Chapter 162
...I would have just played along if it was simply petting her, but since it's connected to Ruinele's doll right now, that's a no-go, right?
The only one who doesn't know the exact reason, Doyun hyung, has a tiny question mark floating over his head.
"D-don't you know about the seven-year rule for boys and girls? They're already living together, so it's fine for them..."
Lee Seo-yeon stammers out an excuse for once. If she's resorting to the seven-year rule, she must really be out of arguments...
Doyun hyung still looks puzzled but nods for now. Telling him to pet it one second and then stopping him the next—must be confusing as hell. Well, he'll figure out the reasons eventually.
Honestly, the game development is progressing way faster than I imagined. Especially with Yoo Seol-ah's contributions saving tons of time on animations, there's a solid chance we could release before graduation.
Doyun hyung has the sharpest eye for games, so once he senses we're on the right track, their relationship will skyrocket. I have a feeling it won't be long before those two get together.
Yoo Seol-ah, wearing a faint smile as if sharing my thoughts, speaks up.
"Alright. For now, let's say I'll help with the interactions later. Try moving a bit first."
"...This feels really weird."
We start moving slowly, checking the doll's responses. Doyun hyung watches intently, his eyes gleaming with undisguised admiration.
"Even full-body motion trackers in modern VR setups aren't this smooth. Seol-ah, you're doing something huge here."
"Right? We have a VR rig at home, and it feels just like that. But without any gear? Super bizarre."
The doll captures even the tiniest movements perfectly—lifting a heel, everything renders in SD style flawlessly. It's incredible.
"This camera's shared, but I brought the one from home too."
Doyun hyung pulls a camera and tripod from his bag. It looks pretty high-end, and Yoo Seol-ah asks,
"Whoa, how much was this?"
"About three hundred. Not that expensive."
Is that not expensive? Then I remember he struck it big with an indie game once. Cameras vary wildly in price anyway.
"Bought it with the first royalties from S.O.S. I like photography anyway."
It suits him somehow. Doyun hyung has this refined, handsome actor vibe—snap him against a scenic backdrop, and it'd be a magazine spread instantly.
"In combat, angles will be fixed anyway, so just shoot the eight directions. I'll send over character info first."
Moments later, a file pops up in our group chat. It's the character traits and stats we saw before.
"Seol-ah sent me hers yesterday, so I filled in Ruinele first."
Most sections are just skills and stats, but Ruinele uniquely has a name. Her trait? A single line: "old kid."
She said the same when we talked last time.
"What kind of personality makes her an 'old kid'?"
"Her catchphrases are 'If I were just ten years younger...' Oh, and 'Back in my prime...'"
"......"
The doll looks undeniably cute, sleeves swallowing her hands thanks to the oversized robe—yet those lines? Lee Seo-yeon looks utterly thrown. Total disconnect between looks and vibe.
"But she's a mage tower lord, right? Gotta be super strong."
"Yeah, insanely so. She was my teacher."
Yoo Seol-ah learned from many, but like my bond with Klein, Ruinele was her main intensive mentor.
"What magic does she use? Everything like you?"
"Mostly basics. It's listed there."
We all glance at the doc. Several skills pop up, with tons of provisional ones—still in flux.
An "old kid" personality sticking to basics? The skill lineup screams world-top-tier anyway.
Basic Attack: "Gathers mana to strike the target..."
Lee Seo-yeon nails it—that's the full description. Concise to the point of feeling incomplete.
But Yoo Seol-ah nods like it's spot-on.
"That's her style. Always going on about basics."
"Like 'stick to the textbook'?"
"Yep. Nagged me nonstop about solid foundations. I get it now, but back then? Annoying."
Wonder if that contributed to her grumpy past self. Bust your ass for college entrance, get isekai'd, then grind magic theory again? I learned hands-on, so maybe she suffered more.
"From what Seol-ah sent, no elemental magic, huh."
"She could, but avoids it on purpose."
"I'm pondering attributes now. Maybe neutral for Ruinele."
A staple in RPGs: advantages against favorable elements, misses or weaknesses against unfavorable. Plenty of specialists in Astasia too—prime strategic fodder.
Neutral means no affinities at all. Special case.
"Thought about light since raw mana glows bright... but from your stories, nah."
"If we do attributes, save light for elsewhere. She's more like... mana addict?"
Yoo Seol-ah phrases it like an alcoholic. Fits—raw mana doesn't scream holy light vibes.
"Talking about your mentor like that?"
"We're close. She ragged on me too—always brewing weird spells."
First intro, but clearly tight-knit. Doyun hyung points back to the doc.
"Sticking close to the concept, but game-ified with buffs/debuffs for strategy."
"Yeah, so second skill's a buff?"
"From the description, she's a stationary dealer type."
"She hates moving. 'Mages make enemies come to them...'"
Like teacher, like student... Yoo Seol-ah's always disliked needless motion—probably Ruinele's influence.
Everyone but Yoo Seol-ah has turn-based experience, grasping it quick.
"Her barriers are tanky enough for true invincibility... but why 2-turn ATK buff?"
"One turn passes when your next comes up. 1-turn self-ATK is basically useless."
They get it instantly. Meaning: tank turn one invincible, then blast with boosted ATK.
"Oh, this is perfect. So her."
Yoo Seol-ah points to the passive: ATK rises gradually if stationary.
Values TBD, but she's thrilled.
"Like I said, tailoring skills to the personality you described. Builds attachment for story cameos."
True—ingrain traits to foster love. Passive for a lazy bum? Ideal.
"But... this is her real likeness, right?"
"Yeah, saw her daily back then—should be spot-on."
Lee Seo-yeon eyes the doll slyly, then grins mischievously.
"...So she's normally into no-pants fashion?"
"......"
Top covers arms fully, long enough for thighs—but no bottoms visible. Yoo Seol-ah starts to answer, then drags her to the corner.
...What the?
Curiosity maxed, I amp my senses instantly. They whisper, probably suspecting me, but I pull more killing intent—snippets filter in.
"...She wears nothing. Too much hassle."
"For real?"
"Yeah. Casts vision-block spells instead. Can't see from below."
"...Nothing on bottom and hates moving?"
"...Don't make her sound like a freak."
Isn't skipping bottoms for laziness freaky? Astasia has proper clothing norms.
Lee Seo-yeon giggles.
"Instant doujin material."
"What? Why's your mind always in the gutter?"
"Not just me."
"......I'll stay put, so you handle the moving... something like that?"
Lee Seo-yeon cracks up. I seize the moment for fake coughs—poise slips, senses fade. No re-amping that.
...Girls' talk gets spicy. And Yoo Seol-ah dropping lines like that? Shocking.
"You okay?"
Doyun hyung worries over my solo struggle. Grateful, but can't explain why.