After finishing my dinner, I had spent an hour reading emails and reports, and another hour in a virtual meeting that should’ve been just a written report attached to an email. I listened with half an ear, nodding every once in a while, my eye and attention on another screen with information about Mardukryons.

It made me feel nostalgic. In high school, I sometimes planned for my Nornyr tank build during class, barely listening to the teacher. I almost got placed in detention a couple of times but was given a pass because I had high grades. The inequality of the justice system.

By eight in the evening, I had finished all I needed to do for the day.

There was a sense of emptiness. When I was still the CEO, I’d still be up to my neck with work at this time. Meetings from ten onwards were normal, especially with business partners on the other side of the globe. And years before that, I’d take the night shift of our branches that were open twenty-four hours a day.

With the windows closed and the heavy curtains drawn shut to block out the sound and noise from the city outside that was just beginning to stir in this beautiful evening, I was ready to go to bed. It was still very early to turn in, but I was supposed to rest my body as the doctor advised, wasn’t I?

Does playing MCO count as resting?

[Back so soon, human mind?] The Dalkanus towering over me slightly bowed and extended its golden arms to the sides as a welcoming gesture.

I had unceremoniously deleted my human character and started another one. Thankfully, there was the option to skip the introduction cinematics of flying to the Dolbara. I didn’t bother trying to look for clues about the location of the Dolbara ship as Bonk had mentioned because I probably wouldn’t find anything new. Furthermore, I was eager to start my life as a Mardukryon. And I had popped in front of my golden anus friend, outside of the spire holding all their specimens.

Yes, I’m back, anus, I said. Oops, pardon my French…I mean Latin. ‘Anus’ is Latin, I think.

It questioningly tilted its head. [Are you not satisfied with the human body we provided to you?]

It was a fine virtual body, I mentally replied. I did enjoy my time using it. But it wasn’t for me.

[Are you here to choose once again?]

Yes.

[We, the Dalkanus, inv—]

When you refer to yourself as ‘we’, I cut in, shouldn’t you use the plural of ‘Dalkanus’? The plural of ‘anus’ is ‘ani’ or ‘anuses’ or Congress. It should then be ‘we, the Dalkani’. Or is ‘Dalkanus’ a collective name?

[Interesting thoughts inhabit your human mind,] it said after a few seconds of awkward silence. I could’ve sworn the features of its nonexistent face formed into a mouthless smile. [We were right in choosing your specie to aid us in our conservation efforts.]

Normally, I put a lid on the nonsense that crosses my thoughts, I answered, but being in this game makes me feel freer.

It was difficult to encapsulate the sensation in words. I did have…unconventional…thoughts—my sisters would probably disagree with that description—which was why I guarded how they transformed into words and actions, and how I interacted with others.

But in this game, my thoughts sometimes just get blurted out. Was there something to having a virtual body directly controlled by my brain? Whatever it was, it was fun.

[Be free, be whoever you want to be. We can provide you with the means to do so.]

And that’s why I’m back here, to pick a new body.

[We, the Dalkanus, invite you once again into the Dolbara] Lines appeared on the smooth wall behind it, forming into massive doors that whooshed open. The Dalkanus led the way, and I floated after it.

The inside of this spire still had the same impact as the first time I saw it. Tiers and tiers of vats containing fantastical creatures—except human, I suppose, but I was a fantastic human myself—ranging from tiny fairies to building-sized giants.

The Dalkanus flew off the platform, into the abyss of vats, waving for me to follow. [Choose, human mind. Or do you need us to repeat the purpose of the Great Conservation plans of the Mother Core? Ask away.]

I opened my status window out of curiosity. The human Cidule was gone as expected. My eyes wandered to the six locked hexagons where the Ocadules supposedly went. To confirm what I had researched, I said to the Dalkanus, I do have a question. These Ocadule slots, they unlock at level five?

[The first at level five, and each subsequent one every twenty levels thereafter for a total of six slots for the Open-Compatibility Accessory Data Module at level one hundred and five.]

The max level.

[Until the Mother Core mandates a higher ceiling.]

At which point, I’ll also gain access to the third Cidule slot, correct?

[By then, you’d have proved yourself worthy to aid us in the next phase of our Conservation efforts, experimentation on the compatibility of the creatures.]

Oh, I had just learned about that one. I circled downward the vast storage space as I looked for my choice. The true end-game of MCO—besides looking for this ship of yours—is to combine Cidules of other races with that of our characters. It seems convoluted to me, but I suppose I’ll eventually learn about it.

[All in due time. You are as far as can be from the highest level the Mother Core allows.]

Since we’re talking about levels, I just have one last question. I already know I gain a Lesser Skill point every level up and an additional Greater Skill point every five levels. I had cursorily passed by it while researching Mardukryon skills. LS points are for Ocadule Shard skills that don’t level up otherwise. GS points are for Cidule and Ocadule skills which we can level up with Gli. I suppose my question is: what use will GS have later on when Cidules and Ocadules are maxed?

[Considering the far future, human mind? I commend your prudence. Greater Skill points can break through the limits of the Cidules, pushing the skills to new heights, unlocking untold powers—a gift of the Mother Core.]

Hidden skill levels? That explained the level fifteen skills I came across in my research; they puzzled me because I knew that skill only came up to level ten. I’d test it for myself eventually. I needed a character first. Dalkanus, here is my choice for my next body. And I think I’ll stick with this one for good.

I parked myself before the Mardukryon’s vat.

