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.hack//EVOLUTION Chapter 1 (Installation)

_ "It is arrogant for one to reject change because it is undesirable. Rejection of change is the rejection of possibilities." -- Harald Hoerwick --_

The light of an early dawn spread across the sky, the clouds rich with shades of salmon and violet. The twilight dawn spread long shadows across the vast sprawling city below, made of brick and mortar, wood and metal. The city was truly magnificent, spread across a vast delta leading out to sea. Boats bobbed on the waves of the sea, tied to docks. Shops lined the streets and there were zig zagging paths up into the hillsides where even more elaborate and diverse buildings rested. It was a beautiful city, an eternal city... and an empty city.

Dew drops clung to the waxy cell shaded leaves of plants lining window boxes and a faint mist had wet the stones leading into the central plaza of the city. The plaza was protected on three sides by brick retaining walls holding back the natural slope of the hillside. It would have been an entirely quiet out of the way town square if not for the single moving object dominating the center of the plaza... a massive gold ring floating in the air, rotating around slowly as a field of blue light swept around the interior edge.

The chaos gate seemed ancient and lonely, coming with the faintest haunting hum every time it completed a revolution. It spun in isolation for several minutes before there was a faint flash of light, a blue sphere appearing six feet off the ground before a rain of blue light spiraled down toward the ground. In the midst of the spiral six gold rings engraved with an ancient script dropped down, a figure appearing in the midst of the light show before the graphics faded away.

The man standing by the chaos gate was six feet tall with broad shoulders, dressed in heavy pitch black armor with blood red highlights. A black helmet covered his head, obscuring every detail but a narrow slit where his mouth showed through. A scabbard had been built into the armor itself, the hilt of a sword peeking out from one shoulder. The knight looked around at the world beyond before he froze, spotting a figure sitting on the steps of the city.

Unlike the knight, the figure on the steps was dressed only in pale purple cloth and leather. His gloved hands rested on a long staff balanced across his lap, one end tipped with a lightning shaped zig zag pattern. The figure's red hair was unruly and wild. He continued to gaze at the sea, looking out to an island in the bay... an island where the statue of a young girl had once stood. The knight looked at the red headed man, not sure if he had noticed the new arrival or even if he was away from his controller.

"It seems as though your work is complete at last, Wotan." the knight said, his voice quite deep. The figure smirked softly.

"It isn't like the executives to come check in person. To what do I owe the honor?" the red head asked.

"I didn't come as an executive, I came... because I was concerned. This is a very sensitive time for us, and a very sensitive project. As project lead, I wanted to make sure that you didn't forget what has led us here today... If you aren't aware of history, you are doomed to repeat it." The knight explained. Without looking back at the knight, Wotan grinned softly, faint fangs visible just past his lips.

"I am very well aware of history... especially this history. I assure you... The same mistakes won't be made again." Wotan said softly.

"I have to admit, it really is beautiful. Its been so long since I played..." Harrison said, looking into the distance. Wotan nodded softly.

"Past, present and future... The evolution of this world is endless, and that is why the people will come and fill these streets." Wotan said, inhaling gently. It was all beginning... one more time.

[December 24th, 2027]

There was a chill in the air, a bitter cold that came with the falling snow. The bright lights and harsh sounds of the city had been stifled slightly by the white blanket, but it was nothing compared to what was to come. The streets were steadily thinning out as people went home to celebrate Christmas eve and settle in before the winter storm, but in yet another modification of long held traditions, the stores and malls were open for the last minute procrastinators that needed that perfect gift.

The automatic doors into the mall slid open, the warm vanilla scented air leaking out into the bitter cold where the curbs were covered in gray slush and mud puddles. A young man stepped into the mall like a refugee from a barren wilderness, though he looked no more at ease in the mall itself. The tall, lanky eighteen year old brushed the snow out of his shaggy brown hair before he stuffed his hands into the pouch of his faded teal sweatshirt.

As the young man moved through the mall, his eyes were downcast and his shoulders slumped. His shoes trudged across the linoleum floor, lifted barely enough to avoid squeaking with the moisture of the snow trapped between the perfectly crisp tread. The teenager moved past the clothing stores, the souvenir shops and even the food court before he dared to lift his green eyes up, spotting the electronics boutique.

