3 Prologue of Prologue (Third Part)

After reminiscing to that point, I heaved a sigh and took another swig of my beer.

"My God.... just remembering it makes me irritated. Do you know how much time it took me to just get used to him…..*grumble*…." I complained as I took another swig,"…well, that's what I liked about him in the first place.

Regardless, this wasn't the important part. It was at this time, at my lowest, that I was finally going to get my first meeting with Kei or HikariBoshi as she was called in the game.

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My current skills with Ashe's character controls was quickly getting me nowhere fast. Due to Ashe's 'unique quirk', compared to other Beta Testers who chose the other 5 characters, I was lagging behind them in leveling speed. I wasn't able get enough power, boss fights became impossibly long, and I was forced to resurrect multiple times. While the death penalties for this game is relatively light, even an ant hill can be big as a mountain if continuously stacked high enough.

While I was getting stuck at a certain boss, I decided it was time to ask for help from others to move forward. Just like other MMOs, VDS integrates a friend list or an ally list system called [Comrades]. Using the [Comrades] system, you could register different players where you can have the benefit of several options like [whispering], [gifting], or even [PvP].

It quickly becomes apparent to the other Beta Testers that it was advantageous to make as many Comrades as possible because of the appearance of [Missions].

The [Missions] system works where the player would be able to receive items, money, and/or exp, or experience points, to level up by going through and completing certain tasks, . Even a [Mission] about filling the [Comrades] list to it's maximum number was of course included. I remembered getting particularly a large amount of exp from completing it. I need all the exp I can get.

With [Missions] like this, it is common for many players to choose to just add whomever they meet, indiscriminately. I was no exception.

VDS allows players the option of both solo [Boss Battle] and team [Boss Battle]. Although in VDS players don't necessarily need to fight the same [Bosses] in order advance their main story-line, players are able to gain the help of any player to join then in a team [Boss Battle] since their are no restrictions for any player to battle a [Boss] character which is not part of their story. In fact, players are able to many benefits such as exclusive equipment, items, or exp if they do so. Since I could not continue my own story by myself, I whispered out party request to all of my [Comrades] in hopes that some would answer.

The first one to answer my request was the one and only HIkariBoshi. This would become my first time meeting with her. I didn't know it at the time, but HIkariBoshi or Kei, just like me, was lucky enough to obtain a chance to be a Beta tester.

Our first meeting wasn't anything grand. We just contacted eachother through whispering, told her the place, we partied up, she helped me defeat the boss, and then we split up after it was over. A typical and uneventful first meeting with a stranger in an online game. However this did not became our only meeting.

It was no surprise, but I continued to have trouble playing as Ashe after HikariBoshi left. It was no wonder, a player who needed help to defeat a boss to get to the next stage would not do well on the stage he couldn't reach alone.

To not fall behind any further, I once again called upon my [Comrade] list. I continuously partied up with many other players. But once they learned I was an Ashe user, after teaming up with me once they did not continue to do it again. Some even removed my from their [Comrade} list. At this point, Ashe Daemon's reputation was just that bad.

As bosses became stronger and stronger, players were more and more begin

exhibiting behaviors of avoiding those who chose to use Ashe Daemon. It

had gotten so bad that eventually Ashe was called 'Party Killer' within

the VDS forums due to an Ashe Daemon's inability to help in team play.

In the end the only player who continued to answer my calls ended up just being HikariBoshi.

I don't know whether she was just bored or just very nice, but HikariBoshi continued to team up with me.

As we kept teaming up, we gradually started to open up to each other more and communicated more through [Whispers]. Her [Whispers] were kind and considerate. I could imagine the type of person that she is. As we continued to play together, I felt as if we became closer to being [Comrades] in the truest sense.

In light of our budding friendship, I started to feel extremely self-conscious. I began to feel embarrassed about my control over Ashe. Even when I constantly accidentally made mistakes, HikariBoshi continues to forgive me, even if we died. Eventually, I decided I must do something about this stalemate.

It was at that time Kami Productions sent a message to all Beta Testers announcing that 'after 3 months of game time, Vestronia-Dreamless Story will undergo a mandatory huge update for an entire month so that we can start accepting players from the public. Not only will this update be released in our home country Japan, we, Kami Productions, also announce that we will be releasing the game to be played in other languages such as English, Korean, Spanish, etc. at the same time.' This news sent shock waves throughout the Beta Tester and all of social media. People questioned the sanity and the legitimacy of Kami Production for their claim. Conspiracy theories as to how that is possible began to pop up out of the woodworks like maggots.

