[IC] The World: A Dazzling Twilight Dream

[Tranquility]

Offline_Home_bedroom_

The rain outside was a reminder that life needn't be such a blur, that slowing down was a necessary part of living.

Sachi Mitsuka stared out her foggy window, wondering what December would hold. It was a cherished month for several reasons. It celebrated goodwill and cheer, it was the perfect month for hot chocolate and it was also when Nagoya's street lit up with decorations which illuminated the humble city. Sachi loved Nagoya but even so, she wanted to go somewhere overseas, even for just a few years and experience something new, someplace totally unknown. It was her yearning for change and challenges that pushed her into buying The World a month ago. She and her group of friends had all decided to finally give the game a try after hearing such wonderful reviews.

The World was not a new game by any means. It had evolved over time. Players came and went, different events were held around the world but the fact remained that The World brought people together from every place one could think of. Sachi found that was the greatest appeal for her. Not much for combat, she did her best to keep everyone healed and safe from harm. To her being a Wavemaster was the perfect role for her. In their group of friends, she was often the mother hen of the group (though Aika and Saya were great too) who doted on everyone. Sachi snapped out of her train of thought and heard a *woooosh* which signalled she had a new email from someone.

Settling into her desk chair, she clicked the round EMAIL icon and read it:

To: Allegory
From: KISU
Subject: I need your help!
Attachment: -

Body: Allegory,

My name is Kohe Nanae and I'm Hitsu's son. I sometimes helped out during class for her.

I'm not sure if you heard the news with school being out for the next month or so but...my mother's fallen into a coma. I found her two nights ago on the computer, slumped over and nonresponsive. It was terrifying. I still feel numb, in a state of shock to be honest. Ever since she and I relocated from Tokyo, we only have each other. We were on our own and now I'm on my own.

The doctors told me she's stable for the time being but that's not enough for me! I can't just wait around for her to recover. She is the most important person in my life and I will do whatever I can to help her. I know she enjoyed your company and that she spent time with you and your friends outside of school. I think she event invited you all over for dinner last Christmas? In some ways you guys were like secondary children to her and I know she might not like that I'm involving you but I had to still ask.

I've been doing some research and trying to piece together her last few moments. She was playing The World with this account (KISU) so I am going to take it over and investigate from inside the game. Supposedly there are a handful of other cases of people falling into comas who also have accounts in The World. I don't know what any of this means but I am going to find out. My other account can't be used, it's better if I leave it at that. So for now I'll be using my mother's and I hope you'll help me.

If you want to help, please meet me at Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground in the Delta Server at 3:00 PM today. I sent your friends other similar emails.

- Kohe Nanae

Sachi felt as though she had been hit by a truck at the news of Nanae-san's sudden comatose status. Sachi had taken several of her classes over the past three and a half years and had considered the woman to be a mentor. Sachi did a quick Google search but found no news article about the event of a Nagoya professor falling into a coma. She had to assume her son, Kohe, didn't want it published for privacy reasons. She checked the time and saw she had about two hours to decide but in her mind, there was no real debate. She would help Kohe and had to wonder if the others would come to the same conclusion. It sounded so surreal and she didn't want to pester anyone, knowing they would accept or decline according to how they felt and if they even had any free time to spare. It was a Friday afternoon and some may be stuck at work.

The next two hours passed uneventfully with Sachi munching on seaweed rice cakes and drinking hot chocolate. She decided to log on and head to Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground and wait for anyone else. Slipping on her red M2D and plugging in her controller, she booted up The World and found herself soon standing in Mac Anu's Chaos Gate entrance.

Online_Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground_

A series of glowing golden dots greeted Allegory as jogged over to the Chaos Gate and entered the news area words given to her via email from Kohe. A lot of online boards and even the Community Forum had posts about Lost Grounds. A lot of them turned out to be fake or traps but she was sure this one as real. If Kohe and his mother had been playing longer than her and her friends, they probably knew more about the game. A knot formed in her gut as she warped and suddenly found herself on a large stone bridge that left north to a large cathedral. It was twilight, just like at Mac Anu.

A soft melody played which tickled Sachi's ears as she walked forward. Accessing her Party List, she noticed her friends were beginning to log on and she had to hope they would soon meet her. For now, now party had been officially established so if a monster appeared, they couldn't heal one another but they could still fight it together. That thought quickly faded as she sensed no danger from the breathtaking Lost Ground. Allegory glanced back toward the rotating Chaos Gate and wondered if she stared long enough, if the others would suddenly appear like magic.

