“Sorry mate, didn’t mean ta hit ya that hard,” Dylan sat next to me, both of us watching those enjoying one of Babel's community parks. There were even families there, with Player and Player marriages, Player and Natives, or a mix of harems. Pets ranged from tiny legged snakes to bulbous toads that croaked like opera stars.

My gaze bounced again to the water fountain only a short skip and jump in front of our bench. Silvery water spewed from a crystal formation of several horses and riders charging ahead, waving a flag. Since there was magic, the horses were actually running and the foremost rider holding the flag waved it, which was the source of the water. As such the water slanted to and fro as the group endlessly rode atop their pedestal.

“It’s… just hard to swallow…” I whispered, the shock of it all finally hitting full force. The honeymoon period of reaching Babel, obtaining a body, looking upon such a fascinating world… it had crashed down in full. The signs were there, but I had lost sight of the prison bars for a few short hours.

Now… those dead eyes of the doll were all I could see, looking me in the face and refusing to leave. I imagined myself standing there in that back alley with equally empty eyes. A prop to be used and abused. My future if I failed.

“Aye, it is, brother-” Dylan pulled me back from the vision with another nudge. “It is hard ta think on. But it’s something ya gotta know otherwise you end up falling into that pit.”

“Yeah…” I managed a little nod.

Dylan glanced at me, then looked ahead. “Lemme put ya up for the night. I’ll book a room. Give ya time to think and get your feet under ya.”

“You don’t have to-”

He flashed a smile at me, “Mate, from one Philly to another…” he patted my shoulder, “Lemme help a brother out. I’ve been there. And I want ya to start off running.”

At this point, I didn’t care enough to refuse. “I owe you.”

He nodded, adding, “When yer party has a hot Cait-Sith in it, set her n’ me up with a blind date and we’ll be square.”

“Deal,” I managed a weak smile back.

--

“Hey, Moderator?” I asked the darkness of the hotel room. I lay with my head upon a pillow, eyes staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. “How long will I be here?”

“Three Ether days roughly translates to eight Earth hours. Considering your typical schedule, in sixty-one hours you shall return to Earth.”

“So, three more days just about…”

“Correct.”

“And what is my mandatory quest?”

“That will be assigned tomorrow. All new Players have a grace period of one day to become acquainted with their abilities before receiving their assignment.”

“Time limit?”

“That depends on the quest. However, a quest on your level will likely require completion within two days before punishment is deemed necessary.”

I sighed at that. “So I’ll need to complete the quest before my three days are up…”

“That is correct.”

Rubbing my temples, I continued to stare into the abyss above me, wondering what would come of me.

Even after just getting to Babel, the night coaxed me in with an exhaustion I had never known before and so despite everything, I tried to 'sleep' in my new body and just forget it all. But sleep proved as elusive as strength that night.

--

“Woah…” described the Newbie Guildhall perfectly. The sound continued to leave my lips as I looked around the astounding presentation of elegance, frivolous grandeur, and mythical mystique. Glassy stone floors polished enough to use as mirrors stretched between cradling walls of dark marble accented by strips of white gold veins captured naturally throughout the material. The crystalline chandeliers only made everything sparkle, giving the place a royal feeling where even noname Tier One losers like myself felt important.

Of course it was busy, just like outside, but everyone appeared near my own level; though noticeably they possessed gear while I did not. I noticed groups of Players congregating around the attached cafe or the bounty boards, while plenty wandered around to chat up with potential party members.

“There is search functionality within the Player System to find party members, but within this Guild, using traditional means is encouraged,” my Moderator explained without me even having to ask.

So that’s why… I mused, looking around more for a while, dodging the stream of those coming in and leaving. One rather attractive witch, robed in queenly purple, abruptly caught my eye as she walked straight for me from near one of the bounty boards. Her eyes lay glued on me. I blinked, confused. She smiled and I awkwardly smiled back.

“Excuse me!” she called out with a wave. “Would you like to join our party?”

“S-su-” I was about to speak but stepped to the side the moment my hearing caught breathing right behind me. I looked back and up. It was an orc. A Tier Two monster of a dude at that… and the one the witch quickly approached to talk to.

Hah! Caught myself before falling for the cliche mistake. Despite the feeling of rejection, a touch of pride hit me.

The Moderator said, “Well done. You have successfully realized you are considered a liability not worth paying attention to.”

