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When Victor saw a beautiful girl enter the shop, he immediately perked up. He leaned back in his chair, puffing out his chest.
"Hey! Have you played this game of mine?"
The girl glanced at him briefly and nodded. "Yes, I have. That's Tank Battle. I've already beaten it."
Victor adopted the air of a sagely master. "Hmm. Not bad. I beat that game a long time ago. Now I'm just playing it for nostalgia."
The girl offered a polite, somewhat dismissive smile, then turned her attention back to Cassius, who was intensely focused on his game. Victor shrugged, unbothered, and went back to blasting tanks.
Cassius was currently struggling. He wasn't using his signature Donatello (Bo Staff) or Michelangelo (Nunchaku); instead, he was playing Caelan's original character, Raphael (Twin Sais), re-skinned to wield a sword and cast fireballs.
Despite the unfamiliar controls, his deep knowledge of the enemy patterns allowed him to reach the final boss, Shredder.
He fought valiantly but ultimately fell just short of victory.
"Wow! You're amazing!" the girl exclaimed from the side. "No one in our school has ever gotten this far. The best record is Level Seven. Are you from the Moonwatch Empire?"
Cassius turned to size up the speaker. Upon realizing she was a beauty with golden-blonde hair, he was secretly pleased. His tone unconsciously became warmer and more enthusiastic.
"Hello. How did you know I'm from the Moonwatch Empire?"
The girl smiled. "I know most of the people in my school, but I've never seen you three before. Plus, you can play Chronicle of the Fierce Tortoise Warriors all the way to the final boss, which means you've been practicing for a long time. I heard this game was made by an Illusionist from Crimson Port in the Moonwatch Empire."
Cassius grinned. "You're smart. Yes, I'm a student at Crimson Academy. I came here specifically to buy some supplies."
"Oh? What are you looking for? Maybe I have a channel," the girl offered. "By the way, my name is Nicole of House Stormwing. And you?"
"I'm Cassius of House Everflame," he said, gesturing to his side. "This is my cousin, Victor of House Blazeheart."
Victor turned his head and flashed a forced, "charming" smile.
Cassius then pointed to the corner. "And that is my friend, Caelan Ironfist."
Caelan nodded briefly in greeting. Seeing that the girl was clearly interested in Cassius, he wisely decided not to interfere.
"Everflame?" Nicole's eyes widened. "What is Caelia Everflame to you?"
Cassius froze. "You know my aunt?"
Even Victor paused his game to look over.
"Of course I know her! My older sister was a member of her adventure group!" Nicole said happily. "She's been to my house several times. When I was little, she used to hold me and take me out to play."
"That is... quite a coincidence. Haha..." Cassius laughed awkwardly.
If she called his aunt "sister," wouldn't that make him a generation younger than her?
He quickly dismissed the thought. "Do you want to play a round together?" he invited.
"Sure!"
Nicole readily agreed. Cassius selected Michelangelo (Nunchaku), and Nicole chose Leonardo (Dual Blades).
"Oh? You're playing Michelangelo?" she asked. "That character is really hard to use."
"Most people think so, but he's actually the strongest if you know the trick," Cassius explained confidently.
"Really? I tried him, but his recovery animation after attacking is so long. It's annoying."
"There's a cancel mechanic..."
The two chatted animatedly about strategy. Watching them, Caelan felt a mischievous urge to secretly increase the game difficulty just to mess with them.
As lunch hour approached, more students from Stoneforge Academy trickled into the eatery. They were quickly drawn to the spectacle of the three foreigners playing games.
"Wow, isn't that Nicole from Class Zero?"
"Who is she playing with? I've never seen that guy before. He's handsome."
"The one next to her playing Tank Battle isn't bad either."
"Hey, look at the third guy. What game is that? I've never seen it."
"It's so cute! What animal is that?"
"Looks like a cat... or maybe a chipmunk?"
Hearing the chatter behind her, Nicole turned curiously. "Cassius, your friend... Ironfist? What game is he playing? Is it a new release?"
