[Develop a game with a 1-star rating.]
[Quest Completed]
A series of notifications streaked across my vision all of a sudden. I could only stare at them, baffled.
"What the hell...?"
Did I manage to complete the quest?
...But why now of all times? I completed the game about an hour ago. Why now, of all times?
The notifications weren't over yet.
[Calculating rewards...]
My mind quickly sobered up when I saw the last notification.
Even though I was still confused about why all of this was happening, I couldn't help but feel excited about the reward part—especially the 'Shop' section. I had a feeling that what I wanted was waiting for me there.
[Rewards calculated]
Ding—!
As a small chime rang in my head, a new window appeared in front of me.
[+ 1000 SP]
[Shop Unlocked!]
─────[Shop]─────
-> [First Order]
[Butcher's Knife]
: Knife with the ability to cut through anomalous objects and entities. The more it kills, the stronger it becomes!
Non-consumable.
Price : 10,000 SP
[Mr. Huggs]
: A dirty teddy bear that reduces aggression in a 5-meter radius. However, extended exposure causes severe dependency and emotional instability when separated.
Price : 2,178 SP
[The Dead Channel]
: A radio that only tunes into a station broadcasting the voices of the deceased. Sometimes, they respond to questions.
Price : 999 SP
[Available Points : 1,000 SP]
[Conversion rate : 1$ = 0.1 SP]
─────[Shop]─────
I was immediately surprised by the interface that greeted me. There were numerous items, each containing a certain description, alongside a certain price.
"10,000 SP?"
Was this the currency used for the shop?
I got my answer soon enough as I quickly spotted the relevant information.
"Conversion rate? One dollar for 0.1 SP? That's..."
Wasn't this daylight robbery? Taking into account all of my savings, which were around 7,000$, that was hardly 700SP. What could I even buy with that?
"No, actually, there are quite a few things..."
To the right of the window, a search bar flickered faintly — a small counter beside it showing the total number of items available.
[Search █──────────]
Total items: 137
Looking at the number, I was pleasantly surprised. These were quite a lot. I could also see that there were even more items available than shown, but those areas were locked.
The only items that I had access to were those under the [First Order] section.
'...I'm curious to see what that means, but that's not important at the moment.'
There was only one thing that was in my mind at the moment, and it was...
"Medicine. I need to find medicine."
I could tell that my condition was starting to worsen. Especially with the added stress and lack of sleep.
I still had my own medicine, but those were merely suppressants. They didn't deal with the actual condition as they slowly started to lose their effect.
"Where is it...?"
Pressing on the search bar, a filter expanded beneath it, dividing items into 'Consumables' and 'Non-Consumables'. A price slider flickered into view shortly after, and I capped it at 1700 SP, the total of my current income.
The balance surprised me. It was higher than expected, but that didn't matter. Finding the medicine was the only thing that did.
Items available : 12
I quickly scrolled through the items before my eyes finally fell on a certain item.
(Recommended) [Lumenol]
: Halts the spread of Fractures for a week, providing immediate relief and preventing new Cognate Shard growth.
Consumable.
Price : 250SP
"Ah?"
Reading the description, I was at a loss. Fracture? Cognate Shard? What in the world did the two words mean?
I didn't understand a single thing.
The descriptions were confusing, but it wasn't like I had anything to help me figure out what they meant.
'I should try asking Kyle later. He might know something.'
I felt like the words were closely related to this world's system.
That aside...
Looking at the price tag, I drew a cold breath.
"250 SP? That's crazy expensive."
Honestly, I would've skipped right past it if not for that quiet little 'Recommended' sitting beside the item name.
I understood with just a glance that this was a clue provided by the system with regards to my condition.
Though I was doubtful, I still decided to purchase the item, clicking on the 'purchase' button right beneath it. The moment I pressed the button, my balance dropped to 750, and a notification flashed across my vision.
[Purchase complete!]
Poof!
A familiar puffing sound echoed, and an item dropped from above me.
"Oish!"
The item fell directly into my hands as I caught it.
"...This is the medicine?"
It was white and about the size of a pill. In fact, it looked and felt like a regular pill. I held it between my fingers, half-expecting it to hum or shift, or do something strange.
But it didn't. It just sat there, still, unassuming.
'Should I drink some water with it?'
There were no instructions, but seeing how it was designed, I went on to grab a cup of water before chugging the pill down.
The pill smoothly entered my stomach shortly after that, and I sat down, waiting for something to happen.
'Surely I'll know soon.'
I waited.
I waited for something to happen.
I waited, and yet...
"...."
Opening my eyes, I frowned.
I didn't feel a thing.
'Did something go wrong? Or did I not eat it properly?'
I opened the shop once again and read the description. However, there seemed to be no instructions alongside the description.
"Maybe the effects aren't obvious...?"
I lowered my head to check the time and date.
"...I usually get an attack every twelve hours. I'll start the timer now and see if it works."
This was the only way for me to check if the pills worked.
Shortly after starting the timer, my eyes fell on the shop once again. My hands began to itch as I stared at the numerous items.
In particular, my eyes fell on the [Butcher's Knife] on the front page.
'If I have that, wouldn't it be easier for me to fight the conductor?'
I really wanted it, but I lacked the necessary money to buy it.
That wasn't the only item that I was interested in. There were so many useful items that I desperately wanted.
But yet again, my issue was the lack of money.
I needed to somehow make money.
But that wasn't exactly easy. I had no job, and the only thing going for me was the—
"Wait!"
A thought suddenly struck me then.
Hurriedly pulling my computer out and opening the app, my eyes fell on the game rating.
"One star..."
I covered my mouth.
'That's right, I wasn't just creating the game to fulfill the quest. I can also sell it and hope that it makes money.'
The only issue that I had was whether it would make money.
Considering that the system had given it a rating of one star, surely it wasn't too bad?
"Let's say the game is good, I'm still considered an indie developer. The audience I can reach is not that big. I need to find a way to market the game and give it the proper kickstart to make it sell."
I massaged my forehead while racking my brain over the situation.
It was in the midst of those thoughts that a notification blinked to life.
Ding!
I looked up slowly to see something flash before me.
[New quest assigned!]
[You've created a fitting game to scare the people of this world. It would be a pity if the world didn't know about your game. Find a way to market your game and reach at least 10,000 sales!]
[Reward : 3,000 SP]
[Failure : Shop closure]
[Time Limit : One Week]
My mouth opened, and soon closed.
Then...
"Alright."
I nodded before tossing myself onto the bed and covering my body with the bedsheets.
"...Fuck this shit."