Melissa muttered quietly and continued watching Catharina massacre the monsters. Alex just sighed. He wasn't going to forbid her from watching, even though he didn't think it was very healthy; she was already seventeen years old, so it shouldn't be a problem to watch things like this.
(But it's still strange to see a cute girl who looks like she's 11 or 12 years old actually be seventeen and love violent things. If she keeps this up, she's going to end up in the army.)
Sighing like an old man worried about the future, Alex left Melissa watching and went to look for some games from the competition. He was a little excited; after testing William's game, Alex's expectations had risen.
In the past, the most creative games were always indie games. After all, only small developers had the courage to try something new. The reason for this was obviously the low investment. Big companies that were spending hundreds of millions would never bet on new ideas that could go wrong. The same can be said now; companies refuse to take risks.
But in this competition where innovation is the theme, designers are free to go crazy. Alex quickly installed several games and started testing.
Slowly, time passed. Alex, who was excited, began to furrow his eyebrows. Closing the first game, he quickly opened the second, then the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth.
"What the hell!!!"
"Huh?! Brother, what happened?"
*Sigh*
"Sorry, I just got irritated with something here."
"....."
"I already apologized."
"That's not it, it's just... it's the first time I've seen you angry, what happened?"
"Nothing... I just got disappointed, you can keep watching."
"Hmm... okay."
Alex is a calm man; you could say that almost nothing can make him lose his patience, but if there is one "silly" thing that can affect him, it's definitely his passion for games.
While testing the games, Alex noticed a certain similarity between them. At first, he thought the similarity was a coincidence or because they were portraying the same fight. But as he continued testing more and more games, he realized that practically all these games were following a formula.
The way to present the character, the way to tell the story, the points of view presented. While testing these games, Alex had the same feeling as when he was young and started reading Chinese novels.
In the first story he read, it was unique and interesting, with well-defined power levels and a truly fascinating universe. But when he finished and went looking for others, he realized that basically all these stories were the same with few changes.
In fact, this kind of thing is very normal and can happen with almost any type of media. Japanese isekai or harem animations are the same; they are usually just someone trying to draw attention to their story using some product that has already been successful as a 'reference,' but in reality, they are just copying.
These games are the same. Realizing this, Alex couldn't help but get irritated. The reason the game industry is stagnant is easy to understand: all the greatest designers in the universe were ancient monsters over 500 years old, stubborn old men who weren't willing to change anything. But this is not the case in this competition; all participants are under 100.
(How can this bunch of garbage not make a single improvement and just keep following the formula of the big companies? This kind of competition was the biggest dream of past designers, being able to make a game with total freedom to express their ideas, but what is this bunch of garbage doing?!)
Alex continued to test several games but found nothing different. The deeper he delved into these games, the more irritated he became. Making games has always been his passion, but playing was also a passion. But if he makes games for others, who will make games for him?
"It's not fun to play the games I made myself; after all, I know everything about them."
"If I'm not mistaken, after the first phase of the competition, there will be an interview with the hundred participants who reached the second phase... well, well, I'll hold my frustrations until then."
...…
While Alex was trying to hold his frustrations with the designers, Catharina was having a lot of fun. After finding a giant face, she gained the power to shoot lightning. After getting used to it, she finally killed the hydra.
The thing that bothered her the most was seeing the skills she had trained for hundreds of years slowly rusting. No matter how many duels she participates in or how many times she beats Monica, nothing will keep her senses sharp like real battles. Even though this game isn't perfect, it still left Catharina very excited.
(Maybe I should ask Alex to make something for me? I bet he can do something that will surprise me.)
Thinking about this, she happily continued playing. After killing the hydra, the speed at which she was progressing slowed down a lot. Alex wasn't kidding when he said this AI would adapt to her fighting style.
The monsters began to easily defend against some attacks. Besides, they started flanking and attempting stealth attacks. Whenever one of the monsters was about to die, it stayed behind the others and tried to find an opening to attack.
