After the advent of the Money Acupuncture Board.
The hospital room I was staying in was becoming Arclight’s secret laboratory.
The Money Acupuncture Board possessed a mysterious function capable of resolving the material shortages needed to operate the Ark, so it would not have been strange to call it an artifact or an OOPArt.
Moreover, the all-out war to drive out the zombies had resulted in the worst possible outcome—total annihilation—leaving the 69th Ark in a situation where it had to resolve its own material shortages.
But…
“The only Echoes capable of sortieing outside are me and Areuba.”
I furrowed my brow at Pomen’s words.
“How come? If I recall correctly, the 69th Ark was an ark where thousands of humans lived, wasn’t it?”
With a city of that scale, it would be normal to have not only Originals capable of forming squads, but also an enormous number of mass-produced Echoes.
“If you are asking how come… because they are all dead? And because of the zombies that got inside the ark?”
Pomen answered nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders.
“Huh…? Wait. Wasn’t this place safe?”
“Ahem. May I explain, Commander?”
Areuba cleared her throat upon seeing my stiffening expression and continued in a businesslike voice.
“The former commander of the 69th Ark mobilized all of the ark’s combat forces for ‘Operation Blast.’ All squads and mass-produced Echoes, save for the minimum forces needed for defense, were deployed.”
“…What the hell was that bastard thinking, mobilizing the ark’s entire strength?”
“According to the Central AI, the plan was to annihilate the massive zombie army targeting the 69th Ark and secure an Arc Reactor.”
“……Ah.”
That was not good news.
According to the setting of *Echo – Resonance of Humanity*, the Arc Reactor was an essential material required for maintaining the Central AI’s systems.
In short, it was something akin to the ark’s heart.
In other words, if the ark’s forces had sortied to obtain it, that meant the situation here was that much of a mess.
“The 69th Ark’s disposal protocol has been halted. However, the ark’s remaining lifespan is not long. At this rate, the Central AI’s functions will cease within 30 days.”
“The zombies that infiltrated the ark? What about them? Does that mean the ark is under attack?”
“After the failure of Operation Blast, the Central AI opened the external passages to rescue survivors. In the meantime, some zombies flowed in, and several mass-produced Echoes ended up being corrupted.”
“…The range of corruption?”
“Approximately 70% of the ark’s entire sectors. The 69th Ark’s material and weapons warehouses are included within that.”
“…….”
The future looked pitch black.
Had I unknowingly selected Hell Mode when I lost consciousness?
The game Echo that I knew was an idle collection RPG where you raised pretty Echoes….
It felt like the game’s genre had changed—no, changed drastically.
“Your face is all tense. How cute.”
At that moment, Pomen smiled slyly and clung tightly to my arm.
The soft, supple sensation of her plump, voluptuous chest was blatantly felt through the fabric.
Then, she blew a breath against my ear as if to lick it and whispered.
“Commander, shall I help you relieve some tension? I happen to know a special massage for times like these…. Or perhaps with a more fiery method?”
“…….”
It was definitely a serious situation.
Yet this seductive Echo was distracting my thoughts.
*Yes… this is the Echo I know.*
I wanted to instantly immobilize that pink hair with the Commander’s authority and then fondle her to my heart’s content.
Echoes I had only gazed at through a monitor in the game could be touched for real here.
So, sandwiching my dick between those huge breasts and watching her seductive pupils roll back in pleasure….
“Pomen, we are in the middle of a report. Behavior that disrupts the Commander’s concentration through unnecessary physical contact is a violation of regulations.”
“Tch.”
And Areuba restrained Pomen with a strict voice.
But I knew very well.
That Areuba’s gaze was fixed on Pomen’s hand fiddling with my shoulder.
I had often seen beyond the monitor just how great the jealousy and desire hidden behind that expressionless face were.
Anyway, I pulled myself together with effort and sorted out the situation.
“First and foremost, we must recapture the ark’s warehouses.”
“That is correct, Commander.”
“Then if we succeed in recapturing the warehouses, can we breathe easy? What about the remaining supplies?”
“According to the Central AI’s report, it is enough for one squad to carry out operations for about ten days.”
“…….”
Wasn’t that practically as good as nothing?
I would have been in big trouble if not for the Money Acupuncture Board and the cash.
“Alright. So, excluding the safe zones, the remaining sectors are currently nests of zombies and corrupted Echoes, supplies are depleted, and we don’t even know what’s left in the warehouses?”
“…That is correct, Commander.”
“What about the Arclight Squad’s armaments?”
“We can begin operations for about two hours.”
So basically bare-handed.
I calmly used the Money Acupuncture Board.
And from the cash shop….
*Wait. Isn’t there an Arc Reactor here? If I buy that, won’t that solve everything?*
But I gave up as soon as I saw the price tag.
The combat supply package containing the Arc Reactor cost a whopping 499,000 C.
*Come to think of it, Echo was quite a cash-grabby game.*
If you grinded time, it was doable.
But when it came to growing through real-money purchases, there were few games more predatory than Echo.
Still, to normalize the ark, the Echoes needed to be armed first.
Suppressing my disappointment, I decided to take care of the Echoes’ armaments first.
[Would you like to purchase a Combat Module (Medium)? 3,000 C will be consumed.]
If I bought this, roughly 93,000 cash would remain.
There would be no problem resolving the immediate situation, but I should save it just in case.
