Chapter 38, 39

This chapter has over five thousand words and is meant to cover the last two I haven't posted yet.

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César Freeman, Will's father, looked at his son with conflicted feelings. He had always wished that his son could continue the family business, but Will clearly never showed any interest in it. Although a little disappointed, he never opposed his son's dreams.

What truly saddened him was how distant his son had become from him and his wife. César felt that, in some way, Will was trying to distance himself from the family. His wife always tried to talk to their son, attempting to get closer to him and make him understand the importance of the family business.

But that was futile until three years ago. César was surprised when his son suddenly started showing interest in the family's history and in working on the land. As the largest food supplier to the galaxy, César rarely worked on the land himself, as there were countless machines capable of doing that.

His job was more administrative than anything else. However, Will wanted to learn everything about plants, fertilizers, machinery, and everything involved in the practical side of farming.

This made César extremely happy, even though he knew his son would probably not take his place. At least Will had started showing interest in the family business. So César taught him everything he could, finally getting the chance to show off his knowledge to his son.

But as the saying goes, nothing good lasts forever. After a year, Will went back to locking himself in his room, drowning in games again. Now, two years later, he suddenly called them there to test a game, which made César a little irritated with his son.

"Alright, let's get this over with. I can't waste time with nonsense."

Will noticed his father wasn't happy but just smiled. He knew his father was about to get the shock of his life. As his parents started the game, Will opened two screens in his virtual space and watched their reactions.

(This will be the last time I indulge him. This boy is almost 100 years old; I can't keep spoiling him.)

César started the game without any expectations, then saw a phrase appear before a scene began.

[Based on true events.]

The scene opens with a severely damaged ship making a forced landing. A man begins narrating what happened.

[It was just another ordinary day. My crew and I were doing a routine patrol. What we didn't expect was to be attacked by rebels. We barely managed to escape.]

As the narration played, the scene showed brief flashbacks of the attack.

[Our communication equipment was damaged, and our ship was badly damaged. Our only option was to land on a planet and repair the ship. By luck or perhaps fate, we found a planet with a good atmosphere. We will survive.]

Seeing this opening, César was confused. The battle is over? So what is this game about? But when the scene showed the planet they had found, his eyes widened.

"Wait, isn't that our planet Oxy?"

(Note: I'm terrible with names, haha.)

The scene shifts to the ship crashed in a small crater, with a few dozen people gathering bodies and building improvised temples. After a brief ceremony, a woman approaches the "camera" and asks.

[Captain Freeman, what do we do now?]

César immediately assumed the character, and a message appeared.

[You have assumed command of the group as Captain Walter Freeman. You must ensure your group's survival.

Mission: Build shelters to survive the night. 

Mission: Find drinkable water. 

Mission: Establish a reliable food source. 

Mission: Increase the security of your group. 

Main mission: Survive for 10 years until rescue arrives.]

"This... this... that kid really... made the story of our family."

César was extremely surprised, his eyes becoming a bit misty. It seemed his son was as proud of the family as he was.

---

**POV: Alexandre Lockhart**

---

After working for a while organizing the new projects, I realized it was time.

"Let's play!!!"

I've been working hard and even going out more to relax, but what I really enjoy doing is obviously playing. In the past, I could easily spend 12 hours in front of the computer without blinking, but now I rarely have time to play.

After all, the games here aren't exactly the best, but the second stage of the competition has already begun, so new games are waiting for me. I quickly opened the competition page and looked for the top 10 games from the first stage.

(Let's start with them. If there's nothing good, I'll check the others.)

I just read the synopses of the games. Even without playing, I could tell they were just more war-focused games. Even though they aren't necessarily bad, I really didn't want to play anything like that. So, I slowly went through each game until one caught my attention.

It was different from the others. It had an image of two girls holding hands, standing on a small hill overlooking a village and a small forest. That alone made it stand out by not having a soldier or an army.

But what really caught my attention was the artwork. Unlike anything else in this competition, the art of this image was completely different. Even with realistic traces, it was clearly inspired by 2D animation, giving the impression that it was somehow hand-drawn.

