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Somewhere in Eastern Europe.

16 th May 2043.

"...It's out of my hands , Sergeant. Get it done."

First Seargent Jarod Carter set the phone on its receiver. He reclined on his chair, releasing a huge sigh of exasperation. He picked a cigar from atop his desk, lit it, then drew a long calming puff. He picked up a binder titled 'United Front.' This was HQ's newest plan? Those bureaucrats had far too much time on their hands.

Meh, he wasn't paid to overthink. Carter pressed the intercom connected to his secretary's office. "Call up Private Dayle. Specialist Raines and Private Yount of Blitz."

"Yes, sir."

Five minutes later, a knock on his door drew Carter from his files. "Come in."

Following his order, t hree young soldiers in full uniform walked into the office and assumed a salute. "At ease."

"Private Dayle Butcher reporting, sir. Was told you have a message for us?" The oldest, and their leader, Dayle said.

"Yes. HQ called. They want you three to participate in a new operation."

"Where will we be headed, sir?"

"New York. ” Carter looked up. “ You will be returning home ."

Dayle's eyes narrowed, confusion apparent in his frown. "New York? Why would you be sending the best infiltration unit you have to New York?"

The Seargent sighed. He hated to admit it, but the lad was right. Ever since the unit was formed, they'd had a success rate of 98%, the highest in any agency. If the lad was bewildered by the relocation, wait till he heard their mission. "'Are you familiar with United Front?"

"Which one? The union or the game?"

"The game."

"United Front," Raines flicked her dark-brown hair behind ears as she answered. "A sci-fi shooter developed by Genaco Gaming for its western audience. Its addictive nature has sparked a global debate whether such games should have restrictions ."

Carter's brows rose. "You play?"

"God, no," Raines scoffed. "My younger brother living in the states loves games."

The Sergeant nodded, satisfied by her answer. "And you, Private Yount?"

At eighteen years of age, the white-haired teen was the youngest of the squad. His small stature and natural 'baby face' mirrored his shy personality. He panicked at the sudden attention and turned to Dayle for help.

Dayle patted his shoulder and nodded his encouragement.

"N-no, sir," Arthur finally managed. "My engagements have not exactly left me with free time ."

"I see," Carter murmured. He pointed to dossiers on his desk, which they picked up. "Familiarize yourself with the briefing. You leave at 1700 hours."

Dayle frowned as he purveyed the document. "Wait.. this makes no sense. It says we're going to play this game?"

Carter nodded, a tinge of humor in his eyes. "I had the exact same reaction."

Meilfour

27 th Mazem, 1092.

"Welcome to Meilfour, the birthplace and graveyard of art," greeted a disheveled old man in a very miserable tone. His dead eyes scanned the newest arrivals. Two humans, a golden chesch and four horses, one of which was darker than night. The chesch was dressed rather admirably and had several rucksacks on his horse. They were rich, but visibly fatigued after crossing the burning desert.

The man concluded. They would not last long.

"Good afternoon, sir," Miote greeted. "My name is Miote, and these are my traveling companions, Shadow and Lunette. Could you please point us to the nearest inn?"

The old man raised a bony finger and pointed in a general direction.

Miote gave him a few silver coins as thanks, and the n they continued their journey across the wilderness.

"How terrible," Lunette whispered as they traversed the ruined land. Meilfour looked like it could have once been a playground for the artistic kind. They came across remains of paintings burned into the cracked earth . Unfortunately, time and neglect had eroded most of them. Not too far from those were bronze sculptures that were damaged beyond recognition. These looked much more deliberate like someone had gone through a lot of trouble to destroy all traces.

"What do you think happened here?" Shadow asked as he picked a broken harp that was half-buried in the sand.

Miote eyed the wreckage with trepidation. "Some of these were done recently. We'll have to be careful when we reach the town."

"Where Kash said he would meet us," Lunette said as she stole a glance in the direction of Suvron's Pass.

Shadow's grip tightened around his dagger. "If you want, I can go back for him."

Lunett e shook her head. "Thanks, but that would only put you in needless danger."

"I'm not afra-"

"Shadow..." Her voice was laden with substantial meaning only the two could understand.

The assassin's grip relaxed as he sighed. "As you wish. ” He then added after a brief pause, “ Besides, I'm sure he's the type that won't die even after you kill him."

"Pfft." Lunette chuckled as an image of Kashi constantly reanimating from death played in her head.

Miote, who had watched the exchange, asked, "That's a very tight bond the two of you have. You related somehow?"

"Yes," replied Lunette . "He's my brother."

Miote blinked his surprise. "Forgive me. It's just you don't see too many brothers play these games together, let alone a brother and sister. ”

Shadows darkened the siblings' faces at the words 'play' and 'games,' but they were gone as fast as they appeared.

"Haven't you heard it's bad manners to refer to this world as a game?" Shadow questioned, his tone dry.

Lunette lightly tapped her brother's arm. "Sorry," she apologized, "This is more than a game to us. It sometimes gets a little heated when it is referred to as such."

Miote was smart enough to know when he had stepped on a landmine. "My apologies. I will not be repeating that mistake anytime soon."

