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For most people, yellow meteorites—with the exception of a few artificers who dabbled in magical pattern engravings—were useful but hardly revolutionary.
However, when Caelan learned about the specific properties of the Fortitude Stone, his mindset shifted. This material might be trivial to others, but it was a potential lifesaver for him.
If his mana grew stronger in the future, the complexity of his games would increase. No matter how much he compressed the illusions with mana, a standard Size 6 runestone tablet would eventually fail to contain the data. Even larger tablets might struggle. Therefore, artificially increasing the capacity of runestones became a necessity.
It's a very good item, Caelan decided. I should stockpile as much of it as I can.
Next on the list was the Purple Extraterrestrial Meteorite, officially named "Runestone."
This was the battery of this world. Although it couldn't compare to an alchemical mana potion for instant recovery, drawing mana from a runestone was much faster than trying to suck it dry from the ambient air. Crucially, it could power engravings that consumed heavy amounts of mana.
When depleted, a runestone would slowly recharge itself by absorbing ambient mana. If it broke, it could be fused back together with Earth magic. Only if it was burned away by intense Fire or Lightning magic was it truly gone.
A rechargeable, durable, self-sustaining battery that never suffered from wear and tear? It was simply too good.
Although this material had been verified as unable to be injected into other objects, Caelan—ever the shameless experimenter—tried anyway. What if I have "Main Character Luck"? Or a hidden ability to break the Weave's restrictions?
He tried again and again, concentrating the full power of his mind palace until his head throbbed.
Zero effect.
He temporarily gave up.
Finally, the White Extraterrestrial Meteorite.
Calling it "white" wasn't entirely accurate. Compared to pure white, it had a faint greenish tint—so faint that only a mage actively using mental energy to observe it could spot the difference.
No one had discovered a use for this item yet, but unlike the others, it had a unique property: it could be injected via mana into any object, including living beings.
Injecting it into inanimate objects produced no discernible effect. However, injecting it into living beings yielded a grim discovery: it was toxic. Touching it was safe, but once inside the body, it poisoned the target. Unless extracted quickly or resisted by a strong constitution, the victim would kick the bucket.
Caelan extracted some white powder and injected it into several runestone tablets. He observed them carefully.
Uh... nothing happened.
He picked one up and engraved Elemental Contra into it. The process felt normal. The finished product looked normal.
Caelan stared at the tablet, unsure what to do next.
Never mind. The experiments will have to wait.
He sorted and stowed his materials, then returned to the grind.
Time passed day by day as Caelan busied himself.
The two new games quickly spread throughout the gaming community, selling quite well.
Crimson Fortress ( Jackal ) was simple to operate, easy to pick up, and didn't punish new players. The game flow was satisfying and rhythmic.
What surprised Caelan was the demographic it attracted. Almost every student from the Dragonspire Empire currently studying at Crimson Academy became obsessed with it. Even those who didn't play games came to Game City just to see what the fuss was about.
Seeing their nation's history—specifically the tragedy of Sevenstone City—depicted so heroically made many Dragonspire students develop a fondness for Caelan. It was a patriotic boost Caelan hadn't anticipated.
Squirrel War ( Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 ), on the other hand, became a massive hit with the female demographic.
Thanks to the Green Meteorite absorption, the graphics were far more exquisite than the original NES version. Caelan had redesigned the protagonists to be charming and the enemies to be comically endearing. For the rat minions in the first level, he referenced Jerry from Tom and Jerry. The bees had a smug, cartoonish look. The pink-haired rabbit mini-boss in Level 1 captured so many hearts that some girls refused to throw crates at it.
(Note: In this world, the game is called "Squirrel War," but the content is strictly "Rescue Rangers 2." Caelan never played the first one.)
Perhaps the games weren't difficult enough.
On the second day after release, Squirrel War was First Cleared by a fifth-year girl. On the fourth day, Crimson Fortress was First Cleared by another girl—an international student from the Dragonspire Empire.
New First Clear Hero List
Elemental Contra: Quinn of House Stormcall (Moonwatch Empire)
Super Mario: Quinn of House Stormcall (Moonwatch Empire)
Tank Battle: Karrum Ironhammer (Ironhammer Clan)
Salamander: Quinn of House Stormcall (Moonwatch Empire)
Chronicle of the Fierce Tortoise Warriors: Cassius of House Everflame (Moonwatch Empire)
Crimson Fortress: Elara of House Cloudpeak (Dragonspire Empire)
Squirrel War: Seraphina of House Moonbreeze (Moonwatch Empire)
Good heavens. Out of seven games, five had been conquered by girls.
This fact made many male students with chauvinistic tendencies feel indignant yet helpless. It felt as if arguing with girls at school now put them at a distinct disadvantage.
Quinn of House Stormcall's fame skyrocketed. She was already well-known within the Academy, but now, every gamer in the city knew her name. Not only did she hold three First Clear titles, but she also consistently ranked in the top three on almost every leaderboard.
Quinn appeared calm and collected on the surface, but inside, she was proud. However, that pride was mixed with regret.
She had missed the Fierce Tortoise clear by two days, which she could accept. But Squirrel War? She had cleared it on the second day as well. After asking the Illusionist shopkeeper, she learned she had been only six minutes slower than Senior Seraphina.
Just six minutes.
The thought made her stomach churn. Rankings were temporary and could be surpassed, but the First Clear Hero List was eternal.
Now she was depressed. Very depressed.
While Quinn was depressed, others were equally frustrated.
"Damn it! How did two women get the First Clears? That's just wrong," Victor muttered, shaking his leg restlessly as he sat on the floor. "Cassius, if we hadn't been stuck in special training, we definitely wouldn't have let women ride on our heads like this. Riding on my body is fine, but riding on my head is absolutely not."
Cassius rolled his eyes, too lazy to engage with Victor's crude logic.
He was self-aware. Leaving gender aside, Quinn's gaming talent was objectively superior to his. If he hadn't received the game two days early—and had access to Victor's infinite-life home version to practice day and night—it would have been impossible for him to beat her to the Fierce Tortoise title.
Besides, Cassius could at least contend for a First Clear. What right did a gaming noob like Victor have to be depressed?
Whatever. My name is permanently on the list, so I'm satisfied.
Cassius ignored his cousin and continued playing Crimson Fortress. He had just reached the second level.
Victor leaned over. "Hey, I think this game suits me. It doesn't feel very difficult, and the controls aren't as complex as the Tortoise game. The attacks are just Wind Blade and Large Fireballs."
"You just like things that are simple and easy to operate," Cassius replied without looking up. "It's the same with your martial arts training, and it's the same with your gaming."
Victor grinned proudly. "Aren't simple and brutal killing moves the best? Why make things flashy if a punch works?"
Cassius was speechless.
"Huh," Victor said, squinting at the screen. "I just noticed something. Why do your fireballs always explode in four directions, while my Thunder Dragon Warrior's only do it sometimes?"
Cassius sighed, his patience wearing thin. "You've been playing for two days. Haven't you noticed that rescuing a glowing hostage upgrades the fireball's power? The official term is an upgrade from Large Fireball to Explosive Flame."
Victor scratched his head. "I really didn't notice that."
Plz Throw Powerstones.