Chapter 001 A Foolish Man

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

******

"Are you having fun?"

Absorbed in his book enough to not care about the ringing of the bell over the door, Gus was pleasantly surprised when he looked up from Aljeron Humphree’s tight scrawl.

"Good to see you too," he drawled sarcastically, but his tone curbed any possible sting from his words. Setting aside the book, he left a paper marking his location.

He was glad for the interruption. Still unused to reading on paper, even after weeks, the headache told him it was time for a break. And what do you know, a break appeared.

It didn’t appear that his break was too pleased to see him.

"Are you having fun?" Fien asked again, glancing at the cover of the book he set aside and wrinkling her nose.

"It is interesting enough," Gus shrugged casually, standing up and pulling his old teacher into a hug. They hadn’t seen as much of each other as usual since he quit working over a month ago. "He appears reliable, and provides his sources, though I will have to double-check with a few people since I do not know his status in this type of academia."

Even if Aljernon's Treaties on the mechanics of reincarnation and its subdivisions was interesting, the elf had such a dry tone that it made even a fascinating topic seem dull.

Which was a shame because the man was one of the few Gus had found who followed proper citation and peer review standards for all his grandiose claims. Much better than a lot of the other magic users' works, who just went 'because it's magic' and left it at that.

"He's reliable," she nodded, returning the hug before pulling away. Her nose was still wrinkled as her eyes swept from the book to Gus. He knew the look in her eyes well enough to know that she was dissatisfied. Though about what would take some teasing out. "But nobody wants to read Humphree. They do so because they must. So... you decided to create a magic character? Is that why you're here? What's your Nature?"

"No. I have not really decided what to do yet," Gus shook his head as he moved a pile of books from the only other seat at the table and offered it to his friend. They were in a secluded corner of the bookstore, a square formed by the bookshelves in the L shaped building. "I created a generic nature, the Beast, and described it as something along the lines of 'evolution to whatever is optimal.'”

“Have you tried combat yet?”

“The girls recommended a training Hall not too far from here. Ysold’s. Its focus is on combat and survival. Mostly the latter but does have some of the former. I figured I should delete this character and start a new one once I know what I want to do.”

His friend took the offered seat, but her dissatisfaction seemed to grow with his answers. Knowing her, she wouldn't outright say what was wrong until she had enough information.

"I don’t think you should. Once a character is lost, it takes over three months in real life to be able to create a new one," she explained, looking through the titles of his accumulated book pile.

Not many were as thick as Aljernon's Treaties–Gus didn't have that much time between the bookstore's opening and his evening classes–and a few had only been used as references for terms he didn't understand.

She automatically started sorting them. A few were piled on the one he'd been reading, but far more were set aside.

One, a bestiary, she snorted at derisively and shoved to the bottom of the unwanted pile as she continued.

"That's half your time before you start University. Actually, is that still your plan?"

Gus nodded when she looked up at him.

"Then I'd really recommend staying with your current character and focusing on what you've enjoyed. The first few months are when your Nature starts to settle. Starting again from scratch would waste over a year of in-game time. Unless you want to try and maximize in a certain direction your Nature will self-correct over time based on what you do.”

“I believe Trau did something similar when she started. She was quite put out when Aleene would play without her.”

“Trau wanted to mono focus on something contradicting her initial Nature so restarting saved her time in the long run, even if she didn’t like it.” Fien said, flipping open a small book on the Krakos empire and flipping through its pages before setting it in the keep pile. “If your Nature is generic, you should let it narrow down on its own. Start doing what you want to do later now and you won’t have to restart."

"I thought I was supposed to be on vacation," Gus drawled. "I did not know I would be getting assignments."

Fien paused in her work, setting aside a book with a sigh to look at her friend.

"Gu- Actually, what did you choose as a name?"

"Neron Kaisar." He shrugged helplessly as her mouth twitched upward. "The Nature creation section came first, and I decided to stick with the theme. Since I was planning on tossing this character it did not matter if it was generic..."

"And you decided to stick with Roman roots?" There was wry amusement in her voice. "The girls must be happy they chose roman names as well."

"Really? Which ones? They are still months away, so I have not met them in-game yet." Gus shrugged again.

It was only because of knowing her for the last few decades that Gus caught the way her eyes lit up in joy and mischief.

Also, because he knew her for so long, he sighed internally. Her sense of humor was… unique.

And not funny.

"If they haven’t told you, I won't ruin their surprise," Fien shook her head, pretending she wasn’t going to have a laugh at their expense later.

"Also, I used the Greek spelling, so it is not purely Roman," he added, pretending he didn’t notice. Let her have her fun.

He used the spelling where, depending on who he was talking to, he could put emphasis on different syllables to give different meanings. Most people would not necessarily connect ‘ˈne.rɔn ˈkaɪ̯.sar’ with the softer sounding ‘ˈnɪə.roʊ ˈsiː.zər’ that most knew.

Though his forethought was largely pointless. Apparently, most players did not have multiple names. Why Gus did not understand, as it was bound to become confusing, but chalked it up to one of those ‘gamer’ idiosyncrasies he was not used to.

"Then you're somewhere between them and me, since I chose Medea as a name."

"You were always a fan of Euripides," Gus nodded easily. It was better than her choosing something like Electra or Cassandra. "Though Medea was not Greek."

"Don't be pedantic," Fien lightly swatted his knee. "Anyway, make sure you use in-game names. It's considered bad form to use IRL names."

"I have the privacy settings turned on," Gu- Neron frowned, tapping his fingers on the table. "And I assume IRL stands for 'in real life?'"

