dot HACK: OMEGA INFILTRATION Ω
Login 0: Prologue
"Whoa…it's even cooler than they said it would be." Whispered a redheaded male Wavemaster. His staff was being held loosely in his right hand. He was wearing pure red robes, and had an upside down triangle under his right eye. His username was Dasi the Red Mage. He was in a party of three newly leveled up players. They had just unlocked a new stage that only medium and high-leveled players could access. It was the 'Grieving Forest'. The Chaos Gate that had transported them to this spot was in a tiny clearing…in the middle of a giant and foreboding forest.
A petite blue haired female Blademaster shifted her light, blue armor. "Dasi…this is cool! I wonder what monsters inhabit this place." She pondered. Her username was Azura. Her silvery-blue hair was pulled back into a ponytail…and her eyes were a bright green.
"Grieving Forest? Why's it called that?" Asked a tall skinny Twinblade. He wore a rare item: a skin-tight spy suit. He wore a pair of slim black sunglasses, and his black hair was slicked back…which added to his depressing look.
"Jin…you mean you've never heard of the legend of the Grieving Guardian?" Azura asked, eyes wide.
The fourth member, another Wavemaster, adjusted his pure-white robes and pope-like hat. "Of course he hasn't…he's not much of a mythology buff. He hates any kind of history." He sniffed, flipping his pure white long hair. His skin was just as pale as his outfit and hair…and his eyes were red. He looked positively strange.
"Awww…come on! You don't have to be so mean, Kazu." Murmured Jin, kicking at the grassy forest floor.
Kazu just smirked at the Twinblade and twirled his staff. Dasi sighed. "Well…it all has to do with the Legend of the Grieving Guardian. He was an ordinary player like us, four years ago. However…something happened in the real world that changed him completely. He withdrew from all contact, and somehow gained immense power. He is rumored to be even stronger than most CC Corp Administrators are. He would stick to the shadows of stages…helping others out and protecting those who got in way over their heads. He has never let someone die in front of him…and always helps. They say…that he lost his first love in an accident in the real world and is completely obsessed with protecting others…to atone for his weakness. This place was created by CC Corp…in honor of his good deeds. This is his usual haunt, they say…that's why it's called the Grieving Forest." He informed the clueless Twinblade.
"Ahh…so do you think he's real?" Jin asked.
Dasi shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that this place is supposed to have really wicked monsters."
They all shrugged, and the Kazu advanced to the edge of the clearing to a wooden sign. "Hey guys…come read this." Kazu called, waving.
The rest of his party walked over, curious as to what their teammate found. "It's a warning." Kazu said.
Dasi, the nominated leader of the Party, read the board aloud for them all. "Warning! The Grieving Forest is rampant with monsters. The Clearing around the Chaos Gate is the only protected area. Save your game before advancing." Dasi read.
Everyone walked back to the Chaos Gate, and saved. They were just newly leveled up…and did not want to lose all their achievements. Dasi and his party quickly made their last-minute preparations, and then advanced back to the border of the clearing. They all started to shiver in excitement, and in the Real World, they wiped their sweaty palms on their clothing. They took one step at the same time…their first step into the Grieving Forest.
They all breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly wove their way through the trees, following Dasi as he quickly took point. "Okay! So…let's find some monsters!" Dasi exclaimed cheerfully. Suddenly, the background music changed…and the atmosphere attained a grey tint and everything seemed gloomier.
"Whoa…talk about taking it to the extremes." Murmured Azura. They all murmured in agreement, and felt a shiver run down their spines at the haunting melody that played through the air.
Suddenly, a warning flashed on all their screens. BATTLE MODE. Everyone quickly went on guard, looking around for their enemy. The surrounding area was empty…and they all glanced around, confused.
Suddenly, a sick moaning sound filled their ears. "Below!" Yelled Dasi, springing backwards. His friends followed suit, as a pale hand broke through the ground.
"Undead Zombies." Kazu spat in disgust, as four of the said creatures broke through the forest floor. Their pale, rotting skin hung slack off their bodies…and their red eyes burned with hatred. All the players blanched when they saw the title and Level Description of the enemy.
Dasi whispered in disbelief. "What? Undead Zombies…level 80? We're only level 40's!"
"Bah! They aren't so tough!" Kazu yelled, and immediately cast a spell.
"Divine Light!" Kazu yelled, raising his staff. A bright bolt of light burst from his Staff and hit the closest Zombie. It stumbled…and then fell. It was momentarily incapacitated from the attack. Dasi drew courage from his friend's confidence, and they all quickly attacked the fallen Zombie. "Vek Dom!" Dasi yelled, blasting the fallen Zombie. The Twinblade and Blademaster slashed and hacked at the Zombie…and it disappeared.
"See? One down…three to go!" Kazu yelled cheerfully.
"Hahaha! You're right! Let's go to town!" Jin exclaimed, brandishing his Twin blades.
However, their excitement was short-lived when five other Zombies burst from the ground…now carrying the total to eight zombies to battle. Dasi laughed nervously, his confidence waning. "No problem, right?" He called, blasting a zombie with a Fire Spell.
