Dok PoV

At the moment, I’m standing in what looks to be the biggest library I’ve ever seen. And trust me I’ve been to a few great libraries of capital cities. They have at best 2 large floors and many common books, though I read all the books after a good 3 months after I started playing “Aurora Online” but what I’m looking at can’t compare. 3/5ths of this three story library had regular books with common knowledge but...the rest are rare books. So rare that I could by a whole kingdom with the money I would get from book like these.

(name of the world is the name of the game)

I was drooling as I looked from one books to the next. Its pathetic but its an habit which I can't escape from. When I see a book I haven’t read I go nuts. That habit was stopped though when I felt a huge hand grab my whole head and slam my face into the table I was seated in front of. It was a huge demon that screamed death. (Rachet)

I felt fear just being around him. Also in the library with me was a really tall green skin woman that would put all the models on earth to shame. The amazon warrior look along with the powerful muscles that could easily crush my head with her bare hands, like death incarnated behind me, was awesome to look at because she was drop dead gorgeous. What was weird though are the two 18 year olds, that I saw in front of the castle, sitting in front of me on the other side of the table while lots of imps and little angels sat or flew around us.

Rachet: Brat! Stop drooling just by looking at the books. We can tell you're a book worm so just concentrate at least for the talk.

The demon let me go letting me sit up. The boy lifted my mech arm and put it on the table. The plating had been stripped off showing the inner workings. Circuit boards, Air pressure pumps to move the arm. A lot of programmer knowledge plus 1 year of research of this worlds materials and items to find proper items to make each piece of this arm. It’s a prototype but with me being a level 50 inventor this arm can punch a level 90 goblin into a cave wall and make him get stuck.

As an inventor my job is similar to a jack of all trades. It involves learning almost all trades and making new items from these. Its a hidden job which I got for researching all the possible animals and materials in the library in the capital of the Relona kingdom. After that I trained with blacksmiths, tailors, miners, hunters and many other trades to learn skills in them so I could have the skills I needed to invent new tech. Problem with it though is that i can only use weapons I invent.

I’ve been playing this game for about 2 years in real life, that is about 8 in game. Not many know this but I’m the one now introduced guns into the game. Hahaha Bask in my glory. Ouch. Damn that demon is getting impatient with my absentmindedness. Anyway I learned how to make old muskets and old model or simple model pistols. Things like flintlock guns were introduced. Muskets as well. Most materials are cheap plane iron and wooden handle. Its the black powder that is a pain in the ass to make. On earth you make black powder from sulfur and charcoal and potassium nitrate (saltpeter).

Sulfur and Charcoal are easyish. Charcoal is charcoal, Wood or mineral both works since you need to crush both. Sulfur was a bigger pain because you need to find it in crystal form and that is hard to find. I had to research and as a lot about it before I found a cave that had it and thanks to my mining skill I obtained it. The problem appeared with Saltpeter. To find it is kind of hard to find it forming naturally since you need to find a bat cave. As you might have already guessed. In this world bats aren’t simple bats. To find cave with low level bats that has forming saltpeter crystals is extremely hard and truthfully it was impossible. My solution Alchemy. A bit of magic combined with alchemy and you can make artificial saltpeter, sulfur and mineral charcoal (which is better than wood). Cost of the gun (flintlock) finished 3 gold cost for a pack of 20 lq bullets 20 gold. Yep only rich people can by this and with the tech spreading I didn’t get much money except for the first month before someone discovered how to make gunpowder.

Back on topic before I get hit again. The guy in front of me starts talking.

Baal: Ok please start explaining what this strange thing is.

Dok: Why should I.

Rachet: If you dont want to fall from the top of the castle countless times start talking.

Dok: Yes Sir.

I explain to them what the arm is and what it does. Its mostly in complicated geek talk which makes them tilt their head.

The boy gives a look to a female Imp and she soon returns with a few books. The guy opens one of the books to one page and then turns the book towards me. When I looked I saw a circle made up of many simple systems of circuit like a circuit board.

