"Hm... looks like the players who associated themselves with the Duke vanished from BWO. I guess he tortured them and broke their minds huh?"
Steve muttered after reading the documents piling on his desk. Once he investigated the matter involving a personal revenge, he found some skeptical facts and involvement of players in an unusual rate.
First thing he found was the fact that Weinford should not have been a town. It was merely a village with the population of less than a hundred ruled by no one. There was no church and the influence of Voyagers could never hope to reach until the Duke assigned himself in that place.
(I didn't know that I was quite close with the edge of the island too. It could've been a sight to see had I not accepted the damn request but now I'm sure there's no way Guilds have any chance to pursue the case and I doubt they would make it in time to capture the Duke.)
Secondly, there were ill rumors about the men serving as his private guards. A former criminal, a blasphemer, people with unknown background and there was even a demoted Knight of The Strongest Guild which made it even stranger. Why would such knight be sent into the middle of nowhere?
(Knights of that Guild aren't jokes. They're downright monsters from their gameplay videos. One thing for sure was its freedom to apply be it for Voyagers or NPC and so I should treat that bastard as a player.)
Steve put a hand under his chin. As a gamer and as a person who had stopped leaving out from the house, he never socialized nor interacted with his former friends. Much less those who harmed him, even the family stopped seeing his face and simply accommodated for his living as if treating a prisoner.
Simple food without unbalanced diet. No allowances were given and whether he lived or not might have mattered for the least in their minds. The fact that he was still given the right to stay in this house was also strange. Though saying that, Steve recalled Angelica being an eyesore and Jose being a wrathful lump of arrogance.
(...assuming Angelica is working in CYBERION corps, I can get the information I needed about this fat noble from her, but...)
The idea of asking for help was not in his mind. Unlike the two older siblings, Steve had nothing to back up his mediocre ability. Not his intelligence, and not his strength. However, Steve was certain he could beat them in games for they were the things the youth excelled in.
As long as it's a game, one could repeat the same process while gaining insight for a new result. The trial-and-error system which enabled those who had nothing to be able to crawl up was the reason why Steve honed his skills in gaming.
Even information alone could be gained through several deductions compared to each other before crossreferencing them all. But that wasn't enough so the youth dove into the Internet and checked the forum if not BWO's official homepage.
(Yet nothing but the basics here. And the players wanted nothing like sharing their achievements. If not, they used Guilds for the sake of ensnaring more newbies to toy with. Fickle greedy trashes.)
Steve began to think about what to do. Whether or not he intended to ask some help was questionable but he had the money obtained through winning online game tournaments. Using it and carefully selecting information brokers might have been the best way as Steve nearly had himself scammed by some private blogs which would force him to buy junks or vying payments for the sake of 'secrecy.'
(Still, I used quite a large sum. I guess it's good that my card is still functioning...)
After several days, the youth finally found and cooperated with an information broker who didn't mind what intentions he had and simply selling information for the sake of profits through the Internet and anonymous voice chats.
But once the dots were linked...
"Looks like the company is hiding the issue that NPCs can attack and force players to retire from life."
The youth chuckled. CYBERION Corps was a gigantic corporation possessing personal contracts with the United Nations which included the military as well as WHO. As for why would be because of how Virtual Space could assist in soldiers training regiment and treating patients in eternal comatose or disability.
As long as the brain was preserved, electrical signals could be conveyed as data using the Dive Gears. Communication, interaction and going beyond the boundary of mortal was very possible to do.
When such technology was said as harmful, would anyone accept it? The answer was an outright NO. The corporation silenced those who were harmed by negative effects of Virtual Space. Backed by international organizations and the country's millitary to prevent the smokes from spreading.
Other than that, being the founder of the technology itself made CYBERION corps as the rightful benefactor of the world's advancement for the past recent years. No business partners would want the largest tree bearing the tastiest fruits be tainted by feeble pests who could not even be responsible for their actions.
(But... If it's about the NPCs doing the crimes, it's an entirely different matter.)
For any full immersion online game such as BWO, the world and the framework was built by extremely advanced AIs which might have reached the same level as formless humans if not robots.
