Not One, But Two.
Unlike PC online games that focus on a single character, subculture mobile games require you to cultivate multiple characters. The reason is simple: team composition.
The primary business model for subculture mobile games is the character gacha. Game companies only make money if players pull as many characters as possible. Abnormal Hunters is no different.
This game involves solving anomalies by forming a team of five Awakened. Surprisingly, it doesn't have an overly malicious business model, so it’s standard practice to use an "All SSR Character Selection Ticket" to secure the so-called "human rights characters"—the essential units required for any viable team.
However.
I used that crucial selection ticket to pull Park Sihyun, a shota character.
I understand why the viewers are having a seizure. But I have a point, too.
"Aren't you supposed to play games to have fun? I’m pulling what I want to see, so what’s the problem?"
My current team status:
Slot 1: Park Sihyun. Shota supporter.
Slot 2: Yerimi. Loli supporter.
Slot 3: Fervent Follower of the Shining Stars - Lee Jia. Me.
Slot 4: Aria. Loli supporter.
Slot 5: Oh Hyejin. Loli supporter.
I placed myself in the most important 3rd slot, and flanked myself with a shota character and loli characters. It’s truly an ideal composition. One shota, three lolis. If this isn't a paradise of wine and meat, what is?
The only downside to this team is that since there are no dealers, I have to spend several minutes twisting my body to take down a single anomaly. With five supporters, I don't die. It just takes a long time.
Park Sihyun activates his full-gauge active skill.
[N-noona... Team Leader... I-I'll do my best!]
"Hehehehe."
Yerimi activates her full-gauge skill.
[I'm going to tell my mommy!]
Aria and Hyejin activate their full-gauge skills too! Like this, I watch the 1-shota, 3-loli full-gauge active skills for a whopping 10 minutes.
"Hehehehe."
"What do you mean, show Lee Jia’s active? If you want to see it, pull her yourself."
I did pull Lee Jia out of courtesy since we did a collaboration, but... I’m under no obligation to show off her active skill.
Ugh. Besides, I ended up max-limit-breaking her because I pulled her way more than expected. To describe the max-limit-break animation of the SSR character Lee Jia in one word...
Hmm. I suppose I could describe it as 'Censored'.
Regardless, I don't want to show these perverted believers the max-limit-break animation... Ah, crap. I clicked the wrong thing!
The max-limit-break cutscene for 'Fervent Follower of the Shining Stars - Lee Jia' starts playing on the screen.
"Jiaaaaaa! I didn't click it!"
I really didn't click it. Damn this bug-ridden piece of trash game!
Before I knew it, the middle of the month had passed and we were heading toward the end. Today is the 21st. There’s about a week and three days left until the month ends. And I still haven't solved an anomaly.
...It’s been a while since I felt this anxious.
The Awakened Association is well aware of my 'Obligations of the True Librarian,' so they usually try to be considerate and contact me before the middle of the month. In fact, over the last 21 days, Kim Junghwan contacted me twice asking me to resolve anomalies.
"Ah, Jia-nim. It’s been resolved."
Once, it was a trivial anomaly, so other Awakened resolved it in a whopping 30 minutes. Another time...
"Uh... Jia-nim, I don't think you need to come."
That one sounded extremely dangerous, but it was also resolved quickly thanks to the brilliant performance of other Awakened. I thought I would need my ability—the racial trait of the 'Fervent Follower of the Shining Stars' that allows me to check target information—but it turns out the Awakened are handling things quite well on their own lately.
The reason is simple. The Awakened Association’s method of resolving anomalies changed after the 'Fervent Follower Countermeasure Meeting' at the beginning of the month.
The previous method was: 'Resolve anomalies as efficiently and quickly as possible.' Speed is obvious, but efficiency is key. It’s not about the number of Awakened; it’s about the compatibility between the anomaly and the Awakened’s ability. For example, if a fire-related anomaly appears, sending twenty fire-type Awakened is inefficient. But sending Seo Jiyoon, who can manipulate liquids, would resolve it easily.
That was the old way. But recently, the Association has completely abandoned efficiency. They now deploy a company-sized unit to resolve even the most trivial anomaly. At least thirty Awakened, plus a support team of over 300 people. The resources poured in are world-class. If you add up all the manpower and resources, it’s an astronomical cost for a minor anomaly.
Is it efficient? Obviously not. But the Association is doing this as a kind of drill to prepare for the 'Fervent Follower' who will appear someday. A Fervent Follower can never, under any circumstances, be killed. Since the target cannot be killed, the next best option is sealing.
The Association is currently practicing 'sealing' anomalies. If they want to seal an entity with a status powerful enough to toy with all of humanity, they need plenty of practice. So, even if they could easily resolve an anomaly through compatibility, they insist on sealing it using only the first group deployed.
I wondered if it was truly possible to seal them, given that every anomaly has different abilities, sizes, and some even lack a 'physical form.' But it worked. The 'Fervent Follower' race is just too transcendental; the Awakened themselves seem to be a group of monsters, not humans.
Naturally, my existence and Yoo Iseul’s are completely excluded from this sealing process. It only has meaning if they can seal anomalies without us. Now that it’s been proven that the Awakened can perfectly seal anomalies on their own, even if a Fervent Follower appears while Yoo Iseul and I are away, it should be a fight worth having...
...It doesn't feel like it. They are still far too lacking. The practice has been going on for less than a month, after all. I wish a Fervent Follower would appear only after the Awakened have become sufficiently accustomed to the act of 'sealing.' But if the world flowed according to my wishes, I would be the Shining Star, I would be the god...
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Eek."
...They’re relentless today, too. Anyway, if I don't resolve an anomaly within this month, I will be disposed of. It’s an unavoidable trial set by the Obligations of the True Librarian. Therefore, I’ve set a reservation to be the one to resolve the next anomaly that appears. It looks a bit strange to make a reservation for resolving an anomaly, but I can't just sit still and wait to be disposed of.
I spent three days waiting anxiously, and finally.
"J-Jia-nim, it’s an anomaly!"
An anomaly appeared. Hooray! Unlike Kim Junghwan, who was so desperate he was stuttering, I let out a sigh of relief inwardly. I thought I was going to die. I thought I wouldn't be able to resolve an anomaly before the month ended. But Kim Junghwan seems a bit more flustered than usual.
"Are there any special circumstances?"
"T-two...!"
Two?
"There are two! Two have appeared at the same time!"