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I was sitting in the academic fields, a grassy one to be more precise,AN: The last was just a test, this is complete chap, 10k words. Anyway, you can skim through the first 1.5k words or so. But yes, do read given that I've made changes.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Story 1: Café Cosmos
Chapter 1: Fun & Games
- ? -
What happens when you die? Apparently, you go to hell no questions asked.
The same thing happened to me.
How could I say this with so much confidence?
Because this godforsaken planet I had found myself in had no semblance of life, it had nothing but loneliness and that is the biggest punishment for anyone like me who would die without social interactions.
I loved the sound of people raising an uproar in happiness. In fact, I had gotten so used to it that now when I was alone I was having withdrawal symptoms.
Yes, as it turns out you can have withdrawal symptoms from lack of social interaction.
Quite the opposite of the norm, I suppose. But this was a result of my life.
Never mind that, this is why I say that you go to hell when you die and that hell is a small planet with nothing but you on it.
A planet akin to that of King Kai's; a small planet full of grass and with nothing but a tree. And no, there was no home or building here, just a tree.
It had been over three days since I found myself here and I was dying of loneliness.
There seems to be hope, however.
Why?
Because… There was a translucent light blue screen in front of me, one that I had been looking at in a daze for the last few hours, waiting for completion.
[Progress Update: Loading Café Cosmos System at 99%]
This mysterious progress bar had appeared inside my vision. I had tried to interact with it, but nothing had happened and my hand had simply passed through.
It appeared three days ago.
Just when I died due to our beloved truck-kun paying me a visit, I had appeared on this planet with nothing but this text hovering in front of me.
The planet was roughly 10 minutes of walking on all sides. With nothing else aside from the tree I am sitting under right now.
I also knew what this screen or text was.
I had read and watched some stuff in my past life.
Anyhow, given that I had seen this countless times in those mangas and novels, I knew what this was.
A system.
Café Cosmos System to be more precise.
[Complete]
And now, it has completed loading.
[The Lvl 01 Café has been set up]
[Welcome Host to the Café Cosmos System! Where our only purpose is to run the Multiversal Cosmos Café that serves as a haven, a bridge, and a melting pot for individuals from various universes. Its purpose is to promote cross-dimensional dialogue, cultural exchange, and the celebration of fictional worlds as well as having fun. By bringing beings from disparate universes together, the Café could break down barriers, forge alliances, and foster a deeper appreciation for the multiverse's vast tapestry!]
Wow…
I admit, this was quite a lot to take in suddenly. But I was excited.
Why?
I would finally be able to meet new people and leave behind this loneliness! The possibilities were so many that they numbed my mind. However, I took a deep breath and calmed down.
There was stuff to do first.
When I stood up from the ground my bones and back cracked…. I had forgotten how long I had been sitting there.
I turned around and sure enough, I saw what I had expected to see,
My Café.
It was a big, beautiful building, where the glass doors welcomed me.
When I entered, there was a warm, inviting space.
It made me suck in a breath.
"Ahh…"
I was speechless.
There was a soft, golden light on the hardwood floors as well as the environment, and it made the scene all the more beautiful.
My speechlessness turned into happiness very soon and my eyes started glittering.
This was mine! For the first time in my life, I belonged somewhere! Finally!
I had a family in my past life, yes.
But… as most families are, it was complicated and I never felt as though I belonged there… Or anywhere for that matter.
So, when I finally found a place where I could confidently shout from the depths of my heart that I belonged there, it meant a lot to me.
For now though I calmed myself and looked at the screen again.
Another string of information had appeared on it.
[As Host is aware, there exist a multitude of Café types. The system is incapable of choosing itself, so the system is waiting for the Host to choose a type]
"Oh, list the types please."
[Loading Café types…]
[Available Café types:
: Coffeehouse
: Tea Room
: Bakery Café
: Vegan/Vegetarian Café
: Internet Café
: Book Café
: Art Café
: Music Café
….]
A list of Cafés opened up and I scanned through them quickly.
To be honest, I had no clue how to run a Café let alone a multiversal one, so…
"Sys… can I call you sys?.. Can you give me something that I can handle easily given my expertise and experiences?"
[Affirmative, Host. Listing possible types given Host's requirements after scanning Host's memories.]
When I got the narrowed down version I quickly came to a decision.
There was really only one type of Café that fit me.
[Internet Café]
So, I chose this type immediately.
An Internet Café, also known as a cyber Café.
This kind of establishment provided computer terminals with internet access for customers to use as well as a comfortable seating area, beverages, food, and snacks.
This allowed people to browse the web, play games, watch movies, have fun, work in a social setting, or do anything really.
Yep, that seemed doable.
'Sys, how is this?'
[An excellent selection. For the current Host, this is the most doable one. Host can also change the Café into whatever he desires later on.]
'Ho? Noice.'
I smiled.
[May I proceed, Host?]
"Ah, yes, go on."
[Affirmative.]
[Café type: Internet Café — Selected]
[Changing infrastructure]
[Adding corresponding items]
[Starter package arrived.]
[Setting up Multiversal Access Terminals]
[Connecting realities]
[Establishing connection]
…
…
…
A string of notifications flashed and I found my surroundings changing.
It was a very fascinating experience that I experienced.
And I couldn't describe it other than using the word 'somehow'.
There were a few computers present now and so were a few other things.
[Complete]
[Opening Start Pack]
[Game Forge Studio — Added]
[Installing… Done]
[1000 Coins added to Host's account]
[Beginner Game Packs added…]
[Terrain Textures Pack — Added]
[Dinosaur and Creature Pack — Added]
[Character and Player Pack — Added]
[Vegetation and Foliage Pack — Added]
[Building and Structure Pack — Added]
[Employee – 1x]
[More]
A string of notifications appeared in the system window showing me the items and stuff that I had gotten from the Starter Pack.
I was curious about what they were, so I started reading.
I found out that The Ceativum System was just that, a Game Forge or game maker or engine.
I had never seen something like it before in my life. I had come across a few game engines, but none of them were this…
It seemed that this was a new engine just for me.
I smiled and opened up my system panel.
It appeared in front of me and hovered there.
