Author’s Rant: Hello, this is Hikaru Seishin. I know I probably should have said this earlier but, from now on the plot will advance into the main story. I felt that it was necessary to include the first day of the arrival, as so many fictions tend to avoid it because of the chaos and potential confusion. The fear and uncertainty of those who were thrown into this “survival game” was an interesting concept for me to explore. I wanted to convey the sense of helplessness in a “game” that no one knows how to play.

But, I would like to say that the story will now move in a new direction. The protagonist’s actual party will be introduced along with new plot developments, not excluding romance, action, and lots of brand new skills and game features. It is finally going to sound like a proper game! I would like to clarify that although Serenia is the protagonist, she is not the main character (Mild spoiler: He will appear in this chapter). Chapter 5 will advance six months into the future, from where the last chapter ended. Sorry for the confusion, but please continue to support my story. Now, let the real adventure begin!

Ps: I guess this is the first “real” chapter of Dark Eden. Also, I’ll try not to do any more rants in the future, but for updates and announcements on Dark Eden, please visit my profile. As a bonus, I will name a NPC after the first few commenters of each chapter, if they wish to be included in the upcoming developments –laughs-.

-Hikaru Seishin, February 16, 2015-

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January, 3078

-Hunting Grounds outside of Golden Orchid Imperial Capital, Nature’s Cradle-

Winters in Dark Eden were harsh. It snowed nearly every single day, drowning the continent in a white paradise. Questing was hard in the snow storms, and players tended to avoid venturing outside the safety of the cities. As for obtaining necessities like food, players would trade and purchase them from each other instead. The vacant plots of land within the cities soon became occupied by various vendors, each offering their goods for a living. The player-run markets in this world thrived, and as time passed, less and less players accepted missions. To those individuals, a comfortable life away from the dangers of the wilderness was already something they have gotten used to. But, there were still those that continued to fight on, journeying across the continent in hopes of advancing onto the next one. Those that have desires they wished to pursue. Those that have yet resigned to their fates. They were…

System Prompt: [1] New Message in [Guild Chat]

-Deputy Leader [Rune]: Serene! The Guild Leader is calling you!-

The Front Lines. Those who put their lives at risk in order to “beat the game” that cannot be beaten. The foolish and stubborn, as they were often called. Yet, all of them still aimed for the impossible. Aiming for the floating castle, Eternal Eden, and the man known as “God”. The answers they demanded may be found one day, that is what they firmly believed.

-Member [Serene]: I will be there in a bit!-

The girl dressed in a white-and-purple armored dress replied, as she threw a dagger at the giant snow-tiger in front of her.

System Prompt: Level 22 [Snow Tiger] has been defeated. Player [Serene] has received 3000 Eden Seeds, 4630 experience and two [Snow Tiger Fangs].

Quest: [Snow Tiger’s Den II] has been completed. Please visit NPC [Roland] for the rewards.

“System, battle view deactivate.” she said, as the Health Points, Mana and character information bars disappeared from both her and the tigers. She swung her arms to the side one by one, and the arm blades she had equipped vanished back to her inventory. Pulling the hood of her cloak over her creamy-blond hair, she walked back to the portal that she arrived in.

As she placed a hand on the enormous, rotating crystal sphere, a list of locations appeared in front of her.

“Golden Orchid Imperial Capital.” she directed. In a flash, she was gone.

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“Fresh meat, fresh shields! Fresh Meatshields right out of the forge! Get your very own bait-defense equipment at [Hammer]’s!”

“Looking for a level 20+ mage for the level 25 dungeon, [Attack on Ice Golem]! We have a team of level 20+ warriors and archers, recovery items included!”

“Guild [Picappuccino] is recruiting! Visit the [Guild Central] to apply!”

As soon as she emerged from the portal, Serenia was overwhelmed by various offers from shops lined up beside the marble paths leading to the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Capital of Nature’s Cradle was always busy, even in the middle of winter.

Walking on the main path, she soon found herself in front of the [Guild Central], the main headquarter of all existing guilds in Dark Eden. She made her way up wide stairs lined with an elaborate red carpet, stopping in front of the golden doors.

