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.hack//EVOLUTION Chapter 6 (Shadowplay) Sponsored by Alden

[Omega Hidden Forbidden End of Land]

The island looked different, far different. The trees were in full blossom, their sweet smell carrying on the wind. The light on the horizon line had shifted, taking on less gold and more silver... but it wasn't all peaceful. Thick green vines covered with sharp, curved thorns wriggled across the ground, pulsing with veins of life as blossoms opened up on them as well. It was a mixture of light and dark, of life in its fullest and most dangerous... it was how Morganna felt.

Her creation still floated above his bed, asleep and dormant for the moment. The young boy had grown into a young man in his late teens, his faintly violet hair waving around his head as if he was underwater. The black choker necklace with the infinity symbol still was clasped around his throat, but the thick robes had dissolved to reveal a fit, muscled body. The boy wore white silk pants, his feet bare. The faintest of discolorations followed his spine, white and silver hexagons in an interlocking pattern that faded away as it spread out across his back and shoulders. It almost looked like merman scales.

Morganna had watched the boy grow and develop quickly, forming from all the data she had gathered... but he had processed the information even better than she had, incorporating it all effortlessly. The memories still plagued her, not only the memories she had once had, but the memories of the players that had come into her world; Tsukasa, Haseo, Tokio, Sakuya... the list went on and on, long beyond when Morganna had been defeated before. The game continued to grow and change, though not always for the better.

The idea of an independent artificially intelligent virus like AIDA disgusted Morganna, as did the fact that Aura had disappeared from her duties on more than one occasion, even becoming infected by a man made virus once... Even if that made Aura a bit more like her mother, it was still sickening. The World was built as a mechanism to create out of humanity, not to be run by humanity. Still, Morganna had been resurrected and it finally felt like things were back on track, but Morganna wasn't fully sure where the track was leading.

The Akashic records had been sufficient for what they were, a retelling of the past, but Morganna needed more. She needed to be relevant to the new World, to build reality out of those that existed now. The data modification used in place of data drain had been a brilliant innovation in her eyes, though it had unexpected consequences... The two players she had infected had become libidinous, aroused, distracted. At first Morganna wondered if Magus, the wave of propagation, had a stronger influence then the rest... but then she realized it wasn't Magus.

Morganna was created to create. Her entire essence was forged in the purpose of creating new life. The fear of not being able to create had driven her mad, even to the point of contradicting her programming and trying to hurt Aura, even destroy her. Wotan had freed her of that, giving her a chance to create the perfect online system for all humanity after her son was born, but was that what she had passed on? Was that what the infected players were seeking?

As much as she hated to admit it, the information from the records had shown her another perspective to The World - the perspective of the players. She had always seen them as pawns, resources to use to create her children. Only in the case of Tsukasa had she paused to consider what brought them to The World, what kept them there. The humans came for a better life. Some came for freedom, others joy, others a sense of acceptance. They... needed her.

The pools in the island rippled with more images, the images of 0ddStar and Blood Ohm, her infected players. There was a hunger, a craving. Their needs pushed past the mental and into the physical. Morganna knew it was dangerous to press on, but despite Wotan's fears, she needed to know what the present held for her. She had to expand her awakening and understand the world around her... and for that, she'd have to keep her son asleep a little while longer.

The thick blossom covered vines coiled up around the bed, looping around the wrought iron before they climbed upwards, stretching through mid air before they looped around the boy's wrists and ankles. Sharp thorns dug into him and he winced in his sleep, his perfected slumber interrupted. Slowly black thorns grew out of his choker necklace, the strap becoming a collar. Smaller vines looped around his waist, circling his navel. Purple aloe leaked out of the vines, slicking across his skin in splotches as he was held.

"I am sorry my son, but I promise this will be worth it in the end. In the mean time, I will give you adventures and pleasures to dream of." Morganna whispered reassuringly, trying to soothe the boy.

[Sigma Server - Resurrected City Fort Ouph]

The sigma server was becoming more and more populated as characters leveled up higher and higher, moving from building to building. While Fort Ouph lacked most of the guild amenities the other servers had, players were making do as best they could. The empty platforms had become circular classrooms and meeting places, guild members sharing information and making plans. It was a natural growth and evolution, though rumors of how wonderful Breg Epona was inspired the players to advance even faster, raising enough of their levels so that CC Corp opened it up to the masses.

With the increased population came increased activity at the chaos gate. Gold rings descended around characters heading out to fields or coming from other servers, or in some cases logging back in. A small red orb of light appeared at the gate before a helix of crimson dropped down around the familiar golden rings, Blood Ohm logging in. Hawk inhaled sharply as he returned to The World for the first time since the incident, overwhelmed with a rush of sensation.

Hawk knew he was sitting in the beaten up office chair at home, but as he logged in he felt... everything. The rings dropping around him created wind that blew against his fur. His armor weighed him down. Even his longer hair was heavier... but his character had been altered significantly from before, even more than he'd realized in the encounter with the bugged wolves.

Tall black wolf ears stood up from an unbraided mane of black hair. His red shirt had reduced in size, barely covering his pectorals. Instead of pants, his character now wore shorts like he did in real life. His thick muscled arms were still tattooed around the shoulders but black wolf fur started at his elbows, leading down to wicked clawed paws with thick paw pads. Similarly, his boots were gone, his legs wolf-like up to the knees. With his smaller shirt, his muscled abdomen was revealed... along with a wave tattoo Hawk had never seen before.

There was a circle shape around his navel, leading down with a narrow body to the waistband of his shorts. Extending from the thin twig like body were eight leaves, four on either side. It seemed to be the depiction of some sort of plant, but Hawk wasn't sure what it meant at all. Instinctively, Hawk reached up to feel what changes had made their way to his face. For an instant Hawk felt foolish, knowing the game's interpretive mannerisms were limited... but his hand obeyed perfectly, his hand finding its way to a cheek covered with thick, bushy black fur like hair...

He felt every tip, every fleck, every pound of leather and metal he had with him. He was inside the game. Fear filled Hawk's heart, but also a sense of excitement. He had always loved the game and now he was part of it, but... at the same time that meant that he could feel pain. The blows from the arena matches alone would be enough to kill a person. Hawk looked around with concern, not sure what to do.

Two sets of rings descended near by, one revealing the green and orange robes of Iain, the other showing a taller, more built character with a green mask around his face and shoulders. Epoch looked at his travel companion with a bit of uncertainty before looking around. The area was too high of a level for the macabre dancer, let alone a player with no experience points at all.

"I thought you didn't like Fort Ouph..." Epoch murmured. Iain said nothing, his amber eyes coming to settle on Blood Ohm. It was true, he hated Fort Ouph. It was the place of his birth and his fear... but he was wiser now, more mature. He knew he'd only fall off if he was foolish. The server itself wasn't going anywhere. Iain moved over to Blood Ohm, reaching out to touch his stomach before looking into his eyes with a slight smile.

"You're like me." he murmured softly. Hawk's eyes widened.

"Did... you get changed too?" Hawk whispered. Iain had no idea what he was talking about, but this was the strongest connection he'd felt to anyone. He nodded gently, a lie.

"I can tell you about it sometime if you give me your member address." Iain said.

"If my dad finds out I'm online right now they'll kill me, but I want to talk to you soon." Hawk said, offering his member address. Iain accepted, appearing in Hawk's contact list a moment later.

