The next morning, Ethan woke up with one thought.
Money.
Not System Points.
Not technology.
Actual money.
He sat at his desk and stared at the prototype of Genesis.
The game was growing.
Fast.
The new engine had completely changed development.
What had previously taken hours could now be completed in minutes.
The tiny city on his screen already looked better than anything Ethan had expected to create on his ancient computer.
But there was still one problem.
He was alone.
Ethan leaned back in his chair.
"I can't build an entire company by myself."
In his previous life, he had learned that lesson the hard way.
Great games weren't created by one person.
They were created by teams.
Programmers.
Artists.
Designers.
Writers.
Sound engineers.
Testers.
Managers.
And eventually, people whose entire job was to make sure everyone else actually did their jobs.
Ethan smiled.
"I need employees."
He opened a notebook.
At the top of the first page, he wrote:
NOVAFORGE INTERACTIVE
Then underneath:
Founder & CEO — Ethan Cole
He stared at it.
The company didn't officially exist.
It was just a name on paper.
But that was about to change.
Registering NovaForge
Ethan spent the morning researching how to establish a company.
The process wasn't particularly complicated.
The difficult part was money.
He needed capital.
Fortunately, Ethan had access to something extremely valuable.
Knowledge.
He knew which companies would grow.
Which technologies would become important.
Which industries would explode.
And, more importantly, he knew what people were going to want.
But he wasn't interested in becoming rich overnight.
Not yet.
If he moved too aggressively, people would notice.
He needed to build slowly.
Quietly.
Step by step.
Ethan looked at his savings.
It wasn't much.
But it was enough to begin.
He filled out the paperwork.
Company Name: NovaForge Interactive
Industry: Software Development / Interactive Entertainment
Founder: Ethan Cole
He stared at the final box.
Initial Capital
Ethan entered the amount.
It wasn't impressive.
But it was enough.
He submitted the application.
And just like that—
NovaForge Interactive existed.
At least on paper.
Ethan leaned back.
"Step one."
He crossed it off his list.
Then he wrote the next one.
Step two: Get a better computer.
The Hardware Problem
Ethan visited several computer stores over the next few days.
It was strange.
He knew exactly how far technology would advance.
Yet the computers sitting in front of him felt ancient.
He eventually found a machine powerful enough for development.
It wasn't amazing.
But it was significantly better than his old computer.
Ethan bought it.
When he returned home, he spent the entire afternoon setting it up.
Once everything was connected, he installed NF-Core.
The system immediately detected the new hardware.
[Hardware Detected]
Processing Power: Improved
Memory: Improved
Graphics Performance: Improved
Development Efficiency: +37%
Ethan smiled.
"Much better."
He launched Genesis.
The difference was obvious.
The game loaded almost instantly.
The simulation ran smoothly.
He could finally work without constantly worrying about the computer freezing.
Ethan began expanding the game.
He added larger maps.
More buildings.
More resources.
More complicated economic calculations.
He created several types of citizens.
Workers.
Farmers.
Engineers.
Merchants.
Students.
Children.
Each had different needs.
Food.
Housing.
Employment.
Education.
Entertainment.
Ethan wanted something different from the typical city-building games of the era.
He wanted the city to feel alive.
If unemployment increased, people would have less money.
If food prices increased, families would struggle.
If the player built too many factories, pollution would increase.
If taxes were too high, citizens would become unhappy.
If the government invested in education, technological development would accelerate.
Everything connected.
Ethan looked at the simulation.
"This is it."
Genesis wasn't just a city builder.
It was becoming a world simulator.
And that meant he needed help.
The Search
Ethan posted a job advertisement.
He kept it simple.
NovaForge Interactive
Small independent game studio seeking talented programmers and artists.
We are developing an ambitious strategy game and are looking for people who want to create something different.
He didn't mention the system.
He didn't mention NF-Core.
He didn't mention the future.
He simply waited.
For the first few days, nobody responded.
Ethan wasn't surprised.
NovaForge was an unknown company.
Nobody knew who he was.
Nobody knew what he was building.
Then, on the fourth day, an email arrived.
Subject: Application — Programmer
Ethan opened it.
