Marcus was already thrilled to receive a "Major Quest," and now he'd even unlocked something called a "Milestone Quest." The discovery made his mood soar even higher.
"Nice..." he murmured, studying the panels. "So if my feature film earns a certain amount, I get points? And the higher it earns, the bigger the reward?"
Even though he hadn't decided which feature film to make yet, those potential rewards made his pulse quicken. He remembered he'd used the Quest Search Engine before and had already run a search.
Since he was alone in the restroom, he decided to check the results again. They were still visible, with the top results most prominent.
[1: "The Blair Witch Project" - 15 points]
[2: "Paranormal Activity" - 10 points]
[3: "Napoleon Dynamite" - 7 points]
[4: "El Mariachi" - 5 points]
He looked thoughtfully at the top four results. "Which of these should I choose? Never heard of any of them. Though the ranking and price points make it obvious these were the most profitable low-budget movies in my previous life... but how do I know which one's more practical for my situation?"
His eyes lingered on the list, then he had a thought. He immediately tried his idea and tapped on the first result.
Sure enough, a "preview" of the project appeared. "It worked."
The preview displayed detailed information about the film.
[The Blair Witch Project (1999): Three student filmmakers venture into the Black Hills Forest to document the legend of the Blair Witch. They become lost, terrified, and begin turning on each other as unseen forces torment them. Presented as found footage discovered after their disappearance.]
[Budget: $60,000]
[Box Office: $248 million]
[Consideration: Low-cost film achievable with minimal crew and natural lighting. Physically demanding to shoot, with outdoor unpredictability, weather, and sound control making production difficult.]
As Marcus read through the details, his eyes were drawn to the numbers. "Holy shit. Sixty thousand managed to make two hundred and forty-eight million dollars!?" He couldn't help but yelp quietly.
His heart pounded. It was definitely a low-budget movie that could give him instant success.
But he composed himself. "Alright, it's impressive. But where am I getting sixty thousand dollars? And it needs outdoor shooting. I'm not that familiar with NoHo, much less equipped to scout for forests that match what this project needs." He noticed a small system note indicating the box office figure was from his previous world—no guarantee it would perform the same here. "I guess I should look at the others."
He tapped on number two: "Paranormal Activity."
[Paranormal Activity (2007): A young couple sets up cameras in their home to document strange happenings that escalate into terrifying events. The supernatural activity grows stronger each night, captured entirely by household cameras.]
[Budget: $15,000]
[Box Office: $193 million]
[Consideration: Extremely practical setup—single location, minimal cast, easy reshoots. Requires convincing acting and precise sound design to maintain tension. Simple to film, but subtle performances are essential.]
"Wait a minute. This one looks way more promising." Marcus paused, studying the information carefully. It only needed fifteen thousand dollars and had made a hundred and ninety-three million.
More importantly, it had an extremely practical setup—minimal cast, single location, easy reshoots. No need to go outdoors like the first one.
"Honestly, this is way more suitable for my situation." Marcus said to himself.
He was still a high school sophomore. Nathan would probably never allow him to make a feature film outdoors with minimal crew and cast, requiring them to camp out just to finish filming.
Unlike "Paranormal Activity," which was mostly set in a house. He could just use their own house. And the budget was far more realistic.
The second result was clearly better suited for his current situation, but he still explored the other two in the top four. "Napoleon Dynamite" and "El Mariachi" weren't nearly as appealing as "The Blair Witch Project" and "Paranormal Activity."
The choice was obvious to him now. Number two was what he'd decided on.
"I only have a few points right now. But if Nathan successfully increases the divorce compensation from William, I should be able to afford it." He smiled to himself.
He was in a genuinely good mood today. After sorting through the quests and deciding on his project, he left the restroom.
He headed back to the main studio, where Nathan was still directing Mike and Lea. As he settled back into his seat, he had to admit—filmmaking was exhausting to watch.
'God. They're still on the dining scene. Not much progress at all. Is this really necessary for a few minutes of footage?' He winced inwardly. He'd been in the restroom for maybe ten minutes, but they were still shooting the same scene over and over. Nathan kept instructing the actors like a broken record.
Whenever Nathan felt "something wasn't quite right," he'd call for another take.
Obviously, as a complete layman in this field, Marcus was ignorant about everything. But watching this made him realize something. 'I should probably buy that Basic Directing Instincts from the Monthly Items. Otherwise, I'll have no idea how to make even a short film, let alone a feature.'
As a programmer, he'd always assumed filmmaking wasn't that complicated. But observing Nathan work with his crew and cast made him understand—nothing is as easy as it looks. It required genuine skill to do seemingly simple things.
Just like in programming. Simple functions that everyday people used without a second thought actually required deep understanding and complexity. Workers behind the scenes literally spent hours debugging features, testing if code worked properly or not.
The problem was, Basic Directing Instincts cost 30 Points. 'I really need to grind for points if I want to pull this off. That Major Quest only has a one-month limit. If I don't make it, it's all wasted effort.'
Fortunately, his Daily Quests reloaded every day, and his Misc. Quests actually generated new tasks that appeared in the Daily Quests when he acted on them. Like the "exercise" quests—physically taxing, but they gave more points than the others.
His mind raced through calculations regarding the Major Quest. Before he noticed, thirty minutes had passed. He appeared to be watching the filming quietly—but when they took a break, he remained dazed, his mind still occupied.
