A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for delaying this chapter a bit. Holiday vacation and real life stuff and all. But here it is. My chapters are also a pretty decent length so that contributes to the wait time.


"There is no trap so deadly as the one you set for yourself." -Raymond Chandler, Long Goodbye

Chapter 9- Journey

Seattle, Washington

United States

May 25, 2020

Real World Time- 4:15 PM

Thomas Malkin and Christopher Alsheimer sat in the dim office of Akio Kurosaki. Once again, Kurosaki displayed his incompetence by showing up late to the set meeting time. If the information that Kurosaki had to relay to them was so important, then he could at least have been punctual about it. Now it just felt like they were wasting their time when they could be overseeing work that needed attention. But no, Kurosaki had insisted.

It would have been nice to use the time to analyze his AI more, but his curiosity about this supposed "hiccup" in the plan had torn him away against his better judgment. The men and women in the Gamemaster's control room seemed competent enough, but there were a few that he noticed who were only using one finger on each hand to type. Not really a reassuring sign of their ability. But it was of little consequence. As long as his AI wasn't the one impeding the progress, then he could care less about the failings of others from a separate company. In fact, it could only help his own company's image in the long run.

Malkin glanced around the room and observed the sparse furnishings. The room gave off a claustrophobic, enclosed feeling. It was not the office for the executive of a company. Malkin had even given him the choice of any office in the building. The room seemed in poor taste, but, well, to each his own. The lack of décor made it difficult to read further into Kurosaki's character.

Malkin observed Alsheimer who stared at the walls awkwardly to try and lessen the uneasiness of the wait. He almost felt envious of Alsheimer's position. Almost. Sometimes ignorance truly was bliss.

As he was about to address him, the door to the office flew open and Kurosaki rushed inside while still in the midst of adjusting his tie.

"I apologize gentleman for the delay, but there was an issue that required my attention," Kurosaki rushed the words so that they were barely coherent.

"Not a problem," Malkin responded. He made it a point to add emphasis to his words to indicate his impatience.

Alsheimer simply leaned forward in his seat and clasped his hands.

Kurosaki pulled open a drawer at his desk and rifled through a pile of papers. Malkin frowned as Kurosaki dropped a small stack on the floor and muttered something inaudible under his breath.

He spoke when he seemed to find what he was searching for, "As you both know...right, the universal code that the virtual world runs on is constantly evolving at an astonishing rate. It is also accompanied by a similar program that is able to run it and amends itself according to the code. Fascinating really how a code bends the program instead of the program-"

Malkin interrupted him, "Yes, we are aware of this. Can you get to the point? We don't need these frivolities."

Kurosaki cleared his throat and collected himself following Malkin's sudden interruption. "Ah, yes of course, well, you see, there is a problem concerning the code itself, er..."

Kurosaki trailed off and glanced between his two guests uneasily. Malkin could tell that the executive was more out of sorts than usual. A small hiccup? Yeah right.

Both Malkin and Kurosaki were surprised when they heard Alsheimer speak up. There seemed to be a hint of vehemence in his voice that Malkin couldn't quite place. The young executive's eyes stared hard at Kurosaki.

"What in the hell happened? What is wrong with the code?"

"Well," Kurosaki started, "We don't really know how it works."

The shock was plain on their faces. Didn't know how it works? What was that supposed to mean? Kurosaki's own company was responsible for the creation of the universal code in the first place. They even made the program that was able to run it. The statement didn't make the least bit of sense.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Malkin asked evenly. He even surprised himself by how he was able to maintain such an air of calm. "Your company made the damn code. How can you not know how it works?"

Kurosaki cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, technically, it was Takamura who made the code."

Alshemier spoke again this time, "And what? Wait, are you saying that the only person who knows about the code is now deceased?"

Kurosaki nodded. "Yes, that is exactly what I am saying."

"And Takamura left nothing behind?"

"Well, we are looking into that."

"Then just trace the code back to the original source."

"It is evolving at such a pace that nobody, not even in a collaborative project, could possibly keep up with it."

"There are other methods, other programs to be implemented."

