Post by Hayate on Dec 3, 2006 18:06:55 GMT -5
Chapter 5: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Thursday, May 18, 2017 (continued):
Akira got to his feet and glared at Dragon Vulture. His HP read zero. I don’t get it. Wasn’t I supposed to get a Game Over? How was Akira still standing? Was it a bug in the system?
Suddenly, Dragon Vulture attacked again. It swung its wing at Akira, but he grabbed it with one hand. All of a sudden, Akira had yanked Dragon Vulture’s entire wing off! The dismembered wing fell on the ground and vanished in a whirlwind of data. How on Earth was Akira doing this? He shouldn’t even be able to move! Then, Akira lifted his head and glared at Dragon Vulture. I was then able to see his face through the reflection in Dragon Vulture’s eyes.
…He wore the same blank, lifeless expression as Tri-Edge.
At that point, Akira drew his dual swords and charged in at Dragon Vulture to attack. This made even less sense! I wasn’t even holding my controller! Akira had begun to strike Dragon Vulture continuously in a never-ending onslaught of slashes. Once the final hit had been dealt, Dragon Vulture’s health was near zero. It was then Akira backed away, put away his blades, and raises his right arm. Mass amounts of data began to gather around Akira’s arm and it all formed together into a cannon-like object. This object…
…it looked similar to Tri-Edge’s bracelet!
A sphere of blue and purple light shoots forth from the cannon and strikes Dragon Vulture. Dragon Vulture’s data then began to break up and the fragments were all vacuumed into the cannon on Akira’s arm. When it was over, Dragon Vulture faded away into emptiness.
That attack… Could it have been…Data Drain!?
When all was said and done, Akira passed out on the ground. It seemed to be over at last. I picked up my controller and took control of Akira once more.
How much time was left? “Huh? What the hell?” Before the fight began, there were 30 minutes. When I assumed control over Akira, there were 29 minutes left. That entire ordeal took only one minute? I began to think it really was a bug.
I proceeded towards the end of the hallway and found a treasure chest. I approached it, swallowed the lump in my throat, and opened it with the key. Inside the chest, I found… “Huh? What’s this? A Steam Gunner weapon?” Once I picked up the weapon, the chest vanished and I was warped to another location, just like earlier.
I was warped into an area that was completely white. “What is this place?” In front of me, I see a heavily armored man walk towards me. He stopped walking once he was about “Who are you?”
“…Why do you seek power?”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Those who obtain power end up misusing it. Tell me why I should grant you that weapon.”
I thought well over the answer I should give. Then it came to me. “To protect.”
“Hmm?”
“I seek power so I can protect those I care about. I want to be able to stand up for myself and for others. That is why I seek power.”
“You who have entered my domain… State your name.”
“Akira.”
“Adept Rogue Akira, I accept your answer. Let those that you care about know that you will always be there to protect them.” The armored man waves his hand through the air, altering the appearance of the area. We were now in the middle of an ornate four-way corridor. The hallways that led north, south, west, and east all seemed to go on forever. “Adept Rogue Akira, accept the power I now grant you!” With another wave of his hand, I began to float in midair, and pieces of data swirled around my body. The dark-red parts of my attire turned a lighter shade of red. The tribal tattoo on the back of my right hand disappeared. The data swirling around me took the shape of armor pieces. Two gold black-striped pieces of armor attached themselves to my armguards. Two black pieces of armor attached themselves to my shoulders. The right shoulder armor piece had a small spike pointed upwards. The last armor piece, a black metallic sash, attached itself around my waist. A dark-red fingerless glove appeared on my right hand. White crisscrossed straps appeared on each of my lower legs. The tribal tattoos on my forehead and the back of my left hand changed slightly fit my new appearance. Finally, my feet returned to the ground. “…It is done.”
I was amazed with my new look. “Cool…” Just then, the voice spoke again.
Congratulations. You have completed the Trial of Power. In a few moments, you will be warped to the area’s entrance. Be sure to check in at the Quest Shop when you return to Mac Anu…
Back at Mac Anu, I went to the Quest Shop and announced that I completed the quest, just as the voice in the labyrinth had instructed. “So, you were able to complete the quest at your level, eh? I must say, I’m impressed. Here’s your prize for completing the Trial of Power.”, the clerk said, handing to me a Text of Vigor and a Text of Sense.
