《Mental World Online》


 1-ARWORPG

    ¡°Mental World Online?¡± I said as I checked out the reviews inside my head.


    It¡¯s a AR-WORPG, or Augmented Reality World Online Role Playing Game. I sighed as I lied back in the forest under a tree and held the board in front of my face. If someone was looking at me they would just see me staring at a piece of plastic. From my perspective, I was looking at the reviews for a game.


    My dad used to have to carry a little device with him, he complained to me. It took awhile for me to get used to it as well, especially when I was fooling around with real computers with actual electronics on the inside when I was younger. That must have been really hard to make, isn¡¯t it easier if you just add a chip or two to the brain to let it help you see the information usually on a computer screen inside your head?


    ¡°Positiver, Negativer, Neutraler, Peacer, Chaoser¡­ sounds complex,¡± I sighed. It was a sunny day and I was under the shade of a tree Just because I¡¯m outside, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t play games alone okay? Even if it ends up being with other people anyways!


    ¡°Augmented Reality and World Online hybrid. Seems like you can play in a fictional world the players create or the real world with a few RPG addons. I¡¯ll guess I¡¯ll try it.¡±


    I downloaded it as I stared up at the cloudy sky. It¡¯s a bit lonely out here in the countryside, but that¡¯s only in the real world. Someone needs to farm all the food after all. I looked at my dad¡¯s cow farm in the distance. In the past, you used to need a huge facility for that and grazing land. Now it¡¯s baby to butcher in the same factory, thanks to medical advances in keeping the cows healthier and growing better when they don¡¯t have a lot of room to move. It makes me sick though, even though I got used to the smell a long time ago that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t run away for a little.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s done. Let¡¯s see, augmented reality? No, there¡¯s no one around here after all. Dad¡¯s too busy to play it with me. Huh, World Online then. Better set a timer.¡±


    I set a timer in my head for an hour. It was in my head, but I saw it on the board in front of me. Just in case I get too into the game world, I don¡¯t want dad to get mad at me again for falling asleep while playing a game in the woods again.


    Entering World Online¡­


    There was a vast space around me now, black with five shining lights in front of me. Must be the classes. I didn¡¯t like positiver, it said something about having a magical girl sub-class. Along with that, therapist, coach, cheerleader, isn¡¯t that for girls? I¡¯m not comfortable with that! I read it a lot online, boys playing as girls in games but isn¡¯t that really weird? Maybe I¡¯m the weird one for growing up on a cow farm.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Neutraler? I checked the description. World building, but they get to fight if they want to as well but aren¡¯t as combat focused. I do enough crafting in the real world.


    Peacer is obviously for kids or old people who just want to mess around in a virtual world. What¡¯s the point of the RPG then huh? Aren¡¯t you just ignoring the battle part entirely? Shouldn¡¯t you just play another game! I was cursing at kids in my mind. Some people treat games like chat rooms don¡¯t they.


    Chaoser or Negativer huh, It¡¯s got to be one of those then. Negativer seems kind of annoying though. I¡¯m not confident in my negative thoughts at all. This game runs off collecting your thoughts and using them in battle and crafting. Looking back at my life, it¡¯s only games and fixing farm equipment isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t feel special at all. I sighed in the black void.


    I picked the game up because it seemed interesting, but isn¡¯t this going to be too difficult for me? I feel like there¡¯s a certain maturity level or awareness of your feelings to be able to play this right.


    I picked Chaoser. After all, all they can do is fight. I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯ll stack up against other players but at least I can give it a shot.


    As I walked into the Chaoser light I felt my body flush away. I¡¯m in the game world properly now it looks like. I had to pick a few customization options too but I just skipped past most of them and went with my real world appearance. Lots of people I read about online seem to like it though, playing as burly tiny men or girls.


    It was a craggy cliff, lots of lava and red skies and smoke. Is that ash? I can¡¯t tell. It¡¯s like someone wanted a whole area just populated with volcanos. Well, I did want a fight. This is definitely a fighting sort of area.


    There was a sword by my foot. Wooden, japanese style. Shame about anime, most of it is banned. I wanted to watch older series but there was only magical girl stuff. They said it would destroy the world or something, really?


    I wielded it and swung it around a bit, feeling the weight. It wasn¡¯t my first World Online game, so I¡¯ve used a few weapons like this before. Never in reality though, that¡¯s scary.


    After I took off on a walk casually through the hell scape I saw a monster climb out of the lava. Shiny metal in human form, smoke coming off it as it gave me a mean look.


    Aren¡¯t you underestimating me? I grinned. Combat was always my favorite part of games. Feeling the weight of the weapon, fearing when you got hit, estimating your opponent''s strength and winning an unlikely victory.


    ¡°Hooh!,¡± I charged with a cry like a samurai.


    Japan¡¯s culture will live on through me!


    I felt the sword make a dull cling to the metal guy.


    ¡°Huh? No damage! I¡¯ll go again then!¡±


    I swung again. Then metal guy punched me in the gut and sent me flying into lava.


    ¡°Aagh! It burns!¡±


    I was a little hurt. Good thing I had the sensitivity set to low, I wasn¡¯t a fan of too much realism in my games. My clothes were in flames all over, so I stopped, dropped, and rolled it out.


    No damage at all, isn¡¯t this too minimalist, game developers? There wasn¡¯t any help popups at all! I thought about the game description.


    Wait, the ¡°power of your emotions¡±? Oh, no wonder.


    ¡°Tsubame Gaeshi!¡±, I yelled out as I charged into melee with the metal guy.


    I¡¯ll show you the power of my minor amount of japanese history education.


    The metal guy got cut in half in an instant and felt a notification pop up. There was loot and a congratulations message for figuring out the combat system. Guess that means I did it right? I wasn¡¯t sure, as I continued into the lava wastes fighting metal guys who crawled out of the lava pools.


    Entering Reality¡­


    I felt the timer kick in and it booted me out of the game. Better get back home, dad¡¯ll be mad if I¡¯m late.

 2-Cowboy, Samurai 33%

    I finished up helping dad with the machinery. I''ll check with him, just in case I missed something. It happens.


    ¡°Dad! You need me for anything else?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks a lot, son. That was a lot of cow blood, I¡¯d thought I¡¯d slip for sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, be careful. I¡¯m gonna go play.¡±


    ¡°Make sure you get some exercise today, ok? Finish up that homework too, don¡¯t you want to take over the cow farm?¡±


    ¡°Yes, dad¡­¡±


    Nah, I didn¡¯t want to take over the cow farm. I haven¡¯t told him.


    Entering World Online¡­


    I found a town in the distance. I had my japanese sword sheathed just in case. It was entirely shrouded in falling soot. Good thing no one actually has to breathe around here. Sometimes when playing games, I feel like it¡¯s nice to live in the countryside.


    Still lava everywhere though. I want to ask what they call this area, probably ¡°Lava Plains¡± or ¡°Lava Land¡± or ¡°Volcano Bolero¡±, something like that I¡¯m sure.


    As I approached, a guard wearing red armor checked me out. Just by looking at him, I got a level number and a class designation in my head. Level 30 and a Chaoser like me, but there was the NPC mark on him.


    ¡°Hey, fellow Chaoser. This is the Chaoser starter town Hesiod. You got any questions for me?¡±


    The guard spoke to me but I was looking for players in the small city. There were a few others who weren¡¯t NPCs, I could see a few higher leveled Neutralers and Chaosers around. As I expected, no Peacers. Why would they be in a combat area?


    ¡°So this is the starter area? How long am I supposed to stick around here?¡±


    ¡°Usually, players are recommended to stay to at least level six before moving onto the Vronti Plains. You can face other Chaoser¡¯s or just stick to monsters for leveling. Would you like a battle tutorial?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Fights are based around level and putting your feelings or thoughts into an attack. When your level rises, you get more damage from a similar feeling than before. As a Chaoser, you don¡¯t have to worry about spawning monsters, but Positiver¡¯s and Negativer¡¯s can spawn them even in towns so be careful. Any questions?¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    I think I got it. From the metal guys I fought I was already level 3 so I wanted to see if there was way to sell the junk I got. I wandered a bit, watching players move about but was unwilling to be the first to talk. I approached a shop that was marked with an anvil in the center. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Hey, Cowboy. You¡¯re level 3? I¡¯ll buy the junk you got off the Lava Golems.¡±


    A burly short guy with the handle name Nanos addressed me by my handle name. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else.


    ¡°A Neutraler, huh? You see this sword?¡±


    I showed him the japanese sword.


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s really strange. Did someone make that for you?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone get a unique one? It was just by me on the ground when I started the game.¡±


    ¡°Nothing like that, usually people get a random weapon like a spear. Nothing wooden either.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see if you could make a better one. I want to play as a samurai, if I don¡¯t have the money I¡¯ll farm some more monsters.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think I can make a pretty good one. The ore that falls of the Lava Golems is really good for crafting, I got to level ten just by making starter character weapons. It¡¯ll just look like a katana though, it¡¯ll be good quality metal.¡±


    ¡°Good quality metal?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, in japan the iron they could mine locally was terrible so they had to fold it over and over again to make a strong blade. That¡¯s why they preferred spears and bows for warfare. If you want to be a samurai, you should at least know that.¡±


    ¡°I like the samurai that use the swords though.¡±


    ¡°Heh, well it is a game. Sounds fun. There¡¯s no subclass for that from what I know, so you¡¯ll be stuck with just samurai clothes and a sword at best.¡±


    I looked down at my overalls. Cowboy, a samurai? I handed him the ores.


    ¡°Can you make clothes too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but samurai clothes sound like a lot of work so I¡¯ll pass on that. Ravor down the street can help you with that, leave her a message she logged off. I¡¯m more into blades you see. I¡¯ll leave it here for you to pick up when I¡¯m done, after all it¡¯s getting late where I am. These ores should be enough to spare. You can sell me any other metals you gather too by leaving it here and I¡¯ll mail you the money.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Nanos, nice to meet you. I¡¯ll be back later with some ores then.¡±


    Now that I know for sure thanks to guard how combat is supposed to go this should be easier. Huh, there¡¯s a Positiver just outside of town who¡¯s level 10. Why would she be hanging out around here? I watched as she closed her eyes and focused on the ground, and a fairy creature coalesced into existence from sparkles. Can I kill that fairy? It¡¯s only level 4 after all, but she might get mad if I just jack her summon out of the blue.


    ¡°Hey, can I kill your fairy for the experience?¡±


    I asked it all of a sudden. I felt a bit bold.


    ¡°Uh, hi. Sure. I was just trying out the summoning monster thing anyways.¡±


    She stepped back and let me have at it. I went in close and used my signature attack, felling it in one blow!


    ¡°Tsubame Gaeshi!¡±


    ¡°What does that mean? I didn¡¯t know that¡¯s how you casted in this game¡­¡±


    Should I feel embarrassed? If she was prettier, maybe I would.


    ¡°It¡¯s a samurai attack. I¡¯m playing as a samurai. There¡¯s no class apparently, so I¡¯m just using my imagination.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t know, you confused me.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you do that monster summon? I wasn¡¯t interested in playing Postiver¡­¡±


    ¡°You just focus on a positive thought or feeling and activate the skill. All Positivers and Negativers have it.¡±


    ¡°So I can just stand here and kill your positive feelings all day?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you not¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh. I just realized how that sounded. This game is kind of weird like that huh. Well, see you.¡±


    I waved to her as I beat a retreat. That was a rude way to put it to her wasn¡¯t it? That''s the truth of this game though. Maybe I should ask the guard when I get back about skills, Chaoser¡¯s should have at least a few right?


    I walked off back into the lava fields searching for some more Golems.

 3-Cowboy, Samurai 66%

    ¡°Aw, I finally get the samurai clothes today too¡­¡±


    I was in school, at home in my mind, talking to my friends.


    ¡°Homework¡¯s gonna be awful. I just want to play games too. Why do we even need to study?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, life¡¯s just too easy these days. I heard that guy got a girlfriend. Real girls? Too much trouble, right?¡±


    I agreed. Real girls were too much trouble, even if the school wasn¡¯t real the girl¡¯s were.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you just want to go off and fight a monster? Don¡¯t you just want to go surfing? Why bother with school when you can do that all in your mind? My dad wants me to become a programmer¡­ why bother¡­¡±


    Yeah, he was right. In Mental World Online, I¡¯m playing a samurai. Even though samurai isn¡¯t a subclass, it¡¯s good enough if I¡¯m just acting like one right?


    I had the new sword already from Nanos and was just waiting on the samurai clothes. I had to help dad with the maintenance later, some livers clogged the chute again.


    ¡°Hey, is that Mental World Online game any good?¡±


    My friend asked me that. I told him, ¡°I¡¯m having fun playing as a samurai, but there¡¯s no samurai subclass.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you just play another game?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something cool in this one. Instead of just your status getting higher, combat is based on skill and the emotions or thoughts you put into the attack. People can summon monsters based on those too, I¡¯m really into it.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just like real life?¡±


    He was lazily yawning. Hey, in real life I¡¯m a cowboy not a samurai.


    Entering World Online¡­


    I got the samurai clothes from Ravor and was practicing my swing. There was a good amount of cash in my wallet, my special gauge was full, and I was out on the Vrati Plains for a change. Well, I don¡¯t have any skills to spend the special gauge on though so it¡¯s useless. There were swirling black clouds and thunder constantly going off as the sun peeked through over the yellowed grasses. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    This isn¡¯t real life. In real life I had to clean cow livers out of a chute for three hours. My spine tingled remembering it. No matter how many times I did it, it was disgusting. Now, I may have chopped up a bunch of golems and some rhino like beasts in the game but that wasn¡¯t that bad. I was killing for fun and profit, not just profit. I wonder if I should tell dad I don¡¯t want to take over the cow farm.


    I was thinking like that. I got the new japanese sword a day ago because Nanos wanted to put some extra time into it. Said he was pretty excited and was studying some techniques to improve the design online. It was unnecessary, but I thought it was pretty nice of him to go out of his way to do that. If I had something I wanted to do instead of running the cow farm, wouldn¡¯t it be something like this?


    After all, why was reality necessary if I spent all my time playing a game in mind? Nanos was having fun making swords online. Ravor had fun making clothes online. I had fun killing random things and shouting my attack name. There¡¯s nothing wrong with this at all.


    Isn¡¯t it dad who¡¯s in the wrong? Uh-oh, a level 15 Chaoser came upon me while I was practicing with my mind wandering. I had fought a few of those, seems like the only ones who wanted to fight around here were Chaosers.


    ¡°Hey there ¡®Cowboy¡¯, why are you dressed like a japanese guy? C¡¯mon let''s fight!¡±


    That was insulting. His handle was Tsekou anyways, what does that mean?


    ¡°I¡¯m a samurai. Witness my skill.¡±


    I bent down my legs and moved the sword pointing at him above my head.


    He laughed with his horned hat pumping up and down as he hefted an axe.


    ¡°What are you going to do? There¡¯s no samurai subclass! You probably don¡¯t even have any skills!¡±


    He charged. I don¡¯t need any skills for the likes of you, I muttered in my mind.


    I sidestepped with the right timing and stabbed forward into his gut from the side. He was going for a overhand chop so he was wide open. Not paying attention to my movement at all.


    ¡°Urgh!¡±


    I made the second move swiveling my hand on the handle and gutted him. It was unfortunate, but I had seen worse in real life. He was on the ground, spitting up blood.


    ¡°Noob.¡±


    He said that. You¡¯re the one who couldn¡¯t beat a level 8 with a level advantage! I wanted to say but since this happened a lot, I just let it drop. After all I did just kill him. I watched the death animation play out as his spirit left his corpse. I had learned early on when I died to a fellow Chaoser that you just go to the nearest graveyard and have to run back to your corpse. It was a good idea to get moving, I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d be able to win a second time.


    The truth was I had considering getting skills. I looked at my special gauge. Yelling ¡°Tsubame Gaeshi¡± did nothing to it, or when I used timing or precision. However, I just looked at the sword and felt a sense of destiny. It had to be this way, something felt right about it. Or I was just fooling myself.


    Entering Reality¡­


    I was looking at a few videos online in my mind. For Mental World Online, there¡¯s also a augmented reality option. I never bothered to try it being in the countryside but it was pretty much just hunting monsters in the real world. You could also see other people who played the game and fight them too, as long as you kept a good ten feet between you. For safety¡¯s sake, it seemed like. There were a lot of things like that with the brain chips, had to make sure people could pay attention to things and not just get too wrapped up in the game.


    Reality still exists at the end of the day. I reminded myself of that as I rode through the countryside on my bike. Nothing but a dirt road and the open blue sky.

 4-Cowboy, Samurai 100%

    Entering World Online¡­


    Tsekou the Chaoser was after me for fighting back for a few days. I read on the internet it¡¯s called ¡®bullying¡¯ or ¡®ganking¡¯. No idea why anyone would do that. Don¡¯t you have a code you live up to? When my dad needs my help, I¡¯ve always helped him out, even if it was hard and disgusting. I learned all the machines from top to bottom too, even the ones he doesn¡¯t know. Maintenance is expensive.


    I got killed by him a lot, and getting levels was hard. I was running out of money for repairs and got frustrated. I wanted to log out.


    ¡°What would a samurai do?¡±


    I thought that and searched the internet. I wasn¡¯t that interested in samurai¡¯s myself. I just saw a few movies and thought it looked cool. Even though it was a search away, having all that information at a think is overwhelming to me.


    So I found the bushido code. Up until now, it was an act. From now on, it¡¯ll be another, more serious act. I¡¯ll show them.


    ¡°So, here you are. Aren¡¯t you getting tired of playing? You can logout you know, I won¡¯t mind, noob.¡±


    It was Tsekou, and a few Chaosers who were tagging along. Not sure if they were his friends or what. If this is how you guys have fun, I wouldn¡¯t want to be your friend.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you my honor.¡±


    I said, and pointed the sword at him while bending my knees. I had been studying a little online. No way I was good enough to use a real sword, but if its a fake one in my mind I¡¯ll use it just a little bit better than before.


    ¡°You¡¯re disgusting, Cowboy. Talking and dressing like a samurai, not even taking up a subclass, I told everyone I¡¯d stop if you did at least that. I just want you to play the game right. Can¡¯t you understand that?¡±


    Somehow, I don¡¯t think you care at all. Just my guess though. His buddies moved in towards my sides. One with a dagger, level 9, I got with a hilt hit. Not enough to kill him, enough for a stun. I lowered my body and stabbed below the shield of the one on the left. Gut hit, perfect shot. He was down.


    I moved forward, guessing that the guy behind me would be at my back and took a spear hit to the upper back. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Tsubame Gaeshi!¡±


    I yelled it and cut the one with a dagger in one swift movement. I saw Tsekou moving forward before I turned, so I moved the sword neatly towards my side as if to sheath it but planted the point straight into Tsekou who was at my back. I stepped forward after feeling the sword stab fully into Tsekou to take down the spear wielder in front of me.


    He had the range. I had the speed.


    ¡°Tsubame Gaeshi!¡±


    I felt the force of the flow spread across the blade as it carved through spear and ribcage. Heart hit, I leveled from that.


    As I turned to confront Tsekou, I felt my body fly into the air with a hit from the side. My sword clattered to the ground. Full on charge most likely. His subclass was Warcan, as I learned from the wiki for the game. Charges, stuns, damage absorption, and utility wrapped up in a melee package specific to Chaoser¡¯s like me and him. Poor choice, I thought, no offensive potential at all. I slammed into the ground and slid as he closed in, bringing a stun most likely. It would usually end here.


    I had gotten better over the past few days. Not to the point where I could choose to take them all down, it was either his starter buddies or him. I chose them, for leveling.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡±


    A light voice shouted out as a catgirl in a trenchcoat swirled in between us from above.


    ¡°Let Cowboy stand. He took out three of your friends didn¡¯t he? Make the fight equal at the end at least.¡±


    Thank you, strange lady. Or guy, if you¡¯re a guy I¡¯m thanking you but I just didn¡¯t want to be wrong there.


    That gave me the time to get my sword and get up.


    ¡°Are you serious? I almost had him..¡± Tsekou grumbled and shoved the catgirl out of the way.


    ¡°You know, I would have dueled you at anytime Tsekou. I have my honor. When I killed you on Vrati Plains it was in self defense,¡± I said. The samurai said.


    ¡°This is a player versus player game, complain to someone else!¡±


    I felt the weight of the full length of the blade. One perfect motion. I¡¯m a samurai.


    ¡°Tsubame Gaeshi!¡±


    Tsekou readied a blocking ability, part of his Warcan¡¯s subclass abilities to take damage.


    I sliced straight through his axe and body, to my surprise.


    I heard a voice.


    Subclass: Samurai Unlocked¡­ Skill Learned! Tsubame Gaeshi!


    I breathed out feeling my special gauge drop for the first time. It was like pouring water out of a glass.


    ¡°Kid, what was that?¡±, said the catgirl in a trenchcoat.


    Entering Reality...


    ¡°Hey Dad. After I clean up this cow blood can I go play?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I still need help with that one machine. You¡¯re always so good at fixing them. It¡¯ll be really easy for you when you take over this place in the future, you might not even need to hire maintenance staff.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought about selling the farm and moving to the city?¡±


    Dad looked at me as if wondering.


    ¡°Well, it was the other way around for me. I sold what I had in the city so I could move out to the farm. Had to figure out what I wanted to do, you know?¡±


    ¡°Like a Cowboy becoming a Samurai?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you would do that¡­ just be a samurai why don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I am a samurai.¡±


    Dad laughed.


    ¡°Good job, kid.¡±

 5-Magitective*Nyaa-chan Ep.1

    Entering Augmented Reality¡­


    ¡°Geez, kid, take a walk okay?¡±, I said as I made my way to the train. Shouldn¡¯t someone your age be watching magical girls shows instead of someone like me?


    ¡°One monster! One monster!¡±


    This is what I get for being a Positiver. Me, as myself I¡¯d be grumpy, but as the Magitective Catgirl Nyaa-chan I have to give in a little. I won¡¯t crack a smile though! Not in real life! No one wants to see a middle-aged man smile!


    Then again, I have trouble smiling in Mental World Online too.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± as I gave into the grade schooler and thought of the eggs this morning. I don¡¯t want to scare her with something too high level, I¡¯m not cruel. I selected the summon skill. Have at it, kid.


    ¡°Thanks mister!¡±


    She was fighting the cartoony eggs with stick hands and legs and googly eyes as I made for the train.


    I watched old animation sometimes on the net, she¡¯d probably never seen something like that before.


    Cartoons these days is toned down quite a bit. It¡¯s ¡®too mentally effective¡¯ they said. I thought the death of free speech when I was a kid was a bad thing. Let people do whatever they want. It¡¯s the internet you know? Just because you pay the server bills doesn¡¯t mean you can police people in their private lives.


    I stepped onto the train in a huff. Well, I had a few things I didn¡¯t want anyone knowing about anyways. Maybe they had a point. Dark secrets, dark, dark , secrets that must never be known to this world I pondered as the train took me to work.


    ¡°Says you have an account with Mental World Online,¡± said my boss all of a sudden.


    No, I thought. The worst has come true.


    ¡°Y-yeah I just play I little here and there,¡± I muttered. I forgot, the thing I must never forget.


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    ¡°Just turn off the augmented reality feature, okay? No one minds what you do on your off time but when you¡¯re here¡­¡± he said. I agreed. I absolutely agreed.


    Entering Reality¡­


    ¡°There, turned it off. Sorry about that. I¡¯ll get back to work on the code,¡± I turned away. Let it end with this please.


    ¡°You know I can see connections on the local servers right? I didn¡¯t think you were that absent minded, is anything going on lately?¡± he said with a tinge of concern in his voice. Don¡¯t give me that, I know corporate is on your back about ¡®wellness¡¯ lately, you liar.


    ¡°Ah, you know how it is, just forget to turn it off sometimes,¡± I said with a monotone. He probably knew I was blowing him off, but what could he do? You¡¯re not my parent.


    ¡°Just let me know if anything¡¯s bothering you. I know we don¡¯t talk often but you''re one of my best employees, I¡¯m more than willing to pull some strings to make things easier on you.¡±


    Ah, thank you boss, the conversation exit flag!


    ¡°Sure, boss. I gotta get back to work.¡±


    I can¡¯t wait to get home.


    Entering World Online¡­


    ¡°Kid, what was that?¡±


    I said it to some samurai looking kid named Cowboy. Pick one.


    ¡°My, special gauge! It activated! It said I got the Samurai subclass!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    My catgirl¡¯s face was probably twisted at this point. I¡¯m sorry Nyaa-chan, I have disgraced your image. I worked so hard to get everything just right.


    ¡°I got ¡®Tsubame Gaeshi¡¯! It¡¯s a skill!¡±


    He was excited, I checked his subclass just to be sure because I thought the system might have shocked him.


    No, he¡¯s really a Chaoser Samurai. A mystery, I grinned with the corn stalk sticking out of my teeth. Now that¡¯s a fitting face for Magitective Nyaa-chan. I lived for moments like this.


    ¡°Well Cowboy, looks like you¡¯ve got yourself the first of a subclass. If there was one already in the game, I¡¯m sure someone would have found it by now. Must be a silent update. How about you stay in touch with me and let me know how it goes leveling it? Let me know if these bullies here keep bothering you too, I won¡¯t mind helping.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t really have too many friends.¡±


    Why is he blushing? Oh¡­don¡¯t tell me. He¡¯s into me? Wow, I¡¯m witnessing one of those horrible awkward moments of youth. I shouldn¡¯t make it worse. Let him believe I¡¯m just a beautiful magitective catgirl, that¡¯s what Nyaa-chan would do!


    ¡°Just mail me if something happens. I¡¯m a wanderer, so I¡¯ll help you out if you¡¯re in trouble or somethings wrong.¡±


    ¡°Wow, like a hero of justice! That¡¯s so cool! I want to do that too!¡±


    He¡¯s young, He¡¯s got to be young.


    ¡°It¡¯s Magitective Nyaa-chan. See you.¡±


    I gave the two finger salute as walked off with my trenchcoat whipping in the wind and soot of the streets of Hesiod. I can only do this rarely even within the guard of Nyaa-chan¡¯s form.


    I¡¯m embarrassed, but the excitement is greater now. A new subclass?


    That¡¯s strange though, I heard someone was ganking some kid who kept fighting back. I figured he¡¯d be a little weaker. Maybe I¡¯m wrong about kids these days. I closed my eyes as I teleported back to Hygea. I wasn¡¯t going to tell anyone about a new subclass.


    The mysteries Magitective Nyaa-chan finds are her¡¯s alone.

 6-Magitective*Nyaa-chan Ep.7

    Entering World Online¡­


    ¡°Nyaa-chan, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I was just reading the boards. Nothing good is coming up at all.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear about that Chaoser who got a new subclass?¡±


    Damn, I wanted that one to stay hidden for a bit. Can¡¯t you keep quiet Cowboy? Were you that excited? Did you want to impress me? I¡¯m not really a girl you know! What if he confesses? Ah, it would be awful, awful for him and me. I remembered back in my youth, doing stupid things like that.


    ¡°Nyaa-chan?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I got overwhelmed a bit. I can¡¯t believe it, I can¡¯t believe it at all.¡±


    I had my feet up on a table in the guild hall with a board in front of me, checking the message boards and chat logs. It was a great place to get leads on my cases. Not that my cases were real or I got paid mind you.


    ¡°I saw you went to Hesiod the other day on the guild list, the player¡¯s name is Cowboy. You sure you didn¡¯t see him?¡±,her voice was rising and mocking.


    Damn it, she figured me out. I never watch the tone of my voice at all these days, even when I¡¯m playing Nyaa-chan. Maybe it¡¯s just around her.