Eight more Zombies burst through the ground, and the friends' attitudes turned grim. They didn't bother to reply to Dasi's query…but instead focused on the task at hand: Staying alive.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
A lone figure, sitting completely still on a large boulder in the forest…opened his eyes slowly. He listened carefully, and then nodded. That was indeed the echo of combat. It had been a long time since someone had visited the Grieving Forest…and he hoped that whoever it was now were smarter than the last batch that had come here. He rose, and glanced at his surroundings with his piercing blue eyes. He hefted his Heavy Blade…and then jumped onto the forest floor.
He heard a tiny echo of a scream, and his body instantly tensed up. He ran, using a speed Charm, towards the direction of the sounds of combat.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Dasi ducked underneath a Zombie's physical attack, and responded with one of his own. His staff blurred into momentary invisibility due to the speed of his attack, and then it slammed heavily into the Zombie. The Zombie stumbled backwards, and Dasi used it as an opportunity to heal his teammates. Azura had been struck by a paralysis spell from one of the forty zombies surrounding them.
He tossed an antidote at her, and she burst back into action. "Thanks!" She yelled, and quickly slashed at an incoming zombie. Things were not going well. His magic points were almost completely gone…all he had was enough for a few healing spells. Kazu was the same, which was why they were both resorting to physical attacks. Jin had screamed a little while ago…as he had been critically wounded by a zombie. To get Jin back to full health, Dasi had to use many of his healing spells. They couldn't even flee now…they were surrounded by the zombie horde.
Azura hacked at a Zombie that had snuck up on Dasi, and the Zombie disappeared. Kazu and Jin teamed up, slashing and bashing at one Zombie at a time. They had to concentrate their efforts on one at a time to effectively kill…but they were being swamped by zombies. They wouldn't be able to live through this one, unless another party stumbled upon them.
Suddenly, two zombies attacked Azura. Dasi, seeing the unavoidable attack, jumped in front of Azura. His health dropped into the single digits, and he dropped to the ground. "DASI!" Azura screamed, and his friends quickly surrounded him.
Kazu, the one with the most potions, quickly administered several to his friend. Dasi rose, shakily, as half of his health was regained. "I'm okay. Thanks, Kazu."
Kazu nodded, and quickly went back to the frenzied battle. His white robes were torn and stained with grime and blood, and Dasi's clothes weren't that better off either. Dasi quickly staff-whipped a Zombie at the same time as Kazu, and the Zombie disappeared instantly. However…the Zombies kept coming.
Suddenly, the zombie horde surged as one, and the friends were overcome. They all felt their health levels fall to critical level…and Dasi and Kazu cast their last healing spells at their teammates as they all disappeared under the Zombie bodies. 'Well this bites.' Dasi thought, as he waited for his health to fall to zero.
Over the sounds of the moaning and groaning of zombies, came a loud cry. "OATH BREAKER!"
A surge of red energy engulfed everything…zombies and players alike, but the Zombies all screamed and disappeared. Dasi bolted to his feet, as did his friends, and glanced around. Treasure boxes littered the forest floor now, but no zombies were in sight.
"Are you four alright?" asked a voice from behind them. They all spun, startled.
Standing before them was a young man, holding his Heavy Blade on his right shoulder. His white hair came down in thick bangs over his piercing blue eyes, and he had black sideways triangles under his eyes, with the points facing his nose. He had a black triangle that occupied the tip of his chin, and his neck was adorned with a thin black strip of leather that held a silver triangle. His face was kind, and solemn…and Dasi nodded. He and his friends quickly healed themselves, though with their limited supplies they could only heal themselves up to one-fourth of their full health.
Their rescuer was an intimidating male, and Dasi knew without a doubt who it was. He wore a black breastplate with a silver ram's head symbol on the middle of the chest, and silver trim around the edges. His six-pack abs were revealed, seeing as the breastplate protected only his upper torso. On his left bicep was a black tattoo that encircled his arm, and on his forearms were black metal guards. They had silver trim at the edges as well, and had a strange symbol on them. The symbol was an upright triangle behind another triangle…but the front triangle was upside down, and its 'top' was curve into what looked like horns. He wore what looked like a pair of cream colored tight pants and a belt that had a thick silver square buckle. He wore black metal shin guards, and heavy brown boots.
"You…you're the Grieving Guardian…aren't you?" Dasi asked, and all his friends' gazes rested heavily on their rescuer.
The rescuer didn't answer, but extended four vials. "Here. These are full recovery potions."
Dasi and his friends gratefully took the vials and applied it, restoring all their statuses and health back to normal. Their rescuer then motioned to all the treasure boxes. "I believe those are yours." He said, smiling softly.
Dasi and his friends shook their heads violently. "No…they're yours. You defeated the Zombies…and you saved us." Dasi replied.
The Grieving Guardian shrugged. "I don't need them." He said simply…and then turned to leave. A stray shaft of sunlight broke through the thick forest canopy…and landed on the Guardian's sword. 'An upgraded Heavy Blade? Customized, too, by the looks of it.' Dasi thought in surprise.
Azura stepped forward, blushing. "Wait!" She called, hands clasped tightly in front of her chest. She lowered her head as their rescuer turned around. "Yes?" He asked, his soft and calm voice holding the hint of a smile.
Dasi, Kazu, and Jin all stared at Azura, curious as to what she would want. "Could…could you tell us who you are?" She asked, and her whole face turned red as she blushed.
The boy smiled softly. "My name…is Kasu Griefheart, age 16." He said, and turned and strode away.
