Answers.

In a fortified room within the Waning Moon two men and a woman sat before a girl of about fifteen years of age. The girl squirmed a little under their intense gaze.

“I couldn't believe it when you told me but you were right. What madman devised this wonderful and disturbing procedure?”

“What does that mean?”

“It means whoever did this was a fucked up genius.” Said Kotone. “All the studies that Master made me do on spirits tells me that this is ridiculously dangerous. But it is effective in making strong pawns, just disposable ones.”

“Disposable?!”

“Yes. May you tell us how this Awakening works my dear child? Then we can set out to fix you and everyone else.”

“Alright. I came across Awakening by an advertisement in another game, and I decided to check it out. When I clicked on it it made me agree to the Terms of Service, this is standard for mobile games so I agreed without reading them.”

All of the Senjustu users winced in unison.

“Ouch.”

“That is bad.”

“Why won't people read the things they agree to?”

The girl shrinked in her seat and looked down in guilt.

“Yeah, now I know how bad that was. When I agreed it sent a pulse of light through my body and told me that if I broke them the consequences could be fatal. I panicked and began to read them. I then saw what a mistake I'd made.”

She looked down at her hands and bit her lip.

“I couldn't speak of Awakening to the authorities, I couldn't tell people not to play it, I had to play for at least three hours a week. When I entered it it made me spend free experience giving me an archetype that gave me real life superpowers.”

She looked at them expectantly but they just signaled her to go on.

“There are three modes PvE, in which we battled against something they called Evil Spirits for experience and points. PvP in which we battled against other users for experience. And Exploration in which we were sent to weird realms and had to collect resources and defeat enemies, some enemies gave experience and points, others only points and resources could be exchanged for points.

Points were used for the in-game store. There are a lot of things there weapons, food, technology, armour, magical tools and money. However only low level noobs would choose money, the other things could allow you to defeat more enemies which would make you stronger. When you are stronger you can defeat more enemies, once you reach a certain point the things of the store no longer help you. It is then that you can exchange for money or other luxury goods.”

“How rich can you become?” Asked Akai.

“I am one of the top ten players, and I earn about ten million yen a week.” She perked up when saying this, clearly proud of her accomplishment. However she received only pitying looks.

“What is wrong?”

“Are the explorations and spirits you fight challenging for you?”

“Yes. I no longer do PvP because I am too strong and it has become unprofitable. I only do enough to maintain myself on the rankings for the weekly rewards. But PvE and Exploration remain challenging, it's how I hone my battle skills.”

“Rankings?” Gaius thought of something.

“Yes, when we battle we gain glory points. Depending on our number of glory points we receive a ranking and each ranking has rewards that are paid weekly.”

“Are you thinking what I'm thinking Akai?”

“Even I can tell. It's Gu.”

“Yes Kotone I think so too. Please continue, we'll tell you our theory later miss Higashi.” Akai reassured Kozue, who looked a bit lost.

“Right. Why did you look at me like that?”

“Oh right. You are being scammed. Anything that is challenging for a Rank 5 is valued in the hundreds of millions, you aren't even getting 10% of what you'd get if you worked for our association.”

Those news stroke Kozue like a sledgehammer. Her spirits fell down more than ever when she heard even that which she had earned was scammed from her, that there was nothing she could be proud of.

“That's…” her eyes teased a little but she wiped them and continued speaking. “I only have experience and quests left.

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Experience is how we grow, I've noticed we only get it from other players or spiritual beings, I once fought a golem and it gave me only points. We can put experience into our archetype. There are three things to level up, attributes that determine our raw strength, speed and the such. Skills like my webbing, I have put nearly as much into that as into my attributes. And traits like my life drain.”

“Can you explain the last one?”

“Sure. Traits are like skills but we don't activate them, they are always there. Whenever I touch someone while channeling my power I absorb their life to heal myself.”

Gaius put his hand forward.

“Please test it on me.”

She took his hand but didn't do anything.

“Are you sure because-”

“Yes.”

She breathed in and did as she was told. Unexpectedly she actually yelped and took her hand back.

“You tried absorbing my dynami. I see so that's how it works.”

“What was that?! You have more life than anyone else I've ever met! And you stopped me from absorbing it!”

“I am a Senjutsu user, we have massive control over energy, particularly our own. What you tried doing was… No we don't have the time for this I will explain later. Please go on.”

“Alright. So once you have spent enough experience your archetype levels up and you receive an overall boost in your abilities. From time to time you can get a massive attribute gain, new skills or traits.

Aside from that each time we get experience we get a fraction of pure experience that can be used to level up our player level. The only thing that does is boost our Cost. We can't grow our archetype beyond our Cost. Since we get so little PEXP we tend to hit a plateau after bursts of growth. Thankfully we can convert EXP into PEXP at a 1:100 rate. I myself am in one of those plateaus right now. It's why I took that quest since it had a massive PEXP reward.”

