"Two more skeletons," Fang calculated coldly. "If I place them near the cliff edge, I can create a bottleneck. Efficiency will increase by 20%."
His finger hovered over the [Purchase] button. He was ready to fortify. He was ready to turn this island into an impenetrable fortress of death.
[Ding!]
A violent red warning box slammed into his vision, vibrating with an aggressive buzzing sound.
[WARNING!]
[System Analysis: Host is about to commit strategic suicide!]
Fang paused. His finger froze an inch from the screen. His eyes narrowed.
"Suicide?" he muttered.
"Explain."
[Explanation: You have 20 skeletons. You have 1 dead player. Your current Player Retention Rate is 0%. Your current New Player Acquisition Rate is near zero.]
[If you spend your capital on Defense, you will have a strong fortress with no one to kill. No players means no income. No income means bankruptcy. Bankruptcy means erasure.]
[Recommendation: Marketing is the lifeblood of a Tycoon.]
Fang lowered his hand. The red light of the warning reflected in his dark pupils.
The System was right.
He was thinking like a Guild Leader. But he wasn't a Guild Leader anymore. He was a Developer. A businessman.
A slaughterhouse with no cattle was just an empty building.
"Open Marketing Tab," Fang commanded.
The interface shimmered and changed. The gloomy grey of the NPC shop was replaced by a bright, flashy gold menu. Icons of megaphones, billboards, and shooting stars filled his vision.
[Marketing & Promotion Hub]
[Current Funds: 50 Coins]
Fang scrolled through the options. His lip curled in disdain.
[Option 1: Universal System Broadcast]
[Cost: 1,000,000 Coins]
[Effect: Every creature in the Multiverse hears your game's name. Guaranteed 10 million players.]
"Too expensive," Fang dismissed.
[Option 2: Sector-Wide Banner]
[Cost: 10,000 Coins]
[Effect: A large banner appears in the sky of the 'Hub World'. High traffic.]
"Still trash. I can't afford it."
Fang scrolled down to the bottom of the list, looking for the scraps. The bargain bin. He needed something dirty. Something cheap.
His eyes landed on the 'Budget' section.
[Option 3: The 'Clickbait' Pop-up Ad]
[Cost: 50 Coins (All remaining funds)]
[Effect: Sends a mysterious, intrusive pop-up window to random users browsing low-tier system forums. High risk of being ignored, but high potential for 'Curiosity' clicks.]
Fang stared at the description. It cost exactly what he had. But Fang didn't believe in luck.
"Humans are simple," Fang said, a cruel smirk touching his lips. "If you tell them something is wonderful, they doubt you. If you tell them something is impossible, they want to prove you wrong."
He selected Option 3.
[Please input your Ad Slogan (Max 10 Words):]
Fang typed rapidly. He didn't use words like "Fun" or "Adventure." He didn't promise gold or waifus.
He typed:
"WARNING: 99.9% FAIL RATE. DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME."
[Ding!]
[Slogan Accepted.]
[Processing Payment: -50 Creation Coins.]
[Marketing Campaign 'Psychological Trap' launched!]
[Estimated Time to Traffic: 1 Hour.]
Fang closed the window. His balance was now big, fat zero.
He walked over to the single large rock on his island and sat down. He crossed his legs, resting his chin on his fist.
He waited.
The wind howled across the barren grey landscape.
Ten minutes passed.
Nothing.
Thirty minutes passed.
Fifty minutes passed.
[Global Chat] remained quiet, save for other Developers complaining about their lack of funds.
[FarmingKing: Does anyone know how to attract players? I built a beautiful barn, but nobody is coming! My cows are lonely!]
[MechaLord: Marketing is a scam. I spent 100 coins on flyers and got one player who logged out instantly.]
Fang chuckled softly. They were begging players to come. Fang had challenged them.
[Ding!]
The hour mark hit.
The stone altar in the center of the island—the Spawn Point—began to glow with a faint blue light.
[Marketing Campaign Results are in!]
[Click-Through Rate: 0.05%]
[Conversion Rate: High.]
[Incoming Players detected!]
Fang stood up.
The light on the altar intensified. It didn't flash once. It flashed multiple times in rapid succession.
Zzap! Zzap! Zzap!
Three figures materialized on the spawn pad.
They weren't looking around in wonder like the first guy. They looked skeptical.
[Player: 'SpeedRunner69' (Level 1)]
[Player: 'TankTop' (Level 1)]
[Player: 'DarkElf_Waifu' (Level 1)]
"Is this it?" SpeedRunner69 asked, looking at the grey dirt. He was wearing the default leather tunic.