The four survivors glanced at one another…and even Kazu, who usually was impassive, seemed surprised. "Griefheart the Guardian." Kazu whispered…saying the other title of their rescuer.
Dasi nodded slowly. "Let's hurry up and gather the items…and then get out of here. If we want to be able to meet him again…we'll have to get strong enough to whip these zombies next time." Dasi said, and they all nodded. They quickly gathered the abundance of items from the treasure chests, and left from the way they came. They were silent the entire way back to the Chaos Gate…and they never spoke a word until they saved their progress at the Gate.
"So…uh…where to?" Jin asked.
Dasi glanced around, and then shrugged. "Let's go to Mac Anu, the city of Water, for now…and restock on our items."
They all nodded, and Dasi touched the Chaos Gate. "Mac…Anu!" He said, and with a simple data transfer, they all disappeared. Watching them from the edge of the clearing…stood Kasu Griefheart. He had trailed them, making sure that they got back to the Chaos Gate safely. Once they were gone, he turned back, and sighed. His attack, Oath Breaker, had drained half of his health. But, he still had a lot of health left. He refilled his health with a Full Recover Potion, and then walked into the clearing and up to the Chaos Gate.
He chanted the correct Key Words that would take him to another area to protect. "The Field: Special Level." The Field had different levels, 1-100. The Special level was for the higher characters, who were few. However few there were, they always needed help. The Monsters were ranging from level 100-130…and that was the highest they got. People often underestimated Monsters there, or took noobs there to swindle and kill them and take their items. He had a task to do.
He closed his eyes, and his data was transferred from The Grieving Forest to The Field: Special Level.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Pale Blossom Sakura…what can I do for you?" A deep baritone voice asked. The owner of the voice was at the local pub, sitting in a far dark corner. The place was bustling with activity, and made great noise cover for his business. He was an Informant…and sold any information he knew for a hefty price. He was a non-descript character, except that he was an older-looking man. He wore a simple tan tunic top and bottom, and had messy dark brown hair. He had a small patch of chin-hair, and a thin mustache. His eyes were also a dark brown.
The person he was asking…was a female Wavemaster. She had pale skin, and wore a completely pale pink outfit. She wore a medium sized round hat (think Kite's without the earflaps) that had a black trim and golden ring around its middle. Above her left eyebrow, a single vertical black triangle decorated the hat. It sat off-center some, tilted to the left slightly. She had medium length, just below her shoulder-blades, dirty blond hair. She had a strange kind of eyes…eyes that were mainly a light blue, but had flecks of green in the iris. Under her left eye was a slightly wavy black horizontal triangle, and on the bottom right side of her jaw were two vertical triangles. The black triangles on her jaw led to a more intricate tattoo that led down the right side of her neck and down her right arm, where it wound around, and then it tapered off to a point once it reached the middle of her forearm. She wore a thin golden bracelet on her right wrist, and held a solid gold staff, with a light blue-green jewel at the top. The Gold portion of the staff partially wound around the jewel, keeping it in place.
Her outfit consisted of a top that started, but held tight, to her shoulders. It was a pale pink with gold trim around the sleeves, bottom trim, and collar…that was V-cut and would have shown cleavage had she not worn a white sleeveless and strapless tube top. Her Pink over-shirt stopped when it reached the top of her abdomen, and then revealed her toned mid-riff that had the faint outline of muscles. She then wore a skirt with a gold trim around the waist, and that ended above her thin leather slip-shoes. She leaned on her golden staff, smiling. "Well…I'd like the usual, please."
The man smiled politely. She paid good money for any rumors or hints of The World mythologies even being slightly real. He quickly mulled over all of the information he had acquired recently, rubbing his goatee slightly. "Hmmm…." He said, and then remembered everything he needed to say.
"You're in luck. There's two pieces of information for you today. One actually just came in an hour or so ago. But the oldest was from last night." The man said, and the female Wavemaster nodded eagerly, encouraging him. He smiled at her. She was by far, his most eccentric and favorite customer.
"The oldest one was a confirmation…that there are no Alligators or Crocodiles in the sewers. The CC Corp did not put any there, so if there are indeed any at all…some kind of hacker had to have put them there." He chuckled, and Sakura smiled.
"Well that's good. I guess I don't have to be afraid to explore the sewers then." She sighed, and they both laughed.
"Now…this newest piece of information is quite interesting. It pertains to the legend of Griefheart the Guardian." He said, and they both leaned forward.
Sakura's blue and green eyes sparkled with interest, and she whispered, "Tell me, Gaston."
Gaston smiled. This was on her top three of Legends that she wanted information on…and this would make her day.
"There was a party of four level forties traveling to the Grieving Forest. They talked to one of their friends who happens, thankfully, to be one of my connections. They had gone out in the forest, and were attacked by a horde of forty or so Zombies. They were about to die, when all the Zombies were killed by one attack…and then they say that they met him. The Grieving Guardian." Gaston murmured, and Sakura's eyes widened.
"This is the first sighting of him in a long time. At least a few months. Everyone else just sees a vague shape or a disappearing figure. However, this party's leader described the man in detail. Apparently…he told them his name is Kasu Griefheart…and he's sixteen years old." Gaston said, grinning and leaning back in his chair.
Sakura squealed, burying her face in her hands. "Yes!" She said, and brought her face up to look at Gaston. "Anything else?" She asked excitedly, and Gaston grinned widely.
