*Disclaimer: I don't own shit. Read at your own risk.*
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Somewhere in Shenzou, 2003.
In the small meeting room of Mihoyo Gaming Ltd...
"Boss, Fly me 2 the moon's revenue....is completely zero.... We don't have any money to advertise it, much less to make a new game to get money..."
*Bang*
"Dammit!"
The "Boss", a bald man named Wei cried out as he slammed his table.
"God! Buddha! Jesus! Satan! I don't care who, please, I beg of you! Help my company strive! I will offer you my soul! No- I offer the souls of everyone in this company to you if you can help us strike it rich!"
The bald man was desperate. He was the CEO, he isn't only responsible for the company, but also the workers and staff he hired! At the rate that this is going, not even selling himself into slavery would be enough to pay everyone's final salary!
Yet, suddenly, in the silence of noon adorned only by one man's desperate prayers -
"Contract Agreed" A cold, computer like voice echoes throughout the meeting room of Mihoyo Gaming Ltd.
""... What's that?""
"Your prayers have been answered. Your souls now belong to me, and in return you will all become my tools to make games in this world. None of you may object, for your King (CEO) have offered the souls of all his subjects."
"""!!!"""
Panic ensues, even the bald CEO Wei didn't expect that someone would actually answer his prayers like that.
No, the problem wasn't that his prayers was answered. The problem was, HOW tit was answered. God or Buddha would have no need for mere human souls, so that means the one that answered Boss Wei's prayer was-
"NOOO!!!! I DON'T WANT TO WORK FOR THE DEVIL!!!"
"MR.DEVIL PLEASE, I HAVE A SICK GRANDMA WAITING FOR ME AT HOME, PLEASE JUST TAKE BOSS WEI ALONE!"
Many such sentiments rang out in the small office. Some people had fell straight into a coma when they made the connection that the devil exists, and they are now his slaves.
"!!! You traitors! I thought we were all in this together!" . Wei, though he understood their feelings, still felt it was unfair that he's being thrown under the bus.
"You go alone dammit! Why did you have to offer everyone's soul with you?!! We all could've just find another job somewhere!!"
---------- POV change ----------
On the other side of the conversation, was of course, our main character.
'Dang, I thought the system already got this part covered. To think that the people are still uninformed of their situation... Haha, well at least that made for a good laugh.'
---------- POV change ----------
"Silence."
The voice echoes again. The crowd of programmers and clerks instantly paused their movement, the "Devil's" grip on their souls forcing them to.
"Fret not. I have come bringing you salvation. For as long as my will is done, you CAN be free from this contract."
"The deal is thus: I have a game I wish to re-create in this world. But before that, this company needs revenue and fame of a certain level, so that the rest of the world may access it much easily."
"Your livelihood will be guaranteed, even should any who calls themselves "God" were to descend, you shall be under my protection. Just follow my orders. Make, the games I want you to." (AN: The "gods" is referring to the Herrschers, etc)
The silent crowd can only swallow their fears and rack their brains, slowly coming into terms that this is their life now.
"Mr.Devil, sir. I have a question, sir."
The bald man, Wei, raised his voice.
"W-what kind of g-games do you want us to make?"
Though still fearful, he was still an idealistic man at heart. If, this truly is a devil he had contracted with, then surely it won't be anything good!
"Hou? Tell me o King of a small company. What kind of games do YOU want to make?"
"I, no, we at Mihoyo Gaming Ltd had originally wanted to make games about beautiful girls saving the world! Though the market is already full of these, we believe we can bring something better for the world to enjoy! Even if we're bound to you, we refuse to make games that will make people suffer!"
The bald man's speech had roused the spirits of his employees. Their faces lights up with the spirit of rebellion and the spirit of professional gamers! Even if they truly face the devil, they wouldn't let him win without a fight! After all, don't they beat the demons all the time in games?!?
"Ha ha ha. Do you think you have a choice? No. The choice lies solely in my hands. 'Beautiful' girls will save the world. I would be ashamed to live in a world where women is the bulk of the army if I were you."
The "Devil's" words hit his mark. The faces of the Wei and his employees immediately deflated.
"It- it's just a game! It's not like it's in real life right?!?"
A last resort at saving his face.
"Whatever makes you sleep easy. Fret not. The games I aspire to spread are not 'demonic' or 'devilish' in nature. And while I do not agree with your, pathetic ideals, I can agree with your company motto."
"Mihoyo Gaming Ltd. Tech otakus will save the world!"
"THAT is the ideal that drew me to you."
" Now get to work. I have drawn for you the ideas, the models and details you need to make the games. Learn them. Make them fit into the computers and consoles of this world. By the end of this year, you shall release the first game. And every 2 years, another."
"Ah, but before that, a change of pace. Now that I've bought off your company, you shall no longer operate in Shenzou. From now on, you are a proud game company from the Far East!"
Though it ended rather anticlimactically, the staff of Mihoyo Ltd quickly learned to follow orders. After all, before they noticed it, their office and themselves are already in Tokyo, capital city of the Far East.
In late 2003, the start of their legacy, Megaman X was released.