Game Market 1983

"Hey there. Are you done making games now?"

For a moment, I couldn't say anything in response to the old man's question.

In the silence that brought about a serene stillness, somewhere, the sound of cicadas echoed.

"Meow?"

While stroking Haru's back, who perked up at the cicadas' cries, I looked down at the darkened village and answered the old man's question.

"It's not that I dislike game development or feel limited by ideas themselves."

"Hmm...? Then why?"

"There were people who took their lives because of the game I made."

"You mean the 'Virtual Idol' game you created over a decade ago?"

"You're well-informed as always."

"But that wasn't entirely your fault, was it?"

Certainly, the old man wasn't wrong in his words. However, after Tsukaki's departure following the Tokyo Dome performance...

In the span of a week, seven suicide cases occurred across Japan.

While two of them were unsuccessful attempts, the remaining five couldn't be prevented.

It was a tragic incident, and though it wasn't solely the fault of Pentagon, from the moment I accepted Tsukaki, I somewhat predicted that something like this might happen.

So, I tried to prepare an event for her farewell with the fans by creating a music video about her, revealed to the attendees of the Tokyo Dome performance. But instead, it had the opposite effect.

The video, shown to fans attending the Tokyo Dome performance, soon spread through PC communications and the internet, sparking a wave of mourning. Despite time passing since her departure, the attempt to commemorate her among the fans backfired.

Although a formal month-long mourning event was planned, the turnout was overwhelming, extending the event for an additional week due to the large crowds.

To those attending the commemoration, we distributed CDs containing the music video shown at the Tokyo Dome for free, but no matter how many CDs we produced, the quantity fell short on the day, causing quite a struggle throughout the mourning period.

After the commemoration ended, she was enshrined at a temple in her hometown in Hokkaido. I've heard that there are still many who remember her enough to occasionally visit, even now.

"I'm still unsure. Was it the right decision to accept her back then?"

"Do you regret it so much?"

"Not exactly regret, but I've wondered if there could have been a better way. If I could go back then... or something? But no matter how much I examine the Game & Watch, there's no second chance."

"If one could rewind time multiple times, that wouldn't be a miracle. Miracles come rarely even to the most desperate."

The old man's eyes, gazing at me with a gentle smile, held an unfathomable depth of timelessness. Through those eyes, the doubts I've had about the old man for some time started to unravel bit by bit. That's it. He really is...

"What do you think is the unique essence of games compared to conventional fantasy novels or movies?"

"Well... perhaps it's the ability for users to indirectly experience the story?"

"That's right. Role-playing games, where users move their own characters through the storyline set by the director, are the typical form of games. But what's more crucial is something else. It's about creating an entire world. Just like I used to..."

"Did you also make games, sir?"

"Of course."

"That was something far beyond your current imagination, right?"

"The first work I programmed was... 'Life.'"

"."

As I suspected, this individual wasn't just a deity confined to the realm of games.

He was a being much more distant and elevated. But why would such a being engage with me?

"Even I couldn't possibly create the life of billions of humans alone."

"So, how did you...?"

"In your case, what's the first thing you create to make games easier?"

"Are you referring to game engines?"

While some equate game engines to graphic engines, they encompass everything necessary for effective game development, from graphics to physics, sound, AI, scenario, and animation, like a toolbox collecting all needed tools.

To put it simply, it's akin to a chef preparing ingredients and utensils for cooking.

"That's right. To manage the lives of billions efficiently and make each live their distinct life, that device was necessary. Sometimes, exceptional minds revealed a certain identity, but you might have heard of it at some point... Akashic Records in the East or the 'Universe's Storehouse'."

Whaaat!!!

They really exist!?

I didn't expect my gaping mouth in reaction to this bombshell revelation.

The old man chuckled at my reaction and lit a cigarette from within his embrace.

"The rest was easy. The Akashic Records are like an enormous computational device pouring out endless fates of various characters. Of course, within it, there are those born from miraculous probabilities. The saviors... or those called saints are such beings."

"So, what you're saying is... life is a probability game drawn from the Akashic Records...?"

"It's a bit of a stretch, but I can't deny it. Order is established from irregularity. Wouldn't life be more chilling if everyone lived the same life?"

"But still, that's..."

"Why? Does it feel too disheartening? What about the characters you create in games? The destinies of protagonists and antagonists living within the game's story. They, too, aren't they already confirmed forms born from your mind?"

"."