System Prompt: Welcome to the [Guild Central]. What would you like to do today?

“Please grant access to Guild No. 1, [Front Lines].”

Please wait while the system conducts a security check.

She waited as the system scanned her quickly.

Access granted. Please proceed. Have a wonderful day.

The doors opened and Serenia entered. Due to the multi-dimensional nature of the [Guild Central], it was able to act as a specific office for each guild while housing every single one of them. Walking past the front desk, she headed upstairs to the Guild Leader’s office. The second floor was near empty today as well. Rather, the whole building felt deserted. When [Front Lines] was created, it was hailed as the first and most populated guild of Dark Eden. Slowly, as members began to face terminations on the battlefront missions, and as players began to settle down with their shops in the cities, membership waned and the once bustling guild of more than 100,000 shrank to just over 330.

It has been six months since Serenia and the others arrived in this world. The original world had a population of ten billion. Out of that number, for reasons unknown, only four billion made it past the character creations. A lucky one billion landed on solid ground and made it to the Starting Village of Nature’s Cradle, while the unlucky ones…either landed in the ocean or plunged straight into an endless trench formed by gigantic cracks in the earth. By the end of the first test, [Night Hunting], only 400 million remained. In the months following that, many died on missions, through self-harm, and through deprivation of necessities and player-related causes. The population of Dark Eden was currently at 45 million, and that number continued to decline day after day.

The door to the Guild Leader’s office swung open before Serenia could knock.

“Sereneeeeeee!!!!” the deputy leader, Rune, wailed, sobbing into her shoulder, “Fiorae is bullying me again!”

“Don’t listen to his nonsense, Serene. He is making a big deal out of nothing as usual.” the beautiful, dark-haired Guild Leader said, calmly sipping her tea.

“This is abuse, I swear! What kind of leader makes her deputy join her on an S-ranked mission, and then abandon him half way through? And this is not the first time it happened. Cruel. Monster. Tsundere old lady--”

A few seconds later, he was tied up and thrown into a corner.

“Well, let’s get to the main topic. The reason I summoned you was because we received a new report. A report on the sighting of the first quest in the Continental Boss loop, that is.”

“You mean…the trigger quest in the series of missions that will eventually end in a fight with the Continental Boss? And by beating that boss, the next continent will be unlocked?”

“Yes, that is it exactly.”

Serenia considered this piece of information for a few moments, before continuing. “That is great news but, we have failed two times already. And each time we fail to complete the whole loop, the quests reappear as something else. The duration between their reappearances has been gradually getting longer; if we fail again this time, how long would it take for the cycle to replenish itself?”

“That is definitely a concern. But,” Fiorae said, as she fixed her light green eyes steadily on Serenia, “both of the previous loops had been attempted by small groups of people or single guilds. They had already failed before news of the expedition reached the ears of the general population, and before reinforcements arrived. This time though, we are asking for the cooperation of all guilds and any solo players wishing to partake in the challenge. It will be the first joint-mission since this world’s creation.”

A few seconds of silence passed before Serenia spoke.

“And, where do I come in, in this strategy?”

Fiorae smiled, taking another sip at her tea before setting the cup down, folding her hands together.

“You know how the loops require the person that first triggered the starting mission to complete them?”

“Yes…”

“It seems like the person who discovered it this time was a level 10 player. With so many dangerous creatures and traps out there, it would be dangerous for a low-level player to be alone, wouldn’t it?

Serenia waited for her to continue, not sure what she was hinting at.

“So, until the guilds and solo players mobilize for the operation, I am counting on you.”

“…?”

“Congratulations, Serene. I hereby appoint you as the personal escort of [Lux]. Keep him safe until we get ready, won’t you?”

“MMPFHHH!??” the tied-up Rune mumbled through the cloth covering his mouth, clearly surprised by the outcome.

“Thank you…I mean…could you please repeat that?”

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A few hours later, Serenia found herself sitting on a bench near the plaza fountain of the Starting Village. The player called [Lux] was to arrive soon.

The sound of distant footsteps from her far left drew her attention. She got up, turning to face the approaching stranger.