I was still admiring my new appearance. Thanks to the battles in the dungeon, I had gone up to level 36. Now that the quest was over, that gave me time to sit and wonder what had happened to me in the maze.
My character had stood up even after his HP dropped to zero…
He attacked AND destroyed Dragon Vulture without me touching the controller…
He was able to use Data Drain, the same attack Tri-Edge used on me… “…Wait!! TRI-EDGE!! Maybe he did this to me!! His Data Drain did something to my character!!”
“You’re half-correct.”
“Huh?” Turning around, I see a rather scantily-clad pink-haired woman standing there. “Hey, wait… I know you… Or put more accurately, Haseo knows you… AAAHHH!!” Another headache.
‘You guys look like…you’re having fun.’
‘You really are a brat, aren’t you?! Is that how you ask someone to help you?’
‘Great risk comes with strength that is too powerful.’
In that instant, I knew the woman’s name. “…Pi?”
“…It seems it’s already started.”
“What? What’s started?”
“I need you to come with me, Akira.”
“What? Why? And how do you know my name?”
“I’m sorry, but we don’t have a lot of time. But I promise that I’ll explain everything later. Right now, we’re heading to Raven’s @home.”
“Raven? Is that a guild?”
“You could call it that. Oh! You’ll need this.” The woman named Pi handed me an ID card. “With that, you can enter the @home. Let’s go.” Through the streets of Mac Anu, Pi led me to a doorway in the Mercenary District, where I used the ID card she gave me to enter Raven’s @home. “My master would like to speak to you. He’s through that passage.”
“I don’t really know what’s going on, but I guess I’ll just go along with it.” I entered the passage Pi told me to enter and found myself in a bleak-looking room. In the bright light ahead, I noticed someone come down via elevator-like platform. “Who is…?”
A dark-skinned man standing on the platform greeted me. “Hello, Akira. It’s truly a pleasure. My name is--”
“Yata.”
“You’ve heard of me?”
“No. Your name just popped into my head.”
“Ah. It’s as I suspected. I should explain. You see, your character, Akira, is extremely special.”
“So I’ve heard…”
“No doubt you’ve heard of Haseo the PKK?”
“Yes.”
“Well, this may come as a shock…but you’re half of what he is. Your character holds half of Haseo’s very being.”
“…”
“A little while ago, Haseo was Data Drained by Tri-Edge. When that happened, his character data was split in two. He’s one-half of his former self, and you’re the other half. In a way, you’re like two sides of the same coin.”
“Okay… So what do you want me to do?”
“Bit by bit, you and Haseo are fading away. Eventually, you will both cease to exist.”
“What!?”
“There is a solution. But, it asks too much of you. Have you noticed Haseo’s memories entering your mind lately?”
“Yeah. That’s the only explanation for me immediately knowing you and Pi.”
“Well, memories of one PC cannot exist in the minds of two. So, theoretically, if you and Haseo were to become one, that would prevent the two of you from fading away.”
“So, basically, you’re asking me to give up my PC in order to sustain Haseo’s?”
“Think of it as you and Haseo existing inside the same PC.”
“I think I understand. But what’ll happen to me in the real world?”
“I’m sorry. But that, I don’t know. There are two possibilities. The first is that your current account will be instantly terminated. In which case, you’d be able to make another account and return to the game. The other possibility is that the bonding of two Data Drained PCs will have an effect on you both in the real world and you’ll…”
“…Fall into a coma.”
“Correct.”
“Just one question: if Haseo and I become one, how come it’ll be my account that gets terminated? Why not Haseo?”
“I’m not sure of that either, I’m afraid. Truthfully, it could go either way.”
“I see…”
“If you do not wish to go through with this, I’d understand. We only ask this of you because we do not know what effect it will have on <The World> in the long run.”
“Yeah, I know. Could I maybe have a couple days to think about it?”
“Of course. Take all the time you need.”
“Thanks. …Oh! Hold on! I have some questions!”
“Yes?”
“First off, what happened to me at the labyrinth? My character was able to stand even when his HP fell to zero AND he was able to control himself AND he was able to use Data Drain! What was that?”
“Forgive me, but it’s probably better that you don’t know. It may compromise our operations.”
“Why does that not surprise me? …Well, I have some things I need to take care of. Once I’m done, I’ll come back and let you know what my decision is.”
“Very well.” With that, I took my leave, leaving Yata to his thoughts. “It would seem…that there are things in <The World> even I am not aware of. That boy, Akira… To think that he was able to conjure half of an Avatar…”
Back in Mac Anu, I had quite a bit of thinking to do. Not knowing whether or not I’d fall into a coma after bonding with Haseo was frightening. But no matter what would happen, I had to be prepared for the worst. In case of the worst-case scenario, there were some things I just had to take care of. The first thing I did was head over to Sentinel’s @home, D Protector’s Towering Stronghold to speak with Darius.
“…You’re quitting Sentinel!?”
“Yes, sir.”
“But, what ever for?”
“I’m sorry, Darius, sir. But there are some things going on in my life that I’d rather not divulge. And it’s because these things that I just can’t stay with Sentinel.”
“I see. Well, Akira, I know you have your reasons, and it’s always disappointing to see one of our own leave. Just know that our door will always be open for you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
As I exited the tower to decide on my next action, I ran into Zetsu. “What’s going on? You were eager to join up with Sentinel and now, out of the blue, you’re leaving us? What’s the deal?”
“You surprise me, Zetsu. I thought you’d be ecstatic to see me leave.”, I joked with a smirk.
“Don’t misread me. I’m just concerned about Yulie. She’s really fond of you. If you leave us like this, what would she think?”
“Hmm. You’re right about that. …Later.”
As I walk towards the Chaos Gate, Zetsu suddenly shouts over to me. “Akira!”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“No matter what happens to you in the future… you’ll still be a noob!”
“Heh. I’ll miss you too, Zetsu.”
I returned to Mac Anu moments later. Zetsu helped me decide what my next action would be. I sent an e-mail to Yulie.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sender: Akira
Sent: 5/18/2017, 4:52 pm
Subject: (no subject)
Sorry to bother you. Can we talk?
D Submissive Tragedy’s 1000 Oaks
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thursday, May 18, 2017 (continued):
Akira got to his feet and glared at Dragon Vulture. His HP read zero. I don’t get it. Wasn’t I supposed to get a Game Over? How was Akira still standing? Was it a bug in the system?
Suddenly, Dragon Vulture attacked again. It swung its wing at Akira, but he grabbed it with one hand. All of a sudden, Akira had yanked Dragon Vulture’s entire wing off! The dismembered wing fell on the ground and vanished in a whirlwind of data. How on Earth was Akira doing this? He shouldn’t even be able to move! Then, Akira lifted his head and glared at Dragon Vulture. I was then able to see his face through the reflection in Dragon Vulture’s eyes.
…He wore the same blank, lifeless expression as Tri-Edge.
At that point, Akira drew his dual swords and charged in at Dragon Vulture to attack. This made even less sense! I wasn’t even holding my controller! Akira had begun to strike Dragon Vulture continuously in a never-ending onslaught of slashes. Once the final hit had been dealt, Dragon Vulture’s health was near zero. It was then Akira backed away, put away his blades, and raises his right arm. Mass amounts of data began to gather around Akira’s arm and it all formed together into a cannon-like object. This object…
…it looked similar to Tri-Edge’s bracelet!
A sphere of blue and purple light shoots forth from the cannon and strikes Dragon Vulture. Dragon Vulture’s data then began to break up and the fragments were all vacuumed into the cannon on Akira’s arm. When it was over, Dragon Vulture faded away into emptiness.
That attack… Could it have been…Data Drain!?
When all was said and done, Akira passed out on the ground. It seemed to be over at last. I picked up my controller and took control of Akira once more.
How much time was left? “Huh? What the hell?” Before the fight began, there were 30 minutes. When I assumed control over Akira, there were 29 minutes left. That entire ordeal took only one minute? I began to think it really was a bug.
I proceeded towards the end of the hallway and found a treasure chest. I approached it, swallowed the lump in my throat, and opened it with the key. Inside the chest, I found… “Huh? What’s this? A Steam Gunner weapon?” Once I picked up the weapon, the chest vanished and I was warped to another location, just like earlier.