"Yes. Just because I felt like it…I researched the usage of the Chaos Gates. There were only three uses today. Two were the party coming, and then leaving…and the third was someone leaving. The person who left went to 'The Field: Special Level'. Only super-high leveled characters go there." Gaston said, and Sakura's eyes widened.
"NO!" She whispered fiercely, trembling with excitement.
"Yep. And I've been keeping tags on the activity of that Chaos Gate…and no one has left yet." Gaston said.
Sakura jumped to her feet. "YES!" She yelled, unheard thankfully due to the loud shouts of others.
Gaston laced his fingers together as he brought his hands up behind his head. Sakura dropped two large bags of GP on the table in front of Gaston and breathlessly thanked him. "Thanks! I'm going to go check it out!" She said, and he nodded.
"Be careful. Save before you go to the field. It's super dangerous there." Gaston admonished.
Sakura nodded, and ran out of the inn. Gaston grinned, and put the large amount of GP in his inventory. Another satisfied customer.
---------------------------------------
Sakura used a speed charm to bolt through the large crowds of Root Town, speeding towards the Chaos Gate. Her mind and heart were both racing, and her adrenaline coursed through her body. Finally a break on one of her favorite Myths!
As soon as she reached the Gate, she quickly equipped her staff and held it ready. She had never been to the Special Level field. It was way beyond her level 88. She only went to 'The Field: Level 80", and even then, she broke a sweat. She could only imagine what waited for her in this super-hard field.
She raised her hand to the Chaos Gate, touching it. "The Field: Special Level." She intoned, and closed her eyes as her character data was transferred to the new area.
She opened her eyes quickly, and was confronted by something that wasn't quite a field. It was more like…a large volcanic wasteland. The ground was hard and black and rocky, and the sky was a dark red. Mountains that were covered with oozing, fiery Lava decorated the landscape, and she realized she was on a wide-open volcanic plain. She could see no monsters or signs of life anywhere at the moment, and she shivered. This area probably wasn't even protected at all. She quickly saved her game, and then took a trembling step forward.
She continued her steps, shakily holding her Pro-level staff tight to her chest. The deep, heavy use of drums in the background music seemed to mirror her heart…and it made her tremble even more. She walked silently, hearing only the background music and volcanic rumble. Suddenly, a warning blinked on her screen.
'Danger! Danger! Approaching combatants!' The message read, and she looked at the horizon. The Message meant that a party that was already battling something was headed this way, and to get out of the way or join the fray. She could make out a large, hazy shape on the horizon…shimmering through the heat. She felt the ground shake in a rhythm that she recognized as something extremely large running…and then as the large object came nearer, she began to make out its details.
A large, vicious black Dragon stomped towards a fleeing figure…that happened to be running in Sakura's direction. She examined the fierce, angry dragon, and realized that it wasn't running after the figure at all. The dragon was fleeing someone else. The other figure just wanted to get out of the Dragon's way.
Sakura motioned for the figure, waving her bright staff as a signal for the fleeing player, and stepped off to the side. It would leave the dragon enough space to go by, and it wouldn't attack them.
The fleeing character ran towards her, and Sakura was surprised to see that it was a female Career Werewolf. Sakura was further surprised to see it was a Character she had met once before in the level 80 Field…a high-level character known as 'Divine Fist' Ouka. "Ouka?" Sakura asked, as Ouka drew close. They had met briefly, a few weeks ago.
"Sakura?" Ouka called out, breathless. Ouka made it to Sakura's side, and doubled over, panting. The dragon ran past, and Ouka's eyes were wide. "Wow…who'd have ever thought you would be running from a monster." Sakura said, and she watched as the large black dragon stopped near the Chaos Gate. From what she could see…it was the highest level that could be here: a level 130.
"It wasn't my fault! The stupid thing ran at me while I was trying to get through a narrow canyon! It was pretty heavily damaged, too. But, still, it's about 15 levels above me, and I can't fight it!" Ouka growled angrily…her green eyes blazing.
Sakura held her hands up in front of her, warding off any blows that might come. "I was just saying!" Sakura said, trembling slightly. She didn't want to get on Ouka's bad side…especially in this place. Ouka sighed, and then raised an eyebrow suspiciously at Sakura.
"What are you doing here? You couldn't have leveled up to the 100's that fast. Weren't you a level 86 or something?" Ouka asked, planting her hands on her hips.
"I'm a level 88, actually. However, I'm here looking for a player. He might be the highest-level player EVER! His name…is Kasu, and he's known as the 'Griefheart the Guardian'." Sakura said excitedly, clutching her staff.
Ouka raised both eyebrows in surprise. "Really? How tough is he supposed to be?" Ouka licked her lip, obviously hoping for a fight.
"Well…he wiped out a horde of forty or so zombies in one blow." Sakura said, and Ouka's mouth dropped.
"One blow?" She asked.
"Yeah…and that was about an hour or so ago. He came here, I think, and so now, I'm looking for him. He's one of my favorite myth's…and I want to see if he's real or not! I'm pretty sure he is…but I want confirmation!" She squealed excitedly, clapping.
Ouka thumbed her nose in pride. "Well…I'll escort you, then. We can't have you being senselessly murdered here. I'll be your guard! I just hope he wants to tussle with me!" Ouka said, hands on her hip and puffing her ample chest out in pride.
