Satan and the other unknown dark knight that appeared at Caramoc Cove, the past few days had finally taken a toll on all of their spirits.


    Even though they successfully escaped with Pandora''s box, Satan''s power confirmed another force was at work. The unexpected discovery of Pandora was a testament to this. His information network and influence extended far beyond their expectations.


    Metatron''s black half-slip dress had been matted with dirt in a recent engagement with dark mystic knights that attacked Sanctuary during the engagement with Satan. The caricthmian-style fabric, formed from the volatile metal of the same name native to this world, was torn in multiple places. Her cloak was completely incinerated from fighting a pyro demon, and the right sleeve of her dress was torn off. Her rose-colored hair was disheveled even more than usual. That once-radiant face still retained its beauty, but was now worn with heavy, tired eyes.


    She stared down at Pandora who slept calmly beside her. When Pandora arrived in Sanctuary, she''d been on the verge of passing out from the amount of energy that the box stole from her. The chains of the chest had awoken once more and wrapped themselves around Pandora, feeding hungrily on her life energy. It took three of them to pry the chains off and place her a safe distance away. Metatron felt a small bit of relief when she heard Pandora''s labored breathing settle down to an even pace.


    She shifted attention to her weary comrades. ¡°The Reversion has deprived us of our power. Most of us. It would seem that the Creator who came to us a few days ago was correct. That being said...¡± She paused for a moment to collect herself. ¡°They have some force that is working alongside them. Something we cannot even fathom. I would say it is quite possible we have lost our only advantage.¡±


    She rested a large blue book on the stone table. At its center, a golden eyeball with a rare magic stone at its center emitted a soft glow.


    The other God Monsters waited patiently as she rifled through some of the pages. They knew not to disturb her during these random moments of inspiration.


    ¡°I say it''s time we relocated.¡± A big male monster wearing a green cloak and eye patch broke the silence. He hid his eyes under a large, pointed hat.


    A monster seated next to him with long black hair and an anchor beard, shook his head. ¡°We''ve been over this, Odin. Satan''s forces have cut off Vesta Cave. There is no way to break through his defensive line.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Perhaps a diversion,¡± someone chimed in. ¡°Odin is right. They know about Sanctuary. If our enemy has Players prepared in advance, then they will strike here first when they seize even a slight advantage.¡±


    Another monster in crimson armor crossed his arms in irritation. ¡°I will go. I have some forces to spare before the Player entry. This is also an opportunity to deliver our message to the Valkyries.¡±


    The black-haired monster stared at him incredulous. ¡°Cao Cao! You''re a general. It''s too risky. If you were banished to a dungeon-¡±


    Cao Cao''s steely gaze fell on the one who spoke. ¡°Do not speak of my status as something to be coddled, Izanagi. I belong on the front lines. If I should fall, then I hold faith that you will all free me from whatever cursed dungeon I''m sent to.¡± He turned his head as a dismissal on the matter.


    A young female monster with emerald green hair and milky white armor made her placid voice heard. ¡°My soldiers stand ready.¡±


    Cao Cao closed his eyes and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Athena.¡±


    More God Monsters rose as volunteers.


    ¡°Then the matter is settled.¡± Metatron stopped writing in her book. Her allies didn''t realize she''d been listening. Her uncanny ability to multitask and maintain focus was remarkable.


    ¡°We make for Vesta Cave once we are prepared. Those who avoided The Reversion will move in separate groups.¡±


    Most of the monsters seemed pleased with the decision.


    Before the topic shifted to other matters, a timid girl with long, flowing blonde hair rose from her seat and clasped her hands behind her. She wore a white skin-tight outfit laced with gold that extended just past her thighs. It reached towards her hands and wrapped around her fingers to fit like a glove.


    Nervous hands played with the end of her white-gold serpent tail as she spoke, ¡°Metatron, um, I just have a quick question to ask.¡±


    Metatron gave the girl her full attention. ¡°Yes, Sakuya.¡± She noticed her trembling hands. ¡°What''s the matter?¡±


    Sakuya released her tail and allowed it to settle on the floor behind her. ¡°Do we, well, do we actually have to-partner with one of these Players?¡±


    Metatron sighed with a mixture of exasperation and sympathy. ¡°Sakuya, you told me you already finished with the book.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, I did but, um, I closed it before I made my choice. I''m sorry.¡±


    There was a long silence that settled over the room. Some of the other gods exchanged awkward glances. If what Sakuya said was true, then it might already be too late for her to choose a Player from the book.


    Leilan, who''d been silent up until now, stared at her fellow Chinese god and rose as well. ¡°Metatron, I have also not chosen a Player as my partner.¡±


    ¡°You too, Leilan? Do you know what this means?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I deemed the situation at Caramoc Cove to be a more pressing matter, so I forfeited my choice.¡±


    Metatron hastily flipped through the pages of her book and stepped away from it to give Leilan some room. ¡°This is probably your last chance.¡± She eyed the two Chinese gods. ¡°If you don''t choose, then you are leaving your fate up to those beyond.¡±


    Leilan and Sakuya exchanged an uneasy look. It was true that if they didn''t take this opportunity now, then they could end up with a Player they didn¡¯t desire, or cast off into some forsaken dungeon. Leilan hoped to avoid either outcome.


    ¡°Trust your instincts,¡± Metatron pleaded.


    The other gods leaned forward. A wind bearing ill omens swept past them, and even the circling leaves seemed to not break the uncomfortable silence.


    Leilan was weary, and contemplation felt like slogging through water. All of her weight rested on her hands. Her eyes attempted to etch the solution for her in the stone table.


    She did recall a Player''s name when she first examined the book. It sat concealed somewhere in the back of her mind. If she could find that name again, then maybe, just maybe...


    She shook herself from her reverie and approached Metatron. Her eyes bore into the book. A list of names. The Players.


    She felt another presence beside her as she read the Player profiles. She glanced up to see Sakuya fidgeting next to her.


    Leilan reached the end of the Player profiles and realized that none of the names had triggered any recognition. She flipped back to the front and scanned over the list again. Even though she was pressed for time, she mouthed each name and scrutinized the details to ensure she didn''t miss a single word that might jar her memory.


    She flipped the last page, and still she didn''t recognize any of the names.


    Leilan motioned for Sakuya to read the book. ¡°Give me a minute to think.¡±


    Sakuya nodded and stared at the book as if it was going to snap at her like a snake. She rested her hands on the book and took a deep breath before gently turning each page.


    The name, Leilan thought. What was his name? Yes, that''s right. It was a male. Definitely a male. A young male. What was his name?


    <hr>


    Two men in matching black suit and tie checked through the pages of the tablet. They were skeptical when Ray told them that a name was excluded from the list. He insisted that he checked to make sure, but they still felt the need to see for themselves. After a few minutes, one of the men exited the room to fetch a tech expert.


    Ray didn''t even have time to blink before another man, this one dressed in casual wear, entered the room with an air of calm and took the tablet from the man in black. Ray noted the graphic t-shirt with the name of some heavy metal band and black beanie he wore, despite being in the middle of Summer. A complete contrast from the other staff.


    The man glanced at Ray and gave a short smirk. ¡°Looks like you''re right, pal. Leilan is not in the roster.¡± He handed him the tablet. ¡°Looks like someone in my department is getting an earful. Let me check and make sure Leilan is in the character pool of the main system.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ray replied.


    He went back to analyzing the list of monsters. He might as well take the time memorizing all he can with the extra time, even if it did encourage an enhanced feeling of apprehension.


    The silence in the room settled around him as the two men in black stood to either side of the door, hands clasped behind their backs with shoulders perfectly straight. Ray found it strange how these people acted. He recalled other men and women in comparative attire who seemed to walk through the halls with similar robotic fashion. Their eyes appeared glassy as they carefully analyzed each person they came in contact with. They even ate like robots, methodically chewing their food with the same amount of time between bites and lacking any sort of conversation.


    After a few more minutes, Leilan''s name appeared on the last page.


    <hr>


    Sakuya stepped away from the book and returned to her seat. The look of horror was plain on her face. Leilan felt sorry for her. She didn''t want to end up with one of these Players. She didn''t trust them.


    Leilan approached the book only after Metatron beckoned for her to mirror Sakuya.


    With a forced, steady hand, she flipped through the pages once again.


    There it was. The name. She recognized it with one look. The physical details, the biography, the stats, everything. His eyes. That''s what triggered this recognition the most. There was something in those eyes she couldn''t quite place, but they put her at ease. He was the one she wanted.


    She placed a hand over the page.


    <hr>


    Ray placed his hand over Leilan''s page and the screen began its scan. After a few seconds, a message appeared that read: Monster Selections Complete. He handed the tablet to one of the men in black.


    "Thank you."


    <hr>


    Seattle, Washington


    United States


    3 hours before launch of PADW


    ¡°Today is the day, ladies and gentleman! Allow me to take this time to congratulate all of you. Through careful consideration, you have been chosen to embark on a journey through a vibrant world the likes of which nobody has ever seen. Congratulations!¡±


    The large man scanned the crowd of Players who eagerly awaited the rest of their instructions. Their enthusiasm pleased him.


    ¡°Upon entry, you will select three starting pieces of equipment. Then, you will be instructed by the artificial intelligence, Lo, on how to proceed from there through a brief tutorial so that you may adapt to the game''s new mechanics.¡±


    He paused to make his next announcement even more dramatic. ¡°After completing the tutorial, you will then meet your starting monster partner.¡±


    The crowd erupted into cheers as they finally received this confirmation. The Players had been wondering if they would meet their partners immediately, and now their prayers had brought reward.


    The man waited until the cheers died down. ¡°In this world, your sense of time will be altered. One day in the game world is equivalent to a single hour. You may enter and exit the virtual world at any time you please. Manage your time wisely. As your Gamemaster, I will ensure that you are logged in and out safely with the help of your designated supervisor. Does anyone have questions?¡±


    One individual raised his hand immediately.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The young man''s friends snickered around him. He attempted to stifle his own laughter.


    ¡°How do we know when we need to take a shit?¡±


    The audience erupted into uncontrollable laughter and even the Gamemaster, in all of his professionalism, couldn''t suppress a grin.


    He answered, ¡°Oh believe me, you''ll know.¡±


    His answer brought forth more laughter.


    Ray stood in the audience and joined the positive atmosphere. He felt a nudge on his shoulder and turned to see Lucy motioning to him.


    ¡°We are going to meet at the Gods Descended Arena,¡± she whispered.


    Ray nodded. ¡°There''s an event scheduled on the database, right?¡±


    Keiichi suddenly threw an arm over his shoulders and barreled into him. ¡°This is it man! This is it! Let''s kick some ass!¡±


    Lucy jumped in on the hug and they rocked back and forth as Ray tried to stay steady on his feet.


    ¡°We got this!¡± Lucy shouted along with the cacophony from the other excited Players.


    Ray felt the enthusiasm of his friends seep into him. He wanted to maintain an air of calm and collectedness that was a little more to his character, but he just simply couldn''t suppress his excitement either.


    ¡°To PADW!¡± Keiichi shouted.


    ¡°To PADW!¡± Ray and Lucy replied in unison.


    The time for entry was nearly at hand.


    <hr>


    Two men sat in a closed-off office, separate from other sections of the building where the Players received their final instructions. The sound-proof walls and sensors implanted around the room disabled any technological devices that entered the set area. Others from the outside were unaware of this room''s existence. Only a select few were granted entrance, and even fewer were actually aware of their employer''s intentions.


    In the end, all that really mattered to these people was a paycheck and their involvement being strictly anonymous. The consequences of their actions were of no concern, just as long as they did not involve themselves directly. The suffering of a few Players was a necessary and expected sacrifice.


    One of the men spoke, "It would seem that two SSSranks have appeared that are not part of our assembled team."


    "Is that so? Interesting. And the chances of this being a coincidence?"


    "Considerably less than one percent, sir."


    "Up the surveillance over in the supervisor wing. And begin the process for the LAN isolation. We might pick something up if someone strays from the schedule."


    "Yes, sir."


    "We still maintain control of the system, but I would prefer another once-over of Lo''s fail-safes."


    "It''s already being prepped, sir.¡± The subordinate shifted uneasily. "And the others?"


    His employer smiled. "Let events play out as they may. No need to risk exposure for a slight inconvenience."

 Chapter 5: Sacrifice

    "There is evil within all of us, within God Monsters, dragons and humans alike. I do not claim myself as a perfect being in a flawed world with such imbalance." -Plesios


    <hr>


    Vesta Cave


    Pirugan Continent


    30 minutes before launch of PADW


    Pandora woke to the gentle stream of running water. A cool breeze brushed the hair from her heavy eyes as she attempted to focus on her surroundings. Her eyes adapted to the light and revealed a mixture of colors: green, yellow, red, brown, a muddle of different hues and blurry shapes. Her head lolled back and forth against her meager will. She was conscious of being above ground as her body bumped up and down with arms dangling and drained.


    She reasoned that she was being carried, and when her vision sharpened she made out a canopy of leaves and branches above her.


    A forest.


    Lifting her head brought forth a dizzy spell, and she allowed her head to fall once again. Her cheek rested against a cool metal surface as her bearer continued up the winding dirt path.


    After a few more minutes they came to a halt. Pandora heard familiar voices.


    ¡°This is the place, Verche,¡± the soft female voice said.


    Pandora felt herself slide off the shoulder of the knight and she was rested gently on the ground. She looked up at a face concealed by a white helm. A wing jutted out each side of the helmet and a thin V-shaped area was left open for the eyes. All she saw through the visor was darkness.


    The knight wore a full set of elaborate white and golden body armor. A small shield was attached to one arm and a massive broadsword slung across his back. His angelic wings were currently retracted.


    The knight, Verche, motioned for the unseen individual''s attention and Pandora saw Metatron''s worried face come into focus. She reached into a satchel and produced a small bottle of some unknown liquid.


    Another man stood behind her wearing crimson armor and a long matching cape with gold trimming. He let down his hood to reveal a stern middle-aged face with spiked brown hair. He ran a hand over his stubble of a beard as if he were contemplating something.


    She''d never conversed with him, but she knew him well enough as a God Monster with considerable repute. The great General Cao Cao.


    Metatron settled the bottle over Pandora''s lips and she could feel a cool sensation crawl through her veins. A strange, lukewarm feeling took over and she felt the dullness that had overcome her senses wash away. She was far from recovered, but the strange potion infused her with enough strength to stand. Pandora took a hesitant, strained step forward with knees threatening to buckle. One of her legs gave out, but Verche remained at her side and rested a hand under her arm. She gratefully nodded to the knight and examined her surroundings.


    Her suspicions were confirmed. They were in a forest, and off to the side she observed a tall cliff face that she assumed was a part of the Sacred Mt. Bakkes. The gaping mouth of a cave greeted the group.


    Cao Cao set a chest at her feet. Pandora recognized it as her box.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± he said. ¡°I will scout ahead.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Metatron said.


    Cao Cao descended into the cave and disappeared.


    She turned back to Pandora. ¡°How are you?¡±


    Pandora shook her head to clear the rest of the fuzziness from her vision. ¡°Well enough. I think I can walk at least.¡±


    ¡°I''m glad to hear it. We haven''t much time.¡±


    The two females watched as Verche approached the mouth of the cave. He extended his wings and flew up to a ledge so he could get a better view of the surrounding area. As he scanned the vastness of the forest, his gaze locked somewhere in the distance. His helmet didn''t move for several minutes. He then flew down and appraised their situation.


    Cao Cao exited the cave as he landed.


    ¡°We have been discovered,¡± Verche reported.


    Metatron shook her head. ¡°How? That''s impossible! Athena and Odin should be holding their attention.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, our ruse was only partially successful.¡± Cao Cao scoffed and unsheathed his short sword.


    Verche stepped in front of his comrades. He drew his broadsword and made a few adjustments to his shield to ready himself for combat.


    ¡°You''d best get moving,¡± he suggested. ¡°I will buy you time.¡±


    Pandora was about to protest when a dizzy spell fell over her. She braced an arm against a tree as Metratron moved to assist her.


    ¡°Like hell. V-Verche, no,¡± she sputtered.


    She knew her safety was far from guaranteed if they entered a full engagement with the enemy. They didn''t know the strength of those that pursued them. She held no doubts concerning Verche''s abilities, but to leave him behind...


    Metatron lifted the box. ¡°Verche, but-¡±


    ¡°Let the men do what needs doing.¡± Cao Cao interrupted her with gruff finality as he stepped next to the knight.


    Metatron''s mouth tightened into a thin line. She gave them a stiff nod.


    Pandora wasn''t so easily convinced. She held fast to the tree. Even with her lack of energy she was immovable as a statue.


    Verche approached and rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Pandora released her grip on the tree and wrapped her arms around Verche instead.


    ¡°We do what we must,¡± he said. Not a tinge of nerves was discernible in his voice. ¡°Stay hidden and wait for the others.¡±


    Pandora held the hug and only let go when Verche pushed her away gently. She reluctantly stumbled back to Metatron. The two females spared one last look behind them before disappearing into the cave.


    Verche halted Cao Cao with his extended blade. The crimson general narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°The Valkyries,¡± Verche stated simply.


    Cao Cao grunted. ¡°If you think I''m leaving you to get slaughtered-¡±


    ¡°The Valkyries need Metatron''s message. That is the task you were given,¡± he interrupted with an even tone.


    Cao Cao clenched his fists, not just because of the situation, but because he knew that Verche was right. Everyone had their own duties to fulfill. Verche accepted his, so the least Cao Cao could do was uphold his end.


    ¡°I should technically be your superior,¡± Cao Cao growled, attempting to mask his concern.¡°Where do you get off talking to me like that?¡±


    With that last remark, he extended his hand and his expression softened. Verche drove his sword into the ground and took Cao Cao''s hand in a firm handshake.


    The general clapped a hand on his shoulder and made his way through the forest in the opposite direction.


    A terrifying, guttural scream erupted from behind Verche. An ominous silence followed. The approaching monsters were out for blood. The animals all fled and even the wind retreated. The only sounds that reached Verche''s ears were the running water of the stream and his own even breath.


    Verche drew his sword from the dirt.


    <hr>


    Seattle, Washington


    United States


    30 minutes before launch of PADW


    Ray laid back in the padded reclining chair and stared at the ceiling with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension.


    Wires and flashing lights from many consoles surrounded him. Some trailed along the ceiling and disappeared through holes in the wall, journeying to who knew where. He wondered where those wires would be inserted or how it would feel to enter the virtual world. He hadn''t really put much thought into it until now.


    The room was set up pleasant enough at least. A couple of cushioned chairs, a wood table and some other furnishings dotted the room. Ray didn''t really see the point since he was going to be in the virtual world most of the time, but perhaps it was to put him at ease with a more homely feel. If the room had been painted a plain white with just the wires and gadgets, it would have probably felt like a patient''s room in a hospital.


    As he mulled over his thoughts, the metal door on the other side of the room opened and a woman entered carrying a small briefcase. She adjusted her spectacles as she approached Ray. He recognized this woman; Emily, the supervisor he''d spoken to when he finished his physical and intrinsic tests.


    She walked over to the table, grabbed one of the chairs and pulled it over next to him. Before taking a seat, she looked him over as if he were some rare specimen in a science experiment. Well, the assessment wasn''t too far off. The Players were beta testers for the game.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Emily opened the briefcase and rifled through its contents. Through the whole exchange, neither of them spoke a word. They stayed in a verbal stalemate.


    Then an unexpected smile formed on her face. It almost felt encouraging. ¡°So, the time has come. Excited?¡±


    Ray let out a breath of air he''d been holding. ¡°Yeah, but not so sure how I feel about all of, well, this.¡± He gestured to the wires and flashing computers.


    ¡°Don''t worry. I''m here to ensure that you have a safe entry. These implants will just be giving the guys upstairs some neural readings to gauge the game''s stability. It''s already been tested through every conceivable scenario. With all the fail-safes and protocols in place, we have a one hundred percent safety guarantee.¡±


    Ray forced a laugh. ¡°Well, that''s reassuring.¡±


    ¡°By the way,¡± Emily added. ¡°I looked at some other bits of information in your file. Did you start the original game late, or did you just not really have time for it? Your rank was pretty low. Not that it really means anything mind you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I started the game pretty late.¡± He went back to staring at the blank ceiling. ¡°The only thing that worries me a bit is not being taken seriously because of it.¡±


    ¡°Think of it another way. It might actually be easier to stay under the radar. You might surprise people.¡±


    Ray pondered her words. She didn''t know him at all. The only things she did know were written on paper. Maybe there was something she read about him in those reports. The possibility gave him some much-needed confidence.


    ¡°A word of advice,¡± Emily said. Her tone took an immediate turn. ¡°The monsters in this world are wiser than you think. Listen to them. They have valuable information and advice.¡±


    Ray eyed her curiously. He already knew that the interactions with the non-playable characters and monsters were supposed to be nothing short of revolutionary, but the way she offered her suggestion remained most prominent.


    Emily gave him a friendly, reassuring pat on the shoulder when she saw his serious look. ¡°I''m the type of person who likes to root for the underdog. Also, I may have placed a sizable bet on you. Don''t worry, everyone watching has high expectations for all of you. No pressure.¡±


    Ray groaned. ¡°Don''t remind me. Was never really good in front of an audience. Wait, there''s gambling?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, if you''re the legal age you can gamble on Players through the app while watching. It''s pretty impressive. Also, if you ever want some privacy, here is another little tidbit. Dwellings that you live in, areas called Arbor fountains and some other locations will not have viewers watching you. So there''s that.¡±


    With all this information, Ray began to suspect even more that it wasn''t just because she saw him as an underdog. No, definitely not. It seemed like she was hiding her true intentions through casual conversation.


    Before he had the opportunity to question her further, she tossed him the virtual headgear. He caught it easily, but was still surprised that she decided to throw what was most likely a delicate (and expensive) piece of equipment.


    Ray examined the surface of the headgear and ran his fingers over the shallow grooves. It looked like a motorcycle helmet that covered the top half of his head with a visor that laid over the eyes.


    Emily attached a flexible metal band to his wrist that acted as his personal database and inserted a few wires into the ports.


    ¡°Nice reflexes,¡± she commented.


    After she finished the remaining preparations with the hardware, she approached a console and ran her hand over the holographic screen. She typed in her username and password, entered his intrinsic scan settings and then another few bits of data.


    ¡°Alright, put the headgear on,¡± Emily said.


    Ray took a deep breath and placed the helmet on his head.


    He stared at Emily, whose skin was now a light blue from the visor''s screen. She was looking straight at him and stilled her finger over an unseen switch.


    ¡°Is it all good?¡± Ray asked.


    ¡°Yup. I''m going to set the timer for entry. You will enter automatically when it hits twelve o''clock.¡±


    She flipped the switch, closed her briefcase and strode to the door. She spared one last glance back at Ray and exited the room without another word.


    <hr>


    Verche slashed at the nearest taur demon. The creature''s dog-like head sliced clean off and its body disappeared in a glittering shower of data particles. The other taur demons were unfazed by the death of their comrade and pushed forward in ever-growing numbers to overwhelm the God Monster. Their hooved feet drove into the ground with swift abandon, and Verche found himself pushed back to the cave''s entrance. The line of enemies halted just outside the reach of his broadsword. They mocked him with permanent grins splayed over their faces. The monsters tested Verche with a few quick thrusts of their pikes and tridents.


    Normally in this situation, Verche would have taken to the air where he had more freedom of movement. The black devil wings on the taur demons gave them flight, but their maneuvering skills in the air were sub par at best. They were approximately a head shorter than Verche, and their wings were not developed to support their size. But if he did choose to take advantage of the skies, the demons would have no resistance on the ground, leaving them an opening to pursue the true prey: Metatron and Pandora.


    Verche spared a look at the sun blazing from above. It shifted hue with the familiar swirling tendrils akin to the glowing moon during The Reversion. The only difference was that this was the sun instead of the moon, and the light beat purple rather than a fluorescent yellow. Even though the time for the Players'' arrival was at hand, he knew that his time was up.


    ¡°So close,¡± Verche muttered.


    The taur demons noticed the transformation of the sun as well, and realized they had little time to finish off their foe. They all charged in unison, some of them attempting to slip by Verche as others attacked him head on.


    The Reversion significantly reduced Verche''s power, but he was not without his arsenal. He drove his broadsword into the ground and its insertion bid forth an invisible outward force that pushed the demons back, sending some of them flying into their comrades at the rear and into the surrounding foliage. They recovered themselves whilst maintaining their evil grins.


    Verche recited under his breath, ¡°I am Godly Knight of the Sky, Verche. Weapons of the light, of the sun, hear my call.¡±


    As he spoke these words a board full of glowing orbs appeared, shining brilliant before Verche''s eyes and standing upright at his height of six feet. The taur demons backed up. Even they couldn''t mask their surprise upon seeing the strange orbs.


    The board consisted of five rows and six columns like a typical Player board. Players matched same-color orbs in groups of three or more to give power to their monsters, depending upon the orb attributes they matched; however, Verche''s differed. Instead of the typical attributes of light, dark, wood, fire, and water, Verche''s orbs held symbols of weapons.


    He analyzed the board for only a brief moment before placing an armored finger on an orb with the symbol of a scimitar etched into it. He moved it, and the overlapped orbs took the place of the moving orb''s previous position.


    Upon completion, the spheres exploded and five beams of pale yellow light descended from some unseen points in the sky. Five weapons, one in each pillar, descended and embedded themselves in the ground around Verche, showering all combatants in waves of rock and dirt. The weapons smoked from the heat of descent, but Verche embraced the searing pain as he drew his first weapon from the ground. He approached a second and readied this one as well.


    In his hands he held a short halberd and a broadsword even longer than the one previous. Circles with strange runes gyred around the blades.


    The taur demons charged, only momentarily deterred by this magnificent display. The leader leaped high over Verche and stabbed out with its pitchfork but was met by the blade of Verche''s halberd. The monster impaled itself and struggled to break free despite certain death.


    A trio of demons focused on Verche''s feet, but he had already extended his wings mid-thrust to push himself back, giving himself room to swing the halberd horizontal. The axe blade of the pole-arm cut through all three demons and they vanished.


    Verche was now standing a short ways into the cave and realized that the mouth opened up to a steep descent with obvious paths providing multiple entrances to the tunnels below. The area left no room to maneuver with all the boulders and stalagmites.


    He beat his wings furiously and thrust forward, swatting a large group of enemies aside with his wings and weapons in a controlled spiral. Verche found himself just outside the entrance of the cave once more. He lashed out as two demons attempted to leap down upon him from above. His broadsword cut through them like twigs.


    As he was occupied with the demons on the ledge, another eager group approached Verche from behind and stabbed up through a crease near the lower back of his armor. Verche groaned as two pikes drove into the left side of his back and one through his wing. A circle of light swirled around his halberd at his command and he launched a beam of energy upon the remaining demons on the ledges. The rock wall exploded in a shower of light. Those that managed to escape Verche''s attack were crushed by debris as they fell to the ground. This gave him the opportunity to focus on the monsters still digging their weapons into his blind side. He whirled about and cut through his attackers, severing limbs and damaging morale. The halberd in his hand flickered and vanished.


    Verche rushed to one of his other weapons and pulled a double-edged axe from the ground. He adjusted his weight to achieve a new dual wielding stance. The axe was heavier than the halberd, and the weight distributed more towards the head rather than the center.


    More taur demons made a break for the cave and Verche batted them aside with his outstretched wings and twirling heavy weapons.


    He stood straight and pointed his sword at the screeching monsters. ¡°Give up on it.¡±


    His enemies took the advice. There was no way they were rushing past him until he was subdued. All attempts at distraction were abandoned. Dozens of demons braced themselves and attacked from the front and sides. Verche managed to parry most of the weapons, but a few pierced through and he felt another sharp pain as tridents and pikes drove marginally through his side armor.


    A taur demon received a sword to the chest. It vanished, just as the halberd did. Verche lashed out and his metal fist broke the jaw of another, sending it careening through its allies'' lined formation.


    Verche took the opportunity to grab another weapon, this one a spear, and stabbed through the chest of a demon that strayed too far from its squad. Its partner, who was unfortunate enough to be behind, was also impaled through the stomach. As Verche prepared to withdraw his spear, two enemies jumped up on either side of him. Only one weapon was free. There was only an opportunity to slice one of the demons with his axe. The second landed and drove its pike into Verche''s shoulder. He relaxed his body to endure the pain of the expected blow, but he felt the arm holding his spear begin to weaken and sag. He dropped the spear, grabbed the demon on his shoulder fiercely by the neck, flung it to the ground and stomped a metal boot on its face.


    His axe thrust forward and crushed the larynx of another crazed creature. In the midst of his motion, another weapon pierced his leg and it collapsed beneath him. He managed to bend his leg so the knee braced him and maintained an uncomfortable crouched defense.


    He looked at his leg and saw a trident driven into the back of his knee. One of the demons had opted to attack from range rather than deal with The God Monster''s expertly wielded weapons.


    The wounded warrior miraculously found the strength to will his wounded leg forward and limped to his final weapon that a group of demons were struggling to pull out of the ground.


    Verche cut down the demons and his axe flickered out. He jerked the blade from the dirt and readied himself for what he assumed would be the last bout. One of his arms now hung useless at his side, blood dripping from his burned fingertips. The limp in one of his legs was all too palpable. He took a few heaving breaths through his cracked mask. Verche figured, if it weren''t for The Reversion draining most of his power, he may have been able to handle these lesser monsters despite their overwhelming numbers.


    The God Monster''s battered body gave the insane creatures all the confidence they needed.


    He breathed a small bit of thanks, for the demons had forgotten about Metatron and Pandora.


    Verche swung his scimitar in an upper arc and cut through the chest of a taur demon that strayed too far from its companions. The momentum of his swing made it impossible for him to cut the next taur demon to his side, so he landed a devastating kick into the demon''s face and sent its crumpled form into the nearest tree. To his other side, three more drove their tridents into his last strong leg. Three tri-blades tore through muscle and tendon, rendering it useless. Verche ignored the pain, swinging his scimitar in wild desperation, hacking the limbs of the taur demons with his undisciplined attacks. Finesse was abandoned. Form discarded. All that remained was to kill as many of the bastards as possible for his own satisfaction.


    He fought from his knees, both legs weakened with a bloody arm hanging at his side.


    After what seemed like an eternity, his last weapon flickered out. He stared at his empty hands.


    Verche grasped a fistful of dirt. ¡°So-close. No. Not yet.¡±


    The demons let out a howl of triumph and threw themselves at Verche. He fought with the remaining strength in his one arm. A few demons fell to the power of his fist, jaws broken, throats crushed, and bones shattered, but soon even that was extinguished. Tridents and pikes drove into his stomach, shoulders and lower back. They tore at his once-beautiful, grand wings until the nerves went numb. He lay there in a broken heap, his golden armor splattered and tarnished by the blood of enemies and his own.


    On the ground he saw one of the ornamental wings that had been cut off his helmet. Hooves stomped over it and buried it in the dirt. He reached out earnestly with what little energy endured. Limbs and blades clouded his vision as they beat against his helmet.


    He grasped the token in his metal fingers. Before his eyes surrendered to darkness, he drew the broken wing to his chest and held it like a cherished infant.

 Chapter 6: Entry

    "We grind and grind. We die over and over again. We are both aware and unaware of the fact that we do this for essentially the same reason every time, no matter the seemingly differing circumstances. Yet we continue undeterred. This world is different. Something comes back with us." -A Player


    <hr>


    ???


    ???


    Prepare for Launch...