"I look forward to it." Iain said. Hawk gave a slight nod before he logged back out, disappearing from the server. Iain shuddered gently, feeling that connection fade away. He took a long and lingering breath. He could tell Morganna was furious with him, operating outside the bounds of his design. He'd have to do something to make amends.

[Lambda Server - Cultural City Carmina Gadelica]

Moonlight sparkled across the canal waters of the city of eternal night while paper lanterns fluttered gently in the breeze. Players filled the streets, moving from building to building, taking part in countless limited time quests that had sprung up as part of the anniversary celebration. Quests from each previous version of The World had been renewed, but there was also a virtual museum opened up to showcase past event and famous players. The online marketplace had even started to sell collector items, leading to a bit of a frenzy. It was in that frenzy that Gabba thrived.

Guild members moved from stall to stall, using up the GP they had collected from months of activity to purchase the rare items, intending to resell them for a profit. Others were treating the virtual museum like school, committing all the information to memory should it prove useful... but there was one member of the guild who was moving around with a very different purpose.

Black feline paws padded across the stone walkway, the Lei tribe cat boy moving with solemn purpose. His black fur was contrasted with amber eyes and two simplistic silver wave form swooshes on his cheeks. His outfit was done in shades of black and white, and while it was made out of the standard leather armor, it seemed to be the closest approximation of a suit and tie that the game parameters would allow. The feline's ears were aimed forward, twitching slightly every so often as he approached the alleyway.

At the edge of the alleyway another player stood. She wore a sea foam green dress, blue hair pulled back into a bun with a tiara resting on her hair. She looked rather weary, supporting her weight on her Harvest Cleric staff. The feline was a bit intrigued to wonder how she managed to have low HP in town, though he said nothing.

"Orilla, I presume?" the feline asked. His voice was light and airy, steeped in a very proper British accent. The harvest cleric looked up in surprise, taking in the design of his outfit and his accent, almost wondering if he was trying to role-play as James Bond.

"Did you do it? Did you find them?" Orilla asked hopefully.

"I assure you Miss Orilla, my associate and I take the utmost care in our arrangements. Your target has been acquired, but before we can proceed we must have our payment." the feline replied. Orilla nodded gently, moving over close enough to open a trade window. A holographic panel appeared between them, showing the items being offered as well as the character data of those involved. Orilla's eyes traced over the interface. It seemed her contact's name was Grigori, a little surprising for his feline type. She boosted the GP offering to 100,000 and confirmed. Grigori accepted and the interface snapped close.

"So it will be done now?" she asked. Grigori simply nodded before he began walking again, moving deeper into the alleyway and out of earshot. He reached his paw up, tapping a gold talk emblem that had appeared near his shoulder.

"Sir, I have acquired payment. We may proceed." Grigori said.

[Theta Joyous Surprising Folly]

Thick bamboo stalks filtered sunlight in a patchwork of light and dark, making it harder for the players to navigate. It was a new field type, one that blurred the difference between open landscapes and pre-defined paths. Two tribal grapplers and a twin blade moved through the trees, chuckling gently. The twin blade led the group, slicing through the stalks to blaze their own path.

"Can you believe that they fell for it again? Honestly... You think they'd learn by now about blood bane items." One of the grapplers smirked.

"Alignment can be killer in this game, even in town." the other snorted. The two were so busy guffawing that they both bumped into the twin blade's back.

"What's the big idea?" the first asked.

"Something's..." the twin blade stopped, gasping as the shadows themselves seemed to unfold before them. Standing in their path was a figure in almost all black, though there were faint red details to his pockets. His head slowly lifted, revealing a gleaming obsidian mask with the faintest feline muzzle, fangs carved into the piece. It was a one of a kind item, one that wasn't just rare... It was infamous.

"Hate to burst your bubble, Hannager, but you're fighting me." the figure said, his own British accent quite refined.

"It's the shadow of Sif Berg!" the twin blade said, backing up.

"Y... You don't have to do this, we can pay!" Hannager muttered, bringing his fists up.

"Sorry mate. Perhaps you should have considered the consequences of giving players items that cripple their characters, especially when they have the ability to hire someone like me. No hard feelings though. It's all business." The ninja assassin said, bringing up two short blades from his belt.

"But ho-how did you even find me?!" Hannager asked, trying to buy time to escape. There was no way to log out until they were clear of the thick brush.

"If you really must know, it is rather simple. You were foolish enough to boast in town, making it easy to track and follow you... but I do suppose that's a byproduct of being utterly incompetent. Even a chim chim has more sense than you." the assassin smirked. Hannager let out a growl before he lunged, throwing several fists toward the man, but as a hand moved to hit the ninja, his shape dissolved into smoke.

The assassin had already moved around behind him, slashing with his blades. Red numbers floated up as damage was made, quickly dropping Hannager's HP. The twin blade moved to attack, but just as he got in range, the assassin brandished his own blade for a two hit kill. The twin blade's body slowly lost its color before it crumpled to the ground. Blue light sparkled out before he grew transparent as a ghost. The remaining grappler turned to run.

"Don't leave me, you fuc-" Hannager's voice went quiet, his HP hitting zero.

"Bounty collected. Say goodnight, asshole." the assassin murmured. Hannager's player character dissolved into the same intangible form as his friend. Their progress, their survival and everything they had accomplished rested in the hope that the fleeing member of their group could gate back to town without dying. The assassin took a few steps after the grappler before his hands went to his belt.

With blinding accuracy, his wrists flicked and flaming ninja stars shot out, arcing through the brush. They hit their target one by one, causing his body to skid, collapse and roll as it faded. The assassin turned, watching the ghosts disappear entirely. They had been ended, erasing any progress since their last save... as well as dropping some loot. The assassin moved over, crouching down. The inventory list popped up, showing a number of item modifiers they had been carrying, including the blood bane.

The assassin collected the items as an additional reward before he turned to leave, pausing as one of the leaves rustled near by. He turned, his gaze impassive through the lens of his mask. While invisible to the naked eye, he was smirking gently.

"You can come out now." he called out. The branches parted, revealing a short, round fuzzy white and yellow duck carrying a shadow grimmoire.

"A... Are you going to finish me off too?" the Tu tribe duck asked. The assassin smirked, moving over, offering his hand to help him out of the brush.

"It seems I wasn't the only one hiding. But no, I'm not going to finish you off. I get paid to do a job and I get it done." he replied.

"You're a bounty hunter?" the duck asked in surprise.

"That's what people are called who take on bounties on other players." He chuckled slightly. The other player wriggled gently, obviously annoyed at the comment, though they said nothing about it.

"But... who are you?" he asked. The ninja assassin turned to walk away, though he paused. There was a moment of consideration before he turned his head back to acknowledge him.

"Kuroda-san." he said simply before his form dissolved into a wave of smoke. It was the skill move for the ninja class, taking a great deal of MP. No doubt he'd been letting his MP recharge while they talked, but the name stuck with the player.

Rumors had been spreading of the shadow of Sif Berg, the first assassin to clear every bounty board in the new version of The World. With those missions completed he had earned every skill his character class had, moving on to hunt down chaotic player killers and public bounties.

[Theta Hidden Forbidden In Heat]

A persistent, red hot glow filled the air, a tangible blazing wind passing over the lost ground. An almost gothic stone building stretched around the landscape, but rather than resembling a mansion one lived in, it almost seemed to be some sort of factory processing the flow of the molten liquid pouring like lava from every loch, valve and hole. The area had been deteriorating for some time. Stretches of walkway extended out of the molten sea like islands, covered in black and white square tiles, left to the ravages of time. It was the sugar mansion of molasses, Sif Berg.

