"To belong is to understand the tacit codes of the people you live with." -Michael Ignatieff, Blood and Belonging

Chapter 13- Tomb

The Virtual World

Pirugan Continent, Flint Peak

In-Game Timer: Day 14

3:53 PM

The dungeon was unlike any that Ray had entered before. While the previous dungeons were typically straightforward with little variety save for a few branching passages leading to different caverns, this dungeon was a labyrinth of stone bridges and dozens upon dozens of tunnels spiraling downward and upward. Ray wondered just how natural the dungeon was. It was as if some sort of giant, worm-like creature had burrowed throughout Flint Peak in a chaotic frenzy.

What was most disconcerting about the dungeon was the lack of enemies. The dungeon was eerily silent. All Ray could hear was the soft padding of his footsteps and the quiet beating of Leilan's wings as she descended and ascended to investigate paths that were out of everyone else's reach.

Even with the feeling of uneasiness given the dungeon's strange circumstances, Ray's apprehension was more towards the female Player that trailed behind him. Ray had risked a few glances behind him while examining his surroundings to read Yukiko's expression. All of her focus seemed to be directed at him. A few times their eyes met and he was always the first to turn awkwardly away. She was so blunt about it.

Ray felt a tapping on his shoulder and found Sophie staring at him with a concerned expression.

"Everything okay?"

Ray nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Just a little on edge."

At that moment, Leilan alighted next to him and motioned for the group to stop with an outstretched hand. Everyone immediately went into defensive stances. For a time they stood in silence as the air seemed to constrict around them. The only sound was their even breathing.

Ray approached Leilan who was crouched next to the edge of the natural bridge they were crossing. He lowered himself next to her and followed her eyes to a tunnel below.

"You see something?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

Leilan gave him a disparaged look before answering, "Without a doubt. But it keeps slipping away into the shadows. Somehow."

She rose from her crouch and went to rejoin the others to warn them of whatever the creature was that skulked below. Just before Ray moved to follow her, he caught a slight movement in the tunnel below. It was such a modest shift of the air that Ray had to question his eyes for a moment. Then it happened again with another turn of his head. It seemed like a disturbance, a distortion in the air, like heat rising off of a blacktop in the summer heat. Leilan was right. Something was there. But how was it hiding its presence?

Ray returned to his comrades to relay what he had discovered. "Yeah, it's definitely down there."

Leilan turned to him in surprise while Yukiko crossed her arms unconvinced.

"Any idea what it is then?" Yukiko asked.

Ray shook his head. "No. It was just a shimmer. I think it might be using some sort of camouflage."

Their new Player comrade, Kurt, looked around uneasily at the stone. "So you mean it's like, using mimicry or something?"

"Could be," Ray reasoned.

The rest of the group noticed Yukiko's monster partner, Parvati, approach Bastet who was off to the side by herself sniffing the air with a stubborn intensity.

"What's the matter Bastet?" Parvati asked.

The others waited expectantly for Bastet's response.

Bastet gave them all a smirk. "No idea. I was doubting my nose before. But I'm absolutely sure now."

"Sure of what?" Leilan demanded in clear frustration.

"Well, there's a dragon somewhere around here," Bastet answered matter-of-factly.

At the conclusion of her statement, a heavy thud could be heard farther along the bridge and everyone turned towards the sound in time to see a puff of dirt float into the air as some unseen figure disturbed the stone. All around them, as if on cue, the sound of scuttling like picks digging into cement echoed all around the companions. The sound was everywhere.

Ray squinted his eyes at the ceiling and saw the same shimmering he had seen in the tunnel below. This time the disturbance in the air covered a much larger area and pulsed like frustrated waves of water.

Ray raised his wrist to give his database a clear view of the area, but the device made no indication that it was aware of the presence of any monsters.

"The database can't locate them," Yukiko said next to him as she lowered her own database.

The skittering halted and the dungeon returned once again to its former silence. The invisible monsters seemed to be sizing up their enemy and planning an offensive strategy before moving in. Ray wished that it were as easy to come up with a way to defend against an enemy that they could barely even see. Hell, they didn't even know what they looked like or what weaponry they packed.