"It's less privacy and more common courtesy," Medea explained, nodding at his question. "The early internet age wasn't as safe as now and most traditions that formed in those years are still in place today. It's actually a really fascinating case of observable growth in a sub-culture and the establishment of norms and traditions. One of the few we have documentation on from its advent all the way to the modern day. The biggest issue is that we have too much, but better than the opposite."

"I will have to look into it," Neron nodded, enjoying the way her eyes lit up at the topic. "I have picked up some things from the girls over the years, but many terms, customs, and acronyms fly right over my head. Any good sources?"

Medea opened her mouth to answer, then stopped. Her eyes narrowed.

"Stop it." She said, and Neron shrugged helplessly at the accusation in her voice. "You never answered my question. Are. You. Having. Fun?"

She enunciated her words clearly, and Neron knew she wouldn't let him divert her again.

"It is enjoyable enough," he answered, not having anything else to answer. "The owner lets me read for free so long as I help her organize. The training course keeps me active, and I do the odd job for a few coins if I need money. I am even sharing a room with someone, so my expenses are minimal."

"I can give you money if you need money," Medea pressed, not letting go. "I might not be making what the girls are, but I am still on my fourth Step and level 144. I'm here on a quest that's going to make me hundreds of gold."

"I would have asked if I needed money," Neron rolled his eyes. "Like I said, I do not really need anything more than what I have." When she didn't look convinced, he emphasized his words. "I am fine. There are much worse ways to pass my time."

Neron recognized instantly that his word choice had been poor by the way her jaw tensed. She only clenched her teeth when something really annoyed her. A terrible habit he’d long given up getting her to stop.

"God’s Nature is not something I plan on getting into long-term, unlike you guys," Neron cajoled gently. "I just want to make sure the girls have viable long-term income before I commit to university and get my own estimation for how long it will last before the game ceases. I do not have any particular interest in God’s Nature itself. If I stay, it will just be to take advantage of the time dilation for assignments. If I find something fun, I will keep playing between classes and assignments, but I do not really play games."

"And when you do play games, you do the same things you do in real life," Medea said sarcastically, gesturing to the pile of books.

"A person does not change who they are just because their environment has changed."

"Alright," Medea sighed out a deep breath, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she expelled air. "Let's do this. I'll be in the city for a few months for my quest. By the end of my visit, I want you to have done three things that you would never do outside of the game."

Neron went to open his mouth, his finger raised to point something out, but Medea's glare kept him quiet.

"And I don't mean something that is impossible, like using magic. Something that you've never even thought of doing."

#

Medea has requested you to perform three actions that you have never considered doing.

Time limit: Before she leaves Calderine.

Actions: 0/3

Difficulty: E

Impact: E

Y/N

#

"I did not know players could generate quests," Neron mused as he read over the see-through window. "And how would it know if I succeed? The game does not know my thoughts or my actions in reality, correct? That would break half a dozen laws."

This quest was quietly insidious, Neron realized. If it worked like he expected, he wouldn’t be able to complete it by trying to complete it because he’d tried new things at the behest of Fi-Medea before. Did she know that? Almost certainly.

"It can't," Medea nodded. "But while our bodies are in the pods, it monitors our brain waves similarly to our Consoles. For safety, of course, but also to connect us to the world. Individual thoughts are impossible to read, but combining those brain waves with in-game actions, it can make judgement calls on things like this. When you feel like you've completed the task, it will compare it to your actions and update accordingly. And anybody can generate any quest... Well, there are rules around it, and a whole bunch of pitfalls, but you'll enjoy figuring those out on your own."

"There is no promise of reward, no clarification on the result of failure, and you could leave the city in an hour, and I would fail. I have to take your word that you will stay for the weeks you promised."

"One of the most common traps new players face," Medea smiled, pointing toward the 'E' next to difficulty. "This is the lowest grade, but it doesn't make it easy. It is the difficulty based on the knowledge of the beings involved in the quest at the time of its generation."

"So, it is 'easy' right now, but it could change later? What if you decide to leave early?"

"Tomorrow I could decide it would be funny to give you only one more hour," Medea grinned. "Similarly, if I asked you to clear out of a bandit stronghold, but neither of us knew there was secretly a dragon under it, the difficulty would only reflect the danger of a fortified bandit camp. For now, since I do not plan on trapping you and this quest will only affect you and me, both the difficulty and impact are E."

"You can see this?" Neron asked curiously, gesturing toward the quest screen. He hadn't seen anyone else's system screens even after weeks in game. Was there a setting he missed? Not impossible.

"Nope," Medea’s smile was smug and challenging.

"Then you have run tests on quests, the game system, and know how to word it in such a way to generate expected results," Neron solved her little puzzle without too much issue.

An old game they had played for nigh on a decade, one that had been the catalyst for their friendship. Listening to her teach and her exasperation with him was as familiar as her face by this point.

"Yes, but why?"

"You mean another reason besides your curiosity?" Medea's smile remained undiminished as she nodded. "Then my best explanation would be your Nature was involved somehow."

"Have you unlocked the Knowledge stat yet?" Rather than confirm if he was right or wrong, Medea tangented slightly.

"No. I only have the base three."

"If you're spending time reading here, it will almost certainly be your first supplementary stat," Medea nodded toward the small pile of 'approved' books. "Essentially it’s a numerical representation of your accumulation of information while in-game. Practically everyone gets it eventually. Once it's unlocked, information you've gathered in the past will appear in front of your eyes. The higher the stat, the more information is presented and the more frequently it will do so."

"How would you even track something like that?" Neron asked with a frown. "So long as you do not have a severe disability, to the point where you are non-functional, everyone is always accumulating knowledge."

"That's why everyone gets it eventually. The only difference is whether you are deliberately looking for information or accumulating it passively."

