Kiharu.
The Cat Swordsman.
A 4-star character.
“…Success with all six limit breaks.”
All breakthroughs were successful.
I even maxed out the daily limit of 10 Action Points by purchasing refills and collected the materials necessary for promotion.
Experience points?
‘I’ll just buy it.’
I spent money on character and weapon experience material packages that I wouldn’t have glanced at before and had never purchased in my life—maxing out the limit.
In essence, I bought time with money. After all, my black card has no limit.
The problem is the weapon.
Even after achieving Full Limit Break and Full Refinement, it still requires several enhancements and stacking.
For this part, I needed to clarify a few things.
“Alice, I need your help.”
I called out to Alice, the AI assistant in my Summoner management app.
“Hey, Alice.”
[…]
No response.
“You’re not upset that I’ve only been talking to Elaine and only summon you when I need help, are you?”
[That is not the case.]
Her reply was precise.
[I am a management AI for the Summoner’s app, designed to assist with Tower strategies. My sole purpose is to provide advice that benefits the Summoner in conquering the Tower.]
“Good. I was worried you might misunderstand.”
[Misunderstand?]
The fact that she asked questions made her seem more than just a basic AI, but since she insisted otherwise, I played along.
“Wouldn’t it be inefficient if I came to you with real-world issues like citizenship laws or obtaining U.S. nationality? That’d divert your computational resources from helping with the Tower, right?”
[…]
“Maybe I’ve been figuring out things myself that you should’ve explained more thoroughly from the beginning.”
Alice is essentially a tutorial guide.
And anyone who has played mobile games—whether they’ve been commanders, travelers, wanderers, pioneers, captains, trainers, or video store owners—knows that adjusting to a new UI is the real challenge.
The basic structure of gacha games remains the same.
– What are these mana stones and fuel?
– Mana stones are crystals, and fuel is resin.
…Even in-game item systems are often so similar that gamers circulate comparison memes online.
Anyway.
“It’s not that I only call on you when I need help. I just have some questions. Don’t misunderstand.”
[…If that’s the case, shall we begin the tutorial?]
“Skip.”
[…]
“Real players learn by doing.”
[What if you accidentally waste valuable resources?]
“That’s how you learn.”
I lightly tapped Alice twice.
“Before I summon Kiharu’s ultimate weapon, let me confirm—can I summon without a dedicated weapon if I fully refine it?”
A flicker appeared on the phone screen, displaying a white rabbit icon.
[About Summoning Requirements.]
– Summoning requires the following conditions to be met:
– To summon a being from a hidden dimension into a higher world, the entity must reach the pinnacle of their existence, breaking through the boundaries of dimensional perception and—
“Stop.”
Sensing the lengthy explanation coming, I held down the phone.
“Whew.”
Turning to Alice, who seemed ready to drown me in incomprehensible jargon, I declared with mock seriousness:
“Skibbity skib. Skib skib bap.”
[????]
Alice sounded flustered.
I felt my face flush in embarrassment after saying something so ridiculous aloud, but the moment passed quickly.
“Explain it in simpler terms so I can actually understand. If you keep talking like this, how am I supposed to ask for help?”
[…]
“Even ChatGPT would explain better than this. Cater the explanation to a gamer like me. Surely you can manage that?”
I didn’t expect her to explain it in a way non-gamers could grasp, but at least make it accessible to me.
“Just tell me if the conditions for Summoning are the same as they are for Elaine.”
[Processing data.]
The rabbit on the screen hopped in place, mimicking a loading animation.
I sipped the capsule coffee Elaine had prepared for me while waiting.
[Requirements for Summoning Fully Developed Characters.]
#1 Character Level: ‘Max Level’
#2 Character Breakthrough: ‘Final Breakthrough’
#3 Character Weapon: Equipped Weapon ‘Max Level’
#4 Character Refinement: ‘Final Refinement’
#5 Character Skill: All of the character’s skills at max level
#6 Character Equipment: All of the character’s equipment slots are equipped with the highest-grade equipment at the maximum level.
[These are the minimum requirements.]
“As expected.”
It was just as I thought.
“Does the weapon used for full refinement have to be a dedicated weapon?”
[That’s correct.]
“…Let’s see, if I compare it with Elaine…”
Elaine.
- Level: 80/80
- Breakthrough: 6/6
- Exclusive Weapon: Level 80/80
- Refinement: 5/5
- Skills: All maxed at 10/10 (Basic Attack, Combat Skills, Ultimate Skill, Special Skill, Passive)
- All Relic Equipment: Max level (Level 15).
“…So basically, I just need to reach the point where I can challenge the game’s final difficulty.”
[Would you like an explanation?]
“Let’s hear it.”
[To summon a being to a higher dimension, you must push its potential to the extreme—level, weapon, breakthroughs, equipment, skills, and so on…]
“So, as long as I max out all abilities in the character menu, I can summon them, right?”
In conclusion, it’s fairly straightforward.
“It’s about whether the character is fully developed or not, and you don’t have to worry about sub-options for the gear, right?”
[In the Summoner’s terms, that is correct.]
“Great, that’s all I needed to know.”
I reconnected to [Fermata], where Kiharu awaited.
“Let’s make the transfer.”
Do I need to grind for new equipment, improve stats, and fine-tune sub-options?
No, there’s no need.
“Apologies, limited 5-star.”
I stripped all the gear from a fully-raised 5-star healer and equipped Kiharu with it.