Kurt leaned over to Bastet. "Um, any idea how many there are?" he stuttered.

Bastet shrugged at a loss. "Nope. Can't smell 'em."

"Oh great. That's just swell." Kurt tightened his grip on the double-edged axe he clutched in his trembling hands.

"We need to tighten our formation," Leilan urged them. "They are on the ceiling. We can't let them get behind us."

Everyone concurred with this statement and the allied monsters and Players entered a tightly-knit, circular formation.

As the group packed together, Ray noticed Sophie next to him and attempted to position himself in front of her without making it too noticeable. He recalled everyone's ridicule when he had broken the news that they would be bringing along a human who was without a monster partner. To the other Players, Sophie was just another vulnerable non-playable character in a game world. But Ray knew better. She was more than that. He had allowed her to join them (albeit grudgingly), and he couldn't help feeling she was his responsibility.

Ray felt a gentle nudge at his waist and found himself moving to the side as Sophie pushed next to him. She smiled at him knowingly and he turned his head away in embarrassment.

"I appreciate the gesture," she said. "But I made this choice. So I'll do my best."

Ray stared at her in disbelief as her soft expression transformed to one filled with determination as the rapid skuttling of the enemy monsters revived.

The rock bridge they stood on was wide enough to hold all of them standing next to each other, but it would prove to be a less than generous area to fight against an unknown number of hostile monsters.

The first strike came from somewhere not completely unexpected. It came from below. From the edge of the natural bridge a blade in the shape of a scimitar flickered to life and sliced where Bastet had been standing previously. As the blade cut through the air, the cat monster grabbed the flat of either side of the blade with her paws and drove it into the stone. The insect-like arm that held the blade went with it and the monster's shoulder drove into the side of the stone bridge. It let out a terrible shriek as its shoulder dislocated with a sharp crack. Bastet grinned and launched herself into a double kick that drove into the monster's face. It disappeared as it fell to the cavern floor below.

A double-edged axe swung above Bastet's head and connected with a satisfying thud as it drove into the chest of an unseen enemy that had attempted to strike at Bastet's blind side. The wielder of the axe leaned forward with a rebound attack and drove his knee into the monster, sending it off the side of the bridge to follow its other comrade.

Bastet glared at Kurt as he breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"You crazy?" Bastet shouted. "You could've sliced my head off!"

Kurt stuck his tongue out at her. "Yeah, you're welcome and all that!"

A sword cut into the empty air behind Kurt in much the same fashion as his axe and another of the insectoid monsters screamed in pain as its severed arm fell to the stone.

Kurt turned to the owner of the blade. Yukiko stared at him disapprovingly. "Not really a good time guys."

She set herself up next to them to prepare for the next imminent attack. Yukiko's words knocked the two feuding partners back into focus.

Nearby, Ray activated his barrier to enter puzzle mode just as one of the invisible monsters leaped forward with an overhead strike. Ray saw the satisfying, lime-green pulsing of the barrier as the enemy monster collided with it and was sent reeling backward through the air with the countering outward force. The monsters were weak, but their numbers were overwhelming.

Ray gave the board a quick once-over and moved to pick up an orb when a rumbling voice intruded upon his mind. Its powerful tone stayed Ray's hand and he felt his legs begin to go weak under him. It was as if the voice was weighing some huge mass on his head. No, it was a weight that flooded his mind like water flowing in an enclosed space.

"You are certainly a strange one," the voice growled with curiosity.

Ray clutched at his head to stifle the pain and the barrier dissipated against his will upon sensing his lack of focus. He unwillingly let out a cry as the voice pierced his mind.

"I apologize for the distress I am enacting upon your mental state. The distance and the number of individuals is making it rather difficult to circumnavigate the data stream to pinpoint your exact being. But you will find that my assistance will preserve you and your friends."

As the voice concluded its statement the pain melted away from Ray's mind. He clamped his eyes shut and gasped for air as he turned his face up to the ceiling. He couldn't put a reason as to why he was breathing so heavily, but his chest heaved as his air intake began to level. It almost felt like he was having one of the asthma attacks he had been unfortunate enough to experience in his own world.