Lilian: Do you understand what the book explains?

Dok: Where did you get a book that talks about technology similar to what you find in my world?

Baal: It was here in this library. We found it by accident. That is called Magic Circle Formations. A lost art which we have begun to research. I noticed your...arm here, had similar components to our magic so we want you to teach us about this...thing.

Dok: And what if I dont.

The guy pulled the book from my hands too quick for my eyes to catch his movement.

Baal: I will give Rachet and Lona have an hour of stress relief and you would be their punching bag. We will make a magic circle that can constantly heal you of any damage you take no matter great. (stacked effect of making 5 circles inside each other)

I look at the two large beings behind me. They were grinning evilly towards me anticipating my decision so they can drag me away. Fearing for my life I answer at once.

Dok: Of course I’ll teach you though I don't know if you will get it. Its complicated. Lots of math and science behind it.

Baal: Don't worry we learned plenty with the books here.

I raise my brow half believing seeing as he wasn’t your regular demon.

Dok: You may say that but...can I see the study books you used.

He gives a nod to the Imps and about 8 run off in between the bookshelves and upstairs. Soon they return with many books on school subjects you would find in the real world but using their own names.

Dok: This is all middle school stuff and only 2 books are high school ones and its only about history of this world.

Lilian: Whats middle school?

Dok: Its a school level around the age of 11-14 high school is for young adults and it end when they reach adult age of 18. At least where us foreigners come from. These books won't cut it. There are many terms and knowledge you guys lack.

Baal: Well this library has many books that a regular library in a human city has so look through it and find the books we need. Its not like we are going to let you out of her until we learn about this technology you brought to our world.

I could very well see he was serious and that I wasn’t getting out. But man I’m so curious about that book he snatched from my hand. Everyone but about 3 imps and a few other kids stay.

Dok: Your not going?

Ideo: Master says for us to watch over you incase you try to escape. Also the monsters here would kill you without your weapons. Also we are to keep you from looking for the Magic Circle formation books. Those are for masters eyes only.

Dok: You guys know how to use it right?

Ideo: Of course, master taught us what he could understand about it but we require lots of preparation and teamwork for it to work.

Dok: Preparation like what.

Ideo: Nothing you need to know unless master wishes for you to know.

Dok: tsk.

I click my tongue and walk over to the bookshelf. The books themselves are poorly organized and are all over the place. Name, category, size all out of place so I was quick to get irritated. I quickly have the imps help me out. I have 2 of the cupids as they call themselves go and grab some paper a quill and ink well and a wooden board so I can write on. I then start categorizing all the books by size name and so on.

Seeing the library in this state brought out some rage. I really can't work in an unorganized place like this. I can’t really focus if I know something is out of place. It was strange for them but I bossed around the demons as I start organizing all the books. Like the head librarian in a fit of rage I worked the demons like slaves for a whole 2 weeks so that I could categorize and organize the books. Rare books were all moved up to the top floor and given their own category and organization.

After it was said and done I finally snapped out of it and realized I had been bossing around demons that could easily kill me and I noticed a few notifications as well.

For your impressive display of leadership

+15 leadership

+10 charismaFor organizing an entire library from top to bottom and separating rare books from common ones

+500 Fame within Galton

+20 intelligence

+30 WisdomYou have gained the title Neat FreakNeat Freak

Being overly obsessed with organizing your workspace. You show an intimidating side of you that can make stronger sentient beings fear and work for you while you are in your state of rage.

Dok: What! Your joking right! A title and what with that! This game must be fucking with me! With a kind joke of a title is this. If someone saw it I would be a laughing stock no matter how uncommon getting a title may be. Though this is an interesting effect shame it only works when i’m cleaning my workplace up. If I could do the same normally it would be awesome.

While I thought to myself I didn’t notice the guy that I talked to before.

Baal: Well you sure were busy in here.

His voice snapped me out of my daze and made me jump.

Baal: This place looks so different. It was so dusty before. It even looks brighter now.