Neron could puzzle out the rest from there. Someone learning to read from a teacher vs someone self-taught from a picture book. They both arrive at the same result, but the speed would differ, as well as the extra information a teacher would provide, like proper grammar and conjugation. Experience vs specific inquiry.

"The number only really matters in the calculation for certain abilities and the amount of information displayed at a given time," Medea continued, getting into her lecture. Neron sat back and enjoyed it. "Someone with twenty-five Knowledge will see the names of anyone they've been introduced to above their head, for example. Someone with one hundred Knowledge will have every facet of that person's recorded information, such as height, where they met last, what they were doing, their known actions and feats, and so on."

"It is a database," Neron nodded in understanding. "You have a high Knowledge stat, ran tests on the system and, from the position of my eyes and your control of how you worded the quest, you knew exactly what it would say and where."

"Not just a database," Medea shook her head, leaning closer in excitement as her smile widened in joy. "It allows for inference. A Knowledge stat of two hundred and fifty would let me see not just how much money someone is carrying by the size and material of their pouch, but also who’s trying to conceal their wealth, flaunt it, and who has great equipment but went broke getting it. I can leave this store right now, walk through the streets and know everyone's level, whether they are a player or not, their fighting style, if they’re non-combatants, or if they're criminals. I've been in this city for four hours and know three assassinations planned in the next year, two affairs between nobles, and the nitty gritty details of the explorers guild's internal politics."

As Medea rambled in excitement, leaning closer, Neron had steadily leaned away. Seeing her getting so excited, like she was in her thirties again, was rare.

He probably shouldn't be surprised. His sisters had been some of the first players of God’s Nature and they got like this whenever they talked about the game. Since Medea was the one who had gotten them into it in the first place, it only made sense she was just as passionate.

Just because she hadn't talked about the game with him before didn't mean that she hadn't fought just as hard to get him to start playing now that he had the opportunity.

Something she said did get his attention though, and he had to ask.

"Assassinations? Why?" Those seemed like a waste of time and resources in God’s Nature, not to mention creating unnecessary enemies.

"Usually to send a message, a part of a larger plan, or for politics." At Neron's raised brow, Medea smiled. "Miss a meeting because you're dead? That gives your rivals more time to counteract your moves. Assassin players are some of the most politically active, at least the good ones. It’s an open secret and there’s even a noble family who specializes in it. So long as nothing is permanent, nobody pushes too hard or takes it personally... Usually. Interested? There's a guild for them hidden in the Burrows I passed on my way here."

"I will think about it," Neron allowed.

He wasn't against the idea but didn't think he'd want to spend his few months in the game getting good enough at such a delicate line of work just to be unable to use it due to real-life time constraints. Even a neophyte like him knew that assassinations or espionage required major time commitments.

"Back to what I was saying," Medea nodded, leaning back into her seat and calming down a bit. "Knowledge, the stat that is, self regulates. For most people at least. Junk data is filtered away and only what you want is left."

"What about false data? Or conflicting information? Does it face the Trash-in-Trash-out problem?" Neron would admit his curiosity had been peaked.

"Yes, but like I said, it’s self-correcting in a way. It just presents information to you that's recorded and then, at higher levels makes possible extrapolations. But when something is proven false, then the Knowledge stat will also point out it's false in the future. So, you can gain the stat with false information, but if something comes along to contradict it, it will lead to real information. Or at least, more reliable information."

"So long as one goes through the effort to verify it," Neron nodded in understanding.

An interesting system that rewards accumulating, testing, and verification of knowledge. There was a trap in there, but Medea would almost certainly have caught it if he’s already noticed and gone out of her way to discount confirmation bias.

"My Nature, Witch," Medea nodded, waving her hands and magical lights danced across her fingertips. "Is all about using Knowledge to enact effects, usually magical, so it's my highest stat. And the more I gain, the more powerful I am, the more Knowledge I can gain, and it snowballs from there."

"Maybe I should try it?" Neron voiced the thought idly, not against the idea since he appeared to be doing the basics anyway.

"If you want, I can get you a place as a student in one of the local academies. Almost all of them have set up fast-tracks for players. Like the training Halls, but more focused on academic topics. A good enough showing in one of them will get you in the door of most magical courses."

Neron gave it some thought. It wouldn't be too different from the reading he was already doing, just more directed. And his current training Hall wouldn't really give him any opportunity to try magic.

Perhaps seeing something in his face, Medea sighed.

"What are you doing Augustus?"

Gus looked at Fien in question, not just because she had used his real name after telling him he shouldn't do the same, but because she had used his full name.

She hadn't called him Augustus since he graduated.

"I don't just mean here, in this game," Medea gestured around them. "I mean in general. What are you going to do now?"

"I am checking to make sure what the girls told me about this game is true, and its long-term viability," Neron repeated with a frown, wondering what she was getting at. Still, he answered. "If I am satisfied they have a steady source of income for a few years, I will head off to University, either Plubus U or Noteworth. Probably leave them the house and move into a dorm to be closer. They are old enough to enjoy the privacy. I will take a few general classes, catch up on anything I have missed in the last decade and a half and refresh myself on some of the older topics. Probably major in history after that. In a few years, and if my grades are good enough, I might transfer to Earth for my Masters or Grand Masters. After that, it will depend on what opportunities present themselves and if the girls are ready to take their own degrees."

This had always been the game plan for when the girls graduated and could stand independently. The only change was the order of him going to university first instead of sending Aleene and Trau while he continued to work.

He wasn't against his sisters taking a few years after high school to make some money before moving on, especially since they loved this game so much. Usually, it was only on someone's second or third career that they managed to get a job they liked. They’d also had some success, or they’d never have accumulated enough for him to quit his jobs and give this a try.

