LAIOS

░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░

---

The official first event. Rakugo had to admit that he was rather excited to see what this event would be like. The Game Master seemed to really like Christmas. Everything around the world was Christmas themed. Though Vael had the most decorations and was the most festive, all of the towns Rakugo visited were similarly decorated and harbored a large tree in the middle. Rakugo could only assume that the creature for the event were also Christmas themed. He could already guess what many of the monsters were going to look like; snowmen, elves, Santa Claus, and reindeer. They seemed to come standard in games like this. He wondered how much of this was programmed into the Game Master and how much of it was the AI figure it out. Things to ponder on a rainy day.

The fox hummed lightly to himself, his vivacious tails fluttering behind him in a veil of red and white fur. He was currently crouched on the edge of his balcony. His humble abode was in the center of the town so he really got a good vantage point where he could watch the milling people. Rakugo smiled and reached up to place the white Noh theater mask with its blue lines over his face to increase the mystery of his visage. It was almost time for the event. He couldn't sit still anymore. He leaped from the balcony and landed gracefully on his feet; something that would have probably cost him a broken leg in real life. Ah, game logic. It was the best. He really wasn't all that coordinated outside of the game. Rakugo's ears twitched as the Game Master's message appeared in his line of vision.

"Ooh. Match the users level, huh? Nice touch, nice touch," Rakugo mused. He had been worried that either the monsters were going to be very weak or way too strong. Rakugo adjusted his mask and started to move through the crowd looking for a couple of friends. He would try doing this alone, but he didn't want to risk getting himself killed. There was always strength in numbers after all. He would just have to make sure whoever he joined wasn't too low a level. He didn't want to worry about a player dying on him. He wanted to have fun and help others level as well as himself. He would never increase the risk level for other players however.

Rakugo froze when he picked up a noise beside him. He turned his head slightly to see a China Doll staring at him before her cheery smile suddenly took on the appearance of an animated devil and charge at him. Well, that was oddly... cute and terrifying looking. Chucky anyone? Regardless, the monster level immediately went from 0 to 84 to match his and Rakugo crouched down to prepare himself. He grabbed the hilt of his sword and bowed his head a moment, his fox ears standing at attention as he judged how close the monster was getting. As soon as it was in range, Rakugo lunged forward and pulled his katana free and sliced through the doll. In real life the doll would have been razed, but that was not the case here. It took a few more slashes and parries before Rakugo managed to defeat the hellish doll. Rakugo smirked beneath his mask as the doll vanished and gave him his reward. One down, an army to go.

The swordsman sheathed his sword and tried to keep to the outskirts of the even then as he made his way towards one of his friends. The theatrical little information broker managed to creep up behind a certain jelly guild leader when the party invite sounded in his ears and the menu appeared in front of him. He stifled a laugh. Either Man-o-War had seen him coming or he had really good timing. Before Rakugo accepted the invite, he completed his initial objective and draped himself over the dwarf from behind. His tails fanned out behind him arched over their heads to tickle the guild leader's nose.

"Well hello, Man-o-War. Did you miss me that much?" he purred with a grin behind his mask. "We did meet last night after all, and what a night it was," he mused. He always liked to insinuate about things that may or may not have actually happened. In this case, the two had met in a business like fashion to discuss a few things. Now that he wasn't trying to be sneaky, he accepted the man's friend invite. "Can you keep up with me, Mr. Jelly?" he asked then with a teasing tone.

Rakugo pulled away from Man-O-War then to properly greet Lucive. "Why, hello there," he grinned, a hand reaching up to take the mask off while the other rested on the other man's shoulder. "I haven't seen you in a while, sexy. I am almost jealous! Who is this other player joining us? A boy toy of yours, hmm?" he asked then.

Once again he was amidst the peaceful white of Vael, all too aware that in a matter of minutes it would become a battlefield, bloody with death. The large wolf man grinned as he turned to look at several dozen of his knights. Perhaps there would be death today, but Goliath was determined to make sure no player would die, not on Christmas at least. His ears flicked slightly to the side and his tail slowly swayed within his large ornate armor set.

He walked towards his knights his large armor creating heavy foot prints as he moved. It was soon to be midnight, but he had more than enough time to address his guild members. he looked at his second and command a jolly expression on his face. "Almost time for the real Christmas fun huh? Suppose I better address the Knights, remind them not to die and all that."

He marched towards teh others a bold though excited expression gracing his face, and soon spoke up in an authoritative though no less eager tone."Hello everyone good to see you guys here and merry Christmas! Now I know we're all excited to get into the fun, slay some monsters, fight for our lives, and maybe even kill some festive elves. You know normal holiday things. Just remember to be careful out there, when this is over I hope to be able to spend a very merry Christmas with you all back in the guild hall. And lets not forgot why the Knights are here in the first place. No one knows what to expect and I'm sure there'll be more than a few people here in over their heads. So if you see a player in danger out there, and you think you can handle yourself without dying don't be afraid to get involved." Just then he along with everyone else received the game masters rather festive message signaling the beginning of the event. Of course the game master would scale the beasts to the highest leveled party member. What fun would Christmas be without threat of death? He addressed his Knights one final time before dealing with the arriving beasts. "Well here it is guys be careful not to join any parties with higher leveled players. Remember have fun and be careful."