I got very excited. I looked at the synopsis, and to my surprise, it seemed very vague and strange. In addition, the game had only one slice-of-life tag.

[Explore a new planet, meet new people, and uncover the secrets of this new world.]

I didn't care about the synopsis; I installed the game happily just because I had found something different. As soon as I started, a simple scene began, with a man and a woman hugging their daughters. 

"Don't worry, you'll like this new planet." 

Then, with a simple scene of the family arriving at their new home and organizing everything, a choice appeared, asking me to choose one of the sisters to play as. I simply chose the older one and started the game. 

As soon as I began, I started exploring the house. Unlike what I expected, it wasn't a modern house filled with technology; it was a simple home, with only basic things. I noticed that the game didn't have missions, so I just kept exploring. 

Leaving the house, I was surprised by how beautiful the scenery was. The house was a bit isolated from the village, so I slowly walked toward it. The art, along with the lighting, made the place feel incredibly beautiful and relaxing. Crossing a small wooden bridge, I reached the village. 

I saw various NPCs in the village—some walking quickly, others working, and some just sitting and enjoying the day. Some of these NPCs had a (!) above their heads. I arrived at a small square with a pond in the middle, where a pregnant woman was sitting on the grass, tossing pebbles into the water. 

Seeing the (!) above her head, I approached her to talk. As I got closer, she looked at me with a smile. 

"Hi, sweetie. Are you exploring the village?" 

A few options appeared in front of me. I could choose a standard response or talk to her freely. I ignored the options and started talking to the woman. She was very kind and shared a bit about herself, mentioning that her daughter was about to be born and how excited she was for that. 

After chatting for a while, she said she didn't want to interrupt my exploration anymore, obviously ending the conversation. Walking a bit further, I found an old man sitting on a wooden bench, staring into space, doing nothing. 

I approached him to talk, but he wasn't very interested in talking to me. 

"What are you looking at, little girl? Don't you have anything better to do than stare at an old man?" 

I didn't mind much and continued exploring. Soon, it got dark, and a warning appeared, telling me to return home to sleep. Upon arriving home, there was a scene of the family having dinner and talking about what had happened during the day. After sleeping, a message appeared, stating that day two had begun. 

As I explored the game, the days passed, and I got to know the NPCs and the surroundings of the village better. All the NPCs had stories to tell, and as you got to know them better, they revealed more. 

The most interesting part was how each story seemed to convey a message. For example, the pregnant woman gradually told me why she had come to help colonize this planet. 

She and her husband had a business, but due to their lack of experience in administration, they went bankrupt and fell into heavy debt. They were in a desperate situation. To cover the debts, they sold everything they owned. They reached the point of having no place to live, but they didn't give up. 

She found out about this new planet being prepared for colonization, so she and her husband quickly made plans to start over. After deciding, they applied to be among the first to come to the planet. Now, they were starting a new business, and she had even become pregnant, with her daughter set to be the first person born in this new world. 

Her entire story emphasized overcoming challenges, not giving up despite the setbacks life may throw at you, and striving to overcome adversities along the way. But her story wasn't the only good one. On the contrary, all the NPCs had very well-written stories, including the old man sitting on the bench. 

After insisting on talking to him for a few days, he slowly began to open up. The old man spoke about how he and his wife were just ordinary soldiers. Even though they didn't have high ranks in the army, they had a good life. They had children and got to see their grandchildren and great-grandchildren born. 

He and his wife had a wonderful life, and the two of them wanted to find a place to rest and live out the rest of their lives in peace. Unfortunately, just before they could move to this planet, his wife passed away. It was something expected, as both of them were very old, but even though he knew one of them could pass away at any moment, it still shook him deeply. 

After that, his children didn't want him to come to this new planet, but he didn't listen and decided to come alone. As the days passed, the old man continued to share his story until the moment he asked me for a favor. 

He asked me to accompany him to the top of the mountain next to the village. Of course, I agreed, and we slowly made our way up. Along the way, the old man told me how he met his wife and about the 700 years they spent together. 

He told me how he fell in love and how it took her a long time to return his feelings. He smiled at times, and at others, there were tears in his eyes. This continued until we reached the top of the mountain. 