Making money off games was not anything new, and many people did so successfully. Gus was simply verifying its stability and long-term prospects before engaging in any long-term commitments. It wouldn’t do to bet their immediate futures on a game that might close in a year or two.

Besides they were twenty-five now and could make their own decisions, even if a hypocritical part of Gus' brain whispered that they were still too young.

"Worst comes to worst and things do not pan out for them here, I will pick up another job while they get their degrees and get mine in a few decades."

Fien had nodded along as he repeated the same plan he'd had for the better part of the decade, the only changes caused by the advent of God’s Nature. Despite that, his former teacher wasn't smiling.

Instead, it felt like she was nodding in resignation.

"What? Something I am missing?" Neron asked a bit defensively, noting her lack of satisfaction.

It was a good plan. Slightly vague, but such was needed when planning decades in the future. Money wasn't super tight, they'd had enough for the three pods after all, and there was still a decent savings account Gus could dip into if the girls' income couldn't meet their limited needs.

Similarly, he didn't think he'd have too much trouble with returning to school. Yes, it had been fifteen years, but that was hardly the longest time between high school and University, and he had the work history to prove he hadn't been laying around. He'd kept up with his studies in his down time, at least to the degree that he didn't believe he was far behind other freshmen.

Realistically, Gus didn't see a problem.

Which irked him something fierce. He hated feeling like others were getting something he wasn't.

"I asked the wrong question," Fien sighed. Then she looked Gus directly in the eyes. "What do you want to do?"

"What do you mean?"

His friend just kept looking at him.

Sensing they were talking at cross purposes, Gus decided to change his tactics. He clearly didn't have the answers Fien wanted and she wasn’t being direct. Which meant it was something he needed to 'learn,' rather than be 'taught.' Usually, his favorite of their little lessons, not so when it was about himself.

Which meant, if he wanted to get past this, he needed to subtly divert her towards something she would 'teach.'

Easy enough.

"I have not really decided," he shrugged, pretending to understand. "Still exploring my options. Maybe I will stick with this game for a while. Seems interesting enough."

"Don't play because we enjoy it," Fien rubbed her face tiredly. "I'd rather you resell your pod than keep playing because of some sort of duty. So would the girls. Just... find something you want to do."

"I will keep looking," Neron leaned back in his chair with a shrug. "Besides, I have plenty of time. I am still waiting for the girls anyway."

Medea pressed her lips together in the way she did when she disapproved of something but wouldn't speak out.

Neron pounced on the opportunity.

"If you will not tell me what they have been up to, at least tell me what you do here? Games usually have quest lines, stories, or events, do they not? To keep players engaged? I have not seen anything like that. At least none that I did not search out myself."

"It's not that there aren't," Medea shrugged, also leaning back in her chair. "It's that, as far as anyone can tell, the creator God’s Nature made a world with a few game settings then abandoned it. Or rather, they created the world, the rules and then just... stopped. No advertisements, news broadcasts, or announcements. No updates or in-game changes. Nothing. They had the world and weren’t interested in the game."

"How did people find out about it if not for advertisement?" Though he had used it as a diversion, Neron was interested in the answer now. A mystery was always tantalizing.

"Same way anything on the internet gets discovered," Medea smiled wryly. "People were poking around. There is a site where you buy the pods but it wasn't promoted, or even optimized for search engines. Someone found it, bought one, and God’s Nature is the only native software on the thing. Everything after that was word of mouth."

Neron remembered the site, since he'd been the one to purchase the pods for the twins' birthday on Fien's recommendation. Nothing had stood out as strange to him. It wasn't the first game system he'd bought for them and there was plenty of information on the safety features.

Still...

"This is an expensive thing to just put out there. The R&D costs on the pods alone must be insane, to say nothing of their manufacturing, the game's creation, and its upkeep." Neron wasn't the most business or economically focused man, in fact Aleene was the one who had been managing the family budget for the last five years, but even he knew that businesses didn't spend all that money for nothing. "The server space alone must be crippling."

Should he be trusting his sisters' immediate future to something so nebulous?

"We have the information," Medea explained, guessing his source of concern. "Not on costs, but on everything needed to stay in compliance with the law. The creator, singular, is old world money. The type that made their fortune during the Dawn. It's all public record. After the dust settled, they had a few jobs off and on, mostly in computing, before entering a retirement cycle. Fifteen decades later they purchased a dozen kilometers of land out in the red, purchased everything they needed for manufacturing and enough servers to host a few billion people. He got a license for an Overmind, patented the pods, funded a few years of safety tests on them, set up a secondary factory on Earth, and then released God’s Nature. Then... they just stopped. All they've done is deliver pods, keep the server going, and ignore interview requests."

Neron rolled that around his brain for a few seconds, trying to decide if this was worth an older brother's intervention.

Even if the money came from before the Dawn, famous for its obscene oligarchic fortunes, that was still a lot of money and time. Even if costs were kept down by the land being in the red, thus maintained by automated workforce, it just didn't add up to not trying to recoup the costs through sales.

Neron's first instinct was to log off, send his pod back, and try and get his sisters to do the same. He didn't trust anything where he couldn't understand the motivation behind it. Everything was based on self-interest. Even charity.

But this wasn't charity. This was a lot of time, effort, money, and resources that seemed to have no payoff. Or less payoff than could be easily achieved with a bit more effort.

But there were a few threads that stopped him from following that instinct.

First, and most obviously, was the creator getting a license for an Overmind AI. Those were heavily regulated and every one issued was meticulously examined and carefully observed.