Allegory stepped up to the large double doors and entered, her body vanished on one side and reappearing on the other. Walking down the center, Allegory held her staff so it wouldn't knock against the polished marble floor or the grand wooden pews. The attention to detail was stunning. "I could spend hours here." She said aloud as she stopped near the front to see a stone square pillar which seemed to once hold something or someone. There was an iron gate between her and the alter which seemed oddly vacant. Turning around, she looked to the double doors, waiting for a familiar face.

Online_Mac Anu_

KISU grimaced as eyes followed his PC avatar. It was embarrassing to have so much attention thrust upon him so suddenly. He had no idea why his mother wanted to play such a cute, youthful Heavyblade but it was beginning to creep Kohe out. Even though he had assumed KISU a day ago, he had lost count of how many players had come up to him trying to get his Member Address. KISU had some quick words for the creeps who quickly fled. KISU was currently doing some shopping and trying to get a better idea of the sort of player his mother was. He assumed with her busy teaching position that she didn't have time for gaming but given her interest in the creative side of life, it wasn't a big surprise.

A playful yet soothing song played in the background as the female Heavyblade sold some spare items to a NPC shopkeeper. The items were just ones to boost one's speed which he never really used. Whenever he played The World, he usually did it alone, enjoying the challenge and not having to worry about having other members to look out for. But judging by his mother's Party List, she loved teaming up with people, probably even past students and colleagues. He had gotten many invites and flashmails but he was ignoring them for now as he prepared to see if anyone would meet him at Hulle Granz Cathedral, the Lost Ground he had specified in his email to everyone he thought played The World. He set his Online Status to: Busy and headed for the Chaos Gate.

[Double]

Offline ~ Bedroom

It was a typical afternoon for Kotaro. Sitting in front of his PC, Kotaro was engaged in a... "friendly debate" on the forums. He'd become quite active and prolific there, particularly his thread he started titled "Mythology of The World" which was intended to serve as an open discussion and debate about the game's background lore and its history. Honestly, at the time he first created the thread, Kotaro wasn't holding his breath for activity, believing he was alone in his fascination for the game's storyline. To his surprise, however, the thread had since gathered quite a modest following. And right now, Kotaro was debating the origins of the Lost Grounds with one of his online acquaintances. At least, he was until his computer pinged him with a new email. Kotaro opened up his inbox and could scarcely believe what he was reading...

To: Grimsley
From: KISU
Subject: I need your help!
Attachment: -

Body: Grimsley,

My name is Kohe Nanae and I'm Hitsu's son. I sometimes helped out during class for her.

I'm not sure if you heard the news with school being out for the next month or so but...my mother's fallen into a coma. I found her two nights ago on the computer, slumped over and nonresponsive. It was terrifying. I still feel numb, in a state of shock to be honest. Ever since she and I relocated from Tokyo, we only have each other. We were on our own and now I'm on my own.

The doctors told me she's stable for the time being but that's not enough for me! I can't just wait around for her to recover. She is the most important person in my life and I will do whatever I can to help her. I know she enjoyed your company and that she spent time with you and your friends outside of school. I think she event invited you all over for dinner last Christmas? In some ways you guys were like secondary children to her and I know she might not like that I'm involving you but I had to still ask.

I've been doing some research and trying to piece together her last few moments. She was playing The World with this account (KISU) so I am going to take it over and investigate from inside the game. Supposedly there are a handful of other cases of people falling into comas who also have accounts in The World. I don't know what any of this means but I am going to find out. My other account can't be used, it's better if I leave it at that. So for now I'll be using my mother's and I hope you'll help me.

If you want to help, meet me at Delta Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground at 3:00 PM, you're not the only one of my mother's students I've contacted. One last thing, I looked over the forums and noticed a number of threads started by you pertaining to discussing The World.
If the answer does lie within the game, it may possibly relate to the in-game writings. Please tell me if there's anything in the discussions that might help, every little bit counts. Thanks in advance.

-Kohe Nanae

"No way! Hitsu-sensei is...?" he didn't want to finish the thought. He remembered Hitsu-sensei well, and Kohe too. He even recalled trying to talk to Kohe early on but had no real luck at getting him to open up. He owed a lot to Hitsu, not the least of which being his current participation and interest in The World. If she was in trouble, Kotaro owed it to her to help in whatever way he could. So without any debate over the matter, Kotaro switched back to the forums and quickly changed the topic of discussion in his thread.

Topic: Mythology of The World
User: Grimsley
RE: Have any of you guys ever heard of people falling into a coma while playing the game?

