The game begins in a Dac, damp dungeon.
Dac woke up inside a dungeon cell.
He tried to sit up, swaying unsteadily, but a splitting headache forced him to give up.
Looking around, he found himself in a cramped dungeon cell with damp earthen floors and crumbling walls.
Dac tried to remember how he got here, but his memory seemed wiped clean, leaving only a blank void.
A wave of panic washed over him. He didn't know why he was trapped here or what to do next.
Forcing himself to calm down, he began observing his surroundings.
The cell had a rusty iron door, and a sliver of light seeped through the crack.
Dac realized that if he could find a way to open that door, he might escape this terrifying place.
It has to be said, Brevik and his team's approach to game design is still quite simple and direct, with almost no 'tutorial' content.
After all, this wasn't a project Aoki Haruhi personally oversaw, and the game itself offers high freedom, giving players a lot of room for exploration.
Dac moved the character back and forth in the small cell. When he approached the iron bars, a highlight circle appeared around the mouse cursor.
To be precise, the highlight was emanating from the lock on the door.
The highlight would appear when the character got close.
Clicking with the mouse brought up several options:
[This is a somewhat rusty lock. The key's whereabouts are unknown.
Perhaps brute force could rip it off?
Or maybe fire magic could melt it?
1. Rip with force
2. Search for the key
3. Burn with Fire Magic]
Great, Dac thought, I chose a mage.
So he chose option 3.
Immediately, a die appeared on the screen.
[The die is your most important tool in this game. Almost every action, including judgments, combat, and loot draws...
requires using the die.]
Currently, Dac only possessed the initial 4-sided die, with the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 on its faces.
This meant the maximum number this die could roll was 4.
[Mage receives Intelligence bonus: +1]
Dac didn't fully understand what this Intelligence +1 meant yet.
But, driven by his instinct as a tabletop RPG player, he roughly grasped how to play the game from here.
[The lock's endurance is 3, so you need to roll above 3.]
Dac clicked on the tetrahedral die in the UI. It rolled.
The roll result showed [1].
[Affected by Intelligence bonus, 1+1]
The number in the UI flickered, changing to 2.
A large [FAILURE] appeared on the screen.
Clank.
The lock made a sound but showed no change.
"There are magical runes. It seems unlikely to succeed," Dac (the character) said.
What the fuck?!
Dac felt utterly exasperated.
The Intelligence bonus itself was +1, meaning he only needed to roll a 2 to succeed.
And he rolled a 1.
How unlucky can my luck be?!
...
There were still two options left.
Searching for the key would obviously take more time, but Dac was certain the key was somewhere in the cell.
But using brute force to break it open...
Even though he was a mage, trying it wouldn't cost much time.
This time, Dac chose option 1.
The die rolled, landing on a big 4!
CRASH!!!
The lock was ripped off and fell to the ground.
After some effort, he finally succeeded in opening the iron door.
As he stepped out of the cell.
Dac thought—
Did I choose the wrong class?
...
The game's atmosphere was actually quite rich. It looked like a turn-based RPG style but offered Dac a kind of unprecedented, novel fun.
For some reason, it felt familiar, like playing Diablo.
No, to be more precise, it was more like the tabletop RPG games he usually played, but this time it had become a very concrete, visible form.
Dac hadn't taken more than a few steps out of the cell before encountering a long, Dac corridor.
He began walking down the corridor, feeling his footsteps echo in the empty hallway.
The lights on the walls flickered, making it hard to see the path ahead.
Unexpectedly, he soon encountered two dungeon guards. They looked like stone statues, their heads somewhat frog-shaped. In short, they bore no resemblance to living beings.
Next, a turn-based combat sequence began.
The terrain remained the same corridor. The two opponents each held a sharp sword, ready to attack Dac.
The die rolled a 4, determining that Dac's attack order would be before the enemies.
Since it was a turn-based game with no time limit, Dac had plenty of time to study the game's mechanics:
The damage of his skill equaled: (Die roll difference) (Mage Intelligence coefficient bonus) (Spell coefficient) + (Base value) + (Attribute bonus/penalty).
Take the simplest example.
