Chapter 1: Is it the Finale or the Genesis?

December 23, 2245. 11:35 PM

Dive is a Massively Multiplayer Online, a role-playing game or in short DMMO-RPG, a type of game where you can play in an imaginary world such as Yggdrasil.

The game was released in 2110, the game sported an expansive world map, and a very high degree of freedom for players, where the players had the freedom to create their own dreams such as building an NPC of their own design, or an entire country, which made it stand above all the other DMMO-RPG games at all times.

The Game would always feature an event called Invader where all the players who built a country would engage with other players who built their own country in the game.

After the first Yggdrasil completely shutdown, now the second one, Yggdrasil 2 is about to come to its end as well.

There in the palace, where Christine Atien Margintin resides, walking within the hallway towards the guild's conference room, where they would always discuss, and argue to decide their best course of action, after arriving she is then met by one of her guild members, Darkor one of the few active players that remains within the guild his avatar is a Dragonoid in red and golden colors.

"Fancy seeing you here, darkor." Christine said, as she made her way towards her seat and sat on it, once Darkor heard the familiar voice he Immediately looked toward the entrance, and he then stood up and made his way toward her. "Well, I just wanted to see our guild before the game shutdowns, you know I am still surprised that it still standing." darkor spoke.

"Well I am the Guild's Leader after all, so it is just my duty to manage our guild, in case the others return." Darkor looked at Christine with a hint of sadness. " you know it is sad that the guild we all worked so hard for would soon vanish once the countdown finished." Darkor said.

Christine then looked at Darkor, extending her arms towards his shoulder. "Darkor, it's not the end, but perhaps a dawn. We may lose what we've built, but in every ending lies a new beginning. Nothing lasts forever, yet from the ashes, something new always rises. The past won't be forgotten; it's our benchmark, a testament to who we were, and a beacon for who we can become." Christine said. Darkor looked at Christine with a shocked and disbelieving look, unable to believe that he was hearing these words from Christine.

"I never expected to hear that from you, Christine, since you're always the one acting like a child." As Darkor said those words, Christine made a pouting look towards him. "Hey! Just because I act like one doesn't mean I haven't learned as I grew up." Christine retorted, causing Darkor to start laughing.

"That's not funny." Christine said.

After a few seconds, Darkor stopped laughing and looked at Christine. "Yeah, sorry about that. I just couldn't help myself from making fun of you. Well, it is our last day after all." Darkor looked around the room, his gaze lingering on every corner as he reminisced about the past when they used to argue about what design they should use. He sighed, "Those were some good memories," Darkor said. Christine looked at him, confused by his sudden sentimentality.

"What are you talking about?" Christine asked as Darkor returned to reality. "Oh, nothing. Just reminiscing about the past, when we all used to argue about the structure designs," Darkor said as he remembered something. "Oh! Right, I almost forgot, here take this," he said as he opened his inventory, took out his sword, and extended it towards Christine to give it to her.

"Uh, why are you giving me this?" Christine tilted her head, confused as to why he would give his world-class sword to her.

"Just take it. I'm giving this to you. It's nothing special. After all, the game is about to come to an end, right?" Darkor said.

"Really now. Well if you're really giving this to me then I shall put it in the treasury, as a collection." Christine then took the sword that darkor was giving her, once she took it, and analyzed it. "So, you had this kind of sword and didn't use it when we really needed it during our last participation in the King of the Hill event?" Christine said. She recalled the last event where they almost lost to the combined forces of the Trinity Kingdom and the Cyber Theocracy. A world champion player had almost demolished all of their guild members and the high-level NPCs. Despite the odds, they managed to fend off the attack, largely due to the fact that Christine herself was also a world champion.

"Haha, actually, I didn't have that world item during that event. Well, I have to go now. I still have some work to do tomorrow, and right now, I am extremely tired so I need to rest." Darkor said. Christine felt a bit sad that Darkor wouldn't be able to stay until the end of the shutdown. However, she was still happy that at least one of the original 100 members had managed to come to say goodbye to their guild.

