On February 14th, under the watchful eyes of the media, the first round of the Demon Tower puzzle event concluded successfully. Over 120 people across Japan solved the puzzle, with the majority concentrated in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, and other major cities.
This wasn't due to Kobayashi Tetsu favoring certain areas, but rather because the majority of Japan's population was concentrated in the Kanto Plain, including the Osaka region.
Kobayashi Tetsu met with Tajiri Satoshi, Takamine Aika, and many others. However, in front of the cameras, he remained composed, simply congratulating the winners and distributing their rewards.
He even increased the original prizes: regardless of which team they were on, anyone who solved the puzzle received an MS Console and a choice of any Atlas game cartridge.
Though the prizes might not seem extravagant, the cost for over a hundred winners still amounted to several million yen.
Next came the second round of the game.
Those who won in the first round earned higher points, giving them a higher starting point for the second round.
March arrived in the blink of an eye.
As the second round of the game neared its end, Kobayashi Tetsu reviewed the team's work at Atlus Studio, encompassing nearly four months of effort.
Masanobu Endo, leading the Atlas team, enthusiastically presented the Demon Tower game to Kobayashi Tetsu.
"We've created fifty distinct levels, starting with basic Slimes and gradually introducing increasingly challenging monsters inspired by Western fantasy lore, culminating in the final evil dragon."
"The game includes hidden triggers—by entering specific coordinates or pressing buttons in a predetermined sequence at certain points, players can obtain items. These items are useless within the game; using them simply restores health. However, they serve as clues for solving real-world puzzles."
"As for the exact triggers, you'll need to refer to the corresponding real-world puzzles!"
"Additionally, we've made numerous adjustments to maintain the game's difficulty while ensuring seamless interaction with the upcoming third round of offline puzzles!"
Kobayashi Tetsu nodded approvingly.
He was well aware of the original Tower of Druaga's notorious pitfalls, such as the game abruptly ending if players reached the forty-ninth floor without obtaining a specific item—a move that had frustrated many players.
Kobayashi Tetsu hadn't interfered with the game's development at all. He had only planned the offline puzzle event, leaving Masanobu Endo in complete control of the game's creation, giving him immense autonomy.
Therefore, as he faced Masanobu Endo's report, Kobayashi Tetsu had only one question.
"Do you think there are any problems with the game?"
Masanobu Endo replied, "I don't believe so."
"Then let's release it. I'll negotiate the publishing deal with Sega and the manufacturing contract with Bandai. Then, in April, we'll launch the third round of puzzles. The game and reality will converge!"
Masanobu Endo jerked his head up so violently he nearly knocked over the nearby table. He quickly steadied it, his hands still trembling.
"President Kobayashi, isn't this too rash? Shouldn't we test it further?"
"No need. I trust you've done everything necessary. It's time to align with the final puzzle event!"
Kobayashi Tetsu casually patted Masanobu Endo on the shoulder and declared solemnly, "Once this game is released, you'll be one of Japan's most renowned game creators!"
As the progenitor of the Japanese RPG genre, from this day forward, this game would stand as the foundation of a new era!
April.
Kobayashi Tetsu's challenge, the final round, officially began!
Many people, simply by closing their eyes, could almost see the one-kilogram, sixty-million-yen Sonic statue and recall Kobayashi Tetsu's declaration on television:
"In the first round, we got the answer 'arcade.' In the second round, we got the answer 'fantasy.' Now, we've entered the final round of the game, and I've hidden all the clues within Demon Tower! Climb to the highest floor of the Demon Tower, find the clues, and win this Sonic statue!"
Kobayashi Tetsu's voice seemed to still echo in their ears, yet the arcade halls were already packed with people.
Having reached the third round, no one would abandon the challenge now!
Whether they had advanced from the first round or newly registered in the second, everyone hoped to claim the final prize.
Game tokens cost only 100 yen each, but the Sonic statue was worth sixty million!
The happiest person, of course, was the arcade hall boss.
Participating in the challenge was out of the question, but selling games was a surefire win!
The arcade hall was packed, with over a dozen Demon Tower machines overwhelmed by players. Those who couldn't get a spot at Demon Tower turned to other games, creating a frenzy reminiscent of an arcade carnival or Steam's Summer Sale.
Takamine Aika stood outside the arcade, feeling somewhat out of place.
She loved mystery stories and solving puzzles, but she had never been to an arcade before.
Not even once.
In fact, she had never played a video game at all.
Her parents were both doctors, part of a high-income bracket that demanded strict academic discipline from their children. She had never been exposed to such "unproductive" activities as gaming.
She didn't care about winning the Sonic Statue; Takamine Aika simply enjoyed the process of deduction and problem-solving.
But now, her only problem was:
She didn't know how to play games—
And she had never even been to an arcade before.
"So, this is as far as I can go, huh?"
The smoky, chaotic arcade atmosphere made her instinctively recoil. She simply didn't want to enter that environment.
As she turned to leave, she suddenly remembered Atlas's demo store.
Atlas's demo store offered a much more pleasant environment, with strict rules against smoking or other inappropriate behavior on the premises.
But if my parents find out I went to an arcade, they'd definitely be upset. But since it's spring break, if I sneak out... they probably won't find out, right?
With that thought, Takamine Aika resolutely headed to the Atlas Experience Store flagship location in Akihabara.
The atmosphere here was naturally much better than an arcade, though it was still crowded and hard to get a spot. At least she could walk in here more naturally.
For some reason, Takamine Aika noticed an odd pairing: two girls who looked about her age were playing a game together.
Kobayakawa Rinko and Anegasaki Nene—combined, they were barely as effective as a single person. They were eliminated in the first round, re-entered for the second, and then re-entered again for the third.
Takamine Aika didn't understand much of what was happening; she just stood behind them, watching for a while.
"It must be the clock," she suddenly said. "If you compare it to your watch, you should be able to get the exact numbers."
The two girls whirled around to stare at Takamine Aika.
Takamine Aika bowed deeply.
She might not be good at games, but she loved a good mystery!
Please Support me by becoming my patreon member and get 15+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon