บท 2: Chapter 1 - The best game and the awful me
「Seriously, are you not going to find a job? You understand, right? Your father won't work forever. We are managing somehow, but what are you going to do when we die!?」
「I know that! Shut up!」
Again. At least let me have lunch at peace... Such a thing shouldn't happen so early.
Without being able to refute such a sound argument of my mother, the only thing I could do is to yell at her.
I'm aware that what I'm doing is nasty. After graduating from high school, I entered a regular university without much effort and graduated. ...Until that point, my life was not so bad. The problem starts from here.
Even though I tried hard to find a job before graduation, I lost all my energy and motivation trying to find a company with good conditions, like that a year went by, then two, and little by little, ten years passed.
「You are already over thirty... The neighbor's son from the house next door, Masatsugu-kun, is working splendidly and raising beautiful children」
I know that, you don't have to tell me. All my classmates are working normally and most already have a family. But I...
「Ah, now I lost my appetite」
I get up fiercely from the chair.
Even though I look like I lost my temper, but in fact, I didn't. I only acted bravely in order to escape out of the conversation quickly. That's right, it's not like I flipped out.
It's my usual running away. I just gave up on fighting, and as a result, I got better at running away.
I just don't want to stay here anymore.
Just when I was planning on going to my room, the only place where I can feel at peace, I hear the doorbell ringing.
When I check the outside through the door phone, I discover that there was a delivery man on the other side of the door.
「I have brought your orderー」
I was about to leave thinking that it would not be necessary to receive it personally, but then I saw a familiar logo in the box.
「Wait a moment, I'll go now」
「My, it's rare for you to come out. ...I hope you haven't bought anything with money that is not yours!」
「Wrong. I still have money from a prize」
In order to get rid of the guilt of not working, I registered on every possible page where you can win prizes and so, sometimes I win some of them.
However, sometimes the articles come from adult sites, so I go to receive them myself so they do not see it.
When I opened the door and the delivery man saw me, he was a little startled.
So that's how a person reacts when they see a sloppy man who has an unshaved face and is at home at day time on a weekday?
But I already got used to this kind of gaze. Neighbors look at me even worse without disguising the look.
「Please sign or stamp it」
「I'll sign it」
I assumed that the box that I received from the delivery man was not groceries or something similar since it was small and light.
「Oh? It's not food? 」
It seems that my mother who was behind me for a while lost interest and returned to the kitchen.
I started climbing the stairs with the box in my hand, then when I got to my room, I locked the door.
I opened the box and checked the contents.
「A game?」
There was a sheet of paper and a PC disk.
I signed up for several game contests, so I thought I could have won one of them. When I looked at it, it only had the title written, there was no game screen, no pictures, even the production company was unknown.
「The title written is 『Village of Fate』. What's this? A test version?」
Though it's ambiguous, I remember applying to try new test games. For now, I'll try reading the paper.
『Yoshio-sama, you have been selected to alpha test, congratulations! This is the world's first game that has successfully incorporated the latest AI and succeeded in creating characters capable of thinking and acting resembling that of a humans』
The world's first... what an exaggeration. Generating hype is fundamental to the game industry, but that's too much.
I grumble inwardly as I continue reading.
『You are the God who governs the fate and the existence who gives oracles to the villagers. Let's develop their village by giving instructions to villagers once a day! Please learn the details while playing』
What a bunch of irresponsible. But lately most of the games come without any instructions, so it may be that.
Based on those few sentences, it should be a building village game. I played many town planning simulations but never one with a village.
There was still a bit to read so I continued.
『Please, don't tell anybody about the contents of the game. Please do not disclose any information on the internet. If you break this promise, you will be deprived of the right to play and the game will be reclaimed』
Promise...? Usually, it's a contract or an agreement. In the first place, How would you know who of all was the one who disclosed the information? I'm not the only test player, right?
