El teléfono se sentía cálido contra la oreja de Ethan, un marcado contraste con el nudo de aprensión que se le apretaba en el estómago. "Sí, mamá, estoy bien, de verdad. Llegué con todas mis maletas. La habitación es... acogedora. Ya sabes, acogedora, como en la universidad". Soltó una risita forzada que no llegó a sus ojos mientras observaba las paredes desnudas y ligeramente polvorientas de su nuevo dormitorio.
La voz de su madre, impregnada de esa familiar mezcla de preocupación y amor inquebrantable, resonó por el altavoz. Pintó una imagen de felicidad organizada, omitiendo cuidadosamente el caos de ropa sin empacar que amenazaba con salirse de su maleta y la sensación general de estar completamente a la deriva en este nuevo y abrumador lugar.
—Está bien, cariño. Llámame si ocurre algo... cualquier cosa. Come bien, descansa y no olvides tu chequeo diario.
"Lo haré, mamá. Te quiero."
"Te amo más, Ethan."
Colgó, y el repentino silencio amplificó los sonidos desconocidos que llegaban del pasillo: fragmentos de charlas animadas, el golpe sordo de una pelota de baloncesto afuera. Respiró hondo; el aire olía a nuevo comienzo y a líquido de limpieza.
Salir al bullicioso campus era como dejarse llevar por una corriente humana. Los estudiantes, una vibrante mezcla de estudiantes de primer año con rostros frescos y estudiantes de último año aparentemente experimentados, abarrotaban los pasillos. Mesas atendidas por entusiastas representantes de diversos departamentos universitarios se alineaban en la plaza principal, cada una compitiendo por llamar la atención con coloridas pancartas y montones de folletos. Esta era una **universidad importante**, claramente un centro de actividad y aspiraciones en una ciudad moderna y en expansión.
Ethan, una isla ligeramente abrumada en este mar de actividad, se abrió paso, su mirada yendo de los imponentes y algo deteriorados edificios universitarios a los rostros esperanzados que lo rodeaban. Manos extendidas, ofreciendo folletos. "¡Bienvenidos a la Facultad de Ingeniería!" "¿Te interesa unirte al Club de Debate?" "¡Psicología: Entiéndete a ti mismo y a los demás!"
He collected a few, a polite smile plastered on his face. Most went straight into his backpack, destined for a later, probably cursory, glance. But one flyer, a simple design with a circuit board motif, caught his eye. **"School of Computer Sciences – Shaping the Digital Future."** Underneath, the list of courses and the welcoming message resonated with a familiar pull. This was it. The reason he'd chosen this university, this career path. A nervous flutter of excitement stirred within him.
Finding his assigned dorm room felt like a minor victory. The 'cozy' single was small, dominated by a narrow bed, a desk that looked suspiciously like it had survived several generations of students, and a wardrobe that groaned under the weight of his meager belongings.
The first week blurred into a montage of orientation sessions, awkward introductions, navigating the sprawling campus, and the daunting realization that university-level calculus was a different beast altogether. Long days bled into even longer nights. He'd seen plenty of other students, some seemingly effortlessly cool, others clearly campus beauties who turned heads wherever they went. He was just Ethan, blending into the background, focused on his own quiet struggles.
It was during one such late night, hunched over his stubbornly uncooperative laptop, that the disappointment truly settled in. He'd envisioned himself diving into coding projects, maybe even starting to tinker with game development, the very thing that had ignited his passion for computers. Instead, he was stuck wrestling with basic syntax errors, feeling like a complete novice staring at a digital brick wall. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but the lines of code on the screen looked less like potential and more like an alien language. He felt the familiar pang of inferiority, comparing his struggles to the seamless, polished experiences he admired.
He leaned back in his chair, a sigh escaping his lips. The glow of the screen illuminated his frustrated expression. "Man," he muttered to the empty room, his voice barely a whisper, "I just… I wish I knew more. I want to *create*. To build worlds, experiences… like those legendary game directors. They're practically digital gods."
