Forum Thread

A pink friendship bracelet.

A token of his only true friend.

he hoped she didn't hate him too much.

Even through all this, he still cared too much.

Pathetic.

He shook his head, closing his hand into a fist, crumpling the pink bracelet.

He unsheathed a dagger and sliced a cut into his arm.

"..."

"Inferno."

His clenched fist heated up for a split moment, in a burst of fire.

When he unclenched his hand, there was nothing but ash in the palm of his hand.

He poured the ash into a vial, corking it.

he flicked the collar of his black suit.

He placed the vial into a pink bag.

he reached up to his neck, and yanked at the necklace around his neck, a golden, four-pointed star.

The rope snapped.

he placed the necklace into the paper bag, next to the vial.

he made his way up the stairs to his right. He pushed open the door at the top of the stairs.

A bed, with a person sleeping in it.

He placed the bag at the foot of the bed. He snapped, and decorations appeared in the room, with a banner that read

"Happy Valentines!"

He smiled a thin smile, before exiting the room.

O' Romeo, o' Romeo, wherefore art thou, o' Romeo?

... That's a great question, Juliet.

To be honest, I never looked at Artemis Wright and thought, "yeah, he's the one." I'm going to be serious, in the 6 years I knew you, I don't know how much of the real Artemis I got the honor to know. you were always so cold, so distant. The boys called you arrogant and narcissistic. The girls called you kind and dreamy.

You intrigued me. How could someone be both an arrogant prick and a kind hero? So I decided to look into it, you know? So I dug into your backstory. All the little details. But... I couldn't find anything. No criminal records. No deep dark secrets. You seemed to be, by all accounts, a completely normal person. Yet, anyone who saw you could tell you weren't normal. You never came to parties. You never showed up for events. Nobody ever saw you outside of school. To be honest, I don't expect you to be crying over me right now, listening to these tapes. You're not that kind of person. From all our little encounters, from the movie theater in which we worked to the party where we truly talked for the first, and last, time. You're strong. So much stronger than me. You'll get over it, right?

Anyways, every time I heard your name, I got more and more curious. And then, during one of my daily Artemis Wright study sessions, I overheard it.
"What? Artemis Wright is going to the party at Jessica's house?"
"Artemis Wright? The quiet pretty boy who never talks to anyone? that Artemis?"
"Is there another Artemis?"

Truth be told, I wasn't supposed to be at that party. By that I mean that I got an invite, but had been grounded for a month. My grades were slipping and, just... yeah. But when I heard your name, I got curious. So I made up my mind.

Look, I've never snuck out of my house before.

...Okay, maybe once or twice. Or three times. Four times, maximum, I swear. Point is, when I got there, the party was in full swing because most of the guys didn't need to wait until their parents went to bed to sneak out of their bedroom window and ride a bike halfway across town.

When I entered, I was greeted by a bunch of drunk guys, liquor sloshing in their cups. That's a funny word. Sloshing. Anyways, they weren't doing anything terrible. Just drinking. A drink or two always makes a party better. You'd think that my name, Emma, would be hard to slur, but apparently not.

So, after I left them, I got in line for liquor. And then, that's when you appeared, Art. In all of your pretty-boy glory, you somehow... appeared behind me. You tapped my shoulder, a hand running through your dark blue hair, your crimson eyes looking away awkwardly. I remember what you said.

"Look... I don't know why, but I have a feeling that we need to talk."

I turned to you, with what was probably the biggest, dumbest smile I've ever had.

I remember. You took my arm, leading me to a couch. You took a seat. I took a seat. You took your cup and poured half of it into mine. That might seem like a scummy "get the girl drunk" kind of move, but I could tell it wasn't. You're not that kind of person.

So, what did we do? We set down our cups and just... talked. I remember everything from that night. It was the first time I ever really... talked with someone. We had so much in common, from our troubles to the bastards at school. It felt so good, talking.

But...

There were some things I just... couldn't bring myself to tell you. About... my thoughts of... s- ... no. I hate that word. Maybe... It was too early. Or, maybe it was too late, at that point. Who knows? What's past is past. I've made up my mind now, and by the time you listen to this, Art? I'll be long gone.

You kept saying that we would get along. That we clicked. That we would get along great. But you never said how. You never said why. Was it just a passing feeling? I don't know anymore.

The girl sitting next to me kept bumping into me, giggling like a maniac, acting all drunk, and talking to a guy. It was funny at first, sure, but it got old real fast.

You noticed I was uncomfortable, didn't you? that's why you took my hand and pulled me off the couch. We walked for a little while, going through the house, talking. The music was too loud, so, at some point, we entered an empty room. We sat down at the bed.

Then, I kissed you.

Oh, Art, your look was priceless. You're really cute when you get flustered, you know?

I felt something in that kiss. A chance to start over. But start over what? I had already made up my mind at that point. No, not killing myself. That came later. No, I was dead-set on floating through school, not getting close to anyone.

...

Now, to those of you watching, I'll tell you what me and Artemis did that day.

...

We kissed. That's it. A real surprise for Emma Brown, the s1ut, right? Yeah, I know. Well, I'm sorry if that was a disappointing answer.

...

Here comes the part I regret the most, Art.

When you kissed me again, lightly, I felt that tug, that pulling of my heartstrings. But... at the time, I didn't think I wanted this. Looking back, I think that I was just scared. So, I pushed you away. Do you remember what I said? I hope you do, because I remember. My words were "Don't. I don't want to bring you down with me." And then, your words are something I'll never forget.

"I don't care."

But, I didn't listen. I told you to get out. You didn't. So I raised my voice, to tell you to get out. Over and over. It took you forever to leave. But when you finally realized I wasn't kidding, I think that's when I finally broke. I remember your little actions, your face.

You stared at me, for a moment, looking like you felt terrible. Then, your expression hardened, forcibly. Back to your cold, dark self. Do you remember what you said? You said that you were sorry. I watched your tall, thin frame turn and leave, walking into the booming music and LED lights of the party, until you disappeared into the crowd.

and then.

I broke down. I cried my heart out, in that empty, cold room, for what felt like an eternity.

And...

That's where your side of the tape ends.

Turn it over, please. Hear the rest.

… You’ll see how this all connects.

You know, Art? For what it’s worth… I’m sorry, too.

"You're really leaving, huh, Ramona?"

A pink-haired girl rubs her hands together, blowing on her cold hands.

It's a chilly January afternoon, and two girls stand side-by-side, wrapped from head to toe in winter clothes. The pink-haired one, Emma, is wearing a heavy fleece jacket, with a beanie, and red gloves. The dark-haired one, Ramona, is wearing a puffy windbreaker, a scarf, a pair of gloves, and earmuffs.

Ramona laughed, elbowing the other girl in the side.

"Ay, you're losing your only friend. How sad, mm?"

Emma glared at her friend, crossing her arms in mock annoyance.

"Oh, shut up, you. Just because I have a harder time making friends compared to you is no excuse to make fun of me!"

"What're you gonna do about it, shorty," Ramona said, teasingly. "You can't even reach the cupboard, much less stop m-"

Ramona was cut off by Emma, who tackled her into a pile of snow, like a small pink ball of fury.

"You jerk! You don't have to be so mean!"

Ramon pushed Emma off of her, laughing. She lay in the snow, grinning over at Emma, beside her.

"You know I don't mean it, Em."

Ramona, with that oh-so-familiar devilish glint in her eye, continued talking.

"Plus, I've already set up a little something for you to meet some more people."

Emma's face paled.

"Oh, no. What did you do this time?"

---

Wake up, eat, go to school, go home, study, eat, sleep, rinse and repeat.

That was Artemis Wright's entire schedule.

Sure, he had a few friends, like Ramona, but that was because he met them when he was young. He had no true friends, simply acquaintances. His quiet nature (combined with his social awkwardness) made it difficult to make friends. Not that he minded. He was fine with staying at home and reading novels.

If that was true, then why was he currently at Ramona's house, standing awkwardly in a corner, sipping from a cup, watching the 'normal' people chat and party away?

Well, It was because of Ramona, of course. A day ago, he'd gotten an invite to her going-away party, and he'd felt obligated to go, because she was one of his only true friends. She had promised to give him somewhere quiet, but she had not delivered. To be expected.

