Chapter 17: First Defence

Substance is important.  

It’s the same in RPG games.  

And even more so in mobile games.  

…….You might say, “Isn’t it just a matter of clicking for 10 minutes a day and calling it done?”  

Well, if it’s just a “mobile game,” then sure.  

But.  

For me, gaming is murder.  

No, not murder—it’s real life…….  

“Rumi? Let’s move the tables a bit closer together.”  

“Woof!”  

Even today, I’m focusing on the substance.  

For example, right now, I’m innovating the layout of the general store (cocktail bar) to slightly improve table turnover.  

“Tina, did you memorize everything? You can’t make calculation mistakes. How much is a Goblin’s Broken Club?”  

“Uh, a Goblin’s, Goblin’s Broken Club… 50 gold?”  

“Wrong. 50 gold is for a Goblin’s Intact Club. The broken one is 30 gold.”  

I’m also putting effort into training part-timers for extended night shifts.  

Of course, I’m a very conscientious shop owner.  

I’ll make sure to give them proper breaks.  

As long as they memorize the 500-page catalog, that is.  

When I shift my gaze, I see Harong hammering away.  

She’s crafting equipment worthy of a 3rd-rank warrior.  

Rumi is already fully equipped, while the others are prioritizing attack or magic attack stats for now.  

Of course, crafting isn’t the only thing on the agenda.  

“Harong? Let’s give it a try today.”  

“……”  

“Harong?”  

She’s really focused.  

It’s a bit rude, but.  

Here, I need to break her concentration.  

“Harong, how many pounds does this gauntlet weigh?”  

“……Stop using yards and pounds!”  

Bam!

The effect was spectacular!  

Harong stops mid-swing, glaring at me with fiery eyes.  

Perhaps channeling the soul of a modern engineer.  

She’s extremely sensitive to the imperial system.  

Hmm.  

So that’s how it is.  

“Haha, don’t get too mad. Let’s make something today.”  

Anyway, as I start today’s dopamine party, this goddamn trash game has been packed in every garbage system under the guise of “gameplay.”  

The most notorious of these is the ‘equipment refinement’ system.  

Who in their right mind would port an MMORPG system into a mobile game?  

At least it’s not as extreme as complete destruction upon failure.  

It just locks the equipment from further refinement attempts, which is somewhat merciful.  

A well-refined 3rd-rank piece can perform well enough to skip the 4th rank entirely, so it’s hard to ignore.  

“Ugh, another weapon? A bow?”  

“Yes. Let’s try one.”  

Thanks to the shop owner’s authority, refinement stones are plentiful.  

But crafting equipment requires a surprising amount of miscellaneous materials, as well as Harong’s labor and time.  

So, one piece a day.  

“Shall we start?”  

“Yep.”  

“Huuuuh!”  

Harong takes a deep breath, her eyes widening as she brings the hammer down on the ‘Iron Bow’ placed on the anvil.  

Success rate: 80%,  

Clang!

Refinement effects, sparkles.  

A dazzling light envelops the bow.  

“Success!”  

“Let’s keep going!”  

I pull Tina, who’s dizzy from excessive reading, onto my lap.  

With the protection of Zuuuk.  

Success rate: 60%.  

Clang!

Harong’s hammer flashes, but the Iron Bow remains unchanged.  

……Trash game. 

What’s with the rigged rates?  

[+1 Iron Bow (Unrefinable)]  

“……It’s because Ark mentioned pounds earlier. That brought bad luck.”  

“Really? Tch.”  

I lift Tina back onto the counter.  

Maybe it’s because of the demon’s protection.  

Next time, I’ll try putting Johanna on my lap.  

After all, Ari already has a +3 Iron Bow in hand……..

Tch.  

My dopamine today ended in utter disappointment.  

I’ve been enduring the trial of ‘Gacha Patience LV.99’ with the resolve to hit the ceiling.  

I need more dopamine, more dopamine…….

*** 

The next day.  

“Today, I plan to clear the 6th floor. There haven’t been any major issues up to the 3rd zone, and our equipment is mostly in order.”  

“Woof!”  

“Ugh, uuugh……”  

“Ugh…..”  

“……”  

I unleashed the energy orbs I’d been saving.  

All morning, I force-fed growth potions to our main DPS, Ari and Tina.  

They’re still complaining about feeling sick, but.  

Levels don’t lie. 

They’ve all shot up.  

Our party’s current specs: 3rd rank, Level 40.  

The 6th floor’s average level is 37.  

Assuming we can brute-force our way through zones 20 levels above our party level, even if Rumi goes on a rampage, we should still have enough leeway to clear it.  

Unless there’s a specific gimmick.  

This is the shop owner’s way of conquering the tower.  

Normalizing tower difficulty.  

I’m the only one clicking away.  

Tina’s addition has definitely made things easier.  

“Tina, fire off ‘Pathetic Shot’!”  

“Hu~♡”  

The monsters are starting to come out with a more organized system.  

Instead of just color-swapped versions of the same type, they’re structured like a hero party, with tanks, DPS, and healers.  

One of the main reasons clear times are dragging is.  

Those ‘Goblin Shamans’ that buff and heal their allies.  

But?  

“Kueek!”  

“Gurgle?”  

“Kueekueek!”  

An ability that’s annoying even when used by enemies.  

Tina’s enhancement skill, 

‘Hu~♡’  

….. Yes, that’s really the skill’s name.  

Its effect is similar to the original: it temporarily turns the rearmost enemy into a ‘traitor.’  