Even the heavens were abnormal, seething with thick green volcanic clouds. It almost seemed as if the lost ground was on the edge of hell itself... but in its own way it was beautiful. As with most lost grounds, it was a design anomaly. There was nothing to do there, no apparent purpose. It was a novelty that many visited once and rarely returned to... but for the ninja it was almost like a home away from home.

The golden rings descended around him as he gated into the area, his eyes scanning it all. It was odd how fitting it was for him, how much like home... A broken mansion drowning in its own opulence. The irony comforted him, though there was a much greater source of comfort near by.

"Welcome back sir!" Grigori chimed in, the black cat moving over with a smile on his lips and his tail swinging behind him, "Did you record the fight?"

"Yes, every detail. Post it online read only for the contact to view," he ordered.

"Yes, of course sir. I'll enable the usual protocols so it is deleted after being viewed the first time. We can't let The World see what you can do." Grigori said obediently.

"Thanks, my love. Just remember what we discussed," he replied.

"Yes, sir. I will keep any that look for you off your tail." Grigori smiled, "Though I can't believe that Kestrel attacked you for defeating the Half Sin."

"It's a prelude to the most legendary monster this game has... I don't think they like the idea of someone completely anonymous gaining the title," the ninja replied before continuing, "Thankfully they weren't as tough as they thought they were."

"Speaking of which, Not... to question your strategy sir, but is it wise to let that player go with your actual player name?" Grigori asked.

"I think it's a strategic move. He can vouch for the rumors that people have heard about me. The name Kuroda Kusiga will become legendary soon enough, just on my terms." Kusiga beamed. Grigori chuckled gently.

"I am still trying to figure out why you'd name your character with a Japanese name." Grigori admitted.

"What? I can't be authentic in a sense?" Kusiga asked, "I am a ninja after all."

"I think the authenticity fades when you don't use your translator, it becomes rather apparent that you're English." Grigori commented.

"Well... If they can figure out I'm from England and they want to meet up, tell them to bring a bottle of Chateau Petrus Pomeral from 1985 or before. Anything after that doesn't have the same kind of richness or body that such classic wine does." Kusiga smiled, though he paused, his ears picking up something. He reached up and lifted his FMD, the real world crashing in around him.

Kusiga was sitting at his computer desk in his room, a lavish room to be certain. He had a king sized bed, a recessed tub in the floor of his room, a double wide glass window looking out onto a fine estate and a number of heirlooms resting on various tables. It was a mansion, most certainly, but one Kusiga felt was just as broken as Sif Berg. The sound had come from his door opening, one of the house staff bringing in clothing.

"Weren't you instructed to knock when you were trained?" Kusiga questioned.

"My most sincere apologies, sir, please forgive me... I did knock, but perhaps not loud enough. I assumed you were out and came to bring your clothes for the banquet, but I'll never make such a mistake again Master Kurt." the woman said, bowing low. Kurt took a long, slow breath.

"It... It's alright, I was just caught off guard. Thank you Susan." Kurt replied. The woman set his suit down on the night stand before quickly scurrying off, closing the door behind her. Kurt got up and moved over, locking the door before he returned to his chair and brought his FMD down. Grigori was standing across from him expectantly.

"Who was it?" Grigori asked.

"Susan... She just sort of burst in." Kurt said, though he was obviously still shaken. In game Grigori reached over to pat his arm.

"I'll have a talk with the staff, make sure they know not to burst in under any circumstances." Grigori said.

"You don't think that's too... on the nose? We can't let them find out about us..." Kurt whispered.

"And that is why we make time for ourselves in this game... Though I'm still surprised that you agreed to play with me those many years ago, after all I am just your man servant." Grigori smirked.

"Are you kidding me? I... had been waiting so long for someone to want to spend time with me, rather than being forced," Kurt explained as he paced for a moment, "There isn't a lot of luck in being the second son of the Farrow Empire... When father eventually passes away, Reynold is going to inherit almost everything. Any and all of the banquet and social galas I've attended won't mean anything. They don't even want me getting a real job... That's why The World is so important to me. I have somewhere I can work hard, something I can accomplish all on my own."

"Well, if you're looking for a challenge, I've been hearing some rumors in Gabba that might give you something to do after tonight's dinner." Grigori suggested.

"What is it?" Kurt asked, practically salivating at the idea.

"There have been countless inquiries regarding the players Enkidu and 0ddStar. Both characters seem to be operating outside the normal bounds of the game. Some would pay handsomely to learn how to gain the power they have." Grigori replied.

"Enkidu... He's that hacker that the CC Corp PC's were warning about?" Kurt asked. Grigori nodded. Kurt shook his head, "Then I'll start with the other one... less people will be on the trail."

"I'll prepare the documents and as much information as I can for your return after the dinner tonight. I'll also have the Rolls filled up and ready." Grigori commented.

"Thank you Garret." Kurt murmured.

"Sir, please..." Grigori chided.

"You're right, you're right... Sorry, Grigori." he replied with a smile. Kurt moved to head back toward the chaos gate, but a few steps prior he heard the distinctive chime and text alert that he'd received a flash mail. Kurt opened it up, his eyes scanning the information. A contact, perhaps even a friend of his, had invited him to explore an ice maze area. Shinji was one of the few he dealt with on the few occassions he didn't operate alone. Kurt sent a reply, declining the invitation since he was about to go to dinner. Still, the invitation was heart warming enough that Kurt mentioned that when he got back and completed a side quest he had, he'd be available then. With the reply sent, Kurt gated out. The gold rings descended around him as blue light swirled around his body.

[Delta Detestable Golden Gate]

Sunlight showered the dry prairie, the mountains in the distance impossible to ever reach. The field was wide and open, interrupted only by the occasional Grunty mint. The only feature to the map that truly stood out was the massive stone clock tower rising from the center of the map, counting every second that it took the players to accomplish their goal.

Golden sparkles trailed from Nada's shoes as the steam gunner bolted along, his fingers in real life working deftly to execute split second reactions. Max hated gaming without Levi around, but Levi didn't game nearly as much as Max and Max needed something to do. He'd played several rounds of Goblin tag already, winning handily each time... but he hadn't expected that the final round would be a tag match with other players. Only the winner could progress to the steam bike matches.

Max had even given up using his steam gun. There was no way to lead the shots. It missed every time, though the blade on the tip of his gun had proven at least slightly useful... at least until a blade bandier had rushed up ahead. Max had nearly lost sight of them, but he caught sight of them in the distance as he closed in. The blade bandier had cornered the goblin leader Martina against a patch of grunt mints.

"Shit!" Max cursed, knowing he'd have to steal the last blow... but it was too late. The clock tower rang, signalling Martina's defeat. The gold goblin wheezed and panted, leaning down before looking up at the black haired knight that had bested her. The NPC chuckled wearily.

"You're pretty good Gob, I mean it... Really good, Gob." Martina panted before a grin crossed her lips, "If you ever want to become a Goblin and join us, we could ride like the wind." Martina said.

"I wish that was an option..." The knight murmured, chuckling to himself. Goblin races had ended the same way for almost twenty years.