When the creatures finshed arriving and battle commenced Goliath wasted no time joining the fray. Raising his shield and his lance he ran forward into the path of polar bears, elves, snowmen and even candy cane colored wolves. He was a mass of muscle and metal bowling over all manner of beasts with little distinction. When he finally stopped charging his shield settled itself against the jaw of one of the holiday themed wolves, sending the multicolored beast down onto the ground. It looked big but he was bigger, he smiled as the beast righted itself and snarled at his direction, its level rising quickly from 0 to 76.[color=#aaaaaa]"All right now lets see which one of us is the big bad wolf here!" The beast lunged at Goliath earning it simply a painful sounding crash into his shield. He followed with a powerful thrust of his lance managing a clean strike at the creature's side. Though it was far from over it seemed and what followed next was a clearly lopsided fight in Goliath's favor, blocking when it was needed and striking with his lance at every opportunity.

When the wolf was slain Goliath took the time to survey the area making sure no one whether they be knight or soloist were in danger. Everyone that he could see seemed to be handling themselves at the moment. He recoiled slightly as he felt a small pain in his leg. It was a small elf, dastardly grin on its face, and festive candy cane dagger in hand. He gave an annoyed grin to the monster. It barely managed to harm the large Beast, really it seemed to be nothing more than scratch damage. Still seeing his health drained was not a welcome sight. [color=#aaaaaa]"Damn elves. i'll skewer you for that!"] He ran back into the mess of battle all the while focusing his efforts on the pesky elves, and keeping an eye every now and again on his fellow players.

░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░




Montanax's eyes roved over to Lilac, her small form, coupled with the wistful look that gave her face the undertones of want was very reminiscent of the expression she held on her face during their discussion about Christmas conduct. Despite this, he wasn't one to repeat words, much less those of comfort. Once they had been spent he felt, it was better for their message to reemerge sometime later, rather then rehash for the present. The present was such a livid time to live in for Montanax, full of vivid characters and their equally vivid personalities. In his future they were mute, covered by the darkness of a thousand possible deaths, an eventuality, and even an opportunity branched out for every situation he planned for.

Every situation. His predator eyes left Lilac, and the thoughts that came with her, and met with Shade's. Bete Noire. His simple gesture of respect was returned, he too nodded his head, acknowledging him. The simplicity of returning ones attentions was normal for most who partook in society. Their shared gesture stretched a far beyond that. The gravity of one Montanax, leader of Lunar Glade, made famous through his ways of vengeance, exchanging pleasantries with a famous Player Killer was sure to widen the eyes of those who noticed. Their hushed whispers would no doubt carry out of the Gold Gallion, offering what they had seen in exchange for the first part of the taverns name. Montanx knew this. He anticipated, and expected it. Along with the small bit of reprieve it might offer someone he viewed as a potential ally, it cultivated a certain air of mystique around his persona.

He raised the glass flagon too his lips, eyes moving away from Shade and his companions, and into a distance where he could collect his thoughts.

Moments later, after the arrival of a few other public figures he recognized, the all too familiar call of the Game Master sounded, the cheerful tone of the AI always a contrast to the doom it's announcements had gripped the players with ever since the game had locked them inside.

Adjustments needed to be maid. Modifications to their established rotation. Montanax's claws fingers flexed as he sent his message to his captains. He expected them to respond accordingly, changing their paths, anticipating what he'd say before his own announcement was send out.

'All higher level players are to party, keeping close to the parties of lower level players, stay vigilant, and assist guild members and those in dire need of help alike, assure your hearts are true, and weapons steady."

"Lilac."

"I'd like you to stay inside of the Golden Gallion, I'll send a troupe of our Lunar Glade members to escort you to the guild hall shortly. Given the nature of the challenge, I'm loath to send you out to level with the stakes as they are." Montanax rose from the table, the low hum of speech between the surrounding players was interesting when he idled, but he was not idle right now. He had killing to do. At the very least he wanted to thin out the monsters ranks to prevent his people from getting swamped.

The warm music and hot drink of the tavern gave way to the harsh winter air, and the crash of combat. Almost immediately Montanax was assailed by a toy wolf, it's whirring parts, coupled with the howl it made as it attacked cast it in an uncanny aura that would have disturbed some.

Such fear was utterly lost on the Lunar Glade leader.

Crouching low, and twisting his torso skyward, he caught the mechanical wolf by it's throat, dug his claws into it's fur, and crushed it. Still holding it aloft, he racked his claws into it's underbelly, slaying the beast with his second attack. When the machine went limp in his arms he dropped it onto the snow below. The second wolf fared no better. Mid-jump Montanax caught it in his arms, and proceeded to drive his foot into the monsters back, and snap it's neck simultaneously.

When more came, they were all treated to the same brutal fighting style that made him famous during the games infancy.