As he sipped from his cup, he noticed Romana coming his way, with a girl he recognized. Quite well, in fact. Emma Brown, the newest kid in town, and his co-worker at the Movie Theater. He groaned. Sure, she was pretty, and funny, but she was far too high-energy for Artemis.

he tried to look away, but Ramona had already made eye contact. She waved, and came over to him, pulling Emma along.

"Art! You made it! And here I was, thinking you wouldn't come."

Artemis gave a tired, awkward smile.

"How could I miss it? My only friend's leaving for a good while."

Artemis couldn't help but take note of Emma, hiding behind Ramona. He smiled. How cute. Ramona noticed this, grinning devilishly. She pushed Emma forward.

"Arty! Have you met my friend, Emma?"

"Yes, actually. We both work in the theater, down the road.

Ramona seemed surprised by this. She looked at Emma, who pointedly looked away from Ramona. Artemis waved cheerfully at Emma.

"Em!"

"You're not my mom, Ramona. I don't need to tell y-"

"I'm glad you met Art! He's the only decent guy at our school, after all."

Artemis watched on, smiling cheerfully.

---

Emma blinked.

"... what?"

Ramona clapped, smiling cheerfully.

"he's the only decent guy at our school! Sure, he might not be muscular or anything, but just look at him! He's the prettiest boy around! Plus, he's the only one who has any fashion sense at all! Plus, all the other guys are pricks. Arty here is a creative mind."

Emma frowned, crossing her arms.

"Oh, so this is what this is about, huh, Ramona?"

"Em, don't take it the wrong way, it's just I thought you two would get al-"

Artemis cut Ramona off.

"Hey, girls, cut it out, please? You're being a bit rude, don't you think?"

His voice was soft, quiet. Clearly, he didn't like fights. Ramona stopped talking, laughing awkwardly.

"Ah, sorry Art. As I was saying, Emma, meet Artemis Wright, the smartest guy in the entirety of the high school. Artemis, meet Emma Brown, the prettiest girl in our high school. After me, of cou-"

Ramona coughed as Emma slapped her on the back. Emma took a step forward, looking up at Artemis. Literally up. Art was nearly a foot taller. He had to stifle laughter. Emma frowned.

"What's so funny, Artemis?"

Emma was very close to him, hands on her hips. Artemis shook his head, his pale skin flushing pink.

"Nothing, nothing."

[Before we start, new character!]
Zacharias "Zach" Murphy
short, fiery reddish-orange hair, green eyes, light skin.
Usually wears a varsity jacket over a crumpled black t-shirt and black shorts.
Has no fashion sense.
Anti-bully
Artemis' best(and childhood) friend

In the local diner, four friends are seated in a booth, arguing over a group of figurines and a board. The sound of dice clattering against the metal of the table could distinctly be heard.

"-nat-1! The troll swings its' club in a large arc, slamming against Cassandra, and sending her flying to the wall! Ramona, roll death saves!"

The orange-tinted glasses on the table jumped up, landing back on the table with a clatter. Miraculously, nothing was spilled. Ramona got up from her seat in the booth, pointing accusingly at Artemis, who had a smug, shit-eating grin on his face.

"You no-good cheating bastard! This is the third time this session! You expect me to believe I keep rolling nat-1's, over and over? Bull-SHIT! I call bullshi-mph! Mphah--"

A hand covered her mouth, as Zach forced her down back into her seat. The firey-headed youth sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Mona, no need fo' that! Chillax, girl! We're in public!"

Ramona grumbled angrily, as she crossed her arms over her chest. She huffed, turning away. Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, her head resting on Artemis' shoulder, Emma was stifling laughter. Ramona glared daggers at her best friend.

"What's so funny, Emma, you traitor? I know the guys say 'bros before hoes,' but the same applies to you!"

Emma grinned lazily, cheekily. She shrugged slightly, laughing lightly. Artemis watched the entire exchange with that smug grin on his face.

"It's not Art's fault you have dogshit luck, Ramona."

"Beginner's luck wears off quickly~"

Artemis laughed, his words teasing and light. His glasses fell off the bridge of his nose, but he quickly grabbed them before they could fall on the dirty floor of the diner. Ramona was fuming, literally red in the face. Zach put a hand on her forehead.

"Ay, 'Mona, you 'kay? Yer' burnin' up!"

Ramona flushed red.

"Don't touch me-"

Quickly slapping Zach's hand away, she grabbed the 20-sided die. With a quick shake of her hands, she threw the die onto the table.

11.

"Alright, Ramona! Just two more times~"

Artemis singsonged his words, teasing her. Ramona nearly got out of her seat her hand clenched into a fist.

"You fu-"

Zach forced her down once more, sighing. Emma laughed. Artemis snickered. Ramona flushed red.

A waitress came around, holding a plate, as waitresses often do. She set the plate down on their table. Pizza.

Ramon grabbed a slice.

"I hate you fucking bastards..."

She was smiling though.

It’s dark.

Too dark.

A soft voice plays through his yellow headphones, bitter and harsh.

“Some of you cared. None of you cared enough.”

The youth looked like he could be handsome if he hadn’t spent the past three days locked in his room.

He was curled up in a ball in the corner of his bed, staring at the cassette tapes strewn across his bed. The one that was playing in the walkman, at the moment, was labeled, in sparkly pink nail polish, “7.”

11 days ago, she’d visited the school counselor.

10 days ago, she’d handed over her bike to Zacharias Murphy, the youth’s best friend.

9 days ago, the tapes were sent to the first person.

8 days ago, it was her funeral.

4 days ago, he’d gotten a paper bag of cassette tapes.

3 days ago, he’d gone on a town-wide trip, listening to the tapes over a cup of coffee.

Now, he was moping. Grieving,

He’d been the last to receive the tapes.

Perhaps the other bastards had some sort of conscience, giving them to him last.

Perhaps it was a cruel trick, designed to torture him, the only one she had praised throughout the tapes.

He couldn’t take it.

The overwhelming sense of guilt.

“I could have stopped it. The signs were all there.”

“I killed Emma Brown.”

“I killed her.’

The familiar sound of static came, as the recording on the tape stopped. He stared at the walkman.

That had been the last tape.

He took the cassette out and flipped it over.

Static.

Nothing.

What had he expected?

She said it herself, after all.

7 sides to the story.

7 people who killed her.

7.

No more, no le-

“Artemis.”

The youth snapped out of his daze, staring down at the yellow walkman in his hands. A soft voice rang out.

“Artemis Wright. I didn’t think you would be one for moping over a dead girl.”

Her laughter was soft, quiet, so different from her familiar boisterous, brash laughter.

“Well, I suppose I must’ve known, in some way. I am recording this, after all.”

The youth stared blankly at the tape, his crimson eyes empty.

“Artemis. Don’t feel too bad, okay? It’s not your fault. I made this decision on my own.”

Comforting. Quiet. Who was this person? This was not Emma Brown. No, Emma Brown never comforted others. She was never quiet. Never this soft.

“Please, Artemis. Move on.”

He couldn’t.

“There’s no use in crying over a dead girl.”

He refused to.

“You’re so strong. You’re so expressionless.”

Not when it came to her.

“I know you can take it.”

He couldn’t take it.

“I love that about you.”

That made it worse.

“I couldn’t take it. But you can. Don’t end up like me.”

He couldn’t.

“You’ll forget about me, soon. You’ll move on.”

He didn’t want to move on.

“The past is past. You can’t change it, so move on.”

He could have changed i-

“Live your life without regrets.”

How could he not regret it?

“Goodbye, Artemis.”

He didn’t want her voice to stop,

“... I love you, you moron.”

She had loved him. It hurt so much.

“See you on the other side.”

He felt so empty.

“This is Emma Brown, signing off, for the final time.”

The sound of pebbles falling from a high spot. The sound of sand being kicked around. The sound of grass being uprooted.

Zach could hear all of this, as he took his daily hike through the mountain. It was usually quiet, this time of day. But it seemed there were others around him, for once.

He heard something. If it were anyone other than him, they wouldn’t have heard it, quiet and soft. Heartbroken.

