Ch 80: Bugs and VA

Arthur listened intently as Utaha outlined the basic storyline of the dating sim. The narrative would span three crucial stages of life—childhood, teenage years/high school, and adulthood—each introducing a distinct heroine. The first was the childhood friend, someone warm and familiar. The second was the popular girl in school, admired yet seemingly unattainable. Lastly, the third heroine was a coworker in adulthood, offering a mature and grounded romance.

World-building responsibilities were divided between Arthur and Eriri, ensuring an immersive experience that evolved naturally through each phase.

The open world was primarily designed to guide players through three major locations central to the story. The playground served as the main setting for childhood interactions, the school encompassed both the childhood friend and popular girl routes, and the office became the focal point for the coworker romance in adulthood.

While most buildings in the town were non-interactive, Arthur randomly generated their designs to create a realistic backdrop. However, key locations such as the playground, school, office, supermarket, mall, and restaurant were being meticulously crafted by Eriri to ensure a detailed and immersive experience.

Within two weeks, most of the randomly generated buildings were completed, leaving them to focus on refining the game's mechanics. Arthur realized that aside from the main storyline, players would need engaging side activities to make the world feel alive. Features like part-time jobs, mini-games, and side quests were suggested as ways for players to earn money during the teenage years.

The discussion then shifted to transportation—should the game include vehicles or a public transport system? Eriri proposed that adding buses and trains could allow an early introduction to the third heroine, potentially through a random encounter during a commute.

Since the third heroine was originally intended to be introduced during the adult phase, most players would have already developed strong connections with one of the other two heroines. This could make it harder for her to leave a lasting impact.

By incorporating public transportation, restaurants, and arcades, players could encounter the third heroine earlier, allowing for natural interactions and potential development. Whether through casual conversations on a train, coincidental meetings at a café, or playful rivalry at an arcade, these moments could establish her presence before the official adult phase.

---

Before Arthur realized it, another month had passed, bringing with it the anticipation of his next set of gacha spins. Sitting comfortably in his apartment, he opened the system interface, the familiar glowing wheel appearing before him.

"Alright, let's see what fate has in store for me this time," Arthur muttered, cracking his knuckles before giving the wheel a confident spin.

The wheel spun rapidly, its colors blending together until it gradually slowed down, revealing his first reward.

The wheel gradually slowed down before landing on his first reward—a mysterious-looking blueprint. Arthur raised an eyebrow as he inspected it.

[Advanced Fabrication Module]

Description: A high-tech workstation capable of constructing complex mechanical and electronic devices.

Arthur grinned. "This is insanely op."

Spinning again, the wheel whirred before stopping on a second reward.

[Language Comprehension (Universal)]

Arthur's eyes widened. "This mean I can understand and speak any language now? Hmm ill try it later."

For the final spin, the wheel slowed before stopping on—

[Shadowstride Boots]

Arthur read the description. These boots increased speed and agility while muffling footsteps. He grinned. "Stealth just got a whole lot easier."

Arthur refocused on his work, moving at an almost inhuman pace thanks to his clones. His efficiency quickly outpaced the others, making it difficult for them to keep up.

Utaha, who had been keeping a close eye on him, finally voiced her suspicion. "How are you finishing everything so fast?"

Not wanting to reveal his powers—or the fact that he had a highly advanced AI—Arthur casually shrugged. "I just work at night."

In reality, his secret weapon was Albert, the custom AI he had designed from his gacha reward. Modeled after a sophisticated yet charming butler, Albert handled various tasks, optimizing Arthur's workflow and managing the digital aspects of development with eerie precision.

Still, Arthur made sure not to let anyone get too close to his process, brushing off further questions with a nonchalant smile.

In two weeks, the game world was fully constructed. The NPC movements had been recorded, transportation systems were integrated, and Arthur was finally free from his primary workload. The remaining tasks—refining the script, finalizing the artwork, and coding the core mechanics—were left in the capable hands of Tomoya, Eriri, and Utaha.

With time to spare, Arthur headed to the recording studio where Kessoku Band was practicing. Hitori was busy fine-tuning both the opening and ending themes, her expression one of deep concentration as she played with different arrangements.

