Keeper: Spirit of the beast

by K1tsun3 The Shrine Keeper

17.03.21 Update: I've reworked the first two chapters for the sake of cohesion and continuity. Currently, I'm working on the three remaining chapters and waiting for the release of Volume 15 to stay true to the source material. Also, the cover art for the story is in the work, so yeah. It'll take time, but I'd rather release the whole finished thing. Finger crossed it will happen.

1. Chapter 1

Keeper. Spirit of the beast

Prologue

The battered body felt sore and even a slight movement brought a wave of blinding pain, causing numb muscles to spasm. The tattered clothing did almost nothing against the freezing cold of the night.

She leaned her head against the bars of her cage and coughed. The cold of metal brought a hint of relief to her burning bruised face. She shivered and winced.

She could see people drinking and laughing around the campfire.

Celebrating their victory. Cursed scum.

The hatred rose again in her heart burning her intestines. She gritted her teeth. A will to fight wasn't gone. It was raging. But the body wouldn't listen.

Worthless. Pathetic. Ugly ass bastards.

Invading her homeland, taking her brothers and sister away. Now she was taken. Away from her home, away from her beloved.

And she knew what they were planning to do. If they were to kill her it would happen in the fight. No. They were much worse than that.

Filth. Trash.

She took several deep breaths and tried to move her stiff body around a little. But her hands and feet were tied together tightly so she couldn't do anything. Yeah, they knew she could tear them apart with her bare hands and teeth for a lack of a better option.

She heard steps nearby and turned her head to see one of those pesky humans walking to the cages. The door opened and one of her sisters screamed as his filthy hands grabbed her as if she was a caught fish in a cart and started dragging her out.

Oh, she knew exactly what was about to happen. The one he grabbed was not a warrior, too young. Easy prey for the vermin.

She growled and forced her body forward ignoring the pain. She tried to aim her forehead to hit his vertex but was too dizzy and weak. He got out of the way and she dropped down on the wooden floor with an audible thud.

"You again! Haven't had enough?!"

She moaned in pain through the gag in her mouth. The world made several spins around her and she was about to puke.

Rough hands clung her arm and pulled with no mercy. She hit her head on the bars on the way out and tumbled out of the cage. She was barely hanging to her consciousness. The smell of grass and dirt hit her. A surge of pain pierced her back. And again.

"You piece of shit should know your place!"

The pain was immense but it cleared up her mind. She desperately glanced around in search of anything that could help her fight back.

The beating stopped. A hand grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up. Tears unwillingly ran over her cheeks.

"That's more like it."

The foul stench of human's breath hit her face. Next moment her head was pinned to the ground exploding with pain. She frantically gasped for the air trying to regain senses. She couldn't give up. She would never subdue to these scums.

"Hey, boys! I guess we'll have to double the fun! Any objections?"

Her fingers touched something. She instinctually grabbed it. Even in this state, she was willing to kill them. There were no options. Humans had to die.

"Admirable. But what are you hoping to accomplish with a stone?"

She felt like the world around her shifted. She heard a voice. A voice coming from everywhere and nowhere. Other sounds faded away.

Telepathy? She froze and tried to spot anything that could be the source.

The voice was so pleasant, so sweet, and welcoming. Bewitching. Yet its tone made her instinctively push the saliva and blood in her mouth down the throat.

She wasn't an imbecile. Though humans were atrocious, there were creatures much worse. And those who had powers were the worst.

"What are you? A demon?"

"Maybe. Does it matter?"

The voice wasn't laughing or taunting. It was calm and confident. If anything, the creature seemed… curious?

Someone ripped the stone from her grasp along with fingernails. She felt humans tearing off the remains of her clothes. The girl she was trying to save was whining and crying by her side.

But she felt like she was pulled out of her body. Somewhere between life and death. And she could swear she saw a blurry silhouette in the corner of her vision, shifting behind the figures of the humans. A slipping visage of something she couldn't comprehend.

The only thing she was able to focus on were the eyes. Cold blue eyes piercing her being with an indifferent gaze. They carried no evil or good intent.

"There's no point in fooling around. I'll strike you a deal. Your life for a wish."

The course of time seemed to come to a halt. She felt the heat leaving her body. Somehow, she felt this creature's power. It could grant her wish.

"Can you free my people?"

"One wish."

She gritted her teeth against each other. The crimson flower of rage bloomed inside her once again. They can make it. The only problem are…

"Kill them… Kill the humans! Kill them! Kill them!"

She realized that she was screaming those words at the top of her lungs. The gag was gone. A human in front of her was grinning at her with his disgusting putrid face.

"Dumb bitch won't shut it, eh?"

"Well stuff her alrea…!"

The words were cut off with the familiar to her whizz of arrows. Elven arrows. Arrows of her fellow warriors.

But it did not warm her heart. She went cold as the silence took over the campsite.

Every. Single. Human. Was. Dead.

The girl next to her was laying on the ground under a dead body. Her eyes were wide with terror. Did she feel it too?

In an instant, the darkness enveloped her. The cold gave way to warmth. The pain dissipated. She felt so calm and relieved like never before in her life. Is it death? That's the end?

The eyes. Blue and cold as ice. They were right in front of her again.

"Now. To your end of the bargain…"

Chapter 1 "End is a wild Night and a new Road"

"…So. With that said in the year 2126, we were able to deliver previously unimaginable video game experience. Previously the whole genre of DMMO-RPG was more of a gimmick, as the first VR projects a hundred years ago. And with all the new technologies, advanced programming, AI deep learning protocols, and powerful hardware our company took the DMMO-RPG genre to a whole new level. The level of YGGDRASIL.

We accomplished our mission on delivering the experience of YGGDRASIL to the majority of players all over the globe by optimizing it for existing nano-interfaces the best way we could. This project is absolutely massive and incomparable to any previous attempts to transfer semi-3D open worlds to the DIVE platform. More than eight hundred engineers, programmers, visual artists, actors, and consulting specialists took part in this exciting, colossal work.

We promised – we delivered. Till this day, twelve years later, YGGDRASIL is praised by players worldwide. I probably shouldn't tell you that, because you all saw the earnings charts and community reports I presented at the beginning. For all these years, YGGDRASIL made a significant contribution to our finances, despite it being a free-to-play game. This fact alone shows how much support our developers are getting from the players. We painstakingly crafted and cherished the game throughout its lifespan thanks to our dedicated and loyal fan base. I wanted to stress that the success of YGGDRASIL came from everyone who participated in our project, including our amazing players. Without them, this could never happen.

Now, before I get to the next part of my presentation, I'd like to invite our lead developer to the stage, Nakagawa Yuu-san!"

"Thank you, Koga-san! Hello everyone! So, I'm here to give you a solid understanding of what we've achieved with YGGDRASIL. Usually, I love to get into details and talk for hours about the game. But for today's event, Koga-san asked me to keep things brief and specific. So, yeah, let's do this!

First of all, the world of YGGDRASIL. Based on Norse mythology, it contains 9 main realms, that make up roughly 95% of the playable space. On the screen, you can see one of my favorite realms of YGGDRASIL – Alvheim. Those tiny dots you may notice are silhouettes, that represent the average-sized player character. If we would translate it to real-world numbers, the total playable area of YGGDRASIL would be around 63 000 square kilometers. Yes, YGGDRASIL is basically a virtual world 1.4 times bigger than Kyushu and a 4/5 of the size of Hokkaido.

The next stop is our incredible character customization system. Starting with approximately 700 races available to players, about 2000 job classes, and, after five expansions, a 100-level cap. To put things into perspective here's the number of possible combinations [over 10 billion]. We wanted to provide an experience where every single player could achieve his personal dream of being anyone or anything he wanted to. And to an extent, I'd say we did it. At least better than anyone else to date.

The ability system of YGGDRASIL is the thing that I, as the lead developer, am truly proud of. The magic system alone contains a little over 6000 spells, excluding the various levels of upgradeable spells. The regular skill tree that directly depends on the race-class combination is even bigger. So, the number of possible combinations of skills and spells one player can possess numbers in tens of trillions.

The itemization system! Oh, don't get me started. There are easily over 30 billion possible combinations of magical affixes, materials, and crafting approaches. Not to mention our open visual editing system, which provided a whole new frontier for players' creativity and brought an incalculable diversity to the game. Well, to be honest, we could calculate it… and we did. Here's the number of custom unique items players of YGGDRASIL have created on their own. Quite impressive, right?

All of the above allowed our players to progress as truly unique characters in a vast open world. If we would take only one aspect of the game, like, say, world championship, some race-class combinations performed exceptionally or in some cases ridiculously good, others not so well. But. That doesn't imply that those classes that did not shine in battles were irrelevant. We are proud that we succeeded in making it possible to play YGGDRASIL the way players wanted to. Crafting, exploring, managing, trading, researching, and role-playing or just simply fooling around. It didn't matter, because the deep and complex world of the game in conjunction with our leveling system welcomed any type of specialization and did not restrain people to a certain playstyle. Quite opposite, we encouraged trying out different approaches to various content. It just made the world of the game so much more immersive and, frankly speaking, alive.

But wait… there's more! Heh, right. But seriously, there's another cherry on top of this pie. And this is a step towards realism most of the titles simply couldn't achieve due to financial or technical limitations. Our team had the honor to work in close conjunction with the Historical International Martial Arts Society to let real-world martial arts actually function in virtual space. Of course, YGGDRASIL is a fantasy world, but it's melee combat system roots firmly in historical reconstruction. Nearly a hundred of well-known and respected HIMAS members played an immense roll in the construction of the movement interpretation and damage systems. And let me tell you, for me as a game designer this was one of the most confusing but at the same time exciting and educative part of our job. We were able to optimize previously clunky drafts of those systems and make some additions we didn't even know were needed. And this is the best example of something that is truly hard to represent with a simple number.

Now, I'll bring all the things I mentioned so far back to the screen. I presume you are getting the overall idea. I didn't cover the guild system, the PvP system because they are understandable and comparatively simple. But there's also our positioning, exploration, and conditioning system, unique to YGGDRASIL. On top of that all we made sure that players could have the most immersive experience with the world we created in and out of combat. I'm talking about our physics system. Even without those massive parts of the game, we have already entered the realm of astronomical data flow. And with that, my mission is accomplished. Koga-san."

"Thank you very much, Nakagawa-san. So now you might wonder – how did we manage to do this? How did we manage to deliver this insane amount of content in one package? And most importantly why, after twelve years of unmatched success, we decided to cancel this phenomenal project. Well. This is the reason we are here today. Twelve years have passed. Things have changed. We started developing YGGDRASIL using the newest, the best technologies. The best we could get in 2126…"

---

A spacious hall was dimly lit by a row of large heavy chandeliers. The overall design of the hall seemed crude at first glance, but upon a closer look, it was masterful and magnificent in its own way. Anyone familiar with the fantasy genre could instantly identify this style and designs.

A series of bas-reliefs comprised of angular shapes covered the entirety of the walls, ceiling, and even the floor, telling the legends of the stumpy folk. They pictured fearsome dragons, mighty golems, mystical forges, unimaginable treasures, and impenetrable underground fortresses. Massive rectangular pillars were separating the spacious foyer. The frames of heavy rounded doors were inlaid with gems and covered with simple yet tasteful patterns made of metal. The flickering light of the wall ever-burning braziers cast slightly shifting shadows, deflecting over metallic surfaces, complementing the majestic image with a veil of mysterious might.

This symphony of stone and metal masterpieces carried the spirit of dwarven craftsmanship.

Massive six-meter tall metal doors of the entering portal that led to the streets of the dwarven capital were now wide open.

Three figures stood outside the giant door.

The tallest figure among them caught the eyes with a snow-white knee-long sleeveless cape and a bright red scarf. It was a mature man with a slightly wrinkled yet pleasant face, incredibly bright blue eyes, and short wavy white hair. He possessed a slim, but well-developed body, that was tightly covered by black traditional Japanese clothing underneath the mantle.

Next to him stood a young woman. Her long red hair was gathered in a ponytail, except for two strands that framed her smooth and sweet face. Her eyes green as the purest emeralds, contrasted with her honey skin. The gentle features of the woman's face were both seductive and innocent. Her chiseled body was mostly hidden under the silk white shirt and dark green sleeveless leather vest, dark-brown pants, and thigh-high jackboots. An elegant rapier with magnificent engravings, elaborate crossguard, and a huge deep-red gem on top of the pummel rested in the scabbard on her waist.

