Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: What You See Isn't Everything (2)
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Kiharu.
Cat Swordsman.
4-star character.
"...6 breakthroughs successful."
All breakthroughs complete.
I'd maxed out my action points too—buying the daily limit of ten and stocking up, then farming the materials needed for promotion.
Experience? 'I'll just buy it.'
I shelled out for character and weapon EXP packs to the limit—stuff I'd never even glanced at before, let alone bought.
Essentially, I was buying time with money. But my black card had no limit.
The issue was the 'weapon.'
For full breakthroughs and full refinement, there were spots that needed multiple enhancements and stacks.
I needed to confirm a few things about that.
"Ahh. Alice. I need some help."
To Alice, the control AI for my summon management app on my smartphone.
"Hey, Alice."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [.......] No response.
"You aren't sulking because I only talk to Elaine and call you when I need you, right?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [That is not the case.] A sharp reply.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [I am the control AI for the Summoner Management App, created to assist with Tower conquests. I am an electronic fairy who provides advice for the Summoner's benefit and Tower progress, no matter what.] "Good. I was worried you'd misunderstood."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Misunderstood?] Her question gave off the vibe that she wasn't just a simple AI, but if she said otherwise, I'd play along.
"Consulting you on real-world stuff like this country's laws or getting US citizenship would just waste your processing power on things unrelated to Tower conquests, right?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [.......] "Maybe I should've let you kindly explain some things, but I figured them out by poking around myself."
Alice was the tutorial fairy.
And any decent mobile gamer—who's worn countless hats across worlds as teacher, commander, guild master, traveler, wanderer, pioneer, captain, trainer, video store clerk, and more—knows the drill.
Getting used to a new UI is the hurdle, but gacha games all follow the same basic framework.
-What's this sacred gem and fuel?
-Sacred gem's the premium currency, fuel's stamina.
...Hell, when item systems match up, gamers even meme it as "O-usage laws" with image macros.
Anyway.
"I'm not just calling you when I need help—I'm asking because I'm confused. Don't misunderstand."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [...Then, tutorial time starting now!] "Skip."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [.......] "A real man learns by throwing himself into it."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [What if you accidentally burn through expensive resources?] "That's how you learn from mistakes."
I tapped Alice twice, lightly.
"Before I pull Kiharu, one question: I can summon even without the exclusive weapon, right? Just full refinement?"
Crackle.
A white rabbit icon popped up on my phone screen.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Summoning Conditions.] -Summoning is possible for entities meeting the conditions below.
-To summon a being from the shadow world into a higher dimension, they must reach the pinnacle in their world and enter the realm of perception that transcends the front and back of dimensional worlds—
"Stop."
It looked like a long-winded explanation was coming, so I pressed down hard on the phone.
"Phew."
I declared to Alice on my phone, who was about to unleash a torrent of incomprehensible proper nouns.
"Tteol-tta-dai. Tteol-tta. Oo-tta-ya."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [????] Alice seemed flustered.
My face burned as I said it out loud myself, but embarrassment is fleeting.
"Explain it in a way I can understand. How am I supposed to ask for your help like this?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [.......] "Even ChatGPT would explain this better. Tailor it for a gamer like me. You can do that, right?"
I didn't expect a breakdown detailed enough for non-gamers.
"Just tell me the conditions for me to 'summon'—same as Elaine."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Converting data.] The rabbit dashed through darkness.
Its on-the-spot forward hop mimicked a loading screen perfectly. I sipped the capsule coffee Elaine had made for me while waiting.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📋 Essential Criteria for 'Fully Trained' Summonable Characters #1 Character Level: 'Max Level' #2 Character Breakthrough: 'Final Breakthrough' #3 Character Weapon: Equipped weapon 'Max Level' #4 Character Refinement: 'Final Refinement' #5 Character Skills: All skills at Max Level #6 Character Gear: Highest-grade gear at max level in every slot ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [That is all.] "As expected."
Just like I thought.
"The weapon for full refinement doesn't have to be the exclusive one, right?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Correct.] "...Let's check with Elaine."
Elaine.
1. Lv 80/80.
2. Breakthrough 6/6.
3. Exclusive weapon Lv 80/80.
4. Refinement 5/5.
5. All skills—basic attack, combat skills, ultimate, special, passives, etc.—10/10.
6. All relic gear at Lv 15 fully enhanced.
"...So as long as it's geared for the game's final difficulty, it's good?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Would you like an explanation?] "Recite it once."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Summoning to a higher dimension requires drawing out the target's full potential. Their level, weapon, breakthrough, gear, skills...] "So basically, max out every trainable stat in the character menu, and you're summon-ready?"
Strip it down, and it's pretty straightforward.
"It's just checking if it's 'fully trained' or not—no looking at substats on gear."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [In the Summoner's terms, yes.] "Perfect. That's all I needed."
I reconnected to [Fermata], where my summon target Kiharu resided.
"Just swap 'em over."
Farm new gear, tweak substats for specs? No need.