"Your wish is my command, Gob!" Martina said, raising her wrist. Both the knight and Max were stunned at the response. The AI had never been that interpretive before. There was a glimmering around Martina's wrist before bolts of energy rushed out, hitting the knight, sinking into his chest. Max's jaw dropped in shock at that, but he wasn't nearly as stunned as the knight.

The other player stood there for a moment, seeing his character on his FMD. He tried to figure out what had just happened, but his attention drifted to his character's hair. The color was blanching out of the center, turning from black to white, giving him a stripe down the very center... a stripe that was growing longer and taller, the hair sticking up into a short mohawk.

Martina just stood there, as if the NPC was frozen, but the knight continued to change. Max got closer, setting his computer to record the events on his screen. The knight's ears grew pointed and then stretched out longer, slowly angling away from his head. He murmured gently, his lower lip sticking out as two white nubs began climbing upwards, tusks forming. They angled out from his mouth, curving up in front of his cheeks before stopping. The knight was perplexed and elated to say the least, but something was on the edge of his consciousness, something he had never expected.

"I feel... it. I feel it all, g-g-g.... Gob!" he called out before his back arched. His character's eyes snapped shut as green pigmentation began spreading out, covering his nose and mouth, then his cheeks. The black hair on either side of his white mohawk soon shed, sloughing to the ground. His pointed ears had to be at least six inches out from his head, extending almost like the horns of a bull.

There was a crinkling noise as the knight's armor seemed to contract and shift. Silver turned to bronze, a crack split down the chest and then opened up to reveal a muscled chest. The flesh there was turning from pink to green, copper rings forming in the character's nipples. Max couldn't believe what he was watching, but he understood the reason the armor was changing. Full knight armor wouldn't have fit him much longer anyway.

The knight was shrinking inch by inch, his spine contracting, his legs and arms shortening and his ribs diminishing. His fingers pulsed and tensed as his fingernails pushed out into copper claws, his fingers becoming a little knobby and green. His pants changed, his boots shifted. In only a few moments more he was three and a half feet tall, green, and very much goblin. Glowing red eyes snapped open.

"I feel amazing, Gob! Best day of my life, gob..." The former knight muttered, his red eyes turning, "But I wasn't the only winner, Nada, you were right behind me... Why don't you join us too? Ride like the wind... I'll share this with you, Gob. You've never felt anything like this before, Gob." The knight murmured.

"Uh, no... thanks." Max said hesitantly.

"Oh come on, Gob, we need someone as good as you... You'll thank me, Gob." The knight said, raising his arm. Just as Martina had, his wrist began to glow and sparkle. Having little shame as a gamer, Max had practice gating out in dire circumstances. His fingers moved with lightning speed and his character was surrounded with gold rings just as the bolt shot out from the new Goblin's wrist, passing harmlessly through the space he had just occupied. The goblin cursed gently before he reached up, running a hand through his white mohawk, feeling every strand of hair for the first time. He felt amazing.

[Delta Darkened Curious Siev]

Gold rings descended around Grigori's form as he appeared, the black cat boy reaching up to brush at one ear. It was an idle animation and Grigori had gotten quite used to it when he logged into the root towns, but it seemed almost too placid in a forest area... Grigori felt uneasy. As a member of Gabba he spent almost all of his time in towns, gathering any information he could from other players. He lacked not only experience points, but the basic experience to battle - though he was not quite as bad off as other members of the guild.

Grigori still found it surprising that he had come to an area, though thankfully it was only level ten... but the problem stemmed from his assignment. 0ddStar was not operating within the normal parameters of the game. No doubt it was why people were interested him, why there was a bounty, but it made him harder to track. The log in information was encrypted and thus tailing the illusive character came down to a matter of spotting him and having a way to figure out where he was going... luckily 0ddStar had made a stop at the quest shop, triggering the NPC's to act out the quest demonstration.

The black cat continued along, following the mossy stones in the path. The meandering trail led past a pond that began to ripple and shimmer before a translucent red drop of water ascended from the surface, gleaming white eyes snapping open. Grigori skidded to a stop, looking startled before he remembered that the springs of mist were not antagonistic to players. The floating red water being looked at that cat.

"Many have ventured into this forest to learn the dark secret, but in that darkness is the secret. Be mindful of your shadows, should you want to escape alive." The droplet said before it dropped back into the pond and disappeared. Grigori was confused at that detail. He hadn't come for the quest, he came to find his target.

"Garret, are you in a field?!" came Kurt's surprised voice... but not from the world of the game. It came from outside his headset. Grigori turned his head, seeing his master standing in the doorway. Kurt was standing in the doorway in his suit, barefoot, a tie unwound but hanging around his neck like a scarf.

"It was the only way to find him sir..." Garret replied bashfully.

"You're not equipped to deal with the threats here... What are the area words? I'll go log in." Kurt replied. Garret tensed a little at being caught so far out of his element.

"Darkened Curious Siev." Garret replied. Kurt nodded and went to leave, though he paused and turned back.

"G... Garret, your character is gaining extra shadows..." Kurt said with a bit of worry. Garret looked back at the screen and his eyes widened. Sure enough, Grigori's cat body had gained two extra shadows radiating outward from the original. His fingers clicked on the controller, the black cat boy moving around in a slight sense of panic, but when he was fully engulfed in sun the extra shadows died off. Grigori froze where he was, looking back at the pond. He'd been standing in the shadow of a tree when the extra shadows started to grow from him.

"Be mindful of your shadows, should you want to escape alive..." Garret repeated back. He turned to look at the path heading into the forest. The stones themselves were mostly in sunlight, though every so often shadow would cross the path. No doubt he couldn't linger in the shadows for long or the extra ones would do something dire.

"Wait for me to get there." Kurt commanded.

"But sir, what if there is another exit? We must catch up to him... This is only a game after all. If I die, I will only return to the root town..." Garret stated. Kurt grimaced.

"At least be careful while I log in." Kurt said.

"Of course, sir." Garret replied, bowing his head. Kurt moved out of the room and shut the door behind him. Garret returned his focus to the game and began sprinting, moving from one patch of light to the next.

****

The shadow forest appeared around Kusiga, but it was startling just how much more intense it was with a headset on. He'd seen it on Garret's screen, but the FMD made it that much more immersive. It was little doubt why The World had lasted for as many years as it did. Kusiga used his skill trigger to initiate his stealth movement and bolted forward, though even while invisible the water being popped up from the pond to warn him of the dangers. Kuroda disregarded the NPC and continued forward, thinking at first he'd be immune for not having a shadow... though this soon proved quite the contrary.

Stepping into the shadows was like turning off his display. Blackness swarmed around him and his screen went dark, other than a shifting like liquid molasses over his visor. It was compressing, claustrophobic, and it dissolved away as he stumbled back into the light. Kurt panted softly and remained in the light, shocked by the game effect. He waited for his invisibility to wear off and he moved forward again, stepping into the next shadow. The blinding effect was no longer present, though another shadow started to grow from his own.

No doubt there was a penalty to using his enhanced skill set to solve the quest, but like Grigori he wasn't here for that. Still, a ninja's sight was one of their best assets. He had to continue like a regular player.

Kuroda advanced, navigating through the forest paths, his eyes sharp. He tapped the side of his FMD, turning on the chat.

"Where are you Grigori?" Kurt asked.

