[X] Uh... Agil pretended to be your dad over the phone already! Dad probably won't fly but uh... close family guardian? He's quick on the uptake and has a car. You'd be kind of imposing on him even more though. [You have enough Empathy for this option to be free.]
Slightly out of character for Shiroe. He tends to flip between low self-esteem and high confidence, but he's almost never smug or arrogant about it, and kinda struggles to even bluff arrogance. Also... It's mentioned in the LNs, at least, that he's actually failed/miscalculated a LOT of times on past DTP raids/adventures, it's just basically all off screen.
Slightly out of character for Shiroe. He tends to flip between low self-esteem and high confidence, but he's almost never smug or arrogant about it, and kinda struggles to even bluff arrogance. Also... It's mentioned in the LNs, at least, that he's actually failed/miscalculated a LOT of times on past DTP raids/adventures, it's just basically all off screen.
I had to review a SHIT TON of isekai for this quest so outside the SAO LNs I'm mostly using the much more story condensed manga/anime versions for the other crossover elements. I've heard good things about the Log Horizon LN (besides it being on some sort of HunterxHunter style indefinite hiatus) though.
I was mostly channeling the scene where he taunts the monk in season 1, but in hindsight he only does that as a calculated ploy and not in private. I think I'll edit it down a bit.
Ugh, all the isekai is like melting into one congealed lump in my brain. I was watching LH on dub and I don't explicitly remember this, but it seems like a Naotsugu thing to do so I'm adding it in.
Yeah... The author accidentally'd his way into tax evasion, and even though it was apparently a legit accident and he paid as soon as it got brought to his attention, as far as I'm aware... Japan's pretty harsh in regards to reputation and scandals, so Log Horizon got shoved on indefinite hiatus... Presumably until the scandal passed out of public awareness, but uh, presumably by then the public lost interest in it due to it being on hiatus, and the anime getting another season just... Didn't help. The LNs legitimately are good, though, if you have a taste for Log Horizon's slower-than-average pace and focus on economics, in-universe politics, and the occasional bit of philosophy or psychology.
Ugh, all the isekai is like melting into one congealed lump in my brain. I was watching LH on dub and I don't explicitly remember this, but it seems like a Naotsugu thing to do so I'm adding it in.
Fair, it might not have made it into the anime, but it's something he says now and again in the LNs when he's particularly excited or bummed out. "Death-to-Evildoers City!" Stands out as particularly memorable...
[X] Uh... Agil pretended to be your dad over the phone already! Dad probably won't fly but uh... close family guardian? He's quick on the uptake and has a car. You'd be kind of imposing on him even more though. [You have enough Empathy for this option to be free.]
[X] A giant fairy dragon.
[X] Plan No Cool Name
-[X] MAJOR ACTIONS --[X] [A PRUDENT Talk]: Call your mom. [Costs 20 D] [SL]
--[X] [A Study in Velvet]: What is a Persona? You called it forth in Alfheim, and you know that Havfrue is not the extent of your power. The «Velvet Room» is the basis of your power, it's high time you visited it properly and introduce yourself to your strange allies.
--[X] [Yggdrasil Inc]: The World Tree appears both in reality and the virtual world. From what you can tell the one in the waking world gets smaller as you travel away and bigger as you get closer. You can't exactly tell a taxi driver to get closer to the invisible tower only you can see... but with a map, Tokyo's train system, and some good ol' fashioned footwork you can probably figure out where exactly the tree is originating from. --[X] [Entertain Endou]: Endou's going to hang out in your apartment! Eh, at least she seems more fun than all the other mobs at school. Might want to check out an arcade together or something cause there's nothing really to do in your apartment.
-[X] MINOR ACTIONS --[X] [Wiki-Warrior]: You're going to be spending ALOT of time in Alfheim Online. Maybe you can watch a tutorial video? Read the wiki? I mean, you needed someone to tell you how to even log out of the game. [Trains CHT]
--[X] [Report//OBERON]: Compile what you know of Oberon based on the information you've gathered so far with Meimi. Agil promises that information about the inner workings of Alfheim and the World Tree are valuable to Argo's bosses who will pay you for the task. [Gains 5000 Yen]
--[X] [Sparring//Leafa]: She's not exactly hard to find. Leafa is evidently famous as one of Sylph race's strongest fighters and fastest fliers. She's offered to duel you to help you train, though you'll have to deal with her intense LARPing. [Trains STR] [Costs 5 D]
--[X] [RMT Scout]: Look. You're here to do a job. Alfheim Online is a VRMMO so there are going to be farmers... you don't have time to grind it out yourself so why don't you go play around and see how people sell gold in an AI-controlled economy?
Reports are just coming in about a suicide on the Tokyo Skytree this afternoon at 4PM. A press release from the Metropolitan Police Department indicates the victim died from injuries sustained attempting to break through the windows on the upper observation deck.
The Police have noted a marked uptick in suicides over the last month, with an unusual skew towards suicide by jumping from height. This is the first suicide reported in the Tokyo Skytree since its opening, and the police are choosing to classify this incident as part of the current trend involving high elevation events. Pending further investigation the attraction will remain closed throughout the week.
Analysts have pointed to a recent resurgence of Apathy Syndrome cases as a potential culprit for the uptick in suicides. The Tokyo PD urges all individuals who are having thoughts of suicide to contact the suicide prevention hotline at 03-3772-0982.
SUNDAY - April 13th, 2025
Evening
"Please turn that off."
Agil glances in his rear view mirror while he silently turns off his radio. Looks like the incident was already making headlines, and true to their word the Tokyo PD was keeping your name out of the news. Whether it was because the officer believed you or was simply too apathetic to dig deeper you don't know and don't care to find out.
"...you doing okay? Want to talk about it?"
"Not particularly."
Your eyes stay focused out of the window, staring at the «World Tree» even now towering over the skyline of the city. Agil drives through gridlocked rush hour traffic, and you can tell he has many questions but is respectfully staying quiet.
You honestly weren't sure who to call, and Agil was the first person that came to mind who owned a car. It was a big ask to make such a request of someone who was, functionally speaking, a stranger you had just met this week.
There was a brief period of panic when Agil showed up, the police didn't allow you to speak unattended so you couldn't actually coordinate your story right. As with most lies it was best to use as much truth as possible, especially for Agil. Turned out the police also had a file on him too, every SAO survivor was already fingerprinted and placed in the police database during the initial hospital move. He simply had to introduce himself as the organizer of an SAO survivor support group, a statement that surprisingly had the benefit of being true. Evidently Agil's "regulars" were often SAO survivors themselves— all the more reason for you to avoid being seen by them.
"Hey, Hiyori."
A noncommittal mumble is all you respond with.
How do you even explain what happened? You could hardly understand it yourself, and your Shadow's only explanation was a glib 'it felt right'. Even setting aside the reasons the most shocking thing you can recall is how... certain you feel as your Shadow's memories coalesce in your brain. Somehow you knew that some... part of that man didn't die when his brains spilled out of his body. That «World Tree» wasn't just your hallucination, that man also saw it too. Who else could see that tree? What did it mean that you could see it in the real world? You hadn't even heard of Alfheim Online when it started showing up!
You think that's a problem? Need I remember our entire school reputation is now firmly in the hands of Endou!
"You don't have to talk. Just... listen," Agil responds, slowly.
He lowers his voice, recalling a painful memory. You look over at him, his eyes softening as he speaks.
"I knew a guy... just like you. Strong, hardworking, always there to lend a hand. Even to strangers, even to those who had wronged him. He would always offer help but he would never ask for it in return."
"Sounds like he was a hero." The opposite of you.
"Heh, about right. But the thing is... up until the very end he never asked for help. The first in line, the first to put himself in danger, the first to sacrifice his safety, his reputation for others. Only working together when absolutely necessary. People had to reach out to him, never vice versa."
Agil pauses for a moment, lost in thought before continuing.
"I never asked him if he was happy. It would've been a stupid question, but I like to think near the end he found his own peace... but those first few years... must have been quite lonely."
"...was he an SAO player?"
"Yeah. You know my biggest regret? It was lying there on the floor, paralyzed, watching him face down evil by himself. The whole time the same thought kept running in my head: 'why does he have to fight alone?' Could I have done more? What did I truly accomplish? Was I just relaxing in a shop simulator while others were dying on my behalf?"
Your gaze returns back outside where traffic is crawling along at a snail's pace. In the distance the World Tree remains a silent reminder of the job left unfinished.
"I get the same sensation watching you, Hiyori. I... can't really fathom what's going on, it's clearly something beyond even SAO. But I can tell when someone's trying to take on the world by themselves."
You glance back again. There isn't any anger in Agil's tone, no judgment. If anything, they sound sad, almost wistful.
"Just don't make the same mistake he did. Don't be afraid to show vulnerability. Ask for help when you need it, even if its from someone you can't trust or dislike. If you wait for people to reach out to you... well, unless you're very lucky you'll be waiting for a very, very long time."
"Are you talking about Argo?"
"I understand the two of you have history together... but you're both working towards the same goal, right? And if she's not reaching out to you... maybe you can reach out to her instead? And I'm always here, if you need a ride, if you need someone to talk to. I know we're mostly strangers... but there's a few people still trapped in there that I owe a drink to. If by helping you I can help them... well that's the least I can do."
"I... I can't promise that."
Agil shakes his head, smiling, "That's okay. Just take it one step at a time, just think on what I've said, alright? Now where to? Heading home or do you want me to drop you off at the train station?"
"You've still got to work, so just drop me off at your bar. I can make my way back from there."
The Dicey Cafe. This is the second time you've been here and the first time you've been here at night. Last time the whole scene was empty, here in the middle of evening you were expecting more activity.
"Why aren't there any people here?"
"Someone called me in a panic so I had to close early."
"Oh..." Whoops. The man did run a business after all...
"Well if you want to dive into ALO, just use the upstairs. You should really consider buying an Amusphere, they aren't that pricey and even if it's theoretically safe the idea of putting on one of those deathtraps..."
The Amusphere was supposedly much safer than the Nervegear, but universally considered to be a lower fidelity dive experience. Turns out there was even a small black market demand for the discontinued NerveGear, itself technically illegal.
"Thanks. Uh, can I ask you something Agil-san?"
"Sure," he responds, handing you a soda from his fridge while he pours himself a glass of water.
"What exactly is Argo planning? With regards to the «World Tree» at least?"
He scratches his chin as he thinks about your question. "Honestly speaking... the details are a bit beyond me. It's best asking that to her directly. I know she organized the Undine's last big attempt on the «World Tree», to disastrous results." He takes a sip of cold water and swallows. "She chanced on some kind of... item or something that she suspects will let her into the unfinished region. We have it on good authority the whole Grand Quest is a bit of a sham anyways, the whole «World Tree» zone is unfinished... but that unfinished zone is our only lead. No, it's more accurate to say that picture of Asuna is the only lead we have."
You nod along with this explanation before taking another drink of cola and swallowing hard against the burning sensation in your throat.
"Till I got involved."
Agil shrugs slightly. "Yeah. This whole situation with your friend is catching everybody off guard. Suffice to say she's suddenly become our newest lead, but uh, from what I've heard she and Argo aren't really getting along right now."
Sounds about right. Meimi was strangely proud of being a PKer in SAO, something you doubt Argo appreciates.
"So what happened with the Undine raid?"
"Hmm, a bit of background. You remember the «Aincrad Liberation Front»?"
"You mean «The Army»? They ended up splitting up near the end of SAO."
"Yeah. You know their leader, «Thinker»? He's a writer for MMO Tomorrow and is a bit of a celebrity now. I don't know if you've kept up but he's been publicly writing about his experiences in SAO since his release. As the leader of essentially the biggest guild in SAO he certainly has a lot to say. Check it out if you have the time, didn't realize it at the time but there was quite the bit of drama within the guild behind closed doors. Kidnapping, usurpation, some real Shakespeare stuff."
No surprise there, the story is pretty well known in the SAO gossip mill. A false imprisonment charge by the second in command followed by the Army's complete and utter implosion as a functional guild. You remember «Thinker» leading a smaller splinter guild soon after but the game was cleared before that endeavor ever bore fruit.
"Anyways Argo and him were pretty tight, so she asked him to leverage his popularity..."
"He's popular?"
"Yeah. When the public thinks of an SAO Survivor they think of him. Turns out first hand accounts of SAO really capture the public interest, he's made a bit of a business out of it. Talk shows, the works, heard he's working on a book."
Something about that... riles you up. «The Army» was hardly an innocent player, though compared to the likes of «Laughing Coffin» they came off as saints. "So he's just profiting off our suffering..."
"I hear a lot of ex-players make decent money doing these types of talks nowadays. It's not my thing but... well, two years away from society. Making money IRL isn't so simple as leaving town and killing the first boar you see. Trust me, «Thinker» is one of the good guys, he doesn't exaggerate, tells the truth as he sees it. Guy has a family to feed, I'm honestly happy for him. Key thing to know is, well, guy's fairly popular. And Argo was counting on that, asked «Thinker» to start ALO and get himself elected a Fairy Lord."
You're surprised. Among the young players of SAO there wasn't exactly a high demand to jump into another VRMMO, present company excluded. Unsurprisingly the situation with adults was significantly more complicated.
"...Long story short, «Thinker» wins the Undine election by a landslide. The Undines had already made a few attempts at the «World Tree» before without much success but Argo wanted full commitment. Mercs, the best equipment, a coordinated, well researched plan. Pretty much every Undine on the server who could hit things with a stick. The works. You can probably guess the result of that."
An utter wipe.
"So then what happened?"
Agil looks at the ground sadly and continues. "«Thinker» tried to rally them again, but no dice. Even worse, word spread quickly around ALO about how bad the Undines' did. Now Argo thinks the only way up the «World Tree» is with a coalition. The Undines have lost so much capital she can't count on them anymore, and is trying to organize some kind of Cait Sith and Sylph alliance to make another attempt. Part of the rush are rumors that there's going to be a prolonged maintenance and update at the end of May— who knows if Asuna will still be there after that."