I was warped into an area that was completely white. “What is this place?” In front of me, I see a heavily armored man walk towards me. He stopped walking once he was about “Who are you?”
“…Why do you seek power?”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Those who obtain power end up misusing it. Tell me why I should grant you that weapon.”
I thought well over the answer I should give. Then it came to me. “To protect.”
“Hmm?”
“I seek power so I can protect those I care about. I want to be able to stand up for myself and for others. That is why I seek power.”
“You who have entered my domain… State your name.”
“Akira.”
“Adept Rogue Akira, I accept your answer. Let those that you care about know that you will always be there to protect them.” The armored man waves his hand through the air, altering the appearance of the area. We were now in the middle of an ornate four-way corridor. The hallways that led north, south, west, and east all seemed to go on forever. “Adept Rogue Akira, accept the power I now grant you!” With another wave of his hand, I began to float in midair, and pieces of data swirled around my body. The dark-red parts of my attire turned a lighter shade of red. The tribal tattoo on the back of my right hand disappeared. The data swirling around me took the shape of armor pieces. Two gold black-striped pieces of armor attached themselves to my armguards. Two black pieces of armor attached themselves to my shoulders. The right shoulder armor piece had a small spike pointed upwards. The last armor piece, a black metallic sash, attached itself around my waist. A dark-red fingerless glove appeared on my right hand. White crisscrossed straps appeared on each of my lower legs. The tribal tattoos on my forehead and the back of my left hand changed slightly fit my new appearance. Finally, my feet returned to the ground. “…It is done.”
I was amazed with my new look. “Cool…” Just then, the voice spoke again.
Congratulations. You have completed the Trial of Power. In a few moments, you will be warped to the area’s entrance. Be sure to check in at the Quest Shop when you return to Mac Anu…
Back at Mac Anu, I went to the Quest Shop and announced that I completed the quest, just as the voice in the labyrinth had instructed. “So, you were able to complete the quest at your level, eh? I must say, I’m impressed. Here’s your prize for completing the Trial of Power.”, the clerk said, handing to me a Text of Vigor and a Text of Sense.
I was still admiring my new appearance. Thanks to the battles in the dungeon, I had gone up to level 36. Now that the quest was over, that gave me time to sit and wonder what had happened to me in the maze.
My character had stood up even after his HP dropped to zero…
He attacked AND destroyed Dragon Vulture without me touching the controller…
He was able to use Data Drain, the same attack Tri-Edge used on me… “…Wait!! TRI-EDGE!! Maybe he did this to me!! His Data Drain did something to my character!!”
“You’re half-correct.”
“Huh?” Turning around, I see a rather scantily-clad pink-haired woman standing there. “Hey, wait… I know you… Or put more accurately, Haseo knows you… AAAHHH!!” Another headache.
‘You guys look like…you’re having fun.’
‘You really are a brat, aren’t you?! Is that how you ask someone to help you?’
‘Great risk comes with strength that is too powerful.’
In that instant, I knew the woman’s name. “…Pi?”
“…It seems it’s already started.”
“What? What’s started?”
“I need you to come with me, Akira.”
“What? Why? And how do you know my name?”
“I’m sorry, but we don’t have a lot of time. But I promise that I’ll explain everything later. Right now, we’re heading to Raven’s @home.”
“Raven? Is that a guild?”
“You could call it that. Oh! You’ll need this.” The woman named Pi handed me an ID card. “With that, you can enter the @home. Let’s go.” Through the streets of Mac Anu, Pi led me to a doorway in the Mercenary District, where I used the ID card she gave me to enter Raven’s @home. “My master would like to speak to you. He’s through that passage.”
“I don’t really know what’s going on, but I guess I’ll just go along with it.” I entered the passage Pi told me to enter and found myself in a bleak-looking room. In the bright light ahead, I noticed someone come down via elevator-like platform. “Who is…?”
A dark-skinned man standing on the platform greeted me. “Hello, Akira. It’s truly a pleasure. My name is--”
“Yata.”
“You’ve heard of me?”
“No. Your name just popped into my head.”
“Ah. It’s as I suspected. I should explain. You see, your character, Akira, is extremely special.”
