The Royal Library (III)

Depends on how Bishop Etran feels? What kind of reward is that? Usually it would tell him what he would receive, or say unknown, but how one feels? That was completely unexpected. There was no time to waste. The answer would be given when he completed his quest.

"Yes," said Zero quietly so as not to disturb Bishop Etran's study. Bishop Etran eyed him with discontent from even making a sound. The only other sound in the room was the continuous scratch of pen on paper.

It was a large book with leather covering. On the front was a Celtic design of an oak tree inside a large intricate circle; twelve circles encompassed the tree. There was no author name written on the inside or the outside of the cover. He opened the book carefully. On the first page a phrase stood out boldly.

Welcome to the Beginning of an End that is the Beginning.

Let the Song of Infinity ring again.

An odd phrase, he thought. Inking his pen, he began to copy it word by word. Each sentence was like a poem. At times he wondered what they meant, and other times their meaning was apparent. Beginning with the creation of Noriene, to histories of the world and continents, to the enemies, gods, and many more legends, the book told stories he did not expect to find even on the webpage of Growth. Each had an epic story or a hidden lesson that he slowly learned.

#####

<Kiyro>

It was night, he was out and about because he was actually hungry. None of the virtual food that Zero ate was filling Kiyro up. After the three extra meals he bought in the game, he realized his body needed food. He was also taking a bit of time off from writing for hours, but his mind was still heavily engrossed in the history of Noriene. Hunched over writing gave him neck pains and even in real life he could still feel like he had the aftereffect of it. It already has been a whole day and he barely ate anything. His stomach grumbled with outrage, crying out for food.

He was already in the kitchen finishing up eating his meal: a simple dish of chicken fried rice with variety of vegetable. He left some for his sister to eat when she arrived back from work.

A loud ring of his Alive gear blared through his room, and into the kitchen. Kiyro snapped out of his thoughts, startled. He had forgotten that he left his Alive gear on high volume. Yesterday, he'd used it as a digital alarm and forgot to lower the sound. He reached over and picked up his Alive gear and set it on his head.

"Kiyro speaking."

"Hey, Kiryo. This is Eve, you know, Agnis. Why haven't you been picking up my calls? I've been trying to get in contact with you all day."

"Are you sure? I didn't receive any in-game calls," said Kiyro, confused. Even in his mailbox there were no new messages from her.

"It must be true," said Eve, a bit annoyed, "that in death you can't get in contact with others. Wait a second. Alex's call is coming through." She paused for a moment as she merged the calls together, making it into a group call.

"Who?"

"It's Zeraph. Didn't he tell you his real name? Hey Alex, you're connected."

"No. This is new to me."

"Thanks. Hey guys," replied Alex.

"Hey Zeraph. I mean Alex. Wait, your name is Alex, right?"

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't tell you about that. What's up, you two?"

"Nothing much," Eve said.

"Everything's fine so far. It's so boring in the game that I had to get out of it for a while," Kiyro replied with an exasperated voice.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"I'm stuck copying a book," Kiyro groaned.

"That's not too bad. How was death?"

"Eh. Not so bad, just a lot of gloom. It's best if you experience it to understand what it's like."

Eve cut in, "What happened today really surprised me. You died. Alex and I had to literally chase down the killer. You should've seen how he dealt with the enemy. His insane quick sword draws and really sweet maneuvers. He was literally flying around in the air." Her excitement made her talk far too quickly. "Majority of the time I was only able to see him clicking his sword back into his sheathe. It was soooooo cool."

"Hey. I didn't do much. You helped out just as well. That spinning back kick was wonderful. It stunned the enemy for a bit," Alex's voice said pleasantly. Kiyro could almost envision Zeraph's smile when he said that.

"I was lucky. You blocked his attack first. It allowed me to put in a couple of kicks here and there." Eve brushed it aside as if it was nothing. Just as abruptly as her excited voice sped up it changed into concern. "Did you do something to offend someone or something?"

"No…" He pondered for a moment. "The pet shop quest. Maybe that?" Kiyro turned around and sat down on his bed. He had been pacing back and forth throughout the whole conversation. He flopped backward. His level was now out of the protection range set for new players, but he still had the infamy points stacked up in his Origin form. It did not make complete sense that he would be targeted in human form.

"There is no correlation. He didn't know we were even doing it. When we defeated the assassin, we got some strange crystal heart," Alex quickly said.

"Well, the creepy thing was that it was yours. It had your name on it," said Eve with a bit of disgust.

"Wait, what? Crystal heart?" Kiyro fretted. "Does that mean that everyone has one?"

"Nope, just you," responded Eve. "Either way, there is a new skill for us. It's called Recalling of Friendship," she said excitedly. "It's a unique skill, and I could not find it even on the website."

"What is it?" Kiyro became more alert with their conversation.

"It said that Recalling of a Friendship allows you to hold onto your partner's crystal heart. I can call you back from the dead and bypass the logout time. Only one is made, and no other crystal hearts can be made till the heart is used. Now the upside is that this crystal heart has an expiration date of a month. It just turns into an ordinary crystal of little value. There's one last catch: if the contracted partner is holding onto it, it will stay active till it is used. So you're lucky I got it," said Eve proudly as if she'd accomplished something great.

