45 Understanding Gaea

Everyone was confused, they couldn't understand what Zhang Shan meant by his statement. The question everyone had in mind. If it isn't "Magic" then what is it?

Lan Ranyan spoke first and said "I'm kind of confused... What do you meant by that? It shows on my System Interface that it is "Magic" under the "Skills Category"."

Zhang Shan smiled and said "That's true but then again... This isn't exactly a real game, isn't it?..."

Ye Qian said "I'm not sure what that has to do with all this?"

"I think I know what he means... Let me explain..." Scarlette spoke as everyone looked at her.

Scarlette then pointed to her team and introduced themselves. "Me and my team... We've been roaming here in Gaea for six years now-"

Before she could continue Ye Qian said "You're kidding right? ARC has been up for only a year..."

"That's for you "players", we're part of the earlier people that came in." Shana stated

Lan Ranyan looked at Ye Qian and said "Let them finish first, I'm kind of curious as well on how this world became a virtual reality game."

Ye Qian quieted down as Scarlette nodded and continued to tell her story "We've been here for six year now, Gaea was actually founded by some scientists somewhere around 10 years ago... It originally started as an experiment under project "ARCANA" which reasearched on neural brainwaves and artificial intelligence, they created a machine called the P.O.R.T. short for Pavlov's Orienting Response Transformer, but most of us just call it "The Gate". By the way, Pavlov was a Russian physiologist who was famous for his works on "Classical Conditioning" back in the 1900's."

"The P.O.R.T was designed to primarily read and transform brainwaves in understandable format. One of it's expected main feature is to let others see what you are thinking, basically, looking into your memories and reading your mind, however it didn't work as intended. When the scientists tested it, instead of being able to read a patients mind, it ended up allowing a person to be able to "posses" another person's mind"

"Their first view was seeing a vast landscape of the country side in the eyes of another person, the next time, it was a person in a village. Initially, they thought they were possessing someone remotely from a different country since they couldn't understand the language but as the tests progressed, they found out that it was a language unlike any on Earth. That's when they learned they were on a different planet."

"Initially, these tests only lasted for a few minutes, then hours and then days, that's when they started creating the Capsule to assist their "P.O.R.T. Drivers" to continue with the exploration...."

"If that's six years ago, that's when we started negotiations on mass producing the prototype for the hardware of the capsules of a company which is now known as HIVE..." Lan Ranyan said.

"That's true, it was also the same time that God Phythagoras parents started negotiating with that company for mass producing the Capsules..." Shana added.

Scarlette nodded in agreement as she said "That's right, however, this had some consequences that they did not expect and attracted the attention of Gaean locals... Whenever the "P.O.R.T. driver" possess a human of Gaea, they would end up being a complete "moron" after logging out."

"In the "deleted" history of Gaea, this series of sudden changes and phenomenon became known as the "Morsin Potesta Anima" or the "Death by Mind Control", the people identified early symptoms such as complete change of personality, inability to understand the local language and entering a "Persistent Vegetative State" after the possession... They initially attributted this strange occurence as either a work of dark magicians or spiritual entities..." Scarletted continued

"I could just couldn't imagine how scary that would have been, if I'm was a Gaean back then... not knowing if I'll be the one who'll be possessed next..." Leito commented as he started getting goosebumps

"True, to avoid the issue to further escalate, The first "P.O.R.T. drivers" had to move to another village every now and then and tried acting as "mute" people in order to try and learn the local language. After a while, the "P.O.R.T. drivers" learned of the existence of "magic" as something that some people can be born with or learn after years of studying. This further increased the scientists and it's financers to continue working with the project. That was when they started to hire retired military personnel or mercenaries, to learn and explore Gaea further." Scarlette said

Shana then continued as she was doing the narration this time.

"Next, scientists and researchers wanted to purchase a game company due to practical reasons. First off, exploring a different world is long, costly and a lengthy endeavor, including hiring additional "P.O.R.T. drivers" plus their salaries, that's when they had an ingenious idea to make a profit out of it while getting the job done...."

