"I'm telling you, this monster has to be dealt with like this—cut off its tail first, that way it'll drop rare materials more easily!"
"Are you an idiot? That monster's tail can't be cut off!"
"And what if I do cut it off?"
"If you manage that, I'll chug a whole crate of beer on the spot!"
"Deal! You said it!"
The three guys playing Monster Hunter were having a blast, and before he realized it, Logan had wandered over and was watching them play.
It wasn't that he was interested in Monster Hunter—he was just paying closer attention to how they were playing.
Even though it was the sa monster over and over, he'd already seen them take it down at least seven or eight tis.
...
...
And yet, they weren't the least bit tired. He really couldn't understand that kind of enjoynt.
Normally, if a person reads a novel multiple tis, that's a sign of a great book.
So if a monster in a ga can be hunted repeatedly, does that an it's as compelling as a great novel?
He suddenly felt a bit lost in thought.
Logan's friend noticed him nearby and said, "Logan, co play with us."
"No, no thanks." Logan shook his head again, still unwilling to engage with video gas.
But inside, he was starting to waver—at the very least, he was now watching the ga seriously.
He had to admit, the ga didn't look childish at all. It was quite complex. Definitely not sothing a kid could just pick up and master. And the visuals—he had to admit—they were stunningly realistic.
Still, none of that changed how he felt about gas overall.
"What ti is it? Isn't Bayonetta about to release soon?" one of them suddenly asked.
Logan's friend glanced at the clock. "Eleven thirty. We've still got ti. Want to keep playing until then?"
"Let's take a short break and then wait for the release."
"Sure."
Logan couldn't help but ask, "You've been talking about this new ga release for a while now—why do gas launch at midnight? Wouldn't dayti be better?"
"We all preordered the digital version, so we can play the mont it unlocks. If it were a physical copy, we'd have to wait until morning. But physical editions have their perks—sotis you can get a signed cartridge by the developnt team. Those are crazy valuable."
Logan's friend perked up. "Speaking of signed cartridges, I just got a mint-condition signed Super Mario SFC cart. Want to see it?"
"No way?! You really got one?! Show us! How much did you pay?"
Grinning proudly, his friend said, "Heh, I went all out for this one. I flew to Japan, studied Japanese, and begged a retro shop owner to part with their most prized item."
He stood up and said, "I'll go grab it from my study."
"Hurry, hurry!"
The two friends urged him excitedly.
As soon as he left, they started betting.
"I bet he spent at least $100,000."
"I'm thinking more like $10,000. He said it's signed, but he didn't say by who."
"Who else would sign it? The SFC Super Mario dev team was small, and every one of them is legendary now. A hundred grand sounds about right!"
"Hmm... maybe $200,000 if it's that signature. That would definitely be worth it!"
Logan was stunned just listening.
A video ga... for a hundred or two hundred grand?
What's it made of? Solid gold?
"You guys... you're talking about a video ga's price?"
Logan couldn't help but ask.
That amount could cover his living expenses for two or three years. All for a ga?
Was his friend filthy rich? Or just unbelievably dumb?
The two looked at Logan with mild contempt.
Logan had been the odd one out all night, but because he was a friend of their friend, they let it slide.
Still, now that he was asking what they saw as a dumb question, they couldn't help looking down on him a bit.
"Of course it's a video ga price. It's like artwork or rare collectibles. A mint, sealed ga signed by the developers can easily fetch a massive price!"
"But isn't it just... data?"
One of them shrugged. "Then again, a famous painting is just pignt on a canvas. It depends on your perspective. You might think it's worthless, but to soone who really loves it, it's priceless."
That made Logan feel envious again.
If a signed copy of his book could sell for even a fraction of that, he'd never have to worry about money again.
"Here it is! Let show you my treasure!"
Logan's friend finally returned from his study, holding a beautifully crafted box. Just the box itself looked like it cost over $1,000.
The two others leapt up from the floor and rushed over.
"Open it, open it! Whose signature is it?!"
With a mysterious smile, Logan's friend opened the box slowly, savoring the mont.
Logan leaned in as well, curious to see what kind of item could be worth six figures.
To the players, this box might as well have been a glowing treasure chest from a ga. That's how it felt to them.
When the box was fully opened, inside was a sealed ga cartridge—still shrink-wrapped in pristine condition. And on the plastic wrap, there was a signature.
"Best wishes on your grand opening. – Takayuki"
"Whoa! It's the God of Gas himself! This is easily worth over $200,000!"
Both guys shouted at the sa ti.
Logan's friend bead with pride. "I spent $370,000 on this. It's the only copy in the world with a ssage beyond just a na. If that shop hadn't been going under, the owner would never have sold it."
Logan truly felt like he'd seen another world that day. A ga selling for over $370,000?
The envy and discouragent washed over him all at once.
Still, he forced himself to calm down.
Forget it. I'll just focus on figuring out the perfect vision of the beautiful woman for my next novel.
That's how he consoled himself.
At that mont, the clock struck midnight.
The three others suddenly sprang to life, rushing to their consoles like they'd just been injected with adrenaline.
"Aha! Bayonetta is out! Lady Bayonetta, here I co!"
Logan had never seen such fanatical enthusiasm from players before.
He shook his head. Spending hundreds of thousands on gas and being this obsessed—video gas really were a dangerous addiction.
He thought that... right until his eyes casually wandered toward the new ga's title screen.
And there, he saw sothing he would never forget for the rest of his life.
A woman. In high heels. Clad in a form-fitting black outfit. Long hair flowing behind her. Strikingly beautiful and impossible to look away from.
She was the most stunning woman he had ever seen—even though she was fictional. Sothing inside him clicked. Inspiration exploded in his mind.
The image of the mysterious woman for his next book, which had eluded him for so long, suddenly ca to life.
That woman on the three TV screens—she was exactly the one he wanted to bring into his story.
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