If Dac used the [Flame Assault] spell, which dealt [Fire] attribute damage, the spell's coefficient bonus was 1.1, and Dac's current Intelligence was 5.
The coefficient bonus provided by Intelligence was 1 + 5/100, equaling 1.05.
The base damage value was 2.
If he rolled a 2.
And the opponent rolled a 1.
Then the fire damage he could inflict would equal (2-1) 1.05 1.1 + 2 = 3.155, rounded to 3 damage.
Of course, the actual gameplay experience was simple because the calculations were done automatically by the system; you didn't need to think at all.
So, in practice, when Dac was playing, the game screen looked like this—
He first selected the left dungeon guard as the target, rolled a 4, followed by the opponent rolling a 3.
Then the character's attack animation played on screen.
[Dac] raised his staff, a ball of flame erupting from it and smashing into the dungeon guard.
No attribute bonus; a white number was displayed.
So a -3 popped up, and a small chunk was taken off the enemy's health bar.
Seeing this, Dac felt a wave of surprise.
Was this good luck or bad luck?
I rolled a 4, which was the maximum.
Yet the opponent rolled a 3.
What the hell.
...
Fortunately, the initial combat wasn't difficult. The beginning of the game was meant for players to get accustomed, so even if you had the worst luck—say, rolling 1s the whole time while the opponent's rolls were consistently higher—you could still easily get through here relying on the base damage and attribute bonuses.
After defeating the two dungeon guards, they both turned into piles of ash.
After walking for a while, Dac suddenly heard a faint sound.
He stopped and listened carefully.
The sound seemed to come from the end of the corridor. It was somewhat muffled but enough to catch his attention.
Dac hesitated for a moment, then decided to proceed.
He quickened his pace, trying to reach the source of the sound as soon as possible.
When he reached the end of the corridor, he found the sound coming from a small room.
Inside the room was a table and a chair, with an open book on the table.
Dac approached and saw it was a book about magic.
Flipping through the pages, he found many wondrous magical incantations recorded within.
Just then, a mysterious voice echoed in the room: "Welcome to my library, young mage. Here, you can learn any magic you desire."
Dac looked around in surprise, unable to tell where the voice came from.
Scanning the room, he noticed a mirror hanging on the wall.
Reflected in the mirror was the figure of an elder, smiling at Dac.
Dac himself was startled.
Pokeni's games are made so well. Even though it's a 2D game, the atmosphere is incredibly immersive. It truly feels like being in a magical world.
And who would have thought the mirror would serve such a purpose? It's even more unexpected for a person to appear within it.
"Who are you?" Dac asked.
"I am the guardian of this library," the elder replied. "My duty is to protect the magical texts here, allowing those who seek magical knowledge to find what they need."
"Were the guards outside arranged by you?"
"No." The elder shook his head. "They are Ash Bringers. This place was supposed to be a magic academy, but those monsters turned it into a dungeon."
The elder had actually died long ago. This magical library was created by his magic before his passing. The [him] in the mirror was merely a remnant, possessing some magical power but unable to interfere with the Ash Bringers.
Its main function was to teach magic to those destined to find their way here.
Essentially a harmless NPC.
Ash Bringers?!
Dac lowered his head, another headache coming on.
It felt incredibly familiar yet strangely foreign. Whenever he tried to remember, a sharp pain shot through his mind.
"It seems you have forgotten something very important."
"Young man, our meeting is fated.
You defeated the guards outside, which can be considered passing a trial. I can offer you a magical reward. Come, young man, learn the magic you desire."
Dac was utterly astonished. He never imagined encountering such a serendipitous event in this desolate place.
There were many types of magic.
If he hadn't chosen the mage class, it would have been a waste.
Dac chose an ice-based magic.
But you could only choose the general category. The specific, useful magic you received would then be determined by the die roll.
So Dac rolled a 1.
Thus, Dac obtained a [Beginner Ice Magic Tome: Frost Bolt].
Its power was relatively low, with the lowest tier damage bonus and base value. Its main use was a certain chance to freeze the enemy, causing them to lose a turn.
Fuck fuck fuck fuck!
Dac felt like dying.
And there wasn't even a save point here.
(Yes, to save in this game, you must find a save point.)