It was a sleek, translucent, floating holographic screen that was emitting a soft, pulsating glow.
—
Name: Vincent Foxen
Age: 17
Café Level: 01
[Quest Log]
[Inventory]
[Game Forge Studio]
[Café Management]
[Store]
—
A string of information appeared in front of me and I looked at everything quite curiously.
Apparently, aside from the obvious stuff here, [Store] was the only striking feature along with [Game Forge Studio] and [Café Management]. So, I looked at them
I could basically buy anything from the store given I have the Coins.
Briefly skimming through [Game Forge Studio] I looked at [Café Management].
—
- [Café Management] -
[Café Analytics Dashboard]
[Real-time Statistics] — (On the number of active players, games being played, and popular game choices. Performance metrics for in-system games, including playtime, completion rates, and customer ratings. Data on customer preferences, peak hours, and feedback to optimize the gaming Café's offerings.)
[Café Staff Management]
[Security and Maintenance]
[Café Updates and Patches]
—
All this stuff was enough to give me a headache, I was not really a statistics person… so, with that in mind, I smiled and moved on.
Why? Because I was a firm believer of winging it.
'I guess it's time to get to work and wait for my first customer to arrive.'
However, I also had notifications to go through.
I sighed.
While scrolling through the string of notifications, something caught my eye.
[Employee – 1x]
'Oh… an employee?'
Who could that be?
I rubbed my chin and decided to check out the information on it.
A red and golden card appeared in my hand and I flipped it so that I could get a better look at it. Surprisingly, there was no information available and all I could see was a 'summon' button alongside the card. It was a hologram just like the system in my vision. Very strange but when I clicked on it the card vanished into golden light.
"Huh, that was weird—"
Before I could complete my sentence the bell of the door rang and someone stepped inside.
What? Was this how the Employee would be coming?
"Excuse me?"
I heard a male voice and looked up.
I saw a man with black hair and brown eyes with stubble facial hair.
Somehow I recognized the voice instantly because it was a very popular and recognizable individual that had come inside.
But even if I hadn't, the massive burn scar on the right side of his face made it all too recognizable.
"What is this place?"
He said with confusion. It seemed that he had a lot going on in his mind.
All that could wait though.
Because… My first customer was here.
Actually, he was the first employee and not a customer but I would be treating him as a customer first and then see if he wanted to work for me.
I did not wish to force anyone.
"Hello there," I smiled as I bowed lightly. "Welcome to Café Cosmos! What can I do for you?"
"Huh, well, you know what? How about getting me some water?"
"Of course!"
I immediately got him some water as he sat down. He seemed pretty shaken and I knew why.
"There you go, sir."
I said and gave him water.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, sir."
He drank the water with trembling hands and then sat there with his eyes focused on the air.
"Mr?.."
I knew his name but I still had to ask out of courtesy.
"Ah, the name's Tony Stark. Pleasure's all mine."
"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Stark. I am Vincent."
"Yeah, same. Just call me Tony, will ya?"
"Okay then, Tony, you can call me Vin, I suppose."
I offered him some time to think. He seemed confused and a bit overwhelmed but given the genius he is he quickly got over whatever was going on in his mind.
"Vin… Is this afterlife?"
He inquired cautiously and I blinked my eyes a few times, surprised at his question.
"No, Mr. Sta— I mean, Tony. No, this is not Afterlife, what made you think so?"
I immediately regretted my words.
Why?
Because I recalled that he had just died.
And Tony also seemed certain about what he experienced. "I just... died? I don't know. It was strange. I... I think I'm dead," he confessed.
I let Tony think for a while and thought to myself.
'So it's just as I imagined…'
I sighed, this was MCU's Tony and he was here now.
'So, what should I do now? However big a genius he is, he just died, I don't think anyone takes that lightly. For example, I was a madman for a few hours when I found myself here… I didn't believe that I had died.'
[Affirmative. While it is true that anyone would feel a shock about their death along with a multitude of emotions, the Café has a certain passive effect on anyone who is inside. You too Host.
This passive effect helps individuals accept the facts as well as knowledge of the Café and helps them to be happy and carefree inside the Café.
After all, this is a place to make bonds, and friendships, and have fun.]
…
I was shocked.
But there is something that I must do.
So I looked at Tony.
"Are you alright?"
I asked, a hint of concern betraying my voice.
"Oh—ah… yes, yes, I'm… alright, I suppose. It just… feels weird."
"We could talk about it if you feel comfortable."
I offered.
Men often keep everything to themselves and don't talk about several worries or things on their minds. That does not mean men do not have worries or emotions, it is just society and everyone around us demands that we must remain stoic and be able to make decisions while ignoring our own feelings in front of others.
That Is a sad truth and one that I was too familiar with.
And that is exactly why I offered to talk about it.
More often than not, just talking about something that is weighing on your mind helps a lot.
If not with someone else, with yourself.
And it seemed that Tony did in fact want to talk about it.
"Well, you see, there was this big, purple-grape-looking guy in my world," he began with a scoff.
"..."
"Name's Thanos, and he thought wiping out half the universe was a good idea. Can you believe that? Someone needs a lesson in universe management 101.
"Anyway, we took care of him, but not without a boatload of cosmic drama, of course. We got ourselves tangled up in some serious time-bending shenanigans, thanks to my over-the-top quantum tech. You know, I should have a patent on saving the universe by now," he chuckled, smirking.
"..."
"Oh, we brought another, nastier Thanos? Great, just what I needed, a bigger headache. I should charge royalties for all the trouble my life creates for everyone else.
"Naturally, everyone looked at me, the genius billionaire playboy extraordinaire, for a solution. And guess what? I delivered, as always. Took a shot at the impossible, and hey, who's surprised that I nailed it," he smirked at me.
"...I see," I murmured.
This was Tony alright.
"Thanks, actually, kid." He said suddenly, eyes a bit distant as his hand wandered up to caress his face. More specifically, the scar. "You know, death has a way of putting things into perspective. I used to think I was invincible, that I could fix anything with a snap of my fingers and some genius tech. But looking back, I wonder if I could've done things differently.
