A/N: Hey everybody! Welcome to the next chapter of PADW. Remember, you can find images of these characters at the Puzzle and Dragons database.

I greatly appreciate all reviews of my work. It helps better my writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own the monsters or game mechanics of Puzzle and Dragons.


"Make sure everyone maintains their individuality. It is the requirement for interpreting two realities." -Christopher Alsheimer, CEO of World Virtual Visions (WVV)

Chapter 3: Choices

Seattle, Washington

United States

May 24, 2020

3:07 PM

20 hours 53 minutes before launch of PADW

Athena. Karin. Mei Mei. Parvati. Sarasvati. Vishnu. Zeus. Metatron. Sakuya. Siegfried. Pandora. Satan. Hera. Valkyrie. Verche. Echidna. Guan Yu. Cao Cao. Ra. Hades. Bastet. Sonia. Lilith. Tsukoyomi. Haku. Odin. Anubis. Isis. Idunn & Idunna. Persephone. Tearju. Apollo. Michael. Freyja. Noah. Alraune. Amaterasu. Raphael. Shiva. Cleopatra. Neptune. Da Qiao & Xiao Qiao. Venus. Okuninushi. Thanatos. Lu Bu...

Ray scrolled through the massive list of monsters presented to him on the screen. He swiped to the next page on the tablet and scanned through a new list of names. He had forgotten how many monsters were in this game; however, of course, he did not expect all of them to be included. After all, this version of Puzzle and Dragons was brand new, and the original game currently had a list of over two thousand monsters.

But why didn't they at least list them in numerical order? Perhaps alphabetical, monster type or even by attribute? It was like the developers just decided to throw them all together in a random number generator and dump them out afterward.

The information and stats provided for each monster were also meager in presentation. All that was provided was: name, attribute, type, health, and attack. These were the basic bits of information needed to understand any playable character in a game. However, a Puzzle and Dragons Player would know that several pieces of crucial information were left out.

Most monsters in PAD had an active skill and a leader skill. The leader skill is passive, and is only activated if a monster is assigned the position of "leader" on a team. The active skill could be used after a certain amount of turns went by or, in this new world, could be implemented after a certain amount of time or if other instances are met. Both of these skills were not listed. Ray had to wonder if maybe they had been changed. They couldn't have been removed, they were still in the new game guide. So why? Multiple other stats were missing as well.

They are really leaving us in the dark aren't they. Guess I'll just have to adapt.

The man sitting at the desk in front of him constantly glanced at his watch as Ray swiped through another page. The man spoke up, "You know you only pick five right?"

Ray answered the man without looking up, "Yes, I know."

He didn't push the conversation further with an explanation as he maintained focus on the screen. The man unsuccessfully attempted to stifle a yawn and pretended to look through some papers at his desk.

Ray reached the last page and scanned until he reached the bottom.

What the hell? She isn't here.

Ray scrolled back to the first page and frantically analyzed the monsters that appeared. He looked at each one for at least a whole three seconds before he moved to the next one.

Why can't I find her?

Then a thought dawned on him as he began to weigh all the possibilities in his head. One of these disheartened him immensely.

Did they remove her from the game?

Impossible. There was absolutely no way they could remove a character like her. She was immensely popular and her skills were at a moderate level. She could conquer many of the dungeons in the previous game with a decent helper.

He had to convince himself that she was still in this game as well.

Okay, so the Chinese gods are: Mei Mei, Karin, Sakuya, Haku, and Leilan.

Ray went through the list again searching for all the names of the Chinese gods. He first happened upon Karin on the second page, followed by Mei Mei. Sakuya was on the next page, and then Haku a few pages after that. There was still no sign of Leilan's name.

What the hell is going on?

He reached the last page again. His hands were sweating and it was difficult to move his finger across the screen fluidly. For a moment, his vision blurred and he rubbed his eyes, even though the motion was probably the worst course of action. The blur was probably due to the fact that he had been staring so intently at a screen for so long. He also noticed that his face was an unnecessary distance from the tablet. Less than an inch.