His focus returned to his current situation and he noticed that everyone was standing around him to fight off the invisible enemy that poked and prodded against their circle formation. He didn't even notice Leilan standing next to him until she shook him roughly with a hand on his shoulder.

"Ray! Ray! What's wrong?"

Ray turned to her voice and he could see that she actually had an expression of concern on her face that he hadn't seen before. He moved to speak, but the words caught in his throat as the voice intruded on his thoughts again. It didn't hurt nearly as bad as the last time, but it still stung at the edge of his senses.

"Reinforcements will be arriving. Your current stats and dormant intrinsic settings will not win you the day. You must retreat. I shall guide you."

Ray nodded and spoke before he even had time to consider his response. "Okay. Show us the way."

Leilan stared at him quizzically as he seemed to speak to nobody at all. "Ray? What are you talking about?"

Ray stared at the opening to a tunnel at the end of the bridge that would be their destination. The shimmering of the invisible monsters stood in their way. It didn't seem like they would be able to cut through the enemy unless they broke formation.

But could he trust this voice? The situation didn't seem to be getting better where they were now. No matter how much he thought about it, it didn't seem like he would ever come to any sort of conclusion.

He remembered what Leilan said those days ago during the battle with Verche at the special dungeon in Demeter Forest. "Don't think. Just act."

So he did something that he usually didn't do when he had too much time to think. He went with his gut.

"We can't stay here," Ray announced.

Leilan followed Ray's gaze to the tunnel at the end of the bridge and grimaced at the violent distortion of the air that blocked their path. The circular formation was also moving inward as the camouflaged monsters increased in number.

"I have an idea," Ray said with a confidence that surprised him. "We need to change positions!" he shouted.

Many of them risked turning to him and looked as if they thought he was crazy.

He addressed Leilan and relayed his plan. "We need two players in the front who have active barriers so we can push the enemy back once they are activated. A monster needs to defend either side along the edges of the bridge while Sophie and another Player with a recharging barrier cover the rear. I'll need you in the air so that none of those things drop down from above to attack the formation on the inside. If the enemy breaches our formation we are in trouble."

Leilan's expression did not falter as Ray explained his strategy, but inwardly, she was absolutely amazed by this new confident Ray that issued orders like he had been doing it all his life. It seemed to come so naturally. Why wasn't he like this all the time? It was a sound plan.

Leilan simply responded to him with a nod and flew off to inform the god monsters of the plan. Ray moved to apprise his fellow Players. He first urged Sophie to take up the rear, who was reluctant at first to take a position of safety, until Ray informed her of how critical her role was and that no part of the formation was safer than another. He rushed over to Yukiko and Kurt so that Sophie wouldn't have to defend her position alone for too long.

Yukiko cut down another of the insect monsters and her display forced the other monsters to back up cautiously to reassess their assault on the dangerous female. Kurt's strikes were wild and lacked control, but each blow was devastating as his axe sent severed limbs and bodies over the bridge. No matter how many they killed more seemed to take their place. It was like cutting off the head of a hydra. It wasn't difficult to locate them due to the shimmering of the air, but the real challenge was keeping an eye out for where their limbs appeared when they were about to strike. Overall, the enemy didn't coordinate well.

Ray approached them during their break in the fight and explained his plan. Kurt's response was one of elation and he gave Ray a playful punch in the shoulder as he voiced his agreement. Yukiko eyed him warily but nodded her assent. As Ray made his way back to Sophie at the rear of the formation, he noticed that Parvati and Bastet were already assuming their roles to either side of the bridge while Leilan was in the midst of intercepting enemy monsters that attempted to drop down to attack the formation from within.

Once their Player barriers were ready, Yukiko and Kurt activated them. The monsters all around them, and, most importantly, the ones standing in the front, were launched backwards or were forced to retreat back of their own will. This gave the formation the opportunity to move forward before the enemy could reassume their position. Ray would switch positions with either Yukiko or Kurt and they would wait for both barriers to recharge so that the barriers covered the entire bridge in their area. Keeping at least one recharged barrier to the front in reserve ensured that any surprises could be dealt with at a moment's notice.