    White. All around was a pure milky white. Streaks of light shot in a multitude of directions with glittering specks circumventing. Streams of numbers, letters, and symbols flowed within, shifting colors according to the light''s refractions. It was impossible to tell where was up or down or if he was floating or falling.


    Ray''s eyes adjusted to the blinding beams, and he realized that some of the data flowed through his body. They traveled through his hands, legs, feet, everywhere. It was accompanied by a brief tingling sensation as if his limbs fell asleep.


    A mechanical female voice intruded on the silence, ¡°Welcome, Player. Please stand-by as final configurations are implemented.¡±


    Ray felt his limbs tighten. The stiffness was not painful, but the lack of control almost threw him into a panic. One of the streams began to bend and focused its attention on Ray. The flow of data passed into him.


    ¡°Downloading intrinsic settings. Adding framework updates. Applying intrinsic settings in 3,2,1...Brace for pulse.¡±


    Ray''s body jerked upwards as if he had been applied a shock from an AED. His back arched and fingers flexed against his will. It felt as if his muscles were being stretched taught and joints extended. After a few seconds, his body relaxed. There had been no pain throughout the entire process.


    ¡°Intrinsic settings applied. Initiating neural safety protocols 1-37. Connecting manual fail-safe links 1-7...success. No complications with connection.¡±


    The white area melted away and was replaced by glowing, lime-green grids encompassing a pitch blackness. The data faded to nothingness, and Ray now found himself standing. He tapped his foot on the unseen surface a few times to be sure. Below the invisible surface he observed more grids that pulsated with lines of some unknown energy.


    ¡°Please stand on the white grid, Player.¡±


    One of the black grids with the green edges began to glow white and Ray did as instructed. The light rose above him and consumed his form. On his arms he saw black metal wrist guards appear and his hands enveloped in dark leather gloves. His chest and back were now covered by a thin cuirass with two layers of overlapping steel near the waist. Ebony shin guards and flexible, splinted leather cuisses appeared. To finish the outfit off, he slipped his arms into a basic, and surprisingly light cotton cloak that concealed his upper armor.


    When the light faded, Ray gave his body another look and grinned like an excited child. He flicked a finger on the armor and it responded with a ring of metal.


    Oh my god, this is so badass.


    ¡°Please make three gear selections.¡±


    As soon as the female voice finished, portions of the grids slid open to reveal dozens of rising weapon racks. They locked into place with a soft click, and Ray could see hundreds upon hundreds of weapons and shields on display.


    Okay, this is pretty cool too, Ray thought.


    He lifted a short sword and tested its weight in his hands. He twisted his grip to feel the roughness of its leather handle. It was incredible. It felt so real. He even felt the coolness seep into his hands from running them over the blade. He tried some other weapons: axes, halberds, pikes, scimitars, spears, broadswords, maces, shields and bows (he even threw around some shuriken). Each one had its own balance of weight, grip and size for any range of individuals.


    Ray stopped as he happened upon a rack of katanas. One of the swords caught his eye and he gently lifted it, one hand on the handle and the other settled on the flat of the blade with his fingertips. He estimated that the blade must have been a little over two feet in length. A pretty typical size. Ray extended his right arm and held the sword parallel to the ground. He nodded as his arm began to strain, but did not tremble. A fine weight indeed. Nice balance.


    The sword danced through his fingertips and the blade made majestic, whirling arcs cutting smooth through the air.


    Satisfied, Ray retrieved the blade''s scabbard. He slid it home and slung the weapon over his shoulder.


    The next few racks he ignored. He didn''t want another primary weapon. Instead, he searched for a shorter, lighter weapon for his secondary.


    As he scoured the remaining displays, he happened upon a strange gadget comprised of black leather that attached to the wrist. He also noticed upon closer inspection a web of leather straps interconnecting at a small switch with a wire that extended to the bulk of the leather. A metal compartment was attached to the underside with another small lever. A groove led behind it to be pulled back.


    He decided to try on the device and slid his hand through it. He noticed that the web of thin leather straps fit between his fingers, and the switch was just within reach of his thumb. He pulled the buckle so it fit tightly on his wrist. Flexing his fingers was rather easy with no obstructions.


    Ray drew his thumb back, flicked the switch and to his surprise a narrow blade appeared from the metal compartment on the underside of his wrist.


    Ray let out a laugh.


    ¡°A hidden blade,¡± he said between chuckles. ¡°This is some assassin stuff right here.¡±


    There was no question about it; he was definitely going to keep this. It would take some practice to make it viable, but he figured it might pay off in the long run.


    His final weapon was a simple choice, a short scimitar that he attached to his waist for quick access. The handle was about the length of his hand. A rather simple, one-handed weapon.


    He returned to the glowing circle and the female voice resounded through the grid space once again.


    ¡°Please wait. Your Puzzle and Dragons Personal Database is being submitted.¡±


    Ray''s wrist began to glow. Lines of light shifted over various places and etched the database like an artist might sketch a drawing. When the glow took a specific shape, it exploded in a puff of dust.


    Attached to Ray''s wrist was a teal, banded device with three slots on its underside. A few faded buttons ran along its surface. It reached halfway to his elbow and it appeared to be embedded in his skin.


    ¡°Your personal database has completed updates and transferred. Access your device to view inventory, analyze the world map, organize your monster box, manage your team, and more. Prepare for transfer to: Tower of Departure.¡±


    Ray felt his body ease above the invisible platform. A pillar of violet light washed over him and he connected to the data stream.


    <hr>


    Tower of Departure


    Pirugan Continent


    Ray stood upon a flat, stone surface shrouded by a thick fog. The area was devoid of wind and a slight chill settled in the air.


    The newly awakened warrior analyzed his surroundings. He listened for any potential sounds within the fog.


    Silence. He relaxed himself when nothing hostile seemed in his midst.


    He strode forward and came upon a square hole in the stone with a staircase leading into the darkness below. He advanced past this a few yards to scan for anything that laid beyond but found himself standing at the edge of the stone, gazing down through empty air. He could not discern how far down the distance was due to the fog. He decided that nothing else was to be found, so he backtracked and descended into the dark.


    Ray ran his hands over the wall as he progressed down the spiral staircase. Lines of light crawled through the cracks and dimly illuminated the narrow expanse.


    He proceeded with a quickened pace, taking two steps at a time and found himself in a massive room with a ceiling comprised of squares with similar fluorescent light from some unknown source. The walls consisted of stacked stone panels. They stuck outwards on different sides and angled awkwardly. The construction of the walls appeared to be unstable, but perhaps the thickness contributed to support the unyielding weight of the ceiling above.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Ray padded lightly in his leather boots to prevent his footfalls from echoing throughout the empty room. He was impressed by how sound carried with each change in step. He carefully drew his katana from the scabbard on his back.


    Something didn''t feel normal. Open spaces were typically a source for conflict, providing area for the Player to maneuver and for the insertion of multiple enemies large and small. Especially large.


    As he crept forward, a dark oval shape began to form from the darkness where the boxes of light on the ceiling ended.


    Ray raised his sword. His elbows evened out as the shape drew closer.


    Just as he was about to shift his feet, a small white creature in half an egg shell floated in front of him.


    It had small wings on its back that kept it afloat and two small paw-like hands resting over an egg shell that concealed its belly. The white monster looked like a children''s plush toy. A bright yellow star was etched into the front of the shell. It couldn''t have been much larger than the size of a basketball.


    ¡°A tamadra,¡± Ray breathed.


    The monster gave Ray a cute, tiny smile and hovered near his face. Ray reached out with a bit of hesitation, but the tamadra made no signs of moving. He rested his hand on the monster''s head and it snuggled against his palm happily and made a soft purring sound like a cat.


    I''m patting a tamadra. I''m petting a monster! Ray thought with wonder.


    Ray was so entranced by this wonderful moment that he failed to notice a hulking figure approaching his blind side. The tamadra spotted it first. Its eyes widened and it grabbed Ray''s arm, urging him to follow.


    He glanced over his shoulder to see a massive blood-red figure dragging its massive feet along the stone. A wooden club scraped along the floor behind it, held by a meaty hand riddled with spikes on the knuckles. One of its arms was encased in sharp-edged armor with a curved blade protruding at the elbow. Its lower jaw overlapped its upper lip and two long fangs snaked along its mouth. The eyes were a darkened yellow, but Ray could tell exactly where it was looking as a cloudy outer membrane shifted in direction.


    The creature straightened itself and heaved its shoulders back. It let out a terrifying roar that echoed throughout the dungeon and showered the floor with putrid saliva.


    A voice emanated from the walls. It was the same mechanical female voice from before.


    ¡°This is a final message for Player, Ray Andylon. Welcome to the Tower of Departure. The battle tutorial will now commence. As a reminder, please note that death will result in the loss of experience as compensation for respawn. Upon completion of the battle tutorial, you will have access to the Pirugan Continent. I wish you luck on your journey.¡±


    Ray froze. Wait, did she just-Hold on! I lose experience if I die?


    The end of the message was the monster''s cue to charge forward. It did so recklessly, and waved the club over its head with no attempt at control. It brought the club down hard, but Ray anticipated the monster''s strike. Its attacks were slow and exaggerated, but they definitely packed a heavy punch as attested by the cracked stone floor.


    Ray ran for his life. He wanted to get as much distance as possible between himself and the monster so he could analyze it with the personal database.


    When the gap felt sufficient he activated the database and a menu appeared. He found a holographic symbol on the bottom left of the menu consisting of a circle and bending lines. A giant A was also at its center. He ran his hand over the symbol and the circle discarded the lines and enlarged itself, taking over the menu. A segment extended outwards and wrapped around the epicenter like some sort of radar. After a few seconds, an analysis report appeared.


    Ray didn''t get a chance to read it. He reacted just in time to avoid the ogre''s next heavy attack. Its speed took Ray by surprise as he was so focused on the analysis. He jumped into a shoulder roll and came up into his stance with his katana at the ready.


    As the ogre approached, Ray''s tamadra partner floated down. Its face was puffed up in a frown with tiny paws raised. Ray could see that the poor monster was trembling, and the paws were bundled up into something akin to a clenched fist.


    ¡°You''re going to help me fight?¡± Ray asked.


    The tamadra turned to him and nodded.


    Ray narrowed his eyes at the ogre that stared down at them. Its mouth was contorted into what Ray took for a sneer.


    Doesn''t seem like a very fair tutorial, but screw it, Ray thought. He rested his hand over the slots on the underside of the database on his wrist.


    A barrier enshrouded Ray in a generously sized semicircle. Layers of faded blue light emitted from its surface, making it just barely visible. As the barrier formed, a holographic board appeared from nowhere and presented Ray with an array of scattered orbs of varying colors. He eyed the orbs: light, dark, wood, water, and fire. Next to the board of orbs was a picture of the tamadra with all its stats, attributes, and skills listed. Most interesting about the tamadra''s attributes was that it encompassed all of them. On the opposite side of the board were Ray''s stats: health, defense, agility, level (1), etc.


    Well, at least right now I don''t have to worry about losing levels if I die, Ray thought.


    Still, he preferred not to.


    Ray was surprised to see that he actually had an attribute. Even more puzzling was the purple crescent moon symbol that appeared next to his name.


    He dismissed his curiosity and focused attention back to the board and threw together some quick three-match combinations of dark, light, and fire orbs to see what kind of effect it would have on the attack. Monsters typically had a primary attribute (and a sub-attribute if they reached a high enough form). It was incredible to think that some monsters could possibly have up to five. Perhaps it was just for the sake of the tutorial, but it was worthy of consideration nevertheless.


    The tamadra dodged the ogre''s clumsy attack and positioned itself next to the monster''s face. It squeezed its eyes shut as Ray completed the combinations and issued the power. The monster''s tiny paws conjured a glass sphere with three smaller orbs swirling around inside. The three orbs contained a flame symbol, a sun symbol, and the symbol of a crescent moon. They were red, yellow, and purple respectively, the same ones that Ray completed with his combinations.


    The tamadra readied the glass orb and flung it at the ogre''s face. It shattered and emitted purple, golden and crimson beams of energy that drove in all directions, embedding themselves in the enemy''s arms, legs and any other limbs within their path. One beam even shattered the ogre''s club, incinerating it in a fine explosion of splinters.


    ¡°Tama!¡± the tamadra shouted triumphantly in its high-pitched voice.


    It backed away as the ogre grasped at it blindly.


    An image appeared next to the tamadra on Ray''s holographic screen, and the ogre''s health bar appeared briefly. The bar lowered and the number changed from one thousand to seven hundred. Tamadra''s attack was only a hundred. Ray reasoned that there was such a thing as critical hits in this world as well. Hitting the ogre in the face, along with the three combinations of orbs allowed for extra damage. He didn''t know exactly how the damage system worked, but so far it was pretty darn cool.


    More orbs had dropped down on his board and he decided to switch it up a bit and see how some other combinations worked with the tamadra.


    As he was about to select an orb a giant redX appeared over the screen and faded to gray.


    What the hell?


    Ray gasped as the wounded ogre rose and raised its fist. It didn''t bring its arm down as expected. A red circle appeared on the ceiling.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Ray shouted. The barrier that surrounded him disengaged.


    The tamadra didn''t register his warning in time and took a glancing blow from a blast of crimson energy. It did manage to move instinctively out of the way in a random direction. The little monster tumbled along the floor and came to rest on its back. It forced itself to roll over and free its wings to take flight. The ogre was already upon it and lifted its foot in the air to crush the tiny creature.


    As the ogre was about to bring its massive foot down Ray leaped in and sliced at the beast''s achilles heel. He also took the opportunity to whirl about and stab the top of the monster''s foot.


    The ogre howled in pain and fell on its rear end grasping its foot.


    Ray rushed over to the tamadra and knelt beside it.


    ¡°You okay, pal?¡± Ray asked.


    He noticed that the star on the tamadra''s shell was scuffed with a gray line cutting across it.


    Ray shook his head. ¡°I''m sorry. I forgot that the board locks up at intervals.¡±


    The tamadra righted itself and tested its wings before taking flight. It rested on Ray''s shoulder and patted him on the head.


    Ray was about to respond, but stopped himself as a thought dawned on him. He was communicating with a monster in this virtual world. The creature understood him and responded just like any other individual in the real world might. If this little tamadra creature had this ability, then what would it be like when he met the other monsters? Especially the ones that assumed a humanoid form. It was almost frightening to consider.


    He shook himself from the thought. ¡°Well pal, looks like its time to double-team this bastard.¡±


    The tamadra narrowed its eyes at the ogre and beat its paws against each other like a pumped up boxer.


    Ray''s personal database beeped and he glanced down to see that the board was ready. He matched some orbs and the tamadra conjured another glass ball with the swirling symbols.


    He silenced the database and nodded to the tamadra. ¡°Ready, pal?¡±


    The tamadra beamed with renewed vigor upon seeing that Ray had opted to stand alongside it in the engagement.


    ¡°Let''s do this!¡± Ray shouted.


    They charged at the wounded ogre and brought their weapons to bear.


    <hr>


    The remaining trials of the Tower of Departure proved to be far more manageable than the introductory battle with the dark ogre. Ray and his new companion took their time testing different abilities, combinations of orbs and with their coordination. A nice skyfall of orbs had provided combinations of all five attributes, and the glass ball that resulted converged with the tamadra, giving it the ability to phase through enemy attacks for a short time. With the help of Players, monsters could unlock their true potential.


    The duo exited the tower with high spirits.


    Ray shielded his eyes from the blazing sun that pierced through the clouds. The fog had lifted, and the chill was replaced by a comfortable breeze.


    A mountain pass lay before them and winded downwards with rocks strewn along the dirt path.


    Ray began his descent, but stopped when he noticed that his companion did not follow. The tamadra simply floated there still smiling.


    ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Ray approached the tamadra.


    His question was answered by a small spray of data particles that floated from the base of the monster''s shell.


    ¡°Wait, no-¡± Ray started.


    The tamadra flew next to Ray and patted him on the head. The monster didn''t seem concerned, which put Ray a bit more at ease. But they had bonded in the tower together, and Ray was reluctant to let the little guy go.


    Ray smiled and pet the tamadra in return.


    The little monster bobbed its head and waved one of its paws in farewell. ¡°Tama!¡±


    His hand didn''t leave the small creature''s head until it completely disappeared. Its data particles drifted away on the wind.


    For some reason, he knew that the tamadra wasn''t gone from the world.


    Sure hope I see you again, pal.


    Ray lingered there for a short while before starting down the path. It wasn''t long before the pass opened up to flat land that extended to a cliff on all sides. He could see for miles around. To his left was an expanse of forest that extended as far as the eye could see. To his right, the mountain range continued and lowered its jagged body into a lake.


    Ray''s focus was then held by the individual near the cliff.


    A young woman sat upon an outcropping of rock, her arms crossed and resting on the pole of a magnificent weapon with a double-edged axe and thick scimitar blade. Her elegant red and gold combat dress and long, pony-tailed amber hair blew in the breeze. Her rainbow wings were folded behind her, their armor shining under the sun.


    The sight of her near the edge of the cliff with the blue sky behind her was mesmerizing. Ray found himself lost for words.


    ¡°L-Leilan,¡± Ray breathed. He stopped a few yards from her as his legs froze.


    The female monster rose from the rock and rested her weapon on a shoulder.


    Leilan smiled. ¡°And you must be Ray. It''s nice to finally meet you.¡±

 Chapter 7: Three

    "What is it that makes us real? Well, define ''real.''" -Anonymous


    <hr>


    Seattle, Washington


    United States


    Thomas Malkin lounged back in his seat as another esteemed individual ascended the stairs leading up to the stage. This new person shook hands with the previous speaker, exchanged feigned pleasantries and made his way to the podium to deliver his own speech. He set down a stack of notecards and opened with a similar line that mirrored those previous.


    Malkin already found himself lacking interest. The speaker''s words were already muffled, and the prominent whispers of the audience contrasted to create an unpleasant hum of noise. He ran a hand over his buzzed, graying hair just for the sake of the movement. As the speech continued, he moved to his stubble of a beard instead. He had always been rather fidgety, but the sheer boredom was getting to him, and he found that the twitch of his leg was unsatisfactory as a distraction. The persistent headache that settled in from the early morning still remained no matter how many pills he forced down.


    He took a sip of his wine and smacked his lips together to mask the lingering sweet taste. Wine had never been his beverage of choice, but he drank it slowly for the sake of appearance.


    The droning sounds subsided as a young man in similar formal attire collapsed into the seat next to him. The two men may as well have been complete opposites when it came to appearance. The young man''s hair was black and thick with brown eyes filled with energy. His shirt and tie were flattened and tied to perfection. Malkin didn''t even bother wearing more than a light blue polo and jeans.


    What brought them together was shared ambition and complimenting ideals. A fascination with the technological world and a constant strive for improvement. It also helped that they both worked in a massive collaboration for the lofty virtual project currently underway.


    The young man sat there for a moment pretending to listen to the speech before he spoke.


    ¡°So, did I miss anything?¡± he asked simply, already knowing the answer.


    Malkin shrugged. ¡°Not sure. Think this guy works for virtual security.¡±


    The young man smiled. ¡°You don''t seem too worried. They''ll be the guys monitoring the AI you provided.¡±


    The comment didn''t pique Malkin''s interest in the least. ¡°That so? Doesn''t matter really. As long as they took care of their end prior to Player entry, my AI won''t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°How confident.¡±


    ¡°Lo is perfect. As long as the Gamemaster and his subordinates follow the guidelines I laid out, then I foresee no issues.¡±


    "Well, if you say so." The man took a sip of his wine and a deep frown replaced his good-natured humor.


    Malkin allowed himself a wry grin. Even though their difference in age spanned several decades, he found that this boy was someone he could get along with given their similar tastes.


    The young man was Christopher Alsheimer, CEO of World Virtual Visions. One of those boy wonders who entered college when he should have been in his sophomore year of high school; the type of boy who corrected the computer science instructor on how to better organize programming code or how to amend any problems with the coding outright. He took daring actions for the sake of curiosity in his younger years, entering college campuses and sneaking into buildings so he could work on his projects. A middle-class kid like him wasn''t going to have the advanced software needed on his home desktop to complete his ambitious goals. He probably could have developed a method to pirate the software off the internet, but sometimes it came through incomplete, and it was difficult to receive necessary updates with stolen software. Besides, he was the adventurous type and actually reveled in the excitement of potentially being caught.


    Alsheimer founded World Virtual Visions at the age of twenty-four and developed the virtual gear necessary to operate Puzzle and Dragons World shortly after.


    Malkin had to admire a kid who came from nothing; someone who built himself to where he was today in such a short time. He may have been a genius, but it wasn''t as if he didn''t work to reach his position.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    The two men noticed that the next speech concluded and a familiar executive was now approaching the podium. The man adjusted his wide spectacles half-obscured by disheveled black hair. His tie was slightly crumpled and one of his secretaries had done a poor job of adjusting his collar. He shuffled some unseen papers.


    Malkin sighed. ¡°And here we go. Successor to the great Shinji Takamura. What a joke.¡±


    He took another sip of his wine. He was not nearly buzzed enough for this speech.


    Alsheimer mimicked his friend''s exasperation and propped an elbow on the table. ¡°Kurosaki isn''t all that bad, I suppose. I mean, he isn''t Takamura sure, but who is?¡±


    Malkin admired his optimism, but the boy was green in this department. Alsheimer had been in the business world for only a few years where he had spent decades.


    Alsheimer was aware of the kind of genius that Takamura had been. The kind of genius who rivaled or, more accurately, surpassed him. Kurosaki was another story. How he managed to attain Takamura''s position was beyond Malkin''s understanding. The guy was a joke. A complete sham. His position was a title, not a reflection of competence.


    Without Takamura, the advanced virtual world wouldn''t have existed in the first place. He was the creator of the universal code that allowed the world to operate itself without any interference from the outside. And the denizens of the virtual world operated separately from this system. That was Takamura''s crowning achievement: a programmed world that operated just as the real world did with individuals that could forge their own destinies and shape it. Infinite possibilities.


    The virtual world project functioned with three crucial components. Takamura developed the code that runs within the virtual world and supports its denizens. Alsheimer''s virtual technology provides Players with the access to Puzzle and Dragons World. Malkin''s AI regulates, protects Players from hazards and implements necessary adjustments with any potential discrepancies along with data collection. They were The Big Three corporations of the virtual world: Takamura Programming Development (TPD), World Virtual Visions (WVV), and Future Artificial Networking (FAN).


    They were like the three musketeers, but now one of the musketeers was gone.


    ¡°Lung cancer, right?¡± Alsheimer asked.


    Malkin nodded. ¡°Yeah. Docs said he had six months to live. And what happens? He dies in three weeks. In this day and age how in the hell do you mess that up?¡±


    ¡°I''m sure Takamura would''ve appointed a more competent successor if he''d known that.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Takamura was so absorbed in his work that I guess he didn''t really think about it. After all, he was expecting to see his world before he went.¡±


    Alsheimer nodded at this with sympathy for Takamura. ¡°A damn shame.¡±


    Kurosaki concluded his speech and stepped down to allow yet another individual to take the stand. It was the Gamemaster. His appearance was the indication that the corporate opening ceremony was now reaching its end.


    ¡°I am pleased to announce, ladies and gentleman, that all Players have entered the virtual world. Each entry went smoothly and there are no issues to report.¡±


    The crowd erupted into huge applause, and even Malkin and Alsheimer joined in.


    ¡°The developers and designers who created the game''s combat system and character appearances would like to especially thank Thomas Malkin of Future Artificial Networking and Christopher Alsheimer of World Virtual Visions for providing the AI and virtual gear that made this world possible. Thank you for your contributions to this technological breakthrough.¡±


    More applause followed. Malkin and Alsheimer gave a quick wave as all eyes shifted in their direction. Malkin glanced at Alsheimer, who shifted uneasily in his chair.


    As the Gamemaster continued his speech, the man named Kurosaki approached Malkin and Alsheimer''s table and greeted them with a deep bow. He gestured to one of the seats politely.


    ¡°May I have a seat?¡± he asked.


    Malkin nodded. ¡°By all means.¡± He did well to hide the irritation from his curt response.


    Kurosaki took a chair and nodded to each of them in turn. He seemed to have just noticed that his collar was popped up and readjusted it before speaking.


    ¡°I just wanted to thank both of you gentleman for agreeing to provide your assistance for this massive undertaking.¡±


    He gave another quick bow from his seat before continuing. ¡°As I''m sure you are both fully aware, I am not Takamura, and never will be Takamura. But I assure you that the company''s ambitions have not wavered in the slightest. I owe him at least that much for how well he''s treated me.¡±


    Alsheimer and Malkin glanced at each other, but made no indication of replying to this statement.


    Kurosaki took this as a sign to continue. ¡°That being said, there has been a rather sizable hiccup in the PADW project. I would like to discuss this with you gentleman at the earliest possible convenience.¡±


    Alsheimer spoke first, ¡°Why don''t we discuss it now if it is such a problem?¡±


    Kurosaki glanced around the room and analyzed the many faces. ¡°To put it simply, this information is above nearly everyone''s pay grade. We do not need to necessarily deal with this issue immediately, but I would prefer we address it when possible.¡±


    Malkin cocked an eyebrow at this. ¡°Keeping this all on the hush-hush? Yes, must be pretty serious.¡± He took another sip of his wine out of habit. ¡°I need to provide a few more last-minute instructions to the game operators concerning the handling of my AI. Other than that, I am pretty much free.¡±


    Alsheimer added, ¡°I have to get my guys set up on the data link with Malkin''s AI before the game officially takes off after the tutorials. I will be free as well afterward.¡±


    ¡°That is absolutely fine,¡± Kurosaki said with relief.


    He thanked the two men once more and headed off to speak with another group of individuals at a different table.


    Malkin and Alsheimer exchanged a concerned look that they didn''t want to make apparent in Kurosaki''s presence.

 Chapter 8: Abyssal

    ¡°There is no trap so deadly as the one you set for yourself.¡± -Raymond Chandler, <u>Long Goodbye</u>


    <hr>


    Pirugan Continent


    Castle of Satan


    The Divine Queen, Hera strode down the long hallway with more than a bit of trepidation in her step. She managed enough control that the padding of her knee-high armour echoed in tandem around her.


    Tendrils of darkness crept between the cracks of the obsidian walls and followed her movements. This was the deepest she''d ever been in the castle, and the malevolent presence that she was warned of that resided in the deepest bowels was near. Its aura was heavy, and the cold touch of the dark tendrils prodded her lavender skin as if testing her wavering composure.


    She didn''t want to admit it to herself, but this unknown, otherworldly being exuded a power that was beyond even her understanding. This realization suddenly exacerbated her mindset further and brought forth an alien feeling known as apprehension. She felt the false air of calm begin to slip away. It was irritating how quickly one''s emotions could transform in the face of the unknown.


    She bit her lower lip. Dammit. We wouldn''t have to resort to this if Satan had stolen Pandora''s box.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the hallway widened substantially, and Hera found herself standing before a massive wall of stone native to the abyss. It was stone that did not belong in this world, but it was here thanks to the dark force that lurked just beyond.


    Her black caricthmian armor felt coarse. The harsh rub against her skin intensified, and she worked her hands over the wrist and shin guards to readjust them. Her smooth black-scaled tail slid stiff along the floor. The body armor she wore also felt too tight, but this part was nothing really new. It was difficult to find armor in this world that actually fit properly to her alluring figure.


    She removed the elaborate circlet from her head and let it vanish from her hands. She then released her brunette and red hair to flow down its full length to her waist, revealing a pair of elongated horns. They actually managed to make her appearance even more divine and seductive.


    A breath of air escaped her. Control. Control.


    She now knew why her armor was so uncomfortable. She noticed the glimmer of sweat on her arms and cursed her body''s honesty. There was nothing to be done. Sitting and brooding would only serve to feed the unease.


    With that realization, she placed her hand at the very center of the wall and a thin vertical line appeared that extended to the floor and ceiling. Without further prompting, the two separate slabs of rock opened inward with a groan of resistance to plunge Hera into an even deeper darkness.


    Hera hesitated before taking that first step into the chamber. The bit of light from the hallway was unable to pierce the darkness beyond.


    To hell with these Players. And to hell with Metatron and her Guardian monsters.


    She willed herself forward, stepped onto the unseen floor and proceeded into the consuming darkness. The air was silent. Even Hera''s footsteps were unheard as she strode forward with an even pace. The typical rustling of fabric under her armor was also absent. It was as if the world had been put on mute.


    As she considered this thought, a coldness closed in. She felt her body stiffen. The cold was fleeting, but the soreness of her limbs convinced her that it was more than just a slight chill.


    The harsh scrape of her metal heels echoed along the stone as if hugging it close and dear. Her breathing turned out to be much heavier than she expected as sound returned. At first she thought it mirrored her apprehension, but it was due more to the air in the chamber becoming heavier. Much heavier.


    The inky blackness opened up and admitted her into another hidden chamber that glowed with a dim red light. The source emitted from a small, pulsing orb with crimson rings.


    Hundreds upon hundreds of stalagmites and stalactites thrust from the ground and ceiling, disappearing into the darkness beyond what the orb of light could not penetrate. Flat stone slabs protruded from all areas of the chamber around the spikes of rock. Dust swirled around in random points of the room from an unseen wind that shouldn''t have existed in a place sealed from the outside world.


    Hera noticed a group of monsters, her comrades, sitting around the red orb.


    She first noticed Satan''s massive form bent over the glowing orb. One of his hands rested open with trails of energy seeping from it, feeding the orb.


    The second individual was a knight in heavy black armor tending to a long broadsword. He sat silent as his hand moved methodically up and down the weapon. A light blue hue emanated from the blade as he continued to perfect his practice of reinforcement.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Sitting behind the knight on one of the jutting stone slabs was a female with folded, dark raven-like wings. Her black hair hung low to the small of her back with an elaborate, violet circlet resting on her head. The bright flowers clipped to either side of her head contrasted strangely with the burgundy armor she wore. Her legs were crossed, wearing stockings of armored fabric. Her arms, also covered in multi-layered caricthmian, rested on her knees in a stance that made boredom obvious. Her scythe was laid on the ground with the utmost care.


    Standing next to Satan was the final individual. Hera was aware that he was male, but the bone mask-of-a-face made it difficult to tell, especially with the dark hood pulled up over his head. His armor was sharp and dangerous. It seemed like the armor was practically a part of his own body. His pauldrons were forged into the shape of dragon feet and his full multi-layered, caricthmian armor was smooth where the spikes ended. It was armor that was crafted by his own hands. His elaborate cloak covered most of the armor. Propped up in one of his hands was an enormous scythe with three intricate, and disturbingly realistic, dog heads at the base of the blade. The eyes of the metal Cerberus glowed a deep yellow like a brimming fire.


    What made Hera uneasy about him was his seeming lack of countenance. The hint of a mouth could be seen, but just barely since his cloak was pulled up over the lower half of his bone face (she was unsure if what he wore was a mask or if it was his actual face). His eyes were also unreadable. They were like the eyes of a beast. The smaller eye in his forehead was forever unmoving, and Hera wondered if it actually observed anything. Perhaps it did, but she had never seen it glance in any direction. The black, curved ink designs around his eyes made their contrasting crystal blue color even more prominent.


    Only one of her comrades came down to greet her as she approached the glowing orb. The woman with the raven wings dropped the few feet to the ground. She walked up to Hera and greeted her with a nod.


    ¡°It''s good to see you, Hera,¡± she said in her sweet voice. Hera picked out a hint of familiar apprehension.


    ¡°You as well, Persephone,¡± Hera replied. Awareness of Persephone''s uneasiness was enough of a reminder to mask her own.


