“Okay, now we can play!” Dana said with a happy smile as we all stood within our Virtual lobby. Our real selves were continuing to train, but we had reached the basic criteria that I had assigned for us to be able to spend some time in the new game. “Right, boss?” Dana looked at me eagerly, quite clearly seeking my approval.

I couldn’t help but give a small smile, nodding my head. “We’ve earned a break, as long as our real selves keep up the training. Just remember, even if we’re going into a game, this is a game where we can improve ourselves.”

Dana pumped her fists into the air happily, jumping up and wrapping her arms around me. The others chuckled at the behavior, with even Gerard present for our first trip into Fragments of Acidia. Once everyone was ready, we signed up for the new game. It had been a few weeks at this point since the game first released, but I wasn’t expecting any sort of overcrowding issues. Not with how large the game world appeared to be.

As I entered the character creation process, I saw Fifi waiting for me, her hands clasped in front of her. “Greetings, Keeper.” She said with a warm smile. “Vivi told me that you’d be on your way.”

I gave a nod at that, having expected there to be some kind of Keeper bonus to the game, whether in character creation or later on. “Is there anything special that I need to know?”

“There is, sir.” Fifi nodded. “You have a choice to make. You see, the ancient figure of Acidia within this game was designed as the original Keeper of this world, the being from which all creation grew. As the Keeper yourself, you have the option to appear in the world as the reborn Acidia, or you can choose to take part as a normal player. Naturally, you will maintain your Keeper abilities either way.”

My brow furrowed as I listened to that. “What would change if I chose to accept that option?”

“You would have a special story presented for you.” Fifi explained patiently. “First of all, as the reborn Acidia, the nations would begin to rally to serve or subjugate you, depending on their alignment. Some would covet your power, others seeking to stand at your side. In general, you would be an extremely public figure. This option was created for Keepers who wished to have their presences known within the game and enjoy the same social status as they do in real life.”

As soon as she was done explaining, I shook my head. “I want to enjoy this game with my friends from the Sky Citadel. I’ll register as a normal player.”

Fifi nodded her head again. “In that case, there is only one other question I must ask. This question similarly will apply to most of your friends. As you have divine powers, do you wish to register as a Fragment of Acidia, instead of Acidia reborn? Fragments of Acidia are what this world refers to as gods. If you register as one, you will receive the attention of galactic empires who wish to earn your loyalty. While not to the same degree as a reborn Acidia, this is also a public role.”

“How many currently registered fragments are there?”

At my question, Fifi seemed to do a brief census. “One thousand, two hundred, and sixteen. That is the number of individual gods who have chosen to register their domains.”

That was quite a lot, causing me to be rather surprised. “Hmm… what about fallen gods? Do they count as fragments, as well?”

Surprisingly, Fifi nodded her head. “The true Acidia wielded divinity and chaos as one, light and dark together. The status of a fallen god is no different than that of a standard divinity.”

That would make the game feel more accessible to different types of Keepers, I suppose. I mused inwardly, before shaking my head. “In that case, can you pass on a message to the others that I’d like us all to register? One of our objectives in this game is to grow stronger, and it will be hard for us to do that if we are constantly suppressing our divine abilities.”

“I can easily do that, sir.” Fifi agreed, closing her eyes for a moment. Afterwards, she tilted her head curiously. “Your companion, Tsubaki, has asked permission to set up two accounts. She said she will have one account to play with everyone, and one for solo play when others are busy. Her secondary account will be at the lowest level, as well.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle when I heard that. “Of course. As long as it’s something you can do, it’s fine. She always likes to test herself with her ‘Trial of Blood’. More than likely, she’ll ask you to put her in some ridiculously high power area where she has no real hope of survival, with no equipment or money.”

Fifi blinked in confusion, tilting her head. “That is a most curious request. However, it is within my power to grant if she does, in fact, wish for it. In that case, is there anything that you would like to change, before entering the game?”

I shook my head at that. “As long as we all appear in the same area, it’s fine to me. I’ll stick to my usual look.”

“Very well. In that case, I hope you enjoy your experience.” Fifi smiled wide, fading from view. Instead, I found myself appearing on a metallic platform, numerous people walking about. Not far away was a ‘window’ with an energy field, allowing me to see out into the vastness of space. Apparently, we’re starting on a space station? Or is this a colony ship?

As I was wondering that, I felt someone else appearing behind me. Turning, I saw none other than Lifre, who immediately began stretching with wide eyes. “Oh, this is cool! Are we on a spaceship? I’ve never had the chance to go on a spaceship before!”

I grinned, reaching a hand over and rubbing the top of her head. “Well, if we’re on a spaceship, we’ll probably be here for a little bit.”

Lifre’s eyes went wide at that, Tsubaki and Dana soon appearing behind her. Once Gerard appeared, a nearby figure walked over. “Greetings, greetings!” He said in an excited tone. “It is my honor to meet so many fragments at once. My name is Bastion, and I will be the one in charge of introducing you to our world.”

