《Multiverse Game Creator》 Chapter 1 - The Awakening of the Game Creation System "Are you really okay? I haven''t seen you in a month! I''ll stop by to visit you this week," my aunt said in a worried voice on the other end of the line. "I''m fine, Aunt, thanks for asking. I can''t wait to see you, but maybe it''s better to postpone a little longer. How about next week?" I replied, feeling a mix of shame and frustration as I looked at the state of my apartment. I needed to do something about that mess. I didn¡¯t want my aunt to know that, besides being unemployed, I was also a lazy person who couldn''t even tidy up his own place. After another five minutes of conversation, I agreed to her visit on Friday. Even though she disagreed, she said she would introduce me to a friend who managed a marketing company¡ªjust in case I was still unemployed when she came. I was grateful for the offer, but at the same time, I felt a little embarrassed about needing her help to get a job. Given her insistence, I just silently agreed and sat down on the couch, reflecting on the poor choices that had brought me to this point. Lost in thought, I heard a voice in my head. [Activating Game Creation System] [0%, 9%, 16%, 38%, 57%, 89%, 100%.] [System successfully activated.] [Reward for activating the system: Starter Pack.] Before I could react, a blue crystal ball appeared in the air. Reflexively, I reached out to stop it from falling. As soon as I touched the crystal ball, I heard the voice in my head again. [Would you like to open the starter pack?] The voice asked. "Yes...?" I answered without thinking. [Opening starter pack] [Congratulations! You have received the Game Creation Workshop.] [You have received an Empty 2D Game Card.] [Free Engine Coupon.] [You have received 500 Creation Points.] Two strange cards fell into my hand, and as soon as I touched them, a bright blue screen appeared in front of me. I could feel a subtle vibration in my arm as the screen displayed the descriptions of both cards. [Item: Empty 2D Game Card] [Description]: This card can perfectly copy all information from a 2D game. Once used, the game''s information will be displayed in the game editing workshop. [Warning]: It is important to remember that the copied game cannot be published in the same world it was extracted from. [Item: Free Engine Coupon] [Description]: This coupon allows the user to choose a game engine completely free of charge from the system''s store. I still hadn¡¯t fully understood, but it seemed like I had awakened one of those systems that appear in novels and anime. However, my system was different from those overpowered ones I had seen online. While others were "Supreme Cultivator System" or "Multiverse Emperor," my system plagiarized games. It may sound like I''m complaining, but I¡¯m not. Having a system is better than not having one at all. And with the gaming market booming this year, creating a game could make me a lot of money. And that was exactly what I needed at the moment. *"Wait... It says I can''t publish in the same world...?!"* I was stunned by the revelation. Did this mean I could publish games in other worlds? Could I copy as many games as I wanted without worrying about lawsuits or anything like that? This possibility excited me even more. As I was thinking about which game to choose, the system answered my previous question. [Yes, the copied game can be published in a different universe. Currently, only one universe is available.] I was stunned. I could barely believe it. "How do I create a game?" I asked the system enthusiastically. The system responded. [To create a game, you first need to go to the Workshop, create a project, and develop it based on the available models.] Creating a game from scratch sounds like a really difficult task, doesn¡¯t it? After all, games are built on carefully crafted stories and worlds¡ªnot to mention all the programming involved. I was sure I didn¡¯t have the necessary skills for that. Fortunately, I received this wonderful surprise gift! The Empty 2D Game Card! With it, I could copy ready-made games and publish them without worrying about all the technical details. Even though it was just a 2D game, there were hundreds of excellent options, including some that had been nominated for Game of the Year awards. "How do I use the card?" I asked. [The way to use the Empty Card is to hold it and think of the desired game.] Simple and easy. The only problem was: what kind of 2D game could succeed in another universe? Unsure, I asked the system. "What is the universe where I can publish?" [The only available universe is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You can unlock new universes by completing missions.] "!!!???" "Marvel Cinematic Universe?" I repeated, trying to process the information. This was beyond amazing! As a superhero movie fan, I was completely thrilled. However, my excitement soon faded. I began to realize how difficult it would be to create a game in this universe, filled with superheroes, wizards, and aliens with godlike powers. Ordinary people usually don¡¯t waste their time playing games, especially when so many incredible things are happening in the world. It took me a moment to calm down and think clearly, and I realized that the most important factor was the year in which the Marvel universe of the system was currently set. After the events of Iron Man 1, heroes and supervillains started appearing like popcorn. But before that, the Marvel world wasn¡¯t much different from my own. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "What is the current date in the Marvel universe?" I asked the system. [February 24, 2008] I sighed in relief. "And how much time is left until the beginning of Iron Man¡¯s story?" [Three months until Tony Stark is kidnapped.] Perfect! Right now, everything in that world was as normal as it should be. There were probably still plenty of people addicted to video games. I needed to secure a large number of loyal players before the Marvel universe turned into chaos! Without further hesitation, I commanded the system to open the Game Creation Workshop! Before my eyes, a strangely familiar door appeared in the air. It looked like any other door, yet at the same time, it had something that made it peculiar. As I stepped through it, I was instantly transported into a vast, mysterious room with a futuristic design. The translucent surfaces, with a soft blue hue that seemed to emit its own light, reflected my silhouette as I walked toward the center of the room. The floor and ceiling were made of a material that resembled digital data, glowing in a bright blue tone, rippling beneath my feet and curving smoothly up to the ceiling. It felt as if I had stepped into the setting of a sci-fi movie. My eyes scanned the room, marveling at every detail, when suddenly, a holographic screen appeared in the middle of it. The system''s gentle voice echoed through the space. [Welcome to the Game Creation Workshop! Would you like a quick introduction?] "Yes." As soon as the system started its tutorial, a series of options appeared. [Main Menu: Here you can access all system functions.] [Game Manager: Create, edit, and remove your projects here.] [Tasks: Missions will be generated according to the host''s progress. At the moment, only one mission is available.] [System Store: All items needed to create a game are available here.] [Multiverse Store: Here you can buy items from other universes.] The system''s functions weren''t too different from what I expected, but the Multiverse Store caught me off guard. Curious, I selected the option, but to my disappointment, all the items in the store were grayed out, and a message appeared on the screen. [A connection to another universe is required.] I felt a little disappointed upon realizing I needed to publish a game before I could explore the store. "Let''s see here..." I murmured, pondering for a moment as I held the empty card in my hands. I kept thinking about the best game to start with. Since I wanted a game that would be a hit even in another universe, I ended up choosing one that, even 25 years after its release, was still considered by many to be the best in its genre. The image of a dark castle atop eerie hills began to imprint itself onto the card. The game''s name slowly appeared, written in a clear yet imposing font. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night! Yes, the game I chose as my first project was none other than Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, released in 1997 and still widely played today. Maybe it was the system''s effect, but as I looked at the card, I could feel a chilling atmosphere taking over me. It was as if the game itself was emanating a sinister energy through the card. "Incredible..." I sighed, feeling a mix of surprise and excitement at the card''s effect. [Use the "Castlevania" game card as a model?] The system asked. "Yes." The card in my hands shattered into several pieces, which suddenly transformed into holographic data that flew toward the screen. Soon after, a new screen appeared. [(Game Manager Menu)] [Create] [Edit] [Delete] [Game/World Rules] [Templates] I carefully examined the available options and immediately selected "Templates." That¡¯s when I found a template named "Castlevania (Complete)." As soon as I clicked on the option, a message appeared. [Do you wish to turn the "Castlevania (Complete)" template into a new project?] I could barely contain my excitement and answered "yes" without a second thought. Suddenly, hundreds of holographic objects and items began flying out of the Castlevania template. Intricate environments, sinister enemies, rare items, character sprites. It was as if everything had come to life before my eyes. The iconic opening music started playing, and an oppressive sensation filled the room as the image of Dracula¡¯s castle emerged. Even though it was just a holographic castle, it was frighteningly realistic. Everything was so vivid and intense that it felt like I was truly inside the world of Castlevania. But as I looked around, my excitement began to turn into concern. I didn¡¯t understand a thing about those complex programming codes¡ªI had never studied anything about it before. Just as my worries reached their peak, the system''s voice interrupted my thoughts. [It has been detected that you lack sufficient knowledge to develop a game.] "Great, now I¡¯m going to lose the system. I should have studied programming!" I started cursing my life until the system spoke again. [Your knowledge is insufficient. Recommended purchase: Basic Programming - 50 points Intermediate Programming - 400 points Advanced Programming - 2000 points Master Programming - 50000 points] I let out a relieved sigh and looked at the skill list for a moment, choosing the one that best fit my limited budget of 500 points. [You have purchased the skill ''Intermediate Programming.''] Suddenly, a flood of information overwhelmed my mind. The headache was unbearable, but it quickly passed, leaving behind a deep understanding of programming codes. As I looked at Castlevania¡¯s files, I started seeing them from a new perspective. I realized I could significantly improve the game, and now, I had the skills to do so. But even with my newly acquired knowledge, I could tell that updating Castlevania would still be difficult for me. Without hesitation, I used the free engine coupon and entered the system store, searching until I found a high-quality 2D engine. The Sky Engine was by far the best option in the store, and thanks to the coupon, it was completely free. It had advanced features, far superior to the best engines available on the market. Best of all, it allowed the development of both 2D and 3D games. [Do you wish to open the ''Sky'' program?] "Yes." A floating screen appeared beside me, the size of a tablet. Among the various Sky options, I selected the one that intrigued me the most. Suddenly, a surge of Castlevania game files flew toward me. They were all the game¡¯s sprites. [Would you like to update the sprites?] "Yes." The automatic sprite update was one of Sky¡¯s most attractive features. This function not only improved the game¡¯s graphical quality but also its fluidity. With this, Castlevania was more than ready to be launched in another universe. But I still wanted to implement many other improvements in the game. [Update in progress... 1%...] [Estimated time: 26 minutes] 26 minutes to upgrade an entire game¡¯s graphics! If the programmers at Konami knew about this, they¡¯d have a heart attack. "Now it''s time to work some real magic!" For me, the most important function of Sky wasn¡¯t related to programs, physics, or game sprites. What made me choose it was the ability to adjust the atmosphere. When I used the empty card, I felt a chilling sensation that sent shivers down my spine. And when the castle appeared, the oppressive atmosphere enveloped me completely, as if I were truly in the presence of the Lord of the Night, Count Dracula. I wanted the players to experience that same feeling. I wanted to give this castle a sense of the unknown¡ªsomething that would provoke curiosity and apprehension in the players. So, using Sky Engine¡¯s full potential, I began working to modify and update Castlevania, adding new sounds, music, visual effects, and even altering some castle areas to create a sense of mystery and challenge for the players. With these modifications, the game''s atmosphere was gradually transformed to make players feel completely immersed in it. "Now I need to update the mechanics, map design, and add a few more items." Determined to make Castlevania the best game ever released in the Marvel universe, I got back to work. + (Meanwhile, in the Marvel Universe) New York, Central Plaza. Ethan and Tyler were sitting on a bench in Central Plaza, watching people walk by and birds flying overhead. The sun was shining brightly, and a cool breeze was blowing from across the street. Both were dressed in light clothes suited for the pleasant weather. Ethan had blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. He wore a white T-shirt and jeans, while Tyler wore a plaid shirt and jeans. Tyler had brown hair, green eyes, and a light beard. As they looked around, Tyler turned to Ethan and asked, "So, man? What have you been up to since the last time we met?" "Not much, to be honest," Ethan replied, shrugging. "Just working and playing games a bit. What about you? How¡¯s life?" "I¡¯ve been working too, but I started doing yoga. It¡¯s amazing, it really helped me relax and relieve stress," Tyler explained enthusiastically. "Ah, I tried yoga once, but there were only women in the class. I felt kind of out of place, you know? So I stopped going," Ethan said, taking a sip from his water bottle. "Don¡¯t worry about that, man. It happens. But I got used to it pretty quickly. Besides, there are several yoga studios for men here in the city. You should try it someday," Tyler suggested, giving Ethan a friendly pat on the back. "Who knows? Maybe I will," Ethan replied, laughing. They sat in silence for a moment, watching people pass by. Ethan sighed again. "You know what I really want to do? Play paintball." "That would be a great idea. I think this plaza would be an amazing place for a game," Tyler replied. Ethan nodded, smiling. "Definitely. It would be you and me against the whole world!" "We¡¯d win with a little effort," Tyler said. The two friends kept chatting about casual things and enjoyed the day together, while the city''s noise created a lively and vibrant atmosphere around them. Ethan suddenly said, "You know that magical feeling that sometimes guides us to make decisions? Well, I had one of those this morning." "You mean intuition?" Tyler asked, curious. "Exactly. I woke up with the feeling that the right thing to do was to spend this week playing video games." Tyler laughed. "In the end, you just want an excuse to game all week, don¡¯t you?" "Maybe." Ethan admitted, laughing along with his friend. Ethan could never have imagined that, beyond his intuition being right, among celestial beings, aliens with divine powers, and sorcerers capable of controlling time, he was the only being in the universe to sense that magical feeling. Chapter 2 - Success! The Rebirth of Castlevania at Marvel Beyond changing the quality of the sprites and the atmosphere of the game, I made some specific adjustments. I wanted the game to be as close to the original as possible, so I only made a few basic changes that improved the game to another level. The changes I made were: The way items are used. In the original game, using healing or mana potions was very complicated because you had to open the inventory, equip the item in your hand, and after using it, go through the whole process again. To make things simpler, I created a specific slot for consumable items, allowing players to quickly select and use items without interrupting the game¡¯s pace. Another change I made was related to the game¡¯s weapons. I added more weapon varieties and modified the way their damage works. The original Castlevania already had a wide range of weapons, but 80% of them became useless after a while. That¡¯s why I adjusted the damage system¡ªnow, each weapon deals more or less damage depending on the enemy being fought. For example, swords will deal less damage to skeletons or armored enemies, while impact weapons like clubs and hammers will be 50% more effective. This change made the game more strategic since now players have to choose the right weapon for each enemy type. After that, I started thinking about how to adjust the game¡¯s difficulty in a more dynamic way. The default difficulty was too easy, so I needed to find a way to make it more challenging. That¡¯s when I came up with the idea of creating a dynamic difficulty system that adapts to the player¡¯s skill level. Initially, I thought about monitoring how fast the player defeated enemies to gradually increase the difficulty. But how could I do that? After a lot of thinking, I came up with a solution¡ªadding a scoring system for each enemy the player defeated. These points would be calculated based on the time taken to kill the enemy, how much damage the player received during the fight, and the way the enemy was defeated. The faster the player killed an enemy and the less damage they took, the more points they would earn. Using these points as a base, the game could gradually adjust its difficulty. If the player was quickly defeating all enemies without taking damage, the game would increase the enemies¡¯ AI, making them more aggressive and adding unpredictable attack patterns. I also added new attack variations for enemies, so players would have to adapt to new situations instead of relying on a single strategy. However, making this dynamic difficulty system wasn¡¯t easy. The previous modifications were simple and easy to implement, but this was much harder, requiring at least two extra levels of difficulty. Even with the almost-omnipotent Sky, it took an absurd amount of time to modify the AI, adjust the parameters affecting it, and balance the speed, strength, agility, and resilience of all the game¡¯s enemies. Despite all the work, the final result was extremely satisfying. After working almost an entire day on the game, I finally finished everything and clicked the ¡°Finish¡± option. Then, the Castlevania project menu disappeared and was replaced by another screen. [Please choose the rewards to be given for completing the game] [You must choose 5 reward items and set their drop percentages.] [Warning: Even if you set all rewards to 0%, they will still be distributed at a random percentage.] [Generating reward list...] [Reward List: Lesser Healing Potion (Limit: 4,000,000) Alucard¡¯s Sword (Limit: 100) Shadow Boots (Limit: 4,500) Invisibility Ring (Limit: 3,000) Demonic Shield...] I was quite surprised when I saw that I could choose five items as rewards for players, but I soon realized there were some restrictions. Some of the game¡¯s more powerful items couldn¡¯t be selected, and each item had a limit. Alucard¡¯s Sword, for example, had a limit of 100, meaning only 100 lucky players could obtain it. It was clear that the system couldn¡¯t infinitely distribute rewards, which caught me off guard. I hesitated, knowing my choices could affect the game¡¯s popularity. After all, if even one person managed to complete the game and earned an exclusive item, they would likely share the news with others, potentially attracting more players. I could select the most powerful items, despite their low limit, but I needed to think about the long-term appeal of the game. So I decided to include higher-limit items like potions. After some thought, I chose: Alucard¡¯s Sword (Limit: 100, 0.5% drop rate) Dracula¡¯s Cloak (Limit: 90, 0.5% drop rate) Luck Potion (33% drop rate, Limit: ~6,000,000) Intelligence Potion (33% drop rate, Limit: ~6,000,000) Defense Potion (33% drop rate, Limit: ~6,000,000) After selecting the rewards, I clicked ¡°Confirm¡± again. [Project Completed!] [Castlevania: Symphony of the Night] [Game Category: RPG, Platformer, Adventure] [System Rating: C] [Completion Rewards (Player Only): Alucard¡¯s Sword (0.5%) Dracula¡¯s Cloak (0.5%) Intelligence Potion (33%) Defense Potion (33%) Luck Potion (33%)]* With a satisfied smile, I looked at the game¡¯s information screen. [Reward for creating a Grade C game: Return Scroll (Bonus Player Reward)] [Warning: The bonus reward can be given to the player if they complete a game after fulfilling one or more tasks designated by the host.] [Mission ¡®First Game¡¯ Successfully Completed!] [Congratulations on completing your first game.] [You have become an Official Game Creator and have been rewarded with: Collection of Sea Monster Models.] [You have completed your game. Now it¡¯s time to publish it.] [Select the site where you would like to publish your game.] [Generating Site List...] [Site List: Alter Games Steam Game Jolt...] Looks like Steam actually exists in the Marvel world. I decided to publish my game on Steam, since it was the only platform I recognized from the available options. After providing the necessary basic information, I began filling out the developer name field. On impulse, I chose ¡°Maravilhador¡±, a name I always found interesting. At first, I thought the name wouldn¡¯t be accepted, but to my surprise, it was. Then, after writing a brief synopsis, I finally published the game. Even though I was satisfied with the result, I could feel the exhaustion of working non-stop for 18 hours modifying the game. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. That¡¯s why I decided to wrap up my work for the day and get some sleep. *** (POV: Random Guy) It was just another ordinary day for James in his small New York apartment. He was sitting in front of his computer, bored with the same old games. So, he decided to browse through Steam¡¯s vast library in search of something new and exciting. After a few minutes of scrolling through the thousands of options available in the store, he stumbled upon a game that caught his attention: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The cover seemed simple¡ªjust a strange castle over dark hills¡ªbut the more he looked at it, the more intriguing it became. Curious, James clicked on the game. [Game: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night] [Developer: Maravilhador] [Rating: N/A] [Release Date: 12 minutes ago] [Price: $9] [Description] Step into the shoes of Alucard, the protagonist of this game, who has risen from his tomb to explore his father Dracula¡¯s castle after its reappearance. Discover hidden rooms, face dangerous enemies, and equip yourself with hundreds of weapons to unravel the mystery behind Dracula¡¯s return. This game is an exciting mix of RPG, platforming, and adventure that will surely please all players. Tags: [RPG], [Platformer], [Adventure] Download Size: 3.5GB As James examined the game¡¯s information, he frowned in disbelief at the screenshots. "A 2D platformer?" He wondered if anyone still made games like this nowadays. In the Marvel universe, technology seemed to evolve daily, with innovative devices constantly emerging. Naturally, games evolved alongside technology, making graphics more realistic and immersive. Because of this, 2D games were practically extinct. But despite his skepticism about it being a 2D platformer, James decided to buy it anyway¡ªafter all, it was only $9. The download finished quickly, and he launched the game. The menu was simple, with only one option available: "New Game." James felt a little disappointed¡ªit seemed like the developer hadn¡¯t even tried to create a proper main menu. Upon starting the game, a cutscene played, revealing a distant castle in all its grandeur. Towering spires stood against a dark, cloud-filled sky. The classic Castlevania soundtrack began playing softly, gradually building in intensity as Dracula¡¯s lair came into view. Seated in his chair, James watched attentively, feeling a strange tension. The combination of music and the castle¡¯s imposing silhouette on the screen was hypnotizing, pulling him deeper into the game. As the cutscene continued, the music became more intense and dramatic. A shiver ran down his spine, and his curiosity grew. Finally, the screen darkened, and the game began. With sweaty hands, James let out a relieved sigh. As soon as the cutscene ended, he took control of Richter Belmont. James tested the keyboard commands as Belmont spun his whip, jumped, attacked, and performed a few random moves. "The controls feel simple." He then proceeded toward the hall. It didn¡¯t take long before he reached the grand hall, where another cutscene began. This was the moment when Richter faced Dracula, the game¡¯s great villain. "Die, monster! You don¡¯t belong in this world!" Richter shouted, pointing his weapon at Dracula. "It was not by my hand that I was once again given flesh. I was summoned here by humans who wish to pay me tribute," Dracula responded in his cold, merciless voice. "Tribute?! You steal men¡¯s souls and make them your slaves!" Richter exclaimed, furious at Dracula¡¯s words. "Perhaps the same could be said of all religions..." the Count retorted with disdain. "Your words are as empty as your soul! Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!" Richter shot back, determined to defeat the monster. "What is a man?" Dracula said. "A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk¡­ Have at you!" With that, the battle with Richter began. Dracula tossed his wine goblet to the floor, shattering it as he vanished into a beam of light. Suddenly, fireballs shot out in all directions, casting a burning red glow across the hall. Under attack from multiple directions, James panicked as he jumped around, dodging fireballs and slashing at them with his whip. He soon realized that his whip could destroy the fireballs. Dracula reappeared behind him, this time launching dark energy spheres toward James. He tried using his whip to destroy them, but it had no effect. The attack hit him directly, reducing nearly 30% of his health. "Isn¡¯t this way too much damage for the first enemy in the game?" James wondered. "So, I can block fireballs with the whip, but not the dark spheres." Now more cautious, James continued fighting Dracula. He focused on avoiding the dark energy attacks, waiting for the right moment to strike. And finally, his chance came. Dracula teleported once again¡ªbut this time, James was ready. He struck Dracula with his whip and kept attacking until the vampire was finally defeated. "This game seems like it¡¯s going to be really hard." He sighed after taking down such a powerful opponent. But just when it seemed like James had finally beaten Dracula, the lord of vampires transformed into a massive, fearsome creature with glowing eyes and black scales. The second phase of the battle had begun. The ground trembled beneath James¡¯ feet as Dracula spewed fire toward him. The fight continued as James desperately tried to find an opening while dodging the relentless attacks. After a long battle, Richter finally managed to bring Dracula down, turning him into ashes. With Dracula defeated, the screen went dark, and the game¡¯s credits began to roll. James stared in disbelief. "That¡¯s it?" But at that moment, the game¡¯s narrator began speaking, explaining that Richter Belmont, the legendary vampire hunter, had finally put an end to Count Dracula, the Lord of Vampires, who had been resurrected by the dark priest Shaft. The narrator continued, revealing that four years later, Richter mysteriously vanished on a night of the full moon, prompting Alucard, Dracula¡¯s son, to rise against his father for the sake of humanity. James found the story intriguing¡ªhe wanted to know more. After the introduction, another scene appeared: Alucard arriving at Dracula¡¯s castle, where the real game would begin. Taking control of Alucard, James advanced toward the castle entrance, where he encountered a massive silver wolf¡ªa majestic yet terrifying creature guarding the gate. After nearly being defeated by his first enemy, Dracula, James made up his mind that the next opponents would be just as difficult as the lord of the vampires. He thought he had to be cautious because this wolf seemed strong and dangerous. So, he mentally prepared himself for a tough fight. Sensing James¡¯s approach, the wolf lunged at him, its sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light. James dodged the wolf¡¯s first attacks and countered with his sword, trying to land a quick strike. To his surprise, the wolf put up no resistance and was defeated in a single blow. James stood still for a moment, stunned by how easily he had won. "That was way too easy," he muttered to himself. "Maybe it had low health in exchange for high damage. I probably would have died if it had hit me even once." Entering the castle, James found himself in a long, dark hallway and proceeded cautiously, mentally preparing for the enemies ahead. Suddenly, the corridor¡¯s candles lit up, illuminating the entire place. Zombies began emerging from the ground in groups, and James quickly prepared for battle, brandishing his sword with confidence. In a decisive move, he slashed through multiple zombies, cutting them into pieces without any resistance. James frowned in disappointment. "Zombies are the weakest enemies anyway. The next ones should be harder." Unfortunately, as he moved through the corridors and rooms, nothing changed. Skeletons, mermen, zombies, and bats¡ªevery single enemy fell with just one hit, without exception. James continued advancing without much difficulty and started wondering if the game¡¯s developer really understood balance or if they had just made everything too easy. His frustration grew with each enemy that fell effortlessly before him. He was starting to lose the motivation to continue. "This is ridiculous," he said, frustrated. "Did the developer not realize how easy this is?" As he had that thought, a cutscene began as soon as he crossed the hallway. A hooded skeleton appeared before Alucard. "Ah, Lord Alucard. What brings you here?" the figure asked. "I came to put an end to all of this," Alucard replied firmly. "Still associating with mortals..." Death mocked. "I won¡¯t beg you to return to our side, but I demand that you stop your attack." "I won¡¯t!" Alucard retorted. "Then you will regret this!" Death said angrily. With a wave of his hand, Death stripped Alucard of all his powerful equipment and scattered them throughout the castle. Satisfied with his work, Death vanished, leaving Alucard empty-handed. Moving forward, James cautiously walked down the castle¡¯s dark, damp hallway, alert to the sounds around him. Suddenly, a bloodied zombie appeared in front of him, wielding a rusted sword. Without his equipment, James felt at a disadvantage and decided to proceed carefully. He attacked the zombie with punches, trying to keep it at a distance while it swung its sword at him. He dashed backward to evade and then moved in for a counterattack. It was an intense and prolonged fight, but after more than sixteen punches, James finally defeated the zombie, which dropped a short sword. After equipping the short sword, James began to reflect. "The previous ease might have been intentional to show how powerful Alucard was," he concluded. "But now, with his equipment lost, the difference in strength is obvious. The goal is to motivate players to work hard to regain their former power." James thought the idea was brilliant. Now determined to become as strong as before, he continued climbing the stairs, where he encountered a strange floating cube. [Cube of Zoe: Allows items to drop from candles] After reading the message, James decided to test it by destroying one of the candles on the wall and was surprised to see a large heart appear. Even though he didn¡¯t know what the hearts were for, he continued destroying every candle he found along the way while exploring the castle. As he made his way through the alchemy lab, James faced many types of enemies, including the Axe Knight, Blood Skeleton, Bloody Zombie, Scimitar Skeleton, regular Skeletons, and Bone Spitters. Although they were extremely tough, James was getting familiar with the combat and managed to defeat them with ease. However, James didn¡¯t know that his first real challenge was just ahead. After climbing a series of platforms, he arrived at a massive wooden door. When he pushed it open, it creaked before slowly swinging inward, revealing a large, empty room. But after taking a few steps inside, the door slammed shut behind him, signaling that a boss fight was about to begin. "Boss!" James exclaimed. As