He looked up from the carnage around him, sensing another enemy of a different type approaching him. This time, it was a Jack-In-The-Box, who's massive face loomed over him, wearing a painted face of evil, reaching with it's giant gloves hands.

"How absurd.' Montanx mused.

░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░




"Considering the rumours of what death in-game means, I figured we should err on the side of safety." A glare sharp as glass locked onto the player killer. "You might not believe it, but what if you're wrong? What will you do then, made into a real killer? My motives aren't as black...or focused on you as you seem to think." the priest's voice lightened towards the ends of his sentences, and brightened considerably by the time he started snickering quietly at Shade's various titles.

"Fiiiine." he drawled the word, looking over at Psyche, making it seem like some great loss on his part had taken place. "And of course I did! You know me so well." he grinned at the girl, before bidding farewell to the bard and demon as they left with a loud "Save it for marriage, you two!". His attention returned to the conversation then, not noticing the beta at the door, instead teasing and joking with his usual I-have-not-a-care-in-the-world attitude.

Some time later, upon hearing the Game Master's announcement of how the monster levels were determined, Cain's left hand twitched, almost imperceptibly in his glove. "On the other hand..." he stated, not caring if he was interrupting any of the ones who were left, "I might not participate in this event after all. I'm heading home, Psyche. Mourn me if I die, alright?" and with that bit of grim humour, he slipped from the tavern, heading for the outskirts of the city as to make a large loop and hopefully avoid anyone who would expect the priest to join their party. His level was a dead giveaway of who he was, and there were players, he knew, that blamed the betas for creating the game, or for not warning the players of the AI's insanity.

I tried, you know, I did. The normally cheerful avatar's face slipped into a grim frown as he failed to avoid a monster in his path and found himself battling a gigantic teddy bear with a santa hat. I tried...And you all laughed and messaged your friends to come check out the funny NPC His staff came down in his automatic attack, stunning the 120 level monster long enough for him to get a decent hit in before dancing back. I wonder if anyone remembered it later he mused, dodging as the bear used the pompom on its hat as a wrecking ball, clipping his leg and sending him down onto a knee as he fumbled for a potion. Thought back and wished they'd believed it like those few that actually did? Right on time he used his movement to roll from deadly range and struggled back upright as the bear advanced. His hand closed around one of the daggers at his waist as he dodged and then threw, repeating the pattern until finally, the mass of stuffing collapsed and the surge of exp flooded him. Forcing a smile, Cain continued on his way, now paying more attention than before to the creatures in the streets so he could avoid more fighting.

Or rather, that was the plan, until his peripheral vision had him freezing to avoid what he thought was a monster, only to see his fellow beta ArcticFire locked in battle, already bearing some signs of damage. Mouth once again sliding into a thin line, Cain set his sights on the monster and rushed forward, feeling himself drawn into battle.

"Hello Arctic!" He called, bracing himself for an mp drain as he set up a healing spell. "Want help? If not, too bad, you've got it!"

And with that said, he cast.

░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░

---

Mm, how long had it truly been since she had gotten to enjoy a home again? Minuet was comfortably curled up on a cushion on the floor before a short table, a ceramic cup held safely between her hands, steam rising from the lip to curl up into the air. A nice cup of tea~. Minuet smiled quietly to herself, enjoying the warmth on her hands and the gentle, sweet scent that emanated from the little treasure gripped in her fingers. Minna wasn’t entirely sure where Kiss was at that exact moment, but Minuet couldn’t help but simply lavish in the air that surrounded her fellow player’s home. It was cozy, especially with the snow that lined the windowpanes, and it was quiet, unlike the tavern they had been in previously. Luka was off somewhere as well, but Minuet knew that he would not be far, and furthermore that he would be behaving himself.

She was at peace, just keeping her own company for once in a safe place, without the looming presence of monsters, with four walls and a ceiling about her, with comforts and conveniences. She needed to get her own house, she really did enjoy this. Not to say that she didn’t love the way she lived already, out in the wildernesses with Luka, sleeping under the stars, but it would be nice to have her own place to call home. Minuet hummed quietly to herself, shifting a bit in the plush cushion that supported her player model, taking another sip of the peppermint tea. How festive everything was here~ she couldn’t help but admit that she delighted in it, despite how much she was actually missing in real life, and despite how much danger she was always in, being in this deadly game of rise and conquer. …Was there even actually a way out? What if they were stuck in here forever…?

Minuet shook her head resolutely. No, it would not do to think on such things. Of course there would be a way out- they would find it. There was no doubt about that. Perhaps it was just as easy as talking to the Game Master and convincing him to reintroduce the logout function. Well, hopefully it could be that easy, Minuet didn’t actually know who the Game Master was or what he was like. What if he was vindictive, evil? It might not be that far of a stretch, if he had trapped everyone in this game and was slowly killing everyone off….

Minuet took a focused sip of tea, a frown on her face as she pushed all of those thoughts from her head. Her fingertips tapped gently on the ceramic of the cup her hands were wrapped around. They would get out, whatever it took. She just hoped that Luka would make it out alright, in the end….

