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The Gam3: Chapter 6

The first player had fallen off his seat, kicking his feet wildly as he clutched his stomach. His laughter filled the room.

"Oh-my-god... oh-my-god. Hahahah!" he panted between laughs. "Gold refund... Ctrl+Alt-Del, banhammer! Bwhahahaha!"

Libery4U allowed herself a smile. It was pretty funny. "They were fairly creative."

"What did you expect from a 'writer'?" The first player straightened himself, snickering. "Man, I'm almost tempted to get the Shapeshifters to try another stunt like that just to see what else he has in store."

"Hey..."

The first player waved his hands. "I know, I know. That'd just be mean. We're here to help them. The torture is fun but only if it has a point." He leaned forward and examined the board. "Okay, looks like we're getting a good foothold in reality now... My move?"

"I've already made mine."

He glanced over the board and grinned. "Oooh! I haven't moved this piece in a while. Let's bring him back."

******

It was early the next morning when Pete had eagerly called his friends to see if they wanted to go out. Tom had work but mentioned that he wouldn't mind meeting up with them once his hours were done. Ed said that he would join them at the Last Angel.

Pete had barely gotten any sleep that night. His mother had taken him to the clinic to get checked out and when he had insisted on getting a HIV test, the doctor shrugged and complied. In modern times, test results were almost instantaneous and when Pete got the clean bill of health, he was over the moon.

It had taken all of Pete's willpower not to jump right back in the _Gam3_and start spamming the Chaos Drives. However, Ed had warned him to be careful about the changes. There was no set formula to the changes that he could discern and when he checked the forums, no one mentioned anything - why would they? There was such a thing as too much of a 'good thing', Ed warned, and though they could use this mechanic to make their lives better, they shouldn't abuse it.

Ed - as his 'mother' - told him to take short sabbatical from the _Gam3_and that was when Pete called everyone to meet up in the real world.

Pete was bouncing with so much energy that it almost felt supernatural. Hell, it was supernatural. Just a day ago, he had been living with with HIV and was slowly withering away despite the best medication in the world. Standing still became a problem as his newly acquired muscles were fuelled by seemingly boundless amounts of energy. He circled the Last Angel over and over again just to pass the time; eventually figuring out that it took him exactly thirty seconds to do a full lap of the statue.

"Enjoying the changes?"

Ed seemed to materialise out of nowhere but Pete didn't mind and just grinned broadly. "You bet! I mean, fuck man! I'm a stud! I was never like this even before I got infected."

"You'll have to fill me in." Ed tapped his temples. "I can't remember anything before these changes happened. You can but no one else will."

Pete found himself grinning as he sat down on the edge of the statue. It was still miserably cloudy but for Pete, it felt like the sun was out and shining. Everything was so vivid and clear. The horizon shone with a welcoming light that he was eagerly bounding towards. "Tell about your life before you became the rich smartass we all know and love."

"I was always the smartass," answered Ed with a smirk. "The difference was the money." He leaned back slightly, his expensive, bright red coat a flash of colour in the otherwise drab environment. "You've been to my place, right?"

"You mean that five bedroom mansion you and your dad share with your dogs up in the rich part of town?"

Ed's grin grew broader. "Would you believe that, originally, I shared a one bedroom place with my dad. I had the bedroom and he slept on the couch since he worked late nights as a janitor and didn't want to wake me. He pulled extra hours just scrounge up enough money to get me to school."

"Damn..."

"Buying the Gam3 was my Christmas and_birthday present for the year." Ed looked solemnly down at his feet. "But when things started changing... well... You can imagine my surprise when I lost all my pimples, my hair straightened out and my house suddenly exploded into a goddamn_villa. We don't even really go into any of the other rooms!"

"I know," Pete laughed. "I get lost in your place! How'd that happen, by the way?"

Ed shrugged absently. "I think it has something to do with how you play the Gam3. I have a huge place in the Gam3. Almost as big as my place now. When I used some Chaos Drives, suddenly, my place in real life became equally as large. Remember when I got that familiar?"

"Yeah."

"The day I got them, I used a CD just for kicks and suddenly, I have pet dog!"

Pete was bouncing where he say, absolutely excited at the prospect. "You're kidding me! Oh! What about that Tentacle FC, have you used it yet?"

Ed shook his head. "Not yet. I'm afraid that might be pushing it. I was just going to slip that into a piece of armour or something. From what I can gather, changes infused with your armour do not transfer to the real world. I mean my staff hasn't appeared and I'm not shooting fireballs from it. I even once tried to make a piece of armour with wings and used CDs like crazy. I just got the house."

"Just got the house?" Pete repeated. "Man, I need to start investing in my place so I can get a kickass mansion like yours! I seriously just use my house to stuff all my junk in."

Ed looked up and as he did so, a smile crossed his face. "I'll bet. Listen, Tom hasn't said anything yet about the changes and I haven't seen him use a Chaos Drive yet. Let's not break it to him. Here he comes."

"Why not?" Pete asked, lowering his voice into a whisper. "Don't you want him to be better off?"

His 'mother' wagged a finger at him. "Now, now. We must use this in moderation. Do you really want to be an over-macho stag walking around in a world full of humans? We'll let Tom know when the time is right. He's still new to this. Plus he's got a boyfriend."

"Don't remind me," Pete muttered, his mood turning sour. Before Ed could ask him what that meant, Tom arrived, beaming brightly. He was sweaty, his lean muscles shining despite the cool air. It looked like he had just come off work.

Tom was always the industrious type and very outdoorsy. It was no surprise that he became a construction worker. That fact fit into his portfolio perfectly but the fact that Pete was working at the local gym as an assistant while building up his CV to become a personal trainer didn't. Last he remembered, he was still in college, freshman year - and he was nineteen. To learn that he was suddenly twenty-two... it made things confusing at home.

"Hey guys," Tom greeted, sitting himself beside the other two. "Been a while."

"We all have our things to do," Ed replied with a shrug. "We're busy people."

"Says the stay-at-home aspiring writer." Tom nudged Ed with a laugh. "How's the business major coming, by the way?"

"Still in its infancy. Dad is still pushing me but he barely cares." Ed shrugged and grinned. "So you going to head off to work at the _Reaper Studios_building soon?"

Tom stretched and rolled his shoulders. Pete could not help but think how sexy he would look with bulging muscles practically making the straps of his singlet disappear between their curves. "Sure am! I'm stoked! I mean, working on the building for the guys that made the Gam3. That's pretty big!"

Ed nodded in agreement. "They must be pretty big. I mean most game studios can barely afford to rent a few floors or if they're big enough, just make a few storeys for their building. But this one..." Ed puffed out his cheeks and let out his breath slowly. "A whole skyscraper... man... It's pretty unbelievable, right?"

"Totally." Tom turned towards Pete, a smile on his face. "Hey, you've been silent all this time. Anything to contribute?"

Pete shook his head slowly. "Nah... Just thinking how mention of the _Gam3_has got me itching to play it again."

Ed gave him a stern look but was vetoed when Tom stretched and said, "Yeah, you know I could really use a few hours getting lost in a fantasy world right now. Hell, I'll text Wilbur. See if he wants to come online."

Pete froze. "Wilbur gave you his number?"

"Of course!"

Ed moved to intercept anything Pete had to say knowing full well whatever came out wouldn't be very benevolent. "When will we get to meet the lucky man?"

Tom gave them both a bashful smile. "Well... Bur is a little ashamed of his appearance. He says that he's ugly but I think that's bullshit. I haven't seen him but I'm willing to bet he's a nice guy both inside and out. Besides, we've only been dating for a few days. Online too. I'll ask him out for real when we're more committed."

"Wise move," Pete grunted, rising to his feet. "Don't want to be dating some kind of serial killer or stalker, now do you?"

Ed shot him a piercing stare that almost made him stumble back to his seat.

"Bur isn't like that," Tom said. "But you're right. Need to take it slow." His phone let out a buzz and his features brightened. "Ah! He said he'll be online in an hour!"

The way Tom just looked, the joy in his eyes and the eagerness... it made Pete feel rotten for lusting after him. This fling, the spark that was filling him, it wasn't real. It was temporary and something he knew wouldn't last. It felt good to want Tom like that after having his best friend at arm's length for such a long time due to his disease but now that he was better, it felt like a lost opportunity. He couldn't help but ask the questions, 'Why couldn't I have been cured sooner?' and 'Why didn't I realise I wanted him sooner?'

Now Tom was with Wilbur...

"How about we head over to Ed's place?" Pete suggested, resting a hand on Ed's shoulder. "He's got plenty of entertainment at his mansion and I bet we can kill a good half an hour just driving there."

"Good idea! That okay with you, Ed?"

Ed nodded with a smile. "My dad is out on business anyway. We can head over uninterrupted."

"Great! See you guys there!"

Tom bounded away, practically skipping as he continuously texted Wilbur. Pete felt his heart jerk painfully with every soft beep Tom's phone gave. But as his friend dashed away, those beeps became softer and softer... and with them, they took Pete's pain away.

"You realise it now, don't you?" Ed asked, smiling at him lightly. "Tom is happy with Wilbur. If it turned out well or not is not something for us to decide. Sabotaging that relationship wouldn't make things better for either of us."

Pete nodded slowly and sighed. "It was just something that happened suddenly. Nothing concrete. I guess I saw how Tom looked at Wilbur and I wanted someone to look at me like that."