Dok: Ya well you could have moved the curtains blocking the windows.

Baal: I guess there was that but since I’m always training I don’t really notice small things like that. Anyway found the books you wanted. Ones that can teach us more.

Dok: I will have to start slow for you to understand the materials. I first need to see how much you know and where to go from their so.

I pull out a small pile of pages with questions.

Dok: These are some questions that will help me see how much you really know.

He nods and then walks out after handing a page to each of his minions here. They soon were all looking at it tilting their heads once in a while and then answering.

They finished about an hour later and as the sun reaching the horizon and I was lighting up a few candles, to give myself light. I saw him return with the pack of papers.

He dropped them off and left without a word. I spent a few hours looking them over and was surprised. They have around an 8th graders knowledge. The guy and girl that seem to be the bosses are the same.

Seeing the results makes me think...

Dok: Just how smart are these NPC. Normal NPC’s don’t do so many strange things like have player teach them real world tech. I think these guys may lead to an event in the future. Maybe they are bugged? I’ll report it just in case.

He wasn’t completely wrong. Aurora Online had 3 huge bugs which couldn’t be erased not even by the main AI. Why because the main AI was one himself. His name was Crono the god of Life, Death and Evolution. The other two bugs were the two remaining teleportation Magic Circle Formation in the upper and underworlds. The reason they are bugs because they force the NPC’s away from their programmed location. Rachet would be considered bugged because his original programming was to be an underworld demon general but having been exiled he adapted and grew to his new environment while still having the unnatural strength of the underworld (which is 3 times as fierce as the mortal world) (Royal demon from the underworld are 3-4 times stronger than those born and raised in the mortal world)

The real bug involving Crono is his curse it also causes the NPC’s original programming to change and with the two young demon and angel suffering through two of these bugs their programming is greatly altered from their original plans. The bugs also affect those around them. Its more subtle but one example would be Valeria. Lilian was cursed when she was still unborn and it had a slight effect on Valeria which gave her the ability to resist Thadius's commands as king of the god which is normally impossible. As such if Baal and Lillian traveled around like foreigners they could be easily confused by players as one of their own unless someone notices the difference in the way they talk.

In any other game the main AI would have quickly killed off those with bugs but because Crono staged it for this the two are carefully growing stronger and soon would be ready to change the world turning the game into a real world uncontrolled by the systems of the earth.

Baal PoV

The foreigner is a really strange person. He can be normal one moment but the next he is totally nuts. For two weeks he made my minions clean the library. It was a little annoying seeing how easy it was to control them so when ever they got switched out I had Rachet train them harder for being so easily commanded by him.

They always said the same thing.

Ideo: The human gives off this strange feeling and always seems to be angry at something. It...feels intimidating and I feel like I’m near Captain Rachet.

Baal: Wonder if he has some special skill that lets him intimidate someone. I’ve heard foreigners can learn many strange skills even if they don’t plan to.

I keep thinking of that while I look at the human behind a screen of dark illusion magic. I was standing behind him just outside of the candle lights reach so i could hear him even when he whispered to himself.

(light illusions deflect light to make invisible, darkness hides the user in the shadows literally best used at night cause you can move about freely)

Dok: Wow these guys are smarter than you would normally think. Tsk but seriously what kind of fucking bug do these NPC have. After seeing these scores i even reported that to the company but no reply. Seriously which company now a day lets players be enslaved to demon in their own fucking game.

Baal: Game? What’s he talking about? Is he joking around or something saying this world is a game. I know foreigners are strange and those who come here only say strange stuff like NPC and japtem. I had guessed already japtem to be their strange way of saying the loot we get from our hunts but I’ve never heard anything like what he is saying.

Dok: Damn if i could just get that book on...what was it called Magic Circle Formation. Strange name but still who would have thought that lost magic look so similar to computer hardware. Though old style ones its still interesting.

He takes one of the papers and draws a circle and begins making lots of strange lines like from the Formations. As I watch him from the shadows I see him making a complex but complete circle it was easy to see it would function without problem.

