Chapter Text
Sanctuary created this 'world' to be used to formulate different world types and views into game reality and can be meddled as needed in real time.
X0.1 was a prototype but it was a success.
Though, it wasn't at the level that the constellations desired, so they put their heads together and forged one anew.
Then created the true product, X0.2, and the prototype was ceased of purpose. But of course, it was still useful in ways that might not be considered valuable.
The constellation of Beauty, Eldar devised a plan called 'Get-them-out-of-here'. Each sabbatical of the hall was spent playing games, and these games revolved around two main constellations.
Night sky or otherwise Nebula,
And the Furious one also called Hegemonia.
The ones holding the highest authority and most powerful were these two,
These two stubborn and irritating idiots.
In Eldar's view, it would make a good book if he wrote about their machinations. Perhaps it would skyrocket with popularity. A rivalry so heated that it was a wonder the hall hasn't burned down, actually he takes that back.
'The hall burned more then once, just not completely.' Eldar thought.
Although Nebula was a effective and efficient worker, he was a workaholic with his constellations duties. Not that that was a bad thing, he was just uninterested with anything else, other then Hegemonia maybe.
But wherever Nebula was, Hegemonia was, and wherever Hegemonia was, was chaos, thus, wherever they were, it was chaos.
Nebula couldn't work, Hegemonia couldn't have her fun. It was stuck in a standstill where Nebula refused to engage with her and Hegemonia was too bored to accept.
This was where the creation of the other constellations became handy. Eldar wrote a plot, Wisdom and Kyle developed the blueprint, Wisdom also helped Mazdari and his crew of wizards in the creation of such a world. Lunda and Ar had quite the fun in decorating, Ar seemed very adept in understanding fashion through the ages. RD was cheering along all the way, Red mars tried to help, but also almost broke the simulation, but he also somehow revealed a loophole. It was quickly patched up by Wisdom and thankfully it was, if it wasn't found, it was hard to say what could have happened during the game.
The other constellations also participated in what was called the 'Get-them-out-of-here' plan. HumanTracker provided information on criminal acts and back alley dealings, Jerome provided various information for the most realistic simulation.
It was a game, but it was also an independent world that needed to work simultaneously in order for the game to continue and give the players the free reign promised.
After a while lot of trail and error, and also patching up plot holes, it was time the games was revealed.
"Huh, so what do you call this?" Nebula tapped on the game table or also called the observation board.
"A new genesis or ANG." Eldar said proudly.
"Cool name… is this really what you wanted to do with X0.1?"
"This is the best thing that can be done with the prototype."
"…It seriously took you two full sabbaticals of pure hardship and rotting away in the situation room?"
"What?" Lunda spat out, "Can you do better?"
"I can do the same in a few weeks." Nebula glanced down at the table, the prototype turned game now called [A new genesis] was intriguing, but it didn't look like it took half the constellations in the hall months of work even with the help of sanctuary and apostles. X0.1, it was morphed into a game table with the purpose of acting as a new world to 'play' in as mortals.
Like a VR game perhaps. The player, enters the game as an avatar and play in the simulation with NPCs and quests and all sorts of elements. The interesting part was it's promised life-like experience, according to Eldar, the player would feel and their avatar would feel, smell what their avatar would smell, and so on.
Still, it was hard to believe that their took so long to develop something like this. Nebula kept that to himself, he would probably get whacked if he spoke aloud.
What's so special about this game? Other then it's unique experience, it is also a multi-player game.
"So, you want me, and Hegemonia to test out the game?"
"Yeah, well… not really testing if it's already the finished product."
Nebula tapped on the edge of the table, then met Eldar's eyes.
Eldar seemed very excited, from what he had heard, he was the one who developed the story, managed the plot and quests and the main writing of the game.
Although the game itself doesn't seem to be too special, it was worth playing for the story, Eldar wouldn't disappoint.
"But why specifically me and Hegemonia? You know that we don't…"
"Get along well?" Jang-wan spoke with her arms crossed "Everyone with eyes and ears knows that."
Jang-wan was the one to assign challenges and quests and also helped Eldar in writing.
"Why don't you try it out?" Wisdom asked calmly "You'd never know if it's good if you don't."
Wisdom, the coder and main developer, if there was a ranking of the best computer users, Wisdom would be somewhere on top. So Nebula didn't believe that the game would be poorly made, even looking at it from here, it was clearly high quality.
"Well, if you insist." Nebula was still reluctant about the idea of playing with Hegemonia but brushed that aside, the other problem was if Hegemonia would even agree to such a request.
And it turns out; barely any persuasion was needed.
"I can beat Nebula in here? I don't have to be his ally, right?"
"You can do whatever you like." Eldar said.
"What happens if I kill him?"
"He'll just come back here."
"So then I win?"
"As long as you fulfill the quest."
"Is beating him not the quest?" Hegemonia asked inevitably.
"Not recommended, you would be better off with him then without."
"Bullshit, I don't need him."
"What the fuck is this?"
"What do you mean?"
