"Forget it," Caleb Knox muttered as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his tired eyes. "Even if it's an open ending, at least the direction is hopeful."
On his screen, the final scene of Night of the Full Moon replayed again and again. The image of Little Carpenter's soul lingering in the real world refused to leave his mind.
"The witch clearly said ordinary people can't see him," Caleb continued, speaking to himself. "But is Little Red Riding Hood really ordinary?"
She wasn't.
She was a member of the Hope family, a girl who could instantly crush bosses using dozens of stacked magic cards. A character who had already proven—again and again—that she stood far above normal rules.
And the final scene proved it.
Her gaze didn't wander randomly.
It landed exactly where Little Carpenter's soul stood.
That alone was enough to make Caleb's heart pound.
"So yeah… I'm satisfied," he said softly. "This ending is good."
Then his mood abruptly shifted.
"And this song—damn, this song is incredible!"
Caleb slapped the desk excitedly.
"I've decided! The moment it drops on Q Village Music, I'm downloading it and setting it as the permanent background track in our live stream room!"
He straightened his back and grinned.
"From today onward, all of you are listening to it properly. This is a gift from Northstar Games to me!"
"You hear that? You must listen to it!"
Caleb was glowing.
The video he had uploaded earlier—breaking down the hidden ending, analyzing the final gaze, and speculating on the soul scene—had completely exploded overnight. His follower count surged, the platform officially verified the video, and now he had even received a response gift from the game's developers.
Recognition. Popularity. Validation.
For a content creator, this was paradise.
---
The Song That Shook the Charts
Time moved forward to the 23rd.
At 9:00 a.m. sharp, the Q Village Music New Song Chart refreshed.
And overnight, a brand-new track surged directly into the Top 50.
Its name was:
"Keywords (Night of the Full Moon – Theme Song)"
Vocals: Leo Hart
Composer: Northstar Games
Lyricist: Northstar Games
Arranger: Northstar Games
The reason this song climbed so fast—despite being released at the very end of the month—was obvious.
First, it was sung by Leo Hart, one of the most recognizable voices in the industry.
Second, the moment it launched, it was flooded with downloads, comments, and repeat plays.
The numbers didn't lie.
When a song entered the Top 50 at the end of the month, it meant only one thing:
It was going to explode.
After weeks of brutal competition and fan-driven chart wars, a late-release song breaking through was almost unheard of.
And anyone who listened to it…
Downloaded it.
They had no choice.
The song fit Leo Hart perfectly.
The melody, the emotional restraint, the quiet tension—it was as if the track had been written specifically for his voice.
"This composer understands him too well…"
But that raised a question.
What exactly was Night of the Full Moon?
A TV series?
An anime?
A movie?
Why was Leo Hart singing a theme song for it?
Curiosity spread fast.
Fans rushed to investigate—and soon discovered something unbelievable.
Night of the Full Moon was a game.
Not an online game.
Not a gacha.
Not a multiplayer title.
But a single-player card-based roguelike game.
Confusion erupted.
Their idol hadn't endorsed a blockbuster MMO.
He hadn't even promoted a mobile cash-grab.
Instead, he sang for an unknown indie-style game.
And the producer?
Not even a person.
Just a company name.
Northstar Games.
"What kind of game company makes music like this?"
"What kind of company cares this much about story?"
Questions piled up.
Many fans lost interest after skimming the gameplay explanation.
But a surprising number didn't.
They downloaded the game.
They played it.
They kept playing.
For no other reason than Leo Hart.
And just like that, Night of the Full Moon experienced another surge of popularity.
---
Fan Power in Action
By 3:00 p.m., "Keywords" climbed again.
Rank 32.
No promotion.
No official announcement.
No paid exposure.
Just fans.
This was the terrifying influence of a top-tier singer.
By 9:00 p.m., the chart refreshed once more.
Top 30.
The comment count exceeded 40,000.
And the top comment—liked over 30,000 times—read:
> Sweet and Sour:
"The evasive bond is a farewell under the full moon. I love Little Red Riding Hood—her strength, her bravery, her refusal to yield. I love her kindness and her innocence. And I also love Little Carpenter. I love his rebellion against fate, and his devotion to love. I'm grateful to the lead planner for letting me experience this story. I'm grateful for the courage to give us a good ending. Thank you."
The second most-liked comment wasn't far behind:
> Dora Mi Eating Candy:
"Thank you, Northstar Games, for letting me witness a romance born from trust between a game company and its players. Caleb Knox spent months chasing a puzzle that might not have even had an answer—and Northstar dared to create it anyway, believing players could solve it. This is romance. Real romance."
Below them were endless discussions.
Some were from Leo Hart's fans.
Some were long-time players.
Some were newcomers discovering the game for the first time.
Music and games had collided—and sparked something rare.
---
A Shift in the Industry
As "Keywords" climbed higher, it caught the attention of music-focused video creators.
Analysis videos appeared overnight.
Creators played the song, explained its origin, and told the story behind its creation.
It wasn't complicated.
As one comment said:
It was a romance born from trust.
And that was exactly what the domestic game industry lacked.
Most single-player games focused entirely on mechanics.
Story?
Optional.
Disposable.
Something you could skip.
In crude terms, plot had become an accessory—something added only if convenient.
But Northstar Games shattered that mindset.
They proved something important:
Gameplay and story didn't have to compete.
They could support each other.
And gameplay?
Night of the Full Moon wasn't lacking in that department either.
It was the first true roguelike card game of its kind in the domestic market.
A milestone.
Soon, content creators from BiliZone, SharkStream, and even major gaming bloggers from Official Blog joined the discussion.
Praise poured in.
They highlighted the game's hidden details, emotional design, and narrative patience.
Two months after release, the game was still attracting players.
Why?
Because people wanted answers.
They wanted to know Little Carpenter's fate.
A good story left marks.
It made players remember.
And while gameplay was still the foundation, music, visuals, emotion, and narrative all mattered.
Story was not optional.
It was essential.
---
The Trending Topic
At 10:00 p.m., a new phrase appeared on the hot search list:
"Northstar Games – A Romantic Game Company"
---
Midnight Call
At 12:00 a.m., Ethan Reed was violently dragged out of sleep by his phone.
"Ethan! Ethan! Why aren't you talking? Are you asleep?!"
He groaned.
"I was asleep," Ethan said coldly. "And you woke me up. So you'd better give me a good reason."
"We're trending! We're trending on Official Blog!"
"What trend?"
"Netizens are calling us a romantic game company!"
Silence.
"So?" Ethan replied flatly.
"…So?"
"This is amazing feedback! Bloggers are praising our storytelling, saying we balance gameplay and narrative!"
"Is that all?"
Ethan sounded unimpressed.
"…Do you have sleep grumpiness?" Vivian Frost muttered.
"If there's nothing important, I'm hanging up," Ethan said. "We'll talk tomorrow."
"Oh… okay."
The call ended.
Ethan dropped the phone, turned over, and sighed.
"Night of the Full Moon is considered story-heavy now?" he muttered.
He smirked.
"In today's market, pay-to-win games barely have stories. As long as it's flashy, that's enough."
"If I released Braveheart… or To the Moon… how would they react then?"
"And Legend of Sword and Fairy was story-first too."
His thoughts faded.
Within moments, steady breathing filled the room.
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Extra chapters available on patreon ❤️🔥
patreon.com/Samurai492
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