"I made mistakes, no doubt about it. But I hope my sacrifice meant something in the end. I'd give anything to have more time, to make amends for the times I fell short, but sometimes, one selfless act can outweigh a lifetime of selfishness.
"Pepper and my Maguna—they are my everything. I wish I could've seen Morgan grow up, teach her to build cool stuff and share my love for cheeseburgers. But I'm grateful for the time I had with them, and I hope they'll be alright."
I had expected him to leave out details and for sure, he left details on the stones as well as other things, but I suppose he wouldn't reveal that much to a stranger anyway.
If it weren't for the Café's passive effect he would be too suspicious and wouldn't have said anything in the first place.
I was not going to manipulate him or use him as I was not a person like that and I did not like that, I just wanted to genuinely help.
"That sounds terrible…" I said. "I admire you for doing what you did."
"Do you?"
He chuckled, lips curling into a smirk.
"Well… never mind." I shook my head. "Hey, Tony, feeling a bit peckish?" I asked.
"Uh? Umu, sure thing," He nodded.
I did not bother moving him to another place since there was no one aside from us here.
I had no intention of doing that so I let him there.
I got to cooking.
I bought some stuff from the [Shop] and made a simple dish.
Nothing fancy.
And while I was making it, Tony finally couldn't contain his questions anymore. He had been looking around the place and seemed genuinely curious about it.
"So, what's the deal with this place?"
He asked and I smirked.
I explained about the Café and its purpose as well as the multiverse to him and I admit that it was very fun seeing his eyes widening slightly.
"Holy smokes. Are you some kind of god, or did you just hit the jackpot in the science—hey, magic maybe—lottery? Well, I've seen some pretty mind-bending stuff, what with time travel and having my fair share of encounters with self-proclaimed gods. So, digesting this is a piece of cake."
We both shared a laugh and I could tell that this humor of his was a coping mechanism of sorts.
He was a fun guy, though.
I served him his food and he got to eating.
One-Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta. Easy to make and takes about 30 minutes if you know what you're doing.
"So, what's the deal now?" Tony asked casually, twirling with the fork before he started eating. And sure enough, he stopped for a bit to savor the tastes.
"Damn, that's good…"
I was confused, I mean, I'm not bad but I'm no chef either…
[Host's cooking skills have been improved, plus the ingredients from the Shop are top tier.]
Oh…
"I mean," Tony continued where he'd left off. "I'm pretty sure going back is a no-go, considering I've got a first-class ticket to the afterlife… err, not afterlife, but you know, I'm technically dead and all that biz."
I thought about it for a bit.
What If I could send him back?
'Sys, is there a way?'
[Affirmative. He could technically go back, but for now there is no way. You would have to wait.]
I had expected a no but this was better than that I guess.
"Well, there is a way."
I said and then saw a flicker of hope on his face.
…He must miss his daughter and wife.
I felt bad for him.
No, really, I felt bad for him.
Sometimes the writers were too cruel to the characters.
Spiderman was a very big example of this.
But I suppose the blame falls on readers as well.
Now that I was seeing the living person instead of a fictional character behind the screen, I felt bad.
"Can I go back?" He asked. "Didn't I die?"
"No, you can't go back, not right now."
His face darkened but he recomposed himself.
"So, 'not right now' means there's hope for the future. Well, I guess if it means reuniting with my family, I can be patient," Tony remarked, letting out a sigh. "But damn, I have a feeling it's gonna be one boring wait."
…He was weird. Not like the Tony I was aware of but somehow different. What could have caused this change? I did not know.
"Why don't you work for me in the meantime?"
I asked him and he leaned back on his chair. It seemed that there were still thoughts weighing heavy on his mind.
After a moment, he grinned and replied, "...Well, why the heck not?"
Game Forge Studio.
It was a game engine designed specifically for me so that I could create games and let my patrons play and have fun.
And that is exactly what I used it for.
I took some time to familiarize myself with it and one thing was for sure. This system made creating games very easy.
The first time I used it through the system panel, I was so shocked that I just played with it without doing anything.
It was like VR.
Yep, I got inside some sort of a trance outside while my mind got transferred somewhere.
A white expanse. Nothing else. I screamed in fear at first but then realized that I was not falling.
I was floating.
It was nothing short of amazing.
I could create things on the spot using my imagination though it was very hard to create something good and detailed. Everything came out as a blob of ugliness.
So I sighed and moved on from making something myself since I was not good at it yet.
But while doing so, I recalled that I had an employee now… one that would be way too good at this stuff.
So, I asked for his help.
Tony, of course, didn't mind. It took me a bit of time to figure it out but I had a function in the system that I could use to give my employees access to a limited version of the system.
Although limited, it was more than enough for Tony to use the following features.
[Asset Maker]
[Asset Repository]—an extensive asset repository with a vast collection of characters, props, environments, and effects from various packs.
I had gotten a few game asset packs and I was going to use them. And that was all we needed to make the game.
[Adaptive AI Engine]—an assistant of sorts. One that assisted us in automating repetitive tasks and optimizing game mechanics as well as guiding me whenever I didn't know what to do.
The AI could suggest improvements, provide real-time feedback, and even generate dynamic content based on player interactions.
The last part remains to be seen though.
This AI assistance saved time and enhanced the overall quality of the game I *cough* created *cough*.
Yep, that was all there was to the Game Forge Studio.
"With this thing, I could totally create something like Jarvis. It would revolutionize our work, you know? Just imagine, input the idea, and bam!"
"He makes it," I interjected, finishing his thought.
Tony flashed his trademark smirk and continued, "Exactly! That's what I'm talking about. Having an AI assistant like Jarvis would make everything a breeze."
"Yeah," I smiled.
"Umu," he nodded.
Now that I think of it… Tony was using umu…
My lips thinned into a line and I stopped myself from laughing.
This Tony was obviously different.
"So, what are we whipping up here?"
He asked me.
Why? Because I had been only instructing him to do certain tasks and nothing was too certain for him yet.
Of course, he was not one to take orders so easily, but we were sort of friends here, and not like I was using him for nefarious purposes.
So, using the system, hiding the main thing was rather easy from Tony.
"Secret," I smirked.