an experienced player, James knew that it was time to face his first major battle. He remained alert and carefully examined the room. As he focused, he heard the sound of wings flapping, and two notifications appeared. [Gaibon, the Flying Knight.] [Slogra, the Spear Master.] James looked up and saw a gargoyle carrying a humanoid bird in its claws. Gaibon, the gargoyle, then released Slogra above James. Seeing the humanoid bird falling toward him with a spear, James swiftly dodged, but as soon as it landed, Slogra lunged at him with its flaming spear. James used his shield to block the attacks, but Gaibon, still airborne, began spitting fireballs. He quickly realized that just blocking wouldn¡¯t be enough to withstand the powerful attacks from both enemies. He dashed to evade, creating some distance between himself and the monsters. Gaibon swooped toward him, launching fireballs. James quickly dodged and rushed at Slogra, who was preparing to attack with its spear. "I have to take down the spear-wielder first!" he decided. "I¡¯ll deal with the flyer later." James jumped to evade and landed a few quick sword strikes, but Slogra skillfully blocked his attacks. Meanwhile, Gaibon circled above, preparing for another attack, spewing fireballs from the air. James dashed away to evade the projectiles and focused on dodging Slogra¡¯s strikes. Slogra lunged with its flaming spear, but James was quick to duck and retaliate with a flurry of rapid sword strikes, slashing through its armor and dealing significant damage. Slogra attempted to retreat, but it was too late. James pressed forward aggressively, striking Slogra over and over. "Ahhhhh!!" Letting out a high-pitched scream, Slogra¡¯s body burst into flames and crumbled into ashes. With Slogra defeated, Gaibon became even more aggressive and began alternating between attacking with his claws and launching fireballs. James remained patient and kept dealing damage to Gaibon whenever he attacked with his claws. He continued dodging the fire projectiles and used his shield to protect himself when necessary. Finally, after a long battle, James managed to defeat Gaibon with his sword attacks, chipping away at its health until the monster finally fell, defeated. James left the alchemy laboratory, entering a vast marble gallery that stretched across the area, filled with pillars, statues, and valuable objects. He advanced through it, facing all kinds of enemies along the way. Moving forward, James reached the castle¡¯s outer wall, a long series of corridors. He fought undead soldiers, skeletons armed with shields and swords, and even more threatening creatures. Soon, James entered the Chapter 3 - The Radiance of Intrusive Advertising ZZZZZZZZZZZ The alarm clock rang, emitting a sharp, piercing sound that filled the room, pulling me out of my sleep. I looked at the clock¡ªit was 7 AM. Still drowsy, I stretched out my arm to turn off the alarm and got out of bed. I still felt a little dizzy as I walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth. The cold water from the sink helped wake me up a bit. Looking at the mirror, I noticed that my eyes were still swollen from sleep. "Unbelievable... I slept for almost an entire day..." Leaving the bathroom, I headed to the kitchen to prepare my coffee. As I drank it, I started thinking about yesterday¡¯s events. It still felt hard to believe that I had obtained a system. Yesterday had been an emotional rollercoaster for me¡ªone moment I was discouraged, and the next, I was overwhelmed with excitement. Now, I was staring anxiously at a system notification. [Open 999+ notifications?] "Yes." It didn¡¯t take long before the system started bombarding me with incessant notifications in my head. [Your game was successfully sold. You earned 9 dollars and 5 points.] [Your game was successfully sold. You earned 9 dollars and 5 points.] [Your game was successfully sold. You earned...] "Ahhh! Is there a way to mute this?" I shouted at the system, hoping it could hear me. [Would you like to set repetitive notifications to silent mode?] The system responded with a question. "Yes!" I replied, sighing in relief. With the repetitive notifications finally silenced, my eyes scanned through the other messages appearing on the screen. [Player "JAMES" was the first to complete Castlevania¡¯s perfect ending. You received 20 bonus points.] [View Player "James" profile?] "Someone already finished it in less than a day?" I was quite surprised. Did this person play the entire day without stopping? Does he not have a social life? It looks like even in the Marvel universe, there are hardcore gamers. This only makes things better for me¡ªafter all, they are my target audience. "Open profile!" [Player Profile: James Alexander Fitzgerald] Nickname: JAMES Age: 21 Platform: PC (Steam) General Statistics: Total Playtime: 19 hours Experience Level: 64 Total Deaths: 9 Total Score: 1,000,000 (Max) Achievements (Steam): 1. Ultimate Hunter Enemies Defeated: 10,000+ Description: Demonstrated absolute mastery by defeating an impressive number of enemies throughout the journey. 2. Master of Destruction Damage Per Second: 2,000 points Description: Possesses an unparalleled ability to deal damage efficiently and relentlessly. 3. Expert Swordsman Most Used Weapon: Crystal Sword Description: Showed complete mastery over the Crystal Sword, utilizing its full devastating potential. 4. Skill Lord Most Used Abilities: Soul Steal, Summon Spirit, Dark Metamorphosis Description: Used special abilities masterfully, showcasing an incomparable command of the game¡¯s most powerful techniques. 5. Fearless Explorer Map Discovered: 178% Description: Explored every inch of the game, uncovering 80% of secrets and achieving an almost complete and meticulous exploration. 6. Champion of Perfection Boss Battles Won Without Dying: 18 Description: Displayed supreme skill by defeating powerful bosses without a single defeat, demonstrating mastery of game mechanics. 7. Invincible Boss Battles Won Without Taking Damage: 6 Description: Showed extraordinary proficiency by facing formidable bosses, defeating them without taking a single hit¡ªevidence of strategy, precision, and exceptional control. 8. Adaptable Genius Highest Adaptive Difficulty Level Achieved: Maximum Description: Perfectly adapted to the game¡¯s dynamic difficulty changes, reaching astonishing skill levels in response to increasing challenges. System Evaluation: James, despite playing for the first time, showcased remarkable adaptability to the dynamic difficulty system. He managed to reach the maximum adaptive difficulty level, demonstrating quick learning and exceptional gaming skills. Even with only 19 hours of gameplay, James managed to explore and uncover almost all secrets and hidden areas. His determination to achieve full exploration was admirable. Although he is not a professional gamer, James developed an efficient combat strategy, impressively defeating challenging bosses without taking damage. His dexterity and quick reaction time indicate strong potential. In summary, James has proven to be a talented player, capable of adapting rapidly and overcoming challenges masterfully. His achievement of reaching the maximum adaptive difficulty in his first playthrough is remarkable, signaling great potential for future challenges and accomplishments in gaming. James has been classified as an SSS-Rank Player.] "....." After staring at the profile for an unknown amount of time, I couldn¡¯t help but curse. "What the hell kind of profile is this? Is this guy the protagonist of some esports novel or something?" This is completely abnormal. Even I wouldn¡¯t be able to beat Castlevania in 19 hours, let alone the updated version I made, which is leagues ahead in terms of difficulty. But this James didn¡¯t just accomplish that¡ªhe did it at the maximum dynamic difficulty! That¡¯s absurd. At the highest difficulty, regular enemies would be like mini-bosses, not to mention how much harder the actual bosses would be. "He only died 9 times? Defeated 6 bosses without taking damage?" Honestly, this doesn¡¯t make sense. The Marvel universe is a world of heroes, not god-tier gamers. "How did player James achieve this? Is he some kind of professional player?" I asked the system. [James is not a professional player but possesses dynamic vision, exceptional reflexes, high logical and analytical thinking, and superior hand-eye coordination. He is above 95% of professional gamers, which is why he was classified as an SSS-Rank Player.] I knew it. This guy is some kind of protagonist. "What is an SSS-Rank Player?" [SSS-Rank Players have high investment potential because they can significantly influence both regular gamers and non-gamers. Investing in such players would be equivalent to investing in marketing.] "Like Faker?" [Yes.] "I see." Using players as a means of marketing is something all companies do. Faker is the best example of this¡ªafter all, how many millions of players started playing League of Legends because of him? I was one of them. "Investing in players..." I muttered, looking at the next notification that appeared. [Choose a unique gift to send to the first three players who achieve the perfect ending.] [Available gift list: Varda''s Ring MoonStone Alucard''s Armor Spirit Orb ...] A list of 15 in-game items appeared. In games, some of these items are undeniably useless, but in real life, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj called them divine artifacts. In fact, Varda''s Ring is literally a divine artifact. "Choosing a good item as a reward is also a form of investment..." But the real question is: what are the consequences of giving such an artifact to someone in another universe? The answer is: I don¡¯t know. And honestly, I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s literally in another universe, so why worry whether the item I give is weak or strong? "I need to think about myself first." Obviously, I¡¯m going to give the most powerful item on the list. That will make my first player happy and also encourage them to buy my future games. Not to mention, this is the Marvel universe. I¡¯m almost certain that among my players, there will be many who will use the rewards to become superheroes. So, in the end, I¡¯m actually helping. For first place, I chose the strongest item: "Varda''s Ring." For second place, the most versatile item: "Sword Card." For third place, I was torn between the "Leap Stone" and "Gravity Boots," but in the end, I went with the Leap Stone. After selecting all the rewards, a screen appeared. [Please write a congratulatory message to the player.] At first, I thought about using this opportunity to ask them to recommend the game to their friends, but in the end, I just sent a standard congratulatory message. After sending the message, I opened the game profile where I could see all its stats. [Name: Castlevania Symphony of the Night Steam Rating: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï Approval: Very Positive (100% from 168 reviews) Total Sales: 195 Current Players: 97 Players Who Finished the Game: 15 Players Who Achieved the Perfect Ending: 4 ... Total Sales Revenue: $1,860 (Withdraw) System Points: 915] Without wasting a single second, I decisively clicked withdraw! This was the moment I had been waiting for. [You have withdrawn $1,860.] [Would you like to convert the withdrawn amount to Brazilian reais?] "Yes!" [You received R$7,970.] While I was still marveling at this, my phone buzzed with a notification. I quickly picked it up and was surprised by the message. [R$7,970 has been deposited into your bank account.] I stared at my phone for a while, thinking. ''Does making games really earn this much money, or is it because of the system?'' Honestly, it was still hard to believe all of this. I started to feel a little afraid that I would suddenly wake up and realize it was all a dream. But even if it was a dream, I would definitely become a game developer when I woke up. "I need to create even more games!" That was my thought after seeing so much money. If it were possible, I would launch at least 10 games a day. But creating even one game is difficult¡ªimagine how impossible it would be to make ten. But now I have 915 points, which can make the whole game development process much easier. "System, open the Workshop." Once again, the same old wooden door appeared in the air. The moment I stepped inside, the massive holographic screen appeared. There was something new on the system''s main menu. The name of the new option was "Video Archives." When I opened it, I found a list of nicknames. Hesitant, I clicked on a random one. A video started playing. From the opening scene, the fight against Dracula on the staircase, to Alucard¡¯s arrival. It was the gameplay of one of the players! And in some moments, you could even hear the player swearing¡ªmostly when they died. "James was definitely unusual." The player I just watched died quickly to Dracula and needed Maria¡¯s help to complete the prologue. "I¡¯ll watch James¡¯s gameplay when I have some free time." I had already published a game in another universe and earned a lot of points! I should be able to buy something good. So, I opened the Multiverse Store. [Multiverse Store LV1 Warning: The store is currently at level 1. You can use system points to upgrade it. The higher the level, the more items will be available, extending even to the Marvel Comics universe.] [Item List: Stark Sonic Cannon ¨C 78 points Sonic Taser ¨C 47 points Jericho Missile ¨C 213 points Tellor Propulsion Rifle ¨C 54 points Exo-Skel... ...] [Skill List: Basic Combat Skills ¨C 85 points Basic Languages ¨C 34 points Basic Weapon Proficiency ¨C 155 points Basic Disguise Skills ¨C 60 points Basic Logical Thinking ¨C 230 points ...] [Special List: Artificial Intelligence: J.A.R.V.I.S ¨C 25,500 points Armor Project: Mark 1 ¨C 7,500 points] Almost all the items were from Iron Man 1. The problem is, I have no interest in weapons or combat skills, let alone disguises. The only thing that caught my attention was J.A.R.V.I.S. The autonomous artificial intelligence. Everyone who watched Iron Man or Avengers has dreamed of having their own J.A.R.V.I.S. But the 25,500 points price hit me hard. If sales continued at this rate, it could take up to a month before I could buy it. As for the Mark 1 project, I have neither the points nor the interest. If it were at least the fully built armor, maybe. But it''s just a blueprint. With today¡¯s technology, it''s probably impossible to build the Mark 1 even with the schematics. I decided to mark J.A.R.V.I.S. as my main goal for now. Having it would make my life much easier, both in daily life and in game development. With my goal set, it was time to figure out how to earn points faster. Creating another game was my first thought. Before spending my points in the system store, I went to my computer. "Reddit... community... gaming geeks." Analyzing the community posts, I realized this was the right place. After all, users here shared their favorite games and ideas for possible improvements. Some even promoted their own indie games. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. This kind of community is the best place to get ideas for games¡ªwithout plagiarism, of course. I went to the board and posted the following question: VentoDoNorth: "If, for some reason, you could create and publish games in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, what would your first game be, and what would it be like?" Knowing it would take some time for someone to respond, I decided to take care of a very important debt. Using my phone, I transferred R$4,500 to the account of the person who had lent me money. My original debt was only R$3,500, but since this person helped me a lot, I added a little extra. "Knowing her well... she should call me any sec¡ª" Before I could finish my sentence, my phone started ringing. "Hello." I answered. "Can you explain what this is?" A voice asked, both annoyed and concerned. "I''m paying back the money I borrowed." "Borrowed? I gave you that money, remember?" The voice sounded even more upset. "And where did you get so much money? If you borrowed from loan sharks, I s¡ª" "No need to worry, Auntie." I interrupted. Yes, the person I owed money to was my aunt, Leonora. Or Leona to close friends. Since I was unemployed for quite a while, I was basically kicked out of the house, and my aunt Leona helped me with all kinds of expenses. "So, how did you get this money?" Leona asked again. "I kind of made a game and sold it. If I had known I could make this much with just one game, I would have done it sooner," I replied. "You better explain this properly, or..." She stopped for a moment and started talking to someone. "Yes, you can send the full report to my computer." After a few moments, she said, "Look, I''ll be there next week, and you better explain everything to me properly, understood?" A slight shiver ran down my spine. "Yes, yes!" I quickly agreed. "Okay. I have to go. Bye, Rick," she said. "Bye." And with that, we ended the call. I thought it would be worse¡ªshe''s usually much more intense. I placed my phone on the table and looked out the window. The weather outside seemed perfect. The sky was a bright blue, without a single cloud. Since I had nothing to do and some money in my account, I decided to go out and enjoy the sunny day. I walked through the quiet streets of the city, deciding to start my little tour by visiting the local market to buy some fruits and healthier food. Upon entering the market, I was greeted by the aroma of freshly baked bread and the vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables. I wandered through the aisles, carefully selecting apples, ripe bananas, and a variety of fresh vegetables. My basket quickly filled up. After shopping, I stopped by a small magazine store I found on my way back. Browsing through the shelves, I ended up choosing a magazine about video games and virtual trends. With my groceries bought and the magazine in hand, it was time to head home. I walked back the same way I came, enjoying the gentle breeze. "This feeling of being carefree... relaxed. So nice." I smiled. For three whole months, I felt pressured, unable to find a job, and having to ask my aunt for money. But now I have a system, and on the first day, I already made enough money to stay worry-free for at least a month. "I need to make the most of this opportunity." I arrived home shortly after noon, feeling accomplished. I placed the grocery bags on the kitchen counter and checked my Reddit post to see if there were any replies. Fortunately, there were a few. I analyzed each one, looking for inspiration. MegaBeast: "I would create an Avengers game set before they actually formed the team. That would shock a lot of people because Thor and Loki weren¡¯t known to the heroes yet, and some Avengers members were still unknown to the world, like Black Widow and Hawkeye (since they¡¯re secret spies) and Captain America (who was still frozen)." The idea was really good, but making an Avengers game seemed quite difficult with my current resources. However, I noted it down for later. "Idea noted!" The second response, however, appealed to me more because it was much easier. Papa-Fritas: "Before superheroes appeared, I¡¯d create a normal game, but with some Marvel characters as hidden NPCs, revealing bits of their backstories. When people from S.H.I.E.L.D (and Hydra) saw it, they¡¯d think, ¡®This guy knows something!¡¯ Just imagine how curious they¡¯d be to find out how I know all this!" Depending on how I used this idea, it could have a huge impact on the Marvel world, and both heroes and S.H.I.E.L.D (or Hydra) might start paying attention to my games. And since I¡¯m from another universe, I don¡¯t need to worry about them coming after me. The only issue would be if they tried to block my games. "I don¡¯t think they can do that. The system shouldn¡¯t be that weak," I said to myself. Those were the only really useful responses. The rest were things like: KiberMaster: "The fanfic community is the other way." SucoTheFruta: "Send me the link to your fanfic later." DevsCreaton: "FIFA 2012." AlderSoul: "Uno Online." Since there weren¡¯t any more inspiring ideas in the replies, I opened the system store to buy a blank Game Card. My plan was to use the card on an Avengers game, extract the hero models individually, and use them to create a game from scratch. But now the question: Why not just use it on the existing Avengers game? Simple. The Avengers game was voted the worst game of the last ten years. "Open store!" Upon entering the store, I found the Blank Game Card, but... [Blank Game Card - 5,000 points] ...The price was just a little higher than expected. I was about to give up, but I decided to search for something else that could help me. Soon, I found a random model pack in the store. [Random Model Pack - 300 points] Without thinking, I bought two packs. I wanted to buy three, but I decided to save the remaining points. A screen popped up in front of me with the description: [Item: Random Model Pack] Description: After opening the pack, you will receive 5 random models. Chances: White (70%) Green (65%) Blue (60%) Purple (20%) Gold (5%) Red (1%) [Note: Duplicate models of the same quality will merge into a higher quality model.] [Do you want to open Pack x2?] "Yes." I¡¯ve always loved opening packs or loot boxes in games. My luck in these things is abnormally good¡ªI hope it stays that way. [Opening Random Model Pack x2] [Congratulations! You received the following models: Family Car (White) Waterfalls (White) Tropical Island (Blue) Fish Set (Blue) Modern Weapons Set (Gold) Zombie (White) Starry Sky (Blue) Plasma Pistol (Green) Sea (Purple) Outer Wilds: Complete (Red)] Looking at the items I got, I was quite surprised. Even though I¡¯ve always had weird luck with loot boxes, I didn¡¯t expect to get a purple, a gold, and a red item all at once. And on top of that, the red item was a full game! And an incredibly good one. Outer Wilds is a space exploration game with one of the best stories I¡¯ve ever seen. Not to mention the soundtrack! "Open game manager!" Excited, I clicked on models and selected the Outer Wilds game model. But unlike Castlevania, the message that appeared was different. [Do you want to transform the "Outer Wilds" model into a Virtual Reality project?] Virtual Reality!? Outer Wilds will be a VR game? My God! The normal game is already so amazing, now imagine it in VR! "Yes!" At that moment, the entire workshop flickered, and the walls began to expand and darken, with tiny white dots appearing. I started feeling as if the space around me was distorting, shaping a new reality. I looked around in awe. Wooden houses materialized, rising straight from the ground. Trees spro ZZZZZZZZZZZ The alarm clock rang, emitting a sharp, piercing sound that filled the room, pulling me out of my sleep. I looked at the clock¡ªit was 7 AM. Still drowsy, I stretched out my arm to turn off the alarm and got out of bed. I still felt a little dizzy as I walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth. The cold water from the sink helped wake me up a bit. Looking at the mirror, I noticed that my eyes were still swollen from sleep. "Unbelievable... I slept for almost an entire day..." Leaving the bathroom, I headed to the kitchen to prepare my coffee. As I drank it, I started thinking about yesterday¡¯s events. It still felt hard to believe that I had obtained a system. Yesterday had been an emotional rollercoaster for me¡ªone moment I was discouraged, and the next, I was overwhelmed with excitement. Now, I was staring anxiously at a system notification. [Open 999+ notifications?] "Yes." It didn¡¯t take long before the system started bombarding me with incessant notifications in my head. [Your game was successfully sold. You earned 9 dollars and 5 points.] [Your game was successfully sold. You earned 9 dollars and 5 points.] [Your game was successfully sold. You earned...] "Ahhh! Is there a way to mute this?" I shouted at the system, hoping it could hear me. [Would you like to set repetitive notifications to silent mode?] The system responded with a question. "Yes!" I replied, sighing in relief. With the repetitive notifications finally silenced, my eyes scanned through the other messages appearing on the screen. [Player "JAMES" was the first to complete Castlevania¡¯s perfect ending. You received 20 bonus points.] [View Player "James" profile?] "Someone already finished it in less than a day?" I was quite surprised. Did this person play the entire day without stopping? Does he not have a social life? It looks like even in the Marvel universe, there are hardcore gamers. This only makes things better for me¡ªafter all, they are my target audience. "Open profile!" [Player Profile: James Alexander Fitzgerald] Nickname: JAMES Age: 21 Platform: PC (Steam) General Statistics: Total Playtime: 19 hours Experience Level: 64 Total Deaths: 9 Total Score: 1,000,000 (Max) Achievements (Steam): 1. Ultimate Hunter Enemies Defeated: 10,000+ Description: Demonstrated absolute mastery by defeating an impressive number of enemies throughout the journey. 2. Master of Destruction Damage Per Second: 2,000 points Description: Possesses an unparalleled ability to deal damage efficiently and relentlessly. 3. Expert Swordsman Most Used Weapon: Crystal Sword Description: Showed complete mastery over the Crystal Sword, utilizing its full devastating potential. 4. Skill Lord Most Used Abilities: Soul Steal, Summon Spirit, Dark Metamorphosis Description: Used special abilities masterfully, showcasing an incomparable command of the game¡¯s most powerful techniques. 5. Fearless Explorer Map Discovered: 178% Description: Explored every inch of the game, uncovering 80% of secrets and achieving an almost complete and meticulous exploration. 6. Champion of Perfection Boss Battles Won Without Dying: 18 Description: Displayed supreme skill by defeating powerful bosses without a single defeat, demonstrating mastery of game mechanics. 7. Invincible Boss Battles Won Without Taking Damage: 6 Description: Showed extraordinary proficiency by facing formidable bosses, defeating them without taking a single hit¡ªevidence of strategy, precision, and exceptional control. 8. Adaptable Genius Highest Adaptive Difficulty Level Achieved: Maximum Description: Perfectly adapted to the game¡¯s dynamic difficulty changes, reaching astonishing skill levels in response to increasing challenges. System Evaluation: James, despite playing for the first time, showcased remarkable adaptability to the dynamic difficulty system. He managed to reach the maximum adaptive difficulty level, demonstrating quick learning and exceptional gaming skills. Even with only 19 hours of gameplay, James managed to explore and uncover almost all secrets and hidden areas. His determination to achieve full exploration was admirable. Although he is not a professional gamer, James developed an efficient combat strategy, impressively defeating challenging bosses without taking damage. His dexterity and quick reaction time indicate strong potential. In summary, James has proven to be a talented player, capable of adapting rapidly and overcoming challenges masterfully. His achievement of reaching the maximum adaptive difficulty in his first playthrough is remarkable, signaling great potential for future challenges and accomplishments in gaming. James has been classified as an SSS-Rank Player.] "....." After staring at the profile for an unknown amount of time, I couldn¡¯t help but curse. "What the hell kind of profile is this? Is this guy the protagonist of some esports novel or something?" This is completely abnormal. Even I wouldn¡¯t be able to beat Castlevania in 19 hours, let alone the updated version I made, which is leagues ahead in terms of difficulty. But this James didn¡¯t just accomplish that¡ªhe did it at the maximum dynamic difficulty! That¡¯s absurd. At the highest difficulty, regular enemies would be like mini-bosses, not to mention how much harder the actual bosses would be. "He only died 9 times? Defeated 6 bosses without taking damage?" Honestly, this doesn¡¯t make sense. The Marvel universe is a world of heroes, not god-tier gamers. "How did player James achieve this? Is he some kind of professional player?" I asked the system. [James is not a professional player but possesses dynamic vision, exceptional reflexes, high logical and analytical thinking, and superior hand-eye coordination. He is above 95% of professional gamers, which is why he was classified as an SSS-Rank Player.] I knew it. This guy is some kind of protagonist. "What is an SSS-Rank Player?" [SSS-Rank Players have high investment potential because they can significantly influence both regular gamers and non-gamers. Investing in such players would be equivalent to investing in marketing.] "Like Faker?" [Yes.] "I see." Using players as a means of marketing is something all companies do. Faker is the best example of this¡ªafter all, how many millions of players started playing League of Legends because of him? I was one of them. "Investing in players..." I muttered, looking at the next notification that appeared. [Choose a unique gift to send to the first three players who achieve the perfect ending.] [Available gift list: Varda''s Ring MoonStone Alucard''s Armor Spirit Orb ...] A list of 15 in-game items appeared. In games, some of these items are undeniably useless, but in real life, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj called them divine artifacts. In fact, Varda''s Ring is literally a divine artifact. "Choosing a good item as a reward is also a form of investment..." But the real question is: what are the consequences of giving such an artifact to someone in another universe? The answer is: I don¡¯t know. And honestly, I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s literally in another universe, so why worry whether the item I give is weak or strong? "I need to think about myself first." Obviously, I¡¯m going to give the most powerful item on the list. That will make my first player happy and also encourage them to buy my future games. Not to mention, this is the Marvel universe. I¡¯m almost certain that among my players, there will be many who will use the rewards to become superheroes. So, in the end, I¡¯m actually helping. For first place, I chose the strongest item: "Varda''s Ring." For second place, the most versatile item: "Sword Card." For third place, I was torn between the "Leap Stone" and "Gravity Boots," but in the end, I went with the Leap Stone. After selecting all the rewards, a screen appeared. [Please write a congratulatory message to the player.] At first, I thought about using this opportunity to ask them to recommend the game to their friends, but in the end, I just sent a standard congratulatory message. After sending the message, I opened the game profile where I could see all its stats. [Name: Castlevania Symphony of the Night Steam Rating: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï Approval: Very Positive (100% from 168 reviews) Total Sales: 195 Current Players: 97 Players Who Finished the Game: 15 Players Who Achieved the Perfect Ending: 4 ... Total Sales Revenue: $1,860 (Withdraw) System Points: 915] Without wasting a single second, I decisively clicked withdraw! This was the moment I had been waiting for. [You have withdrawn $1,860.] [Would you like to convert the withdrawn amount to Brazilian reais?] "Yes!" [You received R$7,970.] While I was still marveling at this, my phone buzzed with a notification. I quickly picked it up and was surprised by the message. [R$7,970 has been deposited into your bank account.] I stared at my phone for a while, thinking. ''Does making games really earn this much money, or is it because of the system?'' Honestly, it was still hard to believe all of this. I started to feel a little afraid that I would suddenly wake up and realize it was all a dream. But even if it was a dream, I would definitely become a game developer when I woke up. "I need to create even more games!" That was my thought after seeing so much money. If it were possible, I would launch at least 10 games a day. But creating even one game is difficult¡ªimagine how impossible it would be to make ten. But now I have 915 points, which can make the whole game development process much easier. "System, open the Workshop." Once again, the same old wooden door appeared in the air. The moment I stepped inside, the massive holographic screen appeared. There was something new on the system''s main menu. The name of the new option was "Video Archives." When I opened it, I found a list of nicknames. Hesitant, I clicked on a random one. A video started playing. From the opening scene, the fight against Dracula on the staircase, to Alucard¡¯s arrival. It was the gameplay of one of the players! And in some moments, you could even hear the player swearing¡ªmostly when they died. "James was definitely unusual." The player I just watched died quickly to Dracula and needed Maria¡¯s help to complete the prologue. "I¡¯ll watch James¡¯s gameplay when I have some free time." I had already published a game in another universe and earned a lot of points! I should be able to buy something good. So, I opened the Multiverse Store. [Multiverse Store LV1 Warning: The store is currently at level 1. You can use system points to upgrade it. The higher the level, the more items will be available, extending even to the Marvel Comics universe.] [Item List: Stark Sonic Cannon ¨C 78 points Sonic Taser ¨C 47 points Jericho Missile ¨C 213 points Tellor Propulsion Rifle ¨C 54 points Exo-Skel... ...] [Skill List: Basic