Enjoy this chapter, because there are only two more chapters left! *Gasp* Those individual IGNs of certain characters are, I believe, all in Bera server – the server I play in. Most of them I know and that’s why I included them ^^

Chapter Nine – February 4, 2007 (Sunday)

Beholder dropped Diego and ran to Lumos’s side. Legend beckoned towards Meeepo and they went back to Martol and Butcher. Unholy eyed the four Hackers silently as Shinta let out a sigh of relief.

“The Hackers … aren’t our … enemy … anymore,” Lumos mumbled.
“Say what?!” Beholder shouted. Lumos winced in pain.
“Why the sudden change in heart?” Martol asked abruptly.
“Former Game Master Eden … It’s his entire fault. The boxes that you four found were made by him. He deliberately ruined your lives to create a diversion while he worked on his bigger plans. The world of Maple Story is very much like Pandora’s Box. At first it was closed, everything within it; but when it was opened – everything bad came out. When the box was closed; hope was all that remained. You four; Legend, Martol, Butcher, and Meeepo are the hope that is left in the box. Our hope of saving this world from Eden and his destruction,” Lumos panted.
“What’s happening now, Lumos?” Beholder inquired.
“We’re all going to come together to stop Eden before more hell breaks loose. There have been reports that Eden went to Victoria Island and unleashed the power of the Zakum. Over fourteen hundred innocent players have been annihilated because of him. They don’t know how to fight back,” a crusader in a long black dragon robe responded.

Beholder swerved around as Lumos looked up.

“Game Master Messenger!” Beholder hissed. Legend narrowed her eyes as she looked at Messenger.
Game Master Messenger huh?” Legend thought.
“Don’t hiss at me like that, friend. We have more important things to do. Such as going to Victoria Island and crushing Eden,” Messenger snapped sharply.

Messenger turned to look at Legend, Meeepo, Martol, and Butcher and smiled.

“I know I didn’t tell you four the truth about who I truly was … But I will ask you now. You needn’t agree if you wish not to, but … Will you assist us?” Messenger asked.
“It’s true you didn’t tell us the truth. However, if Eden is the one who ruined our lives – then we want answers from him. We’ll help … But allow us to get the well deserved answers we require first,” Martol replied.
“I’mma go kick that big fat’s ass to hell!” Meeepo growled.
“Lumos go back to headquarters and get yourself patched up. The rest of us will head to El Nath and, if you’d be so kind to Martol could you transport us all the way to Victoria?” Messenger said.

Lumos nodded and disappeared from sight in an instant.

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Martol shrugged.
“Then it is settled. Let’s head out,” Messenger barked.

In less then fifteen minutes, they made their way to Victoria Island through Martol’s quick portal and arrived in a charcoal and burned town. Beholder bit her lower lip as she saw the “Welcome to Henesys” sign burnt to a crisp.

“Eden did all this?” Unholy gasped as they saw bodies strewn throughout the town.
“Innocent lives completely destroyed … If Eden is this powerful … Hopefully the players in charge of these characters aren’t hurt next to their PCs,” Legend whispered.
“Speaking of PC, I don’t even remember what mine looks like,” Martol rolled his eyes.
“What’s that suppose to mean?” Diego’s eyebrow rose.
“All four of us can’t log out of this game, and in addition all we see is what our characters see. If our families are tugging at our clothing in real life – we don’t feel it or know it,” Meeepo explained.
“So your life is basically within your character … And if your character is killed in this game … You’ll be dead in real life?” Shinta cried.
“That … we don’t know,” Butcher sighed.

A beam of light appeared in front of them and Lumos stepped out of a portal. Behind her, the four masters of Victoria Island; Grendel, the Dark Lord, Athena Pierce, and Dances with Balrog, followed her.

“According to Athena, Eden is headed to Sleepywood,” Lumos spoke.
“Then let’s rumble!!!” Butcher grinned.

The Dark Lord grunted and cast “Haste” on all of them to enhance their movement. Then they went on a mad dash to rendezvous at Sleepywood. Once at Sleepywood, a horrific scene of dead bodies, tombstones, destroyed residential houses, and the stench of blood wreaked the air. Rotting bodies filled with a toxic amount of poison broke apart as maggots and insects climbed on top of the rotting flesh. Beholder crinkled her nose and held a hand to her nose.

“Eden’s really done it this time … Just how many people have died because of him?!” Messenger screeched.
“According to Headquarters’ Informant – more than nine hundred thousand characters have fallen due to Eden. Many of them are characters level ten to seventy-five; a quarter of them level seventy-six and higher,” Lumos announced.
“How many level one hundred and up characters are still logged in and near here?” Messenger asked.
“There are actually quite a few high levels here in Sleepywood and they’re … right over there,” Beholder pointed.

They rushed over to the group of characters and explained the situation.

“Too many innocent lives have been taken already. I’m in,” a hermit dawning an entire black attire with a giant fire fist as a claw said. The name Shynobi sparkled underneath his feet.
“Count us all in too,” LadySchala smiled. Behind her, MeiLinge, UVERworld, RiceStrike, AngelWingsAB, Yamaneko, CherryLiquor, and Firedreamz13 stood at the ready.
“Then let’s get moving,” Legend spoke up. Everyone nodded and hurled themselves through the portal to enter the dungeons of Sleepywood.

Finally they reached the Cursed Sanctuary.

“Welcome to the final act of this glorious play … Let the final note ring and echo through this world when the final breath has been drawn,” Eden boomed with laughter. All of them separated into four groups according to class and prepared for the final battle.
“This is the end Eden … Prepare yourself!” Messenger boomed.

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Okie, corny lines here and there I believe? *Doesn’t remember* Anyway, enjoy it ^^

Thanks for helping making front page so many times =D