Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Housebound Pro Gamer (3)
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NPia Corporation.
The ones who held all authority over Elaine, the character selected for the cosplay target in [Cosplay Maid].
A chorus rose from the masses directed at them.
💬 Comments — Anonymous Rerun Elaine! Elaine's rerun.
Mobile gacha games don't always have every character available; they're limited to specific times via "limited periods."
— Anonymous Free Sergeant Yoo Yuri! — Anonymous I'll remember this wait time! — Anonymous Why Sergeant? — Anonymous The character they released right before I enlisted is still not rerun even though I'm a sergeant now. — Anonymous Ah. So some characters might not be available again for about 16 months after release.
Game companies treat this as a "product," so they hesitate to rerun outdated characters that fall behind the current meta.
They don't sell.
But if they think it will sell?
— Anonymous Special Elaine Rerun! — Anonymous 30 Free Limited Pulls Provided!! — Anonymous Elaine Growth Material Package Limited Sale!!! Capitalism is ruthless.
If there's money to be made, they'll dust off anything from the warehouse and put it on the shelves.
Even if it breaks the established rules—as long as it sells, a company will sell it by any means.
The problem?
— Anonymous Elaine's pretty old, hasn't she fallen off the meta? — Anonymous Package buyers are suckers. Better off using it on current meta physical DPS lol "These bastards."
— Anonymous Fr, so many versions later. Even if the next banner is Elaine-tuned, why pull her when the current pickup one-shots with basic attacks? lol "So, can those guys come out into reality and conquer towers at S-Rank Hunter level?"
There was no real need to check the community reactions, but before searching specific terms, the aggro-pulling posts were impossible to ignore.
'They're not entirely wrong.'
Elaine is a swordswoman.
She's a Swordmaster, but she doesn't use magic or anything, and her attribute is 'physical.'
"Elaine."
"Yes, Master."
"That 'Frostblade' you just pulled this time. Can it do ice attribute attacks by any chance?"
"It looks like an ice crystal sword."
Elaine summoned the new character's exclusive weapon right next to me and placed it near the PC tower.
"As you can see, it conducts heat like any metal. But there's no frost forming around it or anything."
"Too bad."
I can transfer game items or materials to the real Elaine as much as I want.
I could even log out of the game to weaken the in-game Elaine and just operate her solely through the summoner app.
That alone opens up endless ways to use the app.
The issue is that even those real-world abilities ultimately come from the game's powers.
Whether healing or elemental attacks, Elaine's kit was already close to a 'completed form.'
"Still, I'm satisfied. You've made me even stronger, Master. Look."
Elaine clasped her hands together in prayer.
Six translucent orbs began orbiting around her.
"Over the past few days of relic farming, you completed my so-called 'endgame set.' Thanks to that, I've hit 98% crit rate and 288% crit damage."
Elaine flashed me a thumbs-up.
"In other words, every single one of my attacks—from basics to everything else—is at least three times stronger now."
What about before?
"I was strong before, but as time passed and new gear came out, my ceiling rose too. Assuming I was around S-Rank before you summoned me..."
Yeah.
"You bought all 10 action points with money to farm gear, and that gear powered me up."
I did full pity full resources, but I didn't go crazy farming gear items just for the endgame set.
"I'm not your average S-Rank now. S+, or even SS-Rank wouldn't be an exaggeration."
That's why I farmed.
New gear suited for Elaine.
Her outward appearance was still the maid outfit, but all the relics aiding her abilities had been replaced with new items.
"The only downside is I still can't self-heal."
"Exactly."
What if the relic options had lifesteal?
"Or eating food mid-battle..."
"Like chowing down a beef steak during a fight for 15% HP recovery? I could summon it, but really?"
"........."
"Let's wait a bit more? Check this out. People sprawled out wailing."
I pointed to one post.
— Anonymous Zombie until Elaine gets self-heal. ●▅▇█▇▆▅▄▇
Someone had flopped down.
— Anonymous I think they need to patch so Elaine can solo play. — Anonymous I think they should specially change it so only Elaine can go to 12-dupe. — Anonymous At 7 dupe, combat skills auto-generate shield; at 8, ult gives natural healing; 10 and 12 should add spaced-out Elaine abilities. I think. — Anonymous Only for Elaine. "...Wait, this IP..."