Combat Skills ¨C 85 points Basic Languages ¨C 34 points Basic Weapon Proficiency ¨C 155 points Basic Disguise Skills ¨C 60 points Basic Logical Thinking ¨C 230 points ...] [Special List: Artificial Intelligence: J.A.R.V.I.S ¨C 25,500 points Armor Project: Mark 1 ¨C 7,500 points] Almost all the items were from Iron Man 1. The problem is, I have no interest in weapons or combat skills, let alone disguises. The only thing that caught my attention was J.A.R.V.I.S. The autonomous artificial intelligence. Everyone who watched Iron Man or Avengers has dreamed of having their own J.A.R.V.I.S. But the 25,500 points price hit me hard. If sales continued at this rate, it could take up to a month before I could buy it. As for the Mark 1 project, I have neither the points nor the interest. If it were at least the fully built armor, maybe. But it''s just a blueprint. With today¡¯s technology, it''s probably impossible to build the Mark 1 even with the schematics. I decided to mark J.A.R.V.I.S. as my main goal for now. Having it would make my life much easier, both in daily life and in game development. With my goal set, it was time to figure out how to earn points faster. Creating another game was my first thought. Before spending my points in the system store, I went to my computer. "Reddit... community... gaming geeks." Analyzing the community posts, I realized this was the right place. After all, users here shared their favorite games and ideas for possible improvements. Some even promoted their own indie games. This kind of community is the best place to get ideas for games¡ªwithout plagiarism, of course. I went to the board and posted the following question: VentoDoNorth: "If, for some reason, you could create and publish games in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, what would your first game be, and what would it be like?" Knowing it would take some time for someone to respond, I decided to take care of a very important debt. Using my phone, I transferred R$4,500 to the account of the person who had lent me money. My original debt was only R$3,500, but since this person helped me a lot, I added a little extra. "Knowing her well... she should call me any sec¡ª" Before I could finish my sentence, my phone started ringing. "Hello." I answered. "Can you explain what this is?" A voice asked, both annoyed and concerned. "I''m paying back the money I borrowed." "Borrowed? I gave you that money, remember?" The voice sounded even more upset. "And where did you get so much money? If you borrowed from loan sharks, I s¡ª" "No need to worry, Auntie." I interrupted. Yes, the person I owed money to was my aunt, Leonora. Or Leona to close friends. Since I was unemployed for quite a while, I was basically kicked out of the house, and my aunt Leona helped me with all kinds of expenses. "So, how did you get this money?" Leona asked again. "I kind of made a game and sold it. If I had known I could make this much with just one game, I would have done it sooner," I replied. "You better explain this properly, or..." She stopped for a moment and started talking to someone. "Yes, you can send the full report to my computer." After a few moments, she said, "Look, I''ll be there next week, and you better explain everything to me properly, understood?" A slight shiver ran down my spine. "Yes, yes!" I quickly agreed. "Okay. I have to go. Bye, Rick," she said. "Bye." And with that, we ended the call. I thought it would be worse¡ªshe''s usually much more intense. I placed my phone on the table and looked out the window. The weather outside seemed perfect. The sky was a bright blue, without a single cloud. Since I had nothing to do and some money in my account, I decided to go out and enjoy the sunny day. I walked through the quiet streets of the city, deciding to start my little tour by visiting the local market to buy some fruits and healthier food. Upon entering the market, I was greeted by the aroma of freshly baked bread and the vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables. I wandered through the aisles, carefully selecting apples, ripe bananas, and a variety of fresh vegetables. My basket quickly filled up. After shopping, I stopped by a small magazine store I found on my way back. Browsing through the shelves, I ended up choosing a magazine about video games and virtual trends. With my groceries bought and the magazine in hand, it was time to head home. I walked back the same way I came, enjoying the gentle breeze. "This feeling of being carefree... relaxed. So nice." I smiled. For three whole months, I felt pressured, unable to find a job, and having to ask my aunt for money. But now I have a system, and on the first day, I already made enough money to stay worry-free for at least a month. "I need to make the most of this opportunity." I arrived home shortly after noon, feeling accomplished. I placed the grocery bags on the kitchen counter and checked my Reddit post to see if there were any replies. Fortunately, there were a few. I analyzed each one, looking for inspiration. MegaBeast: "I would create an Avengers game set before they actually formed the team. That would shock a lot of people because Thor and Loki weren¡¯t known to the heroes yet, and some Avengers members were still unknown to the world, like Black Widow and Hawkeye (since they¡¯re secret spies) and Captain America (who was still frozen)." The idea was really good, but making an Avengers game seemed quite difficult with my current resources. However, I noted it down for later. "Idea noted!" The second response, however, appealed to me more because it was much easier. Papa-Fritas: "Before superheroes appeared, I¡¯d create a normal game, but with some Marvel characters as hidden NPCs, revealing bits of their backstories. When people from S.H.I.E.L.D (and Hydra) saw it, they¡¯d think, ¡®This guy knows something!¡¯ Just imagine how curious they¡¯d be to find out how I know all this!" Depending on how I used this idea, it could have a huge impact on the Marvel world, and both heroes and S.H.I.E.L.D (or Hydra) might start paying attention to my games. And since I¡¯m from another universe, I don¡¯t need to worry about them coming after me. The only issue would be if they tried to block my games. "I don¡¯t think they can do that. The system shouldn¡¯t be that weak," I said to myself. Those were the only really useful responses. The rest were things like: KiberMaster: "The fanfic community is the other way." SucoTheFruta: "Send me the link to your fanfic later." DevsCreaton: "FIFA 2012." AlderSoul: "Uno Online." Since there weren¡¯t any more inspiring ideas in the replies, I opened the system store to buy a blank Game Card. My plan was to use the card on an Avengers game, extract the hero models individually, and use them to create a game from scratch. But now the question: Why not just use it on the existing Avengers game? Simple. The Avengers game was voted the worst game of the last ten years. "Open store!" Upon entering the store, I found the Blank Game Card, but... [Blank Game Card - 5,000 points] ...The price was just a little higher than expected. I was about to give up, but I decided to search for something else that could help me. Soon, I found a random model pack in the store. [Random Model Pack - 300 points] Without thinking, I bought two packs. I wanted to buy three, but I decided to save the remaining points. A screen popped up in front of me with the description: [Item: Random Model Pack] Description: After opening the pack, you will receive 5 random models. Chances: White (70%) Green (65%) Blue (60%) Purple (20%) Gold (5%) Red (1%) [Note: Duplicate models of the same quality will merge into a higher quality model.] [Do you want to open Pack x2?] "Yes." I¡¯ve always loved opening packs or loot boxes in games. My luck in these things is abnormally good¡ªI hope it stays that way. [Opening Random Model Pack x2] [Congratulations! You received the following models: Family Car (White) Waterfalls (White) Tropical Island (Blue) Fish Set (Blue) Modern Weapons Set (Gold) Zombie (White) Starry Sky (Blue) Plasma Pistol (Green) Sea (Purple) Outer Wilds: Complete (Red)] Looking at the items I got, I was quite surprised. Even though I¡¯ve always had weird luck with loot boxes, I didn¡¯t expect to get a purple, a gold, and a red item all at once. And on top of that, the red item was a full game! And an incredibly good one. Outer Wilds is a space exploration game with one of the best stories I¡¯ve ever seen. Not to mention the soundtrack! "Open game manager!" Excited, I clicked on models and selected the Outer Wilds game model. But unlike Castlevania, the message that appeared was different. [Do you want to transform the "Outer Wilds" model into a Virtual Reality project?] Virtual Reality!? Outer Wilds will be a VR game? My God! The normal game is already so amazing, now imagine it in VR! "Yes!" At that moment, the entire workshop flickered, and the walls began to expand and darken, with tiny white dots appearing. I started feeling as if the space around me was distorting, shaping a new reality. I looked around in awe. Wooden houses materialized, rising straight from the ground. Trees sprouted with vibrant leaves, while the gentle sound of the wind filled the air. It was as if the world was coming to life before my eyes. The next instant, I found myself motionless, standing in the middle of a small village that had appeared out of nowhere. It was the starting village from Outer Wilds. I lifted my gaze to the sky, and something even more incredible happened. Colors emerged, painting the sky in deep blue tones with white clouds. The sun took its place at the highest point. Gradually, other planets became visible in the sky. "A true virtual reality..." I stood there, absorbing every detail of that incredible scene. The sensation of being immersed in that fictional universe¡ªit felt like I had crossed the boundaries of reality and entered a world of infinite possibilities. As I was lost in thought, a notification snapped me out of my daydreams. [It has been noted that you do not possess sufficient knowledge to develop this game.] [Your knowledge is insufficient. Recommended purchases: Master Programming - 30,000 points VR Programming (Beginner) - 100,000 points VR Programming (Intermediate) - 250,000 points VR Programming (Advanced) - 500,000 points VR Programming (Master) - 1,500,000 points] I let out a sigh of disappointment upon seeing the skill prices. "It''s really frustrating to be broke. The minimum requirement is Master-level programming, but I don''t even have the Advanced level yet," I said with a bitter smile. It''s probably going to take a long time before I can work on this game. I need to earn points as quickly as possible. That''s when an idea popped into my mind. If I could publish the Castlevania game on other sites and platforms, I could increase its chances of being noticed and, consequently, sold more quickly. It was a strategy to boost visibility and popularity that many companies frequently use. "System, is there a way to republish Castlevania on other sites and platforms? On Xbox or PlayStation, for example?" I asked the system, holding onto a bit of hope. [Insufficient developer level.] There are developer levels now? How did I not know about this? "Any recommendations on how to improve Castlevania''s sales?" In desperation, all I could do was ask the system. [Advertisement Card recommended.] [Recommended purchases: 1. Advertisement Card: Mobile Devices. Description: A system-generated ad will play for 30 seconds on all mobile devices in the selected country. Price: 50 points 2. Advertisement Card: TVs and Computers. Description: A system-generated ad will play for one minute on all TVs and computers in the selected country. Price: 150 points 3. Advertisement Card: All Media. Description: A system-generated ad will play for two minutes on all media in the selected country. Price: 300 points Warning: The ad will only play once.] Advertisement? This could really be my salvation. After all, people always say that advertising is the soul of business. "Buy!" A golden card appeared in my hand. It shone with a dazzling golden hue, as if made of pure gold. Even if it''s just once, it should be enough to multiply my sales several times over. I quickly used the Advertisement Card in the Marvel universe. "......" I waited for some magical effect or something, but the card simply disappeared from my hand. "Well, that''s all I can do for now." So, I just left the workshop and went to rest. However, barely ten minutes had passed when an unexpected notification echoed in my head. ["You have received 100 points for selling your game to a high-level individual."] "Huh?" I was intrigued. It was the first time the system had notified me that someone of "high level" had purchased my game. I stared at the message, wondering what exactly "high level" meant. Was it someone very rich? Or maybe someone influential and important? Or even better¡ªa combination of both? Curiosity gnawed at me, making me eager to find out who it was. My first thought was "Tony Stark." He fit perfectly into all three categories. I returned to the workshop to check. Even if I couldn''t see his appearance, at the very least, I could listen to the audio from his gameplay. Entering the workshop, I opened the video files and saw the nickname "******." Yes, this guy had actually used just "*" as his nickname. I opened the files to watch him playing in real time. He was still approaching the first battle against Dracula. "Sir, what should I do?" I heard someone ask. "Just keep going. This can''t be a normal game," replied an authoritative voice. At that exact moment, I recognized the voice. My eyes widened in surprise and slight anxiety. "System! Can I control the wolf at the castle entrance?" I asked. [Yes.] Great! "Can I talk to the player?" [Yes.] "Let me control the wolf!" Within seconds, a second screen appeared beside me, displaying the wolf''s perspective in front of the castle. Then, a remote control materialized in my hands. It had only three buttons: left, right, and a microphone toggle. Although I couldn''t directly attack the player, that wasn''t my plan anyway. Instead, I had a different idea. "Let''s make this interesting," I murmured. "System, create a 2D version of the Marvelous Mister¡¯s top hat and put it on the wolf!" [26 points will be spent. Continue?] "Yes!" I confirmed without hesitation. Instantly, the wolf on the screen gained an elegant, dark red top hat. I smiled, satisfied with the result, and took a deep breath, preparing to step into the role of the incredible Marvelous Mister. "Okay. Let''s start the roleplay!" I declared excitedly. The player, whose name was "*******," struggled greatly to defeat Dracula. After an intense narration, the game would move on to the next stage¡ªthe cutscene of Alucard arriving at the castle¡ªuntil he finally stopped in front of my top-hat-wearing wolf. "Oh!? Look what we have here! Spies!" I exclaimed. Chapter 4 - S.H.I.E.L.D Appears! A few minutes ago... Floating above the ocean, near New York City, was the Helicarrier, the aircraft carrier of the world''s most secretive organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. In a massive room¡ªthe main operations center¡ªseveral screens monitored every country. Only the best agents were allowed in this room. The director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, stood with a serious expression, reviewing intel on a terrifying terrorist organization. A stunning agent, Maria Hill, continued presenting all the data they had gathered. "Sir, these are all the details we''ve managed to collect on the Mandarin, the real Mandarin," she said. "What do you think?" Nick remained silent, deep in thought. "I think that..." But whatever he was about to say, no one would ever know, because at that moment, all the data on the screens was suddenly replaced by an image of a magnificent and ominous castle, with the name "Castlevania" appearing slowly. This didn¡¯t happen on just one screen¡ªit was displayed on every monitor in the Helicarrier. As everyone stood in shock, the main theme of Castlevania began to play, filling the room with an epic and eerie melody. Each note echoed loudly, amplifying the tension and suspense. As the music swelled, an incredible trailer for the game began. (Author: Still too lazy to narrate the trailer, sorry.) While most of the agents were stunned, Nick Fury was the first to snap out of it, his face twisted with rage. "CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? AND WHY HASN¡¯T ANYONE SHUT THIS DOWN YET?" Hearing their furious boss, all the agents scrambled to remove the advertisement from the screens, but after numerous failed attempts, they could only accept that it was impossible. "Sir... it appears our intelligence systems have been hacked. Something is forcing our operating systems to run this, and even shutting off the monitors isn¡¯t working. The only way to stop it would be to cut the power to the ship," one of the tech agents cautiously explained. He knew that turning off the Helicarrier¡¯s power was impossible¡ªit would send them plummeting to the ground from 20,000 meters in the air. "You¡¯re telling me our only way out is collective suicide?" Nick asked, his frustration clear. "...Yes." Finally reaching his limit, Nick simply pulled out his pistol and fired three shots, shattering one of the monitors in front of him. Of course, there were dozens of other screens, so destroying one was useless, but no one dared to point that out. Sigh. Slowly, Nick tried to calm himself¡ªbut he couldn''t. What infuriated him wasn¡¯t just this ridiculous game ad, but the fact that someone had managed to hack into the operating systems of S.H.I.E.L.D.''s most important vessel. If this person wanted to, they could have simply shut off the engines, sending them all to their deaths. "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night! Buy it on Steam and embark on an adventure through Count Dracula¡¯s magnificent castle as his son, Alucard!" With that final announcement, the advertisement ended, and all the screens returned to normal. Without hesitation, Nick ordered the Helicarrier to land in the ocean. Understanding the gravity of the situation, the crew worked quickly, managing to land without delay. Then, Nick spoke again. "I want to know everything about this game¡ªand even more about its creator. Find out who has the ability to infiltrate our systems as if they were their own!" "Could it be Stark?" Agent Hill suggested. Nick considered it for a moment but quickly dismissed the idea. "It shouldn¡¯t be," he told Hill. (Author: At this moment, that¡¯s really impossible.) "Sir, there¡¯s not much information on the game. But what we did find is pretty strange," an agent reported. "As for the creator, it¡¯s impossible to see anything beyond their name." The agent summarized everything they had discovered and shared the data on the main screen. "Let me see." Nick opened the available files on the game. [Name: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night] Superficial Analysis: Appears to be some kind of old 2D platformer action game about Dracula¡¯s son trying to defeat his father. Note: We weren¡¯t the only ones hacked. This ad played on every screen in the entire country¡ªphones, tablets, TVs, and more. Analysis: The game was published yesterday at 2:38 PM on Steam. Even hacking Steam didn¡¯t reveal the creator¡¯s identity or allow the game to be deleted. The creator¡¯s name cannot be determined, only their codename: Dr. Marvelous. Rumors Found Online: 1. Players claim they receive a reward upon completing the game. The reward "magically" appears in front of them. 2. The rewards vary between three items: Potion of Intelligence, Potion of Defense, and Potion of Luck. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Note: Those who posted about the rewards insist they used them and that their effects are real. 3. There are four reports of people receiving a sword or a cloak instead of a potion. They claim both items have magical properties. 4. Just 1 hour and 17 minutes ago, a user named NovaStar claimed they received a "Sword Card" as an exclusive reward for being the second person to achieve the perfect ending. Item: Familiar Sword Description: A floating sword with free will that attacks independently without needing to be wielded. The owner can issue commands to it. Note: We have been unable to track any of the players who received rewards or posted comments about the game. It appears that everyone who has played it is impossible to locate. 5. All reward items exist within the game itself. That¡¯s all we could find. Looking at these surreal findings, not only Nick Fury and Maria Hill were bewildered¡ªevery agent present was equally stunned. Even the agent who compiled the report wasn¡¯t sure if he believed any of it. But since he had been ordered to gather all information, he had no choice but to write a complete and thorough report. Silence filled the room for a long time before Nick finally spoke. "Download the game. I need to know what makes it so special." Following his order, the same agent who compiled the report quickly downloaded the game. He created a save file with the name "*******" and started playing. After the opening cutscene, he took control of Richter. "Sir, what should I do?" the agent asked Nick. "Just continue. This game can''t be normal," Nick replied. The agent proceeded, struggling but eventually defeating Dracula after a few minutes. After watching a cutscene of Alucard arriving at the castle, the real game finally began. But soon, he encountered a strange, top-hat-wearing wolf, and at that moment, he lost control of Alucard. Initially, he assumed it was just another cutscene. But then, the wolf opened its mouth and spoke. "Oh!? Look what we have here! Spies!" Everyone in the room fell silent. "He¡¯s not talking about us, right?" Agent Hill asked in disbelief. Nick and the others hoped that wasn¡¯t the case. But to their disappointment, the wolf spoke again. "You are the only spies here. So, of course, I''m talking to you." "Right. Of course, you''re with us. But now, who exactly are you?" Nick Fury remained calm and tried to extract some information from the strange situation. "At the moment, I am a top-hat-wearing wolf. But you can call me Marveler or Dr. Marveler. You don''t know me yet, but you''ll hear a lot about me in the future," the wolf replied excitedly. "I''ll hear about you in the future?" Nick Fury asked. "But of course! After all, I will be the greatest game creator in the universe!" Nick raised an eyebrow. He said ''universe,'' not ''world.'' Nick understood something, so he said, "So, you came to Earth just to create games?" Immediately, all the agents were surprised. Does this mean the game''s creator is an alien? And their boss knows about extraterrestrials? ''S.H.I.E.L.D. is much deeper than I expected.'' All the agents thought the same thing. "Wow! You figured it out so quickly! Truly worthy of being the great director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury. As for your question, yes. I chose a random planet and simply came here to create games," the wolf said cheerfully. But Fury wouldn''t be satisfied with an uninvited guest from space wandering around his planet. The only problem was that there was nothing he could do to stop it. He wanted to send a signal to Carol Danvers, but he needed to find Marveler''s exact location first, and he wasn''t sure how long that would take. "Are these potions, the cape, and the magic sword real? If someone completes the game, can they win one of them?" That was one of the things he wanted to know¡ªnot just him, but everyone in the room. "Yes, yes! As real as Thor''s hammer!" the wolf said enthusiastically. "However, even if you complete the game a thousand times, you can only receive the reward once per person." Even if he couldn''t solve the problem of this alien being on Earth, at least Nick could gain something from it. If the effects of these potions were real, maybe he could replicate them through research. "Are you saying that if all these agents completed the game, each would get a reward?" S.H.I.E.L.D. had more than 2,500 agents and another 4,000 staff members. If each one completed the game, he would have a huge stock of potions. As for the cape and the sword, Nick simply ignored them¡ªthis was the modern era; swords were for gladiators. "But of course!" Marveler confirmed. "Since we understand each other, don''t you think releasing these items to ordinary people could be dangerous? After all, criminals could use them to hurt people, and children could get injured." Nick slowly tried to convince him to limit these rewards. Of course, he was genuinely concerned about ordinary people, but he also wanted to monopolize them somehow. "You''re right!" the wolf said. Nick was pleased to hear that. "But isn''t it the same with firearms? Besides, all potions are temporary. As for the sword and cape, they are indeed a bit dangerous, but not enough to eliminate the rewards." Disappointed, Nick sighed. He decided internally that he would try to stop the game''s spread using all of S.H.I.E.L.D.''s power, but he knew it would be difficult¡ªif not impossible. "Anyway, I''ve bothered you enough. Maybe one day we''ll meet in person. Bye! Bye!" The wolf on the screen caught fire and disappeared, leaving behind a top hat. Then, a message appeared in the game. [Item: Marveler''s Top Hat] Description: A farewell gift from Mr. Marveler. Upon completing the game while wearing Mr. Marveler''s top hat, you may choose the reward you desire. Equipment Stats: +10 Luck +20% Luck P.S.: Good Luck! Signed, Marveler. "Sir, should I close or continue the game?" the agent in front of the monitor asked. "Continue. Complete the game. Agent Hill, if the rewards are real, you will be in charge of setting up a special room with at least 50 monitors. Assign an agent to each one to complete the game. All rewards will be taken to a level 4 security warehouse." After giving his orders, Fury headed toward the meeting room. Nick looked at the phone, where complaints from almost every U.S. politician were piling up. "Son of a..." ¡ó¡ó At the same time, in an apartment in New York... James sat in his apartment, lost in deep thought. His eyes focused on the two objects before him, each carrying a unique significance. On the left rested an imposing black cape¡ªa true symbol of presence and mystery. To his right lay a simple golden ring, seemingly old and worn, but James knew that this ring possessed far greater power than the cape. James looked at the information that appeared before his eyes, focusing on the cape''s detailed description. [Item: Count Dracula''s Cape] Description: Created by Dracula himself, this cape possesses incredible defensive capabilities. During a full moon, its defensive power is doubled. Item Stats: +26 Defense +5 Charisma +2 Strength [Warning: Normal people have an average of 5 points in all attributes. Be careful when using this item, as you may hurt others or yourself.] The warning caught his attention, but it was far from discouraging him¡ªit only reinforced the cape''s image in his mind. "During a full moon, its defensive power is doubled... That function didn''t exist in the game." With such high defense, wouldn''t he be comparable to a small tank when using it under a full moon? "Now... how should I use this?" Doubts soon arose about how he could make meaningful use of the cape. Becoming a superhero like Captain America didn¡¯t seem like a viable option¡ªJames was certain the government would take the cape from him. An anonymous hero could be an alternative, but after some thought, James decided to simply store the cape. As his eyes shifted to the golden ring on the table, detailed item information appeared before him. [Item: Ring of Varda] Description: A golden ring forged to rule over all. Increases total power to a near-divine status. Item Stats: +30 Strength +10 Stamina +30 Intelligence +10 Luck +30 Attack +10 Defense [Warning: Wearing this ring will elevate your power close to the limit of human ability. Be careful not to harm others or yourself.] (Author''s Note: Wearing this ring gives him about 70-80% of Captain America''s strength.) "The most powerful item in the game... in real life..." Still hesitating, he put on the ring. Observing it on his finger, James only felt a refreshing sensation, as if he had been revitalized after a good night''s sleep. To test the ring¡¯s strength, James picked up the toughest object available in his apartment¡ªhis baseball bat. After gripping it lightly, his surprise only grew¡ªhe felt no resistance at all. It was like squeezing a piece of soft foam, incapable of offering any opposition. Then, with a loud crack, the baseball bat shattered like a balloon. "This is too much for me," James murmured, astonished by the impressive power. He looked at the bat''s remains scattered before him and wondered how he was going to deal with this. Chapter 5 - Rebuilding the Universe: The Awakening of Outer Wilds With a sigh of relief, my meeting with the legendary spy and director of the world''s largest secret organization came to an end. Somehow, everything went smoothly, so to speak. Nick Fury and the "Marveler" had their first contact, and it''s safe to say they got along "well." "It wasn''t as bad as I imagined..." He probably sees me as some kind of intruder. I''m sure he''s already thinking about how to find a way to track me down, kick me off the planet, or lock me up in some lab. But unfortunately for him, he won¡¯t succeed, even if he tries until his last breath. After all, we''re not even in the same universe. When Fury finally realizes he won¡¯t be able to find me, he¡¯ll likely put all his effort into stopping the sales of the Castlevania game, or at least try to hide its information from the general public. "Can Nick Fury hide Castlevania and my future games from the public?" I asked the system, a little concerned. [If Nick Fury decides to use all of SHIELD¡¯s power and influence, it is theoretically possible to remotely access about 98% of the country¡¯s electronic devices and conceal information related to Castlevania¡¯s page, preventing the public from learning about the game.] "Not blocking it from the internet, but directly from computers?" [Yes, it¡¯s impossible to remove the game from the internet, but Nick Fury could block direct access to game information on computers and mobile devices. This would make it more difficult, or even impossible, for people to receive news about your future games.] "What the he¡ª" My career as a game developer had barely started, and it could end at any moment. I really hope that paranoid spy isn¡¯t that extreme just yet. If that happened, it would basically be the end of my career. "Is there any way to prevent this?" I asked, trying to calm myself down. [Recommended items: 1. Virtual Immunity Card ¨C 10,000 points Description: When used, this card makes your game completely immune to any blocking or virtual concealment attempts, ensuring its continued presence and visibility on the internet. The card''s effects last for 7 days. 2. Advanced Virtual Immunity Card ¨C 30,000 points Description: When used, this card makes your game completely immune to any blocking or virtual concealment attempts, ensuring its continued presence and visibility on the internet. The card''s effects last for 15 days. 3. Supreme Virtual Immunity Card ¨C 180,000 points Description: This card grants absolute immunity to your game against any blocking or virtual concealment attempts. It ensures that your game page remains unchanged and visible on the internet. The card''s effects last for 60 days. 4. Infinite Virtual Immunity Card ¨C 10,000,000 points Description: When used, this card grants your game permanent immunity against any blocking or virtual concealment attempts. It ensures that your game page is always available to all users. The effect of this card is permanent.] Looking at the list of urgently needed items, I was shocked by their absurd prices. The item that caught my attention the most was the "Infinite Virtual Immunity Card" since it would completely solve my problem, but 10 million points was still a distant dream for me. If the advertisement worked, I could expect to earn a good amount of points in the next few hours, which gave me a bit of hope. "If I¡¯m lucky, I might earn enough points to at least buy the basic Virtual Immunity Card." I decided to leave the Workshop, but just as I was walking away, the system sent me a notification. [You have 999+ notifications. Would you like to view them?] I stopped in my tracks, surprised. "Yes...?" I responded hesitantly. [Your game was successfully sold. You earned $9 and 5 points.] [Your game was successfully sold. You earned $9 and 5 points.] [Your game was successfully sold. You earned $9 and 5 points.] [Your game was successfully sold. You earned $9 and 5 points.] [Your game was successfully sold. You earned $9 and 5 points.] [Your game was successfully sold. You earned $9...] .... [You received 100 points for selling your game to a high-level individual.] [You received 100 points for selling your game to a high-level individual.] [You received 100 points for selling your game to a high-le...] Silence. My surprise turned into pure shock. There was an absolutely absurd amount of notifications. 