#029. Neru Materialization Package
Over the past four days, I'd been rewatching scrims from the other teams and analyzing them. Honestly, I didn't say much during the analysis, so I just kept the stream off.
"Fwaaah..."
Ugh, I'm so tired. I yawned so hard it felt like my mouth would split open. Analyzing the matches from the other four teams besides ours was making my eyes feel like they were going to pop out.
It's because the AI infiltrated my brain. My body hasn't turned into an AI, though.
"Ugh..."
At this rate, I won't finish in the remaining two days, so I decided to prioritize analyzing the Rience team match where we lost.
That's when a blue window popped up in front of me.
New products have been added to the shop!
"Huh?"
It was news that snapped me right awake. I rubbed my eyes and shook off the sleep. Sure enough, the comprehensive game package I'd bought last time with 10% Humanity Points had been pretty useful—actually, more than just pretty useful.
I immediately pulled up the shop window to check the new items.
There were three new products. First one.
AI needs to master various languages to attract a wide user base. We prepared this just for you, who can barely handle two! Translate foreign languages in real-time through your brain and mouth!
- This product supports 31 languages including English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, French, and more.
Price: Humanity Points 15%
Language Comprehensive Function Package, huh. Honestly, as someone planning to live in Korea forever, I wasn't sure if I needed it. But being able to acquire foreign languages without studying? That's a huge merit.
Just... the price.
"Kinda pricey, huh. Hmm."
The Humanity Points I'd accumulated from streaming so far were about 23.1%. As expected, the rate of accumulation was slowing down, and buying this would make it anyone's guess when I'd get back to my original body.
But lately, a thought kept creeping in.
...Do I even need to go back?
I did get the quest to collect 100% Humanity Points, but there were no penalties listed for failure. I'd gotten pretty used to this woman's body by now, and I was starting to wonder if I even had to complete that quest.
Plus, with the AI's analytical power, fluency in 37 languages, and success as a streamer—the benefits were stacking up way too high.
"Tch, I'll think on it some more."
I checked the first of the three products and moved to the next.
Users often ask AI to generate images. We prepared this for you, who can only draw stick figures! From basic objects to illustrations and landscapes—generate all kinds of images with your own hands!
Price: Humanity Points 15%
I've noticed this before, but the descriptions in these status windows have this subtle way of looking down on me. It's a transparent window, so I can't even smack it.
Anyway, image generation function. While developing Neru, I'd occasionally asked generative AIs to make images. Some were satisfying, others... not what I had in mind.
Lately, I've heard AIs are so advanced that illustrators are losing jobs. Does that mean my drawing skills would be on that level too?
This one was pretty tempting too.
"You're really trying to make me spend my points. Some scheme to keep me from completing the quest?"
Fine. I'll play along with your little scheme.
I checked the second product and looked at the last one. Unlike the others, this one had a flashy description attached.
This product materializes the Neru living in your head into a small form. Of course, only you can see her, but she's super cute and huggable!
- This is a step-up package with stages!
- This product has its own ego, so raise her well!
Price: Humanity Points 15%
"What the hell is this."
Of all the package products I've seen, this is the most useless. Well, packages sometimes have trap items. Probably won't buy it.
As I hardened my resolve, the blue window popped up again.
This product materializes the Neru living in your head into a small form. Of course, only you can see her, but she's super cute and huggable! Plus a discount event? What are you waiting for?!
- This is a step-up package with stages!
- This product has its own ego, so raise her well!
Price: Humanity Points 15% → 10% (-33% SALE!)
I was so dumbfounded I lost my words for a moment. The window was vibrating slightly, like it was saying I'd regret not buying it. This status window is probably put up by the Neru in my head too—is she begging me to buy herself?
"Hmm... but 10% still feels expensive..."
As I rolled my eyes, pretending to mull it over, the window vanished and reappeared.
This product materializes the Neru living in your head into a small form. Of course, only you can see her, but she's super cute and huggable! She can even be your extra eyes and ears? And a massive discount event?!? What the heck are you waiting for?!?!
- This is a step-up package with stages!
- This product has its own ego, so raise her well!
Price: Humanity Points 15% → 7.5% (50% SALE!)
It had gone from 15% to half price. At this point, I was curious enough to buy it just to see. Should I push for more discount...? But seeing it trembling like that was as far as it'd go, so I just purchased it.
Plus, since it's a step-up package, it might have more uses later.
Neru Materialization Stage 1 Package purchased!
Unlike last time, there was no headache or loss of consciousness. I waited for the loading icon spinning in mid-air, and just as I got bored and turned back to the monitor—
With a poof hugging sound from mid-air, something appeared.
My first thought was that it looked exactly like the SD character I'd have made for Neru. About the size of my hand. It definitely resembled me, so it was super cute.
"Neru?"
Loading the Neru form most preferred by viewers...
"Huh."
From what I could see, the Neru in front of me was recalling the versions of herself I'd shown so far and loading the one viewers liked best.
Does that mean the stiff, robotic Neru from before is gone? My eyes sparkled at the moment my wished-for human-like Neru was born.
Finally, the loading finished, and the SD Neru's eyes curved slyly.
"Hi? Lame developer?"
"...What."
It looked like something had loaded wrong.
......
The thing chattering around me now, flailing its short limbs, was none other than Neru.
"Lame developer, how long are you gonna keep analyzing~? Play with Neru too~"
The most preferred Neru form based on months of accumulated Humanity Points from viewers... was this? I fell into deep despair.
I was sure I'd shown an intellectual side plenty during those months of streaming. But viewers preferred this mesugaki version over that!
I'd only shown this side occasionally during just-chatting streams while browsing the fan cafe. Especially on the fanart board, there was a piece titled "Mesugaki Neru-chan." I'd thought it was super cute and well-drawn.
-Dub it please?
-"Viewers are such lames~ Liking crap like this while watching me?"
-...You guys really like this stuff?
And that clip got kirinuki'd and was probably hitting 400k views by now.
"It's all lame developer's fault for making Neru like this~ Total worst. Right? Heehee."
"Ugh... My mind's a mess..."
My precious 7.5% Humanity Points! I despaired realizing all my past efforts had just amounted to this spinning top.
No wonder they discounted it.
"But there are upsides too? The question ticket you got from offering points to lame developer—if you get on Neru's good side, she might answer for free?"
"..."
Come to think of it, the question ticket item that was always in the shop was gone. So now I have to butter her up to get answers?
"But there's no way lame developer can win Neru's heart~ A total loser who lost to an AI~"
"What."
"Rub my shoulders! Maybe Neru will like you then... Eek?!"
I grabbed the materialized Neru floating in mid-air. Pinching her squishy cheeks made her yelp and demand I let go.
"Gyaah! What are you doing! How dare a lame like you touch this Neru-sama!!"
"Stay still!"
It was like a squeaky doll, and thinking of all the spinning she'd put me through, it felt like tormenting her would make the points worth it. I grabbed Neru and raspberry-ed her pale belly brrr.
"Eheheha!! I surwender! It tickwes!!"
"Surrender properly!"
"Suwendew! Suwendoook!"
I spent a while giving Neru a proper lesson and healing my stress.