『There are two points to take note. Please be sure to always be connected to the internet to play. The other point is, once the villagers are eliminated completely, you can not play again. It has an automatic save, so it is impossible to start over again』
Isn't that bad? It's unreasonable to restrict a test player from total annihilation. Even if you have confidence in the game balance, it continues to be a domineering gaming company. I'll put a claim later.
There are a lot of negative points, but the question is whether to install this suspicious game. I tried to search the title on the internet, but I can't find anything. An unknown game from an unknown company.
I thought it was shady from the explanation, but it looks like a really dangerous company.
「It looks like they could have put a virus in it. Then, let's use this」
The PC that I am using now is a new one that I won luckily from a draw since until a year ago I was using a not very old but cheap computer.
So there is no problem if it breaks or not.
It may be a game with bad graphics, or just a joke from someone, however, because I have a lot of free time, the only thing I do is play games or surf the internet. So even if I been deceived, I just need to write a message on the bulletin board on the internet.
I reconnect the old PC and insert the disk. The paper has not written the recommended specifications, so if that sales pitch they used is real then I'm not sure if it will work or not.
On the screen, the only thing displayed is 『Village of Fate』 written big on it.
「I don't know whether is simple or they are simply cutting corners」
As the word 『enter』 appeared under the Village of Fate logo, I pressed the enter key.
「Hey, hey, this has to be a lie」
From the image that seemed to be cutting corners, an image appeared that would make you doubt whether they were recording on live.
A horse-drawn carriage being pulled by two brown horses. The CG is so well made that you could even see the hairs and sweat of the horses.
「Recently, the difference between live filming and CG has shrunk considerably, but even so, it's amazing this image」
The video advances while I observe the image in admiration.
The reason is unknown, but the carriage is running at full speed through the forest.
A man with a flustered expression seated on the coachman's seat is gripping tightly the reins of the carriage. He checks his back many times turning back his head.
The man has a large scar carved deep on his face. Although he has the looks of a foreigner, he's pretty handsome.
But it is his appearance that stands out the most.
At first glance, he looks like he is wearing dirty brown clothes... But looking closer, it's an armor made of leather. He has a long sword on his back and a dagger on his waist.
「Wearing armor while driving a carriage, isn't this a usual setting used in a medieval fantasy setting? This is so cliche」
Although I muttered that, that kind of world view is classic of an RPG, but it may be unusual for a simulation of a town-building system.
The video of the carriage running at full speed switched to the sky, where you could see beast-like flock approaching from behind.
A monster with green skin is riding astride a wild boar-like animal.
The green one is the one that most resembles humans, but from the fangs protruding from its mouth together with its blood-red eyes, you could clearly see that that it's not.
It seems that this is a monster of this world.
And it seems that the carriage is being pursued by the monsters while running away.
It zooms out from the enemy to the horse's nose to then to the interior of the carriage.
At glance, you could see a scared and trembling middle age man who seemed to hug a woman who appears to be his wife together with his daughter.
In addition, a girl in priest-like clothes seemed to be repeating 「God of Fate, God of Fate」 the same phrase many times with her hands together in front of her chest.
Then, the image switched once more towards the sky.
As the distance to the monster gradually approaches, every time the monsters hit the carriage with their rusty swords and axes, the screen shakes and the cries could be heard louder and louder.
Although I know this is a CG video, the expression of being against the ropes and the screams are so realistic, so realist that I noticed I clutched my hand involuntarily.
Just when they were about to be caught, all the sudden, the carriage was enveloped in a golden light.
The origin of that light is not other than the book that the priest had in her hands.
The monsters that suddenly saw the light cover their eyes and their balance crumble, every one of them rolls down to the ground.
The carriage seizes the moment and increases its distance between them, somehow they managed to escape.
The worn-out carriage gradually slows down its speed and completely stops in an open space in the forest.
People come out one after another from the worn-out carriage.
The man who was driving the carriage and wearing armor gives a small sigh, and after checking his surroundings he stretches in a big way.
The three of them who seem to be family members hug each other in happiness having been saved.
The priest-like girl seems to be talking with the man in armor, but I'm unable to hear them.
