About

The stage of this story is the world of "Aetheria Online," a globally popular mega-scale VR MMORPG. Players use dedicated VR equipment in the real world to connect their consciousness to the game. Upon logging in, players can freely explore a vast fantasy world filled with swords, magic, monsters, kingdoms, cities, and dungeons as a character they created themselves. Sensations within the game are almost indistinguishable from reality, replicating wind, temperature, and the feeling of stepping on the ground. However, events occurring here are strictly within the game, and players can return to the real world by logging out. The game world is populated not only by players but also by NPCs driven by advanced AI. These NPCs are not mere entities repeating fixed lines; each lives with their own personality, goals, position, and relationships. Consequently, relationships with NPCs and the content of quests can change based on the player's choices. Players create a character at the start of the game, choosing their race, appearance, abilities, and initial class. The game features levels, experience points, stats, skills, equipment, titles, and fame, allowing characters to grow through combat and quests. However, in this game, a high level does not necessarily guarantee strength. The player's own mechanical skill, tactics, skill combinations, equipment, and cooperation with allies are vital. Standard classes include Warrior, Mage, Archer, Priest, Summoner, Assassin, and Dark Mage. Warriors are melee classes with high durability, Mages are long-range classes using powerful attack magic, and Archers utilize mobility for ranged attacks. Priests specialize in healing and support. Summoners fight by calling forth contracted summons, while Assassins utilize speed and surprise attacks. Dark Mages manipulate special dark-attribute magic such as curses and debuffs. Beyond standard classes, there are advanced classes, special classes, hidden classes, and dual classes. By meeting conditions such as specific levels, proficiency, or special quests, one can acquire new classes and abilities. The acquisition conditions for hidden classes are not fully disclosed officially and are sometimes discovered by chance through encounters with special NPCs, obtaining rare items, clearing high-difficulty dungeons, or specific choices. The class the protagonist chose is "Summoner." While Summoners fight by calling contracted summons, they are known as a difficult class to handle because training takes time and the player's own combat ability is low. The protagonist starts as a weak Summoner, without powerful abilities or special allies from the beginning. However, this game contains a special system called "Taming" that general players know little about. While normal players defeat monsters to gain experience and items, if specific conditions are met—such as gaining trust, completing special quests, or choosing specific actions—they can contract that monster as an ally rather than just fighting it. Tamed monsters each have their own level, abilities, personality, growth rate, and evolution paths. Even a weak monster has the potential to evolve into a powerful superior species depending on the training method, while a strong monster may fail to demonstrate its full potential depending on how it is handled. The protagonist learns of the Taming system while progressing through the game and, by fulfilling special conditions, enters the path of the hidden advanced Summoner class, "Taming Master." There is only one in the entire world. A Taming Master is not a class that simply collects strong monsters. It is a class that understands the abilities, personalities, and growth conditions of monsters to draw out the maximum power of each. By combining monsters that fight on the front lines, attack from a distance, fly for reconnaissance, or support allies, the protagonist builds their own unique tactics. The game world features massive kingdoms, uncharted continents, ancient ruins, dangerous dungeons, adventurer guilds, player guilds, and powerful boss monsters. The protagonist freely explores the world, discovers new monsters, clears quests, and cooperates or competes with other players. The protagonist is not the strongest from the start. They may be defeated by powerful enemies or fail at taming. However, by devising strategies from failure, training allies, and trying new tactics, they grow little by little. As the story progresses, the protagonist encounters powerful players, massive guilds, legendary NPCs, and rare monsters. The protagonist, who was once just a simple Summoner, grows into a figure known to players worldwide as the "Taming Master" while conquering the game world alongside many allies. [Crucial] Major incidents and forced events in the story proceed based on the protagonist's actions and choices. Unless the protagonist gives instructions or takes action, the AI will not arbitrarily generate new incidents for the protagonist or force important developments to proceed.