"The only program that can interpret it is the one being used now."

"We have digital organisms and the newly remodeled artificial reboots."

"They all get destroyed. The replication is so fast that it deprives all countermeasures of any computational resources."

Malkin interrupted the two of them, "And let me guess. Takamura made the program that runs it too. Am I right?"

Malkin could practically hear Kurosaki swallow at the observation. He looked down at his desk in defeat. It was enough of a confirmation.

Alshemier stared agape at the floor, his eyes and hands trembling with the horrible realization.

"So what you are saying is, this project is all for nothing."

Alsheimer suddenly rose from his seat and planted his fists on Kurosaki's desk. Malkin had never seen him lose his cool like this. The calm demeanor that Alsheimer usually assumed was now gone. He was passionate about his work. And now all of it might be put into jeopardy. All of the effort he and his employees had put into the project...for absolutely nothing.

"How can you not know?" Alsheimer growled.

Kurosaki shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry. Takamura never did tell us how he discovered the code. We just simply worked with it in the program. That's all. Without the original source of the code, if the program or this facility should collapse, it will be lost forever."

Alsheimer couldn't handle anymore. He punched the desk one last time before he stormed out of the room. He threw open the door and slammed it behind him. The pictures on the walls shook from the force.

Malkin waited a while to see if Kurosaki had anything more to say. The man seemed shaken by Alsheimer's anger. Or perhaps it was more by his words. Having someone spell out one's fears tended to have more of an effect than replaying it over and over again in one's own head.

Malkin sighed and moved to leave the room.

He stopped at the door and turned to Kurosaki. "We will see what can be done about this."

Then he added, "You all really screwed this one up."

He left Kurosaki to muddle in his thoughts.


The Virtual World

Pirugan Continent, Demeter Forest/Special Dungeon

In-Game Timer: Day 4

3:21 PM

Ray limped over to Leilan who still sat on her knees staring at where Verche's body had once been. Particles of light data floated all around them in an array of bright colors that lit the chamber.

Ray could see that Leilan's wounds were now healing since they had completed the dungeon. He winced in pain as he took another strained step to stand next to her. Their injuries were healing at a slower rate than he could have anticipated. He applied too much weight on the foot that had been impaled by Verche's sword and he was overcome by a dizzy spell as the pain swelled.

The two comrades sat in silence as the particles of Verche continued to swirl and dip. Minutes passed, and still the fragments of light continued their uninterrupted dance.

"Leilan I-" Ray started, but he simply had no idea what words could possibly express his sympathy. He had told her that Verche would return as his old self. Now he felt like he had cheated her, or perhaps deceived her in order for her to fight for their survival.

Leilan interrupted him before he could continue, "It's not your fault," she said quietly. The pain in her voice made Ray's stomach hurt.

"Better this than having to sit in this rotten place forever."

Ray didn't know how to respond to her reasoning.

"Leilan, you don't have to-"

The words caught in his throat as he saw a change in the movements of a group of particles that drifted in front of his eyes. They faltered and ceased all movement. It was as if a chain reaction had started. As one fragment stopped, the ones closest to it also froze. The acknowledgment of the other specks of light continued until even Leilan, still absorbed in her sadness, noticed the change as well.

Leilan rose from her knees and stood next to Ray staring in bewilderment.

After a brief moment, the light particles drifted back to where Verche's body had rested and converged. They warped and twisted around each other until in their place was a gold egg barely larger than the size of one's hand.

Ray and Leilan stared at the egg. Neither one of them dared to touch it. And they didn't need to.

It was a brilliant sight to behold as the egg suddenly exploded in a splash of luminous yellow. A glowing lump of light formed into the shape of a body. Glowing fingers flexed and limbs bent as the shining mass convulsed. Then, it came to rest as the last of the light merged.

In place of the light was the unconscious, armored form of Verche.

Ray and Leilan simply stood in shock within the stillness that followed. Leilan didn't move until she saw the slight twitch of Verche's body and the barely discernible, muffled groan that escaped from his helmet. Before Verche even had time to gather his bearings, Leilan was already back on her knees and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. Verche's warrior instincts kicked in for moment, and he thought that he was somehow under attack. He relaxed himself as he realized who was holding him.

