《DARK EDEN: The Death God's Origin》 Update 1: Prologue < Back to Homepage When children are young, they often dream of becoming someone important. They dream of saving the world, of obtaining superpowers, and even of becoming an evil villain. They dream of the extraordinary, the impossible, and of the perfect world. Yet, these dreams are often lost throughout time. As the child matures into an adult, he/she begins to realize that the world isn¡¯t such a beautiful place. The talented, the brillant. The intelligent, and the powerful. The rich, the privileged, the beloved, and the special. These are the only children loved by God. The rest of them, those that fit in none of the categories, are cast aside and treated like human waste. Such is the reality. The world in the 31st century, is an eternal paradise to some, and endless nightmare to others. To the West rule the owls of intellectual superiority, the Intellantians. To the North rule the oxs of capitalism and wealth, the Megapolitians. To the East rule the lions of power and prestige, the Parabellums. And...the remaining people, those abandoned by the world and God himself, are caged in the South, on a deserted wasteland named Inanis. Inanis, the lifeless and ruined home of the insignificant. Citizens of Inanis are born into neglect. No matter how talented an individual is, the birthplace and status are the only things that matter. A hollow place that is hostile to dreams and deprived of hope, its citizens struggle to survive. In Inanis, there are those that have resigned to fate, surrendering to the path that the heavens laid out. There are also others that refused to yield. While most of those so-called revolutionaries eventually gave up their dreams and settled back into their ordinary lives, some of them continued to work toward their goal. That is, to change the system of the world. For years, no progress was made. Evidently, none of them could obtain the power, the wealth, nor prestige required. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. But, on a single day in 3072, everything changed. The world had produced its first Virtual Reality machine. The Virtual Reality machine was designed to alter the physical senses through direct signals sent to the human brain. By doing that, it was able to produce a realistic replication of the real world. People are now able to experience their favorite fantasy settings as if they are actually a part of that dimension. Extremely popular both as a form of entertainment and for other purposes such as army battlefield simulation training, it spread across the globe like wildfire. Soon enough, it reached the ears of the revolutionary troops in Inanis. For the next 5 years, they studied and experimented with the product, preparing for that fateful day in 3077. The day that the world ended and a new one was born. If it was not possible to change something from the inside, then perhaps the only option left would be to change it from the outside. Remember the story of God¡¯s creation of the world in 7 days? What if the world already existed way before that? What if ¡°God¡± merely altered the world in not 7 days, but 7 hours? That was exactly how long it took to hijack the main control system of the Virtual Reality machine. It was exactly how long it took to change the functions of the system to not only apply to the individual¡¯s senses, but to directly reshape the physics and chemistry of the world. Finally, it was exactly how long it took to broadcast to the world, across every television channel and portable device, across every reflective surface and the Heavens itself. On the 7th hour of the 7th day in the 7th month of 3077, the old world died and the era of Dark Eden began. ------------------ *I got a request to space the prologue out a little, to aid the reader in viewing. Here it is.* Advance to Update 2: In the Darkness...Eden will rise > Update 2: In the Darkness...Eden will rise < Back to Update 1: Prologue Four o¡¯clock...already?, Serenia Sorcha thought as she made her way out of the university lecture hall. She¡¯d had enough math for the day. Computer engineering was definitely her thing, but a day full of math could get¡­ fatal after a while. Bleh, and I still have a program to finish. It¡¯s not even going be useful to anyone. Who has ever heard of Virtual Sewing Machine? Regardless, the sewing machine was due at midnight and she needed the course credit. Enough things had gone wrong that day. First it rained. Then it poured. Then it drowned the whole city in buckets of water. She¡¯d had to stay inside the whole day while the Absorbency System cleared the water away. It was amazing how it worked and it kind of fascinated her. The concrete lining the streets and sidewalks was specially designed to drain the precipitation and channel it through the underground water networks to a filtration system, before releasing it into lakes and streams. That being said, Serenia¡¯s temper was especially higher than normal. Being pent up inside all day with the worst assignment in the world due, she was ready to kick someone at any given moment. Funny enough, this wasn¡¯t Serenia¡¯s normal self. Usually she¡¯d be very calm and easygoing. She was a patient person, and it took a lot to set her off. She¡¯d make that exception for her oldest brother Haduwig, though she¡¯d normally just call him Needawig. It was easy for him to get on her nerves. He was a graduate student doing his business major, and he knew everything about the world¡­ according to himself, that is. He was drowned in routine seminars, meetings, and conferences, and rarely broke character. Serenia really couldn¡¯t deal with that. Sure, he was her brother, but he acted more like a politician. A sneaky, two-faced politician. Then there was her second oldest brother. He was a real whiz at making life interesting, but in the Sorcha family¡¯s opinion, he did it all wrong. Jaakan was a fisherman. That was all he did. Fish. It wasn¡¯t even remotely a lucrative business, since a lot of people in Intellantia avoided fish. Too much mercury, apparently. Unfortunately for him, what little money he had was wasted on gambling away in some casino on the border of the nation. The Sorchas would never see him. He was always in the middle of the ocean, somewhere between the border of Intellantia and Megapolitis, indulging his unhealthy obsession with fishing. The poor thing was in debt too. Having eaten too much fish, he suffered from symptoms of mercury poisoning on a regular basis. At first they were mild, but eventually they got out of hand, and so did his medical bill. To Serenia¡¯s relief, her younger sister provided some respite from her inane brothers. Galyn was quiet and content with her everyday life, and was quite satisfied with being ordinary. She was the only one that Serenia could trust to be sympathetic to her incredibly cynical rants. To her dismay, however, Galyn was too comfortable being ordinary, and it brought the rest of the Sorcha family to view her as potentially useless. Serenia would try very hard to make Galyn¡¯s life better, more interesting, with more substance to each day, but it was fairly hard and she¡¯d often get tired, sad, and frustrated that her efforts weren¡¯t working as she¡¯d hoped. Snapping out of her thoughts, she continued on to the library. Serenia couldn¡¯t help but notice that the library had a strange shape. It was very narrow entering the library but once you were past the check in desk, everything grew, and the roof was suddenly immensely high. If you walked a little further towards where the computers were, the ceiling suddenly dropped to a couple feet over Serenia¡¯s head and the lab area itself was very compact and clustered. Hanging in front of the computers up against a wall was the map of the world with the four factions outlined in detail. To the west of the map was home, Intellantia. The world¡¯s greatest innovators and thinkers lived here. They were the ones who made life easier for everyone, the ones who could turn the future, change the world, set the standards. They earned much of society¡¯s honor and respect, alongside the citizens of Parabellum, of course. The great faction of the East, Parabellum, was the military powerhouse of the world. Housing the most elite athletes and leaders, it is a place governed by power and prestige. Maybe Jaakan belonged there more than in Intellantia, Serenia had always thought, but again, fishing wasn¡¯t exactly the signature sport there either. Higher up on the map was the highly-advanced, tech-industrial city of Megapolitis. The northern continent contained the world¡¯s wealthiest citizens and most successful businessmen. A gathering of people living off their inheritance and mini-Haduwigs, that summarizes Megapolitis. And, deep in the South, there was Inanis, the continent of chaos. According to her professors, it was a dark and lifeless place, devoid of innocence and filled with the world¡¯s worst criminals. Not much else was mentioned, but it was understood that Inanis was a forbidden land never to be treaded upon. Not like it was easy to go anywhere else in the first place though. The world in 3077 was highly compartmentalized, with little interaction between the continents. Due to advanced technologies, there was minimum need to trade; almost everything could be produced locally and quickly upon need. Each faction focused on what they did best, whether it be physical or intellectual activities, and paid little attention to the events of the others. To each his own, the world is just that kind of a place. Serenia sat down at one of the computer stations. Her surroundings changed automatically. The small room became a dark and endless space, while the computers around her disappeared, leaving her alone in silence. ¡°System,¡± she said in a clear voice, ¡°connect to ID 4027, Serenia Sorcha. Password, *******.¡± The room suddenly lit up with multiple projections, surrounding her like thousands of little screens. System Prompt: What would you like to do today? A female voice asked. ¡°Please provide access to the Virtual Creator.¡± Serenia directed. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Acknowledged. Access granted. Please proceed. Alright, I must get this done soon and catch the last Wrap Shuttle back to the dorms, Serenia thought as she began to code her sewing machine. Hours passed, and soon she lost track of time. System Prompt: The network will reset for the new day in 30 minutes. Please save your progress and log out accordingly. ¡°Eh?¡± Serenia said in surprise, ¡°System, display current time.¡± July 7th, 3077. 6:28 AM Intellantian Time. Shoot. I¡¯ve done it again. Things like that happened to her all the time. The Perfectionist Disease, as she called it. Maybe one day someone would cure it, but until then, there would be a lot more dinners and nights of sleep missed. ------------------ Getting out of the system, she quickly dashed out of the library. She had exactly 30 minutes to take the Shuttle back to the dorms, get herself cleaned up, grab her breakfast on the go, and shuttle back to her first class. Easily done, it has happened countless times before. As she got back to the campus, she noticed the sky was turning a weird shade of red. Most likely the weathermen playing around with the control systems again, nothing out of the blue. But on this particular day, something was off. It was eerily silent. No birds were singing, no sounds of traffic moving through the rush hours. She could see her classmates laughing and talking to one another, yet it was all quiet. Dead silence, like a wordless dream in slow-motion. A few seconds later came the light. It shone through the wine-red clouds, almost blinding Serenia in its radiance. Similar pillars of light erupted across the sky, as if preparing the stage for someone¡¯s entrance. But...who? ¡°Citizens of the world,¡± a deep male voice said, the sound resonating in the air, ¡°I am here to announce the coming of a new era. In exactly five minutes, the world, as you currently know it, will cease to exist.¡± Serenia narrowed her eyes, glancing at her surroundings in attempt to find the source of the voice. It seemed to be all around her, spanning across the sky itself. ¡°You must all be very shocked to hear this. After all, this may seem to be a ridiculous and surreal proclamation. But, I reassure you, that I am being very serious. The core of the world, at the very center of the artificial island in the middle of the Satin Ocean, that dominates all aspects of the technology that sustains humanity, is now under my control. Atlantis, the mother system of every network of life, is no more! But fear not. In a few moments, every structure, every mountain, every tree and even every small blade of grass, will be replaced by things in your wildest fantasies. Rejoice, in the dawning of the most realistic, most exciting Virtual Reality game!¡± There was a pause as the words slowly sunk in. ¡°To you, those who have lost all hope. To you, those that seek to live a better life. To you, those that humanity itself had abandoned¡­now is the chance to change, to start over. What is it that you desire most? Is it money, fame, love, friendship, or is it something like¡­revenge? Or perhaps something even greater? In this new world, you can become even God.¡± ¡°So there is no need to panic. Those that wish to seek for answers, you will find me in a place called ¡®Eternal Eden¡¯. Everything will resolve itself in due time. Now, the 7th hour of the 7th day in 7th month of 3077 has arrived. Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to world of Dark Eden.¡± Time sped up. All the suppressed motions and sounds came all at once, and Serenia covered her ears in order to block out the chaos. In front of her eyes, the world began to fall apart, like pieces of a broken puzzle. When it all dissolved into nothing, the light disappeared for good and darkness fell. ---------------- A completely dark and empty space. Was she awake, or was she in a dream? System prompt: Do you wish to continue living? The words hovered in the air, followed shortly by a set of choices. Yes l No Serenia stretched her hand toward the ¡°Yes¡± button. Please insert your desired name. Was this¡­that virtual reality game mentioned earlier? Then, what was the first question for? She thought, as she wrote out a name in the air. Serene. Her younger sister¡¯s nickname for her. Name changes are forbidden. Please confirm the name [Serene]. She pressed the ¡°Confirm¡± button. Please choose your class. A set of avatars appeared in front of her, projected on a moving circular platform. Warrior, mage, archer, and rogue. There was no description provided. Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter. Serenia closed her eyes and selected randomly. You have selected [Rogue]. Class changes are also forbidden. Please confirm the selection. She selected ¡°Confirm¡± once again. Due to the need to keep the game as realistic as possible, there will be no guides in-game. All physical characteristics and abilities of the player are kept. All beginning gear is randomized. The starting location is also randomized. Are you ready to enter the game? Yes l No Way too many confirmation requirements¡­I hope I can get this finished before class starts. She pressed ¡°Yes¡±. Welcome, player [Serene], to the world of Dark Eden! And with that, blinding light replaced the darkness. ---------------- *As per request to space out the chapter. Sincerely, Hikaru.* Advance to Update 3: In the Beginning...there was Chaos > Update 3: In the Beginning...there was Chaos < Back to Update 2: In the Darkness...Eden will rise Music. Light and delicate melodies were being sung in the distance, over and over again. It was¡­strangely nostalgic. Serenia¡¯s eyes fluttered open. Where am I? She thought, as she sat up and observed her surroundings. There were trees all around her, enclosing the small clearing she was in like a fortress. ¡°Hello New Player, my name is-¡± She turned her gaze to the sky. It was pure blue, with creamy cotton-candy-like clouds decorating its surface. And, partially-hidden behind those clouds was an unknown object. A large¡­floating castle? ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± She shook her head to clear her thoughts. It wasn¡¯t like her to be seeing things so early in the morning, but nevertheless, she had to get out of this place, whether it be a fragment of her dreams or not. ¡°¡­I said, LISTEN TO ME ALREADY!¡± Serenia turned toward the voice, searching for its source. There was no one else in the clearing, apart from her and this weird bird-creature that is. It can¡¯t be, right? ¡°Jeez, the new players are always so rude. You shout until your throat is sore and they still won¡¯t listen.¡± the bird protested, flying down from its spot on a nearby tree and landing a short distance away from her. Haha¡­a bird-thing is talking to me. I must be delusional. She thought, apparently out loud as the bird replied in response. ¡°Well, excuse me for being a ¡®bird-thing¡¯,¡± the creature said, with an element of annoyance, ¡°but what is to be done is to be done.¡± As it finished its sentence, it flew closer to her, hovering in mid-air. A projection of a rectangular box appeared on top of its head, with the words, ¡°NPC: ???¡± listed. ¡°Hello, player [Serene]. Welcome to the world of Dark Eden. My name is Lullaby, and I am responsible for guiding new players to the Starting Village of the first continent, Nature¡¯s Cradle.¡± The words ¡°Lullaby- Nature¡¯s Cradle Starting Navigator¡± replaced the ¡°???¡±. ¡°I know you may be confused, but please don¡¯t worry, you will be reunited with other players soon. You may converse and sort things out then. But, if you haven¡¯t read the instructions given in the beginning, I will repeat the rules again. One, you may not change your name and your class. Two, your starting gear and location has been randomized. Three, there will be no further guides after this. You, and the rest of the world, are on your own. With this said, please enjoy your journey in Dark Eden, and strive to become the best. After all, anything is possible here.¡± Serenia stared at the NPC, and then gave her cheeks a hard pinch. It¡­hurt. The NPC chucked in amusement. ¡°Typical reaction, huh. It¡¯s already the 4,901th time I¡¯ve seen it today.¡± It flew even closer, until its face was inches apart from hers. ¡°I assure you, that you are not dreaming. You pressed ¡®Yes¡¯ to the first question didn¡¯t you?¡± Serenia nodded, frozen in place by its cold and sinister gaze. ¡°Then, please do not disappoint us. It will be such a shame to die so fast after arriving in this world. After all, no matter how much Dark Eden reminds you of a Virtual Reality game, it is the new reality. Your reality and the only world that exists. There are no respawns, no revivals. Die here and you are dead for real. There is no way to ¡°beat the game¡±, as so many new players often ask. But, this is a place where you can start fresh. And the only place where you are closest to the ultimate being...God himself.¡± As it ended its sentence, it pointed one wing up to the sky, to the giant floating castle. ¡°Eternal Eden, the heavenly garden where God resides. The final continent of Dark Eden. The paradise lands, the only true utopia. He, who holds the key to the universe, is up there, waiting for you. Whatever you desire most, he could grant it¡­that is if you don¡¯t die in the process of getting there. So, my dear adventurer, how will your story play out? Will you die trying? Or will you succeed in getting your wish? Or, will you overtake him, and become God yourself? The possibilities are limitless, and so without further ado, let your journey begin!¡± There was a flash of light as Serenia disappeared into nothingness. ----------------- Serenia re-appeared in mid-air, and then started falling straight into the fountain below. ¡°EEEEEHHH?¡± she shouted in confusion and fear, as she landed in the pool of water. The people around her stopped walking and stared. ¡°Woah, poor girl. Bad location to teleport into.¡± a person commented, shaking his head in pity. ¡°Hey, stop talking and help her already!¡± a woman beside him said, giving him a shove. The woman extended a hand toward Serenia, smiling gently. ¡°My name is Lillian, and this is Tyrant. That is what we go by in here anyway. What is yours, my dear?¡± Serenia paused, and then accepted her hand. ¡°Serene.¡± she responded lightly, still slightly cautious of the strangers. ¡°Since the starting locations were randomized, I was lucky to meet up with someone I know from the real world so quickly upon arrival. Well¡­I guess this is now the ¡®real world¡¯, huh.¡± she added the last part after a moment of silence, and then continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t have anyone you know with you yet, you can come along with us. We can search for your friends together. This village seems to be very big, but there is a high chance that someone you know is here. It is pretty chaotic right now too, with everyone wandering around and panicking, so it may be best to move together in a group. What do you say?¡± Serenia looked at the scene around her. People were rushing to different places frantically, some chattering amongst themselves in confusion. It was clear no one knew what to do. Without a proper guide and instructions, this situation was eerily uncomfortable to be in. Perhaps, it was best to join someone else and wait until things have settled down. With that decided, she gave Lillian a nod. ¡°How long have you two been here?¡± she asked, walking beside Lillian as she led the group away from the fountain. ¡°Just few hours ago, according to the clock near the fountain.¡± she replied, as they made their way out of the crowded plaza. ¡°And¡­has anyone found out anything about this place yet?¡± ¡°Not that we heard of. It seems that everyone is hopeless in terms of what to do next. Talking to the NPCs in the shops did not help. Apart from asking the player what they wished to purchase, they did not say anything else. And of course, the NPCs dressed like guards were no help either. I saw a group approach one earlier, and all they received in return was a ¡®Welcome to Nature¡¯s Cradle¡¯. The Navigator was not kidding when it said there will be no guides in the game. Without any sort of guidance, there really is nothing we can do except wait and see what happens.¡± ¡°Has anyone tried venturing outside of the village yet?¡± Serenia asked, the unsettling feeling rising within her. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Some tried. A few of them attempted to leave through a gate just a while ago, but the guards would not let them. We are stuck here. I don¡¯t know that much about ¡®games¡¯ in general, but it may be that we are missing some sort of a hidden quest. And so far, we don¡¯t know the prerequisites to it.¡± Serenia thought about that for a bit, and then frowned. ¡°About the ¡®classes¡¯ we picked in the beginning, is there anything learned about those?¡± ¡°Well, we do know how to tell them apart. Although the starting gear is different for each person, the weapon is specific to each class. For example, I am a ¡®mage¡¯ because of my staff, and Tyrant is a ¡®warrior¡¯ because of the sword. For archers, you can tell by their bows, and for rogues¡­I guess the twin daggers you are carrying?¡± Serenia looked down at the daggers hanging from her belt. It made sense. ¡°But, apart from that, we do not know anything else about our classes. No spells, no skills, no nothing. Our gears are merely decorations at this point. And-¡± ¡°Serenia!¡± a voice shouted in surprise, as a figure dressed in a long white dress came rushing toward the group. Lillian halted her speech as the figure jumped into Serenia¡¯s arms. ¡°Galyn!