Becoming the Strongest as a Game Dev Ch 108

Yuna glanced up from her digital sculpting of Kratos's armor, noticing the empty chair where Sam usually worked. Recently, his behavior had become increasingly distracted. He would complete his assigned tasks with remarkable efficiency, then quickly disappear without his usual collaborative energy.

"Has anyone seen Sam today?" she asked the team, her voice cutting through the quiet hum of computer fans and digital rendering.

Elena looked up from her character animation. "I thought he was in his private workstation," she said, pointing toward the small room at the end of the development floor.

Yuna shook her head. "I just checked. He's not there."

David Thompson raised an eyebrow, his Norse landscape design momentarily forgotten. "That's strange. He was here earlier this morning during our team briefing."

Sophia Laurent, who had been meticulously designing weapon textures, also looked up. "Now that you mention it, he did seem... different. More reserved. Almost like he was hiding something."

The developers exchanged curious glances, each wondering about Sam's recent mysterious behavior. Yuna felt a mix of concern and curiosity bubbling inside her. Something was definitely not typical about Sam's recent actions.

The developers exchanged knowing glances, their speculation growing more animated by the moment.

"Maybe he's finally taking a break," David suggested, leaning back in his chair. "Developers aren't machines, after all."

Elena chuckled. "Knowing Sam? He's probably creating something absolutely diabolical. Remember how he surprised everyone with the Bayonetta simulation?"

Sophia joined in, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Perhaps he's plotting world domination through an ultra-complex simulation. One where players become unwitting minions!"

The room erupted in laughter, each developer adding increasingly ridiculous theories about Sam's mysterious absence.

"I bet he's found a secret girlfriend," Marcus suddenly interjected. "Developers can be quite the catch these days."

At the mention of a potential romantic involvement, Yuna felt an unexpected tightness in her chest. Her heart clenched involuntarily, and a wave of unexpected sadness washed over her. She tried to maintain her composure, but the thought of Sam with someone else made her feel inexplicably hollow.

Yuna's cheeks flushed pink. "Sam doesn't have a girlfriend," she blurted out, her voice a bit too defensive.

Elena and Sophia exchanged knowing glances. "Oh?" Elena drawled. "Someone sounds a bit sensitive."

"I am not!" Yuna protested, her hands fidgeting with a digital stylus.

Sophia leaned forward, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "You totally like Sam, don't you?"

David and Marcus watched the exchange awkwardly, neither wanting to interrupt the unfolding drama. Marcus shifted uncomfortably in his chair, while David suddenly became very interested in his computer screen.

"I do not!" Yuna's denial came out high-pitched and unconvincing.

"Your face is so red right now," Elena teased. "That's totally the face of someone who likes someone."

Yuna tried to compose herself, but her attempts only made the other women laugh harder. The more she denied it, the more convinced they became that she harbored feelings for Sam.

The boys continued to sit in uncomfortable silence, hoping to avoid being drawn into the conversation.

David minimized his Norse landscape design and opened Scarlet's stream. Her vibrant orange-red hair was pulled back, and her golden-yellow eyes sparkled with their usual energy.

"Hello everyone! Is everyone doing okay?" Ruby greeted, her voice cheerful.

The chat quickly filled with messages:

[GamerNinja]: "Welcome back, Scarlet! We missed you!"

[ShadowBlade]: "What are we going to play today?"

[TechnoGeek]: "Let's go!"

David typed in the chat: [DevDavid]: "Watching in the background."

Ruby reads the comments and grinned. "Umu, seems everyone is doing well."

Ruby's stream buzzed with excitement as she scanned the chat's messages. Her viewers were eagerly speculating about her mysterious announcement.

"Alright, chat! Today, I have a very special surprise for you all," Ruby said, her golden-yellow eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I've got a guest who's been making waves in the simulation development world!"

The chat erupted:

[TechnoGeek]: "OMG, who is it?!"

[GamerNinja]: "Spill the tea, Scarlet!"

[ShadowBlade]: "A guest?! This is new!"