He wordlessly placed a hand on Leilan's back in a comforting gesture.

Ray respectively stood to the side and watched the exchange. He tore his eyes away from them and gazed around the room to take in the result of the battle.

Part of a crumbled wall here and a shattered ceiling there. Debris was strewn throughout one half of the far end of the room. And the blood. The blood splattered nearby was enough for Ray to force his gaze away.

A recurring thought returned to him, This is far too real.


The Virtual World

Pirugan Continent, Demeter Forest

In-Game Timer: Day 4

3:30 PM

Ray kept to his own thoughts as they returned back to the outpost. The forest was silent the whole trip and not a single enemy had dared to cross their path. On one occasion Ray had noticed a group of demons crouched behind a pair of squat hills with their tridents and pikes held at the ready. But as soon as the two god monsters trailing behind Ray appeared, they immediately backed off and retreated into the safety of the forest beyond. They sensed the combined power that emanated from the team.

Ray stopped at the edge of the forest that opened up into the clearing holding the outpost.

Leilan and Verche paused and waited for him to speak. They could sense the concerns that must have been welling up inside him since the battle in the dungeon.

Ray crossed his arms and leaned against a tree and heaved a heavy sigh. "Okay," Ray started, "I guess you both know I have a lot of questions to ask about all of this. Something isn't right."

Before Ray could continue, Leilan stepped forward and lifted a finger to silence him. Ray stared at her quizzically as she shook her head.

"In due time," she whispered. "Your people. They have eyes and ears everywhere."

So she knows the people of my world are watching, Ray reasoned. He knew that something strange was going on, but now her words had confirmed his suspicions.

"Fine then. I know where we can go."

Ray opened up his database and scrolled through the menus until he found one that opened up the map for Pirugan. The continent was massive. He traced the Bakke Mountains until he located Millshore. He took note of the clearing where the outpost was situated and decided to take the time to mark it on his map. To the northeast was a symbol of a house and right next to it was a second symbol of what looked like a cluster of towers.

Ray lifted up the database so that Verche and Leilan had a clear view of it. He pointed to the house symbol. "All Players are given a place to live when they enter this world," he explained. "It's safe to talk there."

Leilan examined the map and grimaced. "They didn't make it easy for you to get there." She pointed to a gray patch between the dwelling and the edge of Demeter Forest. "Those are deadlands. If we want to avoid those then we will have to wrap around to Millshore first and then travel along Lake Mercury."

"I'm guessing I should just assume these deadlands are dangerous just by the name," Ray said.

"That is why the city, Sarkast, has most of its defenses concentrated to the west," Verche added. "Years ago, that area used to be farmland. Everything living in that vicinity fell victim to a plague and it was cut off to protect the rest of the populace. The dead now walk there."

Ray chuckled, "Great, so zombies then. Yeah, I think we'll avoid that area. So we stop in Millshore and then head for Sarkast. Sounds good."

Leilan shook her head. "No. We avoid Millshore. Despite our current relations with Irina and her soldiers, I don't think we will pass through the town so easily."

"Somebody say my name?"

Leilan, Verche, and Ray both looked up from the map and saw Irina and a squad of soldiers approaching them. Irina had a broad grin on her face and the soldiers also seemed to be in a high spirits upon seeing the trio.

"Looks like you returned to us with success." She nodded a greeting to Verche who returned it.

Leilan gestured to Verche and introduced him officially, "Irina, this is Verche. Our new comrade. Verche, this is Irina Roche."

"A pleasure," Verche said.

Ray ignored the fact that she said Verche was a "new" comrade. He was about to speak until Irina interrupted him.

"Don't worry. I heard enough to get the idea," she said. "It's true. A Player and two monsters would probably not be too welcome in Millshore. That being said, you have been a great help clearing most of this area of the demon threat, so I would at least like to repay you myself on behalf of Millshore."