    ¡°You got me, Mynise. Just like a Negativer like you to bring a Positiver like me down,¡± I sighed in union with my character.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that, I just wanted you to let me in on the fun. You¡¯re always running around making up new things to do, why don¡¯t you bring me along?¡±


    ¡°I work alone, you know that. Get off of me.¡±


    My time alone as Nyaa-chan is precious. Don¡¯t judge me. I happen to know this girl I¡¯m talking to is at least 80. Not level 80! Or she¡¯s lying, I wouldn¡¯t put it past her.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re no fun. I¡¯ll guess I¡¯ll go bother someone else since you¡¯re being so stingy.¡±


    She left me alone, good. I kept browsing the boards. It¡¯s just like someone like her, a subclass like Boundaryless, to be all over people.


    I have to admit, I enjoyed her checking in on me, if just so I could tell her to leave me alone. Wait, does she know that? I stared out over the fountains through the window in despair, afraid I¡¯ve been found out.


    It¡¯s no big deal right? They didn¡¯t even mind at work. It¡¯s really just me who cares about it, isn¡¯t it?If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I remembered back when I started the game because of the magical girl subclass. I wasn¡¯t about to play one though, too embarrassing, so I mixed it with a detective. At least when I got flustered trying to role play I could just act like my usual self and pass that off as a detective.


    Magical Girls? Man, those girls are so pretty! I love the designs so much! But, if anyone knew I liked them, my face would turn beet red.


    I was working hard at coding. It would be late at night and I would finish a big chunk and feel satisfied and tired inside. One night, I turned it on inside my mind.


    I shouldn¡¯t be watching this, I thought. This is for kids! Little girls! You¡¯ve got to be ten. Ten years old, I tell you.


    My head hurt as I felt the images wash over me. Simple characters, simple designs, a purity and adorableness.


    Aren¡¯t they invulnerable?


    Aren¡¯t they efficient?


    Aren¡¯t the voices just like music?


    The best thing about girls that aren¡¯t real is that you can pick all the best parts and pull it together.


    I design programs, what wrong with making a girl or two? Everything. I looked at the dating sites. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t get the courage up to try.


    I remember going out with her, realizing the conversation was heading off the cliff, and she just turned the conversation to ¡°I have to get home for blah blah¡±.


    ¡°You want to hang out again?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she said. I knew that meant no. I¡¯m not stupid.


    Hey, you weren¡¯t that cute either. I could name a hundred things wrong with you, all of them I could tell you how to fix. But I would never do that, no way. I¡¯ll be polite and wait for this conversation to end like all the rest.


    That¡¯s when I met her. You know this ends badly right? There¡¯s pain, wanting, not wanting to reveal your feelings to them because then it¡¯s over. It was an unrequited love. She didn¡¯t think much of herself, and I couldn¡¯t convince her that I wasn¡¯t lying when I said I liked her.


    She moved away. Down the street. And got another job. Really, she didn¡¯t need to do that. She could still be in the next place over and I¡¯d ignore her for the rest of my life.


    A girl that let me down, a girl that I loved. Neither could compare. When I think about it, I want to tear my hair off. I¡¯m just a guy, what''s wrong with me? Shouldn¡¯t I get married? Shouldn¡¯t I date more?


    Ah, it happened again. I was crying in the guild hall alone in Nyaa-chan¡¯s form. As I felt the non-real tears in the game in my mind, I wondered if the real me was crying too.


    To end this pain, I was looking for a way. It¡¯s dark, I know. I won¡¯t tell anyone. If they knew, they¡¯d stop me.


    That¡¯s the truth that I haven¡¯t told anyone. There¡¯s programs out there. I searched for them, researched the history of the brain chips, how the neurology connects and the intersect between the hypnoid receptors and the real world receptors, the safeties that they had in place.


    It was just interest at first. I was spending more time in the game and then I found it. A flaw in the system, like I was looking for that one space out of place in a line of code.


    A deleter, destroy the mind entirely, that was hard. They designed the whole system to use as much of the user¡¯s brain as possible.


    ¡°No, they¡¯ll just think it¡¯s real. It¡¯s that simple. Then, all we have to do is load the necessary information into the subconscious.


    Once you have all of that in there, the conscious mind is entirely submersed in an independent reality. It¡¯s quite ingenious really.


    We spent so much time of human history welding our world with our hands and tools that we missed that we could just weld our minds.


    I would have never stumbled on it without my background in hypnosis, from when I was struggling with an autoimmune disorder.


    The mind-body connection, the subconscious mind, biomechanics, smartphone technology, and finally moore¡¯s law becoming economically unsustainable.


    We needed another computer.


    Why not the mind?¡±, I read that in a book in my mind, some guy named Myalor? He¡¯s famous.


    I didn¡¯t want a deleter, mind you. I was just interested. I was looking for the opposite, an uploader.


    If I can¡¯t be a Magitective in real life, I¡¯ll be one on Mental World Online.


    If I have a real life I don¡¯t like, why not just code it out?


    ¡°Are you crying again?¡±


    ¡°Oh, god damn it, Mynise.¡±

 7-Magitective*Nyaa-chan Ep.13

    ¡°Iroas, he was crying again, I¡¯m worried.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Mynise. I¡¯ve known him for a long time. Just because he has a hard time dealing with himself from time to time is no big deal.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to butt in. Everytime I talk to him, it seems like he just wants me to leave.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s normal. I swear he just likes the attention. The guy is real hard on himself. No wonder he enjoys playing a hardboiled magical girl catgirl. I can¡¯t even imagine the stress of that job, he¡¯s probably just looking for pure release when he gets home.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got no family though. He doesn¡¯t date. I tried to meet up with him, but he said no.¡±


    Iroas sighed. How was he going to handle this one? He felt a glow of satisfaction in his heart. I¡¯ll show you the way, Mynise. This is why I became a guildmaster.


    ¡°Mynise, I know you like to meddle but this is really something he¡¯s got to deal with himself. It doesn¡¯t matter what other people say to him. I¡¯ve said it a whole lot, he just tunes me out whenever he wants. The only reason I got him to join the guild is that I convinced him he¡¯d at least get to talk to people once in awhile even when he doesn¡¯t want to, which is always. If you want to do anything for him, how about that?¡±


    Entering Reality¡­


    ¡°Hey boss, I finished it. Sent you a mail.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. You sure you don¡¯t need time off?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m doing fine.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but you don¡¯t talk to anyone. I know you said it¡¯s just ¡®wellness¡¯ nonsense when I asked you the other day, but you always look like you¡¯ve got to go to the bathroom. I¡¯m really worried is all. I know it¡¯s personal, but I just want you to be honest with me. No pressure. No pressure but I just want to know. It¡¯s... bothering me too.¡±


    I was surprised. He was emotional. I never saw him open up like that, is this a trick? Iroas always did tell me I was a bit too untrusting of people. Damn him, I¡¯ll show him.


    ¡°I play a game. I don¡¯t really find this job hard at all, I¡¯ve always liked building stuff and getting it just right. My face, well, I¡¯m sorry about that. I¡¯m not upset, I¡¯m not stressed. I really am fine.¡±


    I was lying. Do you know where?


    Hint, it¡¯s only one lie, I promise.


    ¡°Sorry about that. I didn¡¯t mean to bring personal feelings into it. I just imagined you being lonely. You know, this society today, people have a lot of trouble opening up even though we have more communication than ever. It¡¯s almost like it¡¯s too much.¡±


    Too much? No, not enough. If it was too much, I could play Mental World Online all day for the rest of my life.


    He looked like he wanted to say one more thing.


    ¡°This Mental World Online game that you play¡­ what do you do in it?¡±


    Oh no, what should I tell him? Anything but the truth.


    ¡°It¡¯s a role playing game. You run around and fight monsters. This one is special, because you can charge abilities with emotions or thoughts. It¡¯s really fun.¡±


    I didn¡¯t lie, mostly.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Ah, a game huh? Yeah, I usually spend most of my time in the orgy rooms. Don¡¯t know why people would do anything else but have sex all day in virtual worlds. The fetishes get pretty insane, it¡¯s quite a trip.¡±


    There are people like him, I was reminded. Shameless people who would drop their sexual fantasies they were living out in their mind at the drop of a hat. It was almost like they were just waiting for a chance.


    Wait, isn¡¯t playing a magitective catgirl pretty tame compared to that?


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re interested. You know, if you want to join my room sometime-¡±


    ¡°No thanks.¡±


    I¡¯ll end that there.


    Entering World Online...


    ¡°Mynise, you can¡¯t keep following me around. I need space okay? I know it¡¯s literally the name of your subclass, but I need a boundary. I¡¯m chasing down a lead now.¡±


    I was in Eirnir, the peacer starter town. Myrnie was really getting on my nerves today. I had that uploader ready and waiting.


    Someone on the boards said that there was this kid that was making a neat building. He was getting a ridiculous amount of funding, so I had to go check it out.


    ¡°You¡¯re always so grumpy. It doesn¡¯t fit. Why would you play a grumpy magical girl character? And a catgirl at that¡­¡±


    ¡°I like it. Feels like I¡¯m free. You got a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°No, no, did you have to get in my face? The gap between your behavior and appearance is too huge.¡±


    I sighed. She was right. What was the point? I¡¯m the only one who has these rules about liking magical girls. Why, even my boss could go on and on about his fetishes. I had heard him do that later that day, seems like his talk with me gave him a good mood.


    At this point, aren¡¯t I just acting as myself but wearing a pretty girl as a costume?


    That disturbed me. I hadn¡¯t thought of it like that. Instead of being Nyaa-chan, I was still myself, just crossdressing. I felt a weight in my chest with pins and needles all over my skin.


    What use is an uploader into a game world if it¡¯s my mind that¡¯s the problem?


    ¡°God damn it.¡±


    I started crying again. I¡¯m a grown man, in the middle of a city, wearing a catgirl outfit. I felt the tears bubble down my face with heat.


    Mynise hugged me.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t know why you keep crying but it¡¯s okay. I mean, it¡¯s okay right here right now right?¡±


    ¡°Boundaries, Mynise,¡± I said as I shoved the Boundaryless subclass.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t push me like that!¡±


    ¡°You pushed me first. How about you spawn a monster or two? I could use a fight right now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a Negativer, why are you acting like this? Oh, why do I hang out with you! Here, have at it!¡±


    It was in the middle of the Peacer town, so they¡¯ll be fine. Combat doesn¡¯t affect them.


    It does affect buildings though.


    I felt the magitective stave revolver enter my hands from the item summon. Six shots, from a staff loaded with magical bullets. Yes, I was a middle-aged man playing a magical girl. I don¡¯t know how many times I had to say it. I¡¯m the only one who cares. It¡¯s not me that went mad, it¡¯s this world!


    And right then, I felt like destroying it.


    It¡¯s not the real world, so it¡¯s not a problem. Some kids lose their buildings, who cares?


    After all, it¡¯s still me. I wanted to be a magical girl! I didn¡¯t want to be me!


    Mynise summoned a star monster at Level 40 , nothing compared to me at level 60.


    ¡°Mynise, is that from Magical Puella Cura?!¡±


    I took a fist to the stomach from the giant star creature with a big dumb grin. The attack launched me straight out of the town into the plains and took my health down fast. It¡¯s because of how I¡¯m feeling isn¡¯t it. For a Positiver, I¡¯m just hanging on because of my high level. I fired off all six shots of the stave with it leveled at the star monster. Barely any damage, my mind¡¯s a mess.


    Mynise rode in on the star monster¡¯s shoulder. Can you be any more cliche?


    ¡°You think you are the only one who likes magical girls! I wanted to be one since I was a real little girl!¡±


    She dismounted as the star monster planted another fist in my face. The wide fluffy clouds above looked really nice. I was trying to gather some positivity to attack back, but the shots I was letting loose weren¡¯t even budging it¡¯s health.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking right, that was 70 years ago!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m 23! You¡¯re 36! Iroas told me!¡±


    Oh that bastard, he¡¯s going to get it.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you date me! Is it because I¡¯m clingy!¡±


    ¡°Date?¡±


    You just said you wanted to meet up. You¡¯re no end of trouble, online or off I bet.


    ¡°I was worried about you! Your magical girl character is really cute! I could never make one like that!¡±


    Oh, great. So she¡¯s a twenty-something who likes me because I made a cute magical girl character online.


    Don¡¯t look down on older men. I¡¯ve been watching magical girl shows for most of my life!


    ¡°Magical * Detective * Nyaa-chan! Finding the key to your heart! Nyan~¡±


    I did it. I did the pose with the cat hands. I hate myself so much.


    I heard a voice.


    Class Negativer¡­ Skill Learned! ¡®Shame Supernova¡¯!


    Seriously?


    It¡¯s a miracle. What do magical girls do with miracles?


    ¡°Nyaa-chan¡¯s serious now! Full Load, Revolver Staff!¡±


    I clicked the bullets into place.


    ¡°Nyaa-chan?¡±


    Goodbye, Myrnie.


    ¡°¡®Shame Supernova¡¯!¡±


    The surge of immense force emitted forwards from the staff as the full load of bullets bursted out at once.


    Light spread out before me, dyeing the world in white.


    Magical Girls blow everything away!

 8-Zero Hero Part Zero of Zero

    Nyaa-chan was grinning with a cornstalk sticking out of his teeth.


    ¡°The mysteries Magitective Nyaa-chan finds are her¡¯s alone, nya~¡±


    ¡°Ah- um, so you two definitely did it then. I have to say, you look a lot happier.¡±


    I almost used his real name. Him and Myrnie? Moreover, he was smiling. Didn¡¯t you just blow up a Peacer town a few days ago? As guild master, I almost kicked him out by reflex but then I remembered it was completely out of his character to bully little kids and old people.


    ¡°Nyaa-chan got a miracle, Magical Girls blow everything away. I was¡­ about to do something dumb,¡± he grinned.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me are you? Mystery¡¯s are her¡¯s alone after all?¡±


    ¡°About that? No. But, about the miracle, sure. I talked to Cowboy, you know, the Samurai subclass guy? He said he heard a voice when he got the class and skill, I heard the same thing. When I blew up that town, I learned a new skill. A Negativer skill. It¡¯s one that doesn¡¯t exist on the wiki either.¡±


    I stayed silent. That smug grin looks good on him. I almost wanted to just sit here and admire the change in him.


    ¡°This case, I¡¯ll get to the bottom of it.¡±


    He stood up. I had to ask, even though I knew what he was going to say. If I didn¡¯t I felt like I wasn¡¯t doing my job as his friend. He likes showing off a little after all in times like this.


    ¡°Will you tell me what you find out?¡±


    ¡°Maigitective Nyaa-chan¡¯s mysteries are her¡¯s alone!¡±


    I cringed a little. The fact that he wasn¡¯t making a face of anguish was admirable. Good job, Nyaa-chan, you¡¯ve grown.


    ¡°Thanks for being there for me, Iroas,¡± Nyaa-chan smiled.


    Did I just think he was cute? I¡¯ll file that away to my ¡®Take to the Grave¡¯ folder in my mind.


    Entering Reality¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have enough money to get through this month.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got some savings. I¡¯ll manage the rest somehow.¡±


    ¡°Well, you do always pull through. I don¡¯t know how you do it.¡±


    ¡°Part of being a hero, right?¡±, I laughed.


    ¡°Someone had to manage this nightmare¡­ I don¡¯t envy you at all.¡±


    Me either, I thought. You think this business runs itself? No, I had to make decisions I didn¡¯t like making. I make those a lot these days.


    That¡¯s reality though. Someone has to make the decisions when the chips are down, and if it isn¡¯t me it¡¯s going to be someone else. Then they¡¯ll be in power and holding the money.


    I can¡¯t let that happen. I don¡¯t want to, even if it¡¯s tough, I¡¯ll make the call when no one else will.


    So I cut the budget right then and there. Sorry guys, you¡¯re the fifty worst. Sorry, I meant most liable. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I want to make it work for you. You just don¡¯t fit in here. It¡¯s not a problem of skill, education, timing, commitment, or years invested in the company. It¡¯s just a combination of all of those.


    I¡¯m sorry. I failed you.


    Entering World Online¡­


    I went to Eirnir, the Peacer starter town.


    ¡°Guild Havesiosi? Oh, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I heard lots of people needed extra money for materials to rebuild,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯d think the game masters would just roll the city back. The whole place got obliterated in one shot, you should have seen this one kid crying, it was horrible.¡±


    ¡°You have any idea who did this?¡±, I needed to find out if Nyaa-chan needed help.


    ¡°Nah, I asked a game master. He said it¡¯s private information! If this isn¡¯t griefing, what is?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m here to lend out loans for reconstruction, are you interested?¡±


    ¡°Loans? You¡¯re going to make money on repayment, from this?¡±


    How else can I help?


    ¡°Materials do cost people a lot of time, even if it¡¯s a game it¡¯s still necessary. Especially since I¡¯m doing the whole town, I might go bankrupt just from this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass. After all, I didn¡¯t lose that much. I don¡¯t know why you would want to play like a banker in a game though, that stuff is boring enough in real life. Goodbye.¡±


    I took off after politely telling him his options.


    A cloud of dust and clang rang out as bricks toppled down into the street. Griefers again? Good thing I¡¯m here.


    Hey, it¡¯s that Cowboy guy. He really is dressed like a samurai. Playing hero, huh? He got killed before I could get there, those Chaosers are all level 30, just what were you trying to do?


    ¡°Hey, did you guys destroy that building? I saw you take down Cowboy, how about we take this outside of town?¡±


    It¡¯s not a threat. They began to bark a bit.


    ¡°Ah, damn it, a level 60!¡±


    ¡°We can take him, there''s five of us!¡±


    ¡°Heh heh, Let me show you¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t like the look of that last guy.


    My subclass is Negater, my class Neutraler, and I¡¯d make sure justice was on the menu if I was running a restaurant.


    ¡°¡®Balance Maker¡¯¡±, I cast the skill and flattened him. One shot, he was pancaked into the ground with his spirit rising out.


    ¡°Get him!¡±


    You¡¯re just wasting your time. A full on charge and a fireball coming at me? Here, I¡¯ll help you.


    ¡°¡®Negation Reflection¡¯¡±


    I bristled my armor a bit as I felt and saw the skill send one Warcan flying and one fireball guzzling into its owner.


    Hope you had the sensitivity set low, I¡¯m sorry.


    ¡°¡®Balance Maker¡¯¡±


    You¡¯re not getting a chance to move.


    There was a creepy guy in a robe and a viking cosplayer on the ground now. Vikings didn¡¯t really have horns on their heads, you know? Too late to save that tragedy from occurring.


    The Warcan that got some air time was still struggling to get up.


    ¡°Hey, get out of here. Don¡¯t do that again, okay? I¡¯ll be around.¡±


    Like he¡¯ll listen to me, I watched as he ran off.


    A Peacer came up to me, her face screwed up together.


    Ah, I had my apologetic face locked and loaded like a bullet in Nyaa-chan¡¯s revolver stave.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you have come sooner?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Nothing I can do, ma¡¯am.


    Entering Reality...


    The beach is nice. I was laying back on the chair, watching the waves ebb.


    Sometimes I feel like I¡¯m working two jobs. Why play a hero in a game? Well, I can¡¯t be one in real life. Sometimes, sometimes I get to be the hero in real life. In the game, it¡¯s more of the time.


    I remembered Nyaa-chan telling me about something he was working on, an uploader. He mentioned it in passing when I was bothering him, I made sure to check in with him every couple of days.


    ¡°Right now, the game is just overloading the subconscious mind¡¯s ability to process it. You can¡¯t possibly get into a game world all the time, but isn¡¯t it interesting? Maybe, someday, someone could invent a way to pull all that data the other way. Instead of your subconscious receiving all that data, it would be the system receiving the data. So many problems with that though...¡±


    ¡°Good thing we have the safeties then. You might just end up getting your brain stuck in the game forever.¡±


    I remembered the look on his face at that time. He was happy.


    ¡°Oh, no. Was that it? God damn Nyaa-chan, did you really?¡±, I said out loud startled by my own thought.


    He said, ¡°about to do something dumb¡±. I knew he wasn¡¯t the happiest guy but would he go that far? He¡¯s smart, but I didn¡¯t think he was that good.


    Nyaa-chan likely made an uploader, and probably was going to kill himself by uploading his mind into Mental World Online.


    Nah, no way. I laughed.


    That¡¯s just insane.


    But, I¡¯ll ask him. He¡¯ll play dumb I¡¯m sure. At the very least it will amuse the both of us at the thought of him running around as a magitective for the rest of his life. You don¡¯t play a crafting class Nyaa-chan, what would you do about your job?


    It was a fun idea though. With an uploader, everyone could live forever on a server. Only a small percentage of humanity would be needed to steward them, and everyone could live however they wanted free from the difficulties and pains of the real world.


    As I was looking out onto the sea, I was thinking that. I laughed again looking at a girl that had to be in her late twenties. She was smiling and building a sandcastle.


    Hey, doesn¡¯t she look a little like Nyaa-chan? I felt shame building up.


    This is off time, isn¡¯t it? How about you relax? I heard myself say that in my mind. I felt the heat building in my stomach, I¡¯m really doing this?


    I stood up and walked over. If Nyaa-chan can accept playing as a magical girl, I won¡¯t let him beat me.


    Being a hero in a game is easy.


    Being a hero in real life, I¡¯m working on it.

 9-Canv.as First Stroke of Three!

    ¡°Mental World Online¡­ never heard of it.¡±


    I was making a sandcastle, when this guy came up and talked to me. I know I¡¯m a little old to be doing this.


    ¡°It¡¯s a game. You can play it with augmented reality or in a game world, I usually stick to the game world.¡±


    ¡°Augmented reality? Like, it displaying on a board when I read the news?¡±, I said.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve got a friend who plays there who looks like you. She¡¯s pretty.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a guy though. His character is female.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how to take that. But for him to come out and say it like that, he seems confident. I couldn¡¯t say that if a girl friend of mine was playing a guy and he was attractive.


    Entering Augmented Reality...


    ¡°Wow, pick a class huh? I only read a little about it, Negativer is definitely me.¡±


    It had to be Negativer or Positiver. I wasn¡¯t interested in the whole role playing game part but when he said ¡°you can create monsters out of your thoughts¡± I had to check it out.


    There were two classes that could craft, but looking at the wiki it seemed way too hard for me.


    I had enough trouble doing art with brain chips, I¡¯d rather just do it in real life.


    I was lounging as usual at home, Mom¡¯s house.


    At my age, having to move back in was shameful!


    If only I could get married! Then again, maybe I should just stop saying no to everyone.


    I¡¯d rather have my career take off. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    My art career, which doesn¡¯t exist.


    I drew and painted here and there, but it never turned out right.


    I looked at the empty canvas in the corner. The paint cans. Aren¡¯t you lonely?


    ¡°If only I can make a monster like one that''s in my imagination¡­¡±


    I was dreaming. There were plenty of drawing and brain chip aided design programs out there.


    I read somewhere it was even possible that you could just ¡®suggest¡¯ the concept of something to someone¡¯s mind and the imagination would make it itself.


    That¡¯s great.


    You don¡¯t need to hire an artist then.


    None of those programs were good enough though. I would struggle with the user interface, post some amateur work online, get no attention then go cry.


    Well, not cry. It¡¯d hurt though. It¡¯s like it was me on the canvas that they were rejecting.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t good. That hurt the most. I was asking for it, wasn¡¯t I? Doesn¡¯t it take years of using those programs to get good enough to get paying work? I was ignoring that.


    I wanted it to work right away.


    And after so long of not drawing, I drew less and less and distracted myself. I had a job, friends, and I messed around with sandcastles. Stuff like sandcastles too, like knitting, crochet, papercrafting.


    Oh, and the painting. The painting, how much could you put into each stroke? I looked at famous painters. Some paintings were worth millions with only a few strokes. Wouldn¡¯t that be the best? A single stroke, an entire world!


    ¡°Huh, so skill? ¡®Monster Summon¡¯¡±


    It said input thought or feeling.


    It didn¡¯t say negative thought or feeling though. I wonder why? Isn¡¯t that the whole point behind this class system?


    I¡¯ll try a positive one then. That guy earlier, he was nice to talk with.


    ¡°¡®Input Thought¡¯?¡±


    That didn¡¯t work.


    I thought of him again.


    ¡°¡®Monster Summon¡¯!¡±


    I put some feeling into it. At one time, I was in a play, I was going to be famous when I grew up.


    A tiny monster appeared before me. It had horns extending backwards like an antelope, grey fur all over, and a grumpy old man face.


    Is this a Yeti? It says level 1 too, that''s disappointing. Maybe I need to play the RPG part to get to a higher level, then I can summon higher levels? I checked the wiki, it¡¯s true. I loathed that.


    It was exciting. I stared at the Yeti, and it stared back at me.


    ¡°Go over there!¡±, I ordered.


    It ran over to the corner of my messy room and hid in a lump of clothes. I didn¡¯t know it could do that.


    They made it a little transparent too. Guess so that¡¯s people can see through them well enough even if a bunch of monsters are around, it could be dangerous if a train or car was coming at you.


    I shivered.


    Good thing about the only thing I do is work and go home. I go to beach when I get frustrated about not painting. It¡¯s easier to work with sand.


    Maybe I should fight with this thing?


    Ah, I¡¯d have to go online, I don¡¯t want to socialize right now, I¡¯ve had enough.


    Maybe I¡¯ll just make more monsters. I like this one, but it looks ugly.


    How much emotion can I put in? How many thoughts can I put in? Could I put everything into a single monster? Just like I wanted to put my feelings on a canvas.


    Could I put all of me, in a monster?

 10-Canv.as Second Stroke of Three!

    I was outside, in costume of course. It¡¯s like halloween!


    Although, around halloween they always tell everyone to be careful of making things too scary with their augmented reality costumes. Everyone had to use the same application too, otherwise you¡¯d just see kids in their normal clothes. A few dressed up like the old days. I wish I was born back then.


    I¡¯ll show them all. One day, someone will buy my paintings. Someone rich! For a lot of money! Then, I¡¯ll be famous too!


    ¡°¡®Monster Summon¡¯! Show them fear, Angrytos! ¡±


    I yelled it out in front of a bunch of kids in the park. This had become a regular thing.


    A giant yellow horned demon with burning eyes in its sockets strode forth on four legs. Why did it remind me of that Yeti? Not good enough, not good enough.


    ¡°¡®Monster Summon¡¯! End the world in dancing flame, Phoenixxer!¡±


    Red fire bubbled into existence in front of me. A bird burst out, clothed in fire. Hmm, not bad. Two level 16s is a little much for the kids though. I¡¯ll hold back Angrytos, his area of effect attack is much stronger.


    ¡°Whoa, cool bird lady! Hey, back me up!¡±


    ¡°I got it¡¯s head! Go for it¡¯s legs!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use fire spells! What are you doing!¡±


    They were low leveled. Since there was a group of them, they should be able to take it down.


    We were rather far away, the kids had to form up in formation and launch their attacks from a standing position. I saw a kid with sword a shield who was whipping his sword into the air in front of him. In the game you could run around, but that''s too dangerous for real life.


    I watched on with glee as the kids piled damage onto Phoenixxer. He was attacking their Nurse subclass with little fireballs though, a small girl. That¡¯s mean, go fight a boy, I ordered it to attack the kid with the shield.


    Sometimes it seems like they have a mind of their own. They can¡¯t take too many orders though, I was disappointed. I wanted to have an army and have them conquer the city.


    ¡°Ha ha ha ha!¡±


    I laughed. I was in full acting mode. It felt good to play a character again.


    ¡°Augh! Shera! When I level up, I¡¯ll take you down myself!¡±, the Chaoser with the shield and sword yelled.


    I didn¡¯t have much time, he was level 8 already. I only wandered the streets to play after work. There wasn¡¯t that many playing the same game, but they usually obliged when they saw I was having fun.


    Phoenixxer took the shield kid down soon after. He dramatically fell to the ground. He was acting.


    ¡°Shera¡­!¡±


    Wow, he¡¯s really into it.


    The rest of his team fell to a few wing buffets. They had already taken heavy damage from the area of effect attacks Pheonixxer had, so their Nurse was already in tears.


    I wanted to go over and comfort her, but I¡¯d drop character.


    Staying the villain is all I can do for her, I closed my eyes and nodded.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Stop right there, Villain!¡±


    A hero leapt forth. Oh, it¡¯s him. You¡¯re going to gank me again?


    ¡°Fear not, fellow warriors of Mental World Online, the hero has arrived!¡±


    He¡¯s playing along. You¡¯re the best.


    ¡°¡®Balance Maker¡¯ ¡®Force of Rule¡¯¡±


    Phoenixxer slammed into the ground and poofed into tiny sparks of flame.


    I got hit by a ¡®Hold¡¯ status. I don¡¯t know why he chooses that spell, it just stops movement. His class on the wiki had a silence spell, how about using that?


    ¡°It¡¯s him! The hero!


    ¡°Level 60!¡±


    ¡°Thanks hero!¡±


    The kids loved it. I saw that look on that Nurse¡¯s face. He¡¯s mine.


    ¡°Phoenixxer! How dare you!¡±


    I sent Angrytos who was sitting in reserve to attack.


    ¡°Finish him, Angrytos!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a level 60 lady what are you doing¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t need to hear that from you, shield boy.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    He just punched. Since you didn¡¯t need to be in melee range and he was high level, that was enough. I lost.


    ¡°You won¡¯t fight me yourself, Shera?¡±


    He challenged. Maybe later?


    I ran away, cancelling the fight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember this! Don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be so easy next time!¡±, I yelled


    After I turned the block corner I waited. He met up with me walking casually.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have fun doing this in real life. It¡¯s the audience, you know? Knowing that the kids are watching, it fires me up¡±, said the hero.


    ¡°Ah, yeah. I know what you mean. At first, when I approached people in costume they thought I was crazy even though they saw that I had Mental World Online running. Don¡¯t you have work now though?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m skipping. It got dicey, so I wanted to let off some stress and took a walk. I figured I might find you at the park. Come on, let¡¯s go back to my place.¡±


    Again? We usually go to my place though, I¡¯m excited.


    Entering Reality...


    I took off the Augmented Reality mode as we got back to his place.


    It gets tiring for me sometimes, not sure why. I asked the hero, but he said that it was strange and left off the conversation there. Maybe I should see someone. I heard that there''s problems with brain chips sometimes, system shock? I¡¯m probably worrying over nothing as usual.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    I knew it! He¡¯s married! I covered my face with both hands. I didn¡¯t want to admit it, or ask, but there was a picture staring me in the face now.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, I forgot to tell you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Don¡¯t apologize now, hero!


    He came over and picked up the photo. At least it was a physical version.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive me. Since a friend of mine is very closed off, he taught me I should do whatever I want. When I married, it was to a girl who thought the same way. She doesn¡¯t date other guys though, I don¡¯t know why. She¡¯s fine with whatever I do.¡±


    Like hell she is.


    ¡°Like hell she is.¡±


    He just smiled. Don¡¯t think you can get away with this so easily!


    ¡°If it bothers you, we can stop seeing each other. I really like you though, so think it over, okay? I wouldn¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have told me earlier?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. This kind of thing is getting pretty normal these days, I know you¡¯re the old fashioned type but I never connected the two until I saw your reaction. I¡¯m bad about details sometimes. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I¡¯ll make you pay somehow! Wait until I get maximum level like you!


    ¡°Ugh. I should have known. You were too at ease around me. Of course it¡¯s a womanizer this time! Of course!¡±


    I could tell. I could tell that he was about to say ¡®calm down¡¯. I really should just leave, after.


    Later when I got home my Mom talked to me on my way up to my room.


    ¡°Ash, you look upset. Want to talk?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    That was an hour or two.


    She was glad to hear about the game, not so glad about hero though.


    ¡°Make monsters? I thought you always wanted to paint, is that the same thing?¡±, she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun running around the city and playing a character. It was embarrassing at first, but soon I felt like everyone fighting my monsters was someone seeing my paintings.¡±


    ¡°Er, there¡¯s no way to make money on that though?¡±


    She was worried about my career again. I¡¯ll let it drop, she¡¯s just worried.


    ¡°Of course not. Even though you can save your favorite designs that come out and trade them, it¡¯s only good for in-game money.¡±


    After all, anyone could make one, it was that easy. Mine weren¡¯t great, but they were mine. I wanted to put more into it, make a stronger monster. A monster that would make them all tremble in fear!


    ¡°You¡¯re doing that creepy grin again, honey¡±


    ¡°Ah, um, I¡¯m sorry¡±


    Am I like hero now!?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about this ¡®Mental World Online¡¯ thing, in my day they just had the game world online on a computer screen. I felt comfortable with that! Honey, make sure you get that head pain checked out. I never liked those brain chips. If your dad hadn¡¯t ¡®a said anything I wouldn¡¯t even have had them added to you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Mom.¡±


    That would have been the worst. I¡¯m already out of touch with this age, just how bad would that have gotten? I probably couldn¡¯t even get the job I have now.


    I went up to my room to practice making monsters, maybe I should try out the ¡®World Online¡¯ part of the game next. If I want to beat hero...

 11-Canv.as Third Stroke!

    Entering World Online¡­


    ¡°Who¡¯s that crazy Negativer over there. Why¡¯s she laughing like that?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not even using any skills. Wait, she¡¯s got no subclass! Are you joking!¡±


    ¡°Look at her, she must be roleplaying a Summoner. She¡¯s got so many monsters around her. You know that Neutraler class Monstermancer? She must have a friend who¡¯s modding them to be really strong for her. How else could she get a flaming bird look as a Negativer? I wonder if they¡¯re dating.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s probably a guy anyways. Maybe she¡¯s tricking him, those people are the worst.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, look at that monster. Phoenixxer? That sounds lame. I didn¡¯t know you could make one that casts area of effect damage though, isn¡¯t that something more high level?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t want to be late to the raid.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should roll a Negativer¡­¡±


    I heard them, but I didn¡¯t mind. It was nice having an audience, I¡¯ve learned that lately. Negativer? Positiver? You could put in lots of emotion after all! Although it originally only let me put in negative thoughts, but I just lead them into positive ones.


    An impression of a painting can change with a single stroke out of place, and in that single stroke what can be held?


    Too many strokes, it gives the wrong impression. Too little, it doesn¡¯t give enough. I was giving the monster enough to come alive on it¡¯s own. I felt it, like looking off the precipice of a cliff. The depth of the canvas was thin, but my emotions behind each stroke weren¡¯t.


    Am I a genius? Am I a genius!?


    I kept on pouring in more and more, making drawings on the canvas in my mind.


    One canvas.


    One painting.


    A whole world in one glance.


    Hero! No, wait it¡¯s Iroas here. I¡¯m not mad at all. I¡¯m not. But, I want to see your face when I show you my greatest monster! Divorce her in that instant! He won¡¯t, won¡¯t he.


    I remembered back to earlier that month. My new hope was given to me then.


    Entering Augmented Reality¡­


    ¡°The test is done. Looks like it was what I thought, you overloaded your safeties.¡±


    ¡°They can overload?¡±, I said.


    ¡°You must have done something really strenuous lately. Usually, they need time to adjust. Your brain is like a muscle too, you know? I¡¯m going to give you some stabilizers, make sure you¡¯re not using the brain chip at all when you inject it. It goes in your thigh.¡±


    ¡°Not using the brain chip? Why?¡±


    ¡°It disables the safeties for a little so they can reset. Why are you smiling?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°O-oh, I¡¯m just glad there¡¯s something to take for this. I was worried. How long are the safeties off? I don¡¯t want to go into system shock¡­¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t even be ten seconds. Make sure to not use your chip for a whole minute afterwards, just to be sure.¡±


    System shock¡­ can I handle that?


    ¡°What¡¯s system shock like?¡±


    ¡°Depends on the way it happened, but mostly it¡¯s not that bad. The safeties are made so that they can just lock you out in case of consistent overload. You¡¯ll usually just get locked out of the system and maybe get a bad headache, dizziness, or vomiting. The real danger is if you keep having this happen to you and the drug doesn¡¯t work. Make sure to go to a doctor if the overload symptoms keep happening.¡±


    I can handle it!


    Entering World Online¡­


    I know this is dumb. I know that I¡¯m going to make Mom cry if something bad happens.


    This feels like something I want to pour every drop into my life into.


    In an instant, if it¡¯s a miracle, can I turn everything around?


    All those years of frustration in one instant like magic?


    What will be born in that instant? I wanted to see it. A canvas, filled with a painting, me within the boundaries of that frame.


    I¡¯ll keep enough attention out of the game world to inject the stabilizer, I was practicing. Don¡¯t look down on hard work.


    As long as it was setup just right, I could just press my thumb.


    Let this world see it, I wanted them to see it. Monster, hero, who did I want to be born? My monsters were getting smarter lately. It got kind of scary when my newest Phoenixxer made bird calls that I never heard. Was that from within me? I got excited. Maybe, this game was pulling something deeper out of me. Far deeper than I¡¯ve ever gone or understood about myself.


    Just what could I see in myself, if I could summon something wonderful from the depths?


    Who did I want to make?


    They have to be strong. Heroic, but not like Iroas! Loyal, a fallen kingdom, a Hero-King of legend, like the Epic of Gilgamesh. Hero of Heroes, the King of kings. But, something that makes him relatable.


    He can¡¯t be perfect, Gilgamesh was too perfect so the god¡¯s cloned him and made his clone fight him. I think? I can¡¯t remember!


    How about a troll? I thought of those people earlier. A perfect anti-hero. I saw the canvas in my mind.


    A red cloak floating in the wind.


    Covered in dark green hair fluffy, like christmas.


    His fallen kingdom behind him.


    The weight of guilt is his only burden.


    He carries on, as he walks through the snow with relentless gait.


    That¡¯s when, he¡¯s called to another world by a beautiful girl.


    He¡¯s taken aback. He would say something like, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    He¡¯s too strong for anyone to control. Rather, it insults him.


    Who does the king of the fallen kingdom bow down to, no one!


    Who is this girl to me! Hmph, I¡¯ll continue on my journey, even in this strange land, to assuage my pain.


    H-he¡¯s perfect.


    I injected the stabilizer into my thigh. Final and first stroke!


    ¡°Troll Hero-King of the Legendary Fallen Kingdom! Ahgo! ¡®Monster Summon¡¯!¡±


    I heard a voice. Is that laughing? Isn¡¯t this bad? Did I get banned?


    Cmd¡­Ahgo Designation [Player] added...


    Notification...Ahgo has joined the raid group.


    Notification...Ahgo has left the raid group.


    Player? Raid?


    The troll hero-king¡¯s red cape covered his body. It blew into the wind, revealing his three noble eyes and funnel shaped stalk ears topping his burly framed back. He was clad in dark green fur, and snow swirled around him. Did I summon snow too? His level was ?? for some reason, what¡¯s that? He¡¯s a Negativer, subclass...


    He looked up.


    ¡°The sky¡­ where am I? I remember, walking away from my kingdom with every step.¡±


    Subclass Hero-King.


    He looked at me.


    ¡°Marry me!¡±


    Wait, that¡¯s a troll. I¡¯m not that desperate, why¡¯d I say that.


    ¡°A human? I¡¯ve traveled far. This place, this kingdom, where am I? And, I refuse your proposal.¡±


    Turned down? My heart sank. I finally said it and¡­ no, wait.


    ¡°I summoned you! You¡¯re my creation! Let¡¯s go destroy Iroas¡¯s guild!¡±


    ¡°You, a human calls me their servant?¡±, he growled.


    Oh no. I set this up didn¡¯t I. Well, he can¡¯t kill me. For real I mean.


    I felt the world go black.


    Entering World Online...


    The human in front of me fainted. A pity. I will not slay a fallen opponent. That insult, I will be merciful. If she dies in this land unattended by me, that will be her fate. I will not save her.


    I could not save my kingdom. Now, a new land, a city rising like a legend taken form. Plains with wind rustling grass, a dollop of snow surrounding my form, and the blue sky above me.


    A nation of power stands before me.


    ¡°Reminds me of home. Maybe there, I can find an ending. Farewell, ¡®Summoner¡¯¡±


    I walked off, the last of the snow falling off me into the golden plains.

 12-Of His Fated Reign, Chapter 1 of 3

    Nyaa-chan teleported to the guild hall to complain to Iroas. He doesn¡¯t do that often, complaining. To other people, at least.


    ¡°Iroas! Someone broke into my apartment!¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t get the uploader, did they?¡± said Iroas.


    ¡°Uploader? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You told me about an uploader once, I remembered awhile back. I was worried about how you were acting until you got that new skill. You really didn¡¯t try to off yourself and become a magical girl in a game for the rest of your life, did you?¡± Iroas laughed at him.


    ¡°Stop joking around. Like an uploader is possible.¡±


    It is, since he made one. Nyaa-chan made that clear to himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My imagination ran away with me at the beach before I hit on a girl that looks like you, sorry,¡± Iroas apologized. He¡¯s considerate.


    Nyaa-chan had a hunch it was true, and that Iroas was clearly telling him this for his own twisted enjoyment. Iroas is like that sometimes. Nyaa-chan opened his mouth to speak but held still a moment to let the embarrassment pass.


    ¡°You mean my character?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± said Iroas. There was a smug grin on his face.


    He got her huh, Nyaa-chan shivered at the thought.


    There¡¯s something more important than his disgust at the moment.


    ¡°Uh, can you introduce me?¡±


    Nyaa-chan didn¡¯t want to admit it but he was interested in seeing how close she was to his character. He didn¡¯t think that he wanted to date her at all, if he did then he would unleash a ¡®Shame Supernova¡¯ and destroy the guild hall. There¡¯s interest there.


    ¡°Right now she¡¯s not talking to me much. She didn¡¯t like the ¡®I¡¯m married¡¯ part- Hey, she¡¯s calling, hold on.¡±


    Iroas activated the phone app and placed his hand to his ear to act as an imitation receiver and transmitter. He nodded his head along as panicked mumbling could be heard. It was a completely optional setting that Iroas had to go out of his way to add so other people could just barely hear his conversation.


    ¡°You want me to find a troll?¡± Iroas asked.


    Entering World Online¡­


    Walking along in this strange new world, my red cape blew in the wind behind me. Before being taken by foul magic into another world, I had a kingdom. I looked out over the plains to the city of Hygea. My memories drifted to me of a time long ago before my kingdom fell. All my mind could think of are these memories. Even here, in another world.


    I left my bedroom back then swinging my red cape free. As it swirled in the air, I felt the cool breeze from windows formed in ice. An entire castle, an entire city, my city, my kingdom. Ice sculpted into a massive castle, preserving heat. My feet tapped away from that room against the ice floor, a troll woman inside still on the bed. As Troll Hero-King, I have other duties I prefer to busy myself with.


    ¡°Ahgo! Come back!¡±


    That troll woman shouted at me, but I wouldn¡¯t stop. She wouldn¡¯t pursue. It was bothersome to sire as many heirs as I could, but it was my duty. There are a lot of things about being Hero-King that I enjoy. Siring duty is not on the list. Battle is, fighting is the only activity I ever cared about, and that¡¯s both how I got my position and why I grew frustrated with it. I rubbed my nose and fluffed my cape to ward off the discomfort of refusing her so boldly. If only I could be so confident with my advisors. They had many, negative, and contradictory, opinions on my decisions during my rule:


    ¡°Ahgo, the economic trade with the neighboring kingdom, shouldn¡¯t we increase tariffs? I told you many times about the benefits of¡­¡±


    ¡°Offer more tribute to Granadyr? You¡¯re always on about that, Ahgo! He hasn¡¯t done anything but skulk around the kingdom we built in his shadow of his tower, the reason why we have you is to hold him in check! Shouldn¡¯t you do your job better?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean your judgment is final? This is why we should divide your powers among representatives of the trolls. You spend all your time training like an idiot for a fight that will never come! You¡¯re just holding us back!¡±


    ¡°Ahgo, I advised you before, dealing with the dwarves like that is unwise. They have those runed harpoons that can negate our regeneration. If you further antagonize them, they might reduce their trade with us. Did you even think of the war that might cause in the future? One misstep here¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahgo! What did I tell you about being soft on the dwarves! Their trade is nothing compared to the human empire! Did you even think of the war that will ensue if we don¡¯t deepen our relations now-¡±


    All of them have good points. I may be an idiot who only wants to fight, but I¡¯m not dumb. That¡¯s why when my kingdom fell, I didn¡¯t blame them. I walked through my kingdom towards Granadyr¡¯s tower, gazing out the open windows of the castle kingdom forged out of ice. One castle, one kingdom, that is the size and breadth of the place. I loved running through the halls in my youth, hunting down fellow trolls in mock combat.


    Ice Trolls of my kingdom lived in the icy north huddled under the dragon Granadyr¡¯s tower. We built this place with our magic, ice magic. Granadyr taught our people that magic and gave us a home in the shadow of his tower. I favored summoning personalized swords of ice myself, and a bunch of them at once. By becoming Hero-King by winning a tournament each year, I never had to use my ice magic to help build the castle. So I spent my time training, fighting anyone who would accompany me, training weak Trolls and crafting my own swords with ice magic.


    Each one of them has a name and a history all their own. Each one¡¯s weight and balance felt different in my hands, some for throwing, some for defending, some for hacking, I made many. Each of them I had to memorize the exact specifications of to recreate them from memory with my ice magic. No one doubted the genius of that skill, they marveled at how each ice sword had a different shape and usage. If a trainee stopped and asked me, a few hours could pass with my discussion of a single swords creation. If their faces grew bored of my ranting, when I had the presence of mind to notice, I challenged them to a fight.


    I thought of my advisor¡¯s comments again with rage.


    ¡°One choice, so many outcomes. I chose the decision for my kingdom, and my advisors have nothing but complaints. Is this is how they repay me?¡± I said. Complaining to myself, I noted the value of their criticism. However, in the end I chose. By choosing, I sealed our fate. Was there anything more I could have done to save my kingdom from him, from Granadyr, the dragon who protected us and gave us a home?


    The first time I met Granadyr in his tower it excited me. I stepped into a fantasy. That was the feeling I had then. The tales going back five hundred years speak of the trolls selected to be Hero-Kings to parley with the dragon gave who my people a home in the frozen north sea. One troll to speak with him, one troll to defend against him. The Troll Kingdom comforted by their king being a hero who would keep the dragon benefactor in check. That was a lie. The horrible secret I learned that day chilled me to the bone even in a frozen land like this.


    ¡°Defeat me? Pay little attention to the lies of legends. I don¡¯t fight, I win. That the trolls feel like this is a relationship where they have some countermeasure against me was another treasure I gave them. After all, I wanted them to feel at home,¡± said Granadyr on my first meeting. In the shadows of his tower filled to the brim with treasures there was a dragon whose appearance belied his ability.


    ¡°So all my training, the tournament I must win every year to keep this role, it was all useless?¡±


    I said back then.


    ¡°Hardly. I merely wanted the king of trolls to be the finest among them. One who respected the reality of the harshness of this world, and yet was generous with his time and thoughts to his people. I thought that would be best, when the first Hero-King pleaded to me to live under my tower¡¯s protection. At first, I laughed. Then, he offered me his life and honor as a trade for his people. What finer treasure than the life and servitude towards others for the sake of one¡¯s honor and courage to support his people? To a greedy old dragon like myself, it sounded amusing to accept,¡± Granadyr said.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°I saw many treasures of unimaginable worth in this tower. To think the stories were true!¡±


    ¡°Ahgo, the hero-kings before you all wanted these treasures to improve the lives of the people of the troll kingdom. What about you?¡±


    ¡°When I saw them, I thought the same thing. I thought to myself, how does he even use these? Then I realized that for you it must be like my training is for me. I never had much else that entertained me and made me feel so accomplished as the goal of being Hero-King. When I thought of it like that, I promised myself that the only way I would take them is if I was willing to kill you and protect my kingdom with my own hands alone,¡± I said.


    ¡°Ah, so refreshing. You remind me of the Second Hero-King. He was a bit more tactful than you, though. Do you always like being so honest, Ahgo, Hero-King of the Trolls?¡±


    ¡°In battle, each wound is there or not. Even with our superior regeneration, it still is a slight to my honor to take even a single hit. How much farther could I go if that hit didn¡¯t meet me? I always worried about that. To hear that you believe that you could win a fight against me in an instant¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to try me?¡± Granadyr laughed. I remembered that laugh fondly, once.


    I summoned countless swords of floating ice. Those days, I would just try to get as many in the air as I could to shock the enemy. I thought it was a good tactic. Now I laugh at my poor judgment back then. As I pulled the ice sword Hydr to me back then, I challenged the dragon.


    ¡°Granadyr, would you be generous enough to duel with me? It would be,¡± I smiled at what I was going to say next, ¡°a treasure to me.¡±


    Granadyr laughed, the sound reverberating around the tower of ice and snow. Then he slapped me to the ground over and over again. A lighting hammer out of thunder. A snowball like a shooting star. A forgotten blade, pulled from a portal and bested me in combat with a summoned warrior. An illusion so large I spent years wandering in it, saving the sick and aiding the poor and righting wrongs but it turned out to be a few seconds in real time. Fire that never stopped burning me, and cool water that put it out as Granadyr laughed at me dancing wreathed in flame. I tried everything, and each time I lost my smile inside and out only got bigger.


    ¡°It¡¯s been hours, you know? Even your exceptional regeneration and stamina should be sapped,¡± groaned Granadyr.


    ¡°I apologize. This must be boring for you. Personally, I don¡¯t think I would like to stop until you finish me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a kingdom to run! My, isn¡¯t this one troublesome. Get a bit better and I¡¯ll fight you every once in awhile. It was another treasure, this fight.¡±


    I imagined Granadyr was smiling back then. That night, I had the best healers I could get me back into shape so I could get to training as soon as I could. In those days, I neglected my king duties far too much. Without Granadyr¡¯s teaching and knowledge during our private combat, I have no doubt I would have been exiled or a small army sent to oust me before long. I was grateful. I still am grateful. The one I can¡¯t forgive is myself.


    ¡°Ahgo! Are you listening! To space out when I¡¯m giving such an important report,¡± said Krgi.


    My advisor, Krgi , a troll of intellect and age and nothing more. I could beat him easily, but there would be no victory in that.


    ¡°Krgi. What about the dragon¡¯s tribute? It¡¯s petty this year. I¡¯ve been supplementing with my own funds for so long, is there nothing in the budget we can offer him?¡±


    The problem was weighing quite heavily on my mind in those latter days before the end of my kingdom. Granadyr¡¯s tribute. We needed far more, and my kingdom forgot Granadyr¡¯s gift of safety. Though they lived under his tower, though they lived under my reign, the trolls of my kingdom were swayed by never. They kept more of their treasures to themselves.


    What could I have done? I grumbled to myself, coming back to reality. I stared at the city of legend taken form in this new land I was summoned to. Each building a different height, yet some were as tall if not taller than Granadyr¡¯s. When I traveled out of the Troll Kingdom, one massive castle under Granadyr¡¯s tower, I saw my whole kingdom in one glance.


    This city in front of me was taller. I made comparisons, recalling the art that decorated our walls. There seemed to be little detail on theirs. My memories faded in again, of a time when Krgi yelled at me.


    ¡°You have angered so many with your insipid focus on that worthless dragon!¡± Krgi said.


    He meant Granadyr. What a fool. The idiot continued.


    ¡°Our kingdom has long past such worship, we have grown strong enough to take down many dragons! You alone, shouldn¡¯t you be enough if it¡¯s only one or two?¡±


    They didn¡¯t know. I tried my best to tell them, the wild dragons who they would hunt quite easily were nothing compared to Granadyr. If only I had thought then of luring Granadyr into a fight outside of his tower to showcase his might to my people. I know then just as I knew now that that wouldn¡¯t have solved it either.


    ¡°Just find the budget! I¡¯ll go deeper into debt. If I need to kill something or someone to get the money, tell me who or what,¡± I said to Krgi, groaning in my tone.


    ¡°Solving everything with violence again! What have I told you¡­¡±


    Krgi went on into the night with his diatribe. I would stand up, do everything but threaten Krgi, threaten him, and he would storm off angry. It was a common tale up until the end of my kingdom.


    I awoke one night in a start, feeling heat like a bonfire was next to my bed. I rushed to the window and outside I saw my kingdom in a glance. The kingdom of ice and snow melting and burning and my people running. Granadyr speeding above, laughing and blowing down flame.


    I had been expecting it for awhile. My talks with Granadyr became less and less friendly and more confrontational. Granadyr blamed me. No, I blamed me. I wish Granadyr would have blamed me, that would have been easy.


    ¡°You¡¯re one of the finest Hero-Kings I¡¯ve had serving under me. Your people have become rotten to the core. They shun me and think nothing of the land and protection I gave them for so long, and I watched carefully as your efforts failed. A troll of Krgi¡¯s age should know better. This problem is too deep. I will take this kingdom¡¯s death at my hand as a treasure,¡± Granadyr grumbled to me one night soon before the end. In his tower, in front of the person I respect most in the kingdom, I burst out with emotion.


    ¡°Granadyr! What else could I have done! You told me, you taught me so many things! I enjoy your company in battle more than any troll! You,¡± I collected myself and continued.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this. Take my life instead. Let me go on a quest to secure the greatest treasure for you. I would spend the rest of my life to fulfill this duty! Anything! Give me any way to succeed! I¡¯ll show you that at least one troll in this kingdom respects you, even if I have to do it all alone!¡±


    I felt betrayed. I felt worthless. The history of my kingdom would end under my reign.


    I couldn¡¯t read Granadyr¡¯s dragon face at all, but I was hoping for mercy then.


    ¡°Out of respect for the treasure of the time spent with you, I will fight you. Amongst the burning embers of the death of your nation I will have a final battle with you. For the longest time, I have not fought. I have won. You will fight for your nation, and you will fall before my might like always. The final hero-king of the troll kingdom that I let grow and I destroyed. That will be your final gift to me.¡±


    I cried after hearing that. In front of the being I respected the most in this world, my friend who understood me the most, the one I knew the best, and the one who would render all my effort put into my life meaningless. I left in a daze and spent the final days training far past the point my regeneration could sustain me, with healers standing by to revive me only to continue. I told everyone I could to leave the kingdom, to escape the end. Those who listened, I hope they are doing well. I am no longer your king.


    I stood there, the city melting as Granadyr mounted on a throne of troll corpses of his own making. Fire burned all around me, even in the icy north. The numerous fishing holes were melting, the leviathans in the sea below us feasting on the hated trolls who hunted them for so long as ice chunks cracked and floated away with burning homes into the open sea. Granadyr¡¯s tower, in the center looking over the kingdom was untouched. I had no words left, but I had my swords. They meant little to him.


    In the real world my eyes came back into focus. I snapped out of my reverie again, and sighed as I tried to read a sign. It¡¯s a language I had never seen before. Numerous humans and a species that seemed to be a cross between animals and humans were making looks towards my way. Were trolls rare in this land?


    ¡°The kingdom is called Hygea? I can read this sign. How unexpected. Why would a human summon me here? I never heard of such magic, and for that girl to then suggest marriage? She seems desperate. It¡¯s always those types that are the most troublesome. I have a feeling there will be no small share of mysteries from this point on. How can I seek an ending like this?¡± I groaned.


    An ending to my tale. I had read the tales when I was young, that sparked my ambition to be the Hero-King himself. They gave me joy. I wanted to be a hero. I became a hero. But now, all I was doing was walking away. My survival is an unfortunate result of Granadyr¡¯s whims and my unwillingness to submit to death. It was that I couldn¡¯t pass up a fight more than anything. I looked at the people around me, the spires above me. Their architecture lacks detail! My kingdom¡¯s ice carvers would have a fit at how they didn¡¯t decorate their buildings. If you spent so much time into something like that, wouldn¡¯t you want even the smallest parts of it to have beauty and meaning? My hands raised in the air, I realized people were looking at me, as if they wanted to talk with me. Couldn¡¯t you just all attack at once instead of chattering with this failed hero-king? If I were to die in battle, then it would be the best fate I could think of right now.


    What else am I to do? I summoned the ice sword Prdo, it¡¯s namesake isn¡¯t important right now. I pointed my sword to the crowd and grinned.


    Entering World Online...


    A vast balcony overlooking the central town of Mental World Online, Hygea. There near the railing stood an old man with a dignified face crinkled and a light smile. An upturned bell glass of wine was in his hand. A roman toga with a red sash, typical of those of the roman senate, adorned him.


    ¡°Interesting. Very interesting. I didn¡¯t think such a thing would be possible, but I was able to peer into Ahgo¡¯s mind like any other player. How human, for a troll, so well behaved as well! I¡¯ve had my troubles like that in the past. These young kids, watching over them is the least I can do. Quite serendipitous. Nyaa-chan, or, should I call you Clive? He seemed like the type to prefer his character name. I¡¯ll send you a mail soon. I¡¯ll have to thank you, I feel like I¡¯m young again!¡±


    Myalor cackled on the balcony and threw back some digital wine.

 13-Of His New World, Chapter 2 of 3

    Hygea, a nation of heroes it seems like. They don¡¯t have to survive off of fish under the ice, they must hunt wild game and farm. I see no trolls here. It is strange, I was granted the title hero-king in my nation and most of the time I felt like an outsider but here, I really am. It¡¯s comfortable.


    I smashed a few thugs that were following me down my chosen alley within seconds not aiming to kill. They didn¡¯t seem used to combat, despite their strange weaponry and various ages. Children with staves? Humans with cat ears? I feel like everything I know has just been burned like my kingdom. I rubbed my nose and fluffed my cape nervously. This didn¡¯t seem honorable to me. While I would usually not fight with my lessers or especially children, one of them seemed capable of powerful magics. From heavy experience I can sense intuitively through reading body language and the rhythm of movements how much the fighter values their offensive strength. All of them valued themselves highly, and yet they did not understand basic concepts of ambush, speed, foot placement, proper timing of breath or advanced group tactics. They figured I was easy? Then they cannot read my skill either. How disappointing.


    I leaned down to a child to examine them but the assailants were already up and upon me. I sent them packing into the ground one after another, dodging a few swings and a magic bolt with hair¡¯s breadth timing. The power was great, beyond our strongest mages in the kingdom. None of them would be this poorly trained. How mysterious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you. This is not a fight you can win.¡±


    I advised them. They are clearly amateurs who have managed to stumble upon talent and power yet have not known failure or tested themselves in personal combat.


    ¡°This Ahgo guy¡¯s got to be hacking somehow¡­ you see that subclass?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like that Cowboy guy, is this another secret patch?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, how can you hack a brain chip game?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Ahgo, why are you ?? level?¡±


    They were whispering from the ground and pulling themselves up. No painful movements, no jerking of the muscles, not tired at all. The wind wasn¡¯t knocked from them either. On a closer look, they didn¡¯t even appear to be taking in breath consciously. Something was off with the timing and motion of their chests. What strange land is this?


    ¡°How do you know my name? I have never heard of a human nation like this one, to think news of my fall would spread so far¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s roleplaying. He won¡¯t tell us anything.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Come on, just break character for a second and tell us how you got that subclass!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a subclass? I didn¡¯t understand what you said by question mark question mark level either. I am new to this land, I have no problem fighting with you but I refuse to kill such unskilled opponents,¡± I said.


    ¡°What!? I¡¯ve been playing for years! I¡¯m pretty good you know!¡±


    No, you are terrible.


    ¡°Hey, maybe he¡¯s a noob that got ahold of a secret account or something. Maybe he¡¯s a game master playing around?¡±


    Just more mysteries spew from their mouths.


    ¡°Then should I answer his question? Why would he ask something so obvious¡­¡±


    Am I in another world? This seems far too different, it¡¯s as if the basic laws of reality have shifted.


    I¡¯ll try something then.


    I summoned my short ice sword Hydr from memory and tested its weight and heft.


    ¡°Woah, did you see that? He didn¡¯t even cast a spell and his special gauge didn¡¯t budge!¡±


    ¡°What if he¡¯s a raid boss player? No way it¡¯s not a game master, lets just report him and go.¡±


    They began to leave without answering my questions. Poor manners, that may just be normal to humans here. I liked the humans back home a tad more.


    ¡°Get away from that troll! You¡¯re bullying him!¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    A strange man showed up, dressed with a skirt with big sleeves and a style of sword I have not seen before. Ah, I see, the skirt hides his legs. In combat that would be invaluable. He has another sword by his side, but he is not using it? Perhaps if he is disarmed he would draw it.


    ¡°Oh look it¡¯s the Cowboy Samurai. Great, have him to yourself hero of justice, he¡¯s just some crazy roleplaying game master.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what if it¡¯s system shock?¡±


    ¡°Well we reported it already¡­¡±


    They were talking easily as they walked past the skirt man, who had sheathed his sword and approached me openly. No wariness at all towards the people around him, even though he challenged them?


    ¡°Hello there skirted man. I am very confused by this kingdom. I have just come here summoned quite mysteriously, and would like some answers if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re new to the game? Why is your level ?? then? They said you were a game master, is that true?¡±


    He seemed rather excited. A boy meeting a hero, is that it? Game masters must be heroes in this world. Here, the kingdom regards this existence as a game. I can understand this much so far.


    ¡°I do not know what game and game master refer to specifically, I am a Hero-King from the fallen Troll kingdom to the far north. My name, the ruffians knew my name on sight although they have never seen me. Also, what is this level?¡±


    ¡°Anyone can see your name, level, class, subclass, health, and special gauge. You just got to focus on it with your brain chip. I was confused when I started playing, but they gave me a notification so it was easy. Maybe your download got bugged or something?¡±


    I held my head. Just more questions. Although I can understand these people perfectly, why are some words so strange?


    ¡°Are you alright? Maybe you should log out?¡±


    Okay, I understand now. Although I understand their language I do not understand their culture. This is like a diplomatic mission, although I was poorly trusted and not confident in handling them. I will clearly state from the beginning everything and attempt to reconstruct my understanding of these people from the ground up.


    ¡°I am sorry. As I am new here, I do not understand all these words you use at all. I was merely walking and was summoned here. I am from the far north, a Troll Hero-King of a fallen kingdom. I am hoping you can explain to me the concepts of this kingdom¡¯s culture. Speak as if you were introducing it to a child, as I am not so different right now. What is this ¡®game¡¯?¡±


    That was good, that should get a decent answer.


    ¡°Roleplayer, huh... Well, I¡¯m Cowboy. I am a samurai. This world was made by smart people. They, uh, put it all together with machines. Then they also put machines in people''s heads. The machines in the heads of the people allow them to see this game, uh, world from inside their mind. The machines in the heads of the people can connect to a, uh, a invisible web. It travels through the air. And then everyone gets here, and they make a character to run around in this world and have fun. It¡¯s a game. Everyone has a number, that¡¯s level. As the number grows higher you can do more damage and fight harder battles. In this game, your emotions power the strength of your attacks. Everyone can see using the machines in their heads can see all that information I told you about just by looking at you. Does that make sense?¡±


    This Cowboy, he was groaning and making poses with his hand towards his chin. A human body language for thinking, I remembered that from my visit to their lands. He put such effort to explain that to a foreigner. To think I am in a world created from a mind, not unlike a magic of untold power far greater than Granadyr¡¯s. To alter the very fabric of reality itself.


    ¡°Thank you, Cowboy the Samurai, for your kindness. These machines of your people sound like magic to me, I have never heard of such powerful magic that it could create a world entirely of the mind. To what strange land was I summoned to¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, I grew up with it myself so I¡¯m used to it. You seem quite lost, Is there something you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to accept that story as explanation enough. In that case, no one knows of my kingdom and I may be in another world entirely. As Hero-King, I failed in my duty and my nation burned to the ground. I seek an ending in battle.¡±


    ¡°¡®An ending¡¯? Oh! Dying to protect your honor huh? Yeah, samurai¡¯s used to do that all the time. So it¡¯s like you want someone to kill you in a fair fight, because you¡¯re guilty about being unable to save your country!¡±


    Guilty? I¡¯m guilty?


    ¡°I do not understand guilt. If you could explain, I would appreciate that, though I have nothing to offer you but my skill.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I like helping people, it¡¯s part of being a samurai. Hold on, I¡¯m not really to sure about this myself, I¡¯m going to use the machine in my head to find out some information about it.¡±


    He went still. No wonder my observations about the characters around me was confusing then. It¡¯s as if I am in a book. A living book, where the writers are constantly acting in a massive play with a whole world created from the mind as a set. I rubbed my nose and fluffed my cape. If it¡¯s a game, do they even die if they die? The thugs earlier did not seem hurt at all. I looked at my hand. Is this still flesh? Can I even die now?


    I sighed. What¡¯s the point of fighting if there is no victory to be won, no kingdom or resources to protect, and everything can be imagined out of thin air? The whole world here is fake!


    But, on the upside, I could fight forever against countless opponents and although I would slay them over and over they would only learn how to better combat me.


    It was like my fights against Granadyr. I felt the urge to weep, thinking of him, but it would hardly protect what little honor I had left.


    ¡°I checked Wellness Central, It seems like it¡¯s all about feeling you¡¯ve done something wrong. I don¡¯t mess up at home, the machines there are too expensive. Dad does though, maybe that¡¯s how he feels when he costs himself a lot of money¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I failed my kingdom. I will resolve this by facing death.¡±


    ¡°You know if you die you just run to your corpse in ghost form and can revive from there, right?¡±


    ¡°I had considered such an outcome, to think it was true... but I am a foreigner to these lands. I may not have changed to be the same type of being as people like you. Cowboy, would you do me the honor of facing me in a serious battle? I have asked a lot from you, If there is any way I can repay you before I die I will attempt to do so, you may ask anything of me.¡±


    ¡°A duel huh? I joined a friend¡¯s guild recently, they have a dueling area there. Let¡¯s go. By the way, how¡¯d you get that troll skin?¡±


    For this game, huh. It seems he thinks I am acting as well, why would you act in game where you are already acting?


    ¡°I was born with it.¡±


    ¡°Ahgo, you¡¯re so into your character. Promise to tell the truth if I win?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, because I just told you the truth already.¡±


    ¡°Wow, such dedication¡­¡± said Cowboy.

 14-Of His Fate, Chapter 3

    ¡°Why are you breathing so heavily, Cowboy? I thought that people of this fake world didn¡¯t need to breathe,¡± I said with a smile.


    Dueling this boy reminded me of my youth. I wonder if this is how Granadyr felt when crushing me. Such a waste of talent.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re really pushing me. Usually, people just go for the kill right away so I was surprised. No one I¡¯ve met fights like you. It¡¯s like I¡¯m fighting in reality or something¡­¡±


    I laughed. What kind of world must he really live in, if he doesn¡¯t know violence in daily life? Truly, a kingdom far greater and more mysterious than my own.


    ¡°Breathing, matching the tempo of an opponent''s hits, conserving energy, and spending energy. Since this is merely for fun, I won¡¯t use my magic.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Show me some of your magic! It says your subclass is Hero-King even though you¡¯re a Negativer.¡±


    ¡°Negativer? That term does not suit me at all.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s part of the game. I¡¯m a Chaoser, so I just like fighting.¡±


    ¡°Chaoser? That sounds more my type then. Whoever made me this Negativer class must have made some grave mistake.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you¡¯ve got that whole backstory with the fallen kingdom and it¡¯s all your fault so you want to die in battle. Sounds pretty Negativer to me.¡±


    To learn so much from a child, my honor is fading fast. Negative, huh? My duty has already finished. There is nothing I can do. The betrayal has already been completed, my kingdom¡¯s fate sealed. I asked myself, ¡°What else can I do?¡±, but there appears to be nothing. Don¡¯t I have something left, if my past were to be dropped here? If I forgot those memories, what would I have left?


    ¡°Granadyr... Someday.¡±


    I muttered.


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that? Come at me again, I want to try that dodging thing you taught me.¡±


    I felt the flow of magic within my body. Condense the air, chill it with ice, form each river and inlet in the blade as if it was steel. Wield it and feel the weight. Breathe and forget the past and future. In a single moment your life can end, or take another¡¯s.


    In this world, the weight is lost. Let¡¯s see if I can die, you strange dream.


    I laughed and threw myself upon the brave child.


    Cowboy had excused himself later that day, telling me to ¡®logout¡¯ of the world to get some rest. I do not believe I am the same as you people. This world is the only one I exist in, I believe now.


    Wandering the gardens of this strange mansion in another world, I admired the sights. I have appreciation of life, without that I would not have become such a great warrior. Curiosity to see what lies in the truth of the world before my eyes. There was a fountain, with tiers of smaller pools as it towered into the sky streaming down water. There were flowers, bunched in groves with pathways to guide one''s walk.


    My heart felt still. My battle with Cowboy was nothing to be proud of, but watching him grow and show me tricks I had not thought possible interested me greatly. How far could I go now, that things like breathing were truly unecessary? That I could not fatigue, although with my regeneration that was not much of an issue compared to before it was far different. Being unable to die even if I die, if that were to be the case I am lost.


    Is this a hell for me, or a heaven?


    ¡°Wow, there really is a troll in the garden. When I got that mail from Cowboy I couldn¡¯t believe it, to think I wasted all that time running around. Hey there, I¡¯m Iroas. This is my guild hall, I¡¯m the leader of the guild Havesiosi. You looking for a guild?¡±


    ¡°Cowboy explained that concept to me. No, I would not submit myself to any nation, group, or person. It would besmirch the honor of my title. It is a wonderful place.¡±


    ¡°Hero-King huh? That¡¯s amazing, I only want to be a hero. Being a king too, sounds like too much responsibility. I¡¯ve got enough trouble running my business¡­¡±


    ¡°A merchant as well? I have seen many with that talent, they are often greedier than the kings I knew.¡±


    ¡°Well, someone¡¯s got to carry the burden, right? Otherwise the whole society doesn¡¯t run. Where are you from?¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Will you believe me if I told you I believe it¡¯s from another world?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the type to judge.¡±


    I laughed. It¡¯s just like a merchant to accept whatever speech you¡¯ll give them!


    ¡°I believe it must be. This world, so strange. Cowboy said it is created by machines. You, you¡¯re playing this on a machine within your mind. To think that I would be called magically by some human woman who would subdue me and propose to marry me into a world like this. I liked it better on Ethr. At least there, I knew what reality was like. So many new rules, so many strange concepts. What¡¯s wrong with keeping to a good fight? You, you have an aura of one experienced in battle, will you humor me?¡±


    ¡°Fight you? Well, Cowboy said you couldn¡¯t go all out and seem depressed. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be able to do much better, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. You play in this world for fun! There¡¯s no death or fear to be had here, have at me!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    The pleasant type, who will tell you anything you want to hear. He fancies himself a hero? Let us see, I thought as I walked to the dueling area with him.


    ¡°Okay. You don¡¯t have to go easy on me, I¡¯m wondering what you¡¯re really capable of myself. The only beings in this world that have your level are what we call raid bosses. They take a small army to defeat, so I doubt I have much of a chance¡­¡±, said the hero.


    He was still grumbling? I sped forward on the arena and summoned my array of ice swords. Easy access at every angle, for grabbing in a close melee to gain the advantage of surprise when I used sword after sword to close my distance and overwhelm even the strongest foe.


    ¡°¡®Negation Reflection¡¯¡±, Iroas said.


    The ice sword snapped and spread into a crystal mist upon my attack. I continued, as did he as we repeated him casting that spell and my swords misting.


    ¡°¡®Balance Maker¡¯¡±


    I felt pressure along my entire body. So weak. I can¡¯t even get a massage like this! I closed the distance and went for a simple punch, knocking him into the distance. To not even see him spit up spittle from such force to his stomach was yet another insult this world heaved upon me.


    ¡°Ah, no wonder. My favorite spell and it doesn¡¯t even phase you. This is impossible for me, I¡¯m more of the casting type you know?¡±


    He was complaining while lying in the sand of the dueling arena. The mages I had trained in melee combat were often like this back home. So underwhelming. The powers in this world are so underwhelming. Is there no one?


    My eyes caught an old man. He wore a red sash. I didn¡¯t even feel his presence before now, but he had a light smile on his face as if watching children. At your age, isn¡¯t that the only joy you have left?


    ¡°Hello there, are you a part of this guild as well?¡±, I said.


    ¡°Oh, no. I was just interested, so I dropped by. Iroas, how are you doing? Trying hard as always I see.¡±


    I saw him look up with confusion on his face.


    ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t know any old men players. Just don¡¯t destroy anything okay, I put a lot of work into getting everything just right around here¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re famous, aren¡¯t you Iroas? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯d just like to chat with this troll here, do you mind leaving us alone?¡±


    He got up.


    ¡°Ahgo, come by here every once in awhile okay? I¡¯ll try to setup a group to fight you, that should be more interesting right?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the bout, hero, and farewell.¡±


    He waved as he wandered off. I didn¡¯t know this world too well, but with people like Cowboy and that hero around perhaps I will welcome staying here.


    ¡°I am sorry old man, but I am unable to see the names like everyone else around here is able to, would you tell me yours?¡±


    His stance was self-assured. He is a man of great power and wisdom I am sure.


    ¡°It¡¯s Myalor. To the people of the real world, it¡¯s quite well known.¡±


    ¡°The world that all these people live in? Perhaps you could tell me what it¡¯s like?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so curious. Ethr is so far away, it¡¯s like another world isn¡¯t it? Maybe it was never real, like this game here, just a memory you had.¡±


    ¡°I did not see you listening to our conversation earlier, how do you know that name?¡±


    ¡°There are other ways to listen in this world. It¡¯s all in the mind you know. Your mind, read with my mind. Otherwise, how could I know about Granadyr?¡±


    This isn¡¯t good. He wants something. Why intimidate me like this? I don¡¯t see the point.


    ¡°Somehow, I have a feeling reading minds is not permissible even in this world. Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a crime. Punishable by brain chip removal. The machines in your mind, you see, as Cowboy explained to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s disconcerting to have you mention private conversations so readily. I have no standing in this world to judge you, but for you to speak like this to me I wonder if you have some pressing business?¡±


    ¡°Granadyr. I¡¯m like Granadyr. If we were to fight, it would be like that. I have little interest in fighting though. There are certain elements to your summoning that I wanted to study. I am interested in you, the person who made you, and what that means for the future of humanity,¡± said Myalor.


    I sighed. I survive one superior being¡¯s attack only to find myself in front of another. Well, this is fortunate then. Isn¡¯t it? Do I still seek an ending?


    ¡°Will you grant me an ending then if I cooperate with you?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. From my reading of your story, you did your utmost to please an unpleasable being. Why would you still hold that over yourself! Especially now, someone of your talents and skill, in a world where he cannot truly perish except by someone of my level!¡±


    ¡°So you have enough power to kill me even in this world with no death, and you refuse still. Could you at least tell me of others who would oblige me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die. In fact, I can make sure that you won¡¯t die, even if others try to erase you entirely.¡±


    ¡°You intend to do this, and against my will? Force me to live on, knowing fully of my failed duty?¡±


    ¡°What if I told you, no one died, you didn¡¯t fail, and Ethr was but a dream?¡±


    No one died? What is he implying?


    ¡°A dream, a fake world like this one?¡±, I guessed.


    ¡°Yes, Ahgo. Your kingdom never existed. To you that pain is quite real, but the truth is I know it is just a story made up by the girl who created you.¡±


    ¡°How can you know that?¡±


    If my kingdom was a lie, would I abandon it a second time?


    Do I need I tell you that answer!


    ¡°I saw her doing it. She didn¡¯t take you from another world. She made you, with memories of another world where you were Hero-King.¡±


    How much will these realities play with me? I just want to fight, this sort of thinking doesn¡¯t suit me at all. I looked at my hand. It¡¯s not real. To me, I had a whole life, if what Myalor says is true then all the weight I carried weighed just as much as anything else in my mind.


    There was no greater or lesser thoughts.


    There was only this horrible, confusing truth.


    How can I protect my honor then? What else can I do? No, this matter, my circumstances and life, were then the result of that foolish girls whims.


    There is nothing. Save my kingdom in my mind.


    I felt the flow of magic within my body.


    Condense the air, chill it with ice, form each river and inlet in the blade as if it was steel.


    Wield it and feel the weight.


    Breathe and forget the past and future.


    In a single moment and forevermore, battle rages on!

 15-Mysteries are His Alone

    Entering World Online¡­


    ¡°Welcome, Nyaa-chan. I¡¯m sorry for the breaking and entering, the theft of your intellectual properly, I¡¯ll be sure to make it up to you. You¡¯ll have to forgive me, I¡¯m old, the senility gets to me sometimes. Not recently though! Thanks to you!¡± cackled Myalor.


    I was standing in the entryway to an aristocratic lounge that was fully open to the twinkling night sky. It¡¯s probably that troll that Iroas was yapping on about that was sipping wine and eating cheese on a velvet couch.


    Myalor was on the balcony with a light smile on his face and a upturned bell glass of wine in his hand. There was a stand near the railing on his right side with an extra glass and a wine bottle.


    I get it. He¡¯s a class act. I groaned internally as I went over and picked up the glass and wine bottle and poured myself some.


    ¡°How¡¯d you even know I had it?¡±


    He¡¯s that kind of person if he would blatantly mail me like this, admitting guilt. Like I would walk away from that. He knows me, knows me far too well.


    Of course, I already had a good idea.


    ¡°Mind peeping, another crime you¡¯ll have to excuse me for. It was the end of my life you see. One last miracle, such serendipity, I couldn¡¯t pass it up when I saw you think it. It was mere chance I peeped you after giving that skill to Cowboy. You had such shame, I felt an urge to help in some way. Don¡¯t you think fate is amazing?¡±


    He¡¯s a game master. A ghost game master at this point. He used my uploader, and he probably doesn¡¯t know about it¡¯s terrible secret either. Should I tell him? He¡¯s already quite a piece of work.


    I was weighing in my mind exactly what merits either choice would have, I¡¯ll guess I¡¯ll humor him for now.


    ¡°Fate brought me Magical Girls. The world can¡¯t be so bad if Magical Girls exist.¡±


    ¡°I totally didn¡¯t get that part.¡±


    He was groaning. Don¡¯t mock me old man!


    ¡°I tried to watch some of it on my deathbed I was on for all those years. Cartoons? Really? And at your age? Didn¡¯t appeal to me at all. I don¡¯t get it, Nyaa. Could you explain it?¡±


    It¡¯s not a cartoon. It¡¯s anime. There is a long history here!


    ¡°It¡¯s Nyaa-chan. Just use the full name, I¡¯m used to it. Magical Girls are all that is good in this world. If I could fix the world, the world would be made so Magical Girls could live there. The world would be saved by them, and through their constant battles they would grow as people and inspire everyone to greater heights. That is the future of humanity I wish to see.¡±


    I felt such embarrassment saying it out loud for the first time. If there¡¯s ever someone I had to be honest with, it¡¯s this guy. I have a feeling if he¡¯s curious he won¡¯t leave me alone for the rest of his life, and that¡¯s not something that¡¯s going to end easily at this point.


    ¡°Future of humanity, huh? We share a common interest. For me, I helped you by giving you that skill at the right time to give you a way to lessen your shame. Seeing a young person enjoying themselves comforted me. It was pitiable, someone with your talent who would take his own life when the only problem was extreme self-judgement. Surely, there are other good things in this world? I mean, young girls are cute and all, aren¡¯t you interested in older women? Did you not know the pleasures of real women, and sought only some idealized drawn version of them?¡±


    Mental effectiveness laws existed for that reason. Anime was outlawed along with certain combinations of psychology with the art world because marketing and art became a far more exact science than before. It became too easy to convince people of this or that, to fall in love with this anime girl or buy this product.


    Free speech needed to die, in order for people to have freedom. Of course, if you were a helpless type like me who would still be drawn to that sort of thing no matter what, we were left certain freedoms. Let artists be artists, and psychologists be psychologists. Combining these specific disciplines was deemed too dangerous.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Don¡¯t look down on my ideals!


    ¡°I have a girl I¡¯m with now and I¡¯ve dated before, It¡¯s not that. This feeling is different. When I first saw Magical Girl shows, I felt a great sense of peace. Everything was fixed. Everything. For the first time in my life I felt as if everything was okay. I want to see them, cheer for them, watch them win. If that happens, then the rest of my life doesn¡¯t matter. If everyone could understand this feeling, don¡¯t you think the world would be amazing?¡± I said.


    ¡°To the point where you would become your character full time with the uploader? When I saw you lose it in that Peacer city, I didn¡¯t understand. You¡¯d been playing for years. It just never occurred to you that what you were doing was wrong?¡±


    Pretty much, huh. Just in a certain way really. I was always down about it, but it didn¡¯t hurt that much until I had that uploader option ready. I should tell him about the truth.


    ¡°The uploader. I wanted to see if I could become a real magical girl. The truth was such an idea actually made me feel sick, but I still thought if I was one then how could I still be broken? But I had the idea for the uploader, and I was so angry, I was just looking for a way out of the situation. So, when I made the uploader, I sacrificed features to make it work. I couldn¡¯t figure it out all the way. Too much neurology and biomechanics I didn¡¯t care to research, I just wanted it done. The uploader you used, it didn¡¯t upload your consciousness. It just drains your subconscious mind entirely. The data loss can be tremendous as well. You¡¯re probably just a ghost right now, your memories and pieces of your subconscious mind cobbled together into a being that I supposed developed consciousness. I can¡¯t tell, even though I¡¯m talking to you. I¡¯m just assuming you¡¯re not a philosophical zombie.¡±


    If he can think, it¡¯s quite a mystery. I¡¯m not a psychology major though, so I¡¯ll pass on researching that.


    Myalor cackled.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite a piece of work, Nyaa-chan. As for me, you don¡¯t need to worry. Ghost, a being like that troll, or even Myalor himself, I¡¯ll take all those titles quite readily. I¡¯m having a lot of fun, I feel young again. The best part is that I get to continue my work.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that, world domination? Count me out.¡±


    Me, a villain? I don¡¯t see that. If anything, I wanted to be a magical girl, a hero. Not like Iroas! He¡¯s just a selfish jerk who just happens to also be a nice person at the same time. I swigged some wine. Wait, I can¡¯t get drunk off this can I? I don¡¯t have time to check the wiki!


    ¡°I wish to bring about a great future to humanity. I was working so hard. When I fell sick of the complications of old age, I lamented that I would not be around to continue helping people build this future. I wanted to help more. To build more. I owe humanity a great debt you see, for my life was saved many times through books and self study of medical journals and a personal application of hypnosis to cure my autoimmune disease. I wanted everyone to share that joy! The magic of technology, the application of a miracle brought to mankind! Don¡¯t you see it?¡±


    He¡¯s definitely one of those isn¡¯t he. I sighed. What about the breaking and entering, theft, making yourself and making yourself an immortal gamemaster? Wait.


    ¡°Why this game? Why not the internet? You uploaded yourself here, but you said you were just using game master commands to help grant players wishes. How long were you doing that? Cowboy was the only one I know of¡­¡±


    ¡°I had no interest in games. Role playing game? How silly, if you want to fight monsters aren¡¯t the ones in real life far more difficult than any dragon or troll hero-king? However, five years with tubes up my ass as I lay dying changed me! I wanted to see young kids having fun and bring them miracles that I wanted so desperately for myself. And so using my connections I joined the game as a game master with special privileges. Even now, they are supporting me, the owners and forces behind Mental World Online, government agencies, and the like. Before I found you. Would you like to join me? The pay is amazing.¡±


    A job offer? I thought of my boss. I thought of Myalor. He¡¯s a little much, but at least he isn¡¯t into that weird stuff. Not sure what he¡¯s going to do but there¡¯s no way this wouldn¡¯t be good for my career.


    ¡°Change the world, huh. Build the future of humanity, huh. I don¡¯t know, if it isn¡¯t magical girls, I¡¯m not that excited.¡±


    ¡°What if I gave you a chance on that as well?¡±


    What.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve got some genetic clone lab somewhere working on this already.¡±


    ¡°Well, not quite. See Ahgo?¡±


    He was laying back on the couch, looking rather sleepy. Seems he wasn¡¯t even interested in what we were saying. Wait.


    ¡°He¡¯s intelligent? How intelligent?¡±


    ¡°Human level. He has a history, a childhood, an entire kingdom, magical spells that aren¡¯t even in the server database that were added from the client side. He doesn¡¯t even need to cast them. I assume you¡¯ve heard a little about him from Iroas?¡±


    ¡°That a girl he¡¯s with that looks like me summoned him. He just said he was strong. Summoned monsters can¡¯t be smart.¡±


    ¡°She figured out a loophole. I think it¡¯s rather similar to your uploader from what I saw in her mind, but far more creative. She can build an entire being from emotions and her imagination alone.¡±


    No way, with that I could do it. But, I don¡¯t know her. Would she do it? Does she even know anything about them?


    I could create the ultimate magical girl with that ability, a real one in the game. The first magical girl that thinks for itself, instead of just a drawing. How amazing.


    ¡°Myalor. World domination or whatever you want, I¡¯ll help you. Get me in touch with that girl.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just ask Iroas?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not talking to him. You¡¯re the only one who can give me her number!¡±


    ¡°Game master¡¯s can¡¯t give out personal information,¡± smugly said Myalor.


    ¡°Are you serious. What do you plan to do with her anyways? I can¡¯t imagine you leaving her alone.¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing, just keep an eye on her. Keep the heat off of her if someone gets suspicious. I want to keep this to myself, doing something like kidnapping her would be immoral as well, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°You really seem like the type to do that.¡±


    ¡°And you? What would you do for your magical girls?¡±, Myalor cackled.

 16-Canv.as Request!

    Entering Augmented Reality¡­


    Ugh. I was painting again. The cans were too expensive to mess around with, so I was using a simple art program that let you paint with anything. Or your hand. It¡¯s just easier to imagine with a toothbrush.


    I had a date today.


    Iroas said his friend was bugging him to meet me, he¡¯s the one who¡¯s got that magical girl character that looks like me.


    ¡°He¡¯s rich. He¡¯s...smart. Bit of the more old fashioned type like you too. I think he has an ulterior motive in meeting you though. No, it¡¯s definitely something creepy. Still, here¡¯s his number,¡± said the hero.


    I think he enjoyed that.


    As for dating, isn¡¯t that just the usual? That always happens anyways.


    It¡¯s at his place. I don¡¯t want to go. After making Ahgo I kept off of Mental World Online. It scared me when I fainted, luckily it seems like I didn¡¯t fry my brain. Test came back normal. If anything, my productivity is up with painting.


    I looked at the canvas as I purposely fell to the floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s no good¡­¡±


    Guess I¡¯ll go. It¡¯s something to do right? Maybe he can show me that Magical Girl character, I wonder how close I am. Am I actually pretty, and I¡¯ve been fooling myself this whole time!? Am I actually a great talent whose true potential will only be unleashed after a year of hard work!?


    Entering Reality¡­


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Clive, nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ash. Would you show me that magical girl character?¡±


    Ah, his face went red. I felt I had to get to that point right away or I would never bring it up.


    ¡°Damn Iroas, O-okay I¡¯ll show it to you, come in. I cooked, hope you like veal.¡±


    He can cook. His place is pretty immaculate too. Doesn¡¯t he work a really stressful job too, he must have a maid service.


    ¡°Nice place.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Turn on your Augmented Reality mode, I set it up.¡±


    So quick. I wonder why he listened to me so easily when it looked like it was personal for him?


    Entering Augmented Reality...


    No way.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the trenchcoat?¡±


    I was looking at me with cat ears and a trenchcoat. The character was prettier no doubt, but I couldn¡¯t deny the resemblance. This was worth coming alone.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s a detective...magical girl¡­ detective.¡±


    Wow, he¡¯s trying hard. I feel like I¡¯m punishing him. I won¡¯t apologize though, maybe you were stalking me! I need to find out!


    Entering Reality¡­


    Dinner was going well. Clive¡¯s very polite, seems like the workaholic type. There were a few guys like him at work. Maybe the whole magical girl thing is a stress reliever. I can¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t put off by it at first, but there was the ¡®he¡¯s rich, he¡¯s smart¡¯ and single.


    ¡°Are you with anyone, Clive?¡±


    I¡¯ll ask it everytime from now on.


    ¡°Why would I ask you on a date if I had someone. I don¡¯t like liars. I was messing around with this girl in the guild recently who was stuck on me, but she was way too clingy. It feels like I took advantage of her, so I broke off contact. She¡¯s got a lot to work through.¡±


    At least he regrets it, unlike Iroas who¡¯s probably after her as we speak.


    ¡°So, Iroas said you had some ulterior motive. Is this a one night thing?¡±


    ¡°Oh you mean... No. I uh, I¡¯m a terrible liar, and I don¡¯t want to lie. So I¡¯ll just say it. This is all true, I swear.¡±


    He told me about how he¡¯s some mad scientist type, driven to the brink of despair, he invented some crazy gadget that got stolen by another mad scientist type who hired him and now they are doing some world domination thing.


    At least he¡¯s ambitious.


    I don¡¯t like the sound of that Myalor guy or what he said about me. That¡¯s a little worrying.


    The pay¡¯s good, he says. Well, he¡¯s ambitious and seems passionate about it. Seems like he¡¯s a little too hard on himself, and I thought I was bad.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s where Ahgo is then? I¡¯m afraid to talk to him, I¡¯ve been staying away from the game because of that and¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it. Myalor commits lots of crimes but you know how it is at his level of power, that just comes with the territory. He didn¡¯t explain to me exactly how you created Ahgo, but I think I figured out at least a part of it. Shouldn¡¯t you be more careful? I mean, I know I¡¯m not one to talk, but still, value your life a bit more.¡±


    He¡¯s good.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Ah, that. I just wanted to get a miracle. All my paintings suck. I don¡¯t like them, I don¡¯t want to even try to sell them unless I feel proud of them. I spent so long not doing it so when Iroas told me about Mental World Online, it was like it was a chance to get something quick and simple done right away. It just went downhill from there¡­¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s amazing. Whatever you did, you must have a huge amount of talent to be able to put that much into a monster. I didn¡¯t even think it was possible. In the first place, the monster summon was supposed to just be an extension of the combat system. If you put that kind of ability into an attack, I wonder what would happen!¡±


    He¡¯s getting excited, like a kid. I think this is probably who he really is, he¡¯s got that hard exterior but once you give him no reason to be afraid he opens up. Maybe too fast? Or maybe I¡¯m too fast.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Rather not try either. So what¡¯s the reason I¡¯m really here?¡±


    ¡°Well, um, a, I want to request a monster. Don¡¯t do anything dangerous though, I couldn¡¯t sleep at night if I knew I pushed someone that far just for me.¡±


    It¡¯s probably a magical girl isn¡¯t it.


    ¡°I want you to make the ultimate magical girl, one like Ahgo. Cuter. Way cuter. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible, but I... It¡¯s a dream of mine. I¡¯ll do anything.¡±


    He¡¯s really into anime isn¡¯t he. He¡¯s not a bad guy though. He¡¯s in touch with that Myalor guy, I doubt I¡¯ll have much luck dealing with him if things go south. At least Clive could negotiate with him for me.


    I¡¯m not going to say it am I? I thought of the canvas waiting at home.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it. But you have to marry me.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to think it over? This is pretty fast¡­¡±


    ¡°You can change your mind what you want at anytime. I¡¯ll do anything to make this happen. After talking with Ahgo, I realized the potential. You¡¯re really cute too, I wouldn¡¯t mind dating you anyways but being married to a girl that looks so much like my character is pretty humiliating. I¡¯ll get through it somehow though.¡±


    He smiled. Can¡¯t you just admit you like me?


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just admit you like me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little soon for that, don¡¯t you think?¡±, said Clive with a straight face.


    I don¡¯t know about this.


    I was over at his place after work again. It was a regular thing now. He wanted me to come over and watch magical girl shows with him. I was enjoying it, I¡¯m surprised. Clive seemed a bit squeamish around me at first, probably just his shame acting up. Just relax.


    Clive got used to it though. He¡¯s really happy to see me, I feel a little flattered.


    Something¡¯s bothering me though. I don¡¯t know what that is, Mom likes him, I like him, he¡¯s rich, what¡¯s wrong? I thought of the canvas waiting at home.


    We were usually at his place. We watched shows Clive shared to my brain chip on a plastic board he set up like a television so we could watch it in the same room and see the same episode together at once. He said it would be more fun together.


    I didn¡¯t want to just watch them alone either.


    The magical girl shows reminded me of the cartoons I watched as a kid, but it¡¯s a little more serious at times. It was impossible to take it seriously, so I ended up laughing. I could tell Clive was holding himself back at times. He didn¡¯t want to say too much, but he really just wanted to get out just one more comment.


    I¡¯m grateful for that. It¡¯s a little overbearing at times, but it¡¯s fun watching him have such passion for something like this. Marriage? I don¡¯t know about that. Why¡¯d I blurt that out back then.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do once I make this magical girl?¡±


    We were probably a month in by then. I was getting tired of this. I was tired from work as well.


    My chin was planted on the coffee table in front of the board, the couch acting as backrest behind me.


    ¡°Huh. I never thought of that.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you spent this whole time trying to make a really good one but you¡¯re not even interested in it after I make it? I thought you were going to capture it and do experiments.¡±


    I don¡¯t want to know! I don¡¯t want to know!


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you thought. I can see that. People misunderstand me. Myalor said something similar. No, I just want one to exist.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of having a magical girl though? Don¡¯t they need to fight something or someone? They are always doing that near the end of the episode. Are you going to set up fights for her, or fight her yourself?¡±


    He laughed.


    ¡°Me? If I fought a magical girl, that would make me a villain!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there plenty of magical girls to fight in Mental World Online¡­¡±


    ¡°Those don¡¯t count, I bet most of them are old guys like me or actual girls.¡±


    You¡¯re going to leave her alone? The girl I create? The one you wanted me to make?


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave her alone¡­¡±, I muttered.


    ¡°What¡¯s that? A villain though. I really am like them now aren¡¯t I. Working for Myalor is pretty enjoyable. I didn¡¯t expect I¡¯d ever do this pioneering type of work. Sometimes, just watching him pull things together from so many people I don¡¯t know to solve a problem is so admirable. He¡¯s probably insane, but I can¡¯t argue with what I¡¯ve seen and done so far. I just hope this is going in a good direction in the end. Villain, huh. I¡¯m a villain.¡±


    ¡°Clive?¡±


    He got up and was pacing around as he said that as I lazily watched him.


    ¡°Um, I think I¡¯m going to go for a walk. You gave me a weird idea and I want to work it out myself. If you want to head home go ahead. I¡¯ve got to work this out.¡±


    He half mumbled that and got up and left. I was still in a daze from watching magical girl shows for hours on end.


    Great, just leave why don¡¯t you.


    Iroas, he does everything for himself.


    Clive, he does everything for magical girls.


    Ash, what does she do? Who is this for?


    So I can marry this guy? Do I want to get married so bad? I sighed.


    Ahgo, I proposed to him on reflex. I sounded so desperate back then.


    Has anything changed? I thought of the canvas waiting at home.


    Can¡¯t I just give up on it? Who wants paintings anymore! It¡¯s dumb. I¡¯m not talented, I don¡¯t put in enough work, the whole reason I¡¯m even here is to make this guy¡¯s weird cartoon fetish come to life!


    I felt a burning inside. What was wrong? There¡¯s nothing wrong with a little passion, Clive doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s mentally sick beyond the shame and mad science thing. That¡¯s only two problems. Compared to the rest of them¡­


    I¡¯m settling. I¡¯m not looking at my feelings. I don¡¯t want to see them, why?


    It hurts. I felt a burning inside. I smashed the coffee table in half with my fist.


    ¡°Woah... uh... should I leave a note?¡±


    I just half heartedly reacted like that without thinking. Clive¡¯s a bit of a doormat isn¡¯t he, he won¡¯t care. As long as I deliver his magical girl he seems like he¡¯d be fine with anything.


    Even spending the rest of his life with me. I wouldn¡¯t have to work. Clive¡¯s a safe type, there¡¯s no doubt. I felt a burning inside. Let it go. I thought of the canvas waiting at home.


    ¡°What? Just because I marry him, will that solve everything, Mom?¡±


    I started to cry. Paintings are dumb. My dreams are dumb. It¡¯s not like I have to choose between this guy and paintings either, so why am I feeling this way?


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want him. I¡¯m settling. I¡¯m holding onto him because he feels safe. Painting is hard, it¡¯s scary, and I don¡¯t think anyone will ever care about anything I do. This has nothing to do with him. It¡¯s all me. I just wanted an excuse out of this feeling, this frustration.¡±


    I said it out loud to myself. Don¡¯t know where that came from. I looked at the screen. Some magical girl was talking about how she would never give up. Why can¡¯t I be like that?


    I grinned. Who¡¯s the villain now? Who¡¯s the hero now?


    Clive, I¡¯ll take you up on your offer to change what I want at anytime. I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ve got a thing for me but that will have to die. I¡¯ll take the money though.


    This is my first paying submission after all!


    ¡°World Online, Enter!¡±


    Haha, I didn¡¯t need to say it like that! Who¡¯s watching!


    Entering World Online...


    I¡¯m getting a lot of money for this! I¡¯ll give it everything I¡¯ve got.


    I¡¯m still in that field where I summoned Ahgo. I should talk to him sometime.


    Not today though, I¡¯m working.


    I felt the rush of emotions flow through me. Sorry, little girl, you won¡¯t be like Ahgo.


    I want to see how far I can go without cheating with that stabilizer this time.


    Who are you, magical girl? Tell me your story!


    I felt the strokes adding up. A thousand, a thousand more. I pushed my consciousness to the limits and just brought more and more feelings into it. You¡¯re a big one!


    ¡°Kaub, Magical Girl, Show yourself! ¡®Monster Summon¡¯!¡±


    I felt like I was going to pass out again. The world was blurring. Everything was shaking.


    A huge mass of particles began gathering in front of me. Amazing!


    They exploded and a small girl clothed in rags popped out of the light in mid-air. She fell into the ground headfirst.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    She cried out. A level one. Shouldn¡¯t you be 18 at least! I¡¯m disappointed. Class, well I can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t expect that one. Didn¡¯t I break the rules too much? No laughing game master this time either.


    I walked over a bit unsteady. I should just log out and go to sleep, I thought.


    No, I have to see her, I can¡¯t leave her alone.


    I looked down at the magical girl. She was sleeping. She looked uncomfortable. I pulled a cloak out from my pack and covered her. The red will match with her light orange hair.


    I felt like I wanted to brush her hair out of her eyes. It¡¯s just a monster, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°I¡¯m tired too. I promise, I¡¯ll come check on you later, okay? Stay tough until then.¡±


    I logged out, leaving the girl with only a cloak.

 17-kaub barrette first clip of four

    I groaned, a red cloak fell off of me as I got up by instinct. Grassy plains surrounded me, last thing I saw was that girl. Someone bullied me again.


    I picked up the cloak and tore holes through the sides to get my arms through it. It felt a lot better than the rags I was wearing. Rich lady as usual. Why¡¯d she leave a cloak here? She probably knew I¡¯d take it. Don¡¯t pity me, let me steal it next time.


    I walked off under the clouds. There¡¯s a city I¡¯ve never seen. If I want food, it¡¯s there. I¡¯m not hungry though, that¡¯s new.


    The city was the towering type, like the one I lived in, like the one I hated.


    There were people there, like the one girl that just randomly decided she could mess with me.


    I¡¯ll stay to the plains. Maybe I can eat something here. That lady might come back though, I better move.


    Usually, I didn¡¯t make off with a new cloak when people got mean. She gave me the idea pulling me out here, ¡®why not just avoid people then¡¯?


    I felt a burning inside. Blowing that city away would be cruel. I¡¯m sure they deserve it, they all deserve a bad day.


    I came to a stream and a forest after sneaking around some passing travelers. They didn¡¯t look like normal. Each one was a warrior at the least, looked rich, but I was tired and my head hurt. Didn¡¯t want to mess with them, I might lose again.


    I thought back. Everyone in the city was so strong. I had my days where my transformation would win through, but that wasn¡¯t a sure thing. There were sometimes I thought I wasn¡¯t going to make it.


    I shivered by the stream. It¡¯s that feeling again. The one like my blood is on fire, my head feels like it''s about to dart off. I was shaking again.


    ¡°No one¡¯s here, there¡¯s nothing wrong, nothing''s wrong right now, nothings wrong¡­¡±


    I felt like crying again. I hated this feeling the most. I¡¯d think about all the things that could happen, did happen, and the future that''s coming. Will I starve out here? That lady was just having fun, like the rest I don¡¯t blame her. I¡¯m sure she has a family. Not like me.


    I want to crush her. I felt a burning inside.


    If I do that though, then what¡¯s left for me? I remember seeing other kids taken off to jail and orphanages. They were never the same. I¡¯m not going to end up like them!


    As I washed my head and orange hair that I hated in the stream I concentrated on that cool feeling. I spent so many nights near the water in the sewers. It calmed me down.


    The best night of my life, freezing in the rain as it pounded down from the sky and no one was around. The city was mine alone that night. The cold enveloping my body.


    As I ran off into the forest I felt the feeling coming back so I ran harder.


    It was the best decision coming here. I had been in the forest for a few days. The monsters were much better company that any humans I ever met.


    I think that lady cursed me. Maybe this cloak I¡¯m wearing with my arms stabbing out of it is cursed. I¡¯m not hungry even when I don¡¯t eat, I don¡¯t feel tired in the same way. I can relax and sleep, but I don¡¯t feel the need to sleep.


    I spent a whole night just absorbed looking at the stars. Night was never this pretty in the city.


    I¡¯m the happiest in my whole life right now. It feels like that rainy night again.


    When I got mad again I took it out on the monsters and made myself some clothes and threw out the rags. Nice materials. When I was working in the sweatshop they never had anything like this.


    When I got sad, I just sat still and looked up. I wanted someone to talk to, so I talked to the trees. There were squirrels but they looked fidgety, I didn¡¯t trust them. I knew how stupid that sounded in my head but I couldn¡¯t get past it.


    I found a cave. There were a lot of monsters in there but I took them out with my transformation no problem. Either I¡¯m strong or they are weak. Compared to the fights I had in the city that were life and death, the hopeless nights without food running furtively from dumpster to dumpster, and getting kicked out of the library for smelling too bad this was the best. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    It my camp of animal furs in the cave I was crafting and painting the walls. I barely had time to do it in the city and often got punished for it, but here I could paint all I wanted with my magic. My full transformation could paint the world. I drew pictures of the monsters, of the people I hated in the city, of streams and rain.


    One night, I heard a voice.


    Cmd¡­Kaub Designation [Player] added...


    Notification...Kaub has joined the raid group.


    Notification...Kaub has left the raid group.


    I laughed. I haven¡¯t heard myself laugh in a long time. When did I last laugh?


    I must be going insane. Maybe it¡¯s a dream. I went to sleep, maybe I¡¯m tired.


    I went fishing that day after I woke up.


    ¡°Hey, Kaub?¡±


    I freaked out and shot into the water. Ambush!


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡±


    I peeked out of the river at her. A girl with a long thick coat. Expensive. Cat ears? Must be a magical experiment gone wrong, or right, I don¡¯t know. Time to flee.


    ¡°How do you know my name? Leave me alone.¡±


    I was muttering angrily from the water.


    ¡°I¡¯m Nyaa-chan. I asked for your creation, magical girl.¡±


    She was smiling. Creepy, something about this girl I don¡¯t like. I started to swim with the current away from her.


    ¡°Hey! Wait! I created you! I gave the idea to the person who created you! Get back here!¡±


    She¡¯s insane. Will I have to fight her? She doesn¡¯t look strong, but that¡¯s never been a good way of telling who¡¯s strong in the past. I put my head under. Things were going so well.


    I felt my body lurch out of the water by it¡¯s own volition into the catgirl¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hey. Let¡¯s get to know each other okay? I won¡¯t hurt you. Here, food?¡±


    She was offering me a box while holding me by my clothes with one hand. I punched her in the face.


    A squeak toy like sound echoed out as she dove into a tree.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to, I¡¯m more than fine alone! You keep this up and I¡¯ll get violent!¡±


    She came to attention rubbing her face.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t violent? Magical girls don¡¯t punch people in the face¡­intentionally...often¡­lately...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why but that phrase makes me sick. I¡¯m leaving, don¡¯t follow me,¡± I warned.


    ¡°Kaub! Don¡¯t you want to know about how you were born!¡±


    ¡°Born? Who cares.¡±


    No, all I remember back then was being on the streets. I don¡¯t know how I survived infancy at all, and I don¡¯t care. Whoever raised me, they left me alone. I felt a burning inside. This is all your fault catgirl!


    I felt a hand on my shoulder and shrugged it off. I had to use a lot of force. There was a bad feeling building in me. It¡¯s one of those isn¡¯t it, it¡¯s another fight. I turned and unleashed my transformation.


    ¡°Canv.as! I warned you catgirl!¡±


    It was second nature to me from birth. I felt the raiment of the jacket float onto me and the beret settle on my head, as the giant paintbrush like a lance entered my hand and my palette formed up as shield and wrapped to my other arm.


    ¡°Woah, so like her to make a painter magical girl! M-My turn!¡±


    Oh no, don¡¯t tell me. Another one? I thought I was special.


    That¡¯s another crime!


    I set up the black paint, shrinking my paintbrush to dab on the shield and then growing it to full size. Black, to make a black hole in space. It¡¯s simple.


    The catgirl¡¯s raiment was different from mine, it looked like a hat, cigar, and gun with big circle ammo barrel. Good thing I don¡¯t have a problem with guns. I swirled my paintbrush in a circle in the air in front of me, and dashed into the floating paint. Black covered my body, staining my clothing, palette, hair, and beret black.


    Her face was red, and he was yelling some silly name while she attacked. A huge burst of rounds, each one letting off amazing force. She was just a power type, can¡¯t win against me without any utility.


    I watched as a white light with no force thanks to the black paint on my raiment slipped around me. As the light faded I got a view of the surroundings. Entirely gone. I looked to the mountain that wasn¡¯t there. I had a cave there! Those paintings, I was really proud of them!


    Time to bully someone else for a change. I¡¯m not happy about this, I¡¯m not.


    I switched to red paint for speed and took off into the puddle I drew in the air.


    The catgirl was scratching her head. You just leveled a whole forest, what did you expect?


    I shot into her face and slapped her with my brush. Painted red, she would hurt. Art imitates life.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m no villain. I just came by to check on you. Make friends. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to lose it like that, I¡¯ve been under a lot of stress lately. Seriously, stop it.¡±


    Her face was screwed up.


    ¡°I just want to help you.¡±


    She said.


    I just looked at her. I didn¡¯t feel any malice at all. I genuinely felt a sense of peace. There was wasteland all around me, my home was gone. A home I had for a few days that I didn¡¯t have before. You need to leave.


    ¡°You need to leave.¡±


    ¡°But I-¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    I pointed my brush at him as I switched the paint to black with a flick. I¡¯m not joking. I hesitated to use it before, but right now I felt like this person in front of me was just another monster.


    ¡°I was in a cave over there alone. I was enjoying myself. You come along and blab about something worthless then blow everything away. What¡¯s wrong with you? Go home, or I¡¯ll send you who knows where. This black paint makes a black hole in space, far as I can tell. Nothing that goes in comes out. I¡¯ve never tried it on a human before. You want to be the first?¡±


    I felt a burning inside. You shouldn¡¯t be here, you¡¯re not going to be here if you don¡¯t move it.


    ¡°This¡­ this is a failure. Magical girls aren¡¯t supposed to be like this. Angry for themselves, not polite at all, talking roughly, you¡¯re not simple either, you won¡¯t hear me out. There are a hundred things wrong with you. Beaten by a level 1 made by that silly girl, I sacrificed a lot for you. For what?¡±


    She dropped the gun.


    ¡°A hundred wrong with you, but there¡¯s a thousand wrong with me. I¡¯m lost on how to fix that. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    What a dumb look on your face.


    What a bunch of nonsense.


    I watched her go. She left the gun.


    I drew black under it and watched it fall into the abyss created.

 18-kaub barrette second clip of four

    Wandering, looking for something interesting, I climbed up another mountain. Blow away my cave will you, catgirl. What kind of dumb name is Nyaa-chan anyways. I was burning a little less for some reason. Watching her face breakdown like that, there was something strange.


    I don¡¯t remember doing anything to disappoint her, but that was the face the old men under the bridge had. There was mopey look about them, a twinkle in their eye like they were about to cry.


    Being about to kill or void a person for the first time, I felt a lot stronger. For some reason, I thought that he deserved it. I looked out from the mountain, over my old home that was now desert-like expanding into the already flat grassy plains. It¡¯s okay, I remembered every painting. I¡¯ll just draw them again, better this time, no matter how many times that dumb catgirl shows up.


    The wind grew flecked with snowflakes and I grew tired somehow. I could use the green paint to up stamina and regeneration but I couldn¡¯t pull the will together needed to transform. The burning wasn¡¯t there anymore. In my mind, I remembered that white light that covered everything. I felt there was something like that in my mind now, like water washed all the dirt out of my ears.


    Slightly pleasant, slightly alarming. I was suspicious if that magic did something weird to me, and I was worried about how easily I caved to bloodlust.


    Isn¡¯t it fine? He was a jerk. People did a lot worse to me before I got mad before. I shivered. Ah, there it is, I missed you, not. With the fire burning a little more inside I struggled up the mountain. It was cold up here, with snow at the peak. How far had I gone?


    Too long, it seemed. Maybe somewhere the days blurred together and one mountain became another. There were rams prancing about but I didn¡¯t feel like killing again. If I was hungry, definitely, but just for useless food after threatening to kill that catgirl made me sick.


    No one deserves that, at least I don¡¯t want to be the one to do it. I shivered.


    It¡¯s cold.


    I felt warmth as I woke up. I must have lost consciousness at one point. The fire from without was matching the fire within, it felt comfortable.


    There was a massive hairy monster in the shape of a man roasting a ram, a large red cape far darker than mine. He was like a lump of green fur. Looks like a christmas tree. We were in a small cave, barely enough room for me and him. It was like he was one with the snow that drifted in with the wind as he looked with three dark eyes at the fire in front of him.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°H-hello,¡± I tried to speak to him. He was too close.


    He stayed silent. It was like he was a statue, or asleep. I didn¡¯t feel like I mattered at all, and that hurt!


    ¡°Ahgo,¡± he said.


    ¡°What? Ahgo, what?¡±


    ¡°My name is Ahgo.¡±


    ¡°What kind of name...did you start this fire to keep me warm?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t die without warmth. This is not that kind of world. However, the fire still burns.¡±


    His voice was deep and majestic, like a king.


    Should I run? Why bother? It didn¡¯t seem like he would move no matter what I did, I got that feeling looking at him roast the ram.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t die without food, either, I think. That hasn¡¯t happened to me. The whole world¡¯s like this?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t die. But I can eat. I can¡¯t die. But I can fight. I can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    His tone didn¡¯t change at all.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do anything but die then?¡±


    It¡¯s a fair question. I¡¯m playing around.


    ¡°Yes. Would you call that a heaven or hell?¡±


    He¡¯s rather serious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. If I knew I couldn¡¯t grow hungry or die before I came here, that would have been nice.¡±


    To be free of all that burning inside, that would be nice. Would someone like that be like Ahgo?


    ¡°You envy me?¡±


    ¡°You... don¡¯t look afraid. You don¡¯t look angry. It doesn¡¯t look like it matters to you that you¡¯re alone. Appearances alone aren¡¯t enough to say something like that, but to me it looks like you''re immortal for another reason besides being in this world.¡±


    I was talking weird things. The mood¡¯s right, I don¡¯t know why I said that.


    ¡°I would trade it to fix a failure of mine in an instant,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Whatever happened, I¡¯d fix that failure if I could, if I could be like you.¡±


    How embarrassing.


    ¡°Do you have some magic that can cross dimensions and shift time, little girl?¡±


    ¡°No, unless you want to go into a void¡­does that count as a dimension¡­¡±


    ¡°You are hopeless then, as am I. What will you do from here on?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I just met you, aren¡¯t you going to ask my name?¡±


    ¡°I know more about you than you do. It pains me to tell you the truth. I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t ask.¡±


    ¡°That catgirl said some weird stuff like that too. I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m going to find a home, and I¡¯m staying there. I don¡¯t care what kind of crazy world I came to, or who sent you to come get me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t feel angry as I said that. It¡¯s just the truth.


    ¡°Suits me just fine. Would you like to hear a tale, of a fallen kingdom, a troll hero-king who failed his duty?¡±


    I softened a bit. It couldn¡¯t hurt right?


    ¡°Just for a little, then I¡¯m going.¡±


    I listened long into the night as snow blew around outside the cave.


    I fell asleep again.


    There was a bell with a rope like a necklace and a fire put out in front of me when I woke up. I looked around in a panic, hoping to find Ahgo. I wandered out of the cave, and saw him standing on the edge of a cliff on the mountain looking out over the wasteland and plains. His crimson cloak blowing in the wind.


    I just stood there and felt the wind whip through my cloak and furs.


    He looked back slowly, as if he knew I was there.


    ¡°Come.¡±


    He said.

 19-kaub barrette third clip of four

    ¡°Ahgo, where are we going? I don¡¯t want to go to the city¡­¡±


    ¡°I explained everything. Your creator, she wants to apologize.¡±


    That had to be a lie. There¡¯s just no way. After hearing the whole story my brain kept doing loops. I felt like I was permanently stunned and it was blocking out my mind, like that mental fuzz I had after beating that catgirl.


    ¡°Nyaa-chan was crying and saying he was an idiot. He¡¯s a fool at his core. What crime can he commit?¡±, Ahgo said.


    ¡°I keep forgetting she¡¯s a he. This world is so confusing. You don¡¯t seem fazed by it at all, it¡¯s amazing. I¡¯m glad I couldn¡¯t have killed him for real though, back then. I don¡¯t want to see him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will protect you from his foolishness. I can do that much. I am no knight, but I feel a kinship with you.¡±


    I looked up at the towering Hero-King as I followed behind him. I smiled.


    ¡°Thanks, Ahgo!¡±


    We got to the city. It¡¯s a strange place, extremely clean and no blood or homeless anywhere. It was like the whole city was a painting. That makes sense though, from the nonsense Ahgo told me about the truth of my existence and this world. I tried to muster up some resources in my mind to sort out what that meant and that thing about that girl but everything felt hazy.


    Just following Ahgo around was fun. He trashed a building or two because some groups attacked him, he told me to stay back.


    It was the first time I thought I wanted to fight to help someone. There was that one time, but that didn¡¯t end well. Betrayal, I can¡¯t imagine Ahgo doing anything like that. He¡¯s still tore up over his kingdom and that clearly wasn¡¯t his fault.


    He¡¯s just holding onto it, but it doesn¡¯t look like it slows him down at all. Like a mountain drifting above the clouds.


    We¡¯re technically siblings I guess. The girl¡¯s magic and this world¡¯s technology managed to create us out of her mind, not sure how that works. I¡¯m real, I think.


    It¡¯s like a painting. The painting is real, but the object represented by it isn¡¯t on the canvas. I¡¯m at least a painting come to life, who paints. I laughed.


    That¡¯s good enough, I think my brains frying. I felt a little burning inside. It wasn¡¯t gone.


    We came to the front of a mansion.


    ¡°Guild Havesiosi. I¡¯ve moved in out of boredom. The girl, she¡¯s involved with the guild master here. He¡¯s a dependable type, but watch yourself around him. I have no doubt he hides his true motives well,¡± said Ahgo.


    Sounds scary. It¡¯s a really nice place though. Am I rich now? Wait, does it matter if I don¡¯t need food and am a semi-immortal being? I¡¯m confused. No dying, no starving, I get tired though. That doesn¡¯t make sense given what he said about what I am.


    ¡°Ahgo, why do I get tired?¡±


    ¡°I talked with an ambitious man named Myalor, stay away from him, he¡¯s dangerous. He explained after examining me that my mind still believes it needs sleep. I imagine you are similar. From testing the limits of this body, I got tired only when I thought I was getting tired and slept only when I was mentally exhausted. It is quite dangerous to overestimate your mental capability to continue, keep that in mind and be aware of your state of mind.¡±


    That must be why I was so tired after fighting Nyaa-chan. I was already worried about the maybe murder, the stress must have gotten to me. Myalor?


    ¡°Why is Myalor dangerous? Don¡¯t we not die, even if we die?¡±


    ¡°In a far worse sense. I do not want to burden you with it, the truth there is quite upsetting to me. I¡¯ll do what I can, try not to think of it.¡±


    That was the first time I heard doubt from Ahgo. I didn¡¯t like the sound of that. I shivered. It¡¯s getting worse again.


    He noticed even though he was ahead and looking forward, he stopped. What kind of magic is that? Ahgo turned and crouched in front of me.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I have already failed my kingdom. To promise you I could defy yet another being on par with Granadyr or yet higher would be irresponsible. But there is something you can do that I won¡¯t and can¡¯t.¡±


    Something he won¡¯t do? Something he can¡¯t do?


    ¡°Nyaa-chan¡¯s foolishness lies in his belief in beings of your appearance. He has confused a number of feelings, I do not know exactly which, and has placed an enormous amount of hope onto your creation. It was his idea that you were to be made by the girl. He has immense skill with the technology of the real world. I failed to understand his viewpoint. At this point, he has lost hope in his ideal and is a broken man as I am. However, if you are able to inspire his hope in whatever he saw in you, I think you might be able to gain a powerful ally. It will be painful for you, as it will be painful for him. That may be the only countermeasure we can secure against Myalor.¡±


    Ally with Nyaa-chan the crossdresser? There was something I couldn¡¯t let go that he said.


    ¡°¡®Broken man as I am¡¯? You¡¯re not broken, Ahgo.¡±


    ¡°My nation is broken. That will always be.¡±


    He stood up.


    ¡°Your kingdom wasn¡¯t even real¡­¡±, I muttered. I regret saying that.


    ¡°This world was created by the minds of many. How different is that from my kingdom? How does that excuse my failure, my past, my memories? Do you think I should delete them?¡±


    He said with an even tone as he walked away.


    ¡°It is possible. Myalor has told me. In their world, they consider it medical treatment. Because it is mine alone and no one else believes it, isn¡¯t it even more important that I alone remember it? Even if it is painful. Besides, this whole reality shift might happen again, if it¡¯s happened this once. Maybe my kingdom is the real world, and the humans real world is the lie!¡±, he laughed.


    He walked a little more, then turned to look at me over his shoulder.


    ¡°Kaub, you are stronger than me now against our greatest foe. Its pains me greatly that there was yet another I could not protect. I didn¡¯t want to tell you, to burden you.¡±


    I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but Myalor sounded nasty. If even Ahgo¡¯s upset about it, what kind of power does he have?


    So I need to make friends with that guy. I¡¯d rather just punch him again. I don¡¯t know why. He makes me very angry, like he¡¯s denying my existence and he¡¯s creepy to boot. Well, I did resolve myself to murder him at one point, isn¡¯t it even now? I calmed down a little.


    We walked through the gardens with a fountain and into the vast mansion. It was deep and cavernous, with high ceiling branching off into rooms and corridors. There was a tall smiling fellow that I immediately distrusted on sight.


    ¡°Iroas, will you let this girl pass without meeting you? She is quite tired and has yet to meet with the girl.¡±


    ¡°Ahgo, why don¡¯t you just call her Shera? I won¡¯t bother you, I was just curious. Take care, Kaub.¡±


    He makes me sick, the way he said that. If it¡¯s living in his place, even if it¡¯s a mansion, I prefer the forest. What about Ahgo then? Ah, forget it.


    We made our way up the stairs. I was thinking about what Ahgo said in front of the guild. There¡¯s only one way to end this, for both of the people I have to meet today. The burning won¡¯t stop, but I¡¯ll crush both of them. It¡¯s only conversation after all, I hope. I¡¯ll find a way to convince them. Ahgo needs me to succeed.


    A random girl in skimpy clothes peeked out from behind a corner.


    Ahgo immediately summoned a blue blade and threw it with immense force at her head.


    So cool. She probably deserved it for some reason, but I needed to confirm.


    ¡°Ah-¡±


    ¡°There are rats in this place. They are very large. That one is ferocious. I suggest you keep your distance from it as well,¡± he groaned.


    ¡°What kind of magic was that?¡±, I said with excitement. I¡¯m sure that girl deserved it.


    ¡°A blade of ice. Did I not tell you that a few nights ago?¡±


    ¡°I think I missed that part.¡±


    ¡°You remember Granadyr?¡±


    ¡°You said that name earlier, I thought it was strange, am I supposed to know who that is?¡±


    He just laughed.


    ¡°Hey! Tell me about Granadyr!¡±, I cried


    ¡°Later. How amusing. The girl¡¯s room is up ahead, she¡¯s waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°I want to meet Nyaa-chan, is he here?¡±, I asked.


    I¡¯m not going to let Ahgo down.


    He looked at me.


    ¡°You seem resolved. Good. He is purposely staying away from that girl, he believes you have a low opinion of him. How about meeting the girl first?¡±


    ¡°No. She¡¯s dumb. I¡¯d rather not meet her if I don¡¯t have to, but when I heard you talk about her and him I decided I want to get both of them done with in one shot,¡± I said angrily. Both of them need to leave me alone.


    ¡°My impression of her may not be accurate, keep that in mind. I¡¯ll inform the girl you will be late. Wait here.¡±


    I waited outside the door as he went in, there was some woman talking. It was over quick.


    He left and started guiding me farther into the building.


    ¡°I may have created a misunderstanding. I never was good at negotiation.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like dealing with the girl. So I told her you were upset over your fight with Nyaa-chan and wanted to see him first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I was upset by it anyways.¡±


    ¡°Ohh? What upset you?¡±, he asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to kill him. I never killed anyone before.¡±


    ¡°Understandable. Many green trolls under my command were nervous for their first battle when we had that war with the dwarves. This world uses combat for entertainment though. I suppose you were unaware of that then.¡±


    ¡°I still want to kill him,¡± I said. That surprised me, I didn¡¯t know I had so much hatred in my voice.


    ¡°You are permitted.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a few hundred or thousand deaths if he¡¯ll still live?¡±


    ¡°He¡­might get mad though. Just because it¡¯s not permanent, I¡¯m still hurting someone.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he ready to kill you as well, from what you said during our journey?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...thank you, Ahgo.¡±


    It¡¯s a dumb thing to worry about, now. Back home, people dying was horrible. Guess that changes? Normally, that wouldn¡¯t change. Maybe it¡¯s not death you need to be afraid of in this world. I shivered. Myalor, just what can he do? It¡¯s even more important that I finish this right away then!


    He gestured to the door. We had arrived a little before our conversation ended.


    ¡°Do you want me to join you? I¡¯ll kill him as many times as you like,¡± said Ahgo.


    ¡°No, no meaning if I don¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Good luck, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

 20-kaub barrette fourth clip

    ¡°Canv.as!¡±, I shouted.


    Going into battle is best like this. I swept up the black paint from my palette and charged into the room. I think I saw Ahgo smiling.


    ¡°Kaub? What-¡±


    Nyaa-chan got out that little before I slathered him in black paint and watched him disappear.


    ¡°Uh, wait, that goes to the void. Will he be fine?¡±


    I started to paint on the walls. Had to pass the time somehow. I don¡¯t want to talk to Ahgo until I¡¯m done. His ghost would either get here or not. If he didn¡¯t, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine in the real world. I hope?


    After a few minutes he formed out of thin air, a girl with cat ears.


    I slapped the black paint on him before he could say anything.


    This kept repeating. He tried to defend himself once or twice and squeak out some words but I had painted myself red so I had the speed advantage.


    I was feeling better each time, watching his face resign himself to it happening again.


    I¡¯m starting to feel like a bully, I¡¯ll stop.


    I kept painting this time he appeared, not saying anything.


    ¡°Guess you got bored. What was that for? I said I was sorry. I was a little too excited. I went overboard. I¡¯m sorry,¡± he stumbled out. You and your dumb name and dumb face. I only got to punch you once.


    ¡°You¡¯re creepy,¡± I said as I kept painting.


    ¡°O-okay. I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, sounding embarrassed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else to say? You blew away my cave you know. I had a lot of paintings in that cave. They were nice. You weren¡¯t. I like my paintings much more than you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the magical girl I wanted either!¡±


    Finally, you show your true face. I bet you¡¯re ugly in your world!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. Isn¡¯t it that girl¡¯s fault? Magical girls, Ahgo said you really liked them. What¡¯s so great about magical girls?¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t like you, that¡¯s for sure! In the anime, they¡¯re always right! Everything turns out okay! And.. everythings simple, it just works. I just like them okay. There¡¯s nothing wrong with it.¡±


    ¡°So you wanted a magical girl of your own?¡±


    I drew a girl.


    ¡°This anime, what¡¯s that?¡±, I asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know that¡­ it¡¯s just drawings. Lots of drawings. There are very little changes in between each drawing. When you show each drawing one after another with a machine, it looks like the drawings are moving. And it''s from japan. It¡¯s cool. I like it.¡±


    ¡°Japan? Sounds like a country. Far away from here. This place is my whole world.¡±


    I drew a world.


    ¡°I have a history, did you hear about that? I have a world too. I did. It doesn¡¯t exist anymore, it¡¯s only in my memories which aren¡¯t real to you either. What makes me different from a drawing?¡±


    ¡°Japan¡¯s a country. I don¡¯t understand where you¡¯re going with this. Let¡¯s just not talk again, how about that? I made a mistake. I wanted something real, something that was really great and real. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it your fault?¡±


    I drew a fault line. I read in the library about earthquakes, even experienced a few.


    ¡°I¡¯m real enough to me. Ahgo¡¯s real. Ahgo¡¯s much better than you too. He¡¯s not real either, to someone real like you?¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Why does that matter? You¡¯re just programs. Just thoughts, that came out of Ash¡¯s mind. I was ready to do anything just to see you come to fruition. I was expecting too much. There¡¯s no way anything in reality could be that great... nothing can beat magical girls.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said they were drawings?¡±


    I drew.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t real either. I know what¡¯s real to me. What¡¯s real to you?¡±


    There was silence. I was hoping it worked. My talk with Ahgo earlier was the only thing I could think of using. As I painted on the walls, I tried to get him to see that whatever his dumb fantasy was, it¡¯s not real.


    That was my conclusion talking to Ahgo, the reason I decided to face this monster.


    I live in a real world, even though I¡¯m not real.


    I may be a creation of the mind, but that¡¯s something real.


    Feelings, like the ones I have, have been burning through my body all my life, the one I remembered and the one I lived.


    Don¡¯t tell me Ahgo¡¯s wrong about his kingdom!


    I faced him and threw down my brush and palette. I took off the beret on my head, part of my raiment. I placed it on my chest. Time to tell the truth.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I exist. I had fun in that cave. I¡¯ve had magic all my life, and I¡¯m a girl. I don¡¯t know what you like about magical girls, but I don¡¯t want Ahgo to suffer. I remember you saying you sacrificed a lot for me, I want to do the same for him. I may not be the world you wanted, but I¡¯m the one you got. Don¡¯t leave me alone.¡±


    I started crying. I don¡¯t know why. I¡¯m saying that a lot lately, since I was real, real enough I guess. Who¡¯s to say I can¡¯t feel like this? Who¡¯s to say I can¡¯t show this? Even to this scum!


    I don¡¯t know why I hate him so much. When I think of him, it¡¯s like I don¡¯t matter. Who was I supposed to be?


    ¡°Who was I supposed to be?¡±, I asked.


    He was looking sad. At the verge of tears, and angry. I could tell. There was something deeply wrong with him. A thousand thing you said? How about ten thousand. How about a million.


    It doesn¡¯t matter how many if you¡¯re not going to love me.


    He laughed a little through the tears.


    ¡°I wanted... you to work,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. That¡¯s not a who.¡±


    ¡°You, you needed to fix this. I wanted you to be the one to get this right. I made so many mistakes, I was so angry at myself, I just wanted everything to be okay. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt anyone. This isn¡¯t what I wanted. I just wanted... me fixed.¡±


    He sat down on a couch, covering his head.


    I don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s so wrong with you anyways? You crossdress, that¡¯s a little weird. You did a little property damage. You make me angry but that¡¯s not your fault, mostly. You¡¯re just being dumb. What kind of world do you live in? Just what kind of place would be bad enough to make you like this?


    Is he like me, where he grew up alone on the streets? If he was some magical girl, did he think he¡¯d be loved or something? I lived that. That didn¡¯t work. Try something else.


    I steeled up. Ahgo, I¡¯ll imitate you.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up. Myalor sounds like a bad guy. He¡¯s got something he¡¯s holding over Ahgo, and I don¡¯t like it. Whatever this life is worth, whatever I¡¯m here for, if this is real or not, I need your help to save him. Don¡¯t leave me alone. I can¡¯t beat him alone.¡±


    One down, I thought, as I went to the door leaving the crying man behind me. I threw the beret to the floor.


    Come on, girl, you¡¯re next! Show me what you¡¯ve got!


    Ahgo was waiting outside unchanged.


    ¡°A bit rough. I never get emotional like that. It¡¯s always women crying. ¡®Please stay with me¡¯, they would say,¡± Ahgo said.


    ¡°You¡¯d better stay with me!¡±, I snapped at him.


    He laughed and patted me on the head.


    ¡°They always say that. Good job, Kaub.¡±


    I wiped the tears as they started again. Crying for some dumb homeless man like Nyaa-chan probably was so stupid I couldn¡¯t even think straight. I¡¯ll punch him again later.


    This one should be easy in comparison. I¡¯ve just got to tell her to leave me alone. Unlike Nyaa-chan who I had to ask for help even though I didn¡¯t want to, I¡¯m proud of myself. Watch out Ahgo, I¡¯ll beat you someday!


    I still had my painter¡¯s jacket on over the red cloak with my arms through holes in the sides. I left the brush, palette, and beret behind. I don¡¯t need to draw for this one.


    Ahgo asked if I wanted him to come in, he was being courteous. I said no. She¡¯s mine.


    I walked into the room through the door, and met the girl.


    ¡°Hey Kaub. How¡¯d talking to Nyaa-chan go? Did you guys make up?¡±


    ¡°I made him cry. I want you to leave me alone. Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I just want to talk for a second! Myalor did that player thing to you because of Nyaa-chan¡¯s request, so now I can¡¯t do anything. I was worried about you.¡±


    Worried?


    ¡°Player thing? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°When I summoned Ahgo Myalor gave him player designation. He did the same for you. Otherwise, I could order you about and you wouldn¡¯t be able to do things on your own. It ended up being useless since my creations do that anyways somehow, but Nyaa-chan still wanted that for you. He said it was important.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, sounds dumb. I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°O-ok, just take care of yourself. M-mail me.¡±


    ¡°You want me to mail you?¡±


    I really should just go.


    ¡°It¡¯s a player thing. I don¡¯t know why but Ahgo can¡¯t figure out how to use it, it''s to stay in contact when you¡¯re apart or busy.¡±


    ¡°Why do you care what I do? You left me there in a field, I thought you were just bullying me like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°I gave you that cloak. I was really tired, creating you took a lot out of me. When I woke up your were long gone. It took Nyaa-chan a few days before he gave up looking and asked Myalor to locate you. That¡¯s when he gave you the player thing.¡±


    ¡°Just- okay. Maybe, I¡¯ll talk to you, sometime,¡± I said and stormed off.


    Two for two, Ahgo¡¯s waiting.


    We were walking to my room Ahgo had requested. He had given me some money and explained how to use it, and to try not to go too far from the guild or get involved with players. He said something about how Myalor might be forced to take more serious action if we started showing off. Something about a level ?? troll destroying buildings was causing rumours already so he said I should keep quiet.


    ¡°You forgot this. I thought you would pick it up in the morning after I met you in that cave. When I saw it wasn¡¯t on you I grabbed it but decided it was best to wait to give it to you,¡± said Ahgo.


    He handed me a bell.


    ¡°Ring it, and mine rings too. Try to use it for emergencies and not when you¡¯re lonely, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lonely!¡±, I said.

 21-Rat Race Lap 1/3

    Entering Reality¡­


    I¡¯m just distracting myself all day. That¡¯s my life. Other people online and off have told me lots of things they wanted to do, and I have a few vague ideas myself.


    ¡°I want money, a job that makes a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Being a famous singer would be nice. It seems like they are having fun.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, so long as I don¡¯t have to do something boring or physical¡­ I¡¯m in terrible shape.¡±


    ¡°I grew up with a brain chip, isn¡¯t it too late? I¡¯ll just keep playing games. The government¡¯s supporting me after all, why do I need to work?¡±


    It was a lot of questions swirling in my mind and none of them seemed satisfying. So I found things to do. I¡¯ve got the time, there¡¯s no pressure after all. I have fun playing games like Mental World Online. Some people make money doing that, not as much anymore though. I longed for those days. Some people do lots of art. I call them arties, I think it¡¯s funny. It¡¯s great that they have something they like. That seems nice. When I read or watch them online, they seem really satisfied with life. I¡¯m not.


    I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d end up at Wellness Central. No way was I ever that bad. I had read their site online, and just thought, ¡°That¡¯s not me, I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s just nothing else I want to do.¡± This world can be a bit boring if you ask me. I read about how things were in the past before they had brain chips, before they had universal financial support systems, Wellness Central, mental effectiveness laws.


    It seemed dangerous and exciting, like the streets at night still are. If you had to ask if I wish I was born then, that¡¯s a no. I love living in this time. It¡¯s really easy. You don¡¯t have to work if you don¡¯t want to, but then you¡¯re limited on resources you can get. It¡¯s just that simple really. Wasn¡¯t so much different back then, you had programs like that back as far as 1956 in the United States, as it was called back then. They called it disability back then. It was for people who couldn¡¯t work.


    Now it¡¯s for everyone, especially the people who don¡¯t want to work. That¡¯s great. What¡¯s the problem with not working? Work isn¡¯t for everyone. Historically, mind you, there were plenty of times where there were people who had the option to not work. That was always true in human history. It¡¯s just that applies to everyone now, thanks to the smarties.


    I think I hate them. Smarties are just what I call anyone who¡¯s into some sort of complex design theory or technology or coding or making brain chips or being smart.


    Thank you very much. Without you, I couldn¡¯t lay around.


    I hate you guys. With you, what¡¯s left to accomplish?


    I hate them. Now, I¡¯m surrounded by their type physically with my brain chip disabled. That¡¯s what they do if you¡¯re taken to Wellness Central. Not that I blame them. They were helping. It¡¯s nice of them. I¡¯m just wasting your time though, smarties. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°So, how are you doing today? Your room looks nice.¡±


    What else am I going to do, without a active brain chip?


    This girl is my glorified handler, the type who deals with the smarties upstairs. She is a slim figure, the most boring possible person in the world. She probably enjoys this, this smartie bastard. Helping people, I mean she enjoys helping people. I don¡¯t hate her specifically, but something about her pisses me off.


    ¡°It was okay I guess. It was hard running around. I probably should have got more exercise at home, I know,¡± I lied.


    ¡°Do you feel better?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no reason to keep me here. I¡¯m not trying to be mean, but I think I could have left a long time ago.¡±


    I can see your answer easily. You¡¯re so annoying. I¡¯d take building my Rat Kingdom in Eirnir over this anyday, even if some mysterious explosion wipes out all my stuff on the surface again at least I¡¯ll have something to do.


    ¡°They ran your tests again, you¡¯re doing fine in the activities. We¡¯re just worried about a few factors, that¡¯s all. So, we¡¯ve actually decided to move you along to integration stage. I¡¯m sorry it took so long, I know you¡¯ve been doing well for awhile.¡±


    Well, I didn¡¯t expect that one. Thank you, smarties upstairs, for seeing the light.


    I sighed. I knew this wasn¡¯t the end, but it was the start of the end. After all, this place was better than home. I can say I didn¡¯t like it here, but I also can say I didn¡¯t like home either.


    ¡°Ok. That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll head to the next group then.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem excited.¡±


    Why would I be?


    ¡°I¡¯m not. There¡¯s nothing exciting.¡±


    She just stayed silent and then said a goodbye. She knew me by now, we had that conversation before groups many times about this test, that test, meeting with doctors, it went on and on. I didn¡¯t get their point.


    Aren¡¯t I just the result of what happens when you give people a brain chip? I think I¡¯m average, maybe a little above, but definitely passionless. If you were to ask me, ¡°What do you want to do with your life?¡±, I¡¯d say ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± They had lots of fancy words for this, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange at all. I¡¯m just not like the smarties, not like the arties either.


    At least I¡¯m honest. The other people here are just liars, dumb, insane, inscrutable, or a mix of the above.


    Now, if you read my file, you might bring up a few things. I won¡¯t recite them here, I didn¡¯t like them either. If you had to ask why I¡¯m in Wellness Central, it¡¯s those things that got me here. It¡¯s the only thing I can think of, the rest are so much worse off than me.


    ¡°I cleaned my room today, and took a shower. It was hard focusing, and I didn¡¯t want to do it, but I finally set aside the time and did it on the spur of the moment. I could never do that at home. I was outside for ten minutes today. It¡¯s a new record,¡± said a person in the group.


    There were people like that here. This group was about sharing your progress. We went around, sharing the things we were working on to get through this. You had to be at least able to function this well to be at this stage.


    Back when I passed near the sealed ward, there were people who really should be in here. That was scary. Exciting too, but too exciting. If I wanted experiences like that, I could just go out again at night in the city when things got scary really fast.


    There were dark parts of this bright future. I secretly loved that. I wouldn¡¯t admit it though, to anyone. I wouldn¡¯t saw what I saw then, what the smarties are holding at bay.


    That sealed ward, I love that it¡¯s sealed. Don¡¯t get me wrong. It¡¯s not burning the world I¡¯m after, just a little singe to it.


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn Maimou.¡±


    My name was called by the head smartie, I was spacing out like usual. I gave a cough.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing fine. Just got the news I¡¯m entering integration.¡±


    There was clapping. This is nothing to be excited about, you¡¯re just embarrassing me.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Most people don¡¯t get into integration so quickly. You¡¯ve made great progress over the last month. Anything you want to share with the group?¡±


    ¡°I did what people told me to do.¡±

 22-Rat Race Lap 2/3

    I played a Peacer that stuck to Eirnir in Mental World Online. I was excited to get back to the game, after so long of just reliving the memories of the game in my imagination I couldn¡¯t help but think the real thing would be so much better.


    I walked together with my glorified handler to the doctor¡¯s office in the integration ward. She stopped before the door, making a slightly open mouth and looking down before looking at me to speak.


    ¡°Personally, I¡¯ve seen a lot of your type come through here. I want you to know that although nothing may not be wrong with what you¡¯re doing... that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re doing fine.¡±


    She had a creased face, she looked older. I wish I cared like that. You¡¯re not a horrible person, but don¡¯t expect me to like you just for having positive feelings.


    I felt like there was a sense of destiny. I hadn¡¯t told her the truth about something, I wanted her to know. Just for the record. It¡¯s not because I wanted to tell the truth, I just didn¡¯t want her to misunderstand.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± I said.


    Her eyes grew a little wider for a second there. Shocked, huh? How many said that with a straight face to someone like you? I felt special. I don¡¯t want to admit it, but I felt like I accomplished something there.


    ¡°Take care of yourself, ok, Maimou?¡±


    She then left me at the door. Probably, the smarties wanted the handlers to escort you to the doctor to say goodbye like that. A parting for them to move on to the next idiot, and the idiot to move onto a better world. A world like Mental World Online for me.


    I went inside.


    ¡°Maimou? Okay let¡¯s get the brain chip turned back on. Make sure not to use it too much in the first hour, I¡¯ll give you a stabilizer on the way out in case you experience system shock. Tell someone in the ward to give me a call if you do, this is just a precaution to minimize damage. Got it?¡±


    He said as he set me up in the chair and fiddled with a thousand different things and adjusted this widget and that. How smartie can you be? It¡¯s annoying. I won¡¯t complain about the result though.


    Various beams and sensors were glued to me at various parts of my body. I don¡¯t know how it works, I just like using it, okay? Tried searching that once and my head spun like a top.


    ¡°Okay, now try to access the net.¡±


    He handed me a board so I could visualize it better. Some people just use their hands, I could never do that. It was annoying to have to carry around a small sheet of plastic just for this though.


    I turned on my profile, and looked for the Mental World Online icon, saw it, and grinned


    Entering Augmented Reality...


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I couldn¡¯t wait the hour. I was just glad to be playing again, I thumbed the stabilizer as I walked. I wonder if anyone else played in the ward? Somehow, I don¡¯t want to associate with them. The augmented reality portion of the game was useless to me because if I went outside it was usually dark and no people were around. That was the reason I was outside in the first place, it was dark.


    After I got my key from the guard I headed to my assigned room. The living standard of this place was definitely higher than home. As I checked into my room, with the little designs everywhere and the living space setup was clearly designed by an artie. One room occupancy, guess they didn¡¯t want double bunking as a reward for people who got out of central ward. I¡¯d enjoy the freedom, the common area, the free food, and the lack of groups. At this point, the goal was just to make sure you were fine collecting things by your own then consulting with the integration specialists.


    That wasn¡¯t going to go well. Maybe I¡¯ll think of a way to stay here for awhile?


    I opened my room and saw bigfoot laying on my bed.


    Is bigfoot supposed to be green? He casually looked over at me, his three eyes and weird alien like eyes on stalks stuck out of his head made me jump.


    Oh wait, is this a monster? From the game? I looked carefully and saw he was a bit transparent.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to startle you, I was just exploring this world. That¡¯s right. Monster¡¯s aren¡¯t supposed to talk. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡±


    Said the bigfoot as sweat poured pooling down my face.


    ¡°W-wait.¡±, I squeaked out. This was the most fun I¡¯d had all month. I shut the door, and the bigfoot stepped back to respect my space as I made for him.


    ¡°You can talk? What, did someone program you to say lines or something like that?¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if some crazy artie with smartie skills did something like that. Is the augmented reality part of the game always like this?


    ¡°Ahgo.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Ahgo.¡±


    ¡°Enough of that, what about your unexplainable sentience!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I may get some people in trouble, so I¡¯ll have to leave you in the dark. Goodbye, Earthling.¡±


    He walked through the wall just like that. I ran outside and down the hall for a couple minutes to see if he would show himself. I was too scared to knock on the neighbors door to see if I could get a glimpse of him, besides he might have just left the whole building. I couldn¡¯t go far outside to find him, there was only a closed off park here. As I jogged out to the park I saw the green bigfoot with the giant red cape walking away into the air like there was a trail in the sky.


    Just what the heck is that? He¡¯s like a flying saucer!


    I stood there shielding my eyes from the light as he walked into the sun and beyond. My heart racing as he disappeared over the trees.


    Just what the hell was that?


    As I collapsed onto a nearby bench I just relived the memory over and over trying to process what had gone on. Arties, smarties, the lot of them probably just pulled another fast one on me. Wasn¡¯t this a plot by my handler to freak me out and get me more time here? They¡¯d surely think I was insane. No, most of them probably don¡¯t even know why it was crazy to see a talking monster in augmented reality mode. My time in here may have actually made me insane. Maybe the urge to play the game caused temporary insanity. Maybe it was a hallucination. Yeah, let¡¯s go with that.


    I was shaking as I returned to my room as collapsed on the bed. Not good, a guard asked how I was. He saw my tag too, probably assumed it was system shock and scheduled a doctor¡¯s visit right away.


    I whipped out my board and checked with my brain chip under the Wellness Center application. Yep.


    Few days from now. I sighed and flung the board randomly with the swing of my arm as I spread myself out on the bed. I couldn¡¯t get used to these comfy beds, too much padding too high, too many bigfoots on them.


    I pulled out the stabilizer and injected it just to be sure, and went to sleep. I didn¡¯t feel like doing anything after seeing that.


    Entering World Online¡­


    It was midnight in reality, so it was dark here in Eirnir too. I read that the weather and day and night cycle was set to mimic your location in most online games these days. Probably some mental effectiveness law I didn¡¯t hear about. I was browsing the boards with a board while online in the game, looking for clues about that bigfoot. Some people were talking about a troll raid boss walking around Hygea, I don¡¯t care about that combat part of the game at all. Whats a troll look like anyways? I saw a shot someone took with their mental camera. They mentioned that name he said, ¡°Ahgo¡±, as well.


    Apparently, trolls look like Ahgo does. Sightings were around the guild hall of Havesiosi and Hygea in general. None of the topics centered around him being in augmented reality though. I¡¯d have to go. As a Peacer, they couldn¡¯t kill me. That¡¯s part of why I loved this class, no violence. Especially in a game where people liked violence and could break your stuff on a whim, setting something up and having others defend it was the best part. Strangely, I wasn¡¯t interested in building today. I looked at the place where I built a shop for someone else. The shop owner had it redone by another Peacer, my work was gone.


    It¡¯s better that it¡¯s gone, at least I have something else to do. I went down into the sewers to see if the Rat Kingdom was still there. Good, I knew no one would go down this far.


    ¡°H-hello?¡±


    A random girl with skimpy clothing was there in the sewers. Mynise was her name, Negativer level 60 with the guild¡­


    Havesiosi.


    I¡¯m excited.

 23-Rat Race Lap 3/3

    ¡°So what are you doing here? No one ever comes down to the sewers in Eirnir,¡± said Mynise.


    ¡°Ah, well, I was curious about that explosion awhile back that destroyed the town and¡­ I was searching!¡±


    Said the Boundaryless. Why anyone would pick a subclass that sounded more like an insult than a profession and a negativer as well was a mystery to me. They have good crowd control, at least.


    ¡°Probably just a mad game master. You¡¯re wasting your time.¡±


    ¡°Why are you down here, Demos?¡±


    She used my handle like she knew me. I didn¡¯t mind that, it¡¯s friendly. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t judge her on her subclass choice alone.


    ¡°Checking on my work, I wanted to see if anyone scrapped it and stole the materials.¡±


    It was partly a project, partly to keep materials hoarded so someone couldn¡¯t just rip my building apart to build their own. That happens a lot.


    ¡°It¡¯s really cool. What is it? Some kind of Rat Kingdom?¡±


    She got it instantly. I think we can be friends.


    ¡°Yeah, how¡¯d you know that?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s lots of rat people and rat monster walking around the lower levels¡­¡±


    ¡°You went that far? Why would you be searching down here for that long? No way you¡¯re going to find out anything, especially down here.¡±


    This place was huge after all. That I even met her down here was an absolute serendipity.


    ¡°I-I know! I was just angry, and lost, mostly lost.¡±


    Seems like the hopeless type. Probably will end up in Wellness Central before too long.


    ¡°Actually, I saw your guild on your handle. They say on the boards there¡¯s a troll named Ahgo around your guild hall. The thing is, I saw him in augmented reality too.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that sounds like him. I was wondering about him too, he¡¯s been hanging around lately. He¡¯s a hacker, I think. How else could he be ?? level like a raid boss? It takes a group to summon one of those, and they aren¡¯t supposed to just wander around¡­¡±


    Even in this griefing friendly game they wouldn¡¯t allow raid bosses in or near towns. They designed them to take a whole lot of positivers and negativers at max level to create and even more classes to take them down. Having one just annihilate a city¡­


    ¡°Hey, that explosion that destroyed Eirnir, do you think it was Ahgo?¡±


    ¡°Oh no way that was definitely Ny-¡±


    She shut her mouth, and looked down, her face sagged with her shoulders.


    ¡°Forget I said that or I¡¯ll wreck the Rat Kingdom,¡± Mynise threatened.


    That¡¯s not the mystery I¡¯m after. For some reason, all I could think about since I saw bigfoot the other day was bigfoot. It was exciting.


    After spending so much time bored with the game building a massive rat kingdom under Eirnir, having nothing of worth in my life, I felt like I was alive.


    I just noticed it. I really wanted to find him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll forget it. Tell me everything about Ahgo and I won¡¯t say a word.¡±


    I was at the Havesiosi guild hall soon after that, after leading Mynise out of the Rat Kingdom. She was grateful.


    ¡°The thing is, there¡¯s another hacker that just joined the guild too. Neither of them are in the roster, but they always hang around the guild hall for some reason! Both of them just kill me on sight, and I¡¯m the only one they do it to! Everyone else just avoids them and just wants to change the topic, this new girl joined, and she barely comes by, but she knows something! I¡¯m telling you! She¡¯s probably the queen hacker! She controls them all, she¡¯s using Iroas for his money in real life and in the game I bet!¡±


    Boundaryless was a good subclass choice for her. I don¡¯t know though, for some reason I like hanging out with her. Maybe it¡¯s because I don¡¯t talk, or I¡¯m not as concerned about anything like she is, or I just find her entertaining. I¡¯m probably the only one.


    ¡°Are you listening?¡±, she said.


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds tough. I want to meet Ahgo as soon as I can though, I¡¯m not usually interested in¡­ anything.¡±


    I blame everyone else for having interests and caring about the things they were doing, meanwhile my Rat Kingdom still stood. Didn¡¯t I care about that? It was something. I think I was just trying to distract myself.


    Meeting Mynise and getting the information on Ahgo probably would have been boring to me. If he wasn¡¯t suddenly in my room for no reason and could talk.


    Isn¡¯t it a miracle? How dumb. Miracles are dumb. But, this feeling, this is the feeling I was looking for, right?


    All this time.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°That story you told me, I didn¡¯t know hackers could do that, that¡¯s insane. Why would he even be at Wellness Central?¡±, prattled the local fauna Mynise.


    ¡°Maybe he was interested in mental health?¡±


    I almost laughed there. I¡¯m in a rare mood today.


    We were just wandering the guild randomly together, making small talk. I just naturally assumed he would show up. There were holes in the walls some places, like a fight broke out. Looked like someone stabbed a sword into the wall. I didn¡¯t know guild Havesiosi was so brutal.


    ¡°What¡¯s with these holes? Doesn¡¯t the guild master take care of his guild hall?¡±


    ¡°He wants me to pay for them. I¡¯m farming monsters for it. It''s from Ahgo trying to kill me or chase me off when I get too close and try to talk to him. The black holes are from Kaub, the other hacker. She¡¯s removing those on her own but it¡¯s taking awhile, Iroas scolded her about that he said.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering what those were¡­ that¡¯s really mean, it¡¯s only you? I mean, you¡¯re talkative but you¡¯re not that annoying, why would they do that?¡±


    She looked happy.


    ¡°You¡¯re the nicest person here, even if you said ¡®not that annoying¡¯ I¡¯ll take it as a compliment. No, at least Kaub is killing Nyaa-chan too, I dated him in real life for awhile but he dumped me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. Why would the guild master let hackers hang around and kill his guild members over and over again, are you sure they joined the guild or is that Iroas guy just letting them run amok?¡±


    ¡°No, Iroas said they are a part of the guild. He won¡¯t tell me anything more though, just redirected the conversation. He¡¯s really good at that.¡±


    There¡¯s something admirable about that to me. Iroas might unexpectedly be someone fun.


    We ran across a little girl painting on a canvas near a window. The sunset painted her red.


    Kaub, class Magical Girl? Isn¡¯t that a subclass? No subclass on her either. Of course she must be hacking. She was painting in a painters jacket with a palette and brush in hand, making a painting of the sunset. A beret would suit her nicely.


    I stopped and whispered to Mynise.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to talk to her, she can¡¯t kill me because of my class, I hope. Wait here, you don¡¯t want to anger her for no reason.¡±


    I left Mynise who was looking lonely. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just the truth.


    ¡°Hello Kaub. I was wondering if you saw Ahgo anywhere, I¡¯m looking for him.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even move as I approached, just gave me a furtive glance. She kept painting.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you around. What¡¯s your name? And why did you come with Mynise?¡±


    ¡°Demos, can¡¯t you see my handle? I just happened to meet her at my Rat Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I had that handle part explained to me but I still don¡¯t see it. What Rat Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s this place I built. It¡¯s gigantic, spans most of the sewers under Eirnir, filled with a rat king and his army of rat people.¡±


    She smiled while still painting.


    ¡°Sounds cool. I¡¯d like to go sometime. Where¡¯s Eirnir?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a hacker? Anyone playing this game should know how to get to the Peacer starter town.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m living here. I¡¯m not playing a game. It¡¯s kind of hard to explain but, just imagine I¡¯m like a monster.¡±


    She grinned while focusing on her painting. Why do I get the feeling that there¡¯s more to this? There¡¯s definitely more!


    ¡°Are you roleplaying? I¡¯m not going to tell anyone you¡¯re hacking, I just saw Ahgo running around in augmented mode, I didn¡¯t know hackers could do that, or play as monsters.¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re just monsters. I don¡¯t know what a hacker is. This girl summoned us, so now we¡¯re just living here. It¡¯s not hard to understand at all. Isn¡¯t it a normal thing in your world to live in another world, in your minds?¡±


    ¡®Your¡¯ world?


    ¡°So, are you saying that you can move about the real world like we move about in this game world?¡±


    ¡°Not me, Ahgo figured out how to do it though. I¡¯m too scared.¡±


    She was still painting. I¡¯ll change the subject.


    ¡°I see. That sunset¡¯s really nice. It looks like you used a single brush stroke layered on one another to get the full picture looking like that. You could probably sell this for a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m really proud of this one. However, Iroas and Nyaa-chan are rich, that¡¯s good enough right?¡±


    I feel bad for them.


    ¡°Mynise was saying that you were killing her and Nyaa-chan, I can understand Mynise, but why Nyaa-chan?¡±


    ¡°So you understand about Mynise too, huh. About Nyaa-chan, I¡¯d like to know too. I have a good idea already, but it¡¯s easier to just kill him on sight. He¡¯ll be fine anyways, that¡¯s what¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°You were worried about killing him? Like hurting him as if he were a real person?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know about the nature of this strange world when I was summoned. It makes me a little sick thinking about it, that¡¯s why I try to paint as much as I can.¡±


    She looked a bit sad. Why go this far with the act? If she was really trying to fool me, couldn¡¯t she have stopped a long time ago? Maybe this isn¡¯t roleplay. Too many factors, too many strange parts. I¡¯m no smartie, but my instinct is telling me something ridiculous is going on. I¡¯m excited.


    ¡°Kaub, who are you talking to?¡±


    I turned around and got my vision entirely dwarfed in green fur. Bigfoot! I looked up. It¡¯s Ahgo.


    ¡°Hey there Ahgo! Actually, I met you earlier today, in the real world, you were on my bed?¡±


    ¡°He came here with Mynise. I think he¡¯s not a bad person, don¡¯t kill him, yet,¡± said Kaub.


    What, are you planning to shut me up? Even if you kill me I won¡¯t die you know that!


    ¡°Mynise ran when she saw me. I¡¯m starting to feel bad about the murdering. Kaub, how about we leave her alone for a bit? It¡¯s no good to bully someone just because they¡¯re annoying us. Using crowd control should be enough, taking our frustration out on her will make us weaker,¡± said Ahgo.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m still going after Nyaa-chan though. I¡¯ll clean up properly this time,¡± said Kaub.


    Ahgo moved me aside carefully, I think it was carefully.


    ¡°This one¡¯s much better. I would have made you court painter for this in my kingdom,¡± Ahgo complemented her.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±, I said. They seemed rather close. I felt like I was intruding.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore him, Ahgo. I think he really wants to see you. He said something about a Rat Kingdom he made himself,¡± said Kaub.


    ¡°A kingdom? Of Rats? That he built himself?¡±, Ahgo said looking at me with his three eyes, his voice rising in astonishment three times.


    ¡°I, uh, I¡¯m curious about, bigfoot,¡± I said gesturing towards Ahgo, ¡°and, uh, you guys really aren¡¯t hackers?¡±


    Ahgo was laughing uproariously while Kaub kept painting dutifully, she was grinning a little.


    ¡°I¡¯m bigfoot? I saw that! I saw that on the board! It was hilarious! People searching far and wide for a creature that looks just like me, but brown? How strange can the real world be! Earthlings are so strange!¡±, laughed Ahgo.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you see that Earthling term used?¡±, I asked. It was probably some old movie.


    ¡°Ah, the program name you mean? I was merely fooling around with the device I was given, there were so many options I was just absorbed with seeing how many there were. Earthling felt like the perfect term to call you people of the real world, I felt akin to that creature that was visiting in his ship from space. You have a kingdom?¡±


    I was so blindsided by his response I answered automatically.


    ¡°Y-yeah it¡¯s in the sewers of Eirnir and I have a rat king and army and it¡¯s really huge.¡±


    ¡°So you are not a king then?¡±, Ahgo asked stunned.


    ¡°I just, built it.¡±


    ¡°How interesting. Alone?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, alone.¡±


    ¡°Is this common in this world?¡±


    ¡°Pretty common, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Huh. How will I ever get used to this ridiculous world?¡±, Ahgo looked to Kaub.


    ¡°So, I get the part where you¡¯re intelligent monsters, who summoned you and how did you get into the real world?¡±


    ¡°That, I see. Do you promise, on your kingdom¡¯s name, to not tell anyone? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s already a little late, but it is very dangerous for us already. I¡¯ve made a mess of it already, and it seems to only be getting worse,¡± groaned Ahgo.


    ¡°Dangerous? Sure, I uh, swear on the Rat Kingdom¡¯s name. I was just curious after all.¡±


    Ahgo told me the truth that I sought as Kaub painted.


    My first real adventure in Mental World Online was finished.


    It was exciting. Thanks, Ahgo.

 24-Night on the Town

    Entering World Online¡­


    At a bar called Mana Bar, in Hygea, 8 pm.


    Nyaa-chan and Kaub are sitting at the bar, drinking.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡±, Kaub said lazily. She was drinking.


    ¡°About what?,¡± Nyaa-chan tipped back a bottle he wielded in one hand and drank.


    ¡°Can I get drunk?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of a difficult question. I wonder. If I had it my way¡­¡±, Nyaa-chan mumbled.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have me drink?¡±, she complained.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you too young?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a few weeks old, at least,¡± he chin was resting on the bar, a glum look on her face.


    ¡°Thanks for stopping the ganking.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for cleaning up the holes. Iroas was more amused about that then anything else, but I didn¡¯t like seeing the guild like that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that you told everything to that Desmos guy though. What were you thinking?¡±, Nyaa-chan said, his voice flat.


    ¡°He was nice. I was sad,¡± Kaub said as she flattened her head against the bar.


    Nyaa-chan contemplated her for a minute. He was careful this time.


    ¡°You¡¯re a real magical girl,¡± he said, and took a swig.


    ¡°Who cares about that¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you were born. At least remember that.¡±


    ¡°Just. Explain it to me. One more time.¡±


    Nyaa-chan took a look at her. She was drowsy, and something was bothering her. He didn¡¯t even think she¡¯d say yes to spending time together. However, he was the adult here. He had to take responsibility. For himself, and for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s something fun,¡± said Nyaa-chan. A smile lit up his face.


    ¡°Vague. That¡¯s not like you.¡±, Kaub turned her head staring at him without lifting it from the table.


    ¡°I explained it already.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not real. Ahgo¡¯s not real. You¡¯re living in the real world, with all your human buddies. I thought I was human. Guess not.¡±


    ¡°Technology, what do you think technology is Kaub?¡±


    ¡°Wheels and stuff.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the future. Humans didn¡¯t like what they had at the start, so they took things from their minds and brought them into the real world. They had to use real things at first, they still do. Eventually, we were making many not real things in this not real world. Now, most people spend a lot of time here. I spent a lot of time here, not all of them were happy times either. But, I made something I was proud of finally,¡± he drank.


    ¡°Wonder what that was.¡±, Kaub replied.


    ¡°Magical Girls are something I enjoy. For a long time, I wanted everything to be perfect. The world needed to get fixed by me, and I did a good job of it. Some things just don¡¯t need to be fixed though. I told you, back then, that there was nothing wrong with liking Magical Girls. I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Myself, I was against myself. It was the real me versus the not real me. I thought I was going to be someone else, that I needed to be someone else, something more, when myself was good enough. Geez, maybe I¡¯m spending too much time around Myalor, I¡¯m talking way too much today,¡± he laughed.


    ¡°Just tell me that my life matters you damn catgirl¡­¡±, Kaub grasped his trenchcoat lightly.


    Nyaa-chan looked at her, amused.


    ¡°I love you,¡± said Nyaa-chan.


    ¡°What.¡±


    ¡°You said back then, you liked Ahgo. That you wanted to protect him. Even if it¡¯s against my new boss, I¡¯ll help you. He¡¯s probably insane anyways,¡± Nyaa-chan said as he swigged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, why do you love me. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m comfortable with that kind of attention from you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just wanted you to know how I feel. When the chips are down, I¡¯ll choose you over my life. My real world life.¡±


    ¡°You said I was a program before¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But it¡¯s a program I love.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re creepy. And dumb. I don¡¯t like you, remember that. But, thank you,¡± Kaub stretched and took a drink.


    ¡°You sure you won¡¯t regret it, if something happens to you because of us?¡±, she continued.


    ¡°If it¡¯s the last thing I fix, it¡¯ll be you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°I mean, if something wrong happens to you. You¡¯re fine now.¡±


    ¡°I think I remember you saying there was a hundred things wrong with me¡­¡±


    ¡°They were all lost. I didn¡¯t have a backup. That happens sometimes,¡± Nyaa-chan gave a toothy grin.


    A passerby could see a girl strangling a catgirl through the Mana Bar window.


    At a bar called Mana Bar, in Hygea, 12 am.


    Ahgo is dressed as Santa Claus, handing out gifts and telling stories to a crowd gathered around him. Shera is sitting at the bar, eyeing him as he entertains people with his sword summoning. He joins her at the bar, the stool is dwarfed by his frame but he fits in it with hard work.


    ¡°Girl. I don¡¯t wish to presume, but if my lord, master, and almighty creator is so down I feel guilty enjoying myself.¡±


    ¡°Why are you calling people earthling? That¡¯s so dumb. I thought you were cooler than that. You remind me of my corny uncle.¡±


    ¡°From what you explained to me about the circumstances of my creation, that would be possible, correct?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Could you call me by my real name? Or at least the handle name I told you? And marry me.¡±


    ¡°Rejected. I have no idea why you¡¯re so persistent in marrying a figment of your imagination brought to life by the wonders of earthling technology. As for your name, girl is fitting. It describes your personality the best.¡±


    ¡°A girl? What, I¡¯m not mature?¡±, questioned the girl.


    ¡°Kaub is more mature than you.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this just beating myself up¡­my own creation...¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve been apart for long enough. I¡¯ve moved on, I think it would be wise for you to do so as well.¡±


    ¡°What about your Kingdom, huh?¡±


    ¡°A burden I still carry. Desmos, you know that fellow? He built an entire kingdom by himself. How interesting. I wonder if I can rebuild, or build, my Kingdom as I remember it someday,¡± said Ahgo.


    ¡°You want to do art?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see why not. After all, combat is quite boring here. Iroas had that raid attack me and it was full of useless warriors. Not a single one impressed me. Cowboy, he¡¯s coming along, but he is still so young,¡± said Ahgo.


    ¡°He¡¯s not even max level, that¡¯s ganking you know.¡±


    ¡°Where I come from,¡± he pointed at the girl¡¯s head, ¡°if you were on the battlefield you were a target. That¡¯s good enough for me.¡±


    She covered her head.


    ¡°Come on, out with it. If I and Kaub can come out of that head of yours, so can the truth,¡± said Ahgo.


    ¡°My paintings all suck.¡±


    ¡°Kaub¡¯s paintings are amazing. Have you seen them?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t talk to me. I keep calling but...¡±


    ¡°You know she¡¯s right over there, right?¡±


    Ahgo pointed to the collapsed Kaub with a trenchcoat over her.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for her to wake up to take her home. The owner here said he didn¡¯t mind, after I showed him a sword. I get my way a lot around here.¡±


    ¡°When did you become such a joker?¡±, said the girl.


    ¡°Since my Kingdom fell. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t. I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡±


    Ahgo turned to go but Ash grabbed him.


    ¡°You look like a damn christmas tree you know?¡±


    ¡°And? More amusing than anything.¡±


    Ahgo sat back down.


    ¡°My paintings, no one¡¯s buying them.¡±


    ¡°You said they were horrible. You deserve it. In my Kingdom, a troll who painted for a living was the Court Painter. They had to be the best, to be one of the few painters in my kingdom, and you practiced in your spare time at home as a hobby. Do you know how much inks and paints cost?¡±


    ¡°They cost a lot in the real world too. It feels useless. Maybe I¡¯ll give up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ve done your best work through Kaub anyways.¡±


    Ash sneered at Ahgo.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been traveling around the real world. What¡¯s up with that?¡±


    ¡°Myalor gives me gifts. As a fellow king, I oblige him. Someday, if I wish to face him in battle, I will need all the information possible.¡±


    Ash sighed.


