THIRD PERSON POV

[The Presence of Fear makes a mighty one]

[Welcome Player to Creator Online]

[We hope you enjoy making your tale]

Unlike the first and second times Helen logged in, the welcoming words of the game struck home in ways that nothing could. Even as her senses filled into the body of her avatar her resolve was already set.

Her eyes remained shut even after she could feel her body. In her mind, one word was on repeat.

'Boss'.

Her in-game senses spread, her focus sliding all over the area around her. There was hot air in the environment, and her back was pressed against the warm floor. She could sense nothing else and even trying to listen for anything failed. She sighed mentally.

"Do you like the ground that much"

Hilde froze. Her muscles stiffened and her hands balled into fists.

'He is still here'.

"Yes. I'm still here".

'Wait, did he just hear my thoughts'.

'No, I didn't. You're saying them"

Hilde kept her eyes shut but made a move to sit up.

"I wouldn't do that with..." bang. Her head struck something hard and a rush of pain flooded her senses.. "...your eyes closed".

Helen even with the disorienting pain made sure to shuttle back as far out of reach as possible while pulling out Sword of Murrow from her inventory.

The blade created a glow she could see as white from behind her lids.

"I'm gonna start before you begin with the obvious questions to save us both the trouble and you the trauma." his words made her pause. Her sword rose higher as she fought the urge to look and avoid becoming a shivering mess of fear.

"What do you mean?". her voice was more panicky as the thought that this player could be some stalker who somehow got assigned to aid her in the game or not.

"I'm not a stalker or player".

"I didn't speak" she accused.

"You didn't need to. Your face says it all."

"My face."

" Yes, it went all scrunchy like a withering flower. Meaning you thought of something disgusting. And seeing as I doubt many know of your trauma it means you'd be suspicious of my awareness which to females means one thing. Stalker".

Hilde frowned both at his deduction and getting called a withering flower.

"Females aren't the only ones that have stalkers or think about stalkers". She argued.

"I know. "

"How am I sure you're not one? You know something about me that no one knows unless you investigated which, makes you a stalker" she deadpanned. Her eyes flashed to him quickly and away. Still, it was enough to catch the roll of his stormy gray eyes while his lips twitched with a smirk.

"True." he finally nodded agreeing.

"But I'm not a player so no way I could have investigated". he pointed out.

"If you're not a player then you must be a staff". she argued hands on hips like a know-it-all child the sword now slack. The male repressed his laughter before he replied.

"I'm not a game staff either" his eyes seemed to glaze over for a minute before he sighed and then looked back to her.

"While you're fun to watch and joke around with aside of course the trembles you get when you see me, I think you wanna start completing your task here. The others are not too far from finding the entrances to their respective cores."

"Wait what? How do you... you are the game A.I or something. " she queried. He scoffed as he glared at her before chuckling too.

"The Will is always pissed at that reference though. But calling me an A.I. is so hurtful. No offense Ma". he glanced around at his last words.

"Anyway I'm certain you're cool with my presence now with your eyes open and all so let's start?" he announced.

Hilde blinked once, twice, then again.

"When..?"

"Oh it's been open a while now." his lips stretched into a devilish smile. Yet Hilde was so focused on the fact she was looking without any reaction in her body that she barely noted the dazzle of the smile.

"I'm okay, " she murmured.

"Yep, you are" he affirmed.

"I mean, I'm okay. there's nothing wrong with me" she continued looking at her hands and waiting for something.

"I don't think it's been that long but did humans undergo some mutation Ma" the male murmured to himself. He bobbed his head as if listening to some conversation before a look of realization came to him.

Clearing his throat he caught her attention.

"I'm sure you realize you won't be fainting or growing a second head anytime soon so let's get on with this unless you want to get overtaken. The first position is quite the spot on the leaderboards".

The words were lost to the girl her eyes still looking herself over expecting a mental breakdown anytime now.

"Anyway..." he clapped theatrically. "...Welcome to the World Forge. My personal concept and one of my greatest achievements." He made a turn like the old British butlers that were famous in movies back in the past.

"You designed this game. "

" Uh...I guess you could say that"

Hilde blinked at this response.

The male suddenly sensed a feeling of danger around him, chills prickling his skin. The male spun to find an eery smile creeping up the girl's cheek.

"Wait what..." something picked him up and with a flourish sent him flying up into the ceiling. A ceiling that Hilde only just now noticed was way beyond tall.

The male screamed as he fell back to the floor with a theatrical screeching for some Ma. Hilde of course was quick to catch the boy setting him down with a giggle.

Her eyes now small and cheeks spread she laughed. "That felt good" she admitted while laughing.

The boy who was about to react at getting hurled dozens of feet off the ground shut up his eyes widening at the laughing girl.

Hilde laughed for so long while the boy just watched.

Finally, she stopped coughing and then fixed him with a stare her eyes now narrowed her smile looking evil.