Irina nodded to one of the soldiers who shrugged a leather bag off his shoulder. He walked up to Ray and held the bag out by its straps. Ray accepted it with a quick word of thanks and opened the bag to stare inside. His eyes widened as he saw a red jewel that let off a brilliant gleam despite being shut out from the light. A crimson, metallic design in the shape of a flame covered its base.

Ray stared back up at Irina mouth agape. "Irina I-I can't possibly-"

Irina lifted a hand and smiled. "A miner discovered it within the mountains. I know what it is. I also know that these spirit jewels are useless to humans."

"This puts you at risk," Leilan chimed in. "If your leaders were to find out about this..."

The soldier who had handed Ray the bag spoke, "That won't be a problem. Those who know of this will keep their mouths shut."

Ray remembered the respect these soldiers had shown Irina out on the road to the outpost. The way they kept silent with just a word and how swiftly they went about following her commands. They had entered the battle at the outpost without hesitation and without question. These men did not fight for the leaders sitting contentedly in Millshore. They fought for Irina.

But still, a spirit jewel! He couldn't believe his luck. Not only had a new monster become part of the team, but he now had one of the rarest materials in the entire world in his possession. Spirit jewels were usually used as advanced evolution material to transform monsters. He wondered what he would be able to use it for later on in this world.

He added the jewel to his inventory and it disappeared from his hands.

"When will you be leaving us?" Irina asked.

Ray turned to Leilan for confirmation. It was already drawing towards evening, and the trip would take a few days without a doubt.

"We leave at first light," Leilan answered.


The Virtual World

Pirugan Continent, Mercury Lake

In-Game Timer: Day 7

10:47 AM

The trip to Sarkast was taking longer than any of them had anticipated. The corrupted ground of the deadlands were drawn further south than Leilan recalled. Much further south. The undead could not venture outside the blighted land, but it also meant that it was drawing closer to Millshore's north side. This, in turn, meant that the three warriors would have to travel further east rather than moving diagonally on a straight shot to Lake Mercury. Wrapping around cost them the last bit of daylight on the first day.

Ray had suggested stopping in Millshore since they were only a few miles from its west gate. And under cover of night with less activity, they might encounter less resistance from the populace.

Leilan was about to agree when Verche informed them of a rocky section near the deadlands that would provide enough shelter. It would also be hidden from the eyes of travelers and demons.

The weather on the second day was less than favorable. A storm had driven in from over Lake Mercury and had prevented the trio from moving for the better part of the day. They set out early afternoon and reached the southwestern edge of the lake by late evening, well after the sun had gone down. The decision to continue during the night was risky, but the group encountered no resistance.

A hill overlooking the lake amidst a copse of trees provided plenty of cover. The height advantage also ensured that the group would notice any enemies well before they saw them amongst the trees.

After much debate, Ray had decided to leave the virtual world briefly after an alert on his database informed him that he had been in the game for nearly six hours. His body in the real world still needed nourishing despite the fact he had eaten and slept in the virtual one.

He had eaten faster than ever before and jumped right back into his seat to log back in. After all, thirty minutes in his own world was a half day in the virtual one. There was no time to waste, and he didn't want to keep his monster companions waiting.

Not only that, but the faster they got to Sarkast, the faster he would get to his home. Which also meant that he would soon be able to find out just what the hell was really going on with this world.


Ray and his monster team hid behind the lip of the hill that they had used to set up their camp. Below was a small expanse of low, squatting trees that halted a few feet from the edge of Lake Mercury. A group of chubby monsters with sapphire-colored scales roamed along the shore and waded into the shallow water in search of something unknown. The ones in the water took random opportunities to drive their tridents into the water to skewer the fish that swam nearby. The fins on the sides of their heads flapped back and forth as they strained their ears to listen to the sounds of the forest that might be worthy of note.

Ray opened his database and began a scan of the creatures.

After a few seconds the analysis read: Marine Goblin/Type-Attacker/Attribute-Water/Attack-60/Defense-0/Active Skill-Guard Stance Water/Active Skill-Triwater Defense (3)

Weaklings.

