Chapter 41

I began refining my plans. I'll be able to copy all the missions from the original games, but that won't be enough. I'll need much more, especially if I include the entire Americas in it.

[Note: I'm referring to the American continent, not the USA.]

I traveled to many countries when I was a designer in the past. Even though I don't know everything, I can use what I do know and fill in the gaps with a bit of imagination. But it will take a long time if it's just me and the guys working on it.

I'll need many, many people working with me on this project. God of War is a linear game, so even if I give some freedom to the player, they still follow a path I've determined. But in Fallout, players will be completely free to do whatever they want and go wherever they please, so I need to prepare well for that.

But this also presents a problem. In a completely destroyed world, players could either get very immersed or get bored with the game's atmosphere.

(Should I include a multiplayer mode? No, Fallout should be explored solo, but maybe I could include something similar to the multiplayer in Dark Souls.)

That would be interesting—travelers could leave messages for other players and even bring a limited number of friends to explore the world. In Elden Ring, many players went from start to finish with three players together.

Even though many fans complained about that, this decision was key to drawing a large number of new players who tried the Soulsborne games for the first time.

If I create a mode similar to Diablo 2, where you can create a 'room' to play just with friends, it could attract even more players. I could also create something like the coliseum in Elden Ring—a large field where players could test their skills against each other, maybe even form squads.

These are good ideas, but I'll need to refine them. My main problem is writing. Even though I could create hundreds, even thousands of side quests with my knowledge, it wouldn't be enough. I'll need a large team focused solely on story development and creating new characters and narratives.

I have a lot to do and plan. I think it's time to start looking for employees and make the company something more serious, not just focused on me.

........

3rd Person POV

........

While Alex was focused on his work, the days flew by quickly. Six days had already passed, and he needed to attend another interview—this time for the top 5 in the second stage of the competition.

Just like last time, Alex called everyone to join him.

(Today should be calmer, after all, I've already made my point.)

"...."

"...."

"...."

"Why are you all looking at me?"

"Alex, what's the plan?"

"Plan? What plan? There's no plan."

"...."

"...."

"...."

"Stop that. Come on, I want this to be over as quickly as possible, so let's go."

Everyone laughed a bit but quickly entered the virtual interview space. This time they arrived a little earlier, so they could chat and get to know the other competition participants.

Melissa and Jade even managed to take a photo with the host. While everyone was happily chatting, Alex had something else in mind—he wanted to find Priscila Martins, who was his main focus for this interview.

As he looked around, Alex spotted a tall girl standing a bit away from the others, looking somewhat nervous even though she was trying to hide it. Alex smiled and approached her.

"Hi, you're Priscila, right?"

"Eh?! Oh… yes, that's me."

"I'm…"

"Alexandre, right?! I know you. I think everyone does—you're not exactly low-profile."

"...That's good... I guess."

"Yes, it's good. I'm actually a fan of yours. I love your movies, especially Totoro and Spirited Away. Howl's Moving Castle is also amazing… Sorry, I talk too much when I'm nervous."

"No, it's fine. Actually, I played your games too, especially Untold Stories. It was really good."

"Really? That's incredible! Did you notice I was inspired by Totoro for the scenery? I wanted to do so much more and include elements from Howl's Moving Castle, but I was too shy to ask for permission since I was already drawing from your other films."

Alex and Priscila kept talking for a while. Priscila is a bit shy, but once she starts talking about what she likes, she can't stop. Alex was stunned when she started discussing old files, videos, and documents that he had never heard of. These were things not even hardcore war nerds knew about—she had even paid to access some old stories from the early days of the great war, information that only historians typically had access to.

Alex has a good knowledge of the universe, but just like in his past life, he doesn't care about things that don't concern him. Are they creating a teleporter? What does that have to do with him? A new planet was discovered? Protesters are making noise for some reason? Alex didn't care.

Ancient documents and records that almost no one knows about? He definitely has no interest. But he still listened attentively, and they continued to chat casually.

[Note: I know some of you might be bothered by the fact that the protagonist isn't aware of certain things, but the things he doesn't know are generally about recent events in the universe. It's like people who know there's a war going on in the Middle East but aren't interested enough to research it. The protagonist knows everything important but isn't up-to-date on every topic.]

While Alex was talking with Priscila, Jade and Melissa were chatting with the other participants and the host.

"Meli, Alex has been talking to that girl for a while now, right?"

"Hm?! I think so. They're probably talking about games or something."

"...."

"What's up?"

"Nothing... I think the interview will start soon. You should go and tell him to get ready."

"No need, he knows..."

Before Melissa could finish speaking, Jade had already left.

"???"

As Jade was approaching, she saw Priscila jump up and grab Alex's arm with a big smile.

"I'm going to love this! I can't wait to do this with you."

Jade's eyes widened as she saw them together.

(Do what?)

Without thinking much, Jade walked up and grabbed Alex's other arm, saying,

"Alex, I think the interview is about to start, you should get ready."

Alex was a bit surprised by Jade's sudden appearance but only smiled and introduced her to Priscila.

"Jade, this is Priscila. She's also participating in the competition."

