Chapter 626

〈 Chapter 626 〉 Part 2, Chapter 2, Episode 26

“Magical Girls….”

Sun Gyeoul despaired. The PC stored dozens of scenarios covering all sorts of themes for studio shoots.

Among them, Sun Gyeoul proposed two ideas.

One was a scenario with Korean elements since they were filming in Korea—ancient warrior motif featuring Hwarang or Taoist immortals. The female battle suits based on this concept looked fairly impressive.

The other was a post-apocalyptic survival story. Battle suits designed to protect from contaminated magic power had a strong military vibe.

Sun Gyeoul thought at the very least one of these would be chosen.

– The times demand magical girls.

But Baek Cheonghwa selected the magical girl theme, something completely unexpected and almost like a canned response. It couldn’t help but strongly appeal to certain tastes.

“What, are you going to dress them up as magical girls and just do whatever?”

“Isn’t that right?”

“Huh.”

An answer came to her muttered thoughts. Sun Gyeoul had forgotten there were others in the office and nervously waved at Gaon.

“A, I mean, movie shooting…”

“The movie content includes that too. It’s fine. I was thinking the same thing.”

“…Is that so?”

Kim Gaon sat slouched on the sofa with a somewhat bitter expression. While it felt good working with Baek Cheonghwa in pairs gathering cores, being left out now made her feel down.

“Gaon, are you alright?”

“Yes. The boss takes better care of his women than himself. We won’t face any monsters we can’t handle as three.”

“That is fortunate at least…”

Sun Gyeoul conjured an image in her mind. Baek Cheonghwa directing organically while three special ability users moved in unison. And their fluttering magical girl costumes…

“……Sigh.”

Everything else was fine, but why magical girls? Was it really because they wanted to cosplay as magical girls?

“I feel sorry for the three of them. They’ll have to stand before people dressed as magical girls from now on.”

“…? Aren’t you the same, Gyeoul?”

“Wha?”

Sun Gyeoul’s hand paused momentarily, then tapped the Magical Gear, pulling up a photo of Gaon going out with Baek Cheonghwa to gather cores.

“You’re the military type, right?”

Kim Gaon’s <Siren> battlesuit was a ready-made design closest to what she originally used. Despite her 140cm small stature, the white-based military uniform exuded A-rank special ability user charisma.

“I also have a ready-made…”

“Nope. You, Gyeoul, the boss ordered a custom-made one.”

“…”

“Kind of envious. You’re also a magical girl, Gyeoul.”

“…”

Should I punch her?

Sun Gyeoul pulled her hair in frustration.

* * *

“Everyone calm down. This is all to hide our activities from outsiders.”

I first had the three sit beside the capsule. There was almost a brief argument, but I’m the leader after all. A true commander must know how to handle such grievances.

“First off, what’s our official reason for being here?”

“To hunt monsters.”

“That’s right. But we’re not officially registered hunters or heroes. We’ve received cooperation requests from the association, but that’s still not official. Even if the entire association knows I’m the commander…”

Since March 1st, it’s become an open secret that the commander is in Korea. But that doesn’t mean I go around advertising it.

“As it is, I’m struggling to keep my identity hidden from passersby. What happens if they find out who I am?”

My identity will only be known to key figures. To the general public, I remain part of Oracle Studio.

“Eventually, my identity will be revealed. But not now.”

Not until the Chaos Dragon chapter’s ten-thousand-mile journey or the Rusalka chapter’s Busan massacre in August at the earliest.

“If we don’t try to hide, people will swarm us. Probably to have sex with me.”

“That’s unacceptable.”

“I agree with that. But…”

“Why does this feel like something from a children’s anime?”

They each pointed to the magical girl version battle suits next to them.

The pastel-toned magical girl costumes featured ivory for Yuna, teal for Raon, and black for Nuri. White blouse-type shirts with stockings and garter belts matching their colors were included.

“Nuri, that’s exactly why. We’re Oracle ‘Studio’!”

“…What madness.”

Their expressions grew serious as they realized what I was about to say.

“Weren’t we making movies of this genre?”

“It’s a lyrical magical world.”

We might add tactical elements later, but for now, the film we’re outwardly producing is a magical girl story.

“<Magical Girl Magical QQQ>. This is just a tentative title. Of course, you’re the main actors. One day, you gain magical powers and travel around fighting monsters threatening Earth.”

“…We’re not fighting with illusions but in reality.”

“That’s true. But don’t let that burden you. We fight realistically on set, then dub over afterward.”

On-site, someone might shout “DPS! DPS! The monster’s breaking through that way!” but in the movie, it’ll be “In the name of love and justice!”