The second was the fact that the pods had verified safety tests. Since their creator funded those tests they could be flawed or biased, but their methodology would be public and he could examine later.

Finally, and most importantly, was that Fien had been the one to introduce the game to him and his sisters. She'd have investigated all this before using it herself. And she had more resources, contacts, and avenues for information than he did.

"What are the risks?"

"Only wasted time," Medea answered, understanding what he was asking. "No threat of bodily or mental harm."

"How secure?"

"Better than almost any other piece of tech out there."

"Sources?"

"Too many to count." At Neron's raised eyebrow, Medea grinned. "Barring the game itself, which is intertwined with the Overmind, almost every aspect of the pods is open source. Ever since the site was first found, people have been pouring over its specs, code, and features. I heard about it from my friends from university. They've been playing with it for the last few years. Quite frankly, they’re almost angry that it’s being used for games instead of other avenues."

Neron let out a bit of tension on his shoulders.

If the labs at Olympus said it was safe then a tech neophyte like him was better taking their word than going off based on his uninformed guess.

Which just left the motivation as the only sticking point.

"Money was not the goal," Neron spoke aloud, tapping his fingers on the table in thought. "The possibility that they did not have enough funds to advertise is shot down by the fact they kept production going and refused interviews once discovered. The spread of these pods could be the goal but that runs into advertisement issues again. If the creator 'stopped' it means his goal was fulfilled. Normally, I would say they are the 'artist' type who just wanted to invent something for the purpose of creating something. But the Overmind and the game..."

Medea let him puzzle things out with a small smile as she thumbed through one of the books on the table. She must have read something she didn’t like because she grimaced and moved it to the discard pile.

"Whether it sells or not, whether it is popular or not, the creator does not care. No, God’s Nature was either the end goal itself, or whatever end goal exists is completely separated from the 'players' of the game."

"The common theory is that the creator, Charlie Howl, created the game to play it themself. Of course, since anybody can change drastically after going through a Rebirth Pool, nobody knows who their character is. A running joke in the forums. It's almost a meme to accuse high level players of being them. Like it’s their wish fulfillment power fantasy or something."

"If that were the case it would make more sense for them to not be a player, but a powerful being in the world. Why limit themselves in such a way?"

Neron could understand if someone had dedicated all that time, money, and effort into creating their own little reality where they got to play god. Selling the pods, and the game by extension, would just help recoup some costs and get more playthings for such a man.

The name, God's Nature, was even indicative of such an intent.

"It's not impossible," Medea allowed with a nod of her head. "However, no being like that has directly appeared. Oh, there are high level Natives, rumors of enormously powerful monsters, and the usual mythologies one would find in societies like these," she elaborated before he could ask. "But nothing that anyone could point to and go 'this guy's in charge.' If Howl is wanting to play god, they're doing it out of eyesight or haven’t started yet, even after years."

"And, supporting the argument that they are a player is that God's Nature is a 'game,'" Neron played the devil's advocate to his own suggestion. "Why create a system like this when you do not care about 'players?'"

"The biggest hint of how little he cares about players beyond the bare minimum is how much of a terrible game God's Nature really is," Medea grimaced.

"You like it," Neron pointed out, surprised she would say something like that given it was her primary hobby.

"I have terrible taste," she said with a smile. "I mean, from an objective standpoint, God's Nature is a terrible game. Barely any UI, only three main stats, the Nature system is incredibly vague and ripe for exploitation, the world is too large and not designed for anyone's benefit, there's no system assistance with... anything really, from combat to crafting to exploration. No inventory system. No zoning. Death is a huge pain in the ass. A bit of bad luck can undo everything you've been working for and there's no checks or balances on anything."

"Games trying to be realistic are popular, are they not?" Neron asked, trying to remember some argument he'd heard between his sisters a few years ago. "'Hardcore Survival?' That is a genre, correct?"

"There's barely anything in AR in that genre, let alone something comparable to God's Nature. Nobody really wants to starve to death. Seeing a bar go down on a screen is one thing, but feeling that hunger? Nobody wants that.”

“There are some pretty extreme tastes out there.”

“Most people with those tastes are camping in the red or climbing Olympus,” Medea deadpanned. “And that isn’t even the worst that can happen. You could be on an expedition through the Crags, and a miss-cast spell causes a rockslide. All your provisions? Wiped out. You either starve to death, die of thirst, are killed while weak, or take a suicide pill. After waiting hours to come back, you are back at your most recent Sanctuary, hundreds of kilometers away and all your best equipment is months of grueling travel that you must do without your best stuff. If you can find your body again, which is a big if because it's probably been eaten, it’s been left to the elements for so long that only the strongest enchantments have survived to be looted by the local Durnst tribe."

As her rant had gone on, Neron couldn't help but raise a brow at her passion.

"That is a... very specific example."

"I was one of the first players," Medea grumbled, pulling a strand of brown hair behind her ear after it had fallen out of place. "Those early months were the worst. We hadn’t even learned seven basic spells. Didn’t know we even should. Lack of preparation, starvation, thirst, a random monster... We died so much because we treated God's Nature like it was a proper game, and not like the enemy it is."

"An enemy? Don't-"

"Neron?"

"Optim," Neron cut off his question with a warm smile, standing to greet the therianthrope woman who had found them in the book stacks. "This is my friend Medea. Sorry. Were we being too loud?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that," the shop owner hurried to clarify, her words tumbling out of her in an embarrassed rush. "I just have to close soon. Sorry."

"No worries," Neron waived off her apology with another gentle smile, already grabbing a handful of books to put back on the shelf. He made sure to note which ones were in the acceptable pile and which weren’t. "It is my fault for forgetting tonight was the night Therin was coming home. How is he doing? Is his squad treating him right?"