"You will? Oh, thank you so much, Ouka!" Sakura said, eyes watery from happiness. This way, she had a lot more of a chance to find him! 'Yaaay!' She thought giddily, and hugged Ouka.
Ouka pushed the girl off, laughing. "If it means that much to you…I'll help you out. So…let's hurry up and go."
Sakura nodded, and clutched her staff tightly. "I don't think it would be wise to go around yelling his name…but the legend is that whenever he hears someone in trouble, he comes running. Especially if it's a girl screaming." Sakura said, and Ouka nodded.
"Well…the nearest monster is that level 130 Black Dragon. If I engage it…do you think you could back me up with healing spells?" Ouka asked, cracking her knuckles. Her passion for fighting was cranked up now…and Sakura smiled.
"Yeah. If you need any potions or anything, let me know." She said, and Ouka nodded.
"It shouldn't be too hard to kill…after all, someone managed to damage it a lot. It's near critical…that should be 1000 to 800 HP left. Got any enhancement spells?" Ouka asked, as they slowly walked to where the Dragon stayed…waiting for prey.
"Yeah…damage reduction and increase attack, as well as skill point regeneration." Sakura said, trembling with excitement as they drew nearer to the massive dragon.
"Good. Make sure to cast them all. Oh, boy…this is going to be a little rough. Make sure to scream if he hits me good." Ouka said, and Sakura nodded.
"Ouka…thanks." Sakura said softly, and Ouka grinned widely.
"Hey…no problem. I'd do this for any of my friends." Ouka said, and Sakura smiled.
'COMBAT MODE!' Blinked a warning box on their screens, and Sakura gulped. The Dragon had seen them and decided to attack. Said dragon rose onto its hind legs, and prepared to attack.
"NOW!" Ouka yelled, and Sakura cast her first spell.
"DAMAGE REDUCTION!" She yelled, jabbing her staff into the air. A soft white light engulfed her, and then Ouka.
Ouka jumped forward, fist cocked back…ready to pummel the daylights out of the Dragon. Sakura waited for a moment, so that she could cast the next spell, and then activated the next one. "Skill Regeneration!" She yelled, and this time a soft green glow pulsed around Ouka. Ouka slammed her fist into the massive Dragon's face, and they were both dismayed at the measly 80 damage it dealt out.
"WAR CRY!" Sakura yelled, casting her next spell. A rapid blinking aura surrounded Ouka, and Sakura grinned as Ouka dodged a ferocious swipe from the Dragon.
"Your attack's upped!" Sakura yelled, and Ouka yelled triumphantly. She started to hammer away at the Dragon, doing 100 points of damage at least each blow.
However, suddenly, Ouka was blasted back by a stream of Fire from the Dragon. Ouka cried out, and Sakura quickly cast a healing spell. "Ol-Repth!" She cried, sending a wave of healing magic at Ouka. Ouka's health regenerated…and Sakura's magic points went down drastically. Lucky for her, her bracelet was a special item that regenerated her magic points slowly.
Ouka picked herself up off the ground, grunting with effort. She barely managed to dodge a blow from the Dragon's tail. She jumped high, hoping to score another blow to the Dragon's head, where it seemed to score the most damage. However, as she was about to hit the dragon…it grabbed her in its claws.
Ouka cried out softly in pain, and then slightly louder when the Dragon threw her to the ground. "Sakura…now would be a good time to scream!" Ouka cried, and Sakura realized that Ouka was pretty badly damaged.
"Okay…." Sakura called, and quickly cast a healing spell to re-heal Ouka.
Then…Sakura opened her mouth and let out a high-pitched scream. The Dragon turned its attention to her, and Sakura paled. She just hoped that the scream carried far enough for Griefheart to hear. She quickly prepared another spell, as Ouka picked herself up off the ground. "Giga Dom!" Sakura cried, blasting boulders at the Dragon. 'The Guardian had better hurry…or we're toast.' Sakura thought desperately, and Ouka once again engaged the Dragon.
------------------------------------
Kasu heard the scream, right as he nonchalantly finished off a lava monster. He left the treasure box where it lay, forgetting it instantly. The scream was definitely a female scream…unless it was a boy who hadn't hit puberty yet. He grimaced, and immediately pulled a speed charm out of his inventory. The scream sounded like it had come from near the entrance caverns, which luckily he was near enough to be there in a few moments. "Speed Charm." He intoned, and activated the charm.
He burst into a run, going as fast as the speed charm allowed. Although it was fast…sometimes, it didn't seem to be fast enough whenever he needed it. He zoomed past the lava fields, jumping over large streams of the molten liquid, and through the narrow canyon that was the entrance to the wide Lava field.
As he zoomed through the canyon, he heard the sounds of an angry dragon…and the sounds of two separate females crying out in pain. Anger coursed through him, unbidden and catching him slightly off-guard. He didn't have time for emotions at the moment…he just had to focus on the task at hand. As he zoomed out of the Narrow Canyon, the speed Charm wore off. He cursed, and ran as fast as he could towards the battle. He could see two female figures fighting a very angry black Dragon…and both females seemed to be critically damaged.
'Warning! Approaching Combatants.' Warned the box on his screen, which he ignored. He got closer, and saw that the famous 'Divine Fist' Ouka was battling a dragon 15 levels too much for her…with the aid of a level 88. 'What are they thinking?' he thought angrily.
