Post by Hayate on Nov 11, 2006 0:04:03 GMT -5
Chapter 2: Sepia Gables Temple
Friday, April 7, 2017:
The week’s finally over. So much has happened in my first week playing <The World> – my encounter with Haseo the PKK, meeting that mysterious man in the cave, rescuing that Harvest Cleric girl… Come to think of it, I haven’t seen that girl at all ever since the King Goblin thing.
I’m still pondering about that conversation I had with Ovan the day he saved me from King Goblin.
– …Why did you save me? And what did you mean by “we meet again”?
– Forgive me. You just look like someone I know, that’s all. Anyway, you saved that Harvest Cleric, didn’t you?
– You saw that?
– I did.
– Well, anyone else would’ve done the same. She was in trouble, so I helped.
– You’re right. Anyone else would’ve done the same. But you showed something that not many show themselves.
– What’s that?
– Self-sacrifice. You were willing to give up your own life to save a girl you’ve never even met before.
– …I guess that’s just my upbringing.
– Is that so? I believe…there was something more at work.
– What do you mean?
– Do you know Haseo the PKK?
– Haseo? Well, not personally. He saved me from being PKed shortly before you came.
– I see. Well, do you know why your PC looks similar to his?
– I didn’t even know Haseo before today. It’s just a coincidence, isn’t it?
– Coincidence? Is that truly what you believe?
– …
– There’s a reason behind everything that happens in <The World>. In fact, there’s even a reason that your PC looks like Haseo’s. It’s because your PC, like his, is special. I once told Haseo that he showed “potential”. You show a “potential” much like his. Almost as if you were a part of Haseo. His “other half”, so to speak.
– “Potential”? Haseo’s “other half”? I don’t get it.
– Heh. Don’t worry. The answers will come to you in due time. …Hmm?
– Akira! Akira, where are you?
– Hey! That’s Yulie!
– Akira! Thank goodness I found you! I met up with Zetsu in Mac Anu, but when I saw that you were taking a long time to leave the area, I was worried that you were in trouble!
– I’m fine, Yulie. Really. This man over here helped me out.
– What? …What man, Akira?
– What do you mean? He’s standing right… Huh? Where’d he go?
“…There was something weird about that guy…” I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Exactly what did he mean when he said I was Haseo’s “other half”? And what is this “potential” that I possess? Just then I thought I had all the answers, more questions reveal themselves to me. Was it possible that <The World> was more than just an online game?
Just then… “Um…Excuse me.” …a voice from behind me shyly said, speaking up. I turned to see the Harvest Cleric I rescued the other day. “…Hi.”
“Oh, it’s you. What is it?”
“Uh…”
“…Well?”
“Here!” All of a sudden, she placed in my hand an ID card.
“What’s this?”
“You can use that to enter Moon Tree’s @home.”
“Moon Tree? You mean…” But before I could ask her anything else, she had already logged out. “That girl… So she’s a member of the Moon Tree guild.” Just then, my headset started to beep. The words <You have 1 new mail.> appeared on the screen. “New mail? I wonder who it’s from.” I left my PC stationary to check my e-mail.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sender: Ovan
Sent: 4/7/2017, 5:23 pm
Subject: The Road Ahead
Hello again.
My name is Ovan. I’d like you to think of me as a friend.
By now, you’re probably still contemplating on what we talked about the other day. Allow me to help you along the path to the answers you seek:
D Hidden Forbidden Blue Cloud
Whether or not you go to this area is up to you. But, know this: Should you decide to go, there’ll be no turning back from what comes to pass.
Also know that no matter what decision you make, the road ahead will truly put your abilities to the test.
…I have a feeling that you and I will meet again in the near future.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Ovan… D Hidden Forbidden Blue Cloud… I wonder what I should do…” <You have 1 new mail.> “Huh? Another one? Who’s it from this time?”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sender: Yulie
Sent: 4/7/2017, 5:24 pm
Subject: Come with us
Hi, Akira.
I had a lot of fun the other day, so I was hoping you’d be able to help me out with something.
Zetsu and I got an assignment from our guild master to investigate an area for strange activity. But I’m worried that there might be trouble for us when we get there. I hope you say yes. As they say, there’s strength in numbers. Here’s the area word in case you’re interested:
D Hidden Forbidden Blue Cloud
I’m not forcing you to help us or anything. I’d understand if you’re busy or if you don’t want to.
~ Yulie
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The same area word. It was as if Ovan knew that I’d receive this e-mail. But how was that possible? “I guess I’ll find out what’s what if I go to this area. Besides, maybe Yulie and Zetsu will need my help…”
In the area D Hidden Forbidden Blue Cloud, Yulie and Zetsu awaited my arrival. Zetsu was somewhat more impatient than Yulie was. “Grrrr… I still can’t believe we’re getting help from a noob! Why’d you invite him anyway, Yulie?”
“Because everyone else in Sentinel was on duty. No one else was available! …Besides, he’s my friend. Why wouldn’t I invite him?”
“Tch! Whatever! I still think we’d be just fine with the two of us! …WHAT’S TAKING HIM SO LONG?!?”
“Zetsu, would you just--?!” Yulie’s statement was cut short, however, as I warped into the area seconds later. “Oh! Akira, I’m so glad you came!”
“Hey, Yulie.” Then I averted my attention to Zetsu. “And you’re Zetsu, right?”
“Do me a favor, noob. Don’t talk to me.” Apparently, he wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of me being here. “Let’s get this over with.”
“…”
“Forget him, Akira. Come on.”
This area was a lot different than the areas I’ve seen before. Not a field. Not a dungeon. There wasn’t even a Beast Temple. There was only a church-like building resting on top of a bed of clouds. “What is this place, Yulie?”, I queried.
“I’m not really sure myself. All the info our guild master gave us was that there were mass amounts of distorted data in this area. In fact… I think this might be one of the Lost Grounds.”
So, this was a Lost Ground. I remember reading about them on the forums, but I didn’t know for sure if they existed or not. Coming to this area certainly confirmed my suspicions. “Yulie, what does your guild do anyway?”
“Our guild is called Sentinel. We specialize in watching over <The World> and exterminating any anomalies that might threaten its existence.”
“So, that’s why you came here.”
“Yup.” A noble task this Sentinel has undertaken. Preserving the life of <The World>. “But this area… There’s something about it that rubs me the wrong way…”
Eventually, we came to the entrance of the building that lay at the center of the clouds., the doors of which were sealed shut by iron chains. I didn’t want to seem completely useless, so I drew my dual swords and started slashing at the chains in an attempt to break them. “Hah! Huh! Yah! Unh! Huh! Ugh!” However, the chains proved to be too durable, and my blades began to crack. “Oh, man… These chains are too strong…”
“Stand aside, noob.”, Zetsu boasted, undoubtedly referring to me. I stepped out of his way as he approached the shackled doors. “…Watch and learn.” In a flash of white light, Zetsu revealed his mighty weapon: a Flick Reaper scythe. “HYAAAAHHHHH!!!” With one swing of the scythe, the chains broke. “Hmph!”
“Wow… Zetsu’s so powerful, isn’t he?”, Yulie stated, mesmerized by her fellow guild member’s power. Upon opening the door, Zetsu put his scythe away and entered the building. Yulie and I followed close behind. The inner sanctum of the building was similar to that of any church: seats to the left and right of us, and at the front, an altar. “Ooh… This place gives me the creeps…”
I took this time to get a good look at my surroundings, but only one thing caught my eye… “Hey, guys! Look at that!”, I told Yulie and Zetsu, turning their attention upwards. On the ceiling of the church was a red, glowing, three-pronged scar, more than likely left by a sharp object. “What is that?”
Suddenly, Zetsu’s expression turned to that of apprehension. “This mark… I’ve seen it before…”
“From where, Zetsu?”
“Uh… Sorry, Yulie, I can’t say.”
“What? Why not?”
“I just can’t, okay?” This certainly was surprising. Even Zetsu had skeletons in his closet. “…Forgive me, Yulie, but I have my orders.”
“Orders? What do you mean by--” Then, Yulie gasped, making a startling realization. “Wait a second… Is this about Rubina?!?”
“Who’s Rubina?”, I asked curiously.
“Rubina was a member of Sentinel. She and I were the best of friends. But then, one day, she just stopped coming to <The World>.”
This Rubina must’ve been really special to Yulie. “What happened to her?”
“Yeah, Zetsu! What DID happen to Rubina?” But, Zetsu still kept quiet, which made Yulie angrier. “Answer me, Zetsu!”
“Please don’t make this harder than it has to be, Yulie! I can’t go against Darius’ orders!”
“Then I’ll force the answers out of him!”
“It won’t make a difference!”
“Then, tell me!! Tell me right now!!” Even though I only knew her for a short while, I had never seen Yulie like this before. “…I’m begging you.”
Zetsu let out a great sigh. “I just know I’m gonna regret this later on… All right. I’ll tell you what happened.”
“…”
“…Five months ago, Rubina and I were on a mission given to us by the previous Sentinel guild master, Claire. We were told to investigate the mysterious rock formation located at one of the Lost Grounds. On that rock formation was a mark just like the one on the ceiling. We were examining the mark when, all of a sudden, it started to glow. Mere seconds later… he appeared before us.”
“He? He who?”
“…Tri-Edge. A PK covered in blue flames.”
“And Rubina?”
“She was PKed by Tri-Edge. And because of it, the real-world Rubina now lies in a coma.”
Yulie couldn’t believe what she just heard. One of her best friends was in a coma, and she had no idea. “…What…did you say?”
“Claire felt guilty about her loss. So she resigned as guild master and handed power over to Darius. That PK… He wasn’t human.”
All of a sudden, Yulie runs up to Zetsu and holds him by his collar. “You knew!! You knew this entire time and you didn’t tell me!!! Why, Zetsu?!?”
“Darius ordered me to keep it a secret from all guild members! Please understand, Yulie! He only had your best interests at heart!”
“My best interests!? My best friend’s been in a coma for five months, and you thought it’d be better if I didn’t know?!?” Yulie’s grip on Zetsu’s collar started to loosen as she fell to her knees crying. “Rubina!!”
Zetsu was at a loss for words, so I tried to console Yulie the only way I knew how. I approached her and knelt down beside her. “Yulie…” I put my hand on her shoulder and, almost instantly, she tightly embraced me. All I could do was embrace her in return. We remained like this for about 2 minutes. That entire time, all Zetsu did was look at the mark on the ceiling. “Zetsu! Aren’t you gonna say anything to her? She’s your fellow guild member!” But still Zetsu was quiet. “ZETSU!!!”
“What do you expect me to say!? I’ve kept this secret from her for nearly half a year!!”
“…” In a way, he was right to stay silent. “Maybe we should log out for now…”
Then Zetsu did something completely unexpected. “…Right.” He agreed with me. Just then, the mark on the ceiling started to glow bright red. Zetsu’s expression started to show even more fear. “No… Not now…”
“Zetsu, what’s the matter?”
Zetsu suddenly grabbed my wrist. “We have to leave! Now!”
“What? Why? What’s going on?”
“There’s no time to explain!! We have to go right NOW!!!” Zetsu’s eyes showed so much terror then. Almost like something extremely horrible was about to happen…
…Unfortunately, it did. At that moment, I could hear an echoing sound similar to that of a tuning fork. “What was that?” Then, at the front of the church appeared a small blue, floating orb. In a great swirl of blue flames, the orb disappeared and replaced by it was a shadowy figure. The flames dissipated, revealing an evil-looking character whose body parts look like they were stitched together. “Who is…?”
Zetsu was wide-eyed at the sight of this mysterious character. “…Tri-Edge…!”
“…” So this was Tri-Edge, the PKer that put Rubina in a coma. He (or it – hard to say, really) simply glared at us with piercing red eyes and let out a low-pitched groan.
Friday, April 7, 2017:
The week’s finally over. So much has happened in my first week playing <The World> – my encounter with Haseo the PKK, meeting that mysterious man in the cave, rescuing that Harvest Cleric girl… Come to think of it, I haven’t seen that girl at all ever since the King Goblin thing.
I’m still pondering about that conversation I had with Ovan the day he saved me from King Goblin.
– …Why did you save me? And what did you mean by “we meet again”?
– Forgive me. You just look like someone I know, that’s all. Anyway, you saved that Harvest Cleric, didn’t you?
– You saw that?
– I did.
– Well, anyone else would’ve done the same. She was in trouble, so I helped.
– You’re right. Anyone else would’ve done the same. But you showed something that not many show themselves.
– What’s that?
– Self-sacrifice. You were willing to give up your own life to save a girl you’ve never even met before.
– …I guess that’s just my upbringing.
– Is that so? I believe…there was something more at work.
– What do you mean?
– Do you know Haseo the PKK?
– Haseo? Well, not personally. He saved me from being PKed shortly before you came.
– I see. Well, do you know why your PC looks similar to his?
– I didn’t even know Haseo before today. It’s just a coincidence, isn’t it?
– Coincidence? Is that truly what you believe?
– …
– There’s a reason behind everything that happens in <The World>. In fact, there’s even a reason that your PC looks like Haseo’s. It’s because your PC, like his, is special. I once told Haseo that he showed “potential”. You show a “potential” much like his. Almost as if you were a part of Haseo. His “other half”, so to speak.
– “Potential”? Haseo’s “other half”? I don’t get it.
– Heh. Don’t worry. The answers will come to you in due time. …Hmm?
– Akira! Akira, where are you?
– Hey! That’s Yulie!
– Akira! Thank goodness I found you! I met up with Zetsu in Mac Anu, but when I saw that you were taking a long time to leave the area, I was worried that you were in trouble!
– I’m fine, Yulie. Really. This man over here helped me out.
– What? …What man, Akira?
– What do you mean? He’s standing right… Huh? Where’d he go?
“…There was something weird about that guy…” I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Exactly what did he mean when he said I was Haseo’s “other half”? And what is this “potential” that I possess? Just then I thought I had all the answers, more questions reveal themselves to me. Was it possible that <The World> was more than just an online game?
Just then… “Um…Excuse me.” …a voice from behind me shyly said, speaking up. I turned to see the Harvest Cleric I rescued the other day. “…Hi.”
“Oh, it’s you. What is it?”
“Uh…”
“…Well?”
“Here!” All of a sudden, she placed in my hand an ID card.
“What’s this?”
“You can use that to enter Moon Tree’s @home.”
“Moon Tree? You mean…” But before I could ask her anything else, she had already logged out. “That girl… So she’s a member of the Moon Tree guild.” Just then, my headset started to beep. The words <You have 1 new mail.> appeared on the screen. “New mail? I wonder who it’s from.” I left my PC stationary to check my e-mail.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sender: Ovan
Sent: 4/7/2017, 5:23 pm
Subject: The Road Ahead
Hello again.
My name is Ovan. I’d like you to think of me as a friend.
By now, you’re probably still contemplating on what we talked about the other day. Allow me to help you along the path to the answers you seek:
D Hidden Forbidden Blue Cloud
Whether or not you go to this area is up to you. But, know this: Should you decide to go, there’ll be no turning back from what comes to pass.
Also know that no matter what decision you make, the road ahead will truly put your abilities to the test.
…I have a feeling that you and I will meet again in the near future.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Ovan… D Hidden Forbidden Blue Cloud… I wonder what I should do…” <You have 1 new mail.> “Huh? Another one? Who’s it from this time?”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sender: Yulie
Sent: 4/7/2017, 5:24 pm
Subject: Come with us
Hi, Akira.
I had a lot of fun the other day, so I was hoping you’d be able to help me out with something.
Zetsu and I got an assignment from our guild master to investigate an area for strange activity. But I’m worried that there might be trouble for us when we get there. I hope you say yes. As they say, there’s strength in numbers. Here’s the area word in case you’re interested:
D Hidden Forbidden Blue Cloud
I’m not forcing you to help us or anything. I’d understand if you’re busy or if you don’t want to.
~ Yulie
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The same area word. It was as if Ovan knew that I’d receive this e-mail. But how was that possible? “I guess I’ll find out what’s what if I go to this area. Besides, maybe Yulie and Zetsu will need my help…”
In the area D Hidden Forbidden Blue Cloud, Yulie and Zetsu awaited my arrival. Zetsu was somewhat more impatient than Yulie was. “Grrrr… I still can’t believe we’re getting help from a noob! Why’d you invite him anyway, Yulie?”
“Because everyone else in Sentinel was on duty. No one else was available! …Besides, he’s my friend. Why wouldn’t I invite him?”
“Tch! Whatever! I still think we’d be just fine with the two of us! …WHAT’S TAKING HIM SO LONG?!?”
“Zetsu, would you just--?!” Yulie’s statement was cut short, however, as I warped into the area seconds later. “Oh! Akira, I’m so glad you came!”
“Hey, Yulie.” Then I averted my attention to Zetsu. “And you’re Zetsu, right?”
“Do me a favor, noob. Don’t talk to me.” Apparently, he wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of me being here. “Let’s get this over with.”
“…”
“Forget him, Akira. Come on.”
This area was a lot different than the areas I’ve seen before. Not a field. Not a dungeon. There wasn’t even a Beast Temple. There was only a church-like building resting on top of a bed of clouds. “What is this place, Yulie?”, I queried.
“I’m not really sure myself. All the info our guild master gave us was that there were mass amounts of distorted data in this area. In fact… I think this might be one of the Lost Grounds.”
So, this was a Lost Ground. I remember reading about them on the forums, but I didn’t know for sure if they existed or not. Coming to this area certainly confirmed my suspicions. “Yulie, what does your guild do anyway?”
“Our guild is called Sentinel. We specialize in watching over <The World> and exterminating any anomalies that might threaten its existence.”
“So, that’s why you came here.”
“Yup.” A noble task this Sentinel has undertaken. Preserving the life of <The World>. “But this area… There’s something about it that rubs me the wrong way…”
Eventually, we came to the entrance of the building that lay at the center of the clouds., the doors of which were sealed shut by iron chains. I didn’t want to seem completely useless, so I drew my dual swords and started slashing at the chains in an attempt to break them. “Hah! Huh! Yah! Unh! Huh! Ugh!” However, the chains proved to be too durable, and my blades began to crack. “Oh, man… These chains are too strong…”
“Stand aside, noob.”, Zetsu boasted, undoubtedly referring to me. I stepped out of his way as he approached the shackled doors. “…Watch and learn.” In a flash of white light, Zetsu revealed his mighty weapon: a Flick Reaper scythe. “HYAAAAHHHHH!!!” With one swing of the scythe, the chains broke. “Hmph!”
“Wow… Zetsu’s so powerful, isn’t he?”, Yulie stated, mesmerized by her fellow guild member’s power. Upon opening the door, Zetsu put his scythe away and entered the building. Yulie and I followed close behind. The inner sanctum of the building was similar to that of any church: seats to the left and right of us, and at the front, an altar. “Ooh… This place gives me the creeps…”
I took this time to get a good look at my surroundings, but only one thing caught my eye… “Hey, guys! Look at that!”, I told Yulie and Zetsu, turning their attention upwards. On the ceiling of the church was a red, glowing, three-pronged scar, more than likely left by a sharp object. “What is that?”
Suddenly, Zetsu’s expression turned to that of apprehension. “This mark… I’ve seen it before…”
“From where, Zetsu?”
“Uh… Sorry, Yulie, I can’t say.”
“What? Why not?”
“I just can’t, okay?” This certainly was surprising. Even Zetsu had skeletons in his closet. “…Forgive me, Yulie, but I have my orders.”
“Orders? What do you mean by--” Then, Yulie gasped, making a startling realization. “Wait a second… Is this about Rubina?!?”
“Who’s Rubina?”, I asked curiously.
“Rubina was a member of Sentinel. She and I were the best of friends. But then, one day, she just stopped coming to <The World>.”
This Rubina must’ve been really special to Yulie. “What happened to her?”
“Yeah, Zetsu! What DID happen to Rubina?” But, Zetsu still kept quiet, which made Yulie angrier. “Answer me, Zetsu!”
“Please don’t make this harder than it has to be, Yulie! I can’t go against Darius’ orders!”
“Then I’ll force the answers out of him!”
“It won’t make a difference!”
“Then, tell me!! Tell me right now!!” Even though I only knew her for a short while, I had never seen Yulie like this before. “…I’m begging you.”
Zetsu let out a great sigh. “I just know I’m gonna regret this later on… All right. I’ll tell you what happened.”
“…”
“…Five months ago, Rubina and I were on a mission given to us by the previous Sentinel guild master, Claire. We were told to investigate the mysterious rock formation located at one of the Lost Grounds. On that rock formation was a mark just like the one on the ceiling. We were examining the mark when, all of a sudden, it started to glow. Mere seconds later… he appeared before us.”
“He? He who?”
“…Tri-Edge. A PK covered in blue flames.”
“And Rubina?”
“She was PKed by Tri-Edge. And because of it, the real-world Rubina now lies in a coma.”
Yulie couldn’t believe what she just heard. One of her best friends was in a coma, and she had no idea. “…What…did you say?”
“Claire felt guilty about her loss. So she resigned as guild master and handed power over to Darius. That PK… He wasn’t human.”
All of a sudden, Yulie runs up to Zetsu and holds him by his collar. “You knew!! You knew this entire time and you didn’t tell me!!! Why, Zetsu?!?”
“Darius ordered me to keep it a secret from all guild members! Please understand, Yulie! He only had your best interests at heart!”
“My best interests!? My best friend’s been in a coma for five months, and you thought it’d be better if I didn’t know?!?” Yulie’s grip on Zetsu’s collar started to loosen as she fell to her knees crying. “Rubina!!”
Zetsu was at a loss for words, so I tried to console Yulie the only way I knew how. I approached her and knelt down beside her. “Yulie…” I put my hand on her shoulder and, almost instantly, she tightly embraced me. All I could do was embrace her in return. We remained like this for about 2 minutes. That entire time, all Zetsu did was look at the mark on the ceiling. “Zetsu! Aren’t you gonna say anything to her? She’s your fellow guild member!” But still Zetsu was quiet. “ZETSU!!!”
“What do you expect me to say!? I’ve kept this secret from her for nearly half a year!!”
“…” In a way, he was right to stay silent. “Maybe we should log out for now…”
Then Zetsu did something completely unexpected. “…Right.” He agreed with me. Just then, the mark on the ceiling started to glow bright red. Zetsu’s expression started to show even more fear. “No… Not now…”
“Zetsu, what’s the matter?”
Zetsu suddenly grabbed my wrist. “We have to leave! Now!”
“What? Why? What’s going on?”
“There’s no time to explain!! We have to go right NOW!!!” Zetsu’s eyes showed so much terror then. Almost like something extremely horrible was about to happen…
…Unfortunately, it did. At that moment, I could hear an echoing sound similar to that of a tuning fork. “What was that?” Then, at the front of the church appeared a small blue, floating orb. In a great swirl of blue flames, the orb disappeared and replaced by it was a shadowy figure. The flames dissipated, revealing an evil-looking character whose body parts look like they were stitched together. “Who is…?”
Zetsu was wide-eyed at the sight of this mysterious character. “…Tri-Edge…!”
“…” So this was Tri-Edge, the PKer that put Rubina in a coma. He (or it – hard to say, really) simply glared at us with piercing red eyes and let out a low-pitched groan.
