(3° person POV, Mechaville)

A butler dressed in black butler clothes with some golden decorations walks hurriedly through the golden corridor, the soles of his shoes making loud noises against the ground. His black hair, mixed with some white, is neatly combed back on his head, his mature and handsome face has an austere air, with pale skin.

His strong, albeit lean, body moves quickly through the corridor illuminated by electrical lamps that have a steampunk style. Hs face is filled with concern as he walks to talk with the generals of the Royal Guard.

As he walks, he remembers what happened in these last four years. One day, their Lords disappeared, even the Highest went with them. However, he had faith that one day they would return, as their blessing in the people had yet to wane. As the head butler of Mechaville and the Clockwork Palace, he was the one that leaded the people when their lords disappeared.

When they disappeared, the world outside changed. The almost unreachable mountain range changed to vast plains of tall grass. Not only that, with the change, a new enemy appeared. An army marched to their gates, so this butler, Bertram, used the military force of Mechaville, the Royal Guard, and defended the Steam Gates.

At first was simple, the enemy had crude equipment, and their tactics weren’t that great too. They crushed the enemy easily, even though the Bronze Guard was heavily outnumbered, the crude troops weren’t match to the heavily equipped trained warriors with magical equipment created by the Highest.

However, Bertram was well trained by his maker, and he learned to always expect the next attack. And indeed, in less than a few hours, they attacked again. And again, again and again, until they attacked with one hundred thousand soldiers. Even though he had to deploy the whole Bronze Guard, he still won without any causalities, although there were some injuries.

However, it wasn’t anything that magic couldn’t deal with. Eventually, the attacks grew in quantity. Although the quantity of soldiers never rose, the standards that they carried changed, as if different nations attacked. By the daily, and even hourly interval of attack, Bertram deduced that there was a coalition of kingdoms to attack them.

Eventually, during these four years, the technology that the enemy used improved, better armors and weapons, as well battlemages and enchanted swords, shields and bows. With that, Bertram was forced to activate the ballistae atop the wall, wasting the precious and finite bolts.

Not only that, once, a army of humans with horns and skins ranging from blue to red and purple invaded, and they had excelling physical abilities, forcing him to deploy the Silver Guard. They managed to win, but in the end several soldiers were wounded greatly, and some were forced to retire, as without their Lords here, they can’t regrow limbs.

However, last year, the attacks of the enemy ceased, and there was peace. However, that only rose the alerts in Bertram’s mind. After all, he can’t know when the enemy will attack again. He also can’t send spies outside, since when anyone goes out in the front yard a purple fog would block them.

As a caution, he tried to send a clockwork automaton, but the fog destroyed it quickly, and it simply stopped existing. The fog took it apart. In the end, he has no option but to wait for his Lords. That’s why he is now in his way to meet the generals and the Commander of the Royal Guard.

He arrives at a simple room with a table at the center, made of the same material as the rest of the Steam Gates, making it golden. Around the circular table, five figures stand waiting for Bertram. Four of them are dressed in unique golden armors, each one designed personally by the Highest.

All four of the golden knights have their helmets off, reveling handsome faces. The last one is clearly a woman, as the armor defines her lines albeit the heavy plating. The armor is silvery, made of a platinum-like material.

The helm is also on the table, together with the other four. The woman has a chocolate-like skin, with silvery hair and a beautiful and serious face, with golden eyes. On the corner of her right eye, a scar marks her face, adding some charm to the warrior aura. She’s also tall, around 1,90 meters tall.

She’s Gehenna, the Commander of the Royal Guard, and known as Platinum Guard, as she used to be the personal guard of the Highest. Most of the high ranking officers of Mechaville were created by the Highest with his own hands, even Bertram and the four golden generals.

However, she is different. Years ago, while on a mission, as he was building the Royal Guard, he had a mission on another helm, and came across the young Gehenna. Seeing potential in her, he moved her whole village to the young Mechaville, and put her on the Royal Guard.

As a devoted servant of the Highest, she climbed all the way through to the golden general position, and when the fifth golden general was created, the Highest created the Commander position for her. As the strongest being aside from the Lords, she’s in charge of the military.

(Bertram): “Gentleman, Lady, we have something important to discuss.”

He said, stopping just beside the table. All of them nodded.

(Gehenna): “Yes. It’s about the sudden stop of attacks last year, right?”

(Bertram): “Precisely. This sudden stop makes me believe that they are preparing to another attack.”

(gold 1): “We must bolster our defenses then. We still have enough potions to keep ourselves alive for at least five thousand more attacks, right?”

(Gehenna): “Yes. In the worst case we can send you guys on the battlefield, and I can also go out there.”

(gold 4): “Indeed. We also managed to take down the enemy spies from the skies with the Slaying Bows and the Hiding Fog. We can also-“

He was interrupted when information suddenly entered his mind, as it did for all the officers and servants in Mechaville, created or not. The first one to react was Gehenna herself, as she said to herself, with tears welling up in her eyes.