"Yeah, you really do need some rest. You've barely had any rest at all. You're like a real walking zombie," Christine said, showing her concern for Darkor's health. She then continued, "And thank you for coming before the game shutdown."

"Bye, Christine. I hope we will meet again in Yggdrasil 3," Darkor said his goodbye. After that, he disappeared in a blue flash of light. "Yeah, bye," Christine said, looking down with some sadness. She sighed, "Well, let's go to my bedroom first before the game shutdown." Christine stood up from her seat, left the conference room, and headed towards her room.

Walking through the hallways again, she saw all of the Imperial Guards that were guarding each room. These rooms were for guests, the library, the infirmary, and many more. All the Imperial guards were level 80-100, serving as the last line of defense if the empire lost all higher-level NPCs, which were the custodians. She kept looking around, looking at all of their works for the last time.

Once she reached her room, she was met by her butler, Johnson, a dragonoid, and her maid, Claire, a True Vampire. Along with them were four Imperial guards, who were part of the wolf folks, guarding the room. Johnson was created by Johnny Bravo, who was nicknamed Muscle Head by other guild members and those outside of their guild. He created Johnson as her personal butler, along with Claire as her personal maid.

Upon entering the room, she was struck by its luxury. It was so opulent that it would make most gold diggers drool. Christine immediately lay down on the bed, contemplating whether she should just leave the game to rest or stay until the game shutdown. "I'm so tired. I think I should just log out and rest because I still have a lot of paperwork tomorrow," she thought, checking the Game Menu to look at the countdown. "So, about an hour until the game shutdown. Maybe I'll just stay for a bit because I don't want to work for now."

"I miss the old times. Speaking of old times, I haven't visited my parents in a while now. I should visit them in Manila next week," Christine mused. She then navigated to the community forum using the Game Menu. She spent about 10 minutes browsing the forums to pass some time.

After finishing, she left the forum and lay back down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. As she continued to gaze upward, her eyes slowly closed, and she fell asleep while waiting for the server countdown. Unbeknownst to her, when the countdown reached zero, and suddenly disappeared.

Not knowing what may have changed while she was asleep, she woke up after an hour, slowly opened her eyes, and sat up in her bed. "Ugh, did I fall asleep? I better log out now, I still have some work to do tomorrow," she said, looking around and trying to open the Game Menu to log out, but nothing came up.

"What the... what is going on!?" She yelled out, and all of a sudden her door slammed open. "Is there something wrong, Your Majesty?" Christine turned towards the door from where the voice was coming. As she looked, she saw her butler, Johnson, and her maid, Claire, with concerned looks on their faces, suddenly barging in along with the Imperial Guards.

Christine Atien Margintin Pov:

I gazed at them, not anticipating this kind of reaction from the NPC. Rising from my bed, I addressed their concerns.

"No, nothing is amiss. It's just that the GM function seems to be malfunctioning." As soon as I mentioned the GM, they bowed instantly, their foreheads touching the floor. "We beg your pardon, Your Majesty, for our ignorance about the GM. Please forgive our lack of understanding." I stared at them, taken aback.

"It's perfectly fine. After all, we didn't design you to be aware of such matters. So, please lift your heads," I reassured them. 'Hold on, has my voice always been this high-pitched?' I wondered, surprised by the unexpected change in my voice tone in this new update.

They all then raised their eyes to me, seemingly awaiting further instructions. As they waited, I found myself stroking my chin, deep in thought about the current situation. 'Could this be a new update, or perhaps it's Yggdrasil 3? But if it is Yggdrasil 3, why am I still in my avatar? Could this be a game test?' I pondered as I observed them. Then, I addressed Johnson, "I need you to summon all the custodians for a meeting in the conference room within an hour. That's our usual meeting place with the other members. I'll ensure they have permission to enter the room," I declared.

Johnson immediately stood up and made another bow. "Understood Your Majesty it shall be done." After that, he then left the room to call the other custodian under my orders and to send a team to investigate the surroundings.

