[hider=Deep Ground Online][center][b][u]Silver Jester the Masked Man[/u][/center][/b]
[b]“Not just war… but conflict. Strife, Antagonistic actions that define the core of living things… yes. It’s a beautiful day for paradoxes and shifts to occur,”[/b] The Masked Man said.

This line didn’t reveal very little and Albus had no idea what to think about the man. When people spoke like that, they were either delusional, or they onto something. That is, delusional around 99% of the time. But the masked man spoke with confidence, so he either completely believed his delusion, or there was something he knew that Albus didn’t. Either way, Albus wouldn’t let it get to him.

‘Yes, conflict.’ Albus said, leaning casually on the building, in a display of confidence. ‘And if that’s all you have to say, then I’m sorely disappointed.’

[b]‘A boy who seeks to find truth in death, reasoning in sacrifice. That is the kind of person you are, Albus. Very fascinating…’[/b] The masked man said.

Albus was confused, but he didn’t let it show. What did the masked man mean? Finding truth in death? Reasoning in sacrifice? Albus was, at the core of his being, an extremely logical person. So maybe that was what he was alluding to. But what did it mean? 

Albus couldn’t read this man. The light in his eyes didn’t change and he couldn’t detect any changes in his heart beat. His posture was straight and remained unchanged during their conversation. This said that he was confident, confident that Albus wouldn’t do anything. And he wouldn’t until he knew that the masked man wanted.

[b]‘Tell me.’[/b] The masked man continued. [b]‘What can you tell me about a player called Corpse Collector? Would you like to know more about the self-proclaimed hacker?’[/b]

The words ‘Corpse Collector’ caught Albus’s interest. He’d heard of Corpse Collector, or rather, the events that took place when Corpse Collector emerged and the aftermath. That is, the death of the 4 kings. Corpse Collector was a hacker who had caused a lot of chaos within the DGP as a result of her actions and was brought to justice shortly after some intervention from the black guild. But not much information had been disclosed. Her hacking techniques, her motives, where she was taken… Albus knew about the incident, but he knew nothing about the person. That said, was it safe to tell the masked man what he knew? It was best to hide what information you know and what you don’t when collecting information. All he knew about the masked man were half-baked ghost sightings scribbled onto forums and his status as the enemy boss. He had to evaluate the risk of telling him what he knew, or rather, what he didn’t know.

First, he had no idea how the masked man discovered his name. He had put it down to hacking, but if so, then he should know a lot about Albus. He should know that he was the heir of Phantom Corporation which dealt with the DGP, but personal information as well as avatar information should be secured in government owned databanks. No one should be able to gauge the identity of the player behind Carnage Liberated unless he told them. So basically, the least this masked man could be was an extremely skilled hacker capable of breaking past the best security the world had without leaving a trace.

‘I know about the Corpse Collector incident, but as for the player…’ Albus said, deciding to reveal his lack of knowledge. There was no harm in telling him he knew nothing about the player, at least. ‘Well, that’s a different matter. Assuming there are no strings attached, I’d love to know about the Corpse Collector.’

The Masked Man narrowed his eyes, interested and amused by Liberated’s answer. Yes, he had predicted correctly, as usual. This boy was an interesting being, one that would hopefully cause as much fun as the Corpse Collector had done.

[b]“Oh? I see ambition is only quenched by greater knowledge when it comes to you. Is that what the Phantom Corporation has amounted to now? A collaboration of fools seeking power beyond their comprehension? If that is the case…then I find that very interesting.[/b]

Albus made no comment, but was surprised at his thinking. He too believed that his father, along with his co-workers were all thoughtless fools lusting after money and power, at times out of their depth, still attempting to exploit profit. He had no attachment to his father’s business or what he did, and he was almost glad to see someone who had the same views as he did, but he withheld his emotions as he had no idea where the masked man was headed. It was bad business to be led around on a string by emotional appeals so Albus kept silent.