Regardless of the outside world, a countdown timer from now till midnight appeared on every players screen showing the limited time until starting the largest update in VDS history.

Once the update starts, the opening of the game will become impossible until the end of the update. That means I would have no way of continuing my contact with HikariBoshi. While we are friends, it was only a relationship we could have through the game. Our only means of contact was through the [Whisper] function of the [Comrades] system. I do not have another way of contacting her otherwise. What is even more annoying was when the countdown had begun, she was offline the entire time and thus I was unable to contact her one last time.

In the end, our last meeting will be, for a long time, to become our only meeting. Midnight had arrived. The countdown reached zero. Thus begins the legendary VDS's first large update.

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At that time, It truly felt like I would probably never meet her ever again. In hindsight, since I knew her player name, I could just use the search player function if I wanted to find her again once the update was finished, but I couldn't even remember such a simple fact at first. Along with boredom I have resulting from my increased free time, I also felt loneliness.

I kept thinking: will I ever meet her again? If I did, will I have to depend on her again just to continue the game? Is Ashe Daemon really that useless?

The more I thought about it, the more I hated it. That was when I decided to use that month of free time to review and refine how I would use Ashe Daemon from now on. I didn't know it, but this decision became my greatest 'turning point'.

Being unable to access Ashe, I spend my days daydreaming, imagining, and simulating what I could possibly do as Ashe Daemon to truly become his real 'master' from what I remembered.

I had daydreamed so much that I was actually on the verge of failing my college exams. Thankfully, I avoided a disaster before it's too late.

"Hah!" I slightly chuckled at that memory and took another swig.

Taking my eyes away from Kei, this time I turned my head to the rest of them in order: Alyssa, Iris, Clay, and Tyrell.

While during the Closed Beta period, the only one I met was Kei. Only when VDS returned after the large update, I was able to meet the rest of them.

The moment the VDS returns once again was when the 'true beginning' of my first chance meeting with the [Vers Warriors].

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It was D-day. Today was the day that VDS officially returns. I, with anticipation, stared at the countdown which was found on their official website for the time of the full release, Where things end, there are also new beginnings.

3….2…..1...Launch!

It's finally here!!

I immediately turned on the game.

I was once again greeted with the VDS's super realistic short movie and official login page. From what I can tell, other than a few minor changes there was nothing especially different at the login page and there was absolutely no change in the cinematic movie. The graphics had remained at their ridiculous level of detail and resolution. The only changes I had noticed were that under the logo for VDS they changed the Closed Beta into Open Beta. The logo itself seems to also emit a subtle holy glow that seemed to give a sense of inner peace. After staring at the logo, however, the subtle glow seemed to have disappeared and not returned since no matter how long I waited. Had my played tricks on me?

I shook my head. That doesn't matter right now. Then without further ado, I inputted my username and password to officially return back into the world of VDS.

Once I had fully loaded into the world of VDS, I had noticed some big changes had happened to my Ashe over the update.

With the start of the Open Beta version, Kami Production had announced in light of the large influx of new users they would reset levels every character,

main story progression, and empty their inventories as to provide a more 'fair playing field'. Luckily, the [Comrade] list hadn't been touched.

Knowing the eventual backlash from the Beta

Testers would come, Kami Productions also included a special package to be delivered to each Beta

Tester's emails. Apparently, the package contained a special unique item with abilities and stats tailored to each players playing styles during the Closed Beta period. How that was possible, I

had no idea. I had no interest in it. With my previous weak playing, my 'special' package would not probably be any good. In the end, without opening the package, I left it to rot in my inventory, even to this day.

I did not immediately try to find HikariBoshi.

Even if I were to meet her now, I would still have to depend on her. That is something I didn't want.

I wanted to prove that my month of effort was not in vain. Relying on external factors would not prove my ability. So, along with the other new players, I used level reset as a chance to truly start over, special item or not. This time I will prove that Ashe Daemon is just as capable and usable as any of the other characters.

With great anticipation, I set off.

...

A few hours went by...

*Ding*

I heard a sound indicating someone was trying to contact me through [Whispering]. The only that would do such a thing was HikariBoshi. After hesitating for a bit, I eventually answered.