Slowly, the cheerful smile was slowly replaced by a serious expression. Catharina also began to have problems with her health. In the beginning, she could find healing chests everywhere, and there were also life sacks in human form running around.
But as she progressed, healing chests became increasingly scarce, and the life sacks with legs practically disappeared. This made things more complicated; she couldn't be careless anymore, and the enemies were also starting to get stronger and stronger.
Minotaurs, gorgons, cyclops, monsters with stronger armor and weapons—basically, all the enemies were slowly but progressively becoming more intelligent and stronger. Catharina didn't even notice when she stopped smiling and began to concentrate fully on the fight.
During all this time, she didn't care about the game's story; the only thing she wanted was to fight. But soon, she encountered a scene that left her completely shocked.
Climbing the stairs of the Path to Athens, she saw a gigantic being larger than a mountain, with red hair and beard, bright blue eyes, and a huge army behind it.
attacking, but it was like a group of ants attacking a human. Kratos looked at that being with hatred burning in his eyes.
"I have not forgotten you, God of War. For what you did that night... this city will be your tomb."
Catharina was shocked by Kratos' words.
"That bald guy is crazy. He wants to kill that... could it be anything else? Maybe I can kill it with... poison? Does poison work on something that size? I have no idea what Alex was thinking when he made this... but he sure knows how to impress people."
Catharina began to take more interest in the story of the bald guy she was controlling. The hatred she could feel from his gaze was not born from something small. As she advanced, she realized that the streets she was passing through were familiar.
"Wait, isn't this my vacation city?! I thought he was making some kind of relaxation game. How did this turn into a fighting game? Maybe puberty is hitting him a little early?"
Even though she was a little surprised, Catharina continued playing. She was quite immersed and was becoming increasingly curious about Kratos' past. While she was killing some monsters, she encountered a woman. But the strange thing was that the woman was more afraid of Kratos than of the monsters.
"I know who you are. I know what you did. Monsters!"
"Wait."
"Get back, stay away from me."
The woman ran away scared. Catharina followed her, but before she could get close, the woman started to beg her to stay away. Then, walking backward, the woman fell from the balcony. Catharina ran to see if she was okay, but the woman was dead in a pool of blood.
"What the hell did this bald guy do to scare people so much?!"
Catharina was truly perplexed. Now, more than ever, she really wanted to find out what Kratos had done. After playing for quite some time, she realized that Kratos was not just a warrior; he was a killing machine.
He didn't care about anything or anyone. He had a mission, so everything and everyone in his way would die, plain and simple, without mercy, without compassion.
But Catharina wasn't the only one getting hooked on the game. Melissa was also curious about the protagonist of this game. He is extremely brutal, even for someone like her who enjoys this kind of thing. But somehow, she felt that he had a reason for being like that.
So she was entirely focused on watching her mother play. Soon, Kratos encountered a man digging a grave.
"Excellent, my boy, excellent... Athens has chosen wisely. I knew you would succeed."
"Who are you?"
"So, you have the blades, the skin is pale like the moon, you really are the chosen one. Maybe Athens will survive this, hahaha. But be careful, I don't want you dead before I finish this grave."
"A grave? In the middle of a battle? Who is going to occupy it, old man?"
"You are, my boy! I have a lot of digging left to do. Everything will be revealed at the right time, and when all seems lost, Kratos, I will be there to help."
After talking to the gravedigger, everything became more mysterious. Catharina, who was playing, decided to stop. She felt that if she continued from this point, she wouldn't stop until the end, so it's better to go eat something and come back later.
As soon as she left, she saw that Melissa was watching her play. When she saw her mother leave, the girl immediately ran to her.
"Mom, now it's my turn. I want to play too."
Before Catharina could respond, Alex, who had completely given up on the designers in this competition, also came out and heard her request.
"I already said you can't. Do my words go in one ear and out the other?"
"Tsh."
"Haha, come on, don't bother your brother. I also think you're a bit young for this... but Alex, we need to talk later. You're also too young to have made a game like this without telling me or your father."
