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Recently, the gaming enthusiasts at Crimson Academy were all buzzing about the same three topics.
First: Caelan's original small shop on Mare Street would strictly become a retail location—selling runestones only, with no arcade play available. However, the flagship "Game City" in the market warehouse district would switch to 24-hour operations starting this Saturday. There was a catch for students, though: they had to leave before 10:00 PM on school nights. The staff had strict orders not to extend their time, no matter how much they begged.
Second: Starting this Saturday at 1:00 PM, any game on the arcade machines that had already achieved a "First Clear" would be converted to an "Unlimited Coin Version."
This was excellent news for the wealthy students, who could finally rely on their family's deep pockets to brute-force their way through any level. It was also great news for skilled players aspiring to climb the rankings, as it gave them a low-risk opportunity to study the mechanics and patterns of the later stages.
Third: The release of two new games.
This was naturally the most exciting news for everyone. Speculation ran wild—did anyone have a chance to snatch a First Clear this time? During breaks between classes, many students tried to pry information out of Caelan regarding the new titles, but he remained tight-lipped, leaving them helpless and eager.
These two new games, however, did not include Street Fighter.
Caelan was still deliberating on that project. The reason was the green-glowing meteorites; they had significantly strengthened his engraving ability and enhanced the visual fidelity he could produce. This improvement made Caelan hesitate. Should he stick to the original plan, or aim higher and release the sixteen-character Super Street Fighter II Turbo version?
In reality, Caelan hadn't played much Street Fighter in his past life. It couldn't compare to his love for the King of Fighters series. Even though he had cleared the Wind and Cloud Resurgence version, his knowledge of the lore came mostly from fanfiction and novels, leaving him far more familiar with the plot of KoF.
Still, he hoped Street Fighter could become the first truly significant fighting game in this world. Perhaps it was just a desire to see familiar things from his past take root here.
Checking his mind palace, he realized he had physically played Street Fighter fewer than three times. Most of his memories were from watching others play in arcades. Consequently, the version he had constructed was full of loopholes. He was currently relying on his mental "Stick Figure Testers" to debug the game bit by bit.
Moreover, thanks to his enhanced engraving capabilities, he was now considering adding "Super Special Moves" that consumed an energy bar—a mechanic not present in the vanilla Street Fighter II.
Caelan felt that with a little more time, he might be able to launch this polished version during the height of the Elite Academy Tournament.
He patted his pockets. Two of the meteorites had already been completely drained of their green light, and the others had dimmed considerably. He planned to visit the Mercenary Guild after class to post a collection quest for more extraterrestrial meteorites.
As for his friends, Cassius and Victor had practically vanished over the last two days. Their mentors had dragged them into special training for the upcoming tournament, significantly cutting into their gaming time. However, for them, seeing Cassius's name atop the First Clear Leaderboard was satisfaction enough.
Time flew by. Saturday arrived, marking the end of the morning classes for the month.
As soon as the mana gathering array finished its cycle, a massive group of students trailed behind Caelan as he headed to Game City. The sheer number of followers made Caelan feel uncomfortable buying his lunch; with so many students buying the same meal as him, he had the sudden illusion of being a rogue tour guide leading a very strange excursion.
Upon arriving at the warehouse shop, Caelan pulled out a pre-prepared promotional animation runestone. He placed it into a custom-made display board at the entrance. The board was painted matte black, which served as an excellent screen for the projection.
Since he hadn't put excessive effort into the lore of these specific games, the promotion was casual—basically a gameplay loop without deep character introductions. Caelan was actually a bit too embarrassed to show it to his classmates in advance.
Game 1: Crimson Fortress (Original Title: Jackal)
The name was changed to fit the setting, and the textures were heavily modified.
Setting: The Dragonspire Empire.
** Lore:** Caelan had spent three hours in the academy library to dig up a historical event: The "Battle of Sevenstone Abyss."
This battle occurred a thousand years ago between the Dragonspire Empire and the Abyssal Plane. It wasn't a long war—with the aid of the other Five Great Empires, the campaign ended in less than a week. However, it was infamous because the Abyssal Rift opened directly inside Sevenstone City. The city collapsed rapidly, and hundreds of thousands of citizens were captured.
Although the Abyssal forces were defeated, fewer than one in ten captives survived. Sevenstone City was razed to the ground, and the modern city was built atop its ruins. To this day, July 13th remains a date of commemoration.
Game Intro:
Sevenstone City in the Redstone Province has been overrun by a sudden Abyssal incursion. All residents have been captured.
The Abyssal Vanguard Commander, "Rothar Voidcaller," has ordered his warlocks to establish summoning arrays at key nodes. They intend to sacrifice the citizens to summon the Abyssal Lord, "Magtheridon."
If Magtheridon descends, the continent will be plunged into eternal misery.
The armies of the Six Great Empires are gathering. As the elite vanguard of the Dragonspire Dragon Legion, you must penetrate enemy lines, disrupt the ritual, and rescue the hostages.
(Is it reasonable for two soldiers to assault an entire army alone? No. But it's a game.)
Gameplay Changes:
Vehicle: The jeep was replaced by a "Legion Warrior riding a Thunder Dragon."
Enemies: Soldiers and tanks were replaced by Abyssal monsters.
Weapons: The mounted machine gun became Wind Blades. Grenades became Large Fireballs.
Upgrades: Rescuing a glowing captive upgraded the dragon's breath to Explosive Flame, then Horizontal Spread Flame, and finally Four-Way Burst Flame.
Extraction: The helicopter was replaced by a massive Transport Dragon.
Bosses: The mechanics remained identical, but the models were swapped. For instance, the four statues in Level 2 became four pulsing, black-and-red Abyssal flesh mounds.
Despite the overhaul, the core gameplay remained faithful to the original, though the graphics and fluidity were superior thanks to the magic engine.
Game 2: Squirrel War (Original Title: Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 2)
This was a personal favorite of Caelan's—one he had actually cleared with his own skill in his previous life. (Okay, he used continues, but he did clear it!)
He kept the title simple: Squirrel War. He dropped the "2" since he had never played the first game and had no reference for it in his mind palace.
Changes:
Characters: The two chipmunks now wore an iron helmet and a mage's hat respectively. Their abilities remained identical, and they looked adorable.
Setting: Background props were localized. Modern electrical appliances and technology were swapped for magical devices and fantasy furniture suitable for this world.
PLZ THROW POWERSTONES.