It seemed best to avoid a conflict if at all possible. Sure, defeating enemies would provide a good chunk of experience to gain more strength by leveling up, but the alliances between the demons at the Millshore outpost indicated too many possible variables. There might be other enemies lying in wait. Plus, Verche was still in a weakened state from the mental toll of the dungeon (which was another concern Ray wanted to address). But waiting too long could cost them another day to reach Sarkast. They had already wasted a day circumventing the deadlands. Another day was unacceptable.

Ray closed the database and turned to his companions. "So, any suggestions?"

Verche crouched off further to the side and eyed the area advancing to the east. This area of the lake seemed quiet enough.

Leilan also observed the land west towards Sarkast where another group of marine goblins were hard at work wheeling a wagon towards the lake. Wooden boxes were stacked in the bed of the wagon along with canvas bags filled with some unknown contents.

Leilan and Verche simultaneously returned to Ray's position on the hill.

"Flying is still out of the question," Verche said. "Ray can't fly and the extra weight will put too much strain on our wings. It could even be damaging."

"I would also prefer not to backtrack," Leilan added.

"Why don't we just take them out?" Ray asked.

Leilan looked over her shoulder and watched the goblins as they began to unload the wagon and scavenged through the crates like a pack of vultures assaulting their prey. The wagon obviously wasn't theirs. Probably a wagon that was taken as a trophy after successfully ambushing a caravan. Marine goblins were not always hostile, and this edge of the lake was known for being relatively passive as long as outsiders did not intrude upon their territory. Leilan wondered what had prompted the goblins to venture out to the road so far from the lake.

"I'm curious to see what it is that these goblins managed to get a hold of," Verche said. "They either went out of their way to take this wagon, or those who commandeered it went terribly off course. I'm more inclined to lean towards the former."

Leilan nodded. "Agreed. It looks like their strength is concentrated more towards the wagon. The weaker unit is closest to us so we won't have to reposition ourselves. Even more are breaking off from this group and are entering the water. Let's give it another few minutes."

The trio waited patiently until another dozen or so of the blue goblins strayed away from their group as curiosity got the better of them. The unknown loot from the wagon drew them away and they watched with interest as their companions tore open the crates and ripped some of the gray bags that now appeared to be filled with an assortment of vegetables.

Leilan made a silent motion with her hand to Ray and Verche, signaling that the time for the attack was nearly at hand.

Just before Leilan could wave them forward, a terrifying roar erupted from somewhere in the woods to the west. The goblins dropped their spoils in surprise and hastily searched around for their weapons. Another roar, this time louder and even more terrifying, seemed to arrive from further south. Many of the goblins moved inland and stood at the ready, but they kept their feet in the shallow water. They moved together in tight groups of three. An eerie silence followed.

Ray's team on the hill sat unmoving and observed the enemy's movements. They were better coordinated than Ray had anticipated from such a weak race of creatures. The disquieting roar had rattled them, but they seemed to have collected themselves. Some of the groups in the water initiated their active skill to conjure a shield of water.

The silence was interrupted by another roar that boomed as if it was right on top of Ray. Just as he was about to look over his shoulder to see if the source was behind him, a white mass leaped out of the forest and pounced upon the nearest trio of goblins. Its claws dug deeply into the first goblin and its jaw latched onto the leg of a second adversary. With a quick whip of the head the goblin was flung to the side and collided with a few of its comrades. The slashed goblin went still as the stream of data particles from its body signaled its death. The last of the goblin trio backed up to rejoin the main force that skirted along the water.

The beast that had attacked the goblins was a tiger. Judging from the white fur and black stripes, Ray could guess that it was a white bengal tiger. An absolutely massive white bengal tiger.

It calmly moved along with the goblin group on its heavy paws. One courageous goblin stepped forward and made a mocking gesture with its trident and the tiger's striped tail swung back and forth, eagerly anticipating the real attack that would hopefully soon follow. It revealed its sharp teeth in the form of a menacing grin.

The goblins decided against moving in on the tiger in favor of throwing some of their tridents at the beast. The tiger bent down slightly and the shield-like plate armor attached to the side of its legs deflected all of the thrown weapons easily. It continued with its long, even strides waiting for an opening in the enemy force's defenses.

