Second World

"So… You let him tamper with our game…?" Wilted asked in disbelief.

"I did," Chris answered. "If I undo what he did to the program, he will know I'm onto him. He also wouldn't have any reason to use his machine on our game anymore. He might get his machine to another developer and use it on a different second-rate game. I can't allow that. If any game is to be made real, it has to be ours!"

"He still found out you were onto him…," Wilted said.

"Yes. He is suspicious and intelligent. It is difficult to trick people like that. That's why I left this stone behind just in case. By the way, how did I die?"

"You fell from our office building…," Wilted answered.

"Hm… A rather dull death," Chris remarked. "It was ruled as an accident, I suppose?"

Jack was rather amused by how casually Chris reacted to his death. He wondered if it was because it was just a holographic memory, or was the real Chris like this?

"… Why did you leave behind your memory?" Wilted asked.

"So that I have a chance to speak to you again. To explain what had happened, what I did, and why I did it," Chris answered.

"You stupid fool! If you just erase whatever Master had put into the system, you would still be alive…!" Wilted exclaimed.

"That is a possibility," Chris said. "Trust me. I also wish I hadn't died. I would have given anything to see this world we created become a reality."

"I… I can't do this…," Wilted moved away and sat on a chair next to the dining table. She turned away from Jack and Chris.

Jack looked between the two. Wilted kept her pose while the holographic Chris just stood there without a word. Jack looked at the stone Wilted had dropped when Chris appeared. The stone was still glowing. He wondered if that thing had a duration.

"Uh…, um… Am I still allowed to ask questions?" Jack asked.

"Be my guess," Chris answered.

"Okay, firstly…," Jack turned to Wilted, making sure she was still facing away. He returned his attention to Chris. "Firstly, why did I get your stone?" 

Jack pointed at the glowing stone on the ground. "I've asked around. Out of all the players, only me and one other person ever got this stone from loot. If you want to leave a message to Wilted, why don't just arrange it so the stone dropped among her loot?"

"You said there is another person who got this stone? Not bad. So, two Gods were saved?" Chris asked back.

"Saved…? Oh? It was because I saved Goddess Serenity?" Jack asked.

"Any God is fine. If you do, there will be a chance for that stone to drop by the monsters you killed. The higher your level, the higher the chance," Chris answered. "To answer your question why I didn't set it so this stone dropped among her loot, it was so that she got into contact with whoever saved the Gods."

"Hm… Why?"

"Because the players who have the highest chance to defeat Apollyon are the ones who saved the Gods," Chris answered. "I might let Apollyon make some adjustments that benefit him but it didn't mean I won't make some adjustments to counter him. I made it so the good Gods he had erased weren't gone. They would appear inside a place during the tutorial period, giving the chance for someone to save them. You got three gifts from the Goddess you saved, didn't you?"

"I did. I got a boost in my luck stat. This sword," Jack pulled out his Storm Breaker.

"Legendary grade. Impressive. Well, I expect no less. You've successfully saved a God, after all," Chris said.

"Thank you, and the last gift is…"

"I know, it's Peniel," Chris turned to the fairy with a smile.

Peniel made a curtsy. Jack noticed a very reverential look on Peniel's face. He only saw Peniel like this when Goddess Serenity was around.

"Creator," Peniel greeted with a bow.

'You know him?' Jack asked via their minds.

'I… I don't know how I know, but I just sort of do,' Peniel replied.

"These three gifts aren't powerful, but they were designed to aid a player in the long run," Chris explained. "With the luck boost, you can gain many other rare items on your journey. Speaking of which, did you get the Runestone of Luck?"

"I did," Jack said.

"Good. I set it so only the one with the God or Goddess' blessing has the chance to attain it," Chris said. "Then you have the high Fairy. With her knowledge, you won't lose to Apollyon who knows the secrets of this world. The last is that growth weapon. With it, you have the potential to gain the best weapon there is."

"I see… Well, I guess I have to thank you then," Jack said. "They truly aid me a great bunch."

"You're welcome," Chris said.

"One thing that bugged me, though," Jack said. "It was not exactly easy saving the Goddess. I almost failed. What if I did fail?"

Chris shrugged, "Then the Goddess disappeared as Apollyon intended."

"Uh… So, what if no one saved any of the Gods?" Jack asked.

"Then they will be gone. No one gets the items I prepared to take on Apollyon, and this world is doomed," Chris answered.

"Wha… What…?"

"That's him, all right!" Wilted slammed the table and stood. She turned around while shouting at Chris, "You always make a gamble, you fool! You don't care about the consequences. Everything is a game to you! If you had deleted all of Apollyon's tampering, you would still be alive! Yet, you wager your own life, everyone's lives, even the world's! If your plan didn't work, and all the good Gods are gone, then Apollyon wins! No one will be able to oppose him…!"

"Mae…," Chris said soothingly. Mae looked away but she didn't move away this time. "I did what I did because I have confidence. We are gamers. Apollyon isn't. In this world, we have the upper hand. I trust there will be players who save the Gods. I trust in the spirit and the curiosities we gamers have. It turns out all right. I was right! Two players managed to do it."