Ideally, I should be farming gear that perfectly suits Kiharu, but time is of the essence.
“Elaine’s all fired up right now, eager to dive into the dungeon.”
Elaine wasn’t beside me but sitting on the sofa, rapidly scrolling through her smartphone.
“[Blue Lightning]… other S-rankers… failed strategies… but cosplay maids… hmm.”
She was completely engrossed in a community debate pitting “Cosplay Maid” against other S-rank Hunters in a hypothetical match.
“Master, what should I wear next time?”
“Whatever you want, Elaine.”
“Do you have any preferences? Maybe a different maid outfit?”
She was busy researching ideas for new appearances to showcase in public.
“Well, if that’s the case… Oh, I know just the thing.”
While transferring Kiharu’s equipment, I also enhanced the exclusive gear stripped from the healer. In between summoning sessions, I searched for an image.
“I think I did save it before… Ah, found it.”
On-screen, Elaine appeared in something other than a maid outfit.
“Elaine, what do you think about this?”
“…Is this currently on sale?”
“It was a collaboration item.”
It was a pop-up store collaboration outfit.
Even in medieval fantasy games, characters sometimes get alternative outfits as part of promotional events.
“It’s unnecessarily expensive, but… oh. It’s sold out.”
“That’s fine. A suit is always a reliable choice. The vibes of a medieval maid and a modern secretary overlap nicely.”
A black office-lady suit.
Not a skin, just a collaboration outfit, but still a common design.
“But Master.”
“Yes?”
“I can wear other clothes, but are you stripping the cat?”
“Not just any cat—Kiharu. And it should be fine.”
From what I remember in the game,
“Kiharu doesn’t seem to feel self-conscious about wandering around in cat form.”
* * *
[Npia Corporation, President’s Office]
“…So you spoiled everything for the players?”
“Yes, President.”
Park Gi-woo, the President of Npia, stared at the people gathered in his office, his face flushed red—likely from post-dinner drinks.
“Guys, I get that our revenue is skyrocketing, but there are rules we agreed on when creating games. We don’t touch core storylines from each team, remember?”
The group lowered their heads as if they’d collectively committed a crime.
“Especially you, Fermata team.”
“…”
“How could you spill the beans? That the loyal cat companion who’s been with the protagonist from the start is actually the true final boss—a goddess observing whether the world should be destroyed while watching the protagonist’s decisions unfold!”
Though the President revealed the spoiler himself, it was in the soundproof security of his office. Players of Fermata could rest easy knowing this wouldn’t leak.
“But, President, this is an opportunity.”
Director Lee Min-jung stepped forward.
“There’s nothing else to it. A goddess… well, that was unexpected, but we just need to release this cat’s human form as a 5-star character. As if it was planned from the start.”
“Turn a being who observes humanity from the detached gaze of a beast into something like that? Ugh, are you serious? That would fundamentally alter the character’s core design!”
“…But wouldn’t it make a lot of money?”
“Money is important! But a character needs a story! If you suddenly drop a ‘detached 5-star character’ without any foreshadowing, do you think the players will like it?!”
“If the cat turns into a busty catwoman with neko ears, wouldn’t they love it?”
“…Hah.”
President Park Gi-woo buried his face in his hands.
“Fermata. No, Jung Hyun-ah.”
“Yes, President.”
“Are there any hidden hints or backstory elements in the current narrative that we can use later? Let the art team handle the cosplay maid’s design for now.”
“Well…”
The team leader of Fermata 8X hesitated before speaking.
“The cat form represents her sealed state. But since she’s a goddess and the true final boss…”
“And?”
“…The silhouette in the opening and prologue scenes? That’s the goddess.”
“…That.”
President Park Gi-woo pointed at his own clothes.
“It’s just a silhouette, but wasn’t she basically naked?”
* * *
[Summoning conditions have been met. Would you like to summon?]
“Summon.”
No reason not to.
“Elaine, get ready to welcome your new colleague—uh?”
“Master!!”
The moment I hit the summon button, Elaine yanked me aside and swung her sword.
Fwoosh.
A thick fog filled the living room.
“…So that’s the kind of world it was. A bitter reality, yet it remains true.”
A voice echoed through the mist—similar to the voice of a cat, but more composed and mature.
“Greetings, Summoner. I shall ensure you do not regret choosing me among countless others.”
From the fog.
“I am [Fermata]. The goddess of what you call ‘Fermata 8X.’”
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed goddess slowly emerged, revealing her form.
“Kiharu, as you call it, was a form I used to assist you while you vanquished the evils of the modern world as its ‘protagonist.’ That was my disguise, Summoner.”
“Su-summoner? How dare you address Master so rudely—!”
“No, no, calling him a summoner is not quite right…”
She struck a dramatic pose, mimicking someone in-game.
“You and me, nyah! We’re the ultimate partners!”
“…”
“From now on, just call me your partner.”
“…Uh.”
I closed my eyes tightly and pointed my smartphone forward.
“If I’m the Summoner, I guess I should say something first.”
“Say something?”
“Clothes.”
I shook the smartphone up and down.
“Could you… put on some clothes?”
“Hm, that’s odd.”
Kiharu the Cat Swordsman—or rather, Goddess Fermata—had appeared before us in her natural state, completely unadorned.
“Isn’t revealing the beauty of the divine a virtue of the gods?”
That…
She was bigger than Elaine.
‘Sorry.’
I’d need to unpack this situation carefully, but there’s one universal truth in mobile gacha games.
‘Looks are also performance.’