A dark-haired young man dressed in a black, military-styled trench coat appeared. Long red strips decorated the surface of the outfit, with a single white sash swung across his shoulders. On the sash, there were two buckles with matching, golden lions engraved into them. The uniform seemed familiar to Serenia, but she couldn’t pinpoint where it was from.

“You must be the escort they have assigned.”

His words brought her out of her thoughts.

“Yes, my name is [Serene], a member of the Guild [Front Lines]. I am responsible for your safety for the next three days. Nice to meet you, Mr. Lux.”

“Just [Lux] is fine.” he said, accepting Serenia’s outstretched hand and giving it a firm shake.

“For the next few days, I will be guarding you. But, please don’t mind me, you are free to do whatever you wish. I will be nearby in case anything happens.”

“That is fine with me.”

Serenia paused, and then remembered something important.

“In case of unexpected events, we should probably add each other as friends. If you don’t mind, that is.”

He nodded.

“System,” Serenia said, as the options menu appeared, “friend request to player [Lux].”

System Prompt: Player [Serene] sent you a friend request.

[Accept] [Decline]

“Accept.” Lux said, as the message vanished.

Serenia checked her friend list quickly before fixing her soft, lavender eyes on Lux.

“Now, the rest of the time is up to you. What would you like to do?”

Lux thought for a moment before replying.

“I think I will go finish the quest I started earlier.”

“One of the Starting Village quests? Is it something like [Exotic Plants I] or a boss fight like [The Guardian of Spirit Lake]?”

“No, it is called [Nature’s Beginning]”

Serenia paused, trying to locate this quest in her memory. It didn’t seem to be one that she had done.

“I don’t think I have encountered that quest before. What is it about?” she asked.

“Locate a cave in the [Forest of Dreams], and then retrieve a lost artifact from it.”

“It seems like a hidden quest. I guess that although we have come a long way since the start of this world, there are still things like this that we don’t know about.”

He nodded. Six months was enough to discover most of the basic operations and setups of Dark Eden, but it was far from enough to uncover all of them. System shortcuts, new maps, hidden quests and locations, and a multitude of other things were introduced each day. The citizens were just beginning to understand their new world.

“I’m not sure if I will be any help but, I will try to assist.” Serenia offered.

“I do not think it will be very hard. It is only the first quest in the Continental Boss loop.”

“That’s good to hear…wait, what was that last part?”

“It is only the first quest in the Continental Boss loop.” Lux repeated, walking away from the fountain.

He stopped, turning his head back to address Serenia.

“Now, let us get going.”

---------------

“Erm…Lux. Maybe we should wait for the others to join before starting the loop.” Serenia suggested, as they stood outside of the hidden cave.

On the ground to its right was a sign. [??? Cave. Recommended for players level ??? up.]

“I do not have any other quests at the moment. I might as well as complete this.”

Serenia took a deep breath before speaking. “No matter how easy it may seem, it is the first mission of the hardest series of quests on this continent. Many people have died in such missions in the past…people that were way higher level than you.”

“I see.”

“No, I don’t think you understand the situation you are in. The loop could only be completed by the person that discovered the first quest. You are only level 10, and I am a mere level 28. If we meet overwhelming mobs, there is no one around to help us. Even if I could handle them, one careless mistake and you could die. As your escort, I refuse to take that gamble.”

Lux looked at Serenia for a bit, before walking into the cave.

“It is fine. I will not die.” he said, his voice echoing in the depths.

“It’s not fine. You will die at this rate.” Serenia said, running after him.

“I have one of these.” Lux said eventually, as he opened his inventory. Moments later, a golden scroll appeared in his hand.

“Is that a teleport scroll? No, the color is wrong…”

“You can see for yourself.”

Lux stopped walking. He tossed the scroll to Serenia.

“System, view item details.” Serenia commanded, as a small description box appeared beside the scroll.

Item Name: Navigation Scroll

Item Rank: Relic

Uses: 10

A device that allows the user(s) to teleport to any location on any unlocked continents. Able to record maps of locations, up to ten times.