"There's something wrong with me," Hegemonia added, "and you."
"Mhm, if there wasn't, we wouldn't playing this." Nebula agreed.
"..."
"…"
"Run." Both said in unison and sprinted out of the cave.
A beam of flames followed behind them along with an ear-splitting roar, the trees behind them scorched into white ashes and covered the ground like snow on a winter night, just that it isn't winter or night nor snow.
Hiding like cowardly rats behind a thick tree switching to another every so often were Hegemonia whose left arm was bleeding and burned red like it was a steak, Nebula whose right upper torso was streaked with claw marka and leg also red with burns.
Both looked more like cloaked tomatoes rather then mighty constellations, not that they held the power of constellations down here.
Hegemonia cursed under her breath, how was she supposed to know that a dragon lived in there. Good thing this one wasn't that smart.
Somewhere in the forest, the dragon huffed smoke and it charred the earth black. Its footsteps announced its distance from them, it was constantly searching and sniffing around, but that wasn't the biggest problem, it was hard to run when the dragon's presence shook their mind and gave a debuff.
Hegemonia bit her lip while glaring at the panel in front of her, this was the worst fucking debuff she had ever seen, is this game fucking serious?
[You are currently experiencing the pressure of the presence of a dragon.
It's causes you to feel fear.
Fear active, level 5]
[Slow movement 3 is active
All your movements are slowed by -3 movement speed.]
[Shaking 3 is active
You are shaking involuntarily, -1 movement, -2 control]
[Dizziness 3 is active
You feel dizzy, your mind is muddle and unclear, you have difficulty thinking, -3 thinking speed]
[But your strong will power and the presence of a friend lessens and neutralizes some of the debuff]
[New stats]
[Fear is only on level 2]
[Slow movement is on level 1, -1 movement speed]
[Shaking is on level 1, -1 control]
[Dizziness is on level 1, -1 thinking speed]
Looks like being with Nebula isn't that bad after all.
"Hey, Hegemonia…" Nebula whispered.
"What." She hissed back quietly.
"Do you trust me?"
"No."
"Too damn bad."
"Wat—?"
He grabbed her arm and started running, she was dragged along.
"Hey! The fuck are you doin—?"
Crash!
The tree they were hiding behind was split and flung to the side and the head of the dragon reappeared, it's jaw open like it was going to swallow them whole. Chasing after them and shaking the ground with it's thunderous steps and it's tail swaying and smashing trees as it went.
[You are experiencing fear level 8]
[Slow movement 5 is active—]
'Get out of my face!' She impatiently flicked her wrist and the panel went away.
The dragon having it's full attention on them gave an even worse debuff, if it wasn't for her high will power, she would have been frozen on the spot.
Nebula gripped her arm so tightly that she winced in pain, she was in a mortal body now, pain was worst, her stats were absolutely trash, and nothing was going her way. But she wasn't going to give up, not like she could unless she died, but she wasn't planning to.
Firstly, where the actual fuck is this guy going?!
In her peripheral vision, she noticed that the dragon slowed and inhaled. Fuck! It was doing that fire breath thingy.
She put her strength in her legs and arm, then yanked Nebula to the side using her body weight.
They crashed into the ground, Nebula nearly hit his head on a tree but unfortunately he didn't, if he passed out, she was going to leave him there to die. The streak of flames blew past them and burned their former path.
It was far more destructive then the one before.
The smell of ash lingered in the air and Hegemonia's breath was caught in her throat. It finally resonated with her, this feeling, she was human.
The smoke cleared and the the silhouette of the dragon was now visible to her mortal eyes.
She wasn't mentally as scared as she was physically, but her avatar, chained by the debuff was making her want to rage quit this game.
She needed to move but the debuff [fear] pressed her down, her palms dung into the grassy ground in frustration. She can't die now, what could she do?
Scream? Pathetic. Rather die.
She bit her already bleeding lip, a hand came to clasped her mouth shut, it was Nebula behind her.
"Shush." His voice so quiet that even her heartbeat was louder, still she heard it and made no sound— not like she was going to anyways.
The dragon looked around and huffed, the breath landed nearby and charred the trees surrounding the two. The dragon didn't notice them. It walked off in search of it's prey.
'Huh? What kind of sorcery is this?'
If I don't move, you don't see me? Is this a skill? In the corner of her eye, she spotted the panel she moved aside in haste.
[You are under the effect of the skill; Night's cloak
Hides the presence of those under the skill's protection]
[Your companion protects you, +5 trust]
Huh?
And he didn't use this sooner!
Fucking bitch.
"Never thought a day like this would come."
"Is this sadistic behavior?" Ovenwave said hesitantly.
"Probably, does it matter? It's funny as fuck." Jang-wan laughed, the fruit of her hard work was paying off. Seeing Sung-woon run around from a dragon powerless to defend himself was pure joy. She ought to celebrate with a cake and a party.
"…I still feel kinda bad."
"Keep your pity, you'll need it later."
At that moment, Jang-wan felt the happiest in her time as a constellation. It was about to get fun.