Arthur leaned against the doorway, watching as Kessoku Band worked through the intro track. Hitori, completely immersed in her craft, played with various melodies, occasionally pausing to scribble notes or adjust the pacing.

Arthur clapped lightly. "Sounds good so far. How's it coming along?"

Hitori jumped slightly, turning to him with a small pout. "D-don't sneak up on me like that."

Arthur chuckled. "My bad. Just checking in. Need any input?"

Ryo, tuning her bass, smirked. "We could use a second opinion on the tempo shift."

Arthur stepped closer, listening carefully as the band ran through the track again. The shift in tempo was noticeable, adding a dynamic touch to the song, but something felt slightly off.

He tilted his head. "I think the transition at the 1:30 mark could be smoother. Maybe ease into it rather than a sharp change?"

Hitori blinked before nodding slowly. "That… actually sounds good. I'll tweak it."

Nijika grinned. "See? Having Arthur here is useful."

Arthur smirked. "Told you I'm a very useful person."

Hitori adjusted her guitar strap, nodding at Arthur. "Alright, let's try it again with a smoother transition."

The band started playing, and this time, the song flowed effortlessly. Arthur tapped his foot, enjoying the rhythm. When they finished, Hitori turned to him expectantly.

Arthur smiled. "That was perfect. You're really bringing the game's world to life with this."

Ryo smirked. "Well, of course. We are professionals, after all."

Arthur chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Now, let's figure out the ending sequence."

---

Later that night, Arthur and Tomoya ran a test of the game, eager to see how their hard work had come together. However, their excitement quickly turned to horror as the game crashed, corrupting the main file. They spent hours trying to recover it, but exhaustion eventually won.

The next morning, Utaha, Eriri, and Megumi arrived to find Arthur and Tomoya hunched over the couch, intensely focused on a game of Street Fighter.

Utaha raised an eyebrow. "Why do you two look like someone killed your cat?"

Without looking up, Arthur and Tomoya responded in unison, their voices filled with defeat. "We did a test run, and the game crashed. The file got corrupted."

Utaha and Eriri exchanged glances before sighing. "Idiots."

Eriri crossed her arms. "How did you two manage to corrupt the main file?"

Arthur groaned, still mashing buttons. "No idea. Everything was working fine, and then boom—fatal error."

Tomoya sighed. "We're trying to decompress the backup, but it's taking forever. So, in the meantime… Street Fighter."

Megumi tilted her head. "So instead of fixing the issue, you're playing games?"

Arthur finally turned to them with bloodshot eyes. "You try waiting six hours for a recovery process without going insane."

Utaha smirked. "So basically, you gave up."

Arthur shot a tired glare at Utaha. "No, we didn't give up. For your information, we're running on zero sleep, seven mugs of coffee each, and absolutely no food. We've been at this all night trying to recover the files."

Tomoya groaned, rubbing his temples. "I think my soul left my body three hours ago."

Eriri sighed. "So, you're telling me you two idiots decided to brute-force your way through this instead of sleeping and coming back with a clear mind?"

Arthur shrugged. "No time for logic, only suffering."

Eriri and Utaha exchanged knowing glances before—SMACK!

Both Arthur and Tomoya recoiled as twin strikes landed on their heads, courtesy of Eriri and Utaha's perfectly synchronized attacks. "Ow! What was that for?" Tomoya whined, rubbing his sore head.

Before they could protest further, the TV screen abruptly went black. Megumi stood beside the power outlet, calmly unplugging the console. "Alright, that's enough. You two need rest, not another round of self-inflicted torture."

Arthur groaned. "At least let us finish—"

"No." Megumi's tone was final.

Arthur slumped back in his chair, rubbing his temple. "Fine, fine. But we were this close to fixing it…"

Utaha crossed her arms, unimpressed. "And what exactly were you planning to do? Magically uncorrupt the files while mashing buttons in a fighting game?"

Tomoya sighed. "We needed a break, okay? Plus, playing helps us think."

