Reminiscing

Morgana had arrived at the inn closest to the adventurers' guild in Scar Town and reserved the biggest room with four beds and a couch.

'Perfect for the whole party…' she thought as she found herself lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling. The room was cozy, adorned with simple furnishings that exuded a sense of warmth.

"Roland and Tina… Heh, what a blast from the past…" she muttered while closing her eyes and settling in, reminiscing about the past.

Ren was a 26-year-old sickly woman who had been addicted to an online game called Aegis. In fact, she was so addicted that she played it for fifteen years without ever stopping.

When she first created her character, she chose to be a race of humans called the "neonites," who were described as an extinct race in the world of Aegis, with their most recognizable traits being their silver hair and red eyes.

She named her character Morgana, thinking it was a cool and intimidating name, and jumped into a virtual world where she delved for most of her lifespan during her free time.

Ren's fragile health made it challenging for her to live a normal life, leaving her isolated from society. Supported by the government and receiving treatment, she sought refuge within the digital realms of Aegis, where she could immerse herself for days on end, finding respite and fulfillment in her virtual endeavors.

In the game, people could choose between different "Main Classes," each with a unique play style. As players progressed and got stronger, along with acquiring more skills in their arsenal, their "Sub-Classes" would differ.

For instance, if a player focused solely on mastering frost skills as a mage, their Sub-Class would naturally develop into a formidable "Frost Mage," with enhanced abilities and bonuses related to ice-based spells.

It was a system created by the developers for every player to have completely different builds.

However, there was one "Main-Class" that was considered to be the strongest of them all, called "Trickster." A class that could only be unlocked by players that had reached the maximum level as every single main-class.

The Trickster class was created by the developers to give players who had spent countless hours in the game something new to do. Originally conceived as a "gimmick" class, the trickster provided a refreshing and unconventional gameplay experience that people could level up for fun after maxing out all other main-classes.

However, it was considered the strongest with reason since tricksters were able to learn any type of spell from any other class type and could also learn them from monsters and bosses, giving trickster players a new set of strategies and challenges to discover.

In the 15 years that Aegis was online, only nine players managed to unlock the trickster class, and having so much playtime in common, they all naturally became gaming buddies.

During those times, the game underwent various significant events and updates, each designed to provide players with new challenges and experiences. Among these events was the highly anticipated "Chaos War," which held great importance within the game's lore and gameplay.

For Ren and her fellow gamers, the Chaos War was initially perceived as a huge event by the game developers. They approached it with a sense of excitement, treating it as a massive in-game spectacle that would test their skills and teamwork.

Even though the story of Ravaxis killing Sylvari had been a creation by the narrative team that worked on Aegis, little did they know it would pass on as factual history.

Years after the event, the developers had reached a point where they couldn't support the servers anymore, and as a farewell gesture, they organized a final in-game event known as "The Red Calamity."

During this event, they transformed the sky of the virtual world into a vivid red hue and unleashed various devastating natural disasters that wreaked havoc on the cities and landscapes.

The announcement of the "Red Calamity" drew thousands of players back into the game, including those who had been absent for years. They wanted to bid farewell to their clans, friends, and the virtual world they had spent so much time in before the countdown to the game's closure reached its end.

However, something unexpected happened as the countdown reached its final second, and the game was supposed to shut down.

The players experienced a brief period of unconsciousness, and when they regained awareness, they discovered that their user interfaces had disappeared and their consciousness had seamlessly merged with their in-game avatars.

For many players, the sudden realization that they were now stuck in the world of Aegis became a huge problem.

While some found themselves burdened by the separation from their real-life responsibilities, such as families and jobs they held dear, Ren, on the other hand, felt a deep sense of gratitude. For her, living in this new world meant freedom from the physical limitations and sickness that plagued her body in reality.

After the Red Calamity, players banded together to rebuild the world that had been destroyed by the developers. Morgana led her renowned clan called "Oblivion," which became a legendary clan known worldwide, as they tirelessly saved entire nations from peril and vanquished formidable creatures that threatened the land.

They even went as far as to build their own thriving village right beneath their clan tower.

Twenty years after the Red Calamity, the enigmatic event called the "Trickster War" took place, where Morgana and the clan of Oblivion ceased to exist, leaving behind a legacy that reverberated throughout Aegis.

__________

Amidst the flood of memories that inundated Morgana's mind, the remaining members of the Freebird party entered the room, their presence grounding her in the present moment, and noticed that Ray was bearing a small bag brimming with glimmering gold coins as payment for the treant seeds they brought to the guild earlier.

As the party took turns utilizing the lone bathroom and freshening up, changing into more comfortable attire, the inn's staff diligently attended to the task of washing their blood-stained gear.

Except for Morgana, who, after taking a bath, simply opened her Admin interface and, with a swift press on the button labeled "Set 2", her appearance underwent a slight alteration.

Her corset and black coat were replaced by an oversized tank top that provided a casual and relaxed look. Her ornate pants made way for silky, loose-fitting trousers that draped comfortably around her legs. In an unconventional choice, she left her feet bare, the absence of footwear highlighting her sense of ease and nonchalance.

As her flowing hair cascaded freely down her back, untethered from its previously secured ponytail, the realization dawned upon the teenagers that the ensemble she now wore mirrored the attire they had first encountered her in.

Conrad couldn't help but wonder, 'Was she wearing her pajamas in the Underworld?'

After everyone had taken a bath and changed into clean rags, Morgana opened her item box and pulled out a plate with a sandwich for each teenager and a bottle of water.

Now that they all understood the nature of Morgana's power, they weren't as impressed by the sudden appearance of food more than how good it tasted to them.

"This is the best sandwich I've ever had…" muttered Ray with a mouthful, making Morgana blush as she smiled at them slightly.

"Rest well tonight… Tomorrow I'll be training you to the bone!" exclaimed Morgana before taking a bite of her sandwich.