¡± Serenia said, as she gave her sister a hug, ¡°I¡¯m so glad you are safe.¡± ¡°Me too¡­but have you seen Mother, Father, Jaakan and Haduwig yet?¡± ¡°No, not yet. I was hoping you might have been with them¡­¡± Her sister¡¯s eyes dimmed in sorrow, as she took a step back from Serenia, turning to face the others. ¡°Hello, my name is Galyn, but I am called ¡®Lynn¡± here. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you too. I¡¯m Lillian, and this is Tyrant. We met your sister, Serene, a while ago.¡± Galyn smiled at the two of them, and Tyrant grumbled a greeting. ¡°If you wish to, you may join us. We are searching for people we know, and possibly looking for a way out of this village. According to the Navigator, we are on the first continent, so there may be people elsewhere¡­your family that you have mentioned included.¡± Galyn gazed at her sister quietly before accepting. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be in your care from here on.¡± she said eventually. ¡°We will be too. Now, let¡¯s get going. There are lots of places in this village we haven¡¯t searched yet.¡± --------------- Time went by fast. All efforts of reuniting with friends and family were fruitless. Soon, the tired and dejected group made their way back to the central plaza. At the sound of their arrival, the groups nearby looked up, their eyes hopeful. ¡°Any news or discoveries?¡± ¡°Have you found a way out of here?¡± ¡°What about quests or some sort, any luck?¡± People bombarded the group with question after question, and Lillian held up a hand, signaling for them to stop. ¡°No. We did not find anything.¡± At this, the crowd became silent once again, as the atmosphere became heavy with dread. The people were hungry, tired and lost. No groups came back with anything to report, and at this rate, starvation was likely. Waiting was not a good choice, yet, what else could be done? ¡°Hey¡­look! The door to the Church is opening!¡± Heads turned toward the elegant church a short distance away from the fountain. Indeed, the great white doors were opening. ¡°Announcing the arrival of the Grand Nature Sage!¡± the guards in front of the doors shouted, their voice echoing in the silent plaza. An old man dressed in a pure white robe stepped out, holding a staff in the shape of a cross. The plaza was suddenly flooded with green light of all shades, reflecting in the pool and sky like many glittering emeralds. The groups that were still searching elsewhere in the village came rushing back, attracted by the weird glow coming from the public square. ¡°My name is Saffron, the Grand Sage and Guardian of Nature¡¯s Cradle. I would like to, on the behalf of this village and our Lord in the sky, welcome all of you to your first night in Dark Eden. As many of you may now know, there is no way out of this village. Therefore, it is my duty to issue your first mission. Upon completion of this quest, you shall be allowed access to anywhere in Nature¡¯s Cradle. You shall also be rewarded ¡®Eden Seeds¡¯, the currency of this world, and experience to help you reach higher levels, all according to your performance. Those that come back successfully with the requirements in the allotted time, shall be granted a decent meal and board in any of the hotels here for a whole week, by when you shall hopefully be able to continue on with your journey outside of this village. You shall also be able to activate and receive subsequent quests from other NPCs. But, this is all if you succeed. To those that fail to complete this mission, their data will be ¡®terminated¡¯.¡± ¡°Cut the trash talk, tell me how to get to that God guy¡¯s place. I¡¯m going to beat some sense into him and force him to send us all back home.¡± a man said, pushing others aside while drawing his sword, ¡°And if you won¡¯t say, I will make you spit it out with my sword.¡± He rushed forward suddenly, leaving the crowd behind and charging toward the church, racing up the stairs. He roared, raising his sword over his head as he leaped into the air, preparing to bring it down on the Sage. The old man raised his staff, and the attacker was thrown backward into the crowd, landing with a loud thud. Then, in front of everyone¡¯s eyes, his body twitched once before lying lifelessly on the ground. The crowd watched in horror as feathers appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the body before disappearing with it altogether. ¡°This is your first test. You may not refuse this mission. Those that pass are worthy to live. Those that do not are eliminated, just like that player a few moments ago. Running away in the middle of the mission is considered a forfeit, also punishable by ¡®termination¡¯. Your mission is to obtain as many ¡®Wild Wolf Pelts¡¯ as possible, with the minimum amount being 10. You have one hour to complete this mission, and must check in with the NPC that will be stationed in front of the fountain. You may team up, go alone, or do anything you wish as long as you return with 10 pelts. Acquire them by any means necessary. The remaining time and players will be displayed across the sky. With this said, I wish you luck. Let the [Night Hunting] begin!¡± The gentle green light erupted into a deep, bloody red, as the timer in the sky began to count down. Then there were the screams. It was absolute chaos. People shoved each other aside as the gates leading out of the village opened. ¡°Hurry, we need to get going too!¡± Lillian shouted, waving Serenia and the others over to the mass of people, all trying to get out at once. Serenia turned her head back, looking once more at the calm Sage before joining the rest of them. Remaining time: 00:59 Terminations: 1 Remaining players: 5,147 Advance to Update 4: In the First Night¡­Vengeance shall sing > Update 4: In the First Night鈥?engeance shall sing < Back to Update 3: In the Beginning...there was Chaos ¡°So, which way should we go?¡± Lillian asked the group, as they stood outside the gates of the Starting Village. There were three paths in front of them. To the right, a sign read ¡°Spirit Lake¡±. To the left, it read ¡°Windy Plains¡±. The path in the middle led directly to the ¡°Forest of Dreams¡±. ¡°I think we should go toward the lake. It seems that most teams are heading to the other two locations, so there might be too much competition over there. If this is a mission that is achievable, then it is likely that all three locations have the requirements.¡± Serenia suggested, as Lillian nodded in agreement. ¡°Well, any objections?¡± Lillian prompted, waiting for a few moments before continuing, ¡°Then, let¡¯s go!¡± The team began to jog along the narrow, sandy path. Soon, the path widened into a large clearing, with trees surrounding a crystal clear lake. ¡°Shh¡­there are a bunch of wolves over there in the corner.¡± Lillian observed, signaling silently for the group to crouch down in the bushes beside her. On the opposite end of the lake, quite a bit of distance away from them, there was a pack of wolves resting on the grassy areas. ¡°One, two, three¡­¡± Lillian began to count the number of wolves, her voice trailing off, ¡°¡­nineteen, twenty. There are 20 wolves in total.¡± ¡°With a minimum of 10 pelts per person, we need 40 pelts in total. Do the wolves drop more than one each¡­or do we have to find more?¡± Galyn whispered, her voice doubtful. ¡°We will find out eventually, won¡¯t we?¡± Tyrant said quietly, for the first time since hours ago. ¡°And if this world is similar to a game, then the monsters might respawn. So, we may just have to kill one and see how long that takes. If it drops more than one pelt too, we may be able to just target a few of them at a time and wait for them to re-appear.¡± Serenia added, keeping her voice down as to not alarm the wolves. ¡°We will do that then. First, we will lure a lone wolf toward our end. Then, we will surround it from all sides. Lastly, we will attack it with our weapons. As for that last part of the plan, I am not sure how it will go, but it is worth a try. What do you guys say?¡± Lillian said, tightening her grip on her staff. Her team nodded. Running away meant ¡°termination¡±. Failing the mission also meant ¡°termination¡±. Whatever ¡°termination¡± was truly, they did not know, but did not want to find out first-hand either. So the only option left was to fight, or at least die trying. ¡°So¡­who wants to be the bait?¡± Lillian said, with a hint of humor in her voice. The tension in the group lessened slightly. ¡°Erm¡­I can¡­¡± Galyn volunteered, ¡°I am useless anyway, so it is the least I can do.¡± ¡°Aww, don¡¯t say that! No worries, I actually already have a candidate in mind. To a wolf, you would look the most delicious, won¡¯t you, Tyrant?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Tyrant said, not believing his ears, ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yep, Sir Meatshield in Shining Armor. You wouldn¡¯t possibly allow us poor, fragile ladies be the bait right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Come on, big guy. Go get them. We are counting on you.¡± At Lillian¡¯s persistent requests, Tyrant gave up and began moving from bush to bush. Slowly, he advanced around the clearing, until he reached the other end. The group watched as he picked up a stone, throwing it at the lone wolf closest to him. Angered, the wolf howled, diving into the bushes after him. ¡°He¡¯s coming, get ready.¡± At Lillian¡¯s words, the group tensed up, each drawing their weapons as they waited for Tyrant to rejoin. He stopped a short distance in front of them, raising his sword to block the wolf as it leaped toward him. A name bar appeared above its head. Level 1 Wild Wolf. ¡°Hurry, assist him!¡± Lillian said, as the group surrounded the wolf from all sides. She smacked the creature with her staff. Almost immediately, a small portion of the red Health Points bar below the name turned gray. ¡°Really¡­a mage with no spells is completely useless. I do think I made a mistake in choosing my class. Also, be careful. We still don¡¯t know how to access our Health Points bar yet, so try not to get bitten just in case.¡± she commented between strikes, while Tyrant lured the wolf away from her whenever it switched its target. After repeated blows from all party members, the wolf¡¯s Health Points dropped to 0. As it crumpled to the ground and faded away, a clear voice announced the victory to the team. System Prompt: Players [Lillian], [Tyrant], [Serene] and [Lynn] have defeated [Level 1 Wild Wolf]. Each player has received 1 [Wild Wolf Pelt], 100 Eden Seeds and 100 experience. As the system finished its announcement, a warm light surrounded each member of the group. Player [Lillian] has leveled up to level 2. Player [Tyrant] has leveled up to level 2. Player [Serene] has leveled up to level 2. Player [Lynn] has leveled up to level 2. Default skill for mage, [Fire Dance 1], has been unlocked. Default skill for warrior, [Glorious Roar 1], has been unlocked. Default skill for rogue, [Blood Crescent 1], has been unlocked. ¡°So, one pelt, 100 seeds and 100 experience per wolf.¡± Lillian paused, as she looked up at the clock in the sky, ¡°It took us 10 minutes to get here. Another five to kill the wolf. Considering that we have to account for the time it takes us to get back, it will leave us with 35 minutes to kill the remaining 9 wolves. And just to be safe, let¡¯s assume we have only 30 minutes. At the rate of only one wolf every five minutes, we could only kill 6 more, giving us only 7 in total. That is without taking into account the respawn time.¡± ¡°How about we lure a few more? We might be able to target two or three at a time.¡± Serenia suggested, panicking slightly. ¡°No can do. It took us so long to kill just one that two or three at a time may be too much. And, it is not safe to do so without knowing how much Health Points we each have left. We could potentially jeopardize the lives of the whole team by luring too much at once.¡± ¡°What about taking advantage of the respawning time and luring another one while the first one is down? And there is always the possibility that the wolf will respawn in another location.¡± Galyn said. ¡°We will have to wait and see first. It is dangerous to lure another one here only to have the first one re-appear right after. And, the second part of what you said is always a possibility, we will just have to take this risk and see.¡± Just as Lillian finished her sentence, the defeated wolf re-appeared in front of them, in the same location. System Prompt: Level 1 Wild Wolf has respawned. She turned to look at the sky once again before joining her team in the attack. ¡°Well, that answered both questions. It takes one minute for the wolf to respawn at the same location. This means that our possible kills have decreased by one or two wolves. We could only receive around 5 pelts each. This situation may be worse than I thought.¡± As the wolf¡¯s Health Points bar decreased to 0 once again, Lillian turned to face the group while the system announced their victory. ¡°I will figure something out. Focus on the next wolf. I am not sure if this will work but, there is something I must try. I will be back very soon.¡± She walked away from her teammates, disappearing behind a set of trees. The others watched her vanish from their sight, giving each other confused looks before the reappearance of the wolf captured their attention. They took turns attacking once again. The third wolf fell, and after a while, so did the fourth. Just as they finished, Lillian emerged, with a big smile on her face. ¡°As I thought¡­that method works too.¡± she muttered to herself, and then said out loud to the rest of the group, ¡°I found a faster way to obtain the requirements. In fact, I have already gathered 7 pelts in total.¡± ¡°What¡­how did you¡­¡± Tyrant began to say, but was stopped by a wave of Lillian¡¯s hand. ¡°Patience, patience. Remember what the Sage said before we departed? ¡®Acquire by any means necessary¡¯?¡± The group nodded, not sure where she was going with that. There was something off about her, an eerie atmosphere around her that warned of danger. ¡°Well, it seems that if a player dies through means other than a monster-kill, they drop all the items they have acquired, before vanishing.¡± Cold silence followed. Serenia was fearful of what she was going to say next. ¡°So, what I am suggesting is that we wait for others to hunt down the wolves and attack them when they are preoccupied. This way, we could obtain both the pelts they have already gotten and the pelt from the wolf they are defeating. A few hits will suffice for players that are heavily injured; it will be an easy task. I just found out that those players whose Health Points are nearly depleted have a red orb on top of their heads. It should be easy to identify those people.¡± ¡°You are saying that we should kill someone else in order to finish in time.¡± Tyrant concluded, in an icy voice. ¡°Oh no no, I¡¯m not saying that. What I am saying is that we should take advantage of this unique situation. With no proper method to heal your health points, it would be a waste to see all your hard work go to nothing when you die. Wouldn¡¯t you want to see your items help out others instead? If you were going to die either way, it doesn¡¯t really matter, right?¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°No, what you are suggesting is plain murder. There is nothing honorable about that.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­murder, huh? How would you know that if you die here, you would really die for real? After all, this is exactly like a game. The Navigator and Sage may be just exaggerating to increase the excitement level, who knows? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the guy from earlier reappeared in the village tomorrow. You see, no matter how realistic this is. No matter how much those NPCs all insist this is true¡­it¡¯s just a game in the end. And in a game, there are the winner and losers. I will always belong to the first group. It is as simple as that.¡± ¡°¡­If there is no point in talking some sense into you, then fine. Do as you wish, I¡¯m not stopping you. But, you are going without me.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­sure, but before you do that,¡± Lillian paused, saying something that the team could not hear, ¡°I will take care of your goodies for you.¡± In a flash, multiple streaks of flames erupted from the tips of her staff, zooming after Tyrant before surrounding him like a cage. He screamed, as the flames scorched his body one by one. A shining red orb appeared, and Serenia watched in horror as it shattered into red dust soon after. Tyrant fell to the ground, unmoving. Just like what happened to the man in the plaza earlier, feathers quickly encircled his body, taking it away as they disappeared into the air. ¡°Ah, I forgot to mention. I finally figured out how to use the class skills. Quite useful, huh?¡± Lillian commented calmly. System Prompt: Player [Lillian] has defeated player [Tyrant]. Player [Lillian] has received four [Wild Wolf Pelts], 1000 experience and 400 gold. Player [Lillian] has leveled up to level 5. Player [Tyrant] has been terminated. Remaining time: 00: 13 Terminations: 4,128 [+ 1] Remaining players: 1,018 ¡°Now then, what about you two? Are you two going to join me, and live, or join him, and get terminated?¡± Serenia moved in front of Galyn, using her body to shield the younger girl. Lillian sighed. ¡°Well, I guess you have made your choice. That¡¯s too bad.¡± She raised her staff, opening her mouth to chant. No, I can¡¯t let her finish. Serenia thought, as she raced toward Lillian, her daggers positioned to strike. I must stop her with everything I can do. Serenia swung one after the other at the mage, both blocked off by the staff. ¡°Fierce young lady, aren¡¯t you? Well, not like you will do any damage to me with that skill level.¡± As she finished speaking, streaks of flames fired from her staff, barely missing Serenia. The nearby trees caught on fire. Grabbing Galyn by the arm, Serenia dashed off with her, away from the crazed Lillian. ¡°Oh my, now we are playing hide-and-seek? Naughty children must be punished.¡± Galyn whimpered, tears of fear streaming down her cheeks. She tripped. Stopping, Serenia turned back, reaching toward her sister. Then, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. In front of her eyes, Galyn was swallowed by flames, her hand just inches away from Serenia¡¯s. Serenia remembered screaming her sister¡¯s name. She remembered the satisfied smile on Lillian¡¯s face. And, she remembered the words that her sister whispered, before the feathers carried her away with the wind. Live. Then, she remembered the rage. The hatred that eliminated all presence of fear in her mind. In that hollowness, something spoke. I will teach you what to do. Just free me from this lonely cage and let me become a part of you. Serenia altered the grip on her daggers. Let not the fear of death overcome you. Let not the enemy faze you. ¡®Tis nothing but a mere game. The system, is at your command, not the other way around. An image of the computer lab at her university appeared. System. Command. Slowly, the concepts began to merge together. The answer was right there all along. ¡°System,¡± Serenia shouted, ¡°access Default Skill, [Blood Crescent 1].¡± System Prompt: Access granted. Please choose your target. ¡°Target, lock-on [Lillian].¡± Serenia leaped into the air, transitioning automatically into the skill moves. Her daggers curved at the mage in two crescent-shaped arcs, knocking the surprised Lillian backward. ¡°Hey hey¡­not so sudden!¡± Lillian complained, as she raised her staff in defense, ¡°No sneak-attacks!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Serenia said coldly, her hair covering her eyes partially. She swung her daggers toward Lillian again, but was suddenly pulled back to the ground by many unusually large roots. ¡°And there I was thinking I should go easy on you. I changed my mind.¡± the mage said nonchalantly, ¡°Just for you, I will show you the power of higher levels.¡± She raised her staff for the final time. System Prompt: [Night Hunting] will end in 9 minutes. Players are advised to return to the Starting Village as soon as possible. ¡°Ah, I must get back quickly. Lucky you, your life have been spared by system. For now, at least. It looks like the wolves are very angry of our intrusion.¡± Serenia looked around her. It was true, they were surrounded by wolves. ¡°Well then, no more chit-chats. Please excuse me while I make my leave, and enjoy your time with the big dogs.¡± With a few blasts from her staff, she force her way out of the wolf pack, disappearing into the distance. The remaining wolves closed in on Serenia, who was still chained to the ground by Lillian¡¯s magic. So, what will you do? Are you going sit there and get killed by the wolves? Killed just like your sister? That voice. It was back. Shut up. Serenia shot back, shutting her eyes and covering her ears. Running away from reality? How typical of you. Shut up, shut up. A root snapped. Or, do you simply not want to meet her again? Too afraid to go up in flames like the others? You just want to forget all of this, don¡¯t you? Compensate for your sister¡¯s death, by dying yourself? Shut up shut up shut up shut up SHUT UP. With a wild cry, Serenia ripped the roots trapping her. But, you actually want to live on right? Live on to see the expression on that mage¡¯s face, as she dies by your hands. Surprise. Anger. And finally, fear. You¡­enjoy those expressions, don¡¯t you. Something in Serenia snapped. She got up, approached the nearest wolf, and sliced its head off with a smooth curve of her daggers. If you want to survive, fight on. A wolf howled, leaping toward her. She slashed at it, and it fell to the ground, dead. Trust no one. Be no man¡¯s friend. Another wolf fell. Become strong, stronger than all. Let no one know what you are thinking. Always, always¡­ The fourth, fifth, sixth¡­ Smile. With an elegant slice, the last wolf dropped to the ground. ¡°I must get back. It¡¯s already so late.¡± She walked away from the pile of corpses. Moments later, they burst into thousands of tiny, sparkling white crystals, as if announcing her departure. In the distance, the birds were singing a song. The same delicate melody that she heard when she first arrived in this world. Serenia hummed along. She knew this tune. I will teach you what to do. Just free me from this lonely cage and let me become a part of you¡­because you are me and I am you. I will never betray you, nor abandon you. I will fight with you, take on the world with you. To those that stand in your way, I will eliminate. Even if¡­ ¡°¡­it is God himself.