If given the opportunity to access all the data in the world, anyone would at least once consider opening that door.
And the moment they face the abyss beyond that door, humanity must make a decision.
Will they continue staring into that abyss, inspecting all the data of humankind beyond the door?
Or will they shut the door and never look again?
Or perhaps, will they selectively ignore some issues while only seeking out the information they need?
The path I have chosen falls into the last category, but with a clear direction in mind.
“Commander, did you know? The number of people being arrested by the FBI has been increasing lately.”
“Who exactly are they arresting?”
“Child p*rnography offenders, large-scale drug traffickers, deepfake creators, and also… hmm, I probably shouldn’t say the last one.”
“Say it. I’m ready to face the abyss.”
“Furry BL games—”
“Okay, that’s enou— wait, did you just say furry BL?”
“Want to see?”
“No. Are you telling me there are actually people making games like that?”
“I wouldn’t say there aren’t.”
“…”
Until I summoned Drei, I had no idea the world had such… diverse tastes.
But truly, the human abyss knows no bounds.
“What should we do? Should I hack in and erase all the data?”
“Forget it. As long as they’re not doing anything harmful to real people, it’s just a means of making a living. I’m not going to interfere. Just report anything dangerous to the FBI and CIA.”
Drugs, child crimes, and various other issues.
By providing crime-related intelligence, I have helped build a substantial body of evidence, leading to an unexpected boom in crime investigation agencies.
But solving one problem always leads to another.
“Drei, people these days… they discuss important matters in analog ways, don’t they?”
“Yeah. They write handwritten letters in places without CCTV or talk in storage rooms. Some even exchange notes, even in China.”
“So now, everyone realizes that if they talk digitally, everything gets exposed?”
“Considering that Hunters’ confidential documents were leaked in China, and in the U.S., suddenly undiscovered crimes are surfacing with solid evidence… yeah. Some people are trying to challenge the legal validity of the evidence sources, though.”
“That’s for Congress to deal with.”
This isn’t information obtained through illegal hacking.
The apps and smartphones they use simply experience sudden ‘errors’, causing photos and videos to be automatically sent to CIA agents’ emails.
It’s all just a program malfunction.
As a result, criminals have started communicating as if they were living in the early 1900s.
Crime syndicates are suddenly buying up stationery and fountain pens.
Politicians now use their aides as messengers, slipping notes between sandwich napkins when visiting other lawmakers’ offices.
When people are desperate, they find ways to survive.
Still, one thing is clear: not just in this country, but worldwide, crimes belonging to the abyss are decreasing.
“They probably think that the Master knows and watches everything but is too busy attacking the Towers to care about small-time criminals, right?”
“Well, they’re not wrong.”
I’m not some homicide detective.
I am a Hunter.
A climber of Towers.
And my method? Summoning beings from games.
Naturally, my priorities are threefold.
First, my summons.
Second, the Towers.
And third, the source of my power—games.
Above all, mobile gacha games are of great interest to me.
Right now, I’m going through my daily tasks in my existing games while also searching for new ones.
A problem.
“Drei, tell me—why do you think games are made?”
“Rather than beating around the bush, just say what you want to say.”
“…Are these game companies out of their minds?”
“You’re not wrong, but you skipped too many steps in between.”
“Ahem.”
A certain rumor surfaced online.
It was so absurd that it made me dig into the abyss of the gaming industry—practically leaked documents.
“They’re planning to develop games based on the beings they think I might summon in the future. What the hell does that even mean?”
“In other words, they’ve reversed the roles.”
“…”
“Think about it. If someone were to summon an ancient being, that being might reveal hidden histories, right? Aren’t you curious? Like, was Joan of Arc really well-endowed or not?”
“…Now that’s just completely missing the point.”
Summons exist to help climb the Towers.
“They are not meant to be summoned to analyze human history or fulfill some nationalistic hero-worship fantasy.”
I summon based on necessity, not meaning.
And yet…
The world has gone mad.
“What kind of insane game company develops a game solely for the purpose of ‘creating beings that the Master might summon’?”
The gaming industry is spiraling into madness.
* * *
[Meanwhile, Tokyo, Japan – A High-Rise Conference Room]
A spacious meeting room devoid of electronic records.
“Ladies and gentlemen.”
