In War, Not Everyone Wanted to Head to the Front and Kill the Enemy!

"Is that how he signed this contract with you?"

After seeing Carter off, Song Shan learned the whole story from Ethan Vale.

He truly had not expected the other party to sign such a contract just to transfer positions.

"But having to release a new game before October is way too much pressure." Song Shan let out a helpless sigh.

As a game developer, he had always known that making games was no simple matter.

Although Ethan Vale had previously provided a perfect design plan for Dead Cells, along with specific settings for equipment, plot, and more.

He had always regarded it as something Ethan Vale had prepared for a long time. If Ethan Vale intended to seriously make games in the future, then the next game absolutely could not be shoddy. Player reputation was extremely important.

"Why don't we make Dead Cells 2? It might be reheating old leftovers, but plenty of players probably want to know what happened after the protagonist escaped the cycle." Song Shan anxiously paced around the office.

"Huh? Didn't we agree that our next game would be released in three months?" Ethan Vale looked at him in confusion. It was only April now; three months later would only be July. There was plenty of time.

"That works too. We can make Dead Cells 2 while it's still hot. If we pick up the pace, we can get it done." Song Shan nodded firmly.

"Now that the studio has so many people, we can make the plot more complex, make the game bigger, and speed up production." The more Song Shan thought about it, the more feasible his idea seemed.

"No, we're not reheating old leftovers." Ethan Vale quickly cut him off.

"We're making a new game."

"You already have an idea? A plan?" Song Shan looked at Ethan Vale in surprise.

"Yeah. I originally wanted to hold a meeting after recruiting everyone and explain the next game together. But since you asked, I'll tell you first." Ethan Vale stood and walked to his desk, taking a document from the drawer.

There were only a few clean, simple words on the white A4 paper.

"This War of Mine?" Song Shan could not help reading it aloud. "What is this? A war game?"

"Sort of, but not exactly." Ethan Vale shook his head. "Haven't players always said the games we make are too easy? This time, I want them to admit with their own mouths that they're too bad to play this game."

"And besides this game, I have other ideas too."

"Do you remember the book you saw every time after reviving in Dead Cells? Beneath all those containers and hanging bottles, there was a book you could inspect. The one called Independent Legend." Ethan Vale guided the topic back to Dead Cells.

Song Shan nodded. He had seen that scene of restarting again and again far too many times, and he had passed by that book plenty of times too.

He had only checked it two or three times at the beginning. After that, he had never read its contents again, though he vaguely remembered what it was about.

That book told other stories. Some mysterious lines seemed like clues... but even after the game ended, the players had never deciphered the meaning of that text.

"Do you remember what it said? There was a line that went like this: [This piece is called Hollow Knight, 'How many times can you chain downward-slash jumps?'] Back then, The Beheaded had even said in surprise, 'Downward-slash jumps? You can do that?!'"

"Stop!" Song Shan felt like his head was about to explode. If he had heard correctly, Ethan Vale already had settings for many games and had even planted their Easter eggs in the content of the previous game.

"Really?" Song Shan stared at Ethan Vale, feeling as though his friend had suddenly become incredibly unfamiliar.

How had he suddenly become so enlightened?

"Really, so you don't need to worry about there being no next game." Ethan Vale smiled.

"But why did you want to bring me along? I can't do anything... My grades in school weren't good either..." Song Shan muttered. Ethan Vale had been extremely strict when screening resumes. Even among newcomers, he had recruited almost exclusively outstanding students.

Yet he himself could only handle some basic work, and Ethan Vale had given him one percent of the shares.

One percent might seem small, but the dividends from making Dead Cells alone were wealth he could never earn in his lifetime.

"When I lost my money before, did you ever say anything when you took me out to eat?" Ethan Vale punched him in the chest.

He had sorted through the original owner's memories and knew of their past. It could be said that throughout his student years, Song Shan had been the only one who had sincerely befriended him.

When Ethan Vale had turned down Yogame's job offer, Song Shan had been the only one truly angered, believing he had wasted an excellent opportunity.

Ability could be nurtured, and people could grow.

His brother just grew a little slower. If there was a mountain he could not climb, then all Ethan Vale had to do was pull him up a few more times.

Besides, Ethan Vale was riding a helicopter now. Bringing one person along

was not a problem.

"Fine, I won't struggle anymore. Who told me I'm such a lucky guy?" Song Shan burst out laughing.

Holding the latest design document, he walked into the outer office area. "Everyone, put down your work for a moment. Our designer Black Star is going to hold a short meeting with everyone."

As he spoke, he waved the new game design proposal in his hand. "Starting today, the new game is preparing to set sail."

Everyone abruptly raised their heads and looked at the proposal in Song Shan's hand. During their first few days on the job, they had only been getting familiar with their work and handling miscellaneous tasks like maintaining the previous game. They had thought it would be a long time before they started making the next one.

So soon?

By the time Ethan Vale arrived in the meeting room, everyone was already seated. He walked to the head of the table and inserted the USB drive in his hand into the computer before him.

"What I'm about to explain is an unconventional war game."

As he spoke, an image appeared on the huge screen behind him.

The walls in the image were covered in cracks, with more than half the plaster peeled away. Everything in the room was coated in dust that could not be fully wiped clean.

A woman tightly held a man in her arms. There was a gaping hole in his chest, and blood had dyed his clothes and arms bright red.

The woman rested her head against that dead man's head and wept silently.

By the wall, a man sat with his face covered by both hands.

There were no lights in the room. Only a little light drifted in through the boarded-up window.

Inside the room, a child in tattered clothes held a teddy bear missing its limbs in one hand, blankly watching the scene.

"In this game, players won't play as soldiers, but as civilians. All they have to do is survive in a city ravaged by war."

Classic games would be made, but they would absolutely be unlike anything before.