¡± She finished the last sentence of the song¡­and smiled. Remaining time: 00:04 Terminations: 5, 012 Remaining players: 135 Advance to Update 5: In the Escorting business¡­the Client is a level 10 noob > Update 5: In the Escorting business鈥?he Client is a level 10 noob < Back to Update 4: In the First Night¡­Vengeance shall sing Author¡¯s Rant: Hello, this is Hikaru Seishin. I know I probably should have said this earlier but, from now on the plot will advance into the main story. I felt that it was necessary to include the first day of the arrival, as so many fictions tend to avoid it because of the chaos and potential confusion. The fear and uncertainty of those who were thrown into this ¡°survival game¡± was an interesting concept for me to explore. I wanted to convey the sense of helplessness in a ¡°game¡± that no one knows how to play. But, I would like to say that the story will now move in a new direction. The protagonist¡¯s actual party will be introduced along with new plot developments, not excluding romance, action, and lots of brand new skills and game features. It is finally going to sound like a proper game! I would like to clarify that although Serenia is the protagonist, she is not the main character (Mild spoiler: He will appear in this chapter). Chapter 5 will advance six months into the future, from where the last chapter ended. Sorry for the confusion, but please continue to support my story. Now, let the real adventure begin! Ps: I guess this is the first ¡°real¡± chapter of Dark Eden. Also, I¡¯ll try not to do any more rants in the future, but for updates and announcements on Dark Eden, please visit my profile. As a bonus, I will name a NPC after the first few commenters of each chapter, if they wish to be included in the upcoming developments ¨Claughs-. -Hikaru Seishin, February 16, 2015- ------------ January, 3078 -Hunting Grounds outside of Golden Orchid Imperial Capital, Nature¡¯s Cradle- Winters in Dark Eden were harsh. It snowed nearly every single day, drowning the continent in a white paradise. Questing was hard in the snow storms, and players tended to avoid venturing outside the safety of the cities. As for obtaining necessities like food, players would trade and purchase them from each other instead. The vacant plots of land within the cities soon became occupied by various vendors, each offering their goods for a living. The player-run markets in this world thrived, and as time passed, less and less players accepted missions. To those individuals, a comfortable life away from the dangers of the wilderness was already something they have gotten used to. But, there were still those that continued to fight on, journeying across the continent in hopes of advancing onto the next one. Those that have desires they wished to pursue. Those that have yet resigned to their fates. They were¡­ System Prompt: [1] New Message in [Guild Chat] -Deputy Leader [Rune]: Serene! The Guild Leader is calling you!- The Front Lines. Those who put their lives at risk in order to ¡°beat the game¡± that cannot be beaten. The foolish and stubborn, as they were often called. Yet, all of them still aimed for the impossible. Aiming for the floating castle, Eternal Eden, and the man known as ¡°God¡±. The answers they demanded may be found one day, that is what they firmly believed. -Member [Serene]: I will be there in a bit!- The girl dressed in a white-and-purple armored dress replied, as she threw a dagger at the giant snow-tiger in front of her. System Prompt: Level 22 [Snow Tiger] has been defeated. Player [Serene] has received 3000 Eden Seeds, 4630 experience and two [Snow Tiger Fangs]. Quest: [Snow Tiger¡¯s Den II] has been completed. Please visit NPC [Roland] for the rewards. ¡°System, battle view deactivate.¡± she said, as the Health Points, Mana and character information bars disappeared from both her and the tigers. She swung her arms to the side one by one, and the arm blades she had equipped vanished back to her inventory. Pulling the hood of her cloak over her creamy-blond hair, she walked back to the portal that she arrived in. As she placed a hand on the enormous, rotating crystal sphere, a list of locations appeared in front of her. ¡°Golden Orchid Imperial Capital.¡± she directed. In a flash, she was gone. -------------------- ¡°Fresh meat, fresh shields! Fresh Meatshields right out of the forge! Get your very own bait-defense equipment at [Hammer]¡¯s!¡± ¡°Looking for a level 20+ mage for the level 25 dungeon, [Attack on Ice Golem]! We have a team of level 20+ warriors and archers, recovery items included!¡± ¡°Guild [Picappuccino] is recruiting! Visit the [Guild Central] to apply!¡± As soon as she emerged from the portal, Serenia was overwhelmed by various offers from shops lined up beside the marble paths leading to the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Capital of Nature¡¯s Cradle was always busy, even in the middle of winter. Walking on the main path, she soon found herself in front of the [Guild Central], the main headquarter of all existing guilds in Dark Eden. She made her way up wide stairs lined with an elaborate red carpet, stopping in front of the golden doors. System Prompt: Welcome to the [Guild Central]. What would you like to do today? ¡°Please grant access to Guild No. 1, [Front Lines].¡± Please wait while the system conducts a security check. She waited as the system scanned her quickly. Access granted. Please proceed. Have a wonderful day. The doors opened and Serenia entered. Due to the multi-dimensional nature of the [Guild Central], it was able to act as a specific office for each guild while housing every single one of them. Walking past the front desk, she headed upstairs to the Guild Leader¡¯s office. The second floor was near empty today as well. Rather, the whole building felt deserted. When [Front Lines] was created, it was hailed as the first and most populated guild of Dark Eden. Slowly, as members began to face terminations on the battlefront missions, and as players began to settle down with their shops in the cities, membership waned and the once bustling guild of more than 100,000 shrank to just over 330. It has been six months since Serenia and the others arrived in this world. The original world had a population of ten billion. Out of that number, for reasons unknown, only four billion made it past the character creations. A lucky one billion landed on solid ground and made it to the Starting Village of Nature¡¯s Cradle, while the unlucky ones¡­either landed in the ocean or plunged straight into an endless trench formed by gigantic cracks in the earth. By the end of the first test, [Night Hunting], only 400 million remained. In the months following that, many died on missions, through self-harm, and through deprivation of necessities and player-related causes. The population of Dark Eden was currently at 45 million, and that number continued to decline day after day. The door to the Guild Leader¡¯s office swung open before Serenia could knock. ¡°Sereneeeeeee!!!!¡± the deputy leader, Rune, wailed, sobbing into her shoulder, ¡°Fiorae is bullying me again!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense, Serene. He is making a big deal out of nothing as usual.¡± the beautiful, dark-haired Guild Leader said, calmly sipping her tea. ¡°This is abuse, I swear! What kind of leader makes her deputy join her on an S-ranked mission, and then abandon him half way through? And this is not the first time it happened. Cruel. Monster. Tsundere old lady--¡± A few seconds later, he was tied up and thrown into a corner. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get to the main topic. The reason I summoned you was because we received a new report. A report on the sighting of the first quest in the Continental Boss loop, that is.¡± ¡°You mean¡­the trigger quest in the series of missions that will eventually end in a fight with the Continental Boss? And by beating that boss, the next continent will be unlocked?¡± ¡°Yes, that is it exactly.¡± Serenia considered this piece of information for a few moments, before continuing. ¡°That is great news but, we have failed two times already. And each time we fail to complete the whole loop, the quests reappear as something else. The duration between their reappearances has been gradually getting longer; if we fail again this time, how long would it take for the cycle to replenish itself?¡± ¡°That is definitely a concern. But,¡± Fiorae said, as she fixed her light green eyes steadily on Serenia, ¡°both of the previous loops had been attempted by small groups of people or single guilds. They had already failed before news of the expedition reached the ears of the general population, and before reinforcements arrived. This time though, we are asking for the cooperation of all guilds and any solo players wishing to partake in the challenge. It will be the first joint-mission since this world¡¯s creation.¡± A few seconds of silence passed before Serenia spoke. ¡°And, where do I come in, in this strategy?¡± Fiorae smiled, taking another sip at her tea before setting the cup down, folding her hands together. ¡°You know how the loops require the person that first triggered the starting mission to complete them?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°It seems like the person who discovered it this time was a level 10 player. With so many dangerous creatures and traps out there, it would be dangerous for a low-level player to be alone, wouldn¡¯t it? Serenia waited for her to continue, not sure what she was hinting at. ¡°So, until the guilds and solo players mobilize for the operation, I am counting on you.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Congratulations, Serene. I hereby appoint you as the personal escort of [Lux]. Keep him safe until we get ready, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°MMPFHHH!??¡± the tied-up Rune mumbled through the cloth covering his mouth, clearly surprised by the outcome. ¡°Thank you¡­I mean¡­could you please repeat that?¡± --------------- A few hours later, Serenia found herself sitting on a bench near the plaza fountain of the Starting Village. The player called [Lux] was to arrive soon. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The sound of distant footsteps from her far left drew her attention. She got up, turning to face the approaching stranger. A dark-haired young man dressed in a black, military-styled trench coat appeared. Long red strips decorated the surface of the outfit, with a single white sash swung across his shoulders. On the sash, there were two buckles with matching, golden lions engraved into them. The uniform seemed familiar to Serenia, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint where it was from. ¡°You must be the escort they have assigned.¡± His words brought her out of her thoughts. ¡°Yes, my name is [Serene], a member of the Guild [Front Lines]. I am responsible for your safety for the next three days. Nice to meet you, Mr. Lux.¡± ¡°Just [Lux] is fine.¡± he said, accepting Serenia¡¯s outstretched hand and giving it a firm shake. ¡°For the next few days, I will be guarding you. But, please don¡¯t mind me, you are free to do whatever you wish. I will be nearby in case anything happens.¡± ¡°That is fine with me.¡± Serenia paused, and then remembered something important. ¡°In case of unexpected events, we should probably add each other as friends. If you don¡¯t mind, that is.¡± He nodded. ¡°System,¡± Serenia said, as the options menu appeared, ¡°friend request to player [Lux].¡± System Prompt: Player [Serene] sent you a friend request. [Accept] [Decline] ¡°Accept.¡± Lux said, as the message vanished. Serenia checked her friend list quickly before fixing her soft, lavender eyes on Lux. ¡°Now, the rest of the time is up to you. What would you like to do?¡± Lux thought for a moment before replying. ¡°I think I will go finish the quest I started earlier.¡± ¡°One of the Starting Village quests? Is it something like [Exotic Plants I] or a boss fight like [The Guardian of Spirit Lake]?¡± ¡°No, it is called [Nature¡¯s Beginning]¡± Serenia paused, trying to locate this quest in her memory. It didn¡¯t seem to be one that she had done. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have encountered that quest before. What is it about?¡± she asked. ¡°Locate a cave in the [Forest of Dreams], and then retrieve a lost artifact from it.¡± ¡°It seems like a hidden quest. I guess that although we have come a long way since the start of this world, there are still things like this that we don¡¯t know about.¡± He nodded. Six months was enough to discover most of the basic operations and setups of Dark Eden, but it was far from enough to uncover all of them. System shortcuts, new maps, hidden quests and locations, and a multitude of other things were introduced each day. The citizens were just beginning to understand their new world. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I will be any help but, I will try to assist.¡± Serenia offered. ¡°I do not think it will be very hard. It is only the first quest in the Continental Boss loop.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear¡­wait, what was that last part?¡± ¡°It is only the first quest in the Continental Boss loop.¡± Lux repeated, walking away from the fountain. He stopped, turning his head back to address Serenia. ¡°Now, let us get going.¡± --------------- ¡°Erm¡­Lux. Maybe we should wait for the others to join before starting the loop.¡± Serenia suggested, as they stood outside of the hidden cave. On the ground to its right was a sign. [??? Cave. Recommended for players level ??? up.] ¡°I do not have any other quests at the moment. I might as well as complete this.¡± Serenia took a deep breath before speaking. ¡°No matter how easy it may seem, it is the first mission of the hardest series of quests on this continent. Many people have died in such missions in the past¡­people that were way higher level than you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you understand the situation you are in. The loop could only be completed by the person that discovered the first quest. You are only level 10, and I am a mere level 28. If we meet overwhelming mobs, there is no one around to help us. Even if I could handle them, one careless mistake and you could die. As your escort, I refuse to take that gamble.¡± Lux looked at Serenia for a bit, before walking into the cave. ¡°It is fine. I will not die.¡± he said, his voice echoing in the depths. ¡°It¡¯s not fine. You will die at this rate.¡± Serenia said, running after him. ¡°I have one of these.¡± Lux said eventually, as he opened his inventory. Moments later, a golden scroll appeared in his hand. ¡°Is that a teleport scroll? No, the color is wrong¡­¡± ¡°You can see for yourself.¡± Lux stopped walking. He tossed the scroll to Serenia. ¡°System, view item details.¡± Serenia commanded, as a small description box appeared beside the scroll. Item Name: Navigation Scroll Item Rank: Relic Uses: 10 A device that allows the user(s) to teleport to any location on any unlocked continents. Able to record maps of locations, up to ten times. Special ability: User(s) will be teleported to a safe location if HP drops below 10%, providing that the user(s) are without recovery materials. No damage will be received during this time. ¡°We will use that if things go wrong.¡± Lux said, as he regarded Serenia calmly with his dark blue eyes. A...relic? Serenia thought, looking at the scroll in wonder. Items of that rank were almost never found. ¡°Where exactly did you get this?¡± Lux had started to venture deeper into the cave again. ¡°An old man gave it to me. [Queen Sylph¡¯s Revenge] was the name of the quest.¡± Serenia did not move from her spot, confused. [Queen Sylph¡¯s Revenge]¡­isn¡¯t that a level 40 quest? ----------------- ¡°A dead-end?¡± Serenia said, as they stood facing a wall covered with engravings of foreign languages. ¡°No.¡± Lux stated simply, as he bent down, ¡°Over here.¡± He gave an oddly-positioned tile a push, stepping back as the huge wall began to shake, collapsing into a heap of stones moments later. He stepped over the mess, onto the new path ahead. Serenia followed. The scene in front of them no longer resembled a cave. They were on a bridge, suspended in mid-air. It was impossible to tell where the walls were on either end; it was such a wide space that it seemed to stretch on endlessly. Below them, there was darkness. A gaping hole that one could fall down for eternity. They proceeded in silence, the path in front of them illuminated by the dimly-lit, floating candles. ¡°Is it just me or¡­do you hear a strange sizzling sound too?¡± Serenia spoke up after a while. The sound was getting louder. All of a sudden, something slammed into their path. The bridge began to crumple from the impact, breaking apart into two. ¡°System,¡± Serenia shouted, regaining her balance, ¡°activate [Achilles¡¯ Speed].¡± System Prompt: [Achilles¡¯ Speed] has been activated. Player speed + 100. The [Soar] system has been unlocked. Leaping distance has been greatly enhanced. In a flash, she grabbed Lux from the waist, leaping from the first half of the bridge to the second. The spot where they were standing on just moments ago collapsed. She left him standing safely behind her. ¡°Stand back.¡± Serenia instructed, as she summoned her arm blades from her inventory, ¡°It looks like trouble.¡± The dust from the debris cleared, revealing a gigantic fox-like creature. Fiery red flames danced around its body, decorating its nine-tails like fireworks. ¡°System, battle view on!¡± The Health Points bar appeared on each of their heads. Serenia grimaced as she read the character information of the creature. [Flaming Nine-tails] Guardian of the Sacred Artifact Level 57 HP: 10, 829 MP: 9, 241 The Nine-tailed fox howled, sending multiple fireballs flying toward Serenia and Lux. Serenia dodged, slicing those aimed at Lux in half. ¡°You. Take the Navigation Scroll and leave.¡± she said, her voice allowing no objections. ¡°We will leave together then.¡± Lux said, not moving. ¡°Do not make me repeat myself. Take the scroll and leave right now. You will die in less than one hit.¡± She slashed at the new set of flames aimed at them. Her HP began to decrease. ¡°What about you. How would you get out?¡± ¡°I have a few teleport scrolls of my own. I will leave as soon as you leave. I am capable of holding it off until then at least.¡± She turned her head back, and gave him a smile. ¡°So don¡¯t worry about me. Hurry.¡± No sooner did she finish than a wild cry came from the Nine-tails. The creature lifted its head up toward the sky, its mouth open. A fireball the size of nothing they have seen began to be formed. It was almost like a flaming meteoroid. Serenia gritted her teeth, summoning an energy shield and assuming a defensive position. ¡°HURRY, PLEASE!¡± she shouted to Lux. The fox released the fireball. ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Serenia watched in shock as Lux ran by her, so quickly that he became a blur. With a wild leap, he came within close proximity to the fox¡¯s face. He moved his hand across the empty space in front of him, in the form of an arc. ¡°We have just met a few minutes ago, but unfortunately, I must get rid of you.¡± As he spoke, a circle of words appeared, surrounding the body of the fox. What...is going on? As the events in front of her unfolded, Serenia was dumbfounded by the text that appeared on Lux¡¯s head. [Lux] Level 10 HP: ??? SP: ??? Class: Unknown Advance to Update 6: In the Journal of God¡­he was never supposed to Exist > Update 6: In the Journal of God鈥?e was never supposed to Exist < Back to Update 5: In the Escorting business¡­the Client is a level 10 noob (Very) Tiny rant: Hello again, Seishin here. I know I promised not to have more rants in the future but¡­I lied. I do promise that this will be a short one though. Three things. One, thank you all for continuing to support my work! We have reached 30 followers as of this chapter. I just can¡¯t thank you all enough! What do you guys think, can we reach 42, and find the answer to life before the next one? Secondly, I have fixed the spacing on the previous chapters. It was slightly hard to read, and I hope this will clear it up a bit. With that said, if you spot an error of some sort, please leave a comment. Lastly, I apologize for my lateness in releasing this chapter. The editor was really busy these past few days, so there was a slight delay in the update (I took this extra time and drew a new cover, hope you guys like it). It will not happen often in the future. Don¡¯t forget to check out my profile once in a while for the latest news regarding D.E.O. *Warning/mild spoiler: This chapter may contain difficult language. Please comment if there are things you wish for me to explain.* I will stop talking and let you continue reading now ¨Cchuckles-. -Hikaru Seishin, 2/19/2015- ----------------- Magic. Even Serenia, a person with limited knowledge of the mage class, knew. Lux had used some sort of incantation on the fox. Was he...a mage? The fox roared in fury, releasing a blast of fire at Lux. He dodged, landing back on his feet lightly. Restricted by the spell, the guardian trashed about, shooting its flames in all directions. As it struggled, the incantation began to fade away. ¡°Not strong enough...¡± Lux commented nonchalantly to no one in particular, as the final wisp of magic vanished, ¡°should I use that instead?¡± He ducked while still in thought, untouched as the fox whipped its tails at him. ¡°But the moves take a long time to complete. It will be bothersome to prolong this fight.¡± He jumped to the side without looking, as the creature swung its massive claws at him. ¡°I wonder if there is one that requires fewer than three moves...¡± The Guardian of the Sacred Artifact hissed at him, and then raised one paw. A shining, dark red magic circle appeared. From sky came down large arrows, all lit with radiant white flames. Lux zigzagged away from the new attack, dashing back toward the fox. ¡°Well, no time. I will just fight the normal way.¡± He cast one arm to the side, holding it there as a sapphire-blue sword materialized. Crouching down slightly, he leaned forward, grabbing the blade by the handle and launching toward the monster¡¯s legs. He slashed at them numerous times before the fox could respond, landing on its back as its legs gave away. It gave a high-pitched cry as it attempted to catch Lux with its tails, the sound climbing an octave higher as he sliced all of them off in one, fluid motion. [Flaming Nine-tails] HP: 6, 012 MP: 7, 148 Lux hacked at its body in a crisscross formation, leaving deep wounds stitched across its back. The fox began to release all its spells at once, blinded by the pain. The bridge began to crumple once more, the stone foundations falling down into the darkness, where no sound of them hitting the ground was heard. HP: 2, 519 MP: 4, 148 He swiped his blade elegantly across the neck of the fox, cutting it off in mid-howl. With its last bit of strength, it became ablaze with flames of every color, threatening to burn him alive. HP: 1, 024 MP: 0 One strike there. Another to the right. A heavy blow to the left. Again and again, Lux charged at the monster. He moved at such a speed that it was impossible to keep track of him. More wounds appeared on the fox, almost as if they created themselves. Its HP dropped into the danger zone. He stood suspended in the air in front of its face for the smallest fraction of a second, peering into the monster¡¯s enormous, blood-red eyes. ¡°My condolences.¡± With a tremendous leap into the air, he brought his sword back over his head, and down the length of its body. It fell to its side heavily as a sudden, blinding glow erupted from its form. A few moments later, it began to disintegrate into fine, white dust, fading away into the shadows. As Lux strode away from the battle area, he opened the system clock with a casual swipe of a finger. ¡°Three minutes and forty-one seconds.¡± he noted indifferently, ¡°I need to polish my skills again.¡± The damaged bridge became unable to support itself. As it dropped into the void below, one piece at a time, Lux proceeded to rejoin Serenia, calmly banishing his weapon on the way. The great, immortal Nine-tails was defeated, in a matter of minutes. System Prompt: Player [Lux] and player [Serene] have defeated chamber guardian [Flaming Nine-tails]. They have each received 30, 000 experience. One [Unknown Egg] has been obtained. The system finished its announcement. The echoes of the sound of Lux¡¯s footsteps were the only things that interrupted the deep silence that followed. He passed by Serenia, preparing to head into the compartment ahead. She spoke. ¡°Stop right there.