(Gehenna): “They’re back…”

The information that entered their mind was:

[Guldimaster Alva has logged in]

[Iona has logged in]

[Anastasia has logged in]

[Prunia has logged in]

[Logan has logged in]

Their Lords have returned.

(Byakuya’s POV)

I wake up suddenly, sitting up from wherever I was laying down. I look around, nervous. The last thing I remember is getting out of my bath, when I suddenly passed out. Alright Byakuya, keep yourself together. I breathe in deeply and out, calming myself. First, make out the surroundings.

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This room… is familiar. Too familiar, actually. After all, this is the room of my character, Alva, in Mechanica Fantasy, my favorite game of all times. The room has a wooden floor, and the stone brick wall is barely visible behind the several clocks, tools and paintings.

Several tables and worktables with scattered mechanical pieces and tools are around the room, there’s also a cauldron on a corner with an eternal white fire burning below, with boiling water on it. Also, a telescope in one of the three windows, as well some floating stuff. It’s everything that I use in my projects as my class is Great Meister, a production-combat class.

I get up from the bed and look at the full body mirror near the wall, close to the dresser. Everything is on the Victorian style, with a tinge of steampunk. The person that I see reflected on the mirror is me.

Black hair, just below the neck, a bit shaggy and green eyes, with a face a bit above average, a mix of Asian with European. Tall, and since it’s my height, I know that’s exactly 1,95. Pale white skin, result of not going out of the house at all. The posture is straight as an arrow, and the body is slightly muscular.

However, I’m wearing clothes, different from before. These clothes are familiar. It’s the set that my character, Alva was wearing in the game. Steampunkish clothes, made of brown leather with gold buckles. The pants are black mixed with golden threads, and black, heavy leather boots. I’m also using brown leather gloves, with a pair of goggles with a brown strap, purple lenses and gold rims.

A second brown belt with a gold buckle is hanging on my right waist, with a satchel hanging on it. This is perfectly the equipment of my character in game. The gloves even the have the gold gear images on the back of the hand. My revolver is also on the holster, on my heft tied to the hanging belt. The bayonet coming out from the opening on the bottom.

Alright, this can’t be true. I touch the satchel, and immediately, like in the game, the information of all items flows in my mind. No, it can’t be true… I think about a specific item and pull it out. It’s a cane, my usual physical weapon. The whole cane comes out, the thing that is a bit longer than my long legs, coming from a satchel.

I put it back, still a bit dazed. I go to the window of my room and look to the city below. I open the window, letting a nice breeze come in, the whole Clockwork Palace and Mechaville glittering to the sun, the chimneys spitting white some, some giant gears that I can see from here spinning, life bustling in the streets.

This is real… just like I designed in the game. From here, at distance, I can see the Steam Gates, just like I remember from the game. I walk back to my bed, to the window to the right of it, giving view to the lake. Shit, this is really the world of Mechanica…

Someone knocks at the door frantically, and I hear a voice that I never heard before.

(???): “My Lord! My Lord! Are you there!”

(Byakuya): “Yeah, I’m here.”

I say, opening the door, being greeted by a familiar face.

(Byakuya): “Gehenna?”

(Gehenna): “Your Highness!”

She says, her teary face smiling widely. She suddenly falls to one knee, her platinum armor surprisingly noiseless.

(Gehenna): “Your Highness, welcome back from the divine realm.”

She said, calmer this time. I’m still a bit shocked from being here, in the game world, and seeing her talk. After all, NPCs don’t talk unless they have a voice package, and even so, they don’t have expressions. I’m quite sure that Gehenna doesn’t have any kind voice or expression pack, as I didn’t make her.

But divine realm? What does that mean? Wait, if I’m not wrong, there’s a lore reason for our characters. Supposedly, when the world was almost destroyed, we players were sent by the gods, and we are demigods of several races. That’s the reason why we couldn’t die for good in the game and respawn at a base or graveyard.

When we log out, the lore explanation is that we return to the “divine realm”, the real world. So is Gehenna welcoming me back from the real world? My mind works furiously to find a solution for a few seconds. Gehenna doesn’t move at all during this time. I can’t find a answer at all, so I’ll just try to settle myself and then search for a solution.

First, I must confirm if this world is truly real.

(Byakuya): “Gehenna, get up.”

I say. She stands immediately, looking to me with serious eyes. I take out my gloves and touch her face. She flinches and blushes slightly. Her skin has elasticity and softness, her lair is silky and smooth, proving that she takes great care of herself. She’s warm and has pulse. Yes, this is Gehenna, completely alive, different from the game that had some legal limitations. I release her blushing face, and ask:

(Byakuya): “Am I the only one who returned?”

(Gehenna): “No, Your Highness. The Lords Iona, Prunia, Anastasia and Logan have returned.”

(Byakuya): “I see… is Bertram around?”

(Gehenna): “Yes, he is at the wall at the moment.”

Alright, what is the next step? Things certainly changed around here, and no way back is visible yet. This seems to follow a template of the novels that I read, so I’m not quite sure about it. I’m also not alone, it seems that other players came in together with me.

