5 You Must Never Die.

Diana Hong's parents were what you would call Perennials. She didn't really like to tell anyone, but her parents had her late in life. When they ended up birthing her, at age thirty-five, some people were already dying from the haze. They stayed with her until they were forty each, and when she was five finally turned themselves over to a cyro company for a quasi-life extension.

Her parents wanted to see her get married and had sold themselves to the Atlantic Company. Unless something terrible happened, they would come see her every year in the spring.

The deal was you had to work for thirty days on an unsafe rig, but after that they'd let you bloom with your family. She had just seen her parents this year, and they were already forty-three. They'd been seeing her every spring from sixteen years. Unfortunately, the cosmetics stopped working once you turned forty-three.

The haze slowly ate away at everything. It was retribution for all the things we poured into the atmosphere. It was pretty much nature's way of paying them back for the splitting holes in the ozone layer. And it ended up allowing the haze to spread. It was kind of like a microscopic zombie that ate at people, unfortunately, with the longest known survivor being forty-six.

Basically, Diana didn't want her parents to die in eight years. So, she decided to get strong as fast as possible. But like her parents she liked to take risks. And her chances of dying were roughly 63.4% - the system mentioned. While a Qi-Deviation didn't happen, Tao still looked at her like she had a death wish.

"You've reached Qi-2 through unnatural means. No chest will be awarded."

Diana avoided talking about it the entire time they were exploring. As far as Tao could tell, she didn't look like the type of girl who'd be suicidal.

There were death cults on Earth that advertised bliss as the only way out. They promised people the time of their lives in these machines called the Extenders, but they'd have to trade their genes in for it. What that meant was that they had a free pass to do whatever they wanted in simulation. Unfortunately, it also meant the company could clone them for the rich and powerful. Tao didn't take her as that type.

"What are you crazy?"

"Nope, I'm just on a mission Tao."

"Well, I'm not. Now, if you want to get pills you'll have to earn them yourself."

"Well, teach me the ropes."

As a beginner, Tao Lin never had any support like he gave to Diana. She'd walk over and get the final hit on monsters before she popped essence pills of Qi-3 and Qi-4 monsters. By the time they made it to a town she was already close to Qi-3. It took them a week of virtual time to get here. That meant two days had passed by in the real world. Basically, it was a 2:7 system. Two earth days for seven days in Cosmic.

When Tao started, the first monsters he fought were all bottom feeders, literally. You'd have to find them in the ground, and it took him weeks to figure it out. All the other monsters were packs, hegemons, or surprises, so unless you were Qi-2 you really stood no chance.

But at least now he got to guide around Diana. Providing everything stayed on the same course, she'd probably be a lot less terrified then he was. Frankly, he was too embarrassed to even tell her the stories.

One of the first battles Tao had against a flock was one of the worst days he ever had. The closest he got to dying. But it wasn't his fault. He hadn't even figured out how to check their levels yet. Unfortunately, the flashlight skill wasn't unlocked till the next day.

Tao Lin had charged directly into a herd of Qi-3 monsters. They looked innocent, not as terrifying as slugs – the bottom feeders-, so he charged into the back of the herd as they were traveling north. The first hit he took sent him flying away in the opposite direction. Luckily, they couldn't find him when he crashed down a precipice into a river. And until he found out about reading levels, a la flashlight, he just grinded the slugs.

"You've reached the town of the Basil Tribe."

"So, this is a town? What's it like Tao?"

"It's different every time, but you'll see."

"Well, how about I buy you a dri…"

Tao Lin, and Diana Hong both awoke back in the Fortress. After the Alchemist pulled them out, he brought Tao and Diana towards a new room he was developing. He wouldn't tell them till later how he figured it out.

"So, how's Cosmic treating you, Diana," The Alchemist asked, "Do you feel like you're getting the hang of it?"

"Yup!" Diana nodded.

"Yeah, but she could have died."

"No, you both must never die! Diana, please, I know about your parents, but…"

The Alchemist calculated the odds before, and the odds of finding someone with the right genes was roughly 1: 100,000,000. If she died, or even had Qi-Deviation. Which, by the way, would have destroyed her organ, and then killed her. They'd stand no chance of advancing in Cosmic Order or stopping the wars. Why, because girls with the gene were slightly rarer than the boys.

"Well, now let me show you while we are here."

The lights flashed on revealing the space. There was a huge machine with some red goo floating around in it. The mechanism, it was later called, was a machine that could print out the equipment from Cosmic Order if you had enough coin. The professor didn't explain why you needed coin, but it had something to do with rightful exchange. Tao Lin was starting to get the feeling the professor wasn't responsible for making the game after all.

"So, it just makes anything we have in the game? Does rarity matter," Tao pet the machine.

"Nope, but the effects will be different in the real world. It's best to print weapons."

"Can you print cultivation pills," Diana asked.

"Yes, but there would be no point. You'd need to have the organ, and it'd cost you a ton."

The Alchemist walked with Tao and Diana over towards the window before he pressed start. A diamond sword instantly appeared in the bath like a new born baby. It sucked dry the essence, and he pulled it out before brandishing it. Surprisingly, the systems voice echoed in the building.

"You've acquired the thousand-gold blade."

"Are you kidding me, Al?"

"Nope, I'm not kidding you, Tao."

The Alchemist walked over to a rack and placed the weapon down. Apparently, he already had done this before.

"Well, that's all folks. Now, I have some business to attend to, so I'll leave you two alone."

The Alchemist, or for short Al, was really hoping these two would hit if off. There genes alone were as rare as the rainbow, but if they had kids. Well, if they had kids the odd shoot up to 75% per litter. He was already hoping for twins.

"So, shall we get back to Cosmic Order?"

Tao shook his head and pulled her off to the room. He had something he had to show her.