Disclaimer : I don't own any of the characters in the story and it all belongs to their respective authors. Please enjoy or don't. I don't really care much. I wanted to try it after reading all the good stories out there.

Chapter 1

In the beginning, Ohara Masahiko was not much of a gamer in general. He was more into reading, maybe some television every now and then, but he mostly slept all day and night. He could play, but he sucked at most games.

With the whole world being ravaged by war and pollution for a long time, almost all the people these days needed a hobby, preferably something that did not involve going outside with all the polution or going to work. 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.

Now, Ohara Masahiko plays Yggdrasil whenever he's not working. It helps to forget that he is all alone in this world.The world had made his life hell. He plays to forget what and who he lost. He remembered how he first started playing.

Oba Katsumi, a woman with caramel hazelnut ombre hair, an oval-shaped face, and vibrant yello eyes. She had an excitable personality, and was known for her rather obsessive and spoiled, especially when it came to things that should go her way but didn't.

She also happened to be his childhood friend. Katsumi moved to Japan fifteen years ago when she was a toddler. Growing up togather, the two had been close. Katsumi had lived in the same apartment building, next to Mashiko and would often come and play with him whenever her parents weren't home. He considered her to be someone like a little sister.

Unfortunately, when he was in high school, Katsumi moved back to the States to stay with her grandparents shortly after her parents passed away from being overworked. The young man was obviously quite downtrodden at this news, but not all hope was lost. The two still stayed in contact over the phone and through online social media. Despite no longer living next to each other she still considered him to be family.

Still, talking to someone in person was different from talking to someone through the internet. It just wasn't enough.

A month later, Katsumi would call him with an unexpected solution to their problem. She introduced him to a new little game called Yggdrasil.

The next time the two met up, it was within the game.

At first, Masahiko 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, it was just missing outright.

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, but he can still feel some pain when he pinched his cheecks, 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 at the same time.

Katsumi had stuck to the classic and picked a dark elf ranger as her character's starter race. As for him, he went slightly unconventional and picked an incubus mage, 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. Katsumi looked almost identical to her real-life self. The only real exceptions were from her slightly more angular cheek bones, darker skin tone and the elven ears that jutted out from the sides of her head, and a rose chocked with two small diamonds hanging down under it.

Masahiko looked similar with a few changes mixed in. His body was almost close to his current physique, which was that of a athletic seventeen-year-old on the cusps of adulthood with a swimmer's build and no muffin top whatsoever. (like you wouldnt change a thing on your body if you don't like it) Like with his childhood friend, the only changes came from his innate racial features. In this case, black hair and red eyes with curved horns on the side of his head and a tail.

To be honest (not really, he wanted this) these changes made him come off as some pretty boy. It didn't bothered him, but Katsumi pouted for a little bit when they first met up. (She wanted to look pretty too.)

Katsumi had chosen the name Merlin for his avatar, while she had chosen Morgan Le Fay.

When he asked why she had chosen the names, she simple chuckled and explained how it was related to an old story and tv show that she had once seen when she was a child. It was familiar but He couldn't remember why. (He didn't pout, nor did he blush, no matter what Katsumi said when he found out. He didn't look cute.)

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, Merlin 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 looking at the few of the players that loitered around the small fountain.

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 her, staying in the same place day in and day out did get a little bit boring.

The two eventually decided to explore the wider world of Yggdrasil. Atter all, they were paying quite a hefty monthly servicing fee just to play this game. Might as well make the most the experience.

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 (and the ladies) they traveled everywhere and anywhere their hearts desired. Though the developers could change the voices of the ncp's. It got old fast hearing the same voice over and over when getting stuff.

Their journey took them across all nine realms of Yggdrasil, although they held a particular fondness for Asgard and Midgard.

Midgard was as close to the distant past of Earth as one could get within a videogame and Asgard a fantasy world come to life.

For those that grew up with the breath of pollution breathing down their necks, the realms 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 solo 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 Morgan Le Fay who had started isolating herself after the death of her parents.

If it wasn't for her friend, then she would have truly been all alone. Overtime, they grew stronger. It was an inevitable outcome.

Staying complacent was simply not an option, especially in a game like Yggdrasil. If they wanted to explore the entire world, then it was necessary to get as strong as they possibly could. There were plenty of places out there filled with high level mobs. It wouldn't do for them to get taken out while in the midst of sightseeing, after all.

The fact that he traveled exclusively with his her made his acquisition of power much more important. Unlike other people, they did not have the backings of a powerful guild or even a party of friends to rely on.

Fortunately, Merlin apparently had a knack for playing VR games. As the months passed by, he grew stronger, picked up some useful items, and even unlocked a few hidden class quests. While Morgana did it… differently than how he did, she 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.

She was such a person. As it turns out, Morgan Le Fay was obscenely rich. Or more accurately, her mothers parents 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. Merlin wasn't really all that interested in her explanation.

When her mom married into her father's family she was cut off from the family fortune. It was only after she returned to the states and took her back 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 really 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 year of adventuring with multiple updates, the pair had earned themselves a small reputation. They were known as Yggdrasil's invincible couple (even though they weren't, much to her hidden sadness.) 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, with Morgan's spending habits.

Actually, quite a few guilds had invited them to join, but the two always refused. The time that they spent within Yggdrasil was for 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 Merlin to play the game every day unlike Morgana who seemed to have free time in spades, he still had his education to worry about.

By now, Masahiko had graduated high school early and was already started to go to college. Unfortunately, his parents died from the flu that was going around.

It devastated him, when he went home to visit them. Their final wish was for him to graduate from college. 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 pains him to do so, he talked to her about this issue, she understands. Over the year, Katsumi had grown to be quite the social recluse. As far as he could tell, she hardly ever left her room these days and spent a large amount of time on Yggdrasil. Judging by her personality, he doubted she had any friends left, outside of him that is.

When he broached the topic, her response only confirmed his suspicions.

Masahiko 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, Katsumi was actually 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." Katsumi responded with an excited nod.

"Why NPCs in particular?"

"Well, you know how I'm a big fan of anime and old 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, Merlin was pretty certain that hardly anyone knew what it was anymore, he as sure didn't. It was a medium lost throughout time.

Katsumi 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. Merlin had liked them 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." Morgan explained. "As it turns out, the NPC creator for this game is actually quite complex."

Merlin mulled over her words for a moment. What Morgan 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."

He 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!" Morgan vehemently shook her head. The dark 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.

Merlin knew exactly how she was with people.

Even through a virtual medium, Morgan still had difficulty communicating with others without her appearing spoiled and arragont. 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 he had managed to break through her shell.

Speaking of which, she had only gotten worse since her parents death. It was a bit of a sobering thought. His bright and bubbly freind 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…"

Merlin 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 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, thank goddess.

Next, they needed money and a location. Money was no issue, considering Morgan Le Fay 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!" Margan jumped up with a shout, forcing him to take a step back surprised. The dark 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 bare 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, she 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 $30,000 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.

Merlin 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. He wouldnt have it any other way, though.