"He's great," Optim babbled as she also grabbed a few of the books. She gave Medea a thankful nod as she spoke, her tail directing the witch to the row where they belonged. "All he can talk about is how wonderful his captain is. How amazing he is, how good he is with his sword, or how kind he's treating him. I think he has a crush."

"Need me to talk to him?" Neron offered, his smile turned a bit sadder, as if thinking of a painful memory. "I do not have the best history with romance, but there are some things a young man can not really talk to his mother about."

"Ohnononononono," Optim waved the offer away, flustered. She used the excuse of putting away the bestiary Medea had disapproved of to crouch down and out of sight instead of simply sliding it in amongst the others.

As she stood back up Neron noticed her looking down to the lower shelves with a frown. A few books had some minor damage to their covering and tiny scraps of paper littered the floor. Something had been nibbling on the books.

Perhaps he should recommend getting a cat?

Still not looking at him, she muttered under her breath, "I would hate to ask you for something like that."

"It is no trouble," Neron reassured her, placing the last book on the shelf above her head. He made sure to lean in a bit too much. Not enough to touch her but really emphasizing their height difference. "Really. You are kind enough to let me read for free, it is the least I can do."

"Well... If you want..." Optim murmured softly, face red. "If he comes in tomorrow, and you're here, and it's not too much trouble..."

"I will see him tomorrow," Neron said gently. "You have a wonderful night, Optim."

"...You too..."

With one last smile at the store owner, Neron joined Medea and stepped through the door of The Optimal Word.

Once the door was closed behind them, Medea had to ask the question to the no longer smiling Neron.

"Sleeping with her?"

"I have not needed to," Neron denied. Without going to a square with a clock, he had to estimate the time of day by the position of the sun. If it weren't for the tri-hourly ringing of the bells he'd have been completely clueless when he first started playing. "Single mother running a business alone. Only child at the age to leave the nest. You know how it is. A few words, a sympathetic ear, a helping hand around the shop, and I can read all the books I want without buying or renting them. She’s done similar in the past and she is also very well regarded in the local community."

Judging by the sun being half covered by the Arch it should be... four? Maybe closer to five? Still an hour or so before he needed to be at his training Hall.

If he was more knowledgeable, he’d be able to calculate the exact minute by the position of the moons relative to the rings and each other, but such a level of exactitude wasn’t needed in day to day living.

"You don't need to have my Knowledge stat to know she wouldn't have said no."

"And you don't need a Knowledge stat at all to know that she's not the type to want something casual," Neron pointed out as he started to lead them down a side street. "Come on."

They turned down a side street, pushing through most of the traffic easily, though he did have to swerve to avoid a group of orcs walking by. They barely noticed them, in heated discussion on whether the south or the west were safer at the moment for dungeon hunting.

"Not surprising,” Medea said as she too stepped aside. “Shingle-back skinks tend to be more monogamous than most lizards. Adventurer, right? Ran out on her when they found out she was pregnant?"

"Yep. Knowledge stat?" They didn’t bother trying to lower their voices. The buzz of the city street made it pointless.

"It is very useful," Medea grinned.

"I do not even know what a shingle-back skink is," Neron shook his head in disbelief. "Do therianthropes usually imitate their animal counterparts?"

They paused at the next major street, crossing when the flow of carriages allowed.

"It’s not an absolute rule but there is a statistically significant impact on things like food preferences, mating habits, and preferred living spaces. If you're interested in the topic, I'd recommend Lystal's thesis. Third row, second shelf on the right and near the middle. Opposite the book on permanent effects used to scare children and new adventurers."

Neron just stared.

Medea's grin grew.

He'd been reading in The Optimal Word for weeks now and almost certainly wouldn't have found the book without consulting the index.

"Really useful." Neron shook his head and turned a final corner. "Is that why you keep playing the 'terrible game?' To play at being a mysterious witch?"

"It's fun," Medea nodded. "I built my entire character around Knowledge and whenever I get to pull something like that." She gave a playful shudder of pleasure and Neron rolled his eyes.

They'd arrived at a small park, a few dozen meters wide and twice as long. A narrow path wound between a handful of trees starting to show color as the season changed. They weren’t alone, as a couple had spread out a blanket for a picnic and a man was leaning against a tree as he practiced the Shine spell.

Neron led them toward a bench half-way down the path, the shade of a large oak protecting it from the sun. It wasn’t hot out but he still wasn’t used to the glare of an open sky so it was his favorite.

"I slept out here for a while," he explained as he took his seat. "If I'm not at the bookstore or the training Hall you should be able to find me here. Or sleeping in the player dorm on Finhill. Room 44."

"Huh. I guess it's better than the alley I was sleeping in when I first started," Medea nodded approvingly, looking around. From their angle on one of Calderine’s seven hills they could see a fair distance into the sprawling city. "What's your rest rate?"

"A bit under two days. An alley? Really?"

Calderine wasn't a cesspool of crime or anything, at least not this part, and the locals kept it relatively clean, but Neron couldn't imagine sleeping in alleys. Yes, they'd provide more cover from the elements but, removed from the public eye, there was way more risk of something unsavory happening.

Better to just log out and take the time loss to sleep.

"To be fair, the natives didn't know what to do with the influx of players back then and my rate is a day and a half, so it was only a dozen or so times before I had saved enough to get accommodations. Besides, Leidon is a cleaner city." Neron shrugged, never having seen the city. "Oh!"

"Hm?" Neron sat up at Medea's sound of surprise and, following her gaze, scanned one of the nearby trees. "What?"

"See that bird? About mid-way up? The one with a snake in its mouth?"