Ruby grinned, her excitement building. "Today, I'm thrilled to introduce the rising star developer himself - Genesis!"

The camera panned to reveal Sam sitting beside her. He gave a small wave and smiled awkwardly. "Hi everyone, I'm Sam Briar, also known as Genesis in the development world."

At that moment, David, who had been casually watching the stream, did a spectacular spit-take, spraying his drink across his computer screen. His colleagues turned to stare at him in shock, their eyes wide with surprise at seeing their boss on a streamer's channel.

David's colleagues stared at him, bewildered by his sudden outburst.

"What's going on?" Elena asked, leaning closer to his screen.

David pointed frantically. "Look! Sam's on Scarlet's stream!"

Yuna, Sophia, and Elena crowded around David's monitor. Sure enough, Sam sat next to Ruby, looking slightly uncomfortable but trying to appear relaxed. The stream's chat was exploding with messages of excitement and surprise.

"How did this happen?" Sophia wondered aloud. "Sam's not exactly the type to do public streaming."

Elena squinted at the screen. "Is that really Sam?"

Yuna remained silent, her eyes fixed on the screen. Her mind raced with questions about why Sam would appear on a popular streamer's channel without mentioning it to his development team.

The developers watched intently, their work momentarily forgotten as they tried to understand this unexpected development. David scrolled through the chat, reading the viewers' reactions and Sam's brief introductions.

"This is definitely not something he mentioned in our team meetings," David muttered, still in disbelief.

Ruby turned to Sam with an exaggerated wink. "So, viewers, I have a special treat today! Genesis himself is here to let me play a brand new simulation!"

Sam shifted slightly in his chair, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "That's right," he said, his voice calm and measured.

"What's the simulation about?" Ruby asked, leaning forward with excitement. Her golden-yellow eyes sparkled with curiosity, and the chat erupted with messages of anticipation.

Sam chuckled. "It's a special kind of fun simulation," he responded cryptically. "You'll just have to experience it to know."

Ruby's eyebrows raised dramatically. "Ooh, how mysterious!" she exclaimed, turning to her chat. "Did you hear that, everyone? Genesis is being all secretive!"

The chat exploded:

[TechnoGeek]: "What could it be?!"

[GamerNinja]: "Scarlet, you have to play it!"

[ShadowBlade]: "Sounds exciting!"

Ruby grinned at Sam. "Mysterious and exciting - I'm totally in!"

In the SimQuest development room, the team exchanged bewildered glances. Elena leaned closer to David's monitor, her brow furrowed. "We're still deep in the God of War simulation," she whispered. "What simulation could Sam possibly be talking about?"

Sophia scrolled through the stream's chat, her fingers tapping nervously against the desk. "He hasn't mentioned anything in our team meetings," she muttered. "Not a single word about a new project."

Yuna remained silent, her eyes fixed on Sam's image. Her mind raced with questions. They had been working extensively on the Norse mythology-based simulation, meticulously crafting every detail from character movements to environmental design. The God of War project was far from complete, let alone ready for a public stream.

"This doesn't make sense," David said, zooming in on Sam's face. "We've been working around the clock, and I've never seen him working on another simulation."

The developers huddled closer, their curiosity growing with each passing moment. They watched as Ruby prepared to launch whatever mysterious simulation Sam had brought.

"Something's not right," Elena muttered. "We would know if Sam was developing another simulation. We work together every single day."

Yuna's fingers unconsciously gripped the edge of the desk, her knuckles turning white. The uncertainty of Sam's secret project gnawed at her, mixing confusion with a strange sense of betrayal.

Ruby adjusted the simulation helmet, her fingers dancing with excitement. "Alright, chat! Let's dive right in and not waste any time!"

Sam sat nearby, ready to provide guidance. "I'll be at the side if you need any help."

The simulation helmet hummed to life, its sleek design fitting perfectly over Ruby's vibrant orange-red hair. The screen flickered, and then bold letters appeared:

HI-FI RUSH

Ruby leaned forward, her golden-yellow eyes sparkling with anticipation. The simulation was about to begin.