Kaiser unplugged the USB drive from the laptop, his fingers brushing over its smooth surface. It had been a day since he first connected it, and now the device seemed almost like an extension of himself. He couldn't stop marveling at the way it had granted him control over this world—a world that felt real, tangible, yet not quite. The more he played, the more it seemed to blur the lines between the virtual and the actual.
Experimenting, Kaiser plugged the USB back into the laptop. He expected nothing more than the screen to flicker and load up the interface again—but to his surprise, the game itself appeared instantly. No need for booting, no lag. It was like summoning it at will.
"Interesting," he murmured.
He clicked through the options quickly, setting his mind on testing its durability. Maybe he could see how long the game would run, how long it could sustain itself, but as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he hesitated. What if he pushed it too far? There was no guarantee the game wouldn't glitch or crash under the pressure.
Simulating in a sandbox is fine for now, he thought. But what about getting stronger?
He glanced down at his hands. No visible change. He felt no different, physically. His body was still the same—the same lean, wiry frame that had come from surviving in this foreign world. No newfound strength, no heightened senses. Wasn't this supposed to make him stronger? Surely there had to be some benefit to this power he wielded.
Perhaps it would come later, he reasoned. Maybe when he reached 10 or 100 faith points, something would change. The game had given him small miracles for now, but he needed more. He needed strength. He needed power.
Kaiser shook his head. He wasn't going to get any answers by sitting around wondering. He needed to focus on survival. He had learned that lesson well in the last month.
It was noon, and the sunlight filtered through the cracks in his cave entrance. Time to go gather food.
He unplugged the USB drive again and tucked it safely into his coat pocket, standing up. It was strange how his instincts still worked in this world, like he was meant to be here. Every step was calculated—every movement intentional.
The laptop sat untouched on the rocky table. Kaiser left the cave, heading toward the forest where the berry bushes had grown since his miracle. The rain had helped the crops thrive, and now it was a matter of picking the right ones, avoiding anything poisonous. His village—his followers—were working harder, building and expanding, their faith deepening. They seemed to thrive on his miracles.
As he collected berries and a few herbs, his mind wandered back to the game. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of miracles he could unlock once he had more faith. But he couldn't just sit around and wait. He needed a plan.
By the time he had gathered enough food, the sun was starting to dip, casting the world in hues of amber and gold. Kaiser made his way back to the cave, his thoughts returning to the game.
Once inside, he pulled the laptop out of his bag and set it on the table. Plugging in the USB drive again, he noticed the screen flicker—white, just like before. The game presented its three options again:
[New Game][Continue Game][Quit]
He clicked [Continue Game].
A strange stillness took over. He was staring at the game interface again, but there was something off—something different. The villagers, the temple, the landscape... it all looked the same at first glance, but there was a subtle difference. The message on the screen was different too.
"One year has passed in-game."
Kaiser blinked. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure if he had seen that correctly.
He clicked through a few more tabs. The faith counter, which had been at 8 earlier, now sat at 120. The villagers had made tremendous progress. New structures had sprung up around the temple. The berry bushes had expanded into lush, vibrant groves. Some of the villagers had even begun crafting rudimentary tools—axes, hammers, basic farming equipment. He was witnessing their evolution, step by step, in real-time.
A year. The game had kept running while he was out in the real world. The laptop didn't even need to be on.
Sweet.
Kaiser sat back in his chair, grinning for the first time in what felt like weeks. This changed everything. While he was out gathering food, the world he was building had grown on its own. He could grind like this. If the game continued to run in the background, he could leave the laptop plugged in, do his thing in this world, and come back to an ever-growing faith, an ever-growing power.
His gaze drifted to the [Temple Upgrades] tab again. The option to upgrade was now unlocked.
Upgrade upon reaching 10 faith—no longer just a distant goal. He had exceeded that threshold without even realizing it.
There was so much to be done. With 120 faith points, Kaiser felt like a god on the verge of discovering his true potential.
Once I become strong enough, I can move out of this cave, he thought. I can interact with the outside world—civilization. Build an empire. or whatever
But for now, he would wait. He would let the faith points accumulate. The world would evolve in his absence, and he would return each day, plugging the USB in and watching the fruits of his labor grow.
For once, Kaiser was no longer just a survivor. He was a creator.