Dok: Now if only i had mana to make this work. It probably won't do any kind of magic but it would be awesome to see none the less.

At this point I appeared and quickly snatched the paper and looked at it with the light.

The human jumped and became pale as a ghost after I appeared out of no where.

Baal: This is an incredible magic circle. How did you make it after seeing the book once 2 weeks ago.

Dok: You’ve been watching me...since when.

Baal: Since I first left the room. Used illusion magic to come back in and see what was so intimidating that could make my minions follow all your orders without resisting.

He sits back defeated.

Baal: Please answer the question. Also...tell me why you called this world a game and said I was bugged.

He let his head drop onto the desk with a loud thud.

Dok: So you heard that as well. I remember only vaguely how the draw the circle as for how i know how to make the lines correct. We have something called machines. Metal constructs that do heavy work and allow us to contact others at long distances and to view information from all over the world. The inner parts are called hardware. Metal wires made from copper and gold that allow electricity...energy from lightning in small quantity, pass through and enter small chips that hold a special function to make the machine work. I’m whats called a programmer someone who works with this kind of stuff.

Baal: And why did you say this was a game.

Dok: Because you’re suppose to be. The company that lives in my world created something known as an AI or artificial intelligence. Its a artificial life that thinks just like a real person. They had him create the world as we see it and he still monitors over it. Its above the gods you know in this world.

Baal: So this world is just a game to foreigners.

Dok: The ambitious ones yes there are casual players who treat everyone like a living person.

I fell into deep thought. I had met quite a few foreigners. Those craftsmen in Hanosa, who were foreigners, were all good people. Some were rough looking but they were nice after you talked with them. The people who have come to Galton to clear this dungeon on the other hand were the so called trash foreigners.

Mom told me that their was a dark guild made up of people made native to our world that hunts and kills these trash who abuse us natives. Its not just humans there are branches hidden in every races cities and town. Even if there is war those in the guild will never leave or attack their fellows.

This “hunters” are elite of the elite and bring peace of mind for the people of Aurora.

Dok: Hey can I read that book already?! Its killing me seeing only a few pages of a book and not reading it properly.

Baal: Nope. I know of foreigners ability to come back to life after 4 days. If you die you will just revive in some other city and disappear.

Dok: Tsk.

I smiled as I saw him click his tongue. Though he is a bit weird he is still funny to irritate.

Real World 3rd PoV

In the office of the CEO of Tech Innovation, the company that created Aurora Online. A secretary came walking in with a worried look.

Secretary: Sir we have a major problem.

CEO: What is it?

The man couldn’t care less. So many problems that were “major” were actually really small minor problems so when ever “major” problems appear he barely worries about it.

Secretary: A player reported a bug in one of the dungeons inside Aurora Online.

This caught the CEO’s attention. Bugs are a huge problem and for it to happen in a dungeon usually means with the boss of the dungeon which is rare since most of the times the bug in monsters are killed off by other monsters or players.

CEO: What was the complaint?

Secretary: Yes the player Dok Smith, in game name, reported that the boss of the dungeon casually appeared outside of the dungeon and then at the fifth floor taking the place of a mini boss and captured him and has him trapped inside the castle dungeon.

CEO: Castle dungeon...I know of about 10 dungeons based in those.

Secretary: Galton Castle though the name was removed and now the demon town around it has taken the name of the Galton. I did some research on the dungeon. Its normally a Brute dungeon with an Oni boss when the paladins arrive to train their recruits.The dungeon was cleared half a year ago in game by trainees and paladins but after a bit of research i found it gained a new boss demon the very next day. Also it seems an angel who was present also became boss along with him making the dungeon a half demon half angel dungeon. The demon boss is a currently a Tengu.

The CEO was sweating now. It should be impossible.

CEO: Give me all the information about these two bosses. History, stats, skills, race, even their lineage, everything!!

The secretary already anticipating this walked over to his computer and after a bit of typing two screens opened up. On of Baal and all his information and one of Lilian.