(Even though I loved it.)
"..."
...
Note: This chapter is a bit shorter. Thursday's chapter should be longer. This week, this story ranked pretty high, which surprised me. I didn't expect people to like it, after all, I'm writing something I would like to read, but I appreciate the support. I saw that you would like me to post more chapters or open a Patreon. I can only apologize, but I really can't do that. Some chapters I write super fast, others may take one or two days, and if I'm unlucky, even three. Many times I write a chapter and then delete and write it again, either because it turned out bad or because I think it had wrong information or opened too many plot holes. So, even though I would like to earn some money, I think it's better to keep it as a hobby. But I appreciate the support, and if you have any advice, feel free to share, haha.
**POV Jadelyn West**
....
Ending the day, I collapsed exhausted onto the bed. My throat is a bit sore from all the rehearsing I've been doing. When Alex told me about the choir, I'll admit I thought it was a stupid idea.
Why would I want to share the stage with more than 30 people? Not to mention the dozens of music instrument fanatics Grandpa Albert gathered. No matter how you look at it, it seems like it's going to be a big mess.
But with some training from Grandpa Albert and Grandma Maria, everyone quickly began to get in sync. The first few days were really bad, but as time went on, both the singers and the instrumentalists became more and more in harmony.
I can't even describe the feeling of seeing everyone slowly improving, watching a group of people who had never met before grow closer and support each other to make the best music possible.
Many of the people Grandpa Albert called were passionate about what they did but hadn't succeeded. Some weren't charismatic enough, not pretty enough, or their voice wasn't good enough. Some didn't have good enough music to captivate the audience, but here in the orchestra, none of that mattered.
As Alex said, "Only talent and effort can make you stand out." Now, seeing how the orchestra works, I can only agree with him. Without talent, there's a limit to what you can achieve in any area. Imparting knowledge, practicing endlessly, won't guarantee that you'll become a master at something.
At the same time, just having talent but not honing it through practice will only make you stagnate. In the orchestra, everything depends on talent and effort, whether singing or playing an instrument.
"Hehe… damn, even tired, I couldn't sleep. Maybe I should practice a little more?"
Even lying in bed, I kept turning from side to side. This feeling of improving is making me smile and not letting me sleep. I sat up in bed and looked at the sheet music and song lyrics. Closing my eyes, I can hear each instrument playing clearly, each choir voice. Slowly, I began to sing.
This is such a good feeling. Now when I sing, I have a completely different sensation from before. I can perfectly remember the day I wished to become a music star. I was seven years old, and my grandmother said she would show me the biggest star in the universe.
At that time, I thought she was going to teach me universal geography, but quite the opposite. She took me to her virtual area and then started playing a virtual show. It was the first time I saw Amethyst Moon, or Grandma Maria.
We were in a dome in space. Amethyst Moon was beautiful, in a long blue dress, her long black hair reaching her heels. She was floating above the stage while singing. Her voice was so beautiful that I get goosebumps just remembering it.
At that time, she was at her peak, be it her fame, her beauty, her fans; she was at the top of the universe, and this show was proof of that, a proof that Amethyst Moon, Maria Belmont, had achieved perfection in music, and her most popular song would be marked in history.
It was calculated so that when Amethyst Moon began to sing the last song, a dwarf star behind the dome would explode. This is an extremely rare and dangerous event, but with the correct preparations, the death of this star created the greatest show humanity had ever seen.
When she sang the chorus of the song, the star exploded, creating a perfect harmony between the lyrics and the star's death. This was such an incredible feat that it's almost impossible to reproduce.
This show is a landmark for music and humanity as a whole. This show was watched by 350 quadrillion people live. To this day, no singer has even come close to this feat. It was seeing this show that I decided to become a singer like her.
This was Grandma Maria's greatest and last show. After that, she retired and never performed again. It can be said that the whole universe mourned this decision, but today, I think I can understand her a little.