[Noraa-san, I saw that your icon showed that you were online so I called in to say 'hi'. Is it okay that we can meet up today? If so, I am at ****]

Having read her message, I started to muse to myself. It took some time, but my official fighting style is already starting to come together. This way I won't be such a burden if she asks me to team up again. It is probably a good time.

With that, I sent a confirmation message back and immediately went to meet her.

When I had reached the promised meeting place, I immediately recognized HikariBoshi... who was with two other players it seems. This would become my first meeting with QueenA (Alyssa) and Lily-Rose (Iris).

Apparently, QueenA and Lily-Rose where fresh newbies who had just started playing VDS for the first time today.

HikariBoshi, who was nice and patient enough to team with a deadweight like me, saw that they were having trouble adapting to their character's controls and decided to help them out as their 'sempai'. I don't know all the details, but things happen and then, after playing with them for an hour or so, they had become friends...or so she told me.

Isn't that bit too fast? It seems that to females, friendship comes quickly...and in some cases goes away just as quickly. Not like I make friends in the first place, so who am I to talk.

It seemed that HikariBoshi wants me to team up together with them so she could 'carry' us together. Seems that HikariBoshi is as nice as ever, to want to continue helping me even now.

Honesty, however, being still thought I still needed help to level up kinda hurt my newly grown pride. But, this could also be this can be my chance to show off a bit. I thought

So with that thought, I agreed to join them not knowing that I would be joining the beginning of a long relationship.

At first, unlike with HikariBoshi, I trouble to make small talk with the other two. But as we all continued to team up together I started to open up with them more and with HikariBoshi's help I became friends with them too.

It also helped that I thoroughly impressed them with my new play style. They all said that they have never seen a person control Ashe Daemon as good as me. Honestly, it felt good.

While, just as I impressed them, I had been also thoroughly impressed with their skills. Not to mention HikariBoshi, both QueenA and Lily-Rose showed improvement in their player control which is now far beyond the levels of a newbie.

As time went on, their teamwork with each other became so precise if I were to tell other people they only had played together for a few hours they wouldn't have believed me.

After leveling for a while, it wasn't long until all of us had reached above level 20.

Reaching level 20 had held no special meaning during the Closed Beta version, but after the update it became an important milestone.

Of the things that were newly introduced into VDS after the update, the addition of the new [Guild] function had made a huge impact upon the players. Players can now join together to make an [Guild] of up to 50 members for the first time. Through completing [Guild Missions], their [Guild] levels can rise which provides various bonuses that work to the player's advantage. It also makes it possible for the 50 member limit to increase each time the [Guild] levels up. In the future, the difference between being in a member of a high level [Guild] vs. solo became a large gap that could not be easily crossed by any individual.

After an agreement, all of us returned from the dangerous 'monster' areas towards the 'safe; area.

In light of reaching level 20, we began to discuss the options of either joining an already created [Guild] together or making one ourselves. Having become very close within this short time, this development was extremely natural.

With that in mind, we turned our next destination towards where we could find details on [Guilds].

It was at this moment, we faced a sudden intrusion to our conversations from another player...by 'we' I meant the other three.

This had become the first and worst meeting I had with Ilovethemdidys(Clay) and subsequently Shortkakes(Tyrell).

As a player I had never seen before even in the Closed Beta, Ilovethemdidys first impression to me came off as....' perverted'.

Under the pretense of finding members so he can recruit them into his newly created [Guild] (according to Clay, this was really the actual reason why he talked to us that day...50% of it) he began his 'extremely stuffy' invitation towards the 3 girls.

Unsurprisingly, I was being ignored.

Honestly, I was amused. I mean is it really that common that people would try to pick up chicks in a game like this? When character selection does not discriminate against gender, how could you be sure the player was a girl? Or even a pretty one.

As you would expect, the girls were not amused, to say the least. While they were polite at first, as Ilovethemdidys became more persistent, the kid gloves were off. As things were heating up, it was actually Shortkakes who came to save the day.

It...was honestly kind of amazing.

Not only he was able to calm down the extremely angy girls from reporting Ilovethemdidys for harassment, he was also able to reprimand his partner and then started to negotiate with us.

Due to Shortkakes's 'negotiations', we four decided joined their [Guild] with the conditions that if we didn't like it we would leave all four of us together.

And thus the smallest high-ranked [Guild: Vers Warrios] was created that day.