"It's not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well." -Rene Descartes

Sacred Bakke Mountains/Special Dungeon

Pirugan Continent

The passage widened and sloped upward as Ray and Leilan continued their journey. No enemies moved to bar the way, no traps to impede their progress, just an empty, dim silence that neither of them was willing to break.

They scaled the steep incline and observed a massive cavern at its top. Pillars of stone reached to a jagged ceiling hundreds of feet above. Muggy shadows obstructed vision and clung to the rock in unnatural splotches like amoebas.

Leilan conjured a small flame to push back some of the darkness. A few steps into the cavern and it became unnecessary as torches along the angled walls awoke and illuminated the area.

“Now that's a bad omen.” Leilan readied her weapon.

Ray mimicked her movement and covered their rear. “Yeah, no kidding.”

An echoing pulse like a heartbeat accompanied the dancing torches. A chill cut through the air. The flames shot straight up in unison and shivered as if instilled with the same cold that made the hairs on Ray's arms stand up.

The fleeting shift of the air was replaced by a muggy warmth. As they proceeded further into the cavern, Ray realized that the pillars of stone seemed to grow. Actually, they were throbbing.

The scrape of metal broke the silence.

They fell into defensive stances as they turned to the source of sound.

A figure in golden, white armor rested on hands and knees a generous distance away. A crimson aura emanated from a pair of folded wings. The helmet looked up and observed them through a visor of blackness.

Ray's database opened and flashed with urgency. A screen appeared with an automatic analysis: Name: ???/Type: ???/ Attribute: ???/Active Skill: ???/ Leader Skill: ???/Stats: ???.....Warning: Foreign interference detected. Threat Level (Analyzing team stats): Peak distribution placed at “Red.”

The armored knight rose from his crouched position and proceeded towards them at a slow, even pace. He did not draw the broadsword from the scabbard on his back, but his imposing presence was more than enough to exact its will.

Ray made a futile effort to control his shaking limbs. They were in a dungeon that he knew was far beyond their abilities. But he had given in to Leilan's insistence.

He glanced at his partner. His trembling ceased when he saw Leilan's expression.

She stared open-mouthed at the golden knight who had now cleared half the distance between them. It was like she was in a daze. Her eyes widened.

Ray managed to find his voice. “Leilan, what's the matter?”

“Verche...” Leilan breathed.

What? Ray shifted focus back to the knight. He almost hadn't recognized the god monster's appearance. Y-you've gotta be kidding me!

She said the name as if she knew him; not just his name, but personally. So it really was Verche. A god monster. In the previous game, he wasn't necessarily considered to be a particularly strong god, but even if it held true to this world, he was still far beyond their current level.

“Do you know him or something?” Ray asked.

Leilan let out a slow breath before answering, “Yes. But please leave the rest of your questions for later.”

Ray read the worry on her face. She didn't seem like the type to express her emotions so plainly.

Verche was a comrade? A friend? Whatever their relationship, it had Leilan rattled.

He'd become so accustomed to Leilan taking the lead that he forgot he was the Player. He was the leader. He was supposed to call the shots.

Ray inhaled and let the air out in a smooth stream to clear his head. Like she said...time to act like a man.

“Listen, if we beat Verche, he will drop as an egg and hatch,” Ray said.

He wasn't entirely certain this was the case, but it worked that way in the previous game. Logic suggested that if a team of monsters could be created in this world under a single Player, then a system was in place to allow for it. Defeating these monsters in a predetermined setting in the form of a boss trial was a reasonable assumption.

Leilan tore her eyes away from Verche. Ray felt her eyes staring at him in that analytical way, reading his posture and expression. The logic of his words seemed to cool her mind and she returned to her natural, neutral countenance. Mostly. His explanation still meant she had to practically kill her comrade. Ray could hardly blame her if such a thought warded off a fully keen mindset.

He hoped that defeating Verche would release him from whatever malevolent presence controlled him. Something was definitely there. The crimson aura rose from Verche's back and morphed into a maniacal, grinning face.