[As soldiers, we spent much of our lives traveling across the universe. For some people, this might be hard, but for Lena, it was what kept her in this job. 

She loved traveling and seeing new places. Even though we were soldiers, having to fight and follow many rules, we got to see incredible places across the universe. It was her love for this that led us to decide to come here. It was her passion for discovering new places and unique stories that, even at our age, made us want to see this new world. But unfortunately, when we were finally approved to come here, her time ran out. 

When my Lena was in the hospital, she made me one last request. She asked me to scatter her ashes in this new world so she could watch over the stories the new generations would create. This seems like a good place, don't you think?] 

Looking at this slightly hunched old man, with a calm and relieved expression, as if he had completed a mission, and with a slight smile as he told his story, I couldn't help but feel emotional and admire the person who wrote this story. This game, as simple as it is, is really good. 

I helped the old man scatter the ashes, and we stayed there, admiring the beautiful landscape. I could hear him murmuring softly. 

[I've kept my promises, so I guess I can rest now.] 

The next day, when I went to the park, I received the news that the old man had passed away in his sleep that night. 

(I really got attached to this character.)

I could only sigh, but what surprised me was that after a few more days, one of the old man's daughters appeared. Talking to her, I discovered that the old man had actually been unwell for quite some time, which was why his children didn't want him to come here alone.

Moreover, it had been five years since the old man's wife had passed away; it wasn't something recent as he had said. His daughter even mentioned how surprised she was that her father managed to live as long as he did, since, according to the doctors, he should have passed away before his wife.

*Sigh.*

That really caught me off guard. It was a good story. I think it's the first time I've gotten attached to a character from a game in this universe, and that's a good thing.

I continued exploring and talking to the characters, discovering various stories. Some were really good, while others were silly and funny. For example, there was a man who came here by accident—he simply boarded the wrong ship, and now he wanted to leave. But he had to wait for the next ship to come back, and every time the ship arrived, he missed it for some silly reason.

Then there was a woman who fell in love with an older, married man. She asked for help delivering notes and small gifts to him. I couldn't help but look at this 'homewrecker' trying to steal someone's husband, but after some time, I found out that he wasn't married. 

The woman with him was his sister. He had only come along to help her find a good house here, and he wasn't even planning to live on this planet. It's possible to follow the development of their relationship as the days pass.

I have to admit, I got a little addicted to this game. It had been a long time since I played anything other than shooting games, and this change was simply wonderful.

After playing for a long time with the older sister, I decided to see what it was like to play as the younger one, and it was surprisingly fun. There are small, seemingly magical creatures in this place, so by exploring the environment, you can find them and discover many unique things about this world—but all from the perspective of a child.

I played almost non-stop for an entire day. When I finally left the game, I was smiling, happy not just because I had found a good game, but because I could finally see how I was influencing games.

After walking around and exploring everything in this game, it became clear that it was heavily inspired by *Totoro*. The landscapes, the art style, the environment, the creatures, and the house architecture all made it quite obvious where the designer's influence came from, and that really excited me.

My goal of creating games, movies, and series isn't just to present them to people in this universe but also to influence them, and it seems to be working. I looked up the designer of this game, and her name is Priscila Martins. Seeing a picture of her, I realized I had seen her before.

She was that older girl who was trying to hide her nervousness before the interview for the top spots in the competition.

"This girl has incredible talent for writing dialogue and stories. Even though she needs to refine some things, it's impressive... Talent like that would be great for the company."

---

**POV: Third person**

---

While Alex was happy to have found another good game, the competition judges were tired of playing. Carlton looked at the other four judges and sighed.

"When they invited me to be a judge in this competition, I knew I'd have to play a lot of 'questionable' games, but this is ridiculous."

"Ridiculous is an understatement. I found a game that's practically a blatant copy of one of my own. If it weren't a competition, I'd want to sue that kid."

Hearing Carlton's words, the other judges immediately started complaining. When the invitation to judge the competition came, they were thrilled. After all, in every competition, the judges are always different, and the only thing that stays the same is that those invited to judge are the designers at the top of the industry.

So, being invited as a judge was a recognition of their efforts. But what they didn't know was that the competition organizers didn't do this on purpose. Every time they asked someone to be a judge a second time, they were immediately declined.