"You saw Tom was capable of giving that look so you wanted Tom give you that look." Ed squeezed Pete hand tightly. "Trust me, you'll find someone. It might not be Tom and it sure as hell isn't me. But you'll find someone. The world is a small place. Made even smaller by the Gam3. Someone out there will love you."

Nodding, he slipped his hand away from Ed and said, "Thanks." Then he gave his friend a smile. "When did you get so smart?"

"It must have something to do with the fact that I put a lot into my Intelligence stat."

*****

Ed's place was, indeed, vast and lavished both inside and outside of the Gam3. But it was hard to believe that it could be anything else. The enormous single-storey home - because Ed's dad hated two storeys as it was harder to clean - was decorated with all sorts of memorabilia that had little, if anything, to do with the family. There were paintings of landscapes neither of them had ever been to, statuettes of peoples neither of them really had an interest in and vases and pots that had no business being in a room or hallway that was quite modern.

All in all, it looked cluttered with excess like someone was trying to show off that they were rich. With five 'bedrooms' the place was huge but even then, it seemed small with all the bits and bobs that littered the walls and hallways. Pete vaguely remembered that one bedroom was a 'library' filled with floor to ceiling bookshelves crammed with books Ed never used. Another was a study for Ed's dad and the last was a game room with a pinball machine and a pool table that no one used except at parties. The last two were for Ed and his dad as bedrooms.

Surprisingly, Ed took them to the basement where - in Ed's tradition of excess - had an entire system set up just for the Gam3. He already had six headsets for the videogame.

"One for each of us and one spare," Ed said proudly, placing himself on one of the big beanbag chairs and pulling up a headset. In front of him was an enormous flat screen TV that he had easily hooked up to his computer. When asked where their consoles were, he simply tapped the wall and a hidden compartment gave way, revealing two screens embedded into the very walls.

"Do you even use this many screens at once?" Tom asked, laughing as he parked himself into another beanbag.

"You'd be surprised how well parties go when there are half a dozen screens around you showing different things. No one can hear a damn thing but at least it's a distraction when the conversation lulls and a good conversation starter."

Pete leaned back in the chair and slipped on the helmet. It felt new and he doubted Ed had much time to play with it since his change. He logged on as himself and moments later, he was in the dark abyss of the Gam3 before entering the vast world.

The message box that Tom liked to call 'PMS' appeared in front of him.

"We sincerely apologise for the disruption in the Ganymede's Respite event yesterday. Rest assured, the event is back on track and all parties involved have been rewarded with extra recovery potions and Amulets of Resurrection to compensate. Sincerely, the Gam3 Team."

Then it vanished and Pete found himself back at Terminal where he had parted ways with the others. Ed and Tom appeared a moment later; a stunningly handsome tiger and a sexy four-armed dragon. Tom's eyes lit up when there was another flash of light beside him and the heavily armoured Wilbur appeared. Both their expressions lit up - though Wilbur tried to hide it - and they bounded towards one another, both trying to be nonchalant about it.

"Yo," Tom said while fighting the grin on his muzzle.

"Hey," Wilbur greeted gruffly though his tail was wagging excitedly from side to side. "What's the plan today?"

Ed shook his head. "Honestly, I'd rather stay clear of the event for a little bit," he admitted. "Anarchy Events were never my specialty and I bet the Shapeshifters are just eager to break in again. How about we just do some good-old-fashioned questing?"

Pete padded over to him, all four of his legs working in perfect synchronisation. "Got anything in mind?"

The tiger scratched his cheek absently. "Well... Have you guys heard of the Mausoleum of Mirrors?"

Pete went rigid and he caught sight of Wilbur's horrified look. Tom, ever the newb, gave Ed a puzzled look.

"What's the Mausoleum of Mirrors?" asked the dragon.

"It's a good starter-to-mid instance," Ed said. "Located right between Terminal and the Tied Forest. It's a good place to get some low-level FCs and equipment that can be modified and upgraded for relatively cheap. Plus, with everyone else busy with the Event, we've got the time."

"Why are we going for a low level instance?" Tom flexed his biceps. Impressive as they were, Pete couldn't help but roll his eyes. "We're all beefed up! We can take a higher one!"

Wilbur placed a big paw on one of Tom's wrists and pulled his arm down. "No you can't. Instances in the Gam3 are pretty goddamn tough. In normal MMOs it's like simply working your way through a linear dungeon, using skills and powers here and there until you get to the boss. But here, instances are vast dungeons and even entire cities. They aren't linear. The Mausoleum of Mirrors is - was a whole town. You could spend days in the fucked up place." He nodded towards Ed. "But if we're going to start anywhere, that's the best place to go."

"That tough, huh?" Tom responded warily. "Will it really take days?"

Ed shook his head. "If you're smart, it won't. I've read all there is to know about the Mausoleum. I know the path, the bosses and the tricks. We just need to get in, kill the three sub bosses, get to centre and beat the Reflection of Judgement and we're done. Should be some sweet gear too."

Pete glanced over his shoulder at his massive sword. He had been proud of it when he had first crafted it but with his current standards, it was pretty dismal. Compared to Wilbur's shifting hammer-cannon and tank-like armour, Tom's enchanted halberds and Ed's magical staff, his weapon was the weakest. He couldn't help but think that if he had better equipment he would have been able to do more than dent the Shapeshifters.

Besides, as great as wielding a massive sword was, it was a weapon that was strictly one-directional and hard to recover from once he swung. Now with his quadruped lower body, his flanks and rear were left extremely vulnerable. A powerful weapon and some armour would surely help.

"Great!" Tom exclaimed, bouncing on the toes of his clawed feet. It was cute to see a grown dragon-man act so childlike. "Let's go!"

It only took half an hour to leave the relatively empty Terminal and hit the planes outside of the glistening, peaceful, white city. They took a road north heading towards the Tied Forest but about halfway, they veered east, following what appeared to be a dusty, dirt road. A merchant's road from all appearances; not maintained directly by any city or governing body but certainly one used often. The dirt was hard-packed and solid and all forms of greenery maintained their distance from the thick cuts in the dirt where wagons had travelled.

Fifteen minutes later, they passed the glistening white borders of the Terminal Zone and passed into the ominous Mausoleum Zone. The bright blue sky darkened into a threatening purple-blue. The stars were out but they all shone a blood red and Pete could swear some of them were shaped like dark grins or faces watching their movements through deserted farmland.

As they drew closer and closer to the Mausoleum, the environment became more and more hauntingly beautiful. Little by little, great spires of sky blue crystals began jutting from the ground at irregular intervals. Long blades of unkempt grass and grain were replaced with crystal counterparts. Entire homesteads were torn apart by bursts of crystal that sprang from deep within their confines.

Then, as they crested a hill... they saw it.

"Holy shit..." Tom whispered.

"That's what I thought the first time I saw this place," Pete admitted.

The Mausoleum was truly a sight to behold. In the immediate area were vast, abandoned buildings that were perfectly preserved in time. One could almost walk into the streets just expecting the entire city to wake up suddenly and all the bustling people to spring out of the doors and go about their daily routine. However, as you grew closer to the centre, the landscape began to tilt ever so slightly upwards and those same sky blue crystals began to pierce the peaceful buildings. The lip of a crater was just visible and beyond the lip was a floating crystal that slowly sent beams of light across the city like a lighthouse or nightwatchman roving the streets with search lights.

"What happened to this place?" Tom asked.

"According to the official plot?" Pete replied. "When the gods first issued their challenge, there were those that decided to hoard FCs instead of using it to power themselves up to meet the gods as per the challenge. They didn't use the FCs or the FGs they were given. Just hoarded them to sell and make themselves richer. The gods got pissed at this so they threw down one _massive_Form Crystal at the city. That created the crater you see."

Ed waved his staff over the landscape. "The impact didn't actually _destroy_anything, strangely enough. It just moved the land and anything resting on it. This only seemed to fuel the greed of the towns people even more and they began charging people to enter their city. Then they began to notice that as time went on, Form Crystals began to spring out of nowhere. So they just kept selling more and more of it."

"But it was all a punishment from the gods," Wilbur rumbled. "All another game, a test. The more they gave in to their greed, the more the crystals grew. Eventually, those huge crystals you see now began tearing up the city but then they just mined the stuff and sold it. It just kept growing and growing though. Then, one day... the Reflection of Judgement awoke." Wilbur shook his head sadly. "No one knows why it woke at that very moment but when it did, it began letting out those search lights and demonic, crystal beings began springing out of the crystals. They attacked the town's inhabitants, imbedding FCs right into them. These FCs overtook them and they became what are commonly known as the Form Fiends. We'll run into a lot of them."

Tom winced. "The gods punished the entire town for defying them...?"

"Not the entire town," Ed said. "Many people were allowed to leave before the Reflection woke up. This took place over several years, you know." He nodded towards the vast city and began to walk towards the gates. "Anyway, place lost its name a long time ago but it got its name as the 'Mausoleum of Mirrors from the fact that its effectively a mass grave for the entire city and the crystals are extremely reflective. Oh, fun fact, see the Reflection's lights? If you get caught in one of them, it'll aggro all the mobs in a wide area. So don't get caught."

Grinning, Tom fished out his halberds, wielding them both in tandem. "No problem! I'm pumped! So what's our first step?"

"Get down to the place," Wilbur grunted. "The instance doesn't officially start until we actually pass through the gates. Before then, we've got a few Form Fiends to deal with.

As they went down the path towards the crystalline gates they began to see the first glimpses at the Mausoleum's dark guardians.

