================================
Chapter 368: The Full Scope of The Game
================================
[Boss, I’m going to feed you the latest update in the world. Prepare for another sting.]
‘I’m read —argh!!’
5 seconds later…
Siva looked at the Elf. She just caused a massive change in RPG: Terroa.
‘Elves… it’s familiar.’
[The Gods Race is divided into many sub-races, Boss, and the Elves are part of them. As well as the Apollo, the Maven, Atlas, and the other major races of the game. Based on what we saw in your [memories] of Ragnarok, there are far more other races we have yet to discover and unlock.]
‘The secrets of this world?’
[I’d say they might be the ‘truth’ of this world your other self aren’t letting us know.]
‘Guh! I’m starting to hate these secrets again…’
[Let’s just take it one step at a time. Scan at 97%.]
“SIVAAAAA!!!! I swear I will chase you to the ends of this planet if you so much as touch a single hair on one of my people!”
Gaia chuckled, [A Universe Spirit with an undying loyalty, such a pretty sight.]
Siva ignored them all and asked Scion.
“Mandy, tell me, what does the quest tell you to do and what is the reward?”
Scion got confused. “Should there be such things on a quest?” Siva wanted to point out that this is just a game and she should be a normal player just like everyone else. When receiving a quest, it must at least show on the player’s Quest Log.
But it seems he was wrong.
He wanted to say that out loud but abandoned the idea because of Gaia’s presence. The heavenly lightning will descend and delete his avatar if he mentions such things in front of an NPC like Gaia.
Although Pistareen mentioned that ‘this voice of the world’ hadn’t been heard for quite some time now, that notion had just been proven wrong a few moments ago because, just now, isn’t that the ‘voice of the world’ that he was talking about?
It was that [System Announcement].
“There should be.” He helplessly referenced it. “I once took a quest to deliver letters from one side of the city to another and was rewarded by Zentra and a few potions. There should be something like a selectable item listed there”
Gaia, pressing a finger on her chin, added with an adorable thinking pose, [If you’re talking about an [Instruction] from Brother Janus, then there must be an indication of its specifics when you just think about it.]
Right now, Gaia was assuming a stance where she is aware of the “truth” of this world —Siva, of course, is still unaware of it. He only assumed.
Rather, he was still in the process of not denying that conjecture that he had landed to not too long ago —that Immortals will become aware of the [truth] that this is just a game world.
Gaia spoke like a normal Quest Info-giving NPC in a game and Siva perceived this action as being part of Gaia’s personality algorithm.
“Check your Active Quest window. Although you can use voice commands, most… of us use our hands since it looked stylish. Keyword is ‘Quest Logs’.”
Scion manipulated her panel windows and after a while, she found the right panel window but still shook her head, “There’s nothing.”
“Odd. Then how did you get a quest?” Siva gave it a thought and voiced out, “It wasn’t just a verbal request, wouldn’t it?”
“Eh? I think it’s something like that.” Scion wasn’t sure as well so there was a lack of reference.
Siva glanced over at Higginson, calling out to him politely, “Can you show me your [Instructions]?”
“Why?”
“For reference.” Siva was using his imposing act.
He was using this chance that they are all locked in place to impose anything beneficial to him. He doesn’t even care about how they’d feel or how they would think of the situation.
As far as he was concerned, they were in a tour and they were supposed to tell him things that he needed to know, as part of the deal.
Many weird things happened one after another.
The supposed normal tour became over-the-top in regards to surprises and twists on every bit and tiny turn. But to Siva, these are all still part of what they all signed up for —these are still part of the deal the Humans made to him in exchange for his Dragon-grade resources.
And those are even True Dragon-grade resource at that! It was even rarer than actually meeting a forest dragon in the wilderness!
Higginson was helpless so he showed him a globe that condensed itself on his palm. It was a globe of Mana and unlike the normal Mana, this is a very special type that wasn’t affected by the no-Mana Domain that stretched 500m from their so called ‘Artifact’.
In it were the [Instructions] that he spoke about.
There were the “Task”, “Failure”, and the “In case you succeed” conditions, just like how it looked in the video of Pistareen’s own [instructions] that Volt sent him after he woke up —as a way for him to catch up on their conversation. That’s why on that very same night, they were given first class accommodations on the same level as him and Scion with that personal courtyard.