"Claire, I want you to prepare some clothing for me to wear to this meeting," I ordered. Claire immediately bowed just like how Johnson did. "Understood, Your Majesty," Claire said. Once she left, I turned towards the Imperial guards. "The four of you, Hailican, Tyrek, Emanual, Airuke, please return to your guarding duty," I said. They were surprised that I knew their names. "Understood, Your Majesty," they said in unison and immediately returned to their positions, guarding the room.

'If this is Yggdrasil 3, then this is way too detailed to be a game. I mean my game set shouldn't even be able to run this type of detailed game as it wasn't compatible enough, but the question is how can I log out as I couldn't even access the GM?' I kept on trying to access the GM but to no avail, as I looked down completely defeated. 'Why wouldn't the GM work?' I thought as I walked around the room. I then stopped by the window, looking outside the window.

'Those stupid devs really made this way too realistic,' I thought. After a few minutes, Claire returned with clothes for me to wear. "Your Majesty, I have come with the clothes you have ordered me to get for you," Claire said as I looked at her and then at the clothes - a long formal evening gown in a solid, regal color like deep blue.

"Thank you, Claire," I expressed my gratitude. "Nonsense, Your Majesty. We exist solely to fulfill the desires of the supreme being," Claire responded, bowing respectfully. Before she bowed, she made sure to place the clothing on the table. I was a bit taken aback by her words, but then I remembered that we were the ones who set up these parameters.

"Alright then, please assist me with these clothes," I instructed. She picked up the clothes to help me dress. "Understood, Your Majesty," Claire acknowledged, promptly assisting me with the attire. Within a minute, I was fully dressed in the clothes she had brought.

"Now that we're done here, I'll head to the meeting room to meet with the custodian. Claire, I'd like you to prepare a late snack for me. Let's make it a blueberry pie." Having given my orders, I teleported to the meeting room immediately, not waiting for Claire's response.

3rd Person View:

Imperial Palace Meeting Room.

The rooms were resplendent with intricate designs inspired by Greek and Roman architecture, and the ceilings were adorned with beautiful patterns, embellished with gold, silver, and scarlet metal.

As the room shimmered with the glow of precious materials, a light blue hue appeared at the front seats, revealing a teleportation portal. Christine materialized, seated at the front, and glanced around to find that no custodians had arrived yet. She attempted to access the GM once more, but it was in vain as the sensations felt all too real. 'In the game, we shouldn't be able to feel any sensation, so why am I able to feel sensation? My gaming setup isn't compatible or equipped with these features and high graphics. My gaming setup wouldn't be able to run this,' Christine pondered, and then she pinched herself to test her theory.

Feeling a sharp sting as she pinched herself, she was taken aback. The sensation of pain left her questioning the nature of her reality. She was certain that she lacked any equipment in the game that could simulate such a feeling. As she pondered this conundrum, the door creaked open. A figure stepped into the room - it was one of the custodians, Dominus Tenebris.

Upon entering, Dominus caught sight of Christine and promptly bowed in her direction. "Your Majesty, it is an honor to be in your presence," he said, maintaining a perfect 90-degree bow. Christine, observing Dominus's respectful gesture, responded, "Dominus, it's good to see you've arrived. Please, take a seat," as she gestured towards the available seat.

Dominus complied immediately, without a hint of hesitation. Dominus, one of the custodians and the very first Non-Player Character (NPC) created by the Supreme Beings, held a significant place in their history. This was all before the original name of the guild was changed to the Solstice Empire

After a brief wait, the door opened once more, revealing the remaining custodians. Before taking their seats, they each bowed to Christine, a gesture of respect and loyalty. As the last Supreme Being who had stayed with them, they were determined not to disappoint her to the point where she might leave them, just like the other Supreme Beings had done.

"Since we're all present, let's commence the conference," Christine declared, capturing the attention of all the custodians. They turned to her with anticipation in their eyes, ready for her direction. "I'm interested in hearing your status updates. If there's anything noteworthy, please don't hesitate to share. Dominus, why don't we start with you?" Christine suggested, her gaze settling on Dominus Tenebris.