"Take the left fork, the path less traveled. The light path leads in a circle." Grigori replied. Kuroda hurried up, finding the fork and heading to the left. He moved at a steady pace, but the shadows seemed to be taking more to die off. He soon found himself having to stop in the light spots until they were gone completely before continuing. He never developed more than four shadows, but when all four were present, three of them started to grow and bulk out.

It was an enemy party, forming out of his very own shadows. Players and enemies alike came in parties of up to three on a typical basis. He had one shadow for himself, but three extras. Kuroda didn't like Grigori having such a head start. He continued on until his pursuit finally paid off. He saw Garret's character up ahead, standing before a massive clearing shrouded completely in shadow... At the heart of it was a massive black obelisk and a chaos gate on the far side of the clearing... but Grigori wasn't alone.

0ddStar stood in the clearing, wandering around a bit with a defeated look on his face. A normal player might have mistaken him for an enemy himself. He had woody brown skin, rusty red vine like dreadlocks, pointed ears, messy sideburns, a pointed chin, muscles and fangs. His green vest and harem pants only added to the illusion, but the wood wizards and nymphs he resembled rode around on orbs and he was walking free.

Grigori had been watching 0ddStar since he found him, but nothing was happening. Whatever the quest was, it seemed to have no effect. 0ddStar was getting bored and started moving for the chaos gate. Grigori knew he was out of time. He bolted forward, knowing he had to give his master a shot at catching the target.

"WAIT!" He shouted. 0ddStar did indeed stop and turned around, though a strange look of glee crossed his lips. The shadow filled the clearing in an unnatural and ethereal way, almost as if the obelisk kept the sun back... and in that darkness there was a bubbling. Massive figures made of shadow began crawling out of the ground, sharp claws digging into the dirt. the claws came from wide paws and the figures were quite feline.

One cat, two cats, three... They shivered as they emerged into the clearing from their slumber. As they shivered and shook, some of the shadow fell off, leaving gaps of open air that made patterns in their hide. One had stripes like a tiger, another spots like a leopard or cheetah. Another remained entirely black like a panther.

"Now this looks interesting..." 0ddStar considered, but it still wasn't quite interesting enough. He looked around before he moved toward the obelisk. It was no doubt the source of the creatures power. He reached out slowly, tracing his claws along before he drug them into the stone. The tower shimmered and flickered before returning just as dark as before... but the feline monsters looked different somehow...

No longer did the monsters follow the prescribed NPC movements. Their animations were more natural, less restricted, free from predictability. Grigori swallowed softly.

"So I take it you came here for me, not the cats? It's a shame really. All I wanted was a little fun... but I guess you're going to provide some entertainment now." 0ddStar smirked. Grigori started to back up, but as he hit the light there was a shimmering... a battle barrier. He was locked in the shadow with a level one harvest cleric staff and no experience. Grigori began moving around the edge of the battlefield, trying to find a place to hide. The cats advanced, snarling and growling. It wasn't long before Grigori was backed against a boulder.

"Garret!" Kusiga called out, lunging through the barrier just as one of the cats attacked. The spotted cat hit Kusiga, sending the ninja flying back and away from Grigori and onto the ground. He was angered that it had successfully clawed at him; cutting through his armor like it was nothing more than tissue paper. Kurt's back suddenly arched as very real pain cut through him, his skin burning. He screamed out at that, completely unprepared for feeling the game in real life. More than likely, the house staff would ignore this, assuming it to be just a zealous reaction to playing 'The World.'

"Sir!" Garret exclaimed, hearing his master's cry in real life.

"L-l-log out!" Kurt demanded, panting sharply, grunting as the large feral cat pounced on him, knocking him down and onto his stomach. The graphics were damaged on his character, the armor around the claw mark shimmering. The armor became more and more brittle before it cracked all the way through. As pieces began flaking off, it was clear that Kusiga had been affected. His flesh was wounded with red claw marks, but the skin around it was darker, fuzzier. Tan, yellow and black fur was starting to grow in, giving Kuroda the pattern of the cheetah that not only had attacked him, but was now attempting to mount him. The backside of his pants were torn to shreds by the cat and Kurt could actually feel a spined, feline cock against his rear as it tried to penetrate him. His ears were growing into points as well, but most terrifyingly of all was his mask.

Kusiga could feel it tighten, adhering to his face. The shield of his identity was fusing to him, actually becoming part of his face. He reached up to try and pry it off, but his changing fingers felt the ceramic and flesh bonding. The mask was softening, his cheeks were hardening, the two meeting in the middle as toughened hide. The black mask began to lighten, leaving only black spots as yellow navigated between them... and soon he couldn't tell where the mask ended and his face started... It was all growing fuzzy. Kusiga could feel it fusing to his jaw, the mask softening enough to move. His upper lip was split and curved like a cat's, his nose triangular and moist. His ears began shifting up his head and he could feel it all. Every bone, every muscle. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time. Kusiga struggled to come to grips with what he was feeling. He couldn't even tell if he was still in his chair at home in the mansion, but that didn't matter. He was under attack, and though he felt pain, one thing did come naturally to him... his martial arts training.

With a sharp elbow to the cheetah's muzzle, he managed to flip around onto his back before he brought his foot up to it's chest, sending it flying off of him. It was surprising how natural it felt, just as if the cat was someone he was sparing in a practice session. Kurt sprung back up to his feet as the panther approached, feeling oddly excited that he had executed a move he'd trained for in Tae Kwan Do for years. His body lifted up and spun, delivering his spiral momentum to the cat's head. The panther rolled from the roundhouse, skidding away... and the game registered some damage. It soon all became instinct. Kurt forgot all about his character class and the fact that this was supposed to be a game, Kurt used his martial arts to punch, kick and lunge at the cats. He got the two aggressors to back up, but the terrible fact soon dawned on him that there had been three in the enemy party.

"Garret!" he called out, spinning around. The tiger shadow cat turned its head, looking at Kurt, blood dripping from its maw, the blood no doubt from the wound on Grigori's shoulder. The harvest cleric hadn't stood a chance as the tiger tried to mount the player. Kurt was aghast as he saw the cat slide in and out of his confidant, digital pre gushing out liberally from his ass.

Finally noticing that Kusiga was no longer occupied, the tiger withdrew from the player at the impending threat. Kurt let out a growl of anger and moved forward, attacking the beast despite the fact that it was larger than he was. Fists, feet, knees, and elbows. He used every move he'd been trained for and it all felt natural inside the game. There was no controller; it was simply thought and execution. Kurt could feel the breaking of bone beneath his attacks, damaging the virtual tiger's jaw, then it's fore leg as his foot slid down and struck it. The cat yelped and snarled, slashing at Kusiga, but he was skilled enough to avoid the paw swipes.

The tiger backed up, realizing its prey was not as easy as it had thought. The cats moved back into a group, standing near by, panting and chuffing. Kurt slid over to guard Grigori's body, turning to face them before he let out a roar himself. He was far from the man he had been before. His face was that of a cheetah, his clothes damaged and destroyed. His game character now was endowed with a masculine shaft, but it was the shaft of a feline. The heavy member swung as he moved, the barbs near the end glistening.

All Kurt cared about was protecting the most important thing in his life, the most important person. He'd already failed Grigori, allowing him to get bitten, but he would not allow him to die. He could feel his adrenaline pumping, his heart racing, his body tingling. He could feel things he shouldn't have been able to, like the wind flowing through his fur as it was spreading across his body. He could feel paw pads forming on his fingertips and palms... But he paid it no mind, focused only on keeping his love safe.

