In a small alley in Shibuya, Kobayashi Tetsu met with Masanobu Endo.
Endo wore a long trench coat and a hat, clearly trying to avoid being recognized.
"Endo, you—"
Kobayashi Tetsu trailed off.
*Spy rendezvous!*
Only after confirming no one was nearby did Endo breathe a sigh of relief. He removed his hat and bowed to Kobayashi Tetsu.
"President Kobayashi, let's get straight to the point. If I join Atlas, what kind of project can I work on?"
Kobayashi Tetsu pulled up a chair and leaned forward slightly.
"What kind of game do you want to make? If you have a plan, give us a brief overview. I believe in your abilities, Endo-kun, but Atlas doesn't pay people to sit around doing nothing."
*Except me, of course.*
Endo certainly had an idea, but Namco had dismissed it as impractical nonsense.
He was eager to see if Atlas could pull it off.
"I want to release a unique arcade game—a tower-climbing puzzle game."
Endo explained concisely: "Players climb a tower filled with various monsters. Different stats will affect the gameplay in different ways—"
He elaborated further, but Kobayashi Tetsu understood immediately.
Endo was describing *Tower of Druaga*, an audacious game with notoriously punishing difficulty.
However, *Tower of Druaga* was a successful game. Maybe Japanese players just have a taste for this kind of thing.
The game's greatest contribution was as one of the foundational titles of the Japanese RPG genre. Even later classics like *Dragon Quest* were influenced by *Tower of Druaga*.
*Tower of Druaga* helped define many of the core elements of Japanese RPGs.
And most importantly...
It was an arcade game.
When Masanobu Endo first proposed the game to Namco, he was repeatedly rejected. It wasn't until he earned favor by porting *Iron Plate Formation* that he finally secured approval.
Now, clearly, Endo could never get approval for this project again.
Kobayashi Tetsu remained silent for a moment, pretending to ponder the matter. When his pager in his pocket beeped, he finally spoke: "Atlas has no experience with arcade games. Only I have a basic understanding of them, having done some simple porting work in the past. I need to give your idea some serious thought."
He raised a finger. "Leave me your contact information. I'll give you a definitive answer within a week."
Masanobu Endo let out a slight sigh of relief.
When people say they need to "think about it," it usually means they're not interested and they're just trying to get rid of you.
But by setting a specific deadline, Kobayashi Tetsu was signaling that he would actually give a proper response, not just brush him off.
Masanobu Endo bowed, this time taking the initiative to settle the bill before leaving.
Kobayashi Tetsu lowered his head, staring at the bottom of the glass Masanobu Endo had drained.
"I'm sorry, Endo-kun, but you can't blame me. You're the one who came to me first!" Kobayashi Tetsu muttered, then drained his own drink in one gulp.
Masanobu Endo had been acting a bit suspicious lately, secretly contacting other companies. But since he hadn't received any news, that was a relief for now.
The next morning, Masanobu Endo arrived at Namco for work as usual, only to find his colleagues whispering and pointing at him.
He was puzzled.
*Did I forget to wash my face this morning?*
He touched his cheeks, but they felt normal.
"Hey, what's—?"
Before he could finish speaking, the group quickly turned away.
Masanobu Endo shrugged helplessly and returned to his desk. He even took out a small mirror and checked his face—there was nothing there.
Just as he was trying to figure it out, his superior, Nakamura, approached.
"Endo-kun, come with me. There's been new progress on what we discussed last time."
Masanobu Endo's eyes lit up, and he hurried into the office with Nakamura.
Before he could say anything, Nakamura tossed him a newspaper.
"Endo-kun, take a look at this first."
Masanobu Endo glanced down and froze.
"This... This is—"
The side-profile photo showed him in close conversation with a young man across from him, their gazes locked in an intimate exchange.
"Endo-kun, you secretly met with the President of Atlas behind our back? What were you trying to do? Tell me, what were you trying to do?" Nakamura berated him, his voice filled with disappointment and frustration. "How could you do something like this?"
He tapped the desk, his gesture finalizing the matter.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll resign yourself. It'll be easier for both of us."
Masanobu Endo remained silent for a moment, then felt a strange sense of relief.
"Yes, I'll submit my resignation."
He couldn't stay at Namco anymore. He didn't know when Kobayashi Tetsu would respond, or if he would accept him at all.
For a fleeting moment, Masanobu Endo wondered if the reporter had been planted by Kobayashi Tetsu.
But he quickly shook his head.
Whether the reporter was Kobayashi's doing or not no longer mattered.
Masanobu Endo even felt he should be grateful.
If the reporter *was* Kobayashi's doing, it meant Kobayashi still wanted to recruit him. It meant he was valuable.
If that wasn't the case, there was even less reason to blame Kobayashi Tetsu.
Masanobu Endo quickly carried out his own self-deception, ultimately submitting his resignation and leaving Namco with his personal belongings.
Two days later, within the agreed-upon timeframe, Masanobu Endo received a call from Kobayashi Tetsu.
"Endo, Atlas has carefully considered your proposal and believes it has some merit. Come to Atlas for a discussion. It's on the twenty-fourth floor of the Shinjuku Mitsui Building. That floor is occupied solely by Atlas now."
Masanobu Endo sprang to his feet.
"Yes, President Kobayashi!"
Atlas—Masanobu Endo took a quick tour.
It couldn't compare to Namco's own headquarters, but at least it showed Atlas was a company developing along proper channels.
Kobayashi Tetsu led Masanobu Endo into his office, speaking concisely.
"I don't keep tea here. Have some water. I've given your proposal some thought, and while it has potential, we can make targeted adjustments."
***
Observing Masanobu Endo's expression, Kobayashi Tetsu raised his hand and casually pulled over a whiteboard.
Masanobu Endo was slightly startled.
*Where did that whiteboard come from?!*
Kobayashi Tetsu began sketching on it.
"Have you ever heard of a game called *Sword Quest: World*?"
Masanobu Endo frowned, then realization dawned on him. "The game Atari was developing before they went bankrupt?"
"Exactly," Kobayashi Tetsu replied, folding his arms. "That's the one. This game pioneered a unique gameplay mechanic: synchronized online and offline puzzle-solving. Players would gather clues both within the game and in real life, combine them to solve the puzzles, and submit the answers to the game company to win."
Masanobu Endo swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. He quickly raised his water cup and gulped it down.
He suddenly realized that Kobayashi Tetsu wasn't just supporting his plan—he intended to take it to the next level.
*If we're playing this big, I don't even care if Kobayashi Tetsu was the one who brought in the journalists!*
*Everyone loves feeling valued!*
Kobayashi Tetsu said, "Welcome to Atlas, Endo-kun. I support your plan to allocate resources for developing the arcade game you envision. If you need more staff, feel free to recruit. My only request is that while maintaining the game's playability, you embed clues for synchronized puzzle-solving. Clues obtained offline should help players progress online, and vice versa, with online clues guiding players to quickly find offline clues."
"Even without these interactive puzzles, the game must remain engaging. Can you achieve this?"
Masanobu Endo instantly stood up, snapping to attention.
"Yes! Absolutely! It's easily achievable. This is exactly what I wanted!"
Kobayashi Tetsu nodded.
"Then prepare to start work. I'll take you to Sega tomorrow. Feel free to requisition whatever resources you need. You understand the arcade hardware requirements better than I ever could."
Namco was certainly a major player in the arcade industry, but Sega was the true giant!
Masanobu Endo let out a satisfied sigh.
*Success! I've finally secured the left foot of the divine plan!*
*With both hands and feet now in place, it's time to summon the Dark Archmage!*
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