A sharp hiss emitted somewhere from the forest near where the white tiger had emerged. A short streak of yellow light burst from the foliage and drove cleanly through the head of a goblin. It even traveled through and embedded itself into the shoulder of another goblin that stood behind. Two more sharp streaks drove through the chests of two others. The monsters were being picked off one by one as the tiger held them back towards the edge of the lake while the unknown assailant continued to fire mercilessly into the packed enemy. Many goblins were able to deflect the lines of light once they were able to pinpoint the source of the attack. They lacked competent leadership, and so they moved to gain better position in a clumsy manner. However, the lack of communication caused one group to move the opposite direction from the other. The tiger took advantage of this and moved in on the goblins to its right. The streaks of light now shot from another area of the forest and took down some of the distracted creatures.

Ray tore his eyes away from the battle to address Leilan and Verche, "Should we move in on this?"

Leilan eyed the tiger thoughtfully and was about to decide against supporting when she saw a rustling in the forest to the east. From the depths of the trees came a large group of massive humanoid creatures that towered well above any ordinary human. Their jaws consisted of sharpened teeth with two from the lower jaw overlapping the upper lip in a hideous snarl. One half of it was blue with what appeared to be an icicle shard protruding from its shoulder while the other half was a lime green.

They halted for a moment at the edge of the forest to allow another ogre to step forward. It was similar to the others with a barrel of a chest and stood slightly taller than the others. Its skin was pitch black with dark, spiked armor encompassing most of its frame. While the other ogres held clubs, this one wielded a flanged mace. The bottom portion of the mace's handle was spiked, and the edges dug into the ogre's hands with no concern from its wielder.

"Those are Wood Ice Ogres," Verche observed, calmly drawing his sword.

Leilan rose from the ground. "Looks like a Dark-Armored Ogre is leading them. I don't know who it is that is fighting the goblins, but we can find out afterward."

She rushed down the hill to intercept the ogres. Ray and Verche followed. They would have to hold off the ogres and keep them from joining the main force of goblins. If both of the enemy forces met, it would be even more difficult for the tiger to maneuver. It would be even worse for the ranged fighter. The ranged attacks were not all that powerful and would barely pierce the defenses of an ogre. If the ogres positioned themselves in front of the goblins, then there would never be a clear shot.

The ogres let out their battle cries and eagerly charged forward towards the new participants of the battle. Both sides were only a few yards from each other when a familiar streak of light whizzed past the first monster's shoulder and drove into the head of the ogre just behind it. The line of light dug a shallow gap and pierced deep enough to fracture part of the ogre's skull. It reeled around and wildly swung its club in a frenzy, nearly hitting its fellows. The disorientation of the ogre caused the others to break formation.

Ray and his team took advantage of this and all three of them lashed out at the nearest ogre and put it down before it even had a chance to retaliate. It collapsed backward as Leilan jumped forward. She landed on its chest as it fell and used it as a platform to leap forward and drove the blade of her halberd into the head of a second ogre. Its eyes rolled to the back of its head and it grasped frantically at its assailant. But Leilan had already started beating her wings and slid her grip down to the end of the pole of her weapon to stay out of reach.

Verche moved off to the right and sliced horizontally along the abdomen of another ogre. This one ignored the pain and swung its club in a savage, downward ark. Verche spun easily out of harm's way and punched the ogre in the laceration of its belly, inflicting even more pain. Verche would have finished it off if another ogre hadn't shown up just inside his peripherals. The knight stepped back and the club drove into the ground, splashing up dirt like an erupting volcano. Verche thrust forward with his sword and cut cleanly through the ogre's forearm rendering it useless.

Both of the god monsters suddenly felt a burst of energy as Ray completed a board of orbs.

It was the first time Verche had ever experienced the power that a Player could provide. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was different, almost overwhelming to someone who wasn't prepared for it. It was impressive.

More bursts of light continued to distract the ogres and provided openings for Ray and his team.

These ranged attacks ceased for a time and Ray began to wonder what was amiss. Perhaps more enemies were in the forest and had found their ally's position?