Aside from those similarities, there was nothing particularly different on it than the one he saw in Pistareen’s, other than the contents.
“How do you summon this?” Siva asked him.
“If you’ve received the [Instructions], then all you have to do is to think of it and it should appear in your hand like this. I inherited this [Instructions] when I took up the seat of President and made that Vow of the seat.”
Siva was still baffled by this [Instructions] for the NPC population of this world.
Unlike the Panel Options of the players, theirs were different though still essentially the same Panel Options in terms of usage and the available sets of ‘options’ —of course aside from [Logout].
Their manner of accepting Quests and Missions were also different from theirs, with their only similarities being their own growths—
–—no, the NPCs are superior in this regard since they can resonate with Mana once their ‘arts’ and their ‘skills’ have reached a certain threshold in mastery and create the same phenomena like how Sefirah did back in Alexandria.
Following this notion, it was safe to say that the NPCs are far superior to the [Players] who plays this game.
He turned to Scion, “Did you receive this same kind of [Instructions] from Janus?”
She shook her head.
He thought for a moment before turning to the Elf who hovered there a quarter of a meter above the platform like some ghost.
This ‘second platform’ also had a 10m bridge that goes towards the edge of the rotating rings of the Memory Crystal. But that bridge had been eaten away by the barrier and so she stood at the frame point where the bridge and the platform met.
As Siva and Scion floated 2in above the floor of the platform, they —he— looked up at Gaia.
He remained silent.
Siva knew more than the Humans. This ‘domain’ wasn’t blocking Mana but rather, it blocked people who weren’t qualified to approach the ‘Artifact’ to use Mana around its vicinity.
‘Damn it. This game is crazy. How did Pegasus manage to design this universe’s complex pieces of elements?’
[That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, boss. The game we call RPG: Terroa has a world that goes beyond what is called a game. Its history is a very complete and integrated set of complex details in which there are definite proofs of their existences while the rules that governed its functions and its natures have a sociological coordination that isn’t much different than the real world.]
‘Like a true and legitimate alternate reality…’
[It is 90% an alternate reality already, sir. If I have to put it simply, it’s like the Universe of Terroa is a real ‘cake’ —a universe of its own— and that what we call a game, ‘RPG: Terroa’, was put above it like a layer of icing in that cake… to allow access to its advanced resources in the real world.]
Siva felt a sense of understanding, and fear, at the same time. The universe of Terroa, no, all the Human Technology of this world were all too far ahead of the real world that if it ever gets out in the real world… it will cause disasters.
‘That’s why the TOS Guild was established by Thorn to prevent that from happening. He knew it from the moment he started this game.’
Siva knew Thorn’s story but not the ‘how’ of the reason he’d established his guild. They all knew that he’s a son of someone from UNICORN but they didn’t know he was the son of the President of the World Government!
[Based on my analysis of his behavior, sir, and also considering what we’ve analyzed just now, I say he is someone connected not only to a mere politician in the UNICORN senate council… he is actually someone connected to a person that is very high in the ladder.]
‘Right. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so adamant in his ‘passionate ideals’ when ordering his guild members around.’
For some reason, Siva didn’t like that Thorn. If he had to put it in words, he’d rather have someone who can instill reason in him when the right time comes, rather than someone who always says yes to whatever he decided do.
(AN: do you feel my agony? It’s really hard to write the connections between these characters’ own motivations and drives and although some are too small to remember (like for example, Loni and her family history; Rafaela in the real world and her sister, Rafa’s, way of bringing her up as both a little girl and part of The Family; and then Carl’s little movements and Ethan’s attitude as a Boss as well as a responsible President of a multi-billion company), they are still important to the progress of the story and these small details are what I’m really working hard to connect together as we progressed. I hope you like it and point out where I’m lacking or overusing. This is part of the things I’ve learned when I attended those writing workshops around two years ago.)
[Now, considering that we’ve known so far are all indeed true to at least the part where ‘the game’ connects these two different worlds together…]
Siva suddenly felt a chill run on his spine.
He understood what Cortana was about to say.
‘Shit. You mean to say that not only Pegasus, but we are really going to clash against organizations on the level of the UNICORN?’