Form Fiends were effectively zombies but with one key difference; they had some form of FC embedded into their foreheads. Their deep, dark blue, withered flesh clung to their bones like they were already partially mummified. Wide, unseeing eyes hovered over drooping, gaping mouths which emitted horrific moans. The FCs on their foreheads were either a variety of red, green, yellow or blue aligning themselves to Physicality, Ability, Agility or Mentality respectively. Depending on their FC, they were either strong, equipped with special abilities, fast or really smart.

Since they were not entirely in the instance yet, the Fiends were relatively easy to beat but even Pete found himself falling behind as his sword fell against a Physicality Fiend. The creature hissed at him, emitting its trademark moan that sounded suspiciously like 'emllik'. Somewhere behind him, Tom cleaved through two of the Fiends with ease, his halberds simply sizzling with might. Ed devastated an entire group of them with a powerful spell while Wilbur kept them at bay with his cannon.

He sighed. Was he truly that weak in comparison to his friends?

"Emllik!" hissed a Fiend as it shambled over to him. "Emllik! Esaelpdog! Struhti!"

Pete shook his head and swung his sword with both hands, cleaving the emaciated creature in two. He was surprised when a flash of light engulfed him following by the tell-tale sound of himself levelling up. With a smile, he added his newly acquired points straight to his Physicality, feeling his muscles bunch up and throb with new size. It didn't help much as he swung his blade and helped cleave a path through to the entrance of the city. He only kept Bloodbath Blade active to keep himself strong with little need of healing.

They were still missing a healer, after all.

It was when they approached the gates did the warning sing appear in their vision.

"Warning. Entering the Mausoleum of Mirrors Instance."

They exchanged glances and Wilbur cast all his support spells alongside Ed.

"Okay, be prepared," Pete said, hoisting his sword over his shoulder. "The first instance boss is waiting for us on the other side."

"Really? That quick?" Tom asked. "Don't we usually have to work through the place before the first one?"

Pete grinned at his friend and turned towards the gates. "You'll see."

They all stepped through together and the moment Pete's last foot crossed the threshold into the city -

BOOM!

"Shit!" cried Tom as a wall of flame erupted in front of them.

"The gods gave us a challenge," a hollow, resonating voice bellowed. "We ignored it and turned their gifts into profit. We were given a warning. We ignored it and turned their sign into profit. We were given death and we_were turned into profit."_

The flames were suddenly swept aside. Standing where they had been stood a single hooded figure, a long, brown, ragged coat draped over his shoulders.

"Seekers of fortune..." The figure lifted an arm towards them, hidden beneath the long sleeve of his cloak. "... become that which you crave."

Sshink! Sshink! Ssshink!

Having been through this instance once before, Pete knew what to expect and lifted his sword to block the spear of crystal that came at him. It bounced off his sword but beside him, Tom let out a pained cry as it jabbed straight into his left shoulder. Despite not actually being hit, the status ailment hit him. The spear had actually bounced off Wilbur's armour and even Ed managed to dodge away but all four of them got the 'Creeping Crystal' status ailment. It was part of the instance.

"What the hell!?" Tom cried, swiping at the crystal at his shoulder. His eyes widened when the blue gem began to turn the scales around the impact side a sickly purple.

"Part of the instance," Ed said grimly as the shadowy figure turned and bolted down the street. "The first boss just hit us with the Creeping Crystal status ailment. We have to chase him down and if we don't catch him in exactly thirty minutes, our bodies will turn to crystal."

"What!?"

"Don't worry, we get teleported to the start free of the stuff but that just means we need to start again." Ed swung his staff. "Come on, we've got thirty minutes!"

Tom growled. "Son of a bitch, I'll get that asshole!"

None of the three veterans said anything as their draconic friend bolted down the street after their nemesis. Pete shrugged and gave chase, Wilbur and Ed following suit. The wolf and tiger fired off ranged blasts to keep the encroaching Fiends from ambushing them while Tom led the way. Despite his extra pair of legs, Pete again felt helpless as the hail of fire and explosions kept the Fiends away from him and Tom.

The Greedy Guardian actually had a set path that he would follow and it was well documented on the forums. With the Mausoleum being so wide and open, it was actually very easy to head off the Guardian and wait for him at his location but that just took away from the fun. The Guardian bolted into an alleyway and vaulted over the heavy brick wall. Pete let out a ferocious roar and charged forward, smashing right through the bricks. It stung his shoulders but he didn't lose momentum, continuing his charge. He had heard some really fast guys could catch the Guardian but no one ever really had proof.

"Bastard!" Tom shouted. He swung his halberd three times and charged forward, activating his Rush Swarm ability. The air sizzled with electrical sickles that sprayed out in various directions, slamming into nearby Fiends that got in their way. Despite his brazen charge, the Guardian bolted ahead...

... only to stop at a plaza.

The Division of the Jury as it was known. It was the threshold between the calm, haunted landscape of the outer city and the vast, crystal-laden horrors of the inner city but just before the crater.

"Persistence," rumbled the Guardian. "It is what drove us to our damnation. We were persistent in our search for riches that we ignored the warnings of the gods. In the end, we became what we sought. We became persistence." Slowly, the guardian reached for his cloak as he always did. "And you will join us!"

Corny line as ever. Pete had enough time to roll his eyes before the Guardian flung his cloak aside, revealing his true form. His solid, bare, muscular form was human mostly save for the sharp shards of sky blue crystal that dotted his entire left arm and turned his eyes red.

"Here he comes!" Ed warned.

The Guardian had superhuman speed and strength, leaping high into the air. He came crashing back down near Pete, the shockwave enough to send any normal person off their feet. Ed and Tom were thrown back; Ed on his rear while Tom nimbly regained his footing with a somersault. Pete and Wilbur remained standing.

The two exchanged glances and they immediately charged at the Guardian.

CLANG!

Pete's sword was blocked by the Guardian's might hand while the crystal arm held back Wilbur's hammer. A loud whirling sounded as Wilbur's hammer transformed into a cannon. Pete grabbed the Guardian's arm just as -

BAM!

Wilbur's cannon went off. The Guardian would have been sent flying if Pete hadn't been clinging onto him. With all his might, Pete jerked back at the boss and slammed him straight into the ground. The sudden jerking motion came with the resounding pop of his foe's arm being dislocated.

That was the secret of the Guardian; his left side was crystal and immensely powerful but the right was vulnerable. Pete gave a loud cry and brought his sword crashing down on the Guardian, piercing the man's chest.

BAM!

Pete managed to scamper back in time before the huge spires of crystal could skewer him. It was surprisingly easy to leap back with four legs and he decided he liked his new addition a lot.

"I was their guard. I was their trusted officer. Leader to those who upheld law and order. But what use is a leader when the law is twisted to greed? What purpose is there to order when its very definition is chaos?"

The crystals shrunk back into the ground and the Guardian stood up, seemingly unwounded. But Pete knew from experience he was down a quarter of his health.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Bolts of fire struck the back of the Guardian, making him stumble forward. Great plumes of smoke erupted from behind him, masking Ed who was back to his feet.

"Lightning Lancer!" cried the tiger.

On his command, bolts of lightning came shooting out of the sky and slammed into the Guardian, doing enough damage to stall him. It was long enough for Tom to come bolting out of the side. The dragon leapt into the air and spun wildly, swinging his halberds out. The twin enchanted blades cleaved into the Guardian's flanks, forcing the guy to stumble.

"We are cursed. We are greed embodied and from greed, we attract the envy of others. We lure the unwary into our midst and drag them into the same hell from which we dwell. Succumb to my blessing and be rid of the shackles of life so that you may not be condemned to wander these streets without purpose!"

Half health.

Pete let out a bellowing cry, catching the Guardian's attention. The man's eyes flashed as his entire crystal arm began to mutate, the crystals twisting and reshaping themselves into an enormous blade. The Guardian leapt into the air again. From memory, this was where the battle got tricky. Pete put his new legs to good use and began bolting around the plaza.

SMASH!

Where the Guardian landed, an explosion of deadly, spiked crystals erupted. The Guardian was shooting through the air a second later and coming down with a -

CRASH!

Just a few feet from Pete!

Fast as he was, the Guardian was still faster.

SMASH!

The last landing sent Pete crashing to the ground, his legs flailing out beneath him as he desperately tried to scramble to his feet. The tell-tail, high-pitching keening of the Guardian crashing down upon him made him shut his eyes.

This was going to hurt.

CLANG!

He jerked his eyes open. Wilbur stood over him, hammer lifted and somehow holding back the Guardian.

"Don't just sit there!" bellowed the wolf.

Desperate, Pete quickly activated his Chaos Drive, Critical Blood. His blade gave off that same, dark, blood-red glow. He swung the sword straight at the Guardian. The blow was strong and a guaranteed critical hit. The Guardian let out a cry as his entire right arm was severed and he stumbled back, clutching the stump and falling to his knees.

"We cannot die. We will never die. We will pay for our sins for all eternity until the game is over. But for us, the game is already lost. Save yourselves. Succumb to the curse and fade."

The Guardian gagged and fell flat on his back. Despite being severely injured, he still muttered, "My defeat means nothing. I will continue to wander these streets and I will continue to send the foolish and greedy away. Nothing will cleanse these lands. Not even the passing of Judgement."

Then the damned man's body went limp. Instead of the typical cartoonish explosion, his entire form began to slowly dissipate in a shower of white, glowing dust. Every particle let out a tiny sing-song, ringing that filled Pete's ears. A venerable storm of the particles drifted into the sky, vanishing into the wind. The pain from the Guardian's curse was gone, the crystals embedded into their bodies vanishing in the same flurry of glistening white dust.

