Chapter 135. Bronya: H-How Many?
As the days went by and word of mouth spread, Plants vs. Zombies exploded in popularity.
This all-ages mini-game—fun for everyone from children to seniors—received unprecedented love and naturally became the top draw of the Mini-Game Festival.
Because of the festival's grand scale this time, even the ranking rewards were boosted.
First place's featured promotion went from three weeks to a full month.
Second and third place would also get two-week and one-week features.
The top ten titles would have a dedicated leaderboard on the launcher's home page.
The sincerity was overflowing, and of course the biggest winner was Plants vs. Zombies.
When it launched on the Titan platform, a joint live stream by Elysia and Eden sent the hype into the stratosphere.
Especially when they tried Random Mode together—the showmanship and the fun hit the ceiling.
"Miss Pink Elf" getting tilted and Eden laughing out loud were just too delightful.
In only a few days, it even briefly overtook Pokémon in heat.
On top of that, it only cost 25 Titan Game Points, about the price of an ordinary meal.
Most people didn't mind spending that to buy themselves a not-so-short stretch of happy time.
"How about it, ready to admit defeat?"
One week after release, the whole family sat in the living room waiting for the first-week sales numbers from the backend.
With Bronya and Kaguya tucked under his arms, Xander spoke with smug satisfaction.
"The result isn't out yet. What if I win instead?"
Head lowered, Bronya said something even she didn't believe.
What could she do?
They felt their work was already quite good, but who could have guessed Xander would go full cheat mode?
This simple-looking mini-game even made Seele—who rarely plays games—sink several days into it.
Even now she still opens it sometimes to play the Zen-Garden-style modes for fun.
As for herself and Kaguya, there's even less to say.
They were already lost in the boundless joy of Endless Mode, unable to pull themselves free.
She really wanted to pry open Xander's head and see what's inside.
Kaguya didn't speak, but her expression was much the same as Bronya's, which said it all.
The only difference was that, facing Xander, Kaguya didn't really have that much competitive spirit.
It was a pity she wouldn't get one order from her husband this time.
But whatever she asked for, her husband usually wouldn't refuse anyway.
As for her husband ordering her?
Why would she need "order rights" when she already listens to her husband?
"Alright then, we'll see how you keep a stiff mouth when the result comes out."
Bronya lifted her head and shot him a defiant glare.
Sadly, it was useless.
Xander just chuckled, lowered his head, and kissed her on the lips.
Sure enough, no matter how stiff a mouth is, it turns soft when kissed.
Bronya flushed in an instant and thumped his shoulder with a tiny fist.
At that moment, Seele—sitting at the computer—suddenly cried out.
"The results are out!"
And right then, the clock's hand also hit twelve.
"Let's look at Bronya and Kaguya's first."
"Mm."
Following her brother's words, Seele clicked the mouse with her small hand and quickly opened the backend for their game.
"Nine hundred and eighty thousand!"
Seele immediately reported the sales.
"Almost a million already. Not bad at all~"
Praised by Xander, Bronya and Kaguya felt no pride whatsoever.
The two of them stared at the screen, watching Seele click into the Plants vs. Zombies data.
Soon, when that number appeared in the center of the screen, the leading digits "150—" made Bronya exhale in relief.
So it's just one point five million plus.
Not that much stronger than us~
But before Bronya could relax, Seele's uncontainable cry left her frozen.
"O-One… fifteen million??!!"
Bronya stared blankly for a few seconds, thinking she had misheard.
"H-How many?" she asked, dazed, lifting her head.
"Fifteen million. To be precise, fifteen million seventy-nine thousand five hundred and twenty-seven copies."
"..."
Kaguya's trembling voice plunged Bronya into silence.
She fixed her eyes on that string of digits and counted them over and over.
After confirming it was indeed eight figures, she nearly blacked out on the spot.
No way—fifteen million??
What kind of nonsense is this?
Is there no justice left in the world?
She didn't understand, but she was thoroughly shaken.
This wasn't Pokémon, which had devoured vast Anti-Entropy manpower and resources.
This was just a mini-game made by Xander with three rookies in only a few months!
I'm done.
End it all.
Hurry up.
Whoever wants to compete with Xander from now on can be my guest.
As for me, I can't muster the slightest interest anymore.
"This much? A bit beyond my expectations, actually. Is Eden's promo effect really that strong?"
Even Xander sounded surprised.
In his estimate, around ten million would be the ceiling.
He didn't expect fifty percent more than that—a pleasant surprise.
Seeing how crushed Kaguya and Bronya were, Xander tightened his arms and smiled as he comforted them.
But that "comfort," to Bronya and Kaguya, felt a bit like flaunting at this point.
Couldn't be helped—it was just too demoralizing.
A "competition," you say?
They couldn't even see the taillights anymore.
What else was there to compare?
Might as well have surrendered from the start.
Seeing her two big sisters—especially Bronya—so dejected, Seele forcibly held back the celebratory shout that had risen to her lips.
Her little face flushed red from the effort.
Before long, the news spread with the gaming press and set the internet abuzz.
"Fifteen million in week one? Designer Masato returns to his pedestal!"
"How did a mini-game take the world by storm? I think there are a few reasons."
"Plants vs. Zombies Endless Mode complete guide roundup."
"..."
The wall-to-wall discussion gave Plants vs. Zombies another heat surge, making the sales curve—which had started to ease—shoot up sharply again.
Thanks to advanced tech, most people now have a sense of copyright.
Their willingness to pay for games is far higher than in the impression Xander had of his previous life.
Naturally, this result turned the eyes of many game companies bright red.
To the Moon?
That one's a top-tier story.
Not easy to copy.
Pass.
Hollow Knight?
That one's about exquisite feel and brilliant level design.
Hard to copy.
Pass.
Pokémon?
Sure, easy to copy—except Anti-Entropy Legal sends its regards.
Don't have the guts!
Now that Plants vs. Zombies is here, we can at least "borrow" one or two ideas, right?
Brothers, start "borrowing"!
Gameplay isn't something you can "authentically borrow" anyway, otherwise no one would need to make new games.
In just a few days, various reskinned Plants vs. Zombies lookalikes appeared on the market.
Xander couldn't be bothered.
They were just folks sipping leftover soup in the corners.
Not worth any extra effort from him.
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