Four years had passed since that first presentation at the school festival.
A lot had changed since then.
The school now had a new wing dedicated to technological projects, the result of partnerships with universities and innovation companies. Part of this transformation came because of the impact caused by Suspects in Sakura. The game went viral in school communities across the country, and my name started circulating among promising young developers.
I kept updating the game in the following months fixing bugs, adding new characters and environments. I even implemented a competitive mode based on the suggestions I received. But after a year, I realized I needed to go further.
That's when the idea was born: to create a game that went beyond anything that existed in my previous world.
A hard game. Immersive. A real challenge. Something that tested reflexes, but also the mind.
I was inspired by Dark Souls. But I wanted to take it a step further.
I spent most of the last three years developing the base. I created my own engine, focused on precise combat and fast responses. I studied game design obsessively. I learned neural network programming and, with the technological advances in this world, adapted an AI capable of studying the user's playstyle—analyzing attack, dodge, and defense patterns, and reacting differently each attempt.
I called this AI the Thanatos Core.
The bosses in the game didn't repeat predictable move cycles. They learned from you. Reacted to your fear. Your confidence. Your hesitation.
The project's working title: Ashen Regalia.
It was a third-person action RPG set in a world shattered by war between immortal entities. I was creating every texture, every soundtrack, every line of code with obsessive perfectionism. But one thing was certain: I was building something that could truly make me famous.
During that time, I unlocked a system shop. Using skill points, I bought new abilities each one focused on my goal.
The first was Parallel Flow: it allowed me to maintain multiple chains of thought simultaneously. I could design a boss while fine-tuning the collision system, all in parallel, as if my mind had several windows open at once.
The second was Interface Sync: it increased precision and sensitivity when using digital tools. Drawing, typing, or coding became more intuitive, faster, and free of mechanical errors.
The third, acquired recently, was Algorithmic Intuition: I could predict behaviors of poorly structured code and anticipate complex bugs as if I could sense the system's failures before even running the game.
These abilities didn't make me a genius, but they gave me the edge I needed to keep creating at a superhuman pace.
Meanwhile, my father got a promotion. He now led an entire urban engineering team. He spent less time at home, but his pride in me had never been clearer. My mother kept her same job, but helped me with voice lines for NPCs when needed.
My room became a lab: three monitors, studio headphones, stacks of notebooks filled with maps and diagrams. I slept little. Ate poorly. Pushed myself to get as close as possible to the game I envisioned.
And even with the system active, I hadn't leveled up Verdant Pulse a single time.
It wasn't the time.
This game was everything. Every line of code was a step up the ladder to the top.
The alpha version of Ashen Regalia was almost ready. And with it, my next leap.
Because this time, I wasn't just going to impress a school fair.
I was going to leave my mark on the world.
---
After being locked up in my room for so many days, I decided I deserved a real break. It was past nine at night when I left home wearing a light jacket. night air was crisp, and the streets, though lively, had a calmer feel than during the day.
My destination was simple: Mrs. Yukari's diner, an old friend of my mother's. A small, cozy place, always smelling like something fried, with an old jukebox that still worked. I used to go there when I was younger, and even now, with everything I had going on, I still found comfort in that little place out of time.
She greeted me with a warm smile the moment I walked in.
"Haruki! Long time no see! The usual?"
I nodded with a slight smile.
"Yeah, Yukari-san. Fries and the burger with the sauce, please."
While she prepared my order, I sat at one of the tables by the window. The diner was nearly empty, except for a couple of students laughing quietly and an older man reading the newspaper. The jukebox was playing a soft song from the 90s, and for a few moments, I just allowed myself to… relax.
The food came quickly. Delicious, as always.
I ate slowly, savoring the real taste of things as if my brain had finally remembered there was a world outside screens and code.
As I relaxed, I opened my status window. I always check to see if anything changes without me noticing.
---
[USER STATUS]
Name: Haruki Sakuragi
Quirk: Verdant Pulse
Combat Style: None
Title: Young Visionary
Active Abilities:
• Parallel Flow
• Interface Sync
• Algorithmic Intuition
Passive Abilities:
• Accelerated Mind
Reputation: • School Circles (Japan): Very High
Recognized as the creator of one of the most innovative student projects in recent years. Influencer in tech forums and programming clubs.
• Gaming Industry: Moderate
Known in developer communities and specialized podcasts.