"Yeah…thanks." Kiyro did not like the idea of Agnis holding onto it, but it was better than some random person who he didn't know experimenting on it for some personal gain.

"I just found out a while ago there is a large bounty placed on all our heads," Alex grumbled.

"How much?" Kiyro asked.

"On you it's about 1,000 gold, 550 gold on Eve, and for me only 150 gold. Luckily there is no exact picture of how we all look. The only picture of you is your origin form. I suggest you stay under the radar as a human as much as possible in the city."

"Wait, I'm 1,000?" gasped Kiyro. He could not believe that out of all of them, he got stuck with the highest bounty.

"Where are you anyway?" Eve asked.

"Doing a quest at the Church of Infinity," he replied. He had the highest bounty out of the group and he was stuck with writing while they were probably doing something fun.

"I see," she replied as the line went silent for a second. "By the way, check the news. We'll come by later. Stay at the church, okay? Alex, we need to get that thing done. We'll see you around." She hung up the call.

"What she said." Alex hung up right after. Kiyro's arms lay spread out like an eagle beside him.

News? What? Kiyro got up and headed towards the living room. He noticed a crumpled purple blanket that his sister had left laid out across the sofa. Pushing aside the blanket, he settled down with both feet up. Relaxing, Kiyro turned on his TV with a remote.

"Good evening America. This is the daily Channel 77 Atlanta News station. We are Jim and Oscar bringing you the evening news." Jim gave a bright smile at the camera. His white teeth sparkled underneath the fluorescent lights.

"Well, Oscar, today we got exclusive news from the owner and creator of Growth. Here is Mrs. Noriko." Next to Oscar was an Asian lady with long black hair. She wore a body-hugging dress, with a small sapphire necklace. It glittered magically under the light. She was the owner of the Yami Hikari game company

"Hello, Jim and Oscar. Thank you for allowing me to be here today. I flew in last night just for this interview." Mrs. Noriko grinned at them.

"That must have been quite a trip," beamed Oscar as he folded his hands. Today he was wearing a black suit with a red tie.

"No, it wasn't so bad. I'll be staying around our sister company for a couple of days." Mrs. Noriko folded her hands in front of her and twirled her hair.

"Ah yes. One of the sub-branches of the Yami Hikari Company is stationed in Georgia. Well, let's continue on. A lot of viewers are especially surprised at these new Seeds, seed shards quest, and the strange stages that've been implemented into the game. What are they exactly?" Oscar looked at her with interest.

"Ah, yes. The seed. Well, think of the seed as exactly as what it means: just like a regular plant that goes through the cycle of birth and death. The plant has cast its many seeds in its death out towards the people of this world. Seeds can go to anyone whether they are playing Growth through Embryo's Sense gear or just using Embryo's Alive gear. It is basically an idea, a movement, or you can say a change." Her hands talked with her as she explained, "What the players do with a seed is all up to them. The first seed you get will open up upon receiving it. It is used for oneself. What you get depends on the person. That's what the players will be allowed to find out by themselves."

She winked towards the camera. "The people who are given a second one can use it for ideas for projects. It is a bit more difficult to get than the first seed. They can accept it, throw it away, or trade it with others. The third is given near the final event. This will be extremely rare to get. You can say one out of a million will receive it. Even I do not know what's in store. Think of each seed as a gift to humanity." She smiled as she calmly explained.

Oscar snickered. "You make this sound like some kind of baptism. Are you sure you're not hacking into people's accounts or starting a cult?" He eyed her with suspicion.

Noriko chuckled. "Oh dear, no. We respect the privacy of our customers and would never want such things to happen. Why do we need the personal information of other people when the company is doing well? Plus it violates the people's rights."

"I see. What about the seed shard quests?" said Jim as he leaned in closer to hear what she had to say next.

"Well, Jim, anyone can get these seed shards through quests in real life or game life. These seed shards that the players can get help advance the world of Noriene and unlock the continents. Their level cap will be increased and it will become more difficult to level and play in the game. As each part of the world unlocks, new functions will be revealed. The Alive and Sense gear technology will incorporate the changes into both the real and game worlds."

"Is one of them the recent skill assimilation?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Noriko with a nod.

"So how many stages are there?" Jim lightly tapped his pen on the table.

"Well that's something the players will find out. I'm sorry I can't tell you much about it," she said.

"Aww. Mrs. Noriko, you can't give us a couple of hints on what these new technologies incorporated into the Embyro gear will be?" Jim crowed.

Mrs. Noriko shook her head.

"Okay then, how are the people chosen to harbor these seeds?" Jim twirled the pen in-between his fingers.

"That's not easy to explain. The high-end supercomputer GENESIS that was created by our brilliant scientists takes into account the majority of the quests, race, fame, actions, and many more that the player has done and completed. It calculates the probability of whether the player will take the seed or not and if they will be able to accomplish the task. Certain requirements must be met before a player can even gain a seed."