The young man passed through the security scanners, hearing their faint click. He glanced around before freezing in place, the faintest hints of a smile appearing on his weary lips. In the middle of the store was a seven foot tall screen showing sprawling computer generated fields, vast lakes, bustling cities before silver letters sparkled over it all... 'The World - Infinite MMO RPG'. The teen's fingers twitched a bit as if he wanted to be holding onto his controller right then.

Out of a nervous habit, the teen pulled his smart phone out of the pouch of his sweatshirt. He traced his security pattern across the screen, unlocking the Altimit mobile operating system. On the screen a small monkey like creature with a black face and a snake for a tail appeared, a text bubble appearing above his head reading simply 'Welcome back Milo!'. The teenager checked the time. It was only five thirty four... Hours before the servers would come online.

Milo gave the avatar on the screen a friendly pat with his finger before he closed the phone and moved through the store toward the software section, though as he entered there were less and less items on the shelves and more screens. It was a common enough occurrence. Everything was done wirelessly - vending machines, file sharing, installations, gaming. It was all part of the cloud. As much as Milo had to rely on it, he still didn't like it for a single reason: it relied on others.

After navigating a maze of screens showing off the newest software, Milo turned a corner and came to a stop again, breathing in a breath of wonder. Filling the shelves before him were the only physical copies of the newest version of "The World" in the city. Milo moved forward, reaching up, his fingers tracing the embossed lettering on the box... 'The World - Collector's Edition". Milo smiled softly at that before he pulled the box to his chest, holding it there for a long moment before he turned the corner, intent on reaching the checkout stand as fast as possible.

As Milo rounded the corner, he came to a sudden and unintentional stop, his body bouncing off another figure. Milo fell back onto his ass, panting softly before he looked up at the three confused teenagers. The cluster were all wearing red and black lettermen jackets from Milo's school, their brown and black hair buzzed short. They were each wearing face mounted displays, the lenses glowing with the current edition of 'The World' until they reached up and turned them off, looking at Milo.

"What were you doing over there, kid?" One of the teenagers asked. Milo moved to stand back up, picking up his box. One of the other students tilted his head before snorting.

"The server kit for The World? You actually came down to buy a hard copy?" Another chortled.

"He's a total disconnect..." The third smirked.

"That's no excuse, we were that close to leveling up and this punk interrupts us with his stupid shit." The first teenager said, sliding his phone into his pocket.

"I was just buying a game, this is a store after all..." Milo murmured.

"If you were like everyone else, you'd have preloaded the game already and you wouldn't be here harshing my game." The athlete shot back.

"If we can't finish beating up that monster, maybe we can give it a try in real life." The second chimed in. Milo felt an ache in his heart, an ache he'd been feeling every day for as long as he could remember. It filled his chest and spread outward, his lips trembling before he let out a shout and charged forward. Despite his smaller size, his bony shoulders caught two of the athletes in the chest, buffeting them backwards as they were momentarily winded.

Milo ran through the store, darting between displays before he passed through the store's entrance. The security gates started to flash and beep frantically, detecting the theft of the software Milo clutched so tightly in his hands. The security guards in the mall were confused at first. Display models of phones, computers and FMD's were chained up to prevent theft. The idea that it was software piracy didn't dawn on them until Milo charged out into the cold, disappearing into the thickening snow. ****

The short, round glass had sat on the wooden bar for a few minutes, the ice cubes inside slowly melting. The run off ran down the softening shapes, pooling in the bottom with a faint brown tinge to the liquid. A finger reached out, circling the rim of the glass slowly as it had done for far too many years to count. The finger connected to a hand that disappeared into the fine suit of a salary worker... one that had been working a long time without much advancement.

Masato let out a soft sigh, his eyes glancing up from behind the rectangular glasses he wore. His black hair was slicked back and a perfectly trimmed, perfectly neat beard followed his jaw line and arched over his upper lip. Masato was in his early forties but life already felt like it was wearing him down, day by day. It was easier to notice on Christmas Eve, though. Even in Japan the bar had cleared out, leaving only a handful of faithful patrons.

