They did it. Skyline Gaming Corporation had finally completed the development of their new MMO. LAIOS or rather, Learning Advanced Intelligence Operating System, was ready for its first beta run. Of course all the game developers had worked painstakingly late and over holidays to ensure that the game didn't have any errors or bugs but they were human. Mistakes were bound to crop up somewhere in a game this large. It was one of the reasons why they worked extra hard on the 'living' game master within LAIOS so that the game could essentially fix itself. The development of the adapting game master had taken ages to develop but LAIOS was going to be worth it. Players from all over the world were going to appreciate the ever evolving environment at their finger tips. And what other game could brag about having a game master living and interacting with players 24-7? No one else. This would put Skyline Gaming above the competition.

All that was left to do before the big opening day was to beta test the game and their new learning AI. They had already sent the game download to their hand selected beta testers and one of their own game developers would be sent to beta test as well to ensure the AI did what it was supposed to do and help it learn and gain interactions with the other players. Besides, the developer herself would be able to assist the AI in fixing the game since the only way to actually change LAIOS once it was online was inside the game itself.

The head developer leaned back in his chair and stretched a moment, his team standing beside his chair and looking at their dark screens intently. Their inside girl was already hooked up with the software that would allow her consciousness to be transported inside the virtual world. The helmet fit snugly on her head and she was laying down for safety and comfort. The helmet itself was also wireless and sent signals to the brain to induce REM sleep and trick the brain into thinking it was sleeping so it would naturally paralyze the body and prevent the player from literally running about thinking they were slicing down enemies when in reality, they jumped in front of a car.

The man turned back to his computer and rested his hand on the button that would bring LAOIS to life and quirked his lips in an excited smile. "Boys and girls, let's end this waiting trial. Game. Start," he announced and pressed the button. Immediately the black screen flickered to purple before it changed to a blue screen that slowly faded to reveal the welcome screen of the game as their hooked up developer would see it. They waited with bated breath as Diane customized her character and was transported into LAIOS.

---

---

╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝
╠═╝╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣
╚═╣Inside the game, the blue screen began to change, morphing through a plethora of color as coding was translated into 'reality'. Some of the blue lightened to become a clear morning sky covered in sluggishly moving puffy clouds. Below, the ground began to morph to reflect each of the scenarios present in the game world; forests, tundra, towns, fields, jungles, beaches, deserts, and yes, even caves. Once the layout was formed, details began to evolve till the world looked and felt very real as it engaged all of the human senses, or rather, the illusion of all the senses. Once the details were complete, NPCS and monster data was converted into usable platforms and spawned everywhere in the fields. At last, LAIOS was complete and player ready. Well, maybe 90% complete. There was one key component missing.

In the center of the sky above Arieo, the town where all players begin their journey in LAIOS, began to twist and break down. Codes flashed as the game ran the script to create its Game Master. It took a moment but the coding revealed the generating figure until a young man floated over the town. He looked to be in his late teens or maybe early twenties. His short navy blue hair caressed his boyish cheeks thanks to the gentle breeze blowing around him and tugging at his long flowing clothing. A dark black book materialized in his right hand with silver plating and foreign inscriptions as the AI descended. As soon as the man touched the floor, red markings slithered down the left side of his face and down the rest of his body safely hidden by his clothing. Seraph opened his eyes, the coding there quickly hidden by the aquamarine hues and he blinked, 'breathing' for the first time in his world, an adorable little newborn and blank slate.

Seraph tilted his head to the side as he scanned the town. He turned in a slow circle and blinked wildly as he took in the information. His motions were very rigid at first as he got used to his new found body. He looked down at himself and brought his hands up and wiggled his fingers as if testing them out before looking at the book he was holding. He opened the book but it ended up sliding out of his hands thanks to his lack of coordination. He blinked down at the sprawled book and his motionless hands for a moment before he knelt down and ended up toppling over himself. He blinked wildly where he sat on his rump a bit surprised. He lifted his hands again and wiggled his fingers once more as if trying to wake them from sleep before clenching and unclenching his fists.

Seraph turned back to the book and picked it up a little easier this time and started to leaf through it. It was a list of codes, guidelines, and rules for the game and information about each setting. He closed the book and pressed it against his chest in a protective gesture. He was the protector after all. He needed to make sure that this book was safe and with him at all times. It would not do well to have any ol' player messing with the game data. Young Seraph then took on the arduous task of getting back to his feet. He stumbled a bit before he did get up and swayed where he stood. Whelp, time to go about the world and ensure there were no glitches to be fixed.

