Dot Hack Vision

by Stance

Dot Hack Vision takes place during the actual Dot Hack time line, the perspective of the chapters varies between characters. You will experience the events of the Anime through the eyes of the Crimson Knight Stance, or his best friend Dash.

10. Chapter 10

(The largest chapter to date, contains nearly double the amount of words that previous chapters contained. That being said, I made this chapter so long, because Vision's chapter's and sign's episodes were out of sync; I was so annoyed I made one chapter the size of two just to fix it! Hope you enjoy Chapter 10)

.Hack// Vision

Chapter 10: Condemned

(Episodes nine, and ten of Sign.)

Important events in the .hack Timeline:

Perspective: Asaoka/ Stance

"I know you had it last night… But it's all you really got at the moment, Senpai" I said as I handed Kane a bowl of rice. "It is fine. I need to do some shopping anyway" Kane said seriously. "You have enough money for food right?" I asked worriedly. "Of course. My parents are kind enough to send enough money to pay the rent, and buy food with" Kane explained. "But… Then why do you have a job…?" I asked as I handed him a small bowl of miso soup. "Normally only students that are in financial trouble are allowed to have part time jobs" I added. "The school administration is not aware, that is how I am able to keep it" Kane explained. "Ah... But… I still don't get why you have a job if you don't need it" I said. "I told you last night, did I not? I had to lobby, and bribe other class representatives to get them to vote a certain way" Kane explained. "Ah… Oh… So you actually gave them money?" I asked curiously. "For some of them, it was that simple. But other representatives were more complex. "Oh? What did they want" I asked curiously. "I'd rather not think about it" Kane said, hoping I'd drop the conversation, but his reluctance to answer my question only made me more curious. "Oh… Come on… You can trust me" I said seriously. Kane let out a long sigh; he obviously knew I was not going to stop pestering him. "Do you remember last year, when the entire school and surrounding areas were evacuated?" Kane asked. "Yeah… I think… Ah… Oh yeah! Someone said they found a bomb" I said; recalling the events. "The person who reported the alleged bomb was a member of the student council. Naturally the school believed him." Kane said as he sipped his miso soup. "Oh… But… How were you involved?" I asked. "He wanted the answers to an upcoming exam." Kane said. "Oh… So you snuck into the school while everyone was evacuated?" I asked curiously. "I hid myself out on the roof, once everyone was gone, I went inside, and got what he wanted. It was a good cover… With a hasty evacuation, the teacher wouldn't be too surprised to find his desk in shambles, so I didn't have to worry about leaving any clues. He would just think it was his students trying to get out" Kane said thoughtfully. Wow… I mean… Just… "Unbelievable" I gasped. "Originally I had wanted to sneak into the school at night; when no one was there" Kane explained. "That does sound easier" I nodded. "But he didn't trust me. The whole threat was really just a way for him to cover his own ass. If I was caught inside the school after all the students left… The teachers and police officers would no doubt have accused me of being a bomber" Kane sighed. "Wow… I mean… I never knew…" I gasped. All of that trouble, for the answer key to a test… "You seem pretty surprised" Kane said as he studied my expression. "Well… Yeah… Wouldn't anyone?" I nearly shouted. "You don't even know what I got out of the deal" Kane said seriously. "It was the tennis team. They wanted to cut their budget" Kane said with a large smirk. "What!?" I shouted in surprise. "Our budget's low enough! Sometimes our players have to use their own money to buy equipment!" I shouted in anger. "I know. You used to complain about it during our morning duties." Kane said, trying to calm me down. "The council had already cut the track team's budget, and completely dissolved the philosophy club. I was able to get a little over half the council to vote against their next two decisions, and that was to cut the tennis team's budget, and dissolve the literature club" Kane explained. "I… Why didn't you tell me?" I sighed. "It never came up during conversation, not to mention; if you knew I was sneaking into the school like that… You'd stop me" Kane said with a shrug. "Maybe so, but since it was for the tennis team, I would have helped you!" I scolded him. "I do not mean this as an insult, but you do not look like the type of person I would want sneaking into a school…" Kane said awkwardly. "Infact… You can take that as a compliment" Kane added with a yawn. "Ah! But I could have helped some other way! Like being a lookout or something… I could have given you a radio or something, and supported you like that!" I said. "There were still teachers inside the building, they'd hear me if I used a radio, not only that; the police officers might use the same frequency as us" Kane said shooting my ideas down. "Ah! But they have those new headsets now for phones! The ads say they're real quiet… Oh! I could put together a cool looking suit for you to sneak in!" I said as I studied Kane. "Yeah… We could get you a bandanna! All real men wear a bandanna at one point in their life." I said thoughtfully. "You've been watching too many American movies" Kane said with a sigh. "Even better! We could get you an eye patch, now that would look cool" I said picturing Stance wearing an eye patch. "Non-sense. I would look ridiculous" Kane chuckled. "A suit is more my style anyway" Kane said to himself as he stood up from the sofa. "Oh! Like a secret agent! So you prefer class and sophistication over brute force huh?" I asked curiously. "Of course I do. Does not everyone?" Kane asked with a puzzled expression. "Either one would work I suppose" I said thoughtfully. "But a bandanna seems more suited for a solider of fortune… And that's not me, at all" Kane said with a slight smirk. "You'd still look pretty cool with one on" I grumbled to myself. "I'm going to change" Kane said as he limped over to the stairs. "You need any help?" I asked with a wink. "Of course not!" Kane snapped back. "Oh… Be sure you wear something casual!" I shouted to Kane. "Casual?" Kane asked curiously. "Yes, your foot may be better, but you still need help, we'll go shopping together." I said seriously.

"Ah… Senpai… That's not exactly casual…" I couldn't help but laugh. "I do not "do" casual" Kane was obviously annoyed with my laughter. I asked him to dress casually, but… He's wearing a complete suit… It looks good… But it's not what anyone would consider casual. "You don't have anything less formal?" I asked seriously. Kane lowered his head, and examined his clothing. He undid his tie, and tossed it aside. "This is as casual as it gets" He said in a stern voice. I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "If that's your idea of casual, what's your idea of formal?" I jokingly asked. Kane got serious and started walking back to his room, but I quickly grabbed his hand. "No! Don't worry about it!" I said as I pulled him back downstairs.

There was a knock at the door, Kane stood from the sofa, but I pushed him back down "You need to rest; I'll get it" I scolded him. I opened the door. "Hey, Kane…" James started but kept his mouth shut when he noticed me standing at the door. "I… Didn't know you lived in the same complex as Kane…" He said awkwardly. "Oh… It's just you. James, how are you?" I asked as warmly as I could. "I… Could have sworn this was Kane's apartment…" James said as he held his head. "Oh, it is" I said cheerfully. "Ah… But it's so early… Why are you…?" James asked. "Oh… Oh man… Mom was right… I've slept my entire childhood away" James said sorrowfully. "Calm down. Kane's inside, come on" I chuckled.

"Hey Kane, you feeling better" James asked as he sat down next to him. "Much, thanks to the two of you. Although I must admit it is strange to see you up this early; perhaps you are the one who requires aid" Kane said worriedly. "Ha, I actually got to sleep pretty early last night. I just couldn't get into my "zone" last night, so I went to bed early" James said dismissively. "I came by to see how things were going. But from the looks of things, Asaoka here has everything taken care of." James said with his typical smirk. "Yes well, you came by at an opportune time" Kane said. "Oh yeah? Why's that?" James asked curiously. "I have something that I need to explain to you" Kane said. "Oh boy, you've got that look" James sighed. "What look?" Kane asked curiously. "The "I'm about to explain something that will blow your mind" look" James said with a sigh. "There is a look?" Kane asked curiously. "Oh yeah, there's tons of them" James said. "There is the "Don't bother me, I'm working" look. The "That's a touchy subject, I don't wanna talk about it" look. The very scary "I'm going to break your bones if you don't leave me alone" look." James explained while simultaneously counting with his fingers. "Oh… Hey yeah! That's the break your bones look!" James said as he pointed at Kane's expression. "Anyway… What's up?" James asked seriously. "James; I will be running in the up coming student council election." Kane explained. "Oh? So those rumors are true, huh?" James asked with a smirk. Kane and I exchanged an awkward glance. "Rumors…?" I asked curiously. "Yeah, Hagiya asked me about it last night over the phone. I didn't know it was true though" James explained. "If Hagiya knows… Then, it's safe to assume the rumor has become common knowledge" Kane sighed aloud. "Well yeah… Normally the elections have two upperclassmen as candidates… An underclassman announcing his candidacy… Well… Of course it'd start rumors" James said nonchalantly. "I have a feeling Monday is going to be… "One of those days" Kane sighed to himself. "Hey, hold on. I must be missing something, what's with all the sighing?" James asked. "James. How well versed are you with the student council and its activities?" Kane asked. "They're there to help, and plan student activities right? Oh! And I think they are also the ones who approve school clubs, and decide their budgets, right?" James asked. Kane simply shook his head with James' response. "It's not quite that simple" I said. "Oh? Is there more?" James asked. "In your case, I suppose ignorance actually is bliss" Kane sighed. "Ah… Well… Please enlighten me" James said as he rolled his eyes.

…

"Sheesh… So… That's it, huh?" James asked in disbelief. "And you… Well I would have never guessed…" James added. "It's an ugly truth that most people would choose to ignore." I said. Everyone has grown so used to it… A group of popular students finds a student displeasing; so they start to insult them, others join in just to appease the popular ones." Kane explained. "It's no different anywhere else I suppose. These kinds of things happened back in America" James said with a sigh. "But I'm kind of surprised you just went along with it Kane…" James said with a sigh. "The guilt should be punishment enough. I am only human after all; I make mistakes like everyone else. But unlike everyone else; I am trying to change how everything works" Kane explained. "That's true. So, what are your chances?" James asked. "Right now? Somewhere between slim, and none" I said with a sigh. "That bad?" James asked, obviously surprised by my answer. "The way I see it… The major clique's and groups within the school have already decided who the next president will be. Normally there are only one or two candidates, and those candidates most likely belong to one of the major cliques. Infact I have even heard rumors about candidates running unopposed, mind you these are only rumors" Kane explained. "Normally a senior runs for the presidential position, because his social status is higher than the rest of the schools, I do not need to explain that to you. The student council holds power over a many number of things, it's only natural that these cliques would want to keep the council under their control." Kane explained. "Right, right. It's no different than two political parties" James said with a nod. "Republicans and Democrats" James said with a shrug. "Wow, I'm pretty impressed, James" I said honestly. "Yeah, I get that a lot" James said with a sly grin. "Yes, and just like your Republicans, and Democrats, these cliques do not give a damn, about anyone other than those in their own cliques." Kane said. "I do not belong to any cliques, so my candidacy would be a monkey wrench thrown inside their well oiled machine" Kane explained. "I obviously do not have their best interest in mind; rather I have the school's" Kane added. "Yeah, but even if you win the election, wouldn't the class representatives vote the way the major cliques told them to? You may be the president, but majority still rules" James said. "That's true. But that majority rule system was implemented recently, most likely to ensure that even if the presidential position was held by an outsider, they could still maintain control over most of the council's activities" Kane explained. "When I'm elected, I'll simply remove their role with the council, giving me absolute control. "Oh, like a dictator" James chuckled. "Correct. But it must be done if anything is to change" Kane said with a shrug. "Well… You said your chances were pretty bad, right? How do you plan to pull it off?" James asked seriously. "We will start at the bottom of the food chain; with the freshmen. If anyone wants these cliques out of power, it will be them" Kane explained. "The juniors, will probably be less reluctant to help, considering some of them have already begun to associate themselves with the cliques in power. And the only votes we'll get from the senior class, are from those who do not associate with any of the cliques" Kane explained. "Sounds like your only chance of winning, is getting the majority of the freshmen, and juniors to vote for you" James said with a yawn. "It will be difficult, but it is achievable. The number of people, who want change, outnumbers the rest of the school. Although the voting process is completely anonymous, people's actions can still be swayed" Kane explained. "So what are you going to do to help persuade people to vote for you?" James asked. "Do not concern yourself with the details" Kane said, dismissing the question. "Oh… So it's like that eh? Well… Do what'cha gotta do" James said with a shrug. "That being the case… Some of the upperclassmen have already discovered I plan to run; infact since news has reached Hagiya, chances are; the entire school knows by now" Kane said with a sigh. "That's true… He's got quite a mouth" James said with a nod. "To make matters worse; I have a feeling come Monday, my little secret is going to be come common knowledge" Kane said with a sigh. "What little secret… Oh… You mean that whole ordeal with your sister?" James asked. "Correct, one of the seniors on the tennis team was apparently able to procure a newspaper containing an article about the event. To make matters worse, this newspaper used my full name, so simply lying my way out of it is not an option" Kane sighed to himself. "The race hasn't even started, and already you've come to an obstacle" James said with a sigh. "Man, this is getting depressing" James said. "Well I am afraid it does not get any better. I am positive that once my candidacy has been confirmed, and it will once you relay this news to Hagiya. The bullying will start again, and if it is anything like it was my first year… Those who associate with me will be targeted as well." Kane explained. "Save it" James said with a yawn. "You're going to give some speech on how I shouldn't hang around with you anymore, and to be honest I'm on the verge of falling asleep Kane" James said with a yawn. "You know I've never really cared what others think, they're gonna bully me for hanging out with you? Oh well" James said with a shrug. "I'll still have friends" James said with a smirk. "I… Was actually going to tell you to watch your back as you entered, and left school" Kane said seriously. "Huh? Why's that?" James asked curiously. "My first year they loved to drop buckets of water on me as I entered school, they would also try and drop heavy objects on me as I left" Kane said seriously. "That's despicable…" I sighed. "Oh… Uh… Thanks for the advice…" James said awkwardly. "You would not just abandon me like that. I know you better than that, James. If I had any doubt in your integrity, then I would not even bother to speak to you" Kane said. "Oh, so you've got it all figured out, huh?" James chuckled. "You are just too predictable" I mimicked Kane as he spoke, right down to his overconfident hand gestures. James and Kane chuckled at my perfect imitation.

"So… That's it huh?" James asked. "Oh no, I have more bad news" Kane said as he shook his head. "Oh man…" James sighed. "Yesterday Asaoka and I were kicked out of the Crimson Knights" Kane said seriously. "You? You of all people, were kicked from the Crimson Knights?" James asked in utter disbelief. I don't blame him… I'd have trouble believing it too, if I wasn't there to see it myself… "Asaoka and I both were… It was a unanimous; approved by Subaru herself" Kane explained. "Wait, so Subaru actually approved of it?" James asked. "Before I logged on last night to assist Asaoka, I glanced through my inbox. Indeed; I had received an email from Subaru; the subject simply stating: Termination" Kane explained. "Man… But why?" James asked. "I do not know. Perhaps she no longer finds me useful… It would really like to forget the whole ordeal" Kane said sadly. "Oh man… I never saw this one coming…" James sighed. "What are you gonna do now?" James asked. "I… I am helping Kaochin" Kane said seriously. "Oh you have to be kidding me. Kane… You know what she's like…" James sighed. "I have been in contact with Kaochin longer than you have, Dash. You would be surprised what a prolonged rivalry can do too two people. I have always tried to assist her, but what can you do when the general population of your guild constantly attacks her for "stealing" a look?" Kane asked. "The Crimson Knights are becoming to power hungry. Silver Knight and the rest of the guild seem to think they have become some kind of administrative authority… I am beginning to see why Crim left, and it really pisses me off that someone like him saw all of this coming, and I could not." Kane snapped. "Kane… She'll treat you like some kind of slave… Not to mention, she's a pretty big Player Killer" James sighed. "The way she treats me is of no concern to you, James. She may treat me as a slave, but deep down I can tell she is overjoyed to finally have a genuine ally. Befriend the friendless; that is something you have taught me, is it not?" Kane asked seriously. "Look, that's not what's bothering me, infact me and Kaochin kind of had a moment too you know? Even got her member address… What I want to know: is what I'm supposed to do when I see you and her PKing or something" James asked. "Simply play the game. That is what I would do. It is like I said before… I would not take it personally if you were to attack me. I know that player killing will warrant a response by those who defend players" Kane said seriously. "Well… If that's the case… You know I won't hold back right?" James smirked. "If you think you can muster up the strength to challenge one of Mistress Kaochin's knights; then I welcome your challenge" Kane boldly declared. "Not just one of her knights, but two" I boldly declared along with Kane. "Wait, you too Asaoka?" James sighed. "Of course; I'll go where Senpai goes" I said seriously. "But… Two on one is hardly fair" James protested. "That may be, but we are no longer bound by a code of honor, nor do we care for proper ethics or morality" Kane explained. "In other words; you're evil" James sighed. "Right" Kane and I nodded in unison. "Oh boy…" James sighed. "Well hey, I'm gonna get going. I think I have band practice…" James said as he stood up. "You "think"?" Kane asked. "It's pretty hard keeping up with band practice, along with everything else" James sighed. "Yes, I imagine so" Kane said sarcastically. "I'll see you two later" James said as he left Kane's apartment.

