Disclaimers: This work is purely fictional & not based on present-day real life events. It is not meant to be a political/social commentary on events occurring in real life. I try to speculate on the nature of the Overlord World, which does not translate to the real world. Mature themes will appear in the story, so I have rated this story as M-rated. I do not support any conspiracy theory and suggest readers to view this story in context of the Overlord world (by Maruyama Kagune), a harsher reality than ours.
Planned Story Arcs:
- Record 1: ORIGINS
- Record 2: WORLD OF 2138
- Record 3: THE RED DREAM
- Record 4: DIPLOMACY
- Record 5: NEW HORIZONS
AN: Apologies in advance to those who read "Record 1: The Red Dream. I will be adding it once more in the near future in this story, but one step at a time, in chronological & logical order. I will try to adopt different themes & writing styles for each record.
Prologue
In a world much like our own, technology had advanced to a point where virtual reality gaming was not only possible but had become an obsession for many. DMMO-RPGs, or Dive Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, had taken over the gaming industry, providing players with an escape from reality into a world where they could be whoever they wanted to be.
But with the open-beta release of the new game YGGDRASIL 2, things began to change. Players started to disappear, and rumours circulated about a sinister force at work within the game. As more and more players went missing, the public started to take notice, and an anti-sentiment had been brewing amongst the family of the victims, warning the public about the dangers of virtual reality gaming. In terms of government response, the police department official statement was simply, "we are currently investigating it."
Despite the warnings, many people continued to play YGGDRASIL 2, drawn in by its promise of endless possibilities. The game's mechanics had been improved, allowing players to explore new worlds, fight monsters, and build empires.
In Tokyo, a group of friends gathered to watch the news on TV – "another missing person found dead at a game café at Shinjuku, suicide or coincidence?". They had all been avid gamers and were excited about the release of YGGDRASIL 2. But as they watched the news, a sense of unease began to settle over them. They knew that virtual reality gaming had its risks, but they had never considered the possibility that something could go wrong within the game itself. They switched on their consoles and dived into the video game.
Meanwhile, in a lavish hotel, wealthy men and women gathered for the official release of YGGDRASIL 2. The mood was electric as the crowd cheered and clapped, excited about the new game. The CEO of the gaming company, Mr. Tsubaru, gave his opening speech. Under the scrutinising eyes of the international community, he preached about the virtues of the game, how it helped build community together, how it fostered a uniquely Japanese spirit that has been lost since the Arcology Wars. He reassured the audience that safety had been their number one priority and demonstrated the game by putting the headset on himself.
As the evening wore on and speeches were made, the players of YGGDRASIL 2 logged into the game, eager to explore its new features.
Ryuki, a Japanese police officer, had been assigned to investigate the missing players from YGGDRASIL 2. He had spent countless hours studying the game, trying to find any clues that could lead him to the truth.
One day, while reviewing the game data, he recognised the in-game name of one of the missing players, Momonga. Momonga was a powerful wizard in the game and was one of his closest friends in the guild Ainz Ooal Gown. He knew that Momonga was a skilled player and that he would not have disappeared without a reason. Ryuki solemnly made a vow to find out what had happened to Momonga and the other missing players. He knew that time was running out and that he needed to act fast.
Estessa, an agent from Interpol, had been assigned to assist Ryuki in his investigation. Initially, Estessa was initially skeptical about the importance of the case. She had heard of a few missing players from YGGDRASIL 2, but didn't think it was significant enough to warrant an investigation. She suspected that the players may have committed suicide, a tragic but not uncommon occurrence in the virtual world.
However, after further research and analysis of the data, she realized that something was off. The autopsy reports of the missing players did not add up, and there were no signs of foul play or suicide.
As Estessa delved deeper into the case, she came across a disturbing fact. Despite the missing players' vital signs being normal, their brains were not demonstrating any activity. It was as if their minds had been completely shut down, with no hint of any cognitive processes or neural activity. Their EEG scans revealed an eerie emptiness in their brain's activity, indicating that something was severely wrong. Estessa couldn't help but shudder at the thought of being trapped in such a state, completely unaware and unable to control one's own mind.
She was surprised at how many people played VR games in Japan, where the reality was much different from that of Europe. In her home country, people still embraced nature and all its beauty, but that was probably because the damage from the Arcology War had been less severe.
Together, Ryuki and Estessa logged into YGGDRASIL 2, ready to start their investigation. The game's opening day was just around the corner, and they knew that it would be a busy time, with many players logging in and creating new characters.
They had no idea of the dangers that awaited them, both within the game and outside of it. And as the line between reality and fantasy blurred, they would soon find themselves in a fight for survival against an enemy they never could have imagined.