Seraph's eyes widened when he felt a pressure on his arm and the light tug. He turned around and tilted his head to the side as he looked up at this stranger. She was much taller than he was and it was obvious from her data and her name that she was a player. She wasn't one of the preprogrammed NPCS then. This was his first human interaction! His learning system kicked in immediately, recording how she had gained his attention and her choice of words with him. Was this how all humans spoke to others? Her language seemed very purposeful. She even called him Game Master. Perhaps that meant she was one of the game developers as well. Was this his first test? He hoped he didn't fail! They hadn't even given him a chance to explore! His cheeks instantly flushed in his abashed nervousness. He clutched the rule book close and bowed his head in greeting.

"Hello," he answered in a soft masculine voice. Even his hushed tones had a purpose; sounding innocent helped him fit in. If people knew he was a Game Master and he acted the part, he would alienate himself.

She hadn't greeted him or anything but wasn't it impolite to jump right to the core of a conversation? Was this interaction different because she was a developer? But she was a player to. Was this how he was supposed to interact with her and the others? "It is a pleasure to meet you, Rainne. My name is Seraph. Please refrain from calling me Game Master in front of other players. That will reduce my chances of proper human interaction with them if they know who I am. I wish to blend in as much as I possibly can to ensure the utmost success of LAIOS. I am sorry for any inconvenience that may cause you."

Seraph straightened himself then and he put on a determined face. He wanted her to know that he had faith in his abilities and he was proud of his role. He knew exactly what he needed to be doing. "To answer your question, yes. I know what my prerogative is. My purpose is to ensure the game remains fully functioning, free of any glitches or bugs. I am to learn from human interactions to make LAIOS interactive and evolving world to fit the players' needs. I was actually on my way to survey this town and ensure LAIOS had started up properly.

The young game master rolled on his feet then and clasped his hands behind his back, book still in hand. He let the book tap against his back as he debated the different avenues of their conversation. Where should they go next? What was appropriate to say? If she was here to guide him and help him, then it was okay to be more open and question things. He should learn from her first and foremost."Umm... How come you didn't greet me the way it was scripted for opening interactions? You didn't ask me my name. And you skipped the pleasantries like 'how do you do' and 'nice to meet you'. Is there a reason for this change? Is it more appropriate to skip such things with the other players or did you say that specifically because of who I am?" he asked then.

Seraph's eyes widened then and he took a step closer to the woman as realization hit him. She had know he was the Game Master right from the beginning. That meant he had done something to clue her into his identity. "And how did you know I was the Game Master? Did I do something wrong to make it obvious? Please tell me what I did so I may correct my behavior for the future!"

Ooops. It looked like his emotional response wasn't quite right. He was going to have to work on that more. He blushed vibrantly and looked away like a child caught in the cookie jar when Rainne called his name. He wasn't sure he liked the stern tone. He didn't want to be the cause of that vocal tenor again. He just had to make sure to keep his emotions regulated and not freak out on mistakes. She didn't sound overly angry at him at least. It was a minor mistake then. That made him feel a little better at least.

At her explanation, he gave a nod. "Yes. That makes sense. I will work hard to interact with the other players to gain experience in this and learn the varied ways to greet others depending on the situation," he promised. "Forgive me for overreacting as well. Since the book is an indication of my role, I will find a way to keep this book with me but hide it from the other players view," he answered then. Finding a way to hide the book would take him a little while as he figured out all of his controls and functions, but he was sure he could think of something. He couldn't wait to show her his results. He smiled softly to himself, lost in his own thoughts for a moment.

Then LAIOS began to get more visitors. His eyes brightened and a bright smile appeared on his face as he turned around to watch as his little population grew bigger. "Players! More players are here! one...two... five..." he continued that way until he finally reached 20. "Twenty! Twenty players including you, Rainne!" he reported. All of the beta testers were looking down at themselves or at each other, getting a feel for this new world. The players then began to greet each other and 'introduce' themselves. Seraph was quick to join in the interactions and mimicked them to the best of his abilities. He did pretty well for his first time. Since all the beta testers were from Skyline, they all knew what to look for in the GM. They knew that Seraph wouldn't learn if they interacted with him as if they knew, so they all pretended that Seraph was one of them. He almost was. Thus far, Seraph was a brilliant success.

It wasn't long before the players began to group up to start navigating the town. Some went solo, some went in parties of two or three. While some investigated the town, others headed out to the fields yet others took up quests to complete. Seraph hummed to himself as he watched the people move away before he departed the last party deciding what to do with a 'see you later' before returning to Rainne's side."Hi Rainne. Are you going to party with someone or did you want to follow me? Was there something else you wanted me to do with you?" he asked then.

