Chapter 6

While waiting for my cup noodles to cook in the break room, I passed the time juggling with a plastic bottle.

Once you get used to it, it’s actually quite easy, easier than pen spinning even.

It’s much harder to make a robot juggle with a sword in a game. After all, in the real world, you’re moving your own body. My fingers move so freely. Come to think of it, I don’t remember ever being this conscious of my body movements before.

I can now spin a plastic bottle however I want. It’s all about the center of gravity and acceleration, right?

"What’s this, planning to switch careers and join the circus?"

Suddenly, applause from behind. It was Senior Tanabe, who had slowly emerged from behind the curtain. He’s a weirdo but a valuable asset who can get the job done.

"Working in a circus sounds nice. I’d rather quit this black company."

I can’t tell if he’s joking or serious, so I just give a polite smile to get by.

He’s a loose-lipped guy and loves to tattle to his superiors. If I were to complain about the company with him, I’d definitely be in trouble later.

"Better to switch jobs sooner. Once you’re over thirty like me, it’s hard to find a place to go."

Numerous colleagues have quit under his persuasion, and there’s been no contact since, so it’s unclear if they found new jobs. At least I hope one of them succeeded.

"Still, I think the future is in agriculture. If I don’t get a raise with this project, maybe I’ll go back to the countryside and become a farmer."

While I was eating my noodles, Senior Tanabe kept talking about his dreams. He was saying he wanted to become a temple priest the other day. He probably just repeats what he reads online during work. I’m not going to fall for any sweet talk, so it doesn’t matter to me.

"Stop chatting about nonsense and get back to work!"

Oh no, the old lady who was supposed to be out for lunch has returned. She’s the queen of the break room and ranks higher in the company hierarchy than us regular employees.

"But it’s still lunch break," Senior Tanabe mumbled in protest. It’s a familiar scene, and I can predict how it will unfold, so I quickly finish my noodles and leave.

"You corporate slaves don’t have a lunch break. Get back to work if you know what’s good for you!"

The old lady’s roar from behind. Come to think of it, they’re from the same batch of new hires, so they should just get together already.

"Guardian Troopers is currently experiencing a 40-minute wait."

The line for the arcade game extends outside. It’s become popular suddenly.

It seems the number of locations with the game has increased, but due to its large size, only a few arcades can accommodate it. The sudden surge in players has overwhelmed the supply.

"Man, there are too many people," Jimmy, who I happened to be in line with, said. Even he, who spends all day here, has only played five times today. Apparently, during peak hours, the wait is usually two hours.

The reason for the sudden increase in players is clear. A cash-out service for score points started in the casino special zone in Osaka.

A dedicated booth for "Guardian Troopers" with a hundred machines was set up in the casino special zone.

There, you can convert score points into Japanese yen. While this isn’t surprising for a casino, where you can make money if you win, the interesting part is that the pilot cards used in the casino are the same as the general ones. In other words, if you bring your pilot card with accumulated score points to the special zone, you can get cash.

Commentators on the news said it’s in a gray area, but isn’t it almost illegal to make money in arcades across the country?

Well, the special zone is a breeding ground for political favors, so anything goes. Since the people who make the laws are saying it’s okay, I plan to take advantage of it.

I don’t care if politicians are colluding with the mafia. I wish the cash-out service was available outside the special zone. Under the current system, it’s a waste to cash out a small amount of points because of the travel costs to Osaka.

Still, I didn’t expect the wait to be this bad. Everyone wants money, I guess.

"Still, the cash-out is the reason, right?"

The exchange rate is 10 points for 1 yen. Considering the effort to earn score points, it shouldn’t be that profitable for beginners. I think you’d be in the red until you can win consistently.

In my case, I can earn around 10k points per play. If one play takes 15 minutes, 10,000 points would be 1,000 yen. That’s 4,000 yen per hour... This is way more profitable than working at the company.

"The guarantee system is what’s making money. Top-ranked players earn over a million yen per match."

The guarantee system, introduced recently, allows players to publish their match videos. If both players agree and register, the match video can be viewed for free on the official site.

Players earn score points based on the number of views, essentially getting paid for the views.

"But who watches those? How can it be so profitable?"

Match videos aren’t that interesting to watch unless you’re a player. "Guardian Troopers" has a rather subdued presentation for a modern game.

"You don’t get it. In the casino, you can bet on matches."

Betting, huh. In the special zone, you can legally bet on various sports, including soccer. I don’t understand the appeal of betting on others’ wins and losses. You could be happier spending that money on a good meal. Rich people’s thinking is beyond me.

"But wouldn’t there be a lot of fixed matches in games?"