Once that was done, Kotaro spent the next hour rereading his various posts and notes about The World, hoping to - as Kohe suggested - find some kind of clue hidden within them. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be anything related to comas. Hopefully that would change after Kotaro switched his research focus. For now, though, all that was left was to log in and meet Kohe.

Online ~ Mac Anu

In the root town, a series of golden-yellow rings heralded the arrival of an older-looking gentlemen in a black coat and hat. The Flick Reaper named Grimsley appeared and the login was complete. Grim stepped forward but only for a moment. Deciding this meeting was too urgent to waste time, he turned toward the Chaos Gate and interacted with it. Within the menu that popped up, Grim entered the keywords from the email and clicked to confirm his choice. Just as suddenly as he appeared, the Flick Reaper vanished within a similar set of golden rings.

Online ~ Hulle Granz Cathedral

"Is this... a Lost Ground?" Grim asked himself when the area finished loading. He walked toward the giant cathedral before him and opened the doors. While he approached, he noticed the alerts signifying many of his friends logging on and he wondered if they had all received the same email from Kohe. When he entered the cathedral, Grim was greeted with the sight of only one player, and it wasn't KISU.

"Al?" asked Grim as he stepped forward. Just as many had taken to calling him Grim, he had also been calling Allegory "Al" for short. It looked like Al was the only other one who had arrived for now, but that at least was proof that Grim was not the only one to have received an email, "You got the email too, right?" as he asked, Grim began to notice the melody that accompanied this particular area. It was nothing like anything he'd heard in other areas or dungeons. The statue at the center of the cathedral was also very eye-catching. On any other day Grim would be spending several minutes, if not hours, examining the statue and the rest of the room for that matter. But today he would set aside his personal interests to get down to the matter at hand.

[NobodiesHero]

Offline_Apartment_Living Room

With the amount of papers scattered across the coffee table, you'd think she was a detective already. But no, she was just a simple, Criminal Psychology student with the coolest professor ever. In front of her was all the pieces to what appeared to be a set of murders that had no seeming like and a list of suspects. One of them was a serial killer. You would start to notice something was strange with this when you realized that one of the victims was Saya Oda herself. With the other seven being some of her classmates.

This was why she had the coolest professor ever. He had designed all the murders, all the suspects, everything, as the best winter break homework ever to be created. Their job was simple, link the murders and find the killer. Saya would be lying if she said she didn't have fun being dressed up and posing for the victim pictures. Each victim had some fun quirks to them that were individual for each person. Saya had put up one heck of a fight before being stabbed to death.

Saya sat on the floor, with her back against the couch. Other than the papers, the coffee table also held a cup of hot apple cider, as well as a notebook and pencil, which already had notes scrawled into it. Stone colored eyes were sweeping across the file she current held in her hands. This was the fourth victim she had gone over today, making notes about things that may have linked them together. She was starting to get an idea, but to be sure she'd have to go through the rest of the files as well.

Before she could get much further, a sound on her computer indicated that she had just recieved an email. The future detective in her wanted to ignore it, but the social part of her said to take a look. Another moment of glancing at the mess on her coffee table, and she decided to listen to the social part. She could ignore emails when there were actually lives at stake. With a sigh, the dark haired woman got to her feet and went over to the computer desk. She clicked on the email and started reading. Halfway through, she got up from the desk, quickly she grabbed the pencil from the table and pulled an unused notebook from a shelf that was overflowing with crime novels, psychology textbooks, and notebooks. Then she returned to the desk.

As she finished reading, Saya began to write things down in the notebook. The detective in her wanting to solve this case that actually meant saving lives.

Coma victims. All have The World accounts. Comas caused by game? Flashing lights messing with brain waves? Possible seizures beforehand. Victims have anything in common besides The World? Investigation needed.

There was no question about it, Saya would be at that meeting. She did have to work tonight, but she was working the crazy shift at the bar. She wasn't starting work until 8 P.M. she'd have plenty of time to meetup with her friends. If anybody else was even interested in this.

Online_Delta Server_Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground

Duskwalker was the lowest level player out of all her friends. Between working nights at the bar, classes, and a lot of complex but extremely fun homework to do, she just didn't have as much time to play as the others. But that suited her style just fine. She usually left combat to them, her skills lay in the same areas as it did in reality. Finding things, solving puzzles, and noticing things far before anyone else did. But that was fine with her, she wasn't in the game to get to max level, she wanted to explore dungeons and uncover secrets.

Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground was probably the prettiest area she had ever explored. At the same time, it was rather eerie, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. For a moment, she just stood by the Chaos Gate, examining the world around her. There were no signs of anyone else here yet, at least outside. There was no point in hanging around there much longer. The Knuckle Master made her way to the large doors of the cathedral, before entering inside.

She was greeted by the sight of two familiar figures standing inside. "Hey Allegory, Grimsley. I was worried I'd be the only one interested in this." She said with a wave. Duskwalker's brown eyes swept around the room, taking in everything around her. The detective in her making it's way to the surface. "This place feels, too peaceful, too quiet. It's as if it was meant to be something more important, but was forgotten about. I, don't like it."

[Tranquility]

Online_Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground_

Upon seeing Grim fade into view, her shoulders relaxed.

"Hey Grim." She said, her voice slightly solmen as she found herself repeating the words from Kohe's distressing email. Allegory glanced sideways, as if hoping he wasn't hear for the same terrible reason. Her chest grew heavy when asked about the email. "Yeah...I did." She sighed and took a few steps closer to Grimsley. "It's awful news. I can't believe it but that doesn't make it untrue." Allegory commented. A voice broke through the painful silence and it turned out Duskwalker was the third to arrive. Allegory flashed a wave to her. "I believe in Old Norse this place translates to something like...the Cathedral Which Hides Heaven...or something. It does feel quite secretive. But I don't think there's any danger here." She assured Duskwalker.

Turning back around, she studied the empty spot where there was once a statue of a fabled girl. Now it was empty, almost lonesome in a way. "I had heard rumors about this place but never ever thought I'd be here." Allegory commented. It was amazing to consider how much work went into the music and graphics and millions of quests and stories. The World was a bit pricy but it was well worth it and provided Sachi a lot of inspiration as a literature major. Since she hadn't logged off yet, she didn't know that Kotaro was already digging into the mystery laid out in front of them though it wouldn't surprise her.

Online_Mac Anu_

As he was walking along the golden stone root town, Kohe made mental notes of the hundreds of players he passed. In his mind, he couldn't be too careful or too suspicious. For all he knew, someone online had some kind of devious virus that could put people into comas. He needed to treat all strangers as possible suspects. Kohe knew there were hackers who played The World, he knew a few of them personally, but he didn't think any of them would want to physically harm other players. KISU stopped and leaned over the large stone pathway and down into the water that flowed through the city like Venice.

Kohe momentarily lifted his M2D and checked the time, noting he had a few more minutes. He wiped his eyes, as they had become a bit misty. He then returned to the game and saw a flock of blurred birds flying overhead. KISU shook his head and turned around, propping his arms against the rough stone barrier. Many players were happily going about their lives, making parties, trading items. Everyone seemed so oblivious but if they knew the danger, they would be better off abandoning their accounts. Kohe a contact at CC.Corp but that was proving to be a fruitless route. KISU continued to walk, the Chaos Gate was ahead, up a set of stairs and behind a large set of double doors.

It was time to get going and move forward.

[SilverPaw]

Offline_Coffee House_

Yasuhiro was doing part-time work more often these days, since the winter holidays had begun. He had both the morning and noon shifts today, which were from 8 am to 2 pm. Working here for almost 2 years whenever he had the time during school-time, Yasuhiro was able to make quite a decent cup of coffee. He appreciated learning the art (and it was an art), but it certainly wasn’t the main reason for working at the Coffee House specifically. Besides earning some extra money – his parents being kind enough to still send him a stipend occasionally – he worked here mainly to work on his interpersonal skills. The experiences with customers served him well so far, helping him grow in confidence, patience, and, most importantly, politeness when dealing with strangers, regardless of whether they were rude subtly or otherwise.

Thankfully, problematic customers are rather the exception, he thought as he brought freshly made cups of a Green tea latte, a Cappuccino and a Mochaccino to a table occupied by a trio of young women, whom he assumed to be students just like himself. Nagoya University was rather close after all and students were quite common (but not the only) visitors. And though Yasuhiro worked most often behind the counter, he sometimes served the nearby tables, especially when it looked like doing so would help his co-workers. It was more efficient that way. And as he eventually learned, it was beneficial for the establishment on the long-term if females served males and mixed tables (this had surprised him, as he had assumed it wouldn’t matter there) and if males served females. That was just one of the many little things that raised the approval rating in the end. Who would have thought? Truly, the human mind could be baffling.

Offline_Apartment room_

Since Yasuhiro always had his phone on quiet during work, he only saw that he received an e-mail once he was finished and already in his small apartment flat, where he stayed through most of the year except the holidays. In fact, he was planning soon to return home to his mother, since she wanted to see him for the New Year’s and such.