The thought was immediately discarded as an armored female leaped out of the forest and charged towards the combat. The familiar blasts of light flew past her with renewed force. She was upon the ogres before they even had a chance to notice her. She sliced at an ogre's jugular with her katana and a satisfying fountain of blood sprayed from the wound. The ogre clutched at its neck desperately, but it already began to fragment into data.

The dark-armored ogre then blocked her path while a second ogre flanked from behind.

A pained growl prompted the female to spare a glance behind her. Ray sliced along the leg of the ogre to her rear with his own katana. The ogre spat an angry roar and drove its club into the dirt next to Ray in an uncontrolled strike. Ray flicked the switch that would reveal his hidden blade and cut it deep into the ogre's wrist. Blood spurted as Ray pierced its ulnar artery and sliced all the way up the forearm. For good measure he retracted the blade and spun to stab his katana deep into the ogre's exposed stomach.

The other dark ogre watched as its comrade collapsed to its knees. It roared and swung its mace in a diagonal swipe intent on crushing the girl with one blow. The reckless attack was obvious and simple to dodge, but the second strike redirected course faster than anticipated as if undeterred by momentum. She back-stepped and the mace scraped along the chest plate of her armor. It also sliced through the strap that held the scabbard for her weapon. The scabbard fell to the ground and she readied it along with her katana in a dual-wielding stance.

Before the black ogre could strike again, it lurched forward as a blast of light collided with its back. The female warrior wasted no time and batted aside a clumsy, desperate strike from the ogre with her scabbard. She aimed her slice at the ogre's neck, but it tucked its chin at the last minute to protect itself from fatal injury. The katana cut along the ogre's jaw and rebounded off its shoulder plates. She recovered from the reverberations of her arm that resulted from the metal on metal contact. The ogre reached up with its opposite arm and the female whirled about. Her sword drove straight through the palm of its hand. The ogre didn't even have time to let out a pained grunt as another burst of light connected with the back of its head.

The female warrior leaped off the monster just as a mass of white drove the behemoth to the ground. The ogre fell face-first into the dirt and the tiger on its back went to work at the exposed flesh.

A small girl wielding a magnificent, gold trident sat upon the tiger's back and continued firing the lines of light from her weapon to disorient the remaining ogres for Ray and his monsters.

The unstitched cloth of the girl's outfit tore as the dark ogre underneath the weight of her tiger lashed out in a wild attack with its mace. This did not go unnoticed by the white tiger. Upon seeing the thin cut of its master's fair skin from the ogre's mace, the tiger went into a rage and struck out even more fiercely.

The female warrior with the katana and Ray Andylon worked side by side to hold back another ogre that attempted to remove the tiger from its comrade's back.

As the ogre fell over from a slice to the throat and abdomen the female turned to Ray and gave him a quick nod before moving off to take on another adversary.

Ray returned the motion and followed her. There was much more blood to be spilled.


With the fall of the first ogre, the marine goblins retreated into the forest and abandoned their precious cargo. The ferocity of the tiger and the fact that these enemies were able to so easily subdue an ogre was enough evidence to prove that they stood no chance of victory.

The ogres had a different mentality. Each ogre fought to the death. Not one retreated. But all fell and vanished in a cloud of data at the hands and paws of their foes.

Ray reunited with Leilan and Verche as the battle ended, their weapons still pulsing with the leftover energy from the matched orbs that Ray provided. Verche panted from the heaviness of the power that had streamed through his body.

"That was unlike anything I had anticipated," Verche finally said after a few heavy breaths.

Leilan smiled with satisfaction. "You get used to it real quick."

Ray approached them and stared at Verche questioningly, but Leilan waved to assure him that everything was fine.

Leilan gestured to the girl riding the tiger who was now rejoining her Player partner a short distance away. "Any idea who that monster is Verche?" she asked.

Verche shook his head and straightened himself. "No idea."

Ray, Verche, and Leilan waited until the two females and the tiger approached them. Both sides stared and analyzed the other. Their gazes weren't those of hostility, merely curiosity.