Nathan noticed. He had a tray of food in his hands, intending to give it to his son, but he saw Marcus just sitting there, silently lost in thought.
"Kid." Nathan called out, but got no response. He sat down and set the tray on a nearby table, then poked his son's shoulder and raised his voice slightly. "Kid!"
Marcus finally snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh." He turned and saw Nathan. 'I was so lost calculating how many points I can earn if I grind through all the Misc. Quests...'
It seemed that while he was excited about making his first feature film, he was actually quite pressured about it. After all, he had zero experience in filmmaking. And watching professionals work had made him question whether he could actually do the same.
"You seem deep in thought. What's on your mind?" Nathan asked, dragging a table closer to them, curiosity in his eyes.
Marcus coughed slightly. "Just thinking about filmmaking stuff."
"Oh?" Nathan's eyebrows raised with obvious interest. "Filmmaking stuff? Is it because you watched me work? Saw what goes on behind the scenes?"
"Kind of." Marcus nodded. There wasn't much else to say—after all, he was actually thinking about the quests—but the filming work had genuinely made him reflect.
"What kind of stuff? What's going through your head?" Nathan gestured for him to take some food.
Marcus scooted his chair closer to the table and looked at the spread. Fast food—burgers, chicken, fries, and soft drinks. He licked his lips. "You know, I've actually been thinking about making a movie of my own."
Nathan was taken aback. He spoke while chewing a burger. "What? You want to make your own movie?"
Marcus grabbed a piece of chicken and took a small bite. "Yeah. It just came to me. I want to make a movie, like you."
Nathan swallowed and took a sip of his drink before responding. "I like that. Maybe you've figured out what you want to study after seeing me work, huh?" His tone was proud. "If you become a director, you can start with smaller projects. Gradually build a resume, and eventually studios might hire you. Maybe you'll get lucky and land a movie project."
Marcus could see Nathan assumed he was planning to become a director in the future. He smiled and clarified. "Actually, Dad, I want to make a movie soon."
Nathan nearly choked on his chicken. "Wh-what do you mean 'soon'?"
"Soon." Marcus continued calmly. "I'm thinking in a few days. Two weeks at most."
Nathan stared at his son incredulously. "Have you lost your mind? How can you make a movie? You're still a damn sophomore in high school who knows nothing about filmmaking. How would you even direct your cast and crew?"
Marcus couldn't explain the cheat system, but he was counting on it. Once he bought Basic Directing Instincts, even with zero knowledge, he'd manage.
Still, he tried to reason with his dad. "Actually, I've read some books about filmmaking, so—"
"Reading a few books won't cut it in filmmaking." Nathan cut him off sharply. "You have no idea what you're talking about. It's not that simple."
"I've already thought it through, Dad. My decision is final." Marcus said, offering no room for discussion.
"Don't give me that, kid." Nathan was clearly irritated. "Even if you want to make one, where will you get the money? What will you pay the actors? The crew? Where are you getting a camera?"
At those questions, Marcus gave him the most pitiful, pleading look he could muster.
Nathan could read that expression perfectly. In other words—his son expected him to provide everything.
"So... you think I'm going to help you?" Nathan scoffed. "Why would I risk my resources on this?"
"Please, Dad. Trust me on this." Marcus attempted to convince him.
"It's your idea, so it's your responsibility." Nathan said firmly, leaving no room for discussion.
"You won't help at all?" Marcus tried again.
"No. If I help you, you won't learn to be a responsible man." Nathan said righteously.
[Minor Quest: Find a way to fund your first feature film—accumulate the required amount for your project. Reward: 8 Points.]
[Time limit: One Week]
Marcus sighed and shook his head. Just then, Nathan's old keypad phone rang, and he excused himself. He walked a short distance away and answered.
Marcus watched his father's animated gestures as he spoke, curious about who was on the other end.
After a minute, Nathan hung up and returned with an excited expression. "Haha, today's turning out to be a good day, kid."
"What do you mean?" Marcus asked.
"I emailed William this morning at seven, before we left. Made damn sure to include all the documentation from my therapy visits, and I used that tactic you suggested—and it's working!" Nathan said excitedly. "He just said he's open to discussing the divorce compensation. That never happened before!"
Hearing this good news, Marcus's eyes lit up. Like a predator spotting prey.
Suddenly, Nathan felt an uncomfortable sensation he couldn't quite place. He'd understand soon enough.
"Seems like I was a big help with those divorce compensation negotiations." Marcus grinned from ear to ear. "And I'm thinking, since I helped you out, don't I deserve a share?"
"A share?" Nathan recoiled at the suggestion.
"Yeah. I helped you, didn't I?" Marcus said confidently.
"Hey, hey. This is my divorce we're talking about. What do you mean 'share'—"
Marcus was quick to counter. "And I'm the unfortunate son who has to go through your divorce with Mom."
"You're just a kid. I'm the father—"
Marcus shook his head in disappointment. "You just kept telling me I should be a man and stand on my own two feet. Now I'm doing exactly that—I helped you as a man, and I deserve a share as a man—but you won't give me one. Isn't that a double standard?"
Nathan was speechless. He'd just been beaten with his own logic.
Marcus struck while the iron was hot. "I did you a favor, so you should do me a favor too."