"You didn't tell him about that monster, why Senpai?" I asked Kane as left his apartment. "I do not want him worrying about it" Kane said. "Ah… Well… What do you plan to do about it?" I asked. "Right now? Nothing… Before I was kicked from the Crimson Knights, Subaru told me; that the system administration has begun to pursue Tsukasa" Kane explained. "You trust her?" I asked curiously. "She wouldn't lie about this… If the cobalt knights have taken interest in Tsukasa, he'll be caught" I said seriously. "Cobalt Knights…?" I asked. Cobalt Knights… Just like from the epitaph of twilight… "Not many people know of them; they work for CC corp. as debuggers, if it's illegal; they'll do just about anything to delete it." Kane explained. "But how do you know about them?" I asked. "Well… They tried to recruit Subaru, and myself. I think Crim, and Silver Knight were asked as well…" Kane explained. "You refused huh?" I asked. "We all did. I mean… To me, The World stopped being entertaining, and it became a job. But I had time to myself, and it wasn't so bad being a Crimson Knight… If I joined up as a Cobalt Knight… I'd be getting paid, to do nothing but run around, and debug The World. I was already frustrated with running around combating Player Killers and such… There was no way I would have lasted" Kane explained. "I understand what you're saying… You wanted to keep The World aside purely for pleasure" I said with a nod. "That was the idea" Kane said. "Oh… By the way, Asaoka…? I have a quick errand to run before I head out and shop for food" Kane said. "Oh? Where too?" I asked curiously. "The hospital. I want to see my sister" Kane said. "Alright, I'll go with you!" I said with a nod.

"Ah… Good morning Takeshi-san. I hope you are feeling better after last night's events" The receptionist said politely. "I am more worried about my sister, may I please see her?" Kane asked. "Oh yes of course! Just go on back" The receptionist said politely. I followed Kane back to the patient's room. He seemed to know his way around, which makes sense; as he must visit often. "So, will you tell her?" I asked curiously. "Tell her what?" Kane asked as he stopped his pace, and turned to me. "About the knights; she seemed pretty found of them" I said timidly. "I will tell her the truth" Kane said seriously. "Oh… Well I suppose that's the best course of action" I said with a nod. "She can tell when I am lieing. A trait she has inherited from her mother" Kane explained. "She's nothing like her mother" Natsuko sighed as she seemingly appeared from no where. "I am speaking of our actual mother. Not the woman you spoke to last night" Kane said. "Oh… Two mothers? What happened to the first?" Natsuko asked. "Died: when we were younger" Kane said sternly. "So I've heard… Deadly Flash was it?" Natsuko asked. "You are correct" Kane nodded. Deadly Flash… I… I never knew… "Well, Kane. I'd like to discuss something rather important with you, if you'll please come with me" Natsuko said rather coldly. "Just as I had predicted" Kane sighed. "Very well." Kane sighed. "Asaoka. Yoko's room is just down the hall; please keep her company while I talk with Natsuko. "Ah… Alright Senpai…" I nodded. Kane followed Natsuko into a nearby room, and I made my way to Yoko's room.

Ah… Hello?" I sheepishly asked as I entered Yoko's room. Kane's sister; Yoko was lying in a typical hospital bed facing the window. She was awake, but she did not notice me, as her attention was focused on the scenery outside. "Ah… Excuse me" I said with a higher tone. Yoko turned to face me, and gave me a puzzled expression. "Ah… Are you… Yeah… You came to visit Oniichan before, right?" She asked. "Ah yes, I am Yuuko Asaoka. It's nice to be properly introduced" I said with a bow. "Wow… It's so nice to meet one of Oniichan's friends… Ah! Come closer" Yoko beckoned. "You seem to be looking better" I said cheerfully as I neared her bed. "Ah? Better?" She asked with a puzzled expression. "Yes, I came with your brother last night; to make sure you were alright" I explained. "Oh! I'm way better! Last night was nothing!" Yoko said as she stood up on top of her bed. "Ah… Yes… Calm down now, you wouldn't want to fall" I said trying to calm her down. She certainly is lively…

Yoko and I talked quite a bit. Although most of it was about her brother, that really didn't bother me. She told me some stories Kane used to tell her about his time as A Crimson Knight; which only worsened my fear of he being disappointed when she found at her brother was not only kicked from the guild… But is now fighting against it as well…

"Yoko!" Kane said sharply as he burst into the room. His interruption made me jump from my chair in surprise; Yoko on the other hand, hopped down from her bed, and glared at Kane with the straightest face she could muster. "Good morning, Oniichan!" Yoko said with a militaristic salute. "And just what is so good about it?" Kane asked he leaned forward and glared into Yoko's face. "I get to see you, Oniichan!" Yoko squealed as she jumped forward and latched onto Kane. "That's right" Kane said as he hugged his little sister. "But…" Kane suddenly stopped, and sat Yoko down on her hospital bed. "You just got out of surgery, you cannot be bouncing around; you need your rest" Kane scolded. "Naw, I'm fine!" Yoko said cheerfully. "Are you now?" Kane asked. "They had to get at your heart; did they not? You may cause the stitches in you to tear, and if that were to happen everything in your chest would come spilling out." Kane explained. Yoko tensed up at the thought. Although I think Kane is exaggerating… "Now lay down, and let your body heal up before you start bouncing around" Kane commanded. "Yes sir!" Yoko said with a salute as she plopped down on her bed, and covered herself with the blanket. "They did use the same spot, right?" Kane asked worriedly. "Yeah, I think so" Yoko nodded. "It is bad enough you have that one scar already… They do not need to add to it" Kane sighed. "Ah! Oniichan! This is your friend right?" Yoko said as she pointed over to me. "Yes. You have not been causing Asaoka any trouble have you?" Kane asked. "Ah! No way! Yuuko-Neesan is great!" Yoko shouted. "You know it is not polite to use someone's first name without their permission" Kane sighed. "Oh, it's no problem! Me, and Yoko-Chan have a lot in common" I said reassuringly. "Yeah, Oniichan! And why aren't you using her first name? She is your friend isn't she?" Yoko shouted back. "Hey… That's a pretty good question" I said turning to Kane. "You first name…? You do not find it informal enough that I do not, bother to use an honorific? You should consider yourself lucky" Kane sighed. "You don't have to be formal with me, Senpai! Didn't we both confess to each other how we felt?" I asked. "Ah! Oniichan if that's true then you have to!" Yoko shouted. "I have to? Why is that?" Kane asked, obviously annoyed by Yoko, and I ganging up on him. "That's the rules!" Yoko retorted. "What rules?" Kane asked seriously. "She's right, Senpai… You have to follow the rules" I said seriously. "What rules are you talking about?" Kane asked, obviously becoming agitated. "I can't believe you don't know the rules, Oniichan" Yoko sighed. "It's not too surprising is it? How would he know the rules, just look at him" Natsuko chuckled as she entered the room. "You should be cleaning up after some old and dying man, should you not?" Kane snapped. Before Natsuko could respond, a small pager went off inside her pocket. "You had better pray, that's not what I think it is" Natsuko said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pager. "You know Kane… You're a real asshole sometimes" Natsuko pouted. "You should get going" Kane sneered. "Nurses are no different than garbage men; Damnit all… I hate my job" Natsuko sighed as she left the room. "Wow… How did you know?" I gasped. "I over heard some nurses out in the hall talking about it. It pays to be observant" Kane chuckled. "Now, will someone please explain these rules?" Kane asked. "There are too many rules to just explain them!" Yoko shouted. "You two do not even know what you are talking about" Kane sighed. "Yes I do! One of the rules clearly states you have to call loved ones by their first name!" Yoko said as she stood up on top of her bed. "What did I tell you about resting?!" Kane shouted as he swept her off her feet, and carefully placed her back down on the bed. "Now…" Kane said as he cleared his throat. "I do not know what rules, you speak of, but a rule, is a rule. Therefore as the rule states, I will address Asaoka, as Yuuko from now on. Do you all understand?" Kane declared. "Roger" Yoko and I both nodded. "Now that we have concluded that…" Kane said looking to Yoko. "Our parents will be staying in America. It seems for the remainder of this year, unless something comes up." Kane sighed. "That's fine by me! They can stay there for all I care" Yoko said as she crossed her arms. "Yoko! Do not say such things… They might actually decide to do that" Kane sighed. "It's not like it makes any difference to me. They never come see me" Yoko snapped. "Yes, but if they decide to stay in America, I may have to go with them" Kane said sadly. "No! You won't go with them!" Yoko shouted in anger. "Hey, calm down! The last thing you need is to over work your heart" Kane said seriously. "Now you do not have to worry, even if they never come back I will not go with them. My place is here" Kane said softly. "I wish dad never met that stupid girl" Yoko snapped. "You cannot place all the blame with her… Well… Actually… I think you can in this case…" Kane said with an awkward chuckle. "I hate them" Yoko sighed. "Yeah… I think I know how you feel. But they are paying the hospital, and they do send me money. So at the very least, we should respect them; they are after all keeping us alive" Kane explained. "But I don't like either of them" Yoko sighed. "You don't have to like; just tolerate, and respect, trust me; as you get older you will learn to do a lot of that" Kane said seriously. "Growing up sounds like it sucks" Yoko sighed. "Watch that tongue of yours" Kane said seriously. You know… I think Senpai is more of a parent to her, than anyone else… "That being said; you obviously will not see them for awhile, and while that may break your heart, I will still continue to visit you every weekday. Each morning if time permits, and if I cannot make it in time, I will stop by on my way home" Kane explained. "I'll drop by sometimes too" I said cheerfully. "Hm. Alright" Yoko said with a content nod. "Very good. Now, Yoko. I have sometime I wish to tell you about the Crimson Knights. Ah… I don't think she's going to want to hear this… "Ah, tell me!" Yoko said excitedly. "I was kicked out of the Crimson Knights yesterday" Kane said as he sat down next to Yoko. "Ah! What for?!' Yoko shouted. "To be honest, all nine squad captains voted to remove me from the guild, and Subaru approved of it…" Kane sighed. "Ah! What jerks!" Yoko shouted. "Yes, I thought so too. So… I joined up with a rather sinister player, and together we're going to fight against the knights" Kane explained. "Ah? So you're a dark knight now huh?" Yoko asked curiously. "Yes; and Asa-… I mean Yuuko has joined me as well" Kane explained as he pointed to me. I really couldn't think of anything to say, I just smiled awkwardly, and nodded. "Who is this player, she must be pretty brave to take on the knights!" Yoko asked. "You remember my stories of the player named Kaochin?" Kane asked. "Oh!? Her!? The player who looks like Subaru, right? Oh! That must be really cool! Are you gonna take down the knights?" Yoko asked excitedly. Ah… Wait, what…? "That is the plan" Kane nodded. "Ah… You're taking this a lot better than I had expected" I said with an awkward laugh. "Huh? Oniichan has decided to become evil, it's not surprising at all" Yoko said. "Ah… It's not?" I asked. "Yuuko, I have never told you where I got the idea to create Stance, have I?" Kane asked. "No… You haven't" I said.

"Have you ever read the book: Annwn?" Kane asked. "I don't think so…" I said. "The book Annwn was written by Ryo Sakuma. It tells the story of a band of travelers quest to find Annwn, the land of light" Kane explained. "Annwn is described as a paradise for men; only those who live a valiant and noble life are allowed to enter the land of Annwn" Kane explained. "And apposed to mankind are the fairies!" Yoko explained. "The fairies have a paradise named: Sidhe and it's just for good little fairies, and their allies!" Yoko exclaimed. "The only way into either "havens" is of course, death. Honorable humans enter the land of Annwn" Kane explained. "And Fairies that lead a good life enter Sidhe!" Yoko explained. "Although it is not uncommon for humans to ally themselves with the fairies. Humans that chose to live life with the fairies were naturally not accepted into Annwn, but were allowed into the land of Sidhe" Kane explained. "Ultimately the gods of Annwn, or Sidhe had to allow you passage into their respective worlds. Those that lived a wicked and evil life were cast into Uffern; where the suffered for an eternity" Kane explained. "But there was a nameless knight, who gave his allegiance to neither god, instead he would work, or help one race, and then turn around and help the other!" Yoko explained. "He was not evil, but neither of the gods truly acknowledged him. So every time he supposedly died, who would just awaken the next morning as if nothing happened" Kane explained. "Death never came for him, since neither god accepted him… But this is what he wanted, he wanted to live forever; this was his way of obtaining immortality" Kane explained. "He lived for so long, he forgot everything about himself!" Yoko explained. "He even forgot why he could never die; the only thing that mattered to him was his honor, and never breaching his personal code" Kane explained. "Why would he want to live forever…?" I asked. "He was afraid of death" Kane and Yoko spoke in unison. Oh… I see… That makes sense… "What happened to him?" I asked curiously. "He eventually did the impossible and brought peace to the humans, and fairies. He then ascended to the status of god, and created his own haven for vigilant beings such as himself. It was called Mag Mell" Kane explained. "I created Stance with that purpose in mind. He would serve whoever needed him. Neither good, nor evil, just honoring his word" Kane explained. "So… That's it huh? That's where you got the idea for Stance…" I said. "Yoko was the one who suggested it" Kane said. "So that's Stance huh? It's funny, but I never really pictured Stance as a do gooder… Although I can't really say I ever though of him as evil either…" I said thoughtfully. "He'll fill whatever role needs to be filled" Kane said with a nod. "Pretty interesting" I said with a grin.

…

"What exactly did you and Natsuko discuss?" I asked Kane as we walked down the street. "We talked about my parents" Kane said, as he studied the various shops we passed. "What about them?" I asked. "Is it not obvious? She says they are unfit; not capable of taking care of Yoko" Kane explained. "Oh…" I sighed, realizing I probably just threw salt into the wound. "She wants to find someone fit to raise her" Kane explained. "Although even I can admit that our parents are not exactly the "model" father, and mother… Yoko hates them both; and I really cannot say I am too attached to either" Kane explained. "What is she going to do?" I asked worriedly. "Right now? Nothing. She wanted my opinion on the matter… But all I could do was ask her not to take any action. I wanted time to think it over, but to be honest… I really have no idea what to do…" Kane sighed. "If some other family takes her, I may not see her as much… Or they may move out of the area… But I do not have the slightest idea on what to do. I do not even know if there is anything I can do. If she were to take this to the courts, they would no doubt agree with her. After all, I doubt my parents would bother coming all the way back here over a mere custody case" Kane explained. So that's it… He's afraid of losing his sister…"I'm sure you'll think of something! And if you need help, you can always count on me" I said cheerfully. "That I do not doubt… But I think this is purely a family matter. Let me worry about it" Kane said seriously. "Let it worry you into insanity? I don't care what you say; I'll get involved if you start acting like you did last night" I said sternly. "If things end up like that did last night, then please by all means involve yourself" Kane chuckled. "Now, that we have settled that. I need to buy some groceries" Kane said as he eyed the surrounding stores.