"I'm glad that I could meet you one last time before the server shutdown Eizo-san, Aurora-san. I wish our leader was here too though."

The one to speak was the last of the three. A dwarf with spiky hair and a short neatly trimmed beard. Like most of the dwarves, he was stocky and beefy. He looked quite impressive in his matte blue~ish black plate armor. A massive shield was hanging behind his back complemented by a hefty mace.

Although they spoke, their faces remained still. The freedom of character customization in YGGDRASIL had its limitations. Though it wasn't a major issue for players considering everything else this game could offer. More of a minor inconvenience.

"I-It was a pleasure! Thank you very much Gollark-san!"

The shy response came from the astounding beauty, standing opposite to him.

"Indeed. You have my deepest gratitude, Gollark-san."

The man's voice was gritty and tired. Yet surprisingly clear. He coughed and took a moment to catch his breath.

"All these years of our alliance are a treasure to my heart. I'm happy I met members of Völundr's Sledgehammer."

"Though it would be better if Kyarval-san said this, but I believe everyone in our guild had a blast joining forces with Oni-Daasu. Those were some truly great times! You made a great ally. I'm truly grateful for that!"

The dwarf bowed respectfully; his guests followed suit.

"You are one of the best guild officers I've met Gollark-san. I believe Kyarval was happy to have you by his side," Eizo spoke and coughed again.

"I bet it's true!" the dwarf chuckled "But really, don't mention it, it was my pleasure."

"That is great to hear," Eizo let out a short laugh and took a moment to glance over the city. Gollark and Aurora unwillingly tracked his gaze, "Well, we'll head out then. Farewell, my friend. Thanks for having us at your home."

"Thank you. Please take care," Aurora spoke cutely. A happy smiley face appeared over her head.

Eizo nodded and turned away.

[Astral Gateway]

In response to Eizo's brief gesture, the space distorted and changed in front of him, taking a half-oval shape. It looked like a liquid glass, that distorted and tinted everything behind a light blue. The surface of the portal was waving smoothly like silk fabric.

"Ah! And Eizo-san, please take care of your health!" the dwarf blurted "I'd be happy to meet you in the game like YGGDRASIL if it happens in the future."

The man casually saluted to Gollark and walked into the portal. Aurora bowed slightly to the dwarf and followed Eizo.

---

Aurora stepped out of the portal onto a spacious tongue-shaped artificial ledge protruding from a mountain cliff. Elegant decorative white stone arches fluidly were fencing it for the exception of the very edge. Numerous thick trunked trees with lush crowns overhung the arches forming a dense hedgerow.

Aurora turned around and saw Eizo standing on the edge in the wide opening between the trees. The loose end of his long red scarf wriggled in the wind like a serpent. She smiled to herself and walked up to him.

A breathtaking view lied below. The Golden Forest of the west Alvheim, covered by two mountain ridges and slotted by the Tumelian river. This was not only one of the most spectacular zones in YGGDRASIL but also a hardly-accessible one. Aurora could easily remember the first time she experienced this view. It happened the same day she joined the guild about six years ago.

There were several reasons guilds gathered for in YGGDRASIL – PvE raiding or PvP mostly, sometimes for crafting, trading, and even social roleplay, a mix of everything. It was all considered adventuring and included exploration to a certain extent.

Oni-Daasu [a dozen of demons] belonged to the miniscule number of guilds completely dedicated to discovering secrets and rarities in the game. It was a very niche and risky playstyle since certain information was so valuable to high-level YGGDRASIL players it could bring immense advantage over other guilds. Most often than not such guilds couldn't last long for a variety of reasons, most prominent being greed.

With all that said, Oni-Daasu recruiting was much different than usual. There were no advertisements, guild site, or spam in the general in-game chat. Aurora did not know the entire story behind the guild's foundation. But she was personally suggested to join after several months of probation by one of its members. She had no idea she was tested at the time. And the reason she even considered the invitation was her affection over her senior.

In her first year of the game, Aurora belonged to a pretty casual guild as she now understood. MMO genre existed for a long time and a lot of concepts inevitably carried to YGGDRASIL. But for her, it was a fresh and exciting experience. Yet she never regretted saying goodbye to her initial party as the group of people she joined were playing a completely different, much more exciting and engaging game.

Oni-Daasu lived of scouting, theory crafting, and experimenting. They made deals and contracts with other guilds trading their discoveries for money, crafting materials, gear, and most importantly, military power. Some high-end players called them "The elite NPC guild" or "Quest trackers" as a joke. Yet the deals themselves were nothing to joke about. They had a perfect reputation for keeping their word, making worthy trades and controlling the information share.

Due to Oni-Daasu consolidated roster was formed by fourteen people guild sustaining costs were laughable. Furthermore, thanks to the rare items they found and crafted, this game mechanic could be ignored entirely. That resulted in a huge advantage in terms of time and freedom to explore the world of YGGDRASIL.

She glanced at the man standing to her left. Eizo was the leader of the guild. As far as Aurora knew he had some kind of medical condition. And it was clear, that it was only getting worse. Her guildmates were aware of that as well. Yet he did his best not to worry those around him.

Eizo was the most active player in the guild. He usually disappeared for a day or two once in two to three months. But other than that Aurora had a hard time remembering him being offline during the day. And every time she logged in, Eizo was working on some kind of discovery. Even with more and more guild members abandoning the game, Eizo was still searching for new quests, locations, secrets, and puzzles. Not angry or frustrated. Not looking for new members. As far as Aurora could tell, he remained the same. Maybe just a little bit sadder. But she could tell he was glad to see every single one of them regardless.

For the last year, since the news of the YGGDRASIL finale were released, the players were coming back less and less frequently. It was understandable and frankly expected.

Twelve years past the launch of YGGDRASIL the vast majority of dedicated year-one players probably became mature and got real-life obligations to fulfill. Those who joined somewhere midway, like Aurora, were significantly behind in terms of endgame progress. The game felt unfair and overwhelming for those who couldn't find a successful guild to join. Closer to the end the gap between the old and new players widened even further despite the introduction of "catch up mechanics". After the announcement for the final year came, the only players left in the game were students that fell in love with it too late, the hardcore fans, and sporadic newcomers who were just curious.

Aurora felt like quitting sometimes. But kept playing as no other game gave her nearly as much as YGGDRASIL. It was her escape from the loneliness and stress of the real world. Also, Eizo always was there for his guildmates. Also, the thought about leaving him completely alone made her feel guilty. Other members of Oni-Daasu were popping up occasionally for a week or two. But it happened less and less frequently as the time went by until they were the only ones coming online.

She looked over her shoulder.

Past the open space that used to be an "airstrip" for elven hippogryph riders, there was a massive two-floor building. The headquarters. Behind it, almost leaning against the body of the mountain was a forty-meter-tall watchtower.

To the right side of the headquarters were massive eight-meter high gates that led to the Inner Sanctum of the Silverwing Refuge, the vast cave inside the body of the mountain. On the left barely visible through the trees was a small bridge over the creek, that was running behind the headquarters, and a smaller servant's house on the other bank. Lastly, there were two rows of elven suspended huts on the mountainside by a total number of nine. Five more huts were set on the right side of the Inner Sanctum's entrance, right behind Aurora and Eizo.

Originally the Refuge belonged to high elves of Alvheim. Oni-Daasu decided to keep the original style as it was fitting and felt right for the surrounding area. Elven stonework and architecture in general were distinguishable by the absolute absence of acute angles. All the elements of white stone buildings were fluid and pleasing to the eye. Elegant portals and arches, slim pillars, and handrails, adorned with rounded or swirling elements.

The headquarters had a dome-shaped rooftop with smooth curvature and half-oval dormer windows of the attic looming over the balcony of the second floor. The servants' house had a similar appearance but was comparatively small what made it look cozy and even a bit cute.

All of the buildings were complemented by gentle blue and yellow lights of magical lanterns and streetlamps. In the daylight, this place looked warm and welcoming as in the night it became mysterious and otherworldly.

The Silverwing Refuge belonged to Oni-Daasu for almost a decade now. Aurora loved this place. There was nothing that could hold the candle to that beauty in the grey mess called the real world. At least that was the way she felt about it.

Eizo sighed dejectedly.

"Eizo-san?"

"Don't mind me, Aurora-san."

Aurora smiled bitterly to herself. Gladly, characters couldn't reflect the player's facial expressions.

"I wish we could have one more adventure together as a guild."

"Yes. I feel the same way Eizo-san." She looked at the valley below, trying to engrave the amazing view in her memory. "I wish I could see others again."

"True. I believe you miss Lumia-san a lot. You two got along very well."

"Yes. I miss her a lot."

Occasionally it creeped her out, how Eizo could almost read others' thoughts. But most of the time it felt easy and comforting to speak to such an understanding person.

"Come."

Aurora nodded and followed him. Her gaze unwillingly fixated on Eizo's back. He had an incredible mind, befitting the leader of a guild like Oni-Daasu. He was also extremely good at melee combat. He passionately practiced his in-game fighting skills and trained others, including her. But considering how much time he spent in YGGDRASIL, the real world was probably very harsh towards him.

She didn't like the answers she could think of on the subject of Eizo's condition. There was a major possibility, that this man was disabled. But it made her feel so bad, she buried that thought and never asked anyone from the guild about it.

They walked past the headquarters. Aurora looked at the top of the watchtower. There was a silhouette of a hooded man with a bow. A custom NPC named Telvie, elf archer, the son of Helios and Luna Silverwing.

The Silverwing Refuge used to be a passing quest location that held nothing particularly interesting for the players. It was until Eizo and his friends discovered a hidden event trigger. It launched a scripted attack questline on the Refuge. To Aurora's knowledge, some kind of conflict happened around the Refuge ownership but eventually, it became the home of Oni-Daasu.

During the event, all of the original residents of the Silverwing Refuge were wiped out. And in the end, the location was rendered vacant for players to occupy for a solid amount of coin.

As any guild residence, it had a level pool for custom NPC and a fixed space for environment creation. When Aurora joined Oni-Daasu, most parts of the data capacity was already used. But she was not too late to claim some of it for herself.

The Refuge was meant to be a guild base, but was a hidden one. Such player bases were rare and very hard to find. Hence, prestigious. Of course, they could not match the nine great habitable raid instances or capital city grand residences, but they were much more flexible than ordinary guild halls that were purchasable in cities, towns, or villages.

They walked over the small stone bridge and turned left to the opening in the hedgerow, where a beautiful open pavilion was set. It was a slightly raised round platform edged with arches that supported the dome-shaped roof made of glass and stone ornaments. Bushy tree branches covered the roof and the sides of the pavilion so that it couldn't be seen from outside and most of the places in the Silverwing Refuge.

"Open up," Eizo commanded.

The branches that covered the pavilion on the outside moved away, revealing the astonishing view over the golden forest touched by reds and purples that spilled over the mountain ridges from the setting sun. She leaned over the rails and stoke her head out. Every time Aurora saw it from the pavilion, her heart skipped a beat. Hearing the creek's soft rumbling, the leaves' gentle whisper, looking upon the setting sun over the mountains and the sea of trees down the valley, she felt like crying.

She's seen it a lot of times, yet today everything looked dearer, as there was an understanding that she saw it all for the last time. Tomorrow she's going to wake up in her bed and there would be no way to visit her virtual home anymore. She still had to attend her classes at the university and take a more serious job. Maybe she would finally start caring about her looks again and have someone fall in love with her. The more Aurora thought of it, the more she felt melancholy grasping her heart.

"Remember that time Crusty-san almost fell off the ledge and you caught him?" Eizo chuckled behind her. Aurora froze in surprise then burst out laughing. "It was a New Year celebration party, right?"

"Yes!" Aurora tried to catch her breath, but the image of an indignant gnome cursing the world and stomping the ground with his tiny feet, was so vivid in her memory, she couldn't stop laughing. Spirit drinks in YGGDRASIL could not affect players as the real-world alcohol, so players logged in tipsy to party online.

"He was so salty about the fact that a girl saved him from an embarrassing death…" it wasn't hard to tell that Eizo was smiling.

"He grumbled at me for months!" Aurora laughed.

"Well, Smile-san would always mock him for that. Even mid-fight."

"Oh, I just remembered when Rusty-san was forced to kite the Crimson Reaper because Gachitamago-san forgot to repair his shield."

Eizo factitiously sighed and placed his palm over his face. Aurora couldn't help but laugh.

"That's why I insisted on age restriction for recruits. Rusty-san is an amazing player… but his manners… Thankfully he didn't sabotage the relations with our allies."

