Isla took another look at the students before getting up from the desk, and speaking again.

Most of the star-struck ones had joined the other students, starting to display that hunger for knowledge on their faces.

“To start the class, I have an announcement. We will be having competition. A quite simple, yet very difficult one, especially for you first-years. Each of you will be making two games, one by yourself, and another one with four other people, so twelve groups of five. You will have to deliver both games before the last month of the semester starts.”

Everyone tensed up.

Isla smiled. “There are no specifications, nor a bar to surpass, just make the best games you can make within that timeframe. The members of the winning group, will get ¥400,000 each, and a month-long internship at any of the studios helmed by my former coworkers. If you choose one of the studios outside of Tokyo, housing and basic expenses will be provided to you.”

Everyone’s eyes widened.

“As for the best solo game, the winner will get ¥2,000,000 and a shoutout for a game that they made, from me and my former coworkers. It can be the game you won the prize with, or another one you make by yourself in the future.”

Everyone’s competitive spirit flared up.

“Oh, but that’s not all. As you know, the standard length of this major is four years, so we have the versions II, III and IV of this class, and all of them will be going through the same competition within their classes. With that being said, there will be a final winner in each category, one solo and one group, between all the classes. The money prizes are ¥2,000,000 for each member of the winning group, and ¥10,000,000 for the solo winner.”

Isla smirked. “It obviously doesn’t end with money. The members of the winning group, will get a letter of recommendation from me and my former coworkers.”

Although they displayed some hesitation, due to being first-years going against their seniors, most of the students didn’t seem to have any intention to back down.

“And as for the solo winner, your games will have a comfy home if you wish so. A publisher with their own platform, that will be announced at the end of the month. One with more reach than any other out there, and that will only work with complete and polished games. A publisher that will take only 3% of the sales revenue, won’t interfere with the creative process, nor it will allow aggressive monetization. However, the games belonging to the solo winner of this competition, will have nothing taken off of their revenue.”

Every single one of the students that had already released a game, had their hesitation completely vanish. There was only competitive spirit left.

Isla shook her head, chuckling. “However, their games will have to go through the curation process, like any other. If you don’t show the publisher a complete and polished game, it won’t be published. And obviously, the games you guys make for this competition, will fully belong to you, their creator.”

One of the students raised their hand.

Isla pointed at them. “Yes?”

“Professor, how will you be preventing cheating?”

Isla snapped her finger. “Great question. By the time the class ends, the competition’s website will already be up. From that website, you’ll download a special version of the best anti-malware on the market. After you finish a deep scan with it, and it deems your computer clean, it’ll give you a 128-bit key, which you’ll use to link your university accounts to the competition’s website. From that website you’ll download an encrypted virtual machine that will communicate directly with the competition’s servers. Within those servers, you will have access to every single development tool in existence, as well as a vast assortment of assets, and a 5TB personal storage. After a group is registered, they’ll get a 10TB shared storage for their game.”

Several mouths went agape, because it was obviously an absurd overkill.

“Of course, you’ll be developing the games entirely inside the servers from the virtual machines registered to your accounts, which will require facial recognition. And a warning; anyone who gets caught even attempting to cheat in any way, will be immediately expelled. If you get caught trying to sabotage other people’s hard work, I’ll take it personally, and do my very best so that you have no future whatsoever in this industry.”

There were a lot of gulps and gasps.

Isla sighed. “You may be thinking that all of this is overkill for a college competition, and if we take into account the current state of things, you’re correct. However, change needs to start somewhere, right? This is my way to show you how serious I am about guiding you, and I expect you to reciprocate that with your hard work. Any more questions?”

Another student raised their hand.

Isla nodded at the student.

“Professor, isn’t it unfair for us to compete against the students that are about to graduate?”

Isla nodded. “It is, and that’s the point. Is it fair that some of you had loving families and everything handed to them, while others had no one, and fought tooth and nail to get what little they have now? They world is not fair, and I wish it wasn’t as unfair as it is. But if you ask me, a little unfairness is good long term, because it’s a good fertilizer to grow monsters within a field. Anyone else has a question?”

“Professor, there will be hundreds of games in the competition, so who will be the judges?”

Isla smiled. “Fifty people handpicked by me. Their identities will be announced after the results are finalized. Might as well make the first class a Q&A at this point.”

And that was how the class continued.

What Isla said about fairness, resonated deeply with Asahi, reminding him of his conversation with Fumiko.

When there were still twenty minutes left, she gave them time to get to know each other better, since there was no way that she would be able to teach them anything, because they were so excited about the competition.

Mayumi looked at Amaya excitedly. “Would you like to group with us?”

Amaya nodded. “You two seem competent from what I have seen, and you don’t strike me as cheaters, so I’d be happy to.”

As Amaya was saying that, the couple that Asahi had noticed earlier had walked over to the front, and were coming towards the three of them.

Asahi immediately had a thought. ‘Is there anyone in here that wants to harm or spy on us?’

[ No. ]

He smiled at Amaya. “Welcome to the team.”