"Hi... Alex, let's go. It's about to start, and you should be prepared."

Jade pulled Alex away without even waiting for him to speak. Priscila was a bit confused by the situation but decided to review some answers she had memorized at home.

Catharina, who had been observing everything, smiled a little at how Jade was acting. Alex didn't mind much; he had already achieved his goal by coming here, and they would meet later to talk about his new project. Perhaps soon, he'd have a new employee.

After Jade dragged Alex away, she let go of him and asked what they had been talking about.

"Games, what else? And why the curiosity?"

"...I'm not curious... Anyway, you should get ready. I'm sure they're going to ask you a lot of questions."

Alex looked at Jade, who had her arms crossed and was pouting, and just shook his head. They chatted for a while until the broadcast finally started.

Just like last time, the stage was impressive. The five participants took their seats, and a long presentation began. This time, things were more elaborate. With fewer participants, everyone had space to talk and draw attention to their games.

The host didn't focus much on Alex, at least not until near the end of the broadcast when a trailer made by the designers was shown on screen. Each participant had the chance to talk a bit about their games and show some gameplay. Priscila presented another slice-of-life game, which seemed much grander than her previous one.

After Priscila gave an introduction, a beautiful trailer began, showing a stunning city. Everything was highly technological, with a beauty unlike what Alex was used to. The city looked gorgeous but dead at the same time. Some people walked with worried expressions, others serious, some sad, and others just apathetic.

As beautiful as the scenery was, a melancholic tone seemed to hang over the city. Interestingly, a relatively famous song was used in the trailer, fitting perfectly with the atmosphere the scenes portrayed.

As the scenes progressed, a girl with a sad expression appeared, walking slowly through a small grove. The music gradually shifted, becoming more lively, and then a small creature appeared. The girl stopped, looking a bit surprised. Then she knelt and smiled slightly as she held the small creature in her hands.

The trailer ended, focusing on the girl's smiling face, and then the game's title appeared.

{Unbreakable Bonds}

Everyone was surprised by the trailer. The host looked at the chat and saw a large number of messages flooding in.

"Priscila, that trailer was amazing. Everyone seems really excited about it."

The host read a few comments and asked Priscila some questions about the game. After a while, it was finally Alex's turn.

"Alexandre, now it's your turn. I must say, everyone is extremely excited about your game. After the last interview, expectations for you are very high."

"Haha, don't worry. I'm definitely going to surprise you all."

One of the participants, who had placed fourth, couldn't resist mocking his confidence.

"You certainly talk a big game, but is your game really that good? You said you'd take first place in everything you did, but Journey almost lost first place."

The host was surprised by the boy's comment, but the production team behind the broadcast was thrilled—if they ended up arguing, it would bring in lots of views later.

Alex looked at the boy but wasn't surprised or irritated. He just smiled and replied,

"Hahaha, don't worry, FOURTH PLACE. You should pay close attention now; maybe you'll learn how to make real games. Not that I have much hope for you."

"You..."

"Yes, me... now pay attention, boy."

Alex smiled and stood up, walking forward a bit and looking into the light that was broadcasting.

"It was 15 years ago that I started making a game. At that time, I didn't know about this competition. In fact, I was just a stupid kid with an idea for a game... The idea was very simple—I wanted to create a unique character... A strong character, a character with a past and a goal. He wouldn't be handsome or charismatic; he would be... the perfect soldier."

Alex paused for a moment, letting everyone absorb his words, then continued.

"But I didn't want to do the same old thing, a super-skilled soldier or a brilliant general leading a space fleet... no, I wanted something more... More epic, more unique, more grand... more intimate.

And that's what I did. But to create this character, I needed more. I needed something that represented everything I wanted... So, over the past 15 years, I've created an entirely new universe."

Alex smiled slightly and looked at all the guests present before looking back at the broadcast point again. As the trailer began playing behind him, Alex spoke.

"Tell me... do you have the courage to walk in a world filled with Gods and Demons... do you have the courage to seek revenge... against a God?"

Alex took a few steps back as everything went dark. A starry sky began to appear, then small gears emerged, making soft machine sounds.

A metal wire descended and formed a heart, and with a soft instrumental melody, the company logo appeared.

{DreamHeart}

{Presents.}

Then everything lit up, and a city appeared. The scene slowly panned over the buildings, showcasing unique architecture. Various scenes started appearing, showing people walking through the city, living their lives. A calm and harmonious melody played in the background, making the viewers realize how lively, bustling, yet peaceful this city was.

The people in that place wore unique clothing, walking through the streets and buying products from what appeared to be roadside vendors. Everyone was living joyfully... Then, the music became heavier. The scenes of the peaceful city started flickering until they were replaced. The same city appeared, but now it was night. Instead of cheerful people walking around, only corpses remained.

The grand buildings were burning, and cries of misery echoed everywhere. Then, an aged voice began to speak.

{War, death, and destruction are natural to mortals and gods alike.}

The scene showed a massive army invading the city, killing everyone in their path. The soldiers were slaughtering men, women, children, the elderly—even animals were not spared.

"Kill them all in the name of the God of War!"

"FOR ARES!"