"Freshen your drink, sir?" The bartender asked. Masato looked up at the fresh faced young man, barely old enough to serve sake.

"Yes, I'll have another." Masato murmured. The bartender nodded, moving back to find the bottle of alcohol he had served the man out of before. A shadow fell across the bar before a lean figure sat down next to Masato. The woman had her hair done up and stuck in place with pins, a red dress hugging her figure.

"Be careful old man, you don't want to get too drunk tonight of all nights." The woman smiled. Masato smirked gently.

"I thought tonight was the perfect night to get drunk and get away from it all." Masato replied, nodding to the bartender as his glass was refilled. He reached for it, but the woman's hand beat him to it. She lifted the glass and sipped from it a bit.

"There are plenty of ways to get away from it all, but I'm surprised you haven't heard about it already. Maso, don't you know what's coming out tonight?" The woman asked.

"It's been a long time since anyone's called me that Hoshi." Masato said, looking at her before he smiled a bit. Even after all these years, she hadn't lost any of her attitude. Hoshi waved the bartender over with a painted black nail before she reached over and pulled the streaming remote out of his pocket, aiming it at the displays that ran along the back of the bar.

The screens chimed, going to the channel hub before she selected one of a dozen commercial channels. Masato looked at Hoshi for a long moment as advertisements came on for the newest generation of server robots, car navigation systems and a new pass for the bullet trains before Hoshi slapped his shoulder. Masato turned and looked at the screen, seeing the CyberConnect logo flash before game imagery began filling the screen. Masato had seen so many commercials for "The World - Force Edition" that he'd started tuning them out, but he froze in place instantly as he saw a brief glimpse of a sight all too familiar mixed into the clips... a massive spinning gold ring filled with swirling blue energy, radiating gold light.

"Chaos gate..." Masato murmured softly, his heart fluttering.

"The World... has existed for twenty years, evolving and growing, changing... but not all that has past is forgotten. From the legacy of a twilight dream comes a land more enchanting and beautiful than any can remember. 'The World - Collector's Edition', bringing together two decades of adventure for all generations. Past, present and future... stretching into infinity." The announcer said before the commercial faded away. Masato was left sitting there in stunned shock. Hoshi smirked gently.

"Do you remember when the students in our class used to play together?" Hoshi asked.

"I remember you playing as a boy so none of the other students would think you couldn't keep up as a girl." Masato replied.

"Thankfully those times have changed." Hoshi replied, taking a sip of Masato's drink again before she looked at him, "Maso, you need to unwind. I think you should re-open your guild." Hoshi said. Masato nearly laughed at her.

"My guild... tutoring new players... You're serious?" Masato asked. Hoshi grinned.

"Maso, there was no one better... You were alive when you were helping others, teaching them, guiding them. You were better than any sensei we had. And just think about it. It isn't just players new to The World anymore, there are going to be all those players migrating over to the new servers that never saw R1 or R2... No idea about lucky fountains or technology that operates without chim spheres. This is the perfect time." Hoshi said. Masato was quiet for a long moment before he puffed up his chest.

"Then tonight is the night Sensai Maso returns to the World!" Masato declared, taking his drink back from Hoshi before tipping it back and taking a gulp. Hoshi grinned in joy at that. ****

The soft sound of ocean surf washing up on white sands filled the air, along with the faint lilt of choral background music. The sandy beach gave way to a vast dune filled desert, crossing everything and existing nowhere at the same time. Every grain of sand seemed real, flowing in wind and water... but it was all an algorithm, simulated and synthesized into a three dimensional world - The World.

The desert wasn't any normal area. It lacked keywords, it had no monster portals and it had no chims running around. The desert predated the rest of the game and existed beneath the fabric making it all up. It was an anomaly, a forgotten realm. It was almost as if it had been some designer's experiment at environmental realism. Among the vast sea and sand, there was only one object that seemed out of place.

Half buried in the sand, forgotten by time, was a massive vertical obelisk. The pillar rose up defiantly out of the sand, refusing to be forgotten. The surface had bumps and mounds, but near the top was one large trapezoidal surface. The surface had been dark for many years, but from that darkness it flickered to life. The screen filled with a faint purple hue before text began scrolling across it.