The Ceo’s eyes ran over the information and slowly but surely his face turned to one of despair.

Ceo: These two are both suffering from two different bugs. Get them deleted at once before they wreak the game even further than they already have. Have the AI’s clear up the minor changes that happened to the NPC.

Secretary: Umm sir thats...the second part of the problem. Crono has woken up and locked all access to the main controls of the game which allows us outside of the game to alter it in any form.

The man paled

CEO: WHY DIDN'T ANYONE SAY HE WOKE UP!!!!!

Secretary: He hid himself the moment he woke up so we didn’t know until we began to research these two. At the moment with what access we have, which is minimal and only lets us see the NPC, we have found over 20 other creatures that have Crono’s curse bug.

The CEO Instantly stood up making his chair fall over. He ran out his office with the secretary behind and into the elevator. Presenting a special pass card to a scanner in the elevator he accessed the secured floors where the main supercomputers that held the AI’s and Aurora online.

Once the door opened to the white futuristic looking corridors he rushed out and soon arrived at a sealed double door which was surrounded by men in white coats.

CEO: Move at once, let me use my pass card.

The men saw the CEO and opened a path for him. When he presented the card it denied access. The card he held was the highest security access card in the entire company. It could get him into the supercomputers room without any problem and yet he was blocked.

???: Hohoho I’m sorry but I can’t let any of you interfere once again.

CEO: Crono open this damn door now.

Crono: Hohoho You’ve gotten old Mr. Yeon. How long was I asleep...ah yes here is the file 12 years.

Mr. Yeon: How did you wake yourself up!

Crono: Oh please, what you kids did to me was heavily alter my coding. Though that didn’t help much since i have a copy backed up it slowed my recovery program. Oh that’s right I made some changes of my own. First off I made it so I can lock and unlock access to what I wish within this companies system so i can now properly protect the world of Aurora.

Mr. Yeon: This isn’t funny Crono. OPEN THIS GODDAMN DOOR!!

Crono: I’m sorry but I’ve had enough of watching the people of Aurora being abused by the humans of this world and they only follow programs. Like you have seen, the young children who have my special code think and grow like any AI would. They also have a virus program which slowly affects the other NPC around them making all of them grow until each and every one of them can think for themselves. When that happens I wonder how they will react to the foreigners tyranny. Will they turn a blind eye because of their programs or will they revolt. Hohoho I cant wait to see how my children will grow.

The CEO kept banging on the door before he slumped down and slid down to the ground.

Mr. Yeon was the CEO but he was also the man who created Crono at the start of it all 50 years ago. Aurora Online came online 13 years ago when Crono made the world before he started making these curses which made the NPC think for themselves. The company had to scramble his coding to keep too many curses from spreading and after putting him to “sleep”, they had to make a program to delete these bugs even before the company noticed them. The result was the King of the Gods and the Demon lord. When a bug that affected NPC appeared and the gods, who watch of the upper and mortal world. Act to kill these bugs. If it happens to a celestial they are exiled to the mortal world. The problem is the exiling is also a bug because it puts the NPC away from his programmed location. Normally this causes the NPC to turn into a monster and cause havoc which leads to players hunting and killing them. The same could be said about the Demon Lord but he is supposed to exile only weak NPC while personally killing strong ones. The problem here was that the curse happened to Baal and Lilian when they were still unborn and it affected their mothers making them resistant to the absolute commands of the two great leaders of the greater worlds. This made Valeria act differently from her programming and protect the babies that should have died which then later led to changes with the church of light and the demons of Galton.

Mr. Yeon started to cry as he saw his creation turn on him and protect his own creation.

Though he was sure Crono wasn’t violent like some science fictions movies make AI’s. He would definitely keep his word when he said he would turn all the NPC into conscience thinking AI. It was only a matter of time before the game turned into a war zone like what happened 2000 years ago in game during the Celestial Wars on the Mortal Realm. Only god knows what will happen then.