[I’m just saying, boss, that the possibility is really there because if Thorn saw the grave possibilities that the overly advanced NanoTech Weaponry can bring to the real world, there is no reason that other people can’t think about it. Besides, boss…]
At this point, Cortana showed him a panel window of a facility somewhere in Britannia, attacked by a group who called themselves “Crisis”.
It was a facility owned by the UNICORN.
[The media didn’t say it boss, but I managed to dig up that the UNICORN had just stopped an attempt to steal a box of NanoTech Weaponry.]
‘To connect two different worlds that bordered on the same laws of physics with the difference of the existence of [magic], the Humans of the real world created RPG: Terroa like a bridge.’
[Or to put it accurately, it was UNICORN who did it with a vague intention of using the game world’s advanced technology to bolster their own. It was all over the news. The Jupiter Exploration Mission is moving on smoothly and the Android Project of the moon base is also on its past developmental phase. If we factor in this fact, sir, then I’d say that the Jupiter Mission is just the tip of the ice berg they wanted everyone to know.]
Siva inhaled deep.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
A second had passed.
Cortana made him rest his thoughts to catch his breathing since he’s been holding his breath.
[Based on your thoughts and all your impressions of the events so far, this 90% feel of reality in the game is all because of the world of Terroa… and not of the game. I say, Boss, with me as a proof, we are all inside a play directed by someone. And the stage of that gigantic play is Terroa.]
‘90%.......’
—isn’t this the tag line of the game?
‘What is the goal?’
Cortana remained silent.
‘Tell me.’
[Boss, it’s not that I’m right about this but I’ve read and seen the materials from the earliest of Human History and although it is a bit farfetched to say, and almost hypocritical and as well as merely just hypothetical… I still have a 67% certainty that all of these events…… are connected to you… sir.]
Siva laughed mockingly.
‘What does it have to do with me?’
[Boss, why do you think Humans go to war?]
‘Misunderstanding? Greed? Honor? What?’
[Human limits, sir.]
‘Limits?’
[Sir, the earliest records of Human History dates back at around 31,000 years ago. What do you think is that earliest record about, sir?]
‘I’m not really sure myself. Is it… literary? Is it the drawings in the cave walls? Argh! Just get on the point!’
[Gods…. sir. It was about the existence of Gods!]
‘Seriously, I don’t get it.’
[Humans are bound by limits. When they can’t explain something they’ve seen or heard, or felt, they will invent something that can explain that inexplicable phenomena. And that invention, sir, is the existence of Gods.]
‘So……………….??’
[To put it simply, Gods are the only recognized existences that can create miracles. And these so called miracles are accepted as the power of the Gods… which is… in the long course of Human History, had always been nothing more than but a piece of literary fiction that became a religion as it was passed down from one person to another.]
Some religions flourished while some vanished and became myths.
—this is what Siva thought. It was History Class.
[The Norse (Mythology) Religion, at the time of its peak of acknowledgement was sacred but when the Nordic Tribe smashed against an immovable blockade called ‘war’, their religion was smashed and the strong belief became history which in turn became nothing more than myths. The same also goes for the Ancient Greek Religion (Mythology) where they believed in Zeus as the King of the Gods… the Romans also have the same… as well as the Egyptians… it was part of history. And we can summarize them all as forgotten religions. But if there is something that is similar to all of them, then it is the fact that they once existed as a very strong belief that once became a religion. And so, going back to your connection to them… what do you think would happen if you, [Siva], a God, is presented to the real world?]
‘There is no definite proof I am a God.’
[Your [memories] are definite proof, sir.]
‘Miracles, Cortana, Mira—!!’
Siva stopped this train of thought. He realized where Cortana was heading. He recalled the news of the attack in Britannia and the connection to him was made. He shuddered at the thought.
[Boss, IF the UNICORN became aware of your existence, they will eradicate you without a care of anything because, if what we thought of the real goal of RPG: Terroa is true, then you’re a big thorn to their plans. But, IF “Crisis” became aware of you, they will protect you but… there is a large possibility that they wouldn’t do it because they care about you but because you are a big part of their plans. Now then, even if we add another party with a different goal as the other two, there is a fact that you shouldn’t forget…]
‘I know.’ Siva was feeling cold sweat. ‘If they get their hands on Baron, they will get their hands on me… and if… if what you say about this world’s NanoTech Weaponry being the more advanced version of its real world counterpart, then it’s not hard to say that they can indeed make me a God by using my own items.’
(AN: alright guys, prepare to be amazed by me!)
[Right. Because the “.itm” files are encrypted by the game that only with the owner’s avatar’s own encrypted approval can it be sold and used by another player. Unless the transaction is done in the official game site, the .itm files can’t be stolen nor can it be decrypted.]
‘But there is still the problem of NanoTech being able to be used in the real world. You just saw it Cortana, the UNICORN guards this technology very carefully.’
[Not as tight as you imagine it to be, sir.]
‘What do you —ah! Eosin Bozkovich!’
[Right, sir. If Eosin Bozkovich can fake his death for the sake of a project as powerful as me, then there is no reason for other scientists on his level to be kidnapped or they themselves sneak out to sell my technology to the highest bidder. Sir, you are aware of my capabilities… unless it’s an actual magic, I can decrypt any firewall program you give me and that includes NanoTech Weaponry. If the same Technology as me is released in the public or is sold into the wrong hands, whoever unleashes the first NanoTech Weaponry will be able to threaten all of humanity and if additional flares and information manipulation is added, they can actually portray someone as a real God.]
Even if Siva believes that he’s a true [God] in the game and that he is powerful, it was merely inside the game... inside Terroa.
But Cortana was right, it’s all about the first.
When the UNICORN had publicized their Android Project alongside the development of the Military Top-Grade Asset “NanoTech Weaponry”, they’ve also assured the general public that even in the worst scenario that it was stolen, the encryptions on it are impossible to be unlocked.
Considering that it’s true, with Cortana here, it’s a mere piece of cake to unlock and be used.
But then, going back —‘What does it have to do with me?’
[Everything sir.]
‘How?’
[The way you are now… I mean, with the pace we are currently becoming powerful by the minute, if our accomplishments are going to be “aired” just how the discovery of the Elven Race have been announced to the public, with a little tweaking and handling of information, you can be depicted as an NPC —a synthetic and easily manipulated God to the general public. You’re a living weapon. The person who can hold your leash will be able to control the world.]
Siva finally understood. In the end, this is still a [Game] and the system that controls the game will announce a player’s accomplishments if it reaches a certain criteria and qualification.
—it was all done to promote friendly competition between the players.
If what Cortana says about a “director” for these things, then Siva could only say that that person is a monster to be able to plan all of this.
‘Is it AG?’
[Maybe.]
‘Is it them?’ —the underground city?
[Perhaps.]
‘Is it the Panorama Corp?’
[There is a possibility.]
‘Is it the UNICORN?’
[Probably, sir.]
‘God…. there are so many suspects. How can I save Baron if all of my movements are going to be portrayed to the world for each accomplishment or even new features I unlock?’
[Boss, I can only say that we have no choice but to do things one step at a time. The good thing is that knowing who are enemies are and knowing they exist is an advantage on itself since right now, they don’t know we know and they probably are currently not aware of us or our progress in the game.]
—right. It wasn’t announced who or where the Elven Race was discovered aside from being in the south.
‘This is a crazy game.’
—the question, what game is it exactly?
—what are the stakes?
—who are the players?
—what are the rules?
—where is it exactly held?
Though he’s been sensing it ever since he begun to play this game, he still had that doubt that this world is more than just a game. Additionally, all of the pain he’s been enduring all this time are bugs forcefully out by Augustus Laniary on his NLD.
But to hear this now… it shatters any rational-kind of thoughts he still had in reserve for this world.
—this means that slowly, all those elements that make up this game as one will vanish one after another.
What makes this game world a ‘game’ is the fact that when players achieve something, they’d get to see a “notification prompt” about it…
…..giving the sense of accomplishment.
Or when they’re in the middle of a search for the quest or the mission they’re undertaking, they will get a notification prompt about their progress, or get clues about their next step, and so on…
…..giving the sense of an adventure.
What makes a Virtual World a game world is the element of enjoyment and adventure, born from overtaking challenges and defeating bosses and hunting for monsters to forge better equipments and increase their levels, or in Terroa, their ranks.