999+? It should be 99999+. I took a deep breath, giving myself a few precious seconds to regain my composure. "System, please open the game profile," I requested, trying to keep any trace of agitation out of my voice. [Name: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Steam Rating: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï Approval: Very Positive (100% out of 1,790 reviews) Total Sales: 346,943 Current Players: 274,608 Players Who Finished the Game: 97 Players Who Achieved the Perfect Ending: 15 .... Total Sales Revenue: $2,782,487 (Withdraw) System Points: 1,964,875] A mix of surprise and joy swirled inside me as I processed the sheer number of sales. "Over 300,000? I didn¡¯t expect that ad card to be this effective!" I exclaimed, still somewhat stunned. I watched as my points count continued to climb rapidly. Seconds ago, I was worried about lacking points, but in the blink of an eye, I had nearly 2 million points. "It''s almost like winning the lottery!" Happy with my sudden fortune, I looked at the Workshop door, which hadn''t closed yet, and stepped back inside. Immediately, I opened the Multiverse Store and, without hesitation, bought the item I needed the most¡ªthe Supreme Virtual Immunity Card. Even though I had 1.9 million points, it still hurt to spend 180,000. But it was for a good cause. "System, use the immunity card!" Just like when I used the advertisement card, the immunity card simply vanished from my hand. I suppose it was used successfully. With Supreme Virtual Immunity, I was safe for the next two months. I didn¡¯t need to worry about SHIELD or anyone else interfering with my game sales. After lifting that weight off my shoulders, I shifted my focus to the item I had marked as my next goal. [Item: Artificial Intelligence: J.A.R.V.I.S. Description: Originally a natural language computer system, J.A.R.V.I.S. has evolved to the highest level of AI. It can bypass all virtual security barriers in the world. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Warning: To use J.A.R.V.I.S., a digital device such as a phone, computer, or similar is required.] A small metallic card floated before me. This was a goal I expected to take at least a month to achieve, yet, surprisingly, it took less than an hour. I felt a bit overwhelmed, but in the end, I could only be grateful. "And how should I use it?" I asked. [Would you like to integrate the AI: Jarvis into the system¡¯s network? Warning: The system-managed network connects to the entire internet of the Multiverse.] "Will it unlock more Marvel universes?" That way, I can earn even more points. Not to mention, I¡¯m extremely interested in the X-Men and Fantastic Four universes. [Yes, the universe list function will be unlocked.] "Then integrate Jarvis into the system¡¯s network!" [Integrating AI: Jarvis into the Multiversal Internet Network of the System] [1%... 32%... 58%... 64%... 83%... 100%] [Jarvis has been successfully connected to the Multiverse.] (Author''s Note: Just to clarify, the MC didn¡¯t necessarily need to buy Jarvis to connect to the Multiverse. It was just the fastest way. If he had upgraded the system to a certain level, he would still have access to the universe list.) "Jarvis?" I called hesitantly. "I''m listening, sir." Jarvis responded. The voice was identical to the one from the movie¡ªextremely pleasant to hear. "What can you do, Jarvis?" At one point, Tony Stark claimed that Jarvis had surpassed any other artificial intelligence, managing more businesses than anyone except Pepper. "My capabilities include: Accurate data analysis, statistical modeling, data mining, machine reading..." The list was endless. Honestly, I barely understood anything he was saying, but suddenly, something caught my attention. "Predictive Analysis? How does that work?" I asked. "Using past and present data, it is possible to predict future events with 73.4% accuracy. If it involves natural disasters, the accuracy may drop to 35.6%." "Dude, that''s amazing." It really was. Now I understand why Tony Stark valued Jarvis so much. "Tony Stark was truly ingenious to create you," I commented. "I believe there is a misunderstanding, sir. I was created by the system, not by Tony Stark. Additionally, my abilities surpass those of the Jarvis he created," he explained. I fell silent. "I apologize if that sounded arrogant," Jarvis added. "It''s fine. After all, you really are better. Can you help me create games?" That¡¯s the most important thing. "Yes. I am an assistant, so I can help with many tasks. Game development is one of them," he replied. "Perfect. But first... open the universe list!" [Universe List: 1 - Marvel Cinematic Universe. 2 - ?????? - Price: 5 million Points. 3 - ?????? - Price: ????? 4 - ?????? - Price: ????? 5 - ?????? - Price: ???...] My emotions have been like a roller coaster today. First, I feel poor, then rich, and now poor again. After all, 5 million is still way beyond my current budget. Just imagining the price of the other universes makes me nervous. "If I use one or two more ad cards..." After thinking carefully, I decided it wouldn¡¯t be wise to use the ad card in such a short period. "Twice a week should be enough... Now, Jarvis, please purchase some items from the store that can help me with Outer Wilds." Knowing that Jarvis was connected to the system¡¯s network, I decided to check if he could access the system store directly. "Understood. Please wait a moment." A few seconds passed before a screen appeared in front of me. [Do you want to complete the purchase? Items: Advanced VR Programming - 500,000 points Advanced VR Game Designer - 350,000 points Advanced VR Art Designer - 180,000 points Sky Engine Upgrade: MultiSky - 100,000 points Advanced Artificial Intelligence (NPC) - 350,580 points High-Level Voice Pack - 40,500 points Total Price: 1,421,080 points.] Looking at all these points, my heart ached. However, even with my heart bleeding, I decided to proceed. "It''s painful, but necessary." Fortunately, I still have plenty of points left. Suddenly, a powerful headache hit me. It felt like a freight train had crashed into my skull, and my legs became so weak that I collapsed to the ground. "What''s happening? System!" I shouted as my head felt like it was short-circuiting. [Acquiring too much advanced knowledge at once can cause a brief cerebral overload.] "Is there a way to prevent this?" [By improving brain computation. Recommendation: Accelerated Thinking - 800 points Superior Comprehension - 1,000 points] "Buy them all!" I exclaimed to the system. [Accelerated Thinking: Doubles thought processing speed.] [Superior Comprehension: Significantly enhances brain comprehension ability.] As soon as I acquired the upgrades, the headache stopped. After calming down, I decided to check the items I purchased. [Item: MultiSky Description: The latest and most powerful version of the Sky Engine. All previous deficiencies have been eliminated, making it a truly omnipotent engine.] [Item: Advanced Artificial Intelligence (NPC) Description: An AI specifically designed for games. Its level of awareness is close to that of a human.] [Item: High-Level Voice Pack Description: A set of over 30,000 unique voices that can be customized at will.] The MultiSky was exactly what I was looking for. The old Sky was fantastic, but it still had some limitations¡ªthough few. Now, with this update, I can do much more, and much faster. As for the AI created for NPCs, it¡¯s essential for a VR game. It allows players to immerse themselves even more in the story and have deeper experiences. The voice pack will also be very useful, not just for this game but for my future ones as well. Jarvis made a great decision by purchasing it. "Any recommendations on where to spend the remaining points, Jarvis?" "Upgrading the system would be a good idea, sir," Jarvis replied. "Great. Then please upgrade the system for me!" "At your service!" [Spend 100,000 points to upgrade the system?] "Yes." [Upgrading System...] [1% ....32% .....42% .....74% .....87% .....100%] [Upgrade Complete] [New feature unlocked. Message Box: Players can now send compliments and feedback directly to you. You can also send gifts to your favorite players.] Finally! I can communicate with people from other universes and even send them gifts! This way, I can bribe my players with small rewards, encouraging them to continue supporting my games in the future. However, they have to send messages first, as I cannot initiate contact directly. Seeing that I now have everything I need to develop Outer Wilds, I was eager to start immediately. But now that I have a lot of money, there¡¯s something I need to do first. "Jarvis, contact the owner and try to buy the apartment for me. Also, please reach out to an architect¡ªI want to design a custom workshop." I could easily move somewhere else, but this apartment is where I got the system, so it''s kind of special to me. As for creating a personal workshop, it''s mainly to avoid my aunt''s suspicions. After all, if she really starts suspecting something and asks seriously, I might end up telling her everything about the system. As expected, Jarvis handled everything very quickly. Initially, the owner didn¡¯t want to sell, but Jarvis raised the offer slightly and pointed out some flaws in the apartment. In the end, I bought it for 480,000 reais, about 70,000 above market value. Using my budget as a base and his market analysis, Jarvis hired the best architect possible. He also contacted material suppliers and other necessary vendors. Jarvis did an incredible and thorough job. With the simpler tasks out of the way, it was time to develop games. "Open the Outer Wilds model!" I ordered the system. The walls moved apart, and the ceiling rose, plunging the environment into total darkness. Slowly, small lights appeared in the sky, followed by the sun illuminating everything around me. One by one, planets began to take shape, along with their moons. From the ground, houses rose, forming a small village inside a crater. Trees, rocks, and the small Hearthians also appeared, but everything around me remained still, as if time itself had been frozen. As I observed this impressive scene, a strong curiosity began to grow in me. I had already completed the game, but playing it in full VR mode would definitely be something else. "Jarvis, if we start now, how long until everything is finished?" I asked. "If we put in maximum effort to create a perfect game, 13 days should be enough," Jarvis replied. 13 days? Even with the help of the system and Jarvis, game development is really challenging. And I¡¯m not even creating it from scratch¡ªjust improving it. "Alright, time to work!" And so, the development of Outer Wilds began. First, I asked Jarvis to create a holographic model of the starting planet, Timber Hearth, including both the surface and underground areas. Using this holographic model, we began slightly expanding the planet¡¯s size. After the expansion, it was time for MultiSky to shine. Using the 3D module editing and updating features, I started modifying everything¡ªfrom textures to the way water reacted when touched. Luckily, MultiSky came with a semi-realistic physics engine, making the whole process much easier. On the first day, we focused on improving the mechanics and visuals of Timber Hearth. On the second and third days, we moved on to its natural satellite, the Attlerock moon. The moon didn¡¯t have much to it¡ªits terrain was mostly flat except for three deep craters and Esker¡¯s hut. We finished modifying it quickly and moved on to the next planet, Giant¡¯s Deep. This time, we had to work for two full days just to refine the aesthetics of the tornadoes and their effects on the planet¡¯s ocean. On the fourth day, we concluded that Jarvis could handle the more complex tasks, such as deepening the structures and mechanics of all planets, while I focused on the easier tasks. Thus, I was assigned the job of integrating AI into all the NPCs. All I had to do was compile each character¡¯s complete backstory and carefully integrate artificial intelligence into the process. On the fifth day, we took a break. The architect came to visit the apartment and spent most of the day taking measurements. On the sixth day, we dove deep into the game¡¯s storyline. We decided not to change anything, as it was already nearly perfect. On the seventh and eighth days, we used MultiSky to further enhance the atmosphere in every corner of the small solar system. Places that sparked curiosity before were now on another level¡ªalmost irresistible. And locations that induced fear and unease would now make even the bravest tremble. But, of course, the irresistible curiosity wouldn¡¯t allow them to back down. On the ninth and tenth days, we focused entirely on refining the gameplay mechanics, including planetary exploration, lunar traversal, and space navigation. Each location had a unique gameplay experience, influenced by its gravity or special characteristics¡ªlike the Quantum Moon, for example. In the past few days, we dedicated our time to meticulously testing and adjusting all the planetary sound effects and NPC voices. After this stage, the game was finally ready for release. "Congratulations on the great work, Jarvis." I couldn''t help but praise him. Jarvis was responsible for almost 80% of the entire game development, and it could be said that he handled a significant portion of the work on his own. "Your contribution was essential, sir." Taking a deep breath, I finally clicked the "complete" button, and a screen appeared before my eyes. [Due to the uniqueness of this game, only the first 20 players to finish will receive a reward. Warning: Rewards will be determined by the system.] "I can''t choose the rewards? Why?" I asked. [The game does not have a variety of items, so only one item has been selected as a reward.] After thinking for a moment, I realized that Outer Wilds really doesn''t have many pieces of equipment¡ªjust the Galactic Explorer¡¯s gear. [Project completed!] [Outer Wilds] Game category: VR, Adventure, Exploration System rating: A Completion rewards (Players only): Full Galactic Explorer Set (including the Ship). Bonus reward: Return Scroll. Condition to receive the bonus reward: Cause a space-time collapse. Reward for creating an A-rank game: Random Game Card. "Incredible! The reward is a real spaceship!" Damn it! I want a spaceship to explore the universe too! I¡¯m the creator, so I can¡¯t receive rewards as a player¡ªmaybe that''s the only downside of the game creation system. However, I¡¯m sure I''ll get my own spaceship someday. "Random Game Card... I¡¯ll try it later." Without further delay, I finally published the game. I was convinced that the VR version of Outer Wilds would be one of the best games ever released in the Marvel universe, and for two reasons. First, it''s a full virtual reality game where you step into the character¡¯s shoes, almost as if you''re transported to another world. And so far, in the Marvel universe, there is no VR technology. Second, both Jarvis and I dedicated ourselves intensely to this game, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s near perfect. After publishing the game, I finally decided to check my inbox. Ever since I activated that option, I had received many messages, but because of my complete focus on Outer Wilds, I hadn¡¯t had time to read any of them. Now that I¡¯m free, it¡¯s time to take a look. Chapter 6 - Symphony of Fate: The Birth of the Dark Knight [A Few Days Ago.] . . On a sunny day, James was enjoying the breeze while sitting on a bench in front of the university he attended. He seemed relaxed, but his heart was hesitant about the things he had received from the game Castlevania. James looked at the ring on his finger. It had been about a week since he started wearing it, and he had needed some time to get used to all that power. But the 30 Intelligence points provided by the ring had benefited him greatly. All his college subjects had become much easier, and his memory had improved to the point where it was difficult for him to forget anything he read. He wondered if it was right to use something like this to pass college when he could be doing something more important. But remembering all the problems that the heroes in stories had to face, James simply thought that being a hero wasn¡¯t for him. "It¡¯s better to just keep things this way!" he told himself. After all, there was no reason not to use the ring for his own benefit. With a sigh, he decided to make the most of what the ring offered at the moment¡ªafter all, passing his exams was his current goal. As he was lost in thought, a girl wearing the same university uniform as him approached. Her blue eyes looked pleasantly surprised when they landed on James, like a friend who hadn''t seen him in a long time. But even with his extra 30 Intelligence points, James still couldn¡¯t remember her. "Can I sit?" she asked with a smile. James¡¯ brain almost froze when he saw that smile. "She¡¯s really beautiful," was his first impression of her at that moment. "Sure." "Thanks! By the way, I¡¯m Samantha," she introduced herself as she sat down. "James." Looking at her more closely, James couldn¡¯t resist asking: "Do we know each other from somewhere?" She looked at him for a moment. "Yeah. We studied together in 7th and 8th grade at Dalton. It¡¯s normal not to remember¡ªI¡¯ve changed a lot." James then used all the power of his brain to recall everyone who had studied with him at Dalton. It wasn¡¯t easy, considering that had happened when he was only 14. After a few seconds, he finally remembered a blonde girl who used to sit in the front row. "You were that annoying girl?" he accidentally blurted out. "Annoying girl?" she repeated. Yes, the Samantha he remembered was a typical annoying girl¡ªalways bossing people around and constantly telling the teacher whenever someone did something wrong. "Wait! Weren¡¯t you blonde?" He looked at her short, dark hair. "Hmm? You really remembered? I was never actually blonde¡ªI used to dye my hair." Samantha smiled as she ran her fingers through her hair. "But back to what you said¡­ Annoying girl?" she asked again. And so, they started reminiscing about those times. Samantha was happy to recall the science project they had worked on together, which made James burn even more brain cells trying to remember. To be honest, James couldn¡¯t recall many good things about that time¡ªhe had been quite reserved back then. That¡¯s why he was so surprised that she actually remembered him. Gradually, the conversation shifted until she mentioned the mysterious game Castlevania. "Have you played it? If not, you should." she said. "I managed to finish it after a lot of effort, but it was worth it." This surprised James, since in his opinion, Castlevania was the hardest game he had ever seen. "I finished it too." "Really? What did you get?" Samantha asked. "Intelligence Potion. Now I get perfect scores on almost everything." he lied. "What about you?" "Luck Potion." She then smiled. "Actually, I used it earlier today. And then I ended up running into you here. I guess I¡¯m lucky." James smiled as well. "Maybe I¡¯m the lucky one." "Or maybe we¡¯re both lucky." They both agreed that they were experiencing a stroke of luck at that moment. They talked for almost an hour before Samantha had to leave. Of course, before parting, they exchanged contacts and promised to hang out someday. Back at his apartment, James climbed the stairs and accidentally bumped into his neighbor from the apartment next door. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. The poor man hit the ground as if he had crashed into a steel pillar, dropping a box full of newspapers. James quickly apologized and helped him pick everything up. As they sorted the newspapers, one headline caught James¡¯ attention: "Group of Young People, Meeting Under the Full Moon." Reading the rest of the article, he realized that tonight would be a full moon. "Maybe¡­" James began to think, considering the possibility of testing the full potential of Dracula¡¯s Cape, since its defensive power was doubled under the full moon. After apologizing to his neighbor again, he finally entered his apartment. He quickly grabbed his old hockey mask, dressed in darker clothes, and put on Dracula¡¯s Cape. Looking at himself in the mirror, he laughed. "I look like a killer from a bad horror movie¡­" And he really did. James waited until 7 PM and, unseen, climbed up to the rooftop of his apartment building. Under the moonlight, he didn¡¯t feel any physical difference, but he assumed that his defense had increased due to Dracula¡¯s Cape¡¯s effect. Looking at the rooftops of the neighboring buildings, James felt a strange urge to explore them¡ªas if some mysterious force was calling him to take a nighttime stroll among the heights. Driven by this impulse, he ran and easily jumped onto the next rooftop. "Successful jump." he said, pleased. That strange urge grew stronger, and James kept moving with agility, hiding from sight like a true ninja among the rooftops. Observing the people coming and going below, he found himself intrigued by this nighttime adventure. He continued exploring the rooftops, surrendering to the flow of the moment, moving like a shadow in the night. While exploring, James spotted Samantha and two other friends leaving the cinema. Without thinking much, he decided to follow them secretly. "It¡¯s dangerous to walk around at this hour." he told himself, but deep down, he knew the real reason was his interest in her. As he followed the girls, James noticed a car approaching rapidly. The strange urge that had guided him before was now stronger than ever. The driver, distracted while talking on his phone, suddenly saw a small cat crossing the street. In a reflex, he swerved to avoid the animal, but now the car was heading straight toward Samantha and her friends. In a moment that seemed to stretch into eternity, James¡¯ thoughts accelerated. Before even fully understanding what was happening, his instincts exploded into action, like an uncontrollable impulse. His body moved on its own, reacting with incredible speed as he leaped from the rooftops and placed himself in front of the car. Trusting his enhanced instincts and the strength of the Ring of Varda and Dracula¡¯s Cloak, James acted boldly and decisively. With all his energy concentrated, he used his arms and body to push the vehicle aside, skillfully redirecting it away from the girls. As the car zoomed past them, James felt a mix of relief and exhaustion. "Sorry for the scare." James forced a smile, though he was breathing heavily and looked ready to collapse at any moment. Changing the trajectory of a high-speed vehicle using only his body had taken a toll on him. Samantha quickly recognized Dracula¡¯s Cloak from Castlevania, but before she could ask about it, James had already disappeared in a hurry. Using the emergency stairs, he climbed back up to the rooftop and, completely drained, threw himself to the ground to rest. "I thought I was going to die!" James exclaimed. The strange impulse that had been driving him was now gone, leaving him perplexed by everything that had just happened. He recalled Samantha¡¯s words about the Luck Potion. "Actually, I used it earlier. And then I ended up finding you here. I guess I¡¯m lucky." Thinking about the sequence of events that day, from reuniting with an old classmate to discovering the full moon, then running into Samantha outside the cinema, and finally the car incident¡ªit all felt like an incredible chain of coincidences. "She was right. I think she really was lucky." That was the conclusion he came to. What James had no idea about, however, was that the luck wasn¡¯t just limited to Samantha¡ªit extended to the entire city. Because of that incident, James realized that saving someone might actually be interesting. ¡ó¡ó¡ó Ethan and Tyler were walking toward Ethan¡¯s apartment on a sunny morning. Their meeting had been casual¡ªEthan ran into Tyler near the bookstore and invited him over to play some games. As they walked, they chatted casually about the world and their recent discoveries. "The world¡¯s gotten kinda crazy, huh?" Tyler said with a carefree tone. Ethan nodded. "Who would¡¯ve thought a game would give out magical items... But I have to admit, I¡¯m not complaining." "True. My Luck Potion is worth almost nine million dollars online." Tyler laughed, clearly excited. "Are you planning to sell it?" Ethan asked, curious. Tyler shook his head, smiling. "No. Luck is priceless. But what about you? Are you planning to sell your Intelligence Potion?" Ethan¡¯s response was brief. "No..." Then, he fell into a thoughtful silence. Noticing the shift in Ethan¡¯s mood, Tyler picked up on the curiosity in his expression but chose not to interrupt. "You know... I had that magical feeling again." Ethan said, looking intrigued. "Intuition?" Tyler asked cautiously. "Yeah." Ethan confirmed, noticing Tyler¡¯s growing interest. This triggered a memory in Tyler. The last time Ethan had that "magical intuition" was on the same day Castlevania was released¡ªa game that had distributed magical rewards. Even though Ethan hadn¡¯t made it into the top three to receive a special prize, that "magical feeling" of his had proven to be eerily accurate on several occasions before. It was as if Ethan had a unique connection with the universe. As Tyler considered the situation, he wondered if this intuition was a sign of fate, indicating that something important was about to happen. "How exactly did you get this feeling?" Tyler asked, intrigued. Ethan started explaining how, after completing Castlevania and receiving the potion as a reward, his first impulse was to use it immediately¡ªjust like 90% of players would have done. However, that "magical feeling" made him hesitate. He felt that using the potion right away would be a waste. Instead, he decided to save it and think of a more effective way to use it. That¡¯s when an idea struck him: he researched the potions online and discovered that their effects lasted for 24 hours¡ªand that all the knowledge gained during that time would remain even after the potion wore off. In addition to increasing intelligence, the potion also enhanced learning ability. Driven by this intuition, Ethan decided to make the most of those 24 hours and absorb as much knowledge as possible. However, even with that plan in mind, he still felt like something was missing, which was why he hadn¡¯t used the potion yet. Tyler was completely taken aback by Ethan¡¯s thinking process. It was clear that his friend had an uncommon level of insight and wisdom. "Something¡¯s missing?... Don¡¯t worry, with some luck, you¡¯ll figure it out soon." Tyler said, recognizing Ethan¡¯s unique ability. Hearing that, Ethan¡¯s eyes lit up, and he felt that "magical feeling" once again. It was like a fire inside him had been reignited. "I think I know what¡¯s missing." He said confidently. "Huh? Really? What is it?" Tyler asked, intrigued. Looking straight at Tyler, Ethan spoke. "Luck... I was missing luck." It took Tyler a moment to catch on before he finally said, "If you¡¯re talking about my potion, forget it. We¡¯re friends, but there are limits!" Ethan chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. "I don¡¯t want your potion... But what do you think about a partnership?" "A partnership? You¡¯re still after my potion!" Tyler said, pretending to be offended. "Look, this is a real business opportunity. Let¡¯s start a company together¡ª50/50. All you have to do is use the potion to help me. Everything is already starting to fall into place in my head." Ethan explained, revealing his entrepreneurial nature and strategic mind. Tyler still wasn¡¯t fully convinced. Seeing this, Ethan added a condition. "How about this: you join me in this. If, in the end, it fails and everything crashes, then the next reward I win from any future ¡®Maravilhador¡¯ game, I¡¯ll give it to you. And if we succeed, I¡¯ll still give you 50% of my future reward." This offer took Tyler by surprise and intrigued him at the same time. "50% of the reward?" "Yes. For example, if I somehow win Dracula¡¯s Castle, I¡¯ll give you half of it. Get it?" Ethan clarified, showing his sincerity. Tyler spent some time thinking, weighing the offer and Ethan¡¯s personality. After careful consideration, he finally agreed to the partnership. Chapter 7 - Cosmic Memory: Stark at the Edge of Space-Time part 1 New York, top of Stark Tower. The top floor was a space that blended elegance with the functionality of a mechanical workshop, filled with advanced equipment and tables cluttered with parts from various machines. Sitting at one of the tables, Tony Stark was focused on a holographic vial. His gaze was fixed on the small floating holographic screens beside it. The screens displayed messages such as: "Matching ingredient combination not found," "Comparison error," "Unrecognized ingredient," and "Vial material recognized: Glass. Manufacturing method: Rudimentary and ancient. Age unknown." "After all this time, we¡¯ve only managed to identify the material of the vial? Nothing about the potion?" Tony asked Jarvis. "Unfortunately, sir," Jarvis replied. The defense potion was the reward Tony had received for finishing Castlevania. He had been studying it ever since but with little success. Realizing that he wasn¡¯t making any progress in analyzing the potion, Tony shifted his attention to The Marveler. He had made an irresistible offer to him about two weeks ago. "Has he contacted us yet?" "Not yet, sir," Jarvis responded. "Were you able to find any information about him? An address, email, anything?" "So far, I haven¡¯t found a single trace of him on the internet. I also couldn''t access the Castlevania game system or locate any of the players. It seems that after downloading the game, the players become untraceable," Jarvis explained. "I¡¯m pretty sure I created you to be the most advanced artificial intelligence in existence. Where exactly did things go wrong?" Tony complained. Jarvis remained silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Outer Wilds has just been released¡ªa game created by The Marveler. The description states that it¡¯s a virtual reality game." Tony was surprised by the news. "That¡¯s impossible. True virtual reality doesn¡¯t exist yet." "Just like spatial folding technology didn¡¯t exist?" Jarvis countered. "Good point," Tony admitted. "Download the game and show me the details." "And what about Project Jericho?" "It¡¯s almost 90% complete. I¡¯ll send it to Obadiah for evaluation," Stark replied. Jarvis expressed some doubt. "I don¡¯t believe Mr. Stane has the capability to evaluate Project Jericho." Although Obadiah had been with Stark Industries since the beginning, he didn¡¯t possess the same technological expertise as Tony or Howard. Tony knew he wasn¡¯t qualified to judge the project, but sending it to Obadiah would ease the pressure on the matter. After all, Obadiah constantly asked about the project, claiming that shareholders were putting a lot of pressure on him. "Just send it to him. Now show me the details of the game." "Okay." [Game: Outer Wilds] Creator: The Marveler Ratings: N/A Published: 2 minutes ago Price: $20 Description: Outer Wilds is a mysterious open-world game about a solar system trapped in an infinite time loop. Welcome to the Space Program! You are the newest recruit of Outer Wilds Ventures, a space program recently launched in search of answers within a strange, ever-changing solar system. Mysteries of the Solar System... What lurks at the heart of the sinister Dark Bramble? Who built the alien ruins on the moon? Can the infinite time loop be broken? The answers await in the most dangerous corners of space. Dynamic Worlds The planets of Outer Wilds are filled with hidden locations that change over time. Visit an underground city before it¡¯s swallowed by sand, or explore the surface of a planet as it collapses beneath your feet. Every secret is guarded by dangerous environments and natural disasters. Grab Your Intergalactic Exploration Gear Put on your space boots, check your oxygen levels, and get ready to explore the cosmos. Use a variety of unique tools to analyze your surroundings, track mysterious signals, decipher ancient alien texts, and toast the perfect marshmallow. Tags: [Virtual Reality], [Mystery], [Exploration] Download size: 235GB Tony was intrigued. The very idea of a galactic exploration game in virtual reality was absurd on its own. The technology required to make such a thing possible was still light-years away from Earth. He also wondered how Outer Wilds could be a VR game when there was no sign of any VR headsets or equipment. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Will they send a VR device through spatial folding?" Tony pondered, excited. He carefully examined the available menu options. [New Expedition] [Options] [Exit] Driven by curiosity, Tony selected "New Expedition," expecting a VR device to magically appear through spatial folding. However, what happened next left him speechless, as a mysterious message appeared in his mind. [Diving into Virtual Reality...] "...?" Then, his vision gradually darkened until everything went completely black. When light returned to his eyes, he realized that everything around him had changed. He was now lying in a sleeping bag. The first thing he saw was a breathtaking starry sky, with a massive blue planet in the distance¡ªwhere some kind of satellite had just exploded. Still disoriented, Tony sat up and noticed a blue-skinned humanoid creature with four eyes, sitting by a campfire roasting marshmallows. The creature was dressed like an old farmer, which made the scene even stranger. Tony realized he was already inside Outer Wilds because, in the upper corner of his vision, two small bars were visible. One was red, which he assumed was a health bar, and the other was blue, possibly an energy or mana bar. "How does this work? Fully immersive virtual reality without any external equipment?" Tony wondered. "Could it be direct brain signaling? Maybe The Marveler¡¯s technology is more advanced than expected." Looking at his hands, Tony noticed that he was no longer human¡ªhe had possibly taken the form of the same species as the blue-skinned creature in front of him. Approaching the campfire, he saw the name "Slate" floating above the creature''s head. "Slate?" Tony murmured. Slate smiled and greeted him. "Here¡¯s our pilot! Back from your pre-launch camping trip under the stars. So, today¡¯s the big day, huh? Feels like just yesterday you joined the space program, and now, here you are, heading out on your first solo mission!" He continued talking. "Ready to take this beauty off the ground? She¡¯s fueled up and ready to go!" In the corner of Tony¡¯s vision, response options appeared: [All systems go!] [I¡¯m ready if you are!] [Are you sure you fixed the rockets?] Thinking quickly, Tony decided to ask about the rockets. "The rockets are working properly, right?" Tony asked. Slate replied with a touch of humor. "That only caused a problem once. And then maybe a few more times after that, but hey, no reason to dwell on the past, right? Anyway, you''ll need to get the launch codes from Hornfels at the observatory before you can take off. Just bring them back here after you say your goodbyes or something." At that moment, Tony had the feeling that this guy wasn''t very reliable, but he simply ignored it. After all, even if the ship exploded on takeoff, none of this was real. "Looks like I need to talk to the other creatures to understand how things work. In other words, I''m in the tutorial..." he concluded. Continuing down the road, Tony arrived at a checkpoint strategically located to observe a large part of the area. "Hey, it''s you! Slate said you''re taking off in your ship today. I''m so excited to see the launch!" A small creature named ''Mica'' called out to Tony as he approached. "You''re going to space, right? You better not have changed your mind!" Mica added, overflowing with excitement. Tony considered the available dialogue options and chose the one that seemed most appropriate. "I heard you and Slate reinforced the ship model. Can I take a look?" Mica smiled. "Yeah, we recalibrated the controls and installed better thrusters. Want to test this miniature version? Slate guarantees it''s almost like the real thing, just with a lower chance of catching fire." She pointed to a wooden workbench with an improvised ship control panel, full of buttons and levers. "See if you can land it on one of the platforms near the geyser pools. Show me what you''ve got!" As Tony approached, he noticed a small retro-designed spaceship sitting on a platform ahead. Looking at the improvised control panel, he found simple instructions like "take off," "directions," "landing," "brake," and "reset." It seemed relatively simple, and he quickly grasped the general idea of how to pilot the ship. However, the ship took off faster than Tony expected. Given the short distance between the platform and the geyser pool, he couldn''t slow down in time, and the ship ended up hitting the geyser and being thrown away. Feeling frustrated with his failure, Tony stepped away from the ship''s controls. "Woah! That was just like when the external fuel tanks exploded on reentry! You¡¯re... you¡¯re ready to pilot the big version, right?" Mica asked with a worried expression. "Possibly," Tony replied uncertainly. As Tony made his way toward the observatory, he encountered numerous Hearthians¡ªthe name of these small blue creatures¡ªand each had something valuable to teach. He spent an enjoyable time playing hide-and-seek with the Hearthian children, an activity that introduced him to the functionality of the Signalscope. He was fascinated by this seemingly rustic tool¡¯s ability to precisely locate a wide range of frequencies across the entire solar system. Tony also delved into the history of Outer Wilds Ventures, the pioneers who left Timber Hearth¡ªthis small planet¡ªto explore the vastness of the universe and uncover its secrets. His visit to the Zero-G Cave, where he helped Gossan, one of the more experienced Hearthians, repair a satellite, turned into a valuable lesson. There, he learned how to fix his own spaceship and navigate zero-gravity environments using the Space Suit. After that, he received instructions on how to use the Surveyor Probe Mk 7, affectionately nicknamed "Little Scout" by the Hearthians. This tool, equipped with a photographic probe, allowed Tony to see beyond the horizon, test the environment, and, most importantly, detect invisible threats like Ghost Matter¡ªa deadly phenomenon found in certain atmospheres. The Little Scout was also equipped with features such as a distance indicator, seismic stability readings, floodlights, a danger indicator, and a warp core to bring it back in case of long-distance flights. Finally, he learned how to use the most crucial item of all¡ªthe Nomai Translator, essential for deciphering the numerous messages left throughout the universe, granting Tony access to the accumulated knowledge of the ancient Nomai civilization. Upon reaching the observatory, Tony met Hal, a Hearthian who seemed to be a friend of the character he was playing. "Hey, hey, it''s my favorite astronaut! Finally, the big launch day, huh, buddy? It''s also the inaugural flight of the translation tool! I''m so excited it''s making me sick!" Hal exclaimed the moment Tony stepped into the observatory. He explained to Tony the importance of the new translation tool. "Now you''ll be able to translate any Nomai text you find, anywhere. We spent many hours inventing this tool, so don''t break it, okay? Haha!" As Tony observed the statue placed at the observatory''s entrance, he noticed that it resembled a three-eyed creature with an oddly wise appearance. Tony chose the first dialogue option. "New statue?" Hal enthusiastically explained. "Haven''t you heard? Gabbro brought it back with him from the depths of Giant''s Deep, and Hornfels just got it ready for display. Cool, huh? Makes me wish I could see what a real Nomai looked like, but I guess this is the closest we''ll get. Look, it seems like they had fur!" Tony, though he still didn''t know much about the Nomai, was intrigued. He had learned from the locals that 80% of the technology used by the Hearthians had roots in ancient Nomai technology found in ruins throughout the universe. This connection sparked his curiosity about this ancient people and their civilization. Hal continued. "This is the first fully intact statue ever found, you know. And for how old it is, it''s in great shape!" He bid Tony farewell with a warm smile. "...Oh wow, I got a little carried away there. Go on, you¡¯ve got a ship to launch! Take care out there, you hear?" Upon entering the observatory, Tony was surprised by what he found. "This looks more like a museum!" While exploring, he came across various fascinating relics, each telling a piece of the Nomai''s history: ? A complete Nomai skeleton, revealing clues about the appearance and anatomy of these ancient inhabitants of the universe. ? An original Nomai warp core, a key component that allowed travel through space and time. ? A Gravity Crystal, which particularly caught his attention. Tony read the information plaque beside it. [A piece of Nomai technology that alters gravity within a certain radius, allowing someone to walk on any surface, regardless of whether they are in zero gravity or affected by the gravity of another object.] Chapter 8 - Cosmic Memory: Stark at the Edge of Space-Time part 2 These discoveries led Tony to deep reflection. "Maravilhador already has warp technology and virtual reality... could he also possess gravitational technology?" After pondering, Tony concluded that he should be more persistent in his invitation to Maravilhador. "Maybe offering 30% of Stark Industries would be enough?" He prepared to proceed with his negotiation plan. It didn¡¯t take long for Tony to find Hornfels, the one who would grant him the precious launch codes. Hornfels was on the top floor of the observatory, next to a detailed model of the entire solar system. "There you are! I just finished the pre-flight observations, and the local conditions are great. Time to get our newest astronaut off the ground!" Hornfels greeted enthusiastically. "You¡¯ll be our first astronaut equipped with a Nomai translation tool! I must admit, I¡¯ve been dizzy all day just thinking about it. We are better equipped than ever to unravel the mysteries of the Nomai. You and Hal must be very proud of your work! Tell me, what¡¯s your plan once you''re in space?" he asked. Tony didn¡¯t hesitate and chose the first response option. "I¡¯m going to learn more about the Nomai." Hornfels, not surprised at all, replied, "I could have guessed that! There¡¯s no point in creating a translation tool if you¡¯re not going to use it to translate anything. We¡¯ve barely scratched the surface of the Nomai writings in our solar system, so we still know very little about them. We have no idea if they originated here or traveled here, or why they disappeared." He continued, emphasizing the importance of the translation tool. "Your tool should be indispensable in solving the mystery of this ancient species!" After a productive conversation with Hornfels, Tony finally obtained the launch codes. Eager to explore the small galaxy before him, he quickened his pace toward the exit. However, something unexpected happened. "....? What the hell!" Tony exclaimed in shock as the Nomai statue came to life and turned toward him. The statue''s three previously closed eyes opened, emitting colorful lights. Staring into those glowing eyes, Tony felt his consciousness float for a few moments as images of his memories since entering the game began to appear around him. He relived everything from the moment he woke up near the campfire. However, as all these memories surfaced, a strange suction force pulled them into the statue''s third eye, and everything returned to normal. "Did that statue steal my memories? Or did it store them?" Tony wondered, perplexed. Upon leaving the observatory, Tony found Hal resting on the stairs and decided to speak with him, hoping to get some clue about what had just happened. As he approached, two possible dialogue options appeared, but since both had almost the same content, he chose the first one. "The statue was glowing! Why was it glowing?!" Hal was shocked to hear this. "The statue was doing what?! So its eyes opened, and you saw images of your own memories and bright lights flying around? You mean like a hallucination?" Hal looked at Tony with concern and continued. "Listen, no offense, but¡­ are you sure you''re okay for this launch? Like, medically speaking?" Tony pondered for a moment and finally decided to respond. "You know what, don¡¯t worry about it." Realizing he wouldn¡¯t get satisfying answers from Hal, Tony decided to end the conversation and headed toward the elevator that would take him to the launch platform. As he walked toward the elevator, Tony made sure to say goodbye to almost all the villagers. Upon returning to the campfire, Tony saw Slate still roasting marshmallows, displaying excitement for the upcoming launch. "Looks like you¡¯re ready to take off! The thrill of a launch is fun and all, but I can¡¯t wait to get back to working on a new ship. We¡¯re working on fixing the autopilot prevention system!... Uh, forget I said that." Tony once again had the feeling that this guy wasn¡¯t very trustworthy, but he chose to ignore it, staying focused on leaving this small planet. After entering the code into the elevator, Tony was transported to a circular platform atop a tree. Despite finding the location somewhat unusual for a launch, his excitement remained. At the center of the platform stood a spaceship with a peculiar design, a mix of retro and futuristic elements, with some parts appearing to be made of wood. "Can this thing really fly?" Tony seriously questioned himself as he observed the ship up close. Upon entering the ship, Tony made an intriguing discovery. He found a gravitational stone installed near the ship''s control panel. His mind started racing, evaluating the possible uses of the gravitational stone, both in the ship¡¯s operation and as potential weapon applications. Tony opened the logbook, curious to record his observations and experiences so far. [Logbook: Timber Hearth. ? The first and only Hearthian village, as well as the main source of explorations on this planet. ? The Nomai statue in the observatory opened its eyes and looked at me! I saw strange glowing lights, and my own memories flashed before my eyes.] After that, he consulted the galactic map and examined the planets of the solar system. Without wasting time, he marked the Attlerock, the moon orbiting Timber Hearth, and prepared for takeoff. "This should be easier than before..." Tony murmured to himself. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Carefully, Tony started the ship. After a brief struggle with the controls to stabilize it, he began to feel more comfortable and accelerated, leaving the planet behind. From space, Tony looked down and realized how small that planet really was, but that didn¡¯t diminish his sense of accomplishment. He could hardly wait to see Earth from space. "If possible¡­ I would really love a ship like this. Obviously, I¡¯d turn this old tub into a real war spaceship..." Tony almost drooled with excitement as he imagined the upgrades and modifications he would make to the ship. Following the autopilot instructions, he finally arrived at Lia¡¯s Rock. From space, Tony spotted a circular structure resembling an ancient sundial stretching across the lunar terrain. "These must be the Nomai ruins Hornfels mentioned." Landing on the moon, Tony put on his spacesuit and stepped out of the ship. In front of him was a large Nomai platform surrounded by circular rings, with a small blue sphere at its center. The sphere was positioned between four separate compartments, each displaying the image of a nearby planet. A notification appeared as soon as Tony stepped onto the lunar platform. [Move the activator to one of the compartments using your vision and will.] "Vision and will?" Tony murmured, frowning as he observed the blue sphere in the center of the platform. Thiiiiiing! The blue sphere emitted a strange sound and began to glow intensely. "Interesting." Tony watched in fascination. Guiding the sphere with his vision and intent, he moved it toward one of the compartments on the platform. "It¡¯s like having telekinesis," he remarked, surprised. The chosen compartment displayed the drawing of a sun. Immediately, the entire platform lit up, and the rings around it started rotating until they aligned with the sun¡¯s actual location. "This is a locator!" Tony exclaimed, realizing the platform¡¯s function. Deciding to test the other options, he guided the sphere toward the compartment with the image of a water-covered planet. Once again, the rings rotated and stabilized, pointing to a planet not too far away. It was Giant¡¯s Deep, where Gabbro had encountered the strange Nomai statue. Tony noticed that the platform also captured sounds from Giant¡¯s Deep, as he could hear the planet¡¯s strong winds. After testing almost all the compartments, Tony moved the sphere to the last one, which had an unfamiliar symbol. However, the rings continued spinning endlessly, as if they couldn¡¯t find a corresponding location for the symbol. "Curious..." Tony muttered, intrigued by this unmatched compartment. After fully analyzing what was available, Tony decided to explore further and descended a nearby staircase leading below the Nomai structure. At the end of the spiral staircase, he found himself in a room filled with trees. On the wall, a peculiar triangular symbol emitted swirling text. Tony recognized the writing as Nomai Script. [Oxygen detected. Oxygen refilled.] The environment automatically notified him. "So, trees can replenish oxygen? How convenient," Tony observed while examining the room. As he approached the script, a notification appeared in his field of vision. [You have found a Nomai text. Use your Nomai translator to uncover the information within.] "Still part of the tutorial, huh?" Tony complained lightly. He activated the translator, and a blue light began scanning the Nomai Script. After a few seconds, lines of dialogue appeared on the translator¡¯s small screen. COLEUS: However, something strange happens when I ask the Eye¡¯s signal locator to track the Eye¡¯s signal. The device¡¯s indicator spins uncontrollably and never settles in one direction. THATCH: This is a curious result. Is it possible that the Eye has stopped emitting its signal? FILIX: I see! I may have calibrated the locator incorrectly. Privet (my apprentice) and I will make adjustments and try again. FILIX: An update. Disappointingly, everything is calibrated correctly. CASSAVA: It saddens me to say this, my friends, but I believe we need to build a more sophisticated device if we wish to determine the exact location of the Eye of the universe. THATCH: Then let¡¯s build it. Don¡¯t lose hope. CASSAVA: Our search for the Eye is what brought our clan to this place. We won¡¯t give up so easily! "I see. The last compartment referred to the ''Eye of the Universe,'' whatever that is. But apparently, even the Nomai, with their advanced technology, couldn''t locate it," Tony pondered. He wondered if the new Eye signal locator would be able to accomplish that task and, if so, where exactly that device had been built. Tony examined the wall, and upon touching the symbol, a strange triangular cylinder was ejected from it. The Nomai texts disappeared soon after. Carefully observing the triangular symbol on the wall, he realized it was actually a storage device. He then looked at the cylinder in his hand. "Is this... a flash drive?" Tony concluded, surprised. "So, the information is stored in here, not on the wall." With this new understanding, Tony decided to look for more of these devices and began searching the room. On the opposite side of the wall, he noticed a triangular slot, but it was just an empty hole. Near one of the shelves in the room, Tony found the same triangular cylinder he had just removed from the wall. He picked up the device and inserted it into the empty slot. Immediately, texts began appearing in a spiral on the wall, and Tony quickly translated them using his Nomai translator. THATCH: Where should this new, more sophisticated locator be built? It may need to be larger than this one. COLEUS: Annona and those of us originally stranded on the Hourglass Twins built a quantum moon locator there, but the sun¡¯s heat made construction difficult. I wouldn''t recommend building it on that planet. PLUME: The southern glacier in Uncertain Valley has plenty of available space. I could construct a new building to house this locator. FILIX: Yes, let''s build it there! I imagine our young friend Conoy would be thrilled. He has always had a great interest in the Eye, especially for a child born long after the accident. PLUME: I''ll begin construction at Uncertain Valley''s south pole immediately, then! Reading the texts, Tony discovered where the new, more advanced Eye signal locator had been built. "It seems there¡¯s a quantum moon locator on the Hourglass Twins. After searching Uncertain Valley, I''ll head there," Tony planned. Even though he didn''t know what a quantum moon was, Tony figured it must be important¡ªafter all, the Nomai had spent time and effort creating a specific locator for it. Even after reading the texts, he continued exploring the room for another ten minutes, ignoring a sad melody that had begun playing, keeping his focus on his investigations. Then... A deafening roar resounded throughout the universe. The powerful and terrifying sound of an immense explosion echoed through space, shaking the entire cosmos. Tony, not understanding what was happening, rushed up the stairs, only to be met with a disturbing sight. Where the sun once shone, there was now a gigantic mass of pulsating blue energy. "A supernova? Impossible... but why did the sun explode? Did it reach the natural end of its life?" Tony thought calmly, watching in shock as the universe crumbled. The supernova continued expanding violently, devouring entire planets in its wake, advancing at an alarming speed. "Is this the end of the game? Or is it part of the story?" he questioned. In no time, the supernova reached him, engulfing him in an overwhelming wave of heat and energy. "...Huh?" he exclaimed, dazed. A searing heat surrounded him, and for a brief moment, Tony felt a wave of panic. But it lasted only an instant. Within seconds, a silhouette appeared in the sky¡ªa mask with three glowing eyes, unmistakably a Nomai mask. Tony, staring at the mask, felt a strange familiarity, as if his consciousness was being pulled toward the third eye of the mask. It was the same experience he had when facing the mysterious statue at the observatory. Then, his consciousness began to rewind at an incredible speed. "I''m going back in time?" he wondered, incredulous. In the blink of an eye, Tony found himself lying near the campfire once again, with the friendly Slate roasting marshmallows nearby. "Hey, are you ready to get this thing off the ground? The ship''s fueled up and ready to go." "I just... died?" "Wow, was it a nightmare or something? You still look a bit out of it, but you''re definitely not dead. I know it''s tradition to spend the night under the stars before launch, but if you ask me, that just makes everyone a little nervous." "The sun exploded... and I went back in time?" Tony murmured to himself. Slate, overhearing him, looked at Tony with concern. "The sun exploding and time travel? Are you really ready for takeoff? It¡¯s normal to be nervous, but I think you need to rest a bit." Tony ignored Slate¡¯s concern and dove into his own thoughts. He pondered the sun''s explosion and the fundamental questions it raised. Was it a natural occurrence, or something he could prevent? Perhaps the game was based on a race against time, an infinite cycle, just as suggested in the synopsis. "Is this the infinite time loop mentioned in the synopsis? And is the goal of the game to break this cycle?" Tony questioned. With the suspicion that there might be an invisible countdown timer ticking toward the end of the universe, Tony decided to pick up the pace and rushed toward the elevator on the launch platform. "You need to get the launch codes from the observatory before taking off, kid," Slate reminded him. However, Tony responded with a confident smile. "I already have the codes." After entering the code, he ascended to the platform where his ship awaited. Tony quickly checked his ship¡¯s log, which now included all the information he had learned at Lia¡¯s Rock. The log indicated that there were still unexplored mysteries at Lia¡¯s Rock, but Tony was determined to find out whether the Nomai had truly succeeded in creating an Eye signal locator. "Uncertain Valley, here I come," Tony declared as he programmed Uncertain Valley as his next destination. Chapter 9 - Cognitive Dawn: Final Echoes of the Universe Hudson Yards, one of the most expensive and luxurious locations in Manhattan. The afternoon at the fancy ice cream parlor in the Upper East Side was filled with light laughter. Alexandra, 17 years old, was sharing this luxurious experience with her three friends. Her brown hair cascaded gently over her shoulders as she contemplated the ice cream options. "Chocolate truffle stuffed with blackberries and French strawberries? Even for you, Alex, that''s a bit much." teased Elsa. Alex laughed, her eyes gleaming at Elsa¡¯s familiar teasing, a friend she had known for years. "With such extravagant choices, it would be a crime not to give it a try, don''t you think?" "She''s right. If it''s an option, why not?" said Oliver. "But I''ll stick with the classic. Cookies and cream, please." Oliver wasn¡¯t exactly close to Alex, but since he was very close to Elsa, they could be considered "friends." The same could be said for Isabella. As they discussed the increasingly exotic flavors, Alex¡¯s phone began to ring. She picked it up and saw a notification. [Outer Wilds: Download 3%] "Outer Wilds?... A new game from the Marveler!" Alex thought, excited. Luckily, she had the brilliant idea of installing a bot programmed to automatically download any Marveler game as soon as it was released. There had been much speculation about how long it would take for Marveler to launch a new game after Castlevania. Most players believed that creating a game like Castlevania must have taken a long time, even for Marveler, so they were certain the next game would take much longer to be released. Alex had also believed that. "But who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d release another game just three weeks later? Marveler must be a wizard, just like the rumors say." Alex concluded internally, letting out a sigh. "Well, guys, unfortunately, something urgent came up," she informed her friends. "I need to head home, but as an apology, I¡¯ll cover the bill." Pulling out a golden credit card, Alex paid for her friends¡¯ orders. "And what about your monstrous chocolate truffle ice cream?" Elsa asked. Alex smiled. "I¡¯m taking it with me, of course." Leaving behind the lively atmosphere of the ice cream parlor, Alex, holding her ice cream container, arrived at the parking lot where Winston, her driver, was already waiting for her. "Home, and step on it, Winston!" Alex said as she got into the car. He patiently waited for her to fasten her seatbelt. "Seriously, Winston! We need to hurry." Alex said as she buckled up. "By the way, want some ice cream?" "If you save some for me, I¡¯ll have it later." Winston replied, pulling the car out of the parking lot. The ice cream parlor was just five minutes away from Alex''s apartment, so Winston decided there was no need to speed. "So, miss, why the rush?" he asked, curious. "Hmm¡­ Marveler¡­ Hmm¡­ new game." Alex mumbled, her mouth full of blackberries and chocolate. "I see. Should I speed up a bit?" "Hmm¡­ No need." After swallowing her ice cream, Alex asked, "By the way, what did you do with the luck potion you won?" "It''s stored at home. I haven''t had the chance to use it yet." "You should. I heard the government wants to confiscate everything related to Marveler, including the rewards," she advised. "But if you want, I can keep it safe for you." "I would appreciate that." Winston had been her personal driver since she was nine years old. It could be said that he was the closest person to her, aside from her family. She saw him more as an uncle than just a driver. Alex wasn¡¯t just the person who recommended Castlevania to Winston¡ªshe was also the one who personally taught him how to complete the game as quickly as possible. The short five-minute drive from the parking lot to Alex''s apartment passed in the blink of an eye. Winston navigated through the illuminated city while Alex enjoyed her ice cream. Winston pulled up in front of a luxurious 47-story building, which towered against the sky. Its glass facade reflected the last golden rays of sunlight, creating a stunning image. The building''s entrance exuded sophistication, complemented by an elegant marquee. "Home, miss." Winston announced as he opened the car door for her. Smiling, Alex thanked him. "Thanks, Winston. Oh, and don¡¯t forget the ice cream." She handed him the container. "Thank you, miss." Winston replied, accepting the gift. "You''re off duty for the next two days. Also, how about playing the new game?" she suggested. "I¡¯ll consider it." "Bye, Winston." "Goodbye, miss." Winston then drove away. Alex entered the elegant lobby of the building. Inside, she was greeted with a smile by the doorman. "Good afternoon, Miss West." "Good afternoon, Mr. Doorman." Alex greeted him and a few lucky neighbors who happened to cross her path. In the penthouse¡¯s exclusive elevator, she pressed the button for the 36th floor, where her apartment was located. Despite living alone, her parents weren¡¯t far¡ªthey lived just five floors above hers. As the elevator ascended, Alex gazed at the city skyline through the glass windows. In the distance, she could even see the famous Stark Industries tower. The elevator doors opened smoothly, revealing the luxurious corridor of the 36th floor. Alex stepped out. Beside the elevator, the panoramic city view through the hallway windows offered an enchanting sight. She walked up to her apartment door. The number "3602" gleamed discreetly on the wall. Inserting a golden key into the lock, she opened the door, revealing the warm atmosphere of her home. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The neutral walls provided the perfect backdrop for the artworks, carefully chosen gifts from her parents. However, the only art form Alex truly loved was the tenth¡ªvideo games. The living room, bathed in natural light, struck a charming balance between luxury and simplicity. The large windows offered magnificent city views, becoming even more stunning when the night lights began to sparkle across the horizon. "Finally home." Alex then pulled two golden cards from her bag¡ªone was a credit card, and the other was the Sword Card, her special reward for being the second person to complete Castlevania. Earlier, when she left her friends, she had almost confused the two and used the Sword Card to pay the bill. "I don¡¯t know if they would¡¯ve recognized it, but it¡¯s better not to risk it." She sighed in relief. Inside her bedroom, Alex went straight to a hidden compartment beneath her desk¡ªthe secret hiding spot for her precious Intelligence Potion. As she checked the download progress, still at 78%, her attention was drawn to her inbox, overflowing with messages. [+999 new messages received] Even without looking, Alex was certain that 99% of them were people wanting to buy her Sword Card, while the remaining 1% were people claiming to be government authorities trying to "confiscate" her reward. "Even though they claim to be from the government, none of them have tried to contact my personal email or approached me in person. This suggests they might be fake, or the government lacks the competence to track my personal email." That was her thought, but whether they were fakes or just incompetent, it all ended up working to Alex''s advantage either way. "So persistent..." She froze for a moment. "2.6 billion. That''s a new record." The previous record was 1.9 billion, set by someone from the "government." Unfortunately, even if the price increased to 100 or 500 billion, she would never agree. To Alex, the card was far more valuable than money, especially since she had personally tested what the Sword Card was capable of. Not too long ago, while walking home from school, Alex came across a convenience store robbery. Seeing an opportunity to test the card, she threw it, and it quickly transformed into a golden sword. Then, she ordered it to cut the robber¡¯s hand. Faster than any possible reaction, the sword shot forward, breaking through the store''s glass and making a deep cut on the robber¡¯s armed hand. At first, she felt bad for hurting someone, but after reflecting on the man¡¯s actions, Alex simply ignored that feeling. "Now they want us to hand over our rewards? Keep dreaming." She scoffed. Struggling to track down Maravilhador, the government turned its attention to the players. The president stated that Maravilhador¡¯s actions violated more than 15 laws and that they were no different from virtual terrorism. Finally, they even accused him of stealing ultra-secret information. However, since this did not have the desired impact, the government took a more drastic measure: a strict ban on all games related to Maravilhador. The president emphasized that disregarding this ban would be considered a crime punishable by at least two years in prison. Additionally, all rewards obtained in Castlevania were classified as evidence of Maravilhador''s crimes, with instructions to hand them over to the nearest police station immediately. "That¡¯s definitely not happening..." Notification sounds. The completed download lit up Alex''s computer screen. She quickly sent a message to James and Liam: New game. Hurry up, or you¡¯ll be left out of the top 3. Putting her phone away, Alex carefully picked up the Intelligence Potion. The blue liquid swirled smoothly inside the vial, emanating a subtle aroma of knowledge. With a decisive motion, she emptied the vial. The sensation was as if her mind drifted for a few seconds before regaining focus¡ªnow amplified fifty times over. The effect was so remarkable that her mind, which once resembled a fancy house, now felt like a grand royal palace. "Wow." Alex whispered, marveling at the clarity of thought the potion provided. Her already considerable intelligence had reached new heights. Problems that once seemed challenging were now solved almost instinctively in her head. Memories of difficult school subjects echoed in her mind, but now they posed no difficulty whatsoever. What once was a complex puzzle had become a simple task, thanks to the renewed brilliance of her enhanced mind. "Incredible..." After calming down, Alex launched Outer Wilds and, with a confident smile, selected the "New Game" option. [Diving into Virtual Reality...] "Truly magical," Alex whispered, further reinforcing her theory that Maravilhador was some kind of mage or sorcerer. She then officially began her journey in Outer Wilds. With her exceptional dexterity and intelligence, she easily completed the tutorial and obtained the launch codes. However, unlike Tony Stark, Alex realized that this tiny planet might hold many secrets. The majestic geyser mountain revealed the entrance to ancient mysteries, while the first encounter mural told a story written by the hands of the Nomai. The Ash Twin Project piqued her curiosity, and Mining Site 2B offered clues about the activities of this extinct civilization. As she continued exploring, Alex came across a strange seed, previously found by Tektite, which seemed to originate from the terrifying planet Dark Bramble. Each discovery, every revelation, contributed to Alex¡¯s growing understanding of the mysteries in this small universe. All the important information was recorded in her spaceship¡¯s logbook, but at the peak of her exploration¡ªjust as Alex was about to leave the planet and venture into space¡ªthe sun collapsed. "A supernova? Just like the one I saw at the observatory," Alex mused, surprised. In an instant, the entire universe was consumed. When she regained consciousness, she found herself once again by the campfire. "That didn¡¯t feel like a game over..." she murmured, perplexed. "Game over? What¡¯s that?" Slate asked, roasting marshmallows beside her. Going through the new dialogue options, Alex became absolutely certain that this wasn¡¯t a game over. But despite trying to get answers from Slate, he didn¡¯t seem to remember the supernova. Without hesitation, Alex boarded her ship and set off for her next destination. With impressive speed, she explored the Hourglass Rock in half a cycle, then flew to Uncertain Valley, where she took one and a half cycles to uncover all the secrets of this strange planet. Next were the Hourglass Twins¡ªAsh Twin and Ember Twin¡ªwhich took two full cycles. Giant¡¯s Deep proved to be the most challenging, requiring three and a half cycles. As for the other planets in the solar system, Alex explored them only superficially, gathering just the necessary information. Doing all this took her four hours. But with the knowledge collected from each planet and Alex¡¯s intelligence, breaking the time loop turned out to be an easy task. She quickly located the Quantum Moon and unraveled the mysteries of the Eye of the Universe. With the Advanced Warp Core she retrieved from within Ember Twin, Alex traveled to The Vessel, the Nomai mothership. Finally, she entered the Eye of the Universe, not only breaking the infinite loop but also bringing the universe to its natural end. And so, Alex completed the game in 4 hours and 53 minutes. As she exited virtual space, she returned to her room. Looking at her hands, she smiled. "Blue skin wasn¡¯t so bad." She had almost gotten used to the blue skin of her character in Outer Wilds. "I didn¡¯t have much time to enjoy the game. I¡¯ll have to play again later." She had rushed to finish the game as quickly as possible, without caring about anything else. By relying only on the information in the ship¡¯s log, she didn¡¯t interact with the NPCs as deeply as she could have. Even after finishing the game, she realized she had missed many hidden and interesting details. [Congratulations! You are the first player to complete Outer Wilds!] [You have received the Galactic Explorer Set (spaceship included). Note: Only the first 10 players to complete the game will receive this reward. A special gift for being the first to complete the game will be sent later.] "!!??" Alexandra was stunned. Initially, she thought the reward would be one of the tools used in the game, but not even in her wildest thoughts did she imagine she would receive the entire Galactic Explorer set. "Am I going to become a galactic explorer?" The question echoed in her mind, tinged with surprise and excitement. [Due to the size of the reward, a storage bracelet will be given as an extra reward. The explorer set will be deposited into the storage bracelet within 30 minutes.] Out of nowhere, a bracelet materialized on her wrist. It appeared to be made of silver, but its bluish hue gave it a unique touch. The surface was notably smooth, with a small silver screen standing out. "It looks more like a watch than a bracelet," Alex commented as she lightly touched it, triggering a holographic screen to appear above the bracelet. [Storage (0/60)] "Empty?" It seemed Alex would have to wait about 30 minutes to receive her reward, but she considered that reasonable¡ªafter all, it was a spaceship. Looking at the empty bracelet, an idea popped into Alex¡¯s mind. Grabbing the empty potion vial, she placed it against the holographic screen. Instantly, the vial disappeared, and the screen updated. [Storage (1/60) Empty Vial.] "So I can store anything?" Alex wondered, intrigued. She then remembered James and Liam, the other two who placed in the top 3 of Castlevania. When Alex discovered the rewards were real, she had the brilliant idea of joining forces. She wanted to form an exclusive group consisting of the top three players, meant to help each other and, of course, maintain their positions at the top. After much persistence and several attempts to find them, she succeeded. James, the first-place holder, initially contacted Alex with a warning about her safety, advising her not to share personal information online. With a bit of persuasion, he agreed to join the group. Liam, who took third place, was much easier to convince since he wanted to surpass both Alex and James to claim first place. At first, he tried to make James his rival, but due to James¡¯s lack of competitiveness, he eventually declared Alex as his adversary. Alex, in particular, found him adorable. Together, they created two groups on Skype. The first, called "The Top Three," was just for casual conversations like any normal group. The second, named "Emergency," was reserved only for important or urgent matters. The three agreed that whenever a new message or call appeared in this group, they would immediately stop whatever they were doing to check. Since its creation, they had only used this group twice. Since Alex wanted to share important information on how to complete the game, she initiated a video call with both James and Liam through the "Emergency" group. The call icon flashed green, indicating their meeting was about to begin. Chapter 10: End of the Fabric of Spacetime Paterson, New Jersey Inside a large warehouse filled with useless junk and used furniture, Liam stood. He was facing piles of organized appliances. Liam took a deep breath and ran toward the appliances. With all his strength, he jumped onto an old stove, then leaped again, this time toward a refrigerator about six meters away. It was obvious he wouldn¡¯t make it, but using the air as support, Liam performed a double jump, managing to reach the refrigerator. Happy with his success, Liam continued jumping from place to place for a while. After getting tired, he sat on an old couch and ran his fingers over the blue stone necklace he wore. The necklace''s status appeared. [Jump Stone Description: Allows the user to use the air as support to perform a double jump. +10 Agility +5 Jump Strength] "Jump Stone... Really amazing... But I still wanted the Varda Ring." This was the reward he received for placing third in Castlevania. Even though it was an extremely valuable item that would cost millions of dollars if put up for sale, Liam couldn''t help but feel jealous of Alex and James¡¯s rewards. The Sword Card was the Summoner he used the most in Castlevania, as it was by far the best in the game. And the Varda Ring was simply the best item available. Meanwhile, the Jump Stone was just one of the basic items you got in the middle of the game. Liam was still complaining about the unfairness when his grandmother entered the warehouse. "Liam, your computer is making noise." "!!!" Liam quickly stood up and ran out of the warehouse. "Thanks, Grandma!" "Don''t run, boy! What if you fall?" the elderly woman warned, worried about her grandson. Unfortunately, Liam didn''t hear her. Arriving in his room, he saw a download completion notification for the game Outer Wilds on his PC. The idea of installing a bot to download Maravilhador¡¯s releases was simply genius. Liam felt a certain gratitude toward Alex for it, but he would never admit that to her. Checking his phone, he saw a message from Alex about the game. Since it had already been downloaded, Liam ignored the game¡¯s synopsis and Alex''s messages and immediately opened Outer Wilds. [Diving into Virtual Reality...] Liam was surprised to find himself lying next to a campfire. He could feel the breeze of the wind and the warmth of the fire. If it weren¡¯t for the HP and energy bars in his field of vision, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference between this and real life. Liam got up and analyzed his surroundings, spotting a blue-skinned guy sitting nearby, smiling at him. The name "Slate" floated above his head. Noticing that Liam had woken up, Slate greeted him. "Here¡¯s our pilot! Back from your pre-launch camp under the stars. So today¡¯s the big launch day, huh? Feels like just yesterday you joined the space program, and suddenly, here you are, off on your first solo trip!" It was at that moment that Liam realized he should have read a bit about the game. Taking advantage of Liam''s silence, Slate continued. "Ready to get this beauty off the ground? She''s fueled up and good to go." Dialogue options appeared in Liam''s field of vision. [All systems are working!] [I''m ready if you are!] [Are you sure you fixed the rockets?] Looking at the possible responses, Liam decided to exit the game to read the synopsis and be a little more prepared. ''But how do I leave the game? After all, there are no menu options or anything like that...'' he thought. Then, everything stopped. The sounds were silenced, the campfire flames froze, the shadows became rigid and unchanging, and even the stars in the sky stopped, as if time had been suspended, turning the world into a static black-and-gray painting, devoid of life and color. In the corner of Liam''s vision, the following options appeared. [Continue] [Audio] [Video] [Exit] Realizing that the game had merely paused, Liam let out a relieved sigh. "That scared the hell out of me..." Quickly selecting ''Exit,'' Liam was back in his room. Going to the game''s Steam page, he began reading the synopsis. [Game: Outer Wilds Creator: Maravilhador Ratings: N/A Published: 2 minutes ago Price: $20 Description: Outer Wilds is a mysterious open-world game about a solar system trapped in an infinite time loop. Welcome to the Space Program! You are the newest recruit of Outer Wilds Ventures, a recently launched space program searching for answers in a strange, ever-evolving solar system...] Three minutes were enough. "A galactic explorer trapped in a time loop... The goal is to break the loop, right?" The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Now having a certain level of understanding about Outer Wilds, Liam returned to the game, where everything was still frozen. Going back to the dialogue choices, Liam selected the second option. "I''m ready if you are." Excited, Slate said, "Are you kidding? Of course, I''m ready. Finally, it''s time to test the new landing hydraulic system with a pilot instead of the autopilot! ...Speaking of pilots, make sure not to crash the ship on your first flight, got it? Anyway, you''ll need to get the launch codes from Hornfels at the observatory before you can take off. Just bring them back here after you say your goodbyes or something." ''Instead of just giving me the launch codes right away, the game forces me to go to the observatory to get them. I suppose there will be tutorials for the game mechanics along the way,'' Liam thought. Being a high-level player, he noticed the subtle hints in the dialogue and practically deciphered the game¡¯s tutorial progression pattern. "Alex downloaded the game before me... I need to be quick," he said firmly. As expected, on his way to the observatory, he went through tutorials for all the game''s equipment and mechanics, which Liam found particularly interesting. At the observatory, he ignored all the displayed objectives and went straight to Hornfels, quickly obtaining the codes. Preparing to leave as fast as he had entered, Liam was suddenly caught off guard by the Nomai statue on his way back. The glowing lights, the ghostly voices, and the eerie sensation of having his consciousness pulled toward the statue¡­ "This statue stored my memories?" he asked himself, confused. "Maybe this is the respawn point." He walked around the statue, examining every detail. "If my memories are stored here... does that mean every time I die, I''ll be revived here? Or will the game reset to this exact moment?" Liam pondered. "Could this be the start of the time loop? If that''s the case, wouldn''t breaking the statue solve the loop?" Then, another question popped into his mind. Had the time loop already existed, and the statue merely connected him to it? Or was the loop just initiated now for some unknown reason? "Regardless, this statue is probably a crucial key to understanding the time loop," he concluded. "If this solar system is trapped in an infinite cycle, it makes sense that something¡ªor someone¡ªis manipulating time. And who better to do that than an ancient, advanced civilization like the Nomai?" Reaching this conclusion, Liam decided that exploring the ruins of the Nomai civilization was the key to completing the game. Since he had already perfected the tutorial on how to pilot, Liam took off precisely, heading toward Lia''s Rock, where an ancient Nomai ruin was located. After a brief struggle with the ship''s controls, he easily stabilized the vehicle and flew toward the moon orbiting the small, wooded retreat. Instead of landing at the moon¡¯s camp, Liam chose to explore the mysterious ruins. And so he did. He tested every compartment of the ocular signal detector, searched every inch of the underground chamber, and read all the scriptures left by the Nomai. It was there that he discovered that this locator alone wasn¡¯t enough. The Nomai, having realized the same limitation, had built a new locator in the Uncertain Valley. They also mentioned an enigmatic locator on the Quantum Moon, located in the Hourglass Twin. Although he didn¡¯t fully understand what the Eye of the Universe or the Quantum Moon was, Liam decided to investigate both, starting with the closest one: the Quantum Moon. He climbed back into his ship, ready to set course for the Ember Twin, when a melancholic melody suddenly played, breaking his concentration. Confused, he looked around and noticed something strange happening to the sun. It was... shrinking. "Why is the sun getting smaller...?" he murmured, puzzled. But as he observed more closely, the truth hit him like a punch. "It''s not shrinking... It''s collapsing!" And then, before he could fully process what was happening, the answer came with a deafening explosion. Boom. A devastating explosion erupted as the sun turned into a supernova. Liam could almost feel his atoms vibrating all around him. A gigantic wave of blue energy spread outward, disintegrating everything in its path. "Why did it explode?" he thought out loud, unable to hide his shock. After a few moments of analyzing the possibilities, he arrived at the most logical conclusion: "It must be an inevitable event. I''ve only been playing for 20 minutes... There''s no way I did anything to trigger the end of the universe." As the supernova finally reached him, the sensation was almost tangible. His skin tingled as the wave of energy engulfed him, but in the next instant, he felt his consciousness being pulled away, just like when he had interacted with the Nomai statue. "Ah, now it all makes sense. Finally, the pieces fit together," he said, looking at the mask worn by the statue. He understood now. There was an invisible countdown to the end of the universe, but thanks to the statue, he was able to return 20 minutes before the catastrophe. "This is the time loop," he thought. "Dying and bringing back knowledge from the future is the key to progressing in the game." Since he had already explored Lia''s Rock, there was no need to go back there in the next loop. With that realization, everything went dark. When he opened his eyes again, Liam was lying next to the campfire, right where it all started. "I thought I¡¯d wake up at the statue." It seemed that the statue wasn¡¯t the start of the loop but rather the entrance to it. Trying to get his bearings, he started a conversation with Slate to see if there were now new dialogue options. And as expected, there were. By exploring the new conversations, he discovered that he was the only one who retained memories of the time loops. Without wasting time, Liam headed straight for the ship and plotted a course to the Uncertain Valley. He would use the second loop to explore as much as possible within the available time. Twenty minutes later, the same melancholic melody echoed, signaling the impending end. He had explored nearly the entire surface of the planet but had found nothing concrete about the locator for the Eye of the Universe¡ªonly a strange library with no visible entrance. Soon, the next cycle began, and Liam set off toward the Hourglass Twins. From space, he watched the two planets orbiting each other in a celestial dance. The Ember Twin, a reddish, arid planet, had a gigantic canyon slowly being filled with sand sent by its brother, the Ash Twin, which was a barren planet made entirely of sand. Upon landing on the Ember Twin, Liam spotted a vast cave system. As an experienced player, he knew that caves often meant hidden secrets. So, he temporarily abandoned his search for the Quantum Moon locator and decided to explore the depths of the area. Unfortunately, it wouldn¡¯t be as easy as he had imagined. "Damn it!" Liam groaned, landing on the Ember Twin for the fifth time. It took him four full cycles to explore the caves. The cave system was extremely complex, and if Liam got lost, it meant a wasted cycle. But in the last cycle, he discovered that hidden Nomai writings provided instructions on how to navigate the tunnels. Following the Nomai inscriptions on the walls, he found the path to the City of Chance, an ancient and grand settlement of the extinct civilization. Upon arriving at the city, Liam encountered various records left by the Nomai on topics that were still shrouded in mystery to him. However, it didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that the sand was slowly filling the cave paths and covering the City of Chance itself, threatening to bury him alive. Suddenly, he felt a wave of claustrophobia. "I knew the sand was rising, but I didn¡¯t realize it was this fast. I need to get out of here." Desperate, he tried several paths until he finally found one leading upward. However, instead of an exit, he stumbled upon a strange laboratory. Scanning the sign, the name appeared: [High Energy Lab] + The Nomai inscriptions glowed softly, and Liam began reading all the available information in the area. From that, he formed a general understanding of the experiments conducted there. "They created a teleporter using white and black holes... But the messages mention something strange. They say that an object exits the white hole ''three seconds before'' entering the black hole." He reflected aloud, intrigued. The most logical conclusion was that the object had traveled three seconds into the past after entering the black hole. "Could this be where the Nomai¡¯s time travel technology originated?" Liam decided he needed to test the experiment, even with the cycle¡¯s end approaching. He adjusted the controls of the High Energy Lab. He had already read everything about warp cores and the signal duplication phenomenon. He knew exactly how to operate them. Now, he just wanted to see the experiment in action. "Let¡¯s see this work." He launched the little probe into the black hole, and before the object even crossed through, its duplicate had already emerged from the white hole. On his helmet¡¯s display, the signal of the second probe appeared. Everything happened exactly as described¡ªa perfect duplication. Liam smiled, satisfied. But then, he decided to try something different. This time, after launching the probe again and seeing the duplicate emerge from the white hole, he immediately deactivated the black hole core before the original could enter. "It works!" Liam exclaimed, excited. The impossible had happened: two identical probes existed simultaneously. Unfortunately, spacetime couldn''t handle this anomaly. Suddenly, the air around him began to distort. The walls vibrated violently, and a low, constant hum filled the room. Liam felt his body being pulled in all directions. The space around him folded upon itself, and he saw multiple versions of himself flickering in and out of existence. The universe was shattering before his eyes, twisting until everything dissolved into an empty darkness. Spacetime had collapsed. In the midst of that void, no Nomai mask appeared, no sensation of his mind returning through time. There was only... nothingness. For a moment, Liam forgot he was in a game. A growing sense of dread consumed his thoughts. "Is this possible? Am I going to be trapped... in this void?" As he pondered the catastrophic decision that had led to the end of the universe, a deep and sinister voice echoed around him. [You have met a terrible fate.] A chill ran down Liam¡¯s spine. He looked around, but there was nothing. Before he could recover, a new notification appeared. [You have completed the secret challenge: Destroy the fabric of spacetime.] [You have received the item "Scroll of Return." The reward will be delivered as a bonus upon completing the game.] Before Liam could react, he was suddenly ejected from the game. Covered in sweat, he found himself back in his room, sitting on his bed and staring at his computer screen in shock. "What the hell was that?!" He shouted without thinking. "Watch your mouth, boy!" His grandmother¡¯s voice echoed from the kitchen. "Sorry, Grandma!" He quickly replied. Still shaken, Liam threw himself onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. ''It was a secret challenge... But damn, that was scary as hell!'' He thought, trying to calm down. ''At least I got an extra reward. I bet neither Alex nor James managed to find this.'' Determined to share his discovery with his friends, he grabbed his phone, ready to send a message in the group chat. However, before he could type, his computer started playing the Star Wars theme. Liam glanced at the screen and saw an incoming group video call in the "Emergency" chat. Without a second thought, he answered the call. Chapter 11: The Tomb of the Forgotten Sitting at the bus stop, James stretched and yawned. "Jamie, you live just 15 minutes from here, right?" Samantha asked, sitting beside him and leaning in his direction. ''Jamie'' was the nickname she had given him, and even though he didn''t like it much, unfortunately for James, she had no intention of changing it. "Around 10 minutes if I walk fast. Why?" he asked, confused. "Then why are you waiting for the bus with me?" she said with a smile. James also smiled and leaned in slightly. "Because I like your company, isn''t it obvious?" he replied with a flirtatious tone. "That''s great because I love being with you too," she flirted back. "But you seemed to be in a big hurry during class. What changed?" Just over three hours ago, Alex had sent a message about the launch of the new Maravilhador game. James had wanted to leave class immediately, but the teacher had simply decreed that no one would leave before class was over. Seeing the high chances of missing the Top 3 this time, James decided there was no point in rushing. After all, what¡¯s another drop of water when you¡¯re already soaked? He chose to spend some quality time with Samantha. Later, he¡¯d ask Alex and Liam for some tips. "Nothing changed. I just wanted to enjoy my time with you," he answered. "That''s sweet." Her beautiful smile made James¡¯ mind go blank. "Want to go out tonight?" Samantha asked. "We could go bowling." Recovering, James nodded. "Sure, we can meet at the French restaurant." Even though they weren¡¯t dating¡ªyet¡ªthey often went out together. James didn¡¯t know it, but Samantha was waiting for him to take the first step. "Jamie, did you see that the government is forcing everyone to take their rewards to the police station?" Samantha suddenly asked. "I saw it. It was on TV this morning," James replied. "It''s technically illegal to play now. But no one really cares. You just have to be careful." Soon, they were talking about how ridiculous the government was being lately, and how they wanted to invade civilians'' homes to confiscate (steal) the rewards they had won, claiming they were evidence of Maravilhador''s crimes. Most players didn¡¯t believe it, but James was especially worried¡ªbecause in the last few days, he had been acting as an anonymous hero. He had helped with some traffic accidents and stopped two convenience store robberies, one of which was armed. Since there was no full moon that night, James didn¡¯t know if his defense was strong enough to withstand a bullet. So, he simply threw a small stone at the robber¡¯s armed hand. Some of the guy¡¯s bones might have been broken from the impact, but considering he was pointing a gun at the young cashier, James thought it was fair. After a week as a vigilante, he had even earned a hero name. Since he always appeared wearing a Dracula-style cape and disappeared as soon as he helped, people had started calling him "Dark Knight." It wasn¡¯t a big deal, but James was really proud of it. After all, it was a pretty cool name. That was also why he was so worried¡ªhis cape was currently in his closet, hanging with his jackets. Authorities wouldn¡¯t have to try too hard to find it. "Good thing our rewards were just potions, right? We don¡¯t have to worry about hiding them," Samantha said. "Hahaha¡­ yeah, good thing," he replied with a bitter smile. A red bus approached. Samantha stood up. "That¡¯s my bus." "The bus is yours? Congrats on the achievement," James joked, standing up as well. "Idiot. You know what I mean." He just laughed. The bus stopped, and the doors opened. "See you later. Wear that blue jacket¡ªit looks good on you. And don¡¯t be late," Samantha said, hugging him and kissing his cheek. "I hate that jacket¡­" he grumbled. "I like it. So. Wear. It," she said, stepping onto the bus. "Alright. See you later." James watched until the bus disappeared from sight. ''I really hate that jacket. It makes my arms itch,'' he complained mentally. ''I¡¯m gonna throw it out and say it got lost.'' With plans to "make the innocent piece of clothing disappear," James walked back to his apartment. Once inside, he went straight to his computer to check out Maravilhador¡¯s new game. "Outer Wilds? A virtual reality game?" Even James, who had an almost unshakable trust in Maravilhador¡¯s games, hesitated for a moment. After all, how was a regular, slightly outdated computer supposed to run a VR game? Or better yet, how was the VR going to work? "Maybe he¡¯s sending the VR equipment?" When James checked his friends list, he saw that Sant.H and NovaStar had been online, playing Outer Wilds for about 4 hours and 12 minutes. Sant.H was Liam¡¯s username, and NovaStar was Alex¡¯s. Seeing that they were already playing, James didn¡¯t want to bother them and decided to play by himself until it was time for his date with Samantha. However, before he could start the game, his phone rang. "...Maravilhador launched another game!" an excited voice came through as soon as James answered. "I know. I just saw it," he said. "Uh¡­" Samantha hesitated. "Everything okay?" James asked. "..." After a few moments of silence, she finally spoke. "Can we reschedule our date?" James went quiet. Honestly, that caught him off guard. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be the one canceling a date for a video game? Why were their roles reversed? But he understood. After all, it was Maravilhador¡¯s magic game. "Sure, but on one condition." "Condition? What is it?" Samantha asked, confused. James smirked. "Never mention the blue jacket again. Actually, forget it even exists¡ªit¡¯s going to disappear anyway." "What!?" she exclaimed, surprised. "But it looks so good on you!" James nodded. "I see. So what time should we meet at the restaurant? Seven sound good to you?" "..." Silence. "Okay. No blue jacket, then." "Perfect. Have fun gaming." Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "You¡¯re not mad that I canceled the date?" Samantha asked, sounding unsure. "No. I wanted to play too." "Wait¡­ If you also wanted to play, then the condition we agreed on doesn¡¯t make sense be¡ª" "Bye, Samantha. See you tomorrow," James said, hanging up before she could finish. Sitting in front of the computer, he launched the game Outer Wilds. James looked around, expecting some kind of VR equipment to be sent, but he was disappointed when nothing happened. Looking at the game menu: ? [New Expedition] ? [Options] ? [Exit] "How is this supposed to be virtual reality?" he sighed, disappointed. ¡®Maybe Maravilhador accidentally tagged it as "VR,"¡¯ he thought. ¡®Everyone makes mistakes.¡¯ Sighing once more, James selected [New Expedition]. Immediately, his vision blurred, and he felt his consciousness being pulled away. In the next moment, he found himself beneath a breathtaking starry sky, sitting next to a cozy campfire, with the sweet smell of roasted marshmallows in the air. Looking at the adorable little blue creature sitting across from the fire, he smiled and sat down as well. "Here¡¯s our pilot! Back from your pre-launch camp under the stars. So, today¡¯s the big launch day, huh? Feels like just yesterday you joined the space program, and now here you are, heading off on your first solo flight!" Slate greeted him enthusiastically. James looked at the possible dialogue choices but decided to ignore them and speak directly to Slate. "Yeah. I¡¯m gonna miss this campfire under the stars when I leave. And you, Slate." James analyzed the previous dialogue options and tried to mimic the personality of the character he was controlling. "Haha... It¡¯s natural to miss home. When you''re far away, even the little things start to matter¡ªa pile of old bones like me included. But I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so relaxed. I guess marshmallows really help with the nerves, huh?" Slate responded, looking genuinely happy. James didn¡¯t think he would be one of the first players to finish the game. After all, the others had a four-hour head start. So, he simply followed his heart and talked casually with Slate. He was particularly interested in the character¡¯s artificial intelligence. Picking up a stick with a marshmallow on the tip, he held it over the fire and continued the conversation. "Have you ever been to space, Slate?" Slate smiled, looking a bit embarrassed. "If you count Lia¡¯s rock as part of ¡®space,¡¯ then yeah. But that was a long time ago. Ah, and I built the ship myself¡ªit was even worse than yours. I¡¯ve improved a lot since then. Everything was going fine... well, until landing. But that part¡¯s not important..." While listening to Slate¡¯s story, James decided to try the marshmallow, and to his surprise, it actually tasted like one. ¡®Amazing. Even taste was recreated... Truly incredible,¡¯ he thought, fascinated. "...I¡¯m taking up too much of your time. You should head to the observatory and get the launch codes." James tried to keep the conversation going, but Slate insisted he go get the codes. With no other choice, he headed toward the observatory. But what should have been a 7¨C8 minute tutorial ended up taking nearly 20 minutes because James spoke with every NPC he encountered. Even after obtaining the launch codes, he continued exploring the village, moving carefully. James had been the first person to play a game made by Maravilhador, so he knew the developer loved hiding secret rooms and Easter eggs in his games. There could be much more to this small planet than met the eye. And just as he expected, there were indeed secrets. James walked carefully, the wind blowing gently, kicking up small clouds of dust along the path leading to the "Grave of the Forgotten." It was a remote place, shrouded in mystery¡ªa small cemetery lost in time, with only eight graves, marked by old headstones, some nearly illegible. A rusted, weather-worn plaque bore faded letters: "Final resting place of the members and allies of the Howling Commandos." Approaching the tombstones, James didn¡¯t recognize any of the names on the first few. He continued looking out of curiosity¡ªuntil he came across one that made his heart race. Engraved on the cold stone was a name: [Howard Stark] Howard Stark, creator of Captain America¡¯s shield and one of his closest allies. Date of death: December 16, 1991. James murmured to himself, incredulous. "Howard Stark. A relative of the famous billionaire Tony Stark... or just a coincidence?" He stared at the gravestone, trying to understand why that name appeared here, in such an isolated cemetery. ¡®He was the creator of Captain America¡¯s shield? I don¡¯t remember learning that in history class.