It was 10 PM. I had just finished my workday, but I was happy: finally, the weekend! I stopped at the store to buy some Monster and frozen meals—enough to last two days without leaving my apartment. I'd been preparing all week for a Pokémon marathon; I fully intended to beat this fan-game in two days.
It was a beautiful summer evening with a cool breeze. Perfect gaming weather, if you ask me. I was already lost in thought: which starter to pick, which Pokémon to catch next… I was excited… looking back, maybe a bit too much. If only I'd been more attentive, I would have seen that car coming way too fast.
Well, I won't draw you a picture, you know the rest. Car: 1, Me: 0. And it's this most unequal of fights that led me before this old man who, by the way, is the Creator of all things… Slightly intimidating when you think about it. But hey, I'm dead. So, I'm struggling to decide which news shocked me more tonight: the fact that I'm dead, or the fact that I'm sitting in front of God with a capital G, and he's offering me tea and cookies like it's perfectly normal.
"Of course it's not normal, kid! You think I have time to meet everyone? No, I brought you here because I have a mission of the utmost importance to entrust to you. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to create or recreate the video games of your home world across the infinite multiverse. Further details will be revealed later. This document will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck!" he told me with the utmost seriousness, handing me a briefcase.
I rolled my eyes. "Seriously? Mission Impossible?" "What? Those are great movies! Anyway, jokes aside, I've created a System to help you develop games. I'll let you discover that for yourself. I've also built you a personal dimension and a multiverse map; they'll be useful for traveling between worlds. Your starting point will be the MCU. Any questions?" "Of course, I have pl—" "Well, that's a shame, I have to go! Good luck, kid. I'll check in on you later," he said, vanishing. "Seriously, I can't even ask— aaaaahhhhhh!"
What the hell? I feel like I've just been launched at the speed of light. Wasn't there a gentler way to send me to my so-called personal dimension? At least it's efficient. Whoa, he wasn't kidding when he said "personal dimension." I was expecting a hill with a small house, but no, I'm literally suspended in the void. There's just a desk with a PC on a sort of platform.
I guess I should be able to modify this dimension if it's mine. Let's check the PC, since that unreliable old man gave me almost zero info. As I try to move, I realize I can navigate by controlling my body with my mind. Handy. Alright, let's see. Yeah, this PC is as standard as it gets. Let's turn it on. Hmm, a password… maybe 12345678? Correct. Ah, yep, that's my password alright.
Moving on. Well, there are no apps on this PC. How am I even supposed to start my "great mission"? DING. Oh, a notification! A message? It's gotta be that old guy.
GOD: - Kid, you forgot to activate your System by saying "System," like all those transmigrators do. It's the first thing they all do… And for your information, I am not old! I'm in the prime of my life, barely 14 billion years old. Hmph. Anyway, feel free to send a message if you have a question. Good luck.
Aaron: - And are you actually going to answer?
GOD: - ......
"Just what I thought. Alright, System, activate!"
[System Activating] [Loading 1%... 8%... 45%... 92%... 100%] [Loading Complete] [Online Game Creation System] [Menu: - Game Creation - Multiverse Shop - Game Statistics - Personal Dimension Development - Multiverse Map - Balance: 5,000 points]
Now that's more like it. Let's try dimension development. I don't exactly have a fear of heights, but floating in the middle of nowhere is weird and creepy.
[Personal Dimension Development: - Beginner Gift Pack - Furniture - Plants - Appliances - Structures...]
I'll look at what's possible later. With the points I have, I should probably focus on the games first. Let's open this gift pack.
[Gift Pack: - Classic Bedroom (Desk, bed, toilet, with a bay window overlooking the cosmic void) - Infinite Mini-Fridge (Contains an infinite supply of water bottles and microwaveable noodles) - Microwave (Just a microwave) PS: If you want better food, get to work! Hahahaha.]
As I read the contents, a room began to build itself around me. Honestly, it's not bad! The view from the window is breathtaking—a magnificent nebula. The infinite fridge might not be gourmet, but it'll do for now. I'll check the prices of other items later. Monster is definitely my priority. Yes, I'm an addict, so what?
Alright, time to start what I'm actually here for: developing video games! "System, can you transfer your menu to the PC? It'll be more intuitive for me."
[Request Granted] [Transfer Complete] DING
Perfect, this will be way easier. I looked like an idiot staring into thin air. So, how does game creation work? I hope I don't have to code, or I'm screwed.
[Game Creation: - MOBA (Basic: 2,000 / Advanced: 20,000 / AAA: 200,000) - FPS (Basic: 2,000 / Advanced: 20,000 / AAA: 200,000) - MMORPG (Basic: 20,000 / Advanced: 200,000 / AAA: 2,000,000) ...]
Okay, I see the value of these 5,000 points now. It's decent, but not a fortune. "System, how does the creation process work, and how are the games distributed in the MCU?"
[The development phase has been simplified compared to your home Earth. Here, you only need to input character info, maps, items, etc. For distribution, games will be downloadable on all platforms (PC, console, etc.) via the various App Stores. They cannot be removed, even by the platform owners.]
"That's a relief." I've done a bit of coding in my life, but definitely not enough to build a game from scratch. "I remember reading a fanfiction where players were transported into the game like VR after clicking on it. Will it be like that here too?" [Yes] "Perfect! I know exactly which game I'm making first, then. System, unlock a Basic MOBA."
[Basic MOBA purchased: -2,000 points] [Balance: 3,000 points]
Let's see how this looks.
[Game Creation: - Available Slot: 1 Basic MOBA]
[Basic MOBA: Please provide a brief summary of the game you wish to create so I can calculate the available map size, graphic quality, number of character slots, etc.]
I figured... at 2,000 points, there had to be limits, otherwise it wouldn't make sense. So, how to summarize League of Legends simply? Hmm, I got it.
"A 5v5 MOBA on a map with three lanes (top, mid, bot). A jungle between the lanes with a shallow river dividing the map in the middle. Players choose from 5 roles (ADC and Support in botlane, Midlaner, Toplaner, and Jungler). The goal is to destroy the enemy Nexus. To do that, you must destroy the turrets in each lane (3 per lane), the inhibitor, the inner turrets, and finally the Nexus. Champions (player-controlled characters) get stronger by killing minions from the Nexus, jungle monsters, and enemy champions. They grant gold and experience used to buy items and level up."
Well, that's a rough summary, but that's the gist of it. Good thing that's enough! If I had to summarize every single rule, I'd be writing a novel.
[Calculating.... Calculation Complete] [Result: ... ]
"Find out what happens in the next chapter, hehe! You won't have to wait long—I plan on posting one chapter a day, except on Mondays. I have a job on the side that takes up a lot of my time, and I want to use my day off to get ahead on writing. That way, I might start a Patreon later, or at least have some backup chapters ready in case I get sick or busy.
I'm looking forward to your feedback on the story! Thanks in advance, and I hope this first chapter made you want to see more!"