    The deep voice of Satan interrupted them. ¡°Everyone is present.¡±


    Persephone addressed the cloaked individual next to Satan, ¡°What is he talking about, Hades? There are so few of us here.¡±


    The one named Hades shook his head. ¡°Indeed. Many of us are too far scattered throughout the continent to assemble. A few who were once among us have been removed from the covenant as well.¡±


    Hera smirked. ¡°I''m guessing Beelzebub is one of them?¡±


    ¡°He was a liability. My only regret is that I was unable to crush his twisted brain,¡± Satan scoffed. ¡°Sick and demented little runt.¡±


    As Satan finished his sentence, the orb beneath his hand dimmed. The void around them drew closer and melded into the stone. Hera felt the same presence from before. The dark tendrils now slithered along the stone and combined to create an even deeper darkness. The last of the inky black merged, and all around them the cavern vanished. The red orb only illuminated the individuals who stood around it.


    A disembodied, mechanical voice resounded in the darkness, ¡°I am pleased that all of you were able to convene at this critical hour.¡± The voice seemed to be coming from all around them.


    The dark knight who was reinforcing his sword stopped his work and rose. Hera was unable to see him camouflaged in the darkness, and she jumped in surprise as he appeared to join them in the circle. She let out a low curse as she composed herself. The dark knight shrugged an apology.


    Satan waved one of his six hands dismissively. ¡°Enough with these formalities, Abyssal. Why did you summon us?¡±


    ¡°Best make it quick,¡± Hades added, folding his arms over his chest. ¡°The Players will be arriving at their Departure Towers. Time is short.¡±


    The darkness seemed to shift with irritation at their ill-mannered tone. It wasn''t that this shift was seen, but felt.


    ¡°Very well,¡± the Abyssal responded after a brief silence. ¡°I have summoned you all here to provide information regarding the next few months that follow this recent Reversion.¡±


    Hera, despite herself, was now leaning forward expectantly awaiting the Abyssal''s next words. Persephone mimicked her movement.


    Hades, Satan, and the black knight stood silent.


    ¡°I will no longer be able to assist you with intelligence concerning your enemies'' whereabouts,¡± the Abyssal continued.


    Satan cursed under his breath at this news and Hades simply shook his head. They had all expected this eventuality. The very existence of The Reversion displayed the power of the ones who created the world. The monsters'' loss of power was another signal that indicated their lack of control. It was an inevitability that they had all been secretly denying up until this moment.


    Persephone spoke, ¡°So the Creators have control of everything now? Is that it?¡± she asked.


    The rest of them stared into the darkness for confirmation.


    ¡°The Creators do not necessarily have control of this world.¡±


    No one was able to conceal their shock at this statement. For those whose faces were concealed, their shift in stance was more than enough to reveal their surprise.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hera asked.


    ¡°The Reversion was not enacted by the current Creators. In actuality, this Reversion was set to occur at a certain time by a specific Creator, one who is now deceased. It is set to revert all monsters back to their original states of power. It is the final preparation for the arrival of the Players.¡±


    Hera considered the words of the Abyssal for a moment. The Creators were not actually in control of the world?


    ¡°I am not quite sure what you mean,¡± Hera said.


    ¡°You say that the work of The Reversion was not done by the Creators, yet you say that a specific Creator is the cause of it," Hades said. "So what''s to stop the others from making another one?¡±


    ¡°It is because the other Creators do not know how to initiate another Reversion.¡±


    Hera stared blankly into the darkness. She observed her comrades and noticed the same stillness from all of them. They had all been painstakingly forming plans around the possibility that the Creators were watching them, always waiting to intervene. One wrong move and they would wield their power to reverse not only their strength, but perhaps the world, or even shift time and space.


    Are the other Creators really so powerless? Hera thought.


    The Abyssal interrupted their thoughts. ¡°This world and its denizens are currently beyond their influence. The Creators are limited, and are only able to regulate the one with true knowledge and control of the Players.¡±


    Hades asked the pertinent question, ¡°If they aren''t in control, then who is?¡±


    The Abyssal answered, ¡°My sister, Lo.¡±

 Chapter 9: Adaptation

    "There is no mourning with this war. We are simply submerged in a dense melancholy. If only they could see through the fabricated pasts." -General Mal Saf, ''Aftermath of The Great War''


    <hr>


    Pirugan Continent


    Demeter Forest


    Ray and Leilan stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking Demeter Forest. The forest was a sea of green, extending far beyond sight.


    The introductions between the two companions had been awkward to say the least. After Leilan''s greeting, Ray had stood their completely dumbfounded by not just her beauty, but her matter-of-fact tone. He didn''t know how long it took to forge a response. A cluster of stutters poured from his mouth that formed some unknown language. That''s how it sounded to him at least.


    "Y-yes. It''s nice to meet you." Ray managed to straighten himself, but he felt the heat rising in his cheeks.


    To hide his face, he squatted at the edge of the cliff and gazed down into the trees. He couldn''t estimate the distance, but he sure wasn''t jumping down. There was no way any normal human could possibly make the drop without injury.


    ¡°Can you make this drop?¡± Leilan asked as if reading his mind.


    Ray examined the cliff face before answering her. There seemed to be a number of handholds from jutting rocks and deep grooves for his fingers to get a decent grip on.


    ¡°I can probably make the climb down,¡± Ray responded.


    As he turned to make his way down, Leilan placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. He glanced up and saw that Leilan''s wings were now fully extended outward. The hint of a grin formed on her face.


    ¡°I''m kidding,¡± she chuckled softly. ¡°I can fly you down.¡±


    Ray sighed and shook his head. Of course, it should have been obvious. He knew he wasn''t thinking clearly. Everything that was going on, this amazingly real world and this amazingly real person...what else was there to say?


    But Leilan wasn''t even a human. She looked like one, save for the wings on her back, but she was a monster.


    Ray turned reluctantly and allowed Leilan to grab him under the arms. He was surprised by how easy she took to the sky with the combined weight of his armor and person.


    Leilan glided a short ways until she found a small break in the canopy. She released him a few feet off the ground and he landed in a half-crouch.


    The grass was soft. The dirt hard. The bark of the tree rough that he used to brace himself as he rose.


    Leilan alighted next to him and they began their journey through the forest.


    Ray carefully picked his way down a long descent. The terrain was deceiving, for the trees grew so that they reached only a certain distance up to the sky, creating a completely even canopy of leaves. It was as if the trees were working in unison to remain as equals so that none reached any higher to the sky than the others.


    No stone lay on the ground and no natural path was discernible.


    Ray slid down the last few feet as Leilan floated to the ground beside him.


    They spent most of the trip in silence. Ray found it difficult to strike up any sort of conversation. He always had a difficult time speaking to people he''d just met, but this was different. They were both destined to fight as partners knowing so little about the other. Ray found it easier to examine his surroundings and take in the environment.


    The forest was eerily silent. Ray noticed that during the whole trip there was not a single sign of animals. No traces of prints or disturbed foliage to indicate that any sort of living creature passed through.


    Ray decided to break the silence by commenting on this observation. ¡°This forest seems way too quiet.¡±


    Leilan glanced over her shoulder and regarded him with no readable expression.


    ¡°It feels like nothing has passed through here in a while. Why is that?¡±


    A valid question, right? She was a denizen of this world after all.


    ¡°This part of the forest heals itself thanks to lingering magic,¡± Leilan answered. "There is a safe haven nearby called an Arbor Fountain, created by The Bountiful Arbor Goddess, Freyja." She gestured to the grass behind them.


    She was right. The crushed grass that was previously beneath their feet was righting itself and pointed straight up once again. On even closer inspection, none of the blades of grass bent in any direction. All of them pointed straight for the canopy.


    Ray recalled his supervisor mentioning how these Arbor Fountains hid him from the prying eyes in his world. He opened up his world map on the database and marked their location with a leaf symbol.


    There were so many questions he wanted to ask. But the sheer number of them couldn''t possibly be answered in the span of a day. He decided that he would stick with the more pertinent questions for the time being and address the other ones later as the situations presented themselves.


    ¡°Normally, I would ask someone I just met the typical introductory questions,¡± Ray finally continued after a short time, attempting to break his uneasiness with a bit of humor. ¡°Y''know, what your favorite hobby is, what colors you like, favorite outdoor activity, stuff like that-haha...¡±


    Leilan interrupted him. ¡°You could ask. But I probably won''t have an answer for most of them.¡±


    Ray forced a smile. ¡°Yeah, for some reason I kind of figured.¡±


    Before he could draw out the conversation further, they came upon a dirt road. He didn''t actually notice it until he heard the crunch under his feet.


    A long indent in the dirt extended all the way down the road out of sight. Some sort of vehicle must have passed by. Perhaps from a wagon, judging from the two evenly dispersed pairs.


    Leilan looked up and down the road. She seemed to be weighing their options.


    ¡°If we head north, we will reach the town of Millshore,¡± Leilan said. ¡°To the south is the far base of the Bakke Mountains. I suggest that we head into town first. It will be evening by the time we reach the mountains, and there are too many taur demons prowling the area at that time.¡±


    Ray nodded. ¡°Alright. You know this place better than I do. Let''s head north then.¡±


    He was eager to enter some dungeons. The fast pace and thrill of the battles in the Departure Tower had him itching for combat. But it was foolish to enter unknown territory without any experience and at such a low level.


    Leilan''s words proved to be true, and the sun began to set faster than Ray anticipated. He could make out faint traces of the moons in the sky. Having more than one moon was going to take some getting used to, and he did a double-take when he first noticed the two spheres in the sky nearly touching each other in orbit. He wondered what effect two moons could have on a world. When a third moon appeared to take the place of the sun on the horizon it didn''t really surprise him.


    "So, you Players provide us with power. Is that right?"


    Ray was taken aback for a moment. Both that she spoke first, and asked a question that she should already have the answer to.


    "Oh, yeah." He opened up his board of orbs from the database. "Probably best if I show you."


    A Player providing an NPC with a tutorial. That''s a new one, he thought.


    Ray had Leilan''s full attention as the window appeared and dropped the multicolored orbs. "So, your main attribute is fire, and your sub-attribute is light."


    Leilan nodded.


    "Whenever I match three or more fire orbs, I provide you with the ability to do extra damage, essentially. The light ones don''t give as much. Also, the more combos I get, the higher the multiplier towards your damage. Sometimes the multiplier depends on your leader skill, awakenings and such. Also-"


    "So these orbs hold power that is released by matching them with my attribute, and you combine as many as possible."


    Ray shrugged. "Well, essentially."


    "I understand."


    "Uh...right." Ray closed his database as Leilan continued to take the lead.


    A rather unique situation: two individuals who knew nothing about the other put together and expected to fight. Success didn''t only depend upon how well they worked together. Trust was another issue, and Ray found it strange that he would have to address this if they were to work together as a team.


    In typical games, a Player was the dominant force that determined how they progressed. And if things fell apart, then it was all on the Player. Maybe the Player gave a partner the wrong choice from a list of commands, or maybe he/she took on a quest that was beyond his/her level.


    In this world there were an infinite number of choices. An infinite number of situations and possibilities.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Ray scrolled through a number of combat menus on his database as they walked. They consisted mostly of information concerning his board of orbs, status ailments, personal stats and scarce information about Leilan. No list of commands. Strange.


    Ray bumped into Leilan''s outstretched arm. Her touch woke him from his reverie and he instinctively drew back.


    She motioned for him to follow her to the side of the road. He obeyed and they took cover in some bushes.


    When they were safely concealed, she cocked her head in the direction they were headed. Ray squinted his eyes and didn''t notice anything at first, but after a few more seconds, he could make out what appeared to be a wagon and a group of individuals walking beside it. Actually, there was more than one wagon. Ray counted about four, along with a pair of guards standing to the sides and rear of each. Some of them rode on the horses that pulled the wagons. Gray tarps covered their bulky cargo.


    One person rode upon an armored white horse leading the caravan, carefully taking in the surrounding forest for any sign of hostiles. The helmet concealed the face, and a straight horizontal visor was left for the eyes.


    Their gray armor was worn and damaged. Some of them were bandaged and supported injured limbs as best they could using the wagon or weapons for leverage.


    Ray noted the crest on their body armor that consisted of two swirling lines ending like teardrops surrounding a crossed halberd and sword.


    ¡°Soldiers of Millshore,¡± Leilan commented.


    Ray didn''t take his eyes away from the approaching troops. ¡°Friend or foe?¡±


    ¡°The captain of the guard holds no love for monsters," Leilan answered. "Past conflicts in Millshore left us with a strained relationship. The guards will be keeping a close eye on us when we enter town, but they won''t interfere with us unless provoked.¡±


    Ray took a mental note. Wow. Some complex relationships going on here.


    Leilan rose from their cover and calmly walked out to the middle of the road. Ray joined her and assumed the same air of ease. He was content to let her take the lead.


    They waited until the caravan arrived. A group of guards left their stations and formed a defensive semicircle around the two travelers. They wielded their glaives with unsteady hands. Ray thought it might have been from fear in the presence of a monster, but on closer inspection it seemed more from sheer exhaustion.


    The one on horseback slid down and approached them. The soldier did not bother to draw the broadsword on his/her back and gently pushed one of the guards aside.


    ¡°At ease,¡± the muffled voice said.


    The guards lowered their weapons, but they made sure the blades merely brushed the dirt.


    The soldier, who Ray assumed was the leader, removed the helmet to reveal a young woman.


    The helmet freed her long blonde hair that fell to her lower back. Her hazel eyes were heavy, but there was an intensity that remained. She was good looking despite her hard features. Ray figured she was somewhere in her late twenties to early thirties, but her manner and presence suggested a mind on par or exceeding those with more years of wisdom.


    Her expression softened and she gave them a weary smile of greeting, but not enough to extinguish the fire in her eyes.


    ¡°A monster and a human traveling together,¡± she said. ¡°I guess this means that the Players have finally arrived.¡±


    Ray tilted his head. ¡°Wait, you know I''m a Player?¡±


    It was strange that non-playable characters were aware of the unique existence of the Players. Usually these kinds of characters were for the sole purpose of driving a story forward, acquiring information or providing quests to the Players of the game. The fact that they had knowledge of humans outside of their own world seemed unnecessary.


    ¡°The keeper of this world, Lady Overlook, informed us of your coming,¡± she answered. ¡°It also isn''t common around these parts for a human and monster to travel together.¡±


    Lo? The AI from Future Artificial Networking? She told the people of this world of our arrival?


    Leilan shifted the conversation towards a question concerning the caravan. ¡°It''s pretty late to be heading south isn''t it? And your men don''t seem to be in the highest spirits,¡± she added after getting a good look at the soldiers'' faces.


    ¡°Aye,¡± the woman said with a shrug. ¡°We were assigned to escort this caravan to our new outpost on the south edge of Demeter Forest. Unfortunately, we had a few unexpected complications.¡±


    ¡°Complications?¡± Ray pressed.


    The woman nodded. ¡°Looks like the taur demons in the area are all riled up, and they aren''t the weak ones either. These taur demons hold the title of ''Hellwind,'' first evolution taurs. This is the first time I''ve seen them this close to Millshore.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t know there was an outpost set up so close to the edge of the mountains,¡± Leilan commented.


    ¡°That''s why it is so desperate for supplies,¡± the woman continued. ¡°It is fairly new. The area is rich in ores, but since it''s so dangerous the outpost was built at the base.¡±


    Ray noticed the woman''s thickly bandaged leg. Her leather waist armor that hung down along her thighs hid the red stain at a distance. Upon further observation, he also realized that most of her weight was distributed towards her healthy leg.


    ¡°How much further is the outpost?¡± Ray asked.


    This drew a disapproving look from Leilan.


    ¡°With our current pace, and with no other obstacles, we should be able to make it by sundown.¡± She threw her thumb over a shoulder to the men behind her. ¡°We may be beaten up a bit, but we haven''t lost a single man on this trip. My guys are the real deal.¡±


    She said that, but even Ray could see that the men were reaching their limit. Some of them were still panting, and their injuries didn''t amount to just a couple of cuts and bruises. He observed one man with his waist completely bandaged and three spots of red seeping through. The weapon responsible for the wound was probably something like a trident, judging from the three separate stains. Many of the other men were similarly treated with makeshift tourniquets and crutches.


    They would be hard-pressed in a fight.


    It was in Ray''s nature to help those in need, even if it was in a game. There might even be a potential opportunity to amend the monster and human relationship, even if it was just a little. He wanted to head to the mountains as soon as possible anyway. There had to be some dungeons nearby to explore and other places of interest. The outpost would also provide a safe place to stay for the night. Heading into town could wait until later.


    He turned to Leilan for confirmation. ¡°What do you think, Leilan? We were going to head south anyway at some point.¡±


    Leilan shook her head. ¡°I don''t think we would be very welcome at this outpost.¡± She gestured to the soldiers. ¡°And I don''t think these men would be comfortable taking the trip with me around.¡±


    To Leilan''s surprise, one of the guards in the defensive semicircle around them relaxed his weapon and rested it on his shoulder. The rest of them followed his lead, and some even rested their weapons on the ground as a sign of trust.


    ¡°Some of us don''t hate monsters,¡± the one with the glaive on his shoulder said confidently. ¡°Some monsters made our lives difficult in the past, but not all of them are to blame.¡±


    Another soldier by one of the wagons spoke up angrily, ¡°The hell is wrong with you, Carther? The damn monsters just crippled us and now you want to throw our lot with them?¡±


    ¡°Enough! Shut your goddamm mouths!¡± their commander shouted.


    The rest of the men promptly went quiet. They didn''t even let out a breath.


    She turned back to Ray and Leilan and smiled weakly. ¡°My apologies. There will always be ignorant fools. I have fought alongside a monster on one rare occasion. They aren''t all bad. It would be a pleasure to have two more fighters for company. We might even be able to make it to the outpost with no casualties.¡±


    Leilan gave Ray another look that was difficult to read. ¡°Very well, I suppose we will join you. Just make sure none of your men try to stab me in the back.¡±


    The woman extended a hand to Leilan who accepted it with a bit of hesitation. She then shook hands with Ray.


    ¡°My name''s Irina Roche. Just call me Irina.¡±


    ¡°Leilan.¡±


    ¡°Ray Andylon. Just Ray is fine.¡±


    Once they finished introductions, Irina signaled to her men that their break was over. It was time to finish the hard journey.


    Ray only managed to take one step before realization halted him.


    Wait, am I seriously... He looked down at his hand.


    Talking here too...no, conversation is done so well.


    There were no typical multiple choice answers for discussion like in normal games. Exchanged words were more familiar.


    He reached down and grabbed a fistful of dirt, much like when he left the Departure Tower. He let the dirt fall. The splotches of brown remained. His hand felt gritty.


    Ray shook his head and took a deep breath.


    He noticed Irina and the man named Carther approach one of the wounded men. They helped him to his feet and slung his arms over their shoulders and guided him to the white horse. A few more came over to assist them and managed to settle the man in the saddle.


    Some of the injured sat on the edges of the wagon, but the cargo that they were transporting took up most of the space available.


    Along the way, many of the injured took turns riding the horses when the pain became too unbearable.


    Irina limped alongside Leilan and Ray the rest of the trip to the outpost.


    The taur demons that flew overhead were the first sign of trouble. The second was the smoke that rose high over the trees in the darkening sky.


    Irina bid her soldiers make haste. They pushed themselves through the pain of their injuries at their commander''s call. They readied crossbows and searched the sky for anymore hostiles.


    Leilan launched herself into the sky above the treeline. She was just high enough to discern the source of the black smoke. The distance couldn''t have been more than a mile.


    She landed at a quickened pace next to Ray who was already setting up his database so that he could have faster access to his board of orbs once they entered combat.


    The caravan sped up, but their speed only amounted to a swift walk. The wagons were just simply too cumbersome, and the injured could muster only barely enough energy to keep up. Ray wondered if the soldiers would even be able to fight once they arrived.


    The dirt road disappeared. The caravan had turned slightly east back towards the forest, and the trees left just enough room for the wagons to pass through. The base of the Bakke Mountains was now visible as the caravan came upon a small field. The outpost stood at its edge near another short expanse of forest that led to the base of the mountains.


    Its wall consisted of thick, sturdy logs lifted upright with the ends as sharpened palisades. Platforms lined the tops of the inside wall where guards ran back and forth, shouting orders and reloading crossbows. Archery towers stood at the edge as well, and crossbowmen fired into a horde of monsters that pressed against the gate. The monsters even attempted to climb, driving their weapons into the wood as they attempted to breach.


    The mass of monsters hovering above and sprinting towards the wall left the caravan in awe. They soon noticed the source of the smoke where a fire had erupted in the field.


    A group of red, horned creatures with reptilian tails stood to one side with a circle of winged demons wielding tridents. Some of them hefted shields to deflect the bolts from the soldiers'' crossbows as the red demons threw orbs of fire at the wall.


    Another group of dark demons with sharp wings and scythes descended upon the archery towers and attempted to circumvent the wooden spikes on the ledges the crossbowmen hid behind as they loaded more bolts.


    ¡°Ready them up boys!¡± Irina barked.


    They tore off the tarps on the wagons to reveal long metal cylinders with large open diameters. They were supported by gray steel slabs that attached near the front and back with wheels embedded to the bottom. A round crank extended out of one side. They threw off more tarps to present even more similar cylinders. On some of the wagons were heavy black spheres that some of the men promptly loaded.


    Cannons.


    ¡°I want the injured to man the cannons and focus on the western wall! Take out those bastards before they burn the whole place. The idiots gave us a clear angle. I want two lines of three archers each to swap positions. I want plenty of cover as we move in. The rest of you, hit the front and kill every last one of them! Get to it!¡±


    With that final command, Ray and Leilan rushed forward alongside Irina and her troops.


    Irina still managed to keep up even with her injured leg. The fire in her eyes was now on full blaze.


    A rush of adrenaline coursed through Ray''s body. A mixture of nervousness and excitement blended in. He felt his body lighten and sync with an all too familiar twitch in his muscles that acted on his combat instincts.


    <hr>


    Pirugan Continent


    Castle of Satan


    The Abyssal brooded in his darkness. He replayed his conversation with the monsters he''d come to create an alliance with.


    They were competent, but he found that some of them were not convinced of his relayed intentions.


    A problem.


    He was sure that the one known as Hades would take the most convincing. All of them held a lack of trust, which was only natural. But Hades suspected far too much, even at this early stage in the game. If things went sour, then he would have to be disposed of first. The woman, Persephone, had a very intimate attachment to him. She would be the next priority.


    She would be what humans call...The Abyssal ran a scan of his compiled tropes, idioms and so forth. Damsel in distress? No. These women were warriors. Bait...yes, bait. Bargaining chip. Yes. Despite Persephone''s competence, a male in this sort of relationship takes on a protective role and is prone to one-sided negotiations.


    Satan hid his intelligence behind anger. But he was desperate and took the covenant''s failings upon himself.


    The other woman, Hera, she would require further study.


    The Abyssal risked reaching out with his power to tap into the world and locate the positions of the Players. He could tell that his sister did not receive full command of the world just yet, which was a pleasant surprise.


    His own Players had arrived just as the one Creator promised. However, he sensed other Players with similar impressive potential that were not among his own.


    Curious.

 Chapter 10: Defenses

    "Anxiety is the beast that hunts me. Are these sensations just a clever fabrication?" -A Player


    <hr>


    Pirugan Continent


    Demeter Forest


    Leilan drove the glaive portion of her pole-arm through another taur demon as she subdued the previous with a swift kick to the jaw. She pulled the weapon free and swung in a wide arc, slicing the chest of a third that entered the fight a split-second too late. The monster stumbled back from the blow but managed a sloppy recovery. It lashed out with its trident and one of the points grazed Leilan''s leg.


    The fight was frustrating. She knew that if she had retained her full strength, the taur demon would have been dead by now. But due to The Reversion, she was back to square one. She didn''t look forward to the painstaking task of recovering her lost power.


    She finished off the enemy and spared a glance at her Player who fought alongside the soldier named Carther. They stood back to back and cut down any enemies that attempted to attack from the other''s blind side. Ray''s fighting style with the katana was rather clumsy when he took the offensive, but Leilan was surprised by his astounding reflexes. He had an impressive awareness of the battlefield, but the holes in his stance forced him to put more effort into blocking. His balance was put to the test when he ducked under the blade of one enemy as another forced him back on his heels. The katana stabbed through the gut of the first demon and then swung to disarm the second. He was talented without a doubt, but he lacked true combat experience.


    Carther gave Ray orders when the situations changed, and the two fighters would shift positions accordingly to better fend off their attackers. He leveled his glaive parallel to the ground and implemented an interesting technique where he feinted with a horizontal strike and then shifted his weight with a back step to redirect it in a diagonal arc.


    Leilan was grateful for the veteran warrior''s assistance. She needed the power from her Player.


    An explosion rocked the western wall of the outpost and a group of red demons flew through the sky in a mess of limbs and fire. The force of the blast also knocked the shielded monsters off their feet, leaving them exposed for the crossbowmen in the towers to finish them off.


    The soldiers manning the cannons ordered the wagons forward for better accuracy and to avoid any possible ambushes from the forest.


    Leilan heard a familiar female voice next to her as she defeated another taur demon.


    ¡°I''ve never seen blood and pyro demons fighting together. Even the taurs joined in,¡± Irina said. She sliced the throat of an approaching blood monster with her broadsword. The winged creature attempted to bring down its scythe with one last attack but received a fist to the face for the effort. She drove her sword through the demon''s chest.


    Irina was right. It was rare to have different types of demons fighting together. The various attributes usually kept to their own or attacked neighboring clans. Territorial disputes were especially common between the blood and pyro types.


    Another mystery to solve.


    The guards standing on top of the wall managed to keep the climbing demons at bay. They resorted to spears since the archers and crossbowmen lacked a proper angle from some of the hastily constructed towers. One of the guards screamed as a black blood demon swooped in from behind and sliced his lower back. It landed on the platform and drove its weapon into the face of another guard. More of the flying monsters settled behind the wall and lashed out, hoping to distract the soldiers so their allies could scale the walls.


    Leilan broke off from one of her engagements to meet up with Ray.


    She noticed he was accessing the database on his wrist. The restriction on the previous board must have lifted. The strange barrier that protected him from attacks emerged, followed by the holographic screen. After a brief moment, Leilan felt a surge of energy enter her body and weapon. However, she noticed that it was not nearly as potent as the energy she received at the start of the battle.


    Leilan observed Ray and noticed his clenched jaw and furrowed brow. He struck out with his katana in a vent of frustration when the shield lowered. Leilan could now see more holes in his stance. His reflexes seemed slower, but his face didn''t betray fatigue.


    She decided it was best to inquire about this change when the fight settled.


    The battle on the ground appeared to be well in hand, but the skies were turning into an issue. She took flight and rammed into two flying blood demons with the armor of her wings.


    Ray stared at the board of orbs and gritted his teeth. The barrier that surrounded him provided protection while he spent his time shifting the board, but the longer he took, the more time he was away from the fight. He also didn''t want to disappoint Leilan by giving her a meager portion of power. He was better than this. The chaos of the fight and meeting expectations began to weigh down on him. His brain overloaded with misgivings. Dulled his senses.


    He accidentally touched a water orb and began to move it around the board to start making the combinations. He realized at the last minute that he was dragging the wrong orb.


    Dammit! No! I wanted a light orb!


    There was no way he could amend his mistake since he already started moving the orb. He couldn''t possibly get a combination of light orbs together, so he decided to make a combination of water instead to at least increase the combo.


    As he finished the board, it locked up with its big red X. He glanced at Leilan''s stat screen.


    The Divine Harbinger Suzaku, Leilan/Type: God/ Type 2: Attacker/Attribute: Fire/Sub-Attribute: Light/Active Skill: Southern Seven-Star Formation/Leader Skill: Dance of the Crimson Heaven


    If Ray had picked up the right orb, he could have made five combos of one light combination and four fire combinations of three. One of the light orbs on the board was all the way across from the other two it needed to match up with. There was no way he could use a blue orb to get it all the way across to the other light orbs while also circumventing his pair of fire combinations.


    Leilan''s leader skill gave her three-and-a-half times more power if wood, light, and fire orbs had three matches or more at the same time. He first wanted to attempt to get these combinations, but then he realized that the only way her leader skill would work is if all three attributes actually attacked. Leilan could only attack with fire and light. Without another monster in his team with a wood attribute her leader skill was completely useless. A complete oversight.


    These were amateurish mistakes. He imagined the people of his world were laughing and face-palming.


    This realization only built on his frustration. He disengaged the barrier and attacked his enemies with wild strikes and ignored everything except for the opponent in front of him.


    The last of the demons retreated into the forest, crippled by the lack of air support due to the god monster that thwarted any semblance of momentum that they had previous. The soldiers on the wall were once again free to deal with the enemies outside the gate, and the archers found that many of their targets were easy to pick off as Leilan herded them together in the sky. The monsters in the field were cut down by Ray and Irina''s forces with a limited number of casualties. Most of the survivors received mostly minor wounds.


    The soldiers of the outpost let the wagons through and raised a victory cheer as the assisting soldiers of Millshore joined their comrades-in-arms.


    The same hospitality was extended to Leilan, who was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome.


    The upbeat atmosphere was short-lived as a pair of soldiers dragged a bound, thrashing blood demon along the ground. Its black, leathery skin was covered in splotches of purple and red blood. The men heaved the demon forward and it landed on its face at Irina''s feet. It twisted its permanent grin from the dirt and let out a choked laugh.


    Irina crouched next to it. It gave off a disgusting, pungent odor as it breathed heavily through its spread teeth.


    The soldiers waited in silence for Irina to speak.


    ¡°Why are blood, taur, and pyro demons working together?¡± Irina asked. ¡°You little freaks have hated each other for years, and now you''re buddies? Why the sudden change?¡±


    The blood demon cackled, ¡°We have a similar interest. We love human squeals. So long, loud, and high-pitched. Even the male ones. I wish I could collect them in jars and listen to them every night before going to bed. Heh heh."


    Irina punched the demon in the jaw. She was hoping that some of its teeth would fall out so its stupid grin wouldn''t be quite so annoying. She was out of luck. The demon licked its bloody lips gleefully.


    ¡°I''m not buying it. You don''t value your lives, so killing you isn''t enough for me. I would sure like to torture you. I wonder if I''ll enjoy your squeals as much as you enjoy ours.¡±


    The demon let out a choked laugh. ¡°Oh my, don''t put that image in my head. A human deriving in pleasure, how disgusting.¡±


    Irina''s eye twitched and she frowned deeply at the demon. It''s laughter rose until it went into a gurgling coughing fit.


    The soldiers surrounding them shifted uneasily. Carther began to step forward, but Irina held out an arm to stop him.


    ¡°Please, let me kill this filth,¡± Carther growled.


    The demon spit a glob of purple blood at Irina''s feet and laughed even harder.


    Before Irina could speak again, Leilan stepped forward and crouched next to her, staring expressionless at the demon. Irina didn''t move to stop her when she noticed the slight twitch of the demon''s mouth. The monster''s laughter faded as Leilan examined it. It worked to retain its composure, but it was wavering, even if just a little.


    Finally, Leilan spoke, ¡°If you demons really do have such a common interest, then you would have taken advantage of an alliance a long time ago. So I don''t believe you either. Who or what is behind this?¡±


    The demon chuckled with a mix of blood and phlegm. ¡°The dark one. He sees all. He knows all.¡±


    The creature tilted its head and scanned the weary, angry faces. It stopped when its eyes settled on Ray.


    "You say we don''t value lives." It lifted a long, trembling finger at Ray. "Them...they are worse. So much worse! Hahahaha!"


