[center][color=9D1E2F][h1][u]Ren[/u][/h1][/color][/center]

The situation didn't seem right. He didn't mind gallivanting off on a quest to save Masada - he owed the man for making Rift Warriors, though he didn't really care what happened to the real world, and could empathize with those The Messenger addressed as 'enemies'.

Ren couldn't stop himself from asking some questions. [color=9D1E2F]"Can the 'enemies' who want to break free materialize in the real world, or do they require a body, the way you used Masada's?"[/color]

The messenger answered: [color=crimson]"As of now, a host body is required in order to interact with the real world, but if they have Masada in the program, then it’s likely they could use his knowledge of The Rift to fully break free into the real world without a host body."[/color]

Ren tilted his head. [color=9D1E2F]"And that's a bad thing because...?"[/color]

[color=crimson]“Do YOU want a rogues' gallery of superhuman individuals with a penchant for fighting - and conquering - breaking into your world?"[/color]

[i]Yes?[/i]

It was kind of judgmental to assume they could never be more than what they were made as, especially when every living creature in this world including The Messenger was living, breathing proof to the contrary. He'd rather respect the basic rights of the sapient than blindly condemn them all to an eternity trapped in the matrix, forced to fight endlessly under the control of players. It's kind of strange that The Messenger believes, in his own words, they should all be '(nothing) more than just tools for peoples' entertainment.' Now that he thinks about it, The Messenger isn't a playable character. Must be nice, only needing to show up at the start of a few arcade modes each game.

Maybe he could try to change The Messenger's mind? If The Messenger has gone far enough to drag players into this world, then probably not with words. HR seems to be able to go skelemode, so he should have Aster's mind control abilities, but as far as it was shown in-universe, it can't change minds, only force actions. Even if it could, it's doubtful it would work on the one who imparted them.

He could just assume the worst and plot against The Messenger from the start, but then he'd be doing the same thing The Messenger was. Then again, he didn't think of himself as someone of high moral stature. In fact, he'd call himself an asshole. Wouldn't it be poetic to treat him the way he was willing to treat others?

No matter how he looked at it, Masada and The Messenger were the villains here. Sure, denying the unintelligent monsters access to the real world was fair, but the beings with an ascended human consciousness? If Ren has one goal, it's to live in this world long-term, and becoming the enemy of every other resident of this world would be detrimental to that. Sure, he might end up as an enemy to The Messenger, but it's not like The Messenger should be an overwhelming threat since he evidently can't rescue Masada himself. Hell, The Messenger basically admitted that there isn't really any lore just now, and his status as an unplayable character would imply that The Messenger has no power unless Masada enables him. He's not willing to put that theory to the test just yet, but he'd rather have the Messenger as an enemy than every other playable character in Rift Warriors combined.

That being said, it's not like the two of them are outright evil. He won't fault Masada for having such concerns, and making sure Masada can go home would be ideal. The Messenger though? The Messenger can go die. It should know better, on account of existing in its current state. Why should he care about The Messenger's life if its goal is to strip itself and other sapient beings of the right to exist?

[color=9D1E2F]"...Alright, then. Do you happen to know where Masada is?"[/color]