Having confirmed that SyncStrike was working perfectly, I looked at Game Core with curiosity.
As Runestone had always been my main focus, and then SyncStrike coming along to take that position with me always having to be developing something new and keeping my time very busy, there were rare moments when I didn't have any responsibilities and could just relax.
And this was one of those moments.
Looking at the technology needed to make a Game Core like this made me very surprised.
"How does a small device like this, the size of a simple Pendrive, manage to store such diverse data, including the use of Mana with a network of servers and things like that...?" I asked myself curiously.
Thinking about how I was able to use my Mana to do anything in the virtual world, and how I used the shadow magic knowledge base to make other spells or modify existing spells in the real world using my System, a doubt came to my mind.
'If I tried to recreate a Game Core like this using my Mana as a base, would the System help me form this mold? Would that be too expensive? " I asked myself mentally.
This doubt, which started out as a simple curiosity that I wanted to satisfy, over time became a greater and greater possibility to the point that I gave up fighting it and decided to give it a try.
Thinking about the structure I already knew from the Game Core and wanting to replicate it perfectly using my Mana, to my surprise, my Mana actually started to store up at my fingertips!
"Unfortunately the cost is too high..." I realized that no matter how much Mana I stored, the feeling of satiety from it showed no signs of ending.
When I did other things with my MP using the System, over time I began to pick up little signs of how much MP I would spend doing it, but to replicate a Game Core in the real world I couldn't even imagine it.
But this little test gave me another insight into the System.
'Wait, hadn't I created a Runestone card in the real world last month? ' I realized, shocked. 'Yes, when I was starting to learn spells, I thought about trying to recreate a Runestone card in real life, the problem was that I was so focused on the possibility of doing it with spells that I didn't give much thought to the System's role in doing it!'
The concept of creating anything imaginable with just the power of imagination and enough MP was something that, as far as I knew, didn't even exist among S Rank Supernaturals...
Even powerful Supernaturals around the world had to follow rules in the ways they developed their magic, while the System was apparently not bound by any rules, only depending on MP and imagination.
Rushing to my room, I looked at the Runestone card I had made in the past and kept in storage and realized: 'Really... this card is exactly like a real, permanent object, very different from the objects conjured by magicians or other Supernaturals, after all, they still needed MP to keep these objects in the real world, while my card acted like a real object and would last until the end of the material's lifespan, just like a real card.
Thinking about this, another possibility came to mind.
'If I spent 50 MP to make this card in the real world, 10x the cost to make it in Game Core, now that I had 150 MP total wouldn't I be able to make a card with False Neurological Feedback in the real world too? ' I was shocked to realize this.
Swallowing hard at the thought of this possibility, I started meditating to recover my Mana as much as possible.
With my Mana full again, I started testing.
But knowing the impracticality of using a card model in the real world, I changed the design a little.
Closing my eyes and imagining the object I wanted to create, with the characteristics I wanted that object to have, Mana began to store in my finger, indicating that the creation process had begun.
5 MP...
10 MP...
20 MP...
40 MP...
80 MP...
137 MP!
'Only a little more than 10x the price of making a card with the Runestone's False Neurological Feedback...' I thought as I looked at the ring in the palm of my hand.
This ring, all smooth black metal in appearance, to anyone else might seem like just a random accessory that I paid a few cents for.
But when I put it on my finger, I felt the same sensation that the Runestone's False Neurological Feedback brought to me!
And the amazing thing was that these sensations weren't conflicting with each other, but adding to each other, doubling the MP and body amplification I was getting from the Runestone's False Neurological Feedback!
By my calculations, the Runestone was giving me an average of 0.1 MP per day, but now with this new ring, that figure has risen to 0.2 MP per day!
That figure wasn't very significant or even very profitable, since it would take me 1,500 days, or 4 years, just to recover the MP spent on creating it.
But even if that wasn't much, it was still a low-risk investment that I could make whenever I had MP left over.
If a single ring didn't earn me that much MP a day, what if I put a ring on each finger?
What if I made rings focused only on developing MP, disregarding the development of my physique?
