When the clammy tip of Luke's outstretched finger touched the screen, a field of information filled his vision. As he read it, a chilliness fell over him, starting at the front of his skull and piercing down into his chest.

PHASE 2 WILL BE BEGINNING IN TEN MINUTES FROM THE TIME THIS ANNOUNCEMENT GOES LIVE.

Hello, Laboured and Lost of Panlavia.

We believe you will have seen the sky turning red by now. Fear not; it's just for the drama, and you know how our viewers love the drama.

As of 10 minutes from now, Phase 1 of the World of Wills will be ending. We've appreciated seeing who you are at your core, without the weight and pressures of the outside world pressing down upon you.

As of this announcement, you will have the option of restoring your memories of the true nature of your participation in this Liberation Game, and the on-boarding contract you willingly signed and even opted into. Each and every one of you approached us, with very few exceptions, and not the other way around.

It is with joy in our hearts that we remind you that there will be one party of Adventurers at the end of Phase 3 who will have the refined privilege of leaving the game as one of the revered Lavish.

We believe it goes without saying that this is not the leisurely week-long gaming retreat your memories will have you believe - but we're saying it anyways. If you want to remember your reasons for joining, your knowledge of past Liberation Games and more, consider clicking the 'I Want My Memories Back' button at the bottom of this announcement. Otherwise, you will continue into the game as you are; unburdened by the reasons you chose to participate in this Season of the World of Wills. A blank slate, besides what you learn in this Season of the Liberation Game.

PHASE 2 NOTES:

- Phase 2 will introduce the ability for Player Characters to kill other Player Characters; however, this will only be possible inside of Dungeons and Challenge Rooms. The game world at large will remain a PVP-free zone until Phase 3 begins.

Dungeons and Challenge Rooms will offer a significant reward at the end. It is up to you, the players, to decide if each reward is worth it to you and your party members - but if you opt out of too many, you will find yourselves falling behind.

As of the beginning of Phase 2, you will be able to see the Dungeons and Challenge Rooms in the [Dungeons and Challenge Rooms] menu that will become available on your interface once you press one of the buttons below. Through this menu, you will be able to see which Dungeons and Challenge Rooms are spawning where, what reward(s) they offer, how many Players they support, as well as a brief description of what you may expect.

- To help players find party members, a [Party Listings] button will be added to your interface, wherein players will be able to list themselves as looking for a party. A full party consists of five members, but you may play with fewer if you so choose. As of this announcement, you will also gain access to the [Party] section of the interface, where you may see the status of each of the members of your party. The Party Leader may also access EXP Distribution and Loot Distribution settings, as well as Party Naming settings, from the same menu.

- From this point forward, the [Boons] section will be available. The lucky few of you who manage to capture the interest of our watchers may find a Gift there for you one day. To receive such a Gift is a rare and expensive occasion.

To gain access to any of these new menus, you must make one of the two choices at the end of this announcement.

AFTERWORD:

For those of you who may choose not to regain your memories of why you joined this Liberation game, here is a quick rundown of the basics.

The Laboured and the Lost of Panlavia were given the privilege of choosing to try to become one of the Lavish, and you joined our game with the great hope that you could rise to the top. We admire your ambition, and wish you the best of luck.

You will find no 'Log Out' button present in your interface. It is not possible to log out of the World of Wills, but until Phase 3, you will respawn at the location you set as Home when your Health Bar reaches 0.

This is not true for those of you who die in a Dungeon or Challenge Room, however. If you allow your Health Bar to reach 0 in either one, you will have lost. Please rest easy knowing that we have already made arrangements for your bodies, and a Token of appreciation will be sent to your families.

Remember: the party of Adventurers who will ascend is among you. If your will is strong enough, you'll surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.

And now, the choice.

I WANT MY MEMORIES BACK | I WANT TO STAY AS I AM

It was an information overload, and not a pleasant one. His brain was being crammed with a buttload of info, and it fought him to spit it all back up in a stupendous upheaval.

Luke remembered signing an on-boarding contract wherein he'd agreed to a week-long gaming retreat of butt kicking and hanging out with friends. It was supposed to be a freeing process; an entire week of gaming where you couldn't log out or talk to anyone from the outside world.

Well, apparently his memories were lying assholes. The Warrior planted his feet where he stood and slammed the 'I WANT MY MEMORIES BACK' button without hesitation. Did anyone ever pick 'I want to stay as I am'? Why would they?

The response was immediate. A crackling trail of light filled his mind and illuminated the many terrible places that had been obscured: him making the terrifying decision to enter into a Killing Game of his own accord, the prevalence of using the Laboured and Lost in Killing Games all throughout Panlavia, the true nature of his relationship with his friends, the darkness of his mother's veins and the tar-like sludge she was coughing up, the look on her face when she saw how many Credits it would take to be fixed.

His deep-dive into his own psyche was cut short when the sensation of one light tap on his shoulder cut through it all.

"Luke?"