The screen that was projecting them from the side rotates, and changes to one that you can look from upside down.
「So the game starts from here? Now, what should I do?」
When I move the mouse a small arrow moves.
Since there was no explanation I moved the arrow and placed it on top of the man who was driving the carriage, then I left-clicked on him.
"Gamz 26 years old A swordsman with countless wounds on his face and body. The older brother of Chem who is acting as a priest"
「Oh, a character setting comes out. This is as expected」
Next, I click on the priest woman.
"Chem 19 years old A priest who believes in the God of Fate Gams's sister"
「So she is a priest? Wow, a swordsman and a priest besides being family, eh?」
Gams has black eyes and black hair, as for Chem, she has blue eyes and brown hair. A couple of brothers who do not look very alike, but I'm not someone to nitpick something so boorish like that in this game world.
As expected, the three remaining are family. The unreliable father, Lodis, 33 years old.
The strong-looking and reliable-like mom, Laila, 30 years old.
A girl with curly blond hair who is smiling and with big eyes, Carol, 7 years old.
「This five are the main characters? All I have to do is give orders to these people and build a village?」
Right now they are moving autonomously, how can I give them orders?
It's really enjoyable to see different kinds of motion patterns, but it's meaningless if one can't operate the game.
「That reminds me, was not an oracle just written on that paper?」
When I tried to find where the paper in the box was, I heard a *tatatata* an inorganic sound.
Looking at the game screen, the villager's conversation is displayed in the form of text.
『I'm sorry. I did my best helping you all escape while I was taking care of protecting the village』
Gams lowers his head to the Lodis family.
The opening had voices, but it seems like it's not a full voices version.
『Please raise your head. It's a miracle to have survived even if it's just us after being attacked by so many monsters. I'm really grateful to you』
Lodis bowed so deeply that he didn't lose to Gams, and likewise, his wife and child said their thanks.
『Hey, hey, what's that thing that shone a little ago? Did Gams-onii-chan do something?』
『Carol-chan. I remember telling you many times that Gams is my brother and not yours,』
Chem interrupts Carol who was grabbing off Gams's arm,
She looks like the quiet type, but there's a mark over the character head indicating that she is angry. When I enlarge the image, she looks composed but her eyes are not smiling.
Could it be that this younger sister character is a brocon?
He has a beautiful younger sister in addition to her being a brocon. There is no doubt, he has the main character position.
『Chem, don't be so childish against a kid』
『...Sorry, anii-sama』
『Puff, he got angry at youー』
Gams sighed seeing these two fighting.
It seems that the personalities of the characters and their setting have been well made. This could be one of the best games.
The visuals are beautiful, and the characters' motion is diverse. I have a feeling that I'll be able to enjoy this game quite a bit.
『Stop messing around. More important, what was that light?』
『Laila-san, we are not messing arou... cough. I'll continue. That light, strangely enough, overflowed out from my bible』
Chem brings the bible to the front so everyone can have a look at it.
At the same time, with an *picon* electronic sound, text appeared on the screen.
"You must become their God and lead their village to prosperity. You cannot manipulate them directly, but it is possible to convey oracles writing on a page in the bible once a day. Now, anything is fine so let's try writing out anything as a test!"
「Eh? You won't give choices? I need to write to issue an order?」
What's happening here? Usually, you give the player choices. Does that mean that the AI of these characters has the necessary intelligence to understand and carry out written sentences?
「No, no, that can't be... That's impossible」
I wonder if the AI picks out a word of the sentences and makes a conclusion from it?
Even so, I have never heard of a game like that. It is true that lately AI are born capable of thinking and learning by themselves, but I've never heard of a company that has invested a considerable amount of funds to use it on a game.
「Let's worry about that later. After all, I'm sure they can only understand simple sentences or words anyway」
While thinking that, I intend to write a long sentence in a god-like manner.
Then, what kind of response does the self-proclaimed high-performance AI will show?
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OmnipresenceBeing
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