"Usually he was very friendly and lighthearted."

"Until the moment someone mentioned his height."

Both of them laughed joyfully but seconds later Eizo's laughter grew into severe coughing. Aurora instinctively took a step towards him, but Eizo stopped her with a gesture.

"It's ok. I'm alright." Eizo spoke, still coughing.

Aurora felt bad but what could she actually do for him anyway?

"If you say so Eizo-san…"

It took Eizo about a minute to catch his breath.

"Really, there's nothing to worry about" his voice sounded hoarse and weak. Eizo cleared his throat several times and went silent for a moment. "Tell me Aurora-san, what is your most treasured memory about Oni-Daasu?"

"The most treasured?" Aurora looked at the hilt of her rapier and smiled "I guess my first serious raid."

"Oh, the Fiery Descent? You also got the first crafting material for your sword, right?"

"Yes. The Phoenix feathers. I think it was the first time I felt like nobody was holding my hand and I'm truly a part of the team."

"That's an amazing feeling indeed," Eizo nodded, "I cannot recall all the details but I believe you are absolutely correct. Lumia-san was so proud of you."

"Really?" Aurora couldn't hide her excitement.

"Yes."

"Then that's truly one of the best memories Eizo-san!"

"I believe so too."

"Oh… and… I just recalled…" Aurora clapped her hands together and tilted her head a little bit "Gachitamago-san and Tomei-san wedding! It was so beautiful!"

"They had it in real life too you know?"

"Yes! Tomei-san showed me the photos! They are such a sweet couple! I couldn't believe such a thing would happen here. I mean… they met each other in YGGDRASIL and…" Aurora felt her cheeks burning. Her heart pounding in excitement. She felt ashamed for expressing so much emotion. Yet it was Eizo who was listening and he paid no heed to such things.

"Yeah," He chuckled, "I knew them for a long time and I saw them becoming friends, but I didn't expect it to grow into marriage. Either way, I'm more than happy for them. They're good people and deserve happiness. Besides…"

"Hmm?" Aurora tilted her head slightly.

"Just a thought. Imagine a couple in real life remembering each other fighting back to back as a knight in shiny armor and a deadly assassin"

"Wow…" the girl sighed in awe, "I haven't thought about it this way. But… I think… I think it's much more exciting than mundane stories like lucky internet dates or corporative meetings. I envy Tomei-san a little bit now…"

"Is that so…"

"Oh! I… I… Don't get the wrong idea! I'm not… I'm…" Aurora threw her hands frantically.

"It's fine. I get what you're saying. No need to blush" Eizo spoke gently and nodded. Aurora sighed in confusion. Eizo suddenly turned his head to the right to something she couldn't see. A call probably, she guessed, "I'm… Excuse me Aurora-san, I need ten or so minutes…"

"There's no need to apologize, Eizo-san" she replied hastily. The man nodded and turned to the side, facing his personal UI.

Some people integrated messengers into the game's interface to keep in touch with the real world. Eizo received calls occasionally. Aurora couldn't hear what he was saying because he muted himself in-game during those calls, but he could see him nodding or shaking his head from time to time. Naturally, she was curious about who he was talking to and what was the subject of those calls, but asking such things would be extremely disrespectful.

Aurora took a minute or so to admire the beauty of Alvheim, then walked to Eizo:

"I'll take a walk around…" she spoke softly.

The man looked at her, nodded and a happy smiley face appeared over his head. Aurora nodded as well and walked outside the pavilion. She glanced at the headquarters then turned to the servant's house. Two small figures were walking around it, moving crates with goods inside. Dwarven man and his son, Gudred and Helmi Honeybrook, the creations of Grumpus Maximus, the second dedicated healer of the guild. There was also Hilga Honeybrook somewhere inside the house.

More often than not, custom NPCs were made for the protection of the guild base and in the case of Oni-Daasu they usually carried the most potent and fitting character builds guildmembers developed through years of experimentation. But Grumpus decided to create so-called flavor NPCs. Silverwing Refuge level pool was quite limited even with all the paid expansions. That's why as a small guild they focused on creating powerful level one hundred NPCs. Yet no one in the guild ever complained about his decision.

"Not all heroes wear capes," was the quote that he justified his creation with.

And with Betsubara's impressive skills at scripting, the Honeybrook family was a touch of realism to the place. The presence of these three dwarves walking around attending their daily chores made Oni-Daasu's home feel more a bit more lively, believable, and welcoming.

Aurora smiled at the short folk going about their scripted business as if the end wasn't so near. She glimpsed at the clock in her UI.

[23:22:43]

She signed heavily. They were less than an hour from the deadline. That's it. YGGDRASIL will be no more. Aurora started moving before she even knew it. She crossed the bridge and walked into the headquarter.

The internal quarters were mostly composed of the same white stone as the exterior, except for the floors, the roof, and some panels on the walls that were made of dark wood with a cherry tint. A broad wooden staircase divided the main hall into two.

An astonishing beauty greeted her silently with her ever-present soft smile. Lady Luna, the NPC created by Gachitamago, was slowly walking down the stairs that started about five meters from the entrance.

It was an elven woman of an almost perfect visage. Her raven black hair dropped down past her shoulders almost reaching her waist. Her captivating grey-purple eyes were complemented by soft and delicate facial features. Intricate lavender robes with a deep neckline with silver embroidery and edging blended well with her pale icy-blue skin. A shiny blue-ish metal staff of an impressive design with a pair of wings on top was held by her gentle, fragile-looking hand. She was given a slim sound body with no excessive oversexualized parts.

Aurora's seen a lot of NPCs created by players in YGGDRASIL and Luna was one of the most plausible, esthetically pleasing ones. She looked like a proper high elf noble.

There was a reason for that. Some guilds gave their members complete freedom for creativity, some chose a theme for their creations and followed it even if some members did not like it. Oni-Daasu was in the middle of this spectrum with their own policy. Certain people in the guild had the skill to make the environment and the NPCs fit together authentically.

Hisuiken for example had an undeniable talent in graphic design. He was behind fine attunements and visual integrity of the interiors and exteriors of the guild base as well as NPCs' final touches.

Betsubara was a big fan of programming languages. He studied at a university and had a part-time job. He wrote the scripts for all the NPCs, rewrote, and refined them numerous times until he was pleased with the result. Last three or four years he quit his regular job and started freelancing as a software engineer. Needless to say, ignoring the fact that NPCs could not speak, Betsubara did an impressive job at programming them. Sometimes Aurora could forget that they were just virtual creations. Especially when she saw her own NPCs.

Luna stopped as she reached the end of the stairs and bowed respectfully to Aurora.

"Good evening," she couldn't help but giggle at herself at this moment, "Carry on, please."

Luna inherited her job build directly from Aurora's senior – Lumia Septima. A dedicated priest healer.

To be frank, Lumia Septima truly was one of the most amazing people Aurora had ever met. Well, Aurora could say that about every member of Oni-Daasu, yet Lumia was the first person she met from this guild.

Lumia was an editor and a publishing writer in the real world. She took a massive part in the creation of the Silverwing Refuge. Most players were satisfied with a simple description or abrupt backgrounds for their creations. But with Lumia's help everyone in Oni-Daasu were able to develop actual stories for their creations.

Each NPC had a journey before "joining" Oni-Daasu and she made sure there was a cohesive motivation for that. Their creators played a significant role in those stories with other members of the guild making an occasional cameo or acting as secondary characters.

Aurora smiled remembering reading them. Rusty Crusty's appearances in them usually made her laugh to tears. Surprisingly he didn't mind it at all, laughing alongside others.

Lumia was a passionate and fruitful writer. She actually converted some of the NPCs stories into standalone novels and published them. Aurora discovered it after randomly buying a popular fantasy book in a store near her apartment. That was a surprising discovery, to say the least. Lumia never stated her age but Aurora believed that she was probably around the age of her own mother or older. Though she had a pretty young sounding voice.

For a split-second, she could swear she saw Luna's smile widen just a tiny bit, but it was only a mirage. The NPC simply turned and continued walking to the left part of the main hall. The part with two coffee tables in the center of that space, several comfortable couches, and pretty massive armchairs on either side of the fireplace located right below the walkway to the balcony on the second floor. The walls of this section were decorated with trophies and fun items they gathered over the years. They held no particular value beyond sentimental.

That was the space for casual visits and hangouts. She could clearly picture Eizo sitting in the left armchair by the fireplace having a leisure talk with one of the guild members, herself included, or guests from other guilds. Right now, his place was occupied by Luna's husband, the second NPC Gachitamago created. Lord Helios.

That was a regal-looking man with androgynous facial features and bronze skin inherent to high elves. His thick long golden hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. A prolonged wide scar ran down the right side of his forehead over the nose to his left cheek. A much smaller yet noticeable one crossed the right side of his lips. He had deep-green eyes that turned almost black if there were no significant light sources around.

His garment was one of an elvish noble man, though more on a practical side. His elegant blue mantle with prominent shoulder pads with golden inlays was over a dark blue shirt, dark brown leather pants, and boots.

Aurora looked back at Luna, who just made herself comfortable in the armchair opposite of her husband's. It looked like they could start a lighthearted conversation about the weather or exotic food in tones matching a long-lived noble couple at any moment. Yet NPCs always remained silent.

Aurora sighed shortly and glanced over to the right side, where a massive briefing table was situated. She recalled countless times she was standing by it with other guild members, looking through maps and notes they gathered while exploring this vast world. Usually, three voices prevailed in the air over this table. CyanIDESmile, GreenTeaParty, and Inari Eizo. The three usually were to define Oni-Daasu's goals. Yet they never stopped anyone from the guild intervening their conversations, quite opposite, they welcomed the opinions of other members.

This time the table was empty, except for…

She walked towards the table and glared over a small notebook and a folded piece of paper. She recognized the notebook. It was one of Eizo's personal journals. One of his oddities. The man took notes of everything and drew the maps by hand. She picked the piece of paper and as she was expecting, it was a hand-drawn map of a place in Helheim. She could recall most of the landmarks so she quickly imagined the place the map referred to.

"And what exactly is there?" she mumbled to herself.

As she touched the notebook her body froze. That was pure curiosity she could resist. It didn't matter at this point and she did not want to be disrespectful towards her guild master. Although he probably wouldn't mind at all.

Aurora shook her head and stepped away from the table, glanced over the bookshelves full of maps, historical encyclopedias, math manuals, YGGDRASIL documents, lore books, and guides. Latter were mostly general and easily obtainable, more rare things were stored in a more secure place.

In general, the main area of the headquarters was nothing exceptional. Just a convenient and practical area for guild's social needs. They used it as a casual alternative to their Haunting Grounds' mansion.

She stepped on the stairs towards the second floor. It was hard to miss two massive banners with Oni-Daasu guild's symbol on each side on the staircase. They were relatively simple and tidy. A white symbol on a dark-blue background with silver edging.

The symbol they adopted was the one Aurora had never heard of prior to joining the guild.

Vegvisir originated in Nordic manuscripts. The name of the symbol could be directly translated as "way-finder". It was also called "runic compass" sometimes. A symbol was supposed to help the bearer find the way through foul weather even if the way was unknown. It was an understandable and quite pleasant concept.

Each member had that symbol on a piece of equipment. Some made personal additions or alterations to it. Like the one on Eizo's cape was in Japanese style, drawn in ink and circled with the mythical snake known as Uroboros. He never really explained what it meant with anything other than "It fits the character".

Aurora's Vegvisir glowed on her leather fingerless gloves whenever she cast a spell with vibrant red. It was enveloped with a circle and a bigger triangle with its sides curved inside to touch the circle. Around the triangle, there were three symbols. She asked Betsubara for a design fitting her character and picked it out of three he made. It looked fittingly sinister and menacing. She actually forgot to ask what those symbols meant.

Aurora ascended the stairs and was greeted by yet another bowing figure. Black cloth and wrappings covered the woman's body up to her animal-like yellow eyes that stared at Aurora deprived of any emotion. It was Juno, lord and lady's Silverwing bodyguard. She possessed ghostly white skin and black shoulder-length hair. A pair of two cat ears moved ever so slightly, as well as two tails that protruded from her lower back under her clothes.

Juno was a nekomata, the same race Aurora's best friend Nekomusume played. Aurora loved cute animals as well, but Neko's affection toward cats was quite obsessive sometimes. Well, it was in her in-game name.