Sitting at his study desk, he checked his phone, checking any missed calls or messages, his mind already turning to school work. However, his other thoughts quieted as soon as he saw the e-mail Kohe Nanae, Hitsu Nanae’s son, sent. Certainly, the news of a favoured teacher going into coma for apparently no reason shocked him.

But is the reason truly The World? If so, playing might not be a good idea anymore. I would like to know what happened…but investigating might not be such a good idea. Still…I can go hear him out. I’m sure some of the others will go along with this, at least. They all favoured the English professor after all and even though Yasuhiro didn’t generally get so close to people compared to his other friends – and how he managed to befriend them all was still quite the mystery to him – he felt he owed much to her. And because of that, he would listen to her son.

Online_Mac Anu_

Yasuhiro logged on to his PC and standing still in the marketplace he appeared in, closed his eyes and took a slow breath to get into his role. He played to distance himself from the real world, after all, so why would he not try being someone else? Here, he was Marill, a female, a fierce warrior, a good and co-operative team-member, coolly composed and prideful. Head held high, a hand on the hilt of her blade, she strode swiftly to the Chaos gate, her boots padding softly on the marbled pathways, the magnificence of the surrounding architecture emphasized by the golden hues of the lasting dusk. Her hips may have sashayed enticingly, but her icy glare and the tight grip on her weapon kept away any who might have otherwise approached her appealing form. She was aware of her beauty but also of the belief that others should gaze upon her afar, if they chose to do so at all.

A few minutes before the meeting would start, Marill arrived at the Chaos gate and after entering the keywords, teleported.

Online_Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground_

Knowing there was still time enough, the player behind Marill took time to appreciate the surroundings of what he thought was possibly a Lost Ground, but specifically taking note of the building, a grand cathedral. Pleased with the location but anxious to continue the quest given by a friend’s soon, Marill entered the building and after cursory look around the inside, she greeted those of her friends who were already present.

“Hello, everyone. Glad to see I’m not the only one,” she sat down on one of the pews. “I’m guessing this is not a joke in bad taste, then,” she sighed sadly.

[Hero]

Offline_Aika's Apartment_

"I really wanted it to be a different shade of blue."

Nodding, Aika would select the color on the picture. "Were you imagining a lighter or darker shade for the dress?" She asked her client.

"Uh...maybe if it was just...bluer."

Temporarily muting the call, Aika threw her head back and let out an annoyed groan. In her line of work, she was much too used to people constantly nitpicking her work. Actually, it came naturally; her job was to bring their ideas to life, her commissions however came from her own mind, and it may not fit what her clients wanted. She was always able to adjust, making sure to take every detail they desired down, and tried to go above and beyond if it meant a job well done at the end of the day. It may have started as a hobby, but it grew into a passion of sorts, and it wasn't a bad way to pay her bills, either.

But of course, once in a while, she got those sorts of customers.

Her current client's request seemed simple at first. An animated girl with black hair and a blue dress, both being blown by the wind as she looked at her town. First, the girl's hair was too long. Then the dress wasn't as flowy as it should have been. After that, she felt that the girl should have a more innocent look on her face. Time after time, every complaint came no matter what she did, and just as Aika thought she was home-free, she was proven wrong. And so she started a one-way video call with audio going both ways, making sure to share her screen so she could see if there was a way to salvage the request. "Was there a specific shade you were thinking of?" She asked as she unmuted herself.

"Maybe...cornflower blue?" The voice asked. As Aika clicked it into place, however, she sighed. "Oh, is that what that looks like? I always thought it was a prettier color..."

Aika cycled through various blue colors until she got an answer she liked. "Alright, I'll email you the final product." She said, ending the call. Taking her headset off for a moment, she let out a long, sad sigh. Why did people have to be so picky? As she closed the programs, she resisted the urge to chuck her computer out of the window. Placing her head on her desk, she let out a small wail, though a notification caught her attention.

Adjusting her glasses slightly, her eyes skimmed through the email, widening by the time she reached the end of it. "What the--" She stopped herself, fishing her cellphone out from her pocket. As she began to dial, she noticed the time. She wanted to text someone to see if they knew if this was real, but it looked like she'd have to log in and see for herself. For the moment she ignored her higher leveled character and selected her lower leveled one--the one her friends knew her as--and dived into The World.