…

"You know… Saving money is not really one of my goals, considering the amount I make each month…" Kane sighed as we walked down the street, carrying a vast amount of groceries with us. "Nonsense! Why would you pay more for anything, when you can get it cheaper?" Asaoka asked. "I did not think anyone actually haggled anymore" Kane laughed to himself. "Lot's of people do! My mother taught me!" I said sharply. "And besides… You'll need the extra money come election time right?" I asked with a sly grin. "Oh? You actually approve of those kinds of methods?" Kane asked curiously. "I approve of you winning, if that's what you're asking" I said casually. "It will not be a clean victory… But a victory is a victory" Kane sighed. "Kind of sounds like something Kaochin would say, doesn't it?" I asked jokingly. "I believe that may actually be her philosophy. And… By extension, I suppose that is now mine as well?" Kane chuckled. "So, you're really serious about staying with her, huh?" I asked. "For now" Kane sharply responded. "It all seemed fairly quick… How did you come to that decision?" I asked curiously. "I over heard you talking with Silver Knight. You were pretty loud about the whole ordeal, so I limped over to my sister's room, and logged in using her terminal. When I appeared in Mac Anu, she was standing by the chaos gate insulting some of the Crimson Knights that were standing there. I simply told her about what was going on. She asked if I wanted revenge against the knights, and I agreed. I told her the location of Silver Knight, and by extension you; and we made our move." Kane explained. "She isn't as dumb as you think either; as she made me take an oath to help her dismantle the knights. So even as an evil doer, I am still bound by my word" Kane chuckled. "But… You actually want to see the knights disbanded?" I asked. "It is selfish is it not? Now that I was removed from the guild I want to see it fail. But all humans are selfish, and I am no different" Kane shrugged. "Well I mean, it's only natural I suppose. They did just up and remove you, and for seemingly no reason as well… That email you got from Subaru, it didn't say anything significant?" I asked. "I never opened it. The subject simply said termination, and that is all I really need to see. I was actually removed from the guild, so she did indeed approve it" Kane sighed. "I would really just like to know why" Kane sighed. "It doesn't make much sense" I nodded. "But… Dwelling on such things now is pointless. I am no longer a Crimson Knight" Kane said seriously. "I suppose… But, I have another question: Why Kaochin? I am sure there are tons of people out there who would want to take on the knights" I asked. "But can you name any of them? That aside, the decision was sporadic, I did not think it over, and hastily accepted Kaochin's offer" Kane explained. "Yeah? I think you may have some kind of fixation to the type of avatar they are both using" I said jokingly. "That might very well be the case" Kane said. "What!?" I shouted. "I am only joking, of course. But your reaction was rather… cute" Kane awkwardly laughed. "Senpai… It's hard to tell when your joking, and when your not" I sighed in relief.

…

"Thanks for everything you have done today, Asaoka" Kane said. "It's no trouble, I'm here to help" I said seriously. "And you have done your fair share. You should head home, and get some rest. Your parents must be worried" Kane said. "Will you be alright on your own?" I asked worriedly. "You worry too much. My foot is feeling much better; I will be fine" Kane said seriously. "Well… Alright… But don't over work, alright?" I said seriously. "I have no where else to go, my foot will be fine for the time being" Kane explained. "What about your dinner?" I asked. "Yuuko… I can take care of myself. As flattered as I am, I do not need you to cook for me everyday" Kane chuckled. "Well… Alright" I sighed. "Will you be logging into The World today?" I asked. "Most likely, I do not believe it would be wise to ignore Kaochin after all" Kane chuckled. "Then I guess I'll play with you. We can kill some Crimson Knights, or do whatever it is evil people do…" I said awkwardly. This is going to take some getting used to. "Yes, that sounds like a marvelous evening. You… Me… And the corpses of Crimson Knights littering the area" Kane joked. "A regular romantic evening, huh?" I joked. "Ah… Well… I guess I should get going, my parents may start to actually worry" I said as I stood from Kane's sofa. "Of course, would you like me to escort you home?" Kane asked. "No; I'll be alright. It's still light out, and my home isn't that far away" I said casually. "Very well. Take care of yourself" Kane said seriously. "Don't worry about that" I said. "I guess I'll see you in The World" I said with a yawn. "I'll meet up with Kaochin, and provide you with our location" Kane said with a nod. "Alright, I'll see you then!" I said cheerfully.

…

"It's kind of lonely without Yuuko here…" I chuckled to myself. "Although it was unnecessary of her to help with my shopping, I do appreciate it… "I yawned to myself as I ventured upstairs. "I guess I'll log on… See If I can find Mistress Kaochin" I said as I took a seat at my desk. I switched my terminal on, and allowed it to boot up. The new mail icon flashed, alerting me that I had received a new email message. "Hm? From whom?" I asked myself as I opened my inbox. One email from Kaochin and another from Kasey…" I said to myself as I glanced over the two emails. I opened the email from Kaochin first.

From: Kaochin

Subject: My guild

Stance, as my servant, you are obligated to join my guild: the Iniquity Knights. Our goal is nothing short than the complete eradication of the Crimson Knights! With that in mind, whenever you are out adventuring, keep an eye open for any Crimson Knights! Your goal is nothing short of utterly humiliating them! Prove that they are weak and feeble, and show The World what a waste they truly are. But our prime target is Subaru; but I don't need to tell you how rarely she leaves town. So if you are lucky enough to spot her leaving Mac Anu, or any other root town; be sure you follow her! Killing her is our ultimate goal! I want to prove to everyone how stupid, and weak she really is; do you understand me?!

"So… The Iniquity Knights? Out of one guild and into another." I sighed as I moved onto Kasey's email

From: Kasey

Subject: Time for a check up!

Hey Stance! It's pretty hard to believe you're fighting against the Crimson Knights now. I never would have thought you and I would have a similar goal! Although, my reasons are probably different than yours, I guess we can really be considered friends now! But just what was that thing last night? You said it was Tsukasa's monster, so what; did he attack us? I gotta admit I've never seen anything like that in The World before, and what's even stranger is that it appeared at Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground! If it was Tsukasa's monster then I have to say I'm pretty interested in finding him now. I want to know where and how he got such a creature, aren't you curious about it as well?

"I am curious… But only because Tsukasa was not there commanding that monster. They may have a mind of their own… Or maybe Tsukasa just has multiple monsters; all under his control… Even after all of this, I still do not understand what is going on. Just what is it about Tsukasa…?" I sighed. "Tsukasa said he would not harm any other players as long as he was left alone… But this new creature makes an appearance, and attacks without reason… If the knights have given up their search, then I suppose I will look into the situation myself… Miss Kasey could prove useful in this matter…" I said thoughtfully.

From: Stance

Subject: RE: Time for a Check up!

Kasey, I suppose what you are saying is true, we are both fighting against the knights, that being said: would it be alright if I called upon you from time to time? I may require assistance with certain tasks Mistress Kaochin is sure to assign to me, and your talents could greatly assist me. To address your concerns about that creature that attacked us; I do not believe it was Tsukasa's monster, albeit it is identical, but the monster I have witnessed Tsukasa summon was yellow, and he had to directly command it. I must admit Kasey; I am growing more concerned with just where these creatures are coming from. With that thought in mind, I think I am going to start investigating myself, although I do not have any leads at the moment. Would you perhaps be interested in assisting me?

"Well… That does it for emails, time to head in game" I said as I opened The World.

"It's about time" Kaochin snapped. "Forgive my tardiness, Mistress Kaochin. But I do have duties to take care of in the real world as well" I said as I followed Kaochin down the back alleyways of Mac Anu. "Just finish them quickly, alright!" Kaochin shouted. :"I will try, Mistress Kaochin" I said with a bow. "I take it you've never really been down these streets huh?" Kaochin asked. "No Mistress Kaochin; the alleyways are were Player Killers, and the like congregate, so as a Crimson Knight, I had no reason to enter this area, since one cannot engage in hostile acts in a root town" I explained as I examined my surroundings. Unlike the others areas of Mac Anu, this place left a lot to be desired; it was a ghetto, and I cannot think of any other word to describe it. "Your first time huh?" Kaochin asked, obviously amused by my response. "Just keep to yourself, don't eyeball anybody, and especially don't listen to anybody. Everything anyone says is a lie, don't trust a single soul" Kaochin explained. "As you command, Mistress Kaochin" I said seriously. You know, it is probably a good thing you cannot PK in towns, or else the whole root town would look like this. My god, this place is disgusting… "Please excuse my ignorance, Mistress Kaochin. But why are we here?" I asked. "You really are dense you know that?" Kane snapped. "Our guild will be meeting here from now on" Kaochin explained as she pointed to an old and decrepit looking building. "I see… I understand Mistress Kaochin" I said with a nod. "Anymore dumb questions?" Kaochin sighed. "None at the moment, Mistress" I sighed as I realized just how far I had actually fallen.

"This place really sucks" Kaochin murmured to herself as she entered the building. I followed her inside, and nearly fell over on the uneven ground. "It is rather dark in here" I hastily gasped, hoping Kaochin did not notice my blunder. "There is no source of light in here; just let your eyes adjust." Kaochin explained. "Yes, of course" I said as I followed Kaochin deeper into the building. "We don't have very many members, but you don't need a lot of people to bring down an organization like the Crimson Knights" Kaochin explained. "Well… Here are our members" Kaochin said as she gestured into a poorly lit room. "Took you long enough" Kasey said as she jumped to her feet. "I was about to fall asleep" She yawned. "Miss Kasey…? You are a member?" I asked. "It seems like fun, so I'll stick around" Kasey said as she sat back down in an old looking chair. "For now" She murmured. "You already know that girl over there, don't you?" Kaochin asked as she pointed over to Naito. "Hey, Senpai" Naito waved. "You too, Naito?" I asked. "I already told you didn't I?" she giggled. "And the guild's co founder is over there. You will show her the same respect you show me, do you understand me?" Kaochin said as she grabbed me by the throat. "Of course, Mistress Kaochin! She will get no less from me" I said, hoping Kaochin would let me go. "Her name is Carl, she doesn't talk much, but then again she doesn't need too." Kaochin explained. The player known as Carl looked up at me from the dark corner she was standing in. She didn't bother to say anything; instead she just glared at me, I am sure if she was capable, she would have spat on me. Carl had silver hair, and wore an extremely dark blue dress. Around her neck was a white scarf with a large pearl at the center. There is something about her character… "It doesn't look like she likes you; not surprising either" Kaochin chuckled. "Well, now that we are all here, let's discuss today's plan" Kaochin sneered.

"We're going to be targeting individual Crimson Knights today! We'll split into two groups, with one person stay being to coax the knights in the area to investigating the area where our two groups will be positioned. "Kasey has already volunteered to stay behind, and get us our targets. I want Stance and Carl to head too Δ Bursting Passed Over Aqua Field. You may need to kill off some low level players in the area so they'll complain to the knights as well. Asaoka and I will be at Δ Closed Oblivious Twin Hills. They shouldn't respond with to much force; they rarely do. If you find yourself outnumbered, and you start getting your ass kicked you should head back to town, and move on to another area, but make sure you alert Kasey as to where you're going." Kaochin explained. "The Crimson Knights organize themselves by squads; squad nine holding the strongest and most valued members of the guild, and squad one holding the newest, and most likely weakest members. Squad nine acts as Subaru's personal guard, so the chances of them being sent in are rather slim, unless of course Kasey gets their attention. The closer the knights are to Subaru the stronger they will be. Weaker knights will be guarding the entrance to Mac Anu; as you move further from the entrance you will encounter stronger knights" I explained. "So I should try and convince the weaker knights to go investigate the field?" Kasey asked. "Perhaps… But keep in mind they may be new to the guild, and may outright refuse, or ask for assistance from a stronger knight. Where as other knights placed in a higher squad may be confident in their abilities, and come alone" I explained. "If you're all done chatting, we'll get started" Kaochin grunted. "Yes, Mistress; right away" I said seriously. "I am ready to go, Mistress" Asaoka said copying my attitude. "Time to play tattle tail" Kasey yawned. "Come" Carl commanded as she pushed past me. "Let's get going" Kaochin commanded.

Carl and I entered Δ Bursting Passed Over Aqua Field. Low level players were all over the place, some were fighting monsters, and others were just sitting around socializing. It was actually quite heart warming, but this calm peace was about to be shattered. It's nothing personal… I really hope they've saved recently. "What are your orders, Mistress Carl?" I asked. "Kill them" Carl said sharply. "Do I have a specific target?" I asked. "No. Just kill them all" Carl commanded. "Mistress Carl… Player Killing like that… It will bring unwanted attention. We will end up facing more than just the Crimson Knights" I explained. Carl didn't bother to respond; instead she shoved her axe into my gut, nearly killing me in the process. "Don't question me" She said coldly. I struggled to stand, but in my current state it was impossible. My character had a large gash in his stomach, and it was amazing he wasn't chopped completely in half. I quickly healed myself back to full health, and stood up. Some partnership this is… "Forgive my stupidity, Mistress. I was a fool to question you. Please clarify my objective" I said, swallowing not only my pride, but my ego as well. "Kill them all, and don't get in my way" Carl said coldly. "As you command" I couldn't stop myself from sighing.

I ran forward towards a female wave master struggling to fight a nearby monster. She had short pink hair that was covered by a fairly odd looking hat that matched her flamboyant blue and white robes. As I neared she turned her attention to me. "Oh? Are you here to help me?" She asked excitedly. Not bothering to respond, I ran forward shoving my weapon through her chest, instantly killing the low level wave master. I turned towards a group of players who were in the middle of a conversation. "MeAni Zot!" I shouted; casting a level two darkness spell. A large pile of claws rose from the ground, impaling the group of characters killing them. By now, the whole area was aware of what was going on. Many players began to scatter around the area, and some ran towards the dungeon seeking refuge inside. Carl was chasing down the players killing them with no effort. "GiAni Rampage!" Carl used a powerful third level dark element skill; she darted forward cutting down three players simultaneously. I didn't bother to think, I chased after some fleeing players, killing them as I ran towards the dungeon where the vast majority of players took refuge. I have to stop feeling sorry for these players. I'm a villain now. I must act like one.

"Mistress Carl, the players that did not gate out of the area are now inside the dungeon, and as you are aware you cannot gate out of an area while you are inside of a dungeon. You have them trapped for the moment" I explained to Carl as we neared the dungeon. "Good, if they try to escape we'll just kill them" Carl said listlessly. "Do you plan on keeping them here?" I asked. "They will cry for help, and people will come running. When they get here, I will kill them" Carl said as she propped herself against a wall. "You are holding them hostage?" I asked. "Yes" Carl responded, not bothering to look at me. "A cunning plan, but you are aware that we may face more than the Crimson Knights now" I asked. "I don't care" Care shrugged. "Look" Carl said as she gazed off into the distance. Atleast a dozen players were now charging for the dungeon. "Make yourself useful" Carl commanded. "Shall I meet them head on?" I asked. "Yes" Carl sighed. "And if I should fall?" I asked. "Then you fall" Carl shrugged. "Very well" I purposely let my anger known as I turned away and charged forward. Damn that woman! This was not what we were supposed to do! I can't believe she got me caught up in all of this… "Damnit all!" I shouted as I charged for the group of players. The group consisted of twelve players; five blade masters, four twin blades, a heavy axemen, a long arm, and a lone wave master. As I neared I could hear their battle cries; I let lose a thunderous cry of my own, and began my assault. "BiAni Don!" I unleashed a second level darkness spell. The spell flew forward hitting the players that were in the front most position.

"BiAni Don!"

"BiAni Don!!"

"BiAni Don!!!"

"BiAni Don!!!!"