The applicant was named Daniel Reed.
Twenty-two years old.
Recently graduated.
Some programming experience.
No professional game development experience.
Ethan almost ignored it.
Then he saw the attached portfolio.
Daniel had created a small strategy prototype by himself.
It wasn't particularly polished.
But Ethan noticed something.
The code was clean.
Very clean.
The architecture was simple but efficient.
And the AI was surprisingly good.
Ethan opened the prototype.
A few tiny units moved around a map.
They searched for resources.
Avoided obstacles.
Adjusted their routes.
Ethan stared at the screen.
"Interesting."
He sent Daniel an email.
Can you come in tomorrow?
The reply arrived five minutes later.
Yes.
The Interview
Daniel arrived the next afternoon.
He looked nervous.
Ethan understood.
NovaForge didn't have a fancy office.
It was essentially a small rented workspace with two computers and a desk.
Daniel looked around.
"So... this is NovaForge?"
"For now."
Daniel nodded.
"How many employees?"
Ethan pointed at himself.
"One."
Daniel blinked.
"You're serious?"
"Completely."
Daniel looked at the computer.
"What's the game?"
Ethan pulled up the prototype.
Daniel watched the city simulation.
His expression changed.
"What engine are you using?"
Ethan paused.
There was the question.
He couldn't tell him about NF-Core.
Not yet.
"I built some of the tools myself."
Daniel looked skeptical.
"You built an engine?"
"A small one."
Technically, Ethan wasn't lying.
He had built the development pipeline.
The system had simply provided the technology.
Daniel leaned closer to the monitor.
"How did you get the AI running this efficiently?"
"Optimization."
"That's not an answer."
Ethan smiled.
"You'll learn."
Daniel stared at him for a few seconds.
Then laughed.
"You're weird."
"I've been told."
Daniel spent the next three hours examining the prototype.
He asked questions.
Ethan answered most of them.
Sometimes Daniel disagreed.
Ethan actually enjoyed that.
At his previous company, disagreements usually became office politics.
Here, they were simply discussions.
Eventually, Daniel closed the laptop.
"I want to work here."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"You haven't asked about the salary."
"I saw the project."
Daniel pointed toward the screen.
"I want to help build that."
Ethan smiled.
"Welcome to NovaForge."
[New Employee Acquired]
Daniel Reed
Position: Programmer
Programming: 72
Problem Solving: 84
Game Design: 61
Potential: 91
Loyalty: 76
Ethan stared at the system notification.
Then at Daniel.
Interesting.
The system could evaluate employees.
That could become extremely useful.
But Ethan wasn't going to treat his employees like numbers.
Not if he could avoid it.
He closed the system.
"Tomorrow, we start rebuilding the AI."
Daniel nodded.
"How complicated?"
Ethan smiled.
"Very."
The Second Problem
By the end of the first week, Ethan realized something else.
One programmer wasn't enough.
He needed an artist.
Genesis was functional.
But it looked terrible.
Daniel could make the code work.
Ethan could design the mechanics.
Neither of them could produce professional artwork.
Ethan opened the prototype.
The citizens looked like tiny colored blocks.
The buildings were simple rectangles.
The terrain was basic.
Daniel stared at it.
"Yeah."
Ethan sighed.
"We need an artist."
They posted another advertisement.
This time, they received dozens of applications.
Most were mediocre.
Some were terrible.
Then Ethan found one.
Maya Chen.
Twenty-one.
Digital artist.
Experience with sprites, environmental art, character design, and animation.
Ethan opened her portfolio.
He stopped.
Her artwork was excellent.
Not modern-game excellent.
But for 2000?
It was incredible.
She had designed a small fantasy village.
The buildings had personality.
The characters had distinct appearances.
The animations were smooth.
Ethan immediately contacted her.
She arrived two days later.
The interview lasted fifteen minutes.
Then Ethan showed her Genesis.
Maya stared at the screen.
"You want me to make all of this?"
"Eventually."
She looked at Ethan.
"How big is your team?"
Ethan pointed at Daniel.
"Two."
Maya laughed.
"You two are insane."
Daniel nodded.
"We've been told that."
Maya looked back at the game.
