Chapter 4: Choosing the first game world
"But how can I create my first game?"
John was lost in thought when the system's voice sounded again.
"Ding~ A task has been released. Please design the first virtual game!"
"A mission."
John wasn't surprised, as he had noticed the "task" option on his attribute bar. Looking at the virtual screen in front of him, he saw an extra item under the mission options.
[Frequent: Design the first virtual game.]
Requirements: None
Reward: 1000 points
"How am I supposed to create a virtual world with just this?"
John rolled his eyes. Without an AI system in the system, he figured he would have to rely on himself to figure things out.
Creating simple furniture and appliances wasn't enough for a complete game world unless he wanted to make a virtual peek-a-boo game. His first game needed to be memorable, something that wouldn't be forgotten or ignored.
"How do I take out the game design and put it on the outside network after I design it here?" John asked, realizing he had no clue about this.
"The host can replicate it directly onto an outside source."
"Oh, so it's that simple? Not bad."
The atmosphere fell into silence again. John could see his system was pretty dull—it wouldn't offer help unless asked. He opened the point redemption page with a thought.
The exchange store was divided into three parts: ability store, item store, and others. The current exchange store was sparse. The ability store only had the most basic virtual game design ability. John glanced at it and moved on. The item store, however, caught his eye, and a bold idea came to mind.
"Table: 1 point, chair: 1 point; computer: 10 points... If you can use these directly in game design, can you exchange created items for points?"
Before, the items were empty, but now they included the things John had created.
"The host is correct. Items created by the host in the virtual game will appear in the item store. As long as the host has enough points, they can be exchanged."
"?!"
John's eyes lit up. "It means that as long as the things I design in the game can be exchanged to make a game?"
"That's right."
"That will make it easier!"
Countless fantasy items flashed in John's mind, but the system soon poured cold water on his excitement.
"Please correctly understand the meaning of 'sufficient points.'"
John: "..."
"Alright, I get it; no need to point that out suddenly."
John was annoyed. This was the first time the system had actively spoken since it was bound to him. Though the system's voice was emotionless, John sensed a hint of annoyance.
The current item store only had simple daily necessities with low exchange points. John didn't know how the system set prices for fantasy items but guessed they would be high.
"Well, 'enough points' won't stop me."
Ignoring the system's silence, John looked at the last store page.
"Others" contained items not easily classified. John's eyes lit up when he saw:
[Game Data]
The section was vast, unlike the sparse first two sections. John saw familiar games from his previous life, from small games like Match and Fruit Ninja to well-known ones like League of Legends, PUBG, and GTA. Even Blue Moon games were listed.
But what caught John's eye were titles like:
[Pokémon: Red/Green/Blue]
[Yu-Gi-Oh DM]
[One Piece]
[Kamen Rider No. 1]
[Dragon Ball]
[Legend of the Condor Heroes]
[The Legend of Heaven and Dragon Slaying]
[Fengshen Yanyi]
[Journey to the West]
[Encyclopedia of Prehistoric Information]
John was stunned, unable to look away. Cartoons, martial arts, and immortal cultivation—these were just game data, but they could be made into a virtual world where countless people can enjoy such life!
"I... this is going to be amazing!"
"Although the system classifies everything as games, it just means that I can create all the fictional worlds, whether it was anime or movies, into virtual worlds."
It took a while for John to calm down, though his excitement was still evident. He couldn't wait to redeem these items. However, the system's voice interrupted his thoughts:
"The host's current ability cannot design these virtual worlds."
"I see."
John understood. His entry-level virtual game design ability only allowed him to design simple virtual games or make minor changes to existing ones. Creating complete virtual worlds with comprehensive worldviews and rules required at least a proficient level, and magical abilities likely needed a master level or higher.
"Don't worry, I won't be tempted to go crazy by that little thing," John smiled. "Filter the game data I can design based on my current ability."
The system didn't answer, but the exchange store page changed. The previously enticing information disappeared, leaving only the games John could design with his current ability. The system thoughtfully filtered out materials he couldn't afford.
Heh, it really is a boring system.