I continued my magical assault as I charged towards the players. I managed to kill two of the blade masters with my magical barrage. I unsheathed my sword as I neared, and leveled it at the group of players coming my way. "I'll charge right through!" I shouted as I ran forward hitting the group head on. A twin blade was unfortunate enough to be in the front, and I easily cut my way through her. I tried to fight my way out, but I was impaled by the long arm's halberd, and was sent barreling out of the crowd. Her blade went through my body entirely, as she charged forward shoving her blade into a nearby tower. She had pinned me against it, leaving me with little less than half my health. "Hey, I got him!" she cheered. Ignoring my wounds I charged forward, the hilt of her halberd passed through me, and I threw myself on top of her. "Die!" I screamed as I shoved my blade into her chest; killing her. "He's injured; surround him!" One of the blade masters commanded. I let out a cold sinister laugh as the players neared. One of the twin blades charged forward, I slashed at her head, but she quickly ducked under my attack, and slide between my feet. "MeAni Zot" I quickly cast a spell on the area behind me; she slid right into my spell; spikes rose from the ground, and made quick work of her. Two of the blade masters charged forward. I managed to land a hit on one of them as they passed, but the other hit me as he charged forward. I quickly spun around and threw my blade at the blade master that hit me, it plunged deep into his chest, and he staggered backwards trying to maintain his balance. I ran forward, and pulled my blade from his chest. I stabbed him once more in the chest; finishing him off. One of the remaining twin blades ran behind me, and latched onto my back. She skillfully spun her daggers, and then plunged both of them into my shoulders. I screamed out in pain as my health was nearly depleted. "I'm not dead yet" I shouted as I shoved my blade through the hole that the long arm player had left in my stomach. It didn't damage me, but my blade went straight through the twin blade's stomach, causing her scream in pain. She released her grip on my shoulders, and lay limp as my sword held her in place. I slowly withdrew my blade from my chest, and she fell from my back; her body faded to a dull gray, indicating she was dead. It's no good… One more hit, and I'll die… I desperately ran forward, jumping off the heavy axeman as he swung his axe at me. I landed behind the frightened wavemaster; I wasted no time, in grabbing her head, and pulling her close to me. I brought my blade close to her neck in a threatening manner. The other players ran forward, but stopped when the noticed the situation the wave master was in. "Heal me" I whispered into her ear. "Wha… No… I can't" she whimpered. "I do not want to kill you, but if you ignore my commands, then I will have no choice" I said as I carefully slid the edge of my blade along her neck. "But… The others…" it was obvious to me she was trying to hold back her tears. "You have a healing item do you not? Give it to me, and they will not have to know… If you do this for me, I will let you go" I whispered into her ear, while slowly backing away from the other players. "Ah… You will?" She obviously did not believe me. "Just do as I ask, you do not have anything to lose; do you?" I whispered to her. She silently nodded, and within seconds a trade request appeared on my screen. I hurriedly accepted the healing items she gave me, and tightened my grip on her. "Now, the daggers in my shoulders pull them out on my command…" I silently commanded. "Make it look like you are trying to damage me" I whispered. I swatted her staff out of her hands, and then moved my sword away from her throat, and leveled it at the other players. "Hang on! We're coming!" one of the remaining blade masters shouted. "If you want your friends to live, convince them to retreat, if they continue to fight; I will have to kill them" I whispered. "Ok…" she whispered. "Now, go" I whispered. She gently shoved me, but I threw myself backwards to make it seem more dramatic. She spun around and grabbed hold of both daggers within my shoulders, and yanked them out. The momentum, sent her falling down onto the grass below, but her action left me at exactly one HP. "He's down, finish him off!" The blade master shouted as he ran forward. I quickly healed myself with the potions the wave master had given me. My wounds sealed themselves up, and the blood along my armor disappeared. "Damnit, he waits until now to heal!?" The heavy axeman shouted. "Ah… I don't think we can win… We should run!" The wave master shouted. "No! Our friends are in that dungeon, and they can't get out! We have to help them!" The heavy axeman shouted. I stood from my kneeling position with a sinister grunt. "You are beaten! Continuing this fight would only bring your destruction." I taunted. "I was able to take down six of you before… Without that long arm to help you, it will be easy" I said manically. "Damnit…" One of the blade masters shouted in frustration. "If you choose to fight, then you will die" I said as I began to march towards them. "Ah… We can't win, we need to run" The wave master pleaded. "Damnit… Fine, let's get out of here…" the head player of the group commanded. Each player began gating out of the area "I won't forget you…" The remaining blade master said to me as he warped away. I let out a heavy sigh when the final player warped out of the area. I don't think I have what it takes… This player killing… It's just not enjoyable… No honor in it… Atleast I was able to turn them away… "How is Carl doing?" I asked myself as I glanced over at the dungeon entrance. It was swamped with Crimson Knights; I do not believe I have ever seen that many knights in one place.

I charged forward towards the dungeon, all the knights were focused on Carl, so they did not see me coming. I ran through the group of knights, cutting, pushing, and shoving them until I reached the dungeon entrance, and Carl. "Mistress Carl; I have accomplished my goal" I said as I took a defensive position next to her. "Kill them" Carl said listlessly. Knights would charge forward, and Carl and I would fight them off. It was an incredibly repetitive process; I sustained heavy damage, but Carl was not once touched by any knight. Carl took a defensive position in front of me, and stopped the knights from reaching me. "You are pathetic" She insulted me while effortlessly fighting off the knights. "You utterly worthless, like the rest of them" Carl sighed. Worthless…? Pathetic…? "You keep holding back. You don't think I saw?" Carl asked. "You let those players escape… You joined Kaochin's guild but look at you… A gutless, worthless man. You are supposed to be helping me, but look at you… It's truly sad" Carl explained.

"Ah…"

Carl gasped as she fell backwards on my blade. "Worthless am I…?" I asked her as I twisted my blade in circles. "What do you know?!" I shouted. "What have the knights done to you?!" I shouted as I forced her to stand. The knights stopped their assault and looked on in awe at my actions. "You send me off to kill innocent players while you fight off the Crimson Knights!? What have they done to you! Did they betray you!?" I asked as I pulled my sword from her body. "What are you doing…? You are supposed to listen to me…" Carl sighed as she fell to her knees. "I refuse!" I shouted. "Your business with ordinary players or anyone else is none of my concern!" I shouted. "Subaru and the knights… They are my only objective!" I shouted. "How… worthless…" Carl chuckled to herself. "Worthless is it!?" I screamed. "What do you know of worthless!?" I shouted as I shoved my sword into her gut. "I have spent my entire time in The World in service to her!" I shouted. "I was far more loyal than any of them! I devoted more time than anyone! And yet I have had to watch, as others surpassed me! My dreams crushed in front of my own eyes! But I never complained! I never voiced my opinion because I believed she was right! I… I even saved her from a horrible fate at the hands of Tsukasa… And how does she thank me… By letting him go, and banishing me from the knights!?" I screamed. "She…No… They… They have taken everything from me… My valor… My pride… And most importantly… My purpose!" I screamed. "And… You claim it is "worthless!?" I shouted at Carl. "After all they have done… What could possibly have more meaning than my revenge against the knights!?" I shouted. "They… They stole my purpose… So… I will take theirs!" I shouted as I turned to the mass formation of Knights. "It will take more than the likes of you to stop me!" I activated the item that changed my appearance to that of a Crimson Knight. My character faded from The World, and reappeared in the standard armor of a Crimson Knight. "You may have banished me from guild, but I am still a knight… I was a knight long before I was in that guild… And even now, after you have all banished me… I am, and will always remain… A knight… And there is one thing a knight always keeps… His Honor!" I screamed. "And you will not take that away from me! You will all pay!" I shouted as I jumped forward into the mass of knights.

The knights were all defeated. Disguising myself as a Crimson Knight worked to my absolute advantage, as it turned the entire group against each other. No one knew which knight was me, so they all turned against themselves, and began to attack each other. "They can't even tell each other apart" I managed to chuckle in my half-dead state. I wasn't able to dodge in all of the confusion, and I was nearly killed off, but in the end I managed to survive. Carl drove the remaining knights off, perhaps so she could finish me herself. "Better?" Carl asked as she studied my half dead body. "Yes… Much better" I chuckled. "Phal Repth!" Carl chanted; casting the strongest healing spell available. My wounds sealed up within an instant, and my health was completely restored. "Get up" Carl commanded as she offered her hand as support. What is all of this? Have I earned her respect? "Thank you" I said sincerely as I grabbed her hand, and rose to my feet. "I told Kasey to alert the knights; that if they want us to stop, all they would have to do is send Subaru" Carl explained. "That's a smart plan, it really is… But most of the players have likely reset their terminals by now. That way they will be back in Mac Anu. Right now, we are just stopping players from entering this dungeon, which is no big deal considering they can simply go to another field. Carl looked taken back by my explanation; but didn't she consider all of this while coming up with this plan? You cannot expect players to sit idly by in a dungeon when all they have to do is reset their terminals to escape. "Damnit, this is why I hate people. They never want to see anything through to the end" Carl grunted. "There may still be some players inside…" I said, trying to lift her spirits. "More players are coming" Carl stated as she glared behind me. Five lightly armored players were running towards the dungeon; judging by their weapons, they were of the long arm class, which means…

"Dash…" I deeply sighed. "Hey! You two! Do you have any ide-…? Wait a minute… Stance!?" Dash shouted. "Huh? That's Stance?" Spade shouted. "Why would he do something like this?" Club asked. "Oh no! What has happened to Stance?!" Heart cried. "Who cares what's happened to him, we need to kill him!" Diamond grunted. "Stance… When you told me you were gonna be hanging out with Kaochin I really didn't think anything of it; yeah sure you may PK… But doing something like this… It's more than PKing. You're running the fun of a lot of players by blocking off this dungeon!" Dash shouted. "Spare me your righteous speech, please! You might actually bore me to sleep!" I chuckled. "I told myself I'd try and go lenient on you, because what the knights did to you was unfair… But this… Oh no, I can't just ignore this" Dash sighed. "Word must travel fast. We have not been here that long have we?" I manically laughed. "Man… This is kind of making me sick… Oh, and Stance, could you try speaking some English?" Dash asked as he gestured to his guild. "Friends of yours?" Carl asked. "Friends? Maybe so… But if they are going to get in my way…" I said, making sure to speak English so Dash's comrades could understand me. I glared at Dash, and his guild: Royal Flush. "Oh? You thinking about taking Royal Flush on?" Dash smirked. "There are only two of you; and I already told you we wont go easy on you" Dash taunted. "These players are annoying. I will put them in their place" Carl sighed. "Wryneck Rf!" She shouted. A ghostly visage of Wryneck, The World's god of darkness appeared above Carl, and unleashed a devastating magical attack. "Oh man! Get out of the way!" Dash commanded. Dash and his guild barely managed to jump out of the way before Wryneck's attack hit. The ground where they once stood was now nothing more than a large crater in the ground. "Sheesh, she's using summoning spells!? Man she must really be high level…" Dash grunted. "Alright! You all know what to do!" Dash shouted as he readied his halberd. "Right!' Royal flush shouted at once. "This could be bad…" I grunted. "Take my member address, we stand a better chance in a party" Carl said as she sent her member address to me. I quickly accepted, and created a party with her.

"Ap Raio!" Heart shouted; unleashing a magical spell that boosted ones Thunder elemental skills. "Alright, now! GiRai Rom!" Diamond shouted unleashing a powerful thunder spell that was boosted in power thanks to Heart's support spell. Her attack floored me, and caused Carl's summon to vanish. "Damnit!" I shouted as I climbed to my feet. "Alright, let's go!" Dash shouted as he led his group in an all out charge. "PhAni Zot!" Carl shouted, unleashing the highest level of darkness "Raise" spell. At my level, all I could manage was to summon a number of sinister looking spikes from the ground; but at her level, large demonic looking hands burst from the ground. "Darn! Everyone jump!" Dash commanded. They all leapt into the air, just as the spell activated. The hands sprung forth from the ground, but Dash and his guild were too high in the air for them to reach. I quickly followed Carl's attack up with a barrage of my own spells. "BiAni Don! I continually cast the spell, hitting each member of Royal Flush knocking them down onto the ground. "Oh, so that's how you wanna play is it? Alright then… Heart, strengthening spells! Boost our magic!" Dash commanded. "Mistress Carl, they are going to attack using magic" I said. "Then we'll attack now" Carl sighed.

"Oh this figures…" Dash sighed as we neared. "Will you two make up your minds!?" Dash shouted as he led his guild forward. I focused my attention on Dash; it seems he had the same idea as he commanded the rest of his guild to focus on Carl. As we neared we both readied our weapons, and attacked in unison; our blades becoming interlocked. "You don't really think this is ok do you!?" Dash shouted as he struggled to break through my defenses. "It is not personal. I just want to cause trouble for the Crimson Knights!" I shouted while simultaneously holding Dash's halberd at bay. "Then… Stop causing trouble for regular players!" Dash shouted. "That's difficult when they keep getting in my way!" I responded. Dash and I both withdrew our blades, and began to assault each other. Dash was able to parry all of my attacks, and likewise I was able to parry all of his. "I don't think you're telling me the whole story here, Stance" Dash said as he blocked a series of my attacks. "Have I ever… Lied to you before?" I asked as I took to the defensive, and began to parry his attacks. "No… But we've never been in this kind of situation before, have we?" Dash asked as he parried my attacks. "You… Don't have to believe me. But you cannot say my banishment… Was not sudden" he interrupted my chain of attacks, and took to the offensive. "Yeah, maybe so. But… All you did was talk highly of her, and all the sudden she just doesn't want you in her guild… It's kind of suspicious" Dash said as he effortlessly parried my attacks. "Even I can make mistakes; infact, I make a lot of them… You are just too self-centered to notice them!" I shouted as I readied a skill. "Ani Crack!" I shouted. Dash prepared a skill of his own, and unleashed it along with my own. "Vak Repulse!" Dash shouted. Our weapons began to glow with our corresponding elements; mine a deep purple, and his bright red.

We both began attacking in a furious rage, but each of our attacks just bounced off one anothers'. "This is getting us no where" Dash sighed as he continued his attack. "Anid Spiral!" I shouted as I jumped into the air. "Ah, crap!" Dash cried. I spun forward in the air, and came crashing down breaking through Dash's defenses. The attack forced him down to the ground, with little more than half of his health remaining. "I know you normally boast about the strengths of the Long Arm class, but allow me to inform you of their weaknesses" I sneered. "You have an extensive cool down time between skills, so you have to be smart, and choose when you should use one" I explained. "So you used one of your weaker skills so I'd counter with my own… I gotta admit… That was pretty good" Dash smirked. "I'm not entirely evil though. I will let you go if you promise to leave this place" I said as I moved my blade towards his throat. "Ha, you know I can't do that" Dash smiled. "Then, I will have to kill you" I said as I moved my blade away, and prepared to finish him. "Or… You can drop your weapon, and I'll let YOU go" A voice emerged from behind. "What? Who dares?" I grunted, but maintained my position when I felt a blade against my back. "Drop your weapon, and turn around; nice and easy" the unknown player commanded. I threw my sword to the ground, and slowly put my hands in the air. "Alright buddy, nice and easy, move away from the player" he commanded. I silently nodded and slowly stepped away from Dash. "Oh man… Now this is something to brag about at school" Dash chuckled as he stood up. His comment really made me curious as to who was behind me, so without warning I quickly spun around to face my attacker.

"Orca of the Azure Seas!?" I gasped.

"That's what they call me" Orca said with a confident grin. Dash grabbed his halberd, and used it as leverage to help himself stand. "Oh man, just in the nick of time, let me tell you" Dash sighed. "I was wondering what all the commotion was about; it's really despicable to pick on lower level players. You know that right?" Orca asked. "These players were not my intended target" I said sternly. "But you attacked them anyway! What kind of first impression are you giving those that are new to the game?" Orca asked. "The initial deaths were unavoidable. Everything else was the result of their own ignorance and the complete lack of competence of the Crimson Knights" I said seriously. "Do you get some kind of sick pleasure from killing off defenseless players?" Orca asked. "Whoa, now; I know that's not true" Dash said coming to my defense. "Stance may have killed a lot of players, but I don't think he really enjoys it" Dash said as he looked over to me. "My grudge is against the Crimson Knights. While it is true that I killed a number of innocent players… Those that choose to side with Crimson Knights will become my enemy" I declared. "The only ones that have sided with the Crimson Knights; are the Knights themselves. Others came here trying to rescue their friends, or put a stop to this injustice you and your partner have created." Orca explained. "Where is Carl?" I asked. "Your partner? I had no choice but to kill her. When push came to shove, she wasn't able to match up to someone like me." Orca smirked. "It was just enough to decommission your guild" I said to Dash. "But I can easily revive them" Dash shrugged. "Did you remember to buy the proper items to do so?" I asked curiously. "Ah well…" Dash stammered. "Hey, hold on now. Don't try anything funny… Just leave the area and we can forget all about this" Orca said as he took a defensive position in front of Dash. "And give you the satisfaction of victory? Unlikely" I said as I used an item to revive the deceased Carl. She materialized right beside Orca, and wasted no time in her attack.

"MeAni Zot!" I shouted

I caught Dash off guard; he was caught in my spell, and was killed as a great deal of spikes rose from the ground. I ran forward, and grabbed my sword. Orca easily knocked Carl away, and killed her with a powerful Earth elemental spell. "You never want to do things the easy way… Alright then" Orca said as he turned to me. "I gave you a chance, but you had to go and act foolish" Orca sighed. He blocked off my escape, forcing me to back inside of the dungeon. In terms of power, I am no match for him… I can't believe how easily Carl was beaten… I've only got one chance… I disbanded my party with Carl which forced her back to Mac Anu. I'll have to lose him inside the dungeon. I didn't say another word; I spun around and darted deeper into the dungeon. "Get back here!" Orca shouted as he chased after me. I ran deeper into the dungeon, pushing past a few remaining players as I ran. The dungeon branched off into two different routes. If I choose the wrong one, I'll be killed for sure… I quickly made my decision, and ran left. I pushed some hapless players down as I ran, and grabbed others and threw them directly behind me hoping to slow Orca down. I followed the dungeon's layout, following the stairs down to the second floor. I ran straight ahead, shoving a few hapless players behind me as I ran. I continued running until I reached a large room with four doors I could enter. "Damnit all!" I shouted as I examined the four passageways. "It's a low level area, it will be the most obvious" I said to myself as I ran forward. I entered the room containing the Gott Statue, and jumped down into the bowl under it; I quickly grabbed onto the ledge behind it, and climbed up on the small ledge. The Gott Statue is still floating, he will not see me as long as it remains there…I could hear Orca enter the area, and stop as he reached the Gott statue. "Come out and face me!" He commanded. "A player saw you run in here, it's no use hiding!" Orca shouted. Damnit… He's got me… His foot steps grew louder as he neared the Gott Statue, and my hiding place. I got nervous and pressed my back against the wall, and strangely enough…

I fell right through it.