Seattle, Washington

United States

A man wearing an ostensibly out of place heavy metal shirt and black beanie walked through the wide halls of the massive corporate building. The south wing of the building was bustling with employees. He didn't particularly care for all of the cacophony and the cramped space from the crowd, but the chaos was enough to draw any suspicious eyes away from him. His informal attire drew some looks, but it was common knowledge that the IT department was known for its lenient dress code. People who saw him suddenly found the environment to be terribly fascinating.

The information from a few hours ago put him in an uncomfortable state of mind. One of the men in the black suits had summoned him to address an issue with a young male Player selecting his monster partner before entering the virtual world. The Player had told him that one of the monsters he wanted to choose was missing from the roster. It was strange to think that someone could make such a mistake, especially since most of the data went through multiple steps of static code analysis for all of the tasks leading up to entry.

After fixing the issue, he had returned to the Player and asked for his name. With some digging around in the files that Emily Tanner had given him, he confirmed that the Player was indeed Ray Andylon.

Ray was a SSS rank, and the monster that was his first choice had been missing from the roster. Coincidence? Doubtful. Perhaps the enemy was already aware of him, and since they had taken such measures to impede his progress, it could be safely assumed that they saw him as a potential threat; which meant he might actually be a possible ally in the future. He wasn't currently a part of the enemy plan, but his choice of side was still unknown. He couldn't be trusted just yet.

The crowd began to thin out as he took a left down a side hallway and entered a small plaza with multiple elevators lining the walls. He had analyzed the layout of the building countless times to make sure he knew which elevator would present him with the least resistance, depending upon the number of individuals that past through his route and their departments.

He felt a vibration in a pocket of his jeans. He pulled it out and saw obscure symbols that replaced the name on the caller ID. There were only two other people who had access to the secure line, but he still found himself breathing a sigh of relief when he recognized the characters. He glanced up warily and observed the people around him. The area was still pretty loud, and he noticed a corner next to an ATM that was a safe span from prying ears.

He answered the call and heard Emily's voice. “Everything good so far, Rick?”

“Yeah. We're good. I'm at the first elevator. Are you in position?”

There was a shuffling on her end before she answered. Rick waited for her response. The phone weighed heavier in his hand.

Finally, she responded, “All set.”

“Okay, I'm moving in. Wait five minutes after I hang up and then put the cameras I listed on the loop. I only need a fifteen-minute window.”

“Got it. Be careful.”

“Will do.”

He hung up, set the timer on his watch and proceeded to the elevator. It was crowded. His luck held out as most of the people exited on the same floor. Now it was time to reach the second elevator.

The halls were still painted with the same plain white color that made the building feel like some sort of hospital. The illumination also made the men in black stand out even more, adding to their intimidation factor. He walked past them and assumed an air of calm. The employees paid him no mind as he turned the last corner.

He fished into his pocket for the keycard that would give him access to the next elevator. He swore vehemently as his sweaty hand stuck in the pocket with the card wedged between his fingers. He hated jeans. The pockets were so damn small. He couldn't afford any delays.

As he managed to wiggle his hand out of the pocket, he heard a voice behind him that practically made him jump out of his skin. He turned faster than he would've liked and saw a man wearing a lab coat eyeing him up and down.

The man adjusted his spectacles and addressed him again, “This is a restricted area. You mind telling me what you're doing over here?”

Rick froze at the question. He had an excuse prepared for this sort of situation, but the words caught in his throat.

The man in the lab coat noticed the fake ID tag clipped to his shirt and sighed. “IT department, right? You recluses seem to have a hard time with people outside your little niche.”

Rick thanked his lucky stars that this man had completely misunderstood his panic for simple social anxiety. The man saw him as one of the stereotypical, antisocial tech geeks.

This stroke of luck was enough to calm him down so he could speak somewhat coherently.

“I'm, uh, looking for the third data distribution area for the PADW project. The guys running it wanted me to, um, check out a small bug in one of the links or something.”

