This is a tale of the god who tunes the world and the god who created it.
At nearly the same moment that Pepper conquered a special quest in Shangri-La Frontier, unlocking the next challenge…
In the real world, at the headquarters of Utopia Corporation, the developer of Shangri-La Frontier, a woman descended to the tenth basement floor. Her short black hair framed a crisp white lab coat paired with a black miniskirt, and she wore sleek women's black shoes.
She stood before the authentication device outside a vast chamber labeled the Source Archive Room. Swiping her employee ID, she completed fingerprint and retinal scans, passing the triple authentication. The heavy door unlocked, and she stepped inside.
"…Hey, Tsukuri Tsukuyotsume, did you mess with something behind my back again?"
Her name was Ritsu Amachi, the executive producer of Shangri-La Frontier. She was the woman who had fine-tuned this god-tier game to a level where it could function as a cohesive experience. If Tsukuri Tsukuyotsume, the creator god of Shangri-La Frontier, was its genesis, then Ritsu Amachi was its tuning god, harmonizing its world.
"What's that, Amachi? Did I do something weird?" Tsukuri replied.
"When I take my eyes off you, you go rewriting scenarios or tweaking whatever you please. If I don't keep watch, you'll spiral out of control," Ritsu shot back.
"A parasite like you, leeching off my world, has no right to lecture me," Tsukuri snapped.
"Your so-called 'world' wouldn't even have proper game balance if I wasn't here to fix it," Ritsu retorted.
"You said it now…!"
"Oh, I'll say plenty more…!"
Their foreheads nearly collided, tension crackling as if a fight might erupt at any moment. Then—
Ping!♪ "One new auto-sent email."
A notification appeared on the desktop. Ignoring Ritsu, Tsukuri double-clicked to check its contents.
Unique Quest: [Impact of the World] Phase Two: [The Roaring Stratagem in the Marsh] A+ Clear Confirmed.
Cleared by User: Pepper
Titles Earned: [Marsh Shark Subduer], [Master of the Roaring Stratagem], [United in Spirit Across Species], [Pioneer of Throwing Tools], [Enhance Guild Preferred Customer]
Unlock Confirmed: Item Category [Throwing Orbs] now available at all Enhance Guild shops and select item vendors in Shangri-La Frontier.
"…No way," Tsukuri muttered, her expression darkening.
The notification of the unique quest's second phase being cleared came far sooner than anticipated. This user, Pepper, had blasted through the expected clear time with staggering speed.
Way too fast…
"What's that? Pepper…?" Ritsu peered at the screen from behind. "Oh, this is the user I wanted to talk about."
Turning to Tsukuri, Ritsu pressed forward with her original purpose. "The AI for Night Assault Lycaon has been adjusted as you requested. It only applies the curse mark to frontline classes."
"Then why are you asking me?" Tsukuri replied, puzzled.
Ritsu's response was blunt, stating an undeniable fact.
"This Pepper? Their main class is Backpacker. You know, a rear-guard class."
"…What?" Tsukuri froze.
Silence. Stillness. Then… shock.
"No way! My precious Night Sovereign Lycaon-chan would never mark a frail, weak rear-guard Backpacker!" Tsukuri protested, her voice rising.
"That's exactly why I'm here!" Ritsu shouted back. "What the hell is going on? Wasn't there anything in the Source Archive about a situation like this?"
Their voices clashed, and Tsukuri, breathing heavily, slumped into her desk chair.
"…There is a way for a rear-guard class to get Lycaon's mark," she admitted reluctantly. "First, the player must have a level gap of at least 100 with Night Assault Lycaon and encounter it solo. Then, they need to either deal damage while maintaining optimal distance without taking a single hit for over 20 minutes or inflict a wound so severe it leaves an 'afterglow.' That's it."
Grabbing her bangs, Tsukuri let out a heavy sigh.
"…It's impossible normally. Rear-guard classes typically invest in MP or dexterity. They don't have the luxury of pumping stats into agility or stamina until they're near max level and have points to spare…!"
"I don't know what this Pepper was thinking or how they allocated their stats," Ritsu said, her tone sharp. "But Lycaon acknowledged them. That's an undeniable fact."
Ritsu, the tuning god, fixed her gaze on this anomaly called Pepper. Meanwhile, Tsukuri, the creator god, stared at Pepper's name with a chilling declaration.
"…Pepper. This user is too dangerous. A rear-guard class, yet acknowledged by Lycaon-chan and entangled in the Weiss Ash Scenario. They could even upend the very foundation of my world's story…"
"Hey, Tsukuri," Ritsu warned. "Don't go rewriting scenarios or systems on your own. You'll get us both in trouble."
"…I know," Tsukuri muttered.
(…But precautions are necessary. Should I have Orchestra monitor them? No, not yet… too many pieces are missing. Then, I'll adjust the difficulty of the fifth phase's final trial in Impact of the World and weave Poponga into the Weiss Ash Scenario's practical training exam…)
The gods are watching.
They observe those who struggle to shift the world.
The gods do not forgive such anomalies.
They do not acknowledge those who threaten their story.
The creator god takes up the pen.
To corner this anomaly.
To wear down, break, and shatter their spirit.
The world does not move forward. It remains still…
The answer marked shakes the gods.
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