The only thing left was the large, crystal blade that had made up the Guardian's arm.

Pete fell to his knees, sighing in relief. The effect of Critical Blood vanished. He felt both empowered and weak at the same time. To think that he could take out half the health of the Greedy Guardian with one blow... but still, he needed to use a Chaos Drive.

Then again, using more Chaos Drives meant a better life outside of the Gam3.

He suddenly found the crystal weapon thrust in front of him.

"I think this would suit you better than the rest of us," Ed said with a smile.

A quick scan of the weapon revealed that it was indeed a powerful tool but its main feature was its large number of customisable slots. Most weapons could only take one or two FCs but this could take a whopping five. That would add quite a bit of a boost.

Pete nodded and dropped his old sword, picking up the crystal weapon. It was light in his hands, lighter than could be expected. He swung it through the air just to test its strength and it hissed softly.

"Get me some decent FCs and I'll improve that bad boy," Wilbur said with a grin.

"Thanks. How much?"

The wolf waved a paw absently. "Forget about the cost. Just work on pulling your weight so I don't have to keep saving your ass."

Pete smirked at that, Wilbur really wasn't a bad guy.

Tom ushered them all to press on and they followed his lead deeper into the Mausoleum. The Reflection of Judgement's spotlights were more frequent in the next area and they had to constantly duck behind large, crystal-laden structures to avoid it.

The Form Fiends were stronger as well. These ones started taking on the physical characteristics of the FCs that were embedded into their skulls. One Form Fiend had enormous muscles but it lumbered towards them, swinging its arms wildly without any real cause. A second had long limbs and crawled on the walls like a nimble lizard, screaming 'Emllik' over and over again. There was one with an enormous brain that pushed past its skull and throbbed disgustingly as it moved in groups, trying to outflank them.

"So how exactly do we get to the Reflection of Judgement?" asked Tom.

Ed nodded towards the rim of the crater and explained that there was a powerful barrier erected there preventing players from passing through. The only way to get through was to get to the cathedral where they needed to get the key from the Sane Sermoniser. Once that was done, that key would let them into the Mayor's Manor where they would find the mayor. Killing him would lower the barrier. Only then could they go to the Reflection and defeat it.

"Great!" Tom shouted. "So let's find the Sermoniser!"

Finding the cathedral was not hard at all. It was strangely the least crystal-covered building in the entire city. Pete found new use for his crystal sword as they made their way towards the cathedral, led by Ed who had knowledge of the entire instance. Form Fiends fell a lot easier to his sword than before though he felt like he had somehow abandoned an old friend. He had that sword for as long as he could remember.

Tom expressed his surprise at the state of the cathedral. The stained glass windows were all shattered but only one of its many spires were shattered. The various statues in front of it remained standing though that was hardly surprising. These were statues of gods, after all. The gods wouldn't want their own visages shattered.

Of the four figures, two of them were sitting. One was a heavily armoured man with a long, flowing cape holding a book in one hand. The other was a figure of a woman but without hair or even facial features. She lounged back on her seat, one leg over the other almost seductively. The other two were far grander and bigger in terms of sheer statue height. One was female, with a strange beak-like mask over her face. The other was definitely male and looked like he had been mummified.

"These are the gods of this world?" Tom asked, glancing from one statue to the other.

"Yup," Ed said, nodding towards the man sitting down with the book and then the woman sitting. "That is the Writer; supposedly the guy in charge of writing the laws. She is the Enforcer, the one who maintains those laws." Next, he gestured at the two standing figures. "The woman standing is the Life Giver and the other is the Destroyer. Pretty self-explanatory."

"Does anyone really pay attention to this stuff?"

"You've got your lore buffs but mostly, no. Just do the instance, rapidly tap the 'A button' to pass through the scenes, get the rewards and do it all over again to farm for materials."

They stepped into the vast cathedral and Pete took a deep breath. "Here we go..."

"Never been here before?" Wilbur asked, clutching his hammer tightly.

"I have. I lost here last time though."

The wolf nodded grimly. "Yeah. This ass is pretty tough. You know the trick, right?"

"Don't believe anything he says."

The cathedral was big and surprisingly well kempt. All the pews were aligned and a few worshipers dressed in white robes sat amongst them, slowly ducking their heads in quiet prayer. All aisles led to the central altar where a completely human man looked up, eyes glistening in joy. He was old, wrinkly old.

"Oh! New followers!" cried the Sane Sermoniser. "Come! Come! Come and join us in the brotherhood of the crystal! Let us praise the gods for ridding the world of the wicked and providing for us!"

"What's he talking about?" Tom asked, nudging Ed.

The tiger held his staff tightly. "He's called the 'Sane Sermoniser' because, unlike the other people, he's completely sane. He knows what he's doing. He's found a way to feast off the energy of the crystals that spring from this place. He's taught other people to do exactly the same thing and thoroughly believes that the gods punished the wicked with this curse." The tiger's tail twitched. "You better watch out. This guy likes playing tricks. It's his thing."

"Will you not join us?" bellowed the Sermoniser. "Come! All can feast from the crystal!"

Ed stabbed his staff into the ground, making a loud crack that echoed in the mostly empty cathedral. "We're just here for the key to the Mayor's Manor. Give it to us and we'll be on our way." On that note, Ed leaned towards Tom and said, "Fat chance that'll happen but I've always wanted to say something like that."

"The Mayor is a sinner," the Sermoniser said, that creepy grin still on his face. "He was locked away for his greed and he will remain so until all of eternity. Stay here and welcome the crystal."

"This guy is more obsessed with crystals than Square Enix is with their Final Fantasy series," grunted Tom. He shook his head. "Listen here, old man, we need to kill the mayor to break down the barrier and destroy the Reflection of Judgement."

Even Pete winced at that. The people who had been praying stopped and turned their heads towards the party.

The Sermoniser's grin faded. "Destroy the Reflection of Judgement. But... This is blasphemy. You would rid the town of the judgement of the gods?"

Pete rolled his eyes and brought up his sword but Tom just kept talking.

"Judgement is one thing but torture is another. If the gods wanted to teach everyone about how greed is bad, why would they constantly entice people to come to this place? Why not just destroy it?" Tom shook his head. "Look, it just doesn't make sense that the gods would do this for the purpose the purpose you're talking about. I mean, think about it."

"Tom -" Pete began but Tom waved him down.

"The gods gave the world a challenge. Meet them. The people of this town decided to defy that challenge and just hoarded all the FCs they had to sell them. What did the gods do? Throw a massive FC at them. Why?"

"As punishment!" cried the Sermoniser.

"As another challenge," Tom said. "If it was punishment, they would've just turned everyone into a crystal instead of letting them slowly get consumed with greed. I don't think the gods are cruel. They gave people a chance, directed them to the way of happiness. But again, the people of this town failed. Instead of using the giant crystal to meet them, they instead used it to gain the monopoly and work against the gods' design.

"And now, what are you doing? You're perpetuating this cycle instead of preventing it. I mean, seriously, you're keeping the mayor locked up because he committed these 'sins'? You're not giving him a chance to repent. Even the Greedy Guardian realised his mistake and was trying desperately to keep people from doing the same. Now you're telling people to just give in when it was the gods' intention to keep you guys moving forward to meet them. You're locking them up here and are defying their first challenge."

Pete's jaw dropped when the Sermoniser's jaw dropped open.

"That... That's incredible," exclaimed the old man, shaking his head. "In all my life playing this role, no one has ever taken the route of talking me out of it."

The entire party flinched.

"Wait... what?" Wilbur stammered.

The old man rolled his eyes and slipped over the altar, brazenly sitting on top of it. "Seriously, I have to deal with parties like you over and over and over again. Sometimes at the same time! Do you have any idea how managing yourself across multiple alternate instances is? It's fucking hard! Honestly, I'm surprised I'm called the 'Sane' Sermoniser!" He shook his head. "And it's always the same thing. Listen to me preach for a bit then we go into battle. I teleport around the place, spout out some propaganda, cast some spells that make you turn against one another and then either you win or I lose. It's always the same thing. Do you have any idea how trying it is to keep dying all the time?"

Pete exchanged glances with the others. "Erm..."

"It's fucking brutal!" The Sermoniser beckoned them over and the party approached warily. "Don't worry guys," he shouted to the other worshipers. "I'm not fighting these guys. You're off for the rest of the instance. Hell, Steve, grab the snacks from out back. Elaine, wheel out the TV would ya? Let's relax."

Many of the worshipers let out loud 'thank gods' and began to slack off. One even flicked out a cigarette and began smoking it, confusing the party even more. When a whole table full of snacks was pushed out into the middle of the cathedral and the worshipers began to mill about like it was break time on a TV set, things got even more confusing.

"Everyone is still bound with the same rules of every MMO," said the Sermoniser, carrying a bowl of Doritos to the group. "I'm a boss so the only way I can be defeated is to smack me around. No one ever thinks to talk. Admittedly, it's not like there are any signs to say I can be reasoned with but come on, I'm sane for crying out loud!"

Ed scratched his head, utterly confused. "So... what? Are you an advanced AI or something?"

"What? No! I'm a player too!"

"You are?"

The Sermoniser waved a hand absently. "Yeah. The developers figured that the best way to actually make a truly immersive battle and one that was dynamic was to have a player act out the part of the bosses. The Mayor and the Guardian? Players. The have their scripts of course but it's more like only when they drop down to a certain health will abilities become available. In fact..."