This same painstaking process continued, and they moved up little by little towards the cavern that promised an escape. Or at least, the voice in Ray's head had promised it.

As they approached the mouth of the cavern the voice spoke once again in Ray's mind, "The rest of your journey will consist of winding tunnels and passages. The cat monster is aware of my presence. She will guide you."

So it really is the dragon, Ray thought. The fact he was putting his trust in a dragon was a little unnerving, but he wasn't sure of what stance dragons had in this world.

"Bastet!" Ray shouted.

Bastet struggled to slice at an enemy monster as fatigue began to settle in her muscles. She turned to him once she had finished off her opponent.

"Find the dragon!"

Bastet tilted her head for a moment. It only lasted a second as she realized how his plan had originated. It seemed like everyone else was beginning to catch on as well.

They maintained formation, but she would tell the Player closest to her in the front which direction to take in the maze of tunnels.

The tunnel was only about twenty feet high, making it difficult for Leilan to deal with the monsters crawling along the ceiling. Eventually, she opted to ground herself and take a position at the center of the formation. Soon Parvati and Leilan switched so Parvati could fire her trident at the insect monsters above at a more favorable angle. Her tiger, Solomondi, attacked viciously at any enemy that managed to dodge Parvati's streaks of light energy.

After turning down multiple tunnels, a strange shift in the tone of the fighting could be subconsciously felt. The scurrying of the insect monsters began to dissipate and the distortion of the air lessened. The companions relaxed themselves at the edge of some intersecting tunnels to catch their breath and rest their muscles. All in all, the battle had lasted nearly twenty minutes. Twenty minutes of practically non-stop combat. Twenty minutes of extreme mental focus and absurd physical endurance.

They rested for a good fifteen minutes while Solomondi kept a vigilant eye out for any hostile monsters. They then moved on in silence through the tunnels as Bastet lead them with her nose.

Kurt broke the silence, "Damn, those things just never ended. Wonder why they ran off."

"We might be getting close to the dragon," Bastet reasoned as she sniffed the air absentmindedly.

"What I'd like is some sort of explanation from Ray," Yukiko said.

The rest of them cast their gaze on Ray who was trailing behind with Sophie to the rear of the group.

Ray shrugged. He didn't see any reason to not tell them.

"The dragon that we are looking for, it spoke to me," Ray answered honestly.

The look of surprise was clear on the face of the two Players, but the monsters nodded in understanding.

"It makes sense," Parvati explained to Kurt and Yukiko. "Dragons communicate using telepathy. Though I am surprised that it decided to talk with Ray."

"But why would it help us?" Leilan wondered. "Furthermore, dragons are not supposed to be in this country."

Leilan went silent as they entered a massive cavern that was grander than any of the others they had witnessed in any dungeon thus far. From the ceiling were stalactites etched with a spiraling design with the shape of dewdrops at its ends. To the left stood a massive structure of rectangular stone that was easily as large as five or more buildings from the suburbs in Sarkast. Carved into the stone were the images of dragons in flight and combat. At the center of the chaos was a dragon with the design of a beautiful flower on its head and with what appeared to be butterfly wings growing from its back. Its legs like tree trunks stomped into the unseen ground and cracks branched off towards the nearest dragons in the mural.

Statues of great dragons stood in two lines to create a path leading up to the mural. The Players and monsters stared in wonder at the dozens upon dozens of intricately carved statues of the mighty dragons. Words were etched into the base of the statues in a language that was foreign to the Players.

Kurt couldn't suppress his excitement and rushed over to the first statue with Bastet in tow. The rest of the group trailed behind and continued to observe the expanse of the enormous cavern.

"What does this one say?" Kurt asked as he and Bastet observed a statue of a dragon that appeared to have some sort of shell on its back with icicle spikes protruding menacingly. The rest of its body was covered in spots upon its legs and sides with similar frost needles. Its claws and tail even appeared to be of giant ice shards.