"Compared to that, the Akashic Records are a splendid system... at least it doesn't definitively decide their end at birth. Because even the system creating destiny has unpredictable areas."

"Unpredictable areas? What's that?"

"The realm of will. It's not merely uncertainty like 'hope' or 'dreams.' It possesses a tremendous power to alter even the form of the destiny one was born with."

"I vaguely understand what you're saying, sir. But I don't quite see the connection to me going back to 1983."

"No. That moment could be considered a miraculous instance born from your will."

"Huh? I just did what Game & Watch told me to do..."

"Hahaha~ That's exactly it. The method of regression you chose in Game & Watch was an 'unexpected bug,' even for the Akashic System."

"A bug?!"

The word "bug" made my eyebrows furrow involuntarily; it seemed like an occupational hazard.

But the elder chuckled softly and explained the reason to me.

"Usually, when given a chance to turn back one's life, people tend to fix their past mistakes, go back to a pivotal moment, or redesign their life from their childhood. But you, how was it?"

"Ah...!?"

"In 1983, you created an entirely new being, almost like an online game. Thanks to that, you could experience unique encounters with your younger self. You even had the opportunity to create a new life form named Seolhyun. Although the Akashic system had a bit of trouble fixing the errors you caused..."

As I conversed with the elder, vague questions I'd carried since my regression started to unravel bit by bit.

"So, my life from 1983 has completely diverged from the Akashic system you created."

"Well, you could say that. But it was quite enjoyable. Watching your leadership, not solely focused on your own success but creating results with many others and thrilling gamers. For me, observing someone like you, who treated gaming as entertainment, was a joy."

"Then, you must have been disappointed seeing me not doing much lately."

"Not really. The ten years you feel and the ten years I feel are vastly different. Besides, there are many individuals I need to watch over, even if it's not you. It's like having hundreds of movies stored in an external hard drive, picking them out occasionally when they come to mind."

"The more metaphors you use, the more I feel like my existence shrinks limitlessly."

"Haha, my apologies. But remember this: spending this much time separately like this is quite rare."

"I've been curious about that, actually. Why did you summon me and have this conversation?"

"Oh, I almost forgot the most crucial part."

"The most important part?"

"It's about the world you created."

"Do you mean the Dragon Emblem?"

"Yes, about that. How did it feel wandering around the world crafted from your imagination these past few days?"

"For me, it's a world filled with nothing but awe..."

"But?"

"There were moments I wished I had added more detail..."

"We talked about this even during your wedding. I'm quite interested in the game you created, Dragon Emblem. There was a boy who met me with an extraordinary desire to obtain Dragon Emblem. Impressed by his determination, I gave him a chance to go to a future opposite to yours. Do you remember what he said back then?"

"Um... What did he say?"

"He didn't even listen to my advice and rushed towards Dragon Emblem, determined."

"Oh... Ha-ha... No way..."

"From then on, he started taking quite an interest in the world of Dragon Emblem you created. This place may be a virtual space, but it's a convergence of many humans' desires and agonies. When officially opened, more emotions will gather here. When countless determined emotions surrounding one world explode, that world becomes a distant star in the universe."

"You mean the world I envisioned will actually exist in the universe?"

"Your imagination might not have transcended to become a star yet, but a great imagination can create a whole world. Just like J.R.R. Tolkien laid the foundation for fantasy worlds..."

The world I created becoming a reality...

"Exciting, isn't it? But to make it happen, you'll need to establish a much stronger foundation than what you have now."

"I'll challenge it, no matter how many times, no matter how long it takes. I'll create an online game that will surprise anyone who plays it."

"Looking forward to it. Now, let's return to the original world."

After bidding farewell to the elder, I stood confidently beside him, gazing at him calmly.

"."

"."

"What are you doing now?"

"You said you'd send me back."

"Don't you know 'Log OUT'? This is a game. You have to disconnect yourself."

"Oh... I see."

"Well, well... Tsk, tsk."

"Then, I'll go back. It's almost time for Seolhyun to go to school."

"Alright, take care."

"Oh, sir..."

"Hmm?"

"Would it be alright for me to come back to this space again? I want to wander through this world, fixing things one by one, like a journey."

"Haha, it's your world. Wander as you please."

"Thank you, sir. Then, goodbye..."

As I turned away from the elder, about to press the log-out button in the settings menu, I heard his voice from behind.

"Oh, but there's one thing I'm curious about."

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you use the game & watch I gave you much? It could've made your life easier..."

At the elder's question, I grinned and spoke.

>

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