Speaking of both Game Master and her little companion, she suddenly heard a chittery growl from over in the next room, causing her head to turn towards the noise in curiosity. Not a moment later before a large banner appeared before her, announcing the beginning of the event and detailing its mechanics. Luka had sensed it, and was already slinking towards Minuet as smoothly as water, ears back against his skull and tail swishing to and fro. As he reached her, he slid forward into a laying position, pressed against the side of the cushion, tail still thrashing at the disturbance from the Game Master. However, it did not take long before his ears were suddenly perking up and a genuine curiosity filled his eyes as he leaned up and forward, nose wiggling as he sniffed the air, smelling the sweet scent of the tea in Minuet’s hands and wanting some. He did not ask either, suddenly hooking his little claws into the cushion to pull himself up onto it before clambering up Minuet’s side and down and arm to snuffle further at the little steaming cup. Minna laughed, finding cheer in her companion and he lapped at the drink, not minding one little bit. She was more than happy to share with him.

The event, though, she returned her attention to. So then, monsters would be determined by player level; that was thoughtful. It meant that everyone would be able to level, regardless of level. It did provide a bit of an intimidation, though, since those who partied up with higher levels would be faced with ferocious and fierce monsters of the same levels. I’ll just have to avoid the higher level players then, she gave a sheepish smile to herself, taking one hand to rub the back of her neck. However, in doing so, she shifted the support to her little cup, and Luka was actually kind of heavy, so it upset the balance, the cup tipping forward without her being able to do much about it at all.

A look of horror filled her face as it fell forward, no doubt going to spill and stain the perfectly good little wooden table in front of her. However, no liquid came out. Luka appeared to have drunk it all while she was lost in thought. A wry look filled her face as she shot her partner a look, one which he simply seemed to smile innocently up at her in response. It looked like she would have to make another cup of tea, although… it was probably about time to head out anyway so she could gain at least a few levels during the event. Besides, she wanted to see what the monsters looked like! Not to mention the drops.

Minuet placed the cup down on the table, intending to pick it up when she returned- perhaps she would make a meal for she and Kiss to share as well- and got up from her place on the cushion, Luka crawling up to settle on her shoulders in the meantime. She walked through Kiss’s house to the front door where her stuff was carefully tucked and put away, and she began to gather her things again. As she put on her cloak and fastened her halberd to her back, Minuet walked forward, and just as she was turning the handle of the front door, a message suddenly appeared in front of her face, causing her to pause. It was from Watch, telling her about a rare ingredient that he had found on his journeys that he had for her. An excited look filled Minuet’s face, and she almost bounced up and down with a huge smile on her face. It was always so exciting to find something new to cook with, not to mention how thoughtful it was of Wachter to do this for her. She would no doubt have to make a meal out of it for the two of them, perhaps Kiss as well, if she’d like to join them. She was sure she would, since it was a rare ingredient, after all.

Minuet quickly brought up a blank message, filling it out before sending it to Watch. ~”Mh, I’ll definitely be there! Excited to see you again, I’ll be along shortly!”~

With a cheerful smile to her face, Minuet turned the knob to the door and was quickly met with the cold air of the outside world. She stepped out, calling back behind her to Kiss, ”I’m heading out for the event, I’ll see you later!” before carefully closing the door behind her.

It did not take long for she and Luka to find the monsters that she sought. Players all over the place were locked in battle with all sorts of different creatures, ranging from snowmen to elves, reindeer, wolves, jack-in-the-boxes, and everything in between. There was such a wide variety! Perhaps she would have to deviate on her mission just a tad bit in order to do some battling of her own before meeting up with Wachter. Luka looked on with his own excitement from her shoulder, ears perked fully forward and eyes wide and attentive. He chattered excitedly, aching to get into battle as well.

She took a moment to send another message to Watch, letting him know that she may not be as quick getting to the town square as she had originally intended. She wanted to do some fighting along the way.

---

---

░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░

---

Augur completed his perusing of the potion ingredient stall rather quickly, having picked up quite a few things. He was going to be making the most of this event, and he wholly intended to level from it as well, though gods knew how long that was going to take if the monsters were all going to be low levels like he thought they were going to be. Nonetheless, he had gotten what he needed, and, with a moment to watch Man-O-War pass by back to his guild- or so Augur surmised, as that was the direction the guild master was heading in- he turned, pocketing his items safely into his inventory and heading off for one of the quieter buildings in town.

With quick, purposeful strides, it did not take him long to find what he was after, and, after ducking into one of said buildings, he settled down at a table to begin making his elixirs. The interface was simple enough to do it anywhere, though granted potion-making was best done in herbology shops where a bonus could be given. Augur was a high enough level that the bonus didn’t do much for him in any case- his own skill far outmatched the small add-on, and as long as he did it properly, the potions would end up better anyway. He would need to make quite a few of them as well, as not only were they the main aspect of his combat, but with what he had planned, he would need a full arsenal. Lotty was crouched on the table off to the side, watching Augur’s hands work with half-lidded eyes.