Bastet read the engraving below it, "It says, Glacialdragon Nilfheim. Loyal friend with an internal warmth to match the freeze of ice.

They moved along the path formed by the statues that bordered on either side of them. The monsters read the placards of some of the statues aloud for the Players as they made their way to the rectangular structure that dominated the cavern: Dark Sky Star Dragon Emperor, Defoud; Guardian Dragon, Avalon Drake; Omega Holy Skydragon, Shangri-La; Red Dragon God, Hino Kagatsuchi; Blue Stone Dragon, Mythril. Dozens upon dozens of statues lined the pathway and all bore the names of dragons.

Kurt broke the silence, "This is incredible! So many dragons! Are all of these dragons from the original game really in this world too?"

"The statues are here," Yukiko said. "So I would imagine so."

Everyone, even the monsters, halted in their tracks upon seeing two statues that dominated the others in size that stood directly at the base of the rectangular structure. The Players knew these two monsters all too well. They were the dragons that all Players saw upon entering the original game for the first time.

"Holy..." Ray breathed as he took in the sight of the two magnificent statues of the dragons.

The first statue depicted a dragon standing on two powerful legs with elongated spikes protruding from its head reaching towards its back. Spikes jutted from its back and shoulders with hungry flames erupting all over and encompassing the dragon's form. It made a Tyranosaurus pale in comparison to its might. The statue of the dragon appeared to be letting out a mighty roar that would strike fear into any other dragon in its presence. The placard beneath the statue read: Firedragon Grand Tyranos.

The second statue was of a dragon in the shape of a serpent covered in smooth, overlapping scales. Dangerous blades jut from the sides of its body in the shape of scimitars. Even its head mounted blades similar to broadswords. Upon its back were grand wings. In the center of its body was a jewel akin to a sapphire and the dragon's eyes took on a similar hue. Its eyes held an intelligence and wisdom that exceeded that of other beings. The placard beneath this statue read: Icedragon Depth Plesios.

Ray, Yukiko, and Kurt stood in silence for a considerable amount of time at a loss for words. Here were the statues that depicted two of the starter dragons from the original game from their world. They were the dragons that started it all.

A voice seemingly from everywhere woke them all from their reverie, "It seems I have been receiving quite a number of guests these past few days."

Everyone looked around the cavern in bewilderment to find the source of the voice. Finally, they all settled upon a massive crystal on the other side of the cavern that was previously invisible to them. Upon entering the dungeon, the Players had seen it as just another blended wall in the cavern. Now a pair of glowing red eyes appeared and brought forth the crystal's true appearance, a dragon.

"I welcome you all to the Tomb of the Saint, the resting place of the Third Saint, Flowerdragon Gaia Brachys."


The Virtual World

Pirugan Continent, Teril Outskirts

In-Game Timer: Day 14

4:40 PM

Verche landed next to an outcropping of rock that was densely covered on its east side to obscure him from the citizens that resided in the town of Teril. This was another town that felt uneasy with the presence of unfamiliar monsters; however, two monsters wandered the forests of the area to the east and to the north as protectors of the trading town. They were monsters that were not susceptible to the Reversion and were not particularly effected by the arrival of the Players in any direct way. This was beneficial. They would have eyes and ears on a particular area as he traveled across Pirugan, and nothing ever slipped by their vigilance.

This was proven when Verche heard a rough, muffled voice address him to his rear, "Identify yourself. You are marked."

Verche raised his hands slowly upon recognizing the voice. "I'm a little offended. Do you really not recognize my armor?"

He turned to see another knight wearing dark green armor wielding a weapon that was a mix between a lance and a halberd. The double blades at the end of the pole weapon were perhaps the size of a normal-sized individual. His face was hidden by an elaborate helmet. A brown checkered cape hung from his back where two scabbards were slung holding two broadswords.

The green knight lowered his weapon upon recognizing Verche, "It's been quite some time," he said simply.

"Too long Cu Chulainn," Verche agreed and he clasped the other knight's hand in a firm grip in greeting.