When he reached that last page he leaned back in the leather chair. He tried to force himself to relax, but found this to be impossible. Sitting hunched over had actually blocked off his breathing slightly, and he realized he was panting. His encounters with asthma were brief at least.

The bored man behind the desk now eyed him curiously. "Everything okay, kid?"

Ray regarded him with a slight nod. "Yeah, just didn't get enough sleep last night."

The man laughed humorlessly. "Nervous or something?"

Ray let out a soft chuckle. The truth was, the fact he was going to be in this game with the entire world watching him was a little unsettling. He didn't need that added on to the desperation and disbelief he was fighting with right now.


Sanctuary, Pirugan Continent

May 24, 2020

3:02 PM

20 hours 58 minutes before launch of PADW

"I am afraid we are out of time," Metatron announced gravely to the other god monsters that sat at the long table before her.

They all looked down grimly despite their recent victory against Satan and the other unknown dark knight that appeared at Caramoc Cove. The past few days had finally taken a toll on all of their spirits. Even though they had successfully escaped with Pandora's box, Satan's power had proven that there was another force at work that was beyond their comprehension. Satan's unexpected discovery of Pandora was a testament to the fact that his information network and influence extended far beyond their expectations.

Even with the conclusion of the Reversion, they were still losing. They were all straight back to level one.

Metatron's black half-slip dress had been matted with dirt in a recent engagement with dark mystic knights that had attacked one of the outposts that encircled Sanctuary during the engagement with Satan. The caricthmian style fabric, formed from the volatile metal of the same name native to this world, was torn in multiple places. Her cloak was completely incinerated from fighting a pyro demon and the right sleeve of her dress was torn off. Her pink-colored hair was extremely disheveled, even more than usual. Her once radiant face still retained its beauty, but was now worn with heavy, tired eyes.

She stared down at Pandora who slept calmly beside her. When Pandora arrived in Sanctuary, she had been on the verge of passing out from the amount of energy that the box stole from her. The chains of the chest had awoken once more and wrapped themselves around Pandora, feeding hungrily on her life energy. It had taken three of them to pry the chains off and place her a safe distance away. Metatron felt a small bit of relief when she heard Pandora's labored breathing settle down to an even pace.

Metatron turned her attention back to her weary comrades. "The Reversion has deprived us of most of our power. We are, essentially, powerless. However, our enemies are also effected by The Reversion." She paused for a moment to collect herself. "They have some force that is working alongside them. Something we cannot even fathom. I would say it is quite possible we have lost our only advantage."

She rested her book on the stone table and rifled through some of the pages. Metatron analyzed the contents carefully and jotted a few quick notes with a quill and paper that magically appeared from her hands. She muttered under her breath and the quill carried out her commands.

The other gods waited patiently and whispered amongst themselves. They knew not to disturb her during these random moments of inspiration.

After a few moments, one of the gods broke the silence. A timid looking girl with long, flowing blonde hair rose from her seat and clasped her hands behind her. She wore a white skin-tight outfit laced with gold that extended just past her thighs and reached towards her hands to wrap around her fingers like a glove.

She began to play nervously with the end of her golden serpent tail as she spoke, "Metatron, um, I just have a quick question to ask."

Metatron immediately stopped her work to give the girl her full attention. "Yes Sakuya." She took note of Sakuya's trembling hands. "What's the matter?"

Sakuya released her tail and allowed it to settle on the floor behind her. "Do we, well...do we actually have to-partner with one of these Players?"

Metatron sighed with a mixture of exasperation and sympathy. "Sakuya, you told me you had already finished with the book."

Sakuya nodded. "Y-yes, I did, but, um, I closed it before I made my choice. I'm sorry but, I don't think I can do it."

There was a long silence that settled over the room. Some of the other gods glanced at each other awkwardly and exchanged a few brief whispers of conversation. If what Sakuya said was true, then it might already be too late for her to choose a Player from Metatron's book.

Leilan stared at her fellow Chinese god and heaved a heavy sigh. She rose from her seat across from Sakuya and spoke, "Metatron, I have also not chosen a Player as my partner."

Metatron stared at her in disbelief. The last person she expected this from was her.