"Come on, spill the beans," Tony demanded playfully. "I need at least a hint."
I shrugged and replied, "You'll have plenty of fun without any spoilers. Trust me on this."
Tony raised an eyebrow and started guessing, "Let me see... a dragon, zombies, dinosaurs? Huh, it's an open-world game, right? But what exactly? Maguna would be all over something like this…"
"Hey," I shrugged. "Who knows, the Café might open near her someday, I can't really control where the door would open. But yes, once it does, I can go to that place. Like, for you, it's different… you, well, you were summoned, sort of."
"Yeah, I get it, don't worry."
He smiled and we continued our work.
The most fun part of it all was obviously playing god inside the engine.
Why?
Because I was a literal god inside the world I made.
I could do anything and everything with but a mere thought after all.
…Though it was a different matter altogether that I sucked at imagination.
Needless to say, after only two weeks of hard work, the game was ready
We two had gotten close, especially since there was no one besides the two of us here.
Also, Tony's face was not healing.
It was as if there was a scar there.
As if it was an old wound.
We had survived on nothing but Café's food supplies in the time we had spent making the game.
I was lucky that I knew how to cook. Although not the best, I was still good.
I had hoped that someone would come but I was wrong.
There had been no customers as of now.
But I was fine with that.
Why?
Because… this 'quest' had been generated the moment I had opened up Game Forge Studio.
[Quest — Make a Game
Description: You have a Café set up, you have food, you have everything but nothing your customers and patrons can have fun with. Make a game so that they may enjoy their time here and consider coming back!
Reward: ?]
And now that I was done making the game… the quest was completed.
I got a reward and another quest.
First, I looked at the quest.
[Quest — Get 20 Customers
Description: A game has been made, now all you need are players! Get 20 customers for your Café and start this business! This is the start of your journey toward greatness! Making friends and family!
Rewards: Nexu]
The quest was very simple.
I would be getting customers anyway so I was happy to know that I would be getting rewards for doing something I was going to do in the first place.
It felt nice.
However, the reward confused me.
Nexu? What was that?
Pushing that aside, I looked at the reward I had gotten from the first quest.
That reward had been hidden by question marks, so I couldn't tell what it was.
So, now I would finally be able to tell what it was since the quest was complete.
[Café Open & Close Slate — Café Module]
[Install — Y/N]
I was confused as to what this was, so first I looked at the available information.
[Café Open & Close Slate — Café Module
Description: A necessary Café Module that opens and closes the Café to the multiverse upon flipping the slate.]
Ah…
It was rather simple.
I shrugged and mentally clicked on install.
It was then.
The whole Café shook.
"What?"
Tony was startled.
"I don't know, I just installed some kind of module."
He gave me a puzzled look.
"What module—"
Bang—!
A loud sound came from outside and a wall of the Café shook once more.
I blinked and so did Tony.
Whatever it was could not break the wall so it got to the door. The door burst open and a big man with red hair tied in a ponytail walked in.
"Hahaha! I didn't notice this before. Is this some new shop? How're the walls so strong? Do you serve Sake? Better yet, where are the women?"
He had a big smile on his stubbly face as he said all that.
Meanwhile, I was totally confused.
A new customer?
Wasn't this a bit too early?
I had just installed the module.
Anyways.
"Welcome!"
I bowed slightly as I smiled brightly.
A new customer has come!
"Would you kindly take a seat so I may serve some Sake?"
The guy grinned.
And yes, we had Sake.
Also, the customer count had gone up by one, so that was good.
As the guy made his way to a table and took his seat, the door opened again, and a woman walked in.
I was picking the bottle and my confusion only increased. Wasn't this going too fast?
I gave Tony a look, and he shrugged.
"Ano… What is this place?"
She asked.
"Welcome! This is Café Cosmos, and I wholeheartedly welcome you here!"
She wore common black and white office clothes and glasses. From the looks of it, she was a middle-aged Japanese woman.
She was fairly beautiful despite not being young.
However, the dark circles below her eyes were a huge giveaway of overworking.
I sighed, it was not my place to interfere.
So, I would do what I could.
"What would you like, Ms?"
"Ah, Satoru, call me Satoru."
"Okay, Ms. Satoru, would you kindly take a seat?"
She nodded and walked to her seat and sat down.
Meanwhile, I went ahead and served the man his Sake.
"Thank you!" He said and grabbed the bottle before chugging it down, he didn't even glance at the glass.
"..."
I blinked a few times and that was enough for him to finish it.
"Gah! That's the best sake I've had in a while." He chuckled and put the bottle back, grinning at me.
Who the fuck is this?
I squint my eyes and surprisingly enough, a screen pops up in my vision.
[Name: Gildarts Clive
World: Fairy Tail]
Ah… Gildarts?
I knew his name from a fanfic I had read somewhere, but I didn't know him too well.
I had not watched Fairy Tail.
And there was a simple reason for that.
The power of friendship was too cringy for me.
"Hey, kid, what is this place?"
He asked, and I noticed Satoru's ears perking up as well.
Actually, won't telling every new person every time they come be annoying as hell?
System, is there an easier way?
[Affirmative. Would you like to purchase Basic Knowledge Transfer for 50 Coins?]
Thinking of purchasing, I had a system shop I could purchase anything from.
It was filled with items as well as powers and everything from all over fiction.
But the prices were nothing to scoff at.
'Anyways, purchase it.'
[Affirmative.]
[-50 Coins]
[Basic Knowledge Transfer — Acquired]
[Would you like to transfer basic Café knowledge to the people present?]
[Y/N]
I clicked on yes and saw Gildarts' eyes widen.
Satoru bolted up.
The shock was too much it seems.
However, the Café's passive calming effect came in and saved the day.
I, on the other hand, sighed.
This was going to be a pain in the ass…
"What was that? Some sort of a spell? Haha! Kid, you sure know some nifty stuff. And this Ca… fe? Café? Yes, this Café, it's quite unbelievable."
"Vin-kun… This is very much like a manga I read!" Satoru said as she hopped up to me, eyes glittering.
Yup, it was a pain in the ass. I had to explain even more stuff but thankfully they easily accepted the existence of the Café, though they still had questions.