"FOR ARES!"

"FOR ARES!"

The soldiers' shouts were so loud, they seemed to drown out the pleas of their victims. As all this unfolded, red lightning began to appear in the sky. The music rapidly intensified, becoming faster and creating a sense of anxiety among the audience.

Everyone watching live was completely shocked yet captivated by the trailer.

At that moment, a gigantic being slowly emerged from the crack in the sky. Its body was covered in extremely thick armor, wielding a war axe. The being wore a helmet, but long scarlet-red hair flowed from it, covering its back.

Looking more closely, its hair seemed to emit red flames. The helmet didn't cover its face, but only a dark shadow could be seen, along with two glowing blue slits that appeared to be emitting flames like its hair—these were its eyes.

As this being descended slowly from the heavens, the voice returned, but this time louder and with a slightly fearful tone.

{ARES, the God of War, the one who grows stronger with humanity's countless battles, the one who instilled fear in the hearts of all living beings, the one who created terror that swept across all lands…

But also the one who created his greatest enemy.}

The scene changed once again, showing only the legs of a man slowly ascending a large staircase.

{KRATOS, a man...}

A scene of Kratos training as a simple soldier appeared.

{A general...}

Another scene showed Kratos leading a large number of soldiers against the enemy army.

{A fool...}

This time, the scene showed Kratos covered in blood, standing on a small mound of corpses. His armor was destroyed, his body trembling, barely able to hold his sword. In front of him, a massive number of enemy soldiers stared at him.

The scene showed Kratos' eyes filled with rage as he fell to his knees and raised a hand to the sky.

"Kill my enemies, and my life is yours... ARES."

The scene shifted back to the being once again, but unlike before, there was a glimmer of joy in its eyes.

{A beast...}

The scene changed once again, showing Kratos standing before a small village, holding a torch.

"Kill them all in the name of the God of War."

Kratos, wielding blades attached to chains, began massacring everyone in the village. The entire scene was done in a watercolor painting style.

The scene depicted Kratos killing everyone who crossed his path, while a male voice began speaking in the background.

"You swore loyalty to me, and I made you a perfect warrior... Everything you have belongs to me... I won't let anything stop you from becoming what I desire."

The voice was hoarse, with a strong tone, exuding authority and intensity with just a few words. Alexandre made sure to find a voice similar to Ralph Ineson's to portray Ares.

The scene changed once more. The music was dark, creating a tense atmosphere. Kratos was kneeling with blood-covered hands.

"By the Gods, what have I done?"

The narrator's voice returned once again.

{A ghost...}

This time, the scene showed Kratos being covered in ashes, but the scene changed again, showing only Kratos' legs as he climbed the staircase. Then, Kratos' voice echoed.

"Please, free me from my nightmares."

"Complete just one more task for the Gods, and we will cleanse your sins."

The music began to rise once more. The choir slowly started to emerge in the background of the music, and a scene of Kratos surrounded by monsters appeared. All the monsters attacked at once, but Kratos leaped into the air and began spinning, creating a whirlwind with his blades. The monsters were quickly torn to pieces.

"Find Pandora's Box..."

The scene changed again, showing a gigantic monster carrying a mountain on its back. The scenes began to shift rapidly, showing Kratos facing various different monsters.

A minotaur appeared charging toward him, but Kratos dodged and jumped onto its back, grabbing its horns and bringing the beast down. He then quickly began stabbing it repeatedly before breaking its neck.

Then, a lamia appeared, and Kratos brutally tore her head off. The scenes alternated between Kratos fighting and him slowly climbing the staircase.

"Then kill Ares, and save the city of Athens."

At the end of the dialogue, Kratos reached the top of the staircase. The music reached its peak, war drums began to play, and a choir of more than a hundred voices was singing. The scene slowly panned up from Kratos' legs. Upon reaching his arms, it showed them wrapped in burning chains.

These chains were alive with flames. His arms' flesh was visibly burning, but his grip on the blades didn't loosen. He clenched them even tighter, making his veins bulge. The scene slowly rose until it revealed his face, completely gray.

His eyes were filled with hatred, his rage almost palpable, sparks of fire floating around him. The scene rotated and zoomed out, showing Ares as large as a mountain, wielding his war axe. Almost as if sensing Kratos' presence, Ares slowly turned his shadowy face.

"A dog that bites its master's hand must be executed."

"Today, a God will die, AND I WILL HAVE MY VENGEANCE."

Then everything went dark, the music stopped, and a title appeared.

{God of War}

Everything was silent until the boy who placed fourth stood up with wide eyes.

"What the hell was that?"

....

Note: To start, I'll apologize for yesterday's chapter. After re-reading it, I realized it was mostly a long monologue. I got carried away writing about games I like and didn't even notice.

The chapter became very dense, and aside from talking about games, it was pretty useless. I'll try not to get too excited like that again, hahaha.

Anyway, this chapter was the introduction to God of War. You may have noticed I changed some things, like the appearance of the original Ares, which I think was really bad. I don't think I need to say that the next chapters will focus on the audience's reactions.

I can't guarantee I'll post a chapter tomorrow, but Thursday will definitely have one.