¡± He stopped, but did not turn around. ¡°...What did you do back there.¡± she inquired steadily, her hair hanging low over her eyes and her expression unreadable. ¡°Get rid of the creature that was blocking my way.¡± Serenia lifted her head up. ¡°Let me rephrase.¡± she said coldly, her eyes reflecting her caution, ¡°Who, are you?¡± He gave her a side-ways glance. ¡°I thought you knew my name.¡± His words left her speechless for a moment. Then, she took a small step forward. ¡°Let me say that again. What exactly are you? There is no way you are a mere level 10.¡± ¡°It says I am level 10, right here. Would you like to check again?¡± Serenia narrowed her eyes. Her patience was running short. ¡°Alright, since you refuse to answer my questions properly, let me tell you what I think instead.¡± she paused, drawing in a long breath before continuing, ¡°You, a level 10, somehow discovered the trigger mission to the Continental Boss, when so many high level teams and players had searched day and night for it. I will count that as pure luck and question you no further. But, this same level 10 disregarded warnings of death from his escort, and went on to start the mission as if it was a simple walk in the park. You also claimed to have completed a quest many times your level, a quest that only a few top players have managed to succeed in. And it gets more unbelievable from there. You, just around one-sixth of the guardian¡¯s level, managed to clear the field within minutes. The most surprising thing is that you defeated the immortal Nine-tails without using any noticeable system commands. It almost seemed as if you defeated it through pure, physical ability.¡± There she paused again, letting her words sink in. ¡°After all this, do you still expect me to think of you as a normal low-level player?¡± She waited for his reply, but he remained silent. ¡°So, let me ask once again. What exactly are you hiding?¡± What followed was the longest period of silence that Serenia had ever experienced in her life. For the first time since she had entered, the space around them seemed to be laden with negative energy. Anxious feelings. As if the fate of the universe was to be revealed through his next words. And beneath all that, was a feeling of unnerving anticipation. Dread, yet curiosity. Finally, he replied. ¡°I was never supposed to be part of this world.¡± His words sent a chill down Serenia¡¯s back. Time seemed to have stopped altogether in this grave stillness. ¡°What...do you mean?¡± she asked. She was becoming more and more disturbed by this situation. ¡°The choices in the beginning. Do you remember?¡± Serenia had a flashback of the scene of her character creation. The first question reappeared vividly in her mind. [Do you wish to continue living?] She nodded in response to Lux. ¡°Have you ever wondered what would have happened if you chose [No]?¡± The unsettling feeling was beginning to surface within Serenia again. ¡°Death. You would die automatically, whether you were serious or not.¡± Was that...the reason why only less than half of the world managed to reach Dark Eden? Something was not adding up. ¡°There were two options shown. The people who chose [Yes], survived, and those that chose [No], did not.¡± There he hesitated. ¡°But, there was a third group. Those that did not have a choice. Those that were banished from God¡¯s kingdom in the very beginning.¡± Stolen novel; please report. At that, he turned around, looking directly into Serenia¡¯s eyes. ¡°I was one of them. I was never supposed to have arrived in this world. My existence was never the intention of God.¡± His eyes darkened, as if a shadow had passed over them. What he said next made Serenia catch her breath. ¡°God, the creator of life, had intended for me the path of death.¡± ----------------- Wh-what is this man saying...? ¡°I do not have a ¡®class¡¯. I cannot level up further either. This is the most I can do in a world that I do not belong in.¡± Lux finished. Serenia stood in shocked silence. Not in a million years could she have ever guessed what he had just told her. Not everyone had the choice to enter this world¡­because ¡°God¡± had decided for them instead? In other words, they were prohibited from entering Dark Eden? But...why? The whole concept of God striping the players of their freedom, and their lives, alarmed Serenia. She was beginning to doubt the very nature of this world and its creator. Did ¡°God¡± have a reason for doing that, or was it completely up to chance? If it was the latter, then what does that make ¡°God¡±? Were we all just his toys in the end, things that he can dispose of without regard? A living drama for him to watch; a human-amusement park in which he could do whatever he wants? Yet, the whole story seemed to be lacking too much in details. Not only was the motive behind God¡¯s actions unknown, there was no mention of how Lux escaped his judgment either. It was hard to imagine him, no matter how powerful he might be, rebelling against the ultimate ruler in his own realm... Then, she remembered something important. There was no need to question further. As a temporary escort, it was not her right to dig into his past. Serenia shook her head to clear her thoughts, before speaking. ¡°Enough. Maybe it was a bad idea to ask you in the first place. I had stepped outside of my duties. Your background and your identity; they are not things I should be concerned with. Please forgive me.¡± Whatever secrets he may be hiding, whatever he may be; human, beast or even a deity, none of it was relevant. She had to do her job regardless. His safety was her priority. That was all. Lux held her gaze for a few more moments. Then, he turned his back to her once more. ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡± She followed him without another word. However, a final, strange notion was forming in her head. If by the smallest one percent chance, that what he said was true...then what kind of person was he in the previous world? He who has survived until now, all on his own. The only ¡°true¡± swordsman, whose existence itself defies God? Serenia quickened her footsteps. Whatever it may be...this escorting business may have become something way more interesting than I¡¯d originally thought. At that, she couldn¡¯t help but let out the faintest of smiles. -------------------- Drip, drip. The sound of gently trickling water greeted them as they entered the final compartment. Navy blue cave walls surrounded them in a circle, extending high up into the air where a single ray of sunlight could be seen. As the sunlight danced on the walls, they reflected off the tranquil streams of water flowing down on its surface, illuminating the room in an almost unearthly glow. In the middle, bordered by the small pool of water beneath the walls, was a single platform. On that platform, there was a snow- white statue. Lux advanced toward the center, followed closely by Serenia. They approached the luminous, crystal figure. ¡°It¡¯s...beautiful.¡± Serenia gazed at the statue in awe. The statue was of a lady dressed in a long, flowing dress, with her fine hair trailing gently behind her. Her arms were open wide, as if she was waiting to embrace someone. On top of her head rested a delicate, jade green circlet, as if woven by real leaves. The amount of detail was astonishing. It almost seemed surreal. She walked closer, and placed her hand carefully on the hem of its dress. There was a gentle humming sound. Then, the statue began to light up. Serenia pulled back in shock, as the monument in front of her became almost blinding with its radiance. Shining green light erupted from its base, traveling up the body of the statue at an amazing speed. As it reached her circlet, it burst into a storm of colors. They began to spread from the curve of her back, stretching out widely on both sides. Wings. Shimmering golden-green wings. They twitched once, and then began to beat with a rhythmic pattern. Right before their sight, the statue was becoming alive. The angelic lady opened her ivy-green eyes. ¡°Art thou humans the ones that hast awaken me from mine eternal slumber?¡± The lady said in a melodious voice. Her delicate face bloomed with a gentle smile. ¡°It may be so, it may be not.¡± Lux answered simply. ¡°Thou hast defeat''d the cubiculo* guardian, Flaming Nine-tails?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The lady¡¯s eyes brightened with a new kind of vivacity. ¡°Mine name is Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and all things in nature. I am the guardian of this continent, Nature''s Cradle. I hast been waiting for thou for a long time.¡± There she offered a hand to them. Hesitating slightly, they both placed their hands on the tip of her finger. ¡°Brave adventurers, what art thy names?¡± Lux observed her quietly before replying. ¡°[Lux].¡± he said simply. Serenia did not reply. After all, she was not the one who defeated the guardian. The goddess turned her gaze toward her. ¡°And thou? Companion of he who is hither but not hither.¡± ¡°[Serene].¡± she eventually said. Artemis withdrew her hand, standing back tall and grand once again. ¡°The land of nature''s cradle hath been in turmoil since the arrival of the Trickster God, Loki. He and his minions had long brought disorder to this continent, terrorizing its inhabitants day and night. I, who hast been seal''d by him centuries ago, hast since then been waiting for the chosen ones'' arrival. Thou, players [Lux] and [Serene], art the ones that pass''d the first trial. The constellations of fate hast once again begin to move. Thou will journey across the land, meeting new people, losing others. Obtaining great riches, at the cost of thy sanity. Facing unprecedent''d hardships, and at the same time, learning about what is truly important to thou. That, is thy destiny. As a gift from me to thou, I shall present thou with the sacr''d artifact, of Nature''s Beginning.¡± As she spoke, the circlet on top of her head began to elevate into the air. It shone under the sunlight, rising higher and higher until it merged together with the radiance. A gentle wind caressed their faces, surrounding their bodies with pleasant warmth. Something was singing, whispering to their very souls. ¡°It will save thou when thou ne''d it most. Let it protect thou in mine place, and guide thou on thy journey.¡± With that, the glowing green light began to fade from her. She was slowly returning to a statue once again. ¡°Thy legend, the legend of Dark Eden, had just begun!¡± -------------- -Inside of God¡¯s Palace, the floating castle of Eternal Eden- In the Grand Chamber of the residence of God, a man sat alone, on an elaborately decorated golden throne. In front of him was a small, crystal-clear pond. He gazed at the moving images reflected on its surface, smiling as he did so. He had just seen something interesting. ¡°So, the prophecy has been delivered.¡± he said, getting up from his seat, ¡°I am excited to see what will happen next.¡± He waved his hand across the pond¡¯s exterior, and the images disappeared. ¡°What will you show me next, dear Chosen Ones. Will you be successful in your expeditions, or will you fail in misery?¡± He walked over to the tiny table beside his throne, pouring himself a glass of wine. ¡°Hurry and come to me. Show me your best. Because it wouldn¡¯t be interesting otherwise.¡± he paused, taking a sip of the dark-red liquid, ¡°The expressions on your faces as you realize that all your attempts have been in vain...I am quite eager to see. Show me, and the world, what you can do...Luxius Di Parabellum!¡± He looked at the glass in his hand lovingly, before crushing it into tiny pieces. To be continued... ----------------------- * cubiculo: Shakespearean for ¡°chamber¡± Advance to Update 7: In the Relay Race¡­a wild direction idiot appeared > Update 7: In the Relay Race鈥? wild direction idiot appeared < Back to Update 6: In the Journal of God¡­he was never supposed to Exist Mission statement: 6 more followers to go until 50! Can we reach that before the next chapter? ------------------- ¡°And so¡­what exactly is this?¡± After the events of the cave, Lux and Serenia had teleported back to the Starting Village. They now stood in front of the NPC named [Mysterious Merchant], who had issued the quest, [Nature¡¯s Beginning], to Lux. ¡°Are you sure this is the right NPC?¡± Serenia whispered to Lux, as she regarded the suspicious-looking man wearing thick sunglasses. Lux nodded, pulling up the mission logs. System: Current Missions > [Continental Boss]: Loop 1 out of 5 > [Nature¡¯s Beginning] ¡°Oh no! What do I do? My most precious Artifact has been lost! My wife will kill me if she finds out!¡± Help the traveler find his lost artifact! Quest objective(s): Retrieve [Lost Artifact] from the [Forest of Dreams]. Location: [??? Cave]. Issued by: [Mysterious Merchant] in the [Starting Village]. Return to: [Mysterious Merchant]. Rewards: 5,000 EXP, 3,000 Eden Seeds, [Continental Boss] Loop 2 unlocks ¡°It says [Mysterious Merchant].¡± Lux noted, showing Serenia the quest details. ¡°You got the right person alright. I remember you, the dark-haired young man over there.¡± the NPC continued, slightly annoyed, ¡°What I am saying is that¡­what the heck is this?¡± He pointed at the floating, green orb in Lux¡¯s hands. ¡°The Artifact you requested me to find.¡± he replied nonchalantly. ¡°Lies! Take a good look at the name of the thing you are holding!¡± Lux opened item view. The name [Sacred Artifact] appeared on top of the orb. ¡°What I requested was the [Lost Artifact], not whatever you are holding!¡± the NPC complained. ¡°Is there a difference?¡± At that, the NPC fumed. ¡°OF COURSE THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!¡± he bellowed, waving his walking stick in the air, ¡°How dare you compare my most beautiful treasure to a random orb! What I am looking for is an ancient relic decorated by centuries of lost languages. Its value simply can¡¯t be understood by a plebeian like you!¡± Woah¡­what a rude NPC¡­Serenia thought. ¡°¡­¡± Lux stayed silent. ¡°Urg, fine. I will show you an image of what I meant.¡± He waved his hand across the empty space between them. A projection of a stone tile laden with words appeared. ¡°Behold my most prized possession. Such delicacy, such detail, such mystery¡­ahhh, I have fallen in love with it all over again.¡± Lux crossed his arms, thinking. He had seen this object somewhere before¡­ ¡°Ah. That mismatched tile on the wall.¡± he said, recalling the scene before they ran into the Nine-tails. ¡°Now that you mentioned it¡­I remember it too.¡± Serenia commented, ¡°But didn¡¯t it get buried under the debris when the wall collapsed?¡± ¡°¡­WHAT!?!?¡± the NPC shouted, a crack appearing in his sunglasses. ¡°Instead of bringing it back to me, as instructed, you let it get buried underneath all that junk? FAILED. QUEST INCOMPLETE. GO BACK AND PICK IT UP!¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s just plain unreasonable.¡± Serenia cut in, ¡°When faced with a secret trapdoor, it is common sense to try to find a way to advance into the next compartment. It wasn¡¯t our fault that the wall collapsed and took your tile with it. And plus, why was it in such a weird position in the first place? It was on purpose, right? You knew the players will be oblivious to it. Mr. NPC, stop with the pranks and do your job!¡± She stopped talking, and gave the NPC a stern look. Wait¡­why am I arguing with a NPC in the first place? The [Mysterious Merchant] stood there in silence, his expression unseen behind his dark sunglasses. After a long pause, he spoke up. ¡°I changed my mind.¡± As he finished speaking, an announcement came on the system. System prompt: Quest [Nature¡¯s Beginning] has been completed. Player [Lux] has received 5,000 EXP and 3,000 Eden Seeds. The [Continental Boss]: Loop 2, has been unlocked. ¡°I will let you pass this mission. You do not have to go back and retrieve the requirement.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Instead, I am going to issue you the next quest right now.¡± The new quest appeared in Lux¡¯s mission log, replacing [Nature¡¯s Beginning]. > [Continental Boss]: Loop 2 out of 5 > [The Ultimate 36-hour Relay Race] ¡°Ah, the winter season is so busy this time around! I just can¡¯t handle them all!¡± Help various NPCs across the continent with their requests. Quest objective(s): Locate and complete 50 missions issued by the NPCs. Relay mission #1: Find NPC [Old Woman] outside of [Starting Village]. Rewards: 1,000 EXP, 500 Eden Seeds, Relay progress 1/50. Time remaining: 36:00:00 ¡°Normally, I would allow some time for the player to prepare before giving him this.¡± the NPC said, ¡°But you two really pissed me off.¡± He smiled, a ray of light reflecting in his sunglasses. ¡°So, I am going to go ahead and start the timer, right now.¡± As he spoke, the [Time remaining] section on the quest details began to count down. Serenia stared at it in shock, dumbfounded. ¡°Because of the special circumstances you are in, you are not allowed to team up with any other players. You two must do this alone. Any outside aid will disqualify you. You will receive the next relay mission after you complete the previous NPC¡¯s request. It is a ¡®Relay Race¡¯ after all. Failure to abide by the demands will end the race, and disqualify you from the [Continental Boss] loop. You have the time shown in front of you, to complete all 50 missions. Failure to do so in the time allotted will also mean disqualification. Now, the clock is ticking. I wish you luck on the Race. Let¡¯s not meet again in the future.¡± No one moved a single inch. The NPC sighed, a vein popping on his forehead. ¡°In other words¡­GET THE F***ING HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW.¡± He grabbed them by their collars, and threw them out the door, slamming it behind them. ¡°¡­.¡± As they sat there in the snow, Serenia¡¯s private chat flashed with a new message. System prompt: [1] New Message in [Private Chat]. -[Rune]: Hey Serene, how are things going? Are you getting along with him?- ¡°50 missions in 36 hours¡­we should get going. By that I mean, we really ought to get moving.¡± she said, after a moment of silence, getting up and dusting the snow away from her dress. They began to run toward the main gate, heading out of the [Starting Village]. Rune¡¯s message¡­I really shouldn¡¯t ignore it. I¡¯ll leave a quick message to him then. Serenia thought, opening the private chat. -[Serene]: Hey Rune, sorry. I am in a rush right now, can I get back to you later? Until then!- Without waiting for a reply, she turned off the private chat, returning to her position beside Lux. ---------------------- Meanwhile, at [Front Lines], the private chat box popped up in front of Rune, startling him. He dropped the documents he was carrying. ¡°Hey, Serene replied! I wonder what she said¡­¡± the deputy leader said in excitement, as he read the message. His eyes dimmed, as if all the life was sucked out of him. ¡°She disconnected on me.¡± he said, ¡°She said she was in a rush.¡± ¡°Not everyone has free time like you.¡± Fiorae commented from her desk, sipping her tea. ¡°Says you! Why can¡¯t you help me with these documents too?¡± Fiorae tried to take another sip at her tea, but it was empty. She put the cup down. ¡°Ah, before you continue with those, pour me another cup of tea, will you?¡± Rune looked at the guild leader, and then down at the pile of papers resting at his feet. ¡°¡­One day, I will definitely quit this job.¡± ------------------- -Floor two of Yuki-Onna¡¯s Lair, Nature¡¯s Cradle- ¡°You¡­are lost, aren¡¯t you?¡± Serenia had been walking around in the lair for hours. At first, she followed Lux with great confidence, but as time passed, she began to doubt where they were heading. ¡°¡­¡± Lux stayed silent, walking in front of her. They passed by the same sign that they passed an hour ago. [Yuki-Onna¡¯s Lair, Floor Two], it read. Yep, he¡¯s definitely lost. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s rest here for a bit. We are wandering around in circles.¡± Serenia decided, pausing to open her system menu. ¡°System,¡± she commanded, ¡°activate [Neutral Zone].¡± A huge, pale-yellow bubble engulfed the two. The air inside became much warmer, and the steady, dripping sound of water from the icicles ceased. ¡°My portable resting area, quite handy huh?¡± she said, sitting down, ¡°Here, take a seat. Let¡¯s have another look at the quest details?¡± Lux took a seat across from her. As Serenia summoned a small camp-fire, he opened the mission logs. Relay mission #14: Find NPC [Yuki-Onna] and retrieve the [Frost Comb] from her. Location: Yuki-Onna¡¯s Lair, Floor Six. Three miles southeast of [Spirit Lake]. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Rewards: 1,000 EXP, 500 Eden Seeds, Relay progress 14/50. Time remaining: 31:25:46 ¡°We are currently on the second floor, so four more to go.¡± Serenia commented, as she looked at the description closely, ¡°Because we have to take breaks once in a while, or else our bodies won¡¯t be able to keep up, time is a huge issue. It doesn¡¯t help that there are no maps around to guide us either.¡± She gazed at the sign nearby, and then at the icy cave walls surrounding them. ¡°Let¡¯s try to head down the paths we haven¡¯t visited earlier, since we are right by the entrance of the second floor anyway.¡± Serenia suggested, then stopped as she looked back at Lux, ¡°Hey¡­what exactly are you doing?¡± The dark-haired man in front of her had his hand raised above the campfire, roasting something on a stick. He waited as the meat became crispy-golden in color, and then took a bite out of it. ¡°Roasting meat. Would you like some?¡± Serenia looked at him in incredulity. This man¡­is roasting meat over a fire like it¡¯s nobody¡¯s business? ¡°¡­Were you listening to anything I was saying?¡± Lux tilted his head sideways. ¡°¡­?¡± Clearly not. Serenia thought, as she released a sigh. ¡°Well, fine. Finish eating and let¡¯s try again later.¡± she said, giving up. She looked at the meat. ¡°What kind of meat is that? It doesn¡¯t look very¡­edible.¡± ¡°[Snow Lurker] meat.¡± he replied, taking another bite. [Snow Lurker]? You mean¡­those scary-looking creatures we fought on the first floor? She shivered at that thought. He was eating something that most likely shouldn¡¯t be considered as food. To a normal person, that is¡­ ¡°You have been staring at the meat for a long time. You do want some, don¡¯t you.¡± Lux handed her another meat on a stick. ¡°Here. It tastes pretty good.¡± She gazed at the stick for a bit. Eventually, hunger took over her feelings of disgust. As she accepted the meat, she brought her gaze back to Lux. ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s find the entrance of the third floor after we are done eating, ok?¡± He nodded. ¡°And¡­maybe I should lead instead¡­you know, since you have been leading for the past few hours and must be tired¡­¡± Just in case he gets lost again¡­She thought to herself. He nodded a second time. ¡°And you aren¡¯t listening to me yet again, are you?¡± Another nod. ------------------ ¡°We¡­finally made it.¡± Two hours later, they have at last arrived at the entrance of the sixth floor. Footsteps echoed behind Serenia, followed by a pair of azure-blue eyes as Lux descended from the stairs. They were now at the deepest section of the icy dwellings of the Yuki-Onna. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go-¡± Lux began to walk toward the left path, but was pulled back by Serenia. ¡°Wrong way. The arrow points to the right.