Also, once they ate and stuff, they paid before taking their leave.
The money automatically got converted to system Coins and vice versa for their currency, so the conversation was no issue for us.
I had forgotten to pitch the game and make them play now that I think of it…
I sighed when Tony laughed at me about it.
"Shut up, old man, you didn't remind me either."
"Touché."
We shrugged and chuckled before getting back to making some food.
I was teaching Tony how to cook.
Also, we had no other customers.
Not a bad start, but I still wished there would be more.
Just like that, we closed for the day and worked on the game some more.
Oh, about the game, actually.
It was ready.
And tonight, I planned on letting Tony play for the first time.
I smiled.
- Tony Stark -
He blinked at the kid whom he had gotten close to recently. The kid had an enticing proposition—finally letting Tony get in on the game.
Curiosity had him hooked, that much he'd admit.
After all, he'd been working his ass off for this game of theirs, and though he had some hunches, nothing was set in stone. Besides, it'd be good for the kid as he seemed excited to 'finally let Tony Stark play.' Yeah, Tony was that awesome and he knew it.
And honestly, he could use a distraction himself.
So, when the young one, Vin, proposed a game night, he didn't hesitate to say yes.
"Okay, let me see. For me it's simple, let's see how it is for others. Actually, kinda dumb of me, I never tested it on others. Would've been hella embarrassing if it didn't work when I gave it to some customer."
Vin murmured.
Tony bit back a laugh, and soon enough, found a screen appeared in front of him.
[You have been invited to play Ark: Survival Evolved]
The name was something he'd expected. After all, he'd programmed mining mechanics there. Survival had been certain.
He had also heard whispers about the immersive experience this game would give from Vin, and being the tech enthusiast he was, he couldn't resist giving it a try now that he had a chance.
'Anyways… how to play? Hmm…'
After fumbling with the mechanisms of this system for a second, he finally found it.
[How would you like to play?]
[Fully Immersive Virtual Really]
[Laid-back casual PC-like Gaming]
Tony didn't even bat an eye at the other path and simply chose the first.
He would admit, fascination had gripped him the moment he came to know of this Café and the system.
It smelled of knowledge and opportunities he'd never thought of. Well, he did think of this… but it was never a focus or reality.
Now, though, that was different.
The Café shimmered around Tony Stark as he chose the first option.
His body immediately disappeared.
He knew it was cutting-edge technology the moment he had been 'moved' from the Café to a white space while working on the game with Vin.
But now when he finally played the game, his surprise turned into shock.
As he opened his eyes inside the game, he found himself standing in a lush, vibrant world where the wind blew and caressed his cheek, and the sand felt slick beneath his feet.
Trees towered overhead, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze. Tony's jaw dropped, marveling at the sight before him.
…It was very realistic.
However, that wasn't something unseen. He had technology that could replicate all this, to be honest. He just never had an interest in making a game like this.
"How do I survive in tis brave new world?" Tony smirked as he asked himself playfully, half-expecting his AI assistant to respond in his ear. But there was no Jarvis here—only the sound of distant wildlife and the gentle hum of the air.
All that just reminded him of his family and Jarvis—
Tony took a deep breath and tried to look for any clues.
—Ding!
He was not startled in the slightest when he heard a noise. After all, he had grown accustomed to Jarvis.
He looked at the corner of his vision and there it was.
An instruction.
[Move around to move.]
Tony's eyes twitched and he let out an exasperated sigh.
…He really needed to teach some stuff to that kid.
With a bit of trial and error, he managed to move around and clumsily raise his hand and form it into a fist.
He noticed a diamond-shaped metallic piece of tech on his wrist. It reminded him of his heart, arc reactor, back home.
He moved a bit more but managed to trip and fall toward a tree near him.
He grabbed it for support, however…
—Thud!
Particles puffed out of the tree and a few cracks appeared as well.
That surprised him too, but he was quick to adapt.
Technically, he was adjusting himself to this new body and that was why it was taking time and his hands were clumsy.
Yes, there was a difference in body mass, weight, and everything else. And just like it would happen In reality, Tony had to adjust himself.
He swung his fist at the tree again and again, and surprisingly, it worked!
Wood splinters flew, and the tree disintegrated, leaving behind a collection of logs that hovered above the ground.
"Hey, I'm getting the hang of this," Tony said, his grin widening.
He proceeded to gather more wood, feeling a sense of accomplishment despite the simplicity of the task.
However, the game's physics and Tony's lack of familiarity with the controls made for some hilarious moments.
As he tried to move forward, he stumbled, tripping over rocks and tree roots. "Whoa, easy there," Tony chuckled, realizing that walking in the real world and walking in this virtual world were two different things.
However, he adapted quickly.
He knew he couldn't venture into the water, so he had only one choice, the island, and trees. It could even be called a forest.
Minutes passed and Tony gathered resources like rocks, wood, thatch, fiber, and berries along with others.
Unfamiliar with the crafting system, Tony mashed the wood blocks together, hoping for the best. To his surprise, he ended up creating a wooden toilet instead of the intended crafting table.
And yes, toilets seemed to be a thing in this game.
"Well, I guess that's one way to answer nature's call," he quipped, amused by the absurdity of the achievement he unlocked: [Toilet Trouble: Crafting gone wrong.]
He really did need to teach the kid a few things.
However, peace seemed to have a time limit because the next moment he saw a big dinosaur coming from somewhere.
Its gigantic figure and glinting teeth made Tony gulp a bit.
Why?
Most definitely not because he was afraid.
But because… he wanted to ride this thing.
Riding was a thing in this game, no?
Tony grinned.
Tony's inexperience, however, led to more comical mishaps. He attempted to tame the dinosaur but ended up trying to ride it backward, much to the creature's confusion.
Also, it seemed to not bother him. Possibly because it was not a carnivore.
Achievement unlocked: [Reverse Rodeo: When dinosaurs question your equestrian skills.]
As the sun set on Tony's first day in the game, he marveled at the potential for fun and adventure.
Sure, he might be Tony Stark, genius billionaire, philanthropist, playboy, brilliant— uh, you get the idea.
Anyway, he might be all that, but in this virtual world, he was an excited noob learning the ropes.
And so, when the sun dipped and he watched with a smile on his face, Tony Stark forgot to consider one important thing.
He had not prepared for the night.
Though, in his defense, he was not aware of the happenings in the night.
As darkness enveloped the lush world, Tony felt a sudden chill run down his spine.
Despite his experience with all this stuff, Tony found his body shaking.
Why?
Because… he did not have his suit.
He knew he should have been more prepared, but he had been so engrossed in his adventures that the thought of the night's dangers slipped his mind.
Before he could start preparing for the situation, he heard rustling from the surrounding forest.
Heart pounding, Tony quickly looked around, trying to make out what was coming his way. Shadows danced between the trees as eerie moans echoed in the distance.
Zombies.
Skeletons.
Spiders.
Dinosaurs.
Snakes.
What was it?
He knew that it had to be from those, the sounds were evident enough.
He dashed away, weaving between trees and trying to put some distance between himself and the pursuing monsters.
As he ran, he fumbled with his inventory, trying to find something useful. His fingers trembled as he scrolled through the stuff he had collected earlier. He managed to put the crafting table down and craft a wooden ax.
After picking up the crafting table, Tony readied his ax, but his combat skills in this virtual world were a far cry from his heroics as Iron Man in the real world.
Swinging the ax wildly, he attempted to fight off the creatures, but his clumsy movements and lack of experience led to more desperate dodges than successful strikes. The zombies relentlessly pursued him, and the skeleton's arrows whizzed dangerously close.
Dodging a spider's lunge, he stumbled over a rock and nearly fell flat on his face. "Okay, that was a bit too close!" Tony muttered, adrenaline pumping through his veins.
Cornered by the unforgiving night, Tony realized he had no choice but to take drastic measures.
In a moment of desperation, he spotted a small hill nearby. He ran towards it, hoping it might provide some temporary shelter.
As the creatures closed in, Tony found a hiding spot. He crawled inside and quickly placed a wooden [Thatch Wall] in front to seal himself in.
On top of him, the elongated hillside helped while in front of the thatch wall. Tony was afraid about the sides, but a quick look was enough for him to heave a sigh of relief.
Breathing heavily, he huddled in the confined space, hoping that the makeshift shelter would be enough to keep him safe until morning while his mind raced pondering about the weird physics.
The world was realistic… and he did not have his suit.
Through the small places in the thatch, Tony could hear the creatures prowling outside. His heart pounded in his chest as the sounds of their footsteps and groans filled the air.
The darkness seemed to stretch on forever, and the night felt endless.
Tony was surprised at the realism of this all.
With each passing moment, Tony's fear subsided, replaced by a determination to survive until sunrise, get good at the game, gather resources, and get stronger so that he could bitch slap all these creatures.
For now, though, he focused on his breathing, trying to keep calm despite the dire circumstances. He knew that once daylight came, he could continue his adventures and learn from his mistakes.
Time passed, and Tony could sense the first signs of morning approaching
The monsters, sensitive to the sunlight, were retreating into the shadows and their noise was subsiding.
Finally…
Tony let out a sigh of relief.
He grabbed his ax and cautiously came out.
Brushing the dirt off his clothes, Tony stood up with a determined glint in his eyes. He may have been beaten by a few zombies, skeletons, and spiders, but he was Tony Stark, and he never backed down from a challenge.
Also, he needed a bed.
- Vincent Foxen -
From above, I watched Tony with a smile on my face.
Yes, this was no ordinary game—it was the cutting-edge fusion of two beloved classics, Minecraft and Ark: Survival Evolved.
That's what I tried to make. Sure, I did not take away the charm of Ark: Survival Evolved, I added a few things from Minecraft as well.
I would be making Minecraft too someday later down the line.
For now, however, this would suffice.
Tony's struggles reminded me of the first time I had played Minecraft and Ark Survival Evolved.
It was quite nostalgic for me.
But it also brought back some… memories, so I pushed them aside.
I was in creative mode so I had no problem with any of the stuff going on below.
Anyhow, this game was working better than I had expected.
Letting Tony be at his own devices, I logged off and made sure Tony's body lay comfortably.
From what I had gathered, only the mind traveled inside while the body remained.
How did it work or the like? I had no clue.
—Yaaaaawn…
I yawned and stretched my body.
It was night outside and Tony was busy with the game, so I was truly bored and too free.
I tended to the Café a bit and then decided to go outside.
The purple sky was ever luminant even though there was no indication of a sun.
Near the tree, I lay down and stared at the sky as I took a deep breath. Countless stars twinkled in the sky and something akin to the northern lights.
The wisps of colors painted an otherworldly and awe-inspiring painting. A multitude of colors mixed like ink dropped in water. In this case, though, it was as if the sky was the water and the wisps were the colors.
I don't remember how or when, but I fell asleep gazing at the sky.
I had a weird dream.
When I woke up it was already morning and the sky was bright like it would be if there were a sun.
However, there wasn't a sun and that was quite strange.
I was merely curious, I'll figure it out someday.
I was about to stand up when I noticed a heavy feeling on my chest.
Huh.
What can it be?
I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and looked down.
A small animal was asleep on my chest.
It was a… squirrel.
Honestly, it was the most mythical-looking squirrel I had ever seen. It had snow-white fur like silk against my chest. Also, it had golden honey eyes that seemed to glitter.
"Squeak!"
It squeaked and bolted up when it felt me move. Hopping to the tree, it climbed up and squeaked at me again.
I smiled.
It was cute.
Also, I had not seen it there before. I wonder where it came from? Did the system do something? I don't know.
"Hey buddy," I tried to talk to it, maybe I could make it my pet or something. Sadly, it just squeaked and hid from my site.
My shoulders deflated and I sighed.
"Fine… be that way," I grumbled and walked away.
Though not before buying and putting some fruits as well as nuts for it to eat.
Entering the Café I wondered how the door system worked. For me, it opened up to the planet but for others, it opened up to their worlds. I had asked Tony to open it but no, it didn't open back to Marvel, it opened to my planet.
Which was strange. I need to figure out how the door system works.
Flipping the slate to [Open] I walked in and checked up on Tony. He was still playing. My eyes lingered a bit on his body and a window popped up, hovering over his body.
There I saw Tony, now wearing some equipment, fighting and killing the zombies, skeletons, and spiders as well as a few dinosaurs.
Ah, yes, I forgot to mention, but I had added zombies and animals and stuff from Minecraft as well.
There was a history too, for them. But that was for the players to figure out.
Shrugging at Tony dancing in there, possibly at his victory against some dinosaur, I decided to have a bath.
…
…
I entered the bathtub and let myself melt in there as an ecstatic moan left my lips. Now that's what I call a bath…
After half an hour or so inside there, I stood up and grabbed a towel.
There wasn't a room here, sadly. The Café was only level 01 so maybe that's the reason.
I sighed and started drying myself with the towel. My clothes were in my inventory. Buying them from the shop had been easy enough so—
"Hello!"
I stiffened.
Who's that?
My neck snapped toward the bathtub and I was shocked to find a naked woman sitting in the bathtub…
'What the fuck?'
My mouth hung slightly as she looked at me with her blinking emerald-green eyes.
I half expected her to go all scream-mode on me and call me a pervert before slapping my face but the truth turned out to be different.
She just smiled and waved her hand, "Hello! It's nice to meet you! Are you the owner?"
Her lack of reaction made blood rush to my cheeks.
Fuck, way to make it embarrassing for me.
"Y-yes," I coughed and wrapped the towel around my lower body. How the fuck did she get here? What the fuck is happening?
She was attractive, I would admit that much. Her curves seemed right where they needed to be and I could see her pink nipples and ample bosom slightly above the water.
Her face brightened up at my confirmation.
"So you're really the owner?!" She bolted up, her wet bubble gum pink hair bobbing up followed by her large breasts.
They held a gravitational pull of their own, and I couldn't stop myself from sneaking a glance.
No, scratch that, I blatantly stared.
I was a normal seventeen-year-old teenager, so, of course, I was interested in the opposite sex.
Although I had self-control that did not mean I had no desires.
"Yes, I am," I said as I recalled that we were in the bathroom. She was in my bathtub, naked. I, too, was naked… if we took the tower out of the equation.
Fuck…
What's happening?
"Who're you? And how did you get there?" I asked. I wasn't really worried about my safety. I couldn't be hurt inside the Café. That was a written rule. The System had affirmed it.
She smiled brightly and bowed, making her breasts jiggle and droop down as her black tail perked up behind her, "Nice to meet you, Owner-kun, I am Lala!"
I looked at her most distinguishing feature as it wiggled about behind her.
Her tail extended down from the base of her back. It was long, thin, and ended with a heart-shaped tip.
"As for how I got here, it's because of this! My invention, Pyon-Pyon Warp Kun!" Her eyes glittered as she perked up and with a yank of her arm, thrust her wrist towards me.
I looked at the weird bracelet on her wrist.
"I can't specify the destination but this allows me to warp away from any location!" She giggled, sticking her tongue out. "I used this in the spaceship's bathtub and then warped to this Café's bathtub! And then some information got transferred to my brain, which is how I know of this place now! And that's why I asked if you were the owner, I need help, Owner-kun!"
Now it made sense why she appeared and why she was naked.
But…
'How did she teleport inside? Isn't this place protected or something? And what's this spaceship she's talking about?'
I looked at her for a moment and a panel popped up with some of her details.
[Name: Lala Satalin Deviluke
World: Deviluke
Series: To Love Ru
Age: 18]
Oh, To Love Ru.
I had heard of that series, but never watched it.
I'm not aware of her circumstances or why she needs help, but I can do what I can to help.
"Uhm, Owner-kun?" Lala sounded and I realized that my gaze had slipped down to her tits and I had been staring.
Although she didn't appear to mind it, blood rushed to my cheeks and I walked out.
"Please get clothed, Miss. Lala." I said as I walked out and grabbed one of my clothes before throwing it inside.
Like hell was I gonna waste coins.
Thankfully, Tony was still playing. I could imagine his teasing if he knew what had happened. The old man could be very annoying.
I got myself into some clothes aswell and had just tidied myself up when Lala walked out of the bathroom.
'Okay, bad decision.'
Giving her my clothes was a bad decision.
I sighed. What the fuck is happening?
Getting behind the counter, I smiled at her and said, "What would you like, Miss. Lala?"
"A job!"
"What?"
"A job! I really do!" She said, clenching her fists and furrowing her eyebrows.
Why does she need a job?
I had never in my life regretted not watching an anime or reading a manga as much as I was right about now.
"Why do you need a job, Miss. Lala?" I straightened up and pushed every thought aside, this wasn't the time to act that way.
"Well, Owner-kun, I'm... being chased. I was heading to Earth, but they caught me and wanted to take me back to Deviluke on their ship. In the bathtub, I had no choice but to use Pyon-Pyon Warp Kun, and now—"
"Now you need a job here so you can stay without a worry since they can't enter the Café."
"Umu!"
She nodded enthusiastically.
I contemplated whether to let her stay or not. Honestly, it was asking for trouble. If they somehow came inside, since this was a Café open to all, I'd be in trouble. Sure, they can't do anything to me, but still.
She seemed anxious and fidgety.
"...Alright, but on one condition—"
"Yeah!" She jumped up and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling my face into her beasts. "Thank you, Owner-kun! I promise to work super-duper hard!"
Oh dear.
This girl…
Untangling myself gently, I gave her a stern look, which made her shrink back a bit.
"I will let you work, but I have one condition. If they come looking for trouble, I will be the first to kick you out."
She deflated but nodded resolutely.
I sighed yet again, and the door flung open as a customer arrived.
"Vin, a bottle of sake!"
Gildarts said, laughing, as his eyes settled on Lala.
"Ho? Who's this young lady?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me.
Ugh.
I took a deep breath. I'm above all this, I'm not easily to be messed with, and I'm calm. Yes. I'm very calm. I cannot be teased.
Letting the breath go, I smiled, "Coming right up with Sake, Mr. Gildarts! And she's a new employee."
"Oh, I see, I see."