The Masked Man stood up now from his resting place as he outstretched a hand towards Carnage Liberated.

[b]“Oh, didn’t you know? I go by Silver Jester now, but you may refer to me by either title. I’m no one…and I don’t want to be anyone. Now on to what has been burning your curiosity, yes?”[/b]

A pause. What did he mean by he was no one? That he didn’t want to be anyone? At this stage, Albus would just label the masked man as a crazy person, but the masked man – no, Silver Jester suggested he had more knowledge than he let on. Knowledge about the corpse collector incident which had personally piqued his interest. What could he know? What will he tell him?

[b]“Albus…what if I told you that I was the one who gave Corpse Collector her destructive hacking powers?”[/b]

‘Well, if what you said is true, then this has becoming VERY interesting.’ Albus said, standing straight. ‘But it raises more questions than answers.’

Albus was shocked, to say the least. However, he didn’t show it. The Corpse Collector incident had gained popularity because the perpetrator, Corpse Collector, had shown game breaking hacking prowess. Hacking skills enough to crash a game stretching the world. Yet the hacking methods used were still unknown, or barely known, as revealed to the Phantom Corporation and the Corpse Collector hadn’t said much herself, at least, according to information given out to the Phantom Corporation. This Silver Jester had enough power to overload a worldwide program – as well as the power to pass it on? There was a chance that Silver Jester had even greater powers, judging by his ease and his sightings, blatantly observing the battles fought all over Deep Ground. Albus was more cautious, observing the being in front of him to have more power than he did. He didn’t know the extent of his powers, but he didn’t fear Silver Jester. He hadn’t shown any animosity or ill intent throughout their conversation and this was becoming far more interesting than Albus could’ve imagined. So Albus feigned confidence.
‘For starters, why did you give that power to someone as unhinged as Corpse Collector? And why me? Why are you telling me this?’

[b]“Why?”[/b]

The Jester tilted his head to the left, as if genuinely caught off guard by the follow-up question…no. No it wasn’t that at all. It was almost as if he was analyzing a new species right before his eyes, a haunting curiosity burning in the pupils. It was more than a little unsettling.

[b]“She was a perfect specimen,”[/b]he finally said. [b]“Her hatred for the Black King made her liable to obtain more power to overthrow those who stood in her way. I simply…gave her the tool to do so. As for you…isn’t it obvious? Surely your father would have expected a common deduction by now.”[/b]

Silver Jester’s eyes shifted only slightly.

[b]“I want to offer you the very same abilities Albus. Why? Well…wouldn’t you like to find out about the deaths of four Colored Kings? I can give you that purpose…”[/b]

So he knew. Silver Jester knew the reason behind the deaths of the 4 kings. He was also the one who gave Corpse Collector her game breaking powers, whatever they were. Maybe Corpse Collector was more closely linked to the kings’ deaths than he thought. At least, it was clear to Albus that something big was going on. But there were too little details. Too many gaps to see the big picture. And the offer for power… Truth was, one of the things he needed the least was power. In real life, he was strong. Strong enough to be practically untouchable, courtesy of his father’s assets. In Deep Ground, he was strong. Courtesy of his own strength, but he wasn’t invincible. That was what made it fun. And now, Silver Jester was offering him more power. Power he didn’t particularly want. Sure, it was tempting. Extremely tempting. Power and knowledge, knowledge he was interested in. It pricked in his mind as he made his decision, one that he might regret.

‘Sorry. I can’t say I’m not interested, but I might regret it. More than if I refused, anyway.’ Albus responded.

It was tempting. Too tempting. Almost tempting enough not to see the bad sides. First of all, there was a high probability that Albus would get caught. He would most likely be better at hiding it than the Kleptomaniac Corpse Collector. That was pretty much certain. But he didn’t want to take that risk. The information on the deaths of the 4 kings, however, was even more tempting. It was almost enough to negate the downside to getting caught. However, the second point countered that almost too well. 