The man in the lab coat cocked an eyebrow at this. “Then why are you heading to the Cell Lab?”

Rick turned back to the elevator and read the placard lined over the top. The words read: Virtual Cellular Reproduction/Growth Testing Lab 2B.

Rick let out a nervous laugh and rested his face in his hand. He shook his head and slapped himself on the forehead.

“I always seem to get lost in this stupid building. I can't stand this layout.”

The man with the spectacles laughed with genuine humor. “Yeah, I hear yah on that one. This is my area of expertise, and I still get lost from time to time.” He threw a thumb over his shoulder in the other direction. “The elevator you're looking for is that way. Just one wrong turn, that's all.”

Rick nodded his appreciation and moved to pass, but the man stopped him with a sidestep that caught him off guard.

“I gotta ask,” the man said.

His tone didn't portray any sort of suspicion, but the delay was starting to kill Rick's composure.

“You guys know about all these apps and stuff, right?” He pulled out his cellphone and looked around to make sure nobody was watching. He saw that Rick noticed this and shrugged. “Those guys in black are real hard-asses. Cellphones are restricted in this area, but it's not like anybody had a problem with it until they showed up.”

He opened up an app on his phone and Rick saw that it was the Puzzle and Dragons Viewer app.

The man handed the phone to Rick. “I'm trying to figure out how to pull up the split-screen setting so I can watch two Players at once, but the app doesn't come with a guide. Maybe you know how to do it?”

Rick sighed with relief, but this guy was going to give him a heart attack. The clock was ticking, and Emily would be upholding her end soon.

Fixing the man's problem turned out to be relatively easy, and Rick was grateful that the man had no further requests. The man gave him an appreciative slap on the back and went back to his work.

Rick quickened his pace to the opposite elevator and unconsciously gave one of the men in black a nod in greeting. The man made no indication that he noticed the gesture.

He placed the keycard over the scanner and the doors parted. The elevator descended several floors below the base of the building and came to a smooth halt. The doors slid open to reveal a long hallway that intersected with two diverging stairways that led further downwards.

Rick checked his watch and cursed. He was already three minutes past the time. Now he was really cutting it close.

There were only a few corporate employees down in this area, but even so, he limited himself to a brisk walk to avoid any unwanted attention. A few passersby glanced at him curiously, but most of them paid him no mind as they continued examining documents on their tablets.

A man in a sports coat stopped him halfway to his destination, but waved him on when he saw the IT tag.

"Ah, right, the guys upstairs mentioned you." He pointed down the hall. "Staircase on the left."

Rick gave his thanks and waited for him to enter another room before taking the next right. He went down two steps at a time when he was out of sight. As he rounded another bend, he came upon a solid steel door. Another scanner was planted in the wall next to the handle with a numerical, holographic keyboard underneath. A second security feature with a small glass dome stuck out of the wall with a cylindrical device inside.

Rick produced another keycard from his pocket and the scanner accepted it with a short ping and a green light. He then typed in the numerical code and the scanner presented the same positive response. The third step, the retinal scanner, was trickier.

He pulled both of his sneakers off and examined the soles to find the loose bit of leather that opened the hidden compartments underneath. He wiggled the tip of his nail into one of the grooves in the bottom of the shoe and peeled back the rubber. This same process was repeated on the other, and he pulled out the contents hidden inside. The last piece he needed was in the tongue of one of the shoes, and so he dug his nail into the loosely stitched fabric. He pulled out a thin rod, barely longer than an inch. The four other pieces had two smooth planes and a rounded side. Rick placed all four pieces beside each other and held them together with the fingers on one hand. When they were all evenly placed on their flat sides, he inserted the plastic rod and heard a satisfying click as it attached the complimenting parts, much like a three-dimensional puzzle.

The resulting sphere was slightly smaller than the size of a ping pong ball. It was nearly white all around with a blue hue and a circle of inky black at its center. A unique, artificial eye.

Rick took a deep breath and held the iris over the retinal scanner. He felt the grittiness of sweat sticking to his skin when the scanner remained silent. He wondered if it had rejected the artificial eye. It could have been sending out an alert to security right now.