¡± she said, gesturing toward the sign in front of them. ¡°¡­¡± Serenia sighed. She had to stop and direct him back to the correct path numerous times these past two hours. Lux¡­simply had no sense of direction. Yeah, I get it now, she thought as they continued walking, it was probably true that he discovered the first mission by blind luck. He most likely chanced across it while being lost on some other mission. They carried on in silence, until they found themselves in a huge chamber. Icy-blue pillars decorated the sides, running along the intricate, long white carpet in the middle. At the far end of the chamber, elevated on a platform, was a single, vacant throne. Made out of pure ice, it reflected the light from the low-hanging chandeliers, glowing in a multitude of colors. They strode toward the platform, their shadows dancing on the walls around them. ¡°It seems that she¡¯s not here.¡± Serenia remarked, placing a hand on the chair, ¡°I wonder where she went¡­¡± Just as she finished speaking, a massive gust of wind swept across the room, bringing with it a tall woman dressed in a pure white robe. Her long, white hair flowed behind her, framing her head like a halo. ¡°Who, dares trespass into my home?¡± As she spoke, the air in front of her turned into tiny icicles, falling to the ground with a clang. Her frosty-blue eyes blazed with fury, as she glared at the two people standing in front of her. They both turned around. Serenia¡¯s eyes widened, startled by her sudden appearance. It was the Yuki-Onna. ¡°Answer me, foolish humans! What brought you to my home, without my acknowledgement?¡± Lux stepped forward, his expression unchanged. ¡°We were requested by NPC [Night Marksman] to retrieve the [Frost Comb] from you.¡± The Yuki-Onna looked at him for a brief moment, before scowling. ¡°And what makes you think that I will give it to you?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you give it to us willingly or not.¡± Lux responded indifferently, meeting her gaze, ¡°I will have to take it either way, even if it is by force.¡± She narrowed her eyes. Then, she blinked. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± she said, her expression no longer hostile, ¡°At a second glance, you look a lot like my former lover.¡± The Yuki-Onna bent down, leaning to take a closer look at Lux. ¡°Ah, that dark hair and blue eyes remind me so much of him¡­he was such a handsome young man. It was a pity that he died¡­¡± Her eyes reflected her sorrow. She reached out tenderly, moving a hand forward to caress his cheek. In a flash, Serenia jumped in front of Lux, blocking her way. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him.¡± she said, glaring at the woman, her hair hanging low over her eyes, ¡°He¡¯s mine-!¡± Their eyes met momentarily. Slightly embarrassed at her outburst, Serenia blushed. ¡°¡­my responsibility that is, since I¡¯m his escort.¡± The Yuki-Onna retracted her hand, her face furious. With a snap of her fingers, countless ladies in white robes materialized, surrounding Lux and Serenia. ¡°My beloved [Snow Nymphs],¡± she bellowed, pointing at the two, ¡°kill that woman and bring me the young man!¡± The nymphs began to close in on them, forcing them to stand back-to-back. ¡°If she was going to fight in the end, why didn¡¯t she just fight us earlier?¡± Lux said imperturbably, as he summoned his sword. ¡°¡­That crazy, love-sick woman!¡± Serenia exclaimed, as she too, withdrew her arm blades, ¡°Look out on your right, one is coming.¡± She slashed at the nymph closest to her, before turning her head back toward Lux. ¡°We only have around 29 hours left. Can we try to finish this in the next ten minutes?¡± Leaning down slightly, Lux swung his sword in a perfect arc, watching as three nymphs fell in unison. Standing back straight once again, he pointed his weapon at the Yuki-Onna. His sword gleamed under the light, reflecting her angry face. He gave Serenia a simple, short reply. ¡°En garde.¡± ------------------- -Inside a small house in the Starting Village, Nature¡¯s Cradle- A man stood beside a petite table in the dimly-lit room, closing a briefcase. He picked it up by the handle, walking out of the door and shutting it behind him. He raised a hand to his forehead, shielding himself from the harsh rays of sunlight that greeted him. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going to the next destination.¡± he said, his eyes hidden beneath his dark sunglasses. He walked out of the main gates of the village, passing by an old woman carrying a basket. Those kids from earlier¡­I wonder how they are doing. He thought, continuing on toward the [Forest of Dreams]. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. What they were doing right now was none of his concern. Rather, he would be quite happy if they have already gotten disqualified. He marched on in silence. Something about what they¡¯ve said earlier was still on his mind. It disturbed him greatly. They said they found a trap door, and a secret compartment behind it. But¡­from my memories, there was no such thing. The place where the artifact could be found was the very end of the cave. It was supposed to be a dead-end. The man frowned, remembering something else. That shining green orb. The [Sacred Artifact]. Wasn¡¯t it¡­the goddess Artemis¡¯ relic? If I remember correctly, her temple was guarded by the immortal fox deity, Flaming Nine-tails. But that isn¡¯t the most peculiar part¡­ His frown deepened. He had a bad feeling about this. In the first place, how did they get to her temple? It is not on this continent. And, the goddess of the hunt has been long gone for centuries now, how did they ever obtain her relic? After all¡­she had perished in the last Holy Crusade against the demons. Artemis should be dead¡­ He shivered, all of a sudden feeling colder than he had ever felt before. Stopping in the middle of the forest, he looked up at the floating castle in the distance. The sun was momentarily blocked by the giant, moving object, casting eerie shadows on the land below. The [Mysterious Merchant] gazed at Eternal Eden for a long time, his expression grave. He feared for the impending future. Just what¡­is going on? Advance to Update 8: In the Sunrise¡­they have found a reason to Survive > Update 8: In the Sunrise鈥?hey have found a reason to Survive < Back to Update 7: In the Relay Race¡­a wild direction idiot appeared Author¡¯s Note: Two more chapters until the first Side Story! There will also be a review of the last ten chapters, filled with funny comments on the story by my editor, my reaction to the readers¡¯ replies and plot development, as well as other comical material bound to give you a taste of D.E.O. from the author¡¯s point of view! Stay tuned for more. ---------------------- ¡°Is there an end to this army of nymphs?¡± Serenia exclaimed, as she slashed at the one in front of her, pausing as it fell. Giving her almost no time to recover her stance, another nymph lunged at Serenia, its claws extended and ready to strike. ¡°She is creating more as we speak.¡± Lux said, suddenly appearing beside Serenia, fending off the nymph in front of her in one fell swoop of his sword. They once again stood back-to-back, forced into that position by the newly created herd of snow nymphs. Serenia glanced at the character information bar directly in front of her. [Serene] Level 32 Class: Rogue HP: 1, 405 / 2, 730 MP: 280 / 1, 140 Although she had leveled up quite a lot in the short amount of time she had spent with Lux, as a result of the endless mobs and quests they had to go through, the slight boost in stats wasn¡¯t enough to last long in difficult battles. Against enemies like the Snow Woman and her infinite minions, there was little she could do. Her HP was decreasing at a rapid rate, and MP almost depleted. She turned her gaze to the bar on top of Lux. [Lux] Level 10 Class: ??? HP: ??? MP: ??? Great¡­that doesn¡¯t help at all. She thought as she shielded herself from the next set of attackers. She had no way to tell how Lux was doing, but he appeared to be unharmed. For now, she had to assume he was fine. But, it is probably not a good idea to drag this on pointlessly; we need to find a way to get past her defenses¡­and face her one-on-one. Serenia was lost in thought for a moment, scrambling for solutions as she sliced at the nymphs. The Yuki-Onna seemed to be getting further and further away from them with each passing second. She had to come up with something fast. ¡°Hey, Lux,¡± Serenia shouted, having made up her mind, ¡°how fast do you think you can clear a row of nymphs?¡± Lux turned his gaze to her, blocking his aggressor¡¯s claws without paying attention. ¡°Three seconds.¡± he replied simply, his face calm and collected. Serenia smiled. ¡°Alright then,¡± she said, as she reassumed her position beside him, ¡°on the count of three, I want you to get ready¡­¡± Lux readjusted his sword into a defensive arrangement. ¡°¡­to force your way out.¡± Serenia concluded, as she leaned down slightly. ¡°In three, two, one¡­¡± She grabbed Lux by the arm, dragging him along with her. ¡°RUN FOR IT!!!¡± --------------------- In an empty corridor some distance away from Yuki-Onna¡¯s chamber, all was silent until the emergence of several ladies in white robes. They floated down the long path, appearing as if they were looking for something. ¡°Find them quickly.¡± one instructed, as they sailed through the air, ¡°Our Mistress is waiting.¡± The snow nymphs looked all around them, checking each potential hiding spot for their targets. After searching for a long time, they retreated from sight, moving on to the next location. The site was quiet once again. For a while, nothing happened. And then¡­ ¡°Pfwuaa¡­¡± a female voice whispered, ¡°I thought we were going to get discovered for sure¡­¡± As she finished speaking, the wall in front of her turned into a transparent, flexible material. She poked her head out into the corridor, checking to see that the path was clear. ¡°No nymphs in sight.¡± she said, as she stepped out of the wall, ¡°You can come out now.¡± Serenia moved to the side to make way as Lux appeared beside her, leaving their hiding spot behind. She waited until he was a secure distance away from it before facing it once again. ¡°System,¡± she said, ¡°illusion skill, [Safe Haven], deactivate.¡± The icy wall in front of her shook lightly, and then returned to its original, solid form. As a member of the rogue class, Serenia was skilled in the usage of numerous disguise and illusion spells, as well as a variety of traps and poisons. Running away and hiding from their enemies was easy, but the next part was not so simple. She had to think of a way to lure the Snow Woman to them, without alerting her and forcing her to summon her underlings. She crossed her arms, deep in thought. Out of the corner of her eye, Lux was leaning against the wall, his sword propped up beside him. In any case, we should probably heal with some potions first. She decided, as she summoned four bottles of liquids from her inventory. ¡°Here,¡± she said, passing two to Lux, ¡°use these to recover some health and mana.¡± Lux looked at the potions for a few seconds, before replying. ¡°I cannot use any items obtained in-game.¡± Serenia lowered her hand slightly, the bottles still within his reaching distance. ¡°¡­What exactly do you mean?¡± ¡°Recovery items, weapons, armor¡­everything I receive in this world, I cannot use.¡± ¡°What about the uniform you are wearing right now, and your sword?¡± He shifted away from the wall, picking up his sword. ¡°Those were from the original world.¡± Serenia let her hand fall back to her side. Ah¡­that¡¯s right. This man is different from the rest of us. It...does seem to make sense with his explanation in the cave. She returned the potions to her inventory. Then, she realized something. ¡°You¡­went against the Nine-tails, Yuki-Onna, and all the mobs we have faced on the way here, knowing full well that you cannot recover with items when wounded!?¡± Lux opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by an angry Serenia. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡± she interrupted, continuing on, ¡°Not just that, you managed to convince me of your safety with that Navigation Scroll, all the while withholding from me the fact that you can¡¯t use that either?¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°There¡¯s got to be a limit to how careless you can be! No matter how powerful, how fearless, or how confident you are in your skills, putting yourself in that kind of danger all the time is just ridiculous. This is your life we are talking about! If you continue such behavior, one day you will find yourself in a situation with no way out. You can die, more easily than you may believe.¡± Serenia¡¯s shoulders shook, clearly upset by the ordeal. She did not intend to, or want to, yell at him, but his death¡­was something that she did not want to see. ¡°¡­¡± Lux was lost for words. Unsure of what to do, he walked up to Serenia, placing his hand lightly on her head. He gave it a gentle pat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± he said softly. Serenia stopped shaking. His hand was surprisingly soothing. It felt¡­strangely nostalgic. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­make me worry like this again¡­¡± she whispered, as she moved away from his touch. She turned her back to him, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. ¡°As your escort, I refuse to let you fight alone in the next few days.¡± she said, turning around to face him once again, ¡°I forbid it. No excuses.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Lux responded, with a nod. ¡°Good. In that case, let¡¯s proceed with where we left off.¡± Serenia thought for a moment, before continuing. ¡°There is one method that I came up with. I¡¯m not sure if it will work, but it is our best bet.¡± Lux observed her patiently, waiting for her to finish speaking. ¡°But before I tell you that, I need you to do something for me¡­¡± ¡°And that is?¡± Serenia gave him a bright smile. ¡°Your clothes...please take them off.¡± -------------------- ¡°Mr. Swordsman, where are you...?¡± a tall woman wearing a long white robe said, her snowy-white hair trailing behind her as she floated down the vacant halls. The Yuki-Onna turned her head to the right, catching a glimpse of a figure in a jet-black trench coat. ¡°Ah¡­there you are!¡± She began to chase after the figure, the distance between them closing swiftly. The figure in black disappeared around a corner. ¡°Wait for me, my love!¡± the Snow Woman said, hot in pursuit. She ventured around the corner, and stopped. Her target was standing still a short distance ahead. The Yuki-Onna approached the figure silently, a smile beginning to break out on her face. ¡°So, you have finally decided to come to me.¡± she said, reaching out to place a hand on the person¡¯s shoulder, ¡°A wise choice.¡± She guided the figure¡¯s shoulder to the side, so that she could see the face. She gasped. It was not Lux. Before she could call out for assistance, the figure spoke. ¡°You may not want to raise your voice.¡± Serenia said, as the disguise magic faded away and her hair returned to its original color, ¡°It could¡­hurt you quite a bit.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. As she spoke, a shadow appeared behind the Snow Woman. Positioning his sword close to her neck, Lux held the lady in captivity. ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is.¡± Serenia said, with a smile, as the Yuki-Onna glared at her, ¡°Why don¡¯t you listen to our request while we are still asking nicely?¡± The lady moved forward slightly, as if wanting to pounce at Serenia. Lux shifted the blade of his sword closer to her neck, forcing her to return to her position. ¡°The [Frost Comb]¡­you will give it to us, won¡¯t you?¡± ------------------- -The Forest of Memories, Nature¡¯s Cradle- ¡°Are you sure that we have obtained the right item this time?¡± Having completed the mission safely, they were on their way to the next one in line. Slightly afraid that they might have committed the same mistake as they did with the [Lost Artifact], Serenia had to make sure that they were on track. Lux nodded, showing her the delicate, silver comb. Item name: Frost Comb Item rank: Quest Prop A beautiful comb crafted out of the ice of the Thousand-Year Glacier. A gift from Yuki-Onna¡¯s lover to her. ¡°Alright, it seems fine this time.¡± Serenia said, relieved that what they did was not unnecessary like the fight with the Nine-tails, ¡°What is next in the Relay Race?¡± Lux pulled up his mission logs. Relay mission #15: Deliver the [Frost Comb] to the grave in the [Forest of Memories]. Location: One mile west of [Yuki-Onna¡¯s Lair]. Rewards: 1,000 EXP, 500 Eden Seeds, Relay progress 15/50. Time remaining: 27:00:14 ¡°A delivery mission this time huh¡­¡± Serenia said, as they made their way through the forest, ¡°In any case, we should be there soon.¡± As they walked, side by side, a swarm of fireflies flew by, lighting up their surroundings like little lamps in the night. As the mini-lights danced in the pitch-black sky, shining even more brightly under the twinkling stars, small, cloud-like objects began to flutter down from above. Serenia reached out, catching one with the palm of her hand. It was warm and strangely comforting. A memory from her childhood flashed in her mind. That sunny, summer day. In front of her was a beautiful green field, stretching seamlessly into the distance where it melted with the soft, golden sky. Her family nearby waved at her from beneath the tall, willow tree, its leaves rustling in the gentle wind. Someone was singing. A sweet and innocent melody, nameless yet weirdly nostalgic. Serenia closed her eyes, immersed in episodes of her past. She wanted to remain in that tranquil, dream-like world forever¡­but, she had to return to reality. She opened her eyes. She was in the forest again. Lifting her hand gently toward the sky, she released the cloud-like object. As it rejoined the others in the air, they began to spiral around Serenia and Lux, floating lightly. Fragments¡­of their memories. Beside her, similar orbs drifted away from Lux. He too, seemed to have returned from the past. What sort of memories¡­did he see? Serenia wondered, before turning her attention back to the path in front of her. They walked in silence for a bit. Then, she spoke up. ¡°For what reason, did ¡®God¡¯ create this new world?¡± she said, to the whispering trees around them, ¡°What was it that he wanted, that is unable to be achieved in the old world? What¡­did he want to change?¡± Lux stayed silent. ¡°What are his plans for us and this world¡­and most importantly, what is our purpose for living? For what reason do we continue to exist?¡± As she finished speaking, they stepped into a clearing in the middle of the forest. Her words echoed in the chilling breeze. They approached the tombstone resting in the center, dimly-illuminated by the light from the fireflies nearby. ¡°Mikaze, Haru.¡± Serenia read, ¡°Most beloved son, husband, and loving father of three.¡± Lux stepped forward, placing the comb on the small slab of concrete resting beneath the grave. As he stepped back, the swarm of fireflies began to surround the tombstone, swirling in a circle. They shielded their eyes as the fireflies began to spiral faster and faster, eventually blurring into a single burst of light. ¡°Visitors¡­I haven¡¯t had them for a long long time¡­¡± As the glow dulled and the mist cleared, a man dressed in a simple Yukata stood, suspended in the air in front of them. He smiled, his ghostly appearance not the slightest bit alarming. ¡°What brings you two young ones to my humble resting place, on this peaceful night?¡± ¡°We have come to deliver the [Frost Comb] to you, as requested by the Yuki-Onna.¡± Lux answered calmly, unfazed by the spirit¡¯s sudden entrance. The ghost¡¯s eyes softened after hearing his words. ¡°She..has finally decided to come to see me¡­¡± he said, as the comb floated toward him. He touched the object tenderly, letting it hover between his cupped hands. ¡°You have been alone, all this time¡­haven¡¯t you?¡± The silvery comb glowed for a fraction of a second, before returning to its normal state. It was almost like a gentle heart beat. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be lonely anymore.¡± he said quietly, ¡°From now on, and forever, I will be there by your side.¡± A ghastly image of a woman dressed in a pure-white kimono appeared. She looked like a youthful version of the Yuki-Onna. Except¡­she was human. ¡°So, let¡¯s go together this time. To where we truly belong. After all these decades, I can finally say it¡­¡± He held his hand out toward the woman, his face radiant with a smile. ¡°Welcome back, to our home¡­and to me.¡± As the couple¡¯s hands touched, they began to fade into the surrounding mist. The comb drifted down to the grass beneath the tomb, where it let off a single spark of light before turning into grains of white crystal, carried by the morning breeze into the heavens. The dark, night sky began to disappear, revealing the brilliant, red dawn hidden behind it. As they stood, watching the sun appear in the horizon, Serenia was overwhelmed by a strange, new feeling. Hope. ¡°There is no reason for our existence.¡± Lux said, answering her question from earlier, ¡°Our purpose and our paths in this world are up to us to decide.¡± He gazed at the golden sky above them, waiting quietly for the first rays of the sun to peek through the clouds. ¡°I live to get stronger. To meet strong people. To learn from strongest of all. That was my goal in the old world, and my purpose in this new one.¡± There he turned his gaze toward her, his eyes staring deeply into hers. ¡°You too, must have your own reason to fight.¡± As they watched the sun climb slowly in the distance, Serenia moved closer to Lux. The empty feeling within her heart¡­was slowly being mended. When the last traces of the sinister night waned, a brand new day began. ------------------- -Hours ago- -In the home of [Lincoln]- In the darkest hour of the silent night, a shadowy figure approached the sleeping-form of [Lincoln], the guild leader of the famed [Night Hawks]. Before the guild leader could respond, the assailant drove a sharp dagger through his chest, covering his mouth with a cloth as he struggled. After a while, the leader stopped moving, lying lifelessly on his bed. The assailant watched as the man disappeared into the air, leaving behind a small nest of pure-white feathers. The shadowy figure grinned, making his way out of the man¡¯s home silently, out the window and into the night. ------------------ -Present time - -In the guild headquarters of [Front Lines]- A messenger burst into Fiorae¡¯s office, his face drained of color. ¡°I came to bring you important news, honored leader of the [Front Lines].¡± Rune looked up from his duties at the sudden announcement. ¡°The guild leader is away on a solo mission.¡± he said, ¡°If you wish, I will pass the message on to her once she is back.¡± The messenger gave him a nervous look, hesitant to continue. Rune nodded at him, encouraging him to go on. After a moment of silence, the messenger cleared his throat, and began to speak. ¡°Last night, at around 2 AM, an unknown assailant had broken into the home of [Lincoln], the leader of the famed, top-level guild of 13, the [Night Hawks]. The defenseless leader was assassinated, in his sleep.¡± He paused, letting his words sink in. Rune¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°After a thorough investigation, they have found the culprit this morning.¡± ¡°And¡­what does this have to do with [Front Lines]?¡± the deputy leader asked. The messenger gulped, giving him a salute before continuing. ¡°The assassin was discovered to be one of your members. Negotiations on the Continental Boss joint-mission have broken down.