.hack//Roots

From the late 20th century to 2004, the Internet rapidly spread worldwide, giving rise to the "democratization of information." This development had negative consequences, leading to an increase in high-tech cybercrimes. During this period, a computer virus known as "Deadly Flash" erupted, resulting in a tragedy that claimed seven lives. The Japanese male creator of the virus became the first person in history sentenced to death for a cybercrime. On December 24, 2005, the day the virus struck—an event dubbed the "Pluto Kiss"—the virus paralyzed various societal functions, causing the global network to halt instantaneously. Only computers running the ALTIMIT operating system remained unaffected by the virus. In the blink of an eye, ALTIMIT became the new world-standard operating system and gained widespread adoption. From that day forward, civilians were banned from using the Internet. In the summer of 2006, ALTIMIT began its transition toward personal use. Simultaneously, employees who developed ALTIMIT left the manufacturer to establish a new company named Cyber Connect (CC Corporation). Subsequently, a German man named Harold Herchel formed a production team called "fragment" and joined CC Corporation, creating the prototype for the online game "The World." In May 2007, fragment began testing the game. Following the outbreak of the "Pluto Kiss," recreational network usage was restricted; however, they applied to and received special permission from the WNC (World Network Association). Fragment publicly recruited 1,024 testers, with the initial plan being a six-month operation, but it concluded after just three months. In December 2007, exactly two years after the occurrence of the Pluto Kiss, an event named the "Mother's Marry Kiss" took place. Global network restrictions were lifted. At the same time, CC Corporation released fragment's online game, "The World," available for simultaneous download and sale worldwide. All of .hack begins here.