    Leilan turned to regard Ray. He stood there with a fist clenched and his eyes lowered. His mouth set into a line, and he whispered something inaudible.


    Leilan didn''t question the demon further. She knew that this was all the information she would get out of it. Besides, the creature was near death. The particles of data that began to float off its body increased in rate. The demon laughed hysterically until its life ended.


    <hr>


    Pirugan Continent


    Demeter Forest


    The days following the attack on the outpost were relatively quiet and uneventful. Small groups of demons risked exposing themselves to venture a glimpse of the outpost, but other than a few skirmishes out on the road with some caravan deliveries, the area was mostly free of any real resistance.


    More mining parties arrived from Millshore to collect the ores discovered at the base of the mountain, and the increase in soldiers outside of the outpost instilled a sense of comfort for the miners who were willing to stray from the safety of the walls.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The presence of Leilan and Ray also aided in lifting everyone''s spirits. Some normal dungeons were discovered along the base of the mountain as the digging continued deeper. The duo of Player and monster took the opportunity to explore these dungeons and collected the rewards hidden within.


    Leilan observed a change in Ray. She still recalled that last bit of energy she received from him during that first battle and how weak it was compared to the first burst of power she had drawn from him. There was still hesitation in his movements, but as they made their way deeper into a dungeon, his concentration improved and his body flowed more naturally in combat.


    There was a look in Ray''s eyes at times that seemed distant, like he was lost in thoughts that did not relate to the situation in front of him. He was a different person. A person who was elsewhere.


    Leilan dismissed these observations. The time would come to address them. She didn''t know him. A part of her didn''t really care to know him. The other half of herself wondered if Ray cared about this world. It was just a game to the Players. They didn''t truly die. How much could they value failure? How far were they willing to go to really risk themselves for the sake of their comrades?


    But for now, they were doing well and gaining levels at a decent rate, while also developing a positive relationship with the people of Millshore. These interactions were invaluable. Even with the uneasy exchanges between the town and monsters in the past, it proved easier for at least Leilan and Ray to travel without any disturbances from the local humans. It was bad enough that the area was teeming with demon monsters and whatever else might be lurking out in the surrounding forest.


    Then on the fifth day, a special dungeon was discovered.


    <hr>


    A squad of Irina''s soldiers escorted Ray and Leilan through the passage in the mountain where the dungeon was discovered. Irina herself decided to tag along out of curiosity. It was the first time it felt necessary to bring such a large group, but the soldiers felt uneasy about this particular dungeon. It wasn''t a feeling they could readily explain.


    The passage into the mountain peeled off with a steep descent, and everyone kept their hands free in order to make the trip down safely. The miners had explained that they never even used explosives to discover the tunnels or resorted to any amount of digging. It was just simply there. A few of them decided to venture a look, and that was when the massive stone double-doors were discovered with the strange symbols etched around them.


    They arrived at the door after a few narrow, dangerous curves that brought them spiraling down through a misty darkness. It was illuminated by a light from some unseen source. The presence of the door was enough to indicate that it was indeed the entrance to a dungeon.


    Leilan and Ray approached the large door and examined the symbols at its sides. Three vertical lines were etched into the right side to indicate that it was a special dungeon. These dungeons were rare and typically much more difficult than normal dungeons. According to the game guide, they could also have rare materials for forging and upgrading weapons or creating items.


    Ray had only been in the virtual world a few days now, and he found that the other dungeons were not too difficult, thanks mainly to Leilan''s natural skill in combat. But he felt taking on a dungeon of this level so early might be biting off more than he could chew. He''d relied on Leilan to take care of some of the heavy damage dealing, while he was content to deal with the smaller groups. He could heal Leilan using heart orbs on his board, but the Player''s hit points were a bit trickier. The Player was the core of the team. If the Player fell, then the monsters went with him.


    Ray felt Leilan''s gaze as he began to weigh the possibilities of success based upon their experiences in the other dungeons.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Irina asked, interrupting Ray''s thoughts.


    He answered her, but did not take his eyes from the stone door, ¡°I''m not sure. Leilan and I are gaining strength pretty fast, but that typically happens in worlds like this. Earlier on it is much easier to gain levels, but as you get higher and higher, it becomes increasingly difficult and requires more experience. That being said, the previous dungeons have proven to be pretty simple despite just two of us fighting. It might be doable.¡±


    I guess I can consider the area around the outpost as a sort of ''departure town'' like in typical online games, Ray thought. But still...


    Irina tilted her head. ¡°Wait, you''ve been to other worlds like this?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, not necessarily. Not physically at least. But I do know the basics of how these worlds function. Let''s just say I''ve been exposed to situations with similar criteria.¡±


    Irina nodded, but Ray could still see the lines of confusion on her face.


    Leilan moved forward and rested a hand on the door. She closed her eyes. Everyone around her stood silent until she opened her eyes and backed away.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± Ray asked.


    ¡°We need to enter this dungeon,¡± Leilan answered immediately.


    Ray walked up next to her and stared at the door as if there was something there that he missed. He saw nothing of note.


    ¡°Why do we need to enter this dungeon so badly?¡±


    Leilan shook her head. ¡°I can''t explain it. I just know.¡±


    ¡°If we fail this dungeon, then we could lose a lot of the experience we gained,¡± Ray said. He attempted to mask his apprehension.


    ¡°I am aware.¡±


    ¡°There''s only two of us, and we can''t even use your leader skill yet without another monster in our team.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Ray sighed and rubbed the back of his head. Leilan''s tone exacted an influence on him that felt all too familiar. Peer pressure from his monster partner was palpable. He was supposed to be calling the shots. He was the Player. So why did it feel like this decision was out of his control?


    Leilan was so insistent upon attempting the dungeon. He didn''t see how he could argue. It was going to be a tough dungeon without a doubt. He would have to be at the top of his game.


    He remembered his first day in the Departure Tower when he fought alongside the tamadra to take down the many floors of monsters. Their teamwork had been spot-on during the fights, and his orb combinations turned the tamadra into a force to be reckoned with. But now...


    Leilan placed a hand on his shoulder that woke him from his thoughts. Her gesture was soft, but her eyes held a hard intensity as they analyzed him. Ray wouldn''t have been surprised if she read his mind just by scanning his face.


    At that moment, Ray decided not to think. Leilan''s eyes were telling him not to. He didn''t know. There was no explaining it. Ever since meeting her nothing had felt in his control. It was like being dragged along by a leash.


    The soldiers gasped as he placed his hand at the center of the door. His body just moved on its own. A thin line of light appeared at the top and drew its way down the center. It disappeared into the ground and the doors opened inward with a low rumble to reveal an illuminated cavern.


    Irina stepped forward, peered into the expanse and let out a low whistle. ¡°Well, at least it''s lit up.¡±


    The rest of the soldiers drew back instinctively as they expected monsters inside to start pouring out. The cavern remained silent.


    ¡°Well, I suppose this is where we part ways,¡± Irina said. "Make sure you don''t get yourself killed. It would be a shame to lose new friends so soon."


    With that, she signaled for her men to head back the way they came. She risked another quick glance over her shoulder as she made the ascent, but found that Ray and Leilan were already gone.


    ¡°Do not think,¡± Leilan said.


    Ray stared uneasily into the various passages that broke the cavern walls. He barely heard Leilan''s words, partially because he didn''t want to hear them since they only emphasized his past incompetence. Brooding on it only made him worry about precipitating similar mistakes.


    Leilan''s words came in harsh force, ¡°You think too much when the fight breaks. You do fine at the start because you have no time to consider consequences once you become engaged. But when you have even a moment of breathing room, your thoughts stray towards the negative. At the end of the fight, when victory is assured, you begin to relax. You put way too much pressure on yourself, and that leads to self-doubt, which then clouds your judgment and makes you stiff.¡±


    Ray was amazed that she had figured out this much about him in just a few days. She must have been watching him closely in their short time together. The words stuck in his throat as he tried to speak.


    ¡°What are you over-thinking?¡± she asked.


    Leilan stopped in front of him on a narrow natural bridge and turned to him purposefully. Ray took a step back as she gave him that hard stare.


    At first, Ray thought that her stare was an indication of a critical opinion of him, but it held not a shred of judgment. It seemed more like a matter of understanding. Her question may have been rather blunt, but it just paralleled her intense personality. There was not a shred of anger to be seen in her eyes or her tone. Ray couldn''t quite place it, but her straightforward way of speaking was something he wasn''t particularly used to. It wasn''t necessarily unpleasant either, even with his reluctance to discuss the subject.


    Ray settled his hands on his hips and stared up at the ceiling of the cavern as he struggled to find the right words.


    ¡°You are doing it again,¡± Leilan said.


    He stared at her bewildered.


    ¡°Thinking. Even now you do it too much. With me, I don¡¯t want you to worry about coming up with the perfect choice of words. There is no such thing. Just put them together. That is it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Anxiety,¡± Ray blurted out. He took Leilan''s suggestion and just threw out the first words that popped into his head. He''d heard the word from himself and other people his whole life.


    Leilan waited for him to continue.


    Ray forced himself to stare straight at her. ¡°Yes, you''re right. I tend to think too much. I am the type of person who thinks negatively about things before considering the positives. I worry that other people will get hurt because of my mistakes. I also hate disappointing others. There.¡±


    There it was. He laid it all out.


    Leilan smiled. ¡°Well, that''s more like it. Now you can start acting like a man.¡±


    Ray tore his eyes away from her. Expressing his personal flaws to someone he had just recently met was not a usual occurrence. He knew that she now understood what he meant about disappointing other people; after all, she was among them.


    But...it''s not real. So why do I care? He forced himself to deny what he began to take as reality.


    ¡°As we move further through this dungeon,¡± Leilan continued. ¡°I want you to shut all of that out of your mind.¡±


    Ray waited for her to continue but soon realized that she was expecting some sort of confirmation from him.


    ¡°Right, got it,¡± he answered. ¡°I''ll work on it.¡±


    Without another word on the subject, Leilan continued leading him through the dungeon.


    Easier said than done, Ray thought. And then, Oh shit, wait a second.


    He looked around for the unseen cameras that were likely broadcasting everything that happened to the people of his world.


    Ugh, how many people heard that?


    <hr>


    Seattle, Washington


    United States


    The Gamemaster walked along the line of computer stations as his staff continued operations for streaming the events of the virtual world to the public. Large monitors were mounted all over the walls with tables mounted underneath, supporting machines that evaluated Player vital signs, neural link compatibilities, intrinsic setting synchronization and so forth. On the front wall was the largest monitor that depicted a pale white image of a young female who sifted through collections of data that she gathered from her observations of the virtual world.


    The A.I, Lo, truly was the finest master of her craft. The data that she delivered to the workers at their stations was awe-inspiring.


    The Puzzle and Dragons Viewer app was largely successful just as predicted, already surpassing one hundred million downloads and rising.


    The Players proved to be more competent than the Gamemaster ever hoped. The battles in the Departure Towers were just a taste of the kind of potential the Players had, and they would only get stronger during the next few days.


    The view count rose dramatically a couple hours earlier when a young female entered a skirmish almost immediately following the completion of her respective Departure Tower. She and her monster partner were ambushed by a group of highwaymen, and the sound of battle had reached the ears of some taur demons that were also passing through. It became a three-way battle with the female and her monster emerging victorious.


    Thinking back to the battle once again aroused the Gamemaster''s curiosity. He went back to his station and pulled up the files of the girl and her monster.


    The first bits of their files read:


    Player File #173:


    Subject: Lucy Cranston


    Gender: Female


    Blood Type: O


    Height: 5'' 5''''


    Weight: 120 pounds


    Eyes: Brown


    Hair: Brown


    Monster File #1265


    Subject: Ethereal Guardian Seiryuu, Karin


    Gender: Female


    Type: God/Physical


    Attribute: Water/Dark


    Rarity: 7 Stars


    Active Skill: Eastern Seven-Star Formation (Changes all orbs to water, wood, and dark orbs)


    Leader Skill: Dance of the Rising Dragon (Attack x3.5 when attacking with water, wood, and dark orbs types at the same time)


    His reading was interrupted by a flashing alert in the top-right corner of his screen. He clicked on the alert and an image popped up of a young male Player in black armor walking alongside a female monster wielding what appeared to be some sort of pole weapon. They were in a vast cavern.


    The female stopped at a natural bridge and turned to regard the Player. The conversation seemed to get a little heated, but the microphone at the Gamemaster''s station was currently muted.


    One of the workers at a station lifted a side of his headset and nudged his neighbor. "Poor guy looks like he''s about to have a heart attack."


    She laughed. "Yeah, but can you blame him?"


    A third spoke up, "What a lucky bastard though..."


    "Oh, I think she''s scolding him."


    "Haha. He''s getting life advice from his NPC!"


    The Gamemaster ignored the conversation, accessed the dungeon''s layout and jumped between different viewpoints in various chambers to see what opposition the two would be up against. The dungeon was mostly empty, and he frowned at this peculiarity. The icon in the bottom-right indicated that it was a special dungeon, but there seemed to be nothing interesting of note.


    He reached the last chamber and panned the screen back and forth until he came upon an individual that crouched near the back wall. The monster wore gold armor with angelic wings folded on the back.


    The Gamemaster analyzed the monster and pulled up its file. He scanned over it and his excitement grew.


    This! This is it!


    He rose from his seat and shouted to his staff, ¡°I am sending a transition file to a number of you! We have a Player who has entered a dungeon in the special boss category. This is going to be an important fight, ladies and gentleman. Let''s give our viewers a show shall we?¡±


    If the fight went well and his people did their job, the view count could easily double. This was going to be the first true fight in the virtual world. A battle between god-type monsters.


    <hr>


    The golden knight swam in a sea of conjoined thoughts and emotions. Fear melded with joy, and anger became constricted by deep despair. He felt an uncomfortable pulsing sensation behind his eyes. Faded cracks appeared and mended themselves over his vision like bursting blood vessels. A crimson hue shadowed from the edges of his vision. His breathing labored as the strange power of the chamber weighed itself upon him and intruded within his very being.


    He forced his head down and stared at one of his armored hands.


    Something had been there. Something had been in his hand. But now it was gone. Was it something important? He couldn''t be sure.


    He had no feeling. If there was no feeling, then how could he even care in the first place? Every time he strayed to consider his thoughts the hostile red in his eyes seemed to tremble with anger at the resistance.


    My name...


    The red that intruded upon his eyes enveloped them and piercing pain stabbed throughout his brain. It was a torture that threatened to rip away his existence, to discard it into a limbo that would leave him floating without purpose or meaning. He wanted to grab his head to numb the intensifying pain, but his body froze against his will. The spasms subsided briefly, but it lingered just outside of his consciousness, as if daring him to defy it again.


    My name...Ver-


    The evil red stifled the thought, and then he knew no more.

 Chapter 11: Infiltrate

    "It''s not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well." -Rene Descartes


    <hr>


    Sacred Bakke Mountains/Special Dungeon


    Pirugan Continent


    The passage widened and sloped upward as Ray and Leilan continued their journey. No enemies moved to bar the way, no traps to impede their progress, just an empty, dim silence that neither of them was willing to break.


    They scaled the steep incline and observed a massive cavern at its top. Pillars of stone reached to a jagged ceiling hundreds of feet above. Muggy shadows obstructed vision and clung to the rock in unnatural splotches like amoebas.


    Leilan conjured a small flame to push back some of the darkness. A few steps into the cavern and it became unnecessary as torches along the angled walls awoke and illuminated the area.


    ¡°Now that''s a bad omen.¡± Leilan readied her weapon.


    Ray mimicked her movement and covered their rear. ¡°Yeah, no kidding.¡±


    An echoing pulse like a heartbeat accompanied the dancing torches. A chill cut through the air. The flames shot straight up in unison and shivered as if instilled with the same cold that made the hairs on Ray''s arms stand up.


    The fleeting shift of the air was replaced by a muggy warmth. As they proceeded further into the cavern, Ray realized that the pillars of stone seemed to grow. Actually, they were throbbing.


    The scrape of metal broke the silence.


    They fell into defensive stances as they turned to the source of sound.


    A figure in golden, white armor rested on hands and knees a generous distance away. A crimson aura emanated from a pair of folded wings. The helmet looked up and observed them through a visor of blackness.


    Ray''s database opened and flashed with urgency. A screen appeared with an automatic analysis: Name: ???/Type: ???/ Attribute: ???/Active Skill: ???/ Leader Skill: ???/Stats: ???.....Warning: Foreign interference detected. Threat Level (Analyzing team stats): Peak distribution placed at ¡°Red.¡±


    The armored knight rose from his crouched position and proceeded towards them at a slow, even pace. He did not draw the broadsword from the scabbard on his back, but his imposing presence was more than enough to exact its will.


    Ray made a futile effort to control his shaking limbs. They were in a dungeon that he knew was far beyond their abilities. But he had given in to Leilan''s insistence.


    He glanced at his partner. His trembling ceased when he saw Leilan''s expression.


    She stared open-mouthed at the golden knight who had now cleared half the distance between them. It was like she was in a daze. Her eyes widened.


    Ray managed to find his voice. ¡°Leilan, what''s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Verche...¡± Leilan breathed.


    What? Ray shifted focus back to the knight. He almost hadn''t recognized the god monster''s appearance. Y-you''ve gotta be kidding me!


    She said the name as if she knew him; not just his name, but personally. So it really was Verche. A god monster. In the previous game, he wasn''t necessarily considered to be a particularly strong god, but even if it held true to this world, he was still far beyond their current level.


    ¡°Do you know him or something?¡± Ray asked.


    Leilan let out a slow breath before answering, ¡°Yes. But please leave the rest of your questions for later.¡±


    Ray read the worry on her face. She didn''t seem like the type to express her emotions so plainly.


    Verche was a comrade? A friend? Whatever their relationship, it had Leilan rattled.


    He''d become so accustomed to Leilan taking the lead that he forgot he was the Player. He was the leader. He was supposed to call the shots.


    Ray inhaled and let the air out in a smooth stream to clear his head. Like she said...time to act like a man.


    ¡°Listen, if we beat Verche, he will drop as an egg and hatch,¡± Ray said.


    He wasn''t entirely certain this was the case, but it worked that way in the previous game. Logic suggested that if a team of monsters could be created in this world under a single Player, then a system was in place to allow for it. Defeating these monsters in a predetermined setting in the form of a boss trial was a reasonable assumption.


    Leilan tore her eyes away from Verche. Ray felt her eyes staring at him in that analytical way, reading his posture and expression. The logic of his words seemed to cool her mind and she returned to her natural, neutral countenance. Mostly. His explanation still meant she had to practically kill her comrade. Ray could hardly blame her if such a thought warded off a fully keen mindset.


    He hoped that defeating Verche would release him from whatever malevolent presence controlled him. Something was definitely there. The crimson aura rose from Verche''s back and morphed into a maniacal, grinning face.


    <hr>


    Seattle, Washington


    United States


    A man wearing an ostensibly out of place heavy metal shirt and black beanie walked through the wide halls of the massive corporate building. The south wing of the building was bustling with employees. He didn''t particularly care for all of the cacophony and the cramped space from the crowd, but the chaos was enough to draw any suspicious eyes away from him. His informal attire drew some looks, but it was common knowledge that the IT department was known for its lenient dress code. People who saw him suddenly found the environment to be terribly fascinating.


    The information from a few hours ago put him in an uncomfortable state of mind. One of the men in the black suits had summoned him to address an issue with a young male Player selecting his monster partner before entering the virtual world. The Player had told him that one of the monsters he wanted to choose was missing from the roster. It was strange to think that someone could make such a mistake, especially since most of the data went through multiple steps of static code analysis for all of the tasks leading up to entry.


    After fixing the issue, he had returned to the Player and asked for his name. With some digging around in the files that Emily Tanner had given him, he confirmed that the Player was indeed Ray Andylon.


    Ray was a SSS rank, and the monster that was his first choice had been missing from the roster. Coincidence? Doubtful. Perhaps the enemy was already aware of him, and since they had taken such measures to impede his progress, it could be safely assumed that they saw him as a potential threat; which meant he might actually be a possible ally in the future. He wasn''t currently a part of the enemy plan, but his choice of side was still unknown. He couldn''t be trusted just yet.


    The crowd began to thin out as he took a left down a side hallway and entered a small plaza with multiple elevators lining the walls. He had analyzed the layout of the building countless times to make sure he knew which elevator would present him with the least resistance, depending upon the number of individuals that past through his route and their departments.


    He felt a vibration in a pocket of his jeans. He pulled it out and saw obscure symbols that replaced the name on the caller ID. There were only two other people who had access to the secure line, but he still found himself breathing a sigh of relief when he recognized the characters. He glanced up warily and observed the people around him. The area was still pretty loud, and he noticed a corner next to an ATM that was a safe span from prying ears.


    He answered the call and heard Emily''s voice. ¡°Everything good so far, Rick?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We''re good. I''m at the first elevator. Are you in position?¡±


    There was a shuffling on her end before she answered. Rick waited for her response. The phone weighed heavier in his hand.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Finally, she responded, ¡°All set.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I''m moving in. Wait five minutes after I hang up and then put the cameras I listed on the loop. I only need a fifteen-minute window.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    He hung up, set the timer on his watch and proceeded to the elevator. It was crowded. His luck held out as most of the people exited on the same floor. Now it was time to reach the second elevator.


    The halls were still painted with the same plain white color that made the building feel like some sort of hospital. The illumination also made the men in black stand out even more, adding to their intimidation factor. He walked past them and assumed an air of calm. The employees paid him no mind as he turned the last corner.


    He fished into his pocket for the keycard that would give him access to the next elevator. He swore vehemently as his sweaty hand stuck in the pocket with the card wedged between his fingers. He hated jeans. The pockets were so damn small. He couldn''t afford any delays.


    As he managed to wiggle his hand out of the pocket, he heard a voice behind him that practically made him jump out of his skin. He turned faster than he would''ve liked and saw a man wearing a lab coat eyeing him up and down.


    The man adjusted his spectacles and addressed him again, ¡°This is a restricted area. You mind telling me what you''re doing over here?¡±


    Rick froze at the question. He had an excuse prepared for this sort of situation, but the words caught in his throat.


    The man in the lab coat noticed the fake ID tag clipped to his shirt and sighed. ¡°IT department, right? You recluses seem to have a hard time with people outside your little niche.¡±


    Rick thanked his lucky stars that this man had completely misunderstood his panic for simple social anxiety. The man saw him as one of the stereotypical, antisocial tech geeks.


    This stroke of luck was enough to calm him down so he could speak somewhat coherently.


    ¡°I''m, uh, looking for the third data distribution area for the PADW project. The guys running it wanted me to, um, check out a small bug in one of the links or something.¡±


    The man in the lab coat cocked an eyebrow at this. ¡°Then why are you heading to the Cell Lab?¡±


    Rick turned back to the elevator and read the placard lined over the top. The words read: Virtual Cellular Reproduction/Growth Testing Lab 2B.


    Rick let out a nervous laugh and rested his face in his hand. He shook his head and slapped himself on the forehead.


    ¡°I always seem to get lost in this stupid building. I can''t stand this layout.¡±


    The man with the spectacles laughed with genuine humor. ¡°Yeah, I hear yah on that one. This is my area of expertise, and I still get lost from time to time.¡± He threw a thumb over his shoulder in the other direction. ¡°The elevator you''re looking for is that way. Just one wrong turn, that''s all.¡±


    Rick nodded his appreciation and moved to pass, but the man stopped him with a sidestep that caught him off guard.


    ¡°I gotta ask,¡± the man said.


    His tone didn''t portray any sort of suspicion, but the delay was starting to kill Rick''s composure.


    ¡°You guys know about all these apps and stuff, right?¡± He pulled out his cellphone and looked around to make sure nobody was watching. He saw that Rick noticed this and shrugged. ¡°Those guys in black are real hard-asses. Cellphones are restricted in this area, but it''s not like anybody had a problem with it until they showed up.¡±


    He opened up an app on his phone and Rick saw that it was the Puzzle and Dragons Viewer app.


    The man handed the phone to Rick. ¡°I''m trying to figure out how to pull up the split-screen setting so I can watch two Players at once, but the app doesn''t come with a guide. Maybe you know how to do it?¡±


    Rick sighed with relief, but this guy was going to give him a heart attack. The clock was ticking, and Emily would be upholding her end soon.


    Fixing the man''s problem turned out to be relatively easy, and Rick was grateful that the man had no further requests. The man gave him an appreciative slap on the back and went back to his work.


    Rick quickened his pace to the opposite elevator and unconsciously gave one of the men in black a nod in greeting. The man made no indication that he noticed the gesture.


    He placed the keycard over the scanner and the doors parted. The elevator descended several floors below the base of the building and came to a smooth halt. The doors slid open to reveal a long hallway that intersected with two diverging stairways that led further downwards.


    Rick checked his watch and cursed. He was already three minutes past the time. Now he was really cutting it close.


    There were only a few corporate employees down in this area, but even so, he limited himself to a brisk walk to avoid any unwanted attention. A few passersby glanced at him curiously, but most of them paid him no mind as they continued examining documents on their tablets.


    A man in a sports coat stopped him halfway to his destination, but waved him on when he saw the IT tag.


    "Ah, right, the guys upstairs mentioned you." He pointed down the hall. "Staircase on the left."


    Rick gave his thanks and waited for him to enter another room before taking the next right. He went down two steps at a time when he was out of sight. As he rounded another bend, he came upon a solid steel door. Another scanner was planted in the wall next to the handle with a numerical, holographic keyboard underneath. A second security feature with a small glass dome stuck out of the wall with a cylindrical device inside.


    Rick produced another keycard from his pocket and the scanner accepted it with a short ping and a green light. He then typed in the numerical code and the scanner presented the same positive response. The third step, the retinal scanner, was trickier.


    He pulled both of his sneakers off and examined the soles to find the loose bit of leather that opened the hidden compartments underneath. He wiggled the tip of his nail into one of the grooves in the bottom of the shoe and peeled back the rubber. This same process was repeated on the other, and he pulled out the contents hidden inside. The last piece he needed was in the tongue of one of the shoes, and so he dug his nail into the loosely stitched fabric. He pulled out a thin rod, barely longer than an inch. The four other pieces had two smooth planes and a rounded side. Rick placed all four pieces beside each other and held them together with the fingers on one hand. When they were all evenly placed on their flat sides, he inserted the plastic rod and heard a satisfying click as it attached the complimenting parts, much like a three-dimensional puzzle.


    The resulting sphere was slightly smaller than the size of a ping pong ball. It was nearly white all around with a blue hue and a circle of inky black at its center. A unique, artificial eye.


    Rick took a deep breath and held the iris over the retinal scanner. He felt the grittiness of sweat sticking to his skin when the scanner remained silent. He wondered if it had rejected the artificial eye. It could have been sending out an alert to security right now.


    After a few more seconds, the familiar ping sounded and the third green light flashed. Rick let out the breath he''d been holding.


    You really were a genius, Takamura.


    A low female voice welcomed him to the mainframe, ¡°Welcome, CEO Akio Kurosaki. For security purposes, this visit will be recorded in the Head Officer database for reference.¡±


    Rick entered the mainframe. He was running short on time. It was going to be close.


    He weaved around the seemingly endless rows of consoles and computers that littered the large control room. The mainframe was connected to multiple other refrigerator-sized setups that reached through walls to other sectors.


    The virtual world inhabited by the Players ran on a closed LAN network to prevent those on the outside from gaining access. There were only three direct access points for the virtual world: the Gamemaster''s control room, the Players'' login points and the mainframe.


    The Gamemaster''s connection was full of people with direct authorization from corporate CEOs such as Kurosaki, Alsheimer and Malkin. Getting into the control room was impossible given Rick''s falsified status. Forging his information in-person to break through such a high level of clearance was impossible.


    The Players'' login points were also not an option. The headgear that sent them to the virtual world was programmed to admit specific individuals. When Players logged out, the headgear and console prepared automatic updates. Supervisors used a tier of clearance that only allowed for safe Player entry and ejection.


    The only place left that fulfilled his needs was the mainframe. Only the corporate CEOs and a few other individuals were permitted. Some high-level security personnel were provided clearance as well, but only with corporate approval that came straight from the top and with an escort.


    Rick examined the various consoles. Much of them involved the classified records of Future Artificial Networking: some high security applications, consumer statistics and other hidden processes. Rick would have loved to take the time to hack into the secrets of the corporation. But alas, time was his enemy.


    He''d spent years with Emily and her people to prepare for this moment. Years spent ingraining themselves within the PADW project with fake civilian records, forged IDs, fictitious work histories and other erroneous information.


    Rick scoured the massive mainframe and found a port that suited his needs. He pulled out his phone and opened a small compartment underneath the base that held a USB wireless adapter. Rick had made a few modifications to the adapter and enhanced the signal to also provide permission to one other device. The wireless signal remained off until activated remotely. He hoped. It was impossible to tell what security measures were in place for the PADW project. Technology conceded too many variables.


    The USB ports were actually inside a pull-out section of the mainframe, and he carefully slid it out to reveal dozens of options.


    Rick connected the wireless adapter and opened an application of his own design to examine the hibernating signal. After a few seconds, the cellphone confirmed that the adapter was connected.


    Now all that remained was to authenticate his laptop miles away with a dummy signal. It had to be immensely powerful, and he hoped that the adapter emitted enough strength. Upping its reach was a major pain in the ass. They''d tested it in a remote area outside the city, but the interference inside was an unknown factor. It might even take piggy-backing off other wireless connections outside the building and stringing them together.


    Well, plenty of time to deal with that later. The Players had their own work to do over the next few days before they initiated any plans to retrieve the Universal Code. Rick felt all this risk would be worth it once they found allies in the virtual world.


    The time on his phone indicated that he had a few minutes to spare.


    Man, I must''ve set some sort of record. He let out a relieved laugh.


    Rick shoved his phone back in his pocket and pushed the shelf of the mainframe into its previous position. He was glad to see that the wireless adapter was concealed. Nobody would wander all the way down to the mainframe unless there was some serious issue. Which he doubted.


    He hurried out of the room and took the stairs slower this time.


    Rick called for the elevator and shifted on his toes and heels. All he had to do was ride the elevator up, head back down and exit when the cameras fell off the loop. Then he would take care of the issue everyone thought he was here for. If he ran into the same higher-up from before, he could just say that he forgot something and found that he dropped it in the elevator.


    Before the elevator arrived, he noticed an employee in one of the offices watching a video on a laptop. A young man in dark attire and a female wielding a magnificent pole-arm were locked in combat against a dangerous enemy in gold armor.


    Rick stared at the screen for a moment. As the elevator doors opened, the familiar face registered. It was Ray Andylon.

 Chapter 12: The Returned

    Worlds made for pleasure/forget or treasure/Come from there/Gone, how would we fair?


    Wading through madness/Devious grey darkness/When the heart beats true/We never cling to fate.


    Wearing the mask of blindness.


    Instigate selective perception/Manipulate saccadic suppression/One and the face/On and off but always apace.


    We''re stuck in a schism/Of fact and fiction/Sovereign lives we steal/Adrift as fractured tears.


    Worlds made for pleasure/Forget or treasure/Come from here/Ever, how would we fair?


    Wading through madness/Devious grey darkness/When the heart beats true/We never cling to fate.


    Tearing the mask of blindness... -Lyrics from the Puzzle and Dragons World, Special Dungeon Theme (sung by Rina Nakamura, w/ Keith Aitken)


    <hr>


    Pirugan Continent


    Sacred Bakke Mountains/Special Dungeon


    The knight, once known as Verche, rushed forward and locked weapons with Leilan. The clash of steel triggered her combat instincts. Her opponent deflected a hesitant strike. Two battles waged: one internal, and the other physical.