“So I’ve heard…”
“No doubt you’ve heard of Haseo the PKK?”
“Yes.”
“Well, this may come as a shock…but you’re half of what he is. Your character holds half of Haseo’s very being.”
“…”
“A little while ago, Haseo was Data Drained by Tri-Edge. When that happened, his character data was split in two. He’s one-half of his former self, and you’re the other half. In a way, you’re like two sides of the same coin.”
“Okay… So what do you want me to do?”
“Bit by bit, you and Haseo are fading away. Eventually, you will both cease to exist.”
“What!?”
“There is a solution. But, it asks too much of you. Have you noticed Haseo’s memories entering your mind lately?”
“Yeah. That’s the only explanation for me immediately knowing you and Pi.”
“Well, memories of one PC cannot exist in the minds of two. So, theoretically, if you and Haseo were to become one, that would prevent the two of you from fading away.”
“So, basically, you’re asking me to give up my PC in order to sustain Haseo’s?”
“Think of it as you and Haseo existing inside the same PC.”
“I think I understand. But what’ll happen to me in the real world?”
“I’m sorry. But that, I don’t know. There are two possibilities. The first is that your current account will be instantly terminated. In which case, you’d be able to make another account and return to the game. The other possibility is that the bonding of two Data Drained PCs will have an effect on you both in the real world and you’ll…”
“…Fall into a coma.”
“Correct.”
“Just one question: if Haseo and I become one, how come it’ll be my account that gets terminated? Why not Haseo?”
“I’m not sure of that either, I’m afraid. Truthfully, it could go either way.”
“I see…”
“If you do not wish to go through with this, I’d understand. We only ask this of you because we do not know what effect it will have on <The World> in the long run.”
“Yeah, I know. Could I maybe have a couple days to think about it?”
“Of course. Take all the time you need.”
“Thanks. …Oh! Hold on! I have some questions!”
“Yes?”
“First off, what happened to me at the labyrinth? My character was able to stand even when his HP fell to zero AND he was able to control himself AND he was able to use Data Drain! What was that?”
“Forgive me, but it’s probably better that you don’t know. It may compromise our operations.”
“Why does that not surprise me? …Well, I have some things I need to take care of. Once I’m done, I’ll come back and let you know what my decision is.”
“Very well.” With that, I took my leave, leaving Yata to his thoughts. “It would seem…that there are things in <The World> even I am not aware of. That boy, Akira… To think that he was able to conjure half of an Avatar…”
Back in Mac Anu, I had quite a bit of thinking to do. Not knowing whether or not I’d fall into a coma after bonding with Haseo was frightening. But no matter what would happen, I had to be prepared for the worst. In case of the worst-case scenario, there were some things I just had to take care of. The first thing I did was head over to Sentinel’s @home, D Protector’s Towering Stronghold to speak with Darius.
“…You’re quitting Sentinel!?”
“Yes, sir.”
“But, what ever for?”
“I’m sorry, Darius, sir. But there are some things going on in my life that I’d rather not divulge. And it’s because these things that I just can’t stay with Sentinel.”
“I see. Well, Akira, I know you have your reasons, and it’s always disappointing to see one of our own leave. Just know that our door will always be open for you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
As I exited the tower to decide on my next action, I ran into Zetsu. “What’s going on? You were eager to join up with Sentinel and now, out of the blue, you’re leaving us? What’s the deal?”
“You surprise me, Zetsu. I thought you’d be ecstatic to see me leave.”, I joked with a smirk.
“Don’t misread me. I’m just concerned about Yulie. She’s really fond of you. If you leave us like this, what would she think?”
“Hmm. You’re right about that. …Later.”
As I walk towards the Chaos Gate, Zetsu suddenly shouts over to me. “Akira!”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“No matter what happens to you in the future… you’ll still be a noob!”
“Heh. I’ll miss you too, Zetsu.”
I returned to Mac Anu moments later. Zetsu helped me decide what my next action would be. I sent an e-mail to Yulie.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sender: Akira
Sent: 5/18/2017, 4:52 pm
Subject: (no subject)
Sorry to bother you. Can we talk?
D Submissive Tragedy’s 1000 Oaks
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