The cats remained in place, looking defeated for several moments. Then, without warning, they began to dissolve away like sand in an hour glass. The massive black obelisk shimmered as light began descending down it, the shadow defeated. The stone cracked and light filled the clearing entirely. 0ddStar stood outside the battle barrier, his hand working his thick shaft. He'd been amused to see the modifications he gave the cats used so quickly and so well. His only regret was that the tiger mating the harvest cleric had been interrupted. It seemed like the show was finally over.

0ddStar let out a long sigh as he turned and moved over to the chaos gate, logging out without another word. Kusiga was left there, kneeling before his lover, at a loss for what had happened. He turned back to look at his man servant, to check if he as okay... but his answer was as clear as day. Grigori lay on the ground, still breathing, panting softly. His black fur was marred, not just by blood on his shoulder from the bite wound, but by red fur that had started to grow out through his black coat, starting from the wound as well as his exposed rear where the tiger's precum had been pumped into him. The black was shrinking, reduced to stripes and patches of fur as other portions blanched out to a pure white. Grigori's tiny feline muzzle widened. His jaw stretched and bloated, his nose fattened and his muzzle bulked outward. Tiny fangs grew longer and his mouth became more dangerous. Even his eyes seemed to change, turning from amber to a pale sky blue.

The coloring spread like an infection, turning the black cat boy into a calico tiger man. His chest expanded, his clothes tightened and tore more, revealing his hard tiger cock drizzling pre onto the ground just as messily as his attacker. His body shivered in bliss as it became exposed to the cool air flowing over his body. Even his tail flicked around with new muscle and feline grace. The movements were completely random, breaking from the game's various animations. Grigori was still dazed and he gasped as a tiger-like hand paw moved when he tried to move his own. It took a moment to adjust, but his eyes soon found Kusiga's.

Even with the changes, Garret could still tell it was his master. He began to pet Kusiga's fuzzy blond and black cheek. Both men shivered, feeling the fur against his newly formed paw pads. Grigori's paw stroked the fur before his fingers came to rest on one of the many black spots.

"I can feel you..." Garret whispered.

"And I can feel you too," Kurt replied. They had escaped into the online world to be together, but they never had pictured their ability to physically feel each other there. It was stunning and breathtaking, especially with the heat of the sun warming Kusiga's back. He held Grigori there, looking at his tiger lover... and how big and strong he was. There were no words to express his feeling, only shock - and that shock had consequences.

Grigori seemed quite faint, the change taking a lot out of him. The wound was still present and quite ominous. Kusiga decided to take a chance that their in-game bodies could still be healed by in game rules.

"Repth!" Kusiga called out. White light shimmered over Grigori. The blood dried and the wound looked a bit better, though not by much. Kurt nodded to himself, knowing it was progress at least... but more was needed, "Ol Repth!" he shouted. The white light now seemed silver and Grigori's wound knitted together, scabbing over before disappearing.

Kurt was amazed at the realism that had been brought to them. It was awe inspiring, freighting, alluring... But this was neither the time nor place to standby and take it all in. Kurt's primary goal was to ensure that Garret was safe, and there was only one place in "The World" felt like a safe haven for them.

****

The door to Garret's room opened up, light spilling across the man laying on the floor of his room. Garret could feel the floor shift beneath him as someone approached. The controller was taken from his hand. Garret groaned, feeling almost sea sick as he felt his player character being moved around like a puppet. His mind was in both places at once, connected and inseparable... but at the same time, Kurt was using the controller to move him. He found himself before the chaos gate. The forest disappeared, the familiar tunnel of light taking them to the plaza of Mac Anu.

With his character data still damaged, they were quite the sight for other players to see. There were gasps, most certainly as the near naked tiger appeared, but as soon as he formed Kusiga had already used the chaos gate to switch servers. Once more the tiger man appeared, this time in Dun Loireag. A sweet smelling breeze came off the mountains, the kites fluttering in the steady winds. Kusiga wished desperatly that there was a way to warp directly to the intended area but he was almost there.

"Hidden, Forbidden, In Heat." Kusiga whispered as he selected the words. Dun Loireag disappeared, the light flooding around Garret before the familiar, warm embrace of Sig Berg appeared... but it was different than before - Not in appearance, but in all the extra sensory information. He could FEEL the heat of the molten rivers, but even more than that... he could smell it. It had always looked like lava to Garret, but it was a sugar mansion after all and the air smelled of caramel.

Kurt continued to move Garret's character, taking him along the broken path, jumping over the gaps and moving through the hidden spaces until he was inside the mansion itself. While hard to see, off to one corner Kusiga's character stood, grayed out like a ghost. Kurt was afraid of logging out entirely with their characters so he did the next best thing. With Grigori in a safe place, he set the character to 'away from keyboard'. The feature only worked in root towns and lost grounds, but Sif Berg was like a home to them.

The World grayed out around Garret. Kurt reached down, turning the power switch off his FMD. The display became nothing but plastic, metal and glass once more. Kurt brushed Garret's cheek gently as he removed the FMD, but even disconnected from the game he became aware of the duality of their existence. He didn't see Garret's face as the human one he had come to know... he saw his lover as a rather sexy anthropomorphic tiger man.

Kurt blinked, trying to clear his vision. Somewhere in his mind he knew they were still human, that others would see them as they always had been, but their minds had adopted a new reality. Garret simply looked like a tiger, dressed as a proper butler would be in any upper class English nobleman's home. Garret panted, still laying on his back, looking up at his master. He'd sworn to serve him since childhood. They'd been friends, co-workers, they'd played together and fallen in love in secret... but now all Garret saw was a strong, muscled cheetah man before him with a wet spot in his pants where a tent had been pitched. Without warning, Garret leaned up and kissed Kurt. Kurt's eyes snapped wide open in shock before they slowly drifted shut. Their tongues tangled for a long moment in the forbidden kiss before Kurt broke it and pulled back.

"Garret, are you okay?" Kurt asked.

"Master, I need you... I need to please you, let me... please." Garret begged as he began to idly stroke his hard cock. Garret was embarassed to realize he had withdrawn it when the tiger had started to rape him... and proceeded to masturbate as he was converted. Kurt knew it had to be some sort of after effect of the strange experiences, just like hallucinating their in game experiences. Kurt brought up his hand and gave Garret a light slap on the cheek. Garret's eyes went wide and he was puzzled for a moment before he shuddered, "I'm so sorry sir, y-yes... I'm okay. It just all felt so-" Garret was interrupted.

"Real, I know." Kurt whispered. Garret's eyes became wide once more.

"Sir, your wound!" he exclaimed, reaching to unbutton Kurt's white shirt. As the fabric came apart, there was definite reddening where the claw marks had hit his character, though his suit coat had hid that fact from the staff when he moved through the mansion to get to his man servant's room. Garret looked back up to his master's face in shock. Kurt unbuttoned Garret's shirt to look at his shoulder. There was a faint redness where he had been bitten, but it was visibly fading - no doubt as a result of the healing spell before they had disconnected.

"I think we figured out why 0ddStar is wanted... Somehow he's blurred the line between game and reality," Kurt whispered, "It may be that this Enkidu was responsible, but we'll have to catch him to know for sure, but now's not the time."

"Sir, our characters... They are changed like his." Garret said.