He didn’t trust Silver Jester at all. What did he have to gain from this? What were his motives? From his earlier statement about corpse collector hating the black king, it meant that the Corpse Collector’s vendetta against the black king was profitable to Silver Jester. But that wasn’t what it sounded like. It sounded more like he was a bored god, giving power to those he deems would do something interesting with it. It made the deal seem less and less appealing as he thought about it. Becoming another pawn moved for amusement, to satisfy the boredom of a whimsical, all powerful being. And while this Silver Jester probably wasn’t an almighty being, it didn’t make him anymore trustworthy. There were too many unknowns, too many variables he didn’t know. There were many questions unanswered, and he began to suspect that they wouldn’t be answered unless he sought after them himself.

As the fanged rangers died around him, Albus had one thing to say to the masked enigma.
‘There’s one thing I’m wondering, however.’ He started. ‘You probably won’t give me a straight answer, but I need to know. Why are you doing this? What do you gain for offering me game breaking power, power strong enough to bend a game that spans the world and governs our entire adulthood? I can’t see what you have to gain from doing this.’

[b]“Ah, so you seek to understand my motives, yes?”[/b]

The Jester answered Albus’ question with one another one, a low chuckle being audible from just beneath the masked face.

[b]“You wonder why I’m doing this, no? You don’t trust me…and rightly so. Who am I, after all to offer to you anything? I’m no one…and yet you think of me as a god? Perhaps I am…so what possible reward have I to reap from you?”[/b]

As confusing as they were, the Jester’s words were a clear indicator that he could either read Liberated’s mind or he was just that easy to read and figure out.

[b]“Some may like to participate in the conflict, but I personally enjoy watching it. What do I gain from this interaction of ours? Absolutely nothing. So then, why do I do it?”[/b]

Jester narrowed his eyes.

[b]“It’s fun. I ask again Carnage Liberated; would you like to possess the same powers I bestowed upon Corpse Collector? Of course, I don’t expect you to actually use them in any sort of conflict. Now where is the fun in that? No…no I’m offering you a chance to obtain greater knowledge. Ah…that is what you’re after, yes? Think about it. With the powers of a Hacker, you could bend the system’s limit. And who knows what things you can discover by taking a simple viewing of Deep Ground’s past records? Heh, you might just find the murderer you so desperately yearn for.”[/b]

It was fun. Albus couldn't refute that. This masked man could do things in deep ground that were only possible in deep ground. And he had to admit, it sounded fun. Giving power to random people and watching the chaos unfold. Albus's way of having fun was much the same. He did things in deep ground he normally wouldn’t do. Butcher people weaker than him or fight toe-to-toe with someone equal to him. And while their methods of having fun were fundamentally different, he could sympathize with Silver Jester. That said, it was extremely tempting to find the cause of the information. That said, Albus had already come up with his decision, which he was regretting already. In fact, Albus was being uncharacteristically stubborn. But he didn't like conforming to anyone's plans besides his own and it felt like he'd be playing into someone else's hand should he agree.

'Sorry, I don't feel like accepting. I doubt I'd like the outcome anyway.' Albus said.
The around them was soon to be over, the last of the fanged rangers were dying around him. 'And it looks like this'll end soon anyway.'

The Masked Man narrowed his eyes, the only indication that he was affected at all by Liberated’s answer. After a moment’s pause, he reeled his outstretched hand back to his side and watched the other Player with a burning fascination shining in his eyes.

[b]“So you would refute the prospect of ultimate knowledge for a sense of self-accomplishment and pride? You are very interesting indeed Albus…very well then. If you do by chance change your interests…then you can seek me out for yourself.”[/b]

The Jester eyes widened as his body began to fade and distort away. Something about him-be it his voice or his posture or even the words themselves-was wrong. As if he had clearly won something despite Carnage Liberated declining his offer. 