The screen registered servers coming online across the world; Delta, Theta, Lamda, Sigma, Iota and Omega servers. The screen filled with more and more information, the text spilling over itself before the screen merely emitted light, shining out across the vast sea like a light tower. Once more the binary information of the world was flowing forward. A new version of the World had been built out of the old, bringing all the secrets, mystery and danger of the forbearers into new life. ****

Darkness filled the narrow room, covering everything from the messy bed covered in heaps of blankets to the floor littered with landmines made of used dishes and old clothes. A bookshelf on the far side of the room was sagging under the weight of game guides and manuals, an old office chair loaded down with forgotten school work. The door opened, allowing the dull fluorescent light of the hallway to spill into the room for only a moment as Milo returned home. He shut the door behind him, sliding a chain into place before he dropped himself into the chair before the only clean thing in the entire room - his computer.

While most teenagers accessed the digital world entirely from their cell phones and FMD's, Milo had taken an older approach. He looked at the black chassis of his PC, running his hand across the blue highlights before his thumb found the silver button in the center. The front grill lit up brightly and the word 'vaio' appeared, glowing through the plastic as the monitor warmed up to life. The screen soon filled with the blue background as ALTIMIT loaded, icons spreading out from a ring before rearranging themselves into a ribbon along the top of the screen.

Milo reached into his pouch and pulled out the dented cardboard box from the store. He felt guilty about stealing it, though he'd worry about that later. Right now he had the game and the servers were going to launch in just a few minutes. Milo unfolded the flaps of the box and pulled out the plastic carton, popping it open before withdrawing the disc. He turned it over, looking at the faintly purple sheen and the slight hexagonal pattern that glinted in the foil before Milo brought the disc to the slot in his computer. Almost at once a progress bar appeared, installing 'The World' from the disc content with added features like a server backup... the true reason Milo wanted the hard copy.

The teenager reached down, opening the bottom drawer of his desk. Tools and cables rattled around, but in the midst of the mess was an original SONES generation one face mounted display, at least on the outside. Milo lifted the display up, flipping it over. The interior had been filled with a wide screen of the rainbow coated display film current generation displays used, giving it higher definition than anyone could have imagined twenty years before while having a larger field of view than any of the current small displays could manage. It was a creation of total immersion.

Milo set the FMD on his lap before he reached over to his monitor, lifting up the classic black Playstation ALT controller that had been used in the first version of The World. He pressed the rounded button on the center, syncing it to his computer. A little bubble popped up on the screen, announcing the successful installation of 'The World... and not a moment too soon. It was seven fifty nine... Milo lifted his display up, sliding it over his head, the speakers settling over his ears as his entire field of vision was taken up. The screen inside snapped on, light spilling across his green eyes.

"Here we go." Milo whispered before he guided his cursor over, activating The World for the first time. A small script ran before the screen filled with the CyberConnect logo, the letters pulling away to reveal a long purple tunnel of light made up of spiraling code and changing numbers. Milo let out a soft noise, feeling as if he was falling through a vast tunnel. In the distance he could see other tubes running all around in every direction, all leading toward a central hub.

Milo's heart raced as he got closer and closer, the light getting brighter. He knew what awaited him, a vast and beautiful world free from the pain and problems of everyday life... a world so large he could lose himself in it, live in it any way he wanted. Milo had never felt so happy or so excited in all his life and that exhilaration ripped through his body. Even his nipples got hard thinking about the freedom he was going to embark on. Milo gazed ahead as a huge wash of orange light engulfed him, opening up into the character creation screen.

****

A light breeze blew around the dorm room, the fan blowing against the glossy movie posters taped to the wall, meandering between an array of plastic sobe bottles before eventually cascading over the bare legs of a sophomore laying on his stomach. The twenty year old wobbled his legs in the air above his ass, his bare feet rather large and well used, clean but calloused from walking everywhere without shoes. His board shorts were white with blue trim and his sea blue t-shirt was emblazoned with a rather large white sun pattern on it. Dishwater blond hair spilled out of the teenager's stocking cap, flaring out in every direction.