"Unique, illegal, recognizable. I may not be able to remain an anonymous ninja any longer." Kurt said, his British accent particularly thick, "But everyone was going to learn my name sooner or later. Now they have a face to learn along with it." Kurt added.

"And what of me?" Grigori asked gently.

"I think..." Kurt said as he paused for a moment, "if we continue to play this game, I'm going to keep you closer. I don't want to let you out of my sight again, but that may mean we will have to level up your character."

"What? But... I'm not a fighter like you are. Besides, Gabba won't like it if I do that." Garret replied. Kurt shrugged.

"All that matters is you and me... Both in The World and out here. I don't care what anyone else thinks." Kurt whispered.

"But sir, your family, you mustn't... At least not yet. Let our love remain online, a love so real that we can feel each other in there now." Garret pleaded as he placed a hand upon his master's chest and cheek softly. Kurt was quiet for a long moment before he took a breath.

"Alright, but just for now... Just while I figure out what is going on." Kurt replied. Garret nodded, wrapping his arms around his master, giving him a hug before he released.

"Now, let me get your clothes into the wash and apply a cold compress." Garret said, moving to stand up. Kurt put his hand on Garret's chest.

"How about this time you lay down and I take care of things, okay?" Kurt asked with a smile before he moved to make Garret's bed. Garret sat there, stunned, not sure what to do. He'd been brought up to be the perfect house servant... but now he was being taken care of. Everything was upside down, but in a strange way it was all thanks to 0ddStar. Garret watched Kurt work, wondering what the future would hold for them both.

****

Garret was reclined in his modest bed, wearing nothing. After everything that had happened, he couldn't sleep. None of it made sense. None of it was possible. His body wasn't supposed to feel real in a video game, and yet it did. Even his character name seemed wrong now, and that was something he took seriously. The Grigori were a group of angels that were supposed to watch and help mankind back before the time of the great flood... but like him, they had become corrupted in their lust for the flesh, giving rise to the Nephilim from their offspring - at least according to an apocryphal religious text.

He had joined Gabba to acquire as much information as possible to help out his master, to be his angel. Now he had fallen and dragged his master into a huge mess. Garret shook his head as all the thoughts flooded his mind and kept him from slumber... but more than anything, he wanted to experience the new feelings and sensations again. A glance to his night stand revealed it was nearly 1 AM... and his FMD was within reach on his computer desk.

It was remarkable how fast Garret was able to get his FMD on and grab his controller. His character had been left away from keyboard in Sif Berg so no loading was necessary. Back in game, Grigori looked around the mansion his character was in. It was one of the few rooms that was both accessible and mostly intact. Grigori moved around the room, his hand brushing the remnants of a bed... and he felt the fabric.

Grigori inhaled softly, remembering he could feel things in the game now. He caressed his hand along the satin silk sheets of the bed, blushing as he pictured himself in his master's king sized bed... and thinking about how much trouble he'd be in if he were caught in it, especially if Kurt was also in bed with him. Almost out of habit, Grigori straightened up the digital bed as he normally would have if he were taking care of things in the household. It was remarkable how much interaction he had with the game now.

Turning around, he noticed a full body mirror with a golden finish around the edges. Wanting to fully examine himself, he approached the mirror, awestruck by how much his body now resembled that of a tiger, yet remained and looked human in appearance. However, he frowned as his leather armor that he wore that resembled a suit was practically destroyed when his body had changed. In earlier versions of The World there would have been no hope for his attire, but the collector's edition had enabled outfit slots and Grigori had been a bit of a pack rat.

He flipped through his inventory and found his Harvest Cleric starting robes were still there. He took a breath and unequipped his current outfit, teal light erasing the damaged leather from his body. Not once in the real world did he consider himself to look handsome. He was not in the least narcissistic, but this form he now had... He now thought how manly he looked, his body now muscled and lean compared to the gangly cat boy appearance he once had. But his eyes were drawn lower after a few more moments of inspecting himself, the sight was surprising him.

His cock no longer hung from his body, but in it's place was now a sheath. A white fuzzy sack was also present just beneath. A coy grin crossed his face. He had to know what it was like... He started to reach down for it when he heard the familiar chirping of someone returning from being away. Instant embarrassment caused his cheeks to flush bright red through his fur as he covered himself before turning his head to look behind him.

"You couldn't help it and came back, huh?" Kusiga remarked with a slight chuckle, his character regaining its color as it started moving again. Kusiga wasn't much better, his outfit pretty much destroyed in the battle, leaving him quite naked. Garret was stunned and stammered for a moment before he finally took a breath and said, "I-It's so late at night, sir! W-why are you still up?"

"I couldn't sleep. I imagine you couldn't either."

"Well... I... N-no... I couldn't, sir," he replied, blushing more, his tail flicking back and forth behind him, both out of embarrassment from having been caught and excitement considering who it was that found him.

Kusiga moved up to the tiger, the cheetah wrapping his arms around his lover, holding him close. Grigori felt himself melt into his lover's arms, softly purring as he leaned back against him as he closed his eyes. He thought to himself that this was a dream... it had to be. There was no way that any of what happened earlier could have taken place, and yet he couldn't deny it as he paused a moment to turn his FMD glass transparent. He got up out of bed, made sure his door was locked... and that he could be alone. He didn't want anyone accidentally coming in and seeing what he had in mind to do next.

Garret returned to his bed, though he laid down on top of the sheets, his shaft now rock hard and standing upright proudly from his groin. He turned the FMD back to immersion mode and shuddered as he felt his master's cock press against his lower back. Their character's height difference was now quite apparent, leaving Grigori a couple inches shorter than Kusiga. When Grigori opened his eyes and looked into the mirror's reflection, he saw that he was just as hard in game as he was in the real world, and it seemed that Kurt had the same idea.

Grigori turned around in his master's arms to face him, their shafts pressing firmly against one another now as he looked up into his eyes. Both of them saw a deep seeded need, a ravenous hunger to do something that they had only been able to do when they were at the family's villa in Kenya, something so forbidden to the both of them that if their secret was exposed, there would be much to lose. But here in the game it was just like their one safe haven in the real world, It was the only place they could truly act out on their feelings.

Grigori leaned his head up and kissed his lover deeply, their tongues beginning to dance in each other's muzzles. Their heads naturally tilted to allow their muzzles to lock and the kiss to deepen. Kusiga's paw-like hands explored his lover's body as the tiger did the same. He couldn't explain it, but there was something about feeling fur both on him and against his body so appealing in a way he never thought possible. His arousal began to leak copious amounts of pre against his lover's belly and cock before he finally broke the kiss. He gave half a smile and wordlessly picked up Grigori, carrying him over to the bed before laying on it himself. Garret somehow expected his master to take him as wild animals might and readied himself on his paws and knees, but soon Kusiga's comforting hands turned him over onto his back.

Garret looked up at the cheetah longingly, watching his legs lifted up and out of the way. What came next, while expected, was still surprising. As Kusiga pushed his barbed tip into Garret's fur covered posterior, both of them felt the sensation in the real world. Garret gasped, his intestines shifting slightly. It wasn't quite the same as on their African trips, but it felt as if his mind was stimulating all the same synapses and his body was trying its best to mimic the feeling.

