Making Game: CH 141 – Wild Current (Patreon)

Another weeks had passed. Inside his dimly lit bedroom, Dorian Kepler sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a chaotic spread of physical notebooks. If one focused hard enough, the faint, mischievous sounds of Gastly and other ghost-type Pokémon roaming the Friton pasture could be heard echoing through the quiet night air.

Dorian was currently deep into his fifth notebook. Every single page was filled with meticulous notes, observations, and frantic scribbles dating all the way back to the very first day the System had arrived.

Athena, sat gracefully beside him. She was silently helping him sort through the scattered pages and holographic files floating above his terminal.

A major breakthrough regarding his System theories had just occurred. The Sky: Children of the Light banner was officially maxed out, and the corresponding profile was complete. Unlocking all of its celestial nodes did absolutely nothing to level up his Cosmic Level.

This confirmed a heavily debated theory. The power level of the game world directly corresponded with the amount of Resonance Points required for its Gacha cost, and this cost was intimately connected to the progression of his Cosmic Level. To push his Cosmic Level higher, he needed to create games with a significantly higher power scale. He just had to be careful to avoid going overboard. To this day, he still could barely afford to do daily pull from the Pokémon banner.

"Surely, Monster Hunter is alright," Dorian muttered, tapping his pen against his chin.

Athena leaned forward, her grey eyes scanning the design documents. "I would say it is roughly around my world's power level."

Dorian raised an eyebrow, looking at her. "You think so?"

"I could not say with absolute certainty," Athena replied, adjusting the holographic projection to show the massive beasts of the upcoming game. "It should be, though. From all the mock-ups and descriptions you have provided, it is ultimately a tale of mortals fighting against monsters. Final Fantasy, on the other hand..."

She swiped her hand, sliding a new file into view. "That is entirely different. It features magic that can summon godly power into the mortal world. From the first installment to the sixteenth, they all possess distinct, terrifying differences in scale."

"What about Minecraft?" Dorian asked, sliding and tapping another file open on his terminal.

Athena looked closely at the blocky, survival-based feature list. "The core features could place it higher than Pokémon, or perhaps right around the exact same tier."

Dorian let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples. "Let us look at the numbers. We have Stardew Valley and Sky, both sitting at exactly one Resonance Point per pull. We have zero games currently sitting at the ten-point tier. Assassin's Creed is at one hundred points per pull, and it will possibly go up another hundred with the Brotherhood update. Then we have yours truly, Hades, sitting at one thousand points per pull. And finally, Pokémon, which used to be ten thousand points and has now spiked to thirty thousand points per pull."

He gestured frustratedly at the glowing System panel hovering in his vision. "It is far too random of a prerequisite. Each banner is connected to a specific profile, and each has its own unique way to max out and yield rewards. We have not even talked about the Cosmic Level itself, which is completely absent from the System panel. I cannot even see a progress bar or check what level I am currently at."

Athena tilted her head, her sharp eyes gleaming with ancient calculation. "It is random. However, it is entirely too random to actually be random."

Dorian frowned, completely lost. "What are you even talking about?" he asked, setting his pen down. "How can something be too random to be random?"

Athena gracefully shifted her posture, looking directly at the scattered notes. "Look at the variables you just listed, Dorian. You are trying to find a mathematical correlation between the Resonance Point costs. I propose that the system does not calculate cost based on standard math. It calculates cost based on the weight of reality."

Dorian furrowed his brow. "The weight of reality?"

"Precisely," Athena nodded. "Every game, or rather, every 'world' you introduce, brings something entirely new to this universe. Let us examine the cheapest option. Stardew Valley costs exactly one point per pull. What did it bring into this world?"

"Food… Mineral," Dorian answered quickly. "It brought parsnips, melons, and high plasma minerals."

"Correct. It brought basic things," Athena explained. "It introduced excellent crops and minerals, yet it left the fundamental structure of the universe entirely unchanged. A parsnip does not violate the laws of physics. Now, look at the other end of the spectrum. Pokémon."

Dorian leaned back against his bedframe. "Pokémon brought thirty thousand points."

"No, look at what it actually brought," Athena pressed, her grey eyes flashing with intensity. "It brought completely new biological lifeforms. It introduced creatures that can breathe fire, manipulate gravity, and distort space. It introduced a power system that effortlessly rivals the Solars, which is the native, established power of this universe. The cost is exponentially higher because you are aggressively forcing the universe to accept a massive violation of its own rules."

Dorian stared at the glowing holographic files. The pieces were rapidly falling into place. "The System charges me more Resonance Points based on how hard the universe resists the new addition."

"Exactly," Athena said softly. "And that resistance is exactly what my family has been investigating on our end."

Dorian blinked, genuinely surprised. "The Olympian Gods are investigating the System too?"

"Not all of us," Athena admitted with a faint, amused smile. "Dionysus is mostly just here for the modern alcohol and the parties. However, my family has been paying very close attention. Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, and myself. We have all begun to realize something terrifying about this reality."

She paused, letting the silence hang in the room for a brief moment.

"Our authority here is wild," Athena stated. "There are no gods in this universe, Dorian. And in a fundamental sense, we do not possess true godhood in this universe either."

Dorian sat up straight. "But you are gods. I literally watched Ares hurl a Doom of War at me with his mind today."

"We possess divine power," Athena corrected gently. "However, we do not possess divine ownership. In our original world, the sea obeyed Poseidon because it belonged to him. The sky bowed to Zeus because it was his birthright. This universe is different. The presence of this world has always been wild, untamed, and completely ownerless."

Athena's expression darkened slightly, recalling the private conversations of her family. "When Zeus first arrived and tried to command the sky above Friton, he felt the atmosphere actively pity him. When Poseidon tried to control the deep oceanic currents, he felt pure, unadulterated rage push back against his will. Even Demeter, who loves your pasture dearly, felt an exhausting struggle when she tried to manipulate the weather."

Dorian felt a cold chill run down his spine. He looked out his bedroom window, staring at the dark, starry sky above the Friton fields.

"The domains in this universe are completely wild," Athena concluded, her voice barely above a whisper. "And every single time you pull from a Gacha banner, every time you forcefully inject a new reality into this one... you are ever so slowly awakening it."

…

Lightyears away from the peaceful pastures of Friton, a completely different scale of authority was holding court.

With the overwhelming military backing of the Stellar Accord, the Order of the Sun had successfully taken back all of their lost territory and then some. In response to this crushing shift in momentum, the Lunar Order had formally sent a peace treaty.

The Celestarch sat silently in a grand, opulent meeting room on the planetary surface. Towering, heavily armored members of the Golden Legion stood guard at every door. Sitting directly across from him were the robed delegates of the Order of the Sun High Chamber.

The Celestarch tuned them out. He had only intervened in this primitive planetary war for the specific knowledge these factions possessed. Their heavily guarded secret, the so-called 'Lunar Presence', turned out to be a surprisingly crude way to utilize plasma. But their control over the energy was genuinely outstanding. Alas, they used a completely subpar foundation to channel it. They simply could never go far with it.

"Sir. Sir."

The Celestarch snapped out of his silent musing. He slowly shifted his gaze across the High Chamber.

The lead delegate nervously cleared his throat. "We will agree to this peaceful offer, Celestarch. The bloodshed ends today."

A wave of profound disgust washed over the Celestarch. These spineless cowards. Their people had died countlessly in the mud. With the continued help of the Stellar Accord, the Sun Order could win this war easily and decisively. Yet, the moment the enemy offered a piece of paper, they cowered and folded.

There was absolutely nothing more to gain from these people.

The Celestarch stood up smoothly. "So be it."

He turned and left the room without another word. His Golden Legion immediately followed, their heavy boots echoing through the stone halls. He walked directly onto his parked Judicator flagship and headed straight for the bridge.

"Ready to depart," the Celestarch commanded.

The Fleet Commander gave a crisp nod. "As you command."

As the Commander turned to initiate the pre-flight sequence, the Celestarch spoke again. "Send a small delegation team to the Lunari side."

The Fleet Commander paused, looking back. "A presence or a subjugation, my liege?"

"An introduction," the Celestarch answered coldly.

A question immediately raised itself in the Fleet Commander's heart, yet she swallowed her words. She bowed her head. "It shall be done."

They departed the planetary surface and waited in high orbit. Several hours later, the small delegation team returned to the flagship. They reported that the introduction to the Lunar Order leadership had been executed flawlessly.

The Celestarch looked at the tactical map. "Let us go back. There is nothing more to gain from this planet."

The bridge crew immediately began calibrating the navigation computers for a mass hyper-jump. A brilliant flash of hyperspace energy swallowed the Judicator flagship, turning the viewport into a streaking tunnel of twinkling starlight.

As the ship cruised through hyperspace, the Fleet Commander kept glancing at the Celestarch. He was resting his head on one hand, leaning quietly against the railing of his command deck.

"Speak your mind," the Celestarch said softly.

The Fleet Commander stuttered, caught entirely off guard. "I... I... uh, may I know what the purpose of the delegation to the Lunar Order was, my liege?"

The Celestarch opened his eyes slowly, his gaze entirely devoid of warmth. "Trust. It is a fickle currency."

The Fleet Commander's brain racked through the strategic variables. She looked at the peace talks. She looked at the way the Stellar Accord had been exclusively helping the Order of the Sun. Then, she factored in their sudden, unannounced departure and the quiet introduction of Accord diplomats to the Lunar Order.

It all clicked into place.

Her eyes went wide. "They will fall. Both of them."

"They will," the Celestarch agreed. "I would rather see an entire planet of strangers wiped out entirely than allow anymore of my troops to fall. These people are of no importance to me."

In his eyes, the math was incredibly simple. Millions of people he did not know could die, as long as he made absolutely sure not one of his own men suffered. These two factions would lose many lives in the inevitable, impending slaughter, mostly because they followed completely incapable leaders.

It seemed yet another civilization was simply unprepared for the stellar level.

The Celestarch closed his eyes once again, letting the hum of the hyper-drive lull him to sleep.

…

Several weeks later, the atmosphere at the Round Table Studio headquarters was buzzing with a different kind of energy. The very first piece of heavy manufacturing machinery had finally arrived. It was just one component out of many more to come. The actual physical factory located several kilometers away from the headquarters was already halfway done being built, so this single machine had been delivered directly to the studio for a hands-on inspection.

In the production department, Raja, Kasavin, and the production team were busy talking with the machine company representative. Meanwhile, Logan, Bem, and Arthur were closely inspecting the massive machine in the programming department.

"Look at the micro-extrusion heads," Bem pointed out, watching the robotic arm seamlessly glide across a testing frame. "It is essentially performing a hybrid assembly. The chassis rig snaps the physical metal framework together, while the secondary nozzles are 3D printing the polymer connecting components in real-time."

"The thermal binding is incredibly precise," Logan added, analyzing the data on his terminal. "It fuses the synthetic mesh directly into the alloy joints without leaving any weak points."

Watching the robotic arms meticulously piece together the metal frames, Arthur could not help but think of building Gundam kits in his past life. He wished his mnemonic echo retained the physical Gundam model kits too. Sadly, it exclusively retained movies, anime, games, songs, and all sorts of digital entertainment. It even completely retained each and every episode of Family Feud. Well, it is what it is.

"Do you think the fabrication rig is strong enough to support each VR seat?" Arthur asked, crossing his arms as he watched the robotic joint lock into place.

"I would argue if it is fast enough," Bem replied, tapping a gauge on the side of the machine.

Logan scratched his head. "Should we ask a professional furniture designer to redesign the chair part of the Caliburn hardware?"

Arthur looked at him in confusion. "The Animus 2.0 design is good enough, right? I mean, it is comfortable."

"Well, we do have to think about races such as the Neman and others like the Zynar," Bem explained logically. "They possess completely different anatomies. They need custom sizing and configuration to sit in VR for hours."

Arthur turned his gaze to Logan. "I thought we already did that."

Logan shifted his weight awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. "Well... you know, I kind of focused heavily on Monster Hunter this week. I just found a beautifully optimized way for the monsters to have natural pathing routines in the wild."

Arthur stared at him flatly. "You forgot."

Logan completely dropped the charade and let out a heavy sigh. "I forgot."

Both Bem and Arthur burst into laughter at the programmer's honest defeat.

"It is fine," Arthur chuckled, clapping Logan on the shoulder. "We can get the designer in here after all the core VR components are greenlit."

Right at that moment, a brilliant flash of blue light blitzed into existence just behind Arthur. It was Gawain's holographic form.

"Sir," Gawain announced calmly. "Ross Dalle just sent his sick notice."

Logan immediately stopped smiling. "Is he okay?"

"He was already discharged this morning," Gawain answered. "He says he should be okay in the next two days."

Arthur frowned, a knot forming in his chest. "Did he say what sickness he has?"

"No, sir," Gawain replied. "The doctor form is completely real, however."

"Alright," Arthur said softly. "Send a message to him to see if we can visit and give him some food and a get-well gift. Also, keep him on paid leave, please, Gawain."

"Yes, sir," the AI responded before vanishing from the room.

Bem crossed his arms, looking down at the floor. "I am worried."

"Yeah," Logan agreed, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "Especially with how much hate has been raised about the Zynar race lately."

Arthur took a deep breath, trying to keep the morale of the room steady. "Let us avoid worrying too much for now."

As much as he said it, he too was deeply worried for his sound designer.

⋘ 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒂.. .⋙

🎮:- Stardwey Valley: Completed.- Hades: Completed.- Pokémon: Completed.- Assassin Creed: Completed.- Monster Hunter: ◌ Loading…

VR: - Sky: Children of the Light: Completed.- ???: ◌ Loading… (A/N: Shoot me recommendation!!)

🎬:- Spirited Away: Completed.

♬:- Your Song – Elton John (ch.9)- A Lovely Night – La La Land (ch.20)- Merry Go Round of Life – Howl's Moving Castle (ch.25)- Small Fragile Hearts – Victor Lundberg (ch. 27)- Skyfall – Adele (ch. 29)- No Time To Die – Billie Eilish (ch. 30)- Yesterday – The Beatles (ch. 32)- Lovely – Billie Eilish, Khalid (ch. 47)- Best Part – H.E.R. feat. Daniel Caesar (ch. 67)- Lovely Day – Bill Withers (ch. 68)- My Song – Labi Siffre (ch. 75)- Isn't She Lovely – Stevie Wonder (ch. 89)- Gotta Catch 'Em All – Pokémon OST (ch. 90)- Don't Stop Me Now – Queens (ch. 102)- Grow As We Go – Ben Platt (ch. 102)- Feeling Good – Michael Bublé (ch. 104)- You'll Be In My Heart – Phil Collins (ch. 105)- We Will Rock You – Queen (ch. 108)- The Bones – Maren Morris feat. Hozier (ch. 110)- Achilles, Come Down – Gang Of Youths (ch. 111)- Wind of Change – Scorpions (ch. 113)- From The Start – Laufey (ch. 126)