Special ability: User(s) will be teleported to a safe location if HP drops below 10%, providing that the user(s) are without recovery materials. No damage will be received during this time.

“We will use that if things go wrong.” Lux said, as he regarded Serenia calmly with his dark blue eyes.

A...relic? Serenia thought, looking at the scroll in wonder. Items of that rank were almost never found. “Where exactly did you get this?”

Lux had started to venture deeper into the cave again. “An old man gave it to me. [Queen Sylph’s Revenge] was the name of the quest.”

Serenia did not move from her spot, confused.

[Queen Sylph’s Revenge]…isn’t that a level 40 quest?

-----------------

“A dead-end?” Serenia said, as they stood facing a wall covered with engravings of foreign languages.

“No.” Lux stated simply, as he bent down, “Over here.”

He gave an oddly-positioned tile a push, stepping back as the huge wall began to shake, collapsing into a heap of stones moments later. He stepped over the mess, onto the new path ahead. Serenia followed.

The scene in front of them no longer resembled a cave. They were on a bridge, suspended in mid-air. It was impossible to tell where the walls were on either end; it was such a wide space that it seemed to stretch on endlessly. Below them, there was darkness. A gaping hole that one could fall down for eternity.

They proceeded in silence, the path in front of them illuminated by the dimly-lit, floating candles.

“Is it just me or…do you hear a strange sizzling sound too?” Serenia spoke up after a while. The sound was getting louder.

All of a sudden, something slammed into their path. The bridge began to crumple from the impact, breaking apart into two.

“System,” Serenia shouted, regaining her balance, “activate [Achilles’ Speed].”

System Prompt: [Achilles’ Speed] has been activated. Player speed + 100.

The [Soar] system has been unlocked. Leaping distance has been greatly enhanced.

In a flash, she grabbed Lux from the waist, leaping from the first half of the bridge to the second. The spot where they were standing on just moments ago collapsed. She left him standing safely behind her.

“Stand back.” Serenia instructed, as she summoned her arm blades from her inventory, “It looks like trouble.”

The dust from the debris cleared, revealing a gigantic fox-like creature. Fiery red flames danced around its body, decorating its nine-tails like fireworks.

“System, battle view on!”

The Health Points bar appeared on each of their heads. Serenia grimaced as she read the character information of the creature.

[Flaming Nine-tails]

Guardian of the Sacred Artifact

Level 57

HP: 10, 829

MP: 9, 241

The Nine-tailed fox howled, sending multiple fireballs flying toward Serenia and Lux. Serenia dodged, slicing those aimed at Lux in half.

“You. Take the Navigation Scroll and leave.” she said, her voice allowing no objections.

“We will leave together then.” Lux said, not moving.

“Do not make me repeat myself. Take the scroll and leave right now. You will die in less than one hit.”

She slashed at the new set of flames aimed at them. Her HP began to decrease.

“What about you. How would you get out?”

“I have a few teleport scrolls of my own. I will leave as soon as you leave. I am capable of holding it off until then at least.”

She turned her head back, and gave him a smile.

“So don’t worry about me. Hurry.”

No sooner did she finish than a wild cry came from the Nine-tails. The creature lifted its head up toward the sky, its mouth open. A fireball the size of nothing they have seen began to be formed. It was almost like a flaming meteoroid.

Serenia gritted her teeth, summoning an energy shield and assuming a defensive position.

“HURRY, PLEASE!” she shouted to Lux.

The fox released the fireball.

“…It can’t be helped.”

Serenia watched in shock as Lux ran by her, so quickly that he became a blur. With a wild leap, he came within close proximity to the fox’s face. He moved his hand across the empty space in front of him, in the form of an arc.

“We have just met a few minutes ago, but unfortunately, I must get rid of you.”

As he spoke, a circle of words appeared, surrounding the body of the fox.

What...is going on?

As the events in front of her unfolded, Serenia was dumbfounded by the text that appeared on Lux’s head.

[Lux]

Level 10

HP: ???

SP: ???

Class: Unknown

Advance to Update 6: In the Journal of God…he was never supposed to Exist >