By making these 10 rings I'd have an income of 1 to 2 MP per day, the equivalent of a full game with thousands of Players online every day!
'It's not a bad deal... even if it takes a while to pay off, isn't it the same with games? I've already spent over 4,000 MP developing SyncStrike and in the end I'll only get 2 MP a day until this Game Core evolves to the E Rank. I thought contentedly.
Sure, games would still earn me money and fame, which are very important in any kind of society, but strength is just as important, so I could take a little more time each day to make other rings like these.
'If I can make rings like these, what else could I do in the future when I become an E Rank Game Creator?' I thought excitedly, only to be surprised by my phone ringing.
Ring, Ring
[Director Prescott]
Looking at who was calling me, I was a little surprised.
"Hello Principal, has the day to pay the rent arrived?" I asked confused.
"Haha, ah, Theo, if only I were a businessman and not just a curious old man... But no, that's not why I'm calling you." His voice was as good-humored as I could remember from our conversations in college, as if he were about to share an interesting secret. "I just felt a sudden desire to know how you're doing in this new phase of your life. With the growth of your game, your income has already increased a lot, right? Have you finally started decorating the apartment or are you still living in an empty room?"
Hearing this I was a little embarrassed and asked laughing a little. "How did you know I was living in an empty room?"
"You're living opposite my granddaughter, of course I'd know that." He laughed on the other end of the line.
Thinking of the young woman I'd run into from time to time in the hallway, or when we'd exchanged a few plates of food, I thought it made sense.
She had repeatedly shown concern for how I was living, being very pleased when she saw that I had finally started to buy myself some furniture.
"I was saving up for a new Game Core... after I managed to buy it I stopped saving money and started decorating the house." I explained, laughing.
"I beta-tested your new game, and I have to say, Theo, your creativity never ceases to amaze me. I'm looking forward to the official launch of SyncStrike." He laughed, the sound deep and comforting, as if he were reveling in the very thought.
"You've tested the game?!" I asked in surprise.
"Yes, what's so surprising about that? This old man has already become a Master Player, vying with young OwenOwns for the Top 1 Rank haha. Instead of wasting time playing chess against AIs on the internet, I thought it would be more fun to sit down in front of a real person at their game and play a new game." He laughed with satisfaction, clearly enjoying my surprise.
I was shocked by this, not imagining that the director not only played my game, but was even in the game's Top 10!
"I imagine that if you try to compete for the Rank of the songs for Mages in Syncstrike, the poor F Rank Players won't stand a chance of taking your Top 1..." I said as I wiped non-existent sweat from my forehead.
"Don't worry about it, haha. Although I like SyncStrike, the difficulty level is still too low for me, when Game Core evolves to at least B Rank, or A Rank maybe I'll put those old bones to work again, for now I prefer a calmer, more relaxing game like Runestone." He laughed good-naturedly.
Considering the monstrous strength I felt from him, this answer didn't surprise me that much.
Before I could say anything else, he interrupted me in a serious voice.
"Theo, your Runestone game has attracted a lot of attention from the California Federation, or rather the National Federation, and a team from the California Federation has asked me to contact you so that we can arrange a meeting. They have a very specific request for your help in training F Rank soldiers." He said with a professional tone, completely changing from the affectionate grandfatherly tone he had previously. "It's worth noting that this won't be without benefits."
Hearing his change of tone and the mention of the federation itself, I got serious. "It's assumed that this invitation can't be refused, right?" I asked.
The director was silent for a few seconds before answering. "With my name as a basis, a refusal is not impossible, but inadvisable for your future."
The meaning of the message was obvious. He could help me cancel it, but thinking about my future development, it was better to be on the Federation's good side and at least accept this meeting.
"All right, when will we meet?" I asked.
"Since you're planning to release your game now, we'll schedule it for three days from now at the NFA, enough time for you to deal with the unforeseen aspects of releasing your game, and too much time for them to get impatient." He replied.
I nodded in agreement with this approach. "Okay, then I'll see you in 3 days."
After hanging up the call, I started to think about it and unconsciously I looked at my new ring with a new resolution.
'It's at times like these that strength is essential...'