Isabella sighed, listening to so many complaints. She had spent the last few days playing all sorts of games.

"Enough whining… Have any of you found a good game so far?"

Everyone fell silent before discussing a few games they had found. The big problem was that many of the games were very similar, with only slight changes to the story or the characters' personalities. The war theme wasn't bad, but it had reached a point where almost everything that could be done had already been done.

And that's exactly why the competition asked participants to be as innovative as possible, but obviously, that was difficult. After listening to everyone, Carlton mentioned a few games he had found.

"I found some interesting games. I think everyone here must have played *Journey*, right?"

"Yes." 

"Obviously." 

"Do you even need to ask?"

Hearing this, Isabella felt a bit embarrassed. Unlike the others, she had decided to start playing the games from the lowest-ranked ones. Her reasoning was simple: as a judge, she was obligated to play all the games, so she thought it would be better to start with the lower-ranked ones, which would likely be the worst games.

That way, when she was exhausted from the bad games, the last ones she'd test would theoretically be the best. Start with the worst and end with the best, so when everything was over, she wouldn't be left with a 'bad taste in her mouth.'

"Actually, I haven't played it yet."

"Seriously?! Never mind. *Journey* is the game from that kid with the long tongue. As much as I find him a bit arrogant, I have to admit the game is truly unique. I actually felt a little sad when it ended. I would've liked to see more of those beautiful landscapes."

"Yes, it's really beautiful. Even though the game itself doesn't make much sense, it's still very good."

"... How does it not make sense?! The name is *Journey*; do you need more explanation?"

"Are you sure you're a designer?!"

"Shut up! I'm saying you're just a strange creature walking through beautiful settings—there's nothing more to it."

Hearing the argument, even Carlton couldn't help but join in.

"That's the point! It's a journey where nothing needs to be said. The whole story is in the environment around you. The ruins and murals are already telling a story."

"Blarr, the idea of the scenery telling a story might be true, but I prefer when the story is told directly..."

Soon, a discussion about different ways of storytelling began. Isabella, seeing this, rolled her eyes and exited the virtual space. She still had over 80 games to test and couldn't waste time on stupid things.

In her own virtual space, she looked at the massive list of games and sighed. Glancing through all of them, she felt a bit depressed.

"Maybe I should try *Journey*? I can always go back to the end of the list afterward."

Tired of the other games, Isabella decided to test *Journey*. At first, she felt lost, not really understanding what the goal of the game was, but she quickly forgot about that and began floating around happily.

She quickly got the hang of the game's mechanics and progressed rapidly, reaching the top of a huge tower where she freed what seemed like creatures made of fabric. Climbing on one of them, she began to fly with those creatures, taking in the beautiful landscape, the marvelous horizon, and the wind on her body. She couldn't help but open her arms and shout loudly.

"OOOOOOHHHHHH, HAHAHAHAHA, THIS IS AMAZING, WOOOOOO!"

Isabella felt incredibly free. Soon, she arrived at another place and had to descend. A little reluctant, she came down, but her heart was racing, and it wouldn't slow down anytime soon. She began sliding through the sand as the fabric creatures flew around her, diving in and out of the sand, creating a beautiful show for her.

Soon, she was sliding faster and faster, and once again, that incredible sensation returned. With the setting sun, Isabella felt like she was gliding down a mountain of gold dust.

"It's simply beautiful."

She kept playing, sometimes in awe of the beauty of the place, other times surprised by the dangers lurking in the shadows. As Isabella advanced, she noticed that the journey was becoming increasingly difficult.

Reaching an icy area made Isabella realize how hard the character's journey was. At this point, she could barely float, her steps were slow and heavy, and she could almost feel the cold seeping into her body. Somehow, she felt a sense of melancholy as she pressed forward.

There came a point where she could no longer see anything in front of her, moving very slowly, and her character seemed to be dying.

"Damn, just a little farther..."