These AIs would then create smaller units of AIs with restrictions put on although their main feature remained the same. They learned, they experienced what life was, repeating trials and errors until they succeeded and they grew like humans. It might be not wrong should humanity claimed as God for creating a universe and other humans through different means now.
Still - that did not mean players could treat them as mere machines. It was true that humans created a world and started playing within it, but... to the inhabitants of that artificial world they were intruders.
Many welcomed the Voyagers but some harbored dislike at them. There were people who cooperated and those who tried to obstruct the Voyagers. Above all, Steve could see the big picture now.
Those who couldn't help but hating Player Killers. Those who lost their important people by notorious Voyagers who thought they could expend their stresses in that way. And those like Steve who loathed anyone indiscriminately.
"...Hm. interesting, indeed but... I guess it's more like justified anger."
The Duke probably hated Voyagers, then he found a way to prevent them from entering Daedalus. He abused his authority, hiding his true agenda while luring in the gullible weaklings using various methods. And then torturing them with an NPC who was a member of the strongest guild Brigade of Knights for having the same view.
"Reliable henchmen. Meticulous planning. Perfect covers. A hideout unreachable by Guilds. Erasure of possible witnesses. Appropriate funds. Network of connections. A critical and surefire means to fight back."
At this point, Steve was praising Vagni for his wits which was unlike his round face. The old man truly deserved a reward for trying to resist against the immortals who could revive endlessly. Should he know that the official laws do not apply in the game and that the complains of the people were suppressed by the world, the Duke would have soared high above the clouds.
"Still... it's too bad, Duke. Your fun time won't last long though I'll make sure to use your method to the fullest."
The youth stood up from the chair. He walked to the white sarcophagus which was a tool to connect his soul with another world and he was prepared to end a world which rejected him.
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Once he logged back in, Yuuya found himself surrounded by darkness. He looked up and there was a full moon which seemed to sneer at him from above.
"...night. Huh? 'That time,' the moon is like this as well." Yuuya said.
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He had never liked the night. It was because most of the malice which brought him down always appeared at night in the past. Be it in Earth or Daesalus, he could never forget the tragedies and evils attacking him relentlessly.
The glimmering blade which harmed him.
The madness seen in the eyes of those people he thought as friends.
As Yuuya gazed at the mocking satellite of Daedalus, he clenched his hands together and departed from the hideout with irritation.
"...I hate this world. If only this world never existed... then I can—"
The man stopped. His eyes recognized the difference at the forest where he treaded in and he frowned in response.
"......the Dungeon is awake? Who angered the Treants?"
Yuuya observed the miasma and the gloomy environment with utmost caution. He traveled from one place to the other as he encountered monsters which were unnaturally hideous.
"The monsters are in frenzy... and there are lesser Treants scattered about."
Uneasiness filled his mind. Was he found out by the Duke? Have Voyagers discovered his hideout? Yuuya thought of several possibilities but once he heard the song of clashing metals, his eyes widened.
"......Alice...?" The Voyager stood in the darkness.
He saw it. The battle displayed by a broken maiden.
He saw it. The will to live burning strongly in her eyes.
He saw it. The foolish act to resist fate even though she had no chance to survive.
Yet the girl howled. The girl brought up her sword and she killed the enemy without hesitation this time. Yuuya, stricken in awe, gazed at the profile of the girl who heaved a sigh as she gazed up...
And that was when a coward lunged to her.
"That's..." Yuuya stared at the man who easily penetrated Alice's defense.
Then the man forced her down. Pinning the maiden, the man gave an insane laughter as he tore apart her clothes. He licked his lips, smiling like a madman he was as he whispered despair into the maiden's ear.
At that point, disgust and repulsion swelled within Yuuya. He knew well what that feeling was and he glared at the man who showed malice as well as harmful intention to Alice. Human drowned in carnality and obsession. A fool who faced not the other side of the world but instead bent it to suit his lust. He degraded himself by exposing his vulgar behavior publicly and living as his corrupted will command.
But above everything… the fact that his eyes showed the same light like that person did was more than enough for Yuuya to act. The Voyager raised his hand to channel mana into his palm and not even a second passed after heat dwelled in it.
"Get off her, scoundrel." He said.
