Adding multiplayer to a ga was actually extrely difficult.
In fact, even for a skilled solo developer, it could take two to three weeks just to get the basics in place. And that’s not even considering the server infrastructure. Beyond simply connecting players, one had to ensure that everyone saw the sa world at the sa ti.
This was anything but easy when one had to deal with latency, synchronization, and unpredictable network conditions.
On top of that, the core ga chanics had to be rethought to accommodate multiple players, often requiring big changes to how systems like movent, actions, and interactions were handled.
’Just thinking about the interactions is giving a headache.’
The dialogue of the old lady had to be changed a little bit, and I had to make sure she looked at all three of them instead of just one person.
"Haa."
I sighed while thinking about it.
All in all, it was hard.
However, although it was hard, it wasn’t impossible.
The reason why I was so confident in applying a multiplayer system was that I could just make everyone play on the sa network (LAN).
I wasn’t planning on investing too much ti creating a multiplayer option, with a designated server, when I was unaware of whether it would work or not. Thankfully, the perfect guinea pigs had shown up right before .
’It’s not like I’ll be investing too much ti. Taking everything into consideration, it’ll just be another two days of grind. I’m already used to grin—’
"Cough!"
A sudden wave of pain engulfed my chest, throwing out of my thoughts as I grabbed tightly onto my chest and leaned against the desk.
’Ah, fuck. I’m having an attack...’
How long had it been since the last one I had? Everything had been going so smoothly that I had almost forgotte—!
"Cough...! Cough!"
It was as if my lungs were engulfed in flas, like they were being held under a blazing bonfire.
It hurt. It really hurt.
"Kh—!"
The pain was a familiar one, but alongside the pain in my chest, I felt a massive throb in my head as my vision grew blurry and I nearly passed out. This... I could clearly feel that the situation was about to turn for the worse.
’Pills. Where are they? Where did I leave them? Ah, here!’
Without hesitation, I grabbed one of the pills I’d bought earlier in the system shop and I’d tossed into my drawer in case of ergencies, and popped it into my mouth, quickly chasing it with a gulp of water from the bottle beside .
"Pukh!"
However, halfway through my motion, I found myself spitting the water back out as I had to take a deep breath before trying again.
This ti, the water went down my throat, and I slumped back against the chair, feeling the throb in my head slowly starting to subside alongside the chest pain.
"Haaa... Haa..."
Leaning against the chair as I breathed heavily, I blankly stared at the empty ceiling above .
This...
How did things turn out like this? Everything had been going so well that I had almost forgotten about the thing that used to haunt .
I took the dicine nearly every day, and the one I had just taken was the second dose of the day. What could this an?
’The disease is worsening. The amount of ti left is less...’
As sweat beaded on my forehead, I wiped it away and then turned my attention back to the monitor.
’Right, the dicine isn’t actually curing . It’s only delaying the inevitable.’
Yet again, I was reminded of my goal. Of the reasons why I did all of this.
It wasn’t just because I loved to traumatize people.
No.
That wasn’t the case at all.
This was all... for survival.
"Survive."
I needed to survive.
***
Two days passed quickly.
The entire ti, Seth remained cooped up in his room. Nobody caught sight of even the smallest traces of him during the entire ti. Usually, even at his busiest, they’d catch a glimpse of him roaming the kitchen area like so sort of ghost, but for the past couple of days, it was as if he had completely disappeared from the face of the earth.
"Well?"
The day of the bet had finally arrived, and the exchange mbers gathered around Kyle’s cubicle, all eyes fixed on the direction of Seth’s office.
"What do you think the chances of him rescinding the bet are?"
Kaelen suddenly spoke up, glancing toward Serelith and Sarah, who were seated nearby. Serelith was calmly polishing the tip of her spear while Sarah busied herself with her phone. At the sound of Kaelen’s voice, Sarah lifted her head.
"You wanna make another bet?"
"...Haha, maybe another ti."
Kaelen replied with a laugh, prompting Sarah to silently click her tongue while she mumbled, "And here I thought I could’ve gained more fragnts."
Kaelen simply smiled and turned his gaze to Serelith, who remained focused on cleaning her spear. She showed no sign of having heard him, and in the end, he could only shrug it off.
’How boring.’
While they were all part of the exchange program, they weren’t friends by any ans. The only reason they even tolerated each other was because of the program.
Otherwise, they would’ve probably ignored each other.
"Huam."
Kaelen let out an unexpected yawn and glanced once more toward the office, his eyes narrowing. A quick check of the ti showed they were already a few minutes past the deadline. When he looked at Kyle, Kaelen found him staring at the office as well, his face unable to hide the nervousness it contained.
’Where was all the confidence from before?’
The sight felt rather amusing to Kaelen as he looked at Kyle and the others next to him. Although they weren’t as nervous as Kyle, they all looked rather worried.
Kaelen shook his head.
’If you aren’t confident in a bet, don’t take it.’
Ti continued to tick like this. Five minutes. Ten minutes.
As the minutes passed, patience started to run thin. Kaelen’s brows were now tightly furrowed, and his gaze towards the office space in the distance appeared quite sharp. He was just about to rise in frustration when, at last, he heard movent by the door, and then it opened.
Clank!
Coming out of the door was the sa haggard-looking figure from before, his hair even ssier than before, and the sll coming off him even worse.
"Ah, shit."
"...Ukh."
As soon as Seth moved toward Kyle, the expressions of several people shifted at the sll wafting off him. Kyle glanced up at him and said, "I think it’s ti you cleaned yourself up."
"I will."
Seth replied calmly, brushing his hair back to reveal his eyes.
The mont he did, the atmosphere turned to ice, a slow, creeping tension spreading through the room. For so reason, the instant their eyes t his, everyone felt a heavy pressure settle over them.
His gaze was unsettling.
Glaring black circles aside, there was sothing about his eyes that made everyone tense.
They looked...
Lifeless.
No, not just lifeless.
There was a coldness to them, an emptiness that made the room feel even quieter. It was hard to put into words, but the silence that hung in the air was deafening.
"Here."
Seth’s voice cut through the tension as he brought out a USB stick.
"Get three laptops out. I’ve completed the ga."
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