¡± There he took a deep breath. ¡°The [Night Hawks], along with their allies, have officially declared war on [Front Lines].¡± Advance to Update 9: In the Tournament¡­a Rival enters the stage > Update 9: In the Tournament鈥? Rival enters the stage < Back to Update 8: In the Sunrise¡­they have found a reason to Survive Announcement: Due to the postponed release date, this chapter will be 2x longer than the usual. Also, I may be overwhelming busy next week, so there might only be one release instead of the normal two. My apologies, but I will be making that up in the future. Best regards, Hikaru Seishin --------------------- -Mystic Lake Underwater Hideout, Nature¡¯s Cradle- Deep down below the tranquil surface of Mystic Lake, there laid an extensive underground hideout. Spanning across the lakebed, it is composed of many compartments constructed out of opaque glass. Although usually unoccupied and peaceful, this hideout was bustling with activity on this particular day. On this bright and sunny morning in late January of 3078, the [Night Hawks] Round of 12 was scheduled to meet at their Southern Base at Mystic Lake. They were to meet to discuss the upcoming war with the pioneer guild of Dark Eden, the [Front Lines]. By noon, eleven members have gathered in the small conference room located in the west wing. They sat around a long table, their faces hidden in the darkness. As they waited for the twelfth member to arrive, none of them spoke. Time passed slowly, and the members became increasingly agitated. After an hour of waiting, the figure seated beside the vacant spot of the last member held up a hand, and signaled a nearby guard to come. ¡°Where is the guild leader?¡± he whispered, to the sentry, ¡°Has he still not arrived?¡± The guard leaned forward so that their conversation won¡¯t be overheard. ¡°He was last seen near Starlight City around three hours ago.¡± he reported quietly, ¡°We do not know his current whereabouts.¡± The figure gave him a nod, dismissing him back to his position. Folding his hands in front of him, the man turned his attention back to the group. He opened his mouth to speak. ¡°Due to unexpected circumstances, our newly-appointed leader cannot be with us currently. As the deputy leader, I shall commence the [Night Hawks] Round of 12 War Strategy meeting in his place.¡± He paused, as the members directed their focus to him. ¡°As you all are well aware, our most respected leader, Mr. [Lincoln], has passed away in his home last night. Although the exact details of the assassination are still unknown, we do know one thing. He was murdered by a member of the guild, [Front Lines].¡± The atmosphere in the room became heavy with tension. The deputy leader continued, his expression solemn. ¡°The culprit is currently being detained in a chamber in the east wing. After five hours of interrogation, he has finally revealed the truth behind his actions.¡± The members began to whisper amongst themselves, clearly unsettled by his announcement. Holding up a hand, he requested them to quiet down. ¡°The assailant has stated his motive plain and clear. This assassination was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a carefully planned out scheme carried out by the guild¡¯s highest-in-command.¡± The room was dead silent. Everyone, including the guards, held their breaths in anticipation of his next words. ¡°It was ordered by none other than the guild leader of [Front Lines]. This isn¡¯t just a simple assassination plot. Their intentions to eradicate the [Night Hawks] are clear!¡± ¡°How dare they betray an old ally of theirs just like that!?¡± a member said angrily, as the people around him nodded in agreement. ¡°They have really stepped over the line this time.¡± Another said. ¡°Don¡¯t let them get away with this!¡± ¡°Show them who¡¯s more superior!¡± ¡°Hunt them down one by one, and wipe them all out!¡± As the Round of 12 began to shout in fury and frustration, their voices overlapping each other¡¯s in the chaos, the deputy leader looked on, his face composed. Soon, the members began to quiet down once again, and he continued. ¡°But, since [Front Lines] will not officially declare war, we have taken that matter into our own hands. We will force them to go to war. In the meantime, we will be stockpiling supplies and consulting with our allies. For the next two days, we will prepare to launch a cross-continental attack on all their bases. Seraphim¡¯s Cove, Twilight Shores, Windy Creeks, Kirin¡¯s Cliff and the Mountain of Origins, will all be under siege. Our goal, is to eliminate every trace of their existence from this world. We, shall not, co-exist under the same sky.¡± His words met with a chorus of cheers. While the rest of them overwhelmed him with their support, one member remained silent. Eventually, he spoke up, his voice doubtful. ¡°How exactly do you plan to force [Front Lines] to engage us in battle?¡± The deputy leader smiled. With a wave of his hand, he signaled a guard to approach. He whispered something to him, and the guard nodded. The sentry walked to the top-right corner of the room, pushing some buttons on the wall. A projection of a dimly-lit chamber appeared in front of the members. In the middle of the image, a person sat on a wooden chair, arms tied-up behind. ¡°We will extend them a negotiation invitation.¡± the deputy said steadily, ¡°They will accept for sure. After all, we have managed to capture a very important person of theirs as our hostage.¡± His smile got bigger, as the hostage looked up directly at them from her seat, her pale green eyes narrowed in resentment. Fiorae. ¡°But, in reality, there is no negotiation. While we shall guarantee their safety on the way here¡­it shall not be such a smooth trip home.¡± ------------------ -Starlight Beach- A beautiful lady in a long blue dress stood near the edge of the water, gazing at the vast ocean in front of her. Her silky, red hair flowed gently behind her, flame-like under the bright sunlight. She sighed wistfully, her blue eyes tinged with sorrow. She began to venture into the water, away from the sandy shores. ¡°Stop, Myriel, don¡¯t go in any deeper.¡± The lady turned her head back, catching sight of a dark-haired young man rushing toward her. ¡°No, leave me be. There¡¯s no reason for me to continue living.¡± She turned her back toward him, walking deeper into the ocean. The young man stood there, unmoving. Then, something popped up in front of him. System prompt: Please choose from the following options. A. ¡°No, it¡¯s a misunderstanding! MY LOVE ONLY BELONGS TO YOU!¡± B. ¡°Please¡­just listen to me first. I can explain¡­¡± C. ¡°If you are going to leave this world, then please take me with you.¡± D. Watch and do nothing. ¡°¡­¡± Lux turned his head around slightly, looking back at a tree. Partially hidden behind it, Serenia was looking at the options in front of her, thinking. After a brief pause, she selected one of the choices, and gave Lux a thumbs-up. A. ¡°No, it¡¯s a misunderstanding! MY LOVE ONLY BELONGS TO YOU!¡± Lux looked at the option chosen, and gave Serenia an Are-You-Serious look. She smirked, signaling for him to do as told. ¡°No, it¡¯s a misunderstanding. My love only belongs to you.¡± he said in a monotonous voice. Myriel stopped moving. ¡°Lies. Lies. And more lies. Why must you always comfort me with nothing but lies?¡± C. ¡°Even if everything I have told you is a lie, my love for you is real. Please¡­give me another chance.¡± She covered her ears, shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°Stop deluding me with your sweet words! I don¡¯t ever want to see your face ever again!¡± Myriel burst into tears. D. Rush after her and embrace her passionately. ¡°Without you, I can¡¯t live onnnn!!!¡± A private chat box appeared beside Serenia, startling her. She tapped on it lightly, curious as to who sent her a message. System prompt: [1] New Message in [Private Chat]. -[Lux]: I refuse.- ¡°Tch. He¡¯s no fun.¡± she said, as she sent a quick reply back. -[Serene]: Just do it, hurry before we get a bad ending!- Lux gave a small sigh, before running after Myriel. He took hold of her wrist gently, holding her back. ¡°Kyaaa!¡± In a flash, he pulled her into his arms, one hand resting lightly on her back. Nice! Keep it up. Conquer her completely. Serenia thought as she sent him another message. -[Serene]: Now, lean close to her ears and whisper your line softly.- Lux put his face closer to Myriel¡¯s, his breath tickling her cheeks. She flinched slightly as he said his next words. ¡°Without you, I can¡¯t live on.¡± Her face turned bright red as she released a string of incomprehensible phrases. As she looked into Lux¡¯s calm blue eyes, she blushed even more. ¡°Y-you idiot! Don¡¯t say those things all of a sudden!¡± she stammered, as she tried to break free from his embrace, ¡°B-but I was happy. Kind of. So I¡¯ll forgive you this time and only this time, ok?¡± B. ¡°Yes, my Goddess. I humbly accept your graciousness.¡± Lux ignored the directions, and gave her a nod instead. Myriel gazed at him for fraction of a second, before closing her eyes, waiting for something. A. Kiss her lovingly. B. Kiss her as if all you wanted to do in this world was to kiss her. C. Kiss her with enough force to make both of you dizzy. D. Give her a kiss on her forehead. As the next set of options appeared in front of Serenia, she was speechless for a moment. Woah¡­whoever designed this is quite desperate...I have a feeling that he won¡¯t like any of them¡­ She thought, as she looked at Lux. His face remained expressionless as usual. You¡­refused to say the over-exaggerated lines but not the kiss? She could not justify why she felt slightly upset at this strange logic, but nevertheless, she had to make her choice. D. Give her a kiss on her forehead. I picked the one that made most sense, that¡¯s all¡­ She substantiated to herself. Lux gave Myriel a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Hmph.¡± she said, as she buried her face in the front of his coat. They stood there for a few moments, until the system made its final announcement. System prompt: Game cleared. Happy ending achieved. New mission has been unlocked. Relay mission #26: Join the [Clash of Valor] tournament at Starlight City. Location: Starlight City. 4 miles west of Starlight Beach. Rewards: 1,000 EXP, 500 Eden Seeds, Relay progress 26/50. Time remaining: 19:00:14 Lux stepped back from Myriel, as she vanished along with the ¡°Game cleared¡± message. Serenia left her hiding spot, jogging toward him. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s finally over¡­¡± she commented, as she rejoined him, ¡°That was harder than it looked.¡± The last ten relays were nothing but running back and forth between different NPCs and acting out various scenes. Added on to the fact that most of them resembled parts of a typical Dating RPG, Serenia could almost feel the tension of being on a timed Continental Boss mission slipping away in this pure nonsense. ¡°¡­¡± Lux did not say anything in response. He began to walk away from the sandy shores and into the forest nearby. ¡°Erm¡­good job on the dialogues and actions¡­We owe the success of the missions to you.¡± she said, as she trailed after him, ¡°And¡­you aren¡¯t mad at me because of my selections¡­right?¡± Serenia had to admit that most of her choices were completely opposite to his personality. Some of the lines that she had made him say were indeed¡­quite cheesy and embarrassing. ¡°No.¡± he said simply. She ran forward to walk beside him, peeking at his face. ¡°You are sulking, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sulking.¡± She had to stop herself from breaking into an amused smile. Pft¡­he is definitely sulking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please forgive me. I¡¯ll admit I had too much fun with this, I won¡¯t do it again next time.¡± she apologized, a hint of amusement still evident in her voice, ¡°And since our next destination is a city, let me treat you to something to make up for this.¡± Lux remained silent, so she continued with a smile. ¡°Alright, deal established! Let¡¯s take a short break while we are there too. We haven¡¯t had a chance to rest since yesterday afternoon. Now, cheer up!¡± Serenia skipped in front of him, leading the way to Starlight City. Lux watched her figure disappear behind a cluster of trees. Just what, am I doing here. He thought, resigning himself to his fate. ¡°Hurry, or else I¡¯ll leave you behind!¡± With that, he began to move forward, into the forest after Serenia. ------------------- -Starlight City- ¡°Hey, pretty Miss. Are you alone? Wanna go somewhere fun with us?¡± Serenia ignored the calls of the two guys tagging along with her. She walked past the lively stalls set out on the street, holding a cotton candy stick on each hand. ¡°Hey, sexy, don¡¯t ignore me! I promise we¡¯ll have a great time together.¡± He winked at Serenia, who continued to disregard him. ¡°Aniki, you are so cool! She¡¯s going to fall for you for sure!¡± his companion said in awe. ¡°Who do you think I am? No woman can escape my charms.¡± There he took out a comb, and fixed his swept-back hair. Running forward to stop Serenia, he bumped into someone. ¡°Ah. There you are.¡± Serenia said, as she handed Lux his cotton candy, ¡°I was looking for you for quite a while.¡± ¡°Oh sh*t Aniki, she has a guy already!¡± ¡°Hmpf. So what if she has a guy, I¡¯ll just snatch her away from him right in front of his ey-¡± He looked up at Lux, and immediately stopped talking. ¡°H-hey¡­Aniki? Maybe we should just leave for now¡­that guy has a Scam-Right-Now-Or-I¡¯ll-Chop-You-Up-With-My-Cotton-Candy-Stick expression¡­wait, Aniki, why the hell are you blushing!?¡± ¡°S-shut up, Bakayaro.¡± he said, as he stared at Lux, ¡°¡­S-senpai! Please do whatever you want with me!¡± He lunged at Lux, his face showing absolute bliss. ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Out of nowhere, Lux grabbed him by the collar, and threw him into the distant sky. His companion gave a surprised shriek, dashing after him in panic. ¡°ANNIIKIIIIIIIIIII!!!! WAIT FOR ME!!!!¡± Serenia watched as the events unfold, not the slightest bit interested. What kind of a third-rate gag comedy was that? She thought, taking a bite out of her cotton candy. ¡°Well, I found the location of the tournament while searching for you.¡± she said out loud, as she nodded at Lux¡¯s thanks for his candy. They strolled down the way she came from, looking at the various items being offered along the path. Soon, they stopped in front of the gates of a large coliseum. ¡°Here we are.¡± Serenia said, as they joined the crowd moving into the stadium, ¡°This is where they hold the monthly [Clash of Valor] tournaments.¡± As the swarm of people entered and settled down into the seats, the lights hanging from the grand, cathedral ceiling dimmed, leaving the audience in the dark. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 6th monthly tournament of the [Clash of Valor]!¡± The voice echoed across the arena, followed shortly by the sudden return of the lights, all focused on the person standing in the middle of the majestic stage. ¡°My name is Hamletos, your host for today. For those of you who are here for the first time, please allow me to briefly explain how this tournament works.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a system messaged appeared in front of everyone. ¡°Unlike the typical tournament, the [Clash of Valor] does not permit registration before the day it is set to take place. As you can see in front of you, this tournament offers live registration prior to its commencement. Therefore, now is the time to make your decision. Will you participate in this trial to obtain the title of the [Starlight Champion]? Or will you simply stand by and watch, hiding from the calls of glory? The choice is yours! You now have one minute to decide. On your mark, get set, and¡­GO!¡± Around the coliseum, a string of lights flashed as people accepted the challenge. Lux looked at Serenia, who gave him a nod. System prompt: Join the [Clash of Valor]? [Yes] [No] He chose [Yes]. As soon as he selected that, he disappeared in a pillar of light. ¡°Time¡¯s up. The participants have been teleported to the preparation room. While they get ready, I will go through the rules.¡± There he paused, waiting for the audience to quiet down. ¡°There are three simple rules. One, battle view will be disabled to make the matches more challenging. The contestant is allowed to forfeit at any time. When Health Point levels reach lower than 10%, the contestant will be automatically withdrawn from the battle, and the victory will go to the opponent. Secondly, apart from recovery and boost items, the participant is allowed to use any skill, weapon, armor¡­the list goes on and on. Everything, including pets, is permitted. Lastly, the time limit for each battle is three minutes. If no clear victory is announced by then, it will end in a draw.¡± A referee ball floated down beside him. He glanced at it, and nodded. ¡°The preparations are now complete! The tournament will take the form of a 30-round Knock-Out match, hosted over ten battle arenas! The winner will receive not only the title of [Starlight Champion], but also 100,000 Eden Seeds as a reward! Now¡­ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the billboard behind me. The list of pairings has been drawn!¡± The audience tensed up in excitement as the light shone on the large screen behind him, illuminating the list of match orders. ¡°With no further ado, let the [Clash of Valor] begin!¡± Lights of every color erupted in the stadium, revealing the ten battle arenas surrounding the main stage. As the referee ball circled around the audience, images flashed across the screen, displaying the enthusiastic expressions of the spectators. ¡°The first twenty participants are now making their way to their designated stages! Contestants, at the sound of the gong, you may commence! In three, two, one¡­Round one is ON! ¡± The loud alarm sounded across the platforms, as the participants began to fight. The host waved his hand in the air, constructing an energy field to protect the audience. The referee ball zipped around the arenas, exhibiting the action on the billboard. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at Battle Arena A. In the West, we have contestant [Light Kagami].¡± As the host spoke, the camera zoomed in on the young man standing calmly in his corner. In his hands, he carried a black notebook labeled ¡°Death Poke¡±. ¡°In the East, we have contestant [Ralouch Ramperouge].¡± The camera switched over to the youth dressed in a black cape. ¡°What will these two challengers show us today? Let¡¯s find out!¡± The audience looked on in hushed silence, as the two approached each other. ¡°It must be fate that brought us two together this day.¡± Kagami said, as he opened his notebook, ¡°But, you must go. Using the Death Poke, I¡¯ll win this tournament. Because I¡¯m the only one that can.¡± His opponent laughed quietly. ¡°What foolish words are you saying? That you are going to win? Have you realized that the only ones that shall come out victorious¡­are those that are prepared to lose?¡± Kagami laughed as well. ¡°Then, we will see who will come out as the final victor; Good or Evil.¡± ¡°The atmosphere is heating up¡­what will they do next!?¡± The host and the audience held their breaths, waiting for one of the contestants to initiate the attack. A minute passed, and neither one of them moved. The battle aura surrounding them became more and more intense, as summoned their strength from within, concentrating it all into one single burst of energy¡­ At the same time, they both addressed the host. ¡°I forfeit this match.¡± they said in unison, both seemingly out of breath. ¡°I will let you go this time. Consider yourself lucky.¡± Kagami said, as he turned his back to Ralouch, walking off the stage. ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡± Ralouch replied, walking off in the opposite direction, ¡°The next time we meet, we will definitely decide the victor, once and for all.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The host and the spectators were completely speechless. The exact same thing seemed to be on everyone¡¯s mind: You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. They¡­didn¡¯t actually do anything, right? ¡°¡­Well, let¡¯s take a look at Battle Arena B! In the West, we have contestant [Pikaru Seishin]. In the East, we have contestant [Yoshii Okana]. It looks like the fight is just about to begin!¡± The crowd watched as the two spammed bizarre spells at each other, a cloud of dust rising from the stage. ¡°Abracadabra! The Fury of the Writer¡¯s Block!¡± Pikaru shouted, as a large cube fell from the sky, heading toward Yoshii. ¡°¡­Urg¡­you got me there.¡± Yoshii said, as he fell to one knee from the attack. ¡°Hohohoho, worship my amazing powers!¡± his opponent bragged, with a smug look on his face. Yoshii lowered his head, his expression indecipherable for a moment. Then, he started to laugh. ¡°Heh¡­hehehehe¡­¡± ¡­1-800-Somebody-call-a-mental-hospital¡­ The audience thought in harmony. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use this but¡­you left me with no choice.¡± As he spoke, a ball of light began to form between his hands. Is he going to use a finishing move? The spectators thought, staring at him in anticipation. ¡°...The Ultimate Finishing Move¡­Su¡­¡± Su..? Pikaru thought, backing away slightly. ¡°Suicide Bomb!¡± In a flash, he ripped his shirt open, revealing the stacks of explosives hidden beneath it. ¡­What the hell??? ¡°COME AT ME BRO! FEEL THE MIGHT OF MY SHINIES!¡± As he spoke, he leaped into the air toward Pikaru¡­ ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, due to contestant [Yoshii Okana]¡¯s illegal use of explosives and his ¨Ccough- lame catchphrases, we have censored the rest of the battle. Please be patient and stay in your seats while we get rid- I mean, sort things out.¡± The lights went off. A few minutes later, the lights came back on again. The audience watched as two NPCs dragged a burnt Pikaru and an equally toasted Yoshii off the stage. ¡°You¡­better meet your deadlines.¡± Yoshii said, with the last bit of his strength, throwing the line over his shoulder as he disappeared from sight. Is this guy¡­for real? The referee ball glided over to the next arena. ¡°Moving on, we are currently at Battle Arena C. In the West, we have contestant [Lux]. In the East, we have contestant-¡± The announcer paused in mid-sentence, staring at the list of participants in front of him in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m not hallucinating or anything, right?¡± he asked the referee ball beside him. It glanced at the sheet of paper in his hands, and shook its ¡°head¡±. The host cleared his throat. ¡°Sorry for the interruption. In the East, we have contestant¡­[The Hot Sexy Phoenix King].¡± The lights focused on the man in question. The audience was shocked into another round of silence as the weird appearance of the man became visible. ¡°I, am the great and all-mighty [Hot Sexy Phoenix King], the one chosen by the undying guardian of flames, the immortal Fire Phoenix.¡± he said, as he struck a ridiculous pose, ¡°I have descended from the Heavens to bestow upon you all, the power of a deity.¡± He got up, his outfit wrapped around him dramatically. The Hot Sexy Phoenix King wore nothing but an elaborate, red cape, covered with blazing feathers. In the place of his pants, he wore a white bath towel. On his hair, sat a headpiece adorned by feathers, in the shape of a bird¡¯s head. Where¡­did he get that embarrassing outfit from? The spectators thought in unison. ¡°So¡­you are my opponent, huh. Still in noob armor too?