It would only be a matter of time before the event started, but even then Augur would have time to keep making potions should he need to. He wasn’t planning on fighting right away- he never did. It was a game of observation- that was how he had always played it, being the beta for monster activity and aspects. Behavioral patterns, reactions, battle stratagem, he had learned it all with all of the monsters of LAIOS. It was exciting to be faced with new breeds during this event, and he very much looked forward to seeing and cataloging everything he found. Creature designs were probably one of his favorite things, he was well blessed in the fact that he had been chosen in this job as a beta; it was probably one of the only lights in this dark world.

Augur had gotten through quite a few potions, the sun shifting through the sky, when the message arrived from that damned GM announcing the event to be starting. Augur was admittedly surprised when he discovered that the monsters would match the levels of those who fought them. One might initially find it to be considerate of the Game Master, as it allowed people of all levels to participate in order to gain xp, but Augur also found it to completely discourage partying. Was it a sick and twisted ploy to present more danger to players, in so much as a town as well, where it would not be safe unless people hid in their houses or buildings around the town. There would be many dangers if monsters of multiple levels mulled about together. Did the GM foresee this at all? He would be going for realism, but at the same time, would he sacrifice it for safety? The creatures would be set to aggressive, and if there were more than one of them, who knew where the agro would land? He would just have to see.

This fact did prove beneficial to him, at least. This meant that he could grind to gain as many levels as possible. There would be no time for breaks once he began the chain of destruction, there would be no time to waste time.

Pushing himself up from the table, Augur grabbed his spear which had been leaned against the wall behind his chair, pulling on his jacket and offering a hand for Lotty to crawl up on before swiping the table with an arm to clear it of any remaining debris from his potion making. He walked from the table to the door, lifting a hand in farewell to the NPC who had allowed him stay in the building for so long. Should any monsters get too close, he would battle with them, but for now he would go through town to watch other players battle the multitudes as well as watch the monsters not in combat mull about in a docile manner. All aspects, agro or not, were important to note. Behavior was his ace, after all.



Monsters ranged from toys to arctic creatures, as well as living decorations, holiday spirits, and snow incarnate. It was a good variety, he had to give the Game Master credit where credit was due. There were even some floating foods, of which Augur could only surmise would be dropping ingredients, probably to make Christmas dinners like those in the real world. It was another nice aspect, and while Augur would have liked to indulge in such things, he was no cook, and besides, he didn’t have anyone to spend it with. Cain was still missing, Arctic was who-knows-where, and he did not expect to be finding them any time soon. He could only hope that Cain was in town for the holidays, but even so, it was a big area, and luck was never on his side. Augur was hoping that the event would offer a global message to announce the winners, and perhaps he could get his name out there to at least let his fellow betas know that he was still alive. There would be thousands of players attempting the same though, so his odds were slim when facing so much resistance; still, Augur wasn’t one to back down from a fight.

Speaking of fighting, the time had finally come around that Augur was comfortable with engaging the holiday creatures himself. He had eyed up a number of species, and with his added perks as a beta, he knew their weaknesses already. Even better, he found what he had been looking for initially- pack monsters. He would take care of singles first, of course, to get into the swing of things, but he planned on taking on solo what was intended to be fought by parties of similar levels. It was the fastest way to level up, and while yes, rather dangerous, especially at his level, Augur was not phased. After all, he had done his homework. And besides, he wasn’t entirely alone. He had Lotty with him, and she was his failsafe.

His current prey was a huge golden ball ornament, its little cap decorated with tinsel and pine trimmings. Whenever it moved, little sparkles would follow it, showering the ground before disappearing into nothingness. It was much like a sprite or elemental that he had seen in games other than LAOIS, where there was a particle effect implemented into the creature model. As Augur neared, the monster level registered as 112 and the creature itself turned to face him, suddenly rushing forward with those little sparkles falling after it like a salt shaker. Augur shifted into a readied battle stance, legs shoulder-width apart and hook spear held in front of him with both hands. A wicked smirk teased across his lips, eyes harshening and muscles tensing in eagerness for battle.

Augur met the ornament’s first attack with a solid block, sliding back slightly from the force of his opponent’s forward motion, pushing fiercely against the shaft of his weapon in attempt to reach his form and do damage. Augur had other plans. Shifting his arms back minutely before straining his muscles, he pushed back against the monster with a new force, taking a large step back while the monster was forced away from him in the same motion before twirling the spear to gain momentum in his hands and aiming it forward to bring it crashing down upon the top of the ornament in a hacking motion. Sufficient damage was dealt and the opponent’s health bar was lowered.

It was weak despite its mimicked level. It was just in its design, though Augur did admittedly have the upper hand whenever fighting monsters, since he already knew their weaknesses to begin with. It only took about a minute and a half to dispatch of the high-leveled beast, and Augur was off again in search of his next piece of prey, eyes dancing with the glee of destruction.