I stopped myself from verbally gasping, and remained quiet. What the…? What happened? I could hear Orca slide down into the bowl holding the Gott statue; I remained motionless for an extended period of time before I heard him climb out of the bowl. "That's strange… No one's seen him near the entrance… How could he have just disappeared…?" I could hear Orca asking himself as I hid behind the "fake" wall. "If he disconnected, or reset his terminal his character would have remained long enough for me to notice it… So how did he…" I heard him ask. "Is he some kind of hacker?" I heard him ask. It took every ounce of restraint my body could muster, but I was able to stop myself from yelling. A hacker!? How dare he… "Well… I should go help the other players" he sighed. I heard his footsteps grow weaker, and weaker, until finally I couldn't hear him anymore. I slowly stood up and examined my surroundings. It was dark, and an eerie purple light illuminated the area. The trees surrounding the area where dead, and were starting to show signs of decay. "Where in The World, am I?" I asked as I examined my surroundings. In the center of the dark and depressing area was a lone bed, and above it, a small female floated aimlessly. "A girl…?" I asked curiously. I made my way over to the bed, taking note of the various teddy bears that were floating about the area. "Is this some kind of event? Or hidden area?" I asked as I grabbed one of the floating teddy bears.

And so, I shall name her Aura.

Without you, she would not exist.

The shining girl, Aura...

We will entrust her with our will.

Our future is in her hands,

She is our...

The words continuously played through my head. "Who's there?!" I shouted as I glared around the area. "Show yourself!" I drew my weapon. The area remained eerily quite; the only exception was the small girl's dress that fluttered in the wind. "This girl…" I said as I sheathed my weapon. "Is she… Asleep?" I asked. "Excuse me… Young lady; get up" I said while lightly shoving her. "And so… I shall name her Aura…" I said, reciting what I heard when I picked up the small teddy bear. "This is, Aura?" I asked.

"Don't touch her" A voice behind me rang.

"Who's there!?" I shouted as I grabbed my weapon, and prepared to attack. In front of me was a small cat like creature, it wore a large goofy hat, with two small holes for its ears to fit through. She politely bowed when I turned, and repeated herself "Do not touch her" she said. "Who… No! What are you?" I demanded. "Maha" Its whiskers twitched as it spoke. "What kind of player model is that…? A cat…" I asked.

"Many players have reported seeing a cat-like player in fields and dungeons but just recently we have received reports of this cat player being seen in root towns with a Wave Master"

I flashed back to Silver Knight's words

"A cat player… You… It was you! You are connected to Tsukasa somehow! Where is he?!" I shouted. "Leave Tsukasa lone" Maha commanded. "Who are you to give me such an order!? Do you have any idea what he has put me through, and what others have suffered through as well?!" I shouted. "Hunting Tsukasa will only bring you unnecessary conflict" Maha sighed. "And what of this girl!? Is she helping you and Tsukasa? Or… Maybe you attacked her!" I shouted. "Wake her up!" I commanded. "I don't have the power to do that" Maha shrugged. "Just who are you… What's going on here!?" I shouted. I tucked the teddy bear safely away, and brought my sword into a combat position. "If you won't tell me… Then I will kill you!" I shouted. Every single image that was displayed on my HMD contorted, and inverted in color. "What the… What are you doing…?" I grunted as I held my eyes.

"Maha… Go, and find Tsukasa." An ominous voice commanded. The cat politely bowed, and disappeared from the area. "Who's there…?" I shouted. "You are involving yourself in matters that do not concern you…" The voice said softly. Before I could respond, my body was throttled high into the air. "What the!? What's going on!?" I cried. "You can spend the rest of your life wallowing in obscurity!' The voice shrieked. A great deal of lights emerged; all of them sprang forward, and pierced my body. I cried out in pain as my body began to convulse in reality. "What are you doing!?" I cried. Her attack continued, and I could feel myself slipping unconscious. There was a loud explosion, and I fell from the sky. I slammed into the ground, and looked up into the dark purple sky. The last thing I saw: was the visage of a tall woman garbed in strange white robes.

…

"Ah…" I gasped as I awoke. "Where am I…?" I asked as I struggled to stand. "Oh? So you're awake?" Someone asked me. I clumsily reached for my sword, and unsheathed it, nearly falling over in the process. "Who… Who's there?" I asked. "There is no need for violence" A small decrepit man said. "He slowly limped over to me, and extended his small hand. "Greetings, what brings you to paradise?" He asked. Paradise…? I kneeled forward and shook his small and feeble looking hand. "Paradise?" I asked curiously. I scanned my surroundings, for a moment I thought I was in some slum in reality; the area was dark, dank, and down right unpleasant in most cases. There were many modern looking buildings, but they looked abandoned, and were falling apart. Garbage littered the streets, and the sidewalk was cracked in many places. How could anyone call this paradise? "Would you prefer the term Net Slum?" The old man asked. "Net Slum…? Hold on, just where am I?" I asked. "You are in Net Slum" The old man responded. "But just where is Net Slum? Am I still inside The World?" I asked. "You are" The old man nodded. "But at the same time… You are not" He added. "I… I am… But at the same time… I am not?" I asked as I held my throbbing head. "Hold on… Just who are you?" I asked as I studied his unfamiliar appearance. "I am Tartarga" He said simply. "But… Your appearance… How did you…?" I asked. "Is something wrong?" He asked as he leaned on his small cane. "I have never seen a player with a model such as that… Are you helping that cat like player…?" I asked as I pointed my sword at him. "Me, help Morganna?" Tartarga chuckled. "Help who? Morganna…? Seriously, just who or what are you?" I nearly shouted. "Put away your weapon… Children these days… So quick to fight" He sighed as he shook his head. "Come with me, let me introduce you": He said as he pointed down a small alleyway.

I followed the tiny ancient looking man who called himself Tartarga deeper into "Net Slum" It all started to mesh together. The place was a guanine slum; it sickened me to be in such a horrible looking place. As we waked down one of its seemingly endless alleyways we happened on groups of players… Accept they were… Messed up… Some of the characters had entire pieces missing from their body, others did not even possess a third dimension, and were as flat as paper. "Excuse me, Mister… Tartarga… Was it?" I asked timidly. "Hm? What is it?" He asked. "Do you know…? What is wrong with these players? I have never seen player characters in such a state… And some of them are... Just what is going on here?" I asked. "This place… It was once a place, where all flawed non-player characters drifted to" Tartarga explained. "Non-player characters…?" I gasped as I scanned the area. "A sanctuary for failures" He added. "Eventually, players stumbled upon them, and those that found them amusing came up with their own variations of failed characters" Tartarga explained. "Now… The boundary between player characters and non player character is virtually non-existent" He explained. "Some of them simply don't know which category they fall in to." He said with a sorrowful sigh. "There could even be a few who have lost their bodies on the outside. Mere shells of what they once were. Only their character data remains active. And they wander the network searching for who knows what" Tartarga explained. "The same fate as Harald…" He sighed deeply.

"Hey… Is that you, Stance?"

I turned to the direction of the familiar voice, and Kasey came skipping towards me. "You're finally awake huh?" She asked cheerfully. "Miss Kasey, what are you doing in such an area…?" I gasped. "I think a better question… Is: what are you doing here" She said. "I… I do not really know…" I said seriously. "You were out of it for awhile… Tell me, are you feeling alright?" Kasey asked. "I'm a little shaken… But otherwise, I feel fine…" I said as I rubbed my throbbing head. "No symptoms back in reality?" she asked curiously. "It was strange enough to find you of all people just lying here in Net Slum. But when I returned home from work you were still there." Kasey explained. I tried to lift my HMD, but…

Nothing happened…

There was nothing to lift up… When I tried to move my hands… My body inside The World reacted. "Hey… Stance… You alright?" She asked worriedly. "Ah… I cannot… Nothing is happening… I cannot take it off… What is going on…?" I began to panic. "Hey! Hold on, clam down!" Kasey shouted. "No! This is not right! I… I am inside The World… My body… It is gone!? No! This must be some kind of dream!" I screamed. "Where am I!? What is going on!?" I cried as I fell to the floor. "My body… It is gone… There is nothing there…" I began to sob. "Hey, Stance, Calm down!" Kasey grabbed my shoulders. "Where is my body!? Where am I!?" I cried. "Stance, you're losing your mind! Calm down!" Kasey shouted as she threw my helmet off, and slapped me across the face.

I grabbed the left side of my face; I could feel the sting from where Kasey had slapped me across the face. "I can feel it… It's real…" I began to cry. "It hurts… It really does hurt…" I sobbed. "Whoa… Stance… I didn't mean to…" Kasey said apologetically. "This… This is my body… I'm not in front of a terminal…" I sobbed. "This… This is me" I cried as I pointed to my player character, Stance. "I don't understand what you're trying to say…" Kasey sighed. "Just log out…" she suggested. "How!?" I couldn't help but yell. "How do I open the field menu!? I am not using a controller! Don't you get it!? These hands…" I sobbed. "They are my real hands!" I cried. "Stance… What you're saying… It doesn't make any sense" Kasey said while trying to calm me down. "It does not make any sense… It cannot be explained… But it has happened to me… Whatever happened to me at that field… It trapped me in this game… I'm sure of it!" I shouted. "Wait, hold on. What happened where?" Kasey asked. "It was that cat… And that voice… It was her… I am sure of it… She did this to me!" I shouted. "Calm down, just who are you talking about?" Kasey asked.

"Morganna" Someone behind me answered. "Ah! Oh wow…" Kasey said in bewilderment. "Ah… Who's there?" I asked as I spun around. A tall female stood before me. Her hair was blonde, but she wore a large mask that covered up her face, leaving only her mouth revealed. She wore a unique looking robe that was anything but proper; her chest was barely clothed, unlike the rest of her body, which was garbed in heavy robes. "Helba!" Kasey shouted excitedly. "Oh, it is just you Helba. You certainly have a way of sneaking up on people" Tartarga laughed as best he could. "It is one of my many talents, Tartarga" Helba smiled. "And hello to you, Kasey. It has been awhile since we have spoken" Helba said with a nod. "And… Hello to you, Stance is it?" Helba asked. "Ah…Just who are you? And just who is this Morganna? Are you the cause of all this?" I asked as I grabbed my helmet, and threw it on my head. "The cause? Me? No… But I can tell you who did this to you" Helba said softly. "Hm? Helba? You know something about what's happening to Stance?" Kasey asked. "I know a great deal of things, my dear. It just so happens that I know what has happened to your friend" Helba explained. "What, that he's gone crazy?" Kasey asked. "Tell me boy… Can you recall any memories from your life outside of The World?" she asked. "Um… Vaguely… Friends… And family I think… I live in Japan… I have a sister… Uh… I am seventeen… A junior in high school… I… I have a friend… His name is James… And there is a girl… Yes… A girl… I think…" I said as I recalled what little memories I had. "Well… You are actually a player…" Helba said thoughtfully. "Of course I am!" I shouted. "Listen to me, I want to know who did this to me, and I want to know how to reverse it; tell me now, damnit!" I shouted. "Violence won't do you any good. Calm yourself down, and listen to what I have to say" Helba commanded. "Ah… Alright…" I said calmly.

"It was Morganna" Helba said simply. "Who is Morganna?" I asked. "She… Is The World" Helba said seriously. "She… She is The World? I do not understand…" I sighed. "Everything you see around you, everything you have ever known inside of The World is her doing. She is the foundation of The World; this is her domain" Helba explained. "She is… The World? Like some kind of god…?" I asked seriously. "That is a simplistic way of viewing it… But yes, I suppose you could describe her as The World's god" Helba said with a smirk. "Why did she do this to me?" I asked. "I can explain a great deal of things to you… But how Morganna thinks? That is not one of them" Helba said sadly. "Can it be reversed?" I desperately asked. "Of course. If it can be done… Then it can be undone" Helba explained. "How…? Can you help me?" I asked. "I'll need to examine you more thoroughly" Helba said. "Ah… Examine?" I asked. "She attacked you through the game, did she not? I will need to get a closer look at the data making up your character in order to find out what she has actually done" Helba said. "Wait, hold on a second… So all of this is real?" Kasey asked. "He's actually stuck inside of The World?" Kasey asked in disbelief. "That is what he claims" Helba nodded. "But it's just… To far fetched to believe in" Kasey grunted. "Kasey, would you please step over here? I would like to examine you first" Helba said as she gestured towards an open field in Net Slum. "Huh? Why me?" Kasey asked. "I need to get a basic idea of the data structure of an ordinary player. Without it, I wouldn't know what to look for when I examined Stance" Helba explained. "Humph, fine. What do I need to do?" Kasey asked. "Just stand perfectly still" Helba said as she aimed her staff at Kasey. A small blue light shot from her staff, and engulfed Kasey. Helba dropped her staff, and it began to circle around Kasey. "Now then… Let's see just what makes you tick" Helba said. She brought her hands up, and began to type on what appeared to be an invisible keyboard. "Less data than a field… but slightly more than some monsters… And what appears to be… Illegal modifications?" Helba said with an amused smirk. "Illegal modifications…?" I asked. "What I do to my character is my own business" Kasey grunted. She is… A hacker…? "Hold still for a moment longer, just let me save it…" Helba said as she began typing away on her invisible keyboard. "It is done" Helba said as she retrieved her staff. "Stance, it is your turn" Helba said as she turned to me. "This… This is not going to hurt… Will it?" I asked worriedly. "I do not know…" Helba said thoughtfully. "I haven't used it on someone who could actually feel pain inside of The World" Helba said with a shrug. "That being the case, you don't have very many options right now" Helba added. "You are… Right…" I sighed. "Very well… Continue…" I whimpered. As with Kasey, Helba's wand flew forward, and projected a dull blue light. I was engulfed in the light. "Ah… This is… Odd…" I said, trying to stifle my laughter. "You have to remain still. I cannot get an accurate reading if you are rolling around" Helba sighed. "I am sorry… But it is... Tickling me…" I laughed. "And he was worried about pain…" Helba sighed. "Kasey, do something about his movements" Helba commanded. "Ah…? Like what? You want me to hold him down?" Kasey asked. "That would give me an inaccurate reading. Use magic" Helba commanded. "Ah. Right. Suvi Lei!" Kasey shouted casting a spell that paralyzed its target. My muscles tightened and my body froze up. I slowly fell forwards landing directly on my face. "Well, that makes things easier" Helba chuckled.

"Huh…? How interesting…!" Helba smirked. "Hey? What's up Helba?" Kasey asked. "I've never seen this much data in one place… His data structure is more complex than two… Maybe three fields…. What's more, I don't recognize any of this… It's all foreign…" Helba explained. "What… Does that mean?" I asked. "It means I will need some time to fully comprehend what I am dealing with. I can't tell where one part of you ends and the other begins. Structurally, your data is assembled in a completely different way than Kasey's" Helba explained as she recalled her staff. "Then… You can't help me?" I gasped. "I don't fully understand what has happened to you. I cannot help you without first understanding the problem" Helba explained. "So you just expect me to wait here?!" I shouted. "Of course not… You're free to wonder the rest of The World; although… It will be difficult considering you are not able to access the menus regular player's use…" Helba explained. "But I believe I have a solution" Helba nodded. "A solution?" I asked curiously. "A program that will create a copy of the Chaos Gate, and allow you to travel normally using the copy…" Helba explained. "Hey! Are you talking about my Gate Hack?" Kasey asked excitedly. "It has become increasingly difficult to create programs that still function within The World… I must admit I am surprised you were capable of creating such a program, especially with today's security measures. " Helba sighed. "People were just too careless with their hacking. They thought it made them cool, so they went around showing off. Of course the system administration cracked down on them. Security has gotten real tight; it's such a pain… Simple things like creating AIs are now extremely hard" Kasey sighed. "You sound annoyed" Helba grinned. "I'm not like you… I don't have the time or patience to sit around all day, and look for backdoors" Kasey sighed. "Oh? But you've still managed to create some impressive programs" Helba chuckled. "Maybe so, but I've learned my lesson... Carelessly handing them out to random players only gets them disabled faster. I just keep em for myself" Kasey grunted. "Besides… How is my Gate Hack program gonna help Stance?" Kasey asked. "I designed it so I could force my way into areas that were blocked off by the administration! And without a powerful Virus, or bug to break their protection it's a useless program. Not to mention, when I tested it before… I caused all of Δ Server to crash! It creates too much data, which overflows the system and forces it, offline... It needs something… Something to regulate it…" Kasey explained. "Oh! And don't go telling me you have some way of sneaking a virus into The World; not even you can pull something like that off. Security has gotten too tight; bringing in a Virus from the outside is completely impossible" Kasey grunted. "That may be; but your program creates a replica of the Chaos Gate in question when it's used, does it not?" Helba asked. "Well yeah; if it didn't, the administration could easily detect that I was using their own chaos gates to break into their protected areas; they'd see my name on their logs, and I'd end up getting banned. If it creates a copy of the Chaos Gate, then they won't be able to check it." Kasey explained. "And the "fake" chaos gate; is voice activated, is it not?" Helba asked. "Actually, it was text activated, but I suppose voice commands would work too..." Kasey said thoughtfully. "And that is our solution to poor Stance's problems. With a voice activated chaos gate; he'll be able to travel without the use of the standard menus" Helba smirked.