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"You deserved it. Don't ask"

His head bobbed for a moment his eyes dazed before he shook it fiercely.

"Wait, what? How?. I didn't even..." he stopped. Took a breath muttering to himself before going serious.

"Just come along Creator Hilde. " turning he walked ahead while the girl followed slowly her eyes finally taking in the place.

"Wow" was her first word. The thought to stream was quickly met with a no stream or record in this area sign emblazoned with red like a warning.

The place was huge, like a home for giants. Huge golden pillars towered into the sky holding up a roof that eerily resembled the Primordial Chaos ambient outside her universe. The floor was made of beautiful crystals, luminous with different colors. One that would blind.a mortal. The knowledge appeared in her head as such.

There were no walls, no matter how she searched she found none. Just a huge expanse stretching out in all directions with empty and abundant space. Pillars every three hundred feet apart.

There were symbols that the system gave an error to whenever she tried reading them. This place gave her majestic vibes yet also gave her an eerie feeling.

The boy finally halted at a blank spot where she didn't see anything.

"We're here". he announced with a flourish.

"Where is here?"

"Your spot."

"My spot."

"Yes"

"What's my spot"

"Your spot on the map"

"The map"

" Yes"

"What's the map?"

"The ..." he grumbled before rubbing a palm down his face. The boy couldn't decide which version was better, the scared part or the annoying part. Instantly he kicked himself for such a horrible thought.

"Let me just explain without you saying a word. Can you do that Hilde?". he asked.

"Hildelith"

"Huh"

"My name. It's Hildelith. Not Hilde".

"Uhm.. Well it's better to just say Hilde. Shorter and to the point". the boy responded as if it was obvious.

"I didn't call myself Hilde though I called myself..."

"Hildelith!. By The Will, I know. It's just, too long. Maybe not as long as Quintapazzuri but still long. Typing it is tiresome, and by the gods, someone is too lazy to type hence the shortening."

Hildelith's face scrunched up in confusion. The boy frowned at his words before coughing a bit. "Plus Hilde sounds cooler".

"Anyway, Hilde. This is the world forge. In other words the blacksmith shop of the universe. While blacksmiths forge swords normally and armor. Here you and the others can forge worlds. Discard worlds you either don't like or don't want. This place is open to all creators".

"All Creators?" She asked frowning.

"Well, not exactly. See, this place exists across time, space, and universes. Like you standing there right now could be someone else in another universe. This place has just one need. World Creation. For you, this task is merely to get you acquainted with world-building. In a way".

"Alright. So I'll need to return here anytime I want to make a world?".

"Yes. Or you could just send your Cosmic Deity. Hear you made a fine one. Congrats". She felt like he was congratulating her more like a mother than a technician who made a good product. Weird.

"Wait... I've been trying to ignore it. But what's this feeling? Like dread and danger. Like uhm..."

"That's strange". he cut her off. The warmth he had was gone. Hildelith noticed his face now had a coldness that unsettled her. His eyes were now steel-like as he accessed her.

"Very..." he turned away nose aimed left while the corner of his right eye still gazed upon her before also looking in the same direction. "... strange".

She could see sharp cuts appear in the air as the boy glared in that direction. Her eyes followed going that way. The position the male stared at was to her right. A wall of darkness near yet far blocked her sight. A pull from it tugged at her harshly. An urge to walk there rose in her.

A snap echoed in the air and the urge was gone.

Hildelith found herself wide-eyed panting as she looked back at the boy. His eyes stormy gray once calm seemed alive. Like a tempest raged within them.

"Very strange indeed," he muttered to himself.

****

In the World Forge, two figures stood, one on her knees panting as she tried to catch her breath while the other stood his eyes glazed over the storm in them now gone and replaced by a simple curiosity.

"What was that?"

The boy's glazed eyes gained life before he looked down at the Creator before him.

"Nothing that helps your quest sadly".

"But it is something?" she argued.

Silence.

The boy crouched at eye level with her, raising his right hand he waved a finger as he spoke. " Word of caution. Stick to what you can chew. Curiosity and need, desire and want ruins the world just as much as hate and love can affect it". his fingers snapped and the feelings of dread and eerieness were gone.

"Back to the topic" he announced rising with a bop. Gone was the seriousness and the storm in him. Just a loud-mouthed boy remaining.

"You, you're not a player, neither are you a game staff, are you? You speak of things like they are personal and ... and you know about the game and me in ways that you shouldn't. " She stood with a perplexed look.

There was no emotion at the moment just a clear head and something else. Was it anger, no, rage, no just a hot feeling rising within her as she gazed at his smiling face?

It was indeed curiosity and need. Need for control, just like he was able to snap from cold to warm she wanted to be able to stay sane when she desired.

Of course, her curiosity came first though. To know how he did it.

" You better tell me who you are or... "

"... or what? " he asked sweetly. His eyes twinkled.

" I just advised about curiosity too". he complained tilting his head to the side.

