"Master Chris, cutting class to play games again, are we?"
The moment Chris stepped into the Magic Game Experience Store, the beautiful server, Serina, let out a flirtatious giggle.
"I... I am not cutting class! There are no classes today!" Chris's face turned beet-red, veins popping on his forehead as he stammered his defense.
Serina's bell-like laughter caused several male customers to wear dazed, infatuated grins; one man was so distracted he walked straight into a wall.
However, the vast majority of the customers in the shop acted as if they had spent a century in a monastery practicing asceticism. They didn't spare Serina so much as a glance, their eyes glued to the black stone tablets before them.
All fifty Magic Tablets were occupied, and behind each sat a crowd of ten or more "backseat gamers," shouting and gesturing wildly.
The moment a customer's hourglass began to chirp, they would be unceremoniously dragged away from the tablet by the next person in line. Not even a minute of overtime was permitted. New arrivals had no choice but to join the ranks of the spectators. If they happened to know someone playing, they might negotiate a trade; if not, they simply had to wait in a silent, agonizing queue.
Of course, Chris was no ordinary person. The son of the richest man in the city didn't wait in line with commoners. He walked straight to a youth sitting in the furthest corner and tapped his shoulder.
The youth, roughly Chris's age and wearing the insignia of Norelia University, immediately stood up and yielded his seat.
"Good work. Go buy yourself something to eat."
Chris sat down comfortably and handed the youth a 10-silver note.
The surrounding crowd finally realized the youth had been "placeholder" for Chris.
"Hey! We were here first! How come he gets a turn?" "Yeah! You think having money makes you special?"
Chris acted as if he couldn't hear the jeers behind him. Exactly—money means being able to do whatever I want!
He had many "underlings" at school similar to that youth—mostly students from poor backgrounds who worked part-time to pay their exorbitant tuition. Chris paid them higher rates to save seats for him in the library, the cafeteria, or the lecture halls. This money was a drop in the bucket for Chris, but like a heavenly rain for those students. Both parties got what they needed, so where was the harm?
If the wealthy couldn't enjoy even this much convenience, what was the point of being rich?
The youth's hourglass still had more than half its sand left. Since he had surrendered his seat voluntarily, it was perfectly within the shop's rules. The crowd grumbled for a bit but eventually quieted down. They dared only to use their tongues; none dared to lay a hand on Chris.
Two days ago, a burly customer tried to muscle a lady out of her seat. Wolf, the massive head of security, had promptly tossed him into the city moat to "cool off." Since then, no one dared to cause trouble.
Chris logged out of the youth's account to sign into his own, only to find that the interface of the Magic Tablet was completely different from yesterday.
Previously, the tablet automatically launched Five-Color Stone Match-3. Today, the screen showed a light blue background with two square icons in the center. One featured the white nine-tailed fox surrounded by gems, labeled "Five-Color Stone Match-3."
The other featured a longsword wreathed in flames with the text "Hero's Legend."
"What's this...?"
Chris hesitated, afraid he might break the device with an improper touch.
"That's a demo of a new game developed by Dungeon Entertainment," a clear, elegant voice spoke from beside him.
Chris jumped, turning to find Miss Yvette sitting in the adjacent seat.
No wonder when he went to the girls' dormitory to invite her earlier, her roommates said she had already left. Chris had feared another wealthy suitor had beaten him to the punch, but it turned out the young lady simply couldn't wait and had snuck out on her own!
"What's a 'DEMO'?" Chris asked humbly.
"It's a trial version of a new game," Yvette explained, her eyes fixed on her own tablet. "Silas said the Magic Tablets will launch with this game. Those who pre-ordered will get it for free; everyone else will have to pay."
Chris fought with all his might to keep from laughing out loud. He had pre-ordered ten units on the first day—he was a genius! He'd heard that on the second day, the owner restricted purchases to two per person, leaving those who wanted to buy gifts for friends and family weeping with regret.
Now, a free game too? His father always said he lacked a business mind; the old man was going to have to eat those words!
He rubbed his hands together, straightened his tie, and clicked on Hero's Legend with a sense of ceremony.
After a brief black screen, a snowy-white nine-tailed fox hopped into the center.
"...You again?"
Chris was already well-acquainted with this "old friend" who was always trying to trick players into spending money.
"Bai has been promoted to the Official Ambassador of the Magic Game Tablet Tutorial!" the fox announced proudly, its nine tails spinning like propellers. "Dear Adventurer, first, let's create your in-game persona!"
"Why do I need a persona?"
Xiao Bai nodded vigorously. "You have been chosen to be the Hero who saves the world! A great Hero obviously needs a dashing appearance!"
A Hero!
Every child in this world grew up listening to the tales of Heroes, and Chris was no exception. To him, a Hero was the most revered of idols.
However, if you asked him to actually be a Hero, he'd decline immediately. Being a Hero had no base salary, no insurance, required sleeping in the wild, and offered no job security. What sane person would do that?
No matter how much he admired the legends, Chris wasn't going to gamble with his life. Besides, monsters were bound to their dungeons by some core contract; as long as you didn't provoke them, you were safe. Why look for trouble?