"Man… I promised myself I wouldn't give out any more of my programs…" Kasey sighed. "Hey, wait a second! How did you find out about it, Helba?!" Kasey shouted. "That is my secret, dear" Helba chuckled. "Sheesh… Can't even keep my own creations to myself anymore" Kasey whined. "Well, here Stance. I hope you put it to good use. And you'd better not draw any attention from the administration!" Kasey shouted as she handed me a small glowing orb. "It's the only one of its kind, and although it doesn't fulfill its intended purpose, I suppose Gate Hack 1.0 will allow you to travel between servers, and areas like Helba says…" Kasey grumbled. "A… Hack? But… That is…" I stammered. "What? Illegal? Oh give me a break!" Kasey shouted. "If you haven't noticed your not exactly playing by the rules yourself" Kasey said as she poked my breastplate. "But what about other functions, such as items, or skills?" I asked. "Tell me Stance, have you ever "Role-Played?" Helba asked. "Role Play...?" I asked. "The only items you will be able to use, are the ones you can carry. And as far as skills, and magic go…" Helba explained. "Well I suppose you will have to figure that one out for yourself" Helba chuckled. "Hey! This is not funny! What if I die while in this state? What will happen then?!" I shouted. "I suppose you will just reappear" Helba shrugged. "What do you mean, reappear?" I asked. "Just like anything else in The World, you would simply reappear as if you were a normal player. Although I cannot exactly say where, considering your situation" Helba explained. "What makes you so sure?" I asked. "It is the way of The World. Everything is recycled, and reused. When an AI dies, it simply reappears in a pre-programmed area, and continues with what it was previously doing. Players are no different; when they die they are sent back to the root town of whatever server they are located in, and they simply begin again. Although do not ask me where you would find yourself if you were to actually die; I would have to get a closer look at all that data that is you to find the answer" Helba explained. "So… There is no possibility of me just disappearing… Even if I die… I'll be alright?" I asked. "Nothing is truly deleted from The World. It just slips into the sea of data… And eventually ends up here, in Net Slum" Helba smirked. It sounds… Far fetched… But then again, I'm not really in a position to call her a liar. That being the case, death is something I would like to avoid, especially since I can feel pain… "I have explained all that I am able too… The rest is now up to you" Helba said. "Ah… Wait, how would I find you if I need to speak with you?" I asked. "I'll find you" Helba said with a bow. "Hold on! Just how do I use this program!?" I shouted, but I was too late, Helba was gone.

"Ah… Miss Kasey… Could you perhaps… Help me?" I asked sheepishly. Kasey looked to her left, and then to her right "You're serious?" She asked with a dumbfounded expression. "Ah… Well… I am not entirely sure on how to operate your program…" I said sadly. "Oh man… This is just too much… The things I do for you" Kasey sighed. "Well, I suppose we should get back to a root town so I can give you a run down" Kasey sighed. "Accept my party invitation" Kasey sighed. "I… Um… Just how exactly do I accept it?" I asked with a nervous laugh. "What do you mean "How do I accept!?" Kasey shouted. "Agh! This is giving me a headache" Kasey moaned. "If it makes you feel any better, I am not enjoying myself either… But… I am in desperate need of your help… So please Kasey…" I pleaded. "Don't get all mushy with me…" She sighed. "It's too early to be dealing with this… Hold on Stance. Smoke break" Kasey sighed. "Ah… I'll just wait here…" I sighed. Smoke break? So Kasey smokes… Not to surprising I suppose… I would have never guessed she was a hacker though… But then again she did say she did not like those that were obvious with their hacked characters… Maybe she enjoys creating new programs to use inside of The World… Or… Maybe she just has a problem with authority. "Alright… I'm back" Kasey sighed. "Ah. Yes, thank you very much for your assistance. Miss Kasey" I said politely. "Oh? What's this? You accepted my party invitation?" Kasey asked. "I did?" I asked curiously. "What did you do?" She asked. "Ah… Nothing… I think" I shrugged. "You may just automatically accept party invitations. But then again I could be wrong. Let's try again" Kasey suggested. "Alright… I've disbanded the party and I will resend the invitation" Kasey explained. "And… It's sent. Anything different on your end?" Kasey asked. "No… Nothing." I said sadly. "Ah… Well I don't think it matters, because you accepted anyway… Well… I suppose we've solved that riddle. I suppose that makes it easier on others, but then again you don't have a choice when someone invites you to a party" Kasey shrugged. "A party is not to major… It will just allow others to view my health, and skill points. To me… It is practically worthless" I sighed. "Well then I suppose we can get this train wreck moving" Kasey sighed. "I'm the party leader, so you should be forced to Δ Server with me" Kasey explained. "Well, here we go" Kasey sighed. Within an instant my view of The World faded.

I appeared in Mac Anu; everything seemed more vivid, and realistic. It was hard to believe I was inside of a game. "Well, look at that… Here we are. Glorious Mac Anu" Kasey said listlessly. "Ah… So we are…" I said as I took in the surroundings. "Where is everyone?" I asked curiously. "School, jobs, sleeping. The World isn't densely populated in the early hours of the morning. "Ah…? Just what time is it?" I asked. "Just about seven thirty" Kasey responded. "School will be starting soon… And my friends will find out…" I sighed. "Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Kasey asked. "It could be… But… I've already worried them before…And since I won't be conscious…" I couldn't help but sigh. "Worried them before? Has something like this happened before?" Kasey asked. "Well… Tsukasa… He managed to knock me out in reality… But it wasn't like this…" I explained. "Wait. Hold it; Tsukasa? He knocked you out…? Four days ago…?" Kasey asked. "Ah… I think… three or four days… Yes" I nodded. "Strange, didn't think the knights were serious about him" Kasey said dismissively. "Ah well… I suppose that does not really matter now… Considering the situation I am in…. Tsukasa is not one of my prime concerns… Could you teach me how to use that program of yours?" I asked. "Hm, let me see it" Kasey commanded. I held out the small glowing orb that held the program Kasey has created. "You don't have the use of the item menu do you? So that means all the items you have will have to be personally carried by you… Man that really sucks for you" Kasey sighed. "Well… We have to find a way to secure the item. The last thing I need is you dropping it, and some dumbass picking it up" Kasey explained. "I did not exactly design Stance with that in mind… He doesn't have very many places to carry items… Only a few small pouches near his belt…" I said as I examined myself. "If that's the case then you risk letting others see the item… Damnit… Where could I put this where it would still function…? But remain hidden, and safe" Kasey pondered. "Aha! I got it!" Kasey said as she snapped her fingers. "Are you right or left handed?' She asked. "Right handed" I responded. "Alright! Give me the program, and remove the gauntlet on your right hand" Kasey commanded. "Ah… I suppose that makes sense. Hiding it beneath the gauntlet on my hand" I nodded as I gave her the small orb, and began to undo the armor around my hand. "Very well. Now what?" I asked as I held my hand out to Kasey. "I'll make a small incision" Kasey said as she quickly grabbed her dagger, and drove it down into my wrist.

"Ah! What the hell are you doing!?" I screamed as I jumped backwards. "Don't worry; we're in a root town. I didn't cause any real damage" Kasey chuckled. "That doesn't stop the pain you lunatic!" I screamed as I held my bleeding wrist. "Ah… That actually hurt?" Kasey asked. "Of course it hurt! Damnit all!" I screamed. "Ah… Hey, stop shouting you're going to draw attention" Kasey asked as she glared around Mac Anu. "What do you mean "Stop shouting" You just stabbed my wrist you… you… Dumbass!" I screamed. "Hey! Don't go insulting me! I'm only trying to help!" Kasey shouted. "How is this helping!?" I shouted. "Damnit, just give me your hand" Kasey grunted. She grabbed my hand, and shoved the small orb containing her program inside my wound. I cried out as the small object forced my wound open, and disappeared inside. "There!" Kasey said with a content smile. "That was your idea!? What good will it do me in there!? Better yet, what about my wound!? I need to dress it!" I shouted. "Do they even have dressings in this game!?" I shouted. "Oh… For the love of… "Repth!" Kasey shouted, casting a healing spell. The wound on my wrist sealed up, and the blood slowly vanished. I began to breathe normally as the pain slowly faded. "You are crazy" I sighed. "Look, how was I supposed to know it would hurt you? I just figured since we were in a root town you'd be alright" Kasey shrugged. "You could have asked! Or tested your theory first!" I shouted. "Look… I'm sorry, alright" Kasey sighed. "Ah… Alright… I feel better" I said as I examined my wrist. "Look I had to hide it. If players saw you carrying a strange looking item around they'd get suspicious. And then you could have the Crimson Knights coming after you, or even worse; the system administration" Kasey explained. "I… No, it's fine. I get it. Just… A little warning next time please. This isn't exactly easy for me… And being surprised like that doesn't help" I said coolly. "Alright, we've reached an understanding! I'm sorry for stabbing you, and you forgive me. Case closed" Kasey nodded. "Just… Teach me how to use it, please" I sighed.

"Alright, it's quite simple, and it should still function the same… The program is designed to create a replica of a Chaos Gate. As far as I know, it will work on all servers. Now as I said before the original intention of the program was to help me gain access to areas the administration sealed off. But of course I couldn't break through the protection because getting a virus in game now is impossible. It creates a copy in the exact position as the one you see in front of you" Kasey explained as she gestured towards the gate. "It spins at the same interval, and is a perfect match. The reason behind this is a pretty simple one. I mean, how obvious would it be to anyone that you were using some kind of hack, if another Chaos Gate suddenly appeared next to you, right?" Kasey asked. "Yeah. That makes sense" I nodded. "Now the program automatically creates a copy of the Gate the moment you come near the real Chaos Gate" Kasey said as she urged me forward. When you approach the chaos gate you should see a small display appear" Kasey said. She was right; a small window was floating above my wrist. "Yeah… It is right here, on my wrist" I said with a nod. "Looks like I know what I'm doing after all" Kasey grinned. "Alright, now the copy has been created. I shouldn't need to tell you this, but if you come near the Chaos Gate and you notice the replica spinning out of sync, or anything, you should run, find somewhere, and hide. Because chances are every player in the freaking area will start sending bug reports to the knights, and god knows who else… To put it simply; you just do not want to be in the immediate area" Kasey explained. 'Understood" I nodded. "Alright, now you should notice a small cross in the corner of the screen. That is created specifically for hacking into areas that are sealed off. Normally you could load viruses, bugs, and such into the program using that cross, and it would transmit the viruses to the protected area, and break the protection. Alright, now underneath the cross you will notice two small buttons that say: Execute, and Cancel. For the love of all that is scared; don't EVER press execute. That will activate the gate hacking process, and it will flood the server with a ridiculous amount of data. Normally that data would be forced into the sealed off area, along with the viruses. But since I cannot transmit a virus the data is sent to the field in question, and is immediately bounced back. All that data flooding back here will slow the server to a crawl, and eventually force it offline completely." Kasey explained. "Understood, avoid the execute button at all cost" I committed myself to remembering everything she explained. "Now, at the very top of the display you will see three empty spaces. That's where you would normally type in the area name of where you want to go, but since you can't actually type, you're going to have to say the name of the area, and pray the program, and The World takes pity on you" Kasey sighed. "I have to manually enter the keywords? That limits my usage of words to those I already know" I sighed. "It's better than nothing, isn't it?" Kasey asked. "Of course it is! You did not design this program with this kind of situation in mind" I said apologetically. "Alright. Well you're going to look really stupid doing this when a lot of players are around, so I suggest you keep that helmet of yours on… But lets give it a test" Kasey said. "Ah… Alright" I said confidently. "Will I need to include the server name as well?" I asked. "Yeah, you might as well say the whole thing, it won't make you look less dumb, that's for sure" Kasey sighed. "Very well" I nodded. "Delta! Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground!" I shouted as clearly as I could. "Man… That looked dumber than I thought it wou-" Kasey was cut off as she was warped out of the area with me.

"It worked" I sighed in relief. "Of course it did; I'm a genius" Kasey smirked. "Yes; thanks to you I have a means of travel!" I said happily. "All that's left to do now is wait for Helba" I sighed. "Don't hold your breathe. Helba has a knack for showing up at the last minute" Kasey sighed. "Ah… That is… Depressing…" I sighed. "I would like to return to reality as soon as possible" I heavily sighed. "It's not like I believe you… But can I ask you something Stance?" Kasey asked. "Yes, of course you can" I nodded. "What's it like? You know… Being inside The World?" Kasey asked. "It is… No different than the real world I suppose… It would be rather enjoyable if it were under more pleasurable circumstances" I explained. "Normally, you wear an HMD, and your character is bound by certain rules. I mean, as vast as The World is, you are still limited. Combat, walking, expressing emotions, there are a finite numbers of animations. But it is not the same with me… I'm not bound by those rules." I explained. "I mean… Take my helmet for instance" I said. "I'm starting to sweat, and I am getting kind of dizzy because it is somewhat difficult to see out of it" I explained. "I am not quite sure how many animations there are for the removal of a helmet, but eventually you would see them all, and cycle would begin again. But I do not think it is the same with me" I explained. "I can remove it how I want" I said as I grabbed the edge of my helmet, and slid it off my head. "It has weight, it feels so real… Maybe because… For me… It is" I smirked as I examined the helmet. "If I so desired… I could try and put my helmet on backwards" I explained. "Or I could simply throw it away" I tossed my helmet on the ground in front of me. "You are limited in your actions, and cannot do either" I explained. "It's actually a pretty surreal experience… Player Characters are just that. An image that represents the player… But… It's strange… They seem more three dimensional now… It may sound strange, but… The woman in front of me is more than a player character… Maybe not to you, but… It seems so human, its kind of strange when I think about this seemingly human being in front of me, is being controlled by someone with a mere controller" I explained. "You even have a scent" I said awkwardly. "Oh? Well, do I smell good?" Kasey asked. "It is pleasant" I nodded. "I feel everything… The cold breeze in this area. The ground we're standing on… Even the stone that this bridge is made of" I explained. "It makes me shiver when I think how it is all possible… But as good as I have made it sound… I feel pretty lonely" I sighed. "Lonely? My company not good enough?" Kasey huffed. "That's not what I meant" I said seriously. "It feels like I am the only human… If I can even be considered human now" I chuckled. "The game ends when you take off the HMD, then you can go back to your friends, and family. Me? I'm stuck like this…" I sighed. "Ha! You should consider yourself lucky" Kasey laughed. "Lucky? In what way?" I asked. "You've done something no hacker has ever been able to do" Kasey said. "Oh? Just what exactly have I accomplished?" I asked. "You've utterly defied the system. I used to dream about being able to do something like that" Kasey chuckled. "You used to dream about something as mundane as that? Kasey… I had no idea you were a hacker. Why would you do something like that?" I asked curiously. "I've got a problem with authority" Kasey shrugged. "When someone says: "Don't do that" It simply makes me want to do it more. Don't you ever get that feeling?" Kasey asked. "I do… but I simply ignore it" I chuckled. "Well… I don't wanna bore you with my sob story, so I'll just fill you in on the basics. When I was little my father divorced my mother, and using some stupid law that existed at the time, took pretty much everything she owned. Except me; of course" Kasey explained. "Ever since I've just hated rules. The only people they hurt are those that are already suffering. Rules are created by greedy bastards at the top of the food chain to oppress the ones below. So whenever I get a chance, I break a rule. It may not do much, but get the satisfaction of knowing that somewhere, I pissed off some jerk" Kasey explained. "So… That is the reason you are a hacker?" I asked. "Its one of them. I mean, breaking rules in real life can come with some pretty bad repercussions. I started playing this game as an outlet; so I wouldn't be so hasty about breaking rules in reality. Sure it was fun starting off. I could kill anyone I wanted, scam them for items… But it was not against the rules! It was just considered "improper", nothing more than a taboo. And let me tell you, those are the worst kinds of rules" Kasey explained. "Unwritten rules that everyone blindly follows. Makes me sick just thinking about it" Kasey shivered. "Hacking was the only real way to break any 'real' rules. It started off pretty boring, but then I got really interested. Of course it was eventually ruined by a band of morons" Kasey sighed. "I do not believe I have ever encountered a genuine hacker before" I said. "Not surprising. Idiots that do it for the sole reason of showing off are normally banned before they know what happened. You've gotta be subtle about it" Kasey sighed. "Well… I certainly do have a new found respect for hackers" I said happily. "Ah… Well I have a new found respect for you, at least" I corrected myself. "Oh, that reminds me. About that email you sent me. You said you wanted help finding out where those monsters were coming from; like the one Tsukasa has, right?" Kasey asked. "I did…? Ah… Yeah… I remember the email. What about it?" I asked. "Those monsters, you want to find out where they are coming from right?" Kasey asked. "I suppose… Tsukasa has one, and if I am to believe Subaru, he is in the same situation as I" I explained. "Tsukasa is stuck inside The World too? Subaru told you that?" Kasey asked. "Before she kicked me from the knights... Of course I believed her; I am nothing like you. I don't ask questions to those I look up too. Even now, she could tell me the sky is falling, and I would probably run for cover" I chuckled. "So… Tsukasa is like you?" Kasey wondered aloud. "I found it hard to believe when I first heard it… But now… She has to be telling the truth" I said. "Well, do you suppose that Tsukasa actually has the Key of the Twilight? As the rumor suggests?" Kasey asked. "It is possible… But the rumors… Well, the rumor that I know of; if they are true… Then it should be able to do anything right?" I asked. "An item rumored to bypass the very system of The World… If you ask me, it looks like you've already obtained it" Kasey chuckled. "But that's just it… I never found an item. It was that damned cat… And Morganna; as Helba called her" I explained. "What's more… If Tsukasa has the key; then why would he remain in The World? It would make sense to try and use the key to log out, and get back to your body in reality would it not?" I asked. "Maybe so… But then again Tsukasa may like being inside The World… I mean, you had that little fit back in Net Slum… But you seem to be handling yourself well enough" Kasey shrugged. "Maybe on the outside… I feel so helpless; all I can really do is laugh… My body is shaking, even though it is not that cold here… I think I am having a nervous breakdown… But I think I am ok, since I am actually aware of it" I laughed. "Oh." Kasey said nervously. "Helba is just studding the code that I am made up of… I have nothing else to do, so I think I am going to search for the Key of the Twilight. I am in not position to deny its existence; infact it must be real, it has to be… And if Tsukasa has it… I will take it from him… I want out of here…" I grunted. "Ha! You know… I knew from the moment I saw you interesting things would happen if I stuck around! Well, you're not going to look for it alone. I'll help you!" Kasey cheered. "Oh? Thank you very much Miss Kasey! It will be easier with someone who has access to the message board" I said with a deep bow. "Please stop with the formalities. They make my skin crawl" Kasey sighed. "Ah… Of course. Forgive me" I said apologetically. "Listen up Stance. I've gotta head out to work, so I'm gonna have to leave you for now. Will you be alright?" Kasey asked. "I should be… Helba did say I would not have to worry about permanently dying… Not that I intend to test her theory, atleast not intentionally" I smiled. "You sure? What will you do?" Kasey asked curiously. "I never really checked the message boards… So as far as leads on the key… Well I have none… I suppose I will just wait until you return. Or until one of my friends from reality logs on" I shrugged. "It will be difficult to find them without the use of private messaging… But I think I know them well enough" I chuckled. "Besides… I thought you didn't believe me?" I smirked. "Oh shut up" Kasey sighed. "Now all I have to do is convince my friends, and find out what has happened to my body" I sighed. "Your body… Hey… Stance, about that" Kasey said sheepishly. "What about it?" I asked. "I don't think you need to worry about it. I'm sure one of your friends discovered it when they went by to check up on you, you know? It's probably in a hospital somewhere" Kasey explained. "Wait, what makes you think that?" I asked curiously. "A hunch, that's all. Anyway, I'm already late for work Stance. Don't give yourself a heart attack worrying over your body, it's in good hands, I'm sure" Kasey said confidently. "Yeah… The doctors in my area are good… They'll take care of me" I said, trying to convince myself. "Yeah, ok Stance. I'll see you whenever!" Kasey said cheerfully as she gated out of the area. She's gone… And now I'm alone… I fell backwards into the ground, and began to laugh. "Why? What did I do to deserve this?" I laughed. "Is it some kind of punishment? Did I play to many games? Maybe I wasn't pious enough?" I gasped between laughter. I lay there laughing until my lungs began to ache. "Ha… Ha… I feel better… Yeah… I needed that…" I sighed. "Lying around will not do me any good. I need to make the best of the situation. I am stuck inside of a game, surely I can find someway to occupy myself until Kasey, or Dash gets online" I said thoughtfully. "I know what I will do… I… For the first time in… Ah… A really long time… I…Will… Socialize!" I said as I pumped my fist. I grabbed my helmet, and used Kasey's program to gate out of the area.

"I have always admired how Mac Anu looks… Being in this state only makes it look better" I stared in awe at the various buildings, and canals that made up Mac Anu. "Well… I suppose I shall take a walk around the city" I nodded. I made my way towards the bridge in central Mac Anu; it was normally the most populated area. "I have never been online at such an hour… Not many people around…" I gasped as I looked around the seemingly empty Mac Anu. "Ah, I have found one" I said as I spotted a nearby player. The player was a rather short female, she wore a heavy red, and white robe, and had a rather odd looking head piece that highlighted her extremely long pig tails. "Miss, excuse me" I said politely as I neared her. "Oh? Oh yeah! Hey!" She quickly spun around and shouted. "Ah… Yes, hello, miss" I said nervously. "Hey, Hey! What's your name!?" She shouted. "Ah… It is Stance. What may I ask is yours?" I asked. "The name's Henako! I'm the goddess of love, and it must be fate that we've met like this!" Henako cheered. "Goddess of love? Wait, what are you talking about?" I asked. "Have you come to get your fortune read by Henako?" She asked excitedly. "Ah… You can read fortunes…? I suppose that would be alright" I said thoughtfully. "Ah ha! I can see it!" Henako shouted as she grabbed my hand, and examined my palm. "Oh? What do you see?" I asked curiously. "Its you…" She gasped. "Me…? What about me? Is it something bad?" I asked curiously. "Your past life…" Henako said as she studied my palm. "Past life…? What about my past life?" I asked anxiously. "Yes, I can see it! You were in love, with… Henako!" She shouted. "Wait, what did you say?" I asked as I pulled my hand away from her. "Henamon get! Henapi: Level five!" She cheered. "What are you talking about? I don't understand" I sighed. "I'll attack you with Hena Vibe!" Henako winked, and then blew a kiss in my direction. "Ah… I am flattered, but I just remembered I have to be somewhere…" I said nervously. "I'll get you with Hena hold!" Henako jumped forward, and latched onto my torso. "What are you doing!? Get off of me!" I commanded. "Kiss!" She commanded as she shoved her face near mine. "No means no!" I shouted as I grabbed hold of her, and dropped her onto the ground. "You, young lady; need to be more considerate of others! It is extremely rude to go around and invade other's personal space like you just did" I lectured her. "Henako is tired… Henako is out of energy… Time for sleep… Good night says Henako" She said as she fell backwards on the ground. "Hey! Do not ignore me!" I shouted as I tapped her with my foot. "The nerve of some people" I grunted as I left her on the ground, and continued deeper into Mac Anu.

"She was really annoying… Her parents should have been around more often" I grunted. "Maybe she's got some kind of illness?" I wondered aloud. "Hey pal, come over here will ya" A rather sleazy looking blade master whispered. "You have something you wish to say? Very well" I nodded politely. "Yeah, come over here, I don't; want others to hear this" He said as he cautiously looked about the area. "It had better be important…" I grunted. He grinned when I came near, but his character was missing a great number of teeth, on top of that he stank, and was unclean, as if he had never bathed… He was down right unpleasant. "Hey pal, name's M-78" He whispered. "It is an… Oh man… It is an honor!" I said, trying not to breathe through my nose. "You look like an interesting guy… You wanna know a secret?" He asked cautiously. "Do not come any closer" I jrlf my nose and commanded. "But yes, what secret are you speaking of?" I asked curiously. "He man, look… I know where the Key of the Twilight is…" M-78 whispered. "The Key? You know its location? I demand you tell me its location!" I commanded. "Calm down pal… I'm just gonna need a little money to… Cover my expenses" M-78 sneered. "A fee? I suppose you must have worked hard in obtaining this information. How much GP will you need?" I asked curiously. "Oh, about around ten thousand GP" he chuckled. "That is… Quite a lot… But I think I have enough" I said as I searched the pockets of Stance's belt. "Here we are…" I said as I began to count out ten thousand GP. Not to different from Yen in terms of value…And their marked so I do not have to estimate. It is strange, but I have never really seen GP like this… Little coins… "This should be enough" I nodded as I handed him. "Yeah… Thanks man… Now listen closely, because I don't want everyone to know" He whispered. "It is at Θ Seeding False Fate Castle" He explained. "I see… Well if you will excuse me. I must be going" I said with a polite bow. "Yeah, I'll see you later" M-78 grunted. I gasped out for air the moment he was out of earshot "By the stars… Why would anyone intentionally make their character like that…?" I asked. "Well, he has given me the only lead on the Key… It looks like I am going to have to go to a field. Sooner or later I would have to get a handle on how to defend myself now that I am like this… I will kill two birds with one stone" I said confidently. Recovery could be hard considering I am limited on what I carry… I should buy a piece of equipment that allows me to heal myself… Normally the headgear dictates spells like that… Mine protects me against the effects of charm… But since Kaochin and I are allies, I really have no use for it… "I will be fine, just gotta get a piece of armor that allows me to cast repth" I nodded. Since not many people were accessing The World, the weapon shop was deserted. I approached the counter, and asked the shop keeper to recommend an item for me that would allow me to heal myself. The shop keeper nodded, and handed me an item that would suit my needs. I gave him my last bit of GP, and then continued towards the towns Chaos Gate. As I neared the small display appeared on my wrist, and I made sure the copy Chaos Gate was in sync with the real one. "Alright… Well to get to a root town, I suppose all I have to do is say: Theta! Highland City, Dun Loireag!" I shouted as I held my wrist high into the air. Within seconds I was whisked away.

"Dun Loireag… I like it… Makes me feel refreshed" I said as I scanned my surroundings. "Although… I am a little unsteady when it comes to those flimsy looking bridges that connect the mountains…" I sighed to myself. "Is it possible for me to fall?" I asked myself. "Best not to even try… I should be able to handle myself in this dungeon, considering that with my level I should probably be in Lambda Server…" I said thoughtfully. "Excuse me, would you happen to be Stance?" someone behind me asked in a soft voice. "That is correct; who may I ask are you?" I turned to face a small wave master; she wore large glasses that easily covered up at least half of her face. Like most wave masters she was garbed in colorful robes, and she carried a large staff as well. "You are a friend of Carl's right?" She asked as she stopped her glasses from falling off her face. "A friend…? Of Carls?" I couldn't help but laugh at the mere thought. "She spoke of you…" The small wave master said timidly. "She did? What did she say?" I asked curiously. "She told me about how you two killed many Crimson Knights, but Orca of the Azure Seas stopped you" the wavemaster explained. "Ah… Yes… Well… I do have a personal grudge against the knights" I said awkwardly. "Have you seen Carl recently?" she asked. "Ah no… She may be at school, or perhaps she is working at her job?" I suggested. "No… She wasn't at school today" the wavemaster sighed. "Excuse me… But did you say… "Wasn't?" I asked. "Ah, yes I did" She nodded. "Past tense? Hey, can you tell me what time it is?" I asked seriously. "Almost twelve thirty… Don't you have a clock?" she asked curiously. Twelve thirty!? But… It was just… I thought I was only… What the hell did I do for so long? My sense of time must really be off… "I'm worried about Carl" the small wave master sighed. "She's been acting strange lately" she added. "She does have a rather rotten attitude" I said thoughtfully. "No… She's always been like that… But all this player killing… Scamming others… It's all new" She sighed. "Well… It is probably nothing too serious. Maybe she is just playing the game from a different angle, or maybe she is doing it to help her cope with problems in reality; their could be a multitude of reasons. But just because someone suddenly starts to PK, or trick other players doesn't mean they are in trouble" I explained. "Maybe you're right…" She sighed. "Carl, and I are in the same guild; I'll keep an eye on her, alright?" I said seriously. "That would be great! Here is my member address!" the small wave master squealed. "Ah yes… And by extension you have received mine… correct?" I asked nervously, not knowing how I would accept her request, let alone send her my member address. "That's how it works! Yep; I have yours" She nodded. "Strange… I have been having problems regarding member addresses recently" I said dismissively. "Oh! By the way, I'm Alph" She said with a gentle wave. "It is an honor to be formally introduced, Miss Alph" I said with a bow. Why can't more players be this respectful? "Yes, it is nice to meet you as well!" Alph said cheerfully. "What were you doing before I spoke to you though?" Alph asked. Ha… I must have looked really foolish talking to myself… "I was about to head out to a field, and perhaps it's dungeon as well" I explained. "Oh? Would you like some company?" Alph asked. Bringing her wouldn't hurt. I need all the help I can get; of course I won't mention the Key of the Twilight. "Company would be great, would you like time to prepare, or should we move out now?" I asked politely. "I'm ready to go. I was going to play with Alph… but since she never showed up" Alph sighed. "I see… Well, then… We are going to Θ Seeding False Fate Castle." I explained. "Alright! Lead the way!" Alph cheered. Of course she doesn't want to lead… Great… I turned to the Chaos Gate, and help up my right hand. "Theta, Seeding False Fate Castle!" I shouted as loud as I could.

Alph, and I appeared in the middle of a thick, and lush forest, it was fairly pleasant, but not what I was hoping for. Damnit… The field in this area is no different than a dungeon. The moment combat starts, we will be locked inside with the monsters… No retreat… "Do you always yell out the keywords like that?" Alph asked. "Ah… Well… It is more dramatic, is it not?" I asked nervously. "I suppose" Alph looked at me suspiciously. "It creates ambiance…" I murmured as I scanned the area. "I really don't like these areas" Alph sighed. "Oh? Why is that?" I asked. "The background music really gets annoying after awhile" She sighed. "Ah… Yeah… You are right" I nodded. Thank the heavens I do not have to listen to the background music… I would probably go insane having music play everywhere I went. I heaved a mental sigh. "Well… Let's get going, shall we?" Alph asked. "Ah… Yeah…" I slowly nodded. I'm getting really nervous… My knees are shaking… I must look ridiculous… This must be how a knight felt before he marched into battle… I'll be fine… Yeah… I can do this! "Are you coming?" Alph asked as she pointed to the next area. "Ah! Yes of course!" I said, forcing my feet forward. The next area didn't have any monsters. Thankfully… But there was a deep hole, and that alone was enough to cause me to recoil, in fear. "Nothing here… Well… Left or right?" Alph asked as she pointed at the two "doorways" in the trees. "Ah… Left" I said nervously. I am such a coward… Things are so easy when it's not actually my neck on the line… I sighed again as we entered the next area. "Empty again?" Alph grunted. "Yeah… The whole area could be empty…" I said, trying to hide my relief. "Well, let's keep going" Alph sighed. "Ah… Yeah…" I sighed.