"My first guess is that you are here about the dark mystic knight activity in this area," Cu Chulainn ventured.

Verche nodded. "Indeed. I have encountered a number of them near Mercury Lake. They are more than just patrols."

"Aye. Siegfried and I have witnessed a number of battalions passing northwards over the past few days. All in the same direction."

"Any monsters leading them?"

Cu Chulainn shook his head. "No. No monsters worthy of note. Although we did meet with one of your Guardian friends just two days ago."

"Oh? And who might that be?"

"I'll give you an adjective. 'Stoic.'"

"Haku," Verche answered immediately.

"Bingo. I think we may have exchanged three sentences between us. Probably a new record, but she's as impassive as ever. But enough about that. I'll take you to Siegfried's position."

The two warriors moved off together deeper into the forest heading north. All the while they entered a more conversational tone as they discussed all the happenings they had missed in the few years they had been apart.

The area Siegfried resided in actually came as a surprise to Verche. The cliff that overlooked the squat canyon below was dangerously close to the northern border of the country. The country they currently inhabited was known as Fleren, while the country to the north was imply known as Dragon Territory.

But if Siegfried was here, then that meant the large forces of dark mystic knights that were passing through also hugged the forbidden territory lines as well.

As Cu Chulainn and Verche approached, the knight in blue, Siegfried, lifted his weapon, an absolutely massive sword with a blade nearly as thick as it was long (nearly his own height). He relaxed himself much the same as Cu Chulainn had with a response that was more gruff.

"Bah! Chulainn, make yourself known next time." He nodded a greeting to Verche as he assumed a more formal tone that didn't seem too natural. "Always a pleasure seeing you again Verche. Here for the show? You're right on time."

Siegfried gestured for the other two knights to lay beside him as they gazed out over the canyon. At first, there was nothing worthy of note, just the swirling sand and rock littered across the flat dirt. After a few minutes, towards the west side of the canyon, a mass of black, armored monsters appeared marching in a straight line formation. When the front line of soldiers entered the center of the canyon, Verche guessed that Cu Chulainn's numbers were correct. Even with the rest of the force still trickling into the canyon there was at least a battalion of them already. Verche estimated there were at least a good five hundred soldiers in the canyon.

"Where in the name of the gods are they coming from?" Verche wondered aloud.

Siegfried was about to answer when he motioned for Verche and Cu Chulainn to take cover behind a tall formation of rock to their side. The two other knights did so calmly with no wasted movement and a silence that would have seemed impossible given the bulky armor they wore.

On the opposite side of the canyon stood a tall, beautiful female monster adorned in bright-colored flowers and a flowing dress to match. Her long blonde hair blew in the wind as another monster, wearing much darker attire, alighted next to her and beat his wings to slow his swift descent.

Verche recognized the female monster. "Kali."

"That bitch," Siegfried muttered.

Cu Chulainn drew their attention away from Kali to the other monster beside her. "Any idea who that is?"

Siegfried and Verche shook their heads.

The other monster's hair was as long as Kali's, hanging far below the waistline, but was a dark gray and curly rather than straight. Verche could tell that the other monster was male due to his build, but his face was covered with some sort of plain porcelain mask. What was strange about this monster was its wings. There were eight of them, crimson with a dark red wave design. Two horns protruded from the monster's head in swirling arcs with a circlet resting upon its head. This monster was completely foreign to Verche.

"Five battalions in two days," Cu Chulainn commented as the male monster on the other side of the canyon took off again in the opposite direction.

"And more in the days prior," Siegfried added.

"An army," Verche finished.

The force of dark mystic knights disappeared into the mountains on the other side of the canyon. They were disappearing into Dragon Territory.

"That is a direct violation of the treaty," Siegfried said. "The Bestowal Treaty clearly states that no monsters or humans are to set foot in Dragon Territory."

"Then they are breaking the treaty," Verche said. "Can we not inform the dragons of this?"