░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░

---

Stepping back slowly, Wachter kept his gaze locked on the several enemies in front of him, swatting away their relentless onslaught of attacks. Several times the attacks connected, causing a small jump in his health bar. He dropped his guard long enough to kick away one of the elf attackers, sending it tumbling into a nearby building before bursting into code and filling him with XP. Two more attacks connected with him, making him twist his mouth into a tight snarl, gripping the arm of the Jack-In-The-Box that had smacked him. With a jerking, twisting motion, he flung the toy over his shoulder, slamming it into the hard ground of the town square, a small cloud of snow dissipating as the monster burst into code. Wheeling back around to face his attackers, he realized maybe standing in the center of town wasn't the best strategy. It seemed that for every enemy he managed to get rid of, two more took their place.

"Come on! The lot of you! This can't be the best that your pathetic game master can muster!" The thrill of battle always put him in a more bloodthirsty state of mind, finding the more detached he was from the possibility of death the easier he was able to execute the controls. Rushing forth back into the thick of battle, he shouldered into one of the Elves, knocking it back into its comrades, momentarily slowing their advance.

The most frequent rush of XP was enough to bring him to the next level, and immediately the enemies around him were elevated to level 85. "Dammit..." He thought, now they were going to be even stronger. Not that they were much of a problem to begin with, but the more he fought in the center of town the more likely someone of a lower level was to wander into an area of higher leveled enemies. Suddenly, a message notification appeared in his lower right field of vision. It was from Minuet, stating that she would be along shortly. Dismissing the message, he glared at the small mob of enemies advancing on him. Two wolves sprang forward simultaneously, baring their fangs as they made to sink them into his flesh.

He swung his leg around in a wide arc, colliding with the wolf on the left with the roundhouse kick, knocking it to the side as the wolf sank its teeth into his arm. He winced as pain shot through his forearm, attempting to wrench his arm free of the beast's maw. It was no use, the wolf had its jaw locked tight, and his HP was depleting sliver by sliver.

Before the other enemies could get close enough to attack, he threw his free hand outward. "Stay back!" He commanded, activating his racial ability Ring of Fire. Suddenly, a thin line of fire burst into existence, forming a ring around himself and the wolf currently attached to his arm. Now that that was taken care of, he began his assault on the enemy inside the ring with him. It took several punches to dislodge the creature, and he noted to use a health potion after he had finished him off. A couple of the elves attempted to enter the circle, but the flames singed them and propelled them away.

Now he stood facing off against the lone wolf trapped within the circle. It bared its fangs before lunging for him again, this time he was ready. Standing in the same position, he jumped in place, hoisting his legs up to the height of his chest before kicking them both out with as much force as he could muster. He felt his heels collided with the wolf's chest, the creature exploding on contact into code. Quickly, he opened his inventory and used two potions to restore his health back to full, just as the ring of fire's timer ran out. The flames were snuffed out as easily as they came into existence, and the fight was back on. "Gotta clear these bastards out before Minuet shows up. If they keep spawning at this rate, it isn't going to be safe for her to come to the square unless I leave."

Several of the elves, now accompanied by two freshly spawned snowmen circled around Wacther, their innocent grins somehow coming across as a menacing threat. Crouching down slightly, he fanned his wings out wide, preparing to take off. Lunging forward with a burst of speed, he grappled one of the snowmen on his ascent, carrying the monster with him as he went higher, higher, and higher still, each beat of his wings carrying them a few more feet. When he reached his zenith, he called upon the powers within his reserve, channeling the mana required to perform his Comet attack. Suddenly his whole being seemed to burst into a bright yellow and orange flame, coating both him and the snowman completely. The blaze did nothing to melt the snowman, further reassuring him that these things were not made from actual snow.

Then, he plummeted, at full speed towards the ground, the fiery mass that consumed them raging toward the surface. He clung to the snowman the entire way down, until just before they hit the ground, then released him. Upon impact, the flames that once coated Wacther exploded outward, rippling and roaring across the square, consuming all the enemies in it's path with it's flaming maw. The snowman he landed with was most definitely eliminated, as were the several elves that lingered too close to the attack. Steadying himself, he took a moment to catch his breath and pop several mana potions. That attack was convenient, but had he not had a hefty supply of mana potions he would have been at the mercy of his slow mana regeneration rate.

Opening his inventory once more, he chose his Liger Knuckles as weaponry and equipped them, a pair of electric blue and black knuckles appearing on his hands. They appeared to be surging with electricity, small sparks jumping between them and the ground and dispersing into the game. Remembering he had received a message from Minuet, he opened his message log to reply. "Right, sounds good. Take your time, I've got plenty here to keep me busy. Just be careful, ok?" Sending the message, he clasped his right shoulder, rolling it several times to make sure nothing residual was left from the wolf's bite. "Sleep in heavenly peace you sons a bitches..."

░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░

---

Having downed that irksome polar bear monster, Arctic set her sight on one of the toy creatures. It was a rather innocent looking China Doll, smiling down at her. How is this a-- OH MY GOSH, Arctic thought as she observed the door, its face abruptly becoming demonic. Alexandra was a fan of horror movies, but it still didn't make her immune to a jump scare. The doll charged at her, prompting her to toss her sword to the side and take a diving roll towards it as the monster approached. Its attack missed as it slammed a hand down onto the ground where she had been. Grabbing Pian, Arctic rose to her feet and took a slash at the doll.