It took a moment for Neron to spot it, and he had to squint to get the details through the leaves, but he did find it.

A large bird, about the length of his arm, was holding a snake's body to the bark of a branch with its talons as it tore chunks of flesh from it piece by piece.

He even vaguely recognized it. Not its species or anything like that, though he could guess it was a raptor of some sort. Maybe a hawk. No, he remembered seeing it a few times around the area when he was sleeping here. Maybe it had a nest nearby?

"What about it? Is it rare? Or a monster?"

"No," Medea shook her head. "Well, yes, it is rare in a way, but not because of its race. It's just rare to have such a low-level beast with a developed Self. They develop them easier in cities but are usually killed quickly or leave. It’s not particularly powerful or dangerous, but can be pretty useful for someone who knows what they're doing."

The witch waved her hand, and Neron heard the bird let out a sharp cry, taking to the air in surprise, the half-eaten snake in its talons as it flew off to another part of the city.

A few feathers floated down in a clump and landed in Medea's open palm, which she promptly stored away in a small satchel on her hip.

Neron debated for a moment if he should ask her to elaborate on the subject but decided he was more curious about something she had said earlier.

"Why did you call the game an enemy before? Because it is hard?"

His former teacher kept her eye on where the bird had flown off, but Neron noted that she ran her tongue across her teeth as she did. Which meant she was trying to find the right words to explain something she understood but her student didn't.

"It's not hard," she finally said. "Not really. The best way to think about God's Nature is that it does not care. It doesn't care what expectations we have for it, if we have a good time, if it’s a good game, or about anything, really. Plenty of players started in Leidon and remain there to this day. They don't want to explore, fight, or struggle. They're happy to spend their down time being a baker, studying magic for magic's sake, or just role playing. God's Nature lets them and doesn't help or hinder them any more than it does the natives. But to people like me, or the girls, or any other person that wants something out of it, we get push-back. Not deliberately. Like I said, we've never found anything that seems like a powerful god or force that could be the creator. But in its very design..."

"Like what?"

"The best example I can use is the leveling system," Medea said after a moment of thought. "It's a simple thing. Kill monsters to gain experience to level up. Classic. Basic. A million games before have done the same. But each level only gets one point to spend on stats. And only the three main stats, Body, Control, and Spirit. There are currently twenty-three auxiliary stats we know of and probably a dozen more that we don’t. They are each raised in a different manner, separate from levels. But increasing the main stats does have a measurable effect, it’s just so minuscule in low levels that it's entirely possible for a level one to kill a level fifty. So why do we have such a system? Especially when you can gain experience from doing literally anything. Combat and killing is just the most efficient method."

"But those who use the 'most efficient' method of growing get push back? Does that not make sense? Fighting is more dangerous and should generate better rewards."

"That would be the case if it weren't for the Nature system," Medea shook her head. "Each Step has a multiplicative effect on one's stats. Theoretically, there's nothing stopping someone from staying level one and getting to their sixth Step or beyond. All else being equal, despite being further along than any other player and being six times as strong as a fellow level one, they'd still be way weaker than a regular level one hundred."

"So, they need to be advanced together," Neron shrugged, not understanding where the confusion came from.

"But acting according to one's Nature increases the speed you level," Medea pointed out. "There's no exact formula but that has been proven over and over again. So, the logical endpoint is to create a combat Nature and level by fighting, right? That should lead to the fastest growth." Neron nodded and Medea's focus intensified. "But it doesn't! The earliest players to get to level one hundred were crafters, merchants, and those with non-combat Natures. Some gained experience from fighting, but most didn't."

Neron tilted his head in thought, a piece sticking out to him as inconsistent.

"But you said fighting and killing is the fastest way to grow."

"It is," Medea smile was wide and intense. "Look at this."

Holding up her index finger, Medea drew a simple graph with a white line in the air rising at a forty-five-degree angle. It hovered there, a line of white light in the park, to the visible jealousy of the man trying to master the basic version of that same spell.

"This is the average growth rate of combat Natures until about level thirty or fifty.” The angle suddenly lowered to an approximate thirty-degree incline. "This is their growth rate after that, till about level one hundred." The angle softened again, now only increasing at a ten-to-fifteen-degree angle. "The average growth rate from level one hundred to two hundred." Medea let the graph dissipate. "I don't have the data for level two hundred or above. There's just too few players that high."

"Time versus level, right?" Neron asked, just to be sure he knew the axis. "Is it not common for higher levels to increase slower?" Even he understood that logic despite never having played a video game before.

"I accounted for that in my variables," Medea shook her head. "And that doesn't explain this."

She drew out another graph in the air. Unlike before, this one was a steady incline without changes in angle, though the entire thing was only fifteen degrees from start to end.

"This is the average growth rate of crafters, merchants, or other non-combat Natures, from level one to two hundred."

Right away, Neron grasped the problem.

"Growth rate was slower," Medea explained. "But they didn't need to worry about death, respawning, the loss of material/equipment from death, or the time investment in getting to locations where they can grow."

"What happens at level fifty, one hundred, and two hundred?"

"Most people reach their second Step at around levels thirty to fifty. Or forty, for those with combat Natures. If someone hasn't reached their third Step by level one hundred, they automatically do so then. Same with level two hundred and the fourth Step. We believe there is a similar relation between the fifth Step and level two hundred and fifty, but only a handful of players have reached that level and most who do have already reached their fifth Step."

"You mentioned you were on your fourth Step? You were an early player but are only in the low hundreds? I take that to mean advancing your Nature is at the cost of time spent increasing your level?"