The last save point was right after he first opened the dungeon door and stepped out.
"Additionally, I shall give you another gift," the elder continued, then handed him a Soul Stone. "This Soul Stone can help you find answers."
With just one glance, Dac almost fainted—
[Soul Stone, an extremely rare treasure.
It provides a +1 point bonus. Embedding the Soul Stone into a die can alter the number on any one face.]
This meant that as long as Dac placed the Soul Stone into this tetrahedral die, he could increase the number on one chosen face by 1.
Fuc...
A vein throbbed on Dac's forehead. He felt an urge to strangle this mage elder.
You had such a good item and didn't offer it first?!
Even if I made the smallest face a 2, I wouldn't have drawn only a level 1 magic tome!
...
Playing up to this point, Dac finally gained a very clear understanding of the game—
In this game, the single most important thing is actually the die.
The die roll determines everything.
Whether it's combat, puzzle-solving, interactions, or even a simple magic draw, the die is involved.
Dac truly felt he was incredibly unlucky.
Rolling a high 4 during combat, but rolling a 1 when drawing magic.
He felt an impulse to start over.
But then...
Forget it. Let's finish the first playthrough, then do a proper second run with save scumming.
...
Since the die is so important, he needed to carefully consider how to use this [Soul Stone] next.
If he added the +1 to the smallest face, he would have a die with faces 2, 2, 3, 4. At the very least, he'd have a guaranteed minimum roll of 2.
But if he added it to the 4, turning it into a 5, he could instantly raise his maximum potential by a significant margin.
A jump from 4 to 5 is a 25% increase.
The benefit is also quite high.
Should he use it for a safety net or to boost the maximum?
That was the question.
After careful consideration, Dac decided to boost the maximum.
Thus, the die's faces became 1, 2, 3, 5.
In life, the most important thing is to take a bold gamble!
My luck can't possibly stay this bad forever, right?!
...
Dac emerged from the dungeon to a desolate landscape.
The sky was overcast with Dac clouds, as if foretelling impending disaster.
He knew he had to find his way home quickly, or he might face even greater danger.
In this unfamiliar world, how would Dac handle the unknown challenges ahead?
What secrets were hidden in his past?
Everything remained a mystery.
All Dac could do was bravely face the unknown and search for his own truth.
...
Outside the entrance stood a signpost, a road marker.
It pointed in different directions.
Going up led to the Akasha Kingdom.
Going west led to the Kaka Clan.
Going down led to an island named Frey.
Before him lay a world of vast unknowns and high exploration potential.
Dac couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
This game offers quite high freedom.
...
After some thought, Dac decided to head to the Kaka Clan first.
In the initial character selection screen, the Kaka Clan seemed to be a plant-based kingdom. Such a place shouldn't be too dangerous. The Akasha insectoids sounded rather frightening.
Arriving at the Kaka Clan, he first entered a small town. Talking to the locals, Dac learned the Kaka Clan was facing a crisis.
The town was being invaded by Ash Bringers, leading to many deaths.
They hoped the protagonist could help repel these monsters.
Before embarking on the adventure, the town elder suggested he visit the local tavern first. Perhaps he could recruit powerful companions there.
Wahaha.
Dac grew happy.
Turn-based game, recruiting companions—it sounded thrilling.
But...
This companion recruitment... it wouldn't also require a die roll, would it?
Dac wondered.
Sure enough, upon entering the tavern, the recruitment interface showed four different Kaka Clan warriors, with varying genders, appearances, and abilities.
The best one actually required a roll of 15 or higher.
The worst companion only needed a roll of 1, but the difference in attributes was obvious at a glance.
The four Kaka Clan companions required rolls of 1, 3, 8, and 15 respectively.
Anything above 5 was hopeless; Dac's current die only had a maximum of 5.
So he hoped to get the Kaka Clan warrior requiring a 3.
[Jesus, bless me!]
Dac crossed himself, then clicked the mouse.
The die rolled, landing on a 1.
Fuck!!!
What the fuck?!
Dac's blood pressure instantly maxed out. He stood up from his chair, feeling an urge to smash his keyboard into the monitor.
Is my luck really this terrible?!
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