Juno possessed one of her creator's builds. Mochizuki Tomei guild's roque player was all about stealth and explosive melee damage. "Face blasting" as she called it. Though Juno's particular build was heavily focused on poison and bleeding DOT [Damage Over Time] type damage. Aurora's earlier build was one of a similar kind, but in the end, she ditched it for a more direct damage and support playstyle.

Tomei created Juno for two reasons. First, the nekomata race had great traits for this build. As for the second… Nekomusume.

"Carry on," Aurora commanded casually. Juno stepped back into the shadows and disappeared from the sight as if she was never there.

Every NPC was programmed to show respect if a player walked into a certain range around them.

Aurora walked forward through a pretty tight corridor and glanced over to the left, at the last door in the corridor. She smiled. Eizo always left the door to his study half-opened even if he was inside. Though it was also an unusual habit, in her opinion it spoke of him as a very amiable and friendly person. The other doors which led to NPS's rooms were closed. She paced back to the balcony and looked down at the main area.

So many memories.

She glanced at the hilt of the rapier she was carrying on her belt. The edges of the blood-red gem in the pummel caught some light that came through the tall windows. Aurora wasn't a weapon or history geek; she was a fan of fantasy in general. And she loved her rapier. The main protagonist of the first fantasy book she ever read had a similar weapon. She never told anyone about that nor that it really mattered. Other than that, she really worked hard alongside others to obtain this high-end piece of gear.

Aurora unsheathed her sword and jumped on the rails. With her training, she had no issue keeping her balance in-game. If it was real life, she could never have the courage to perform such a feat ever. She assumed a stance and performed several attacks just in front of her, retaining decent footwork even on the narrow railings.

"I'm such a child…" Aurora mumbled to herself with a slight grin.

She jumped forward and slid down the railings then jumped again, landing on the first floor. Aurora made several quick cuts and stabs to the imaginable enemies as she usually did when she practiced alone. She froze for a moment then straightened her posture and returned her sword to the scabbard. A moment of pure joy turned into light melancholy.

Aurora glanced at the window as she noticed movement outside. She saw Eizo walking over the bridge with his arms behind his back. He was still talking to someone on the other end of the web as far as she could tell. He walked past headquarters and paced along with the trees across the ledge.

She felt a little frustrated.

[23:35:49]

Aurora walked out of the headquarters. Eizo stood at the edge of the landing of the Silverwing Refuge, facing away from her. From the way he moved Aurora could tell that he was actively conversing with someone.

A short sigh left her lips yet again. She sat down on the entrance stairs, watching as the skies turning darker with every minute. She looked at the arms of her character. She could switch from her disguise but what was the point?

I will miss everything about YGGDRASIL…

Another five minutes passed before Eizo walked back to her.

"My apologies, Aurora-san" he spoke gently "Something happened. Something I haven't anticipated"

"There's no need for you to apologize Eizo-san!"

"Well, Lumia-san wishes to say hello."

Aurora blinked in surprise. Eizo explained:

"She's in the call with me right now. If you don't mind, she wanted to give you her contacts so you could be in touch."

"Of course!" Aurora's heart was racing. She didn't expect anything like this.

"You could probably reach to other guild members through her as well," Eizo went silent for several seconds looking to his right. "Alright, Aurora-san, are you ready to take notes?"

"Yes!"

She hurriedly wrote everything down and saved it to her cloud.

"We still got time left. I'm willing to take a victory lap around our home. What would you say Aurora-san?" Eizo sounded a little bit odd and coughed several times.

"Yes. I'd like to do so as well."

The gigantic silver metal doors of the Inner Sanctum were glistening in the sunset light. It was adorned with complex and masterful carvings of two pillars at the sides, accompanied by two trees whose canopies were trying to reach each other in the center. The half-oval top of the gates was edged with runes. In the center of the gates, the symbol of Vegvisir was carved. The remaining vacant space was filled with constellations that could be seen in the realm of Alvheim adorned with flavor geometrical elements.

Eizo touched the metal and the doors started moving without a sound.

Hisuiken struggled with the design for those doors for a long time so when Aurora joined the guild the entrance was a gaping hole in the mountain. She jokingly suggested taking inspiration from an iconic fantasy book which to her surprise he did. Betsubara recreated the design making some adjustments to his taste so it wouldn't look like a complete ripoff. And in the end, it turned out to be surprisingly fitting Silverwing Refuge Oni-Daasu owned.

The doors opened up to a dimly lit interior filled with tiny gold and green glowing particles floating in the air. The solid stone floor continued past the entrance gradually narrowing to a two-meter wide pathway between miniature hills formed by soil covered by surreal colored grass, flowers, bushes, and trees.

Aurora glanced to the left at the giant standing about two and a half meters tall.

Sumiyoshi Ibuki was a grey oni [Japanese ogre/demon]. Her body looked extremely developed for a female. Aurora herself was a fan of a fit and good-looking female body. But Rusty Crusty, the creator of Ibuki had a bit unusual taste for women. And Ibuki was the embodiment of his vision of female physical beauty.

Ibuki's sizable chest was covered by wrappings in a way female martial arts practitioner would do. Her legs were hidden by a hakama with wrappings around the ankles and tabi. But there was no doubt that those legs were as ripped as her upper body. The wooden zori she wore were of appropriate size. That meant she was actually a bit shorter too.

The NPC was carrying a fully metallic, big, and scary kanabo [war club] with a ring on the end of the handle. The weapon was comparable to Aurora's whole body in size.

Ibuki's face carried a confident grin at all times. She bowed deeply as was scripted.

"Stand by," Eizo walked past the NPC.

Aurora paced with him as Ibuki straightened and turned to the gates. The doors automatically closed behind them. The interior plunged into gloom, dimly lit by the specks of light in the air and fluorescent fungus on the walls. But they had no trouble navigating through it anyway as both Eizo and Aurora's characters possessed Darkvision. The pathway took a left turn and soon expanded into a giant cave.

It was a vast cavern easily exceeding three hundred meters in diameter with the ceiling reaching about fifty meters. The floor fluctuated in height because of the artificial hills that were crowded by trees so it was hard to see the entirety of the cave from the ground. But a colossal tree on the far side of the Sanctum could be seen from any point. Gigantic druses of cyan and blue crystals were protruding from the stone and soil everywhere around the cave, even from the ceiling enveloping the interior in soft light. Countless yellow and green will-o-wisps were floating around in the air adding even more color to the surroundings. The atmosphere here was simply otherworldly.

The pathway parted into three. Eizo and Aurora took the central one.

"Umisen'yamasen-san really did a great job." It didn't feel like Eizo addressed those words directly to her. He was probably enjoying the view as much as she did.

"Yes!" she replied.

Unlike the Ledge that was purposefully left mostly uninhabited, the Inner sanctum was a much livelier place. As they were moving through it, Aurora couldn't help but notice the silhouettes moving under the tree canopies.

Though most of the trees of the Inner Sanctum looked completely normal, some of them were actually treants, default monster creatures used for guild base defense. They were ranging from level seventy to ninety. Inside the Inner Sanctum, there were also dryads and florans freely roaming the area. Those NPCs were around level sixty to seventy. Finally, there were mossfolk that were added mostly for flavor. Their level couldn't exceed twenty.

The creek that was running through the Ledge of the Silverwing Refuge was meandering through the entirety of the Inner Sanctum. As they walked over it by a bridge formed by tree roots Aurora glanced to her left. A giant panther-like creature was resting on top of an overgrown boulder. It didn't react to them at all. It was a pet beast of one of the NPCs that guarded Inner Sanctum.

Aurora looked at Eizo. It seemed like he was consumed by his own thoughts. She would be happy to start some kind of conversation but everything she could think of seemed lame or inappropriate. They've visited some of their favorite places in the game reminiscing about the time they had together with the guild. Have been to their allies' home bases, though most of them were closed and empty. So, this was the last step of their years-long journey.

Both of them walked in silence.

They ended up walking by the bank of the pond on the far side of the Inner Sanctum. In its center, there was an island encompassed in giant roots. Aurora threw back her head to look at the entity above.

It was Einarr, the main guardian of the Silverwing Refuge. A colossal treant about twenty-five meters high. Both his massive arms rested against the ground as his legs disappeared into the ground and were covered by extremely thick roots. His face was just under the vast and lush canopy, but it was hard to see as his eyes were closed at the moment.

Einarr was created by Umisen'yamasen using an extremely rare item he obtained while he experimented with various druidic character builds. Unlike usual custom NPCs who were created instantly and then adjusted, it took a whole year until Einarr reached his full potential. Though it was more than justified. All the other treants, dryads, and other plant creatures were actually his summons. Except for Siv.

Siv was a level one hundred dryad fighter created by Umisen'yamasen to protect Einarr alongside beast master Gilzanesh. But at the moment Aurora couldn't spot any of the two around.

Behind Einarr there was a broad opening in the trees where three swirling magical portals could be seen. Eizo and Aurora stopped in the center of it. Each of the portals was decorated by individual arches and though were technically flat looked like spiraling passages.

The right portal was a mix of light yellow and blue, adorned with clockwork style arch with constantly turning cogwheels. It led to the Timeless Tower the beloved creation of Betsubara.

Black mixed with all shades of purple in the right portal. Its frame was dark grey, adorned with faceless masks and tentacles. A pathway to the Abyssal Tower, created by GreenTeaParty.

The central portal led to the Haunting Grounds and was of a ghostly green color with white accents and an archway in the gothic style.

"Hmm…" Eizo glanced over the portals in succession, "Where should we go?"

"I guess…" Aurora's gaze fell over the time, "Oh…"

[23:42:45]

"There's not much time left. We probably won't be able to see everything."

"Let's walk to the mansion then."

"I understand."

Eizo nodded and walked through the central portal. Aurora looked back at the Inner Sanctum and bowed deeply.

"Thank you. Farewell."

---

"So, it's time to say goodbye to YGGDRASIL I guess?" Eizo sighed.

Aurora was sitting on the right in her chair at the giant round table situated in the spacious guild's conference hall inside the mansion.

"Lumia Septima-san…" Eizo's gaze traveled through the chairs around the table "CyanIDESmile-san, Gachitamago-san, Hisuiken-san, Grumpus Maximus-san, Nekomusume-san, Mochizuki Tomei-san, Umisen'yamasen-san, Rusty Crusty-san, GreenTeaParty-san, Monosugoihae-san, Betsubara-san…" each chair was marked with personal Vegvisir of each guild member accordingly. He looked at the only person present, "… Amber Aurora-san. I'm thankful for I've met you and the time we had together. I wish it could last longer. The memories of you are truly the ones worth keeping."

"Thank you for being our leader, Eizo-san…" girl's voice was shaken. She was getting extremely emotional. He could relate. But at this point would it matter at all?

[23:58:24]

"Well, Aurora-san, it was nice knowing you. I hope we meet again someday." Eizo spoke softly. He couldn't make out the response. Aurora was crying. Well, you couldn't technically cry in-game, but it was in her voice. He wished to comfort her, but what words could make her feel better in a moment like this?

Eizo looked at the video call and nodded in silence. He was a bit happy because Aurora did not notice that. He leaned into his chair and closed his eyes, ready to embrace anything to come.

"I will miss all of you …" Aurora's weakened voice reached his ear.

"I will miss everyone as well…" Eizo nodded.

His attention was locked on the clocks. He was only seconds away from the end.

No depts unpaid. No grudges. I'm good to go. Finally. I don't even feel sad. It was a good ride. And it is a good point to end it. Thank you all…

[23:59:55]

Embrace it…

Eizo panicked even though he readied himself. He felt the air escaping his lungs against his will. His chest filled with excruciating pain. His muscles struggled to work yet deprived of any strength, left his nerves screaming of exhaustion and hopelessness.

Ears ringing, the space around him entered a state of furious spin. Was he falling? He couldn't comprehend reality. The only thing he could hear is the all-consuming and ever-slowing beats oh his own heart in the sea of viscous pain. His thoughts were escaping him at a pace he couldn't keep anymore. It was sickening, horrid beyond measure.

Embrace it…

"Eizo-san?!... Eizo-san?!..."

He hasn't heard that voice ever before. Yet there was something uncannily familiar about it. He just couldn't grasp what it was.

"Inari-dono!"

Another, but this time completely unfamiliar voice reached to his conscience.

…What the hell?!...

Just now he realized that he could breathe again. He instinctively gasped for air, hyperventilating. Through the nothingness around a distant feeling appeared. A familiar one, the one he almost forgot. A feeling of a physical body. Eizo subconsciously tried to move and the body responded, though the response was delayed and incomplete.

