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It had been nothing but a whim.
Kei had been mentoring a pair of new players, Kannagi Minori and Samurai Touya, as Enchanter Shiroe. Their innocence and eagerness to learn had dispelled many of fears of teaching them. Through the mentoring system, Kei had lowered Shiroe’s level from ninety to ten to be closer in their range.
“Every class has a role to fill in the party.” He explained. “Warrior classes tank the hits, weapon-base classes are the main DPS, healer classes provide support and mage classes are the back row.”
“But what does that have to do with you lowering your level?” Touya asked, his young voice echoing through voice chat.
“Higher level characters draw more attention than a lower level character in the same party.”
“Oh, I get it now!” Minori said. “You want to show us our role in a party without your level getting in the way.”
Kei smiled. The pair were learning quickly. Soon they should be able to party on their own.
“Yes. But even classes in the same group have variations. For example, an Enchanter is more focused on buffs and status ailments while a Sorcerer is a long ranged attacker.” It was at that moment Kei had an idea. Exposing them to other classes would help them improve at the game and he had ways of getting his alternate character off the test server... “How about tomorrow I log in under my Summoner character, then you can see the class differences.”
The sibling had joyfully agreed on the idea.
The next day was also the release of the latest expansion pack but Kei had thought nothing of it at the time.
Everything had proceeded as normal with their small party adventuring the low level areas around Akiba.
Then the clock ticked over and the expansion was release.
Kei was no longer at his desk in his apartment, he wasn't even Kei anymore. He wasn't even a he anymore.
Standing in a clearing of the adventurer city Akiba was Roe2, a Half-Alv Summoner. Kei was now his character. His female character.
Kei had felt the sudden shift and once bearings had been gathered, the gamer did the most appropriate thing for this situation.
Screamed.
{~~~}
Had Kei been Shiroe, he would have been more calm and composed, even if it had just been for the sake of appearances. Shiroe was his main character, the one he had spent the majority of his eight years of Elder Tale playing. Modelled slightly after his real life appearance, Kei would have had no trouble immersing himself in the Enchanter.
Roe2 on the other hand was something he had been experimenting with when he had gained access to the test server. A Summoner with the Vampire subclass, an odd combination between on of the most popular and most obscure. A character he created as female for nothing more than a bit of fun.
Now Kei was suffering the consequences. If adjusting to this new body hadn't been hard enough, the beaming sun had drained away any energy. Now Kei, as Roe2, slumped in an abandoned building as far away from sunlight as possible.
Distant screams alerted Kei that there were others suffering the same fate, now trapped in a videogame like reality. Shiroe would have been able to gather his bearing quickly, analysing the situation then planning the next course of action. Probably gathering information or finding allies.
But a Vampire was as useful in the sun as an Enchanter on the frontline. There was nothing much Kei could do without fainting from the sun.
The initial shock was slowly wearing off but the discomfort lingered. The only similarity between Kei and Roe2 was height. Other than that, nothing. Limbs were too scrawny and there were curves in places there shouldn't. Things were missing and other things were added. All in all it felt like getting shoved in a tiny box, barely able to move or breathe.
Another thing was that Kei was human, Roe2 was Half-Alv. Everything felt hypersensitive in an odd aura like way. Kei could sense things far beyond the field of vision, from the surrounding cold stone all the way down to the panicking crowd in the main square. It would probably have been the same if Kei was Shiroe but being in the proper sex would have helped subdue this sensory overload instead of enhance it.
Kei would have drifted off into sleep had he not been assaulted by an aura wave.
A person. Someone was approaching.
Using his staff as a crutch, Kei slowly rose to his feet. Akiba was a non-combat zone but that didn't mean that he was completely safe. The Royal Guard would appear if combat was engaged but what about things that weren't possible in the game? Physical harassment could occur without declaring an attack and...
...and the person came into his field of vision.
A tall man dressed in purple and navy blue leather armour, a cloth mask obscuring everything but his eyes. Out of the corner of his perception a small status screen appeared.
Akatsuki lv. 90
Human/Assassin
Kei allowed himself to relax slightly. He knew Akatsuki, having partied with him several times over the past year. He was a hard-core role player, communicating only through text messages n though voice chat was available. He was a competent and reliable player. But Akatsuki had never partied with Roe2.
The two eyed each other, both ready to leap into combat should the other make a false move. Kei was the one to first relax, lowering his staff and gesturing for the Assassin to sit beside him. After a moment of contemplation, Akatsuki joined him against the moss covered desk.