Amaya smiled with a light blush. “Thank you.”

‘Do the two girls also have powers? And which of them are aware of the TS and/or Consortium?’

[ Yes, they do. All three of them are aware, and the two girls are registered with the Transcendent Society. ]

As Mayumi was about to say something to Amaya, the androgynous boy stopped in front of them, with the incredibly sexy pink-haired girl hugging him from behind.

The girl smiled at them. “Hi, I’m Setsuko, and this is Ryota. We heard you talking about the games you two made, and we had already played them both and really like them. You also seem like chill people, so we’d like to be in your group if possible. As for our credentials, hopefully you heard of it, but we made Euphonic Canvas.”

Mayumi’s eyes widened. “Someone my age made that? That’s awesome…”

Asahi and Amaya looked at her.

Mayumi had an excited smile. “It’s a rhythm game. The art and music in it are incredible, but the gameplay and overall design were a bit too simplistic, so it didn’t get that much traction.”

Setsuko nodded. “We got a bit better at that since then, albeit not by as much as we wanted. It was mostly a way for us to make some extra cash though. But we are serious about making games, otherwise we wouldn’t be here. Oh, by the way, I did the art and my cute little Ryota did the music.”

She kissed his cheek after saying that, which made him smile. He was already incredibly pretty and cute, but his smile brought it to a whole other level.

Asahi looked at Amaya. “Are you okay with it?”

Amaya already had wireless earbuds on and was looking at the game on her laptop. “Absolutely, the visuals and music seem really good, and they seem like nice people.”

Mayumi grinned. “Great. I’m Mayumi, and this is Asahi and Amaya. It’s nice to meet you, and welcome to the team.”

Ryota spoke for the first time, with a cute, warm, and serene voice. “Thank you, it is nice to meet you too.”

Mayumi looked at him with sparkling eyes, like she was looking at her favorite plushie.

Setsuko hugged him slightly tighter. “No touching, only I have cuddle privileges here.”

Amaya blushed, because those were the exact thoughts she was having as well.

Asahi chuckled. “How about we hang out after classes? We can do it at our place, where we can talk freely.”

Setsuko nodded. “Sure.”

Amaya smiled. “That would be lovely.”

The five of them traded contacts, and started to talk about genres and themes that they could do.

It wasn’t just them, the rest of the students also made groups quite quickly. Even though not everybody there had made a game before, all of them had studied and practiced the basics, at the very least.

Obviously, by the time class was over, Asahi’s group hadn’t even begun to decide anything.

 

During the twenty-minute break between classes, Amaya had somewhere to be, while Setsuko and Ryota wanted some alone time. Using that opportunity, Asahi took Mayumi outside of the building, to a place where no one would hear them.

They sat on the grass, under a tree.

She caressed his thigh. “Are they special too? You seemed a bit spooked for a second there, and when Setsuko and Ryota were coming closer, it looked like you were talking to the System.”

Asahi smiled. “You noticed that? Yeah, they are. Ryota uses telekinesis, but I don’t know what the girls have.”

“And you don’t wanna ask the System.”

He nodded. “But I asked if anyone in class wanted to harm or spy on us, and the answer was no. Me inviting them was in order to ask them what their powers are. I didn’t ask the System to tell you right there, because it might have startled you.”

[ It would have. ]

Mayumi was indeed startled, then started laughing. “It’s fine. I don’t think that there is anyone more well-equipped to perceive a threat than you.”

He smiled and gave her a light kiss. “Honestly, I’d rather avoid to have anything to do with powered people, but we both know that ship never existed, let alone sail.”

Mayumi displayed a teasing smile. “Really, so you’d rather never have met Trish?”

He lightly shoved her with his shoulder, looking down with a slightly frustrated expression. “You know that she’s the exception.”

She caressed his face, while speaking with an apologetic tone. “Sorry, I was just teasing you, but it was in bad taste. You’re having a hard time letting your guard around her, huh?”

He nodded. “Because she’s so much stronger, and from a family that seems to have some influence within the TS, I think my brain perceives her like a figure of authority in some level, like the ones who fucked me over so many times. I really like spending time with her though, and hopefully I’ll get over my issues somehow.”

She noticed that he would rather change the subject, so she gave him a light kiss. “Now, to the most important topic. Ryota is so goddamn cute, I just wanna hug him and rub my cheek against his, like a cuddly plushie bunny.”

“If you don’t mind getting stabbed by Setsuko in the process, you can try.” He joked.

She displayed a pensive expression. “She did give off a bit of a possessive vibe, nothing worrisome though.”

He smiled. “I can see how it can seem like that, but it’s not possessive. She was being protective and reassuring, since they probably grew up and went through hell together. I’ve seen that behavior more than a few times in orphanages, minus the lovey-dovey couple part. I could probably guess a lot of things, but it’s none of my business, unless they decide to talk about it.”

She blinked, surprised. “Wow, I totally misread that then. I’m glad that they seem happy together though.”

“Are you talking about him because you’re trying to not freak out about our professor?”