Balls of fire were blasted from his palm. The elementary offensive magic flew over in a blinding speed but the knight noticed them and escaped. As he could not take Alice with him, he yet again left behind a chance which was promptly taken by Yuuya who emerged from the darkness.
His steps were firm and brisk. His presence exuding incredulous pressure. His gaze showed indifference even if he angered all the Gods in heaven.
"Don't touch Alice with your filthy hands, incompetent bandit." Yuuya exclaimed.
As he made his stand in front of Alice, Yuuya stared with hostility but the man in front of him smiled savagely. He readied his sword as he uttered.
"I knew you'll come out, Voyager. Such a simpleton... that brat truly oh-so-precious for you isn’t she?"
The man laughed but Yuuya did not. He affixed his gaze and his intention was clear in one point.
"Ooh, scary~. Unfortunately, you seem to take up the path to magic eh? Now this is a trouble... so do it now."
As the sounds of strings being pulled and released, arrows flew from many directions. Raining upon Yuuya and Alice who held nothing in their hands.
However, Yuuya moved his hand and a gust of wind suddenly appeared to change the arrows from hitting them. They floated then they suddenly turned around to strike those who had released them from the shadows.
A series of muffled shrieks echoed along with stabbed flesh. A second passed and Yuuya saw a notification box which informed him of his kill counts and the rewards which included Experience Points, reduction of Fame and the multiplying number of Infamy.
Unfazed to it all, Yuuya stared at the Knight Captain who was still grinning from ear to ear. Even though the plan was foiled nothing like genuine emotion stayed on his face. A fake mask similar to that of a clown... huh?
"Oho, ambush didn't work well eh? As expected of a Voyager." Brown said.
"Is that all you've got?" Yuuya asked.
The knight tapped the ground with the heel of his footplate as he answered.
"No no... I have plenty more!!"
*SWISH* The man's figure blurred. Yuuya sharply stopped his breath as he felt danger. Once he stepped to the left a flash of silver went down beside him which nearly deafened his ear and blinded his eyes.
"Well done for dodging but do you think you can handle more?!"
Yuuya clicked his tongue. As he dodged the waves of swords aimed to his vitals he could feel how powerful a member of a Guild was.
Though he knew nothing about swordsmanship, Yuuya could tell. His eyes could see the refined way the sword moved, the bare minimum of opening left once an attack was executed and there was no hint of Brown spending an extraneous efforts.
A graze and small cuts began to appear around his body. Yuuya evaded the knight's relentless attacks just barely and it made Brown to smile deeper once he landed a slight yet moderate cut on Yuuya's shoulder.
(Skilled. And quick in the uptake. I do have to accept his strength is beyond the norm...)
But—a denial was said by the Voyager.
"You're no match for me."
At once, a red line craved itself on Brown's right arm. Once the man shook in surprise it was already too late for—
"Thank you for wounding me. I don't need to hurt myself anymore now."
With the sounds of splattering, the Knight Captain's right arm was detached from his body as the severed arm spewed large amount of blood.
"Ah...?" The man gazed over to the fallen arm on the ground.
His eyes widened as questions filled his mind but everything crumbled, including reasons the moment he realized he had lost his arm.
"Ga...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!?"
The man cried out. His playful temper had disappeared and he tried to cover the throbbing wound which was leaking his blood in a futile manner.
Yuuya listened to the scream of agony. He could feel it stirring the blood within him. He could sense his bones trembling and he slowly curved down his lips upon looking down at the bandit before him.
How exhilarating. How amusing. How frighteningly pleasant it was to hurt others who wronged him. The Voyager bearing hatred at the world smiled and he spoke as he held back the urge to laugh for the reversal of situation between them.
"High pressured blood is the same as high pressured water when sprayed. It can cut apart even the strongest diamond, fool."
Once he finished, he raised his right hand before swatted it down. In the next moment, a line of red appeared across Brown's thighs and his left arm. An instance passed then his limbs were completely severed from his body without any exception.
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A/N: Is it just me or has it been cold for a while? Well, I haven't done much but to build tension up to this point but what do you think will happen next? By the way, Swift and Painless Death is out of the possibility. You may rejoice, sadistic readers,