But... experiencing a Hero's life in a game? That was a different story.
You don't actually die in a game. Even if you do, you just top up and try again!
He tentatively reached out and tapped the "Start Game" button.
A "chibi" character appeared on the tablet. It looked as if it were made of colored blocks, reminding Chris of the avant-garde works from the Norelia Academy of Fine Arts—though this was far cuter than those three-eyed abstract paintings. At least it looked human.
The character's gender, hair color, style, eye color, and name could all be customized, and there were three different voice options.
Since it was his representative in the game, he naturally had to make it look like himself!
Before long, a blonde, blue-eyed male character was ready. This little Chris brandished a slender sword, looking every bit the legendary savior. Although his face was just a square of color, Chris used his powerful imagination to superimpose his own face onto it.
He hit "Confirm."
The screen went pitch black. Then, a single spark of fire ignited in the darkness. It drifted left and right, spinning gracefully like a firefly, leaving a trail of brilliant light.
Then, the spark fell into a pair of fair, slender hands. A woman with a slender figure held the fire, her knee-length golden hair dancing in a phantom wind. Her eyes were closed, her expression peaceful yet radiating an unquestionable authority.
"I am the Goddess of Fate, the arbiter of life and death," the woman spoke. "Our world has wandered into darkness. Unknown monsters descend from the sky, causing Chronos Turbulence and shattering the world's order. I have sent word through the wind and falling leaves, summoning the bravest and wisest to protect the peace—and you are one of them."
The Goddess sighed softly. "The path you must tread is paved with thorns and unimaginable hardship. If you shrink back, no one will blame you; you shall have everything save for glory. If you stand tall, you shall have nothing, but all the world's glory shall be bestowed upon you. So, what is your choice?"
Two options appeared:
[I shall seek only to preserve my life in these chaotic times!]
[I shall draw my sword for glory!]
Logic dictated he should pick the second one, right? No one would be stupid enough to pick the first one when summoned by a Goddess.
However, as the saying goes, the more you tell someone not to do something, the more they want to do it. Knowing he shouldn't defy the Goddess, Chris's finger moved as if possessed, landing on the first option.
The Goddess: "..." The Goddess: "I will give you one more chance."
The first option vanished, leaving only [I shall draw my sword for glory!].
"Hey, you're not even giving me a choice!" Chris grumbled, tapping the only available button.
"...As expected of my chosen Hero." The Goddess's tone sounded a bit reluctant. "The path of the Hero is never lonely. As long as you follow the direction of your heart, you will find like-minded companions. Though you are but a flicker of fire now, one day, you shall become an eternal light that illuminates the darkness."
The Goddess faded, leaving only the spark. The camera zoomed in, revealing the golden-haired character curled up like an infant inside a cocoon of light.
Suddenly, the light shattered. The little person fell from the sky, landing heavily on a vast, emerald-green field. He scrambled up, looking around blankly with a question mark over his head.
Four diamond-arranged buttons appeared on either side of the tablet: "↑↓←→" on the left, and "ABXY" on the right.
As one of the first people in the continent to touch a Magic Game (even if by only ten minutes), Chris considered himself a veteran. He quickly mastered the controls: the D-pad for movement and the buttons for the menu.
He controlled his golden character to sprint across the grass, stuffing wild herbs and fruits into his bag. He defeated a few overconfident slimes and, after reaching level 3, entered the first village of the game with high spirits.
The village was plagued by monsters, and the villagers were miserable. The Elder treated Chris like a savior, begging him to rid the North Mountain of a beast and rescue the kidnapped children.
As a Hero, Chris naturally accepted the quest. But he didn't plan to go fight the beast immediately.
He realized the game had no strict sense of time. If he ignored the quest, nothing happened. The Elder didn't get angry, and the beast didn't eat the hostages.
So why rush? He decided to explore the village first!
Chris bid the Elder farewell and strolled leisurely through the streets. He greeted every villager, helped an old shepherd find a lost sheep, bought a bar of soap for a woman doing laundry, and sat by the river for a while to watch the scenery.
After wandering aimlessly for half the day, he walked into the equipment shop. The owner was a dwarf named Fire-Hammer, pounding away at an anvil.
"Welcome! Are you here to buy equipment, sell gear, or play cards?" the dwarf asked.
"Cards? What cards?" Chris asked, once again feeling an intense interest in the option that seemed least relevant to his mission.
"The most popular game around here," the dwarf introduced patiently. "All you need is a deck. It's called 'Anti-Feudalism.' Three people play as 'Anti-Feudalism Fighters' against one 'Feudal Dictator.' If you want to play, I'll call my wife and kid out to make it a foursome."
Chris's interest was piqued instantly. Forget the beasts! Forget the kidnapped kids! Heroes, Goddesses, and Glory... none of that could compete with a game of cards!
Lorne's Game Design Notes:
Game Name: Hero's Legend (Working Title)
Genre: Turn-based Pixel RPG
Secret Feature: The "Card Game" inside the RPG. I suspect the humans here will spend more time playing "Anti-Feudalism" (a reskinned Fight the Landlord) than actually saving the world. Truly, gaming is universal.