The man had deep blue skin, faint scales visible along his neck. He wore a skintight black bodysuit, similar to what many of the other NPCs wore around us. “Welcome to Station Lemora, on the frontier of the Arnasian Empire. Is there anything you would like to know before you get started?”

“What are these?” Dana asked, pointing at the bracelet on her wrist. Bastion simply nodded his head, showing a surprising amount of emotion. He must have been one of the special NPCs Fifi had told me about.

“Those are casting assistant devices! They help you channel your mana to form spells. Given the magic of this world, it is difficult for people to activate their magic naturally, and such we use devices like this to help. Of course, this is only a basic model, and you can purchase more advanced--what are you doing?”

As soon as he began to explain the purpose of the devices, there were three distinct cracking noises. The bracelets worn by Dana, Tsubaki, and Gerard all shattered beneath their grip. Dana and Gerard, I could understand. Gerard was a living spell, and Dana was used to formulating complex magic in her mind. But you too, Tsubaki? I let out a soft sigh at that, shaking my head.

“Hardcore mode is always the best.” Dana said with a grin. “I’ll figure out my magic as I go, or else I’ll just fight another way.” This coming from the girl that had begun practicing the purely magic martial art.

Bastion’s eye twitched at that, but he nodded his head. “I-In that case, I believe it would be best if I direct you to the nearby marketplace. There, you will be able to find gear suitable to your power. Artifacts worthy of fragments are hard to come by, but I believe you will be quite satisfied with our selection.”

At that, he gave us directions to a nearby market, where people were bustling back and forth. That said, a quick survey could tell that most people weren’t buying anything, and were simply going around and discussing items with ‘interest’. These were the general NPCs meant to give the area the illusion of life.

Reaching towards my pocket, I found that I had quite the large sum of money in a coin purse attached to my waist. Udona had told me that you get money in this game according to the level of your power, so that was not too surprising a discovery.

“Ooh, ooh, over here!” Dana called out, ushering us all towards one stall at the end of the line. I could feel a faint divinity coming from the stall, its name translating to ‘Acidia’s Wares’.

Inside, I could see an assortment of different armors and weapons, or simply various tools like trowels or shovels. Each one radiated the power of either divinity or the void, with a green-skinned woman sitting behind the counter. When she saw us coming in, she blinked, sitting fully upright. “Welcome to my establishment, dear fragments. How may I help you?”

“What exactly is it that you’re selling here?” Tsubaki asked curiously, walking around and looking at the various items.

The woman working the store smiled. “These are general-purpose Acidian Artifacts. Each one has been specially processed, and is ready for its future owner to brand it with their power.”

“General-purpose artifacts?” I furrowed my brow, walking over to a staff on the wall. When I inspected it with my Keeper power, I found that the staff was capable of reducing divine power usage. It was not by a lot, but it was a nice bonus. However, the staff did not carry any power specific to any domain. “Is it possible to get custom-made artifacts?”

While we could take items out of the game, it was currently impossible for us to bring them in without crafting them all over again. Ashley said that she was developing a scanning device that would be compatible with the new system, and expected the prototype to be ready within a few months.

“It is.” The woman nodded her head. “However, you’ll need to provide the materials for them yourself. It is incredibly difficult to procure fitting materials, even out here on the frontier. The best locations to look for them are incredibly dangerous, to the point where only a fragment could safely come and go.”

“Who would we need to talk to about the items we want crafted?” Tsubaki asked, the woman chuckling slightly.

“That’d be me. I’m Mira, the Acidian Artifact Master of Station Lemora. I may not be a fragment, but I’ve studied the art of crafting artifacts my entire life. If you can bring me the materials I need, I promise that I can craft whatever artifact you would like.”

That explains why she’s another special NPC. I nodded to myself, stepping up to talk to Mira. “I’d like a mirror. One suitable for use with the ‘fragments’ of Mirrors, Illusions, and Souls. What would it take to create something like that?”

Mira held her chin in thought. “A mirror, is it? And I can sense that you’re a fragment of light. In that case, you would want silver stripped from the interspatial mines of Tartarak, gold from the deep hive of the world-devouring swarm, and glass made from the sand of dreams. I can make the artifact with lesser components, but those would be the ones that can make the best artifact I’m capable of. Also, each of those are incredibly dangerous regions, even among the ones I mentioned before.”

I simply gave a nod at that. “Can you give us directions on how to find that area?” I asked, the woman smiling and tapping at the air. Immediately, three waypoints appeared on my map, each located quite a distance away.

“You’ll need to either charter a ship, purchase your own, or purchase gate fare to reach these locations. The gate fare is the cheapest option, as well as the fastest, but I would personally recommend getting your own ship. You can encounter more adventures by flying under your own power, and there are many treasures waiting to be found in the vastness of space.”