The Sermoniser opened his menu and typed quick messages, sending them off. A moment later, the doors to the cathedral opened. To figures poked their heads in. One was the Guardian, looking utterly befuddled while the third was a portly man with large, crystal wings sprouting from his back.

"Oh my god, serious?" asked the Guardian, sounding very British. "I'll pop the cork!" He had a bottle of champagne and instantly popped it.

"I would never have believed it," exclaimed the mayor, holding up several glasses that he brought to the party, sharing one with each of them. "Someone actually talked back. Most of the time everyone just bashes the same button with the belief that it'll skip all the dialogue."

Pete sipped at the champagne. It was pretty good. "Is this some sort of trick? Seriously?"

The Sermoniser shook his head. "When you've been fighting parties intent on ignoring what you have to say and just trying to beat you to a pulp, this is really refreshing. Besides, everyone is off at the Event. Those of us who don't want to participate get to spend some time either running through instances or being in the instances. But it's still goddamn rare. It's nice to actually talk to people once in a while. Tell you what, Bobby, you think you can lower the barrier for these guys?"

The mayor nodded. "Sure." He tapped his foot a few times. "There, done. Free pass."

"This is so weird," Ed laughed softly. "I never thought talking to bosses would get them to ease up. What about the Reflection? Same thing?"

"Oh god no!" laughed the Guardian. "That's a bloody AI that's bent on killing you! Don't worry! You'll have your challenge. And hell, because you actually took the time to get to know us, here..." The Guardian held out a small leather sack. "Some nice FCs for you."

Pete took it and glanced inside. There were mostly Mentality-based FCs and he had to admit he could use some of those. Nothing with true transformations but some neat abilities.

"So tell me something," Tom said, smiling softly. "Do you actually go out there and play the Gam3 or is this like a full-time job?"

"We're on a roster," answered the Sermoniser. "There are about ten people registered to play a Sermoniser and when someone starts an instance, a message goes out to one of us and the first one to take it, becomes the Sermoniser. We get paid in real money of course plus we get to play super-powerful characters."

"It's always fun to see people's different strategies," laughed the mayor. "But don't go spreading this around, okay? We'd always like to have more people playing these major roles but we don't want people pulling punches because they're friends."

"How'd you fall into this gig?" Pete asked. His amusement rose when several of the other 'actors' stepped in front of a large TV and began watching what looked like a live feed of the Event. The entire cathedral was turned into a sort of party house. The pews were pushed aside to give room of people just milling about, having a drink and chatting.

"You can sign up for it," answered the Mayor. "Just talk to the admins and they'll put you on a list. You'll need to sign a contract and stuff but it's a pretty sweet deal, you know. You get paid for a relatively short amount of time to beat the crap out of other people. It's almost like a job."

Wilbur shook his head absently. "Wow... If I had known about this, I would've stopped being a smith and just spent my days beating the crap out of people."

They chatted for a little longer, getting to know the three players and exchanging details. They watched the Event alongside everyone else, making friends and being reminded of another aspect of the Gam3, the socialising. It wasn't just about running dungeons and killing monsters. It was about interacting with people as well.

Pete shook his head in amazement and made a silent vow to himself that he would be more social both in and out of the Gam3. Meeting people, discovering new things... that was pretty fun. He envied Tom's innocence and openness on that level.

After a few more drinks, they stepped out of the cathedral, bidding their new friends goodbye.

Pete considered himself utterly surprised though he guessed it wouldn't be so easy to convince other instance bosses to just give up like these guys. After all, the bosses did get a bonus for the number of players they defeated. These guys were probably just bored as everyone was at the Event. Besides, though it was easier, they probably did lose out on some decent loot. Still, it was good to know that they were fighting other people not just AIs. That explained why the instances could be so hard.

He smiled quietly to himself and wondered what else the Gam3 had in store for them.

*****

A white door sprang open beside the looming crystal over the enormous crater of the Mausoleum of Mirrors. It opened a moment later Jake stepped out and gazed at the big crystal form.

"You called?"

"Problem," replied the crystal itself. "Four people originally entered this instance but a moment later, I detected a fifth and sixth player enter. They are not part of the original party."

The wolf's brow furrowed. "That's... concerning. They shouldn't be able to do that. Have the Shapeshifters found a way to break the locking system of instances?" He glanced up at the crystal. "Can you identify them?"

"Just who do you think I am? Of course I've identified them." A holographic dossier appeared in front of Jake. "It's almost like the sixth is chasing the fifth. How they both got back into the Gam3 is a wonder."

Jake shrugged absently. "Not really considering who is running it."

The crystal made no comment on that and simply pressed on. "They're playing it quietly but the barrier has just gone down. I don't think the original party actually defeated the Mayor. From what I can gather from the intruder's movements, they're coming here." Concerned, the crystal let out a thoughtful noise. "What do you want to do?"

Jake opened his special admin monitor and scanned the instance. Then he shook his head and gazed out towards the south. For the briefest of moments, the pupils of his eyes sharpened, obtaining the distinct shape of an eight pointed star. A small smile crossed his features as he blinked and turned back towards the crystal. When his eyes opened, his pupils were back to normal. "You know what? Leave it. Let them come here. Help the original party."

"What? Why?"

"Because this particular party actually talked to the bosses and got a free pass."

"Seriously? That's a first."

"Indeed." Jake crossed his arms, smiling to himself. "It warms the heart when humanity shines like that." He turned away from the crystal, heading back towards the door. "Be sure to give them something nice for their trouble."

"Hmmm... I think I've got an idea. What do I do with the intruders?"

"Play it by ear. I think these guys have got a pretty good idea how to deal with the Shapeshifters."

*****

Pete was thrilled when, true to what the instance bosses had said, the barrier was indeed down. It was a long trek up the side of the crater and they had to deal with more Form Fiends of increasing difficulty but it was nothing their party couldn't handle. Usually it was the bosses that were difficult and game-ending. That was no different to the Reflection of Judgement.

"What can we expect from the Reflection?" asked Tom as they reached the lip of the crater. Below them was a vast expanse of housing that had been twisted and turned all to point towards the large crystal that hovered over their heads. There were more spotlights emanating from the crystal that before and they were lucky not to have been spotted thus far.

"It's one tough son of a bitch," answered Wilbur. "It has three modes. When it glows red, it will reflect all physical attacks back at you. Green means that it will reflect all abilities back. Then there is its blue state where it will be vulnerable to all attacks. Keep an eye on it. Depending on how many members there are in your party, it will shift and change itself based on a fraction of its health around that number."

Tom gave his boyfriend a puzzled look. "What...?"

"He means," Pete said with a grin, "that since we've got four people in our party, when we whittle it down by 村 health, the Reflection with change to look like one of us and even gain our abilities. Do enough damage to it and we'll knock it back to its original form."

"Dang..."

"That's why the Mausoleum of Mirrors has such a bad rep. The Greedy Guardian can end entire parties in thirty minutes, the Sane Sermoniser will actually trick you into attacking your friends, removing the no-friendly-fire block amongst parties and the Mad Mayor will periodically go into a cocoon and heal himself." Pete rubbed the back of his head. "Honestly, I'm glad we didn't fight them. I always lost against the Sermoniser."

"I made it through this place once," grunted Wilbur. "For a low-mid level instance, it's tough. The mobs are easy but the bosses are tricky."

"But human," finished Ed, clapping Tom's shoulder. "Who would've thought, huh?"

BOOM!

They all turned towards the enormous, floating crystal. Pete's jaw dropped as it began its descent, brilliant light spilling from the spinning frame.

"That's... That's not right," Wilbur murmured. "It's only supposed to do that when we get to it..."

"Is someone else here?" replied Tom.

"Can't be. Instances are bound to parties... No one else should be in here!" Wilbur hefted his hammer. "Come on... This can't be good."

"Shouldn't we be running in the opposite direction if something is wrong?" demanded Pete but he was ignored as his friends rushed down the twisted streets of the city. He rolled his eyes and gave chase, putting his new legs through a vigorous workout.

It frightened him a little that there were no other mobs littering the streets. Usually, this should be where the most powerful mobs should be but it looked like the streets had been cleared.

BOOM! CRASH!

The Reflection of Judgement had awoken and off in the distance, he could see flashes of light accompanied by the echoes of steel on steel. There was definitely a battle going on but who was fighting? Those very sounds grew louder and louder as they drew closer to what became colloquially known as 'Ground Zero'. Legend had it that when the crystal crashed into the city, instead of making it a holy site, the people of the city made it into a massive market where they eagerly pawned off their harvested FCs.

It would have been more soothing if there were devastated buildings around them but the sight of abandoned stalls and ruined crockery like a terrible storm had cut through the market place was more unsettling.

CRASH!

Something big and furry suddenly came shooting out of a nearby stall and collided hard with Pete's flanks. The stag-taur went crashing to the ground and cried out in pain as he was compressed beneath a rather heavy weight. He instinctively kicked and felt his hooved feet smash into something thick and fluffy.

His eyes caught sight of the lush golden mane and tawny, lean, furred flesh. The sight of a bow sparked memories of a thief that almost got away with his sword.

"You!" Pete cried.

"YoungPride!" exclaimed Ed and Tom. Wilbur had heard about the would-be Shapeshifter and immediately levelled his cannon at the lion.

In surprised them all as YoungPride grimaced and staggered to his paws and knees. "Look out!" he screamed.

