There, Yet Not There

For those who cannot fight for themselves, there is almost no greater threat than notorious monsters. Known to possess immeasurable power, these creatures are the very symbol of fear.

Adventurers, however, are known to bravely (or foolishly, as some would say) challenge these terrifying creatures. Notorious monsters have been reported to possess valuable items and materials, making them prime targets for adventurers seeking fame and fortune.

Of course, there is no assurance of victory. It is not uncommon for seemingly powerful adventurers to be routed rather quickly and painfully. That is why wise adventurers gather all the information they can gather about their target--habitat, useful strategies, what treasures are dropped, and so forth--before forming a party. There has been a rumor circulating as of late among such adventurers, concerning notorious monsters that are "there, yet not there."

This refers to the strange phenomenon of some individuals being able to see these creatures, while others see nothing, even when they are looking from the same vantage point.

For instance, if Adventurer A and Adventurer B are both standing near "it," A may be able to see and even touch it, while B may not even notice it's there at all.

In the course of our investigation into these bizarre notorious monsters, we received the following information from adventurers who had firsthand experiences: A Tarutaru Samurai's Account "An acquaintance informed me of a certain notorious monster where, even if we were to be defeated by it, we would lose nothing. I decided I would challenge this creature in order to discover the truth. I formed a party of six, and we were all determined to emerge victorious.

"However, when we arrived at the location, the friend who informed me of this creature in the first place was unable to see it! There was nothing for the rest of us to do but to challenge the creature without him. We fought bravely, but we were defeated in the end.

"Perhaps the only positive outcome of the experience was that I proved that my friend spoke truly..."

A Mithran Dragoon's Account "I received a key item from a certain individual, so my comrades and I decided to go to the "place" that was specified. When we arrived at the battlefield, that notorious monster was waiting for us. Uh, we lost pretty badly...

"So I was looking to get a rematch the following day, but this person dressed all in black said something about time between manifestations, and that I wouldn't be able to see it. Oh, the man in black? I saw him outside the chocobo stables."

So do these notorious monsters that are "there, yet not there" really exist? Through a stroke of luck, we were able to obtain a comment from a certain organization in regards to this matter:

"The notorious monsters of rumor are most likely what we refer to as ENMs ("Empty Notorious Monsters"). ENMs barely exist in our reality, so those who have seen them once may experience difficulties seeing them for a while."

It is most befuddling, but according to this explanation, even when these notorious monsters are indeed "there," they may be "not there" to those who have seen them before. Perhaps the reason that challengers lose nothing after being defeated by these odd creatures is tied into this flux between existence and non-existence.

ENMs-The seen yet unseen enemy. If you are an adventurer, perhaps you should seek them out.