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⬣//SPREAD, CONTAMINATE, ERADICATE
You've had a chance to adapt to your new circumstances and make peace with what your life has become… hopefully. If you haven't, don't expect life to get any easier.
A few things have changed in recent days. Healing no longer works as effectively as it did in the past. If you're in the habit of behaving recklessly, don't expect one of Fragment's few healers to pick up the slack. Broken bones will now remain broken no matter how many healing spells are cast on your shattered limbs. Damage to organs can't be repaired with the wave of a wand.
What's more, HP and SP restoring items have gotten harder and harder to come by. Potions are no longer available for purchase at generic NPC shops and gatherable items needed for crafting have become fewer and fewer in number, limiting your item making options. If you've gotten into the bad habit of injuring yourself heedless of the consequences, it's time to rethink your lifestyle. Playtime is over.
Think of the three core memories that have formed and shaped the person you are today. Some will think back fondly on family and friends while others have been jaded by the ill treatment they've received from important figures in their lives. In any case, it's of little concern to you now. One of those three precious memories has vacated your mind, taking with it a vital piece of you that you can no longer get back.
You may choose one of the three key memories listed on your application to be taken away from your character. Choices are limited to the memories supplied in your application and additional memories submitted for the previous memshare event or not eligible for convenient plot-induced memory loss. Choose wisely, because you aren't getting it back.
And Sky Fish, and Disco Knives, and Evil Armors…
Has anyone noticed the monsters around town lately? Which town, you may ask? The answer is all of them.
Monsters have invaded Root Towns in large waves, attacking anything and everything in sight. Any lovingly crafted signs or other furnishings you've erected around town are easily torn to shreds and destroyed by the monsters who have come to roost in your once safe Root Towns. On the plus side, PvE and PvP has now been enabled in all Root Towns, which is excellent news for those who wish to combat the monster invasion and those who can't seem to help hurting themselves and others.
These monsters range in level from 50 to 75, and while many of them can be defeated with a bit of ingenuity and teamwork, some of them boast impenetrable shields that no regular attacks or spells can break through. They are also immune to status/potion/armor effects.
When in doubt, turn to your fellow players for support. There may be some among you who know how to deal with these impossibly strong monsters, but there's no guarantee that they'll want to help you.
A lilting, boyish voice sings to you in your sleep. His voice sounds familiar to you, tickling your heart like a call from an old friend, but this is no friend of yours.
"You had every chance to abandon this world and return to your own. What stopped you? Was it ego? Hubris? In any case, it's too late for regrets now.
They say the world is what you make of it. Doesn't the same hold true for reality?"
The voice will periodically visit you and your sleep, but the moral of his message never changes: you did this to yourself. You were trapped here because you chose to look the other way. If anyone is to blame for the current situation, it's you and you alone, but there is a̸̬̲͔̘͈͚̠̫̘̬̗̖̋͑̉̓̿͛̈́̋͐̃̾̈̕̕ͅń̵̩̱̠̫̖̬̲̻͉̝̈́̀̀̚͜͜o̴͍͎̣͔̤̝̲͍̺̿̒t̴̨͚͓͍̜̮̥͊͑̿̈́̉̂̐͜͠͝h̷̨̨̦͕͖̙̞͙̗̗͎̬͛̂̾̋̅͜͜͝ȩ̸͎̭̙̜̯͎̯̳̮̘̲͒ȑ̸̡̧̢͓̠̦͙͇͍͎̭͑̈́̓̿̓̅̑̅̌͑̈́̕͝͝ ̴̧̼͕̟̬̰̞̮̗͔͈̬̙͍̈́̀w̵̗̖̩̘͇͖̲̩̫̣̗̙̲̌͜a̷̛͎͋͑̃͛̆̈̋̑̋͠y̴̡̬͕͈̗̫̯̟̯͊͐̌̀̐͑͘͝͝.