"The ad said 'Do Not Play'. I was expecting a demon lord instantly spawn-camping us."
"It looks kinda trash," TankTop grunted, flexing his character's bare arms. "Graphics are okay, but the atmosphere is depressing."
"Wait," DarkElf_Waifu pointed toward the mist.
"Look."
The three players squinted.
Through the fog, the silhouettes of Fang's twenty skeletons were visible. They weren't attacking yet. They were waiting for aggro range.
Fang watched their reactions from the high ground. He checked their stats.
[Player: SpeedRunner69]
[Psychology: Competitive. Wants to be the first to clear everything.]
[Player: TankTop]
[Psychology: Brute. Likes to hit things. Hates reading.]
[Player: DarkElf_Waifu]
[Psychology: Cautious. Explorer.]
"Hey!" SpeedRunner69 shouted, stepping off the altar. "Is there a dev here? Or an NPC? Where's the quest?"
Fang remained silent. He didn't install a quest system. Quests were for games that held your hand.
SpeedRunner69 took a few steps forward. "Whatever. I bet those skeletons are weak mobs. Level 1 trash to farm XP."
He drew his starter dagger.
"Watch this, guys. First clear."
He dashed forward.
Fang's eyes gleamed. "Idiot."
The moment SpeedRunner69 crossed the invisible perimeter the AI of the skeletons activated.
[Ding!]
[Aggro Linked!]
It wasn't one skeleton that moved.
All twenty heads snapped toward the player simultaneously.
"Woah," TankTop said. "That's a lot of agro."
SpeedRunner69 froze.
"Uh... usually they come one by one..."
Fang had spent 50 coins on the 'Hidden Trap' modifier earlier, but he also commanded the AI to swarm.
"Run!" DarkElf_Waifu screamed.
Too late.
SpeedRunner69 tried to backpedal, but his foot caught on a jagged rock. He stumbled.
Three skeletons leaped onto him. Rusty swords plunged down.
Slash! Crunch!
[-15 HP]
[-20 HP]
[-CRITICAL! 40 HP]
Blood sprayed across the grey grass.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS DAMAGE?!" SpeedRunner69 shrieked. "I'm Level 1!"
[Ding!]
[Player 'SpeedRunner69' has died.]
[+50 Creation Coins generated from Despair.]
The other two players, TankTop and DarkElf_Waifu, stood on the spawn altar, their faces pale.
"He died in two seconds," TankTop whispered. "He didn't even land a hit."
Fang stepped out from the shadows of the terminal.
"Welcome," Fang said. His voice was amplified by the System, booming across the small island.
The two survivors looked up, seeing the dark-haired figure standing on the cliff edge, his coat fluttering in the digital wind.
"Are you the boss?" TankTop shouted, gripping his wooden shield.
"I am the Developer," Fang said coldly. "And you are trespassing."
[Ding!]
[Global Quest Issued: Survive 5 Minutes.]
[Reward: Starter Weapon Box.]
[Failure: Death.]
Fang issued the quest manually. It was a simple psychological trick. Give them a goal. Give them hope.
"Five minutes?" TankTop grinned. "Just survive? Easy. We just camp the spawn!"
Fang smiled.
"You think the spawn is safe?"
He snapped his fingers.
The 'Hidden Trap' he had purchased earlier wasn't in the field.
It was on the altar.
Click!
The stone beneath TankTop's feet shifted.
[Ding!]
[Trap Activated: Poison Gas Vent.]
Green, noxious fumes hissed out of the cracks in the spawn point.
"Cough! Poison! It's poison!" TankTop panicked, his health bar turning green and draining rapidly.
[-5 HP/sec].
"We have to move!" DarkElf_Waifu yelled, jumping off the safety of the altar and into the field.
"But the skeletons!" TankTop argued, coughing.
"It's die here or die there! Move!"
They ran. They ran straight into the fog, straight toward the army of rattling bones.
Fang watched the chaos unfold. The panic. The screams. The struggle.
[Ding!]
[Despair Energy Rising...]
[Player Count: 2 (Active)]
[Spectator Count: 1 (SpeedRunner69 is watching his death cam)]
[Current Funds: 50 Coins -> 55 Coins -> 60 Coins...]
The coins were ticking up with every tick of poison damage.
"This," Fang said, watching TankTop desperately try to block three skeleton warriors with a wooden plank, "is marketing."
He opened the [NPC Shop] again.
"System," Fang said. "Prepare the 'Zombie Dog' pack. I want to release them at the 2-minute mark. Let's see if they can run faster."
[Affirmative, Host.]