When I saw Alex playing the guitar in the shop, I felt my heart pounding. I felt like I had found a different path to follow, a path where I could use music to touch people's hearts without having to talk about war and the deaths of soldiers.
Now, working with the orchestra, singing with the choir, seeing how these people love what they are doing, I began to like music more and more. I am falling more and more in love with this art. If in the beginning, I wanted to be a star to be like Amethyst Moon, today, I can say that I am following this path because I truly love music.
Grandma Maria must have retired because she realized she couldn't surpass her music in that show. Maybe that's why she's helping Alex with the orchestra? I really don't know, but after the experiences I've had in recent days, I don't just want to reach Grandma Maria. I want to surpass her with my own music.
Opening my eyes, I took Alex's guitar from the head of the bed, walked to my desk, opened my notebook, and started strumming the strings slowly. I feel my mind wandering in the sound of the guitar, and then I started humming softly. It's time to create my own songs.
.......
I have no idea how long I stayed there, but when I stopped, I had already made several notes. It may take a while, but I will slowly achieve what I want.
Sighing contentedly, I took a shower and ordered something to eat. Today I'm alone; Grandma had some work to do, and Aunt Cath called Monica to kill a monster or something like that.
"It's been a while since I've been alone like this… maybe I should go play with Alex? No, it's a bit late already, but I'm not sleepy… I haven't watched a stream in a long time. Maybe there's something interesting."
I threw myself onto the couch and started looking for something interesting. While I was just browsing randomly to see who was streaming, I saw a girl playing *Detroit: Become Human*. I immediately sat up on the couch.
I knew the competition had started, but I've been so busy with the orchestra that I didn't have time to test the game.
"But why is someone streaming it? Did the game get popular so fast? I need to see this."
I opened the live stream and saw that the girl had just started. She chatted a little with the chat before opening the game, and a beautiful blonde woman appeared with a smile.
"Welcome back… I'm sorry… but I couldn't find your save."
"WHAT????"
The girl widened her eyes, and even I was surprised. Alex let such a severe bug slip through. This could ruin his chance of winning.
"Damn, I need to call him to fix this."
But before I could call him, the android started laughing.
"Haha, I'm just kidding, you can start."
"....."
The girl was shocked to see the android laughing at her, and the chat started to laugh.
"Hahaha"
"Haha, I think her heart almost stopped."
"Lol"
"Haha, look at that expression."
"My Alice looks cute even like this."
The chat quickly started sending gifs of her face, and seeing this, even I had to laugh.
"That idiot really made a joke like that… Puff hahaha, that's so typical, I guess I should play this later."
When the shock passed, Alice started playing. I must say that I became very interested in everything. I saw Connor interrogating a deviant, then Markus coming out of an android cemetery, and Kara hiding with the child and looking for shelter.
All the characters were being developed, but the character that caught my attention the most was Markus. Seeing him rise from the "graveyard" to find Jericho and see how instead of finding freedom, he only finds androids waiting to die.
Watching Markus slowly become a leader really excited me. After stealing parts from CyberLife and returning to Jericho, everyone is surprised and happy to have supplies, but Markus doesn't seem satisfied.
"I came to Jericho because… here androids are free… free to hide and hope no one finds us. Free to die in silence waiting for a change that never comes…but I don't want that freedom. And I won't beg for the right to smile, or love, or stand tall…I don't know about you, but there's something inside me that knows, that I am more than what they say. I am alive, and I won't let anyone take that from me. Our days of slavery are over, what humans don't want to hear, we'll tell them, what they don't want to give, we'll take. We are a people, we are alive…WE ARE FREE."
"Yesss"
"That's right"
"We are free"
Seeing this whole scene really excited me. Being able to watch the leader of a revolution being born is simply incredible. While I was excited, I looked at the time. It's almost midnight.
"... Damn it, damn Alex, after seeing this, I won't be able to sleep."
.......
**Third Person POV**
.......
After playing Detroit for quite some time, Débora finished the game, but after the ending, she immediately started it all over again. Detroit makes it clear to players that there are more than 30 different endings, twenty of which are unique, and the other ten are just minor changes.