“I’m so sorry…”

Quickly, Zach veered off the path, running through the forest. He knew that voice all too well. It belonged to someone who had no business on a mountain in the early morning. He pushed through the leaves, crashing into a clearing.

“Artemis? Buddy, issat you?”

The youth looked up, turning slightly to look at Zach. It was as he suspected. There, sitting at the edge of a cliff, was his best friend.

---

Artemis Wright, the bullied kid genius, was tired of life.

No.

He wasn’t tired of life. He was sick of it.

As he stared at the sleeping town below him from his perch upon the cliff, He had an idea.

He was here anyway.

Why not?

What was the point, really.

She was gone.

It was his fault.

He didn’t think he could live with the guilt.

He put a hand to the yellow headphones covering his ears.

“I know you can take it.”
“You were wrong for once, Em. I can’t take it. I’m so sorry.”

He pulled off the headphones, setting them on the walkman on the ground beside him.

Then, he heard a familiar voice.

“Artemis? Buddy, issat you?”

He turned slightly, looking at his best friend.

“Hey Zach.”

“... What’re y-you doin’ up here, Art?”

The Irish boy looked nervous, reaching out for him. Artemis turned back to the sky.

“... Good morning, Zach.”

Zach’s eyes wandered, to the walkman on the ground.

“You’re… you’re listening to the tapes, aga-”

“I’m so sick of it, zach.”

“Sick of what?”

“Everything.”

Zach took a step forward. Artemis kept his eyes on the horizon. He continued talking.

“... I miss her. I miss her so much, it hurts.”

“I-I miss her too, buddy.”

“It’s not the same for you, Zach. She loved me. And I couldn’t do anything to help her.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“It was.”

Artemis got up from his seat, arms spread out. Zach took another step forward.

“I-it wasn’t, buddy. I swear. If anything, it was my fault. She came to me on her last day, after all…”

Artemis looked back at Zach, a bitter smile on his face. Zach finally realized what was going on, as Artemis turned to face him.

“Art, no!”

Artemis opened his mouth to say something, taking a step backwards, off into the dark sky.

“... End scene.”

A man stands in the middle of the bloodied battlefield, a book dripping blood in one hand, and a dagger in the other. His cloak is stained with the blood of his enemies. Yet, through all the slaughter, he’s never uttered a single word, never made a single sound.

It’s as if he’s a shadow.

As the princess of the Roshfeld kingdom, Emiline Roshfeld-Brown, stared up at the man in front of her, she felt naught but one thing.

Terror.

This man, this unknown battle mage from the ends of the kingdom, was Terror Incarnate.

His crimson eyes pierced through her soul.

His messy blue hair blew in the wind, his pale skin streaked scarlet with the blood of his enemies.

He ripped off the bandanna covering the bottom half of his face, wiping the blood off his face.

The worst thing?

He was good-looking.

If his father had offered him as a suitor, and if she was judging solely on appearance, she would have accepted.

But there was no place to think these thoughts right now.

She was Emiline Roshfeld-Brown, the youngest female 9-star mage in history.

“You… you’re a monster. To have taken down half of the Imperial army’s most elite, by yourself, with a book and a dagger. Before you kill me, may I know one thing, warrior?”

Seeing as her head had not been bashed in, like the soldiers around her, she assumed it was a yes.

“What is your name?”

The man’s cold expression didn’t change. He stared at her with those cold, empty eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, as he raised the book over his head.

“Artemis Wright. The last of the Berserker mages of the northern continent.”

Emiline’s eyes widened. But after a moment, she nodded, closing her jade eyes. She gripped the necklace around her neck, a cube, with intricate carvings emblazoned onto it. It was said that this cube was able to protect its user from death once. Bullshit.

“Ah… I see. So that is why you’re doing th-”

“You have given a valiant effort, today. Most would try to save their own lives, but you have not. Rest well in the halls of Valhalla, Emiline Roshfeld-Brown. Goodbye.”

Before she could finish her sentence, his book came slamming down on her head. She heard a loud crack, and immediately, everything went black.

But…

She did not feel dead.

She could see her body. She could move her body. It’s just that everything was black.

Then, a glowing, ever-turning cube appeared before her.

The artifact.

Above it, in glowing yellow text, it read

[Now Showing Report.]

[Combat Prowess- A+ (Could be improved, but 9-star spells sure are powerful!)]
[Achievements- S (Youngest female 9-star mage? Incredible!)]
[Personality- S (What a kind soul!)]
[Reputation- FFF- (The citizens really despise the royal family, huh? What a pity.)]

[Initialization Complete.]

[Welcome, Player Emiline Brown, to the world of Fantasia.]

[As a regression bonus, Status Menu has been unlocked.]

[Thank you for using CUBE.]

[Now returning to [Month 7, Day 17, Year 782], 2 months before [The Coming of Age Ceremony]]

[Good luck!]

Emma stared numbly at the locker in front of her, covered from top to bottom in yellow sticky notes.

A picture of a blue-haired youth, handsome but thin, light bouncing off of the metal rim of his glasses. his smile was wry, like he’d just heard a particularly amusing inside joke.

All of these notes were fake. Fake, fake fake. Disgusting. All these people, who didn’t give Artemis Wright a single glance when he’d lived, were now saying that they cared, that they wished he had said something.

Emma Brown glared at the notes. The crowd of students rushed past her. The school was already out. Why waste their time by respecting the memory of Artemis?

Bunch of hypocrites.

She tried to turn away, but a heavy hand rested on her shoulder.

Emma glared up at the man next to her.

Hank Armstrong, the self-proclaimed “King” of Burbank high, a star athlete, and the biggest asshole she knew.

“Hah. What a joke. Should’ve asked for help? Dead is an improvement for ol’ Artemis.”

Emma slapped the jock’s hand away, glaring at him.

“Say his name one more time with your filthy mouth again, Armstrong. I dare you.”

“What’re you gonna do about it, Brown?

“I’ll punch you out if you don’t shut the hell up, arms-”

Emma was yanked away by a familiar red-headed youth.

“Ey! Zach! Letgo-”

“Sorry ‘bout that, Hank! I’ll be taking Emma now!”

---

Zach pushed her into the shotgun seat, slamming the door as soon as she entered.

He got into the driver's seat, popping a cassette tape into the car. His car was so old it used Cassettes.

“Zach! What was that f-”

She paused, seeing the look on Zach’s face. He looked like he was just barely holding back tears, slumped over the wheel.

“... Zach? Are… are you oka-”

“... Em. Just… Let me drive you home. Hank’s not worth it.”

Emma stopped talking. She slowly nodded.

Neither of them listened to the song playing through the cassette, Emma looking out the window, Zach focused on the road. It was deathly quiet.

Zach pulled over when they arrived at her house.

“Em? You might want to check your mailbox.”

“... okay…?”

Without elaborating further, he sped off.

She opened the mailbox.

Sure enough, there was a wrapped paper box, light and small. No return address. No sender. Addressed directly to her.

As she unlocked the front door, she tore at the cardboard box. Inside was a paper bag, containing 4 cassette tapes.

Quickly, she threw the cardboard into the rubbish bin and made her way up to her bedroom. She searched for a moment, pulling out a walkman from the depths of her desk.

"Now who the hell would send something like this my way, hm?"

"...m! Em! Emiline, wake up!"

Emiline awoke with a jolt, to see a brown-haired girl, peppy and bursting with energy standing over her, arms crossed over her chest.

she knew who this was.

...but that was impossible

The person standing over her had died 2 years prior.

"Em! Jeez, you scared me! Don't go passing out like that, all of a sudden!'

Ramona Garcia, the heir to the Garcia Dukedom, and Emiline's best friend, as a child. she had been loyal to her to her final days, when she was killed in the war against the Dark Elves.

but now, she was standing over her.

Then, she remembered.

the artifact.

It had to be.

She got up from her seat suddenly, looking around. Ramona jumped back in surprise. Emiline knew where this was.

The library.

Specifically, the library of Chrono Academy, the academy for the central continent's up-and-coming hotshots, said to be created by a team up by the goddess of wisdom and war, Olympia, and the god of fortune and mischief himself, Ralaks, in ancient times to foster heroes who would destroy the demons that plagued the continent.