"You too Leilan? Don't you know what that means?"

Leilan nodded. "Yes. I deemed the situation at Caramoc Cove to be a more pressing matter, so I forfeited my choice."

Metatron desperately flipped through the pages of her book upon hearing this and stepped away from it to give Leilan some room. "This is probably your last chance." She eyed both Sakuya and Leilan. "If you don't choose, then you are leaving your fate up to whoever is currently in control of this world."

Leilan and Sakuya exchanged an uneasy look. It was true that if they didn't take this opportunity now, then they could end up with a Player they didn't desire, or cast off into some forsaken dungeon. Leilan was hoping that she could avoid either of these situations, but Metatron's reaction was now giving her second thoughts.

"Trust your instincts." Metatron pleaded.

The other gods were now silent and sat forward expectantly.

A wind bearing ill omens swept past them and even the circling leaves seemed to not break the uncomfortable silence. Leilan's mind was devoid of sound. She was weary, and contemplation was like trying to run through water. All of her weight was now resting on her hands. Her eyes felt like they were etching the solution for her in the stone of the table.

There was a name she had seen. The name was once prominent in her mind and the name would resolve her dilemma. It was somewhere in the back of her mind, attempting to force everything unnecessary out of the way. If she could find that name again, then maybe, just maybe...

She shook herself from her reverie and urged Sakuya to mirror her. Her eyes focused on the book. The book was already opened to the section she needed and she began searching through all of the Player files.

After a few minutes of analyzing names and Player profiles, she felt another presence beside her and glanced up to see Sakuya fidgeting next to her. Metatron stood back a ways behind them to give the two gods enough space to think without interruption. The other gods waited for Leilan and Sakuya to complete their work.

Leilan reached the end of the Player profiles and realized that none of the names had triggered any recognition whatsoever. She flipped back to the front and scanned over the names again. Even though she was pressed for time, she slowly read each name and even went through the profiles thoroughly to make sure she didn't miss a single word that could jarr her memory.

She finally reached the end of the book, and still she could not find the name she was searching for.

Leilan motioned for Sakuya. "Give me a minute to think."

Sakuya nodded and stared at the book as if it was going to lunge at her like an alligator. She rested her hands on the stone table and took a deep breath before gently turning each page.

The name, Leilan thought. What was his name? Yes, that's right. It was a male. Definitely a male. A young male. What was his name?


Two men in black suits and matching tie checked through the pages of the tablet that Ray handed to them. They were both skeptical when Ray told them that a name was missing from the list. He had insisted that he checked at least ten times to make sure that the name was missing, but they still felt the need to see for themselves. After a few minutes, one of the men exited the room to fetch one of the tech supporters in charge of the character selection.

Ray didn't even have time to blink before another man, this one dressed in casual wear, entered the room with an air of calm and took the tablet from the other man. Ray noted his Avenged Sevenfold shirt and the black beanie hat he wore, despite the fact they were in the middle of summer.

The man in the A7X shirt glanced at Ray and gave a short smirk. "Looks like you're right pal. Leilan is not in the character roster here." He handed the tablet to Ray. "Looks like someone in my department is going to be getting an earful. Let me check and make sure Leilan is in the character pool of the main system."

"Thank you," Ray replied. He went back to analyzing the list of characters. He might as well take the time memorizing all he can with the extra time, even if it did encourage an enhanced feeling of apprehension.

The silence in the room settled around him as the two men in black stood at either side of the door, hands clasped behind their backs with shoulders perfectly straight. Ray found it strange how these people acted. He noticed similar men and women in comparative attire who seemed to walk through the halls in a stiff, robotic fashion. Even their eyes seemed glassy as they carefully analyzed each person they came in contact with. They even ate like robots, methodically eating their food with the same amount of time between bites and lacking any sort of conversation. It was kind of creepy. All they needed now were some plain white walls and little silver pens that released flashes of light that mixed up your brain.

After a few more minutes, Leilan's name appeared on the last page.


Sakuya stepped away from the book and returned to her seat. The look of horror was now plain on her face. She did not want to end up with one of these Players. She didn't trust them. They came from where the Creators were, and she definitely didn't trust them either.

