A Loli’s Space Odyssey

"Alright, done with inputting and filling in all the Classes, now I just need to set up the main hangar and review relation diagrams from the source code, then I can start the bug hunting for real."

 

My name is Fukasawa Hajime. 30 years old. And I know what you might be thinking. From what I was blabbering earlier, I must be some computer programmer. Well not exactly. Let’s take it from the top.

It’s the year 2050. Humanity has finally achieved a way to insert yourself into a video game. Thus the term VRMMO-RPG. These games were played by connecting a dedicated console to the brain via a neuronal nano-interface — an intracerebral nanocomputer network, created from the fusion of cyber- and nanotechnology.

 

These were games that allowed one to enter a virtual world and experience it as though it were real life.

 

And among the myriad VRMMO-RPGs that assaulted the market, one of them stood head and shoulders above the others:

 

Fraxinus Online.

 

This game had been painstakingly developed and released 2 years ago. It was a game designed with a lot of freedom afforded to the players. It was set in a vast universe where you could go on grand adventures, enlist yourself as a mercenary and make your mark on the battlefield, purchase a fully armed spaceship and engage in interstellar escort missions and the like. It was a game where a lot of players with different play styles gathered and interacted.

 

It had over 200 basic and advanced job classes.

 

And the level cap as of today was 100. However, players could take as many classes as they wanted as long as they met each class’s prerequisites. A player could even take a hundred classes at level one each, although that was very inefficient. As such, in this system, it was virtually impossible to make identical characters unless one was deliberately trying to do so.

 

Exploring the cosmos is no easy feat to do alone. This game had ship combat and personal foot combat. And although it is meant to be sci-fi, it has a mana and stamina bar. The mana bar in this game is called PA bar. As in Photon Arts. You could have deadly elemental bullets that used PA, or become a space sorcerer casting elemental laser attacks. Imagination was your limit.

 

This game had a guild system, where you can make a guild up to 50 players. However there was one more unique system. “Large-scale Solo Guild”. Because of this system, you had to pay extra expenses every month.

 

The large-scale solo guild in question is a guild that can be made by one player. Even though you are alone, it is large scale. Though one might not understand what it means, this is the best element.

First, one player becomes the guild master. Then you can pay or use rare medal drops from boss monsters to build facilities and subordinates.

 

Your star cruizer can be shaped however you like and guilds are either giant large scale ships, or small basses players pick on asteroids. And the facility can be from a japanese style castle to western style tower, or even a random huge pit dwelling and the colors can also be changed. Of course, inside and outside the facility you could place stuff such as a kitchen, open-air bath, tower, maze type garden, etc… it can be made with a surprising degree of freedom.

 

Since the subordinate characters use the same character making system as the players, you can prepare countless full-time subordinates. Equipment and jobs also have the same degree of freedom as the players. In a foot party, it is possible to bring 3 subordinates. Because the subordinates are easier to raise than a player, you will be able to enjoy them without grinding them.

 

However, there is one problem. The drop rate of the rare medal from boss monster is only about 1%.

 

As you can expect from the explanation so far, a large-scale solo guild is dying to get medals. Anyway, depending on the facility, it can cost as much as 100 medals. By the way, a subordinate costs 5.

 

My own guild is a mix of real players and subordinates. Anyway, what you heard earlier about my mumbling was actually me trying to design something new. But not for myself. My character is average. A space reptilian at level 78. I didn’t reach the cap. But my passion was in the beauty of creating and putting my imagination to work.

It sucks that the VR gear has a safety feature. After 4 hours, you are forcefully disconnected and forced to take at least a 1 hour break before you could use it again. This is to prevent your body from going sore, hunger, thrist, bathroom needs and other stuff.

 

But back on track you can call me a designer. My own guild only had 21 casual players. But I designed everything about it to the point that one day I got an email from the game devs. In 3 months time they were planning to bring the next expansion pack and wanted me to create the final human boss and stage for it.

 

Naturally I said “ok.” A raid boss has stats that far surpasses a player. I could basically make it as OP as I wanted as long as there was also a gimmick I implemented to defeat it. The devs wanted a human boss like a guild war. So they gave me special tools and permission to design the entire star ship from the first encounter of the boss, all the subordinates and enemies, as well as the main base of the boss on the new planet. And of course the boss itself.

 

“Damn. I forgot… what was the name of that item again? Guess I’ll use this teleport function my account has now, go back to the guild and search for it.”

I placed my finger over a button on the virtual terminal and I teleported back to my guild. There shouldn't be anyone there at this hour. Or so I thought.

 

I stumbled upon a man wearing a jet black full body space armor with an extravagant helmet. It was a mix between a power ranger and a Gundam robot. Despite the scary vibe he's giving off…

 

"Yo, Scales!"

 

A cheerful voice came from the man. Scales was my in game name, by the way. And this man…

 

"Oh. Hi PantsuCollector! I wasn't expecting anyone to be here now."

 

PantsuCollector is one of the 8 main guys that carry our guild. A level 100 player. 

 

"My sister is sick so I am staying home tomorrow to take care of her. I thought I'd log in for a bit. But what about you? Still working on that project? How about giving me a special preview?"

 

"Sorry. It's against the contract I signed. I'll lose the prize money if I leak anything and risk my account being suspended."

 

"Huh. Was worth the shot. But should you really be up this late? Your boss might fire your ass if you turn up tomorrow like a zombie."

 

"It's fine. I won't be up much longer. I just need to put some finishing touches."

 

PantsuCollector then suddenly turned his head to his left. He then faced me again.

 

"Oh shit. It's the alarm. Gotta run, Scales. I have to give my sister her medicine."

 

"Sure. I understand. Goodnight."

 

With a flash, PantsuCollector logged off just like that. Honestly, he's such a nice guy. One of my best online friends. Yet his name always gives girl players the chills. Anyway, I better get that item and finish it for today. It's getting late.