Meanwhile, Kuro clawed at the back of it. Arctic took another swing before narrowly missing the monster's hand hitting her. The monster decided to turn its attention to Kuro, who was still furiously clawing at its back. It spun around, sending the tiger flying into a pile of snow. The fox girl took another slash at the doll while it still had its back turned.

"Hello Arctic!" an all too familiar voice called. Arctic rolled to the side, dodging another swipe of the doll's hands. "Want help? If not, too bad, you've got it!" With that being said, Cain cast a healing spell on her. She was thankful that he'd decided to help her, not that he could really go along with anyone else, but she couldn't help be feel annoyed that he hadn't showed up while that damn polar bear was attacking her.

"Thanks Cain!" she called to him as she dodged another attack. Arctic continued to alternate between dodging and hitting the monster. Kuro joined back in on the fight, pouncing on the demon doll and clawing at it. It wasn't long before the doll fell, showering Arctic with EXP and coins.

It was far from a time to celebrate, but this little reunion between her and Cain called for at least a brief hug on her part. Before they could encounter any other monsters, the arctic fox ran to the priest and gave him a hug. She pulled away quickly, not wanting to be attacked by any nearby monsters. Joining a battle ready Kuro, Arctic selected their next victim-- a snowman.

---

---

░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░

---

It wasn't long after War had sent the guild his urgent message when he received a reply from Wachter. "Thanks, but I think I'll stay solo for the event. I'm sure you'll understand. Let me know if you run into any trouble though, and keep your guard up." The Jelly King didn't reply, not wanting to distract Wachter if he was already out fighting. He looked at Lucive, sitting calmly but surely ready to go out and fight. No doubt the Jelly Prince would come up with a plan on how to attack the monsters strategically. War was much more of a "let's run in and kill everything" kind of guy, but his time spent in LAIOS was opening him up to less chaotic ways to go about attacking. He knows stealth and strategy was an option, but Nathan had always been more interested in watching things go boom or doing some sort of shenanigan. The whole planning before attack was still a different experience for him.

Lost in his thoughts, War was surprised as a red tail draped itself infant of his face, tickling his nose in the process. Eight other tails soon found a place around his little dwarf body, a telltale sign that Rakugo was present. "Hello to you too," War told the kitsune as he accepted the party invite. Honestly, War had little idea what Rakugo had told him last night, given the information was always delivered in riddles. The fox had spoken of another kitsune, but that was really all War could figure out at the time. He was a little preoccupied with the upcoming event, but nonetheless enjoyed Rakugo's company and eccentricities.

Man-O-War tossed his hammer in the air and then caught it, repeating this a few times as the red fox took an interest in Lucive. They would make a spectacular pairing and War would be happy if they could just flirt with each other instead of him. He didn't swing that way, but it didn't stop either of them from subjecting him to some very awkward moments. "It's just Lucive," War told Rakugo with a grin as he walked over to the guild hall doors. "His effect on you will wear off pretty soon," he commented with a laugh as he opened the door. Had the dwarf been any taller, he would have gotten an arrow in either his head or chest. Fortunately for him, the arrow whizzed over his head before clattering to the floor. Someone needed to learn not to aim at doors.

The jelly stepped out into the monster and player filled chaos of Vael, waiting until his two companions were outside before closing the door. "Let's do this!" he cried, running and attacking the nearest level 0 monster. Its level changed to 84 to match Rakugo's. The monster, a giant toy soldier turned toward him, crossbow in hand instead of a gun. It took aim at him, but the little dwarf dodged by rolling on the ground. As Lucive began attacking the solider as well, it turned its attention to him. This gave the little dwarf enough time to launch himself into the air. With his pink hammer in hand, he gave a powerful swing as he sailed past the monster's face. Of course, he could have done the same thing at its feet, but where was the fun in that?

░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░

---

Rakugo couldn't help but laugh. Lucive, huh? Well he was a cutie. He didn't have much time to focus on that however. His little dwarf friend was already running gun-ho out the door. Of course, his favorite jelly was always running head long into things. He would really have to watch out for him. He didn't want to turn around and find his friend dying because he couldn't keep up with him. He took most things in this world as fun and games since LAIOS was supposed to be a game, but matters like this were less silly. Stranger or no, Rakugo wanted to ensure that as many people as possible survived to reach the outside world again. The fox put a smile on his face and put the Noh mask back on before he rushed after Man-O-War and brandished his blade. "Don't leave us behind!" he called out. Of course he was the only one lagging. Lucive and Man-O-War were already fighting a Toy Soldier. Rakugo let out a battle cry as he spun, slicing at the giant toy. He was the one doing most of the damage considering his level matched the monster while the others were lower level, but with the three of them, the battle ended quickly.