"Spellblade: Vek Dom!" He intoned, and his heavy blade burst into flames. It was a hard-to-acquire skill…but it came in handy. The skill managed to land some VERY heavy hits and do some really nasty damage. He jumped high, as high as he could, soaring through the air towards the combatants. As he soared through the air, he realized that even his Spellblade might not pierce the Dragon's high defense…so he decided to go with a combination attack.
"SHATTERING DRIVE!" He yelled, turning his blade a glowing green. The two players whipped their heads around, and saw him flying through the air towards the Dragon…and the dragon focused its attention on him.
It swiped a claw at him, which he slipped under. He then continued on his path towards the Dragon's chest…and yelled as he swung his sword straight at the Dragon's heart. If you could manage to get past the thick scales of the Dragon…its heart was wide open. "RRRRAAAAAHHHH!" He yelled, and as soon as his fiery green blade touched the dragon's scaly chest…a concussive green wave blasted into its chest.
The monster cried out as its defensive armor was penetrated completely, and the fiery blade pierced its heart…and then its HP fell completely to zero. It disappeared, dropping a massive treasure chest in its place. Kasu landed like a cat, his back to the two females, in front of the treasure chest. He slung his Heavy Blade onto his back, and then turned to the two exhausted females. He held out two 'Full Revival' potions, silent and slightly angry. These two low-levelers had tried to take on the highest-level monster in the whole FIELD! How stupid could they be?
They quickly applied the potion, and all of their health and stats recovered completely. Ouka of the Divine Fist grinned at her companion, and Kasu couldn't help but wonder why in the world she would be grinning. She had almost been killed!
Her companion, a cute Wavemaster wearing mostly pink, seemed to be trembling. From fear or excitement, or both…he couldn't tell. He stood there silently, and then he gestured to the treasure box. "I believe this is yours." He said. He never needed treasure boxes…he could always get whatever he needed from high-level shops.
Ouka shook her head. "Nah. We don't need it…or even want it." She said, and Kasu smiled slightly. At least they weren't super-greedy.
The cute Wavemaster spoke softly. "A-are…are you Kasu Griefheart?" She asked, and he noticed that she was holding her staff tightly. She was nervous…and excited.
He paused...and then nodded. "Yes. That's me." He sighed, and then ran a hand through his unruly white hair. "You guys must have a death wish, battling a level 130 Black Dragon. I don't want you…especially you," He jabbed his finger at the Wavemaster, "To even try to battle another one. You shouldn't even be in this place. You're too low-leveled, and you'll die fast." He admonished, and Ouka seemed to be offended slightly. The Wavemaster still seemed excited though.
Ouka crossed her arms across her chest, and planted her feet wide. "Okay. Are you done lecturing?" She asked huffily.
Kasu shook his head. He obviously wouldn't get through to her. She was a high-leveled player…and didn't like anyone telling her what to do. "Yes…I apologize. I'm done." He turned to leave, but was surprised when he felt a hand grab his wrist and stopped him from leaving. The grip was soft, but obviously demanding attention.
He turned back around, and was confronted by the Wavemaster. "I…I'm sorry. It was my entire fault. I came here to find you, and then I ran into Ouka. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come, but I wanted to find you." She said quickly, her words jumbling together. Kasu was surprised.
"You came here to find me? Why?" He asked, and the girl glanced down at the ground.
"Well…you're one of my most favorite Legends. You see, I'm really into the Legends and Myths of the World…and I've been trying to find out what legends and myths are true and false. And…I wanted to know your story…and maybe be your friend if possible." She said, and Kasu gently removed his wrist from her grip.
Ouka piped in. "And I wanted to fight you." She said, her arms still crossed over her chest.
"Are you sure you even want to try, Ouka? Considering how easily I beat the Dragon…no offense…but you're way weaker than him." He said, putting it bluntly.
Ouka swung her right fist at him, and he caught it easily. "What's your level, Ouka?" He asked easily, as she swung another fist at him. He ducked underneath it, still holding her right fist. She kicked at him as she replied. "I'm a level 115!"
He jumped back slightly, letting go of her fist. Sakura backed off, and Kasu raised an eyebrow. "Good. Now…add 87 levels to yours." He said, and she performed a flying kick.
He dodged easily, obviously not trying too much. She was fast…but he was faster. Sakura did the mental math. "It's 202." She told Ouka. Ouka unleashed a flurry of punches, each of which never even touched Kasu.
Ouka echoed Sakura's answer, and Kasu nodded. "Good Job. Now you know my level." Ouka froze, her right fist cocked back and ready to punch.
Sakura and Ouka's eyes widened in shock. "T-two hundred and two!" Ouka cried out, and Kasu nodded.
She let her fist fall to her side, limp. "I see." She said, and turned around to leave.
Kasu shrugged. "But you're still pretty darn strong." He complimented.
Ouka turned back to him, and clenched her fists. "Next time we meet, Kasu…I'll be strong enough to fight you." She said, and walked off, leaving only Sakura and Kasu.
Kasu and Sakura watched her leave…and Sakura held her hand out hesitantly. "I'm Pale Blossom Sakura…but my friends call me Sakura." She said, and Kasu looked at her. He hadn't had any real friends in a while…and he got lonely. So…why not?