They were in one of the private study rooms. well, they said study rooms, but it was more of a lounge, fully equipped with sofas, a magic snack bar, and other such amenities.

Emiline looked around the room.

"Ay! Em, where're you going? Em? Em!"

she stopped in front of a mirror.

staring back at her, was... herself.

Obviously.

but... much younger than when she had died.

She slowly turned to ramona, who had a look of concern in her eyes.

Emiline stared at her for a moment.

"Ramona...? What year is this?"

---

"hah... So I'm really back in time..."

Emiline was currently slumped over a desk, groaning.

Ramona had left a few minutes ago, clearly confused, but didn't ask any questions, out of courtesy.

"Okay, to recap, I got killed on the battlefield by that Mage, then this... cube necklace thing sent me back in time to my academy days.'

She scribbled this down in an empty notebook, frowning.

"... but why? What's the point/ It's not like I have any real goals or regr-...'

she paused.

"Right, the bastards that ruined my father's image. I need to stop them."

she flipped to a new page of the notebook, and quickly wrote down a list of objectives.

"I need to become stronger if I want to stop them...and then, there's him."

one name was circled.

Artemis Wright.

"Artemis Wright. I remember hearing stories about him. The heir to the throne of the Northern Empire. and..."

Emiline turned around and punched the wall behind her.

"He's... in the same year as me."

“The #1 and #2 ranked players in all of the 1.3 billion person player base of fantasiaOnline, the largest VRMMORPG in the world, faced off in the final match of the tournaments two years to this day, the day FantasiaOnline two releases! Before we watch the highlights of this historic battle, let’s have a quick overview of the two players, shall we?”

Two profiles appeared on the screen of the phone.

First, a blue-haired man wearing a black electronic mask, with only two pixilated white circles for eyes. He wore a simple white cloak.

The profile read

[Librarian]
[Real Name: A.Wright]
[Level 2395]
[#1 Ranked Player in all of Fantasia Online, even after quitting]
[Infamous for his insanely high intellect and incredible skills. Considered a leader of unconventional methods]
[Class- Olympia’s Librarian]
[Age- thought to be between 19 and 22]

[Items]
[Godslayer’s Coat- God grade]
[Agility +1,000]

[The Neon Mask of Strategy- Exclusive grade
[Intelligence +649, Agility +200, Defense +100, Luck +300, Melee +100. Exclusive skill [Time Stop]]

[Regressor’s Pocketwatch- Legend Grade]
[Agility +400, Intelligence +600. Exclusive Skill [Rewind]]

[Olympia’s Glasses- God Grade]
[Intelligence +600, Divinity +200. Exclusive Skill [Fear]]

[Ralak’s Book of Fortune- God Grade]
[Luck +300. Exclusive Skill [Coin Flip]]

[Gikische’s Book of Planning- God Grade]
[Intelligence +1,000]

[Skills (known)]
[Books are Not For Fighting!- Passive Legend Grade]

[Titles(known)]
[Learned Scholar- Passive Rare Grade]
[Olympia’s Chosen One- Passive God Grade]

[Stats(keep in mind, you gain 3 stat points per level up)]
[Melee- 312]
[Defense- 291]
[Agility- 3,936]
[Luck- 3,002]
[Intelligence- 4,893]
[Divinity- 10,984]
[Demonic Energy- 9,999]

“Now, [Librarian] was considered the #1 player amongst the rankers for a variety of reasons. The main one, however, was because of his usage of the little-known class [Librarian], a rare-grade Class, that was seen as useless due to its low combat capabilities. However, Librarian, though methods that are unknown to this day, broke through that barrier, and found the first-ever legend-grade skill, [Books are Not For Fighting!] which, contrary to its name, gave any books he wielded properties of a [Blunt] type weapon, with denseness, hardness, and skills proportional to the rarity of the book. Reportedly, in his final battle two years ago, he used a [Slice] type book.’

“He was also the first ever player to gain a God-grade class, [Olympia’s Librarian], and unlock the [Divinity] stat. He re-established the abandoned church of Olympia, goddess of wisdom and Strategy, before leaving the game.”

“Next, we have the #2 ranked player at the time,[The Duelist of Death], Emma Brown!”

The profile next to Stratcian’s was hers. A beautiful teen, with rosy-pink hair, a confident smile, and azure eyes, wearing a black duelist’s outfit, embroidered with silver skulls.

The profile read

[Cyanidepill/DeathDuelist]
[Level 2067]
[Real Name- Emma Brown]
[#2 Ranked Player at the time, currently #1]
[Infamous for her high skill at the game, with insane reaction times and agile attacks]
[Class- Thanatos’ Incarnation]

[Age- 19]

[Items]

[Thanatos’ Chains- God grade]
[Melee +1,000. Exclusive Skill [Thanatos’ Curse]]

[Death Duelist’s Outfit- Exclusive Grade]
[Melle +199, Defense +900, Agility +200. Exclusive Title [Duelist of Death]]

[the Ring of Insomnia- Epic Grade]
[Luck set to 0, Intelligence +600. Exclusive Skill [Insomniac]]

[Death’s Touch (Gloves)- God Grade]
[Agility +800]

[Dagger of Shadows- Epic Grade]
[Agility +400. Exclusive skill [Death Slash]]

[Skills (known)]
[Thanatos’ Curse- Active Legend Grade]
[Death Slash- Active Legend Grade]
[Shadow Step- Active Epic Grade]
[Insomniac- Passive Epic Skill]

[Titles(known)]
[Duelist of Death- Passive Epic Grade]
[Thanatos’ Reincarnation- Passive God Grade]

[Stats(keep in mind, you gain 3 stat points per level up)]
[Melee- 3,199]
[Defense- 3,100]
[Agility- 3,100]
[Luck- 0]
[Intelligence- 1,100]
[Divinity- 5,400]
[Demonic Energy- 9]

“Miss Brown, a famous star these days, was #2 back when she was 17. She started off as a [Rogue], but advanced to a [Duelist] later on. She completed the second-ever Legend-grade quest to become the [Incarnation of Thanatos]. Now, don’t tell her I said this, but it seems she’s been #2 in everything, always just narrowly beaten by our masked librarian friend. This may be controversial, but, I don’t think she could have won, in that final match, if it hadn’t been for libr-”

The audio fizzled out, as Emma Brown threw the phone into the hard, cold pavement of the sidewalk, as she exited the store, with a new edition of FantasiaOnline2.

At the same time, A man with round glasses, crimson eyes and messy blue hair bumped into her.

“Hey! Watch where you’re go-”

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!”

The man sped off, in the opposite direction, panic in his eyes.

Emma watched.

“What’s his deal?”

—--------------------------------------------------

Artemis locked the door behind him, completely out of breath.

He navigated his way through the messy excuse of an apartment he called home, to the VR capsule.

Ripping away the plastic of the box with his teeth, he placed the disc inside the machine.

He crawled inside the capsule, closing his eyes.

When he opened them again, he was in an empty blue space, a single sentence on the screen in front of him.

What is your name, great Player-nim?

“... Librarian. My name will be Librarian.”

Are you sure?

“Absolutely.”

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“D-DIRECTOR!”

A man in a suit burst into Director Zacharias Murphy’s office. Zach looked away from his computer screen.

“What is it?”

“L-Librarian! H-he’s back! Someone with the same capsule, AW649, just entered FO2!”

Zach slammed his hand onto the table, grinning, his eyes glinting.

“That sonofa… After all that talk about never returning, he couldn’t stop himself after all, huh? Tell management. Tell them to get the “Artemis Wright Welcome Set” ready. Go!’

“Y-yes sir!”

—--------------------------------------------------------------------

Emma clapped excitedly, jumping up in excitement. She had just finished her tutorial, and she’d gotten the high-

All time High score! [Librarian] takes first with a whopping 10,246 tutorial points, 2,046 higher than the previous highest, [JoyfulCyanide]!

“...”

Emma stared at the notification in front of her.

“... god… DAMNIT!”

She punched the wall next to her, hard enough to crack it.

“WHY DID YOU COME BACK!”


—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Artemis saw a notification in front of him.

You have a message from [ZachariasMurphy]!

