King of Games C52 Growth and Unwanted attention

Conan and the detective boys stared at the monstrous boar hot on their heels, their panting breaths mingling with the pounding of their hearts. They couldn't run any longer, and escape was nothing more than a fleeting fantasy. They had to act, or they would be the boar's next meal.

"Mitsuhiko, I can't unleash my power! Is it possible we don't have any?" Genta yelled, his voice strained as he sprinted for his life.

Mitsuhiko's eyes narrowed. "This is a game, you idiot! We're trapped inside a game! There must be a way to fight back!"

Ayumi's terrified voice rang out as she sprinted beside them, "But how!? We're going to be boar meat in a second!"

The beast's thunderous footsteps inched closer, its glistening tusks promising a grisly end for the desperate children.

"Don't worry, Ayumi," Mitsuhiko said with a shaky smile, "If we die here, we'll just wake up in the real world, right?"

Conan and Ai continued to run, not as frantic as the others, their minds racing with possible strategies to outsmart the charging boar.

"I'm spent!" Genta gasped, his limbs aching.

"Me too," Mitsuhiko huffed, "I thought we wouldn't get tired in the game, but it seems we were wrong."

Even Conan and Ai were starting to feel the strain, but Conan noticed something else. It wasn't fatigue coursing through his veins; it was something different. He skidded to a halt, his friends quickly noticing.

"Conan, what's wrong?" Ai panted, coming to a stop beside him.

Gasping for air, Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko also stopped, confusion and fear etched on their faces.

"Guys, why aren't we running? We're going to be boar chow!" Genta cried out, panic creeping into his voice.

Ayumi and Mitsuhiko exchanged worried glances, unsure of their friend's sudden change in demeanor.

Conan's eyes widened as he looked down at his foot. He concentrated on the strange sensation coursing through him, focusing it into one point in his right foot. To everyone's amazement, a soft blue glow enveloped his foot.

"Woah, Conan-kun!" Mitsuhiko exclaimed, eyes alight with understanding, "Could it be that you found your power?"

Ayumi and Genta stared in awe, their fear momentarily forgotten.

Conan spotted a small stone on the ground. Focusing the energy in his glowing foot, he took a powerful kick at the stone, sending it hurtling towards the boar's oncoming form.

The stone met its target, but instead of vanquishing the beast, it merely shattered upon impact, the boar unfazed and continuing its relentless charge.

"Eh? It didn't work!" Conan's words were cut short as the monstrous boar engulfed him, and then Ai, Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta followed suit.

***

"Ugh..." Conan groaned, blinking as he found himself back in the real world, sitting in a chair.

Shinro stood before him, a pleased expression on his face. "You all did quite well for your first time."

Conan blushed and averted his eyes, mumbling a shy "Thanks," but his mind was already racing with possibilities.

As the others began to stir awake, Genta couldn't contain his excitement. "That was amazing!"

Mitsuhiko agreed, "Even though we got defeated by a boar, it was still a blast!"

Ayumi, brimming with enthusiasm, asked Shinro, "Can we do this again, Shinro-san?"

Shinro rubbed his chin, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm... That depends..."

The words deflated the detective boys' spirits, but it was Dr. Agasa who managed to lift their moods before they left the underground lab.

---

Shinro leaned in, riveted to the screen as he watched the recorded footage of the Detective Boys inside the virtual game. His eyes honed in on the moment where Conan discovered his in-game character's unique ability. Conan had focused his power into his right foot, causing it to glow a soft blue hue. Shinro replayed the section where the boy kicked the stone at the boar, his brow furrowing in thought.

"It seems I made the right choice having these kids test my game," he muttered to himself, "I wouldn't have known that each in-game character has a unique power of their own..."

While he was aware that players could wield magic in the game's virtual world, he hadn't expected a level 1 character to possess such abilities. Memories of his own testing sessions came to mind; how he'd felt awkward in his child-sized avatar and hadn't sensed any latent powers within it.

Had it not been for Conan's discovery, Shinro might have assumed that he needed to level up his character before unlocking these abilities. Shaking his head, he refocused his attention on expanding the retail distribution for his game console and games across Japan. In a week's time, the KiShin products would finally be available in Taiwan.

***

In just a week, the KiShin game consoles and games skyrocketed to become the undisputed sensation of Japan's gaming scene.

The once-small company, virtually unknown to the world at large, had amassed a staggering fortune of over 1 billion dollars. This was unprecedented, especially considering they were only selling in one country.

Their successes didn't end there, however. Their streaming service, immersive.com, was also gaining traction in the United States. Amidst the sea of shows, a superhero parody cartoon named Invincible was quickly garnering a dedicated fanbase. The animation might not have been on par with the industry giants, but the unique storylines and brutal takes on superhero tropes proved refreshing to the jaded viewers.

***

Two months flew by since Shinro's company, KiShin, had soared to dizzying heights of success in Japan, with their hands in grocery, video games, and virtual technology research.

It had also been two months since the day the Detective Boys had first tested out his virtual game, and they continued to "test" the game on a weekly basis. Shinro couldn't help but smile at the thought – it was hard to tell if they were genuinely testing or if they were just playing for fun.

Either way, he couldn't complain. KiShin's popularity knew no bounds, with their video game consoles and games taking not only Taiwan and Singapore by storm, but also making waves in Hong Kong. In a week's time, they'd be ready to make their mark on the US market.

Shinro's train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a knock on his office door. Thinking it was Mira, he absentmindedly called out, "Come in!" However, it wasn't his assistant who entered. Instead, a beautiful, yet unfamiliar woman walked in, setting his senses on edge.

Shinro shot to his feet, his demeanor changing from relaxed to guarded in an instant. "You?" He said, his voice laced with suspicion.

"Hehe, no need to look so panicked, handsome," she purred, licking her lips seductively. "I'm here for you."

"What do you want?" Shinro demanded, his eyes narrowing. "I've been sensing you've been... watching me these past few days. Who are you?"

The woman feigned hurt, but the smile on her face told a different story. "Well, if you're so eager to know, allow me to introduce myself," she purred. "I'm Kure Karura. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Shinro Suzuki."