He clasped her hand firmly, and shook it. "I'm Kasu Griefheart…my friends just call me Kasu. If you want…you can call me Kasu." He offered. Sakura blushed slightly, and he smiled.
"Okay then…Kasu." She said, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Why in the world…would his heart do that?
"If you want to know about me…you can come with me to Grieving Forest, or we can go wherever you want." Kasu said, and Sakura smiled. "I think…I'd like to go to a local hangout of mine. It's in the Root town: 'City of Illusion, Naval Monte.'" She said, and he nodded.
"Okay then, Sakura. Lead the way." He said, and they formed a party.
She led the way, taking them to the Chaos Gate. Her heart was pounding with excitement as Kasu, a living legend, walked slightly behind her and to her right. Each step they took, the hard black ground crunched slightly, and she listened closely to make sure that she wasn't imagining this. Sure enough, his footsteps could be heard. Suddenly, Kasu spoke.
"You know…you aren't the first one to come hunting after me. You're the first one to actually find me on purpose, though. Well…except for CC Corp Administrators. They can find me anywhere." Kasu frowned at the thought of the troublesome administrators. Then he continued. "So how did you know where to find me?"
"I bought information from a local 'web-spinner'." She said, her grip tightening on her staff. She was nervous.
"Web-spinner, as in an information broker?" Kasu asked, and she nodded. She looked over at him, and locked eyes with the imposing hero.
"That must have cost a lot of money…" Kasu murmured, and Sakura shrugged.
"I make plenty of GP. Besides…" She paused and smiled, "Obviously it was money well spent."
He smiled, and they stopped together in front of the spinning chaos gate. Sakura, as the party leader, intoned the proper Key words. "Naval Monte." She said, raising her staff.
*********************
Kasu and Sakura appeared in the newer root city of Naval Monte, and Kasu was unprepared for the amount of people that he was forced to weave in and out in. He hadn't been to a very populated place in a long time…and he was very unprepared for this encounter. He nervously excused himself each time he bumped into someone…and Sakura had to go slow because of how easily the intimidating legend was sidetracked while he apologized. He earned many confused looks from people he accidentally touched or bumped into, and Sakura couldn't help but giggle.
By the time they made it to where they were going, Kasu was practically on overload. They stopped in front of a large fortress-like building with a device, of two staffs crossed with a starburst beneath them, hung above the large solid Oak double doors that were guarded by two CC-Corp paid mages. They were the guards to allow only guild members into this building. Kasu had never seen this kind of building before, but then again he hadn't been out in a while.
He and Sakura approached the matching Mages, whose only distinguishable difference was their eyes. They both had long flowing red hair underneath a large pointed red hat, with red robes, and a solid red-brown staff. One's eyes were green, and the other was blue. They crossed their staffs when the two gamers approached, and went with their traditional phrase.
"I'm sorry, but unless you're a member of this guild, you cannot enter." They said, and Kasu was about to apologize, when Sakura giggled and pointed her staff towards the heavy double doors.
"Pro-Wizards Guild Member: Pale Blossom Sakura." She said, and the doors swung open. The two guards smiled fondly, obviously knowing who she was, and removed their staffs from Sakura's way. Kasu was about to follow, when their smiles faded.
"Is he a new guild member?" Asked the green-eyed one.
"No…he's my guest. Can't he come in?" Sakura replied, and the blue-eyed one shrugged.
"I don't know. I don't see anywhere in the rules that says you can bring a guest in…especially since this is a guild that highly prizes its privacy." Said the blue-eyed guard.
"Aw…c'mon! He's an experienced player, and he's a legend! Can't you get permission for him to enter or something?" Sakura whined slightly. It wasn't an annoying whine, but one that made you want to blush at its cuteness.
"He can't enter, remember? There's a barrier that prevents anyone who isn't a guild member from entering even if they somehow got the doors open." Said 'Green Eyes'.
The corners of Kasu's lips twitched upwards slightly as he heard this and stepped forward. He walked right past the guards, right past Sakura, and straight into the doorway. Everyone gasped, and Kasu grinned. "Obviously I can get past." He said, and the guards gaped at him.
Sakura smiled brightly, and skipped up to him. "That's so cool! You can get past the barrier!" She exclaimed, and he nodded. "Apparently."
The guards started to stammer and bumble. "B-b-b-but you can't go in! I mean, you aren't a guild member! Heck, you're a Heavy Blade, not a Wave Master!"
Kasu raised an eyebrow. "Well then there's no reason I shouldn't go in. I mean, I can't learn anything that would be of use to me, seeing as I'm a Heavy Blade."
The guards sighed in defeat, and waved him on. "Go ahead…but if you get in trouble, it's not our fault. We'll deny ever letting you in."
Sakura nodded, and walked into the fortress, Kasu following her. The place was plain, undecorated…and very much like a castle. Staircase upon staircase and long hallway after long hallway. He received some strange looks from passing Wavemasters, but followed Sakura nonetheless. She made a couple of right turns, a couple of left turns, and then he found himself in front of a room with a pink door.
"Welcome to my room!" She said, smiling. She pushed open the door
…and Kasu was immediately confronted with the girliest room he had ever seen. EVERYTHING was pink, a pink shag carpet, a large pink canopy bed, a pink walls, ceilings, chairs, desks…everything. Kasu nearly fainted from pink overload.