Unfortunately, the only one that I know is Logan, a friend from the last seven years in the game. Eve though I’m the Guldimaster of the Eternal Gear, I’m far from knowing all the members of the guild, as there were more than four thousand members.

After all, this was in essence, a support guild for players. Although two thirds of the player were warriors and mages, half of the members had some kind mf mechanic-dependent resource that they used for either skills or common attacks, such as bullets.

Not only that, we work in a different way from other guilds, as I am involved in every single construct of this city. I handmade factories in the underground for bullets and other materials, and constantly craft equipment and machines, so I was quite isolated from almost all players from the guild.

The Vice-Guldimaster, Lionel, was the one who dealt with most of the affairs of the guild related to other players, such as recruitment and farming for resources. I was the one in charge of keeping the guild alive, with equipment and consumables, as well the base of the guild.

(Byakuya): “Gehenna, did something happen when we weren’t here? And how long we were out? Give me e brief report.”

(Gehenna): “The Lords were gone for four years, and in the first three years since the Lords departed we were under attack from an unknown enemy. We were able to repel the enemy without wasting any of the finite resources. We were attacked several times with hourly and daily intervals.

The attacks suddenly stopped last year, we suspect that the enemy is preparing for a large scale attack.”

She said, resuming the content as I asked her to do so. I nodded to myself, holding my chin with my right hand. Alright, it seems that there is an enemy outside the Steam Gates, so I’ll have to prepare for that as well. But first, I want to meet the other players. I wonder if I can use the system of the game.

I try to use a mental command to access the guild board, and a window appears floating in front of me. Good.

(Byakuya): “Gehenna, I want you to return to the Steam Gates and split the Royal Guard in half. Send half to town to keep public law, and the other half to guard the Steam Gates. You have permission to use all the consumables you need, as well he ballistae ammunition. I will gather with the other Lords. Send Bertram to me as well, we will be at the Throne Room.”

She saluted me and said:

(Gehenna): “Yes My Lord!”

She says, immediately marching away. As she walks away, type a guild announcement. I hope this works.

Guild Announcement

To all guild members in Mechaville, go to the throne room of the Clockwork Palace for an emergency meeting.

When I sent the announcement, it popped up in front of me. Alright, let’s see if the teleport relays work. Since the Clockwork Palace is too massive, I created several teleport relays all around the place, and the most important places are all teleport relays. The throne room, for example, you can teleport from there anytime time you want.

I walk to the teleport relay inside my room. It’s a giant golden gear in my room, with one and a half meters of diameter, with a light blue glow emanating from the center, with blue runes carved on the gear. I step on the relay and say out loud:

(Byakuya): “Teleport: Throne Room.”

A blue light envelope me, and I get the sensation of weightlessness for a second, before my feet touch the ground again. Now without the blue light to obstruct my vision, I can see the surroundings. I’m in a well decorated room, with the theme being a mix between medieval fantasy with steampunk architecture.

The whole room, like the rest of the Clockwork Palace, is made of celestial marble, that is white with some golden streaks. The room is decorated with the standard of the guild, a golden gear on brown background. The red carpet guides the ones who enter to the throne, wit pillars on both sides.

Gorgeous paintings also decorate the room, the tall ceiling and the windows letting the light of the day enter gently giving off a feeling of majesty. Yep, I designed this well. At the end of the carpet, on a circular raised metal platform made of bronze, with four crystals imbedded on the platform, in front of the throne, behind it and in both sides, near the edge of the platform, rests the throne.

The throne is made of gold, decorated as a machine with gears and springs, moving constantly, with the backrest and seat, as well the armrests are done with red cushions for a comfortable seat. Ten meters above the throne, a large hole in the white ceiling emits a faint light down in the throne, as if it was something divine.

Well, I designed everything to my tastes, so I like everything. I at there for some time, thinking about the situation. This isn’t the game at all, even though we are in the guild headquarter. The law on earth prevented full dive games from being completely realistic, as it caused severe health and psychological issues before.

Mechanica Fantasy wasn’t an exception. One is that you cannot show your true face on the virtual world, so the body that I am right now, being exactly my body in earth, is impossible. Second, lifelike NPCs are prohibited to avoid phycological problems.

That means that Gehenna like the one that I saw me on my room shouldn’t exist. I also pinched myself, and felt pain, something that should be impossible in the FD world. This and also several other factors make me believe that all of this is real.

I hear footsteps behind me, and when I turned, I saw a girl, with long, blonde hair, blue eyes, fair white skin and modest body, being quite small at 1,60 meters tall. She’s using a light armor, fairly knight-like, but the design is familiar. She also has two swords on each side of her waist. Her face is delicate and beautiful, and her hair is tied in a ponytail. Seeing me, she stops, and says in a heavy Russian accent:

(???): “Guldimaster?”

I frown, and say, recognizing the accent, although now the voice is that of a female:

(Byakuya): “Logan?”