Starting the game again, Débora had red eyes. Of all the protagonists, Kara was the one who resonated with her the most. Seeing the relationship Kara created with Alice made her relate a lot.
The whole story moved her, the way the androids were portrayed, the way they slowly gained feelings, and especially the way reality was exposed.
When you're in Jericho, you can talk to all the androids there. Each one will tell you about their story and what led them to become a deviant. Some were beaten, others faced all kinds of humiliation, and even one of the most destroyed androids there tells how he was tied to a car and then dragged along the road.
The game constantly makes you think about your actions. These androids are technically just objects, but now that they have feelings, what will your choice be? Would you accept them as equals, or would you destroy them out of fear of being replaced?
Débora played for hours without stopping. As soon as morning came, she quickly got ready. She had already made a decision; this game needs to be publicized. Whether androids or humans, Débora believes everyone can learn something from it.
As soon as she arrived at the office, she immediately sent a message to all the leaders of the android protection council. They were all people she personally chose to help her keep track of all android problems, and today Débora would show them Detroit.
"I want to see the expression they'll make when they see this game."
......
While all this was happening, Mark had another problem.
"Damn, I wasted my scented candles last night."
When Mark saw that Catharina was excited about the game, he immediately got happy and made various preparations for the night. But what he didn't expect was that Catharina would call Monica, and the two would spend the whole night playing. She didn't even come near the room. Sighing, Mark arrived at the kitchen only to see Catharina and Monica talking animatedly.
Catharina was beautiful, her skin glowing, wearing a simple black shirt that accentuated her breasts, tight pants highlighting her curves, her hair loose and damp from the shower, her eyes shining with excitement.
"That damn maze really surprised me, some of the puzzles Alex made make me wonder how his mind works."
"Yes, but what I liked most was the story. This God stuff is quite interesting. Besides, I did some research and didn't find anything like those monsters. Your son's mind is as scary as yours."
"Haha, say what you want, my son is amazing, not that you, a single woman with no husband or boyfriend, know anything about kids, hahaha."
"You…"
Mark entered the kitchen while the two women were chatting amicably. As soon as Catharina saw him, she smiled beautifully.
"My handsome husband, come have your coffee."
Catharina ran to him and pulled him to a chair, lovingly serving a cup of coffee, only to then look at Monica.
"Humph, I'm going home; I have work to do."
Mark just shook his head at the antics of the two women when his bracelet suddenly lit up with a message. Looking at it, he noticed he had received a transfer of 5.3 billion credits. Catharina, who was behind him, just raised her eyebrows.
"Are you still doing that?"
"Yes, it's better if I keep this credit."
"How has he not figured this out yet?"
"Alex can be very smart about some things, but for others, he... I don't even know what to say."
"Haha, true, but it will be funny when he finds out."
"Hehe, yes… but I'll give him these credits when he's 40 or 50 years old. He keeps talking about starting a company; these credits will be his foundation. I'm sure if I give him everything now, considering how he spends, he could burn through it all in less than a week."
When Alex made his first movie, Totoro, he just randomly uploaded it using Mark's ID. As the movie became successful, his channel was monetized, and all the films and animations produced later were generating income.
Mark received a notification about this. At first, he planned to leave the money with the boy, but as time went on, Mark realized Alex was a natural spender. He could burn millions of credits in the blink of an eye and still say he didn't get the best market options.
So Mark decided he would give Alex part of the money to spend as he saw fit but would save most of it for the boy to use when he was older.
...….
*Note: This chapter was more about setting up for the future than anything else. In the next two chapters, I'll finish with Detroit and talk a little about its impact, then there will be a time jump.*
*It's been a while since I wrote about Jade, and I enjoyed writing from her perspective. What do you think of the character? I wanted to develop her a little, but I don't want to spend entire chapters on that.*
*Just a side note, the last boss of the Elden Ring DLC is simply absurd. I bet Miyazaki was messing around when he made it.*
You may also Like
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT