In the beginning, Hirohito Haitani was not an avid gamer.
Within this era ravaged by war and pollution, most people these days needed a hobby, preferably something that did not involve going outside (where the smog could kill you) or going to work (where the stress could kill you). The go-to option was virtual reality. Specifically, videogames.
Technology had advanced to a point where virtual reality was no longer just mere science fiction. A person could quite literally dive into a game and experience it as if they were in real life. One of the earliest pioneers of this technology was Yggdrasil.
Yggdrasil was a DMMO-RPG, which stood for Dive Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game.
It was the first of its kind and offered mankind an alternative to the usual concrete prisons and smoke-filled skies. Although still lacking in quite a few areas, a virtually simulated reality was still miles ahead of the alternative.
In short, people played videogames to escape reality.
Haitani wasn't like that. He was more into reading, maybe some light television every now and then.
Hirohito Haitani did not play videogames to escape reality. He was as much of a realist as he was a slacker. He had long since accepted the world for what it was: a down and beaten animal on its last legs, waiting for the cold embrace of death.
The world had gone to shit a long time ago and he had pretty much decided that an early death was the way to go.
No, Haitani did not play videogames to escape reality. He played videogames in order to meet up with family.
Elizabeth Hirohito, a woman with strawberry blonde hair, an oval-shaped face, and vibrant blue eyes. She had an excitable personality, and was well known for her rather obsessive tendencies, especially when it came to things that personally interested her. Overall, she was a fairly nice person.
She also happened to be his aunt.
Elizabeth moved to Japan fifteen years ago. Approximately three years after, she would come to marry a man bearing the surname Hirohito.
Growing up, the two had been close. Elizabeth had lived in the same apartment building as Haitani and would often times come and watch over him whenever his parents weren't home. Haitani considered her to be someone akin to a second mother.
Unfortunately, when he was in high school, his uncle died, leaving Elizabeth a widow. Elizabeth moved back to the States to stay with her family shortly afterwards.
The young man was obviously quite downtrodden at this news. Not only had his uncle died, but another close family member of his had been taken away from him, possibly forever.
Fortunately, not all hope was lost. The two still stayed in contact over the phone and through online social media. Despite no longer being a Hirohito, she still considered him to be family. Haitani likewise felt the same.
Still, talking to someone in person was different from talking to someone through the internet. It just wasn't enough.
A year later, his aunt would call him with an unexpected solution to their problem. She introduced him to a little game called Yggdrasil.
The next time the two met up, it was within the game.
At first, Haitani had marveled at the experience. Being in-game felt both familiar and foreign all at the same time. He could still move and interact with the environment like normal, but a few of his senses were muted and, in some cases, just outright missing.
His sense of touch had been reduced to the point where it felt as if he was walking around with an extra layer of skin on his body, while both his sense of smell and his sense of taste were gone.
As far as he could tell, the only senses that hadn't been affected were his vision and hearing.
The experience was surreal, kind of like being both awake and asleep all at the same time.
His aunt had stuck to the classics and picked a wood elf as her character's starter race. As for him, he went slightly unconventional and picked a homunculus, one of the few humanoid heteromorphic races available in the game.
The two did not really bother changing their appearances. After all, they were playing this game in order to simulate real-life interaction. For matters such as this, it was best to be as close to accurate as possible.
His aunt looked almost identical to her real-life self. The only real exceptions were from her slightly more angular cheek bones and the elven ears that jutted out from the sides of her head. Both changes were a result of her chosen race.
Similarly, Haitani also looked similar to his real-life counterpart.
His build was identical to his current physique, which was that of a slightly-athletic seventeen-year-old on the cusps of adulthood. Like with his aunt, the only changes came from his innate racial features. In this case, grey hair and white pupiless eyes.
To be honest, these changes made him come off as someone weak and frail. It somewhat bothered him, but not by much.
Haitani had chosen the name Lohan for his avatar, while his aunt had chosen Pyglet.
When he asked why she had chosen such a name, she simple chuckled and explained how it was related to an old story that she had once read about.
For the rest of the day, the two wandered the streets of the starter village that they had originally found themselves in. Along the way, they reminisced about the past and eagerly planned for the future.
While it wasn't a very exciting nor productive way to spend their time, at that moment, Lohan hardly cared. Spending time with her like this was enough to fill the hole in his heart that thousands of miles of separation had created.
The next two weeks passed by in a blur.
In truth, the two didn't really do much. They went sightseeing around the village, wasting their in-game currency on the tasteless beverages (health potions) that the apothecary sold and talking to a few of the players that loitered around the small fountain in front of the mayor's house.
Consequently, as a result of their lackadaisical attitude, the two were still at level 1, although not that they really cared about levels or anything.
Still, as much fun as it was to spend time with his aunt, staying in the same place day in and day out did get a bit boring.
The two eventually decided to explore the wider world of Yggdrasil.
After all, they were paying quite a hefty monthly servicing fee just to play this game. Might as well make the most of it.
So, the two set off, determined to experience all the things that this world had to offer. From the frozen wastelands of Jotunheim to the beautiful landscapes of Asgard, they traveled everywhere and anywhere their hearts desired.
Their journey took them across all nine realms of Yggdrasil, although they held a particular fondness for Midgard.
Midgard was as close to Earth as one could get within a videogame. For those that grew up with the breath of pollution breathing down their necks, the realm itself was a wholly unique experience. It wasn't just them who felt like this either. Midgard was popular with almost everyone who played the game.
Sometimes, the two joined up with other players. Yggdrasil was just as dangerous as it was beautiful. There were areas on the map that simply could not be traversed by a two-man party.
Still, for most of the time, the duo kept to themselves. It just felt more comfortable that way. Neither one of them were too keen on socializing. This was especially true for Pyglet, who had started isolating herself after the death of her husband.
If it wasn't for her nephew, then she would have truly been all alone.
Overtime, Lohan grew stronger. It was an inevitable outcome.
Staying complacent was simply not an option, especially in a game like Yggdrasil. If he wanted to explore the entire world, then it was necessary to get as strong as he possibly could. There were plenty of places out there filled with high level mobs. It wouldn't do for him to get taken out while in the midst of sightseeing, after all.
The fact that he traveled exclusively with his aunt made his acquisition of power more so imperative. Unlike other people, they did not have the backings of a powerful guild or even a party of friends to rely on.
Fortunately, Lohan apparently had a knack for playing videogames. As the months and years passed by, he grew stronger, picked up some useful items, and even unlocked a few hidden classes.
His aunt, while a bit… different than how he did it, also grew stronger.
Yggdrasil was infamously known for being a pay-to-win game. While the game did not prevent good players from becoming powerful on their own merit, they did give an unfair advantage to those willing to pay for their achievements.
His aunt was one such player.
As it turns out, his Aunt Elizabeth was obscenely rich. Or more accurately, her family was rich.
It was something that he had come to learn about her while playing Yggdrasil.
A few hundred years ago, an ancestor of hers apparently created an entire industry from the ground up. Something involving railroads. Haitani wasn't really all that interested in her explanation.
When she married into the Hirohitos, she was cut off from the family fortune. It was only after she returned to the states and took back her name that they reinstated her back in.
Long story short, she had money to spend and Yggdrasil was the place that she had chosen to spend it on.
Despite lacking the natural talent that he possessed, she more than kept up with him through the expensive equipment and consumables that she purchased, either from other players or through Yggdrasil's online store.
Whether or not her purchases were worth it was a question that only she could truly answer.
Still, after a few years of adventuring, the pair had earned themselves a small bit of reputation. They were known as Yggdrasil's Invincible Duo. Though neither one could claim the title of strongest, together, they were more than enough to challenge the peak of whatever this game had to offer. No other pair could compare. Even guilds, with their armies of players, had to be wary of them.
Actually, quite a few guilds had invited them to join, but the two always refused. The time that they spent within Yggdrasil was for family bonding. No matter how famous they might have become, that one truth never changed.
Yggdrasil was more than just a game for them. It was the one thing that kept them connected, even with the vast distance that separated the two from each other.
With that said, it was difficult for Haitani to play the game every day.
Unlike his aunt, who seemed to have free time in spades, Haitani still had his education to worry about.
By now, Haitani had graduated high school and was already well into his college years. Unfortunately, the materials that some of his courses covered were steadily increasing in difficulty. That meant he had to seriously put in effort just to pass, which gave him even less time to spend on Yggdrasil.
As much as it pained him to do so, he could not spend all day playing with his aunt.
When he talked to her about this issue, she was mostly understanding, if not a bit disappointed.
Over the years, his Aunt Elizabeth had grown to be quite the social recluse. As far as he could tell, she hardly ever left her room these days and spent an inordinate amount of time on Yggdrasil.
Judging by her attitude, he doubted she had any friends left, outside of him that is.
When he broached the topic, her response only confirmed his suspicions.
Haitani wanted her to make friends outside of their little party of two, but that was easier said than done. Despite her excitable personality whenever she was around him, his Aunt Elizabeth was actually quite shy around strangers.
Since he could not force the issue to fix itself, at the very least, he wanted her to have something to do while he was away. Maybe pick up another hobby, something a bit more productive than just playing videogames.
Touched by his concern, she promised to get back to him with an answer.
It only took a few days, before she came back to him with said answer in tow.
"You want to make custom NPCs?" He asked. While his avatar's facial features did not change, the surprise laced in his voice was impossible to miss.
"That's right! After you told me to find a hobby, it seemed like the natural solution." Pyglet responded with an excited nod.
"Why NPCs in particular?"
"Well, you know how I'm a big fan of anime and stuff, right?"
"Oh yeah… I almost forgot."
Anime was a form of Japanese entertainment that had been quite popular a couple hundred years back. Often times, it featured dynamic stories, gratuitous fan service, and clichés galore. It had fallen out of fashion after the third world war. In fact, Lohan was pretty certain that hardly anyone knew what it was anymore.
It was truly a medium lost through time.
His aunt just happened to be part of the rare few that not only knew about it, but also wholeheartedly enjoyed it.
To be honest, he did not even know how she had gotten into anime in the first place. Still, other than Yggdrasil, it was probably the only thing she ever talked about.
Heck, she even convinced him to watch a few shows. Haitani had liked the medium to a moderate degree, but never to her level of obsession.
"That's right. I thought I'd take a crack at trying to recreate some of the characters that I know into Yggdrasil." Pyglet explained. "As it turns out, the NPC creator for this game is actually quite complex."
Lohan mulled over her words for a moment. What Pyglet wanted to do was basically akin to drawing or maybe sculpting. It certainly counted as a hobby and while still technically still in the game, it was something that could be regarded as marginally productive.
He nodded to himself.
"Sure, if that's what you want, then it's fine with me."
"Great! Although there is one problem…"
"What is it?"
"We need a guild."
Lohan furrowed his brow. "A guild? Why?"
"Custom NPCs can only be created through a Guild's base building function." She explained.
"So, you want us to join a guild then?"
"Heavens no!" Pyglet vehemently shook her head. The blonde-haired elf twiddled her fingers as she looked fixedly at the ground. She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I, um… I don't want to join a guild. You know how I am with people…"
He silently nodded his head.
Lohan knew exactly how she was with people.
Even through a virtual medium, Pyglet still had difficulty communicating with others. Apparently, this wasn't just a recent problem. Even as a child, she was always like this. Frankly speaking, it was a downright miracle that his uncle had managed to break through her shell and marry her.
Speaking of which, she had only gotten worse since his death. It was a bit of a sobering thought. His bright and bubbly aunt hid such a deep darkness. He wanted to help ease her pain, but he simply did not know how. The only thing he could do was spend time with her like this and hope for the better.
"Then, I'm guessing you want to start a guild? With just the two of us?'
"Yeah… I know it's going to be difficult, but…"
Lohan let out a sigh. From the moment she had broached the topic, he had been prepared for anything.
"Don't worry about it." He dismissively waved his hand. "Besides, we've been wandering around Yggdrasil for a long while now. It was about time that we build ourselves a home base."
"Great!" Her bubbly excitement quickly returned. If avatars could show facial features, then surely, she'd be sporting a wide grin by now.
"Calm down for a second, will you? We still have a bunch of things we need to sort out if we're seriously going to make a guild."
As he spoke, his mind churned through what he knew about guilds and the requirements to create one. Fortunately, Yggdrasil did not have a minimum player requirement for their guilds, so that was already one hurdle out of the way.
Next, they needed money and a location. Money was no issue, considering Pyglet was probably going to pay for it all. As for location…
"Making a guild should be no problem. The first thing we can do is buy a guild house in one of the capital cities." He suggested.
"No!" Pyglet jumped up with a shout, forcing him to take a step back. The elven woman stared at him with a very serious expression, or at least, he thought she did. It was kind of difficult to tell, what with her avatar's permanently wooden face.
"We can't use the houses that they have in the cities. Those places are small, and only give out the minimum levels of NPC data storage. I want more than that."
"So, the issue is with the NPC data storage limit…"
As far as he could recall, a Guild's max data storage for custom NPCs was based on where the base was located. Bases built within an established city hardly had any NPC data storage limit. If one were to build a base on a conquered dungeon, then the max data storage for custom NPCs would likewise increase.
If he remembered things correctly, for guilds built within a dungeon, the highest was 3000 while the lowest was 700.
There were also other ways to increase the limit, like quests, world items, or straight up real-life cash. Still, even with those options…
"You want to conquer a dungeon in order to increase the max data storage limit?" Despite already knowing the answer, he still couldn't help but ask.
"That's right." She vigorously nodded.
For a moment, silence reigned. "You… you're really serious about this, aren't you?"
"Yes. You know me. I don't half ass things."
That was certainly true. As loathed a he was to admit it, his aunt was an all-or-nothing type of person. When she decides to do something, she does it to the best of her abilities. It was why she did not even hesitate to spend more than $20,000 dollars just for the consumables that she uses in battle. She was just crazy like that.
Following her train of logic, since she wanted to build custom NPCs, that also meant maximizing the amount of NPC data storage that she had access to.
Despite her blank face, he could practically feel the feral grin emanating from her person.
Lohan nursed his growing headache. Making a guild with just two people was already one thing, but building it atop a conquered dungeon? That was a completely different matter entirely.
He wanted to back out, but he knew it would be a foolish endeavor. His fate was already sealed.
