Northern Defense Takes Off

Northern Defense! Launch!

Was it because I'd been glued to my mana panel late into the night, fretting over worries? The sunlight streaming through the classroom window felt especially harsh.

...Not that the sunlight's the problem. It's my sleep schedule.

I let out a massive yawn as I pushed open the classroom door, revealing the now-familiar scene.

Students clutching their mana panels, lost in games.

"You see GameDevCutie's new release yet?"

"Yeah... I seriously wanna lock 'em up, feed 'em nothing but steamed buns three times a day, and make 'em crank out games forever."

"Oh my, you too?"

...I swear I heard some ominous muttering from somewhere.

Anyway, students chattering about the game.

And Yaruru, all alone in the corner, glued to her mana panel.

"That's mana panel addiction, you know."

I dropped my bag in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seat next to her, and Yaruru waved me off without even glancing up, eyes locked on her panel.

"Shh. This is a super important moment, you know."

Important moment? Curious, I snuck a peek at her mana panel.

The moment I saw the game on her panel, my lips twitched upward. I tried to school my expression on reflex... but

Wait, no need in front of Yaruru.

I'd never outright told her my identity, but she'd decided on her own that I was GameDevCutie's assistant.

With that thought, I peered back at my mana panel.

...From a developer's perspective, Yaruru's unit placements were a total mess.

She'd wasted costs on the right flank early on, where it wasn't even needed, and her greed left the center half-empty. Classic newbie trap: trying to cover everywhere and failing spectacularly.

Yet Yaruru couldn't tear her eyes away. Lips pursed in concentration, she dragged units around, canceled, tapped frantically.

"Center over right—"

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Thud— Boom— Rumble!

The ice-armored brute charged the center barrier.

And through the gap, a few frostwolves slipped in like shadows.

"Kyaaak! That's too much, you know!"

Red text flashed across the screen, and Yaruru slammed the desk, jumping to her feet.

Students' eyes turned our way amid the commotion, but she didn't care a bit.

I stifled a laugh and asked casually,

"That pissed? Why not just quit?"

"No way, you know."

"Why?"

"I'm almost there, you know. Just a bit more and... I can clear it, you know."

"Your barrier was half-gone before Wave 3 even started."

"That's strategy, you know."

With that, she hit restart without hesitation.

I stared openly, then leaned back in my chair.

Hmm. Yaruru really is the ultimate reaction queen.

From a dev's view, she was the perfect player. Enjoying it exactly as intended, clinging with passion, and those reactions? Gold.

Here it comes. My dopamine hit.

Watching players grind their teeth, rage-quit, scream "one more round" over my game...

It's the best.

"Chase."

"Uh, yeah? I didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠say you're bad at games or anything!"

"..."

"..."

"...Tell that person this too, you know."

The new round started, and she poked my arm.

Tell that person? Meaning GameDevCutie.

"Again?"

"What do you mean 'again', you know."

"Last time it was 'when's Fireball 3.0 coming?'"

"Oh yeah... No! That's important too, but this is more urgent, you know."

She tapped her panel earnestly.

"Acts all easy early on, but gets real nasty later, you know."

"Nasty?"

"Yeah, you know. Scratches that itch just right."

"..."

"I wanna cover left, right, and center, so why force me to ditch one, you know."

I was speechless.

She gets it so well... so why does she play like that?

Skill aside, Yaruru nailed my intent perfectly. Though with her personality, it was probably just victim venting, not cold analysis.

"Anyway, so?"

"So it pisses me off, you know."

"Harsh."

"But it's fun, you know."

"Praise?"

"Both, you know."

Her pouty face made me grin inwardly.

Yes. This is the reaction I wanted.

She eyed me, then added,

"And the frostwolves have a scammy name, you know."

"Huh? Why the name now?"

"Sounded pretty and mystical, like spirits, but they act the dirtiest, you know."

"You gonna manage a wolf's image?"

"They can, you know."

"Take it up with the scholar who named 'em."

"Anyway, tell 'em, you know."

I finally burst out laughing.

Yaruru's wide-eyed stare made me squeeze my eyes shut.

Keep that face up and I might laugh myself unconscious.

"Why're you laughing, you know."

"Your feedback's too honest."

"Honest is good, you know."

"Heh... yeah, you're right."

Where it frustrates, where it sparks challenge. That raw feedback beats stars any day for a dev.

Still hilarious, though.

As I caught my breath, Yaruru puffed up triumphantly.

"Anyway, Chase, you have to tell him, you know."

"Tell him what."

"GameDevCutie."

"...Got it. Fine."

"Not one word off, not a single letter missing, you know."

"You said too much; I can't memorize it all."

"Then I'll start over from the top, you know."

"Wait, Yar—"

She whipped out a notepad, ignoring me, and launched in passionately.

"Early game's fun but a trap, so annoying, mid-game's straight ragebait, late-game I haven't reached but it's already scary, you know."

"..."

"Oh! And make the next map quick, you know."

"...Next map?"

"Fifty million Grace Academy students are begging for it, you know!"

"Just the dorm residents... Whatever, you haven't cleared Wave 3 yet."

"I can clear it soon, you know! And that's the game's fault..."

"You're so consistent..."

"Taking that as a compliment, you know."

Right then, the professor entered from the front, greeting the class. Yaruru paused Northern Defense with a regretful look.

"Oh, one more thing, you know."

"Now what."

"Ice-armored brutes are too ugly; total thumbs down, you know."

The most serious face yet, leaning in like it was top-secret.

"...That's it?"

"Super important issue, you know."

The professor pulled up the textbook on his mana panel, and Yaruru sat straight like nothing happened.

But I stared at my empty desk, not even thinking of opening my panel for a while.

If Yaruru's reacting this hard... it'll be fine elsewhere too.

No. More than fine—it might blow up big.

Class ended, and I headed straight back to the dorm, firing up my mana panel.

"Gotta do what needs doing."

Notifications from the academy community poured in the second it booted up.

Even just the main posts were too many to count on two hands.

Back when we got maybe one a month, who'd have thought my influence had grown this much?

"Huh."

But why are the reactions like this?

"Already scammers complaining?"

Even as I muttered, notifications kept piling up.

Seemed I'd succeeded in stirring the academy at least.

But this game's real target was outside. External communities mattered more.

"Active...? Like current mercenary?"

At the sad reality of tank discrimination even in real life, I couldn't hold back a laugh and swiped to the next tab.

And there—one post caught my eye. Unusually high comments.

Oh, exactly the reaction I'd hoped for. Perfect balance—not too heavy, not just a quick laugh.

Should I comment— Nah, back button.

"Commenting'd ruin the mystique I'm building."

Back. Refresh.

A notification popped. Thought it was another main post at first, but sender wasn't the community.

"...Huh?"

I blinked at the totally unexpected content.

"In just one day... support inquiries spiked?"