A middle-aged man rolled in a whiteboard and pointed to a large inscription written on a flip chart.
“This is an analysis of the entities that the Master is presumed to have summoned so far.”
There were four cut-out color-printed sheets on display.
A maid, a cat, a special agent, and a battleship.
“The Master is gradually shifting from choosing summons based on ‘affection’ to ‘performance.’ At first, the reason was unclear, but according to circulating rumors…”
Flap.
As the presenter flipped to the next page, an image from a certain game was printed across the full size of the board.
“Full Limit Break and Full Refinement. The only character the Master has ever….”
“What does that mean?”
“Maxed out in every possible way.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Yes. To continue, this was the first character the Master ever fully maxed out in this game. After that, the Master continued to fully develop other characters as well….”
Flap.
“From this, we can conclude that the Master’s standard for summoning in games is ‘complete optimization.'”
“…I see.”
Complete optimization.
“In Korean gaming terms, it would be equivalent to reaching ‘max level’ and equipping the ‘best-in-slot’ gear.”
“Alright. So, what’s your proposal?”
“Therefore, the company must focus on this….”
Flap.
“Investing heavily in games that assist with ‘combat’ for Tower raids. The goal is to create overpowered characters that are optimal for summoning and ensure the Master pulls for them.”
At the top of the board, logos of specific games were prominently displayed, while others were clustered in small print at the bottom.
“So, we should reallocate the investment from….”
“Wait. You’re suggesting we cut funding for horse racing games? Our cash cow?”
A middle-aged man slammed his hand on the table, standing up in protest.
“I refuse to accept this! Do you know how much blood, sweat, and tears went into acquiring those licenses from the Racing Authority?!”
“And tell me—does that help with climbing the Tower?”
“What?”
“At best, it’s a racehorse that runs faster than a human. What possible strategic value does summoning that have for Tower raids?”
“Y-You bastard…!”
An angry curse escaped the executive’s lips, but the presenter remained unfazed, confidently flipping to the next page.
Flap.
“If that’s the case, it would be far better to develop and summon this entity instead.”
“…What the hell?!”
As if expecting outrage, the next image revealed a muscular centaur clad in heavy armor, waving a polearm with an open-mouthed snarl.
Its lower half was unmistakably that of a horse, but instead of a traditional neck, a well-built human torso extended upward, wielding a massive weapon.
The head, however, remained that of a horse.
“Rumor has it that this character is rated strong enough to clear B-rank Towers. If we make some adjustments, it could work to our advantage. Moreover, this company is reportedly planning to introduce historical figures from Korea and the United States as their next ‘servants.'”
“…The U.S. has done this several times already, but Korea too?”
“Yes. Until now, it was considered somewhat taboo.”
Flap.
“But if the ‘fifth battleship that should not exist’ is clearing S-rank Towers as we speak, how can we just sit idly by?”
“Hmm…”
“Our plan is simple—introduce figures like Tokugawa or Toyotomi as gacha characters, but with overwhelmingly powerful stats. And that power… will serve to protect us, to protect Earth.”
“Is that… really a game?”
The chairman let out a contemplative sigh.
“Creating and selling characters for that purpose—can we still call that a game?”
“Why not?”
Flap.
“The Fifth. If we are chosen for that spot, we will be sitting on a mountain of cash.”
An empty fifth slot was prominently displayed, accompanied by revenue reports from three competing companies.
“The studio behind the game featuring the maid and cat became South Korea’s top game company, with stock prices exceeding 2 million won per share.
The special agent game was officially recognized as a ‘national strategic industry’ by China’s chairman, receiving full state support while avoiding external political interference.
And the battleship game…”
Flap.
“…Is currently collaborating with a neighboring ‘ship girl’ franchise. Iowa-class battleships like New Jersey are already implemented, so introducing new characters and hosting a crossover event will be seamless.”
“…Hmm.”
“Just from Illinois being summoned, all ship-girl-style games jumped into the top 10 on app stores. So, tell me, what kind of game should we be investing in?”
Flap.
“The answer is clear—[Ultra Girl] Project…!”
* * *
“Partner. A certain production company is making an Ultra Girl game.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Who knows? Probably hoping to get their IP included as the Master’s fifth summon?”
“…”
The industry had fallen into the abyss.
