7th "Grounded 2"
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/925/G092590/20251025002/
| 2025/10/25 23:00 (UTC)
Episode 7: “Grounded 2”
When I woke up, the world had become enormous. No—rather, I had shrunk to a tiny size. Grass blades towered like forests, and insect wing sounds transformed into ominous warning signals. This was supposed to be my familiar park—but it now felt like an entirely unknown otherworld. The ordinary has turned extraordinary; a grand adventure begins in this miniature realm.
After-school Revu-az!
The Demon King Akashiro Akane—whose heart is captivated by human world games—has a fierce glare and sharp tone, but secretly she’s quite the ladylike type: Ryuonsaji Rin, who loves board games and miniatures. And then there’s Niyama Honoka, an innocent, cheerful girl with a passion for board games and miniatures. This is私立 Shikai Academy. In the empty classroom after school today, three figures were once again gathered.
Rin
Ugh… spider… ah! My legs—so many of them… (muttering).
Honoka
Akane-chan, Rin-chan’s trembling—is something wrong?
Akane
I was just showing her a new bug from “Grounded 2”…
Honoka
Ohhh! That survival game where you become tiny and beat up bugs, right? So cool!
Akane
No, not “beat up”… Anyway, have you played it already, Honoka?
Honoka
Not yet—still waiting! But since the Japanese version’s out now, I was just about to start!
Akane
Hmph… that’s quite convenient indeed… gag.
Honoka
So what happened?
Akane
Well, I was showing Rin a new bug from the update—and on our way, we were attacked by a tarantula.
Honoka
Tarantulas appear again this time! They’re pretty big and look really creepy—definitely tough for people who don’t like them.
Rin
N-no way! I’m perfectly fine! It’s just that bugs with lots of legs aren’t my strong suit… only a little, okay?
Honoka
(You call that not being afraid?)
Akane
Hmm? Then how about we go on a journey together to find some new companions?
Honoka
Whoa… So this is what the setting looks like now! It’s huge—gonna get lost for sure!
Rin
Last time it was the backyard, and now it’s a park? I guess when you’re tiny, everything just seems massive.
Akane
Exactly! The sense of scale in this game is incredible. What we normally see as insignificant—patches of grass or small steps—become vast forests and sheer cliff faces here.
Honoka
The worldbuilding’s so amazing! A ladybug that’s bigger than us, everyday park objects suddenly looking strange and otherworldly from a miniature viewpoint—it’s magical!
Rin
Huh… There are discarded gum wrappers and cookie crumbs lying around—can we use those for survival?
Akane
Indeed. Gum can be used as material, and if it hasn’t gone bad, cookies become food.
Rin
So even non-natural things can be useful? That makes sense with the park setting!
Honoka
By the way, what new bugs were added?
Akane
Scorpions, butterflies, caterpillars, snails… and then there’s this one. Look—there it is.
Honoka
Ah! Cockroach!
Rin
H-Huh… wait, it’s not attacking us?
Akane
Well, they’re neutral insects—so if you don’t attack them first, they won’t bother you…
Rin
Honoka, didn’t you just punch it?!
Akane
W-What?! That battle-hungry girl…!
Honoka
Phew… that was a good fight (smirking).
Akane
Hahahaha! Seems like you underestimated the cockroach’s toughness?
Honoka
Eh? Wait—oh no! The head just flew off!
Rin
W-Wait—no head, and it’s still moving?! (Fainting)
Honoka
WAAAH! Rin-chan, are you alive?!
Akane
Hehehe! How shocked were you!? That’s the cockroach’s true resilience!
Honoka
Ugh… It’s cheating that it can move without a head!
Rin
Seriously… I thought my heart would stop…
Akane
That’s exactly what makes this series so fascinating—the way bugs’ real-life traits are cleverly incorporated into gameplay.
Honoka
Are there any other new features?
Akane
Quite a few! The biggest one is that you can now recruit bugs as companions. You can even ride them—so to speak, they’re like your personal riding pets.
Honoka
Last game was really tough for movement, and this time the map’s much bigger too—this’ll be super helpful!
Rin
But how do you actually make a bug into a pet? Traps? Feeding?
Akane
Tsk-tsk. You have to hatch them from eggs. Just bring back some eggs from their nest and place them in an incubator—the next day, you’ll meet your adorable new pet!
Honoka
Ooooh! I can stroke this little guy… so cute!
Akane
Hehe. And they’re not just rideable—they’ll cut grass while you’re riding, gather dropped materials for you, and even fight alongside you when needed—truly reliable companions. What do you think? Envious?
Rin
So much more than just a mount… they’re like partners who support your adventure.
Akane
Exactly! I can’t imagine surviving without them!
Honoka
Ooooh, I can pet this one… so cute!
Akane
For now, only ants and spiders. We’ll have to wait for future updates to see what else comes.
Honoka
Huh… I thought a cockroach would be the ultimate pet!
Akane
If that were possible, maybe we’d start developing affection toward real-life roaches too.
Rin
That’s absolutely impossible…