Panorama Corp may not be the first to try it with RPG: Terroa, but this was the first to successfully integrate a full five-senses rendering of a person inside a world that operates on the same principles of physics as the real world —a complete full-dive game system.
Significantly, it fulfilled the wish of all humans that had lived all this time: the removal of limits!
It gave people the ability to climb cliffs and steep mountain edges without fearing actual death; it also gave players the chance to see breath-taking views without paying costly plane tickets.
Additionally, craftsmen and artists could sightsee and gain inspiration on majestic nature marvels of the world of Terroa; inventors in the real world can present their work using the same resources and principles, and create prototypes without the risk of losing actual resources in the real world —yet still get the same amount of data to compare and improve them— promoting cost-efficient way of actually developing talented individuals.
Terroa enabled players to freely fly into the skies and reach the clouds; to see and feel how birds do when they battle the winds ramming against their bodies… such was one of the famous things promoted in RPG: Terroa.
—there are so many applications for this one of a kind VR-Technology.
RPG: Terroa gave the people a chance to dream again and see a beautiful world the same way that the early authors and the novel writers of fantasy worlds see in their own imaginations back in the early years of humanity’s literary history…
Terroa is the world that amalgamated history and compressed it into something tangible and real to the senses.
And then, alongside the experience of seeing the floating mountain peaks, snaking rivers, and lush green forests, RPG: Terroa also gave humanity an added ‘magic’ element as an attraction.
Magic, before, is just an imaginary flair of the last era but RPG: Terroa gave people the chance to experience it.
It is a complete alternate reality made into a game!
Of course, the first to dive-in into this wonderful world are those who’re thirsty to escape the dull and mundane real-world that’s full of the routinely individualistic pursuit for money and authority.
Freedom…
Terroa offered the sense of freedom.
People visit Terroa because of this but if it was to be removed —no, even if just one of these very important elements were to be removed from the game... then the repercussions are diabolically immense and would cause a great storm. After all, RPG: Terroa had already deeply integrated itself in today’s society.
The ‘Anti-Mana Domain’ of the [Memory Crystal], technically, only works for ordinary mortals.
Ordinary magic can be ranked until the 5-Tier of accomplishments. Beyond that is the Advanced-Tier —from Tier-6 to the 9th.
And after that is the level of Grand Sages, Tier-10 until the 12th Tier of accomplishments.
From the 6th to the 12th, it wasn’t a matter of just collecting talismans anymore; control over Mana, [Initial Ability] utilization, Item Equipments, and the complete wisdom about relationship and reactions of the Elemental and Universal Laws with each other determined the level of accomplishments in regards to Magical Attainment.
Because even if Wizards and Mages doesn’t train in ‘Arts’ and develop their ‘Skills’, they can still get their own standing alongside these warriors that can resonate with Mana by utilizing higher-Tier [Magic Spells]... thus Pistareen’s plight because he wanted to retire but in the current generation of Mages in the Enchantment Temple, there was no one who had the talent and accomplishments high enough for the seat’s requirement.
Siva’s mind worked like a bolt of lightning as he and the Elf’s eyes met in those small moments.
His shock to realize the implications of the current events to him and his plans, and the realization of a predicament born because of a simple [System Announcement]; he couldn’t help but gasp.
This action of his looked like a simple shock to the fact that Scion’s notif-prompt was unique.
No Quest Logged on her logs…
Not even an [Instruction] like that of an NPC’s…
Then how did she say she got a “prompt” to talk to the High Elf and proceed with her Quest?
—No.
The right question is ‘What was the Quest?’
“Mandy.”
“Hm?”
“What was your quest?”
“Eh? Haven’t I told you that already?”
Siva was sure there was something else. Janus is a two-faced bastard. It was part of his nature to be as vague and as clear as his words are.
“Yes. But… what are the exact words he told you back then? To get a prompt, how do the prompt even look like? Does it look like this?”
Siva showed her the prompt he got back then when he discovered the H-Class Information.
When she saw it, she shook her head. “That’s not what I… wait…” Scion paused and gave it a deep thought. “Actually, now that I saw it… it’s more like a feeling rather than a prompt. Like there was this voice that whispered to me and the message was delivered to my mind and I perceived it as having received the prompt.”
