Lily-Kiska: How is he going to get that? It’s basically because wolves have evolved to hunt in packs. We’re the same, only we use money instead of fangs. That’s what it’s supposed to mean.
As the very casual job orientation unfolded, they approached the huge bridge.
Hard Engage Bridge stood around five hundred meters long, with a maximum height above sea level of thirty meters, but the largest cruise liners could barely pass under it. It stretched out over the sea, just one part of the large circular road that connected the peninsula to the surrounding islands. Therefore, although there was a company that owned it, it was considered neutral ground.
Kaname parked his car midway along the bridge and stepped onto the asphalt. Even after rolling up his sleeves, he was sweating. As he gazed out over the green sea, the woman with swept-back hair and glasses, Lily-Kiska, walked up next to him. She held in each hand a freshly cooled glass, perhaps produced from somewhere within the limousine. Each was filled with a translucent blue liquid, giving Kaname absolutely no idea how it might taste.
“It’s amazing,” mused Lily-Kiska as she placed the glasses down on the railing, offering one to Kaname. The hibiscus flowers decorating the rim of the glass swayed in the sea breeze.
“I wonder how many computations are going on in this one glass,” she said, wiping away a drop that clung to the outside with a thin fingertip. “The gravity, the temperature, the humidity, the water droplets formed when the air cools, not to mention the fluid dynamics, the light refraction, the friction between the bottom of the glass and the railing, even the taste, the smell, the feel… This is all over the city, from coast to coast. It’s impossible to understand how this is all free to play.”
Her voice was soft as she stared out over the sea just like the young boy next to her.
“Did you know? This game supposedly has anywhere between fifty million to 0.2 billion Dealers playing in a space the size of a city-state. And that’s only counting active accounts.”
“Well, it would be pretty foolish to go inactive and leave your affairs to your Magistellus in a game this grueling,” Kaname replied. “You might as well post your bank details online for everyone to see.”
“Oh, but there are people who leave everything they own in the hands of shady online banks, aren’t there? Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, open world or not, it’s just one city. How do they fit everyone in here?”
“…”
Both of them sipped their blue drinks. Kaname didn’t taste any alcohol. It was just like a carbonated energy drink. He felt a warmth in the center of his chest.
Lily-Kiska continued. “But this game affects more than just those fifty million to 0.2 billion people. One hundred thirty million people use yen, and 320 million people use the dollar, but just as those currencies directly affect the lives of all seven billion people, so too has snow covered the entire globe. In fact, estimates say there’s over a billion people worldwide who don’t use banks at all and instead rely entirely on snow. The whole world depends on this game, and nobody even knows who developed it, who runs it, or where the servers are based.”
Indeed. Even “just” those who completely relied on it numbered one billion. When services appeared that would convert the local currency to snow solely for the benefit of such people, governments looked the other way. They were “illegal” in name only.
Whether it was in the asset management of investment funds or large corporations, the financial management of the banks themselves, or the tax funding of nationwide public services, the virtual currency affected anything that involved money, large or small.
“The Legacies of Criminal AO could destroy it all,” spoke Lily-Kiska bitterly as she gazed out over the sea. “We’re past the stage where you can say it’s all just a game. Past the stage where it’s all just for fun. I mean, we can play around a bit without thinking of the consequences, and it’s all a bit of fun, but the Legacies don’t have the word restraint in their dictionary. If some clueless rookie gets their hands on them, you’ll see what I mean. We won’t be talking about just another Swiss Depression, that’s for sure. It’ll destabilize the game immediately. One by one, the weak will end up in debt, and we’ll see countries going bankrupt left and right. It’s no joke.”
To think a game could destroy the world. They lived in a time when an imaginary war could decide the fates of not only people but entire nations. It was the elephant in the room that nobody wanted to acknowledge.
“…We have to do something,” Lily-Kiska muttered as she stared out over her glass at the sea. “We have to regain control of Money (Game) Master at all costs.”
“I agree,” said Kaname. “#tempest.err is the first step. We have to get to it before it falls into the wrong hands.”
“That’s right. That’s the first step.” Lily-Kiska turned away from the sea to face Kaname and smiled. “I hope this serves to bring us closer together as well. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to forge some strong friendships on the battlefield. As Titan would say, it’s productive.”
Just then, Tselika leaned out of the passenger-side window of the mint-green coupe and called to him.
“It’s almost time, My Lord. I can see the ship approaching.”
Kaname’s and Lily-Kiska’s expressions changed to ones of urgency.
“It’s almost time for our secret weapon to get here, too. I’ll go get armed. I’ll need some skills as well. Sophia! Bring me my jewelry box! I want to swap out my accessories!”
“I’ll support. Its range is short, but I have a sniper rifle.”
Lily-Kiska opened something that looked like a tackle box and started trying on accessories of various colors. It was like her mismatched boots were for skill or stat reasons. Kaname gave her a sidelong glance and went to fetch Short Spear from Tselika.
Their enemy was a group of lowlifes attempting to auction off #tempest.err, a monster shotgun and one of the Legacies of Criminal AO, also known as the Overtrick.
The site was the Tropical Lady, a cruise liner untouchable from land. Once they managed to get aboard, they would have to deal with a swarm of AI PMCs, enemies against whom a front-on assault was all but useless.
But Ag Wolves did not flinch.
Kaname stood among them, atop Hard Engage Bridge, awaiting the sordid vessel.