“So what role will the boss play?”

“You’re totems for my buffs.”

In reality, I’ll be commanding. But in the movie, Baek Cheonghwa as the protagonist will take on the role of cheerleader saying things like “Hang in there! I believe in you!”

“People will think we’re hunting monsters as part of movie location shoots. Hehehe.”

A perfect plan. The three sighed heavily as they looked at their suits with complicated expressions.

“…Isn’t this originally an A-rank battlesuit?”

“Yeah. Customization costs five hundred billion per suit.”

“Five hundred billion won magical girl outfits…”

Raon had already reached enlightenment, much more quickly than the other two.

“Let’s get dressed.”

Raon gave me a sidelong glance before taking the initiative to open the capsule. Inside was a battlesuit precisely tailored to her body size.

“Boss, please step outside while we change.”

“Of course.”

I stepped out of the truck and closed the door. Going in wearing sweats but coming out as magical girls.

“Should I turn it into a pumpkin carriage?”

“That’s not particularly recommended.”

Yuha X subtly approached, casting golden light from her eyes as she spoke softly. While the three changed, I chatted lightly with Yuha.

“I won’t fight even if I join as a comrade. If I have to wear that and fight, I’d rather do something else.”

“How about the evil organization executive concept? A sexy concept with black and purple bases.”

From Yuna to Baek Hee-a, everyone in the Dark Legion has a unique skin.

There’s even a full plate armor-style battlesuit assuming a monster transformation mode. Naturally, I’ll have them wear tactical sexy commando ‘executive’ suits.

“We definitely need to keep your identity as the commander hidden from the public. If they knew you’re this kind of weirdo, surely disappointed people would increase.”

“Not worried. Once we make some money, we can order new ones for different concepts. How about an A-rank nightgown suit if we make more money this time?”

“Love you, customer.”

Where there’s demand, there’s supply. For a price, Yuha could create anything, including magical girl concept battlesuits. She could also make various other suits and skins.

“Then, customer, question. Who’s the mascot?”

“Mascot?”

“Magical girls usually bring small animals around, right?”

“Hehe, that’s true.”

Snap.

I clapped my hands. Then a fresh, cool breeze blew from the forest.

“Would a cat work?”

Though it’s actually a wolf.

***

DLC.

The root of all evil that makes you pay extra money for necessary game elements even though you bought the full-priced game.

While DLC is one of the revenue models for game companies, selling garbage DLC is akin to greed gone wild.

<Blue Sky's Death Dinass> has a rather unique structure for this revenue model.

Correction items for relatively underpowered heroes and special ability users, additional exclusive equipment, extra non-heroine characters, added difficulty levels for multiple playthroughs, additional heroine events, and added heroine epilogues—all updated for free despite being worth several times their cost. The climactic 2.0 update was priced at the odd amount of 2000 won.

Although people criticize the update removing Phoenix’s route as trash, players were surprised by the pricing policy offering an expansion pack-level update for just 2000 won.

Critics in the gaming industry accuse the developers of lacking business ethics, but the company has a solid revenue model no less effective than other industries.

Skins.

Clothing for companion characters.

Wearing skins doesn’t increase defense or magic power; they’re purely cosmetic items.

Through these items, the company earned substantial profits. It was bound to happen with sixteen heroines—technically seventeen—and corresponding skins.

-Heroine number 16 always ends up buying skins lol

With sixteen heroines, having one skin per heroine results in sixteen skins. Add concept-specific variations, and players couldn’t help but buy them.

-Ha ha, can’t resist Raon’s school uniform.

-These bastards making paid cosplaying sex in an 18+ visual novel.

-Hydra milf skin O_O

Cosplay sex. Additional costumes produced by the company beyond those provided in the main game naturally fueled players’ purchasing desires.

And he, Phoenix, owned every skin.

Thinking perhaps owning all skins was a condition to unlock the Phoenix route, he purchased them all, which naturally carried over to the save data I inherited.

“Yes, all skins are present.”

Among them, I applied the most fitting skin to the armor of those destined to save the world from extraterrestrial beings.

Under the guise of customization in-game, these skins possess the exact stats as regular armor but differ only in appearance.

“All 16 heroines’ first-tier outfits will be magical girl themed.”

Start with shocking and awe-inspiring costumes to gradually acclimate to even more revealing ones. Magical girl-themed outfits are merely the mildest of the mild.

“Magical Girl Magical QQQ.”

“And the intention is simply…”

To peek beneath the frilly skirts with garter belts over white stockings, covered by gloves shielding bashful faces, and…well, you know.