Neither spoke. Kei held his tongue as it was likely that his voice hadn't changed and Akatsuki would be able to recognise him as Shiroe. Akatsuki just remained silent.
It was an awkward yet soothing sense of companionship. They were both in the same boat, trapped in this world.
Mentally, Kei was weighing his options. Revealing himself to Akatsuki would be off putting and probably lead to some personal questions but there was the chance of gaining an ally. Roe2 had a limited friend list, nowhere near as extensive as Shiroe’s. Kei didn't know who else was logged on.
“How have you been coping?” His voice was still the same. A shallow comfort.
The Assassin snapped to him, eyes wide. Shocked most likely from hearing a familiar voice from a foreign body...
“Shiroe-dono?”
...and he apparently wasn't the only one.
At least that explained why Akatsuki had only communicated through text. That delicate voice would have broken the persona of the lone Assassin.
“Ah...yes.” Kei said, rubbing the back of his head. “I logged in as my alternate character just before the expansion was released and...this was the result.”
“So it is safe to assume that you do not have an Appearance Reset Potion on this account?” his companion said, voice deflating. She must have been seeking Shiroe out in hopes for the rare item that could restore her form.
“No.” The item had been considered useless when it had been released but now, under these circumstances...
They drifted back into silence. A girl trapped as a male and a man as a female. How ironic.
The sun still streamed through the cracks of the old building, though not as bright as before. It must be late afternoon. Several hours spent doing absolutely nothing because Roe2’s subclass was vulnerable during the day.
A gentle ringing chimed in Kei’s ear, the familiar sound of a voice chat call. A screen materialised before him, a holographic game menu, with a vibrating contact window.
“Yo Shiro!” It was Naotsugu.
Kei let out a sigh of relief. “Naotsugu, it's been to long.”
“Yeah, work’s been hectic. Makes me wish I was back in uni.” His tone was bright and cheerful, as if their world hadn't yet been turned upside down. “And to think, I log in after two years and this is the welcome I get.”
“It caught everyone off guard.”
Voice chat was similar to what it had been in the game, had the mic and earphones been inside his head. Now it better resembled its in-game name, Telepathy.
“So, you're playing as Eroko eh? Looks like you're finally coming out of the closet!”
Kei face heated up. One of the reasons he rarely played as Roe2 was because of the nickname the Tea Party had given the character. “I'm not a closet anything! I was just helping some beginners out when it happened.”
Deep laughter rang through his head. “Say what you want but remember there are only two types of men in this world...”
They traded a few more pleasantries before the chat ended with Kei informing his old friend of his location.
Now with access to the main menu, Kei scrolled through his contacts. There weren't many, only members of the Debauchery Tea Party and the twins, and even fewer were online. Kazuhiko’s entry said he was in the south while Nyanta’s said north, so there wasn't much point in contacting them. Soujirou, Nazuna and Saki were all in Akiba but they had their own guild to deal with so it was best not to bother them.
His hand lingered on Touya and Minori’s entries. They barely knew the game and didn't have the same protection Roe2's level ninety body had. Whatever happened had hit veteran players off their feet, how much more so for beginners?
He opened a group chat between the three of them.
“Hello?” Minori’s voice echoed in his head.
“Shiroe-nii!” Touya followed.
The pair sounded alright but that didn't mean they were safe. “Are you two okay?”
“We're fine, Shiroe-san.” Minori said.
“Yeah! Isn't this so cool!” Touya said. “It's all real, we can run and jump and feel everything here!”
Kei couldn't stop his lips from twitching at the boy's optimism. Maybe he would introduce him to Soujirou once everything calmed down.
But the samurai’s words cemented their current dilemma. This wasn't a game anymore, it was reality.
“Where about are you?”
“Um...near the city limits I think, where there's a giant log.” Minori said.
Good. That wasn't to far away. “Do you think you can meet me at the old building on the other side of the overpass? I'll be on the second floor with an Assassin, Akatsuki. A Guardian named Naotsugu is also heading this way. He's a friend.”
“Got it!”
“We're on our way.”
With that the call ended.
“Allies, Shiroe-dono?” Akatsuki said, having been observing him make the calls.
“Yes. At a time like this we'll need all the people we can get.”
Right now, safety laid in numbers and as a group they would hopefully have a better chance of survival.
{~~~}
Ten days.
Ten days since the release of Homesteading the Noosphere. Ten days since the mass teleportation that trapped thousands of players worldwide in the game Elder Tale. Ten days since the Apocalypse.