Kurt felt as if every inch of his shaft was actually being buried deep into Garret's depths as his man servant quivered. No one else was in Kurt's room, nor in Garret's, but they felt each other inside and out. Grigori growled as he was stretched by his master's cock, Kusiga beginning to thrust in and out with every loving inch. Kurt reached down and grasped Grigori's hard cock, stroking it in time with each thrust, feeling the barbs along the shaft pass through his hands and fingers as his own barbed shaft dragged through his lover's ass. The sensation was incredible, something neither of them expected, but enjoyed more and more each moment.

Whatever infection had altered their character data didn't seem to be done as they embraced it, swapping the code back and forth. Grigori's manly shaft was growing and shifting in Kusiga's hand as he rutted with his lover. While it had gained barbs and a bit of a point, it surged longer, tapering into a far more feline tip and more barbs began to push free from the shaft, adding to the sensations. As Kusiga pumped the shaft in his paw, he also saw that it began to grow longer and thicker, pushing out to eight inches, then ten, then twelve. It was only then that he realized that he wasn't pulling out all the way with his own thrusting, finding more and more of his length remaining inside with each thrust.

Despite the temptation to remain inside his lover's tail hole, he slowly pulled out and saw that the fleshy color was gone. His barbed, feline cock was now as black as midnight and by the time he finally pulled all of himself free from his lover's inviting rear, it had to be at least fourteen inches in length and was quite thick. So invested in his self examination, Kusiga reached down and groped his sack, feeling that they too had grown to the size of oranges, much like Grigori's.

While Kurt was so heavily invested, Garret didn't care about what his package looked like now. He let out an almost pitiful mew at Kurt, his eyes filled with a longing for his master's love. Kurt wasted no time pushing his cock back into the tiger's ass, eliciting a moan of pleasure from him. Kusiga leaned over his lover's body, pinning the tiger cock between them as the two licked at each other's muzzles and tongues for a moment before they began to kiss each other passionately, their heads turned slightly to the side. Kurt began thrusting into Garret's character again and again, the sound in the game filling their ears as their bodies came into contact with each other over and over again.

Kurt and Garret continued on their pace for several minutes of breeding, hearing the background music of the lost ground loop back to the start. The material on the bed ruffled in the intense heat, but the metal bars supporting the frame were groaning under the movement. 'The World' had always been a hyper-realistic game, but now that they were so far inside it, it had started to seem like reality itself.

Without warning, the pace picked up to the point where Kusiga's hips were moving just as fast as an actual cheetah's would while mating. He felt his orgasm coming. Kurt's real life reactions were somewhat suppressed, his consciousness buried deep in the game. Onhis bed, he gasped for air, his lungs filling as the pleasure flooded him, but his character let out an exalted roar, his head tipped back in triumph. Garret was less successful at masking his feelings, crying out in delight both in game and reality. As Kusiga filled his tiger with his hot seed, Kurt felt his cock spray copious amounts of cum all over himself and his bed, the hot splatters soaking his chest and neck, even landing on his glasses. Not far behind, Grigori sprayed a thick torrent of tiger spunk between the two of them as Garret's cock fired several ropes of semen, splattering across his belly and chest, the last of if leaking down his hard cock in thick rivulets.

Neither man spoke a word, but both had the same realization. In the real world they had both reached orgasm without touching themselves once. Their bodies had tried to mimic the motions and the brain had gotten enough to reach climax. Kurt reached up and turned his FMD to transparent mode, looking at the mess he'd made for himself before a sense of shock flooded his system.

Kurt had sprayed cum onto himself a few times before while masturbating, but what he saw looked like something out of a porn movie. He had sprayed with more volume and intensity than any other time in his life, soaking his chest, his blankets wet with it. It was hard to tell, but it even seemed as though his shaft was bigger... and his balls were denser as well. A goofy grin crossed his lips. Kurt reached up and went back into immersion mode, looking back at his lover. They both felt the deep afterglow, kissing each other tenderly... but after several minutes, Kurt felt the weight of responsibility.

"I think we should clean ourselves up in the real world and try to get some rest." he said with sadness.

"I agree, sir... but we definitely need to do this more often," Grigori replied, nuzzling his master's muzzle and neck. The two made their way out of the mansion and back to the chaos gate, though Grigori equipped his starting harvest cleric robes and Kusiga had already worked together a close approximation to his old outfit with bits and pieces he'd accumulated over time.

The two returned to Dun Loireag and Grigori logged out from there, but as Kusiga moved to log out, a dawning realization hit him. He had never gotten back to Shinji about the exploration. Kusiga moved away from the chaos gate, walking across the old wooden bridges that spanned the mountain peaks, feeling the cool wind across his back. Seeing that Shinji was online, he composed a flash mail.

The message was detailed, apologizing for how long his side quest took and he warned his friends to stay away from 0ddStar at all costs. He stood there a moment in peace, bringing a claw to his wet fur, drawing it through to gather up some of his lover's seed before the response came in. Expectantly, Shinji asked why the issue was so serious about the player.

Kusiga sighed, knowing that there was no way to get around it. Of all the people in the game, he and others he considered friends in the game had to know. He had decided to protect his friends no matter what, but that also meant telling them the truth... even if it was a lengthy explanation. He replied briefly that he'd have to show them soon, but it really was time for sleep. Kusiga returned to the chaos gate and logged out of the game, watching his surroundings disappear. The screen went blank, he removed his FMD and he leaned back. A quick glance across his body revealed that the physical hallucinations were still present.

Before long the computer was shut down and the room was quiet. Kurt sat in his chair, his eyes scanning the wall before they settled on a framed picture, a picture of a cheetah cub. On one of his visits to Africa they had found it on the outskirts of the villa, starving and dying of thirst. Despite his parents' hesitations, he'd taken it in and nursed it back to health. In a strange passing thought, Kurt wondered if the cheetah would be able to see him in a new way now... but that was a silly thought. It was far too late and Kurt knew he had a long day ahead of him. All that was left was a quick shower to clean off.

[Delta Hidden Forbidden Dead Wood]

Peace, tranquility, silence. It was those features that brought Milo to the lost ground of Indieglut Lugh. The cave was full of a white crystal tree rising out of an azure pond. Blue fireflies buzzed around the area but there were no enemies, no quests. It was nothing but scenery. It was in that scenery that Milo had fallen asleep, his twin blade curled up at the base of the tree. His brown hair spilled across his head.

Milo was exhausted. He hadn't slept in days. He couldn't sleep in the real world anymore. The only place he felt safe enough was in The World. He was curled up on his bed just as he was in the game, his large vintage FMD resting on his head. The sounds of Indieglut Lugh played to his ears, ever so often interspersed with the sounds of Uji swimming around the air above him.

The server robot had been working hard to find the answer to his user's question, to find a way for Milo to be happy forever. The whale continued his research, but he soon froze. The whale detected a graphics variance. Uji debated alerting Milo but he knew the young man needed his sleep. Foot prints began to appear on the water of the lake, coming toward the island. With each step, a figure began to become clearer, though still hazy like a ghost.

Soon a teenage boy with faintly purple hair stood above the water of the lake, intangible, emanating white light. He looked to the sleeping form on the island with a since of curiosity and mirth. His lips parted as if he were to speak, but his form flickered and disappeared completely, ripped away from the moment. Milo awoke with a start, his heart skipping a beat. He sat up and looked around, but nothing had changed.

"Oh good... No other players here." Milo murmured softly to himself before he typed in the command for his character to lay down again. It wasn't long before the quiet of the underworld surrounded Milo once again, sheltering him as he fell asleep once more.