Ye Qing said "That's not really a bad move... profit and goal oriented, like hitting two birds with one stone."

Shana nodded and continued "To do this, they needed to "sell" the new world as a "Game" to "players" and in turn, they would help them in the research and exploration of the world... The scientists Financial advisers and Financial backers were looking to purchase a game company after their decision to incorporate "Gamers" into helping out with the exploration under the cover of it being a "VR Game"."

Millie then started "Now, that's where God Pythagoras and us come in... it was roughly six years ago that we came to Macau for a vacation when we met a young man and ended up losing a bet with him.... I won't share much of the details though..."

She then continued "Now, that young man who later we ended up serving and calling as "God Phytagoras" used to own a game company and he was enticed by the researchers and scientiests proposal on advancing the VR experience, since he found out that this company is researching on Neural Advancement, he thought it would definitely become a big hit once it becomes successful, he was planning to sell his game company to them... "

Maras butted in and said "However, the company didn't want to add in additional investors which created an impasse for both sides. That's when he sent us in, the ones that lost to him. He entered into an agreement that as long as some of the staff of the original game company can continue working under the new administration, he would sell the game company at a low price... God Pythagoras also included the game servers to be part of the deal... However,he didn't expect some sudden changes after the turn over..."

"His game company was changed into a different brand, and the company of the scientists and researchers were renamed as HIVE NEURAL TECH, now initially, God Phytagoras thought that he could get updates and research information from the staff that was part of the original company, unforunately, the new company was very careful with their operations , it ended up with all the the staff being barred to communicate with the outside world once their operations began." Maras added and shook his head

Darius then said "We were part of first "P.O.R.T. drivers", though on the later batches that came inside the game. We were selected to be part of the Kingdom Deleters Team, although we weren't originally skilled with fighting in real life, we ended learning in the game during the exploration process. What we really needed was to survive and explore to build a foundation for the later players. Armed with the "Godly Battlefield Awareness" that we learned from God Phytagoras."

"Anyway, because of that, we became famous in the Kingdom Deleters, we became more trusted and learned of many things but didn't have a way to deliver it to him... Until earlier in the last few days when he showed up on the report regarding the "Royal Demons". That was when we were tasked by General Mu Zheng to come after him... Imagine asking the own team of their target to hunt him down.. That's was truly an uncanny work of "fate"..."

"But guess what was more uncanny, we ended up meeting and fighting God Phytagoras team when we were investigating his whereabouts. If it wasn't for the "Godly Battlefield Awareness", we wouldn't have recognized and acknowledge the other team. They were doing exactly what we were, causing a stalemate... " Darius said.

Danielle then said "That was when we have been able to finally inform the outside world of what has transpired... right now were all working together to reach him."

"Wow! Damn! I didn't know this." Leito commented

Zhang Shan smiled as he said, so you've met the "Thrones"?"

The "Switch" members all nodded.

Ye Qian asked "What's the "Thrones?"

Zhang Shan said "After I lost contact with them, I started making new friends."

Ye Qian then asked "and?"

Zhang Shan asked her too "And what?"

Ye Qian said "What do they do?"

Zhang Shan smiled at her and said. "They became my employees to manage my in game businesses."

"That's it?" Ye Qian tried to probe more information

"I told you before, I dumped all my wealth into games..." Zhang Shan said.

"Weirdo..." Ye Qian commented.

Scarlette, Shana, Danille and Millie giggled when they heard her comment.

"Why are you laughing?" Ye Qian asked the four.

Shana answered "God Pythagoras is always like that, when he's not in the "zone" he says things in the most easiest way to explain it. But there are always profound things behind his words."

"The thrones lost to him as well and ended up being his friends and at the same time, his employees..." Millie added

Scarletted then said "The Thrones are now basically running all the Kingdoms economy..."

When Ye Qian and the others heard this, they were shocked.

"WHHHAAAAAATTTT?!?!?"