Another h̶̦̘̤̘͐͑̿̂̏̎͋͝o̴̧͖͚̖̜͓͂̏́͒̑̈́͝͝p̶̡͙̏̉̿̎̀̑́̈̆͌̉e̷̡̡̦̣̯̘̺͍̟̰͍̤͛̀́̚͝͠. Will you heed that voice and call to it?
no subject
Y-Yes! Right behind you!
[ She brings up the rear, sending bullets at any monsters that try to tail them. ]
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This way!
[ Another monster comes around the corner, and Haru gets to see him spin kick before hitting with another debuff. Sleep this time; but with so many he is already getting to move on again. ]
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Was that always here?
[ Mac Ainu sure looks different. It pains Haru to leave the sleeping enemy when it's set up perfectly for a kill, but it's more important not to get swarmed. She splatters the eyes of an incoming monster with the water-based Rue Wipe and doesn't look back, close on Ganymede's heels. ]
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No, not really. It's actually a place I won through the lottery competition?
[ He hadn't expected to win something at all, actually. But at least the danger increases less and less to nothing substantial when they're upon the McMansion lawn. He allows who he wants in, so it's easy to jerk the door open and gesture for her to go inside first. ]
no subject
[ Once they're safely on the grounds, she finally lowers her weapon and takes a proper look at the building. ]
I'm sorry to disturb you.
[ Haru says politely before she steps inside. It's more spacious than her already spacious home in Tokyo. ]
no subject
...What a relief. ]
It's fine. You're not disturbing me, especially since I guided you here.
[ He begins to check her for wounds almost immediately, though. ]
Did you get any injuries?
no subject
[ Her HP bar has taken damage but it's nothing serious. It'll probably refill naturally now that they're out of danger. ]
I've been going shop to shop to see if there are any supplies left, but it's as if inventory has been depleted.
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There. ]
If you haven't been able to get supplies, I'm healing you right now because it's safer than sorry.
[ He has stocked up on items by the boatload because he's the type of player who gathers a shitton of stuff, including healing stuff. And cooked a lot of food to store in his items or guilds but the numbers are not going to be inventorized because he's been at it for months, ok. ]
...Anyway, things really have been getting out of hand.
no subject
[ When the spell washes over her, any lingering fatigue she's feeling from the battle fades away. With potions in short supply, she appreciates being able to conserve a use of it. Her inventory is far more limited as Haru didn't start stockpiling until everything went to shit, so to speak. Though she's too well-mannered to put it that bluntly. ]
It's unsettling. I wonder if someone's been tampering with the code, or if this world is unraveling with bugs.
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...I wouldn't be surprised if it was code stuff.
This seems a little too targeted somehow than to be something like bugs. Especially when it's all over every single Root Town.
[ Sucks to have to put it out like that, but he's sure that there's nothing less than the intention to make things difficult. ]
Plus, the weird enemies apparently have been around for a little while now.
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Do you think it's the Corporation behind it? They would have the power.
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[ There's a small pause. Because right now he has nothing else to prove otherwise. ]
...I'd think so, actually. They're willing to trap us here, why not maybe do away with us or see what happens when we're attacked by difficult monsters? What fun!
no subject
[ They're clearly willing to put the players in danger, a test no one asked for. Haru closes her eyes, quietly aggravated. ]
If that's so, I don't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing us despair.
no subject
[ Ganymede isn't surprised at the possibility. People like this are truly a great level of disgusting... ]
...I don't want them to see that either.
I want them to next see a fist in their faces.
[ Ganymede says the next with an exasperated murmur. ]
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I would like to abandon them in their own game and see how they like it.
[ Surely that would get them to reflect on the horror of their actions. ]
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[ Ganymede even gives a snort that. Because he can sure picture it ever so easily. ]
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They've hurt enough people. I want to put an end to it. I'm not sure how yet, but I'll keep searching for a way.
no subject
[ In their own ways, with their own methods...
They can do something about it. He's sure. ]