Seraph walked with Rainne as they observed the town and all of its workings. He was happy to say that everything was working perfectly. There was no glitch in sight and even the NPCs were going about their business without a hitch. He was proud. He hadn't created the world and these interactions, but he was a part of this and it just gave him a sense of purpose. Rainne's smiling face was all he could ask for. He was feeling much more at ease around her now to. He understood that she wouldn't just yell at him or anything if there was a mistake that needed to be fixed. She was really nice.

When they finally received their first mission, Seraph was grinning ear to ear. He was excited at the prospect of exploring the fields and monsters as well as actually engaging in the game. He rolled up onto his toes before falling back on his heels and he looked up at Rainne once he had accepted the collection bag.

"Follow me, Rainne! I know where the Redspotted Hornets are! We should stay on the outskirts and attract one at a time, otherwise we will be swarmed. I'd rather not get killed," he stated. He motioned for Rainne to follow him then and they soon reached the small valley with random trees spaced out across the area. A gentle breeze was blowing, bending the strands of grass to its whim and making the leaves rustle. Seraph pushed a few of his wayward blue strands behind his ear before shielding his eyes to look around. The Redspotted Hornets were buzzing around the trees at random intervals. Some were grouped together and then there were solo hornets around the perimeter. Seraph could see a party of players on one edge already drawing hornets for the same quest. It made Seraph smile.

"Here we are, Rainne! Okay, I have long ranged attacks and you fight up close. That means I'll have to draw the creatures to us so that we have a longer time to attack it before it gets close and it doesn't have a chance to call for backup," he explained. Seraph extended his hand and a thin silver staff with a blue tip appeared in his hand then. It was a base weapon for both mages and priests.

Seraph got into his ready stance, legs grounded before he targeted a hornet and called upon the earth spell, "Vines!" Instantly vines pushed through the earth beneath his target to ensnare it. The spell would hold for four seconds so he had to be quick about this. "Fireball!" he called then, his character twirling with the incantation as a fireball shot towards the hornet from the tip of his staff. He had to wait three seconds before casting the spell again. Seraph managed to call up the fire spell one more time before the hornet came too close for him to cast a spell uninterrupted. He started to shuffle back since the hornet only had eyes for its attacker and it was intent on stinging him. He managed to slide to the side just before the sharp appendage stuck into his arm."Rainne! Finish it off!" Seraph requested as he quite literally began to run around Rainne to keep the hornet at a distance. Getting stung really didn't sound appealing to Seraph.

Seraph grinned brightly and did an excited little turn. They had won the battle! They were a good team. "Well the quest requires two more of the stingers. I say we finish the quest before returning back to the town. We should level up soon as well," Seraph answered. "Come on!" he beckoned before he hurried deeper into the field to finish the quest. The two of them easily defeated their quarry and were on their way back to town. Their battle advanced them to level 2 quickly. Seraph led Rainne back to the NPC then and gave the character a wave. "We are back with the stingers you required, my lady," he called out to the elder woman. The NPC gave a bright smile as she accepted the bag.

"Oh, thank you so much! Both of you. You have been such a great help to me. Here is a little something for your trouble." Immediately the two of them glowed as they advanced to level 3 and earned some money. [color=F216B4]"Since you two have helped me so much, there is something else you could do for me. I need to acquire some Black Craven feathers. They should be east of here. Would you be able to help me?"[/color]

"Sure!" Seraph answered and acquired the new bag. "Onward we go, Rainne!". And the two continued this quest line until they finally finished it.

At this point, they had reached level 10 and had quite a bit of coin and level appropriate armor. Seraph looked at his new staff, a golden looking thing with a feather arch at the top protecting a crimson orb. Seraph rather liked the design of his new weapon. And it allowed him to charge his magic faster to. He turned his attention to Rainne then. Now that they had finished the string of quests, what did she want to do? They could always start another quest, they could just go out and level up or survey the different areas. This world was expansive so there was no shortage of things to do.

"Rainne, what would you like to do now?" he asked, a smile playing on his lips.

Suddenly, there was a look of alarm on his face and his gaze traveled beyond Rainne. For the first time since his creation, his eyes lost their color. Numbers and data codes flashed behind his gaze making him look more like a part of the game rather than a person. He tilted his head to the side as he scanned the world's logs. He blinked a moment to 'come back' to himself before he turned to Rainne.

"Rainne! Rainne! What's happening?" he asked then. "Some of the other players have vanished from the world. Three to be exact. What happened to them? Where did they go? I can't sense them anywhere! I am checking the logs and their characters still exist but they aren't in LAIOS anymore. I don't sense any bugs in the system so nothing is wrong..."