[Dear Art,]

[It’s me, Zach! I noticed you came to check out our new game! We at Fantasia got together, in case you came back, and coded in a little gift for you! Don’t leave the tutorial without it!]

[Sincerely, Your best friend.]
[Zacharias Murphy]

There was a gift icon at the bottom of the message. When Artemis pressed it, a black mask appeared in his hand.

He smiled to himself.

“Oh, Zach. You always outdo yourself, my friend.”

He put it on, and it immediately flickered to life, two neon circles appearing.

[The Neon Mask the Learned Scholar
[Exclusive-grade]
[Growth-Type]
[Intelligence +6, Agility +4, Luck +9. Exclusive skill [Time Slow]]
[Part of the [Librarian-Nim] Set]
[Set Bonus]
[Skill- [6th Sense]]
[Stat- [Chaos Energy]]

[Remaining Pieces]
[The Neon Mask of the Learned Scholar] [1/1]
[The Learned Scholar's Godslayer Cloak] [0/1]
[The Learned Scholar's Pocketwatch of Regression] [0/1]
[The Learned Scholar's Tomes of Battle] [0/2]
[The Learned Scholar's Blessed Glasses] [0/1]

He smiled to himself.

“How have you been, my beautiful mask? I’ve missed you.”

You have a message from [ZachariasMurphy]!

[Dear Art,]

[Oops! I almost forgot! Since you’re all about fun gaming and challenges, we decided to give you a special… gift. Yeah, a gift.]

[Good luck!]

Artemis warily stared at the gift button. That wasn’t good.

With a defeated sigh, he pressed it.

“All for the sake of fun!”

Congratulations, Player [Librarian]! Your class is now [Destitute Bookeeper]!

-10 Melee, -10 Defense, Inability to wield anything other than books.

As a bonus for obtaining the first [HARDCORE] class, all your stats have increased by 5.

Incredible! You’ve only just reached the tutorial, but your stats have increased past the level of a Level 10 player!

Congratulations, you earned the [Rare-Grade] Passive Skill [Papercuts]!

All books now work as [Slice] type weapons! All attacks from books have a 10% chance to cause stacking bleeding.

Now updating rankings…

#1, Librarian (Level 5)
#2, JoyfulCyanide (Level 12)
#3, ZachariasMurphy (Level 10)

Artemis stared at the screen, in shock.

He quietly muttered to himself, closing the screen.

“Zach, you bastard... She’s gonna kill me… this was your plan, wasn’t it… Fucking traitor…”

It seemed he was less worried about the penalties and more so about the fact that he had gotten 1st.

Exit tutorial?

“...Yeah…”

He gripped the book in his hand tightly.

“Let’s go.”

—--------------------------------------

2
Years
Ago
…

“AND! THE WINNER OF FANTASIAONLINE’S ALL-STARS TOURNAMENT IS EMMA BROWN!”

A man lies on the floor, his white coat sprawled out. The dust settled, and the crowd was silent. The book that was once gripped tightly in his hand was now on the dusty, sandy floor.

A pink-haired girl stands on the other side of the field, gasping for breath.

“The Mad Librarian… he lives up to his name, with all the crazy shit he pulled.”

“I have to admit, [Librarian], It’s my total loss. If your final attack had inflicted [Bleeding] on me, I would have lost.”

“...”


“Enough. Enough of your bullshit, Miss Brown.”

[Librarian] struggled to his feet. His ever-present mask was cracked in half, revealing his crimson eyes.

“Enough of it. There’s nothing wrong with my book. I’ve used it millions of times. And I always got what I wanted. I was long overdue for something like this.”

Emma frowned, as she watched the masked man get to his feet.

“It’s not fair! Fuck, you have everything. Talent, looks, luck… a good personality! Screw this!”

Emma watched him.

“So, what’s your plan, [Librarian]? A rematch? I’m sure that the judges would let us, if we asked.”

“... We? There is no we, anymore, Miss Brown.”

“What?”

“I think…”

A screen appeared in front of [Librarian], and a red button appeared.

“I think it’s time to quit.”

“Wait-”

[Account AW649 has been deleted. Updating global rankings…]

[#1 ↑ DeathDuelist]

And, just like that, the number one player of Fantasia Online disappeared forever.

…

Until today, that is.

Emma watched [Librarian] curiously, following him as he bought various items.

“... did you mean it, back then?”

[Librarian] looked back at her.

“Hm? Oh, you were still here, Miss Brown?”

“Oh, you petty bast- no. No. Did you mean it?”

He tilted his head slightly.

“Meant what?”

Emma huffed in annoyance.

“What do you mean ‘what’? 2 years ago. What you said. Talent, personality, looks…”

[Librarian] stared at her for a moment, before going back to doing his thing.

“... I don’t know what you mean, Miss Brown. I have no recollection of anything like that.”

He waved to the guards, as they pushed the gates of the town open.

He walked out of town, Emma walking behind him.

“That doesn’t sound like me, now does it?”

“No, but you s-”

“Plus, who would ever make the mistake of thinking YOU have a good personality.”

“Y-you! You Bastard!”

-End Scene-


[Librarian]
[Artemis Wright]
[20 years old]
[Currently ranked #1]
[level 6]
[Class- Destitute Librarian]

[Items]
[Tome of Knowledge- Normal Grade]
[Wanderer’s Cloak- Normal Grade]
[The Neon Mask of the Learned Scholar]

[Skills]
[Papercuts-Passive Rare Grade]

Upon achieving his revenge, Artemis Wright no longer had any purpose in life.

The central kingdom who had destroyed his family were gone, dead by his hands, by the bloody book grasped in his hands.

Under the name of "Orion," He traveled the lands, dueling those he found as worthy opponents.

But...

There were none who could match him.

He grew dissatisfied with his lifestyle.

So, he decided, in his later years, that he would launch one last effort to find enjoyable battles, by invading the southern empire.

And it was at the capital of the southern continent, by an elderly man wielding a black-iron sword who called himself the "Sword Saint," stabbed the last of the Berserker Mages of the North, the Scholar of Death, Artemis Wright, through the heart.

And so, He died, bleeding out of the paved roads of the City of Gold, Kardesh.

He found himself with one last regret, however.

The princess of the Central Continent.

The only true warrior he had never had a chance to talk to, to fight.

He had never even gotten to talk to her about the intricately-designed cube-shaped artifact.

How disappointing.

...

[Now Showing Report.]

[Combat Prowess- SSS+ (simply incredible. I applaud you, Sir Wright, for reaching such a level of power.)]
[Achievements- Z+ (... Nobody has ever killed the dragon king Noebius. Incredible.)]
[Personality- ??? (... who are you really, Mr. Wright?)]
[Reputation- ??? (Nobody likes you, but nobody hates you. What an enigma, you are.)]

[Initialization Complete.]

[Welcome, Player Artemis "Orion" Wright, to the world of Fantasia.]

[As a regression bonus, Status Menu has been unlocked.]

[As a bonus for reaching [Z+] rank in Achievements, skills [Books are Not For Fighting] and [Berserker-Mage Mana Breathing] have been unlocked!]

[Thank you for using CUBE.]

[Now returning to [Month 7, Day 18, Year 782], 2 months before [Emiline Roshfeld-Brown's Coming of Age Ceremony]]

[Good luck! May you find your soulmate in this life.]

And now, here he was, staring up at the ceiling of his room at Chrono Academy.

How incredible, this was.

A second chance.

"That... fucking moron..."

Zacharias Murphy slammed a fist onto his table, glaring at the user data of one specific person.

Artemis. Wright.

"We give him all these boosts, and the former #1 player can't even get from level 6 to 30 in a month?"

He sighed, settling back into his seat.

"Fine, you know what, maybe we were too harsh with the debuffs."

He dialed a number on the phone next to his computer.

"Tell them to tweak [Librarian]'s class data a bit. Rank him up to [Underaverage Scholar]. That's on the level of a Tutorial-grade class anyways."

"..."

"Alright, thanks."

he slumped back into his chair.

"...Something feels off..."

--------------------------------------------------

"...?"

Artemis watched as his class flickered and changed, from [Destitute Librarian] to [Underaverage Scholar]. He took another bite of the meat skewer he was eating, sitting at a fire, his mask removed.