Sakura spun in a circle, arms held out wide from her sides. She grinned brightly and asked, "What do you think?" She laughed her question out, and Kasu felt that familiar skip in his heart. He paused to consider the strange behavior…but then answered her question truthfully.
"It's…really pink." He said bluntly. She giggled and nodded. "Yup! Just the way I like it!" She said, and fell back on her bed. She sighed, and said, "It's actually been awhile since I've visited my room here at the guild…I've been busy elsewhere." She said. She then sat up abruptly, apparently remembering her manners.
"I'm sorry! You can sit on the bed with me, or you can pull up a chair…or anything! Just make yourself comfortable!" She said, and Kasu nodded. He shut the pink door behind him and sat on the floor in front of the bed. He took off his heavy blade and set it on his lap, as he sat cross-legged in front of Sakura.
"Thank you." He said. Her carpet was actually quite comfortable…much more so than the rocks he was used to sitting on.
"So…why have you been so busy? What do you do?" He asked. Sakura grinned.
"I'm kinda like a Newbie guide! I offer to help new players and show them the ropes, train them to level 20 in combat…and then get paid. It's easy, and rewarding…I get to make all sorts of neat friends." She said, and she laid her golden staff on the bed next to her. Kasu watched her with interest…amazed at how graceful she was.
"Wow…so that's how you make your money?" Kasu asked. He was interested in her, a lot more than he thought he would be.
"Nope. I make money from being a support-mage for combat players. The whole 'newbie' assistance thing is just a side-job. I make my REAL money from being a support-mage." She said.
Kasu was actually impressed. It wasn't very many who could be a successful support-mage in The World without a lot of struggle, but she seemed to do fine. "So you're like a mercenary? Hiring out your skill to the highest payer?" He asked.
She shook her head and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I don't like the term mercenary. It makes me seem too cold-hearted. I don't even do it for highest payer…I do it for whoever I feel like it. Sometimes they don't pay much, sometimes the people pay a lot. I only do it for the nice people, though." She said, and Kasu smiled. He really liked her. She was generous, kind…and very beautiful.
He blushed at the last thought that crossed his mind, and looked away from her. She looked at him curiously, but decided to spare him the embarrassment of answering why he blushed and looked away. "So…are all the rumors true about you?" She asked.
Kasu looked back at her, and raised his eyebrows, smiling kindly. "There are a lot of rumors about me out there…and a lot of them aren't true. Which rumors are you referring too?" He asked.
Sakura faltered. She looked away, and asked, "Well, the rumor I thought sounded most logical, was that you were some regular player in the real world until four years ago." Instantly, Kasu knew which one she was referring too. He spoke in time with her, their voices synchronizing together eerily.
"But then, due to an incident in the real world, I lost the one I loved…and I blamed myself. I then vowed to be strong enough to never allow anyone to be hurt or killed while I was around. And so was borne the legend of the Grieving Guardian." He said. She had stopped after half of the first sentence, listening to the rumor he quoted almost word for word.
Kasu smiled at her sadly. "It's not completely true, no. An accident did happen, and I did lose someone precious to me four years ago. She was my best friend, so technically she was a loved one, but we were close friends on The World. She died in a plane crash, on her way to visit me during the summer. Her parents and mine used to be close friends in high-school, so we all decided to get together, seeing as her and I were already close friends through the Internet. Her plane crashed, killing her and her family. It was then that I did vow to become as strong as I could on here, as well as the real world, so no one would suffer as long as I could prevent it." He murmured, and looked down at the shining reflection of his Heavy Blade.
Sakura listened with a sympathetic face, happy to know the truth…and saddened by it as well. "Oh my gosh…I'm so sorry." She whispered, and he gave her a small smile. "You have no need to apologize…" He said, and she looked down at her lap.
"What…what was her name?" She asked cautiously, looking up at Kasu. He smiled softly. "Her real name, she told me, was Karin Arisigawa. Her 'World' name was Yuri Gentle Fist. We were a team…with me as the attacker and her as my healer. We were weak, but we were tight and never did anything alone…" He trailed off, his mind instantly shooting to the past.
"So was she a mage…?" Sakura asked. Kasu nodded absentmindedly…and Sakura looked away. "I know I can't replace her…especially since you two shared such a tight bond…but maybe…maybe we could become close friends too?" She asked, looking hopefully at the teenage boy. He looked at her, his eyes piercing into her. He seemed extremely thoughtful…and finally he nodded slowly.
"I'd like that, Sakura. I would really like that." He said, contemplative. Sakura smiled brightly. "Great! Here's my email address." She said, and fired off a quick file to him. He opened it, and then saved it to his address book. She was the only one in it, besides two CC Corp administrators.
"Well, then, here's mine as well." He said, and swapped addresses with her. She smiled brightly, and Kasu proposed thoughtfully, "Would you like to form a party? Just the two of us?"
She blushed slightly, unsure of why she did, and nodded. "I'd like that." She said, and he smiled. "Good. Then it's settled. Friends?" He said, extending his hand.
She nodded, and shook his hand in a mock-business-like manner. "Absolutely! Friends!"
And so, the Grieving Guardian once more opened himself from seclusion…and was out in the World.
_______________________________________________________
It's not much of an ending, but I hope that's good enough for an intro chapter! :D Next chapter will be introducing two other characters, and then the story will move on! TALLY HO! Lemme know what you thought!