落とし穴５０堀：狩りと言ったら？ (Part1)
Pitfall 50: When You Say "Hunting," What Comes to Mind?
When you say "hunting," what comes to mind?
Side: Yuki
The date is November 28th, 20XX.
The world—or rather, Japan—is facing a major turning point.
I may be in the rare situation of living in another world, but thanks to the very first condition I established, I have access to the internet and can procure goods from Japan.
Yes, by using the internet to gather the latest information, I’ve been able to learn about Japan’s turning point, its revolutionary era, and ride that wave.
In other words...
"Damn it. It’s not dropping..."
Taiki-kun, sitting next to me, is cursing under his breath.
In his hands is a portable game console from a world-renowned toy manufacturer, featuring the signature dual-screen touch interface.
The 3TS—the Three Twin Screen.
And the game he’s playing is the massive hit in Japan: the hunting game, *Creature Hunters*.
"Cri-Hun" for short.
Honestly, I’ve lost count of how many entries there have been in this series.
The hardware has changed several times, and there are usually "power-up" expansion versions released, so the total number is quite high.
Even so, the fan base for this series never shrinks. That’s just how fun it is.
And today, the latest installment, *Cri-Hun Cross*, was released.
As such, Yuki and Taiki-kun—the mirrors of modern Japanese men who remain die-hard otaku even when crossing into other worlds—have been waiting for this day.
Of course, since many non-otaku also play *Cri-Hun*, today is the day the Japanese people transform into hardened hunters.
There was no way we could miss out on such a monumental event.
That’s why I had Luna procure it for us immediately.
I had considered asking her to use her divine powers to snag a copy from somewhere that might be selling it early, but I decided against it. It wouldn’t be fair to the people who have been waiting for the official release date.
I am a proper gamer, after all.
"So, what’s not dropping?"
"The mushrooms for the delivery quest."
"Ah... that’s rough."
"...These early-game delivery quests might be fine for beginners, but for me, they’re pure agony."
"I agree."
As the name implies, *Cri-Hun* is all about hunting, hunting, and hunting creatures, but that alone isn't the reason for its popularity.
The preparation beforehand—honing weapons, crafting armor, and managing recovery items, food, and traps—is just as vital.
You literally have to prepare for the hunt. Because there are so many elements to manage, beginners who skip these explanations often find themselves unable to do anything against large creatures before being defeated.
This game isn't as forgiving as traditional domestic RPGs; recovery is limited, and there’s a time limit for each hunt.
But rushing in blindly just wastes time, and if you fall a certain number of times, the quest is a failure.
Naturally, you have to pay a penalty fee—a harsh reality of the world.
Anyway, the early game features quests that serve as tutorials, and you can't progress without clearing them.
For veterans of the series like us, that’s the painful part.
The delivery quests are especially annoying. They require an immense amount of luck.
Well, usually they should drop easily, but it’s a classic trope that they never appear when you actually need them.
For experienced players like us who just want to move on, it’s a form of penance.
...Though, even after clearing these, many newcomers still find themselves brought to their knees by the next large creature...
"Well, just gotta keep at it."
"Sigh. If I could just forge my weapon, I could put off the armor and make it to the mid-game, but..."
"That’s only for people who are used to it. Beginners barely scrape by even with the best equipment available at that stage."
This game has no concept of "levels." The performance of your weapons and armor accounts for the majority of your stats, and the rest is pure skill.
It truly tests your own ability.
That’s why skilled players can get by until the mid-game just by upgrading their weapons.
Well, truly elite players can do it without taking a single hit, so it’s not impossible to reach the end with starting gear. But that’s just inefficient, so it’s standard practice to properly solidify your equipment.
People who do those "no-gear" runs are essentially challenging their own limits; they’re a different breed of human.
I’ve seen a few of those super-plays, but I don’t think I could do it.
I like to be fully prepared before challenging a fight; the "barely scraping by" style isn't my cup of tea.
In RPG terms, if there’s a place with a recommended level of 10, I like to go in at level 20.
Well, leveling up is a hassle, so I usually go in at 15 or so.
"...I wondered what you meant when you said you were leaving everything to the Doppelgangers today..."
"Seriously. I was wondering what was going on..."
The ones looking at us with exasperated gazes are Seraria and Airi-san.
As they said, we’re taking the day off work to play games.
For otaku and gamers, this is only natural.
Taking a day off on the release date to play immediately—this is an unwritten law that must never be broken. It is destiny; it is a promised victory.
Anyone who interferes with this, be they god or demon, will be dealt with instantly.
However, since these two are from another world, it’s no wonder they don’t know such common sense, and since they’re my wives, I’ll forgive them.
Actually, I gave 3TS consoles and copies of *Cri-Hun Cross* to them and the rest of the family, and now the whole household is challenging the game together.
"I told you, taking a break is important. Didn't you say you were looking forward to the new *Cri-Hun* too, Seraria?"
"That may be, but... isn't something wrong here?"
"Nothing is wrong. Family bonding, having fun—no one can stand in the way of that."
"...Is that how it is?"
"Besides, this game is excellent training. We possess overwhelming power, and we rarely find ourselves in situations where the opponent is equal or far stronger."
"...I suppose so."
"That’s exactly why we use *Cri-Hun Cross* to train for situations where we have to fight while being at a massive disadvantage."
"..."
I feel like Seraria’s eyes are glazing over more and more, but since she was looking forward to the game herself, she doesn't seem to have any intention of complaining.
While I have wives like that...
"Alright, it went that way!"
"Got it. Leave it to me."
"Let’s surround it and pummel it!"
Having luckily cleared the early quests, Riel, Tori, and Kaya are already in high spirits, working together in co-op mode to take on a large boss.
Since they were already used to adventuring and hunting, they seem to have a natural affinity for *Cri-Hun*, and they played the previous installment quite extensively as well.
"Nufufufu... This is quite the peculiar equipment, isn't it?"