After a few more seconds, the familiar ping sounded and the third green light flashed. Rick let out the breath he'd been holding.

You really were a genius, Takamura.

A low female voice welcomed him to the mainframe, “Welcome, CEO Akio Kurosaki. For security purposes, this visit will be recorded in the Head Officer database for reference.”

Rick entered the mainframe. He was running short on time. It was going to be close.

He weaved around the seemingly endless rows of consoles and computers that littered the large control room. The mainframe was connected to multiple other refrigerator-sized setups that reached through walls to other sectors.

The virtual world inhabited by the Players ran on a closed LAN network to prevent those on the outside from gaining access. There were only three direct access points for the virtual world: the Gamemaster's control room, the Players' login points and the mainframe.

The Gamemaster's connection was full of people with direct authorization from corporate CEOs such as Kurosaki, Alsheimer and Malkin. Getting into the control room was impossible given Rick's falsified status. Forging his information in-person to break through such a high level of clearance was impossible.

The Players' login points were also not an option. The headgear that sent them to the virtual world was programmed to admit specific individuals. When Players logged out, the headgear and console prepared automatic updates. Supervisors used a tier of clearance that only allowed for safe Player entry and ejection.

The only place left that fulfilled his needs was the mainframe. Only the corporate CEOs and a few other individuals were permitted. Some high-level security personnel were provided clearance as well, but only with corporate approval that came straight from the top and with an escort.

Rick examined the various consoles. Much of them involved the classified records of Future Artificial Networking: some high security applications, consumer statistics and other hidden processes. Rick would have loved to take the time to hack into the secrets of the corporation. But alas, time was his enemy.

He'd spent years with Emily and her people to prepare for this moment. Years spent ingraining themselves within the PADW project with fake civilian records, forged IDs, fictitious work histories and other erroneous information.

Rick scoured the massive mainframe and found a port that suited his needs. He pulled out his phone and opened a small compartment underneath the base that held a USB wireless adapter. Rick had made a few modifications to the adapter and enhanced the signal to also provide permission to one other device. The wireless signal remained off until activated remotely. He hoped. It was impossible to tell what security measures were in place for the PADW project. Technology conceded too many variables.

The USB ports were actually inside a pull-out section of the mainframe, and he carefully slid it out to reveal dozens of options.

Rick connected the wireless adapter and opened an application of his own design to examine the hibernating signal. After a few seconds, the cellphone confirmed that the adapter was connected.

Now all that remained was to authenticate his laptop miles away with a dummy signal. It had to be immensely powerful, and he hoped that the adapter emitted enough strength. Upping its reach was a major pain in the ass. They'd tested it in a remote area outside the city, but the interference inside was an unknown factor. It might even take piggy-backing off other wireless connections outside the building and stringing them together.

Well, plenty of time to deal with that later. The Players had their own work to do over the next few days before they initiated any plans to retrieve the Universal Code. Rick felt all this risk would be worth it once they found allies in the virtual world.

The time on his phone indicated that he had a few minutes to spare.

Man, I must've set some sort of record. He let out a relieved laugh.

Rick shoved his phone back in his pocket and pushed the shelf of the mainframe into its previous position. He was glad to see that the wireless adapter was concealed. Nobody would wander all the way down to the mainframe unless there was some serious issue. Which he doubted.

He hurried out of the room and took the stairs slower this time.

Rick called for the elevator and shifted on his toes and heels. All he had to do was ride the elevator up, head back down and exit when the cameras fell off the loop. Then he would take care of the issue everyone thought he was here for. If he ran into the same higher-up from before, he could just say that he forgot something and found that he dropped it in the elevator.

Before the elevator arrived, he noticed an employee in one of the offices watching a video on a laptop. A young man in dark attire and a female wielding a magnificent pole-arm were locked in combat against a dangerous enemy in gold armor.

Rick stared at the screen for a moment. As the elevator doors opened, the familiar face registered. It was Ray Andylon.