Thus, chaos breaks out among the goblin horde.  

Rumi swings away, Ari slices through.  

Later on, enemies with ‘mental immunity’ become more common, so its usefulness has an expiration date.  

But for now, it’s still effective against these low-level mobs.  

Well, even if she gets benched later, Tina’s future is secure.  

Even if she’s not used in tower climbing, she’ll make a fine slave—no, part-timer.  

“Good job, everyone. Anyone hurt? Let’s keep moving. We’ll clear the 10th zone quickly and then yarikiri.”  

Safety is good!

Good!

Good!  

“Yarikiri?”  

Ah.  

You don’t know?  

It means…

“If you finish work quickly, it means you can leave early and rest.”  

“Ooh……!”  

Tina’s eyes sparkled.  

You don’t fall under that category, though—you need to study.  

…….I didn’t say that out loud.  

Motivation is important, after all.  

***

Indeed, starting from the 6th floor, there were quite a few gimmicks.  

Was there always this many traps? I wondered.  

“I smell something weak ahead!”  

“Ari, shoot an arrow once.”  

Twang.

Crash!

Watching the pitfall collapse after being triggered by Ari’s arrow made me break out in a cold sweat for a moment.  

I knew there were traps, but…  

I couldn’t know exactly where or how they were set up.  

Even with my extensive in-game knowledge, there are limits.  

How could I compare the tiny graphics on a smartphone to this hyper-realistic scenery?  

If I had sent Rumi ahead like I usually do…  

Rumi might have fallen in, whining, “Master, pull me out! Woof woof!”  

That kind of situation could have happened.  

Thanks to that…  

“Woof!”  

“What, dog? Not moving your hand?”  

“Woof!”  

Rumi, who has become much more obedient under my diligent training, reached out her front paw—no, hand—to pat Tina’s head, just like I do.  

Though Tina growled like a grumpy cat…  

“Woof!”  

“Grrr!”  

Rumi pinned Tina down with her overwhelming size and strength, patting her head.  

…….She’s become well-behaved, right?  

She’s not grooming her before eating her, is she?  

I glanced at Johanna and Ari.  

They wore similar expressions to mine, shaking their heads at the dog.  

Well.  

That’s how they bond, I guess.  

[6th Floor of the Tower of Wishes – Ruined Village Area 4 Cleared!!]  

After passing through the pitfall hell…  

“Hmm. This is a curse. I can dispel it.”  

There it was.  

A suspicious purple mist-filled area that Johanna’s divine power allowed us to pass through safely.  

The slight loss of health was no big deal.  

Healing was more than enough to handle it.  

Cough, cough, hack.  

“Pfft.”  

Wait, my lungs hurt…….

Ari? 

Why are you laughing?  

[6th Floor of the Tower of Wishes – Ruined Village Area 7 Cleared!]  

“Huh? Ark! There’s something strange here!”  

Even the existing stepping-stone puzzle gimmick…  

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

Click.

“Wow……………! Ark, you’re amazing! How did you figure it out so quickly?”  

My miraculous footwork instantly cleared the ‘step on the floor in order’ mini-game, leaving Johanna wide-eyed.  

Well.  

This much is basic knowledge ingrained in my brain.  

Never underestimate a possessor again!  

“I’m just a bit smart. Haha.”  

I felt a tingling sense of guilt run down my spine as I indulged in a bit of self-praise.  

“……”  

“Woof! Master is the best, woof!”  

“You’re such an idiot.”  

The response I got was cold.  

Rumi, you’re the only one who understands me…….

Rumi, you have to live a long and healthy life.  

[6th Floor of the Tower of Wishes – Ruined Village Area 8 Cleared!]  

***

“Ark?”  

Before entering Area 9, I hesitated for a moment.  

No one seemed particularly curious, but  

starting from the 5th floor, each floor of the tower had its own story.  

Of course, when I was just a ‘player,’ I hardly paid attention to it.  

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”  

[6th Floor of the Tower of Wishes – Ruined Village Area 9]  

[★★☆ Block the waves for 10 minutes.]  

[★★☆ Ensure no one falls.]  

[★★★: Protect the village without any damage.]  

“Ahhh! My son, my son…………!”  

“Madeline, run away!  

They’ll be here soon!”  

“Please, goddess…………….”  

Chaos.  

Up to Area 8, the village was already in ruins, showing only the aftermath, and our main task was to navigate the remaining traps and defeat the monsters.  

But.  

As I had guessed from my game experience, Area 9.  

What unfolded before my eyes was the village just before it turned into ruins.  

In the distance, a horde of goblins was approaching.  

“The heroes are here!”  

“They’ll protect us………!”  

“Ah, goddess. Thank you. Thank you………….!”  

The voices of the NPCs…  

No.  

The villagers echoed in my ears.  

Suddenly, a sense of pressure overwhelmed me, making me feel dizzy for a moment.  

“Ark!”  

Johanna’s voice calling me brought me back to my senses.  

Right.  

I’ve already prepared for this.  

So.  

“Johanna, buff us up. There might be monsters trying to bypass us and attack the village, so Tina, conserve your strength and keep an eye on that. Rumi, don’t go too deep—hold the entrance. Ari, provide covering fire.”  

I rattled off instructions quickly, my breathing slightly ragged, but there was one last thing I had to say.  

“Stay safe, keep it clean, and make it perfect.”  

That’s why I trained you so hard.  

The heroes nodded, clenched their fists, and prepared to carry out their assigned tasks.