They all looked to where he was pointing. A dark boar wearing spiked armour came charging straight at them, roaring loudly.

"Shit!" cried Pete, recognising the level 99 Shapeshifter known as Rushman. Not really knowing what he was doing, he leapt to his feet, seized YoungPride around the waist hoisted the loin over his shoulders, immediately bolting.

"Let me down!" cried the lion as they quickly wove through the market stalls. The sounds of crashing and smashing told them that Rushman wasn't too far behind.

As much as Pete wanted to just dump the lion, common decency indicated otherwise. "You want me to throw you to the spiked pig that's clearly out for your blood?"

"Erm..."

"Thought so."

CRASH!

Pete ground to a halt. The stall in front of him exploded and out rushed a large, blue creature made completely out of glimmering crystal. It was shaped like a perfectly human woman but one that was ten feet tall and sprouted large, angelic wings from its back. In one hand it held a large tower shield that reflected everything it faced and in the other was a mace simply crackling with lightning.

"Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me!" Pete shouted. "You activated the Reflection of Judgement!? Why!?"

"I thought it'd tip the odds in my favour!" YoungPride exclaimed.

The Reflection turned hollow eyes towards them. "Duck!"

Pete immediately obeyed and the Reflection came shooting overhead.

CLANG!

The Reflection's shield began to crack against Rushman's powerful fists. However, she was still the final boss of an instance. With her free hand, she brought her mace crashing down on the boar. Rushman dodged aside but wasn't fast enough. Massive crystal erupted from the ground where the mace hit, slicing deep into Rushman's flanks. Strangely, the boar grinned. The reason; his armour sprang to life and shot a blast of scintillating energy back at the Reflection, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Crap!" YoungPride cried. "Rushman is at that level where he can solo the entire instance by himself! We're screwed!"

"Then call the bloody admins!" Pete cried, letting the lion down.

"Are you crazy!? I'm banned, remember?"

Pete fixed the lion with a pointed stare. "Good point. How the _hell_did you get back in here?"

"Does that matter?" YoungPride turned pleadingly towards him. "Look, you've got to help me. Please?"

"Help you? You tried to steal our FCs and gear last time we met! Why the hell_should I help _you?"

CRASH!

They both flinched as Rushman smashed his foot against the Reflection's shield. The entire weapon shattered and the Reflection immediately leapt into the air. Her form shimmered, shifting into a crystal version of Rushman. The boar just grinned and the two of them crashed into each other. The shockwave of the impact sent YoungPride flying but Pete easily caught him and threw him back to the ground. Market stalls around them were turned into splinters. Not too far away, Pete could see Wilbur helping Tom up. Ed was picking himself up from beneath some debris.

"If we don't beat him, Rushman will steal all our FCs and gear!" exclaimed YoungPride.

"He can't do that. It's not a PVP setting!"

"You think that'll stop him?"

Pete hated to admit it but YoungPride was right. Still, the last time they had fought the guy, they had been beaten so badly. After four Chaos Drives, he barely scratched the guy.

"Got a plan?" he asked.

"Not really," muttered YoungPride as he lifted his bow. "But Rushman is true to his name. He'll keep rushing at you. If we keep our distance, he won't be able to hit us."

"Right. You know how fast a level 99 guy is?"

YoungPride rubbed his shoulder. "I've got an idea." He eyed Pete. "Okay... I've got an idea on how to keep us away from him and damage him at the same time. You with me?"

Pete understood what he meant and rolled his eyes. "Yeah... fine. Hop on."

It felt somewhat degrading as YoungPride leapt onto Pete's back. The added weight wasn't that much. Pete immediately broke into a trot, holding his sword at the ready. Just as Rushman was about to collide with the Reflection, he swung in behind him and swung his sword. The crystal blade cleaved across the boar's back, barely making sparks. But it was enough to catch the boar's attention especially when the blast of energy from his illegally gotten armour sent a bolt of energy at Pete.

YoungPride countered by shooting an arrow straight at the energy sphere, shattering it instantly. The lion then took aim and sent another arrow, pinning it right against the boar's neck. Another bolt came shooting at them but as with the first, YoungPride cancelled it out. Pete, in the meantime, just kept moving, circling the battlefield to the annoyance of Rushman.

The boar let out a roar and made to charge but the instant he turned his attention from the Reflection, a row of crystals came shooting out of the ground beneath him, knocking him high into the air. The bolts of energy that came shooting out of his armour were easily dodged by Reflection, still taking on his shape.

Pete came to a halt beside the Reflection, unsure if it was friendly or not. It had ordered them to duck...

"How do we beat this guy?" he asked. "Everything we throw at him he just throws back..."

"His natural regeneration is also immensely high," answered the Reflection. "What little damage we do is healed almost instantly..."

"Group attack?" YoungPride asked. "Spam Chaos Drive at him?"

Pete shook his head, recalling Ed's words of caution. "I already used my one for the day and I don't want some consequence looming over my head for saving your ass."

"Then what? His FG is too advanced and his FCs are way too strong!"

His FG... Pete's eyes fixated on the boars left thigh where the Shapeshifter's FG was tied by a simple, leather strap.

"I've got an idea," he said. "Reflection, can you run interference? Pride, I need you to unleash what you can on his left leg. I'll do the rest."

YoungPride nodded grimly and even the Reflection gave an affirmative, her form shifting back into her natural state. With cry, the Reflection threw herself at Rushman just as he was recovering. The boar looked stunned as he was swept off his feet and carried high into the air. Despite being fifty feet into the air, Rushman still punched the Reflection, shattering her left arm and causing him to drop.

That moment allowed YoungPride to consume a Chaos Socket. 'Chaos Drive: Condemnation of the Derelict' appeared over his head and his bow glowed brightly, arrows shimmering silver.

WHAM!

Rushman hit the ground hard but in a crouch.

Chaos Drive: The Traveller's Word sprang up over YoungPride and he unleashed an arrow, glistening with silver lights. It struck Rushman's chest and an explosion of light washed over the entire field. The air immediately went still as did the world around them. The Reflection froze in midair, halting her descent and Rushman's scowl was permanently plastered on his face.

YoungPride grimaced and began firing shot after shot straight at Rushman, slicing his left leg. What bolts of energy his armour could muster were temporarily held back by his frozen state.

"Whatever you're going to do, do it now!" Pride shouted. "That only lasts for a few seconds!"

Pete nodded and bolted straight for the Shapeshifter, diving for the boar's legs. Just as time resumed, a burst of energy exploded from the boar, sending Pete soaring and crashing into the ground. His entire body hurt but no more when he felt a strong foot collide with his lower flanks.

"Think that can beat me?" demanded Rushman. "You really think that could have beaten me? Fuck you guys! I'm the fucking Rushman! I'm unstoppable!"

Pete offered him a weak grin. "As you are now... yeah."

Then, he held up an FG... Rushman's FG.

The boar pulled back just to look at where the grid had been torn from his left thigh. He snarled at Pete but his face fell even further when Pete seized the Core Form Crystal and yanked it forcibly from its socket.

For a moment... nothing happened.

Then Rushman's entire body began to shudder.

The boar clutched his temples, throwing his head back in a terribly cry. His massive, muscular form began to twitch and shudder. The long, black fur on his shoulders and arms straightened like needles. It must have felt like needles as they began shrinking back into Rushman's flesh because the boar started wailing in agony as he fell to his knees. Pete could only watch in horror as every strand of fur began shrinking back into the boar's flesh, leaving nothing but pink skin behind.

The thick muscles all over the boar's body began to shrink rapidly. Large veins that pumped raw blood and strength into iron hard muscles shrank back into the pale flesh, covered instantly by layers of fat. Plump pecks that pushed the limits of the unholy armour he wore shrank back, the armour groaning in relief as the pressure was relieved. Muscular thighs designed to carry the player endlessly across the field faded, rolls of fat overtaking lumps of muscle.

The large quills that covered all of Rushman's back dropped off one by one, leaving his back mostly exposed. The hump he got from his form snapped audibly as he was forced to straighten. It actually didn't look painful as Rushman let out a gasp of relief when it happened. His face was contorted into a look akin to pleasure but it was hard to tell as his features began to shift and change. The tusks that dominated his face shrank back beneath his lips and the snout melted into his bare flesh. Ears rounded out and migrated back down to the sides of his face while his thick, black mane evened out to become a rather messy mop on the top of his all too human head.

Rushman collapsed to the ground, human...

"Holy shit!" cried YoungPride, rushing over to Pete. "You beat him! You actually beat him!"

"Think again, assholes," growled Rushman, his voice sounding much wheezier and almost asthmatic as he staggered to his feet. Despite looking utterly ridiculous in his oversized armour and having to constantly pull up his pants, he still carried a degree of menace in his pudgy, black eyes. "You took out my Core FC. Good work. So you took out a fraction of my power. But I've still got _ten_other FCs embedded into that thing and the points I've got from my levels! I can still crush you with my little toe!"

Pete grinned darkly. "I know that. But how much can you handle after you cum?"

The Shapeshifter frowned. "What...?"

Without responding, Pete placed the Core FC back into the stolen FG with a loud click.

Again, there was just one second of nothing.

Then Rushman's eyes widened as he fell on his fat rump, a loud moan erupting from his throat. Pete watched with grim satisfaction as the boar began emerging once more. Rushman began thrusting his ups wildly into the air, a definite tent appearing in his leather pants. His bare feet twisted, reshaped and undulated as his toes fused and became two cloven hooves. Thick, black hairs rapidly spread from the hooves, speeding their way up his bulging calves and thighs, filling out those pants once more.