"... Why did they do that? I was finishing up the [RabbitSlayer] quest from the old guardsman...? Oh, and increasing my luck."

He finished the skewer.

[You've eaten [Low-Grade Cooked Rabbit's Foot]. Luck has increased by 5.]

He flicked through the class details, humming lightly as he slipped the mask back on.

[Librarian]
[Level 16]
[Attack- 4]
[Defense- 5]
[Intelligence- 14]
[Agility- 16]
[Luck- 54]

[Class]
[Underaverage Scholar]
[CHALLENGE[Normal]]
[Congratulations, you're no longer a poor schmuck! Now that you're a scholar, you're able to create skill books! But, don't be fooled, your production of skill books has a 75% chance to fail! And out of the remaining 25%, only 0.1% of those will be above [rare] grade!]
[-5 Attack, -5 Defense, +10 intelligence]

[Low-Grade Skill Book Creation]
[Rare]
[You can create skill books, albeit at a low rate. Chances are increased with the [LUCK] stat, with higher grade materials.]

"... a production-type class? that's new."

he flicked through his inventory, pulling out a rabbit's foot and an inkwell.

"... Low-Tier Skill Book Creation...?"

Immediately, the items started to glow, and a screen appeared before him.

[Now creating skill book.]
[Please wait...]

[...]

[...]

[Congratulations! [Rare] grade skill, [Coin Flip] has been created!]

[Coin Flip]
[Rare]
[Are you a gambling man, my friend? Well, if you are, then this is for you. Heads for a 1.5x damage modifier for 5 seconds, and tails for a status effect on your opponent! Cooldown of 20 seconds.]

Artemis whistled, staring at the book in his hands.

"It's... not bad! surprisingly. Is it because my luck is high?"

He paused and thought for a moment, before flicking open the auction tab. He inserted the skill book into the screen, typing out a quick description.

"It's a shame, but [Rare] grade skills go for a lot. Most people only have [Normal] grade skills."

[Starting Price- 1 Gold (~15 dollars)]

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Guild Master! Guild Master! You have to see this!"

Emma ganced up from the forum thread she was reading, about a recently discovered dungeon.

"Silas? What is it?"

"Someone put up a [Rare] grade skill in the Auction House! And get this! It's [Librarian]!"

Emma stared at him.

"...what?"

her voice was quiet. She only got like that when she was annoyed.

"A-a... [Rare] grade skill from [Librarian]-nim, ma'am..."

"...How much is it?'

"1 gold and 35 silver, and it's rising quickly."

"What is it?"

"A skill called [Coin Flip] that either gives a damage buff or inflicts status effects on your opponent, ma'am."

Her face was shadowed, as she turned away.

"...ma'am?"

"get it. Right now. I'm giving you full access to our treasury. Get it at all costs!"

Her voice raised at the end. Silas flinched, hurrying away. Emma sighed, a hand to her forehead.

"[Librarian], you sure are full of surprises, you dirty bastard."

----------------------------------------------

[Welcome back, Player [Librarian]! 23 Gold has been deposited into your wallet!]

"..."

"Wait, what-"


1. [Melee] stat has changed to [Attack] stat.
2. He basically earned ~340 dollars in one day. Bet you wish you could get that, huh?

-----------------------------------------------

[[Rare] Grade book by the former #1 player was put up on the auction house?]

[Necromonion] Guild takes the [Rare]-grade skill [Coin Flip] for 23 gold ($345)]

[“That is the real [Librarian]”, says [ZachariasMurphy], Rank #5 player and official at [fantasiaonline2]]

Artemis flicked through the forum, whistling as he walked through the streets of [The Starter City], biting into a skewer.

[You’ve eaten [Low-Grade Rabbit’s Foot]! Luck increased by 3.]

He flicked the screen, exiting the [Forum] tab.

“Is a [rare] grade skill such a big deal…?”

He opened the [Quests] tab.

[Hidden Quest]
[Rolath’s Troubles]

[Guardsman Rolath is having a headache from the vast amount of [Martial Bunnies] in the [Starter Fields]. Eliminate 1,000 bunnies!]

[Reward]
[Title -> [Field Slayer]]
[Item -> [Low-Tier Martial Arts Manual (Rabbit)]]
[Gold -> 10 Gold]
[1 Level]
[NPCs -> Affinity Up!]
[Item -> [Low-Tier Rabbit’s Foot] +15]

[Progress- 1000/1000]

[Talk to Rolath at the gates!]

He approached a man in a suit of armor, dozing off in his booth in front of the gates.

“... Guardsman, sir?”

He snapped awake, looking around, spotting Artemis.

“Oh… Blue-haired Adventurer…. Did you finish cleaning up those… pesky rabbits?”

“I did!”

“Here, take these… rewards…”

[You’ve received the following!]

[Title -> [Field Slayer]]
[Item -> [Low-Tier Martial Arts Manual (Rabbit)]]
[Gold -> 10 Gold]
[1 Level]
[NPCs -> Affinity Up!]
[Item -> [Low-Tier Rabbit’s Foot Skewer] +15]

[You are now Level 20.]

[You are recommended to head to [The Vatican], the center of religion, and join a [Church]!]

[Available Churches]

[[Pagma’s Church of Producers] Pagma, God of Production and Blacksmiths]
[[Church of Luck] Ralak, God of Gamblers and Luck]
[[Library of Olympia] Olympia, Goddess of Wisdom]
[[Gikische’s Army] Gikische, God of Strategy]
[[Cult of Death] Thanatos, God of Death]
[[Mercenary’s Guild] Tyvtighet, Goddess of Thieves and Rogues]


Artemis laughed slightly, looking at the note.

“Church? Should I go with [Olympia]? Speaking of, shouldn’t I be the [Pope] of the [Church of Wisdom].”

He sighed.

“Well, I suppose we can’t have everything.”

He sighed.

“I was trying to get as much [Luck] stat before leaving, but I suppose this is fine.”

[Opening Inventory…]

[Selected -> [Low-Tier Rabbit’s Foot Skewer].]

[Selected [Low-Tier Martial Arts Manual (Rabbit)].]

He took a bite of it.

“Let’s go, I guess.”

-----------------------------------------------

[Your [LUCK] has increased by 5!]

[Selected [Low-grade Rabbit’s Foot Skewer] x4]

“What a hassle… It takes like 2 minutes to eat one of these…”

Artemis bit into another skewer, His mask tilted to the side just enough so that he could eat without bother.

He strolled through the dusty road, without a care in the world, humming a merry tune.

Suddenly, shadows were cast in front of him. He looked back, casually, not concerned at all.

There stood two people, two men, one holding a cutlass, the other wielding a pair of daggers.

He glanced up at their names.

Red.

Player Killers.

“There are PKs this early into the game’s release?”

The man on the right laughed.

Distasteful. It was like a hyena.

“Of course there are! Red Zone has been reestablished! Do you never read the news, Newbie?”

Artemis’s eyes widened, under the mask. The pixilated eyes followed suit.

“Red Zone? Didn’t I remove your guild master in FO1?”

The guy on the left narrowed his eyes, waving his sword.

“You? Take down our guild master? How ridiculous! Red Zone’s Guildmaster has only been taken out by one man, and you’re sure as hell not the #1 Player, [Libra-]”

In the span of teat single sentence, three things happened.

First, Artemis finished consuming the skewer, raising his [Luck] stat by 3.

Then, he took a step forward, and summoned a book, knocking the sword away from the guy on the left.

Then, He brought the second book in his left hand down on the man’s head.

[Critical Hit!]

[200 Damage has been dealt!]

[Player [Charming Rogue] [Level 28] has been defeated]

[Player was a Player Killer]

[Player Killer penalty has not been dealt to player [Information Hidden].]

[Player [Charming Rogue] has dropped [+2 Rogue’s Bandanna].]

The man on the right jumped back.

“Books dealing [Slice] damage? Wait a minute- You’re-”

[155 damage has been dealt!]

[Player [Everything is Mine!] [Level 29] has been defeated.]

[[Player was a Player Killer]

[Player Killer penalty has not been dealt to player [Information Hidden].]

[Player [Charming Rogue] has dropped [+2 Dual Daggers].]

[Level Up! You are now Level 26!]