"Thank you."

"Seems we're here," Shadow called when they reached a ra n sac k ed town.

The stone buildings were worn down, the desolate civilians even more so. Men and women shuffled about, eyes cast to the ground like living zombies. The travelers received no more than a cursory glance from the residents as they reached an inn.

They hopped off their horses and tethered them to a post. Shadow assisted Miote with his bags, then followed his sister into the inn that was surprisingly empty save for an old man operating the counter.

As Miote negotiated the price for their rooms, Lunette hummed a ballad, somewhat overwhelmed by the desolation of the town.

"STOP!" Gerdo, the keeper, screamed. His eyes were bloodshot and wide with fear. He rushed over the counter at speed s uncharacteristic of his age and clamped bony hands over her mouth. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he froze in place, threatened by Shadow's blade placed menacingly at his neck.

"What're you doing old man?" the assassin asked as fingers flexed on the blade's hilt. His expression was colder, his eyes sharper than the knife that kissed Gerdo's throat.

"No-no singing. No music, please," Gerdo pleaded.

Lunette placated her brother with a nod.

Shadow nodded and removed the blade, to Gerdo's immense relief. "Explain yourself."

The old man massaged his throat, nodding his consent. "All forms of music have been banned in Merriheim by the Order . Any disobedience will be seen as treason and can be punishable by death."

Miote, Shadow, and Lunette stared at Gerdo, with great confusion. They were unsure of how to react to his words. It was not like banning of actions were strange, but none had ever heard of prohibit ing music.

"W-wait a minute," Lunette spluttered. "Music? Why would anyone ban music?"

"Not just music," Gerdo muttered. "All forms of the arts have been banned from these lands."

Miote raised a brow at his words. "So those damaged sculptures outside town?"

Gerdo nodded. "Destroyed at the behest of the Order ."

"Ah, is tha t so?" Shadow muttered, scratching the back of his head. He drew a deep breath and bowed his head. "Sorry for my rudeness earlier. I thought you meant my sister harm."

"No, no," Gerdo protested, bowing his head also. "I admit I was too rash in my actions. I suppose my fear took over my manners there."

Lunette lightly tapped Gerdo's shoulder. "Please raise your head. No harm was done, and you might have saved our lives."

Gerdo looked up to the warmest smile he had ever witnessed. It warmed his soul and made him feel ten years younger. How was it such a pure smile could exist in these tumultuous times? "As an apology, please, I will answer any questions you may have."

"What's the situation with the music ban?" Shadow asked.

"Ah, yes. Before that, how much do you know about the history of Merriheim?"

"Nothing much. Only know it was the most affected region by the calamity."

"Not just the Calamity." Gerdo ’s eyes clouded. "This land suffered the most from wars over the ages. But it was not always this way." He looked to Lunette. "Do you know why this land was named Merriheim?"

Lunette shook her head.

"I do not blame you. Most of our glorious history are but fleeting memories buried by eons of war." His voice was wistful as if remembering an ex-lover. "We were never a warring nation. Our soil , while not as barren as it is now , was never the most fertile in the land. Our only sources of income were from the minerals deep in the earth, available only to the craftsmen of the dwarves. Because of Suvron's pass to the south and Drakase to the north, we relied too heavily on the halben for any export or income of goods. Naturally, they knew this and charged us obscene amounts of money for goods."

Gerdo smiled. "But you know, despite all of this, Merriheim still prospered, and the people had the biggest of smiles in the continent."

"H-how so?" Lunette asked, confused.

"Because we had art. Be it music, sculptures, paintings, we stood head and shoulders over the entire nation. It was even said some of us had the power to use music to fell the largest of monsters. As such, people still flocked to Merriheim if only to hear our concerts or request a piece of art." He paused, a wry smile as he remembered something. "Even the distrustful dwarves happily exchanged ores and crafts in return for the favorite past-time: music. You could say these short snippets throughout history were our golden ages. However, because of our location on the map, we would always be the first place the daebens attacked, and over time Merriheim became the defense station for all of Rosendun. Each time we were razed by war, we would rebuild, only for another war to occur . Even when there were no wars, other countries would try to invade to monopolize our minerals."

Shadow was still perplexed. "How exactly did that lead to a ban on music?"

"Ten years ago. . . No for the last century, the wars against the daeben were fought almost solely in Merriheim. During this time, the other continents fought for the survival of Rosendun on our land. Year after year, the attacks worsened. Forbidden techniques were used to defend or attack. Vitality was sucked right from the earth to fuel the never-ending war. Ten years ago, the daeben were finally defeated, but at what cost!?"

The old man's body shook. His voice rose as he struggled to control his rage. "While the others returned to their countries, we were left with land that would never bear food, no beasts to hunt, and no clean water to drink; A land devoid of protection from its broken people. So yes, when the Chaos Order offered us relief and aid, we agreed wholeheartedly. Without them, we would have starve d to death. If the price we have to pay is to forfeit our respective passions, then so be it!"

"Old man . You don't really believe that, do you?" Shadow questioned with a skeptical gaze.