[b]“It appears that the tragedy of the four Kings will not be paved by you. Such a shame. You would have made quite the Hero…you’ll get your answers soon enough. Tomorrow perhaps…well then. It was nice…chatting with you Albus.”[/b]

And just like that, he was gone. As silent as a phantom in the night.
Albus watched Silver Jester go, somewhat regretting his decision. But, it was his decision and he had to deal with the consequences. Apparently, the masked man could read minds as well and that made him very tricky to deal with. While this normally would've been impossible, it's possible to have an accurate guess of what people are thinking just by reading their body language, but one must be extremely skilled to be able to do it so well. Either way, that kind of ability on another person who's alignment was unknown wasn't a great prospect.

Albus looked down onto the green city. It was doomed. The dissolutions were making short work of whoever remained and he could see... A massive coin about to obliterate the city, killing all who remained. Not Albus. Albus logged out and his eyes found the light of the real world. Too many questions were flying around his head, too many things left unknown. And the first thing he wanted was answers. He took out his phone to call his father's butler. It was 3 seconds before he was answered.

'What can I do for you, Master Albus?' A curt voice said into the phone.

'I need everything the Phantom Corporation has on the Corpse Party Incident. And a little more...' Albus said, succinctly.

'I take it that you've started on your father's request, young master.' The butler asked.
Albus paused at this statement. Had he really? He'd returned to Purple Crown not to investigate, but just to leave the stifling atmosphere. Had he started on his father's task? Did he want to? He laughed inwardly. It wasn't his father's task, it was his personal interest.

'Yes... Tell him that I need information about the Corpse Party incident. All of the information we have.' Albus said.

'Very good.' The butler replied.

Albus hang up promptly and rose to stretch his stiff muscles. The conversation with Silver Jester had left him with many questions he needed answers for, and it would be hard work ahead to find them. Albus looked forward to the thrill, however. He realized that forces beyond his comprehension were at work, but humans excelled at messing with things beyond their control. Things were going to get more exciting, and Albus was going to be a part of it.
---
[b][u][center]Retsu Goroshi + Donny Kain / Dark Wraith + Arms Slave[/center][/b][/u]
Arms Slave cursed under his breath as his Chain Catch attack was deflected, and before he or his group could land a hit the Yellow King fled. A few tried to chase after her, but Arms Slave did not. As much as he'd like to kill a king, there was something else egging on his thoughts. Something that he needed to talk to Dark Wraith about. After loading everyone back into the war machine, Arms Slave opened up a private channel to Dark Wraith.

[i][b]"Oi, you moody bitch! Mind explaining what just happened at the Green City!?"[/b][/i]

Dark Wraith was fighting a few fires herself. Most notably, a lot of info just came in regarding not only the results from the battle with the Fanged Rangers, but also what just occurred with the Ivory Masks, information that Dark Wraith received from her lackies out in the real world, and finally Arms Slave yelling at her through a private message. There was a lot on her plate, and she went after the one she knew she could finish quickly, Arms Slave.

[b][i]"I do not have time to debate with you Arms Slave. Now if you want to know what we had to do with the Dissolutions at the Green City, the simple answer is nothing. We did not tame them, we cannot summon them, and we do not know why it has happened. Or rather, we do not know how it happened. But I do know that this is not good for anyone, not even the Ebony Strykers. The Sweepers have already amassed the unfortunate rumors that they are hackers, but they've been careful and clever. They made sure to leave reasonable doubt that they're nothing more than an well organized group of vigilantes, but this stunt with the Dissolutions potentially negates their hard work. The other guilds have seen this flagrant act of cheating and now they bide their time, or worse, would resort to their own hackers if they have any. So no, we did not just try to give the Ebony Strykers a blatant hack. But someone wants to frame us that we are, which means that something more powerful than any of the guilds are going to come crashing down on us."[/b][/i]

Dark Wraith took a breath and sighed. [b]"System Admins..."[/b] Which was just more work for Dark Wraith since she was one of those System Admins. System Admins were the ones who kept Deep Ground running and ensured that everyone was fighting more or less on equal grounds. Not even Moon Rider would be able to challenge them, because they weren't a conventional opponent you could fight. They could very well wipe the entire Deep Ground system clean, and even Dark Wraith would have little way to stop it. And if these obvious acts of hacking continue, that may just happen, forcing everyone to stop from ground zero.