…What is going on?!...

"Wh… Wha…"

He opened his eyes, surprised at the fact that he just remembered how to do such a thing. A surge of pain needled through his brain. He almost blacked out again.

"Wha…t happ…ened?..." he tried to speak, but instead someone else spoke for him.

"Eizo… san?"

"Are you alright Inari-dono? Should I call for Luna-sama?"

"What?" an unfamiliar voice wondered.

For a few moments, his vision stabilized. Everything was extremely bright and painfully sharp. But the pain that raised in his mind for a split second died as quickly as it came. The spots and blobs of light formed cohesive shapes. He recognized that he was lying on the floor on his side. A familiar face was looking at him within a familiar room.

"What happened?" Eizo froze.

Nonsense…

The male voice he heard just now wasn't his own, but he discovered that it came from his body. A smooth and powerful baritone. He addressed this question to Aurora, who was sitting on her knees beside him. She did not reply, she looked at him then slowly turned her gaze upon somebody he couldn't see, Someone behind him.

"Inari-dono, Luna-sama will be here immediately," He could swear he never heard that voice before. Eizo tried to lift himself from the ground and to his surprise, it was not as hard as he anticipated. To be completely honest his body never felt this strong and responsive in his entire life, "Please, be careful"

"I'm… alright… I think."

But… this can't be happening! Impossible!

Though he did not need any help, someone's hands were gently guiding him as he got on his feet. Eizo felt a tiny bit dizzy, but otherwise, he hasn't felt so good in years. But at this moment he couldn't dwell on that fact.

As he turned to the person that helped him up, he saw not a human, but a dark elf. A drow to be precise. His red pupils full of genuine fear and confusion were fixated on Eizo.

It took Eizo several seconds to realize that before him stood Christian, the creation of Nekomusume. The elf was dressed in a butler attire with a mix of renaissance and fantasy flavors. His charcoal skin contrasted with blood-red eyes and his long pure white hair that was pulled in a loose side braid and rested on his chest.

"I'm alright," Eizo repeated with more confidence this time. The sound of the voice that came out of his mouth made him frown.

This isn't right. This shouldn't be happening. This can't be… Right?

Was he truly alright? His breath was almost completely calm. No pain in his chest. He felt completely healthy. That was uncanny, to say the least.

"My apologies Inari-dono," Christian replied, realizing that he was still holding the guild master by the elbow. He retained his hand and bowed apologetically.

At this moment Eizo heard hurrying steps outside the conference room. The heavy doors busted open.

"What happened?! Is everyone alright?" worried and a beautiful voice rang out through the hall. "Inari-dono? Amber Aurora-sama?"

The guild master finally noticed broken pieces of wood all over the floor. He glanced at the table. In the spot that he usually occupied, the countertop was utterly destroyed. Chunks of solid stone were lying just under the table. Due to table's massive construction, only Eizo's spot was damaged.

This is just… I don't… But…

He turned to Aurora. She was still on her knees on the floor, looking at him completely stunned.

Hold on a second… Stop panicking. Focus. Emotions can be dealt with later.

He held out his hand for Aurora. She hesitantly accepted it and got up.

"Yes, everything's fine, Luna-sama," Eizo replied to the beauty in lavender robes.

"Thank god! You got me worried Cristian! But…" she glanced over at the table "What happened here?"

"I… I got a bit emotional."

This isn't normal. Shouldn't be happening. A postmortem vision? A new experiment? I can't be…

Aurora's lips were tightly shut and twitching slightly. She was in a state of utter disbelief and confusion. Her honey skin even became of a lighter tone. A realization hit Eizo as a bolt of lightning. He looked at Cristian and Luna.

"I apologize for alarming both of you." Eizo startled for a moment. This made no sense. He glanced back to his guildmate, "Aurora-san, are you feeling alright?"

"I have no clue… to be honest… I…" Aurora struggled to speak. And Eizo knew exactly why. Her voice was not her normal human voice anymore, but sweet like nectar, rich with overtones, extremely feminine, and captivating voice that was perfect for a succubus.

"With all due respect, are you sure everything's alright Inari-dono?" judging by Luna's tone she was sincerely concerned. Eizo glanced at her and made a gesture to access the game's menu. Nothing.

Think. They wouldn't do this to me, would they? If it's some kind of uncontrolled hallucination its logic will be unstable. But if it's a simulation… How can I know for sure?

"We might be in trouble. I hope I'm wrong. Luna-sama may I ask of you to make sure that everything's fine at Silverwing Refuge?"

"Most certainly, Inari-dono!" elf priestess replied readily.

"Same goes for Inner Sanctum. Cristian-san, inform everyone within the Haunting Grounds to check every corner and stay alert, then visit both of the Towers with the same message… Report the result of the investigation to me as soon as possible."

"Understood. We'll be on our way then, Inari-dono," Luna bowed deeply. So did Christian. Eizo nodded.

Both of them left the room. Eizo stood in silence, watching them in contemplation. He couldn't tell if his vision was playing trick on him. The NPCs and their clothes moved with a level of physicality unreachable in YGGDRASIL. Was he imagining things?

"Eizo-san?"

"Yes?"

"What… what do we do?"

Eizo looked at Aurora, frowning deeply.

How do I know if she's real? If she is…

"We truly got a mystery on our hands. Let us assess the situation…" he walked to the table and settled in a vacant chair. Aurora hesitated for a second, then joined in taking a seat next to him.

"Menu doesn't work. Same with apps. The console commands. GM communication… Nothing."

He reached out to his side. His hand penetrated the space and disappeared into his personal pocket dimension and produced a notebook and a pencil.

"Well, the inventory still works which is something… Is it the same for you Aurora-san?"

As he looked at her the girl was still confused and trying out things he just did. He moved like Aurora he knew but with the facial expressions, she felt much more real.

They couldn't have locked me in another simulation. He wouldn't have let that happen. I made sure of it! I definitely felt… did I? They couldn't fake it!

"Yes. I don't understand. What is going on?" she sounded lost, confused, and stressed out.

Eizo leaned with his elbows against the tabletop and rested his chin on his hands clasped together.

"Faces have expressivity, our voices changed, they are more in line with our characters, the NPCs just acted like if they were living creatures, I can taste the smells vividly and my eyesight and hearing is insanely sharp, but most importantly…" he stopped himself. Aurora shouldn't hear it. What if it wasn't just a dream? "If I may ask, do you feel real Aurora-san?"

"I mean… I'm me… I think… but my voice… and my body…" she looked down. Her face turned red in an instant. "It can't be real! How could something like this happen?"

"I'd be happy to answer that question. Do you feel sick or anything?"

"I mean… I don't know… I feel pretty good… I mean… Sort of? Eizo-san, please tell me I'm not crazy! Am I in my character's body? This is nuts!"

"Agreed…" Eizo replied.

She acts according to what I would expect. Seems genuine. But isn't that what my mind would be able to generate? A part of me wants to believe she is real… but the implication of that… Wait. They couldn't have recreated Aurora. She is a regular player. This is beyond technical capabilities of everything they tested. If I somehow could validate that she is truly Aurora…

"Anyway, we should try and keep a cold mind and not give in to panic."

"Can you pinch me please?"

Eizo couldn't help but smile at such a request. He didn't expect that. But that was still something Aurora could say.

"Sure. If you wish so," He reached and pinched the back of her hand. She remained silent, "So? How is it?"

"Yes. I clearly felt that. Does this mean it's not a dream?"

"Maybe."

"Oh! I was… I'm sorry! I'm so selfish! Are you alright Eizo-san? You screamed, broke the table and the chair… I was counting down with my eyes closed and it happened so quickly…"

"Hmm… about that…" Eizo frowned yet again, "Let me ask first if you felt anything change as the clock hit midnight?"

"I…umm…" Aurora felt silent for a little bit, "I mean… Maybe a little ticklish for a split second? I was more concerned about you screaming and falling over…"

"Well… I was… surprised…"

Aurora looked at him in confusion then shook her head.

"Yes. I was surprised too… Mmm…"

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing really. It just a little bit chilly here…"

Eizo glared over Aurora with a slight concern.

"Could you lend me your hand for a moment?"

Aurora silently extended her arm. As their palms touched a surprised expression appeared on both of their faces.

She has a pulse! I actually feel our skin touching! But why on Earth is she that warm? It's like she has a fever or something but she acts completely normal…

"It is not cold. My body temperature…"

"It is high. That is strange. Are you sure you're feeling fine?"

"I think so…"

"Pardon me, Inari-dono" a gentle female voice came to the guild master of Oni-Daasu. He recognized it as he's heard it just a couple of minutes ago. Luna used a [Message] spell. Eizo was used to communicate with other players using it so he wasn't that surprised by the spell itself.

So, she decided to use the spell on her own? That's…

"I'm listening Luna-sama."

"There's indeed a predicament as you just said. No enemies in sight, but…"

"I'll be there shortly. Thank you, Luna-sama."

"You're being too kind to me Inari-dono!"

"Keep a keen eye on your surroundings."

"Understood."

"Hmm…" as Luna broke the spell Eizo encompassed his chin with his fingers "Luna-sama just spoke with me."

"Via Message?"

"Mhm… There's something going on outside. We should go. But before that…" Eizo paused for a moment, "[Vermin]"

A burst of black smoke silently escaped Eizo's hand and a straight double-edged dagger appeared in his grasp. Its blade was longer than average, made out of reflective black crystal. A faint crimson glow was noticeable at the base of the blade. It was pulsating in the rhythm of a heartbeat.

There were no buttons to press here, so he couldn't choose the weapon to summon. His first assumption was to visualize the menu and try pressing the non-existing buttons but the attempt fell short. Then he tried to call for one of his weapons by its name. To his relief that was enough.

I could say that is a convenient design. Is it still a game? This is getting too weird. Why would anyone bother redesigning YGGDRASIL? None of this makes sense.

Eizo made sure it was the same as he remembered it to be. Familiar handle and crossguard. It felt more real somehow. He frowned, thinking of the best way to get information.

"Take it," he flipped the dagger in his hand and presented it to Aurora handle first.

"Eizo-san?" Aurora looked utterly confused, "Why?"

"Take it," he repeated himself. Aurora frowned as she was about to say something but stopped herself and looked at the weapon. She glanced at Eizo one more time and wrapped her fingers around the dagger's handle, "Now cut my hand."

"What?!... Hmm…" a brief perplexity in her eyes shifted to understanding and curiosity. He nodded to answer her unspoken question. She used the tip of the blade and dragged it across his palm. It was so sharp it required almost no pressure.

The blood that was pouring from the flesh wound was immediately sucked and absorbed by the crystal blade making the dim pulsating light grow stronger. She retracted the dagger and looked at Eizo, "Is that alright?"

"Yes…"

Eizo was still looking at his hand. He never felt anything like it before. Well, being cut was a pretty familiar experience and the pain was there. But the feeling of being drained was unfamiliar. The best comparison he could think of is putting a limb into a bucket of ice-cold water on an extremely hot day, but the sensation was concentrated in one place. He could feel the heat leaving his body with the blood.

"That was interesting. [Inner Cure]" the cut on his hand was still bleeding and not closing due to the dagger's affixes, but as soon as he cast the spell his limb was in a perfect condition split second later. "Alright…"

"Friendly fire…"

"Yeah… That's a thing now…" Eizo let out a quick sigh.

What happened was against the game's logic. Eizo and Aurora belonged to the same guild hence the same faction. Unless they were in a declared duel or in a free-for-all zone like an arena, she shouldn't be able to inflict any damage on him. Even with an AOE [area of effect] type spell or ability.

In addition, Eizo clearly saw his own blood and the flesh wound looked way too real for a game like YGGDRASIL. Such detailed depictions would have never been implemented due to marketing reasons. And it would be extremely demanding on the hardware side.

This is… no… it can't be real, can it? The amount of computing resources required to make such simulation would be astronomical. Unless… we're in a confined enclosure. Would they invest in taking a part of YGGDRASIL and making a copy of it to keep me in? Why is Aurora here then? It doesn't add up.

"Anyway, now we know that the spells are activated vocally and Vermin seem to be working properly. Did you feel anything?"

"Yes… It was… I felt like I just woke up from a good night's rest. Warm and full of energy. It's weird…" she looked at the dagger for a second then hurriedly passed it back to Eizo.

He accepted Vermin and hesitated while looking at it. He glanced at Aurora.

The way she described that… It feels genuine. She couldn't be… Will she bleed as well? Should I push it just to be sure?

He stared back at his dagger and sighed.

"We have to test other abilities and spells… [Concealed Arsenal]"

The black smoke enveloped the dagger and with that Vermin disappeared from Eizo's hand.

"But right now, we need to see what's going on outside…" he looked at Aurora, "Are you sure you're doing alright?"

"I'm as good as I can be…" she cracked a smile. Weak and nervous one.

"Then let's go see what we've been dragged into…" Eizo got up from his chair.

"Do you think that's someone's doing?" Aurora asked as they were walking towards the door.

"It might be…"

They walked out of the conference room and as soon as they left the protected perimeter Eizo cast [Astral Gate]. A familiar doorway appeared in front of them.

"That's what we'll have to find out…"

---

The night sky was clear and the air felt refreshing. The rolling hills outside the Great Forest of Evasha were shrouded by thin blueish fog. The weather was calm and the coming day promised to be sunny and relatively warm.

Francis Junia Tuslan filled his favorite pipe adorned with silver and a row of small rubies around the edge with fine smelling tobacco and lit it. He took a few puffs and sighed as he rested his head upon his vacant hand.

"Is there something bothering you commander?"

On the other side of the table was his trusted captain Elise Pelagia Rancote. She was a pretty blonde woman in her thirties, brave and loyal. Not exceptionally smart, but smart nonetheless. Francis always enjoyed her company though kept it formal. He was too old to chase skirts as he did in the past. Now he was just an old soldier sent to fight another battle.

"But is there anything bothering you, young lady?" he chuckled and took another puff. Elise responded with a concerned look on her face. He shook his head and smiled, "Alright, alright. Don't make such faces. Wrinkles are no good for women's looks."

"With all due respect, that's the last thing I care about," Elise huffed.

"But you should," he smiled and averted his gaze upon the hills, "Forgive the old man. I'm just poking you for no reason. Maybe I'm indeed too old to be here."

"Don't say that commander. You're a well-respected man. And people trust you, they believe in you."

"People believe a lot of things, my dear!" Francis smirked regretfully, "Even the things that don't make a speck of sense. That doesn't make them true."

"But…" she frowned as her shoulders sank.

Few minutes passed with no words spoken.

Most of the soldiers were asleep except for the patrols. The campfire about two meters away from the table was one of the many in the giant military camp of Slaine Theocracy. It was here for so long that several fortifications grew around it.

The war with the elves of the Great Forest of Evasha started a long time ago, but Francis couldn't see the end of it. He was dispatched to this front recently though he already spent years fighting elves. He started as a driven and ambitious young captain just like Elise.

But as the years went by, as the visions of fires and bloodshed piled up in his memory his courage seemed to be dying away. Francis didn't feel like a hero though several feats of strategical prowess glorified his name. He did not feel strong though only a handful of people except the ones in the Scriptures could match him in a fight.

At some point the war became mundane. Just a daily chore he was supposed to attend to every single day of his life. He was satisfied if his plans worked and unhappy if something went wrong though it rarely did so. But those feelings were so bleak he could barely notice them.

"Commander Tuslan, captain Rancote!" a young soldier approached the table and saluted, "The supply caravan is in the vicinity of the camp."

"Good timing." Elise nodded, "Find Travis and convey my order to escort it into the camp and sort the goods."

"Does the caravan look normal?" Francis looked directly in the soldier's face.

The young man startled; a look of confusion took his face. Francis frowned.

"Yes sir. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Francis stared at the boy for a few moments then flicked his hand.

"You got your orders. Dismissed."

"Yes!"

The soldier walked away in a hurried pace.

"Is something wrong commander?"

"Nah. Just keeping men alert," he replied watching as the soldier disappeared between the tents. He tried to take a puff but the tobacco burned out. He felt slightly frustrated and knocked it out of the pipe to the ground. "Do you mind taking a bedtime walk with me, dear?"

Elise glanced at him with a contemplated look.

"Yes sir."

Francis nodded and got off the chair.

They walked through the camp meeting several patrols. Francis kept looking at the horizon. Several lanterns marked the position of the caravan.

It wasn't long passed the sunset and the time was almost right. They were expecting the supplies in the coming noon so one could see that as a positive that the caravan made it earlier to the camp. But Francis wasn't feeling good about it. This war made him paranoid, he was aware of that.

The main reason it was still going was elves' tactics. Slaine Theocracy's might remained unmatched amidst the human kingdoms. Yet elves being much smaller in numbers, using their magic items and spells were able to keep them at bay. They avoided direct confrontation, used their grounds' landscape to their advantage but most importantly they sabotaged Theocracy's army numerous times.

The convoy with torches deployed from the camp and reached the caravan. Several minutes passed and they joined the caravan.

Francis sighed. Was it just his paranoia?

"Damn those elves…" he mumbled under his breath as they walked toward the hill his tent was settled on.

Upon reaching the top he looked at the approaching lights of the caravan. He couldn't see anything except for the lights from this distance. It annoyed him. He looked at Elise:

"Check the supplies. Just in case."

"Understood," she replied at the ready. He frowned and turned away. His hand reached the spying glass in his pocket. He just couldn't brush off an uneasy feeling. He stood and observed the part of the camp where the caravan was going to enter.

As the covered carts entered the camp lights, he saw the soldiers of Theocracy surrounding them. Most of them had helmets on. It wasn't unusual. He couldn't make out any faces though.

"Is everything alright commander?"

"Seems so…"

Several thunderous explosions tore night's serenity to shreds.

Francis immediately turned to the sound which came from the part closest to the Great Forest. Soldiers' tents were on fire. Burning people screeched and ran around like headless chickens.

"Commander?!" Elise's voice tasted iron.

He looked through his spyglass, but couldn't spot the enemy. A distraction. He gritted his teeth out of frustration and turned back to the caravan. He was right.

At that moment his ears caught the familiar sound of elven arrows. More explosions.

"Damn elves! [Amplify]!"

His next words boomed over the camp and the closest hills.

"TO ARMS! ELVES! NORTH-EAST!"

The moment he went silent another sound filled the air. Elven horns. The sound was coming from all around the camp. At least it sounded like it.

"Commander!"

Elise almost knocked him down to the ground. He spun on the spot and was barely able to prevent her from dropping to the ground. An arrow was sticking out of her throat. Three more laid around deflected by her armor.

He glanced around. Nothing. A group of soldiers was rushing towards them. Francis noticed several clerics among them.

"Secure the perimeter! Healers! Captain Rancote requires immediate attention!"

He passed his bleeding and choking subordinate to the clerics and straightened. Glanced over to where the caravan was.

Of course. The shadows of elves raging through the camp were almost gone. They struck and ran away. If not for his warning, the number of casualties would be much higher.

The night was filled with screams of pain and confusion.

Francis sighed. Just another day at war with damned elves…

---

As soon as they walked out of the portal, both looked up, turned around, and froze dumbfounded.

"That's impossible…" Eizo mumbled to himself and rushed to the edge. Aurora stood motionless for a couple of seconds, then followed her guild master. They stared down with blank expressions on their faces.

A massive canyon lied right below the Ledge elongated alongside the mountain ridge Silverwing Refuge was occupying at the current moment. Massive stone pillars and arches could be seen even from as high as they were. Eizo roughly estimated that they were about a kilometer and a half above the edges of the canyon. Though it was really hard to tell in the dim moonlight.

The canyon transgressed into a lush and dense carpet of forest that was probably green in the sunlight. The sky was pretty clear, but still, it was hard to make out any details other than another mountain ridge to the left and a distant massive body of water to the right. The only thing that stood out painfully obvious was the lights. Settlement lights. Both in the forest and the planes. Some of them were faint and barely visible, but there were several prominent ones.

"This is not Alvheim for damn sure," He gritted his teeth.

"This doesn't make sense... The server was supposed to go down," Aurora whispered perplexedly.

"Umu…" Eizo nodded.

The last person they saw in the game was Gollark, the first officer of Völundr's Sledgehammer. But the attempt to contact him via [Message] spell failed. He ravaged through his memory, trying to reach out to most active players he knew could be online in the last hour of YGGDRASIL. Every time he tried, it felt like the spell made his conciseness expand in a thin thread, but every time it ended up in confusion as the target of the spell could not be detected.

What kind of madness is this? The Silverwing Refuge is attached to a different mountain. As if it was cut out and placed here…

He closed his eyes for a moment.

"Either way… we've got other pressing matters…" Eizo mumbled under his breath. He glanced over his shoulder at Luna who was standing at a respectful distance.

"Inari-dono. Amber Aurora-sama," she bowed deeply.

"Luna-sama," Eizo turned bowed back, Aurora followed suit.

"You're being way too generous addressing me this way," Luna smiled.

"It's the only appropriate way to address nobility."

"Oh, though it's flattering, there's no need for a Supreme Being, especially Inari-dono to uphold such minuscule formalities."

"Ahem…" Eizo cleared his throat, suppressing the urge to exchange looks with Aurora. A Supreme Being? "Well, if you put it that way, it is exactly why I shall retain formalities to set an appropriate example for everyone."

"Understood. My apologies, Inari-dono."

"There's no need. Now…" he allowed himself to look at Aurora. Though she tried to keep her composure, he could tell she was uneasy. It was understandable.

Assuring her safety should be my main priority. If it's really her trapped in here with me… She's just a student. A young girl.

The [Gate] spell activated in the waypoint and a dark elf stepped out of it.

"Inari-dono. Every denizen of the Haunting Grounds, the Timeless Tower, and the Abyssal Tower were informed of the current situation and given the instructions you provided." Christian bowed gracefully as he finished his report.

"Splendid," Eizo turned his head to the landscape.

Luna called him a Supreme Being.

Is this just her mindset or does it apply to every other NPC? Also…

"[Truesight]"

His vision shifted. Everything in the range of sixty meters lit up as if it was broad daylight. But most importantly he could now see a translucent dome that encompassed the entirety of Silverwing Refuge. He could distinguish several layers of it with different tints of green, blue, and purple. Those were the edges of protective magic with a hundred- and fifty-meter radius with the center being the underground chamber of the headquarters.

"The defensive spells are active…"

"Yes. The artifacts within the headquarters are intact. Nothing seems to be out of order Inari-dono," Luna confirmed, "Helios joined Telvie on the watchtower. Juno is currently patrolling the perimeter. Ibuki is watching over the gates to Inner Sanctum. Einarr is on guard, so are Gilzanash and Siv. There should be nothing to worry about."

"What about the Honeybrooks?"

"I've sent them to the mansion for the time being."

"Good call," Eizo nodded.

"Thank you Inari-dono," Luna smiled respectfully.

Now when the initial shock somewhat subsided, Eizo's perception was much sharper. He was able to catch little details about NPCs intonations and body language. Yet he couldn't find a reason to doubt their intentions. So far, they were genuine as far as he could tell. Although he never interacted with elves before.

"Inari-dono both Towers and the Haunting grounds appear to be untouched and safe," Christian reported.

"Hmm…" Eizo crossed his hands and threw his head back in contemplation. He got distracted by a refreshing feeling of doing that in a body that felt so much more real than a virtual one for a moment. But restrained his mind to keep his train of thoughts moving in the right direction, "So our next step would be…"

His eyes widened of sudden realization. Why didn't he think of this in the first place?!

"It's a different planet…" he breathed out the words.

"What?" Aurora couldn't contain a surprised gasp, "Are you sure Eizo-san?"

"A different world," Eizo repeated with confidence still looking at the skies, "The stars… I can't make out any constellations I know about."

Aurora fell silent and looked up.

He was adamant about it. Numerous high-tier puzzles in YGGDRASIL revolved around the map of the skies and each of the Nine Realms had its own. Eizo learned them by heart. He also knew the stars that could be seen from Earth. And due to the defensive magic of their base being active it couldn't be an illusion.

"Luna-sama."

"Yes, Inari-dono?"

He lowered his head to look at her. The elven lady was smiling politely but also friendly. He couldn't sense anything other than a respectful and loyal attitude towards him and Aurora. The same statement was applicable to Christian though unlike Luna he was created with negative karma and in general YGGDRASIL terms was considered evil.

It's too big. Different land, animated NPCs, different interaction design, physicality... If this is another simulation it's just too much… If it was a new game, the developers should've warned us… No. Am I wrong all around?

He examined the elves before him one more time. They were his guildmates' creations. Was this fact enough to fully trust them?

He glanced at Aurora.

She was looking back at him, silent and confused. She was probably too afraid or shy to speak to the NPCs on her own.

