Cosplay
Kang Minwoo said with a smile.
"Welcome aboard as an official employee."
"Yes! I'll work hard!"
"You said you'd do anything, right? That was sincere?"
"Yes! Completely sincere!"
"Then here's your first request."
"Yes!"
"From now on, drop the formal speech. I'm the boss, and I'm older. Okay?"
"Yes!"
"Good. Second request."
"Yes!"
"We'll treat your mom first. Which hospital?"
"R-right now?!"
"The sooner the treatment, the better."
"Th-thank you! It's close by—five minutes on foot!"
Soyeon led the way to the hospital, buzzing with excitement.
In Hero Maker, there are two ways to cure Han Soyeon's (Phoenix's) mom.
1. Ask a healer-type ability user to treat her.
2. Ask a creator-type to make an antidote or treatment device.
...But.
One main character is a healer,
and one sub-character is a creator.
So recruiting either one lets you cure the poison.
...Or so it seems.
But you can't treat her right after recruiting them.
It's an A-rank poison.
You need A-rank detoxification.
In the first playthrough, A-rank detox opens up late-game.
'The problem is...'
Soyeen's mom dies mid-game.
'Bad end confirmed.'
But not here.
I'd prepared a Healing Capsule that cures any state as long as she doesn't die.
No death by poison.
"She's going to be okay..."
Soyeon sighed in relief, watching her mom's face in the Healing Capsule.
So.
Time to explain the situation.
"Soyeon."
"Yes!"
"Urgent fire's out. Now, the details."
"Yes!"
"The poison your mom got is A-rank. It gnaws at the soul bit by bit."
"Gnaws at the soul?! What about now?!"
"She's fine now."
The soul had a scratch,
but it was light enough for perfect recovery with treatment.
No aftereffects to worry about.
Memory intact,
mind intact.
"Thank goodness..."
"But there's a problem."
"Problem? What kind?"
"The Healing Capsule is for ability users only."
It heals with mana.
Higher mana rank means faster treatment.
Or inversely,
lower mana rank means slower.
Worse for powerless normals with no mana.
"How slow...?"
"About five years."
"Five years?!"
"Yeah."
"Ugh..."
"But there are faster ways."
"Wh-what are they?!"
"Two options."
Bring an elite healer who can detox A-rank,
or a creator better than me.
...I explained.
Honestly?
I could heal her now.
But no.
If I do,
I skip the event where fave chars bond helping each other!
'Can't have that!'
But leaving her till they meet?
Mom might die.
Even fastest treatment leads to memory loss ending.
Not good.
'So I froze her in the Healing Capsule.'
Click!
Soyeen's mom in the capsule was now cryogenically frozen.
"We'll leave her like this. No other way? Wakes in five years. Find one? Wakes right away."
"No way found... five years... just wait five years to live with Mom... find another user... heal faster..."
Soyeon mumbled, then bowed her head.
"I'll never forget this favor! Without you, I wouldn't know her soul was crumbling, and she couldn't hold out till I found help. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
"So you'll grant any request?"
"Yes! Order anything! I'll do my best no matter what!"
"Lunch then. You said you're good at cooking. Omurice okay?"
"Yes! Anything! What'll it be?"
"Omurice. Ingredients in the kitchen, rice prepped. Should be quick."
"Yes! Right away!"
"But plain cooking's no fun."
"Huh?"
"Come here."
"Yes!"
"Gonna measure you. Okay?"
"Yes!"
I looked at Soyeon.
Han Soyeon form: D-cup.
Phoenix: G-cup.
...I knew that,
but exact bust measurement? No clue.
Height, weight, three sizes—all secret.
But now.
I can find out.
'Scan!'
Skill scans targets with mana for shape, weight, length, etc.
On people?
Precise height, weight, three sizes!
With this, full specs on fave char Soyeon!
...Used it while thinking that.
Swipe! Swipe! Swipe!
Noted all the info.
"Done?"
"Yup. Sizes confirmed. Clothes incoming."
"Clothes?"
"Wait."
Pulled out a pre-made maid outfit.
Slightly revealing,
short skirt—cosplay maid.
Resized perfectly with creation skill.
"How's it?"
"Wear this... like at the maid cafe...?"
"Exactly."
"Changing..."
Soyeon hesitated, blushing,
but didn't refuse.
Maid outfit on,
omurice made.
"Shall we... chant to make it tasty?"
"Skip."
I knew the chant.
Maid culture: "Get delicious~ moe moe kyun~"
But no.
Would cramp my style.
Ordered different.
"Eat together."
"Huh?"
"Pretend friends out for lunch. Relax."
"Really?"
"Of course."
Soyeon sat, ate omurice.
'Cute.'
Maid outfit, eating omurice—adorable.
No need for more cutesy stuff.
Watching this beauty,
eating fave char's homemade food—peak fandom!
...Ate while thinking that.
"Oh..."
"H-how is it...?"
"Best omurice I've had. Seriously."
"Hehe... that good?"
"Delicious. Honest."
Truly was.
Han Soyeon indeed.
Setting: top cook among Hero Maker cast.
Real deal.
Soyeon: amazing chef.
Fully satisfied.
Click! Click! Click!
After eating, posed the maid Soyeon every way, snapped photos.
Blushed at first,
but maid cafe service included guest photos.
Agreed easily.
"H-how's it...?"
"Model's great? Every shot's pretty."
"Hehe..."
"Next time too?"
"Yes!"
"Shoot's done. Time to work?"
"Work? What kind?"
"My first hobby?"
"Follow heroes, help when active!"
"Right. But plain civilian? Just nuisance."
"Y-yeah...?"
"So. Wanna be an ability user?"
"Me too?"
"Possible."
Even powerless,
or Phoenix-like transformers can awaken.
Transformed: user.
Untransformed: powerless.
Awaken untransformed: second power.
"Second power?! Th-then... awaken healer...!"
"Detox mom's poison yourself."
"!!!!!!"
"But awakening's tough. Not forcing... thoughts?"
"I'll do it! Make it happen! I'll work hard!"
"Good. Dungeon now?"
"Dungeon?"
"Yeah."
"Such thing exists?"
"Does."
Hero Maker: hero vs villain,
but has dungeons.
Monsters,
hunt to grow system.
'Kill mana beings, absorb mana bits to grow.'
That's why villains/heroes killing grows you too.
Anyway.
Dungeon hunts = growth core.
"Hunt monsters, I grow? Awaken?"
"Yep."
"But... can I kill monsters?"
"Normally? No."
Weakest goblin: D-rank.
F-rank: armed cop.
E-rank: rifle soldier.
D-rank: tank.
Even among D-ranks, power varies,
but average: tank-level.
Dungeons: 10-20 goblins packs.
Like telling Soyeon fight 10-20 tanks.
"Impossible!"
"But creator gear turns impossible possible."
"Beat tanks?!"
"Yep."
Pulled red sword.
"Slices tanks easy. Famous blade."
"Wow..."
"But too heavy for normals."
100kg sword.
Beyond normal strength.
"So prepared."
Pulled red bikini armor.
"Strength boosts with exposure. Defense near zero, but attack skyrockets. Special."
"Uh... no other armor...?"
"Others exist. But only this amps enough for D-rank goblins."
"But... this on... no defense... one-shot death...?"
"Without me, one-shot end."
"?"
"With me? Different story."
"Ah! Barrier...!"
"Right. You hunt, I barrier all attacks. Easy."
"Wow..."
"Endure slight embarrassment, become user. Can do?"
"Yes! I'll do it!"
-Soyeon's maid cosplay version.
-Soyeon shyly in bikini armor.