Helba is a hacker, and a very professional one. She was thought to have been working with Tsukasa because of his abilities. However, Helba says that she does not. Helba is very secretive, and her contact with the main group is usually through Bear. However, Helba is on the "good side" of the characters, telling Bear and company what she knows and how the area of Net Slum could be an advantage. After the group finds Aura, a large demon attacks in Net Slum, but Helba deletes the field and likely saves everyone's lives.

A young wavemaster, only known by the alias of Tsukasa, wakes up in an MMORPG called The World, with slight amnesia. He does not know what he has previously done before he woke up. In The World, he is suspected to be a hacker of the Crimson Knights, as he was seen accompanying a tweaked character in the form of a cat. Unable to log out from the game, he wanders around looking for answers, avoiding the knights and other players he meets along the way. 
As Tsukasa explores The World, he stumbles upon a magical item that takes the form of a 'guardian', which promises him protection from all harm. Subaru, the leader of the Crimson Knights, along with several other players who became acquainted with Tsukasa, set out to investigate why Tsukasa is unable to log out, and attempt to get to the bottom of the problem before it gets out of hand. 
[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn is an American voice actress, ADR director and singer-songwriter best known for her involvement in music production in multiple games from the Silent Hill series, and her extensive English-language dubbing of various anime, animated films and video games.

Welcome to The World, the most advanced online game ever created. In The World you can be anyone you want to be, act out your adventure fantasies and through teamwork and determination, you can even become a hero. 14-year-old twins Shugo and Rena just won a contest that lets them play as the legendary avatars 'Kite' and 'Black Rose.' Armed with the power of the Twilight Bracelet, the two must discover what is causing rogue monsters to infect The World and carry on the legend of the .hackers.
 
(Source: TOKYOPOP)

Somewhere in the MMORPG called &lsquo;The World&rsquo;, a group is gathered at a pub, awaiting the start of an event. There, old friends and acquaintances are reunited, including those who rarely log on. Some are even forging new relationships for the first time. Together, invited by the hacker Helba, the group leaves for the event in the Net Slums where a celebration awaits them all. 
[Written by MAL Rewrite]

While the original four .hack video games followed the tales and travels of Kite, these books tell the story all over again, from the view of Akira Hayami, also known as BlackRose in The World. When her younger brother, Fumikazu, falls into a coma while playing The World, Akira decides to figure out why it happened, and launches herself into the most exciting, and dangerous, journey she will ever have to encounter. Where she meets the twin blade Kite whose friend Orca has fallen into a coma too. Together they venture to find out The World's innermost secrets meeting new friends along the way who aid them in their journey. (Source: Wikipedia)

As an expression of gratitude for the heroes of both the ".hack//Sign" and the ".hack" game series, Helba has prepared a special event for all the characters to find the newly established 'Twilight Hot Springs'. The characters can get their well deserved rest and relaxation by having a soak in the wonderful hot springs, but there is only one problem -- the hot springs are hidden and there have been mysterious player murders. With the only clue being the word &ldquo;GIFT&rdquo;, the race has begun to find the culprit and the location of the hot springs. 
[Written by MAL Rewrite]

In .hack//Legend of the Twilight, Shugo and Rena were given the avatars of the famous dot hackers, Kite and BlackRose... Now learn how their legend was born! While playing in The World--the most successful online game in history--a young boy suddenly loses consciousness and falls into a coma after taking a blow to protect his friend Kite from the deadly beams of a strange monster. To save his fallen friend, Kite must log back into this most dangerous game and begin to unravel the mysteries behind his friend's affliction. But understanding the true power of The World may prove as dangerous as it is crucial!
 
(Source: TOKYOPOP)

This volume is a collection of the .hack// 4 panel manga (aka Yonkoma) serialized in the .hack//The World magazine.