Chapter 50: Meeting with the twelve
2237 Words
“As usual Player Kaede did the unexpected. The latest updates add new features in the skill system and nerfed mostly of her overpowered skills. She still manages to make an outstanding comeback with her battle between Player Amber.”
Administrator Rabbit said at the council meeting of developers. Each developer embodied one of the animals in the twelve zodiacs. These twelve people are the ones responsible for the main game system.
The first time they launched the game. They thought that their game is flawless and never have a bug on it. But they are wrong after Player Kaede entered the game.
She didn’t just prove that she can defeat higher players, but also bend the game system. Forcing the developers to work hard checking their system.
But above the twelve zodiac developers.
There is still one person who has the most control in the game system. The one who designed the game and the so-called Chairman.
The dog looks to the window containing Kaede’s current status and checks everything.
“We include the existence of ultimate skill in the system. It includes Player Melida’s guardian angel form and Kaede’s Sword demon form.”
“I know this is bad but we trimmed a bit of Kaede’s Skill from the sword knight skill set.”
“That’s nasty of you, Tiger. It's like thieving Kaede’s status and skill set.”
“Many skill’s on knight skill set used MP. Kaede lacks INT to widen her MP pool. Despite being level 98 her MP is just 90 -120. Normal players that reached level 90 are supposed to have 5000 + MP.”
“I agree to Tiger…” Mice raise her hand and give her opinion. “… We already nerfed Kaede’s magical counters from her devour skill. She won’t have a chance to use those skills. Trimming it and rewarding her as an exchange was the right thing to do. Also, Kaede’s thinking process is something extraordinary. Many variables in the game are bend by her. The indestructible monster made before was killed by her. On the last event, she killed 100 high-level players.”
“She is overpowered…”
Dog go back looking at Kaede’s stats He turned his head toward the twelve zodiacs and made a deep breath.
To make the game balance letting go is necessary.
A window of the vote has appeared in front of everyone.
“I feel bad for Kaede, But I don;y want our game to have a bad reputation of having a bad balance.”
Rabbit muttered as she pressed the circle button that agrees to trim Kaede’s skill set.
“It's your fault that she won her second event.”
Tiger made her remember.
Rabbit averted her eyes in depression. She remembers that the Chairman scolded her too much. Her salary is been deducted as punishment.
Kaede’s status appeared:
Name: Kaede
Level: 98
HP: 520/520
MP: 50 (+40)
STR: 4912 (+500) (Sword boost +19,648) (x3)
VIT: 0 (+70)
AGI: 0 (+50)
DEX: 0 (+20)
INT: 0 (+20)
Equipment:
Head: None
Body: Enhance Black knight Armor (Skill: none)
Right hand: Moon piercer sword.
Left hand: None
Accessories: Revival ring
Skills: (Provoke) (Sword boost) (Meditation) (Sword s***h skill) (Mastery of sword) (Black poison dragon skills) (Dragon eater) (Attack diversion) (Sturdy body) (Knowledge of Evasion) (Abominable) (Bizarre eater) (Bomb eater) (Smokescreen) (Defence buster) (Repulse) (Charity) (Repel) (Magical Absorb) (magical recharge) (Heroic retribution sword)
Sword knight skill set: (Sword Fire) (Magnum sword) (Dash Thrust) (Cruel Cleave) (Meteor s***h) (Defensive swing)
Ultimate skill: Sword demon form
Sword Fire: Long-range skill that lets Kaede threw fire blade from her sword. (Active) (20 MP)
Magnum sword: A powerful enhancement skill to make her sword durability increased 150%. (Active) (20 MP)
Dash Thrust: Let Kaede move in high velocity in a straight direction with her sword sharp point forward. (Active) (50 MP)
Cruel Cleave: Sword cleave. (Passive) (0 MP)
Meteor s***h: Considered ultimate skill. Kaede can only use this skill with her Ultimate skill Sword demon form was activated. Let Kaede move at high speed and strike her opponent. The skill has a 1000% attack increase. (80 MP)
Defensive swing: Sudden movement of Kaede’s body in a critical situation. Lets her blocks attack from the area she doesn’t have a vision of. This skill has a probability of 1 out of 200. 0.5% chance of succeeding.
“Knowledge of evasion and Defensive swing… Maybe we should decrease it more considering how lucky Kaede was.”
Ox suggested.
“Nope… We can’t do that… Her luck in real life has nothing to do with the game. We made her skills unbelievably low.”
“In the entire game, she is the only one who got the special skill set of sword knight so we don’t need to worry for another player to copy her.”
“That’s right… The special skill set is only one like unique equipment sets.”
“How about her STR?”
Tiger pointed out.
“Well… We can’t cheat that… I mean, do anything about it. She is hardcore in putting her status points on her STR. That’s why her attack damage was so strong.”
“Then how about sword boost skill.”
“Sword boost skill is a unique skill and created as a hidden gem in the game. The requirements to obtain it is stupid. But someone stupid enough was able to obtain it.”
“Should we take it away.”
All the twelve zodiacs nodded in agreement.
But before they make it disappeared.
The chairman arrived.
“Please don’t do that…”
“Ch-Chairman!” 12x
All the twelve developers bow their heads in respect to her presence.
The chairman is in form of a young girl. Her name is Alice Harusaki and she is the founder of the Full dive virtual world everyone is using today. She is a prodigy and genius that obtained a noble award at age of twelve. She is a scientist and programmer.