Siva immediately referenced it to his own set of experiences. In fact, he knew exactly what she is referring to. This ‘prompt’ to continue, it was an urge of an inner entity… or a shadow of a spirit, a different conscious thought than hers and one that had its own agendas.
But he didn’t voice it out in fear of implicating the ‘entity’ to get hostile with him.
‘Cortana.’
[I know Boss, I will create a countermeasures plan for whatever it is.]
Siva looked at the High Elf, and knew that this is a very sensitive topic because aside from the voice of the world and Janus [Instructions], no one else should be able to give out any other instructions.
“Do you understand?” he asked her sternly and she gave him a nod.
[I will follow your arrangements.]
“Swear it.” He wasn’t a fool to not have a hold on her words alone. She had to swear it or their deal is off right here and now.
Gaia didn’t hesitate and swore the oath. She even added the fact that she will not hurt Scion at all cost. And while she was at it, she even addressed the poor humans who were still frozen in place by her [Bind] spell.
[I promise that I am not your enemy. I swear this with my life on the line. I will protect the people of this world at all cost, until the day I die or may the heavens strike me down with Heavenly Lightning.]
A thunder struck out and Higginson and Gaspar, as well as those Ambassadors who had experienced taking the Heavenly Oath, was rather convinced.
Maki, however, was not.
It was his job to be distrustful, skeptical of others.
Siva, however, didn’t mind it. He didn’t care. In his mind right now are the worries he has regarding the voice that ordered Scion to make contact with the Magi of the Circle of Magi.
Who was that voice?
What was the plan of that voice?
What does he want with him—
—no, perhaps, in this world………?
*****
So many sides with different agendas; both exist in the real world… and the game world.
A world created as a Virtual Universe, having the possibility to affect the real world and endanger real human lives… it was an absurd idea. If it was someone else aside from Siva to hear this idea, they might think the speaker is crazy.
Yet it was a fact.
This ‘Virtual Reality’ had the possibility to kill lives and Baron’s condition is one such way to do it.
Another is via the ‘Dagger’ which Carl is holding; a third example is Mefisto’s “Hand”; while a fourth way is the sealed [Calamity]… which a certain soul close to me…
“—You............”
……..is in possession of.
From a simple idea that was originally just a simple matter about the ‘good intentions’ of accelerating mankind’s technological evolution, now, although it was still circling on those good intentions, the hands that originally guided that ‘good intention’ is now different and with it, the method of applying that ‘good intention’ also, inadvertently, changed.
Looking at the bigger picture, one cannot say that there is ‘evil’ at play here but one cannot also say that lives aren’t at risk.
What is the definition of ‘evil’ if given these kinds of examples?
Even if a life —or lives— are at risk, one cannot blame the other for they are merely working for a definite goal, for the sake of their good intentions.
If so… then perhaps it is right to follow…..
………the notion that indeed, there’s no one to be blamed but mere human needs.
It was our nature to evolve.
It was in our blood to fight for what we believe in.
It is in our history that war starts from the pettiest of reasons, escalated, and escalated… that those scholars who had never tasted the bitterness of war speaks that no side would win and that both are ultimately losers.
Perhaps it was true… perhaps it wasn’t. One side takes what was important from the other and the loser crawls on the ground, groveling on the fact that he had been ensnared—
–—ensnared to the cruel reality of Humanity; that it was in our nature to step on the other to elevate ourselves.
And with the long list in History, of those trying to prevent and even stop them from ever beginning, they try to create a God called “Reason” and tell others that to believe in this God is to achieve real peace.
In a certain angle, it is true.
But it was also part of Human Nature… to oppose those that we find revolting and untrue, especially if it’s opposed on a different ideal and truth that an opposing party knew.
As such, “Reason” becomes the reason to go to war… as conflict of interest was part of Humanity.
“Thus, a sovereign body, a reigning entity, had to be established. To perpetually step down on all of those who oppose it…..”
A [God] must be created…
A true living [God] must be born!
………………….
…………..
…….
….
..
.
“Do you understand me, my son?”
.
.
================================
Who is this? Why does he sound like he knows everything?
================================
.
.
.
.
.
Next Chapter: The true enemy shows its face.
.