Dominus promptly bowed and rose to his feet. "Understood, Your Majesty. My agencies, the UAA, UIA, and SDIA, are facing a minor issue. All of the Shadow Demons from the SDIA, who were supposed to be spying within the Trinity Kingdom and the Cyber Theocracy, have suddenly teleported within our borders. As for the UAA and UIA, there are no tasks to report at the moment as none have been assigned," Dominus reported. His words left Christine in shock. Why had the Shadow Demons been teleported out? Had the supposed shutdown triggered a reset, sending them all back to the empire?

Christine shifted her gaze to Lucas, indicating her desire for further updates. "Lucas Brennett, your report, please," she requested. Lucas, mirroring Dominus's actions, bowed and promptly rose to his feet. "Yes, Your Majesty. Our navy is currently engaged in active patrols along our maritime borders. The cargo from our cargo ships, which was previously being exported, has unexpectedly appeared at a nearby port. As a result, we've temporarily suspended exportation," Lucas reported. His words initially puzzled Christine, but she quickly surmised that the unexpected shutdown was likely the root cause

Without further ado, Christine turned her attention to Luminara Celestis. "Luminara, it's your turn to share your reports," she instructed. Luminara, following the example set by Dominus and Lucas, bowed before rising to her feet. "Thank you for the opportunity, Your Majesty. As for my reports, there's not much to share at the moment. The healthcare system is running smoothly, as is the life restoration department, although it's currently idle due to the absence of any conflict. The spiritual department is functioning exceptionally well, spreading our glorious religion that venerates the Supreme Beings," Luminara reported. Her words left Christine feeling slightly embarrassed, given that her creator had established the religion for their creations to worship them.

Setting her embarrassment aside, Christine turned her attention to Astralys. "Astralys, do you have anything to report?" she inquired.

Astralys bowed and rose to her feet. "Yes, Your Majesty. The Mystical Defense Department has been as active as ever. We detected an unfamiliar mana signature just an hour ago, and we're currently conducting a thorough investigation to identify its nature and source. As for the Department of Enchantment, we've achieved a significant milestone. We successfully crafted a 16-tier class enchantment that amplifies the caster's magic to be 40 times more potent than its original strength," Astralys reported. Christine processed Astralys's report about the unknown mana signature they had detected, which left her slightly confused. In Yggdrasil 2, mana couldn't be detected; it could only be observed from another player. 'What does she mean by detecting mana? Is this a new feature? Interesting, very interesting,' Christine pondered.

"Congratulations, Astralys, on achieving the tier-16 enchantment," Christine. 

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Your words of praise mean a lot to me," Astralys responded, a note of pride evident in her voice. The achievement of the tier-16 enchantment was a significant milestone, and Christine's recognition of this fact added to the sense of accomplishment.

Christine then turned her attention to Eldarion Aerendyl. "Eldarion, I would like to hear your report next," she requested. Eldarion, following the protocol, bowed and rose to his feet. "Yes, Your Majesty. Regarding the army, we might need additional equipment, more main battle tanks, and a few more command control vehicles, as our current fleet is somewhat limited. As for the navy, Lucas Brennett informed me that we might need a few more battleships and dreadnoughts. I believe an addition of about 20 more battleships and 5 more dreadnoughts should suffice," Eldarion reported.

Christine looked at Eldarion and nodded in agreement. "Granted, you may commence the construction of additional ships after this meeting. Given our current military budget, it should cover all the expenses," Christine stated.

Eldarion received Christine's approval with a sense of relief. "Thank you, Your Majesty. We will commence the construction of the additional ships immediately after this meeting, as per your instructions," Eldarion responded, appreciating the trust Christine had placed in him and his team.

Eldarion approached Christine, bowing as he extended his hand to hold hers, gently kissing it. This act stirred Dominus's anger, as such actions were not permitted unless the Supreme Beings had given their consent. "Eldarion, what do you think you're doing!" Dominus exclaimed, his voice filled with indignation.