“Quest?”

“To attack your convoy and rescue the prisoners. Quests are random missions that give rewards if fulfilled. This is the first one that has been on Earth though. Now that I know the prisoners were criminals I feel bad about attacking you, but I didn't know about the organisation of the supernatural back then. I didn't know they were others aside from players. I thought this was all some super science thing not magic.”

“Actually it is spirit control, not magic.”

“I don't know what that means sir Kagayakashii.”

“We now know enough to confirm our guesses. The Terms of Agreement were a spiritual curse. Points are just a form of currency to encourage you to work for the Awakening creators, free labour basically.”

“I earned money.”

“You weren't paid even 10% of normal wages for what you need. Of the wages not of the actual price of your services. It is nearly slave work. You are forced to do it and you are paid pathetic amounts. I've seen slaves be better treated. Hell! Slaves could become liberos, you can never escape!” Intervened Gaius.

“It is as Gaius said. Continuing with our explanation EXP are spiritual remnants and PEXP pure spiritual energy. The initial EXP Cost was to create a symbiotic spirit, the EXP is then used to power it up by feeding it. The reason why only spiritual beings give EXP is because only they have spirits from which to extract spiritual remnants.

However in order to maintain a symbiotic spirit you need a proportionally strong spirit. Raw spiritual energy is used to boost your spirit until you can sustain a stronger spirit. Raw spiritual energy is difficult to extract, which would explain its scarcity.”

“Then why am I ill? My Cost, err spirit, is enough to maintain the spirit. Why are they called the same?”

“They are the same at the end of the day, Spirits just lack a corporeal part while humans have it, that is the difference between us. As for your question it is because your spirit is improperly grown. A spirit, for us humans with a physical component at least, is grown through experiences. Living life, caring for your mind, surpassing trials and tribulations. That is the proper way of growing your spirit.

What happened to you is an abomination. Like, hmm…”

Kotone perked up and intervened.

“I have an example. The proper way of growing the spirit is like an athlete training, it takes time but if he does it properly there will be no side effects. Using raw spiritual energy is like doping with steroids, you will destroy yourself in the long term.

You have it worse, your spirit has been mainly grown using raw spiritual energy. That is like ripping your muscles and grafting those of an athlete to your skeleton. Do you see the problem?”

“My spirit is rejecting itself?”

“Yes! Your spirit is beginning to burst, to dissipate. Your way of increasing power stops at Rank 5, maybe Rank 6 if your spirit was exceptional to begin with. I give you five years if you remained as you are.”

Kozue swallowed and felt faint. She now knew how bad she had it.

“Is there any way of saving me?”

“Yes. Doing it the traditional way. Increase your spirit through living. The problem is your spirit is too damaged, so you will have to do the kind of training a Senjutsu user does to grow your spirit fast enough to outspeed the damage.”

“I am so proud of you.”

“Thanks Master.”

“So that is it. In exchange for your information and cooperation Gaius will train you in the ways of Senjutsu. Rejoice girl! For few are allowed such an honour.” Said Akiryui.

“Was that a Fate reference?”

“Kama is best waifu.”

Kazuhiro looked in horror at those words being uttered by such an elderly man. Gaius coughed and cleared her misconception.

“By the standards of his species Akai is a thirty year old.”

“His species?”

“Half eastern dragon.”

Kozue looked at Akai again, this time in wonder. He smiled mischievously, before he thought of something.

“If possible could you try to spread the truth among the players? We'd like to try and rescue as many as possible.”

“Of course! But umm.” She fidgeted a little. “Not to be rude but wouldn't you be a better master than Gaius.”

“Nope.” Said Kotone.

“No.” Said Gaius.

Akai however explained further.

“I am certainly more experienced than Gaius. But he is a Sage, I'm a normal Senjutsu user. Even if my spirit is greater than his, but only by a little, he has far more mastery over Senjutsu and has gone through greater tribulations than I. I am a greenhouse flower, he is a wild tree. He understands the spirit better than I do, all Sages have a natural understanding of it. They gain it when they acquire their Senjutsu, their minds connecting to the universe in enlightenment. Indeed in Buddhism Sages are considered halfway to bodhi.”

Once again Kozue looked at someone in wonder, but it was Gaius this time. He averted his eyes slightly embarrassed. Akai spared him by summing their deal.

“You will try and turn players to us. In exchange we will teach you to grow your spirit until you are no longer in danger. Later agreements will be discussed when the current one has been fulfilled. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” Said Kozue with relief. She then rose and turned to Gaius.

“I am honoured to have you as a master, Master Gaius.”

She bowed to him.

“That is unneeded. If I had taken you for free it might be called for, but this is a transaction. I will do my best to teach you.” Gaius inclined his head.