"That's quite a supercomputer. So you're saying just being powerful can get you one?" asked Oscar while he looked upon her, hopeful.

"Yes and no. It's not given only to the powerful. It's given to the people who have what it takes to change themselves into the people they are meant to be." Noriko emphasized that last sentence.

"That's a bit strange to say. Wouldn't that be unfair to the players? Doesn't everyone want to change?" Oscar tilted his head in an expression of confusion.

"Yes, everyone does, but do they really attempt it?" She looked at the anchors and then into the camera as if asking the viewers. "We are so set on our own comfort that we forget to test our limits. In actuality we fear what we can't do and doubt what we can do. We put a lid on our own jar of potential, thinking it is impossible. We always jump close to the lid without hitting it. Society, media, friends, and even family sometimes state that such a mindset is improbable and we follow it without questioning it. We then pass this mentality on to our children and their children, unconsciously reinforcing them with negativity. This mentality becomes inborn. The lie of doubt becomes the truth."

Mrs. Noriko paused for a moment and nodded her head. "Our fears and doubts hold us back. We fear the unknown because we don't know what is at the end. Either it is good or bad. We fear such outcomes because we don't have any control." Her voice was touched with sorrow. "Without a cause we lack motivation. Unless there is a shocking event, or something that blocks our path, change does not happen until something pushes us and motivates us. We human beings can be lazy at times. Sometimes the thing that makes you reach your full ability, and even more, is taking that unknown chance, either by baby steps or by giant leaps. But remember this: there are always consequences to your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Nothing ever stays stagnant; everything is a push and pull. Now think of these seeds as a tool to help build your path in life the way you want it to be."

"You have an unusual way of thinking, Mrs. Noriko. Aren't you worried that hackers might infiltrate your game and tamper with it?" Jim couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Ah. Yes. Hackers. That is something difficult to say, but right now we are confident that our technology outweighs the skills of outside hackers at this moment. Our leading world scientists and programmers have done a remarkable job. It's also thanks to our sponsors, Mr. Kim, Mr. Somon, and Mrs. Krystal. " Noriko eyes and mouth smiled brilliantly.

"That's quite a statement. The world's triad of multi-billionaires: Mr. Kim with his leading expedition of space exploration, space technology, and Mars traveling; Mr. Somon who owns three-fourth of the world's car market; and Mrs. Krystal, the leading genius of Artificial Intelligence and creator of today's top technology. They have enough money to use cash as toilet paper. How were you able to get them to all agree?" Oscar looked appalled. He sat back and whistled with surprise.

"Persuasion, deals, and a lot of talking." Mrs. Noriko chuckled. Her sweet laugh brought smiles to John and Simon.

"This is truly history in the making. Another question: is it true that your company has severed ties with the company called Kosmos?" asked Oscar.

"Yes. There were some difficulties, but we had parted ways a long time ago. Now I have a question for you. Do you believe in Magick?"

"Excuse me? Magic? Are you talking about the parlor tricks that magicians do?" Oscar chuckled at his own answer. He looked upon Jim as if she was saying something funny.

"No. There is a difference between Magic and Magick." She smiled.

"What is the difference?" Oscar looked at her. He wasn't sure where this was going.

"Magic is what you call today's magician who creates illusions with tricks, while Magick is natural. The world supplies natural Magick."

"I must say, you say the strangest things. What does Magick have to do with anything in the game?" Jim was confused.

"Everything." She smiled.

"Well folks, this is all we have for today." Oscar quickly shook hands with Mrs. Noriko, quickly ending her interview. The news logo flashed in front of the television and the commercials began. A loud slamming of the door was heard, followed by the shuffling of footsteps walking towards Kiyro. Kiyro turned his head and saw his sister. Her hair was messy and her pristine purple dress looked rumpled. Her face was heavy with gloom as she slumped onto the couch completely worn out.

"Yo." Kiyro looked upon her with curiosity. He hadn't seen his sister so worn out in a very long time. "Busy day?"

She nodded into the throw pillow. Her hair splayed out over the whole pillow.

"Oomghf…today…soomgh," she mumbled into the pillow.

"What? I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you." He leaned forward, trying to hear her voice.

"I hate today. I wish Kyle was here," she whined. She kicked her feet like a kid throwing a tantrum. Her face was smeared with light makeup. Kiyro froze upon hearing that name.

"He's dead. Don't ever mention that name," said Kiyro with annoyance.

"He's not dead!" she yelled back at him. "He's your twin brother! How could you just forget about him? I hate when you say that. He just left for a while. He'll be back. I know he will."

"Don't kid yourself, Anna. You know as well as I do that he left for good. It's been three years. Three years!" Kiryo's hands flexed with anger and then balled up into a fists. "Not once did he call us back. No hi's or how he's doing. It's like he completely disappeared. After that incident he left us for good," Kiyro angrily spat back. "You need to stop throwing your emotional dumps onto people when you're having a bad day. Do you not get it still? He ran away." Kiryo stressed the last sentence with fury.