His gaze drifted to the posters he'd carefully taped to the wall – vibrant screenshots from his favorite indie games, each a testament to the power of a small team with a compelling vision. He'd spent hours on forums, lurking, reading dev blogs, trying to absorb every scrap of knowledge, admiring the work of studios like 'Pixelbloom Games' or 'Narrative Nexus' – companies that started small and grew through sheer innovation.
Suddenly, the dim light of his laptop screen seemed to flicker, replaced by a new, colder luminescence. A panel, sharp and minimalist, materialized in his vision, seemingly hovering just in front of him. It pulsed with a soft, monotonous blue light, devoid of any warmth or unnecessary flourish.
Ethan blinked, rubbing his eyes, convinced exhaustion was finally playing tricks on him. But the panel remained, stark and undeniably present.
**\[System ADJ Initializing…]**
A line of text appeared on the panel, the words crisp and digital. Ethan's heart hammered against his ribs. What in the actual…?
More text followed, scrolling smoothly upwards:
**\[System ADJ: Integrated.]**
**\[Primary User Identified: Ethan Reyes.]**
The voice that accompanied the next line was equally cold and devoid of emotion, like a sophisticated text-to-speech program. "Greetings, Ethan Reyes. I am the **Applied Development Junction System – ADJ.**"
Ethan swallowed hard, his mind racing. This… this was insane. He stammered, his voice cracking slightly, "W-what are you? Some kind of… app?"
"I am a comprehensive assistance framework designed to optimize your learning and development in the field of digital creation. My core functions include:
* **Analysis of Player Trends:** Identifying emerging interests and unmet demands in the gaming landscape.
* **Optimization of Design & Code:** Pinpointing inefficiencies and suggesting improvements in your project structure and programming.
* **Evaluation of Latent Talent:** Highlighting individuals with complementary skills and creative potential for collaboration.
* **Community Impact Analysis:** Processing player feedback to provide actionable insights for game refinement."
The summary was concise, almost clinical. Ethan stared, a whirlwind of disbelief and a sliver of burgeoning excitement churning within him. This wasn't some cheesy overpowered system from a webnovel. It sounded… analytical. Practical.
"As a primary function, I have identified a unique aptitude within you: the capacity for rapid conceptual learning when provided with structured information and clear objectives."
A small flicker of pride sparked within Ethan despite the bizarre circumstances. Okay, maybe all those late nights watching coding tutorials hadn't been a complete waste.
"To facilitate your development and achieve tangible results, your initial primary objective is:
**\[Primary Mission: Initiate Indie Game Development – Project: Cafe & Restaurant Tycoon.]**
**\[Objective: Create a functional prototype of a café and restaurant management simulation game from the ground up.]**"
The panel remained, the cold blue light steady. Ethan stared at the mission parameters, a grin slowly spreading across his face, chasing away the earlier frustration. A coffee and restaurant tycoon game? It sounded… manageable. Challenging. And strangely exciting.
Su monólogo interior cobró vida, una sinfonía caótica de nerviosa anticipación y entusiasmo incipiente. *"¿Un sistema? ¿En serio? ¿Esto está sucediendo de verdad? Bueno, bueno, no te preocupes. Dice 'marco de asistencia', no 'modo dios'. Así que todavía tengo que... ya sabes... *hacer* el juego. Pero... ¿información sobre tendencias? ¿Análisis de errores? Eso podría ser... increíble. Un magnate de cafeterías... sí, ya lo veo. Clientes pixelados, la avalancha de pedidos... Siempre me han encantado esos juegos. Y ahora... ahora sí tengo la oportunidad de crear uno. Se acabó soñar con ello."*
Volvió a mirar el panel frío e impasible. Era su oportunidad. De dejar de sentirse como un novato despistado y finalmente forjar su propio camino en el mundo de los videojuegos. El camino no sería fácil, lo sabía instintivamente. Pero por primera vez desde que llegó a la universidad, una genuina chispa de pasión, feroz y decidida, se encendió en Ethan Reyes. El viaje estaba a punto de comenzar.