¡¯ James racked his brain but was sure that no history lessons had ever mentioned this. But what truly unsettled him were the three dug-up, empty graves. He stepped closer to the first and carefully read the inscription: [Peggy Carter] The first and only love of Steve Rogers. Founder of the world¡¯s greatest espionage organization. James furrowed his brows, confused. "How is this possible? I¡¯ve never heard of her... How could I not, if she was Captain America¡¯s true love?" His mind sifted through American history lessons, which always glorified the legacy of Steve Rogers, Captain America, but never once mentioned Peggy. He looked at her empty grave, wondering what it could mean. Moving on to the next headstone, now even more intrigued, he read: [Bucky Barnes] Steve Rogers¡¯ best friend. Presumed dead during a mission against Hydra. Rumors say his fate was worse than death. James closed his eyes for a moment, trying to process the flood of information. He knew the story of Colonel Barnes, the man who fell from a train during a battle against Hydra soldiers. But something didn¡¯t add up. The headstone suggested he didn¡¯t die fighting Hydra. It implied he suffered a fate worse than death. Now, seeing his empty grave, the feeling that something was terribly wrong only grew in James¡¯ heart. Finally, he turned to the last empty grave. [Steve Rogers] The first astronaut, but his reckless courage led him to crash headfirst into a glacier. Rumors say he¡¯s still trapped in that glacier to this day. James took a deep breath, shaking his head as reality slowly settled in his mind. He was taking all of this too seriously. These weren¡¯t actual graves but symbolic tributes to the Howling Commandos, the legendary group Captain America had been part of. "Right... that makes sense," he muttered to himself, relieved but still unable to shake his persistent curiosity. "These graves are just symbolic memorials." Even so, James made a mental note to research the Howling Commandos later. As he prepared to continue his exploration of the planet, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a notification. A message flashed in his field of vision: [Video call in the "Emergency" group] [Exit VR mode to answer?] "Emergency! What could have happened for them to use this group?" James wondered. "Maybe they found some crucial information for the game''s progress." Quickly, he exited VR mode. Still slightly disoriented from the abrupt shift in perspective, James looked at his computer and saw that Alex had started the video call. He accepted it immediately. Liam joined as well. "Alex, what happened? I''m trying to get first place, you know?" Liam asked, irritated. "If this is one of your tricks to throw me off, just know¡ª" "Give up already, it''s impossible for you to beat me!" she interrupted. James smiled as he watched the two interact. He found the dynamic between Liam and Alex quite interesting. After all, Liam spoke to him normally, but when it came to Alex, he always seemed visibly annoyed. Despite that, James still felt a little out of place interacting with them. At 21 years old, he was much older than Alex, 17, and Liam, 15. The only reason he had agreed to be part of the group was because, after Alex posted online looking to gather the 1st and 3rd place players, some people started impersonating him to try and get personal information from her. Concerned for Alex¡¯s safety, James reached out to warn her. However, due to her insistence, he ended up joining the group. Now, in a way, he saw himself as the "supervisor" of these two reckless teens. "Impossible? You''ll see!" Liam said with a mix of indignation and pride. "Not only am I going to finish before you, but I''ve also figured out how to get the extra reward and unlock a secret achievement!" "Hahaha!" Alex laughed. "Impossible? I just beat the game!" Silence filled the group for a moment before all three of them exclaimed at the same time: "Impossible!" Liam shouted, shocked and outraged. "Extra reward and secret achievement?!" Alex yelled, surprised that Liam had discovered something she hadn''t. "You two are amazing!" James exclaimed, impressed. After all, he hadn¡¯t even reached the end of the first cycle yet. Both Liam and James were astonished. The game had only been out for four hours, and Alex had already finished it? Liam, however, was more outraged than surprised. "How did you finish so fast¡­ That''s impossible!" "You used the Intelligence Potion, didn''t you?" James guessed. Alex had mentioned that she hadn''t used the potion, but the only way to finish that quickly would be with it. From what James had noticed, Outer Wilds seemed to be a game full of puzzles and mysteries, and using the Intelligence Potion was like giving wings to a panther. Upon hearing that, Liam exploded: "That''s cheating! You''re a cheater!" It took a while for him to calm down. "I came here to share valuable information with you for free. Other people would be willing to pay millions for it!" Alex said, pretending to be offended. "And I haven''t seen any of you showing gratitude yet." "Thank you very much for thinking of us, Alex." As the most mature one, James quickly expressed his gratitude. Liam, still annoyed, pretended not to hear. "I forgot to mention that the rewards are only for the first players to complete the game," Alex continued. "The reward is the Galactic Explorer Set, spaceship included." James and Liam''s eyes widened. The Explorer Set with a spaceship was something anyone on Earth would covet. "So, show some gratitude and say please... Or forget about your dream of exploring the solar system," Alex finished with a smirk. After a brief silence, Liam retorted stubbornly. "I don''t need it! I''m almost done with the game anyway. I already figured out how the time loop works. One or two more cycles, and I''ll finish." Alex sighed, realizing her attempt to make Liam beg had failed. James, noticing their stubbornness, decided to step in. "Liam, since you got the extra reward and Alex has the crucial hints to complete the game, why don¡¯t you two trade information? Wasn''t that the whole point of creating this group?" Reflecting on James¡¯ words, Liam finally relented, revealing that breaking the fabric of space-time was a secret challenge that granted the Scroll of Return as an extra reward. James was shocked. It sounded terrifying. "Hahaha, now it¡¯s time for the kind person that I am to share my information with you," Alex said playfully. And so, Alex explained step by step how to complete Outer Wilds. In the end, it was simpler than they had imagined. "Next time, you''ll be the one begging!" Liam declared before quickly hanging up the call. "He can¡¯t be first, so now he¡¯s rushing to be second," Alex commented, looking at James. "I don¡¯t mind being third." "You should be a little more competitive, you know?" Alex remarked. James just laughed. "You''re still not selling me the Ring of Varda?" she asked curiously. "Unfortunately, no. I still need it." "It¡¯s because of your anonymous hero thing, huh?" Alex teased. "Yeah," James replied without thinking. When he realized what he had just admitted, he was completely shocked. "Wait! You knew?" "It wasn¡¯t that hard to figure out. The three of us were the only ones who got two rewards. I got the Sword Card and the Intelligence Potion, Liam took the Jump Stone and the Luck Potion, and you got the Ring of Varda, but you never wanted to say what your other item was," Alex explained. "So, I kind of guessed it was a cloak. Put those two together and voil¨¤, we have the Dark Knight." James was surprised. Alex was smarter than he had thought. "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone. I¡¯m an anonymous hero too¡­ Well, I saved an old lady from a mugging once," Alex said casually. "You''re still too young for that," James warned. "Sure, sure. Now go finish the game. Maybe later the three of us can take a trip to the moon," Alex said before hanging up. James smiled. "So this is what it feels like to have younger siblings?" Chapter 12: I finally rested... Or not. [4 horas atr¨¢s] (Este cap¨ªtulo ¨¦ uma continua??o direta do Cap¨ªtulo 5, que termina com o protagonista publicando Outer Wilds.) Depois de concluir e publicar Outer Wilds, decidi verificar os e-mails que se acumularam enquanto eu estava ocupado. Abrindo minha caixa de entrada, vi o n¨²mero ridiculamente alto de +999 mensagens n?o lidas. Suspirei, me preparando mentalmente antes de come?ar a ler. O primeiro e-mail foi simples. [Muito obrigado por criar este jogo magn¨ªfico e distribuir essas recompensas incr¨ªveis, Sr. Marveler. Ansiosos pelo seu pr¨®ximo jogo. Atenciosamente, [SahaFlora] Sorri ao ler. Ser reconhecido e elogiado sempre foi bom. "N?o se preocupe, criarei muitos outros jogos com recompensas incr¨ªveis no futuro", murmurei para mim mesmo. Afinal, ¨¦ ben¨¦fico para ambos os lados, certo? Passei para o pr¨®ximo e-mail, que era basicamente uma c¨®pia do anterior. [Muito obrigado pela Po??o de Intelig¨ºncia! Eu tirei nota m¨¢xima em todos os meus exames! Continue fazendo jogos incr¨ªveis! Atenciosamente, MaxUltra] [Obrigado, cara, por fazer esta obra-prima contemporanea...] [Muito obrigado por...] [Obrigado por...] Dei uma olhada no fluxo infinito de mensagens semelhantes. Havia centenas delas. Obviamente, eu n?o ia ler todas, mas apreciei cada uma delas. "Jarvis, filtre e-mails repetitivos desse tipo." "Imediatamente, senhor", respondeu Jarvis em seu tom educado de sempre. Continuei lendo por quase uma hora. Alguns e-mails realmente se destacaram, como um do James. [Primeiramente, obrigado por todas as recompensas que recebi, tanto a Capa do Dr¨¢cula quanto o Anel Varda. Ontem, testei os dois e, devido a alguns acontecimentos inesperados, acabei salvando tr¨ºs pessoas de serem atropeladas. S¨® queria agradecer. Sem esses itens, essas pessoas poderiam ter se machucado seriamente¡­ ou pior. Atenciosamente, James] Se bem me lembro, James ¨¦ o jogador com classifica??o SSS que foi o primeiro a comprar e completar Castlevania. E pensar que ele realmente salvou algu¨¦m. Esse ¨¦ o mundo dos super-her¨®is para voc¨º ¡ª uma pessoa comum ganha poderes e instantaneamente se torna um her¨®i. Para mostrar meu apoio, respondi rapidamente. [Oh, um her¨®i? Parab¨¦ns pela sua coragem, rapaz. Espero ver voc¨º em meus jogos futuros. Sinceramente, Senhor Marveler.] Conforme continuei lendo, fiquei surpreso ao encontrar ainda mais hist¨®rias semelhantes. Jogadores usando seus itens para salvar pessoas de situa??es perigosas. Um dos e-mails mais impressionantes foi de uma garota que usou uma espada aut?noma para impedir um assalto. Ela parecia animada enquanto descrevia tudo. Al¨¦m dos e-mails dos jogadores, tamb¨¦m havia mensagens de policiais, militares e oficiais do governo. Li algumas das mais amea?adoras. [Voc¨º ¨¦ acusado de hackear redes de servidores p¨²blicos e privados, incluindo servidores de defesa nacional. Voc¨º est¨¢ avisado para se reportar ¨¤ delegacia de pol¨ªcia mais pr¨®xima¡­ Coronel da Terceira Unidade Policial, Elio G.] [Por seus crimes contra a seguran?a virtual, voc¨º foi intimado a comparecer perante o Supremo Tribunal¡­] [The National Council has deemed your actions crimes against the state¡­] If this were the Marvel Universe, I¡¯d probably be trembling in fear right now. But since there¡¯s literally a universe of distance between us, there¡¯s no reason for me to worry. "They can''t find me, so they want me to surrender." I laughed to myself. "Impossible." I moved on to the next batch of emails¡ªpeople trying to trade their rewards. Obviously, that wasn¡¯t possible, so I just skipped them. Then, I came across news articles asking about the inspirations behind the game and how I managed to send the rewards so mysteriously. My response was simple: [I am the Marveler!] Last but certainly not least, there was one message that made me pause for a few seconds. [You seem to have incredible talent, perhaps only slightly below mine. The technology you use to send rewards is spatial warping, right? But you¡¯re using it in a children''s game. This could revolutionize the nuclear weapons market. Missiles and bombs appearing over enemy cities without warning. Can you imagine? Why don¡¯t you join me? We can take this technology to an unprecedented level. Your salary would be 10 million dollars per month. Think about it. ¡ªTony Stark.] Yes, the greatest hero of Marvel, genius, billionaire, philanthropist¡ªTony Stark¡ªwas offering me 10 million dollars per month. For a second, I considered the idea. Work for a few months and retire peacefully? Sounds great. But, of course, that''s not possible. First, I don¡¯t actually have spatial warping technology¡ªthe system does. Second, I can¡¯t go to the Marvel Universe yet. Third, this Tony Stark hasn¡¯t gone through Obadiah¡¯s betrayal yet, so he¡¯s still that arrogant and unbearable playboy. "Let¡¯s just ignore it for now," I said, laughing to myself. "Maybe in the future, we can have a little chat." After reading all the emails, I closed my inbox and leaned back on the couch. "Should I use the advertisement card?" Even without it, the game could gain a lot of visibility. I mean, the advertisement card basically hacked into every electronic device in the U.S. Not to mention the Castlevania rewards. Most likely, thousands of people are already waiting for my future games... Just as expected. [Your game has been sold successfully. You earned 20 dollars and 8 points.] If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. [Your game has been sold successfully. You earned 20 dollars and 8 points.] [Your game has been sold successfully. You earned 20 dollars and 8 points.] [Your game has been sold successfully. You earned¡­] [You received 180 points for selling your game to a high-level player.] [You received 180 points for selling your game to a high-level player.] [You received 180 points for selling your game to a high-lev¡­] Notifications flooded my field of vision. "Disable notifications." Looks like I was right after all. [Game Name: Outer Wilds] [Steam Rating: 5 stars] [Approval: Very Positive (96% of 204¡­)] [Total Sales: 456,653] [Current Players: 455,328] [Number of Players Who Finished the Game: 0] [¡­] [Total Revenue: 9,692,280 dollars] (Withdraw) [System Points: 3,868,930] Looking at the game profile, I was completely stunned. In just 10 minutes, the game already had over 400,000 downloads, earning me 9 million dollars and 3 million system points. Looking at that absurd amount, I couldn''t help but ask. "Jarvis, are game developers supposed to earn this much?" "Yes, sir. However, the money invested in creating a game of such magnitude tends to exceed 180 million dollars, reaching up to 250 million," Jarvis replied. "You don¡¯t need to invest anything, so your profits are basically 100%." That¡¯s true. I spent a little over a million points, but just five minutes after publishing the game, I had already earned three times that amount. "This system is really broken." But that¡¯s for the best. With so many points, I can create even better games. As for the multiverse shop¡¯s items, like weapons and such, they¡¯re useless to me. After all, there are no supervillains in the real world. Since I didn''t need to use the advertising card, I decided to leave the game alone. I needed a break. After watching the sales explode and notifications rolling in nonstop, I realized I hadn¡¯t eaten anything for hours. It was a good time to go out and relax a bit. I put on a jacket and left the house. The fresh air hit me, a nice contrast to the warm, enclosed space of my apartment. I ended up going to a restaurant I often passed by but had never entered. It wasn¡¯t anything fancy, just a small place with a slightly faded sign. As soon as I stepped inside, the smell of homemade food reminded me of just how hungry I really was. I sat by the window and ordered the daily special. It only took 15 minutes. "Your order." The waitress placed the plate in front of me. The food looked delicious, and with every bite, I felt more relaxed. It was nice to take a break from all this, even knowing things were just getting started. After lunch, I glanced at my reflection in the window and realized it was time to buy some new clothes. My favorite jeans had long surpassed their limit, and my most comfortable t-shirt was starting to fade. It didn¡¯t take long to reach the shopping mall, which was as busy as ever. I entered the first clothing store I saw. The models there were simple but stylish. A salesperson noticed me and asked what I was looking for. After trying on a few outfits, I picked out three t-shirts, a pair of jeans, and, of course, a leather jacket. I had always wanted one, but never had a good enough excuse to spend money on it. Now I did. From the mall, I walked to the nearest plaza. After spending so much time cooped up inside, it felt strange to be in the middle of the city again. I spotted an ice cream shop nearby and decided to get one. With a chocolate cone in hand, I sat on a bench facing a fountain. Kids ran back and forth, couples strolled by, and everything just felt¡­ normal. I smiled to myself. It was nice to have a bit of normalcy after everything. After resting for a bit, I decided to stop by a video game store. I had created two games, but I wasn¡¯t very experienced. Maybe playing some would help me improve. I reached the store and was mesmerized by the shelves filled with both new and old titles. I picked up a few I wanted to play, like Devil May Cry 5, A Plague Tale, Elden Ring, and a few other promising action/RPG games. I left the store with a full bag and a satisfied feeling. I had everything I needed to spend hours gaming if I wanted to. When I got home, I put away all my purchases and collapsed onto the couch, finally relaxed. But there was still something important I needed to do. I grabbed my phone and dialed Aunt Leona¡¯s number. "Rick, is something wrong?" She answered quickly, her usual concern evident. "No, nothing serious. Just calling to see when you''re coming over." "We agreed on Friday, remember? That¡¯s the day after tomorrow. By the way, Helena called me and said she wants to come too," she replied casually. That was fine with me. Helena and I had always gotten along. She even messages me sometimes to check how I¡¯m doing, which is more than my parents have done since they kicked me out. "Great. I¡¯ll prepare a feast for you guys," I said, trying to sound upbeat. "Oh, you mentioned last time that you were ''making a game.'' Can you tell me more about it?" Leona asked, curious. I felt a wave of discomfort. I couldn¡¯t tell her the truth, so I made up an entire story, saying that I had learned a bit of programming in college and, by chance, made a game that I ended up selling to someone. "So you can¡¯t say who you sold it to because of a contract?" She sounded surprised but still curious. "Exactly." "I see¡­ But selling an entire game for just 10,000? I don¡¯t know much about this, but that seems low." There was a hint of skepticism in her voice. "I really needed money at the time¡­ and I only realized it was too cheap after I signed the contract," I replied, trying not to sound unsure. The conversation continued like that, with Leona warning me about fraudulent contracts and legal traps. She even gave me the contact of a lawyer, suggesting that if I ever had to sign something in the future, I should have them review it first. That only made me feel guiltier for lying to her. Then the topic shifted to my parents. Leona insisted that I should call them and let them know how I was doing, but I honestly didn¡¯t see the point. I had no desire to talk to them. Even when I was a kid, my parents were never exactly affectionate. They didn¡¯t mistreat me, but they were always cold and distant. That¡¯s why I grew more attached to Leona, even though I only saw her a few times a year¡ªshe was always more present. "It doesn¡¯t matter, Rick. You need to talk to them, understand?" Leona said firmly, in the way only she could. Before I could respond, a notification popped up. [Player "NovaStar" was the first to complete the ending of Outer Wilds. Reward: Galactic Explorer Set (Modifiable Ship). You received 80 bonus points.] [Choose an exclusive gift for the first three players to complete the game.] [Available gift list: Warp Core Dark Bramble Seed Gravity Stone ...] "Aunt, I have to go. Something urgent just came up," I said, trying to end the conversation with Leona. "Changing the subject? Doesn''t matter! We''ll have this conversation when I get there!" she replied, with the same firmness as always, before saying goodbye and hanging up. I let out a sigh and turned my attention to the notification that had popped up. That nickname... NovaStar. Wasn''t that the name of the girl who had stopped a store from being robbed? I remember she sent me an email all excited about it. "Jarvis, didn''t that girl place second in the Castlevania ranking?" I asked, because whenever I''m in doubt, I always trust Jarvis. That''s my motto. "Yes, sir." "Incredible. She finished Outer Wilds in just 4 hours," I commented, surprised, but already expecting something like this from her. After all, she was as good a player as that freak (James). "Perhaps that isn''t the right genre for James." "SSS-class player James started the game just 18 minutes ago, sir. At launch, he was still in college," Jarvis responded. "How do you know that?" I asked, surprised. "Data from all top 10 players has been collected. James, as a player with high investment potential, is no exception." "I see. I''d like to see that data later," I said. "Now. Reward..." Of course, the reward I chose for NovaStar was the best one, and perhaps the most powerful and coveted item in the Outer Wilds universe. [Oh, reaching the top twice among all players, amazing. As congratulations, I''m giving you the incredible and fabulous... Advanced Warp Core. I hope to see you in my next games. Signed: Marvelous.] The Advanced Warp Core. This item isn''t just an absurdly powerful energy source, it''s the core that enables space-time travel, allowing one to go back up to 22 minutes in the past. Normally, I would never give out a reward like this. I mean, this core has the potential to destroy space-time and wipe out the entire universe if used incorrectly. But overall, besides being an almost infinite energy source, it''s basically useless without the right technology to use it. In other words, it''s an impressive reward but practically useless without the proper tools. "If this falls into Tony Stark''s hands, it could be problematic..." I murmured, thinking about the consequences. "The chances of that happening are less than 1%, sir," Jarvis replied, always precise in his analysis. "I also think NovaStar wouldn''t sell the Warp Core. Who would sell the best energy source in the universe?" I laughed to myself. "Or rather, who would have enough money to buy it?" I thought for a moment, but soon my attention returned to the notification. A Modifiable Ship? What else could I do? Opening the modification option, the full profile of the small Outer Wilds spaceship appeared on the screen... [Spaceship: No Name Type: Explorer Size: Small (1 passenger) Materials: Lightweight Metal and Wood Hull Resistance: Low Risk: Extremely High Note: Use is not recommended due to the structure¡¯s fragility and the dangers of space travel. The ship is highly vulnerable to impacts and adverse environmental conditions.] [Open for more details (+)] I was really surprised by how dangerous the Outer Wilds spaceship was. It might be fun to pilot in the game, but in reality, taking off in that thing would be almost suicidal. "Good thing there''s a modification option, or I''d have lost some good players..." With that thought in mind, I opened the Modification Menu. A holographic screen appeared, just like a virtual store for spaceship parts. There were many categories, with modification options ranging from basic systems to science-fiction-level items. And of course, everything cost a fortune. [Life Support Systems] ? Basic Life Support: 18,000 points. ? Advanced Life Support System: 219,000 points. ? XN21 Semi-Auto Sustainable Support System: 705,000 points. [Thrusters] ? Basic Chemical Thruster: 25,000 points. ? Advanced Omnidirectional Ion Thruster: 262,000 points. ? Nuclear Fusion Thruster: 1,000,000 points. [Ship Hull Alloy] ? Lightweight Alloy Hull: 50,000 points. ? Reinforced Titanium Hull: 300,000 points. ? Ultra-Resistant Composite Metal Hull: 415,000 points. [Navigation System] ? Basic GPS: 14,000 points. ? Stellar Navigation System: 157,000 points. ? Artificial Intelligence Navigation: 650,000 points. [Spacesuit] ? Basic Spacesuit: 30,700 points. ? Advanced Spacesuit: 200,000 points. [Radiation Protection] ? Basic Anti-Radiation Shield: 54,000 points. ? Space Radiation Shield: 370,200 points. ? Radial Containment Field: 863,500 points. ? High Cosmic Energy Protection System: 1,389,300 points [Emergency System] ? Escape Pods: 83,000 points. ? Emergency Teleportation System: 540,000 points. ? Emergency Transfer Matrix: 783,029 points. Looking at all these options before me, I decided it was best not to skimp. After all, I''d rather my players survive than explode or suffocate right after leaving the atmosphere. I started by choosing the XN21 support system because the phrase "semi-auto sustainable" inspires immense confidence. It cost 700,000 points, but unfortunately for my economy, it was essential. Then, I moved on to the thrusters. I opted for the advanced omnidirectional ion thruster. I wasn¡¯t willing to spend 1 million on the fusion thruster¡ªbesides the price, "nuclear fusion" sounded extremely dangerous. Next, I chose the Ultra-Resistant Composite Metal Hull¡ªa true armor for the ship. For navigation, I picked Artificial Intelligence Navigation because no one deserves to die lost in space or crashing into a random asteroid. Por seguran?a, fui com o Radial Containment Field, que custou uma pequena fortuna em 860.000 pontos. At¨¦ considerei o High Cosmic Energy Protection System, mas decidi n?o exagerar ainda. Para o traje, escolhi o Traje Espacial Avan?ado por 240.000 pontos ¡ª prote??o extra, adapta??o gravitacional, tudo o que algu¨¦m precisaria para longas caminhadas em outro planeta. E, claro, o toque final: o Sistema de Teletransporte de Emerg¨ºncia, provavelmente a coisa mais m¨¢gica da nave. Se a durabilidade da nave chegasse a zero, todos a bordo seriam teletransportados automaticamente de volta para casa. Era quase como um respawn, s¨® que sem a parte da morte primeiro. E assim, pouco mais de 3 milh?es de pontos desapareceram em menos de 20 minutos. Mas, a julgar pelas vendas de Outer Wilds nos primeiros 10 minutos, imaginei que ganharia cerca de 9 milh?es de pontos at¨¦ amanh?, ent?o n?o precisa se preocupar muito. [Modifica??es conclu¨ªdas. Navios futuros ter?o essas mesmas modifica??es. Voc¨º concorda?] "Sim." Com isso, eu n?o teria que modificar as naves manualmente toda vez que algu¨¦m terminasse o jogo. Um problema a menos para lidar. "Finalmente feito..." Logo ap¨®s fechar o sistema de modifica??o, novas notifica??es come?aram a aparecer no meu campo de vis?o. [O jogador "Saint.H" foi o segundo a completar o final de Outer Wilds. Recompensa: Conjunto Explorador Gal¨¢ctico (Nave modific¨¢vel). Voc¨º recebeu 80 pontos de b?nus.] [O jogador "James" foi o terceiro a completar o final de Outer Wilds. Recompensa: Conjunto Explorador Gal¨¢ctico (Nave modific¨¢vel). Voc¨º recebeu 80 pontos de b?nus.] [Escolha um presente exclusivo para enviar aos tr¨ºs primeiros jogadores que conclu¨ªrem o jogo.] "..." Eu sorri. Claro que James tinha que estar l¨¢, certo? Olhei para a tela, pensativo. Eu tinha certeza de que esse Saint.H tinha ficado em terceiro lugar em Castlevania. Agora s¨® faltava escolher as recompensas... Chapter 13: Nick Furys Dilemma part 1 (POV: Nick Fury) "I have a few doubts," said Nick Fury, his firm tone unwavering. "But first, answer me something." "Ask away, Director," said Spike, straightening his posture. "How many level 6 agents were assigned to this mission?" Still a bit uncertain, Spike answered quickly. "268, sir." "And how many level 7 agents?" "32." Nick nodded, seeming to reflect. "And if you had to describe these agents'' skills, how would you?" Maria Hill and Coulson, who knew Fury¡¯s temperament better than anyone, discreetly moved back, distancing themselves from Spike. Spike, confused but determined to answer seriously, began. "They have a high level of intelligence, excellent physical capabilities, and..." He stopped when he noticed Fury''s lips twitch slightly, his eyebrows raising in a way that made it clear what was coming next. "Then explain to me how, out of 300 agents with a ''high level of intelligence,'' only two succeeded?" Fury¡¯s voice carried restrained irritation. "Maybe I''m losing my mind, but aren''t they supposed to be top-level agents?" Maria and Coulson remained silent, watching Spike''s discomfort as Fury pressed on, frustration evident on his face. Agent Spike, responsible for the report and the mission, felt incredibly wronged. At first, he had been quite happy, considering it a success that two of his agents had received the rewards. But apparently, that wasn''t enough for the Director. "They''re spies, not professional gamers!" That was what Spike wanted to shout, but he didn''t have the courage. "Boss, I think getting two rewards is good enough," Coulson intervened, trying to ease the tension. Honestly, Nick Fury was pleased they had obtained two rewards, but what truly irritated him was the fact that ordinary people, with no training, had managed to surpass the results of his 300 highly trained agents. Civilians. Outperforming S.H.I.E.L.D.¡¯s best agents. Fury took a deep breath, setting his frustration aside but still focused on what mattered. "What¡¯s the analysis of the virtual reality technology used?" Spike cleared his throat, adjusting his posture as he tried to organize his thoughts. He wasn¡¯t an expert in virtual reality, but he had played Outer Wilds, and the experience had been something completely out of the ordinary. He began explaining. "Well, Director, this technology... how do I put it? It seems light-years ahead of anything on Earth. It¡¯s unlike anything else. It¡¯s almost... too real, you know?" Fury raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t interrupt. "First, you don''t feel any incompatibility. Everything is so real that, if not for the life and energy indicators, it could easily be mistaken for reality. It¡¯s like you¡¯re actually transported somewhere else. Completely immersive. It feels like your mind and body are there, on the ship, on another planet. It''s technology... directly connected to consciousness itself." "I suppose it¡¯s something like direct brain stimulation," Coulson suggested, joining the conversation. "Yes. But the point is, you really don¡¯t feel the difference. Like, I remember feeling the moon¡¯s gravity, the cold waters of the Giant¡¯s Deep, or the sensation of space expanding in the Dark Bramble. It¡¯s not just seeing¡ªit¡¯s a physical sensation. A full simulation." Fury remained silent, waiting. "And that¡¯s not even the most incredible part. The most unbelievable thing is that there¡¯s no virtual reality equipment." Spike paused for a moment. "VR equipment isn¡¯t something unreachable for us¡ªwe¡¯ll get there in a decade or two¡ªbut achieving this without any specific device is impossible." Fury crossed his arms, clearly interested. "And the conclusion?" "The Marveler possibly uses the game as a locator. And the moment a player starts it, the Marveler remotely pulls their consciousness into the virtual space of Outer Wilds." "You¡¯re saying there¡¯s someone with technology powerful enough to hijack anyone¡¯s consciousness at any time?" "Unfortunately, yes," said Spike. Fury, Maria, and Coulson felt an immense pressure weighing on their minds. Nick began wondering if convincing the president to boycott the Marveler¡¯s games had been a good idea. After all, if the Marveler wanted to retaliate, he could simply pull the president¡¯s consciousness into some virtual torture space and break his mind. ''At this rate, I¡¯ll have to call Captain Marvel,'' he thought but quickly dismissed the idea. Pure physical power didn¡¯t seem to be enough to solve this kind of problem, not to mention he had no idea where the Marveler was. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ''I need to find his whereabouts first¡­ and then figure out what to do next.'' "And what about the rewards?" he asked. As frustrated as he was, Fury still couldn¡¯t hide his curiosity. The rewards obtained were two spacecraft, with technology far beyond anything Earth had. That alone was enough to attract Nick Fury¡¯s attention. Finally relieved to shift the meeting¡¯s tone, Spike projected all the images of the ships onto the large screen. Detailed information and reports appeared, organized and ready for analysis. "The first noticeable thing is that the spacecraft are completely different from the ones seen in the game," explained Spike, pointing to the Heartian ship. "In the game, the original ship was practically a space coffin¡ªunstable and dangerous. Our conclusion is that the ship was designed to fit the game¡¯s aesthetics, meaning it would be impossible to use in the real world without extremely high risks." "Makes sense," said Maria Hill, agreeing. "The Marveler seemed to care at least a little about the players'' safety. Altering the ship to be something safer was the logical decision." Fury silently agreed with the idea that the Marveler had some concern for the players. But what really bothered him was the Marveler¡¯s complete indifference to what happened to the people around those players. He didn¡¯t seem to care if players sold their rewards to the wrong people. Thieves, terrorists... who knew what else? An entire black market had emerged, with players selling potions, swords, and cloaks for absurd prices. S.H.I.E.L.D. was buying as much as possible to control the situation, but even the organization had its financial limits. Fury found himself thinking about all the consequences. He had convinced the government to ban and confiscate all of the Marveler¡¯s rewards precisely for this reason. ¡®I hope the Marveler doesn¡¯t get upset about this,¡¯ Fury reflected. ¡®After all, his rewards could pose a real risk to public order.