But if not the NPCs, who can we trust except for each other? Assuming we are really here. I can't contact my allies from YGGDRASIL, but it doesn't imply that hostile players could not be around… We can't leave The Silverwing Refuge without an idea of what's outside. I need to work things out and fast. I can figure out the bigger picture along the way.

He held down a sigh and kept his face straight.

"We need to be sure we're safe. If anything happens in an hour – report immediately. If there will be no sign of preparing an attack from an unknown foe, I want every single denizen of the highest level except Einarr and Watatsumi Rei gathered in the ballroom."

"Currently the situation is under control. I believe we can handle it. I will pass your instructions to everyone else Inari-dono."

"Good. Then we are to leave Luna-sama. [Astral Gate]."

"Should I be following you Inari-dono?" Christian wondered gently.

"Yes Christian-san. Aurora-san?"

"Yes," she was still shocked by everything but at least wasn't panicking.

They walked into the portal. Christian followed behind.

They stepped out of it in the foyer of the mansion.

A massive spiral chandelier with around a thousand tear-shaped crystals shone brightly up above, closer to the seven-meter ceiling. They stood in a spacious hall with two curved in half-circle shape wide marches that led to the second floor. Massive wooden doors between the marches were wide open and led down to the spacious ballroom.

It was beautiful yet ominous. CyanIDESmile was passionate about medieval vampire stories and esthetics. The biggest guild base expansion they purchased from the in-game store, was completely designed by him and took the form of The Haunting Grounds with its mansion and chapel by the lakeside surrounded by deep pine woods and creeping mists. The interiors here were pompous and due to carefully crafted lighting and some details gave a slightly unsettling vibe. CyanIDESmile used plans of an existing early renaissance palace as a reference to create this place.

Mansion had two ground floors with an observatory and two underground levels. The ground part of the mansion was T-shaped. The first floor consisted of the foyer, the ballroom, and the conference hall in the center. Technical facilities and storerooms were concentrated in the left section. The right section held the NPC rooms.

Eizo glanced over the man standing next to him.

"Christian-san."

"Yes, Inari-dono?"

"Could I ask for some tea?"

"Well of course Inari-dono. What kind of tea would you prefer?"

"Black with a slice of lemon, no sugar, please. Aurora would you like some as well?"

"I… Yes. Some green tea would be nice… please…"

"Certainly. Where should I bring it may I ask?"

"My room," Eizo nodded.

"Right away."

Christian bowed gracefully and walked out the foyer through the doors on the left heading to the kitchen. Eizo watched as the doors closed behind the elf and turned to Aurora.

"I apologize for not asking you preemptively. I hope you don't mind if we continue the conversation in my room."

"Not at all. I'm sure you're a better judge of what we should do right now. If you're sure that it's the best option…" Aurora closed her eyes and let out a sigh, "I apologize for being so useless…"

"Anyone would be overwhelmed in this kind of situation. In that case, shall we?"

The second floor was fully dedicated to the guild members. A total of nineteen spacious rooms; nine in the central part, that belonged to the founders of the guild, five on the right occupied by the members who joined along the way, and five vacant rooms on the left that Oni-Daasu kept for potential members.

As Eizo entered the central corridor he gradually slowed down his pace until he stopped in place, looking over the closed doors of his friends' rooms. It was so surreal. He avoided walking down this hall for most of the last year on the game. It felt too frustrative to see those rooms being full of his friends' character yet empty.

If they were online with us, would they be stuck here as well? If that is true… There's no way… But… Oh guys… I wish I could talk to you…

Aurora silently stopped by his side. They exchanged gazes. Aurora smiled bitterly and nodded. Eizo's face remained inert for a bit, then he smiled back tiredly, patted Aurora on the shoulder, and picked up the pace.

As they walked by the stairs to the observatory that separated the second and third row of rooms Eizo noticed a figure coming down towards them.

"My, my… Greetings, Inari-dono. It is a pleasure to see you as well Amber Aurora-sama"

A small and slim drow woman bowed gracefully. She gave out a reserved smile. Her eyes of a delightful mellow pink color similar to cherry blossoms gave out a soft glow in the dimly lit hallway. She adjusted her long white wavy hair as she glanced between the two.

"I salute you Minerva-sama," Eizo bowed.

"Greetings Minerva-sama."

The woman's smile widened.

"I've just finished making sure that everything is in its place inside the mansion. I'm happy to inform you that it is indeed the case. All the belongings are intact and I could not detect any magical disturbances. Should I double-check it?"

As she was speaking Eizo blinked out of surprise as if he saw a familiar face for a split second.

The dark-skinned beauty wore a fitted sleeveless white vest with a high collar, which exposed her delicate shoulders entirely. It also had a separation in the middle with crisscross lacing in the neck and abdomen regions so the thick cloth was naturally enfolding her chest with a wider gap in between. There was nothing underneath the vest though.

Her left arm was covered by a tight leather elbow-high glove with slightly glowing arcane sigils on it. Black fitted pants and knee-high sleek leather boots were empathizing with her long shapely legs. At this moment as she was finishing her report, she shifted her weight from one foot to another, slightly turning her body. It was a subtle yet very elegant kind of movement.

Don't get distracted. Why do I even care about such things?

Eizo frowned for a second and shifted his gaze back to her face.

"You've done well Minerva-sama. If you sure that everything's fine I believe it is so. You have my gratitude."

"That is very kind of you Inari-dono. Are you heading to your room if I may ask?"

"Yes. You are correct."

"I shall not be in your way then," she bowed, "If you need any assistance please do tell so. I'd be glad to provide."

"I hopefully will be meeting you and the others in an hour. Until then I need to sort out some matters that require my immediate attention."

"Understood." She smiled at him, "Inari-dono. Amber Aurora-sama."

"Minerva-sama," Eizo nodded and was about to turn and leave, but stopped, "Hmm…"

"Is there anything else I can do for you Inari-dono?" Minerva's voice was calm but he could tell that she's excited for the reason he couldn't quite grasp.

"I've got a question for you. It's a bit personal so you have all the rights to leave it without an answer."

"I'll answer any question Inari-dono have for me." The drow bowed deeply.

"Much appreciated. What is your opinion of me?"

Eizo watched closely for the reaction. And best he could tell Minerva wasn't confused or anything. Her words and body language were filled with confidence.

"Yes. Inari-dono is the great and wise leader of the Supreme Beings. The most powerful and intelligent being in existence. The merciful and just God of Secrets that watch over this place and its denizens. The Grand Master of Oni-Daasu."

He tried to keep his composure the best he could. God? Eizo thought that it was too much, but if his character's build was taken into consideration it made some sense. But overall, it was an overwhelming praise.

Strange. It seems she perceives my character quite literally. Does she have no idea we're human? None of them do?

"Good. What about Aurora-san?"

"Yes. She's the one of the Supreme Beings thus also perfect. Unmatched in beauty, intellect, and strength as all of the creators. The magnanimous and irresistible Maiden of Lust."

Eizo didn't have to see Aurora's face to understand how she felt. He quickly addressed Minerva another question to keep her attention:

"And what if somebody would see it otherwise?"

He almost physically felt the wave of anger that emitted from Minerva. The drow women kept her head down, but her hands were clenched in fists and even were shaking a little.

What is this?

"Those who dare to disrespect Supreme Beings shall be punished and perish. Anyone who can't comprehend and recognize the greatness of our creators is worthless trash. May I ask if someone has angered or displeased you Inari-dono? I'll make sure they pay for that immediately!"

The arcane symbols on her glove were glowing intensely. Eizo was more than convinced it wasn't simple rage.

She sounds like a dedicated fanatic.

"No, nothing like that," he managed to keep his voice unchanged, "I was merely asking for your opinion on the matter. There's no reason to be upset."

"My deepest apologies Inari-dono!" the extremely menacing aura vanished as if it was never there. "It was my mistake to perceive your words in a wrong way… I beg for your forgiveness."

"You're forgiven. No need to worry. I'm quite impressed with such loyalty," Eizo wasn't lying. Though not for the reasons NPCs could think of.

"My loyalty to the Supreme Beings as their creation is absolute."

Those words were filled with determination. Eizo had many questions in mind. But…

It's better not to risk overstaying the welcome…

"Thank you Minerva-sama. My curiosity is fulfilled. I'm more than pleased with your words."

"You're too kind. It was my great pleasure to converse with the leader of the Supreme Beings."

"Is that so… Well then. We shall leave you to your duties."

"Take care Inari-dono, Amber Aurora-sama."

He turned and continued walking towards the end of the hall. Aurora bowed briefly to the drow woman and followed behind.

Minerva was Lumia Septima's creation. The very first and only one. She was made even before they bought the expansions to the guild base. Eizo couldn't recall for sure, but he felt like Minerva had the biggest and most elaborate backstory among all the NPCs. Also, he caught a detail he wished he had imagined. But for a moment Minerva's expression almost perfectly matched Lumia's. That caught him unawares.

The guild master's room had a half-oval shape. It had its own magical protection on par with the conference hall situated right below it. The room was about twenty meters long, forty meters wide, and about three and a half meters high. The curved wall opposite the entrance was made of glass floor to ceiling for the exception of two columns that separated it into three parts and the doors to the balcony on the right and left side.

A fine writing table with a fancy desk lamp was standing on the right side encircled by massive bookshelves that raised to the ceiling. On the left, there was a fireplace similar to the one in the Silverwing headquarters but a more massive one. Two luxurious armchairs stood beside it. The walls on that side were covered with shelves that contained various curious things and trophies. The central space of the room was taken by a king-size bed with a canopy. A white and fluffy carpet that lied under the bed covered about two additional meters on the marble floor around it.

Eizo stood at the entrance to the room with his arms crossed examining the interior. The chambers felt excessively spacious for a single person and kind of empty. He never considered it being an issue while it was just a virtual space.

"The mansion is your idea, so do as you see fit…" He mumbled.

"Did you say something Eizo-san?" Aurora wondered. She was also inspecting the environment. She's been here previously, but this time everything felt completely different for both of them Eizo assumed.

"No, it's nothing," Eizo sighed and shook his head.

Treat her as real Aurora in case it's really her.

"Alright. So, what have we got? The servers should be offline, but we're still… here. Somewhere. The guild base seemingly remained unchanged. Presumably, our consciousness is inside the characters we were playing as. The main issue is that we don't know where we are. Am I missing anything major?"

"I don't think so. I would joke about being in an issekai… But it's not funny in this situation. How… I mean… How could this happen? Why us?"

"I would gladly answer those questions if I had any kind of idea. To my knowledge that is total nonsense. But there are a lot of things we do not know. Now. It is hardly a dream because there are two of us and it is awfully consistent so far. And the NPCs…"

"They seem to have their own mind and character."

"Yes. With all the things Minerva-san said…"

"They seemed respectful and loyal to you. You're the guild master. But the whole Supreme Beings thing… isn't it too much?"

Eizo fell silent for a moment. Then sighed heavily:

"Yes, it would seem so. But on the other hand…"

"Eizo-san…" Aurora's voice forced him to look directly at her, "Your necklace…"

He froze. Among everything that happened this detail slipped passed his consciousness. For a solid minute, they looked at each other not knowing what to do.

Oni-Daasu lived off information and rare items trade. And the most valuable items in YGGDRASIL were world-class items. The most powerful, balance breaking items with a total number of two hundred. One of those items was currently in Eizo's possession. They discovered it five years ago and decided against trading it. Because of it, Eizo was able to continue the exploration even when all members of his guild were offline. Other than providing a significant stat boost it possessed an incredible quality.

Commonly custom NPCs created by players were bound to the guild base. Yet the Repository of Mists did not follow that rule. It had the [Bound existence] and [Unbound] abilities which through experimentation appeared to work only with friendly custom NPCs. The level limit was determined as player level times five. So, in the case of a level one hundred character the level pool the Repository of Mists could carry was five hundred. Additionally, the absorbed levels were subtracted from the used levels of the player base pool.

The ability of this item had a week cooldown for binding and unbinding NPCs. There were also [Summon] and [Dismiss] spells that had a short cast time and a forty-meter range.

As both of them remained motionless Aurora's eyes were now fixed on Eizo's neck. Covered by his red scarf there was a peanut size sphere encompassed in silvery leaf ornament and filled with swirling mint-colored fog. At that moment there were five level one hundred NPCs inside of it. And the question that appeared out of that realization was with the fact that their creations seemed to possess some kind of consciousness… were they able to hear their conversations being inside the world-class item?