She is currently 20 years old, but her appearance was like someone in high school. She looks so young and very pretty. The zodiacs have their face blushing just seeing her in the room.
The room they were in was a virtual space and everyone except the Chairman was in her human form. The twelve zodiacs are stuff toyed animals from.
The dragon turned his eyes on Alice and asked:
“Why can’t we do that? Kaede is breaking the balance of the game. We need to make sure the game is fair to everyone.”
“Kaede din;t do anything wrong or cheat. It's unfair for her to be treated like this… It is fair that Kaede obtain that unique skill within the rules we made. Stripping that skill is the same as stripping what’s made Kaede unique. That’s what the game was supposed to be. To be unique and achieve your possibility.”
“I understand Chairman.”
“I wanted to look further on Kaede’s background. After the summer event. I wanted to invite her.”
“Chairman! Are you sure about that?”
“I need talented people who have an odd sense in the world. She has the potential to be a player in the world we’re currently developing right now.”
A huge screen appears before them. On the screen, it shows a world different from the real world. The world is created in the same engine as the Fantasy world online. It's a fantasy world setting with many mystical things on it. The people living in this world are identical to real-life humans.
They are like humans in every way.
The twelve zodiacs were in shock seeing it.
“What is this thing?”
Dragon asked Chairman Alice.
“The prototype to the new world… Project Underworld.”
The window disappeared and Alice take her seat. She continues.
“... It’s free to continue to what you're discussing earlier.”
“Moving back to Player Kaede. We did our best to make a fair discission to make her skills balance and remove unnecessary skills that will lead things into confusion. Is everyone agreed to the outcome of the decision?”
Dragon asked.
Everyone looks to each other and makes a vote. The majority voted for the decision made for Kaede.
“Kaede’s uniqueness always comes to her insane STR. Even a level 200 is going to have a hard time defeating someone like Kaede.”
“That’s true.”
“We should not think deeply about Kaede. There are lots of new players that are strong like her. Melida is a defensive specialist that already fighting with Kaede toe to toe. Kaede's partner Yuki is also good. She is good as a professional player.”
“Kaede influence is spreading like a fire.”
“That’s true.”
“Let's move to the summer cup and think how the rules.”
Alice said as she put her hand together in excitement. The zodiac already finished the discussion. They agreed to move to another topic.
The summer cup is going to happen. Twenty teams are invited to join the event. Twenty teams will compete with each other and win the million yen prize
But Alice got another idea.
“Instead of Yen… Let's make it a dollar.”
“Eh?!” 12x
The twelve zodiacs are astonished at first because of the amount of money Alice is willing to give in the event. But thinking again, Alice is one of the richest people in the world, and giving a few million is easy for her.
“That’s 111,076,500.00 yen in total...”
“It's no big deal at all we have lots of sponsors and players in the game keep on increasing and increasing. New map update should be released soon or else the game will be overcrowded.”
“You’re right about that… The opening to the fourth and fifth floor will be open after the new year as planned.”
“Before we think about it… We need to think about the new summer cup rules. Battle royale is effective, but it's repetitive. Most of the events, we made these past months are all battle royale and dungeon crawling. We should think of another event to make things fresh.”
Pig said to Alice.
Tiger put his hand on his forehead and have a deep thought about it.
“It's a team fight… Maybe we can do something like how MOBA gameplay is…”
“Don’t insult our game… Our community is not as toxic as them.”
Dog argues with Tiger.
“I understand that… But we need a fresh mechanic to the game event.”
Alice look at Tiger and said:
“I’m interested… Let's discuss it. Everyone can also add their opinions and ideas.”
Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is a subgenre of strategy video games in which two teams of players compete against each other on a predefined battlefield. Each player controls a single character with a set of distinctive abilities that improve throughout a game and which contribute to the team's overall strategy. The ultimate objective is for each team to destroy their opponents' main structure, located at the opposite corner of the battlefield. However, MOBA games can have other victory conditions, such as defeating every player on the enemy team. Players are assisted by computer-controlled units that periodically spawn in groups and march forward along set paths toward their enemy's base, which is heavily guarded by defensive structures. This type of multiplayer online video game originated as a subgenre of real-time strategy, though MOBA players usually do not construct buildings or units.
Tiger makes an explanation for the idea.
“That’s interesting… The players will have to protect a structure. Teamwork is needed. How did you get the idea, Tiger?”
Rabbit asked.
“I just remember it because of my big brother. When I was young, he used to yell a lot while playing one of these games.”
“MOBA community sure is the worst.”
Everyone agreed.
“There are twenty players to compete. Ten games in the first round. Five games in the second round… We can’t have a decent tournament tree with twenty players.”
“We can make a double elimination or Round robin…”
Alice also noticed it and solved the problem.
“Let's invite the other teams qualified. Many interesting players were wiped out easily in the last event. It includes the top two players Arthur and his team. The more the merrier. The prize pool also gets bigger. It's going to be a lot more interesting.”
“Then, how are we going to pick teams? We can’t pick teams based on bias alone.”
“That’s true.”
“Let's have a wild card tournament exclusive only to the team eliminated to the last event. With that rule, everyone will be given a chance.”
“I agree to Chairman.”
Dog raised his hands. Same with Ox and Pig. It followed with Mouse and Rabbit. Eventually, everyone agree to the idea.
“Meeting closed… Let's meet again after the wild card event.”
Alice said and logged out.
When Alice leaves. Everybody make a deep breath. They are all holding their breath and behaving the most they can in front of their boss.
After that meeting…
The wild card tournament was held.
- Writer
