Ch.3Kidnapped by a Crappy Game (3)

The messages in the chat window began scrolling faster and faster as time passed.

-[Mommy, please get me out of here.]

-[What about my fleet? My characters?]

-[Is it for real that all my resources and everything are gone?]

-[LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]

-[Survivor found, so♡lucky]

-[What the hell, get away from me]

“…I didn’t know this existed.”

Looking at the lively chat window, I felt somewhat puzzled.

That made sense because “Astral Lagrange,” the game I was now trapped in, never had an in-game chat feature to begin with.

Perhaps seeing my confusion, Jessica seemed to take it as a chance to change the mood.

She approached me with quick little steps and began explaining while pointing at my status window.

“Commander, have you checked the newly updated content?”

“Updated content?”

Her words made me try to recall what I had seen on my phone before being kidnapped and imprisoned here…

I eventually shook my head and countered Jessica’s statement.

“No, there was nothing about this in the update email.”

“I-Is that so.”

And there certainly wasn’t anything about making me the target of a kidnapping and imprisonment roleplay either.

In response to my reaction, Jessica nodded and began explaining while pointing at the status window in front of me.

“First of all, through Astral Lagrange’s new update, we’ve established a community system so commanders participating in this game can share necessary information with each other!”

“Hmm.”

“Right now, since your level is low, you can only use the chat function of the community system…”

As Jessica trailed off, I nodded and concluded her explanation.

“So if I raise my level, I can unlock all the remaining functions of that community system.”

“Yes, that’s exactly it!”

As Jessica clapped her hands together in delight, I was about to ask what functions the community had.

“I’m sorry, but due to permission issues, I can’t tell you about that in advance…”

“Hmm.”

It seemed there were restrictions on revealing the functions, as Jessica trailed off and clearly indicated it wasn’t possible.

Thinking that if it was a system issue there was nothing to be done, I decided to ask questions through the chat window.

-[Does anyone know what community functions are available?]

No sooner had I sent my message than replies started pouring in below it.

-[Wow, this one’s a fresh newbie.]

-[If you don’t know about that yet, anything we tell you will be censored in the chat.]

-[Oh really? I didn’t know that either.]

What could these community functions possibly be that they’d even censor them?

I was growing suspicious of the developer’s policies, but then:

-[If you’re a newbie, start mining resources first.]

-[Then quickly build patrol ships at the primary shipyard, and roll for characters in the gacha.]

-[Are there actually any newbies playing this game?]

-[Could be a grandpa with dementia]

-[Grandpa is a baby, we need to take care of him]

-[Anyway, since the blueprints for existing ships are still there, the best thing is to quickly gather resources by mining all resource zones around the base]

With the chat continuing to buzz with activity, I hastily typed [ok thx] and closed the chat window.

<Chat Window Closed>

‘Whew, that was overwhelming.’

“Sigh.”

“Commander, what are you planning to do now?”

As soon as I finished gathering information through the chat, Jessica asked as if she had been waiting for this moment.

After taking a moment to think, I shrugged and said to Jessica:

“Nothing special, let’s start by mining resources.”

“Yes, Commander.”

After saying that, I immediately took out the tablet pad called the command console prepared at the commander’s seat and began operations in earnest.

Jessica also headed toward the communication equipment in the command center to carry out my orders.

<Command Console Activated>

<Mini-map System> (Current Status OFF)

<Resource Mining Operation Available>

<Currently Available Resource Mining Ships: 1>

Just like with the other ships, I selected the only remaining resource mining ship.

Then I turned on the mini-map on the command console and ordered it to harvest resources from the resource zone in this planetary system where we were located.

Of course, all these actions were no different from the game I used to play on my phone.

I felt strangely comforted while performing these familiar actions.

But right at that moment.

-RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE…!!!

-THUD THUD THUD!

“Wh-What?”

I had no idea what was happening, but suddenly the entire base where Jessica and I were located began shaking violently as if hit by an earthquake.

‘What is it this time?!’

I wondered if we were already being attacked by space pirates or monsters when we’d barely started.

I instinctively tensed up and braced myself, but then:

“Commander! You set the resource mining ship’s path too close to the base!”

Jessica, who had been at the communications equipment, ran to me with an urgent expression.

Through the wide external observation window in the command center, I could see a massive structure I had never seen in my previous life.

No, it was a resource mining ship passing by, brushing against the base.

After a moment.

Surprised by the unexpectedly massive resource mining ship, I immediately opened the chat window to make a fuss about what had just happened.

I also wanted to confirm whether the mining ship was really supposed to be that big.

-[What’s with the size of the resource mining ship? It’s way too big]

-[Looks like someone’s starting resource mining]

-[Newbie confirmed]

-[What’s so big about it?]

-[It’s freaking huge, even the small ones are about the size of a medium cruiser]

-[Agreed, I was shocked when I first saw it too]

-[I tried to park it in front of the base without knowing better, and freaked out when I saw it looked bigger than the base lol]

From all these comments, I realized that the size of the mining ship I had just seen was actually “normal.”

Even though I quit three years ago, I was still a veteran who had played since launch.

Seeing chat messages treating me like a complete novice made me feel rather strange.

==========

Anyway, despite that minor issue.

Life is about overcoming problems and hardships when they arise.

Now, about a week after that incident.

<Resource Mining Complete>

<Ship automatically heading to mining zone.>

<Storing Resources…>

Using the base’s resources, I had produced two more very large and beautiful resource mining ships.

I was running all three ships in three shifts, actively storing resources.

However, one disappointing aspect was that unlike the game where I could instantly check resource amounts through the UI:

“Jessica, how many resources do we have in the base right now?”

“Currently we have about 500 minerals and 150 fuel, Commander.”

I wasn’t sure what functions I would gain from the community system later.

But for now, I definitely needed Jessica’s help to know that information.

Of course, that wasn’t really a problem at the moment.

Anyway, with those thoughts in mind, as I was clicking away hoping that the mining ships would fulfill their dreams of a full load today:

“Um… Commander?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you planning to produce additional patrol ships?”

“Patrol ships, huh.”

“If we continue like this, there’s a high possibility that pirates will raid us.”

Right after Jessica asked me this question in a cautious tone:

—————————————-

<Pirate Attack>

<News has arrived that small groups of pirates have been spotted near the planetary system!>

<According to reconnaissance drones, there is a high possibility that pirates will attack the Commander’s base if we continue like this!>

<To avoid having all your hard-earned resources plundered, start preparing now!>

<Time remaining until pirate base attack: 71:59:33>

<Pirate group size: 3 patrol-class ships>

—————————————-

After seeing the naturally appearing event message with its “time limit,”

along with the pirate group’s size and the pirate mark attached to their hulls:

-Ta-da!

With a rather cheap-sounding effect, a flashy highlighted notice appeared before my eyes.

<Time to Receive Returning Player Rewards!>

<Obtained 1 Random Gacha Ticket for Returning Player Reward!>

<Use it right now!>

Perhaps because this was just the typical gacha game “forced first roll for newbies” event:

As a grandpa who quit three years ago, I found myself with rather complicated feelings about it.