• General Public: Low
Unknown to most. Recognition limited to specific environments.
• Heroes: Very Low
No direct involvement in heroic activities. No presence in high-risk situations.
• Media: Low
Some mentions in education and youth innovation articles. No broad exposure on national networks or major programs.
• Parents: Low
Visible pride and admiration.
• World: Insignificant
No international impact. No records outside Japan. Growing curiosity in global dev forums, but still invisible to the general public.
---
Seeing everything unchanged, I closed it and returned to my meal.
I stayed there for about forty minutes before standing up, thanking Yukari-san, and heading back home.
That's when it happened.
I was about three blocks from home when an intense blue light lit up the sky. A sharp sound almost like a muffled thunderclap echoed through the streets. People around me stopped. Some immediately pulled out their phones. I turned toward the light as well.
At the top of one of the buildings, a hero was fighting a villain.
You could only catch fragments of the battle: energy flashes, shadows colliding, bursts slicing through the air. The shouting was muffled but still audible. A crowd was forming on the sidewalks, keeping their distance, but not their attention.
No one seemed surprised. Fights between heroes and villains weren't rare. Still, seeing it live was different from watching videos online.
I stood still like the others. Just watching.
The hero moved swiftly, his clothes glowing with a metallic shimmer. The villain had something like a whip made of energy, spinning around his body at insane speeds.
At one point, an explosion rocked the side of the building. Chunks of concrete flew off, but before they hit the ground, a greenish force field formed around the crowd. Another hero had arrived.
No one looked scared. People were chatting with excitement, like they were watching a new anime episode.
And me?
I just observed.
Quiet.
With no urge to get involved. That was the world as it was. Loud. Chaotic. A stage of lights and destruction.
It wasn't my stage.
Not yet.
I sighed and kept walking, turning the corner as the fight raged on above us.
---
When I closed the door behind me, the silence swallowed me like a warm blanket. Everything was just as I'd left it: dim hallway lights, my shirt tossed over the chair, the monitor blinking in sleep mode.
I dropped the keys on the kitchen counter and went straight to my room.
Took off the jacket and stood there for a while in the middle of the room, staring at the dark screen ahead of me.
The fight was still fresh in my mind.
Not that it was the first time I'd seen something like that in person it wasn't. But there was something about that scene… the way people reacted. As if the extraordinary had become part of everyday life.
As if it could never touch them. As if villains and heroes were just part of a show they watched.
And seeing that only reinforced my determination to finish the game. To be strong, so I'd never have to lose anything again.
I dropped into my chair and stared at the monitor.
For a few seconds, I considered opening the Ashen Regalia project. Just to review the parry system code I had written the night before. But my fingers didn't move.
I knew it wasn't time to act. Not with the game, not with Verdant Pulse. Everything had its time. And mine was still being built.
Sooner or later, the world out there would knock on my door.
And when that happened, I needed to be ready.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
Thanatos Core was nearly complete.
Ashen Regalia was taking shape.
Sooner or later...
I would be ready.
A sudden metallic beep cut through the silence.
The bluish system interface appeared in the corner of my vision, pulsing softly. A new tab expanded something I hadn't seen before.
This time, the interface came with a different energy. Almost like an urgent notification. The window's edges glowed gold, softly pulsing.
---
[SPECIAL MISSION AVAILABLE]
Mission: Mark of Legacy
Description: You chose to build something grand. A new world, a challenge worthy of legends, and an experience that will make history. But creation is only half the journey. Now it's time to conquer the world.
Objectives: • Launch the Alpha version of Ashen Regalia
• Reach 100 million unique players/fans within 30 days of launch
• Maintain an approval rating of at least 4.7 stars on major platforms
• Have at least 10 influential personalities play and publicly comment on the game
Reward:
Combat Style: Digital Arsenal
Transforms your creative abilities into combat intuition. You'll learn to visualize strategies like systems, predict movements like algorithms, and react with mathematical precision. Ideal for those who think in patterns, structures, and constant innovation.
Secondary Bonus:
Automatic acquisition of 1 new passive ability related to public influence, if the 100 million milestone is surpassed within 20 days.
System Note: Your talent is shaping the future. Prove you can be more than a spark. Be a symbol.
Deadline: 30 days after launch.
---
Seeing that window, I couldn't help but smile.
This was exactly the opportunity I needed.