Online_Mac Anu_

Cyann came to life, though a loud yawn escaped him. He liked to think that whenever he was offline, he was sleeping. The whole roleplaying aspect of the game was something he was curious about, but for now, the thought was put aside as he immediately headed towards the Gate. How could a game cause comas? Sure, there were rumors about it, but Cyann was always skeptical. It was suspicious that CC Corp denied the rumors--why even bother giving them attention if they weren't true? If he fished around, he was sure he could find more on it, but he felt that he needed to confirm KISU's message first. Something just didn't sit right about all this.

Tapping his foot on the ground, he wracked his brain as he tried to remember the keywords. Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground. Oh yeah, those words weren't omnious at all. Letting out another sigh, Cyann entered them, watching his surroundings change as he was teleported.

Online_Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground_

"Holy crap," Cyann blinked, looking around. He half expected to get bounced back, but it looked like the place was real after all. Scratching the back of his head, he noticed some familiar PCs. No KISU yet, though. "Anytime you think you have a grasp on this place, something completely new pops up," He said out loud, clearly distracted by their surroundings.

[Tranquility]

Offline_Home_study_

Setsuo Akenomu was currently researching some local new cafes and restaurants, as it was part of his job as concierge at the hotel he worked at. Setsuo worked at a fairly high-end hotel and never gave the name of it, wanting to keep his professional life and personal life separate. That said, none of his friends would ever consider Setsuo to be deceptive or sneaky. Setsuo was a warm person who loved helping others in his own way. He just so happened to love scouting places to eat or venues to enjoy and was able to use his talents to help locals and tourists alike. To him, it was important to give everyone the best experience and recommendation possible. For now, his job as concierge was one he truly enjoyed. Having patrons return fomr an outing and thank him for his insight, was such a delight.

As he was recording some possible places to check out, he'd surely invite his friends as he often did when doing such research, he caught sight of a sudden new email. Setsuo opened it and found the contents rather upsetting. As someone in the service industry, English had been an important class to take and he had taken a few of them under Nanae's guidance. His stomach lurched at the vision of her in a hospital, bound to machines, likely alone and afraid. He didn't think Kohe needed to be doing anything online and needed to be by her side. Still, it wasn't his place to say such a thing and decided he had to meet him in order to get a better picture of things.

Online_Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground_

He logged in and his black hair was replaced with long flowing honey hair. He had on a long brown cloak and had a stern looking bayonet attached to his back. Roamer quickly went to the new location and found himself in a very strange place. It was quiet and it was secluded. He hoped whatever was waiting for him wasn't some horrid trap. Right behind him, a young girl appeared who had an absurdly large sword attached to her own back. Since she didn't look at all familiar, he had to guess she was Kohe, using his mother's account. Above her head it read: KISU.

"Hey, are you the one who sent-"

"Yes." Kohe interrupted him. "Come on." He said as he walked down the long stone walkway. Roamer followed and soon the pair emerged on the opposite side of the church's doors. While Kohe was glad for Roamer's appearance, he had braced himself for one or two individuals. He was deeply surprised, and moved when he saw such a collection of concerned people. These people were ones who cared for his mother and he was grateful that they had come, even just to listen to his tale of mystery and woe. "I can't believe you all showed up." He said, the female character walking further into the cathedral, down the center as Roamer stayed a bit behind him. "I mean. Thank you." KISU corrected himself. "I was nervous that some might scoff at this kind of invitation, I know it sounds hard to believe but...I do believe that there is some correlation between this game and my mother's comatose condition."

"That's a bold statement." Roamer spoke up. If it was possible, CC.Corp would be having some kind of PR nightmare which he couldn't fathom at all. "Plus it sounds-"

"Impossible. I know." KISU cut him off once again, turning to give Roamer a glance before his attention went toward the others. "I don't know anything concrete yet but I am sure if we retrace the places my mother went, the areas, then...then I am sure we'll find some clues." KISU insisted. "There's also another means in which we will operate but..." He paused and swallowed. "The way I'm thinking, we have to find a way operate and move beyond the system itself. If there are secrets in this game, we'll have to be bit more brazen than regular players."

"Like hacking?" Allegory spoke up. "Wouldn't we be banned?" She asked, glancing to her friends. They had all worked so hard to save up for The World and to put it on the line for a hunch was a big favor to ask of someone. She glanced down, not sure if she felt comfortable breaking the rules, even to help a dear professor of hers.

"Believe it or not quite a few hackers go unnoticed. If they're good, anyway. There's millions and millions of players and only a limited amount of Admins monitoring player activity. I'm not suggesting we do anything grand or overt. I just know in order to collect as much information, we need to bend the rules and dig deeper." KISU said. He knew it was a tough sell but hoped even a few of them would agree to his line of thinking. "I can give you a quick example if you'd like. It's nothing scary and your data would be perfectly safe." He offered them.