Artemis picked up the dropped items, before continuing on his way.


-----------------------------------------------

[The Vatican, later that day.]

Artemis strolled through the streets, the pixilated eyes of his mask looking around, taking in the sights.

It really was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and the beautiful, intricate infrastructure of the [Vatican] made it that much better. The streets were busy, vendors and merchants lining the streets, selling various items.

Artemis had gotten everything he needed.

“60x [Paper]... 60x [Inkwell]... various monster parts… that should do it… Maybe I should get some her-”

He bumped into someone.

A tall, muscular man, with comically spiky red hair, arms crossed.

[Caine]
[Level 35]
[Berserker]
[Red Zone] Guildmaster]

A greatsword was unsheathed, and this… [Caine] fellow pointed it at Artemis.

“As I thought… it’s you. I wasn’t sure at first, but I could never forget that mask. You bastard! [LIBRARIAN]! Do you have any idea how much I’ve suffered because of you?”

A book flew past his head, tracing a red line across [Caine]’s cheek.

The large man jumped back, surprised.

“Y-you… I see you haven’t just been sitting on your ass… I heard you messed with my boys, you bastard.”

Murmurs started out from the people around them, as most stopped when they heard [Librarian].

“Librarian? The former #1 player?”

“Why is [Caine], current #5 starting a fight at the [Vatican]?”

“Boo! Get out of the way!’

Artemis sighed. Now that [Caine] had announced his name, what was the point in hiding his information?

[Revealing information…]

[Player- Librarian]
[Level 27]
[Underaverage Scholar]
“[Caine], [Caine], [Caine]. After all this time, you never change.”

The book he had just thrown came circling back, cutting [Caine] across the other cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.

“You’re a fool, for picking a fight with me. I was already in a bad mood from those useless mistakes of a PK group that you sent me, but you had to come piss me off as well?”

The pressure coming from Artemis was overwhelming, his cold, robotic mask only making it worse.

[Caine] growled under his breath.

“You… I’ll show you useless…”

Suddenly, [Caine] Rushed towards him, greatsword raised. Artemis jumped back slightly, just barely avoiding the sword that cam crashing down.

“Woah, woah. Calm down, mate. We’re in a holy city. I don’t think you should start a fight here!”

“What, scared?”

Artemis frowned under the mask.

“No, but you should be. The moment she hears I got here…”

[Caine]’s face visibly paled.

“No… you don’t mean…”

“Oh, yes. I do mean her. So if you don’t want to get caught up in the dispute of two Pro Players, you’d better scurry off.”

[Cain]e gulped. He slowly started to back away, before sheathing his greatsword and running in the opposite direction, at full speed.

At the same time, a purple streak of light smashed into the streets of the Vatican. A beautiful pink-haired girl pointed a rapier at Artemis.

He raised his hands in mock surrender.

“I… come in peace?”

“You!”

-----------------------------------------------

Arittake no yume wo kakiats-

Click.

[Hello?]

“... Artemis?”

Emma sat in the corner of her bed, curled up, her pillow pushed against her chest, her phone pressed against her ear.

[Emma! H-hey! Whaddya need?]

Emma smiled slightly.

“What terrible luck today, huh? All of the pens broke for you, during that test. You must be feeling pretty depressed right now.”

She heard a faint mumble, as Artemis muttered something under his breath.

“I’m sorry? What was that?”

[A-ah! Oh, s-sorry! I was just saying, It’s nice that you care enough t-to check up on me…]

Her smile grew wider, as she pulled her blankets tighter around her.

[B-but… I’m sure you didn’t call me just because I did badly on a test. W-what do you need, Em? I’m here to listen!]

“I…”

She buried her head into her blanket, muffling her voice slightly.

“... I just wanted to hear your voice…”

A few moments passed, and Artemis didn’t answer. She frowned.

Was that too… bold?

[I-... D-do you just want to talk for a bit, then?]

“... yeah…”

-------------------------------------------------------
[Ah, it’s already gotten this late…]

Emma glanced up from the glowing screen of her phone, up to the clock.

11:53.

“Ah, you’re right.”

[... Somehow I’m all better.]

“Ah…”

Emma was blushing, her blankets pulled tightly around her, staring at the screen of her phone.

[I… want to see you right now…]

“...”

Her blush deepened, her light skin flushed pink.

[...Em?]

“Haha, It’s pretty late, isn’t it? I think I’ll be going to bed, have a good night!”

[Emma-?]

She ended the call abruptly.

Breathing heavily, she looked over at the mirror at her bedside.

“... why do I feel so…"

[Prolouge]
[The Great War. 2020.]

“Hah! We’ve won, [Twilight Breaker]! No one can save you, now! You really thought you could get away with killing us? We are the Pantheonic Gods! No one can kill us! You got all cocky because you killed Ares, but this is the end!”

The man in front of the [Twilight Breaker] went on a monologue, flipping his shoulder-length blonde hair as he talked, a lightning bolt gripped tightly in his hands. This was the Constellation [The Lord of the Skies], better known as the god, Zeus.

An old man, with gray hair and a beard, stood next to him, a hand resting over the eyepatch, covering his right eye. Two ravens rested on his shoulders, and an eight-legged horse stood proud beside him. The lord of the Nordic gods, [The Venerable One-Eyed Elder], also known as Odin.

On the other side of Jupiter, stood a falcon-headed man, carrying a golden spear, a white and red crown sitting on his head. He was shaking his head quietly, his winged arms loose at his side. This was the last of the trio that had felled the Godslayer, and the youngest, [The Son of Death], Horus.

The [Twilight Beaker] laughed.

“You may have defeated me, Jupiter, but mark my words. The next generation of players will come. And from my sealed location, I will help them Grow. And grow. And grow. I will help them grow until they can even fell the supreme god that you all worship! And then, [M3RL1N] shall take his place, as the rightful ruler of the cosmos!”

“Alright, alright. That’s enough out of you, Godslayer. Now, quietly be sealed, okay? You’ve done enough damage. Odin, finish it.”

The old man nodded at the blonde king of the skies.

“Authority, Infinite Wisdom. Activate Dragonspeak.”

The old man bowed his head towards the Godslayer.

“...Sealing Chains.”






-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Prolouge Pt. 2]
[The Second Great War. 2037.]

"Shit…"

A man, in his early-thirties, though his handsome features hadn’t aged a day past 20, lay propped up against a wall, blood leaking from the gaping hole in his chest, caused by a lance running him through. He struggled to meet the empty, dead eyes of the man in front of him.

Dark Violet hair, an Auction mask in the shape of a hawk, a maniacal grin on his face. A scar ran down the right side of his face. He was, all in all, fairly handsome, but that wasn’t the problem at the moment.

“It was you, Mirage?”

Mirage laughed. How had he not noticed it earlier, that maniacal laughter? How had he trusted this man with all his soul? This man… He was not well in the head.

“Ooooooof COURSE!”

Mirage leaned over, cupping the man’s chin in his hand.

“How could I let you get ahead of me? You’ve served your purpose, after all! Plus, HE aid that if I did this I could see her... no, nevermind.”

Mirage patted the man on the head, smiling cheerfully.

“Anyways, shouldn’t you go to sleep, soon? Your time is almost up! HE told me so!”

The man glared up at Mirage.

“It’s… not over… yet… They wil-”

“They? Oh, do you mean your little friends? Haha! Yeah right! They’re all dead! The Pig, The Imp, The Crossdressing Bitch, The Sister of the Breaker and her Pet Mimic, even the Ice Queen and the Alchemist! All of them are dead!”

The man’s face paled.

“No… impossible…”

“Haha! Totes possible! Anyways, it’s time for you to die! Bye-bye ~!”

A blade of Aura formed around Mirage’s hand.

“M3RL1N… Please…”

“Oh, and in case we meet each other in the afterlife!”

“Give me…”

“My real name is…”

[s]“..one… more…”[/i]

“A-”

“Chance.”

…

[Initializing Arkashic Systems…]

[Initialization complete.]

[Welcome, Player Perceval Tristan Clarke, to April 5th, 2023.]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Prolouge Pt. 3]
[Burbank City. 2019.]

“Oh, my, fucking, god. What a fucking loser.”