"It's not a one-to-one rule," Medea nodded. "But my Nature advances as I gather, compile, and advance my Knowledge. Very rarely does that generate experience in an appreciable manner. I'm in the lowest percentile for growth rate of all players."

"But that is how you gathered this data.” Neron's words were less of a question and more like a statement. "You are not just gathering Knowledge from this world, but about this world."

“Because I have to gather the data. Because God’s Nature doesn’t care about anything so it never explains anything. Not a single tutorial or instruction or anything. Everything we know is because players like me spent time and effort and lives puzzling out answers to questions. Answers that are often wrong.”

No wonder she loved this game so much. Both loved a good mystery or puzzle, which was why they worked well together, but Fien had been voracious in her pursuit of knowledge. So much so that she had been a local prodigy, getting her diploma at twenty, her Masters at twenty-five, and Grand Masters at thirty-five. Her decision to 'slow down' and become a teacher for a few decades at Gus's school made the local news.

Gus's own academic appetite, by contrast, was closer to mild interest than the ravening hunger Fien displayed when she mono-focused on something that caught her interest.

And, now that Gus was playing God's Nature, the floodgates had opened and she was eager to share every part of what she'd discovered and figured out.

"The reason I'm in town is because I'm on a quest and my reward is information on the high-level players in a guild that's in town," Medea’s grin was wild. "Natures, notable fights, interesting items, unknown locations, rare beasts or monsters, experiences, skills, or any other information that's pertinent to my study is my usual price. I'll have this darned game figured out one day."

"And the game lets you do this?" Neron paused, rethought his wording, and rephrased the question. "And God's Nature rewards you for doing this?"

"Very. Useful."

Her grin now radiation pure smugness and Neron rolled his eyes, dragging her back to the topic that had started this tangent.

"So something about God's Nature is preventing combat Natures from getting the experience boost they should get for the danger they put themselves in and that's why it's an 'enemy?' Why'd you include yourself?"

"Because almost all my experience comes from combat as well," Medea's grin fell and she sighed, slumping back on the bench. Neron let out a small smile at the sight. "Experience is gained from 'doing.' The more significant the 'doing,' the more experience. Any time one kills something, they are depriving that being the ability to 'do.' At least for a time. Me learning about the world doesn't 'do' anything. If I deleted my character right now, no matter how far my Nature has advanced, my impact has nothing to do with the Knowledge I've accumulated, just how much I've 'used.' I could know everything in this world and it would have the same effect as if I knew nothing if I don't accomplish anything with my Knowledge.”

“Information is only potential power,” Neron quoted and got another swat on the leg for his trouble.

“Combat is just the easiest way to grow along the way. I gain new, applicable, Knowledge through combat as well, but anyone who tries to grow through combat knows God's Nature is an 'enemy,' even without the hard numbers I have."

"Why do you do it then?"

Medea blinked at Neron, sitting up again.

"I mean, I know you enjoy it," he elaborated. "But you are always grumbling about it. The girls too. Trau is always grumbling about backwards natives, and Aleene has spent entire dinners running numbers in her head, not saying a word. You feel pain here. You spend days, weeks maybe, just walking somewhere, only to die, lose all your stuff, and do it all again. You have been here for... seven, eight years with the time dilation? And you are barely over level one hundred?"

"Only about five years," Medea pointed out. "When you delete your character, it takes a year and a day for you to be able to create a new one. And I did that after I was already level sixty-three in my old one."

"It is not about level," Neron shook his head. "That was just the example I had. It is more about... Why do it at all? It sounds like an abysmal experience, that takes too long, provides no tangible benefit outside of the game. I understand making money out of it, like the girls are trying to do. But even that is just temporary.”

Was her curiosity so great that she’d put up with all that just so she could learn about a game that would be gone in, if he was generous, a century? Two if it broke the record which its sales did not indicate it would. She was essentially devoting a huge portion of her life to something that she called terrible and would have very little, if any tangible benefit in the short or long run. This game they invested so much time and effort into would be nothing more than a memory. They’d be forced to move on to something else. Continuing their schooling or finding another job, one they probably will not enjoy as much.

So why go through all the pain and effort?

“But you are not here to make money. So why keep going? What makes it enjoyable?"

Medea, listening to him, seemed to come to an understanding of what he was asking.

"I guess I'm just like the creator," Medea gave a small, playful shrug. "I don't need a reason. I don't need events, or external rewards, or ways to make my life easier. I've accomplished all that on my own. I never starve anymore because I know what to eat and am prepared. I rarely die because I can tell how strong something is and how risky it is for me. Yet, despite all that, there is still so much I don't know. We haven't explored even one percent of God's Nature, even after a year and a half of playing in real life. Can you imagine it?"

She smiled at him, and Neron felt goosebumps break out at the sight of that smile

"What else is out there? What haven't I seen? What haven't I learned? How strong can I get? What will happen next? I don't know. And that is wonderful. I guess that’s my answer. God's Nature is a terrible game, but it is a wonderful world. And, as much as I'll complain about it, I absolutely love living in this world."

It was the same smile he'd noticed her giving him increasingly often recently.

"And I hope you will too. This place is huge. I’m sure you can find something you want to do. Even if you are only here for a short time, do your best to make the most of it."

That small, infinitely gentle and loving smile.

"Find something that you love, Gus. Something you enjoy. Fight. Build. Explore. Relax. Grow. Learn. Whatever it is, just do something you love. If you can't think of anything, then just take a walk and find something to kill."

A smile that was filled with enough pity that Augustus had to sit on his hands so she wouldn’t know his knuckles were white.

"Even if it's only temporary. Even if the world pushes back. Just have fun."

He wanted to tear the lips from her face if it would get rid of that damned smile.

******