.hack//AI Buster - Volume 1 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Area.*

.: 1 :.

I removed my FMO and looked at the dock. It was still pretty early. Not much time had passed since I started.

Absentmindedly, I zoned alit, reflecting on what had just happened. My reverie was interrupted by a knock. I turned my monitor to sleep mode and called, "Come in." 

It was the new kid, the one whose name I could never remember.

"Good morning, Watarail"

"Morning."

"Did you hear? The One Sin has been cleared!"

"I know."

"You do?" He looked disappointed. He was hoping to surprise me with the news.

"Two swordsmen named Orca and Balmung cleared it this morning," I informed him.

"Jeez, how'd you know that?"

"That's my job. I'm guessing the MVP is Balmung."

"Yeah! You should see his prize! Oh, but you probably already know that, too."

"Actually, I don't. What is it?"

"He gets an extremely rare character upgrade that he can do wnost anything he wants with. He can even have wings!"

"The wings of a captive angel?" I mused.

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

"Do you know that the area of The One Sin is completely ..."

"... changed. I know. After the event was cleared, it was totally rewritten. The only snowstorm in The World is gone."

"You're really on top of this." He was easily impressed.

"Again, my job:' That's why I had my own office.

"Did you see the message on the official BBS?"

"What message?" He fmally surprised me.

"It's by that web poet we were talking about yesterday."

As he handed me a piece of paper, the grin on his face betrayed his pleasure of finally knowing something I didn't.

Subject: The One Sin
Message by: W B. Yates

Damage done to the evil shaped one,
too massive to compare.
Balmung of Azure Sky,
Orca of the Azure Sea,
together they gallop at full speed.
In the depth of my bosom,
your names shall remain.
You are none other than
the descendants of Fiamla.
Together with the warrior
who wears the eyes of the stars.

W.B. Yates

"When was this posted?" I asked.

"A few minutes ago. I saw it when I logged in at my desk."

"But the details of the event haven't been posted yet. The only way Yates could know all this would be if Yates had witnessed the event."

"I guess that means Yates was there," the kid pointed out.

Hokuto? It had to be. W B. Yates was really Hokuto. Or whatever her name was in real life. The kid continued.

"To know when to show up and see such an awesome event would mean they're really on top of their game. Just like you. I guess this Yates person is a really great player."

"Yeah, it would certainly seem that way." I leaned back in my chair. "I heard this Yates sometimes intentionally logs in as a new character just to role-play at a low leve1."

"Why would they do that?"

"To fool those who encounter him. Or her."

"You think Yates is a girl?"

"You never know, kid. You never know."

"Watarai, where do you get such information?"

"When you learn how to extract information yourself, then maybe you'll be sitting on the other side of this desk. Until then, you'll just have to keep guessing. But it helps to keep your eyes and ears open."

"But how did you know The One Sin was going to be rewritten after the event was cleared?"

"I didn't know."

"What?"

"But you know all those phonebook-sized system-spec books that they prepare for us?"

"Yes."

"I've probably read twenty volumes of those books since I statted here back in the beta version and The World is still full of things I don't know. The World is too humongous. It changes too fast. Its content is so voluminous that today's information is outdated tomorrow. You could spend your entire life studying the game and never fully grasp it, because it's too unpredictable. The bottom line is, nobody has a full grasp of The World, not the system administrators, nor the programmers. The only one who could possibly know everything going on inside The World is ..."

"Yes?" H e was wide-eyed with anticipation.

"God."

"Uh ... huh?" He was less than enthusiastic about my answer.

"Only God could be omniscient enough to understand and even interact with everything in the system."

"God?"

"At least what I call God. Even though no individual can ever grasp the system as a whole, it's still programmed for anyone 'ro look at any of its pieces. The entire World exists in binary code and is stored in Akashic records. The World that we witness is displayed on a screen. It's not reality. We're witnessing the illusion of reality, what the Hindus call maya. It's really just a shadow world. But the system itself is alive and constantly operating every moment of every day. I call that system God."

The kid looked confused. I'm not so sure I understood it myself.

"Forget it. Was there anything else?" I asked.

"Er, weII,there is one thing ..."

"What is it?" I asked.

"I received a call fi'om the administrator in charge of the town invasion that took place last night, the one with the demon. He was rather upset."

"I think I can guess why."

"He wanted to know why the MVP was another system administrator."

"You mean he wanted to know why I was the one who defeated his big bad monster."

"Yeah, something like that."

"Tell him I'll report everything directly to upper management. It's none of his concern."

"Yes, sir. One more thing ..."

"Yes?"

"I know it's not my place, but, well ... you don't look too well. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm just tired. I haven't had much sleep the past three days." Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I looked in a mirror. I'm sure I must've been an unshaven, sunken-eyed wreck.

"You might want to take a couple days off. I bet they'd give it to you, since they know how dedicated you are." I wonder if he meant because I was a crip.

"You're right. I think the Cobalt Knights can go a day without me. I'll take your advice, kid. Thanks."

"Sure thing." H e smiled. I didn't want to teU him I had planned on taking the day off anyway. The kid turned and shut the door behind him as he left.

I hit a key, taking the monitor off sleep mode. I could see a grassy field. I put the FMD back on.

Everything came into focus. I could see a bright blue sky. The air seemed crisp and clear, with a hint of autumn. A gentle wind swept the ocean of grass in flutterlng waves. There was a break in the green field where a patch of crimson flowers bloomed. It took me a moment to recognize what kind they were. They were lycorises.

"Is this your answer, Lycoris?" I wondered aloud.

I tried to target tile red flowers, but they were part of the background.

I couldn't help but th,nk back to the time when I worked on the localizatlon process and translated English  messages for Tokuoka. It was all such fun back then. If only I'd understood The World as much as I do now.

I breathed a heavy sigh and realized I needed to write an email to Orca and Balmung congratulating them on their brilliant strategy. Their victory over The One Sin deserved praise. I should also write to Hokuto. But what should I say? What does one tell an obnoxious web poet masquerading as a newbie? I'll think of something.

Maybe I'll tell her we should form a party together.

I logged out.