Eldarion turned to face Dominus. "I am merely expressing my gratitude towards Her Majesty," he calmly explained. "We are not permitted to do such a thing without Her Majesty's permiss-" Dominus's words were abruptly cut off by Christine. "It's alright, Dominus. Please calm yourself, we are in the midst of a discussion," Christine interjected.

"I apologize for our behavior, Your Majesty," Dominus and Eldarion said in unison. "You two are forgiven. Please, return to your seats," Christine responded.

Upon her command, Dominus and Eldarion promptly took their seats. "Let us proceed. Drakon Elegance, I would like to hear your report," Christine requested.

Drakon respectfully bowed before standing. "As you wish, Your Majesty. Regarding my report, the exportation halt with the Trinity Kingdom and other guilds and countries will cause some temporary setbacks. We estimate a hold on approximately 15 million Soltar Dollars worth of goods until we can resume operations. The most concerning issue is the sudden disappearance of businesses from other guilds and countries, as if a 9th-tier magic spell was cast upon them. I propose that we temporarily compensate for the loss of these foreign companies by creating more jobs, thereby increasing our tax revenue," Drakon suggested.

"An excellent suggestion, Drakon. We shall initiate the creation of more jobs for our citizens posthaste," Christine agreed.

Christine turned her attention to Reginald Hopsworth. "Reginald, do you have any updates to share?" she inquired.

Reginald promptly bowed and rose to his feet. "Indeed, Your Majesty. Our larger companies from foreign territories have materialized on all available plots of land. Some were even teleported near the magical crystal mine. Diplomats from Trinity and other allies, along with the embassy we built, have also appeared. However, our trade route has been disrupted due to a large landmass blocking the way. Most of our cargo ships have returned, reporting that this land is located to our west," Reginald reported.

Intrigued, Christine responded, "A visible landmass to our west, that's interesting. However, before I decide on our course of action, I would like to hear the reports from the remaining custodians."

"Understood, Your Majesty," Reginald acknowledged.

Christine turned her gaze to Elenya Willowshade. "Elenya, do you have any updates to share?" Christine inquired. Elenya shook her head, "Regrettably, I have no new information to report. Both the Department of Education and the Department of Environment are operating smoothly without any issues," Elenya informed.

"Very well," Christine acknowledged, before shifting her attention to Aeliana. "Aeliana, what about you?" she asked. Aeliana nodded, "Indeed, Your Majesty. Approximately 20 minutes ago, an unidentified aircraft, which turned out to be a wyvern, breached our maritime border. We attempted to establish contact via radio and magical communication. Initially, we were unsuccessful, but we managed to connect with the wyvern rider using magical communication But it wouldn't respond to us. So we tried to deter the rider by deploying a star aircraft fighter at Mach 6, but the wyvern retaliated with a fireball attack. Consequently, we were forced to take it down," Aeliana reported.

Christine pondered the situation. "The wyvern riders could be part of a military force, possibly an airforce designed to dominate the skies. The landmass to our west, reported by our merchants, could be their origin. I've made a decision. We need to contact the Department of Scientific Magical Research Institutions (SMRI) to identify the cause of the teleportation. Additionally, we should task the SMRI with creating a comprehensive map of our new world using any operational satellites we have," Christine declared.

She paused, lost in thought. 'Is this game evolving into a real, functioning civilization? Or is this reality? I can't access the GM, and I can feel the wind and pain, which shouldn't be possible. If this is real, should I try to return home?' Christine mused to herself.

Snapping back to the present, she continued, "We should also send some Shadow Demons to that landmass to gather information. If there is indeed a civilization there, we need to know. Reginald, I'm appointing you as our diplomat for this mission," Christine concluded

"Your orders are clear, Your Majesty," Reginald and Dominus responded in unison, bowing respectfully. Dominus, being in charge of the SDIA, and Reginald, handling Foreign Affairs, understood their roles well.

The conversation continued for an additional 20 minutes before it finally concluded.

Christine nodded, "With that, we conclude our discussion. You are all dismissed." As her words echoed in the room, the custodians promptly exited, leaving Christine alone to contemplate the weight of their conversation.