Walking closer to the group, Roamer gave KISU a sideways glance. "You picked this Lost Ground because Admins don't really bother to keep tabs on who goes and does what. Right?" He commented. KISU nodded. "I guess I don't mind seeing what crazy trick you've got up your sleeve, kid." Roamer shrugged. He felt bad for Kohe and was sure the kid was doing his best to find his own way to help, even if Setsuo disagreed with his methods. Even if a game could put someone into a coma, what would proving that do for Hitsu? How would it help her wake up?

Allegory held onto her staff. "I suppose I have to admit...I am a little curious." She said quietly.

[Double]

Hulle Granz Cathedral

"Well, I'll definitely have to remember the keywords to this place for a later time. Who knows what I could learn by sticking around and examining it more closely..." no surprise there. Kotaro enjoyed studying new area types, and this looked about as unique as it could be. But he had to keep the reason they all came in mind, "...ah, but first thing's first. I already asked my circle of friends on the forums if they had heard anything about players going comatose, but didn't wait for a reply, so after this maybe I should switch to the Discussion Forum and check for a response-"

He probably would have rambled a bit if not for entrance of few more. First Dusk, then Cyann. A short greeting was exchanged but then another pair arrived. One was Roamer, and the other was a familiar Heavy Blade named KISU. Hitsu's character. Kohe did say he would be using his mother's account for the investigation. That was when the debating started. Roamer appeared to be skeptical of idea of a game causing a coma. More to the point, however, KISU voiced his intention to bend the rules, break them entirely if necessary to get to the bottom of this.

"Hmm..." Grim didn't speak just yet, instead waiting for Al to speak her piece. She made it clear she didn't feel comfortable going outside the rules like this. To be honest, Grim had his doubts as well, but did at least think of a way for them to make a compromise.

"Going outside the system could be dangerous, and probably not a wise choice." he sounded like he was agreeing with Al but then quickly added, "...At least not one we all should make. In fact," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "whoever does go outside the rules would be wise to have people who are still on the inside, who aren't actively drawing attention to themselves, just in case someone on the inside is indeed needed." to put it simply, Grim agreed with KISU to a point, but offered a compromise for anyone not willing to go that far.

"But I digress. Kohe - er, I mean KISU, you said you wanted to show us what you mean by all this?"

[NobodiesHero]

Online_Delta Server_Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground

Duskwalker offered a smile as Allegory tried to comfort her, but in the wrong way. She hadn't said this place was scary, or dangerous, she had said it felt too peaceful. There was something very off about this place. But she didn't bring it up, the gesture was still very nice. There wasn't time to bring it up anyway. Marill and Cyann showed up shortly after that. Duskwalker was happy with the amount of her friends that were willing to show up, she had really thought that she'd be the only one to care about this.

Before there was much time to chat, two more people showed up. One was Roamer, the other was KISU. But the person behind KISU wasn't the usual one, even if she hadn't known that already she would have been able to tell, they way they moved even as the same character, was completely different. Duskwalker was silent as KISU began to explain everything. She nodded when she mentioned the possible connection between the game and the coma, if her own theory was right then that was very true.

When KISU mentioned the possibility of investigating outside the game, or hacking the game and going beyond what normal players would, Saya sat up a little straighter, and Duskwalker who's head had been down as she listened, suddenly snapped up. "I'm your girl for that. Hacking isn't my strong suit, but I can learn, and I'm already working on some theories outside the game. Speaking of, I've got some questions to ask you about your mother and her condition, might help us get closer to the truth."

Duskwalker put her hands on her hips. "I do agree with Grim though, if we're going outside the rules of the game, we need people on the inside as well. It's gonna be dangerous. But, what's an investigation without a little danger?" Duskwalker was clearly excited about the possibility of doing a real investigation for once. Of course the situation was tragic but it wasn't as if the professor was dead, comas could be reversed, people came out of them all the time. If they could find out what caused the coma, it would help doctors bring her back.

[Tranquility]

Online_Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground_

KISU was glad to hear some input from everyone. KISU looked from Allegory to Grimsley and then to Duskwalker. "I understand. Thank you." He nodded to Duskwalker. "I have a friend who works for CC.Corp, he's not that close to me but I think he might be able to help us without even knowing it." For now Kohe wanted to put that issue aside. There were risks and he was asking a lot of these strangers. He wasn't just asking for trust but also their strength. He couldn't solve the mystery without their help. "I would be happy to talk about her condition further, you're all also welcomed to meet me offline and we could visit my mother in the hospital. I'm sure she'd love the company."