Rushman was forced to roll onto his belly, twisting and panting as his back ballooned out with his torso, muscles pumping once more into his frame and filling out the armour, Thick veins criss-crossed his arms, pushing him back up to his hands and knees. A deafening roar erupted from his growing muzzle when the spikes all over his back sprang back to life.

Rushman was left panting but still clearly agitated. He spun around, eyes flashing though there was a definite wet stop on his pants.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Pete pulled the Core FC from the socket once more. "Making you feel so, _so_good."

Rushman managed just one step forward before his body was thrown back as he reverted back into a human. He was left panting and gasping just a minute later as he was back into his human form. Pete didn't give him a chance to get up as he shoved the Core FC back into its socket. Rushman howled in both frustration and ecstasy as his body was overwhelmed by the massive transformation again.

Such was the rules of the Gam3. No matter your FCs or statistics on your FG, without a Core, all transformations were held back. As Pete kept taking out the Core and putting them back in, every statistic and every transformation that they brought with them were taken out and then forcibly pushed back into the Shapeshifter.

By the end of it, Rushman had torn off his pants, his big, porcine cock throbbing with exhaustion and he lay in a pool of his own cum, panting with exhaustion before drifting off into slumber.

"That has got to be the most unique way of defeating another player that I've ever seen."

The Reflection staggered up to them, clutching her devastated arm.

"I thought you were an AI?" Pete said, confused. "Aren't you just programmed to defeat us?"

"I'm programmed to follow the laws of the universe," she responded."That this beast" - she nodded at the cum-soaked boar - "broke them means that I must defend those very same laws. That said, you realise what you did technically breaks those very same laws, right? You aren't meant to touch let alone meddle with another person's FG on that level."

Pete ducked his head and nodded grimly. "Yeah... Uh..."

She laughed softly and clapped his shoulder. "Not to worry. I still appreciate what you did and the fact that you managed to defeat a Shapeshifter by making them orgasm themselves to defeat is an added bonus." She waved her hand and a small treasure chest appeared in front of him. "Here, a thank you for helping to apprehend this foe. I'll conjure an exit portal for you too."

Pete smiled softly. "Thanks."

WHAM!

He jerked as YoungPride's eyes rolled into the back of his head and the lion collapsed. "What was that for!?"

"He's a wannabe Shapeshifter too. Not to mention he broke into this instance and tried to use me against his former boss. I figure just knocking him out would be enough. Do me a favour, take him with you."

"You're not going to turn him in?"

The Reflection chuckled and gazed up at the sky. "No... I don't think the gods would want that at all."

*****

When YoungPride awoke, Pete was just finishing rifling through the loot they had obtained from the instance. It was significantly less than what they would have obtained had they gone through it legitimately but it was still a decent haul. He had a dozen Charisma FCs that he had just fused together and he recalled reading somewhere the Charisma - while used in some abilities - was predominantly an aesthetic statistic; increasing one's own primary sex organs.

He got some decent gear as well. The crystal shards he had obtained would make excellent armour and he already had Wilbur working on one for him. Ed and Tom were out hanging out with their new buddies that they had met during the instance.

Pete had been charged with looking after YoungPride. It felt stupid to put the guy into Tom's house but the small one-bedroom home was pretty much the only place that didn't have anything valuable to steal so if YoungPride tried anything, at least there wasn't much at risk.

"Why am I naked?" asked the lion.

And he was also naked and didn't have his gear.

"You still tried to steal from us, remember?" Pete said, picking up his newly created FCs. "You helped us beat Rushman but that doesn't make you any more trustworthy. You ruined our instance run. We were pretty darn lucky too."

The lion rumbled as he slowly wrapped the blanket around himself and stood up from the bed. "Fine, fine. I was an ass. But come on, bro, I was new to the Gam3 when I was poached by the Shapeshifters. How could I not join in? It was an easy way to get the best stuff in the game!"

"Getting the stuff and earning it are totally different things," Pete replied, feeling something like a hypocrite after they had breezed through most of the instance by just talking and making friends. Then again, battling a Shapeshifter made up for it.

"I know that," rumbled the lion, ducking his head sadly. "Doesn't meant the temptation isn't there, you know? I mean, what with the changes in real life and all..."

Pete sat up and gazed at the lion, stunned. "Changes in real life?"

The lion blinked. "Oh, you didn't know? When you overuse the Chaos Drives, stuff changes outside of the Gam3. I tried asking around about it but well..." He blushed beneath his tawny fur and rubbed the back of his head. "It's not like anyone really wants to talk to me after what I've done and I wasn't really in with the Shapeshifters yet..."

"I know about it, yeah," Pete replied, slowly rising from where he sat. "I didn't think anyone else spoke about it." He eyed the lion curiously. "So... what changes did you go through?"

"Big," the lion laughed softly, parking himself on the edge of the bed. "Bigger house, better stuff. Lost a few years of my life, though, apparently."

"Yeah... Me too..."

The lion regarded the stag curiously. "It's weird, isn't it? You consciously_don't know about what happened but when others bring it up, the memories just flood in like it actually happened... It's like looking back at the times when you were a kid. You don't really remember it but it's _there."

Pete nodded in agreement. "Yeah... Yeah, I know." He sighed softly as he sat down on the floor, his four legs folding beneath him. "One of my friends doesn't seem to know about any of the changes but I think that's because he's never used any Chaos Drives past the limit. Another got rich from it and the other guy... Well, I'm not sure yet. He sort of locked himself into an NPC's life in the Gam3. No questing. Just building stuff."

"Really?" Pride asked, stunned. "Why the hell would he want to do that? I mean this place is great! You can chance yourself, be as buff as you want, get rich and even have all the sex you want without consequence! Why would he want to just be stuck building stuff?"

"Everyone has their reasons, I guess." Pete glanced down at where his FG was strapped to his shoulder.

They were silent for a long time before Pride stood up and sighed. "Look... Thanks for saving me and um... erm... not turning me in. I guess I owe you guys..." He rubbed his mane absently. "I think I might end up taking a sabbatical from this game for a bit. I mean, the Shapeshifters are after me..."

"How did you get back in when Jake banned you?" Pete asked.

"Shapeshifters emailed me. Said they would unlock my account. They did that but the moment I got in, they started hunting me down. Not sure why. I don't even have good gear and all my Amulets of Resurrection were confiscated when I was banned."

"I know." Pete snickered as he hiked a thumb at the pile of clothes behind him. "I went through your stuff. Your gear is good but nowhere near our level." He inclined his head to the side. "Look, you're a nice enough kid. I guess you just got roped into the bad side of the Gam3 from the get go. Why don't you party up with us? We'll help keep the Shapeshifters off you."

"You really think you can defeat the Shapeshifters?" asked YoungPride.

"We beat one today, didn't we?"

"By exploiting the mechanics of the Gam3. I mean, that's cool and all but you heard what the Reflection said, what you did was technically illegal."

"Then we know enough to call the Admins. Besides, you've got dirt on them! I'm sure the Admins would appreciate that."

"I ain't no snitch!"

Pete crossed his arms. "Do you want to keep running into trouble like that when you play to Gam3 or are you going to hide away in the corner, scared?"

YoungPride groaned and got up. "You know what...?"

"What?"

The lion's eyes flashed. "I choose neither!"

Suddenly, Pete's vision went dark as the blanket was tossed over him. He didn't even struggle and just sighed as YoungPride dashed past him. He pulled the blanket off just as YoungPride was heading for the door.

"Forgetting something?" Pete asked, holding up a small, metal panel.

YoungPride froze and glanced at the pile of equipment in his arms. "My FG!"

"I'm not going to let you go back to the Shapeshifters and just become another ass to everyone else," Pete said, holding up his newly alchemised crystal and letting it hover over one of YoungPride's open sockets. "Either you go clean or I'm going to keep you here against your own will."

YoungPride's eyes widened. "You can't do that! You can't meddle with other people's FGs!"

"I checked the rules," answered Pete. "Apparently, after some players got gratification over transforming other people, you're allowed to put in normal FC into other people's FGs but you aren't allowed to mess with their Core FCs. That's why you're actually allowed to go around without your FGs these days. If you don't want people altering them on the field, leave them at home. It means you can't change yourself on the fly but it also means no one can change you."

Pete let the crystal hover closer to the FG. "So what's it going to be?"

YoungPride growled at him. "Anything you give me will only make me stronger."

Pete smirked. "Oh yeah. I'm sure it will."

Click.

One second passed.

Then...

"Aaaah-urgh!" YoungPride gasped, falling to his knees. His bow and armour clattered to the ground. His paws were clasping his groin tightly and Pete smirked with some satisfaction as a thick, pink, barbed member began to slowly press itself between the lion's thick fingers.

"Oh crap... What's happening...?" the lion gasped, his tongue rolling from the muzzle. His eyes were half closed in pleasure. Through the sexual haze, he looked down at his crotch. His cock continued to grow, throbbing joyously and squirting thick ropes of precum onto his fingers. Even when the cock became big enough to need both his paws to clasp around it, he didn't pay it much heed. Only when it started to rise up past his belly button did his eyes open wide.

"Holy crap! What have you - urk!?" He didn't get to finish as his thickening member surged upwards another six inches, shooting a thick wad of precum right into his muzzle.