"Not a chance," Cu Chulainn answered as he pushed himself off the rock to seat himself in a more comfortable position. "Dragons have broken off all contact. We would have to intrude upon Dragon Territory to inform them and that is an infraction in itself. It is a death sentence."

"Besides," Siegfried added. "The dragons are always watching over their territory. They should know about a force of this size. It is impossible for this many soldiers to go unnoticed."

"But this has been going on for days," Verche argued.

"True."

"Which means that there are some dragons letting them in."

"They are hiding them from the other dragons."

Verche pondered all of this. There could be no doubt that the dragons would know by now of such a sizeable force intruding upon their territory. They were very territorial and would not allow such an infraction of the treaty. He had no choice but to settle on the conclusion that they reached. There were dragons letting in an army of monsters upon their territory. But why? What was in it for them? What was the point?

"I know a dragon who is in neither dragon nor human territory," Verche said after his contemplation.

"Neither territory?" Cu Chulainn inquired.

"He resides in the neutral territory of the ocean. I must seek out the Second Saint, Plesios."


The Virtual World

Pirugan Continent, Flint Peak

In-Game Timer: Day 14

4:42 PM

The crystalline dragon remained motionless as Ray and the other Players took a few hesitant steps back towards the entrance of the cavern. Even the partner monsters could feel the sheer weight of the dragon's power pressing on their shoulders. Nevertheless, the monsters managed to hold their ground better than the Players who had no experience with dragons.

The voice of the dragon echoed in their heads and Ray felt the stinging pain once again. The dragon halted and Ray felt a lukewarm sensation melt over his mind like a protective membrane. Ray could feel it more than sense it. It felt like, concern?

"I apologize Ray Andylon. I still do not have a grasp on your coding. I request that you steel your mind."

Ray nodded more to himself than the dragon. When he looked up everyone's eyes were on him. They were a mix of emotions that were difficult for Ray to read. His eyes locked with Leilan who held an expression that Ray saw mirrored the dragon's. He couldn't help but be surprised by this due to her typical neutral nature.

Leilan spoke to the dragon to draw the attention away from Ray, "What do you call yourself dragon? And why are you in this country? Isn't it a direct violation of the treaty?"

"I am known as the Dragon of Prospects, Prophet. As for the treaty, I am not bound by it. I am not one of the nation of dragons."

"But you are a dragon."

"Indeed. I am a physical manifestation of the Lady Overlook's direct interaction with the material coding of this world. My presence as a dragon resulted from a stray strand of coding during the upload process of the respawn system during a dragon's untimely demise."

Leilan stared back at the other Players and monsters who just looked at each other baffled. The words of the dragon were just gibberish to them.

However, one Player spoke. One that was completely unexpected.

"He's saying that he is basically a byproduct of Lo," Kurt explained to the other Players who stared at him in astonishment. "Lo is usually not supposed to interfere with the coding that comprises the world itself. That isn't her duty as an AI for this world. She is supposed to just uphold the laws and collect data for the guys in our world to read. She basically disrupted some data and it put this guy together by accident."

Bastet's shoulders sagged and she placed her face in her paws as she shook her head in disbelief. Parvati seemed to be trying to form words but couldn't think of the right questions to ask. Leilan stood to the side with Ray and didn't bother to try and make sense of Kurt's explanation.

Kurt seemed offended by their reaction. "Hey, just because I didn't read the game guide doesn't mean I'm not smart. Geez."

"So if you really are a byproduct of Lo," Yukiko said, returning focus to the conversation. "Then do you have some of her abilities?"

"A good point," Kurt added.

"Kissass," Bastet muttered.

"Bastet, seriously?"

The dragon waited patiently for Bastet and Kurt to end their squabble. "Indeed. I do retain some of her properties and functions."

A thought occurred to Ray and he jumped in before anyone could speak. "So can you see what is going on in the world now?"

"Indeed. The one who upholds the laws of this world must have eyes and ears everywhere. I have inherited this as well."

This was good. Ray thought back to his conversation with Leilan and Verche. They had said that there was most likely some all-knowing entity on the side of the Legion that was helping them with intelligence. It was a decent hypothesis that explained how the enemy always knew their position. If this dragon was all-knowing concerning the goings on of the world then...