¡± he said, walking toward Lux, ¡°You look very weak, so I¡¯ll be merciful and finish this in one shot.¡± He raised his hand, preparing to summon something. ¡°As a reward for not running away, I will make a special exception for you, and show you my beloved pet. Come forth, Fire Phoenix!¡± A magic circle appeared on top of his head, mist beginning to cover the arena. The audience gasped as an enormous shadow of a bird appeared behind him. The haze cleared away. The viewers stared at the thing he¡¯d summoned. ¡­Isn¡¯t that just a¡­normal chicken? ¡°ATTACK!¡± The Hot Sexy Phoenix King commanded, pointing his finger at Lux. ¡°Ba-ba-BAKAAAAK!¡± the chicken cried, charging at him. He sent it crashing into the energy field with a casual swing of his hand. ¡°Y-you, how dare you hurt my most beloved pet!¡± the Phoenix King said, furious. He withdrew his sword, dashing at Lux. ¡°This is more than enough for you.¡± Lux said, as he brought his fist close to his face. Just as his opponent was about to leap on to him, he swung his arms in a wide arc, catching the Phoenix King square in the jaw and sending him flying backward into the air. He landed a good distance away, flat on the ground and not moving. After a long pause, he got up shakily, one hand on his injured face. ¡°¡­You, are the first one to hit me like that.¡± he said, staggering toward Lux, ¡°I have been enlightened.¡± He stopped in the middle of the arena, his expression hidden underneath his headdress. Then, he looked up. ¡°I have fallen for your punch! Please hit me some moreeee!¡± As he launched himself at Lux once again, Lux¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I changed my mind.¡± He took a deep breath, shifting one leg slightly behind the other. As the Phoenix King stood, suspended in the air in front of him, he swung his fist at his opponent in a fraction of a second. He attacked him repeatedly, so lightning-fast that his arms seemed to move in a blur on the billboard. ¡°Is this the legendary, 100-punch-combo we are seeing right now?¡± the host commented in astonishment, ¡°Contestant [Lux]¡¯s fists are moving so fast that his opponent seemed to be floating in mid-air!¡± 99, 100. With a wild swing upwards, Lux blasted the Phoenix King to the ceiling, where he slammed into the energy field and left a huge crater before falling down. ¡°¡­¡± The host seemed to have forgotten what he was doing for a second, and then recovered. ¡°Match set! Victor, contestant [Lux]!¡± As the audience exploded into roars of approval, Serenia gazed at the retreating figure of Lux in pity. Is today¡­International-Creep-Day? --------------------- -The Office of the Deputy Leader, Mystic Lake Underwater Hideout- The Deputy Leader of the [Night Hawks] sat alone in his office, making war preparations. ¡°Well done.¡± he said, as a person appeared in the darkness behind him. ¡°How are things going on your side?¡± the anonymous figure asked, his face hidden in the shadows. ¡°It is going well, just as planned.¡± the deputy replied, looking at the documents in front of him, ¡°The promise I¡¯ve made with you, will be kept.¡± The anonymous figure smiled. ¡°How ironic. The respected deputy of the guild is conspiring with an outsider, in order to get rid of the leader and succeed the throne. Just what would happen, should your beloved members find out?¡± ¡°That is none of your concern. Your job was to eliminate [Lincoln], nothing else. In exchange, I was to frame a member of [Front Lines], and lead the [Night Hawks] to war. You got rid of an eyesore for me, and I will get rid of an eyesore for you. That, is the extent of our relationship.¡± His partner chuckled quietly. ¡°Of course, my bad. I will leave you to your duties then. But¡­it¡¯s quite a shame that your plans didn¡¯t go completely your way. The newly-appointed leader, wasn¡¯t part of your expectations, aren¡¯t I correct?¡± At that, the deputy smiled. ¡°Indeed, that was a miscalculation on my part. But, he may prove himself to be useful in the upcoming war. It is never too late to allow him to parade into battle, and eliminate him along with [Front Lines].¡± ¡°Your bravery in battle, and sorrow in his loss, will propel you to your rightful place indeed. It is a win-win situation, for both of us.¡± As the anonymous figure finished his sentence, he bowed at the deputy, before retreating further into the shadows. ¡°I will take my leave now. Please do update me on your progress.¡± The deputy leader took a sip out of his wine, as the figure disappeared as silently as he came. Well then, it is time to make the announcements to [Front Lines]. He thought, as he opened up the systems menu. ¡°System, IDVC invitation to [Front Lines].¡± System prompt: The Inter-Dimensional Virtual Chatroom has been created. Confirming access with Guild ID:1 [Front Lines]. He waited calmly for the response. Access granted. You will be connected with a representative from [Front Lines] in 3¡­2¡­1¡­ The office disappeared, replaced by a vacant, dark space. In the middle, there were two comfortable couches, separated by a glass coffee table. He walked over to one couch, sitting down. The sound of footsteps echoed in the opposite end, as the other person arrived. ¡°What is your purpose for requesting a virtual chat with [Front Lines]?¡± The man approached him, taking a seat on the empty couch. ¡°Please do not worry, I have come in peace. I am the Deputy Leader of the [Night Hawks], here to extend an offer of negotiation in the upcoming conflict.¡± the deputy said, as the man eyed him with suspicion. ¡°I am the Deputy of [Front Lines], here in the place of our absent guild leader.¡± Rune said simply, ¡°As for the negotiation offer, I will like you to put that on hold until proper investigations into the loss of your guild leader could be conducted by us.¡± The deputy of the [Night Hawks] smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure that the sudden declaration of war was quite the blow to your guild. But, I assure you that we have made no error in the capture of the culprit. After all, the man himself has confessed to his crimes, and has explicitly stated that it was a command from none other than your very own guild leader.¡± Rune narrowed his eyes. ¡°Our guild leader, will never do such a thing. There is no merit in harming an ally.¡± There he paused, leaning forward slightly. ¡°Have you considered the possibility of a conspiracy? In other words, have you ever considered that the ¡®culprit¡¯ may have been framed, and his confessions mere lies made up after the fact?¡± His opponent¡¯s smile got even wider. ¡°By that, are you suggesting that the [Night Hawks] have purposely killed their own leader, in order to sabotage [Front Lines]?¡± ¡°I meant no such thing. It is a mere precaution on my part.¡± ¡°Understood. But as things stand currently, you may want to consider coming to the negotiation. Because you see¡­someone important of yours is waiting for you, at our base.¡± Rune¡¯s eyes widened. He had a bad feeling about what the deputy was going to say next. ¡°Your guild leader, quite a charming lady she is. Don¡¯t you think she will be lonely, all by herself?¡± Rune stood up in a flash, grabbing the other deputy by the front of his shirt. ¡°Return Fiorae to us. Right this moment.¡± His adversary¡¯s smile turned into a sneer. ¡°You may not want to exert violence on the rival guild¡¯s deputy, not while our guilds are at war. But in any case, should you decide to attend the negotiations, it will take place at Mystic Lake, in the Southern Base of the [Night Hawks], 24 hours from now.¡± With that, the deputy began to fade away, disconnecting from the chatroom. ¡°While we suggest you come alone, it is fine to bring other members along. That is, if you feel the need to bring others to a peace negotiation.¡± There he placed an emphasis on the last part of the sentence, indirectly mocking the other deputy. As he disappeared from the dark space, his last words echoed in the void. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. If you want to see your guild leader again, come to Mystic Lake. The [Night Hawks]¡­will give you a warm welcome.¡± ------------------- -[Clash of Valor], Final Round, Starlight City- ¡°Ladies and gentlemen¡­the most exciting moment of the [Clash of Valor] has arrived! The final round that you all are waiting for¡­is here!¡± The host¡¯s words met with a round of cheers. All the lights focused on the center stage, which was surrounded by a large, green energy field. ¡°After 30 rounds of hard, gruesome battles, two contestants have emerged from the semi-finals. In the West, we have contestant¡­[Lux]!¡± The crowd roared in approval, as he stepped onto the stage. ¡°Do not be deceived by his outer appearance, this young man has single-handedly taken out many opponents, without even breaking into a sweat! The most mysterious thing about him is¡­we don¡¯t even know what class he is! While none of his previous opponent could make him exhibit his skills, or even draw his weapon, could this round be the one in which he will go all out? Let¡¯s wait and see!¡± The referee ball zoomed in on Lux, whose expression did not change a single bit. ¡°Now, let¡¯s take a look at his challenger! In the East, we have contestant [Dante]! This capable swordsman had slashed his way to the finals as if he¡¯d just taken a simple walk in the park! While all of his opponents were knocked out in one strike, against the mystifying [Lux], will he still be able to prove his might, and come out as the top? The rules of this round remain the same. Who will emerge victorious in the next three minutes, and take the title of the [Starlight Champion]? The time to find out has dawned! Contestants, on the count of three, let final round of the [Clash of Valor]¡­BEGIN!¡± The host leaped off the stage. In a flash, Dante charged at Lux, forcing him to leap to the side. He slashed at Lux with blinding speed and precision, giving him almost no time to retaliate. ¡°Your weapon,¡± Dante said, as the two broke apart from each other temporarily, ¡°withdraw it.¡± ¡°Bothersome.¡± Lux said simply, as he countered his sword with the back of his hand, sending it flying away from its owner. Dante stood there silently, his expression unreadable. Then, he smiled. ¡°¡­Plight¡­of Icarus.¡± he murmured, as his sword re-appeared in his hand. What happened next seemed to be in slow motion. Before Lux could dodge completely, Dante zipped past him, landing lightly on the other side. The audience watched in shock as a single wound appeared on Lux¡¯s face, blood slowly dripping down. He¡­managed to wound Lux!? Serenia thought, as she witnessed the events unfold. Lux stood there for a fraction of a second more, and then brought a hand to his face, wiping the blood off. He swung his arm to the side, and the audience watched in excitement as a sapphire-blue sword appeared. ¡°Contestant [Lux] has drawn his weapon! In this fierce blade-dance, which contestant will prove himself superior?¡± ¡°That¡­is more like it.¡± Dante said, facing the opposite direction as Lux, ¡°Show me what you can do.¡± At the same time, they both turned around, their swords clashing together as they engaged in combat. They swung at each other, countering and blocking each other¡¯s blows. Dante broke away from the deadlock, leaping onto the energy field and dashing upwards. Lux followed. The two circled around the stage, exchanging blows on the way. ¡°¡­¡± the announcer stood there, his mouth hanging open. What the two seemed to be doing is absolutely impossible for a normal human being to achieve. He, and the audience, simply could not believe their eyes. Monsters. Those two were monsters. ¡°¡­Judgment of the Twilight Prophecy.¡± As Dante sent countless strikes at Lux all at once, the latter leaped away just in time. The place where Lux was standing just moments ago, was now non-existent. The area around the hole began to crack, and the energy field started to fall apart. People in the audience began to panic, trampling over each other in attempt to get out. They both landed back onto the stage. Lux turned around, gazing toward Serenia¡¯s location... ¡°Don¡¯t look away, when you are fighting me.¡± In a flash, Dante leaped off the ground, taking Lux with him as the pair crashed into the ceiling. The energy field broke apart completely, the ceiling itself beginning to shatter. Large blocks of debris began to rain down on the audience, as screams erupted in the coliseum. People ran toward the exit in a rush, desperate to get away from the scene of destruction. ¡°Things are spinning out of control! The contestants show no signs of stopping, yet the situation has taken a turn for the worse! Can the remaining spectators, and the stadium, survive through the last minute of this match!? This- OOF!¡± The host was cut off in mid-sentence, as a medium-sized brick hit him on the head. He laid there on the ground, momentarily knocked-out. The two engaged in a ferocious battle, no longer paying attention to what is happening around them. As the remaining time began to draw to an end, they both braced themselves for the final blow¡­ System Prompt: Time is up. The match is now over. Please cease all fighting. The message was displayed on the flashing referee ball, which wedged itself between the two competitors. They drew apart from each other reluctantly, each banishing their swords with a casual swing of their arms. ¡°¡­ow¡­¡± a voice said from below the stage. The host sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his head. He looked at Dante, Lux, and then the referee ball. ¡°M-match set! Since no victor was determined in the three minutes, the result is a draw!¡± There he grimaced. ¡°Because this is the final round of the tournament, there will be a re-match. Contestants, if you don¡¯t mind, please stay for another round, after the repair NPCs fix up the building within the next 30 minutes.¡± Lux looked at the time remaining on the Continental Boss loop, and then replied. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± he said simply, holding up a hand in resignation, ¡°I forfeit.¡± The announcer looked at him in astonishment. ¡°In that case¡­the victory goes to-¡± ¡°I forfeit too.¡± Dante said, shrugging, ¡°There is no point in me winning like that.¡± What is with all these forfeits today¡­? The host thought, as he sighed, partly in relief. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, due to both contestants forfeiting, the victory will go to contestant [DBZGokuBoi], who has won against the other semi-finalist in a side match. Congratulations, new [Starlight Champion]! This concludes the 6th monthly tournament of the [Clash of Valor]. Thank you all for attending, and please be safe on the way out¡­not that there are many of you left in here anyway.¡± -------------------- A young man with dark-red hair walked alone in a forest, heading toward his destination. He smiled, recalling the events of the past hour. That guy¡­is quite interesting. He is the first person who managed to make me use my skills so early on in the battle. There he opened up the battle view, watching silently as the character information bar appeared on his head. [Dante] Level 50 Class: Warrior Subclass: Knight HP: 3, 005 / 5, 410 MP: 3, 420 / 3, 780 In three minutes, he had brought my health points down almost half. What would have happened if the battle went on? His smile widened. Things were beginning to get exciting. He did not use a single skill. Is he¡­holding back? In that case¡­next time for sure, show me your true power, swordsman [Lux]¡­because I won¡¯t be holding back either. The trees gave away to a lake in the middle of the clearing. He walked toward the water, stopping at the edge of the dry ground. He stomped his foot down on the ground once, stepping back as a path appeared, splitting the lake into two. As he descended onto the path, disappearing from sight, the lake returned to its normal appearance, as if no one was ever there. Slowing down slightly as he neared the end of the passage, Dante nodded at the guards stationed outside the heavy trap-door. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± he said, as he switched to his formal outfit. A midnight-black cape materialized on his back, dropping down to the ground elegantly. In its center, was the symbol of a beautiful, silver hawk. The emblem of the [Night Hawks]. As the guards opened the door for him, he advanced into the compartment ahead, his cape sweeping dramatically behind him, trailing in the air. ¡°Welcome back¡­guild leader.¡± To be continued¡­ Coming March 9, 2015 > Update 10: In the Instance鈥?is teammates were Shocked -South Branch of [Front Lines], Twilight Shores- ¡°A division at such crucial times¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a conspiracy I say! An outright conspiracy against all of us!¡± ¡°The peace negotiation is a trap for sure, do not go, [Rune].¡± ¡°But if he doesn¡¯t go, what will happen to [Fiorae]?¡± ¡°Hell, if he goes, both our leaders will be out of running before the war even begins!¡± ¡°Oh yeah, and you got a better solution? Let¡¯s hear it instead of the crap you are shouting right now?!¡± The branch leaders of [Front Lines] and leaders from the allied guilds sat around a large table, throwing insults and heated lines at each other. Rune stayed silent throughout the commotion, leaning forward on the desk, deep in thought. As the angry voices increased in volume, he looked up. ¡°Enough.¡± he said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision.¡± The members around him quieted down, their tense gazes resting on him. ¡°I will accept the negotiation.¡± A few gasps erupted around the table. The branch leader of [Front Lines]¡¯s Twilight Shores southern base spoke up. ¡°Then, I will supply you with a group of our best men at this base, it should be-¡± Rune shook his head, rejecting his offer. ¡°I will go alone. Just like they have requested.¡± ¡°But, in the case that they turn the tables on you, wouldn¡¯t you be safer going with backup?¡± a leader from the allied guilds piped in, voicing the concerns of everyone in the room. ¡°It will be unwise and unnecessary to get too many people involved all at once.¡± Rune replied steadily. ¡°[Front Lines] is already missing its leader, it can¡¯t lose its deputy too.¡± another member refuted, earning himself a chorus of nods in support. ¡°I will be fine, and-¡± ¡°And in the case that the negotiation fails?¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Rune smiled, his eyes radiating with an eerie glow in the darkness. ¡°I will break her out by force.¡± ------------------- -Instance Lobby, Golden Orchid Imperial Capital- ¡°And so, the next relay is an instance¡­a co-op dungeon, huh.¡± Serenia gazed at the details of the quest in front of her, thinking about their next steps. Relay mission #32: Join the [Finding N3MO] instance in the Instance Lobby. Location: Golden Orchid Imperial Capital. Five miles East of Starlight City. Rewards: 1,000 EXP, 500 Eden Seeds, Relay progress 32/50. Time remaining: 12:04:13 ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, either way,¡± Serenia said, as she closed the quest window, ¡°we should ask that NPC over there about this instance first.¡± They headed toward the NPC standing behind a desk on the other end of the grand hall. ¡°Excuse me, we would like to learn about the [Finding N3MO] instance.¡± she inquired, giving him a light smile. ¡°Certainly. Please wait a moment while the system loads the instance preview.¡± They waited in silence as the NPC tapped away in mid air, on what seemed to be an invisible keyboard. System prompt: Would you like to complete the instance once in third-person mode? ¡°Yes.¡± Serenia confirmed, as the scene around them promptly became dark as the night sky. Once upon a time, there lived a young boy named N3MO¡­ As the system operator began to narrate, the darkness began to melt, revealing a beautiful grassy field illuminated by the dazzling sunlight. In the midst of the everlasting paradise, stood a young boy of no more than ten. Coral-red hair, and sea-blue eyes. As if he came from the tranquil sea itself. N3MO lived with his father, a clown named M@RLIN. The scene shifted to show the young boy with his father, altogether seeming like a happy and wholesome family. All¡¯s well until one day, M@RLIN offended one of the local gangs. The mountain trolls thus kidnapped N3MO, and demanded ransom for his release. ¡°¡­is this the actual story¡­¡± ¡°Shh, [Lux]. Just listen¡­it¡¯s a wonderful and heartbreaking story.¡± M@RLIN thus gathered up all his life savings, and set off to rescue his son¡­but, before that, he needs YOUR help! The scenes began to fast forward. The ground below them began to shake as the stone walls around them collapsed, spiraling into a mass of chaos. Team up with 5 other level 10+ players! Four anonymous figures appeared beside them, standing back-to-back against the impending doom. Fight your way through the hideout! The group began to run, fighting various enemies along the way. Defeat General G. W. Shark¡­and secure your ultimate victory in the next 30 minutes! -[Finding N3MO]? The dramatic preview came to an end. ¡°Would you like to register for an upcoming session?¡± the NPC asked, as they found themselves back at the grand hall of the Instance Lobby. ¡°How long will we be waiting?¡± Serenia asked. ¡°There is one that is going to start in approximately five minutes.¡± the NPC offered. ¡°Great! Well, if there is room for two, we will certainly like to register for that session.¡± The NPC tiled his head, slightly confused. ¡°There is room for two¡­but who else would be registering?¡± ¡°My teammate right beside me¡­[Lux], can you confirm-¡± Serenia looked to the spot right next to her, where Lux was standing moments ago. Yet, there were no traces of her companion anywhere in sight. Gehh!?!? I took my eyes off him for a few seconds...and he is gone again??? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª -[Mission: Possible] Home Base, Instance- ¡°Alright boys, we got 14 out of 15 people gathered here. Waiting on one last person before we decide the teams.¡± ¡°Looks like we got a good balance between the attackers and supporters.¡± ¡°Yeah, seems like a qualified group. I wonder how good the last person will be¡­¡± As the 14 members of the [Mission: Possible] instance chatted in their home base, a light began to shine from the portal behind them. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Oh, the last has arrived!¡± ¡°Finally! Now, let¡¯s begin-¡± They stopped short, their eyes focused on the individual in front of them. [Lux] Level 10 ¡°¡­are you f****** serious.¡± Chapter 10- End To be continued... ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Very long announcement from Hikaru Seishin! AKA: Please read at your own risk. AKA 2: Please read it¡­I would really appreciate it if you could¡­ Announcement 1: Hey everybody! Dark Eden is BACK and running! I apologize for the long months (more like a year) of delay, but things are settled now and D.E.O. is back on track! Thank you all for your patience, and without further ado, please enjoy the 10th chapter of The Death God¡¯s Origin! PS: I have totally forgotten 99% of the plot. Much apologies if I start spamming non-sense, I should get back into the mindset soon. This is partly why this chapter is so short¡­the long hiatus really got me, I seriously have a lot of catching up to do first. And¡­much apologies for the randomness once again, I promise that there will be less craziness as I slowly get back in shape (yeah¡­got to do that in real life too actually, but that¡¯s a different story¡­) PS: Think of this chapter as a teaser then, promise that once my winter break starts (very very soon), we¡¯ll be be off like a rocket! Announcement 2: I have received a few comments from a friend of mine, in regards to how drastically different my stories on Royal Road are. Well, I decided that I¡¯ll take some time right now to briefly introduce the readers to other creations of mine. I¡¯m sure that for those who like certain elements of Dark Eden, you may also find these fictions worth your time. PS: It is 100% reasonable for you to hint on my other fictions that I should update Dark Eden. This is actually pretty effective, since I was bandwagoned on to updating this fiction through other forums and through constructive feedback from readers like you. AKA: Comment comment! Well, either way, here¡¯s what¡¯s up for grabs: 1. Zephyrion Synopsis: One man¡¯s mistake. ¡°Don¡¯t avert your eyes. Look around you. Look at the souls that your foolish kindness had reaped.