Cassius nodded. "It's brand new. Called Squirrel War."
"Squirrel? Is that a type of Demonic Beast?"
"No, just a common animal. A little critter that lives in tree hollows."
Nearby, two bold girls approached Victor to strike up a conversation. Victor glanced at them. Although he considered them merely "ordinary" in looks, he didn't turn down an audience. He chatted enthusiastically, explaining the mechanics of Tank Battle and Fierce Tortoise with the authority of an expert.
Despite his mediocre skills, Victor was an excellent "Cloud Gamer"—he knew the theory perfectly from watching Cassius play.
No one understands the Tortoise Warriors better than I, Victor!
Meanwhile, seeing the crowd gathering, Caelan stopped playing. He swapped the game cartridge for his promotional loop and laid out several engraved runestones on the table for sale.
"What? Chronicle of the Fierce Tortoise Warriors is only ten silver marks?"
"Wait, the other games are only five? Is that real?"
"They sell for one Gold Crown in the East City! Brother, is this a counterfeit?"
Caelan smiled calmly. "Of course not. Mine are the genuine article."
Nicole leaned close to Cassius and whispered, "Why are your friend's runestones so cheap? Is he okay?"
Cassius paused the game and stood up abruptly.
Nicole flinched. "Ah! I'm sorry! I wasn't doubting him, it's just that five silver marks is unbelievably low..."
Cassius waved his hand dismissively. He cleared his throat and addressed the crowd, gesturing grandly toward Caelan.
"Nicole, everyone—let me introduce my friend properly. Caelan Ironfist, a genius Illusionist from Crimson Academy, and the Creator of these Illusion Games."
Ignoring Nicole's dumbfounded expression, Cassius smiled at the onlookers. "In Crimson Port, this is the standard price. He isn't underselling you; he's the source."
After Cassius walked a reluctant Nicole to the door, Victor nudged Caelan. "How much did you make this time?"
"I made over thirty gold crowns selling stock, plus deposits for two pre-orders totaling forty gold crowns," Caelan replied. "Don't those students worry I'll take the money and run?"
"Those two clearly aren't short on cash," Victor scoffed. "Besides, do you really think your reputation as the 'Illusion Game Creator' is worthless? The Dean and the mentors have praised you publicly multiple times."
"Praised me? For what?"
Cassius walked back over. "They say you're innovative. That you've raised the Academy's prestige and brought honor to the school. You were all over the news this week. Didn't you know?"
Caelan shrugged. "I've been too busy working. I haven't listened to the news."
Victor grinned. "Cassius, why did you let your girlfriend go home alone? You should have walked her back. We're staying another night anyway. If you went with her, you could have saved money on a hotel room."
"Get lost," Cassius snapped. "Nicole is taking time off tomorrow to help us find a Spatial Artificer. You should be thanking her, not making dirty jokes."
"Fine, fine. Tomorrow I'll wash my cousin clean and deliver him to her doorstep wrapped in a bow."
"..."
That night, Caelan lay in his hotel bed. It was still early, and sleep eluded him.
Curious, he released his mental energy, letting it spread outward. He wanted to see how many people in Earthforge City were currently playing his games.
Unbeknownst to him, his mental range had expanded drastically—he could now sense activity over thirty kilometers away. While this specific frequency only detected his active game runestones and offered no other surveillance utility, the range itself was staggering.
Hmm... within my current perception, there are over three hundred active sessions.
The magical feedback from the players was continuous, a steady stream of energy nourishing his mana reserves.
Beyond his active range, the feedback was fainter but still present. No matter the distance, the connection remained, silently strengthening his limits.
The strongest signal from outside the city is coming from the southeast. That must be Crimson Port...
Wait.
Caelan sat up, shock painted across his face.
He sensed something else.
In the exact same direction—southeast—he could clearly feel several game runestones active within his mental range.
How is that possible?
Crimson Port is thousands of kilometers away. There is no way my range extends that far.
PLZ THROW POWERSTONES.