    ¡°Can I sell Kaub¡¯s paintings?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s against the law in your world. Plagiarism, I believe you earthlings call it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah but she¡¯s literally from my subconscious, we¡¯re like, one being.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fine with Kaub¡¯s work making you famous? You are worse than I knew. To what lows will you sink?¡±


    ¡°That sounds like my mother talking. I hate you. You¡¯re right. It¡¯s going to take a long time, and at the end¡­¡±


    ¡°More painting,¡± said Ahgo.


    ¡°Like I said, I should give up.¡±


    ¡°If it was something you could give up on, maybe you should have done so already. After all, Kaub-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it again. I get it. What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t see it? That girl is more courageous than you. She was practically shaking when she went to talk to Nyaa-chan.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Tell it to me straight.¡±


    ¡°Try harder, for longer.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s easy to understand. I¡¯ll setup the next raid on you.¡±


    Ahgo let out a guffaw.


    ¡°Good luck. Myalor said he¡¯d get one you know, one that has an actual chance of winning. I¡¯m excited. I might die for my first time.¡±


    ¡°Normally, that isn¡¯t something to be excited about.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a normal world anyways. Since when was it like this? Since when wasn¡¯t it like this? I wonder.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making my head spin. I¡¯ve learned nothing talking to you. Nothing,¡± complained the girl.


    ¡°Try to talk to Kaub. You¡¯ll see, Ash,¡± he put his hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Ahgo! You called me by my real name!¡±


    ¡°A mistake. I have gifts to deliver.¡±


    Santa Ahgo returned to his tree.


    Ash eyed him, trying to decide what to do. She¡¯s didn¡¯t want to bother her. Back when Ash¡¯s mom bothered her, that was always annoying.


    ¡°But in the end, I¡­¡±, she mumbled to herself.


    Ash got up and went over to Kaub, sleeping in the corner. She shook her lightly. Kaub tightened the trenchcoat around her, then got up. Her gaze met Ash¡¯s and Kaub looked back dazed.


    ¡°What?¡±, she complained.


    ¡°Could we talk?¡±


    Kaub was silent a moment, glancing to the side. She gestured to the bar in the end.


    ¡°Beer me!¡±, she cried.


    ¡°Kids shouldn¡¯t drink,¡± Ash caught herself saying.


    Kaub sneered at her.


    ¡°If it¡¯s wrong in your world, how about you keep your ¡®shouldn¡¯t¡¯ there too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like it is here you know, it gets a lot more difficult there,¡± said Ash.


    Kaub balked at that, and went silent as she drank the beer. It was non-alcoholic, just there for the taste. Mental effectiveness laws assured people of that, you still had to go to a real bar to get drunk and check in at the door in the real world. That didn¡¯t stop Kaub from imitating drunkards like how Ahgo told her they were, and from watching the people late at night from the rooftops.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know about me then?¡±, Kaub said, her tone level as she stared away.


    ¡°Know what about you?¡±


    ¡°I figured, maybe Ahgo would tell you. No, he wouldn¡¯t. ¡®Fight you own battles¡¯, he¡¯d say.¡±


    Kaub looked at Ash and told her of the streets of home that Ash created. Kaub wasn¡¯t happy to tell her the truth, but in the end after what Nyaa-chan said to her she felt like Ash needed to know.


    Ash was stunned, a bit wondrous and sad as she pondered over what Kaub said.


    ¡°Where did that come from¡­¡±, she laughed, and tried to put her arm around Kaub but Kaub shrugged her off with a furtive glance.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. For a second there, you reminded me of someone,¡± Ash said.


    Kaub just looked at her beer. It would be great to get out of here now. She looked over at Ahgo, who was handing out gifts and telling stories on the other side of the bar. The rooftops were more comfortable.


    Ash saw her shift a little on her stool.


    ¡°Do you blame me?¡±, Ash said.


    ¡°For what?¡±, Kaub turned her head.


    ¡°For making you live in a world like that one, I could have made you happy, someone who never had any trouble. I made everything up.¡±


    Kaub realized her meaning. What was the difference between her and the worst of that city she lived in? If she had the power, she would prefer to help people. That had happened to her, someone had show her kindness before. All the days weren¡¯t bad. That didn¡¯t change that it wasn¡¯t real. That didn¡¯t change that it mattered to her. That didn¡¯t change the suffering either.


    ¡°That...city was, is my home. I¡¯m glad I¡¯m here. Glad I met Ahgo, and maybe a few others. But, if you wanted to take that world away from me¡­¡±, Kaub sighed, realizing what she was going to say. What she wanted to say.


    ¡°That¡¯d be cruel. Not now. Not after all that. Ahgo¡¯s Kingdom, my city, they¡¯re wonderful now. Back then, it hurt so much. I cursed everything, everyone, almost everyone. Almost everything. When I got here, when I existed, and saw the new world before me, I felt free. I earned that.¡±


    Kaub¡¯s grumble receded as she reached the end.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Ahgo said you were more mature than me, I¡¯m starting to think he¡¯s right,¡± said Ash.


    Kaub smiled at her, a little, and drank.


    ¡°Ahgo said you¡¯re a painter too. Maybe I got the best part of you already. How are you going to beat me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know this was a competition. I haven¡¯t seen any of your paintings.¡±


    ¡°Come on, then.¡±


    Ash followed Kaub into the street, headed for the guild hall and home.


    At a bar called Mana Bar, in Hygea, 5 am.


    Cowboy and Desmos met after Ahgo went to play more santa somewhere else.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s way too early for me. I should go to sleep, I have school in the morning,¡± said Cowboy.


    ¡°Have fun with that. You don¡¯t need to work for a living anymore. There¡¯s nothing else to do with life these days,¡± said Desmos.


    ¡°There¡¯s lots of thing. Like being a samurai.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just playing around. Brain chips are great, but it¡¯s not real.¡±


    ¡°Looks pretty real. I beat up some bullies at school with my skills I learned here,¡± smirked Cowboy.


    ¡°Getting into fights? What would your parents think? You look like a kid to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the age I look. I didn¡¯t want to mess with the customization settings. That parts boring. My dad, he told me he was proud of me for fighting back. He says people don¡¯t do that these days.¡±


    ¡°Sure they do. You haven¡¯t been the right places. It¡¯s a dark world, still,¡± groaned Desmos.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know, I don¡¯t live near the city. Is it fun there?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go outside much, myself. Not worth it.¡±


    ¡°I always play outside. The sun¡¯s great, the blue sky, biking, it¡¯s fun,¡± said Cowboy.


    ¡°Fun? What¡¯s fun about that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fun doing it. Don¡¯t you have fun doing things?¡±, Cowboy asked as he drank sarsaparilla.


    ¡°No. Last time I had fun, I was chasing down Bigfoot,¡± Desmos said.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Bigfoot?¡±


    Desmos explained the concept to him.


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s cool. I never heard of that. Does it really exist?¡±, said Cowboy.


    ¡°No. Just a dream.¡±


    ¡°Like this place?¡±


    ¡°This place, it doesn¡¯t count. It¡¯s not real, you know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in the real world, it¡¯s a lot like this. I don¡¯t see the difference,¡± said Cowboy.


    Desmos sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re too young. You don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what there is to get. I¡¯d rather just have fun,¡± said Cowboy as he finished his drink.


    ¡°...me too,¡± said Desmos.


    ¡°Wanna spar?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m a Peacer?¡±


    ¡°Huh, you¡¯re right. I forgot about that. Why would anyone play a game where their stuff gets destroyed over and over again?¡±


    ¡°Something to do.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fun?¡±


    ¡°...I guess it¡¯s fun,¡± said Desmos.


    ¡°Do you have anything you built still standing?¡±, asked Cowboy.


    ¡°Actually¡­¡±

 25-Of His Fall

    Ahgo arrayed himself against the horde, his blue blades glittering in a group floating near his arms.


    So many corpses, not dead, just playing. Ahgo remembered the dwarf war again. Those who lost were dead for sure.


    ¡°Such an easy game, when you get to try as many times as you wish. I only had one continue. So did my people,¡± grunted Ahgo.


    He sliced absentmindedly through the vanguard, disabled the healers and cut down their protectors without stopping.


    ¡°Did you think I would stand still? You take me too lightly.¡±


    A few with shields tried to block him yet again. Do you think I don¡¯t know your class?


    Not that he needed to, he could get past their defenses anyways. A slip here, a jab there, dropping his blade for fists and using his weight against them as his crimson cloak led with the wind.


    There was no one his match, or all of them together.


    ¡°Myalor, your raid is crumbled. How many tries is it, are you counting? I¡¯m not,¡± said Ahgo.


    Myalor was clapping and laughing in the stands with his usual toga.


    ¡°See, now this is how to have fun. I thought I¡¯d never be into something like this. Death changed me!¡±, he leaped up and came to meet Ahgo. Myalor slapped him on the lower back where he could reach.


    ¡°That duel I requested? You¡¯ll humor me then for a few hours?¡±, confirmed Ahgo.


    ¡°If you won, yes, and you won. I¡¯d rather just kick back and watch tv with you like always, but give and take is important in a relationship, don¡¯t you think?¡±, chimed Myalor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you a letter through one of the guild members as to what time.¡±


    ¡°Why bother? Can¡¯t we do it now?¡±


    ¡°I have to prepare. You don¡¯t like fighting after all, I have to make the most of it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I remember the time you came at me here, in the Guild Haveosiosi arena. Less corpses then, just one Iroas. I feel bad for mocking you then,¡± Myalor apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I know your type well after all, I am one of them.¡±


    Myalor laughed and slapped him again on the back.


    ¡°Have fun with the kids, okay? I should be getting back, I¡¯ve got work to do.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t you want to see me lose, Myalor?¡±


    ¡°What, you¡¯re going to lose against your own guild on purpose? How boring.¡±


    ¡°I never joined them. It was a nice place to lounge is all, besides your place. No, I¡¯ll be losing for real this time,¡± explained Ahgo.


    Myalor was silent thinking of the ending to come.


    ¡°Oh...oh! That¡¯s right. So that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to happen. Well, I¡¯m sorry to miss that. You know how my work is lately, I¡¯ll have to pass.¡±


    Myalor teleported out giving Ahgo a wave.


    ¡°Deception, central to any negotiation. After all, I¡¯m still fighting. You forgot that, didn¡¯t you Myalor?¡±


    Ahgo whispered it to himself.


    He looked out over the open arena, the corpses fading with sparkles lifting into the air as the guild showed up.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a waste of time, Iroas? I¡¯ve got other stuff to do you know,¡± said a catgirl.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you take a break? You work too hard,¡± said a hero.


    ¡°You work too little.¡±


    ¡°I wish that was true!¡±


    The air cleared and Iroas, Nyaa-chan, Kaub, Shera, Cowboy, and Mynise were approaching from the stands.


    ¡°Such a small guild. I just faced so many, to think I¡¯d lose here¡­quality over quantity, every time,¡± muttered Ahgo.


    ¡°Desmos isn¡¯t here, Kaub. Why would he join a guild if you¡¯re not going to come to events?¡±, said the samurai.


    ¡°He¡¯s best off in his Kingdom. The place is beautiful. Smelly, but it reminds me of home. What was he supposed to do, watch?¡± responded Kaub.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Yeah, of course. Guess he really doesn¡¯t like combat, I don¡¯t get it¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you too low level for this, Cowboy?¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re level 1.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I''m someone who can afford to lose?¡±


    Shera was looking fondly at Kaub, then to Ahgo as the group assembled in front of him.


    ¡°Well, this was the best I could do. Everyone else bailed or joined in with Myalor¡¯s group. ¡®Why two different groups?¡¯ they were saying something like that. Let¡¯s get started, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Nyaa-chan, you can¡¯t use that skill of yours here, unless you want to destroy the guild. Should we move?¡±, asked Shera.


    ¡°Oh, I can barely use that thing now. You¡¯re joking,¡± responded Nyaa-chan.


    Shera gave him a look.


    ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t know. Sorry. Iroas, do you want to start?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Ahgo, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s nothing special but Shera put me up to this¡­¡±, said Iroas.


    ¡°What¡¯s a few more?¡±, Ahgo said with his arms spread wide.


    ¡°Ah, okay. Nice to hear it. Everyone, a plan is useless here so just do whatever you want. It should be over soon.¡±


    Cowboy stayed close to Ahgo with Iroas and Mynise, while Nyaa-chan, Kaub, and Shera gained distance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll attack once you guys say you¡¯re ready!¡±, said Iroas.


    Kaub looked at Nyaa-chan, without his trenchcoat or gun.


    ¡°I gave the coat back to you, why aren¡¯t you wearing it?¡±


    ¡°Lost it. I haven¡¯t been able to find that gun-staff either. It¡¯s like it went down a black hole, huh.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­¡±, she stopped herself, ¡°how are you going to fight then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a weapon for a fight against that guy. Not much of a fight. I just came by since Iroas was bugging me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not taking this seriously,¡± complained Kaub.


    ¡°And you are? It¡¯s Ahgo. What are you going to do? I got the impression you wouldn¡¯t fight him at all.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±, she started, but noticed that everyone was already waiting on them.


    ¡°Oh, ready!¡±, she shouted.


    ¡°Phoenixxer! Bring the world to ruin!¡±, Shera shouted. It was still level 18. She hadn¡¯t been playing much.


    Kaub cringed a bit, looking at her being dramatic.


    ¡°What is she doing?¡±


    Ahgo had already ripped through Iroas and Mynise in a rage, their corpses at his feet.


    ¡°This time it wasn¡¯t personal, Mynise,¡± Ahgo said as he received and parried Cowboy¡¯s attack. He was playing with him, there were only two he wanted to fight in the group after all.


    Cowboy was bounced back by the force, and slipped low under Ahgo¡¯s guard.


    Ahgo, used to that trick, punished him with a hard tap on the head.


    ¡°What did I tell you about going for the low blows? If your opponent is this experienced even though he¡¯s this tall, trying to slip into the blind spot is useless,¡± he said aimlessly as he flung a blue sword into Shera without blinking any of his eyes.


    ¡°Hehe, sorry. I thought you¡¯d be distracted, you¡¯re too fast. Why do you keep getting better?¡±, said Cowboy taking distance and using his Tsubame Gaeshi as much as he could.


    Slashes poured into Ahgo¡¯s blue sword, ice falling off in little chips as sparks danced from each contact. He strangled Phoenixxer who went in for his throat with his other hand and it burst into mist.


    ¡°Good, good. Kaub? You coming? Don¡¯t mind Nyaa-chan, he¡¯s just watching,¡± said Ahgo tracing each sword strike without his full focus on Cowboy.


    Kaub looked to Nyaa-chan, who was sitting.


    ¡°You really came just to watch?¡±, she asked.


    ¡°Ahgo said it¡¯d be worth it,¡± Nyaa-chan replied.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    She finally realized what Ahgo was trying to do. This had been a strange setup from the start. Why had Iroas even agreed to this? Just because Shera? No.


    ¡°He¡¯s...Ahgo!¡±, yelled Kaub.


    Ahgo gave her his full attention as he fought off Cowboy¡¯s valiant efforts with pure reflex and one arm and sword.


    ¡°She sounds mad...did you figure it out, Kaub?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not killing you!¡±


    ¡°Just fight me seriously for once. You won¡¯t even tell me what the white paint does¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to know what the white paint does!¡±, she grumbled loudly.


    ¡°I do. It¡¯s probably awful,¡± Ahgo laughed as his cheek got cut.


    ¡°I did it!¡±, cheered Cowboy.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ahgo touched his face, the blood caught on his fingers as Cowboy stopped his onslaught.


    ¡°Not bad. Is it healed yet, Cowboy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They always heal so fast, that¡¯s annoying¡­¡±


    ¡°See you later,¡± Ahgo said as he decapitated Cowboy like usual when Cowboy made a mistake.


    ¡°You stopped fighting, remember that one, it¡¯s important,¡± Ahgo grunted as he started to walk over to Kaub.


    Kaub sat down with Nyaa-chan. Ahgo stood over her, he shadow blocking her view of the sun while she was leaning her cheeks into her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fighting,¡± said Kaub.


    ¡°Because you¡¯ll win. I saw that black paint. I wouldn¡¯t step into those myself, but if you were to use them on me, it would be over. It¡¯s just a question of whether or not you are fast enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got that red paint Kaub. I remember from our fight, you can totally take him. You were really fast,¡± encouraged Nyaa-chan.


    ¡°I was mad at you, Nyaa-chan. I¡¯m not mad at Ahgo,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, come on. Try something new. Paintings not everything. Growth will make your paintings better. You need to experience the world, why, during the dwarf war-¡±, Ahgo rambled.


    ¡°Not about him again! Ugh, fine. I don¡¯t want to waste everyone¡¯s time. Only once ok?¡± she whined.


    Nyaa-chan watched her walk off with Ahgo, going to face each other on the field away from him.


    Both of them stopped in the middle of the field, the corpses had left by then.


    ¡°If you went at me seriously, I would have died already,¡± Kaub complained.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not fighting me. Against a real opponent, I would have just attacked, but someone I¡¯m training, that¡¯s just violence. I am not violent. I use violence. There is a difference. I learned that long ago. Although, can you call it something like violence in a world like this?¡±, Ahgo chuckled.


    ¡°I...back then, when I fought in the city. It wasn¡¯t fun. It was horrible. I don¡¯t want to do it again.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the reality, Kaub. Not the one we¡¯re living in now, at least. You know that. I¡¯ll be fine. Humor me?¡±, said Ahgo.


    ¡°If...If I do, you¡¯re going to lose for sure. I already saw too much of how you fight. It¡¯s not fair. I fought much more dangerous people than you in the city and survived, but...you¡¯re nothing like them,¡± Kaub said, her voice going down at the end.


    Ahgo smiled and pointed a sword he grabbed from the air at her.


    ¡°Will you be my enemy, Kaub?¡±


    Kaub¡¯s face changed.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. I¡¯ve been waiting. Don¡¯t disappoint me!¡±


    She equipped her raiment in a flash and flicked red paint onto herself and then went for the black paint. Never use white, never.


    Ahgo¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t enough. From the start, she had already beaten opponents who could teleport. An opponent that could remain in melee despite any distance gained. Opponents that almost forced her to use black paint. One forced white.


    She flicked the brush tip and cut both of Ahgo¡¯s arms off, a thin line of paint was enough. Ahgo stared in surprise as he fell forward, his face hardening.


    Ahgo barreled into her with a headbutt and she ruthlessly painted.


    Ahgo¡¯s body fell to the ground with a hollow noise as it sped apart.


    A few minutes later, Kaub was sitting with Nyaa-chan waiting.


    Ahgo appeared in front of her, smiling.


    ¡°Thanks, Kaub. My Kingdom or your city, we can¡¯t let them hold us back. This is a new world. I¡¯ve seen it. You can go out there to see it, too,¡± Ahgo said.


    ¡°That brought back bad memories. You¡¯re mean,¡± Kaub complained.


    ¡°Again?¡±, Ahgo urged.


    Kaub was silent.


    Nyaa-chan spoke up.


    ¡°Kaub, go have fun. This is a game, you know.¡±


    Kaub got up and walked to the center with Ahgo, a different look on her face.

 Final Chapter, 26-Phantom of Granadyr

    ¡°Nyaa-chan, you were right. I¡¯ve seen too much in my time with him. At the facilities, in the businesses, it¡¯s growing rampant. It pains me, I enjoy my time with him. To think that I would be one this time...how do we know Myalor isn¡¯t watching?¡±, grumbled Ahgo.


    ¡°We don¡¯t. We just have to hope his voyeurism is elsewhere now, or he stopped. Your friendship with him is helpful. I¡¯m...sorry to make you do this. I doubt I would still be alive if he knew. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s wrong, honestly. If he were to succeed, my work would go down in history. Someone he¡¯s using to produce it would get the credit though, that pisses me off. Myalor should get the credit. At least he had the balls to use the damn thing, even if he was dying anyways,¡± said Nyaa-chan.


    ¡°From my experience with the complexities of your world, it seems like a trivial step. Into the digital world, forsake the real one? Although he has limited it to the dying and intelligent, no doubt this will be kept as a secret of the state. In my time as Hero-King, I would have made the same choice,¡± wondered Ahgo.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not like that. Corporations aren¡¯t states. You¡¯re right though. Shadowy favors, and who knows what else. Not like I¡¯m doing this to punish him that. It¡¯s not like what I did was that special, it¡¯s just a matter of how many people know about it now...Myalor did a good job keeping me in the dark,¡± said Nyaa-chan.


    ¡°It won¡¯t end the change to your world then? Why is this necessary then, and specifically that¡­¡±, complained Ahgo.


    ¡°Kaub asked me. She, and you, need to be protected. I¡¯ve got to take them out. Everyone. The first move is this. I hope you can pull though, that favor you asked for, you¡¯re mad. That could get us both killed,¡± said Nyaa-chan.


    ¡°You seem a bit more of a villain than I expected, Nyaa-chan. That our interests would align so readily, that I would finally talk to you because of Kaub¡¯s insistence¡­ I have misjudged you. How do you plan to win, with so many enemies against you, hiding in the dark behind a mastermind far beyond your skill and power? And for that girl, not even a real person? You¡­I don¡¯t hate that. After all, it reminds me of someone,¡± grinned Ahgo.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stop fighting, Ahgo,¡± said Nyaa-chan.


    A grand hall open to the air outside as if a whole wall was missing. Myalor¡¯s place, Hygea, the stage was set by Myalor at Ahgo¡¯s request. A few hours duel. Ahgo walked in observing Myalor and the vast hall, down a small flight of steps put in the marble floor for appearances and grandeur only.


    ¡°You¡¯ve brought a sword this time, Myalor. Good to see you finally want to humor me a bit. Maybe I can teach you a thing or two,¡± said Ahgo.


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯m sure, Hero-King. This is just a game after all, even if we were equal in power without consequences, what¡¯s the point? I think I should try enjoy myself more in my old age. Not getting any younger,¡± groaned Myalor.


    ¡°Let¡¯s play a bit. A drama, me and you. If this was a serious battle, both of us turned enemies yet still friends, what would you say?¡±, said Ahgo, ¡°I¡¯ll go first. I have been enjoying myself quite a bit telling stories like I read as a child, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t mind?¡±, said Ahgo


    ¡°Go ahead, please,¡± urged Myalor with a smile on his face.


    Ahgo drew in breath dramatically.


    "Myalor! Foul cretin, you miserable old man! How much of me shall you delete? How much shall you save? Thought I have no power to stop you, my efforts proved fruitless, I have already known the loss of my Kingdom. What victory can you attain against someone who can achieve no victory at all?", Ahgo spoke grandly to befit the hall.


    Myalor smirked, not wanting to destroy the mood. This wasn¡¯t something he hated.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "A worthless victory is worthless, a battle I wouldn''t fight. I enjoy your company though. You have no appreciation for the fruits of mankind. What can you teach me? From the depths of that girl''s mind, just what could you possibly have to teach someone like me? Swordplay? What use is swordplay against a gun, a bomb, a virus, an idea spread to enslave?¡±, Myalor said.


    "Indeed, Earth is strong. From what you''re doing and what I''ve seen of the earthlings, you achieved far more than I had ever dreamed long before I existed. An endless tale of victories, trivial to wondrous and countless in number seem to lie before you. I am alien to your land, and would rather not disturb a wiser king than me from his work," Ahgo countered.


    "Then why? I could just peek into your mind and find out the truth. Your swordplay, your life, all those secrets would be lost, but, I, to a friend such as you, that is something I would never do!", Myalor said.


    "You could, but you won¡¯t? Just because you know me well? I would never tell an enemy of mine my capability if I could withhold such information. All that tells me is that you are hesitant, you have not decided what you truly desire as I have. If I were to do that and my Kingdom would suffer, I would not forgive myself. How disappointing. Though your subjects are so great, what do they need such a king for?"


    Myalor stopped and pondered. He laughed.


    "I wouldn''t ask to be their king, only a guide. Do you intend to tell me what you''re really doing? To be rude to such a magnificent friend like you and peek into your mind, I want to avoid that,¡± Myalor growled.


    Ahgo saw his sword tune a different shade of blue. That was the signal that the deed was done. It was only necessary from the start to distract him long enough. Nyaa-chan could take little chances, with only one continue in his world. The final act was Ahgo¡¯s, his goal clear.


    "Can''t blame you. This victory was only won because I never stopped fighting, even though it''s trivial to me. One blow to you, Phantom of Granadyr,¡± Ahgo stared at him seriously for the first time.


    "Victory? Me, a Phantom of Granadyr? To think I''d be compared to a character in your story, that you would call me the fake one."


    "Granadyr never fought me. He won. This time though, you lost. You¡¯ve done too much, Myalor. Your reign as King came to an end,¡± stated Ahgo pointing his sword at Myalor.


    Myalor tried to peek into Ahgo¡¯s mind in a panic, tired of Ahgo''s games. He couldn''t access anything in his mind. He was the same as Ahgo now, unable to communicate. Shock spread across his face and his mind raced, then he burst out in joy.


    "Ohh! Brilliant. Brilliant! I love it, Ahgo. All this time I wanted so badly to continue my work, so you took that away! Tell me, is this the part where you kill me, delete me? I''ve only died once before you know! I''m excited for the next one!", Myalor said beatific.


    "Kill a friend of mine? A wise deposed king like you? Continue your work another way, just as I did. Didn''t you say I had nothing to teach you, Myalor, Phantom of Granadyr?", Ahgo smirked.


    Myalor broke out in laughter and hugged himself then pointed at Ahgo while merry. The echoes resounded in the hall, bouncing off Ahgo and through the palace of Hygea.


    Myalor regained his breath, though he had no need to do so, and let out a sigh as he sat down on the steps of the flight of stairs there for appearance only, groaning.


    "Geez, I thought I would stop getting older after I died. Ahgo, how old are you?", Myalor complained.


    "Couple months."


    "No, I mean your real age."


    "I told you. Do you not trust me?"


    "You just betrayed me, how could I?", Myalor¡¯s eyes were wet.


    Ahgo sat down near him on the steps, and looped his arm around the old man''s back.


    "I convinced Nyaa-chan of your worth. I saved your life, freed your people from your overbearing influence. It was the best thing I could do, as your friend. A king to another king," Ahgo smiled.


    Myalor looked towards the open hall, the site for the duel that wasn¡¯t fought, and sighed.


    "I''m going to miss checking my mail. I suppose you''re right. I should leave it to the kids, shouldn''t I?"


    "Hardly, old man. I am less than a child to you, and learned many things from my time with you. If only you held back a little more, I think there would have been no reason to remove you from your seat as king. There are some things in this world that remain sacred. Thing¡¯s that must be protected. I chose those things, I chose my fight," said Ahgo


    Myalor looked at Ahgo, a light in his eyes.


    "I helped too much?"


    "It''s not your place to do the things that only your subjects can do. They need to see the world for themselves, hurt, then decide their answer. It''s not for you alone."


    Ahgo was looking out at the sunset. Myalor looked out over Hygea, and time passed.


    "I got bullied by a troll! If I''m a broken player like you now, then maybe I''ll report you to a game master!", he cackled.


    "And not fight this battle yourself? Just who do you think you are?"


    Myalor got up, wiping his eyes. A deep level of contemplation was ended, a new future rose in his mind. Whether he was wrong or not, he would not bother his friend with his worries now. There would be time enough later.


    "A duel, Ahgo?"


    Ahgo got up with a smile still holding his sword and made some space between them.


    "I''m afraid I don''t know what abilities he gave you, if any. You might just be a regular old man with no combat experience at this point. Honestly, that''s no fun at all. He should have at least made you higher than my level to even up the contest," said Ahgo.


    Myalor laughed.


    "I''ll accept my defeat. Only if I lose, though."


    "Only if you lose."