[Purchase confirmed!]
With a *thud*!, a silver-gleaming metal box fell onto one side of the hospital room.
“This is… a Combat Module. Did you use the artifact’s power?”
A faint sense of awe permeated Areuba’s voice.
“We can’t recapture the ark with our bare bodies.”
Unlike mass-produced Echoes, Original individuals cannot be corrupted.
However, they simply cease functioning.
They too would end up in a state no different from death, just like the mass-produced Echoes.
“Wow! As expected of our Commander! I knew I could trust you!”
At my words, Pomen burst into cheers and naturally embraced me.
And as she pressed her lips briefly against my cheek, I unknowingly grabbed and kneaded her buttocks hard.
“…Oh my?”
The pupils of Pomen’s eyes looking at me narrowed into crescents.
This cat-like bitch in heat.
I should smack her ass right away and show her how scary the Commander could be….
“…….”
But I knew.
That she, who had been wagging her tail seductively until just moments ago, had subtly pulled away and put distance between us the moment I actually touched her buttocks.
The instant the line of light teasing was crossed, she became a frightened kitten running away.
It was exactly the Pomen I knew from her settings.
“I shall prepare the armaments first, Commander. As for the operation briefing….”
The one who broke the silence was Areuba.
She spoke in a calm voice, pretending not to have seen my actions.
“It’s late. Let’s proceed from tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
Areuba bowed her head and picked up the box containing the combat module.
“…Yeees, Commander. I shall take my leave as well.”
Pomen also glanced at me and trotted out of the hospital room.
Not a hint of the seductiveness from moments ago could be felt from her retreating figure.
* * *
“[My shoulders? My waist? My chest…? Where do you want to touch first today?]”
“[If you touch me like that again, I… might get the wrong idea?]”
“[Mmm. At this rate, my body will start remembering the Commander’s hands.]”
“[What if I break from being handled like this? Will the Commander take responsibility?]”
‘Provocative Chitin – Pomen.’
A mischievous joke openly wagging its tail at the Commander.
An appearance dripping with sensuality.
And overwhelming volume known as the “’Rampaging Estrus Barrel’.”
Along with the characteristic of being a tier-1 combat model, and so on.
Pomen, who first appeared during the 2.5th anniversary event, had garnered enormous popularity from the moment of her release.
As a user who had also gone head-over-heels for Echo….
“How many tens of thousands of diamonds did I burn to pull the entire Arclight Squad?”
I think I spent roughly just under a million won, including skins.
For reference, the Arclight Squad has three members in total.
I pulled all three, and I cleared all the personal stories associated with those three Echoes.
“That pink hair’s physical contact and jokes are not meant to seduce the Commander.”
Rather, it was a high-level defense mechanism to keep the relationship light before getting hurt, should it grow too deep.
Pomen, who was curious and talkative, was an Echo who greatly enjoyed skinship with humans.
She was a child who constantly wanted to confirm that she was alive through human body heat, and also to confirm the existence she had to protect as an Echo.
“[Get your dirty hands off me, you pile of scrap metal!]”
“[What makes you think you can dare lay hands on a human body?]”
“[Do you know how much monster blood and filth is stuck on your body?]”
But she was also an Echo who had been deeply hurt because of it.
As you know, the humans of this world did not like Echoes.
Pomen’s joke, “Will the Commander take responsibility?” was, paradoxically, a scream filled with fear—a plea asking me not to think of her so deeply that I would have to take responsibility.
It was behavior stemming from a deep trauma of being forgotten or abandoned after believing in humans for nothing.
“In other words… if I give her trust, doesn’t that mean she’s capturable?”
In fact, Pomen’s side story progressed in that manner.
The Commander saw through Pomen’s anxiety and spoke words of trust, shattering her mask.
That was Pomen’s side story.
Of course, gamers who enjoyed Echo made up all sorts of behind-the-scenes stories, but….
“That means I can enjoy things directly, beyond just the story.”
This was a world where I could really ravage Echoes like Areuba and Pomen.
It was also a dangerous world filled with zombies, alien monsters, mechanical monsters, and other creatures threatening humanity, but it couldn’t be helped.
It wasn’t like I could return to the original world either.
“First, survive here and find a way back to the original world as much as possible. Well, while I’m at it, I might as well turn the imaginations in my head into reality.”
The protagonist in the Echo game was just a eunuch.
But what about me?
Hmm… my heavy equipment was in perfect working order.
Anyway, the first target was Pomen.
And the hunting method to make her mine was clear.
“First, it’s important not to fall for Pomen’s provocations.”
That was what the Commander did in the game.
You must not respond to her sexual jokes.
If I went strong like earlier, grabbing her buttocks directly, it was highly likely that I would end up bound into a light relationship as Pomen intended.
But if I put on a stern face?
It was highly likely to lead to a severed relationship, just like with other humans.
“What a headache. How did the protagonist act in the game again….”
I remembered the story of my favorite character who betrayed me, “Ashen Wanderer – Isol,” without missing a single word.
But the stories regarding Pomen and Areuba were memories from half a year ago, so they were hazy.
“First, I should organize it before I forget.”
And so I began earnestly recalling my playthroughs and writing a strategy guide on a notepad.
Since I might meet other Echoes besides Pomen and Areuba, I wrote down everything I could remember.
In Hangeul, so the Echoes couldn’t read it.