Even as she tried to keep moving, the character grew slower and slower until finally collapsing in the snow. Isabella didn't lose control of the character, but she couldn't move anymore. She began to feel colder and colder. Just when she thought the game would end like this, six giant beings appeared, resembling the protagonist, dressed in white, standing there watching her. She felt the cold fading away as a light covered her entire body, and the protagonist leaped toward the sky on their own.

Music began to play, with thunder and beastly roars all around. Regaining control of the character, Isabella could dodge the enormous creatures in the clouds. The music grew louder, the thunder more deafening, the roars more furious, and then... silence.

She had passed through the storm, now soaring above the clouds, gazing at the final destination of the journey. Then the music came back with force—more intense, faster. She felt her blood boiling, her heartbeat syncing with the rhythm of the music.

"WOOOOOO, YESSSS!"

Without thinking, Isabella just pushed forward, her mind fully focused on the experience. Now, she wasn't just floating—she was flying. With her arms wide open, she embraced the sensation.

She sped up and slowed down in tune with the music, passing through clouds, mountain peaks, waterfalls, and fabric creatures, until she finally reached her goal. Arriving at the highest point between two mountain peaks, she descended, losing control of the character.

Full of various emotions, Isabella watched the final scene, with the protagonist walking toward their goal, the light growing brighter until she could no longer see.

"This game… No… This experience was incredible."

Isabella left her virtual space and collapsed onto her bed with a satisfied smile on her face.

"I'm exhausted... but my hands are itching. I wish I could play more."

Isabella lamented how short the game was. It had taken her two and a half hours to finish, including the time she spent just floating around and admiring the scenery. This was the first time she felt like she needed more from a game.

What she didn't know was that in the future, this feeling would become common for players and fans of DreamHeart.

---

While all of this was happening, Alice was happily spending time with Toriel in *Undertale*. She was starting to like the character more and more. Toriel was very pleasant and kind, acting like a mother and patiently teaching everything. She began by explaining puzzles and how battles worked—the style was very unique.

At one point, while walking, she was attacked by Froggit.

"I can compliment him, let's try that. 

[Froggit didn't understand what you said, but felt flattered anyway.]"

Toriel appeared, placed her hands on her hips, and glared at the frog, making it flee.

"Hahaha, she just needed to give it a look to make it run away." 

"Toriel is super cute." 

"That's my girl."

"....."

"I still find her strange. Better be careful around her." 

"I think she's going to do something bad." 

"Did you see how the frog was scared? Bet she'll stab you in the back."

Alice ignored the comments and kept playing. She encountered various different monsters—frogs, flies, vegetables, and even a ghost with an incredible theme song. After some time, she arrived at Toriel's house.

"She even made me a pie. I'm liking her more and more. Look, this room is so beautiful."

Toriel showed her the house and baked a pie. The character was super gentle, with a sweet and soothing voice. Her animations were very expressive. With all of this, Alice couldn't help but like Toriel, and she wasn't the only one. Even the more cautious members of the chat started to like her.

"Look how cute she is with her glasses." 

"Seeing her sitting by the fireplace, reading a book, looks super relaxing."

"This whole atmosphere is so calm; I love this vibe." 

"A very comfortable vibe, with beauty, great ambiance." 

"I want to pet her fur." 

"Does she have a tail?" 

"I bet she does." 

"I wish I were that armchair." 

"I wish I were that book, so she could hold me." 

"Her hands must be so soft." 

Alice, seeing the chat, felt strange. 

"Why do I feel like you guys are getting weirder?" 

*Sigh.* 

"Let's continue." 

(SPOILERS AHEAD. IF YOU'VE NEVER PLAYED THE GAME AND DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, STOP READING.)

Alice continued exploring the place. She found several books and items with simple descriptions. After not finding anything interesting, Alice went back to talk to Toriel once more. 

Toriel immediately started talking about how excited she was to have someone there with her, someone to share her favorite things with. She mentioned how she had always wanted to be a teacher and talked about the plans and things the two could do together. 

As soon as Toriel stopped talking, the option to find a way home appeared. After choosing this option, Toriel became nervous and tried to change the subject. Alice insisted a few more times, and then Toriel closed the book and said she had something to do. 

Alice followed Toriel to the basement of the house, where there was a huge corridor. Following Toriel, she stopped and said: 

[You wish to know how to return home, right? 