"Are you kind of telling us that Zhang Shan technically owns all the Kingdoms?" Ye Qing asked

The "Switch" members all nodded.

"....."

"....."

"....."

Everyone aside from "Switch" and Leito looked at Zhang Shan with mouths agape.

"H-how did you manage that?" asked Ye Qian

"While everyone was playing around, I was managing the games economy outside in the real world and in the game, making deals here and there." Zhang Shan said.

"That's what I'm good at... trading..." Zhang Shan said.

"If that's the case, how did you get enough funds to do such stuff?" Lan Ranyan asked this time.

"I won a bet..." Zhang Shan then pointed at the "Switch" members.

"W-who are you guys really?" asked Ye Qian

"Well, we're kind of heirs to the richest families of the world.... On Earth" Scarlette said.

Lan Ranyan then said and repeated "Safra, Walton, Irving, Thomson, Cargill and the Hearst families?"

The "Switch" members all nodded.

"What's the bet all about?" Ye Qian asked

The Switch looked at Zhang Shan...

"If you want to know about it, would you also like to play?" Zhang Shan asked

Ye Qian shook her head. " I d-don't want you t-to own me..."

She thought if those people ended losing to him, what else would she amount to, but she really still wanted to know why, even if these people lost, shouldn't they have grudges with him? Why are they instead helping him.

"My offer stays, just tell me when you want to play..." Zhang Shan said.

Scarlette then said."Anyways, going back to the topic, We the Kingdom Deleters ended up waging war with the Kingdoms, we weren't originally called Kingdom Deleters but the "Alpha-Testers Department", however, with the way we ended up being way too efficient, that was when we were then tagged as such, and the name stuck."

"As we were waging battles and wars, the Game Monitoring Department and the Arkhives Department started classifying things with the help of the game servers, any new things and knowledge will be investigated and submitted to the Arkhives department. That's when they started calling the mystical things we cannot do on Earth as "Magic"." Millie added.

"It was then that Gaeans started calling us as the "Body Snatchers", since even if we do die in battle, we would just end up returning in the battlefield with a different body... That was almost a very dark time for the Kingdoms..."Millie continued

"It was than that Queen Mirlanas entered the battle. She ended up fighting with Scarlette multiple times, when Queen Mirlanas found out that she had been fighting the same person multiple times in different bodies every time. It then dawned in her to save her Kingdom in a better way than fighting a continuos and prolonged battle which may even end up with their eventual loss in the long run." Millie said

"Queen Mirlana then ended up fighting again with Scarlette at the Battle of Duren Pass. When Queen Mirlana found out it was her again, she knelt in front of Scarlette and threw her weapon down as she offered a truce..." Shana said

Scarlette then commented "It was very gutsy of her that's why I agreed to listen..."

"She then showed me a "crystal core" and told me of its uses, she also informed me that she is willing to help our race on how to apply it into practical uses, like using it as a medium of transferring our conciousness into it rather than directly interferring with the persons neural brain waves. With this, we don't really need to transfer to different bodies every now and then and also, we can further learn "magic" and have a higer chance in devouring genes effectively." Scarlette said.

Zhang Shan said "I would want to meet her someday, she seems smart."

Lan Ranyan smiled and said "I knew it! that's why it's best to call it "Soul Stones!"

Scarlette nodded and said "You can say that it works like our souls... Now here's the thing... Queen Mirlana wanted to ensure that we no longer try to "snatch" bodies... I'm guessing that she's worried about her son, and his future kingdom, and that's when things become more than what "magic" can offer, she told us how to "create" and refine artificial bodies through any mixture of flesh and blood. "

"With Arkhives research and Earths knowledge about medical advancement, they tried to apply those with Queen Mirlanas immature experiments... If we try to think about it, it's similar to the mythical "alchemy" process of the our earth's medieval beliefs. Aside from that,.there are other things that are actually outside of what we call the realm of "magic" however, unless Arkhive identifies the best categories and terminologies to identify them... They would most likely refer to it as "magic" until the next patch and update..."Scarlette finished

Zhang Shan then said "If you ask me I'm thinking along this lines... The "Magic" that we know of, uses the elements in nature and mystical forces to alter the world around us... However, Lan Ranyan's ability draws on these elements and mystical forces to alter her body in order to be attuned with the world..."