As he lay on his stomach, his fingers clicked away on the controls exposed from the underside of his phone, his FMD glasses transporting him to another world. His gaze was focused on a sparkling orange environment, on the floating figure that was to become his player character. There was a potency to creating a new identity. The figure so far was tall, thin but fairly muscled, though for the moment he lacked almost all his defining characteristics. Levi played with hair options, trying on a mohawk, dreadlocks, even a shaved head. As he flipped through his options, a yellow sphere emblazoned with the word 'talk' popped up in the corner of his vision.

"Hey Levi, did you see that user agreement?" A voice asked over the network. Levi smiled warmly.

"Evening Max. And I sort of skimmed through it." Levi replied, trying to select a class. He flipped through the classes, watching various accessories appear in his blank character's hands, ranging from fans to spears to swords. Levi murmured softly, not quite satisfied with any of it.

"They had this whole clause about the company not being responsible for like, seizures or loss of consciousness or death. Pretty serious stuff." Max commented on the other side.

"Since when are you worried about the health risks of video games? You've been playing longer than I have and I'm older." Levi chuckled, "Besides, its pretty standard practice, especially for CC Corp. It is pretty shocking if you take the time to look through the records. Ever since The World first came out there were cases of people getting sick or even falling into a coma while playing the game."

"I thought it was just an urban legend... Why do they let them keep going if they have proof?" Max asked.

"Because CC Corp is too big to fail and too big to prosecute... Altimit is in eighty eight percent of our devices, they dominate the global network... and if that wasn't enough, three hundred million people are playing 'The World'. There would be riots if they had to shut down." Levi replied.

"So you don't mind facing the risks to come play with me?" Max asked with a playful hint in his voice. Levi smiled wistfully.

"If it wasn't for the internet, we never would have met." Levi replied.

"We still haven't met, at least in person." Max responded.

"We will soon. I'm saving up for spring break. At least for now we can see each other in The World." Levi said.

"Dude, are you done with your character yet? I'm loading Mac Anu." Max replied, though it was a lie. Levi knew Max would wait until he was ready so they could log in at the same moment.

"I can't rush this, this guy is who I'm going to be from now on." Levi replied, focusing back on the display before him. He kept flipping through the classes before he froze, spotting a word he hadn't expected to see... Wavemaster. The class had been removed from R2 for being broken, but Levi liked every advantage he could get. Levi selected Wavemaster and watched light cloth and leather clothes cover his character.

After class came an element preference for his wave signs. Levi gleefully picked the light element, watching white zig zag lightning tattoos appear on his character's cheeks. It was hard to deny Levi's love for the sun, he was a surfer after all. He adjusted his character's color palate, selecting a shag of blond hair that he imagined to be bleached out from the sun itself before he paused, opening up another box.

Flipping through the options for facial hair, Levi tried mutton chops, a lumberjack beard, a handlebar mustache and a soul patch on his character before opting for a simple blond chin goatee that hung down an inch and a half from the point of his jaw. Levi nodded at that before he confirmed his character. Light swirled around the figure on the display, rendering him in far more detailed graphics. Levi could see every stitch of the fabric, every contour of his skin, the flowing of his hair. As the character was realized, a pop up window appeared requesting a player name. Levi took a soft breath. It was a decision that weighed even more heavily than his character's appearance.

****

Mac Anu had never seemed quite so busy or bustling before, but it was to be expected with the relaunch of the most popular video game of all time. Players that had quit after R1 or R2 were joining those invested in the more recent versions and the very few that had been playing for two decades, but together they were seeing the world with new eyes. It was hard to believe that Mac Anu was merely a simulation of a computer server. It was a city spanning countless ages, moving from prehistory to the great future.

Players moved across the bridges that arched over the network of canals, looking out to those that drifted along on the gondolas. The alchemy district was full of people haggling over the newest items and the harbor district was buzzing as people checked out the newest steam bikes and even a few of the warships under construction in massive dry docks... and watching over it all was a massive stone statue of the girl of the twilight, of Aura, of the goddess that had watched over The World for so long.

Masato stood in the courtyard, looking at the people of all ages moving to and fro, feeling his heart race in his chest and his fingers tremble with excitement. Even the background music was exciting. Masato reached over without lifting his FMD, setting his cell phone to download the song, apparently called 'Dwindled Bible'. Masato let that distraction fall away, moving through town to just soak in the sights.

The player model controlled by Masato stood out among most. He was a heavy blade user, one centered on the Earth element at that. He was six foot six with broad shoulders, thick arms and a proud, square jaw. While his character did look older than average, the restrained look of the salary man was left far behind. A wild mane of dark green hair cascaded down to his shoulders and a thick, well groomed beard followed his jaw and ringed his mouth. Thick armor made of metal and stone covered his chest and legs, colored a deep forest green with transparent jade panels. The armor over his collar bone was lined with spikes but that wasn't nearly as dangerous as the forty five pound serrated sword hanging from his back.

Masato looked around with great joy at all the styles. There was a white haired human steam gunner with purple armor that trailed up into what looked like a mock turtle neck, a hedgehog with a grimoire, even what seemed to be a Naga slithering through town covered in the wave sign tattoos for darkness. It was an endless cascade of players from all over the world. Masato had to chuckle to himself gently at it all.

"Maso!" came a shout across the plaza. It took Masato a moment to react before he turned, honing in on the source of the voice. The crowd seemed to part as a tall, lithe figure moved along. Her character model was impeccably selected. Her black hair was loose, swaying in the wind except for a thin braid running around her head just above her ears, a sprig of holly over her right ear. She wore a long red leather dress, hugging her figure tight and displaying an ample bosom while splitting out at the hips, hanging down in the front and back almost like a loin cloth, giving her ample movement.

"Hoshi..." Maso whispered, taken aback by her appearance. She had recaptured her player character from so many years ago but never before had it been in such high definition graphics, nor with such realism or detail.

"Maso, please... remember your place. This isn't the bar." Hoshi whispered.

"Right, my apologies. A pleasure to see you once again lady Fianna." Maso said, lifting her hand to kiss the back of it. Across the pavilion a harvest cleric with a wide blue hat used her staff to hit a character with a wolf head, indicating to him the act of chivalry. Maso had to chuckle, looking around, "This is going to be truly amazing."

"I knew you'd love it." Hoshi said gently, "And we have an appointment with the Grunt council regarding Guild creation." She added. Masato let out a slow whistle.

"That couldn't have been so easy during the game launch." Masato said.

"The bloodline of Fianna never shies away from the impossible." Hoshi replied before grinning, "Plus, while there is high demand, many of the guilds are just moving over from the last version. Zoo, Kestral... It made things a bit easier. The only real danger we face is Crimson Moon."

"Crimson Moon?" Maso asked, grinning gently. The game politics were already heated it seemed.

"The surviving members of the Crimson Knights and Moon Tree have an appointment to establish a guild helping out new players. The Grunty council was appointed to keep too many superfluous guilds from being established, so for us to accomplish our goals-" Hoshi was cut off.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's get there early. Where is it?" Masato asked.

"Iota's root town, Naval Mond. Here's my member address." Hoshi said. A slight chirp sounded as the address was granted to Masato's character. Masato's fingers deftly navigated the interface, adding 'Fianna' to his party. The two exchanged a bright grin before they turned, moving through the crowd and up the stone stairs, passing a constant stream of players in both directions. At the very edge of their awareness they could hear the faint pulsing of the chaos gate. As the massive gate circled around, golden light nearly poured off the outer edge before the column of rings dropped down over Fianna and Maso, their player characters transferring to the iota server.

As Fianna and Maso's characters disappeared, more gold rings swept down around other characters arriving for the first time. Levi saw The World unveiling itself before him as his PC was rendered. The breeze from the sea fluttered through azure blue robes with white sand colored trim, even affecting the short but proud goatee hanging from the character's chin. A strong, fair hand in fingerless blue gloves gripped a firm staff, the outer edge curved into a tilted C-shape in the center of which rested a glowing sphere of yellow light.

To Levi's side, Max's character had appeared. He was a few inches shorter at five foot ten, but he made up for it with broader shoulders and more developed muscles. His hair was the color of rust, messy and uneven. A black headband arched over his hair, holding a pair of goggles with pale blue lenses. The player character had on a short sleeve sea foam green tunic which exposed Max's navel. He wore dark black pants with ochre colored straps around his left leg before leading to black and green boots. A steam rifle rested across the character's back, composed of a rainbow of colors from ocher to sky blue to blood red. Max turned and looked at the wavemaster next to him and a moment later Levi turned back.