We entered the next area; before us stood a magic portal. To Alph, it was probably a chance to have some fun; she was overjoyed by seeing it. I on the other hand was frozen with fear; whatever monster that portal summoned could physically harm me. Everything seemed to slow down as the portal began spinning faster, and faster, soon it stopped and burst in a show of bright lights. Two large creatures appeared, one was a giant crab, with huge ominous claws. I recognized it as a Red Scissors monster. The other was a familiar Hell Hound, which was covered in fire. Alph took the initiative, and started casting spells. "GiRue Kruz!" She shouted. Large chunks of ice appeared from thin air, and barraged the Hell Hound. The Red Scissors pushed past the chunks of ice with ease, and charged towards me. I clumsily drew my sword, and brought it into a defensive position. I didn't have time to think, I didn't really understand what was going on. As I stood there dazed, the Red Scissors gripped me firmly with its claws, and lifted me into the air. My armor was doing its job, and I wasn't experiencing any serious pain, but the shock of it, caused me to drop my sword, and I began to panic as I felt my armor buckling under its ever tightening grip. "Hang on Stance! It's a water elemental monster, my spells won't work!" Alph said as she frantically dodged the Hell Hound's attacks. I didn't understand what she was saying. The armor around my torso was beginning to break; I began to feel a tremendous pressure around my abdomen, I frantically kicked my feet, and slammed my fist against his claw, trying to free myself. My armor shattered, and his claws smashed into my bare abdomen, my body tensed up with the pain, and I stopped resisting. The Red Scissors playfully moved its claw around, its claw tightening around my abdomen with each movement. At this rate, it's going to tear me in half! I've got to do something to free myself… My legs… Can I jump as high as I used to? "Worth a shot…" I grunted as I tried to block out the pain around my abdomen. It can only move its claw up so far… If I can jump right when the monster moves its claw up, I could probably use the extra momentum to free myself! The monster whirled me around; eventually it moved me close enough for my feet to touch the ground. I put every ounce of energy into my legs, and pushed up with all my might. I sprang forward, and the monster's claw flew with me.

The Red Scissors easily halted my jump, and brought its claw crashing down to the ground. I let out a loud scream as my legs buckled under the pressure. There were a series of horrifying cracks as the creature slid his claw along the ground. I am certain anyone would have passed out if this was reality, but I was forced to stay awake, my legs were utterly broken, and they simply dangled in the wind. They soon stopped aching, but that could be because they were no longer attached to my body, I had no way of knowing. The crab moved his claw in front of its freakish face, it's oddly shaped eyes were studding me. Ha… Is it taunting me…? This stupid AI is taunting me… "What… Are you waiting for?" I gasped as I clumsily grabbed onto his claw. "Taunting me like this… Go ahead! Finish me!" I shouted as I slammed my fist against his claw. "You had better get me in one swipe, because if you let me go, I will make you suffer!" I shouted in the Red Scissors face. The Red Scissors let lose a disgusting grunt, then moved me closer to its face. "Are you laughing at me!? You pathetic shell fish!?" I screamed. The Red Scissors brought its other claw around my neck, and slowly began to close it. "Oh!? That's smart! I hope it kills me, because I swear to you; the moment I get back on my feet, I am going to make you suffer" I began to laugh as its claws neared my neck. "Go! Do it! Look deep into my eyes, and decapitate me!" I laughed hysterically. The Red Scissors slowly withdrew its claw, and brought its face close to mine. "What's the matter!? Not gruesome enough!? You want to eat me instead!? Go ahead! I will tear my way out of your stomach!" I laughed hysterically. "GiRue Kruz!" Alph shouted. Large chunks of ice slammed into the Red Scissors body. It diverted its attention to me, and looked over at Alph. "Hey!" I screamed as I grabbed its eye stalk. "I am over here!" I shouted as I tugged as hard as I could on its eye stalk. "You did not forget about me did you?" I shouted as the Red Scissors began to trip over itself. It squeezed its claw together, causing me to cough up a great deal of blood into my helmet. Fortunately, by body jerked back, this caused me to pull its eye completely out of its head. The crab dropped me on the ground, and began to slam its claws into the ground in anger. "Ol Repth!" Alph shouted as she cast a healing spell on me. My body was relived of its pain, and my legs started to function again. "Once more… Please" I begged Alph. "Ol Repth!" She shouted again. This time my entire body felt great, and my armor had been fully repaired. "Much better" I grunted as I clumsily stood. I grabbed my sword, and turned to face the Red Scissors who was writing in agony. "Haha… I told you didn't I?" I laughed. That was the most painful thing I've ever experienced… But I don't have a choice… I have to fight… So… "If that is the best this world has to offer… Then I am not impressed!" I shouted as I stepped forward. "This fear of death ends right here! I was more than capable of handling the likes of you before! All that's changed is I have more to fight for now…" I sneered. "You can't help me against him can you, Alph?" I asked. "No… We're of the same element, so my attacks won't do any good" Alph sighed. "Good, I just want you to heal me. Can you do that?" I asked. "You want me on first aid? No problem" Alph nodded. I've made it angry, but I don't think I accomplished much else… Its vision must not be affected. "Figures… Pulling out its eye was just a waste of time" I grunted. Even though it only has one eye, it is going to behave like it still has two… Meaning it doesn't have a blind spot… So in the end, I really do not have any advantages in terms of combat… Infact this whole situation just puts me at a disadvantage… Damn! Not only that, I have no idea how to swing a sword… "If only James were here… He could put a positive spin on this…" I sighed as I got a feel for the weight of my sword. Stance holds his sword with one hand… I am Stance now, so it would only make sense that everything he was capable of doing; I can do as well. I mimicked Stance's combat stance, and charged forward. The Red Scissors reared its claw back, and pushed it forward with great force. Acting on impulse, I jumped into the air, and landed on its claw. My landing was anything but graceful, and I nearly fell off; but I managed to keep my balance as I ran along its arm, onto its head. I shouted as loud as I could, as I shoved my blade down into the Red Scissors head. The blade pierced the monster's shell with relative ease; it reacted instantly by stomping around, and swatting its claws at me. I quickly withdrew my sword from its head, and tried to block its attacks, but I was to slow, and it knocked me off its head; the blow caused me to drop my weapon in the process. I wasn't really hurt, but the shock of the fall caused me to lose my breath, and I struggled to stand. My sword isn't my only means of attack; I can use magic too… But how!? Whenever magic or a skill is used, Stance shouts at what he wants to do… So… In theory… "BiAni Don!" I shouted as I opened my hand, and aimed it towards the Red Scissors.

The spell succeeded, and a large skull bathed in a eerie purple aura shot from my hand, and slammed into the monster. It stumbled around trying to keep its balance, and would occasionally trip over one of its many legs. "I do not require my sword to beat the likes of you!" I smirked. I moved my other hand in the same position, and began to cast the spell as fast as I could. All of my attacks slammed into the monster, and it fell backwards, landing on its back as it did. "No way to defend yourself now!" I shouted as I ran for my weapon, and grabbed it. "Let us see how well protected that stomach of yours is!" I shouted. I ran forward, and jammed my weapon into its defenseless gut; I quickly withdrew it, and stabbed at it as many times as I could. Eventually the monster stopped squirming, and it turned a dull grey, indicating it was defeated. I chuckled as I shoved my weapon into once more. "What went wrong? You had me!" I laughed. "I told you to kill me when you had the chance, did I not!?" I shouted. The creature disappeared when I removed my weapon from its body, Alph ran over to me with a rather puzzled expression on her face. "You… Really got into it huh?" Alph said nervously. "Oh…? Uh… Yeah, a good fight is always enjoyable" I said nervously. "Yeah? I've only played as Alph, and she is a wave master, so I really can't say I'd know" Alph sighed. "Wave masters have an important role too! You kept me healed didn't you?" I said trying to make her feel better. "And you took care of that hell hound without any trouble, that is very impressive" I nodded. "It didn't stand a chance against my water based spells, it really wasn't a fair fight" Alph shrugged. "It should have known better than to mess with you then. A foolish mistake, wouldn't you say?" I said, trying my best to praise her. "Yeah I suppose…" Alph said meekly. "Just support me with your magic, and I'll defend you against the monsters. We'll reach the bottom of this dungeon in no time!" I said as I pointed towards the dungeon. "Yeah, let's head to the bottom!" Alph cheered. My heart is still beating fast… Man… What an experience… I feel exhausted… And we haven't even entered the dungeon yet. Fighting like this is not easy… But the adrenaline it produces is almost intoxicating. My hands won't stop shaking… Haha… I am a nervous wreck! But I have to keep going. I have to find The Key of the Twilight. "Let us continue" I said as I entered the dungeon.

The dungeon was littered with monsters, but I slowly began to understand what I was capable of, and before long killing the monsters was easy. Alph got curious as to why I was searching every nook, and cranny of the dungeon, but I couldn't just tell her I was looking for The key of the Twilight. On top of that, her water spells were practically useless against all the water based monsters that were in the dungeon, although her assistance with healing easily made up for it. I didn't have a map, and at times I would lead us in circles, or back into a room we already checked, but I told Alph that I enjoyed playing without a map, as it drew me into the game more. She believed it, oddly enough… She seems very naïve, but I suppose I shouldn't be so rude. She talked a lot about Carl though; it's really odd to think of Carl having such a nice friend like Alph. They know each other in reality, and are good friends, that much I know. She wasn't really open with her personal life, which is good, because it would be very rude of her to just blurt out Carl's personal information. Speaking of Carl… What am I going to do about the iniquity knights? Kaochin will obviously want me to help her fight the knights… But that would put me in a bad situation where I could easily be killed… Still… If I suddenly decide to disobey her, she could just as easily be the one who kills me… And I did give her my word afterall…

"Purple mist…" I sighed as I starred into the room ahead of me. "A boss?" Alph gasped. "Looks that way…" I sighed. "Think we can take it?" Alph asked. "We've come too far to leave now… We have to press onward" I said mustering up what courage I could. "We're going!" I shouted as I readied my sword, and charged forward. "Alright!" Alph cheered as she stepped forward. As I entered the next room, I heard a dull thud behind me. I looked back to find Alph lying on the floor; she had tripped. "Alph! Are you alright?" I asked. "Yeah, I guess I missed that rock there" She nervously laughed. "Get up fast, I'll need your…" The door in front of me suddenly slammed shut, locking me in the room. "Damnit! I triggered the magic portal!" I shouted as I turned around. The room was empty, a magic portal had to have activated for the door to shut, but I couldn't find a monster. "Alph is probably trying to PM me… It's a shame I can't respond to her…" I sighed. I kept my sword ready and slowly stepped out into the center of the room. Their is a chest in the north side of the room, and some derelict skeletons in the west side… But no monster. "There has to be a monster in here…" I grunted as I made my way over to the skeletons. They were sitting in the fetal position, and remained motionless; normally breaking them would grant the player a mundane item such as a healing potion. I reared my sword back, and destroyed one of the skeletons. A small healing potion burst from its skeletal remains, and I quickly pocketed the small item. "Of course that didn't do anything…" I sighed. "Something is watching me… I can feel it…" I said as I turned to the other skeleton. I quickly slashed at it, and destroyed it as well. No potion emerged from its body; instead a large skull burst from the ground. It was larger than my head, and it looked directly at me. "What the hell!?" I shouted as I grabbed my weapon, and began to backpedal from the skull. The skull was attached to something, and that something was obviously underground. I wasted no time, I charged forward, and ducked under its attempt to bite me, cutting it as I passed. The skull screamed before it ducked back into the ground. "Just what the hell is going on?" I shouted. The ground began to shake as the creature pulled itself up from the earth.

It resembled a giant, it was clad in green armor, but was oddly enough missing its head. In one hand it held a large sword, that easily outclassed my own, and in the other was a large skull, probably it's own. "You have to be kidding me… Alph chooses now of all times to goof up?! Damnit all, she has no idea what kind of situation I am in!" I shouted. It's a Head-Hunter, a pretty tough boss that most people have trouble defeating in groups… I am by myself… Not only that… It's obviously of the dark element, meaning my magic, and skills are utterly useless against it… "I'll have to rely on regular attacks and my speed to win this battle…" I said trying to formulate a plan of attack. That skull is either its weak point, or a shield of some sort. It doesn't make any attempt to hide it; so I doubt it's a weak spot… Of course the developers could have done that on purpose… "They sure as hell didn't design this monster with my kind of situation in mind!" I screamed. "Come on… I don't intend to die!" I charged towards the monster. The Head-Hunter swung its sword at me; but I was easily able to duck under its slow attack. "You are open!" I recovered from my dive, and began to slash at its stomach. Slashing at its heavy armor was pointless, so I put all of my strength into one attack, and thrust my sword forward piercing the monsters armor. "Got you…" I sighed with relief.

The Head-Hunter used its free hand, and violently swatted me away, causing me to crash into a nearby wall. I coughed as I felt around for my sword which was knocked away from me. "It didn't kill it… But it should be wounded…" I grabbed my sword and used it as leverage to stand. The Head-Hunter slowly stumbled towards me at a clumsy gait. I glared at the wound I left on the monster's stomach with extreme shock. The hole I left with my attack sealed up right before me. "Regeneration…?" I gasped. "No… This creature can't cast curative magic…" I tried to regain my composure. "Alright… One more try…" I grunted and stood on my own. "Repth!" I healed myself as best I could, and gripped my sword. "I'll kill you!" I shouted and charged towards the monster again. The Head-Hunter brought its large sword crashing down horizontally; I barely managed to roll out of the way. "An opening!" I noticed the Head-Hunter's sword was lodged into the ground. "You're finished!" I jumped in the air, and brought my sword crashing down on the Head-Hunter's arm. It violently jerked as I sliced it down the middle. The Head-Hunter roared and stumbled backwards. "I did it…" I gasped as I studied the Head-Hunters severed arm that still gripped its sword that was lodged in the ground. "Beaten… You are beaten…" I sighed with relief as I returned my gaze to the Head-Hunter.

"What!?"

The Head Hunter's arm suddenly reappeared on its body; sword in hand. The monster stopped its stumbling, and began its previous trek towards me. "What!? How is that possible!?" I shouted. "I killed you… I saw you die!" I shouted towards the monster. What could it be!? Why won't it die…That attack should have finished him… I was extremely lucky it was as damaging as it was… How did it regenerate its arm!? "Could it be…? Physical resistance?" I asked myself. "Fine… If that's how you want it… I'll use magic!" I slammed me sword in the ground. "I wonder whose darkness element is stronger… Yours or mine!?" I shouted to the monster. "Ap Corma!" I threw my hands in the air, and cast a spell that raised my magical attack. My body was surrounded in a white aura indicating my stat boost. "Ap Anid!" I cast another strengthening spell, this one boosted my Darkness attribute, increasing my Darkness related skills, and magic. "My body…" I grunted as the aura around me turned changed colors to reflect my boosted dark element. "Take this!" I held both of my hands out in front of me. "MeAni Zot!" I cast one of my two darkness spells. A large number of spikes rose from the ground and impaled the Head-Hunter. The monster was pinned to the ground; the spikes holding it in place. "BiAni Don!" I cast my favored Darkness spell; sending out a small orb of dark energy. It slammed into the Head-Hunter engulfing it in a dark hazy mist. "I'll leave nothing left!" I began to cast the spell continuously. With each spell that hit the mist became denser. I continued my barrage of spells until I couldn't continue. My body was numb, and my head was aching. "Dead… Is it dead?" I gasped as I fell to my knees. Over using my SP, combined with those strengthening spells obviously took its toll on my body. I gasped for breath as I desperately searched through the dark mist.

The monster's large sword emerged from the mist, tearing into my body; splitting my chest open. The force of the blow sent me rolling backwards into a wall. "I don't get it…" my body refused to move, and I had trouble breathing. My gazed was focused on the creature in front of me: The Immortal Head-Hunter. "Why won't it die…?" I gasped for air. The Head-Hunter slowly marched towards me, the skull on its hand, let out a ghastly laugh as it neared. "What is going on…? Why am I like this…? Why won't this monster die…?" I slammed my fist against the ground. I glared up at my executioner, the Head-Hunter. "All I want is a damn answer! Why!" I screamed as loud as I could. I dropped my hand, and buried my head into the floor. I've lost… Just make it quick… I accepted the violent death the monster above me brought.

I lye there motionless, waiting for the Head-Hunter's sword to end my life; but the end never came. I slowly rolled my body to the side, and glared up at the Head-Hunter. A long tentacle had pierced the monster through the chest; a bright light emerged from the wound the tentacle created, evaporating the Head-Hunter, leaving a small pumpkin in its stead. I glared up at the creature that had killed off the Head-Hunter.

A gelatinous barbell shaped monster retracted its tentacles, directed its attention towards me. The creature's tentacles reemerged and closed in on my defenseless body.

(The World is a large place, that being said: if you have ideas for characters, or one of your own design send an email or message my way describing this character, and I'll see if I can't give him or her a cameo! Just dexcribe your characters personality, and basic apperance. Don't forget to include his or her class as well!)