Ray's thoughts froze. The puzzle was beginning to come together. This dragon and this unknown enemy were both all-knowing. The dragon was a byproduct of Lo who also had her eyes all over this world. Could it be...

Ray brought his gaze to Leilan who had her arms crossed with a stern expression on her face as she considered the dragon's words. She finally sensed his gaze and turned her eyes downwards as she went back to her contemplation.

Ray wasn't sure if she was giving him the go-ahead to ask his question, but he knew that it was a risk. His next question would place an overwhelming amount of suspicion on him, and Yukiko certainly was already suspicious enough as it is.

He decided they couldn't keep going as they were. If Ray, Verche, and Leilan continued to harbor their secrets without the help of others then they could never win. It was time to take a gamble.

"You said there were other visitors before us. Who were they?"

"The one who calls himself Hades, and his Player partner, Kaplin Bernat," the dragon answered immediately.

Upon hearing the name of the Legion monster, Leilan visibly flinched. It was only for a tenth of a second, but even out of the corner of Ray's eye it was unmistakable. If just hearing the name of Hades was enough to instill some fear in Leilan then he didn't want to know what it was like in his presence.

Ray turned his attention back to the dragon. "What did he ask you?"

"He inquired about a being that he calls the Abyssal. He wished to know if I was aware of its true intentions. Indeed this Abyssal is of concern to Lady Overlook due to the unnatural habitation of this being. However, due to the fact this Abyssal has not broken any laws, and has also disappeared into an unknown rift in the data stream, it is impossible for Lo to take any action against it."

That was all Ray needed to know. His suspicions were now confirmed. Kurt's explanation, the all-knowing enemy of the Guardians that worked for the Legion, and the answers given to Hades about the Abyssal.

He turned to Leilan who waited expectantly. The eyes of the other Players and monsters were also directed upon him. This was where the turning point for their faith was. After this, he would have to explain everything, or he would lose what little trust he had in his new comrades.

He waited for Leilan's nod of confirmation. "Leilan, this Abyssal that is on the side of the Legion, I believe it is exactly the same as Lo."

Yukiko stepped forward and invaded Ray's space more than he felt comfortable with. She was mere inches from his face when she gave him a wry, knowing grin.

"So, guess you'll be giving your explanation now huh?"

Ray laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess so."

He explained everything that he had learned up until that point. The war of the monsters, Takamura and the universal code, the unknown organization that wanted the code, everything. Leilan didn't interrupt him once during his story, and she didn't seem to be against his decision. This realization bid Ray further and he felt more confident telling his new friends all about how real the virtual world was.

During some points in the story, Yukiko and Kurt stared at their monster partners when Ray explained a detail that the monsters could have confided them with. Bastet and Parvati turned from them awkwardly at these motions. The two monsters explained that they thought the Players were participants in the world temporarily. They had no stance in the war and they just wished to become stronger with the help of the Players until they left. They were soon shocked to learn that the departure of the current Players in the future would not be the end. Millions of Players would follow soon after.

Kurt was the first to speak once he was able to collect himself after Ray's story, "Y'know, I always thought this world just felt too damn real. I mean, the sound of my feet hitting the rocks in the cavern, the air, and..." He gestured to the monsters that stood with them. "All of our new friends."

Yukiko nodded her agreement. "My sword cutting through the air feels exactly the same as in my world. Maybe even better. I just can't see how technology, no matter how amazing, can possibly mimic that sort of feeling. I don't believe in that."

"So if this Abyssal is the same as Lo then-"

"It's safe to say that it is also an AI," Ray finished for Kurt.

"But why the hell would it be here?" Bastet's outburst caught everyone by surprise. "We already have Lo! Why is it here?"

"Well, it would probably have to do with these bad people that were after Takamura right?" Parvati ventured.

Bastet glared at her. "Right, I knew that."

"Just like Lo huh," Leilan said thoughtfully.

"And who created Lo?" Kurt announced knowing full well the answer.

"Thomas Malkin." Ray answered.