"I suppose a demonstration would be useful first." KISU noted.

Roamer watched as KISU took out her large sword and swung it into empty air. At first there was nothing but then there was a small burst of static before a white orb made of steam appeared, much like what one would find atop a Chim Chim. "This is the same energy Chaos Gates use to warp players from place to place. I did some hacking with my weapon in order to rip through the common code in this area. We then use this as a warp point to go into the outer regions of The World. I have only been there twice but it holds a lot of data that players wouldn't ever be able to access." He began to explain.

"This orb of steam does attract monsters though, a defense mechanism put in place by the admins. In order to deal with anomalies, monsters are the first line of defense against illegal actions taken inside the game. However due to this being a Lost Ground, the odds of this being detected are pretty low." KISU explained.

"So you make these warp points to farm for data?" Roamer asked, still not sure about all of it.

"Yes, for now." KISSU replied. "I believe if we retrace her steps and explore the outer layer, we will likely find our what she did and if there was anything unusual about what she did or battled." It was a longshot but it was all he could do at the moment. "I am working on other tricks but this is the best example I can show you. I can also tweak your character and their weapon so you'd be able to warp as well. I've found some rare items so the treasure boxes still seem to spawn there as if in a normal area." KISU said.

Allegory still wasn't sure. But what else could be done? "I suppose--"

A loud roar sounded and suddenly a monster faded into the large cathedral. It was a large dragon with two heads. It had large purple and golden scales. One head was armed with teeth while the other mouth was spewing steam. The head with the teeth was immune to magic and dealt physical damage while the other used magic while remaining immune to physical attacks. KISU gripped his blade and charged for the head with the pointed teeth. Roamer who was also fairly close and had a large stream of fire blown at him. He lost a chunk of HP and ran towards the front of the room, now firing at the dragon as Allegory quickly healed him.

"So much for your theory of not attracting monsters." Roamer called out. It seemed like their attacks weren't doing much damage. With KISU the highest leveled, most of the damage had to come from her.

"We can't warp until this thing is killed." KISU gritted his teeth. Normally players could flee a battle using a smokescreen or a speed charm but given the compact area, that would be impossible. KISU swung once again, aiming for the body while trying to avoid the two angry long necks of the monster.

[SilverPaw]

Online_Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground_

Marill sprawled on the pew she was sitting on while waiting for the rest to come, enjoying the view of the cathedral’s inside while she could. Soon, KISU arrived together with another unknown player – apparently someone else who would be willing to help with the case, as it were.

The blonde female listened as their English professor’s son in the guise of KISU spoke. She frowned when he provided no explanation whatsoever for his belief for the connection between playing The World and going into a coma. I understand that he’s devastated – this is his mother we’re speaking about. However…This desperate search for a connection, for a reason – will it really help? Then again, if the game’s the cause we have to inform others, at least. She shifted in her seat, straightening her spine and shoulder, ready to find out more.

As KISU proceeded, proposing hacking as a means of research, however, Marill offered him a cool glare, which went unnoticed by the heavyblade. Are you insane? She could only be glad she hadn’t hissed that outright. Because apparently, some of her friends were completely nonchalant about breaking the law. Saya’s reaction in particular was surprising. Marill, or rather Yasuhiro, knew that she was itching to solve real cases, but to use criminal means to track down what could potentially be a crime? Marill frowned. Thankfully, Allegory seemed to have doubts, and Grim actually offered a compromise that even Yasuhiro found acceptable. He could go along in his role as Marill to explore the in-game venues, but illegal measures were simply a no-go. He could not afford to be implicated in something like that, no matter how unlikely KISU made discovery seem.

Still, as a purely academic interest of course, Marill was curious about how the hacking would work, and a single presentation should be harmless enough. And so, both eager and wary, she leaned slightly forward as KISU slashed through the air with her blade and produced some kind of a misty orb. This thing looks almost deceptively harmless. Her suspicion was proven correct as suddenly a two-headed dragon monster appeared and it was only a rudimentary reflex that made her successfully avoid an AOE stream of fire by ducking behind the pew she had been sitting on, rolling to the floor not-exactly-gracefully.

Using the rows of pews as a cover, she took the advantage of her hidden position to approach the monster from a blind side while KISU distracted it with head-on damage. Marill attacked from the side of one of the heads, the sharp-toothed one, hoping that her position would prevent her being harmed by the other one. Well. As long as the risk is reduced! she thought during a string of furious swings with her blade, staying watchful of the monster’s movements and upcoming attacks.