It was a new moon tonight, providing very little natural light. Back in the game, Akiba had been active twenty-four seven but now the streets were deserted. Yet despite the cloak of darkness, it was nights like this when the city was at its most peaceful. The tension and despair of the day vanished with the sun. It made Kei glad that he was nocturnal in this world.
He was slowly getting used to this body but it was far from comfortable. The daylight debuffs from his subclass were easier ignore when it had been nothing more than an icon on his screen, it was another experiencing it first hand. Getting rid of it was even more bothersome. Kei would have to head south, something he didn't have the time and resources for. As for the female parts...
He hoped he never fully got used to that.
“Hey, miss!” A Lander night vendor called. “Care for an evening snack?”
The stall was covered with a variety of pastries and baked goods. Decorated cakes, sweet tarts, fruit speckled muffins...it was an array that would make anyone's mouth water. The entire stall should have been sold out hours ago, under normal circumstances that is.
Taking pity on the baker, Kei bought several tarts before continuing on. Food here looked, felt and even smelled like food from the old world yet when he took a bite there was no sweet fruity flavour with a flaky texture, just a blandness similar to soggy crackers. Every crafted food item tasted the same, all drinks tasted like water. Kei had never been a big fan of sweets but not having what he tasted match up with what he saw, it was depressing. Naotsugu had said raw ingredients tasted as they were supposed to but it still all seemed the same to him. There was only one thing with any sort of flavour.
The Summoner arrived in a low level hunting zone just outside the city. With a level as high as his, there was very few things that could cause him much damage in this area.
Taking an offensive stance, he incanted a simple spell. “Summon: Skeleton.”
From the ground, a series of bones emerged, constructing itself into a simple skeleton. Considering his Necromancer build, Kei was prepared for the gruesome appearances of some of his summons. Though the skeleton was from the most horrific creature available, it still made him root to his spot.
The spell itself was simple, requiring little MP with the summon not being particularly strong. A Summoner could have up to eight creatures under their control at any given time but Kei rarely summoned more than two. There was an expertise he needed to gain in order to survive in this world and the things he summoned weren't exactly mindless.
The skeleton eagerly awaited its orders, rattling its bones in anticipation. Kei didn't know if he summoned the same skeleton each time or not but it had been more animated than it had ever been behind a screen. It was another sign of reality.
With a nod from its master, the skeleton ran off into the woods. After it was out of sight, Kei focused on the link connecting him to his summon. He could see what the skeleton saw, the movement of its limbs as if they were his own. If he were to reach out just a little more, Kei could use the creature as a puppet.
Though not having the highest attack power, the skeleton made it up in speed. It moved quickly and reacted equally fast when a Briar Weasel attacked it. With quick jabs and punches, the rodent’s HP steadily began to drop soon it laid exhausted on the ground, only a silver left in its bar. The skeleton didn't land the finishing blow, instead grabbing the creature by its tail and returning to its master.
Kei cut the connection just as the skeleton reappeared. It had lost a quarter of its HP but he expected that. It was frail and weak but it was fast enough to get the job done.
Taking the weasel, Kei dismissed his skeleton. The rodent thrashed in his grasp but Kei’s grip remained firm.
Adventurers still felt hunger in this world and food, no matter how bland, could satisfy it. But not to Kei. No matter how much he ate, his hunger was never satisfied. It was something he hid from the others, the reason behind his late night outings. Naotsugu might have expected it but there were very few hints for Akatsuki or the twins to go off of. They might be supportive but they would fear him and fear was the last thing their little group needed.
Grabbing the weasel’s head in his other hand, Kei sunk in his fangs.
{~~~}
After practising with several other low level summons and a fill of weasel blood, Kei returned to the city proper. The sun would be rising in an hour or two and Lander merchants were setting up their stalls.
There were some Adventurers aimlessly wandering, others slumped against the walls. There was no motivation or goal, nothing to fight for and no explanation why they were here. Something needed to be done.
But what?
A Wolfhair Adventurer stumbled out of the Cathedral, having just been revived. A panicked look was painted across his face. He then slumped to the ground.
Kei should have just passed him by, but that didn't feel right, wasn't right.
He walked towards the boy, kneeling down to his level. “What's wrong?” Kei asked in his best girl voice.
“Nee-san you have to help!” the Wolfhair cried, tears streaming down his face. “My guildmaster and the strongest in our guild headed north to rescue one of our members. We were overwhelmed and my guildmaster’s been captured!” He grabbed Kei’s hand in his own. “Please help me rescue them!”
Focusing on his status bar revealed that the boy was a level 90 Swashbuckler of...
“No.”
...the Crescent Moon Alliance.
“Mary-nee, why?”