Ahead lies the end of the ruins, a one-way exit to the rest of the underground. 

I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again. Now, be a good child and go upstairs.] 

Seeing this, everyone was surprised. 

"I knew something was off." 

"No, I think there's something more to this." 

"My girl must have her reasons." 

"No need to destroy it, I'll stay with you willingly." 

"Stay here with you alone? Let me help destroy the path, hahaha." 

Alice rolled her eyes at the chat and continued playing. She kept following Toriel. 

[I've seen this happen again and again. 

They come. 

They leave. 

They die. 

Naive child… if you leave the ruins, they… and Asgore… will kill you. 

I am only trying to protect you, do you understand… go to your room.] 

"I knew there was more to this story." 

"Seems like things will get tough after this." 

"Toriel is way too good." 

"Look at those beautiful horns." 

"These people are starting to get weird." 

Alice ignored the chat and continued playing. Following Toriel, they reached the end of the path. Toriel seemed disappointed, saying that Alice could not pass unless she proved she was strong enough. Then a fight began. Alice tried to talk, but it had no effect. 

"Looks like I have to beat her to advance." 

Alice didn't worry much and just started fighting, but she quickly began to feel strange. Toriel was getting more and more hurt, and she kept trying to convince the protagonist to stay. Even so, Alice continued the fight, knowing she had to win to move on, and then she delivered the final blow. 

[You… you hate me that much? I just wanted to protect you.] 

Toriel was covered in blood. She slowly kneeled to the ground, a pool of blood forming beneath her. Then, with an extremely sad laugh, her body began to disintegrate slowly. 

"What?! Wait… did she really die?!! No, no, no, what have I done… It wasn't supposed to be like this, how do I go back… No." 

Alice stood up, her eyes wide open, so shocked that her mind went blank. 

"NO, what did you do?" 

"TORIEL, NO." 

"You monster." 

"Damn, I'm crying." 

"Did she really die? This can't be." 

"What? How? Why?" 

"Alice, why?" 

"Nooo, my Toriel." 

"Whoever made this game is a monster." 

"How am I supposed to pet her horns now?!" 

"My heart is broken." 

"I swear my soul just froze." 

Alice didn't even pay attention to the chat's reactions. She was genuinely shocked by what had happened and almost felt like crying.

(END OF SPOILER.)

This didn't just happen to Alice. Many people were having the same experience. Slowly but steadily, *Undertale* was gaining popularity. As the days passed, more and more people started discovering the game. Interestingly, this wasn't because of any marketing campaign.

It was all thanks to word-of-mouth marketing by the players. A trend was born: whenever someone played *Undertale*, they would recommend it to friends, carefully avoiding saying anything about the game, always with the thought, "You have to feel what I felt."

This wasn't the only trend starting. DreamHeart was beginning to catch the attention of the entire entertainment market. Two months after the launch of the website and the massive impact of Alex's speech, many movie and game studios were paying close attention to him.

What stood out the most to them were the *music* choices. The music Alex was using in his films and games was creating a perfect harmony with the scenes and moments in which it played. This might have been surprising to the public, but for these studios, it was even more shocking and exciting. If they could integrate music like that into their work, it could raise the quality significantly. 

Over these past two months, the name *Orchestra of the New Dawn* became famous in the entertainment world. But as happy as Alex was with this, he was currently busy with something else. The second stage of the competition was coming to an end, and an online event would be held to announce the results.

---

**Note:** These past few days have been really tough. It feels like I'm riding a wave of bad luck. 

My older brother works as a blacksmith and managed to cut off one of his fingers—unbelievable. 

On Friday, I was talking to a friend, only to receive news on Saturday that he had passed away. These days have been really hard. 

But I can't stay sad forever. I'm going to try to cheer up and get back to writing. This chapter should have come out on Thursday, but since my mind was all over the place, I didn't post it. 

I was so out of it that I forgot to start a new chapter and just kept writing this one. So I'll post it like this. This chapter counts for both Thursday and Sunday's updates. 

I wanted to show the reactions of people to *Adventure Time*, but I'll leave that for later. First, I want the protagonist to release *God of War* soon.