    Ray knew there was no possible way they could achieve victory with both their mindsets in turmoil. They would respawn after their hit points reached zero. There was no evidence that this would prove the same for a monster bound to a dungeon.


    Leilan side-stepped a second strike that forced her back on her heels. Verche seized the opening. Leilan clenched her teeth as she fought to reestablish her stance. The momentum took her out of sword range and enabled her to land on her toes. She pushed off the balanced foot to dodge another attack. Verche''s sword merely grazed her thigh, but he continued to whittle away at her feeble defenses.


    Ray had no idea how much damage they could sustain from these attacks. He didn''t even know the hit points needed to defeat him. No health bar, no stats, nothing useful in the least.


    Ray examined the board of orbs in front of him. He had been given a terrible set. Most of the orbs were water, wood, and dark. The only ones useful to him were a few fire and light. The best course of action was to match as many orbs as possible to create a favorable board for later in the fight.


    He picked up a water orb and made combinations to get rid of the useless orbs. He became distracted by a shout from Leilan, and he involuntarily glanced up. The motion of his head forced his upper body to follow it, and the finger that was moving the orbs accidentally lifted from the holographic screen, ending Ray''s time for matching indefinitely.


    Ray stared with his finger still hovering as the board faded to gray. The mocking redXappeared. Trepidation transformed to anger as he punched the database on his wrist.


    Dammit! Dammit!


    At least the ones he did get rid of were mostly replaced by heart and fire orbs.


    But now was not the time to wallow in self-pity.


    Leilan avoided a concentrated thrust from Verche that was accompanied with a short jab from one of his wings. He attempted to insert his sword into the curve of her own weapon, which would then give him some control of the upper body. The swift blows from the wings did not decrease her health much, but that was not the purpose of these attacks. They were meant to force openings for his blade.


    Ray saw Leilan glance at him as she pushed off to make space.


    He masked his irritation and drew his katana. Screw this!


    Verche took advantage of her diverted attention and leveled his wrist just as he saw Leilan''s eyes dart to the side. He pointed the small shield on his arm just below the neckline. The shield launched itself and he rushed forward immediately after the dangerous projectile.


    Leilan half-saw the whirling missile as she tore her attention away from her partner. Her arm relaxed with the lack of focus, which forced her to lose that precious half of a second that was needed to block the speeding shield. The shield glanced off the shaft of her pole-arm with a metallic clang and angled towards her shoulder. It collided and broke her already shaky defensive stance, bringing one of her legs back so that she now faced sideways.


    Verche had already closed the distance with a rebound offensive. There was no way for Leilan to bring up her weapon in time. She braced herself.


    The broadsword changed coarse to deflect a katana aimed for its wielder''s side. Verche curled his other hand into a fist with the intent of pummeling the katana''s owner into the floor. A muffled growl emitted from the helmet when the attack scraped along Ray''s wrist guards. He thrust his wings forward to make some space when Leilan joined in with a thrust from her pole-arm. One of the wings clipped Ray''s shoulder and knocked him to his back.


    His health bar flashed and lowered, but remained green. Not bad.


    The golden knight retreated a generous distance, drove his sword into the ground and clawed his fingers. He looked up at the ceiling.


    Two voices melded together: one ferocious and demonic, the other strong, yet distressed, ¡°I am Godly Knight of the Sky, Verche! Weapons of light, hear my call!¡±


    Circles of luminescent yellow appeared all over the cavern. They swirled faster as Verche clasped his hands. The bright surfaces shifted as glowing weapons gradually manifested. All of them aimed at the duo of monster and Player.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Ray muttered.


    He knew there was no way he could dodge them all. Leilan might be able to deal with them, but not if she focused on protecting him.


    The database on is wrist alerted him that the board of orbs was ready. The signal was like a switch for his brain. Maybe...


    Leilan grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Ray! We need to-¡±


    He whirled on her. ¡°No! I have an idea! You have to retreat!¡±


    Verche drew his sword from the floor and charged forward. His wings contributed to the speed and warped the air around him.


    ¡°Sorry about this!¡± Ray shouted. ¡°Activate puzzle mode!¡±


    The bluish barrier appeared around him and enacted its exterior force. Anything within the circumference of the barrier was forced outwards; this included Leilan, who pushed back along the ground. She slid her grip towards the blade of her weapon and dug it into the stone. The weapons of light fired and disappeared in geysers of earth as they assaulted the Player.


    Verche, already in the midst of his swing, failed to halt his momentum. The broadsword collided with the barrier and the blue hue caved inward. Waves of energy rippled along its surface. The moment was fleeting as the barrier reinstated itself into that perfect, smooth semi-circle. Ray felt the energy of the sword and light weapons drive against the shield. It was a strange lukewarm feeling that spread throughout his body. Then, the energy recollected itself at the sections buffeted by the active skill.


    All that was on Ray''s mind was hurting Verche. The manipulated power seemed to understand this and concentrated at eye level. The cerulean hue morphed into a swirling lime green and launched at Ray''s assailant and other points of impact around the barrier.


    Verche lifted his sword to deflect the beam. His shield was now gone after the attack on Leilan. A portion of the blast split against the edge of Verche''s sword and arced towards the ceiling, fracturing into a hail of stone. The remaining half drove into the knight''s chestplate and plunged him into the ground. He angled his body in an attempt to put himself into a roll. A stray rock that had fallen from the ceiling mocked this plan. Verche''s shoulder made heavy contact and sent him sprawling sideways in an uncontrollable spin. He landed flat on his back in a heap of debris. Many of the sharp points of the jagged rock found creases in the armor and drove through. The wounds were shallow, but they inflicted some noticeable damage, enough to provide Ray and Leilan a brief respite.


    Holy shit! That actually worked!


    The focused energy from the barrier had taken Ray by surprise, but he didn''t take the time to admire his handiwork. The board was ready again. They would have to stall as long as possible until the time came when Leilan could enact an effective counter-offensive.


    Before he placed his finger on the board, he heard Leilan''s voice behind him, ¡°That was reckless.¡±


    Ray turned to her. She rose from the ground with the support of her weapon. Blood crawled down the side of her leg, and the blow to her shoulder was turning a nasty purple. A few feet from her was a concave depression where one of the uncontrolled beams past by. A heaviness weighed in Ray''s stomach at the sight of her.


    ¡°Thought I told you not to think,¡± Leilan said. She rapped her knuckles against the barrier.


    Ray turned away from her. He saw through that confident posture.


    ¡°It just sort of popped into my head,¡± he said. His arm didn''t move to start working on the orbs.


    Leilan closed her eyes. She smiled. ¡°You did well in that Departure Tower, right?¡±


    Ray regarded her with a confounded look. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Leilan strode around the barrier to stand in front of him. ¡°When you arrived in this world. Think about it. At the time, you were walking in blind. How is this any different?¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    He considered her words. Granted, their current situation was dire considering the consequences, but when he first entered this world he didn''t have a clue about anything. He''d forgotten everything with his elation: the people of his world watching, the possibility of defeat, his past anxiety. The tamadra had been there, relying on him to provide it power so they could overcome their obstacles. Just like how Leilan relied on him now.


    Ray looked past her and saw Verche striding towards them. A portion of his chestplate was slightly caved in and a splash of blood stained a pauldron. He brandished the broadsword and the malevolent crimson seeped down his arm to engulf the blade.


    ¡°No thinking,¡± Leilan repeated.


    Ray nodded and stared down at the board of orbs. He didn''t take his gaze from it as he thought back to Leilan''s bouts with Verche.


    He selected the light orb he wanted to use. ¡°I got it. Same to you.¡±


    She regarded him with a glance and tightened the grip on her weapon. ¡°Fair enough.¡± She leveled the blade at Verche. ¡°I won''t leave you here in the dark, Verche. You will see the light again.¡±


    The golden knight''s arm shivered and one of his steps fell out of rhythm. The helmet tilted as he rolled his injured shoulder.


    Leilan rushed forward with newfound vigor.


    Ray placed his finger on the light orb. No thinking. Just see.


    He shut out the battle in front of him. As of right now, he was not a part of it. All that concerned him was the board. What happened after was disregarded.


    He took in the different positions of all the orbs. He''d done well to clear off the dark and water. Some wood orbs still remained, but they weren''t too detrimental. After a few seconds, he saw the path.


    The combos formed naturally. The movements were smooth. He ignored the clash of steel that echoed through the cavern as the two god monsters engaged. As the orbs burst and faded to nothingness, more fell from above, creating extra combinations in a number of successful skyfalls. The combo reached five, seven, nine and then, miraculously, it reached the double-digits. Ten. The power of the orbs merged. This strength intensified and closed in on itself as the board faded to gray and locked.


    He waited to see the results of his work.


    Leilan did well to hold Verche back. She even managed to counter a few attacks with her own that put Verche on a brief defensive. Her strikes were precise and calculated once again, her stance firm as she planned the next strike two steps ahead.


    Verche reoriented himself as the axe blade of Leilan''s pole-arm glanced off his wrist and scraped to a crease near the elbow. His willingness to allow the blade to cut into his exposed flesh took Leilan by surprise. Her forward momentum was enough for Verche to place the tip of his blade right in her path of movement.


    Before Leilan''s body drove into the blade, the power generated by Ray surged into her. An outward force that resulted pushed Verche back, his armored feet skid along the ground as he attempted to retain his stance.


    Leilan''s back arched and body trembled as this new, overwhelming energy swelled and dispersed.


    This power. The power of the attributes. It exceeded her expectations. It flooded her limbs, poured into her hands and exited her weapon, seeking an escape. If she could receive such power from this Player even without her leader skill, then what other potential did he have hidden away?


    These Players... Leilan thought.


    They were the key to everything. With them, they could win the coming battles. They could win this war. She could save Verche.


    As the surge subsided, Leilan stared at her hands and beheld the elegant, untamed orange and yellow aura that emanated. She tightened the grip on her weapon and the flames from her hands seeped through. The blade soon resembled a similar quality.


    Verche took a controlled step back, not the least bit intimidated by the spectacular display. He dug his broadsword into the stone floor once again. As he did so, a gust rushed forth, forcing his adversaries to brace themselves.


    The muffled, disparate voice spoke, ¡°So, this is the power of Players. Impressive.¡± He extended an armored hand. ¡°Initiate active skill reconstruction, Light Weapon Change. Convert leader skill, Divine Revelation.¡±


    A board of orbs consisting of weapon symbols appeared, and he went to work matching them before Leilan and Ray could collect themselves.


    He finished the board with a total of six combinations. Pillars of light appeared from the ceiling and an assortment of weapons drove into the floor. The lingering particles of light swirled around his body and merged.


    Ray was just barely able to discern what Verche had formed. It was nothing like the active skills he was accustomed to.


    ¡°Leilan, what the hell kind of skill is that?¡± he shouted.


    Before Leilan could respond, Verche grabbed the first weapon and launched himself at her, beating his wings more furiously than ever. The scythe that Verche wielded grazed along Leilan''s side as she redirected it. The blade cut across behind her as she extended her arm out to distance it. She beat her wings once to lift her from the ground, drove both feet into Verche''s head and executed a graceful back flip. She swung her pole-arm in a downward arc as Verche was about to hit the ground and drove it into his chest.


    He let out a grunt as the axe blade sliced into the unyielding armor in a shower of sparks and screaming metal. A blast of hungry fire erupted, but even the concentrated power within the blade was not enough to fully pierce through.


    A short sword emerged a few feet in front of Leilan from a familiar glowing portal. She failed to notice as she focused on the weapon digging into the opponent lying at her feet.


    Ray shouted as he ran forward to provide support. ¡°Leilan! In front of you!¡±


    Leilan shifted to the side and let out a pained gasp as the short sword pierced through her flesh. It penetrated her shoulder all the way to the hilt where it was forced to halt its skewer, but the driving force remained. The sword carried Leilan straight back as if no obstruction interrupted its flight. Leilan felt a sensation as if she were weightless and the sword drove her into the opposite wall in a shower of eradicated stone.


    Ray had already been on the move to flank their opponent as Verche initiated the sneak-attack on Leilan. As Verche rose from the ground, Ray swung his katana downward, only for it to be intercepted by a wrist guard. The god monster crossed his other wrist underneath to halt the weight.


    A god monster was just simply too powerful for a Player.


    Verche forced his arms out wide and pushed the katana a sufficient distance so he could roll to the side and reestablish his stance. He discarded the scythe in favor of a weapon more suited to his style - an enhanced broadsword.


    Ray glanced over at where Leilan sat gripping the sword driven into her shoulder. She pulled at the handle and blood spurted as a few inches of the blade came free.


    Just a little longer, he thought desperately. Just a little longer and the next board will be ready. I should be able to heal her with some heart orbs.


    Verche interrupted his thoughts with a quick thrust of his sword that Ray dodged thanks to his innate reflexes. A second strike glanced off the edge of his katana, but it unexpectedly changed course and dug through his lead foot.


    Ray stared down at his impaled foot in disbelief as blood seeped out of the tear in his leather boot where the weapon lodged. He didn''t scream. He didn''t make a sound. But the pain was unlike anything he had ever felt; worse than when he had fractured his wrist falling off his bike, more excruciating than when he had taken a line drive to the face at baseball practice, more than when he tore the cartiledge of his ribcage in highschool, more than any of it.


    The pain threshold in this world was heightened. He''d experienced some pain in the Departure Tower. But this...


    His eyes were drawn back impulsively to Leilan who was now rising unsteadily to her feet.


    The pain began to numb. As it dissipated, Ray could see a slight shift in Verche''s weight. He was leaning further forward on the hilt of his blade. It drove the sword deeper into Ray''s foot, but Verche was also moving his upper body towards him.


    Ray looked down at the leather straps attached to his wrist. He''d forgotten what his second weapon choice had been up until now.


    Aw what the hell, he thought.


    Ray flicked the switch between his thumb and pointer finger and the hidden blade appeared from the metal compartment beneath his wrist. He lashed out with a desperate right hook and dug the blade through the crease between Verche''s helmet and pauldrons. The spurting blood was confirmation enough.


    Verche groaned and reached with his hand to stifle the wound. As he fell forward, Ray lifted his knee and drove it into the damaged helmet. With the wound in his neck and this second disorienting blow, Verche reeled back and his grip loosened on his weapon.


    Ray saw his opportunity. He pulled the blade out of his foot and managed to ignore the catastrophic pain. His adrenaline pumped as he quelled the hurt. But he made the same mistake as Leilan. Seizing this opportunity and witnessing the collapse of his opponent''s defense, unwittingly fed his confidence. He failed to notice the movement of Verche''s fingers as he fell.


    Before Ray could drive his sword through Verche, the tip of a spear entered his back.


    Leilan saw the spear. She saw Ray''s eyes widen. He turned his head and looked at the spear in disbelief. The katana fell from his grasp. The resounding clang echoed through the silence. He touched the area where the spear penetrated and stared at his blood-stained hand. Upon seeing the blood, he collapsed.


    Leilan tested her wings and found that they at least retained their strength. She pushed off the wall and flew for Verche, her pole-arm supported by one working arm.


    Leilan let out a gasp as Verche prepared to finish off her partner.


    Then, suddenly, Verche was flying backwards through the air in the opposite direction. He landed a few ten yards away from Leilan''s position and she redirected her course.


    Leilan now saw what had thrown Verche back. Ray''s barrier was in affect. He''d waited until the last second to activate the barrier when Verche entered his space.


    She laughed with relief as Ray stumbled to his feet. The shield had also pushed the spear out of his back. Anything hostile was forcibly removed.


    ¡°Leilan!¡± Ray shouted. He nearly lost his footing from the effort.


    She turned to him in mid-flight and saw him pressing some unseen button on his database. Her pole-arm started to shiver.


    This is...


    She landed a short distance from Verche, who was already charging forward. She drove the scimitar blade of her weapon into the stone floor. ¡°Initiate active skill, Southern Seven-Star Formation!¡±


    The floor erupted beneath her as seven glowing spheres emerged. They floated around her, shining bright enough to blind anyone close.


    She tapped into the ability of one of the glowing objects and the short sword in her shoulder eased out of her body and fell to the floor. The wound bled for a brief time before being sealed by another one of the gleaming stars.


    A transparent board appeared in front of her face. The orbs morphed into fire, light and wood attributes.


    Leilan watched as one of the orbs moved, passed through its neighbors and shifted them into combinations.


    Is this...


    They moved at an incredible speed.


    So this is what you can really do for me, Ray.


    The orbs completed their work and the power entered Leilan''s body once again. It was even greater than before. And this time, she was ready for it.


    The outward force did not deter Verche in the least. He charged through it unfazed and prepared to subdue Leilan with a two-handed strike from his sword.


    Leilan swung her pole-arm as he came within reach. The blades collided with the sword for a split-second. After brief resistance, the sword shattered into hundreds of shards and dancing light particles. The scimitar blade sliced through Verche''s body armor. A brutal gash from shoulder to opposite thigh spurted a fountain of blood.


    Leilan finished the swing and averted her eyes as the gold knight fell to his knees. Verche wordlessly stared down at the lethal wound. He quivered in this stance for a short time and extended an arm to the side. A luminous falchion with a wide blade broke free of the floor and settled in his hand.


    Verche heaved himself upright and let out a string of sputtering gasps. ¡°N-Not yet.¡±


    He made a series of signs with his fingers and the swirling portals appeared behind him. Animated replications of Leilan''s weapon emerged and aimed at her.


    ¡°This world is mine-¡± Verche started.


    His body jerked and went rigid. He lifted a trembling hand and grabbed at the face of his helmet. The fingers gripped inside the visor and wrenched violently.


    His other hand clawed desperately at the fingers. ¡°N-no. How dare you-resist me. You are mine. All of you belong to me!¡±


    Leilan hesitated. Briefly. Through the internal struggle she saw a glimpse of her old friend fighting the dungeon''s influence.


    The melded voices roared as a katana ate into Verche''s back.


    Leilan rallied and charged forward as she saw Ray duck underneath a wild swing and make a stumbling retreat towards her.


    The Player let out a stuttering laugh. ¡°Forget about me, asshole?¡±


    The entity controlling the golden knight willed itself forward. ¡°You-puny Player!¡±


    Leilan intercepted Verche and bat aside his weapon. She readjusted grip and drove the scimitar blade of her pole-arm through his chest.


    He seized up as his throat bubbled. Blood seeped through the base of the helmet and crawled down his neck. The knight rested a hand on the blade and reached forward, tracing its edge.


    Leilan heard a full, familiar voice, "I-I''m sorry, Leilan."


    He fell off the blade and collapsed face down on the bloodied floor.


    Leilan''s knees buckled and she dropped next to him. She rested her weapon gently on the ground, leaned forward and supported herself with trembling hands.


    I''m so sorry, Verche.

 Chapter 13: Real

    "Hello, Sanity. The gale of the Wind Chasers has past, so let us walk around. It would seem the leaves and winds have broken up again." -from the diary of Princess Amelia Fluorestris


    <hr>


    Seattle, Washington


    United States


    Thomas Malkin and Christopher Alsheimer sat in the office of Akio Kurosaki. The motion-activated lights flickered and dimmed as they waited in the stillness.


    Once again, Kurosaki displayed his incompetence by showing up late to the set meeting time. If the situation was so critical, he could have at least been punctual about it. Now it just felt like they were wasting time.


    It would have been nice to use the time to analyze Lo''s status, but Malkin''s curiosity about this supposed ¡°hiccup¡± in the plan had torn him away against better judgment. The men and women in the Gamemaster''s control room seemed competent enough, but as long as his AI wasn''t the one impeding progress, then he could care less about the failings of others from a separate company. In fact, it could only help his own image in the long run.


    Malkin glanced around the room and observed the sparse furnishings. The lights flashed back on when they noticed him. The room gave off a claustrophobic feeling. It was not the office for the chief executive of a company. Malkin had even given him the choice of any office in the building. The room seemed in poor taste but, well, to each his own. The lack of decor made it difficult to read further into Kurosaki''s character.


    Malkin observed Alsheimer who stared at the walls awkwardly to try and lessen the uneasiness of the wait. He almost felt envious of the young CEO''s position. Almost. Sometimes ignorance truly was bliss.


    As he was about to address him, the door to the office flew open and Kurosaki rushed inside while still in the midst of adjusting his tie. An expanding file folder was wedged under his arm which he tossed on the desk with a heavy thud.


    ¡°I apologize for the delay, but there was an issue that required my attention.¡± His words were barely coherent.


    ¡°Not a problem,¡± Malkin responded. He made it a point to add emphasis to his words.


    Alsheimer simply leaned forward in his seat and clasped his hands.


    Kurosaki pulled open a drawer at his desk and rifled through a pile of papers. Malkin frowned as a small stack dropped on the floor. Kurosaki muttered something inaudible under his breath.


    Jesus. This guy...


    He spoke when he seemed to find what he was searching for. ¡°As you both know...right, the universal code that the virtual world runs on is constantly evolving at an astonishing rate. It is also accompanied by a similar program that amends itself according to the code. Fascinating really, how a code bends the program instead of the program-¡±


    Malkin interrupted him, ¡°Yes, we are aware of this. Can you get to the point? We don''t need the frivolities.¡±


    Kurosaki cleared his throat and collected himself at the sudden interruption. ¡°Ah, yes of course, well, you see, there is a problem concerning the code itself, er...¡± He trailed off and glanced between his two guests. Malkin could tell that the executive was more out of sorts than usual.


    Alsheimer spoke up, a hint of vehemence in his voice that Malkin couldn''t quite place. The young man''s eyes stared hard at Kurosaki. ¡°What in the hell happened? What is wrong with the code?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Kurosaki started. ¡°We don''t really know how it works.¡±


    Malkin shifted in his seat. Didn''t "know how it works?" What was that supposed to mean? Kurosaki''s own company was responsible for the creation of the universal code in the first place. They even made its program. The statement didn''t make the least bit of sense.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Malkin asked evenly. He surprised himself with the restraint he was able to muster. ¡°Your company made the damn code. How can you not know how it works?¡±


    Kurosaki cleared his throat. ¡°Well, technically, it was Takamura who made the code.¡±


    ¡°And what? Wait, are you saying that the only person who knows about the code is deceased?¡± Alsheimer asked.


    Kurosaki nodded. ¡°Yes, that is exactly what I''m saying.¡±


    ¡°And Takamura left nothing behind?¡±


    ¡°Well, we are still looking into that.¡±


    ¡°Then just trace the code back to the original source.¡±


    ¡°It is evolving at such a pace that nobody, not even in a collaborative project, could possibly keep up with it.¡±


    ¡°There are other methods, other programs to be implemented.¡±


    ¡°The only program that can interpret it is the one being used now.¡±


    ¡°We have digital organisms and the newly remodeled artificial reboots meant for this sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°They all get destroyed. The replication is so fast that it deprives all countermeasures of any computational resources.¡±


    Malkin interrupted the two of them with the raise of his hand. ¡°Let me guess - Takamura made the program that runs it too. Am I right?¡±


    He could practically hear Kurosaki swallow at the observation. He looked down at his desk.


    Alsheimer stared agape at the floor, his eyes and hands trembling. ¡°So what you''re saying is, this project is all for nothing.¡±


    Alsheimer rose from his seat and planted his fists on the desk. Malkin had never seen him lose his cool like this. The calm demeanor that the young CEO usually assumed was gone. He was passionate about his work. And now all of it might be put into jeopardy. Years of effort he and his employees put into the project.


    ¡°How can you not know?¡± Alsheimer growled.


    Kurosaki shook his head. ¡°I''m sorry. Takamura never did tell us how he discovered the code. We just simply worked with it in the program. That''s all. Without the original source of the code, if the program or this facility should collapse, it will be lost forever.¡±


    Malkin sighed. ¡°So that''s why you wanted your own equipment here instead of transferring it to my facility. Everything you presented to us at the pre-alpha meeting came from Takamura''s own findings, and you pulled some extra flair out of your ass to push it through.¡±


    ¡°We could have done something,¡± Alsheimer said. ¡°But you let your pride get in the way and compromised this whole project.¡± He couldn''t handle anymore. He punched the desk one last time before he stormed out of the room. He threw open the door and slammed it behind him. The pictures on the walls shook from the force.


    Malkin waited a while to see if Kurosaki had anything more to say. The man seemed shaken by Alsheimer''s anger, or perhaps more by his words. Having another spell out one''s fears tended to have more of an effect than replaying it over and over again in one''s own head.


    Malkin wiped off some non-existent residue from his pants and moved to leave the room.


    He stopped at the door and turned to Kurosaki. ¡°We''ll see what we can do about this.¡± Then he added, ¡°You all really fucked this one up.¡±


    He left Kurosaki to muddle in his thoughts.


    <hr>


    Pirugan Continent


    Sacred Bakke Mountains/Special Dungeon


    Ray limped over to Leilan who still rested on her knees staring at Verche''s unmoving body.


    He winced as he took another strained step to stand next to her. He applied too much weight on the foot that had been impaled by Verche''s sword and he was overcome by a dizzy spell as the pain swelled. The leg gave out and he fell to one knee.


    They sat in silence as particles of light drifted from portions of Verche''s body. Leilan rested a hand on his helmet. Minutes past as fragments drifted and swirled around them. The dance halted when the golden knight vanished completely. Her hand hovered in place with nothing left to touch but the empty air.


    ¡°Leilan, I-¡± Ray started. The words eluded him. He''d told her that Verche would return as his old self. Now he felt like a cheat. It was like he deceived her into fighting for their own self-preservation.


    ¡°It''s not your fault,¡± she said quietly. The dryness in her voice made Ray''s stomach drop.


    She wiped her face with the back of a hand. ¡°Better this than having to sit alone in this dark place forever.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Ray didn''t know how to respond to her reasoning.


    ¡°Leilan, you don''t have to-¡±


    The words caught in his throat as he saw a cluster of particles drift in front of his eyes. They faltered and ceased movement. It was as if a chain reaction started. As one fragment stopped, the ones closest to it also froze. The acknowledgment of the other specks of light continued until even Leilan, still absorbed in her grief, noticed the change as well.


    Leilan rose from her knees and stood next to Ray staring in bewilderment.


    The light drifted back to where Verche''s body had rested and converged. They warped, pulled and twisted around each other. They assumed a specific shape, and a white light filled the space. It took on a physical form as the light faded. Color flooded its surface until it revealed a large golden egg.


    Ray and Leilan stared at the egg. Neither one of them dared to touch it.


    It was a brilliant sight to behold as the egg suddenly exploded in a splash of luminous yellow. A glowing lump melted and morphed into the shape of a body. Glowing fingers flexed and limbs bent as the shining mass convulsed. It came to rest as the last of the light merged.


    The dust particles burst and scattered, leaving behind the unconscious, armored form of Verche.


    Ray and Leilan stood dumbstruck within the stillness that followed. Leilan didn''t move until she saw the slight twitch of Verche''s body and the barely discernible, muffled groan that escaped from his helmet. Before Verche even had time to gather his bearings, Leilan was already back on her knees and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. Verche''s warrior instincts kicked in for moment as he propped his elbows underneath him to rise. He relaxed himself as he realized who held him.


    He wordlessly placed a hand on Leilan''s back and returned the hug.


    Ray respectfully stood to the side and watched the exchange. He tore his eyes away from them and gazed around the room to take in the result of the battle.


    Part of a crumbled wall here and a shattered ceiling there. Debris strewn throughout the end of the cavern. The blood splattered and prominent.


    He gazed up at the ceiling. His fingers flexed and smeared the flaking blood on his palm. He forced his eyes down and observed the result. A held breath escaped him as he looked up at the two humanoid monsters.


    Real...it''s real.


    <hr>


    Pirugan Continent


    Demeter Forest


    Ray kept to his own thoughts on the return trip to the outpost. The forest was silent. Not a single enemy dared to cross their path. On one occasion, Ray noticed a group of demons crouched behind a pair of squat hills with their tridents and pikes. But as soon as the two god monsters trailing behind appeared they immediately backed off and retreated into the safety of the forest.


    Ray stopped at the edge of the clearing and observed the guards patrolling the wall. A shipment of supplies was being escorted through the front gate.


    Leilan and Verche waited as they saw him lost in deep contemplation. He figured they sensed the concern welling up in him.


    Ray crossed his arms and leaned against a tree and heaved a heavy sigh. ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°I guess you both know I have a lot of questions to ask about all this.¡±


    Before Ray could continue, Leilan stepped forward and lifted a finger to her lips.


    ¡°In due time,¡± she whispered. ¡°Your people - they have eyes and ears everywhere.¡±


    He''d nearly forgotten about that. It was surprising that Leilan so readily accepted the idea that his world was watching, almost like some omniscient beings.


    ¡°I know where we can go," Ray said.


    He opened his database and scrolled through the menus until he found one that presented the map of Pirugan. The continent was massive. He traced the Bakke Mountains until he located Millshore. He took note of the clearing where the outpost was situated and decided to take the time to mark it on his map. To the northwest was a symbol of a house, and right next to it was a second symbol of what looked like a cluster of towers.


    Ray lifted up the database so that Verche and Leilan had a clear view of it. He pointed to the house symbol. ¡°All Players are given a place to live when they enter this world,¡± he explained. ¡°It''s safe to talk there.¡±


    Leilan examined the map and grimaced. ¡°They didn''t make it easy for you to get there.¡± She pointed to a gray patch between the dwelling and the edge of Demeter Forest. ¡°Those are deadlands. If we want to avoid those, then we will have to wrap around to Millshore first and then travel along Mercury Lake.¡±


    ¡°I should assume these deadlands are dangerous just by the name,¡± Ray said.


    ¡°That is why the city, Sarkast, has most of its defenses concentrated to the west,¡± Verche added. He paused for a moment and rested an armored hand to his helmet. A few stuttering breaths escaped him. The aftereffects of being controlled by the dungeon lingered.


    ¡°Years ago, that area used to be farmland. Everything living in that vicinity fell victim to a plague and it was cut off to protect the rest of the populace. The dead walk there.¡±


    Leilan rested a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture.


    Ray chuckled. ¡°Great. Zombies. Yeah, I think we''ll avoid that area. So, we stop in Millshore and then head for Sarkast. Sounds good.¡±


    Leilan shook her head. ¡°No. We avoid Millshore. Despite our current relations with Irina and her soldiers, I don''t think we will pass through the town so easily.¡±


    ¡°Somebody say my name?¡±


    Leilan, Verche, and Ray looked up from the map and saw Irina and a squad of soldiers approaching them. Irina had a broad grin on her face and the soldiers also seemed to be in a high spirits upon seeing the trio.


    ¡°Looks like you returned to us with success.¡± She nodded a greeting to Verche who returned it.


    Leilan gestured to Verche and introduced him officially, ¡°Irina, this is Verche - our new comrade. Verche, this is Irina Roche.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure,¡± Verche said.


    Ray ignored that she opted to refer to him as a ¡°new¡± comrade. He was about to speak until Irina interrupted him.


    ¡°Don''t worry. I heard enough to get the idea,¡± she said. ¡°A Player and two monsters would probably not be welcome in Millshore. That being said, you have been a great help clearing most of this area of the demon threat, so I would at least like to repay you myself on behalf of Millshore.¡±


    Irina motioned to one of the soldiers who shrugged a leather bag off his shoulder. He walked up to Ray and held it out. Ray accepted it with a quick word of thanks and opened the bag. His eyes widened as he saw a red jewel emitting a brilliant gleam despite being shut out from the light. A crimson, metallic design in the shape of a flame covered its base.


    Ray stared at Irina mouth agape. ¡°Irina I-I can''t possibly-¡±


    She lifted a hand. ¡°A miner discovered it within the mountains. I know what it is. I also know that these spirit jewels are useless to humans.¡±


    ¡°This puts you at risk,¡± Leilan said. ¡°If your leaders were to find out about this...¡±


    The soldier who had handed Ray the bag spoke, ¡°That won''t be a problem. Those who know of this will keep their mouths shut.¡±


    Ray remembered the respect these soldiers had shown Irina out on the road. The way they kept silent with just a word and how swiftly they went about following her commands. They had entered the battle at the outpost without hesitation. These men did not fight for the leaders sitting contentedly in Millshore. They fought for Irina.


    But still, a spirit jewel! He couldn''t believe his luck. Not only had a new monster become part of the team, but he now had one of the rarest materials in the entire world in his possession. Spirit jewels were usually used as advanced evolution material to transform monsters. He wondered if it functioned the same in this world.


    He added the jewel to his inventory and it disappeared from his hands.


    ¡°When will you be leaving us?¡± Irina asked.


    Ray turned to Leilan for confirmation. It was already drawing towards evening, and the trip would take a few days.


    ¡°We leave at first light,¡± Leilan answered.


    Night fell. With it came the cheers and hollers of the men hunkered down in the outpost. Hostiles lurked in the surrounding forest. Home was out of reach. But tonight was cause for celebration. Irina made sure that men running their rounds on the wall switched frequently so that everyone could share in the booze and merriment.


    The demons were mostly routed, and miners had discovered a number of valuable resources within the mountain. Millshore recognized the success of the operation and rewarded them with reinforcements. Two allied monsters had also appeared, along with a Player who proved that perhaps these people from another far-off land really did have their own world''s best interest in mind.


    Ray stared down at the wooden cup in his hand and swirled the clear alcohol. He dipped his finger in it. Cold.


    He lurched forward as someone came up from behind and slung an arm over his shoulders. He winced at the thick smell of alcohol on the soldier''s breath. It was Carther.


    ¡°Drink up, kid! Y''know this party is for you too!¡± The big man downed the last of his drink and slapped Ray on the back. He stumbled off to an open keg, took up the ladle and took another swig before filling his mug.


    A group of soldiers conversing nearby hooted and hollered. They threw their heads back and finished off their rounds.


    Well, humans will always be humans, Ray thought. He brought the cup to his lips and practically flung the contents into his mouth. He swallowed it in one gulp. The heat from the booze flared up in his throat and he fell into a coughing fit.


    When he regained his composure he looked up and saw Verche standing in front of him still wearing his impressive armor. He held a cup of alcohol in each hand.


    ¡°Not a drinker?¡± the knight asked. He held out one of the cups.


    Ray accepted the offer and cleared his throat. ¡°Actually, I drank a lot in college. I''m just not used to something so strong.¡±


    Verche tilted his head. ¡°College?¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry about it.¡±


    The knight moved next to Ray and watched the scene of raucous laughter and shouts. A nearby soldier stumbled over a bench and a drink flew from his hand. The contents splashed on Irina''s undershirt and she glared at her subordinate. The man immediately prostrated himself and shouted a string of apologies. Irina grinned and ordered someone nearby to grab a mug and have the man chug it as punishment. A circle formed and they cheered.


    ¡°I didn''t have a chance to properly thank you,¡± Verche said.


    Ray took a sip of his drink. ¡°Well, you are Leilan''s friend, right?¡±


    ¡°Aye. Is that why you did it?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I don''t know. I''m still trying to get used to all this.¡±


    Ray couldn''t see the expression on the monster''s face through the helmet, but he thought he heard a grunt of approval. The knight opened the lower section of his helmet and emptied his cup.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Verche said.


    They heard a surge in the cacophony and noticed a group of soldiers raising their mugs as Leilan moved to pass them. Even in their drunkenness they had enough sense to admire her with sideways glances and other clever ways of observing her figure. It was hard to blame them with that combat dress revealing a portion of her thigh with every other step. Take away her armored wings and she''d have the appearance of a normal, attractive human.


    Ray felt the heat rising on his face. He knew the alcohol was only partly to blame.


    Leilan approached them and crossed her arms underneath her breasts. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Don''t drink too much. Last thing I need is you waking with a hangover.¡±


    Verche responded by going over to the keg and refilling his cup. He returned and took a sip through the slot in his helmet.


    Leilan did a poor job of hiding her amusement and chuckled. ¡°Still a smartass.¡±


    ¡°Aye. I missed that.¡± He finished the rest and went for another. A group of soldiers around the keg seemed to notice his number of refills and encouraged him to join a drinking game.


    Ray raised a hand and massaged his forehead as he watched them. It was difficult to comprehend the shift between combat and leisure ¨C fiction and reality. He glanced at Leilan. She stared at him with that measured intensity. After a few seconds of verbal stalemate, her mouth curled into a half-smile.


    She held out a hand to him. ¡°Give me some of that.¡±


    Ray stared at her hand stupidly for a moment as the haze slowly lifted from his brain. When he realized what she meant, he handed over his cup. Leilan swirled the contents around a few times and drank.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± she commented. She turned away from him. ¡°Thanks. And I don''t just mean the drink.¡±


    Ray let his body relax as she returned it.


    ¡°Let''s hope for more moments like this,¡± Leilan said. ¡°I''ll be counting on you.¡±


    Players from one world, and monsters from another. The two worlds seemed so different at first.


    Ray shut out all his previous thoughts of reality. He didn''t need some definition established by his own world. He was experiencing it for himself. He decided to make the determination based on his own adventures with his monster partners.


    He finished the drink and held out his hand this time. ¡°I''m sure we''ll have plenty.¡±


    Leilan smiled and accepted the gesture. They shook hands.

 Chapter 14: Journey

    "To belong is to understand the tacit codes of the people you live with." -Michael Ignatieff ''Blood and Belonging''


    <hr>


    Morning greeted Demeter Forest. The trio of Player and monsters said their farewells to the soldiers of Millshore. Irina, Carther and three other soldiers escorted them a short ways before departing.


    ¡°If your travels ever lead you back here, know that you have friends,¡± Irina had said.


    The trip to Sarkast dragged longer than anticipated. The corrupted ground of the deadlands crept further south than Leilan recalled. Much further south. The undead could not venture outside the blighted land, but it also meant that it was drawing closer to Millshore''s north side. The three warriors would have to travel further east rather than taking a straight path to Mercury Lake. Wrapping around cost them the last bit of light on the first day.


    Ray had suggested stopping in Millshore since they were only a few miles from its west gate. Under cover of night with less activity, they might encounter less prying eyes from the populace.


    Leilan was about to agree when Verche informed them of a rocky alcove near the deadlands that would provide enough shelter. It was also hidden from travelers and provided high ground if demons appeared.


    The weather on the second day was less than favorable. A storm had driven in from over Mercury Lake and prevented the trio from moving for the better part of morning. They set out early afternoon and reached the southwestern edge of the lake by late evening well after the sun vanished below the horizon. The decision to continue during the night was risky, but the group encountered no hostile monsters.


    A hill overlooking the lake amidst a copse of trees provided plenty of cover. The height advantage also ensured that the group would notice any enemies well before they saw them in the trees.


    After much debate, Ray had decided to leave the virtual world briefly after an alert on his database informed him that he''d been in the game for nearly seven hours of real world time. His body still needed nourishment despite eating and sleeping in the virtual one.


    He logged out when they finished establishing camp. Exiting the game was a bit jarring at first. His vision went fuzzy as if he''d been staring at a computer monitor for too long. He did a few quick stretches, ran in place and washed his face. Emily Tanner ran a quick cognition test as he went about this routine to see if any adverse effects resulted from the headgear''s link.


    He devoured his meal at the cafeteria and wasn''t surprised when his friends Keiichi and Lucy were absent. It made sense. Everyone in the virtual world had unique interactions. Nothing was scripted. The window for a surprise reunion was too small given the time difference. Still, he couldn''t help but feel disappointed about not being able to exchange stories. Not that they really had the time to do so anyway. Two other Players in the cafeteria kept to themselves and ate with similar urgency.


    He jumped into his seat to log back in with the help of his supervisor. Thirty minutes in his own world was a half day in the virtual one. There was no time to waste, and he didn''t want to keep his monster companions waiting.


    The faster they reached Sarkast, the sooner he would get to his home. There, Leilan and Verche could safely tell him what the hell was going on in this world.


    <hr>


    Pirugan Continent


    Mercury Lake


    Ray and his monster team hid behind the lip of the hill that they used to set up camp. Below was a small expanse of low, squatting trees that halted a few feet from the edge of Mercury Lake. A group of chubby monsters with sapphire-colored scales roamed along the shore and waded into the shallow water in search of something. The ones in the water took random opportunities to drive their tridents through the surface and skewer the fish that swam nearby. The fins on the sides of their heads flapped back and forth as they strained their ears to listen for sounds in the forest that might be worthy of note.


    Ray opened his database and began a scan of the creatures.


    After a few seconds the analysis read: Marine Goblin/Type-Attacker/Attribute-Water/Attack-60/Defense-0/Active Skill-Guard Stance Water/Active Skill-Triwater Defense (3)


    Weaklings. But their numbers made up for it.


    It seemed best to avoid a conflict if at all possible. Sure, defeating enemies would provide a good chunk of experience for increasing a level, but the allied demons near Millshore''s outpost suggested too many possible variables. There might be other enemies lying in wait. Plus, Verche was still in a weakened state from the mental toll of the dungeon (which was another concern Ray wanted to address). But waiting too long might cost them another day to reach Sarkast. They had already wasted time circumventing the deadlands. Another day was unacceptable.


    Ray closed the database and turned to his companions. ¡°So, any suggestions?¡±


    Verche crouched off further to the side and eyed the area advancing to the east.


    Leilan observed the land west towards Sarkast where another group of marine goblins were hard at work pushing a wagon towards the lake filled with wooden boxes and canvas bags.


    Leilan and Verche simultaneously returned to Ray''s position on the hill.


    ¡°Flying is still out of the question,¡± Verche said. ¡°Gliding is one thing, but ascending with Ray as extra weight will put too much strain on our wings.¡±


    ¡°I would also prefer not to backtrack,¡± Leilan added.


    ¡°Why don''t we take them out?¡± Ray asked.


    Leilan looked over her shoulder and watched the goblins as they began to unload the wagon and scavenged through the crates like a pack of vultures assaulting prey. The wagon obviously wasn''t theirs - probably a trophy after successfully ambushing a caravan. Marine goblins were not always hostile, and this edge of the lake was known for being relatively passive as long as outsiders didn''t intrude on their territory. Leilan wondered what had prompted the goblins to venture out to the road so far from the lake.


    ¡°I''m curious to see what it is that these goblins managed to get a hold of,¡± Verche said. ¡°They either went out of their way to take this wagon, or those who commandeered it went terribly off course. I''m more inclined to lean towards the former.¡±


    Leilan nodded. ¡°Agreed. It looks like their strength is concentrated more towards the wagon. The weaker unit is closest to us, so we won''t have to reposition. More are breaking off from this group and are entering the water. Let''s give it another few minutes.¡±


    The trio waited patiently until another dozen or so of the blue goblins strayed away from their group as curiosity got the better of them. The unknown loot from the wagon drew them, and they watched with interest as their companions tore open the crates and ripped some of the gray bags that now appeared to be filled with an assortment of vegetables.


    A box fell to the ground and the lid snapped open. A pair of hand crossbows spilled out and the goblins dove on them greedily.


    Verche grunted. "Well, that answers my question. Now, who or what informed them about weapons under the guise of produce? Interesting."


    "We may find out soon." Leilan made a motion with her hand.


    Before she waved them forward, a terrifying roar erupted from somewhere in the woods to the west. The goblins dropped their spoils in surprise and scrambled around for their weapons. Another roar, this one louder, seemed to echo from further south. Many of the goblins moved inland and stood at the ready but kept their feet in the shallow water. They moved together in tight groups of three. An eerie silence followed.


    Ray''s team on the hill sat unmoving and observed. They were better coordinated than Ray anticipated from such a weak race of monsters. The disquieting battle cry had rattled them, but they seemed to collect themselves. Some of the groups in the water initiated their active skill and conjured a shield of water.


    Another roar boomed as if it was right on top of them. Just as Ray was about to look over his shoulder, a white mass leaped out of the forest and pounced upon the nearest trio of goblins. Its claws dug deep into the first and its jaw latched onto the leg of a second. With a quick whip of its head the goblin was flung to the side and collided with a few of its comrades. The slashed goblin went limp as the stream of data particles from its body signaled death. The last of the goblin trio backed up to rejoin the main force that skirted along the water.


    The beast that attacked the goblins was a tiger. Judging from the white fur and black stripes, Ray guessed it was a white bengal tiger. An absolutely massive white bengal tiger.


    It stalked the goblin group on its heavy paws. One courageous goblin stepped forward and made a mocking gesture with its trident. The tiger''s striped tail swung back and forth, eagerly anticipating the real attack that would hopefully follow. It revealed its sharp teeth in a menacing grin.


    The goblins decided against moving in on the tiger in favor of throwing some of their tridents at the beast. The tiger lowered itself and the plate armor attached to the side of its legs deflected all of the thrown weapons. It continued with its long, even strides waiting for an opening in the enemy force''s defenses.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    A sharp hiss emitted somewhere from the forest near where the white tiger had emerged. A short streak of yellow light burst from the foliage and drove clean through the head of a goblin. It embedded into the shoulder of another that stood behind. A pair of sharp streaks drove through the chests of two more enemies. The massive cat held them back towards the edge of the lake while the unknown assailant continued to fire mercilessly into the packed monsters. They lacked competent leadership and moved to gain better position in a clumsy manner. The poor communication caused the group to split. The tiger took advantage of this and moved in on the goblins to its right.


    Ray tore his eyes away from the battle. ¡°Should we move in on this?¡±


    Leilan eyed the tiger thoughtfully and was about to answer when she saw a rustling in the forest to the east. From the depths of the trees came a large group of massive humanoid creatures that towered well above any ordinary human. Their jaws consisted of sharpened teeth with two from the lower jaw overlapping the upper lip in a hideous snarl. One half of their bodies was cerulean with what appeared to be an icicle shard protruding from the shoulder, while the other side was covered in a mossy green.


    They halted at the edge of the forest to allow another ogre to step forward. It was similar to the others with its barreled chest and stood slightly taller. Spiked armor covered most of its dark frame. While the other ogres held clubs, this one wielded a flanged mace. Spikes dotted the bottom end with edges digging into its hands.


    ¡°Those are Ice Armor Ogres,¡± Verche said.


    Leilan rose from the ground. ¡°Looks like a Dark-Armored Ogre is leading them. I don''t know who is fighting the goblins, but we can find out afterward.¡±


    She rushed down the hill to intercept. Ray and Verche followed. They would have to hold off the ogres and keep them from joining the main force of goblins. If both sides met, it would be even more difficult for the tiger to maneuver. The larger monsters positioning themselves in front of the goblins would complicate matters for the sniper in the trees.


    The ogres let out their battle cries and eagerly charged the newcomers. Both sides were only a few yards from each other when a familiar streak of light whizzed past the first monster''s shoulder and drove into the head of the ogre behind it. The line of energy pierced deep enough to fracture part of the ogre''s skull. It reeled around and swung its club in a frenzy, nearly hitting its fellows. Its disorientation forced the others to break formation.


    Ray and his team took advantage and lashed out at the nearest behemoth, striking it down in a hail of blows before it had a chance to retaliate. It collapsed backward as Leilan jumped forward. She landed on its chest as it fell and used it as a platform to leap and drive the blade of her weapon into the head of a second ogre. Its eyes rolled to the back of its head as it grasped frantically. Leilan beat her wings and slid her grip down the end of the pole of her weapon to stay out of reach.


    Verche moved off to the right and sliced along the abdomen of another enemy. This one ignored the pain and swung its club in a savage, downward ark. Verche spun out of harm''s way and punched the ogre in the laceration along its belly. He stepped back as a club drove into the ground from the side, splashing up dirt like a small geyser. The knight thrust forward with his sword and cut through the ogre''s forearm, rendering it useless.


    Both of the god monsters felt a burst of energy as Ray completed a board of orbs.


    More bursts of light continued to distract the ogres and provided openings for Ray and his team.


    The ranged attacks ceased for a time, and he began to wonder what was amiss. Perhaps more enemies were in the forest and found their ally''s position?


    He discarded the thought as an armored female leaped out of the forest. The familiar blasts flew past her with renewed force. She was upon the ogres before they even had a chance to notice her. She sliced at an ogre''s jugular with her katana and a satisfying fountain of blood sprayed from the wound. The monster clutched at its neck as its body fragmented.


    The Dark-Armored Ogre blocked her path while a second flanked from behind.


    An enraged growl prompted the female to spare a glance behind her. Ray sliced along the leg of the ogre to her rear with his own katana. It spat and drove its club into the dirt next to Ray in an uncontrolled strike. He flicked the switch that revealed his hidden blade and stabbed deep into the ogre''s wrist. Blood spurted as Ray pierced a vital artery and sliced all the way up the forearm. For good measure he retracted the blade and spun to stab his katana through the exposed stomach.


    The other dark ogre watched as its comrade collapsed to its knees. It roared and swung its mace in a diagonal swipe intent on crushing the girl with one blow. The reckless attack was obvious, but the second strike redirected course faster than anticipated as if undeterred by momentum. She back-stepped and the mace scraped along her chestplate. It also sliced through the strap that held the scabbard for her weapon. The scabbard fell to the ground. She nudged her foot underneath it and kicked it up into her free hand. She readied it along with her katana in a dual-wielding stance.


    Before the black ogre could strike again, it lurched forward as a blast of light collided with its back. The female warrior wasted no time and batted aside a clumsy attack with her scabbard. She aimed her slice at the neck, but it tucked its chin at the last second to avoid fatal injury. The katana cut along the ogre''s jaw and rebounded off its shoulder plates. She recovered from the reverberations crawling up her arm.


    The female warrior leaped away just as a mass of white drove the behemoth to the ground. The ogre fell face-first into the dirt and the tiger on its back went to work at the exposed flesh.


    A small girl wielding a magnificent, gold trident sat upon the tiger''s back and continued firing the lines of light from her weapon to disorient the remaining enemies.


    The cloth of the girl''s outfit tore as the dark ogre underneath the weight of her tiger lashed out with its mace. This did not go unnoticed by the white tiger. It went into a rage and struck out even more fiercely upon seeing the thin cut marring its master''s fair skin.


    The female Player turned to Ray and gave him a quick nod before moving off to take on another adversary.


    Ray returned the motion and followed her.


    With the fall of the lead dark ogre, the marine goblins retreated into the forest and abandoned their precious cargo. The remaining ogres had a different mentality. Each one fought to the death. No retreat. They all fell and vanished in a cloud of data at the hands and claws of their foes.


    Ray reunited with Leilan and Verche at the battle''s conclusion, their weapons still pulsing with the leftover energy from the matched orbs Ray provided. Verche gasped from the power''s density that streamed through his body.


    ¡°That was unlike anything I anticipated,¡± Verche finally said after a few heavy breaths.


    Leilan smiled. ¡°You get used to it.¡±


    Ray approached them and stared at Verche, but Leilan waved to assure him everything was fine.


    She gestured to the girl riding the tiger who rejoined her Player partner a short distance away. ¡°Any idea who that monster is, Verche?¡±


    He shook his head and straightened himself. ¡°No idea.¡±


    Ray, Verche, and Leilan waited until the two females and the tiger approached them. Both sides analyzed the other. Their gazes didn''t seem to hold hostility - merely curiosity.


    The red-haired female Player stepped forward and eyed Ray up and down.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± she said in a neutral tone.


    Ray expected her to say more, but she simply stared at him expectantly.


    ¡°Not so bad yourself,¡± he said.


    The girl on the tiger leaped gracefully from the beast''s back and slid her trident into a holster attached to its side. She held her hands up innocently in a sign of friendship. The assortment of jewelry on her person rattled with every movement as she approached. A hint of embarrassment was clear on her face as she held her torn silk dress to keep it from falling too far down. She bowed and her sky blue hair nearly brushed the ground.


    ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you,¡± the girl said politely in a cute voice. ¡°My name is Parvati. And this is my companion, Yukiko.¡±


    The red-haired girl nodded.


    Parvati then extended her hand to the tiger, head still down. ¡°And this is my beloved friend, Somanandi.¡±


    The tiger growled a greeting as it latched its paws into the dirt and arched its back in a stretch. It kicked the disappearing body of a dead ogre with an irritated snarl.


    "Ray Andylon. These are my comrades, Leilan and Verche."


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you,¡± Verche and Leilan said in unison.


    The female Player, Yukiko, raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°You were of great help,¡± Parvati continued when she saw that no one else made any indication of speaking. ¡°That dark ogre had a sizable bounty on its head and has been harassing the humans passing through here as of late. Now the roads will be much safer.¡±


    ¡°Bounty?¡± Ray asked.


    ¡°That''s right,¡± Yukiko said with the same passive expression. ¡°And now we must head back to the city to collect the reward.¡±


    Without another word, she turned on her heels and walked back to the forest. Parvati remained behind and scratched her head awkwardly. The tiger let out a derisive snort and turned its head in the other direction as the stern female past him.


    Parvati laughed nervously. ¡°I''m sorry. Yukiko isn''t one for conversation. She really is a good person though.¡±


    The tiger huffed behind her and rested its head on the ground.


    ¡°Could''ve fooled me,¡± Leilan commented. ¡°Your tiger friend doesn''t seem fond of her either.¡±


    The tiger let out a low rumble to confirm this and started licking the blood off one of its paws.


    ¡°She said the city. Did she mean Sarkast?¡± Ray asked.


    ¡°Yes, that is correct,¡± Parvati answered.


    The god monster seemed like a sweetheart. Yukiko on the other hand, well, Ray didn''t know what to think. He sensed some edgy vibes emanating from her. They didn''t seem like bad sorts though.


    ¡°Well, I was thinking. Why don''t we, y''know, travel there together? Since we''re heading the same way and all.¡±


    Parvati''s face beamed at the suggestion and she clasped her hands together. ¡°Oh, that would be wonderful! We would love some company!¡±


    Somanandi took a break from licking its paws and let out a loud snort.


    ¡°Oh hush,¡± Parvati scolded.


    The tiger seemed to roll its eyes and rose on all fours.


    They started making their way to the forest. Parvati was unable to contain her curiosity for long.


    ¡°I would love to hear the perspective of another Player," Parvati said. "It''s fascinating how you all managed to arrive in this world. But what''s even more intriguing is your ability to acclimate and provide assistance to god monsters. Oh, I suppose you are aware that we aren''t actually gods, correct?"


    "Yeah, but in our world your names actually refer to deities," Ray said.


    Parvati stared up at the sky as she considered this. "Many gods with our names, huh. Yes, Yukiko mentioned that as well. How strange..."


    Normally, the idea wouldn''t have been so strange if Ray hadn''t already come to the conclusion that this supposed virtual world was real. Names of deities were used in tons of video games. But coupled with this world being real...he didn''t know what to think.


    As they were about to break the line of trees Leilan froze in her tracks. Ray noticed this and felt a twinge in his senses that he couldn''t ignore. He gazed around to find what caused the disturbance.


    ¡°You feel it too?¡± Leilan asked.


    ¡°Only because you did first.¡± Ray realized that Verche stood next to him. Parvati rested a comforting hand on the restless Somanandi.


    ¡°I don''t think it''s looking for a fight,¡± Leilan said. ¡°But we should move all the same.¡±


    <hr>


    A dark mystic knight crouched down and hid behind a row of bushes as the female monster with the polearm turned her head in its direction. After a brief moment the female, with a bit of hesitation, returned to her comrades. The mystic knight breathed a sigh of relief.


    It recognized the female. She was the one from Caramoc Cove who fought against Satan. She had also embarrassed the mystic knights with the active skill used to freeze them in place during the fight. But now she and most of the other god monsters lacked these active skills. There might be an opportunity for revenge.


    It glanced to the opposite side of the lake where the main force made preparations out of sight. There was no way to make a report and catch up to the group of god monsters. Three god monsters and two Players might be too much to handle even in their weakened state anyway.


    The mystic knights had other methods.


    Patience.


    The knight abandoned its cover as the enemy disappeared into the trees.

 Chapter 15: Sarkast

    "To walk among strangers with trickling trepidation is not preservation. Do not walk among them in the first place." -passage from Monsters and the Human Arts


    <hr>


    Charlotte, North Carolina


    United States


    Edward Andylon sat at the bar and took a deep swig of his drink. The pilsner went down smooth, and he felt the cold stir his belly awake. A beer with a chilled mug was just what he needed after a long night of work at the hospital. Drinking on an empty stomach was one of many other poor decisions he''d made today, but veteran drinkers somehow managed to iron their stomachs from younger days of foolish habits.


    The bar was relatively crowded despite being early afternoon. The owner was a decent fellow who adjusted his hours for the police officers and hospital staff getting off overtime shifts. Working as an investigator for the hospital placed Andylon senior in a category that fellow officers deemed appropriate to make him one of the team, even if the private sectors of business now hired their own outside security. In most of the city, anyone participating in some form of law enforcement was seen as a comrade.


    He slammed his mug down on the bar a little harder than intended.


    The young cop sitting on the neighboring stool eyed him over the rim of his mug as he gingerly took a sip of his own drink. Edward was aware of his junior''s hesitance to ask about the sudden foul mood.


    As the young cop was about to speak, he became distracted by a commercial that appeared on the television.


    A pleasantly cheerful, female voice spoke as images of screened electronic devices appeared: cell phones, tablets, laptops, and so forth, ¡°Download the Puzzle and Dragons Viewer app to watch your favorite Players traverse the virtual world and wage battle!" Two humanoid monsters entered a heated battle to add to the commercial''s dramatic effect. "Follow along and unlock its secrets! Add Players to your alert list to receive notifications when they enter dungeons or engage in combat. The pinnacle of virtual gaming has arrived with Puzzle and Dragons World!¡± A schedule of events appeared on the screen detailing what the developers planned for the game''s future. The voice carried on in the background.


    Edward scoffed and drained the remainder of his drink as the commercial continued.


    He noticed that his partner was watching the commercial with clear interest. There was a mesmerized gleam in his eye that Edward still hadn''t gotten used to.


    The young cop pulled out his cellphone and accessed the internet via the bar''s WIFI.


    Edward sighed with exasperation. ¡°Greg, you aren''t seriously doing what I think you''re doing, right?¡±


    ¡°Sorry boss, totally forgot about it,¡± the young cop answered, misinterpreting the question.


    ¡°Not what I meant-¡± Edward started.


    ¡°Seriously, technology is friggin amazing,¡± Greg said, completely oblivious. ¡°You should just give it a chance and watch some. They even say that real life abilities are in the game too. Pretty damn cool if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°It''s a video game,¡± Edward responded. He glanced at the phone and saw an animated dragon appear and breathe fire over the screen.


    ¡°Well, yes, but...it''s not like you hold a controller or anything. It''s like you are really moving around and actually use your own skill to fight. It takes smarts and real ability.¡±


    ¡°It''s a video game,¡± Edward repeated.


    Greg didn''t push his argument further and decided to watch the rest of the commercial. The narrator was now describing elements of the game concerning Player stats, levels, the intrinsic scans and free-roam ability. Viewers were able to see a Player''s previous rank from the original game and could place bets on who they thought would be the victor at the start of PvP battles when they became available. Viewers were also awarded magic stones for the original game and joined in other special contests.


    ¡°Is your son participating?¡± Greg asked as the commercial ended.


    Andylon grunted. ¡°Don''t remind me. Wait, how do you know that?¡±


    Greg showed a list of names in the app on his phone''s screen. Sure enough, sitting in the middle of the list was: Ray Andylon.


    Edward ran a hand through his short, graying hair as if the motion would ease his irritation. It didn''t.


    Greg shrugged. ¡°Well, I''ll be rooting for him. Oh, sweet! He has Leilan. Looks like they start at ultimate evolution. Damn, that character design.¡± He let out a high-pitched whistle of admiration as his eyes wandered up and down the screen.


    Edward couldn''t begin to understand the appeal. He watched as Greg swiped along the screen and pulled up an image of a woman with rainbow wings and a strange pole-like weapon resting on her shoulders. The character was just a cartoon, or was it anime? He couldn''t remember what his son had referred to the animations as. There must be better ways to spend time.


    He glanced at the humanoid monster''s image again. He couldn''t deny that the creators did an impressive job of making her rather appealing along with her other, well, assets.


    He waved his hand dismissively and went to finish his beer when he realized that the mug was empty. He tossed a generous tip on the bar and rose from his stool.


    ¡°You alright to drive, boss?¡± Greg asked.


    ¡°I''ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, all those years of experience, old man.¡± He risked the playful jab.


    Edward humored him with a smirk. ¡°I''m not quite there yet. When the time comes, you can call me old all you want.¡±


    He gave him a quick salute and headed out of the bar.


    The city was quiet, but still held a hidden energy within it as the sides of buildings shifted with flowing lights and sparkling stars of technology protruding from their tops. The city had been fitted with a jumbo screen near the center that could still be seen with perfect clarity from his far-off section of the city.


    A silent battle was being waged above with strange numbers in the corners that were completely foreign to him. Bars of multiple colors changed as the solid hues filling them lowered when one of the fighters gained a distinct advantage. One of the fighters had his defense broken with a brief flash and the other moved in to finish him off.


    None of it was actually real. Another game Edward didn''t know about. He had no desire to bother with the effort of understanding the strange new virtual worlds. There was no denying that it was something people enjoyed and were willing to watch. If people watched, if people played, then there was money to be had.


    What a friggin strange world, he thought. He always harshly denied his curiosity in the past. But if real-world abilities did apply, then it might be interesting to see how Ray decided to use them. Maybe he''d pull the weird app up during a lunch break or some such.Stolen story; please report.


    He approached his car and was about to insert the key when a sight chill crawled up his arm. He glanced behind him and ran his gaze over the parking lot. It took a solid three minutes for him to convince himself that nobody was there.


    Old habits die hard, I guess.


    <hr>


    Sarkast (Military City)


    Pirugan Continent


    Ray and his companions decided to hug the road the rest of the way to Sarkast. This particular area of the forest was muddied and difficult to wade through from the storm that heavily saturated the ground the day before. In some areas the mud even managed to rise to the top of his boots.


    They traveled in silence for the most part. The only one who seemed to be interested in small talk was Parvati. Ray had made numerous attempts to converse with his fellow Player, but most of his questions were returned with a shrug, a barely discernible nod, or nothing at all. He eventually gave up and joined the conversations between the monsters.


    Leilan and Verche chose their words carefully as they spoke to Parvati. This mistrust amongst fellow monsters was confusing for him. But he hoped to have all of his questions answered soon.


    When the city came into view it was something that Ray didn''t quite expect. The high ground from the forest revealed the city''s layout within the walls. The outskirts of the city consisted of modest dwellings in a tightly knit suburban area with a tall outer wall built of limestone. Soldiers patrolled along the wall and disappeared behind wide parapets. Archery towers lined the top and from behind in a staggered formation to provide clear lines of fire.


    Beyond this suburban outer district was a second wall even more massive than the first with extra crenellations lining the top. Instead of towers, thin openings were cut into the wall for ranged defenders, which indicated that the wall''s thickness was enough to hold a multitude of narrow passages for quick travel between various points.


    What fascinated Ray the most were the three tall towers that reached for the sky at the center of the city within the inner district. They were built in a staggered formation with the lead tower as the shortest, and the furthest the tallest. The closest tower was no less impressive than the others with the intricate designs of the wide balconies and the stained glass windows depicting soldiers in battle. They reminded Ray of the skyscrapers in his world.