“...ouch.” This AI really was definitely getting snarky with me and she was getting worse. Still, she was right, so I snapped out of my sightseeing, straightened my back, and headed toward the mahogany front desk. Admittedly the light clacking of my shoes on the polished stone made me feel a little epic.

As I walked, I continued to admire the assortment of Players about… especially the women. It was impossible not to notice that a few fellows, and even other ladies, turned their eyes down to use the mirror-like floor for some extra ‘reconnaissance’ of particularly beautiful girls wearing skirts. I mimicked a few times, catching sight of a few gates of heaven covered by white lace or lavender.

“I would suggest caution when attempting to make a first impression,” the Moderator warned. I bit my lip, stopping. This freaking AI really was becoming my mother.

“Hi!” interrupted my brooding as I reached the front desk. Looking up, one of the cutest girls I had ever seen stood behind it, dressed primly in a cross between a white business suit and ballgown. The clothing matched the girl’s snow white hair topped with fox ears. Tender cheeks, slim brows, crimson ruby eyes, and dainty lips topped noticeably erotic curves that made me swoon… and based on the amount of admirers watching from afar, I wasn’t the only fan.

‘Gamma - T2 - Kitsune Demonkin Native - Receptionist.’

“Gamma?” I blurted, confused by the name for such a foxy lady.

“That’s me!” She brightened up with a sunshine smile, a foxish snow-tail wagging behind her as she barked. “What’s your name?” I noticed quickly that she didn’t have a volume setting lower than ‘energetic shouts’ so I turned my hearing down to accommodate.

“Boreas. Nice to-”

“That’s a pretty name! Are you here to sign up?” she leaned over the front of the counter excitedly, her cleavage straining against her uniform. She smelled of roses too.

“Y-yeah.”

“Great!” She snapped back behind the counter and ducked, bringing up some different weapons before proceeding to dump them atop it, sending fountain pens rolling for the edge that I scrambled to catch. She didn’t seem to notice, only piling on even more weapons. “You can pick whatever you want. But only choose one.”

“Gamma!” another shout erupted, causing Gamma to slink back, ears and tail drooping.

Do all receptionists here only shout? I mused before a carbon copy of Gamma walked into my vision, making me blink. Looking between them, there was no perceivable difference. If not for my Scanner I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.

‘Beta - T2 - Kitsune Demonkin Native - Receptionist.’

Now it was my turn to shout a bit, shocked. “Beta?!”

“What?” the newcomer glared at me, making me slink back as well.

“Sorry, just… your names are…”

“Unique, yes.”

“By any chance… do you have more sisters?” I guessed, trying to quickly avoid further embarrassment.

“Yep, Alpha!” Gamme chimed in, slinking back again with Beta’s glare.

Beta turned to face me, “Alpha, Beta, Gamma. We are the triplets in charge of the Guild Related Services here. We will oversee any direct, simple services related to Players and the Guild.”

Gamma’s tail wagged again. “Yeah, and all together we make ‘G-R-L-S’!”

“Guild Related Services is G-R-S,” Beta corrected.

“It’s G-R-L-S.”

“G-R-S.”

“G-R-L-S!”

“There is no ‘L’ in the department’s name!”

“Re-Lated!”

“That’s not how it works!”

As the two continued arguing, I stood there blankly, unsure what to do or say. Though, watching two adorable girls argue was rather amusing, so I was in no rush. They were a breath of fresh air.

“I apologize for their foolish and rude behavior,” earned my attention. Their third sister had arrived: Alpha. As the other two, she looked exactly the same, but gave off a more mature air. With a light bow in apology she rose, ignoring the two still arguing. “You are here to register as a new Player, correct?”

“I am.” I straightened again, feeling like I had to act mature in front of this young woman.

She pulled out a small card and offered it to me, “Please answer all questions on this form and return it to me when you are ready.” I nodded, accepting the bank-card sized object. “We will then proceed to the combat overview and evaluation before presenting you with starting equipment.”

“Then why did she...?” I looked at the pile of pistols, swords, daggers, grenades, and so forth piled in front of me.

“Please ignore that. Gamma often attempts to circumvent the proper procedures as she dislikes the paperwork.”

“Aha…” I managed a little smile.

Alpha began placing the weaponry back beneath the counter while her two sisters continued to argue about the acronym. She added, “If I might suggest, Mister Boreas, you will find more pleasant background noise near the cafe.”

Thoughtful of her. “Then I’ll do that. Thank you.”