King of Games C49 World into VR Game

Shinro's eyes widened as he stepped into the virtual world his company had created. The sunlight filtering through the digital leaves above him felt so real.

He marveled at the attention to detail as he crouched down, running his fingers through the grass. It even bent and sprung back like the real thing. He glanced back at the scientists from the "Tiny World", giving them a nod of approval. Their competence in VR technology had certainly surpassed his expectations.

However, no matter how realistic the forest world was, it couldn't hide its tiny scale. In the distance, Shinro could see the edge of their programming, the trees and hills abruptly ending in a blurry haze. He sighed, knowing that even if they managed to develop a larger world, the prototype VR console they'd created wouldn't be able to handle it for long. It was a monumental breakthrough, but the technology just wasn't there yet.

Shinro removed his VR headset, returning to the lab's sterile whiteness. He picked up the bulky console, weighing it in his hands. "We've come so far, but still so far to go," he muttered to himself. "Let's keep at it, everyone."

***

Shinro paced back and forth in his office, his mind whirring with the challenge at hand. The virtual world his company had created was more lifelike than anything he'd ever seen, but the process was agonizingly slow. According to their current game engine's capabilities, it would take them at least five years to complete just one realistic virtual world—far longer than Shinro had hoped for.

Even the half-finished realistic virtual forest they'd been working on for the past three months was a testament to the herculean task before them. There were still so many details to perfect, and it could take another year before it was even remotely presentable.

Shinro rubbed at his temples, pushing away the frustration welling up within him. For now, he was going to have to set those concerns aside and focus on his second world: "Small World".

In Small World, humans had already established their own cities, ruled by either powerful mages or skilled knights. The thought of mages dueling in the streets and knights clashing in epic battles brought a small smile to Shinro's face.

Focusing on the transparent cube in his hand, Shinro watched in amazement as the people of Small World went about their lives, building their kingdoms and waging wars against one another. It was incredible to see how far they'd come in such a short time, from cowering in fear of magical beasts to now being powerful mages and skilled knights. As he observed their progress, a thought began to form in his mind.

"Interesting," he mused. "Maybe I can absorb the power and abilities from these powerful humans now..."

A message suddenly popped up in front of him, startling him.

[Ding! A world compatible for the integration to the virtual world format!]

[Do you want to turn your small world into a virtual reality game for your virtual headset console?]

[Yes] [No]

Shinro's eyes widened in surprise. "I can actually turn my world into a virtual reality game?"

[Of course, Host. One of the purposes of your worlds is that they can be turned into virtual worlds for your virtual reality headset. This way, many players on Earth can appreciate the worlds you've created.]

Without a moment's hesitation, Shinro tapped "Yes" on the prompt.

[Ding! You've turned the Small World into a virtual game. Progress: 0%]

The progress bar on the message slowly ticked up, inching its way to 1% after a few seconds. Shinro knew it would take time, possibly hours or even a day, so he decided to let the integration process continue in the background as he went back to researching the Small World.

Just as Shinro was about to continue his research, he sensed someone approaching his office. Hastily, he closed the plans on his desk and tucked away the transparent cube that contained the "Small World."

Before the knob could turn, a soft knock sounded on the door. Mira, his beautiful secretary, entered carrying a stack of documents.

"Boss, there's someone here to see you," she said, a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"Who is it?" Shinro asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mira shook her head. "She didn't leave her name, but she said that you know her very well... and that you two were once coworkers."

"Coworker?" Shinro furrowed his brows, trying to recall any former coworkers that he might have been close with.

Mira's cheeks blushed as she added, "She... she said that you two were very... close."

Shinro didn't notice the jealousy in Mira's eyes as he stood up from his des desk. "Alright, I'll see what this former coworker of mine has to say. Send her up to my office, will you?"

Mira's heart sank slightly, but she nodded nonetheless. "Yes, Boss. She's currently in the first-floor lobby."

With that, Mira left the room, closing the door behind her. Shinro wondered who the mystery woman could be as he straightened his suit and prepared for the meeting.

---

A few minutes later, a woman entered Shinro's office. As soon as he laid eyes on her, his expression turned from surprise to a frown, and then he quickly schooled his features into a mask of indifference.

"Well, I didn't expect it to be you, Yuki," he said, his voice neutral.

Yuki's eyes lit up when she saw him. "Shinro! I'm so glad to see you again!" She started to move in for a hug, but Shinro evaded her embrace, leaving her to hug the air awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?" Shinro asked, his tone icy. Though he owed her his current existence, he still couldn't bring himself to trust her. After all, it was because of her that the previous Shinro had died in the first place.

Yuki's expression fell as if she'd been slapped. "Am I really not welcome here?" she asked, her doe-like eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Shinro scoffed. "I don't have time for your games."

Yuki looked terrible, her eyes puffy and rimmed with red as if she'd been crying. "Shinro, please... can you forgive me? I don't have any relationship with Director Shuichi, I swear. I think we have a chance—"

Shinro cut her off with a wave of his hand, his expression indifferent. "I don't care if you're dating that fatty or not, and yes, I forgive you. But no, we don't have a chance."

Yuki's eyes, red-rimmed and puffy from crying, pleaded with Shinro. "Shinro, I know I messed up, but I think we still have a chance—"

Shinro's expression remained indifferent as he cut her off. "Yuki, I don't care about that anymore. I'm over it, and I don't want to rehash the past. If that's all, I'm busy."

Deflated, Yuki steeled herself and revealed the true purpose of her visit. "I'm here on behalf of Konami. We've been impressed by your company's work on the video game console, and we want to propose a partnership. You see, we're working on a game that would be perfect for your technology."

Shinro raised a brow, but his expression didn't soften. "I appreciate the offer, but KiShin is my baby. I'm not interested in any partnerships or buyouts. We can compete on the market, Yuki."

Yuki's expression hardened, but she forced a tight smile. "I'll pass your message along. Have a good day, Shinro."

Shinro didn't let the unpleasant meeting with Yuki linger on his mind. He was too preoccupied with the breakthroughs happening in the VR technologies project. To his surprise, he noticed that the progress bar had reached 100%.

"I can't believe it's done already," he muttered, a grin creeping onto his face. The system then materialized a USB in his hand, which he knew contained the finished product. "I wonder if it's ready for a test run," he mused, the anticipation building inside him.

Without further ado, Shinro made his way to the underground R&D department of his company, where the state-of-the-art VR headsets and consoles were stored.