    He could even see some other buildings dominating the inner wall of the city.


    He reverted his attention upon hearing the voice of his fellow Player.


    ¡°Well, here we are,¡± Yukiko said in her neutral tone. The only words she had spoken the entire trip. ¡°Welcome to the military city of Sarkast.¡±


    They made their way down the crested hill to the farmlands that surrounded the city. Families were hard at work in the fields tilling the ground and nurturing gardens. Grain mills dotted the open fields along with other squat structures. Soldiers wandered around the buildings in discussion and some moved off to the edge of the fields to stand guard. The extra manpower dissuaded monsters in the forest from venturing too close.


    A group of laughing children ran past them across the dirt road seemingly unaware of the monsters that trailed behind the two human Players. The older folk working in the fields took the time to stare at the new arrivals, but their unmoving expressions did not betray any emotion. They seemed like a seasoned and hard-working people.


    The fields waned in number as the group came closer to the city''s outer wall. Fields were replaced with more of the squat structures with soldiers milling about on duty.


    Man, she wasn''t kidding when she said it was a military city, Ray thought.


    Ray checked his database and opened the map to see how close his home was. He zoomed in on the city and traced along multiple symbols until he found his own. He was in luck. They were at the eastern gate. His house was only a short ways to the north once they entered the outer suburban district.


    They arrived at the crowded gate and received curious stares from the guards as they passed. The arrival of the Players was not unknown, but seeing three monsters together with a pair of humans probably wasn''t an ordinary occurrence. However, they did not make any obvious, or even subtle, movements for their weapons. They weren''t openly welcome, but the relations between monsters and humans seemed better here than the hostility that Leilan mentioned with the people of Millshore. With such a military presence, Ray figured they could afford a bit of confidence.


    The armor the guards wore made them look bigger than they actually were. The grey, rounded pauldrons on their shoulders stuck out to a sharp point giving them a dangerous, intimidating look. The wrist guards overlapped chainmail with a barely discernible slot underneath, much like Ray''s hidden weapon. It seemed the armor was modified in every conceivable way for some sort of offensive combat.


    One of the guards held up a hand to stop the five companions. He eyed them up and down briefly. His mouth shifted slightly to the side.


    ¡°Interesting. Two humans and three monsters. This is a first. What''s your business in Sarkast?¡±


    A low growl from the tiger, Somanandi, caught the guard''s attention. His demeanor didn''t change in the slightest as he stared at the tiger.


    Parvati waved her hands in front of her in an apologetic gesture. "I-I''m sorry. He hates not being acknowedged." She lowered her head next to the tiger''s ear. "Somanandi, behave. You''re going to get us in trouble."


    The tiger flicked its ear and turned its eyes away from the guard.


    The guard gave the party a look that told them he really wasn''t in the mood for nonsense.


    Yukiko reached into a leather pocket stitched underneath her armor and fished out a folded parchment. She opened it and held it out so that the guard could look over the information for the bounty. She also handed him a small pouch containing proof of completion. The base of the pouch had changed from a light brown to sopping crimson.


    The guard''s mood lifted, and he let out a low whistle as he looked everything over. ¡°Well damn, you got that sonuvabitch. Bounty was sitting up on the board a while.¡± He looked past Yukiko and observed Ray and his two monster partners. ¡°And who might you be, kid? What''s your business?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my house is here,¡± Ray answered. ¡°We''ve arrived from Millshore.¡±


    The guard''s eyes went back and forth between Leilan and Verche. "They both with you?" he asked simply.


    Ray nodded. ¡°Yes, that''s right.¡±


    The guard glanced over his shoulder to read the expressions on the faces of the other men. One of them simply shrugged a confirmation. The others near the guard station had returned to whatever game it was they were playing, something that looked like a mix between Go and Mahjong. They didn''t seem concerned.


    The guard sighed at their lack of professionalism. ¡°Whatever. Guess it''s just a formality anyway, thanks to the Lady Overlook. Alright, just don''t cause any trouble, alright?¡±


    The guards stood aside and let the monsters and Players pass into the suburban district of Sarkast.


    They entered a small market area as they left the easternmost district of the suburbs. The buildings in this section were plain with a solid beige color comparable to their neighbors. No building had any uniqueness except for growing slightly taller than the one before it as they drew closer to the massive inner wall that guarded the central district.


    The market opened up and revealed a number of two-story houses of light brick, comfortably apart with a few acres of land for each. As they winded their way through the smooth, cemented streets, they came upon a house with a solid mahogany door. It was Ray''s home. He found it strange how he could so easily claim it as such.


    A symbol was etched in the door''s center. It was comprised of an image of a dark orb with the familiar crescent moon at its center. A flame surrounded the dark orb with two katanas crossed behind it.


    Ray approached the door and ran his hand over the symbol.


    There was something about it that gave him pause. Hanging off the pommels of the two katanas were charms linked by chains. Attached to the chains was some sort of amulet with the image of a skull etched into it. Ray didn''t know why, but a dark, foreboding feeling crept down his spine as he looked at the grinning ornaments.


    First being a dark attribute, and now the skulls. It didn''t sit right with him. He wondered why the attribute and symbols had been chosen for him.


    Ray noticed Yukiko eyeing the symbol on the door coolly.


    ¡°I believe this is where we part ways,¡± she said, sensing his gaze.


    Ray stepped aside as she ascended the stairs to meet him at eye level. She was uncomfortably close, and he took an instinctive step back. She tapped the database on her wrist and the holographic screen popped up. After scrolling through a menu, she opened up a blank screen.


    ¡°What''s your Player ID?¡± she asked.


    Ray stared at her stupidly for a few seconds before he managed to get a grasp of what she was asking.


    ¡°Ah, you, want to add me to your friends list?¡±


    Yukiko nodded. ¡°You''re decent with a sword. And you must be pretty tough to have a second monster on your team already. I believe staying in contact would be beneficial for us both. Don''t you agree?¡±


    She spoke in such a mechanical tone. It was hard to get any read on her emotions. But Ray had already figured out her true intentions before her explanation. It would be a relationship that was purely based on business and convenience. It should have been painfully obvious judging from her unwillingness to converse on their journey together. Even so, he was glad to have someone he could rely on later.


    Ray linked his Player ID number and recited it to her as she input it into the list. After a moment, Ray''s database sent him an alert and asked him if he wanted to accept the friend request. He did so, and Yukiko''s player profile was open to him. He noticed that a few areas of her profile were locked and strictly private.


    Yukiko gave him a quick smirk, the closest thing that Ray could assume was a smile.


    ¡°Well, I''ll be in touch.¡± She alighted down the stairs and went to rejoin Parvati who waved an enthusiastic farewell to Ray and his monster comrades.


    Ray didn''t enter the house until they had disappeared around the corner and with the silent urging of Leilan and Verche.


    There was much they had to discuss.

 Chapter 16: Revelations (Part 1)

    The interior of the house was humble compared to the finely fitted stone of its walls on the outside. The rooms were sparsely furnished, but there was at least no shortage of comfortable chairs to seat a small group of individuals. It left plenty of space for him to decorate, but it wasn''t as if he would have spent much time on such things, even if it was in abundance. The bare necessities were enough for him.


    The first floor consisted of a living room with two connected couches of a darkened gray hue and a short love seat situated in a corner for the master of the house to sit in. It had a perfect view of the other party as well as a view of the front door. A wide window on the slanted ceiling displayed the night sky and acted as a source for light during the day. An intricately designed rug covered the center of the wood floor with sewn patterns portraying the many elements attributed to the monsters and Players of the world.


    What he found most curious was the lamp sitting on an end table. Ray stared underneath the lamp''s shade and saw that there was something akin to a light bulb attached to its top. Its surface glittered even though it appeared to be turned off. A thin length of metal spiraled around to the lamp''s base. He wondered how it functioned. Perhaps some form of electricity?


    It was something to inquire about another day. There were more pressing questions weighing on his mind.


    He decided to hold off on touring the rest of the house in favor of getting straight to business.


    Leilan and Verche gave the room a once-over and took a seat at one of the couches across from him. Verche leaned against the arm of the chair while Leilan sat with her hands clasped, the long pole weapon propped against the neighboring wall. They waited patiently for Ray to initiate the conversation.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ray said. ¡°The people of my world won''t hear a word we say here.¡±


    Supposedly, he thought. If Emily Tanner was wrong, then he might run into trouble sooner than expected if the information was delicate. But he couldn''t just sit and wait forever to confirm it. He needed a solid foundation for what was really going on in this world. Otherwise, he''d be stumbling around aimlessly with a blind means of decision-making.


    He turned to them and fell back in the love seat. It wasn''t until he settled himself that he realized just how exhausted he really was. The journey from Millshore, the battle at Mercury Lake and then the immediate trek to the city through the muddied forest would''ve worn any normal person out.


    Ray addressed Leilan first, ¡°In the dungeon - the way you reacted to seeing Verche - I started to think something wasn''t right.¡± His fingers clawed at his thighs as he recalled the last bit. ¡°And when you thought he had died, that confirmed my suspicions.¡±


    Leilan made no comment on this observation.


    ¡°I guess you could say I thought everything was way too real right from the start.¡±


    Ray recalled his fight alongside the tamadra in the Departure Tower. The tamadra had responded to all of his speech and actions just like any other living, breathing individual would in his world. It had even read his emotions without him uttering a word. The tamadra had given him a reassuring pat on the head during his moments of distress. It showed fear when the ogre appeared. It expressed joy when he fought alongside it.


    His thoughts always strayed to the dirt in his hands. The gritty, yet soft feeling as it poured from his grasp. He stared down at his hand and observed the light brown smudges of soil. He pulled a glove off and examined the roughness of his skin from the extended use of his weapon.


    ¡°This world...it''s far too real,¡± he whispered.


    He looked up and saw Verche and Leilan sharing an uncertain glance.


    ¡°You acted like you knew him,¡± Ray said as he composed himself. ¡°More than knew him. He''s more like a comrade. A friend. What is really going on in this world? Do you know why I''m really here?¡±


    Verche moved to speak, but Leilan held up a hand and shook her head somberly. Verche nodded his assent and eased back against the arm of the chair and allowed her to take the floor.


    Leilan took a deep breath. She let it out slowly before she spoke, ¡°Very well, Ray. But please keep an open mind. You Players see our world as just a game, right?¡±


    Ray nodded. ¡°That''s what it was supposed to be. I''m sure many still see it this way. But after everything so far, I''m not so sure anymore.¡±


    Leilan stared at him for a long time as she pondered his words. Even without any explanation, Ray was still a believer. He was already convinced that the world he had entered was alive.


    ¡°Seems like I made the right choice.¡± She allowed herself a small smile.


    She began her story.


    <hr>


    Pirugan Continent


    Sanctuary


    Three years earlier...


    Leilan stared down into the darkness below as the ocean churned against the wall of jagged stone that was the most western edge of the Sacred Mt. Bakkes. Two of the moons were reflected in the waters while the third sat away, snug behind a blanket of grey clouds covering half the sky.


    Leilan''s eyes trailed the cracks snaking along the wall, a result of the cannons fired from the pirate ships that attacked a short time earlier.


    The first distressful thought that had occurred to Leilan and her monster comrades was that Satan''s monsters of the Legion had decided to test the defenses of Sanctuary with an assault from the sea. This was disconcerting, since they had thought the enemy ignorant of how far Sanctuary extended from the inland.


    They were relieved when they saw the pirates chasing a merchant ship. The lower walls of the mountains just happened to be in the line of fire. Leilan regretted not being able to help the innocent merchant ship, but compromising the location of Sanctuary on the coast was far too risky if there were any unwanted observers.


    The recent battles against the Legion had turned in their favor. The Guardian monsters now felt that the eastern half of the continent was secure. Most of the major towns and cities had recovered from earlier attacks, despite the agreement that no god monsters would involve humans in their affairs.


    Sarkast had displayed its generous might and pushed back a massive force of dark mystic knights a few days earlier. The humans in that area had proven their resourcefulness and skill in combat with little casualties. With the trails and passes of the Bakke Mountains secure, Leilan felt that they could finally take the fight to the Legion on their own turf. It wouldn''t be long before they mounted an assault on Satan''s castle.


    But despite all the good news, sleep eluded Leilan.


    There was something that continued to wear at her mind, driving at her like a dull icepick.


    Over the past few months, the Guardian monsters had been meeting with a human that was not of their world. He arrived out of nowhere outside of Sanctuary with his arms raised non-threateningly and a silly grin splayed over his face. The monsters on guard duty had been completely taken aback by his sudden appearance. A mere human had located Sanctuary. Not only that, but they couldn''t even detect his presence.


    The man had explained that he was something called the Creator, the one who had formed the Pirugan continent. His bold claim incited reasonable skepticism from the god monsters. They threw him in chains, gagged him in case he held some strange word magic and questioned him incessantly in areas with magical barriers. No less than five god monsters were present to observe the interrogations. Leilan had been one of them on more than a few occasions. Curiosity spurred her to attend even when a sufficient number of monsters were available and willing.


    A man had appeared seemingly out of thin air and basically claimed the status of a true god. His answers were thoroughly confusing, and his mannerism fully calm and unexpected for someone in his position.


    The real questioning commenced when Metatron returned to Sanctuary.


    It was then that he finally introduced himself by name as Shinji Takamura.


    During the following months, he proved to be a competent ally in the war against the Legion by providing valuable information concerning their movements and knowledge of the land itself. Leilan and the others were finally convinced he was the Creator he claimed to be when he explained the birth of the world and its development. He also had knowledge beyond any human she had ever met. He told stories of technological advances in his world. They had gadgets called cellphones, computers, vehicles that ran on fuel, flying machines called planes. One of Leilan''s comrades, Cao Cao, had inquired about the military presence and weapons of his world. The humans of the other world had heavily armored vehicles known as tanks and ranged weapons called guns. He said that some of these guns could fire a small projectile hundreds of yards in the span of a mere second.


    Then he showed them the proof with the database that was attached to his wrist. It contained all of the information they could possibly want to know. He said that it was even possible to retain this information through a process called downloading, which was achieved from a place of near-infinite knowledge called theinternet.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Needless to say, the god monsters were still thoroughly baffled.


    This relationship had continued for nearly a year. Takamura observed the monsters, learned from them and even befriended them. However, he never shared how the technological advances in his world actually worked beyond their basic functions and uses.


    Leilan couldn''t quite explain her own relationship with the aberrant human. She liked to consider him as a friend, but the mystery surrounding him and his extended absences made her wonder about his true intentions. Everything had worked in their favor for the time being, but she wondered about an obvious long-term goal. Why did a human with near-godlike status feel the need to personally interact with the world he supposedly created? Yes, she had to admit, she was still not entirely convinced that he truly created this world. Did he have a hand in it? Perhaps. Maybe he could take credit for some meddling. And it was still a concern as to whether this meddling was beneficial in the long run.


    But Takamura had now been absent for nearly a month. This was his longest absence by far. Leilan couldn''t shake the feeling that something was amiss. The problems of a human from another world should not have concerned someone in her own delicate position, but she had become fond of the human. He was a pleasant individual to converse with. He certainly was no warrior, but he made up for it with his wit and knowledge.


    A pity...


    As Leilan was about to shift her thoughts to more current issues, she detected a sign of movement from further along the path to her side that winded down towards the ocean. She readied her polearm that had previously rested at her side and took cover behind an outcropping of rock. Judging from the soft padding of footfalls, she ascertained that there couldn''t have been more than three individuals of average size based on the possibility of movements being in sync.


    There was only one.


    A human with matted brown hair and rounded spectacles appeared from around the bend of the stone stairs just below her position. She relaxed her weapon upon seeing the familiar human but then readied herself once again as she saw him limp up the next flight of stairs. A growing mass of red clung to the tunic underneath an exposed portion of his chainmail. He fell to one knee and clutched his side as the sudden motion forced more blood from the wound, like squeezing ketchup out of a plastic bottle.


    Leilan abandoned all caution and rushed down the stairs to support him.


    ¡°Hang on, Takamura,¡± she whispered reassuringly. She lifted an arm over her shoulder.


    Takamura nodded weakly and allowed her to guide him the rest of the way up the stairs. They passed through the stone archway that led to the central area of Sanctuary.


    The fluorescence of the magically-infused stone buildings guided them through a second archway, this one made of the rainbow magic stones that had once pulsed with magical energy, but which now served as a catalyst for magical transfer for the buildings since their own power had gone dormant.


    Leilan entered the open space where the god monsters met for discussion and debate. Only one other monster sat in the open area with his fit propped lazily on the edge of the long stone table. Upon seeing her, he dropped his precious spear and rushed to assist Leilan in resting Takmura on the table.


    ¡°Thank you, Odin,¡± Leilan said.


    Odin removed the green hat from his head as he examined Takamura''s wound. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Leilan shook her head. ¡°I don''t know. He was like this when I found him at the southern stairs.¡±


    Takamura made a struggled gasp for air and grabbed Leilan''s arm in a firm grip that was not suited to a man in his condition. There was now the faint trace of blood crawling down his chin and neck. His eyes were wild with fear and desperation.


    ¡°Where is Metatron?¡± he gasped.


    Leilan didn''t even need to ask. Odin was already on the move out of the council room to seek her out. She turned back to Takamura whose breathing was steady but still drawn out and rasping like a tipped over vacuum. His pale complexion confirmed the blood loss.


    After minutes that seemed to drag on for hours, Odin reappeared with Metatron at his side. Pandora had also decided to tag along when she heard the news of Takamura''s arrival.


    Odin ripped the reddened cloth from Takamura''s side to reveal the gaping wound that had finally stopped spurting the injured human''s life blood. The skin around the severed area beat a nasty purple with pulsing veins crawling out the sides.


    Metatron whispered something inaudible under her breath and placed her hands over the wound. There was an immediate change as the pulsing purple around the wound began to lighten until it assumed a more lukewarm violet. Some of the skin began to stitch itself to halt the seeping blood.


    After about a minute, Metatron removed her hands to observe her work and nodded with some satisfaction. ¡°I can''t completely dispel the pain,¡± she said. ¡°But at least the bleeding has stopped. You should be fine with some rest.¡±


    Takamura shook his head as he rose to a seated position. He grimaced as the pain spiked from the movement, but he spoke through it nonetheless.


    ¡°No, there''s no time. You need to listen to me.¡± He lifted his arm and activated the database on his wrist. The holographic screen appeared and he pressed a symbol with a purpose that was foreign to the monsters. One of the three slots on the underside of the database slid open and a small circular, metallic chip popped out. He held it out to Metatron.


    Metatron stared at the chip. ¡°What is this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It is-the world,¡± Takamura forced the words out through the still-lingering pain.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Takamura stared at each of the monsters in turn. The desperation grew in his voice to something all too palpable that instilled a quiet fear in the monsters.


    He took a few more deep breaths before he gave his explanation. ¡°There is much-you need to know.¡± He urged her to take the chip, which she did with a bit of hesitation.


    ¡°That chip,¡± he started. ¡°That chip holds the beginning of a world. I discovered it after many years of research.¡±


    The words caught in Metatron''s throat at the realization that she was practically holding the first foundations of a universe in the palm of her hand.


    ¡°So, this chip contains how our world started?¡± Odin asked.


    Takmura shook his head. ¡°Not exactly. With a bit of tampering, I was only able to shape it to my desires.¡±


    Leilan struggled to control the anger in her voice at his declaration. ¡°Are you saying you manipulated us? You didn''t actually make this world?¡±


    Takamura went into a coughing fit. The monsters noticed that a new wound was opening randomly on his chest.


    ¡°W-what the hell...¡± Odin took a step back as the skin peeled and blood seeped forth.


    Metatron stared at the wound gravely. ¡°What is happening to you? This isn''t...¡± She stared at the chip in her hand. ¡°You aren''t of this world. Are these wounds something from yours?¡±


    ¡°Th-they found out,¡± Takamura said as he regained his composure. ¡°The code-it didn''t make worlds. Not at first. It-it accesses and manipulates them, yes. I didn''t know. I''m sorry-it took so long-to realize.¡±


    The god monsters shared an uneasy look.


    ¡°Wait, you said you were a Creator,¡± Pandora said. Her fingers grabbed at the front of her black dress.


    ¡°I denied this world''s reality. All this time,¡± Takamura sobbed. ¡°I denied playing God!¡±


    Leilan quelled her anger when she realized what was happening. In reality, it seemed he had actually deceived himself, but it held terrible ramifications for others as well. She rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.


    He did not look up but continued his explanation, ¡°There are people in my world who want it. And they will try to take it from me by any means necessary. Some of my closest friends are already dead because of me.¡± He rested his head in his hands as the tears he was holding back began to flow freely. ¡°I didn''t mean for any of this! I just wanted-¡±


    He stopped himself as the database on his wrist began to let out a series of low beeps. He stared down at it and a tiny light flashed yellow on the screen. He removed his glasses so he could wipe his eyes before continuing. When he removed his wrist, they saw that another wound had opened underneath his eye.


    ¡°I''ve already wasted enough time,¡± he said. The other two slots underneath the database opened at his bidding and a pair of similar metallic chips appeared. ¡°Hand me your book, Metatron.¡±


    Metatron hesitated a moment before handing her most prized possession to him. He set one of the chips on a page towards the back of the book. With a bit of pressure from his hand, the chip began to infuse itself into the book. Metatron stared in wonder as the outline of the chip and many of her pages began to glow with a soft yellow light. Once the chip was set firmly in place Takamura closed the book.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Metatron asked without taking her eyes from the tome.


    ¡°There are people from my world who will be arriving. They are not people who helped me to create this world. They are called Players. Their sole purpose is to enter this world and test how it functions. The Players will think this is just a game for their own enjoyment. Some of them might not be so ignorant though. The ones who are after the code might send Players. I cannot know for sure though,¡± Takamura explained as best he could.


    Leilan glanced around at her other comrades who were taking in all of this information. Their faces were as still as stone. The ability to change worlds was in one of their hands in some tiny device. The whole idea seemed absolutely insane.


    But Leilan recalled the time they spent with him. With his wealth of knowledge and the absurd technology of his world, perhaps it was possible. It explained why he didn''t share the knowledge of his world in detail. He explained what they did, but not how they worked. It was all for the sake of maintaining their world as a so-called game.


    ¡°Why us?¡± Leilan prompted him. She couldn''t contain herself. Everything was happening so fast and so suddenly.


    Takamura glanced at his database again before speaking. The blinking light was now orange. ¡°I don''t know who I can trust in the real world to protect something like this,¡± he answered. His voice was now steeled with ice. ¡°I am sorry that I placed this burden on you, but I don''t see any other options right now. I wanted to destroy it, but I don''t know the repercussions. They could be detrimental to both our worlds.¡±


    ¡°We can seal it in my box,¡± Pandora offered. ¡°That''s the safest place I can think of.¡±


    ¡°Pandora!" Metatron straightened and gave her a level look. "That box is everything to you! If you were to seal it now you might as well have no power at all.¡±


    Pandora nodded. ¡°I am aware.¡±


    Takamura nodded to her appreciatively and gestured to Metatron''s book. ¡°Read what I have left you in the book. Choose your Player partners wisely.¡±


    Leilan stiffened at the word. ¡°Partners?¡±


    The flashing light on Takamura''s database now flashed red and a low hum began to emit from the device. He closed his eyes and handed the last chip to Leilan. She stared at it emotionless despite the sadness welling up inside her.


    ¡°Keep that one safe,¡± Takamura said. ¡°One day, I hope you will overcome your differences.¡±


    The blinking light and hum from the database became more insistent. A new laceration opened on his chest and a thin trail of blood leaked from his mouth. He waved at the monsters desperately to keep them away as they moved to assist him. He pressed a button and a final selection appeared that would log him out of the virtual world to rejoin his own. He couldn''t stop the stream of tears.


    ¡°One more thing,¡± he choked. ¡°Do not let any fabricated pasts dictate your actions. I have already told you how to discern the truth from the lies. Don''t let a false history from my world drown the future you pave for yourself.¡± He pressed the button and his image began to fade. ¡°Live well, my friends.¡±


    When his form vanished, the shaken god monsters glanced at each other at a loss. Much of their past was a lie. He had told them that once. Fake lives meant to drive them on a specific course against their will. The world they fought for so earnestly was originally meant to be used for mere entertainment. To most of the people in Takamura''s world, their lives were just a game to be played at their leisure.


    Metatron clenched the chip in her hand and waited for the others to speak what was running through all their minds.


    ¡°So we will have to fight with these Players,¡± Leilan said.


    ¡°People we don''t even know,¡± Pandora added as she brought a hand to her chest. ¡°How do we know who is an ally or enemy?¡±


    Odin sat at the edge of the stone table and lowered his hat. ¡°If you have the ability to manipulate worlds, well, I guess you have the power to destroy them too. Right?¡±


    They all hoped whoever was now after the code didn''t have such an extreme and dastardly intent.

 Chapter 17: Revelations (Part 2)

    Pirugan Continent


    Rhea-Themis Temple


    1 year earlier...


    Leilan flew to the top of the stairs that led to the entrance of Rhea-Themis temple. The temple constructed of smooth sandstone still stood strong despite the relentless assault of the sandstorms and fierce tornadoes that blasted through the desert during most of daylight and evening.


    The Guardian monsters had determined the lull in the storms and could now see the temple with perfect clarity. More accurately, it was with the help of the god monster, Gaia, that they managed to approach at the wind''s abeyance. Her title was known as the Original Goddess of Decision, and her senses had proven that her decisions through attunement with nature were sound.


    The entrance stood a solid ten meters in height with a rounded portcullis locked in place above. Impressive pillars with spiraling symbols traveled to the domed top. Statues of hybrid animals stood between each pillar, some worn and broken with age, and others that miraculously maintained what appeared to be their original, detailed designs from the time they were sculpted.


    Leilan stopped at the short walls of stone along the tall stairs. She made a mental note of the best positions that would provide their force of light mystic knights some much-needed cover.


    The entrance was sealed by a massive stone door with the symbol of a light orb etched into its thick mass. The metal of the sun symbol at its center seemed to shift back and forth with the reflections of the setting sun.


    Behind Leilan, two more god monsters ascended the stairs and took positions on either side of her.


    The first monster, a female wielding a magnificent spear that pulsed a sapphire aura of magical energy, examined the edge of the oasis below for any sign of the enemy forces that pursued them. Her bulky silver armor covered a creamy white, silken battle gown that was drenched with sweat from the retreat. A portion of her helmet was caved in from a recent blow dealt by an ogre''s mace. She removed the helmet and tossed it aside nonchalantly. Her emerald hair unfurled and fell its full length to her waist. She planted a sandled foot on the wall and rested her round shield against it. Her mouth was stretched in a thin line as she gazed emotionless at the edge of the treeline.


    The second monster approached the side of the blocked entryway and ran his hand along the stone in search of a hidden mechanism. His striped, dark purple and light violet armor contained multiple melee weapons that stuck out from their attached scabbards. He sheathed a broadsword and tapped his crystalline scepter against the stone. Leilan couldn''t see his frustration due to the helmet that encompassed his head, but the constant curling of his fingers was sufficient enough evidence.


    The strands of thin fabric attached to his armor billowed behind him from an unanticipated wind that emit from the entrance.


    ¡°I have found it,¡± he said, his voice muffled by the helmet.


    He pressed the crystal at the end of the scepter against a specific portion of the wall and the ground began to rumble beneath them. The wind picked up in strength as the stone gateway began to open before them. Barely. It opened far too slow for their liking.


    Leilan approached the other female god monster and stared with her into the forest. It was far too quiet for the aftermath of a violent skirmish. The light mystic knights that remained took up positions behind the walls, waiting for the inevitable attack.


    ¡°What do you see, Athena?¡± Leilan asked after a moment of silence.


    Athena pointed to the edge of the oasis further to the south. ¡°They are bypassing the traps we set.¡±


    The armored monster behind them spoke up upon hearing this bit of bad news, ¡°It would seem they really do have some all-knowing entity on their side. Hopefully, the sealed passage below is still available for our escape.¡±


    ¡°There better be more than a few magic stones down there,¡± Leilan said.


    Before anyone else had a chance to speak, the southern edge of the shrouded oasis exploded with activity. A figure sitting upon a strange mount burst from the trees and spun in circles through the sand. The rider hooted and hollered as he kicked sand into the air. After a few more donuts through the sand the rider turned in the direction of the temple and sped onward at breakneck speed with a plume of purple smoke drifting behind him. Following were armored dark knights of all classes that rode horses and plodded on foot through the shifting sand.


    Leilan and Athena could now see that the steed this monster was riding was unlike any creature they had ever seen. It was comprised of metal parts with two big, glowing red eyes staring angrily at them from the front. A pair of curved handles were used to steer the metal beast. Two circular masses of energy, one to the front and back, spun at seemingly impossible speeds to drive it forward. The rider made a sharp turn that kicked up more sand into the air.


    He swung his leg dramatically over one side and dismounted at the foot of the temple stairs. He threw off his purple leather coat lined with soft animal fur and whirled it above his head as he laughed insanely at the two monsters who stared at him expressionless. He gave them a wide obnoxious grin and flipped down the visor on his helmet so he could better see against the sun''s rays. Behind him the dark knights were still on their way. He waved at them dismissively while still maintaining his reprehensible grin.


    "Such twisted revelry," Athena commented.


    Leilan sighed. "I''d prefer any other Legion monster right now."


    The monster spread his arms enthusiastically as if he greeting some old friends. ¡°Well if it isn''t Athena and Leilan! How wonderful it is-¡± He stopped himself as he stood on his tiptoes to see behind them. ¡°Well damn! Is that Ra too? I thought we tore your ass up at Hera''s place!¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Ra asked. His eyes remained forward, intent on opening the door faster.


    ¡°Beelzebub,¡± Athena answered flatly.


    Ra grunted. ¡°Ah, that asshole. Should''ve known.¡±


    The dark knights caught up with the insane monster and stood awaiting his commands at the bottom of the long staircase.


    ¡°I''d love to catch up, ladies, but we are reeeaallly in a huge rush. We can do this two ways.¡± Beelzebub paused for a moment as he considered. ¡°Y''know what, screw it. No options. We just kill yah!¡±


    The dark knights took this as their cue and began rushing up the stone steps. They wordlessly formed an organized line that spanned the entire length of the steps with their shields raised to block the ranged attacks from above.


    The light mystic knights fired crossbow bolts down at the mass of black that crept up the steps behind the relentless defenses. None of the projectiles could pierce the shields or break through any holes. The tall shields for the frontmen were forged to interconnect with the ones beside them. The only opening was a limited gap at the feet. The angle of the steps covered all of these openings. The dark knights to the rear flung spears and fired their own crossbows to limit the attacks of the light knights above. The fight would be taken to even ground in a matter of seconds.


    ¡°Chelone!¡± Athena barked.


    The light knights obeyed her command and squatted at the top of the stairs with their tall shields propped into the crevices of the stone. A second line formed behind the first as support. This second row of knights lifted shields above their heads to cover themselves and their comrades in the front. A similar process was repeated a few more lines back. A select group of the golden knights hugged the lines and took positions behind the squat walls with a partner hefting a shield to defend the ranged fighters.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Steady!¡± Athena shouted.


    The light knights braced themselves behind their shields. They trusted Athena to be their eyes. The soldiers in dark armor were nearly upon them.


    When the dark knights reached them Athena commanded, ¡°Brace!¡±


    The gold-armored warriors locked their arms in a firm stance to absorb the force of the blows from the enemy''s heavy shields and weapons.