"We got a whole bunch of Charisma and Metabolism FCs from the instance bosses," Pete explained, rising to his feet. Watching the lion's cock grow was starting to make him hard and with his cock firmly between his rear legs, it was uncomfortable sitting down with it hardening. "The Reflection gave us these neat Bonus FCs. You know what those are, don't you?"

His reply was only a half-pained, half-pleasured 'Rrrrugh!'

"They're neat little FCs that add a multiplier to the stats of the FC you add them to," Pete explained. "They are nothing by themselves but when coupled with other crystals, they can really rack up the bonuses. So... I made what I call my 'Fuck Off FC'." Pete grinned as he strode over to the lion. YoungPride had fallen over to his size, bucking his hips wildly as his balls has exploded to enormous, coconut-sized monsters, practically making him immobile. "It's an FC that adds +20 to Charisma and +20 to Metabolism but has two x2 Bonus FCs added. So in case you can't add that up just yet, that's a whopping 80 to your Metabolism and Charisma."

Pete's grin grew broader as YoungPride's cock pushed at the lion's chin, the pointed tip letting out soft purrs as his face became covered in precum. His musk was filling the room and Pete was finding it hard not to focus.

"That much Charisma and Metabolism will give you..." Pete took a long, deep whiff and shuddered. His lower belly was wet with his own precum. "Fuck... Um... That much Charisma and Metabolism will give you one hell of a cock and balls. Too big to really... shit..." He had to pull his hands away from his own nipples. "... They get big... you can't move..."

YoungPride's eyes were shut tight and he was no longer responding. His tongue was out, lapping at his enormous, thick cock that was as thick and as tall as a small tree. He was cradling it in his arms, using his entire limbs to stroke himself off. The floor was swimming in his precum, slowly leaking towards Pete.

The stag gazed at the growing pool and then back at the lion. With a grunt, he slowly bent down and dipped his finger in. Tentatively, he brought it up to his lips. The salty taste and texture made him shudder and his cock jerked with need.

"Oh fuck..." he grunted. "Stupid charisma... pheromones or something... shit... Got to get out of here..."

Pete move towards the door but as he did so, he passed the lion's bubble butt and his mouth water.

"Shit..." He shook his head, trying to clear it but without even thinking, his legs began to carry him back to YoungPride. Before he knew it, he was hovering over the lion, his cock poised to take the lion's cherry. "Crap... Can't think straight... did... Didn't... Oooooh!"

A paw seized his cock and began to squeeze down on it.

"Fuck me," rumbled YoungPride. "Fuck... I need something in me... Come on... Fuck me, damnit!"

"That's the... pheromones talking... it..." Despite his protests, Pete was already lowered himself down to YoungPride as the lion lifted himself up and guided Pete's dick towards his ass. "... Are you...?"

"Goddamn it, yes!" roared the lion. He took a moment to lap at his enormous cock, panting loudly. "Just... Just do it!"

Pete rumbled and shuddered when YoungPride forcibly pushed himself into Pete's dick. Both of them shivered as the thick piece of meat pressed through the tight walls of feline ass. Pete's heartbeat was racing, told through the pulsating of his member. Some part of him was still fighting and he tried to pull away but YoungPride, overcome by the transformation and the lust, pushed back. They both slammed against the door, effectively pinning Pete with no escape.

"Fuck this..." rumbled YoungPride. He yanked himself off Pete's cock, leaving the stag feeling suddenly empty and unfulfilled.

WHAM!

Pete found himself slammed onto the ground. Showing surprisingly strength, YoungPride had thrown the stag-taur to the floor. Too stunned to act, he could only feel the strong lion's muscular legs wrap around his lower flanks and that tight, bubble butt clasp back around his cock. He felt YoungPride's heartbeat through the enormous member that was pressed against his lower abdomen. Their thick bodies compressed the monster of a cock together and when YoungPride began pulling himself up and down, they both let out pleasured moans.

Pete's cock got the tightest ass that he had ever felt both in and out of the Gam3 and at the same time, YoungPride's member was being rubbed against him, drooling precum all over his fur. He stopped resisting and just gave himself to the moment, wildly thrusting into the lion with his tongue thrashing about. His grunts of pleasure were echoed by YoungPride, his heartbeat rising to a mounting crescendo.

The pounding on his chest brought a familiar pressure building against his pecs. His moaning grew louder and louder as the pressure build and sticky waterfalls of precum began dribbling down his nipples. He seized the hardening nubs and groaned as they began to grow, thickening and lengthening into the full, erect cocks that tripled his pleasure.

Every few seconds, YoungPride's cock would shoot a fresh splash of precum up against his torso. Pete eagerly seized the dab and rubbed it all over his body, letting the lion's musky scent rub into his thick, chorded muscles and filling his nostrils. He quickly grew addicted to the taste and lovingly licked his fingers clean in time for the next, thickening explosion that had him craving for more.

Both of their balls began to churn madly. YoungPride moans grew louder as their tempo of thrusts and gyrating hips grew in momentum. Pete reached down and seized the tip of YoungPride's cock, squeezing on it hard. A thick splash of precum sprayed between them and their cries of ecstasy formed a tremendous harmony. He could feel the lion's massive balls slapping against his belly and his own were pressing hard against YoungPride's ass like the cum was all too eager to explode from the tip of his cock and fill the lion's ass.

"Oh fuck!" cried Pete thrashing his head back. "Ffffuuuuck!"

He slammed his cock hard into YoungPride's ass. His entire body locked up for just one second... then it was slammed hard by wave after wave of world-shattering shakes, each one followed by an eruption of volcanic cum from his cock. The cocks on his chest exploded with equal violence, fire hoses spilling his seed in every direction. Every shake was powerful enough to bring YoungPride closer and closer to orgasm. By the third quake, the lion let out a loud, ear-splitting roar. A venerable tsunami of cum exploded from the tip of his cock, spilling all over Pete's chest and covering it even though he was just in the periphery of the blast. Tom's entire wall was simply soaked_with the white fluids and even his window shattered with the force of the blast. The orgasm was so strong that, YoungPride was actually shot _backwards further onto Pete's cock and even then, they were both dragged a foot across the floor.

Pete was knocked senseless by the blast and the orgasm... His mind swirled his sex-addled brain told him that he had already spilled his seed and now it was time for rest. The pheromones were still in the air, though, still overwhelmingly strong. He slumped onto the ground, panting heavily as his cock remained hard and begging for more.

"Fuck..." he muttered.

"Yeah..." came YoungPride's mumbled response.

Pete tried to lift himself up so he could see the lion's features from over his lower torso. The lion was looking up at him, dazed and definitely in a good place.

"What?" the lion muttered, unable to keep the goofy grin from his muzzle.

"Don't I get a kiss?" Pete said jokingly.

YoungPride thought about it for a second... Then, he kissed his paws before reaching up and pressing his fingers against Pete's lips. The action alone left Pete stunned.

"Aren't you going to kiss me back?" taunted the lion.

Pete gently pulled the paw away. "I don't even know your name."

YoungPride grinned at him. "How about a date then? In real life though. Say... in an hour?"

"Do we even live in the same city?"

"I dunno. Where do you live?"

*****

Tom could've laughed his head off if his house hadn't been utterly ruined by Pete and YoungPride's sexual escapades. Ed fell on the floor laughing and was covered in cum when they had entered the house and saw the entire place _covered_in lion semen and both Pete and YoungPride looking desperate to clean up. Wilbur had pulled all of them out of the place and told them that high Charisma generally meant powerful pheromones that could compel others to do things they generally didn't want to do... like sex each other up.

Not that that affected Pete and YoungPride's decision to go on a real live date. Apparently, between mad love making, they had connected.

Pete was on his way to meet his date at the Last Angel where they had agreed to meet. What a coincidence that YoungPride lived in the same city. Pete was over the moon and Tom had never seen him so giddy.

Good for him.

Tom drove back home and was just about to insert his keys into his apartment door when that very door sprang open.

Colin looked up at him, looking like he was about to go out.

"Oh, hey bro," his brother greeted. "You were out late."

"Just out gaming with my friends." Tom eyes his brother suspiciously. "You're going out too? Why?"

"Meeting someone," Colin grunted evasively.

He knew that look. Colin was probably going to hook up with some bimbo again. Typical college frat boy. Well, he was still Tom's brother and still someone he felt responsible for. "Okay, need a ride?"

"Um... No. I'm good."

"No dice. I'm taking you." Tom wrapped his arm around his brother and pulled his brother down the stairs much to Colin's protests. He practically threw his brother into the truck as he drove.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"The park..."

Tom grinned. Maybe he'd get to see Pete's date. He waited the customary five minutes before asking the next question. He was a brother, not a mother after all.

"And who are you going out with?"

"Some guy I met online."

Guy?

Online...?

"Oh... Okay. Guys. You're into guys?"

"Erm... This guy, yeah. He's... He's pretty cool."

He parked the truck and turned towards his brother. "You didn't happen to meet him in the Gam3 did you?"

Colin flinched. "Uh... Yeah... So...?"

Tom's heart began to sink. "Col... are you -"

"Tom! Hey!"

He froze and turned as Pete came running towards his car.

"What're you doing here?"

Tom turned back towards his brother. "I'm dropping off my brother... who has a date with a guy... who he met online... in the Gam3... and he was a stag-taur."

Pete froze as did Colin.

"Holy shit!" Pete cried, pointing at Colin. "You're YoungPride!?"

"And you're Prongs69!?" echoed Colin, likewise pointing at Pete.

Tom made a sour face at them both.

"And you're both fucked."