"Everything is included in the bet. That’s how gambling works."

Jimmy, acting all knowledgeable.

The economic impact of gambling is significant, but locals around the casino special zone are fleeing, fearing mafia conflicts. It’s a tough place for the poor.

The mafia is scary, and it’s a hassle to go to the special zone just for cash-out. The exchange rate isn’t that great, so I might as well make money through online auctions.

After waiting for nearly an hour, it was finally my turn. I can easily reach Stage 5 now.

Sagittarius’s attacks are surprisingly easy once you get used to them.

I used to focus on maintaining the balance of the machine, but I realized that using the wire anchor for mobility limits my movement. Once you get the hang of it, you can recover from a momentary loss of balance and avoid falling over. It feels like I’ve suddenly improved.

I’ve also gotten used to swinging the heavy X-Carver. By using the sword’s weight as a pivot, I can make sharp turns easily. Instead of forcing the movement, sometimes it’s better to let the Links be swung by the sword.

I can now release the sword for a moment and launch the wire anchor. Depending on the angle of my arm, I can even launch the anchor while holding the sword. It’s risky, though.

I managed to get into Sagittarius’s range without much trouble. Setting mines now would be pointless. In close combat, Sagittarius is no match for my Links, and I can cut it down with one stroke.

I advanced to Stage 6 in great form. This time, I had to face Scutum and Taurus.

Scutum is equipped with a dedicated shield and 44-beam gun, a standard setup. It’s tough but predictable, making it a good practice opponent.

Taurus is a rare machine, like my Links, and not available in the store. It looks like a muscular Minotaur. It’s bulkier and larger than Scutum, with a mono-eye sensor that gives it a villainous look. The bulky upper body and double antennas on the head make it resemble a buffalo, so players have started calling it "Bull."

Taurus’s bulky shoulder parts are powerful but move sluggishly. However, its boost dash is surprisingly fast and shouldn’t be underestimated.

Taurus’s dedicated weapon is a long-barreled beam gun, but it rarely fires it, using it more like a club. When it does fire, the beam is thick and flashy, probably very powerful.

Neither Scutum nor Taurus is that scary individually. Sagittarius, with its arsenal of weapons, is stronger in single combat. However, facing two of them is tough, and the clear condition is to destroy both within the time limit.

I’m hoping for a good reward, but it won’t be easy. I want to clear it by Christmas.

After cutting down Taurus, Scutum started to flee. What a cheap AI. There are only seven seconds left, and it’s trying to escape.

I can’t catch up, so I press the eject button forcefully. With three seconds left, it’s probably too late. Fortunately, a challenger immediately joins.

"Do you allow the publication of battle data?"

The guarantee system, right? It’s probably a risky move, but I’ll try it.

I’ll take both the X-Carver and the Buster Sword. I’ll choose a Buster Sword with low durability. It’s not worth much, and I can discard it during the battle without regret.

I’ll keep the X-Carver on my back and use the Buster Sword primarily. The durability of weapons decreases quickly in player battles.

The opponent chose a random stage, so the stage is selected by dice roll after deployment.

I got the Blizzard Stage, which is quite rare but not bad for me. The enemy is displayed as Unknown, but it’s probably Scutum with standard equipment.

The blizzard severely limits visibility and causes significant beam decay. Players with high detection capabilities and projectile weapons have an advantage.

It often ends in a draw if neither player can detect the other. A draw means both players lose, so it’s best to avoid it.

My Links has no active scanner, so there’s no choice to make. However, the passive scanner is excellent, and the stealth performance is good, giving me an advantage against Scutum. The main issue is the time limit.

I detect a beam at the 4 o'clock position. It’s a feint to reveal my position.

Since the battle is public, I don’t want to look bad. I approach cautiously, using the terrain and the blizzard for cover.

I get within range of the wire anchor with less than ten seconds left. It’s indeed Scutum, easily recognizable by its bright pink paint.

I launch the wire anchor, but it misses and hits the enemy’s feet. No problem.

I reel in the wire while making a slight diagonal jump and boost dash. This allows for precise movement and easy recovery if I deflect a beam mid-air. Bringing the one-handed Buster Sword was a good choice.

The opponent’s reaction is slow. Is it a feint? I slash the unguarded back with the Buster Sword, and it falls over easily. I impale it from above.

I intended to finish it with the X-Carver, but the enemy’s shield gauge was already depleted. Despite the strong shield, Scutum’s body is relatively weak.

With 2.08 seconds left, the enemy player probably thought it was a draw and let their guard down. They didn’t put up much resistance.

Well, it’s their fault for letting their guard down in battle.