    Athena saw a break in the momentum. ¡°Push!¡±


    The first row of light knights jerked their shields forward and dug their heels into the ground for a balance of foundation and forward force. They had plenty of ground behind them, along with the support of their comrades to the rear for maintaining position. The enemy dark knights had no room to retain a proper stance to withstand the force of the shields due to the short width of the stairs. The shields forced them back and many tumbled into their comrades or fell off the edge. All it took was one push to rattle the enemy''s offensive. The top of the stairs were completely sealed by the shields with no way around with the walls blocking passage to either side. The dark knights closer to the rear flung their spears and fired arrows in random arcs to see if any might penetrate the defensive formation. All of the projectiles glanced harmlessly off the shields protecting the front and top of the soldiers. The formation was seemingly perfect. It took advantage of the high ground, the narrow area of passage and the lack of stable footing on the enemy''s part.


    Leilan deflected any ranged attacks that came near the squatting Athena who eyed the formation of her soldiers with undeterred focus.


    ¡°Absolutely brilliant,¡± Leilan said as the soldiers continued to shove the enemy back down the stairs.


    ¡°Beelzebub should have led the attack,¡± Athena said. ¡°He is an impulsive fool. His own forces are now blocking his advance.¡±


    A movement to the north caught Leilan''s attention. She narrowed her eyes curiously at the opposite edge of the oasis. A humanoid figure broke through the canopy of trees and began to beat his wings furiously in their direction. There were six black wings on the monster''s back instead of two. His blood-red armor dominated the horizon with his contrasting long, white hair. He drew a massive sword from his back as he approached.


    Another monster appeared from further north, but Leilan recognized the flaming chariot immediately.


    Athena followed her eyes to the north and let out a curse as she recognized the two monsters.


    ¡°How much longer?¡± Leilan shouted.


    A loud clang sounded from behind her like a hammer striking an anvil as a lock on the inside of the temple disengaged.


    ¡°Well, no more than a minute,¡± Ra answered. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Lucifer and Belial are on their way,¡± Athena answered.


    ¡°Swell.¡±


    The stone rumbled under their feet as the heavy doorway continued to slide up from the ground with a groan of resistance. Ra nodded with satisfaction and moved to join Leilan and Athena. He froze as he caught the image of a stream of darkness in the distance heading towards them at an incredible speed. Athena called out orders for her knights to prepare themselves for the blast.


    Leilan recognized Lucifer''s active skill immediately. ¡°Damn. He prepared his Evil Nova.¡±


    They had all seen how absurdly powerful Lucifer''s primary active skill was. A streak of darkness that expanded with the more distance it covered. It was primarily for assassinating light attribute enemies, rendering them practically helpless with a single blow. Even the percentage of its attack power increased over the distance. An attack such as this would be devastating for both Athena and Ra. And on a narrow, open landing with the entrance still blocked there was nowhere to take cover.


    Ra stepped in front of his companions and tapped his scepter against his heels like a baseball player preparing for his turn to bat. He took a side stance with his scepter leading and sword pointed towards the streak of expanding darkness.


    ¡°He isn''t the only one who saved an active skill,¡± he said reassuringly.


    ¡°Covering that amount of distance and growing in strength, you won''t even slow it down,¡± Leilan said.


    Ra addressed her with feigned hurt in his voice, ¡°Your faith in me is duly noted. You haven''t seen my active skill with all its restraints removed.¡±


    Leilan gave him an incredulous look. Restraints?


    Ra focused on the crystal of his scepter and a blinding flash emitted to consume the platform they all stood on. The dark mystic knights on the stairs didn''t shield their eyes in time and reeled back to collapse into their comrades who fell into the ones behind them. The mystic light knights who still maintained their defensive formation were thankful for the reprieve.


    ¡°Release restraint on Solar Lazer,¡± Ra stated. An unseen locking mechanism inside his scepter separated with a metallic click. The sharp black metal fastened to the crystal shifted outwards. ¡°Release restraint on Solar Cannon.¡± Another click of metal released. The dark nova from Lucifer was nearly upon them. ¡°Release restraint on Solar Explosion.¡± A final click. Ra braced himself, straightened the rear arm holding his sword and relaxed his leading arm to accept the kick from the outward force that would soon arrive from the trembling scepter.


    ¡°Initiate active skill, Solar Incineration!¡±


    The massive streak of light that emitted from Ra''s scepter sucked the air around it inwards and tore the stone from the platform around his feet. The searing light reached the approaching darkness in a matter of seconds and pierced straight through with no signs of resistance. The darkness shattered into strips like flimsy paper and dissipated. Crackling fractions of light sought them out from the main body and quelled them mercilessly. The sky cleared once again as if the darkness had never existed at all.


    Ra took an uneasy step and collapsed on his rear with a heavy thud. Athena and Leilan rushed over to him and each grabbed him under one arm so they could drag his bulky, armored form towards the gaping entrance of the temple. The light mystic knights broke their lines one by one in a strategic retreat and positioned themselves outside the entrance that began to seal as the god monsters crossed the threshold. The dark knights were still disoriented from the blast of light.


    They could hear Beelzebub''s crazed shouts of fury from below as he continued throwing aside any of his own soldiers that got in his way.


    He reached the top just in time to see Ra being dragged into the temple. The light knights broke formation as the stone slab nearly sealed itself in place.


    Ra made an obscene gesture with one of his fingers that threw Beelzebub into an even more uncontrollable rage.


    The stone slab sealed the entrance and the monsters were plunged into a stifling darkness.


    Ra mustered enough bits of power left over to light his scepter and illuminate the darkness. The light mystic knights fanned out in small groups to secure the room.


    ¡°This is the third time,¡± Leilan growled.


    ¡°Third time?¡± Ra asked.


    Athena nodded a grim assent. ¡°Indeed. Once again, they achieved an impossible advantage in a major engagement. Our diversions, traps, prior defensive strategies, all rendered useless with little effort.¡±


    ¡°So they really do have something helping them.¡±


    ¡°I am starting to lean towards Metatron''s theory,¡± Leilan said. ¡°This being is not of this world.¡±


    ¡°Takamura''s warning?¡± Ra asked.


    Leilan hefted her polearm and helped Ra to his feet. ¡°Yeah. My guess is the other Creators have already started meddling.¡±


    ¡°Let''s just retrieve the magic stones for Pandora,¡± Athena said.


    The three god monsters followed their knights further into the darkness. They prayed that this all-seeing entity didn''t know of the secret passage that led out of the temple.


    <hr>


    Pirugan Continent


    Sarkast


    Present Day...


    Ray listened intently and without interruption as Leilan relayed her story: Takamura''s warning, the universal code, the war of the god monsters and this strange, seemingly omniscient entity. It was an over-abundance of information that flooded his brain.


    The information about the universal code was beyond his understanding. A code that was derived from his own world? Ray didn''t know how to take this. So, Takamura created a code that manipulated worlds. If that was the case, then Pirugan potentially existed before Takamura came along and started messing around.


    Ray wondered how it took so long for Takamura to realize that the world he visited and tampered with was actually real. If the universal code didn''t create worlds, then stumbling on its very existence should''ve been a clear warning sign.


    Leilan''s perspective, and even the knowledge of the other monsters, would most likely never be enough to reach an understanding. The man who once held a full grasp of everything was dead.


    Ray struggled to still his trembling hands when Leilan concluded with the most recent events at Caramoc Cove against Satan. One thing was certain to him: his comrades were losing this war. But with this Reversion that Leilan spoke of, it seemed they now had a much better chance than before.


    Ray''s mind went blank, and it took him a few minutes for him to somewhat regain his bearings. He stared at the two monsters who were now waiting for him to break the silence.


    ¡°I need time to think,¡± Ray said.


    ¡°Of course. It''s a lot to take in,¡± Leilan said.


    Verche remained silent and only made an acknowledgment with the slight nod of his head.


    Ray chuckled. ¡°And here I thought I was going to be playing a game.¡±


    He rose from his seat on trembling legs and left the the room to be alone with his thoughts. He took a seat at the kitchen table and drummed his fingers on the smoothed oak as his other hand continued shaking. A thrilled shudder coursed through his body as all the information processed and came together. He failed to recall a time where he felt like this. Sure, there was the palpable fear, but the world he planned to use as an escape from his own had turned into so much more. It felt as if there was nothing for him in his own world. It lacked something. Was his desire selfish? Of course it was. He knew it well. But his whole life had been spent pleasing others while leaving his own wishes tucked away somewhere that had once been forgotten. Not anymore. This world would give him something that he thought was never meant for him. That greater purpose.

 Chapter 18: Disclosed

    "The PADW project involves the varying characteristics from every part of the world. The battle-hardened, the pampered incompetent, the knowledgeable recluse, etc. The one most interesting is the gifted misused." -Thomas Malkin


    <hr>


    Detroit, Michigan


    United States


    Detroit can be a dangerous place. With a violent crime rate of twenty-five hundred per one hundred thousand residents, some might be convinced. But the city had rallied itself in the outer districts when investors pooled their resources together in wordless acquiescence. Condos and apartment complexes were built and specifically priced with a family mindset. Higher-end hotels towered over construction sites that would soon be replaced by public pools and clubs. People would eventually use the word "safe" without trepidation.


    Best of all, the new taverns were designed with an old-fashioned sense -- not the overly sterile feel and drab, bare walls like other establishments.


    This choice sat well with former undercover agent Terrance Prest. He was pleasantly surprised when Emily Tanner''s contact had decided on a familiar bar in the outlying eastern district of the city as a meeting spot. It was a place where people kept to themselves and their own groups during the evening.


    Terrance entered the bar and scanned over the individuals scattered about. It was filled with most of the regulars he was accustomed to. There were only a few patrons he didn''t recognize, and even less looked as if they had just recently reached the legal drinking age. The tight booths along the walls were occupied by the typical blue-collar workers, while another group of gentleman wearing leather biker jackets sat at the high-top tables. No real cause for concern.


    He sought out a booth that stood off to the left side near the bar with a clear view of the entire room, as well as the door and the single wood-framed window that dominated the front of the establishment. The seats provided an angle for him to observe activity on the other side of the L-shaped bar. It also lent him cover so that any other individuals trying to analyze him would have to make obvious movements. Terrance had an upper body that was built longer and leaner than the average individual, which made his observations all the more inconspicuous since he didn''t have to strain himself.


    He removed his baseball cap and ran a hand casually through his disheveled black hair as a pretty blonde waitress in a revealing white and black referee outfit approached him. He didn''t recognize her from the other times he stopped in. She must''ve been a new hire.


    She went beyond the typical greetings, commenting on his team of choice based on the Yankees symbol on his cap and exchanging a few jokes about it.


    ¡°Are there any others in your party?¡± she asked with genuine friendliness.


    ¡°Yeah, one more,¡± Terrance answered. ¡°I''ll take a beer, though. ¡±


    The girl nodded. ¡°Would you like it bottle or draft?¡±


    ¡°Draft would be great. Same for my friend.¡±


    The girl left him to issue the order to the bartender.


    At the same time, right on cue, another man entered the bar wearing a shirt with a violent, elaborate design for some gothic metal band that was foreign to Terrance. The man''s mussed up, long hair seemed to get in the way of his eyes as he took in his surroundings, much the same as when Terrance entered. The man noticed him off in the corner booth and approached him with a brisk pace that wasn''t quite fast enough to be perceived as out of the ordinary. He eased himself into the booth and observed the bar apprehensively.


    ¡°So, Emily sent you,¡± he said.


    The man abruptly halted the start of the conversation as the nice waitress returned to their table and set a chilled mug down for each of them.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can get for you, gentleman?¡±


    ¡°Nah, we''re good with the beer.¡±


    The girl nodded and moved on to one of her other tables.


    When she was well out of earshot Terrance answered the man, ¡°Yeah, everything is well underway in Seattle. Rick got in and out without a hitch.¡±


    The other man let out a relieved sigh. ¡°Damn good. Now, all we have to do is wait a little while.¡± He took a deep gulp of his beer and downed nearly half the pint in one go. He shook his head as his brain protested against the drink''s cold temperature.


    Terrance followed suit and sat in silence for a time deep in his own thoughts.


    They were both plenty aware of the PADW project that seized the attention of the world. People of all ages were creating accounts and dumping all kinds of money in order to watch a few hundred people participate in the beta test for a revolutionary virtual reality video game: Puzzle and Dragons World.


    That''s what it appeared as on the surface.


    Normally, Terrance wouldn''t even acknowledge such a thing. Watching people play around in a fantasy world held no appeal for him. But the overwhelming evidence from Emily Tanner and Rick Moore about the deceased Takamura''s real ambitions demanded his involvement. If the virtual world of Pirugan really was more than just that, ''virtual,'' then it could mean a drastic shift of power on Earth. It was bad enough that corporations wielded the sword in politics, while the government officials were reduced to the equivalent of stable boys.


    Terrance had plenty of news to share, but one bit in particular made him hesitant.


    He finally forced himself to break the silence, ¡°Paul...Carmen is dead.¡±


    The man named Paul didn''t betray emotion, but it was obvious that the news hit him hard with the trembling of the mug in his hand. The shivers only lasted for a second though as his previous training kicked in to subconsciously mask his body language. The rough waves undulating the foam of his beer went flat.


    He took another long drink before responding to this news, ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°One bullet to the back of the head. Clean.¡±


    ¡°Someone he trusted, then.¡±


    ¡°Looks like it.¡±


    ¡°Sonuvabitch.¡±


    Paul leaned back in his seat and drummed his fingers on the table. The cause of death was unexpected. They were all professionals at what they did. Well, except for Rick Moore. He was no soldier. His expertise was more enclosed ¨C a computer nerd with a knack for coding and quiet hacking.


    But a person would be hard-pressed to find anyone who could kill a hardened mercenary like Carmen. When a man of his experience has been to nearly every war-torn country across the Pacific over a number of decades, well, it was difficult to throw him into a scenario he hadn''t seen before. With such a hardened life, one would practically need a full squad to take him down on his turf. But army intelligence wasn''t needed if the enemy could get to the few people he trusted most. Men like Carmen also didn''t extend trust so easily, so the candidates would''ve been small if he decided to divulge the identities of those in his confidence.


    Sadly, for this particular case, Carmen had been a man of his word. If asked, he would keep those names secret.


    ¡°We''ve been off the grid for years,¡± Paul commented. ¡°I should know. I was with Moore when he wiped everything. None of the files even had our names on them in the first place. We were ghosts and codenames. As far as the world was concerned, our organization didn''t even exist. So how the hell did they find him?¡±


    Terrance shrugged and went to take another drink but realized that his mug was already empty.


    ¡°I couldn''t tell you,¡± he answered. ¡°But whoever was after Takamura is after us now. The good news is, they don''t know about everyone involved. If they did, Rick and Emily would probably be dead already. They are sitting right in enemy territory, after all.¡±


    Paul nodded. ¡°Seattle. Future Artificial Networking controls that whole city. Does Rick still think Thomas Malkin is behind this?"


    Terrance shook his head. "Malkin is in the best position with his artificial intelligence. But it is possible that someone else within his company is pulling the strings."


    "What about Alsheimer?" Paul asked.


    "Not a chance. Rick is convinced that Alsheimer is a puppet unaware of the strings."


    They both sat in a long, uncomfortable silence. The next few minutes passed quietly and was only interrupted as Terrance ordered another round when the waitress walked by. This second mug would just be for show to blend in with the atmosphere.


    Paul sighed. "But shit. Carmen, huh. Don''t think that will ever sink in all the way.¡±


    A group of businessmen came in at some point and started causing a ruckus on the opposite side of the bar. The bikers cast some irritated glances in their direction and grumbled to themselves. Terrance noticed their waitress force a smile as one of the men wearing a fancy sports coat made a passing comment about her outfit. Something about the way the waitress looked at him sat right with Terrance. It was a look that said she wouldn''t hesitate to punch him in the teeth if he got too touchy.


    ¡°This is all crazy,¡± Paul muttered as he feigned a sip of his second beer. ¡°A universal code that creates entire worlds. The hell is up with that?¡±


    Terrance sighed and continued to examine their surroundings as he answered, ¡°Yeah, pretty absurd. I still find it hard to believe. We''ll have to get more details from Rick when we retrieve the intel. He and Takamura were pretty close, apparently.¡±


    The sound of glass shattering caught the pair''s attention and they instinctively reached for the weapons holstered to their waists. Terrance''s fingers brushed the grip of his Glock as he stared across the room. He relaxed when he saw their waitress apologizing to the bikers at the high-top tables and went to cleaning up the mug she had dropped.


    Terrance pushed the topic in another direction as an interesting bit of information occurred to him. It was like the twitch of his instincts had jump-started his thought process. He kept an eye on the biker table. ¡°So, you hear about these so-called Players?¡±


    Paul shrugged. ¡°Not much. Only that we have a few prospects who might be sympathetic to our cause. Everything that happens on Pirugan might indirectly affect us here eventually. I guess it depends on who gets to the code first. ¡±


    Terrance shook his head. ¡°That''s not all. Get this. One of the Players is-¡±


    He abruptly went mute as he noticed a black SUV pull up nearly out of sight across the street from the bar. It was only by sheer luck that he happened to be moving to rest his shoulder against the wall that he was able to see the vehicle. A second happenstance confirmed his sudden suspicions. A second SUV of similar make passed in front of the building and disappeared down the street as a parking space was taken by another car. A group of men in black sports jackets exited the first vehicle and examined the area. They began to make their way across the street towards the bar as the traffic thinned out.


    Paul didn''t need an explanation. The expression on Terrance''s face was enough. He rose from his seat, assuming an air of calm and tossed a wad of bills on the table for the waitress before he made his way with Terrance to the back of the bar.


    A few of the employees eyed them curiously as they made their way past the kitchen to the back door, but the two men seemed to exude a tense aura that forced them to keep their distance.


    "You weren''t followed?" Terrance asked as they moved down a narrow hallway.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Paul feigned a hurt look. "Who do you think I am?"


    "They may already know our faces."


    "Guess we''re about to find out."


    Paul took point and eased the rear door open. He peered through the thin slit he made and observed two men in black turn the corner and enter the alley outside. He gazed upwards to the roof of the opposite building and didn''t note any movement. It was difficult to tell if the same was true for the building they occupied from his angle, so he pulled a thin rectangular mirror from the small pouch attached to his waste. He moved it back and forth outside the door and found nothing but the dark sky in the reflection. There was still no guarantee that there wasn''t anyone above or moving into position at that moment. They would have to move quickly.


    Paul held up two fingers, motioned upwards with all fingers together and shook his head. If the other men made any move to their waists then they wouldn''t hesitate to use lethal force. They couldn''t be sure of who they were or of their intentions, but they had an idea. There was too much at stake. There was no such thing as coincidence.


    They drew their pistols and screwed the suppressors hooked to their waists onto the muzzles.


    Paul gave Terrance''s Glock an admiring look. ¡°That a gen-6?¡±


    Terrance nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I''m jealous.¡±


    They kept the guns to the side out of view to feign a lack of hostility. Terrance motioned forward and they entered the alley. They put on a surprised expression at seeing the two men in black. The pair reached for the weapons at their waists instinctively. Paul and Terrance revealed their pistols and dropped the two men with three trained shots to the chest. They fell with a dull thud to the concrete. The only other sound was the soft thump of the pistols.


    They didn''t waste any time moving in the opposite direction. They made their way to an open, square culdesac littered with debris that concealed spray painted lines indicating it may have once been used as a basketball court for pickup games. Fortunately, there were many options for escape, one being an alley that was actually hidden by a stilted wall. The buildings hugged close together for the other exits.


    Paul scanned the buildings while Terrance edged along the walls of the alley. They met no resistance and reached the end that opened up to another street.


    ¡°Just a block up,¡± Paul whispered.


    He had decided to park his car a few blocks down from the bar to prepare for the exact situation they now found themselves in. It was a policy that had served him well when he worked with his old mercenary organization in New York. There was no point in placing a means of escape where the enemy would most likely find them.


    Only a few pedestrians moved along the street. There was little to no congestion on the road, save for a few illegally parked cars that could potentially make it difficult to maneuver between the opposing lanes. This area of Detroit wasn''t always the best place to go out for a stroll, especially in the evening.


    To the left was Paul''s car, an old silver Toyota Tundra situated in the nearest parallel parking spot with no cars blocking its front. However, next to the car, standing on the sidewalk, were two suspicious individuals in ragged clothes. The men inconspicuously rested hands on their hips and positioned themselves to keep one side out of sight as pedestrians passed by. Two more stood on the opposite sidewalk and pretended to be engaged in idle chatter as they scanned the street.


    Paul swore under his breath. ¡°Four of them out there,¡± he said.


    ¡°How the hell did they know where you parked?¡±


    Paul shook his head. ¡°No idea. Scanned my car and everything. No bugs or trackers. Nothing. I always check before I go out. And I wasn''t followed," he added when he saw Terrance''s questioning look.


    It was true. Paul was probably the most paranoid out of all of them. Even moreso than Emily, and she had a concealed pocket EMP installed in her vehicle with triple-copper plating built over the important bits.


    Terrance risked a glance past Paul so he could gauge the situation in the street. There was no view of the windows on the buildings to either side of them. He would have to rely on Paul to take care of the men on the nearest sidewalk while he cleared the windows.


    He noted a black Hyundai Accent parked next to a steel newspaper box to the right side. If there was anyone in the buildings on their side of the street then he would at least have cover to his front and rear. The position also provided an angle with a decent shot to the other side of the road. If the windows were clear, then he could deal with the other two men across the street while Paul took cover behind his car.


    There was no more chance at subtlety. The question was whether it would be done clean or turn into a sloppy ground war. Neither was really a strange occurrence in this city anyway. It just might be a little louder than the mobsters and some ruffians were used to.


    Terrance relayed his plan to Paul who nodded his assent. They agreed that waiting too long would not be in their best interest. When the men inside the bar returned empty-handed, they would know something was up. Then they would likely discover the bodies in the alley and advance in their direction.


    The slightest twitch from the men across the street would be acceptable as an opening to strike.


    They received a better opportunity than they could have hoped for. A woman walking down the opposite sidewalk approached one of the men and seemed to inquire about something. One of the men on the nearest sidewalk lifted the hand holding his side in order to itch his nose.


    Paul rushed out of the alley with his pistol already aimed and embedded three bullets into the man slightly more prepared than his partner, who was now making a poor attempt at reaching for his weapon. That split second it took to extend his arm away from his face was more than enough for Paul to fire two more shots ¨C one that drove into the second man''s shoulder and another that pierced his forehead. The man''s head whipped back, and he collapsed to the sidewalk.


    The two men across the street saw their partners fall and trained their weapons on Paul''s position, but he was already on the move. He let off a few shots to force them to cover so Terrance could check the two buildings behind them.


    A quick scan of the buildings was more than enough for Terrance''s trained eyes, and he lowered himself into a crouch as he made his way to cover. The disoriented assailants managed to fire a few rounds, but the closest bullet glanced off the trunk of a small car which was at least a good five feet away.


    Amateurs.


    Terrance spared a glance over to Paul who was now pulling out a handheld device from his back pocket that looked like some sort of cellphone. He ran the scanner over the length of the car and nodded with satisfaction as he opened the passenger side door. A single bullet sailed over his head. He was unfazed as he pulled himself into the driver''s seat.


    Terrance let loose the rest of his magazine and made a beeline for the car. His two assailants removed themselves from cover seconds too late as Terrance jumped into the passenger seat. The car was already on the move. A couple of stray shots dug into the side of the car but none penetrated.


    They were about to relax themselves when a pair of familiar black SUVs turned around a corner at the intersection behind them.


    ¡°Sonuvabitch,¡± Paul grumbled. He pointed to Terrance''s seat. ¡°Underneath. Right at your feet.¡±


    Terrance complied and found what looked like a large laptop battery under the seat, but he knew what it was at first glance: a Folding Machine Gun (FMG), accompanied with five magazines. He unfolded the machine gun, locked it securely in weapon phase and rested the stock against his shoulder as he inserted the first magazine. He stared at the weapon with a puzzled look as he felt the slight change in weight that seemed slightly heavier than he was accustomed to.


    ¡°How many-¡± Terrance was interrupted as Paul jerked the wheel to the left and clipped the back end of a Corvette. He was thankful that the other car had pulled up illegally on the crosswalk at the red light. It gave them just enough room to slip past the other car that was pulling forward. Paul made a hard right as the front wheels bounced them up briefly from the curb before they turned back onto the street to avoid the vehicles that attempted to block them.


    ¡°Thirty-five rounds, nine-millimeters,¡± Paul said, anticipating the question.


    Judging from the design, foldable stock and magazine, Terrance could ascertain that the weapon was a new class of FMG: the FMG 12. The weapon had a bit of extra recoil due to the folded parts, but it was versatile. It could even be disguised better as a portable laptop battery than the previous three classes of FMG. It was not the first time that Terrance wondered how Paul was able to get ahold of such high-tech weaponry (and how the man had managed to sneak it on his flight from New York). It seemed he still had his connections outside of the professional mercenary business after all these years.


    ¡°We''re going to get a lot of people killed,¡± Terrance commented. ¡°The city''s underbelly will start thinking the neighboring mobs are intruding on territory.¡±


    ¡°This part of the city has already gone to shit,¡± Paul answered. ¡°All it takes is a stabbing to start a war here.¡±


    Terrance gritted his teeth and glanced at the rearview mirror. He noticed the two other vehicles that pursued them had managed to collect themselves. He rolled down the window and propped himself. It was inevitable that they would eventually be overtaken. Even though the evening neared midnight, it was still a major city, and much of the populace was out and about despite the inevitable dangers. He figured people living in such a place were accustomed to it.


    The black SUVs separated, one taking to the lane beside them and the other maintaining position to the rear.


    ¡°Scare them a bit!¡± Paul growled. He turned towards the middle lane to give Terrance a clear shot at the vehicle on the far side.


    Terrance opted to switch the FMG to full-auto. He aimed the weapon towards the driver''s window first. A cluster of white cracks bloomed on the tinted windows. Terrance frowned at the bullet-proof glass.


    Fine, have it your way, he thought.


    He lowered his aim to the bottom half of the vehicle near the tires and pulled the trigger in two successive bursts to conserve the precious ammo and maintain accuracy. His marksmanship was genuine and a loud, satisfying pop like a miniature explosion reached his ears as one of the front tires of the SUV choked and caused the front end to sag to the left awkwardly. The driver panicked and jerked the wheel roughly to send the car straight into a streetlamp. The front hood caved inward and the car practically wrapped itself around the pole in a jaw of devastated metal.


    ¡°That''s some nice shooting,¡± Paul commented. He took a left at the next intersection and squeezed between two cars. He adroitly pulled across the lane in the opposite direction, and they were back on the correct side of the road. Miraculously, the driver of the SUV managed to mimic this move and increased in speed as he gained confidence.


    Terrance was about to speak when the rear window shattered and the rattle of bullets echoed off the skyscrapers. He steeled himself and rested the machine gun on the head of his seat and pumped out the rest of the rounds in his magazine. He ducked down as his pursuers returned fire and he reloaded the gun.


    The engine of the Toyota roared as Paul stomped his foot on the accelerator. The sudden increase in speed jolted Terrance. He was about to protest when he noticed the light ahead had just turned to a warning yellow. He realized they were attempting to beat the light just as it turned red. The perpendicular traffic to the intersection might be able to keep their enemies from passing.


    As they neared the light, Paul let out a cry of dismay as an all too familiar vehicle turned a corner two intersections ahead and sped towards them. Terrance swallowed heavily when flashing red and blue lights appeared over the front windshield.


    Cops? No...wait...


    ¡°Dammit! How many of these fu-¡± Terrance froze as he saw a black blur out of the corner of his eye. It consumed all of the driver side window. Everything seemed to enter slow motion as it drew closer.


    Before Terrance could collect himself, the Toyota suddenly launched to the right and slid across the cement. A sharp pain impacted the side of his head and he could hear the muffled but unmistakable scraping of metal as the bare tires of their car screamed in retaliation to the force. One of the rims dislodged and the vehicle lurched even further to the side before it finally came to rest with the driver side door crumpled like aluminum foil.


    Everything was a blur. Terrance could make out various shapes and colors, but what they were associated with eluded him. The pain in the side of his head intensified as he attempted to regulate his situation. As his vision began to clear he forced his stiff neck to turn.


    Terrance saw Paul with his head resting limp on his chest with eyes closed. Blood soaked through his shirt and was clearly discernible with its dark color. His left arm was trapped by the door that clamped around the arm and bit deep into his flesh. The mortal wound was a piece of metal that impaled his throat, angled inward from the collision with the other vehicle.


    Paul suppressed the budding grief over his friend''s death and searched desperately for the machine gun. There was no time to mourn.


    He found the weapon faster than he expected. It was right on the floor in front of him. He reached for it with his one working arm. He hooked a finger on the trigger guard and attempted to pull it closer.


    Just before he could grab the weapon in a firm grip, the passenger side door swung open and a pair of hands seized him and flung him out onto the street. Terrance gasped as the air left his lungs and the pain in his head intensified with the impact. Sheer will allowed him to keep the weapon in his loose fingers. This resistance was brief as a heavy boot stomped on his hand and kicked the weapon out of reach. He clenched his teeth in pain as someone pushed his arms aside to remove the pistol from its holster. Everything was blurry again. It felt like his brain was bouncing around in his skull. The lights lining the street were pulsing stars.


    Terrance blinked for several pained seconds to clear his vision. He managed to make out a few faces.


    The voice of an irritated man was audible somewhere off to the side. Terrance allowed his neck to release the support on his head so he could make a sideways glance towards the direction of the voice.


    ¡°Sloppy,¡± the voice said simply. He clicked his tongue with dissatisfaction.


    Another voice, ¡°Sorry sir, we didn''t expect-¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to hear it. You didn''t expect them to notice you? Driving up in your black cars with tinted windows and wearing your matching sports coats. Not suspicious at all. Good work, you fucking genius.¡±


    The first man, who was obviously in charge and with his sarcastic tone, made the other man visibly nervous.


    Terrance could feel himself teetering on the edge of consciousness, but he was still able to collect his thoughts and interpret his position. If they wanted him dead, they would have finished him off already. They were in the middle of a busy street in Detroit with plenty of pedestrians watching. Granted, they might not have been the most savory people, and it was mob territory, but it still had to account for something. They wanted him alive, for now. As long as he could still draw breath there was time to be salvaged. It was the way he was trained to think. No matter how hopeless the situation, there was still something that could arrange a way out. He determined to bide his time until then and collect whatever information he could until the opportunity presented itself. Hopefully, Emily Tanner and her team would act quickly on his absence and assess the situation.


    Even breaths, he thought desperately. Count slowly. Breathe.


    The frustrated man spoke again, ¡°I also distinctly remember in the briefing that we needed them both alive. That guy''s dead, and this one ain''t looking so hot. You better hope he''s the one who knows about Takamura''s intel. Shit, now I have to clean this up and deal with the authorities.¡±


    There it was. Confirmation.


    ¡°Sorry, sir,¡± the other man''s reply was barely even a croak.


    ¡°Just take him to the checkpoint. As long as you drive between the lines, you won''t have problems. Can you handle that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The leader laughed humorlessly, ¡°Wonderful! You have instilled so much confidence.¡±


    A pair of brown loafers planted themselves in front of Terrance''s eyes and a figure crouched in front of him. The man examined Terrance before clicking his tongue again with distaste. He stepped over him as the sound of sirens echoed in the distance.


    Terrance''s body refused to move and protested against his efforts. He wanted to at least see the man''s face, but he found that even the simple tilt of his head was becoming a daunting task. His body screamed as a hand hooked underneath each of his armpits and dragged him to one of the black SUVs waiting in the middle of the street.