Rakugo beamed as they got their exp and items. "Good job, boys. We make a good team," he mused. Rakugo took the moment to glance at everyone else in the direct vicinity. Ah, he saw that white fox again. His only clue. He was 90% sure she was a beta and he wanted to approach her and try and glean some information from her, but he could not. Not yet. This event wasn't going to be conducive for that right now. And oooh, who was the priest beside her? He remembered seeing him out and about but he hadn't really investigated him any. If he was partnering with Ms. Foxy, then he needed to be on his list to. He would get to the bottom of this. Though he liked LAIOS and all it offered, it was a game. He couldn't let appearance wipe away the memory that he was really out there, not in here. "I will find you, Game Master," he cooed to himself more than anything.

The fox's ear twitched when he heard a jingle and turned just in time to catch the massive scythe that was coming at him from a deceptively adorable rag doll. "tsk, tsk, darling. Such rude manners." Rakugo was forced on the defensive as he blocked the onslaught of rapidly moving swings. "A little help, guys?" he called to his party. He was relieved when the doll was finally stunned thanks to Man-O-War and Lucive. Rakugo coated his blade in poison then and began a flurry of attacks of his own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first part of the event lasted a few hours with the monsters never pausing. They just kept spawning just when you thought the mob was thinning. There was an infinite number and the only way to escape the war zone was to hurry into the tavern or into one of the houses that covered the streets. Players and monsters were vanishing left and right. Rakugo and many of the others that were higher leveled tried to help those weaker but even they had limits. Many players were losing their footing against the mob. Thankfully however, the GM did finally allow a brief reprieve. A message went out to the players signally an hour break so people could go ahead and stock up on potions and the like. The damage had still be done however.

Lilac Sin, Psychedemo, Mononoke, Angus, Accido and Lucive were gone. Yes, even Lucive. And Rakugo blamed himself for his death. Rakugo had gone off to protect a little girl that was running from a monster and when he had turned around, he wasn't able to get to Lucive on time. He had tossed a potion only to have it touch Lucive after his HP hit zero. He was shaken about the death of his party member and could only imagine the guilt and hurt Man-O-War would be feeling right about now. Rakugo put away his sword and tore off his mask as he walked over to his friend and gripped his shoulder. "Man-O-War..." he called softly, "I... I am so sorry for your loss. I should have paid more attention to you and Lucive."

░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░
░




Cain clutched at Arctic tightly, his strong grip saying more than his mouth ever would about his worry for the young woman under his tutelage in the real world. He released her quickly, though, because they had to fight. He stood back as she engaged the snowman, mostly providing vital backup in the form of healing and distractions when she tripped up. Not to say that Arctic misstepped often, but it did happen, and then he’d swoop in, watching the girl from the corner of his eye as he ran in to deliver a blow upon the head and then backed off so she could kill it and earn that much more XP than he would be killing a lower level challenger.

”Good job.” he said shortly, passing her a healing potion, and then using his staff to select their next challenger.

An angel, it stood peacefully with its hands pressed together, head bowed and eyes closed, but the second Cain stepped into range, it took off with frightening speed. The wide-eyed priest fell back, touching his aching cheek in shock. His hand came away red, and he snapped back into it.

”The wings cut you!” he yelled to his companion, while trying to keep the white monster at a distance. As his partner entered the fray, he retreated to middle-ground.

The window flashing up stunned him and he was nearly hit again, causing him to growl as he stepped back after yelling a warning to Arctic that he was lying low for a bit.



It told him, and Cain blinked. Had the girl finally gotten fed up enough to buy her own place and get a bit away from him? It was somewhat likely, but a cold dread swirled in his gut and checking on ArcticFox – who was doing just fine, for now – he opened up the small list that was one of his special GM abilities. The Death List, and there were so many more names that it made him ill and there, flashing to the top before vanishing – Psychedemo. She’d fallen in battle…

May her soul be at peace… she’d been such a strained girl, smiling through everything though he could sense there was more to it. He’d been helping her, he liked to think but now she was gone, and the Priest scowled as he scrolled up to capture the name before screenshotting that image.

”Share. With SERAPH” he said curtly, then shot a healing spell to Arctic again before charging into the fray himself as he fought more viciously than before, leaving one of the wings hanging raggedly and thankfully, reducing the thing’s speed by half. As he fought, he spoke into the small floating microphone icon by his mouth, the words quiet, but the anger in them clear. And finally, as the angel fell from the sky and shattered, he looked at his message.

Seraph, young man, you listen to me now! If you're going to insist on keeping us here, at least for Turner damn ability to resurrect in game! You're going to be left in the world of 0 people at this rate, and I'll be boring, not to mention so much easier for Las Vegas to hunt you down! Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your friends are dying just like everyone else, so what are you going to do about it?!

It stated, which was close enough, especially as Alexandra had already been re-engaged.

“Send.” he ordered, hearing the ping that said it was done, and then ran after the blasted woman. His face was once again calm as he entered that battlefield, watched the monster fall, and found a break announced before the big boss showed up.

“Sooooo,” he drawled conversationally, uncorking a healing potion for himself. “Can you believe we can create an AI sentient enough to get lonely, but we still can’t create a voice-to-text processor that works correctly?”