The red-haired female Player stepped forward and eyed Ray up and down. He waited for her to break the silence.

"Not bad," she said in a neutral tone.

Ray expected her to say more, but she simply stared at Ray expectantly.

"Not so bad yourself," Ray finally said, finding his voice.

The girl on the tiger leaped gracefully down from the beast's back and slid her trident into a holster attached to its side. She held her hands up innocently in a sign of friendship. The assortment of jewelry on her person rattled with every movement as she approached. A hint of embarrassment was clear on her face as she held her torn silk dress up to keep it from falling too far down. She bowed and her light blue hair nearly brushed the ground.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," the girl said politely in a cute voice. "My name is Parvati. And this is my friend Yukiko."

The red-haired girl nodded upon hearing her name.

Parvati then extended her hand to the tiger, head still down. "And this is my beloved friend Somanandi."

The tiger growled a greeting as it latched its paws into the dirt and arched its back in a stretch. It kicked the body of a dead ogre that was still disappearing with an irritated snarl.

Leilan and Verche stepped forward on either side of Ray.

"This is Leilan and Verche," Ray said.

"A pleasure to meet you," Verche and Leilan said in unison.

The female Player, Yukiko, raised an eyebrow as the monsters introduced themselves; however, she did not bother to speak aloud her surprise at seeing a Player already partnered with two monsters.

"You all were of great help," Parvati continued when she saw that no one else made any indication of speaking. "That dark ogre had a sizeable bounty on its head and has been harassing the humans passing through here as of late. Now the roads will be much safer."

"Bounty?" Ray asked.

"That's right," Yukiko said with the same passive expression. "And now we must head back to the city to collect the reward."

Without another word, she turned on her heels and began to head back to the forest. Parvati remained behind and scratched behind her head awkwardly. The tiger let out a derisive snort and turned its head in the other direction as the stern female passed him.

Parvati laughed nervously. "I'm sorry. Yukiko isn't one for conversation. She's really a good person though."

The tiger huffed behind her and rested its head on the ground.

"Could've fooled me," Leilan commented. "Your tiger friend doesn't seem to like her either."

The tiger let out a low rumble to confirm this and went about licking the blood off one of its paws.

Ray tore his eyes away from the other Player to address Parvati. "She said the city. Did she mean Sarkast?"

"Yes, that is correct," Parvati answered.

Parvati and Yukiko didn't seem like bad sorts.

"Well, I was thinking. Why don't we, y'know, travel there together? Since we're heading the same way and all."

Ray had to admit to himself that he was glad to see another Player.

Parvati's face beamed at this suggestion and she clasped her hands together excitedly. "Oh that would be wonderful! We would love some company!"

The tiger interrupted licking its paws and let out a loud snort. It seemed to think that one person would be adverse to the idea.

"Oh hush," Parvati scolded it.

The tiger seemed to roll its eyes and rose on all fours. It was ready to hit the road.

"We would love your company," Parvati said. "Shall we go?"

"Sounds good."

Ray and his team joined Parvati and made their way to the edge of the woods. Leilan felt a twinge in her senses that she couldn't ignore and gazed around to find what had caused the disturbance. She gazed around the lake and the opposite forest but could not pick out any movement. She shrugged and followed the others. It might have just been her imagination. But even if it wasn't, there didn't seem much cause for concern. Not yet at least.


A dark mystic knight scout crouched down and hid behind a row of bushes as the female monster with the halberd turned her head in its direction. After a brief moment, the female, with a bit of hesitation, returned to her comrades. The mystic knight breathed a sigh of relief.

It recognized the female. She was the one from Caramoc Cove who had fought against Satan. She had also embarrassed the mystic knights with the active skill she used to freeze them in place during the fight. But now she was without most of her active skills. There might be an opportunity for revenge.

The main force of knights was on the move to the opposite side of the lake. There was no way to catch up to the group of god monsters. Three god monsters and two Players might be too much to handle even in their weakened state anyway.

The mystic knights had other methods.

Patience.

The knight abandoned its cover as the enemy disappeared into the trees.