Eriri rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. Now, get up. Eat something, sleep, and then we'll talk about fixing the game."

Arthur and Tomoya exchanged glances before reluctantly getting up, knowing there was no arguing with them.

---

Arthur dragged himself home, exhaustion weighing him down more than hunger. All he needed was sleep—long, uninterrupted sleep. Kicking off his shoes, he collapsed onto his bed without even changing.

Meanwhile, at the studio, Tomoya gratefully accepted the bento Megumi had packed. "You're a lifesaver," he mumbled between bites.

Megumi sighed. "You should take care of yourself better."

Utaha smirked. "Maybe next time, I'll poison it to make sure you actually rest."

Tomoya choked. "Please don't."

Eriri shook her head. "You brought this on yourself."

---

Arthur woke up late in the afternoon, feeling groggy but somewhat refreshed. Stretching, he checked his phone and saw a dozen missed messages from Tomoya, Utaha, and even Eriri.

Tomoya: We salvaged most of the files, but some assets are gone.

Utaha: Hurry up and get here before Tomoya breaks something.

Eriri: If you don't come, I'll tell everyone you drooled in your sleep.

Arthur sighed, got up, and headed back to the studio, wondering what kind of disaster awaited him.

Arthur arrived at the office, where Tomoya confirmed that most of the files had been salvaged, though some were lost. Fortunately, the missing files were minor assets, making them easier to recreate. After several hours of meticulous work, they finally restored everything and prepared for another test run, hoping the game wouldn't crash again.

The game booted up smoothly. The opening screen was still plain since the menu design wasn't finished, but this time, there were no crashes. It confirmed that a faulty minor file had been the culprit.

With the technical issue resolved, Tomoya focused on designing the main menu while Arthur joined Kessoku Band to finalize the ending credits theme.

Now, the last major hurdle was voice acting. Utaha had provided an excellent script, but they needed skilled voice actors to bring the characters to life.

Arthur leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms. "So, where are we going to find voice actors?"

Tomoya sighed, rubbing his temples. "That's the tricky part. We need professionals, but hiring established VAs costs a fortune."

Utaha tapped her chin thoughtfully. "We could hold auditions. There are plenty of aspiring voice actors looking for opportunities."

Megumi nodded. "That sounds reasonable. We might even find fresh talent that fits the characters perfectly."

Arthur smirked. "Alright then, let's put out a casting call and see who bites."

Arthur wasted no time setting things in motion. With Tomoya's help, they drafted an audition notice detailing the requirements, character descriptions, and submission guidelines. They posted it on various forums, voice-acting communities, and social media, hoping to attract promising talent.

A few days later, responses started pouring in. Some were impressive, while others… not so much.

Utaha smirked as she listened to a particularly awkward audition. "I think this one's trying too hard."

Arthur chuckled. "Well, at least they're enthusiastic."

---

A few weeks later

Arthur, crossed his arms, as he studied the four new voice actors. After a moment of silence, he smirked.

"Alright, you guys are perfect for the roles, but I gotta ask—why did you audition? No offense, but you don't seem like professional voice actors. More like people who just wanted to try it out for fun."

Kenji adjusted his glasses, looking a little sheepish. "You're not wrong. I've always loved anime and games, but I never really thought about voice acting. When I saw the audition, I figured, why not?"

Chika grinned and raised a hand enthusiastically. "Same here! I thought it'd be fun, and besides, being called 'Onii-chan' in a recording booth is a dream come true, right?"

Arthur shot her a flat look. "Moving on..."

Ayaka chuckled. "I actually used to do drama club in high school, but I never pursued it seriously. A friend told me about this, and I thought it'd be fun to try acting again."

Misaki, the most reserved of the four, spoke last. "I'm studying linguistics, and voice acting has always fascinated me. I wanted to see if I could pull it off."

Arthur nodded. "So basically, none of you have actual experience."

"Yep!" they answered in unison.

Arthur sighed. "Great. Well, no pressure, but we're counting on you guys to bring this game to life. Think you can handle it?"

The four exchanged glances before nodding in determination.

"Alright then," Arthur said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's get to work."