Leilan approached the book only after Metatron beckoned for her to mirror Sakuya.

With a now steady hand, she flipped through the pages once again and her eyes widened.

There it was. The name. She recognized it immediately. The physical details, the biography, the stats, everything. His eyes. That was what triggered this recognition the most. There was something in those eyes she couldn't quite place, but they put her at ease.

She placed a hand over the page.


Ray placed his hand over Leilan's page and the screen began its scan. After a few seconds, a message appeared that read, Character Selections Complete. He retracted his hand and handed the tablet to one of the men in black.

"Thank you."


Seattle, Washington

United States

May 25, 2020

9:00 AM

3 hours before launch of PADW

"Today is that day ladies and gentleman. You will soon be embarking on a journey through a brand new world the likes of which nobody has ever seen. You will be the first to experience it, and the whole world will be watching you."

The large man scanned the crowd of Players who eagerly awaited the rest of their instructions. Their enthusiasm pleased him greatly.

"Upon entry, you will select three starting pieces of equipment. Then, you will be instructed by the AI, Lo, on how to proceed from there through a brief tutorial so that you may adapt to the game's new mechanics."

He paused to make his next announcement even more dramatic. "When you complete the tutorial, you will then meet your starting monster partner."

The crowd erupted into cheers as they finally received this confirmation. The Players had been wondering if they would meet their partners immediately, and now their prayers had brought reward.

The man waited until the cheers died down before continuing, "In this world, your sense of time will be altered. One day in the game world is equivalent to a single hour in this world. You may enter and exit the virtual world at any time you please. Manage your time wisely. As your Gamemaster, I will ensure that you are logged in and out safely with the help of your designated supervisor. Does anyone have anymore questions?"

One individual raised his hand immediately.

"Yes?"

The young man's friends were snickering around him. He also attempted to stifle his laughter.

"How do we know when we need to take a shit?"

The audience erupted into uncontrollable laughter at this, and even the Gamemaster in all of his professionalism, couldn't suppress a grin.

He answered, "Oh believe me, you'll know."

His answer brought forth more laughter.

Ray felt a nudge on his shoulder and turned to see Lucy motioning to him.

"We are going to meet at the Gods Descended Arena," she whispered in his ear.

Ray nodded. "There is an event scheduled on the database right?"

Keiichi suddenly grabbed him from behind in a tight hug. "This is it man! This is it! Let's kick some ass!"

Lucy joined in on the hug and they rocked back and forth as Ray tried to stay steady on his feet from all the uneven weight.

"We got this!" Lucy shouted along with the cacophony from the other excited Players.

Ray felt the enthusiasm of his friends seep into him. He wanted to maintain an air of calm and collectedness that was a little more to his character, but he just simply couldn't suppress his excitement either.

"To PADW!" Keiichi shouted.

"To PADW!" Ray and Lucy replied in unison.

The time for entry was nearly at hand.


Two men sat in a closed-off office, separate from other sections of the building where the Players were being given their final instructions. The walls were completely sound-proof, and the mechanical sensors implanted around the room disabled any technological devices that entered the set area. Others from the outside were unaware of this room's existence. Only a select few were granted entrance, and even fewer were actually aware of their employer's intentions.

In the end, all that really mattered to these people was the paycheck and their involvement being strictly anonymous. The consequences of their actions were of no concern, just as long as they did not involve them directly. The suffering of a few Players was a necessary and expected repercussion.

One of the men interrupted the silence, "It would seem that two SSSs have appeared that are not part of our assembled team."

"Is that so? Interesting. And the chances of this being a coincidence?"

"Considerably less than one percent sir."

There was a slight pause. "Up the surveillance over in the supervisor wing. And begin the process for the LAN isolation. We might pick something up if someone sticks to the original schedule."

"Yes, sir."

"We still maintain control of the system, but I would prefer another once-over of Lo's fail-safes."

"It's already being prepared, sir. And the others?"

"Let events play out as they may. No need for us to risk exposure for a slight inconvenience."