Eizo raised his hand with the index finger up, then turned and quickly paced through the room to the window.

They couldn't ignore that and continue talking. Eizo glanced outside then back at his friend. Aurora clearly understood his intentions. Her hand was resting on the hilt of her sword. They couldn't speak freely as players if there was a chance they could be heard.

Besides, bound NPCs were a significant force he couldn't toss away. In the current situation, they could be incredibly valuable. Unequipping the necklace was risky as well. He wasn't sure what could happen.

"[Summon: Steve]"

The mist escaped the sphere on his neck and swirled to the floor, taking the shape of a medium dog-sized creature. Its visage was almost comical. It looked like a fluffy white cloud on four stick-like legs with three digits each. It literally looked like something a kid would draw with a pencil without much effort. It had no prominent head or neck. Just two round black eyes in front of its oval body and a bun tail on the rear.

It looked a bit confused for a moment, tilted its body upward to look at Eizo, then clunkily turned to face Aurora and let out a surprised "Moo" sound. And that was a deep bass "Moo".

Though it didn't make sense, Eizo clearly understood that it meant "Can I be of service?". That was confusing but at the moment he didn't have the luxury to think about it.

"Steve. Do you remember what happened just now?"

"Moo. Moo-Moo… Moo?" [Yes. We were collecting ores and gems in a cave. Did something happen?]

Eizo remembered exactly what he was talking about. Indeed, the last time he summoned Steve in a location rich with raw materials. That what the primary strength of Steve's build. To gather anything of value in high quantities and fast.

While Eizo was taking field notes in his diary and figuring out what to do next he would most likely let Steve to "go for a walk". Upon Steve reaching his inventory's limit, Eizo just let him dump everything gathered to the guild's storage. For Eizo it became a habit so for the last two years it was getting ridicules as no one actively used the materials in such quantities anymore. Basically, Steve was an ultimate resource vacuum cleaner.

"Well… Yes," Eizo nodded, "But first, let me gather the others."

"[Summon: Obsidian]"

The emerald mist escaped his necklace once again. This time the creature that appeared in front of him was almost three meters high. It was a warrior in pitch black gleaming full plate armor head to toe carrying an enormous tear-shaped golden shield with a weird texture to it and a massive lance. Upon closer inspection, the shield appeared to be a singular scale of some giant creature that had a Nordic rune of protection inlayed in its center cast from a silver-ish metal.

The armor itself was composed of numerous perfect fitted smooth plates. There was an extra layer of protection on the warrior's right arm. In the center of the armor, there was a circular opening with a sleek gemstone that radiated a strong magical glow that gradually shifted from blue to purple and back. So did the eye slits of a centurion-style helmet.

"[Summon: Leonard Eisenmann]"

The figure that appeared next was much smaller and slimmer. A green-skinned humanoid with a prominent pointy nose and ears. He was standing straight attired in Victorian style brown coat with a single epaulet on the left shoulder adorned with a translucent red hemisphere, light brown vest, and light scarf. The lower part of his body was covered by dark-brown pants and heavy leather boots. He held a remarkable hunting rifle against his right shoulder. A steam-punk binocular magnifying glasses rested on top of his forehead over his short black slicked-back hair. The hobgoblin was smiling sarcastically with his blue eyes shining with admirable intellect.

"[Summon: Sophia Chianti]"

The third to appear was a woman. Her skin of a gray-blue stormy sky color was covered by chains of arcane inscriptions that tangled her limbs and torso akin to ribbons. They gave out a faint constantly shifting blue glow that was noticeable even in the well-lit room. Her breasts and private parts were hidden under blue silk lingerie with golden edging. Soft and mostly translucent blue gauze top and pants with delicate folds covered her chest and lower body, leaving her belly region open to view. An immense amount of jewelry adorned her elongated ears, fingers, wrists, ankles, and neck. She wore no shoes as she was hovering about ten centimeters above the ground. The djinn's long and curly black hair was pulled back by two front strands gathered in a thin ponytail. Her eyes had no pupils and the irises looked like reflective liquid gold.

[Summon: Inari Karen]

The last of Eizo's NPCs was a girl whose facial features were reminiscent of his own. Bright blue eyes, white long hair gathered in a thick loose braid. The dark-green hooded cloak she was wearing covered most or her body. She wore a fitted green vest adorned with dainty silver embroidery and edging, same goes for her pants and boots. Though the boots seemed to be made of a different material that was slightly iridescent. Her hands holding a long curved wooden staff were protected by strapped dark leather gloves with masterful silver inlays.

"Now…" Eizo crossed his arms and frowned a bit, looking at each of the NPCs.

"Inari-dono!" The sound of a woman's voice echoed unnaturally through the room. It seemed like the same person was speaking at several similar yet different pitches at the same time. Akin to the synthetical harmony effect.

The massive figure in black armor kneeled down before him and bowed its head, laying the lance on the floor. Four other figures followed suit. Steve did his best to imitate the motion, retracting his legs and lying flat on the floor looking up at Eizo with his unmoving black eyes like an inanimate plushy toy.

"We're honored to be in your presence! We would be more than happy to be of service!" the voice continued. It was hard not to be surprised. Eizo never heard Obsidian speaking and never thought of how an arcane golem should sound like.

"Is that so…"

He fell silent. Then paced around the NPCs and stopped right behind their backs. They remained silent and did not dare to move in the slightest. Half a minute later he turned to Aurora and started walking towards her. His guildmate nodded slightly. He felt like his senses were in overdrive.

He was ready to summon his weapons at any moment necessary.

Aurora was ready to come to his aid in a split second.

But no sound or sign of movement could be perceived.

Eizo was the only one moving.

He stopped halfway through the room and after a brief pause, he gestured Aurora to come closer. She nodded and started walking towards him trying her best to keep her calm. Her eyes were now fixed on the five kneeled down figures behind Eizo. She stopped right in front of the guild master and shifted her gaze to his face. Eizo could tell she was stressed but couldn't help to admire her spirit's strength. She was just a little girl thrown by the hand of fate in a situation not a single soul could be prepared for.

If it's really you, Aurora-san…

The omnipresent silence took the air. Eizo was looking at Aurora, listening, and thinking about possible outcomes of the situation. Suddenly the silence was disturbed by the knock on the door.

"Eek!" Aurora couldn't hold a surprised gasp and went red immediately after.

Eizo smiled gently at her.

"Come in"

The door opened and a figure walked in.

"Inari-dono your t…" Christian stopped mid-sentence, "I profusely apologize for the bad timing…" The elf bowed deeply.

"Don't worry. It's fine," Eizo replied calmly, still looking at Aurora, tracking Cristian's movements with his peripheral vision, "What is it you were about to say?"

"Understood. Your tea is ready."

"Leave it on the table. And thank you. Much appreciated."

"Yes."

Christian snapped his fingers and a small imp that was hovering in the corridor passed him the tray. The drow walked through the room in complete silence, placed the cups on the desk then returned back to the door and left. A few moments passed in silence after the door closed behind the butler. Finally, Eizo gave out a slight encouraging smile to Aurora and gestured to follow him. They walked back to the group of NPCs that were still kneeling down in silence and stopped in front of them.

"Before we talk, answer me this. Do you trust me?" Eizo felt a confused look Aurora gave him.

"Yes!" The answer came immediately from all of the NPCs.

"Even if I said that white is black and the water is dry?"

"If Inari-dono says so than it is true," Obsidian replied with no hesitation.

"Moo," [Yes] Steve replied.

Karen remained silent. Both Sophia and Leonard raised their heads slightly to meet his gaze. Eizo did not even flinch. His face was completely indifferent.

"If Inari-dono said something it would be for a reason," Sophia's voice was smooth and very pleasant like a soft breeze.

"Mhm. Agreed. Boss knows what he's doin…" high-pitched and extremely hoarse voice of the hobgoblin scratched the air.

"What about you Karen-san?" Eizo averted his gaze to the girl.

"I would not dare to question Inari-dono words," Karen's voice was captivating, almost melodic.

Interesting. Their reactions are so different… This is too complex for a constructed virtual world. Though it is madness… What if it is real?

"Good. Then listen. We are in a complicated situation," he walked towards the window and stopped, staring outside with a blank expression, "The details of which I will discuss later when others arrive. The biggest issue for me right now is that I and Aurora-san are the only guild members present. And there is no confirmation on whether it's going to stay like that."

"My apologies Inari-dono," Karen's voice was filled with anxiety, "Could you please explain the last part?"

"That means that I have no information on how and why exactly this happened," Eizo elaborated calmly, "If it was a natural cause or someone did this. There are too many variables and no clues. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Inari-dono. My apologies."

"With that… I have something to speak about with you specifically." He sighed and walk back to them, stopped a meter away, and look down at kneeling NPCs, "Raise your heads."

All as one followed his order. He glanced over the eyes that looked upon him with nothing but admiration excitement.

Such loyalty… I should be careful testing them.

"Would you protect me with your life if such need arises?"

"That is what we were created for, Inari-dono" Sophia answered. Other nodded.

You are not wrong per se… But generally speaking, that's an unhealthy way of thinking. Hmm…

"This is my personal request. I want you to protect Aurora-san the way you would protect me. Even if I'm no longer around."

"Eizo-san?" the subject of his words was surprised and concerned, "What do you mean?"

"Let me finish Aurora-san," he smiled gently to his guildmate. She was at a loss, couldn't find the words to speak. Eizo turned back to the NPCs, "Promise me that you will protect her."

"I…" first to react was Karen. She as well as Leonard and Sophia were shocked by his words. Obsidian and Steve were too hard to read, but he assumed that they were in a similar state. Although he remained silent, waiting for the answer.

"I understand," finally said Sophia and smiled softly, "You have my word Inari-dono. I'll do anything it takes to keep Aurora-sama safe."

"You have my word as well boss," Leonard grinned, "Anything it takes."

"Moo." [I promise]

"So shall it be. I promise to protect Aurora-sama with all my might," Obsidian's voice boomed through the air.

"I… I promise…" Karen's voice weakened and died. Eizo stood silent. She stared at the floor for a solid minute before she finally spoke again, "I promise to protect Aurora-sama."

"Thank you. This means a lot to me," Eizo slowly bowed to the NPCs. They were about to protest, but he raised an open palm stopping them, "Now. We'll need all the strength we can muster in the current situation. I need time to prepare for the meeting and not much time left at this point. I would like you to wait for me in the ballroom."

"Understood," Obsidian spoke for everyone.

"Thank you. You may go now," Eizo nodded.

Five creatures stood up almost at the same time, bowed, and marched out of the room. Eizo expected Karen to glance at him, but she didn't. She was created as the only daughter of the character named Inari Eizo. It was Nekomusume's wish.

Interesting… They actually feel like living beings.

It was still hard to believe that it was real. Who would ever predict such a thing happening to them if at all?

But what was now obvious to Eizo is the fact that settings, the backstory, and classes seemed to form the core of the creatures that used to occupy some memory on the server as virtual creations. He still had doubts but they were slowly dying out.

Sophia was the last to leave the room. The djinn smiled at Eizo just as she closed the door. He was stunned for a second with how humane that smile was.

They were left alone with Aurora.

"Eizo-san… why…" she was genuinely confused.

"I was testing the waters. And so far, I'd say we're safe among the NPCs," He gave her a quick smile, "I'm not planning on dying anytime soon, but I'm not ignorant. All things got a shared tendency to end. But there's no point in dwelling on that. Any kind of insurance is better than nothing."

"But… Please don't scare me like that again…" Aurora asked politely. She sniffed subtly in a cute way.

"I'll try not to," he placed his hand on her shoulder, "But I can't promise that. You're strong Aurora-san, I know that for a fact. And you're brave. I've seen that many times…"

"That was different…"

"For it was a video game?"

"Yes… I don't know what I would do if I was here alone…"

"You would be fine," he said confidently, "You should trust yourself more."

"I… I honestly doubt that," Aurora giggled nervously, "I'm amazed you're handling the situation with such confidence…"

It might cause a disaster if I tried to prove my initial assumptions by trying to tear presumable illusion apart. If it's really you, Aurora, I'm sorry you're stuck here with me. I will get to the bottom of this… I hope so…

"Well. I have to. You would do the same in my position. Besides, there are a lot of parallels between games and real life. But you got a point. They are different. It's a fatal mistake to take one for another…" he sighed lightly with a faint smile, "But anyway... Now we can finally talk freely."

"Yes…"

"Tea?"

"Yes!"…