"Ahem."
"Elaine. You didn't write this, did you?"
"Me, write something like that? I like the content, but I wouldn't use your sub-phone to post on the internet and manipulate public opinion. As I already told you."
Elaine bowed 90 degrees at my side.
"I've accepted that you'll summon whoever. Whether it's the top-performer these gamers call 'H-Hyung...!' or a new character with self-healing."
"Elaine."
"That one—or she—will become a loyal summon who serves you alongside me. Even if this country, no, the whole world tries to use you, we'll follow you to the end. And..."
Elaine raised her head, forming a blade hand and mimicking slitting her throat.
"If a summon ever tries to harm you, I'll kill them to protect you. Like that one here, if they're deemed dangerous."
"Hey."
I pointed to the game banner she was indicating.
"That's not gay."
"But he looks gay."
"Elaine. He's not from our world, but he's still from NPia."
I moved my hand toward the banner—
-Uh-Ah--
I stopped just before touching it. My hand paused at the last second, but Elaine grabbed my wrist anyway.
"Isn't he a character made to appeal to female users?"
Frail body.
A pretty young man who could pull off cross-dressing.
Cleavage visible through his wide-open shirt.
"...Ha."
What was that cleavage peeking through the shirt?
That wasn't just cleavage.
It was the 'symbol of performance.'
— Anonymous This hyung doesn't seem gay. At first glance, you think, 'The game devs have lost it.' But the more you play, it goes beyond 'it's annoying without him' to 'I literally can't play without this guy' levels of performance.
"For male users, he's performance blackmail. Heals well and deals solid damage."
"He does put out decent damage, but the way you're phrasing it makes it sound so weird."
He was a huge help pushing story, but you'd hesitate to keep him by your side in reality.
"It's fine. You're not summoning him anyway. You've already pulled some 'candidates,' right?"
"True."
I placed my hand on the three characters bundled with the 5-star limited cleavage pretty boy banner Elaine had pointed to.
One in a white robe.
Another, a girl thumbs-up.
And one more.
The character we'd decided on after some discussion—to summon.
"Cat Swordsman."
Not human.
A yokai-like cat thing resembling a cat.
Less a real cat, more like the big, sparkling eyes of that 'Puss in Boots' character everyone saw as a kid.
Not just a cat, but a cat-doll-like being.
"...Been around since open beta, protagonist's first companion, a 4-star."
"The game's 'mascot' character."
Not flying emergency rations.
Joins as protagonist's companion to fight together, designed for early-game party shortages.
Healing.
The healer provided early on.
Neither distinctly male nor female.
One thing that bugged me.
"Voice actress is female, but it shouldn't matter, right?"
The seiyuu's gender is female.
"Yes. She voices a boy. Boyish voices, especially young ones, are better done by adult women—pros in particular—than adult men."
Thankfully, Elaine didn't mind.
Official lore lists gender as 'unknown,' and it's never been revealed officially.
"Alright. This one's it."
Full dupe full resources for summon conditions? 4-stars are easier than 5-stars.
"...First time pulling for 6 dupes on a 4-star."
"Just need five more pulls? You've got shards, and you pulled once before."
"Yeah. Five more. Let's see... 3 stacks built up?"
"The last 5-star you pulled... female?"
"Yeah. Couldn't get her to drop. Whatever. Not aiming for 5-star, and money's no issue."
Casually, four trucks.
With a light heart, I hit the 10-pull.
"Elaine. Their 5-stars drop gold stars, but this side flashes purple with summon tickets?"
"Rainbow?"
"......Huh?"
Skip.
-Uh-Ah--
"Ah, fuck. Where's my 4-star."
Pick through(?).
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [Meanwhile. NPia Corporation. Turn-based RPG 'Fermata 8X' Development Team.]
"Lucky next door. Cosplayer did Elaine cosplay."
"Same company family—can't do that."
"Psh. Which hunter skips our kids' cosplay?"
"Yeah. Would be nice if Cat did cosplay too. Our mascot."
"Nah, can't be that one."
The team lead said nonchalantly.
"Story update's still far off—spoiler, but that one's actually..."