I served him his sake and then decided to buy Lala appropriate clothes. She squealed in delight and hopped to the bathroom to get changed while I welcomed other customers.
Satoru, and Gildarts, were the only customers I'd had so far.
The quest customer count was this right now.
[Customers: 02]
Also, Lala had been registered as a customer by the system so she didn't count as a customer in the quest.
Today, new customers arrived.
A man named Satou Kazuma, a fat dude in his thirties, and fucking pre-bald Saitama
Satou Kazuma, yes, that Satou Kazuma…
Also, Saitama…
What is this, a main character gathering?
I sighed and served him whatever he wanted. The fat dude was rather silent and didn't speak much so I didn't catch his name. He ate some and left.
Satou remained behind for some time though, he seemed to be smitten with Lala.
Haha…
She was too oblivious to his advances though, or at least pretended to be so. I couldn't tell.
—Ding!
Another customer came and I smiled as I bowed slightly.
"Welcome to Café Cosmos!"
He smiled.
He was a handsome and callous young man with long blonde hair arriving at his chin.
"Happy to be here," his eyes turned into crescent moons as his smile deepened. Both of his eyes were blue and had the same six star-shaped pupils as one another.
"What would you like, sir?" I asked politely.
"Chicken nuggets," he didn't even bat an eye and said that while his eyes wandered off to Lala.
She was serving Ms. Satoru. The two had hit it off pretty well and could be seen chatting away happily. Ms. Satoru, too, appeared way less stressed than she usually was.
"Coming right away!"
I served him chicken nuggets as per demand.
The guy was sus.
He ate silently and didn't even ask questions regarding the knowledge that should have instantly been transferred inside his brain.
The fat dude and Kazuma had bombarded me with questions. Well, mostly Kazuma, the other one had asked a few questions but was fairly silent.
A day passed just like that, and I closed off the Café.
Tony finally came out of his game tonight.
"That's amazing!"
That's the first thing he said when he came out.
Also, as it turns out, his body doesn't need nutrients… Was he even a human anymore? I couldn't tell, to be honest.
When I looked at the system, it didn't show his race sadly.
In the night, I and Tony worked to add more content and "fix" some "stupid shit" according to Tony.
Needless to say, it was a fun time.
Before sleeping, I looked at the number of customers and it was a total of 6.
Satoru, Gildarts, Kazuma, the fat dude, Saitama, and the handsome dude who was apparently called Hikaru Kamiki.
Someone from Oshi no Ko, another anime I hadn't watched.
Strangely enough, when I looked at the fat guy's status, the name turned out blank…
Fat dude it is then.
Also, I forgot but Saitama would love to play the game, wouldn't he?
The next day, someone unexpectedly arrived when I opened the shop.
"Master Roshi?!"
"Hohohohoho!" He laughed. "How do you know of me, young one? Then again, this Café's existence is quite peculiar in the first place.
I quickly thought of an excuse.
"Uh, um, you see, in different worlds, most often than not, other worlds are in the form of manga or any other formatted entertainment. Like, your world was a manga and anime in mine, and the manga you might have seen exists as an actual world somewhere else."
"Oh? Interesting. Does that mean…" the old man started murmuring to himself and giggling.
I don't know if I was imagining or something, but I saw a slight nosebleed.
'Sigh… so like him.'
"Young 'un, I didn't think I'd see someone like Goku here, though still very different, haha!"
Hm?
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, you don't know?" Master Roshi asked, confused, then he grinned and shook his head. "Then I suppose finding it yourself would be best. Now, show me what I can get."
"Master Roshi, how about you try this game?"
"Game? What type of game?"
I smiled.
Master Roshi was kind of the best for this.
I sent him an invite and he twitched slightly before returning to his usual self.
"Ho? Interesting, interesting…" he murmured as he rubbed his goatee.
He accepted the invite and then fell asleep on the seat he sat upon.
I wonder how he'd do inside the game.
As it turns out, very good. He immediately made a buff and handsome character inside there and started bagging women NPCs after kind of speed-running the beginner phases… Yes, I had added that stuff too…
It was a surprise.
But a welcome one.
"What next?" Tony asked in the night when we had closed for the day.
"Hmm, I need 20 customers. We have a total of 7 customers. Just a few more and I'd be done."
Though I wonder what Nexu is. I did know that a creature like that existed in Star Wars, but I wasn't sure if this one was the same creature.
"What happens then?" Lala asked, blinking.
Also, Tony hadn't made a scene as I'd expected when he met Lala. I'd thought he'd tease the heck out of me, but he was fairly chill.
"Something good, hopefully," I shrugged. "I am the owner, yes, but even I do not know how this place works."
"Oh? Man, and you don't even have questions regarding it?" Tony immediately grew suspicious and cautious.
Now that I think of it, I hadn't asked any questions regarding the system or the Café or anything in general.
[Host, the system is available to answer your queries at any time. If I possess it, I am unable to hold any information from you.]
Oh, that's good to hear.
Now that Tony had said it, I was a bit scared. I had read far too many webnovels where systems had nefarious motives and it used the host… I did not wish to be such a host.
"I… I'll ask, don't worry."
"Ask?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "There's someone pulling your strings?"
"Well, kinda," I scratched my cheek, unsure of how to respond to that.
"Come on, Tony-san! Don't tease Owner-kun!" Lala pouted.
"And you, young lady, we need to have a chat, you and I."
Her face turned pale.
"Don't give me that look, I just want to discuss those inventions of yours."
"Oh, okay! As long as Owner-kun asks for it, I'm happy!"
I shrugged, "Why not? They'll be helpful, and Tony here happens to be the sharpest mind I know."
"Hey!" She protested, furrowing her brows and glaring at me.
"Yeah, yeah, you too," I rolled my eyes before giving her a playful smile.
The days were going pretty well.
And in this life, I found happiness.
And there was nothing wrong going on.
However, that changed the next day.
…When I killed someone.
AN: Now, this is my first time writing 10k words per chapter, so it might have left a lot to be desired in terms of structure or progression/pacing. Anything you might have to say about it, please DO IT! I will love it. Good or bad. I need to know so that I may improve!