¡± One man¡¯s escape. ¡°Your attempts are futile. There is no place for vermin like you in this holy empire.¡± One man¡¯s descent into chaos. ¡°At the cost of your humanity, and the lives of many innocent others, will you forsake all to ascend to the top?¡± And one man¡¯s final resolution. ¡°Enough with your blabbering. Even if I have to start over from the lowest of low¡­¡± ¡°I will definitely regain my rightful throne.¡± Comments: Essentially, this is one of my ¡°let-me-write-a-story-while-I-am-drunk¡± fictions. Let¡¯s just say that this is pure madness, and I seriously do not know what I was thinking back then. But, in all honestness, this can be interesting to readers who want a story with a typical ¡°revenge¡± theme, but with a crazy sore loser of a magician king MC who was betrayed and ended up on a journey to conquer the world with the Chaos God Erebus. AKA: Someone who is not nearly as overpowered as Lux, but perhaps even more stubborn and a hundred times more sarcastic. Yet, that sounds like Zeph alright! 2. Colosseum 72 Synopsis: ¡°No one knows when it first appeared, but for as long as I could recall, it had always been there.¡± ¡ª¡ª- Across the globe, people were receiving a series of ¡°chain mails¡± from an unknown source, asking them to participate in the ¡°Colosseum¡±. Those who accept this invitation are mysteriously transported to a strange realm, where they are forced to complete the objectives required on each floor. Failure to pass the trials means death in real life, but it is rumored that riches beyond one¡¯s imagination could be found at the top¡­ 17-year-old Kurose Mikage is also one of the ¡°challengers¡±. But what will happen when he clears Floor 72, and find himself trapped in the worst situation, all because of a wrong wish? An action-thriller featuring an anti-hero main character and a deadly survival game. It is Mikage-kun versus the World! ¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°I know one day, they will eventually find out¡­And on that day, I would become the most wanted mass-murderer in history.¡± Comments: Well, what can I say? Unlike Dark Eden, Colosseum 72 is a detective story. But, unlike the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, our main character here is a serial-killer moderator of the ¡°Colosseum¡±. What? Serial-killer moderator? Is this basically the mix between Light Yagami and Kirito??? No, not exactly. Throw in the fact that our beloved moderator is nothing more than a mere puppet for an anonymous figure named ¡°Ame¡±, Colosseum 72 will take you on a roller-coaster ride up the levels and leave you hanging for more! Quite literally. 3. Washington: The Fool Synopsis: ¡°To dominate the Land, is to unite the Nation.¡± After falling from a cherry blossom tree, the young founding father of the United States, George Washington, found himself trapped back in time. Plot twist? He is stuck in the body of Oda Nobunaga, one of the most celebrated warlords of Sengoku Japan. Will he ever find his way back to his own time, in time for the birth of his own country? ¡°And I, Oda Nobunaga¡­is the man who shall unite Japan!¡± Comments: One word: WTF. Ok, that was more like three words, but you get the point. Well, you got the action-thriller (Dark Eden), fantasy-comedy (Zephyrion), and the mystery-horror (Colosseum 72), why not the historical-drama? Featuring our beloved founding father, George Washington, and the fangirls-a-plenty Oda Nobunaga, what more could you want? Yeah, ok. More chapters. Yeah¡­working on it. Announcement 3: After all this, here¡¯s the big question that some of you may have: ¡°Hikaru, how often are you going to UPDATE these works?¡± Good question. Let¡¯s just say that it is actually easier for me to work on multiple works at the same time, as I would be less likely to drop anything because of boredom this way. With that said though, it will be hard to balance out the releases, as there are readers waiting on each end. My final answer? I will have to think about this more in-depth during my winter break (around one month in length¡­cheers), and I will let you all know by the end of it what I had scheduled for each fiction. Until then though, I will try my best to alternate between the fictions, at the rate of one release per week (minus my exam times). Well, that is all for now! Thank you so much for reading (the few of you that are still here that is), and I¡¯ll see you next time in Dark Eden: The Death God¡¯s Origin! -Hikaru Seishin, November 27, 2015 Update 11: In the Mission鈥?e does the Impossible -[Night Hawks], Mystic Lake Underwater Hideout, Southern Branch Headquarters- ¡°Will they come, Vice Leader?¡± A branch leader of the Night Hawks asked, following behind the Vice Leader of the group as he walked down the long corridors of the underwater hideout. ¡°Of course. Front Lines is known for its loyalty toward its members, especially toward their famed leader.¡± the Vice Leader of the Night Hawks replied, smiling as he led the group of branch leaders down the hall. ¡°But what about him? I had heard rumors of him back in the old days before he had joined Front Lines. That man is the definition of danger.¡± another branch leader jumped in, frowning at the prospect of engaging in battle with a certain member of Front Lines. The Vice Leader¡¯s smile broadened. ¡°I did not issue the challenge unprepared of course,¡± he said, as the group entered an enormous chamber filled with healing supplies and a variety of equipment and tools, ¡°These resources will be more than enough to last us through a long battle with their entire guild. The traps that we will lay around Mystic Lake, along with the abilities of our elites, will hold off any siege prepared by them. And, as for that man-¡± ¡°The Guild Leader has returned!¡± A sudden announcement by a guard at the door rang throughout the hall, and the branch leaders turned around, leaving the Vice Leader and heading to their Leader in order to welcome him back. ¡°Welcome back, Guild Leader!¡± ¡°Just in time as well! Please take a look at our battle strategies¡­¡± ¡°Could you please spare a moment to go over the inventory list?¡± ¡°I would like some resources to be allocated to my branch at Twilight Shores.¡± ¡°Leader, please authorize the mobilization of forces at Seraphim¡¯s Cove!¡± One by one, the branch leaders surrounded the newly-arrived Guild Leader, who began to respond to each of their requests. ¡°Thank you. Strengthen the defenses near the ridge over here, and place two units of offensive mages behind a line of warriors near the bridge. Three units of healers behind the mages near the escape tunnel, just in case we need to do a strategic retreat. Scatter the rouges in the forest nearby, stationed around half a mile distance apart to cover up the entire map.¡± The branch leader, having received the instructions, gave him a smile and nodded, heading off to organize the troops. ¡°We need to stock up 60 dozens more of healing potions, 30 dozens more of mana potions, since we will be relying on the warriors and rouges as we currently have a shortage of mages and healers. Keep 50 more dozens of each kind as backup, I already contacted reinforcements from other branches to aid upon command. Tell the mages and healers to drink mana potions like water if they have to. Don¡¯t let the last line fall back, ever.¡± he continued, as he quickly scanned the inventory list that the branch leader had handed him. ¡°Tell your branch that we will be doing a resource rotation. We will be forcing Front Lines to retreat in the main direction of each branch one after the other, taking out a proportion of their forces each time. This will give the branch that had just engaged in battle time to recover. We will send advance troops ahead of time to resupply each location, while keeping a bare minimum amount of resources at each fort until engagement. Don¡¯t let resources idle in any location not in battle, keep it moving at all times and don¡¯t be afraid to use it to accomplish our goals. Make sure to send escort squads to accompany the transport troops.¡± he told the other branch leader, before looking at the last one, ¡°Keep Seraphim on hold. Engagement may not be necessary. Issue a level two warning to tell them to keep on guard at all times, further instructions to be given upon later circumstances.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Vice Leader watched as the charismatic young Guild Leader handled each request smoothly, taking on the role of the leader without flaw. He stood in silence for a moment, before releasing a low laugh. So my position here is that unnecessarily¡­ He thought to himself, laughing in pure hatred for the young leader, Haven¡¯t you chosen well, honored ex-Guild Leader¡­ He then laughed again, this time in anticipation of his own scheme. Turning his back on the crowd, he began to walk down the hall to his own chamber, his footsteps echoing. I can¡¯t wait for everything to begin, honored Guild Leader. For you will be the sacrificial pawn for me to get rid of the eyesore of Front Lines. His eyes darkened. And, in the meantime, why don¡¯t you two off each other? After all, being two of the top players in this world should make you two evenly matched. His lips slowly broke out in a smile. In the end, there is no place for you two in my Eden¡­ Guild Leader Dante¡­ And Vice Leader Rune. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- -[Front Lines], On-Route to Mystic Lake- ¡°Why did you three follow me?¡± Rune dashed across the plains toward Mystic Forest, traveling toward the designated location given by the Vice Leader of the Night Hawks. ¡°Because we all know this is clearly a trap, and that their target may be you, not Fiorae.¡± the three replied, following closely behind their Vice Leader. ¡°I know. I am well aware of that fact.¡± Rune said, not looking back as he continued on, ¡°But this doesn¡¯t change the situation of Fiorae being held hostage.¡± ¡°And what can you accomplish alone, against the entire army of the Night Hawks?¡± one of them said, her eyes narrowed, ¡°We three have known you since your earliest days. We know exactly what you are capable of.¡± She then paused, letting her next words sink in. ¡°But you are no longer a solo. You are the leader that the guild depends on. And for that reason, if not anything else, you must not die¡­We won¡¯t let you die. Think about the rest of us, don¡¯t be the selfish person you once were.¡± There was a silence in the group, before another of them spoke up. ¡°Sorry, Rune. You know how it is with Ellie. She may say all those harsh things, but inside she truly cares about you.¡± The girl named Ellie blushed, glaring at the speaker. ¡°S-shut up, Pyre! I-it¡¯s none of your business, I-I just wanted to tell Rune to stop acting on his own!¡± she stammered, stealing a glance at Rune before continuing to glare at the member named Pyre. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure all three of us are thinking the same. We are friends after all, right, Mirai?¡± The last member of the group nodded, having stayed silent the entire time there. ¡°Friends.¡± she repeated calmly, her expression unchanged. ¡°W-who¡¯s friends with that idiot? Don¡¯t assume things-¡± Ellie started, but was interrupted by a small chuckle from Rune. ¡°Thank you.¡± Rune said simply, giving them a warm smile. Pyre and Mirai nodded, and Ellie blushed even harder, looking away. ¡°A-anyway¡­so why aren¡¯t we using the teleportation portals or scrolls? Or even horses? They would be much faster than running there on foot.¡± Ellie said, avoiding looking at Rune. ¡°Because then we would be even more vulnerable to attack than we already are.¡± Rune explained, ¡°Guild Leaders can control the teleportation portals of their territories freely.¡± There, he narrowed his eyes. ¡°The Guild Leader of the Night Hawks, Dante, is no fool. He is just as great of a strategist as he is a fighter. None of the teleportation portals to the Mystic Lake area have been closed off. In other words, he is inviting us into his territory with open arms. As for teleportation scrolls, they have a period of vulnerability right after arrival. We will be exposed to any and all forms of attacks, without a chance to defend ourselves.¡± He then paused. ¡°That leaves us with no option but to travel directly to Mystic Lake ourselves. But in order to get there, we have to go through Mystic Forest. This is where riding on horseback will be disadvantageous to us. We may have speed, but we have limited mobility. The dense forest makes it difficult for horses to travel through it, and we will be in plain sight for any hidden forces, while we ourselves have little ways to retaliate. We could simply leave our horses at the entrance of the forest, but we will definitely be marked by the time we do that.¡± ¡°Considering all that, we have no choice but to go on foot. Though Dante most likely has already concluded that, and has set up traps and units scattered around the forest. But the units are likely not placed there to ambush us. Everything has likely been put into place in order to stall us for as long as possible, so that he could be fully prepared at Mystic Lake by the time we arrive. Everything, to turn the tide of the war in their favor.¡± The other three stayed silent, realizing the severity of the current situation. Then, Rune smiled. ¡°There is an addition to his strategy though. He is not the type to stockpile an equal amount of resources at each branch, and then call for backup when needed. With that said, he will likely keep ¡®moving¡¯ supply lines across his territory. A team of a few dozen individuals, with their inventories filled with the supplies, escorted by another team of elites.¡± There, Rune turned to his team members, his eyes gleaming. ¡°That is another reason why I originally wanted to go alone. After all, there is no war without the materials to go to war. Before I headed out¡­¡± ¡°I had already sent troops to plunder every single one of his supply lines.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.-[Mission: Possible], Instance Home Base- ¡°Are you f****** serious.¡± As the final member of the high level instance team appeared in front of them, the players could hardly believe what they were seeing.
[Lux] Level 10
¡°What the hell¡­isn¡¯t this supposed to be a level 35 instance? Why the heck is a level 10 noob here?¡± ¡°Great¡­we are failing this for sure. Alright boys, try to stay alive long enough to time out, we don¡¯t want any unnecessary casualties here.¡± ¡°F*** this sh** I¡¯m out¡­¡± ¡°Anyone want to volunteer to team up with the noob? We will remember your brave sacrifice.¡± The group went silent at the last comment, nobody wanting to team up with the newcomer. ¡°MasterShifu, can you please accept him into your team? You are the highest level here¡­¡± a member eventually said, looking at the strong-looking swordsman standing in the middle of his crowd of followers. ¡°Hell no. Why the hell would I want to take care of a noob that will only drag my team down?¡± MasterShifu replied, sounding extremely annoyed. His gang of followers agreed in unison. ¡°Erm¡­I think we should accept him¡­Sir MasterShifu¡­¡± a quiet voice suggested from within his gang. The group turned to look at the speaker, the only girl in the instance and one of MasterShifu¡¯s team members. The girl, a beauty with big golden eyes framed by luxurious eyelashes, and pure white hair so silky and smooth that it made her look like an angel that had just descended from the heavens, looked at MasterShifu shyly, before blushing and looking down at the ground, embarrassed of her sudden input. ¡°But my sweet dear Rina¡­¡± MasterShifu said, looking at her with an adoring expression on his face, ¡°He will only drag us down. I can¡¯t have him possibly ending up getting you hurt, my most beloved!¡± He gave her a wink, and the rest of the group, including the followers, shivered in response. ¡°But he will die if he goes alone¡­¡± Rina said, gazing at MasterShifu, ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get out of the instance safely, all of us together¡­¡± MasterShifu blushed, looking at Rina with completely love-struck eyes. ¡°Hmmm¡­If my darling Rina says so, the honorable MasterShifu shall comply! Toward victory, my boy!¡± He swung his arm around Lux¡¯s shoulder in a friendly gesture, pointing toward the distance. Then, he pulled Lux closer, so that he could whisper the next lines to him. ¡°You better not make trouble for my team, especially for Rina.¡± He gave Lux a death glare, warning him of the consequences otherwise. ¡°And if you do, I won¡¯t hesitate to get rid of you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lux stared right back at him silently, unfazed by his threats. MasterShifu could feel a cold shiver run down his spine. What the hell is with this guy¡­ He let go of Lux, laughing as if they merely had a nice chat over a campfire. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get to it then! Looks like there are three syndicates to take care of. We can go in groups of five, since there are 15 of us.¡± He then patted himself on the chest, confident. ¡°Me and my boys can take care of two of the syndicates. The rest of you go take care of the other one. If you guys manage to survive, come join us at the boss fight at the end¡­if you guys survive that is, hahaha!¡± The group of ten that was assigned to the other syndicate looked unhappy with his comments, but remained silent out of fear of MasterShifu. ¡°No objections? Good, then off we go!¡± MasterShifu began to lead his group away from the rest of them, beaming as if he had already claimed victory over the instance. Soon, the group of five found themselves in front of a dark passageway. ¡°So this is the hideout for the first syndicate. Looks pretty cheap, they must not be rich like me, hahahahah!¡± The group stayed silent, nobody wanting to tell MasterShifu that this was simply generated by the system. ¡°Alright, stay behind me everyone, I got everything under control-¡± He stopped talking. Right in front of their eyes, his health points bar dropped to zero. He turned to look at the group one last time, reaching his hand out toward Rina, his eyes widened in shock. ¡°R-Rina¡­¡± MasterShifu¡¯s form burst into thousands of tiny crystals, fading away into nothingness.
System Prompt: Player [MasterShifu] has been defeated by Syndicate Member [NPC: Getaway Driver A].
A brief period of silence followed, as the members processed what had just happened. ¡°Did he just-¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to die yet! I¡¯m done with this!!!¡± ¡°I only joined his group because he was famous, now that he¡¯s gone, I¡¯m out of here!¡± But before any of them could escape, the group became surrounded by Syndicate members, who appeared out of the passageway after the Getaway Driver A. ¡°Is this the end?¡± one of them asked, as if acknowledging his fate. Rina stood there silently, tears glistening in her eyes as she looked at the NPCs that surrounded them. ¡°Oh, lookie lookie, we have guests! Unwelcome guests that is.¡± the NPC known as [Janitor A] jeered, surveying the group in front of him. ¡°Ohhhh, how nice of them to come and visit! Though I must say¡­they seem to be missing one of their members?¡± NPC [Dealer A] added, laughing at the horrified expressions on the members¡¯ face. ¡°Hey guys, one of them is still in noob gear! I say we get him first, what do you all think?¡± The leader of the NPCs, NPC [Mafioso A], turned to look right at Lux as he said this. ¡°Ohhh, you are right! Hahaha, what¡¯s a noob like him doing here anyway? Little boy got lost or something?¡± ¡°Hahahha, good one! Don¡¯t kill him too fast though, it¡¯s rare to see a weak one wander into here. Make sure to play around with him for as long as possible.¡± The NPCs soon surrounded Lux, who looked at them with a blank expression. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s done for, let¡¯s take this chance and run for it-¡± Swoosh. Before they could finish their sentence, their mouths fell open at the sight in front of them. All the NPCs were lying on the ground, completely lifeless. And in the middle of the scene of destruction, stood the same man whom they called a ¡°noob¡± earlier.
System Prompt: Player [Lux] has defeated Syndicate Member [NPC: Janitor A], Syndicate Member [NPC: Dealer A], Syndicate Member [NPC: Spy A], Syndicate Member [NPC: Blackmailer A], Syndicate Member [NPC: Getaway Driver A], Syndicate Member [NPC: Mafioso A]¡­
The list continued on almost endlessly. ¡°¡­¡± Lux withdrew his sword calmly, tilting his head at the group, curious as to why they looked so shocked. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°WHAT THE FLYING HECK!???¡± Chapter Eleven- End. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª A note from Hikaru Seishin (read for important update information): Hey guys, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve spoken to you all, and a long time since I have updated my novels (sorry about that D: ). I apologize sincerely for the delay, but I would just like to say a few things about my fictions as well as my future plans for them. To keep it short and sweet, here¡¯s the basic idea: 1. I am going to be very busy this summer, so unfortunately, I won¡¯t be updating as often as every single day. But whenever I have some free-time, I will be writing and updating. So keep an eye out for updates as the summer progresses! 2. As for which fictions will be updated, I will be focusing mostly on the following three: Dark Eden, Colosseum 72, and I Became Soldier A (short title). These were picked based on reader demand, and thus get priority over the others. Yet, I will be updating my other works there and there as well, so don¡¯t get discouraged if your favorite work is not one of those three! 3. Specifically for Dark Eden, I have received a request to write a side story on Rune and Fiorae. I will be doing that eventually, though I would like to get more of the plot going before I add any side stories. 4. For Colosseum 72, I left off right before the introduction of the other main character of the story- Mikage¡¯s main rival. Much apologies for that, but I will definitely be continuing, though I will be slower to update that (as a purely mystery and strategy-driven story, it is not as easy to write as some of my other fictions). I hope you all can understand, and I will see you soon in Colosseum 72! 5. For Soldier A, I am now ready to jump right back into the story with lots of anime and manga cliches, as well as criticisms from Main Character. It should be interesting and fun for me to write, and I hope that you guys will continue to support this fiction, along with the others, in the future! That¡¯s all there is for now¡­thank you for reading (if you are still here that is), and I will see you all next time! Yours truly, Hikaru Seishin, May 20, 2016.