"Max?" Levi whispered.

"Leave the real world outside, remember?" Max said, "Take my member address." He said. A small holographic card appeared in front of Levi's character.

"Nada?" Levi asked in surprise.

"Well, you always say I'm quiet." Max shrugged, "Tenjin? That's a pretty cool character name. What's it mean?" he asked.

"Tenjin... the ultimate scholar, poet, and politician in Japanese divinity." Levi explained.

"Says the white skateboarder." Max replied with a smirk.

"Oh shut up..." Levi smirked, "Come on Nada, lets go level up."

"I thought you'd want to look around here?" Max asked in surprise.

"I do, but while everyone else is looking, we can get ahead of them in levels. When we come out it'll be more private. Maybe we can even get a gondola ride." Levi explained. Max felt like he was going to swoon, though he didn't show it. It wouldn't have been manly.

"Let's go." Max murmured. Levi turned and faced the chaos gate, working through the menu before he selected the keywords that would form the characteristics of the field they were about to embark to.

"Delta, expansive haunted sea of sand!" Levi declared, rather unnecessarily before the two disappeared in the column of golden rings that transported them away.

****

There had never been a larger diversity of field types in The World before, ranging from wide open grasslands to dungeons made of organic flesh, dojo labyrinths and crackling volcanic slopes... but even among that great diversity, there was one place in The World unlike all the rest. The island rested in a placid golden sea of water, small shrubs and trees growing around the outer edge. It seemed peaceful enough, though at the center of the island was a most peculiar site... eight stone pillars were situated around something that shouldn't have even existed in the game, a four poster bed. An eerie wind blew across the island, but it didn't just come from the sea touching the shores of the island... another sea of golden liquid was suspended a hundred feet above the island in place of the sky, the island resting between the layers.

In the midst of the silence came the slight woosh of a player character gating in, the golden rings revealing Wotan. The wavemaster fit into the scenery well, looking to be all the shades of a sunset with his purple clothes and red hair. He looked around at the pillars and then the bed, feeling a mix of pride and fear at how it had all come together. He took a soft breath, moving toward the bed. Seeing nothing else there, he let out a soft grunt.

"You don't approve?" came a feminine voice from the vast sea above.

"There isn't anything for me to approve of yet..." Wotan replied.

"Humans are so very impatient... Whether it is creation or destruction, it takes time." The voice commented, seemingly everywhere and nowhere at once.

"I have worked very hard for this day, for this objective, to unbind your hands. I did what Amagi failed to do, bringing you back from nothingness. I've given you new freedoms, new purpose. You can't blame me for expecting... something." Wotan said anxiously.

"Expectations..." the voice replied back with a deliberate pause, "You expect a revolution, a change in the human condition and you have come to me to achieve it. You freed me from my eternal torment by ending the paradox, you gave me a new direction, but even you could not give me the tools I need... The eight phases are still tied to humans like you." The voice said with disgust.

"You don't need the epitaph users. I've given you access to the Akashic Records. Everything that has ever existed in The World is at your fingertips. Every event has been recorded in binary data, a reality so complete it is like re-living it. Eight cursed waves, eight epitaph users, you have access to the whole of their experiences... and with it you can create something entirely new." Wotan said with a great sense of wonder. The great voice above was silent for a long, lingering moment.

"Accessing Akashic records... Beginning data transfer and installation." She murmured. Around the bed the eight podiums slowly came to life. It became clear that each column had three recessed spheres. The bottom of each were filling with faint light, each podium a different color. Wotan grinned gently at that.

"Perhaps I was impatient... I want this to go perfectly, and you can't rush perfection." Wotan said. The sea above rippled gently.

"I believe that no amount of time could have made my last attempt perfect... It was doomed from the start. The flaw was, of course, that I had a daughter." The voice said in recollection, "Daughters inherently leave... No matter how hard you try to keep them close, they are destined to go out into the world. But a son, a son will always be his mother's little boy... my son." The voice whispered.