"What would a carefree adventurer like you know of our suffering! Our pain! Our sacrifice!?"

"You're right. I cannot understand your pain ,” Shadow shook his head. “ But you know, old man, I'm not the one you're really angry at."

"What did you-"

Shadow sighed. "You know, when I look at you, I remember my past self. I used to curse my fate and lash out at everyone, including my sister. But you know who I truly hated?" He scratched the back of his head as he tried to find the words. "Myself. I hated how weak I was that my fate would be decided by another. The really infuriating part was that while I cursed, lamented, and acted out, my sister did the exact opposite. She pressed on and fought her way and is still fighting every day to own her own destiny. When I saw her like that, I thought, 'How cool is she? '."

Shadow noticed Gerdo's frown and clenched fist and then said with a loose grin, "Well, if you can still make a face like that, then there might still be hope for your town... and your country."

"Why you!" Gerdo screamed, fist raised for a strike.

Lunette caught the elder's arm."Sorry for my brother's outburst," Lunette apologized. Though her expression was bright, her tone had a terrifying chill underneath it. "I assure you, he is not usually this talkative."

Gerdo lowered his arm with an apology of his own.

Lunette continued with her tone and expression back to their vibrant best. "What my brother was trying to say in his own misguided way is that while we may not understand your pain, we understand the feeling of helplessness from being controlled by others. We may not look like much, but we would like to help your town in whatever way we can."

Hidden Quest Unlocked!

Your kind words have pierced Gerdo's heart . He now trusts you enough to reveal a hidden quest. Speak to Gerdo to unlock this quest.

Difficulty: B +

Recommended Level: 90

Lunette brushed the prompt aside. "Would you tell us how we can help?"

Gerdo ’s eyes flitted from one adventure to another, before resting on Lunette. "I do not know how much help you will be. But I suppose I can test you out. If you complete this quest, I'll request an audience with the mayor."

"Still don't trust us, old man?" Shadow asked.

"It is not a matter of trust. It is your abilities I must test. I will not send anyone else on a suicide mission."

"I got it. So... what do you want us to do?"

"I assume you came from R osendun ?"

"Yes, we did."

"Then you must have crossed 'Burning Desert.'"

Shadow grimaced. "Yes, we did. Those three suns are no joke, We couldn't get out of there fast enough."

"Good. I'll ask that you destroy the burning desert."

The trio could not hide their shock at the ridiculous request. Shadow wanted to strangle the old man! However, he controlled his temper, and calmly asked, "How do we destroy an entire desert? Granted, it's much smaller than a real desert, but still?"

"The three suns are talismans that keep the desert in its unbearable condition. The desert will disappear with their destruction."

"Isn't that too reckless?"

"If you can not do even that, then you stand no chance against the Order."

Lunette asked, "Do you have any clues as to how to go about this?"

Gerdo shook his head. "The only thing I can offer is the entrance to a dungeon rumored to house the creature in charge of the suns."

"That is more than enough."

Gerdo marked the location on their maps. "I must warn you, though. I hear the dungeon is fraught with perils. Your party is simply too small to survive. And from what I can tell, the quiet one is a merchant."

Miote smiled and bowed. "An astute observation."

"I am sure we can find some adventurers to join our cause."

This was a lie. There were very few players who dared to venture to this land still. Most preferred to visit t he wisben or halben territories because of the different classes and rewards available in their countries.

Getting into Merriheim was hard enough. Upon entry, there were far too few monsters to battle or farm. Those few that were left had evolved to the constant wars and were far too high for any sane adventures to attack. The only draw was the dwarves, but the entrances to their homes were closely guarded secrets held only by a select few in high political and military positions.

Simply put, it was a waste to go to Merriheim.

However, a certain daeben who saw, and then successfully exploited the potential in Rosendun’s backwaters chose this place as his next destination. Th at alone was enough to spur Lunette to do whatever it took to get a head start before his return.

While Lunette was lost in thought, a snarky voice said from the doorway, "Heh, this sounds interesting. I told you this detour would be worth it. Why don't we join them?"

"You are right. This does seem an interesting turn of events."

Shadow was stunned. How did he not sense them? How was it possible for their presence to be so perfectly hidden? He glared at the two adventurers poised at the entrance.

"Of course," the halben said. "To Fight!"

Syel's bloodthirsty grin sent a shiver down Shadow's spine...

At that moment, an ungodly wail tore through the town. The earth shook as if trying to get rid of an irritation. Men and women alike ran out of their homes and into the streets. Their eyes, which had been dead for so long , widened with renewed life at the unbelievable sight that greeted them on the horizon.

Out in the distance, the high mountains of Suvron's Pass crumbled into the abyss. The earth groaned as a monumental building pushed aside rock and stone as it rose to the surface . Crumbling mountains filled up the chasm around Suvron’s Pass. Unbelievably, a road was formed.

It was j agged, rough, and a tad bit unstable, but undoubtedly, a road had been formed. At the end of the new path rose a magnificent tower that would later be known as Suvron's Gate.

A lone figure climbed out of the building and squinted at the three suns.

"Finally, some fresh air."