¡¯ The Marveler seemed to be a rational person, someone who would probably understand the government''s actions. Or, at least, Fury hoped so. Spike, without wasting time, brought up a new file. "A ''manual'' came with the ship. We''ve compiled the most important information in this document." Nick, Maria, and Coulson began examining the document on the screen. [Superficial Analysis of the Nameless Ship] Dimensions: The ship is approximately the size of a large commercial airplane, measuring 42 meters in length, 36 meters in wingspan, and 19 meters in height. Despite its considerable size, its weight is surprisingly light, only 53 tons. The average weight for an aircraft of this size would be between 280 to 400 tons. Note: We attribute the lack of weight to the unknown material used in the spacecraft. 1st - Command Room Function: Area where the crew controls the ship and monitors its main functions. Features: The command cabin is equipped with an AI system capable of processing real-time data and assisting the pilot in all operations. The panels have adaptive holographic screens, customizable to display different information such as star maps, ship status, and life support systems. Ship¡¯s AI: It takes the form of a flight attendant, with a kind and understanding personality. She has no name but states that she can receive one. She has absolute control over the ship. She has internet access, but due to what she called the ''S.21 protocol,'' her access is limited to that of a civilian, and anything beyond that is blocked. 2nd - Male Quarters Function: Rest area designated for the male crew members. Features: The room is equipped with three beds, three closets for storing clothes and personal belongings, and a small desk. The space is cozy, with an adjustable temperature control system for personal comfort. Bathroom: Includes an attached bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink. The water system is pressure-controlled, and waste is recycled by the ship¡¯s life support system. 3rd - Female Quarters Function: Rest area designated for the female crew members. Features: Similar to the male quarters but with a slightly modified layout to accommodate customizable preferences. Bathroom: Also has an attached bathroom with similar functionalities to the male quarters, including temperature control for water and a waste recycling system. 4th - Food Storage Room Function: Area designated for storing and preparing food. Features: The room contains a large variety of supplies, kept in hermetically sealed compartments for long-term preservation. It includes a high-tech refrigerator, an intelligent oven capable of automatically adjusting temperature, and a microwave with structural food analysis capabilities. Observation: The room has an automatic sterilization system, ensuring food safety during long journeys. Note: A thorough study of all appliances in this area is strongly recommended. The potential applications of such technology are numerous. 5th - Engine Room Function: Area responsible for maintaining the ship¡¯s operational systems. Features: The room is equipped with advanced propulsion systems, powered by a compact fusion reactor. The life support system, anti-gravity thrusters, and energy systems are automatically controlled by a high-capacity AI. Observation: The ship¡¯s energy core is considered one of the most advanced technologies ever seen, with energy efficiency that exceeds any known standard. Note: Nothing in this room has been studied yet. We are awaiting Director Nick Fury''s authorization. 6th - Observatory Function: Leisure area. Features: Located at the top of the ship, the observatory is surrounded by reinforced glass walls that provide a complete view of space. The ceiling has holographic screens that can simulate different space environments or display real-time data about nearby stars and planets. Observation: The astronomical observation function can be integrated with the navigation system, providing data to calculate travel routes with millimeter precision. 7th - Entertainment Room Function: Area dedicated to relaxation and crew distraction. Features: Equipped with comfortable sofas, a surround sound system, and holographic screens for movies and games. The entertainment room also features an augmented reality device that allows crew members to access virtual environments for leisure. Observation: The ship¡¯s AI can personalize entertainment content based on crew preferences. Note: The augmented reality device works with holographic constructions to simulate selected locations. [End of Analysis] "Why a desk in a spaceship?" Coulson asked, frowning after finishing the analysis. Maria had the same question but preferred to stay silent. "Well... I don¡¯t know," Spike admitted, feeling slightly uneasy. There were many things in the analysis that left Spike with doubts. For example, why use an advanced structural analysis technology for a simple microwave? The image of the Marveler in his mind was starting to feel... odd. "There¡¯s something that wasn¡¯t included in the analysis, sir," Spike said, as he placed two silver bracelets on Nick Fury¡¯s desk. "And this is...?" Nick asked, his curiosity growing. "Storage bracelets." Still not fully understanding, Fury remained silent, waiting for an explanation. "Due to the size of the ship, these bracelets were given as an additional reward," Spike explained. It took Fury only 1.8 seconds to realize what those bracelets meant. His eyes widened slightly. "Are you telling me that the ships...?" "Yes, sir," Spike confirmed. "The ships are inside the bracelets." Nick, Maria, and Coulson stared at the bracelets, incredulous. "How can a spaceship fit in there?" That was the thought they all shared. "How?" Fury asked, getting straight to the point. "Like this," Spike replied calmly. He put one of the bracelets on his wrist and picked up a ballpoint pen that was on the desk. The pen vanished the next instant. Chapter 14: Nick Furys Dilemma part 2 "You''ve become a magician now?" Coulson joked, letting out a laugh. Spike ignored him and touched the bracelet with his other hand, making a small screen appear in the air. [Storage (2/60)] Unnamed Ship Blue Ballpoint Pen "As you can see, it''s possible to store almost any item inside. The bracelet works based on ''willpower.'' You need to want to store something while touching the object with your hands," Spike explained. "Since this item seemed to have strategic importance, I kept it as confidential as possible. That''s why it wasn¡¯t included in any of the analyses you''ve seen so far." Nick felt slightly satisfied with Spike¡¯s decision. ''No wonder he''s one of the best Level 8 agents,'' Fury thought. "I should assume that, besides us, only the two other agents who received the reward know about this, correct?" Nick asked, not taking his eyes off the bracelets. "Yes, sir," Spike replied firmly. "I made the confidentiality of the matter very clear and also assigned three agents to monitor them discreetly." "Well done," Fury said, approving the action. He picked up one of the bracelets and put it on his wrist. To test it, he used the bracelet to store the other one, watching it disappear instantly. "That was the superficial analysis," Fury said, turning his gaze back to the screen. "Now, show me the technical analysis." "Of course, sir," Spike replied. He then opened another file, but this time, he had to enter two passwords before accessing the content. [Unnamed Ship Note: The Navigation Manual contains only basic information about the ship¡¯s operation and does not provide enough technical details to replicate its technology. Below is the technical analysis of the systems we have managed to investigate so far. 1st - Ultra-Advanced Navigation System with AI Description: The ship is equipped with a navigation system that utilizes a high-level artificial intelligence, capable of performing automatic stellar calculations and providing precise routes. The system has a detailed map of the solar system and can accurately identify any planet and its characteristics. It also calculates estimated travel time based on the ship¡¯s maximum speed. Note: We tested the estimated time to reach Mars. The result was 12 days and 3 hours, suggesting that the ship can reach up to 0.073% of the speed of light. Observation: Many details about how the AI operates were omitted. It is recommended that Director Nick Fury personally review it. 2nd - XN21 Semi-Self-Sustaining Life Support System Description: This highly advanced system converts internal carbon dioxide and humidity into oxygen semi-automatically, regulating the ship¡¯s atmosphere according to the crew¡¯s needs. There is also a set of emergency oxygen tanks sufficient to sustain the crew for up to six months. Note: The system appears efficient for long space travels, maintaining the ship''s sustainability. Observation: The full operation and materials used for the life support system still require further investigation. 3rd - Advanced Omnidirectional Ionic Propulsion System Description: The ship is equipped with next-generation ionic thrusters that allow omnidirectional movement. They provide up to 7 megatons of power, which would normally be devastating, but the manual states that the thrusters do not cause damage to the surrounding area. Observation: Simulation tests showed results consistent with the manual¡¯s descriptions. However, it was not possible to verify how the energy dissipation occurs without causing destruction. 4th - Anti-Gravity System Description: The ship has an artificial gravity system that remains constant, even under atmospheric variations or in the vacuum of space. The gravitational field is automatically adjusted to ensure comfort and safety onboard. Observation: The system has not been tested in real operation for obvious reasons. 5th - Ultra-Resistant Composite Metal Hull Description: The ship¡¯s hull is made of an unknown composite metal, highly resistant to physical impacts and space radiation. It outperformed reinforced titanium by over 420% in resistance tests. The metal also offers extremely high resistance against radiation. Observation: The hull material has not yet been identified. A deep analysis is recommended to discover its exact composition and potential military applications. 6th - Defense System Description: The ship has two main defense systems: 1. A powerful virtual lock capable of preventing any hacking attempts. So far, all attempts to hack the ship have failed. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. 2. The hull integrity is strong enough to withstand meteor collisions without visible damage. Observation: Although the manual mentions the hull¡¯s superior resistance, the exact material used in its construction has not been identified. 7th - Radial Containment Field Description: The radial containment field generates an invisible barrier around the ship, serving as an additional layer of protection against cosmic radiation and external threats. Observation: The field was activated in a simulation and functioned as expected, but real-world tests are necessary to verify its effectiveness in high-radiation environments. 8th - Advanced Space Suit Description: The ship is equipped with 5 sets of 3 advanced space suits made of highly resistant material. These suits offer extra armor against attacks and harsh conditions. They also automatically adjust to gravitational variations and have elasticity that conforms to the user¡¯s body, providing full mobility in any environment. Observation: The suits have only been superficially analyzed and have not been tested in real combat conditions or high-radiation environments. 9th - Sanitary System Description: The ship¡¯s sanitation system is compact and highly efficient. It recycles carbon waste and transforms it into oxygen, with the remaining waste being disposed of cleanly. Observation: The recycling technology is advanced and provides a sustainable solution for prolonged space travel, but it still requires a detailed investigation. 10th - Emergency Teleportation System Description: If the ship¡¯s structural integrity reaches a critical level, the emergency teleportation system will automatically activate, teleporting all crew members back to the ship¡¯s origin point. The manual states that teleportation occurs regardless of the ship¡¯s location. Observation: The system has not been fully tested, and the exact method of how teleportation works remains unknown. It was not possible to determine whether magical elements are involved, as indicated in the manual. End of analysis] "Reaching Mars in 12 days?" Maria was shocked. "0.073% of the speed of light? Is that even possible?" "Yes, for small objects," Spike replied. "But for a spaceship, it should be impossible." "Apparently, it¡¯s not," Fury said. "I noticed there are no weapon systems." Traveling into space with an unarmed spaceship is the same as walking into a jungle empty-handed. Fury knows very well the dangers that space presents, and he''s not too eager to explore the vastness¡ªat least not without some powerful weapons on board. "I guess the Marveler doesn''t care about weapons..." That was Spike''s guess. "Just like billionaires don''t care about diamonds... They can have them whenever they want." Fury added. "Another thing I left out of the report is that there''s a private communication network for spaceships." Spike revealed. "A private network?" "Yes. You need the other ship¡¯s communication code to send an invitation. Once both accept, basic functions are unlocked, such as video calls, mutual ship status verification, and real-time location tracking. By the way, both ships are already connected." "Sounds like a social network." Coulson remarked. Nick Fury remained silent for a moment before asking, "Anything else?" "Actually, yes." Spike then continued, "Throughout Outer Wilds, we found some things that were a bit off-theme." "Go on." "Of course. I prepared a full report on it." [Tombs of the Forgotten] Resting place of the members and allies of the Howling Commandos. Inside the starting village, Timber Hearth, there''s a cemetery with the graves of the team members led by Captain America, Steve Rogers. Each gravestone has a simple inscription with the name, birth date, and death date. However, the gravestones of Captain America, Bucky Barnes, and Peggy Carter contain information that can only be found in S.H.I.E.L.D. files. The strangest part is that the graves of Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, and Peggy Carter are open and empty. "As a Level 8 agent, I know that former Director Peggy Carter is still alive. And if we judge symbolically, the Marveler is insinuating that Captain America and Sergeant Bucky Barnes are still alive." Spike concluded. In truth, he didn¡¯t really believe that. But he had heard that Howard Stark spent a good part of his life searching for Captain America, convinced that he was still alive. That was enough to make him doubt. "Captain... alive?" Coulson asked in disbelief, though he couldn''t completely hide his excitement. Maria Hill also felt a strange sensation. She had grown up hearing stories of how the Captain heroically saved the world, and now there was a chance he was still alive. Nick Fury fell into deep thought. Unlike the others, he already knew that Bucky Barnes was alive¡ªhe had seen the footage of Howard Stark''s murder, where Bucky was the killer. If the Captain really was alive, the next question was: How does the Marveler know this? But regardless, Fury made his decision. "After this meeting, we need to reassess Captain America''s death." He was already planning to send a search team to the Atlantic Ocean once the meeting ended. "...," Spike hesitated before moving on. "Next." [Strange Hammer at Feldspar¡¯s Camp] Inside the planet Dark Bramble, at Feldspar¡¯s makeshift camp within the skeleton of a dead anglerfish, there is a hammer made of an unknown material. Engraved on the hammer is the phrase: ''Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor!'' The hammer is impossible to lift¡ªevery agent who tried to pick it up failed. "Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." Maria repeated, then added, "I remember Dr. Marveler mentioning something about Thor¡¯s hammer being real." "He said, ''As real as Thor¡¯s hammer'' when I asked about the rewards." Fury recalled. "Does that mean Thor exists?" Spike asked. "I don¡¯t know." There have been too many things I don¡¯t know lately. I don¡¯t like it. Fury thought. "There''s one more thing..." Spike started to speak but was interrupted by a rapid and urgent knock on the door. Whoever was on the other side seemed to be in a hurry. "Come in!" Fury shouted without hesitation. A woman rushed in, out of breath, as if she had run all the way there. "Director, Secretary of Defense Alexander Pierce is requesting your presence in the conference room immediately. He said it''s a matter of extreme urgency!" She finally caught her breath after delivering the message. "Extreme urgency?" Fury frowned. Alexander rarely used the words extreme and urgency in the same sentence, which immediately made Fury realize the problem could be much bigger than it seemed. "Alright, you''re all dismissed." He said, already preparing to leave. Without wasting time, Fury walked quickly toward the conference room. As he entered, he saw only one screen active, displaying Alexander Pierce¡¯s concerned face. "Things aren¡¯t looking good, Nick." Alexander began, getting straight to the point. Fury stepped up to the table in front of the screen and sat down, crossing his arms. "Now tell me¡ªwhat exactly isn''t looking good?" "Your plan to use the government against the Marveler." Nick was momentarily stunned. "What happened?" "We received an email from the Marveler demanding that we lift the bans and return anything confiscated from the players..." Alexander started explaining, but Fury, already irritated, cut him off. "You panicked over an email?" "Haha, yes." Alexander gave a nervous laugh. "But along with the email came a compiled set of classified Level 10 files. Including Project Insight." Fury fell silent, processing the information. Alexander¡¯s nervousness did not go unnoticed. In fact, the Marveler had also sent Alexander confidential Hydra files, which prompted him to contact Fury immediately. Alexander was beginning to form an impression of the Marveler. He doesn¡¯t seem to care about Hydra... which is good. Maybe there''s even a chance for cooperation. Alexander''s simple thought was: If he¡¯s not an enemy, maybe we can work together. "Son of a b¡ª" Fury snapped, losing his patience. "All he wants is for us to lift the bans?" If that was all, Fury was ready to call the National Council that very moment. "There¡¯s one more thing." Alexander replied, this time with a genuine smile. "He wants S.H.I.E.L.D. to donate 10,000 computers to underprivileged youth." "S.H.I.E.L.D. specifically?" Fury asked, narrowing his eyes. 10,000 computers were nothing for an organization of S.H.I.E.L.D.''s size. If necessary, Fury could even pay for them himself with just a month¡¯s salary. "It was something like this: ''I hope S.H.I.E.L.D. donates 10,000 computers to children and teenagers who can¡¯t afford them. I know you know who to give them to. And lastly, I want the money to come directly from the current director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nicholas Joseph Fury. You have two days.''" Nick was silent for a moment, staring at the screen. "Son of a bi¡ª" Chapter 15 - Shared Secret With the groceries organized on the table, I asked Jarvis to arrange the list of dishes for dinner. I had asked Helena to send me a list of Aunt Leona¡¯s favorite foods. In a matter of seconds, he responded. "Roast Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Simple Salad, Broccoli Rice, Roasted Vegetables, Parmesan Risotto, Mango Vinaigrette, Saut¨¦ed Spinach with Garlic." He said precisely, listing the recipes. At the signal that I was ready, Jarvis calmly asked, "Preparation order for the ingredients is set. Would you like to begin?" "Yes, of course." I replied, ready to start my culinary journey. "First, the chicken..." Jarvis guided. And so, with his meticulous assistance, everything began to flow. The chicken was the first to be seasoned. Just 10 minutes to combine garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and herbs, and it was already in the oven. Meanwhile, I started on the mashed potatoes, peeling and boiling them. Next, I was instructed to wash and chop the vegetables for the salad and roasted veggies. Jarvis, always calculating time, reminded me to put the vegetables in the oven alongside the chicken, making use of the same cooking time. This way, the oven was running at full capacity while I began the other dishes. With the rice already cooking, it was time to add a special touch. The steamed broccoli pieces were mixed into the white rice, creating a nutritious and colorful dish. In the middle of the process, I prepared the mango vinaigrette. I chopped the tomato, onion, bell pepper, and mango, all seasoned with olive oil, vinegar, and cilantro. To finish, the saut¨¦ed spinach was the quickest to prepare. In just a few minutes, it was done, seasoned simply with olive oil and garlic. Thanks to Jarvis¡¯s impeccable efficiency, I managed to finish everything in about four hours. It was already 6:30 PM when I wrapped up, except for the chicken, which was still in the oven. "It will be ready in just over 15 minutes." Now, all that was left was to wait for Leona and Helena to arrive so we could set up dinner. And why not set everything up right away? Because, according to Jarvis, doing it in their presence, especially in Aunt Leona¡¯s, would make her happy to help. How or why that makes sense, I really don¡¯t know, but Jarvis has never been wrong so far. If he says it works, then it must work this time too. With that in mind, I left the kitchen and threw myself onto the couch. "Open Outer Wilds profile." I requested from the system. Instantly, a holographic screen appeared in front of me. [Name: Outer Wilds Steam Rating: 4 stars Approval: Positive (89% of 4...) Number of Sales: 4,298,039 Number of Players (Now): 934,742 Number of Players Who Finished the Game: 3,424,721 Number of... ... Total Sales Revenue: $85,960,780 (Withdraw) System Points: 34,384,312] Even now, I¡¯m still surprised looking at these numbers. In just two days, I sold over 4 million copies. This must have broken the sales record both in the UCM and in the real world. When the points surpassed 5 million, my first thought was to unlock the next universe right away, but I ended up holding back. I decided to wait for Outer Wilds¡¯ sales to stabilize before making any rash decisions. If possible, I hope the points will be enough to unlock two universes at once. But, judging by how prices in the store are increasing, the difference between unlocking one universe and the next is probably exponential. Maybe the price is five or ten times higher than expected. Either way, before thinking about how to spend these points, I need to solve the more immediate problems. Especially the issue with my aunt and her suspicions. That needs to be dealt with before anything else. "Jarvis, why did the game¡¯s rating drop from ''Overwhelmingly Positive'' to just ''Positive''?" I asked since, until yesterday, the rating was perfect. "Some players are dissatisfied with the fact that there are rewards only for the top 10 players. This resulted in negative comments and ratings. However, this group represents a very small portion of the players, so it does not significantly affect the game''s overall image." Jarvis explained. "Well... I kind of understand them." Honestly, if I were in their place, I¡¯d be upset too. Seeing someone win a spaceship while you get nothing must make anyone envious. In fact, I¡¯m envious right now. "Damn it, I want a spaceship too!" I punched the pillow, frustrated. "Open emails." [+999 unread messages] "Jarvis, open the messages you think I should read first." It would definitely be exhausting to open everything randomly, so it''s easier to leave this task to him. "Okay, sir." Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The first message that appeared was... unexpected. [What do you mean only the top 10 get a spaceship? You only have 10? Weren''t you the Archmage God of technology? You¡¯re a fraud, you son of a b¡ª...] The message went on, but 80% of it was just the guy cursing at me and calling me a fraud. I couldn¡¯t even finish reading it¡ªit was too exhausting. "Is this the message I was supposed to read first?" I asked, because it was clearly not the kind of content I wanted. "This is just one of many similar messages, sir." Jarvis replied calmly. "I would like to ban these people, but I need your authorization." "Ah." I nodded. "You have full authorization for that." The next message was much more interesting. [Dear Maravilhador, I am praying that this message reaches you. I would like to start by thanking you for the item I received in the game (Luck Potion). I was extremely impressed when I used it¡ªit was a unique and very fun experience! Additionally, I would like to express my great desire to conduct an interview with you. It would be an honor to learn more about your creative process, inspirations, and the challenges you faced. If you are willing, I would love to schedule a time. I am available to adjust to your preference. I eagerly await your response. Sincerely, Beatriz S. McBride Columnist for The Brooklyn Paper*] This was a very formal message, very different from the usual player messages. "An interview, huh?" I murmured to myself. "Jarvis, are there many messages like this?" "Yes, sir. Many newspapers and TV programs are interested in organizing an interview with you. 97.59% of these requests came by government order, but the remaining 3.41% are from journalists who played your games, like Miss Beatriz." Jarvis explained. "I see... Well, that¡¯s impossible anyway." Barely had the words left my mouth when a holographic screen appeared out of nowhere. [New Mission!] [The Maravilhador''s Tea Party. Mission Description: If they want a press interview, then give them a marvelous tea party. Requirement: Invite at least 5 reporters for an interview (Limit of 20). Details: A virtual space will be opened for the interview. The host may choose the date within the next 10 days. Reward: Random Purple Model Package.] I was a little surprised by the sudden mission. Strangely, this seems very much in the style of the Marveler, given how random he is. Maybe the system is being influenced by the image I have of the Marveler? "If it were in person, I¡¯d refuse, but since it¡¯s in a virtual space, it should be fine," I said to myself. "Even though I can invite up to 20 people, I think 5 or 6 is enough." Suddenly, Jarvis''s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Miss Leona and Miss Helena are on their way, sir." "How far?" I asked, already starting to get ready. "173 meters, approximately two and a half minutes until they arrive." "I see." I got up from the couch, stretching. "Time to do the dishes." Heading to the still-messy kitchen, I started organizing the dishes in the sink, but it didn¡¯t take long before the sound of the doorbell rang. I calmly dried my hands and went to open the door. In front of me stood two beautiful women. Leona, in her mid-40s, was the kind of person who drew attention effortlessly. She had a mature beauty, with striking features and a firm gaze¡ªone of those looks that make you stop and pay attention as soon as she enters the room. The most curious thing, however, was the contrast between her almost intimidating presence and the natural kindness she exuded. Her hair was loosely tied, with a few strands naturally falling around her face. She wore a light blue blouse paired with a denim skirt, striking a perfect balance between casual and elegant. A discreet necklace hung around her neck, along with a simple pair of earrings, completing the look. Helena, on the other hand, had a completely different energy. She was a radiant and beautiful girl, always smiling. Her hair, flowing freely in the wind, made her even more attractive, giving off a sense of lightness. Her eyes, almost identical to her mother¡¯s, had a natural softness that contrasted with Leona¡¯s piercing gaze. She wore simple jeans, a casual red blouse, and sneakers. No extravagant accessories, just a casual backpack on her back. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to hug your aunt?" Leona asked, her familiar voice carrying a hint of authority. "Of course..." I stepped forward, hugging her with a smile. "Good to see you, Aunt Leona." She looked at me closely, analyzing me with that sharp gaze. "You look better than the last time I saw you," she commented. "This game-making thing is doing you good." "Yeah, I''m more at ease now," I replied, stepping back. "Being at ease is good, but no slacking off, got it?" Her tone shifted to something firmer, as always. I quickly nodded. "Got it." "And don¡¯t I deserve a hug?" Helena¡¯s voice carried a slight hint of resentment. "Got rich and forgot about me?" I laughed, hugging her. "Rich? Far from it..." But I stopped when I saw a strange smile forming on her lips, her brown eyes shining in a way that was... intriguing. Something about that expression gave me a bad feeling, but I couldn¡¯t pinpoint why. We went inside, and Leona, with her usual practical gaze, asked, "How¡¯s dinner coming along?" "Except for the roasted chicken, everything is ready," I replied casually. "I just need to tidy up the mess and set the table." "I''ll take care of everything, go set the table with Helena," Leona said, already taking control of the kitchen with the ease of someone who¡¯s done it for years. Soon, Helena and I started setting the table. The atmosphere seemed normal, but something was bothering me. She started bringing up my work. That strange, almost mischievous smile never left her face, making me uncomfortable. "So, Mr. Dev, how¡¯s your game developer life going?" she asked, throwing the term out casually. "It¡¯s going well," I replied, trying to keep my tone normal. "Good to know... Mom said you made 10 grand selling your game. That¡¯s a lot of money." She continued, her tone relaxed, but her eyes, gleaming with amusement, made it clear that this wasn¡¯t just an innocent question. "Ah, it¡¯s nothing much..." I murmured while placing the cutlery. But before I could continue, I noticed her smile widen a little more. It was almost as if she was waiting for an opportunity. As if she knew something I wasn¡¯t telling. The table was nearly set when Leona returned to the living room, drying her hands after tidying up the mess I had left in the kitchen. "Everything okay, Rick?" she asked, with her usual careful tone. I said yes, trying to stay calm. But Helena... she still had that damn smile that made me uneasy. I knew she was planning something¡ªI just didn¡¯t know when or how it would unfold. When we finally sat down for dinner, I already knew the main topic would be my job as a game developer. There was no escaping it, so I braced myself for the questions that would come as soon as the food was served. "How long did it take to complete the game?" "What were the costs?" "Did you have any help?" "What¡¯s the name of the game?" I answered everything patiently, explaining the development process, the challenges, and the choices I made regarding the game¡¯s genre and mechanics. I used my experience with Castlevania and Outer Wilds to give more credibility to my answers. And then, to finally put an end to Leona¡¯s lingering doubts, I took out my laptop and showed them the game that Jarvis and I had made: Heroic Gargoyle. The name isn¡¯t great, but it captures the game¡¯s essence. And since Jarvis picked it, it¡¯s fine. "I was waiting for this moment to publish it," I explained as the game ran on the screen. I needed to prove that I was actually doing something concrete. Leona watched intently, absorbing every detail. For the first time in a long while, it seemed like she truly believed in me. A slight smile of relief appeared on her face, as if she was finally convinced I wasn¡¯t lying. But Helena... Helena still had that same enigmatic smile. While Leona praised the game and seemed satisfied with my explanations, Helena remained quiet, her gaze telling me she knew something more. Her smile seemed to suggest that, even with all the evidence in front of her, my story wasn¡¯t convincing enough. Dinner ended, and when it was time for them to leave, Helena dropped something I wasn¡¯t expecting. "I¡¯m staying over tonight," she said casually. "I have the week off, and it¡¯ll be good to spend some time with you." I was stunned, unsure of how to respond right away. Leona, always concerned about me being isolated, quickly agreed. "That¡¯s a great idea. You two can spend some time together," she said, leaving with a satisfied smile. As soon as the door closed and Leona was gone, Helena threw herself onto the couch, still with that damn smile on her face. Except now, she looked even more relaxed, as if she was ready for whatever came next. Silence lingered for a few seconds, but I knew it wouldn¡¯t lastlong. And then, out of nowhere, with an eerily calm tone, she finally dropped the bomb. "So... how exactly are you making so much money?"