She hugged him from the side, with an excited expression. “I am! It’s her, Thistle Knight herself!”

He smirked. “Don’t you mean professor Kimathi?”

She repeatedly slapped his chest. “Not you too. I know why she’s taking that approach, but let me geek out goddamn it! Part of me wishes that I could have talked to her, but I don’t know if it would have been a good idea. I was way too excited, and still am.”

He kissed her cheek. “You’re so cute. I’m sure you’ll get many opportunities to talk to her, but yeah, maybe it’s better that it didn’t happen today. But, can I play devil’s advocate here?”

She looked at him quizzically. “Sure.”

“As great of a game dev as she is, and all the commitment that she is showing, that doesn’t mean she’ll be a good teacher. I think it’s better to tamper our expectations regarding that. So, prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.”

She nodded and kissed him. They stayed there until it was time for them to go to their next class, Introduction to Game Design.

Unlike their first class, there was no world-renowned developer teaching it, inspiring speeches, nor there was an absurd competition with insane prizes. It was just an average college class.

 

After the class ended, Mayumi and Asahi left with their group members.

They stopped by the convenience store, and bought their lunch. Although Asahi could cook for them, it would be time consuming, time that they could spend getting to know each other and talking about the competition.

None of them commented at how fancy their building was, which Asahi already expected.

After getting into the apartment, they settled down in the living room, with Setsuko, Ryota and Asahi on the big couch, while Mayumi and Amaya sat on the couch chairs.

As they were unwrapping their lunches, Asahi spoke. “So, you guys clearly looked us up in the TN.”

Amaya and Setsuko stopped on their tracks.

Asahi smiled. “Oh, come on. That’s clearly what you guys were doing between classes. It’s fine, and I’d probably do the same in your places. Before we start, I just have to ask you guys a question. I know what Ryota’s powers are, or at least one of them, but what about you two?”

Setsuko frowned. “How could you possibly know? There is not even information about it in the TN, and he’s not even registered.”

A controller that was on the center table started to levitate, and twirl. “Because I have something similar.”

Ryota’s eyes widened, and his little mouth went agape. “How are you doing it without moving your hands?”

“In a similar way that you maintain that thin barrier around your body, that only lets Setsuko in.” He then looked at Setsuko and Amaya. “I showed you mine.”

Amaya smiled, seeming to be quite used to it. “I can generate and sense electric currents. I can also control the ones within my body.”

Setsuko sighed. “I can create fire, raise the temperature of things, and of the ambient around me.”

The two girls and Ryota looked at Mayumi.

Mayumi cleared her throat. “I can speedrun Dark Souls in 23min and 47s.”

They stared at her, then started laughing, understanding what she meant.

‘Did they tell the truth about their powers?’

[ Yes. They are also assuming that you are aware that every Transcendent is capable of minimal Body Enhancement. Not to the degree that you can, but it is still useful. ]

Asahi smiled. “Okay, we’re finally done with the proper introductions. Let’s eat and talk about what we can do to sweep this competition.”

Setsuko smirked. “Sweep the competition, huh? Someone seems confident. I assume you’re gonna do the writing. Oh yeah, your novel thing is on the TN by the way.”

He shrugged. “I figured. Although I prefer anonymity, it doesn’t matter all that much to me if people find out.”

Amaya displayed a light blush. “Actually, I have been reading it since the day after the first release.”

Setsuko raised her right eyebrow. “Is it good? I don’t trust online reviews all that much.”

Amaya nodded. “It’s really good. Unbelievable that it is someone’s first work kind of good.”

Asahi smiled. “Thank you.”

Setsuko smirked. “Alright, we might even have a chance to pull this off.”

Mayumi nodded with a smile. “After we eat, I think we should play each other’s games so we can understand our strengths better.”

Everyone agreed.

While they ate, Asahi texted Trish.

(A)- Hi, something happened at Uni, and I won’t be able to go train with you today.
(T)- Is this about Thistle Knight appearing as a Game Dev professor and starting an absurd competition?
(A)- Yup. The three people in our group are here at my place, so we can get to know each
       other better and start thinking about what to do. Oh, and of course, all three are transcendents.
       Because why not?
(T)- All three? This is quite unusual, but since you’re not worried, I won’t be either. 😉
(A)- Alright, I gotta go, take care. 😙
(T)- You too. 😙

They spent most of that afternoon playing all three games made by them, but not to completion. While they were playing Euphonic Canvas, Setsuko and Ryota read Asahi’s novel.

Everyone there arrived at the consensus that Amaya was the strongest in programming and game design, Setsuko the best when it came to art and asset creation, Ryota was by far the best when it came to music and sound design, and Asahi was the better writer.

However, when it came to overall strength, Mayumi crushed every single one of them. She was a jack of all trades, master of none, but Asahi knew that it was just for now. The only reason he gave Amaya’s game a higher score, was because it was hyper focused on her specialties.

As they finished their look at Euphonic Canvas, Setsuko and Ryota had their eyes glued to their phones, reading Asahi’s novel, each sitting on one of the couch chairs.