A brown-haired, wide-shouldered boy kicked the boy on the ground, laughing.

“You really thought you could try and get with MY girl? Through that shitty-ass story, she’s always wasting time on?”

The jock spit on the pathetic loser, curled up in the bathroom stall.

“Dream on, Wright.”

A few moments after the bigger teen left, the cyan-headed loser struggled to get up, off the floor.

He sighed, as he picked hisphone up.

Turning it on, he started typing.

The top comment of the 1st chapter of [T0WER].

[Wrighter -> if i went in there, i could beat that idiot perce’s head in. what a loser.]

“Beat Perceval’s head in? Haha! How fun!”

From his seat upon a golden throne, two girls flanking on either side, one blonde and the other pink-haired, a man with piercing blue eyes and a messy mop of blonde hair laughed.

“When the time comes, Artemis Wright, Let’s see how well you keep that promise!”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 12th, 2023. 11:56 PM.

The twilight sky was beautiful.

Artemis glanced up from his phone, from the webtoon he had been reading.

The stars twinkled in the night, like little gemstones dotting the skyline.

The cyan-haired man sighed, turning his attention back to his phone.

His favorite comic, one that he’d been reading for years now, [T0WER], centered around the classic white-haired, badass protagonist, Perceval, who traveled back in time and took over the 100 floors of the tower, making friends, getting the girl, beating up monsters and such. It really was incredible.

It felt a little bittersweet.

This webtoon had been his sole distraction from life for years now. And now, it was over. The last episode would upload onto the site in a minute.

He sighed, getting up from his seat on the couch. He pulled on his jacket, opening the door.

“...Might as well take a walk, while I wait.”


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Still April 12th, 2023. 11:57 PM.

“...and finally, the head of the blasphemous Archmage, [M3RL1N], was lopped off by our protagonist. It was finally over. As Perceval stared at the true night sky, glittering with stars, he knew what must be done. He approached the throne of the fallen God-mage, picking up the crown, stained with the lifeblood of the treacherous god, and sat down. He placed the crown on his head. “Hear me, [T0WER]! My name is Perceval Tristan Clarke! And I! Am your new [GOD]!” …The end.”

Artemis let out a breath.

“Hoooooly…. Shit. What an incredible ending.”

Artemis laughed, as he set down his phone, staring up at the sky, from his seat on the bench on the side of the road.

It was beautiful.

Unlike his life. He sighed.

He knew the story would have to end eventually, but this felt too soon.

“Arittake no yume wo kakiatsu-”

The sudden ringing of his phone interrupted his train of thought.

“...hm? Who’s calling me this late at night?”

He picked up the call. It was dead silent, except for the sound of faint gaming, the pixel-y sound of retro shooter games.

He was about to hang up, but before he could, a voice rang out.

“Wait.”

Artemis flinched. That voice.

“Artemis… Wright. Thank you, for reading my little passion project. Was it fun?”

His… passion project?

“W-wait are you… the author?”

The man on the other side of the phone laughed, clapping.

“Oh, you got it! Wow, intelligent, aren’t you?”

Why did every one of his words sound so… condescending?

“Well, Mr. Wright, would you like to participate in my next project? You ARE my most diligent reader, after all.”

Now, that got his attention.

“...project? Mr. Author, what do you mean?”

Artemis could hear him smiling from through the phone.

“Oh? You’re interested? Well, it’s just a… game. Yeah, a game.”

“A… game?”

Artemis nodded.

“That sounds like a ton of fun! Is it based on your webtoon?”

The author clicked his tongue.

“Exactly! It’s a true experience, I’d say. So, I’ll take it you’re in?”

Artemis nodded eagerly.

“Absolutely! I love your works!”

The man on the other side of the phone laughed.

“Haha, alright then. You see, Mr. Wright, in a few moments, a car will drive by your location. Once you get in, you’ll be taken to where the… Open Beta is taking place.”

“Wait, wait, wait, right now?”

“...yep!”

Artemis frowned at the phone.

Something felt… off.

But, there was no time to think about that. The Limousine was already rounding the corner, to the bench he was sat on.

The window of the car rolled down, as Artemis tucked his phone away in the pocket of his jacket.

A man in a suit leaned over, tipping his sunglasses down.

“You’re… Mistah’ Wright? Tha’ Boss wants t’ see ya’.”

Artemis nodded, a light smile on his face. Internally, though, he was wheezing. The street hoodlum accent had caught him off guard.

“Alright! What do I need to do?”

The suited man smiled.

Why were his teeth pointed like that?

A gust of wind blew past, messing the other man’s hair up.

Were those… horns?

“Aaand… Mistah Artha’, a’hm sendin’ ‘im up!”

“Waitwaitwait-”


The suited man raised his hand, snapping.

“Good luck, kid! You’ll need it.”

“Shiii-”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's still April 12th, 2023, but now it’s 11:59 PM.

“-iiit!”

Artemis stumbled, falling flat on his face, onto the marble-tiled floor.

He groaned, as he pushed himself to his feet.

What a bizarre sight.

A blonde-haired, light-skinned man lounged on a throne, wearing an oversized shirt that read, in bolded letters, “ON GOD? I’D RATHER YOU NOT!” A pink-haired girl in an oversized hoodie, a lollipop in her mouth, glared judgmentally at Artemis.

The man clapped.

“Wow! Great entrance, Mr. Wright!

Artemis eyed the man cautiously.

“What… are you? How did I get here?”

The man chuckled.

“Here? You’re in my world! The 100th floor of the… [T0WER]~!”

“...”

“...”

Artemis jumped back, pointing at the man.

“W-What-!? The [T-T0WE]-”

The blonde man put a finger to Artemis’ lips.

Wait… when had he gotten there? He was a couple of dozen feet away from him a second ago.

“Shh… ‘ya need to chill out, man~ It’s not a big deal… You decided to participate in my game, after all~”

“G-game?! I thought you meant an actual game! Isn’t t-the [T0WER] just one giant gravestone!”

The man laughed.

“Of course it is! That’s why I’ve been designing something a bit special for you! First of all, shout “Status Window!”.”

“S-status window?”

Suddenly, a screen popped up in front of Artemis. He jumped back, hitting someone. The pink-haired girl from earlier. He flinched, stepping forward. He glanced at the throne. Or… at least, where the throne used to be. It wasn’;t there anymore. How had the girl gotten behind him?

What the hell was going on?

He turned his attention back to the screen.

[Connecting…]

[Administrator [ARTHUR] is granting Player [ARTEMIS WRIGHT] a class! Will you accept?]

Artemis glanced over at the blonde man.

So he was Arthur.

“Y-you’re giving me a… class?”

“Yeah! Isn’t that great? Usually, you’d need to practice for years and years to get a class, but I'm being nice and giving you a special class, one I made just for you!”

“I… That’s… cool, I guess…”

The blonde man’s blue eyes shined.

“Yeah! I know, right?”

He clapped. The pink-haired girl sighed, standing next to Arthur.

Artemis clicked [Accept]

[Congratulations! You’re now a [Dual-Epic] Class Player!]
[Ego Contractor] + [Night Scholar]
[Dual Epic -> High Unique]

“Ego contractor? Doesn’t that mean I need an Ego Weapon?”

“Yeah! Ermenblad here will be going along with you!

The girl shifted in place, spitting out the lollipop. She frowned, looking Artemis over.

“Sir, do I really have to go with this… Idiot?”

Arthur looked over at Ermenblad.

“...Are you questioning me, Ermenblad? Need I remind you of what happened to Excalibur, your sister?”

The girl flinched.

“...n-no, sir…”

Artemis frowned, taking a step forward.

“Hey, that’s not cool. I… don’t think you should threaten people like that, Arthur… was it?”

Arthur glanced back, with a heavy sigh.

“Gah, whatever. You dumbasses messed up my vibe. Ermenblad, you couldn’t’ve just shut up for once? Geez.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Whatever. You know what, I’ll just send you two to the tutorial right now. Gah, I hate deadbeats like you, Ermenblad.”

Arthur waved his hand lazily.

“See ‘ya, I guess. God (hah), I need to go play some games.”

…

[Travelling to… [Tutorial Lobby].]

[Administrator -> [Lucky Rabbit’s Foot].]