[b][i]"There's no plans for invasions tonight. I want you and your Mayhem Riders to stay within the city and ensure that none of the enemy guild infiltrates. There will be no spamming or other help from the Erasers. Am I clear, Arms Slave?"[/b][/i]

Arms Slave was having a hard time taking in all this information. He had no problems with destroying the Green City, and even he didn't really complain too much about using the Eraser's access to the Deep Ground system for his advantage, but he disliked how they completely made his efforts worthless. Those Dissolutions were part of the plan, sure, but the way it was done made his efforts look completely moot. He disliked how it looked like the Erasers were just flexing, but from what Dark Wraith said, they had nothing to do with the Dissolutions. Not that Arms Slave beleived a word she said, but there was some reasonable doubt. Upon being told to stay within the Black City Arms Slave just grunted. [b][i]"Fine..."[/b][/i]

The Mayhem Riders made it back to the Black City without further complications. Most of them scattered through out the city to serve as sentries or simply hang out and talk about the recent raid and what their future plans might be. Once his War Machine was in the garage, Arms Slave logged out of the game. He needed some time to think to himself.
---
[b][u][center]Retsu Goroshi / Dark Wraith[/center][/b][/u]
That was one problem solved, but that was just one small ember in the raging inferno. Crimson Bolt and Shining Ray gave her another report as they were heading to the White City, and much to their surprise they saw the White King himself destroy their guild hall. Not only that, but some Ivory Masks Sweepers just told her that they've been kicked from the guild. Not one to waste a opportunity, she quickly elected a high level Armsman to become the new White King. Dark Wraith had no idea what Stalwart Bruiser had in mind when he decided to disband his guild, but someone needed to be the White King, and Dark Wraith was going to take advantage of this power gap. No doubt other former members of the Ivory Masks will begin to create their own splinter factions to become the new White Guild, but with Dark Wraith's backing she was certain by the end of this week, a new White Guild will be formed, and they will be allied with the Ebony Strykers.

Now all she had to do was deal with the remnants of the Fanged Rangers. With a potential new White Guild under her thumb, Dark Wraith hatched a plan to bring the Fanged Rangers to the new White Guild under the pretense of protection, and than force them to either disband of merge with the Ebony Strykers. That would only leave the Yellow, Orange, and Blue king left. And the reason she didn't include the Red King was because of an urgent message from Yoshino. One of the more stressful pieces of news.

Yoshino was meeting with the Red King, Stuffed Rabbit, or as Retsu knew he- No, [i]him[/i] as, Michael Faye. Indeed a very strange phenomenon, she has never heard of someone playing an avatar of the opposite gender. Sure there were plenty of tales of people confusing their genders, but Michael Faye's avatar was a bonefide female, and he himself is actually male. Or at least, Dark Wraith is certain of that. Who knows. What was more important however was that he was meeting Yoshino, and even if she thinks that Michael is a kinder sort than Aaron, Dark Wraith did not like the idea that any of the kings would be meeting her personally, least of all without Retsu close by. That message was from an hour ago, and Yoshino said that she would message Dark Wraith back after Yoshino was finished with her meeting, but so far Dark Wraith received nothing. She feared the worse, and quickly delegated the rest of the defense of the Black City to her Erasers. 

[b]"The Orange King just attempted to destroy us with one of his attacks, and I have no doubts he is dead now because of it, but there will be more to come. Those like Dosh King and Orange King posses powerful attacks, so make sure that you are ready to employ the Thunder Rod stratagem at a moments notice. I have to log out now, but I should be back soon."[/b][/hider]