"Sorry, limited 5-star."
I stripped a 5-star healer I'd already raised and slapped the gear onto Kiharu.
Ideally, I'd farm gear perfect for her, but time was money right now.
"Elaine's all fired up and itching to hit the dungeons."
Elaine wasn't right beside me—she was on the sofa, swiping through her phone nonstop.
"Blue Lightning... other S-Ranks...strategy failure... cosplay maid possible... Heh."
She was glued to community reactions in the 'Cosplay Maid vs Other S-Rank Hunters' matchup arena.
"Master. What should I wear next time?"
"Whatever Elaine wants."
"Any outfit you've always wanted me in? Or another maid dress?"
Or she was hunting references for a fresh look in public.
"For that... ah, that'd be good."
While swapping Kiharu's gear and breakthrough-ing the exclusive 5-star healer gear (constant equip) for her, I searched and found some material during pull screens.
"There was definitely that one from before... Ah, found it."
On screen.
Elaine in something other than her maid outfit.
"Elaine. What do you think of this?"
"...Is this on sale now?"
"It's from a collab."
Popup store collab costume.
Even medieval fantasy game characters get alternate outfits as banners sometimes.
"Pricey for no reason, but it's for sale... Ah. Sold out."
"It's fine. A suit's safe, and medieval maids share a vibe with modern secretaries."
Black office lady attire.
Not a skin, just collab clothes, but an easy design to source.
"But Master."
"Yeah?"
"I can wear something else, but you're stripping the cat?"
"Not a cat—Kiharu. ...Should be fine."
Recalling her in-game memories.
"She doesn't mind wandering around in cat form or anything."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [NPia Corporation, President's Office.]
"...So you spoiled everything to the kids?"
"Yes, President."
The man—NPia's president Park Gi-woo—whose face was flushed red from booze like he'd come from a company dinner, stared down everyone in the office.
"Listen up. No matter how insane our sales are right now, we have rules when making games. Don't touch each team's core story."
As heads bowed like sinners,
"Especially you, Fermata."
"......."
"How could you spoil it? That the cat companion by the protagonist's side from the start is actually the true final boss, a goddess observing whether the protagonist dooms or saves the world on the brink of destruction!"
The president was spilling it all himself, but this was the secure president's office.
No sound leaked out, so Fermata 8X players could rest easy.
"But sir. This is our chance."
Director Lee Min-jeong stepped forward.
"Nothing else matters. The goddess twist was unexpected, but we just release her human form as a casual 5-star. Like it was planned from the beginning."
"Make a being who views humans from a beast's gaze, detached from humanity, just like that? Ha, it'll drive me nuts. That changes the character's core setup!"
"...But we'll make bank, right?"
"Money matters! But characters need 'narrative'! Dropping a random 'hidden 5-star' with zero foreshadowing—think players will love that?!"
"Wouldn't everyone love her as a busty nekomimi catwoman?"
"Ha...."
President Park Gi-woo covered his face with his hand.
"Fermata. No, Jeong-hyun."
"Yes, sir."
"Any hidden foreshadowing in past stories or salvageable lore if it comes out later? Leave the cosplay maid-level design to the art team."
"...Well."
Fermata 8X's dev team lead spoke cautiously.
"Her cat form has her powers sealed, but as a goddess and true final boss..."
"But?"
"...The silhouette in the opening and prologue is her."
"...That."
President Park pointed at his own shirt.
"It's just a silhouette, but isn't it basically nude?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Summoning conditions met. Proceed?] "Summon."
No reason not to.
"Elaine, get ready to greet the new—huh?"
"Master!!"
The moment I hit summon, Elaine yanked me and swung her sword.
Shhhhooo.
The living room filled with thick fog.
"...I see. So that's the world she came from? Bittersweet, but reality is reality."
A voice like a cat's, but more serene and mature—a woman's—echoed.
"Greetings, Summoner. Make sure you never regret choosing me among countless beings."
From the fog.
"I am [Fermata]. The goddess of what you call 'Fermata 8X'."
A golden-haired, blue-eyed goddess slowly revealed herself.
"Your 'Kiharu' was my transformed guise. As you played the 'protagonist,' vanquishing modern evils, I aided you at your side in that form. My saint."
"S-Saint...? How dare you insult my Master...!"
"No. Less 'saint' and more..."
She struck a pose mimicking someone from the game.
"You and me! We're the best partners, nyang!"
"......."
"Call me partner from now on."
"......That."
I squeezed my eyes shut and thrust my phone forward.
"Since I'm the Summoner, first things first."
"First things first?"
"Clothes."
I shook the phone up and down.
"Mind putting some on?"
"Hmm, peculiar."
Cat Swordsman Kiharu—no, Goddess Fermata.
She stood before us in her natural, utterly bare form.
"Isn't revealing a god's beauty to the world a divine virtue?"
It was.
Bigger than Elaine's.
'Sorry.'
I'd figure out the situation step by step, but mobile gacha has one golden rule.
'Looks are performance too.'