"What do you want it to look like?"
Ethan opened his design document.
He showed her sketches.
Detailed city layouts.
Building concepts.
Transportation systems.
Factories.
Schools.
Hospitals.
Universities.
Ports.
Airports.
Everything.
Maya slowly turned the pages.
"This is huge."
"It's supposed to be."
She smiled.
"Okay."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Okay?"
"I'll join."
[New Employee Acquired]
Maya Chen
Position: Lead Artist
Art: 89
Animation: 81
Design: 86
Creativity: 94
Potential: 96
Loyalty: 82
Ethan smiled.
The team had grown from one person to three.
Small.
Very small.
But it was a beginning.
Genesis
Over the next month, development accelerated.
Daniel rebuilt the simulation system.
Maya created hundreds of sprites.
Ethan worked on game mechanics, management systems, and the overall design.
The three of them worked late into the night.
Sometimes they argued.
Sometimes they disagreed.
Sometimes Genesis completely broke.
One night, Daniel accidentally caused the entire population simulation to crash.
The result?
Every citizen in the game disappeared.
Daniel stared at the screen.
"...Where did everyone go?"
Maya looked over.
"Congratulations."
"On what?"
"You invented a city without people."
Ethan laughed.
Daniel sighed.
"Don't tell anyone."
One Month Later
Ethan opened the latest build.
The difference was enormous.
The city was no longer a collection of blocks.
It looked like a real miniature civilization.
People walked through streets.
Cars moved between buildings.
Factories produced goods.
Markets bought and sold resources.
Trains transported materials.
The economy reacted to supply and demand.
The citizens had schedules.
They went to work.
Went home.
Visited shops.
Went to school.
And if Ethan deliberately destroyed a major road?
Traffic backed up.
Factories stopped receiving materials.
Production dropped.
Prices increased.
Citizens complained.
Ethan stared at the simulation.
He had created something that shouldn't have existed yet.
And he knew it.
The system appeared.
[Major Development Milestone]
Genesis has reached 25% completion.
Current Quality: 84%
Innovation: 94%
Technical Achievement: Exceptional
Market Potential: Extremely High
Projected Sales: Uncertain
Then—
DING!
[Achievement Unlocked]
First Team
You have established your first development team.
Reward: 250 System Points
Ethan froze.
"250?"
He opened the Technology Store.
His eyes immediately went toward the next engine.
Advanced 2D Engine
Cost: 500 SP
Not enough.
But he now had 350 SP.
He needed 150 more.
Ethan smiled.
"Not yet."
He didn't need to spend everything immediately.
There were other technologies.
He scrolled.
Then stopped.
Procedural Map Generation
Cost: 300 SP
Ethan's eyes widened.
That could save months of work.
He purchased it.
[Purchase Successful]
Procedural Map Generation added to Inventory.
System Points Remaining: 50
Ethan immediately integrated it into Genesis.
Daniel stared at the new system.
"What did you just do?"
"Improved the map generator."
"How?"
Ethan smiled.
"Trade secret."
Daniel stared at him.
"You have a lot of those."
"I do."
That evening, Ethan stood outside the office.
The city lights stretched into the distance.
A month ago, he had been alone.
Now he had a company.
A tiny company.
But it was his.
He looked at the sign above the office entrance.
NOVAFORGE INTERACTIVE
Ethan smiled.
"Genesis will be our first game."
He looked toward the city.
"But it won't be our last."
Behind him, Daniel called out.
"Ethan!"
He turned.
Daniel was holding a piece of paper.
"We've got a problem."
"What?"
Daniel handed him the paper.
Ethan read it.
His expression changed.
Estimated development budget: $48,000.
Ethan stared at the number.
Then looked at the tiny company he'd just created.
He had barely enough money to keep the company running.
He definitely didn't have $48,000.
Ethan slowly smiled.
"Then I guess..."
He folded the paper.
"...we need to sell something."
And for the first time since being reborn—
Ethan began thinking about something other than making a game.
He needed to make money.
End of Chapter 3
Next Chapter — The First Sale
Ethan prepares to secure funding for Genesis, but his first attempt at making money takes an unexpected turn.