"...I see. So the whole point of all this is simply to try and reach the top of the tree...? By any means necessary."
"Yup. But there's not much incentive for the races to play along, each race is like one big guild. The QMs were pretty clear, only one race can benefit. Argo's considered just going public, accuse ALO of kidnapping the still sleeping SAO players, but if RECT gets spooked they might just pull the plug on ALO in general and there goes Argo's one and only lead. If you want to help, best thing I can reckon you can do is go try to ingratiate yourself to other Fairy Lords and negotiate some kind of alliance... or, well, come up with a better idea than Argo's."
You look at him, considering everything that's gone down tonight, and shake your head. "I'll try things my way for now. Thank you, Agil-san. And sorry about messing with your business..."
"Don't worry, I said I want to help and I meant it. But you really should get going, got school to go to tomorrow, right?"
MONDAY - April 14th, 2025
Daytime
>STRESS: 2 points
2d6 roll = 6, 6
No stress response this week!
>Your mom has transferred 8000 yen into your discretionary funds! Next allowance arrives in 2 weeks!
We haven't logged on to ALO in DAYS. C'mon, what's the hold up?
This again? You'll login tomorrow or something. After all the whole fiasco involving the Skytree you were going to get to the bottom of the «World Tree» or die trying.
Okay. Just so you know she's stealing your lunch.
"HEY!"
Your loud schoolmate is currently wiping the sauce off her face. Your pure yakisoba pan has been murdered, half the toppings are missing. It was more bread than yakisoba now.
"I was eating that..." you grumble. It was the only thing your anemic cafeteria sold that was mildly palatable, and you were too exhausted to actually prepare lunch last night.
The SAO Survivor school has a fully stocked cafeteria. I think they have a private chef.
"Sorry Hiyori-chan! I asked if I could have some but you didn't really respond..." your loud friend responds, putting her hands together in a big exaggerated bow. "I know! Why don't you have some of my lunch? Mom makes the best pickles!"
A somewhat large bento box is brought out. Damn it, why did she steal your lunch if she still had her own!? And half the box was filled with cucumbers...
"They're good, right!?"
...they were. Nice crunch, a bit of a sweet aftertaste. Was this the secret? Cucumbers? You've seen how much she eats but if anything she was much thinner than you. Maybe personality? If you had as much energy as her could you eat whatever you want and not get fat? If only you could work out in VR, considering the amount of time you'll need to spend there... OUCH!
"Earth to Hiyori, you're spacing out again!" your friend admonishes. Did she just hit you on the head!?
"Hey, don't be rude! And don't hit Hiyori-chan!" says Atsuko, pulled away from her lunch to scold her friend.
"Sorry Acchan, but Hiyori wasn't listening..."
Okay, she was stronger than she looked. Having a voice in your head wasn't helping your reputation in school... and what did she hit you with?
"Hey if you're having trouble keeping awake, let me you in on my secret weapon!" your friend proudly proclaims as she hands you the book she just bashed you over the head with.
"It's... a book? About what?"
"Nothing at all! The pages are completely blank!"
It's official. The insanity is spreading.
"And this will help me... how?"
"You can sleep through all of English class with this! If you put your head down and look engrossed in a book the teacher'll totally leave you alone, I've noticed she only calls on people who look like they're not reading!"
Now that you look closely her 'book' is just an empty notebook with a generic sleeve awkwardly pasted on. It looks like you already had a blank check to just read things in English class? Who knew. It was rather hard to keep up with classes considering all that was going on, and you've spent almost no time going through curriculum review.
"I... can't recommend sleeping in class," Atsuko adds, "but have you been getting enough sleep Hiyori-chan? You always look so tired. And there's that upperclassman..."
"What upperclassman?"
"I don't know who she was, but I saw her staring at you for like 5 seconds straight when you were eating your yakisoba. She looked pretty mad about something. Are you in trouble?"
"Uh, depends. What did she look like?" You're already dreading the answer.
"Hmm... she didn't really stand out? Brown hair, had some cute accessories? I think I've seen her around in the halls before."
Ah shit, probably Endou.
Well this is YOUR problem! You go talk to her or something so she doesn't turn me into the class serial killer!
Eh, nah. Seems like too much trouble.
Too much trouble!? This is YOUR fault! She's YOUR friend!
She's your friend too!
NO SHE'S NOT! I barely even know her! You're the one who keeps trying to hang out with her!
And now it's gotten boring. And annoying. You want to make up with Endou, do it on your own time.
I don't want to make up with her! I just don't want her spreading horrible rumors about me!
It's not a rumor. Besides I look pretty badass covered in blood.
"Hiyori! Stop hitting your head against the desk!"
MONDAY - April 14th, 2025
After School
I'm sure you realize this, but you're going to end up with a virus visiting this website.
In any other MMO you could just wander around randomly until you inevitably got accosted by a gold-seller in some kind of global chat, but evidently the Seed based MMOs had fairly active moderation - the Seed AI didn't take breaks, didn't have to be paid and abhorred spamming. It adds up to a rather hostile environment for gold sellers, but, well... greed finds a way.
<$MistCoin$: (*・ω・)ﾉ WTB? WTS?>
Not even a 'hello how are you doing'. Rude.
It's a gold seller! You're not going to get waited on hand and foot when doing illegal activity!
<TempAccount: Rate?>
<$MistCoin$: 1Mithril = 1MistCoin. Currently 1 MistCoin is 5000 yen. More if bulk.>
1 Mithril coin was worth 100,000 Yrd. The price of a decent weapon on the market was about half of that, and a high level crafted weapon a full Mithril. Fully kitting out your avatar would probably cost at least 5 Mithril... the amount needed to deck out every member of a race was likely unfathomably large by these numbers.
What the hell is a MistCoin? We're exchanging real money for fake money to buy more fake money!?
<TempAccount: WTS>
<$MistCoin$: Srs? Aren't u new?>
We have like 30 minutes total play time, a handful of mid tier skills and an inventory full of corrupted SAO items.
Which are still sitting in our inventory. They're doing you no good, but rather than dumping them maybe they'd be worth something to the right person?
<TempAccount: New to ALO. Experienced in Seed games. New to buying gold, but have transferred glitch items from other Seed game in ALO account.>
<$MistCoin$: (╯°益°)╯彡┻━┻ Impossible. Items and money don't transfer.>
<TempAccount: Have proof.>
Upload: itemlist.png
<$MistCoin$: w(°ｏ°)w. Maybe interested. 1MistCoin for lot!>
<TempAccount: What's a MistCoin? Can u just pay in yen?>
<$MistCoin$: Yen too traceable! Magic of blockchain. You give me items in game as gift. Can use mail, best in avatar for this many items. Tell me time and place and I'll be there. After gift and u not scam, i send u MistCoin.>
<TempAccount: If yen's no good, no problem. Just pay in yrd.>
Whatever the hell this MistCoin was it sounded entirely too complicated for you. Is this the kind of crap that got popular while you were stuck in SAO? Whatever happened to good old fashion gold for yen...
<$MistCoin$: U def new. I don't have yrd, too much in one place v sus for mods. You get MistCoin, buy yrd from grinders with your MistCoin, I can facilitate for fee! Or you sell yrd for MistCoin, then sell MistCoin for yen! But I don't recommend it.>
<TempAccount: You don't recommend I sell MistCoin for yen?>
<$MistCoin$: MistCoin great, will get more valuable with time! Will go to the moon! You can be rich!>
Uh-huh. You're-
Being scammed. Yeah, pretty obvious.
Well what else are you going to do with all your dumb corrupted SAO items? What did we even have? Some mid-floor weapons, a disguise kit?
Your entire inventory was filled with poison crafting ingredients you hadn't bothered offloading. Selling it off for some fake funny money didn't exactly appeal to you, but the alternative was just deleting the items.
<$MistCoin$: MistCoin useful. ( ˙꒳˙ ) Everyone deal in MistCoin!>
<TempAccount: Can I sell MistCoin for yen?>
<$MistCoin$: Yup! Small fee. 10%, converting MistCoin to yen very annoying, easier to just use MistCoin in other VRMMO! MistCoin been around forever now, very safe. Put all your money in MistCoin, better than bank!>
<TempAccount: Thank you. Will think on it.>
<$MistCoin$: Think? Have fun staying poor! Or worse, being loser in ALO! Want to be big strong fairy? Open secret all great players buy power. Buy power! Buy MistCoin! (✧∀✧)/>
This MistCoin fellow makes a pretty hard sell.
Yeah, no kidding. You close the chat and do a bit of research— wow, there were a lot of these coin thingies. When the hell did this start getting popular? The salesperson didn't seem to be outright lying, looks like MistCoin really was being used by many VRMMO players as a currency of exchange. The most popular service the website offered was money transferring across accounts, players could dump their entire inventories as MistCoin then use the MistCoin to buy currency in the game they transferred their avatars to.
Lots of caveats though. Limits on conversion rates, recommended strategies for dodging the mods... seems the major benefit was since MistCoin was not actually part of the VRMMO itself the Seed AI actually couldn't see transactions performed out of the game itself. Evidently even if the Seed thought you were trying to cheat without hard proof it rarely acted, hence human mods had to be involved.
You did need power in ALO. Some hand me down weapons from Sigurd wasn't going to cut it and you needed in game money for that. At least it seemed your old glitched items could actually get you some benefit, if you really want to risk dealing with this suspicious MistCoin...
MONDAY - April 14th, 2025
Evening
You had a thought that this would be challenging. That you'd wander around lost trying to triangulate a giant tree based only on sight.
Instead you took a train to Minato Ward, opened up your navigation app, searched through a few buildings and immediately found your target.
You had expected some old run down shrine, a lost lot, maybe the site of some grisly murder. Instead you found something much more mundane and obvious. Nothing in the world was created de novo, everything had a creator, even ALO. Presumably even the «World Tree» itself was created.
Taking that question to its logical conclusion, who was the creator of the «World Tree»? OBERON? The Seed? No... the answer was staring you in the face all along, in the start up screen of ALO and the back of the box.
RECT Progress.
Its parent company RECT Inc was a technology manufacturer that took over responsibility for maintaining the SAO Servers after the government shut down ARGUS. It thus came as no surprise that with near unlimited, unrestricted access to SAO server data that RECT Inc would dip their toes into VRMMO game development, leading to the establishment of RECT Progress, its development arm.
From the research you've been doing in ALO a lot of online speculation pointed towards this SAO data as ALO's special sauce. While every developer had access to the Seed VRMMO design package, tech enthusiasts believed ALO ran off a higher fidelity version scraped from SAO's servers. You've not tried other VRMMOs so you couldn't compare, but in terms of sheer sensory verisimilitude ALO was just as amazing as SAO itself.
Okay. We're here... uh, great. So what now?
Your eyes wander up into the sky. Rather than the «World Tree» masking over the building, once you actually got close the bottom of the tree faded away like a mirage, though off in the distant sky you can still see the spiraling branches in all their glory.
You've come all this way, you're not going to stop here. This isn't anything different than what you've done in the past.
Whether it's spying in SAO or in real life, there was refuge in audacity. All you needed was an excuse, any excuse, to walk inside and at least get the lay of the land. Maybe even talk to the dev team? But you had no connections... well, maybe you actually did.
Something was going on in this building. Argo thinks the solution involves penetrating the «World Tree» from the virtual world, but wasn't she just ignoring half of the equation? Argo only had power in the virtual world, so naturally she would only imagine solutions involving the virtual world. But ALO wasn't summoned forth by magic, it wasn't even the creation of a single mad genius like Kayaba Akihiko.
This was a company. It wanted to make money, it cared about publicity... you could work with this.
You take a deep breathe. Strangely two years of being a «Laughing Coffin» spy has prepared you well for this day. Hell, for one, what were you truly risking? Your life? A reputation as a high school student? You're safer here than you ever were in SAO.
A plan's already forming in your mind. You march through the automatic doors as the security looks up at you in confusion. One way or another you're getting some answers.
What's your infiltration plan?
[ ] You're a fan of ALO. Like, MEGA fan! You're such a huge fan you have a life sized picture of your avatar glued to your ceiling! You must meet the dev team!
[ ] Have you ever met Seijiro Kikuoka? He's Argo's boss, and you only know the name because that's the person whose email you're sending your report on OBERON to later today. A quick online search places him in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. You are... technically, sort of, maybe working with him? Just throw his name around and see what happens.
[ ] Does RECT offer an internship program? You are a high school student after all, plenty of companies allow enterprising students to do work study, provided you aren't actually performing labor. It may be hard to justifiably ask questions if you do this...
[ ] You've... actually gotten offers for this. Some company named RATH was cold-calling SAO Survivors asking for experienced FullDive users to test some kind of new dive system. Who would volunteer for that kind of thankless work? You, of course! Leverage your status as an SAO Survivor and volunteer yourself for pro bono FullDive QA Testing! Don't worry RECT Progress, YOU don't mind being paid in exposure! In fact, you insist on it.
[ ] You're a concerned citizen. As an SAO survivor you believe the government should increase oversight over VRMMOs and recent reports of players becoming so addicted to the game they're losing their jobs worries you deeply. You plan on writing an op-ed piece as a known SAO Survivor and wish to give RECT Progress a chance to respond before you go ahead with it.
[ ] You know what? You're MAD! Your best friend (that you totally didn't just make up with half a week ago) just woke up from a months long coma, and she was trapped in ALO during it! You DEMAND to see the guy in charge, otherwise you'll go to the news with this!
[ ] Write-in (1 D requirement, more if complicated)
[X] You're a fan of ALO. Like, MEGA fan! You're such a huge fan you have a life sized picture of your avatar glued to your ceiling! You must meet the dev team!
Keep it simple. And nobody wants bad press for mishandling a fan
[X] Have you ever met Seijiro Kikuoka? He's Argo's boss, and you only know the name because that's the person whose email your sending your report on Oberon to later today. A quick online search places him in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. You are... technically, sort of, maybe working with him? Just throw his name around and see what happens.
[X] You're a concerned citizen. As an SAO survivor you believe the government should increase oversight over VRMMOs and recent reports of players becoming so addicted to the game they're losing their jobs worries you deeply. You plan on writing an op-ed piece as a known SAO Survivor and wish to give RECT Progress a chance to respond before you go ahead with it.
I'm skeptical that just claiming to be a fan gets us anywhere, you'd think they'd have some experience in dealing with that. Not sure I want to toss out Kikouka's name here although that could be interesting given what's really going on, but I suspect RECT has sufficient leverage over the government that Kikouka can't do much - Argo surely would have tried to leverage that if he could. RATH's program likely has to do with Underworld so that's intriguing but also might involve them trying to make a copy of Hiyori in their Fluctlight experiments. Not sure Hiyori could deal with there being a third her.
While they probably have a stock PR response for this op-ed option I'm banking on Hiyori's SAO spy skills to make this work. Comedy option she accidentally creates a school newspaper club in making up this story and has to join/found it when RECT follows-up because the school volun-tells her to if RECT asks. We won't be joining clubs for social links, they'll be joining us!
[X] You're a concerned citizen. As an SAO survivor you believe the government should increase oversight over VRMMOs and recent reports of players becoming so addicted to the game they're losing their jobs worries you deeply. You plan on writing an op-ed piece as a known SAO Survivor and wish to give RECT Progress a chance to respond before you go ahead with it.
I think this is the best option. RECT probably has to deal with this stuff all the time and has pre-prepared excuses so this will most likely hardly be a bleep on Sugou's radar which I consider a plus given the man's overly impulsive cartoonish villainy.
[X] You're a concerned citizen. As an SAO survivor you believe the government should increase oversight over VRMMOs and recent reports of players becoming so addicted to the game they're losing their jobs worries you deeply. You plan on writing an op-ed piece as a known SAO Survivor and wish to give RECT Progress a chance to respond before you go ahead with it.
MONDAY - April 14th, 2025
Evening
"Uh-huh. I'm sorry."
The office lady is tapping away on her keyboard. She's not looking at you. She just keeps typing away.
You clear your throat and try once more, trying to sound as annoying as possible. "I simply cannot fathom how irresponsible RECT Progress has been. Aren't there lessons to be learned from the SAO incident? I find the very concept of a virtual reality game to be a moral poison! This goes beyond mere entertainment, VRMMOs are attempting to create a simulation nearly indistinguishable from reality while giving no thought to how it may affect the minds of the young and vulnerable!"
"Uh-huh. I'm sorry."
"You should at least implement an age cut off! From my first hand experience in SAO, subjecting a young developing mind to realistic depictions of death can induce psychopathy! And don't you dare defer to the lack of blood in ALO, it's not the set dressing that's important, it's the actions and incentives the game presents. What do you think is more harmful," you pause and stare at the manager's name tag: Assistant Manager Azusa Aizawa, "Aizawa-san? A young developing mind that sees realistic bloody violence, or a young mind being incentivized by the game system to kill his fellow man in bloodless violence!?"
"Uh-huh."
That's some high grade bullshit you're spouting but I don't think she's listening.
This time, after another long pause, you hear what sounds like some papers being shuffled around in front of the desk. That's the only response, you might as well be invisible to her.
...
"Uh-huh. I'm sorry."
"Aizawa-san... how long have you been working?"
"Uh-huh."
You didn't exactly show up to this building planning on infiltrating it, but you were already here so you thought: why not give it a shot? The stars were aligned in your favor, much of the office was already vacated. A sleepy security guard was all that awaited you past the front gates. The moment he realized you weren't a rabid fan or trying to rob the place he paged the PR team.
Which, evidently, went home at 5PM. Like normal people.
General managers? Home.
Legal? Home.
President? Hah.
Who was left? One poor assistant manager, fast at work in anticipation of some manner of major update to ALO. You came in expecting to uncover a grand conspiracy surrounding ALO, and what've you found is a conspiracy of an entirely different kind.
The... Ministry of Labor should really audit this company.
You cannot help but agree. The office lady's eyes shift, ever so slightly, towards the clock before settling back on her computer screen. Her eyes are bloodshot and there's thick dark bags barely hidden by hastily applied makeup. She lifts her coffee cup, empty, and robotically takes a sip of empty air before resuming her typing frenzy.
...If this is your future, maybe I can let you keep the body after all.
At this point you doubt anything short of a strip tease would get her attention. Was she even conscious? You've heard of sleepwalking but sleep working was a significant step up. You lean over her shoulder and look at the rest of RECT Progress to behold an ocean of cubicles and computers. The combined noise of two dozen high power PCs and keyboard clacks echo throughout the open space. In the distance you see glass walls packed end to end with high capacity gel beds - the ones that automatically cleaned body wastes - and a small group of workers taking turns napping and locked in a FullDive. The mod team, you presume.
"Thank you for your interest in ALO. If you have any further questions please return in the morning when the PR team is present."
Oh. So she wasn't asleep.
"Hold on, I still have questions. How do you respond to the circulating rumors tying the popularity of ALO to the increasing rates of VR Psychosis? Is the planned update going to include any mandatory timers?"
"Uh-huh."
She's back in the loop.
You're getting nowhere with this lady. Since she seemed so dead set on ignoring you why don't you just go look around?
You rather stand out, a girl in her high school uniform in a crowd of half dead corporate slaves. Weren't SEED based VRMMOs supposed to be easy to make? Set some parameters, write up a few lore documents and the AI would take care of the rest? What the hell were all these people even here for?
"Aizawa-san?"
"Uh-huh."
I have an idea! Pretend to be her boss!
Sure, why not? You suck in a deep breath and lower your voice before getting close to the woman and screaming into her ear.
"AIZAWA! ARE YOU SLACKING OFF AGAIN!?"
The response is immediate. The worker in front of you yelps and jumps out of her seat, already beginning to kowtow. "AHHH! Sorry, Sugou-sama, I swear I'll have the report on your desk first thing tomorrow even if I have to pull an all-nighter to do it! Please understand, there's simply too much player data to comb through!" Before you can even correct her the lady has finished her big dramatic bow. You notice half of the workers behind her doing the same thing in synchronized unison.
"You... you can look up. I was just trying to get your attention."
"Wh... reporter-san? Oh, sorry, I must've mistaken you for someone else. Hold on one second please?"
She turns around and screams into the corner of the room, red-face with anger, "MIKAMI WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?"
"HE'S GETTING MORE COFFEE!" replies some voice from the distance.
"I KNOW, THAT WAS 20 FUCKING MINUTES AGO! Sorry, reporter-san. What was your question again?"
You're filled with an overwhelming urge to get this woman a cup of coffee, if only to decrease the overall misery of this environment, but you hold your tongue. Looks like she was ready to finally give you some attention.
"Let's start with this one. What, exactly, are you all doing here?"
What kind of question is that? Developing ALO right?
The lady sits back in her desk and begins typing again as she responds in a tired monotone. "I thought we went over this the last time you showed up. Again, we cleared this with Legal and got the all clear. Even if you report on it there's no laws being broken."
Last time? She didn't think you were... some kind real reporter did she!?
"Remind me. Remember your words could end up on the news, so please summarize it succinctly," you bluff.
"It's in the terms of service that every player signed. Metadata from emotional states, neurotransmitter saturation ratios and psi-wave amplification is gathered by the Amusphere on all active players. The data is compiled here in this office for research into cognitive psience and neuropsychiatry. In many ways users of the Amusphere are contributing to the world's largest database of brain-states and fluctlights. Rumors that metadata will be sold to advertisers remains just that: rumors. Also please remember Legal says that we absolutely could do that without breaking any laws. Not that we're doing that."
Okay. Technobabble mixed with political babble. Useless to you. You need to know what's happening with the World Tree.
"I was hoping to talk more about the upcoming development rumors regarding the World Tree."
"Oh, my apologies reporter-san, I thought you were with the NHK. There's so many coming around lately I must've gotten you confused for someone else. If you have game development questions... Famitsu then? You weren't expected until tomorrow but I can appreciate a go-getter. I imagine it's hard to get ahead in that industry."
"Er... thank you?"
"Keep at it. Take it from me, work enough overtime and you can be promoted past those lazy bums who think they can just coast through on seniority. You just have to show the boss who's the hardest worker in the company. Now then... CAN SOMEBODY CALL MIKAMI!? IS HE GETTING THE COFFEE FROM FUCKING COLUMBIA OR SOMETHING!?"
There's some movement in the far corner of the room where you see a man emerge from a cubicle. A plain faced smiling salaryman comes rushing over holding three mugs. He sets them down next to Aizawa-san on the table while giving you a friendly wave.
"Mikami-senpai," the office lady growls between clenched teeth, "you already have the cushiest job in the building so you have no excuse taking so long for cofee. Where were you!?"
"I got waylaid by Takuma-san who had some questions about the dev platform and I got held up. Sorry, sorry! Here's your coffee Aizawa-san," says the salaryman before you, his ID badge reading: Satoru Mikami, Head of Moderation and Curation.
"About time. While you were gone I was stuck doing your job for you, again. This reporter has questions for your department."
The wide-awake Mikami eyes you up and down with visible confusion. You technically were still wearing your school uniform, with your school ID loosely shoved into a blank lanyard on the insistence of the security guard downstairs.
"Aizawa-san, a reporter for what? Her school newspaper?" asks Mikami with open skepticism.
"Famitsu or something. Now leave me alone, I'm 40 minutes behind schedule!"
Uh-oh. I think he's onto us. Should've milked this zombie girl for more info when we had the chance.
Mikami's eyes dance between his coworker and you as if weighing his options. In the brief mental war between correcting his angry coworker and dealing with a high school student your side wins a rapid and overwhelming victory. With a shake of his head, he turns away from Aizawa while offering his hand to you with a smile. "Of course, I'm sorry to keep you waiting Kashiwazaka-san. Please, let's finish this conversation in my office."
Mikami takes you to his office in the back, adjacent to the glass cage housing the moderation team. It seems his entire department was just him and a handful of moderators, tiny compared to the utter ocean of workers you passed on the way over.
"I'll have to apologize for Aizawa-san. She's been working for nearly 50 days straight now."
You nod at the excuse. That was pretty obvious just from her appearance. "Is that... safe?"
"Probably not, but she's looking for a promotion. She's 10 years younger than me but already outranks me! You won't catch me working that hard though, haha. I'm pretty happy where I'm at."
You glance at his nametag. "You're the Head of Moderation and Curation?"
"That's just a fluffed up title," laughs Mikami as you sit across from him. His desk is covered in piles of paper and other objects including an old PC tower that looks like it's seen better decades. An Amusphere lies in the corner, the paint already peeling off from frequent usage.
"I'm head of the Game Masters and I manage much of the day to day development of the game itself. As you know the SEED AI does most of the hard work, so my department is pretty small, I mostly just veto and sign off on the big decisions, write a few quests if I'm bored. Most of RECT Progress is filled with data-analysts like Aizawa-san."
You glance back her in the ocean of cubicles then compare her to Mikami. Compared to the talking corpse from earlier, Mikami looks relaxed and more importantly well rested as he talks. "Moderation is a full time job given we have to cover overseas servers so we work shifts instead of being in a state of, uh... perpetual overtime, I suppose? ALO mostly runs itself nowadays so I have some free time to help out with the data-crunchers."
Mikami pauses to sip his coffee before staring straight into your eyes with a piercing gaze. You feel a shiver run down your spine and suddenly realize that you may actually be trespassing.
"But anyway, enough about that," he says. "First order of business: who are you? A fan?"
You mentally rehearse your cover story, in the end your goal was to get SOME information from the World Tree from the development team.
"Hardly. I've barely tried ALO."
"Oh? Then what brings you out all this way, and on a school day no less?"
"Concern. Fear."
Mikami tilts his head quizzically. "Concern and fear about...?"
"Addiction, psychosis and the role ALO plays in both," you reply without missing a beat.
He sighs. "So you some kind of school journalist? Why'd you come all the way out here? Surely you don't want to interview the whole staff of RECT Progress for your school paper."
"Well, yes...but not for school. Online publication. I'm an SAO Survivor you see... and I have major concerns about ALO."
That got his attention. While being an SAO Survivor didn't make you a celebrity, it gave you a certain appeal to most media corporations. In truth, if you had a unique enough perspective it wasn't hard to get a piece published, especially if you leverage Argo's connections.
"Mikami-san, this is my concern. Have you considered the psychological effect ALO is having on its players? You are a GM, surely you know what I'm talking about." You actually have no idea what you're talking about but you hope you can cold-read your way through this. You take advantage of the silence to lean forward slightly and rest your palms against the table, letting him know you're dead serious. Your fingers tremble, betraying how nervous you really are. But you need to sell this. If you're wrong you might never get another chance.
"It's not as if I'm blind to the issue," answers Mikami calmly after several moments pass. "Certainly we've noticed a... significant proportion of players enjoy roleplaying to what some may argue is an excessive degree."
Your heart skips a beat but you maintain your poker face. Not what you were looking for but if he was volunteering information...
"We haven't found any evidence that intense roleplaying leads to behavior changes in the real world and none of our studies suggest anything beyond 'normal' roleplaying. Of course, that doesn't mean we ignore these issues entirely; it would be irresponsible and ALO certainly already has a reputation for it. So far however there hasn't been any reason to shut down the service. However..."
"Yes?" You prompt impatiently.
"However, things will be changing. My department is hard at work reinitiating the «MHCP» from SAO alongside the next major content update, I'm actually quite excited to roll it out."
You're confused. "«MHCP»? I endured SAO and don't recall any such system," you ask, genuinely clueless.
"The Mental Health Counseling Program," explains Mikami patiently. "This is the system used for detecting signs of mental illness. It monitors your vital stats, hormone levels, neurotransmitter saturation ratios, a host of other factors related to physical and mental health. If a critical mass of indicators point to a possible mental condition, such as depression, it sends a warning. If left ignored the system automatically triggers a shutdown of the game."
You gulp nervously. "That... would have been useful to have in SAO."
"Likely. Unfortunately, Kayaba Akihiko decided to axe the system, since the shutdown ability is hard coded into the program. You know, all the old «MHCP» models were actually repurposed into the 99th Floor Boss «MHCP Army». Imagine a raid where the boss could disconnect you if it noted emotional distress! All of the post 90 bosses were rather... creatively cruel like that."
A... boss that disconnected you from SAO for something as common as emotional distress, likely fatally because fucking Kayaba Akihiko, sounded like an absolute nightmare. Exactly how many people did Kayaba Akihiko actually expect to make it to the 100th floor in the first place?
"Ah! Me and my big mouth! Sorry, that was rather insensitive of me. But I do want to reassure you that my team is taking measures to ensure that ALO can be enjoyed in a safe manner."
Oh no, a reasonable human being, archenemy of spies everywhere.
"I'm sure you're aware of former SAO players jumping to ALO. What are your thoughts regarding that?"
"If they find their home in ALO, isn't that a good thing?" asks Mikami matter of factly. "I guess one should be wary of them becoming isolated and withdrawing themselves from reality, but ALO as a game values cooperation and social bonds. I've had SAO Survivors respond positively to ALO, and we have more Survivors playing ALO than any other VRMMO on the market." He fiddles with his coffee cup absentmindedly. "Kashiwazaka-san, as an SAO survivor what would you say your biggest regret is?"
The question catches you unprepared, you freeze, then look up towards him and bite back your first answer. He didn't need to know about «Laughing Coffin».
"I suppose... it wasn't being strong enough. Not contributing to the clearing of SAO."
He nods, knowingly. "I've spoken with other SAO Survivors, that's a fairly common sentiment. If nothing else a game like ALO can provide a sense of... closure to SAO players, in more ways than one. You know... why don't I show you something?"
His chair creaks as he leans back and rotates his monitor to face you.
"What's this?" You ask.
"A new boss monster we're adding to ALO as the «Guardian of the World Tree». This is actually SAO's 91st Floor Boss, «Dorz'l the Chaos Drake». As I said earlier, the post-90 bosses were all rather unique. This one was flagged to spawn out of the body of any tamed «Fairy Dragons» as a bit of a nasty surprise, its the only floor boss that's allowed to free roam in non-Labyrinth environments and is explicitly programmed to attack «The Town of Beginnings». This isn't the only boss monster we're repurposing - eventually we hope to port the whole of «Aincrad» into SAO."
He points to a model of a dark dragon-like creature with wings and long teeth protruding from its jaws. The details aren't particularly impressive but it still looks horrifically deadly.
"My idea is to offer SAO Survivors a form of catharsis. To face the old demons in a controlled setting while also letting the current ALO players in on a slice of history. So Kashiwazaka-san I want to reassure you, we're not doing anything nefarious here at RECT Progress. All we want to do is create a game that people can enjoy."
Alright, so this has been a humongous waste of time.
Mikami isn't directly lying, you can at least tell that much. But there's more than one way to obfuscate information while telling the truth, you've employed such tactics before. Read between the lines... no, read instead what's being omitted. This... middle management employee spoke of ALO like it was his project, his team. If the workers outside were working on metadata analysis, and Mikami was working on content generation... well, what was the president working on? And why aren't you hearing anything about the «World Tree»?
"I appreciate your candor, Mikami-san," you reply, smiling thinly. "I must admit that I am reassured by your words, so I only have one more question. What exactly is the purpose of the «World Tree»?"
Mikami stares at you blankly for a moment, then breaks eye contact to scratch his cheek and mutter, "It's ALO's grand quest, the first major storyline in ALO." He looks extremely uncomfortable at this line of questioning.
"A grand... quest," repeats you flatly. "Is that all? There seems to be very little actual content beyond a giant tease."
"Haha, well, I'd say it's working in getting the players interested, isn't it? Nothing wrong with generating some buzz."
You think you're getting under his skin now and decide to press harder. "You'll forgive me if I seem skeptical, but from here it seems the emperor has no clothes. I've heard the quest to access the «World Tree» is literally impossible, that doesn't sound like a very ethical way of retaining player interest, does it now?"
"You make it sounds bad when you put it that way." He shakes his head slowly. "But I'm afraid there's not much I can say about the «World Tree», it's literally a separate department."
Another... department?
"Let me clarify. President Sugou is personally developing every aspect of the «World Tree», from what he's told me it's going to be complete by the end of next month. I'm in charge of all the content generation and AI quest curation under the «World Tree». The plan to add «Aincrad» bosses to the environment is an initiative headed by my department, the President doesn't really care what we do down here."
"You handle all of the content?"
"Not everything, that's the AI. I'm no genius programmer, but the SEED is quite simple to use. Load up a model, write up a few quest ideas and the system will just generate it for you. Economy balancing, storyline generation, with just simple curation ALO plays itself. The only thing that needs direct programming are general features and UI elements. My department is honestly quite small, as you can see..."
You frown. "Then the «World Tree»?"
"Something entirely new the President has been working on behind closed doors. All I really know is that I'm supposed to generate content to make it impossible to actually reach the «World Tree», some kind of invisible wall or lock or something..."
Mikami-san smiles and gives you a conspiratorial wink. "But between you and me, I think that's rather boring. Some players have already used exploits to cheat up the «World Tree», not that there was anything there to find! Even if the «World Tree» itself is unfinished, I'd say the journey beats the destination! So let's just say the «Grand Quest» isn't as impossible as it seems, though even if you make it all you get is a nice view and a cool story to tell your friends. Without administrator privileges higher than me you can't actually enter."
Interesting. So the World Tree is isolated off from the main content creation team, which means the President of RECT Progress was your next major lead.
"So do you think I could talk to President Sugou then?"
"Haha, probably not, you know? I'm a glorified minion. I wouldn't bother him unless it was a matter of life or death." Mikami laughs heartily at this. You smile politely and nod. In the end, you doubt your bluff could get you through the door of the President.
"Now I'm impressed you managed to bluff your way through, but I think you should get going before Aizawa-san's coffee kicks in and she realizes you're not actually a reporter. I know you have misgivings about ALO but I think it's important for us to keep communication open between RECT Progress and the ALO community."
He stands up and walks around his desk. He stands before you and gives you a light bow, handing you a business card in one practiced motion. At the very least you now have his work email and office phone number.
"Thank you for coming today, Kashiwazaki-san. If you do end up writing that article, send me a copy!"
"Of course." You return his bow with a smile, then follow him back out of the room while he leads you to a back exit that avoids the cubicles.
"And one more thing!"
You turn around at the last minute and catch a glimpse of Mikami grinning ear-to-ear.
"What's your ALO username? I'll add something special to your account as thanks for the riveting conversation!"
>For a successful infiltration mission your MASK Greatly Increases!
tysdagr- 15th of Einmánuður
Evening
The sword grazes the edge of your shoulder, sending you tumbling back down into the dirt.
You scramble away from the follow up strike as Leafa plunges her katana straight into the dirt, mere moments away from a decapitating strike. She pulls out the gleaming blade in a shower of dirt. The fairy stands upright before turning to face you once more with that cocky smile on her lips.
"I see now," she says in an even tone. "You prefer the arcane arts like Lord Sigurd, no?"
You bite back your response, in actuality you had two years of experience in melee combat since that was the only way of fighting SAO would allow you to use. For every one spear, great sword, or shield user in SAO there were a dozen one-handed sword fighters like yourself. Simply put it was the easiest to learn, easiest to use and had the most robust suite of «Sword Skills». You saw other players trying to use an off hand dagger for parrying, a skill you tried to emulate with decidedly mixed results.
At the end of the day, you weren't a clearer. You didn't face a single floor boss, you barely ever challenged yourself, the only things you had ever fought were monsters far under your level, a few friendly duels against Gwen, and a few lone PKers bored out of their minds.
So Leafa wasn't wrong. If SAO allowed you to use magic that would have been your build. Mages existed in ALO, but the DNA of SAO still shown through in the balance of the game. Mages individually had almost no ability to fight off a dedicated melee fighter, the flight system allowed an opponent to close distance extremely quickly and only in big parties could mages actually dedicate themselves to the long tedious process of magic casting.
"KOTE!"
You raise your sword in a panicked overhead guard, only for Leafa to slam her blade straight into your hand, the weapon flying away along with several fingers. As you fall back to avoid getting beheaded, the girl leaps at you again with her foot slamming down on your own. With your escape cut off you can only stare at the blade being driven straight into your face.
"I YIELD!"
The katana stops a millimeter away from your eye as you try to calm your breathing. If you were using an Amusphere right now your heart rate would've triggered the disconnect. Your HP was a hair thread away from the yellow zone, though Leafa's final strike was liable to outright kill your avatar with the force she was using.
Leafa sheathes her katana with a flourish of steel and looks down at your mangled hand, slowly recovering as the «Dismemberment» debuff timer ticks down. Her green eyes are tinged with disappointment. "Lady Lux surely that's not the extent of your strength?"
"I... I think you're just too good. What was that move earlier? Kendo?"
Leafa's brow furrows as her face flashes between recognition and confusion. "Ah... yes. Kendo, I've been practicing it for..." Leafa slaps her cheeks suddenly and blinks. "...a very long time. Since my creation."
Impressive, no wonder she was dancing all over you. There were SAO players with real life martial arts training, but much of that didn't actually make much of a difference in a system designed around fantasy «Sword Skills» and PvE against giant monsters. In a PVP focused game like ALO without any discrete «Sword Skills» real life skill likely played a bigger role. GGO, for example, was fairly notorious for its high population of real soldiers using it for firearms practice.
Seriously? People actually still practice KENDO!?
"A life time of practice. Kendo must be very important to you Leafa."
She nods but her words come out with great hesitancy. "Yes... It is. My... family?"
"Leafa?"
"It's nothing. Just some strange memories. More importantly, Lux..." she smiles at you, a glint of anticipation in her eyes. "Are your fingers recovered?"
You look down at your hands and feel the strange sensation of digital blood pumping into them. The damage is gone, the debuff timer now resolved, and your hand is unmarred.
"Huh? They're fixed... AHHH!!!!"
LOOK ALIVE!
Leafa's blade swings straight at your neck again while you recoil in shock. But then the tip bounces aside as if repelled by something invisible, forcing the girl to pull her arm back instead. Only when your brain catches up to your body do you note your blade raised in guard.
Your wings flicker into existence as you backpedal through the clearing as fast as your avatar will permit it, Leafa hot on your heels katana raised for a two-handed strike.
"Wait, wait! Duel mode, DUEL MODE!" you scream out. A Duel to half health at least!
"I've figured it out, Lux!" Leafa's katana slams down onto your sword. You're forced down onto one knee, holding up the blade with your offhand, the cheap material of your weapon for once helping you by being too blunt to hurt your own hand.
"Leafa, stop!"
"The difference between you today and in the fight against the charlatan!"
A spark as Leafa's katana dents your blade, any more punishment and your borrowed weapon was going to break in two.
"You're holding back, Lux!"
No you weren't! Shit, this isn't working.
Your foot leans forth to trip up Leafa in between her next strike but you're already too slow. The girl steps forward and sucker punches you with the hilt of her blade, this time across your cheek with a hard thudding impact, knocking you against a tree.
"Gah... ahaha..."
"We are FAIRIES! Blessed with eternal life by Lord OBERON!" As you slide down the tree in a tangle of branches and damage indicators she points her katana at you in challenge.
"Yet the way you fight, Lux... it's as if..."
High, you have to go higher! Using the tree as a stepping point you fly straight up in a sudden dodge, as Leafa's horizontal strike bisects the tree behind you just as your feet clear her blade.
"You're afraid to DIE!"
With a roar of fury Leafa unleashes a whirlwind of blows on the falling tree. To your eyes the motions were inhuman, pure willpower manifesting as some manner of «Sword Skill» created into the world of ALO. By pure wind pressure the splinters blow into your face as you desperately try to clear your vision just in time to deflect another one of Leafa's two-handed strikes. You attempt to counter attack with a cut at her shoulder but with a lazy shrug your sudden stab is easily dodged, her leg slamming your avatar back into the dirt being the only reward for the attempt.
"And the way you strike! As if you're afraid to KILL!"
You jump up from the dirt, heaving in exertion as you eye your HP. Already down in the yellow zone while Leafa remained untouched. Her blade, soaked in virtual red polygonal shards glints beneath the moonlight as Leafa towers over you wings outstretched.
"Let me show you Lux. The blessings of the Fairies!"
"Wait, stop!"
Some primal instinct makes you run towards Leafa, hand outstretched and fight forgotten. As usual you are too slow.
Leafa's katana plunges into her abdomen. With a sickening spray of red particles and Leafa's scream the blade twists as she drives it deeper into her abdomen.
"LEAFA!"
If you have forgotten about your fight Leafa sure hasn't. As soon as you reach her the katana surges out of her body in a spray of damage effects, her HP dropping straight into the yellow zone as the bloody blade wastes no time being driven towards your face. You manage to roll leftwards just in time as the katana cuts into the air trailing particles through the air as the sheer pressure of the strike clears the underbrush around her.
"I won't die Lux, and neither will you! We are FAIRIES and when fairies fight? It's TO. THE. DEATH!"
Damn it you're still diving in a freaking Nervegear! You really didn't want to test your mortality in a sparring match against this crazy Sylph.
No more bullshitting around. I want to see Tinkerbell DUSTED.
You were just here to spar! Well if she wanted a fight, you were going to GIVE HER ONE!
Leafa's two handed strike goes for a diagonal cleave but you feel bolstered... stronger. Not just you, but your blade too, as it a sickly purple sheen surrounds it, protecting it from further damage. You feel the weight of your soul manifesting over your shoulders.
"Oh? Did it look like this last time?"
The Rakshasa's thoughts poison your mind. You have no time to waste with this child's ramblings. She may have been able to take you before thanks to her superior technique. But you know what? You've faced down death and laughed. A child playing with swords? How convenient.
Killing children was your speciality!
"SYSTEM CALL! PERSONA!"
System Call: Incarnate PERSONA [Pūtanā]. ReferenceID:12.Droit
Beauty, sheer beauty. The goddess Lakshmi manifest upon the earth. Shining red eyes and a full bosom. A voice and presence enticing enough to fool a mother into surrendering her babe to you.
But what lies underneath such beauty? Rakshasa. A bloated hideous corpse. Poison dripping out of your breast, the blood of children upon your tongue. Hatred, fury, force fills your sword as you grip it in two hands.
This is how it felt. You've never wielded your blade in anger, but you've seen it many a time.
In a tournament in the 75th floor a dual bladed swordsman unleashes a flurry of desperate blows against an indomitable guard.
An undefeated champion hides behind his bulwark until he composes his one perfect strike.
A mad scientist carves through his paralyzed victim.
A masked assassin delivers a stab with his estoc. Boring, cold, practiced a million times.
But that's not what you truly remember. What comes to mind is a strike without skill, without technique. It has no higher purpose, it is simply motion. A arm raises, a man laughs and a life is ended. He strikes, not for the challenge, not to appease his demons, not out of sheer madness.
Strike because it's fun to kill.
System Call: Reactivating feature[Sword Skill]. Category:[Two-Handed Axe] ID:[Collapse]
>>STR has advanced to Rank C!
+1 Advantage for surprising Leafa with a Sword Skill!
Opposed STR Check!
Lux STR = C (3 Dice)
Persona = D (2 Dice) 2,3,1,1,3 = 0 SUCCESS
Leafa STR = B (4 Dice) 6,2,4,5 = 2 SUCCESS
The ground splits, the forest parts and a tree crashes into the dirt. Your blade strikes with the force of a thunderclap, cutting through everything in front of you as a plume of dust blankets the forest.
W... what were you doing...?
Leafa, about half a meter to the right of the devastation, whistles in appreciation. "Very impressive, Lady Lux! I see you've taken my advice to heart! I think we can consider today's sparring session to be a great success."
You put so much force into that attack your hands are numb. Simply the act of swinging your blade filled with power made your arms tremble.
Leafa smiles proudly at you while she claps your paralyzed avatar on the back. "That could've killed me, a masterful strike! Keep fighting like that and you could one day beat Mortimer, or even Zekken!"
Please shut up Leafa...
"Though uh... might I suggest working on your aim next time?" TUESDAY - April 15th, 2025
Evening
*BRRRRINNGGG*
*BRRRRINNGGG*
You groan as you try to will the phone to stop ringing. You had just managed to cozy up...
Today sucked. After almost dying against Leafa you had to spend all night writing a stupid paper that you weren't even being graded on!
That report about OBERON took so long to write for what could be summarized as "he exists" and "I dunno the rest". You had to fill out so many subforms and the private server you had to upload the file to took so long to load...
*BRRRRINNGGG*
*BRRRRINNGGG*
Mom bothering you again!? She knows not to call you this late...
Where was that damn phone?
*BRRRRINNGGG*
*BRRRRINNGGG*
After a few fruitless seconds of searching you find it sandwiched between your pillow and Kuma-kun. You're about to reject the call by habit when you glance at ID in shock.
<Hihi Lux! Finally picked up!>
"...Meimi!? A... are you alright!? How's rehab going?"
<Right... real names. Uh, you weren't kidding. Bathrooms are not fun. But they let me eat real food for the first time today!>
That's great! You remember your first meal, and also the consequences of that first meal, but you don't want to ruin Meimi's good mood right now.
<Listen! I got my butler to buy me an Amusphere, so I can come to help you out in ALO. Let's meet up in-game tomorrow.>
"Already? Shouldn't you take some more time to recover...?"
<Phff, I get enough rehab. Sides, can't let you have all the fun. I've actually already logged in a few times, let me tell you, bothering Argo is more boring than you realize. The Rat's such a stick in the mud.>
"If you're sure Meimi... where do you want to meet?"
<Figure we could scope out the «World Tree». You have access to «Alne» right?>
You confirm to Meimi what little you know so far and note your possession of the «Town Portal» to her glee.
<Perfect! I haven't just been idle these few days, what spare time I have is spent crawling over the ALO forums. Even got my butler to do some of the tedious stuff. I'll say this, after a bit of research my conclusion is that Argo's a real stupid idiot. She's trying to establish some kind of alliance between the races to get to the tree, which is the dumbest most inefficient way I can think of to do this. Anyways Lux I'll see you tomorrow, you'll love my plan!>
"Meimi..."
<Ah... sorry, give me a break it's hard to get used to! Uh... goodnight H...Hiyori. I'll talk to you tomorrow!>
"Good night Meimi."
Glad to hear the chibi's getting better.
For once you agree with your Shadow. Looks like tomorrow was proving to be an eventful day.
Wait a minute.
You... didn't actually give Meimi your phone number, did you? You were planning on it the next time you visited, so how did she find your phone number?
Take a guess.
Did that Rat know anything about privacy!?
Fucking Argo.
>+5000 Yen from writing the report
>Rank C STR achieved!
>MASK Greatly Increased!
Satoru Mikami has asked for your username. You suspect he could find it out if he really wanted to, but he's busy enough he won't go through the trouble unless you give him an excuse.
[ ] It's «Lux».
[ ] I'd rather not say.
[ ] Honestly, I don't even play ALO. Was just asking for a concerned friend.
"Likely. Unfortunately, Kayaba Akihiko decided to axe the system, since the shutdown ability is hard coded into the program. You know, all the old «MHCP» models were actually repurposed into 99th Floor Boss «MHCP Army». Imagine a raid where the boss could disconnect you if it noted emotional distress! All of the post 90 bosses were rather... creatively cruel like that."
A... boss that disconnected you from SAO for something as common as EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, likely fatally because fucking Kayaba Akihiko, sounded like an absolute nightmare. Exactly how many people did Kayaba Akihiko actually expect to make it to the 100th floor in the first place?
Just a random deep cut reference to this random mid-boss in the SAO video games. I never played the game but as far as I can tell it's just a roadbump boss battle with nothing special, but I figure it would be such a Kayaba Akihiko thing to do. View: https://youtu.be/BFVww3jFEU4?t=818
Also, not that you're going to fight the MHCP Army... (anytime soon) but that would be an example of a Hama spell specialist.
Leafa smiles proudly at you while she claps your paralyzed avatar on the back. "That could've killed me, a masterful strike! Keep fighting like that and you could one day beat Mortimer, or even Zekken!"
Huh, so Yuuki is active right now. I suspected the flavor for the Mankind Arcana was referring to her - it's almost certainly a Sleeping Knight at any rate given the reference to Merida - and that definitely raises the odds it is her in particular. ...We should try to find her.
Also I thought Leafa was just into the RP scene here but that entire sequence when Hiyori brought up kendo suggests she's in the process of being brainwashed.
SIXTH STAR - April 20th, 2024
07:00 AINCRAD STANDARD TIME
"Gwen, it's too sour," you complain but continue sucking on the jawbreaker. Real candy that just didn't taste like pure a lump of pure sugar was a very rare commodity in SAO. Turns out «Confectioner» was an entirely different Skill from «Cooking», so there were practically only two or three players in the game with the skill. «Johnny Black» actually was one of them, to your great surprise and disgust. When a potion crafting backfired you usually ended up with poison... but when poison crafting backfired the waste product was evidently candy.
"Don't worry, I didn't pick it out of JB's trash pile. Found it on a midget squash run."
Gwen constantly complained about squash runs. Dwarf Villages were NPC villages in the 30 floor range that were just low enough level and far enough away none of the real players actually bothered with them. Outside of you, LC members had to avoid towns so it was hard to find food and ingredients for day to day living. Regularly raiding NPC villages as soon as they respawned - the so called squash run - was a pretty regular chore for LC that even PoH had to participate in. Ironically, in order to preserve your «Green Cursor» it was the one task you didn't have to do.
You nod absently as you put another jawbreaker in your mouth. You had developed a taste for them these last few months, and Gwen had a crate full of the stuff. Say what you will about NPC Dwarves, but they really loved their hard candy.
"Lux I said I'd help you with work... but c'mon, don't make me suffer like this!"
You were doing your favorite job - waiting. Some mid level player was interested in killing his guild leader and you were here to iron out the payment details. In the initial message there was some long winded insane rambling about his wife that you skimmed past, one thing you learned fast in this business is that knowing the details didn't help you sleep at night. Payment, Plan and Target, that's all you need and all you care to know about.
"UGH, this is such a pain," complains Gwen while her legs dangle from the branch she's perched on. A poor hiding space but with her «Hide» so high skill she's practically invisible anyways.
PoH had accepted a contract to assassinate the leader of some no-name guild called «Golden Apple». Meeting with contacts was always a... tricky job. «Argo» had started making fake assassination requests in order to apprehend LC members, and some clients were so crazy they actually tried to kill the LC contact. So you usually had a bodyguard assigned to you, as your ability to actually fight back was stymied by your «Green Cursor».
"If you're so bored why don't you take a nap? I only need your help if the client's illegitimate."
Gwen visibly shudders. "Haha, very funny Lux. I trust you not to Sleep PK me but god I don't know how anyone can be comfortable sleeping in the open anymore."
"Sleep PK isn't actually all that common. The conditions for it to work are actually hard to meet."
"Yeah, well maybe tell that to JB 'cause he just won't SHUT UP about it. Try to show up to a safehouse for a few winks and that creep's all like 'sleep tight little lamb'. Like fuck, does that guy have an off switch."
"JB's just been getting annoyed since someone set fire to his favorite sack. It's on my shopping list." It happened enough you usually bought a few extra, just so you didn't have to keep going on return trips.
"Then do me a favor and put a scorpion in it."
You were feeling rather sleepy. "Gwen, if you're not going to then I'll gladly take a nap," you yawn. You've been up for almost a whole day now. "Wake me up when the client gets here."
"You're way too relaxed," says Gwen as she stretches lazily before jumping onto the floor next to you. "You know I'm a Orange Player right?"
"Blah, blah, sleep PK or something. I haven't gotten a good night's rest in ages, and you couldn't pay me to sleep in the safehouse." She grunts in protest before giving in, waving her hand in annoyance.
"Fine, fine. Go get your beauty sleep."
You lean behind the tree and try to get comfortable. Ah, if there's one thing you missed the most about the real world it was your bed. Ever since you were small you couldn't fall asleep without something in your arms, and to your great chagrin nobody in SAO had invented stuffed animals yet.
"Uh-huh, thanks Gwen..." Your eyes were growing heavy. The contact said he'd show up in an absurd half-day window, so you have plenty of time to catch some winks. "Just wake me if some nervous guy shows up..."
It's a restful few hours, enjoying the sounds of the distant city and the feel of wind against your hair. Sleep was a rare luxury for you, and the times you could truly relax were becoming rarer and rarer. Even now you couldn't fall into a true deep sleep, most LC members couldn't unless they were behind a locked door.
"Lux?"
"..."
Gwen sighs dramatically as she pokes your cheek. "Luxie, I know you're awake."
"Contact here yet? If not give me 5 more minutes..."
"AHHH I'm going crazy here. We could be doing something fun instead of waiting to get ghosted by this client! How long have you been doing this now?"
"Mmm... a few months now... why?"
"...and you still haven't killed anyone...?"
"..."
"Cause... that would solve your problems, you know? You can't be an LC spy as an «Orange Player» anymore. Take this client you're meeting. I figure, if he's hiring LC, he can't be a standup guy right? So why not kill him, lose your cursor?" Gwen asks.
You shake your head slightly. "If I stop being useful they'll kill me."
"Then become a full member! Outside of traitors, PoH prevents LC members from killing each other. At this point everyone knows you, hell you even work directly under the boss man himself! It's just... PvP is LOADS of fun and you're just missing out," grumbles Gwen.
An old discussion. Gwen bought the words of PoH hook line and sinker: SAO is just a game, and PKing is part of that game, to the extent that gear could drop that boosted damage against players. Clearing SAO? At the current attrition rate SAO would never be cleared anyways, so why not have some fun? What's the point of fighting mindless 1s and 0s or getting yourself killed by some poorly balanced gimmick boss? The real challenge, the real hunt, was in PKing. It was practically PoH's dogma.
"I... just don't want to cross that line." You wanted to say you didn't want to become a full-fledged killer, but even if you were never holding the knife, you couldn't think of yourself as anything other than a killer. "Say Gwen. Why do you do it? ...why kill players even knowing...?"
She looks up at you quizzically. It's a simple question that should have a short answer. But instead Gwen frowns deeply and scrunches her face. "Cause it's fun? I mostly did PvP before starting SAO. Fighting mobs just isn't the same. You used to game right? Didn't you find PvP to be way more fun than just farming crap?"
You did... but that was that and this is this. "PvP was fun when the only thing you lost was pride. When it was just a game."
"Hmmm... I dunno, it's still a game, so why not play it like one? There's a UI, there's mobs, and there's even PKing. I'd say that makes it a game, harsh rules aside."
"But they're people..."
Gwen hums in your lab as she formulates a response. "Are they? I've seen PCs die, and I've done so many squash missions I must've killed hundreds of NPCs by now. They're... not all that different in the end. Everyone begs for their lives in the same way. This isn't like the real world, I'm wearing a machine that controls everything I see, hear... Hey, Luxie... are you an NPC?"
"What? No!"
"Just something I'm thinking about. What proof do we have about... any of this?" asks Gwen quietly. "Am I really rotting in a hospital somewhere, or are we all just brains in jars? What proof beyond Kayaba's word that all the dead players are really dead? Maybe I'm the only one trapped, you're just some annoying fluffy NPC that latched onto me. Way I see it there's equal odds we're all already dead, or that Kayaba is one console command away from resurrecting everyone, so why bother worrying? Just have fun instead."
Your eyelids begin to droop, you were genuinely exhausted and sleep continued to beckon to you. You were finally finding a comfortable spot...
"C'mon, why are we talking about this again? I'll have you know this NPC still needs to sleep."
Gwen groans, "Right. Nightie night Luxie, I'll wake you when your creep shows up."
óðinsdagr - 16th of Einmánuður
Afternoon
"Ooooh, that's crazy. You got to try this one next!"
You bite into the aptly named «Rainbow Surprise Pie» before «Gwen» decides to force feed you. There's very little to worry about, considering she was rather busy diving into the massive spread of virtual food in front of you.
Sweet... then salty. Wait, now it's bitter!?
*COUGH* *COUGH* You fight off your gag reflex as the dirt flavored pie rapidly turns sour in your mouth, leaving you with two hideous aftertastes one after the other. Why bother simulating gag reflexes!?
"Yeah... not my favorite one," comments Gwen in between mouthfuls of the comically large turkey leg she was polishing off. "Weren't really that many cooks in SAO but here? It's everywhere! The meat practically grows on trees!"
"You should slow down! Just how much have you eaten right now? You'll spoil your appetite..." You felt full already, this was going to completely ruin dinner for you. VR Food wasn't the silver bullet for dieting that people thought it was, when you VR overeat on an empty stomach you develop an abominable combination of bloated and starving that usually just translated into overwhelming nausea.
"Phff, I gotta eat this much to really taste it. Even if it looks more appetizing SAO grub had more kick to it. Got to say, Lux, I'm jealous you managed to keep your NerveGear. The Amusphere just isn't the same, it's like... I'm diving with only one eye? If I focus really hard I can see the dinky hospital bed and smell the air freshener. Dunno if that makes sense." complains Gwen as she tosses the bone behind into the street where it promptly dissolves into particles. "Tried to find a used NerveGear but they're crazy expensive. I could ask my dad but all that'll do is make him increase my therapy hours..."
You're still not certain how safe the NerveGear was now. Agil mentioned how technically it would be impossible for another program to access the brain-frying microwaves in the NerveGear, so arguably ALO was perfectly safe. Of course ALO was practically copied from SAO's servers, so who the hell knows at this point.
Don't get rid of it!
Gwen helps herself to a slice of pork shoulder while you decide to finish your ice cream sundae. One good thing about VR food - doesn't melt!
"Bleh, don't eat that in front of me," Gwen says as she sticks her tongue out. "Reminds too much of hospital slop. You got too much of a sweet tooth, Lux."
Well the ice cream is delicious so Gwen will just have to deal with it.
"So Lux... you've been a busy bee eh? You know, I'm still a little lost."
"Yeah, Gwen, me too. Things were simpler..."
"When we were just running around being PoH's errand girls. Bleh. Pork's too dry. Can't wait till I can eat the real thing."
You didn't see the point in being vague with Gwen, if anything she was just as deep in mysterious VR nonsense as you were. For a girl you've known to be a pathological liar and probably a murderer it feels... nice to talk again. To fall back into old patterns. Lux, gopher for «Laughing Coffin» and Gwen your PKing friend. Her avatar was even carried over from SAO.
"But I gotta ask, what's it like having an evil voice in your head!?"
Annoying.
"Annoying."
"Uh-huh. So... who's the real one? Lux or... other Lux?"
I'm the true self!
"I just call her my Shadow."
Gwen eyes you with a dubious look. "Shadow. A word you got from the other voice in your head? The two-toned butler dude? Who works for like... head boss voice in your head?"
"Uh, yeah. ETTEILLA. I speak with him but I can't actually remember his words, just... impressions. I'm not even sure it's a him. I'm not even sure it's an it." It spoke volumes that all the voices wasn't even all that high on your list of weird mysteries to worry about.
"So, can I speak to your... Shadow?"
"Gwen! Oh, I'm glad you're back to your old avatar! Stripper-ninja was not a good look for you!"
"Hey! I don't even remember designing the damn thing, but it had style!"
"I half figured you'd remake your avatar. Big Gwen is a sin against nature!"
"Oh, I still remember the time you tried to use me as a pillow. I was very tempted to go taller but by using my SAO account I at least get to transfer some stats," says Gwen as she finishes another dish.
You suppress your Shadow, still no more difficult than concentrating. "Sorry, she just kind of comes out at times."
"You're right. Does sound annoying." At that Gwen jumps out of her seat, flinging her arms wide open. She pats her stomach in satisfaction. "Aaaaaahhhhhh.... oh, that feels nice. Haven't felt full in ages."
You finish up your ice cream as the funds are subtracted from Gwen's account. You're not sure where she got the money from but it probably involved an allowance bigger than your rent and plenty MistCoins.
"So... Gwen. What's the plan? We're already here in «Alne». World tree's right there, do you want to try the quest just to see what we're up against?"
"And get skewered by a giant horde of guardians? No thanks. My memories from the tree are fuzzy as hell but I do remember those hulking statue things everywhere. Trust me, we'd get slaughtered."
"Are your memories more clear now?" You're genuinely curious. When your Shadow takes over the memories slowly backfill into your mind, maybe Gwen's memories would follow a similar pattern.
"Kinda? Let's fly somewhere more private. This ain't the kind of talk we should be having in public."
"This is embarrassing. No, this is demeaning."
"Stop pulling on my hair! Do you want me to drop you!?"
Gwen was riding piggyback atop your shoulders as the two of you fly towards tall hill underneath the «World Tree». Despite her claims of being the best flier ever, she had the midair dexterity of a dead pigeon. Something about being an «Alf» gave her a special flight bonus, but now back to a normal avatar she could barely stay aloft with the flight controller.
"Flight sims suck anyways," she complains as you feel her tug on your hair.
"They're not reins! I could carry you like a toddler instead!"
Your destination was the top of the hill overlooking the city. Although ALO had a large population most of the central city remained unoccupied, outside of a small handful of raids the game drastically discouraged inter-racial parties and cooperation. Racial PvP was considered always active even between party members, with «Alne» being the only city with a blanket ban on violence. There was a small group of renegade players who left or were exiled, but they were vanishingly rare. Staying in the good graces of one's Lord simply offered too many benefits between the safe zones, global buffs and even Skill Exp bonuses they offered.
For that reason you're not surprised to find the hill empty.
Gwen and you spend a few minutes admiring the city, but when Gwen turns her head towards the «World Tree» she shows only an expression of disgust.
"You remember something?"
"Kind of. Like I said, it's all so hazy. I remember... a grand palace. Pools of wine, forests of game, cornucopias full of sweets and delicacies always in arms reach. There were... girls, I think? Just everywhere I could see."
"...like NPCs?"
"I'm not sure. I don't think I was anyone special, I wasn't freaking Titania. There were just... a lot of us. Hundreds at least? Most of them all looked the same but there were a few like me with unique avatars."
A harem up in the sky, a dream come true for any man with delusions of grandeur. Your first reaction is to scoff at the absurdity. But then again...? This was a virtual world after all, and there were already shady companies looking into creating an adult entertainment VRMMO. Is that all the «World Tree» was, some kind of virtual harem? But why involve all the old SAO survivors?
"So you were brainwashed?"
"I guess so? It wasn't like I lost my memories, I just didn't care about them. I remember thinking, believing I was Lady Gwendolyn. It was still me but all my priorities, my desires, were twisted into pleasing OBERON. You know there's nothing holding anybody up there? You can't go into the tree but leaving is no problem. I just didn't want to leave, I couldn't fathom leaving. The only fairy trapped in a cage was Titania, er, «The Flash». I'm pretty sure whatever it was that OBERON did to us, she was immune or something. I remember her trying to talk to me... to all of us, at some point? I think she gave up when she realized we wouldn't listen."
"...so why did you leave?"
Gwen blushes slightly. "I... uh, never really turned down your friend request back in SAO. I left it unanswered, so my UI popped up an alert when you logged in. I just decided... well, I wanted to see you again. Share the «World Tree» with you- AHHH!"
You grab Gwen's back and throw your arms around her. "I'm just glad you're back. And I'm sorry you were stuck there for so long, if I knew I would've tried to help..."
She squirms in your arms before slowly returning your hug. "It's fine. That place was... I mean it felt... amazing? But now I realize how awful it was. I don't miss it."
You release Gwen as you gaze upwards at the tree. "So Gwen... what was your plan to get up there?"
"Uh, two actually!" she responds, smile gracing her face one more. "Way I see it there's an easy way and a hard way to get up tree!"
"Let's go with the easy way."
She nods like an overeager puppy. "OK, great! We're already here so let's just try it now!"
"Wait Gwen what ar-"
"OBERON!" shouts Gwen suddenly, scaring away a flock of nearby birds. "YOU HEAR ME YOU INCEL LOINCLOTH LEGOLAS!?"
Her scream echoes off the distant tree, before fading into silence. You stare up at the tree, its branches rustling in the wind as nothing happens. The momentary calm is shattered as Gwen screams out once again:
"YOU'RE A PATHETIC CUCKOLD KING! YOU CAN CONTROL MINDS AND TITANIA'S STILL PINING FOR ANOTHER MAN!"
"Gwen!" you hiss, "What are you doing!? What if he hears us?"
"Uh, that's what I'm counting on? I don't remember a whole lot about him beyond being forced to love him, but I figure a guy like that has to have a rather fragile ego. Also he clearly has some kind of thing with «The Flash», considering the whole cage thing."
You sigh as she continues. "I don't think this is going to work."
"Bah, if I'm going to take revenge on him anyway I might as well use it as a chance to vent all my pent-up rage! He messed with my brain! I won't sleep right until I can kick him in the nuts in both worlds. Now where was I..."
"YOU'RE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A FAT UGLY BASTARD FUCKS A FIREFLY!"
"A VIDEO GAME MASCOT HAVING A MIDLIFE CRISIS!"
"WHY DON'T YOU COME OUT OF YOUR STUPID TREEHOUSE OR ARE YOU TOO CHICKEN YOU PENCIL-DICK LOSER?"
Gwen huffs as she stops shouting. You turn to look at her; she looks exhausted from all the yelling. "Whooo, that takes some effort. Wanna get in on this Lux? Maybe if we both try he'll hear us."
"I'll pass."
Leave it to Gwen. I don't have any good insult ideas right now.
A few more minutes of screaming doesn't do much to change the situation. "Welp, nothing for it. Hard way it is then," says Gwen as she lays spread eagle on the grass staring at the tree.
"I take it the hard way is what Argo is trying to do?"
"Phff, I said easy and hard way, not stupid way. Here's what I know from bugging Argo: she's got all the cats working for her and is trying to get the Sylph Lord on her side now, some kind of coalition. The Undines all hate her right now for the last World Tree disaster attempt but at least their leader's in her pocket. She's barely made any inroads to the other races."
"So assuming everything works out that's what... two races to blitz the «World Tree» at best?"
"Yeah, pretty much! Nobody has an incentive to work together, only one race gets the flight benefit. You can pay some mercs, sure, but mercs in a video game? Hah, like they'll have much investment in the outcome."
You sit next to Gwen as she continues to brainstorm. "Way I see it, getting people to work together? That's a losing battle. You're fighting against player nature and you miss the biggest problem - what do the other races even get for helping out? Some brownie points? A fucking favor? Phff."
"So what do you suggest Gwen?"
"At first, I figured we should join the strongest side. The Salamanders have the strongest army, the biggest player base, the most money too. If we sign up as like, lizard spies or something, we could maybe power them up instead."
But you were a Sylph. And Gwen was.... "Gwen, what race are you anyways?"
"Uh... Slyph. I figure I'd pick the same race as you..."
Well flattered as you are that still presented a problem. "But neither of us are Salamanders."
"Well, all the better! There's no reason for a Sylph to betray the Sylph lord, there's no reward in it. But you and I, we don't care about that, all we want is the «World Tree». Way I see it Lux, we could ingratiate ourselves to the Sylph leaders and betray them all to the lizards."
There's something you're confused about. "But how would that work? Say I want to help the Salamanders, how would I even do that?"
Gwen grins as she holds up 3 fingers. "30%."
"What?"
"30%. Check the forums if you don't believe me, but if a Lord gets killed... the killing race gets 30% of the entire race's assets, and gets to set tax rates for a week. You seeing what I'm seeing?"
You do. "So if we can somehow get a Salamander to kill the Sylph Lord... hell multiple lords..."
"Yup! Suddenly the Salamanders become the balance breaking dominant force. People aren't stupid, players will start making Salamander Alts, population will soar while the other races dry up..."
So... work with Argo and try to convince disparate races to work together.
Or work as an agent of chaos and power up the strongest race in the game.
You look up at the tree. A team had managed to somehow cheat their way up there regardless, high enough to take a picture. "Maybe we're thinking about this too narrowly Gwen. I've been scoping out the real life headquarters of RECT Progress, if we think out of the box there might be a way to go without dealing with the quest itself."
"That's an idea. Maybe get a mod to teleport you straight into the zone, I'd love to see the look on Argo's face if you pull that off. Just... we don't actually want the game cancelled, if we spook the guys running the show too much who knows what will happen."
It's not a perfect plan but it's another avenue to explore, and you had the contact information of a Dev now so some progress was already made.
"So just a group of less than perfect options..." you mutter.
"Hey, you still haven't heard my best plan yet Lux!"
"Oh? It wasn't betraying the Sylphs to the Salamanders?"
Gwen grins and rubs her nose as she flips to a standing position. "That's what I thought at first, but hell, that's the just doing what the game wants us to do. No, I realized I was thinking too small!"
She gestures grandly towards the city «Alne», lying beneath the trunk of the «World Tree». "You see this world Lux? ALO itself? What would you call it as a game genre?"
Hmm... a VRMMO? But you suspect she's asking a different problem. "If SAO was a PvE game, then this is a faction based PvP game..."
"Yupyup, got it in one Luxie! But you know, SAO had PvP too. I'm sure I don't have to remind you."
«Laughing Coffin». The king of the corpse pile. Player Killing.
Gwen is getting visibly excited, jumping and down like a pixie on a sugar rush. "PKing! It's the one thing this game doesn't really have. If you want to kill another player just go fight in the constant territory wars! It's boring it's what. Why do people PK in ALO? I'll tell you. It's for loot, for their race, for community, some dumb shit like that. But in SAO there was only one reason to PK - for FUN!"
She pauses dramatically to draw breath, and then continues with newfound passion. "What's a PKer to do in ALO? Join some race and work as the underling of some NEET loser masquerading as a Lord? ALO is just a milquetoast BS PvP game! Nobody does anything just for the hell of it here, this stupid race faction system makes it so that even PKing is extrinsically motivated. And that's why I say, let's give everyone a fun way to do it!"
"You're suggesting we... PK our way up the «World Tree»?"
Gwen smiles as she lifts up three fingers again. "Yep. 30%. When you kill a Lord you get 30% of the the entire race's assets. But if you're exiled... well the 30% goes into your own pocket, or a guild's pocket if you're part of a guild. So if both get exiled from the Sylphs and create a guild..."
"...we'd have to kill at least 3 Lords just to approach the strength of one race. And where would we get the players assuming we can even kill the Fairy Lords?"
"Oh, they'll come. All we need is ONE success, one big public event. Listen, Lux. We don't need these hyped up LARPERs and their fairy lords. They're not gonna get us up the tree. You're not gonna go up the tree by trying to recruit people who are fighting for some dumb in-game reward. What we need... are trolls. Trolls, losers... PKers. A whole bunch of them. You need people who will throw themselves at the tree out of nothing but a sheer stubborn desire to fuck with everyone. "
"A... guild of PKers. Gwen I hope you're not suggesting..."
Oh yes, I like this idea!
"Let me finish! We need to manufacture a story Lux. This is a SEED MMO, which means transferring a character in is piss easy. They're out there, scattered across a hundred different games. People who'll pile onto a hate train just to see where it'll go. There's an army of bored gamers waiting for something FUN to happen, something to make their afternoon an interesting one. Can you imagine Lux?"
Gwen laughs, stretching out her arms as if to grab the tree itself. "What do you think would happen if «Laughing Coffin» comes back? If SAO's PK guild comes to ALO by killing a Sylph Lord in broad daylight? If we can pull it off and then advertise that we're recruiting? We'll get our army, they'll pour in from every bored low level grinder in ALO to PK addict in GGO will transfer into ALO to be part of history. And we won't need to stop, we'll run rampant and kill Lord after Lord and the more we kill? The bigger the legend of «Laughing Coffin» becomes. The bigger army we gather. And the best part? No fucking negotiations, no stupid in game rewards. We'll get a horde of players throwing themselves at the «World Tree», not for some stupid flight system, but because they think it'll be FUNNY!"
To actually PK...
Wait a minute... Doesn't that mean... hehehehe...
What are you doing?
"Hehehehe... hahahaha. Gwen I just thought about this, but if we do this right, if we get the momentum and become the best shot at breaking into the «World Tree»? Well if that happens... Argo will be forced to help us won't she?"
Go back it's not your turn!
But it's... true. Argo wanted to get up to the «World Tree» no matter what. It's... not as if anybody would be dying in real life this time. If supporting a PK guild was the only way to reach the top...
Gwen is grinning ear to ear. "See? I can see you're thinking Lux. Can you imagine the look on Argo's stupid face when she has to join «Laughing Coffin»? And I've seen you fight Lux, you have some strange hacking power right? We're already cheating, so what's the harm in taking it to its logical conclusion?"
"Yeah? PKing a Lord won't be easy pickings. Aren't they mostly holed up in their home cities in the first place?"
"Heh, I've already got a target lined up. Lord of the Pookas, «Seven». Lordship is just a popularity contest and that girl's an idol IRL so she won without any real in game skill. She also frequently transfers her account to other SEED games in order to hold concerts so she's not all that strong. Given space requirements she holds her concerts out here on the «Alne Plains». Now she has a security team of high level players and a rabid crowd but... you have your little hacking trick. We assassinate an idol in the middle of her concert... well, I can't think of a better venue for our debut."
Gwen visibly calms as she clasps her hands on your shoulders. "And look, Lux... I know «Laughing Coffin» did horrible things to you. This is a way for you to get revenge too, you know? Make their name your own. Show PoH that you could run his stupid guild better than he ever could. So what do ya say Lux? Let's go kill some Faires together, for old time's sake?"
<PERHAPS WE CAN START WITH YOU, TRAITOR!>
System Call: Generate Fuliminant Particle. Discharge.
Gwen, whose arms are still around you, pushes you harshly down the hill in sudden shock while screaming in pain. You roll down the hill, the smell of ozone and charred grass hitting your nose as a bolt of divine punishment rains down from the «World Tree». Your wings deploy to stabilize your descent while Gwen jumps down with you, clothes torn and singed from the unexpected lightning strike, short sword drawn with her left and throwing knives already readied into her right.
Three angels, no «Alfs», descend from the heights of the «World Tree». Each are lavishly beautiful, radiant skin glistening off the sun's rays. Their figures are inhumanly proportioned, walking cartoon caricatures of beauty wearing flowing robes that leave little to the imagination. Oddly enough they all look almost identical, auburn hair that flows halfway down the waist.
<LADY GWENDOLYN. YOU ARE UGLIER THAN LAST WE MET.>
Gwen's only response is to blow a raspberry at the central figure.
"Gwen! You know these people?"
"No! This is like... the default appearance of OBERON's consorts. There's like hundreds that look just like them."
"Why do they all look like «The Flash»!?"
"I don't know! My appearance was set to that too before I asked OBERON if I could change it!"
<YOU WERE FAVORED AMONG OUR COURT AND YET YOU SPURN OUR LORD'S LOVE! WHAT'S MORE YOU DARE INSULT HIS MAJESTY AT THE SEAT OF HIS POWER!?>
Gwen takes a moment to consider how she should answer such an absurd accusation. Then she says simply, "Oh my god, is OBERON such a loser that he had to send his nursemaids to fight instead? Phff."
The female Alf looks livid, and her two companions don't seem much better. <LORD OBERON HAS NO TIME TO DEAL WITH THE LIKES OF YOU, TRAITOR! IF HE KNEW WHAT VILE LIES SPEWED FORTH FROM YOUR FILTHY LIPS YOU WOULD ALREADY BE ASH IN THE WIND!>
You feel your Shadow settle back into your mind. These idiots just hurt your friend, and you're not going to take that lying down.
"Hey, Lux, doing that hacking thing again!? I'm not sure if a Mermaid is gonna do much against lightning..."
<I SEE YOU, HARLOT! PERVERTING THE LAW OF OBERON!>
Excuse me? "I'm not taking that from OBERON's clone harem!"
<HOW DARE YOU INTERLOPER! I SHALL DELIVER DIVINE JUSTICE IN HIS NAME! I CALL UPON THE LAW OF OBERON TO GRANT ME YOUR GRACE!>
You feel a strange pressure building upon the hill. Black ink seeps out of the Alfs and whirls around the field, something you've seen before when you were fighting Gwen. You can see it, just a peek as their angelic forms melt away, the true faces underneath the mask of beauty. A plain faced high school student. A middle aged woman. A young child. All faces you vaguely recognize from Argo's list of comatose SAO victims.
The inky black ooze morphs, creaks and changes, wrapping itself around the three Alfs. They tremble, shake and then explode.
Ooze and shadow dissolve into the air, the weight of something old coats the Alfs like a suit of armor. When the storm settles you see three figures, resplendent yet filled with rage. In the back of your head you recognize their names, figures form the Sea of Souls. Shadows. Nedja, Vivian, Silky.
The strange child in emerald eyes giggles and pounces at Gwen, hands shrouded with biting winds. Your wings sprout forward in an attempt to intercept but Gwen's face gives you pause. You know that look. You've seen it time and time again, that mocking smile, the one she gives you whenever you're about to lose a duel against her. She's planning something.
"Alright you losers, thanks for showing me that trick. I did it every day for months after all, I just needed a refresher." says Gwen as she laughs.
What was she talking about?
The pressure returns. Shadows coalesce, only this time not around your enemies. Instead, Gwen is the one radiating darkness. They gather, not around her like an armor, but above her. Besides her. A soul made manifest, servant to one's will.
You see the shape. It's the same as before, Gwen's Alf form. Pale beautiful skin, full figure, stockings and flowing long hair. This was Gwen's idealized vision of herself, the person she wished she could be polluted by OBERON's will.
The charging Nadja shadow hisses in annoyance as Gwen's Alf body intercepts the attack, dodging under the poorly timed charge and grabbing the fairy by the neck.
"See, I've figured out the trick. Lux, sorry in advance, but after seeing you do it, well... I got a bit jealous. Why not let me join in on the fun?"
Gwen's smile widens and her Alf avatar does the same, the beautiful features marred by a grin that widens. Blood seeps out her avatar's mouth as her ninja outfit stretches, elongates into an ornate dress.
Oh? Hmm... such hatred towards this world. Delectable. You meet such interesting people, contractor.
"SYSTEM CALL."
To you who wish to tear down HEAVEN, I grant you my blessing.
"PERSONA!"
System Call: Incarnate PERSONA [Daji]. ReferenceID:14.Droit
The soft hands morph into razor sharp claws.
Ears sprout from the top of the head and blonde hair stains black.
A fluffy white tail emerges from the backside and wraps around her torso.
But what you notice most is the smile. Wide, teasing, red lips, Gwen's smile mirrored on her Persona. Until it plunges into Nadja's neck.
System Call: Reactivating feature[Sword Skill]. Category:[Martial Art] ID:[Devour]
"AHHHH!!!" The shadow screams in agony as Gwen laughs beneath the shower of shadow, the wounds from the electrical strike rapidly repairing themselves while her HP meter maxes out. She briefly admires her hands, stained with blood, viscera and the shadow material - licking her lips in anticipation. She sucks her fingers, covered in shadow and shudders in delight.
"Oh my, you taste delicious. So much better than that shit they sell in the city."
"Gwen focus! The rest are readying an attack!"
"I know, I know. I'll save a few for you Lux. Do be a dear and take care of the electric one for me? I can handle this one. I have to lick my plate clean after all."
With a sneer of rage electricity gathers in the hands of the Alf in front of you as you brace for its attack. Meanwhile the willow maiden in the back has her arms down on her lap, smiling with her eyes closed. What is she planning?
TACTICAL INFORMATION:
You are in combat with three SHADOWS.
You are unsure of their elemental affinities.
Nadja plans on attacking Gwen. It appears wounded.
Vivian plans on attacking you.
Silky is planning something.
Lux:
HP : 6/6
SP : 10/10
STR: Rank C (3 Dice)
MAG: Rank D (2 Dice)
AGI: Rank C (3 Dice)
VIT: Rank D (2 Dice)
CHT: Rank D (2 Dice)
Gwen:
HP : 4/4
SP : 10/10
*For simplicity party member statistics include their Persona automatically instead of tracking them separately since they do not possess the wild card.
STR: Rank B (4 Dice)
MAG: Rank D (2 Dice)
AGI: Rank B (4 Dice)
VIT: Rank D (2 Dice)
CHT: Rank C (3 Dice)
Weak: Slash, Elec
Resist: Wind, Fire
Skills: [Devour] : Blunt melee strike that heals based on damage done.
[Pulinpa] : Attempts to confuse target enemy.
[Agi] : Magic Fire attack
Please submit a plan.
You have TWO major decisions.
First is PERSONA POOL.
You have 3 SLOTS
Choose 3 out of your 4 PERSONAs to use. This cannot be changed for the entire duration of the fight, this represents what Personas you have available.
Check PERSONA Compendium for details.
[ ] LIST THREE PERSONAS
Second is the actual combat plan. Gwen will follow commands.
Prebuilt Plans:
[ ] Act Naturally
>Gwen will focus on Nadja and attempt to kill her.
>QM will pick a random Persona and start attacking Vivian.
[ ] Prioritize Support
>You and Gwen will prioritize support moves and status effects.
>QM will pick a Persona with a status move.
[ ] Switch targets.
>You and Gwen will swap targets.
>QM will pick a random Persona and start attacking Nadja.
[ ] Direct Commands Pick TWO Skills (or choose to attack without a Persona to save on SP)
Designate the target of each attack.
If you pick skills from Two different Personas you assume the weakness for the scene of both Personas (this is the cost of using multiple Persona in one turn)
[ ] Write-in (1D minimum, more if trying to cram too many actions into one turn)
For write-in plans if I can justify giving ADVANTAGE I will give it. More if you try to do something very cool or narratively interesting.
Be as detailed or vague as you want.
If you just want to specify targets of attacks pick DIRECT COMMANDS then. Consider this a beefed up version of DIRECT COMMANDS. This is for Gaia attacking Floatation Rings level of nonsense.
AN: This is the first combat encounter you can lose, and I'm trying to iron out the kinks in the mechanics as things go. Things may change as I figure out balance. I don't want the fight to last a ton of chapters though (barring setpiece encounters) so I will try to wrap things up quick.
Gwen
World of Origin: Aincrad
Current World: Alfheim
Race: Sylph
Persona: Daji (DEVIL Arcana)
Derived Statistics (how the quest calculates success and failure)
HP : 5/5
SP : 8/8
Notable Equipment: «Blossom Pastiche»: +1 AGI, +1 CHT. Increases likelihood of being targeted by OBERON.
«Mjölnir»: Unlocks special attacks.
Stats
STR: Rank B (4 Dice)
MAG: Rank D (2 Dice)
AGI: Rank A (5 Dice)
VIT: Rank D (2 Dice)
CHT: Rank B (4 Dice)
Weak: Slash, Elec
Resist: Wind, Fire
Skills (Persona):
Devour: Blunt melee strike that heals based on damage done. [1 SP]
Pulinpa: Attempts to confuse target enemy.
Agi: Magic Fire attack
Agilao: Magic Fire attack that strikes with +1 ADVANTAGE. [1 SP]
Skills (Special):
Toss Health: Heals target ally 2HP. [3 charges per encounter]
Toss Junk: Pull from your bag of tricks. Attacks a single target twice in one turn with attacks of random elements (includes physical). Uses MAG if the element is elemental, using STR if the element is physical. [2 SP]
Toss Mjölnir: You are not worthy. But that doesn't stop you from throwing the damn thing. BLUNT/ELEC single target attack that uses effective STR of Rank S (6 Dice). [2 SP]
Skills (Combination):
Bronze Toaster: Coat your Hammer in flames and cast it into the sky. Food tastes better when it's cooked! BLUNT/FIRE single target attack that uses effective STR of Rank S (6 Dice). Makes target WEAK to BLUNT. [4 SP]
Passive:
Runic Interception: Any enemy that wishes to use a MAG based attack must compete with your AGI roll. If you roll OVER the enemy MAG roll (ties resolve in favor of the enemy) the spell does not cast, costing the enemy caster their turn. [1 SP per interception attempt. May freely toggle on and off at no action cost]
Fifty eunuchs and fifty palace maidens are selected.
Take off all their clothing, tie a eunuch to a maiden to make fifty pairs
and let them frolic in the Wine Pool and the Meat Forest.
They are to play games like foot races or swimming.
They are to drink the wine from the pool and eat the meat from the trees.
They must get drunk and have fun.
At sunset when we are tired of watching them, each day a few pairs will be beaten to a pulp and stored in the new pulp trough.
Then new ones will take their place.
-Investiture of the Gods, by Xu Zhonglin
BACKGROUND
Su Daji was a maiden possessed by a thousand-year fox spirit in the goddess Nuwa's plot to punish King Zhou for lusting after the divine.
Known for her love of torture, Daji's beauty and depravity drag King Zhou further and further from the path of righteousness.
Her many inventions include a Bronze Toaster that cooks victims alive, and the Wine Forest and Meat Forest, created to appease her desire for human meat seasoned in alcohol.
While ultimately a servant of Nuwa, Daji was instructed to not harm others in her punishment of King Zhou. Her flagrant disregard for this order leads Nuwa to lend her no aid when she is ultimately captured and exorcised.
Origin: Investiture of the Gods
Alfheim Online Party Members
Rain
World of Origin: Aincrad
Current World: Alfheim
Race: Leprechaun
Derived Statistics (how the quest calculates success and failure)
HP : 8/8
SP : 6/6
Stats
STR: Rank C (3 Dice)
MAG: Rank C (3 Dice)
AGI: Rank B (4 Dice)
VIT: Rank A (5 Dice)
CHT: Rank S (6 Dice)
Weak: Wind, Fire
Resist: Blunt, Elec
Skills (Leprechaun):
Melee: Slash Physical Attack.
Lightning Arrow: Elec Magic Attack.
Resist Element: Declare a non physical element. Eliminates a single party member weakness against that element for 3 ROUNDS. [1 SP]
Enhance Element: Makakaja effect on a single party member. Lasts for 5 ROUNDS. [2 SP]
Skills (Special):
Dual Blade Assault: Perform two SLASH attacks in a single action. [1 SP]
Faux-Vorpal Strike: Perform a PIERCE/SLASH attack. Resolves using CHT stat. [1 SP]
«Thousand Sword Rain»: Widespread Pierce Attack. Rolls CHT to attack. Always targets AGI. Can only cast once per turn, but once cast the spell automatically recasts for 1SP at the start of the next turn, and does not expend Rain's action. [2 SP activation, 1 SP drain per turn]
Rain may expend an action to 'guide' the attack towards a single target, turning it into a Pierce Attack that is made with +2 ADVANTAGE.
Passive:
Faux-Once More!: Once per turn, upon striking a weakness, perform a free Melee or Lightning Arrow on the same target. Does not consume or benefit from SMIRK.
Yuuki
World of Origin: Serene Garden
Current World: Alfheim
Race: Imp
Derived Statistics (how the quest calculates success and failure)
HP : 7/7
SP : 8/8
Stats
STR: Rank SS (7 Dice)
MAG: Rank C (3 Dice)
AGI: Rank SS (7 Dice)
VIT: Rank C (3 Dice)
CHT: Rank B (4 Dice)
Weak: Bless, Blunt
Resist: Slash, Curse
Skills (Imp):
Advanced Melee: Slash/Pierce Physical Attack.
Sledgehammer: Blunt Physical Attack. If damage is dealt, enemy has DISADVANTAGE on their next offensive roll. [1 SP]
Ali Dance: Augments your evasion ability for 3 ROUNDS. Taunts enemy (preferentially attacks Yuuki, DISADVANTAGE when striking other targets). [2 SP]
Skills (Special):
«Flashing Penetrator»: Rolls only HALF of your STR Dice (rounded up), PIERCE damage. Guarantees +1 ADVANTAGE for next strike even if missing. [1 SP]
«Mother's Rosario» (Setup): Slash Physical Attack. Places a MARK on enemy if ANY damage is done from this skill.
«Mother's Rosario» (Finish): Pierce Physical Attack. If an enemy is MARKED and ANY damage is done from this skill, perform 4 points of ALMIGHTY damage. [3 SP]
Skills (Incarnate)
«Incarnate: Sleeping Shinobi»: A flash of green and a blade in the darkness. Slash Sword Skill, utilizing Yuuki's stats. An additional Slash Sword Skill AND an additional Blunt Sword Skill utilizing STR A (5 Dice) attack are simultaneously made on your target - these additional two attacks ignore any current ADVANTAGE/DISADVANTAGE bonuses you currently have. [2 SP, once per combat] When the walls of the world come crumbling down, this skill changes.
«Incarnate: Sleeping Maiden»: You better half, always watching, always supporting. Heals Yuuki 4 HP and provides ADVANTAGE to VIT rolls. [Automatic upon health < 50%, once per combat] When the walls of the world come crumbling down, this skill changes.
Passive:
Spell Blast: Enter a special defensive stance. You may use your STR dice to defend against MAG attacks. Can toggle or disable as a free action, when active you cannot utilize «Flashing Penetrator» or «Mother's Rosario».
Cayna
World of Origin: Serene Garden
Current World: Alfheim
Race: Sylph
Derived Statistics (how the quest calculates success and failure)
HP : 6/6
SP : 12/12
Stats
STR: Rank A (5 Dice)
MAG: Rank A (5 Dice)
AGI: Rank A (5 Dice)
VIT: Rank A (5 Dice)
CHT: Rank A (5 Dice)
Weak: Elec, Pierce
Resist: Wind, Ice
Skills (Sylph):
Skill Master: Declare any physical element and perform a Physical Attack.
Meta-Magic: Declare any magic single element (including Bless/Curse) and perform a Magic Attack.
Fairy Blessing: Mimics the effect of any single target -Kaja spell. Lasts 3 ROUNDS.
Golden Hoop Staff: Widespread Blunt/Elec Physical strike. [1 SP]
Isaz Armlet: Pierce/Ice Physical strike with +1 ADVANTAGE. [1 SP]
Skills (Special):
Catastrophe: Widespread Magic that strikes four times with each cardinal element (WIND/ELEC/FIRE/ICE). Requires a one turn charge, whereby Cayna will attract enemy attention. [5 SP]
«Witch of the Silver Ring»: Once deployed the «Silver Ring» can only be deactivated via death, retreat or running out of SP. Activation takes 1 round. [2 SP consumed per round starting the turn after activation.]
>MAX and CURRENT HP increases by 4
>ADVANTAGE to all VIT rolls
>Gain one free usage of Meta-Magic every round.
Shiroe
World of Origin: Elder Tale
Current World: Alfheim
Race: Spriggan
Special Equipment: «Yggdrasil Branch», can freely heal targets by 1 HP.
Derived Statistics (how the quest calculates success and failure)
HP : 4/4
SP : 6/6
Stats
STR: Rank D (2 Dice)
MAG: Rank C (3 Dice)
AGI: Rank D (2 Dice)
VIT: Rank D (2 Dice)
CHT: Rank S (6 Dice)
Weak: All Physical
Resist: Curse, Bless
NAVI: Shiroe is a Navigator, and functions from the backline. He is immune to all attacks UNLESS an opponent spends a turn explicitly targeting him (your foe is chasing down your navigator, etc).
Skills (Spriggan):
Electrical Fuzz: Give enemy DISADVANTAGE on next MAG or STR roll.
Astral Bind: Give enemy DISADVANTAGE on next AGI roll.
Augmentation: Give ally ADVANTAGE on next STR or VIT roll.
Astro Hypno: Attempts to put enemy to Sleep. Even if successful will only last 1 ROUND. [1 SP]
Shadow Arrow: Curse magic attack.
Yggdrasil Wind: Heal ally by 1 HP.
Mana Channeling: All SP counts of the party are averaged. (QM will add up the SP of all conscious party members, divide, then redistribute equally. Any spillover goes to Lux) [2SP, subtracted prior to averaging]
Passive:
Full Control Encounter: Increases the frequency and accuracy of QM clues on enemy actions and intents so long as Shiroe remains undistracted. Shiroe gains additional actions equal to the current TURN/CHAPTER count. (ie, If you're on the 3rd chapter of the encounter, Shiroe can act an additional 3 times)
«Incarnate: Enchanter»: When the walls of the world come crumbling down, this skill unlocks.
Yuuki
World of Origin: Asuka Empire
Current World: Alfheim
Race: Human
Class: Samurai Level 80
HP : 8/8
SP : 6/6
Passive: «Harae»: The party member with the lowest health is healed 2 HP at the end of the chapter. «Uchikaeshi»: Yuuki automatically uses her STR dice when rolling for defense. «Kawarami»: Once per chapter, Yuuki can intercede on behalf of an ally if they are about to be hit with an attack they are weak to or if the attack would cause them to die.
Stats
STR: Rank SS (7 Dice)
MAG: Rank C (3 Dice)
AGI: Rank SS (7 Dice)
VIT: Rank C (3 Dice)
CHT: Rank B (4 Dice)
Weak: Pierce, Ice
Resist: Slash, Curse, Bless
Skills: Suminagashi: Slash physical attack. Akezuki: Perform a Slash physical attack and a Pierce physical attack in one action. [2 SP] Haraiuchi: Perform a Bless Magic attack and a Blunt physical attack in one action. Heal yourself by 2 HP. [2 SP] Suminagi: Pierce Physical attack. Grants automatic ADVANTAGE on the next attack. [2 SP]
Mother's Rosario: Roll a Slash physical attack. If you hit, instead of rolling for damage, deal 5 Points of ALMIGHTY Damage. [4 SP]
Shiroe
World of Origin: Elder Tale
Current World: Alfheim
Race: Half-Elf
Class: Enchanter Level 90
Special Equipment:
«White Staff of the Wings of Ruin»: Increases Max SP +10. By doubling SP costs, single target spells can be spread to all viable targets.
«Sacred Robe of the Stars»: Unlocks bonus effects when casting ASTRAL class magic. Regenerates 4 SP per TURN/CHAPTER.
Stats
HP : 7/7
SP : 20/20
Stats
STR: Rank D (2 Dice)
MAG: Rank C (3 Dice)
AGI: Rank B (4 Dice)
VIT: Rank B (4 Dice)
CHT: Rank S (6 Dice)
Weak: All Physical
Resist: Curse, Bless
Skills (all skills can be upcast to WIDESPREAD at DOUBLE SP cost):
Advanced Mana Channeling: All allies gain 2 SP, then, all SP counts of the party are averaged. (QM will add up the SP of all conscious party members, divide, then redistribute equally. Any spillover goes to Lux). [Free]
Thorn Bind Hostage: Roll CHT to inflict BIND on your opponent (cannot roll AGI). So long as the opponent remains bound, the enemy takes 1 point of ALMIGHTY damage every time they are attacked, up to 5 hits in total. [4 SP]
Singularity: Automatically, without a roll, forces enemy to suffer one degree of DISADVANTAGE on their next defensive roll. [3 SP]
Nightmare Sphere: Roll CHT to inflict SLEEP and attempt to debuff AGI on a single target. [3 SP]
Infinity Force: Target ally, for the next TWO actions, has all SP costs reduced to 0. They become exhausted, gaining DISADVANTAGE to AGI and STR for 2 Actions after this effect resolves. [4 SP]
Buff Rotation: Select TWO STATS and ONE TARGET. Those stats are buffed (+2 Dice) for 3 PHASES/ACTIONS. [4 SP]
Passive:
«Full Control Encounter»: ONCE per PHASE, so long as Shiroe can act, he automatically inflicts enemies with DISADVANTAGE for offensive actions, for free, when appropriate. Shiroe will expend this on the attack with the most dice. Every time this occurs, he loses [1 SP]. [Deactivates when below 6 SP]
«The World in 30 Seconds»: Enemy stats and abilities are revealed to you.