Ye Qing listenes and contemplated then said "Your talking about "Cultivation" aren't you?"

"Exactly... As gamers, we were used to games that either focus on a world of "magic" or a world of "cultivation" as main themes and are locked in such narrow minded thinking... What we kept forgetting is that this isn't exactly a game created by humans, but a real world.humans had stumbled on."

As these people discussed, Titiana and Carnalia were only listening as bystanders. Specifically, Carnalia couldn't catch up with some of the terms that they were using.

"What is this "Cultivation"?" Carnalia asked.

Ye Wian answered her "In our world, "Cultivation" refers to enhancing one's self and body from the inside in order to strengthen yourself against or be attined with the outside world... For example, if your surroundings is extremly cold, you would try to work on improving your tolerance until you can deal with it with your body alone. While "Magic" would try to create some of the elements around you to follow your will and create a warmer environment to regulate your temperature by creating a small part of your surroundings to be less colder."

Carnalia nodded and said "I think this "Cultivation" would be the better way to call how we demons improve ourselves..."

Everyone looked at her as Titiana asked "What do you mean?"

"I told you before that we demons have different tiers and classes, and could be essily identified through the color of our skin, however, it doesn't necesssarily stay that way forever... unless one improves their body in order to break this invisble "shackles" that bind us to our "fates"..." Carnalia said.

Millie said " You're talking about something similar to evolution... Some species and races do that, although it would take years before it happen..."

Scarlette then followed up "Evolution would usually occur after thousands of years and occurs on the offsprings for the next generation, I think cultivation works immediately on the individual practicing it though I think it would occur after months or years of training.."

Carnalia nodded and said "Yes, that's exactly what haooens to us, it would take a few months or years in case someone tries to release themselves to overcome our "fate".

As everyone was discussing Caron suddenly came running from the village.

"Sister! Help! Old man Ferkas is dying!!!"

As everyone heard Caron, they rushed to him and to where Old man Ferkas was, a few villagers crowded his house as Zhang Shan and his group made their way inside.

They found the old demon in his bed with his son and daughter around him.

Millie moved to the bed and with a dark green aura surrounding her hands she tried to work her "medical" abilities on him.

After a few breaths Millie said. "He doesn't seem to have any wounds, sickess or diseases... I'm thinking he's just dying of old age and is near the end of his life."

Zhang Shan said " We can try our best to check out our abilities while trying to help him... He looked at everyine, those who think who could "Heal", try it out in him."

Everyone nodded as they tried all sorts of "magic" and abilities, Zhang shan tried his blood as well, but it was of no use. The same happened with Titiana and Carnalias blood as well. Even Lan Ranyan tried her "Time Regression" but it didn't help.

A while later, Old Man Ferkas breathed his last. Zhang Shan signaled Titiana and Carnalia to try their "breath of life", yet it didn't work as well. Lan Ranyan tried with his "Time Regression" again but that still didn't work.

After Old Man Ferkas died, his kin thanked Zhang Shan and the others for trying their best. After a while, they went to proceed with burning his body and making a clay figurine to mix it with.

Zhang Shan then said "It seemes that there ate still things that we have yet to be able to do, I guess we really can't stop "Death"..."

Scarlette then said "God Pythagoras, our team just received our GAIA chips and had it installed in our capsules, we are awaiting of r your decision."

Zhang Shan nodded and told Scarlette and company to stay here at the Village, he also informed them not to let Ebraska out of the Village as he has plans for him.

Next he looked to Titiana and Lan Ranyan's group "We'll be leaving for a while, we'll need dead bodies to complete the transfer since we only have a few dead gods left... Would you like to come?"

Lan Ranyan asked "Where to?"

Zhang Shan looked at Carnalia and said

"Where's Baron Urakto's Kingdom at?"