The Mardukryon’s humanoid upper body was twice or maybe thrice bigger than my real body, and had boulders for muscles. Its skin had the appearance of smoldering charcoal or probably lava cooling down. Four glowing red eyes sat above its long nose that had two slits for holes. Two pairs of massive ram-like horns curved forward from its skull. And to complete its inhuman face, two tusks jutted out from its mouth.

Compared to its upper body’s skin, the bull part had very shaggy fur that probably protected it from the harsh cold of its icy mountaintop home. Did the bull variant of a centaur have a specific name in mythology? A reverse minotaur?

[The Mardukryons. A mighty race that had fallen from grace when their vast empires, in their misguided hubris and lust for power, turned upon each other and undone everything they had accomplished. The few saved by the Mother Core’s Grace are now in Hierakon. Not a choice for the weak-willed to pick.]

Who are you calling weak-willed, you golden anus?

[Human mind, are you aware of the situation of the Mardukryon in Hierakon? For their Gates have not been activated—]

Yeah, yeah. And that’s why I’m picking them.

[I ask you again, are you sure about your choice, human mind?]

The Mardukryons were a huge gamble.

I wanted them isolated until I had prepared my build, discovered every secret quest that I could, and hoarded troves of valuable items, but I also needed them to eventually connect with the rest of Eden someday. If I played my cards right, the potential benefits I’d get from picking Mardukryons were as high as the mountains they lived on. However, it’ll be all a waste if I couldn’t realize my gains.

Extremely high risk and extremely high rewards, just like investing in highly volatile unregulated digital money. But unlike UDMs, I had a direct hand in my investment in Mardurkyons, which was why I was going to gamble with them even if I wouldn’t touch UDMs with a pinky. I, Herald Stone, will lead the Mardukryons down their mountains!

Cold…but not that cold…

I opened my eyes.

Endless white stretched forth in front of me. Everything was open, the sky above clear. Hierakon’s large sun rained its warm rays unimpeded, the snow reflecting the harsh light blindingly bright.

Sun? It’s daytime here?

Mountains stood everywhere I could see, angry tidal waves breaking the ocean of clouds below. The titanic spears of hard earth covered by sheets of snow were so fearsomely majestic that I couldn’t eke out my usual snarky comments. It felt oppressive and intimidating, this vast emptiness threatening to swallow me.

I stood near the edge of jagged cliffs. Thick snow carpeted the mountain I stood on all the way down to the clouds. There was no hint of what could be below. Shadows cast by the sharp rocks broke the monotony of whiteness, showing their deadly features and the dangers of falling off; I wouldn’t have noticed them otherwise.

A few more steps of my hooves and I’d shoot straight—hooves? “What the…” A small puff of smoke rolled in the air as I spoke. And my voice. “Test…testing. Fucking hell, this is what I sound like now?” I sounded like an ancient monster trapped in the abyss since time immemorial. This was what the default settings were? “Grooarr!” I bellowed with my guttural voice.

Feeling the sides of my head, I found large horns, four of them. The girth! The hardness! That’s what she said, I thought, channeling my old friend, Manson. I ran my fingers through the bony ridges all along my horns’ length up to their sharp ends.

They were long and curved forward, so I could actually see the four of them, but I only noticed them now—my four eyes provided a very wide range of vision almost that of a fisheye lens, although not warped or distorted. My hunch was my brain automatically ignored these horns the same way it did with noses that were always in our field of vision.

Speaking of my nose, there was something peculiar with the way I inhaled. The biting-cold air at this high of an altitude was extremely thin, but I wasn’t short of breath even though I was a large creature. It was also warmed before reaching my lungs. Did my bull half have a different set of lungs?

I looked down at my body. This place should be plenty cold, but I was comfortable as if the air conditioning was turned to its highest setting but I had a thick wool blanket to keep me warm. My lower half was very cozy with its thick fur.

My humanoid upper half was protected by a craggy covering of heated stone. Powerful muscles rippled beneath; Mardurkryons weren’t half golems as I had assumed. When I tried to work out at the gym a few days ago, I felt muscles I never knew I had. Now, I was feeling muscles I was certain the human body didn’t have, and that wasn’t counting my bull half part. I flexed my muscles, making grunts and weird sounds with my demonic voice each time I posed.

Next, I pawed the ground with my front foot. I could control my legs nicely. I tested trotting, or more on the side of ambling given my bulky size. There was no issue walking with four legs so long as I didn’t think too much about it, similar to breathing that became awkward when one focused on it.

The sensation of having two more legs and a swishing tail was incredible. Was this what Jefferson felt when he bragged he could move his ears?

I cantered in circles for about a minute, my heavy hooves crunching the packed layer of snow. Living my childhood in the southern part of Eyrie, I never experienced playing in the snow. As a businessman, I had traveled up north during winter and also to many other countries with snow, but you wouldn’t see me trudging through it and making snowballs and snow angels.

From circles, I moved on to drawing large figure eights, and also tried just zigzagging aimlessly. I beat my chest like a gorilla, a powerful thud of a war drum each time my sledgehammer fists hit my broad chest. It may look childish and stupid, but this was it truly meant to have a new body, not that normal human one.

I went as near to the edge as possible and gazed at the prison of ice that I willingly trapped myself in. I had no idea why I spawned at this location instead of a town or a similar place, but I had something to do first before finding the beginner’s quest.

I reared up on my hind legs, my added weight caused my hooves to sink past the snow into the soil below. “I am Herald Stone!” I roared with all my might, my vocal cord vibrating, and beat my magma chest one last time. “I’m going to be the hardest in this world!”

And then I jumped over the edge.