"You can't blame me for wanting to know. You affect the game like nothing. What you just did, snapping away all that horrifying feeling isn't normal. You refuse to acknowledge yourself as an A.I like it's an insult and worse I don't...I don't get the fear around you".

" The fear. " he looked confused now. "Oh, you mean your earlier reaction to me. So that's what it was. Fear. "he nodded like it made sense. Like he just solved a tough riddle.

"By Hamiti your trauma must have been very rough".

He'd barely finished when the wind moved and he felt a prick. He looked down to the point of his nose to see the tip of the blue sword pressed to his nose a drop of ichor seeping from his skin.

Both he and Hilde watched as the golden Ichor rolled out and down over his lips before dropping to the crystals and dissipating with a sizzle.

"I'll ask one more time pretty boy" She frowned. "Who. Are. You?"

Silence.

Hildelith watched the guy go through several emotions most of them not lost to her. There were few she recognized, one being regret, over what she didn't know. The other was a bit of annoyance. The why was obvious. Then grief and anger. Finally, there was tiredness and a raised brow.

His finger raised and touched the sword, the blue blade turning into the bluest shades of sand ever seen and pouring to the floor creating a little mound.

"That's unnecessary," he muttered. "I guess after saying some things an explanation is indeed in order. Fortunately for you, I'm the only one who is this open-minded" he smiled and walked back.

Hilde frowned at the swings in his attitude before shaking her head.

" Just talk, please. I honestly don't care who or what you are. I'm just bothered about..."

" Why you're not feeling terrified out of your mind before me and why do I know something about you that you say only you know?".

She remained silent.

"I don't have to explain anything to you. But like I said I'm open-minded. They all hated me for it" he grumbled before smiling. Hilde kept silent waiting

"I wasn't lying though. I'm neither player nor..uhm game staff., and not a developer" he answered. Hilde held her tongue. The boy sighed before a bar stool and a counter appeared before him. Making the girl raise a brow.

"2046. The first free thinking and extremely calculative A.I was created. Not to bore and confuse you with words I'll just skip some things. 2050 the talks for the first possible brain-powered computer was thought of ".

Hilde tilted her head.

"In 2051 various theories and postulations began. 2052 tests started. Animals were used first to atleast check the effect on the real body. The brain was mapped into a system. Where it made various calculations. Most failed since it was impossible to split the neural activity of a living being."

"They moved on to actively sending the neural maps of the brain into the system. It worked of course. But it was unstable. Lots of things happened and skip to 2056 Doctor Hush found a way to permanently transfer the neural maps of a person into the system. And here I am".

He looked at her for a moment before stretching out a palm.

" Hi, I'm Cole. Atleast that's what my name was. How's Earth been since I left".

*****

Uploaded Intelligence. The world's most talked about technological advancement. Companies were racing to be the first to have one or perform one. But here was a live uploaded intelligence in skin and blood right before her.

"This doesn't make any sense?"

"This doesn't make any sense"

Both spoke the same line with his sounding more like a question. She glared at him while he stared back with a shrug.

" I said the same words".

" Companies barely know anything about this. "Hilde murmured.

" Yep. For good reason too. Now as much as I'd love to catch up on all the new cuisines, serial killers, and whatnot that earth must have we need to get world forging."

Hilde paused looked at him and asked incredulously.

"You expect me to be more interested in that than the fact there's a human completely in a game? "

Cole looked around for a moment before replying in a tone that brokered no arguments.

"Yes?"

'Breath in. Breath out. Peaceful thoughts.'

"This conversation isn't over" She pointed out threateningly.

"Yep. Yes it very well is over".

"But how did you know..." her question was cut off by Cole rambling out impatiently.

"I scanned your brain charts and did some very complicated stuff that led me to the answer".

" Like an A I. "

" Like an ... hmmh. Yep. Like that". he glared. "Now can we forge this world". y

"This conversation is not done. And if you run then the world will know you exist". his face froze then a sigh escaped him.

"Really?" He raised a brow at her.

Ignoring his look she stood awkwardly waiting for the tutorial on World Forging. The boy stared at her for a moment. For a good few minutes, he kept staring.

Then he smirked, shook his head, and just turned away.

"Let's begin."

A ripple spread through the air at his words. Everything felt alive now. There was wind, a rush of energy, and the faint scent of burning fire as well as humidity in the air.

Then with a click information rushed into my head. Just like before it trickled in and filled my brain telling me what to do. The information was overwhelming, and I felt like my mind stat wouldn't be enough for it. Luckily it barely sufficed as the feeling of bloating in my head abated.

A look at Cole caught a disappointed expression on his face. One he didn't even bother to hide.

"Start, I'll help you when needed" he murmured like a depressed kid sulking at his attempts at what I guess was blowing my mind. Literally.

"Will you.?"

Cole remained silent, just staring with a look that said it all.

"Perfect," I murmured.